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Author Topic: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc  (Read 5282 times)

Rand47

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The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
« on: December 31, 2018, 12:03:15 am »

The gestalt of this essay is sublime.  The prose, ephemeral.  Both exceeded only by the excellence of the images.  Meaning upon meaning.

Bravo!

Rand
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David Sutton

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Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
« Reply #1 on: December 31, 2018, 01:45:58 am »

.... and a masterclass on how to take up the gauntlet.
David
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OmerV

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Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
« Reply #2 on: December 31, 2018, 07:19:03 am »

In the documentary Cutie and the Boxer, there is moment in which Ushio Shinohara says, to the effect, that being an artist is sacrificial and ruinous. The film is revealing in its portrayal of what being an artist can be like.

Impressive work by Michael Leblanc. A great post, Josh. A breath of fresh air.

Rado

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Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
« Reply #3 on: December 31, 2018, 07:29:19 am »

I welcome more attention to cinematographers here (if that's going to be a trend) - for years they have been more interesting and inspirational to me than still photographers.
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petermfiore

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Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
« Reply #4 on: December 31, 2018, 08:15:28 am »

Josh,

A great article. The why of all art is paramount. Tech, in itself is boring. I teach painting at a New York city art school. Students often confuse craft as the goal of being an artist. It takes time to learn the craft and more time to learn what it is the individual has to say...Much harder. Often elusive.

One can learn the craft within a year of hard work. Then spend the rest of their life searching for themselves. If smart, one learns to accept the voyage and to relish the unknown. That's an Artist. That's the Why!

Peter

Patricia Sheley

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Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
« Reply #5 on: December 31, 2018, 09:24:04 am »

 Clouds overhead painting the change of wind from southeast to north. By the sea reflected light and shaped by unrecorded memory and that very sea I would sometimes share a discovered path,  but learned that with the exception of a few here, the measure of their reception was not from behind the eyes and from open minds.  That was good though as it reassured that the path was worth exploring. 

I can't possibly know the what of all that has taken place, but I opened Michaels book and his last note to me this morning and smiled seeing him watch this unfold.  Good winds and deep breaths.
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A common woman~

elliot_n

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Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
« Reply #6 on: December 31, 2018, 09:38:26 am »

Patricia - a beautiful response to an interesting article. And that image is genuinely awesome.
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bcooter

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Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
« Reply #7 on: December 31, 2018, 10:33:19 am »

Patricia - a beautiful response to an interesting article. And that image is genuinely awesome.

+1 of many.

__________

In the same spirit.

Forgive my post as I’m a little foggy after a 11 hour flight where we start pre production Wednesday.

Nobody knows where this site will go, though Josh just published an interesting article, on a film makers career, how he got there.  Josh’s article looked like he knew what he was talking about, so I think we can cut some slack until we see where this all goes.  Let’s hope it goes well.

Other than new daily content like Redshark, which just posted it’s 6,000th article, https://www.redsharknews.com/business/item/6011-we-ve-just-had-our-six-thousandth-birthday

This type of daily articles and news makes it easy to check on the Redshark site where many articles are broken down to series that are short but go on in multiple parts, multiple days.   That way I can read what I want, without losing an hour of time.

I’d love to see less bickering between posters on the forum.  I’ve done it in the past, even done it when I never knew I was doing it.  (I know sounds strange), but somehow I struck a cord with one of the participants.

But on this thread I see a few bickering that goes nowhere, nobody learns anything and I’d bet dollars to donuts that if the protagonists actually met in person, I am mostly sure the conversation would be very different with a much more positive turn, but maybe on the inter-web there is no cure for human nature.

I am also sure if the tone changed from negative to positive and the posters showed their favorite photograph, gave a brief history of why they shot it, where they shot it and what was the result.  Does it hang in their living room, hang in a gallery or shown around the world?

Something like this:



This is a simple image for jeans wear and it looks simple though I tried something I’ve never done before with light and I use a lot of lighting and fixtures.

Rather than use a standard umbrella, or beauty dish, I used a profoto ring light mounted on a stand about 25 degrees to the left of the subject, (rather than over the lens) filled with large 4x8 white foam core flats.

The beauty dish without a modeling light is a little difficult to fine tune, but produces a directional but soft light that opens the skin up and still offers some contrast.   The only post worked included cleaning up the background, a change in coloration and just a couple of very, very slight blemishes.   The onset talent had beautiful skin but nobody is perfect so the way the light opened her up and then fell off, gave a very smooth look.

I know this isn’t the most complicated photograph and many people here don’t shoot fashion, but this would work for portraits, lifestyle, a shot of your kids.

IMO

BC
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Rob C

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Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
« Reply #8 on: December 31, 2018, 11:27:53 am »

A very appealing start to the new LuLa!

Nice to find something that has an actual base in applied photography rather than just applied button-pushing.

Let's hope the momentum doesn't go south.

Happy New Year to all you folks!

Rob

Rand47

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Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
« Reply #9 on: December 31, 2018, 11:51:33 am »





’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
      Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
      And the mome raths outgrabe.

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
      The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
      The frumious Bandersnatch!”

He took his vorpal sword in hand;
      Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree
      And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
      The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
      And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
      The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
      He went galumphing back.

“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
      Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
      He chortled in his joy.

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
      Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
      And the mome raths outgrabe.
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fdisilvestro

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Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
« Reply #10 on: December 31, 2018, 11:58:05 am »


I am also sure if the tone changed from negative to positive and the posters showed their favorite photograph, gave a brief history of why they shot it, where they shot it and what was the result.  Does it hang in their living room, hang in a gallery or shown around the world?

Something like this:



This is a simple image for jeans wear and it looks simple though I tried something I’ve never done before with light and I use a lot of lighting and fixtures.

Rather than use a standard umbrella, or beauty dish, I used a profoto ring light mounted on a stand about 25 degrees to the left of the subject, (rather than over the lens) filled with large 4x8 white foam core flats.

The beauty dish without a modeling light is a little difficult to fine tune, but produces a directional but soft light that opens the skin up and still offers some contrast.   The only post worked included cleaning up the background, a change in coloration and just a couple of very, very slight blemishes.   The onset talent had beautiful skin but nobody is perfect so the way the light opened her up and then fell off, gave a very smooth look.

I know this isn’t the most complicated photograph and many people here don’t shoot fashion, but this would work for portraits, lifestyle, a shot of your kids.

IMO

BC

Another splendid image of yours. Just wanted to mention that this idea actually was started a few months ago, inviting members to post their best image and tell the story behind it

https://forum.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?topic=126217.0

Unfortunately, it died out pretty soon

bcooter

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Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
« Reply #11 on: December 31, 2018, 12:51:35 pm »


snip

Unfortunately, it died out pretty soon

Well hopefully it will stay.   

It's kind of a shame the web-o-sphere works.   We all professionals to advanced enthusiasts have many stories to tell, but so much you can never mention.  Maybe it would hurt a subjects feelings, or commercially make a client upset and once it's on the web, there is always someone that will take it out of context and then the damage is done. 

On one of the DOP roundtables on you tube, the group was going rather protective and not offering up much until one DOP said "you know on the first take of the first scene of every movie he works on, he looks through the lens and thinks to himself "How the hell am I going to do this", then you start, the adrenaline rush kicks in and your on, usually right on."  Once the first DOP opened up, the other DOPs all opened up, because when you shoot a lot of things are going through your head.  The 20 conference calls, the weeks of pre production, the crew looking to you for direction, the AD, CD or director positive you know what your doing and you also have that clock ticking in your head knowing you have so many set ups to do within a given time period, not to mention staying on or under budget. 

IMO

BC
« Last Edit: January 01, 2019, 12:09:05 pm by bcooter »
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Rado

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Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
« Reply #12 on: December 31, 2018, 01:37:38 pm »

Just wanted to mention that this idea actually was started a few months ago, inviting members to post their best image and tell the story behind it

https://forum.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?topic=126217.0

Unfortunately, it died out pretty soon
It's a cool idea for a thread and perhaps more people would know about it if it wasn't buried in the Coffee Corner. Maybe some sort of "Thread of the week" spotlight article could be published on the main site to point people to interesting stuff as I'm pretty sure nobody reads all 35(!) of the subforums here.
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Rob C

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Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
« Reply #13 on: December 31, 2018, 04:41:54 pm »

It's a cool idea for a thread and perhaps more people would know about it if it wasn't buried in the Coffee Corner. Maybe some sort of "Thread of the week" spotlight article could be published on the main site to point people to interesting stuff as I'm pretty sure nobody reads all 35(!) of the subforums here.


There was a brief chat at the time about moving it elsewhere on the forum, but as nobody really had a better idea, it was left as was.

Maybe that was a mistake after all.

Of course, it becomes awkward for anyone to post more than one shot, or else how could one think the first shot the favourite one?

For myself, there are other shots that have their moments and meanings to me too, but to post them as well runs the risk of converting the thread into a personal portfolio!

One nice thing about the thread idea, is that it permits all sorts of genres to get equal space; that helps prevent too strong a sense of competition, I suppose, but as this isn't a contest, everybody should be able to feel free to show what they like best of their own efforts without feeling they will be judged. My own shot is pretty ancient, and by today's ideas, a bit "quiet" which of course, is a refection of my personal likes.

It would be interesting to see what the new breezes would blow in....

Rob


« Last Edit: January 01, 2019, 04:50:39 am by Rob C »
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Alan Klein

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Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
« Reply #14 on: December 31, 2018, 10:00:21 pm »

What's a DOP?

alainbriot

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Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
« Reply #15 on: December 31, 2018, 11:56:01 pm »

DOP = Director Of Photography  :)
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KLaban

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Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
« Reply #16 on: January 01, 2019, 04:49:56 am »

Another splendid image of yours. Just wanted to mention that this idea actually was started a few months ago, inviting members to post their best image and tell the story behind it

https://forum.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?topic=126217.0

Unfortunately, it died out pretty soon

I thought the Coffee Corner was the right place and would be more inclusive but if others feel differently then let's get it moved.

Best shot is essentially a subjective selection and is inevitably a moving target. If anyone has had a change of mind since posting then they're free to add another image at any time.

Give us your best shots
« Last Edit: January 01, 2019, 04:56:17 am by KLaban »
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alainbriot

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Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
« Reply #17 on: January 01, 2019, 12:23:50 pm »

Students often confuse craft as the goal of being an artist. It takes time to learn the craft and more time to learn what it is the individual has to say...Much harder. Often elusive.

One can learn the craft within a year of hard work. Then spend the rest of their life searching for themselves. If smart, one learns to accept the voyage and to relish the unknown. That's an Artist. That's the Why!

Very true and very well worded Peter.
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josh.reichmann

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Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
« Reply #18 on: January 01, 2019, 01:26:50 pm »

Thank you to those who offered such positive feedback on the Michael LeBlanc piece so far.

I'll be checking in on the forums as I can, I am encouraged that people benefited from the film industry angle and more importantly the DOP as a subject. It will be a reoccurring topic (though not a dominant one) and I thought it fun, if not a touch daring to launch with.
 
Check Mike's site to dive deeper into his work. As well, I will be posting a filmed interview between the two of us where I will discuss my own feature film which he co-wrote and directed with me. We are about to finish sound on the movie at Delux in Toronto this month and head into color correction, a rough cut has been submitted to the big festivals.

Much more en route.

Happy New Year to all.

Josh
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Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
« Reply #19 on: January 01, 2019, 01:31:43 pm »

Very true and very well worded Peter.
I agree totally.
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