Emmanuel Lubezki , Jeff Cronenweth, and Roger Deakins

Cinematography is, in my personal opinion, one of the best part of actual production. Sure during post production, a lot of work is done to enhance the cinematography, but there is a thing about making something so simple, into something beautiful. So when the Oscars are being presented and most of the normal human population turn down the volume when they present this award, I care. Not in the same way everyone "cared" about Leo winning one, but genuinely interested. And by the way, if I heard one more person say "It's about time Leo won the Oscar" from random people who went to the movies four times that year, I might've gotten sick. The man is only forty-one and a FRICKING MILLIONAIRE! Do you think he cares too much about an award while he's getting paid $20 million a film, traveling the world, having many promiscuous relationships with many women, or saving the world from global warming? No. So please stop it.

Apologizes for the digression. Now this post isn't about who the best working cinematographers are, but more of who I'm studying for this film opening. And it's clearly obvious the three influential DPs I'll be typing about today.

1) Emmanuel Lubezki: Lubezki has won the past three Oscars for Best Cinematography! He won on Gravity, the seemingly one take Birdman, and last year's coldest film, The Revenant. However, he began to shine Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men. His trade mark is the one shot. Him and his Mexican directors (and probably editors) really do love it when they can immerse the audience in an always impressive one take. Seeing my plan is to shoot a oner for the opening, I am studying how he shoots a lot of scenes, from a practical standpoint. Which is great, because there is a lot of steadicam used.

2) Jeff Cronenweth: This guy is David Fincher's go-to DP. He has shot Fight Club (sorry, first rule about Fight Club is to not talk about Fight Club), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Hollywood version), Gone Girl, and The Social Network (aka the best movie of this decade).  Him and Fincher really have this clear cut feel, sterile feel about them, that could potentially isolate the viewer, but doesn't. It's odd to profess in words.  Oh, and the focus pulls and shallow focuses. Love those focus pulls. Also, him and Fincher rarely uses the handheld technique or closeups, which is what I am being influenced by.

3) Roger Deakins: I would've felt wrong leaving this guy out. He is my personal favorite Cinematographer ever. He has worked with so many different directors and so many different types of films that it's insane. He worked on The Shawshank Redemption (aka the closest to perfection any movie could've  gotten to), to No Country for Old Men, to Skyfall. While he may be my favorite DP, there is nothing flashy about his work. He uses a mixture of cranes, steadicam, dollys, tripod, etc. Never are any of his shots flashy, yet they all are framed to perfection, lit perfectly, and do what the story needs it to. He makes all of his shots the best that they can and that is why he must be studied.

This is a long one. In all honesty, this should count for two blogs, but I know that wouldn't fly. Even if I split this into two, I don't think it would work. Ask all crappy YA films that split the last two to milk the money. It doesn't work.

Until next time.

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