CINEMATOGRAPHERS

Judy Laster

GORDON WILLIS

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

By Judy Laster

Gordon Willis, Director of Photography on 32 feature films, spent his career as a visual artist who used the tools of his trade to craft some of the most important and lasting films of our time, notably, THE GODFATHER I and II, MANHATTAN, ANNIE HALL and KLUTE. With each film, Gordon gave form and shape to the director’s vision through his deep understanding of the palate of options that could be used to breathe life into the words on a page. He approached each project from a methodical perspective, making sure that once on set, anything he might need would be at hand and that he would be able to adapt easily to the variety of situations that were bound to influence the shoot. Perhaps the most important thing that Gordon Willis understood and applied to his shooting style was the concept of removing sources of light to create the visual representation on film. Gordon’s ability to transpose words into vision made him one of the most important cinematographers in modern times.

Gordon Willis leads a “Masters Class” for Filmmakers at The Woods Hole Film Festival in 2003. It’s clear he is giving back to his community. Photo by Alex Rapp.

I recently got together with Gordon at his Cape Cod residence, where we discussed his approach to filmmaking and some of his thoughts about the influence of technology on the decisions that people make today when they shoot a film. Although retired, Gordon’s clarity of purpose and style remain fresh and his conceptual framework is relevant to anyone interested in the craft of filmmaking.

He is often asked to explain how to make a film and how he was able to make the films that he worked on. According to Gordon, “Making a movie is a very dicey operation, one that is hard to explain and if you tried to explain it to people they would say it couldn’t be done. Although there is a formula for the structure of how to function during a shooting day, there is no formula for style. I can explain the mechanics of what is used, but I can’t explain how to do it.”

When Gordon shoots a film, he initially spends a lot of time determining which cameras and lenses he will need for the shoot. He believes firmly that planning and preparation up front will produce a better product later and will provide the Director and the Director of Photography with the ability to respond during a shoot to the ideas and changes that inevitably happen. 

He sees a problem in some of the productions today in that they don’t take enough time up front to work through the film and go into a project fully prepared. Especially troubling is a situation in which the Director does what Gordon refers to as “dump truck directing” where they shoot everything, long shots, medium shots, wide shots, with the idea that they will make the final movie through editing. “It is better to have the story straight before you start, and have a clear idea of the story structure and what the actors are going to do. After the fact, fixing it in post shows that the director did not understand the story structure or have a command of the actors,” says Willis.

He goes on to discuss the importance of the working relationship between the Director, the DP, the editor and the crew. States Willis, “The hallmark of a good relationship between a Director and a Director of Photography is like a marriage in many ways with no real formula. They have to get along and have a certain amount of respect for each other and the Director finally has to say yes or no. A good relationship is one of give and take. The Director will give you an idea of what is to be accomplished and let the DP figure out what it takes to make it happen. In terms of the role of the Director transposing a shot from a page or an idea onto film is not something you can learn. You either have the ability to think visually or you don’t. Many Directors do have the ability to transpose a shot, but many don’t, and it’s becoming rarer. In fact it’s becoming rare for many DP’s to know what a shot is going to look like ultimately.

Gordon is adamant that technological advances, while important, are not a substitute for understanding how the process works or knowing how to put a film together.  “Technology does not replace thinking – it makes certain things more complicated and certain things easier. It’s how you apply something that is important. Movies today lack definition and lack vision. If they took more time before they started, they would have a better product. It’s not necessary for a Director to understand all of the technical aspects of filmmaking, but a Director should be able to define an idea. He must understand what it is he wants to accomplish. A good Director will make sure that everyone on the set is there because they know what they are doing and can accomplish their task.”

I asked him to reflect upon whether he knew that the films he was working on were going to be good and end up as classics as they were being shot. “When we were making ANNIE HALL, I knew it was going to be good. THE GODFATHER, on the other hand, was a very difficult film to make, just one problem after the next, but the result ended up being quite different. With THE GODFATHER II, the shoot lasted an entire year – and was one of the most difficult films I made. The result though, was that we had everything we needed on the screen. The best thing to do is just keep your eye on the ball. Also, with a film, many people have to accept it as good, something over which you have no control.” 

With any project, Gordon’s philosophy was to give it his best shot and walk away. For him, it was important to have a good crew who were as smart and involved as possible. Although he understood the necessity of compromising, he also knew that there were times when he needed to be as exacting as possible. “Ultimately,” says Gordon, “you have to keep your eye on the ball. Do your best and make the best decisions you know how. Don’t mindlessly compromise. But, it’s a very expensive business and there are times you have a compromise just to get it finished – it’s knowing when to compromise and what to compromise on. Although I was exacting, I was never sloppy. They knew they could rely on me to make a very good movie and in turn, I was very lucky because I worked with some very good people.”

His cautionary words to this generation of filmmakers are although digital filmmaking is great and there were times that he wished he could have had it, it’s important to remember it’s a tool. The problem is when people start designing scenes and films around a certain piece of equipment. Economics and technology are no substitute for thinking.

Judy Laster is the Festival Director of the Woods Hole Film Festival and is herself a filmmaker. She is frequent contributor to IMAGINE on music, independent film and filmmakers who live on the Cape.