By Antony Teofilo
JERSEY GIRL Crew Profile:
Neal Norton, "A"Camera Operator
By Antony Teofilo
Who wouldn't have wanted to be a fly on the wall, let alone the guy behind the camera, during the filming of certain scenes for WILD THINGS? Maybe you'd have preferred to join the crew of GHOST AND THE DARKNESS on a cinematic safari in Africa? Or watched the bone-crunching sports stunts in REMEMBER THE TITANS up close and personal?
What most movie fans would gladly pay for the opportunity to see, Neal Norton views through a little black eyepiece during his day's work. Norton's a camera operator, and last November, I caught up with him on the set of JERSEY GIRL, where he was operating the "A" camera for the production.
Read on below to find out what a camera operator does (yes, sometimes he gets paid to show up and turn the camera on and off) and what it's really like to work with Tim Burton (Norton worked as an operator on PLANET OF THE APES. Alas, we never got to talk about a certain notorious final scene that seems to borrow rather heavily from a comic book called CHASING DOGMA...)
Antony Teofilo: What's the difference between an "A" camera operator and a "B" camera operator?
Neal Norton: Generally, the A camera is set up on every setup, and the B camera is used as an additional camera [for alternative angles of a shot].
AT: Where did you learn to be a camera operator?
NN: I studied film at the University of Florida, as a student of documentary film, which is what I was really interested in. When I got out of school, I actually shot such wonderful things as fishing shows. It was tough to make a living, so I ended up working my way into the more lucrative feature film/television/mainstream cinema world.
AT: What was your first job in cinema?
NN: The first feature film I remember working on was CHAINS OF GOLD, in Miami, with John Travolta. Earlier than that I did some television, like the Burt Reynolds project B.L.STRYKER, and after that a movie that had a very limited release called WILDER NAPALM.
AT: Tell me about that first job in features.
NN: I started out on features doing Steadycam day work, which means I wasn't a permanent employee, I was brought in for a day or two at a time. When Steadycam work was needed, I would show up and drag the gear out and do whatever shot was necessary and then leave. It's different from being part of the company. It's called being a day player.
Smooth Operators Ð Neal Norton (and son) work the cranks on a remote control camera unit while shooting a scene in the auditorium at Paulsboro High School.
AT: Is there more to your job than just turning the camera on and off?
NN: The fun part about my job is that it can be extremely simple. When a director and the director of photography place the camera, decide on the lens, and light the shot. I end up just covering the eyepiece and turning the camera on and off, so my job is about as simple as it can get. It can also be complex, as far as avoiding problems with the image. I need to see lights and equipment, and help place the camera in a way that helps the actor's performance to be seen in the best way. I physically operate the camera, from turning it on, and then hopefully pointing it in the right direction, to helping physically set up the camera, which is called the blocking of the camera.
AT: Where does your job end, and the job of the Director of Photography begin?
NN: It's different on every picture. One of the things that makes it fun is the fact that the relationship between the D.P., the director, and the operator is different on every single project. It's dependent on how the D.P. and the director want to work. The more European system is that the director of photography lights the set, and then the operator and the director work on blocking the shots and deciding on lenses. In that situation, the relationship between the operator and director is very close, so the operator has a great deal of power. In the American system, the operator is working specifically for the director of photography [in JERSEY GIRL's case, D.P. Vilmos Zsigmond], like I am here. In the American system, the operator does what the D.P. allows him to do.
AT: Is that a difficult dynamic to feel out?
NN: Sure. It's just up to the D.P. as to how much help he or she wants. Vilmos is very self-sufficient. He knows exactly what he wants. He's very energetic, and strong, and I'm there in a support function rather than design.
AT: On which projects did you work with Tim Burton?
NN: One project, PLANET OF THE APES.
AT: Was that a positive experience?
NN: It was wonderful. He's kind, and humble, and smart. I couldn't imagine working with a more fun person.
AT: You worked with Denzel Washington on ANTWONE FISHER. Was it difficult working for a first time director?
NN: He was really strong, smart, and charismatic. I think everyone on the movie felt like we were doing something really special. He had terrific, unanimous support from the crew. He made everyone very happy to be there. He got a lot of support, and he deserved it.
AT: What's the worst part about being a camera operator?
NN: The worst part of the job is long periods of boredom. For instance, if there's a big effects setup where the effects department has to put in fifteen hundred bullet hits and there are hours and hours of waiting and bad weather. Punctuating and following the moments of boredom are moments of hysteria, though.
AT: How do you deal with that sort of boredom on a set?
NN: Mischief. [Laughs]
AT: That's a good answer. Can you elaborate?
NN: It's not me. It's other people. Everyone but me. [Laughs]
AT: I don't want to blow your cover.
NN: Yeah, please don't.
A Bird's Eye (camera) View - The business end of the camera setup, whose controls are pictured above, hard at work filming a pivotal scene on the set of JERSEY GIRL.
AT: What's the best part about your job?
NN: It's being a part of something that can really effect people in a positive way. It takes a long time, three, four, five, six months, to make a movie, and then you've got to wait for post-production. When the results finally turn out, and people enjoy it, you know you've been a part of something that's very positive.
AT: Do you ever go to the theater to watch movies you've worked on?
NN: Absolutely.
AT: Do you still get a charge from seeing your work up there?
NN: Even if the film isn't well received or doesn't make a whole lot of money, it's just as much fun. For me, it's kind of like watching home movies.
AT: What advice do you have for young people who want to get into the film industry?
NN: I would say beware of being trapped by technology. I think young people are very interested in equipment and gizmos and gadgets. The more rewarding part of the job is more towards by fine art. Someone who wants to be a camera operator is better served by studying fine art in college than by studying the Panavision catalogue.
AT: Where do you stand in the whole film versus digital argument?
NN: I'm all for both. I think digital will be a great thing someday. From the standpoint of the camera department, we're always looking for something better. Right now, it doesn't appear that digital cinema is even close to as good as what we've got right now. But I think it's a great thing for people who are just getting started, because you can save money and actually get a project made. If digital cinema can provide us something with quality like 65mm film, that's when it will really be something special. It will give us something better than what we've got right now.
