LITMIR.BIZ

      9. John Seale (courtesy of Brook Rushton)

      SELECTING A CINEMATOGRAPHER

      Many directors choose a cinematographer in the same way that they would cast an actor. A director will often screen a reel or several films shot by a prospective cinematographer to see if the visual style meshes with their personal vision. In considering new or up-and-coming cinematographers, directors, and producers will screen reels looking for a visual style or unity in the work as well as camera movement and composition. A good cinematographer can light any situation, but some DP’s get known for a particular style. For example, Daniel Pearl has become known for his work on horror films because of his success with Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Gordon Willis, after shooting The Godfather (Parts 1 and 2), with its use of top light and warm sepia hues, became known as “the prince of darkness” because of his skill working with low-light images.

      I spoke with veteran director Donald Petrie, DGA, in December 2006 in Santa Monica. He is known for directing romantic comedies such as How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Miss Congeniality, Mystic Pizza, Grumpy Old Men, Welcome to Mooseport, Just My Luck, numerous television programs, and his most recent film, My Life in Ruins.

      How involved are you in the selection of the cinematographer?

      ■ Completely involved. It’s really my choice. I don’t think I’ve ever been told I have to use a certain cinematographer; it’s part of the director’s job to choose the cinematographer. There was one time when I took over a movie (Miss Congeniality) that was already in preproduction. The studio told me, “We’ve hired László Kovács; is that okay?” (Laughs.) Sure, that’s okay! That’s one where, although I hadn’t chosen the cinematographer myself, we’d met over the years and always wanted to work together.

      What characteristics do you look for when selecting a cinematographer?

      ■ I look for a lot of the same things that I look for in anyone working on a movie, be it an actor, electrician, costume designer: I want someone who is going to bring something to the party, someone who will have creative input and ideas. I will always come to the set prepared with what I want, and I’m just waiting for someone to show me a better way.

      What about in terms of personality?

      ■ Vibe is a lot; you’re going to be working very closely with this person a third of a year and you rely on that person very heavily. Call other directors and ask how this person likes to work. I want someone as passionate about the script as I am. You have to judge the person and what they are going to bring to the project.

      Besides the other qualities a director looks for when selecting a cinematographer, intuitive factors also come into play. Because the director and cinematographer will be working together for the next three months, six days a week, twelve to fifteen hours a day under highly stressful conditions, it is important for personalities to be congenial. The cinematographer is the person the director leans on during production, the one the director will turn to or confide in if she or he strays off track. The cinematographer is there to help put the director back on course.

      After viewing a cinematographer’s reel, the director will send the cinematographer the script, so they can see if the material inspires them or if they feel they can add to it with their photography. Once the cinematographer has read the script, the director and prospective cinematographer will have the important face-to-face meeting to see if their personalities are compatible and if they share the same vision for the project. The cinematographer will generally listen to what the director is looking for before they start commenting on the script. This is usually not a technical conversation but focused on the thematic concepts in broad strokes. Understanding the underlying theme of the film can lead to a visual interpretation.

      ■ 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. I don’t necessarily expect anything more of a first-time director than an understanding of the screenplay, the characters, the development, the intertwining of the relationships, the evolution of the relationships, and finally how it resolves itself. That’s everything and it’s a lot. If I’m meeting with a director who has written a screenplay and doesn’t really know what it’s about, which seems impossible but isn’t, or can’t articulate it, then it’s a much easier pass for me.

      (John Bailey, ASC, Frost interview)

      As a director selecting a cinematographer, it is important to talk to them about what you want and what you envision and then ask questions, such as how your visuals can be accomplished cinematographically. If the cinematographer understands and likes the script, they will have thought about how they can enhance the script with visual images.

      ■ Oftentimes I’ve gone to a DP with visuals, pictures from magazines, but more often than not DP’s have come to me with kind of a book they have put together from pictures ripped from magazines of how they think the film should look. It helps a lot — then I can say, hate it, love it, etc.

      (Donald Petrie, director, Frost interview, December 2006)