American Cinematographer - April 2022 - 38

ARTISTS AS ART
Tech Specs:
1.78:1 (1.33:1 for vintage material)
Cameras: Canon C300 Mark II, Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 6K
Lenses: Canon K-35 Macro Zoom; Leica Summicron-C; Bausch & Lomb Super Baltar
(rehoused by TLS); Angénieux zoom
Faith Ringgold
you're asked to or not, because it makes you feel more a part of the
process. "
Black Art: In the Absence of Light is dedicated to celebrating, reclaiming
and establishing the history of Black artists in America. Resources like
Driskell's catalog are a part of that history, as are artists like Adebonojo
and Simmons, who continue to work in industries that don't have
a history of inclusivity. " When I started in the 1970s, it might as well
have been the 1950s, " Simmons says, noting the numerous challenges
he faced as a Black filmmaker (a topic he expands upon in AC's Jan. '21
Camera Spotlight | Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K
In addition to the production's primary camera, Blackmagic Design's
Pocket Cinema Camera 6K also played a significant role during the
shoot. " As opposed to a large camera you put on your shoulder,
the Blackmagic is a camera I feel like I can dance with, " Adebonojo
says, " especially when the talent is moving or doing something. I
can dance around them. " Adebonojo used the compact camera to
capture artists Jordan Casteel, Amy Sherald, Radcliffe Bailey and
Theaster Gates in their respective workspaces. The cinematographer
also used the camera to capture the footage that serves
as the film's end credits: Casteel winding through a dense crowd
at the opening of a Sherald exhibition. Says Adebonojo, " The
issue). " Your passion has to be greater than your obstacles. " He adds that,
ultimately, the people who made things difficult for him at the beginning
of his career in Los Angeles actually made him want to pursue his
career more fervently, and stoked his desire to build diverse, welcoming
film sets.
As both a cinematographer and fine-arts photographer whose path
has been deeply intertwined with figures like Driskell, Simmons says
he felt a real kinship with the artists featured in Black Art. " I stand on
the shoulders of so many of them, " he says. " I also relate to the younger
Blackmagic camera was always on hand for shots that had any kind
of movement, or any we did on the fly. "
Knowing when a camera like the Blackmagic is the right tool,
Simmons notes, is an essential part of the craft. " Digital technology
has allowed us to go from the Sony Venice, which can photograph
anything in the world, to the Blackmagic, " he says. " It's the knowledge
that we as cinematographers have that lets us know when
that little Pocket Cinema Camera is the appropriate piece of equipment.
So much of our aesthetic, and storytelling, can be based on
the equipment we choose - or the equipment we get stuck with! "
- Sarah Fensom
38 / APRIL 2022
American Cinematographer - April 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - April 2022
