Photo Credit: Kari Rowe Photography
Shanon Muehlhausen caught up with photographer and director Sarah Remetch about her journey in cinematography and the new video, Ramblin’ Bones, for the musician, writer, and poet, Rafael Vigilantics.
Tell me about your background in graffiti and street art. How do those experiences continue to influence your film work?
I originally started doing street art because I wanted another medium to share my photography. I wanted to create propaganda and put images in people’s faces. So I turned some of my photos into stencils and started spray painting them on the streets. And then posters. And so on until I started traveling to Europe and South America to collaborate with other artists, and documenting those experiences into video. I think graffiti influences my work just like everything else that I do. If you are depicting a lifestyle, it helps if you have actually lived that lifestyle instead of trying to portray it.
How did your work with cameras and film begin?
I started shooting pictures on SLR film cameras when I was a kid. I would pose my friends on the floor and stick a lamp next to them. Or take travel photos when I went on trips with my mom. It evolved over the years, and fresh out of high school I started taking photo classes. When I wanted the next challenge, I started interning on movie cameras in the film business. I worked for free for 6 months to learn the craft and how to be on set, and finally started as a film loader. Over the years I moved up through the camera department and recently graduated into directing and shooting.
What do you like best about working on movies and/or video shoots?
First of all film crews are the best bunch of people you will ever meet. It takes a certain breed to thrive in some of these environments. They are interesting and adventurous hustlers. I love being surrounded by my family.
Second, it is the ultimate creative outlet. Where you can make images move, create a mood, and combine so many crafts from styling, to set design, to lighting, and performance. It is the ultimate collaboration of many different forms of creativity and art.
For the video, Ramblin Bones, what kind of equipment was used? Why?
We shot on a RED camera with Panavision portrait lenses and vintage Panavision Primos lenses. I chose these lenses for their beautiful light flares, and the older uncoated lenses have a dreamy soft quality that was perfect for the mood of this song.
How did you plan the shoot, as far as establishing the mood and feel you wanted?
Rafael was a huge part of planning the shoot. He has recurring artwork that has been a part of his music, including the funeral pyre on fire, the bird with arrows in its back, and arrows on fire. My job as the director was bringing these images to life and incorporating it with his performance and the mood of the song.
Were there any surprises or unexpected happenings during the video shoot?
The biggest surprise was that the water level had risen many feet at the lake location we used, compared to when I shot there the previous year during a drought. We had to improvise as there were no longer any shores to dock the boat.
What advice would you give yourself if you could go back to the beginning of your career?
I’m pretty happy with my choices so far. I ignored anyone who doubted that a woman could excel in cinematography, and I took risks that paid off. I’ve sometimes stepped away to fulfill other creative outlets and jumped back in, and I wouldn’t have changed any of that because it is all related to my overall life experience and that pours over into my work.
How would you describe Rafael Vigilantics’ work? How does it complement or juxtapose with your own?
I feel like Rafael wears his heart on his sleeve and I absolutely love that about his work. From the first time I saw him perform live, I wanted to shoot videos with him. There is so much mood and passion there, and I love depicting those feelings in pictures. It was one of my favorite collaborations to date. He is a true artist.
For the video, Ramblin Bones, what kind of equipment was used? Why?
We shot on a RED camera with Panavision portrait lenses and vintage Panavision Primos lenses. I chose these lenses for their beautiful light flares, and the older uncoated lenses have a dreamy soft quality that was perfect for the mood of this song.
How did you plan the shoot, as far as establishing the mood and feel you wanted?
Rafael was a huge part of planning the shoot. He has recurring artwork that has been a part of his music, including the funeral pyre on fire, the bird with arrows in its back, and arrows on fire. My job as the director was bringing these images to life and incorporating it with his performance and the mood of the song.
Were there any surprises or unexpected happenings during the video shoot?
The biggest surprise was that the water level had risen many feet at the lake location we used, compared to when I shot there the previous year during a drought. We had to improvise as there were no longer any shores to dock the boat.
What advice would you give yourself if you could go back to the beginning of your career?
I’m pretty happy with my choices so far. I ignored anyone who doubted that a woman could excel in cinematography, and I took risks that paid off. I’ve sometimes stepped away to fulfill other creative outlets and jumped back in, and I wouldn’t have changed any of that because it is all related to my overall life experience and that pours over into my work.
How would you describe Rafael Vigilantics’ work? How does it complement or juxtapose with your own?
I feel like Rafael wears his heart on his sleeve and I absolutely love that about his work. From the first time I saw him perform live, I wanted to shoot videos with him. There is so much mood and passion there, and I love depicting those feelings in pictures. It was one of my favorite collaborations to date. He is a true artist.
