Deakins still cannot define what a cinematographer is
In a Variety conversation published October 18, Roger Deakins admitted he still cannot answer what a cinematographer is. For someone whose images helped define films from No Country for Old Men to Blade Runner 2049 and 1917, the refusal is the point: the work depends too much on the story and the people telling it to harden into a method.
Technical talk has its place, Deakins says, but the decisions that shape an image come from an emotional reaction that remains partly inexplicable. Instinct is not the opposite of experience. It is experience that no longer needs to narrate itself.
He also insists the images are not made alone. His way of seeing has to meet the director's vision, the actors' performances, and what the scene actually requires.
Go deeper on Kingdom of Dreams
- → EP 275: Dan Laustsen on Frankenstein
- → EP 128: Salvatore Totino on Frost/Nixon
- → EP 285: Alicia Robbins on Bridgerton
We have not sat with Roger Deakins yet. Go deeper with cinematographers who treat instinct and collaboration as the real technique.
Headline inspired by reporting at Variety (Roger Deakins on instinct, experience, and not knowing). Full article remains on their site; this page is our craft lens and episode guide. Read the source at Variety ↗