What is Tone? The Answer is all Bullshit.

In Filmmaking Terms, no one knows the meaning of tone, it's taste. Taste is subjective. The objective is to make the thing.

Mike Rekola

Oct 03, 2024

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From a beautiful Fall Day on the Farm.

Thursday, October 3rd

Hey Filmmaker,

I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I’ve been creating art since five.

And, one thing I never understood, in filmmaking terms, until a recent set experience was…

What is Tone?

If I were to ask you how to define it, you might say…

“Film tone is the overall mood or atmosphere of a film, which is conveyed through a variety of techniques.”

But that’s all bullshit.

No one knows the meaning of tone, it's taste.

Taste is subjective.

The objective is to make the thing.

So, how is tone achieved?

Sure you can achieve tone by:

Cinematography: Lighting, camera angles, and exposure can all contribute to the tone of a scene
Editing: How a film is edited can affect the tone
Music: The music used in a film can contribute to its tone
Dialogue: The dialogue in a film can contribute to its tone
Atmosphere: The setting of a film can contribute to its tone
Acting: The performance styles of the actors can contribute to the tone of a film
Color symbolism: The use of color can embody a theme or motif and contribute to the tone of a film

But Tone— is borne into the film through the creatives that work on the film.

True Tone is constructed by a collective understanding, especially during production.

Tone is established through actions and choices

One I think accomplished by a short phrase or concept that the crew and creative team can digest and guide their actions and choices.

I view tone as a verb. Not an adjective.

Tone is the instinctual guttural drive of the creative team united behind one singular vision that is digested and understood by said creatives especially when making any and all choices.

But that sounds like bullshit too.

So let me break down that recent set experience that illustrates What Tone is…

THE MODERN FILMMAKER

This Issue: What is Tone in Filmmaking?

Last Issue: Celebrate a Failure with Me…

On Sale Now: The Modern Filmmaker’s On Set Filmmaking Dictionary

So there I was…

In the lush green mountains of Vermont four hundred miles from home.

Deep in the woods, I was working on a pre-teen dark fantasy epic.

This was the first phase of principal photography, of which we plan to have four more phases.

This entire phase was focused on capturing the nature landscapes that will anchor the spine of the narrative epic.

Small intimate shots of butterflies to grandiose sunsets from atop of Okemo Mountain.

So there out in the woods after 10 miles of hiking with 30 pounds of gear per crew member, I got into a conversation with the Director.

The Modern Filmmaker | Tone is Bullshit — Our Shoot

Me: So why so much effort for each shot.

Director: What do you mean?

Me: We’re hiking miles apart to get similarly situated images. There’s millions of trees and forest and the like.

Director: Do you remember our inspiration for this film is the Hudson River School right?

Me: Yep — the famous group of American landscape painters.

Director: We’ll our only guiding principle is this “If they wouldn’t paint it, then we won’t shoot it.”’

Me: (The lightbulb went off. Any old tree or forest would not do. Only the grand.)

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I promise Tone is Bullshit.

That one short phrase bounced around in my brain and settled in.

“If they wouldn’t paint it, then we won’t shoot it.”

From that moment on, during the shoot, I understood clearly every creative decision made.

Then every decision I made, was informed by that, too.

And thus what I argue Tone truly is… a collective understanding that influences choices and actions.

So if the creatives on your team understand.

Then the choices they make will seep into the cinematography, acting, production design, and more thus influencing the film.

Now, when crew members come and ask me…

What is the tone of this film?

I tell them the one sentence meant to embed in their own minds and drive their choices.

Thus tone is still an ethereal term filled with bullshit depending on the speaker.

But when I refer to it, I try to use it as a verb to influence my collaborators’ efforts.

I suggest you do the same.

Define tone for yourself…
If I were to ask you about the film you are working on… What is its’ tone?

What is the one sentence that you can use to embed the core of the movie to your crew?

I hope you enjoyed this letter, my friends.

Cheers,

The Moder Filmmaker - M P Rekola Signature.