Introduction

The hosts introduce themselves and the show, and discuss the upcoming episode featuring an interview with Jörg Widmer, the director of photography for Terrence Malick's film "A Hidden Life."

Introducing the Show

• Ben Consoli introduces himself as a director and owner of BC Media Productions.

• The show is called "The Go Creative Show" and is dedicated to creative professionals and filmmakers.

• They will be discussing Terrence Malick's film "A Hidden Life" with Jörg Widmer.

About "A Hidden Life"

• The hosts express their excitement about the film and how well it was directed and shot.

• Jörg Widmer used only two wide focal lengths in the entire film, which is unique for a cinematographer.

• They discuss what this means for filmmaking and cinematography.

Social Media Promotion

• The hosts encourage listeners to follow them on social media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook) to stay updated on upcoming guests and have their questions featured on the show.

Sponsorship by Hedge

• Ben Consoli talks about using Hedge backup software on a recent shoot.

• He explains how easy it is to use and how it ensures reliable backups of media cards or hard drives.

• Listeners can get 20% off a full license at hedge.video/go-creative-show using coupon code "go creative show."

Interview with Jörg Widmer

Ben Consoli interviews Jörg Widmer about his work as director of photography on Terrence Malick's film "A Hidden Life."

Introduction

• Ben Consoli welcomes Jörg Widmer to the show.

Working with Terrence Malick

• Jörg discusses his experience working with Terrence Malick as a director who values collaboration between all members of the crew.

• He talks about how Malick's approach to filmmaking is different from other directors.

Cinematography in "A Hidden Life"

• Jörg explains why he chose to use only two wide focal lengths for the entire film.

• He discusses the challenges and benefits of this approach, including how it affected the actors' performances and how it helped create a sense of intimacy with the characters.

• Jörg also talks about his use of natural light and practicals in the film.

Shooting on Location

• Jörg describes shooting on location in Austria and Italy, including some of the challenges they faced with weather and lighting conditions.

• He talks about how they used drones to capture some of the aerial shots in the film.

Collaboration with Other Departments

• Jörg emphasizes the importance of collaboration between departments on a film set, particularly between cinematography and production design.

• He discusses how he worked closely with production designer Sebastian T. Krawinkel to create a cohesive visual style for "A Hidden Life."

Audience Questions

The hosts ask Jörg Widmer questions submitted by listeners via social media.

Question 1: Working with Terrence Malick

• A listener asks what it was like working with Terrence Malick as a director who values collaboration between all members of the crew.

• Jörg explains that Malick encourages everyone to contribute their ideas and creativity to the project, which makes for a more collaborative environment.

Question 2: Filming Techniques

• A listener asks about some of Jörg's favorite filming techniques used in "A Hidden Life."

• Jörg talks about his use of natural light, practicals, and handheld camera work to create an intimate feel for certain scenes in the film.

Question 3: Shooting on Location

• A listener asks about the challenges of shooting on location in Austria and Italy.

• Jörg discusses some of the difficulties they faced with weather and lighting conditions, but also talks about how shooting on location helped create a more authentic feel for the film.

Question 4: Working with Actors

• A listener asks how Jörg's approach to cinematography changes when working with actors versus shooting landscapes or other non-human subjects.

• Jörg explains that he tries to capture the emotions and performances of the actors through his camera work, while also using natural light and practicals to create a sense of realism.

Introduction

The director of photography for "A Hidden Life" talks about his experience working with the director and how they approached the cinematography for the film.

Working with Terrence Malick

• The speaker had worked as an operator for Terrence Malick in five previous movies.

• Terry wanted to shoot a story about unknown heroes whose lives don't shine in history books.

• The movie is important because it shows people standing up for their beliefs and convictions.

Cinematography

The speaker discusses the use of wide lenses and camera choices in "A Hidden Life."

Use of Wide Lenses

• Terry wanted everything seen by the audience, not just what was in the foreground.

• Short lenses were used to enhance visual experience and propel viewers into scenes.

Camera Choices

• Terry gives a lot of freedom to try things out and reshoot scenes.

• This movie has a script that guides you through the whole movie, unlike previous movies where scenes could be interchanged or set differently in editing.

• They chose short master pendants as the best way to tell this story.

Shooting Techniques

In this section, the cinematographer discusses the shooting techniques used in the film.

Camera Choice

• The cinematographer chose to use a Red Dragon camera for its ability to shoot in 6K and disassemble easily.

• The lightweight nature of the camera allowed for more flexibility and playfulness during filming.

Lens Choice

• The cinematographer used a 14mm lens throughout the film to create a consistent look and feel.

• Using such a wide lens made it easier to create motion and draw viewers into the story.

Close-Ups

• Being close to actors' faces allowed for more flexibility in changing angles quickly.

• However, sometimes high brows were an issue, and actors had to erase them between takes.

Cinematography Techniques

In this section, the cinematographer discusses how he worked with actors and lighting to achieve specific shots.

Working with Actors

• Being close to actors' faces allowed for more flexibility in changing angles quickly.

• This technique also allowed for over-the-shoulder shots without needing a full shoulder shot.

Lighting

• No information provided on lighting techniques.

The Power of Dance

In this section, the speaker talks about how dance can give you energy and how it creates a lack of distance between people.

Dance Creates Lack of Distance

• People have boundaries when communicating with each other, but dance creates a lack of distance.

• Being close to someone's face allows you to see emotions that you wouldn't normally see.

• Even if someone doesn't answer questions, you can still feel what they're thinking through their body language.

Rule Boston Camera

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Dealing with Lighting in Wide-Angle Shots

In this section, the speaker discusses how to deal with lighting in wide-angle shots where everything is in focus.

Embrace Natural Lighting

• Use natural lighting as much as possible.

• Get rid of sources that create a sandwich effect so that both sides are lit evenly.

Lighting Choices

In this section, the speaker discusses their lighting choices for shooting both interior and exterior scenes. They talk about using natural light as much as possible and creating a single visible light source for interior scenes.

Exterior Scenes

• The speaker used plex to create depth in exterior scenes.

• They always tried to keep the actors between the sun and camera to make it easier to shoot.

• Bounced light was used to make the scene more beautiful.

Interior Scenes

• The speaker created a single visible light source for interior scenes, usually through windows or doors.

• Bounce cards were mostly used for fill lights.

• Pre-lit spaces were utilized when shooting at specific times of day.

Camera Setup

In this section, the speaker talks about their camera setup and how they had two cameras with different filters set up for shooting inside and outside.

• Two cameras were used, one set up for outside and one set up for inside.

• A DI T pulled stock all the time so that exposure could be adjusted easily.

• One camera had a well P highlight filter while the other had a low light filter.

Working with Terry

In this section, the speaker talks about working with Terry, who is an experienced cinematographer. They discuss how Terry gave them a lot of freedom in terms of contrast and encouraged them to try out extreme lighting setups.

• Terry has a lot of experience and knowledge about films, making him a great teacher for cinematography.

• Terry gave the speaker a lot of freedom to experiment with contrast and lighting setups.

• The speaker and Terry went to extremes in terms of contrast, which made the film look more mysterious.

Terrence Malick's Filmmaking Style

In this section, the speaker discusses Terrence Malick's unique filmmaking style and how it differs from classical coverage.

Malick's Filmmaking Style

• Malick's films have no classical coverage of dialogue scenes.

• The scenes are shot multiple times in different ways, but the atmosphere remains consistent.

• The actors perform their roles naturally without repeating the scene multiple times.

• The setups are made to match the action, and if it doesn't happen right, they repeat it until it does.

• The editing takes care of the long takes, and a lot more is shot than what appears in the movie.

Rehearsals on Set

In this section, the speaker talks about rehearsals on set and how they differ from traditional rehearsals.

Rehearsals on Set

• Instead of traditional rehearsals where actors run lines and go over blocking, Malick allowed his actors to live their characters' lives for a while.

• They would do jobs that their characters did as rehearsals.

• Scenes were staged in a way that was playful and natural.

Director of Photography Role

In this section, the speaker discusses his role as director of photography and how it differs from being a camera operator.

Director of Photography Role

• As director of photography, he is more involved in preparing for the movie by choosing locations and thinking about the style and look.

• He still operates the camera and has fun doing it.

Understanding the Role of an Operator

In this section, Jörg Widmer explains the importance of understanding the scenes and locations before shooting.

Importance of Scene Selection

• It is important to choose your scenes beforehand so that you know exactly where you want to be darker or brighter later on.

• You can decide not to have certain colors or shoot in different rooms based on how they will look on camera.

• Being involved in selecting locations and sets allows for more creative control over the entire movie.

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Shooting Landscapes and Village Scenes

In this section, Jörg Widmer discusses shooting landscapes, waterfalls, and village scenes.

Landscape Shots

• All landscape shots were filmed by Jörg Widmer himself after finishing principal photography.

• Shots were taken during downtime between scenes or while waiting for actors to get ready.

Village Scenes

• The village used in the film was pre-existing and from the time period of 1943.

• Some minor improvements were made to fit the film, such as choosing areas to shoot that looked more remote.

Pre-Production

In this section, the speaker talks about the shooting process and location of the movie.

Shooting Process

• The camera was always ready to go at all times.

• The village where they shot looked like it was five hours into the mountains, but it was actually not far away.

• They built on stages and created a few sets in locations where they needed them.

Post-Production

In this section, the speaker talks about their involvement in post-production and color grading.

Color Grading

• The speaker's involvement in post-production started on set with the grader.

• They took care that the rushes looked according to the final look of the movie so that Terry could use all new settings for final post-production.

• They enhanced contrast and reduced saturation to avoid primary colors.

Inspiration for Look of Film

• They agreed to avoid primary colors such as strong green, red, or blue.

• They removed some color intensity saturation from blue skies but kept red flags as a primary color.

• Production design and wardrobe helped pull back saturation.

Cinematography

In this section, the speaker talks about how they achieved a low saturation color choice and used contrast to create mystery.

Low Saturation Color Choice

• Roofs were not colorful, wood itself was also not colorful because it wasn't done in olden days.

• They used contrast to create mystery and still have incredible latitude.

Camera Used

• The winter part was shot on helium, which has better latitude.

• The summer part was shot on the dragon, but they used IPP2 color pipeline to improve the role of whites.

Most Challenging Scene

The director discusses the most challenging scene in the film and why it was so well executed.

Execution of Violence

• The execution scene is the most challenging but also one of the best-executed scenes in the movie.

• The violence happens by being told by the reactions of people and banks, not by showing it.

• Despite not showing much violence, you feel a lot of it due to the connection between characters and their families being torn apart.

Humanity in War

• The lack of humanity for certain people or brutality during war times is what makes this movie strong.

• Francie's character has two options, neither good, which makes you desperate.

Essential Tool on Set

The cinematographer talks about his essential tool on set.

Steadicam

• A Steadicam is an essential tool that he brings with him on every shoot.

• He always operates it himself because it gives him flexibility and opportunities to create incredible scenes.

Working Relationship with Grip

The director talks about his working relationship with his grip.

Good Rapport

• They have a good rapport and are like brothers in dirt.

Upcoming Film Project

The cinematographer discusses his upcoming film project in Albania.

Gonna Shut

• "Gonna Shut" is a movie about a society where men excel in public while women do the labor.

• The movie follows a woman who dares to do something different.

The Issue of Albanian Women's Freedom

In this section, the guest discusses the issue of Albanian women's freedom and how it is an interesting topic nowadays.

Albanian Women's Freedom

• Albanian women had a chance to get more freedom which they didn't have otherwise.

Romantic Comedy Script

In this section, the host asks the guest if he ever considers doing a romantic comedy and offers himself as an actor for such a script.

Doing a Romantic Comedy

• The host asks if the guest ever just sits there and says maybe he'll just do a romantic comedy next.

• The host offers himself as an actor for any romantic comedy script that people listening might have.

Thank You to Guests and Crew

In this section, the host thanks their guests and crew for being on the show.

Thank You Message

• The host thanks their guest Whitmer for coming on the show to talk about "A Hidden Life".

• The host also thanks Matt Russell for mixing, mastering, and making the show sound so good.

• The producer Conor Crosby is thanked by name along with his website ignitionvisuals.com.

Social Media Platforms and Sponsors

In this section, listeners are encouraged to follow them on social media platforms while thanking their sponsors.

Social Media Platforms and Sponsors

• Listeners are encouraged to follow them on all social media platforms including YouTube page going strong Instagram Twitter Facebook.

• The sponsors Rule Boston Camera, Shutterstock, Hedge and Premium Beat are thanked for supporting the show.

Conclusion

In this section, the host concludes the show and announces their 200th episode.

Conclusion

• The host thanks everyone for listening and announces their 200th episode coming up next week.