I'm definitely not the type of person to care for anything F1. I've never bothered to find any interest in it. From when I was a child seeing it airing in the middle of the day on television to now being an adult and seeing more and more people finding something to talk about regarding the sport. Now, I admire the technology within it, I admire the dedication the drivers have and how dangerous it can be when such light, fast vehicles are speeding throughout bending tracks. But, as someone that can't even watch a football match without growing bored in seconds, F1 just isn't for me. Perhaps I'd find more enjoyment in it in person, waiting for 15 minutes to capture that one second of the vehicles speeding by.
I had known of the F1 film for a while now. It was hard to not have it end up on some feed somewhere. After all, the sport has massively exploded in recent years. People love it. From the competitive side of it to the glamorising of its rich boy drivers from hedge fund families. I had ignored it as a result of my general disinterest in the sport. Only to find a YouTube video appear in front of me that had an interview with the cinematographer of the film. I love behind-the-scenes shots. I love seeing how filmmakers work their magic and learning something from them. The endless problem solving and the creativity that flows from them. I was impressed at how they had shot this film, how they broke so many rules in filmmaking to tell such a story.
For context: much of the film was shot on regular prosumer and consumer grade cameras. From the DJI Ronin 4D to the DJI pocket cameras which are tiny little squares. The cinematographer detailed how they shot in front of real F1 crowds. How they'd shoot everything alongside real drivers and some practice matches, utilising VFX to change the skins of cars and create fictional brands that were racing while essentially tracing over the footage of real races. This blend of run-and-gun filmmaking with the structure of organised filmmaking. Even down to creating their own network to handle race feeds that would make them dependent on the F1's broadcasting. So much of the film was shot at different angles and with the intent of looking as real as possible that those cameras are visible in many of the shots, so hidden in plain sight.
I found the story behind the film utterly fascinating, and that little interview which definitely served as some marketing worked its magic on me. I wanted to check out the film! And so I did. Working the mixture of fiction and non-fiction together, the film attempts to tell the story of a washed-up driver attempting to return to his former glory, a typical type of narrative when it comes to films like these: a driver that lost their way. No longer at their height. Now going back into it in attempt to return to their roots as the underdog. With Brad Pitt at the forefront of it all, I think it works. Especially now that he's aged quite a bit. One would think Pitt would be a strange pick for this sort of film, but I think for once he was actually cast quite well. And it was nice to see him in a unique sort of film that isn't just at the control of someone like Tarantino. Pitt has also taken more of an executive producer role in recent years.
Now, let's be real: most aren't watching such films for the story. They're not all that interested in the characters. Which tends to mean one thing: they're mostly interested in the action. And for a racing film, this one has plenty. And it's shot in some of the most impressive ways for a racing film to be shot. Such fast-paced sequences, such cinematic use of angles and lenses that allows us to really get caught up in that action, feeling as if we were actually there in that moment. From seeing close-ups of the driver's eyes as they focus on the road ahead. Or the fixed camera angles over the F1 vehicles that has us looking almost over its shoulder at the constant threat of those behind, creeping up or a mere set of inches from colliding at such high speeds. It really puts us in that moment, really gives us that feeling of what the drivers feel as they race in such powerful machines. Of course, this is done with the strong development of camera technology in recent years, and to no surprise much of it coming from DJI. Though they still used the usual camera setups Hollywood uses elsewhere.
To give us these perspectives, the cinematographer also detailed on how the production would go through double digits of lenses throughout the production. How they'd rig them up knowing they'd only get a few shots out of them before they grew too damaged to continue. A result of giving us that up-close angle and putting us into the action where the lenses would have no chance at surviving all the tight spaces, high speeds, and all the grit that gets kicked up along the tracks. Beyond the filmmaking process, the film is very beautiful. I really liked the aspect ratio, nice and wide which gave the film a strong cinematic look to it. Something that would've been made for the big screen in particular. Even watching from a smaller screen at home, I could tell that this was made for the cinema, and that it would definitely be a great experience there. Some films these days are made for that feeling, and I do think it's a missed opportunity whenever they're not viewed in such environments.
I honestly didn't expect to enjoy this. But I ended up coming out of it with a lot of appreciation for it. It's still not a sport I'll find myself jumping into supporting, but this is definitely a film that manages to capture the excitement and spirit that many others have for it. From the perspectives of the drivers to the people that watch for those brief seconds of engine roars and sheer adrenaline as those vehicles whizz by. Perhaps not a film for everyone, but it's quite clear that this is for those who have some interest in it all already. And they'll absolutely love it.
Hey Namiks, I saw the film with the same vibe as you. By the way, you didn’t drop the link to that video about the film’s photography — I’d love to check it out. Honestly, I had a great time with all that action. As for Sonny Hayes, there were a few things I liked about him… but mainly his freedom. He and the young pilot are so different, and together they really make you think about life and how to be happier and better. Now, every time I go out on my bike, I copy what Sonny used to do when he went running.
The guy doing the interview tends to make these 'promotional' sorts of videos where he sits down with the filmmakers and just talks to them about the process, it's definitely catered more to other filmmakers as it's about the gear used and how. Very interesting to see. I've managed to actually learn a lot from listening to and watching such things. Makes you realise sometimes how much photography and filmmaking can be problem solving without needing to spend thousands, or even millions, on gear and big crews. Sometimes it's as easy as rigging a small consumer sports camera to a helmet ;^)
Didn't think anyone would actually be interested, but here you go!
muy interesante, excelente post
very interesting, excellent post