The common moviegoer may associate the art of cinematography with a drama’s sweeping landscapes or the close-ups necessary in a horror film, but cinematography is something required of every genre and every film.
For instance, while most people think a comedy is easy to make, there is a huge process that goes into it.
To break this common stereotype, the film school will screen the 1979 comedy classic “The Jerk” tonight at the James Bridges Theater. The screening will also mark the introduction of the School of Theater, Film and Television’s new cinematographer-in-residence, Victor J. Kemper.
“It’s great having a film like “˜The Jerk’ but also having the cinematographer there to inform the audience that there are so many invisible things going on that wouldn’t work otherwise,” Professor William McDonald said.
Following the screening, Kemper will participate in a series of events also related to the cinematographer-in-residence program. Some events are open to all UCLA students, reviewing as much of Kemper’s entire filmography as available, while others are workshops closed to film students for Kemper to teach specific style and technique.
“The whole idea of the cinematographer-in-residence program, which we started in 2000, was to bring the world of professional cinematography and academic cinematography together on a regular basis,” McDonald said.
“That’s the idea of the residency is that it can be very public and broad and also very small with the film students who are interested in the how and the why.”
While UCLA film students and film fans in general may be able to take something from Kemper’s time in Westwood, it is most likely cinematography students specifically who will be able to learn the most.
“We at least have one social event with the undergraduate and graduate cinematography students ““ usually what I call the beer and pizza night. They just get to hang out and talk about things,” McDonald said.
One of the many highlights of Kemper’s four decades of work, the Steve Martin comedy about an idiotic orphan who leaves behind all that is familiar at 18 to find himself is a film McDonald, the head of cinematography in the film school, hopes will open people’s eyes concerning the art and true profession of cinematography.
“The cinematographer’s job is to really create a believable reality for the story,” McDonald said. “The contributions of somebody like Victor ““ people will walk away so informed and so wowed by what a cinematographer does. … (It will help the) general populace understand the general role of cinematographers.”
Kemper, who will also answer questions from the audience directly following the screening, selected “The Jerk” himself from a body of work that includes acclaimed TV films such as “On Golden Pond,” high-profile dramas such as “Dog Day Afternoon,” as well as one-of-a-kind comedies such as “National Lampoon’s Vacation.”
“Victor J. Kemper, when you look at his body of work, is one of the most diverse cinematographers of his generation,” McDonald said. “You have classic ’70s drama like “˜Dog Day Afternoon’ to thrillers like “˜Eyes of Laura Mars’ to surreal comedies like “˜Pee-wee’s Big Adventure’ to the film we are screening, “˜The Jerk,’ which is just a wonderful, hysterical comedy. What is so wonderful is to show how diverse a body of work can be for a cinematographer.”
McDonald voiced his enthusiasm over the prospect of screening a comedy such as “The Jerk” as opposed to a drama or thriller.
“A comedy is always a great thing to screen publicly,” McDonald said. “You’ve got 300 people laughing together and just a great opportunity for people to learn from one of the masters of cinematography.”
Another reason to catch today’s screening of “The Jerk” is to see exactly why a cinematographer with such a wide-ranging catalog of work like Kemper picked this small comedy to screen to students.
“Out of his whole career, he picked “˜The Jerk,’ so he clearly has stuff he wants to talk about,” McDonald said.