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2 VIDEOMAKER >>> APRIL 2019

The value of stillness

Sometimes the best way to advance a

skill rapidly and with the greatest de-

gree of precision is to be still. The idea

seems counterproductive at fi rst, but

after consideration, the notion holds

water. Top athletes work out the com-

ponents of their mechanics slowly and

methodically. They often use slow-mo-

tion video or frame-by-frame analysis

to correct minute movements. In this

case, still images show what cannot be

detected at full speed. Being still is not

something that comes naturally to most

video producers. Video is about move-

ment, and movement is the default for

the majority of media makers.

Despite this, I believe that the zen of

stillness is something that can benefi t

every aspiring cinematographer.

While motion is an essential part of

video, practicing still photography can

lead to a stronger profi ciency in the

aesthetics of lighting, blocking, color,

focal settings and composition.

Famed director Stanley Kubrick

serves as an example. Before gar-

nering fame as the director of such

renowned fi lms as “2001: A Space

Odyssey,” “A Clockwork Orange,”

and  “Eyes Wide Shut,” Kubrick was

a photographer. An April 2018 article

by the NY Times tells how, as a young

17-year-old living in the Bronx, Ku-

brick was employed as a staff photog-

rapher for Look magazine. The article

features a collection of photos taken

by the future cinematic icon.

The NY Times article quotes Kubrick

as crediting his time as a working

photographer as an important part of

his journey to motion pictures. Kubrick

explains, “I think if I had gone to col-

lege I would never have been a direc-

tor.” The black and white photos show

that, even as a young man, Kubrick

had a masterful eye for composition,

camera position, lighting and storytell-

ing. In fact, his early photos almost

look like still frames exported from one

of his movies.

This familiarity with still photogra-

phy no doubt infl uenced the cinematic

work that Kubrick would later produce.

Perhaps spending time mastering the

disciplines of still photography could

have a similar impact on your work.

Removing the motion from your

media and working with still images al-

lows you to slow down to concentrate

on designing your shots with a greater

sense of awareness and attention to

detail. With photography, you can fo-

cus the full weight of your creativity on

capturing a single moment in time. The

practice will permit you to belabor —

in the only most positive way — your

camera settings, to explore the nu-

ances of exposure, and to focus on the

depth and intentionality of your lens

choice. It offers you the opportunity to

carefully craft the angle, intensity and

emotion of your lighting to create a

mood. And it will help you develop an

expert’s eye for composing your shots

in a thoughtful and artful manner.

Sometimes, in order to get things

moving, we need to be still.

VIEWFINDER

by Matthew York

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