7 Questions with Cinematographer Dion Beebe

IMAX In Frame May 2023  ‌ ‌ ‌ [IMAX Logo](imax.com?campaign_id=73&campaign_name=%5Bv2%5D+%5BFINAL%5D+May+2023%3A+In+Frame&campaign_type=newsletter&message_id=165&utm_campaign=%5Bv2%5D+%5BFINAL%5D+May+2023%3A+In+Frame&utm_content=May+2023%3A+In+Frame&utm_medium=email&utm_source=owned) Welcome to the story behind the story. This is IMAX in Frame   Photo: @[Dion Beebe (@ddbeebe) on Instagram]( Behind the Lens & Under the Sea In Conversation with Cinematographer Dion Beebe A lone camera perched atop its tripod, standing amid a crystal-clear sea. In the distance, a verdant island cliff breaks up the blue-green of the water and the cerulean of the tropical island sky. It's quite a sight, but it's all just in another day's work for cinematographer Dion Beebe. Known for rich visual spectacles such as CHICAGO, MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA, and INTO THE WOODS, Beebe’s award-winning style was born for the biggest frame possible. His latest, THE LITTLE MERMAID, with long time director-collaborator Rob Marshall hits IMAX theatres this weekend. Beebe sat down and shared some of his thoughts on creative journeys, epic settings, and of course, IMAX. 7 QUESTIONS WITH CINEMATOGRAPHER DION BEEBE 1. On your Instagram, you shared a beautifully composed photo of a camera in the ocean commemorating the wrap of THE LITTLE MERMAID with a caption about the journey of production. When you think about your own personal journey, from your roots in Australia and South Africa, what led you to a career in Hollywood? I think so much of what sets us on our path comes from our parents. Mine both loved movies and as a kid growing up in South Africa with my 4 brothers, we would often screen 16mm movies in our lounge room.  Each of the kids would take turns running the projector and the post movie discussions and critiques were always fun. My dad was also a very keen amateur photographer which inspired me to pick up a camera as a teen and my mum became a celebrated make-up artist in the world of fashion photography which further inspired me. That love of photography eventually developed into a fascination with the moving image and I returned to Australia at the age of 19 to study cinematography at the Australian Film Television & Radio School. Attending AFTRS was a pivotal moment for me as not only was I given the opportunity to really focus on my craft, but I also met my future partner and wife, Unjoo Moon.  2. What is the one piece of advice you would offer to any aspiring cinematographers? What’s the one piece of advice you wish you had been given when you were starting out? Besides the very obvious advice of work hard and know and embrace new technology, I would suggest reaching out to cinematographers you admire and if possible, meet up and have a conversation. I think we forget to reach out and often feel we are competing instead of all sharing the common goal of just trying to make great movies. As a young cinematographer I would have cherished the advice from one of my many heroes at the time.   3. When you’re on an airplane and your seatmate is not a cinephile, how do you explain what you do for a living? More technically, how would you describe the director-cinematographer relationship? I think explaining what we do as cinematographers is seldom truly understood outside of the industry. Yes, we work with camera and lighting, we choreograph movement and we tell stories through images on a screen but trying to explain rigging a young actress to the end of a crane as a team of dancers and stunt people move them across a giant bluescreen and then try and clarify that we really only need to capture the head and torso of the actor because she is actually a mermaid swimming underwater and that the puppet she is talking to will eventually be a live fish… that’s hard to grasp.  The one certainty when starting a project with a new director is that it will be unlike any other experience you have had with any other director. Each is unique and each director brings a unique viewpoint to the process. It’s what I love about being a filmmaker, it is never static, always different. Some directors focus a lot on the technical aspects of making a movie and others may spend most of their time focusing on the actors and not have a lot of interest in what camera or lens system I am using. All, however, understand story and what they need for their process to tell that story. My job is to help realize that vision in whatever way I can.  4. By our count, you’ve worked with director Rob Marshall on six films, so far. What do you find most rewarding about collaborating with him? How has your partnership evolved over the years? Rob and I have now worked together for over 20 years. We both still find that hard to comprehend. Rob is such an amazing collaborator. He has this unique ability to bring people into his world and include them on the journey of the story. He listens and encourages ideas and contributions. He is also the hardest working person on set.  Rob and his partner and producer, John De Luca, really introduced me to the world of musicals and dance. Sure, I had watched musicals as a kid, but I never truly understood how complex and detailed they really were to make. For me it’s developed into a passion and appreciation for the art and craft of this genre and the realization that every time we move a camera or block movement between actors, it’s choreography. Musicals are simply a more heightened form of storytelling.  5. Bringing a musical to life on the screen is an epic task…Bringing an underwater musical to life on the screen is almost unfathomable — how did the setting and its demands inform your technical process? Were there any specific creative inspirations or influences that you had top-of-mind? I do love that you used the word ‘unfathomable’ when detailing how hard it is to shoot underwater… but yes, it was a daunting prospect particularly knowing how Rob works and the detail he applies to every aspect of the process. We spent almost a year discussing, testing, and figuring out our methodology. We were not trying to reinvent the wheel regarding the visual fx involved but rather trying to figure out the best approach for us. In the end we adopted a very hands-on, mechanical approach for the capture of the live action components. Rob works very closely with his choreographers to build the musical numbers and this approach gave him the ability to control the movements and timings of the actors.  6. The Little Mermaid features several scenes shot in our Expanded Aspect Ratio. How does shooting for 1:90:1 change how you approach the scene as a cinematographer? Is there one 1:90:1 scene from The Little Mermaid that you think will surprise the audience? Maybe one with easter eggs for the super fan? We used the Expanded Aspect Ratio for several sequences in the movie set underwater. This allowed us to create a unique immersive experience. Anyone who has had the opportunity to dive beneath the surface of the ocean has experienced that amazing sense of being surrounded and enveloped by the sea. It is a total 360-degree experience. The 1:90:1 allowed us to extend our frame top and bottom and achieve this sense of immersion underwater for our audience. Regarding the easter eggs, I cannot comment too much about that, however I will say there are a few hidden Mickeys in the movie for those really paying attention. 7. If you could experience any movie in IMAX, again, for the first time, what would it be and why?   For me IMAX is all about the immersive experience and one of the first movies to demonstrate that for me on the big screen was BLADE RUNNER. To watch that in IMAX would be incredible.  THE LITTLE MERMAID hits theatres May 26th.   Each month, we’ll deliver a new exclusive piece of editorial to your inbox. Enjoy this conversation? 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