American Cinematographer - January 1994 - 44

A

tiny cart
normally used
for transporting
sandbags
enabled

a

camera crew to

behind
actors in chase

race

sequences.

is

that's another day's work.
You can't carry a grudge. I also
think it's important that you act

approached that way - when
you feel that you are actively part
of the plan, that you can see what
the point of view of the film is,
and you're satisfied that you're
contributing - [it's satisfying.]
Speaking for myself, I've been on

cause

films where there is no point of
view. Because I believe that you
should have a point of view, you

cian, but you're working with

as a

leader - that

you're there for

your crew and that they're there
for you. You're both a creative
person

and, obviously,

a

techni¬

ence,

.

searching for it

tors?

people. This isn't computer
graphics, with you locked in a
room
by yourself.
Greenberg: You need to in¬

Goldblatt: I d on't know.
There are some very experienced
directors who are or were sons of
bitches. I don't think it's easier to

volve the crew, and listen and
make them feel that they're val¬
ued at work each day, which they
are. It's
just that we've somehow

make films than it

managed to produce a lot of
[people with] attitudes who deny
that reality of the support of each
department. But it's very impor¬
tant. It's amazing the difference
you get from the crew when you
acknowledge how valuable they

40 years

20 years ago. From that
point of view, of collaboration, I
think it's probably as rare that a
happy collaboration occurs now
as it was 20, 30, 40 years
ago. I
think it's unusual.

Greenberg: It's a marriage of
personalities. Also, it requires
personalities that are developed
enough so that the collaboration
can exist and
egos don't clash.
Goldblatt: And the people
[have to be] mature enough to
take it on the chin when they say,
"Listen, it's a great idea, but you
don't have the money, you don't
have the time, and I'm sorry, but
that's it." You've got to be able to
say, "Well, that's too bad." You
can mope a little bit, but
you've

five months.
a

horrible

but I found it the most uncom¬
fortable situation I have ever
been in.

equate to this. I've been

ago or

or

feeling. I had tension once be¬
tween myself and the director,
and the crew was still on my side,

Greenberg: It's very rare.
I've been doing this a long time,
and I have one experience that I

of lack of ex¬
perience or skill in the ranks of direc¬

for four

Greenberg: It's

rectors.

AC: Is that because

do feel

Greenberg: There's no money
worth it.
Goldblatt: Psychologically,
it's really something to experi¬

di¬

ever since.
Goldblatt: Yes. It's not the
usual experience.

When you

alone, on the line by yourself, for¬
get it. It's not worth it.

on who the
director is and how much power
he has over studio influences.

are.

Goldblatt: It's not

so amaz¬

ing; I

mean management
from the military onwards

skills
.

.

.

Greenberg: Yes. Good man¬
agement, though, is always hard
to find.

Goldblatt: It is. From the

military onwards. (Laughs.) Do
you get shot in the back or does
someone

Here,

a

pin

a

medal

on

you?

bunch of strangers comes

together to work on some com¬
mon
project, and - I don't care
how cynical people pretend to

got to be able to be cheerful the
next morning at breakfast, be¬

be

American

January 1994

Cinematographer

cinematographer and a
and this happens a lot
the cinematographer can still
survive and be reasonably happy
-

common cause.

changes, depending

42

tween a

crew is with him and he's
with them. In a sense you find a

type of preparation, or script

was

Goldblatt: Even if it's diffi¬
cult working on a film, and
there's tremendous tension be¬

if his

how often it doesn't exist, under
the pressures of schedule, or the

can

different.

-

-

.

project over and above
And that's good.
Greenberg: And each one is

money.

director

struggle for the entire film trying
to find it
just so that there's
something in your work that is
consistent to the story or helpful
to the story. But it's surprising

Goldblatt: Or too many

for the

-

there's

always

some

feel

Goldblatt: If you lose the
in a sense it's your fault.

crew,

Greenberg: Because you
brought the crew. If you lose
your own crew, there's some¬
thing very wrong with your atti¬
tude.
Goldblatt: I have heard of
situations where directors of pho¬

tography have lost the crew, but
had very close relationships with
the director. It may be compensa¬
tory to the particular individual
at the time. I couldn't bear to
work like that. I think that the job
is the closest thing to being a sol¬
dier and a painter in the same cat¬

It's a very strange deal.
Endurance, loyalty, planning,
egory.

sometimes

fighting. For example,
Brief, I went from fly¬
ing ten feet off the water chasing
pelicans at dawn and sunset to
being involved in intensely politi¬
on

Pelican

cal discussions about how the

presidency should be portrayed
for the story, to doing explosions,
which is always a risk - it is a big
canvas.

Greenberg: It's
good.

a

great job,

when it's

Goldblatt: The whole

dy-
American Cinematographer - January 1994

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