American Cinematographer - April 2008 - 116

ASC CLOSE-UP Rodney Taylor, ASC When you were a child, what film made the strongest impression on you? I grew up in a small town on the coast of North Carolina, and I loved films. I used to have my parents drop me off at the theater for a double feature; the theater only had one screen, so I’d watch the same feature twice. I wasn’t really aware of cinematography until I saw Apocalypse have to settle for HD. I had a great crew, and we figured out that we could put the Imax camera on a Libra head on the back of a motorcycle Now while in college. Blade Runner also made a big impression. and then operate it wirelessly from a helicopter. We did some tests, and Which cinematographers, past or present, do you most admire? the director loved the shots and the producers spent the money to make There are far too many to name, but I appreciate ASC members Conrad it happen. Hall and Robert Elswit because of the emotion they bring to a scene with Have you made any memorable blunders? their camera. I also really admire their character. On Wildfire: Feel the Heat, I was using an early version of a sun-tracking device. We had designed a crane shot by a tall watchtower that would What sparked your interest in photography? Ever since I can remember, I’ve had cameras around me. In high school, require a platform so the Imax camera could reach the top. On the day I loved music and thought I might have a career as a recording engineer. we scouted, it was overcast, and I couldn’t confirm the device. The sun In college, during a television-production class, I looked into a viewfinder was shining on the shoot day. When I arrived, I realized I’d built the platform on the wrong side for the light. I came to find out that when I’d read for the first time and knew I had to shoot. the compass, I was on the tower, and the compass indicated north toward the middle of the tower, where the enormous amount of metal Where did you train and/or study? I began shooting live sports after college. After seven years, I made the created a lightning rod. We had to quickly rebuild the platform and ended transition to shooting film when a director I worked with asked me to up making a great shot. shoot a documentary. After that experience, I knew cinematography could be a lifelong learning experience. I moved to Los Angeles and What’s the best professional advice you’ve ever received? When Levie asked me to work with him at Corman’s, the pay was $50 a began working my way up through the ranks. day. Levie said, ‘They’re not paying for experience. Take the job and you’ll meet people.’ Who were your early teachers or mentors? Two cinematographers I learned a tremendous amount from are Mehran Salamati and Rogier Stoffers, NSC. Mehran introduced me to and taught What recent books, films or artworks have inspired you? me the Imax system, which I have used for many films. I shot second unit Recent additions to my collection of photography books are Sebastião for Rogier, and he always was and still is very generous with his knowl- Salgado’s Africa, Marcus Bleasdale’s One Hundred Years of Darkness and Larry Towell’s The Mennonites. I found the work of Roger Deakins, edge. ASC, BSC over the last year to be inspirational. I would also add the novel The Road, by Cormac McCarthy. What are some of your key artistic influences? Still photography is one of my greatest influences. Some of my favorite photographers are Koudelka, Eggleston, Ryan McGinley and Eugene Do you have any favorite genres, or genres you would like to try? Richards. I also like the work of director Krzysztof Kieslowski, especially I would like to shoot a black-and-white film. his collaboration with Slawomir Idziak, PSC on Three Colors: Blue. If you weren’t a cinematographer, what might you be doing instead? How did you get your first break in the business? When I moved to Los Angeles in 1988, I immediately called Levie Cinematography is the coolest job on the planet. Isaacks, ASC, whom I’d met at the Maine Photographic Workshops. He invited me to Roger Corman’s production company the next morning to Which ASC cinematographers recommended you for memberhelp him with some tests he was shooting. At the end of the day, he ship? hired me as a camera assistant. I couldn’t believe I had a job within a Levie Isaacks, Reed Smoot and Richard Crudo. day. How has ASC membership impacted your life and career? It’s humbling to be an ASC member. So many great cinematographers are What has been your most satisfying moment on a project? Swimmers will always be very special to me because it was my first members, and it’s amazing to see all of them enthusiastically sharing anamorphic film, and it’s about a family of fishermen, like my own family. their ideas. It reminds me of the skateboarders I filmed at the X Games. Another one is Wired to Win, an Imax film about the Tour de France. I While one guy was on the ramp, the others were at the top of the ramp, really wanted those shots from the motorcycles so we could put the cheering him on. The skateboarders didn’t care who won; they just audience right in the race. It was a huge challenge. The producers wanted to see the coolest trick. Cinematographers want to see who’s I initially thought it couldn’t be done with an Imax camera and that we’d going to shoot the coolest film. 116 April 2008 Photo by Matthew Skala.

American Cinematographer - April 2008

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