SECRET to the Cinematic Look 🎥🎬 How Hollywood Does it

[@GawxArt]

ayyyy I really appreciate the shoutout! Great work with this vid, absolutely loved it!

[@unordinary_films]

Omg I didn't actually expect you to see this lmao, big fan of your work, thanks for the compliment :)

[@erickroblesz]

Your work is really inspiring man.

[@claragomezb.7849]

@@unordinary_films You guys should collab and make a tutorial on how to make different shots cinematic.

[@soap_machine]

Ain't no way its a canon event

[@mayankgupta3571]

Gawx plwww drop some cinematography video tutorials plww

[@hime1269]

Here is the formula for low bugdet cinematics; Canon EOS M + Vintage Soviet Lens + Magic Lantern + MLVapp + Da Vinci + a Little bit Creative Eye = Voilà !

[@themikereda]

I think 85% of what makes a Hollywood movie look cinematic is the location and production design. If you have a great location with planned and thought-out colors, furniture, practical lighting, etc., you can film it on an iPhone and it will look cinematic.

[@aleksejlotkov]

That's what they do for their presentations mostly

[@UncleRuckuss]

Obviously, if you film something at home, in a cramped apartment or tiny room, it would look very unimpressive, uncinematic and amateurish, you are also severely limited in where to put your camera, lights, the angles from which you can film, camera movement, etc... In Hollywood they usually shoot in studios, even places were poor people are supposed to live are unusually larger and meticulously prepared and decorated, and they have an almost unlimited degree on how to shoot a scene, they can move walls, put lights and cameras wherever they want, use dollies, cranes, etc. When real locations are used, they are carefully selected beforehand, Hollywood has special scouts that always travel, search for interesting locations, take photos and clips that are later analyzed to see if they are suited for shooting a scene there.

[@WW_Studios]

You got a point there!! Lighting is also key!!

[@stoneyjonez]

@@UncleRuckuss or you can make that cramped apartment into an interesting place. There could be a murder there. Who knows?

[@SP3TRAK]

@@UncleRuckuss The actual thing what makes the things cinematic is really...the "someone" that can make a use of these things. It surely isn't only about the production value and it simply goes hand in hand. Give a beginner professional ARRI lighting and RED cameras with unlimited production budget and he would be clueless. Yes you have a point that the production value of holywood movies are astonishingly high but that has been stated in the video already.

[@northcoaststudios]

After 17 years of "part time" filmmaking, I've learned "CINEMATIC" is all about the lighting. Even if you've got the most incredible location ever....if it is not lit in the magical Cinematic way, it's crap. I've learned to light from the side or the back, and then bring in the fill that's needed to keep the face from being lost in dark. I've also learned to alternate layers of light behind the talent to create depth, and to not forget to light that layer that is the farthest away from the camera. All light needs to be motivated by the environment, meaning there should be a reason for the light, whenever possible. Motivation can even be an imaginary window in another room that "allows" light to fall into the room where you are shooting your character. It's taken me a long time to learn this, and to push back a lot of techniques that have been bantered about here on KZbin, because those techniques are NOT how to get cinematic lighting. For years we were steered in the wrong direction. I think it was on purpose in order to keep competition down and out of their "territory." One more thing....I prefer to shoot indoor "daytime" scenes at night. Blasting my own lights through the windows keeps all the shadows and light beams in THE SAME PLACE for the whole shoot. Otherwise, depending on natural light will cause the shadows and look of the room to change from the beginning of the scene to the end of the scene, and the audience can tell it took an hour to shoot this 2 minute scene. Keep analyzing big budget films, and keep shooting with what you discover. Experiment as well.

[@nicholasboule5134]

This "secret" has always been there for those who look. Many people say they want to be filmmakers but don't put in the time to actually study the techniques. Good on you for keeping your knowledge up. Never stop learning and pushing new techniques.

[@oh...hi.]

On colors: I always love a good hard rule, so here’s one that can be helpful for making shots look visually striking and beautiful. The 60 30 10 rule. 60% of the shot is a main color, usually the background. 30% is a secondary color, typically a secondary background color or a character. 10% is a highlight color, often used for objects of importance or characters in wide shots. Want about a million perfect examples of this? Watch 2001 A Space Oddyssey.

[@unordinary_films]

I've heard of this rule before, I'll definitely keep it in mind in my cinematography, it's a useful rule. Also 2001 is one of my favourite films, absolutely stunning images in that film

[@johnprudent3216]

I’m actually kinda glad you called out the overuse of the word, “cinematic.” I’m a videographer by trade and I feel like I’m always trying to learn. Thanks for helping me learn something through your experimentation.

[@azathothog]

00:05 The difference between short films and feature films lies in the professional film look 01:46 Make shots look interesting instead of cinematic 03:29 Creating separation in an image is key to achieving a cinematic look 05:09 Separation techniques in cinematography through light, color, and background. 06:48 Create separation between elements through lighting and colors to make the environment look interesting. 08:19 DSLR cameras have limitations on shutter speed, but ND filters can help control brightness. 09:57 Finding the right camera angle and lighting setup 11:43 Experiment and create art with cinematography Crafted by Merlin AI.

[@scottrgarland]

Another huge thing I learned from that Danny Gevirtz video was keeping the main light source behind the person. You always want to light your subject and shoot on the dark side of someones face. I've been working at a video production company for almost 3 years now and youtube has helped me more than being on set has. Depth makes things more interesting and proper lighting makes things more cinematic.

[@unordinary_films]

You're completely right, Danny Gevirtz has awesome tips. Depth in the lighting makes a very cinematic image

[@JonEnge]

Yes! The day I learned the key light goes on the other side of "the line" from the camera, changed my shooting forever. Great job @UnordinaryStudios!

[@blackbeltsecrets]

Possibly the most useful video I’ve found in a a long time! 👍

[@ekphotography]

Welcome to the endless hunt and craving to shoot cinematic images.. I have been doing it for 30 years and still learn things on every shoot..

[@JonEnge]

This is great. The big lesson here is light control. Your flags are every bit as important as your lights. Great job with the cardboard! Often the lights on set are super bright so the background can get dark enough and you can get that crisp contrast. You're killin' it here. Keep on rockin'!

[@NoahOlive]

In addition to this vid helping me get higher quality looking movies, it also served as a MASSIVE inspiration boost.

[@directormattoliveira]

Honestly, you have the talent needed for this. Do not stop making videos and putting the effort like you are will, pay off big time eventually.

[@kathirvel_director2362]

Ur mom so supportive and looks sweet. Lucky u are ❤

[@ihassan1001]

This was amazing... you nailed it when it comes to what actually makes movies vs short film look so different and the best part that you are trying and learning while having fun...I need to get off my behind and start doing what you do.... thanks for the video!

[@unordinary_films]

Aww your comment made my day haha, thank you, I wish you the best with whatever you do 👌

[@ihassan1001]

@@unordinary_films just spitting the truth..subscribed! Hope to see more of your content.

[@peterbarnes7726]

This was really helpful stuff, I’m about to make my first short for a school project and you really showed how important lighting really is. Just earned a new subscriber!

[@unordinary_films]

Yo good luck on your short film project, wish you the best 👌

[@rnilu86]

I think how you engage the audience is more important than having good looking images

[@danlightened]

Yeah but both are required for a film to be successful.

[@andrewphan8002]

the shots looked rly great! i was literally looking all over youtube for exactly what u did cuz i plan on started short films but wanted to make sure to not waste time on set and was going to try and plan out everything i can before hand and experiment. what u did building each shot is exactly what i pictured in my head i’d be doing for practice

[@erinryu130]

Great work man!! The shots you got of your mom looked so cool! It's amazing how much goes into making movies and videos, an art I haven't appreciated enough. Real proud of ya!!

[@xole]

great video man!

[@scareboi3434]

Dude this need more attention, didn't see the views at first but I felt like I was watching a vid with millions of them

[@unordinary_films]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it :)

[@rustygazes256]

I'm so glad I stumbled onto this as it clarified what I just couldn't figure out. Thanks for this revelation.

[@LiminalLo-fi]

the last 2 at the end were getting very interesting! The lighting contrast and color was really what did it for me thank you and moms for the video!

[@Kausan1]

Good to have a patient mother around to help

[@Chokkobotch]

was about to share this video with a classmate of mine and noticed that you only had 993 subscribers??? this level of video quality is very rare to see with a youtuber with a low sub count, let alone one with less than 1000. keep up the great work!!

[@CrossCultureStudios]

Great content! Plus I love how you highlight the KZbin Community of filmmakers.

[@unordinary_films]

Thank you! I love sharing my favourite creators with others

[@arefxp]

I have worked in movies, tv commercials, web commercials and tv drama. If one thing that represents the difference between pro and amateur is "Storytelling". Its the director and cinematographer that tells the story in a cinematic way. After that there comes production design, costume, makeup, acting, lighting, location etc. The difference between professional vs newbie is experience. For any wannabe filmmaker i suggest to shoot as much as possible to gather experience to improve your craft. Steven Spielberg said, his suggestion for newcomer is "Learn your craft" and James Cameron said, "Start shooting".

[@lukehavener9643]

Great video. I do a lot of photography, and I think you need to think of every shot as it’s own standalone “art peice,” not letting any shot be just basic or filler since it’s easier.

[@unordinary_films]

I love that way of thinking, every shot is it's own art piece

[@ChaseNicholasYouTube]

This was awesome. The fact you’re doing this on a t3i is incredible and really proves your point about color and light separation being the most important

[@thankjeb]

Yooo! You did a great job making those shots look interesting!! And a super insightful video overall, thank you for this!

[@anamericanentrepreneur]

Very informative video. Keep up the good work!

[@WW_Studios]

Really fun to see you experiment. I think you are right on here! As someone who is making an animated feature film I know I'm spoiled because I get infinent flexibility xD. Nice video! Keep it up :D

[@unordinary_films]

Wish you luck on your animated film! What's it going to be called?

[@mythwest]

Great video my guy. Simple, to the point, easy to understand. I feel like many of these types of vids quickly become highly technical and boring (or they are trying to talk like a professional when their work is just not super great)

[@TamunTuman]

Love this video! Love the enthusiasm and curiosity you have towards filmmaking and everything related to it!!

[@WAHB50YY]

Bravo, you are absolutely on your way to be a very successful filmmaker! You have the right mindset and attitude. Trust me, I am a world renown photographer, I know talent and ambition when I see it.

[@arkgaming4732]

making your frame look more expressing and meaningful with all that you told will make it cinematic

[@TheOnlyInformant]

The separation comes from the blur in the background as well. Using a larger focal length and being closer to the subject will create the distance from unimportant parts of your background. The difference between a 35mm lens and an 85mm lens does wonders.

[@danlightened]

I'm a photographer but I'm always amazed by the cinema people. It's hard to even comprehend how much goes into a shot. And how perfectionists and dedicated the directors to their craft, like Stanley Kubrick, Wes Anderson, Satyajit Ray, Christopher Nolan etc.

[@christopherflynn6743]

You made all your shots 1000X better great job

[@nwonomad]

This was a really good lesson about cinematography and you used brilliant examples for the most part... I think the other keys are anamorphic lenses, more zoomed in framed shots and more extreme angles and camera movement

[@JAYSHANE487]

needed this thanks stranger.

[@ezrarichardson279]

Thanks for the video!

[@LightspeedTutorials]

dude.this was one word: INTERESTING.

[@brown2840]

love how you defined it as more interesting. That's gold! Thanks!

[@TheReminecers]

Bro great job! Another thing at makes things look cinematic is ratio. If you add action brackets it IMMEDIATELY looks more cinematic

[@Dmitry-ggc]

More cinematic = more Interesting = more work being put in.. No wonder when there are so many people are involved in production the result looks different :) Thanks, man - this question intrigued me for a long time and I think now I got the answer.

[@ChuckSeayII]

I believe you just nailed it! Great video! Thanks for sharing!

[@Batman-bm3pm]

yes this is what i was looking for,loved your worked! keep going brother

[@JamesHendersoncreative]

Such a great video. Honestly, years of self teaching is summed up in this video alone! Very insightful!

[@blossombaytalks]

Hands down the most helpful video I’ve watched all year 👏🏻

[@robaroba6694]

I would argue with you on point #1. In film it's not about how good a shot looks but how it feels depending on the narrative.

[@kheera1440]

Can't tell you how much you've inspired me with this video, GREAT JOB MAN!🎉🎉

[@Hungry_Tree_Ghost]

Awesome man! The people that seem great often experiment.

[@cristilica1]

Video starts at 3:00

[@Mike-su2xg]

Thank you. Filming on shadow side of face, use the color wheel for contrast, for actor background separation, slower, smoother camera movements, more interesting angles and make sure subject is in focus.

[@irvingbunt4276]

Quality video bro. Inspiring. Thanks.

[@jasonmighty3328]

A lot of teachers can talk and say a lot of bs but because you are actually practicing what you preach sets you leaps and bounds ahead of most teaching videos.

[@fishbarbeque8540]

The shots were GREAT!!!

[@imidaufilme]

very nice one mate, keep uploading videos

[@choq-des-lody]

Honestly I was very impressed by your test shots. As an aspiring Dp, I have watched so many videos likes this one, but I can't remember someone nailing it as much as you did. You've analyzed and explained it so well without using fancy technical words, and actually achieved a great "cinematic" image despite your camera. I would have dreamed to have seen this video 6 years ago (it took me that much time to figure this shit out). You have the knowledge man. Unfortunately now, a part from practicing, you only need to invest better lights (and down the line better lenses) to get that cinematic image. If you put in the work man, in a year, your images will blend with the ones of Hollywood. If I can help on your journey, I can suggest you these videos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZbJZGmCoJqbe5I Wandering DP is maybe the channel that helped me the most to really see and analyse light in an image. I would watch his videos regularly (even if they aren't the most intreating) to the point where I too could get the light of a shoot by simply looking at it. And it's partially through him that I learn to always aim to shot in the shadows (find contrast in your image) and look for the angle that gives you the most depth. kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3yXfIJmepqNm5I&pp=ygUTdGhvbWFzIGZsaWdodCBmYWNlcw%3D%3D This video really was a game changer, it really help me understand how to compose and frame faces kzbin.info/www/bejne/naqmpqCHbJ2Npas&pp=ygUVaW1wZXJmZWN0IHBob3RvZ3JhcGh5 This video could help you develop the idea of making you image look interesting (it was also a game changer for me) And finaly... kzbin.info/www/bejne/mamTnoGggdyhq9U This video speaks for itself, but it really made me rethink and question everything I new at that point.

[@unordinary_films]

Thank you! I hope to get better and improve as I practice more. Wish you the best as well!

[@aiyoaiyo3871]

You are so lucky to have such a lovely supporting mom❤

[@TwistedCulture]

Love this video! I could see you improving with lighting even with the few shots you put together at the end, I think you are on the right track to becoming a great cinematographer/ director. Keep up the great work!

[@nithinteja9887]

Well made video. Really subtle but powerful techniques are explained really well in this video . Thanks mate ❤️🫶

[@MedicenChang]

A great tip is to shoot to the L of the room, and you can always push your subject far away from the background (you can cheat it) to create depth. You can also use your zoom to compress the relations within the subject, the backgrlund, foreground and what’s around so you can put your lights closer and get a softer light :). The video it’s really interesting and well done! Love the experimenting bite at the end, can’t stress enough how helpful that is! Keep doing it! Cheers!

[@joaomestre2584]

Extraordinary video. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I think you forgot telling us about color grading and adjusting levels in post.

[@calvinatdrifterstudio8438]

I think it's about priorities- lighting is number 1, followed by separation and depth, and lastly color

[@andrekaique6480]

The fact that you use a t3i made me subscribe 💚

[@unordinary_films]

Hahahah it's a classic

[@The_Daliban]

7:55 higher shutter speeds are also used to make the roto easier for action scenes

[@tamaratopo2895]

Exactly what I was looking for!! Thaaank you so much, and best rgds to the most patient Mum :-) she was great!

[@Akayvisuals]

I think I guessed it right that what you are going to talk about when you were showing some comparison shots. Wtw very informative video.

[@Carter-v8f]

Dylan Clark does this really well, especially in their short film storytime

[@velavanverse]

its actually a great video. thanks a lot. I shared to my friends

[@Whyiadda]

I appreciate your enthusiasm. Really enjoyed your video man

[@kerilsawyerr]

This is a great video! Love the creativity!

[@benjaminvernes]

Thanks for the video man. I'm trying to learn as much as I can.

[@Fleischkopf]

Your testshots looked quite nice actually :)

[@georgepitoy5426]

This makes perfect sense, thank you! Okay this is going to be a niche reference, but this makes me think of a possible reason cinematic videos that fans make for video games are often a lot more cinematic than the typical student film. It’s because they don’t have the option to make the image technically better (they can’t add lights, they’re stuck with the games’ max graphics quality), so often the only thing they can do is figure out how to make a shot as interesting as possible.

[@theguyinthecreditsofeverym3827]

Great Video man. You out in the work. And Everything you do properly pays of.

[@marcosfischer_]

As a professional musician that ends up loving cinema and art in all ways possible… thank you so much for this video! 💚

[@alexith]

Bro this is great, you did great research and experimented_explored through the process, this is what I call TRUE indie

[@Zenz_Mz]

You’re a G! Thank you for this 🖤

[@lamar_studios]

You are getting there!, I learnt this last week: to always shoot on the shadow side of the person

[@gabrieljimenez2992]

Bro!! You’re Definitely getting closer

[@karlsgarage6477]

Underrated video. Great tips and hope you keep it up

[@jft2nd]

IMO it's Lighting, Shot Symmetry, Composition, and Location. (Also get a gimbal for smoother movement)

[@fanomapage2091]

It Drives Me Crazy, I’m Working On A Work Around This

[@vicsdelugaphoenix]

Thanks for this

[@jonathanharris5101]

Honest to God it comes down to set design, lens, and planning. On my profile there's a short film called "La Rata", we filmed using a Red 5K helium, and we were provided all the tools to make a film look as professional as possible! The first 2 minutes looked very professional, Hollywood-level. But after that? It fell really flat, due to us being short on time, actors disagreeing, and POOR PLANNING. The set design was good for the first few scenes because we're not given a broad scope, we're very limited. But once you start exploring more of the room, the more amateur it looks. We only had a zoom lens, I had forgotten to rent a wide lens. So (another reason) the opening is great is because a zoom lens was good for that, it drew such suspense and intense emotion. Once the fight scene started, we really needed a wide lens but we didn't have one. If it's a boring set, poor planning, and only one lens - it won't look Hollywood. Different scenes call for different needs, and when you're indie filmmaking it's hard to fulfill those different needs.

[@RigobertoBonilla-x1n]

Way More People need to watch this. Like its kinda distracting when you can tell its a budget film and the solutions you provided shouldn't be that much of a financial burden

[@bradencw]

you earned a sub, i loved watching you learn, keep going!

[@ConnerFoxx]

GREAT video, you summarized a lot of what makes for the "real movie" look. "Interesting" might be the best single word summary I've heard. To me, the "big three" categories for visuals are interest, depth, and motivation. Interest concerns every way we can make the shot purely aesthetically appealing to look at, and draw viewer attention to the right places. Depth is how we achieve the goal of making a 2D image feel 3D. Motivation is where we determine what informs all the lighting, the composition, the camera movement & blocking etc. to actually make sense and help tell the story... everything must be motivated. What makes these three things so difficult to "solve" in any given shot is that they aren't actually separate elements. You can't affect one of them without affecting the others, so it becomes a bit like a Rubik's Cube. If you aren't able to look at the big picture, any move you make to improve one thing could just work against something else... or at the very least, solve one issue but waste a chance to solve others. Ultimately, things like color, contrast, movement, environment, subject, framing, etc. are the only tools we have to alter a visual image. So the way you use each tool must work to help check all three boxes... not just one of them. I can tell you right now though, the clips of you problem-solving at the end of this video, working hard to understand the creation of cinematic visuals... you're going to go very far. Taking the time to practice cinematography for real, using whatever you have on hand to shape the light... that is how you start to get good at this. And your shots were already looking nice. You're getting there fast, your attention is in the right places. It's funny to see this video, because I just uploaded a video about how much the camera itself affects the "real movie look" about a month ago. As someone who runs a small video production house, and has shot films on an iPhone, a Canon T2i, a Sony a7 III mirrorless, a Blackmagic Ursa Mini 4.6k, a RED Komodo... I've learned exactly what cameras can do for your image... and what they can't. I promise your shot creation practice at the end is a million times more valuable than any camera. I used to think my T2i was holding me back wayyy more than it actually was. I have an old T2i short film on my channel, and today I can think of ways it could've been made to look & feel even better, despite it not being half bad. Hope to see more from you!

[@LJoinee]

Whoever is out there. I know most of us don’t have the best quote on quote “expensive cameras” but practice makes perfect! Keep learning and coming up with the most unique angles, shots, scenes you can think of and just film! Yes and I agree, looking at high production movies helps a lot. Just take one of those scenes and duplicate it as practice. I wish everyone the best on their filming journey.

[@OziisJourney]

That was so good and well written !

[@adam.doubleoseven]

You motivated me enough to do a shot or a short film. I ain't a professional cinematographer or even a photographer. I don't even have a camera just a crappy phone to make calls or scroll Instagram all day. I just like learning cinematography maybe someday I'll write a short film and record one after learning from YT.

[@pkfitnesshub]

Nice video man, some really good insights!

[@zetjet9901]

Yoooo I’d watched Gawx art for a bit before I even re-got into filmmaking again so it’s cool to see him mentioned

[@sleeptillnight5686]

Amazing work man! Very helpful!

[@TimKapow]

3rd AD here, one of the major things is the atmos that is pumped into pretty much every set I have worked on both inside and outside. Creates tons of "interest"

[@PigOnPCIn4K]

Hey man thanks for the post, I worked in TV as an actor for 12 years with some work behind the camera, fell in love with editing again about 2 years ago, and I used some of your 'cinematic' tips for my newest VR Game updates video, my niche or 'vibe' is that of a light hearted fella who shows ppl VR game updates through storytelling, if you have more tips for how to get cinematic when recording game footages that would be another great video I'd watch :D