American Cinematographer - December 2016 - 104

Close-up

Checco Varese, ASC

When you were a child, what film made the strongest impression on you?
I was born and raised in Peru. My father took me to see The Magnificent Seven - that is the first memory of a movie theater that I have.
Which cinematographers, past or present, do you most
admire?
Dante Spinotti [ASC, AIC], Christopher Doyle [HKSC], Emmanuel
Lubezki [ASC, AMC] and Gabriel
Figueroa.
What sparked your interest in
photography?
I studied architecture in Italy, and
after graduating I returned to Peru,
only to find that it was very difficult
to have an opportunity in that field.
By chance one of my friends
needed a camera assistant for a
National Geographic documentary
in the Amazon jungle. I happened
to be in the right place at the right
time.

Have you made any memorable blunders?
Yes - yes, but, 'Senator, I don't recall.' Sorry!
What is the best professional advice you've ever received?
Wake up before everybody else; go to sleep after everybody else;
work more than you think you should.
What recent books, films or artworks have inspired you?
I often take inspiration from
photographers.
Sebastião
Salgado - I have no words to
describe his framing and sensibility.
Do you have any favorite
genres, or genres you would
like to try?
I'm intrigued by action movies. I
think there is a pirate movie
somewhere in my future, waiting
for me. Sandokan and the
Malaysian tigers are hiding in a
script in a drawer!

Where did you train and/or study?
I started as a camera assistant in documentaries, then a news
cameraman and war correspondent for several years. Finally I got an
opportunity and took a Steadicam workshop, and then I started
shooting second unit.
Who were your early teachers or mentors?
Guillermo Navarro, ASC, AMC took me as a Steadicam operator on
several of his movies.
What are some of your key artistic influences?
Probably the most important influence I had was my artistic education in Italy. Once you learn how to understand spatial volumes, color
and light in architecture, the transition to cinematography is a natural
progression. You don't build walls in architecture, you build spaces -
the same is true in cinematography.
How did you get your first break in the business?
One has many godfathers in several stages of one's career - too
many to mention.

If you weren't a cinematographer, what might you be doing
instead?
Surgeon for Doctors Without Borders.
Which ASC cinematographers recommended you for
membership?
Guillermo Navarro, Gabriel Beristain, Steven Poster, Antonio
Calvache.
How has ASC membership impacted your life and career?
The ASC has impacted me in many ways, and has opened the door
for me to share my experiences with colleagues in ways I would have
never expected. I have enjoyed the privilege of teaching two Master
Classes as a mentor, and a third in Puerto Rico where I am filming a
movie. I personally believe that most of us ASC members are shooting movies in remote places, and it would be great if we could give
a workshop, a master class or even just a 'conversation' wherever
we are - during prep, on the camera-test day, on a Saturday. We
could share knowledge and learn so much every time we are
abroad.
●

What has been your most satisfying moment on a project?
When you are on the plane going back home, you fall asleep in the
seat ... and wake up remembering that you should have done that
one shot. You're always looking for one more camera move, one
more shot, one more take.
104

December 2016

American Cinematographer

American Cinematographer - December 2016

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