The Lion City

Sometimes someone really pushes a familiar technique to the next level.

From the creator:
After developing the tilt shift / timelapse combo as my main style, I’ve been working on a series of experimental focus and light transition techniques that build on many of the same principles.
For ‘The Lion City’, the idea behind the use of the technique is for focus and distance to be something the viewer can experience. It also doubles to communicate the constant heat and humidity that hits you whenever you leave the comfort of air conditioning in Singapore.
Because its the first time I’ve released in this style, the film is hard hitting, and full of effects… more so than if I were releasing a story based concept. Many of the scenes are not really tilt shift.. they’re what I call ‘clean shocks’, or ’tilt shocks’, depending on whether I choose to keep the tilt shift effect, and these are the focus of most of my experiments now going forward.
The film is all digital stills, shot on Nikon D3s and D4 bodies. I also use the Canon 5D MKII / Little Bramper combination for some day to night work. The tracking shots use an extremely large scale dolly that can be transported, so I can control both camera and subject speed independently. For focus effects I make efforts to use lenses where possible (large format bellows and classic Rodogon & Nikon lenses), or modified enlarger lenses. If I’m shooting without effects I use a range of 80′s – 90′s Nikon lenses I’ve had modified (crippled) for timelapse work. Edited in FC Pro, Post effects in After effects.
I haven’t fully made the transition from optical to post processed effects yet, as I find the lenses often survive the color grade better.



The Lion City from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.