Cinematography of Tarot
The world of Tarot is intimate, authentic and honest. It takes a deep look at what happens in life when not everything works out exactly as we planned it. Yet despite all the set backs that life throws our way, we can get through it... with lots of heart, love, and perhaps a hint of magic. There is a sense of freshness in the start of a new chapter. There are authentic human connections in a time of change and uncertainty. Life can be extremely tough sometimes, through circumstances not entirely within our control. And so what if its not perfect? Despite all the challenges, setbacks and hurdles, we are all connected somehow, and that’s what makes it beautiful.
Through the eyes of our main character Simone, we go on a journey together this season, alongside a wonderful cast of quirky, wonderfully hilarious, and incredibly frustrating set of characters this season, right in the heart of Roncesvalles, Toronto.
This is a dramedy, with a dash of over active imagination and a generous helping of magic realism. But this story is also very grounded.
It is overall warm, brightly lit but motivated by feeling and emotion.
General Mood and Tone
Grounded Realism
For the overall tone and feel of this script, I immediately thought of few films and tv shows which are character lead stories that draws you in right away. The first few would be the Netflix Series, Easy by Joe Swanberg, HBO’s Girls and finally Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird. The Cinematography in these titles are subtle, grounded and very immersive. Characters are not over lit like a romantic com or kids show but there is a sense of beauty when it comes to situations and vibrant environment that they are in. In this script, Toronto feels very much like a character in themselves, and I really liked the way that the HBO show Girls, did, with their way of showing of New York. It’s not the Toronto people think about, but Toronto, like the way Simone experiences it.
But realism, in this case is also very motivated, much in the style of pathetic fallacy. The framing and lighting style should be heightened by feeling and emotions, to fully immerse, but not distract.
Magic Realism
Throughout the show, our main character Simone is visited by spirits of the recently departed. This is played very theatrically but are not scary in tone. Perhaps they are meant to help Simone get through something or to give a bit of advice. Perhaps they are there, as visual representation of an unresolved hurt, as in the case of her clients. Perhaps they are just there for one last goodbye (Gigi her dog).
Megan Park’s my old ass is actually an excellent example of this, with the older Elliot (played by Aubrey Plaza) appearing at certain times, to give the heroine some heartfelt advice. Her day dream sequence sequences, are funny, poignant, and can shift in tones quickly from hilarity to seriousness in a beat. We will also heighten these moments with more lens distortion as in the case with poor things, the example video on the right.
Practical Effects
Stylistically, we also help these sections along, framed by practical props and in Camera techniques and lighting cues. These next two examples give an idea of that sort. In La La Land’s Ryan Gosling’s character is stuck in a gig he hates and he gets into a soulful rendition of his love of jazz piano, as he gets further into the song, the rest of his world literally disappears, in his mind, where he is smoothly transitioned into a stage.
In the 2nd example, Joyce (played by Winona Ryder) is desperately trying to communicate across dimensions and it gives new meaning to a simple lighting flash.
We will also be using practical effects like props that just appear in impossible situations as well as camera techniques like step printing to heighten certain emotional moments. Here are some examples. Pay especially careful attention to Key Huy Quan’s introduction as seen from Michelle Yeoh’s point of view.
Lensing
Inspired by chess scenes from the Queen’s Gambit the use of a probe lens, and macro style shots, travelling through table top set ups will give the Tarot card reading scenes a bit more of a distinct visual language.
