David M. Dunlap teaches filmmaking at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. His career as a camera operator was extraordinary, especially alongside Michael Ballhaus, ASC cinematographer: among the many films we remember Goodfellas, Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Age of Innocence, The Fabulous Baker Boys, Working Girl, What About Bob, Broadcast News, Postcards from the Edge. His cinematographer credits include: House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, Gossip Girl, Royal Pains, Lipstick Jungle, Mercy, Shaun of the Dead, The Great Gilly Hopkins, Game 6, The Calcium Kid, Griffin and Phoenix. As cinematographer of the second unit, his credits include: Forrest Gump, A Beautiful Mind, Air Force One, Ransom, The Interpreter, Julie and Julia, Men in Black.

 leggi in italiano (revisione di Silvia Tarquini)

What sparked your interest in cinematography?

I was studying still photography at Philadelphia College of Art in the early 1970s and had to take a filmmaking class. While editing the 16mm footage I had shot, I saw the power of juxtaposing images. I was hooked on cinema!

A decisive moment in your career was meeting Michael Ballhaus, ASC. Together you have, among many others, worked on masterpieces such as After Hours, The Last Temptation of Christ, Working Girl, The Fabulous Baker Boys, Goodfellas, Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Mambo Kings, The Age of Innocence. Do you remember your first meeting?

Through the grapevine, I heard Michael Ballhaus was coming to NYC to shoot a movie for Martin Scorsese. I was really interested, and was able to get an interview with Michael. He was so kind and soft spoken that I knew we would work well together as I am also soft spoken. I was thrilled that he asked me to be his focus puller!

What was your first film together?

Scorsese’s After Hours. On this film, I truly learned how to pull focus as Marty and Michael keep the camera moving!

What was Michael Ballhaus's greatest quality?

I believe his ability to visualize and interpret a film’s screenplay from the character’s perspective. His listening skills, creativity and collaboration with the director allowed him to use cinematography in non- traditional ways to visually heighten the themes and intent of the characters and scenes. He was a great artist.

Did he have points of reference, cinematographers from the past who inspired him?

His first great influence was Lola Montès with director Max Ophuls and cinematographer Christian Matras. He also admired the work of Sven Nykvist a great deal.

How did he prepare the lighting on set?

The scope and style of each film determined his approach. On “down and dirty” location films like After Hours and Goodfellas, he would meet with the art department as the locations were chosen to design the practical lighting placement on each set. He would also choose the appropriate light to come through the windows. When shooting, he would embellish the light sources with motivated movie lights during close-ups. This was also true on night exteriors. He would ask for prop streetlights to be added and often actual streetlights would be turned off. On larger films, he would be involved as the production designer and director designed the sets to be constructed on stage and would make sure the sets were cinematographically friendly. He would then determine the appropriate light for each scene and incorporate what was needed as the gaffer and key grip began the rigging of the stage sets. His motivated lighting was carried out on set.

What characterized his style?

His unparalleled use of a moving camera, a signature technique he adapted for each film's theme and style, along with his frequent use of motivated lighting.

Of the many films you made together, which, in your opinion, is his most successful?

I would say Goodfellas, followed by Bram Stoker's Dracula and The Age of Innocence. Michael himself often mentioned that he considered The Color of Money to be his best work.

Is there a particular sequence you are particularly proud of?

I’m proud of the scene in Goodfellas with Jimmy Burke and Henry Hill in the diner, where Jimmy, for the first time, asks Henry to kill someone. Henry’s world was changing during that conversation. Michael and I discussed some options on set, but the famous dolly/zoom was the best way to bring the background close in on Henry and his changing world. He was slowly becoming engulfed.

Florian, Michael's son, is now an established cinematographer (his brother Sebastian is an assistant director). Florian started working in cinema with his father, and in many films you have shared the same set. How was their relationship? What do you remember of him in those years and what do you think of him as a cinematographer?

I first worked with Michael, Sebastian and Florian on the Scorsese film, After Hours. I was the 1st AC, Sebastian was my 2nd AC and Florian was the film loader. Florian had to leave the film a little early to return home to Berlin to finish his last year of high school. I think he was 17 years old at the time. Michael was always supportive of his sons and had instilled a good work ethic that carries through today. Sebastian preferred production and is now a successful assistant director in Europe. Florian preferred camera so he continued to pursue the road to becoming a director of photography. Michael was a kind and giving man who was always open to hearing his crew’s ideas so even at the beginning of Florian’s career, he had a strong collaboration with his mentor/father. That mentorship helped Florian to become a very successful director of photography.

You have worked in many films with Martin Scorsese: what is his relationship with the cinematographer, with the light?

Marty had a very thought through plan going into each project. He and Michael discussed how they wanted to shoot each scene in preproduction. He didn’t do storyboards, but he did write a specific shot list that he and Michael came up with, on the borders of his script pages. Marty wanted realistic lighting, so Michael and his motivated lighting was perfect. He allowed Michael to design the lighting with little input.

As a camera operator you have had an extraordinary career: my dear friend, the cinematographer Alfio Contini (Zabriskie Point) considered the role of camera operator the most gratifying, the most fascinating, in a set.  What fundamental quality must a good operator have in your opinion?

I agree with your friend Alfio! It’s the best position on the set. You are a participant in the heartbeat of the film. I liken the camera operator to the organizer of an elegant dinner party. You organize the event (blocking), you supervise the caterers, entertainers, sommeliers (your crew), you make everyone comfortable as they arrive (actors, director, cinematographer), you show the guests to their seats (putting down marks, rehearsing), then you give the floor to the host (director) for the first toast (shooting the scene). I believe operating the camera is 20% physical and 80% mental. Besides the hands-on operating of the camera, a successful camera operator must know how to listen, how to communicate, how to lead and encourage everyone involved in the scene and have impeccable taste, good judgement and the ability to anticipate. Also, bring your sense of humor!

So, you in turn became an established cinematographer, especially for television (Gossip Girl, House of Cards). Yours Second Unit Director of Photography credits include: Forrest Gump, A Beautiful Mind, Air Force One, Ransom, The Interpreter, Julie and Julia, Men in Black. What did Ballhaus teach you?

Michael taught the importance of knowing what the scene is about, whose perspective or point of view the scene is from and how to best use the camera, lens, movement and lighting to heighten the scene and add depth and subtext to the film.

Which film of the past has impressed you most in terms of cinematography in your artistic training?

The Graduate, The Conformist, The Parallax View, Z, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Manhattan, The Passenger and Days of Heaven.

What do you think of the epochal transition from film to digital?

Even though I’m nostalgic about film’s mystique, I have totally embraced digital capture and its creative flexibility through the postproduction pipeline.

Artdigiland - in addition to the blog and website - is a multilingual publishing project that mainly deals with cinematography. We have published books on Luciano Tovoli, Giuseppe Lanci, Giuseppe Pinori, Sergio D’Offizi, Tonino Delli Colli, Daniele Nannuzzi, Vladan Radovic, Hiro Narita and Luca Bigazzi. Which Italian cinematographers of the past or present do you admire?

Vittorio Storaro, Luciano Tovoli, Giuseppe Rotunno, Carlo di Palma, Dante Spinotti and Luca Bigazzi.

You are also a teacher, what are you trying to teach to your students?

I want my personal experience and taste to help inform each student’s understanding of the aesthetic, technical, organizational and collaborative skills necessary to envision and execute their projects and equip them with a deeper understanding of the filmmaking process from the cinematographer’s perspective and how to work with the whole production team from pre-production to post-production (both on and off the set) to achieve their cinematographic goals. I constantly remind the students that the technical information must be learned, but then forget about it and use the knowledge to be a storyteller. Charlie Parker said, “First you learn the instrument, then you learn the music, then you forget all that shit and just play.” 

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