"Flare is the new Matte Box"

Another great piece by Art Adams.

He really is great at conveying what he's thinking.

But BOY... before every fool on the hill goes nuts - for the love of god please realize he's talking about creating lens flares with lenses whose flares DO NOT have 18 strong ghosts in them!
Feel cordially invited to actually LOOK at the examples he posts.
 
Dont know what to think of this in general.. Ive been shooting a pop vid today and basically placed a dedo behind the singer.. intentionally flaring and not as he moves about.. completely intentional.

To some extent the video lacks story and also with no flashing lights could be static. the flare adds 'dynamism'*.. maybe if we had a proper story we would not need the flare crutch. Should the band become big maybe people looking at my work in a decade will wonder why I didnt just film what was there and film it properly.

I wonder if flare is the new matte box however.. or rather matte box flare often doesnt work. Flare on a bare front element does the right thing.. flare from a stack of filters in front of the lens (especially with rear light leak) tends just to be horrid.

So maybe the 'trend' is partly that it now 'works' for us who have internal ND.

I shot a steadicam walkie once and there was just a harsh little spot of flare from a source as I backed down a corridor.. that has always annoyed me as it took the viewer out of the scene.

So maybe flare is all part of the 'Bourne'/Reality/found/iphone vibe where 'believability' is 'enhanced' by the feel that we are seeing the work of a pressured news crew or home shooter.. in other films (Fincher?) the cold eye of the camera does not admit to a crew being at the location and such shots would not want flare?

Im lining up a shoot at the moment were Im even thinking that the talent breaks the fourth wall via a 'selfe'. The same shoot we will seek flare and go handheld! We may even do a take on a phone!



S

*as do the handheld and the F1.4 with focus racks!
 
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Just going through todays rushes. Specific placement of the Dedo, specific camera moves..


Edit

Flare is the least of this young mans problems.. a hyperlapse inspired take!

 
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