“Write about your own personal inspirations for visual references in film.” Sounds simple enough. Yet for some reason once I started, I found it quite difficult to think of things. I know what I like to see, but what truly inspires me? So after thinking long and hard, this is what I came up with.
When is comes to inspirations for composition, I want to start off by saying that Alfred Hitchcock is one of my most favorite directors of all time. Not necessarily because of his story lines, but because of his compositions. He was one of the first to really use the camera as a storyteller. Instead of keeping the camera still and on the stars, he would move the camera around helping the audience to feel more like they are actually apart of the story.
(Above) This still shot is from the movie Notorious, filmed in 1946. Here you see the shadow of Sebastian on the door. You also see a set of keys on the vanity to the left. I like this shot because it is setting up for the suspense. Hitchcock uses the shadow on the door as a “ticking time bomb.” Alicia is going to try to steal the keys, and the shadow helps the audience know that Sebastian can step out at anytime and catch her in the act. I really like how using shadows and objects help tell the story at times more than the characters.
The two shots above are really cool establishing shots. In one continuous shot, the camera starts really high up and then cranes all the way down to an XCU of Alicia’s hand holding a key. Hitchcock’s wide, high angled shot of the party helps set up a care free, fun scene, while the XCU emphasizes on the crisis still at hand. Hitchcock inspires me, because every one of his shots has a certain meaning behind them. No one shot is less important than the other.
When it comes to color palettes, I find inspiration in different movies. I tend to really enjoy movie that have kind of a yellow tent to them, making them sort of vintage looking.
A great example of that is Sherlock Holmes. 
For example, the Corpse Bride. I love how he uses really dull colors like black, brown, grey, and blues to help set the tone of his films.
I also really like how Burton used such amazing colors in his film, Alice in Wonderland. I thought is was cool how the color palette would change depending on what characters were present. For example, when the Queen of Hearts is around, the palette consists of reds, blacks, grays, and creams. When we see Alice, it usually consists of blues, greens, purples, and whites.
This particular picture is not a photo, but an actual still shot from Jane Eyre. I love how the harsh back lighting seems to embraces the couple.
The last two photos are from my favorite photographer and good friend, Sarah Barlow.
In this picture I like how the window is the only source of lighting, and all you see is Emilia’s silhouette. Also, it's cool how the darkened corners help draw the viewers eyes to the subject.
Lastly, I love everything about this photo. The composition, the lighting, the colors are all perfect. I love the object in the foreground being blurred. I love how crisp and clear the focus is on Emilia. It’s truly a wonderful shot.
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