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Oscars Focus: Q&A With ‘Anna Karenina’ DoP Seamus McGarvey
22 Feb 2013 : Seamus McGarvey was in conversation with Eva Hall
Seamus McGarvey
Armagh man Seamus McGarvey is nominated for Best Cinematography at this weekend's Oscar ceremony for his work on 'Anna Karenina'.

Directed by Joe Wright, ‘Anna Karenina’ is an adaptation of the classic novel from Russian author Leo Tolstoy. The film is McGarvey’s third collaboration with Wright, having previously worked with him on ‘The Soloist’ and ‘Atonement’, for which he was also nominated for an Oscar.

Presently, the IFTA-winning DoP is on location in Canada working on ‘Godzilla’. He took time out of his busy schedule to talk to IFTN about his IFTA-winning, and Oscar-nominated work, on ‘Anna Karenina’.

What camera did you use to shoot 'Anna Karenina'? Panaflex XL2 with G series Anamorphic Lenses.

What do you prefer to use, digital or film? And why?
I shot on film and never actually considered digital for the project. I love the texture and depth of celluloid and I knew we would be shooting in sets mostly so I wanted to shoot with material which wasn't as crisp and clinical as digital can sometimes feel. With the combination of film, the anamorphic lenses and some Christian Dior stockings on the back of the lens, I got just the right look!

Can you give an example where your cinematography alone was used to tell a part of the story in ‘Anna Karenina’?
The cinematographer is never the sole person responsible for telling the story. Cinema is always a collaboration. ‘Anna Karenina’ epitomised this for me as all the department heads worked together on every frame of the film, led of course by our director Joe Wright. However there are some shots I like because they are dialogue free and the camera shifts from objectivity to subjectivity and back again while the lights and the whole environment transforms. This is the dance at the ball when Anna and Vronsky ignite the frozen dancers as they move across the dancefloor. Then as he lifts her in the air and the camera twirls around them, all the people in the auditorium disappear and Anna and Vronsky are left in a single spotlight.

Can you tell us one trick of the trade that only cinematographers might know of that you used on the ‘Anna Karenina’ shoot?
Gluing a 10 Denier piece of Christian Dior silk stocking on the back of the lens with nail polish gives highlights and skin tones an opalescent glow!

How did working with Joe Wright on ‘Anna Karenina’ differ from when you first worked with him on ‘Atonement’?
It was quite similar in that we are old friends and we collaborate well and communicate easily together. This one was more of a challenge stylistically and technically, so it was a bit of a sphincter tightener at times as most of the effects and changes are live and in camera.

Many people refer to cinematography as being an art form. What does that reference mean to you and do you agree with it?
I think Cinema is an art form and cinematography is an integral part of it. I always try to think about and with art when I embark on a film.

What new technological developments are you looking forward to in the field of cinematography, and what new developments would you like to see?
The improvement in the digital realm in cameras and the acquisition of the data because we must embrace this new phase in the evolution of filmmaking. I would like to see more streamlined data storage and distribution and also a standardised digital workflow in production and in post.

What other profession in the film & TV industry would you like to try?
I always envy the special effects people! I suppose the smell of exploding pyro gives me a Proustian rush and gets me all nostalgic!

The 85th Academy Awards are being held on Sunday, February 24, with Seth Macfarlane hosting. Sky Movies has dedicated a special Oscars channel to the ceremomy, which will broadcast it live in Ireland.



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