American Cinematographer - November 2017 - 14

SHOT CRAFT

Communicating Is Collaborating
By Jay Holben

A cinematographer's skills are many and varied, but perhaps
the most important on a daily basis is the ability to clearly communicate. From telling the proper parties what equipment will be needed
where, when and why, to interpreting a director's vision and sharing
it with the camera, grip and electric departments - not to mention
collaborating across departments with the production designer,
costume designer and others - precise communication is a
keystone for a smooth-running production.
It's not only the cinematographer who has to be able to
communicate. Indeed, clear communication is required of everyone
on a crew. With that in mind, AC connected with two of a cinematographer's key collaborators - a camera operator and a visualeffects supervisor - to ask how they try to ensure a clear path of
communication, and what information they need to receive for a
productive collaboration.
The camera operator is a central member of a cinematographer's team, and communication between the director, cinematographer and operator must be clear and concise. Michael Stumpf has
been an A-camera and Steadicam operator in Los Angeles since
January 2000. In the years since, he's notched credits on features
such as Contraband, Olympus Has Fallen, Oblivion and Deepwater
Horizon, and series including Las Vegas, Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill
and ER. Along the way, he's worked with cinematographers like
Michael Fimognari and Oliver Stapleton, BSC, and ASC members
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November 2017

Michael Goi, David Stockton and Claudio Miranda. Stumpf recently
wrapped the features LBJ and Shock and Awe, both of which star
Woody Harrelson and were photographed by Barry Markowitz, ASC
and directed by Rob Reiner.
When he works with a cinematographer for the first time,
Stumpf says, "I often ask if they have a movie or two in mind that
they are trying to emulate, or that they'd like to use as a guide for
the show we are about to do. If they can say, 'I really loved the style
of such and such movie,' I will look at that movie and see what
they're looking for. If they don't have a specific movie in mind, then
I'll generally start bouncing ideas back and forth with the cinematographer and director to see what they like best and what works
for them, to get a better idea of where they're going with the
show."
Communication always has to be tailored to the particular
people involved. "In life there are people who are terrific at communicating - and there are people who aren't," Stumpf notes.
"Sometimes the most creative and artistic people aren't the best
communicators, which is fine. That opens the door for me to explore
their creativity.
"I've worked with cinematographers and directors who have
a great vision or idea in their head, but they don't tell me what it is
because they don't know how to communicate it very well," he
continues. "When this happens, the trick is to watch them even
more closely. You can't force someone to communicate something
that they might not know how to express or just don't feel comfortable saying. So let your eyes do the work. See where they place their

American Cinematographer

Photo by Cook Allender, courtesy of Michael Stumpf. Additional images courtesy of Jay Holben.

Camera operator
Michael Stumpf
is flanked by
director Rob
Reiner (left) and
cinematographer
Barry
Markowitz, ASC.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - November 2017