How Filmmakers Make Cameras Disappear | Mirrors in Movies: Part II

Who’s the fairest of them all…
Part I: • How Filmmakers Make Ca...
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[@paul_et]

Sorry Alfonso... A few other notes: When I mentioned the “one-way” mirror used in the Black Swan technique, I should’ve said “two-way” as a one-way mirror is just a - well - regular mirror… (edit: a one-way mirror is a two-way mirror…) Also: fundAmental.

[@unknown6656]

Oh, and one has to mention tilt-shift lenses. They allow you to move the image and focus planes to a certain degree, allowing the camera to film a mirror without seeing itself. Truely ingenious technology.

[@cataleast]

As it happens, the kind of mirror used is called both a one-way mirror and a two-way mirror. I don't think there's any real consensus on which expression is more "proper" to use :)

[@paul_et]

@@cataleast Aha!! I thought I was going crazy!! That makes sense, thank you haha

[@Psychlist1972]

Shhh! Just claim the spelling "Fundemental" was a reference to the Dementor :D

[@syaoranli7869]

rather surprised you didn't bring up the infamous mirror scene from the 1997 film Contact, the one where Jena Malone runs upstairs and into the bathroom and opens the medicine cabinet

[@chuchu9649]

The interesting thing about the last breakdown is that the mirrored-room technique has been used in video games since before there was the hardware capacity to simulate reflections. Clever film tricks work across all entertainment mediums

[@Rodutchi]

Example?

[@Muamasow]

@@Rodutchi Duke Nukem 3d

[@MakotoIchinose]

@@Rodutchi Also many other 3D games made in the late 90s, and also used for reflective ground/ceilings. These days it's mostly either duplicate camera for planar reflection portals, or raytracing, but some games still deploys the same technique for set piece mirrors in linear levels.

[@evoke2976]

Yeah, silent hill 2 on ps2 uses it.

[@fawfulthegreat64]

@@Rodutchi Super Mario 64, they have a duplicate of Mario that mimics the player's movement in that room, and it even shows the Lakitu with a camera who's canonically the one controlling the game's camera.

[@GawxArt]

Love these so much Paul

[@paul_et]

Loved you’re latest vid so much

[@GawxArt]

@@paul_et Super glad to hear that!! Means a lot to me Paul!

[@YourAverageNiche]

GAWX is about to include this effect in a next video I presume >.>

[@CoolScratcher]

you two are some of the best KZbinrs on the platform, you guys should collab. please.

[@teddysquid9556]

@@GawxArt Goats recognising goats!

[@pon1]

Sometimes I take it for granted that we can just do everything because of CGI, but there's some ingenious stuff going on behind the scenes which makes me have a newfound appreciation for special effects. Thanks for that!

[@DodaGarcia]

Exactly! The tools got a lot better but the human eye never lost its acuity for recognizing when something looks off, so real artistry is still needed for how to make it look real.

[@macrocosm4442]

Indeed❤❤❤❤❤rrrrr❤❤❤❤rrrr❤❤❤rrr❤❤rr❤r❤❤r

[@maazkalim]

That's an overstatement for “human eye,” ​"@@DodaGarcia".

[@DoahnKea_Tuber]

I usually prefer NOT knowing how the magic is done, but the complexity of shooting these scenes still remains so fascinating even after knowing the techniques employed. Super video!

[@FilmscoreMetaler]

Triangle is such a gem. The further it goes the crazier it gets and somehow its concept still works. If you don't know the film yet, you have to watch it and better don't read anything about the movie's premise.

[@looney1023]

It's so good! Such an intricate, meticulously constructed film, and one that packs a real emotional punch.

[@MajatekYT]

Another almost "through the mirror" effect using an actor and a double - not as a way to make the camera move through a mirror, but as a way to establish that the character is not human - was in Terminator 2: Judgement Day where Linda Hamilton and her identical sister interacted with Arnold Schwarzenegger and a replica prop of his head on two opposite sides of a table so that they could get Linda's character to pull a piece of future tech out of Arnold's head. There are so many movies that do this effect practically and it shows how effective it is!

[@mikeharman4257]

Which was in the previous video.

[@macrocosm4442]

Hbur❤r

[@maisiesummers42]

One of the greatest mirror shots that still blows my mind is the one from Contact, where the little girl runs down a hall, reaches towards the camera, and it turns out we've been seeing her _reflection_ all the time.

[@paul_et]

I covered that technique in Part I, if you’re curious

[@hazel-vf7on]

@@paul_et I remember that one. As Contact has for long been one of my absolute favourite sci-fi movies (not just for the mirror scene), I'm so glad you covered it!

[@gluttonousmaximus9048]

I'm actually very interested in mirror shots in very very OLD movies because there were just times I couldn't imagine how they managed to make their bulky cameras (don't even get me started with Technicolor+sound cameras!) disappear when the mirror was right in front of everything. There were signs of cheaper tricks though, like in Robert Siodmak's "The Spiral Staircase" where some mirrors were plastered with a painting in select shots. But then we got to first-person scenes like in Robert Montgomery's "Lady in the Lake" and Delmer Daves' "Dark Passage". And the full-frame mirror shots in "The Verdict" and "Portrait in Black", I mean holy moly how did they do that?!

[@smkh2890]

Respect for viewing all those obscure old movies and knowing the techniques they used to overcome the limitations of their equipment!

[@BariumCobaltNitrog3n]

Masks. Technicians would cut a high contrast litho film mask in the shape of the area to be replaced (where the camera could be seen) then they film using the same setup the replacement shot of either a mat painting or a live action. Then they would make a negative of the mask and make a double exposure of the two film strips, one using the first mask then the other using the negative mask. They used registration pins to keep the masks in position when they changed them but would still sometimes get a black or white line around the mask, so they had to cut a new mask. Sometimes a variable contrast film was used to soften the edge but that had issues as well. Many old films didn't bother trying very hard to hide the mask edge like "A Trip To The Moon" by Méliés 1902 as well as Buster Keaton films. I worked my way through film school making these masks but for color separations for graphic arts printing.

[@SicrosEye]

​@@BariumCobaltNitrog3nThat's such a cool information full of details. Thank you!

[@BariumCobaltNitrog3n]

@@SicrosEye Thank you, that's kind of you to say.

[@bhapampa]

"It's simplicity is almost...criminal." BRAVO!!!

[@Cyberguy42]

12:45 "Look at that head turn, that is basically perfect" For me, that was the most imperfect part of the illusion: her reflection starts turning her head before she does. It's only a tiny delay, but it's also basically the only motion on screen at the time, so it is much easier to notice. I knew something was wrong the first time I saw the clip and could guess what was going on.

[@dr.angerous]

Yep it's so shitty it's insane

[@Iamdebug]

Of all of these the last one was the most obvious to me. The two syncs weren't well enough matched up and gave it away instantly. I could tell Page was pulling on real mirrors but I expected that was filmed on another two way mirror so there was less scrubbing to be done by FX so to find out it wasn't and they did all that work is truly impressive.

[@Bombgamiing]

Your videos are proof that I can make film from my village in India without going to a film school just by learning from your videos. Grateful to you for sharing such knowledge.

[@davidci]

I'm glad you showed that scene from Triangle. It's such an underrated thriller movie, one of my all time favorites!

[@lwangakinuthia3034]

I didn't think anything could live up to "mirrors in movies" part one but goddammit this guy never misses.

[@_AG_63]

Part 1 was something kind of fresh to watch. Never saw such content and it was amazing and so is the part 2. Love it

[@dipperpines2793]

One thing I'd like to add to the Harry Potter one, in addition to the dirt that was added, at 5:44 you can see parts of the image warp as the wardrobe and mirror shakes, which is a crazy detail to me. Perhaps it's a simple thing to do in VFX, but either way I love the little details they added to sell it

[@sadiporter2966]

I think that was probably done to hide the transition otherwise those huge number of kids will have had to stay perfectly still in-between shots which is difficult to do with that many people. Wobbling the camera makes it impossible to notice if they have moved slightly.

[@smkh2890]

@@sadiporter2966 I thought that was a bit of a fudge. A smooth transition would be more impressive.

[@matwilcoxson2849]

​@@sadiporter2966 There is no transition. It's a single shot of the children (projected on to the cupboard)

[@Browney]

I need more of these

[@shrey_ofc]

Yo you were also interested in these kinda stuff🤠

[@taylorjohnson9101]

Sir, your titles are nothing short of masterful. Take 6:42 for example. *Chef's kiss*. You don't draw undo attention to them but all of your graphics, title, and visualizations raise the production quality of your videos to a level not often seen. Good work my dude.

[@tessiepinkman]

Yeeeeees! This is exactly what I needed this Sunday night in Norway. I truly love your breakdowns of movie magic, and all your other content too. You are one of those truly *great* creators that capture your audience within the first seconds and keep us, the audience, for the entire run - without us noticing that any time has gone by. Thank you for all your hard work!

[@EarthSurfer]

Your first mirror video transformed how I "look" at reflections in film. I now review each scene to see how well it is executed. My favorite at the moment is the Barbershop scene in The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, Season 3, Episode 8 at ~23:20. In addition to an intricate camera path, the reflective surfaces are multitude. Yet, it appears to be flawless as the camera should be staring at itself, it is no where to be found. A lot of work was done for an incredible 15 second shot.

[@ImNotCasper]

even the way these videos are edited is so meticulous in all of the best ways. 10/10

[@PeskyOwlProductions]

Thank you Paul for always making my day with your videos! The wait for each video is always worth it! keep it up!

[@MrFusselig]

The German prank TV show "Versteckte Kamera" had a similar prank about a mirror (German: Spiegel) several years ago, compared to the last example. They had mirrored rooms in a restroom and a twin couple standing in both rooms, acting in front of the mirror. Then unknown strangers would come in, and would question their sanity.

[@EpicATrain]

This channel deserves more awareness.

[@hisstoryatbp]

Just when I was about to comment my question... "but what about the smudges?" you perfectly inserted your answer just right on time. Sheeeesh! this episode is mind blowing.

[@leow.2162]

When I see smudges on a mirror that gets too much attention, I immediately think the mirror is fake

[@bluesghostd794]

It's always a good day when Paul E.T posts a video

[@masheroz]

_actual_ carpenters. 😂

[@jimnolan830]

See algorithms aren't all bad. Been tryin for months to find your first vid for a rewatch. Then this pops up!

[@looney1023]

Triangle is one of my favorite horror movies. Everyone should watch it. Thanks for breaking down that crucial moment (and for not spoiling it at all). That said, there's ANOTHER mirror scene in Triangle near the very end that still confounds me. It's a major spoiler, but the scene with the hammer. Would love to get a breakdown of that.

[@N0Negatives]

"Last Night in Soho" would fit in with this too. Double sets, half-mirrors, even twins making the "reflection" almost perfect.

[@Hennerss]

the way he emphasised the ''mirror mirror on the wall...'' in the description of his last video, and now has ''who's the fairest of them all...'' in this video is amazing

[@aarav1648]

Another impressive thing other than your mirror shots is your presenting style and these uniqueness offcourse!

[@littlegandhi1199]

Triangle 2009! So glad to see someone talking about this masterpiece.

[@debojitnoct]

After 'every frame a painting' youtube channel stopped I was missing the contents until this. Thanks Paul.

[@viandengalacticspaceyards5135]

We had a nice & simple shot on "Shadow of the Vampire", where the vampire looks in the mirror,sees the lady on the bed behind him,but not himself. Our designer (Ashton Gordon, great man) exchanged the 2 walls at the end of the room, the mirror wall facing outwards, cut a hole for the mirror, inverted furniture... Lady on the bed,vampire outside the room looking at the mirror-hole, camera behind him...and go. Nothing special, but what was impressive was the speed of the change, and the simplicity for everybody, as you don't need to mess with CGI and try to imagine what they'll add and change. If you stop the image, you might find some small detail that's not mirror-inverted, but not easily.

[@Pudentame]

Two of the most informative & amusing videos I've seen on KZbin in a long time.

[@Maxificent]

That mirror scene from Inception has been bugging me for over a decade. I can finally sleep again thanks to you sir. Thankyou. 😂

[@martinpauly]

Very nice explanation of how these movie tricks work - thanks!

[@ScottBalkum]

I really love this series. Perfect explanations and motivations for my brain! Thank you.

[@psquare2260]

Loved it. I was feeling the same when you said 'it's simplicity is almost criminal'.

[@JohnoScott]

Ah thankyou. Gotta watch these again, oh and thanks for yet another reminder why Inception is one of my all time favourite movies.

[@slamdvw]

To me, watching for the camera / crew / gear left in a movie is as much fun as the movie itself. Thanks for breaking these scenes down!

[@fabien.boussat]

Did you see Luca Guadagnino's remake of Suspiria ? It's a weird movie and the comparison with Argento's original is somehow irrelevant. But it has an incredible sequence of a dancer in a room coated with mirrors, like 360° . She dances and dances and the camera swirls around her (without ever being caught by anny mirror reflection) . And then something horrible happens, something evil , and the dancer's body starts to twist and contort in uncanny ways, as she's being crushed alive by a supernatural force. This scene is so impressive. Not only did they have to make the camera and crew disappear , but on top of that, they had to include the horrible gore effects. I think I have never seen this kind of feat ever again onscreen.

[@DidyouknowT]

your video feel like a movie, it is so so cinematic

[@olofkristiansson9910]

The ending to this video is a masterpiece.

[@sononekoh]

This was a great video Paul. I found your channel from the toast video and have been binging ever since. Can't believe a fellow aussie is as obsessed with this stuff as I am. Keen to see your feature!

[@tobygroves2112]

The "through the mirror" shot reminds me a little of the "inside the helmet" shot from Gravity, one of my all-time favourite effects.

[@charlesedward5047]

For Triangle, I immediately thought of the scene in Terminator 2 with the terminator in front of a "mirror" being attended to by Sarah.

[@amazanta1605]

I love the sleekness of this channel

[@neighborsgoat]

Similar scene: Terminator 2, deleted scenes; Linda Hamilton working in the Terminator's skull to reprogram his chip; mirror reflection is not her, but her twin sister.

[@paleocomburo]

Came here to find this comment. Using her twin added an extra element.

[@tiggstah]

contact is one of my favorite movies. the mirror shot is one of my favorite moments.

[@MervynPartin]

I have always had a fascination and high regard for the skill of the cinematographers and processors of the special effects. Thank you for this insight into how they do it.

[@peterevans8194]

Really interesting and enlightening video...I think these effects are even more impressive when they were done without CGI or green screen...

[@kengoold7157]

Hi Paul, just found your channel, couldn't stop watching when I did. love it. first thing I noticed was an Aussie accent. love your work mate. Gold Coast.

[@sktona]

The timing of the black fade in used in this and other videos prevents useful scrubbing, genius.

[@EmileJrManigat]

"Its simplicity is almost criminal " . Thank you for this video

[@AndyProctor]

I’m glad you brought in the Contact scene. That one has alway blown my mind.

[@TanjoGalbi]

In the Triangle mirror clip I noticed right away that the reflection was not a reflection because of her sleeve! The real actress has her sleeve pulled up the wrist further to almost cover the base of the thumb, the stunt double's is not pulled as far. A continuity error that exposes the effect if you notice it. There was also a slight difference in movement as she passed the mirror to get to the gramophone that I noticed that suggested the mirror was not real. They could have done better by having a real mirror in place there for the long shot when the effect shot was not needed yet.

[@TravelSleep-rf1jy]

Excellent!!! You have opened my mind to film effects!

[@midwestconcertvideo]

Thank you so much for making this. It's nice to see this information presented so clearly. Too many KZbinrs make it all about themselves, rather than about the creative individuals that they're talking about. You demonstrated it, but only so people could appreciate the genius of the original filmmaker. One that you missed, that predated computer technology, was what Francis Ford Coppola used at the end of his film _Peggy Sue Got Married._ The last 2 minutes are a pullback through a hospital mirror, with greeting cards taped to it, over the shoulders of doubles of three of the main characters, pulling back to reveal the three lead actors, Kathleen Turner, Nicholas Cage, and Helen Hunt.

[@maazkalim]

That was referenced, but not explained. May you?

[@billbauer9795]

I've watched Triangle at least 3 times, and I never noticed that "going through the mirror" shot...

[@Sofarmsogoodtx]

I swear Paul's subscribers should be triple the amount the way he creates his videos. It's so different than the others and keeps you engaged the whole time. Kudos and keep it up Paul!

[@nahidparvez7346]

Your voice is so calm!

[@pennplayz]

I found this channel because of these two mirror videos, and they are some of the best film related videos ive seen online I have subscribed and shall now binge

[@PeterKae]

Still the champ of explainer videos

[@mattydominic4219]

This is something that has intrigued me since I first saw a shiny object in a film, but I couldn't find the camera reflected. I even made a few elaborate rigs & setups trying to replicate some of them. Thanks for these, man!

[@EleyReiHer]

I love the last one! It it half practical effect and half vfx

[@MrKeeganimal]

Leaving you a comment to help you in the algorithm just because your work is so fantastic and you inspire me so much!

[@RDRvideoprod]

Your content are gold. The time, energy, thought, and superb editing shows. These videos are rewatchable and a gem for anyone who needs inspiration for their edits. Would love to watch a QA on how you became this great editor that you are today. what's your creative process like, what you immerse yourself into, and some quirky stuff to boot. cheers from PH!

[@AmaSharapova]

chillin) awesome video, never understood the magic of the cinema until now! very inspiring.

[@AuthenTech]

wow, such a sweet breakdown, great work

[@somniloquous0]

That Inception shot... Took me the entire segment to even realise what was impossible about it.

[@andreykozyrev492]

I have chills from your vids man

[@szabomark3019]

how can a free yt video be this well made, insane

[@mcman5726]

I really appreciate the fact that this video is 14 minutes and 41 seconds

[@mfd1512]

Thank you for realizing this really masterfully made video: It does mirror beautifully the mastery of these great movies!

[@rowun_yt]

Another beautifully constructed video. Your effort is always appreciated!

[@MeAbishekL]

This is why I love filmmaking. It's an ART

[@KINOanatomy]

The last one got me jawdropping. Thank you so much for your work ! This mix of technic popularisation, ans in depth essay is unique and amazing. Keep it up. All the support i can send from france (hoping it passes customs)

[@atharva1237]

man great stuff, this yt video too is also so well edited loved ur dedication. Learn't so many good things today

[@lazycreator7794]

I was searching you since that Netflix style documentary of the bread. And today this video popped up.😍 So happy

[@jamesicarlos578]

Why is this vid not blowing up? This is some high quality content.. keep it up👍🏻

[@goodbug53]

700k is a blow up for me! maybe not viral but id be happy lol!

[@MisterMotel]

0:26 that intro is so satisfying

[@kaaaputnik]

3:52 hate to do this to a 21-minute-old video but his name is spelt alfonso cuarón...

[@paul_et]

NOOOOOOOOO

[@BillyPrice-v7b]

What an excellent video, thank you so much for constructing this so well, it felt like watching a mystery unfold. Brilliant!

[@carlosruiz3231]

You never fail to amuse me with your masterpiece of videos, your editing skills makes it like I’m watching a short film instead of a yt video

[@bagpussmacfarlan9008]

Assume you mean amaze...but exactly what I thought, never seen this channel before but what a high quality piece of content, surely should have millions of subscribers

[@isaaccarlton]

Incredible video as always!

[@giotto4321]

I've not actually seen any of the movies you analysed but that was really interesting, thanks!

[@OrangeSectorFN]

Such a great analysis, always wondered how they are able to do this in movies.

[@w49660]

Never saw the movie, or your prior video, but the head turn and missing pause for the shunt double in that last movie was what immediately made me think it was a "no mirror" trick, so I was surprised to hear you call it "perfect"

[@James_Bee]

I figured out the last shot, immediately, while my phone was on a shelf over my toilet while I peed. I noticed the hand and head didn't quite match up and knew exactly how they did it. I guess I'm just amazing.

[@harikrishdop]

happy to see you with an another part here again...was waiting for this one... thanks!

[@DGalious]

Thank you so much for this video! I have been puzzled with the Inception mirror shot for years too. Even visited the location in Paris to study that sequence - and never thought of building the real mirror, not just a reference mirror frame to interact with.

[@MARTYSINCLAIR]

The last shot reminds me also of the stunt double deleted scene from T2 where Arnie is getting his head worked on

[@gegessen159]

On the last effect, I remember a clip from a German prank show (must been 15-20 years back now). In "Verstehen Sie Spaß?" they used two mirrored public restrooms and replaced the mirror with glass. Twins were on both sides, doing stuff simultanious, while all other wouldn't see themselfs 😅

[@kaustubhmagar]

so excited for this video, can't believe the last one was 2 years ago!!!! oh it was so fun

[@OG_aBsTRaCt]

Legend(himself) has done it again.Another great video...Paul E.T . Just love your videos❤❤❤

[@marcjohnson3553]

Great to see a video talking about Triangle, really incredible film!

[@jacobaxelsson]

Haven’t even seen the video yet but I’ve been waiting for this! Looking forward to it!