Q&A with Cinematographer Mark Hamilton
"My first ‘paid’ job as a cinematographer was on a low-budget pop video"When did you first want to be a cinematographer? I was never good at Art when I was at school. I didn’t have the dexterity to draw, paint or sculpt and I would get hugely frustrated that the image or design I had in my head couldn’t be accurately realised on paper or moulded in clay and I eventually lost interest in the subject. After giving it up as one of my exam subjects, I’d heard that a ‘substitute’ teacher was keen to organise an introduction in photography. I signed up and was hooked from the start. Everything from the voyeurism of looking down the lens, to the complexity of how images were created and manipulated in the dark room was fascinating for me. The production companies tended to employ very established freelance cinematographers and crews, and there were about three or four ex BBC Film Unit cinematographers that I pestered to take me out. I had no motion film experience, so would work mainly when they did ENG or documentary programmes. I was the ‘assistant’ in the small team and my objective was to anticipate what they wanted before they asked for it. On film shoots, I was a ‘camera runner’ or ‘camera trainee’ and essentially worked for, and learnt from, the Clapper Loader. I wanted to supplement this foundation and studied at Northbrook College in West Sussex for a Higher National Diploma in Audio Visual production. Unlike school there was absolutely no structure whatsoever and I realised early on that I was only going to get out of it, what I put into it. To that extent I began utilising all the resources they had on offer. I got my hands on video cameras, Super8 and 16mm film cameras and made lots of short films; some good, some atrocious but, nevertheless, my learning curves were now escalating. We watched films, studied films, studied film styles, aesthetics, history of film, lighting techniques, post-production processes and, before I knew it, my two years were up. My tutor was kind enough to recommend me to Bournemouth University and I was accepted onto a Masters Degree course in television and video production. In contrast, this curriculum was heavily structured and was about a business, an industry and learning to construct programs with narratives and substance. It was far more clinical and thorough; no-one was allowed near a camera until the script or treatment had been analysed and revised over and over again.
While Northbrook had left me to experiment, develop styles and express myself in some way, Bournemouth taught me how to channel that, so each frame would serve a distinct purpose. What was your first job in the film industry? I had continued to ‘assist’ throughout my 4 years studying – progressing as a ‘loader’, occasionally a focus-puller and even operating 2nd cameras, but one job that stands out was my first job abroad. It was for a Channel 4 documentary acknowledging 30 years since the assignation of President JFK. The cinematographer was Philip Bonham Carter, an exceptional cinematographer and a very kind and generous mentor. It was a three week shoot around the United States and it really opened my eyes to the many other sensibilities that were needed to be a decent cinematographer. My first job as a fully fledged ‘broadcast’ cameraman though was soon after graduating from Bournemouth. I moved to London and a chance encounter with a news crew introduced me to Gerry Williams, who was then head of the camera department at Sky News. He invited me to an interview and insisted I brought a tape of my rushes so he could judge my ability and not any clever editing. I showed him some material from a documentary I was developing and fortunately he liked enough of it to put me on his freelance list. As much as I hated it, I loved it too. Nothing else sharpened my awareness, initiative and diligence like it. Often alone, I could be in the middle of a riot, first to a train crash or even waiting for the PM to talk down my lens for a ‘live’ interview. I had to be prepared for every eventuality, because I knew I’d only get one chance to get it right. The sense of relief and satisfaction afterwards was overwhelming and, best of all, I got to see my pictures televised the same day.
My first ‘paid’ DP job, however, was on a low-budget pop video. Around the same time I was generating an income at Sky, I’d been working on various ‘test’ commercials and short films with a few emerging directors. Eventually one of them (Richard Anthony) got offered to direct his first music promo and invited me to shoot it with him. He was incredibly creative and inventive and we planned for days how we were going to shoot it using some of the techniques we’d tried out on earlier projects. It was a dark, raw and ‘urban’ performance based piece, which we shot underneath Spitalfields Market in London. We shot it with mixed formats, both S16mm (Kodak Vision 500) and DV tape (with a Sony VX1000). Richard edited himself on Premier and we enhanced the look with After Effects. The final product was successful from the point of view it got Richard noticed and made ‘promo of the month’ in music magazines. What route did you take to become a cinematographer? I used the music video as a ‘show reel’ to promote and gain further work in this field and added subsequent clips as, and when, I DP’d projects I was proud of. I continued to work with Richard and other directors, applied to ads in the media papers and on film networking sites and said ‘yes’ to pretty much anything (paid and unpaid) that gave me opportunities to get my head down a viewfinder and develop my lighting skills. For a period I spent a lot of time filming on the abundance of travel, property and lifestyle shows that were about. These had many perks and attributes (not least exploring the world) but they didn’t really utilize or inspire my artistic side. I veered myself back towards more creative areas and enjoyed time on soap operas, TV dramas and even the odd independent feature. I’m generally more selective now, but all in all, I’m not really sure if, where I am today is much different from where I was when I shot my first promo 12 years ago; I just have a bit more experience, a few more established contacts and a slightly longer credit list.
What advice would you give people coming in to the business? Find work that can at least give you some income (News, for example), whilst getting experience in the more imaginative genres. Network - forward your details and areas of interest onto the numerous film community websites. You’ll have good and bad experiences but eventually develop strong relationships with those who you enjoy working with. Don’t let technology detract you from the principle that, it’s not what you shoot on, but what you shoot. It’s physically demanding, very competitive and can be short lived, so consider a long term strategy by developing skills and qualities that can keep you working for as long as you decide. Enjoy it… You’ll have countless adventures, meeting people from all walks of life and gain a first hand knowledge of the world, that no-one can teach and money can’t buy. For me, the main thing is the irregular work patterns and uncertainty of when, or even if, you’re going to work again. Primarily a freelance profession, you’ll need to find work, over and over again which can be more exhausting and time consuming than doing the actual job. It can be difficult to plan or commit to any social events in advance as there’s a fair chance you’ll either be late or have to cancel them at the last minute in order to prioritise a job. I’m not sure if these are regarded as pitfalls as such, but perhaps something to bear in mind is that it’s an occupation and a business, so you’ll have to organize your own pensions, savings, health care insurance, work liability insurance, prepare your accounts… etc etc.
What qualifications do you need to become a cinematographer? Essentially – none. I spent 4 years studying academically, but it was the hands-on experience and the time I spent on set with other cinematographers that I benefited from the most, and where I’m still learning from. What exactly does cinematography entail? Cinematography fundamentally is conveying the concept or script into moving pictures through camera techniques and lighting. Some genres are a little different – but effectively the camera movement and lighting should be so good, that they’re not even noticed.
As a cinematographer there are three main processes that I would generally be involved in; Pre-Production: Working predominantly with a director to discuss ways and ideas of reproducing their interpretations into the moving image. This can be achieved by looking through films and magazines to build visual references for particular scenes and shot lists. To some extent you’ll meet and discuss with other Heads of Department, such as the ‘Production Designer’ to work through ideas. You’d also be expected to suggest the most suitable camera, stock (film or otherwise), filters and lighting requirements to achieve all this. *Subject to the producers budget for you. And, of course, build the right camera team. Production: The cinematographer is involved with a million and one things – essentially though; liaise with the gaffer and his sparks to best achieve the ’look’ you’re trying to accomplish through lighting. You should have a clear indication on how to achieve this with the lights you’ve pre-chosen, but a good gaffer will also suggest alternatives that may help. Likewise you’ll lead your camera and grip team to have the camera(s) and necessary accessories set in their positions ready for the director to view their outputs on a monitor. Some DP’s like to view the ‘takes’ with the director but, personally, I prefer to operate the camera as well. Post-Production: Depending on the project this can include grading the images, so that the final film print or digital master that is projected or transmitted is as close to the ‘mood’ that you and the director want.
June 2010 Cinematographer Mark Hamilton has just completed cinematography on, ‘AGE OF HEROES’ a feature set in Norway during World War II. Directed by Adrian Vitoria Return from Q & A with Cinematographer Mark Hamilton to Film Production
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