Let me start off by saying that “The Hunger Games” was a great movie. I loved it. It was very well done, and created by very talented people.
The goal of a cinematographer is to bring the audience INTO the story and make the viewers feel so connected, that they cry or laugh when something happens, feeling as though it’s happening to them at that very moment.
While watching “The Hunger Games” for the first time, I was completely absorbed in the story and the plot and for the most part, I LOVED the camera work, and kept finding myself complimenting certain aspects of the cinematography. There are just a couple things that I found that should be obvious no-no’s. Things that stood out to me as I watched, and did not keep me immersed in the story. Things that are basics in film class and should be taught first semester. Things that the director should do everything in his power to reshoot and fix.
I’ll explain 2 scenes with “errors” that I noticed in this film that should have been addressed. read more ➝
As a cinematographer, it’s easy to get caught up in using fancy camera moves with jibs and sliders. Depending on the content of the scene, an elaborate camera move would only be distracting and pointless. That’s why it’s important to remember the little guys; the static camera shot. A static shot is basically a shot that does not have any tilts, pans, dollies, or trucks. Sometimes, we forget how important a simple camera shot can be. If used correctly, the static shot can be very powerful. read more ➝