In this episode, you'll hear from both the cinematographer and the "A" camera operator of Mindhunter, who worked together throughout Season 1 and 2 to shoot every single episode. Please enjoy this exclusive interview with Erik Messerschmidt, ASC and Brian Osmond, SOC!
Listen and you will discover:
—Erik's career path (00:04:06)
—Erik's favorite part of the job (00:06:42)
—What DP's should know to best work with their gaffers, from Erik's experience working as a gaffer before becoming a DP (00:07:02)
—Unique skills Erik gained from his experience as a gaffer (00:07:56)
—How Brian got his career started (00:11:19)
—Brian's favorite part of his job (00:12:19)
—What other directors can learn from how David Fincher treats his crew (00:18:39)
—The thought process & techniques behind Mindhunter's precise camera movement (00:22:50)
—The strategic use of handheld camera operating (00:34:27)
—The collaborative nature of the Mindhunter set (00:37:34)
—The importance of having a dedicated camera operator on set, especially on a David Fincher set (00:41:19)
—Erik's role as "quality control supervisor” (00:44:21)
—Why a monitor on a David Fincher set is covered in smudges (00:46:57)
—Why there's no such thing as a B camera “bonus shot" on MIndhunter & how shots are planned out for multiple cameras (00:48:23)
—What Erik thinks is the hardest shot to do well (00:52:04)
—How Erik lights & shoots with 2 cameras simultaneously (00:53:41)
—Erik's approach to lighting Mindhunter & techniques used (00:56:55)
—Erik's preference for real fluorescent lighting (01:03:30)
—Mindhunter's production design and how much of the locations were built (01:05:01)
—Favorite set of Season 2 (01:06:26)
—How getting scripts in advance helps them work better (01:10:44)
—The innovative car process shooting on Mindhunter & how it works (01:12:38)
—How virtual production helps realize every filmmaker's dream, stopping time, & how Erik used that to shoot a 9-minute dialog scene at dawn (01:18:02)
—How the car process shooting on Mindhunter evolved from Season 1 (01:22:37)
—How the custom RED digital cinema camera, dubbed the Xenomorph, evolved from Season 1 (01:27:22)
—Why Brian prefers a fluid head over a geared head to achieve those smooth, precise shots David Fincher loves (01:37:34)
—How to shoot a scene & why “Fix it in prep!" should be every filmmaker's mantra (01:42:08)
—All about the lenses used on Mindhunter & how Erik art directed the artifacts & nuances of every optical aberration (01:48:10)
—Tips from Brian on getting really precise shots with a fluid head, what operating technique Erik has learned from Brian, & how being self-critical is a key to his success (01:56:42)
—What Erik & Brian feel is the most rewarding part of working on Mindhunter (02:02:47)
If you haven't yet, please subscribe to be notified of future episodes, and share this podcast with others to help grow the show and spread the knowledge! And if you're on Apple Podcasts, a review would be very appreciated!
Follow Art of the Shot on Social Media:
Derek Stettler:
Erik Messerschmidt, ASC:
Brian Osmond, SOC