Page 10 - Fujifilm Exposure_33 Magnificent 7_ok

behind the camera
RISING TO
THE CHALLENGE
AN INTERVIEW WITH MARK WATERS
W hen talent isn’t enough,
it can be sheer deter- mination that helps build a suc-
cessful career. Fortunately Mark Waters, Director of Photography on a succession of hit series and BAFTA-win- ning dramas, possesses both qualities in abundance.
The 39-year-old emerged from Nottingham University in the late 80s with a physics degree and a burning ambition to become a cinematograph- er. Slowly he began making calls, put- ting himself forward for jobs and by fine increments gaining invaluable experience in the industry.
“I went straight down to London,” he recalls, “and started phoning up the film schools and arts centres, getting little stints setting up the lights on National Film & Television School shoots. That’s where I started to load cameras.
I did a few video and photography courses at different arts centres.
I got experience through that and worked on a lot of short films.
I applied for all sorts of jobs, and
finally it was Brookside where I got my big break as a camera assistant.” With Brookside, Waters’ career real- ly began to gain momentum, as he was
inducted into a fast-moving environ- ment where those with an aptitude for the job were encouraged to have a go.
“Experience is passed on down the line,” Waters adds, “and everybody was really helpful. You got a chance very early on to get your hands on the camera. I was only there for about two months when I was given a second camera to operate. They kind of throw you in at the deep end, you do a bit and if it’s okay you get a bit more.
“The person who took me on was Tony Caveen; he was the man who set the standard for that department. He was the one who instilled in us the dis-
cipline and the work ethic of what we were supposed to achieve. So that was the perfect place to learn single camera drama and all the disciplines that come with it.”
Staying within the Mersey Television family, Waters worked on early Hollyoaks then And The Beat Goes On before branching out on a freelance career in 1997. In the ensuing years, his experience was put
to use on a number of projects, which enabled him to form lasting relation- ships with a couple of directors.
“There was a guy called Alrick Riley on the first The Cops series,” he continues, “and that relationship has lasted over several different shows. We did The Cops 2, went on to the pilot and first series of Judge John Deed and then also did Babyfather and The Secret. The other guy from The Cops days is Kenny Glenaan, who I’ve just worked with again on Magnificent 7. The funny thing is that Alrick has moved away from the gritty reality- style shows like The Cops. He went on to try out different things while Kenny stayed more with that kind of thing, directing Buried, for example, which
I also shot for him.” Buried, like
Photo main: DP Mark Waters; above: Helena Bonham Carter in Magnificent 7
inset l-r: Waters on location with Marian, Again; scenes from The Cops, Magnificent 7 and Buried
8 • Exposure • The Magazine • Fujifilm Motion Picture