Bradford Young interview part 1 by Benjamin B --thefilmbook

Part 1 of a video interview with cinematographer Bradford Young, ASC, with Benjamin B for thefilmbook.
Bradford discusses his approach to the art of cinematography, political art, and offers some comments on the imaging of African-Americans in cinema.

[@pettaspro]

God damn that was educational

[@thefilmbook]

Thank you Jon

[@rslmkrslmk6754]

This is a discussion I was waiting for. Thank you very much.

[@thefilmbook]

Thank you for the feedback

[@CallitDemocracy]

Looking forward to part 2... !

[@thefilmbook]

Hello Matthew, I just posted part 2 :) kzbin.info?o=U&video_id=P0cslQ8nFi8

[@CallitDemocracy]

Finally watched it. Super!

[@thesunman108]

Love this dude.

[@matthewpeer9396]

Excellent!

[@thefilmbook]

Thank you Matthew

[@nathanshenderson]

Thank you for putting this together. I really enjoyed it. I appreciate Mr Young's incredible cinematography, especially in Selma, Arrival, and Violent Year. I hesitate with his racial emphasis on lens choices. The idea that we shouldn't use a wide angle lens on a black face for a closeup seems to be overly sensitive. The reality is a (super) wide angle lens for closeup on *any* face looks distorted. A basic cinematography course would teach you that, especially in extreme closeup. It's not a racial thing, and it frustrates me that Young takes it there, even with his 19th century anthro example. However you also must consider/look at the direction Lubezki has headed with Innaritu and Malick, and you see that there can be a place for the wide angle lens with closeup shot when the visual language of the film takes us there.

[@thefilmbook]

I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I believe that Bradford agrees that there can be a place for a wide angle lens close to the actor, for example in the film "Jackie" (by Pablo Larrain with cinematography by Stéphane Fontaine) that we discuss towards the end of the video.

[@nathanshenderson]

Thank you for your reply. Yes I understand that Jackie uses wide angle with closeups from his comments in your interview, but there's not an above the line black actor in that film with major screentime. And that's my point. He is saying it's okay on white faces? As he stated, he used the 28mm on Amy Adams, but he knew going wider than that, and it looks weird (on any face? Or just Amy Adams's face?). But would he never use anything wider than a 35mm on a black face in closeup? I'm just trying to understand his points on race in a film's visual language and the choices of DPs. Or perhaps I'm missing something (or misinterpreting)... Mr. Young, I'd love to hear your comments if you come across this thread.

[@thefilmbook]

My take away is that Bradford's view about imaging faces is more of a case by case approach than a hard and fast general rule. I will be posting more videos from our conversation, which might make Bradford's position clearer.

[@TumultFilm]

Nate Henderson what i understood after this interview is that there is more to the choice of a lens than pure aestetics. it can enforce stereotypes. as a white person i didn't have the sensebility to be very aware about that (just to some extent). when you shoot a dicaprio close up on a wide angle lens you' re not enforcing a stereotype. he is just raising awareness and isn't denouncing anybody. i watched this video because i noticed how different black cinematographers/directors shoot black people and i wanted to know more about it. especially color correction for black skintones is something where i want to learn. i noticed that black cinematographers are not afraid to underexpose black actors. it also feels like kind of enforcing a stereotype, but i guess this is a special case because media tended to lighten black skintone (thoug i think this is partly due to the inability of older film to portray dark colors naturally).

[@thefilmbook]

Hey Tumult Film, thank you for your thoughtful comment. I agree that Bradford's primary aim in this video is to raise awareness.

[@alansmithee417]

Maybe he should use an "uncolonized" camera then🤔

[@YOUNGANDTHERESTOFUS]

own your history! don't run from it!