POST-PRODUCTION GLADIATOR II
WORDS Nicola Foley
S tephen Nakamura is one of for his collaborations with visionary directors including David Fincher and Steven Spielberg, as well as celebrated cinematographers like Dariusz Wolski and Robert Richardson. His most defining creative partnership of all, though, has been with Ridley Scott. Over the past 15 years, Nakamura has worked on nearly all of Scott’s films, including The Martian , the Alien franchise, Napoleon and, most recently, Gladiator II . Initially working in editing, Nakamura started his career at a Warner Bros- owned post house in his early twenties, where he immediately took an interest in the work of the colourists. “It was like a fish to water for me!” he smiles. “Everything they were doing fit my skill set and my personality. I’ve always been a very observant, visual person,” he says. “Even as a kid, I loved photography and the artistry of creating images. I’d admire people who could create something beautiful. I’m not a cinematographer, but becoming a colourist meant I could help with the look of movies, which I love.” Starting as a telecine colourist, Nakamura honed his skills working on Hollywood’s most sought-after feature film colourists, known music videos, commercials and TV shows before transitioning to feature films. His big break came while working on digital dailies for David Fincher’s The Game . “Fincher was one of the first directors to embrace the DI process,” Nakamura recalls. “From there, I dove into features and never looked back.” GREAT SCOTT Nakamura’s relationship with Scott began in 2006 while remastering Blade Runner for theatrical release, and the pair instantly clicked. “I really understand how Ridley looks at cinematography. He’s a
Colourist Stephen Nakamura from Company 3 on his long history of collaboration with Ridley Scott and crafting the look of the new sequel
talented painter, so his understanding of light and composition is amazing,” he says. “I quickly understood his vision, and there’s now an unspoken language between us. I can create the looks he wants and likes without him needing to say anything.” As well as creative chemistry, their collaboration thrived through a shared work ethic. “Ridley is incredibly efficient and organised. He shot Gladiator II in 51 days, which is astounding! In life generally, we both also operate that way. As human beings, we’re very similar in our approach. We both don’t want to waste time and we’re also perfectionists.” CRAFTING THE LOOK When it came to Gladiator II , Nakamura’s brief from Scott was typically short and sweet. “Ridley usually gives me a 20-second rundown,” Nakamura explains. “He’ll say something like, ‘make this one a bit more saturated than the last, with this kind of contrast’, and that’s it. Sometimes he might refer to another film or send a couple of reference images, but he trusts me to take it from there.” The film’s distinct look – deep shadows, a saturated palette and bold colour choices for flashbacks and action sequences – emerged from there through collaboration between colourist, DOP and director. Nakamura began work once the film had been cut together, using John Mathieson’s dailies as his primary reference point. “The dailies are everything,” he states. “They set the
AIMING FOR PERFECTION Nakamura (top) refines the shadows and light of the digital dailies he receives from filmmakers like Scott
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