This page features the cinematography of Dan Parsons.
21/05/2024
When it comes to designing shots with a director, I find it most helpful to begin by asking what we want to *say* with a particular shot rather than what it is we want to *see.*
Once the intent of the shot is established, it is much easier to discuss the specifics of what we want to see and how we will reveal what is in the frame.
An on-screen explosion can bring resolution, it can evoke fear and anxiety, awe, satisfaction, and an explosion can even convey a sense of beauty. However, if we don’t understand what it is we want to say with an explosion and what it must accomplish for our narrative, we can find ourselves hitting a proverbial bullseye but on the wrong target.
Just because I point my lens at an explosion doesn’t mean the results are saying what I think they are saying. Composition, frames per second, camera movement, lens choice, point of view, exposure, and lighting are only a few of the tools in my toolbox as a cinematographer that, in specific combinations, will articulate ideas on screen with remarkable fluency and universal translation. (And we haven’t even opened the discussion of how production design, performance, sound, and the sequence and pacing of the edit will affect the overall viewing experience.)
