Constantine Makris: Creative Limitations on Location

From American Cinematographer, Legal Eagle by Eric Rudolph (October 1998)

"The fun of doing this show is working on location in New York City. I think my work may be better on location than in the studio. I like to deal with real problems. Since I've figured that out, I've started imagining, when I'm in the studio, that I'm on location and that I can't pull this wall out or clamp a light to this fancy molding. Having those types of limitations seems to spur my creativity. When every accent is right and every actor is perfectly backlit, I'm not that happy. I often do my best work when there are accidents. For example, when my gaffer is moving a light to the position I gave him and I see how it hits an actor as he's moving it, I'll often say 'Stop!'; Or sometimes a lamp will go out and I'll think, 'Gee, that looks better; let's leave it out.'"

- Constantine Makris, ASC

Vilmos Zsigmond: Freedom on Set

From American Cinematographer, A Poignant Pas de Deux by Bob Fisher (December 1998)

"It's important to have the freedom to alter compositions and camera moves and take advantage of things that happen on the set. In order to do that, you need to plan for motivated light sources. Lamps, windows, open doors and mirrors are great because you can put them anyplace. This is especially important when you're working in the anamorphic format, because you can see more of the background behind people."

- Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC

Conrad Hall: Tech. Names & Approach to Set Lighting

From American Cinematographer, Leader of the Pack interview by Caleb Deschanel, ASC & edited by David E. Williams (September 1998)

Deschanel: Having watched you work a number of times, I know you have a tendency to ignore certain technical aspects of the craft. I’ve heard you say, ’Oh, bring me a light that’s about this big.’ [Both laugh.] Now, I know you’re talking about a 10K, but do you deliberately just want to free your mind of all of those details?

Hall: Should I know all the names of all the lights? There’s just so much new equipment coming out all the time. In terms of lights, I basically work with big lights and tiny lights. I simplify. I’m loathe to take walls out to shoot a scene. A production designer I recently worked with said to me, ’Conrad, when you shoot, you have a circle around your subject and you work within that circle. When Piotr Sobocinski shoots, he peels the circle back, leaving just a wall here behind his subject. When Emmanuel Lubezki [ASC, AMC] shoots, he does the same thing, but then he kicks a hole in the wall to make space for a backlight.’ Well, I like the reality of shooting in a room with set dimensions. I’m not used to tearing out a wall and pushing back 40 feet so I can use long lenses. I’ve just never thought about working that way. I like to live in this kind of formal reality, in the same way that a painter lives with a canvas of a certain size. That sets up certain rules and suggests an approach without creating the possibility of the viewer being somewhere he or she cannot be.

Janusz Kaminski: Enhancing Reflectance

From American Cinematographer, Breaking Slavery's Chains by Stephen Pizzello (January 1998)

In order to enhance the reflectance of the set, the crew wet down the walls and bars of the prison set with glycerine.

Stephen Goldblatt: Working Style

From American Cinematographer, Of Loss and Hope by Zade Rosenthal (March 1999)

"I love to be able to pre-rig, and be as prepared as I can be, but I'm always ready to throw it all away. I'm a very intuitive worker, and I like to think fast on my feet; I really want the rehearsal to drive what we're doing. My guys have gotten used to me calling for something I've said I'd never need, but I'm never in a panic. I like a really good, comfortable atmosphere. I don't think people can work well, or happily, under some kind of gun-- whether it be psychological or physical. I don't like to do it to other people. In a comfortable atmosphere, people are happy. They get up in the morning and they're happy to go to work. That's what this film was like, but unfortunately, it's not something that happens all the time. It could be, however; it just requires desire and people who are really there to work and not just throw their weight around. If everything is driven by the project, everyone can get together in a collaboration."

-Stephen Goldblatt, ASC