Nothing wrong with humble beginnings.
Years ago, I took note as youtube sensations like Abbi and Ilana from “Broad City” rocketed into mainstream careers. I couldn’t help noticing that they didn’t need impressive camerawork to make a brilliant show. It was clear—the story lives and dies on the actors’ shoulders. We usually understand that due to the sensitivity of the actor’s process and the impact they have on a film’s success, we have to be prepared to defer to an actor’s needs. My question is whether that’s always true?
The legendary Gordon Willis was always a stickler with actors. They had to hit their marks every time. We love his work on “The Godfather” (1972) for its gorgeous shadows, but one misstep by Marlon Brando and the image would go from mysterious to just...confusing. Combine that with the more constrained camera movements of a bygone era and you have a confined world for an actor. A world dictated by the needs of the photography.
These famous toplights caused strict restrictions for the actors.
Willis’s prioritization of his artistic goals wouldn't fly in today’s Hollywood. The craft of the screen actor has evolved and created a ripple effect for cinematographers. Today’s actors crave the freedom to move about the room. There’s just not much patience left for the idea that the actor can’t step into the corner because it’s unlit. That being said, I don’t think we should be too hard on Gordie, since we have a few toys today that he could only dream of.
Latest tech coming in to save her artistic intentions!!
Natasha Braier’s work on “Honey Boy” (2019) is the perfect example. In this heavily character-based film, she had to be ready for Shia Labeouf (or the child actor playing Shia Labeouf) to avert from the plan at any moment. Her solution was to have the whole set rigged for any possibility. The modern twist was that she didn’t have to have all the lights on. Normally, accommodating this much improvisation could lead to a flat and overlit room. Instead Braier used wirelessly controlled LED lights, to “DJ” the light levels of each unit based on where the actors went. She could subtly bring in a rim light or turn down a fill as the actors moved throughout the space, ensuring contrast and shape in any situation. That doesn’t even touch on how the invention of steadicam, the prevalence of handheld shooting, or the introduction of high ISO sensors that allow a room to be lit from a few practicals all contribute to an environment that gives the actor more agency.
I still can’t help wondering if there’s a tradeoff here. Could Braier have upped her work to the next level if she knew where the Shias would go? If any working filmmaker is known for being rigid with their actors, it would be David Fincher. About his latest effort, “Mank” (2020) he says, “There’s not a moment in this movie that isn’t pretty much what was penciled out before we arrived.” When you watch his films, they have that feel. The camera doesn’t feed off the actor’s spontaneity; it’s never reactive. Fincher’s camera moves with technical precision. Erik Messerschmidt, the cinematographer, even hints that during rehearsal Fincher would sneak cameras into place, as a manner of implying to the actors where their blocking should take them. I’m not saying this is a superior approach to filmmaking, just that we need room for both sides of the conversation.
As a director, Fincher has the power to run his set how he chooses, but the next visionary DP won’t have that control. As much as we need Joaquin Phoenix to run wild on set of “Joker” (2019), there’s also an appetite for the magic of the perfectly executed shot. The way things are going, will we still be able to achieve the grim darkness when Don Corleone hears the bad news about Sonny? What about the rain-soaked shoot-out in the climax of “Road to Perdition” (2003), or the imposing compositions of “Ida” (2013)?
Perhaps Natasha Braier teaches us that we’ll always find a way to make the image sing no matter the limitations of the day. And maybe we all need to think about what that will look like as both the actor’s craft and our own continue to change.
-Sheldon J.