Some directors have a
knack for keeping viewers
on the edge of their seats.
And our next director
is no exception.
"Being the director,
I've always considered myself
a part of the audience.
You could leave the
breadcrumbs that would indicate
that you were going to go the
way all the other films had gone,
and then all of a sudden
you make a quick left turn,
and they're not
prepared for that."
"How you like that?!"
We will be breaking down
the directing style of
Quentin Tarantino.
[Intro Music]
"Come on,
let's get in character."
[Music]
It's impossible to define a
director's cinematic style
by just looking at a single
aspect of their work.
So we're going to show you
how Tarantino approaches
his decisions across
seven areas of focus.
So that you can see how
every little decision
makes up the entire picture.
"Au revoir, Shosanna!"
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Our first directing element
- Story.
Tarantino creates highly
effective dialogue
that has a unique style.
"-You know, what they call,
a Quarter-Pounder with Cheese in Paris?
-They don`t call it the
Quarter-Pounder with Cheese?
-They got the metric system. They wouldn`t
know what the fuck is Quarter-Pounder is.
-What do they call it?
-They call it a
Royale with Cheese.
-Royale with Cheese?"
And leaves loose ends.
"-You're gonna be takin`
Mia Wallas out on a date?"
-It is not a date."
He moves away from an
interesting conversation
to an even more
interesting situation.
"How are you boys doing?"
He builds situations
that, suddenly, flip.
[Music]
Right when we think we
understand the scene,
he pulls the rug out.
"-Mommy I`m home.
-Hey baby, how was school?"
This is classic Tarantino.
"Say auf Wiedersehen
to your Nazi balls."
[Shooting sounds]
If you want to build a
story like Tarantino,
write natural dialogue
that builds unique voices.
"Now, this is the world's smallest
violin playing just for the waitresses"
Right scenes that lead the
audience in one direction,
and then reveal
the entire picture.
"Hey! Now lay your palms
flat on that tabletop!
If you lift those palms off
that turtle shell tabletop,
Mr. Punch is gonna let loose with
both barrels of that sawed-off."
To learn more,
make sure to check the description below
for a link to helpful tips
that will make your
dialogue stand out.
Our second subject
- Production Design.
Great production design
is one of the best ways
to steer tone, mood,
and provide story details
through visual choices.
Tarantino commonly does two
things with his production design.
He likes to build contrast,
and he likes to exaggerate.
It can be a prop,
facial hair.
a costume.
Tarantino likes to
give his characters
a trademark outfit,
a uniform.
It establishes a
visual identity.
Take,for example,
the gang in "Reservoir Dogs."
Everyone is wearing
the same black suit,
except for two people,
Joe Cabot and his
son, Nice Guy Eddie.
"All right,
everybody cough up some green food."
The suits create a
narrative boundary.
"You lost your fucking mind."
With the enlisted
men on one side
and the officers on the other.
What about a less
subtle example?
"You may choose your
character`s costume."
Like with this scene
from Django Unchained.
He stands out,
and this helps to build
contrast from his former self.
But also from the
plantation owners.
He is loud and proud
- Django Unchained.
"Remember me?
I like the way you die, boy."
[Music]
Tarantino also does
this with props.
"That really was a
Hattori Hanzo sword."
Take this scene from
"Inglourious Basterds."
Where both men have pipes.
But one is exaggerated.
The difference in imagery gives
you insight into how these men
each lead very different lives.
But also the power imbalance.
Lastly,
it provides a bit of liberty
in a scene that is anything but.
So, remember,
if you want to use production
design like Tarantino
find opportunities
for visual contrast,
and don't forget to exaggerate your
points with bold design choice.
Make sure to check the description below
for a free production design worksheet.
Our third subject - Color.
For Tarantino,
color is an emotional trigger.
[Gunshot sounds]
[Laughing]
While he will experiment
with black and white footage
from time to time,
he generally wants
his colors to pop.
When characters are in a
mission, often out for revenge,
this will be draped in
bold, primary colors,
like the royal blue Django,
or canary yellow with Kiddo,
or scarlet red for Shoshanna.
But he also uses
color to set a mood.
Take a look at the opening
scene from "Jackie Brown."
The first color we see
are shades of blue.
Blue can keep us cool.
It can bring us down,
mel off us out.
But when Jackie enters the frame,
we get a shock of more blue.
The security x-ray
machine awash with blue.
The color choices bold,
and it tells us that
Jackie is a bold character.
The color sets the tone
for the entire film
and let us know who
we're dealing with.
A bold woman,
tired of the old hustle,
and ready for a new one.
So, remember,
if you want to approach
color like Tarantino,
use bold primary colors
that build mood, tone,
passion and energy.
Make sure to check the
description below for a free ebook
where we provide
countless examples,
and explain the science
of color for you
to use in your own projects.
Our next subject
- Cinematography.
Great cinematography is a combination
of many different techniques
like lighting,
camera movement,
lens choice,
and framing.
"But this one is
a fucking madman."
Let's look at the opening scene
from "Inglourious Basterds."
"Well, I'm very familiar
with you and your family.
I have no way of knowing
if you are familiar
with who I am?"
In this moment,
he frames Hans with an OTS medium shot.
"Are you aware of my existence?"
-Yes."
LaPedit is in a
single medium shot.
LaPedit is isolated.
Then we come back
to matching OTS`s.
The mood has shifted.
We can relax.
Now, we're just doing paperwork.
"I would,
disturb you for smoking my pipe?
- Oh,please, Monsieur LaPedit.
This is your house,
make yourself comfortable."
Tarantino is toying
with our emotions.
"What have you heard
about the Dreyfuses?"
When LaPedit mentions rumors.
"Only rumors. -I love rumors"
LaPadit is lying.
So remove back out of the OTS.
It does single medium shot.
"We heard that Dreyfuses
had made their way into Spain".
When LaPadit mentions
the children...
"and the children"
...Tarantino dollies
across the lines.
He breaks the 180-degree rule.
Then everything flips.
Hiding underneath the floorboards
is the Dreyfus family.
As tension grows,
we switch to medium close-ups.
Each of which dolly
forward, building suspense.
"I might add also
that any information that makes
the performance of my duties here
will not be met
with punishment."
And eventually eases
into a close-up.
"-You're sheltering enemies of the
state, are you not?
-Yes."
Game over.
...adieu.
[Gunshot sounds]
So, remember,
if you want to approach
cinematography like Tarantino.
Find opportunities to elicit
strong emotions from the viewer
with camera placement
and movement.
This will help tie the viewer's
emotions to both the characters
and the plot.
Let's move on.
Editing.
Tarantino build something
through his edits.
Often, it's anticipation.
In other cases, fear.
"Get your ass in that car."
Take this scene from
"Inglourious Basterds."
Shosanna is at a very
uncomfortable dinner.
She'd like to leave.
"So young lady, you are to close your cinema
 for a private screening tonight."
Tarantino knows we want
the dinner to end as well.
So right when Landa arrives,
he cuts to Shosanna's face.
"-Ah, Landa, you are here."
"-Emmanuelle,
this is Colonel Hans Landa of the SS.
He`ll be running the
security for the premiere."
The entire scene
focuses on Shosanna.
"... have a word with
Mademoiselle Mimieux.
-What sort of discussion?"
Even why Lando and Zola argue,
he never cuts away from her.
He elected to use an
uninterrupted take in the edit.
Because he knows, it'll connect
the viewer even more to Shosanna.
Because we fear for her.
"But your reputation
does precede you.
Should Mademoiselle Mimieux
or myself be concerned?
-Hans, the boy means no harm...
... he`s simply smitten.
And he`s correct.
Your reputation does precede you."
But what about the anticipation?
Part of achieving this effect
is by stretching moments out.
Take the scene from
"Pulp Fiction."
Mia is dying.
"-She's O.D.in`?
-She's fuckin` dyin` on me, man!
We know how important
this moment is.
Mia will die
and Vincent will
become a grease spot.
" Do you know who
Marsellus Wallace is? -Yes.
If she croaks on me,
I am a fucking grease spot!"
Vincent need to give
her a shot to the heart.
"-Come on, men, hurry up.
-Fuck. Okay,okay."
So Tarantino stretches
it out in the edit.
"All right count to three.
All right ready. One.
Two.
Three.
So, if you're editing
like Tarantino,
find opportunities to
build fear in the viewer,
even if it means lingering
on a reaction shot longer.
Find ways to build anticipation.
"Where were we?"
Edit for emotion.
And be bold.
Want to learn how to make the
perfect edit for your story?
Make sure to check the
description below for the link
to Walter Murch`s Rule of Six.
Where Murch breaks down the
workflow for making a cut
that helps to tell your story.
Moving on.
Sound design.
[Whistling]
Tarantino's sound choices,
are often a mixture
between highly authentic
and cheeky.
You sound design is
there for emphasis.
Take this scene
from "Kill Bill."
"-You want some coffee?
-Yeah, sure."
The sound design in this scene,
creates an over-the-top
almost cartoon-like effect.
Listen to each sound carefully.
"Very funny, bitch.
Very funny."
The Gunshot Echoes out,
carrying the initial
drama through each cut.
"Very funny."
When Kiddo kicks the mug.
We hear the sound
almost like a baseball bat
connecting with a golf ball.
Then as the knife is drawn,
we hear the emphasize
sound of metal
as if she would have
medieval knight.
Capped off by the sound of the
knife cutting through the air.
Along with a screech
from Vanita`s head,
sliding down the cabinet glass.
There is a sort of levity
behind the violence.
If there was ever a way
to summarize Tarantino.
"Hey, what`s going on?
You hear that?"
Violence meets levity.
"-Now throw out
your other pistol.
-I ain`t got another pistol.
-Will you better shoot
another pistol at your ass
because if you don't throw one
up here in the next two seconds,
we're gonna kill this bitch.
See? Told you."
If you want to approach sound
design like Tarantino...
...don't be afraid to
emphasize the visuals
with extreme
even outlandish sound effects.
Next, our final category.
Music.
[Music]
The music tracks in Tarantino's
films are memorable.
His energy is tied to music
that he personally loves.
Memories from his favorite films
and his childhood.
He loves spaghetti westerns.
His choice in music
often feels wrong.
Inappropriate.
[James Brown & 2pac - "Unchained
(The Payback/Untouchable)"
And thus he is able
to defy expectations.
[Music]
Tarantino was so concerned
with music in his first
film "Reservoir Dogs."
He spent the entire music
budget on a single song.
This song.
Stealers Wheel - "Stuck in the Middle with You"
This scene shows how Tarantino
uses music to do two things.
Cut again tones
and expectations,
and to make scenes
flat-out entertaining.
[Stealers Wheel - "Stuck in the Middle with You"]
This is a fun song.
It's catchy,
very different from
the visuals on screen.
Tarantino chooses
music that he enjoys.
And for the vast
majority of his films.
He avoids an original score.
When Tarantino finally
did use a score,
he worked with the original spaghetti
western composer - Ennio Morricone.
[Ennio Morricone - The Hateful Eight OST]
The other remarkable thing
about Tarantino's music
is how he avoids it.
Especially during moments
of rising suspense.
"I did have something
else I wanted to ask you.
But right now, for the life of
me, I can`t remember what it is.
Oh well,
must not have been important."
If you want to use
music like Tarantino,
don't feel like you need to find a
composer or build an original score.
Find music that you
personally love.
And use it during moments that
flips the viewer's expectations.
So how does Tarantino build
films that are sophisticated
and yet accessible?
He builds stories with
natural layer dialog
and long scenes with hidden elements
that throw a wrench in the gears.
He uses production design that
creates contrast and emphasis.
He uses primary colors
to make bold statements
and set the tone.
His cinematography is robust
and built on eliciting emotions.
He looks for unexpected editing
opportunities to help build fear,
anticipation and energy.
With sound design that emphasizes
the large actions on screen.
He uses music that
personally inspires him
and plays against expectations
or he avoids it.
"-You really want me
to shake your hand?"
- I insist."
There are more Quentin
Tarantino filmmaking techniques,
which didn't we touch on?
Which your favorite?
Share them in the comments.
The studio Binder`s blog
offers numerous articles
and videos about filmmaking
and auteurs like Tarantino.
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You know something viewers?
I think this just might
be my masterpiece.
"I think this just might
be my masterpiece."
[Music]
