American Cinematographer - February 2015 - 26

Director Xavier
Dolan (far left)
looks on as
cinematographer
André Turpin (in
hoodie) walks
through a
dramatic scene
with Dorval.

light gets softer. I really enjoy looking at a
subject and playing with the bounce size
from the Leko to control the softness of the
light. When I get the right quality, then we
just scrim the light to get the right intensity.
How did you light exteriors?
Turpin: We used some negative fill,
and often had guys running a 12-by-12 or
8-by-8 bounce. When actors come close to
camera, I may have guys with bounce cards
to fight the sun in the background.
Can you talk about the colors in
Mommy?
Turpin: We tested different gels to
create our bright, yellow 'California light.' I
wanted to avoid orange-yellow. My longtime gaffer, Denis Lamothe - who gives
me so much help - brought in [Lee #212]
Y1, which we mixed with CTS. The result
sometimes has a little green.
Xavier had an idea at one point to
use pink fill with a yellow key. So I tested
several gels for fill: peach, pink, magenta
and purple. We shot the dinner scene with
the three main characters, using colored fill
lights. I was surprised by how much of a
difference that makes. It creates a subtle
effect in the shadows; then, when you
come back to white fill, it looks like there's
a big bounce card there.
Also, when Xavier came to the DI [at
26

February 2015

Vision Globale with colorist Jérôme
Cloutier], he would often ask for more saturation and gamma. His vision is everywhere.
Can you talk about the scene
where the three of them sing and
dance at Die's house?
Turpin: That was a very difficult
scene for me. We were shooting three characters in this tiny kitchen with a Steadicam
going around them. Also, the kitchen had a
very low ceiling, and Xavier had added this
tall cabinet with a glass door that reflected
everything. The 1:1 saved me there!
How did you light it?
Turpin: I used all kinds of sources. I
had a little China ball above them, practicals
with lots of diffusion, a super-diffused [Kino
Flo] Celeb [400] LED following the
Steadicam for fill, and a Joker Leko bouncing light for the faces.
I was scared of how this scene would
come out, so when Xavier came to me and
said, 'I just saw the rushes,' I thought, 'Here
it comes.' And then he said, 'It's one of the
most beautiful scenes in the history of
cinema.' I just love it when he does that! I
wasn't sure I was going to like it, but at least
he liked it!
Pleasing a director is more important
than pleasing yourself. It doesn't really
matter if you agree or not aesthetically.
American Cinematographer

What matters is how he pushes you, how
he brings you to extremes. This is what I
really appreciate. I appreciate when a director asks for a shot that's impossible, and you
think, 'I can't do this shot.' But when he
really pushes you into his vision, then you
feel you plunge into a new world.
If you shoot with a director who
agrees about the way you light, the way
you move and place the camera, your
lenses and everything, there's something
very comfortable about that. But if you
don't agree and this guy pushes you, that is
where you feel like you're growing and
you're taking risks. Xavier Dolan really does
that to you.
For additional Mommy coverage,
visit www.theasc.com/asc_blog/thefilm
book.

TECHNICAL SPECS
1:1 and 1.85:1
3-perf Super 35mm
Arricam Lite; Arriflex 235, 435
Arri/Zeiss Master Primes
Kodak Vision3 500T 5219, 250D 5207;
Vision2 50D 5201
Digital Intermediate
●

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American Cinematographer - February 2015

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