Roger Deakins: GREAT Cinematography = GREAT Photography???

[@flawnoer]

Thank you for talking about photography and not about cameras.

[@flawnoer]

@@ulfaxmacher999 I´m so bored with the old Sony vs. Fuji vs. Nikon vs. Leica tribalism. There are only a few channels that are different, like @TatianaHopper or @ToshikiYukawaphoto... I love when @aaroncre talks about cameras tho, because he makes them!

[@developingtank]

Thank you. I don’t really plan on ever talking about gear unless it’s from a historical perspective

[@lomax4992]

Excellent video man! I loved this deep dive

[@developingtank]

I appreciate it!

[@kimigo1]

Just found this video on my algorithm, love the format man!

[@developingtank]

Awesome! I appreciated it!

[@TheChuckism1]

Another outstanding video. Fantastic. Liked, subscribed ( long time ago) and shared!

[@developingtank]

I appreciate you 🫡

[@Twisted_Sound]

I found your channel couple weeks ago, and I am so grateful about that. True passion about photography and the art of time capture. Kudos my friend, and keep up the amazing work.

[@developingtank]

I really appreciate it. Thank you 🙏

[@powder_wook]

Love this channel!

[@developingtank]

Thank you 🙏

[@roryjacobs6817]

REALLY enjoyed this! Thanks for making it and I'm looking forward to more of these in the series (Also, your output rate is amazing...don't forget to rest)!

[@developingtank]

Thanks for the support as always. I’m trying to test the waters and see if I could go pro doing this, so that’s why I’m going in so hard atm

[@roryjacobs6817]

Well I am rooting for you, as many other people are judging by the comments in all of your videos!

[@developingtank]

I really appreciate it 🙏

[@dodahlberg]

This is excellent. Now I have to buy the book. 🙂

[@developingtank]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@TheIrishfitter]

This channel is superb

[@developingtank]

Thank you 🙏

[@blossombaytalks]

Fabulous video 🙏🏻💕

[@developingtank]

Thank you 🙏

[@dennisng4627]

DT your output is prodigious, man, and your content is consistently of high value. Looking forward to this series on cinematographers & photography. My first exposure to the great Rodger Deakin was in Miller’s Crossing. The smart dialogue, the storyline, the acting,et al were all stunning. But the cinematography really set the tone & pace of this period gangster film. I find it confounding that he cannot relate to color 📸 when his cinematography is so visually arresting. He’s nevertheless a master. Looking forward to your future thoughts on other cinematic masters. ✌🏼 & 📸

[@developingtank]

Thanks so much. That aspect of his process left me a bit confused as well.

[@ChrisBrogan]

Well, now I'm going to have to go back and rewatch Skyfall.Probably my favorite Bond film and favorite Bond (don't tell). Your point around 11:15 about some of his contrasts but why they exist was really interesting to me. I don't take mountains of photos when I shoot. I take one or two at the most of any subject. And I delete like crazy, even out in the field. Great post as always.

[@developingtank]

Thank you 🙏 Daniel Craig is also my favorite Bond and I need to rewatch Skyfall as well. Too bad a writers strike messed up Quantum so badly, or he would’ve had a flawless run.

[@karmagroovy]

Another fantastic video, thank you so much! Being talented in cinematography doesn't always translate to photography. I think Deakins would admit that his book was not meant to be seen as fine art, but more a collection of ideas... a chap book of sorts. I think as photographers, we can learn a lot by watching the great directors/cinematographers. There are many times where I want to pause the film and view it like a photograph because the scene is setup and lighted so perfectly.

[@developingtank]

Thank you! Yes, he more-or-less says exactly that and I completely agree about pausing his films to see them as photos. I wish I had been able to find more high quality screen grabs for that point exactly.

[@williamlasl]

Thank you for this. I remember flipping through Byways in a book store when it came out but it did not make a big impression on me. But after seeing some of the images again in the video, I think I might take a second look.

[@developingtank]

Yes, I think overall many of these images are decent, but there are a number of them that are very good.

[@JoshuaFortuna]

This is an extremely great random find for me. I’m a DP that is transitioning back into photography professionally, and utilizing film more and more. If you’re taking suggestions, maybe a video on Emmanuel Lubezki next? Also I’m pretty sure it is pronounced DEH-NEE as he is French.

[@developingtank]

Thanks. I have been looking into Lubezki. I’m pretty sure (having done the research) that I pronounce DEH-NEE perfectly fine when referring to Villeneuve as shown in the captions. When DEN-IS is referenced he is talking about Dennis Gassner also mentioned in the same section, but I appreciate the assumption that I don’t know how to say the name of one of my favorite directors.

[@andras_ikladi]

Great video again! I have a few random thoughts to add: One major difference that especially Deakins used to highlight over and over again is the in cinema everything is subordinated to the vision of the director (and producer/studio, but that's another question). So everything he does, even if in the craft sense perfectly executed, is not with the intent of creating the single perfect shot. He discusses this with Harry Gruyaert (who also started out in cinema due to his father's influence) on the Team Deakins podcast. Also has an episode with Alex Webb and it's clear he's admiring them for their artistic independence. Also, he did work in black and white as a DOP, even if it's a minority of his work but black and white movies are a minority. _The Man Who Wasn't There_ (also directed by the Coen brothers) was nominated for Academy Award in cinematography, won the ASC Award (probably just as important amongst cinematographers), won a BAFTA and a whole load of other awards for his work. Last year, when the craze about Ripley was making the rounds on YT (does anyone still remember it?) with the nonsensical "every frame a photograph" marketing slogan (dreamt up by the marketing department, similarly to the no-CG lies/propaganda), I kept reminding people to watch Deakins' work as a real masterclass in film noir, not a self-serving eye candy. I did love Ripley as a photographer but hated it as with the eyes of someone who had exposure to filmmaking for 20+ years. (EDIT: hate is a strong word but I didn't like being thrown out of the story every few minutes and the pacing suffered too. I think the whole experience was clouded by the DOP/director team, most likely due to pressure from the studio, didn't have the integrity to commit to black and white from the start.) Another fun fact: not only he does work in film and digital but extensively also with virtual cameras, in animation (that's how I got to work with him). I think it's worth reminding those who are involved in "film vs digital" wars and/or title themselves "film photographers." Real masters/professionals do not care. And last, I think it would be great if you cited your sources, at least in the description, as there is much more to discover and help your audience to extend the investigation beyond the 15 minute YT format.

[@developingtank]

Great comment. As far as the director, DP/Cinematographer aspect of crafting the perfect shot is considered, I always struggle to know exactly where that line is drawn. I have to imagine it varies wildly depending on the team or project, but my assumption is the dp/cinematographer has more to do with it than is typically acknowledged. You’ll have to go in a lot deeper to explain your Ripley hate. That show is beautiful regardless of how it was produced and I’ve watched it three times now. I’m sure you have sound reasoning, I just don’t know what it is. Also, idgaf about the film/digital debate for the most part, I shoot both, and think anyone tripping on the processes anyone else uses is ridiculous. I only bring it up here, because Deakins has been a pretty loud voice for digital cinematography and it’s interesting that he still shoots film stills given that. In terms of work cited, I won’t do that. People are so lazy. If they really passionately want to learn more about these people I’ve already dug deep, found the resources on my own, and wrote a digestible 3,000 words; they can do their own research.

[@andras_ikladi]

​@@developingtank From the tone I feel my comment might have somehow been hurtful. I didn't intend it to be like that but I apologise if I misstepped somewhere. The DP/director divide can be pretty deep, especially nowadays when extensive storyboarding and pre-visualisation is the norm. You'd be shocked that there are companies who would previz the entire movie, obviously under the guidance but not total control of the DOP, reviewed in tandem with the director. But of course, the best movies find a healthy balance -- I recommend looking into the cooperation of Wong Kar Wai and Christopher Doyle (also worth an episode, he's a photographer too)...and maybe include Wing Shya, who worked as a stills photographer in the same team. I think the parallels/contrasts are interesting enough. Ripley: I've watched it twice already. I did not hate the whole experience, I just had an issue with the cinematography. It's beautiful and you're reminded of it every couple of minutes. It fails (to me) where Deakins would have pulled back. The cinematography is not subservient to the overall storytelling, which is the main point of any movie. It's not a theme park ride, it's not a time-based photo exhibition, it's visual storytelling with an emphasis on the story. Or at least should be. It's a fine line and if it wasn't given the praise it got from people who previously paid no attention to cinematography (and thus with countless extremely well-photographed films going unnoticed), I just thought constantly repeating that phrase was unfair to the rest of the DOPs. The smaller issue is with cinematography, the bigger issue is with social media amplification. About film vs digital: I didn't even think of what you answered, you, Deakins and everyone else are free to use what they prefer for whatever purpose they see fit :) Citations: I know what you mean. I always took them as an introduction to generate interest but maybe because I already know most of what you mentioned in these videos. I would have thought that if the information was right there at the moment people got their 2-minute interest fired up, they would click on it. Going after this kind of information on your own is hard, you know it well. Obviously (?) citing sources would diminish your work as it would be viewed less as your own thoughts rather than a distillation of sources...but then the third aspect: when a text like this is more and more feasible to be AI-generated, citing sources (to me) adds a bit more credibility.

[@developingtank]

I didn’t take your tone like that at all. I’m sure I come off like that via text as well. It’s hard to catch the vibe through text especially when opinions of any kind are involved. I actually just ordered a Christopher Doyle book a few days ago for this exact reason, so that video will come soon.

[@andras_ikladi]

@@developingtank Nice one, looking forward to it!

[@developingtank]

@andras_ikladi 🫡🫡🫡

[@SlavaVeres]

❤ Wow! 😮 Deakins has his own photo book??? Photos are amazing! THANK YOU for yet another great video! (Just a small remark: Denis Villeneuve is a French 🇨🇦 Canadian and his first name should be pronounced as “Deh-nee” 😉 Here in Quebec they are very particular about that 😄)

[@developingtank]

Thanks. Small note: I say DEN-E when talking about Denis Villeneuve. If you’re really paying attention there is a designer mentioned in that part of the video named DEN-IS who is not Denis Villeneuve and that is who he is referring to in the quote.

[@doublenegative4real]

it's funny I talk about how much easier to shoot in black and white in a video I have coming tomorrow. I've been keeping my camera in BW mode just so I can keep better track of my shapes and compositions. it's definitely much easier. Color can be overwhelming. Great video once again!

[@developingtank]

Thank you! I usually do that when I shoot photography digitally as well tbh

[@yu-gi-broke8823]

That's a nice thumbnail, dude

[@developingtank]

Walter?!

[@swammpgoblin]

Comment. Like. Subscribe. This channel deserves it.

[@developingtank]

🙏🙏🙏

[@scanningforvideos]

Liked and commented

[@developingtank]

Thank you 🙏

[@TooLooseLeTrek]

Excellent. Any chance of subsequent videos about other cinematographers like Wim Wenders, Tarkovsky, etc.?

[@developingtank]

While I really love both of them I am specifically trying to cover subjects that haven’t been covered a ton by others or trying to cover them from a different angle. So, I might come back to them eventually, but it would be a while before that happened. (Maybe 😅)

[@TooLooseLeTrek]

@@ulfaxmacher999 Just in case you don't know (fat chance of that!) Tarkovsky's photos have been published in a book, "Tarkovsky Films, Stills, Polaroids & Writings."

[@michaell7015]

Hi, would love to see a vid on chien-chi chang!

[@developingtank]

Can you tell me more about this person? I am not familiar with

[@michaell7015]

@@developingtankhe‘s a photographer at magnum, mostly known for his work surrounding chinatown :) Also known for his series „the chain“ and „i do i do i do“ - he also did a lot of photos in ukraine recently to document the people involved in the war, I would love to see a video from you surrounding his work, love your stuff!

[@developingtank]

Okay, sick. I’m trying to cover as many Magnum photographers as possible, especially the underrated ones, but many have books that are really expensive or it’s hard to track down information on them. I’ll look into them!

[@michaell7015]

@@developingtank I absolutely understand - thank you for your answer though! keep up the great work, your content is so important for many photographers trying to find inspiration outside the instagram bubble, can't thank you enough! :)

[@developingtank]

@michaell7015 I appreciate it

[@joeldeakin2003]

robby muller next for this series!

[@developingtank]

I think I looked into covering him and it was hard to grab any book of his for a reasonable price. I may have to look again, but that is a great suggestion. He’s awesome.

[@joeldeakin2003]

@developingtank that's fair.. i had the same problem when trying to find a book of his. hope you can get one someday though, hes a perfect example of this series in my opinions.

[@developingtank]

@ I completely agree