Director of Photography

‘Koffie?’

Koffie | Short film

Dir. Sven van Cutsem

Prod. Luca school of Arts

Arri Amira, Zeiss Lenses

In "Coffee?", Alain, a well-behaved screenwriter, navigates life under the constant scrutiny and criticism of his overbearing wife. Not daring to stand up to her, Alain channels his frustrations into his writing, crafting scenes that reflect his inner turmoil. Does it ever get too much for him?

Lighting Vision

For this story, the lighting played a crucial role in distinguishing between reality and the imagined narrative playing out in the protagonist's mind. Lighting became one of the most effective tools to achieve this distinction, allowing us to subtly "show" rather than overtly "tell."

The reality environment, depicted as the writer’s everyday setting, served as a consistent reference point throughout the film, to which we would jump back anf forth to in the story. It was designed to reflect his routine and structured world, a place where his wife’s interruptions visually and emotionally broke the monotony.

For the first act, the lighting was intentionally kept flat, paying homage to the Flemish soap operas of the 1980s. Since at this point the troubles with his wife haven’t fully started, the lightning could remain in ths rather flat, unsuspensful way

As the narrative progressed to the second act, the protagonist’s growing anger toward his wife influenced his writing, leading to a noir-inspired imagined scene. High-contrast lighting, Venetian blinds, and beams of light were employed to evoke a classic noir atmosphere, heightening the tension and emotional intensity.

For the third and final act, which introduces an "alternative reality" with a twist for the audience, preserving the audience's suspension of disbelief was paramount. The lighting, décor, and styling were, unlike the earlier imagined sequences, intentionally kept consistent with the established “reality” scenes.

This approach misled the audience, keeping them unaware that they were in another imagined scene, and it ensured that the eventual twist landed with full impact.

Camera choice

The camera work played a pivotal role in subtly guiding the audience’s perception of reality versus imagination. Maintaining steadier and more traditional framing throughout the earlier parts of the film helped create visual consistency. By showing steadiness, the audience would eventually associate it with the reality sequences. When in contrast showing handheld/shaky camera work would be associated with the imagination sequences.

The noir sequence marks the first act where the protagonist begins to feel deeply irritated by his wife. As his writing becomes increasingly violent, his actions mirror this shift, and the camera work was designed to amplify the story's intensity. Handheld movements and dynamic framing aligned with the protagonist’s emotional state, enhancing the visual impact of both the acting and the unfolding drama.

In contrast, the final act takes place in the same setting as the reality sequences—an intentional choice designed to mislead the audience into believing they were still in the real world. To maintain this illusion, the lighting, décor, and styling remained consistent with the earlier reality scenes. However, the camera movements shifted to handheld, introducing a subtle yet impactful change.

This change created a disconnect for the audience, as the familiar setting, previously associated with steady camera work, was now paired with the unsettling, handheld style typically reserved for imagined sequences. The visual language, which had been carefully established to distinguish reality from imagination, no longer aligned. This dissonance planted a seed of doubt, subtly signaling that something was amiss and preparing the audience for the climactic twist.

The slight unpredictability of the handheld shots further heightened this sense of unease, reinforcing the feeling that something was off without overtly revealing the truth.

Ultimately, a simple cut back to a steady, still shot of the established reality at the end brought everything full circle and reinforced the surprise element.

Name: Koffie? (english: Coffee?)

Theme: Comedy

Method of production: Crew of 16; 2 days of shooting

Format: (Specs)

- Arri Amira

- Zeiss lenses

- Aspect ratio: 16/9 – 1,79/1

- HD1920x1080p

- ProRes HQ (minimum)

- Log-C

- Look: ARRI 709

Size: 533,9 MB