And it was kind of refreshing or reassuring when a number of people who saw the film said to me afterward that they didn’t realize it was one shot until the end of the movie. It still had to feel connected to the character that’s in the story. It’s a kind of ostentatious thing in a way, but that was the trick. It’s funny, another thing about 1917–you know the camera is always moving. You can easily overwhelm it if you’re not careful. You know, the subtlety of Olivia’s performance, for instance, and the nature of the story. I think it’s a danger that the camera, technology, and fancy work can sort of swamp a film-especially something as delicate as Empire of Light. RD: Yeah, I think it’s important when the camera is somewhat invisible. It’s still all about the character, and that’s certainly the case with Empire of Light. SC: You even do that in some of your larger-scale works like Blade Runner 2049 and Skyfall. ![]() In this case, we went further and further towards a camera that’s very still and very quiet, and actually, it’s just about the characters moving in the frame more than anything else. I mean, in this case, on Empire of Light, is it hand-held? Is it black and white? Is it color? You have all the options, and then you gradually whittle it down. I think you gradually get into the discussion about the visual language. I love starting early on and just talking in general about a script. We would talk about ideas, where we could shoot it, and maybe even what scenes were important and what things could change. My wife and I were over in England, and on our days, I’d meet with Sam, and we would just talk through the script. I love that time when you’re talking through a script and swapping ideas, which happened on Empire of Light. But I’ve had a similar kind of collaboration with Denis Villeneuve. So we spent a lot of time just talking about what that shot would be, you know? Because we had to work it out before the sets were constructed or designed. RD: 1917 was a very specific project because of the nature of the one-shot. RD: Well, it’s different from film to film in a way, you know? What is your collaborative process like with him? SC: And you’ve collaborated with Sam Mendes quite a few times before, recently with 1917. In the late ‘60s, when I was a teenager, there were rockers, fights on the streets, and the whole bit, though. But there are similarities to when I was growing up. In 1981, I was shooting documentaries in Africa quite a bit, so I was very far away from the seaside when this film was set. I love the seaside, especially the English seaside. RD: Not really, but I did enjoy the idea of being in Margate. Did your background in still photography, specifically in a coastal town, inspire you when you were shooting Empire of Light, given the film’s setting? It’s about 20 minutes from where we live in Devon, actually. ![]() RD: Oh yeah yeah (laughs), that was in a place called Teignmouth. I specifically love the shots of the dog leaping in the air. SC: Your book BYWAYS includes your personal still photographs of the Devon coast where you grew up. I’m so excited to hear more about your incredible body of work and your latest film, Empire of Light. Sophia Ciminello: Thank you so much for speaking with me today. I was thrilled to speak with Deakins for an enlightening conversation about his career as a still photographer and cinematographer, collaborating with Mendes on Empire of Light, and how he pulls off some of his most beguiling cinematic magic tricks. The warmth of Deakins’ lighting pulls the viewer directly into the cinema and delicately enhances Hilary’s complicated story. ![]() On Empire of Light, Deakins joins Sam Mendes (their fifth collaboration) to create a complex, sumptuous world for Hilary (Olivia Colman), a woman who works at an English seaside moviehouse in the 1980s. From his naturalistic, playful collaborations with the Coen Brothers to his visionary work with Denis Villeneuve, Deakins has created some of the most memorable images in cinema history that constantly work to enhance our understanding of the character in the frame. While Deakins doesn’t want the shots he creates to overwhelm the audience, it’s impossible not to admire his style of photography. His precision, command over the camera, and ability to create meaning for a character through lighting make him the greatest working cinematographer. Empire of Light may be the title of Roger Deakins’ latest collaboration with Sam Mendes, but it’s also a fitting descriptor for his dazzling body of work.
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