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ONFILM Interview: Christian Sebaldt, ASC
Published on website: August 01, 2012
Categories: ONFILM

“My images are the result of a collaboration of so many bright minds. CSI is
approaching its 300th episode, and we’re still pushing creatively. One glance
at a well-crafted image, and the audience understands the story it tells. It’s a
visual medium, and we must create with this in mind. Film is a point-and-shoot
instrument. It’s reliable and easy to work with, and its silky, smooth texture makes
everyone look good. For me, seeing the final results is still an astonishing and
humbling experience.”

Christian Sebaldt, ASC has photographed 45 episodes of CSI: Crime Scene
Investigation over the past four seasons. He is the longest-serving director of
photography on that series, which also earned him a 2010 Emmy® Award. His
credits also include more than 40 other narrative credits, including Parasomnia,
FeardotCom, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Bratz, Race to Space, and The Dark.
[All these films were shot on Kodak motion picture film.]
                                                                                                                                            
A Conversation with Christian Sebaldt, ASC

QUESTION: How did you first become interested in photography?
 
Sebaldt: Watching my dad produce and direct commercials in Munich. It seemed there were always new challenges and it was never boring. It looked like pure fun, only later did I realize how much hard work is put into it. When I was about 12 years old, I got a black and white lab from an uncle in East Germany. I took it home to Munich, assembled it in our basement and started experimenting. I discovered the magic of 35 mm film – an image in the developer appearing mysteriously before my eyes. A photograph I had taken days earlier, so far only a memory in my mind, was suddenly visible to everybody. This was quite mesmerizing for me as a boy, and it still is today. Seeing your images projected in a movie theater is an even more astonishing experience that you don’t easily forget.

Tell us about that feeling of seeing an audience see and react to your work.

Sebaldt: It is gratifying and humbling too, because what you are viewing is a collaboration of so many bright minds. When people compliment your work, you shouldn’t forget that maybe hundreds of people contributed in so many ways. Once I got into the business, I found that I loved being on the set with a big crew, all working toward the same goal. And in the mad dash throughout the day, we are often able to achieve something even better than what we had hoped for. I worked as a camera assistant on Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s Lili Marleen and was astonished to experience what could be achieved on a major motion picture set. All these little fractured moments, captured over several months, with almost military precision, all came together in the final film. They came alive and swept me away into one continuous, emotional and dramatic journey. I had discovered my passion: filmmaking.

Is film history important to you and your work? If so, why?

Sebaldt: Absolutely. I don’t think you can call yourself a cinematographer if you are not aware of who has come before you, what they have done and how they achieved it. If you don’t appreciate and study the many classic movies and their cinematographer’s contributions, you probably cannot even become an accomplished cinematographer. Film history is the foundation from which our ‘cinematography minds’ forge new images.

Are cinematographers artists?

Sebaldt: Study all the cinematographers’ work in the many famous movies of the last 100 years and the answer must be yes. But it’s not just about what’s visible on the screen. Cinematographers are not ‘just’ artists. We are hired to manage crew, money and time on the set to achieve the director’s goals within the producer’s means. So if you have six hours to accomplish something, you need to make that happen. If your ego is bigger than that, you’ll probably encounter issues. You cannot just be an artist. It’s a balancing act every day, all day long.

Is there an overemphasis on technology today?

Sebaldt: Much publicity is generated by the big manufacturers about their latest ‘toys’, which often creates an artificial excitement through ‘clever’ advertising. New gear is sometimes on the set, simply because it has been so well promoted and you don’t want to be the last one trying it… In the end one might find, “I could have done that better with the tools I’ve already been using for years.” New technology can be a distraction on set, but also an asset, so it’s wise to figure out its benefits and pitfalls in advance. As a professional cinematographer I have to be able to deliver my images quickly, predictably and without unnecessary risk.

You work with multiple cameras on CSI?

Sebaldt: Yes. We have at least two cameras rolling at all times. When we do stunts or special effects, we use more. We try to capture multiple angles at the same time for better coverage, to give the editors more choices to shape the scenes, as well as the episode.

What are some of the characteristics of the look of CSI?
 
Sebaldt: The key to CSI is backlight. I use really hot beauty backlight, but try not to flare the lenses, which can be a bit of a struggle at times. The backlights are usually very low in order to be really sharp and crisp. I also use a good mix of complementary colors on the set, and we often live in the world of straws and cyans. We shoot quite fast and capture multiple angles at the same time, and some of those shots are just going to be a little bit brighter, having more front light, some darker, having more backlight. We vignette shots in post, take the color down a little bit to de-saturate. We make it a little moodier where needed and often add a bit of contrast to day exteriors. This is where our remarkable colorist Paul Westerbeck (Encore Hollywood) watches my back and often ‘saves the day’.

Do audiences perceive images shot on film differently?
 
Sebaldt: Certainly in a theater, you quickly feel the difference. A beautifully crafted motion picture shot on film often has more of an emotional impact on a subliminal level. I think digital movies don’t have that silkiness and smoothness, and I think that is a difference that an audience subconsciously perceives.

Are audiences savvier these days?
 
Sebaldt: Absolutely. As audiences have become more sophisticated, we have changed the look and feel of our show. We have gone darker, changed the pace in editing, invented new flashback looks, etc. We often have sequences where our heroes go into unknown spaces, and we very carefully choose what not to light, what to leave to the audience’s imagination. The show has been around for almost 300 episodes, but it is still evolving. Everyone here is a contributing element of the show and we all help shape it and that’s exciting! Our storylines are often based on very recent and often tragic events, so the series remains very current that way and audiences are able to relate to the characters and events.

Have bigger, better television images changed the way you shoot?
 
Sebaldt: We are very careful with makeup, set dressing, props, etc. We make sure that every minute detail is correct – a label on an evidence box, the victim‘s name on a syringe, the shape of bloodstains on the wall. Sometimes it may seem silly, but then you watch the episode, and yes, you see those details and they matter. It’s a forensics show, so you want the technical details to be correct, you want every episode to be grounded in reality. It’s important to us, and I believe that the audience recognizes and appreciates the effort.

What are your overall goals or standards for the images?

Sebaldt: Even under the pressure of a television production schedule, I want my images to be exciting and as appropriate as they can be. If a character is trapped and uncertain how to survive the next five minutes, I need to put the audience emotionally in his place. How do I do that visually? With a handheld Dutch angle? By keeping frame elements out of focus? Or by concealing the person in a dark space with just a little cold edge light? A well crafted image quickly generates the right visceral reaction. We need to avoid relying on dialog for explanation – this is a visual medium.

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When you were a child, what film made the strongest impression on you?

When I was 10 or 12, we spent the summer out in the country. It was midnight and my parents had long gone to bed. I was watching The Body Snatcher [shot by Robert de Grasse] as a severe thunderstorm moved right over our house, and the power kept going in and out. I was frightened to death — and glued to the TV screen — as Boris Karloff dug up bodies and lightning came crashing down around me.

Which cinematographers, past or present, do you most admire?

The first time I saw Gregg Toland’s [ASC] cinematography in Citizen Kane and Vittorio Storaro’s [ASC, AIC] in The Conformist, I was stunned. Geoffrey Unsworth’s [BSC] work in 2001: A Space Odyssey and Jordan Cronenweth’s [ASC] in Blade Runner left deep impressions as well.

What sparked your interest in photography?

Watching my dad produce and direct commercials in Munich, Germany, was instrumental. One day they were on a go-cart racetrack promoting fountain pens, the next day they were filming a fire inside a coal stove, trying to cope with the black smoke filling up the stage. It seemed the cinematographer continuously faced new challenges and never had a dull day. Years of experimenting with black-and-white still photography in my little lab in my parents’ basement and experiencing the never-ending visual possibilities made cinematography the only career choice for me.

Where did you train and/or study?

I spent two years at the Bavaria Film Studios and Lab in Munich as a trainee in every department, including processing, color-correcting, printing and visual effects. I was working on optical printers and animation stands and worked on front projection for movies like Avalanche Express, shot by Jack Cardiff, BSC, and TV commercials.

Who were your early teachers or mentors?

Once a week a retired cinematographer took us trainees under his wing and taught us shooting
and editing. There is no better way to learn than from your own mistakes, and at the time it
seemed we made them all!

What are some of your key artistic influences?

The 1920s movies Nosferatu, Metropolis and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. The visuals are quite
unique and memorable. But every one of my job assignments demands new artistic research.
Recently, while prepping the film Parasomnia, I came upon the mesmerizing and nightmarish
images of Zdzislaw Beksinski, which became a stimulating inspiration for us.

How did you get your first break in the business?

When I moved from Munich to Hollywood, I had no connections in the industry. Anybody
willing to endure my five-minute demo reel got his chance! Finally I was recommended for
additional camerawork to Wolfgang Obst for a nature film about the last California Condors. He
then recommended me to others, and since I’ve been able to pay my bills doing what I love.
Thank you, Wolfgang!

What has been your most satisfying moment on a project?

Watching actors transform into a character holds a never-ending fascination for me. I still
sometimes have tears in my eyes after witnessing a gripping, emotional performance. The
moment everything comes together on camera live, in front of my eyes, just as planned or maybe
even better than that, is what draws me back behind the camera every time.

Have you made any memorable blunders?

Yes. I didn’t follow my wealthy godfather’s advice: ‘Kid, never take a job where you don’t get
paid residuals!’

What’s the best professional advice you’ve ever received?

My dad told me: ‘Always be prepared, do your homework’. I can only do my best if I know what
a scene is about, what the purpose of every shot is, how it needs to advance the story and how it
fits into the overall editing puzzle.

What recent books, films or artworks have inspired you?

I collect art and photography books, and I find Nick Knight’s photography quite remarkable. I
also find inspiration by watching the magical Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, a stage
production of The Lion King, Bill Viola’s digital high-speed art, Cirque du Soleil’s O, and the
creatures at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.

Do you have any favorite genres, or genres you would like to try?

I always admired the many French and Italian films I grew up with, but I quickly fell in love with
Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West, so add me to the list of cinematographers who
want to shoot a Western!

If you weren’t a cinematographer, what might you be doing instead?

Good question!

Which ASC cinematographers recommended you for membership?

Mikael Salomon, Steven Poster and M. David Mullen. I very much admire their work and will forever be grateful to them!

How has ASC membership impacted your life and career?

Some of the most distinguished cinematographers in the world are members of the ASC. Being invited to join was humbling, but also one of the most exciting moments in my life — a dream come true. I have always been impressed by the kindness and generosity of ASC members, and by their tireless efforts to advance today’s film and digital technologies. It’s my turn to help in any way I can by sharing what I have learned.

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