A Soul's Story Todd Wider: My Brother and I Tend to Be Drawn to Topics I by Betsy A
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
A Soul's Story Todd Wider: My brother and I tend to be drawn to topics I By Betsy A. Mclane that have a sociopolitical resonance for us. This story about Linda was written in The New Yorker by Rachel Aviv, a wonderful writer. We God Knows Where I Am is a study of society's failure to care began with a polemic about civil liberties: Where do you draw the line for the mentally ill, as well as an experimental art film that explores the with the mentally ill? When do you medicate against someone's will? independent spirit of Linda Bishop, a middle-aged woman whose When do you institutionalize against someone's will? We began to bipolar/schizophrenic disorder and desire for freedom led her to starve interview experts on the topic, but as we spent more time with herself to death in an abandoned farmhouse in New Hampshire. To Linda's diary, we felt we could make a more powerful film if we could help craft an original approach to this difficult and complex subject, create a more intimate view. We wanted to get more into her head. veteran and award-winning documentary producers and first-time Jedd Wider: I had taken several classes at Princeton that were directors Todd and Jedd Wider engaged their longtime friend, cine taught by Gaetana Marrone-Puglia, Gerardo's wife, around the matographer Gerardo Puglia. history of Italy as seen through Italian cinema. They had atremendous The Widers worked on the documentary for four years from impact on me. My freshman year I was invited by her to head out to concept to release, and Puglia dedicated two years, on and off, to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for several weeks to assist on a film, Woman shooting in the actual location where Bishop lived her last four in the Wind, that Gerardo was directing. It was a very rich experience; months during a freezing New Hampshire winter, eating only apples I became close with Gerardo, and I knew I would find my way into stealthily picked from an old orchard and writing in a journal. In the filmmaking - and, perhaps more importantly, I made a very distinct documentary, actress Lori Singer gives voice to Bishop's writing, which decision that I would make a film with Gerardo in the future. There contrasts exquisite details about the natural world outside with the was no cinematographer we wanted to work with more [for God growing delusion that she would be rescued by a man she ·believed Knows Where I Am]. Stylistically, he was the perfect choice for us. was her husband. Gerardo Puglia: I met with Todd and Jedd, and I read The The resulting documentary received the American Cinematog New Yorker article, and then I also read the original diaries. We have rapher Award for Best Cinematography at this year's Salem Film Fest. a lot in common because we love the same filmmakers: Tarkovsky; ..c>. Shortly after the festival, the cinematographer and co-directors spoke Bergman; Antonioni; the Italian neorealists, such as Francesco Rosi. 8"' ...c:0 with AC about their approach to the complex material. Since we were working in an empty house, I was most inspired by ~ 96 June 2017 American Cinematographer HEADS ARMS Cinematographer Gerardo Puglia finds a shot in the field outside the farmhouse. Bergman and Antonioni. Puglia: We started by just going Todd Wider: From the very begin through the house and studying the light ning we thought that we would create two and the patterns. One day I started filming arcs that would essentially go in different the exteriors [with an Arri Alexa camera] - directions. One would be the diary arc, the reflections of the windows, just to get a which would tell Linda's version of what had feel of the house - using Angenieux occurred. The other arc would be the people Optima 15-40mm [T2.6] and Optima DP around her, who either knew her in death or Rouge 30-80mm [T2.8] zooms. It was a spir in life. itual experience in that we were rebuilding Jedd Wider: We did not write a what Linda experienced. [For the Alexa script. We made the decision to direct the footage, the filmmakers employed Arri's film based on two primary factors: the Alexa Plus for tripod work and Alexa Classic sociopolitical elements of the story, which for crane work. The cameras recorded really drive the film from a documentary 1920x1080 ProRes 4:4:4 to SxS cards.] perspective; and the visual elements of the Jedd Wider: As we spent time in the film, which were, for us, extremely house over two complete years - eight full profound. This woman, who was mentally seasons - we observed the same visuals • 12 CAMERA CARS ill, was living in an isolated state in an aban that she noted in her journal. It was those • 13 RUSSIAN ARMS doned farmhouse - and she was incredibly observations that we knew would translate • 18 GYRO STABILIZED HEADS visual. She had been an art-history major, with the right cinematographer, with the Russian Arms and Flight Heads and she saw life through the lens of an artist. right attention to the camera and lenses. I are Built and Maintained by the Todd Wider: In our mind, the open was thinking of [the ways in which director] Filmotechnic Brand. ing of the piece unfolds like a Rashomon Terrence Malick has endeavored through the Fabrication shop for event. You have a dead body inside of a years to depict a state of consciousness. any custom need. building; you don't know how it got there. Puglia: This is when I said, 'We Was the person killed? Did she commit should bring in a Technocrane because that suicide? Is it her house? Is it someone else's is Terrence Malick's favorite tool.' I had also house? What is she doing there? How did used it in the past. It has a spiritual effect fllmobaohmo she get there? You have all these different an emotional 'G force.' The Technocrane ml§USA perspectives, and they give you pieces of the floats through th~ corridors and the rooms in truth, but you really do not know what the a very powerful, ethereal way. I did not want truth is. And then, finally, you are given to create the point of view of an actual FILMO-USA.COM Linda's voice and you get Linda's version of person walking through the house - that's 1-310-418-3311 the truth. why I did not use the Steadicam. We were ~[!]~ 97 not going to make a ghost story. Our crane operator, Mathieu Roberts, seemed quite impressed and told me, 'No one ever uses the Technocrane to do documentary films!' Jedd Wider: We assigned different thematic rationales for different types of cameras and film. To distinguish the various eras in Linda's life, Gerardo chose Kodak stock to exploit grain, flares and sometimes streaks. When Linda was released from a psychiatric hospital, she wandered until she found the farmhouse. To display her energy and agitation, these scenes were shot with a 16mm Bolex and a Canon Scoopic - and Super 16mm sequences [were shot] using an Aaton XTR-Prod, sometimes without looking Leica S~mmilux-C through the viewfinder. Gerardo even used 1 his [Bell & Howell] Eyemo 3Smm combat P1rime Lens·es· camera. Puglia: [The Eyemo was] modified with a Nikon mount and [fitted with] a Zeiss SEATTLE PORTLAND 18mm lens. The Nikkor S0-300mm [f8] 855/285-7334 (90ERNER 800/377-1132 zoom was used on the Canon C300 to film the entire opening title/credit sequence of CAMERA SYSTEMS snowfall, including birds and deer. Jedd Wider: Contemporary inter www.l<oernercamera.com views were shot digitally with a Canon [EOS] C300 and 1OOmm [Zeiss lens at f4]. Eight millimeter home-movie footage of Linda as a child is also incorporated. OUR ACHIEVEMENTS DEFINE WHO WE ARE. Puglia: Super 16mm Kodak [Vision Stop by Cine Gear to check out our new and ongoing innovative product lines. SOOT] 7279 film was used to [capture] all the [sequences depicting] food, which Linda yearned for. [The slightly grainy quality of the] film has an enticing and dreamy effect; 0 ULTRABOUNCE® 0 KNOCKOUT® we wanted the viewer to experience Linda's (Dparpu Bkte and Green Screens) perception of food and to feel her hunger. 0 GELFAB® Thirty-five millimeter [SOOT] S279 was (OJ/or Correction FalJria) 0 MAGIC CLOTH™ spooled off onto 100-foot rolls and used in 0 Fire Retardant Blue&. Green Screens the Eyemo camera. It was used to capture 0 Charcoal Vintage Grid some of the internal landscapes of the 0 Neutral Gray Grid 0 SNAPBAG® house, as well as to evoke a sense of (amtrol and diffusUmfor LEDfixtures) memory through it's slight flicker and incon 0 SNAPGRID® sistent exposure uniformity, which gave the (Egg Crate witli a lmilt-in frame to direct your fig/ii) images a sense of uneasiness. Film was sent 4 X 4 (30°, 40 ~ 50 ~ 30°/50") to CineLab for processing and scanned at 2K. We're f]ad to have earned a reputation of making game-changing Todd Wider: We also [used an] Arri contriliutions to the industry, and, as innovators, we remain Alexa, which we wanted to represent the ARRI Kino Fl,o committed to our supporting role in the creative process. eye of God; it is a presence, almost a ghost. At this year's Expo, we'relookingforward to sharing BB&S LiteGear Broncolor Litepanels When the camera starts outside the building, our most recent developments, highlighted by our latest Cineo Lighting Lowe[ Rifa LED accessories and a few fabric and product surprises.