NFS: Hello, Shawn! Bau: Artist at Battle has obtained constant acclaim throughout its pageant run. Are you able to inform us about your artistic strategy 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 art work, was his capacity to remain optimistic whereas enduring a few of the worst horrors one may think about. Joseph used art work and humour to maintain his sanity and to carry aid to these round him within the camp. In fact, the subject material is in direct distinction to levity. I needed to signify each of those worlds current and visually inform the story via his eyes.
NFS: Are you able to speak in regards to the collaboration between you and director Sean McNamara? How did you align your creative visions for this undertaking?
SS: I liked working with Sean. He has a larger-than-life character, with a great deal of expertise to attract upon. On each undertaking, I at all times really feel it’s my duty 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 doable simply speaking about concepts and inspirations. We’d speak pictures and take 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 an enormous inspiration for our fashion. We didn’t have time for storyboards, however we did stroll via 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 facet of engaged on Bau? How did you navigate or clear up these artistic issues?
SS: The primary massive problem was time! Regardless of how a lot time you have got, it by no means appears like sufficient, however in our case, we had 19 days, so we had been having to shoot in a short time. This was resolved by thorough prep and powerful time administration on shoot days. My very skillful group at all times works 110%, and we introduced in a 2nd unit for a few of the days the place they may decide off smaller scenes that we couldn’t get to. We had 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 taking pictures day. In fact, this was a logistical wrestle on prime of time restraints, however in the long run, I liked the addition the inclement climate had on the footage.
‘Bau: Artist at Battle’ 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 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 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 obtained 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 worry and dread to completely disappear. For this specific scene, the digital camera motion, identical to their dance, was regardless of their settings.
In scenes that referred to as for darker emotional layers, I’d push for extra uncomfortable framing selections 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 warfare 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 fashion, and the way do you adapt it throughout movies like Bau, Buddy Recreations, 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 at all times approached tasks wanting to permit the director’s imaginative and prescient to be my information. I feel 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 fashion, I’d say I lean extra in the direction of realism than surrealism with my lighting selections. I wish to construct upon or modify what’s already there on the set, somewhat than block out all of the pure mild and begin from scratch. With regards to framing, I feel it modifications with each undertaking and with each scene. I’m at all times asking myself questions similar to, “How a lot of the world do I need to present in every shot?” “Is that this character speculated to be remoted at this second?” “Who has the facility proper now?” And naturally, the normal 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 when to interrupt them.
‘Bau: Artist at Battle’ BTS Credit score: Impact24
NFS: Did you depend on any specific gear or know-how 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 obtained shut sufficient that I used to be joyful 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 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 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 pictures.
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 enamel 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 undertaking if the script is nice and I just like the director. Each undertaking is a chance to be taught and enhance.
‘Bau, Artist at Battle’ BTS Credit score: Kama Sood
NFS: Is there the rest you prefer to readers to learn about your work?
SS: I respect 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 via my web site or Instagram, the place I’m at @shawnseifert. I’m joyful to reply any questions, and I’m at all times looking out for my subsequent undertaking, irrespective of how massive or small.
And I’d like to offer an enormous shout-out to my digital camera, grip, and electrics group. With out them, I wouldn’t have the ability to do what I do. Thanks, everybody!
