Q&A with Cinematographer DANIEL McCORD

CHRIS WHITE: Daniel McCord…cinematographer for TAKEN IN…how did you and I first meet?

DANIEL McCORD: I believe it was at an open studios event at Milagro Studios. I overheard you talking about film and butted into the conversation. That was it until you asked me to shoot GOOD LIFE. Being nosy does pay off.

CW: What did you think after our first scouting day at South of the Border?

DM: I thought it was perfect for the film, but I was scared there were too many locations I would want to shoot.

CW: What’s the best part of making a movie at South of the Border?

DM: Well, I could just say that everybody there was warm and cooperative, but really it's the availability of Blenheim Ginger Ale no matter where we were - I'm a bit of an addict. That and the incredibly lush visuals. It's hard to beat those.

CW: What was the funniest thing that happened during the shoot?

DM: You mean other than my constant joke routine? HEYO! I'm still laughing at the million references to Silk Stalkings. I'm going to have to go with the look on your face and how you ran away when that crocodile tried to bite my ass, though You were two fences away from him and still ran away. I was laughing the whole time as I didn't realize how close I was to getting ripped a new...well, you know.

CW: What was the sweetest/sappiest thing that happened?

DM: That's a tough one. That nobody killed anybody else...? Or maybe that we (almost) all had nicknames by the end of the shoot. Actually, Jen (Hot Lava Mama) bringing shots to take with me and Hops after a particularly tough scene probably takes the cake.

CW: Talk about the Canon 5D camera that we shot the film with. How did it perform? What lenses were used to create the images in the film?

DM: The camera was great once I learned how to use it that first day. I used a simple Canon 50mm f/1.8 for a majority of the shooting, as well as a Canon 17-40mm f/4 for the wider shots. I slipped on an 85mm f1/8 for a single shot, but I'm not sure if we went with it. I just might be a DSLR convert when it comes to shooting video. You can get the small cameras in more places and it doesn't distract from the rest of the scene - it's just like the new wavers going to 16mm for portability.

CW: What do we do next?!

DM: Well, I'm actually writing a film (this very moment, so you are distracting me) that I aim to shoot early Summer and complete before my 30th birthday at the end of August. There, it's in writing. Hold me to that. You can help if you want...you might not like my style, though.