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FilmSkool — a free film school

How Denis Villeneuve Found His Voice

A video essay tracing Denis Villeneuve's stylistic development from his early, lesser-known Quebec films through to his current work, arguing his signature traits were present long before Hollywood noticed.

The Discarded Image · 12 min · Intermediate · DIR · Directing · 2022

What you take away

Look for a director's early, unglamorous work to find where their signature actually started.

Watch it

Filed under

The films of Denis Villeneuve

Oscar winners for directing

Gravity (2013)
Life of Pi (2012)
The Hurt Locker (2008)
No Country for Old Men (2007)
The Departed (2006)
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Books on directing

The director’s monitor

Accsoon CineView SE — Video to a phone, for under three hundred
Accsoon CineView Quad — Four inputs, switchable — a tiny multicamera village
PortKeys BM5 III WR — Monitor that can also run the camera
Hollyland Mars 4K — 4K wireless to four phones at once
Atomos Ninja V — The 5" recorder-monitor that made ProRes RAW normal
Atomos Ninja (5") — The current 5" recorder-monitor

More Directing

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David Fincher: Se7en - The Directors Series — Indie Film Hustle Podcast · 30m · Advanced
Memories of Murder (2003) - Ensemble Staging — Every Frame a Painting · 7m · Advanced
'Parasite' Director Bong Joon-ho Breaks Down the Opening Scene | Vanity Fair — Vanity Fair · 13m · Advanced
Martin Scorsese: American Boy - The Directors Series — Indie Film Hustle Podcast · 26m · Advanced
Big Screen Symposium 2015 - In Conversation with Jane Campion (Moderated by Philippa Campbell) — Script to Screen · 70m · Advanced
Chloé Zhao Directing Masterclass | IFTA Skills in Focus — IFTA Academy · 89m · Advanced
'Dune' Director Denis Villeneuve Breaks Down a Scene | Vanity Fair — Vanity Fair · 11m · Intermediate
Masterclass de Wes Anderson & Joel Coen (2019) — La Fémis · 91m · Advanced
2001 A Space Odyssey (1968): 2001 The Making Of A Myth — Top 10 Movies · 42m · Advanced
Director Rian Johnson Breaks Down a Scene from 'Knives Out' | Vanity Fair — Vanity Fair · 9m · Intermediate
'Wicked' Director & Cinematographer Break Down the 'Dancing Through Life' Scene | Vanity Fair — Vanity Fair · 14m · Intermediate

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