If supercuts featuring a director and — by extension — cinematographer’s predilection for a specific color or camera movement have watered down the field of video essays, today brings a series that reinstates an informative, technical approach to better understand what goes into crafting an image with light. Cinematography Database, coming from DP Matt Workman, resembles something closer to a visual podcast as he takes anywhere from 30 minutes to over an hour to break down each feature.
With a first batch including Robert Richardson‘s The Hateful Eight, Roger Deakins‘ Hail, Caesar!, John Seale‘s Mad Max: Fury Road, Emmanuel Lubezki‘s The Revenant, Matthew Libatique‘s Straight Outta Compton, and Dariusz Wolski‘s The Martian, he uses mostly behind-the-scenes stills to dissect the equipment and lighting techniques at play in each feature. While the series may not widely appeal to those looking to dive into how cinematography conveys the themes of a film, when it comes to a technical breakdown, these are greater than any Blu-ray special feature one can find.
Check them all out below and head over to his YouTube channel for more.