DYNAMIC DUOS
While Black Rabbit is their latest shared credit, director Ben Semanoff and DOP Igor Martinovic go way back. We catch up with the pair, discovering the key to their years-long creative partnership Ben Semanoff & Igor Martinovic DYNAMIC DUOS
WORDS KATIE KASPERSON
DEFINITION: What were your first impressions of one another?
IM: I believe there is a certain visual language we speak. It’s
more. That was something I felt like Ben would provide, and he absolutely did. Immediately, it was abundantly clear we could do something together that would enhance each other’s work. DEF: Ben, when you were on Black Rabbit you stepped into a directorial role. How did your relationship with Igor change? BS: I don’t think it felt that different. There wasn’t hesitation from Igor to contribute ideas or challenge me. That’s what our relationship has always been – challenging each other in a respectful way, which benefits the work.
really easy to work with somebody that speaks the same language as you. It’s all about trust and believing someone is going to interpret things in a way that is close to your vision.
BEN SEMANOFF: Igor was a cinematographer on The Night Of , and he interviewed me as his camera operator. It was like a bolt of lightning when I sat down with him; I had never been with a filmmaker who seemed so passionate and enthusiastic about cinema. I felt like there was a wealth of knowledge to gain from him. IGOR MARTINOVIC: I had a clear idea of what I wanted to do, but I needed somebody who could come in and execute that – and then add
BS: You are just looking for the sound of two hands clapping,
don’t you think? I think that having worked with Igor over the years, no matter what our roles have been, it has always felt that way. The two of us are genuinely listening to each other and adding to each other’s ideas in a truly constructive way.
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