The Oscars are almost here, which means this year’s bevy of fascinating roundtable discussions with some of the best filmmakers and performers are coming to an end. It’s a shame really because these are incredibly interesting to watch, but it appears we’re going out with a bang with THR’s full cinematographers roundtable. Sadly folks like Roger Deakins and John Seale didn’t make it, but this year’s group of contributors is solid nevertheless: Robert Richardson (The Hateful Eight), Alwin Kuchler (Steve Jobs), Masanobu Tayanagi (Black Mass, Spotlight), Mandy Walker (Truth), Linus Sandgren (Joy), and Danny Cohen (The Danish Girl, Room).
It’s a lively discussion about the craft of cinematography and some of the specific challenges these folks faced making some of 2015’s best films, but perhaps the highlight of the whole thing is Richardson, who is refreshingly candid when reflecting on past experiences. He tells the story behind why he took his name off of World War Z when Paramount began overriding some of his choices, and explains how his long collaboration with Oliver Stone came to an end when he took a job working for Martin Scorsese. And of course, they all weigh in on the film vs. digital debate.
The candor isn't exclusive to Richardson, as it extends to Cohen as well, who describes his working relationship with director Tom Hooper and talks about a job that he quit. And it’s also great to see Sandgren involved in the discussion, as women make up an incredibly tiny percentage of overall cinematographers. It's a shame they couldn't nab Creed's Maryse Alberti.
So take a look at the full video below, via THR, which is well worth your time.
