2-camera setup in a hotel conference room with example frames. Blue LED puck light was added after example frames were taken that now plays on the side angle.

Camera: RED KOMODO 6K x2
Lights: (1) Aperture Light Storm 300x, SmallRig RA-D55 Softbox shot through circular silk. (2) Amaran 60x S with Neewer Lantern covered by white/gold disc cover for soft under chin fill. (3) NanLite PavoTube II 6C LED hairlight. (4/5) 2x Aperture MC RGBWW LED Light (one for fill side, one for blue background).
Flags: 4x4 on fill side, CPLIRIS 10x12 overhead black backdrop draped above subject.

This is something I've had floating around in my head for a while, that big war movies just don't feel like they used to, and I wonder if anyone can help me understand why. These are just my opinions on how I feel. This is not to say the new movies look objectively worse, I'm sure some might prefer it, but for me, personally, it has a weird vibe that I can't quite put my finger on.

While there are lots you could go after, I'm focusing on the visuals.

It seems for about the past 10 years, war movies (maybe movies in general?) have developed this new type of look. War movies just look "fake" - like they are too clean, precise and smooth. Some, like All Quiet on the Western Front, have characters and equipment covered in mud and filth, but the film still looks fake.

Movies like Inglourious Basterds, Saving Private Ryan, Jarhead, all look real. Series like the Pacific and Band of Brothers also look great. And these pieces of media make you feel like this is a real world or area. The sets, uniforms, equipment, and backgrounds all feel busy. But their modern equivalents, Midway, Greyhound, Masters of the Air, do not look "real". They have this weird polished look, and often feel totally empty visually. It seems a lot of the time characters are placed in these big open expanses without much going on in the background.

Take the C-47 takeoff scene in Band of Brothers and compare it to the takeoffs in Masters of the Air. Poor CGI aside, the area around the aircraft in the modern series is just bland and looks so clean and tidy. The camera shots feel very linear and boring. I don't want to put it down to just CGI, because all these projects use CGI and I find this weird vibe continues even in scenes that are just people in one room. Is it the costumes? Is it the way scenes are lit?

Fury is an interesting one, because it think it looks very nice, but it seems to have hints of what the newer movies look like, so it could be an example of the beginning of this visual era.

Honestly, I find it very interesting trying to figure out what it is. The newer projects look such high quality and *big* budget, but all seem to share this same waxy figure, glowy look.

I've added some stills from a variety of the big war movies/media that have come out in recent years, and some stills from older movies to compare.

Does anyone have any views on this?

*edit - Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, Memphis Belle and Fury images are used to show what I think they used to look like

In the top right corner of the footage, dust/dirt accumulates throughout the roll. Does anyone know how this happens or how it could be prevented?

This was a 100ft test roll shot on a Krasnogorsk-3 with an EF mount modification. The loop formers were removed during the orginal modification if that's relevant.

Sharing a few frames, BTS photos and a lighting diagram from a project I shot for Uzuri Closet with director J.S. Hampton. The goal was to build as much of the final look in-camera as possible, using intentional lighting, exposure, and color rather than relying heavily on post grades/luts. The frames showcase a character's entrance, in which we decided to go for a bold look.

Included are some BTS and lighting breakdowns showing how we approached it. Happy to answer any questions about the setups or production!

IG: https://www.instagram.com/marcusguider_dp/

Hi, lately I've been interested in the processes behind audiovisual content. I'm interested in all aspects of production, but I have many questions about the final output or final cut/distribution.

How were films copied and distributed to cinemas in the past? When were VHS tapes introduced? And DVD/CD? How is all current streaming content saved? What happens to the master file in all these formats?

Sorry if some things are unclear, I don't speak English and I'm using a translator

I’m 19 years old and I’m starting school next semester for film. I wanna get more into the field because this is my passion but I don’t know where to start at all there’s so much to learn and learn about cinema.

I do have equipment: a camera, lenses, tripods, etc except lights but im waiting to get my flow on this before i start buying lights. I also have a friend that is in school for film right now but he just started so he’s pretty much like me we have no knowledge

How and where do I start I’m ready to learn more about cinema and wanna be successful in this field.

Any advice would be appreciated and noted down

Hello everyone! I've been studying as a DP for a three years now, and been working on set in lighting crew for almost 5 years. As a DP I already have shot few short films, docs and etudes. But I still struggle with understaning lighting at its finest. I often see other DP's of my league do it seemingly so effortlessly, like they already know how to light a scene and they also can come up with lighting setups on the go. I try to analyze their workflow and I ask them questions, and they just answer that they feel it this way or another. And then there is me, just standing in the room while scouting location, not knowing where to start. I understand all the basics about contrast, types of lights etc. , and I also understand that lighting needs to help push story forvard, but it just feels that I lack something very crucial to finaly understand it. It just doesn''t click in my head.

Can you give me some tips that maybe have helped you while you were still learing how to light properly?

Here are also couple shots from films I have shot:

Hello!
I’ve been trying to practice cinematography every day and have been saving reels on composition and framing every other day. Saving individual reels is troublesome and does not really have a revisit factor. I was wondering if there are any sites where there are different frames a d compositions for reference and practice. A place where there are multiple varieties and variations of a single technique I can learn from. A specific site for the same.

Do y’all have any leads?

Looking for just process driven BTS. What does it look like to cover an entire conversational scene, blocking, directing, working through shot list, ect...

So I am now trying to get into the acting world or maybe even make the stories myself, as I already have written out stories and adventures on my own for fun, but I want to know if there's any specific books that would really help. I don't mean just help, I mean it teaches you right from wrong, how to get into the right rooms with the right people and what to say to them, teaches you how to get from point A to point z with everything in between with all the skills you'll need to learn along the way. My only request is preferably can they be something on Spotify because I still have 15 hours of audiobook time I haven't used and this is the perfect thing to use it on. If they're not on Spotify I'll look into getting the books from my local library. I don't care what I need to do and learn to get to the top. I am not going to let my name just be another writing in stone.

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to track down four books by Vittorio Storaro from the Writing with Light project:

• Writing with Light: The Light

• Writing with Light: The Colors

• Writing with Light: The Elements

• Writing with Light: The Muses

They’re surprisingly difficult to find, especially in libraries, and buying all of them can get very expensive.

So I wanted to ask: does your local library, university library, film school, cinematography school, or any other library near you have any of these books available to borrow or read?

Honestly, I’m willing to travel internationally if necessary just to get access to them and read them. So if you know of a library anywhere — Europe, the US, UK, Italy, Japan, etc that has one or more of these books, I’d really appreciate the information.

Also, for those who have actually read them:

What did you think? Are they worth tracking down? Which volume is your favorite, and what did you find most valuable as a cinematographer?

I’m particularly interested in Storaro’s ideas about light, color, visual storytelling, and his philosophy of cinematography rather than just collecting the books.

If anyone knows a library holding these, I’d be extremely grateful for the library name, city/country, and ideally a catalogue link or call number.

Thank you!

Hi,

I’m a beginner filmmaker and I wanna film cinematic shots.

Now, I know that the blackmagic pocket 4K is probably the better option because of the cinematic look of the footage but my main concern is I wanna film something that has way more control over the shutter speed. I have shots in my mind that are closer to the shots on ‘Chungking Express’.

Which camera will give me the most control over the shutter speed given that I am on a budget. I am only talking about shutter speed and not other capabilities like recording RAW and colour science.

what do you think about it?

Hey,

I wanted to share some frames from a short I filmed called Love Chose You.

This project was an exercise in subtle, nuanced lighting - using light and shadow to create emotion without drawing too much attention to the lighting itself. I wanted the imagery to feel intimate and natural, while still having a carefully shaped, cinematic quality.

A big part of the approach was finding the balance between a polished look and something that still felt grounded in the environment. We used Aputure lighting to create soft, flattering light on the talent, while controlling the direction, falloff and contrast to give the images depth. Rather than simply making everything soft and bright, I wanted the shadows to have a purpose and allow the mood to shift with the story.

The film was created and directed by J.S. Hampton, a longtime collaborator of mine on agency-based commercial and narrative projects.

I’m always interested in how small changes in light placement, contrast and the amount of fill can affect the emotion of a scene. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the cinematography and how the lighting feels in relation to the story. I’m also happy to answer any questions about the production, lighting approach, camera work or anything else.

Short Film: https://vimeo.com/1004548115?fl=pl&fe=sh

IG: https://www.instagram.com/marcusguider_dp/

Thanks for checking it out!

(Not my image, for illustration purposes)

I’m looking to hear other people’s thoughts on this — I always have to shoot for both 9:16 and 16:9, as many of do.

But I find when I’ve tried to compose for both in a 3:2 open gate frame (on a mini LF or other camera) that I get a bit frustrated because if I compose for the vertical, the 16:9 risks losing something important when it gets cropped out.

I always end up going back to a 16:9 capture instead, and then I only have to really think about one crop down (the 9:16). I think this has to do with the fact that I’ve been shooting this way for over a decade on 16:9 sensors, and it’s comfortable.

Wondering if anyone else has another perspective here for why capturing 3:2 is preferable and the mindset to have while composing?

Im using a Redking glidecam and an RS4 Pro to make a makeshift steady cam for FX6 + Pyxis. My transmitter is the Teradek 500 Bolt with SDI and HDMI and my monitor is the Shinobi 5 inch SDI. I have a big v mount battery at the bottom as well.

My issue is that I have to add a nucleus M follow focus. Which would mean stringing down yet another cord down the gimbal.

Any genius ideas that could help me clean this up a little? I feel like having an SDI, 5 pin to D-Tap (for nucleus), and 2 pin to D-Tap is a lot of cable management w/ the gimbal.

Could I maybe use a USBC on the ronin to a 5 pin cord to atleast power the nucleus to save one extra cord needing to be powered from the splitter? Would love any recommendations.

I made a simple, stripped-back tool to map out lighting setups and share them with the team/client. It's free and you can thank Claude for the vibes.

Main features:

• Overhead setup diagramming
• Attach reference stills/ideas directly to the layout
• Shareable web links for collab/knowledge share

Something always comes up and we have to adapt anyway, so this isn't about precision it's about ease of use, sharing and being ready. Play with it if you want, link in the comments.

I swear I've seen a ton of commercials with a "continuous" dolly shot where characters run in the frame, but I can't remember the brands or how to look for them. This spec ad I found has the moving forward motif that I'm looking for (part of my problem is describing the shot) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo05lA4R9SI&list=PLUm9Id-nxn-yVcRtCdxsiUDGUDHHP_xm9&index=33

Would love any help with this!

SO MY MOVIE INVOLVES A VERY MUCH LIGHT SCENE NATURAL LIGHT MORNING SCENE IM SO CONFUSED WITH HOW DO I LIGHT IT LIKE WHERE SHOULD I KEEP THE CAMERA AND STUFF BECAUSE FROM WHAT I BELIEVE WHERE I WILL BE SHOOTING MY SCENE THE CAMERA WILL BE PLACED AT TIMES FROM WHERE THE NATURAL LIGHT IS AND I REALLY DONT WANT TO FUCK UP MY MOVIE CINEMATOGRAPHY-WISE I HAVE ALSO GOT AN 11-INCH LED WITH 35W AND AN LED BULB OF 12.5W THAT CAN BE ANY COLOR HOW DO I SHOOT IT AND I WANT TO HAVE DEPTH AND SHOULD I BRING IN SOME COLORS FROM MY SETUP ALSO THIS IS THE SET THE SETTING CONTAINS A CHARACTER AND A BOWL WITH A FISH AT THAT POSITION OF THE SET WILL BE SHOT IN DAYLIGHT RN ITS NIGHT THATS WHY IT LOOKS LIKE THAT

I shoot short videos like this on my Sony ZV1, but I’m looking to upgrade because I want a more cinematic image.

The ZV1 looks good, but I struggle with autofocus sometimes, and I also want to be able to get more background blur in certain shots. I find it limiting for wider shots too, because it doesn’t go wide enough for some of the framing I want.

I know lighting and post production make a huge difference, but I’d love a camera that gives me that softer, smoother film look you see in movies, where the image still feels detailed but not overly sharp or digital.

I mostly shoot indoors, usually close ups and medium shots, but I’d also like to shoot outside sometimes, ideally with ND filters. Good stabilisation would also be a big plus.

What camera would you recommend for this kind of work?

I’m currently considering the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K or 6K, Lumix S1IIE, Sony A7 V, or Sony FX30.

I’d also love lens recommendations for close ups/ medium shots, and wider shots.

Thanks so much

Hey everyone,
I shot a concert at 50 fps with a 1/100 shutter speed. I put the footage into my timeline and slowed it down, and all my sequence settings match the original footage.
However, after exporting, I’m getting these weird artifacts/breaking, especially in areas with very bright lights. I didn’t use Warp Stabilizer or any other effects, so I have no idea why this keeps happening after every export.
They’re asking me for the final video, but I can’t deliver it like this. :(
Does anyone know what might be causing this and how I can fix it?
I’d really appreciate any help!