hours, and it’s tough, but I much prefer that to someone who just wants to get it done in a reasonable amount of time and go home. Just to get it in the can.
(Rodrigo Prieto, Frost interview)
3. Rodrigo Prieto (Photo courtesy of Rodrigo Prieto)
■ Ideally what a cinematographer is looking for is a partner in making the film. If they are a writer/director, they should have a vision, so for me it’s about getting that vision out of them.
(Matthew Libatique, ASC, Frost interview)
4. Matthew Libatique (Photo courtesy of Matthew Libatique)
■ I definitely like a strong director, somebody who knows what they want visually and thematically. I like enthusiasm and passion. It also helps to really like the director and that we have a connection.
(Mike Bonvillain, Frost interview)
■ I appreciate a director who either sees something in my work or sees something in me that they feel is going to help them to express their vision, someone who can trust me. I’ve always enjoyed directors who love actors, who love getting wonderful performances out of actors.
(Sandi Sissel, Frost interview)
5. Sandi Sissel, ASC (Photo courtesy of Sandi Sissel)
■ I like a director with clarity of vision. With Joel and Ethan (Coen) obviously I know them very well; it’s been a longtime relationship. It’s a happy working relationship. I like their focus, I like the low-key nature in which they approach a project. It’s very matter of fact; there are no egos on the set. Everybody is doing their best to make that particular picture as good as it can be.
(Roger Deakins, Frost interview)
6. Roger Deakins (photo by Andy Harris, courtesy of Roger Deakins)
What makes a creative collaboration?
■ I want to provide the director with a place in which to do his job with the words and the actors. The essence of cinematography is that partnership with the director, together you become this team to bring the story to life. As a cinematographer, I like to create for the director a safe performance base within which to work. I may be augmenting with color choices, composition, camera movement, lighting, all in collaboration with the production designer, but basically, when it all comes right down to it, I want to provide the director with a place in which to do his job with the words and the actors.
(Amy Vincent, Frost interview)
7. Amy Vincent (Photo courtesy of Amy Vincent)
Making a film is the merging of numerous creative entities into one strong unit. That means uniting the key players involved in all three stages of production. The producer has gotten the script green lit and financed and is influential in the hiring of each creative force behind the project including the director. From the production designer to the wardrobe coordinator, each professional involved in the project has their own specific tasks to attend to and they have visually interpreted the script with a focus on their particular area of expertise. But the unifying process starts with the director, the creative visionary that everyone else looks towards for guidance and leadership.
The cinematographer’s job is to capture the images that the production designer has created and the actors inhabit. Often the production designer works with the director prior to the cinematographer being hired to discuss the sets and locations. Once the cinematographer is involved with the project, communication between the director, production designer, and cinematographer is key. The color of the sets and the wardrobe affect the lighting the look of the film. Such collaborations begin during preproduction and are maintained during production.
■ Every director is different in terms of how involved they are in the various aspects of making the film, and what they want to do. Tim (Burton) has a unique voice. I’ve been doing this for some time now, and that’s the type of director I’m seeking out. I want to be inspired. I can only go so far by myself. I’ve worked with directors where you’re doing most of the visual work, but you want to be challenged and taken places where you’re creating stuff that’s original.
(Ben Davis, BSC, American Cinematographer magazine, April 2019, 34)
During production, the crew — including the first assistant director, the camera assistants, gaffers, grips, script supervisors, sound mixer, boom operator, prop masters, wardrobe, and hair and production assistants — all have important roles to play on set. Fulfilling their positions is vital to the film being completed on time and on budget. But there is a hierarchy to the crew dynamic that must be adhered to if all is to run smoothly, and there are several above-the-line players who are the creative forces behind a motion picture film.
■ This is a business that can easily allow someone to fall into the ego trip of thinking they are better than everyone else just because they are the designated leader of the group. I like to think that everyone works together as a family. Yes, there is a hierarchy involved and people have to be leaders, but everyone treats everyone else with respect, whether you are a PA or a driver or the director.
(Ellen Kuras, ASC, Frost interview)
THE DIRECTOR
Many directors have become familiar names such as Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, James Cameron, Ridley Scott, Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese, Tim Burton, Ron Howard, Quentin Tarantino, the Coen Brothers, Ang Lee, Spike Lee, Nancy Meyers, Michael Mann, Wes Anderson, Woody Allen, and the “master of suspense” Alfred Hitchcock, just to name a few.
They are essentially the star creative entity in a film production, along with the celebrity talent. The director’s name stands alone either as the last credit before the film begins or the first credit when the film ends.
The director is ultimately responsible for the storytelling aspects of the film, through the actors’ performances to the selection of shots and compositions. As the main person associated with the style and content of the film, the director has to maintain the artistic integrity and clarity of vision when making final decisions on the screenplay. The director, who also has a decisive role in the selection of cast and crew, should create a collaborative relationship with the cinematographer and production designer, with all three in accord about the visual look of the film. The director also manages numerous other aspects of production, including supervising visual effects and exercising the right of first cut in editing. But most importantly, the director must have a vision of the finished film before it has been photographed and must also understand how all the individual aspects of production will effectively communicate the story to the audience.
During preproduction the producer is very involved with the project, having developed the idea, hired the writer, created the package, acquired financing, and hired the director. The producer is an especially powerful force at this point in the production and remains involved from the inception of the concept until the film has been distributed.
