The Empathy of the Camera Eye with Nicolas Tepper
Written by Will Jones
Most people have a radically different vision of themselves than how the public defines them. Hero or villain, victim or aggressor, strong or feeble; the truth often lies somewhere between the internal and external. Words alone cannot communicate this. To allow the perception of personal feelings weighed against an outward environment, this is often the task that rests upon the shoulders of Nicolas Tepper. Through the camera, he gives audiences an intimate sense of emotional intelligence or its perceived impression by characters in a narrative, allowing empathy to take root. Achieving this requires meticulously crafting camera angles and a lighting plan that reflects this emotional journey. Whatever the demands in the film, Nicolas finds his work most effective when the audience becomes lost in the feeling of the story rather than in striking visuals.
Premiered at the Academy qualifying Santa Fe International Film Festival, More Money is a story that begins bathed in the warmth of young love. A Russian couple, Arkadyi and Nastasia, experience a day at the Coney Island boardwalk. Set in the 1990’s this immigrant couple immigrated to New York with dreams to build a better life. Nicolas Tepper used an Arri Alexa mini with Cooke Speed Panchro lenses to create a creamy and warm depiction of this hot summer day as the couple is seen on amusement park rides, playing arcade games and losing themselves in each other. Met by Dasha, their contractor and driver, Arkadyi and Nastasia are blindfolded and transported to a secret location where they are to deliver an intimate performance for a very small elite audience. The charming day suddenly descends into darker places in order to follow their dreams and change their lives. Finding the continuity and the contrast of these disparate tones required a well thought out approach for cinematographer Nicolas Tepper. He explains, “It was challenging to navigate the film’s deliberate tonal shift while preserving emotional continuity. The script moves from warmth and optimism into a much darker psychological space, and the cinematography needed to reflect that transformation without severing the emotional bond established early on. Developing a visual language that could reflect both closeness and distance became a key defining factor in the success of the film. As the story progressed into its most difficult moments, framing and lighting grew more restrictive, contrasting and isolating, yet I remained careful to hold moments of shared presence through eye contact. This framing and lighting choices were meant to remind the audience of the couple’s connection that was established earlier.”
The premise of Lockjaw sounds like a modern tragedy. Rayna (Blu Hunt known for her roles in the CW series Sherlock & Daughter and Marvel’s The New Mutants), Mitch, and Noah are just three friends winding down a night of partying which becomes tense when Rayna insists she is okay to drive home. A major car accident occurs, resulting in Rayna having her jaw wired shut; a disability which lasts throughout the entirety of the film. Her dependency on alcohol to enjoy the night plays a prominent role in the conflict that occurs among these three as they navigate their first night out post-accident. Contradicting these plot points, the visual approach for the film was radically different. Tepper confides, “[Director] Sabrina Greco was clear about wanting the film to embrace a comedy sensibility. This style leans into warmth, sincerity, and humor rather than stylization or darkness. We referenced the high-key lighting approach commonly found in 1990s and early 2000s romantic comedies and sit coms, where faces are evenly lit, contrast is restrained, and the image feels inviting and emotionally open.” It is starkly evident how we as the audience recognize a visual style and receive it emotionally. The difficult state of Rayna’s current medical condition and her inability to communicate easily in social gatherings are lit and shot in a style more commonly associate with lightheartedness. In doing so, the filmmakers make the viewer empathize with her and her perception of others. The greatest challenge for Nicolas is imperceptible to the audience, by design. He notes, “The most challenging aspect of my work in the production was the fact that the movie takes places entirely at night and we were filming with cameras that did not have the best low light images. That put a heavy strain in making sure every scene had light, every scene was properly exposed and not only as a sole scene but that all the pieces flowed well together in style and tone. Spending multiple days in the same location, I came up with a lighting plan that allowed us to replicate some of the lighting set ups without sacrificing continuity of the tone and exposure.” Lockjaw premiered at Slamdance Film Festival and has received awards from such events as the Anchorage Film Festival and American Film Festival others in addition to screening at the Atlanta Film Festival, New Next Film Festival, Oak Cliff Film Festival, and others.
