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Transcript
of Live Chat
with
John Toll, ASC
August
11, 2001
Moderator (Aug 11, 2001 1:00:52 PM)
Welcome! John Toll has joined us in our LA office this morning and is
anxious to field your questions, so ask away.
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 1:01:35 PM)
Hello. Thank you all for tuning in.
Jon (Aug 11, 2001 1:01:47 PM)
Mr. Toll, as you have advanced your career you have no doubt seen many
cameramen and women work hard for years to become D.P.'s. In your opinion,
what qualities set D.P.'s and potential D.P.'s apart from the rest?
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 1:02:39 PM)
Talent and the ability to make good choices.
Jon (Aug 11, 2001 1:03:17 PM)
Mr. Toll, movies have captured the hearts and imaginations of millions
of people for well over a century. In your opinion, why do moving photographic
images, or for that matter photographs have such a profound impact on
our imaginations and emotions?
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 1:05:27 PM)
I've never really thought about it, but I would imagine it is because
it is the best way for us to reproduce what is in our imaginations.
JaCro (Aug 11, 2001 1:05:39 PM)
I have a question for Mr. Toll; what is your feeling on the current
state of runaway productions; do you feel this is only a short term
issue, or will it become a long lasting problem?
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 1:07:28 PM)
I think that the issue of runaway productions is a result of film producers
finding economic incentives to produce films in other countries. I think
the problem will last until they find economic incentives to make films
here.
Rabbit (Aug 11, 2001 1:08:06 PM)
Braveheart was one of the most beautifully shot movies I've ever
seen. What were some of your biggest obstacles shooting it?
 John
Toll (Aug 11, 2001 1:10:43 PM)
Braveheart was a very unique and challenging filmmaking experience.
The scope of the film was probably the greatest challenge. The size
of the battles and the logistics of the locations were very challenging.
When we were shooting in Scotland, the weather was a constant problem.
Weather conditions changed continuously, making continuity of light
a constant problem. Although the weather was quite severe at times,
the rainy conditions actually added a lot to the visual character of
the film. The size of the battles, the numbers of people and the planning
of the battle sequences was especially challenging.
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 1:11:59 PM)
The fact that Mel Gibson was both the director and starring in the picture
also made this a unique experience, although he did a great job in both
capacities. All in all, it is probably my most rewarding film experience.
Elle (Aug 11, 2001 1:12:07 PM)
I'm a film student and a real admirer of your work. Can you tell me
what you look for when you hire a crew member? Any advice would be great!
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 1:13:42 PM)
I think attitude is the most important quality in a potential crew member,
followed by experience. But given a choice, I will take someone with
less experience if the attitude is what I feel is appropriate, over
the most experienced person with an attitude that I feel is not appropriate.
Jon (Aug 11, 2001 1:14:04 PM)
Mr. Toll, what is the first thing you do to prepare a picture once you
have signed onto a picture?
 John
Toll (Aug 11, 2001 1:16:23 PM)
I try to spend as much time with the director as I possibly can. I think
the primary responsibility of a director of photography is to work with
a director to help him tell the story he's trying to tell. It's absolutely
essential that the DP understand what it is a director is trying to
accomplish. I think that this doesn't necessarily come out of one or
two conversations. It's my experience that developing a visual design
for the picture is an ongoing process that may or may not happen in
pre-production, so the more time a DP can spend with the director, the
more likely it is that you will collaborate to develop an interesting
and meaningful visual style for your film.
Lighter (Aug 11, 2001 1:16:28 PM)
Does your early documentary experience ever help you? Do you draw from
it now that you're doing features?
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 1:18:52 PM)
Yes. I think that the early experience is something that helps me all
the time. It was a great way to be introduced to films and I think that
the basic and fundamental nature of visual storytelling inherent in
documentary filmmaking is a great way for people to learn the fundamentals
of the art form. I am constantly using ideas and techniques that I was
introduced to in my first weeks in the film industry working on documentary
films.
Hassygirl (Aug 11, 2001 1:18:56 PM)
Mr. Toll, Who have been the director you enjoy working with the most,
and why?
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 1:22:18 PM)
I can give you the names of directors I've enjoyed working with but
not necessarily in terms of favorites or priorities. In chronological
order – and some of these were directors I worked with when I was a
camera operator – would be John Frankenheimer, Marty Ritt, Jim Bridges,
Neil Young, Steven Spielberg, John Schlessinger, Karel Reisz, Francis
Coppola, Carroll Ballard, Ed Zwick, Mel Gibson, Terry Mallick, Cameron
Crowe, and John Madden.
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 1:23:59 PM)
The specific reasons why are different for all of them, but as a group
they understood the contributions of the DP, were interested in telling
stories with imagery, recognized that the DP was someone with whom they
could collaborate to make great films.
Pelagia (Aug 11, 2001 1:24:05 PM)
I'd love to know from Mr. Toll how he works with a director to decide
on the "look" of a film. Captain Corelli looks so dreamy
in the stills and in the trailer.
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 1:29:01 PM)
I think the look of a film first comes out of my attraction to a particular
story. I usually decide even before a first meeting with a director
what I feel about how a film should look. In the first conversation
with a director, I will listen to what they have to say about their
ideas for the look of a film, and I will make my suggestions about the
look for a film. And if we seem to have common ground, I usually find
myself on the film. But the initial idea for the look has begun to be
formalized. The specifics of the look will evolve out of more and more
collaboration between the director and the DP. It can be influenced
by many different things. Sometimes it will come entirely out of my
imagination, other times I will find sources of visual reference like
paintings or photographs or any type of imagery that is suggestive of
a mood or visual style.
 John
Toll (Aug 11, 2001 1:30:35 PM)
In the case of Corelli, it was a combination of all of these
things. And in addition, I spent as much time as possible at the location
just studying the conditions of the light and taking still photographs.
And then, in collaboration with the director John Madden, deciding how
we could best take advantage of the practical realities of our location
and lighting conditions and best make use of them to create the visual
mood we were looking for.
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 1:32:33 PM)
One of the biggest challenges was to actually work against some of the
natural conditions that we found on the island. During the time of year
that we shot, it was usually very sunny and clear all day long. This
created very intense and saturated color that I found not always appropriate
for the film. So we used a variety of techniques, mostly trying to shoot
at those times of day that were most conducive to work against the bright
and saturated color that was inherent in this location.
Post-Op (Aug 11, 2001 1:32:37 PM)
Can you talk about your experiences with Jordan Cronenweth? What was
so unique about him?
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 1:34:02 PM)
Working with Jordan was one of my most enjoyable experiences as a camera
operator. He was a unique combination of a very talented cinematographer
and someone who encouraged collaboration and contribution from all of
the people who worked in his crew.
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 1:37:45 PM)
Both his lighting and his sense of composition were as accomplished
as anyone I've ever worked with, and I feel he was one of our most skilled
cinematographers. One thing that Jordan did was try to get the absolute
most out of every single shot. He never seemed to be satisfied until
he thought he had done the absolute most he possibly could to make every
shot the best it could possibly be. It was a great learning experience
for me to work with him.
Jon (Aug 11, 2001 1:37:48 PM)
Mr. Toll, do you find it prohibitive to work with directors who understand
your craft so well that they begin making decisions for you, ie. composition,
lenses, developing? Why or why not?
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 1:39:00 PM)
I try not to work with directors who think they know my craft so well
that they need to make my decisions for me. This is something that DPs
should be very careful about and is something that they should try to
get a sense of when they first meet directors.
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 1:40:48 PM)
If a director feels that he knows more about the DP's job than the DP
does, then he shouldn't be using a DP. I have never worked with a director
who felt that way, because I have successfully avoided them, by either
hearing about their reputations or in meeting them. I would find it
pointless to actually work with a director with that attitude.
Gerry (Aug 11, 2001 1:41:06 PM)
You had the opportunity to work with some of the greatest cinematographers
of our day. Is that still possible for someone like me just coming out
of film school?
 John
Toll (Aug 11, 2001 1:42:44 PM)
Yes. There are many different types of film opportunities existing today
than there were when I first came into the business. The most important
thing is to begin working in whatever capacity you are able to find
work. In my experience, work always generates other work, so the most
important this is to get going in any way you can.
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 1:43:56 PM)
We all work on a freelance basis and constantly come in contact with
people who are new to us. The way to meet experienced cinematographers
is through your work.
simon docherty (Aug 11, 2001 1:44:06 PM)
Could you talk a little about the dye-transfer Technicolor print of
The Thin Red Line that screened at the Egyptian Theatre in Nov.
2000? How closely were you and Mr. Malick involved in its creation?
And why was only one print made?
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 1:45:38 PM)
When we first started production on The Thin Red Line, I was
interested in the dye-transfer process and did some testing before we
began to shoot. I was interested in trying to have the prints for the
general release of The Thin Red Line to all be dye-transfer prints.
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 1:47:42 PM)
My feeling was that Technicolor's dye-transfer process would be appropriate
for this particular picture. Unfortunately, the manufacture of these
prints is more time consuming than the normal color positive printing
process. Due to the nature of the post-production schedule of The
Thin Red Line, we did not have enough time to make dye-transfer
prints before the general release of the picture.
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 1:48:29 PM)
After the picture was released, I asked Technicolor to make one reel
of the picture in the dye-transfer process so we could see what the
difference was between the dye-transfer process and the normal color
positive print process. The dye-transfer print looked great.
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 1:52:39 PM)
Terry Mallick, the director, and I saw the print of the one reel and
were very impressed. We then asked Technicolor of they would make a
print of the whole picture. This is why there was only one print made
unfortunately. The dye-transfer process is a very unique film process.
It is a very stable process that gives almost unlimited longevity to
a motion picture. A great example of the dye-transfer process is now
available to us in the release of Apocalypse Now Redux, which
is the new release of the original Apocalypse Now. This film
is now in release and I have seen it and it is absolutely stunning.
I believe this film looks better than when it was first released 22
years ago.
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 1:53:19 PM)
This is a film that was shot before the introduction of digital effects.
This print was made with no digital effects, and it looks as stunning
as any film I've ever seen.
huey (Aug 11, 2001 1:53:24 PM)
Your day exterior work is extraordinary. What are some of the ways you
handle bright sky behind actors?
 John
Toll (Aug 11, 2001 1:55:35 PM)
Sometimes bright skies behind actors can be interesting. But if you
want to eliminate bright skies, one technique is to change a shot and
try to find a darker background. Normally, if I choose to shoot a bright
sky, I would choose to play the actors darker, in silhouette or semi-silhouette,
and not try to add light to balance the shot. If I'm interested in balancing
the shot, I will usually try to change the shot to have a dark background
rather than a hot sky.
ND Sedan (Aug 11, 2001 1:55:41 PM)
Which film or films did you work on with Neil Young? Please tell us
a little about your collaboration with him and why you list him with
Directors you admire?
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 1:57:21 PM)
The film that I did with Neil was called Human Highway. It was
produced, directed, and financed by him. I don't believe it was ever
in general release, but it was great. And a great work experience. It
starred Neil, Dennis Hopper, Russ Tamblyn, Dean Stockwell, and a great
supporting cast.
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 2:02:28 PM)
I enjoyed Neil because he is a great filmmaker. He had all the creative
instincts and abilities of a good director. I was the camera operator;
the director of photography was a man named David Myers. Neil had a
great visual sense and he relied on David to help him realize his ideas
and also encouraged the rest of us as well.
Jennifer Ann Henry (Aug 11, 2001 2:02:37 PM)
Is Human Highway available on DVD?
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 2:03:42 PM)
I have never been able to find it but I would encourage you to ask around
for it. Maybe we can create a grass roots movement to bring this hidden
treasure to a Blockbuster near you!
Pelagia (Aug 11, 2001 2:03:45 PM)
Do you ever read scripts prior to the movie being fully financed? In
other words, if you like something enough, do you sometimes allow your
name to be "attached" as a possible DP?
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 2:04:52 PM)
I have never actually done that, but it's a definite possibility. I
think a good script is hard to find and when one comes your way I think
it's important to do everything possible to help it become a reality.
thaddeus (Aug 11, 2001 2:06:04 PM)
Terrence Malick knows a lot about cinematography and has worked with
only the best cinematographers. i.e. Tak Fujimoto and Nestor Almendros......was
this intimidating at all?
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 2:08:35 PM)
No. I spent a lot of time talking with Terry before I was actually hired
to do the picture. He is a very visually oriented director and had a
definite sense of a visual style for his film. Rather than being intimidating
, I found this stimulating because we had similar visual tastes and
preferences. We were able to discuss the visual opportunities inherent
in this particular project and were able to collaborate on developing
the particular visual style for this film together.
Jon (Aug 11, 2001 2:08:57 PM)
Mr. Toll, I listened to your commentary on Legends of the Fall,
it was very enjoyable and interesting. Do you plan to do any more on
your upcoming pictures? You should.
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 2:11:13 PM)
Okay, I'll take your word for it. I actually haven't listened to that
commentary yet because quite often I'm not interested in hearing myself
speak. I'll have to do it now. I don't have any plans right now for
more commentaries because normally the DVD releases are more interested
in the directors' and/or actors' comments. This is another area for
a grass roots campaign to get more cinematographers' and production
designers' comments on DVDs.
Jim A (Aug 11, 2001 2:11:16 PM)
Hello John. I feel that one of your strengths is the "color"
of daylight when it comes in through a window to light an interior "set?".
Care to share how you get your light to match actual daylight so well?
 John
Toll (Aug 11, 2001 2:12:31 PM)
I usually take a very pragmatic approach to most aspects of my cinematography.
A lot of it is just done by eye and whatever seems to feel right at
the time. In terms of this particular situation, I will normally just
do what seems to look right at the time.
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 2:13:40 PM)
I am not an overly technical cinematographer. Much of what I do is done
intuiutively and by feel, based on all my experience of the past. Sometimes
you learn by just trying things. Hopefully, it always works out. Sometimes
it doesn't. But most often it does.
thaddeus (Aug 11, 2001 2:14:20 PM)
Mr. Toll,,,,,,with the exception of one,,,all the cinematographers that
i have 2nd for have been privey to the use of polaroid, to determine
contrast ratios.....do you use this at all, or the panavision preview
system?
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 2:16:52 PM)
Yes, I have used both Polaroids and the preview system. But I find them
to be rough guides and I don't depend on them. If I use them, I would
just refer to them, knowing that they do not represent what will usually
appear on a large screen. I find the preview system most helpful in
location scouting and preproduction, rather than actual production itself.
I think it is a mistake to rely on either Polaroids or the preview system
for actual production work.
Pelagia (Aug 11, 2001 2:17:03 PM)
How is it that Haskell Wexler gets that amazingly plush, lush look in
all his films. I was on a shoot with him once and it was sunny SB, very
diff't from darkish Oregon (Cukoos Nest) and still there was
such a beauty and clarity in the footage.
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 2:17:58 PM)
Haskell is a great cameraman and I am interested in stealing as many
ideas from him as I possibly can. If you can find the answers to your
questions, please pass them on to me.
JaCro (Aug 11, 2001 2:18:14 PM)
Could you talk a little about the struggle with studios/producers; how
to get the time, the crew, the resources you need to properly do the
job you've been hired for?
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 2:22:51 PM)
One of the most important things cinematographers can do is to evaluate
whether those resources actually exist before you begin a job. The struggle
should take place before you actually accept the job. If you think that
you have the resources available to you, then you should get involved
in the job.
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 2:23:57 PM)
If they aren't, then you should probably pass on the job. This is not
to say that you shouldn't take jobs on lower budget pictures or with
limited resources. What it means is that you shouldn't get involved
in projects where the ambitions of the project, either on the part of
the director or the producers, exceed the resources available to actually
accomplish their ambitions.
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 2:24:53 PM)
I've done television projects with limited resources, shot on very short
schedules, and done well with them. But this was only possible because
the photographic style and the whole production was organized around
a realistic plan based on the money and resources available to us.
 John
Toll (Aug 11, 2001 2:26:14 PM)
This started with the director and I adopting a style and a method of
shooting that allowed us to accomplish a great amount of work and still
do it in a visually interesting way. So the battle with the producers
basically was mostly won before we started shooting. So this picture
was only possible because we were intelligent about the way we decided
to shoot it. But this is something a cinematographer needs to discover
before he accepts a project.
Tomfocus (Aug 11, 2001 2:26:18 PM)
You read a script, get ideas and then meet with a director. He or she
asks "how would you shoot this?" do you find this a leading
question and is there a way to deflect it in a manner to find out where
the director is heading. It seems like you have to dance for a bit.
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 2:28:59 PM)
If a director asks me how I would shoot something, I tell them exactly
what I am thinking. I don't believe in dancing around questions like
that will get you anywhere. If a director is going to ask you that question,
they are probably seriously interested in what you have to say, if for
no other reason than to learn something about your visual taste. It's
much better for everyone, especially the cinematographer, to get as
much out as early as possible. The more a cinematographer and the director
have a sense of each other's taste and style before a cinematographer
is hired, the better it is for a cinematographer.
Moderator (Aug 11, 2001 2:29:01 PM)
Who are some of the old directors who you wish were around to work with
today?
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 2:30:24 PM)
John Ford, Raoul Walsh, Frank Capra, Billy Wilder, Howard Hawkes, Marty
Ritt, to name a few.
Maria (Aug 11, 2001 2:30:31 PM)
Just another question about THIN RED LINE - can you talk a little
about maintaining that particular consistent lighting and atmosphere
outdoors?
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 2:33:18 PM)
Sometimes it wasn't consistent. But most of the time we managed to keep
it within reason, primarily by being very careful about which angles
we shot at different times of day. Also, when we would find ourselves
working in changing lighting conditions, for example shooting on days
when it would sometimes be sunny and sometimes cloudy, trying to shoot
during those times when it was cloudy rather than sunny. Shooting in
clouds allowed us to shoot during different times of the day and more
easily "match" and keep continuity of light.
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 2:33:59 PM)
It also was an interesting look for the film and allowed us to keep
shooting into the very late times of the day and still keep a continuity
of light for scenes shot in earlier parts of the day.
Moderator (Aug 11, 2001 2:34:04 PM)
Do you ever take time off to teach at film schools?
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 2:34:27 PM)
I never have. But I think that would be an interesting pursuit.
Ricco Ricardo (Aug 11, 2001 2:34:34 PM)
John, Where do you draw your visual inspiration from?
John
Toll (Aug 11, 2001 2:36:32 PM)
From almost any visual reference available: paintings, photographs,
films, and just from observation of things I come in contact with. Oftentimes
we visit paintings or photographs that are particular favorites and
discover something new in them. I guess that's what makes a classic.
Moderator (Aug 11, 2001 2:37:05 PM)
That's all the time we have for now.
John Toll (Aug 11, 2001 2:38:20 PM)
Sorry we have to sign off now. We know we were unable to answer some
of your questions, and we'd be happy to do so at a later time if you
choose to send them to the Guild. Thank you very much for being here
today.
JaCro (Aug 11, 2001 2:37:21 PM)
Thank you for your time Mr. Toll!
Jim A (Aug 11, 2001 2:39:46 PM)
Thank you, from your old house sitter :) Jim
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