Among the varied attractions at Cine Gear Expo 2012 on the historic Paramount lot in Hollywood from June 1-3 were several sessions featuring notable cinematographers who shared experiences and reflected on their working relationships with directors.
A Kodak-sponsored session, for example, paired two-time Best Cinematography Oscar winner (Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List) Janusz Kaminski with Phedon Papamichael, ASC, who lensed a couple of films that made their imprint on the awards show circuit this season, The Descendants, and The Ides Of March–the former starring, the latter both starring and directed by George Clooney.
Kaminski and Papamichael chatted informally, a casual air aided by the fact that Kodak wasn’t the first to bring them together. Indeed the two cinematographers have known each other for many years, dating back to when they were both looking to establish themselves, moving up the industry ladder.
A photo from the archives projected on stage during the Cine Gear Expo session showed both DPs considerably younger, back when Papamichael was shooting some B-films for Roger Corman with Kaminski serving as gaffer. Also pictured and operating with them at that time was Wally Pfister, ASC, who won last year’s Academy Award for Best Cinematography on the strength of the Christopher Nolan-directed Inception. Kaminski and Pfister also now share the common bond of being repped as commercial directors by production house Independent Media.
In fact Kaminski, Papamichael and Pfister are all united on another industry front, working on developing a website offering insights and info for up-and-coming DPs.
Papamichael explained that in industry websites geared towards DPs, he often sees “an overemphasis” on the technical aspect.
The website that he, Papamichael and Pfister are teaming on will discuss the reality of working as a cinematographer, touching upon the working professional’s lifestyle, forming productive relationships, dealing with creative challenges and other day-to-day considerations such as constantly being on the road.
During their Cine Gear session, both Papamichael (who’s repped as a DP by Innovative Artists) and Kaminski (handled by ICM) discussed their working relationships with directors.
For Kaminski, the most prominent collaborator has been director Steven Spielberg–this year marks their 20th together and they have done 15 movies thus far, including the recently wrapped Lincoln and prior to that War Horse, for which Kaminski earned an Oscar nomination earlier this year. Kaminski has a total of five career Academy Award nominations–the other two being for Spielberg’s Amistad and the Julian Schnabel-directed The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.
Schindler’s List, Amistad, Saving Private Ryan, and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly also earned Kaminski ASC Award nominations.
Of Spielberg, Kaminski observed, “He’s very respectful of not just my work but that of actors, production designers and so forth.” One of the keys to Spielberg’s success, observed Kaminski, is that he hires talented artists “and lets them do their work as opposed to micro-managing them.”
Kaminski noted that Spielberg often prefers lighting that is cinematic, optimistic, hopeful and inspiring. Even Schindler’s List, observed Kaminski, was “a life-affirming movie.”
The one departure from the Spielberg norm might have been Munich which Kaminski characterized as “a bleak movie” yet at the same time stylized because the look and feel of the 1970s were being recreated.
Contrary to popular opinion and to the nature of the work he’s done for Spielberg, Kaminski quipped, “I can also do non-aggressive lighting.” In fact, Kaminski related that he is a long-time admirer of cinematographer Philippe Rousselot who’s known for his unobtrusive lighting.
Meanwhile, it was Papamichael’s work on The Descendants which led to his next gig. Clooney liked Papamichael’s approach to The Descendants (directed by Alexander Payne) and asked the DP to shoot his political drama The Ides of March.
Papamichael noted that Payne did not want The Descendants to reflect the stereotypical glamorous, picturesque, touristy Hawaii. The DP found it gratifying that many native Hawaiians who saw the film said it reflected the closest to a true depiction of Hawaii in the movies. Indeed Hawaii itself is very much a character in The Descendants. Cast and crew were on the Islands for five months, with shooting taking place primarily on Oahu, with a week on Kauai, and a day on the Big Island.
Papamichael’s notable collaborations also include director James Mangold on Walk the Line and 3:10 to Yuma. (Mangold is repped as a spot director via Aero Film.) Papamichael has also been twice nominated for ASC Awards–for White Dwarf in 1996 in the Movies of the Week/Pilots category, and for Wild Palms in 1994 in the Miniseries category.
As in The Descendants, Papamichael’s work is generally characterized by natural, realistic lighting. But he adapts to directorial preferences, citing his collaboration with Oliver Stone on W. For a coffee shop scene, Papamichael said he could tell that Stone wanted more aggressive lighting so the DP obliged.
Similarly Papamichael normally doesn’t work from storyboards. But when collaborating with director Gore Verbinski on Weather Man, the DP did so in that Verbinski, who comes from a commercialmaking background, deploys storyboards for his films.
As for practices that can carry drawbacks, Kaminski cited previsualization. He explained that animated previz pieces are often used to sell the look of a movie to the studio well before the DP, editor and production designer get involved.
Kaminski contended that these industry artists and professionals should have a stronger say in developing the best look for a film rather than being locked into a previz rendering.
Rodrigo Prieto, ASC, AMC In a separate Cine Gear Expo session, also hosted by Kodak, Rodrigo Prieto, ASC, AMC–a Best Cinematography Academy Award and ASC Award nominee for the Ang Lee-directed Brokeback Mountain–discussed his latest film, Argo, directed by and starring Ben Affleck.
Argo is based on real events in Iran when Americans were taken hostage in 1979-’80. The feature film’s story centers on a group of hostages who escaped and took refuge in a diplomat’s home. American intelligence forces devised a plan to get them out of the country by faking a Canadian movie shoot in Iran, getting the hostages to pretend they were crew members who could leave upon completion of the production.
Prieto (who’s repped as a DP by ICM) got reacquainted with Affleck when the actor/director visited the set of We Bought A Zoo to see his long-time friend Matt Damon. Prieto was DP on that Cameron Crowe-directed movie during which Affleck told him the story behind Argo, sparking Prieto’s interest in the project, which in one key respect was reminiscent of several prior theatrical motion pictures on which he enjoyed a fulfilling creative experience.
“I saw the opportunity to play with different looks in the film,” said Prieto who noted that ever since lensing Amores Perros, he developed an affinity for experimenting with different textures. (A 2000 release, Amores Perros was directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu who’s handled for commercials by production houses Anonymous Content in the U.S. and Independent in the U.K.) As further example, Prieto successfully deployed different grains and textures in the González Iñárritu-helmed Babel.
The storyline and settings in Argo again necessitated a blending of grains and textures, noted Prieto. CIA headquarters scenes, for example, featured fluorescent lit hallways, the scenes in Iran called for more of an immediate documentary style with a coarse film grain, and the Hollywood moviemaking aspects of Argo had to have a 1970s look in terms of how studio movies were shot during that time.
Prieto said that an influence on that particular Hollywood look arrived at for Argo came from the 1976 movie The Killing of a Chinese Bookie directed by John Cassavetes.
Next on Prieto’s docket is prep for a Martin Scorsese movie.
ICG session A Cine Gear Expo panel of filmmakers hosted by the International Cinematographers Guild (IATSE Local 600) included three cinematographers: moderator Steven Poster, president of the ICG; Michael Goi, ASC; and Michael Barrett.
The latter two cinematographers reported favorable experiences with the Sony F65, Goi on the pilot for a network comedy series, The New Normal from Glee co-creator and executive producer Ryan Murphy, and Barrett on the film No Good Deed, directed by Sam Miller.
Barrett (who’s repped by UTA) won an ASC Award in 2003 for the pilot episode (“Cross Jurisdiction”) of the series CSI: Miami. That same year he was nominated in the regular TV Series category for the “Snuff” episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. And the year prior he garnered his first career ASC Award nomination for the “Alter Boys” episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
Relative to his recent experience on No Good Deed, Barrett described the F65 as “amazing,” delivering “color beyond what I expected,” and sensitivity to low light, enabling him to successfully capture desired imagery with minimal lighting.
Poster (handled by William Morris Endeavor Entertainment) noted that very little light needed for a scene does not at all diminish the need for professional lighting.
Poster observed that some erroneously regard the ability to work in minimal light levels as equivalent to not needing lights anymore. He said that you still need to make the depth and density of light work, no matter how low the light level. You must shape the light to do justice to the scene and story. “Lighting is still an art,” affirmed Poster.
Meanwhile Goi, who regards himself as “a film person,” successfully deployed the F65 on The New Normal, continuing a collaboration with Murphy which spans episodes of Glee and American Horror Story.
Goi said that he pushed the Sony F65, a camera which at that point no one else in television had yet used. He shot rigorous tests before the pilot, which helped him determine how far he could go with the Sony camera.
Goi (who’s handled as a DP by Paradigm) related that it all comes down to being prepared, just as it’s his responsibility to fully know the range of a certain film stock before shooting a job.
He added that the creative role of the cinematographer doesn’t change no matter how significant the transitions have been over the years–black-and-white to color, silent to sound, film to digital. While different elements and technologies change, Goi stressed that “artistic sensitivity is the constant” for a professional cinematographer.
Poster quipped that when he and Goi meet, they address one another at “Mr. President,” a reference to the latter’s service as prexy of the ASC and Poster’s as the chief of the International Cinematographers Guild.
At press time, Goi–an Emmy nominee in 2008 for the “Stole A Motorcycle” episode of My Name Is Earl, and prior to that a two-time ASC Award nominee in the Movies for TV/Pilot/Miniseries category for Judas in ’05 and The Fixer in ’98–was wrapping his third consecutive term as president of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC). The three straight terms are the maximum an ASC president can be in office.
Succeeding Goi at the ASC helm is Stephen Lighthill, ASC (SHOOTonline, 6/6). This will be Lighthill’s first turn as ASC president. He has previously served on the organization’s Board and as sergeant-at-arms. Goi continues to serve ASC on its Board of Governors.
