Cinematography, Shot Composition, & Camera Movement

At the very moment I am in the process of writing my script. Although I haven't started my storyboard yet, I did want to explore the way I want to shoot my film.

I am in a sort of dilemma because I visualize my film with a Wes Anderson style type. However, I want to make this original, as I don't want my film to just be pastiche; I want to stylize it myself.

My intention isn't to copy Wes Anderson, instead, by picking and choosing which techniques of his I like, as well as inserting other techniques in film I like, I can put together something I can call MY STYLE. I'm very excited because the story I picked is going to allow me to play with technique, something I believe I SHOULD be doing right now, at this age, and at this stage in my film education. This way I get to explore what I like and don't like.

These are some cinematographic techniques I would enjoy using in my short film:

Symmetry: Wes Anderson is very famous for his particular use of symmetry in his films.  I am not planning on symmetry to be the biggest characteristic in my short film, as I think it is just TOO Wes Andersony. But I do want to incorporate hints of it. I think symmetry is something very pleasing to the eye, and is very satisfying. 

Overhead Tabelux: I know I know, INSTAGRAM.
No, I don't want my short film to look like a 20 year old's Instagram feed in 2012.
Wes Anderson does use these shots a lot, which has made me realize how much the viewer can pay attention to detail in these shots. Because my film has a lot to do with objects (the many pawned items), I think I can do a lot with the production design elements. yay

Whip Pan: Okay I'm definitely using this. I LOVE IT. It's actually one of my favorite a long with the truck shot, but I just love the whip pan. It's very stylistic, and I also feel like it makes the film feel more real. It makes the viewer really understand what is going on in that time and space. We filmmakers manipulate video so much, that too much edited cuts can make the viewer feel like nothing is real. Plus, I just love how it looks <3

Center shot composition: Having the subject in the center is the most pleasing thing for Mariana Gamboa's eye. I LOVE IT! SO I WILL DO IT




yay