Behind the Frame with Tyler Oaks
This Behind the Frame features Tyler Oaks. Tyler is a Nashville based cinematographer specializing in Commercial Work, Music Videos, and Feature Films. We had the chance to chat with him about his experience shooting the short film ‘Still Life’. The film follows a detective slowly unraveling as a serial killer taunts him with mementoes of his gruesome crimes. The killer circles the detective and his partner’s private lives until the line between the case and their home life blurs.
Tyler shot this film on our True Lens Services rehoused and speed boosted Mamiya Sekor-C 645 medium format lenses.
Contrast:
"This film has some serious and shocking undertones. How did you want to approach and establish that intensity from a visual style?
Tyler:
"I wanted to contrast these dark, visceral moments with these painting-esque scenes so that you felt like you were in the serial killer’s mind. I wanted you to feel disturbed at first, but then oddly lured in. The killer only sees the beauty in this and that’s exactly where we wanted to put the audience."
Contrast:
“The coloration of the film has golden tones, high contrast, and a vivid richness. Did you have a color palette in mind from the start? How did you want your equipment choices to help establish a look?”
Tyler:
“When I first approached this story, I wanted the world to seem striking, dramatic, and heavy. Finding a look was something that owed really naturally and being able to work with Wes Langdon (Colorist) on this piece really was a privilege. Being able to sit with him and nd the nuance of the story within the color is something that really brought to life some of these scenes.”
Contrast:
“Sometimes Nashville music video DP’s lean into heavy softening lters to introduce a style. You seemed to let some scenes render quite sharply. Did you intentionally lean in one direction or the other?”
Tyler:
“For narrative, I really try to stay away from filters or styles just for the sake of it. My job is to service the story rst and if I try to force a style or look that I want into it, sometimes that can be very detrimental to the project.”
Contrast:
“A lot of the shots are quite wide and close, showing a lot of the world and getting near the action. But some shots are intimate and more telephoto, with painterly out of focus backgrounds. Were you intentionally making framing selections differently for different scenes? Why?”
Tyler:
“The reason for either ultra wide or close shots was to give a sense of discomfort. I wanted to translate the feeling you have when someone doesn’t understand personal space. Our antagonist is someone who doesn’t understand that whatsoever, so if I can break that personal space boundary and put you in an uncomfortable position, that’s exactly where I want you for this story.”
Contrast:
“What was the flow like with the Director? Did you all make any “rules” up front that guided your approach or established consistency to make creative decisions more clear or consistent?”
Tyler:
“Mila and I were on the same page from day one, so making rules for our world felt very natural. Who’s perspective we wanted to focus, how we wanted to allude to detail and foreshadowing, how to shoot the more intense scenes. But we also left room for adaptation and improvisation, that way if we felt inuenced or inspired by something we knew how to integrate it naturally without feeling out of place.”
Contrast:
“What was your experience like with the Mamiyas? What qualities stood out? Did they give you that magic and satisfaction we always hope to find?”
Tyler:
“The Mamiyas were the perfect lenses for this project. They provided such a large image on the Venice 2 that allowed me to really show off the world our antagonist has created. You could really feel the vastness and intensity in which he operates. These lenses were clean and sharp, but had a beautiful fall off that I’ve not seen from shaper glass before.”
