The movie all photographers should watch!

Discovering the great feats of Orson Welles & Gregg Toland, shining a light on "Citizen Kane", one of the greatest movies of all time.
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The Making of Citizen Kane: amzn.to/46j5uec
Binge watch "Street Photography" I tinyurl.com/4fhzhcwt
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Music by Noán Vega
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Outro
Smooth Operator by the talented Andrea Orsnini and Vanessa Elly
• SMOOTH OPERATOR, Sade ...
Video Breakdown
00:00 Intro
01:08 One Vision. Two Careers.
02:59 Welles' Early Deep Focus.
04:17 Low Angles, No Ceilings.
04:34 Sponsor
06:10 Low Angles, No Ceilings II.
07:05 Atmosphere.
08:20 Rosebud.
09:53 Deep Focus.
11:23 Mirrors & Angles.
12:34 Outro.
This Filmmaker & Cinematographer Changed Photography Forever. Why?
By Tatiana Hopper
November 2023
Copyright disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research.
Under this guidance, I’ve created content which is guided towards the education, celebration and promotion of said films and filmmakers who have contributed immensely to the art of filmmaking.
An effort is made by the presenter, verbally and through the usage of links (in the video’s description) to encourage the audience to explore the work presented beyond the video and engage with said content through books, articles and relevant links to each photographer’s own social media.
Therefore, I believe the inclusion of said images, footage and other sources can overall add depth and appreciation for the subject of the video whilst also enriching the visuals and dynamics of the it. All within what is within the fair use scope and KZbin’s policies.
#filmmaking #movies #orsonwelles #greggtoland #cinematography #cinema #citizenkane #oldhollywood #moviemaking #filmphotography #photography #blackandwhite #camera #filmcamera #filmediting #learningphotography #learningfilmmaking #filmschoolkerskki

[@TatianaHopper]

📍What other filmmakers would you like me to talk about ?

[@user-iz2ph1lp9g]

fritz lang!

[@TatianaHopper]

@@user-iz2ph1lp9goh yeah one of my absolute favourites!

[@imagepoint9726]

Cinematographer Gordon Willis

[@TatianaHopper]

@@imagepoint9726 great point!

[@mid90s75]

I think Fritz Lang would be good to fit in with the classical Hollywood line

[@_NoDrinkTheBleach]

Citizen Kane might seem quaint or basic by today's standards, but it's astounding what they were able to accomplish by basically saying "why not?" when trying new techniques.

[@TatianaHopper]

Absolutely! I personally think it’s still amazing. I had to rewatch it to make this video and I still was blown away by some of the tricks they pulled. So much to learn from it!

[@TomKaszuba]

In the modern era I would recommend as a must view for photographers is the final season of Better Call Saul. You can watch it with the sound off and see absolutely incredible work from beginning to end. I can’t stress this enough. It’s legendary for its work with wide angle, hard shadows, etc, etc. etc.

[@larsbunch]

Another really good video! I think what makes Citizen Kane so good is that all the technical advances were in service of telling the story effectively. Every bit of style had a strong storytelling reason for being there. I shot a black and white feature film years ago (I can post a KZbin link to it if anyone cares to see it) where Toland's photography was in the back of mine and the other filmmakers' minds. Our film ended up looking a more like conventional Hollywood films, but in the end, that made more sense for the story we were telling. Anyway, Citizen Kane has always been a great inspiration for both my film making and still photography.

[@TatianaHopper]

Thanks for sharing that Lars, do share a link to your movie here :) it would be nice for people to check it out, thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts!

[@bobbybrandnew3277]

Yeah I'd def watch it!!

[@classic.cameras]

Congratulations on reaching 100,000 Subscribers!!!

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you! 🙏🏻

[@katashley1031]

Every film school begins by dissecting Kane. Even film buffs can discuss the way it changed cinematography and filmmaking as we know it. Glad to see photographers learning from this as well.

[@TatianaHopper]

I think all creatives benefit from it, if you’re a writer it’s storytelling and structure. If you’re a painter, a photographer, a filmmaker, the composition of different shots, lighting, perspective … for filmmakers still the editing. I think overall it’s still a masterclass these days on many creative aspects (in my opinion) :) thanks for watching!

[@jimwlouavl]

Fantastic, thought-provoking video. It makes me want to eschew the contemporary focus on sharpness and saturation and play around with shadow, low key lighting, and grain. Thanks for all you to do to guide us to think about our photography.

[@TatianaHopper]

Glad you enjoyed it Jim thank you for watching!

[@mkhjr]

Love this. Everything is built on the work of previous generations - I'm relieved that we have channels like this continuing to tell the story of how we got here. Learned some new things today. Also, love the quote at the end.

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you for watching Michael and for sharing your thoughts 🙏🏻

[@NasserTone]

Such a great video! 😍❤ I enjoyed it a lot! Since I re-watched my favorite 2 Orson Welles movies "Citizen Kane" & "The Trial" last week. BTW, if you want, try adding their names in the video title maybe between brackets! I'm sure it will help you get more views when somone sarches by typing either of ttheir names (Orson Welles & Gregg Toland). All the bes!❤🙏

[@TatianaHopper]

🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@dangilmore9724]

There is also, in these two films, the slight and occasional use of "Dutch Tilt" as used in Fritz Lang's later films. If used properly "Dutch Tilt" (or, more properly, "Deutsch" tilt), it adds a bit of optical disorientation for the viewer that adds drama and often a surreal effect. It's a great effect for still photography if not carried too far.

[@TatianaHopper]

Thanks for sharing that Dan!

[@willieluncheonette5843]

for a good example of its overuse look no further than The Third Man Welles should have directed The Third Man. He knows just when enough is enough

[@USMCMCG]

I didn’t want this video to end. Would have watched for an hour. Thank you for this.

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you so much for your comment

[@zethiel]

Tatiana, your videos are pure gold. Thank you for such amazing work, and for the continued inspiration.

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you so much! 🤍

[@willieluncheonette5843]

IMO Kane is one of the 3 most influential films in cinema history, along with The Birth of a Nation and Breathless.

[@JacquesLaFleche]

incredibly well done and narrated! I love your videos Tatiana.

[@fernandosocorro4175]

Well, superb, as always. Love that you mentioned the then recent technical advances that Toland explored so he could better tell the story from Welles's and his own standpoint. Also fascinating to know that he wanted to learn about other aspects of filmmaking so he could better enhance and incorporate them into his visual narrative. BTW, watched The Dark Angel after I saw your post about this video and loved it. Then watched These Three, which coincidentally also stars Merle Oberon, who was in The Dark Angel and Wuthering Heights. These Three is not as visually stunning as Toland's other work, but I love the sense of intimacy and how it captures the desperation and consequences of lies told with malicious intent to harm, even if those lies are told by a child. Interesting note: These Three was directed by William Wyler, who in 1961 remade the film but more closely based on the original play by Lillian Hellman, who penned The Little Foxes, which Toland was also DP on and was also a William Wyler film. And yes, I've watched both These Three and The Children's Hour way more times than I can count. Oh, and Miriam Hopkins stars in both These Three and The Children's Hour, in, of course, different roles. It is sad that Gregg Toland died so young. And love that quote by him you used to close this. Thank you.

[@TatianaHopper]

Hi Fernando! Thanks so much for watching and I’m glad you watched them, I personally preferred Dark Angel over These Three. I also watched Long Voyage recently and it was pretty good!

[@fernandosocorro4175]

@@TatianaHopper I can't recall The Long Voyage Home, but it reminds me of Voyage of the Damned, and with Toland, John Ford, and its cast, it is now on my list.

[@TatianaHopper]

@@fernandosocorro4175for sure! I love John Ford and I’ve watched so many of his movies (I love Westerns as well which helps). My darling clementine is one of my favourites!

[@fernandosocorro4175]

@@TatianaHopper Have not seen that in ages.

[@washingtonradio]

Welles and Toland used lighting to great effect, something most cinematographers and photographers (including myself) don't use very effectively.

[@TatianaHopper]

I found that I learned a lot with making this video :) it helped me as a photographer!

[@caneestudio]

Please share more of these style of cinematographer

[@rolf_siggaard]

Thanks so much for this. Some great insights and reflections. Your presentations are always a great learning experience. You are very thorough with your research and presentation. Impressive. Well done.

[@wullieg7269]

theres an old cowboy film in B/W i love "YELLOW SKY" it seems filmed only when shadows are in place and all shot though red and polerizer

[@TatianaHopper]

I’ve watched it and it’s amazing, the photography is really good ! I also recommend looking at the movies by André de Toth

[@redisred]

Wow, this was super inspiring. Now I want to go watch these movies!

[@richardrizzo_photography]

Excellent video Tatiana, your technical and creative knowledge of cinematography as well as photography never ceases to amaze me. I certainly would love to see more of these types of videos. Very well done my friend! 😎❤

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you so much for your kind words Rich I’m really happy you enjoy the videos and yes I think I’ll bring more videos like this one :) 🤍

[@davidpierini3316]

I love how much I learn from your videos. You ask about other filmmakers. I always felt every scene in Scorcese's "Raging Bull" could be a beautiful still frame.

[@TatianaHopper]

Great suggestion that would be an amazing video!

[@canturgan]

Backlighting, haze or smoke, geometry, shadows. These are the key elements of cinematography.

[@TheKosenrufu]

simply wow. pointing the lights at surfaces n not at people as subject -- this just 🤯 my head.

[@TatianaHopper]

Thanks for watching!

[@andreposthumus2072]

Excellent video! And your outro music always gets me in a mood. ☺

[@TatianaHopper]

Thanks for watching!

[@JoeJoe4P]

Very interesting and very well done. I’m not into cinema or video, but enjoy the techniques shown in your video that can be applied to photography. Thank you for this! ✌️🌹

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you Joe that was my goal! I’m glad you enjoyed this video! Hope all is well 🙏🏻

[@Joseph_Greco]

Great vid! Welles was literally a genius. He had an IQ of 185 and was only 25 when he made C. Kane....quite remarkable. He once made a flippant remark in a Dick Cavett interview (on KZbin) that filmmaking was not that difficult and anyone can learn it in a day and half. Truly a great actor, filmmaker, director, producer and Hollywood character. ... and he married Rita Hayworth!😎

[@TatianaHopper]

I also think he must’ve had a great IQ, his Shakespearean adaptions really blew me away, particularly Macbeth! And yes that’s correct he married her but I think his life really took a turn after the magnificent ambersons !

[@aes53]

I remember seeing Wells on a talk show many years ago and he said that the only good roles he ever had were those that he wrote for himself. He would liked to have played Don Corleone in The Godfather but was never asked.

[@AliEbrahimian]

wonderful explanations, thanks

[@TatianaHopper]

🙏🏻

[@Lou.B]

That was GREAT!! Thank You!!

[@TatianaHopper]

🙏🏻

[@LieutenantLights]

Damn, Tatiana. This is the video I've been wanting from you all along. This strikes to the heart of what intrigues me most. Amazing work !!!!

[@TatianaHopper]

Glad you liked it! Thank you so much for watching, will probably bring more like these :)

[@StewartBairdPhoto]

Great video thanks. I saw Kane at a movie theatre in the 90s - it needs that big screen

[@TatianaHopper]

It surely needs! 💯 agree, cheers for watching!

[@Strictlyinblackandwhite]

Awesome analysis! Great video, Tatiana! Thank you.🙌

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you so much! 🙏🏻

[@winstonsmith9740]

Outstanding again Tatiana. You have great insight.

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you so much for watching 🙏🏻

[@chilecayenne]

Hello Tatiana!! I hope all is well with you! I just caught this video and it dawned on me, I've not seen you in my feed for awhile....ugh, KZbin. I'll make sure and go back to see what I've missed recently. Anyway, what a great presentation!! I've been a HUGE Hitchcock fan for both story, movie but also for getting stills ideas. Believe it or not, I've not see Citizen Kane yet although I've recorded it a number of times on TCM. I'm not as familiar with Wells.....and I see I need to watch a lot of him! With this being the US Thanksgiving long holiday weekend, I'm going to try to give this a watch for sure and look at the cinematography and what you commented on!!! I'll explore Wells other works too. I can't remember if you've done much in depth on Hitchcock, but if not he might be at least a 2-3 parter....I saw one study that was fascinating about how he used camera position and actor postings changing in one long scene to show the flow of "power" and control between the characters over time....something that does hit you on a subconscious level... Stuff like that. Anyway, I"m rambling, again....so happy to see you again, I really love your work. Take care, CC

[@chuckybest55]

In today’s directors, cinematographers etc, Martin Scorsese uses a lot of these techniques and that makes his films a great pleasure to watch

[@Laurencemardon]

Just found this ... nice job; I'll check out some of your other vids ... thx for posting. Cheers from Canada.

[@TatianaHopper]

Thanks for watching Laurence!

[@harisaliprantis8251]

Thank you yet another great video. One of the most "photographic" films I have seen is The Party (2017). I would love to see you include it in a future video.

[@joseerazevedo]

First time I saw Citizen Kane it was clear to me it was a photographer's movie, but in the American way. Not as artistic as Antonioni's movies, but in a more commercial way. I was impressed and could only imagine tha impact it had at the time. Amazing! Welles was a very special mind, that pushed many boundaries. The result of their union couldn't be anything less than Citizen Kane!

[@TatianaHopper]

Absolutely I often wonder if the studios had given them the freedom he wanted. And he and Toland continued to work together the amazing achievements they would accomplish and the innovation. But still Citizen Kane was a great gift! Thanks for watching Jose!

[@Jesuslovesfilm2121]

He was a GREAT MOTION PICTURE GIANT! Sadly he was very depressed & obese and struggled to make his spectacular vision the way he wanted in his movies later on…very sad life. Hollywood and his lifestyle killed him. The man left his family for his Gf…who sadly even gave out his editing blueprint’s to Oliver Stone while trying to fund “The Other Side of the Wind” Oliver Stone being a smart man, knew the film would never see the light of day & stole the editing and implemented it into JFK. Tragic. The Other Side of the Wind is a great example of how to edit a moving picture.

[@continentalgin]

Wonderful video, T. and along the same lines, I love Kubrick's work, as well. I think you've already done a video on Kubrick. Thanks for all you do!

[@TatianaHopper]

Yes I have, about his photography and he was a very good photographer or so it seemed to me :)

[@continentalgin]

I recall a Welles interview, in which he said (paraphrasing here), "Preparing for Kane, I told Gregg I was new to film directing and didn't know what was possible or not possible. Gregg assured me that I could dream up any shot I wanted and he would at least give it his best try. He encouraged me to be as creative as I wished. This was the key to the visual success of Kane. I would tell Gregg I wanted something most cinematographers would say is impossible, but Gregg took on the challenge and made these new kinds of shots not only possible, but artistically successful. I owe Kane, in large part, to Gregg Toland."

[@TatianaHopper]

@@continentalgin that’s good I didn’t know that thanks for sharing that!

[@TedPartrick]

i would second the Kubrick suggestion. My introduction to him was in 1968 or so.

[@continentalgin]

@@TatianaHopper He tells the story in some TV interviews, which are on KZbin.

[@Alejandro-ht9hy]

Another great movie for photography you should review is "Soy Cuba" of 1964, by Mikhail Kalatozov.

[@TatianaHopper]

Totally agree! Thanks for watching!

[@julio5prado]

Excellent video!

[@TatianaHopper]

🙏🏻

[@terrywbreedlove]

William Shakespeare A Mid Summers Night Dream filmed in 1935 is incredible filmography

[@TatianaHopper]

Will try to check it out because I haven’t watched it I believe!

[@terrywbreedlove]

@@TatianaHopper please do it is something

[@NativeBlackAmericanTv]

Very well done. Would love to see you explore the work and expertise of Alexander MacKendrick. I--and many others--had the distinct privilege and pleasure of learning from "Sandy" at California Institute of the Arts...where he was the visionary head of Film Department. A number of his former students have distinguished themselves as exceptional/celebrated Filmmakers.

[@willieluncheonette5843]

Yes! A High Wind in Jamaica and Sammy Going South are both wonderful. A very overlooked director

[@TheNitebinder]

Another great mini documentary about a photographer/cinematographer who contributed so much with filmmaking. Because of his attention to detail, his willingness to study and experiment with filmmaking, Toland changed the course of cinematography. Provide some background, Gregg Toland worked on some 68 films during his brief career. He not only worked on Citizen Kane, but Dead End (1937), Wuthering Heights (1939), Kidnapped (1938), The Westerner (1940), The Outlaw (1943) actress Jane Russell's first #film, Song of the South (1946) (because of the #film's racial stereotypes, it's unavailable for viewing), The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946), The Bishop's Wife (1947) and directed the short film December 7th about the attack on Pearl Harbor. All this before dying in his sleep from coronary thrombosis on 28th September 1948. However, his work on those great #films continues to be inspiration for many of today's new filmmakers.

[@TatianaHopper]

Yes! Totally inspiring and thanks for sharing those biographical details; appreciate it 🙏🏻

[@aes53]

Thanks for the post, I looked him up online and noted he died quite young (44 I think) but no cause was given. He was talented that’s for sure.

[@8KHDRVideoBySittipong]

Very nice and informative video.

[@TatianaHopper]

Thanks a lot!

[@fastnbulbouss]

If I remember well, Welles insisted that he was going to share the end credits with Tolland. I think it's the only time that a director shared the frame with someone else.

[@TatianaHopper]

That’s correct, however I also discovered during the making of this video that other directors shared the credits with Tolland, if I’m not mistaken John Ford was one of them. From what I read Toland was the only cinematographer who had that happening back in the day. Thanks for watching!

[@fastnbulbouss]

@@TatianaHopper Thanks for your response. In that case, that puts Tolland in a very special category.

[@mauricioalchundiasegovia8355]

Gracias¡¡

[@TatianaHopper]

🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@Freddy-Da-Freeloadah]

OK... GREAT REVIEW OF CITIZEN KANE! I don't remember CK looking SO SHARP! I remember a lot of SOFT focus... I have the Warner 70th Anniversary Blu-Ray set... Not the 4K though. Are your stills from the 4K disks? I suppose I need to re-watch these disks! IMHO

[@aes53]

A great video Tatiana, as usual your presentation is equalled by your scholarship. I have to admit, I didn't know who Toland was until this.

[@TatianaHopper]

I’m glad you enjoyed and learn something new in this video, if you have a chance give some of his other movies a watch, it’s worth it, photographically speaking :)

[@aes53]

@@TatianaHopper I definitely will. When I looked him up I noticed he was only 44 when he died, which seems an abrupt end for someone so talented.

[@TatianaHopper]

@@aes53 somewhere along the comment section someone commented some biographical details about him, it’s worth it if you find that comment for a short summary :)

[@MusicJunky3]

Your best one yet !🥰 ( Although there is nothing wrong with the others ...!) Have a look at 'The tragedy of Mac Beth " (2021) ! You will be jumping in your seat ! ( Do like your ring )

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you so much, will do!! :)

[@sclogse1]

When Bogie talks to the military priest in Dead Reckoning, like your thumbnail, his face is in the shadows. A Toland borrow? You know Alain Resnais wanted Kodak to make a batch of film that didn't suppress the halo quality silent films had where the whites would bleed, for Last Year In Marienbad. Kodak didn't. Which is fine with me. Resnais was a nut for the silent and comic books.

[@mid90s75]

Wow fabulous!

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@mid90s75]

@@TatianaHopper 🙏🏻

[@GrenvilleMelonseedSkiff496]

Poured my favourite libation, settled back and made myself comfy to watch another of your excellent video’s! Now I know what I’ll be watching this evening after having poured myself another! Ta very much! 📷🥃🎬🎥🙂

[@robinbhairam7508]

Really interesting video … sadly I gave up as I got hit by your ad algorithm at the crucial points … also if I may make a slight observation, your white font and size were challenging to read … especially for some of us more age challenged viewers! 😂

[@innstikk]

I prefer the Stalker by Andrei Tarkovsky for this

[@TatianaHopper]

Definitely a filmmaker I need to feature here, I’ve done a video on his Polaroids though

[@eddiegee2940]

Watch Grandmaster, Chinese movie shown internationally. It got good reviews.

[@TatianaHopper]

Will do!

[@ackamack101]

If Too Much Johnson can be discovered, why can’t Welles’s original cut of Magnificent Ambersons be found? The print that was sent to Brazil and not sent back. Oh the cruelty! 😩

[@TatianaHopper]

I’ve thought about that many times, I wonder what happened to it! Hopefully one day it will surface :)

[@ackamack101]

@@TatianaHopper That has been a dream of mine for more than thirty years. It has haunted me for sure.

[@TatianaHopper]

@@ackamack101 I think back in the 80s or late 70s somewhere in Canada some people found in their backyard a hole with loads of film cans from classic Hollywood movies. I don’t really remember the name but this event had a named and they uncovered movies from the 30s etc .. so maybe this will happen again. One can only hope ✨

[@Harlequin565]

Really enjoyed that one and love the synergies between movies & photography. Would like to recommend the Spielberg/Slocombe combo in Raiders of the Lost Ark (discussed here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f6XFdH-eaaaopdEsi=LhbACpuuIL9ma2ur) and also the Mendez/Deakins genius of 1917 (Roger Deakins also dabbles in photography - his books are well worth a look). The Soderberg cut of Raiders removing the soundtrack & colour really allows focus on blocking and staging and reveals just how good this film was even without dialogue/music/colour.

[@alebarruel]

I love this video. But, why those artificial plants in your back?

[@daviddyephotography]

how does Hitchcock stand in comparison, it seems he was pretty innovative as well

[@TatianaHopper]

Agreed! Hitchcock would be a good director to feature here!

[@Resgerr]

Wasn't Citizen Kane the first or one of the first films where you saw a ceiling like you'd see in real life?

[@TatianaHopper]

Yes that’s correct I believe I do mention it in the video around 10 min mark or something!

[@Resgerr]

@@TatianaHopper yes I remember now

[@TatianaHopper]

@@Resgerr 🙏🏻

[@jamesnicol3831]

Any Goddard movie for serious still work

[@mudlick8186]

Bela Tarr.

[@safetyd6965]

Candlelight was a practical, insignificant light source in GOR which contributed no real lumens.