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Transcript
of Live Chat with
Bill
Roe, ASC
August
24, 2002
Moderator (Aug 24, 2002 5:14:47 PM)
Good afternoon one and all. Bill has joined us and we'll be starting
in just a moment.
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:22:44 PM)
Hi!
bobf (Aug 24, 2002 5:22:59 PM)
Hi Bill -I was wondering if it is very dark there as kind of a tribute
to X Files?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:23:26 PM)
No, I just got up at 6:30 this morning after working all night – it's
very bright outside right now.
cigman (Aug 24, 2002 5:23:33 PM)
The X-Files really made masterful use of darkness and I wondered
if Gordon Willis was a big influence on you and/or the show.
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:24:40 PM)
I don't know if Gordon was a direct influence to me, but he certainly
knew how to make it dark. But there are also other cameramen who were
very influential in the darker side of film.
Paulie (Aug 24, 2002 5:25:18 PM)
Do you have a favorite X-Files episode?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:25:58 PM)
Yes. I do have a favorite episode, and it is one we did in the second
season called "Aqua Mala."
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:26:26 PM)
The director was Rob Bowman, and the look of the show was really dark
and a lot of just practical lights and flashlights. There are other
shows that were a lot of fun to do, too, especially one Chris Carter
directed called "Triangle," in which the episode was all in
real time with all steadi-cam, 4-minute takes.
sophiecam (Aug 24, 2002 5:27:20 PM)
You said several times in your interview that it’s important to earn
the trust of the director and producer. How do you do that? Is it different
every time?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:28:06 PM)
Well, I think the director and the producers of the show, if they're
interested in how the show looks and feels, they have to help you get
to that point. Whether it's equipment or manpower or time to be able
to do these things. If they're interested in this kind of a look, then
they have to be onboard with you, too, and be right there to help with
whatever you need.
bobf (Aug 24, 2002 5:28:47 PM)
Bill- you said other cameramen influenced your use of darkness in X
Files…who were they and how did they influence you?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:30:18 PM)
I think some of the cameramen that helped are guys I worked with: Michael
Chapman, Owen Roizman, Vic Kemper, Michael Watkins. All influenced me
in certain aspects of filmmaking, whether it was darkness or running
the set. Thanks, Bob!
Jill (Aug 24, 2002 5:30:44 PM)
What's it like working with Michael Mann?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:32:27 PM)
Michael's an interesting man to work for. He's very visual and he brings
out the best in yourself as far as what's good for the project.
tone def (Aug 24, 2002 5:32:33 PM)
i'm a music supervisor and i always loved the way the x-files
was scored (especially the opening theme) how important is the sdtk
to u when u're creating the images that will tell a given story?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:33:46 PM)
I usually tell the story through the visuals of the script, or try to
anyway, and it's a nice surprise to hear the music on top of that when
it's all said and done.
infocus (Aug 24, 2002 5:33:50 PM)
I'm curious about your preparation for a typical episode of X-Files,
or any ot the other TV shows you've worked on. Can you walk us through
the process of what happens after you first receive the script?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:35:05 PM)
In episodic TV, there usually isn't time for me to go and prep and scout
each episode. So usually the best boy grip and the best boy electric
go on these tech scouts and then come back to me and the other crew
members and we go through pictures and video and talk about what we
might need for certain situations of the locations we're going to.
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:35:45 PM)
Then we figure what kind of equipment and other materials we need to
make it work. I wish there were more time for prepping in episodic TV
but usually we show up at the location and shoot.
sbdp (Aug 24, 2002 5:35:48 PM)
If you were starting out today, would you still begin as a camera loader
and work your way up through the crew system, or would you just start
our shooting – and please explain why.
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:36:30 PM)
Well, I'm a firm believer in coming up through the ranks of starting
as a loader then a first assistant, then becoming an operator and becoming
a DP. I feel you learn all the aspects of making a film that are really
important later in life when you become a DP.
Kamaal (Aug 24, 2002 5:36:52 PM)
Will you be involved with the X-Files DVDs?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:37:28 PM)
I have done interviews for them, like behind-the-scenes things, but
as far as timing and looking at all the episodes that I've shot, that
process is already done.
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:38:34 PM)
I wish there were time to be able to go and sit down and time each episode
again for the DVD, but for some reason it's all done without planning
with the DP when they transfer to DVD. At some point maybe, when studios
do transfer DVDs, it would be nice to have the DP sit in on this process.
carlosrb (Aug 24, 2002 5:38:39 PM)
Since The X-Files was a dark show did you feel you got to try
new techniques, that a more conservative show wouldn't have called for?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:38:54 PM)
Absolutely.
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:39:11 PM)
One of the things Chris Carter strove to do was to try and find different
ways of making film to help in storytelling. We shot tests almost every
day, whether it was different lenses, different film stocks, different
cameras, different processes through the lab. And digital tests too.
To try and come up with ideas we could use.
F-stop (Aug 24, 2002 5:39:45 PM)
Are the crew positions the same with HD?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:39:57 PM)
Basically, yes.
2nd Asst (Aug 24, 2002 5:40:05 PM)
You had so many opportunities at the beginning of your career to work
with some of the great cinematographers – Owen Roizman, Vic Kemper,
Laszlo, Fraker etc. Did you realize then that you were working with
some of the greatest eyes in the business? Was it intimidating?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:40:50 PM)
I don't think it was intimidating. Because it was like you were just
there as a camera assistant and loader and learning how to make your
job work.
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:41:42 PM)
It's not so much you were watching what they were doing as just getting
your own job done. But in the long run, you look back on what you did
with them and in the back of your mind things have, I guess, imprinted
in your mind of what they did. And you being part of it was quite an
experience.
Op-Ed (Aug 24, 2002 5:41:49 PM)
Where did you get the idea of using a softball on a dolly from? Did
you invent it?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:42:26 PM)
No, I did not invent it. It was just a way of being able to use a long
lens, not being hand held, but still have a little movement on it. And
being able to pan a dolly seemed to work well. The first person I worked
with that liked it was a director named Michael Richie. He was always
trying to do something different with the camera, and this was one of
his ideas.
frankie b. (Aug 24, 2002 5:43:08 PM)
How can I get hired to work on crews with some of the big names like
Fraker and Roizman? Do I need to establish a reputation based on my
work or should I try to get to know the guys I'd like to work with?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:44:08 PM)
I think you need to do a little bit of both. Establish a reputation
and try to work with good camera assistants or operators, because the
good assistants and operators always work with the good DPs.
Adam (Aug 24, 2002 5:44:14 PM)
Is there an equivalent to film speed with the HD camera?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:44:57 PM)
Yes, there is. I'm still trying to figure it out, but I think it's basically
320 ASA with 3db as 500 ASA and 6db is 850 ASA, or something like that.
But you still have to look at the monitor to adjust your stop.
Lenser (Aug 24, 2002 5:45:19 PM)
Referring to darkness, you said there is a fine line between not seeing
something. In the X-Files had did you know what to conceal and
what to reveal. Was it the script, the director or just your instincts?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:45:46 PM)
I think it was all three.
Jalen C. (Aug 24, 2002 5:45:55 PM)
What are you working on now? Can you talk about it a little bit?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:47:14 PM)
I'm working on a new Michael Mann TV show called Robbery Homicide
Division/LA. And we're shooting it in 24P high def. To utilize the
high def, basically the show is shot at night throughout LA. Tom Sizemore
is the actor and it looks like it's going to be a pretty dynamic show.
Ho-Ratio 16:9 (Aug 24, 2002 5:48:04 PM)
How are you framing RHD/LA? 16:9?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:48:51 PM)
No. We're framing it normal TV, and then from there Michael Mann wants
to pull the 16:9 out of the 4:3, so the framing does not change with
the two different formats. We might lose some quality in the transfer
of the two, but he's really concerned about the framing, and CBS does
not want to air the show in 16:9. It's a real shame.
Paulie (Aug 24, 2002 5:49:26 PM)
What's the emmy process like? how did you prepare for it?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:50:19 PM)
There's no real preparation. You try and pick the best episode that
shows your work and you submit it to the Emmy awards committee and hope
they like it.
carlosrb (Aug 24, 2002 5:50:25 PM)
Eastcoast vs. Westcoast....I'm in Miami, if I really want to make it
should I move?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:51:15 PM)
There seems to be a lot of work in Vancouver – maybe that's where you
should move! Only kidding! :)
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:52:25 PM)
Certainly there's less work in LA than there used to be. I'd hate to
tell you to move anywhere. But still, the best crews are still, I truly
believe, in LA.
Alicia (Aug 24, 2002 5:52:30 PM)
How hard was it to learn how to to work with HD, and how did you prepare?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:53:25 PM)
High def is still in the beginning process, especially when you're working
in the field on different locations every day. We're still, along with
Panavision, trying to make this high def camera workable for location
shooting.
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:55:37 PM)
Especially at the fast pace necessary for production time. With cables
and monitors, and not being able to see through the camera, there are
a lot of current disadvantages with the camera. But there are also some
great advantages, like shooting at night in downtown LA and using available
light. As far as preparation, I'm lucky enough to be able to do a lot
of it on the job.
sophiecam (Aug 24, 2002 5:56:12 PM)
Do you think HD will inevitably replace film?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:56:22 PM)
I hope not.
carlosrb (Aug 24, 2002 5:56:29 PM)
Since you've been involved with both TV and Motion Pictures, which do
you prefer? I would think the challenges of a weekly show could easily
become deadline nightmares.
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:56:49 PM)
Absolutely.
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:57:15 PM)
We all wish we had more time to do what we want to do. TV sometimes
does not allow you to do that, that's why features, I believe, are a
better environment for making the look what you want.
Jill (Aug 24, 2002 5:57:21 PM)
Was there any common trait in the cinematographers you've worked with
or were they all totally unique. Maybe a better way to ask the question
would be do they share any common vision, way of looking at the world?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:58:00 PM)
Everybody is different. If you gave five cameramen a set to light, you
could almost guarantee it would be lit five different ways.
George M. (Aug 24, 2002 5:58:07 PM)
Has the HD monitor changed your relationship with the directors since
they can see everything? Or are there surprises?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:58:50 PM)
I don't think they've changed the way directors see things because we
have the video assist in film anyway. But I think it's changed the way
I work or any DP works around HID. Because the only way to see the image
is through a monitor.
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 5:59:43 PM)
It's a real disadvantage not to look through a film camera eyepiece
to light. And not being able to be on the set with the crew and camera.
You feel you are removed from what is the moviemaking process. It's
very hard to adjust to.
Mark S. (Aug 24, 2002 5:59:57 PM)
Since your so well known for your TV work, is it difficult to move into
film and other mediums? Do cinematographers get type cast?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 6:00:22 PM)
I believe cinematographers get type cast, and yes, someday I would love
to be doing features. But it is nice being on a 10-month working schedule.
It's even better being able to be home when you have a family. So there
are advantages of being on a TV show.
sophiecam (Aug 24, 2002 6:01:07 PM)
Which is the post house on Robbery Homicide, and is the relationship
with the colorist different because you are shooting HD?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 6:01:51 PM)
I haven't had any contact with the colorist yet, or the post house.
But it should happen soon.
Film student (Aug 24, 2002 6:02:04 PM)
I'm a female film student who's thinking about becoming a cinematographer.
Is the old boys network still in place or do I have a chance? What about
if I don't have any family ties to the business – what are my chances?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 6:03:06 PM)
I think if you want to be a cinematographer, you have to go with your
dream and become one. And you can't let anyone else interfere with your
decision, whether it's a good ol' boy thing or not.
nicolai (Aug 24, 2002 6:03:10 PM)
where do you weigh in on TIVO? as a consumer, are you in favor of it?
as someone who works in the industry, do you think it will be the downfall
of "free" tv?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 6:03:42 PM)
Sorry, but I have no idea. However, I hear TIVO is awesome.
sbdp (Aug 24, 2002 6:04:37 PM)
How do you select people for your crews? What do you look for?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 6:05:27 PM)
I've had my crew for a long time. So it's almost like a family. But
I like to be able to be friends with most of them, and we have a good
time, joke a lot. Good people – you can tell if they have a good heart
or not right away.
cigman (Aug 24, 2002 6:05:35 PM)
Runaway production. We hear it all the time. How bad is it really? We
all know the X-Files came back to LA because the stars wanted
it to. Is it really only a matter of convincing the above-the-line people?
How much impact do you think all the legislation will have?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 6:06:25 PM)
I hope legislation will step up to the plate. The problem is it's always
a money situation as far as the studios and production companies go.
Until then, hopefully, our government will help all of us get more work
here in LA.
Dmitri (Aug 24, 2002 6:06:45 PM)
Any chance you'll be hired to do any future X-File movies? Anything
you can comment on?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 6:07:05 PM)
I hope so. Chris Carter's a great guy.
frankie b. (Aug 24, 2002 6:07:09 PM)
Were you an X-Files fan before you signed on to do the show?
And do you think the show came to its natural end or could it have gone
on for longer?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 6:07:51 PM)
Yes, I was an X-Files fan from the beginning, so it was a thrill
to be asked to finish up the last four seasons. And I believe the show
ran its course and it was time to move on. But it's probably not over.
infocus (Aug 24, 2002 6:07:56 PM)
Can you name some recent movies whose cinematography really excited
you, and why? Ditto for TV shows. And, as a corollary to that, is there
anything you see now or any trends (don't need to name the films or
shows) that you find depressing?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 6:08:46 PM)
I saw Road to Perdition and Conrad did a wonderful job; it's
really beautiful. As to TV shows, there are some really good looking
ones – CSI, West Wing, just to name a few, are really
good looking.
Rachel Bosley (Aug 24, 2002 6:09:33 PM)
I loved your work on the X-Files? When I started watching some
of the earliers seasons on DVD, I was interested to see how the visual
style of the show had changed during your tenure. One of the most noticeable
changes was the more extensive use of close ups. Another change was
the considerable desaturation of color. Were there any practical reasons
for these changes or di dyou and Chris Carter agree to take the look
in a different direction for other reasons?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 6:10:41 PM)
Yes to all the above.
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 6:11:34 PM)
Though I don't think there were notable changes as far as close-ups
were concerned. We did go a little less color on certain episodes. That
was the beauty of the X Files, was that every episode was something
different. So to try to nail down if there were changes – every episode
was a change. We were always at different locations, different stories,
different states. So we went with what was most useful to the script.
frankie b. (Aug 24, 2002 6:12:13 PM)
You had a really interesting continuity challenge in transitioning among
lead characters on the X-Files (duchovny to patrick, etc.) did
you have to light each of the characters differently? Was it a sharp
change or minimal?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 6:12:57 PM)
It was a very minimal change. We tried not to bring attention, as far
as cinematically, to all our different characters. We tried to make
a blend of it, so there wasn't a noticeable change.
Homer J. (Aug 24, 2002 6:13:04 PM)
Can you talk about the relationship with Chris Carter? Did he give you
a lot of room to interpret his vision?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 6:14:12 PM)
Chris is a close friend and yes, we talked a lot about interpreting
his vision and what we needed to do to accomplish that. But he also
gave us a lot of room to express ourselves with ideas and our own vision.
sbdp (Aug 24, 2002 6:14:18 PM)
You spoke a little bit about Joe Pytka. What were some of the memorable
spots you worked on with him? What makes him so unique?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 6:15:55 PM)
Some of the great spots we worked, obviously, were Pepsi, Nike. The
locations we always went to were unbelievable – Great Wall of China,
Africa, Italy. But it was always the personal touch through his work
that came out on the screen with Joe. He has great vision with the camera.
And how to give it the best possible look for that certain ad.
oir (Aug 24, 2002 6:15:59 PM)
When you were a camera operator, how did you handle it when your DP
asked you to center someone in the frame where you preferred to off
center them?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 6:16:48 PM)
There was only one cameraman that I know of that would want somebody
in the center of their frame. So we had heated discussions about it.
Eventually, we worked it out. Ha ha ha!
Lenser Aug 24, 2002 6:17:17 PM)
You said something about over exposing exteriors on the “John Doe” episode
by 3 1/2 stops. How did you know 3 1/2 was right? why not 2 or 4 stops?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 6:18:11 PM)
We did a lot of testing with over-exposure. We ended up on the 3-1/2
exposure but actually I wanted to go 4-1/2. But Chris Carter thought
it was a little too much. But it was a real fun episode to do because
there were such extremes between the interiors and exteriors.
2nd Asst (Aug 24, 2002 6:18:35 PM)
If you could go back in time, who are some of the directors you would
have liked to work with? How about cinematographers? Why?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 6:19:54 PM)
I would have loved to have worked with John Ford. I love the way he
did his visuals.
ball4 (Aug 24, 2002 6:20:20 PM)
Do you feel your work has evolved over the years? How? And where do
you see it, or want it, going?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 6:21:09 PM)
I hope my work evolves every day – in different directions. That's why
we're in this business is to evolve and change what we're doing. Every
scene, every take, is always different. And hopefully it will continue
throughout my career.
Film student (Aug 24, 2002 6:21:24 PM)
Sorry if you've already answered this question, but what advise do you
have for a film school student? What are the things I should concentrate
on?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 6:22:32 PM)
I'm contradicting the things I said earlier about coming up through
the industry ranks, but if I were a film student I would just concentrate
on shooting as much film as you possibly can, and never be afraid of
taking risks. Always go further than you think.
oir (Aug 24, 2002 6:22:47 PM)
How do you compare working on TV series to working on feature films?
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 6:23:41 PM)
I think on TV there's never enough time. Especially now in the high
def world, they all think you can light it in five minutes. And that
obviously is not true.
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 6:25:31 PM)
As far as working on features, I think most of the directors and producers
in that world want to have a beautiful product and give you the time
to do it. But as a DP you have to fight for that time, either in TV
or the feature world. That's what the famous Owen Roizman told me, "always
fight for that time."
Bill Roe (Aug 24, 2002 6:25:46 PM)
Good-bye and thanks all for being here.
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