6.1.2004

Interview with Steven Poster

We were very excited to have a chance to interview the Cinematographer for Donnie Darko, Steven Poster. He was the key ingredient behind the look and feel of the shots on Donnie Darko and his collaboration with Richard was essential in translating the script into the filmed masterpiece we all love. In addition to his talents on the set, Steven was also extremely generous in helping the production procure equipment that they never could have afforded otherwise. Steven, a past President of the American Society of Cinematographers, is an extremely well respected man in his field. His contributions to the film can't be overlooked.   — Number_5

R-K.net: How did you get hooked up with Richard to work on Donnie Darko? Had you read the script before you met Richard?

Steven: I was recommended to Richard by another cinematographer, who had been asked but wasn't available to shoot Darko. The reason I was interested in meeting Richard was because I had read the script. This was a unique look at the world, and I was interested in participating.

R-K.net: You have an extremely impressive history in film. What was it like working on an independent project like Darko with a first time director and some other young crew members? Did you sometimes feel like the veteran on the team, or did Richard and Sean McKittrick have a clear enough vision for you to feel at ease?

Steven: Actually, I approach every job as if it were completely different from any film I've previously photographed. It doesn't matter to me whether a director is a first-timer or a veteran. What is important is that the director must be able to tell me what story he or she wants to tell the audience. It is from this starting point that a project begins to take shape and defines what my working relationship and contribution will be to that project. One of my personal goals on this movie was to not feel like the veteran on the team, but to work more intuitively from the material. Richard rewarded me with a very clear vision of what he wanted to say.

R-K.net: The Deep End took home the Cinematography Award at Sundance in 2001. Many people think you should have won for Donnie Darko. How did you get the look for certain scenes in Donnie Darko (perhaps in non-industry terms for readers of this site)? Was there a certain film stock you decided on? Certain lenses? Any general themes as far as lighting and focus?

Steven: Thanks. I think I should have won, too. Just kidding. My impression is that Sundance is not in the habit of rewarding mainstream artists. Even though I was a bit disappointed I think that is probably for the best that Sundance takes that position. I also thought the photography on Deep End was very well done. However, how many people see that film at midnight in their local theaters? Or watch it over and over again on video? The choice of film stock, in this case, was not only an important stylistic decision, but a practical one, as well. I used a very high-speed motion picture film stock called Kodak 5289. It had just come on the market and I thought that it would be a good choice for this movie. In fact this was the first time it had been used this extensively on a motion picture. This film stock is rated at an exposure index of 800. This high-speed emulsion made shooting with anamorphic lenses a little more practical because of the light loss that occurs when you use these optics. My personal choice for film stocks always leans toward the higher speed emulsions because I like the texture of the grain and the contrast that these films usually deliver. I designed the lighting, again intuitively, based on the story. High school was not a very bright time in my life, so I had the sense that the direction of the light should be based on my personal emotional response.

R-K.net: How about the different camera effects? We see handheld shots during the school assembly, we see steadicam shots (during the "Head Over Heels" scene, for example), and there are many indoor and outdoor shots with a variety of lighting and focus variations. What led to the choices for some of these shooting strategies?

Steven: Once again, we must always remember that the story drives the visual statement. Having said that, and for all our planning, that scene in the auditorium was not intended to be done hand-held. We only had 2 1/2 days scheduled in the auditorium for all the work there. Because of this limitation, we designed the scenes to be shot with two cameras. The only other scene in the movie that we could afford to do this on was the night scene at Grandma Death's. When we were ready to begin the last scene in the auditorium, we were running out of time. I had asked Richard if we could simplify the scene in order to make our schedule. His brilliant alternative was, let's do the entire scene hand-held with two cameras. Not only were we able to finish on schedule, it was the absolute right choice for the scene.

R-K.net: What sort of challenges were you faced with because of the budget? You mentioned some of the techniques you used shooting the scene in the hallway of the school on the Anatomy of a Scene special on the Sundance Channel. How about shooting the Sparkle Motion scene, or maybe the nighttime scene outside of Grandma Death's house? Were you forced to get creative because you didn't have a huge amount of money to throw at any problem?

Steven: I hope no one ever has to force me to be creative.

The nighttime scene at Grandma Death's was a particular challenge. We had to complete all of it - including the fight, the car stunt and the gunshot - from sundown to sun up in one short night. This is a time you learn again that it's always better to shoot night scenes during the winter and day scenes during the summer. However, we shot this movie during the summer.

We had a very short time in which to accomplish all that action. Richard and I blocked the scene as carefully as possible, and with as few shots as necessary to tell the story. I believe we counted 34 setups to finish the night. It was almost done in a kind of shorthand.

Once again, we made the choice to shoot all this action with two cameras, hand held, which gave the scene a kind of unnerving energy that you always hope for in this kind of story-telling.

I knew that I had to prepare a lighting plan that would allow us to shoot the entire scene with very little adjustment. When we looked at the location while blocking I determined that we would need a 280-degree field of view. To do this with out having to change much (other than some bounce fill light which could be moved around quickly) we designed a very broad and soft source of cool overhead light that consisted of lamps hung over a 40' square frame with diffusion on it. This frame and the lights were suspended overhead with a small construction crane and a high lift called a condor.

The background had large lights spread all around the periphery, which gave us our depth. These had to be placed carefully to make sure they would be hidden from our camera view. The last thing we did was to light the shape of the house. The lighting design was quite complex. But it did allow us to move very quickly all through the scene.

But here is a salute to Richard's brilliance: When we were finally finished and first light was visible in the eastern sky the cameras and equipment were being wrapped. Richard grabbed my arm and said that he realized that we needed a last wide shot of Grandma Death walking back to the house. I knew that we had only moments to accomplish this. So I called to my crew (actually yelled to them) "bring me a camera with a wide lens." I got it within seconds and threw it on the ground with a sandbag while Richard organized the actors. We rolled and got the perfect first take, as the producers were standing over us ready to pull the plug. It's a brilliant end to the scene which Richard and I were able to improvise because we knew we had everything else in the can. And Richard had the sense of what the scene was telling the audience with every shot.

R-K.net: It has been mentioned many times that you called in years worth of favors in order to secure equipment that never would have fit in the budget. Do you find it satisfying to know that your generosity helped get a young director like Richard and a producer like Sean their first film under their belts? How do you feel about the cult status the movie has reached (to the point of getting director's cut treatment and a second theatrical release)?

Steven: My normal operating procedure is to get as much value on the screen as possible. If that means asking for help in unusual ways I do it. Everybody that I work with and all of the companies that supply equipment and services knows that I do everything I can do to get compensation for them whenever possible. This business is a two way street.

Having said that I probably went about as far as I could go to get what we needed to make Darko what it was. I did it because I loved the script and I believed in Richard.

I’m very happy that the movie achieved cult status. I’m thrilled that it is getting a second chance because I always thought that Darko never got what it deserved in the first place.

R-K.net: It sounds like you will be involved in many of Richard's future projects (Southland Tales, perhaps Knowing). I guess it safe to assume you two have a great working relationship. Is it a different feeling working on movies such as these compared to big budget studio films like Daddy Day Care and Stuart Little 2?

Steven: I feel partnered with Richard. I think we work on an exciting creative as well as practical level. We support each other’s ideas and we both believe in putting it all on the screen with no waste. We both think fast and we seem to compliment each other’s ways of working.

Stuart Little 2 was a great technical achievement that I was very proud to have worked on. Daddy Day Care was formula that worked and was terrific kids entertainment. Darko was an exciting ride every step of the way.

R-K.net: Are there any important lessons you feel you've learned working for such visually accomplished directors such as Ridley Scott (Blade Runner) and M. Night Shyamalan (Unbreakable)?

Steven: I’ve been very fortunate to work with some terrific directors. The best of them are truly collaborators. Richard fits that description perfectly.

R-K.net: It was great to talk with you Steven. We are very impressed by your understanding of your craft, as well as your willingness to go the extra mile to help out on a project like Donnie Darko. As Richard moves on to work on his future projects, I'm sure you will be one of the first people he enlists for help. Thanks again for helping us with this interview. We can't wait to see what you guys come up with next.