- Feb
- 3
- 2010
blog post: if it isn’t simple, it probably should be
9:56AM by Brandon McCormick | Cetagories: Uncategorized
The following is written by Jake Ures, Gaffer and DP in training at Whitestone Motion Pictures
Every member of the crew has certain films that inspire them. Brandon (director, producer, owner) watches Spielberg and Burton films. Nick (Co-Producer, Composer, Sound Designer) listens to John Williams. Dana (wardrobe) watches Sweeney Todd. I’m partial toThe Godfather, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and The Road to Perdition (see each of these films at least once). Of course all of us at Whitestone love these movies, but I believe the lighting in these films to be most inspiring. Further, I believe the methods that went into lighting these films carry virtues that any artisan needs to practice: simplicity, ingenuity, and discretion.
The cinematographers that inspire me most, produce beautiful images only with the purpose of better serving the story. Every shot they photograph is as important as the last, making a consistently brilliantly shot film. Not material for their demo reel. On the other hand, many popular directors of photography implement contrived lighting set ups that only call attention to themselves and fail to truly represent the director’s vision–the original goal of a cinematographer.
When first taught how to light a scene, the most common method is three point lighting. Although, depending solely on this technique to light a scene is like using a stencil to paint a portrait. You have to break away from conventions.
This kind of lighting is unrealistic. I mean, honestly, whose face is evenly lit when they’re sitting fifteen feet from a fireplace? It’s the directors of photography who are confident enough to leave actors in shadow and can delineate from traditional lighting that create beautiful motion pictures like The Godfather.
The Godfather is heralded as one of the best films ever made. From a technical aspect, I cannot argue with that. Gordon Willis’ lighting was revolutionary. Paramount executives actually thought that he had made a mistake after they viewed the film, complaining that it was “too dark”. His use of practical light (lights normally found in the scene: desk lamps, fire place, the sun, etc.) made us feel like we were right in the room watching Don Corleone. All Willis did was light the scene as if it was truly happening. Simplicity. Sometimes rather than rigging fifteen lights to light a scene inside an office, you just need one light. Gordon Willis lit by necessity; after he set his practical lights, he would start with just one light and only supplement as needed. This can save time, save money, and in Willis’ case, lead to breathtaking images.
Another director of photography who changed the craft is a man named Roger Deakins. Deakins is one of the most prolific directors of photography in the industry. He has worked with the Coen Brothers, Sam Mendes, Frank Darabont, and Ron Howard. However, his most inspiring film to date is The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford directed by a relatively unknown director named Andrew Dominik. By Hollywood standards, this film was on a shoestring budget. Many cinematographers could get comfortable with the exorbitant budgets that major features can offer, but Deakins follows scripts rather than money. He likes to keep himself on his toes and understands that in order to create something wonderful, you must be kept in constant conflict with your idea of necessity. If he could order every light he wanted, he would never have to exercise his imagination and eventually lose that creative edge. Instead, Deakins has to realign his desires with reality and his own ingenuity.
The Road to Perdition is adapted from a graphic novel. In the last ten years, comic book adaptations have been rampant, and so has the highly stylized cinematography that goes along with it. When given the creative license to be as pretentious as possible, why did Conrad Hall light this film in such an understated manner? Because it wouldn’t have been story supportive. Channeling elements of film-noir and Italian neo-realism, he constructed a masterpiece. Discretion doesn’t mean that Hall failed to use his talents fully. He still created stunning shots, but they were never out of place.

All of these films embody these qualities, but each of these cinematographers have also spent literally thousands of hours on set to test their methods. Conrad Hall was a cinematographer for over forty years before he ever shot The Road to Perdition! This means he spent over half of his life practicing. All it takes is time, and the concept that young guys like myself can’t get past is: you can’t fake time.
