This terrific article/vlog makes me really want to make a movie in B/W.
http://flavorwire.com/181969/10-modern-movies-that-are-better-in-black-and-white
http://flavorwire.com/181969/10-modern-movies-that-are-better-in-black-and-white
cinematography Better in B/W
- Thread starter Cracker Funk
- Start date
I always thought that b/w looked much better than color. I even shot a short drama in b/w and it looks great. I think the reason that it looks great is because it covers up a lot of imperfections. Even a shitly lighten shot can look really good if just desaturate it. B/W also covers up your actors imperfections, it makes people easier to look at
I have found lighting for black and white to be much more
difficult and exacting than lighting for color.
difficult and exacting than lighting for color.
Really, well I'm not that experienced in lighting.
I think b/w should still be used in movies today, but only for a good reason. Don't just use b/w because you think that it would be cool. For example, a good use of b/w is a period peace( Shindler's List) or a drama( Following).
B/W shouldn't be used in something like The Hangover.
Interesting.
It's certainly more difficult to light for B&W. But, then again, you'll be as prepared as you would be for colour if you've prepped accordingly. But things can change on set.
The colour should depict the story, if it's B&W for the sake of it, it's a little disheartening. It wasn't a style, it was a limitation. So, I think if you're going to use B&W, then you have to honour the time.
Seeing a group of guys deploying a heist in high-tops, and a 2011 Heat jersey, isn't going to work. Atleast, not for me. I feel it's unnecessary.
It's certainly more difficult to light for B&W. But, then again, you'll be as prepared as you would be for colour if you've prepped accordingly. But things can change on set.
The colour should depict the story, if it's B&W for the sake of it, it's a little disheartening. It wasn't a style, it was a limitation. So, I think if you're going to use B&W, then you have to honour the time.
Seeing a group of guys deploying a heist in high-tops, and a 2011 Heat jersey, isn't going to work. Atleast, not for me. I feel it's unnecessary.
I agree with Rik and PaperTwin about it being much harder to light in black and white, because colour is one of the most used tools for separation. Desaturating colour footage does make it easier to analyse lighting setups though; somehow taking away colour makes an image much less distracting - pure black or white, for instance, jumps out at me much less than bright pink might.
I did read an interesting quote the other day about this - to paraphrase, "you can't make a black and white image visually tasteless" which is often very true. Particularly for people starting out making films with minimal control over their environment, the use of B&W would be an interesting way to learn. I think it would lead to people concentrating more on framing and lighting, and the resulting films would be far more visually coherent. I suppose everyone wants their muzzle flashes in colour, though…
It's just a shame B&W films have become so commercially risky, really. On the rare occasions that they are shot, it's usually on colour film just in case the producers change their mind and decide they can make more money from a colour print. I vaguely remember reading about the Coen Brother's The Man Who Wasn't There - some prints got released with two reels in colour and the rest of black and white.
(The above ramble is why I try not to post after just waking up.)
I did read an interesting quote the other day about this - to paraphrase, "you can't make a black and white image visually tasteless" which is often very true. Particularly for people starting out making films with minimal control over their environment, the use of B&W would be an interesting way to learn. I think it would lead to people concentrating more on framing and lighting, and the resulting films would be far more visually coherent. I suppose everyone wants their muzzle flashes in colour, though…
It's just a shame B&W films have become so commercially risky, really. On the rare occasions that they are shot, it's usually on colour film just in case the producers change their mind and decide they can make more money from a colour print. I vaguely remember reading about the Coen Brother's The Man Who Wasn't There - some prints got released with two reels in colour and the rest of black and white.
(The above ramble is why I try not to post after just waking up.)
I absolutely agree -- B/W, for no other reason than to do B/W is lame. As a general rule, of course I like color. Lots of it, actually.
But, watching these examples of movies that might've been better in B/W is, to be honest, a bit of an eye-opener for me. For whatever reason, though I've seen many B/W movies, it took these examples to really make me think about it. I grew up on these damn movies, and this quick article/vlog has got me seeing them in a whole new light.
NO PUNS INTENDED.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt0eJh0YXZ0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E20UKbywYkU
In both of these examples (two movies that shaped my childhood), I can see the logic that this dude is putting forth, and I think the desaturated versions look beautiful.
B/W, simply for the sake of B/W -- no way. But if you've got a truly talented cinematographer, one who wants to use this method to tell more of the story -- YES!!!
Funny this discussion should take place now. The short im working on right now has half of the scenes in BW. I chose this to show the contrast between their gray daily lives and emphasize the richness of their imagination by having those scenes be in colour.
PS
Good to see you back on the boards, CF. But im assuming ur not back for long.
PS
Good to see you back on the boards, CF. But im assuming ur not back for long.
Thanks. I think I'm getting a hang of the tepid-turkey thing, actually. This should work out just fine. 
BTW, of course I'd love the opportunity to see this B/W & Color short you're working on! Sounds pretty cool.
Haha, tepid is good
As for the short, it's a small one. Shooting in the 2nd week of June, then PP will take a while, so hopefully i can show it around sometime in July.
Nearly 5am... bed? another movie?
Bed
As for the short, it's a small one. Shooting in the 2nd week of June, then PP will take a while, so hopefully i can show it around sometime in July.
Nearly 5am... bed? another movie?
Bed
I'm a big believer in that black and white looks better. At least when you put up well-done black and white next to well-done color. I used to be the kind of person who would have made everything in black and white. Took me a while to get over that and really want to work with colors.
I remember reading somewhere (probably on here) that at film fests there are a lot more B/W than color films up for 'best cinematography' awards... a B/W bias, if you will.
On another note, here's a fun anecdote. Mel Brooks when trying to get WB to pay for Young Frankenstein, had a really hard time selling the B/W. The studios at the time had just stopped making any B/W movies and thought he was crazy (sidenote: maybe we'll see this happen briefly with 3D). There was even only one place left at the time where they developed B/W film. But he stuck to his guns and took the production over the 20th Century where they agreed to let him do the B/W, but gave him a very small budget even though Blazing Saddles was at the hight of it's box office success at the time.
Could you imagine Young Frankenstein in color? Yuck! So yeah, some things really belong in B/W. But some in color as well. What would a desaturated Amelie be? Also yuck.
I remember reading somewhere (probably on here) that at film fests there are a lot more B/W than color films up for 'best cinematography' awards... a B/W bias, if you will.
On another note, here's a fun anecdote. Mel Brooks when trying to get WB to pay for Young Frankenstein, had a really hard time selling the B/W. The studios at the time had just stopped making any B/W movies and thought he was crazy (sidenote: maybe we'll see this happen briefly with 3D). There was even only one place left at the time where they developed B/W film. But he stuck to his guns and took the production over the 20th Century where they agreed to let him do the B/W, but gave him a very small budget even though Blazing Saddles was at the hight of it's box office success at the time.
Could you imagine Young Frankenstein in color? Yuck! So yeah, some things really belong in B/W. But some in color as well. What would a desaturated Amelie be? Also yuck.
Jean-Pierre Jeunett would die on the spot.
Interesting recent experience with this; while I love B&W films, both old and new (Dead Man is one of my all time favorites), I found myself preferring the color version of a film a friend of mine did. It was a no-budget "trailer for an audiobook", set in the 30s and done noir style. He (Chuck Owston) is a musician, and doesn't consider himself a serious filmmaker, but has fun with it sometimes. Anyway, he had his son (who did the editing) post both the filmed version and a B&W version on youtube. I was very surprised that I liked the color version FAR better.
In the B&W version, it just seemed like the low-budget quick and dirty production that it was. The color version, however, had some scenes with some striking color washed backgrounds that really added to the neo-noir look to it, rather than being so generic. It really surprised me because I've known Chuck for years and in previous production he's never thought about things like lighting (he's an interesting character to say the least!)
Anyway, I'm at work so I can't youtube-link, but it's called "Barbed Wire Coffin". I did the score sort of last minute (in two days) which I'd be more proud of were it not for a distractingly bad saxaphone sound
Long story still kinda long, I agree, B&W==awesome but sometimes color is better!
In the B&W version, it just seemed like the low-budget quick and dirty production that it was. The color version, however, had some scenes with some striking color washed backgrounds that really added to the neo-noir look to it, rather than being so generic. It really surprised me because I've known Chuck for years and in previous production he's never thought about things like lighting (he's an interesting character to say the least!)
Anyway, I'm at work so I can't youtube-link, but it's called "Barbed Wire Coffin". I did the score sort of last minute (in two days) which I'd be more proud of were it not for a distractingly bad saxaphone sound
Long story still kinda long, I agree, B&W==awesome but sometimes color is better!
B&W looks awesome in MANY circumstances. It's also almost certain commercial death. We can all find exceptions to that, but a significant percentage of the potential audience is going to write you off from the word go if it's in B&W.
When you learn a little more about lighting you will find that bad
lighting will not look really good in black and white.
I agree, I think more filmmakers should use black and white. If I
could, I would almost always shoot B&W - I love the way it looks.
Imagine “Casablanca” or “Citizen Kane” in color. Or “Manhattan”
and “Good Night, and Good Luck”. Imagine “An American in Paris” or
“The Godfather” in black and white.
I remember a discussion on this here on IT a while back.
It's a shame, really. It doesn't come down so much to "Taste" than it does "Tolerance". There's a dismissive attitude toward B&W. One that sees anything B&W as "dated" or "old".
But we can't argue, really. I'm sure we've all flicked through the movie channels to see a movie, and then, to our (although we might not admit it, as proud film-makers) dissapointment that it was the original, and not the recent remake. Yet again, swinging back to my previous point that it was a limitation, and is still seen as that, rather than a style. Although the latter- to us Filmmakers atleast- we know to be true.
Nice post, Cracker. Think I'll have to find or make an excuse to shoot a short in B&W in the coming months.
My first short was B&W, shot kind of neo-noir. while I love the look, it's a headwind against the film. A lot of audiences, especially younger audiences will just dismiss it out of hand.