Shooting Scenarios is a new column that takes a single scene and breaks it down cinematographically, looking at the shooting logistics, creative challenges, and camera gear deployed.

When shooting vérité, Jesse Moss is typically a one-man-band. But his latest film—codirected with his wife, Amanda McBaine—demanded a full orchestra. Boys State required 28 crew members, to be exact, including an octet of cinematographers.

Their mission was to chronicle Boys State at the University of Texas in Austin, a program where a thousand high school seniors come together to build a state government in six days. The boys are arbitrarily assigned a party—Federalist or Nationalist—then create party platforms and elect officials, with governor being the highest office. Sponsored by the American Legion in multiple states since 1935, the program’s alums include Bill Clinton, Dick Cheney, Cory Booker and even Mark Wahlberg. (High school girls have separate Girls States.)

The filmmakers’ idea was to create something character-driven, shadowing four to six boys for 14 hours a day. A big challenge was to have their ensemble of cinematographers act as one, capturing footage that looked like an organic whole. Key to their success was this: While you can’t standardize personal shooting styles, you can hire a set of peers who share an aesthetic. And you can standardize your camera gear in a way that promotes a cohesive look. […]

Published August 13, 2020 in IDA’s Documentary magazine.