Audition
Joe's audition was such an important sequence, it set the jazzy mood for the film and the cinematography style for the "real" world. I was able to explore higher contrast than usual in search for very graphic compositions. The idea was to have a heavily choreographed lighting style throughout the film; Characters could strategically move through areas of light or shadow to reinforce a composition as needed, treating every shot as an opportunity to make a clear statement. The lighting department did a beautiful work following through with this idea.
Another important concept we set to achieve from our early conversations with DP Ian Megibben was using "single source" lighting setups. This is something that I wasn't very familiar with and was really hard to paint initially but I came to love it!!
The intention for this sequence was to reveal Dorothea Williams as an incredible jazz icon that initially seems unapproachable and intimidating to Joe. When he starts to play, he is literally put under a harsh spotlight in a very vulnerable position. By the end of his improvisation in the zone, the lighting becomes more gentle as he is welcomed into the quartet.