Authors — Filmmaker Staff
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“We Wanted to Create a Sense of Liminal Space”: DP Laura Bellingham on Amulet
After becoming homeless in London after an accident, ex-soldier Tomaz finds himself employed by Magda, a woman who needs help looking after her ailing grandmother. While the house is dilapidated, Tomaz is grateful for the opportunity, and eventually begins to fall for Magda—until he realizes that something disturbing is going on, and perhaps the old woman who never leaves the second story is behind it. Cinematographer Laura Bellingham explains her commitment to style while shooting Romola Girai’s Amulet. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2020 -
“It Was a Process of Constant Experimentation”: Co-Editor Blair McClendon on The Assistant
In Kitty Green’s The Assistant, 24 hours of workplace mistreatment culminate in an assistant named Jane (Julia Garner) taking action into her own hands. The nexus of this toxic workplace is an abusive misogynist whose face is never shown—an amorphous representation of the countless powerful men who have sexually abused the women who work for them. Co-editor Blair McClendon shares insight on his collaborative process and editing goals for The Assistant. (Disclosure: Filmmaker Editor-in-Chief Scott Macaulay is one of the producers of The Assistant.) Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your film? What were […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2020 -
“With a Lot of Verité It’s Important to Be Nimble and Quick”: DP Jonathon Narducci on Giving Voice
Every year, thousands of high school students from all over the country gather in New York City to recite a monologue from the works of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson as part of a Broadway competition. Wilson’s existing 10 plays each take place during a distinct decade in the twentieth century, drawing from the African American experience. Directors James D. Stern and Fernando Villena closely follow a handful of the competing students in Giving Voice, watching them grapple with their own forming perspectives on their lived realities. Cinematographer Jonathan Narducci briefly speaks about the experience of shooting verité. Filmmaker: How […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2020 -
“I Wanted to Be Close to Everyone and Remain Honest”: DP Bryant Fisher on We Are Freestyle Love Supreme
Before Lin-Manuel Miranda became a cultural sensation with Hamilton and In the Heights, he was part of a scrappy hip-hop/improv fusion troupe in New York City called Freestyle Love Supreme along with director Thomas Kail and performers Christopher Jackson and Anthony Veneziale. Director Andrew Fried began filming the troupe in the summer of 2005 when Freestyle Love Supreme was beat-boxing on NYC sidewalks, eventually following the group to their much-anticipated reunion tour in 2019. Cinematographer Bryant Fisher elaborates on the limitations of shooting live performances on We Are Freestyle Love Supreme. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2020 -
“The Human Spirit Will Decide Where People Want to Live”: Editors Miki Milmore and Gladys Mae Murphy on Rebuilding Paradise
On November 8, 2018, 85 lives were lost and thousands of citizens were displaced during the most destructive wildfire in California’s history in the town of Paradise. Filmmaker Ron Howard chronicles the epidemic of displacement that occurred after the destructive fire, points to the cataclysmic effects of climate change that led to its inception, and eventually follows the remaining residents of Paradise as they seek to rebuild their town. Editors Miki Milmore and Gladys Mae Murphy speak to their experiences working on the verité documentary Rebuilding Paradise. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2020 -
“The Shrine Serves as a Powerful Locus of Non-Forgetting”: Patricia Vidal Delgado | La Leyenda Negra
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? In the living room of Aleteia’s house, the curtains are soft and their pattern has a very homey feeling. Yet the way the light goes through them creates an unsettling feeling. It mirrors Aleteia’s predicament as an immigrant—she’s home, yet she’s not allowed to call it home. We also wanted to […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2020 -
“This Was a Very Real, Meaningful Artifact—Not Just a Piece of Costume—That Carried With It Some Kind of Soul”: Braden King | The Evening Hour
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 Evening Hour tells the story of Cole Freeman, who maintains an uneasy equilibrium in his declining Appalachian mining town, looking after the old and infirm in the community while selling their excess painkillers to local addicts to help make ends meet. When an old friend, Terry Rose, returns with plans […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2020 -
“We Had a Lot of Fun Creating Sexist Ads Until It Became Not So Fun”: Shana Feste | Run Sweetheart Run
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? There are tons of background details that my production designer, Page and I worked very hard to create for Run Sweetheart Run—most were created to be “feminist easter eggs” and are relatively hidden but some of them are more obvious. One of my favorite details is the advertising. While prepping the […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2020 -
“I’m Interested in How Objects Hold History and Stories and Remember People”: David Shapiro | Untitled Pizza Movie
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? Untitled Pizza Movie is a six-part series that revolves around objects. On many levels, this is a work about people and their things, an archive of images that I built, rather than one which pre-existed. I’m interested in how objects hold history and stories and remember people. I cobbled together over […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2020 -
“We Endeavored to Give Each of Our Locations a Tone, Rhythm and Color Palette”: Richard Poplak and Diana Neille | Influence
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? Influence is ultimately about the protection of the reputations and, by extension, the wealth and power of the global elite. That power and influence vests in our cities: the immense blocks of steel, glass and concrete that have been built on mounds of money for centuries. Our characters and the powerful […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2020
