Meet four powerhouse cinematographers who had nine projects between them at Sundance this year: Mia Cioffi Henry, Claudia Raschke, Liz Nord (No Film School), Ashley Connor, and Shana Hagan.
Somehow, despite their busy schedules, I was able to sit down with all four of them on the first day of the festival. The group has a pretty amazing combined filmography. At Sundance alone, they screened docs, narratives, shorts, and an episodic TV show. They also represent four different decades of DPs, having begun shooting professionally in the ‘80s, ‘90s, 2000’s and 2010s, respectively, so they were able to share stories and advice with each other that we can all benefit from.
“It’s easier said than done to get everyone marching in the same direction on a film set.”
In our wide-ranging conversation, the talented group discusses the benefits of switching between docs & features instead of sticking to just one, how to be the cinematographer your director needs, what to do when a production starts to go off the rails, why cinematography is a people’s business, and much more.