With Sean McNamara’s newest movie, Bau: Artist at Battle, incomes rave evaluations throughout the competition circuit, a lot of the reward has been directed on the attractive and painterly cinematography of DP Shawn Seifert.

Recent off initiatives as numerous as Buddy Video games: Spring Awakening and The Unhealthy Seed Returns, Seifert’s work on the historic drama showcases a exceptional new aspect of his expertise, capturing the lifetime of an artist with breathtaking visible type.

We spoke with the cinematographer about his celebrated new movie.

Let’s dive in.

– YouTubewww.youtube.com

---

NFS: Hello, Shawn! Bau: Artist at Battle has acquired constant acclaim throughout its competition run. Are you able to inform us about your inventive method in visually telling this story?

Sean McNamara: Hello Jason! One of many early issues that leapt out to me when studying the script, and inspecting Joseph Bau’s life and paintings, was his skill to remain constructive whereas enduring among the worst horrors one may think about. Joseph used paintings and humour to maintain his sanity and to carry aid to these round him within the camp. After all, the subject material is in direct distinction to levity. I wished to symbolize each of those worlds current and visually inform the story via his eyes.

NFS: Are you able to speak concerning the collaboration between you and director Sean McNamara? How did you align your inventive visions for this mission?

SS: I beloved working with Sean. He has a larger-than-life character, with a great deal of expertise to attract upon. On each mission, I all the time really feel it’s my accountability to adapt to the director’s imaginative and prescient and elegance. Fortunately, with Sean, it didn’t take a lot adapting. He is an efficient communicator, very collaborative, and was open to inventive concepts and enter. To get ourselves aligned, we spent as a lot time in prep as potential simply speaking about concepts and inspirations. We’d speak photographs and take a look at different films for concepts. For instance, Sean actually appreciated the look of the movie Mr. Jones, and it turned a giant inspiration for our type. We didn’t have time for storyboards, however we did stroll via the extra difficult scenes shot by shot on location. That was a good way to get ourselves aligned.

NFS: What was probably the most difficult side of engaged on Bau? How did you navigate or resolve these inventive issues?

SS: The primary massive problem was time! Regardless of how a lot time you might have, it by no means appears like sufficient, however in our case, we had 19 days, so we have been having to shoot in a short time. This was resolved by thorough prep and powerful time administration on shoot days. My very skillful staff all the time works 110%, and we introduced in a 2nd unit for among the days the place they may choose off smaller scenes that we couldn’t get to. We have been additionally met with conventional Canadian winter climate, as a big snowstorm rolled within the night time earlier than our largest exterior day within the Jewish ghetto and continued all through the capturing day. After all, this was a logistical wrestle on high of time restraints, however in the long run, I beloved the addition the inclement climate had on the footage.

‘Bau: Artist at Battle’ BTS Credit score: Influence 24

NFS: The tone of Bau is emotionally layered. How did you utilize mild, framing, or motion to boost that complexity?

SS: Given the feelings at play in Bau, it usually felt like we needed to stroll a tightrope to get the tone proper. We couldn’t be too heavy – that wouldn’t be true to Joseph’s story – nor may it’s too mild, which might solely diminish the horrors of the focus camps.

I had to take a look at every scene and see the place I may add some emotional layers. For instance, there’s a scene the place Rebecca and Joseph sneak a dance within the snow in between the bunk homes of the focus camp. It’s this second of reprieve for them, and I wished to imitate this with the digicam motion. I acquired the digicam mounted on a jib so it may dance together with them. Concurrently, I didn’t change the lighting as I by no means wished the sense of concern and dread to completely disappear. For this specific scene, the digicam motion, similar to their dance, was despite their settings.

In scenes that known as for darker emotional layers, I’d push for extra uncomfortable framing selections like middle punching or quick siding. I’d darken the world and elongate the shadows. In direction of the top of the film, because the struggle is winding down, I began pushing stronger beams of sunshine via the home windows as if the solar was lastly beginning to shine on these caught within the camps.

NFS: How would you describe your visible type, and the way do you adapt it throughout movies like Bau, Buddy Sports, and The Unhealthy Seed Returns?

SS: Visually talking, we couldn’t be speaking about three extra totally different films! The throughline between the three talked about is that I’ve all the time approached initiatives wanting to permit the director’s imaginative and prescient to be my information. I believe it’s key to recollect it’s their film and I’m there to assist execute it. That isn’t to say that I’m not bringing my very own imaginative and prescient and inventive concepts – I’m simply ensuring my imaginative and prescient for the movie not solely aligns with the director’s however ideally helps elevate it.

As for a constant type, I’d say I lean extra in direction of realism than surrealism with my lighting selections. I prefer to construct upon or modify what’s already there on the set, quite than block out all of the pure mild and begin from scratch. In the case of framing, I believe it adjustments with each mission and with each scene. I’m all the time asking myself questions equivalent to, “How a lot of the world do I wish to present in every shot?” “Is that this character purported to be remoted at this second?” “Who has the facility proper now?” And naturally, the standard considering of comedy often performs higher within the wider photographs, whereas drama is usually within the close-up.

As they are saying, know the foundations so when to interrupt them.

‘Bau: Artist at Battle’ BTS Credit score: Impact24

NFS: Did you depend on any specific tools or know-how whereas capturing Bau?

SS: Early on in prep, we determined we wished to go anamorphic for our glass, so we prepped a set of Atlas Orions, and I then matched them with three Angeniux zooms (Optimo 15-40mm, Optimo 28-76mm, and the 24-290mm) that labored with an anamorphic adaptor. Including a rear-element anamorphic adaptor to a spherical lens isn’t an ideal match to an actual anamorphic zoom, however they acquired shut sufficient that I used to be completely happy to take them. We shot on Crimson Cameras and had a complete of 4 our bodies. We constructed A and B cam for studio and handheld, C cam was constructed completely on the Ronin 2, and D cam went to 2nd unit. I additionally introduced out my drone (Mavic 2 Professional) for just a few photographs.

For digicam motion, we ran with two dollies (Peewee 3 and Fischer 10), a Ronin 2, and a jimmy jib that was left partially constructed so it may very well be pulled onto set shortly. Having a Ronin 2 gave us a distant head to be used on the jib, after which may very well be shortly reconfigured to be used on Steadicam-style photographs.

NFS: What sorts of tales or genres are you most excited to discover subsequent?

SS: I’d like to do a sci-fi or interval movie. I wish to sink my tooth into a movie the place I’m creating a visible world that may really feel utterly new and fascinating. I simply really feel like there’s a lot extra room to discover in these genres. That being mentioned, I’m not going to show down a mission if the script is nice and I just like the director. Each mission is a chance to study and enhance.

‘Bau, Artist at Battle’ BTS Credit score: Kama Sood

NFS: Is there the rest you prefer to readers to find out about your work?

SS: I recognize anybody who takes the time to take a look at something that I do, and please be happy to succeed in out to me via my web site or Instagram, the place I’m at @shawnseifert. I’m completely happy to reply any questions, and I’m all the time looking out for my subsequent mission, regardless of how massive or small.

And I’d like to present a giant shout-out to my digicam, grip, and electrics staff. With out them, I wouldn’t be capable to do what I do. Thanks, everybody!