Transcript of Live Chat with

Stephen Burum, ASC

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:10:15 PM)
Good morning everybody.

Gratuitous Photographer (Feb 9, 2002 1:12:06 PM)

Mr. Burum I am looking to begin my career in cinematography as a camera operator...any advice on how best to become a C.O...I currently work as a tv news photojournalist and I am finishing college within the next two-three years.

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:12:11 PM)
What type of cinematography are you interested in? (features, documentaries, commercials, experimental...?

Gratuitous Photographer (Feb 9, 2002 1:13:13 PM)
Mr. Burum... in regard to my question about being a camera operator I really want to shoot features but I love photography so much I really want to get experience in all genres...

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:14:13 PM)
I would hope that you would want to be a cinematographier and not just a camera operator, so I would start shooting any kind of projects that I could get my hands on because practice is the most important thing.

macallen1 (Feb 9, 2002 1:14:19 PM)
I have a question concerning your early start as a DP. How did you overcome not being pigeonholed in genre films such as the low-budget slashers that you worked on?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:15:16 PM)
It has to do with who your job contacts are and what you choose to photograph.

Doc fan (Feb 9, 2002 1:15:27 PM)
How did your early documentaries influence you later on features? Is that a useful background for a recent film school grad? Or is it better to work on camera crews?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:15:58 PM)
It's better to work on documenary films.

David Walpole (Feb 9, 2002 1:16:17 PM)
Dear Steven...firstly than you for doing this forum...I would like to know if you have ever used the Frazier lens?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:16:50 PM)
Yes, I have used the Frazier lens and I think it is very effective for what it does.

Lonnie Lynn (Feb 9, 2002 1:17:17 PM)
When you decide to shoot a film, what is the one most important detail you look at? Is it the script? Is it the director? A combination?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:17:50 PM)
It's the script, No. 1. The director, No. 2. The actors, No. 3. And the studio you're working for.

Gratuitous Photographer (Feb 9, 2002 1:17:58 PM)
Mr. Burum I am a tv photojournalist for a network affiliate. I have recently applied to the UCLA Film & TV Dept. for the upcoming Fall quarter as a junior transfer. Any advice for a budding UCLA cinematographer?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:18:33 PM)
Take acting classes.

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:19:04 PM)
And I'm not joking, because the basis of storytelling is being able to communicate to people and learning how to tell your story personally. Acting is very good training for a budding cinematographer.

Jazz Bass (Feb 9, 2002 1:19:05 PM)
Are there any films which were so beautifully photographed that they conjured up awe, and perhaps a touch of jealousy? If so, which films and why.

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:19:51 PM)
I'm a great fan of Arthur Miller's. I am always in awe of his work. Also, John Seitz.

Dante (Feb 9, 2002 1:20:00 PM)
Is it important to know the production designer's job? Can you learn that in film school or is it best to concentrate on cinematography?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:20:45 PM)
It's crucial to know the production designer's job. You should take courses in architecture and drawing, in painting and sculpture.

TK Green (Feb 9, 2002 1:20:57 PM)
What did you learn from shooting videotape early in your career?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:21:41 PM)
I learned from some very video controllers about how the system works. And it helped me later on when I started transferring my pictures to laser discs and DVDs.

CA AC (Feb 9, 2002 1:21:45 PM)
I was thinking when you spoke about Rumblefish that it might be a good idea to experiment with black and white. Do you have any suggestions?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:22:56 PM)
Black and white is not only a wonderful form of artistic expression, it also teaches you to see things in terms of light and shadow which is one of the primary techniques of photography. The job of any artist is to observe and to translate their vision to a medium.

Moderator  (Feb 9, 2002 1:23:03 PM)
An email from Arni in Ireland: What advice do you have for young foreign cinematographers who want to pursue a career in the US?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:24:05 PM)
Make sure that you have a good demonstration reel that shows your capability and use it as a calling card.

macallen1 (Feb 9, 2002 1:24:41 PM)
I have a specific question concerning aspect ratios. I know that you are a lover of the anamorphic widescreen but what dictates for you as a DP to shoot between 1.85:1 or 2.35:1?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:25:51 PM)
I would say it's just a matter of choice. There is a very good discussion on aspect ratio in the eighth edition of the American Cinematographer manual which covers all the pros and cons.

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:26:25 PM)
You can get information on this manual by going to www.cinematographer.com.

F stop (Feb 9, 2002 1:27:02 PM)
This may be a stuopid question. You talked about learning to light for 16-speed films when you were shooting documentaries. Do you think this is still relevant today? Or does lighting just get in a director's way of working with the actors?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:28:28 PM)
Lighting is one of the tools that you use to help tell the story. It helps the actors in revealing or hiding their characters at certain points in the story. The directors that I've worked with are very happy that their stories are lit in an appropriate way.

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:28:44 PM)
Any lighting technique that you can learn and practice will help you somewhere down the line.

David (Feb 9, 2002 1:28:54 PM)
You and the directors you work with like and use steadicam very effectively (DiPalma/Snake Eyes et al). What is it about a long contiuous steadicam shot as opposed to MS and coverage that makes steadicam desirable and what problems are there for you to overcome.

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:31:16 PM)
For people who like the rolling master style of movie storytelling, the steadicam has been a great boon. It allows the actors to play a scene to completion and allows the audience to see the natural timing between the actors.

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:31:31 PM)
If this is the goal of your scene, steadicam is a fabulous tool.

Homer J. (Feb 9, 2002 1:31:39 PM)
Are you the type of DP who likes to operate your own shots? Please describe the advantages and disadvantages to being a DP who operates vs. a DP who lets his team operate.

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:32:55 PM)
Every cinematographer would love to do their own operating. Unfortunately, because of the way movies are manufactured in the feature realm it is necessary to have someone to operate while the DP supervises and double checks the other phases of the production.

Steve Golden (Feb 9, 2002 1:33:21 PM)
DPs are often asked about CGI and special effect work. I’m curious about what is involved in stun work. How do you prepare and what is different when shooting it. Is any of your equipment different?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:34:35 PM)
For stunt work there are two very important factors. One above all is safety. And two, is making sure that the stunt action is covered from several camera angles so it doesn't have to be repeated.

macallen1 (Feb 9, 2002 1:35:04 PM)
I know that pre-production is the most important part of a film, and I know that DPs work closely with the production designer, but how important is it when a DP sits down to do storyboards? Should the editor be present?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:37:47 PM)
Usually the director and the cinematographer work out the storyboards. The production designer is key in designing the sets and finding the locations.

Orlando Operator (Feb 9, 2002 1:37:55 PM)
Why is it that so many people are jumping on the digital bandwagon when the medium is so obviously inferior to film in so many ways?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:38:41 PM)
Because there has been a lot of false publicity hyping the glory of digital.

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:39:47 PM)
The advertisements promise that the technology will make you a great artist. If that were true, then everyone with a high tech computer could automatically write as exciting and as lasting works as Shakespeare.

David Walpole (Feb 9, 2002 1:40:09 PM)
What filter system do you find that you use most regularly...or is this choice controlled by the conditions (light for example) at the location

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:41:20 PM)
For diffusion I usually use a series of French silk stockings that I choose for their different grades of diffusion. It is important to use silk rather than a synthetic fabric because the synthetic fabric tends to get a shine on the strands which I feel is unattractive.

surtees (Feb 9, 2002 1:41:27 PM)
What emulsions do you use, and do you give them factory ASA ratings or do you change them?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:42:27 PM)
I always test the film stock for the lens, the laboratory and the light meter that I'm going to use. The rated ASAs are only a guide and you must customize your ASA to the look that you are designing for your picture.

fabulousdp (Feb 9, 2002 1:42:34 PM)
Do you think cinematographers should be paid for their post-production work?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:42:51 PM)
Of course.

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:43:15 PM)
Doesn't everybody want to be paid for the work they do? How else can you survive?

Clay (Feb 9, 2002 1:43:30 PM)
You don't seem to be too enamored with current digital projection technology. What standards would you like to see instead?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:45:30 PM)
I would like to see a digital projection system that is better than the current 70 mm. projection system. The only way that this potentially wonderful new technology can get a foothold in the market is to demonstrate its superiority in a way that is undeniably better than anything we have experienced in the theater before.

Reggie Noble (Feb 9, 2002 1:45:38 PM)
Are there any films that have recently been released that have impressed you as a cinematographer? Why? Any films, recently released that seem to "set back" the progress of cinema? Why?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:46:26 PM)
I think generally the quality of not only theatrical but of television cinematography is much better than it has ever been.

fabulousdp (Feb 9, 2002 1:46:39 PM)
How important is it for cinematographers to follow through on supervising their work during post-production?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:47:57 PM)
It is critical to follow through on post-production. If you buy an Ansel Adams print, you want it printed to Ansel Adams' specs. The only way that you can ensure that your audience sees your intent as an artist is to supervise every step of the post-production. I feel you would be cheating the audience if you did not follow through on your commitment to the picture.

Willie S (Feb 9, 2002 1:47:58 PM)
No one even talks about "hard light" in school. Is this still a valid technique? Are there reference books or articles on it? Should we still be learning how to use it?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:48:48 PM)
As long as the sun shines, there will be hard light. To deny the use of hard light is to deny the world itself. Why limit yourself to an overcast day?

David Walpole (Feb 9, 2002 1:48:53 PM)
Have you done filming in Australia?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:49:01 PM)
No, I have not.

macallen1 (Feb 9, 2002 1:49:20 PM)
Have you used the new Kodak Expression 500T stock.? And if so what do think of its latitude?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:50:22 PM)
All emulsions should be carefully tested and each cinematographer can come to their own conclusion. My conclusion for another cinematographer is of no help.

Gratuitous Photographer (Feb 9, 2002 1:50:29 PM)
what are your thoughts on filmmakers, who are taking on the role of director and cinematographer...ie Peter Hyams, Steven Soderbergh, John Alonzo ASC, etc. In regards to your reply that industry films require a camera operator...how do you think Soderbergh was allowed to operate on some of his recent features...Traffic, Oceans 11...citing an Article entitled "Smooth Operators" in Jan. '02 editition of American Cinematographer Mag.

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:52:20 PM)
In the very beginning of motion pictures, there was only one creator. That was the cinematographer. When the market demanded story telling pictures which required scripts and stories and actors, the cinematographers took one of the actors and placed them in charge of the other actors. The third person to be added to the team was the film editor.

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:54:13 PM)
By dividing these responsibilities, each person's strengths were molded together in a much more cohesive and better product. It seems to me that the people you cite are merely going back to the beginning days of the movie business. They are more interested in the visual content than the story or acting content. And it has always been my feeling that the director's responsibility in story and handling the actors is paramount.

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:54:54 PM)
It seems that to hide in the role of a camera operator or a cinematographer is negating this primary responsibility, especially in a large budget theatrical feature film.

esthero (Feb 9, 2002 1:55:01 PM)
Do you agree with the conventional wisdom that MTV has dummed down the audience? Don't audiences appreciate sophisticated images?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:56:19 PM)
No, I don't think that MTV has dummed down anything. In fact, I was very, very excited when MTV came out hoping that the visual sophistication would leak over into narrative pictures. It's a shame that the silent pictures which were based on visuals only never had enough of a gestation period to really get rolling.

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:57:16 PM)
The feature films are really nothing more than photographed stage plays with a couple of visual flourishes here and there. I think that MTV, if people were to really take it seriously and commercials, would be a tremendous guide for getting theatrical pictures out of the stodgy old form.

Clemente (Feb 9, 2002 1:57:23 PM)
How do you get started when you work with a director for the first time?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:58:03 PM)
The basis of any conversation with a director is the script. You discuss your ideas, they discuss their ideas. And you come to an understanding of what you want to do.

Gratuitous Photographer (Feb 9, 2002 1:58:05 PM)
In this post 9/11 world can you comment on the "responsibilities" we as filmmakers have to our audiences? Do we need to be more conscious to what we show people and why?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:59:10 PM)
The responsibility we have to an audience is to tell the story as well as we can. We do not want to disappoint those who are paying upwards of $10 to go to the movies.

a dp to be (Feb 9, 2002 1:59:20 PM)
When you spoke about your conversation with Bill Abbott, you said things are better today because of all the book that are available. But then you noted that some are very dumb, too. Is there a suggested reading list on different topics for cinematographers?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 1:59:58 PM)
Yes, there is. In fact, I made one up called the Cinema Book List which I passed out at the last Guild lighting seminar.

Moderator  (Feb 9, 2002 2:00:49 PM)
Editor's note: That list will be made available on the web site. Stay tuned to www.cameraguild.com for more info.

macallen1 (Feb 9, 2002 2:01:02 PM)
I attend a school that is heavily influenced by the theatre but that is not where my interests rests. How important do you believe the theatre plays upon filmmaking?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 2:02:54 PM)
Theater is part of the heritage of filmmaking. It is critical to understand theater in all its aspects to become a cinematographer. I cannot over emphasize this. Telling stories is the key skill for anyone in motion pictures. If you don not understand the story how actors communicate with their body language, their voices, their proximity to each other, their proximity to the environments that have been created by the production designers, then you cannot fulfill your role as a cinematographer.

Cliff Smith (Feb 9, 2002 2:03:00 PM)
Talk a little about lighting faces...

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 2:04:43 PM)
Unfortunately, we are communicating by words. Words cannot describe the things you need to know about lighting faces. Imagine, if you will, seeing a picture of the Sistine Chapel ceiling in a large coffee table book. You can never have the same impact or the same understanding if you do not visit the Sistine Chapel. So, I'm sorry this medium is not suitable for that kind of question yet. Hopefully some day this technology will become more sophisticated to our needs.

A. Thomspon (Feb 9, 2002 2:04:52 PM)
If you could work with any director (past, present, living, dead) who would it be?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 2:05:55 PM)
I would like to work with really good directors who understand human nature and the human condition. There is a very long list of these fine artists down through the ages.

surtees (Feb 9, 2002 2:06:06 PM)
I used Expression 500T and the blacks go very milky. What emulsions do you generally use? Do you use Fuji negative? Do you ever use any positive film for effect, and cross develop?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 2:07:14 PM)
There are two ways to get rid of the milkings. Over expose the stock and print down and use the visions premiere printing stock.

fabulousdp (Feb 9, 2002 2:07:22 PM)
In a very general sense, how did you light the long Steadicam shot at the warehouse loading docks in Hoffa? As I recall, the camera moved inside and out...in anamorphic, did this present any special challenges?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 2:08:58 PM)
I lit the interior of the warehouses to balance to the exterior light. I used daylight balanced HMI lights inside. I was very lucky that day because it was heavily overcast and I did not have to balance a very heavy contrast ratio with bright sunlight.

WC (Feb 9, 2002 2:09:30 PM)
Have you ever wanted to direct?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 2:10:47 PM)
When I was in UCLA, I got to direct and I found that directing did not interest me as much as painting with light. To clarify what I mean is that I was more interested in the visual content and using the visuals to tell the story than helping actors tell the story. So I chose to be a cinematographer rather than a director.

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 2:11:33 PM)
I also like the sense of collaboration, working with the directors, the production designers, the editors, the actors, the special effects people, the grips, the electricians.

David (Feb 9, 2002 2:11:37 PM)
You have already worked with many great directors. Can you describe how your interaction changed or did not change as you worked with different directors?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 2:12:28 PM)
That's a very long and complicated question. Every director has their own way of telling stories. Of course you change because the directors are different and the stories are different.

Trotter (Feb 9, 2002 2:12:39 PM)
In shooting franchise films, is there any communication between the DP of the original picture and its sequel? How much effort is made to maintain the look of the first film?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 2:13:50 PM)
I shot the feature remake of The Untouchables and we did not consult with any of the television directors or the television cinematographers but that's the only experience I've had. However, I would have loved to have done the picture in black and white.

fabulousdp (Feb 9, 2002 2:14:00 PM)
You studied under Charles G. Clarke, ASC. Tell us a little about him and his legacy as a cinematographer...

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 2:14:40 PM)
There is a new book that the ASC Press is publishing, a republishing of Mr. Clarke's textbook called Professional Cinematography which should answer your question.

Jazz Bass (Feb 9, 2002 2:14:44 PM)
As you have shot so many anamorphic films, what are the special challenges you face in this format?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 2:16:12 PM)
The biggest challenge is convincing people of its superiority. 185 to my way of thinking has never been a legitimate format. If you look in the book Cinema as a Graphic Art you will see a discussion on formats that relate to different ratios in classical paintings.

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 2:17:45 PM)
The strength of the anamorphic format is well documented here. The 133 or 166 format conform to classical art theory and dimension. 185 was merely a ratio that was invented because the studio that invented this was too cheap to rent anamorphic lenses. So they figured out the most that they could blow up the projected image and then crop it and they came up with 185. Not a good reason to choose a frame ratio.

fabulousdp (Feb 9, 2002 2:17:48 PM)
Are you a fan of any sort of exotic laboratory practices, i.e., flashing, pushing, pulling, ENR, skip bleach, etc.?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 2:18:24 PM)
I'm a fan of any process that enhances the story telling potential of my visuals.

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 2:19:00 PM)
I am looking forward to the digital manipulation which can be achieved with the new digital mastering systems that are struggling to be standardized.

fabulousdp  (Feb 9, 2002 2:19:12 PM)
Have you used any of these exotic processes in your feature work thus far?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 2:20:47 PM)
I have used flashing to alleviate some contrast but I have also double duped things to increase contrast.

Moderator  (Feb 9, 2002 2:21:09 PM)
We'll take one more question before concluding today's session.

fabulousdp (Feb 9, 2002 2:22:49 PM)
What is the most important attribute a cinematographer must have?

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 2:23:55 PM)
I don't want to sound trite, but really wanting to do the job is the most important attribute. Desire will take you farther than anything else.

Stephen Burum  (Feb 9, 2002 2:24:53 PM)
Thank you for your questions. And good luck.