- What personality or character traits are necessary to excel in being a cinematographer/DP?
Vision, understanding, patience, planning, management. I know it looks like stages of project J
- In terms of cinematographers, who do you like?
César Charlone, Roger Deakins, Emmanuel Lubezki, Mikhail Krichman
- What makes good cinematography?
If we’ll talk about cinematography for a viewer. I think good cinematography Makes you believe in another world, another reality. It makes you feel this world and this story.
- What makes a good camera? And what has been your favorite camera to use?
In a terms of workflow good camera is a comfortable working machine. Wich allows you to save time on the production of light and camera equipment. In a terms of deep relationship with a viewer I’m choosing a camera depending of project and what image i need.
- Do you think that cinematographer’s work has changed when movies went from film to digital?
Yes. Now is everyone on a set can see what camera see easy! We can playback a takes in a second! It’s very helpful and helping avoid many errors. But I see movies becoming more sterile…
- Now that people watch films on TV, computers and even their phones, do you think about that end experience when you are shooting?
Of course. It affects how I’ll tell a story. You can’t just show extreme close up on a big screen with no reason. Just try. It looks awkward. But on the phone screen it’s not. Exactly opposite situation with wide shots. And many other less obvious things wich makes me choose How to tell this story.
- Which one is more important: light or shadow?
They are equal for me.
- What is the cinematographer’s involvement in pre-production, production and post-production?
Oh. It’s a big question. On a pre-production I’m drawing storyboard, choosing locations, lighting setups, camera setups, some work with budget. On a production it’s more like management at my department and work with camera equipment. On a post-production I’m busy with colorist and a little with a editor. And of course on all stages it’s very close work with director and other team.
- What involvement in the production budget does the cinematographer/DP have?
In general it’s more like you trying to do bigger project with smaller budget. In 90% I’m trying to squeeze all juice from that money what we have. In another 10% I’m just order what I need for our story and this pre – production and production period going smooth J
- What is your most valuable advice for being a Cinematographer/DP?
I think the story is a main thing in all what team do. So “Cinematography must go from a story, not the opposite”
