Let’s Talk Kit with Alex Stone
Alex tells us about the outdoor shoots he’s most passionate about, how lighting is the most important thing in film and that a cinematographer’s job doesn’t start on set.
How did you get into film? What’s your background?
Initially I went to university to study film production however decided to drop out after two years. Incidentally, I wanted to be a producer, but still enjoyed cameras and filming things — though it never occurred to me that maybe that’s what I should be doing! After university I got a job at a camera rental company and learned a lot about the industry. On the side I was producing and shooting things on a freelance basis and soon noticed that more people were asking me to shoot stuff than produce, so I decided to drop producing and concentrate on just filming things. I worked at the rental company for about a year and a half before going full time freelance and have been shooting things ever since.
What have you been working on lately?
The whole of 2017 was spent shooting a wildlife documentary about Scottish Wildcats called The Tigers Of Scotland. Scottish Wildcats are the UK’s only big cat and are among the rarest mammals in the world. It’s my partner’s first feature length doc and so, being a passion project, was entirely self-funded. It took up all of our time and money, though fortunately we’re very pleased with how it’s turned out!
How would you describe your style? And how does it differ from other production companies?
I’m not sure I necessarily have a style… others have told me I do, though I’m not sure what that would be. As a Director of Photography it’s important to be able to adapt and be flexible to the needs of any project. That said, I do enjoy using colour as another tool and dimension. I’m quite partial to hard light — it’s dramatic! Of course there’s a time and place for everything and it wouldn’t be suitable for every project. As a production company, I suppose we differ from others in that we enjoy and indeed specialise in outdoor shoots — and the challenges and rewards they bring. I use to do a lot of landscape photography and so this translates very well to composing images in the outdoors and in nature.
What kind of projects make you excited to do the work you do? What’s your role on each project?
Outdoor shoots of course are a great draw. It’s an opportunity to be in the great outdoors and film stuff at the same time! As for more narrative and commercial work, I’m rather keen on genre pieces such as thrillers, fantasy or science fiction. They provide a great opportunity to flex your creativity and step beyond what might be considered ‘realistic’ regarding lighting choices or camera movements perhaps. After all, film is often an escapism; sci-fi particularly for instance is a great example of where concepts and themes can be explored without the bounds or rules of reality, our world or even physics — a limitless canvas on which to tell a unique story. I’m a DoP so that’s all I tend to do on shoots. I don’t write or direct.
Can you tell us about your process?
Being a cinematographer does not start on set. I work closely with the director and the production designer during pre-production, collaborating on concept art, mood boards, look books, storyboards and shot lists. Only with this planning am I able to express the director’s vision fully, conveying emotion and meaning on screen through the use of specific lensing, lighting and movement. With a comprehensive knowledge of lighting styles, compositional connotations and cinematic conventions, I craft the look of a scene that is appropriate and suitable for the subject matter and subtext.
What kind of kit do you use on a typical shoot?
Whatever is suitable for the project and whatever is available (either to hand or in the budget!) I have my own Sony FS7 which I use a lot for my own shoots however will often hire in REDs or Arris if the project requires it.
What’s your favourite piece of kit? Why?
I’m not sure I have one favourite piece of kit. Alexas and REDs both have advantages for different projects and are great fun to shoot with, though to be honest, out of all the different types of kit, I love lenses the most. There’s just so many different types and kinds and they have a bigger impact on the look of a film than the camera does. There’s so much you can do and say not just with a different choice of glass, but how they’re used too. I really geek out over lenses above anything else I think!
What is your most-used piece of kit?
I would say my Sony FS7 is the most used piece of kit, simply because it’s readily available for any shoot I need it on, plus it’s such a versatile camera. It can be used for one man run and gun, broadcast or corporate interviews, or dedicated cinema camera or anything in between.
What advice would you give, based on your experiences?
In respect to a cinematographer’s responsibilities, lighting is more important than anything else. It’s more important than lenses and lenses are more important the camera. It’s easily said and everybody thinks they knows this — though the first time you light a scene properly, it seems so clear. Everything else after that is easy — and it really doesn’t matter how it’s shot after that, if it’s lit well then it’ll look good! It’s a really rewarding feeling once a scene is lit just right.
