Director of Photography, Cinematographer - doesn't matter what it's called, it's still my first time doing it
At the beginning of this year we researched film crew roles (see my post on Continuity supervision), and one role that really struck a cord with me was the role of DoP - the shot creator and head of the camera department. I would be responsible for making technical and artistic decisions for the image, or "look", of the film. This is of course a massive responsibility, and I want to tackle it with all my attention and innovation - but, it is also my first time doing it, so I assume I will make mistakes. To avoid making a horrific number of mistakes, I am doing this research to best prepare me for what is to come.
My first step was to look at films and series that I know have an aesthetic look, as to see if this is the work of any cinematographers I can take inspiration from. Like most film students I really like Wes Andersons films, so that was my first stop.
 |
| "Moonrise Kingdom" 2012 |
I quickly realised that Robert Yeoman has been the cinematographer for all of Wes Andersons films, probably because they have similar creative visions. and work well together. I know that its not uncommon to keep working with people you know you work well with in film, so this makes sense. Their shared style is very symmetrical, and linear, as you can see in the picture above, and below. As well as most shots being centered, most of the camera movement is very simple. They use fast pans that usually go in straight lines, which adds a very clear structure and style to the films. I quite like this style as it tells you what you need to know in every frame, and then quickly moves on to the next frame without too much "filler." I think I want to use the centered style when I design my shots as I quite like the aesthetic of it, and I also feel like it tells the story without having to add unnecessary filler shots.
 |
| Another example of Anderson and Yeomans style. Pictured from left to right: "Moonrise Kingdom", "Fantastic Mr. Fox", and "The Royal Tenenbaums" |
Furthermore I looked into a recent favourite of mine, "Mr. Robot". The look and feel of this tv series is quite unique and unconventional, and I that is something I figured was worth looking into. Created in 2015 by Sam Esmail, this series has a dark, moody, and gritty feel to it, not afraid to use a lot of shadows, and unusual colour in their shots. Tod Campbell is the DoP for the series. (He was also the DoP for two of the episodes for the massive hit series Stranger Things.) Not a lot of information is available about Campbell, but what I could find was quite interesting.
 |
| "Mr. Robot" 2015 |
In an interview for vulture.com, Campbell explains the different choices he made in his visual approach and why he did what he did. He says that a lot of the characters have quite big, bulbous eyes, and that because of this he used a Cooke S5s lens, because it is a bit rounder than most lenses, and therefore frames the face, makes lines softer, which thus brings more focus to oblong shapes - like eyes. I need to think about decisions like this for our shoot - which lenses to use to better compliment the visuals of the shot.
Furthermore Campbell explains that he had long talks with creator Sam Esmail about the feel of the film, and what he wanted. As you can see it the still above, the shot is framed unusually. The characters are pushed down in the left corner, almost out of frame. This is very different to, for an example, Wes Andersons style that we discussed earlier in this post. But Campbell explains this visual choice by explaining that because the series relies heavily on narration and multiple characters isolation he wanted to show that through his look. Thus he created a frame where you can clearly see the huge amount of "nothingness" that weighs on the characters. I think this is a very interesting approach, and although its not something everyone would immediately think of, it makes sense, and gives the series a feel that puts it ahead of its competition.
Through my research I have learned a lot of things that I did not previously know or even think about, and I think this will help me when I start working on the feel of our film.
What do I expect from this unit:
I realise that being the Director of Photography is going to be one of the biggest challenges I have ever taken on, and that it will consume a lot of my time to get right, but at the same time I feel invigorated after my research. I feel ready to start the project and to create something that I can be proud to put my name on. I understand the importance of working as a team, and after my research I understand it even better. If Sam Esmail and Tod Campbell didn't talk properly then maybe Campbell wouldn't have thought of that specific way to frame his shots. But its not just important that the Director and DoP talk often and throughly, but also that I am clear about the shots that I have designed. I am not a very confrontational person, and usually prefer to compromise rather than start conflict, or even debate. I think that is something I need to work on for this unit, so that I will be able to politely, but firmly ask my Camera Assistant to set up the tripod at a certain place, and also properly explain to my Operator how I want it framed, without backing off completely if someone has a different vision. I think its a good thing to talk about the visuals with your team, and let them have input, but ultimately, if it goes against my preferred visual, I'll have to clear about what I want. Its going to be a challenge, but I am ready to face it.
- TJ
0 comments:
Post a Comment