When I first started working as a colorist, I thought I had a handle on what made a movie look “cinematic.” But the more time I spend in the suite, the more I realize that sometimes you have to look… Read More »For a Few Dollars More (1965) – Cinematography Analysis
It’s strange how a film can win Best Picture, rake in a fortune, and still feel somewhat underrated in cinematic discussions. The Sting suffers from the unique problem of being sandwiched historically between the two Godfatherfilms, which often dominate the conversation about 70s… Read More »The Sting (1973) – Cinematography Analysis
Watching Gone with the Wind on a calibrated monitor isn’t just a movie night; it’s a reality check. We get so caught up in what digital tools can do that we forget what was achieved photochemically in 1939. This isn’t just “content”;… Read More »Gone with the Wind (1939) – Cinematography Analysis
I re-watched Oliver Hirschbiegel’s Downfall (2004) recently. Most people know this film for the memes the infinite parodies of Bruno Ganz’s shaking hand and screaming fits. But looking at it again through the eyes of a colorist and filmmaker, the craft is… Read More »Downfall (2004) – Cinematography Analysis
When I watch something like My Neighbor Totoro, and I’m humbled. At first glance, it seems deceptively simple a kids’ movie about a big fuzzy spirit. But if you look closer, the visual storytelling is profoundly sophisticated. It manages to imprint… Read More »My Neighbor Totoro (1988) – Cinematography Analysis
I’m Salik, and if you follow my work at Color Culture, you know I usually obsess over the technical side of the image. But today I want to look at a film that uses its technical limitations to tell the… Read More »Unforgiven (1992) – Cinematography Analysis
When I sit down to analyze Oliver Stone’s Platoon, I’m not looking at a reference for pretty, polished cinematography. If you put this film on a waveform monitor today, the scopes would probably look messy crushed blacks, clipped highlights, and noise… Read More »Platoon (1986) – Cinematography Analysis