How Martin Scorsese Made Another Masterpiece - Killers of the Flower Moon Behind the Scenes
Killers of the Flower Moon Explained - Martin Scorsese’s latest film is a masterclass in cinematography, and we break down what makes it so great, from lighting to VFX.
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Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction to Killers of the Flower Moon
01:18 - Martin Scorsese develops the Epic
02:26 - Chapter 1: Camera and Lens Choices
05:34 - Chapter 2: Lighting
10:57 - Chapter 3: Visual Effects
13:17 - Takeaways
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MAKING OF KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon is unlike anything the legendary director has made before. And yet the film is also a culmination of Scorsese’s favorite genres and techniques, all blended together in a seamless epic about the original American sin. In this video, we break down the breathtaking visuals that comprise Scorsese’s latest masterpiece.
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON VISUALS
First, we look at the camera and lens choices Scorsese and cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto made to accomplish Killers’ distinct style. Prieto and Scorsese opted for the Arricam LT and Arricam ST film cameras for most scenes. For daytime sequences, they shot on Kodak 5207 stock; while for the nighttime shots were on Kodak 5219.
For even darker scenes, Prieto switched to a Sony Venice digital camera, which performs better in lowlight. For the opening sequence, Prieto shot on an antique Bell and Howell hand-crank camera, which Scorsese already owned.
As for lenses, the duo opted for the anamorphic Panavision T-Series. Prieto felt these wide lenses were fitting for the flat landscape of Oklahoma. For the funereal shots of murdered Osage members, Prieto shot on a custom anamorphic Petzval lens, which is an extremely old piece of glass that gave the footage an antique feel.
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON LIGHTING BREAKDOWN
Killers of the Flower Moon’s plot line is a journey into the heart of darkness, and Prieto wanted to represent this with the film’s lighting. For Osage-oriented scenes, Prieto shot using naturalistic light, emphasizing their connection to the land. As the film progresses and gets more and more bleak, the lighting gets harsher and more contrasty. This evolution was aided by Prieto’s choice in LUT. For the beginning of the movie, he used a LUT mimicking autochrome, an old color treatment. Near the end, he transitioned to ENR, which has less saturation and more contrast.
The lighting in Killers isn’t always naturalistic. There are certain scenes where Scorsese and Prieto went for more experimental imagery. These are some of the most striking images in the film, including Mollie’s sister’s death and Ernest staring out at burning crops.
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON VISUAL EFFECTS
Scorsese’s number one priority when talking with VFX supervisor Pablo Helman was to have any VFX work be invisible. In other words, he never wanted it to call attention to itself.
As such, there is VFX throughout the film, but you wouldn’t know it. The VFX team primarily worked on expanding sets and matching the town’s look to historical photographs. But they also touched up actors, making the poisoned Osage women look sicker as time went on.
Killers of the Flower Moon is a testament to attention to detail, and a master of his craft working at the top of his game.
#FilmTheory #VideoEssay #Filmmaking
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♬ SONGS USED:
“Diary of a Taxi Driver” - Bernard Herrmann
“(Intro) The Sacred Pipe” - Robbie Robertson
“Salvation Adagio” - Robbie Robertson
“Not if its Illegal” - Robbie Robertson
“The Wedding” - Robbie Robertson
“Heartbeat Theme Ni-U-Kon-Ska” - Robbie Robertson
“My Land... My Land” - Robbie Robertson
“Reign of Terror” - Robbie Robertson
“Shame on Us” - Robbie Robertson
“They Dont Live Long” - Robbie Robertson
“Tribal Council” - Robbie Robertson
“Tulsa Massacre Newsreel” - Robbie Robertson
“Insulin Train” - Robbie Robertson
“Too Much Dynamite” - Robbie Robertson
“The Gallop, Chasse, Pas de Bourree” - Adam Nielsen
“Metropolis (A Blue Fantasie)” - Vince Giordano, Nighthawks
“Mollie” - Andy Stein
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Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction to Killers of the Flower Moon 01:18 - Martin Scorsese develops the Epic 02:26 - Chapter 1: Camera and Lens Choices 05:34 - Chapter 2: Lighting 10:57 - Chapter 3: Visual Effects 13:17 - Takeaways
"No matter how good a movie is, there's always Scorsese" -De Palma
That was De Palma
That was from De Palma after watching Raging Bull. Tarantino quoted it. And i agree with the quote.
Great line
@@Vinaykumar-nf4qg oh..I heard it from Tarantino... corrected.
@dDStudios11 The quote actually was " No matter what you do. No matter how good you are. There is always Scorsese. "
Maybe the darkest movie Scorsese has done on a thematic level. And can we take a minute to acknowledge Lily Gladstone’s performance? She completely held her own against Leo and De Niro.
Great work all around
The only 3.5 hour movie I've gone to see twice in theaters. Bravo
Well worth the watch!
Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) is one of the Best Movie from Martin Scorsese. One of the Most Ambitious project from Martin Scorsese and one of the Best Movies of this decade. It's a complete audiovisual encyclopedia about How they made this Movie. Thousand Thanks StudioBinder for this Inspiring video.💯💯
Thanks for watching!
I like how subtle the cinematography is
Such an under appreciated film. Love this video on the visual aspects. The distorted burning fields shot is my favorite shot in the film.
stunning shot!
I have been waiting for this ❤ Thanks studio binder 😊
Thanks for watching!
Some films need multiple viewings to be fully appreciated and understood. Killers Of The Flower Moon is one of those.
Seen the movie 5 times already. What a masterpiece.
Really loved this film and I have been looking for BTS for so long!!! Love this!
Glad you liked it!
Absolutely amazing! Thank you S.B. and Mr. Scorsese.
This was such a fun set to be on. Crazy high level of production. Lilly is a sweetheart.
He’s a scumbag
Must've been a great experience!
My mom and I saw this movie and it's very good indeed I really hope it would win some awards this Oscars year .
We'll see!
got nothing, they hate marty
@@MECHFILMS_ i know and I'm pissed about it.
Outstanding cinematography and production. I wish they had put the same care and thinking into the writing. So much potential. Thank you for the video!
I agree. The witting could have been way better. He is suppose to be a hall of fame director, but you have to know you can't copy a book entirely and think it's going to transfer to a cinematic movie perfectly. It has to be adapted to audiences for a blockbuster experience. Good composition, camera tricks, color grade and a few great name actors is no longer enough to make a GREAT movie. This movie is not great.
Arguably they put the most amount of care in the writing; it took years because they decided to change the point of view from the detectives in the book to Ernest and Mollie. The shift caused the budget to blow up. Though that alone doesn't mean the writing is good
@@StudioBinder Yes, you can clearly see that they did a lot of research. Unfortunately, they did it at the expense of a compelling narrative. It felt like they prioritised documenting what happened rather than telling an impactful story true to the facts. The whole plot is laid out from the beginning. The DiCaprio character has no character arc and never doubts his actions. I wish they had a more concise plot, actual character arcs and used Molly as the protagonist. I thought the movie was finished after 2h30 but then it ran for one more hour for no good reason. The critical drinker has a good review on that, especially the writing: You can find it on his channel @TheCriticalDrinker
Maybe this movie will get more love at the Oscars.
I hope it happens
It should but you know Oscars is very bias they like popularity more than art.
We'll find out soon!
Seen it last night 3.30 h movie Worth watching❤
💯
Wow! It’s amazing how this movie was knit together! I live about an hour from the film site. One of my daughters married a Native American from Oklahoma...not Osage, though. I anonymously used this daughter and two of my other daughters in my screenplay! Perhaps, Mr. Scorsese, you might be interested? It’s not set in Oklahoma, though, Chicago, Detroit and mostly New York.
Thanks for watching!
love your content!
Cheers!
Always a gem 💎 this channel
Thanks for watching!
Awesome videos as always say. I haven seen this movie...yet
well worth a watch!
Honestly, I couldn't finish this The subject of the long abuse and murder of indigenous people is soo painful I wish I could grow a spine so I could watch this ¡I am so grateful for the director & people making this movie! THANK YOU
The movie is too dark and cynical to make for a great, happy and enjoyable experience.
Thanks for watching!
MASTERPIECE!!!! The 3h30 fly throughout the movie. I didn't feel the runtime
Awesome & Thanks :)
Thanks for watching!
Waiting for how they shot it "Poor Things"
We probably will be using it in the future!
Please make a video on Light meter detail video please 🙏🙏🙏
Thanks for the suggestion!
It may be another Scorsese’s Masterpiece, but I certainly didn't enjoy watching it as much as i did with his previous films. Scorsese did a great justice to the story of Osage Nation, and brought in authenticity to it, albeit at a cost of $ 200 million, which is the highest budget for any western genre.
A lot of commas there bud.
@@r.a.mproductions your concern is addressed .
It's a masterpiece. Collosal. But I too felt that it fell short of the cinema magic I'm used to finding in Scorsese films. Maybe I'll appreciate it More upon a second or a third viewing
@medardbitangimana4580 i also appreciated it more on my 2nd viewing
Time will tell how it ranks among the rest of his filmography
Can you guys make a video on the importance or the most used stereotypes used in filmmaking
I am surprised this movie took this long to make. The facts wrote the story. The facts behind the story are as interesting as the imagination created by the movie.
Worth the wait!
@StudioBinder can you do a how they shot it about Poor Things please 🙏🏼
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ We will win Oscar one day And studiobinder You are my institute and inspiration I will mention It ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
We'll be waiting!
Brilliant
Cheers!
Special effects get a lot of bad rep nowadays, but this is one of those movies that prove that the best special effects are the ones we don't even notice.
I hope Pietro receives awards for cinematography. The film in general seems under appreciated. Found this video fascinating.
Would be well deserved!
I would love to see a video on Jordan Peele's directing. Thanks!
incredbile
2023 had a lot of great films, but KOTFM is definitely the best one
Excited to see how it does this awards season!
Can you do a video on oppenheimer too? I Loved this video by the way
We already did bro kzhead.info/sun/Zc6bptOlqHhplp8/bejne.htmlsi=RconcyJWjq3gwFXt
we did!
Sí noté un estilo visual diferente en esta película, pero no me explicaba por qué. Los efectos por computadora están más presentes de lo que pensé. Industrial Light & Magic son tremendos en el CGI. Y aunado a eso, la película tiene un final feliz. Un final donde se hace justicia, y el protagonista se arrepiente de su maldad, aceptando su castigo. El lenguaje soez también está regulado, y eso lo agradezco mucho. Sin duda la mejor historia que el cine me contó este año.
Hi. Isn't there English subtitles? Can you add to it please?
They're up!
This vid was better than the actual film
haha we appreciate it
A nightmare fr tik tok and instagram reel lovers
People who pretend to like films, but only watch reels 😂.
@@r.a.mproductions fr fr they have the most L opinion abt any films i jst hate them
haha it definitely requires a longer attention span
👍👍
🙏
Y people didn't made this masterpiece successful in theatre..☹️☹️
👌❤
Thanks for watching!
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thanks for watching!
Hey! I worked on this!
Plz Character driven screenplay.... Element...explain...
Hear me out: This film could win Best Picture.
How to think movie story......?
a breakdown in film theory?
It was a great movie that told the story well. Wasn't a fan of the pacing but still a great movie.
Well worth a watch!
@StudioBinder it's long and the pacing isn't the best but definitely a great film
🌸🌙🎥👌
Thanks for watching!
It is really shocking that this movie flopped at the box office
Not really, it's just okay
People on the "wrong side" of historical atrocities don't often want to be reminded of it during a time set aside for entertainment. It's why Barbie won out over Oppenheimer even though which was the "wrong" side of the atomic bomb will always be debated (and I am _not_ getting into that now. This is neither the time nor place to start what would become a "literal" war - as opposed to "literally" becoming a metaphorical war!)
It'd be interesting to see how Apple views the film
@@StudioBinder the duration of the movie is the main problem it should either be a series or the duration of the movie should have been 2 hours long 3 hours and 28 minutes is too much 1 hour and 28 minutes can be removed from the movie and still it would have been effective
The movie was not good. Identity politics marketing didn’t help when they changed the story in the book and said there’s already been too many white detective stories.
3rd?
have a gr8 day
Welcome!
director David Ayer next
Do you watch indian movies sir
The Osage are Indians.
we do!
@@StudioBinder thanks for the reply sir
You say the movie had a long gestation period and then you say the book 📕 was written in 2017 . By Hollywood standards that’s not gestation, that’s fast development period and allowing for coronavirus
Loved everything about the film except for the script. Lily's character doesn't do enough to be considered the protagonist, more so she has things perpetrated against her. And Leo and Deniro's characters are so reprehensible that it's hard to empathize. Even Henry Hill had redeeming features in Goodfellas. That said, it was an incredible endeavor as a film and lots to appreciate.
Want to know something? Although I'm glad Oppenheimer got the top prize at the Oscars and Cillian Murphy as well as Robert Downey Jr. taking home awards for their parts in Christopher Nolan's extraordinary biopic, I was super disappointed and pissed that Lily Gladstone DID NOT win for Best Actress In A Leading Role for her performance in Martin Scorsese's epic masterpiece that was one of only five movies from the year 2023 I enjoyed immensely. She was way better than Emma Stone's weird and annoying character in Poor Things. That movie was a waste of time and didn't make any sense to me. Martin Scorsese is one of the last remaining craftsmen who is willing to make unique and phenomenal cinema. Hopefully, Marty has given Chris the torch to continue making motion pictures that aren't superficial and lazy. Not to mention biased and formulaic.
Universal just blocked your latest video. What a shame.
:(
Masterpiece... The US movie industry has been average at best for years now. Last year was specially low quality: Oppenheimer, Barbie, Killers of the flower moon. Technically, US always has a high bar, but lately they lack character and emotion. I haven't shed a tear watching a hollywood movie for years. Europe and South Korea have been killing it, though. I recommend Spain specifically, with movies from Rodrigo Sorogoyen and Carlos Vermut.
Thanks for watching!
first
Welcome!
Great film. The soundtrack was god awful though 👀‼️
👌
"White Men"
Thanks for watching!
soulless like marvel movies
that's pretty ironic given Scorsese's stance haha
honestly, this movie is way too misanthropic to be considered great or excellent. It definitely has a Scorsese touch to it-which wont make a movie great by itself-but this can't cover up an entirely driven movie of disillusionment.
Thanks for watching!
Even this film has better VFX than Oppenheimer and they want to award Oppenheimer. Nolan fans are tiring.
You are so over inflating this movie… It’s almost laughable. It certainly not a bad movie by any means, but it’s no raging bull and it certainly no taxi driver.
👌
The Same Multi-Millionaire actor faces over and over and over !!!! Tired of it !! It's irrelevant how they shot it.
Why is it irrelevant because of an actor's face?
the term 'masterpiece' is overused in this day and age...
Masterpiece my ass,that movie was boring,stop lying!
Thanks for watching!