Film Formally

Willa Harlow Ross & Devan Scott
  • 4.8 (22)
  • Film Reviews
  • Updated Weekly

Film Formally gets granular about how movies work by studying a technique or trait through its best examples. Independent filmmakers and friends Devan Scott and Willa Harlow Ross leverage years of experience watching and making movies to bring you spirited and approachable conversations, offering brick-by-brick analysis and discussions about how films work.

  1. Jul 21

    Digital Colour w/ Dirk Meier, Colourist of 'Secret Agent'

    If any modern colourist has seen it all, it’s Dirk Meier. From the long-take trenches of the early digital masterpiece Russian Ark and the boundary-pushing slow-motion of Antichrist, to emulating distinct formats in Happy as Lazzaro and Romeria, Meier has witnessed many of the key inflection points in digital cinema. Now, he joins Film Formally to share his war stories, the lessons he’s learned along the way, and his philosophy for look-development and aesthetic frameworks in the digital era. We discuss how to conceive and define visual language through an analytical lens, breaking down images into variables of color, texture, and motion. We also dive into insights from Meier’s collaborations with directors like Roy Andersson and Lars von Trier and cinematographers like Hélène Louvart, explore the nuances of celluloid and MiniDV emulation, and the ways in which digital workflows allow for nonlinear image design. 00:00 - Introduction 03:14 - Russian Ark and Dirk's Early Projects 12:45 - The Evolution from Film to Digital Workflows 21:03 - Antichrist and late-'00s digital workflows. 36:26 - Defining "Look Development", and working with Roy Andersson 49:13 - Working with Hélène Louvart on Happy as Lazarro and Romeria and emulating MiniDV 01:01:43 - Working on THE PIMP, HDR grading, and using color references. 01:05:44 - Image Attributes, Steve Yedlin's Display Prep Demo, and Demystifying Digital Imagery 01:21:12 - Colour Grading Secret Agent Devan's LetterBoxd list on Digital Cinema: https://letterboxd.com/devanagscott/list/digital-cinema/ Steve Yedlin's Display Prep Demo: https://www.yedlin.net/DisplayPrepDemo/ 'The Fog of Log': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IugTH2VwDk The Hitchhiker's Guide to Digital Colour: https://hg2dc.com/ Edited by Griffin Sheel Shownotes and Resources:  https://www.filmformally.com

  2. Jun 30

    Il Cinema Ritrovato: A Festival Dispatch

    In this extra-hot special emergency dispatch episode, Devan's in Bologna, Italy at Il Cinema Ritrovato, the world's premiere archival film festival! Every year, tens of thousands of cinephiles gather in Italy to watch old movies presented anew. He's joined by Tom Charity, VIFF Centre's year-round programmer, to discuss this remarkable festival, the films they saw, and all the questions raised by various methods of film exhibition. Chapters: 00:00 - Welcome to Bologna 01:02 - What is Il Cinema Ritrovato? 02:59 - All the Directors are Dead" 07:07 - Old European Cities & Heat Waves 10:20 - Festival Highlights: Barbara Stanwyck & Co. 18:25 - Pakeezah (1972) 23:26 - What Price Glory (1926) & MoMA Restorations 26:11 - Ball of Fire (1941) 27:58 - The Devils (1971) 29:05 - Ludwig (1973) 34:23 - Carbon Arc Projection 38:50 - 35mm and DCPs: the showdown. Shownotes and Resources: https://www.filmformally.com

  3. Jun 9

    Large Format Myths (Film Formally is back!)

    Film Formally returns! What's changed? 1. We're a video podcast now!  2. We're a monthly podcast now! Otherwise, you know the drill:  Devan Scott and Willa Harlow Ross - and sometimes a guest - dive deep into the formal building blocks of cinema. Or sometimes preservation. Or sometimes even more niche academic topics! All the stars are here. This week: Devan went and made a video essay debunking myths about shooting format size, and it stirred up some controversy! We're here to sift through the pieces and and answer some questions about exactly we talk about when we talk about format size. We'll discuss the finer points of image formation, perspective distortion, rectilinearity, and why industry icons inadvertently perpetuate misconceptions. Welcome back! Chapters: 00:00 – The Return of Film Formally! 07:31 – Format Size Discussion 13:26 – Breaking Down the Physics: What is Format Size? 24:50 – Depth of Field and Image Blur Circles 37:58 – Editing Influences: Errol Morris and the "Vlogging" Aesthetic 46:21 – Resolution Talk Shownotes and Resources:  https://www.filmformally.com WORKS CITED: Devan's video essay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nqa-OBV5ik Steve Yedlin's display prep demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suZtYPIADHM Cine Lens Manual: https://store.ascmag.com/products/the-cine-lens-manual

    Large Format Myths (Film Formally is back!)

  4. 2022-04-19

    Commentary 6 - STILL PROCESSING with Sophy Romvari

    FILM FORMALLY is back! This month, friend of the podcast Sophy Romvari’s films are premiering on the CRITERION CHANNEL and to mark the occasion we’ve recorded a set of commentaries for six of these films - NINE BEHIND, IT’S HIM, PUMPKIN MOVIE, NORMAN NORMAN, IN DOG YEARS, and STILL PROCESSING. To listen along, have the film ready to go and hit “play” when prompted within the episode after the introductions. Please note that, due to sync necessities, there are a few gaps in the episode’s discussion: we’ve filled with with snippets of Will’s original score for the film. STILL PROCESSING (2020) A box of stunning family photos unseen for decades awakens lost memories as they are viewed for the first time on camera. In this episode, we discuss: Hybrid documentary and fictional elements. Still Processing’s long production and post-production schedule. Photographic storyboards. Audience expectations and documentaries about grief. Composing the score. What did we learn? Sophy’s films can be seen on the CRITERION CHANNEL - feel free to sign up for a free trial if you aren’t a member.

    Commentary 6 - STILL PROCESSING with Sophy Romvari

  5. 2022-04-12

    Commentary 5 - IN DOG YEARS with Sophy Romvari

    FILM FORMALLY is back! This month, friend of the podcast Sophy Romvari’s films are premiering on the CRITERION CHANNEL and to mark the occasion we’ve recorded a set of commentaries for six of these films - NINE BEHIND, IT’S HIM, PUMPKIN MOVIE, NORMAN NORMAN, IN DOG YEARS, and STILL PROCESSING. We’ll be releasing one per week for the next six weeks. To listen along, have the film ready to go and hit “play” when prompted within the episode after the introductions. IN DOG YEARS (2019) Old dogs are celebrated in ten short stories about love, loss, and letting go. In this episode, we discuss: Why the CBC hired Sophy to make a dog documentary. Cinemascope as a canine-friendly aspect ratio. A talking head documentary without talking heads. Documentary structure. Will and Sophy’s correspondence editing style. Sophy’s films can be seen on the CRITERION CHANNEL - feel free to sign up for a free trial if you aren’t a member.

    Commentary 5 - IN DOG YEARS with Sophy Romvari

  6. 2022-04-05

    Commentary 4 - NORMAN NORMAN with Sophy Romvari

    FILM FORMALLY is back! This month, friend of the podcast Sophy Romvari’s films are premiering on the CRITERION CHANNEL and to mark the occasion we’ve recorded a set of commentaries for six of these films - NINE BEHIND, IT’S HIM, PUMPKIN MOVIE, NORMAN NORMAN, IN DOG YEARS, and STILL PROCESSING. We’ll be releasing one per week for the next six weeks. To listen along, have the film ready to go and hit “play” when prompted within the episode after the introductions. NORMAN NORMAN (2018) A young woman grapples with the declining health of her beloved dog in this film about mortality, cloning, and Barbra Streisand. In this episode, we discuss: Creative “Labour” and filmmaking. Cross-country collaboration. Norman’s TIFF pass. Conceptual cinema. The opportunities afforded by non-traditional modes of production. Sophy’s films can be seen on the CRITERION CHANNEL - feel free to sign up for a free trial if you aren’t a member.

    Commentary 4 - NORMAN NORMAN with Sophy Romvari

  7. 2022-03-29

    Commentary 3 - PUMPKIN MOVIE with Sophy Romvari

    FILM FORMALLY is back! This month, friend of the podcast Sophy Romvari’s films are premiering on the CRITERION CHANNEL and to mark the occasion we’ve recorded a set of commentaries for six of these films - NINE BEHIND, IT’S HIM, PUMPKIN MOVIE, NORMAN NORMAN, IN DOG YEARS, and STILL PROCESSING. We’ll be releasing one per week for the next six weeks. To listen along, have the film ready to go and hit “play” when prompted within the episode after the introductions. PUMPKIN MOVIE (2017) Two women trade stories of misogyny while carving pumpkins over Skype as part of a Halloween tradition. In this episode, we discuss: The film’s extremely truncated pre-production and production timelines. Ultra low-budget filmmaking and unconventional production methods. Structuring 45-minute conversations with editing. Documentary, fiction, and the way that PUMPKIN MOVIE inadvertently became a hybrid of the two. Sophy’s films can be seen on the CRITERION CHANNEL - feel free to sign up for a free trial if you aren’t a member.

    Commentary 3 - PUMPKIN MOVIE with Sophy Romvari

  8. 2022-03-22

    Commentary 2 - IT’S HIM with Sophy Romvari

    FILM FORMALLY is back! This month, friend of the podcast Sophy Romvari’s films are premiering on the CRITERION CHANNEL and to mark the occasion we’ve recorded a set of commentaries for six of these films - NINE BEHIND, IT’S HIM, PUMPKIN MOVIE, NORMAN NORMAN, IN DOG YEARS, and STILL PROCESSING. We’ll be releasing one per week for the next six weeks. To listen along, have the film ready to go and hit “play” when prompted within the episode after the introductions. IT’S HIM (2016) An unexpected encounter during an afternoon at the cinema catapults a young woman into a confrontation with her own grief. In this episode, we discuss: Creative geography. The learning process of collaboration. Working with actors on an indie budget. Remastering NINE BEHIND and IT’S HIM. Restructuring IT’S HIM in post-production. The transition from the relatively large production of IT’S HIM to the stripped-down minimalism of PUMPKIN MOVIE.

    Commentary 2 - IT’S HIM with Sophy Romvari
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4.8
out of 5
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About

Film Formally gets granular about how movies work by studying a technique or trait through its best examples. Independent filmmakers and friends Devan Scott and Willa Harlow Ross leverage years of experience watching and making movies to bring you spirited and approachable conversations, offering brick-by-brick analysis and discussions about how films work.

Information

  • Creator
    Willa Harlow Ross & Devan Scott
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    54
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 02741230-6418-11f1-a16f-e300a98cfba0
  • Show Website
    Film Formally

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