Great Cinematography Moments

[Mr. Adventure]

GSchnitzer wrote:

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I think this is my favorite shot. (At least today it is; tomorrow it might be something different.)

At the end of "Balance of Terror" as Angela Martine stands alone and crying in the ship's chapel, it's a close-up of her looking up towads the altar.



The doors then slide open to reveal Captain Kirk:



Shatner isn't seen approaching the doors or moving in anyway. He's just standing there motionless as the door opens to reveal him. (I think this shot probably reflects Shatner's old theater roots--where the curtain would open and would reveal him already onstage, rather then having him entering from the wings.)

It's nice that the woman is in focus, it seems like a lot of times TOS is going for the soft focus on the gentler sex.

[Trekker4747]

plynch wrote:

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I've always like that Shore Leave sequence. The music is good then too.

If cinematography includes lighting, I will add two things that seem paradoxical. The red hue and shadows of the bridge lighting in season one; and the later splashes of pastels across the walls of sets.

Hey - how about the dolly shots from the point of view of Nomad, the Changeling?

Shore Leave is a good episode all around.

And that has nothing to do with Yeoman Barrows.

[GSchnitzer]

plynch wrote:

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Ha! That is great. I actually like that effect. I wonder why.

Actually, this small band of light across the eyes isn't just a Kirk/Shatner technique. We see the technique other times, too. For example, we see the same technique used on Charlie Evans/Robert Walker Jr. in "Charlie X." Actually, it's a tense scene between Kirk and Charlie--a battle of wills--and as the camera cuts back and forth between the two of them, you can see that they both have bands of light across their eyes--so that the audience will focus on the intense eyes of the two actors as they stare each other down.

[Kirk1980]

SHATNER.

Let's just face it, the man oozed machismo back then. No wonder I looked up to him as a kid.

[Penhall99]

I've always liked the "light on the eyes" trick.

TOS is filled with excellent camera angles and cinematography. Nowadays everything is edited in flash-cuts and shaky-cam crap....

[Sky]

Mr. Adventure wrote:

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It's nice that the woman is in focus, it seems like a lot of times TOS is going for the soft focus on the gentler sex.

Yep. I rewatched CotEoF last week and for some reason the soft focus effect on Joan Collins' face was a bit disturbing this time. Maybe it's because there are such fast changes from a closeup of Kirk or McCoy (completely in focus) to a closeup of Keeler (veeeery soft).

[alchemist]

Penhall99 wrote:

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I've always liked the "light on the eyes" trick...

This is classic film noir employing low key lighting. Film noir techniques were/are often used to convey alienation.

For more details, this article isn't too bad: http://www.videomaker.com/article/13548/

[plynch]

GSchnitzer wrote:

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Actually, this small band of light across the eyes isn't just a Kirk/Shatner technique. We see the technique other times, too. For example, we see the same technique used on Charlie Evans/Robert Walker Jr. in "Charlie X." Actually, it's a tense scene between Kirk and Charlie--a battle of wills--and as the camera cuts back and forth between the two of them, you can see that they both have bands of light across their eyes--so that the audience will focus on the intense eyes of the two actors as they stare each other down.

Beautiful. Both shots look like paintings. Rather than just putting some actors on a set with enough lights and yelling action.

[J. Allen]

plynch wrote:

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Beautiful. Both shots look like paintings. Rather than just putting some actors on a set with enough lights and yelling action.

Agreed. That is very nicely done.

J.

[Lethe]

This is the coolest thread ever! I agree with a comment made earlier, that TOS is full of amazing camerawork. Just the other night I was watching an episode where the camera started overhead above the bridge... but it was centered and static for a little longer than you'd think it should have been. Kind of reminded me of something Stanley Kubrick might have done. I'm going to try and figure out which episode it was.

[Kirk1980]

Yeah, I think it was Bob Justman who told their new cameraman (Jerry Finnerman)...'go nuts'.

And he did, there's tons of innovation, bright colors, dramatic setups. For reference, I remember reading about how they busted ass to make that scene in Naked Time flow smooth. You know, where Spock has his little breakdown. That was done all in one take at the end of the day. (Source: Star Trek Memories by The Shat)

[J. Allen]

Lethe wrote:

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This is the coolest thread ever! I agree with a comment made earlier, that TOS is full of amazing camerawork. Just the other night I was watching an episode where the camera started overhead above the bridge... but it was centered and static for a little longer than you'd think it should have been. Kind of reminded me of something Stanley Kubrick might have done. I'm going to try and figure out which episode it was.

Yes it is! A statue of me in the center of town, courageously pointing to the heavens, is payment enough.

Kirk1980 wrote:

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Yeah, I think it was Bob Justman who told their new cameraman (Jerry Finnerman)...'go nuts'.

And he did, there's tons of innovation, bright colors, dramatic setups. For reference, I remember reading about how they busted ass to make that scene in Naked Time flow smooth. You know, where Spock has his little breakdown. That was done all in one take at the end of the day. (Source: Star Trek Memories by The Shat)

Oh, yes indeed. Some great moments in "Amok Time".

J.

[GSchnitzer]

I have another favorite shot. This one, too, is from "Balance of Terror."

Spock reports that among the debris from the Romulan ship is a metal-encased object. Kirk correctly determines it to be a warhead and quickly orders phasers to blow it up--but it's really, really close to the ship. It blows up, the ship shakes, the camera tilts and everyone falls out of their chairs. But in this case, all the power and lights go out on the bridge. No overhead work lights, no monitors, no colored blinky lights on the consoles. Nothing. The bridge is in complete darkness for a shot that last five seconds--complete darkness except for two lights on the bridge:

[J. Allen]

^ I loved the whole atmosphere of that episode.


J.