Thus my concern prompting the  post is that far too many indie-filmmakers are going for ultra-shallow DOF and using Rack focus NOT because these techniques suit the story or are the right Tools; but simply because they think it ‘looks’ better or will make their film feel more ‘professional’.

As a result we have a whole generation of filmmakers who measure their aesthetic mark by how shallow their focus can be and how often they can Rack-Focus their shots. NOT by whether such techniques are the Best or even a Good solution to their creative problems.

Let me re-iterate to avoid further misguided bile aimed my way… Rack focus and Shallow DoF is great when it’s used for the right reasons. But like any technique, when it’s overused and/or misused without careful consideration of what would service the story best, then we have a problem.

This problem is one I believe to be prevalent across all bands of filmmaking; from indie to big-budget.

This problem is suffocating cinema’s visual language. It’s the equivalent of having a whole dictionary of words but everyone is choosing to use only those that start with ‘A’.

We have let Shallow and Rack-Focus techniques become aspirational ‘ideals’ rather than options and possibilities.

Before you urge yourself to protest once more let me pose you a question… The last time you shot a scene using Shallow / Rack-Focus techniques did you actually consider what other options might be available to you and the shot? Did you try other techniques? Did you experiment with staging and positioning for different effects? Did you ask yourself what would suit best the scene from a character, story or audience perspective…? Or did you just go for Shallow/Rack because it ‘looks cool’…?  Because you ‘Like it’ or Because ‘that’s just the way things are done’….?

This is not a disparaging personal comment on you or your films (i havent seen them), it’s just a self-evaluative question for any indie filmmaker to ask.