1 00:00:00,050 --> 00:00:08,900 [Music] 2 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:14,679 outside of the director there's no one 3 00:00:14,679 --> 00:00:19,359 else on a project who has more impact on 4 00:00:19,359 --> 00:00:20,920 what the film making approach is going 5 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:23,560 to be and what the tone of the 6 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:26,199 experience is going to be the pace of 7 00:00:26,199 --> 00:00:28,760 the of the shooting and the kind of you 8 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:31,359 know the the the the the mechanical 9 00:00:31,359 --> 00:00:34,399 problem solving of getting you know 10 00:00:34,399 --> 00:00:37,040 getting that getting those moments into 11 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:41,280 those Fram lines um and um so you you 12 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:42,520 know you have to feel like there's a 13 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:44,360 kind of a creative compatibility and if 14 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:46,039 there isn't you shouldn't go there 15 00:00:46,039 --> 00:00:49,800 because that that compatibility is is uh 16 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:51,440 is is vital and I think the way you 17 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:52,719 determine 18 00:00:52,719 --> 00:00:57,800 that it you know has to do with um um 19 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:02,600 listening to that cinematographer early on 20 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:04,080 when you're in that interview process or 21 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:05,640 you're just having coffee in a 22 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:08,920 conversation talking about other movies 23 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:12,640 not movies they've done other films um 24 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:18,240 and uh and understanding on a on a kind 25 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:20,600 of a basic personal level because 26 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:22,720 cinematographers are filmmakers you know 27 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:24,439 I mean they're living and breathing it 28 00:01:24,439 --> 00:01:25,600 uh you know everybody as much as the 29 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:29,000 Director is if there is a disconnect 30 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:32,399 between what they're seeing and feeling 31 00:01:32,399 --> 00:01:34,200 well you don't want to talk them into 32 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:37,280 your way because even if they do it 33 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:38,720 they're not going to fully understand it 34 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:40,640 and feel it and you actually want the 35 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:43,040 cinematographer to be feeling the movie 36 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:44,719 in the same way you want your actors to 37 00:01:44,719 --> 00:01:46,759 be feeling the scenes you want the 38 00:01:46,759 --> 00:01:48,119 composer to be 39 00:01:48,119 --> 00:01:50,320 feeling you know what that music is 40 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:52,439 going to be in relation to the movie and 41 00:01:52,439 --> 00:01:54,680 and you as a director want to fuel your 42 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:56,680 way through the movie uh as much as 43 00:01:56,680 --> 00:02:00,159 apply apply you know your your intellect 44 00:02:00,159 --> 00:02:02,920 um and and your experience so if there 45 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:04,920 is a disconnect I think you need to hear 46 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:07,719 it understand it and um you know as much 47 00:02:07,719 --> 00:02:09,720 as you might love that person's work you 48 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:13,319 know find someone else to collaborate 49 00:02:17,239 --> 00:02:20,040 with I Rely very heavily on 50 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:22,319 cinematographers not so much 51 00:02:22,319 --> 00:02:24,959 to decide what the shots are are 52 00:02:24,959 --> 00:02:26,519 literally going to be or what the 53 00:02:26,519 --> 00:02:29,400 coverage is going to be um because I 54 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:31,840 also think editorially so it's very very 55 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:34,239 important to me to to have the building 56 00:02:34,239 --> 00:02:36,120 blocks to take into the editing room 57 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:38,360 that that that give me confidence and I 58 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:39,920 make me believe I'm going to have 59 00:02:39,920 --> 00:02:43,400 control over the moments the scenes the 60 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:47,080 sequences and ultimately the movie um 61 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:49,760 but I have learned more from 62 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:52,000 cinematographers than probably anyone 63 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,319 else in the um you know in the in the 64 00:02:55,319 --> 00:02:57,760 big collaboration of making movies and 65 00:02:57,760 --> 00:03:02,120 television shows and I I I have some 66 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:03,680 cinematographers who I've worked with 67 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:04,920 many many 68 00:03:04,920 --> 00:03:09,760 times but I always cast the movie with 69 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:11,080 the cinematographer to the 70 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:14,080 cinematographer and vice versa because I 71 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:16,599 I want them to bring something of 72 00:03:16,599 --> 00:03:18,959 themselves uh that that I think is going 73 00:03:18,959 --> 00:03:22,799 to be additive stimulating for me and um 74 00:03:22,799 --> 00:03:26,120 and and sort of organic and um 75 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:29,280 significant for um for the for the movie 76 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:31,280 itself based on their taste their 77 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:34,239 aesthetic a lot of it is is uh looking 78 00:03:34,239 --> 00:03:38,200 at the cinematographers work obviously 79 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:39,879 and but those conversations are very 80 00:03:39,879 --> 00:03:43,200 important and I've never chosen a 81 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:45,120 cinematographer without without having a 82 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:47,360 script for them to read so they're 83 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:52,159 reacting to something tangible um and uh 84 00:03:52,159 --> 00:03:53,439 um and 85 00:03:53,439 --> 00:03:55,680 it's it's one of the times when I really 86 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:58,760 try to shut up and let them talk as much 87 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:01,720 as possible and not say here's what I'm 88 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:05,360 thinking um you know I I imagine it 89 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:08,280 ought to look this way um I really try 90 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:12,159 to you know fold my arms and and do just 91 00:04:12,159 --> 00:04:15,319 instigate a conversation and hear you 92 00:04:15,319 --> 00:04:19,199 know what they just naturally see as as 93 00:04:19,199 --> 00:04:21,639 valid for this project and see if it 94 00:04:21,639 --> 00:04:25,639 aligns and um usually I mean with the 95 00:04:25,639 --> 00:04:27,240 people that I've worked with I've never 96 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:28,800 had a Hu a big problem with a 97 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:30,400 cinematographer 98 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:33,000 uh you know we're immediately you know 99 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:34,120 we're we're sort of building on each 100 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:36,759 other's ideas and and even in that 101 00:04:36,759 --> 00:04:38,639 conversation and that's when I feel like 102 00:04:38,639 --> 00:04:40,720 there is going to be an exciting 103 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:44,880 collaboration um and uh and yet for me 104 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:48,120 it's also important to establish that as 105 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:50,960 open as I'm going to be as much as I 106 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:53,960 love to discuss and collaborate that uh 107 00:04:53,960 --> 00:04:55,320 I am going 108 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:59,960 to be decisive about ultimately the way 109 00:04:59,960 --> 00:05:03,759 the scenes are staged and shot uh and uh 110 00:05:03,759 --> 00:05:08,000 uh because in a liveaction you know film 111 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:10,800 or television project the director is 112 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:13,919 not only the keeper of the story but he 113 00:05:13,919 --> 00:05:15,919 is the administrator of the 114 00:05:15,919 --> 00:05:18,639 resources uh it's not up to the line 115 00:05:18,639 --> 00:05:20,400 producer it's not up to the assistant 116 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:23,160 director at the end of the day it's you 117 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:25,560 know it's up to the director to decide 118 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:28,919 how long he or she wants to invest in a 119 00:05:28,919 --> 00:05:30,440 particular scene 120 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:34,000 and cinematographer has to know that 121 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:37,080 whatever opinion he or she has that they 122 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:38,520 have to be they have to be ready to 123 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:42,600 follow the lead of the of the 124 00:05:42,830 --> 00:05:46,000 [Music] 125 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:50,120 director very often 126 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:54,840 um my ideas are you know greatly 127 00:05:54,840 --> 00:05:58,160 impacted even shifted based on what the 128 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:00,840 cinematographer sees and and and and 129 00:06:00,840 --> 00:06:03,440 very often they will bring in still 130 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:07,000 photographs to back up their their their 131 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:09,800 idea or they'll they'll they'll point to 132 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:12,400 u a documentary or some some interesting 133 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:14,960 TV commercial or Another Movie that that 134 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:17,080 we've either seen all seen or or or none 135 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:18,800 of us have seen except this you know 136 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:21,560 this cinematographer and begin to build 137 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:25,199 the case and it opens my mind and when I 138 00:06:25,199 --> 00:06:26,680 say that I've learned more from 139 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:29,000 cinematographers it I I what I probably 140 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:32,639 mean is is that they have probably 141 00:06:32,639 --> 00:06:36,720 influenced me to stretch visually and 142 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:39,160 explore um you know the language of 143 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:43,280 Cinema in ways that um others have never 144 00:06:43,280 --> 00:06:45,560 you know never really tried to but the 145 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:47,919 cinematographers have U have you know 146 00:06:47,919 --> 00:06:50,840 have have have always been in very 147 00:06:50,840 --> 00:06:55,160 inspiring to me Don Peterman was the 148 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:58,199 first A-list Academy Award caliber 149 00:06:58,199 --> 00:07:01,400 cinematographer uh who I worked with uh 150 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:03,759 and you know he he had done Flash Dance 151 00:07:03,759 --> 00:07:05,680 and some very cool Thrillers a lot of 152 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:07,560 great commercials and I was lucky enough 153 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:10,759 to get him to do Splash very great 154 00:07:10,759 --> 00:07:13,319 relaxed guy we wound up doing several 155 00:07:13,319 --> 00:07:16,039 movies together including uh cocoon and 156 00:07:16,039 --> 00:07:18,560 even some years later uh you How the 157 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:21,080 Grinch Stole Christmas visually all 158 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:25,720 different but the lesson I learned from 159 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:30,160 dawn was to not be too literal about the 160 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:34,800 staging don't be afraid to um you know 161 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:38,800 adjust to work with a location and to 162 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:43,319 work with the light like I remember um a 163 00:07:43,319 --> 00:07:46,000 scene that I was doing for Splash and it 164 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:49,800 needed to be romantic and the scene was 165 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:52,840 supposed to take place over uh in this 166 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:55,400 sort of portion of this um this this 167 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:59,759 fruit and vegetable um market and um 168 00:07:59,759 --> 00:08:03,960 kind of seedy kind of dark and uh you 169 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:06,120 know if you're being literal about the 170 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:08,400 staging they should have stopped in this 171 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:11,240 one place that was kind of a corner and 172 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:13,360 he said you're being too literal this is 173 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:16,199 romantic let him exit that shot and then 174 00:08:16,199 --> 00:08:17,680 let's pick him up over by that doorway 175 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:18,680 where we can have some beautiful 176 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:20,400 backlight we can shoot him in this great 177 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:22,120 silhouetted profile and then when I come 178 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:24,400 around on the coverage I can sight them 179 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:26,680 I can put a kick in her hair you know 180 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:28,599 and and and and let it be beautiful and 181 00:08:28,599 --> 00:08:31,199 romantic and I was hung up on it because 182 00:08:31,199 --> 00:08:33,640 I was thinking more like an actor I was 183 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:36,880 you know and and literally if the scene 184 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:38,599 was supposed to end here in this corner 185 00:08:38,599 --> 00:08:40,279 why weren't we shooting it in the corner 186 00:08:40,279 --> 00:08:41,800 it was so liberating and I was so 187 00:08:41,800 --> 00:08:44,039 excited to see what he meant and to see 188 00:08:44,039 --> 00:08:45,959 that it actually worked and that I had 189 00:08:45,959 --> 00:08:48,080 you know let him influence the scene in 190 00:08:48,080 --> 00:08:50,480 that way and it was it was um you know 191 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:51,959 it was the beginning of a of of an 192 00:08:51,959 --> 00:08:55,880 education for me 193 00:08:56,570 --> 00:08:59,680 [Music] 194 00:08:59,680 --> 00:09:03,320 now I've talked to a lot of actors about 195 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:06,800 becoming directors 196 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:09,040 and and they have great taste they have 197 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:10,160 great 198 00:09:10,160 --> 00:09:12,360 instincts they understand the creative 199 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:14,600 problem solving and so much that goes 200 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:18,640 into making a scene or a story 201 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:22,959 work and they're intimidated by the 202 00:09:22,959 --> 00:09:27,360 photography and I always say of all of 203 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:29,000 all of the areas where you can actually 204 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:32,959 trust a collaborator it's that area of 205 00:09:32,959 --> 00:09:34,040 the 206 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:35,680 cinematography I 207 00:09:35,680 --> 00:09:39,320 said time and time again you know talk 208 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:41,519 to the cinematographer about about what 209 00:09:41,519 --> 00:09:43,399 you want the audience to feel and what 210 00:09:43,399 --> 00:09:44,120 you 211 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:46,560 feel and that 212 00:09:46,560 --> 00:09:49,640 cinematographer if you know if they're 213 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:53,399 great can can you know evoke those 214 00:09:53,399 --> 00:09:55,920 feelings and they they they know they 215 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:59,800 know what lens to use ask them because 216 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:02,399 you want to learn all that stuff but 217 00:10:02,399 --> 00:10:05,399 that in and of itself Photography in and 218 00:10:05,399 --> 00:10:08,720 of itself is not a barrier to entry for 219 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:11,800 new directors it shouldn't be that is 220 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:13,600 something that important to understand 221 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:15,120 but it is also something that you can 222 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:17,640 get a lot of help with early on and you 223 00:10:17,640 --> 00:10:21,640 can very quickly begin to to grasp it 224 00:10:21,640 --> 00:10:23,600 and understand the language and learn 225 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:27,640 what the various lenses mean