American Cinematographer - October 2013 - 100

Steve Gainer, ASC

When you were a child, what film made the strongest impression on you?
Song of the South (1946). When I was 6, I saw this projected in the
Alabama Theatre in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. Gregg
Toland’s [ASC] spectacular color cinematography started the ball
rolling.

What has been your most satisfying moment on a project?
Recently, while shooting the feature Shreveport, director Ryan
Phillippe and I were 80 feet up in a Condor. Even though I despise
heights, a moment of serenity came over me as I witnessed the most
astonishingly beautiful composition of my career.
Have you made any memorable blunders?
While still an assistant, I coned
a roll in the bag in the hot
desert sun. The first AC, Brian
Sweeney, took one look at the
sweat pouring down my face
and said, ‘Oh, no!’

Which cinematographers,
past or present, do you
most admire, and why?
Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC is
my all-time favorite. His work
is beyond compare. Early on, I
asked him how he lit a [particular] scene, and he said, ‘Go
back and look. You can see
the light.’ I thought he was
being mystical — remember, I
worshiped him — but then I
watched again, and he was
right: I could see the lighting
unit reflected in a table!

What is the best professional advice you’ve ever
received?
Always let the people you’re
working with know if you are
unsure about something. It’s
much better than explaining
why a mistake was made.

What sparked your interest in photography?
I was a professional musician out of school, and between bouts of
starvation I would shoot stills as a pastime.
Where did you train and/or study?
I never attended film school or had any formal instruction. I ran the
lab at the Paramount Pictures Camera Dept., and to get the film
machines clean, I would run a few test rolls every day. That gave me
an opportunity to shoot film every single day and learn. How lucky
can a guy be?
Who were your early teachers or mentors?
One day at Paramount, Barry Sonnenfeld called me to his trailer. He
was sitting on the porch, smoking a stogie. He said, ‘So, I hear you
want to be a cinematographer. Got some advice for you: just overexpose, and you’ll be fine!’ You know what? He was right! (Not so
much for HD, though.)
What are some of your key artistic influences?
Vittorio Storaro, ASC, AIC suggested many years ago that I study
Caravaggio and La Tour. I also have an affinity for Van Gogh, especially his later works.

What recent books, films or artworks have inspired you?
Films: The Skin I Live In, Melancholia and Skyfall.
Do you have any favorite genres, or genres you would like to
try?
I would love to shoot a Woody Allen picture. That would be nirvana.
If you weren’t a cinematographer, what might you be doing
instead?
I would probably still be a starving guitarist.
Which ASC cinematographers recommended you for
membership?
Roy Wagner, Victor J. Kemper, Isidore Mankofsky and Sol Negrin.
How has ASC membership impacted your life and career?
Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure this is not all a
dream. It has definitely made me focus on the art form and no
longer take any job for granted, as I now represent something far
greater than just my own career. What a blessing!
●

How did you get your first break in the business?
I literally walked onto the lot at Paramount, waved at the guard like
I belonged there, and walked to the camera department!

100

October 2013

American Cinematographer

Photo by Sam Urdank.

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American Cinematographer - October 2013

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