Forum Replies Created
-
Replies
-
A ‘go-to shot list’!!!! Perish the thought! I like working a scene out with the actors on the day. Of course, that can be stressful but its part of the challenge and the fun of the job. The reason to have some sort of shot discussion prior to the shoot is to have the right equipment available on the day. I don’t like to carry more equipment than I will need from day to day and certain shots might require some lead time.
As I said, ‘Blade Runner 2049’ was a far more complicated film. The overall world that the film was to be set in had to be imagined and, within that whole, there were many sets that required specific looks of their own. Whereas on a film like ‘Sicario’, in which scenes took place within existing locations or could be combined with relatively simple sets, for ‘BR2049′ we needed to combine any number of sets and locations to create a composite environment.
The night scene where the spinner crashes against the sea wall was just one instance where we needed to conceptualize the scene before the film could be scheduled. After much consideration as to how and where the sequence as imagined would be shot it was decided to build of a large open air tank, some 160′ square and 15’ deep, on a studio backlot in Budapest. That takes time.
It varies from film to film. On ‘Empire of Light’ Sam and I only worked out our camera shots with the actors on the day of the shoot, whereas on ‘1917’ we decided on the ‘shot’ months before shooting started. On ‘Blade Runner 2049’ Denis and I shot listed and boarded much of the film months in advance but on ‘Sicario’ we focused only on specific scenes. I usually work with a director on shot listing during prep but that is not always the case. Joel and Ethan would often do a pass of their storyboards before I became involved and then we would do a final pass together.
I really can’t remember if the shot was sped up though I doubt it. The shot was made when 1st unit was changing location from London to Yorkshire. The weather was incredibly bad for mid summer so, with only a brief window of time, we were lucky to get that shot.
I think it is interesting to study the care that was taken in the past to light an actor when in a close shot. We were recently talking with Billy Williams and had, in anticipation, revisited some of his work: ‘Women in Love’, ‘The Wind and the Lion’ and ‘Gandhi’. Often his close up lighting would vary quite considerably from the wider coverage but this is only apparent if you specifically analyze the lighting. Not so when simply following the story, which certainly benefited from his care. The actors too must have loved what Billy did for them as his close up shots were always beautiful.
Today there is a tendency to light a set and shoot in the same lighting for a close shot as for a wide. Sometimes a shoot will cover the wide and tight with multiple cameras so there is no chance to make a change if desired. Personally, I will often adjust my lighting as the camera (single camera) moves in to an actor for a close shot, regardless of that actor’s gender.
Yes, it all depends on what you define as ‘style’. I would not like to be known as a cinematographer who’s style is lighting soft and shooting with a 50mm lens. Whereas, I could light with a single hard source and shoot with an 18mm lens and the image would, I hope, still reflect my taste.
I don’t think I have a particular style at all. As David says, everyone has a personal taste and that informs the work. And, like every cinematographer I know, I have certain tools and techniques I have developed over the years. But technique is only a way to create what is in the mind’s eye and is not , or should not be, the impetus for it.
While it is true some directors have a defined style I would argue that may are chameleons who morph into each film they take on.
I am not a fan of anamorphic. I have shot tests in the past but not with the Master anamorphic lenses.
I usually use 150 or 250 watt bulbs to rig an oil lamp in this way but for ‘1917’ I used 500 watt bulbs of the same kind as are used in conventional Tungsten Fresnel lamps. These were all I could find in the UK, although I have a great range of quartz bulbs in my garage in the US.
Once or twice I have used a small strip of blackwrap between the twin bulbs, to hide the one that was away from camera and brighter, but I don’t remember it being necessary to do this on ‘1917’.
