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There's a long Steadycam tracking shot in this movie following (behind) the protagonist out of his motel, down the street, through some kind of arcade, to a bowling alley. Nothing that unusual in that regard, but what was interesting was the extremely short depth of field throughout the shot-for all intents and purposes the only object in the sweet spot was the hero's back. That is until the bowling alley, when depth of field increases to include a group of people in the distance (there might have been a cut at that point-I don't remember one, but I can't say for sure).
The question is, what lens/technique did they use for this? I'm thinking a short focal length, opened up wide, but I'd be curious to know. And how would the DOF be increased at one point without an edit?
The movie was shot on film, btw, not video, so I'd guess that computer manipulation isn't the answer. And the shot was effective for it's apparent purpose-to accentuate the character's sense of isolation in a foreign land.
"dammit"
Follow Ups:
You can only mess so much with the laws of physics without it showing, so I would venture the following (I have not seen the film; my background is as a broadcast videographer and part-time photographer):
If we assume the shot is indeed 'real', as in everything you saw was shot on a sound stage at the same time (and not matted in later):
To get more depth of field in an existing shot, there are two ways to do it on-set and in-camera:
Either:
Go to a wider angle on the zoom lens (inconspicuously) as the SteadiCam travels with the protagonist. Thus at a given f-stop, depth of field increases. This, possibly combined with a stepless shutter on the camera, could yield greater depth seamlessly.
Or:
Have the lighting being increased steplessly while the C2 closes the f-stop ring slowly in sync with the lighting. This would not be easy to do without a fair amount of rehersal, but it wouldn't be completely impossible either. The shutter angle may play a role here too.
Digital manipulation is available, whether the shot originates on film or video.
In post, you could throw the neg into a digital scanner, and selectively soften the areas surrounding the protagonist, and then remove the softening to reveal what was all along a shot with good depth of field.
This would perhaps not look quite the way a classic change of depth of field might look, but it might work.
I am not familiar with all the post techniques available, so I am merely offering this one as a possibility.
CC.
Thanks for taking the time to post. Perhaps if you see the movie you could add anything relevant.
I love trying to figure out the nuts-and-bolts stuff, though after I've left the theater-if I'm thinking too much about it during the film, it's probably not that good. Reading the 'making of' books is fascinating, and you realize that movie people are some of the most talented, most artistic, and creative people on the damn planet.
In fact, I have a movie litmus test: If I could have thought of that, it probably sucks.
"dammit"
powerful story of what an immigrant feels. Baseball was merely a vehicle not the driving plot point. Very good leading actor, too.....
Very well done. The pacing and rhythm were very even throughout the film, the acting was, for the most part, superb, and it's nice to see a well scripted movie whose subtext can be seen to deal with today's social issues, but never michael-moore-in-your-face preachy. Subtlety is the key here.
It may not be for everyone, since what conflict there was in the movie was never unrealistically portrayed (i.e., Harrison Ford isn't there to beat up the Mean Towny a la 'Witness'). Also, some relationships and situations just drop off a cliff, never to be seen again, but it's consistency in that regard made it seem a conscious choice by the film maker, and therefore realistic on the face.
All in all, if not a must-see, a well-worth-seeing.
"dammit"
Hi,
Glad you liked the film! If you haven't seen it, try "Half-Nelson" from the same director.
Enjoy!
Sam
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