Lighting References
Intolerable Cruelty
I like the soft, warm lighting. Everything feels very elegant and romantic. The restaurant scenes are pretty close to how I see the opening scenes with Grace and Rick in the lobby/lounge. The elevator shots are nice as well. I'd like to use a similar framing for our elevator scenes. And I love how it doesn't feel too flat.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
I love the moody lighting combined with the rich colors. It makes for a great combination that I'd like us to play with. The elevator shot is an example of what I don't want to do in our scenes. I think we can go darker and a bit more moody.
The Royal Tenenbaums
Another good example of lighting. I also like the center framing. I'd like to use similar framing for comedic effect at certain key moments in the film, especially the opening scene with Legrand, Margot, Alex, and the Nazi.
Hotel Chevalier
Another lighting example. Although I think we can go a little sourcier and a little darker in the shadows.
Revolutionary Road
Probably a bit darker than what I imagine, but not too far off. It feels really warm and romantic. And very even, allowing the actors to move through the frame and still continue with the action.
TONAL REFERENCES
a fish called wanda
I think this scene is really nicely handled. I like the use of background and foreground, using two levels of action for both comedic and dramatic effect, giving the audience information while hiding it from the characters. The simple dolly moves to follow the action and allow people to enter and leave in the same shot is really nice as well. So many of our scenes will be funnier if they play out in one shot in real time. I also like the camera move(s) down to show the necklace on the floor. I want to do something similar when Grace drops the false moustache when Legrand enters (and then finds it).
The Pink Panther
I like the camera movement in this scene as well. Again, nice use of background and foreground. The pans and dolly moves are really effective as the characters hide or come out of hiding. They also divide the story beats, keep the scene visually interesting, and allow the comedy to unfold simply and effectively. The pace is much slower than what I envision, but I really like the quick shots and cross-cutting as the scene progresses and becomes more complicated.
fawlty towers
This one isn't too interesting camera-wise, but it gets at the energy I'm hoping to create. This show was a big influence on the script, especially the character of Legrand.
what's up doc?
Nice pace and choreography. I like how they switch to different perspectives and continue to show us the scene from those perspectives. It keeps the tension high and all the various storylines in play, all while allowing the main story to progress.
What's new pussycat?
This one is a nice example of the level of chaos I'd like to get to by the end of the film.
The miracle of morgan's creek
Preston Sturges is another big influence on the film. This one is also more about tone and energy than anything specific with the camera. That Hitler scene gets me every time.