Black and White Filmmaking the past is the future
Black and white films.
What do you think of when you see a black and white movie?
Do you think of films from a bygone era?
Something from the distant past?
Do these black and white images only take you back into the past or suggest opportunities in the present?
Many of the world’s greatest filmmakers have used black and white to tell stories in our modern era. From Steven Spielberg to Woody Allen to Christopher Nolan these filmmakers have made remarkable films by shooting in black and white. Other filmmakers use black and white scenes in their movies films to highlight important movements or changes in place and or time, look to Kill Bill as an example. I would like you to consider black and white as a way to produce your first movie.
Me, shoot In black and white?
My iPhone shoots in vivid color only right?
Check again, it also shoots great black and white footage.
Sure some of my favorite films from the good old days of filmmaking were black and white. some of the greatest films of all time were black and white. During the Christmas holiday, I must have watched It’s a Wonderful Life three or four times and Miracle on 34th Street as well. I love watching those films and after about 5 minutes I didn’t even notice they were in black and white. It’s so like that trick in the Wizard of Oz. When the movie starts in black and white and switches to color you don’t remember that it was ever in black and white until the end when it goes back to black and white, funny how the mind works that way isn’t it?
Maybe black and white movies aren’t that bad at all?
But how do I do it?
How do I shoot in black-and-white?
I’m glad you asked that question. Have you noticed that your iPhone has black and white settings? Have you noticed that filmic pro has a nostalgic setting design for black and white?
What are the advantages of shooting in black and white?
The biggest advantage is from the aspect of a learner.
When you shoot black and white it allows you to focus on the basics. Simple lighting, simple scene setups. You don’t have to worry about color and color grading later. You don’t have to worry about lighting for color you can focus on just telling the story. It will teach you how to light for mood because with black and white lighting it in some ways become more important where the characterization is concerned. With shooting in color you have to factor in all the colors in a particular scene, you have to factor in the shade of color that the light produces. While in black and white you only have to focus on what the light tells us about the character you can focus on shades of light and dark to convey mood. It is a great tool for the beginner. It’s like learning to play an instrument by running scales. How many hours upon hours that those of us who studied piano had to go through those finger scales before we got it right how much did we have to count? How long do we have to listen to that metronome go back and forth Tick and Tock?
Many young filmmakers never even consider this many brand new filmmakers brand new devices go out and shoot and color and spend our days in the editing Suites trying to get the color to balance out perfectly for one thing to another rather than focusing on telling the story visually.
Today I suggest you look at your camera on this case your smartphone in a whole new way look at it from the perspective of a beginner filmmaker.
Go out and shoot a few scenes in black and white a few conversations a few setups shoot at night shooting in the daytime and I promise you that you will be amazed at what you learn along the way about filmmaking.