American Cinematographer - May 2016 - 96

David Klein, ASC

When you were a child, what film made the strongest impression
on you?
My father took me to the drive-in to see Blade Runner when I was 12. I
was blown away. That movie, against a fading skyline, changed everything.

What has been your most satisfying moment on a project?
When I started Homeland, I sat with Claire Danes to talk about her
relationship with cinematographers. She said, 'I have no idea how you
guys do what you do, but I really appreciate it when you're good at it.
You can light me however you'd like.'

Which cinematographers, past or present, do you most admire?
Conrad Hall, ASC. His lighting was the first I responded to, before I had
the language for my experience. Every frame seemed original. He never
stopped studying the way our world is lit, and the
way it can shift. Everything he shot is a gift.

Have you made any memorable blunders?
Don't get me started.
What is the best professional advice you've
ever received?
Never give up.

What sparked your interest in photography?
My dad. He lugged a 35mm SLR and lenses in an
aluminum case that, to me, was full of a mystery I
wanted to solve. He was the first photographer I
admired. My grandfather was no slouch as a cinematographer either, but I only found this out
decades later when I transferred 9,000 feet of his
Kodak negative and reversal from the 1940s, Fifties
and Sixties. He also gave me my first Bolex, after
high school. They were not professional cameramen, but they put me on my path.

What recent books, films or artworks have
inspired you?
There's an unpublished manuscript called 37
Winters making the rounds, written by J. Reuben
Appelman. It's a true-crime story, but it's also a
memoir about the author's obsession with cracking an abduction-murder case from the 1970s.
Although it's a book, it's visually stunning. It's
what I would direct if given the opportunity.

Where did you train and/or study?
I barely trained or studied, but at the Vancouver Film School I met Kevin
Smith and Scott Mosier. We made our first three films together, after
which the adults at the studios cut me out. I was adrift, but I was forced
to shoot everything thrown at me for 10 years, fueled by hunger and a
need to gain experience and improve with each project. Those 10 years
of fighting mean everything, still.
Who were your early teachers or mentors?
I was thrown into the cinematographer's chair extremely early, so I
surrounded myself with savants to cover me. My most memorable hire
turned out to be a focus puller named Andy Graham, who's now an
operator - I'd told him how green I was, and he appreciated that. It's
important to be honest about your experience level. We've been friends
and colleagues ever since.
What are some of your key artistic influences?
Filmmakers. As a team, I admire David Fincher and Jeff Cronenweth,
ASC. Adam Arkapaw is doing amazing work. Rodrigo Prieto, ASC,
AMC; Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC; John Toll, ASC; Newton Thomas Sigel,
ASC. The list goes on, but I'm excited by what's unique.
How did you get your first break in the business?
I was living in Seattle after film school when Kevin Smith sent me the
script for Clerks. I borrowed a light meter and took the next flight to
Jersey.
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May 2016

Do you have any favorite genres, or genres you would like to
try?
I'm not focused on genre, but there are certainly worlds I'd like to
inhabit. There are movies that tell a story, and then there are movies
that expose you to a universe in the process - I'm focused on worlds
like that right now.
If you weren't a cinematographer, what might you be doing
instead?
Being Henry Rollins. Flaubert said something like, 'Be neat and orderly
in your life so that you can be violent and original in your art.' Rollins
epitomizes that. He's riskier than we're allowed to be on set; he's my
guidepost.
Which ASC cinematographers recommended you for membership?
M. David Mullen, Adam Kane, Steven Poster, Bill Butler.
How has ASC membership impacted your life and career?
It's opened doors, not the least of which was the door to the ASC
Clubhouse, where I was suddenly surrounded by cinematographers
I'd admired for years. It doesn't get any better than talking to Owen
Roizman about The French Connection and The Taking of Pelham One
Two Three, learning from members like that, who know so much
more than I do, and who are eager to share their knowledge, experience and artistry.
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American Cinematographer

Photo by Stephan Rabold, courtesy of Showtime.

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American Cinematographer - May 2016

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