Adam Bernstein.
Adam Bernstein is the director of the pilot episode of Fargo, which is the episode I've taken my scene from. He directed episodes 1 and 2 from the first season which first aired on 15th April, 2014. His input on the show is very important, as he started it all off to create one of the most cinematic TV Shows, still popular today. I'm going to be talking about how he chooses and works with his crew and what lead to him becoming a director for Fargo.
He started out as an animator, and then moved onto making videos for the likes of The Beastie Boys, directing their video for Hey Ladies. [1] I could see there was a style that carried through between the music video and the Fargo episodes and I think it's the use of extreme closeups and how they're combined with other shots to create a reveal. This is more notable in the music video but can still be seen in the chosen scene.
I've taken this into account in my own shot list, especially in moments after something dramatic has happened, to bring the viewer in.
As a director for the pilot of Fargo, he had a lot more to take into account as he was setting up the style for the rest of the directors to take lead from. He was able to choose the lighting, colour palette and cinematography style, which has now become such a signature for the show. This just shows how he had to put more work in but got a lot more out of it. [2]
Bernstein has also directed films such as Six Ways To Sunday (1997) which he also wrote. In the interview cited, he mentions that working in film is exciting but things take years to create. Whereas, when you work in TV, things are much more sudden, and people will get to see your content much faster.
In a talk with DP/30 on YouTube, Bernstein talks about how his DoPs were originally gaffers. He says how that being a DoP is often about lighting and making the shot beautiful, and that sometimes the composition falls down to the director. I find this an interesting way to look at cinematography and I think it shows how closely everyone on set needs to work together to make things work.
I'm inspired by Adam and the scene I've chosen because of how well it's shot and the way the actors must have been directed to create such detailed characters. Obviously, the actors would have put their own twist on the character, but considering how realistic Lester's reaction is in a very unusual situation, it must have taken a lot of planning, practice, and director input.
You can also see how Adam has used many different shots to heighten the tension, and puts the camera in the position of Vern to make the viewer feel more uncomfortable, as it makes Lester look more tense and also creates the sense of doom.
I think a very notable feature of Fargo is the lighting, and as mentioned before Adam chose a DoP that was previously a gaffer. Lighting in this episode is what makes the show stand out among others. It's very well lit with deep but soft shadows and a warm tone which adds to the drama. There's low lighting but a lot of lighting sources used such as lamps as seen in this shot. This is something I want to be able to use but I don't know if I will be able to fit many lamps into the budget so I will have to work with what I have on location. I'm going to have a gaffer in my crew so hopefully this will make for great lighting with input from the DoP and myself.
I am very excited to be able to recreate such a dramatic scene and although there's going to be a lot to take into consideration I'm looking forward to working with my team to create my own take on the scene. It's great to take from Adam his sense of working together to create something rather than as individuals who all have a separate job.
He started out as an animator, and then moved onto making videos for the likes of The Beastie Boys, directing their video for Hey Ladies. [1] I could see there was a style that carried through between the music video and the Fargo episodes and I think it's the use of extreme closeups and how they're combined with other shots to create a reveal. This is more notable in the music video but can still be seen in the chosen scene.
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| An interesting shot in the chosen scene, because of the composition. |
As a director for the pilot of Fargo, he had a lot more to take into account as he was setting up the style for the rest of the directors to take lead from. He was able to choose the lighting, colour palette and cinematography style, which has now become such a signature for the show. This just shows how he had to put more work in but got a lot more out of it. [2]
Bernstein has also directed films such as Six Ways To Sunday (1997) which he also wrote. In the interview cited, he mentions that working in film is exciting but things take years to create. Whereas, when you work in TV, things are much more sudden, and people will get to see your content much faster.
I really respect movies, but it’s a long haul. Even the most successful directors might be three or four years between movies – but on television, you’re always prepping and shooting. People are going to see it, and they’ll pay you.Bernstein is an Emmy award winner for his work on 30 Rock, which is an NBC comedy based on a talk show host. He has also worked on episodes of Breaking Bad and Scrubs. It seems like he's always followed the genres of sitcoms and real crime/comedy crime dramas. [3] However when it comes to Six Ways to Sunday, this is a very dark comedy entailing murder and incest, which stands out among his other work, although the dramatic topics do carry through.
In a talk with DP/30 on YouTube, Bernstein talks about how his DoPs were originally gaffers. He says how that being a DoP is often about lighting and making the shot beautiful, and that sometimes the composition falls down to the director. I find this an interesting way to look at cinematography and I think it shows how closely everyone on set needs to work together to make things work.
I'm inspired by Adam and the scene I've chosen because of how well it's shot and the way the actors must have been directed to create such detailed characters. Obviously, the actors would have put their own twist on the character, but considering how realistic Lester's reaction is in a very unusual situation, it must have taken a lot of planning, practice, and director input.
You can also see how Adam has used many different shots to heighten the tension, and puts the camera in the position of Vern to make the viewer feel more uncomfortable, as it makes Lester look more tense and also creates the sense of doom.
I think a very notable feature of Fargo is the lighting, and as mentioned before Adam chose a DoP that was previously a gaffer. Lighting in this episode is what makes the show stand out among others. It's very well lit with deep but soft shadows and a warm tone which adds to the drama. There's low lighting but a lot of lighting sources used such as lamps as seen in this shot. This is something I want to be able to use but I don't know if I will be able to fit many lamps into the budget so I will have to work with what I have on location. I'm going to have a gaffer in my crew so hopefully this will make for great lighting with input from the DoP and myself.I am very excited to be able to recreate such a dramatic scene and although there's going to be a lot to take into consideration I'm looking forward to working with my team to create my own take on the scene. It's great to take from Adam his sense of working together to create something rather than as individuals who all have a separate job.
Bibliography
[1] Pond, S. (2014). Emmy Nominated Director's Strange Trip: From Sir-Mix-a-Lot's 'Baby Got Back' to 'Fargo'. [online] TheWrap. Available at: https://www.thewrap.com/emmy-nominated-directors-strange-trip-from-sir-mix-a-lots-baby-got-back-to-fargo/ [Accessed 07 Feb. 2018].
[3] Beachum, C. (2014). Adam Bernstein Q&A: ‘Fargo’ director. [online] GoldDerby. Available at: http://www.goldderby.com/video/adam [Accessed 09 Feb. 2018].
[3] Beachum, C. (2014). Adam Bernstein Q&A: ‘Fargo’ director. [online] GoldDerby. Available at: http://www.goldderby.com/video/adam [Accessed 09 Feb. 2018].
[2] Goldberg, L. (2013). Emmy Winner Adam Bernstein to Direct FX's 'Fargo'. [online] The Hollywood Reporter. Available at: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/emmy-winner-adam-bernstein-direct-559896 [Accessed 07 Feb. 2018].
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