Wes Craven horrific influence

500-Weeks #15 

Wes Craven in Toronto, 1994

Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work. -  Gustave Flaubert

Wes Craven is an icon of modern horror films.  From “The Last House on the Left” in 1972, through “The Hills Have Eyes” (1977), “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984) and “Scream” (1996) his innovations and influence on the genre is immense. The man knows how to scare a crowd.

Wes Craven looking dapper

He was at the 1994 Toronto International Film Festival to promote “Wes Craven’s New Nightmare” when I got to photograph him.  I don’t know what I was expecting the modern master of horror to be like, but soft-spoken, erudite professor type in a sharp suit and tie would probably not have been my first guess. Yet, that was who I encountered, and it turns out he did, indeed, spend a few years teaching high school and college.

This assignment reminded me of the quote from French novelist Gustave Flaubert that I included above. In my time with him, Mr. Craven was straightforward, business-like, he was dressed in a very orderly manner – and his films are violent and original. 

I wanted the colour photos to be dramatic, so I brought along a long piece of black fabric to use a backdrop – clipped to the curtains with spring clamps - and added a red gel to one of my lights.

Wes Craven in focus in Toronto in 1994

Everything was going fine until we moved outside to the balcony. My camera of choice for B&W was the Rolleiflex TLR and it occasionally caused me nightmares. Specifically, it was difficult to focus the camera accurately. The Rollei is an old camera, and when everything works, the results are excellent, but the thing was manufactured in the 1950s and things have improved since then. 

The focussing screen built into the camera is dim and difficult to focus with. When I got the film back, even working in bright daylight, half the frames were out of focus. For a manual focus camera, that is a big liability.

It led me to seek out an alternative and came across the Beattie Intenscreen replacement focussing screen. Sourcing it, importing it and getting it professionally installed and calibrated cost me almost as much as the camera itself. After getting the screen replaced, it was a night and day difference. The new screen was a huge improvement and I did the same thing to my other Rollei.

Wes Craven with actress Heather Langenkamp at the
Toronto International Film Festival party for "Wes Craven's New Nightmare" in September 1994

At that point in time, I was also the papers society columnist, covering events, openings, parties and award shows as both photographer and writer in my "EyeSpy" column. In that capacity, I attended the after screening party for "Wes Craven's New Nightmare." While there I photographed Mr. Craven with his lead actress, Heather Lankenkamp. I actually photographed her in a portrait sessions well. I'm sure I will write a blog on that assignment at some point.

Wes Craven passed away on August 30, 2015. 

Technical stuff: Colour: Bronica ETRsi camera with 40mm f/4.0 and 75mm f/2.8 lenses using Fuji Provia, RDP, 100 ISO colour transparency film. Lighting is an Elinchrom 250 monoblock strobe bounced into an umbrella and a Vivitar 285 HV battery powered flash with a red gel.

B&W photos take with a Rolleiflex TLR f/3.5 camera using Kodak TMY T-MAX 400 negative film. Lighting is with available daylight.

Party photo taken with a Nikon FM2n and a 28mm f/2.8 E Series lens using Fuji Super-G 400 ISO colour negative film. Lighting is with a Vivtar 284HV flash.