When it comes to
the end of the world
most filmmakers take
the same approach.
Go big or go home.
The priority is spectacle.
Chaos
told from a macro perspective.
Wide-spanning ensembles.
Swooping camera work.
Newscasts.
And crowd shots.
Lots and lots of crowd shots.
A pandemic film like "Contagion"
begs for this type
of presentation.
"- Can you tell us to date
how many people have
died from this virus?
- Very difficult.
We're still working on
confirming that number."
But director Steven Soderbergh
took the opposite approach.
"- Well, the challenge
is to avoid the cliches
that typically fill this
kind of horror film.
I want it to be intimate.
I want it to be personal."
So how does Soderbergh
make a global crisis
intimate and personal?
"- Here, give me your hands.
Okay. I want you to
really rub this in."
"- You know,
we just sort of made a list of things
that we'd seen before.
And so then the film begins
to be defined sort of by
what you don't want it to be."
"- Get away from there.
Get away!"
♪ Best Directors Intro ♪
Hit subscribe to make sure
you catch our next viral video
and click the bell icon
to stay ahead of the outbreak.
"- This will be tweeted and
YouTubed all over the planet.
- So we have a novel virus with a
mortality rate in the low 20s...
...no treatment protocol,
and no vaccine at this time.
- That is correct."
One way Soderbergh
captures intimacy
is through his framing.
In a way, Soderberg gives
us our own perspective.
Soderberg's technique
here is subtle.
All he does is slightly
obscure the frame.
And when placed
right into the scene.
"- Hang up the phone
and call 911 right now."
When a camera's frame like this
it creates unique effect.
By sharing these private moments
an intimacy is born.
Consider this moment
when Dr. Mears
believe she's been infected.
Soderbergh could have shot
the scene inside the bathroom
with close-ups to
emphasize her panic.
The voyeuristic perspective
shares a moment of
pure vulnerability
and activates our empathy.
Most of these shots are
reserved for the Emhoff family.
The emotional core
of this story.
Watch this early scene
and notice that
almost every frame
is partially obstructed.
"- My arm.
- What happened to you?
Come on, sit down.
Honey?
- Mom?
- No, no, no. Uh...
Stay there, Clark. Don't...
Just go..."
A terrifying moment
made even more so
by putting us in the room.
At the end of the film,
we return to the Emhoff
family for these moments.
When Mitch finally breaks down.
And when Jory opens a present.
We've seen these
types of scenes before
but it is Soderbergh's framing
that creates an intimacy
that would otherwise be missing.
Another way Soderbergh
creates intimacy
is to isolate his characters
with a shallow depth of field.
"- I sure hope you packed
something warmer than that."
This effectively eliminates the
noise around these characters
and keeps our focus
uninterrupted.
"- Don't want you
to catch cold."
In simple moments
of conversation.
"- As of last night,
there were five deaths and 32 cases."
Or in moments of high emotion.
"- We both woke up sick this morning."
Soderbergh stays committed
to the shallow focus,
even when chaos is erupting.
Like this moment
when Dr. Cheever
arrives at the CDC.
We can see the protesters,
but our focus is locked
on Cheever's reaction.
He's telling two stories at once
but Soderbergh
prioritizes our attention
on what really matters.
Our connection to
the characters.
But Soderbergh's commitment
to that connection
goes even further.
Beyond vulnerable framing
and isolating characters
with a shallow focus.
Soderbergh also moves the camera
in a way to sustain our
focus on the characters.
"- We're here.
This is what is
left of my village.
- Are they sick?
- Not yet.
And we're going to
keep it that way
until they find a cure.
You're gonna get us
the front of the line."
Watch as Mitch and Jory
leave the hospital.
We have both stories.
The Emhoffs.
And what's happening to
everyone else in one shot.
"- I'm sorry, sir.
We're doing the best we can."
Other filmmakers might
sensationalize the moment.
But Soderbergh chooses to
ground the story in reality
and to keep our
experience personal.
While other filmmakers present
the immensity of a global crisis
Soderbergh paints a
much smaller picture.
And it feels much more
personal, authentic.
With simple choices
in his framing.
Shallow focus.
And camera movement.
Soderbergh flip the
priority from spectacle
to character.
We now know what it's like to
be part of a global pandemic.
It looks less like this
and more like this.
"- So instead we lose
spring, we lose summer...
...we lose another 144 days
that don't happen again."
"Contagion" isn't
Soderbergh's only film
to tackle social issues.
In our blog post,
we dive deeper into
how Soderbergh movies
like "Erin Brockovich"
and "Traffic"
also make the global personal.
Check the description
for the link.
What are the pandemic cliches
does Soderbergh avoid
in "Contagion"?
Tell us in the comments.
Hit subscribe and
enable notifications
to keep incoming.
Thankfully MEV-1 isn't real.
The only thing you might catch
from watching "Contagion"
are good ideas.
"- But right now our best defense
has been social distancing.
No handshaking.
Staying home when you're sick.
Washing your hands frequently."
♪ ♪
