Originally a short film I was tasked with creating for my Film Studies A-Level, I remake it every couple of years to see how I have grown as a cinematographer and filmmaker.
I decided to shoot in colour this time, unlike the previous one, with a focus on mixing colour temperatures and static camera movements. I want the camera to feel like an observer in this version, unmoving and objective, creating a removed feeling for the viewer. This will help with the absurdist/surrealist atmosphere I am attempting to create.
Below are some frames from some of the camera and lighting tests I did recently. You can see me testing out different grading options, etc…
Went for an over all warmer tone with this one. Also used haze, which gave the lighting a really nice quality. And used a cool tone light outside.
Then decided to try the idea of a sodium vapour streetlight being outside, shining into the room.
This is the look I like the best. Going to use this for the lighting when it comes to shoot the short. Also, I am going to use the haze and cool light outside in the final setup which I didn’t in the version above, as it just made the overall shot more interesting, and added to the dreamlike surreal atmosphere I’m trying to create.
Also, in the grade, I will be injecting a lot of blue into the shadows of the image to compliment the orange light, and to make it look more film stock-like.
Below are some more lighting tests I liked but didn’t end up moving forward with, as I thought they didn’t suit the project perfectly.
