Tag: Steve Arnold

Art of the Shot: “Start from Perfect”, with Mindhunter DP Erik Messerschmidt, ASC and “A” Camera Operator Brian Osmond, SOC

Erik Messerschmidt, Director Andrew Dominik, Brian Osmond, and “B” Camera Operator Will Dearborn (Nikolai Loveikis)

Derek Stettler
October 12, 2020
Art of the Shot

“A place to unload all my cinematic truths.” —Newton Thomas Sigel, ASC

How do you cultivate a career in Hollywood? What does it take to make iconic work? There’s an art to everything in life and the Art of the Shot explores the answers to those questions and more through deep-dives into the minds of master filmmakers. Join host Derek Stettler, young filmmaker and writer for the ASC and SOC magazines since 2016, as he learns from the artists behind today’s most strikingly-shot projects. Enjoy compelling conversations on the craft, insights from successful careers, tips, techniques + more!

In this episode, you’ll hear from both the cinematographer and the “A” camera operator of Mindhunter, who worked together throughout Season 1 and 2 to shoot every single episode. Please enjoy this exclusive interview with Erik Messerschmidt, ASC and Brian Osmond, SOC!

Brian Osmond, Gaffer Danny Gonzalez, and Erik Messerschmidt (Nikolai Loveikis)

In this episode, you’ll learn:

– Erik’s career path (00:04:06)
– Erik’s favorite part of the job (00:06:42)
– What DP’s should know to best work with their gaffers, from Erik’s experience working as a gaffer before becoming a DP (00:07:02)
– Unique skills Erik gained from his experience as a gaffer (00:07:56)
– How Brian got his career started (00:11:19)
– Brian’s favorite part of his job (00:12:19)
– What other directors can learn from how David Fincher treats his crew (00:18:39)
– The thought process & techniques behind Mindhunter‘s precise camera movement (00:22:50)
– The strategic use of handheld camera operating (00:34:27)
– The collaborative nature of the Mindhunter set (00:37:34)
– The importance of having a dedicated camera operator on set, especially on a David Fincher set (00:41:19)
– Erik’s role as “quality control supervisor” (00:44:21)
– Why a monitor on a David Fincher set is covered in smudges (00:46:57)
– Why there’s no such thing as a B camera “bonus shot” on Mindhunter & how shots are planned out for multiple cameras (00:48:23)
– What Erik thinks is the hardest shot to do well (00:52:04)
– How Erik lights & shoots with 2 cameras simultaneously (00:53:41)
– Erik’s approach to lighting Mindhunter & techniques used (00:56:55)
– Erik’s preference for real fluorescent lighting (01:03:30)
– Mindhunter‘s production design and how much of the locations were built (01:05:01)
– Favorite set of Season 2 (01:06:26)
– How getting scripts in advance helps them work better (01:10:44)
– The innovative car process shooting on Mindhunter & how it works (01:12:38)
– How virtual production helps realize every filmmaker’s dream, stopping time, & how Erik used that to shoot a 9-minute dialog scene at dawn (01:18:02)
– How the car process shooting on Mindhunter evolved from Season 1 (01:22:37)
– How the custom RED digital cinema camera, dubbed the Xenomorph, evolved from Season 1 (01:27:22)
– Why Brian prefers a fluid head over a geared head to achieve those smooth, precise shots David Fincher loves (01:37:34)
– How to shoot a scene & why “Fix it in prep!” should be every filmmaker’s mantra (01:42:08)
– All about the lenses used on Mindhunter & how Erik art directed the artifacts & nuances of every optical aberration (01:48:10)
– Tips from Brian on getting really precise shots with a fluid head, what operating technique Erik has learned from Brian, & how being self-critical is a key to his success (01:56:42)
– What Erik & Brian feel is the most rewarding part of working on Mindhunter (02:02:47)

If you haven’t yet, please be sure to subscribe to be notified of future episodes, and share this podcast with others to help grow the show and spread the knowledge!

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MINDHUNTER: Mindful Operating

Interview with Brian Osmond, SOC.

Derek Stettler
May 2018 (Spring 2018)
Camera Operator (Society of Camera Operators)

‘Mindhunter’: Expanding the Visual Aesthetic for Season 2’s Atlanta Child Murders

Cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt earned his first Emmy nomination for visualizing a wider range of locations with unsettling moods.

Bill Desowitz
Aug 21, 2020
IndieWire

Cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt expanded the visual aesthetic of David Fincher’s “Mindhunter” in Season 2, as FBI profilers Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) and Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) investigate the notorious Atlanta Child Murders, and, as a result, he earned his first Emmy nomination.

“Our aim was to continue what we had developed in Season 1 while considering location with a bit more depth,” said Messerschmidt, who also shot Fincher’s “Mank,” the Netflix black-and-white biopic about “Citizen Kane” screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman). “David expressed to me in the beginning to never forget what Atlanta is like in the summer. I tried hard to consider that whenever we were telling that part of the story.

“We really wanted our agents to be visualized with location in mind,” he said, “so I used more hard sunlight, atmosphere, and contrast to contribute to that hot, muggy feel. I think you could make the case that the lighting of Season 2 has a bit more gesture and shape to it, in part, because I used more contrast, which was a conscious choice. With that in mind, however, it was always a top priority to make sure the look and camera style of the series not take centerstage. I wanted the photography to be as non-invasive and invisible as possible so the audience could fully appreciate the story.”

Messerschmidt upgraded to the 8K RED Helium sensor for Season 2 after testing a prototype in the first season. This provided better sensitivity and higher color fidelity for the new Dolby Vision HDR workflow. “I found I could be much more minimal with my use of artificial light even at relatively low ISO ratings,” he said. “The intention was to consider every lighting choice with motivation in mind and use as much natural light and practical light as possible.”

Read the full profile

Here Are the Cameras and Lenses that Shot the Year’s Best TV Shows

17 Emmy-nominated cinematographers on how they created their shows’ unique looks, and the gear they chose to pull it off.

Chris O’Falt
August 20, 2020
IndieWire

“Mindhunter”

Nominated Episode: “Episode 6”

Format: Redcode RAW .r3d in 8k
Camera: Custom Red Xenomorph Mk2 designed by the team at RED. The camera uses an 8k RED Helium sensor.
Format: Both seasons of “Mindhunter” were shot using Leica Summilux-C series Prime lenses. The majority of the show was shot using only three focal lengths, the 29mm, 40mm and 65mm.

Erik Messerschmidt: The visual style of “Mindhunter” is really about restraint and nuance. We wanted the storytelling to be very objective and simple with a limited use of POV. I think limiting ourselves to these focal lengths forced us to be meticulous with our coverage. All of our visual choices revolved around camera direction, blocking, and composition. David [Fincher] and I built the visual language around three distinct types of shots; wide masters, overs and singles; we moved the camera very little. This type of methodical camera direction lead to the rhythmic cutting sequence of the interview scenes which is really the visual foundation of the show. Shooting on prime lenses requires a bit more discipline than zooms when you’re lining up a shot, as you have to consider camera placement as it relates and composition.

Read the full article

The Mindhunter Art Department (2)


July 11, 2020
Mindhunter Art Department (Instagram)

Production Designer: Steve Arnold

Art Director: Oana Bogdan Miller

Set Decorator: Andrew Baseman

Graphic Designer: Carly Sertic

Photos by Nikolai Loveikis

The Mindhunter Art Department

October 1, 2019
Mindhunter Art Department (Instagram)

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The Command Post Bar. A popular bar in Quantico, Virginia. Quantico is surrounded by the Quantico US Marine Corps base and is home to the FBI training academy. The Command Post Pub was owned by the mayor of Quantico and was a common hang out for marines. The Mindhunter crew built this whole bar on stage, using part of a salvaged mahogany bar, adding faux brick walls and a coffered ceiling. Construction, painters, plasterers, and Set Dec did an amazing job. Photos by Nikolai Loveikis #mindhunter #netflix #art #artdepartment #cinematography #film #television #productiondesign #quantico #commandpost #fbi #marines #80s #1981 #adg #artdirectorsguild #union #pittsburgh #pa #bar #pub @adg800 @mindhunterseries @mindhunter @mindhunterfans

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The Omni Hotel in Atlanta. Today, it is the world headquarters for CNN, but back in 1981, it was the Omni Hotel filled with an ice skating rink, movie theaters, arcades, and even an indoor amusement park (The World of Sid and Marty Krofft). Our team transformed the abandoned Century III Mall in Pittsburgh into the Omni lobby, building mahogany paneled walls, marble columns to cover existing posts, and a curved glass elevator. While the rest of the mall was added in post with green screen, our team masterfully turned an abandoned Macy’s into 1981 luxury. Photos by Nikolai Loveikis. #mindhunter #netflix #serialkiller #atlanta #georgia #cnn #artdepartment #film #television #behindthescenes #hotel #1981 #80s #omni #omnihotel #atlantachildmurders #fbi #holdenford #billtench #pittsburgh #centuryiiimall #mall #adg #union #artdirectorsguild @adg800 @mindhunterseries @mindhunter @mindhunterfans

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The Omni Hotel Lobby in Atlanta. Today, it is the world headquarters for CNN, but back in 1981, it was the Omni Hotel featuring an ice skating rink, movie theaters, arcades, and even an indoor amusement park (The World of Sid and Marty Krofft). You can read more about the Omni during the Atlanta Child Murders in James Baldwin’s article in the December 1981 Playboy magazine and his book “The Evidence of Things Not Seen.” It was here where Wayne Williams handed out flyers searching for young talented singers. Our incredible graphic artist Leni Diamantopoulos recreated our period-accurate store logos for Waldenbooks, Musicland, Gold Mine arcade, and Orange Julius. The Gold Mine facade was built and plastered to look like real stone, and our Set Dec team went above and beyond to dress every storefront. Photos by Nikolai Loveikis #mindhunter #netflix #artdepartment #design #atlanta #omni #cnn #hotel #omnihogel #pittsburgh #centuryiiimall #mall #musicland #orangejulius #goldmine #arcade #waldenbooks #waynewilliams #serialkiller #atlantachildmurders #1981 #80s #adg #union #artdirectorsguild @adg800 @mindhunterseries @mindhunter @mindhuntershow

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The STOP Office. Do you know where your children are? The strong mothers of the Atlanta child murders took matters into their own hands and formed the STOP office in order to find their lost children and stop further murders. The strength and love pouring out of these mothers to protect their children is truly inspiring. You can learn more about the murders and these strong women in the video below. Our team replicated the office from actual footage, adding oak slatted panels, plastered cinderblock walls and wood paneling. Our Set Dec team and graphic artist Leni Diamantopoulos replicated bulletin boards, flyers, and posters, transforming an old record store into the 1981 STOP office. Photos by Nikolai Loveikis #Netflix #mindhunter #stop #stopoffice #atlantachildmurders #children #doyouknowwhereyourchildrenare #justice #productiondesign #artdepartment #film #television #atlanta #pittsburgh #design #adg #artdirectorsguild @adg800 @mindhunterseries

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Kay’s Apartment. After finding an exterior for Kay’s apartment, the art department set designers measured the interior and rebuilt it on stage. Replicating exterior window and door placements, production designer Steve Arnold redesigned the interior to fit the script and camera shots. Shooting in Pittsburgh, the art department used Construction Junction (an architectural salvage shop) to add layers of aged window shutters, hardware, and more. In order to create the kitchen and bathroom floors, our graphic artist Leni Diamantopoulos scanned antique Armstrong linoleum patterns from 1935 and printed them on sintra tiles. With a little wax and aging, our floors were period accurate and economically efficient. Photos by Nikolai Loveikis and Steve Arnold. #netflix #mindhunter #series #productiondesign #pittsburgh #architectural #salvage #recycle #reuse #apartment #armstrong #linoleum #graphics #80s #70s #film #television #adg #union #artdepartment @adg800 @mindhunter @mindhunterseries

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Paschal’s. The restaurant opened in 1947 by James and Robert Paschal and was considered by many to serve the best fried chicken in Atlanta. They moved to a different location in 1957 and became a meeting place for key civil rights leaders and strategists including Martin Luther King Jr. In 1960, “La Carousel Lounge” opened. In Season 2, our mothers of the Atlanta child murders meet here constantly like MLK to fight for justice and find their missing children. Our locations department found an abandoned King’s restaurant in Pittsburgh, which our art department transformed. Adding walls, upholstered booths, planter boxes, and brass dividers, the art department replicated aspects of the real paschals into the show. Our exterior was a different location where graphics and lights were added. Photos by Nikolai Loveikis. #mindhunter #netflix #mothers #atlanta #civilrights #paschals #restaurant #friedchicken #1981 #80s #atlantachildmurders #serialkiller #fbi #stop #savethechildren #pittsburgh #union #artdepartment #film #television #design #adg @adg800 @mindhunterseries @mindhunter

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Wayne Williams house. The Wayne Williams case has been and still is extremely controversial due to the handling of evidence and, as we see in Mindhunter, the lack of communication between FBI and local police. There were several suspects including other members of the community and KKK members. It is highly unusual that so many different fibers from Wayne Williams’ house matched fibers on some of the victims. Click on the link below to learn more about the fiber evidence and rental cars in the Williams business. Williams was convicted in 1982 for the murders of Nathaniel Cater and Jimmy Ray Payne, 2 of the 28 victims, and is currently serving life in prison. The interior of the Williams house was built on a soundstage and our Set Dec department did an incredible job matching the infamous green carpet and recreating the life of Wayne Williams in his bedroom. Is Wayne Williams Atlanta’s 30th victim? #mindhunter #netflix #fbi #atlanta #1981 #80s #atlantachildmurders #serialkiller #fiber #evidence #artdepartment #design #carpet #union #adg #pittsburgh #film #television @mindhunter @adg800 @mindhunterseries

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California Medical Facility Chapel. A male-only state prison has been home to many infamous inmates including Edmund Kemper, the Co-ed Killer. Kemper killed 10 people including his grandmother, grandfather, and mother. While in prison, he spent 5,000 hours narrating books on tape for the blind and completed several hundred recordings. Set in a chapel, the scene brings to mind the tragic storyline of Bill Trench’s son. The art department added oak panels and a few walls not seen in the photos above. Shot in an abandoned Pennsylvania prison, the simplicity of the room adds to the disturbing content Kemper so calmly discusses. Photos by Nikolai Loveikis #mindhunter #netflix #artdepartment #union #adg #edkemper #serial #killer #chapel #prison #audiobook #recording #interview #fbi #california #design @mindhunter @mindhunterseries @adg800 @holtmccallany @cameronbrittonh

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California Men’s Colony Gym. Originally shot in an abandoned Pittsburgh prison, the final cut featured a reshot set in Los Angeles. CMC was the home of Charles “Tex” Watson, member of the Manson family and murderer of Sharon Tate at 10050 Cielo Drive in 1969. Once in prison, Tex became very involved in religious organizations and became an ordained minister in 1981. The actual gym had glazed brown tiles and a padded floor with basketball lines. The art department completely repainted the gym to an aged white and repainted the floor. Set Dec placed salvaged gym equipment in the space while several talented painters created a mural behind Tex, featuring Christ opening his arms to prisoners. Ironically, Christ’s face is meant to resemble Manson’s, hovering over Tex’s shoulder as a demon from his past forever haunting him. Photos by Nikolai Loveikis and Steve Arnold. #mindhunter #netflix #prison #gym #tex #manson #cielodrive #1969 #helterskelter #fbi #interview #murder #sharontate #artdepartment #adg #union #pittsburgh #california #design #film #television @mindhunter @adg800 @mindhunterseries

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Attica Prison. Solitary confinement. Son of Sam, or David Berkowitz killed 6 people and wounded 7 others in New York 1976-77. Initially claiming a dog told him to commit these crimes, he was found mentally competent to stand trial. The art department built this set on stage, replicating an actual solitary confinement cell block from a Pittsburgh prison. Even the doors are exact replicas. Our FBI agents come face to face with Son of Sam in a cage, trying to understand the link between serial crimes and the drive to commit them. Photos by Nikolai Loveikis. #mindhunter #netflix #fbi #sonofsam #davidberkowitz #newyork #prison #attica #serial #design #interview #adg #artdirectorsguild #union #pittsburgh #film #television #cage @adg800 @mindhunter @mindhunterseries

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Production Designer: Steve Arnold

Art Director: Oana Bogdan Miller

Set Decorator: Andrew Baseman

Graphic Designer: Carly Sertic

Photos by Nikolai Loveikis

Mindhunter: Not Your Typical FBI Crime Series

Steve Arnold, Production Designer
November 13, 2018
Perspective (Art Directors Guild)

While I was finishing the fourth season of House of Cards, David Fincher called me to say he was planning another series with Netflix and to ask if I would be interested in designing it. Of course I jumped at the chance, not knowing exactly what Mindhunter would be, but certain that with Fincher involved it would be a quality project. I soon found out that it was based on the John Douglas book of the same name and that it would be shooting in Pittsburgh, a city I knew quite well since I received my graduate degree from Carnegie Mellon University there, and where I got my start in the film business while still a student in the CMU theater department.

The series is somewhat different than many crime shows in that it’s not a who-done-it, or even how’d they do it, but more of a psychological exploration of why’d they do it.

2014-11-13. Perspective (Art Directors Guild) 02

Mindhunter is a period show set in the late 1970s, so I knew the choice of Pittsburgh as a location would simplify much of the exterior design work. Many rust belt cities like Pittsburgh were hit particularly hard by the collapse of the steel industry, and all the ancillary businesses that supported steel have suffered as well. The small towns that surround a city like Pittsburgh are often stuck in the past, sometimes for forty years or more. A lot of the exterior street sequences required were possible and looked appropriate with a minimal amount of redesign because there just hasn’t been an influx of business dollars to do architectural upgrades; there were very few modern structures to modify extensively or hide. This, and the fact that there is a wealth of great period dressing elements to be had at reasonable prices at the many local flea markets, estate sales and antique stores, made the task of recreating the period much more manageable.

One of the first things I remember David Fincher saying about the look of the series was that he did not want it to look like other films or series set in this same period where the style of the time is pushed so far that it becomes exaggeratedly over the top and starts to seem camp. The focus would be on the more mundane and ordinary look of American life in the late 1970s. I knew a lot of the characters were from the lower social strata, so there were few places for high style or the cutting edge fashion of the time. One big influence on the design was photographs from the time by people like Stephen Shore, particularly for our many on the road scenes in motel rooms.

Read the full article

2014-11-13. Perspective (Art Directors Guild) 03

ADG Perspective
November-December 2018 Issue

‘Mindhunter’: The David Fincher Look is All About Power and Control

Merrick Morton / Netflix

Fincher was very particular about conveying control and dominance through lighting and production design in his Netflix FBI crime drama.

Bill Desowitz
June 18, 2018
IndieWire

David Fincher brilliantly pushes his cinematic formalism in “Mindhunter,” Netflix’s 10-episode crime drama that explores the FBI’s fledgling Behavioral Science Unit in Quantico, Virginia, in the late ’70s. But, for the dialogue-heavy creepy interrogations with imprisoned serial killers by agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany), executive producer/co-director Fincher manages to visually convey constant power shifts.

“It’s about control and dominance and also about misogyny,” Fincher said. “People forget that this goes all the way back to Jack the Ripper.”

And Fincher’s collaboration with production designer Steve Arnold (“House of Cards”) and gaffer-turned cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt (“Mad Men”) was crucial to the authentic ’70s look and dynamic blocking of the interrogation scenes, particularly those involving Ed Kemper (Cameron Britton), who captivates and mentors Holden.

Read the full profile

Set Decorators Society of America: MINDHUNTER

June 15, 2018
SDSA International (Set Decorators Society of America)

In the late 1970s two FBI agents expand criminal science by delving into the psychology of murder and getting uneasily close to all-too-real monsters.

Catching a criminal often requires the authorities to get inside the villain’s mind to figure out how he thinks. That’s the job of FBI agents Holden Ford [Jonathan Goff] and Bill Tench [Holt McCallany]. They attempt to understand and catch serial killers by studying their damaged psyches. Along the way, working with Boston University psychology professor Wendy Carr [Anna Torv], the agents pioneer the development of modern serial killer profiling.

The crime drama has a strong pedigree behind the camera, with Oscar-nominated director David Fincher and Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron among the show’s executive producers, and Fincher directing the first episodes. — Netflix

Add in Production Designer Steve Arnold and Set Decorator Tracey Doyle SDSA, and you know it will have a carefully curated stylized realism mixed with fully realized layered reality. Sets that could be paintings, except they seem so real.

We checked in with the duo for snippets about the making of MINDHUNTER, Season 1…

Read the full interview

MINDHUNTER: ATAS/Netflix FYSEE panel highlights

Ted Sarandos (Netflix Chief Content Officer), David Fincher (Director/Executive Producer), Anna Torv, Jennifer Starzyk (Costume Designer), Steve Arnold (Production Designer), Erik Messerschmidt (Director of Photography), Cameron Britton, Laray Mayfield (Casting Director), Holt McCallany, Jonathan Groff. (Frazer Harrison / Getty Images)

‘Mindhunter’: David Fincher Shot a 9-Minute Take 75 Times and Didn’t Let Cameron Britton Talk to Anyone on Set

The notoriously fastidious director discussed his process for the Netflix original series during a panel discussion Friday night.

Ben Travers
June 2, 2018
IndieWire

Netflix FYSEE MINDHUNTER Panel, Los Angeles, CA, USA - 1 June 2018
“Why 75 takes? Cos I’m motherf***ing David Fincher, that’s why” (Eric Charbonneau, REX/Shutterstock/IndieWire)

Jonathan Groff And David Fincher Revisit ‘Mindhunter’ As Emmy Beckons

Gregory Ellwood
June 2, 2018
The Playlist

Netflix FYSEE MINDHUNTER Panel, Los Angeles, CA, USA - 1 June 2018
Fincher being “Rorschached” at the MINDHUNTER Netflix FYSee space (Eric Charbonneau, REX/Shutterstock/IndieWire)

MINDHUNTER at NetflixFYSEE

Panel tweets and photos from 6/1/18 event

Diane Gordon (Twitter)
June 2, 2018
Wakelet

Netflix FYSEE MINDHUNTER Panel, Los Angeles, CA, USA - 1 June 2018
Fincher surrenders to the cuddly, adorable, and “hot” bear Cameron Britton (Eric Charbonneau, REX/Shutterstock/IndieWire)

‘Mindhunter’ DP Erik Messerschmidt on Working with Fincher, the Show’s Aesthetic, and Season 2

Erik Messerschmidt with Camera Operator Brian Osmond (Patrick Harbron / Netflix)

2018-05-28. Collider - ‘Mindhunter_ DP Erik Messerschmidt on Working with Fincher, the Show_s Aesthetic, and Season 2 06
Merrick Morton / Netflix

Adam Chitwood
May 28, 2018
Collider

The Netflix original series Mindhunter is, by far, one of the best new shows currently running. The true story-based, 1977-set drama chronicles the early days of criminal psychology and criminal profiling primarily through the eyes of three people at the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit: eager newcomer Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff), somewhat jaded veteran Bill Tench (Holt McCallany), and brilliant psychology professor Wendy Carr (Anna Torv). That this show is immaculately crafted from top to bottom will come as no surprise to those aware that it’s the brainchild of David Fincher, who serves as executive producer and directed nearly half of the series’ first season.

This is without doubt one of the best looking pieces of entertainment released in 2017, regardless of medium, with classical framing, motivated camera movement, and a tremendous palette that gives a mere peek into the darkness inside the minds of the criminals and serial killers who are the subject of the Behavioral Science Unit’s interviews.

So when I got the chance to speak with cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt about his work on the series, I was thrilled. Messerschmidt shot eight of the first season’s 10 episodes, including the Fincher-directed closing installments, and as he revealed during our interview, this was essentially his first major gig as a cinematographer. Messerschmidt had worked previously as a gaffer on shows like Mad Men and Bones, and then later the feature film Gone Girl where he first came into contact with Fincher. Based on their work together on that film, Fincher called Messerschmidt up when they were looking for a new DP for Mindhunter after the show’s original cinematographer exited over creative differences.

This promotion from gaffer to DP is a familiar refrain with Fincher’s cinematographers, as he did the same with his The Game and Fight Club gaffer Claudio Miranda, who was brought on as DP for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and went on to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography for his work on Life of Pi.

Messerschmidt’s rise to the primary cinematographer of Fincher’s brand new TV show elicits similarly spectacular results, as the DP’s work on Mindhunter is elegantly classical and incredibly motivated by character and theme. During the course of our conversation, Messerschmidt talked about the road that led to him becoming the cinematographer on Mindhunter, the specifics of his working relationship with Fincher, what it’s like to serve as a DP in the world of episodic television, how the work of production designers and costumes designers goes under-appreciated, and trying to maintain a consistent aesthetic with multiple directors. He also teased a bit about Mindhunter Season 2, including revealing their extensive shooting schedule.

Check out the full interview

2018-05-28. Collider - ‘Mindhunter’ DP Erik Messerschmidt on Working with Fincher, the Show’s Aesthetic, and Season 2 07.jpg
Erik Messerschmidt with Episodes 3 & 4 Director Asif Kapadia (Merrick Morton / Netflix)

MINDHUNTER panel at Netflix FYSEE

Composite of original photos by Annie Mack (Instagram)

David Fincher (Director & Executive Producer), Laray Mayfield (Casting Director), Jennifer Starzyk (Costume Designer), Erik Messerschmidt (Director of Photography), Steve Arnold (Production Designer), Cameron Britton, Anna Torv, Holt McCallany, Jonathan Groff.