American Cinematographer - September 2000 - 88

Mike McAlister
Senior Visual-Effects
Cinesite

Supervisor

"The much-discussed democratization of the

technology will allow

more people access to the
can't democratize talent. You
cannot cause inspiration or creation by supplying
a tool. One of the things that I've noticed over
the years is there are people who can create, in the truest sense,
something from nothing - like writers on an empty page, coming up
with a brilliant screenplay. And there are people who can create
images to express what the writer is saying. Then there's a whole
bunch of other people who can make anything you tell them to make,
but they can't create something from nothing. No new technology is
going to make them into true creators."

medium. But you

Hoyt Yeatman
Senior Visual-Effects

Supervisor

The Secret Lab
"There is

so

much talk about

technology and

whether live-action elements for effects shots
will be

that's

a

captured in film or digital video, but
peripheral issue. The real issue is that

technology should heighten rather than diminish the collaborative
process involving cinematographers and visual effects supervisors
like myself. The cinematographer is primarily responsible for designing
the look and creating an emotional tone for the story with the director.
It's my responsibility to work with them to ensure that their vision is
consistently maintained in all visual-effects shots. That's true whether
they are shooting a live-action element for a bluescreen composite or
we are integrating CG images into a shot. We have great tools for
achieving those results in digital post, and more are being invented
every day.
"I believe it is important for the creative community to be
proactive in driving the evolution of technology. A couple of years ago,
I worked with Kodak on the invention of a camera film designed to
optimize photographing blue-and greenscreen elements while we
were working on Mighty Joe Young. I'm finding that more and
more cinematographers are digitally literate and anxious to collabo¬

The Truman Show, Waterworld, Indiana Jones

trilogy, Star Wars trilogy

Peter Donen
Visual-Effects

Supervisor

rate. I think the most

"Filmmaking is an unbelievably collaborative
process. As a supervisor, you have to get inside
directors' minds and synthesize the images that
tell their story. It's not about who has the best

enhance the art of

software for

important thing we can do in the future to
filmmaking is ensure that the visual effects
supervisor and cinematographer are collaborating as early as possi¬
ble in preproduction. Working together as a team, we can save time
and find creative ways to express the words in the scripts as moving
images on the screen. Progress isn't a destination; it's a journey."

screens.

but should make the stories and characters come alive. That's

always
elegantly and invisibly today
because of the digital revolution. I love this work because it allows us
been true, but we can do it more

to
Mission to Mars,

Mighty Joe Young, Armageddon, The Rock

creating explosions or doing blue-

Great visual effects should not draw attention to themselves,

bring magic into people's lives."

U-571, The Horse Whisperer, U.S. Marshals, Executive Decision, Flatliners

Richard

Edlund, ASC

Visual-Effects Supervisor
"The

cinematographer is crucial on the set.
the shots, choreographs
the positioning and motion of the camera,
supervises color-timing and controls and sets
the personality of the collective crew during
principal photography. Whether he or she is
working with a film or digital camera won't change those responsibil¬
ities. What will change are the expectations of the audience as we all
He

move

or

she composes

into the future."

Original Star Wars trilogy, Ghostbusters, 2010,

Pet r

Done
photo
by

Alien3

Tory

Koyman
American Cinematographer - September 2000

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