Would using a star filter for cinematography be too weird?

[Ryan Elder]

I like the look of the star filter, when used on still photos, and thought I would use it for cinematography, or have the DP do it. But would it be too weird for video? It's just I don't recall seeing any movies, where it's used, so is there a reason for that?

[Cary Knoop]

Perhaps during some flashback moment (maybe together with some RGB split and shift).

[Ryan Elder]

Oh ok i meant for the look of night scenes but no flashbacks.

[Paul R Johnson]

You're thinking street lights, car headlights/brakelights that kind of thing?

The results can be unpredictable. get out there and try it out.

[Brian Drysdale]

Many types of star filter have been used on films over the years. However, I would tend to be careful with star filters if they're being used on dramas, they can look kitsch if used inappropriately.

Some cross weave net filters can also produce a star on point highlights like lights.

Streak effect filters are sometimes used to simulate the horizontal flares found on anamorphic lens, which tend to be the ones employed on dramas.

Again, you need to run tests on any filter effect.

[Ryan Elder]

Oh okay thanks. It's just it's the DP who does these things, so if I tell him I want it and he says okay, then I would have to rely on that it is a good decision without testing it, if he is the one who has all the equipment. Or perhaps I could get him to run some tests, see what it looks like.

[Paul R Johnson]

YouTube (Short URL)

RYAN - A very interesting documentary on how Kubrick worked - very interesting.

[Brian Drysdale]

As the director, you can watch the tests.

On the set you should have a monitor where you can see the effect. it's not like film. Although, even there, you can see how a star filter looks though the film camera's optical viewfinder. There shouldn't be any surprises with a star filter.

[Ryan Elder]

Okay thanks, that video is very interesting. I won't be able to use all the same types of approaches obviously, but it is very interesting and inspirational :).

As for watching the tests, I shouldn't be doing this on the day of shooting though, and do these tests in pre-production though, with the DP, right?

[Pete Cofrancesco]

Originally Posted by Paul R Johnson

https://youtu.be/WOLZMr52Wcc

These behind the scenes videos are more informative than simply watching the finished movie. A few take a ways that as a viewer you are seldom aware of all that challenges that go into a production. You can also see the amount to money put into customizing the lens, the knowledge, expertise, production staff...

Good examples of how every director works differently especially how Kubric doesn't like to write camera shooting directions into the storyboard because it lock you into one way of thinking. Rather see the scene live and react accordingly that supports the story. Reminds me of how Ryan tries to plan too much and isn't good making adjusting on set.

On topic, star filter. Really?

[Ryan Elder]

Yeah I thought a star filter may give a certain cinematic look but haven't seen it used too often that I can recall, so I wasn't sure.

Well as for storyboards, usually once production happens, I am so busy with all these other tasks, that I do not have much time to come up with new shots, so I liked to get as much done before shooting as I can, including storyboards.

But if I tried this approach, of doing new blocking in rehearsals, do try different rehearsal takes with different blocking and do it through trial and error to see what is best? Or when you say, see scene live, and act accordingly, are we talking about during rehearsals, or actual shooting?

[Pete Cofrancesco]

I’m merely suggesting that there’s downside to over planning and being too specific and detailed in your storyboard. Once you’ve become too attached to these details it becomes difficult to make changes that suit the situation found on location.

[Ryan Elder]

Yeah that makes sense. So in the film school course I took as well as tutorials, when they say to go through the script and write in the shots, for the the pieces of dialogue and action, like how it's done in this video, at 5:10 into the video:

Film Riot - How to Storyboard & Schedule Your Film - Pre-Production in Filmmaking! - YouTube

Is this not a good way of doing it, even for a preliminary storyboard to get your feet wet?

As for doing it Kubrick's way, are you saying that the actors block the scenes, themselves during shooting, as they go? Wouldn't this cause other problems though, if that is how he does it?

[Paul R Johnson]

I didn’t get that impression at all? They hardly touched on the acting direction just making pictures. I’m intrigued as to what you understand as ‘blocking’?

[Brian Drysdale]

Star filters vary, the standard 4 and 6 star filters tended to be used on 1970s TV programmes, there are more irregular ones which aren't obvious. The latter would tend to hide the star effect. You would need to ensure that the DP has the correct star filter, because there's a range available.

You block the scene out with actors before you start shooting, once it's blocked out the scene doesn't change. Drawings won't make much sense to actors, there's no sense of space or time in them. The coverage mentioned in the video using lines in the script has nothing to do with blocking the action with the actors.

In reality, you should shoot more than just the two lines mentioned in the video to allow some overlap for the editor. You might do this when shooting film with a low shooting ratio, when you need to save film stock, but there's no reason to do so when shooting digitally. It also gives the actors a run up to the dialogue.