Raise You - Essie Jain

Posted 2 months ago

Essie Jain’s melodic and sticking song “Raise You” that I had the privilege of Operating on with great Mark Schwartzbard (who also shot the Bryan Wizeman film “Think of Me” that’s making the festival circuit and grabbing awards left and right as we speak).  We shot in a beautiful recording studio in the city with a live orchestra arranged and conducted by the iconic Nico Muhly.  His ability to tweak on the spot, to my untrained ear, was pretty astounding. The true test was when we asked these elite musicians what they thought of him, (aka whether he was all hype…he’s arranged for Bjork, Grizzly Bear, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, etc) and an earnest, “No he IS actually amazing” affirmed the impression.

The Dish and the Spoon

The Dish and the Spoon

My good and talented friend Mark Schwartzbard shot this Indie darling in Delaware and has recently been making the FF circuit. It's been well received and I'm so happy for him. He shot it on the 7D and did a wonderful job conveying the dreamlike, cold, transitional world the 2 main characters create for themselves. If you watch it, pay attention to the operating, which goes unnoticed in films a lot. Good operating should, I suppose, but pay attention to its fluidity and its pace. I think it probably has a lot to do with his Aaton HH handle he swears by for all his HH work. Oh, and that he's got good instincts too.