>> JOHN RUTLAND: WATCH.
GOOD.
GO DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
A LITTLE DOWN.
A LITTLE DOWN.
A LITTLE DOWN.
RIGHT IN THERE.
NOW JUST TILT UP.
> READY.
AND ACTION!
♪
> JOHN: MY NAME IS
JOHN RUTLAND.
I'M A CINEMATOGRAPHER.
I'M HERE IN TAMPA, FLORIDA
SHOOTING A
BUSCH GARDENS COMMERCIAL.
THE PRODUCER/DIRECTOR OF
THE COMMERCIAL IS
ROB COWIE.
HE AND I HAVE DONE
TWO MOVIES TOGETHER.
HE'S ONE OF THE PRODUCERS
OF 'THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT'.
AND 'LOVELY MOLLY' WAS MY
FIRST FILM I DID WITH HIM.
AND THEN WE DID 'EXISTS'.
RECENTLY I'VE DONE A
HANDFUL OF FEATURES.
AND I JUST WRAPPED
A FEW WEEKS AGO THE NEWEST
'PARANORMAL ACTIVITY' MOVIE.
> LITTLE GIRL: HERE I AM.
> FATHER: WHAT ARE YOU
DOING IN HERE?
> YRAM YDOOLB.
HERE I AM.
YRAM YDOOLB.
> JOHN: I GOT INTO
FILMMAKING THROUGH
PHOTOGRAPHY MOSTLY.
I TOOK LIKE A BEGINNING
PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS MY FIRST
YEAR OF UNDERGRAD.
AND THEN THOUGHT I NEEDED
TO GET LIKE A PRACTICAL
KIND OF DEGREE FROM UNIVERSITY.
SO I GOT LIKE A BUSINESS DEGREE.
AND THEN AFTER THAT I
REALIZED THAT I DIDN'T
WANT TO DO ANYTHING ELSE,
I JUST WANTED TO GO
INTO FILM.
FOR WHATEVER REASON I JUST
DECIDED TO GO THROUGH THE
FILM SCHOOL ROUTE.
NOT THAT YOU NEED TO
DO THAT.
LIKE ANYBODY CAN GO
THROUGH DIFFERENT AVENUES
TO LIKE ULTIMATELY COME
INTO FILM.
BUT AS A DP LIKE THEY
EXPECT YOU TO BE KIND OF
LIKE THE FOUNDATION OR ONE
OF THE PILLARS OF THE
WHOLE PRODUCTION.
RIGHT.
AND THEY EXPECT YOU TO BE
ABLE TO DELIVER THE
QUICK...
WHEN YOU'RE LIGHTING,
YOU KNOW, STICK TO THE
SCHEDULE AND BE ABLE TO
BASICALLY JUST DELIVER.
RIGHT.
SO LIKE YOU HAVE TO WORK
UP TOWARDS CERTAIN
BUDGETS.
NO ONE'S GOING TO GIVE A
DP AS THEIR FIRST FEATURE
LIKE A $25 MILLION MOVIE.
BECAUSE THEY NEED TO LIKE
BASICALLY PROVE AT THE
LOWER BUDGET LEVELS THAT
THEY CAN DELIVER AND THEN
WORK THEIR WAY UP.
> MOTHER: KATIE, KRISTI,
I WANT YOU TO CONCENTRATE.
CONCENTRATE.
I NEED YOU TO CONCENTRATE.
> JOHN: 'PARANORMAL
ACTIVITY' IS LIKE A WEIRD
ANIMAL JUST BECAUSE IT'S A
BIGGER BUDGET.
LIKE IT'S THE BIGGEST
BUDGET MOVIE THAT I'VE
WORKED ON BY FAR.
BUT LIKE, THEY TREAT IT LIKE
A LOW-BUDGET MOVIE
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT'S REALLY
INTERESTING ABOUT IT.
LIKE THERE'S NO BIG,
LIKE TRUCKS WITH GEAR.
THEY KIND OF HIDE
EVERYTHING IN THE BACKYARD
OF THE HOUSES.
SO THEY VERY MUCH,
EVEN THOUGH IT'S A STUDIO
MAKING THE MOVIE,
THEY ACTIVELY TRY TO AVOID
HAVING IT FEEL LIKE A BIG
STUDIO MOVIE AND THEY TRY
TO KEEP THINGS SMALL.
IN A WAY IT FELT LIKE,
YOU KNOW,
AN INDEPENDENT MOVIE.
YOU KNOW.
EVEN THOUGH IT IS A STUDIO
MOVIE AND THERE'S
DEFINITELY A STUDIO
PRESENCE.
SINCE THAT'S MORE MY
BACKGROUND, YOU KNOW,
INDEPENDENT MOVIES THUS FAR,
IT FELT LIKE A PRETTY
SMOOTH TRANSITION.
AND THEY HAVE LIKE AN
INTERESTING PROCESS ON
'PARANORMAL' WHERE THEY
SHOOT FOR A PERIOD OF TIME
AND THEN THEY KIND OF STOP
DOWN AND EDIT AND SEE WHAT
THEY HAVE AND SEE WHAT
DIRECTION THEY WANT THE
MOVIE TO GO AND THEN MAKE
SOME ADJUSTMENTS, RESHOOT
SOME STUFF, AND THEN START
SHOOTING LIKE THE NEXT
PART OF THE MOVIE.
SO WE WERE BASICALLY LIKE
ON AND OFF FOR LIKE EIGHT
MONTHS.
ONE OF THE MAIN
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
SHOOTING A TRADITIONAL
KIND OF THIRD-PERSON MOVIE
VERSUS SHOOTING A FIRST-PERSON
MOVIE IS LIKE WHEN I'M
OPERATING IN A
FIRST-PERSON MOVIE IT'S
LIKE YOU'RE OPERATING BUT
YOU'RE ALSO ACTING.
AND IT'S A WEIRD THING TO
LIKE WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND
INITIALLY.
BUT YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THAT
CAMERA IS THE POINT OF
VIEW OF THE CHARACTER WHO
HAS THE CAMERA YOU ALSO
HAVE TO LIKE AS YOUR
OPERATING AND SEEING
THINGS, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE
TO ACT BASICALLY.
AND LIKE THE CAMERA NEEDS
TO REACT AND IT CAN'T BE...
YOU KNOW, IT'S GOTTA BE SUBTLE
AND IT CAN'T BE CHEESY.
IT'S LIKE YOU'RE NOT LIKE
SHAKING YOUR HEAD
YES AND NO OR WHATEVER,
SOMETHING STUPID LIKE THAT.
BUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, AS YOU...
ESPECIALLY WITH LIKE THE
SCARY MOVIES WHICH A LOT
OF TIMES THE FIRST-PERSON
MOVIES END UP BEING LIKE
HORROR MOVIES.
BUT WITH THOSE IT'S LIKE
WHEN YOU COME AROUND,
YOU SEE SOMETHING,
IT'S LIKE YOU HAVE TO KIND OF
REGISTER THAT YOU'RE STARTLED.
THE CAMERA'S LIKE...
IT'S CREATING A FEELING,
YOU KNOW, AS IT'S MOVING
THROUGH THE SCENE.
WHETHER IT'S A TRADITIONAL
MOVIE OR A FIRST-PERSON
MOVIE IF THE SHOT...
IF THE INTENTION IS TO
CREATE TENSION IN THE SHOT
THEN IT NEEDS TO MOVE IN A
CERTAIN WAY, AT A CERTAIN
SPEED, AND FOLLOW A
CHARACTER IN A SPECIFIC WAY.
SO THERE'S DEFINITELY ASPECTS
THAT ARE THE SAME.
BUT YOU KNOW...
AND THEN ALSO FROM LIKE A
LIGHTING STANDPOINT,
THERE'S REALISTIC LIGHTING
IN LIKE A FICTIONAL
NARRATIVE MOVIE,
LIKE A TRADITIONAL
THIRD PERSON MOVIE.
AND YOU CAN HAVE LIKE
VERY NATURALISTIC AND
REALISTIC LIGHTING.
BUT IF YOU USE THE SAME
LIGHTING IN LIKE A
FIRST-PERSON MOVIE
IT STILL FEELS FALSE.
SO LIKE, THERE'S GOT TO BE
SOMETHING MESSIER AND
MORE REAL AND THE CAMERAS
AREN'T HOLDING EVERY
LITTLE BIT OF DETAIL
FROM THE HIGHLIGHTS
TO THE SHADOWS,
LIKE A LITTLE BIT SLOPPY.
SO LIKE SOMEBODY WATCHING
THE FIRST-PERSON MOVIE
IF THEY'RE LIKE
"WOW, I REALLY LOVE THE
CINEMATOGRAPHY IN THAT MOVIE"
IN A WAY IT'S LIKE
YOU'VE KIND OF FAILED
AS A DP.
BECAUSE THE CINEMATOGRAPHY
REALLY SHOULDN'T DRAW
ATTENTION TO ITSELF IN A
MOVIE LIKE THAT.
IT SHOULD FEEL AS IF IT'S
100 PERCENT REAL.
THE LAST THING THAT ROB
AND I DID TOGETHER WAS
'EXISTS' AND THAT WAS LIKE
A FIRST-PERSON, YOU KNOW,
FOUND FOOTAGE BIGFOOT
MOVIE.
SO THESE GUYS GO OUT INTO
THE WOODS AND THEY KIND OF
ENCOUNTER BIGFOOT.
> YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME,
MAN.
(HOWL) 
> I WENT OUT AND I BOUGHT
ONE OF THESE BAD BOYS.
> WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE
BEST YOUTUBE VIDEO EVER.
> IT'S OKAY.
THERE'S NOTHING OUT HERE.
♪
> NO!
> JOHN: A LOT OF TIMES
LIKE WE FOUND THAT THE
BEST WAY TO GO ABOUT IT
WAS TO HAVE THE ACTORS
OPERATE.
BECAUSE THEY ARE LIKE...
THEY'RE COMPLETELY
IMMERSED IN THE SCENE AND
THEY'RE LIKE BRINGING
SOMETHING THAT ME AS A DP
MAY NOT THINK TO DO.
WHETHER IT'S LIKE THE
FRAMING IS A BIT OFF
BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT
FOCUSED ON THE FRAMING,
THEY'RE FOCUSED ON THE
PERSON THAT THEY'RE
TALKING TO.
SO LIKE THEIR HEAD MIGHT
BE CUT OFF IN A WEIRD WAY.
BUT IT'S KIND OF
INTERESTING AND IT KINDA
WORKS FOR THE SCENE.
YOU KNOW.
OR THEY MAY THINK TO PAN OFF,
LIKE SOMEBODY HAS A BUNCH
OF DIALOGUE AND THEY MAY
THINK TO JUST PAN OFF
AND GO LOOK AT SOMETHING
ELSE.
WHERE MY INSTINCT WOULD BE
TO LIKE STAY ON THE PERSON
WHO'S SPEAKING.
YOU KNOW.
SO IT'S LIKE...
A LOT OF TIMES WHAT WE DID
IS WE WOULD HAVE THE
ACTORS OPERATE THE FIRST
COUPLE OF TAKES AND THEN I
WOULD COME IN AND
BASICALLY JUST LIKE CLEAN UP
WHAT THEY DID.
(SCREAMING) 
> GET IN THE ROOM!
GET IN THE ROOM!
GET IN THE ROOM, TODD.
GO!
GO!
GO!
GO!
GO!
GO!
> THIS IS GONNA GO
TUMBLING AROUND INSIDE
THE CAMPER.
IN THERE.
ANOTHER PIECE OF FOAM ON
TOP OF IT.
CLOSE IT UP.
TAPE UP THE BACK.
> JOHN: I GUESS ONE PIECE
OF ADVICE THAT I WOULD
HAVE FOR LIKE YOUNGER
FILMMAKERS OR KIND OF
PEOPLE COMING UP IS JUST
TO LIKE GO AND DO IT.
AND IT DOESN'T MATTER YOUR
BACKGROUND OR YOUR
EXPERIENCE LEVEL OR
ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
LIKE IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW,
I THINK, YOU KNOW, LIFE
REWARDS THOSE WHO JUST GO
OUT AND DO IT.
YOU KNOW.
SO THEN RATHER THAN LIKE...
YOU KNOW A LOT OF TIMES I
FIND MYSELF WAITING.
LIKE I HAVE A CAMERA,
I HAVE THE SONY A7S AND
LENSES.
LIKE THERE'S NOTHING
STOPPING ME FROM LIKE
GOING OUT AND SHOOTING
ANYTHING THAT I WANT.
RIGHT.
BUT A LOT OF TIMES I'M
LIKE "WELL, I DON'T HAVE
THE PERFECT LENS" OR
"I DON'T HAVE THE PERFECT THIS"
OR "I DON'T HAVE THE
PERFECT THAT".
SO THEN I DON'T GO AND DO IT.
BUT THEN THERE'S PEOPLE
WITH EVEN LESS STUFF WILL
GO OUT AND MAKE SOMETHING
INCREDIBLE.
YOU KNOW.
SO IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW,
YOU KINDA JUST, YOU JUST
HAVE TO GO OUT AND DO IT
BASICALLY.
♪
