Some really lovely cinematography

[Tim Sewell]

The videos uploaded by L.A. cinematographer M. K. Rhodes are, in my opinion, utterly mesmerising. Shooting mainly on the Komodo, she captures the city at night in a truly beautiful way. This is my favourite, so far.
 

 

[Emanuel]

What a cinematographer : )

And what a device!

@Phil Holland please address my kudos and personal satisfaction to my good old friend Jarred :- )

[majoraxis]

Beautiful Cinematography!

RED  Komodo looking great!

There is something special about slow motion shot with a global shutter (I assume).

 

[sanveer]

Seems quite average. The image seemed way too flary, and the movement is dull. 

[Emanuel]

Loved the flary highlights both from the capture device matched to proper lensing skills and who rules the light beyond the tools, obviously (EAG :- )

[PannySVHS]

DP achieved effective and beautiful compositions. I found some of the shots with stonge geometry and perspective very engaging, Light was very painterly and dreamy. Great lensing regarding focal lengths and glass.

Other shots felt rather sufficient in holding the edit together. As a whole, a good display of talent and also of the cameras sensor and the urban places.

[Emanuel]

For sure : ) Got what he means, however, without mention that's a camera test for a certain look towards a film project to take off from there (this is promising stuff to hint what comes next), let's just take a look on this other one but not from RED's Komodo now:

Not the same highlight rolloff a flary cinematography approach helps to extract the best from despite the distinct capture device. Average? Maybe yes or not depending on perspective ; ) just no other than from a skilled craftswoman anyway.

The only thing to bother me but not much because rather acceptable for tests, it's a bit of flickering a little bit there and over there to dismiss, nevertheless, keep in mind they are motivated shots just not under controlled lighting :- )

[Emanuel]

Let alone, cinematography is definitely beyond lighting ; ) lensing calls for composition work and universe creation as you Marty fairly say, for sure :- )

[kye]

Perhaps the thing to keep in mind is that she says in the description "Selections of visuals from an upcoming feature project".

So, in a sense, this is B-roll, and in a sense, this edit is a camera test for YT.

I need to up my game with camera tests!

[webrunner5]

Overall nicely done but I could have lived without the pulsing lights. 

[leslie]

 

On 1/2/2022 at 1:05 PM, webrunner5 said:

Overall nicely done but I could have lived without the pulsing lights. 

you referring to the scene with house of gucci and the very next scene which is even more noticeable ? i was thinking it was just me. overall i quite liked it except for the flickering.

I liked the atmosphere kinda moody.  Do you people think thats diffusion or  foggy town perhaps ?

 

[webrunner5]

4 hours ago, leslie said:

I liked the atmosphere kinda moody.  Do you people think thats diffusion or  foggy town perhaps ?

 

Hard to tell. Effects are getting much better and people are getting more talented using them. So hard to know..

[BenEricson]

On 12/30/2021 at 2:07 AM, sanveer said:

Seems quite average. The image seemed way too flary, and the movement is dull. 

I disagree. Average for who? A experienced filmmaker? YouTuber?

Give 100 people the same camera setup and have them shoot locked off shots, I promise you it won't look this good. At least half of those 100 would be shooting ducks in a park like Philip Bloom.

[Tim Sewell]

5 minutes ago, BenEricson said:

Give 100 people the same camera setup and have them shoot locked off shots, I promise you it won't look this good. At least half of those 100 would be shooting ducks in a park like Philip Bloom.

Now I actually think that Phil has a great eye, but I fully support the rest of your comment. I went out yesterday, inspired by MK, trying to find shots like hers - beautifully composed, inviting, rewarding of prolonged viewing - and it's really, really fucking hard. My admiration for her goes way beyond the technical - she strikes me as a true artist. And I'll take a moment to say that if I was shooting a scene in a city nightscape I would for sure let some of those LEDs flicker, because it immediately provokes an emotional reaction that says 'city'.

Here's her latest and I'd be interested to see any work shot with the A7IV that comes anywhere close: 

 

[BenEricson]

1 hour ago, Tim Sewell said:

Now I actually think that Phil has a great eye, but I fully support the rest of your comment.

Fair. He does. I guess my point is that driving around all night capturing footage alone can be challenging. Most people love the safety and convenience of the daylight hours. 

[webrunner5]

  Jesus I think the quality of the footage looks like something my original Sony A7s would and can shoot. I will give it credit that it is an unusual vantage point that was taken that I would have never maybe thought to do unless I lived on that street and was wheelchair bound. And that equates to an interesting video no doubt crazy to say.

But I would surely hope this doesn't win some worldwide film festival and become some sort of "C" change in shooting styles using a great camera and somewhat making it look like an eight year old product.

 Now again I sort of like it, but hell greatness, ehh....

[leslie]

6 hours ago, Tim Sewell said:

. My admiration for her goes way beyond the technical - she strikes me as a true artist. And I'll take a moment to say that if I was shooting a scene in a city nightscape I would for sure let some of those LEDs flicker, because it immediately provokes an emotional reaction that says 'city'.

 

I am not naturally good with superlatives. So on many levels, its great,  most would agree i think.

As far as i am aware the human eye does not notice flicker quite the same as cameras do. My eyes don't anyway, but i digress.  I think its a bit unfair to draw attention to something the eye doesn't see, but maybe thats just me.

Leds are a recent invention, to say a city look  is now defined by pulsing leds, seems odd to me. 

While we are all being artsy, cinematic and technical, personally i am not sure that a scene benefits from the added realism of flicker. If viewers need an additional layer to tell them its a city, either someone has done their job incorrectly or God help the human race.

Lastly lets not forget a very small percentage of people will be adversely affected by that flicker that some camera has captured.  They could have walked down that street or scene and normally been none the wiser or worse off, but watching it now will suffer vertigo, nausea or go troppo perhaps. 

Ok its a bit extreme that last statement, however it won't take much to have people switch off.

[Emanuel]

Without intending to be self-indulgent : ) but I guess one of my comments up there sums up very straightforwardly ; ) on the spot the whole thing in a balanced way too ;- ) Either on Brecht approach or suspension of disbelief all included :- )

Without mention the RED camera credits, to each its own...

- EAG

[kye]

The compositions are wonderful, and of course is the commitment to wait for the right conditions and to actually go out and find them.

The flickering is because most of the shots are filmed in slow-motion and those lights would not flicker to the naked eye.  Look at how fast people are walking or driving for a reference.

I actually like the flickering aesthetic as it provides a hint of artificiality and 'electric dirt' to the otherwise elegant beauty of the fog (it's fog not diffusion), the balance of the compositions and the pristine cleanliness of the sensor.  Japanese animation often highlights the electricity and artificiality in this way too.  

The compositions are like making a fine meal and making sure it has salt / fat / acid / heat and creaminess contrasted with crunch - it's the juxtaposition of elements that creates the depth and why the shots become more interesting the longer you look at them rather than less.

[Emanuel]

Nicely put : ) The flickering shots are part of a test, I doubt they would easily be used in the final outcome to end to be screened (slowmotion as for instance is usually used under other premises : ) but this varies from production window to some other degree people are interested to fit their product ; ) The things have changed a bit since The Blair Witch Project to not say a year earlier with Festen and Idioterne...

- EAG