The Spielberg Look - Janusz Kamiński Cinematography Style Explained
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- Опубліковано 31 тра 2024
- Janusz Kamiński Cinematography Style - a breakdown of the Kaminski style, including his approach to lighting, color, and equipment.
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Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction to Janusz Kamiński Cinematography
01:07 - Janusz Kamiński's Background and Style
03:03 - Chapter 1: Lighting
07:36 - Chapter 2: Color
13:03 - Chapter 3: Equipment
17:53 - Final Thoughts
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JANUSZ KAMIŃSKI CINEMATOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES
Cinematographer Janusz Kamiński is one of the best DPs working today. While he’s mostly known through his decades of collaboration with Steven Spielberg, he’s also done stellar work with directors like Camerone Crowe, James L. Brooks, Julian Schnabel, and Judd Apatow. In this video, we’re going to take a look at Kamiński’s style with a focus on his use of lighting, color, and gear to enhance his visual storytelling.
JANUSZ KAMIŃSKI STYLE - LIGHTING
Kamiński has a distinctive style when it comes to lighting. In particular, he loves to use backlighting to create high contrast imagery for a darker atmosphere. One example we can point to is how he lit The Lost World compared to how Dean Cundey shot Jurassic Park. The first film often kept the dinosaurs fully lit while Kamiński’s sequel opted to keep them more shadowed and more terrifying.
JANUSZ KAMIŃSKI STYLE - COLOR
Color is another element in Kamiński’s style that guides the mood of a particular scene or film. The lack of color in Schindler’s List doesn’t just emulate B&W WWII footage, it keeps us grounded in the horrors of the Holocaust. For Minority Report, Kamiński found a balance between a look that was futuristic yet familiar and “very gritty and full of gray.” In Munich, different color palettes were used to separate distinct locations.
JANUSZ KAMIŃSKI STYLE - EQUIPMENT
Cameras and lenses used also contribute to Kamiński’s style. As he explains, different stories from different eras require different considerations when it comes to gear. For Saving Private Ryan, modern lenses were stripped of their protective coatings to avoid an anachronistic look. For Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, anamorphic lenses and soft filters helped imbue the film with a nostalgic, classical Hollywood patina.
Looking at the last few decades of Janusz Kamiński cinematography, it’s no wonder a filmmaker like Spielberg has stuck with him. His range is extensive and his ability to find the visual language for a particular story is unrivaled.
#FilmTheory #VideoEssay #filmmaking
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♬ SONGS USED:
"Cyberpunk Sunrise" - Evgeny Bardyuzha
"Dojo Tradition (Instrumental)" - In This World
"All Star" - ANBR
"Morning Sunbeams" - Yehezkel Raz
"British News Team" - Lance Conrad
"The Lost World" - John Williams
"The Trek" - John Williams
"Rescuing Sarah" - John Williams
"The Raptors Appear" - John Williams
"Scanning the Papers" - John Williams
"Crossing the Atlantic" - John Williams
"A Battle in the East" - Rhythm Scott
"Clockwork" - Borden Lulu
"Stolen Memories" - John Williams
"I Have a Plan" - Borrtex
"In Love with Emi" - Fabien Fustinoni
"Anderton's Great Escape" - John Williams
"Sean and Lara" - John Williams
"Munich, 1972" - John Williams
"The People's House" - John Williams
"O Come Let Us Adore Him (Instrumental)" - Salt of the Sound
"Hymn To The Fallen" - John Williams
"Omaha Beach" - John Williams
"Finale" - John Williams
"Nevada, 1957" - John Williams
"Theme For The Diving Bell And The Butterfly (Soundtrack)" - Paul Cantelon
"Homecoming" - Thomas Newman
"The Fabelmans" - John Williams
"State Lines (Instrumental)" - Aaron Kellim
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The "voice" is as warming as a reunion hug.. ❤
Loved this voice
I came here to say, there is absolutely nothing wrong with anyone else who voices these videos. But this voice.. is the one 🤌🏾
Like melted butter on bread 🧈🍞
Edit; that should be toast
Like a cup of hot chocolate on a rainy night
I don’t understand that. He sounds exactly like many other narrators to me.
Janusz Kamiński is One of the Best Cinematographer of All time. Thank you StudioBinder for making this Inspiring video about his working process. His collaboration with Steven Spielberg is Great and Inspiring.
Thank you for correctly pronouncing his name
Always love to hear your voice, Paul in the narration.
In my opinion, the best cinematographer that ever lived. Gifted wit supreme sensibility. Always in service of the story.
He painted absolute masterpieces for Spielberg. And his particular techniques of bleach and saturation are really able to project the time period the story takes place in better than anyone I've ever seen. Just look at Munich... It really feels like the 70s.
when you're talking of bleach (and saturation) i saw war of the worlds in the cinema recently (and most of minority report on tv at some point last year too) and noticed the very particular look common to both films and on googling came across something called iirc a 'bleach bypass' that if i understand correctly is something done to the footage in post - are you aware if saving private ryan used the same technique? it wasn't mentioned in the video but in a couple of shots of it shown i couldn't help but think a less extreme version of the process might have been applied to that film's footage to achieve its look in certain instances too (i've not seen it for at least 20 years so maybe it was only the techniques used during filming that are mentioned in this vid)
@@Tom-qo4mz Yes, Save the Private Ryan, Minority Report, War of the Worlds and Munich... as far as I'm concerned they were all shot using the bleach bypass technique.
I just saw War of the Worlds and I googled his name because of how much the cinematography impressed me. Now I need to see his entire catalogue
The narrator should win an award for best voice
Seems kind of like an average narrator voice. I’ve heard a lot of guys who sound like this.
Kaminski is one of the best cinematographers that Spielberg has ever worked with. His work on Schindler’s List, Saving Private, Minority Report, Lincoln, War Horse, and The Fablemens are amazing.
Glad to see Mr. Kaminski getting some love. The BTS for The Lost World is what got me into learning how movies are made, and he's how I learned what cinematographers do and how they make the movies LOOK how they do. He's among my favorites in the business, so thank you for highlighting him and his work.
Very glad the voice we all love and know we'll has returned
Nice to see the British voice back!! I hope to see more content of filmmaking whether it be individuals or filmmaking techniques!! You guys are growing as a channel!!
Is anyone focused on the actual content? Also he has like a standard narrator voice I’m not sure what people are hearing besides that.
Lincoln Cinematography is outstanding.
Greetings from Poland where Janusz Kamiński were born
one of the GOAT
Janusz Kamiński is an amazing cinematographer. Together with Spielberg they make stunning and beautiful looking films.
west side story is my favorite of his work. the whole dance at the gym is just beautiful
Janusz Kaminski is 1 of my favorite cinematographers.
It's crazy that he wasn't nominated, for example, with West Side Story (2021), after leaving the American Cinematographers Guild. Fortunately, the academy loves him. I think he also deserves to win a third Oscar.Kaminski is Steven Spielberg's longest working cinematographer. Masterful ❤
Spielberg's longest collaborator would be editor Michael Kahn.
@@Geronimo_Jehoshaphat I'm talking about the cinematographer with whom he worked the longest. Other than that, there's editor Michael Kahn and composer John Williams, yes.
@@sammyfabelman
Except Michael Kahn has worked with Spielberg more times.
The only Spielberg film that John Williams scored, which was before Michael Kahn began was Jaws. So technically Williams started first.
Except John Williams didn't score Bridge of Spies, Ready Player One, or West Side Story - while Michael Kahn did edit them. Plus Michael Kahn also edited the Jerry Goldsmith scored Poltergeist, which writer/producer Spielberg essentially did take over himself and ghost direct under the guise of "line producer".
Therefore, having edited everything since Close Encounters, Michael Kahn is Spielberg's most consistent long time collaborator.
@@Geronimo_Jehoshaphat No, the first Williams & Spielberg collaboration The Sugarland Express (1974)
The Sugarland Express (1974), Jaws (1975), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) films, the editor is not Michael Kahn.
Likewise, there's no John Williams in The Color Purple (1985), Bridge of Spies (2015), Ready Player One (2018), and West Side Story (2021), that's true.
Spielberg is not the director of the Poltergeist (1982) movie.
But I already wanted to say that Janusz Kaminski is the cinematographer he worked with the longest.Because the subject of the video is cinematography and the style of cinematographer Janusz Kaminski.Otherwise, as you said, editor Michael Kahn is the person he has worked with the longest.
@@sammyfabelman
Yeah, Sugarland Express that's correct of course. My mistake. Must've been wishfully fantasizing it could've been Lalo Schifrin instead.
Yes, The Color Purple was the first gap in Spielberg's official oeuvre without John Williams due to producer Quincy Jones asserting his claim over the music.
Go look into the making of Poltergeist though. Toby Hooper got emphatically sidelined. Spielberg ghost directed the majority of that movie himself according to many of the actors involved, as it was from one of his few original scripts. There may havd been DGA issues, or a contractical situation with Universal in regard to exclusivity to E.T. that year, that may have caused Spielberg to take the credit of "Line Producer" - or perhaps it was more likely just to avoid scandalizing Toby Hooper's career.
Obviously Janusz Kaminski has been his longest DP at this point. I only was pointing out he's not Spielberg's most persistent filmmaking "collaborator". I would give that title to Michael Kahn.
*Okay, I notice you edited your original post to be clear you were just referring to the video topic of cinematographer, so that's cool. It's nice to discuss these things with someone pretty much like-minded in enthusiasm for the subject, anyway.
I am addicted your voice and lot of things I learned day by day
Fun fact: he was the cinematographer of every movie directed by Steven Spielberg since Schindler's List and never missed a movie
For the next espisode, Emmanuel Lubezki for sure!!!
As a person from Poland I am so proud of him. I always admire his work and find it very inspirational.
Poland has given us some of the all time great cinematographers, for sure. Janusz Kaminski, Dariusz Wolski, Slawomir Idziak, Pawell Edelman, Andrzej Sekula, Piotr Sobocinski and Andrzej Bartkowiak come to mind.
worked as a PA on the new ryan reynolds movie he is making with john krasinski. Dude just acts like one of the boys which is insanely refreshing considering his impact in cinema
yes! finally some polish directors! 😃💖
The voice is back!
Thank you for sharing this kind of videos, I am learning so much.
Another amazing video. Thank you!
Janusz Kamińsk undoubtly has shaped the movie look of Mr.Spielberg's movies since 1993 and this collaboration has given the acclaimed Director to widen his range for more grittier material. I always had a doubt wondering what made Mr.Spielberg to change his path in movies and why the images on his 90's and afterwards movies looks different to his 70's and 80's movies and this video provided me the answers I had been looking for. But I must say I love the way Mr.Spielberg's movies visually looked back in 70s and 80s because it had that Spielbergian Magic.....
Great video! Just saw Maestro at Venice and a video on Matthew Libatique is needed
Well done! And I admire your good pronunciation: Janusz Kamiński. 👍 Regards from Poland.
I really love you channel, it show the love for good cinema and amazing histories…. and.. every video is a excellent masterclass 👏👏👏👏
Big artist and maestro
Love Kaminski!
Thank you, the was very interesting, especially the lens and camera effects.
Fascinating!!
The style I love
THE VOICE IS BACK
Good video for filmmaking & Cinematography
Wow this man is brilliant!
love this content!
I was searching for his cinematography related videos since a week .. and here comes one on Studiobinder :)
One of my favourites .. I love his aesthetics ! I noticed in Spielberg's movies there is often a blown out white background/backlight .. i think he also uses some haze
I also want to ask .. in the opening war scene of Saving Private Ryan .. has step-printing been used in some shots (particularly the slo-mo's) ? they look kinda stuttery
It wouldn't be bad if you made an entire video analysing cinematography of SPR .. its a defining masterpiece
That was pretty good pronaunciation of his name, very close, there goes a like for that 😝👍
The Best DP
Please do videos for John Schwartzman, Dan Mindel, Dariuz Wolski, Amir Mokri, Dean Cundey, Jan de Bont, Andrzej Bartkowiak and Matthew Libatique.
Love the videos. I've learned so much.
How 'bout a video explaining a protagonist's inner conflict.
I just coverage on a script and that was one of the weak points.
Inner conflict/need compared to external conflict, goals, and needs. Would love to hear your take on the subject.
thank u
I love your videos
Great as always. Could you please make one for Conrad Hall too?
Do you have one on Doug Slocombe? I think I read somewhere he would do an initial colour correction in Black & White, but am having trouble finding the quote.
Incredible that both Kamiński and Hoytema are graduates of the same Polish film school
I like it 👌
From an artistic point of view I do appreciate the work of Kamiński, the strong sense of style he brings to the picture, e.g. the pushed exposure of Minority Report is very distinctive. But to be honest its not my favourite, I personally preferred the cinematography of Spielbergs earlier movies like Close Encounters which have a more gritty realism over style.
I agree. It happens to me recently with Greig Fraser (The Batman and Dune e.g.). I like his composition and the color but his images feel restricted and artificial. In the action sequences he wouldn't want to move the camera and everything feels so limited.
I mean, Kaminski is way ahead of him and even with a bit too much style over substance, he's still unbelievable.
How to write specific genres plz make video on them
That was highly informative. Not just on Janusz’s work but on camera work overall. Thank you @studiobinder and THE VOICE, as always, for all these great videos. My favourite channel about filmmaking on YT! 🫶🏼
Greig Fraser as next Please!!
Plz make series on directors writing process
Amazing stuff. I wonder if this is where all the bad low-light, low-key styles are coming from. Everything new on Netflix looks like a cheap version of Kaminsky.
I nominate Jeff Cronenweth as the next DP his work with Fincher is incredible.
I actually preferred the first half of Spielberg's of filmography
agree. He destroyed Spielberg
@@animationinventory there’s a coldness to the look of his films post Schindler’s List.
Since a years i am waiting for video on symbolism
Missed this voice
How to use light meter.....detail video please 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Plz make video on how to write story step by step advance guide
Please try to make a video on the work of Humayun Ahmed, one of the two most looked after directors of bengal
What if studiobinder made a movie?
I mostly love Kaminski's work with Spielberg, but I do wish Spielberg would work with someone else just to see how his later-career vision is interpreted through the lens of a different DP.
Imagine a Spielberg and Deakins film? Or Hoytema. Or Lubezski? Hell, I'd love to see a Spielberg film through the lens of Guillermo Del Toro's collaborator, Guillermo Navarro.
You guys should do one on Bradford young
He did Cool As Ice with Vanilla Ice
Uh, excuse me, no mention of "Cool as Ice"?
Straight up fact.
He is amazing and I love his collaboration with Spielberg. But I didn´t like his work in Indiana Jones... there was a softness to the image that was very different from what Douglas Slocombe had done in the previous movies.
😢Plz make video on how to write unique tv series step by step
The cinematography, camera movement, framing, lighting snd color grading in WSS was a masterpiece. It’s criminal that it didn’t win “best cinematography” that year, regardless of how good Dune was.
I thought we lost the VOICE
Honestly I miss how Spielberg was blocking actors and composing them into frame on the previous ones (Jaws; Close encounters; ET). Something was lost. Also in some cases, the excess of plasticity in the images, derailed into cheesy of tacky (the glows on A.I….; The highlights in Minority Report; war of the Worlds…). Well, Meanwhile there are some pretty beautiful compositions as in War Horse, Fabelmans… but for me, the best blocking of actors by Steven Spielberg, still is in Close Encounters.
Any one from India
i have missed the Voice!
Can you do Andrei tarvosky 😍
But Spielberg's Classic filma are more beautiful & a signature of Speilberg's career.
Are you saying it's 'The Kaminski method'?
This is hard ,as no doubt everyone here will love the work of this incredible person and his skill at his craft to embody his directors vision. But for me Private Ryan was the last good looking Spielberg movie. So many films that came out from AI's "dream look" onwards. His work now looks so unnatural in their overwhelming lighting completely saturated or under saturated in appearance. Best example has to be the original Raiders vs Crystal Skull. One looks like a movie, while the other looks like a cartoon, with most of the movie filmed on sets. Everyone accused CGI as the problem, but watch any documentary and you'll see how much was in fact shot practical. With bad angles and flat bland lights. Its Funny how Spielberg hasn't hit box office gold since Private Ryan. War of the worlds, is flat and life less, BFG is so hidden in stark contrast, West Side Story was lit with every lamp known to human kind in every shot. they look so fake and unnatural. If you enjoy please do. But id much rather enjoy a story that i can believe could almost be real as it looks like real life. instead of one so fantastically extreme i know it not to be real as nothing im watching feels real. Perhaps that was Spielberg's disconnect with his audience?
Great video. He is a wonderful professional. Im just not a fan and would rather Steven went back to grounding his shots. I guess 50 years of pushing the craft, just went to far in the end.
So many directors fell in love with the desaturated look back in the late 90s. There are ways to subdue color without turning everything blue and gray.
It's an interesting opinion. Who would you propose Spielberg should work with now instead?
Vilmos Zigmond and Allen Daviau are gone, but I suppose Dean Cundey is still an option. Mikael Salomon doesn't work as a cinematographer anymore.
Perhaps anyeone like Robert Richardson, Caleb Deschanel, Dante Spinotti, Emmanuel Lubezsi, Darius Khondji, Robert Elswit, Roger Deakins, Eduardo Serra, Slowomir Idziak, Chris Menges, John Mathieson, Mihai Malaimare Jr, Hoyte van Hoytema, Greig Fraser, Rodrigo Prieto, Dion Beebe, John Schwartzman, Dan Lausten, or Gorka Gomez Andreu would all be options that might work well with Spielberg's sensibilities?
Or just have Janusz Kaminski remain and merely pull back on the more unnaturalky stylized lensing a bit.
What will continue to be intriguing now, is who Spielberg will choose for his music composer in lieu of a retired John Williams. So far he's worked with Thomas Newman, David Newman and Alan Silvestri in recent years, all to fine effect. James Newton Howard seems like an obvious choice for future projects, and Spielberg definitely likes Hans Zimmer quite a bit. Personally I wish the perennially overlooked Christopher Young would get the opportunity to emphatically prove his range and acumen. I just hope to avoid Michael Giacchino.
Would definitely like to see a team up with Robert Elswit as DP with maybe David Arnold pulling the score. Depending on the project of course 😉
@@jefffan171
David Arnold would seem to make a lot of sense. But I get the idea that Arnold may be difficult to work with. I recall he was refusing to leave his home in England, and apparently works rather slow compared to others. I'd sure like to hear another masterpiece from Arnold. I think Stargate, ID4, and Godzilla '98 are all amazing scores, as are most of his 007 works. But then again The Musketeer is so inexplicably third rate to me, that going with Arnold does give me some pause. Perhaps Spielberg could inspire his best yet though.
Yes, you would definitely not want Dean Cundey working on a scary dinosaur movie. He knew nothing about horror. (that was sarcasm, do not inform me of his filmography)
How to write short film plz make video no them
Dare I say, ‘First’?
The Kaminski method: Blow out the window lights and fill the room with fog. Class dismissed.
I never understood the blown out windows look. It's awful.
Have u ever heard about..... Sardar udham.... Movie?????????
3 months
It's sad that film is way too expensive for most independent low-budget productions. Digital does open the door for many.
Robby Müller please👊
I think the next Director you should do should be David F Sandburg his directing style or are the movies that he’s worked on how he started from UA-cam to making feature films like Annabelle creation
Explain Gaspar Noe film making
Second
Jusarric park 2 & 3 were stinkers tho. Never wasting my time with those ever again, not even for movie education.
This is a good video, nonetheless.
Explain Gaspar Noe film making Explain Gaspar Noe film making Explain Gaspar Noe film making Explain Gaspar Noe film making Explain Gaspar Noe film making Explain Gaspar Noe film making Explain Gaspar Noe film making
Studiobinder has struggled hard on this one with voiceover re-recordings.
now continuing to make my documentary movie about the history of my ukrainian village with those war events, I know better how to make it more convincing
Kamiński overdoes it in SOME scenes of Spielberg’s film and takes away from the performances. At times I find myself being distracted by the lighting that’s trying to be the centre of attention. Although in some films like SPV, War of the Worlds & Amistad he finds the perfect balance. Having said that Spielberg films pre Kamiński are brilliant. For instance I re-watched Temple of Doom the other day and the lighting in that is jaw dropping and stunning and very underrated.
I hope you’re paying a lot to the narrator for cloning his voice lol
Janusz’s “look” just isn’t my thing. I don’t think any of Spielberg’s movies have looked that impressive since the 80s.
POLSKA GUROM
I think his lighting works for black and white, but in color it can be pretty gaudy. Don't tell me Crystal Skull isn't one of the ugliest looking movies ever
This guy is just the worst! A good 75% of his Spielberg-movies are absolute eyesores! Only War Horse and Bridge of Spies are any good...
It’s not the ugliest looking movie ever
war horse lit like yuck
What an intelligent criticism.
booooo @@karlkarlos3545