Visual Style

I'm trying not to post a million pictures in this post, but I might not be able to help it. We'll see.
These are some of the images that have really hit me as visually striking.

Whenever I think of a movie that I really loved/would like to emulate the look and feel of I go to Hard Candy first. Warning that the subject matter is uncomfortable. This is a 2005 film which focuses on "the torture of a sexual predator by a 14-year old vigilante Hayley Stark, portrayed by Ellen Page." (i let wikipedia word that for me). The idea behind the film was to take the image and story of little red riding hood being preyed on by the wolf and flip it so that little red became the predator. KICKASS IDEA RIGHT?! I love the plot of this movie, but the look of it is what makes it so remarkable. This movie is one of few where the colorist (Jean-Clement Sorret) has been listed in the opening credits of the film. Here's why:

• "The film contains many coloring effects and “density shifts” of lighting to reflect the moods of the characters. For example, when Hayley gets angry the colors would be edited to be of lower frequency.One effect used which, as far as the director is aware of, had not been done in cinema before, was to brighten the lighting in filming and recorrect everything down in post-production.This allowed for facial details to be visible even while having a darkened atmosphere. The process required a custom-built digital intermediate to be made and proved to be extremely difficult, with corrections having to be made frame-by-frame in some instances." (wikipedia)

The use of color and light to indicate tone is beautifully executed.
They use a lot of solid color walls which fill the frame richly with unyielding backdrops. Red and blue are often used for anger vs. calm. In one scene where the sexual predator has a blatantly honest monologue about his past, the wall behind him is a pale pink that almost perfectly matches his skin tone - a visually enhanced reminder that he's human.

 

I can't say enough about how cool this film looks. I'm including the trailer because I think it should be seen in motion. (again, the subject matter my be triggering.)

I feel like these next references are a genre but I'm not sure how to classify them. I guess they're realistic-drama-comedies-geared towards weird young-adults? I'm linking these together because I like them for their realism, interesting two shots, spacious outdoor shots, and understated uses of color.

Away We Go (2009)

Juno (2007)

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Alternate Reality:

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)

I adore this movie. They used so many special effects to bring it to life. This still is from the amazing opening sequence. In the movie, a small living room appears to stretch as the band plays louder and louder. They constructed this elongated set and did a sophisticated pull to achieve the stretch look. The DVD has four separate commentary tracks that I highly recommend! The cast and crew go into great detail to explain how the effects and complicated shots were done.

TRON: Legacy (2010)

In this Tron update from 2010, pretty much everything on screen is a digital effect. The costumes and sets were built with expansive light tubes which were then enhanced digitally to give the film its signature glow. I love how they created an entire luminous world. The attention to detail here draws the eye into a full alternate reality.

Seven Nation Army -music video for The White Stripes (2003)

This music video is iconic for its use of shape and dimension. The viewer is sent through repeating triangle shapes of the band and their signature red and white colors.

Lose Control - music video for Missy Elliott (2005)

I don't think anything says "alternate reality" like a Missy Elliott video.

Two big television influences:

Lost - Emmy award nominated DP Michael Bonvillain 

(cool video about their cinematography team)

The crew achieved amazing visuals while constantly navigating difficult terrain.

Mad Men 

Mad Men just kills me with how gorgeously on point it is sometimes.

Outside of video:

Lomography:

Before instagram, there were good old Diana cameras. I've always wanted one. I don't know why I just haven't gotten one by now, maybe I will soon. The way these plastic cameras get all haphazard with light is often times dreamlike and stunning. You just have to commit to liking the lack of control.

Monet:

There was an art teacher at my elementary school who was obsessed with Monet. We had Monet absolutely everywhere. I still like it, I don't know if it's more to do with childhood memory or the style in general. I'm interested in how to achieve impressionism in video. The diana camera also gives me the same sense of impressionism actually. I SWEAR I'M NOT PRETENTIOUS. It's just that Monet can hang.

Banksy:

Banksy's massive displays of broken reality are fantastic. Exit Through the Gift Shop was pretty cool too.

Byrogliphics: 

 Byrogliphics is this painter that I really like. Again, it's a color as emotion, impression, weird layered dimension sort of thing.
I guess that last part is how I might sum up my own visual style goals for the moment. But of course that is subject to change.
Sorry for rambling!