Charles - Operating Steadicam for Brad Anderson
 

Charles,

Question to pick your brain a bit. In Session 9 you worked with Brad Anderson, who co-wrote and directed one of my top 5 indie films of all time - Next Stop Wonderland. When he shot NSW (I think on 16mm?) it had a very handheld style to it because, well I suppose because it was largely handheld.

When Anderson later did Happy Accidents, this was a 35mm production with a more standard, static camera feel, but there were occasionally some handheld effects there too. Though I would say it worked better for NSW because of it's very indie, doc-style feel.

Anyway, then came Session 9, in which you were involved. As the steadicam operator, what was your experience working with Anderson? Was he very involved with the camera's operations, or did he mostly leave it up to your team? Did discussions of his previous films come up? Also, are you involved with his current project, The Machinist, at all? I can't seem to find too much info about this last project so I'm not even sure what it is yet.

Thanks in advance for yet again sharing your knowledge.

Hi Imran:

I met Brad when we both lived in Boston, before he did Wonderland (which I agree is a very fine film). I think it was Super 16. His DP on that and Session 9 was Uta Briesewitz, who now shoots "The Wire" on cable.

Brad is definitely involved with the camera movements. He is very detail oriented. There wasn't much time to stand around and yak on Session 9, also the environment was so brutal it was hardly conducive to pleasantries...!

I'm not involved with his current project. I only worked on Session 9 because I combined it with a trip back east to visit family. He tends to shoot back there.

He is a gifted filmmaker and I respect his insistence on making the kinds of films he wants to make, i.e. he is truly an indie filmmaker.

Wow, he definitely sounds like my kind of director. I'm a big fan of his; and come to think of it, of many east coast indies as a whole. It would be a dream to work with someone like him. I imagine myself taking the same kind of path - not too big commercially, but happily producing films nonetheless. I'd love to bewitch even a dozen people the way Wonderland's kept me watching and re-watching over the past few years.

It's so great having you on this forum to get the down-low, thanks!