{"id":7704,"date":"2016-12-05T11:06:02","date_gmt":"2016-12-05T11:06:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sbcine.be\/?p=7704"},"modified":"2017-11-25T14:24:18","modified_gmt":"2017-11-25T14:24:18","slug":"juliette-van-dormael-about-mon-ange","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sbcine.be\/?p=7704","title":{"rendered":"Juliette van Dormael about “Mon ange”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Juliette Van Dormael is a young <\/span>B<\/span>elgian DOP. She is only twenty five years old and yet she <\/span>already <\/span>has won the Best Cinematographer’s Debut award at CamerImage for <\/span>her<\/span> fir<\/span>st feature film, Mon ange,<\/em> by Harry Cleven. Previously she had already signed the photography of several short-films <\/span>, <\/span>noticed in <\/span>B<\/span>elgian and international festivals : Mouette<\/em> (2013) and Jay parmi les hommes<\/em> (2014) by Zeno Graton, Anima<\/em> by Simon Gillard (2013) and Tryptique<\/em> by Camille Mikolacjczak (2014).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Title :<\/strong> Mon ange<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Director :<\/strong> Harry Cleven<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Production companies<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>:<\/strong> Terra Incognita Film – Climax Film – Apr<\/span>\u00e8s le D\u00e9<\/span>luge<\/span><\/p>\n

Principal cast :<\/strong> Fleur Geffrier – Elina L<\/span>\u00f6<\/span>wens<\/span>\u00f6<\/span>hn – Maya Dory – Hanna Boudru<\/span><\/p>\n

How did you become cinematographer<\/span> at such a<\/span> young <\/span>age<\/span>?<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

JVD :<\/strong> I studied at Insas between 2008 and 2013. I<\/span> always <\/span>had<\/span> wanted to be a cinematographer <\/span>ever <\/span>since I was fifteen<\/span> ,<\/span> during <\/span>the shoot of <\/span>my father’s <\/span>film<\/span>, Mr Nobody. The shoot lasted all summer in Brussels and I spent <\/span>observing <\/span>it<\/span>. Christophe Beaucarne’s work really impressed me. After that I started <\/span>to take <\/span>photo<\/span>graphy<\/span> lessons, then I was admitted at Insas at seventeen, after my secondary school. It has been three years since I <\/span>graduated<\/span> and one year since <\/span>\u201cMon ange<\/span>\u201d has been shot.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Could you tell us about the story ?<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

JVD :\u00a0<\/strong>For me it’s a real tale, an odd and dream-like story. It allowed me to <\/span>try out<\/span> a lot of thing<\/span>s<\/span> visually<\/span>. A women in a psychiatric hospital give<\/span>s<\/span> birth to an invisible baby. <\/span>O<\/span>ne day, he is old enough to look <\/span>out<\/span> the window and<\/span> in front of the house across the street he sees a girl<\/span>, Madeleine. She is<\/span> blind <\/span>and the only one <\/span>who can <\/span> \u201csee him<\/span>\u201d. The story <\/span>poses the question <\/span>: \u201cif nobody<\/span> can <\/span>see us, do we really exists ?<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

How did you come to work on this project ?<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

JVD :\u00a0<\/strong>Tw<\/span>o years ago, Harry told me about the script. Jaco was producing the film. We knew the budget w<\/span>ould<\/span> be low. We were discussing the project and Harry told me tha<\/span>t<\/span> he<\/span> w<\/span>anted to work with me. He had seen the shorts films I had <\/span>photographed<\/span> and one that I had directed. We used to talk a lot: Harry, Jaco and I about cinema, about what we liked and <\/span>so <\/span>it happened very naturally. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

How was it to work together<\/span>\u00a0? Is it difficult to work with someone from another generation ?<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

JVD :\u00a0<\/strong>Harry and I we<\/span> have<\/span> know<\/span>n<\/span> each other for a long time. Our collaboration went fine. I was very happy to have the opportunity to shoot my first full-length film at 24.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I think the mix of generations <\/span>on set<\/span> was beneficial <\/span> to us. Harry was used to <\/span>film shoots <\/span>, actors etc… He was at ease. Me, I tried to be the most ready I could be. There w<\/span>as<\/span> a lot to anticipate.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We would listen to each other a lot. We took <\/span>our<\/span> time during the prep and the shoot. We wanted to try a lot of thing and to let the other be free.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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How was the prep ?<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

JVD :\u00a0<\/strong>The prep last<\/span>ed<\/span> a month and a half. Harry<\/span> and I<\/span> we would see each every <\/span>other <\/span>day. When I<\/span> had <\/span>read the script, I really wanted to take the subjective bias. I wanted the viewer to <\/span>look through <\/span>the eyes of the invisible character. We<\/span> filmed<\/span> a lot of tests together with a <\/span>stills <\/span>camera<\/span> to <\/span>realise<\/span> what this subjective view would mean and <\/span>to <\/span>anticipate the <\/span>blocking<\/span>. <\/span><\/p>\n

And then the<\/span>re<\/span> were a lot of effects I wanted to try<\/span> fitting our vision<\/span> . When he blinks, cries etc.The transparency of his eyelids and what it could bring us. With Pierre de Wustemberger, my gaffer and lover, we spent a lot of nights in our flat testing things. Our flat had become a<\/span> small<\/span> lab and we would sent a lot of suggestions to Harry. Glycerine in front of lenses, video-projection’s tests etc…<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Testing a lot of different things was very fun. We also discussed a lot with Harry and the boys from VFX : Willy Le Bleis and Marc Hericher. We wanted to do most of the effects live, on set, but we had a lot to anticipate : green <\/span>screen<\/span>, cleanup<\/span>, rotoscoping, animation…<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

How do you shoot an invisible man ?<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

JVD :\u00a0<\/strong>Thanks to the subjective view mostly, but also <\/span>shooting scenes as a long take <\/span>. We did a lot of them, even though it wasn’t always easy <\/span>to<\/span> light.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

As the story is quite odd, I <\/span>had<\/span> decided to <\/span>tell<\/span> it <\/span>using <\/span>quite natural light<\/span> , but <\/span>with <\/span>colo<\/span>u<\/span>rs ha<\/span>ving a <\/span>narrative role. They create distinct spaces : the hospital in blue, the love story with Madeleine in red and green.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We were inspired by <\/span>photographers <\/span>Saul Leiter and Sarah Moon<\/span> and by Tarkovsky’s images. We exchange<\/span>d<\/span> a lot of references : paintings, pictures, drawings, visual and <\/span>compositional<\/span> ideas.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I really wanted to push further this idea of <\/span>a <\/span>subjective point of view : <\/span>blurriness <\/span>, darkness, floating or choppy camera move<\/span>s<\/span> regarding the character’s feelings.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The matter of representing the interactions of Mon ange with the world that surrounded him : when he is eating the spoon<\/span> flies<\/span>, when he grabs Madeleine, she floats<\/span> through<\/span> the air, under water his body appears etc… VFX was brand new for me.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Any special difficulties that had to be solved ?<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

JVD :\u00a0<\/strong>The biggest challenge was to make<\/span> the audience<\/span> believe that Mon ange existed. I think the subjective <\/span>view <\/span>works very well to make him real and I am very happy to have taken this direction. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Everyday, we had new <\/span>visual <\/span>challenges: grip, framing, light, you name it. We did a lot of shots with effects : video projections, VFX, 360<\/span>\u00b0 shots,<\/span> reflections,<\/span> overlays, shift lenses…<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In this film the visuals played a key role in supporting the narrative.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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How did the shoot <\/span>go ? <\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

JVD :\u00a0<\/strong>The shoot lasted seven weeks. We shot b<\/span>oth in<\/span> Bruxelles and the Walloon area. Mostly on two <\/span>main <\/span>sets : the hospital and Madeleine’s house. But we also did ten days in the forest, in nature, and <\/span>some one off locations.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

What camera and lenses did you choose ?<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

JVD :\u00a0<\/strong>We shot with a Red Epic and Bausch&Lomb Super Baltar lenses. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It was the first time I <\/span> had <\/span>used <\/span>them <\/span>and I am very happy <\/span>with <\/span>their rendering and their softness. With my camera assistant, Adrien Lengrand, we did some comparative tests. I wanted <\/span>to lose some of that digital<\/span> sharpness. Louis-Philippe Capelle, from Eye-Lite, <\/span>introduced<\/span> me<\/span> to<\/span> these lenses and they convinced me. I also <\/span>used<\/span> glimmer filters <\/span>a lot <\/span>and smoke <\/span>to soften the image.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

What about<\/span> t<\/span>he lighting ?<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

JVD :\u00a0<\/strong>For me, it was important to have a light quite soft and natural. I imagined something quite pictorial, something that sublimates Madeleine’s beauty. I wanted the viewer to fall in love with her, like Mon ange.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In this <\/span>film<\/span>, you only see women, women that are loved by the character through whom we are seeing the story. So I wanted them to put a spell on us.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I mostly work with HMIs. Our biggest source was an ARRI M40. We had one <\/span>for the length of the shoot,<\/span> plus additionally two or three M18 <\/span>grouped together<\/span> for <\/span>selected <\/span> scenes.<\/span> We<\/span> used<\/span> a lot of soft boxes, bounc<\/span>ed<\/span> lights, book-light<\/span>s<\/span> and a lot of diffusion. The sources were mainly used from outside at some distance, in <\/span>or<\/span>der <\/span>to obtain an interesting <\/span>fall off <\/span>in the sets. We used a lot of <\/span>rags either <\/span>white<\/span>, grey or <\/span>black <\/span>just <\/span>out of frame, which allowed us <\/span>to alter<\/span> the amount of light and contrast.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We also used Avolon Twins <\/span>lights <\/span>and particularly Kika. I like to use them on a boom <\/span>at<\/span> night<\/span> or in low light. Having mobile or ceiling lights was helpful because it gave me more freedom<\/span> to do <\/span>camera moves. Pierre, the gaffer and I, we prepped the <\/span>lighting <\/span>plans<\/span> before the<\/span> start of the<\/span> shoot. We knew what we wanted to <\/span>achieve <\/span>and we watched a lot of images<\/span> together<\/span> to inspire us . As it was <\/span>our <\/span>first feature film, we allow<\/span>ed<\/span> ourselves to try different <\/span>techni<\/span>que<\/span>s in order to see what we like<\/span>d the most.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Did you <\/span>operate <\/span>yourself ? <\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

JVD :\u00a0<\/strong>Indeed. It was mostly hand<\/span>held<\/span> for all the shots that showed Mon ange’s <\/span>point of view<\/span>. We had a Gecko, a small dolly that doesn’t <\/span>boom up or down<\/span>, but that is quite handy because <\/span>it<\/span> can get through narrow spaces. Regarding th<\/span>ose<\/span> shots, I would <\/span>be <\/span>walking<\/span> or s<\/span>itting <\/span>on the Gecko and Tanguy Bienfait, the key grip would make me roll.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We discussed a lot with Harry about <\/span>achieving <\/span>the aesthetic of Mon ange’s <\/span>point of view<\/span>. We <\/span>tested <\/span>to see what it <\/span>would be like<\/span> using<\/span> a gimbal<\/span>, but in the end we chose <\/span>to go <\/span>hand<\/span>held<\/span>, because it gave the narration <\/span>a <\/span>more organic<\/span> feel<\/span>. W<\/span>e still <\/span>used the <\/span>DJI <\/span>gimbal, <\/span> as a<\/span> remote head<\/span>, for <\/span>rotating <\/span>top <\/span>shots, booming <\/span>up <\/span>or<\/span> down. It allowed us to make some beautiful contemplative shots, in spite of the small budget.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Y<\/span>ou have worked with friends, <\/span>former Insas<\/span> classmates<\/span> as your crew<\/span>, young people who<\/span> are just <\/span>start<\/span>ing out <\/span>in the business like you. Wasn’t <\/span>it hard to impose them <\/span>on<\/span> the production ? <\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

JVD :\u00a0<\/strong>The fact that we are quite young wasn’t a problem for the production. They were quite curious to find out about this new generation.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

For me, it was really important to work with my regular team, because we learned everything together at Insas <\/span>for the most part<\/span> and I <\/span>had faith in <\/span>our way <\/span>of <\/span>work<\/span>ing<\/span> and communicat<\/span>ing<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The collaboration went very well and each one had his place on set. <\/span>There were <\/span>six<\/span> of us<\/span> in my team : me, Pierre, and Jeremy Bourgois <\/span>as the <\/span>ligh<\/span>ting crew<\/span>, Adrien and Nicolas Fafchamps <\/span>in the <\/span>camera<\/span> department<\/span>, and Tanguy <\/span>as <\/span>the grip. We all help each other because we were few and there was a lot to handle. We took <\/span>our<\/span> time to discuss <\/span>the shots <\/span>together and I think <\/span>that<\/span> was very beneficial for the movie.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Y<\/span>ou almost always work with Pierre, your partner, as your gaffer. I find <\/span>that to be<\/span> very <\/span>intere<\/span>sting and not that common. Could you tell me more ?<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

JVD :\u00a0<\/strong>Yes, <\/span>ever <\/span>since I <\/span>came <\/span>out of Insas three years<\/span> ago <\/span>I <\/span>have been <\/span>work<\/span>ing<\/span> with Pierre as <\/span>my <\/span>gaffer. The fact that he is also my lover gives us more complicity. We really know what the other <\/span>one <\/span>likes and we<\/span> understand each other quickly<\/span>. Pierre is more technical and I <\/span>a<\/span>m more artistic. I think we complete each other well.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

He really is my first ally in my team, I know that if he is with me, the film will be good. And that is a great sensation to have when you<\/span> start<\/span> a shoot<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

How did the work with the actors go<\/span>\u00a0?<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

JVD :\u00a0<\/strong>I had a beautiful <\/span>relationship<\/span> with the actors. It was particular because we played together. I loved having this complicity with them as I was playing myself a character in the film, the invisible man.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Little by little the actresses became closer to the technicians because the camera was their partner. We had to learn to care about each other and to breathe together.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

How was the postproduction<\/span> handled<\/span> ?<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

JVD :\u00a0<\/strong>The post took place at the studio l’Equipe. The grading lasted ten days in two parts. It was the first time I worked with Veerle Zelemaekers and I really enjoyed our collaboration. She listened carefully<\/span> to <\/span>my ideas and she has a sensitivity that is quite close for mine.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This step was very important, because the colors meant a great deal to the story. The grading allow<\/span>s <\/span>this intention to grow.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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What do you think of the results ?<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

JVD :\u00a0<\/strong>I am very happy <\/span>with<\/span> it. We went all the way for it<\/span> and <\/span>made<\/span> some <\/span>very <\/span>outspoken <\/span>choices. Now the film belongs to the <\/span>audience .<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It was very nice to see it for the first time among others in Camerimage. I could feel a lot of people in the audience were moved and intrigued <\/span>by it <\/span>and I had the opportunity to discuss <\/span>this <\/span>with them.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

C<\/span>ongratulations <\/span>on <\/span>your award. It’s amazing considering your age and moreover in this rather masculine environment.<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

JVD :\u00a0<\/strong>I did notice that at Camerimage I was the only wom<\/span>a<\/span>n selected in both <\/span>feature film categories<\/span>. 15% of the nominees of all categories were women this year and finally <\/span>there were<\/span> 25% who<\/span> won an award. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I think the<\/span> opportunities <\/span> aren’t quite the same for <\/span>women<\/span> as for<\/span> men<\/span>. And sadly<\/span> in <\/span>quite <\/span>a lot of <\/span>domains.<\/span> I am lucky enough to <\/span>have <\/span>never suffer<\/span>ed<\/span> from it professionally until now. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

But it’s true that the film industry is mainly a <\/span>male<\/span> environment and it’s not always easy to be taken seriously as a young women.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I don’t like to think about women and men separately. I think you can have more feminine or masculine sensitivity in spite of your gender.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

What are your projects for the future ?<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

JVD :\u00a0<\/strong>For the time being<\/span> I am working mainly on short films. It enables me to learn and to try different ideas and way<\/span>s<\/span> of working because the projects are very diverse. The directors with whom I work do mostly short<\/span>s<\/span> and I like <\/span>working with <\/span>them on this projects.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Of course <\/span>I hope I will have the opportunity <\/span>again <\/span>to do<\/span> a feature<\/span> film shortly<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Besides that I also work as <\/span>an <\/span>assistant camera and camera operator <\/span>on drama<\/span> and on the short-lived movie shows <\/span>\u201cKiss&Cry\u201d and <\/span>\u201cCold Blood<\/span>\u201d by the Kiss&Cry collective. The<\/span> visual <\/span>creation was imagined by the DOP Julien Lambert. It’s a pleasur<\/span>eful <\/span>and <\/span>different <\/span>experi<\/span>ence<\/span> from <\/span>what<\/span> one <\/span>has <\/span>on film <\/span>sets.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"15078799_1344142118937996_547857412561399372_n\"<\/p>\n

Material<\/span>\u00a0:\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Camera & light :<\/em> Eye Lite<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Grip<\/span><\/em>\u00a0:<\/em> KGS<\/span><\/p>\n

Grading<\/em> : Studio l’Equipe<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Technicians<\/span>\u00a0:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

1st CA\u00a0<\/em>:<\/em> Adrien Lengrand<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2nd CA :<\/em> Nicolas Fafchamps<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Gaffer<\/span>\u00a0<\/em>:<\/em> Pierre de Wurstemberger<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Electrician :<\/em> Jeremy Bourgois<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Key grip<\/span>\u00a0<\/em>:<\/em> Tanguy Bienfait<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Colorist<\/span>\u00a0<\/em>:<\/em> Veerle<\/span>\u00a0Zeelmaekers<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

VFX :<\/em> Willy Le Bleis & Marc Hericher<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

www.juliettevandormael.com<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Juliette Van Dormael is a young Belgian DOP. She is only twenty five years old and yet she already has won the Best Cinematographer’s Debut…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":7706,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rs_blank_template":"","rs_page_bg_color":"","slide_template_v7":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[553,561,557,560,554,559,558,556,467,555],"class_list":["post-7704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-productions","tag-adrien-lengrand","tag-harry-cleven","tag-jeremy-bourgois","tag-juliette-van-dormael","tag-marc-hericher","tag-nicolas-fafchamps","tag-pierre-de-wurstemberger","tag-tanguy-bienfait","tag-veerle-zeelmaekers","tag-willy-le-bleis"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sbcine.be\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7704","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sbcine.be\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sbcine.be\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sbcine.be\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/89"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sbcine.be\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7704"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.sbcine.be\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7704\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7716,"href":"https:\/\/www.sbcine.be\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7704\/revisions\/7716"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sbcine.be\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7706"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sbcine.be\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7704"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sbcine.be\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7704"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sbcine.be\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7704"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}