LOVE LIES BLEEDING PRODUCTION
R evenge gets ripped in reunite with cinematographer Ben Fordesman. Exploring the tumultuous relationship between Lou (Kristen Stewart), a reclusive gym manager, and Jackie (Katy O’Brian), a bodybuilder passing through town on her way to a competition, Love Lies Bleeding is a steroid-steeped depiction of eighties Americana. As the two grow closer, they are dragged into the violent underworld of Lou’s criminal family. Fordesman began his career as a director Rose Glass’s second feature film, which sees her technician, initially working on a feature in 2007 as a trainee electrician. “At first, I was mostly interested in lighting,” he begins. “I found working in the lighting department a useful way to learn on the front line next to some talented gaffers and cinematographers. Thanks to low-budget music video productions, I became a young gaffer myself. It was music videos where I also started to shoot my own work as a cinematographer with up-and-coming directors who saw something in me.”
Fordesman’s debut feature film as cinematographer came in 2019 with the psychological horror Saint Maud , which also marked his first collaboration with Glass. The film was a turning point for both director and cinematographer, and saw Glass nominated for outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer at the 2021 BAFTA Film Awards. Meanwhile, Fordesman nabbed best cinematography at the British Independent Film Awards for his work on the film. “It was a great debut for Rose, backed up by A24 in the US. Love Lies Bleeding was next and lucky for me she brought me back on,” shares Fordesman. When it came to initial conversations about the look of Love Lies Bleeding , Fordesman was given a long list of film references by Glass. “ Show Girls (1995), Paris, Texas (1984) and To Live and Die in LA (1985) were just some of the films we looked at,” he recalls. “We were embracing the eighties’ excess. Compositionally, we approached the film much the same way as Saint Maud for people talking in rooms, but the larger set pieces were new and proved to be a head-scratcher to work out.” Fordesman opted to shoot the film with the ARRI ALEXA Mini, accompanied with Panavision PVintage lenses. “Newer, larger format sensor cameras were available, but I’ve always felt this look is so contemporary and more towards a familiar digital look with its reduced depth-of-field,” notes Fordesman. “We originally wanted to shoot on film, but couldn’t for budget reasons. The ALEXA Mini was closer to Super 35 and more digital noise in given ISO, which was embraced. Also, the camera weight is lighter with the ALEXA Mini, meaning longer handheld takes and movement becomes less inhibited.” One of the most challenging sequences to realise for Fordesman was the surreal climatic scene, which sees Jackie transform into a giant,
21
definitionmags
Powered by FlippingBook