The one comment that bothers me most is when something I’ve shot is described as “looking good.”  I constantly hear this phrase thrown out and it’s not a compliment. 

Yes, a part of cinematography is beautiful images. 

The point though (my point though) is to visually tell a story.  Not necessarily a narrative or linear plot line, but an emotional arch. 

Everything comes back to the story, to the script, to the base of what and WHY you’re creating.  If you have worked with me, this point is probably annoyingly repetitive.  I can no longer work for directors that do not have a clear vision, there is no point. 

This past weekend I shot a short called “Sibs,” written by Samantha Slater.  I am proud of what was created in three days and the talent on the project was astounding and humbling to be a part of. 

The first night, we ran late.  We were behind schedule and trying to get our young actor to bed.  We ended up busting out one of the most important scenes in under two hours, using only practicals and awful shaky handheld.  The feeling at the end of this scene was so heavy on my head and the consensus of failure in the house was draining.  I’d failed. 

Determined and strong-willed, the second day began with a bang, my gaffer Joel Kingsbury and I were on the same page and created some startling images with very little, camera movement felt like a dance with the actors, smiles were everywhere, and the collaboration was through the roof.  

The director Cynthia Silver and I looked over the dailies of that terrible scene and all we could come up with was “it’s useable.”  I’ve seen much worse and the camerawork was a level or two above shoddy, but we both felt disappointment.  The lighting was horrid, the ISO was pushed and the image was noisy, the color was off from the disgusting battery powered LED we’d had bouncing off a wall, but it was more than all that.  The acting wasn’t there, the emotion wasn’t there, so the cinematography wasn’t there.  

We crunched the time and made room to reshoot.  Pushing for this was the best decision I’ve made to date.  Watching the reshoot come together was a fantastic experience.  The subtlety that we were able to achieve was breathtaking and capturing that makes me a true Cinematographer.  Not because the lighting was “better,” but because it accentuated the mood of the scene.  Not because the camerawork was “better,” but because it allowed for the audience to watch the frustration, fear, helplessness, and final resolve the actors achieved for the scene.  

This collaborative event is why I do this.  Why I travel too much, why I work so often, why I exhaust myself silly.  To capture moments in a visual medium.