We kick off a new season of The nsavides Podcast with Dan Laustsen, the cinematographer behind the critically acclaimed film The Shape of Water. The film marks the third collaboration between Dan and Guillermo del Toro. They also worked together on Mimic and Crimson Peak.

Thus far, The Shape of Water has received a Golden Globe for Guillermo, it won the 23rd Critics’ Choice Award for Best Picture, Director, and Production Design, and Dan’s work on the film was nominated for an Outstanding Achievement Award by the American Society of Cinematographers. Quite possibly the film will receive more accolades as we progress through this awards season.

On this episode we discuss

• What Dan does for inspiration
• How he likes to prep for a show
• How he works with a director and a production designer to develop the colors used in a film
• Specific stylistic choices he made on John Wick 2, Crimson Peak, and The Shape of Water and why
• How he has collaborated with Guillermo del Toro and what he’s observed about his shooting style
• His approach to shooting challenging content

Want to hear another camera-related episode? You might appreciate this interview with Douglas Kirkland, the iconic Hollywood photographer and Canon Explorer of Light who has photographed stars throughout the ages, from Charlie Chaplin, Orson Welles, Marilyn Monroe, and other legends of Hollywood’s Golden Age to more contemporary stars like Sean Connery, Meryl Streep, and Nicole Kidman.

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Films Mentioned

• Apocalypse Now
• Brotherhood of the Wolf
• Citizen Kane
• Crimson Peak
• Frankenstein (1931)
• John Wick: Chapter 2
• Lawrence of Arabia
• Mimic
• No Country for Old Men
• Pan’s Labyrinth
• Rebecca
• The Shape of Water

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Books Mentioned

• The Divine Comedy
• Gilgamesh
• Harry Potter series
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream
• The Odyssey

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