DREW DAWSON CLASSIFICATION: CAMERA OPERATOR/WESTERN REGION YEARS IN GUILD: 12 HOME BASE: LOS ANGELES FILM: FOR THOSE WHO DON’T KNOW HOW GEAR: RED KOMODO 6K, ZEISS B SPEEDS, ASTERA TITAN TUBES
“I saw the ECA program as a roadmap toward working as a cinematographer. Becoming an ECA honoree feels like a turning point, allowing me more space to focus on the craft and hopefully help others meet their goals as cinematic artists.”
A relationship ends, a new one begins and in the process, a man discovers a deeper sense of self and a clearer understanding of the dynamic of romantic relationships. That’s the premise of Drew Dawson’s ECA-honored short film, For Those Who Don’t Know How. Flashbacks were crucial to charting the ebb and flow of the protagonist’s life, “the changing seasons of things and the inevitable act of entropy that forces us to grow into something new,” explains Dawson, a Detroit native. The ⅛-page scenes that build mood and backstory are scattered throughout the script and created a scheduling challenge for the two-day shoot. “[Director] Brian Chamberlayne and I would try to simplify these moments by asking, ‘How can we make the most impact in a single shot?’ By focusing on simplicity and creative scheduling, I feel like we met the challenge by thinking critically on the intentionality of each frame.” A strategic approach to lighting also saved vital minutes. “We had a few Astera Titan tubes outfitted with Lightsock40 modifiers, making the thin light source larger and softer,” Dawson recalls. “[Chief Lighting Technician] Lawrence Le was able to color match any available lighting with his Sekonic color meter, and I never felt like I was sacrificing output for our night scenes. If anything, I was turning the Titan tubes down or shaping them with flags and modifiers. And there was only one shot where we plugged a light into the wall – everything else was run on internal batteries. With this approach, we were able to move incredibly quickly.”
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SEPTEMBER 2023