Andy Rydzewski, Cinematographer: David Fincher going back to Fincher is something he does because
his style of filmmaking freaks me out a little bit because it's so controlled
Film Courage: How do you decide when to move the camera and when not to move the camera?
Andy: Yeah moving the camera it's interesting because and often the director and I will discuss
in pre-production because some directors or projects want constant movement that maybe
it's like a light float but that is just always moving in some capacity and then
on other projects or other directors it's like no only moves when it's a very specific and important
beat i've had shows where we didn't move the camera period
and i've had shows where it's never still and so it really just it so depends on the project and
the director really because some of it's just taste and you know I will have my own
takes on it like if I feel like well moving in this scene this is such a this this character
is really sad and if the camera's moving around it's going to feel too sexy or too exciting and
maybe because it's always moving maybe now it being static is going to accentuate
that because we're used to it moving and vice versa so context really dictates all of it but
you do want there to be a reason not even if it's a show where everything's moving
why is it always moving you don't like it's tricky when when the reason is oh it's just cool like
it's it's not that that's wrong there's no right or wrong but for me again thoughtfulness is so
important to me like why are things happening and if the reason is because it's cool like
that's not wrong you know it's just less exciting it's harder for me to sink my teeth into that and
I think I can get lazy I get you know if it's just like well there's no I'm just kind of
sliding the camera around then I if I'm not thinking about what I'm doing you know by by
day three just like what what am I doing here so so it's it's tricky but you know you want
you want traveling with like something that David Fincher going back to Fincher is something he does
because he's a his style of filmmaking freaks me out a little bit because it's so controlled
and I get nervous like would I even be able to survive a David Fincher shoot I don't know
but his camera tends to lock into actors if actors are moving the camera's moving and they're in sync
and that's pretty impressive like when somebody's getting up and sitting down the camera but that
takes you know he does 100 takes of stuff like it that's hard that's really hard work
but that's an approach that makes sense is if actor moves camera moves factors still
cameras still but there is just you know there is everywhere I mean a Michael Bay
thing camera's always alive but that's because he wants it all to be a rollercoaster ride
and so it's not again it's not wrong it's just like that's the that's the aesthetic
so I guess it starts from a vision and then hopefully the camera's movement or lack thereof
at least there's like a string connecting it to that original vision and again intention did you
see Uncut Gems it did yes that's it yeah Uncut Gems constantly moving camera which makes that
that character is constantly moving so yeah that's a perfect example of something that
like there's a reason for that and then it's just like go go go because it's a whirlwind
his whole life is a whirlwind yeah especially in the jewelry store or out on the street yeah it
was just constant and and and I think it worked so well for that film and it was it really conveyed
who he was as a character what his world was like yeah that's actually a much better example because
I know Michael Bay brings a lot of like people have a lot of associations but uncut gems is a
great example of constant camera movement for a reason and very effective it feels very chaotic
yeah that's great what tools or equipment should a beginning cinematographer buy early because
they're going to be using them all the time that's a good question I think you know if you can get
a fast lens I think that is a very useful tool a lens that can you know opens up to at least a two
let's say well i'd say two eight is a good minimum but if you can get something like these
Rikonons I mentioned those are a 1.5 or something I think a fast lands is a very valuable tool for a
couple reasons one you can shoot in lower light situations so it just just helps when you don't
have a lot of gear but also it can teach you about depth of field because you can get to the extreme
and you can see what a very shallow depth of field can do for you which but also a deep depth
of field so I think that's one of the I would probably start there and then beyond that you know
I think it's it's getting easier now but like a strong light but those are hard to find cheap but
a strong light source i've noticed if you can have a strong light source coming in a window
it gives you such a great baseline to start from but usually a bigger light is something
that requires a bigger crew and more money so that's maybe a little more wishful thinking
there's an app called sun seeker and I think there are a couple other versions but it can tell you
you know where the sun will be at any time of day on any day of the year and if you can really
choose those spots I use it for 100 of the spot unless I'm in a set where there are no windows
I want to know where the sun is going to be and when and then I'm going to use that
to decide what direction we face and what time of day we want to shoot there so I think that that's
an indispensable tool as far as I'm concerned it's kind of expensive but I think it's it's worth
its weight in gold and actually along those lines there's an app called Artemis which you can put in
any camera and any set of lenses and it will ingest that and then you can take it you can
be like oh I want to see on an Alexa Mini 50 millimeter from this position that's what this
will look like oh actually no we're shooting a different camera it's going to be a black magic
it's going to be the 6k pocket cam and we only have a 40 millimeter you plug it in and same thing
so you can really get a sense of what each lens is going to show you in a space so I think those are
those are I mean I use both of those tools constantly on every set i've been on for sure
so I think those are huge um yeah I think those are those would be the big ones
anything maybe hold off on it's not as necessary well I you know I think we have
um we all have obsessions with cameras like camera brands and I think nowadays especially
what you can get with a 1 000 camera blows my mind and I think you know there are benefits to
cameras like an alexa or red or whatever they all have they all have their advantages but
not feeling like you have to get a high-end camera to shoot a high-end image
that is not the case anymore I would say um one thing if your camera does not have
internal nd filters neutral density filters one piece of gear that I think you do need are
neutral density filters and they have nowadays a bunch of different brands of um variable
nds and that's something that you can screw on to the end of a lens and you can twist it and it will
allow more or less light into your camera and there are a number of reasons that that's
beneficial but ideally it allows you to start being conscious about shooting at certain f-stops
it gives you control so like shooting um you know i've shot shows where we're really opening up and
it's a shallower depth of field a little aimed more toward beauty and you're shooting at like a
a two or for a lot of it but then there are other times where I'm like no we're gonna shoot at a
four and it's deeper depth of field and it feels different but you you don't have that control
unless you have a neutral density filter so that's something to get but in terms of yes I think
not obsessing about quality of your camera I think that's something that we all get hung up on
but the the what you can get now is it it just boggles my mind it's unbelievable so I think
the this the floor has come up so high in terms of the floor of your image is always going to be
pretty good now in terms of what the camera can give you at least so yeah not obsessing about
an expensive camera is probably a big thing can you dispel the myth can you really fix it in post
I hate fixing it in post I am not a believer in fixing it in post for one it will often
not get fixed in post because just like in production when you run out of time and money
people run out of time and money and post and so a lot of things end up just getting tossed
by the wayside um and you know it's important to know when you can fix something if you're you know
you're on set and you're running out of time and you're you're the sun is going down it's like well
we're almost out of light but we can still shoot this but in post they're gonna have to pull it
up it's not gonna look as good but you know the range it's like we can get it to a certain so
sometimes out of necessity but I i hate fixing it in post I i think it's
when you start hearing that which you will hear all the time and I will say it sometimes
but that should never be where you land if you don't have to
and then when you have to that's the beauty you can do so much in post these days but
you shouldn't set out with that as your initial attitude for sure you've been asked to do a
commencement speech at a college what are your final words to young cinematographers
upcoming generation of filmmakers cinematographers yeah you know I never would have guessed this
and I i touched on this earlier but coming into this industry I never would have guessed how far
kindness can get you being pleasant to work with people are i've gotten I don't know what other
cinematographers do but a lot of them apparently it's not good because the amount of times
that different departments specifically art department but and sound and costume that
will come up to me and I'm not I'm not mother teresa I'm just a normal person the amount of
times that departments come up to me like andy you're so nice I love working with you it feels
like they've been abused puppies that somebody's now giving them a biscuit like I'm not so for me
and I same with producers i've had producers tell me outright that the reason that they rehire me
is because of the atmosphere I create on set not the visual atmosphere just the vibe and I
never would have thought that that would get me work that never even occurred to me I'm thankful
that that's true it's it's been good for my career but I think remembering that this is your life
like the way you spend your day today is your life and when you're on set if you suck to be around if
you're unpleasant to be around that is not gonna serve you and what an amazing gift that being nice
and happy can be good for your career like that that feels too good to be true but that's exactly
what i've found and so I think embracing film has opened me up as a person got me to be more
confident less shy because I love it so much and if it's also teaching me to meditate and be kinder
I never yell I never ever yell on set I want to yell but I don't it's teaching me to like control
my emotions don't blow up be patient that's I i just it it brings me so much joy to think that
being better at my career makes me a better person and being a better person makes me better at my
career so I would think that's the best piece of advice is allow your goodness as a person to
help you be a better craftsman better to work with everybody wants it I would assume in every field
you said you went on some road trips um after 2009 you know you kind of you know you you
didn't really have that much weighing you down and what did you see on some of these road trips
yeah I I'm the big there was some quote that somebody once told me that akira kurosawa said and
then i've tried to find it and i've never found it so I have no idea somebody just said it to me but
to be a good filmmaker live an interesting life and I spent
a good chunk of my late 20s and early 30s living a weird life on the road I was traveling I slept on
couches I slept in cars I slept on the ground like I was I was adventuring I was I was living
a life and I was um looking at the world around me like literally just looking at the world
part of that is looking at light but part of that seeing you know mountains in the snow versus
desert in in the summer versus you know the seeing an ocean a quiet lake a busy city
these all have a feeling to them and emotion and having that experience you never know what kind
of script will come your way and what you'll be able to touch on and then ultimately people
is to to connect with strangers a stranger on a bus in the middle of Italy or you know wherever
to connect with different people or just watching people I think that just gives you it gives you a
richer life which then gives you a richer palette to pull from when you're coming up with ideas so I
really am a big bully now I do wonder sometimes had I maybe started my career a little earlier
would I be further along now but what I did in my late 20s early 30s this kind of vagabond life was
interesting and I would imagine it's painted by experience which I bring to my work for sure so
I think making sure I'm a huge film nerd but living some life outside of movies I think is a
very valuable thing you know connect with the world around you as best you can.
Question
For The Viewers: Any other tools a beginning cinematographer should have?