How your story begins; when was your first encounter with a camera? In the local newspaper, I read an advertisement by Television Slovenia that they needed a camera assistant for correspondence. The ad said that knowledge of working with lights is desired. Because I am in that no
How your story begins; when was your first encounter with a camera?
In the local newspaper, I read an advertisement by Television Slovenia that they needed a camera assistant for correspondence. The ad said that knowledge of working with lights is desired. Since I was repairing dental instruments at the time, including the lights on the dental chair, I confidently applied thinking that I knew how to work with lights, as I had already repaired a lot of them. Of course, my occupation at the time had no connection with what I do today. However, this ad and the interview were the turning point when I realized that this was the right one for me.
Have you ever wanted to go to Hollywood?
Yes, I would like to see it, but I am not drawn to work there. In Hollywood, it all too quickly becomes an industry where there is no room for what I want to do.
You are currently busy with filming. What do you do from the time you brush your teeth to the time you put Lilo to bed?
My working day cannot be described because every day is different. Sometimes I start recording very early in the morning, when Lilu is still sleeping, and sometimes only in the afternoon or evening; depending on the project, what the filming needs are and what scenes are planned. I definitely try to make sure Lila and I get at least an hour out of the day if I'm not on set all day. Sometimes I'm lucky enough that when I come home at night, she wakes up just enough to give her a kiss.
Your work is the award-winning film Rustleje, as well as Short Contacts, Lajf, ... and many videos. How do you get ready for work; do you first read the script for the film and listen to the song for the music video, or maybe you co-create a project from the beginning?
The basis of everything is the script, which is the framework we all adhere to. However, the script is only on paper and needs to be put into visual form. This is where my work begins. How to portray it in the right light, with the right emotions, energy and overall image. I usually spend quite a bit of time just thinking about it all and trying to imagine what I want to achieve in the first place. After a conversation with the director and his wishes, the project begins to take shape. And what the final result will be depends on the whole team.
All your work, which the viewers see in its final form on the screens, looks flawless. But what is it really like on the set? You will certainly be able to tell your grandchildren a thousand and one anecdotes "in your old age".
Wow, there are many memorable anecdotes. Maybe a short one from the shooting of the movie rustle. We had a night shoot ahead of us, it was two in the morning and we were supposed to shoot in a campsite in front of a caravan, and the director, Janez Lapajne, comes and says: "In this shot, it's six o'clock in the afternoon, the sun is shining and two people are talking at this table .” After the initial shock, I consulted with the team and we made a day in the middle of the night. The next frame in the film was actually shot during the day and the difference between these two frames should not have been noticeable. So we improvised with a small amount of lights and since it was our first film and also a low-budget film, I still consider that scene a success to this day.
As a co-creator of the film industry, you yourself certainly have high criteria when watching movies and watch with different eyes than most, or do you watch TV at all?
I watch very little television, usually because of the project I have in front of me, because I study the works of other cinematographers and their approaches to film. It's true that I watch movies differently, because I know what is happening or was happening at a certain frame. I hardly know how to watch a movie unencumbered, like an average viewer. I'm always interested in how they made it, what they're doing, so I watch each film several times, with different interests; sometimes I'm interested in the story itself, and sometimes in the technique, lighting, camera, direction, scenography... Anja always gets angry when I say in the middle of the film: "Wait, wait, can I turn it back a little?" And I take a close look at how they did something. We watch a movie that lasts an hour and a half for two hours. But sometimes it happens that we both say: "Hey, give it back a bit." (laughter)
You must have created your own collection of cult productions; which ones would you single out as the best?
In the entire history of cinema, there are indeed many films that are great and belong in the collection of cult films. Personally, European films are the closest to me, but I would also highlight Chinese films, among which I found a favorite that has been stuck in my head for several years and is considered the best film I have watched in recent years. This is The Way Home by director Yimou Zhang.
With a twelve-, sometimes even sixteen-hour working day, there probably isn't much free time left. Anyway, what do you like to do when you're not on set?
At this pace, I usually only have time to sleep and prepare for the next day. In my profession, when you work, you work 100%, but when the project ends, you have time for yourself. At that time, I try to spend it with my family as well as possible, but I also take some of it for myself and for sports.
Do you like to cook?
Until I met Anja, I had never been in the kitchen before, but with her excellent kitchen, my cooking skills died down a bit.
What about restaurants, do you like to go for some culinary indulgence?
I eat out very rarely, as I'm not a gourmet by nature. I don't live to eat, I eat to live. If I'm going out to eat, I prefer to go to Subita or Garaža for a pizza. The nearest restaurant to me is Cubo, and they also have very good cuisine at the Grandvid Hotel in Lavrica.
Relaxation… Yoga? Running? The music? …?
I relax in different ways, many times I relax as soon as I walk through the door of our home. If I can find enough time, I go for a run, which is great for relaxing all my thoughts. But when I can take a week or so off work, I go kitesurfing. I have been kitesurfing for a year now and I have to admit that both Anja and I were completely impressed.
City or countryside: where do you find more corners for yourself?
Definitely in the countryside. We live on the edge of Barje, and if I go for a run in the morning or in the evening, I often meet deer, rabbits, and a lot of birds. Nature calms me down.
An unforgettable adventure that you would definitely repeat?
Life.
