Authors — Filmmaker Staff
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“A Very Fine Line Between Realism and Surrealism”: DP Wyatt Garfield on Nine Days
In Edson Oda’s Nine Days, five personified souls outside of the realm of our reality compete for the opportunity to be born on Earth. A man named Will (Winston Duke), who once experienced being born, judges the competitors over the course of nine days—only one will be allowed to continue their existence, while the other four will cease to exist. Cinematographer Wyatt Garfield details the unique cinematic language of Nine Days for Filmmaker. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired for […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Feb 3, 2020 -
“The Editing Doesn’t Try to Overly Emphasize Emotions”: Editor Robert Stengaard on The Painter and the Thief
When Czech painter Barbora Kysilkova has two of her naturalist works stolen from an Oslo art gallery, she decides to attend the criminal hearing of one of the men, Karl-Bertil Nordland, who was arrested for stealing them. Instead of questioning him about the whereabouts of her paintings (which vanished without a trace), she asks to paint his portrait. Benjamin Ree’s The Painter and the Thief shifts perspectives between Kysilkova and Nordland, detailing the unexpected relationship that grows between the two. Editor Robert Stengaard explains how the film went beyond sentimental emotions in order to cleverly portray the unique perspectives from […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Feb 3, 2020 -
“It Ended Up Being the Toughest Edit of My Life”: Director/Editor Bill Ross on Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets
Documentary filmmakers Bill and Turner Ross depict a mosaic of fleeting American dreams and the resilience of community in Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets. The film centers on a nearly defunct bar outside of Last Vegas, The Roaring 20s, as its patrons grappling with the uncertainty of a future without their beloved dive bar. The subjects often teeter between dismay and debauchery, offering glances into masculinity, vice and a culture of anxiety. Director and editor Bill Ross explains the nuances of editing a film to make an audience feel present, grappling with one’s own internalized imperfections and why this film was […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 30, 2020 -
“Turquoise’s Old Pageant Crown”: Channing Godfrey Peoples | Miss Juneteenth
Whether capturing or creating a world, the objects onscreen tell as much of a story as the people within it. Whether sourced or accidental, insert shot or background detail, what prop or piece of set decoration do you find particularly integral to your film? What story does it tell? Turquoise’s old pageant crown is integral to the film. It represents her past as a former “Miss Juneteenth,” but also her hope for the future in passing it onto to her daughter, Kai. It also serves as a reminder of her dreams deferred, while simultaneously being the symbol of hope for […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 30, 2020 -
“The Moon”: Natalie Johns | Max Richter’s Sleep
Whether capturing or creating a world, the objects onscreen tell as much of a story as the people within it. Whether sourced or accidental, insert shot or background detail, what prop or piece of set decoration do you find particularly integral to your film? What story does it tell? The moon. We did not schedule our filming or events around the full moon, but she was always there—a beacon for the night. A constant reminder of her singular influence no matter where in the world we found ourselves. Sundance Responses 2020
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 30, 2020 -
“The Vibrant Color of the Spilled Ketchup on the White Floor With the Broken Bottle was the Best Way to Describe What the Movie was All About”: DP Jean-Philippe Bernier on Dinner in America
Punk rock and suburbia collide when Simon meets Peggy in Adam Carter Rehmeier’s Dinner in America. As the two traverse the Midwest, Peggy unwittingly assists the lead singer of her favorite band in evading the police, all the while uncovering the unforeseen connections between them. DP Jean-Philippe Bernier constructs two distinct cinematic styles that function in tandem with the film’s contrasting central characters. Drawing upon a background in film score composition, as well as an early career rooted in the punk scene, Bernier discusses the process of melding content and medium to create a distinct cinematographic look, drenched in the […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 28, 2020 -
“A Simple Jog by the Water”: Writer Craig Borten | Sergio
Whether capturing or creating a world, the objects onscreen tell as much of a story as the people within it. Whether sourced or accidental, insert shot or background detail, what prop or piece of set decoration do you find particularly integral to your film? What story does it tell? The two main characters, Sergio and Carolina, always took a simple jog by the water every morning. The first time, they both noticed each other turning around as they jogged, taking one another in. No words were spoken, and they continued on their separate ways. The second chance jog encounter, they […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 28, 2020 -
“As the Stories the Characters Tell Begin to Come to Life, the Camera and Lighting Begin Working in Tandem to Alter Reality”: DP Brendan H. Banks on Scare Me
When Fred settles into a secluded cabin intent on completing his first novel, a power outage prompts a horror storytelling competition between two strangers. Josh Ruben’s horror-comedy, Scare Me, delves into the artistic tensions between two writers and the insecurities they face on a greater social scale as the stories they tell begin to come to life. DP Brendan H. Banks breaks down the process of balancing two distinct genres while maintaining a sense of reality within the film’s photographic style. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors and attributes […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 28, 2020 -
“I Was Determined to Find a Home That Had a Pass-Through Window Separating the Kitchen From the Eating Area”: Liz Garbus | Lost Girls
Whether capturing or creating a world, the objects onscreen tell as much of a story as the people within it. Whether sourced or accidental, insert shot or background detail, what prop or piece of set decoration do you find particularly integral to your film? What story does it tell? “But does it have a pass-thru?!” At one point during our location scouts, someone suggested this be put on our film’s t-shirt. Why? When looking for one of our main locations, Mari’s (Amy Ryan) house, I was determined to find a home that had a pass-through window separating the kitchen from […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 28, 2020 -
“The Film’s Main Characters: Ren, Stimpy and John K”: Directors Ron Cicero and Kimo Easterwood | Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story
Whether capturing or creating a world, the objects onscreen tell as much of a story as the people within it. Whether sourced or accidental, insert shot or background detail, what prop or piece of set decoration do you find particularly integral to your film? What story does it tell? The opening of Happy Happy Joy Joy proved challenging. For an audience unfamiliar with Ren & Stimpy, we needed to get them up to speed as quickly as possible as to the show’s significance while simultaneously introducing them, and providing insight into, our main character, John K, the series creator. Shooting inserts of vintage television sets amongst the hundreds of […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 28, 2020
