David James – King of the Movie Stills Photographers?

Just the other day I was asked by an aspiring photographer interested in Movie Stills photos – Who I thought was the numero Uno – Number one – top billing – King of the castle – Number one in the movie stills photography world .. Well with little hesitation I answered – David James – David is English but based in USA – L.A. I believe? – The first Film I ever worked on was with DJ as his assistant – Robin Hood Prince of thieves. A brief bi-og follows plus a link to his website – At what ever standard you are you would like an exercise in excellence in the movie stills photographer Genre – Than take the time to view DJ’s web site – Excellence in all disciplines of our specialization – Maximum Respect David. Web Site

David James received the Still Photographer Award. James joined the Stills Department at MGM Studios-UK at the age of 16, and began shooting his own stills at the age of 19. His first film was a British comedy directed by Ken Anakin and soon James was covering such movies as Women in Love, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Fiddler on the Roof, Jesus Christ Superstar and Barbra Streisand’s Yentl. He moved to the US in the late 1980’s. “I got a call a few days later to say that he (Steven Spielberg) wanted me to do the movie and that I could pick up my portfolio book,” recalls David. He went on to cover many more of Spielberg’s movies after Schindler’s List. “Every movie I cover and have covered has its own story to tell,” says James. “My favorite subjects are musicals and war, though just having shot Water For Elephants, I have to add circuses in the Depression. In reality, I have to say that I have been extremely lucky in landing movies that have been a visual treat.” Currently David was hired to shoot Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. “Tom Cruise and I have shot some pictures that will be historical.” David James’ photography was used brilliantly in the program booklet for the event.

The Marketing shoot beckons…………….

So the phone calls and email cometh…. Requesting I organize a key Marketing, Specials, Gallery/ Poster shoot… All the same thing. The first stage in this for me is to get an idea of what is involved from the basic entry level scenario which is mainly a range of images on shot against a white background. The artists will be in a arrange of costumes and a make-up change may be required… A range of emotions will need to be represented.

In order for us all to crystallize our ideas – The all being: The marketing people – Myself – Hair make up and costume and of course the talent. A set of drawings will be prepared by a Design company these will visually spell out in a collection of drawings different ideas and poses and context that the images might be used in – on the basis a background will be montage in. Also lighting references and Light atmos will be represented in the form of real photos that show the mood. Armed now with this information I can then work out the likely logistics requited to achieve the concepts… Size of studio.. will I need to organize a set to be built? Lighting… how many assistants?? A lot of this will require the resources of the film production I am working on so I need some one to help organize… Often this will be the publicist. Or the Head Marketing person paying for the shoot. So the wheels are in motion…

PHILOMENA – my current project

PHILOMENA, a bitter-sweet compelling narrative of human love and loss, and a heart-breaking story that ultimately celebrates life, is directed by Stephen Frears (Dangerous Liaisons, High Fidelity, The Queen) and stars Dame Judi Dench (Iris, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Skyfall) as PHILOMENA and Steve Coogan (24 Hour Party People, The Trip, What Maisie Knew) as MARTIN.

PHILOMENA is the true story of one mother’s search for her lost son. When she falls pregnant as a teenager in Ireland in 1952, Philomena Lee was sent to the convent of Roscrea to be looked after as a “fallen woman”.  Her baby was only a toddler when he was whisked away by the nuns to America for adoption. Philomena spent the next fifty years searching in vain for her s0n.

She meets Martin Sixsmith, a world-weary journalist as cynical as Philomena is trusting. Together they set off for America on a journey that will not only reveal the extraordinary story of Philomena’s son, but also the surprising relationship that grows up between Philomena and Martin.

Steve Coogan, said: “The film is a comic tragedy or a tragic comedy. It’s about two very different people, at different stages of their lives, who help each other and show that there is laughter even in the darkest places.”

The 8 week shoot takes place in London, Northern Ireland and Washington DC.

The film is produced by Gabrielle Tana, Steve Coogan and Tracey Seaward and Executive Produced by Baby Cow’s Henry Normal, BBC Films’ Christine Langan and Pathé’s Francois Ivernel and Cameron McCracken.  The screenplay is written by Coogan and Jeff Pope (Pierrepoint) and based on the book entitled The Lost Child of Philomena Lee by Martin Sixsmith.

The film was developed with the support of BBC Films and is being financed by BBC Films, the BFI and Pathé.  Pathé will distribute the film in the UK and France and will handle sales throughout the rest of the world.

From Curtis Clegg

I would love to hear from you what role you think your stills might have had in

the movie’s success, and its eventual Oscar. You mentioned that one of the

photos want global in 48 hours – do you get any sense that buzz like that

influences members of the Academy?

 

The marketing images I produce for any film are concerned with getting column inches. As there is a direct correlation between the exposure a film gets in the media and ‘Bums on Seats’ Particularly on the O so very important opening weekend. With good visual exposure on the WWW in conjunction with photo spreads in magazines and newspapers a film gets of to a get start and then with word of mouth and reputation the film builds. So Yes Yes Yes my photos have a major part to play in the early success of a movie. However when it comes to the quality of the product, then that is down to primarily the director and the artists performances and the overall excellence of the production in many aspects, areas and disciplines such as Hair and make-up for which The Iron Lady won an Oscar, over which I have no influence or control so can in now way claim any credit. 

P.S  Bit slow on Blog activity at the moment due to 5 week old BABY!!!!!!

Curtis Clegg cleggmoviestills.com x

Nikon NPS interview

Movie Star | Get the Big Picture | Focus on Imaging | Snap the online version

MOVIE STAR GET THE BIG PICTURE ZOOMS WITH A VIEW FOCUS ON IMAGING NPS MEMBERSHIP

Hi Alex 36.3 megapixel medium-format quality in a DSLR body – the game-changing D800 is here! Try it out at Focus on Imaging, along with our powerful new COOLPIX superzoom compacts. Plus, leading movie stills photographer Alex Bailey explains how his Nikon DSLRs give him the edge in this most demanding of fields. See you next month!

THIS MONTH’S QUESTION We’ve announced two revolutionary products to answer the needs of the modern image maker.. So we’d like to know what you think. Exceeds my needs Answers all my needs Partially answers my needs Unfortunately not suitable

MOVIE STAR Alex Bailey has photographed some of the most iconic film stills of the last 20 years – most recently, Meryl Streep as a remarkably believable Iron Lady. He explains how his high resolution Nikon DSLRs enable him to capture the images that count in this very demanding field.

 

David Cameron comments on UK Film Biz……..

UK Prime Minister David Cameron has riled up the British film community today with a statement emphasising that the BFI should support “commercially successful pictures.”

 

The statement was made today as Cameron visited Pinewood Studios — he was speaking pre-emptively ahead of the comprehensive Film Policy Review’s release on Monday. Cameron said today: “Our role, and that of the British Film Institute, should be to support the sector in becoming even more dynamic and entrepreneurial, helping UK producers to make commercially successful pictures that rival the quality and impact of the best international productions.”

UK industry figures have given a mixed response to Cameron’s remarks – and the spin that has been put on them in advance of the publication of the Review.

Palme d’Or and Golden Lion winning British director Mike Leigh (one of Britain’s most revered filmmakers) today refused to comment on inflammatory remarks from an unnamed film industry source that his career would be “over” once the Film Policy Review report is published next week.

“He doesn’t want to comment,” Leigh’s spokesman said of the following remark, “well, it’s over for Mike Leigh,” which a BBC correspondent quoted on the BBC Today Programme on Radio 4.

The BBC report suggested that the long awaited Film Policy Review (due to be published Monday morning, Jan 16) will advocate Lottery money being “awarded to films based on whether they can make money, not whether they are artistic or culturally rewarding.” The report said Lottery funds would be invested in “people, not projects” and that the Government wanted to see tax payer money “invested in movies people want to see, not luvvies who are your mates.”

Ken Loach (another Palme d’Or winning British director) disputed today’s rushed interpretation of what the Review is likely to contain. He told the BBC that “success can come at all levels. You don’t need to make a blockbuster to be successful.”

There has been some dismay that today’s events – in particular, the inference that a filmmaker as distinguished as Leigh could now be marginalised. Some say that Cameron’s speech today and the controversy over Leigh risks pre-empting a full, balanced assessment of the report. For example, #fundablefilms was a trending topic amongst UK film industry Tweeters, with spoof commercialised suggestions that might meet Cameron’s approval, including Secrets And True Lies and Gone With The Wind That Shakes The Barley.

However, John McVay, chief-executive of producers’ organisation Pact, broadly welcomed Cameron’s remarks. “If you pick the bones out, what he (Cameron) is clearly saying is that he wants to back successful British film businesses, which is good news,” McVay told Screen. “It’s not about backing quangos and public funds but finding ways that public funds can be used to support our indigenous feature film producers.”

Pact has long been calling for British producers to be given enhanced recoupment corridors on successful films – a call the Report is expected to address.

Citing the example of The King ‘s Speech, McVay pointed out that lines between what is “commercial” and “arthouse” films often blur. He also emphasized the importance of the arthouse sector for “talent, development, and for creative innovation. That’s all a precious part of our industry.”

The British Film Commission also welcomed Cameron’s remarks. Iain Smith, BFC Chair, said in a statement: “On behalf of the British Film Commission I thank the Prime Minister for his comments today praising the work of the BFC. Following another busy and potentially record breaking year for inward investment, it is reassuring to hear the government understands the role big budget, international movies shooting in the UK plays in building a world-class skilled workforce, while boosting the UK economy. With superb acting talent, crew and post production expertise, state of the art facilities, and the lucrative film tax relief, the British Film Commission promotes the UK’s competitive edge internationally to ensure we retain our position as one of the world’s most popular filming destinations. And as we look to the future, I look forward to the publication of Lord Smith ‘s full Film Policy Review and to working with the DCMS and the BFI to consider and implement its findings.”

In May 2011, Creative Industries Minister Ed Vaizey appointed former Culture Secretary Lord Chris Smith to chair an eight-member panel to conduct the extensive independent review of Government film policy. The Film Policy Review panel also included Will Clarke, Julian Fellowes, Matthew Justice, Michael Lynton, Tim Richards, Tessa Ross, Libby Savill, and Iain Smith. The Report is expected to cover areas ranging from production, development, distribution, inward investment, and exhibition as well as film heritage and education.

Movie Photos book Comment

I received the email below via the Movie Photos web site, Boy. Oh Boy this kind of feedback makes it all worthwhile!!!!… To be honest Movie Photos was never a money making project and whilst we have recouped some of the investment of producing/designing and marketing the publication we are surely out of pocket….. But the fundamental idea behind it was to share information, considering the film biz and to some  extent the TV industry are both relatively impenetrable I wanted to break down some of the barriers to what can be an extremely rewarding both artistically and financially area of the photographic industry to work in. Why is it so impenetrable? Well! More than anything it is the physical nature of the Film Biz that makes it so hard to pin down… Film companies by their very nature establish and dissolve with each production, so do for that matter a lot of independent TV productions therefore making it almost impossible to as such find any body or thing to Apply too for a job or even for that matter a little information. Now some areas of the industry are a bit more tangible. For Example: say one was interested in Visual Effects…. Then one could Weddle out and pin down possible companies who specialize in this area to whom one could apply for say in the first instance ‘Work Experience”. The same can be said for several other areas of the film and TV industry: Special effects, Grip companies, Lighting companies. Even colleges do not offer courses or much if any info in Film stills photography, and yet there are tens if not hundreds of courses available in moving camera related topics and lighting, Script writing, Directing and no doubt many more film related areas. Alas working in the industry as a stills photographer there is little or know way of getting much info unless people like me share our experience and knowledge. Hence Movie Photos…. and this BLOG… The icing on the cake for me is feedback such as the text below that not only acknowledges an initial influx of fact but helps to encourage and support further development in the art of producing quality commercial viable stills photography on film and TV sets. Encouragement to me as I finalize the next chapter… Movie Photos Digital work flow… Soon to be available… Hi Alex

 

I received my copy of your book last week and have enjoyed it

tremendously – I am a stills photographer based in Scotland, with 10

years experience of shooting stills and I am not embarrassed to admit

that I have learned loads just from picking up your book.  I guess its

because its such a mysterious trade – and there is no one to ask

questions of…………so to finally have a book to refer to is

brilliant.  It is also inspiring – it is too easy for the the stills

photographer to get despondent……not enough time, can’t get fellow

crew to co-operate etc etc, but already I feel a new sense of vigour

in approaching a days work on set……… I am the stills

photographer & I will not take no for an answer!

thanks again ….. neil davidson http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0203446/

 

 

 

This is the UK poster for the Iron Lady starring Meryl Streep. We shot this image at Pinewood Studios at a dedicated photo shot at the end of filming. I had two photo assiatants and shot it on my Nikon D3X with and 85mm lens  iso 100 F11 1/200

Stills V Video my conclusion

Recently I have had a chance to spend some time with an expert EPK man (Electronic Press Kit) this is the guy or girl and soundperson who provides the footage for the behind the scenes, programmes DVD extras, internet show-reels etc. This has given me the chance to conclude for me the Video V Stills debate. That is the likelihood of stills taking over from video for film marketing and publicity in general terms and the possibility of video only being shot with a view to frame grabbing for key marketing images. We concluded it is not going to happen in the foreseeable future! So us stills folk are safe! Why? Well you just cant beat both the technical and creative quality of specifically shot stills. We talked in depth about frame grabbing from video. Even though the resolution is modest on video in comparison to dedicated still cameras. A blur still exists as it does in analogue film grabbing. Also on high end video cameras not every frame is sharp, now this is in real terms so getting the information from the horses mouth so to speak, Someone who is working at the sharp looking in practical terms to do exactly this: Lift stills from video, for real end use, The quality and selection is comprised, you just can not rely on getting the frame you want sharp.

Now what about the creative working in the two different disciplines, I sat down and watched a fantastic sizzle roll my colleague had shot, wonderfully exciting and beautifully cut together using appropriate video shots, static establishing inserts and cutaways result a quality end product, we then watched a slide show display some 88 key images of mine from the same production a totally different experience and emphasis, defining the films emotion in single calculated images that singularly are able to market the film. A decisive conclusion from two professional working at the top end of professional EPK making and stills, both producing key marketing and publicity material for movies. You can NOT shoot them both at the same time on the same camera for both technical and creative reasons or if you do it is a total compromise and the quality will suffer enormously.  Don’t do it!

Iron Lady Poster

Over at Empire Magazine, they posted up a new image of the forthcoming Margaret Thatcher biopic starring Meryl Streep poster, entitled, The Iron Lady. The film is being directed by Mamma Mia’s Phyllida Lloyd and stars Streep as the British Conservative Prime Minister who was in power from 1979 to 1990.

Lloyd’s film finds Meryl Streep playing Maggie as she takes stock of her life both personally and in politics. Now battling ill health and frustrated by retirement, she’s also haunted by the presence of dead hubby Denis. We track her rise to power and the toll it took on her life – for all of her political triumphs, she made many enemies and was castigated for some of her decisions.