Cinematography for Directors. Jacqueline Frost

pop into your mind, but I read it as a book to see how it affects me. If it’s got something to say, what is the reason for making this film other than taking peoples’ money, that’s not enough. If I wouldn’t go to the cinema to see this film, then I don’t want to work on it. If it wouldn’t be in my DVD collection, then I don’t want to work on it. The other thing is you are going to spend three to five months of your life on this film, so it’s got to have some sort of meaning for you. I don’t do this just for a job; it’s much too hard.

      (Roger Deakins, ASC, Frost interview, November 2007)

      What makes a script good? Generally, a compelling story that will interest the producers in developing the material, the actors in playing the roles, and the cinematographer in photographing it for the screen. The version of the script that is given to the cinematographer should be the final green-lighted shooting script that has been developed and rewritten, broken down, budgeted, scheduled, and carefully checked over again before being sent out. Just like anyone else reading a script, the cinematographer will notice typos, misspellings, and improper format, and they may be turned off by that. The budget and the shooting schedule could sway their decision about participating in the project. Another factor in the cinematographer’s decision is the location — whether the film is being shot locally or in another country.

      There are numerous screenwriting books available to help craft a story and discuss what makes a script good (check the Michael Wiese Productions catalog at mwp.com).

      A realistic shooting schedule is also important because the cinematographer has to feel that they have the time to capture the material to the best of their ability and not be asked to perform miracles with an unrealistic timeframe.

      ■ The screenplay is paramount to everything. After that, it’s character motivation and characters in general, such as the nuances and personalities of each character and what their arc is. That’s what I load up on for ammunition for that first meeting with the director and that’s the conversation I want to have first. Otherwise you run the risk of reading a script and being presumptuous of what the film means visually and unless you are reaching for the heart of it you are going to miss the mark. Really good directors respond to somebody who’s got the heart of their story in mind. So, my first conversation with the director is always about story and character. Then it’s on me to figure out some kind of visual language for the story.

      (Matthew Libatique, ASC, Frost interview)

      Getting a cinematographer involved in your project is getting a major player on board. Because this is the person who will be responsible for the visual interpretation of your story, it is a very important decision and not one to be taken lightly. The cinematographer should be as enthusiastic about taking your vision to the screen as you are. She or he should be bubbling over with creative ideas on how to make it even better.

      You now have a collaborator to discuss ideas with and transform your vision into images for the screen.

      The director should come to the first meeting with the cinematographer ready to discuss their ideas about the story, the characters, and the thematic elements of the script. The director should be able to articulate what the essence of the story is: Why do you want to tell this particular story? Why are you passionate about making this film? Once that conversation takes place, you can progress to how the visuals could enhance and underscore the essence of the story.

      This initial meeting should not dwell on technical issues, but instead it should be an opportunity to explore the story together and figure out how to underscore the thematic elements. Understand whose story it is and what the character arc is, and the visuals will follow.

      A director should first know what they are trying to say to the audience; then the cinematographer and director can discuss how to technically make this communication take place. Cinematographers will be closely watching the director to see how passionate you are about making the film, because they will be signing on to follow your creative vision of the story.

      ■ I’ll read it and I’ll call the director and tell them how I feel about it. But always from the perspective that I just read their story, I have nothing to do with it. I’m not putting anything on it. If I’m interested, I may say, “Look, I’m interested. We should sit down and talk.” Then I sit down with them and see what their point of view is. Based on that, if I’m asked to figure out what it looks like I will do that. If they want me to make it look like something, I will do that. But I will also want to mandate anything from where I feel that script is about. The story first and not what I could do. So it starts with a conversation. Some people will have visual references and others don’t. Some people don’t know what they want yet so I just say, “We will figure this out together.”

      (Harris Savides, ASC, Frost interview)

      ■ I want to do something that has a good solid plot and has rhythms built into it. I don’t want to just point the camera and shoot.

      (Mike Bonvillain, ASC, Frost interview)

      The cinematographer may talk about how they interpret the characters and the thematic elements of the script as well as the story as a whole. They may ask questions regarding character and theme. Because they are the visual interpreter of the written word, they need to clearly understand the story that is being told. It is their job in collaboration with the director to transform what is written on the page into a visual language that conveys a coherent and engaging story on screen. How well the director and cinematographer communicate is key to making the collaborative effort come into play, which in turn will determine how well this visual transformation will take place.

      ■ I’m drawn to scripts for different reasons. When I first read the script for Pleasantville, I saw that it was going to be in black and white and that was part of the story. That was it I was in. With Field of Dreams, I had read the book and I loved it, and the script was a really good adaptation of a book that’s really difficult to adapt. It’s a very whimsical story, and when it says, “Baseball ghosts appear in the corner and walk on the field,” you go, “Okay, I can picture that.” But for a movie, you think, “What is that? Is it grisly or creepy? How do you make it something that people want to see?” I thought Phil (Alden Robinson) did that brilliantly, and it’s in the script. So you read the script, and you go, “Oh, yeah.” Field of Dreams was an adaptation and Pleasantville is an original screenplay, but I was easily drawn to both.

      (John Lindley, ASC, Frost interview)

      1. Field of Dreams (photographed by John Lindley, ASC)

      2. Ordinary People (photographed by John Bailey, ASC)

      ■ I read a screenplay the first time only for the content. I deliberately try not to think about it at all visually. I see if there is a character or a couple of characters that hook me into the story somehow and make me want to sit here and read something that is such a bastardized form of a story, because a screenplay is not really literature, and it’s not really a roadmap; it’s more of a concept. Screenwriters will hate me for saying that, but a lot of times the screenplay is a very clear indication of what you are doing; other times it changes so much while you’re doing it, but still it’s the nucleus, and it either grabs me or it doesn’t. I look for compelling characters and a sense of momentum and urgency in the work. Sometimes it’s very simple: I’m highly attracted to the issues, problems, and turmoil of the nuclear family. Films like Ordinary People, The Accidental Tourist, or The Greatest. I’m almost fatally attracted to those kinds of stories.

      (John Bailey, ASC, Frost interview)

      ■ I like to get the script and clear everyone out, find a little spot in the sun if it’s winter, and read it all the way through. Because to me it’s like sitting in the movie theater the time you take to read the offstage lines and directions and the dialogue, if you read it all the way through that’s