From the long-take trenches of the early digital masterpiece Russian Ark and the boundary-pushing slow-motion of Antichrist, to emulating distinct formats in Happy as Lazzaro and Romeria, Dirk Meier has witnessed many of the key inflection points in digital cinema. Now, he joins Film Formally to share his war stories, the lessons he’s learned along the way, and his philosophy for look-development and aesthetic frameworks in the digital era.

Watch it here

We discuss how to conceive and define visual language through an analytical lens, breaking down images into variables of color, texture, and motion. We also dive into insights from Meier’s collaborations with directors like Roy Andersson and Lars von Trier and cinematographers like Hélène Louvart, explore the nuances of celluloid and MiniDV emulation, and the ways in which digital workflows allow for nonlinear image design.

Edited by Griffin Sheel

Works Cited:

Dirk Meier's website:
https://digital-film-services.com/
Devan's LetterBoxd list on Digital Cinema: https://letterboxd.com/devanagscott/list/digital-cinema/
Steve Yedlin's Display Prep Demo:
https://www.yedlin.net/DisplayPrepDemo/
'The Fog of Log':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IugTH2VwDk
The Hitchhiker's Guide to Digital Colour:
https://hg2dc.com/