One of the things I love about writing for American Cinematographer Magazine is really getting down to how films are made.* Once you get past the basics – cameras, actors, sound, etc. – actually making the movie becomes an entirely different experience. Things happen on set that you didn’t plan for – some good (the elusive “happy accident”), and some bad (more common). You can come up with a brilliant idea and be inspired, or be completely baffled and just wing it. Whatever the case, behind the scenes no two films are alike.
I’ve just begun producing podcasts for the American Society of Cinematographers, and with some hard work you’ll see one new interview a month from a prominent cinematographer talking about the photographic forces at play in his or her latest film. I’m also working on getting interviews with cinematographers who were never featured in the magazine, but should have been – can you believe we never covered Poltergeist? I spoke with Matt Leonetti, ASC about the movie a few weeks ago and he’s got some great stories to tell about working with effects wizard Richard Edlund, ASC. I hope you’ll get the chance to hear those stories.
In the meantime, listen then, faithful readers, as Guillermo Navarro, ASC, the Oscar-winning director of photography** of Hellboy 2: The Golden Army regales yours truly with tales of demons and elves and fishy blue guys who like to snack on rotten eggs. Actually, he mostly talks about cinematography and working with Guillermo del Toro. I know you all might be kind of stuffed when it comes to Hellboy, but this is definitely worth checking out.
Do you have a cinematographer you’d like to see spotlighted? Drop me a line on the message boards with suggestions.
* One of the things I love about CHUD is I know you guys dig this stuff too.
**Pan’s Labyrinth, 2006