Definition March 2021 - Web

PRODUCTION | NOMADLAND

“It fits thematically with an older generation lost in a modern world, but it’s also about not putting anything between the audience and the film’s world. We tried some grain looks in post, but again that didn’t fit. I used a lot of internal neutral density and set the ISO around 1280, so that did offer slight softening, but it was primarily to prepare for low-light situations.” On the subject of lighting, Richards reveals that the crew relied heavily on what was naturally available, although they did manage to build all the camp lights themselves by filling them with bunches of LED Lite Ribbons from Litegear. “This avoided the harsh quality the lamps would have had,” he explains. “But besides some small LED panels, that was it for lighting.” THE AMERICAN WEST Of course, there’s more to cinematography than function and, simply put, Nomadland is a gorgeous film. It’s rich and serene – what Richards refers to as a “heightened naturalism” – and, at its heart, is the American landscape. “Chloé would joke on set and say: ‘Josh, you really need to make these images sing, because there ain’t much else going on in this scene’,” Richards recalls. “In reality, she was saying that she wanted the visual language to be very clear. Every image needed to be adding some kind of emotion – that was our rule. If it wasn’t, we wouldn’t even do the take.” While a lot of films these days rely on trickery, Richards points out that there was no artifice involved in the filming of Nomadland – just the art of good timing and intention. “I do think shooting in harsher light conditions works against you when shooting digital,” he adds. “There can be a lack of latitude compared to film.” For Richard, this rendered the softer light of what he called the ‘ magic hour ’ IMAGES Frances McDormand alongside David Strathairn in Nomadland (top right); McDormand plays the central character, Fern (bottom right); Richards on set during the filming (below)

essential. “That’s when you felt the depth of the landscape and then it really came alive, with that nuanced light.” In preparation for filming, the pair also spent a lot of time looking at paintings by the Hudson River school, including artworks by Albert Bierstadt. “They are these paintings of the Old West and they always express some kind of decay in the foreground,” he explains. “But there’s also a luminescence in the distance that speaks of a promised land. So, we used that soft light to evoke a conversation between Fern and her surroundings – one of the past receding but also of opportunity on the horizon. I like that idea – seeing Fern move through decaying America towards something else.” He and Zhao went

to leave feeling like you’ve not taken a good gulp of the landscape.” With that said, it’s obvious the pair wanted the landscape to represent Fern’s own journey. “Ultimately, my job was just to give Chloé enough poetry for the edit and what she found there really blew me away. It’s a language that constantly propels you forward, but never rushes.” Through conversation, it’s clear that Richards values such a unique and creative experience, particularly working alongside Zhao. “I think every story should be approached in a different way, but sometimes filmmakers just get stuck in a model, repeating what’s always been done,” he says. “I’m not saying everything we did on Nomadland was groundbreaking, but it’s important to challenge the way we make films and I’m learning from the journey with Chloé as much as anyone. It’s scary when you’re doing it! But I think that’s a good place to be. It’s freedom really, and that’s quite a privilege, isn’t it?” NOMADLAND IS SET FOR UK RELEASE ON 9 APRIL

out of their way to make sure that every shot was intentional. “Chloé did a great job of scheduling ample time to shoot landscapes,” says Richards. “It was important to her. You don’t travel to these places

Ultimately, my job was just to give Chloé enough poetry for the edit

06 DEF I N I T ION | MARCH 202 1

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