NATALIE KINGSTON, Cinematographer
Growing up, Natalie loved creative expression. She was quickly captivated by the arts, and once she got her hands on a video camera, it was game over. Today, Natalie’s a cinematographer who shoots films, commercials and music videos, etc. She works closely with directors to design a visual language that conveys the emotional essence and prominent themes of each film. Whether it’s lighting, lenses, color, composition or camera movement and beyond, Natalie touches every task that guides the film’s vision into reality.
The Basics:
Hometown: New Iberia, Louisiana
Current city: Los Angeles, California
Alma mater: University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Degree: B.A., Mass Communication
Very first job: Cashier at a local grocery store in my hometown
Hustle: Cinematographer
The Interests:
Babe you admire and why?
I was inspired by Reed Morano at the beginning of my journey into cinematography. I remember seeing her photo of her on the back of American Cinematographer magazine holding a camera and I thought, if she can do it, then I can do it. She embodies both femininity and strength, which is very encouraging as a young female cinematographer just starting out.
What’s the last movie you watched?
Ivan’s Childhood
Go-to coffee order and/or adult beverage?
Cappuccino or iced coffee with oat milk
What would you eat for your very last meal?
Pepperoni pizza
What’s something you want to learn or master?
Work/life balance
If you could have coffee with anyone in the world, who would it be?
Oprah
What’s a must-have item in your bag on production day?
Light meter, digital camera and tea tree toothpicks
If you could name your dream director to work with, who would it be?
Barry Jenkins
The Hustle:
Tell us about your hustle.
I’m a cinematographer who shoots films, commercials and music videos. I’m responsible for taking the director’s vision and creating the photographic look of the project. I collaborate closely with the director to design a visual language that conveys the emotional essence and prominent themes of the film. I use lighting, lenses, color, composition and camera movement to essentially translate emotions into imagery. I also collaborate with the production designer and costume designers to achieve the visual style. I oversee the lighting, grip and camera departments to guide the film’s vision into reality. Also, I work closely with the colorist in post-production where the finishing touches are added.
What does your typical workday look like? Which various ‘hats’ do you wear throughout the day?
Depending on the stage of production I’m in or the project I’m shooting, my work days vary. Currently, it’s quite different in the midst of a pandemic as I’m not working much, so I’ll talk about what it’s like “normally”. For a film in pre-production, I read the script many times and make a ton of notes. I meet with the director as much as possible to dissect the script and come up with a unique visual language. We make shot lists and a game plan for the shoot. I work with the producers to get my crew hired and negotiate the gear I will need that works within the constraints of the budget. In early prep, I’ll location scout with the director and production designer. Then, as the locations are finalized, we go back and do a tech scout with most of the department heads. I also work closely with the first Assistant Director on the shooting schedule to make enough time is being allocated for each set-up and the time of day is right for each scene. I devise lighting plans and rigs with my Gaffer and Key Grip. I test cameras and lenses to decide what we’ll use on the shoot. In production, we shoot about 12 hours a day until the movie is shot. The number of shooting days depends on the budget and scale. The director and I, along with the 1st AD, are side-by-side executing our plan of attack. For each set-up of each scene, we find the shot then I work with my Camera Assistants to get camera into position and will guide my Gaffer and Key Grip to execute the lighting and rigging we have planned. We do this day in and day out until the end. I’m not only being creative and thinking technically, but I’m also managing 3 departments, making sure our set-ups are done in the allotted time and navigating the inevitable politics of a set. When it comes time to color grade the film at the end of post-production, I sit in with the colorist to make sure our look has been achieved.
Currently in times of the coronavirus, my days are quite different. I wake up before sunrise, meditate, write, workout, do something creative/emails/gather inspiration/work on personal projects/read scripts, meditate in the afternoon, and go to bed around 9:30pm. It’s been great.
Have you always had a passion for storytelling and creating? What initially drew you to cinematography?
I was a child who was always creating, whether it was putting on plays and various types of performances, doing photoshoots with barbies, making radio shows or making little movies with my parents’ VHS video camera. Growing up, my mom and grandmother often took me to see live theatre. Now looking back, I think that escaping into these worlds sparked some kind of storytelling seed. I was enamored with all the layers of creativity. When I got my hands on that video camera, I just wanted to create an experience that felt similarly. Of course I didn’t know what a cinematographer was when I was young, but I knew this idea of making films was fascinating, so I had to figure out a way to work in the movies. It wasn’t until I was working as a camera assistant on my first few films, that I learned about the role of a cinematographer, and thought, “I want to do that”.
What makes a film impactful to you? What types of questions do you ask when first starting a project to ensure you convey the director’s vision and film’s message clearly?
A film impacts me when I can be transported into a character’s world and feel empathy for their particular journey, consequently shifting my own perspective. I think that is ultimately the power of cinema—to walk alongside someone who you otherwise wouldn’t have the chance to meet in real life. Our human experience is so fascinating, and how that particular experience affects our psyche in the most complex ways is even more intriguing. There are many questions that I ask at the beginning of a film: Does this story need to exist in the world? Why does this story need to exist in the world? How will people be potentially affected by it? In what ways do I connect with this story? What are the prominent themes that need to be translated visually? From whose perspective is this film told? I will also sit down with the director and break down each scene, asking more questions about character, perspective, emotion and subtext. All of those answers inform the visual language.
Zach Phillips
What’s your process for communicating with directors, producers and other crew members to design a visual strategy for a film?
I always create a look book that breaks down the visual language. The book is filled with inspiration from photographs, paintings and other art to illustrate the main visual concepts. For example, if we’re using composition to convey a certain emotion, it will be laid out with a brief description of the concept. Everyone can see this lookbook and it’s a really effective way to communicate the cinematographic approach to other departments. The idea is not to be rigid with the visual language, but knowing when to break the rules and to explore within the world that we’ve set up.
What is the most rewarding production you’ve worked on so far? Why?
I’d have to say the feature film, Lost Bayou. This was a special project as it was shot and took place in Acadiana, which is an area in South Louisiana that I was born and raised. The characters were based on Cajun people who are my family, and folks I’ve known all of my life. The film’s themes of empathy, grief and faith in others were something I felt like I could sink my teeth into visually. At the time, this was the second narrative feature I had shot, but the first time I felt like I could contribute on a deeper emotional level. That experience has informed everything I’ve shot since. I’ve grown so much since then, but Lost Bayou taught me a different way to think about visually storytelling. I also got to collaborate with my husband, Brian, who directed the film, so that was really special.
How have your past professional and academic experiences and lessons prepared you for the work you do today? How have they not prepared you?
College didn’t really prepare me for what I do, because mass communication is not really geared toward filmmaking—but it was the closest thing I could find at my school that sort of dabbled in production. It wasn’t until I got on set and started working that I learned how to make and shoot films. After working in film for a few years, I decided to focus on shooting, so I did a short term cinematography intensive at a school called Maine Media. That was the turning point in my film journey where I acquired a lot of knowledge and inspiration, and promised myself I wouldn’t go back to assisting. To this day, every time I’m on set, I learn something new and bring that new experience to the next project.
What would you say is your biggest career milestone to date and why?
I’d say meeting the late director Jeff Labbe’ and working with him on a project. He gave me the opportunity to shoot my first large budget commercial. I had never done anything on that scale prior, but he somehow trusted me to shoot it. After that, some new doors started to open and people started to notice my work. He was one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met and collaborated with. He was fearlessly bold and his relentless creative energy was contagious. He made a huge impact on me and I still think about him to this day. I often say, “What would Jeff do?” I feel lucky to have known him.
How would you say being a woman has affected your professional experience? What can we do to create more equal, uplifting (and well-paying!) spaces for women in your industry?
As a woman, you inherently have to work harder as a cinematographer. There’s always a degree in which you have to prove the stereotype wrong. When one thinks of a cinematographer, most often an image of a white man enters their brain. Unfortunately, that’s still the society we live in and it’s always been that way. The silver lining is that I think it’s made me stronger. Being a woman has allowed me to stand out and given me opportunities that I otherwise wouldn’t have gotten—thanks to the fearless women DPs before me who have paved the way. We have to create more opportunities for women behind the camera, and people have to be willing to take “risks,” because they take chances on men all the time. We have to keep giving back to younger women who want to be cinematographers. Those in hiring positions have to make it a point to hire diverse crews on every single project. This is the only way it will change.
What’s the gender ratio like in your industry? Do you see it evolving? Why or why not?
It’s astonishing. Of the 500 top grossing films in 2019, 6% of cinematographers were women. Before that it was like 2%, so it is evolving—but very slowly. I mean, the first woman ever nominated for Best Cinematography at the Oscars was only two years ago. Obviously, there’s still a ton of work to be done, but we must keep fighting the good fight until none of us have to be referred to as a “female cinematographer” again.
Who are some women in your field that you look to for inspiration?
Rachel Morrison, Nancy Schrieber, Natasha Braier, Maryse Alberti, Rina Yang and Amy Vincent, to name a few.
What does your approach to work/life balance look like? How do you unplug and unwind?
Meditation helps tremendously—I don’t know what I would do without it. If I’m feeling myself get burnt out, I try to take some time off to recenter and rejuvenate. Sometimes, I’ll go to my mom’s house where I can escape with no distractions and just have some peace. One ritual that I started a couple of years ago is to get a manicure right before a shoot. It’s a way for me to relax and feel refreshed before I begin. It also takes my mind off of work for an hour or two.
Career and/or life advice for other babes?
Trust your gut and be you. When something seems really hard, just dive in and do it. You’ll always figure it out, and you’ll come out stronger and smarter.
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