My name is Salik Waquas, and I am a filmmaker and a professional film colorist. With a passion for storytelling and a deep understanding of visual aesthetics, I have dedicated my career to enhancing cinematic experiences through color grading. As the founder of “Color Culture,” a platform devoted to exploring the artistry behind film visuals, I dive into the details of what makes a movie visually compelling. Writing about films like IT (2017) not only allows me to share my expertise but also to celebrate the remarkable craft behind cinematic storytelling.
Cinematography Analysis of IT (2017)
Horror as a genre thrives on visual storytelling. IT , directed by Andy Muschietti, stands out as a testament to the power of cinematography in evoking fear, suspense, and nostalgia. Guided by the visionary cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung, the film transforms the fictional town of Derry into a chilling, atmospheric character. Below, I explore the cinematographic brilliance of IT under key subheadings.
About the Cinematographer
Chung-hoon Chung, a name synonymous with visually striking films like Oldboy and The Handmaiden, brought his signature style to IT. Known for blending painterly compositions with dynamic camera movements, Chung was the ideal choice to translate Stephen King’s terrifying tale into a visual masterpiece. His ability to manipulate light, color, and framing gave IT a surreal yet grounded aesthetic, intensifying both the horror and humanity of the story. Chung’s work on IT transformed ordinary spaces into unnerving locales, ensuring the cinematography remained a character in its own right.
Inspiration for the Cinematography of IT
The cinematography of IT draws heavily from the nostalgic charm of 1980s cinema while embracing a darker, more unsettling tone. Parallels to Stranger Things and Stand By Me are evident in its depiction of a tight-knit group of kids facing extraordinary horrors. However, Chung elevates these influences by creating a visual language that mirrors the novel’s themes of fear, innocence, and trauma.
The stark contrast between the vibrant, dreamlike palette of the Losers Club and the grotesque world of Pennywise captures the duality of the narrative. Subtle visual cues—such as slightly skewed angles or dimly lit corridors—imbue everyday settings with an underlying sense of dread. By intertwining nostalgia with terror, Chung ensures the audience is never fully comfortable, keeping them on edge throughout the film.
Camera Movements in IT
Chung’s use of camera movement is nothing short of masterful. Each scene is meticulously crafted to amplify emotion and tension.
- Slow, Creeping Shots: These are used to build suspense, such as in the infamous sewer scene where Georgie meets Pennywise. The slow zoom creates a hypnotic pull, as though the viewer is helplessly drawn into the horror alongside Georgie.
- Tracking Shots: The camaraderie and vulnerability of the Losers Club are captured through expansive tracking shots, framing the children against the vastness of Derry. This contrast highlights their isolation and the enormity of the danger they face.
- Chaotic Movements: Scenes like the projector sequence employ frantic, erratic camera shifts to mimic the chaos and disorientation experienced by the characters. These rapid movements heighten the sense of immediacy and fear.
Compositions in IT
Composition is a cornerstone of IT’s unsettling atmosphere. Chung’s attention to detail transforms seemingly mundane frames into visual puzzles.
- Rule of Thirds and Imbalance: Pennywise is often placed in unconventional areas of the frame, such as the far corners. This asymmetry creates a sense of unpredictability, leaving the viewer uneasy.
- Foreground Obstruction: Balloons, shadows, or objects in the foreground obscure the viewer’s line of sight, adding layers of tension to pivotal moments. These elements serve as visual metaphors for hidden fears lurking just out of view.
- Distance and Restraint: By framing Pennywise at a distance, Chung allows the viewer to absorb the full weight of his presence. This restraint makes his eventual movements or attacks all the more terrifying.
Lighting Style of IT
Lighting in IT oscillates between warmth and menace, reflecting the film’s emotional highs and lows.
- Daylight vs. Shadows: Scenes like the quarry sequence are bathed in warm, natural light, evoking a sense of safety and nostalgia. In stark contrast, Pennywise’s appearances are often accompanied by harsh lighting and deep shadows, heightening his otherworldly menace.
- Flickering Lights: The basement scene where Georgie’s ghost appears exemplifies Chung’s use of light to evoke fear. The flickering bulbs not only add to the eerie atmosphere but also symbolize the fragility of the Losers Club’s hope against Pennywise.
Lensing and Blocking in IT
Chung’s lensing choices enhance the film’s surreal and claustrophobic tone.
- Wide-Angle Lenses: These are frequently used to distort space, making familiar settings feel alien and threatening. Pennywise’s lair, for example, is rendered unnervingly expansive, mirroring the characters’ growing helplessness.
- Blocking to Reinforce Power Dynamics: Pennywise is consistently shot from low angles, emphasizing his dominance and menace. In contrast, the Losers Club is framed in tighter, more confined compositions, underscoring their vulnerability.
Color Grading in IT
Color grading is a critical tool in IT, shaping the film’s emotional and narrative tone.
- Warm vs. Cool Palettes: The Losers Club’s world is defined by warm, nostalgic tones, while Pennywise’s domain is bathed in cold, desaturated hues. This dichotomy visually represents the battle between innocence and terror.
- Symbolism of Red: Red, the color of Pennywise’s balloon and makeup, is used sparingly but with precision. It serves as a visual alarm, drawing attention to moments of danger and emphasizing the clown’s malevolence.
- Subtle Greens and Blues: The sewer scenes utilize muted greens and blues, reinforcing the oppressive and grim nature of Pennywise’s lair.
Technical Aspects of IT
From its choice of cameras to its seamless integration of CGI, the technical execution of IT is flawless.
- Cameras and Lenses: Shot on ARRI Alexa cameras, the film benefits from their exceptional dynamic range, capturing both vibrant daylight scenes and the inky blacks of Pennywise’s world. Panavision G Series Anamorphic Prime lenses provide a wide aspect ratio that immerses the audience in Derry’s haunting landscape.
- Practical Effects and CGI: Pennywise’s design blends Skarsgård’s performance with subtle CGI enhancements. The cinematography works in tandem with these effects, using shadows and framing to maintain a sense of realism.