Lense Flares up in tha hizzzaaaaaouse

[xclark]

the lens flares we see in Punch Drunk Love are typical of anamorphic lenses.  I've heard PTA say somewhere (earlier commentary maybe?) that he loves the blue flares you get that are characteristic of anamorphic lenses.  

I'm not a cinematographer, but as I know a little about that stuff.  anamorphic lenses are wider than normal lenses and allow a wider frame to be put on film.   Paul has shot his last 3 (maybe all of them) in anamophic.  flares occur in all lenses, different lenses cause different flares.  

in the old school of filmmaking, flares were an absolute no-no.  many directors today embrace them.  Soderberg loves them too.  my favorite flare (at the risk of sounding completely geeky) is one in Out of Sight where a flare (not anamorphic) follows Clooney across a parking lot (after he leaves a bank).  check it.

just thought I'd jump in...

[82]

the lens flares we see in Punch Drunk Love are typical of anamorphic lenses.  I've heard PTA say somewhere (earlier commentary maybe?) that he loves the blue flares you get that are characteristic of anamorphic lenses.  

I'm not a cinematographer, but as I know a little about that stuff.  anamorphic lenses are wider than normal lenses and allow a wider frame to be put on film.   Paul has shot his last 3 (maybe all of them) in anamophic.  flares occur in all lenses, different lenses cause different flares.  

in the old school of filmmaking, flares were an absolute no-no.  many directors today embrace them.  Soderberg loves them too.  my favorite flare (at the risk of sounding completely geeky) is one in Out of Sight where a flare (not anamorphic) follows Clooney across a parking lot (after he leaves a bank).  check it.

just thought I'd jump in...

I explained most of this a couple a posts ago.. and the lens isn't wider.. its how it puts it on the film..  Its able to use the whole film cell instead of if you were hard matting or soft matting.. it puts the image tall and skinny on the film and then is later stretched for the 2.35 effect.

yeah

[Mesh]

For me, the PDL lens flares and scopitones (right word?) are both part of one mostly visual aesthetic PTA chose for the film.  Barry's world is a jumble of bewildering light and color before and after Lena; her appearance makes that bewilderment into something wonderful.  Lights burst forth in the frame; the sun blinds us and Barry as he steps out of the garage door; the car accident is a whirl of carnival light; Lena's apartment complex is a bright, neon maze; much the same is the supermarket, with patches of green Healthy Choice, red dressed girls, and cans of soup that blur as they pass by.....; notice also that Barry's confrontation with the Mattress Man occurs in perhaps the film's darkest space, both characters in virtual silhouette and contrast that with the carnivalesque silhouettes of Barry, Lena, and the passersby in Hawaii (in the first, the characters are cutouts in a blinding gorgeous scene; in the second, the characters blend into a dark back room).

I know next to nothing about the text behind said lens flare, so I just thought I'd help make the case for why they may have been put there.... Argue or add to it at will.....

[chainsmoking insomniac]

Fuck, that was almost poetic.

So, how's the mayo?

[cowboykurtis]

its pretty easy to creat lens flare -- they probly had a small zip light standing by -- all you have to do is shine a light at the lens -- you can see it being done in some of the shots -- for instance the shot when they are walking down the hallway and holding hands & the blue light whizzes throught the hallway like tinkerbell -- look frame right, outside the window; in the bushes -- you can see the scource light panning across the frame -- all they did was have an HMI standing by and when they walked by they panned it into the lens  to get the desired effect. its a pretty easy process. every time you set up a lighting scenario you will ahve lens flares -- so pta left them there, instead of putting up flags to "correct the error" -- he uses what some consider an error as a stylistic choice.

[AntiDumbFrogQuestion]

There is a lack of post in this type of movie according to me.  I remarked to one of my friends how many reflections there were in the movie and how I've never caught the camera in them. He said "yeah, they probably take that out with computers afterwards!" Naw, I think it's just PTA gettin' his mad skills goin'. Plus the lens flare just rules when ignored as "being in the way" and just seen as "one of those things that happens."