Frame by Frame: Insecure – Season 2 (2017)

Frame By Frame

Year – 2017
Decade – 2010s
Cinematographer – Ava Berkofsky (official site) and Patrick Cady
Director – various
Aspect Ratio – 1.78
Distributor – HBO
Genre – Drama
Camera – Arri Alexa
Format – Spherical

Other Key Words
Location – Los Angeles                    Short Siding                         Headroom

Further Reading
Interview with cinematographer Ava Berkofsky from Mic, which details Berkofsky’s approach to lighting the varying skin tones of Insecure

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Tags:

Frame Grabs, frames 1.78, frames 2010s, frames 2017, frames arri alexa, frames Ava Berkofsky, frames drama, frames hbo, frames headroom, frames los angeles, frames Patrick Cady, frames short siding, frames spherical

Frame by Frame: The Stepfather (1987)

Frame By Frame

Year – 1987
Decade – 1980s
Cinematographer – John Lindley (imdb link)
Director – Joseph Ruben (imdb link)
Aspect Ratio – 1.85
Genre – Horror
Lenses – Spherical
Format – 35mm

Key Words
Shot-by-Shot Scene Breakdowns                    Camera Moves

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The Movie
A seemingly bland suburban realtor (Terry O’Quinn) marries into a widowed family and reacts violently when the clan doesn’t live up to his ideal of family values.

A link has frequently been drawn between the violence in the horror films of the 1980s – particularly the slasher flicks of the era – and the decade’s shift toward moral conservatism. When characters flaunted the tenants of the religious right that flourished under Reagan, their demise was swift. Have sex and you die. Take drugs and you die. Joseph Ruben’s clever low-budget thriller The Stepfather is one of the few films to intentionally and explicitly make that connection, presenting a portrait of unhinged patriarchy raging against the white middle class male’s dwindling influence that still feels relevant 30 years later.

Check out the movie while it’s streaming on Amazon Prime.

Tags:

frames 1.85, frames 1980s, frames 1987, frames 35mm, frames camera moves, frames horror, frames john lindley, frames joseph ruben, frames scene breakdowns, frames spherical

Frame by Frame: Hell on Wheels – Season 1 (2011)

Frame By Frame

Year – 2011
Decade – 2010s
Cinematographer – Elliot Davis (pilot), Marvin Rush (all other Season 1 episodes)
Director – multiple
Aspect Ratio – 1.78
Distributor – AMC
Genre – Western
Camera – Arri Alexa
Lenses – Spherical
Format – Digital

Key Words
Silhouettes           Low Angles            Scene: Campfire              Candlelight
Day Exterior        Night Exterior       Desaturation                   Close-Ups
Wide Shots           Firearms 

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The Show
A freed slave (Common), an unscrupulous magnate (Colm Meaney), and a Confederate soldier hellbent on revenge (Anson Mount) are among the characters in this Western detailing the building of the first transcontinental railroad. The show ran for five seasons an AMC.

Tags:

frames 1.78, frames 2010s, frames 2011, frames amc, frames arri alexa, frames candelight, frames close-ups, frames day exterior, frames desaturation, frames digital, frames elliot davis, frames firearms, frames high and low angles, frames location campfire, frames marvin rush, frames night exteriors, frames scene breakdowns, frames silhouettes, frames spherical, frames western, frames wide shots

Frame by Frame: Friday the 13th (1980)

Frame By Frame

Year – 1980
Decade – 1980s
Cinematographer – Barry Abrams (imdb link)
Director – Sean S. Cunningham (imdb link)
Make-Up Effects – Tom Savini (imdb link)
Aspect Ratio – 1.85
Distributor – Paramount
Genre – Horror, Slasher
Lenses – Spherical
Format – 35mm
Other Key Words
Point of View
Shot-by-Shot Scene Breakdowns

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frames 1.85, frames 1980, frames 1980s, frames 35mm, frames barry abrams, frames horror, frames paramount, frames point of view, frames scene breakdowns, frames sean s cunningham, frames slasher, frames spherical, frames tom savini

Frame by Frame: Hombre (1967)

Frame By Frame

Year – 1967
Decade – 1960s
Cinematographer – James Wong Howe (imdb credits)
Director – Martin Ritt (imdb credits)
Aspect Ratio – 2.40
Distributor – 20th Century Fox
Genre – Western
Lenses – Anamorphic
Format – 35mm
Other Key Words:
Group Compositions 
Opening Credits
Shot/Reverse Shot
Scene Breakdowns

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Tags:

frames 1960s, frames 1967, frames 2.40, frames 20th century fox, frames 35mm, frames anamorphic, frames group compositions, frames james wong howe, frames martin ritt, frames opening credits, frames scene breakdowns, frames shot/reverse shot, frames western

Frame by Frame: Fahrenheit 451 (2018)

Frame By Frame

Year – 2018
Decade – 2010s
Cinematographers – Kramer Morgenthau (IMDB link)
Director – Ramin Bahrani (IMDB link)
Aspect Ratio – 1.78
Distributor – HBO
Genre – Sci-Fi
Cameras – Panasonic VariCam 35 (3840×2160 UHD with AVC-Intra compression) for the main cameras; Zenmuse X5S on a DJI Inspire 2 drone for wide aerial shots; GoPro Hero4 Black for point of view shots
Lenses – Zeiss Super Speeds for the main lenses; Panavision Primo zooms and Lensbaby Composor Pros (for flashbacks) were also used
Format – Digital; Spherical
Miscellaneous – According to American Cinematographer magazine, Morgenthau favored the 29mm and 40mm Super Speeds and typically shot between a T1.4 and a T2.0. Director Ramin Bahrani’s visual references included Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil and The Trial.
Other Key Words
Opening Credits             Color               Flashbacks             Point of View              Night Exteriors

Further Reading
American Cinematographer magazine’s feature on the film, from the June 2018 issue
CinemaTechnic’s history of the Zeiss Super Speeds
Interview with cinematographer Kramer Morganthau from Panavison’s official site

Tags:

frames 1.78, frames 2010s, frames 2018, frames color, frames digital, frames flashbacks, frames go pro, frames hbo, frames kramer morganthau, frames lensbaby composer pro, frames night exteriors, frames opening credits, frames panasonic varicam 35, frames panavision primo zooms, frames point of view, frames ramin bahrani, frames sci-fi, frames spherical, frames zeiss super speeds

Frame by Frame: Aeon Flux (2005)

Frame By Frame

Year – 2005
Decade – 2000s
Cinematographer – Stuart Dryburgh (IMDB credits)
Director – Karyn Kusama (IMDB credits)
Aspect Ratio – 2.40
Distributor – Paramount, MTV Films
Genre – Action; Sci-Fi
Format – 35mm
Other Key Words
Warm Light       Wide Shots        Extreme Close-Ups      High and Low Angles

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Tags:

aeon flux, frames 2.40, frames 2000s, frames 2005, frames 35mm, frames action, frames extreme close-ups, frames high and low angles, frames karyn kusama, frames paramount, frames sci-fi, frames stuart dryburgh, frames warm light, frames wide shots

Frame by Frame: Paterno (2018)

Frame By Frame

Year – 2018
Decade – 2010s
Cinematographer – Marcell Rév
Director – Barry Levinson
Aspect Ratio – 1.78
Distributor – HBO
Genre – Drama
Camera – Alexa Mini (3.2K ProRes 4444 XQ)
Lenses – Spherical; detuned Panavision Primos
Format – Digital
*Some of Paterno’s flashback scenes were shot with 8mm and 16mm film, the latter with Arriflex 416 cameras and Arri Zeiss Standard Speed lenses
Other Key Words
Scene Breakdowns         Low key lighting              Highlights               Flashbacks

Thanks to Paterno director of photography Marcell Rév for providing me with tech specs. Check out his official site.

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Tags:

barry levinson, frames 1.78, frames 16mm, frames 2010s, frames 2018, frames arri 416, frames arri alexa mini, frames arri zeiss standard speed, frames barry levinson, frames digital, frames drama, frames flashbacks, frames hbo, frames highlights, frames low key lighting, frames marcell rev, frames panavision primo, frames prores, frames scene breakdowns, frames spherical