(L-R) Alison Lohman and Lorna Raver in a scene from Drag Me to Hell. (Photo by Melissa Moseley/Universal Pictures c 2009 Universal Studios)During the mid-1980s, Peter Deming, ASC collaborated with Sam Raimi on Evil Dead II. It was Deming’s second feature credit. He has since created a diverse body of work including films such as Lost Highway, Mullholland Drive, Scream 2 and 3, and Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, and Austin Powers in Goldmember. Recently Deming reteamed with Sam Raimi on the psychological horror film Drag Me to Hell, which will screen at the 2009 Cannes International Film Festival. It’s the story of a twenty-something woman who is given three days to live after an ungenerous moment as a bank manager.
Question: Congratulations on having Drag Me to Hell selected to screen at the Cannes Film Festival this year. I know you have had several films at the festival over the years, have ever been able to attend?
Cinematographer Peter Deming, ASC on the set of Drag Me to Hell. (Photo by Melissa Moseley/Universal Pictures c 2009 Universal Studios)Deming: In 2001, Mullholland Drive was in competition. That was first and only time I’ve attended the Cannes Festival. I didn’t know anything about it, and I was completely unprepared. There is the whole red carpet thing, and you don’t realize that as you’re on the red carpet you’re also being projected on the screen inside the theater. Everyone is in there watching you arrive, and when you actually get through the door, everyone is standing and clapping. There are always lights and cameras on you. The screening went very well, and the audience stood and clapped for about four minutes, which was great. There’s a reverence about films and filmmaking at Cannes that you don’t really see anywhere else. There’s a lot of tradition, and it’s a real ceremony. That was a great experience, and really a lot of fun.
Question: Will you tell us about your new film Drag Me to Hell?
Deming: It wasn’t really what I expected, given the title, and having worked with Sam (Raimi) before. It’s not really blood and guts. It’s more like Poltergeist, for example, and I thought that was a really interesting choice. I was excited to see what Sam had in mind for the movie and the style.
Cinematographer Peter Deming, ASC on the set of Drag Me to Hell. (Photo by Melissa Moseley/Universal Pictures c 2009 Universal Studios)Question: What did he have in mind?
Deming: True to form, a lot of it was storyboarded, so we started going over that material. We wanted to make it somewhat naturalistic, but certain scenes had a different sort of stylization to them. He described it as a roller-coaster ride for the audience. We wanted to take them on this journey with this girl, who is in this predicament, as she becomes more and more desperate as the film goes on. Sam is very meticulous about making things clear for the audience, particularly in action sequences where he prefers to get a lot of shots to make it exciting. Prep is a very important part of his process. Some directors are specific on a few scenes, but for the most part block it out on the shoot day. I think that the intricacy of some of the work that Sam has done has brought him to this place where he wants to have everything worked out in advance. Also, this is an action film, so those scenes have to be approached in such a way that everyone who is contributing is on the same track from beginning to end.
Question: How did you achieve the stylization?
Deming: In the colored lighting, and in the frenetic nature of the camera and the shots. We went with different color schemes at times to serve our needs and to give it a variety of looks. It’s not strictly subjective, but we are often very close to her, letting her face tell the story.”
Question: You shot in the Super 35 format, which results in a widescreen aspect ratio. Why?
Deming: The widescreen frame is great for suspense. You’re able to see peripherally, and even though you might be shooting a medium shot or a close-up, you can still get a lot of the environment. I would call our framing ‘anticipatory.’ Sometimes that pays off and sometimes it doesn’t, but hopefully the audience is always sort of nervous about it.
Question: You did extensive bluescreen and other visual effects work. Will you tell us about your approach to these shots?
Deming: I really connected with visual effects supervisor Bruce Jones. I tended to light the action or actors as if we were on location. I find that if the actors have something tangible and physical to work off of, it helps a lot. In some situations, there was a sort of claustrophobia about the location or the vehicle that translated to the soundstage. The digital intermediate, which was done at Company 3 in Santa Monica, California, gave us an opportunity to match and fine tune all those effects shots.
Question: You used three film stocks: KODAK VISION3 500T 5219, KODAK VISION2 250D 5205 and VISION2 200T 5217. What was the thinking behind those choices?
Deming: The 5219 is an amazing stock. I had the opportunity here to use the strength of the film, which is its low light capability. I was comfortable rating it at and E.I. of 500, which I have never done with a Kodak stock – I always shoot at 400. And it was still printing in the high 30s and low 40s. The ‘19 stock is so fine grained that I started shooting it for day interiors, and in a couple of cases, for shadowy day exteriors. That was pretty impressive.
Question: Now that the film is finished, what are your thoughts?
Deming: Sam’s preparation is thorough, and he is always helping the actors understand where their characters are at any given point. It was interesting and engaging to work with Sam again after all these years. I’m looking forward to seeing the results on the big screen.
