Watch: ‘When a Modern Director Makes a Fake Old Movie’ Video Essay
by Alex Billington
October 11, 2022
Source: YouTube
“He wanted the movie to be like you were in a vault, and came across Citizen Kane, and next to it was Mank.” There’s a fascinating video essay out this year to watch called When a Modern Director Makes a Fake Old Movie. It’s made by an editor named Danny Boyd, who puts out new video essays weekly. In this one, he specifically focuses on: “That Time David Fincher Faked An Old Movie.” David Fincher’s latest film Mank was released on Netflix in late 2020, and it’s a film about the screenwriter who wrote the Citizen Kane script, set in 1930s Hollywood. This video covers many filmmaking choices Fincher made, including visual details + cameras, black & white, old school techniques, sound re-recording, and more. Anyone who has studied Fincher’s films knows that he’s very talented at utilizing seamless CGI enhancements and digital alterations. Much of Mank is made with this digital trickery to make it look like an old movie. Watch below.
Thanks to Twitter for the tip on this video. Opening description from YouTube: “David Fincher has made some of the best movies out there: Gone Girl, Fight Club, Zodiac, The Social Network, just to name a few. Here’s how David Fincher faked his 2020 film Mank to look like an old Hollywood movie, using visual effects and an old cinematography style.” This video essay was written and edited by Danny Boyd – he runs a Patreon for video essays called CinemaStix. To support him + his essays: subscribe here. “CinemaStix is a YouTube series that explores how great movies get made through medium-form video essays. I put out one video essay each week.” You can also follow his updates on his YouTube channel to watch more videos about filmmaking. David Fincher’s Mank was released in 2020 by Netflix, based on his father’s – Jack Fincher – script that was written before he passed away. To find more cinema video essays, click here. Your thoughts?
