🎬 #205 The Best References Are Painters.
A big part of a director’s job is to get everyone into alignment with what they have in their mind. There needs to be something they can point to, at least to start the conversation with the rest of their team. Having a single reference that everyone can visualise is a huge help when they’re trying to wrangle hundreds of people’s minds into the same space. Turns out director’s love painters. So this week I’ve pulled out some famous shots / film looks that have their origins in paintings.
Please enjoy
Bry
Heat
Director Michael Mann
Painter Alex Colville
[1967 - ‘Pacific’]
What’s great about referencing a painting is that they’re not as accessible as, say, a music video or another popular film. They're more ‘hidden’ as reference and so can inspire a lot more without it feeling like one filmmaker is ripping off another.
Blade Runner
Director Ridley Scott
Painter Edward Hopper
[1942 - ‘Nighthawks’]
Whereas the first painting was used for one specific shot in Heat, the painting referenced by Ridley for Blade Runner was more for the overall look / mood or palette.
The Exorcist
Director William Friedkin
Painter René Magritte
[1954 - ‘Empire of Light’]
Friedkin used the Magritte painting [sold in 2024 for a record $121 million] as a reference for the now iconic shot of the arrival of Father Merrin.
Great artists steal.