Blog 4: Kirsten Johnson, Camerawoman

Kirsten Johnson’s lecture was insightful, and she offered a lot of awareness in regard to the film industry as a cinematographer through her own personal experiences, but notably her movements as well. Her presentation was very unique in the sense that it was very interactive and personal. She was very hyperactive and eager which made the session more enjoyable. All the exercises she conducted were new, but perceptive. Notably, the exercise where we looked into each other’s eyes for two minutes was strange, but through the forced activity, I was able to observe the other person more intentionally and thoroughly than I do on a normal basis. It gave me the opportunity to fully analyze the emotions and ambience of the situation and person. I appreciated how Kirsten Johnson was so willing to push us out of our comfort zone for us to really look into another person rather than just at them. She was able to push us out of our own comfort zone because it is something she’s been practicing on herself for years as depicted in her own work. She goes through any means possible just to get that perfect, possible shot. For example, in The Above, she laid down on the floor to get that perfect shot of carrots. It was a successful shot as it was more memorable than if she had taken it from an eagle eye perspective. As much as it is important to record the vital moments in life, I’ve learned that the way we collect them is just as important. Her lecture was a good reminder to an important lesson I learned prior, where interviewing someone should flow like a conversation—it shouldn’t be rigid and you should maintain eye contact with the subject—be personal and hypersensitive to your surroundings.