from now....

What i need to do next is start looking into relevant photographer that will sort of back up my decision to go with this film. I'm going to start on my sketch book as i find is easier to understand everything if its in one place. and start playing around with both my chosen camera and different lighting sources see which one works best for me.

I'm also going to re watch the films so i can attempt to find a different spin on it and not stick with the norm

stills...

my decision...

From watching all three films i think i'm going to go with "The man who wasn't there" i feel it would be more interesting for me and i would get more out of it. i really want to experiment a little more with medium format as i have used it before and certain films give you the harsh contrast that "The man who wasn't there" is after. what to do next. take snapshots from the films as inspiration to start on. 

O brother, where art thou?

Set in the deep south during the 1930's. In it, three escaped convicts search for hidden treasure while a relentless lawman pursues them. To me this was a more rustic and raw out of the three. at first it took me a while to grasp the story line and get into it. I feel it would give me a chance to get out and about into the landscape with my ideas and maybe try something new. the colours are very burnt out and i think it goes well with the time period of the film. 

Roger Deakins

Director of photography in "The man who wasn't there".


Roger Deakins a devon based cinematographer. His primary hobby is taking still photographs. Before he entered the National Film School, he spent a year in North Devon, England, documenting the way of life on the farms and in the villages. This cemented his passion for still photography that continues to this day.


Roger then went on to feature cinematography, starting in England and then later shooting in the United States.

The man who wasn't there.

Set in a sleepy Northern California town in the 1940s, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen's The Man Who Wasn't There stars Billy Bob Thornton as Ed Crane, a humble barber who suspects his hard-hearted and hard-drinking wife Doris (Frances McDormand) of having an affair with her boss (James Gandolfini). When a jocular stranger (Jon Polito) breezes into town hinting at the fortune to be made investing in an outlandish-sounding new invention called dry cleaning, Ed hatches a blackmail scheme he hopes will make him rich and get him some revenge at the same time. 


This film really interested me both story wise and how the film was shot. The harsh black and white theme really helps with recreating ideas. I can see this being a Medium format film. and harsh lighting. something i really like to experiment with and have done in previous projects. The period of the film is also something different to work with and i think it would really challenge myself and interest me. 

Emmanuel Lubezki

Emmanuel Lubezki - Cinematographer. The director of photography in burn after reading.

Born: 1964 mexico city, mexico.

Emmanuel first started out studying history at university of mexico. but had a underline hobby of film making and photography, started making short films. looking at his film list he has been involved in some rather influential films. such as great expectations, meet joe black, sleepy hollow and more recent ones such as harry potter, children of men and of course burn after reading.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIQQsdBaCv8&feature=related

Burn after reading.

So the first film i watched was " Burn after reading" starring Brad Pitt, David Rasche, Frances McDormand, George Clooney, JK Simmons, John Malkovich, Richard Jenkins, Tilda Swinton. 

I chose to watch this film as i wanted to have a bit of a contrast to the more older films that the Coen brother have done. It took me a while to get hold of the story line, as at the start it splits into four different directions. While watching the film i was looking out for film stills which i found interesting and could potentially be re-made. 

recent activity...

over the past couple of weeks i've ordered the films that i wanted to watch which is:

- O brother where art thou
- The man who wasn't there
- Burn after reading

i changed my mind as i thought they would be more of an interest to me and also gives me a range. I started watching "O brother where art thou" and found to not understand the story line. I have been advised to a book called " the dude abides" which will hopefully help me understand better. Im still awaiting the other films.