Roger Deakins, whose cinematography has shaped films ranging from “No Country for Old Men” to “Blade Runner 2049” and “1917,” discussed his approach to filmmaking in a recent interview. When asked to define what a cinematographer does, Deakins acknowledged difficulty answering the question, attributing this to the field’s dependence on specific story circumstances and the people involved in creating them. He emphasized that emotional reactions and intuition ultimately shape visual decisions, even when technical aspects can be articulated.
Deakins traced his relationship with photography to his youth in Torquay, England, where the camera initially served as a source of confidence and a barrier between himself and the world. He stressed the importance of lived experience in creative work, noting that filmmakers must draw from their personal experiences rather than primarily referencing other films. His wife and collaborator James Ellis Deakins, whom he met on “Thunderheart,” shares this philosophy. She noted that varied life experiences provide filmmakers with multiple perspectives that enrich storytelling and allow them to better understand the specifics of narratives.
Discussing his own creative process, Deakins found it difficult to articulate why certain compositions appeal to him, describing his approach as instinctual rather than consciously analytical. Ellis Deakins observed that his work involves interconnecting shapes, though he remains largely unaware of this pattern. When examining specific films, such as Andrew Dominik’s “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” Deakins acknowledged that visual choices arise from both circumstance and deliberate decision-making, sometimes making it difficult to separate the two.
Deakins noted that his collaborative approach varies by director. With Sam Mendes on “Jarhead,” he worked handheld and responsively, while work with Joel and Ethan Coen involved meticulous planning. Regardless of method, the priority remains understanding what matters in each scene and where the audience should focus. Actor Harrison Ford described Deakins’ lighting approach as emerging from the story itself, providing performers with a sense of support. Deakins emphasized the value of close collaboration with directors, particularly when operating the camera with a director nearby rather than monitoring from a distance, describing this as fostering trust and intense creative partnership.
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