Michael Chapman says the great days of cinema are over. The days where they combined social experience of creating a film are over. Because they are they only make movies on very few subjects.
There was a time where movies covered all sorts of subjects and thought people about culture, because it's gone onto TV and different ways of projecting visual images.
Thinks cinema isn't as interesting as it once was. Visual storytelling still very important.
Now retired, never got to shoot a film in digital.
The most powerful images that you see now are things people take on their phones. They have an immediacy and power that no amount of contrived drama can achieve because they are the real thing. Seems to be the future of story telling.
Thinks Young people should think of Taxi Driver as kind of 'folktale', an 'urban legend', he' s a 'warewolf' essentially. Travis drives the streets at night and once in a while something may happen. It has a deeper more power impact then as a specific, film noire or something like that.
A lot of the repetition and emphasis of De Niro 'You talking to me' was done in the editing.
Most of the set ups for the cinematography for Taxi Driver was influenced by Martin Scorsese
On becoming a cinematographer:
He didn't decide, it happened by accident. Fell in love and married a daughter of a French immagrate cameraman in New York, who started Chapman out in the movie business and started just as an assistant camera man carrying heavy boxes and worked his way up from there. Doesn't think he really committed himself to it until he shot a couple of movies.
3D doesn't have any interest for Michael. Says 3D isn't turning out to be as financially great as people may think.
Scorsese and Chapman really emphasised and connected with the consistant dark theme throughout the film with it's subtle but rich colours bringing Taxi Driver to life, as well as some great acting from De Niro. It's not so difficult with digital technology, for amateur cameraman to pick up a camera, play with the focus and achieve fascinating results. Ofcourse, they would have to know in order for this they would need a Large apature and a big lens to achieve greater results. It's a technique that brings drama and mystery which suits my Peter Sutcliffe documentary.
Separate article on 50 reasons why Taxi Driver might be the the greatest film of all time.
http://whatculture.com/film/50-reasons-why-taxi-driver-might-just-be-the-greatest-film-of-all-time.php
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