Ridley Scott defends multi-camera filmmaking
Ridley Scott fires back at his former Gladiator cinematographer for labeling his multi-camera approach lazy. "Stupidest thing he could possibly have said. Because I'm using multi-camera I'm lazy? You've got to know where to put them. I'm blessed with a very good eye." He argues the method lets editors join scene ends and cut precisely, capturing errors simultaneously. It suits experienced editors and reduces takes to two or three, not 15 or 40. Doing 40 suggests uncertainty. Scott is now casting and halfway through storyboarding Treasure Island, drawing locations from imagination like a sophisticated comic. He calls this filming on paper. He credits West Hartley but says Art College taught him everything.
Trascrizione (en)
I want to talk about how the movie was shot. It was quite unfair of your cinematographer on Gladiator 2 to, I think he called it lazy. Multi-camera is an editor can just join all the ends of the scene, watch the whole thing, then make a choice where he cuts. So if there's ever an error, it's all captured simultaneously. It's easier for a very experienced editor. Well, actually, it's better all around. By having multi-camera, I'd maybe do two or three takes, not 15. Some people do 40 takes. If you're doing 40 takes, you don't really know what you want. stupidest thing you could possibly have said. Because I use a multi-camera, I'm lazy. You've got to know where to put them. I'm blessed with a very good eye. I'm doing Treasure Island now, and I'm casting. I'm already storyboarding. I've already halfway through Treasure Island, knowing exactly what I'm going to do, because I draw storyboards like a quite sophisticated comic. Locations I haven't seen, I just draw them. I'm filming on paper. So thanks to West Hartley, but Art College taught me everything.
