Technology and Directing

Melvin Harris

Melvin Harris

Black Flag Member
This one goes out to all of the guy and gals directing projects using your own equipment...

How do advances in cameras and other production technologies flavor your directing style.

Clarification:

The producers and director of Black Dynamite took a step backward and shot on 16mm reversal to achieve a particular look. Their choices were influenced by the ever present fact that the stock they were using informed a particular style of direction, art direction, etc. needed for the parody and satire to work.

Flash to Cameron, who created new technology to realize his particular work no matter how cliche the rip off was :-Happy(DBG):.

So, how do the 5dmkII, 7d, GH1, EX1, NXCam, XDCam, AF100, RED One, etc.; and on the back end Final Cut, Sony Vegas Pro 10, Adobe CS5, AVID, Edius, etc. influence your directing style?
 
pharpsied said:
This one goes out to all of the guy and gals directing projects using your own equipment...

How do advances in cameras and other production technologies flavor your directing style.

Clarification:

The producers and director of Black Dynamite took a step backward and shot on 16mm reversal to achieve a particular look. Their choices were influenced by the ever present fact that the stock they were using informed a particular style of direction, art direction, etc. needed for the parody and satire to work.
Click to expand...


Sometimes I think some of this 'I used technology X', is really more to do with how one wants to present themself, rather than the technology 'benefits/features'.

There are of course people who do choose technology X for its self alone...

But in the case of using real(tm) Film (especially real(tm) B&W Film...), especially for low/no budget, or 'music video', type applications, I think it's more for bragging rights than actual specific technical features.

How technology conditions what I do... given the price of the technology I have for a reasonable camera... I have no excuse for not making films, especially short films... other than the Ultimate Excuse... The Wife and her agenda...
 
The way I see it. Use the best equipment I can afford that will do the job I want to do...without impacting the other areas of the film that I will have to fund as well. I believe in changing/progressing with the technology and I get excited about the increases in what I can get for the money. If you want to draw each film frame by hand then draw it...but I will be using the latest and greatest technology for the money.
 
@Kess

But how does that influence your style, your shot choices, your visual palette. I mean everyone says it should have no effect, but if you've been shooting XL-1 and suddenly you're thrown into EX-1 land, you respond differently. There is definitely a difference.

Also, what happens when the latest and greatest becomes the lastest and pastest... do you psychologically resent your tools and shoot like that?
 
Whatever camera you are using...then you will have to light accordingly. You know you have a certain look that you want...now figure out how to get it with the camera you have in your hands. If you make a great film by drawing every frame on rolls of toilet paper the powers that be will work with it to get it to the point they need it. So that means spend 20 times as long on the script as we do on the rest of the production. Most people spend the least amount of time on the script and think that the film will work.

Bottom line: Don't worry about the camera you have...it doesn't matter as much as we think it does. I only worry about the script.
 
Yeah, but only busch league directors worry about the camera... that's not what I am saying. What I am asking... ok, here's an example- The Wachowski Bros. ruined The Matrix Reloaded by doing the whole digital person thing with Neo because no camera system could get the angles and the shots that they were visualizing. If they had the cameras that we have today, would that shot have been different?

Also, I am a director who likes to focus on actors. I direct performances. I love performances. But I tend to call certain shots when I have certain equipment because I know the limitations of the tools I use, but with the tools improving, I find myself excited by the prospect of purely directing and calling the best shots for the story because my tools can do what I need them to...

My ability to tell stories will not be influenced by the camera, but will finally be facilitated by the camera.

Or am I not making sense...
 
Well the further i've gotten in my directing endeavors the less i've really cared about keeping up with modern technology. Yes some technology definitely helps make life easier, but in the end the image quality is not the most important thing about making a good movie. Someone could use and iPhone and make a great movie if they really knew what they were doing.

It's really less about keeping up with technology and more about having a distinct vision and using whatever technology you need in order to make that vision come to life.
 
I am not sure about your statement in regards to the Matrix Reloaded. I don't see any limitations on shooting...none! With the cash and access they had to technology I don't see how they couldn't get what they needed.

There are no limitations except the ones you put on yourself. You have to do whatever it takes to get the shots.
 
Kess said:
I am not sure about your statement in regards to the Matrix Reloaded. I don't see any limitations on shooting...none! With the cash and access they had to technology I don't see how they couldn't get what they needed.

There are no limitations except the ones you put on yourself. You have to do whatever it takes to get the shots.
Click to expand...

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.05/matrix2_pr.html

They needed to re-re-reinvent reality and what was possible.
 
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