‘Sinners’ director Ryan Coogler takes us to film school in 10 minutes

Ryan Coogler’s newest film “Sinners” is already generating tons of buzz, and a lot of it has to do with a video shared days before the release.

Ryan Coogler’s newest film “Sinners” is already generating tons of buzz, and a lot of it has to do with a video shared days before the release. Last week, Kodak posted a 10-minute video that between YouTube and TikTok has racked up around 1 million views, in which Coogler makes complex topics like aspect ratios, film formats and sound design accessible and fun. He does this largely thanks to how the video uses his latest vampire-crime thriller hybrid “Sinners” as the primary example. Coogler seems comfortable in professor mode as he talks through the different film formats in the video, while film strips of different sizes and a whiteboard chock full of detailed drawings are displayed behind him. His passion is clear as he starts off with a quick explanation of Super 8mm film, Super 16mm film and some technical terms. Regarding shooting on actual celluloid – which is increasingly rare in today’s digital and video-centric age – he says, “It’s a format that I fell in love with when I was in film school, so I brought a few film strips here.” The “Black Panther” director also mentions other notable recent movies that were shot on film, including Oscar-winners “Anora” and “The Brutalist.” After making sure everyone is up to speed, Coogler then explains how he and his team shot “Sinners” on two camera systems: Ultra Panavision 70 and IMAX. Ultra Panavision 70 is the widest format available and will crop the screen along the top and bottom, while IMAX is the tallest format and will crop on the left and right sides of the screen, the director says. Coogler’s latest project draws on his Southern roots and family history to deliver a paranormal tale about two brothers who open a juke joint in their Mississippi hometown. The film is led by Coogler’s longtime collaborator Michael B. Jordan, who plays twin brothers Smoke and Stack.