Articles


In Memoriam JAN VAN MEERTEN

Amsterdam, 2024-09-27 - Dirk Teenstra / Mick van Rossum

Op 21 september jl. overleed op bijna 90-jarige leeftijd JAN VAN MEERTEN; de eerste studieleider camera aan de filmacademie.


Aziz Al-Dilaimi - Talent, A Curse and a Blessing

Amsterdam, 2024-07-12 - Gerlinda Heywegen

Aziz Al-Dilaimi. His work is often flamboyant, while he himself is reserved. He speaks softly and carefully. He visualizes everything, long before even a second has been shot, and then, in the preparation, it all has to be condensed into words. And that’s not always easy. In his opinion, it’s a curse and a blessing. And that is not just a flippant remark. It is not a question of values either, ‘non-judgemental’ is who he is. It’s almost a matter of life and death, in fact, as becomes apparent in a good, long interview in Amsterdam one morning in spring.


Evelin van Rei - shooting Passenger

London, 2024-06-12 - Evelin van Rei

Evelin shot episodes 4-6 with director Nicole Charles for the new Sister Pictures (The Power, Landscapers, Chernobyl) series called ‘Passenger’. They shot the fictional village of Chadder Vale in different locations across Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire, on the ARRI Alexa Mini LF paired with the Zeiss Supreme Prime Radiance Lenses.


Lola Mooij - Finding Magic in Real Life

Amsterdam, 2024-01-23 - Judith Boeschoten and Nina da Costa

It’s a cold winter day when we arrive at Lola Mooij’s front door. She invites us in, pours us hot tea, and lights a few candles to make her already warm apartment extra cozy for us. She was reading The Secret Garden, a children's book written in 1911, about finding magic in the mundane. For the next two hours, Lola describes how she brings her own projects to life, inspiring her crew to pour in that extra touch of magic, whatever genre they’re working in.


GHOST TROPIC

Amsterdam, 2024-01-17 - NSC

The winner of the fifth Robby Müller Award is the Belgian DOP GRIMM VANDEKERCKHOVE. He is known for the subtler way in which he captures the inner world of characters, such as that of a cleaning lady on a nighttime journey home in GHOST TROPIC (2019)


2024 ROBBY MÜLLER AWARD goes to GRIMM VANDEKERCKHOVE

Amsterdam, 2023-12-12 - NSC / IFFR

The recipient of our fifth annual Robby Müller Award is Belgian cinematographer Grimm Vandekerckhove, renowned for his delicate, humanist work with filmmaker Bas Devos, amongst others.


Goert Giltay - Zen and the Art of Tightrope Walking

Amsterdam, 2023-11-29 - Gerlinda Heywegen

Goert Giltay, recently retired director of photography with a huge track record, likes to leave things up to others when his style is concerned. Every film was a new search. Sometimes his work had to be zen and a few times he got angry. But friendship was the core of his work, with ‘his’ heroes of cinema, the directors.


EURO CINE EXPO 2023 - MOTORWORLD, MUNICH

Amsterdam, 2023-07-05 - Miga Bär

Last year Munich and the German film industry were introduced to a new event called Euro Cine Expo. On June 30 and July 1 of this year the sophomore edition took place at Motorworld in Munich.


HBO CAS 2023

Amsterdam, 2023-06-21 - Ties Versteegh NSC

On Wednesday, June 14th, the NSC presented the exclusive HBO CAS 2023 showcased by Director of Photography:Suny Behar.


Lennert Hillege - Making Movies at Full Steam!

Amsterdam, 2023-06-08 - Gerlinda Heywegen

Director of Photography Lennert Hillege claims he does not have his own style. He is just as good or bad as the project he works on. He says he is always looking for the right wavelength to attune to in collaborations, whether that is with directors he has worked with for years or whether he works with new ones, such as Steve McQueen with whom he worked recently.


P I N A

Amsterdam, 2023-01-13 - Nina da Costa

In the run-up to the ceremony of the 4th edition of the Robby Müller Award, the NSC takes you on a journey along the films of winner cinematographer Hélène Louvart AFC.


Piotr Kukla - No plans on retiring any time soon!

Den Haag, 2023-01-06 - Gerlinda Heywegen

Piotr Kukla will often use that word in this interview when he is talking about something or someone. A little afraid that he won’t be able to work in the Netherlands anymore because of his age, enthusiastic about his students at the Łódź Film School in Poland. Full of love for the directors he has worked with for years, and where storyboarding is sacred.


Sander Snoep - Never in charge, always a guest

Amsterdam, 2022-09-02 - Gerlinda Heywegen

Sander Snoep has been a well-known player in the Dutch documentary scene for years and would never have expected to still be so passionate about his profession. He is still curious every single time he’s starting a project. How his films get made, in rain or shine, does not matter to him. As long as they come about.


2021 ROBBY MÜLLER AWARD goes to Kelly Reichardt

Rotterdam, 2020-12-22 - Bianca van Riemsdijk

Kelly Reichardt will receive the second annual Robby Müller Award. As part of the award, she will also receive a gallery print of one of Robby Müller’s Polaroids.


Paul Özgür - In a hurry to make that one masterpiece

Amsterdam, 2022-02-25 - Gerlinda Heywegen

He’s aiming for a large audience. His work has to be seen by as many people as possible. He talks about balance, Dutch DP Paul Özgür. In style and story and also in his own portfolio. And then there are the rules.


Myrthe Mosterman - Finding Synergy

Amsterdam, 2021-11-15 - Gerlinda Heywegen

A Gouden Kalf Award (Dutch film award) for her first feature film; that is what happened to DP Myrthe Mosterman in October 2020. In a Zoom interview, she talks about her style and how she prefers to work. NSC manifest New Deal pops up once again in this interviews series and it seems inevitable to address ‘being a woman’ within this ‘male profession’. But so far, she does not yet have to use a nom de plume.


Jean Counet - A jazz musician’s travels

Amsterdam, 2021-06-01 - Gerlinda Heywegen

There were five films on the shortlist for discussion with DP Jean Counet. Two feature films and three documentaries. Although Counet studied Directing at St Lukas, Brussels, he prefers to be a cameraman. But the conversation via Zoom kicked off with his own work, due to the March 2020 lockdown.


Martijn van Broekhuizen - Gangs of London

Amsterdam, 2021-04-23 - Aart Verschuur

Martijn van Broekhuizen worked on the first season of Gangs of London and is currently shooting the second season. 


Richard van Oosterhout - Insight and Wonder

The Netherlands, 2021-02-10 - Gerlinda Heywegen

Netherlands Society of Cinematographers initiates a series of interviews. NSC chair Richard van Oosterhout starts. He talks about his work, a Dutch New Deal, creativity on set and about breaking with what you know.


Sidik and The Panther

Amsterdam, 2020-11-17 - Freek Zonderland

SIDIK AND THE PANTHER is a film about a man called Sidik, wandering around in the mountains of Kurdistan looking for a sign of the Persian leopard. Directed by Reber Dosky and shot by Roy van Egmond. Selected for IDFA 2019 and Camerimage 2020, mominated for an IMAGE award.


Sisters

Amsterdam, 2020-05-05 - Freek Zonderland

ZUSSEN (SISTERS) is a short dance film by director Daphne Lucker and cinematographer Casper van Oort. It has screened and has won prices at festivals all over the world. In November it screened in the student competition at Camerimage and it won the IMAGO Student Award 2020. 


Onderhuids

Amsterdam, 2020-04-27 - Freek Zonderland

ONDERHUIDS (UNDER THE SKIN) from director Emma Branderhorst and cinematographer Michel Rosendaal screened at the Berlinale earlier this year. We spoke with Michel about this poetically shot twenty-minute short film. 


First ROBBY MÜLLER AWARD goes to Diego García

Rotterdam, 2019-10-30 - IFFR / NSC

The Robby Müller Award honours an ‘image maker’ who, in the spirit of the late Robby Müller, has created an authentic, credible and emotionally striking visual language throughout their oeuvre. The first award goes to Diego García and will be presented at the 49th International Film Festival Rotterdam.


The Circle of Film

Amsterdam, 2019-10-02 - Jean van de Velde

"Wil de Nederlandse filmcultuur overleven, dan zal de filmketen een filmketting moeten worden! Dan moet het einde van die keten (de filmexploitatie) aan het begin (de filmproductie) geklonken worden. Dan moeten de baten aan het einde de 'boost' voor een nieuw begin zijn."


Regisseurs naar de achterbank

Amsterdam, 2019-08-24 - Jos van der Burg & Karin Wolfs

“Doreen krijgt heel veel power.” Aldus waarnemend Filmfonds-directeur Ger Bouma tien jaar geleden over de benoeming van Doreen Boonekamp tot directeur. Anders dan haar voorgangers kreeg Boonekamp bij haar aantreden twee petten: ze werd zowel directeur als bestuurder van het Filmfonds.


NSC Investigates Film Making Process in The Netherlands

Amsterdam, 2019-05-01 - NSC

The Netherlands Society of Cinematographers (NSC) conducted a survey among its members as a response to the Netherlands Film Production Incentive 2014-2017 evaluation.


The Cinematographer as Co-Author

Amsterdam, 2019-05-09 - Hans Beerekamp

While cleaning up his archive, film journalist Hans Beerekamp found several editions of the (small-scale published) Dutch film magazine Cineécri.


New Deal NSC

Amsterdam, 2019-04-17 - NSC

Uit een NSC-enquête die in mei 2018 onder de leden is gehouden, was de belangrijkste conclusie dat het de DP’s frustreert dat ze hun werk niet optimaal kunnen uitvoeren. Daarom dit manifest met suggesties om het werkproces te veranderen.


Emotional Shapes and Textures - Daniël Bouquet

Amsterdam, 2018-07-15 - Vincent Visser

Immediately after his graduation from the Dutch Film Academy in 2006, Daniël Bouquet made a flying start as Director of Photography. For his second feature length production “Nothing Personal” (2008) he won the Golden Calf award for best Cinematography during the Netherlands Film Festival in 2009. Nowadays he works mainly on a variety of international projects, amongst commercials for major brands like Adidas, Gillette and Vogue. The NSC talked with him about his career, interests and more.  


Frank van den Eeden about Waldstille

Amsterdam, - Vincent Visser

Dutch cinematographer Frank van den Eeden (May 14, 1971), resident of Antwerp is best known for his work with directors such as Fien Troch, Nanouk Leopold and Jan Verheyen. Besides many nominations he has won several awards for his work as cinematographer.  One of his later productions is ‘Waldstille’ from writer and director Martijn Maria Smits, a feature film that got its world-premiere during the San Sebastian Film Festival in 2016. The NSC talked with Frank about this film.


Living the Light, at 75th Venice International Film Festival

Amsterdam, 2018-11-18 - Vincent Visser

Living the Light – Robby Müller, made by Claire Pijman NSC, will have its world premiere at the 75th Venice International Film Festival and is selected for the Venice Classics competition


Time Layers Come Together

Amsterdam, 2018-11-17 - Vincent Visser

'Paolo Ventura, Vanishing Man,’ shows how an Italian artist creates his own timeless melancholic world in a barn on an abandoned mountaintop in Italy. With paint, cardboard, and relics of a human life, he resonates his childhood’s memories and isolation by giving himself and found objects a new magical life.   


Beerified Scope

Amsterdam, 2018-11-16 - Vincent Visser

Joris Kerbosch (Culemborg, 1980) is best known for his work as cinematographer for directing duo Steffen Haars and Flip van der Kuil, for whom he shot the movies ‘New Kids Turbo’ (2010), ‘New Kids Nitro’ (2011) and ‘BROs BEFORE HOs’ (2013). ‘Ron Goossens, Low-Budget Stuntman,’ is their fourth feature film collaboration. Together those comedies where amongst the highest grossing films in The Netherlands and acclaimed international recognition. NSC spoke with cinematographer Joris Kerbosch about the film.

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The Cinematographer as Co-Author


Amsterdam, 2019-05-09 - Hans Beerekamp

While cleaning up his archive film journalist Hans Beerekamp found several editions of the (small-scale published) Dutch film magazine Cineécri. In the third publication from 1965 he found a contribution by the late Robby Müller NSC, BVK (1940-2018). Just graduated from the Dutch Film Academy in 1964 he writes about the collaboration with directors. Given the still actual content we have translated the article for a wide audience.

 

Robby Müller in front of the camera of the Dutch Film Academy short film

Robby Müller in front of the camera for a student short film 1962-'64 

 

Cineécri: Publications about Film 3

The good or not so good cooperation between director and cinematographer, is variable and depends, for example, on the extent which the director acts in a controlled or dictatorial manner. 

But whether it is an ideal collaboration, the cinematographer contributes in a direct, independent manner from the director to the final film.

 

Apart from this direct, constant contribution from the cinematographer, they always continue to influence all aspects of filmmaking.

As far as it concerns photography, the director has to rely almost entirely on the cinematographer: there is no time to discuss gray tones and lighting set-ups. The cinematographer does this based on their own intuition; not only the exposure but also the choice of the lens.

The most useful staging description seems to me: a director determines which actors appear in a scene and LIMIT their actions, till only the most essential remains. The cinematographer who naturally knows each part by heart, places them in the frame. It is therefore necessary that they know exactly what will happen. During rehearsals they do not have to 'rehearse' through the camera constantly, but step aside next to the camera and pay attention to what kind of actors they have to deal with, their tempo, and so on. They know what to expect because they do not remain 'isolated' from the cast who were accidently out of the frame and also had their contribution. So they can come up with suggestions for placement and movement of the actors.

Their participation is therefore so imminent that they exactly know/feel what they can afford when it is shot and recognize THEIR understanding of camera movement and framing, even if something unexpected happens, so it does not result in 'useless' movements.

In case there is not so good team play between director and cinematographer, too much thought is going out during principal photography that editing is there for fixing. That is what you often see: the inability to reproduce the essence in a shot.

Using the zoom lens gives more or less the same problem of 'useless' movements. The advantage is that one can isolate a detail from a long shot in a more easy way. Moreover, the scene does not have to be interrupted, which is necessary for making an intermediate shot. If someone chooses a zoom movement or an intermediate shot depends on the character of the film. However, in my view a zoom lens can form a more concentrated point of attention, if made on the rhythm of the acting performance (contrary to the editing rhythm) since then it confines it in the biological rhythm of the scene.

This may cause complications for the director during editing because they may have preferred to see a completely different detail; a good cinematographer or at least one who got a clear idea through the director of what is happening on a dramatic level, must have seen that essential moment. The cinematographer always remain to keep certain freedom of action with which they can put their trademark on the scene and so later on in the editing.

In Voce it is important that the cinematographer does not just work from start to finish, but they remain on a constant level, so you always have editing possibilities WITHIN a shot or scene. Given the influence a cinematographer can have, it is not enough to inform them per individual scene, but the director has to go through the entire film with them so they know the script/screenplay on forehand. In this way they can discuss expected shortcomings of the scenario.

In order to achieve good interaction, the director should not choose a cinematographer only based on craftsmanship (proper exposure, smooth movements, etc.), but if their mentality suits them; someone from whom they can expect a creative contribution; a kind of co-author.

 

"Cineécri was a film magazine founded by former Dutch Film Academy student Frans van de Staak around 1961-‘62. This magazine was more philosophical oriented, aimed at an audience that had more interest in Husserl, Heidegger and Merlau-Ponty than in film. Van de Staak would later exchange the academy for studies in psychology."

source: Tee, E (2002). Passion and Profession: The History of the Dutch Film and Television Academy. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Dutch Film Academy.

 

Original Ciné-Ecri publication by Robby Müller about the collaboration with directors

Original Ciné-Ecri publication by Robby Müller about the collaboration with directors

Original Ciné-Ecri publication by Robby Müller about the collaboration with directors

Pictures by courtesy of Hans Beerekamp and family Müller

English translation by Vincent Visser & Herman Verschuur

Special thanks to Hans Beerekamp