Blog post # 9 - DP Reel and Artist Statement

Hello Everyone, here is the vimeo link to my reel for the course. Below the link is my artist statement. 

https://vimeo.com/93369840

I want to tell stories, and as filmmakers, it's probably safe to say that is something we all seek. For me though, that particular story telling focus revolves around people, human stories. I find people to be the most fascinating subject of all; their struggles, their loves, their heartbreaks, their pitfalls, and the shining moments are the moments that I'm always seeking, and I choose to capture as cinematographer. The films I love the most and constantly return to for inspiration, have solidified their place in large part because of the character driven narratives. It's those types of films that I most connect with, and that I try to achieve whenever I tell a story. When I read a script, it's always the people that drive the story for me. All of the other elements within the process of cinematography are tools and extensions to tell the story of the characters. With each composition, framing, and lighting setup that I choose, I think of what it says about the characters, the people of the story, and how can I best make those choices to bring that connection with the audience. I have a way to go with my skills; I will not proclaim any mastery, and I'm uncertain that one can, without hesitation, every completely claim a total mastery of the art form. The art form is one that calls for adaptation and change, as well as a constant dedication to the craft, and my goal to always strive for those characteristic, and to always be as malleable as the medium itself. The education never ceases, and I am driven to constantly learn and improve so that I can capture the best moments of the human experience. 

Blog post # 8 - Best camera

I find this particular blog post a bit tricky. The thing is it calls for detailing the best camera, but at this point, we all should know that the answer is not absolute. That is one of the big details that has been demonstrated through the course: the answer is purely situational. What makes the best camera? Depends. What is the best camera? Depends. The answer is completely dependent on the needs of the project. As a cinematographer, if the production needs a camera that is small, lightweight, inexpensive(relative), and fairly easy to pick up and use; perhaps, a DSLR with a couple of lenses would be perfectly suitable for the job. If the project has a large budget and setup is not a constraint, perhaps one of the premiere 35mm Arriflex, Mitchell, or Panavision cameras would be perfect. What if the production wants digital? Again, if the budget allows for it, one might choose an Arri Alexa or maybe a RED camera. What if you are wanting to shoot a full 6K digital image. There's the newer RED Dragon. The "best" camera is what serves the story best. It's just another tool used to serve the written word. In that regard, the term "best" can be entirely different for each cameraman. If I am referring specifically to what we have available within the department, then my choice would be the Sony F3. It is the highest quality camera we have available. It is a piece of professional equipment used regularly in the industry and provides a fantastic quality that the others can't match in my opinion. However, with that said, that doesn't mean it is definitively the best camera every time. Not every situation calls for a camera like F3.

Blog post #7 - Inspirational lighting

Light: it is one of the most crucial tools to a cinematographer. It is the paint with which the cinematographer constructs the story. It is honestly my favorite aspect of cinematography. There are countless images and films that I can delve into that have inspired me. For this post though, I will focus on particular films or moments within certain films that made me actually think and become interested in cinematography.

I make no qualms about speaking my mind about Roger Deakins; he is my favorite cinematographer, and I believe his work is one of the biggest influences.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is probably one of the most important films I have ever seen, at least in regards to how I think about lighting. Deakins is not afraid of letting things go dark or into silhouette and these images demonstrate that amazing ability. 

Blade Runner combines all of my favorite elements of color and lighting. Jordan Cronenworth truly helped create a master piece with this neo-noir sci-fi classic. The hard light, and beautiful use of blues help create the gritty, hard-boiled future that Decker must navigate to locate the replicants. 

Conrad Hall, quite frankly, he is one of the best American cinematographers of all time. I think it would be hard to argue that assertion. He is also among the cinematographers that have influenced me greatly. I love all of this films, but his final one, Road to Perdition, is probably my favorite and possibly his best work. Hall truly brought everything to the table with this film and his aesthetic vision helped create one of the most visually stunning films in cinema. Of course, the scene I got to the most from this film is the final confrontation between Hanks and Newman. 

 

More Roger Deakins with perhaps the best use of color lighting that I have ever seen.

Gregg Tolland is another one of my favorite cinematographers. I can see his clear influence on so many of the DPs that I love. He was a master of the hard lighting.

In recent years I have found the work of Gordon Willis to be some of the most fantastic photography in the whole of cinema. I absolutely love his work on the Godfather films, but honestly, the works I enjoy the most are his films with Woody Allen. In particular, I find that Manhattan is one of my favorite black and white films of all time. I couldn't find an image of the couples walking in front of the store fronts of New York, but I absolutely love that entire sequence, along with the observatory in complete silhouette.

If I could submit the entire collection of Breaking Bad as my visual inspiration I would. The work Michael Slovis provided for the visual mastery of the show blows my mind every time I watch an episode. Here are a number of selections from a couple of my favorite episodes. Slovis makes wonderful use of color and contrasty lighting that gives the show its dark atmosphere.

As an added bonus, here is a shot that has always stood out to me from the amazing film The Spy Who Came in from the Cold based off the John le Carre novel.