The Cinematography Podcast Episode 290: John Mathieson, BSC
Cinematographer John Mathieson, BSC began his career shooting music videos for bands like Nirvana and Hole, moving into documentaries and commercials before working in feature films. Rather than going to film school, he joined friends who formed a film collective and everyone learned from each other. Director Ridley Scott saw his work on the movie, Plunkett & Macleane, and approached him to shoot Gladiator. “I never thought I’d be the sword and sandals guy,” says John. “I was doing grunge videos!” John was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for Gladiator.
For Gladiator II, John embraced the advancements in visual effects technology, which allowed for more efficient and creative storytelling. While the film was shot digitally, his approach to cinematography remained similar to the first film. “We didn’t do much different with the cameras or the language of the story,” he says, “but parts of the filmmaking process have gotten faster and easier. We shot on digital in about half the time it took to shoot Gladiator.”
John focused on creating a visually striking world in Gladiator II, inspired by historical paintings and the contrasting environments of Rome and the desert. He wanted high contrast lighting, especially in the desert scenes at the beginning of the film and in the gladiator arena so that it looked dusty, hot, and overexposed. In contrast, the light inside the Roman homes is warmer and richer. John describes it as, “Everything’s got dust and then Rome is colorful, opulent- grapes, wine, peacock greens, paisleys, fabrics, all that kind of decadence-it’s camp, it’s vulgar, it’s Vegas 1970.”
When choosing projects, John prioritizes scripts that resonate with him and directors who can effectively guide the filmmaking process. He enjoys exploring and working in different film genres. “I like to think I don’t have a style, you know, that I can adapt to what is on the page or what is important,” he says.
Find John Mathieson
Gladiator II is currently in theaters.
Interested in more Gladiator? Hear our past interview with Adam Somner, Gladiator 2nd AD and frequent Ridley Scott collaborator.
Close focus: “Glicked” weekend box office, with Wicked’s box office opening domestically at $112.5 million and Gladiator opening at $55.5 million domestically.
Ben’s short end: AI has been trained using 139,000 scripts by TV writers. The AI was used to scrape the subtitles of shows to get the information.
Illya’s short end: Black Friday sale at Hot Rod Cameras. You can even speak to a real human!
Sponsored by Hot Rod Cameras
Sponsored by ARRI: ARRI SkyPanel and Orbiter lights were recently used for a karate combat match in Singapore.
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