American Cinematographer - August 1987 - 47

perfect crash landing, and it sank
immediately. We're now using an¬
other airplane like it, with flota¬
tion foam to keep it at a proper
level for each scene." He inter¬

rupted himself to yell, "I want that
damned ship out of here!" Men
were dispatched in a speedboat to
warn away a yacht that had ven¬
tured

onto

the horizon. This

was a

continuing problem which kept
the

speedboat

on

the

move.

The sharks are full-size
mechanical creatures about 25
feet long, as was the one which
swallowed Robert Shaw in the

original opus. Henry Millar was in
charge of the shark effects in the
Bahamas and Whitey Krumm su¬
pervised the mechanical effects at
Universal.
"Our biggest problems
right now," McPherson said, "are
the shifting of the boat and plane
caused by wind and underwater
currents. They drag the anchors
loose and move just as we have the
lights and cameras set up to shoot.
Then we have to set it up all over
again, and maybe the same thing
happens."
Sargent called the actors
together for a dialogue rehearsal
aboard the barge. A visiting crew
from the Entertainment Tonight
TV show was videotaping it.
Michael Caine whispered, "Joe,
did you know they're photograph¬
ing the rehearsal?" Sargent told the
crew, very gently, "Oh, no, boys,
you mustn't shoot this - it's part
of the surprise ending. You can get
something else later."
"Joe's a great director to
work with," McPherson said.

Above: Michael

Caine and Lorraine

Gary try to sort
things out on a
beach
Left:

near

Nassau.

Special lighting

effect for Caine,

Gary and luminous
surf.

"His excitement and enthusiasm

help

us

all, and he

can

make light

of adverse situations that would
drive some directors crazy. We
bounce ideas off each other and he
me a tremendous amount of
freedom."
McPherson knows the

gives

cinematographer. It certainly
gives one an insight into the direc¬
tor's problems. It lets you feel
their pressure when you're doing
your job, and it makes it easier to
evaluate bridging scenes and know
when to move on expeditiously
ter

problems of directing from experi¬
ence. "I started directing about 10
years ago, mostly episodic TV. In
each of 28 or 29 projects the DGA
and Local 659 allowed me to pho¬
tograph simultaneously. I think

and when to take an extra mo¬
ment. I see what problems direc¬

because of that I've become

When I

a

bet¬

tors
-

have behind the

scenes

personal problems, personality

problems, dealing with

actors and
writers and schedules and budgets.

to

impose my will or my own par¬
problem on any situation."

ticular

McPherson

believes

strongly in the necessity for close
rapport between director and cin¬
ematographer toward achieving a
common goal. "It's good when
you work with a director who
shares his vision with you and al¬
lows you to implement your
thoughts onto what he's expressed
to

you," he opined. "I sometimes

don't like to read a script until I've
talked to the director. Then, by

see a
director going
through that I certainly don't want

listening

August 1987

American

to

his thoughts

Cinematographer

on

the
45
American Cinematographer - August 1987

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