Darren Aronofsky - Directing Style

Directing Style

Aronofsky's first two films, Pi and Requiem for a Dream, were low-budget and used montages of extremely short shots, sometimes termed a hip hop montage. While an average 100-minute film has 600 to 700 cuts Requiem features more than 2,000. Split-screen is used extensively, along with extremely tight closeups. Long tracking shots (including those shot with an apparatus strapping a camera to an actor, called the Snorricam) and time-lapse photography are also prominent stylistic devices. Often with his films, Aronofsky alternates between extreme closeups and extreme distance shots to create a sense of isolation.

With The Fountain, Aronofsky restricted the use of computer-generated imagery. Henrik Fett, the visual effects supervisor of Look Effects, said, "Darren was quite clear on what he wanted and his intent to greatly minimize the use of computer graphics... I think the results are outstanding." He used more subtle directing in The Wrestler and Black Swan, which less visceral directing style showcases the acting and narratives. Aronofsky filmed both works with a muted palette and a grainy style. The cinematographer Matthew Libatique has collaborated with Aronofsky on three films, and film composer Clint Mansell has worked with him on all five films. Mansell's music is an often important element of the films.