Focal Lengths Preferred by 25 Great Directors

This video discusses the preferred focal lengths of 25 renowned directors and how these choices contribute to storytelling in film.

Importance of Focal Lengths

• Focal lengths are crucial in cinematography for storytelling.
• Directors might change focal lengths based on the situation or as their career progresses.
• Some directors use the same focal length throughout a film, while others vary them within a scene.
• Different focal lengths shape the viewer's perception and emotional response.

Directors and Their Preferred Focal Lengths

Orson Welles

• Citizen Kane: Primarily used a 25mm lens for deep focus and long takes.
• Touch of Evil: Utilized an 18mm lens for wider spaces and face distortions.
• Films were shot in different formats impacting focal length equivalency.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet

• Favors extreme wide-angle lenses like 18mm and 25mm, used for films like "Delicatessen" and "Alien Resurrection".

Mikhail Kalatozov

• Soy Cuba: Used mainly a 9.8mm lens for a majority of the film and 18mm as an alternative.

Roman Polanski

• Rosemary's Baby: Shot with a 25mm lens.
• Chinatown: Used anamorphic lenses, notably a 40mm lens.

Wes Anderson

• Prefers anamorphic formats with lenses like 40mm or 27mm for films such as "The Royal Tenenbaums" and "The Grand Budapest Hotel".

Quentin Tarantino

• Uses a variety but prefers 40mm or 50mm wide lenses.

Christopher Nolan

• Transitioned from anamorphic to 65mm IMAX, preferring 50mm for regular shots and 80mm for close-ups.

Ridley Scott

• Started with anamorphic, now uses spherical and prefers telephoto lenses.

Terrence Malick

• Moved from anamorphic to super 35, uses wide lenses like 12mm and 16mm.

Steven Spielberg

• Known for using a 21mm lens and wide-angle shots to enhance storytelling.

Tim Burton

• Stays within a 21-50mm range, occasionally using long lenses.

Martin Scorsese

• Prefers wide lenses, typically 25mm, but uses different lenses for specific films.

Coen Brothers

• Favor a 27mm lens, ranging between 25-40mm.

David Cronenberg and David Fincher

• Both directors often use a 27mm lens, but Fincher includes mid-range to telephoto lenses.

Francis Ford Coppola

• The Godfather: Stuck to a 40mm lens.
• Apocalypse Now: Used a variety due to production needs.

Alfred Hitchcock

• Preferred a natural field of view with a 50mm lens on Academy.

Other Notable Directors

• Robert Bresson and Yasujiro Ozu: Both preferred a 50mm lens for entire movies.
• Sydney Lumet: Documented his focal length choices as storytelling tools.
• Stanley Kubrick: Known for custom lenses including a 50mm f/0.7 for "Barry Lyndon".
• James Cameron: Uses custom cameras and lenses, mostly in the medium range.

Key Takeaways

• Choosing a focal length impacts the narrative and visual style of a film.
• Directors may use custom or standard lenses depending on their storytelling needs and technical requirements.
• Understanding these preferences provides insight into the directors' visual storytelling techniques.