Eric Koretz was the cinematographer for Sam Esmail’s “Comet.” His previous credits include the award-winning documentary “Dragonslayer” and AMC webseries “The Trivial Pursuits of Arthur Banks.” The film stars Emmy Rossum (“The Phantom of the Opera,” “Mystic River”) and Justin Long (“Live Free or Die Hard,” “Dodgeball”) and will have its world premiere on the 13th of July.
[Editor’s Note: Indiewire reached out to filmmakers with films playing at the 20th LA Film Festival (June 11-19) to ask them about how they shot their indie, and what advice they had for other filmmakers. We’ll be posting their responses throughout the run of the festival. Go HERE for the master list.]
What camera and lens did you use? Red Epic with Cooke S4 primes.
What was the most difficult shoot on your movie and how did you pull it off? The scenes at the cemetery were difficult because we couldn’t control the time of day in which to shoot because we didnt have much time there. Furthermore the weather was changing from cloudy to sunny frequently. This made matching shots difficult. We achieved it by planning well and changing on the fly with my Key Grip Jerry Deats and my Gaffer Jeffrey Petersen.
What’s the one thing you wish someone had told you BEFORE you started your movie? No matter what you plan for it’s all going to be different.
What’s the worst piece of advice you ever got? It will work out just like it’s planned.
What’s the best? No matter what you plan for it’s all going to be different.
What advice do you have for aspiring or first-time filmmakers? Adapt to the environment and the limitations and make them your strong suit in shooting. Don’t be so rigid that you feel you have to make it a certain way if all signs point to a better way of shooting a scene. Be creative and adaptable.
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