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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NSC Investigates Film Making Process in The Netherlands


Amsterdam, 2019-05-01 - NSC

The following is a re-edited English translated version of the original "Dutch Cinematographers Pass Judgement on Film-Making Process," analysis by Afdeling Filmzaken.

The Netherlands Society of Cinematographers (NSC) conducted a survey among its members as a response to the Netherlands Film Production Incentive 2014-2017 evaluation. (Read the results here). The aim was to find out whether the Film Fund's policy 'more money to less productions' and the Netherlands Film Production Incentive led to the intended changes in working conditions. The survey examines the relation between Film Fund, producers and creators. 

The following questions are central to the results of the survey. We first mention the outcome, in some cases followed by a summary made by Afdeling Filmzaken:

  • Is there a significant change in prep, shooting and post-production time for the DoP and other crew?
  • Is there a difference in approach of workflow?
  • Do we get more involved in projects coming from abroad?
  • Is the position of the DoP improved? Especially in relationship to the producer and line-producer, since the Film Fund considers producers as their most important sparring partner.

 

NSC-members and production-offices;

  • There is this Dutch ‘genetic’ problem: a tendency to aim for rules and regulations. Same goes for the Film Fund; too many rules.
  • Filmmakers (directors and screenplay writers) follow these rules too literally instead of following their own dreams and passion.
  • The necessity is disappearing by "follow the rules and get the money to make your film," approach.
  • Too much interference from one side and too little ambition and perseverance from the other side.

There are too many rules, also from the Film Fund. Directors and screenwriters follow these rules too strict instead of following their own dreams and passion.

 

Prep Days

  • The majority of cinematographers sees a decline in preparation time.
  • There is hardly any time to figure out the style and look of a project.
  • Prep with director and other heads of department is always too short.

There is hardly any time to determine the style and 'look' of the film.

 

Fee

  • No change at all. It's even became more difficult to get normal rates. Most of the times a producer offers a disproportionate flat fee which is not equal to the number of actual working days.
  • Rates have not changed over the last 10 years.
  • Experience is not a benchmark. Young people grow fast towards the standard rates. When this plateau is reached no difference is made between 5 or 25 years of experience.

Fees are the same for 10 years. 

  • Spending obligations within coproduction-projects often result in a mandatory cooperation with crew and rental companies. This can be a nice surprise, like working with a great gaffer one didn't know before.
  • But this also means you cannot work with the trusted people and companies you know well, which could save time and money.

Spending obligations mean that you can not cooperate with the people and companies you have a bond with, saving time and money.

 

Conclusions

  1. We notice no change in number of working days and rates since the introduction of the incentive.
  2. Almost every production starts too early with filming. The script is not ready yet or there's more time needed for preparation.
  3. DoP's are often the most experienced people on and around a film set. Please use that given fact!

Details make the difference. Finetuning the script, finding the right people (cast & crew), finding that specific location... That is the only way to distiguish the film. Please... give us more time... please!!! 

 

Summarized by Afdeling Filmzaken

Investigation shows that the policy line "more money for less films" and the Film Production Incentive;

  • Have not led to an improvement in preparation time, required need of shooting days and post-production time of a film. There is a general lack of time. This lack of time is so acute that the (artistic) quality of Dutch films have to suffer.
  • There is a gap in knowledge between cinematographers and the production staff so that ambitions can hardly be realized.
  • Cinematographers have hardly found work in foreign productions.
  • It is difficult to work with the crew and companies of your choice.
  • Cinematographers are not involved earlier in the process, as the rules prescribe.

The cinematographers sketch a rather disturbing picture of the creative process of a Dutch film. It is clear that it almost impossible to achieve quality with the ever cheaper and faster mentality.

What can filmmakers do about this?

Maybe it's time for directors, screenwriters, actors, art directors and editors to show what they need to achieve quality via their societies or the Afdeling Filmzaken-website. This is very important because only they know the demands for this. 

It is time that screenwriters, directors, actors, cinematographers, art directors and editors indicate how they can achieve quality. Nobody else can do that for them. If they don't, no one does it.