American Cinematographer - March 2022 - 12

Shot Craft
Charlotte Bruus Christensen, ASC
and her mentor Brian Tufano, BSC.
" When someone
believes in you, even
just a brief comment
can hit you like a
tsunami because
it's said in the right
moment and the right
tone. "
that I am today. When someone
believes in you, even just a brief
comment can hit you like a tsunami
because it's said in the right moment
and the right tone. Sometimes
those comments are critical and
can hurt in that particular moment,
but you know that it is said to make
you better. Brian became the person
I could always call for advice.
Sometimes, I would make that call;
other times, just knowing that I had
someone to call made me trust my
intuition.
" Once, in the midst of shooting
my final project at school, I burst
into Brian's office, full of myself
with all my concerns, anxieties and
problems, and I furiously cried out
that I couldn't get the equipment I
wanted, the gaffer couldn't do [the
setup I wanted], and I was super
stressed! Brian turned around
in his squeaky old office chair,
looked at me and just said, 'You're
not stressed. Stress is when the
phone doesn't ring. Please stop
12 / MARCH 2022
whining and get out of here. Make
it happen.' He turned back to his
work, and said, 'Please make sure to
knock next time.'
" I left that room feeling so
embarrassed, and I have never put
myself in that complaining, whining
position ever again. When I feel that
way now, I have a solution before I
go to anyone's office. And I always
knock! "
Think Ahead, and Leave the Set
Last
Luo Pan, ASC, CNSC, a native of
Hubei province in central China,
studied cinematography at the Beijing
Film Academy. He then taught
cinematography at the Communication
University of China before
working as a still photographer for
Tibet Culture Magazine. His films
include Mr. Six, Youth, I Am Not
Madame Bovary and The Battle at
Lake Changjin.
" My mentor, Mr. Mu Deyuan,
who is the president of the Chinese
Society of Cinematographers, was
my teacher and the dean of the
Beijing Film Academy cinematography
department. I remember
two stories from when I worked as
camera operator with him, just after
I graduated.
" One day, while we were
shooting on location, a shot was to
follow two actors while they walked
shoulder-to-shoulder and talked.
The lens was 85mm, and I just
tried to keep both of them in the
frame. Everything was rehearsed
beforehand, and I didn't think there
would be any problem. Suddenly,
one actor left and walked toward
another direction. I lost him and
quickly panned the camera trying
to follow him, and then panned
back to the other actor, who I then
realized was still speaking dialogue.
The director angrily shouted, 'Cut!'
Mr. Mu, as the DP of this film, came
up to me and said, 'Remember that
you must always be ready for any
possibilities. You have to think of
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLOTTE BRUUS CHRISTENSEN, ASC.
American Cinematographer - March 2022

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