American Cinematographer - September 2013 - K6

The last time director Lee Daniels and cinematographer
Andrew Dunn, BSC teamed up was on the fi lm Precious, which
earned six ACADEMY AWARD® nominations, including one
for best picture. “That fi lm was special, and it meant a lot to
people,” recalls Dunn. “It changed some lives.”
The duo’s latest collaboration is the extraordinary story
of Cecil Gaines, who served eight presidents as the head
butler of the White House from 1952 to 1986. The film
begins in the cotton fields of Gaines’ youth and reaches a
climax when Gaines returns to the White House at age 92
to meet an African-American president. Forest Whitaker
plays the title role.
“The epic nature of this story
intrigued me,” says Dunn. “I knew
Lee would give it a very distinct
and special twist.”
For a story that unfolds over
85 years, with many fl ashbacks
and fl ash-forwards, Dunn and
Daniels considered differentiating
time periods using photographic
techniques. But they decided
against overt, self-conscious cues,
and instead allowed the production design to subtly indicate
the various eras. For instance, the scenes at the White House,
which were fi lmed at Second Line Stages in New Orleans, were
more formally shot and lit.
“The actors have a different look naturally, because of their
costumes, the locations, and what they’re doing,” says Dunn.
“The camerawork is in tune with that. So in a way, the story as
we shot it drove the look.”
The fi lmmakers chose to frame Lee Daniels’ The Butler in a
1.85:1 aspect ratio, maximizing the negative in 3-perf format.
Dunn says that there was no question that fi lm was the right
choice for this story.
“Lee came to the project with
a great heart and soul,” notes
Dunn. “I fed off of that. I could
feel what he wanted, and I knew
that the texture and feeling
of fi lm was essential to telling
this story. And because of the
historical nature of the material,
we didn’t even question it. 3-perf
is also a good format because you
get a lot of negative for your buck.”

American Cinematographer - September 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - September 2013

Contents
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - Cover1
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - Cover2
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 1
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 2
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - Contents
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 4
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 5
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 6
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 7
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 8
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 9
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American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 11
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American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 13
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 14
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American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 18
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American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 26
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 27
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 28
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 29
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 30
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American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 33
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American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 35
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 36
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 37
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 38
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 39
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 40
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - K1
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - K2
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - K3
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - K4
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - K5
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - K6
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - K7
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - K8
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - K9
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - K10
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - K11
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - K12
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 41
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 42
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 43
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 44
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 45
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 46
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 47
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 48
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 49
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 50
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American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 53
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American Cinematographer - September 2013 - Cover3
American Cinematographer - September 2013 - Cover4
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