American Cinematographer - October 1996 - 49

base for the continuing produc¬
tion of The X-Files. With a wealth
of resources and expert Canadian
crews at his
disposal, Carter

sought once again to utilize the
city's chameleon-like locales, en¬
listing the aid of several X-Files
veterans for Millennium. First

board

on

director David Nutter,
who has worked with Carter on
was

The X-Files since its first season
and directed 15 episodes of the
show.

Inspired by such psycho¬
logical thrillers as Angel Heart,
The Silence of the Lambs and Seven,
Carter and Nutter set out to find

cinematographer with a fresh
eye and the ability to render a
look never before seen on televi¬
sion. Their intense quest for
candidates led to Edmonton,
Alberta-based director of photog¬
a

raphy Peter Wunstorf. "David
made a long list of people he

he elected to

wanted to work with, and I
learned a long time ago that you

ing on features filming in the area
and shooting any assignments he

signer Gary Wissner - who inci¬
dentally was the art director on
Seven
referenced not only
Darius Khondji, AFC's eerie illu¬

always start at the top," explains

could find.

mination of that film and Michael

Wunstorf first gained
recognition as a director of pho¬
tography for his work on the low-

Seresin's harrowing visuals in
Angel Heart, but other select films

Carter. "Peter

was

recommended

by Paul Sarossy, CSC,
whom we also pursued but was
to us

not available. Peter is

a

ing projects to come along. This
one
happened to appeal to him. I
think he made his choice to work
the project after reading the

on

hearing what
complish."

we

us

and

wanted to

ac¬

Wunstorf had known that he

wanted to work in films since the

age of 12, when he saw Stanley
Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, the
infamous tale of futuristic cruelty

photographed by John Alcott,
BSC. Wunstorf experimented by
shooting on Super 8, and after
graduating from high school he
landed a job at a local television
station in the town of Red Deer.

Soon

enough, he moved on to the
Broadcasting
Corporation), where he got
daily camera experience shoot¬
ing 16mm news footage on color
reversal film. After a three-year
stay as a television cameraman,
CBC (Canadian

-

that contained

true art¬

ist. The way I perceive him is that
he is willing to wait for interest¬

script, meeting with

move into the realm
of freelance camerawork, assist¬

ness

"I think

people

imagining
going to be a

are

that Millenium is

a

certain stark¬

and drained color

palette. Among these
titles, Wunstorf cites

'serial-killer-of-the-week' show,
which it isn't. With this series I

really want to explore the
problems with culture and
society, the nature of evil, [and]
the nature of goodness, heroism
and spirituality."

Calamity) is
appraised as a
victim by the
twisted literary
aficionado/
serial killer,

holding
doomsday
predictions
seen

up

scribbled in

Deakins, ASC's

David Nutter

mono¬

chrome patina in The
Shawshank Redemption
as

French

on

the

nature of the
scene,

director

offers, "I

thought
Millennium
a

was

real test in

restraint and

overdoing
anything. I
not

wanted to

achieve the
same

and

caliber

quality of

The X-Files,
while giving
this show

a

strong 'feature'
look and feel."

the series. Both he and David

discussing the look of

Nutter wanted the show to have
sort of

Millennium, Carter, Nutter,

a

Wunstorf and

matic

October 1996

(appropriately
named

peep-booth
glass. In regard
to the risque

-

In

strip-club

dancer

Barry Sonnenfeld's
lush photography in
the gangster period
piece Miller's Cross¬
ing, as well as Roger

being influential.
Additionally, the film¬
series creator Chris Carter
makers also pored over
budget, black-and-white feature volumes of books, including the
The Grocer's Wife, which was se¬
works of photographers Robert
lected to open Critics Week at the
Frank and Joel-Peter Witkin (par¬
Cannes Film Festival. Fie earned
ticularly Witkin's compilation of
a nomination for a Genie Award
crime scene photography, en¬
titled In Harm's Way).
(Canada's equivalent of the Os¬
car) for his subsequent film,
Says Wunstorf, "Chris
Double Happiness. His other
Carter is very visual and very de¬
credits include the films The
manding. He was also very much
in on the overall visual design of
Michelle Apartments and Road to
Saddle River.

A

production de¬

desaturated, monochro¬
look, but at the same time

American

Cinematographer

47
American Cinematographer - October 1996

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - October 1996
