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he key relationship on any Tfilm set, that bond of trust
between a cinematographer and director, can take many different forms. It may be an
aesthetic in perfect sync, or a shared journey towards a distant artistic vision. But for Eric Guichard AFC, that means being open to new ideas and fresh ap- proaches to familiar challenges.
“Some directors know exactly what they want,” he says, “what light, what framing - they simply ask you to interpret that and capture the picture that best fits their view. Some others ask questions, have doubts and stay open to suggestions.”
Director Christophe Ruggia falls into the latter category, Guichard reports. The pair worked together previously in 2001 on Les Diables and have reunited for the thriller Dans Le Tourmente. Both films are set in Marseille, from where director Ruggia also hails.
“In terms of texture and colour this is very different from Les Diables. It’s a different world altogether - tougher, bitter, with characters anchored in a gritty social reality. Christophe talked to me mostly about the sunshine on this film. He wanted the audience to feel the heat, the sweat and a lot of contrast, while keeping detail in the shadows.
“He wanted bright saturated colours. The last part takes place in the calanques [the steep coasts in south of France], which is a difficult location. The sea colour is always changing, and there are rich contrasts that come with that.”
Shooting in a 2:35 format, Guichard selected the ETERNA Vivid 500T for the majority of the film, with the ETERNA Vivid 160T,
shot in 2 perf, for extra resolution in wide shots.
“My aesthetic choice is definitely the ETERNA Vivid 500T,” he adds. “I found two things with this stock that I really like: very nice saturated colours and a softness in the skin tones.”
An aesthetic sensibility is one thing, but Guichard is a cinematog- rapher who prides himself on adapting his style to the job in hand. A Cesar winner, in 1999 for the film Himalaya, and past president of the AFC, his shooting style is born of a background in documentary, which has armed him with an ability to adapt to each situation.
“Some cinematographers make a strong impression with their style,” he adds, “and I admire that. But personally I’ve always tried to vary mine, to choose the most appropriate look according to the project. My tastes are eclectic and I really like to change direction. Every movie I work on is different from the previous one.
“Sometimes this has proved lucky for me. Some directors, like Raoul Peck for instance, hired me because he said that my movies are all so different from each other he knew his would be different again. Sometimes the reaction is less favourable. Some directors need a cinematographer with a clearly defined style.
“But because my background is in documentary that means I find it hard to shoot the same sequence twice. It has taught me how to take chances, how to focus on the job and set my lights quickly. And it has been tremendously helpful working on dramas.
“My first movies were very close to documentary. In those productions there were sequences
we shot only once, because of the magic of the moment, or because the actors were non-professionals.
“Documentary is a real education, it teaches you freedom but it’s more difficult to achieve today with less time and money available. You just don’t get the same results shooting people over five days rather than five weeks.”
The ability to take on board such economic realities is not that different from the need to come
to terms with the evolutionary changes in the wider industry.
The transition to digital post- production, for example, is one area in which DPs such as Guichard must learn to adapt.
“The tools that are available
to us are so great that you have to try them. But they require rigour and discipline. We’re not here to cast doubt on everything that has been gone before but to search for new ways to tell a story through cinematography. Big budgets are not essential there. You just need to look for textures, details and most of all, interesting subjects.
“Preparation is important in all disciplines. The more you do it, the more precise and specific you can be with the production. You need to work closely with the production designer, make-up artist, costume designer and other heads of department. All of these people are artistic stakeholders in the film.”
But in the end, the engine- driving principal photography is steered by the director and fuelled by the cinematographer, and it is his understanding of this key fact that has sustained Guichard in more than 25 years behind the camera.
“I like the continuity that comes with collaboration,” he continues. “I had that with men like Raoul
FRANCE BEHIND THE CAMERA
TELLINGTHESTORY
ANINTERVIEWWITHERICGUICHARDAFC
Photo main: DP Eric Guichard AFC; below l-r: Director Christophe Ruggia with Guichard and scenes from Les Diables, Sometimes In April and Dans Le Tourmente
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