NFS: Hello, Shawn! Bau: Artist at Struggle has obtained constant acclaim throughout its pageant 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 deliver aid to these round him within the camp. After all, the subject material is in direct distinction to levity. I needed to signify each of those worlds present and visually inform the story by his eyes.
NFS: Are you able to speak in regards to the collaboration between you and director Sean McNamara? How did you align your inventive visions for this challenge?
SS: I cherished working with Sean. He has a larger-than-life character, with a great deal of expertise to attract upon. On each challenge, I all the time really feel it’s my accountability to adapt to the director’s imaginative and prescient and magnificence. Fortunately, with Sean, it didn’t take a lot adapting. He is an efficient communicator, very collaborative, and was open to artistic 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 have a look at different motion pictures for concepts. For instance, Sean actually preferred the look of the movie Mr. Jones, and it turned an enormous inspiration for our type. We didn’t have time for storyboards, however we did stroll by the extra sophisticated scenes shot by shot on location. That was a good way to get ourselves aligned.
NFS: What was essentially the most difficult side of engaged on Bau? How did you navigate or remedy these artistic problems?
SS: The primary massive problem was time! Regardless of how a lot time you might have, 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 robust time administration on shoot days. My very skillful group all the time works 110%, and we introduced in a 2nd unit for a few of the days the place they might 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 taking pictures day. After all, 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 Struggle’ BTS Credit score: Impression 24
NFS: The tone of Bau is emotionally layered. How did you employ mild, framing, or motion to reinforce 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 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 digital camera motion. I bought the digital camera 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 explicit scene, the digital camera motion, identical to their dance, was regardless of their settings.
In scenes that known as for darker emotional layers, I’d push for extra uncomfortable framing decisions like middle 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 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 Dangerous Seed Returns?
SS: Visually talking, we couldn’t be speaking about three extra completely different motion pictures! The throughline between the three talked about is that I’ve all the time 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 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 the direction of realism than surrealism with my lighting decisions. I prefer to construct upon or modify what’s already there on the set, slightly than block out all of the pure mild and begin from scratch. With regards to framing, I believe it adjustments with each challenge and with each scene. I’m all the time asking myself questions corresponding to, “How a lot of the world do I need 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 normal considering of comedy normally performs higher within the wider photographs, whereas drama is usually within the close-up.
As they are saying, know the principles so you already know when to interrupt them.
‘Bau: Artist at Struggle’ BTS Credit score: Impact24
NFS: Did you depend on any explicit gear or expertise whereas taking pictures 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 bought shut sufficient that I used to be pleased to take them. We shot on Purple 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 digital camera 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 rapidly. Having a Ronin 2 gave us a distant head to be used on the jib, after which may very well be rapidly 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 need to sink my tooth into a movie the place I’m creating a visible world that may really feel fully new and attention-grabbing. I simply really feel like there’s a lot extra room to discover in these genres. That being stated, I’m not going to show down a challenge if the script is nice and I just like the director. Each challenge is a chance to be taught and enhance.
‘Bau, Artist at Struggle’ BTS Credit score: Kama Sood
NFS: Is there the rest you want 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 my web site or Instagram, the place I’m at @shawnseifert. I’m pleased to reply any questions, and I’m all the time looking out for my subsequent challenge, regardless of how massive or small.
And I’d like to provide an enormous shout-out to my digital camera, grip, and electrics group. With out them, I wouldn’t be capable of do what I do. Thanks, everybody!
