Cinematographers Rachel Morrison Ari Wegner On Their Career Paths

Morrison, after inquiring about Wegner’s journey from the camera department to shorts to indie features — and professing her appreciation for the Wegner-shot Sundance breakout “Zola” — commented on how the choices off screen are often what can define a DPs’ career trajectory. “People often ask [what’s] the secret, and there really is no secret. I think so much of it is finding projects that you feel passionate [about], and choosing wisely and not getting sidetracked by the carrot [of] maybe a good paycheck, or your first studio film, if it doesn’t speak to you,” Morrison said. “And it feels like maybe we had a similar path in that way, like every film you’ve done is something you can stand by and feel proud.”

Wegner agreed, admitting she found the commitment of making a feature to be something that becomes so mentally all-consuming — even through months of unpaid pre-production — that she wouldn’t even know how to feign interest in a script that didn’t intrigue her. “I think DPs can see in each other’s work not just the whole effect, but then [all] of the work that it takes to create a beautiful frame,” said Wegner. “Sometimes literally months of really boring emails and meetings and phone calls to create something so beautiful.” While Morrison and Wegner did talk about the year-plus of prep Wegner did with director Jane Campion on “The Power of the Dog” — a repeated topic throughout this long Oscar season — what excited both cinematographers was the freedom that can come with a director like Campion, within even the best laid plans. In particular, the ability in certain scenes to go handheld and be more instinctive. “It’s funny when I watch back the film, the voice in my head’s still there, being like, ’Tilt down a little bit.’ Then the camera would tilt down,” laughed Wegner. “I’m still like wired into it — my instincts are the same.” You can watch the full interview below: