A good cinematographer, as we all know, is key to lifting a film to the next level. The lighting, the angles, the framing and the pace is just as likely to come from the dp as the director, and of course many cinematographers go on to successfully direct themselves. This week our post is on a newly graduated Danish cinematographer, Adam Wallensten, who’s spec film Nike really caught our eye.
Tell us bit about your background.
I was born in Sweden but have lived most of my life in Copenhagen, Denmark. The last four years I’ve been studying cinematography at The National Film School of Denmark. I graduated last year and A little less Gravity was one of my graduation projects.
How would you sum up your cinematography style?
Enhanced naturalism.
What would the ideal script be for your first job?
Just a good script with visual ambitions, where the way the story is told is equally important as to what’s being told.
What were the main challenges of the shoot?
Time was the main challenge at the shoot. Or not having enough of it. I only had one shooting day and we had so many ideas and props for different effects that we wanted to try out but simply didn’t have the time for. Even though the Phantom Flex camera is a joy to shoot with compared to older high-speed cameras, it still takes a little more time than if you shoot with normal cameras.
The other challenge was the weather (of course). Our actress really struggled to ignore the cold temperatures since we shot it in early Scandinavian spring.
What were the key lessons you learnt from directing this film?
I produced and shot this film since cinematography is my field. For direction I turned to my friend Adam Bonke and asked if he wanted to play along. I guess the key lesson I learnt was that you can do almost anything with a good idea, some smart solutions and the help from good people. Even make a girl fly!
Which part of the production process did you enjoy the most?
I always find a great pleasure in seeing an idea come to life. It was amazing to draw a sketch of a girl flying jumping 5 meters into the air in pre-production and 2 months later see it happening for real on a screen.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given about filmmaking?
Cinematographer Harris Savides once said: “Don’t get too involved in the technical stuff, learn it and then throw it away.”
Even though cinematography in one way is a very technical craft, and I like that aspect too, I think it’s sometimes important to not treat it as such in order to focus on the story and to come up with new interesting ways of doing things.
What would you like to be doing in five years time?
I would like to have shot a feature or two, to have travelled the world and to have gotten to work with a whole bunch of new directors, gaffers, AC’s etc. And to have become better at what I do!
Which commercials or music video director’s work do you admire the most?
Hmmm, some of the classics. Gondry for creativity and Glazer for style and mood.
Apart from making films what else do you like to do?
Watch them! Being in good company of friends, taking pictures, skateboarding, museums etc.
