American Cinematographer - February 2021 - 45

Opposite page: Backlight provides a melancholic ambience. This page,
top: Mank (Gary Oldman) has a friendly reunion with actor Marion Davies
(Amanda Seyfried). Right: Erik Messerschmidt, ASC on set.

" I think cinematographers are often
over-credited for the way a movie looks, and
under-credited for the way the story is told. "
arbitration - that's never been of interest to me, " Fincher told AC during
a 90-minute Zoom interview that included Mank cinematographer Erik
Messerschmidt, ASC. " What was interesting to me was that it's [essentially] Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead - here's a guy in the wings,
and it's his experience of this situation. What I found fascinating about
Mankiewicz was [that] 30 percent of his output as a professional screenwriter in Hollywood was uncredited. And for one brief, shining moment
- on a movie he did when he was old enough to sign a contract and
understand the terms expressly - he said, 'No, no, no - I don't want
this one to get away.' "
The following Q&A is excerpted from the magazine's conversation
with Fincher and Messerschmidt about the Netflix project.
AC: How would you describe your working dynamic together, and
the evolution of your creative relationship?
Fincher: What's great about Erik is that he's a leader and a concise
communicator. But he's also a flexible thinker - he's not somebody
who's proprietary. He assesses what's in front of him, and then he goes
to work.
Messerschmidt: I had seen Jeff [Cronenweth, ASC] work with David,
and I had witnessed that relationship work well. Prior to becoming a cinematographer, I was working as a gaffer, and part of that job description,

I think, is learning to assimilate and anticipate what people respond to
and how they see the world, and then doing your best to fill in the gaps
and figure out how you can be a supportive partner. I think that skill has
really helped me as a cinematographer. David has a very specific way of
seeing the world, and I think I see it in a very similar way, so it doesn't
take very long for me to understand what he is articulating.
Fincher: It's good to be concise, and we try to communicate in the
least amount of words, or in the least amount of time and the fewest
number of interactions.
There's a perception, David, that you're a perfectionist on set. How
would you address that notion?
Fincher: It's not about chasing perfection; we're trying to do the best
with what we have in front of us. In my way of thinking, let's take away
everything that doesn't work - from glitches and flares to bumps in the
track or an unnecessary head turn. Let's cleave all of that stuff away so
that we're just showing what we need people to see, and then move on.
Let's get rid of the distractions.
Do you still leave room for what ASC member Conrad L. Hall referred
to as " happy accidents " - embracing the unpredictable occurrence in
a creative way?
Fincher: Connie was a very wise man. Richard Edlund [ASC] says that,
too, and I think it's really true. Quite honestly, that's what we're trying to
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American Cinematographer - February 2021

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