movies influencing photography

[false_Aesthetic]

Hey,

As I go about using Netflix as a tax write-off, I'm curious to see what movies have influenced other photographers (apart from films about other photographers, technique, etc).

I'd love to see what other people watch/recommend.

Here's mine in no order
1) Memento.
2) Pi
3) Six Feet Under (ok, I know its not a movie but . . .)
4) Blue, White, Red trilogy
5) Noi the Albino (icelandic film)
6) Titus
7) Mullholland Drive / Lost Highway
8) Blade Runner
9) Citizen Kane
10) To Kill a Mockingbird.


WOrd

T

[Leonard Evens]

How in the world do you use Netflix as a tax write-off?

[Helen Bach]

Would you like to mention who shot those movies you like, or doesn't it matter?

My list would be rather long, and it would be influenced by what I have seen projected rather than on DVD. Here's the first few films that have influenced me that spring to mind.

Almost anything shot by Robby Müller, in particular Wim Wenders' Paris, Texas.

Almost anything shot by Chris Doyle for Wong Kar-Wai.

Anything by Patrick Keiller. Robinson in Space is a masterpiece.

Fitzcarraldo, Thomas Mauch for Werner Herzog.

The Moon and the Sledgehammer by Philip Trevelyan.

Launch by the Amber collective.

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, Al Ruban, Mitch Breit and maybe John Cassavetes.

Tokyo Story (and others) by Yuuharu Atsuta for Yasujiro Ozu.

I don't go for the overtly spectacular, in case you hadn't noticed.

Best,
Helen

[Colin Robertson]

Hey, false Aesthetic! Are you kidding?? If not-
check out ALL the early Kubrick (Killer's Kiss, The Killing, Dr Strangelove, 2001)
ALSO- 'Crystal voyager' (Yeah, dude, your mouth IS hanging open . . .)
'Badlands' and 'Days Of Heaven' by Terrence Malick.
Also, 'Stalker' by Tarkovsky.
Forget Citizen Kane- check out 'Touch Of Evil'.
Have more for ya soon . .

[John Kasaian]

Funny thing, after giving this a lot of thought I narowed it down to Metropolis and Destiny, both by Fritz Lang. Both films in glorious B&W of course! These films influenced my photography (if any film has had an influence) but probably not photography in general.

[Colin Robertson]

'Frankenstein' The original James Whale
'Koyannisqatssi' (spelling??)
'Images'- Robert Altman, you'll LOVE it

[false_Aesthetic]

Netflix (and emusic) work as write offs because they help me make better pictures. The photographer I assisted for would ask me to help make his work a bit more "hip." I started by renting 6' under and other HBO dvds and then applied what I saw to the shots we were going to do. Music works the same way . . . everything from the beats making me or the models relax to showing album art to an art director stuck in 1987. I also use/show movies/music when I'm teaching. (I got to buy "A Love Supreme" and then assign a project based on it to my freshmen last semester. Did the same for Kerouac's recordings, Blade Runner and Baraka).

John, Helen and Colin, thanks for your input. Keep it coming.

by the by, touch of evil was ok . . . I wasn't floored by it. I was, however, much more thrilled by The 3rd Man.


Word
T

[Colin Robertson]

Ha Ha- false, my boy!!
Did you like 3rd Man?? perhaps you are a latent Sam Peckinpah fan. Go directly to 'Straw Dogs'. Off-beat camera angles, highly subjective camera position. 'Blade Runner', by the way, is highly derivative of 'The demon with a glass hand', which was first episode of , I think (now 3.30 am and LOTS of brandy) Outer Limits on TV. Ridley Scott is visually very strong- see 'The Duellists'.

[cyrus]

I remember a movie - the title was Aggrandizement (Enlargement in French) - but I suspect it was an American movie adopted to French. Anyway, if I remember right it involved a photographer inadvertently photographing a political murder. It was pretty compelling stuff, when I was 8

[j.e.simmons]

Hitchcock films, particularly after I listened to the commentaries on the DVD versions. In his films, the camera was key and actors had to respond to it, rather than the other way around. He was also a master of letting the camera, rather than dialog, tell large parts of the story.

On a less serious note, Blow Up probably made more men think about getting into photography than any other movie.

And I wonder if 24 will change what is generally acceptable in photography. As we all know, the general rule is to have the stuff near the camera in focus - 24 has lots of stuff between the camera and the actors, particularly inside CTU headquarters, and that stuff is usually out of focus.
juan

[David R Munson]

#1 pick for me would be "Koyaanisqatsi" followed closely by anything with cinematography by Chris Doyle, Lance Acord, Chris Cunningham, Kazuto Sato, or Spike Jonze. Also, I know the OP said movies that *aren't* about photographers, but I can't stop watching "Arakimentari" with some frequency. Always gets the wheels turning in a photographic direction.

[adrian tyler]

deadman by jim jarmuch

[Helen Bach]

Thinking about the original question - 'what movies have influenced me as a photographer' - I'm going to remove Chris Doyle from my list, much as I like his work. If this is about personal influence, and not about favourite cinematography or generally influential cinematography then a film's relevance will be very dependent on when one saw it.

Films I saw in the seventies, such as Tokyo Story, Launch and many experimental films whose names I have forgotten, have had a much greater influence on me than films I saw later, in terms of demonstrating a way of showing things - opening my eyes.

Best,
Helen

"deadman by jim jarmusch" Cinematography by the great Robby Müller.

[vinny]

Chris Doyle is the only cameraman i know of that has a personal assistant(s), can arrive on set sober, disappears from set and pounds 6 Heinekens, and doesn't get fired!

[BrianShaw]

Netflix (and emusic) work as write offs because they help me make better pictures.

Now that's creative thinking!

I'm reminded of the time (a long time ago when I was single and had lots of money in my wallet) when my boss asked if I wanted to quit my job, like he was going to do, and join him in a self-guided tour of Germany. His plan was to drink lots of beir and eat lots of wurst, then write a book. He said that the book would allow us to write off the total cost as a business expense. I regret not listening to him.

Good for you, f_A -- enjoy!

[Bill Hahn]

FYI: Article about Gordon Willis in yesterday's Boston Globe:

http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2007/01/14/a_study_in_contrasts/

I love his B&W photography in Woody Allen's "Stardust Memories"....particularly
the side-lit shots of Charlotte Rampling....

[Helen Bach]

Chris Doyle is the only cameraman i know of that has a personal assistant(s), can arrive on set sober, disappears from set and pounds 6 Heinekens, and doesn't get fired!

He's an inspiration to us all. I met him briefly a couple of times when I worked in SE Asia and thought that he was a very likeable guy. I've worked on a few films that I would like to have been fired from, but never managed to pull it off. Firing a cinematographer can be a bit like divorcing your true love and best friend because of a little tiff.

Best,
Helen

[John Kasaian]

Hmmmm...add Oingo Boingo's "The Danger Zone" to the list. :D

[Ted Harris]

There is one glaring problem with all this as it 1) assumes that all of the most influential films are on DVD and are available from Netflix ... not necessarily so and many aren't even on Videotapes 2) if your film watching is limited to what is on TV, including all the cable offerings, you still only have a small set of all the films made and even all the influential films made (e.g. when is the last time you saw a Robert Flahrety film on TV ... yes they are on DVD).

[Jimi]

Andrei Tarkovsky with films like Stalker and Andrei Rubljev, Stanley Kubrick with Barry Lyndon has been three films which made me want to get out with a camera. Sven Nykvist who did a lot of the Bergman films has been a great influence. Akira Kurosawa come to mind too.

[Ted Harris]

Also, think of all the folks who went out and got a camera after seeing Antonioni's Blowup in 1966. Again a film I have never seen offered on Cable.

[Schaubild]

Sergio Leones "The good, the bad, the ugly" and "Once upon a time in the west", simply great, bold images.
"Hero" with Jet Li had phantastic, surreal images.
Recently "SinCity", "O brother where arth thou" from the Coen brothers.

[John Kasaian]

But what is it about these films that changed you outlook? Was it the use of camera angles? Color? Atmosphere? Landscape? Or Hero-worship?

It seems like whenever there is a popular movie or television series featuring a profession, the number of college majors in that field jump disproportionately.

In the not too distant future I predict we'll see a disproportional number of college trained Crime Scene Investigators waiting on tables, washing cars, and selling Slim Jims at convenience stores ;)

[Will S]

Helen et al,

What do you think of Carlos Reygadas (or his cinemaphotographer - I'm not sure who it is)?

Sven Nyquist should probably be mentioned if he hasn't been. I also am a big admirer of Roger Deakins ("O Brother Where Art Thou").

And of course Asakazu Naki, my favorite cameraman ever :-)

Thanks,

Will

[Struan Gray]

I am the antithesis of that Norman Wisdom character who could recite the credits from every film he had ever watched. I forget the character names and the title, never mind the director, cinematographer or costume designer.

That said, there are a few films that have inspired me, not in the sense of having a visual style that I wanted to adopt or borrow from, but because they had a distinct look that contributed to how I remembered, thought about or simply enjoyed the result. Off the top of my head:

Ryan's Daughter, Ran, Delicatessen, Down by Law, Koyaanisqatsi.

Also, a lot of childrens' animation: I love the way a good illustrator can create a comprehensible and self-consistent world that is remarkably foreign and abstract when you step back and think about it instead of just looking.

[Ted Harris]

Struan, does the good animation include Godzilla meets Bambi? :D I couldn't resist.

[naturephoto1]

Struan, does the good animation include Godzilla meets Bambi? :D I couldn't resist.

Ted,

You mean this??? :eek: :D :D

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3634309875781837645

Rich

[C. D. Keth]

This thread is right up my alley. I'm a film camera assistant and aspiring director of photography.

I'm very influenced by the styles of Conrad Hall (Road to Perdition, American Beauty, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid), Roger Deakins (Jarhead, Coen bros movies), Stanley Kubrick (everything, really, but esp. The Shining, A Clockwork Orange, and Paths to Glory) , Gordon Willis (Manhattan, Zelig, and the Godfather), Freddy Young (Lawrence of Arabia), Matty Libatique (Pi and The Fountain), and David Mullen (for his wonderful advice to me and his work on Northfork)

Edit: I forgot Kazuo Miyagawa. I know I can't list everyone or every movie that has helped shape my visual and storytelling sense but Miyagawa's compositional eye really helped train my own. His compositions are graceful but also unconventional, and sometimes awkward or ugly, but always with reason.

[Ted Harris]

Rich, that's it :) but I like this one a whole lot more http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6525034523614716908 :D:D:D

[naturephoto1]

Hi Ted,

I saw that one too, but the other is the original. There is always something about an original. :D :D :cool:

Rich

[Struan Gray]

Struan, does the good animation include Godzilla meets Bambi?

I was really thinking in terms of animation done for children, rather than that done by children :-)

That said, some days, art is defined as anything they'll sit still in front of.

[Bruce Barlow]

Terence Malick's "Days of Heaven."

[false_Aesthetic]

But what is it about these films that changed you outlook? Was it the use of camera angles? Color? Atmosphere? Landscape? Or Hero-worship?


In the not too distant future I predict we'll see a disproportional number of college trained Crime Scene Investigators waiting on tables, washing cars, and selling Slim Jims at convenience stores ;)


For me the movies that have influenced me take advantage of color and camera stuff
i.e. Memento, Blade Runner and 8 Mile's rap battle for color. Ran for the battle scenes shot with a long lens and a few movies where they've done stuff like pulling the camera back while zooming in . . . WHOA! When I figured out what they were doing, I think i pittled on myself.


Lets keep this thread going! I'm totally floored by all these responses.


T.

[jnantz]

institute benjamenta by the quay brothers

[Helen Bach]

***Ran for the battle scenes***

Have you seen Chris Marker's AK: The Making of Ran. It's well worth seeking out.

John, thanks for reminding me about Institute Benjamenta. A wonderful film. I read all of Robert Walser's books after seeing that.

The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb by 'The Bolex Brothers' (Dave Borthwick and Frank Passingham) is another unusual film. Animated humans, shot in stop motion. It deserves to be much better known than it is.

Down by Law is another film shot by Robby Müller - good to see how much his work is appreciated.

Best,
Helen

[Darin Boville]

My God, Stanley Kubrick. Lots of people like the early stuff (Strangelove, etc.) but in my eyes that was all just warm up for what came after. Starting with 2001, then the stunning Barry Lyndon, The Shining (not just a horror film, folks, unless you call being married a horror film!), Full Metal Jacket, and Eyes Wide Shut.

That's the holy land.

Nearby is Terrance mallick who gets better and better with each film: In his case watch his latest, New World (watch it five or six times) and then move backwards through Thin Red Line and beyond.

There are so many ways to slice and dice this question but if you want it in a handful of DVDs that you can carry with you this is all you need.

--Darin

[C. D. Keth]

Nearby is Terrance mallick who gets better and better with each film: In his case watch his latest, New World (watch it five or six times) and then move backwards through Thin Red Line and beyond.



Watch the New World a couple times then consider that there are 6 shots in the film that used electric lights.;)

[domenico Foschi]

Kubrik, almost all of them,
Wings of desire, if any of you is interested in Black and White;)
Vittorio de Sica, Italian director
Orson Welles, (watch "the Trial" from the Kafka "novel")
The Tin Drum( I am sure that Diane Arbus watched that one)
Many many more
but I cannot not mention Ghost :eek: !

[Marko]

Ingmar Bergman
Kubrick
The Godfather (I)

[John Kasaian]

I think what I take from the movies is different notions of camera angles. The same could be said for paintings. These kinds of things get my brain thinking about applying the same angles to subjects I'm familiar with. I once saw a movie (or was it a painting?) that led to an entire afternoon at an airplane museum taking abstract photos of highly polished aluminium wings and stabillizers against an overcast sky to capture a visual feeling of...not sure how to say this..."infinity" It was lots of fun!

[Helen Bach]

***
Wings of desire, if any of you is interested in Black and White;)
***

The colour parts aren't bad either. Henri Alekan was the cinematographer.

Best,
Helen

[jnantz]

how could i have almost forgot --- la jetée :)

[Darin Boville]

Watch the New World a couple times then consider that there are 6 shots in the film that used electric lights.;)

I didn't know there were even that many! Do you really know which shots where lit with artificial lights? (He says, revealing his obsession....)

--Darin

[Colin Graham]

For B&W, Carol Reed's The Third Man; Orson Welles' Touch of Evil and Othello and Magnificent Ambersons; Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory and the Killing, and anything by Fritz Lang. Color anything by Werner Herzog, especially Nosferatu and Fitzcarraldo, and Roman Polanski, especially the Tenant and Macbeth, and most David Lynch.

[C. D. Keth]

I didn't know there were even that many! Do you really know which shots where lit with artificial lights? (He says, revealing his obsession....)

--Darin

I have my theories. I know the number is 6 from an assistant that worked on it.