Film Formally

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

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.

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.

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.

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.