American Cinematographer - July 2008 - (Page 64)

Factory 30 Rock, shot by ˇ Vanja Cernjul, immerses viewers in the backstage lunacy of a network comedy show. by Jon Silberg Unit photography by Nicole Rivelli ˇ anja Cernjul had almost no background shooting episodic television when he became director of photography on the popular NBC comedy 30 Rock midway through last season. His experience shooting independent features had landed him a job shooting the pilot for Ugly Betty, and that gig led to 30 Rock. Accustomed to lighting locations as opposed to ˇ standing sets, Cernjul brought an approach to both projects that was welcomed by creatives who wanted their shows to avoid a traditional sitcom look. ˇ Cernjul graduated from the Academy of Dramatic Arts, Univeristy of Zagreb, in 1995, and earned an M.F.A. in film at New York University in 1998. “I was one of the few students at NYU focused on cinematography, and that worked out great for me,” he recalls. “I shot a lot and worked with some very talented students, and when they went on to Laugh V direct independent films, they asked me to shoot them.” Two such projects were I’ll Take You There, directed by the late Adrienne Shelly, and Rain, directed by Katherine Lindberg. His credits also include The Mudge Boy and Wristcutters: A Love Story. On 30 Rock, actress/writer/ producer Tina Fey presents a fictionalized and often bizarre take on the world she inhabited when she served as head writer on Saturday Night Live. Her character, Liz Lemon, contends with a loony group of collaborators, including nerdy writers; an insecure diva, Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski); a loose-cannon comic, Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan); and a crusty corporate executive, Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), who mentors the ditzy Lemon despite their different personalities. The look of the 30 Rock pilot, which was shot inside New York’s Rockefeller Plaza by Michael Trim, reflected the original tone of the writing: comedy rendered in a naturalistic style. When NBC picked up the series, sets were constructed across the East River at Silvercup Studios; these included the writers’ room, Lemon’s office, Donaghy’s office, cast dressing rooms, and a backstage area where viewers glimpse the production of the SNL-like show-within-the-show. To a great extent, these sets were lit from grids above the action, resulting in a look that was fairly typical for a sitcom. Soon, however, the series moved beyond that style as it ventured onto real locations and explored everstranger plotlines. The second season’s scripts delved deeper into Jordan’s chemically induced perceptions, and as fantasy elements were introduced, even the “real-life” scenes began taking on an increasingly surreal quality. By ˇ the time Cernjul joined the show, the producers wanted the visuals to keep pace with the oddball tone of the scripts, and show-runner/director 64 July 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - July 2008

American Cinematographer - July 2008 Contents Editor's Note Global Village: Torn from the Flag Short Takes: On a Tuesday Production Slate: Before the Rains WALL-E Batman Looms Larger A Not-So-Super Hero Spy vs. Spy Laugh Factory Post Focus: CineSynce Streamlines Dark Knight Effects New Products & Services International Marketplace Classified Ads Ad Index In Memoriam: Burton "Bud" Stone, Honorary ASC Clubhouse News ASC Close-Up: Bill Taylor

American Cinematographer - July 2008

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