Soderbergh best films ranked ►► bit.ly/soderbergh-post Contagion (2011) was a chilling medical thriller upon release — now that COVID-19 has changed our lives forever, Steven Soderbergh’s film now functions more like a documentary. Contagion used to be a “what if…” kind of movie, leaving us to speculate whether it portrayed what life would be like in such a scenario. In hindsight, we can see that Contagion accurately predicted much of our current coronavirus circumstances. Beyond comparisons to Contagion and our current lives in quarantine, there is something really fascinating about how Steven Soderbergh used the camera to capture a pandemic. Even before COVID-19, watching Contagion had a unique ability to get under our skin, so to speak — but how? In this video essay, we’ll explore the cinematography in Contagion and how Soderbergh used very simple yet effective techniques to make the fictional pandemic feel grounded, and much more terrifying. Contagion stars Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Marion Cotillard, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, and Laurence Fishburne in a deadly global pandemic. Soderbergh’s filmmaking prioritizes these characters above the macro chaos swirling around them. Most films in this genre focus on an ensemble of survivors but few pay so much attention to the characters in the cinematography. Soderbergh uses three key elements to lock us into these characters: voyeuristic framing, shallow focus, and follow shots that never lose sight of the subject. By prioritizing the characters and leaving the chaos more to the imagination, Steven Soderbergh keeps this outbreak grounded and real. Now that COVID-19 has shown us what life in quarantine is really like, we can see just how much truth there is in Contagion. Soderbergh’s cinematography and filmmaking skills were never more focused or prescient. #contagionmovie #filmmaking #filmtheory — Music by Artlist ► utm.io/umJx Music by Soundstripe ► bit.ly/2IXwomF Music by MusicBed ► bit.ly/2Fnz9Zq — SUBSCRIBE to StudioBinder’s YouTube channel! ►► bit.ly/2hksYO0 Looking for a project management platform for your filmmaking? StudioBinder is an intuitive project management solution for video creatives; create shooting schedules, breakdowns, production calendars, shot lists, storyboards, call sheets and more. Try StudioBinder for FREE today: studiobinder.com/pricing — Join us on Social Media! — Instagram ►► www.instagram.com/studiobinder Facebook ►► www.facebook.com/studiobinderapp Twitter ►► www.twitter.com/studiobinder #film-theory, #video-essay, #filmmaker

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