![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() "It's such wonderful work - it's a celebration of movies - so, win or lose, it's not really any different," he shares now.ĭeakins is earning newfound recognition with the publication of Byways, a book compiling his black-and-white still photography. After 13 nominations for Best Cinematography - for such films as The Shawshank Redemption (1994), Fargo (1996), No Country for Old Men (2007), and Skyfall (2012) - Deakins took home the Oscar in 2018 for his work on Villeneuve's Blade Runner 2049, and then, he won again in 2020 for Mendes' 1917. The legendary cinematographer is known for his collaborations with the directors Joel and Ethan Coen, Sam Mendes, and Denis Villeneuve. "One of the reasons I really love it is the people that I work with, both in front of the camera and behind the camera." To have naturalistic images like the one below and have it feel like the same film set in a stylized 2049 goes to show that Deakins won’t be lighting a Marvel movie any time soon."You know, I really love my job," Roger Deakins said upon winning his first Oscar. Here, Deakins is taking one of the most distinct-looking franchises in film history and stretching its boundaries. Modern blockbuster lighting has become boring and safe. In pausing on some of these key establishing shots, it’s jaw dropping to see how vivid and seamless Deakin’s work is here. To make these key “fake” elements feel real is an enormous part of the lighting design and how the process shots are actually filmed. There’s also a number of holograms that appear in the urban backdrop. While Dennis Gassner’s production design plays a big part in the new “Blade Runner” - and it’s clear he and Deakins collaborated closely - the trailer shows off a number of wide processed shots that establish the world. Based on the trailer, Ryan Gosling’s Officer K turns to Ford’s character for clarity and answers, and Deakins finds a matching visual scheme that brings it to life. The hazy, density of “Blade Runner” surrounds Ford’s world, but is soft and in the background. The detail is sharp, our connection with character is unvarnished, the depth of field shallow. “Blade Runner 2049” Harrison Ford’s ClarityĬontrast that to this to the crisp images on Harrison Ford’s world. For example, here Deakins puts his own spin on the orange-dust world of the original 1982 film. ![]() “Blade Runner 2049” Orange Dustįinding definition with light in the dense smoke and dust of “Blade Runner” is a paradox, yet one Deakins seems to have little trouble managing with well-defined contrast. There aren’t five cinematographers alive who could so elegantly bring these things together into a well-composed shot. Look at this frame below and take in how much is visually going on, with multiple kinds of light and space - yet it is perfectly balanced, and doesn’t overwhelm the intimate moment of two characters that takes place far from the camera’s lens. What’s remarkable is how Deakins is able to push the color, the clutter, and density of the urban landscapes, and the smoky haze that defines “Blade Runner,” and balance them so perfectly. “Blade Runner 2049” Dense, Foggy Compositions The candy-color nightclub, which appears a few times in the trailer, is just one example. Deakins continues this tradition, but is pushing the color without losing the dystopian feel - not an easy task. The original “Blade Runner” took the modern neon an Asian metropolis and made it a far-off future. “Blade Runner 2049” has created a future noir look and one of the remarkable things about it is how Deakins creates a futuristic, halogen-like light source - much different than the direct, hard light source needed to create the classic shadows of noir - for his own twist on genre lighting. “Blade Runner 2049” Future Noirįrom German Expressionism to the 1940 Hollywood film noir, cinematographers have always done some of their best and most showy work when dealing with high-contrast, single-source light with no fill. From a waviness of light reflecting off water, to obscuring how we see characters - like this shot of Robin Wright, who we watch talking through the streaming water. From the water birth of Leto’s human replicas, to rain that obscures multiple characters from seeing, to the rain-soaked streets, water plays a stylistic, thematic, and story role the new “Blade Runner.” It’s clear Deakins embraces this in his bold lighting. A key visual theme in “2049” will clearly be water. ![]()
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