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Transcript of Live Chat with Russell Carpenter, ASC
October 28, 2000--Photos submitted by Jay Nefcy-- Moderator (Oct 28, 2000 1:14:51 PM) Welcome to the Live Chat with Russell Carpenter. We’ll take our first question.
Hi Russell. What made you interested in cinematography?
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:17:51 PM) I was always fascinated by the magic of film—no matter whether the influences were high-brow or low. I loved Saturday matinee fare monster movies, but soon came under the thrall of the imagery of Sven Nyqvist on films like Persona and Wild Strawberries.
Cherri (Oct 28, 2000 1:18:51 PM) What kept you going during the early years? Did you ever come close to quitting?
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:19:19 PM) I came close to quitting emotionally on several occasions. But there didn't seem to be many options in terms of what I knew how to do. Even though I was very shy, I had to screw up the courage to keep calling people and introducing myself. I found out the hard way that you have to put out effort to build relationships that foster career advancement.
Cherri (Oct 28, 2000 1:20:30 PM) Building the relationships seems to be harder than actually shooting the jobs—when and if you can actually get some
I hear you. I think that there's much truth in this. I think the best we can do is us our "down time" to build our craft artistry and expertise by watching the work of cinematographers we admire.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:21:44 PM) But also, doing what we can in situations which may not seem to immediately fulfill our need to move forward in our career, but instead build meaningful friendships. This is the way the world seems to work—it responds to the effort that we put out, but very often the answers and opportunities come out of left field.
Filmoz (Oct 28, 2000 1:22:17 PM) G'day, Russell, greetings from Perth in Australia... getting straight into tech stuff, but as it has been a while since I have been around 35mm...5247 says...what stock did you use for Titanic?
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:23:00 PM) I used two stocks on Titanic: 5245 for the exteriors and 5279 for the interiors and night photography. I overexposed the 5279, two-thirds of a stop because I needed a very meaty negative for the Super 35 process.
afidp (Oct 28, 2000 1:23:41 PM) hello, since we seem to be headed down an eventual course of electronic origination what is your gut reaction to this ?
For the near future, I intend to originate the projects I work on—on a film negative. I do see an immediate future in altering the image digitally in the post-production process.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:25:07 PM) But for the time being, film in my opinion offers by far the most satisfying results. However, I believe anyone interested in cinematography at this time should be studying the ways that images can be manipulated digitally.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:26:14 PM) I used to tell people to just get a still camera and shoot film to become familiar with their craft. Now I would also recommend, if possible, that people experiment with software programs like PhotoShop.
phil (Oct 28, 2000 1:26:53 PM) What are the first things that you ask when asked to work on a new project?
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:27:16 PM) As to starting a new project, I spend the first weeks trying to get into the director's vision of where he wants to take the project and how he wants the audience to react emotionally to the images. From there I can build a plan of attack. And bring visual sources to the director to build a common language.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:28:04 PM) I always make one or two "brain books" with the help of my assistant that represent my visual plan of attack for a film. Basically, we make the brain book so we don't have to use it. What I mean by this is that having done the exercise of planning the film as thoroughly as possible, the film becomes embedded in one's brain.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:29:28 PM) I always look at all storyboards that have been done for the film and have many discussions with the production designer and the visual effects producer, if that is the type of film I'm shooting.
Beemer91 (Oct 28, 2000 1:29:52 PM) Do you have a preference for either big budget effects films or smaller relationship movies?
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:30:05 PM) That's a good question. Because in this business one is constantly growing and finding new ways to express one's self.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:30:37 PM) I find it true that there is a "typecasting" for all members of the business, not just actors. And that I am perceived as the person you might go to for the epic action picture and not immediately come to a producer's mind for a smaller more intimate picture. I think one has to go out of one's way to find the project that defines him/herself in a different light.
afidp (Oct 28, 2000 1:31:58 PM) In response to that (digital origination) what has been your experience with the digital IP (i.e. Cinesite) .
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:32:28 PM) I think this is a quickly evolving field and that people on both ends of the equation are learning quickly. Currently, we're all experiencing growing pains but I see rapid growth in this field.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:33:16 PM) We did tests for Charlie's Angels with a digital intermediate in mind, and we tested at several digital houses. We found that there were some problems translating and intensifying certain hues so that they didn't seem to be contaminated by what looked like electronic noise. Probably by the time this was typed into the computer, someone has solved that problem. Things are evolving that fast.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:34:52 PM) One still can't go as far as one would like to in modifying certain colors without introducing some artifacts. I think this is especially true when you are trying to hyper-saturate colors.
Ave790 (Oct 28, 2000 1:35:21 PM) Do you prefer to work with a first-time director like you did on Charlie's Angels, or with someone who has been around like Jim Cameron?
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:35:50 PM) Each experience brings different gifts and challenges.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:36:10 PM) With a first-time director, I am still trying to facilitate his vision for the film, just as I would with Jim Cameron. Every experience is different, and there seem to be an infinite number of ways in which a director of photography and a director can interface.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:36:57 PM) I enjoy first-time directors very much because they love to try things that may not work. But when they do work, it's a total gas. A director like Jim, on the other hand, challenges you in different ways. Sometimes just by the immensity of what he's trying to accomplish.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:38:46 PM) It does seem harder to find, in the current studio situation, a middle ground where one works with an experienced director who relies heavily on the vision of the cinematographer.
Moderator (Oct 28, 2000 1:38:53 PM) On Charlie's Angels, how much of what you did was "traditional photography" and what percentage was green / blue screen ?
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:39:14 PM) That's a good question and I'm going to digress a little bit here.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:39:31 PM) There are two models for preproduction and production.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:40:14 PM) One director I worked with says that preproduction is like driving your car toward an ice-covered lake. All you can do is hope to hell that the wheels are pointed in the right direction by the time you hit the icy lake of production. Because once you hit that lake—you can turn the wheel any way you want, but momentum is going to carry the car in the direction it wants to go. You just try to come out the other side basically where you aimed the car.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:41:43 PM) Another apt metaphor is the crash landing. There was a James Bond film where Bond lands the plane in a jungle and the wings and tail are knocked off by the impact of the landing, when the plane hits the trees. But miraculously the cockpit is undamaged. That's what trying to hold onto your original vision for a film is like, given the pressures of daily filming.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:42:43 PM) In Charlie's Angels, our original intention was to take the film to a digital intermediate stage and hypersaturate many of the colors. Even though we were going to limit the color palette and the number of elements in the frame.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:43:45 PM) At the end of the film, a digital intermediate was deemed too expensive and too time-consuming to pursue, and in the final analysis only a few scenes actually held true to the vision we had originally had.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:44:21 PM) For instance, the massage room, the burger stand, and the end of the movie with the colored umbrellas on the beach were closer to our original vision. On other films, one might have a higher batting average—but we had a script that was in flux every day and that made a major impact on what we finally walked away with.
CC (Oct 28, 2000 1:45:11 PM) What is the most number of cameras that you have ever had on one individual scene?
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:45:39 PM) I'm going to guess that 13 cameras on Titanic was the most because we were dealing with scenes that would take many many hours to set up again.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:46:16 PM) However, working with John Woo was the most challenging in that respect because he could often use ten cameras, but they would be pointed at each other. And he would be using a 300 mm lens and a 10 mm lens in the same set-up. This is enough to make any DP hemorrhage.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:47:11 PM) You just have to decide what your most important angles are and try to come up with a lighting motif that will support that many conflicting angles.
BenH (Oct 28, 2000 1:47:22 PM) Are the saturation problems you speak of mainly with reds and oranges? I've seen problems with these when shooting digital.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:47:42 PM) Actually, we also had problems with blues. We found that there were definite limits about how far we could push the colors.
Luddite (Oct 28, 2000 1:48:05 PM) In Charlie's Angels, what part did humor play in the movie and how did you help create or enhance it with your photography?
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:48:42 PM) Well, in the grand spectrum of moviemaking, you could probably put Schindler's List on one end of the spectrum, and Charlie's Angels at the opposite end.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:49:19 PM) I felt that the comedy was really on the Angels' faces and that I wanted to photograph the Angels in the most beautiful light and in a way that made the viewer aware of everything that was going on, on the actresses' faces, without lighting the picture in a way that comedies commonly are.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:51:07 PM) I think, I hope, that there will be much more shading and play of light and dark in this film than what one normally accepts in action comedies. We never overtly put on the "funny" lens like a 10mm or 14mm lens for overt comic impact.
Bricks71 (Oct 28, 2000 1:51:51 PM) You had three lead actresses on Charlie's Angels—how did you keep them happy?
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:52:36 PM) Thank God, I was working with people who were happy to begin with.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:52:59 PM) Each actress took the light in a very different way, which of course is tough in the scenes where they're all together. These actresses have no vanity, believe it or not. Especially Cameron, who was always making funny faces into the camera, but would do anything to make the shot a better shot.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:54:16 PM) Of course, a director of photography has to be completely aware all the time of what is happening to an actress's face, especially during the making of the shot. What this usually meant is that I or my gaffer would be right off the frame with either a bounce card or a kinoflo light helping with whatever aspect we might want to improve.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:55:41 PM) Amazingly, I found that an actress's face could change from day to day in terms of what worked or didn't work, especially in regard to the little fine tweaks. A solution that worked great on Tuesday, might not be Thursday's solution.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:55:58 PM) Reality moves around a lot.
GoldenPictures (Oct 28, 2000 1:56:05 PM) You mention "...[I might not]come to a producers mind...", who picks the DP, the producer of the diretor?
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:56:52 PM) Generally, the director picks the director of photography. But often producers and studios can weigh in quite heavily on this decision depending on the clout of the director. That is why directors of photography have to wear many hats and they can be judged not only on the images they create, but how they manage their crews and the financial impact they have on the shooting budget.
BenH (Oct 28, 2000 1:57:54 PM) What shooting ratio do you aim for when you shoot film(i.e., usable vs. unusable footage)? Is this chiefly the D.P.s responsibility or are other people on the production more concerned with this?
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 1:58:42 PM) In the feature photography I do. This is more a function of how the director likes to shoot and how the actors like to work. Some actors will come into their best work 13 takes in, and the director of photography has little control over that. Some directors will fish for that golden take, trying this fishing hole and that, until by take 36 they finally reel in that golden trout. Again, that is going to impact dramatically the shooting ratio.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:00:45 PM) The only thing I can do is advise the director as to whether we might get out of a master take sooner and search for the gold on the close-ups. However, some directors love to define the scene in the master take.
Op-Ed (Oct 28, 2000 2:00:58 PM) When you shot T2-3D, what challenges, if any, did you face knowing it was 3D and live action?
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:01:50 PM) Perhaps the toughest thing, besides the massive amounts of light we needed to use to service our beam splitter cameras, was to learn a new syntax for the way viewers react to changing images in a 3D world.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:02:25 PM) For instance, you can determine the depth of a scene and where in a scene an object is supposed to be perceived. Either in front of the plane of the screen or behind the plane of the screen.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:03:04 PM) If you have an object looming out in front of the viewer's nose, and then you make a quick cut to where the perceived object is now way in the background, it's akin to snapping a rubberband on the viewer's eyeballs and it's very, very painful.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:03:40 PM) We would have to learn to actually anticipate where a cut might be and move the object forward or backward in depth so the cut was easier to take.
Filmoz (Oct 28, 2000 2:04:02 PM) With respect to cinematographers from where ever...what the hell makes US features "look" so much better...is it filters? Budgets? Your overall experience...because US features just seem to have a beeter feel than the product from elsewhere
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:04:39 PM) There might be people who would argue that statement. And US cinematographers have certainly been influenced by artists from Italy, England, and Australia.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:05:36 PM) However, I think that the people I know working in this business have a passion for "giving it their best shot" and are constantly working with film manufacturers, camera houses and labs to make sure their projects meet the highest standards they can attain.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:07:21 PM) I think budget certainly has something to do with it. But I also think that an educated director of photography who has taken some time to learn as much as he can technically will supplement his artistic vision.
GoldenPictures (Oct 28, 2000 2:07:34 PM) I've heard stories of young directors of photography who were the directors first choice but were not approved by the bonding company and consequently lost the job to a more experienced director of photography. Any comments?
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:08:46 PM) I think that's certainly true in some cases. And in certain circumstances, I can see why bonding companies do this. First, they might feel that they are taking a certain gamble with a young director and may want to hedge their bets, budget and schedule-wise, by surrounding the director with people who have been down the road before. I want to shed some hope here.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:10:16 PM) Any young director of photography who has a good relationship with a director will keep that relationship going despite a few detours in the road. It may be disappointing, but disappointment is something that all of us will deal with, especially in this business.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:10:49 PM) On every level, we are constantly losing jobs to each other; however, most of the DPs that I know accept this and we remain good friends just the same.
Luddite (Oct 28, 2000 2:10:57 PM) You've talked a lot about the technical and logistical challenges in shooting Titanic—what was your emotional connection to the story and how did it affect the photography of the film?
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:11:59 PM) For me, I could never lose track that if the film was really going to work, it would work on the level of a love story and not an epic disaster movie.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:12:53 PM) Where my heart was during the film, was with what was going on with Jack and Rose during the story. Therefore, I worked hard to keep the camera and lighting in an intimate place when filming any scene between Jack and Rose. What I'm proudest about in this film is the close-ups. How Kate Winslow looked and how Leo looked.
gino-op (Oct 28, 2000 2:13:19 PM) In response to 13 camera question, lighting as well as composition are most often sacrificed do you prefer to use the single camera ?
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:14:04 PM) There were many times during the filming of Titanic when all I could think was "I'm screwed. I'm going down big-time on this scene." But I had to realize, given the physical limitations of the special effects, that this is the way it would have to be. Of course, there are many, many situations where a single camera makes the best sense.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:15:06 PM) However, I do believe that using at least one more camera, if you are not giving too much up with the lighting, can bring in unforeseen benefits. I can't tell you how many times B camera has brought in an extraordinary shot, if you have operators who are willing to experiment and risk a little failure.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:16:16 PM) You have to make the personal decision whether the emotional impact of a good shot from second camera outweighs not having the absolutely perfect lighting. But, as you go on, you learn to do certain things in the lighting that support the use of two cameras.
Filmoz (Oct 28, 2000 2:16:47 PM) How many...if any...trainees do you allow on your set? And if so...can I put my hand up...even after twenty five years.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:17:32 PM) I'll see you in Australia—my hyperactive kid will be on your doorstep tomorrow! Then we can talk.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:18:14 PM) Seriously though, I see a person in a trainee position as having a wonderful opportunity to learn first hand filmmaking as it is really made and not just talked about. Warts and all.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:19:03 PM) However, I make it a point to get the trainee out the door at the end of the production because I feel it is far more valuable for that person to be shooting himself and building a reel than hanging out with me.
BenH (Oct 28, 2000 2:19:16 PM) Would you have any criticisms about the body of student/beginner short films that you've been exposed to (if any)? To your estimation, has digital improved that body of work in cinemagraphic terms?
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:20:01 PM) I can't answer that specifically because the small body of work that I've seen varies wildly in quality.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:21:04 PM) Frankly, one finds that out of 15 films that one might see at a training seminar, say the Maine Photo Workshops which I've been a part of, that only one or two show the glimmer of inspiration.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:21:18 PM) I'm not trying to be negative, but that's just the way it is, probably in any walk of life. Digital or film is not the issue. It's the artistry. However, if I were a young filmmaker and the only way I could get my work made was through digital, I would definitely consider that. We all need to find whatever palette we can work on to practice.
Roxanne (Oct 28, 2000 2:21:23 PM) Speaking of trainees, do you think it is more beneficial to "climb the ladder" in camera or lighting, or to DP directly and take those risks?
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:23:04 PM) Roxanne, everybody I've talked with has found their way on a different path.I came up by being a director of photography on very small projects that eventually got bigger and bigger.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:23:52 PM) And yet there are many cinematographers who benefited by the traditional union path. I wish I could be more specific, but I can't.
Luddite (Oct 28, 2000 2:24:04 PM) On Charlie's Angels—you said there were problems with your attempt to manipulate the colors digitally—why did you want to saturate the colors that way and how did you end up accomplishing it?
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:25:15 PM) We wanted to saturate the colors because the director had a vision of the film that was a combination of Viva Las Vegas, Westside Story, and the Wizard of Oz.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:25:58 PM) I personally liked the colors of the Red Shoes and some of the more saturated Bjork videos. (You won't see much of this in the movie.)
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:26:42 PM) But I'm sure if we had had more time and a greater commitment to testing, we would have found a solution. I did shoot the movie without filtration and overexposed the film, so that colors would saturate better.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:27:10 PM) And of course the production designer and the costumer had much to do with the saturation of colors in the film. Other than that, there is no exotic process that we used.
KayGee (Oct 28, 2000 2:27:13 PM) Do you ever turn down jobs because you don't like the script or director? How do you handle that?
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:27:35 PM) All the time. :) And I'm sure that works the other way!!!
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:28:04 PM) Let's see—one has to pick a script that one responds to either on the level of the writing or on the level of what might be accomplished with the photography.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:28:30 PM) One definitely has to feel that there is a good chemistry with the director, both on vision for the film and just day-to-day relationship. The analogy of being married is quite true. There are definitely going to be days here and there where, for one reason or another, the chemistry is not as good as it was in the first meeting.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:29:25 PM) However, filmmaking is a long, long process and one needs to be prepared for both the high and low days.
GoldenPictures (Oct 28, 2000 2:29:36 PM) How do you work with your gaffer? Do you tell him the look you want or do you tell which instruments you want and where?
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:30:20 PM) I've been working with a fantastic gaffer, John Buckley, and because of our long-term relationship I know that I don't have to cross the t's and dot the i's.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:30:40 PM) I always create room for the gaffer to bring a lot to the table; people just work better that way. However, occasionally there are scenes when I know I want to use a very specific instrument for a very specific effect. And John and I will discuss this beforehand. Also, there are many solutions to lighting problems and one has to be aware of the budget in determining what solutions you arrive at.
afidp (Oct 28, 2000 2:31:42 PM) Have you been supervising the transfers of your projects to DVD. And why is there not commentary from you as the DP on these products?
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:32:08 PM) You are obviously a shill! :) This is what I was thinking exactly.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:32:51 PM) I will be doing an audio commentary on Charlie's Angels and I think these commentaries by any member of the creative team are very valuable for us who are still learning our arts.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:33:25 PM) I will be supervising the transfer of Charlie's Angels and I have, in the past, on my films, but not on Titanic, which Jim supervised. It's a time-consuming process and very often we are on other projects, so sometimes it's tough to watch every image.
Roxanne (Oct 28, 2000 2:34:00 PM) Do you ever feel that directors want you to follow certain trends (ie: bleach bypass, cross-process, the green Fight Club look) and if so, how do you react?
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:35:31 PM) In my experience, it's not always the case, however, McG, the director of Charlie's Angels, wanted to continue the look that he had developed for his music videos. That was one of the reasons we considered a digital intermediate, where he would have the control to shape saturation in color in a way not currently available by conventional lab means.
Moderator (Oct 28, 2000 2:35:38 PM) How was your commercial work affected by the actors' strike?
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:35:50 PM) I was very, very lucky.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:36:09 PM) I got hooked up with a company that signed an interim agreement with SAG because they wanted to protect the relationship they had with their actor spokesman for the product. So I was able to do some work during the strike.
cine1138 (Oct 28, 2000 2:36:38 PM) How do you get commercial work? Do you have a separate agent for commercials?
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:37:42 PM) If I were looking for specific work as a commercial DP, I would build a spec reel to sell myself. Because the look of commercials is generally not the look of most feature films. Spec reels are expensive and time-consuming to make, but they certainly pay off handsomely for people who are talented enough to do this kind of work.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:38:48 PM) I do have a separate agent for commercials. I got into commercials based on my feature work and I'm sure I appeal to producers who are looking for that kind of look.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:38:58 PM) It's not very experimental, but there's certainly a need for it.
Filmoz (Oct 28, 2000 2:39:11 PM) What's in the near future for you? If I may be so bold.
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:39:41 PM) I'm coming to your house! I thought we'd resolved that. :))
Russell Carpenter (Oct 28, 2000 2:40:20 PM) Thank you very much, this has been great - and exhausting! I wish all of you the very best of luck.
Filmoz (Oct 28, 2000 2:40:48 PM) Excellent forum...thank you Russell…there is a beer in the fridge...and the coffee is on
Moderator (Oct 28, 2000 2:40:56 PM) Thank you Russell and thank you to all that joined us today. Russell has agreed to answer additional questions as well as those we didn't get to here. You can send those to us at cameraguild@ragingbull.com.
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