I love the colors in this short! Particularly given my presentation last week, I enjoy the lighting choices: there are a lot of reds and greens, and often in subtle ways. Watching the opening shot where Markova is putting on makeup, it looks like the filmmakers chose to use the fluorescent lighting in her dressing room rather than bring in their own (or, they simulated that impression). Either way, they also didn’t correct the green tint with a white balance setting on the camera (like we would probably be tempted to do), and I love the result: it sets an appropriate tone for the viewer, and it also makes her red make-up and dress pop. Subtle choices, but I think they add a lot.
I also enjoyed the film portraits we get, first of the dogs and later of Markova herself. This time the whites are balanced perfectly and we get some studio-type lighting styles which deliberately suggest a painting. I don’t think I would have thought to put the main light above the subjects, but again, it creates a sort of eerie, circus-y tone that supports Markova’s interview beautifully. She’s a performer, and the lighting helps us to understand that.
The Poodle Trainer from Vance Malone on Vimeo.
This video is so good! This is a great example of a strong character really making the piece. I love stuff like this. Not only is the woman and her interview good, but the dogs are also key characters. And because the lighting is already so interesting and planned out, at least where they are performing, it really makes for a lovely video. I agree that the choice to not color correct the greenish hue of the dressing room was smart. It really makes the rest of the video pop.