American Cinematographer - March 2022 - 10

Shot Craft By Jay Holben
ASC Members and Mentors
Society members Shana Hagan (right)
and Steve Gainer with Hagan's mentee,
Rachel Bardin, at the ASC Clubhouse for
the Documentary Master Class shoot.
One of the most time-honored
traditions in the motion-picture industry
is that of veteran filmmakers
mentoring the next generation. The
American Society of Cinematographers
was founded with the dual
purpose of advancing the art and
science of cinematography and
bringing cinematographers together
to exchange ideas and techniques.
ASC members have a long history
of mentoring burgeoning artists and
students, and those relationships
are still thriving today.
To get a better understanding
of these symbiotic and synergistic
pairings, this installment of Shot
Craft features conversations with
some of the ASC's newest members
about their mentors and how they
pay it forward.
Share Your Knowledge, and Keep
Learning
Shana Hagan, ASC's documentary
work includes the Academy
10 / MARCH 2022
Award-winning Breathing Lessons:
The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien;
the Academy Award-nominated
Walk Run Cha-Cha; and 19
Sundance Film Festival selections,
including Generation Wealth, The
Queen of Versailles, Taylor Swift:
Miss Americana and Shakespeare
Behind Bars. She's also served as
cinematographer on Somebody
Somewhere for HBO, and on Fox's
upcoming Welcome to Flatch.
" I always called Allen Daviau,
ASC my unofficial mentor because
we were never part of any formal
mentorship program. Allen loved
talking about his craft. He wanted
to help the next generation of
filmmakers, and he was eager and
open to sharing any and all of his
knowledge with pretty much anyone
who asked. When I asked, he gave
me his phone number, told me to
call him anytime, and encouraged
me to ask him anything I wanted to
know.
" One of the first things I asked
about was his incredible lighting. He
taught me the meaning and value of
justified, motivated sources. I loved
his approach to naturalistic lighting,
and I literally use his advice anytime
I'm lighting a scene. I ask myself,
'Where is the logical light source?'
Keeping the lighting grounded and
realistic felt right to me and aligned
with my own aesthetic.
" Allen was so encouraging and
genuinely interested in my success
over the years. That is something
that will always stay with me. He
believed in me even when I didn't
believe in myself. He taught me that
being a good human is as important
as any cinematography skills you
may learn along the way.
" Now that I am an ASC member
and I have a mentee of my own
[through the ASC Vision Mentorship
Program], I try to emulate what
Allen taught me about mentoring:
Be accessible, be an open book,
and be honest and truthful about
your own experiences in order to
help your mentee find their own
path. Essentially, the 'call me anytime'
approach.
" I met my mentee, Rachel Bardin,
last year. When I was about to do
the lighting and handheld cinema-vérité
demos [while teaching]
the ASC's first-ever Documentary
Master Class [held online due to
Covid restrictions], I asked if she'd
be part of that shoot. Rachel gladly
agreed, and we worked together
" Be accessible, be an open book, and be honest
and truthful about your own experiences in
order to help your mentee find their own path. "
PHOTO BY ALEX LOPEZ, COURTESY OF THE ASC.
American Cinematographer - March 2022

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