DoP Interview based on Nebraska Script
Introduction: As a director of photography, my approach to bringing the screenplay "Nebraska" into existence visually would be to capture the pure, true spirit of the narrative. My visual approach would be mostly influenced by 2 things: the screenplay's themes of family dynamics and individual journeys.
Technical Approach and Research: To start with, I would like to talk about the shot sizes I am going to use, and the reasons behind my particular choices. I would like to use wide shots to emphasize the expansive Midwestern setting and to convey a sense of a complete isolation and introspection experienced by the main characters during their trip. In addition to this, it would be absolutely necessary to use a great amount of close-ups and extreme close-ups in order to show characters’ emotions and immerse the audience as deep as possible in the storyline.
The contrast between extreme Wides and extreme Close-ups in my opinion will create a sense of discomfort and anxiety, which I believe would be very suitable for this script and would create the “right” atmosphere. Furthermore, throughout most of film, I would prefer to use natural lighting to enhance the film's realism and evoke a genuine and true connection with the characters and environment around them. In this case, myself and gaffer would need to use a lot of reflectors, mostly silver and white to create a nice and soft lighting on the characters. In addition to this, a lot of action happens outdoors, that is why it would be both suitable for the story and nice for the production team in terms of budget and logistics.
However, for the indoors shoots with artificial lighting, I would go for soft and diffused lighting to maintain a naturalistic feel and to accentuate the characters' emotions without overshadowing the authenticity of the setting. I believe that the use of muted and hushed color palettes would help a lot in order to demonstrate characters' emotional depth and the slight difficulties of their relationships. It would create the suitable atmosphere and again would emphasize the sense of realism that we are trying to achieve using all of those elements, so the audience could empathize towards the main characters, and share their feelings and emotions.
In terms of technical considerations and approach, I would prioritize the use of versatile cameras and lenses that would give me great opportunities in terms of maneuverability while capturing the landscapes as well as intimate character moments. Personalities might be demonstrated in a more private and realistic way with the use of prime lenses, creating a feeling of intimacy and authenticity.
Thorough research of the screenplay's exact visual requirements would be absolutely necessary in advance of this movie's production. This would include researching the Midwestern region's history and culture as well as looking at images that represent small-town America and lots of different nuances that touch on personal relationships.
Preparation: Before filming, very thorough preparation would be crucial to ensure the visual elements align perfectly with the director's vision and approach, and the screenplay's intended emotional impact. Working closely with the director, I would engage in detailed discussions and visual brainstorming sessions to find and create a complete unified visual approach. Moreover, location scouting would be an absolutely vital aspect of pre-production, as I would look for authentic settings that resonate with the script's depiction of small-town America. As well, conducting camera and lighting tests, doing Recce in the chosen locations would be essential in order to improve the aesthetic value and choose the best technological strategy.
Throughout pre-production, I would work closely with the director to finalize the visual storytelling strategy, establishing the basis for the visual and emotional impact of the movie. During production, collaboration with lighting departments would be absolutely crucial in order to execute the visual plan effectively and to maintain consistency in capturing the intended emotional nuances. Keeping a clear channel of communication with the costume and art departments would also be essential in making sure that the visual components work together harmoniously to tell the intended story. Talking about the post-production period, my role would involve working and collaborating closely with the director, editor, and colorist to keep the visual coherence and enhance the emotional impact of the film from the cinematography point of view. Working in tandem with the editor, I would provide input on the visual continuity and the preservation of the intended emotional nuances during the editing process. Additionally, I would collaborate a lot with the color grader to establish the film's color palette and tonal consistency. It would be very important in order to reinforce the visual storytelling and to evoke the desired emotional responses from the audience.
Visual References: In terms of the research and visual references I would definitely choose these movies: "The Rider" (2017) - Directed by Chloe Zhao "Mud" (2012) - Directed by Jeff Nichols "Cold in July" (2014) - Directed by Jim Mickle "Ain't Them Bodies Saints" (2013) - Directed by David Lowery “The Straight Story” (1999) – Directed by David Lynch.
Personally, I believe that all of these films are an amazing source of inspiration as well as great example of intended cinematography approach, conveying the visual tone and emotional depth that I aim to achieve while doing "Nebraska." They are a great source of inspiration for the intended approach because of their evocative cinematography and intimate representation of human feelings, which complement the visual interpretation I anticipate for this particular film.
Conclusion: To sum up everything that has been stated so far, as a Director of Photography, my main goal would be demonstrating the themes of the story and creating the suitable atmosphere through various visual elements. It would be executed through shot sizes, lighting techniques, technical approach, etc. During the whole process of making the movie I would work very closely with the director in order to create a whole complete picture and to maintain the intended visual approach.
Technical Approach and Research: To start with, I would like to talk about the shot sizes I am going to use, and the reasons behind my particular choices. I would like to use wide shots to emphasize the expansive Midwestern setting and to convey a sense of a complete isolation and introspection experienced by the main characters during their trip. In addition to this, it would be absolutely necessary to use a great amount of close-ups and extreme close-ups in order to show characters’ emotions and immerse the audience as deep as possible in the storyline.
The contrast between extreme Wides and extreme Close-ups in my opinion will create a sense of discomfort and anxiety, which I believe would be very suitable for this script and would create the “right” atmosphere. Furthermore, throughout most of film, I would prefer to use natural lighting to enhance the film's realism and evoke a genuine and true connection with the characters and environment around them. In this case, myself and gaffer would need to use a lot of reflectors, mostly silver and white to create a nice and soft lighting on the characters. In addition to this, a lot of action happens outdoors, that is why it would be both suitable for the story and nice for the production team in terms of budget and logistics.
However, for the indoors shoots with artificial lighting, I would go for soft and diffused lighting to maintain a naturalistic feel and to accentuate the characters' emotions without overshadowing the authenticity of the setting. I believe that the use of muted and hushed color palettes would help a lot in order to demonstrate characters' emotional depth and the slight difficulties of their relationships. It would create the suitable atmosphere and again would emphasize the sense of realism that we are trying to achieve using all of those elements, so the audience could empathize towards the main characters, and share their feelings and emotions.
In terms of technical considerations and approach, I would prioritize the use of versatile cameras and lenses that would give me great opportunities in terms of maneuverability while capturing the landscapes as well as intimate character moments. Personalities might be demonstrated in a more private and realistic way with the use of prime lenses, creating a feeling of intimacy and authenticity.
Thorough research of the screenplay's exact visual requirements would be absolutely necessary in advance of this movie's production. This would include researching the Midwestern region's history and culture as well as looking at images that represent small-town America and lots of different nuances that touch on personal relationships.
Preparation: Before filming, very thorough preparation would be crucial to ensure the visual elements align perfectly with the director's vision and approach, and the screenplay's intended emotional impact. Working closely with the director, I would engage in detailed discussions and visual brainstorming sessions to find and create a complete unified visual approach. Moreover, location scouting would be an absolutely vital aspect of pre-production, as I would look for authentic settings that resonate with the script's depiction of small-town America. As well, conducting camera and lighting tests, doing Recce in the chosen locations would be essential in order to improve the aesthetic value and choose the best technological strategy.
Throughout pre-production, I would work closely with the director to finalize the visual storytelling strategy, establishing the basis for the visual and emotional impact of the movie. During production, collaboration with lighting departments would be absolutely crucial in order to execute the visual plan effectively and to maintain consistency in capturing the intended emotional nuances. Keeping a clear channel of communication with the costume and art departments would also be essential in making sure that the visual components work together harmoniously to tell the intended story. Talking about the post-production period, my role would involve working and collaborating closely with the director, editor, and colorist to keep the visual coherence and enhance the emotional impact of the film from the cinematography point of view. Working in tandem with the editor, I would provide input on the visual continuity and the preservation of the intended emotional nuances during the editing process. Additionally, I would collaborate a lot with the color grader to establish the film's color palette and tonal consistency. It would be very important in order to reinforce the visual storytelling and to evoke the desired emotional responses from the audience.
Visual References: In terms of the research and visual references I would definitely choose these movies: "The Rider" (2017) - Directed by Chloe Zhao "Mud" (2012) - Directed by Jeff Nichols "Cold in July" (2014) - Directed by Jim Mickle "Ain't Them Bodies Saints" (2013) - Directed by David Lowery “The Straight Story” (1999) – Directed by David Lynch.
Personally, I believe that all of these films are an amazing source of inspiration as well as great example of intended cinematography approach, conveying the visual tone and emotional depth that I aim to achieve while doing "Nebraska." They are a great source of inspiration for the intended approach because of their evocative cinematography and intimate representation of human feelings, which complement the visual interpretation I anticipate for this particular film.
Conclusion: To sum up everything that has been stated so far, as a Director of Photography, my main goal would be demonstrating the themes of the story and creating the suitable atmosphere through various visual elements. It would be executed through shot sizes, lighting techniques, technical approach, etc. During the whole process of making the movie I would work very closely with the director in order to create a whole complete picture and to maintain the intended visual approach.
Nebraska - Trailer
