How to shoot | academy
New wave The tide is turning on picture-perfect filmmaking, as creators embrace unconventional techniques and a more authentic aesthetic
That doesn’t necessarily mean sourcing a 30-year-old camcorder. The idea can be incorporated much more subtly through vintage lenses, diffusion filters, softer lighting, grain, less-perfect handheld operation or grading that avoids the ultra clean digital look. Try slightly looser, handheld operation and practical rather than over-controlled lighting. In post, experiment with lower resolution, colour bleed, chromatic separation, ghosting, noise and tracking-style artefacts. Above all, remember that the aim is to evoke a memory, not simply wreck the picture. The important part is knowing why you’re doing it. Making footage ugly for the sake of following fashion is a gimmick. Rule 2: Keep it human At the other end of the spectrum is maybe the biggest trend of all: documentary realism. There’s a move towards observational shooting, natural light, real locations and unscripted moments. For owner-operators, it plays directly to the strengths of modern filmmaking
equipment. Small mirrorless and cinema cameras, excellent high-ISO performance, effective autofocus, stabilisation and compact wireless audio systems all make it easier to work unobtrusively and capture something as it happens. That doesn’t mean abandoning technique. In fact, making apparently effortless documentary footage requires craft. You still need good composition, flattering light and clean audio. You simply don’t want the machinery of production overwhelming the people you’re filming. Human faces, emotions and experiences retain their power however sophisticated filmmaking tech becomes. The new luxury is making something complicated look completely natural. So shoot in real locations rather than over-dressed sets. Use available or motivated light where practical. Allow genuine reactions to play out instead of cutting immediately. Keep camera movement responsive rather than obsessively perfect. And record plenty of natural sound: footsteps, breathing, traffic,
rooms and environments. These can ground immaculate pictures in reality. Rule 3: Do less but better Many commercial filmmakers have developed a habit of overcomplicating everything they do. More camera moves, more coverage, more angles and more techniques are often treated as evidence of higher production value. But a beautifully executed simple idea can be much more effective than a mediocre complicated one. Making something cinematic isn’t a LUT, filter or collection of camera tricks. It’s about artistic intention and showing only what matters. That means resisting the urge to use the gimbal simply because you brought one, or letting one beautifully composed shot play rather than covering it with six angles. There is a commercial complication, of course. Clients sometimes equate high complexity with high value. A part of the filmmaker’s job, therefore, is explaining why restraint is deliberate rather than evidence that you are doing less work.
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