American Cinematographer - June 2015 - 20

Production Slate

A Blues-Infused Biopic
By Iain Stasukevich

The silvery-blue stage lights rise on Bessie, and we find
ourselves face to face with the eponymous blues singer in the throes
of performance, her face awash with perspiration as she stands
before an enraptured audience. Directed by Dee Rees and
photographed by Jeffrey Jur, ASC, the HBO telefilm charts the storied
career and inner struggles of the "Empress of the Blues," Bessie
Smith (portrayed by Queen Latifah). "Our idea was to contrast the
public Bessie - glamorous and shiny, with a big, raw voice - with
her difficult internal life, and [illustrate] how those difficulties traveled
through her music," says Jur. "This is why Bessie was so popular with
regular folk: She sang about real things from an authentic, emotional
place."
Rees selected Jur based on his work on Carnivàle, another
period project for HBO. That series was shot on film, but for Bessie
- which begins in 1913 and concludes in the 1930s - Jur chose to
work with the Arri Alexa Classic, capturing HD ProRes 4:4:4:4 to
Sony 64GB SxS Pro cards. "I felt the Alexa would best capture all the
color and tonalities I knew we would encounter, particularly the highcontrast theatrical environments, with dark, smoky backstage areas
and bright spotlights on stage," the cinematographer comments. "I
love how this camera rolls into the highlights and reaches down into
the shadows in a natural way while still retaining character in the
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June 2015

exposure." The two-camera package was obtained from Panavision
Atlanta, along with a set of Primo primes, Primo 19-90mm T2.8 and
24-275mm T2.8 zooms, and Panavision Flare lenses.
Much of Smith's story is told in flashback, and the filmmakers
strove to avoid an overly removed and reverent portrayal. "We
wanted Bessie to feel alive and full of energy," Jur remarks. Indeed,
the image seems to shimmer with energy whenever Latifah is oncamera. Jur applied a range of Schneider Optics' Classic Soft filters
for close-ups, and for Smith's childhood memories of her mother, Jur
hit the Flare Lenses with ellipsoidal backlights, imbuing the distant
moment with a vibrant immediacy.
"Bessie was a bold character, and we shouldn't be timid in
how we approach her world," the cinematographer remarks. As an
example, he points to the relationship between Smith and her
mentor, the "Mother of the Blues," Ma Rainey (Mo'Nique). "Dee
and I designed a color palette differentiating these two titans of the
stage," Jur explains. "Ma often performed in a dress made of gold
coins, so we took that as a color cue, bathing her in a golden spotlight." The effect was enhanced with Roscolux 2003 Storaro Yellow
gel. To establish Smith's stage presence, Jur sought the aforementioned silvery-blue glow, with gaffer Dan Cornwall applying HMI
spotlights with 1⁄2 CTO while the camera's color temperature was set
to 3,200K.
When Latifah was on stage, Jur placed handheld cameras in
the audience to convey the energy of her connection with the

American Cinematographer

Unit photography by Frank Masi, SMPSP, courtesy of HBO.

The HBO telefilm
Bessie, starring
Queen Latifah,
brings "Empress
of the Blues"
Bessie Smith's
career and inner
struggles to
the screen.

American Cinematographer - June 2015

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