5 Behind The Camera: Directors Of Photography

We'd like to focus on some of the talented people whose work you can enjoy in five of the films playing at the Toronto International Film Festival. Each is a Director of Photography, also known as a DP: Ernesto Herrera (Here Comes The Devil), Gary Shaw (iLL Manors), Linda Wassberg (Blondie), Laurie Rose (Sightseers), and Robin Thomson (Peaches Does Herself).

Ernesto Herrera, the DP for Here Comes The Devil, also worked with director Adrián García Bogliano on 2011's Penumbra. Variety made specific mention of his skills in their review, stating that he "intensifies audience unease in several scenes by portentously framing characters in mirrors, doorways and hallways, subtly suggesting that power is shifting and screws are tightening."

"What stood out most to me [in Penumbra] was the slick cinematography" which "added an almost surreal atmosphere to the film that was quite effective," said Cinema Head Cheese blog. We look forward to Herrera's work in Here Comes The Devil, which plays at the Festival.

 We have already seen DP Gary Shaw's excellent work in Duncan Jones's 2009 Moon.
"The lighting is subtle yet brilliant and the cinematography definitely succeeds in highlighting Sam's isolation," remarked Cinemaroll in their review, while Zarzax The Blog classified the cinematography as "amazing."

Shaw's work on iLL Manors, playing at the Festival, is also getting recognition. Eat Sleep Live Film proclaims, "The film's visual style belies its low-budget origins. Director of photography Gary Shaw (who also shot Duncan Jones film Moon) ensures it looks good, even when things get very bad."

Before Blondie, Linda Wassberg lensed She Monkeys in 2011. For that, she won the prize for Best Cinematography at the Transylvania International Film Festival in Romania. Sound on Sight praised Wassberg's work highly, saying, she "amps up the atmosphere: shadows, natural darkness, and narrow scope are used to emphasize the claustrophobia of the girl's lives."

Variety also took note of Wassberg's prowess in their review of She Monkeys: "The stellar tech package is led by Linda Wassberg's atmospheric, tightly focused widescreen lensing." Wassberg's work impressed Chorus and Echo, who said She Monkeys was, "beautifully shot and convincingly styled-one can only hope for more from cinematographer Linda Wassberg." We feel sure that  "more" will be more than obvious in Blondie, which will be playing at the Festival.

Ben Wheatley has previously collaborated with DP Laurie Rose on the films Kill List and Down Terrace. The two team up again on Sightseers, which is playing at the Festival. "From the very outset the cinematography is striking," notes Sound on Sight in their review of Sightseers, "direct credit to DP Laurie Rose whose use of darkness in particular is masterful."

Telegraph also had great things to say about Sightseers, remarking "Laurie Rose gives the Yorkshire and Cumbrian landscapes a dewily gorgeous sheen." The Hollywood Reporter admired how Rose's "widescreen digital cinematography presents the countryside in a sufficiently splendid and alluring manner to delight UK tourist authorities—even if Wheatley's vision of this 'green and pleasant land' tends to be strewn with messily-dispatched corpses.We don't doubt that such a contrast will be stunning in Sightseers.

Robin Thomson, who shot and edited Peaches Does Herself, graduated with a BA of Fine Arts from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, Dundee, Scotland in 2008. According to his website he is also working in Berlin as a video editor, artist, and musician, as well as managing Peaches' various online platforms, including her blog and social media.

Recently, Thomson compiled and edited a guerilla video that Peaches organized with her fans to support the Russian punk activist band Pussy Riot, who were charged and convicted of "hooliganism" (for real) for their song "Putin Lights Up The Fires." Watch the video here.

While you're waiting for a screening of Peaches Does Herself at the Festival,  you can also watch more of Thomson's work on his website.

HERE COMES THE DEVIL screening times:
Tues., Sept. 11th, 6:00PM, BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA
Wed., Sept. 13th, 7:00PM, SCOTIABANK THEATRE 3
Sun., Sept. 16th, 3:30PM, SCOTIABANK THEATRE 4

ILL MANORS Screening Times:
Sun., Sept. 9th, BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA 9:00PM
Tues., Sept. 11th, SCOTIABANK 4  4:15 PM
Sat., Sept. 15th, SCOTIABANK 4  9:30 PM

BLONDIE Screening Times:
Mon., Sept. 10th, SCOTIABANK 2  9:45PM
Wed., Sept. 12th, BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA 12:00PM
Fri., Sept. 14th, SCOTIABANK 3  6:15PM

SIGHTSEERS Screening Times:
Tues., Sept. 11th, RYERSON THEATRE 9:00PM
Thurs., Sept. 13th,  RYERSON THEATRE 12:00PM
Sun., Sept. 16th BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA 7:00PM

PEACHES DOES HERSELF Screening Times:
Thur., Sept. 13th, BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA 9:00PM
Sat., Sept. 15th, TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX 4 3:15PM
Sun., Sept. 16th, JACKMAN HALL (AGO) 4:00PM