'The Crown' Cinematographer Adriano Goldman | Production Value
Connect with Deadline online!
https://www.facebook.com/deadline/
https://twitter.com/DEADLINE
https://www.instagram.com/deadline/
https://www.facebook.com/deadline/
https://twitter.com/DEADLINE
https://www.instagram.com/deadline/
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00I grew up professionally, I grew up in South America and Brazil and professionally also
00:10I mean my first professional or artistic experience were all in South America.
00:17I mean by then, in the 80s and 90s, I think it's probably wrong to say we had an industry.
00:22I mean of course there's, you know, a Brazilian film history and that I was very much aware
00:28but I used to watch documentaries on TV and I used to watch the, you know, the French
00:34diver Jacques Cousteau and his documentaries.
00:38Part of the show was kind of a behind the scenes sort of perspective with divers getting
00:43ready and getting the cameras and then diving and then cutting to the actual subject of
00:51a specific episode.
00:52And I remember vividly thinking, wow, yeah, actually there's people behind the cameras,
00:58you know, shooting that stuff, probably something that I could do and it felt very interesting.
01:04And then cinematography much more than directing and editing or right away, that's going back
01:10to Jacques Cousteau, I think the people behind the camera and the lenses were the most kind
01:18of attractive sort of aspect of the industry for me from a very early age.
01:24And I think that would basically triggered my interest for cinematography.
01:48You have an investiture ceremony at 11, then lunch with the Commonwealth Secretary General.
02:09So I thought the black shoes and low heel, which also works well for the first meeting
02:16Remind me?
02:17The Duke of Edinburgh, the Lord Chamberlain and the Duke of Norfolk.
02:20Oh, yes.
02:21Did we ever discover what that was about?
02:24They wouldn't say.
02:26It's not normally a good sign.
02:28I started on a very small production company in Sao Paulo as a PA and then as a first AD.
02:35So I used to AD for, you know, commercials and music videos.
02:40And but I always knew that, you know, somehow there was not my kind of road that I whenever
02:46I had a chance, I would probably jump and start, you know, focusing more on the art
02:53of cinematography.
02:54Jumping from video to film was like, you know, a kind of a bridge that I had somehow to think
03:02how to build.
03:03And MTV came to Brazil.
03:05This is in like the early 90s.
03:08And then I went to like this film school in Maine in the United States basically to give
03:16myself enough confidence that I could actually expose and shoot on film.
03:24And then by doing so, when I came back to Brazil, I had friends at like, let's say,
03:30more or less my age.
03:32They were becoming directors.
03:34So instead of being, let's say, a competitor, I just came and said, look, now I can be a
03:39cinematographer.
03:40And I somehow gave them confidence enough because I was coming back from the US.
03:45So I had some more knowledge.
03:49When I came back, I basically just immediately started shooting on film.
03:55In 2010, actually, I shot a film for Fernando Meirelles, the Brazilian director behind
04:08City of God.
04:09We did 360 together and 360 was written by Peter Morgan.
04:13So I got to know Peter.
04:15Then in 2013, Stephen Daldry came to Brazil and I shot Trash for him in Portuguese.
04:25And then we got along really, really well.
04:28I remember that I had read something about him and Peter that I already knew.
04:33They were developing something for Netflix, with Netflix or whatever.
04:37And I remember coming to him and asking, so what is this thing that you are developing
04:43with Peter?
04:44And he said, you know, that's just TV.
04:47And why are you asking?
04:49I said, well, just because I had a great time working with you and I really hope that was
04:53not the last time.
04:54And right away he said, well, if you want to do it, it's yours.
04:58Let me just talk to Peter and, you know, I'll give you a call in a couple of weeks.
05:01And then it just happened.
05:03I said it many times.
05:05I mean, it's literally changed my life and my career.
05:10In 2017, I moved to the UK when I was about to start season three and I am still living
05:17in the UK.
05:18And then I finished The Crown in 2023.
05:22So it was just a joy to be able to say I did the very first one and the very last one.
05:28So it's like full circle for me and Stephen together and all the other directors I could
05:34collaborate with.
05:35And it was just amazing, amazing journey for me.
05:40Your Majesty, you asked to see me.
05:45I think if you go back now and watch, especially seasons one and two, I think they're probably
05:50a little bit more romantic in a way, a little bit softer, a little bit warmer than seasons
05:57three, four, five and six.
05:59I think seasons five and six also have a much more contemporary sort of approach because
06:05the more you get close to present time, you somehow have to embrace, I'm going to say,
06:14a more modern way of shooting.
06:16I mean, it was not in a way something very kind of conscious and rational.
06:22I always thought that we were going to have to change anyway.
06:26We were going to have to change with the cast.
06:28We were going to have to change with the period.
06:32The luxury of having a production designer that was the same, we had the same production
06:39designers throughout six seasons, Martin Childs.
06:43We always discussed that, that his work had to change a lot.
06:48I think his approach to different seasons had to change a lot and embrace a costume
06:53as well and makeup as well.
06:56I always knew that I was going to have to embrace a kind of a natural progression and
07:03evolution in terms of, again, costume and sets and colors.
07:08For me, it was easier in a way because I just had to somehow adapt to a new period without
07:16having to think so much about changing my style.
07:19I mean, there was, of course, a technical evolution since we started in terms of embracing
07:25LED sources and more modern lenses throughout six seasons.
07:29I mean, I did the first two seasons on very old Cooke Pancrouz.
07:33Then I did seasons three and four on Zaya Superspeeds and then seasons five and six
07:40on Cooke S4s.
07:42So there's a natural technical and, let's say, stylistic progression.
07:48I mean, there was a different sort of approach at the beginning of season six, especially
07:53from my episodes two, three, and four around Diana's last days.
07:57I mean, we really consciously wanted to be a little bit more observational, a little
08:02bit more paparazzi-like.
08:04So I think there was that thing about the invasion, the stress that she was going through,
08:10the constant sort of, the voyeuristic sort of aspect of the way we wanted to frame her
08:19life, especially close to her last days.
08:22So I think that was a very conscious decision we made when I was shooting for Christian
08:28Trauhau on his episodes.
08:30But then if you go, if you re-watch ep 10, the very last one, that is kind of very much
08:35the crown style again.
08:37You know, it's very classic.
08:38It's very well composed.
08:40It's very symmetrical and gentle, in a way, and more classic.
08:45Have you forgotten the oath that you took?
08:47I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted
08:52to your service.
08:54I have to say, you expect that such an experienced director like Stephen would come back to the
09:01crown after a few years, kind of playing some sort of like in his comfort zone.
09:07I know how to do this.
09:09I've done it before.
09:10But it was actually the opposite.
09:12He came with a lot of energy, a lot of ambition, you know, a lot of focus, a lot of dedication.
09:19I mean, we spent a lot of time rehearsing and visiting locations and planning, especially
09:25after we got confirmation that Olivia and Claire would be interested and available.
09:33So we had to really plan for, you know, three specific scenes when Imelda faces Olivia,
09:40and then the long dialogue between Imelda and Claire, and the very last scene where
09:45you see the three queens together.
09:47So we planned a lot for that.
09:49I mean, working with Stephen is always a challenge because he's a theatre man, and he really
09:56wants to explore the space and movement.
09:59You know, he always gets bored with face-to-face conversations, so you always have to super
10:04elaborate your choreography.
10:06That's very evident on the scene between Imelda and Claire, that Claire is always behind Imelda's
10:12shoulder, because in a way, Imelda is not actually talking to a ghost, right?
10:16She's talking to herself.
10:18It's like this inner voice whispering conflict and ideas.
10:23And so I think that was a very, that's so Daldry.
10:27I mean, that kind of style where actors are always moving and, you know, going around
10:32themselves, and it was just really the best way to finish my journey on the crown.
10:39That was very emotional, very emotional for all of us.
10:41And it was also our very last shooting day.
10:46So it was planned in such a way, of course, this is all very much related to availability,
10:51but in a way, the gods conspired, and we had the three queens in Yorkshire Cathedral for
10:58our last shooting day.
11:00And effectively, the big wide shot that you see Imelda crossing the big nave, that was
11:06literally the last shot we did.
11:09And then, you know, the big applauses afterwards.
11:12And then Stephen was very, very emotional.
11:15And we had the other two queens watching that very last set up.
11:19So it was just the perfect sort of ending, flowers and champagne.
11:23And we had the producers, of course, for, you know, they always, they all wanted to
11:28be there to, you know, to close, to close it properly with the proper celebration.
11:35Stephen was super, super emotional.
11:38Imelda was super emotional.
11:40It's just a joy to watch them all together.
11:43The purpose of this meeting is, and I should say it's not because we have any reason to
11:47be fearful.
11:48Oh, get on with it, David.
11:50That we might really step up our planning of Operation London Bridge.
11:55That's the code name for your funeral, ma'am.
11:58We know what it is, Edward.
12:00I think it's been much more about being a filmmaker and a collaborator than actually
12:07calling myself an artist.
12:09I really don't care about that title.
12:11I think it's been much more about working with real artists, like writers and actors
12:17and directors, people that can create from nothing.
12:20You know, a cinematographer, I mean, it's a very privileged position and it's a
12:24wonderful craft.
12:26And yes, eventually you can be called an artist.
12:29But for me, it's much more about helping other people to tell a story the best way
12:35I can.
12:36And if I can make it beautiful, if I can make it sophisticated, and if I can be a strong
12:40collaborator, if I can be a filmmaker that collaborates not only by framing properly,
12:46but trying to improve the storytelling, trying to improve the emotional aspect of every story
12:54I help artists to tell, I'm happy.
12:59I think for me, it's collaborating.
13:03That's what I love the most.