Description
Presented paper:‘ Registering all emotions’: crafting moments of revelation in multi-format colour films since 1994Paper abstract: This paper examines recent usage of supra-35mm film technologies in American fiction films which combine differently sized formats within a single narrative. Colour is an important stylistic consideration in these films, though there are variances in treatment which range from outright chromatic symbolism to material conceptions of colour as light-surface. In general, however, large format discourse encourages the delicate crafting of visual detail, partly due to the unforgivingly high resolutions of larger stocks, which accentuate perceived ‘flaws’ in colour cinematography, production design and practical effects.
When used with care, the ability to render detail makes large formats particularly useful for dramatic flashbacks and other emotional-visual disclosures. For example, Vittorio Storaro speaks of ‘registering all the emotions and energy of everyone, including the actors, director and cinematographer’ in moments of Little Buddha (1994) which depart from 35mm. Although the costs involved limit such practices, the paper argues that multi-format films present methodological if not commercial opportunities. Namely, the viewer can detect aesthetic qualities which might otherwise go unnoticed, with the visibility or timing of format transitions itself posing issues for debate.
The Colour in Context Symposium, organised by the BAFTSS Colour Special Interest Group, 23rd March 2018
| Period | 23 Mar 2018 |
|---|---|
| Event type | Conference |