addition, build the relationship, communicate your ideas. Learn to take suggestions or reject them with tact and respect. Collegial communication is important.
Be prepared. Directors should have a good idea of what the film looks like completed in their minds. Storyboards are very helpful for the cinematographer. Remember the cinematographer is the writer in a visual language, perhaps with less exposition but with more effect on mood.
Talk to the cinematographer about thematic elements in the story. The cinematographer thinks visually and may have suggestions as to how to enhance your story cinematically.
Visit locations together with the production designer to discuss the color and visual design of the locations and sets.
Be clear on the relative importance of shots. Don’t waste time torturing the DP on a shot that isn’t important to the story and will probably be cut anyway. Know the limits of what can and should be done.
Make sure you have done your homework and prep in blocking. A good cinematographer will have prepped, too.
Understand how using processes such as desaturation or shifts in color or hue may affect your audience on a visceral level. Screen-test together.
Keep egos in check. The director should do their job, and the cinematographer will do theirs. Crossing the line of responsibilities causes problems. The DP is not there to take over the film but to facilitate the director’s creative vision.
Remember, a good cinematographer will stand with their director. They know that it is the director who hired them, and they are ready to work with the director to achieve the best possible image.
CHAPTER 2
THE CINEMATOGRAPHER AND THE SCRIPT
I have worked with a lot of writer/directors. I like people who are articulate and one of the things I like about working with writers is that they can amend their own material. They don’t lose track of the story, which is easy to do when you are negotiating with actors about how a scene is going to work or what the trajectory of the story is. The writer/directors I’ve worked with are very confident on the set about what the story is and how to tell it. I find that reassuring and admirable.
(John Lindley, ASC, Frost interview)
What attracts a cinematographer to a script? It could be many things. Is it a story they can relate to? Does it propose a visual challenge? Is it in a genre that they want to work in? Is it the kind of movie they would want to see in the theater? Where is the location? What is the budget? These are all questions that might run through a cinematographer’s mind when she or he has been asked to shoot a particular film.
■ I first read the script and ideas are generated, but I try not to fall in love with my ideas, just get some basic concepts. I listen to what the director has to say, maybe talk about some of the concepts I had on my first read. Once I understand the approach the director is trying to take, I go to my photography books for visual references to come up with visual ideas that I can present to the director.
(Rodrigo Prieto, ASC, Frost interview)
■ I’m very attracted to a first-time director that by definition is the author of the script and has a clear vision into the material because they have created it. For me that’s the most compelling thing.
(John Bailey, ASC, Frost interview)
■ I like something that explores a side of human nature that is really unique. I don’t gravitate to the normal comedy for example. I always like to light the actors through their eyes. I feel like no matter what the subject matter, the soul of a person comes out through seeing both eyes.
(Nancy Schreiber, ASC, Frost interview)
When a cinematographer connects with a screenplay it becomes much easier for them to make suggestions to the director on how to capture the underlying thematic elements of the story. If they feel they can contribute significantly they will become excited about helping to bring the words on the page to life. They will transform the words into images in their minds and come to a director with visual ideas from paintings, photographs, other films, and whatever references might clearly convey their interpretation of the script. This begins the visual dialogue.
■ What really attracts me is something different, a story with an edge. I’m not particularly drawn to comedy, although I’ve had a blast every time I’ve worked on comedic material. Generally, I’m drawn to the darker subject matter, I’m drawn to family drama, anything that provides an opportunity for using camera movement and lighting to help the director tell a story.
(Amy Vincent, ASC, Frost interview)
The screenplay should be well written and in the correct format prior to anyone reading it. It should be well developed and certainly not a first draft. The script attracts the actors, the cinematographer, and the entire crew, so it should contain elements of story that people will not only be interested in watching but that producers and the entire crew assembled will be enthusiastic about being a part of. This applies to short scripts as well as feature scripts. Whether you are the writer/director or working with a writer, make sure it is ready to be seen and not a rough draft.
■ The first time I read a script, I pay attention to how it affects me, if there is something I relate to in the story. I don’t think about it visually on the first reading, images always pop into your mind, but I read it as a book to see how it affects me. If it’s got something to say, what is the reason for making this film other than taking peoples’ money, that’s not enough. If I wouldn’t go to the cinema to see this film, then I don’t want to work on it. If it wouldn’t be in my DVD collection, then I don’t want to work on it. The other thing is you are going to spend three to five months of your life on this film, so it’s got to have some sort of meaning for you. I don’t do this just for a job; it’s much too hard.
(Roger Deakins, ASC, Frost interview, November 2007)
What makes a script good? Generally, a compelling story that will interest the producers in developing the material, the actors in playing the roles, and the cinematographer in photographing it for the screen. The version of the script that is given to the cinematographer should be the final green-lighted shooting script that has been developed and rewritten, broken down, budgeted, scheduled, and carefully checked over again before being sent out. Just like anyone else reading a script, the cinematographer will notice typos, misspellings, and improper format, and they may be turned off by that. The budget and the shooting schedule could sway their decision about participating in the project. Another factor in the cinematographer’s decision is the location — whether the film is being shot locally or in another country.
There are numerous screenwriting books available to help craft a story and discuss what makes a script good (check the Michael Wiese Productions catalog at mwp.com).
A realistic shooting schedule is also important because the cinematographer has to feel that they have the time to capture the material to the best of their ability and not be asked to perform miracles with an unrealistic timeframe.
■ The screenplay is paramount to everything. After that, it’s character motivation and characters in general, such as the nuances and personalities of each character and what their arc is. That’s what I load up on for ammunition for that first meeting with the director and that’s the conversation I want to have first. Otherwise you run the risk of reading a script and being
