PRODUCTION. DOWN WITH THE KING
light The speed of
Shunning big rigs and weighty supports, DOP Danny Vecchione opted for a lighter handheld set-up on his latest movie Down with the King
WORDS. Will Lawrence IMAGES. Stage 6 Films
T here is a scene in Down with the King in which the hip-hop artist Money Merc launches into a freestyle rap. He begins by creating a beat deep in his throat, which gradually builds before he launches into a spontaneous set of rhymes. It is a magical moment, conjured from the mind of real- life, Grammy-nominated rapper Freddie Gibbs, making his feature film debut as an actor. It showcases not only the musician’s creative prowess, but also acts as a perfect paradigm of the filmmakers’ intent. The movie is directed by Frenchman Diego Ongaro, and captured by cinematographer Danny Vecchione and his cameraman and long-time collaborator Connor Lawson. Ongaro shoots his movies with an almost documentary-style approach, working
off a 25 to 30-page outline, rather than a script, while relying on character-based improvisation and a direct cinéma vérité feel. Gibbs’ freestyle rap is just one of many moments that blossom under Ongaro’s organic method. “That scene was my favourite thing to shoot,” begins Vecchione, “just watching Freddie work. There were constant surprises. He doesn’t write anything down, but you can almost see the ideas going through his mind. I thought him making those beats would be the entire scene – but when he launched into that freestyle rap, it was an incredible moment. You were seeing the first step in someone’s creative process.” The filmmakers’ creative game plan has forged something truly special – an American art house piece that feels
“When he launched into that freestyle rap, it was an incredible moment. You were seeing the first step in someone’s creative process”
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