Jason McCormick considers joining the production of “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans” as something of a homecoming. The cinematographer had just finished working with producer Ryan Murphy on “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” and McCormick’s first film job was on “Jerry,” from director Gus Van Sant. “I always came away feeling like a fuller person from working on the projects with him in the past,” reveals McCormick, “you’re working with an artist.” To finally work as Van Sant’s cinematographer after 24 years in the business, on a fascinating period piece, was a no brainer. Watch the exclusive video interview above.
Each frame of “Feud” has a softness to it, appropriately leaning into the airy grace with which the New York elite women composed themselves in the 1960s. “I think the story and the subject, all that lends itself to this delicate kind of elegant thoughtfulness, naturalism,” says McCormick, “beautiful naturalism.” The cinematographer notes that the team never sat around to firmly discuss the specifics of this look. Instead, his approach to filming evolved naturally after pouring over vintage photos of these “Swans” and studying the script.
WATCH Alexa Fogel video interview: ‘Feud: Capote vs. The Swans’ casting director
McCormick finds the freedom to incorporate a different filming style in the third episode of the series, “Masquerade 1966.” The episode details Truman Capote’s infamous Black and White Ball. In this imagining of these events, a documentary team is capturing all the glamour and drama of the evening. McCormick mimicked the style of a black and white documentary of the era, capturing the aesthetic of the Maysles Brothers. “We made our own little documentary camera. And then through playing around, Gus really liked the idea of having a light mounted on it. So now you’re kind of free,” he reveals. McCormick describes the filming as “playful,” with the ability to operate the documentary camera on a tripod or as a handheld.
“He’s not one to just sit back, he’s always pushing,” says McCormick of Van Sant, “he’s always trying to find the best version of whatever it is we’re doing. Each scene is kind of tailored in a way.” This atmosphere of experimentation and exploration allows McCormick to alter his style in the moment in order to adapt to the needs of the story. As he puts it: “You need to be ready for the magic.”
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