When I was at Full Sail's Digital Cinematography Bachelor of Science program, I brought up the fact that filmmakers today do not seem to embrace the art of cinematography to the instructor. I went on to tell him that during Captain America: Civil War, the shake camera and high frame rate was so intense that several times I lost the action and the entire screen was a blur. And he said, that modern filmmakers want to "confuse" the audience during action scenes. I countered and said, "Well, if I pay for a ticket, guess what? I do not want to be confused. I want to see the hard work the stunt teams put into their scenes.". And I went on to explain to the class that the "shake camera and high frame rate" was a cop out by people who do not know how to properly story board an action sequence so that it tells a story. Action needs to tell a story! Just having action in between drama does not make a cohesive film! There was about a minute of silence after I said all that. And that was the indication I blew his mind.
This jib arm above allows for smooth and dynamic camera movement.
I gave up on the MCU after Captain America: Civil War. The camera work drove me nuts. It was that stupid shake camera and high frame rate that Trent Opaloch (cinematographer), thinks is what people want. The Directors, The Russo Brothers, are to blame as well. The MCU films I did see recently were all on Netflix on my 40" LCD. And well, some of them were good. But, other MCU films I stopped watching 1/2 into it because I either fell asleep or got bored and did something else.
The WetBike above was used in the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), as an exciting object to shoot before there was CGI in films.
The first time I noticed these CGI heavy films can put you to sleep was when I fell asleep about 3 times in the 2nd Hobbit film. The first one was on pace to make the series better that Lord of the Rings perhaps. But the 2nd of the Hobbit film series, well, I kept waking up. Have to admit though, waking up with a dragon in your face is pretty cool! But it doesn't make for a good film.
Contrast the massive use of CGI and shake camera to Claude Renoir's work on the 007 thriller, The Spy Who Loved Me. And you can see that action can be done right. Claude Renior documents the action in this James Bond film. He doesn't try to turn the damn film into a shitty amusement park ride by shaking the point of view.
The Lotus Submarine used in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) above displayed in a cinema museum. Perhaps one of the most iconic and well shot car chase sequences ever done in a 007 film or any other movie, Claude Renior captures the action by documenting the hard work the stunt drivers and helicopter pilot put into the scene. Of course, if you have not seen the film, you might not know why there is a Lotus super-car that becomes a submarine. The underwater action sequence surrounding the Lotus Submarine is, by itself, worth your attention.
I did see one more MCU film in theaters after Civil War. I got drunk with a friend and we went to see Thor: Ragnarok. And well, that opening sequence with Led Zeppelin was worth the price of the ticket. And later we both kept nodding off. When we left the theater he said, "Just another cinema spasm of CGI garbage.". Yep, that kind of covers it. But other than getting drunk and needing a place to sober up, I can't see sitting in a theater for another MCU film ever again in my life.
Modern digital cinematography gives filmmakers a lot of leeway in terms of lighting and the ability to get a camera in places it would be impossible to get a huge traditional film camera into. But, the techniques and guidelines of classic cinema must still be obeyed if we are to honestly call movie making a discipline and an art form.
Tony Castelluci is a filmmaker, writer, and raconteur. Having once served as a Water Safety Survival Instructor as a member of the elite special operations USMC unit 2nd ANGLICO, Tony still seeks adventure on air, land, and sea. Please subscribe, resteem if you can afford it, and share this post if you appreciate the content.
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