‘Below the line’ is an industry term for everyone working on a film who is neither a writer, director, producer or cast member. Despite what the term might indicate, these are not jobs that are less significant to the collaborative effort of making a TV or film production. The people who hold these jobs are responsible for the day-to-day work of making a film.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, we spoke to three very accomplished women in the film and television industry who work ‘below the line’ and have managed to create successful careers in trades that have traditionally been dominated by men.

 

Sandra Valde-Hansen – Cinematographer

 

Sandra Valde-Hansen is an accomplished cinematographer who has a long list of independent feature credits. Among them is the indie director Gregg Araki’s television series, Now Apocalypse on Starz, and his feature films White Bird in a Blizzard and Kaboom. Her television work includes Showtime’s reboot of The L Word: Generation Q, the Amazon series With Love and the Showtime series Super Pumped. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in cinematography from the prestigious American Film Institute and she is currently in South Korea shooting the Netflix series called XO Kitty.

 

When did you decide to become a cinematographer?

There was a bit of a click moment. I was an undergraduate and I was taking a general filmmaking course where we got to make a movie. The class was about directing. I made this little film and the teacher noticed that I concentrated on the camera and the lighting. And I remember that I saw the Empire of the Sun, and there was a scene with Christian Bale where he is taken to a camp and goes through an airfield and he is able to touch a Japanese airplane for the very first time. It is such a beautiful scene. It is shot from a low angle, from a child’s perspective, and there are these sparks flying. It is beautifully shot, and I remember feeling all these emotions and I thought, I want to do that. And it was in grad school that I connected the dots and knew exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to tell stories through pictures.

What have the obstacles been for you to make it?

There are definitely obstacles. Even though there are quite a few female cinematographers, there have been obstacles as it has always been a male-dominated field for whatever reason. I saw it as an obstacle, but it was also encouraging because I thought just because men do it, does not mean that I can’t do it. So, it inspired me. And when you see women like Nancy Shriver, Ellen Kuras and Amy Vincent in magazines, you think that if these women are doing it, why can’t I? There were not that many, but whenever I saw the female cinematographers, I was inspired to move forward.

Actually, when I was in grad school, there were more women than men in my class and this was not usually the case. It was a general filmmaking class, but I made it clear that I wanted to be a cinematographer, so most women picked me as their DP. I did have one of the men say to me, ‘You are not good enough and you are never going to make it.’ I just thought I am going to prove you wrong. So, all of these things are not as much obstacles, but more inspirational for me to prove them all wrong.

I have had several experiences where people said to me, ‘I had no idea there were female cinematographers.’ And I was just happy that they were noticing that we do exist. But because there are these thoughts in people’s heads, we do have to work harder and better and be on top of it. We cannot show any doubt, because then they will think, oh they cannot do that. I have also made sure to surround myself with people who will support me.

What is the most difficult thing you have been through with your job?

I remembered one difficult time of many that was significant. I was on a feature and the performer had lost their trust in their director. At one point during the scene, we had finished a take and the performer looked directly at me, with the director right behind me, and said “Sandra, how did I do?”  I was caught off-guard but immediately had to quickly think on my feet. I smiled at the performer and said, “Please ask [name of the director]” and then I turned to the director and said, “What do you think?” At that point, the director and performer went to the side and had a conversation. This is an example of, as a cinematographer, we must always be able to think on our feet. My loyalties are to the director, and I will do everything in my power to protect the director. Now if the director does not reciprocate this trust to me, then I will sever my loyalties to the director. But in this instance, the director and I were true collaborators. The performer lost respect for the director because the director was a bit indecisive about things. This was a difficult spot for me, but I respect the hierarchy of a set, and this is a truly collaborative art form. If this collaboration breaks, then the film is broken. It was my job to keep the ship going and I thought this was the best course of action in this situation.

What qualifications do you think a good cinematographer needs to have?

Our job is technical but also artistic, so it is important to be up to speed with art, music and culture. The best thing for a cinematographer is to be worldly and have a big worldview. You need to understand stories because we are visual storytellers. It is really important to be supportive of your crew and treat your crew as a family. A male can easily do that but there is something to be said of women being in charge. There is a different vibe.

How would you describe that vibe?

I would describe it as supportive and welcoming and understanding of everybody’s needs. I am not saying that a man cannot be all that, but when I have worked with a team of women at the helm, there is a sense of openness when it is run by women. That helps female cinematographers do their job. Also, there is respect for people having families. I am a mother and as much as I love this job, family is really important. So, when a crew member comes up to me and needs a week off to go away with her son who is going to college, I understand. I think it is important that people who work for you feel supported – this also makes them work better.

Do women in the business support each other?

Not everybody. There are always the outliers. But it is important for me to be supportive. I am also on the faculty of the American Film Institute and teach cinematography and I make it known to all my students that they can always come to me for advice. I am very open with the women, and I am there for them. I also try to hire as many women and people of color as possible, and of course, they have to be damn good at their jobs. Regardless of what the show is, and I am in the position to hire, I try to hire as diverse as possible because I need to feel at home as well.

What is your advice to women who want to become a cinematographer?

Keep going. Keep at it. This job is hard, and it is not glamorous. I know it is really hard sometimes, but if you want to be a cinematographer, be a cinematographer and focus on that. Don’t get frustrated because it is a long journey. I have been doing this for many years and I am still on that journey. Cinematography is an evolving journey where you learn things every single day. You are always going to be learning new things and becoming better.

 

Kate Weddle – Art Director, Graphic Artist, and Set Designer

 

Kate Weddle is an accomplished art director, graphic artist and set designer. She has worked on numerous television shows as an art director such as Scandal, WandaVision and Bel-Air. She worked as a graphic artist on shows such as The Politician, Shameless and Pam & Tommy and as a set designer on feature films such as Suicide Squad. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in production design from the American Film Institute Conservatory and a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Language: 3D Animation from the University of Central Florida, Orlando.

When did you decide on your career path?

I was an undergrad for 3D animation and one of my teachers, Phil Peters, was a production designer and he was the first person who saw where my interests were and guided me towards live-action production. I have always been a fan of movies and television and video games and the escapism aspect of it. I was drawn to the world-creating aspect of it and letting your imagination sculpt worlds that help people escape.

Have you experienced any obstacles on your way?

When I first came out to LA, I tried getting into the industry without going to grad school. I realized early on that I was going to have to out-educate everyone because on paper, I was always going to be seen as not as competent. I got an internship and met a production designer who hired me to help build for a couple of small projects. I was the only woman on the team, and I was always relegated to brooming and the less skilled stuff. My dad and I have been building and refinishing furniture since I was a kid, so I had a lot of experience with tools and the equipment, but I was always the one sent out to do the shopping.

How did you avoid being stuck in that position?

There was one particular moment where it dawned on me that I had to get my graduate degree. I was working on a non-union commercial with a team. As I was new to production, I did not know what a Leadman was, so I asked the Leadman what the difference between a PA and a Leadman was. His response was ‘about 23 dollars an hour’ and he laughed at me and walked away. I was trying to learn, and nobody was interested in helping me, so I decided to go back to grad school. A year after I got into the union as an assistant art director, I got my set designers card so I would know more about set designing in order to be a better art director. I wanted to get the experience, so I knew what I was talking about. It always came down to education. I realized I had to be smart and know what I was talking about.

Did that experience make you rethink how you want to work in the business?

Now, that I am an art director, I am always mentoring because I had such a hard time getting in myself. With the shows that I work on, I mentor the PAs that want to move up in the art department. I also find that this helps me a lot in building a network because hopefully these people will someday be working in the industry and will repay the favor to someone else. For instance, I am starting on a show in April, Yellowstone, as the lead graphic designer and I will be working with an art director I helped get into the union.

What does it take to be successful in your business?

You have to build up a good network. When I am in between shows and looking for the next one, I reach out to the people I have worked with before and let them know I am looking. As far as on a day-by-day basis, it is really just about communication. The shows that I worked on that were harder than they needed to be, it was always due to communication issues.

How important is it for you to help move women forward in the business?

The first art director who took me under her wing was Louise Dorton on Scandal. She saw the potential in me and advocated for me. They hired me as a PA for two years as part of a training program. After working as a trainee for two years, they hired me as an assistant art director. This show got me into the union. Shondaland makes it a point to try to hire diverse groups on their shows, so there were more women in the art department than men. In my experience, women tend to hire more women in their department, so it has worked out for me that way.

What is the best piece of advice to someone who wants to make it in your business?

Reach out. Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself. Nobody is ever going to be mad at you for sending out an email saying, ‘hey, I would like to meet and pick your brain.’ The worst that can happen is that they will ignore you. It is part of building a network and getting somebody to invest in you and invest in moving you forward. You really just have to find the one person who says yes.

What are you most proud of having accomplished?

I have created a network that I am proud of. I am proud that people trust me when I recommend someone. I am also proud that I have three cards in the Art Directors Guild – Art Director, Set Designer, Graphic Designer, and that I have a great variety of skills. There are not many people in the union that have three cards and I joke around that I would like to get the fourth card in the Art Directors Guild. I joke that when I have all four cards, I am going to have to move to a different union.

What kind of qualifications do you have to have to be successful in your career?

It is good to have a background where you understand drafting, like architecture or stage design. That does make it easier. Even if you don’t have any plans of becoming a set designer, just knowing how to read a drawing is really helpful. Good communication skills are important, and you have to be a good team worker and you have to be able to be creative on a deadline.

 

Katherine McQuerrey – Editor

 

Katharine McQuerrey is an accomplished film, television and documentary editor. She has worked with Joel and Ethan Coen on nine films including Hail Caesar, Inside Llewyn Davis, True Grit, A Serious Man and the Best Picture Oscar-winner, No Country for Old Men. She also edited Amalia Ulman’s El Planeta and the musical Better Nate Than Ever directed by Tim Federle. She has collaborated with renowned artists such as Matthew Barney and Pierre Huyghe and edited two music films with musician Roger Waters. Currently, she is editing George & Tammy, directed by John Hillcoat and starring Jessica Chastain and Michael Shannon.

 

When did you decide you wanted to be an editor?

After working as an archival researcher on Iara Lee’s documentary about electronic music, Modulations. I realized how musical and exciting editing could be after working closely with Paula Heredia, the talented editor and filmmaker. Her edits would constantly change as we would send new footage and interviews, and it was all so wonderfully musical, with a narrative to construct, that it felt like a perfect combination of what I studied in college. It was an exciting process and showed me the principles I had learned studying movement, dance and literature in college could be applied to a career that could be a bit more stable than freelance writing or dance.

What have the obstacles been?

Navigating the creative and the financial paths of this career and choosing projects that are creatively fulfilling, but also needing to have consistent work. Also, being a mother and film editor is intense. Both require much thought, care, devotion and especially time. I always wish we could digitally stretch and slow down time the way we can with Avid effects.

What does it take to have success in the business as a woman?

Dedication, fortitude, perseverance and resilience and honesty. I have been in quite difficult political situations because an edit can completely alter the direction, tone and meaning of a film, so there are often times where you are negotiating between many different ideas in a cut. That is the case with some projects, not all at all. And not with my many years working with the Coen brothers. In terms of being a woman, culturally we have been raised to be a bit more demure, or function as a ‘supporter,’ but one really needs to be confident in her voice, assertive, not aggressive, and this can take some getting used to for certain personalities. And like I said, there are cultural stereotypes that we have to work against.

Do you have many female colleagues?

As picture editor, I do. Talented, smart women and we have made attempts at gatherings to help each other out. I find so much solace in my female colleagues. One place where I don’t find I have a lot, but there are a few, outside of picture in post. The exciting thing about postproduction, and being the head of a department, is there are a lot of other departments that we collaborate with, like sound, music, visual effects and color. Sadly, in those fields, it is much more rare for me to work with women. I have worked with talented, wonderful female composers, music and sound editors, and my dear friend is a colorist, but I find that in those fields, it is harder to find women. I’m hoping organizations like WIM assist in training programs where women can be mentored and come up in what feels like more ‘gendered’ fields.

What is the best advice you would give women who want to do what you do?

Have confidence, be strong, state your opinion, which can be difficult at times. I was lucky because I went to an all-girls high school, which I think in many ways helped me find and hone my voice, although I’m still working on it!

We can view the role of an editor as support, but it is also collaboration, and the more that you can have confidence in your unique vision and can unequivocally state it clearly, the more you will be listened to. It can be challenging to be in a room full of men and be the only female voice there, but have confidence, and make it strong. We are in a creative field where it will be heard, or at least wild ideas can be tried. We don’t always have the answers, but don’t be afraid to speak up!

What are you most proud of?

I am most proud of repeat collaborations with talented filmmakers, and the friendships and creative fulfillment that I’ve found working with really special filmmakers, artists, actors, musicians. Some of whom have become friends. I feel proud to have worked alongside truly great artists, who look for new and exciting ways to tell stories.

What is the hardest thing you did in your life, workwise?

Possibly the 6-hour opera film with Matthew Barney. It happened at a personally difficult time in my life, and the film itself was a huge endeavor. Balancing so many storylines, characters, musical experimentation, felt unwieldy at times. The stamina it takes to also work on a project that long and ambitious was a challenge at times. I had a great team, and it was a joy in the end, but definitely a challenge. It was thrilling to see it all come together and help tech and attend the premiere in Munich. There is usually a cathartic end to these really difficult edits. But I’m currently cutting a 6-part mini-series. This 6-hour plus endeavor may prove to be the most difficult. Television works at a different pace, with very different storytelling principles and a different structure than a feature film.

How do you become successful in your business?

I think a key to success is having interests and influences outside of just film. Explore the music and art worlds, read books, understand what makes good storytelling. And practice, practice, practice. It is a craft, and like any craft, you have to practice.