filmmaking is more than "cinematic" images
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- Опубликовано: 26 фев 2024
- IG - / jessesenko
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The video in which I don't want to discourage you from creating beautiful, "cinematic" imagery, but instead try to inspire you and I to take the next step, to not get stuck in the weeds of instagram engagement, and level up to being a storyteller through our imagery.
You do you! create whatever the heck you want, however you want. But I like thinking about how I can get to the next level, and that's where this video came from.
thank You sir!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love these videos :) Is there any reason the comments are turned "off" on the "7.5 million views ..." video? or is it part of the "comments turned off automatically-pocalypse" that happened a year ago?
Not my doing! I’ll go check! EDIT: they were off. What happened?
@@jessesenko Several months ago RUclips threw a fit for several creators, turning off comments randomly, and often several times on the same videos as well, even when being turned on - I’m guessing it’s what happened here :/
People lost focus of story and storytelling and too obsessed with looks, filters, camera gear, lighting, etc. None of it to service the story.
"The cinematography is what we watch. The story is why we watch" Love it !
I love how you are making a point and are critizizing stuff but manage to be wholesome and respectful at the same time
It’s ok to be critical, just make sure your goal is improvement vs tearing someone else down. Thanks for watching!
This is probably the most authentic content I have seen on this platform in a long time.
I subbed as soon as you said “jealous rage” 😂. Ive been trying to understand my view on creating and why I despise terms like “cinematic” but you have explained it so well. Thanks for the video
I’m glad this kind of conversation is coming up more and more because I think we all fall guilty of creating to keep up with the algorithm but recently I watched high flying bird and then found out it was shot on an iPhone 8… reminding me once again, focus on telling a good story
I had no idea this film existed! Soderbergh! Cool. On my list. Thanks for watching Phillip!
Thanks man. All these RUclips content creator vids are starting to feel so dystopian like an episode from black mirror. You deviate way far from that so kudos on the authenticity.
I started getting nervous about the frequency of the use of the word cinematic within my circle of creative friends, then I heard a couple Hollywood directors casually use the word in interviews when describing locations. So I’m like oh, even CN uses this word. I understand what you’re getting at if people don’t have a better word and I also understand the concept of trying to communicate ideas, but ALSO (preaching to myself here) if movies are what inspired many of us to pick up a camera, then naturally we will seek to emulate what we see on the silver screen. I used to trace and paint Van Goghs in a third grade art class. I still have the paintings and I don’t confuse them with the work of art that is the real Vincent Van Gogh’s Bedroom. Similarly, I read a story about an aspiring author who used to just type out The Great Gatsby over and over again to get the psychology of writing like Fitzgerald into his hands and mind.
Point is: I think it’s totally bueno to spend a lot of time specifically composing cinematic images as a practice of the art.
Also, I just found you today and I’m loving your channel.
Your points are solid and it’s a great practice as a part of a bigger journey. It just seems with social media that it’s an end for those folks. Missing the best part! Sounds like you’re on the right track! Thanks Spencer!
Top notch RUclips rec. So glad I found your channel.
Literally the most underrated channel on RUclips especially in the camera niche. Wish we lived closer so we can collab
Hey Joseph, means a lot! Road trip??
lol I literally tweeted earlier today that we gotta ban "cinematic" until we figure out what's going on and now this shows up in my RUclips recs. Thank you creepy tracking algorithm.
The internet cabal let me know and I quickly threw this video together for you. lol… thanks for watching.
@@jessesenko🙏🙏🙏
5:40 is where the best line is. "I just wish I had a person in the photo".
The ability to tell a coherent meaningful story is what separates us from the animals and the killer robots.
I used to go out to parties to photograph all my friends (drunk), and make them line up for their mugshots - Aesthetics weren't a thing yet, and I've found that actually chatting with the people I take photos of and building that relationship with them has served me well into my professional adult life.
Also a fan of Diane Arbus - whose stills tell amazing stories based on the subject. I found dabbling in street photography also produced the same problem of emptiness devoid of any sort of true meaning, but the photos I took of myself and my partner are a more genuine form of documentation that actually tells the private story of us through the years.
Do I still take empty photos of props, IG-worthy shots of scenery? Yes, but just on my phone. I save my nice camera for family portraits or holiday snaps.
Side notes - I got here through your 8 rules to not follow for filmmaking, which was great but this actually spoke to me.
Love your mo graphics, and the little jittery film effects and subtle glows you put on there.
Did you use a specific LUT for your B Roll - of the mouse in particular?
Thanks Man! It sounds like you’re on a good track looking for meaning. The ppl at Dehancer let me try out their film emulations so was trying it out on this.
Omg, I just think about why many people recommend about the gear to start a video instead of how to develope the story. Thank you for your thoughts.
Wow I learned so much from this video!
Great video man! I clicked on this most curious about the bullshit I was about to hear, thinking to myself, “This guy must not understand that cinematic images are those that tell stories well” turns out I was wrong and this guy knew that, likely better than me. Great job and I think you are spot on with your analysis. A “cinematic” image that doesn’t actually tell a story but just imitates the look of cinema is like processed white bread. There’s nothing really there and it’s not really bread, it just appears to be bread.
So sorry I didn’t meet your expectations :) thanks for watching, Ben
One of the most underrated channels on RUclips!
Thanks Jordan!
This video is straight fire!!! Style over substance is such a large issue these days, this reminds me to always focus on the story I want to tell, rather than the aesthetic or allure of the visuals! Thank you for this!
Thanks Phoebe!
It had to be said. Thank you for speaking (I assume) not only my mind but probably everyone coming from or longing for a more deeper connection with the work we do.
Funny how the word content conveys anything but actual substance.
I very strongly dislike that word, lol. Will ask the next chef I see "what sort of stomach content are you working on lately?"
As an aspiring filmmaker, who's making 50 short films in an year, this video is gold . I'll remember it for long . THANKS VERY MUCH
50 shorts! Wow! one a week?
Very ambitious, nice
Yes keep pushing us.
I’ve just discovered your channel and absolutely loving it! Thanks for the videos and thoughts
I just stumbled upon your channel. You are a breath of fresh air. I call those “cinematic” images on IG, eye candy. I deleted my IG account some time ago. What was missing for me was the conversation. Haven’t missed it.
Awesome. Thank you and welcome!
fantastic, this has really put into words something that's been troubling me recently, thank you.
Love the introspection!
Thank you for your message Jesse. I sincerely agree with everything you express in this video. I think I needed to hear something like this to see that I'm not crazy or alone.
You’re not! Thanks for watching!
Thank you very much for your refreshing honesty and the great quality throughout all of your video
I try to shoot pictures to try and put a vocabulary on my own colour and cinema(tic) pallette.
I once wrote in my journal that films and cinema is about feeling an experience beyond ourselves, and not just about a story or pretty photography.
I think more specifically about story being plot + theme I feel like that thing "beyond" is theme... subtext, meaning.
Very cinematic video! Thanks for sharing
So agree with you. Same feelings. They all missing meaning.
Pure gold!
I totally agree, we have assimilated the idea of good visuals as good story telling. All we have on instagram is an abundance of beautiful but meaningless “content”. If you’re a DP I understand but calling yourself a film maker because you make very cinematic instagram reels is a stretch.
Every object in the frame is a word. And this poetry should be deep and inspiring.
While the internet is a great learning resource, museum is the greatest.
Yes! Study the masters!
I have had the same feeling of a 'missed opportunity' when capturing a cool shot, but I’ve learned to stop beating myself up about it cause it really isn’t a missed opportunity it’s actually just an opportunity. When writing something it can be hard sometimes to put yourself in that scene, but if you’re actually standing in the location, you’ll have a much easier time figuring out the story. In those moments I’ve started taking a few pictures for reference, but then putting the camera away and taking out my notepad. Jot down a few notes about what I’m feeling standing there, in the environment. Also those shots can inspire others to come on the project, you can show them the script and a “vibe sample” composed of those pictures to give people an idea of what it might look like. Maybe when the film is done you can point to that instagram post and be like this was the inspiration for my new film and I had no idea at the time. Nothing is wasted in creativity. After all, a picture can convey 1,000 words; why not let those words become the first words of your script?
Also I love your channel and your video diaries as I like to call them lol. Please keep them coming!
Thank you! And yes we think about the process in absolutes, black/white too much when it’s a sliding, shifting scale. As soon as we think there’s one way to get an idea, the universe creates a new path. Thanks for watching!
My goodness, thank you!
Such an awesome perspective!! More videos on RUclips need to provide this type of value- not just packed with info or entertainment but make me walk away a better version of myself, inspired to grow on my own “cinematic” journey
Hey thanks Justus! Just trying to grow myself and share what I'm thinking about.... thanks for watching.
Thanks for putting this into words. I’m so so tired of (and to blame for) empty cinematic photos and have focussed on storytelling for the past years… and man does it feel good to work on things that last longer than a split second double tap. 🙏🏼
You took all the words out of my head. I hate to see it come out even from professional filmmakers. It is not even a thing! You are the channel I’m wanting be like
Thank you! Appreciate it!
My new favourite polemic! Thank you, Jesse.
Thanks Andras!
So relevant to all of us! I find myself feeling this same jealousy occasionally and it really demotivates me to create. So glad that you brought this up.
Youre the only youtuber that i have seen that gets it. Reeeaally gets it.
Bravo 👏🏼. I love this video and the general message of the stuff I’ve seen you do so far. Practical. No bullshit. My favorite flavors. Keep ‘em coming 💪🏼
Thank you!
There's power in a cinematic image. That's why it gets so many likes. It makes you feel something. I get jealous too BUT not I try to analyze the image and learn from it instead of comparing myself to other people
Totally agree with having a subject. It puts the audience in the world of the subject.
Yes and I remind myself that a “cinematic” still is not my goal. Thanks Josh!
OMG, this has been a topic that I've had spinning in my head... I'm so glad to find somebody that actually delivers information and is speaking facts on "cinematic", thats also my issue with all the "videography" content on social media
Man I really appreciate your channel, I’m making coffee rn but I had to stop bc the first 3 minutes had me like “this is exactly what I’m feeling rn”.
Hope i didn't ruin your coffee... i'm very particular about mine :) thanks for watching, Jack!
All that planning takes you out of the moment, the moment is what you’re capturing if it looks cinematic so be it, it exists as is trying to place a person into the image makes it artificial, what was your goal to create a film or capture an image from your own unique perspective, your perspective alone is meaning enough for it to exist. By the way someone was in every last one of your foggy images, you, you’re the story why were you there what was going through your head at the time etc that’s mor interesting than throwing a person into the frame, we know why they are there because your wanted them to be.
I love your videos!! Glad I found u here ❤
Thanks. June!
Glad to discover this channel. Breath of fresh air.
what i needed to hear, thank you
Couldn’t agree more with this whole take 🙏🏼
Thanks Michael!
Love this. Cinematic is nothing without the story
Another great video Jessie! Thank you for the valuable information from a new creator.
Thanks Mike!
Merci, j'adore tes vidéos. Merci d'être si honnête et transparent.❤
Merci! Thanks for watching!
Love it, thank you for the thinking !
Thanks for the watching!
Man... You speak with this nonchalant demeaner to this cheeky lighthearted music as if you're not punching a hole in my soul with your words. You're speaking my truth here and calling me out. Making things 'cinematic' allows me to hide the fact that what I have to say might not be as profound as it may look. It's harder to apply myself thinking deep thoughts than making a frame look good. But you're so right, without a motivation, the frames are empty. This is so much harder to grow in. And aligning what you're trying to say with the image is even harder. I'm likely being harder on myself than most because I have a high standard for myself but the core of every word rattles me at least a little. Well done good sir. Need to reflect.
Haha, I'll take it... the problem is that there aren't any tricks to get to the next level. If there were, everyone would be there! Learning how to make the time to think is integral to any creative process. It's all hard work and I'm incredibly hard on myself too... but that's such a great sign for how much you're going to grow. Hope you make time for deep thoughts... or weird thoughts! Thanks for watching!
That last clip was everything 😂... Wonderful video Jesse!
Thank you!
It's much easier to focus on pure aesthetics of an image than expressing complicated and meaningful ideas through an image. Ideally they should be as important as one another. But your vid has made me think that maybe in the instagram era, where the value of images isn't determined by the strength of their ideas but by their ability to hold attention, we're all being conditioned to interact with imagery on very shallow and disposable terms. I think that's something filmmakers need to be very wary of.
Good take. Fast food image diet!
loved Coherence! appreciate you getting to the heart of what we actually all want but have somehow missed in all this content. Story.
Thank you.❤
This incredibly poignant, but also really inspiring, and the kick in the butt I needed for my creative work, so thanks
I really like your way of thinking. Have a lovely day :))
this is great advice! thanks for sharing your thoughts:)
such a good video!
This is a fantastic video ~ easy sub.
Just subscribed. 😊 thank you for the beautiful tips in filmmaking.. I'm on a learning process. 😊
This is so much deeper than what most filmmaking channels normally talk about, thanks mate
The apple mouse analogy is perfect
Fucking hate that mouse
I also think cinematic images come from this fake idea of beauty that society put in our brains, like we can see the beauty in so many things that are not "cinematic" at all.
This is not just about cinema, it's about life
We all want the perfect life, the perfect relationships, the perfect job, the cinematic life. But is all bs
Great content, man!
Man, I don't know how this showed up in my corner of the RUclips algorithm but I'm sure glad it did.
Outstanding.
Thank you.
Thank you too!
New subscriber here because I like your thought process!
oh man, 100%! that's why I get so frustrated by directors that boast their reels that just show off pretty images and cinematic shots... like man, that's a cinematographer's reel, that doesn't show me how well you can direct!
but what's stopping you from shooting a movie?
I just want to know if the dp can shoot a dang bank commercial with a bit of style, lol. What’s stopping me from making a movie? Excuses, lol
@@jessesenko well yeah! just, theres a difference between a DP and a director, and I keep seeing "directors" bragging about their reels that are set up like DP reels... anyway, not a relevant point... just generally agreeing with ya
and stop making excuses! making a feature isn't as hard as you think.
Damn... You read my mind and put it into this amazing video.
Thanks Jim!
Mmm...butter. And that ending. *chef's kiss* Great thoughts. I think there's also something to be said for directing a scene vs. capturing a scene.
I'm in the same boat. Have a few videos to finish, then props to make, then finally making a short.
All about the butter! Can count on you watching to the end Chris, appreciate it... Let's see what we get done this year!
It's not just you. I shot a short comedy film a while ago in a docu style. The director didn't want it to look 'too pretty,' he wanted it to look real, so that's how I shot it. That was right for the film, although I probably went a little too far sometimes. I'm proud of the film, but it is frustrating that it doesn't look amazing on my portfolio where it sits out of context.
Roger Deakins is a great one to reference when talking about this, because its not just content creators and their audience who get sucked into the superficial. Its telling that Deakins never won an oscar for cinematography until Blade Runner 2049, which is probably the first film of his where making every shot look amazing was actually appropriate, so he did it. In contrast, the cinematography is Fargo is also brilliantly judged, yet doesn't get the same kind of attention because its so grounded.
Serving the story is going to get you a lot further than making inappropriate choices. And sure, you don’t have to put “ugly” shots on a sizzle reel, but any good director you want to work with is going to understand the choices you made.
I really look forward to your videos!
Always appreciate you watching!
i like the "butterless" images when i don't want to think about anything, it has its place, but i agree with you. great video Jesse, thanks for sharing
Totally. Me too. They’re such a great way to learn and practice and discover, but I like to remind myself they’re not an end themselves. Thanks for watching!
One thing I found interesting these days was that I posted some photos with no correlation to the term cinematographic, but something like film, nostalgic. And to my surprise, people in my Instagram circle really liked it. I also liked it, but I didn't think it would connect as much, because it simply was a photograph of a simple country house and a Fusca (common car in Brazil) in front haha.
That's when I realized that this connection still exists, even though it's not up to current aesthetic standards. It comforted me a little to know that there is still a human relationship with creations, which makes people feel something.
And that has always been my purpose in a way, to try to tell something with this carousel of images, rather than just a pretty image.
I believe it is similar to what you said and feel.
And I've been following each of your videos, practically the moment it's published, because I really feel this "depth", intentionality, in the work you do. I can feel and relate, rather than just see and find it beautiful.
Thanks! Yes, I just want to make choices that express something from inside vs looking around at what is trendy or cool
The sweet, sweet memories of «Ferris Bueller’s Day Off» - such a good movie, one of my all time favourites :)
amazing video
no thank you for reminding us which one is more important.
the story or the gears!
Dude ... Okay... So I'm going through a thing right now where I'm struggling to just go out and shoot something. When you said "are you? Are you shooting a movie Jesse?"
That made me audibly gasp because my name is Jesse. You literally reached through the screen and grabbed me by the face.
Sorry about that! :)
Focus on the mood more than the visual to inspire a mood. Make the visual match the mood. That’s filming with purpose l.
Gracias hermano!
I'll admit that sometimes I just take pretty pictures. Most of my pictures aren't even pretty. But there are only a few that I've taken where I feel like there's a story there. And, those are usually the ones I'm most proud of. Thank you for making this video.
Yeah me too! It’s just about bringing in some intention and constantly challenging yourself wherever you are. This vid is my next challenge to myself.
"Just have...something" YES YES YES!!!!
"Cinematic is a slur" I like this guy
Can relate more (or not) than you can imagine with feeling this existential angst at the WHY totally missing from work I see and then when I occasionally or eventually say "fuck it. I'm gonna go out and do what they do", get some random shots of some cliffs (live by the sea), it feels totally empty and feel awful and pointless editing or grading something that is basically 'created' (vomit) for the gram.
I think it's important to still go out and shoot aimlessly as exercise... as a part of finding ideas, but when it becomes an end, that's a problem. I used to drag a lawn chair out into a field with my notebook when i lived on the farm. That'd be nice by the sea :)
thank u
De-cinematic that is. Love it.
Wow, this is really hitting close to home for me. I'm going to challenge myself to shoot something with that balance-what is the story? And what I am trying to say,? But I can play with perspective, in service to that story. I still want creative visuals (whatever that may mean to others), but always in service for the greater purpose. BTW, loving all of your content. I'm so lucky I stumbled upon your channel just the other day. Thank you!
Thank you! I’m trying the same right now. Hoping to test a new film cam this weekend and want the shots to be great
most people who say "cinematic" mean corporate. you'd see it in a commercial but not a movie
Agree! I edited out a bit about advertising…
We are so much on the same page right now, that I subscribed only after two videos. Love the content! And yes, I'm making movies right now :)
Awesome! Keep doing!
"wish this pic had a person" is literally me showing a indoor cinematic pic I shot to my bro lol. btw fuuuuck I need to do so much shit.
mme too 😬
A lot of the effort in my filmmaking lately has been in deprogramming myself. Unlearning the RUclips "cinematography" crap, simplifying. Does the shot need to move? No. Does this need to cut away to something else? No.
"I just wish I had a person in the photo" is exactly something I've thought! Especially shooting film when shots are $$$. You just don't want to waste the money on something that isn't art. When I make a pretty shot now I feel so silly, like it's almost embarrassing to call yourself an artist but also be like "ooh look how nice this picture is, isn't the light so pretty".
PREACH
The story comes before images.
There's a script in which later a Director and DP think of the images to bring the visual story to life.
On the contrary, people gushing to create a movie often settle for “cinemat-ic” because it's most accessible and tangible due to affordable high-performing cameras that once were reserved for Hollywood.
It's faster and sometimes easier to make something look good than to make a good story.
There are no hacks to storytelling. You do the work of telling a good story.
Jesse, I value your discerning of this “cinematic” phenomenon. Your breakdown was insightful and encouraging. I also agree that “cinematic images is the by product.” 👌
Thanks so much for sharing. It’s interesting comparing how many writers have become great directors vs cinematographers
@@jessesenko DANG. I never thought about that.
When showing images, I just want visually appealing with a question being asked," what is happening here". But, with moving images, I'm stuck on not distracting from the hopefully interesting story. Either way, it feels like a lifetime mission and not a short term goal.
Instagram defines "Cinematic" as a girl in the back seat of a car with a lot of fog, and a red to orange light illuminating her.
Don’t forget the cyan light!
@@jessesenko Cyan in a tunnel. And can't leave out the "girl smoking in a kitchen at night with a bright harsh yellow light coming through the window". Thats a classic for sure.
Thanks for sharing
This video looks pretty cinematic.
lol