This book trailer for James Patterson’s new cowboy-detective novel gave us the perfect opportunity to offer homage to the spaghetti western genre.
Some book trailer concepts are challenging to articulate. But when we heard about Texas Outlaw, we knew instantly what we wanted. What better way to celebrate the western-inspired thriller than with a Sergio Leone-style standoff?
Director Cameron Shaw dove deep into Leone’s filmography to build his shot list. Working closely with the Director of Photography, Trey Gregory, and using our Canon C200 with Angenieux lenses, they mirrored many of Leone’s shots in the iconic climax of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. That included finding a bookstore with enough depth to harken back to the sweeping vistas of Leone’s film, which was no easy task. Luckily, Lead Producer Mary Winter was more than up to it!
Central to the look was the cinematic 2:1 aspect ratio; a shift we achieved in Adobe Premiere during post-production. However, the shot also required a ton of practical coordination on set! 1st AC Seb Chamaca manned our jib with our BlackMagic Pocket Cinema camera attached, lowering it into position as Key Grip Wilson Drake flicked off the lights and our actors struck their dueling poses. It was a vital shot, and it worked out perfectly.
Once we achieved picture-lock on the edit, Colorist Jenn Lee, CSI, went to work. She applied a Gorilla Grain look with some dirt and hair. Then, went a step further by adding a slight projection flicker, giving it that old school filmic look. Altogether, the result achieves its goal with flying colors. It’s funny, cute, and a fun homage to some of the greatest movies ever made. And if you don’t like it, that’s fine! As Mr. Eastwood said, “There are two kinds of people in this world….”