DPs Caleb Deschanel and Douglas Slocombe create magical moments.
The iconic cobra shot attributed to Raiders of the Lost Ark was first seen 2 years earlier in The Black Stallion. The two shots are almost identical in both framing and context to their respective stories…The Hero in Peril.
Both shots used a sheet of glass placed between the cobra and the actor. Caleb Deschanel dug a pit behind the cobra to get the low camera position. There was nothing between the cobra and himself but the camera. Douglas Slocombe used an elevated stage to capture his low angle shot.
The use of a long lens as opposed to a wide lens also aids the visual impact. Both legendary DPs used a longer focal length that compresses the distance between cobra and actor to make them appear closer to each other.
Both of these classic shots show how cinematography can be used to enhance the drama of a story moment.
The original posters for these classic films.
Until next time…
