Behind the Screen Series: The Lightbenders, Part 2
The Veteran and the Newcomer
In this special sub-series of Third World Cinema Club, we take a look at the people involved in film production, whose work audiences see and feel on screen, but might not know about. For this episode, we talk to two cinematographers: an industry veteran and a relative newcomer to the industry.
Neil Daza is one of the country’s most accomplished cinematographers. With a body of work that spans both TV work and movies, he’s lensed some of the most beautiful films in contemporary cinema. He’s worked with directors such as Chito Roño, the late Francis Pasion, and Dwein Baltazar. For his work, he has received awards from FAMAS, Gawad Urian, and FAP, among others.
Theo Lozada’s first full length feature film as director of cinematography was Cathy Garcia-Molina’s 2017 film Seven Sundays. Since then, he’s worked on films such as James Mayo’s Kuya Wes (2018) and Rod Singh’s Mamu; and A Mother, Too (2018).
Neil and Theo talk to us about their influences and the creative process involved in the making of films like Kuya Wes, Ulan and Alone/Together. They also tell us about the importance of nurturing new and aspiring cinematographers, and their experiences working with some of the country’s most acclaimed directors.
Notes:
Some mild spoilers for Ulan.
About Behind the Screen:
This is the second part of a multi-part series about people involved in film production. Subsequent episodes aim to include cinematographers, colorists, production designers, composers, etc into the ever-widening discourse on film.
