Among the DPs profiled in this issue’s Cinematographers & Cameras Series is Eigil Bryld who shot the first 11 episodes of House of Cards. Bryld’s work on the pilot earned him a primetime Emmy nomination in the Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series category. House of Cards garnered a total of nine Emmy nominations, the others for Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series (David Fincher), Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Drama Series (Kirk Baxter, ACE), Casting, Music Composition, Original Main Title Theme Music, Lead Actor and Lead Actress In A Drama Series.
From this week’s Cinematographers & Cameras feature story as well as this year’s ongoing The Road To Emmy coverage, the collaborative nature of filmmaking and the pivotal contributions of the cinematographer are crystal clear.
Discussing what Bryld brought to Netflix’s breakthrough House of Cards, showrunner/executive producer/writer-creator Beau Willimon–who works closely on the series with executive producer David Fincher (director of the pilot and the second episode)–observed that the DP took “a very classicist approach. No pans. No unmotivated moves of the camera. No long lenses. No Steadicams. A very specific color palette. Puts the acting first and foremost–doesn’t try to ‘create’ energy with the camera. Let’s the action dictate the motion.”
Willimon added that Bryld “mostly worked with the directors using a visual language he created with Fincher that was consistent throughout the series. Our interaction was about discussing the feeling of given scenes, and sometimes practical problem-solving if we were short on time or had to switch a location unexpectedly. Or talking about ways to shoot a recurring location or set differently to keep it fresh.”
In terms of Bryld’s impact on him as a writer, Willimon said, “At a certain point you start to see the way Eigil would light it and shoot it as you write. You get a sense of his frame, his mood. It informs the writing because you start to think cinematically…Eigil has a deep, expert sense of craft but more importantly, he brings a creative vision to it that elevates the drama. He is nimble and adaptable when necessary. He never thought of this as a ‘TV show.’ He thought about it in terms of cinema.”
Trump Asks Supreme Court To Delay TikTok Ban
President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Friday to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until his administration can pursue a "political resolution" to the issue.
The request came as TikTok and the Biden administration filed opposing briefs to the court, in which the company argued the court should strike down a law that could ban the platform by Jan. 19 while the government emphasized its position that the statute is needed to eliminate a national security risk.
"President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute. Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the Act's deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case," said Trump's amicus brief, which supported neither party in the case and was written by D. John Sauer, Trump's choice for solicitor general.
The argument submitted to the court is the latest example of Trump inserting himself in national issues before he takes office. The Republican president-elect has already begun negotiating with other countries over his plans to impose tariffs, and he intervened earlier this month in a plan to fund the federal government, calling for a bipartisan plan to be rejected and sending Republicans back to the negotiating table.
He has been holding meetings with foreign leaders and business officials at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida while he assembles his administration, including a meeting last week with TikTok CEO Shou Chew.
Trump has reversed his position on the popular app, having tried to ban it during his first term in office over national security concerns. He joined the TikTok during his 2024 presidential campaign and his team used it to connect with younger... Read More