It’s easy to explain our tendency to adore actors. They are right in front of us on the screen, we associate ourselves with their characters, and we experience their emotions alongside them. Sometimes, we allow directors into the spotlight and into our hearts. But to do that they have to either film a collection of phenomenal pictures, or else introduce something completely new to cinema. But is film really only made up of those in front of the camera and those who yell “action”? No, it is much more like a machine, which only moves thanks to hundreds of little mechanisms. This is “The Hidden Heroes”, a series in which I will finally shed light on the people who create these masterpieces.
It’s easy to explain our tendency to adore actors. They are right in front of us on the screen, we associate ourselves with their characters, and we experience their emotions alongside them. Sometimes, we allow directors into the spotlight and into our hearts. But to do that they have to either film a collection of phenomenal pictures, or else introduce something completely new to cinema. But is film really only made up of those in front of the camera and those who yell “action”? No, it is much more like a machine, which only moves thanks to hundreds of little mechanisms. This is “The Hidden Heroes”, a series in which I will finally shed light on the people who create these masterpieces.
THE GENIUSES OF FILM. EPISODE 1 – THE DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY
It’s easy to explain our tendency to adore actors. They are right in front of us on the screen, we associate ourselves with their characters, and we experience their emotions alongside them. Sometimes, we allow directors into the spotlight and into our hearts. But to do that they have to either film a collection of phenomenal pictures, or else introduce something completely new to cinema. But is film really only made up of those in front of the camera and those who yell “action”? No, it is much more like a machine, which only moves thanks to hundreds of little mechanisms. This is “The Geniuses of Film”, a series in which I will finally shed light on the people who create these masterpieces.
When watching this scene, we all think, “Spielberg is amazing”. And while that is undeniably true, the image captured on film is not there just because of him. Today we are going to talk about the gifted individuals whose work begins with choosing the right lens, composition, light, color, angle, focus, sharpness and camera movement and ends with the most important element of cinema – the image itself. These names are not often spoken, but I will try to change that at least a little. Yes, the first episode is dedicated to the directors of photography and contains 15 of the best lens geniuses as chosen by Okolo Kino.
(this list is extremely subjective and if your favorite didn’t make the cut please don’t be mad but do tell us about them in the comments)
So, let’s begin.
Hoyte Van Hoytema
Let’s begin by discussing the new blood among the masters of light and composition. Hoyte Van Hoytema has only been in the big times for the past nine years so placing him in the top 15 might be premature, but his quickly advancing career has already exceeded all expectations. In 2010 David O. Russell invited the young Swiss cinematographer to film The Fighter after which he immediately received an invitation to work on the thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. The book robbery scene in the library is Hoyte’s calling card. The suspense seems to ooze thanks to the wide angle. Three years later, together with Spike Jones, they wowed the world with a real visual masterpiece, Her. This collaboration attracted the admiration of another director, Christopher Nolan. Hoyte and Christopher worked together on the films Interstellar and Dunkirk. I would say the ability to communicate the main ideas and tone of the picture is Hoyte’s greatest strength. It doesn’t matter if it’s by color, angle or lens, when he works on the text he brings out the themes of the script no less than the director. And though his career is only beginning, this list of visually stunning pictures would be the envy of any master in this profession. Considering his friendship with some of the most creative directors of our time, Hoyte Van Hoytema is a name which I’m sure we’ll continue to see over the next years in the credits of true masterpieces.
Seamus McGarvey
Seamus McGarvey is 51, but he also belongs to the multitude of young directors of photography even though over the last 20 years he has added dozens of successful projects to his collection. Seamus excellently combines working on both serious and entertaining cinema. After filming his important debut comedy Sahara, he made Atonement (a drama) which is known first and foremost for its visual aesthetics. Thanks to this film, Seamus was nominated for an Oscar. Five years later he was simultaneously working on the period piece Anna Karenina as well as the first installment of The Avengers. Thanks to Anna Karenina he was shortlisted by the Academy for the second time. Later McGarvey worked on another first installment of a much less successful franchise, the erotic drama Fifty Shades of Grey but by the next year he was already creating the thrillers Nocturnal Animals and The Accountant which made him forget all about his pseudo-pornographic experience. A defining aspect of his style is his close collaboration with the costumers and set decorators. During this stage Seamus thinks through the main expressive visual elements of his future work. And though he is often criticized for the lack of a recognizable signature, directors love his approach. He is able to conform to the needs of the film and not distract the audience from the events even during mind bending shots. I think that McGarvey, like Van Hoytema, hasn’t had his final say in cinema, and am convinced that his vision contains great promise.
Larry Smith
Larry Smith worked shoulder to shoulder with Stanley Kubrick his whole career. Having gotten a job on the set of Barry Lyndon as an electrician, over the next 23 years he was the gaffer for The Shining and the cinematographer for Eyes Wide Shut. Working with this directing genius gave Larry an impeccable sense of composition and attracted the attention of those who worshipped Kubrick. This led to the collaboration with Nicolas Winding Refn on the set of Bronson and Only God Forgives. The experience of working with a Hollywood great helped Smith’s talent to truly blossom in all its glory. These films are remarkable because of their use of lighting. The theatrical scenes of Bronson appear in the next picture also, but in a more sophisticated manner. Especially taking into account that the filming team had only three weeks to make this thriller, I have no idea how Smith was able to achieve such a high level of visual detail. Also, Larry and John Michael McDonagh made The Guard and Golgotha. I think the story of the doomed priest is the pinnacle of Smith’s work. This creation of a contemporary noir spirit, combined with harmonious color and beautiful landscapes which so strongly contrast with the plot, is the ultimate dream for me as a viewer. In recent years we haven’t often seen Larry Smith’s work but we hope that will soon change.
Garrett Brown
Garrett Brown was never the main camera operator on set. He was never admired by millions of fans for his compositions or unique shots, and he never sat in the front rows of the Dolby Theater. Only those who like to read the film credits would recognize Brown’s name, but nonetheless his influence on cinematography is impossible to ignore. He invented the Steadicam, an invention which is used in every film to this day, but in 1976 this innovation rocked the film industry. That same year he shot the famous scene from Rocky, was introduced to Stanley Kubrick, and worked on the finale of The Shining. Later he received the Scientific and Engineering Award at the Oscars and continued to shoot epic scenes for dozens of amazing pictures. He worked with Brian De Palma, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Terry Gilliam and Jonathan Demme. Furthermore, he received two more golden statuettes for technical achievements in film and became a legend. So next time you watch this scene, remember, you owe your thanks to cinematographer Garrett Brown.
John Mathieson
John Mathieson started out filming commercials and music videos. His story is remarkable because of how quickly his career took off. He became famous thanks to music clips for Nirvana, Paul McCartney, U2 and Madonna. His work in commercials introduced him to Tony Scott. After a few projects he became the assistant operator in Tony’s film Enemy of the State. You’d think that it would take years to curate creative genius, but just a year later Tony’s brother Ridley, hired Madieson to film the historical drama Gladiator. This resulted in an Oscar nomination, glory, and a ten year tandem with Ridley Scott. Throw in there his work on K-PAX and Phantom of the Opera and you get one of the key cinematographers of modern film. In 2010 he parted ways with Ridley Scott and has since been working with Guy Ritchie and filming projects for Marvel Studios. The filming of the sci-fi action Logan is worth mentioning separately, because John insisted on avoiding chroma key as much as possible and gave us one of the best cinematographic achievements in the superhero film genre. Mathieson is a conserver of visual aesthetics. He loves to play with light and epic shots. One of his quotes especially stuck with me, “Film everything that looks good.” This philosophy is clearly inherited from the commercial film style, and John is not one of those operators who tries to communicate the tone of the picture no matter what, he prefers to give the audience beauty. Unfortunately, John’s work on Mary Queen of Scots went largely unnoticed, and the film that soon followed, the comedy fantasy Pokemon Detective Pikachu was not suitable to showcase Mathieson’s talent. However, I have to admit the visual aspect was up to par.
Bruno Delbonnel
The art of Bruno Delbonnel is closely intertwined with that of Jean-Pierre Jeunet. 16 years after filming Jeunet’s third short, Bruno brought to the screen one of the most important pictures of French cinema in recent years, the romantic comedy Amélie. The playful use of color, size and an incredible sense of composition immediately turned the attention of Hollywood’s cinematographers towards Delbonnel. He continued to work with Jeunet and added to his resume the melodrama Across the Universe and the sixth installment of the Harry Potter saga. The projects attracted the attention of Tim Burton and the Cohen Brothers with whom Bruno works to this day. What sets aside Delbonnel from the others, is color. The bright tones of Amélie, the autumn yellowness of The Half-Blood Prince and the frostiness of the drama Inside Llewyn Davis. There are operators who are lauded for being able to shoot without distracting the audience’s attention, but Bruno is not one of them. The visual aspect of Big Eyes and Dark Shadows fairly shouts with expressiveness, highlighting Bruno’s style. In 2017 Delbonnel was introduced to another supporter of extravagant camera experiments, Joe Wright. Together they created the historical drama Darkest Hour, which despite the typical picturesqueness and imagery ended up being a whole new level in the evolution of Bruno’s art. He already has 5 Oscar nominations under his belt, and I’m certain the sixth is on its way. Joe Wright’s next film The Woman in the Window has a plot similar to Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window. The visual component of that film is the stuff of legends, so I’m sure this new interpretation will be worth watching.
Robert Burks
Since I’ve already mentioned the master of horror, it would be impossible to pass up this next genius. Robert Burks was the close friend of Alfred Hitchcock and worked with the master on all his biggest hits except for Psycho and Rope. Burks’ work on Rear Window is considered to be one of the greatest aesthetic achievements in cinematography. The opening scene is a timeless masterpiece. Innovations in forced perspective while shooting Vertigo and North by Northwest became Burks’ calling card. He was nominated four times for an Oscar and unlike Hitchcock, actually won, having received a statuette for the film To Catch A Thief. Alfred often spoke of Robert’s ability to adapt to the needs of the picture and commented that it was hard to believe that Rear Window and North by Northwest were filmed by the same operator. And I don’t need to remind you how he somehow managed to instill the fear of birds in a whole generation of viewers. After the tragic death of Burks and his wife in a fire, Hitchcock only made three more films, which were not able to surpass the greatness of their collaborations.
Janusz Kaminski
Janusz Kaminski emigrated to the USA in 1981. He settled in Chicago and shot cheap B horror films. Despite being constantly faced with a lack of funds and equipment, he was able to develop his original style. In 1991, when Diane Keaton invited him to work on the TV movie Wildflower, he got the chance to shoot a serious film. This picture turned Janusz’s life upside down. A year later, Steven Spielberg was looking for an operator to shoot Schindler’s List and the promising Janusz, did not only have amazing vision, but was also from Poland. Kaminsky ended up shooting one of the most tragic scenes in the history of film, receiving an Oscar and becoming an irreplaceable colleague for Spielberg. While Steven would work on breathtaking plots, taking into account every detail of the next film, Janusz brought his dreams to life. Over the next 25 years he worked as an operator on all of Spielberg’s pictures, was nominated 4 times for an Oscar, and in 1999 won again, for his work on the war drama Saving Private Ryan. Kaminsky’s style favors artistic expression over realism. He often plays with light and uses bright contrasting colors to fill the shot with added symbolism. In recent years Janusz has balanced working with Steven with other memorable projects, and sometimes even shoots extravagant music videos. His career is forever tied to one of the most influential filmmakers of modern times, whose films are impossible to imagine without Kaminisky’s vision.
Vittorio Storaro
What can be said about the person who is responsible for the visual component of the film, considered by cinematographers to be the best in history? Vittorio Storaro shot Apocalypse Now. Yes, it was directed by Francis Ford Coppola, but Vittorio was the one holding the camera. Each scene in this picture is art at its best and the person whose talent created these scenes is without a doubt one of the best in the industry. If we look more closely at Vittorio’s career we are reminded of how he first came to our attention. He and his countryman Bernardo Bertolucci made a masterpiece of Italian film, the drama The Conformist. Later Storaro filmed Bertolucci’s Eastern trilogy. Four nominations and 3 Oscars confirm Vittorio's standing. By the way he is one of three living operators with three Academy Awards. What made Storaro such an amazing cinematographer? The answer is simple: his love for color. Color is the key player in Storaro’s work. He talks about it in every interview and even wrote a book about it. Using Apocalypse Now as an example he explains how color communicates the hero’s whole journey to self-realization. The film reel is his canvas and he is a real Italian painter who was simply born in the wrong century. Today Vittorio is 80 years old, but he doesn’t seem to be slowing down as he has been working with Woody Allen the last few years and shot his film A Rainy Day in New York. Well, we hope that he has many more productive years left in cinema.
Luca Bigazzi
Italian camera master Luca Bigazzi is a worthy heir to Vittorio Sortaro. But unlike Vitorrio, Luca prefers composition over color. Unusual angles, play with perspective and a love for extremely wide angle shots make up his calling card. Over the last ten years Bigazzi’s work with Paolo Sorrentino has become world famous. Luca began his career in commercials but quickly shifted to the movie industry and met Sorrentino in 2003. This duet seems to be composed of two artists rather than a director and an operator. Each picture they create can be watched without sound. Like a poem written in scenes. At the risk of repeating myself, it seems that Italian cinematographers are born with a knack for bringing artistic beauty to the frame. Bigazzi is famous for his modern commercials also. He often shoots commercials for world famous brands and does it with impeccable charm. It’s also interesting that Luca is one of the few “old school” operators who supports the switch to digital film, believing that film reel is a thing of the past. He also criticizes film school, saying that it is a place that kills creativity. The works of this Italian hooligan are definitely worth watching, and thanks to the release of The New Pope we have another 10 hours of aesthetic pleasure to enjoy from Luca and Paolo.
Freddie Young
You would be right to name Freddie Young as the most influential operator in history. His collaboration with David Lean brought the world some of the greatest scenes in history. His use of space and unrivalled mastery of the seventy-seven-millimeter camera hypnotize audiences to this day. Of course, among the hundreds of movies Young worked on there are a few duds, but the scenes from Laurence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and Ryan’s Daughter etched his name on the pages of film history and bequeathed him three Oscars. In a way, Young became the common thread throughout three eras of cinematography. Born in 1902 Freddie got his first job in Hollywood at fourteen, and during World War 2 went to the front as the main operator for the British Army Film Unit. He filmed his greatest works after the age of 60 and retired at 85. In conclusion he worked on 123 films, received 5 Oscar nominations, won 3 times, and had the longest active career in the history of the American film industry. Five years after his death, in 2003, the International Cinematographers Guild named him the first in a list of the 10 most influential operators in cinema history. His work on Laurence of Arabia was named the greatest achievement in cinematography of the 20th century. When studying the art of Freddie Young and David Lean, one immerses themselves in the greatest era of American film which won’t fail to impress even the most skeptical of viewers.
Robert Elswit
Robert Elswit is a Hollywood old-timer who is justly considered the most verssatile cinematographer of the modern era. In the 80s he made cheap horror films and TV crime thrillers, but in the 90s his unremarkable career took a turn. Meeting Paul Thomas Anderson gave the operator a newfound freedom which in turn granted the world hundreds of breathtaking shots. I don’t know how the Academy managed to ignore Elswit’s art for more than a decade, but in 2007 he left the Oscars no option when he brilliantly filmed There Will Be Blood. Interestingly, that year is considered by cinematographers to have had the toughest competition in the history of the Oscars. Elswit’s work held its own against opponents like The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, No Country For Old Men and Atonement. That kind of competition made the victory all the sweeter. I could talk about There Will Be Blood for hours, it was like all the stars aligned. Anderson’s directing brought out an exceptional performance from Daniel Day Lewis, who was captured on the thirty-five-millimeter film by Robert Elswit. The New York Times dubbed it the best movie yet in the 21st century. Another small fact is that Robert often makes movies which feature Jake Gyllenhaal. This is because Elswit’s close friend is Jake’s father, Stephen Gyllenhaal whom he worked with in the 90s. Robert is Jake’s godfather and never passes up an opportunity to work with him. But let’s return to the versatility of this operator. From the re-creation of the golden era of pornography and lengthy shots from a crane, to Tom Cruise clambering up the Burj Khalifa. Consider the monochrome elegance of Good Night and Good Luck compared to Suburbicon taking place in the same period. Each of Robert’s steps on the way to preparing a scene, is an adaptation of the shot to the needs of the director. The ability to discover the purpose of the picture, and communicate it through light and color, allows the creators of the film to depend on the visual component just as much as the screenplay. Robert doesn’t hog the blanket, he just effortlessly brings to life the director’s wildest dreams.
Emmanuel Lubezki
Opening the top three of our excursion today, is an operator who is rightly considered to be the most popular modern specimen in the profession. But fame for him is just a bonus of his art. He prefers to stick to the shadows. Emmanuel Lubezki is one of the reasons Mexican cinematography has developed the way it has. In recent years the Three Amigos have been reigning in Hollywood, and Emmanuel’s camera is the stamp of quality for any film. He is the only person in the history of the Oscars to receive the award for Best Cinematography three years in a row and be nominated 8 times. His career is permanently bonded to Alfonso Cuarón and Terrence Malick. He is responsible for scenes which will be studied in film schools decades from now. Emmanuel is the king of lighting, which he prefers to use from natural sources. It was Lubezki who caused millions of viewers to fall in love with the wide twelve-millimeter lens and long shots without cuts, further developing ideas presented by Rope and Russian Ark. He so expertly incorporated discoveries from the French “New Wave” that probably thirty years from now, young cinematographers will study the Mexican “New Wave”, where the art of Emmanuel Lubezki will have the place of honor. It’s also worth mentioning that his style never got in the way. If needed, the operator was able to conform to the needs of the director and sometimes it was impossible to believe that the same person was holding the camera the whole time. His work with Tim Burton and the Cohen Brothers is unrecognizable, but no less impressive. And though the last four years have not yielded a single new film from him, we are content with what we have. For example, we have the fantastical scenes from the Dior commercial and the brave experiment Flesh and Sand. Alejandro González Iñárritu already received a Special Achievement Award at the Oscars for the short virtual reality installation which was first presented at Cannes in 2018. I’m sure that there are more awards and achievements awaiting Lubezki in the not too distant future.
Robert Richardson
His compositions have become icons of modern Hollywood. He captured on film phenomenal performances and cast light on epic scenes. Robert Richardson is the third living operator to have received three Academy Awards. His career began by working with Oliver Stone, a collaboration which brought him his first Oscar. Until 1997, this couple was inseparable. However, it’s worth mentioning his duet with Quentin Tarantino, for whom he filmed everything including Kill Bill with the exception of Deathproof. The shooting of Hateful 8 using seventy-millimeter Ultra Panavision film at unusually low temperatures brought to life one of Tarantino’s craziest visual ideas. His tricks and unique lighting techniques gave us hundreds of unforgettable scenes. Even so, Richardson knows how to adapt to the director’s style, his approach when working with Martin Scorsese was practically unrecognizable. The duet with Martin led to two statuettes from the Academy. And if in Hugo he was just brilliantly fulfilling his duties, The Aviator was a revelation. The parallel between the lighting and the psychological state of the main character is captivating. This work is worthy to be among the greatest achievements of cinematography, though in my humble opinion, the amazing compositions in Shutter Island make it the best thriller of the 21st century. Robert is an icon of modern film, and his art – pure eye candy. When Once Upon A Time in Hollywood came out in 2019, Robert once again did not fail to disappoint and delivered another great addition to his collection.
Roger Deakins
His work with lighting has inspired millions of movie lovers. Scenes from his nighttime train robbery will be praised for a hundred years to come. He shot films which audiences around the world have called the best in the history of cinema. Over the last forty years he has pushed the envelope and worked with all the masters of the film industry. Roger Deakins is a living legend of the American imagination. In order to name all his masterpieces, we would need more time than this video has already taken up. Roger began his climb with the Cohen Brothers, for whom he visualized almost every film. His vision of the story of Fargo, or El Duderino’s dreams, or Llewelyn Moss’ escape is just the beginning of a very long list. He was nominated for an Oscar 13 times before finally winning in 2017 for his work in Blade Runner 2049, having filmed the previous two Denis Villeneuve films. He helped Frank Darabont create the screen adaptation for The Shawshank Redemption and told the story of A Beautiful Mind with Ron Howard. See, I did try to create a short list, but just couldn’t. His career has too many hills and very few valleys. But he is at the top of this list not because of his participation in dozens of phenomenal films, he is at the top of the list for a different reason. Roger has an amazing gift. In each film he finds a visual metaphor which seems to sum up the whole picture, explaining its purpose without words and providing closure. His signature shots burn into the memory of the viewer and stay there for the rest of their lives, this cinematographic language is the highest form of mastery for a camera operator. I am certain that at this moment viewers have separated into two camps. One camp adores Deakins’ style and guessed who might be number one in this list. The other camp adores Deakins’ style but didn’t know it before now.
Well, that concludes the story of Okolo Kino’s favorite operators. I know that dozens of masters of this profession did not make the cut from Kazuo Miyagawa to Sven Nykvist, but I hope that this will push us to study the intricacies of light, color, composition and their dedicated ambassadors. Keep loving film and reveling in its magic.
Dante Spinotti
John Alcott
Conrad L. Hall
Darius Khondji
Mihai Mălaimare Jr.
Michael Chapman
Raoul Coutard
Vilmos Zsigmond
Vadim Yusov
Ellen Kuras