American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 57

strong, blue backlight for night exteriors until, after a few films, I asked
myself why I was doing that, because I
didn't even like it. On one film, the
production designer built some
catwalks, and the gaffer said we could
put various lights up there. I went
along with it, but then in the dailies I
had this horrendous toplighting that
looked 30 years out of date. The point
is that things can just happen by
themselves; you need a clear vision to
know what you want and how to stop
the machine. It takes a few years and a
few films to be able to say, 'No, that is
not what I want. I want it this way.'"

"You need a
clear vision to
know what you
want and how to
stop the machine."

Top: Serra poses
with one of
man's best
friends. Middle:
Serra with his
friend Patrice
Leconte on the
set of The
Hairdresser's
Husband (1990).
Bottom: Serra
(bottom right)
holds his award
for Outstanding
Photographic
Achievement,
presented by
Eastman Kodak,
for his work on
The Wings of the
Dove (1997).

Early on, he formed a special
connection with director Patrice
Leconte, and the two have worked
together many times throughout their
careers. "Patrice and I share an
emotional relationship with light,"
says Serra. "He is as fast as he is
precise; he lays down the rules for a
film from the beginning and doesn't
change them. At the start of The
Hairdresser's Husband [1990], he told
me, 'South of France, summer, all the
light is coming from the window,'
adding that he wanted to catch the
moment 'just before perspiration
begins to appear on the skin.' On The
Widow of Saint Pierre [2000], I knew a
few basic things: it had to be cold, with
light coming from one direction; I had
to avoid blue skies and postcard views;
and I had to have a bit more contrast
than usual. With Patrice, [the visual
www.theasc.com

February 2014

57



http://www.theasc.com

American Cinematographer - February 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - February 2014

Table of Contents
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - Cover1
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - Cover2
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 1
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 2
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - Table of Contents
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 4
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 5
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 6
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 7
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 8
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 9
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 10
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 11
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 12
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 13
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 14
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 15
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 16
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 17
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 18
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 19
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 20
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 21
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 22
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 23
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 24
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 25
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 26
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 27
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 28
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 29
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 30
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 31
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 32
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 33
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 34
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 35
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 36
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 37
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 38
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 39
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 40
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 41
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 42
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 43
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 44
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 45
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 46
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 47
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 48
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 49
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 50
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 51
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 52
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 53
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 54
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 55
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 56
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 57
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 58
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 59
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 60
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 61
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 62
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 63
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 64
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 65
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 66
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 67
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 68
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 69
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 70
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 71
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 72
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 73
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 74
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 75
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 76
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 77
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 78
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 79
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 80
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 81
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 82
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 83
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 84
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 85
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 86
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American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 88
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 89
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 90
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 91
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - 92
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - Cover3
American Cinematographer - February 2014 - Cover4
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