The November 3, 2022 issue of Variety featured an interview with legendary record producer, music company executive and co-founder of Beats Electronics, Jimmy Iovine. Long-windedly titled, ‘Jimmy Iovine Opens Up About Working With John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen and Dr. Dre, the State of the Music Biz, and Being Inducted Into the Rock Hall of Fame,‘ it was conducted by Jem Aswad.
In addition to detailing his many famous collaborations, Iovine spoke of the important lessons he learned from each experience. It’s interesting to note how well one of them applies to cinematography.
“Feel… That’s the magic word. When I’d go to Silicon Valley, a lot of engineers asked me what that means, because it’s abstract. You’ve got to look at things through abstract thinking, fluid thinking, putting things together that don’t seem like they should go together. It can’t be based solely on existing knowledge.
You can catch feel, if you’re paying attention, if you listen and you’re open, and you hang around people that have it.”
Once again, the connection is plain: Mechanics are only part of the equation. There’s so much more to shooting a film than getting a correct exposure! If you’re approaching the task properly, you should always be reaching for something extra, something that can’t be expressed through language yet is every bit tangible and true.
While lighting a set, we instinctively know when things are right and when they’re not. That little stirring in the pit of your chest is a flawless indicator that goes both ways. And even though feel is as close as we’ll get to defining it, it should never be ignored.
So, cultivate your sensitivity, pair it with good taste…and who knows? You might find yourself on the way to a career like Iovine’s. How cool would that be?
Fun observation. Thank you!
Cinematography (but in general Filmmaking) is 50% technical and 50% artistic, so it’s 50% science and 50% feeling.