Did he win an Academy Award?

                                     Photo: Jess Husband
Gary Russell, DOP

by Carissa Pritchard

Yesterday there was still no location to shoot the warehouse scenes for today. According to Director, Garnet Mae, after being promised a space in Redfern, he was then asked for $2000 rent. Since no one could find another Diane Cutler, he went back to the owner and applied his usual charm. After that, he got the roof space, but was warned it came with a few crazy tenants. Garnet says, “I found them to be really nice, for some reason, everyone seems to be nice to me.” Garnet’s obliviousness to his own charm only increases it further.  If this shoot was likened to a Reservoir Dogs heist, Pete’s temerity would kick the door down. Garnet’s charm would have the victims wanting to help carry the bags out. Today I interviewed Director of Photography, Gary Russell to find out what part he’d play.

How did you hear about the project?

“Through a friend of mine, I’ve been doing adventure doco’s for years for National Geographic and Discovery. Now I’m back in Australia, I want to change gears. I want to work with actors again – rather than tribe’s people and sharks. My mate’s the top guy in the country, obviously he’s too big time for this, so he flipped it to me.”

How did your friend hear about it?

Gary: “I don’t know.”

Peter chimes in, “I emailed everyone – I thought it would be cool to have an Academy Award winning cinematographer shooting Reservoir Cats.”

Gary, “Did he win an Academy Award?”

Peter, “Didn’t he?”

Garnet appears.

Gary, “I’m not a cinematographer anyway, I’m a DOP.”

Garnet to Gary, “I did contact some Academy Award winning cinematographers, but you were my first choice.”

They laugh.

How do you think it’s going?

Gary: “Amazingly well – for the scale of the production, no money, no crew. Usually this kind of project would have departments full of people. Here, there’s one person per department, the Heads of Departments are their own assistants.”

What do you think of the concept?

“We’re not reinventing the wheel, but we’re putting mags on it”.

Politically?

“It’s a bit of a f**k you, bit of a middle finger to society, isn’t it?”

How do you think it plays?

“It’s pretty hard core to see a bunch of attractive girls revving up. It’s a little shocking, confronting – but fun as hell. I like working with young people. I used to teach filmmaking in South East Asia as part of Australian Aid. We taught drama to the TV stations in Laos and Vietnam, we made a couple of pilots. Instead of sending them rice, they sent me.”

Peter says, “It’s the best way to learn filmmaking, isn’t it?”

Gary, “I think the original film is very theatrically staged, but that’s the reason we can do it technically, because it’s old school. There’s no cranes or chopper shots.”

Pete, “I reckon I could talk us into a chopper if we needed it.”

Gary, “That’s great but its amazing what you can do with two sticks and a wheel chair.”

Not only does Gary bring a wealth of talent and experience, he also brought the camera. It was his contacts with Video Australasia that secured the 5D and lights. Gary said he was happy to call in a favour, “But there goes my discount on my next hire.”

Garnet says working with Gary is a privilege; “Even though we’re not paying him, he gets up every morning and comes in keen. He’s amazing.”

Where does Gary see Reservoir Cats going?

“It would be great on the Festival Circuit. Right now it’s rocking. But I’ve worked on things that kick while you’re making them, then fall flat on screen. We’ll just have to see how it goes. But I’d like to see it at least once in a dark cinema with a box of popcorn.” 

Natural charisma and a way with words, leaves you wondering why Gary’s not in front of the camera. If he were, it’s clear where he’d fit into this heist movie – he’d keep everyone entertained while Pete and Garnet crammed their bags with camera gear.

                                                                         Photo: Jess Husband
Who needs a dolly anyway?