All of the SMPSP members AC interviewed stress that an unflagging sense of set etiquette goes a long way toward improving the still photographer's lot. "Usually, as long as you're nice to everybody in the crew, they're sweet-as-pie to you," says David James. "You have to be a photographer, a diplomat, and sometimes a schmoozer. The crew has their job to do, and what they're doing goes up on the big screen. What we're shooting is a marketing tool, but without our stills, [assessing a movie] would be like going to a grocery store and seeing cans of vegetables on the shelf with no labels on them: how do you know what's inside? We put the 'label' on a film with our stills. But in putting the 'label' on the film, we're not supposed to interfere with what's in it."
A necessity of the still photographer's unobtrusive ethos is the use of a "blimp," a hard, somewhat bulky casing that surrounds the camera and lens, making the package almost completely soundproof. But equally important is the photographer's sense of placement and movement. "If I have a good relationship with an actor, I'll say, 'I'd like to shoot from here. Would it bother you if I'm in your eyeline?' James explains. "Nine times out of ten, they'll say, 'No, as long as you don't move.' The big thing is not to move. And when I stop shooting, I'll lower my camera, look away and keep still. I don't ever make eye contact with the actors, because that would be a distraction for them. It's just a golden rule I become a lump of wood."
"Every film is different," Gordon points out. "Some actors come from the stage, and as soon as the camera stops, they're out of character. Others are more Method-oriented and want to maintain their sense of character throughout the day. I try to tailor how I work with how they want to work. In a way, it's kind of like being professional wallpaper. On the set there's a sound boom person, a first assistant following focus, a supervisor, a director, a cinematographer and the camera itself all of those elements are focused on the actors. And then there's me. I just try to become part of that wall of what's going on, rather than an extra element that will catch their attention."
Perhaps the still photographer's most important responsibility is to convey the message or feel of a film without the directorial luxuries of sound and motion. "My responsibility is to make the movie in stills," Friedkin explains. "I'm directing a movie that, to me, is just as important as the movie the cast and crew are making. If you're shooting a two-shot of actors, you have to search for the dramatic moment that will reveal the context of the characters' relationship. Do these characters hate each other? Do they like each other? Are they lovers? If you're shooting a film that has a certain psychological terror, such as The Game, you have to shoot photos that indicate that you're in an edgy world. If it's a love story like The Bridges of Madison County, you really want to show the deep affection that Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep created as actors."
Sorel has already initiated the practice of placing the SMPSP title after a member's name on film credits, in the style of other professional societies like the ASC and ACE. Upcoming projects for the society include a large exhibit in the fall of 1998 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, as well as a possible exhibit at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the year 2000. Members' work is also displayed each summer at a Kodak-sponsored showcase during the annual ShowBiz Expo. The SMPSP is also pursuing some other long-term projects, such as a possible calendar and coffee-table photo book.
Friedkin puts the importance of motion picture still photographers in historical perspective, making the salient point that all filmmakers should never forget the real roots of their craft. "A lot of people in film production don't remember that without the invention of still photography, movies wouldn't even exist!" the photographer remarks with a note of incredulity. "Sometimes I want to remind the people who think of us as a nuisance, 'Hey, guess what! You wouldn't even be here if someone hadn't invented a still camera!' The reason movies are being made today is that there were still photographers who spent the time to develop cameras, chemistry and optics."
