City/Urban Cinematography in Movies

L K
Feb 3, 2022
2 min read

Many of these stills have been sourced from working VFX artist Evans Richards on his website - www.evanerichards.com/index

Other stills I've captured directly from watching myself.

I was looking for how directors/photographers were setting up shots, or in other cases a specific visual style that I thought would be applicable to the overall theme of my main project.

CHILDREN OF MEN 2006

CINEMATOGRAPHER: EMMANUEL LUBEZKI

35MM FILM | 1.85 : 1

This movie also tackles similar themes to my project, set in a almost dystopian Britain that is trying to keep foreign nationals out of the country.

I particularly like the urban shots of London with a more grounded, dirty look to them. There's a lot of graffiti, posters and sounds that tell the story - an aspect I hope to replicate in my project.

TAXI DRIVER 1976

CINEMATOGRAPHER: MICHAEL CHAPMAN

35MM FILM (SOME 16MM) | 1.85 : 1

Low budget and set and filmed in New York City. The city and cab are almost the main characters in the film. Some of these night-time shots with neon lights and stark reflections are visually striking, and is something I'd also like to implement in the main project.

ON THE WATERFRONT 1954

CINEMATOGRAPHER: BORIS KAUFMAN

35MM FILM | 1.33 : 1, 1.66:1 & 1.85 : 1

Filmed in New Jersey, it was the rooftop shots with all the radio/TV antennas, coupled with a mess of other protrusions that drew my interest. I thought I could use some aspects of the clutter for my own roofs.

BLADE RUNNER 1982

CINEMATOGRAPHER: JORDAN CRONENWETH

35MM FILM (65MM Special Effects) | 2.20: 1, 2.39 : 1

Stylistically this movie is has a much more futuristic look than I'm aiming for. It does however give off a very alien, run-down, lived in aesthetic which is similar. Many of these shots have simple camera moves and feel realistic in terms of movement, they let the sets effects do the talking.

PARASITE 2019

CINEMATOGRAPHER: KYUNG-PYO HONG

6.5K ARRIRAW | 2.39 : 1

The external shots show a very lived in and messy urban neighbourhood. A lot of these shots show few characters, but portray the lifestyles of the people who live there well. Tattered parasols show a lot of use, carts for moving things around, messy power/telephone wires.