American Cinematographer - January 1993 - 30

"We

supply equipment that

entertains the world"

colorization to create the feeling of
heat. "Spike knows I can work in
various realms. We'd never done a

project like this (Nike) together, but
he understood that my skills were
flexible."

Despite the demand for
"carbon copy spots" on cinematog¬
raphy reels, Banks urges aspiring
cameramen to "find
something in
your images that you love and con¬
centrate on that thing. If you love it,
others will find that imagery inter¬

Robert Steadman, ASC
Over the course of his

Europe. "Now, they're more inter¬

Robert Steadman has shot fea¬
tures (Executive Action, Above the
Law, Return to the Blue Lagoon),
mini-series (Mussolini, Switched at
Birth) and Movies of the Week
CTreasure Island, She Woke Up), as

ested in a hard sell, which is more
the American way," he notes. Ironi¬

well

now

adept commercial shooter, "more
into cars than anything else." His
knowledge of effects-bluescreen,
morphs and various digital ma¬
nipulations - made him a car spe¬
cialist "by happenstance, because
car
spots use a lot of effects."
If commercials are a differ¬
ent

animal,

car

commercials

are a

different

species. "On a car spot
especially, the production com¬
pany has to make sure you're sale¬
able to the agency. Agencies want
to see something in your reel that
matches the spot in their imagina¬
tion." Once, for example, Steadman
was hired to shoot a
spot after pro¬

Grip - HMIs
Camiones grip de 2,3 & 5 Ton.
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11274 Goss Street
Sun Valley,
(818) 767-1122

CA 91352

Fax (818) 768-9900

Representacion en Hawaii

-

When Fash, who has shot
features, TV shows and music vid¬
eos

(including the Eurythmics'

well-known "Sweet Dreams") first
to

actor Charles Grodin was

producer who admired the di¬
versity the cinematographer
a

showed, but then told him with

skulking around an oil drum after
having polluted a river, amid back¬
lit fog. "It had the same feeling they
were
going for in their commer¬

long face that this

cial," Steadman notes. "If I hadn't

mind's eye

had that

wants to see five of those

clip, I probably wouldn't
have gotten the job."
Car spots are big-budget
this is why agencies monitor his
work "pretty darn closely." There

specific guidelines to car light¬
ing that each agency adheres to.
"Each agency has its own 'car' look.
are

Studio One

(808) 735-9192 Fax (808) 732-9454
28

good," Fash notes. "Directors did
more
directing; they had more par¬
ticipation with the boards and often
produced them. Here, there are
egos involved and bosses making
approvals. You're given a board to
execute and even if they agree that
your ideas are fabulous, you have
to shoot the original board the way
they want it. Because time and
money are tight, you can't shoot too
many options."

put together his reel, he showed it

affairs, and Steadman believes that

Concept Lighting/Grip

exists in the United States and
elsewhere.
"The English system was

three-second piece from his work
on the mini-series Fresno. In the
scene,

-

cally enough, his background in the
English tradition gives him plenty
of perspective on the opportunity
for input (or lack thereof) which

ducers at W.B. Doner of Detroit saw
a

lluminacion

Mike Fash

creative freedom that flourished in

as
many pilots, TV series and
documentaries. But he's also an

equipos para la industria
de cine y television

regard to creative input, but he gen¬
erally senses restraint.

ca¬

reer,

Arriendo, ventas y servicio

Steadman finds that some agencies
allow a little give-and-take with

Mike Fash, a native of the
U.K., began his career enjoying the

esting too."

de

They want to see certain, specific
things. It's very rare for an agency
to give you creative carte blanche
on a car
spot. They give you work
based on the work you did last
time. If you come up with a radical
departure, they're suspicious."

January 1993

was a concern.

ent

styles would

cause an

a

very diversity
"He said my differ¬
never

work be¬

art director has in his

what he wants, and he
same

things on a reel. Diversity might
make him fear I'd do something
different from what he had in
mind." This bothers Fash, because
"it

means

they're not looking for

talent; they're looking for someone
who does the
want. There's

thing that they
tendency to go with

one

a
American Cinematographer - January 1993

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