OUGD603 - 60 second documentary research

The first idea that came to mind was to show different frames of the video as illustrations or animations. This could be frames based on the films of Quentin Tarantino or it could be shown as a montage of clips. Depending on the research that will take place, the initial stage will consider how the trademark skills of the director can be documented in a 60 second video.

Quentin Tarantino

• Born in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1963 
• After the release of Reservoir Dogs in 1992, Tarantino rose to fame as one of the most unique film directors of the 1990s. 
• The release of Pulp Fiction in 1994 cemented the director as one of the most influential people in Hollywood. The film won the 1994 Palme d'Or as well as Golden Globes and Academy awards for best original screenplay 1995.
• His unique style of film making pays homage to the 'blaxploitation' and the exploitation movies of the 70s.
• His films often blend black comedy with extended dialogues and stylised scenes of violence. This is also accompanied by soundtracks taken from the 60s, 70s and 80s.
• Films such as Kill Bill took inspiration from Japanese culture, while other films such as The Hateful Eight and Django Unchained took inspiration from Tarantino's love of Spaghetti Westerns of the 50s and 60s.

Cinematography

• Crash Zooms - A camera zoom style used by Quentin in several of his films to emphasise the character in the scene. This also pays homage to the Kung Fu movies of the 1970s, which adds to Tarantino's love for exploitation cinema.
• Extreme Close-ups - A concentrated close-up of a character, prop they are using or interacting with. This choice of cinematography was used by the director because it is forcing the viewer to pay attention to the details of the scene and how this may have impact on the context.
• POV Trunk shots - First found in Reservoir dogs, the trunk shot has become synonymous with Tarantino-esque films. It gives the viewer the point of view of the victim in the case of Reservoir Dogs but also it has been said to be used as it is the only option available.
• Black and White - Tarantino often uses black and white at certain points in his films to engage flashbacks of a characters past (Kill Bill), or it can be used as a way to pass censors (Kill Bill Vol 1). 
• Exploitation - Paying homage to the exploitation era of film, many of Tarantino's film projects often hint at this. Collaborating with fellow director Robert Rodriguez, the two had worked together on two feature films, Deathproof and Planet Terror. Both films were heavily influenced by low budget B-movies and include missing film reals, jump cuts and damaged film stock. This gives the films a more authentic representation of Grindhouse cinema and 70s exploitation theatre experiences.
• Cameo/recurring Appearances - Tarantino himself has appeared in the majority of his own films, either as a small character part or as a subtle extra. Tarantino is also known for employing the same actors to appear in his features as different characters, all of which have their own signature characteristics and likability. 
• Easter eggs - There are several props that can be found or mentioned throughout Tarantino's film universe, including Red Apple cigarettes and the Hawaiian Big Kahuna Burger.  
• Consideration of film - Using 70mm film to capture The Hateful Eight, Tarantino hints at some of the classic films of the 50s and 60s which used wide-lense aspect ratio to capture films in a less convenient but more engaging manner. Being the 11th film in history to use Ultra Panavision 70, The Hateful Eight would use the same techniques as films such as Ben-Hur (1959) and Lawrence of Arabia (1962)