American Cinematographer - June 2010 - 64

The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights follows indie-rock icons on a unique tour of Canada.
By Iain Stasukevich •|•

Painting Towns
“R

ock documentaries are easy to make,” says director Emmett Malloy. “Put 10 video cameras onstage and get some talking backstage.” But Malloy, an experienced music-video director, recognized that The White Stripes’ first tour of Canada presented an opportunity to do something different. The result is The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights, a compelling twist on the “rockumentary” format that offers dynamic performance footage shot at both standard concert halls and smaller, eccentric venues boasting lots of local flavor. While directing the video for the band’s song “Icky Thump” in 2007, Malloy spent some time between setups with front man Jack White, who confided that the itinerary for the duo’s first Canadian tour, which would celebrate their 10th anniversary, was filled with secret shows and stops in remote locations. Malloy was intrigued and urged White to consider filming the tour. “Jack liked the idea,” says Malloy, “so we formed a small crew and hit the road with them — but not with the intent of making a film. In our minds, we were documenting a moment, and that allowed everyone to just let things be. Nobody was overthinking it. There was no deadline and no pressure. We weren’t sure how the footage would be used.” The crew comprised Malloy, director of photography
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Giles Dunning, camera operator/editor Tim Wheeler, camera assistants Hassan Abdul-wahid and Jeremiah Pittman (who doubled as a sound recordist) and producer Mike Sarkissian. (Camera assistant Vincent Foeillet took Hassan’s position during the second leg of filming.) “Working with musicians is a very visceral experience because you’re reacting to something live,” notes Dunning, who has shot concerts for such acts as David Bowie, The Rolling Stones and Ben Harper. The White Stripes’ process was especially spontaneous. With little more than an inkling of what town they’d land in next, the filmmakers spent their two weeks on the tour racing to keep up with White and his bandmate and former wife, drummer/vocalist Meg White. Dunning recalls, “We shot all of the most unique cities on the tour, ending at their last date, which was their 10th anniversary show. They were doing two shows a day, a matinee and a showcase. We’d fly overnight from one town to the next, maybe get two hours of sleep on the way, go out with cameras and start scouting the towns, then go to the main venue and check out the lighting conditions.” After filming the show, they’d jump back on the plane and do it all over again. Jack White’s boundless energy and focus quickly set the bar for the filmmakers, according to the cinematographer. “The first day of our first stop, in Whitehorse, we got up early

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American Cinematographer - June 2010

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