NightmareAlley's cinematographer Dan Laustsen talks to Digital Trends about collaborating with GuillermodelToro and crafting a signature noir look.
If you’ve seen a visually stunning horror movie in the last 20 years, Danish cinematographer Dan Laustsen probably had something to do with it. The cinematographer has been one of the unsung leading creative forces in the horror genre, among many others, for the past 25 years. From Mimic to Brotherhood of the Wolf to Silent Hill, Laustsen has brought to life nightmarish visions of otherworldly creatures and ghostly landscapes.
No, we shot everything in Toronto. We shot the second part of the movie first [before the break]. By accident, we shot all the big scenes later on during the COVID pandemic, all the big crowds in the carnival. It was a big deal for the production to [make sure those people were safe.] Guillermo always makes concept drawings and color palettes for his movies, and he does that before anyone else [comes on board]. So, he has this color palette for how everything in the film should look like, and I think that’s a really great way to do it because then everybody is starting from the same point. [del Toro] had some ideas about classical and horror painters [and some] Art Nouveau [influences].
I think the way the reason it works so well in black and white is that we were thinking about that [from the start]. I didn’t know we were going to release [the film] in black and white. We just had this clear idea about shooting a color noir movie like it was shot in black and white. The lighting should [have] the same deep shadows and bright highlights.
Can you talk about your approach to lighting certain characters in Nightmare Alley? Lilith, Cate Blanchett’s character, was lit in a way that emphasizes her power. You talked about the first part and how it employed a particular color palette and sort of softer look than the second part. The second part’s visuals had a lot of blues and greens, particularly in the climactic scene in Ezra’s maze-like garden. Can you talk about how you achieve that effect?