Images

cinephilearchive:

One of the longest dolly tracks in the history of movies for the “Mickey Mouse March” in Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Full Metal Jacket.’ [thanks to Will McCrabb]

Through interviews with Kubrick’s collaborators and cast members, including Vincent D’Onofrio, Lee Ermey and Adam Baldwin, this documentary reveals how Kubrick’s brilliant visual sense, astute knowledge of human nature, and unique perspective on the duality of man came together to make ‘Full Metal Jacket’ an unforgettable cinematic experience, taking its place in his “war trilogy” alongside cinematic landmarks ‘Fear and Desire’ and ‘Paths of Glory.’

Recommended reading, viewing, and listening:

“Stanley was, needless to say, very specific about this particular setup, as he was with all setups… So it’s all been pre-planned. Then he gives the finder to Lucien Ballard, and Lucien has watched him and says, ‘I see, it’s going to be a very nice shot.’ Lucien gets to work, Stanley walks off the set to do some piece of business. He comes back a few minutes later and Lucien has indeed set up the dolly track but he set it up at a considerable distance from where Stanley’s position had to be — in terms of the proximity to the set. Now Stanley said, ‘Wait a minute, Lucien, what are you doing, Lucien?’ ‘Well, I took your dolly shot and  instead of the 25mm, I’m just going for the 50mm, but I’m at a distance where you would get the same image size… it won’t make any difference.’ Well, it’s all the difference in the world. As soon as you back up, you can hold the same image size, but the entire perspective changes… Stanley looked up at Lucien Ballard and said, ‘Lucien, either you move that camera and put it where it has to be to use a 25mm or get off this set and never come back!’” —Alexander Singer

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cinephilearchive:

George Lucas in 1968, shooting his documentary “Filmmaker: A Diary by George Lucas,” filmed during the production of Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Rain People.”

Lucas was Coppola’s Padawan learner, and he often films Coppola from below, making him loom large in the frame. And he looks happy to be on a film set, rather than, as in 6-18-67, trying to get as far as possible from it. At one point Coppola describes his own deliberations about whether to take paycheck jobs: “The world is filled with guys who said ‘Well, I’m going to make the money and then I’m going to make the personal films.’ And somehow, they never get around to doing it.”

Fantastic footage of Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas on set of The Rain People (and Dustin Hoffman!)

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cinephilearchive:

No Country for Old Men not only is chockablock full of incredible performances by Jones, Bardem and Brolin — but also behind-the-scenes as well. Legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins talks with NPR’s Melissa Block about one of his favorite scenes from the film.

You read the script, if you’re attracted by the script, then whomever it is you need to know that you’re going to connect with the person you’re working with. You need to view the material in a similar way. With the Coen Brothers it’s interesting because there is very little shot that isn’t used. We don’t shoot very much in terms of raw footage at all. Very few extras set-ups. It’s so well worked out. They’re so precise in knowing what they want. Their scripts are so visual, the way they are written. So much comes from that. How do you say where the cinematography ends and the production design takes over? And how can you go wrong if you’re shooting a close-up of Tommy Lee Jones? You know what I mean? It’s a  wonderfully powerful image. The dialogue he’s speaking and the performance he gave, you don’t really have to do much, you know. —A Modest Lens: An Interview with Roger Deakins

What a genius script looks like. Read, learn, and absorb: The Coen Brothers’ screenplay for No Country for Old Men. Based on the Novel by Cormac McCarthy. [pdf1, pdf2]. (NOTE: For educational purposes only)

A harrowing story of a war that society is waging on itself, and an enduring meditation on the ties of love and blood and duty that inform lives and shape destinies, No Country for Old Men is a novel of extraordinary resonance and power. Joel and Ethan Coen wrestle with point of view and capturing the inner lives of the strong silent types in their first produced adaptation of a novel. —Harsh Country by Jeff Goldsmith, Creative Screenwriting Magazine, January/February 2008

With thanks to LoSceicco1976

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