Upstream Color -- first film from Shane Carruth since 2004's Primer

Gary Huff said:
Digital camera sensors are generally optomized for the 5600k of the spectrum as opposed to the 3200k (you see the difference mostly in noise levels). But that's almost every digital camera, not just the GH2. So you're statement was technically correct, but a bit misleading.
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Hmm, well I don't know much about lighting or have any frame of reference to talk about it so I just described it as I could. Shane said they went out of their way to use regular sunlight and then resorted to mostly available light for some indoor and night time shots.
 
L1N3ARX said:
Shane said they went out of their way to use regular sunlight and then resorted to mostly available light for some indoor and night time shots.
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Well, by and large, natural indoor lighting will be tungsten based, so I think the "natural lighting" was primarily to save time in shot setups, and not so much to play to the strengths of the GH2.
 
I see that one of the screenings at the London Sundance Festival is on one of the biggest screens in the UK! Impressive to think they can do that from GH2 footage.
 
Watched it last night and I haven't stopped thinking about it. It was intriguing and complex, difficult without feeling like a chore. Malick-esque, but more accessible and rewarding. I will absolutely be seeing it again. This is a must watch, imo.
 
Saw it last night as well. My reaction was a bit more…meh. I was fairly engaged by the story-ish, and I have no problem "working for it" when it comes to deciphering what the filmmaker was trying to communicate. This pushed it to another level, however. And even the live Q&A with Carruth afterwards was a bit less than enlightening. It's a good film, and worth a watch for sure.

I also found the cinematography to be a bit taxing. There was just way too much use of shallow depth-of-field, and it seemed like every shot was either a medium-closeup or closeup.

I did really enjoy Shane's score and sound design, which carries most of the weight of the film.
 
I just saw it and thought it was outstanding. I saw it projected at a 4K theater and I thought it look very good. There is a lot to chew on in the film that is for sure, but I think that Shane Carruth has definitely shown some serious chops.
 
L1N3ARX said:
I noticed a similarity in my footage when I'm following someone around on a steadicam and I've really only got 6-10" of leeway, with lets say- a Sigma 30 1.4 wide open... it's damn hard to keep everything even remotely sharp.
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Have you tried the rope trick where you tie a rope to your subject at the proper focal length and then just keep it tight for the whole shot? (assuming it's not to wide so you won't see the rope).
 
Gillvane said:
Have you tried the rope trick where you tie a rope to your subject at the proper focal length and then just keep it tight for the whole shot? (assuming it's not to wide so you won't see the rope).
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You also don't have to shoot, you know, wide open.
 
Gillvane said:
Have you tried the rope trick where you tie a rope to your subject at the proper focal length and then just keep it tight for the whole shot? (assuming it's not to wide so you won't see the rope).
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Great tip. Gives new meaning to "Keeping your actors on a tight leash"!
 
Gary Huff said:
Yeah, lots of bad habits coming out of that. Every time I hear "natural light", I die a little inside.
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A lot of folks mix up "Natural Light" with "Available Light"... I like how Owen Roizman ASC describes it in the ASC podcast about the making of the original "The Taking of the Pelham 123"... He says he loves filming with "Available Light"... the light that is available from the truck!
 
L1N3ARX said:
So imagine my surprise when after the film, in the Q&A with SC, a random person asks him a question so basic, it forced him to reveal pretty much the central conflict in a way that instantly made the film comprehensible. Actually I felt bad... It really seemed SC did not want to reveal as much as he did, but the film made perfect sense afterwards. I could see almost the entire audience start to grin and nod their head with a "ah... ok" with just a single sentence of clarification.
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Would you care to enlighten us after that teaser?
 
I saw it a week ago and I'm still thinking about it. This film really demands multiple viewings. It's strangely... I don't even know how to put it into words, actually. It's definitely good.
 
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