SECRET to the Cinematic Look 🎥🎬 How Hollywood Does it
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
- As Indie filmmakers, we have all been fascinated with the cinematic look and how to achieve the cinematic look. But what is the secret that differentiates Hollywood films from student short films? Why do big-budget films look so effortlessly cinematic and short films sometimes struggle? What is the secret to achieving the high-budget cinematic look? I took the time to analyze shots from feature films and compare them to not as cinematic looking short films and share my findings in this video. We delve into the secret tricks and methods that high-budget films use to get their films to look as cinematic looking as possible.
Dany Gevirtz's video on cinematic lighting: • the Cinematic Lighting...
Gawx Art (please check him out he's amazing): / @gawxart
Gear I used:
Canon Rebel T3i
Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4
Rode NTG-2
Tascam DR-70D
Mountdog Softbox Lighting Kit
Credit to FischnesFilm and their short film Late Night Convenience which pops up at the beginning of the video
• Late Night Convenience...
Here is the formula for low bugdet cinematics;
Canon EOS M + Vintage Soviet Lens + Magic Lantern + MLVapp + Da Vinci + a Little bit Creative Eye = Voilà !
ayyyy I really appreciate the shoutout! Great work with this vid, absolutely loved it!
Omg I didn't actually expect you to see this lmao, big fan of your work, thanks for the compliment :)
Your work is really inspiring man.
@@unordinary_films You guys should collab and make a tutorial on how to make different shots cinematic.
Ain't no way its a canon event
Gawx plwww drop some cinematography video tutorials plww
I think 85% of what makes a Hollywood movie look cinematic is the location and production design. If you have a great location with planned and thought-out colors, furniture, practical lighting, etc., you can film it on an iPhone and it will look cinematic.
That's what they do for their presentations mostly
Obviously, if you film something at home, in a cramped apartment or tiny room, it would look very unimpressive, uncinematic and amateurish, you are also severely limited in where to put your camera, lights, the angles from which you can film, camera movement, etc...
In Hollywood they usually shoot in studios, even places were poor people are supposed to live are unusually larger and meticulously prepared and decorated, and they have an almost unlimited degree on how to shoot a scene, they can move walls, put lights and cameras wherever they want, use dollies, cranes, etc.
When real locations are used, they are carefully selected beforehand, Hollywood has special scouts that always travel, search for interesting locations, take photos and clips that are later analyzed to see if they are suited for shooting a scene there.
You got a point there!! Lighting is also key!!
@@UncleRuckuss or you can make that cramped apartment into an interesting place. There could be a murder there. Who knows?
@@UncleRuckuss The actual thing what makes the things cinematic is really...the "someone" that can make a use of these things. It surely isn't only about the production value and it simply goes hand in hand. Give a beginner professional ARRI lighting and RED cameras with unlimited production budget and he would be clueless. Yes you have a point that the production value of holywood movies are astonishingly high but that has been stated in the video already.
On colors: I always love a good hard rule, so here’s one that can be helpful for making shots look visually striking and beautiful. The 60 30 10 rule. 60% of the shot is a main color, usually the background. 30% is a secondary color, typically a secondary background color or a character. 10% is a highlight color, often used for objects of importance or characters in wide shots. Want about a million perfect examples of this? Watch 2001 A Space Oddyssey.
I've heard of this rule before, I'll definitely keep it in mind in my cinematography, it's a useful rule. Also 2001 is one of my favourite films, absolutely stunning images in that film
After 17 years of "part time" filmmaking, I've learned "CINEMATIC" is all about the lighting. Even if you've got the most incredible location ever....if it is not lit in the magical Cinematic way, it's crap. I've learned to light from the side or the back, and then bring in the fill that's needed to keep the face from being lost in dark. I've also learned to alternate layers of light behind the talent to create depth, and to not forget to light that layer that is the farthest away from the camera. All light needs to be motivated by the environment, meaning there should be a reason for the light, whenever possible. Motivation can even be an imaginary window in another room that "allows" light to fall into the room where you are shooting your character. It's taken me a long time to learn this, and to push back a lot of techniques that have been bantered about here on UA-cam, because those techniques are NOT how to get cinematic lighting. For years we were steered in the wrong direction. I think it was on purpose in order to keep competition down and out of their "territory."
One more thing....I prefer to shoot indoor "daytime" scenes at night. Blasting my own lights through the windows keeps all the shadows and light beams in THE SAME PLACE for the whole shoot. Otherwise, depending on natural light will cause the shadows and look of the room to change from the beginning of the scene to the end of the scene, and the audience can tell it took an hour to shoot this 2 minute scene.
Keep analyzing big budget films, and keep shooting with what you discover. Experiment as well.
This "secret" has always been there for those who look. Many people say they want to be filmmakers but don't put in the time to actually study the techniques. Good on you for keeping your knowledge up. Never stop learning and pushing new techniques.
I’m actually kinda glad you called out the overuse of the word, “cinematic.”
I’m a videographer by trade and I feel like I’m always trying to learn. Thanks for helping me learn something through your experimentation.
00:05 The difference between short films and feature films lies in the professional film look
01:46 Make shots look interesting instead of cinematic
03:29 Creating separation in an image is key to achieving a cinematic look
05:09 Separation techniques in cinematography through light, color, and background.
06:48 Create separation between elements through lighting and colors to make the environment look interesting.
08:19 DSLR cameras have limitations on shutter speed, but ND filters can help control brightness.
09:57 Finding the right camera angle and lighting setup
11:43 Experiment and create art with cinematography
Crafted by Merlin AI.
Another huge thing I learned from that Danny Gevirtz video was keeping the main light source behind the person. You always want to light your subject and shoot on the dark side of someones face. I've been working at a video production company for almost 3 years now and youtube has helped me more than being on set has. Depth makes things more interesting and proper lighting makes things more cinematic.
You're completely right, Danny Gevirtz has awesome tips. Depth in the lighting makes a very cinematic image
Yes! The day I learned the key light goes on the other side of "the line" from the camera, changed my shooting forever. Great job @UnordinaryStudios!
Possibly the most useful video I’ve found in a a long time! 👍
Welcome to the endless hunt and craving to shoot cinematic images.. I have been doing it for 30 years and still learn things on every shoot..
Video starts at 3:00
This is great. The big lesson here is light control. Your flags are every bit as important as your lights. Great job with the cardboard! Often the lights on set are super bright so the background can get dark enough and you can get that crisp contrast. You're killin' it here. Keep on rockin'!
In addition to this vid helping me get higher quality looking movies, it also served as a MASSIVE inspiration boost.
I think how you engage the audience is more important than having good looking images
Yeah but both are required for a film to be successful.
This was really helpful stuff, I’m about to make my first short for a school project and you really showed how important lighting really is. Just earned a new subscriber!
Yo good luck on your short film project, wish you the best 👌
Ur mom so supportive and looks sweet. Lucky u are ❤
This was amazing... you nailed it when it comes to what actually makes movies vs short film look so different and the best part that you are trying and learning while having fun...I need to get off my behind and start doing what you do.... thanks for the video!
Aww your comment made my day haha, thank you, I wish you the best with whatever you do 👌
@@unordinary_films just spitting the truth..subscribed! Hope to see more of your content.
Honestly, you have the talent needed for this. Do not stop making videos and putting the effort like you are will, pay off big time eventually.
Great work man!! The shots you got of your mom looked so cool! It's amazing how much goes into making movies and videos, an art I haven't appreciated enough. Real proud of ya!!
I have worked in movies, tv commercials, web commercials and tv drama. If one thing that represents the difference between pro and amateur is "Storytelling". Its the director and cinematographer that tells the story in a cinematic way.
After that there comes production design, costume, makeup, acting, lighting, location etc.
The difference between professional vs newbie is experience. For any wannabe filmmaker i suggest to shoot as much as possible to gather experience to improve your craft.
Steven Spielberg said, his suggestion for newcomer is "Learn your craft" and James Cameron said, "Start shooting".
great video man!
the last 2 at the end were getting very interesting! The lighting contrast and color was really what did it for me thank you and moms for the video!
Great content! Plus I love how you highlight the UA-cam Community of filmmakers.
Thank you! I love sharing my favourite creators with others
the shots looked rly great! i was literally looking all over youtube for exactly what u did cuz i plan on started short films but wanted to make sure to not waste time on set and was going to try and plan out everything i can before hand and experiment. what u did building each shot is exactly what i pictured in my head i’d be doing for practice
Great video. I do a lot of photography, and I think you need to think of every shot as it’s own standalone “art peice,” not letting any shot be just basic or filler since it’s easier.
I love that way of thinking, every shot is it's own art piece
A lot of teachers can talk and say a lot of bs but because you are actually practicing what you preach sets you leaps and bounds ahead of most teaching videos.
dude.this was one word: INTERESTING.
Good to have a patient mother around to help
was about to share this video with a classmate of mine and noticed that you only had 993 subscribers??? this level of video quality is very rare to see with a youtuber with a low sub count, let alone one with less than 1000. keep up the great work!!
Yooo! You did a great job making those shots look interesting!! And a super insightful video overall, thank you for this!
I'm so glad I stumbled onto this as it clarified what I just couldn't figure out. Thanks for this revelation.
Thanks for the video!
needed this thanks stranger.
This was awesome. The fact you’re doing this on a t3i is incredible and really proves your point about color and light separation being the most important
Really fun to see you experiment. I think you are right on here! As someone who is making an animated feature film I know I'm spoiled because I get infinent flexibility xD. Nice video! Keep it up :D
Wish you luck on your animated film! What's it going to be called?
Love this video! Love the enthusiasm and curiosity you have towards filmmaking and everything related to it!!
Very informative video. Keep up the good work!
This was a really good lesson about cinematography and you used brilliant examples for the most part... I think the other keys are anamorphic lenses, more zoomed in framed shots and more extreme angles and camera movement
Bro great job! Another thing at makes things look cinematic is ratio. If you add action brackets it IMMEDIATELY looks more cinematic
The fact that you use a t3i made me subscribe 💚
Hahahah it's a classic
More cinematic = more Interesting = more work being put in.. No wonder when there are so many people are involved in production the result looks different :) Thanks, man - this question intrigued me for a long time and I think now I got the answer.
7:55 higher shutter speeds are also used to make the roto easier for action scenes
The separation comes from the blur in the background as well. Using a larger focal length and being closer to the subject will create the distance from unimportant parts of your background. The difference between a 35mm lens and an 85mm lens does wonders.
11:04 here you figured put another „rule“ by trying, which is nice.
Frame towards corners of rooms or dead on with super straight lines.
making your frame look more expressing and meaningful with all that you told will make it cinematic
The shots were GREAT!!!
I'm a photographer but I'm always amazed by the cinema people. It's hard to even comprehend how much goes into a shot. And how perfectionists and dedicated the directors to their craft, like Stanley Kubrick, Wes Anderson, Satyajit Ray, Christopher Nolan etc.
12:09 is perfect - the gold light after looses the depth a little imo
love how you defined it as more interesting. That's gold! Thanks!
Honest to God it comes down to set design, lens, and planning.
On my profile there's a short film called "La Rata", we filmed using a Red 5K helium, and we were provided all the tools to make a film look as professional as possible! The first 2 minutes looked very professional, Hollywood-level. But after that? It fell really flat, due to us being short on time, actors disagreeing, and POOR PLANNING. The set design was good for the first few scenes because we're not given a broad scope, we're very limited. But once you start exploring more of the room, the more amateur it looks. We only had a zoom lens, I had forgotten to rent a wide lens. So (another reason) the opening is great is because a zoom lens was good for that, it drew such suspense and intense emotion. Once the fight scene started, we really needed a wide lens but we didn't have one.
If it's a boring set, poor planning, and only one lens - it won't look Hollywood. Different scenes call for different needs, and when you're indie filmmaking it's hard to fulfill those different needs.
Love this video! I could see you improving with lighting even with the few shots you put together at the end, I think you are on the right track to becoming a great cinematographer/ director. Keep up the great work!
Dylan Clark does this really well, especially in their short film storytime
You made all your shots 1000X better great job
Great video my guy. Simple, to the point, easy to understand. I feel like many of these types of vids quickly become highly technical and boring (or they are trying to talk like a professional when their work is just not super great)
video basically starts at 3:05
yes this is what i was looking for,loved your worked! keep going brother
4:23 What movie is that waterfall with the hovering dudes? Awesome Video brah.
Bravo, you are absolutely on your way to be a very successful filmmaker! You have the right mindset and attitude. Trust me, I am a world renown photographer, I know talent and ambition when I see it.
So, aside from the last half of the video, the secret is basically contrast?
-Depth
-Separation
-Lighting
-Color
-Patterns
That's all contrast.
Using it right makes it pleasing to the eye and easy to digest. Emphasizing the important parts while distracting from the less important ones. You can also use more "artistic" contrast that uses satisfying patterns or framing to lead the eye to a certain person or object, but the key is creating a differentiation on-screen between what you want the viewer to look at and what you don't want them to look at. Not only does it make it easier to watch, but it generally just looks cooler--which is why so many people want to replicate that look.
Instead of "How do I make this shot more interesting?" try "How do I give this shot better contrast?" and that's how you get the "cinematic" look... or at least that's what I took from this video.
Creating contrast between objects to create depth is called "negative space" I actually dont like that, because its so consuming and distracts from the question "what is happening in the shot?" Some things I can share with you what makes something "cinematic" Well its the sensor size, which allows you to capture a bigger picture. its not the same as image size. A bigger sensor allows you to get closer to your subject by still using a higher MM lens, which creates that cinematic feel. To test around, I would recomend to download unreal engine 5 and experiment with its cinematic camera. Its quite accurate, because unreal works with filmmakers. You can try every lens and sensor size as you please. They even have an anamorphic option. There you can see the difference of digital film camera and a full aperature cinematic camera. But you also guessed it right. Everything you can do with a camera (lenses, movement, so on) will say something subconsciously. Choosing the correct parameters in these dimensions which match your message in your shots will create an captivating, cinematic image. Its more about what you want to say. Often, people move the camera too much or use DOF too much. Even experienced DoPs do tons of distractive usage of available dimensions. The most important thing is to guide the eye, attention and feeling. When filming with a dslr without a bigger sensor, good lenses or dynamic range, I would completely abandon the idea of creating something that looks like a big budget movie, because the intention has to match the result. Otherwise it looks and feels like these standard low budget amateur films.
Censor size can help but I think lighting and color is more important for getting a cinematic image. I'll look into the unreal engine 5 thing though, also I agree that guiding the eye and intention is very important, thanks for the feedback :)
@@unordinary_filmsI Agree in olden days it was just a 1:1 square kinda frame look at Alfred Hitchcock work it still feels cinematic
I would actually largely disagree with you on abandoning the idea of getting a high value look. Yes, they all help, but understanding how and why allow you to compensate for shortcomings. If you work within your limitations, you can get a high value look. Don’t have a camera with great dynamic range? Well, light for the range you have. The film stock they’d shoot Euphoria with only has 4-5 stops of dynamic range*. Don’t have the sharpest, fastest lens? Create separation with distance and longer focal lengths. And sensor size, again something to understand, not to use as an excuse. Most digital cinema cameras until very, very recently had a super 35mm sensor, which is only a bit bigger than his T3i’s.
@@unordinary_films I know its hard to understand what I'm talking about. If it was more obvious, probably less amateur/low budget films would look and feel the way they do.
the sensor size helps you getting the right angle. Of course you always can compensate with a lens but having smaller sensor sizes means that you have to step back more. the image is more zoomed in and that creates limitations for cinematic language. Especially for movement/deimensions. lets say you have your subject standing or sitting in a fairly closeup. Your subject moves a bit and is somehow off narrative focus. Yes you could pan track but in certain shots its unusual to do and doing it will get you to another style. In professional movies with proper sensor sizes (and lenses) they can get closer, put the camera on a tripod and only pan a little bit smoothly or dont pan at all. But it really depends on your stylistic preferences. On a movie shot with a dslr, I would look which opportunities it has to make the framing flexible enough to capture the intended film as close as possible to make it feel legit.
Dont get me wrong. I advocate the high value look but i probably mean something different than you guys do. When I say, the intention has to match the result, I mean do not try to climb a tree with a fish. Let the fish swimm and the monkey climb. There is always a potential in a camera but bending it too much will get you unintentional results. Making a found footage film with an arri, cinematicly lit will feel like a thick fat lie.
Amateur films these days try to imitate the hollywood look too much and get themselves into stiff traps, which create beautiful images for a second and then with the next slight move of the actor or the next cut, you realize that its off and the amateurs who created it, have not the experience to realize what is wrong.
Framing properly comes before lighting. Even if the lighting isnt perfect, you might get away with "artistic choice" but when the framing is bad, everybody will sense that you lacked the experience to do better.
Overall you are on a good track and I would attest you great talent. My comment is just to throw in other thoghts into your journey. I also know that my view on these things is a bit idiosyncratic so please dont take me too seriously. I'm just a guy on the internet who has an opinion. that opinion can be totally wrong.
very nice one mate, keep uploading videos
I think I guessed it right that what you are going to talk about when you were showing some comparison shots. Wtw very informative video.
This makes perfect sense, thank you! Okay this is going to be a niche reference, but this makes me think of a possible reason cinematic videos that fans make for video games are often a lot more cinematic than the typical student film.
It’s because they don’t have the option to make the image technically better (they can’t add lights, they’re stuck with the games’ max graphics quality), so often the only thing they can do is figure out how to make a shot as interesting as possible.
I believe you just nailed it! Great video! Thanks for sharing!
Such a great video. Honestly, years of self teaching is summed up in this video alone! Very insightful!
ayy t3i gang 🥲🥲
Honestly I was very impressed by your test shots. As an aspiring Dp, I have watched so many videos likes this one, but I can't remember someone nailing it as much as you did. You've analyzed and explained it so well without using fancy technical words, and actually achieved a great "cinematic" image despite your camera. I would have dreamed to have seen this video 6 years ago (it took me that much time to figure this shit out). You have the knowledge man. Unfortunately now, a part from practicing, you only need to invest better lights (and down the line better lenses) to get that cinematic image. If you put in the work man, in a year, your images will blend with the ones of Hollywood.
If I can help on your journey, I can suggest you these videos:
ua-cam.com/video/sef36Lk5hE0/v-deo.html
Wandering DP is maybe the channel that helped me the most to really see and analyse light in an image. I would watch his videos regularly (even if they aren't the most intreating) to the point where I too could get the light of a shoot by simply looking at it. And it's partially through him that I learn to always aim to shot in the shadows (find contrast in your image) and look for the angle that gives you the most depth.
ua-cam.com/video/IK4KO0E5Ze0/v-deo.html&pp=ygUTdGhvbWFzIGZsaWdodCBmYWNlcw%3D%3D
This video really was a game changer, it really help me understand how to compose and frame faces
ua-cam.com/video/gyCumQ78ZoI/v-deo.html&pp=ygUVaW1wZXJmZWN0IHBob3RvZ3JhcGh5
This video could help you develop the idea of making you image look interesting (it was also a game changer for me)
And finaly...
ua-cam.com/video/cx0mNjLwnus/v-deo.html
This video speaks for itself, but it really made me rethink and question everything I new at that point.
Thank you! I hope to get better and improve as I practice more. Wish you the best as well!
Whoever is out there. I know most of us don’t have the best quote on quote “expensive cameras” but practice makes perfect! Keep learning and coming up with the most unique angles, shots, scenes you can think of and just film! Yes and I agree, looking at high production movies helps a lot. Just take one of those scenes and duplicate it as practice. I wish everyone the best on their filming journey.
This is a great video! Love the creativity!
Quality video bro. Inspiring. Thanks.
I would argue with you on point #1. In film it's not about how good a shot looks but how it feels depending on the narrative.
its actually a great video. thanks a lot. I shared to my friends
Your testshots looked quite nice actually :)
Awesome man! The people that seem great often experiment.
A great tip is to shoot to the L of the room, and you can always push your subject far away from the background (you can cheat it) to create depth. You can also use your zoom to compress the relations within the subject, the backgrlund, foreground and what’s around so you can put your lights closer and get a softer light :). The video it’s really interesting and well done!
Love the experimenting bite at the end, can’t stress enough how helpful that is! Keep doing it! Cheers!
Hands down the most helpful video I’ve watched all year 👏🏻
You are getting there!, I learnt this last week: to always shoot on the shadow side of the person
I think it's about priorities- lighting is number 1, followed by separation and depth, and lastly color
Way More People need to watch this. Like its kinda distracting when you can tell its a budget film and the solutions you provided shouldn't be that much of a financial burden
Bro!! You’re Definitely getting closer
You are so lucky to have such a lovely supporting mom❤
Initially I was angered at the video, but it turned out to be really awesome❤ you’re absolutely correct
IMO it's Lighting, Shot Symmetry, Composition, and Location. (Also get a gimbal for smoother movement)
Can't tell you how much you've inspired me with this video, GREAT JOB MAN!🎉🎉
you earned a sub, i loved watching you learn, keep going!
Some of the shots that you tried to take were looking very cinematic/INTERESTING. 🕶📽👀👍
Thanks for this
Great Video man. You out in the work. And Everything you do properly pays of.
Thank you. Filming on shadow side of face, use the color wheel for contrast, for actor background separation, slower, smoother camera movements, more interesting angles and make sure subject is in focus.
Those blinds would have made a great diffuser, giving you soft light and evening out the brightness in the scene.
You’re a G! Thank you for this 🖤
Extraordinary video. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I think you forgot telling us about color grading and adjusting levels in post.
The key to good filmmaking, is having every part of the film be intentional. Every sequence, every scene, lighting, set design. Low budgets cant always afford to accurately express their vision, so the look of the film can come off as low effort.
3rd AD here, one of the major things is the atmos that is pumped into pretty much every set I have worked on both inside and outside. Creates tons of "interest"
Wow, just discovered your channel, definetly a new sub, amazing analysis, love it
Thank you :) appreciate it 👍
I appreciate your enthusiasm. Really enjoyed your video man
Dude this need more attention, didn't see the views at first but I felt like I was watching a vid with millions of them
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it :)
Yoooo I’d watched Gawx art for a bit before I even re-got into filmmaking again so it’s cool to see him mentioned
the best cinematic tutorial