Test Driving the Future

The DP behind Like Mike talks about new technology in film

by Ryan Sanborn | Published February 3, 2007

Like Mike

Shawn Maurer never planned to work in film. Though he had grown up appreciating motion pictures, he never believed he'd be making them one day. It wasn't until enrolling in a film class in community college that he realized the place he belonged was behind the camera.

Maurer enrolled in the film program at Loyola Marymount University and focused on cinematography while earning his degree in general film production. It was there that he made the contacts that proved invaluable during school and after. After graduating, he began working with ZM Productions, where he met such working directors as John Schultz, who would go on to help shape the career he has today.

Maurer's camerawork can be seen in Schultz's latest film, the family fantasy, Like Mike. Among the opportunities this film presented to Maurer was the chance to shoot Fuji's new Reala 500D film. Here, Maurer discusses his ever-growing resume of work and the benefits he discovered while acting as a "film guinea pig."

Ryan Sanborn (MM): Was there any one film that you saw growing up that made you say, "I want to be a cinematographer"? Who are the cinematographers you admire most?

Shawn Maurer (SM): No. I was always enchanted by films, but had no idea it would be my calling. Some of my favorite cinematographers are Emmanuel Lubezki (Sleepy Hollow, Ali), Roger Deakins (A Beautiful Mind, The Man Who Wasn't There) and Vittorio Storaro (Apocalypse Now, The Last Emperor).

MM: Do you think it is easier or more difficult for a cinematographer just starting out in the film business than, say, an actor, director or producer?

SM: No idea. It all comes down to luck and talent. Luck gets you in the door and the rest is up to talent. I've been lucky.

MM: How did you begin to establish yourself as a cinematographer?

SM: When I met my first three directors at Amblin; things happened from there. Peyton Reed worked really hard to get me on Bring It On. At that time I was relatively unknown, only doing smaller pictures like Bandwagon and two other indie films that cost between $500,000-$1 million. But I had no problem getting a job after that.

MM: Your career has spanned from the low budget to the high. Which do you prefer?

SM: I prefer low-budget films because they are often more rewarding, creatively. With fewer people on a lower budget, you're frequently allowed more creative control. No studio is stepping in and everyone's creative process is going toward the same goal. Sometimes working with a studio can be like having too many cooks in the kitchen and can derail a creative thought.

MM: Is there any particular process you go through before deciding whether or not to take on a project? At what stage do you typically come onto a film, and how do you like to prepare?

SM: I typically come onto a film very early on, due to my close relationship with the director. Frequently, I will talk with the director on what he envisions for the film. From there, I read and re-read the script to see how it should be presented visually. This is the most important process of pre-production.

MM: How did you become involved with Like Mike?

SM: While working at ZM Productions, I met a handful of directors, including such as Peyton Reed, Jack Perez and John Schultz. John hired me for a low-budget film shot in North Carolina called Bandwagon. Having completed it on a $400,000 budget, he sold the film to Lakeshore Entertainment and received limited distribution.

ZM Productions was later hired to produce 'behind-the-scenes' films at Amblin Entertainment and prepare EPK's for Steven Spielberg. This led to me landing a job shooting the "behind the scenes" footage for Back to the Future II. This was an extensive 30-day shoot using 16mm film. By this point, I was gaining good experience, but John wasn't able to get me onto his next project, Drive Me Crazy. By the time Like Mike came along he was able to include me, due to my work on Bring It On.

MM: Was there a specific reason that you chose to film Like Mike with Fuji's Reala 500D film? Did it influence the direction of the cinematography or how you approached it in any way?

SM: I performed a very brief test on wardrobe and skin tones to determine the color palette. I chose a fairly small scene, but one in which there was a night exterior with rain in the shot. Since I was shooting at night with all HMIs that are color balanced for daylight, the film stock required no color correcting--either in camera or in the lab--to attain a neutral color balance. With the Fujifilm Reala 500D, the colors were more muted, which was just what I was looking for.

MM: Part of the film's appeal seems to be its high sensitivity to light, allowing DPs a greater choice of location shooting. Did your work on Like Mike allow you to 'test drive' this promise?

SM: The film allowed me to test low-light sensitivity. I wanted to include the skyline of LA in the background of the shot and wanted to give that as much exposure as possible. This film stock allowed that to happen. I rated the stock at 320 and shot it at an F-stop of 2.3. The background was probably two stops down, but it read wonderfully and held up great. The blacks were really strong at 320 and I was impressed with the way the film fell into the shadows.

MM: With light sensitive film becoming such a viable option, do you think that more directors and cinematographers will opt to shoot on location in the future?

SM: No. The sensitivity of the film stock will not change that decision. However, the new film speeds makes the lighting requirements less cumbersome and expensive.

MM: You've done work on a few films with long action sequences, Like Mike being one and Bring it On being another. What do you think the key is to making these scenes interesting from a visual standpoint?

SM: Use as many camera angles as possible. If a director is interested in doing quick cutting, using four or more cameras at a time and providing varying angles will give him as much variety as possible in the editing room.

MM: Do you plan to stay put behind the camera, or do you have designs on tackling any other facet of the film industry?

SM: I have no aspirations to direct. At this time, I am content behind the camera and am focused on my building my demo reel.

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