Creating the Perfect Scene

Robert Rodriguez effectively uses the green screen technique in the making of the film “Sin City” in order to acquire the same visual storytelling effect of Frank Miller’s graphic novel. Rodriguez integrated new filming techniques which used green screening to its full potential by incorporating specific colours in filming which are easier to isolate and manipulate in post-production. His innovative filming technique produced a new type of “Film Noir” which accented the stylized drawing techniques of pen and ink in Millers graphic novels. Unlike traditional black and white movies Rodriguez wanted to get rid of all midtones which are created when shot in a real environment creating a grey and white film.

Using alternative colours in the filming process also created another obstacle for the actors to work with, pushing their acting skills to a new level of creativity by ignoring what they see and imagining what should be there instead. This creative process produced the visual world of Basin City in its final product. Green Screening not only provided a new alternative to the filming process but also created an efficient mode of filmmaking that was more cost-effective and allowed more creativity on the part of the director, by allowing him to have complete control of the film environment in its final product.