Soderbergh is the worst. The guy has no style whatsoever. His cinematography skills are awful, as is evident by the awful look of this trailer. It is well known in the industry that the films he shoots himself need to be put through so much post work so that they look good, WAY more than the usual film, cause none of his shit matches, cause he really does not know what he is doing. And the way he totally fucked Moneyball is another example of what a hack he is. Fuck him. The only good thing he ever did was the first hour of the Solaris remake, that's it, and even there I'm really just talking about Kelvin's flashbacks to meeting Rheya on Earth, which are pretty fuckin' brilliant. Don't even get me started on The Girlfriend Experience...

this is exciting...

Oh the motherfuckin' possibilities.

Bitches.

Wonderful to see Hale again. "Loose Seal!" "I Don't care what my mother says!"

And speaking of Necessary Roughness, the early 90s was a great time for really dumb football movies... Necessary Roughness, Rudy, The Program, etc.

This better be better than Burn After Reading. God, that was not good.

blakindigo, I apologize for ascribing the wrong comments to you.

And I'll repeat this one more time, he does his post at Sony, I have friends that work in post at Sony. They do TONS of movies, and Soderbergh is the only one they have a real disdain for. Nice guy, but one of those people that thinks they know everything, when in fact they know very little. During color correct sessions Soderbergh tries to hop behind the controls and fiddle with shit even though he's clueless about how it works. It drives them insane, cause then they have to go back and fix shit he fiddled with incorrectly.

Now, if you want to apply logic to Hollywood, go ahead, but I know better. And no studio is going to tell Soderbergh to fuck off with his DP shit cause it costs them an extra couple of hundred grand in post. Soderbergh is good enough to where he doesn't completely embarrass himself, but a DP, a true DP, he is not.

And enough with your buddy with the video camera. It means nothing when someone is just trying to get some nice sharp images as opposed to when someone has millions of dollars and lights and grips and gaffers and is trying to achieve certain looks. As for Rodriguez, I don't know anyone who has worked on his shit, so I can't say how he is as a DP.

I don't have a particular dislike for him, I just dislike him, I think he is an empty filmmaker. He has nothing to say. He has no style whatsoever. And he is one of those people that are not smart but think they're a genius. I don't like people like that.

It's interesting that you bring up your friend’s 16x9 little HD camcorder vs a 24P HD cinema camera... I get your point, but video isn’t just video under all circumstances. I think that is like trying to compare a Prius to and a F1 open wheeled racing car. The two machines (be it cars or cameras) are purposed for two very different criteria. There are some big differences in terms of control and latitude with professional camera technology that you don't have with the consumer version.

For example, let’s compare a pocket point-and-shoot still camera (that is mostly automatic) and a high-end large format digital still camera used for say a fashion shoot (which are often set manually). The consumer technology is designed to be automated, so that it is simple to use, but the user gives up a lot of control for that simplicity. In contrast, the pro camera is designed to be highly controllable, but the user has an advanced understanding of the technology and its capabilities under various conditions. A pro shooter wants control over things such as lenses, shutter speed, ISO etc, stuff the average user does not care about.

The same is true with digital video: An “HD” consumer level camera is designed so anyone can pick it up and get a decent image – suitable for weddings and birthdays etc. High-end cinema cameras are designed to give the DP as much control as possible over framing by using various lenses etc. Add to this lighting and how cinematographers are skilled at sculpting and manipulating light. Again, consumer level camcorders are designed to work well in most lighting conditions. However, knowing how to light a scene to take full advantage of high-end HD cameras, like the Viper Film Stream Camera System and how it reacts to different lighting scenarios is a highly specialized skill. Someone may have a “knack” with a camcorder but they would not have the foggiest idea of how to control a professional level HD camera even if both have a lens, CCD, viewfinder etc. So the two technologies don’t really compare well as equals, it is more of a progression from low-end (consumer) to high-end (professional). Remember, on those DVD commentaries and extras that you refer to, when someone like the Director or DP says something is “easy” or “simple” or “a piece of cake” they are not talking in consumer terms they are talking from a point of view where they are using professional level gear. It is like when a fighter pilot talks about the newest high performance jet as being “easy to use.” Yes, it is easy to use because they have trained with the technology for years and can evaluate it on that level. If you were to put the average recreational pilot if the cockpit of an F22, you have a problem. In all of these scenarios the technology suits the need and is not transferable. The skill set needed is a progression from one level to the next.

Based on the trailer, I also think SS's latest film looks "off" (whether that was on purpose or not I have no idea).

I am curious to know if you liked the look of Traffic or Ocean's 11? I believe both were shot by SS and, at least in my eyes, they had a look that fits the narrative. Traffic had a that grainy/documentary style to it and Ocean's 11 was garish and over saturated... like Vegas.

"Say what you want about the man's films, but his skills as a DP are non-existent." That's a bit harsh don't you think? My guess is that he would not continually get work if he had no skill as a DoP. A "Conrad Hall" he isn't, generally his films are good or at least interesting though no?

I have to wonder if it is less about being a hack or lack of knowledge, and more about speed. The guy sometimes releases 2 or 3 films in a single year... that's just nuts, in addition to wearing the Producer, Director, DP hats at the same time. Perhaps if he took some time to actually concentrate on the film at hand his stuff would look better?

Your thoughts?

So, let's go back to the old standby. Down with evil Big Business!

Seriously, I'm tired of these issue oriented after school specials. But, I guess no matter how poorly they perform at the box office or how mind numbingly predictable they are, we're going to keep getting them.

Cheers Hollywood. Can you pause just a moment from moralizing to us or planning an eternity of remakes or turning your ill gotten millions from TINO2 into blow to try and make something interesting for us?

As for Soderbergh, I did not really like the look of Traffic. I like the grain, and Soderbergh's shot selection is very good, as it usually is, but just throwing a blue filter on some scenes, or an orange filter on others does not, in my mind, constitute good cinematography. The less said about the Ocean's movies the better. I despise the way those films look. It's just fake saturated, shiny shit. I much prefer the look of something like Bubble to the Ocean's films. Soderbergh only DPs his own films, it's not like he's ever getting hired to be a DP. As I said, studios indulge his DP wish because he doesn't embarrass himself and an extra couple of hundred grand in post means nothing to them. I don't particularly like his films, technically he is a good director, but creatively I find him bankrupt. He's nowhere near the level of a Mike Figgis, or Michael Mann, or David Cronenberg. Not even in the same ballpark. Solaris is the only film of his I liked. And yes, his speed is also a problem, but really, how the hell are you supposed to focus on lights and lenses and f-stops and all the shit a DP has to worry about while also worrying about the performances, the set design, etc. It's not like a director editing his own shit, which Soderbergh does as well, because production is over and he can focus on the editing. But being a DP is HARD, and it takes a lot of work, and based on Soderbergh's raw footage, he is incompetent as a DP. Not awful, just not very good either.

Hmmm, I agree with you somewhat about Soderbergh, but not entirely. I don't think he's creatively bankrupt. Granted, he has done way too many "Ocean's" type films in recent years, but I respect him for occasionally stepping out of the mainstream and making "little" films like Schizopolis or Bubble (and even for doing his own DP and editing work from time to time). And I gotta say, I love his version of Traffic for the most part (although I think that has as much to do with Stephen Gaghan as SS). But to each their own.

You do make some good points though and I gotta respect a guy who likes the work of Michael Mann... screw the haters.

And Mann in the man!! Can't wait to see Public Enemies!