Sundance 2020
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“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 -
“Think Judd Apatow Meets The Holy Mountain“: DP Minka Farthing-Kohl on The Nowhere Inn
Bill Benz’ directorial debut The Nowhere Inn explores the absurdity of fame and persona, centering around the real dichotomy between musician Annie Clark and her stage presence as St. Vincent. Carrie Brownstein plays a director making a documentary about Clark’s life, but eventually finds St. Vincent overtaking the narrative and decimating the conventions of reality. Starting out by scraping by in Philly and eventually tackling an ambitious metacritical film, DP Minka Farthing-Kohl speaks to Filmmaker about her experience on the set of The Nowhere Inn. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2020 -
“The Objects of a Time Passed”: Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw | The Truffle Hunters
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? Our film is about a group of mirthful old truffle hunters who live in the forests of Northern Italy. The time spent in their world felt like moving through a fairytale storybook where every object had a past and every cobblestone street and wooded path holds a secret waiting to be […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 26, 2020 -
“It Was As if We Shot With Ektachrome”: DP Balthazar Lab on Olla
After answering an ad for an Eastern European dating service, Olla moves in with a Frenchman named Pierre and his aging mother—and nothing goes as expected. Olla is the short film of first time writer/director Ariane Labed, and DP Balthazar Lab talks about the importance of a strong relationship between DPs and directors, finding solutions with a small budget, and shooting on super16. 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 this job? Lab: A strong relationship with your director is […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 26, 2020
