Since years Ross W. Clarkson works for Nu Image and has acquire his good reputation. Now he is involved in the bigger productions of von Nu Image / Millennium Films and it is only a matter of time before he gets a chance for a big blockbuster.
Meanwhile you are a well-known cinematographer for action movies and you worked with different movie stars. How did you select your profession? Was it a lifelong dream since your childhood or a later decision? Please tell a little bit about your way into the business.
I'd been playing with cameras since I was 8 or 9 yrs old, then when I was 15 I saw a TV news crew, I thought that would be a great job. After that I organized my own work experience at the local TV stations going out with the news crews, then I was lucky enough to go to Channel 9 just when they were changing from film to video and they were hiring people and I got a job as a trainee editor, I had just left school, I was 17.
You were born in Australia but you began your career atypical in Hong Kong. What led you there? Aren't America or Europe for an Australian more logical stations?
The film industry in Australia is very small and competitive, I'm sure if I had stayed there I'd be driving a taxi. I'd been to HK on holidays before and I'd gone around Asia looking for work with no luck. Then in Australia I worked on a small film that went bust, I had also invested money in the film hoping it would continue, I was very desperate to get a film showreel. After that disaster I went a bit crazy, but the lead actress knew the owner of a film company in HK who said I can come over and see what happens, for 3 months I renovated a house for him before he gave me a job.
I learned a lot from working for this company, they are also a large rental company so I had the chance to use all types of equipment. In the first year I'd shot maybe 20 film jobs, in Australia that would have taken 5 years.
For me I think it was the right way to go. Also at that time HK made many films John Woo was becoming famous so I thought if a western guy has that "HK" training it can be a good marketing point.
"Full Alert" was the beginning of a collaboration between director Ringo Lam and you for several years. How did the relationship between him and you start and how did the relationship develop? By the way: Do you know what he does? Unfortunately since "In Hell" it is calm around him.
I still remember the first time I met Ringo, I had shot some underwater scenes for another HK movie and Ringo's producer asked me about shooting some underwater scenes for Ringo.
After talking about the scene Ringo seemed concerned, I said that I couldn't make him feel comfortable until we start shooting… Then I became concerned, they built a real drain pipe which had a 6ft diameter and was about 30ft long, there were some holes cut in the top for access and lighting, I had the equipment sent up from Australia (it was cheaper than hiring it locally) but I had ordered some underwater lights locally which the day before filming became unavailable (the guy didn't want to help us) so I bought some big flash lights. On the first day I was worried that I may not be able to do a good job… Ringo was so calm and patient. I had heard many other stories about him, it was also in the middle of winter and the tank wasn't heated… It wasn't pleasant at all, after a few days they had to drain some water and put some hot water in. I got along well with Ringo, then we went to look at the footage, he loved it and that's when he said that I should shoot a movie.
I hadn't heard from Ringo for some time, then suddenly he called me to have a coffee and he wanted me to shoot "The Suspect" which was to be like "Die Hard" in the Philippines. We got along well on that film then came "Victim". Ringo even admits that he gave me a very hard time on that film, everyday I thought I was going to get fired, but finally we got nominations in a couple of film festivals.
Ringo's personality is to reflect the type of film he's working on at that time, it catches many people off guard, even actors.
Ringo lives 10 minutes from my place in Hong Kong, we see each other sometimes, I had a coffee with him and Van Damme a few months ago in HK. (Van Damme does come to visit; he also bought a place in HK).
Also you made with Jean-Claude Van Damme four movies - thereof two were directed by Ringo Lam. Such a cooperation over several films between cinematographer and leading actor is unusual. What were the reasons? A deeper friendship after "Replicant", the knowledge you and Van Damme are a perfect complement for his movies or did he simply detect your skills?
Jc as I call him, we did become good friends during "Replicant" He was even best man at my wedding in Bulgaria with Irina… I didn't ask him to, he asked me…
I think he feels comfortable around me; I just treat him as a normal person. Jc's been through some difficult times (personal) and so have I, maybe that is something we have in common. Jc respects my camera operating; he likes the feeling that it brings. So after "Replicant" Jc took me to Israel and Bulgaria for "The Order", this is when I got to really know Nu Image, they loved my work and my attitude.
In the last months you were involved in very good movies. I personally think your job for "The Mechanik" was top-notch. This pessimistic and gritty look is very atmospheric and especially the final showdown is shot very excellent. How much liberties did you have and could you also let in own creativity? Referring to this I want to know how was the cooperation with Dolph Lundgren and has a cinematographer normally a carte blanche or is he always bound to the instructions of the director?
Working with Dolph was another good experience. There is always an adjustment period when you work with someone for the first time and I think I relate to these people very well, I don't kiss their ass.
To work on these films I think first of all you have to be honest with yourself and the film you're making and realize that this is not going to be the best movie in the world, and it's not the best story… So now that we know that how can we make it the best we can? What does your audience want to see?
After talking about these points we started designing the movie around Dolph… If someone else was the lead actor the film would have been different. We had to make it personal. We agreed to make it look cool and different. I showed him some different styles. Dolphs' trust in me grew to where I'd ask Dolph to show me a blocking of the scene and how he imagined the final scene to look, then I'd suggest something. We used a lot of crane shots where we had time, we did some scenes as one shot, we had fun.
The martial arts movie "Undisputed II: Last Man Standing" was a new challenge for you with rapid fights and spectacular moves. Were there larger problems for you to follow the fast choreographies? Isaac Florentine directs very accentuate with conspicuous tracking shots. How difficult was it for you to be adapted to him? Please describe also the cooperation with him a little bit.
I really had the best time working with Isaac. Again there was an adjustment period, on the first day there was some minor miss understandings, but we got past that especially when Isaac started to see the "Rushes". I gave the lab and the telecine very strict guidelines… but for the budget you can only do so much.
Isaac is very passionate, so much so that sometimes he can't see some things', that's when I can assist him.
I hadn't shot fight scenes in Isaac's style before, so Isaac would ask for something and I'd change it a bit to show him something different… Isaac started accepting new things and together we would work on that.
Who are your inspiring examples? Do you think directing is also a future option for you like Jan de Bont or Andrzej Bartkowiak for example?
I'd love to direct… I've asked Nu Image for the chance, but so far there hasn't been the opportunity…
My inspiration comes from watching all types of movies (especially big budget action movies), and I wonder if I was there could I make a difference?? On some big movies they seem to find the hardest way to do something that is actually very simple..
In what way is a cinematographer involved in the postproduction? Or is his job done after filming?
It depends on the budget of the film, for a Hong Kong film I normally get 2 days to colour the film.. But for Nu Image they don't want me to come to LA to do the colour… Dolph and I had a long talk about look of "The Mechanik" and we did some film tests in Bulgaria
You worked with actors such as Jean-Claude Van Damme, Wesley Snipes, Steven Seagal, Shu Qi, Simon Yam and Dolph Lundgren or directors such as Ringo Lam, Bob Misiorowski, Michael Oblowitz, Mark Roper and Isaac Florentine. Were there also times with serious problems in front of the camera because an actor or a director was very unsatisfied with your work? Maybe because it was impossible to follow an order?
I don't remember ever having such a large problem.. There are always some personal issues that arise… On Wesley's film "Unstoppable" after Wesley had finished his filming for the movie I became the main unit DP and the lead actress Jacqueline Obradors started giving us a few problems… She came into a set in a police station for a rehearsal and she was angry with me because I'd started lighting the set before I knew exactly what she was going to do… But there was only one chair and a table in the middle of the room, so with the director we knew that there's nowhere else to go… Also on the last night of filming at the exterior hospital location Jacqueline would go back to her trailer after a few shots and brush her hair for 45 minutes… At this point the sun was coming up soon and we were running out of time. So we shot all the other actors in the scene so that all that was left was her lines… She didn't like that at all.
In the last few years you worked primary with Nu Image. Why this close collaboration with this studio?
I have a very good relationship with Nu Image. It's very much like a family business. They know that I'm very serious when I work and that I'll finish a job on time and in budget as much as is in my power… With those restrictions in mind I really have to fight to produce a "look" for a film that works.
Brian De Palmas "The Black Dahlia" is now in post production and I think for you a big step forward because maybe this is your access to big budget productions. How much did you learn from such a great director? Do you have new offers now?
On "The Black Dahlia" unfortunately I was only "B" camera operator, but I did learn a lot from both Brian and Vilmos Zigmond (the films DP).
A large problem that I face now is that so many movies are co-productions made on tax incentives, which means you can only work depending on your passport and if you're a "Tax Deduction", unfortunately Australia doesn't do many co-productions outside of Australia, so I've missed out on many jobs because of this.
I'm in a position at the moment where I have done many films, but I haven't had that one film that every sees and loves and gets you an agent, I hope "Undisputed II: Last Man Standing" will change all of that.
Ok, the closing words are yours. If you want to say something to your German readers is this your chance.
I'd love to shoot some movies in Germany. So if you're a producer. I'm available. I hope that I can keep shooting films that people enjoy watching.
