GRANT MACALLISTER CLASSIFICATION: CAMERA OPERATOR/WESTERN REGION YEARS IN GUILD: 7 HOME BASE: LOS ANGELES FILM: BLOOD POSITIVE GEAR: ARRI ALEXA MINI, CINEOVISION HIGH-SPEED ANAMORPHIC LENSES
“Earning an Emerging Cinematographer Award is a huge milestone. It represents a validation of the hard work that not only went into making this film but of all the hard work that it has taken for me to get to this point in my career. This recognition has boosted my confidence and motivates me to continue pushing myself creatively.”
One of the few productions shooting a few months after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, in August of 2020, Blood Positive tells a gritty story of two sisters seeking revenge on their estranged father. It’s about the emotional drive for justice and the lengths we go to find the truth. And, clearly, the storyline suits the dark and moody vision MacAllister had for the film’s visual palette. It’s particularly evident in a sequence in which the sisters drag their father to a parking lot for their mother to confirm his identity. One sister has him on the ground and the other turns on the headlights, silhouetting him. “We wanted to keep the mom very mysterious until the end when she changes the course of the story for both the girls and the audience,” explains the L.A.-based camera operator. “I lit her very under-exposed, and the viewer only sees a sliver of her face in the moonlight.” “Blood Positive holds a special place in my heart, not just as a cinematographer but also as an artist,” the Santa Fe, NM, native concludes. “This film truly is a testament to collaboration and perseverance, especially with the challenges of shooting with a very small crew on an indie budget, and navigating production during the early months of the pandemic.” In addition to earning an ECA, Torn will be screened at the Cannes Indie Shorts Awards Festival in October.
SEPTEMBER 2023
55