Conversations with Cinematographers

In this book we have twenty masters of the moving image speaking about their life behind the camera, producing some of the greatest movies of all time. In these pages they talk about the great directors they have worked with, the artists they have photographed, and much more. Conversations with Cinematographers takes you behind the camera, giving a glimpse of the goings-on that produce great cinema.

[...]... Yates was another director I enjoyed working with I shot Eleni (1985) with him in Spain and Suspect (1987), a courtroom drama with singer Cher, which was shot in Washington 11-349_Ellis.indb 9 9/16/11 7:15 AM 10 C HA P TER 1 Another picture I enjoyed working on was The Wind and the Lion (1975) with Sean Connery and Candice Bergen, which was shot in Spain with a lot of action scenes It was written and... continue with the work with students, so I spend a few weeks a year with them, which keeps me in touch with what is going on and the latest developments Did you do blue screen work? I did a certain amount of blue screen work I wasn’t a specialist in that department A specialist would sometimes be brought in I retired before the advent of digital, so my experience of digital is really through being with. .. historic record of the times Did you have a favourite director at Ealing? At Ealing it was like being with family I got on with all the directors I did several films with a number of them All the directors became friends, and they were all different I also got on very well with all the directors I worked with after Ealing Among them were Steven Spielberg [1946– ], Roman Polanski [1933– ], Joe Losey [1909–1984],... he had befriended at an orphanage Unfortunately Collinson died young How did you get on with Noel Coward? I got on very well with him He signed a few books for me I also worked with him on Boom! (1968), which starred Elizabeth Taylor What was Michael Caine like to work with? Michael Caine was great I loved working with him He was a wonderful raconteur and a very friendly, warm character He was also a... this beautiful house on the edge of the lake, and again it was a film with lots of interesting opportunities With the interior being on location, we were able to link up the interiors with the exteriors in a way you can’t do in the studio It was just a delightful film, a happy experience Did you have a favourite director you worked with? Well, when you say favourite, all directors are different Some... stand my ground quite often with him and stick out for what I thought we ought to do There was one particular case in Women in Love where there is a long, complicated scene with Alan Bates, Oliver Reed, and Glenda Jackson, all the principles sitting around a very long table under a beech tree It is a scene with a fig If you look towards Alan Bates, he was in complete silhouette with a very bright background... worked with a number of people that went on to become well-known directors There was Ken Russell, John Schlesinger, and Ted Kotcheff A few years after I worked with them on commercials, I was fortunate enough to shoot feature films for them My first feature film was in 1965 It was a silent film in black and white with original music by Burnell Whibley, conducted by Ron Goodwin It was a comedy with a... stockbroking firm, but I decided that might be rather dull, so I decided I would take the chance and go with my father That was at the age of fourteen? Yes It was very young to make a decision like that, but that was the schoolleaving age during the war How long did you work with your father? I was with him for about four years The highlight was going to East Africa at the age of seventeen to make educational... fun A few years later when I was working with Peter Yates on Suspect, we didn’t get to a scene in the courtroom We had an actor cast, but he wasn’t available the next day, so I stood in for him So I had another small role in front of the camera I did two pictures with Elizabeth Taylor [1932–2011], and that was great fun She’s such a nice person I had never worked with anybody who was so good technically... Hepburn and Henry Fonda I got an Oscar nomination for Women in Love and another for On Golden Pond I then got lucky with Gandhi, receiving an Oscar Ronnie and I got an Oscar each On Golden Pond was a memorable experience, working with Katharine Hepburn and Henry Fonda What were they like to work with? They were absolutely delightful She was very opinionated; she was a driving force, an absolute dynamo I . the great directors they have worked with, the artists they have photographed, and much more. Conversations with Cinematographers takes you behind the. of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ellis, David A., 1947– Conversations with cinematographers / David A. Ellis. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN