#byler cinematography

[byleranalysis]

I FOUND THE SIGN ITS REAL

USE #StrangerFansforWGA to kick Netflix 👹🤡 (not the writers 🥰) in the ~balls~ <3

#byler #byler analysis #stranger things #byler endgame #miwi #mike wheeler i know what you are #byler evidence #byler theory #stranger things analysis #will byers #byler cinematography

[gayofthefae]

Let's recap the Milkvan moments of the season:

Oh wait...

They can't go a single scene. The closest you get is when she's crying and he's frantic. But even that is shot with a smooth transition from the previous scene:

And it continues.

That one I hardly had to do because he's already in focus taking up nearly half the screen.

This is the best I could do for any scene between Mike and El this season that doesn't emphasize Will being either neglected or present in Mike's mind. Mike pushes past Will but they don't cut to him and it's just about these two. And it's this:

They want you thinking about how Will is sad, not how Mike and El are happy. And from NUMEROUS posts and tiktoks I've seen...the general audience ARE. The ily speech is all about the "life started" line and how sad Will looked, the roller rink is all about Will being ignored. It's all. about. Will. They may not believe Byler will happen but that's different than rooting for something. No one cares that Mike and El are happy. No one is even talking about them. In their. scenes.

#byler cinematography #stranger things #byler #byler proof #anti milkvan

[paintingformike]

thinking about how the movie theater scene in season 3 is one of the few pivotal byler moments where there’s actually a large group of people around them (they’re almost always alone or the people with them aren’t included in the shot...the only other crowded scene i can recall is the rink o mania fight tbh) but they still managed to frame it with so much intimacy and tension, mike and will’s faces being close to each other, everything around them blurring and mike’s voice being so gentle and soft and caring as he asks will if he’s okay...

so there really is no excuse for why there’s such a lack of intimacy in nearly every mleven scene and why they choose to make them have moments with either the ugliest backgrounds, with way too much clutter or people around them that makes it painful to watch, or with the scene ending up being played as comedy 😭 (maybe not all of their scenes but its like 80% of their important scenes that its kind of hard to ignore especially throughout s4...like what the hell is this)

its such a stark contrast to the way byler scenes are shot...mind you they were in a literal junkyard in the scene below and jonathan and argyle were right in their vicinity but they still managed to frame it as if they were the only two people in the world and the cinematography is visually pleasing

like this is barely a competition at all...how are we still debating which relationship is meant to be endgame 🤦‍♀️

#tbh mlvn scenes were more intimate from s1-s2 #like i could sense the cute tension between them even if it was just puppy love #but its odd that they just stopped making their scenes look more intimate and serious the moment they started dating? 😭 #its only been downhill from the moment they made out at the beginning of s3... #i was watching their pivotal scenes in s1-s2 like the reunion scene at the end of s2 #and their interrupted almost kisses #and the close up shots and the framing of the scenes actually looked intimate then #then i watched the mleven airport reunion in s4 and the contrast in intimacy from their scenes in those previous seasons is so obvious 😭 #it was treated so unserious? like sure they kissed and everything but the background and the people around them made it look ugly as hell #and i didnt feel any sort of warmth whatsoever from it...even the background music sounded so goofy #but byler scenes are always taken seriously and shot perfectly like its not even a competition #byler #byler proof #fave #byler cinematography #byler-evidences

[wheelercurse]

#byler analysis #byler #byler proof #pls this is just for fun don't take it as an attack for mil3ven #byler cinematography #i know the design is ugly but I tried

[bylerclub]

Let's say "Byler endgame" didn't happen, but in any case, Mike will find out who Will is in love with. Think about it, if Will has been in love with Mike from the very beginning, I think the probability of this not coming out is zero. All these clues we've found that Mike is gay can't be a coincidence. The most important one is the picture drawn by Will. If nothing but nothing, this picture is a key detail because they will definitely mention it. So Mike won't talk to Will after he finds out that Eleven doesn't know anything about painting? I don't know who would believe that, but it's not me. With all the hints out there, Byler is definitely endgame for me.

#byler #byler is endgame #byler is canon #byler cinematography #byler analysis #byler proof #byler headcanon #mike x will #byler st5 #stranger things 4 #netflix

[winds-0f-winter]

Yellow, Blue, and Purple

My journey of studying cinematography continues and yet another light bulb went off. I’ve been reading a book called If It’s Purple, Someone’s Gonna Die: The Power of Color in Visual Storytelling by Patti Bellantoni. It goes into depth about the significance of all the colors we see on-screen, both their individual meanings as well as having multiple colors in scenes. So to start with, we know that Will’s color is yellow. Yellow is the color of innocence, life energy, joy, as well as caution and obsession. It grabs our attention the moment it shows up in any given scene. The shades of yellow we see Will in, to me, represent the former qualities. He wears softer yellows, often mixed with other warm colors to further soften the yellow.

On the other hand, we have Mike’s blues. Blue is quiet, passive, introspective. as the author puts it: It’s a color to think to, but not to act. Scenes tinted or filled with blues represent melancholy, longing, but also control. Blue is also contradictory, considering we often asign it “good traits” yet it’s the coldest color. Yet, if cinematographers/production designers or whoever want a blue to appear “warmer”, they mix it with yellow to make a blue-ish green color.

So the relationship between blue and yellow in the book is examined through the film Billy Elliot (2001). A story about a father trying to keep his son under his control. I won’t go too into detail, but it’s important to note this because their conflict is the center of the film. The father is represented by blue, and the son yellow.  Every scene where Will and Mike fight, they “switch” colors, and this is clearly no coincidence. Blue and yellow oppose each other; blue is very cold and yellow is very warm, so when we see them both on screen, tension and conflict are imminent. We know this is true especially because they’re not wearing their usual colors:

The airport scene and later on the same outfits at the roller rink, as well as our favorite rain fight. 

Speaking of the airport scene, let’s talk about purple. Purple is delusion, spirituality, and death. As we can see here, Mike is wearing an orange-yellow button up over a purple t-shirt, but don’t be alarmed! It doesn’t mean Michael is about to die! Purple often signifies death in a non-literal sense, as you can see from the quote below:

Another important thing to note is the color of the flowers he brings for El are also yellow and purple. To me, this portrays the death of their romantic love, childhood, normalcy (the thing he’s trying so hard to hold on to), as well as what we later see in Hawkins at the end of the season. Mike specifically wearing purple is really significant. 

TLDR: Mike is queer because purple came in and killed off any chance of “being normal” he ever had. I might make a seperate post just for El and her colors (mostly red iirc) because she’s a queen and we all love her.

#byler #byler proof #byler analysis #byler is endgame #mike wheeler #will byers #byler theory #byler cinematography #cinematography

[byler-arts]

this shot. this shot.

#byler #byler cinematography #byler is real #byler season 4 #byler screencap #van scene #byler van scene

[trashmouther-4]

idc what everyone else says: byler is the most beautiful cinematic ship ever

#no other ship is treated like byler #byler #byler endgame #byler endgame idc #byler cinematography

[howtobecomeadragon]

the identical shots here still make me insane

identically placed over the shoulder shot from Mike.

El and Will essentially in the same place in the shot. El: back-lit, Will: illuminated and glowing. a fight with El, making up with Will.

and then of course: what's between Mike and El vs Mike and Will in the shots.

El's family and home diorama is between Mike and El. they're like family. El's grief for Hopper is motivating a lot of her need to hear words of affirmation from Mike. she needs love in her life and without Hopper, she's turning to Mike. "will you be like my brother?" saying I love you only after she lost her father figure in s3. El needs home, family, stability.

the open closet is between Mike and Will. secrets about sexuality, struggling to stop hiding themselves, and their feelings for each other.

and finally to the right: symbols of who El and Will are. El has her mask from her time with Kali, and some her own drawings and things. not part of her Mike shrine, just... her. Will has all of his little knick knacks too, including a blue dinosaur figurine that matches one Mike has in his basement, and a tiger that matches a poster Mike has in his basement.

they're just really good shots!!! a lot packed into them.

#byler #st cinematography

[muppetbyers]

doing wayyy too much for it to be unrequited

#like what the fuck was the cabin scene. what the shit was that. #why would they film every scene they have together so beautifully. whats going on. #surely the editors were like ‘hey mattross… this shot of will and mike looks uh… really queer’ #surely SOMEONE realised they were filming a gay romcom at some point? #like if they’re not meant to be in love w each other then i will question everything about their film choices. #like this is not how u do an unrequited romance. at least one that u dont want the audience to root for. #like even if this ends up being painfully unrequited i will rest easy knowing they share the prettiest scenes together #sorry for going insane over byler cinematography on a random wednesday afternoon #mine

[thefirstlioveyou]

how the van scene confirms mike's feelings - the framework & editing

i noticed something while editing a compilation of mike staring at will lovingly (because bless finn's amazing acting) and suddenly found myself analysing the editing choices/shots from the van scene (will’s monologue).

i found this scene doesn't only confirm will's feelings for mike, but mike's too.

what exactly makes this scene confirmation of mike's feelings besides the brilliant acting? it's the perfect cinematography and editing. ST's cinematography has been one of its greatest strength's, in my opinion at least. they know how to move the camera perfectly to tell us exactly what a character's thinking. the editing is also perfect.

**for this post, i won't be bringing up the lighting work or acting (at least not much) because it's something that's already acknowledged a lot.**

in the van scene, we are only able to really realize mike's feelings because of its choice of shots - specifically two subtle shots.

first shot:

every shot of mike during the speech had will still in the corner. unfocused, but still there. (minus the rear mirror and window shots)

except for one...

the editing work is one of the main keys to what makes this scene so intimate besides the great acting. the way it goes back and forth between close ups is meant to display tension/intimacy. they keep swinging between the both, almost telling the audience to pay close attention. there's something happening that isn't being said. the editing choice inflicts a feeling that rest of the world is gone - it's just them. (which is often what you typically feel when there's raging chemistry between you and someone else)

then they throw this one shot in, which subtly parts mike away with this conversation. he is distracted by something else..

the fact this one stands out different from the rest is important. will could still be seen in the other shots while showing mike is focusing deeply on what will is saying. then suddenly, just for one shot, will isn't there anymore. it's just mike, nervous and breathless. this is telling us that mike is no longer paying as much attention to what will's saying, but more on what he himself is thinking.

despite this being such a minor thing that is easy to dismiss, it changes a lot if you would've just framed it like the rest. not only would it get repetitive, but there would be nothing to take from the scene [visually] other than the fact mike is focusing on what will's saying… and sure, enjoys looking at his lips a lot. but, when you really think about it, the inclusion of this shot is what actually confirms finn's acting is intentionally romantic. the editors wanted to give the audience this one specifically framed shot of mike to draw your attention from what will's saying, to start wondering what mike is thinking.

and if you haven't already caught onto all the lip staring and quick glances, he’s thinking about will.

second shot:

there's one other shot that confirms it, too - the shot with jonathan and the rear mirror. this happens twice.

referencing back to what i said earlier about how chemistry between you and another can feel like the world shuts out and it's only you two, despite that being how it feels, it’s the exact opposite - everyone notices it. people around you can also see that chemistry. though.. it's only noticeable when it's truly real.

this is the point of the rear window/jonathan shot.

jonathan is noticing a shift in their relationship. he notices not only will's feelings, but mike's too. will is turned away, mike is looking at will - something will can't see. will story-wise believes his love is unrequited... when it's clearly not to the audience (or jonathan in this case).

this rear window shot is included to confirm to the audience that it is exactly what we're thinking - there is something romantic going on, there is electricity. so much so that other characters are catching on themselves. it isn't just a pretty shot. if it were, jonathan wouldn't have been included, and it wouldn’t be there two different times. filmmaking is precise, never forget that.

-

filmmaking (cinematography in this case) is so powerful and complex. any slight adjustment in editing or choice of framing can change the story you are trying to tell.

so all in all, byler endgame

#byler #mike wheeler #mike wheeler is gay #stranger things #stranger things 5 #byler is endgame #cinematography analysis #st cinematography #my analysis

[byleranalysis]

Mike has literal emotional baggage…

while working on my analysis for the iconic Airport scene... I noticed that Mike was holding a large blue duffle bag... or ya know-- baggage.

You can see the baggage here–

and it's still in his right hand here while he talks to El about the flowers... HOWEVER--

when the camera cuts to a close-up of the note saying "from, Mike", the baggage has suddenly transported to his left side. Perfectly behind the note and flowers. Interesting. but there is more…

Mike walks in to Will's room with the same baggage earlier. 

Will asks "You already packed?" To which Mike responds: "Yeah I mean-- I never really... unpacked." Oh-- thats interesting. Mark that for later.

After Mike has his heart to heart with Will, saying that 

Oh! And after Jonathan "shatters" their teary-eyed "intimate moment"... well you see--

Well-- he forgets about the baggage he has been carrying. The baggage he has been carrying since walking off the plane in California. After speaking with Will, that bag never shows up again. Note: Will still has his backpack and painting.

Mike hasn't been able to unpack the baggage he has been carrying. The emotions with him when he gave El flowers and his awkward interaction with Will. The emotional complex baggage that El questions in their fight. The note. The inability to say "I love you". Mike hasn't been able to unpack the emotions weighing hm down that surround such. Yet-- the first heart-to-heart with Will... welp, the emotional baggage is quite literally forgotten.

Not to mention:

"You never say it" + "I say it"

vs

"I didn't say it" + "You didn't have too".

TL;DR

Poor Mike hasn't been able to unpack his complex feelings but talking to Will makes him leave such troubles behind.

  anywayssss.... byler endgame.

#byler #byler analysis #byler evidence #byler proof #byler cinematography #byler cinematoghraphy analysis #stranger things #stranger things analysis #mike wheeler i know what you are #byler nation #will byers #mike wheeler #miwi #cleradin #wiseheart #stranger things s4 analysis #byler endgame #byler meta #byler breakdown #byler film

[gayofthefae]

I cannot emphasize to you enough that this scene ends with this shot. It would have been SO easy to smoothly transition Mike walking from the table into the next room. Cut this shot and you have it, no changes even needed!

But no. They wanted you to know that this is still in Will's POV. Every scene of Mike and El's relationship in season 4 is in Will's POV and that is insane to me. They are purposefully making this narrative unreliable by having it shown via an outside source.

Mike is feeling bad about El, looking at her empty seat at the breakfast table so he goes to her? No.

Will looks at Mike but Mike doesn't look back at him, looking instead at El's empty seat, then he leaves Will behind for El, again. That's the narrative. That's the scene.

#byler cinematography #stranger things #byler

[strawberrybyers]

love how byler scenes are actually from a queer coming-of-age film produced by A24

#the cinematography of their scenes >>> #all of their scenes are so pretty #byler #stranger things

[wheelercurse]

@onstoryladders​ commented in my post and made me realize something. She said that what if the parallel between Robin/Vickie and Mike/Will isn’t to show similar feelings between Robin and Will, because Will was the one out of focus in that scene. 

You can’t deny that the composition it’s so similar, but a big difference it’s that Will isn’t on focus because this scene doesn’t have the intention to show his feelings, on the contrary with Robin.

Now compare these sequences of shots: 

First we have a close-up of Robin, because the emphasis is in her emotions. They focus in this scene is to show Robin’s sadness. And then we have Vickie smiling, but when she noticed Robin, she put a conflicted expression. 

But in the case of  mike/el’s reunion, first we get to see Mike’s expressions which resemble Vickie’s a lot. He was also smiling, and then dropped his smile when he noticed Will and looked conflicted. Then finally we get a shot of Will smiling looking at El, but it’s a medium shot, AND over the shoulder, to still highlight that this isn’t his POV but Mike’s (and El’s of course, then we got will & el reunion) 

In conclusion: this parallel’s intention is more about showing similarities between Mike and Vickie, than Will and Robin. 

#byler #byler parallels #byler cinematography #op you changed my life with that comment #it makes so much sense I rewatched these two scenes to compare them

[cluelessbees]

The way the shots just makes you feel Will’s absence just—

#byler #mike wheeler #will byers #i love when cinematography-