Why do a lot of filmmakers seem to hate deep focus cinematography?

Ryan Elder · November 26th, 2019, 12:56 PM

Well the script is not high budget like a comic book, but I was told it was in it's tone though.

Josh Bass · November 26th, 2019, 01:03 PM

Is that what you INTENDED? Is that the movie you want to make? If not you should change it.

Ryan Elder · November 26th, 2019, 01:08 PM

Oh well it's just I was told by some that the villains are comic-bookish in their criminal motives, and I should make them more realistic. But then others who read it told me that that's okay, and there is nothing wrong with that kind of tone.

So intended the script to be what it is, whether it's realistic, or a comic, or whichever. Perhaps I don't know the name of the exact genre, but I know what I intended in terms of story.

Brian Drysdale · November 26th, 2019, 01:53 PM

The villains can be comic bookish in their motives, a whole range of such characters exist in films, It's how interesting they are and if they're doing good - in their own eyes.

Ryan Elder · November 26th, 2019, 02:28 PM

Oh okay, so maybe it's not a realistic crime thriller if they are comic book-ish in their motives then...

Brian Drysdale · January 26th, 2020, 03:50 AM

An article on deep focus and thoughts on a possible return.

https://www.redsharknews.com/product...t-the-only-way

Pete Cofrancesco · January 26th, 2020, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Drysdale

An article on deep focus and thoughts on a possible return.

https://www.redsharknews.com/product...t-the-only-way

Thanks for sharing. A welcome respite from having to hear about breaking the you know what rule.

Ryan Elder · January 27th, 2020, 10:02 PM

Oh okay thanks. I don't have to do the project in deep focus, it's just that I thought it would look better to have three characters for example all in focus while talking instead of just one at a time, and taking turns wrack focusing.

Unless taking turns wrack focusing is better, if the locations do not have the most cinematic backgrounds?

Josh Bass · January 27th, 2020, 10:31 PM

I literally just finished watching Unsane, which is a 2018 horror-adjacent movie shot on a freakin’ iPhone. The cinematography is cool as hell and there is not a single shallow focus shot to be found. Deep focus can look fantastic. They did what they did with blocking, angle choice, color, lighting and location/set design.

Ryan Elder · January 27th, 2020, 11:32 PM

Oh okay thanks, I will check that one out. Since I am not allowed to paint locations normally, I thought I would just color grade them in Da Vinci and use the qualifier to separate the skin tones, like tutorials show. But every time I try to separate the skin tones, there is more noise on the footage, cause I keep failing to get it to separate correctly it seems. Is it possible to do this in Da Vinci resolve? Cause if I could control the color of the backgrounds, it will look better for deep focus of course.

I watched the trailer for Unsane. The deep focus looks good in wide shots, but I wouldn't want it in close ups. If it's a close up of just one actor who need to be in focus I might as well make the background shallow and only have deep focus on wider shots with multiple actors in them I figure, if that's a good idea?

Brian Drysdale · January 28th, 2020, 02:19 AM

That choice is up to up you; but deep focus works with CUs as well, however, you have to think about the cheacters' relationships, framing etc. You don't need a shallow depth of field to direct attention, as you would in a still photograph, since there is movement etc in a film

.

Ryan Elder · January 28th, 2020, 02:31 AM

Oh well it's just I guess I am worried it's a toss up. One the hand a lot of filmmakers and some cinematographers think that deep focus looks like 'home video', or at least they do based on conversations in the past.

On the flip side of that, master shots with more than one person in might look bad, if it keeps wrack focusing from person to person rather than allowing to the viewer to look at who they choose. So I thought maybe it was best to compromise and have deep focus for the wide shots, and shallow focus for the close ups. But it was just a thought.

Brian Drysdale · January 28th, 2020, 03:00 AM

Deep focus will look like home movies if you make a film that's shot like a home movie,

Ryan Elder · January 28th, 2020, 03:10 AM

Okay got ya. So what is the advantage of deep focus in a CU, of just one actor then?

Brian Drysdale · January 28th, 2020, 03:14 AM

it will match in more if the rest of the film is deep focus, however, you do need to think more about the background and what it's saying about the character.

November 26th, 2019, 12:56 PM	#346
Ryan Elder also known as Ryan Wray Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Saskatoon, Canada Posts: 2,888	Re: Why do a lot of filmmakers seem to hate deep focus cinematography? Well the script is not high budget like a comic book, but I was told it was in it's tone though.

November 26th, 2019, 01:03 PM	#347
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	Re: Why do a lot of filmmakers seem to hate deep focus cinematography? Is that what you INTENDED? Is that the movie you want to make? If not you should change it. __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

November 26th, 2019, 01:08 PM	#348
Ryan Elder also known as Ryan Wray Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Saskatoon, Canada Posts: 2,888	Re: Why do a lot of filmmakers seem to hate deep focus cinematography? Oh well it's just I was told by some that the villains are comic-bookish in their criminal motives, and I should make them more realistic. But then others who read it told me that that's okay, and there is nothing wrong with that kind of tone. So intended the script to be what it is, whether it's realistic, or a comic, or whichever. Perhaps I don't know the name of the exact genre, but I know what I intended in terms of story.

November 26th, 2019, 01:53 PM	#349
Brian Drysdale Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Belfast, UK Posts: 6,152	Re: Why do a lot of filmmakers seem to hate deep focus cinematography? The villains can be comic bookish in their motives, a whole range of such characters exist in films, It's how interesting they are and if they're doing good - in their own eyes.

November 26th, 2019, 02:28 PM	#350
Ryan Elder also known as Ryan Wray Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Saskatoon, Canada Posts: 2,888	Re: Why do a lot of filmmakers seem to hate deep focus cinematography? Oh okay, so maybe it's not a realistic crime thriller if they are comic book-ish in their motives then...

January 26th, 2020, 03:50 AM	#351
Brian Drysdale Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Belfast, UK Posts: 6,152	Re: Why do a lot of filmmakers seem to hate deep focus cinematography? An article on deep focus and thoughts on a possible return. https://www.redsharknews.com/product...t-the-only-way

January 27th, 2020, 10:02 PM	#353
Ryan Elder also known as Ryan Wray Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Saskatoon, Canada Posts: 2,888	Re: Why do a lot of filmmakers seem to hate deep focus cinematography? Oh okay thanks. I don't have to do the project in deep focus, it's just that I thought it would look better to have three characters for example all in focus while talking instead of just one at a time, and taking turns wrack focusing. Unless taking turns wrack focusing is better, if the locations do not have the most cinematic backgrounds?

January 27th, 2020, 10:31 PM	#354
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	Re: Why do a lot of filmmakers seem to hate deep focus cinematography? I literally just finished watching Unsane, which is a 2018 horror-adjacent movie shot on a freakin’ iPhone. The cinematography is cool as hell and there is not a single shallow focus shot to be found. Deep focus can look fantastic. They did what they did with blocking, angle choice, color, lighting and location/set design. __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

January 27th, 2020, 11:32 PM	#355
Ryan Elder also known as Ryan Wray Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Saskatoon, Canada Posts: 2,888	Re: Why do a lot of filmmakers seem to hate deep focus cinematography? Oh okay thanks, I will check that one out. Since I am not allowed to paint locations normally, I thought I would just color grade them in Da Vinci and use the qualifier to separate the skin tones, like tutorials show. But every time I try to separate the skin tones, there is more noise on the footage, cause I keep failing to get it to separate correctly it seems. Is it possible to do this in Da Vinci resolve? Cause if I could control the color of the backgrounds, it will look better for deep focus of course. I watched the trailer for Unsane. The deep focus looks good in wide shots, but I wouldn't want it in close ups. If it's a close up of just one actor who need to be in focus I might as well make the background shallow and only have deep focus on wider shots with multiple actors in them I figure, if that's a good idea?

January 28th, 2020, 02:19 AM	#356
Brian Drysdale Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Belfast, UK Posts: 6,152	Re: Why do a lot of filmmakers seem to hate deep focus cinematography? That choice is up to up you; but deep focus works with CUs as well, however, you have to think about the cheacters' relationships, framing etc. You don't need a shallow depth of field to direct attention, as you would in a still photograph, since there is movement etc in a film .

January 28th, 2020, 02:31 AM	#357
Ryan Elder also known as Ryan Wray Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Saskatoon, Canada Posts: 2,888	Re: Why do a lot of filmmakers seem to hate deep focus cinematography? Oh well it's just I guess I am worried it's a toss up. One the hand a lot of filmmakers and some cinematographers think that deep focus looks like 'home video', or at least they do based on conversations in the past. On the flip side of that, master shots with more than one person in might look bad, if it keeps wrack focusing from person to person rather than allowing to the viewer to look at who they choose. So I thought maybe it was best to compromise and have deep focus for the wide shots, and shallow focus for the close ups. But it was just a thought.

January 28th, 2020, 03:00 AM	#358
Brian Drysdale Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Belfast, UK Posts: 6,152	Re: Why do a lot of filmmakers seem to hate deep focus cinematography? Deep focus will look like home movies if you make a film that's shot like a home movie,

January 28th, 2020, 03:10 AM	#359
Ryan Elder also known as Ryan Wray Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Saskatoon, Canada Posts: 2,888	Re: Why do a lot of filmmakers seem to hate deep focus cinematography? Okay got ya. So what is the advantage of deep focus in a CU, of just one actor then?

January 28th, 2020, 03:14 AM	#360
Brian Drysdale Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Belfast, UK Posts: 6,152	Re: Why do a lot of filmmakers seem to hate deep focus cinematography? it will match in more if the rest of the film is deep focus, however, you do need to think more about the background and what it's saying about the character.