[Official Info] Bradford Young, Director of Photography for Solo

I didn't see a thread dedicated to the DP, Bradford Young, and so I've decided to create one. Please merge with an existing thread if I missed it.

There's been a lot of talk about who is responsible for what on this film. Is the look and tone mostly due to Lord and Miller? Howard? The Kasdans? etc. However, there hasn't been a lot of talk about Bradford Young. Which is suprising, as this film looks a lot like a Bradford Young film. In particular, his signature use of single source lighting is a huge part of the film's aesthetic, which seems to be a cross between a Western (the Searcher, in particular, comes to mind) and 70s urban films, such as Tax Driver. Unlike most big films, Young is into using single source lighting, which results in dramatic shadows and silhouettes. Most striking are some of his backlit shots, which set up some seriously iconic-looking moments (Han walking into the card game, the crew on the desert planet, etc).

There's a nice recent article on The Triton that includes an interview with Young, where his approach is briefly discussed. The key excerpt being:

"He was allotted a good amount of creative freedom and employed it by using single source lighting and slow, procedural shots instead of the fast cuts often seen in action movies."

This is really exciting to me, and a big reason why this film looks so good, IMO.

Check out the full article here:

http://triton.news/2018/05/oscar-nominated-cinematographer-bradford-young-talks-filmmaking/

And for more on single-source lighting, which is Young's stock and trade, here's a good breakdown:

http://neiloseman.com/art-single-source-lighting/

What say you?

 

Great thread!

Here’s a tweet from ILM showing off a particularly impressive tracking shot during the Conveyex heist:



Not sure who would be more responsible for this, Howard, Young, or even Lord/Miller. But it really caught my eye. (Not to mention seems like Beckett is a total badass which I haven’t been totally expecting)

I also love the Sabacc game, great use of single point of lighting as the article touches upon. Some iconic-feeling shots like the POV of all the aliens + Lando turning to look at Han. Great stuff.


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After seeing the two teasers and one full trailer of Solo, I’m getting the feel of Rogue One mixed with a space western and heist caper... With potential to be the surprise box office hit of the year!

Cinematography looks excellent, characters are well-drawn, and the scenery is amazingly rugged too, which only goes to show one thing - all parties involved (Ron, Bradford, even Lord & Miller) have done their part in ensuring that this initially problem-plagued film has reached its finishing stages and generating good buzz thus far!


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Some good examples of single source lighting from the trailers. Makes even the most mundane scenes interesting. From what I've seen so far, it's an incredibly well-lit film. I sense an Oscar nomination for Young. Right up there with Fraser's work on Rogue One.

 

Wow, my favorite shot has to be that of the imposing Star Destroyer emerging from the cloud... Amazing lighting and really well done-up shot!

And if the folks at the Academy don’t consider Bradford Young for nomination to the Best Cinematography category, I will look at them as snobs who don’t know how to appreciate REAL talent!


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Actually, I think the cinematography in Solo may be the one thing that appeals to the film "snobs" at the Academy. It's about as close to arthouse in its style that a big film can get. Perhaps deliberately, it looks like "The Godfather" of the GFFA.





In this context, Young has a far greater chance of getting a DP nom than Howard does getting a director nom.

 

Bradford is a genius, fact.

 

This movie had a serious smoke machine budget.

 

Rivaled only by its fur coat budget.

 

When I was really little, my friend and I would make movies on our parents' video cameras (usually a young Indiana Jones movie with a seven-year-old running around in a hat, or a Beatles music video), and he loved using his smoke machine as often as he could, literally whenever he got the chance. I remember asking him why, and he told me, "Because all good movies have a lot of smoke in them."

 

Smart kid.

 

While I was expecting a more vibrant color palette from this film before seeing any of the trailers/tv spots, I have no doubt Young will deliver. The marketing has already showcased a handful of striking images from the film (provided they make the final cut).

 

I love that the decision was made, cinematographic-ally, to focus the film's look on its "underworld" qualities, rather than its "fun" qualities. To often these days, "fun blockbuster" means everything is as brightly lit as a Saturday Morning cartoon. Young's approach gives the film a wonderfully seedy 70s vibe, which is just perfect. But at the same time, the trailers have shown that the characters and action will be a blast. That blend of serious drama cinematography and pulpy, heisty fun is what I'm digging so much about the footage I've seen. And Kudos to Kathleen, Howard and L&M for giving Young a ton of creative freedom. He's used it to great effect.

 

I absolutely love that Star Destroyer enveloped by the cloud. One of the best scenes I think I've seen in a trailer and it caught notice right away on it's first appearance.

I can't wait to see the full film.

 

I'm loving the late 70s grit of the film, in both the establishing shots and the more intimate ones. These two shots say it all for me:

 

The film does look gorgeous. Probably even better than Rogue One which is probably my favorite looking SW film to date.

 

Agreed. Which is why, in a way, I'm almost more excited to learn about who the next DPs are gonna be, than the directors. And I'd love to see Fraser (Rogue One) or Young (Solo), attached to some of the other projects, including RJ's, D&D's and Favreau's. And the Kenobi movie...

 

I know Solo hasn't been released yet, but of the new Lucasfilm era films, the two anthology films are the ones I feel are the most interesting looking, ranging from cinematography, locations, character/creature effects, costumes, and so on.

I'll admit I've been against this project for a long time since it was announced, and I still feel that we really don't need to dive into the background of some of the most popular characters of the series, but, that said, since Howard took over, and based on all the footage that has been released, I am getting excited about this movie.

 

Oh yes, the two teasers showed a side of Solo, in terms of cinematography, that we have gradually grown to appreciate and this culminated with the full trailer... Rogue One with its gritty and rugged scenery set a high benchmark, that's for sure, but one that can be beaten by Solo, thanks to the excellent work of Bradford Young!

 

This is where I am right now too. I loved R1 better than TFA and based on what I've seen so far I definitely think I'll end up rating Solo ahead of TLJ.

 

You know, I’m not really sure about the look of what we’ve seen. Seems like every single scene is very dimly lit. Not sure I like it

 

Bradford Young does have a very distinct style that utilizes a lot of single-source lighting for dramatic effect. I think it turns what would otherwise have been mundane shots into really interesting compositions. And it brings strong shadows and silhouettes into the picture, which I like a lot. Refreshing, in my view, because so many blockbusters are really overlit, which gives them an artificial air. Personally, I still lean towards Fraser’s more naturalistic lighting (Rogue One, Zero Dark Thirty), but I’m still liking this style a lot. Gives it a dangerous edge, while still looking beautiful. And it just...feels like the seedy late 70s. Like a mix of Taxi Driver, The Godfather, and the OT. Which is appropriate for a flick about gangsters.

 

This movie was definitely well Shot; it's one thing that most everybody seems to agree on. Stunning, and immersive.

 

I really want a Roger Deakins movie.