British Cinematographer were delighted to be invited along to Danny Bishop ACO and Oscar-winning James Friend ASC BSC’s workshop.
The event was held at the iconic Pinewood Studios in conjunction with CVP and offered ACO members an intimate and detailed exploration of the camera operator/cinematographer relationship. This masterclass was the first of three events available to ACO members at Pinewood Studios.
The jam-packed day was split into equally fascinating sections. Firstly, a detailed breakdown of the opening of All Quiet on the Western Front which the pair worked on together. Secondly, Danny Bishop ACO provided the ten individuals with a script from a scene of Pulp Fiction and asked all of the camera operators to choose one minute of dialogue from the script to block, shoot and edit. The duo then gave invaluable feedback on what was done expertly, and what could be improved. The final section of the day was a free-flowing Q&A which covered a huge variety of topics in detail and also included a walkthrough of the renowned 13-minute oner in TAR that Danny Bishop ACO operated on.
The morning was off to a fantastic start as Bishop and Friend spoke about the trials and tribulations of shooting the opening of All Quiet on the Western Front with the challenges of COVID, equipment availability and more. The ACO members were enthralled as the duo shared diagrams, detailed notes of the planning stages, and even Go-Pro footage of the intense trench-based camera movements.
It offered a remarkable insight in to why and how the pair have worked so well together on a variety of projects, whilst also offering advice on how to navigate situations where the collaboration between operator and DP isn’t as tight or well-formed. Friend mused about how no DP is the same, and that the best can edit in their head. Friend also offered sage advice about how camera operation is often about going for the simplest version of what you are trying to achieve.
A brief but insightful Q&A followed this opening talk before Bishop administered the Pulp Fiction scripts to 3 splinter groups. This gave those attending priceless experience of having Bishop and Friend offering pointers whilst they operated cameras and made creative choices about the filming of the scene. Assistance was also provided by the team at CVP who were on hand to help operate the equipment, move lighting gear, and even act!
This practical session lasted a few hours and ensured everyone was able to enact their vision of the scene (which they weren’t allowed to watch until after they were done) and edit together in a quick turnaround. The results were outstanding given the time frame and illustrated the many ways to approach the same scene. This reiterated Friend’s overarching motive that every DP and operator is different and that’s what makes filmmaking so exciting.
The expertise of the pair shone through as everyone watched the finished pieces together. They were able to examine and pick apart the scene with nuance immediately and provide useful info on how to improve the scenes, whilst making sure to pinpoint the best parts of the scene and detail exactly what worked and why.
The day was rounded off with a laid back Q&A which encouraged those attending to ask questions whatever the topic and receive honest, well-informed responses. This ranged from dealing with conflict on-set, getting your opinion across as an operator in a productive way, crosshair tips, the importance of grips, and much more.
The event was a huge success and everyone left feeling enriched by the experience organised by CVP. For full details on how to become an ACO member visit here.
