NFS: Hello, Shawn! Bau: Artist at Warfare has acquired constant acclaim throughout its competition run. Are you able to inform us about your artistic 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 analyzing Joseph Bau’s life and paintings, was his skill to remain optimistic whereas enduring a few of the worst horrors one may think about. Joseph used paintings and humour to maintain his sanity and to convey aid to these round him within the camp. In fact, the subject material is in direct distinction to levity. I needed to symbolize each of those worlds current and visually inform the story by way of his eyes.
NFS: Are you able to discuss in regards to the collaboration between you and director Sean McNamara? How did you align your creative visions for this undertaking?
SS: I cherished working with Sean. He has a larger-than-life persona, with a great deal of expertise to attract upon. On each undertaking, I at all times 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 effective communicator, very collaborative, and was open to artistic concepts and enter. To get ourselves aligned, we spent as a lot time in prep as attainable simply speaking about concepts and inspirations. We’d discuss pictures and have a look at different motion pictures for concepts. For instance, Sean actually preferred the look of the movie Mr. Jones, and it grew to become a giant inspiration for our type. We didn’t have time for storyboards, however we did stroll by way of the extra sophisticated scenes shot by shot on location. That was an effective way to get ourselves aligned.
NFS: What was essentially the most difficult side of engaged on Bau? How did you navigate or resolve these artistic issues?
SS: The primary huge problem was time! Irrespective of how a lot time you have got, it by no means seems 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 crew at all times works 110%, and we introduced in a 2nd unit for a few of 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 evening earlier than our greatest exterior day within the Jewish ghetto and continued all through the capturing day. In fact, this was a logistical battle on prime of time restraints, however ultimately, I cherished the addition the inclement climate had on the footage.
‘Bau: Artist at Warfare’ BTS Credit score: Influence 24
NFS: The tone of Bau is emotionally layered. How did you utilize mild, framing, or motion to reinforce that complexity?
SS: Given the feelings at play in Bau, it typically 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 or not it’s too mild, which might solely diminish the horrors of the focus camps.
I had to have 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 needed to imitate this with the digicam motion. I received 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 needed the sense of concern and dread to completely disappear. For this specific scene, the digicam motion, identical to their dance, was regardless of their settings.
In scenes that referred to as for darker emotional layers, I might push for extra uncomfortable framing decisions like heart punching or brief siding. I’d darken the world and elongate the shadows. In the direction of the top of the film, because the battle is winding down, I began pushing stronger beams of sunshine by way of 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 motion pictures! The throughline between the three talked about is that I’ve at all times approached tasks 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 creative 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 might say I lean extra in direction of realism than surrealism with my lighting decisions. I prefer to construct upon or modify what’s already there on the set, reasonably than block out all of the pure mild and begin from scratch. On the subject of framing, I believe it modifications with each undertaking and with each scene. I’m at all times asking myself questions akin to, “How a lot of the world do I wish to present in every shot?” “Is that this character presupposed to be remoted at this second?” “Who has the ability proper now?” And naturally, the standard pondering of comedy normally performs higher within the wider pictures, whereas drama is commonly within the close-up.
As they are saying, know the foundations so you already know when to interrupt them.
‘Bau: Artist at Warfare’ BTS Credit score: Impact24
NFS: Did you depend on any specific gear or expertise whereas capturing Bau?
SS: Early on in prep, we determined we needed 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 received shut sufficient that I used to be completely happy to take them. We shot on Pink 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 pictures.
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 might be pulled onto set shortly. Having a Ronin 2 gave us a distant head to be used on the jib, after which might be shortly reconfigured to be used on Steadicam-style pictures.
NFS: What sorts of tales or genres are you most excited to discover subsequent?
SS: I might like to do a sci-fi or interval movie. I wish to sink my enamel 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 may be a lot extra room to discover in these genres. That being mentioned, I’m not going to show down a undertaking if the script is nice and I just like the director. Each undertaking is a chance to study and enhance.
‘Bau, Artist at Warfare’ BTS Credit score: Kama Sood
NFS: Is there the rest you prefer to readers to find out about your work?
SS: I admire anybody who takes the time to have a look at something that I do, and please be at liberty to succeed in out to me by way of my web site or Instagram, the place I’m at @shawnseifert. I’m completely happy to reply any questions, and I’m at all times looking out for my subsequent undertaking, regardless of how huge or small.
And I’d like to offer a giant shout-out to my digicam, grip, and electrics crew. With out them, I wouldn’t be capable of do what I do. Thanks, everybody!
