American Cinematographer - June 2020 - 88

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Markus Förderer, ASC, BVK
What has been your most satisfying
moment on a project?
Every time I watch a finished movie on the
big screen and realize it all worked out and
became something greater than the sum of
its parts.

Which cinematographers, past or present,
do you most admire?
Darius Khondji, ASC, AFC; Harris Savides,
ASC; Conrad Hall, ASC; Greig Fraser, ASC,
ACS; and many more.

What sparked your interest in photography?
As a teenager, I taught myself how to use
Photoshop. When I couldn't find high-quality pictures online, I
bought my first digital camera and set up a studio in my parents'
basement to experiment with lighting and photography.

Where did you train and/or study?
I moved to Munich to become a trainee in the camera-rental
department at Arri headquarters. After that, I studied at the
University of Television and Film Munich, where I learned that
there is no single way to make a movie.

Who were your early teachers or mentors?
Michael Ballhaus, ASC, BVK was a unique personality, and he
taught me how important it is for a cinematographer to create a
safe space on set for the actors and keep the technical part as
invisible as possible. I admire Jost Vacano, ASC, BVK for his brilliant camera moves and the energy he brought to all his projects.

What are some of your key artistic influences?
I had a strong fascination with magic when I was young. Watching
David Copperfield on TV got me into this field. I soon realized how
similar the mechanism behind magical arts was to filmmaking,
which, at its core, is an illusion. Having the mindset of a magician
has often helped me to visually direct the viewer's attention
within a frame and, much more important, over the course of a
sequence of images.

How did you get your first break in the business?
I was very fortunate to meet director Tim Fehlbaum during my
time in film school. We hit it off right away, and our first collaboration, Hell, won me many awards. Roland Emmerich became
aware of my work, and he put a lot of trust in me when he hired
me to shoot a film for a major studio at age 30.

June 2020

Have you made any memorable blunders?
After months of planning how to light a
large day-exterior scene on a very large
stage, I was anxious to find out if it would
work. We flipped on the lights, I looked
through the camera, and it looked very
convincing. Everyone on the crew congratulated me for how real it looked. But then
the director came up to me, clearly
unhappy, and said, 'I don't want it to look
real; I want it to look special!' A valuable lesson.

What is the best professional advice you've ever received?
Andrzej Mellin: 'Stop thinking and start feeling.' Always be open
and ready to react to what happens in front of the camera -
don't blindly follow a concept.

What recent books, films or artworks have inspired you?
The light installation Latent Being by Refik Anadol, exhibited in a
former power plant in Berlin. Also, the Feuerle Collection in
Berlin recently displayed a unique collection of Asian art inside a
former World War II bunker; the contrast of the artifacts' beautiful lighting with the nature of that space was inspirational.

Do you have any favorite genres or genres you would like to
try?
I'm drawn to everything with a high concept behind it, whatever
the genre.
If you weren't a cinematographer, what might you be doing
instead?
I can't imagine doing anything else.
Which ASC cinematographers recommended you for membership?
Bill Bennett, Christopher Probst, Curtis Clark and Steven Fierberg.

How has ASC membership impacted your life and career?
The ASC represents a long history of camaraderie among cinematographers with a vast wealth of knowledge. I feel deeply
honored to have been invited to join this group of unique artists.

American Cinematographer - 100 Years

Photo by Julie Shalekenova.

When you were a child, what film made
the strongest impression on you?
2001: A Space Odyssey, for the timeless
visual storytelling; Alien and Seven, for the
moody world-building; and Independence
Day, for telling a story in a grand, entertaining yet cinematic way.

American Cinematographer - June 2020

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