Who Inspires Me? Elliott Sellers!...Again!

     Elliott Sellers has the style that I want to work toward having. He has everything that I want: muted colors, playing with focus, swinging and whimsy camera movement. There is one short that he has that has really inspired me. I want to learn how to do this, although I suspect it is not hard once you know how to do it.

     Here is a video that he directed, edited, and did the cinematography. There are so many elements in this film that are Elliott Sellers, starting with the music. But we'll ignore that and discuss my absolute favorite thing. It looks like it was shot on old film.
     This is something that I absolutely love as an artist. I want things to look old and weathered, because it has been through something, some kind of an experience. This is what Sellers tends to go for. He uses the old world things to share the idea that they've been through some kind of experience, whether that's sitting in a box for years or being watched over and over again.
     I also truly enjoy the muted colors that match the old film vibe. It's almost like you're watching something from the seventies. It's incredibly retro. I don't necessarily want all my work to look retro, but I like for it to look older.
    Although he does use this older look approach, you still know that it is digital. It's so clear and beautiful. This is not something a film camera could do.
     I like his use of multiple filmings of different subjects in the same area. They are coming back over and over in the same spot. It's like watching an artistic home movie. I suppose that's what I really like: finding the simplicity in complexity. It causes the viewer to really appreciate what you have done as an artist. You take a twist of something familiar and making it unfamiliar, something to experience over and over.
     Elliott Sellers definitely does this with his use of making mundane things incredibly interesting. You can't help but notice his complexity in the small details.