Noah Baumbach and Peter Bogdanovich on Frances Ha

[CinemaniacSeventy]

Bogdanovich is one of the most underrated directors of all time. His early films like Targets, Paper Moon and The Last Picture Show are all brilliant.

[ChadPlainview_]

Bogdanovich cracks me up, he loves an Orson Welles reference. haha

[zantorfromconversationtheg]

Just re-watched last night. The movie is so good I didn't even think about how it's in B&W until I watched this

[TackJorrance]

This movie was shot on Canon 5D Mark IIs, which CAN shoot black in white if you desaturate the picture profile you are using to 0%. But the monochrome look is then baked into the file and you cannot choose to go back to color later, obviously. So the director and Peter Bogdonavich are both incorrect here when they say "you cannot shoot black and white on digital." Yes, you can. There are also plenty of cameras that you can shoot with a custom black and white LUT and bake this into the recorded file. However, many DPs and directors don't do this, as you are again stuck with that look. They want the freedom to change their mind, or make small alterations, later in post. That is one of the main advantages of digital -- it's malleability.

[brianrose]

Kudos to Bogdanovich for holding Baumbach's feet to the flame over his choice to shoot phony monochrome.  It's clear he was struggling for a reason, apart from homage and all that claptrap.  Style MUST serve story.