Article reposted from Cintrellium Substack
I was flipping through YouTube the other day and as usual there is a host of repeated beginner level tutorials on “how to make your videos ‘cinematic’ every time” or other such prescriptive titles. The all too often promised, “follow my checklist and you’ll do it perfectly every time”.
It’s too much formula, not enough substance and nuance. It’s too much filmmaking 101 repetition and not enough, actual discussion and understanding. It seems too easy to make the same-type video over and over and over again across infinite creators than it is to build something that can dig in to experience. I guess “the algorithm” rewards it, so that’s what gets made.
The video that I saw that inspired this article had a thumbnail that was split in half. One side with a way-too-bright, non-diffused key light aimed directly at the subject’s face, and the other side of the thumbnail the exact opposite with the camera in the same position for both images.
It’s not bad advice. In fact, it does often look pleasing and is appropriate for the scene, but every time I see it in tutorial-form it’s presented as the perfect item to do perfectly every time no matter what in order to make something “cinematic”. It’s driving me mad.
Shoot shadow side! Yes, of course! Or don’t. There are many reasons to NOT shoot shadow side of your subject’s face. You might not want to! You might not be able to!
I’m speaking in narrative storytelling here. It encompasses infinite possibilities of locations, topics, and emotional content. What one should do is consider the lighting. The available lighting, the lighting that’s brought in. Is a non-diffused LED key light on the “far-side key” side of your subject appropriate? Or is it the non-diffused unmotivated lighting that’s making it “not cinematic”. Is it the complex lack of set deck and blocking that’s not making it cinematic or the top-light?
Formulas make everything look the same. Formulas take intent out of the equation. Formulas for interview/corporate “cinematic” look may not translate to narrative work.
Do practice these skills, but don’t look at them as the final solution that is appropriate for all scenarios.
Mostly I’m tired of repetitive content because creators are required to release new videos constantly to please the almighty algorithm which creates a never-ending repetitive environment where information and tutorials were already available.
Find the nuance, understand the scenario, and the emotional intent of the entire scene. Your actor and characters in narrative work are not “the subject”, they are the inhabitants of the world.
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