- [Narrator] Are you looking for a crash course
in cinematography?
You are in luck.
Here are 13 moments where cinematography took it
to the next level, in 2020.
(mellow music)
- Mank!
Mr. Mankiewicz!
- [Narrator] Shot in a digital format,
Erik Messerschmidt made modifications
to give "Mank" an authentic look,
including which lenses to use,
which filters, and many other decisions.
- I'd support that.
- [Narrator] In the flashback scenes from the '30s,
the lighting techniques were different
from the scenes that took place in the '40s,
using harsher shadows and slivers of light,
while other scenes use a more modern look.
- Jesus! What is that?
- Sunlight. It's nearly noon.
- [Narrator] Then there was the dinner confrontation,
near the end of the film.
- Hello, everyone.
- [Narrator] As a very complex shot,
this required extensive blocking
for both the camera crew
as well as where Gary Oldman would stand
as well as when to say specific lines.
- Love him enough to make him president, but they won't!
- [Narrator] It took 100 takes.
While Messerschmidt certainly knows how
to create a look and tone from another era-
- Popa likes you.
- [Narrator] Wait until you see
what "Da 5 Bloods'" Newton Thomas Sigel has in store.
- Now I know why this mission was so damned important.
- [Narrator] First, there were flashback Vietnam scenes.
Needing to create moments that were gritty and haunting,
yet distorted through retrospect,
Sigel moved away from the digital camera used
to shoot most of the film
and shot these scenes in 16 millimeter.
This provided a strikingly different look
from the rest of "Da 5 Bloods."
While the entire film is rich in vibrant color,
the color in these flashback scenes are less contained
and practically bleed, giving these flashbacks the look
of a graphic war movie from years back.
(soldier grunts)
This was accentuated even further using a 4:3 aspect ratio
that isn't only fitting for the time
but provided a subtle hint that, unlike the present day,
maybe we weren't seeing the whole picture.
- Hold on! (soldiers yelling)
- [Narrator] A terrific use
of natural lighting was also implemented,
much like in this scene where Paul,
haunted by years of guilt and PTSD,
is seemingly able to make amends
with not just Stormin' Norman but himself.
- Ain't no thing.
- [Narrator] Spike himself referred to this
as God's natural light.
Then there's Paul's iconic soliloquy,
which is a shot you could write an entire essay about.
- Ain't got the guts Paul got.
It ain't they fault.
They was born weak.
- [Narrator] While this is similar
to Spike Lee's trademark forward-facing double dolly,
the camerawork here isn't quite as fluid or surreal.
Handheld and jerky, some moments feel chaotic,
while others are still and tranquil,
as if Paul is having a moment of clarity.
- Not Paul.
No, sir.
I ain't gettin' fucked again.
- [Narrator] Overall, this is a beautifully raw
and honest scene that demonstrates excellent chemistry
between an actor and a camera.
- Not this time.
No.
- [Narrator] Now let's see
how "The Midnight Sky's" Martin Ruhe captures the harshness
of two places known for being unforgiving and cold.
(dramatic music)
Shot on an actual glacier in Vatnajokull, Iceland,
the harsh elements required meticulous planning
and a go-with-the-flow approach to filming.
- It's fine.
- [Narrator] One shot that came out
of this was this suspenseful encounter
with a pack of wolves.
- I see you!
- [Narrator] Blinded by heavy amounts of snow,
our imaginations are forced to run wild
with just how big the pack may be.
(Augustine yells) (rifle fires)
Then there's this shot,
which captures the visceral action
as Augustine and Iris try to escape the cracking ice.
Through the use of handheld shots
that tilt and pan at just the right time,
as well as a few underwater shots, we're shown just
how unforgiving this environment can truly be.
(Augustine yells)
Ruhe was able to create a sense of chaos in two locations.
- Yes, sir.
- [Narrator] Now let's see
how "The Trial of the Chicago 7's" Phedon Papamichael
captures two chaotic tones in the same city.
- Traitors! - Lock up the longhairs!
- [Narrator] To help create a sense of passion and energy,
the protest scenes were mostly close up
and only required 200 extras,
as opposed to the thousands of people
that actually protested in 1968.
- We're going to the convention!
Let's get on the street!
Get on the street!
- [Narrator] That said,
getting these shots was still rather complicated
and depended on frequent communication
between Papamichael and his crew,
often having to rely on pure luck and happy accidents.
Directly juxtaposing these chaotic moments
is the mostly fluid and choreographed cinematography
inside the courtroom.
While the color choices were warm yet faded in other shots,
the courtroom is bleaker
and given a harsher overcast lighting.
There's still a sense of chaos, but it's more subdued.
- I think Tom Hayden is a badass of an American patriot.
- [Narrator] One shot that really gets this across is
in the beginning, as we travel around the courtroom
to see several contrasting conversations
and actions taking place.
However, those same people show a newfound solidarity,
at the very end.
- [Man] Thomas Anthony Scibelli, 26 years old.
(people cheering)
- [Narrator] Papamichael brought a true story
to life through the power of cinema.
Now let's see how Matthew Libatique was able
to same thing with Broadway.
♪ To the folks in the biz ♪
♪ Oh ♪
Libatique manages to find a sweet spot
between theater and cinema, in this number,
which takes place at a mall.
The screen is filled with pops of color, saturation,
and lighting that create the larger-than-life tone
of a stage show with spacious wide shots and framing
that alludes to a Broadway stage.
He also uses frequent traveling camera shots
to break up the wide shots,
yet maintain the energy the scene requires.
While musicals are mostly known
for their showstoppers and fight songs,
there are also smaller, more vulnerable moments
that are just as important to capture.
- Can I make an observation?
- (sighs) Is it a pleasant observation,
or is it an irritating one?
- [Narrator] One scene worth mentioning is
when Barry and Dee Dee confide in each other,
in their hotel room.
- He took my little, delicate, blueberry heart,
and he just squished it.
- [Narrator] Giving this scene a toned-down look
with earthy tones, natural shadows,
and handheld camera work,
Libatique gives these characters a chance
to tear down the walls and be truly relatable.
- No.
They threw me away!
- Well, did they really?
- I told them that I was gay,
and they said that they would take me
to therapy to change myself, completely.
- [Narrator] Libatique was able to adapt the spectacle
and drama of musical theater.
Now let's see how Tobias A. Schliessler did it
with another stage adaptation "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom."
♪ I want to learn that dance ♪
- What's the matter, Ma?
- Where's my Coke? I need a cold Coca-Cola?
(playful music) (Ma slurps)
(switch clicking)
- [Narrator] Schliessler delivers beautiful shots
that pop in vibrant color and have a sense of heat, passion,
and intensity that perfectly captured the Chicago elements.
One in particular worth mentioning-
- Get the boy's money!
- [Irvin] Okay.
- [Narrator] Is right after my rainy demands money
from the record executive.
While the entire scene embodies this intensity,
there's this one silent moment
where just Ma sits in the chair
and stews in her own thoughts.
(Ma sighing)
It's only for a few seconds,
but it feels like an eternity.
Though the camera pulls in, it seems to be cautious.
- Levee! Got to be Levee!
- [Narrator] Another scene that stands out
during a passionate monologue,
brilliantly performed by Chadwick Boseman,
we are taken on an emotional roller coaster,
told almost entirely through the late actor's face.
The camera shows us every wince, tremor, and crinkle
that make up this heartbreaking story
and why the character is the way he is.
If that weren't enough, at the point
when Levee pulls open his shirt to reveal his scar-
- That's what made them stop.
- [Narrator] The camera stays on his face.
- They were scared I was gonna bleed to death.
- [Narrator] Sure, we see a little bit of it,
but Schliessler knew that the emotional scars told
through Chadwick's face are the sight to behold.
♪ The black bottom ♪
- [Narrator] Who's your favorite next-level cinematographer?
Who else takes it to the next level?
Let us know in the comments.
♪ On cue ♪
- [Audience] Bravo!
(dramatic music)