Mike Leigh & Dick Pope - Director & Cinematographer

EPISODE 76 - MIKE LEIGH & DICK POPE - Director & Cinematographer

Team Deakins has the pleasure of sitting down with the long time collaborative team of Mike Leigh and Dick Pope (MR. TURNER, NAKED, SECRETS & LIES). What a great conversation! Mike shares with us his method of working and delineates the difference between his work and that of the directors John Cassavetes and Ken Loach. We learn the importance of having the right location and being able to return to the location during the course of the shoot. As the film is an “ongoing investigation” of what it will be according to Mike, Dick shares how amazing the experience is when he sees the blocked scene play out on location for the first time. Mike speaks on his way of working with actors. We also learn why on the film Peterloo, which involved a lot of scenes with a lot of extras and battles, they chose not to do storyboards. Both Mike and Dick talk about the specifics of their collaboration and how it has strengthened over years. A fascinating look into a very special relationship between a director and cinematographer.

RECOMMENDED EPISODE VIEWING: Secrets and Lies