When provided the opportunity to cam op a gig with Switchfoot for their upcoming documentary, my answer was instantly “yes”. Better yet, I got to work with the super talented Wade Yamaguchi, a good friend and camera guy.
Switchfoot has an incredible stage presence. They craft their performances masterfully to emote the precise emotion held in each song. Part of that performance is raw talent, the other part is the technology backing them. Needless to say, as a cinematographer, the lighting was something to be seen. Huge LED lights that morphed symbols and patterns, a ton of colored ellipsoidal and PAR lights pointing every direction, and strobes to accent. I was positioned rear stage left which left some challenges. 1) I wouldn’t be seeing much of any of the band members faces. 2) I couldn’t move very much in my position. These were pickup shots for an ongoing documentary that already had a large library of footage. I had to kick creativity into high gear to get unique shots and frames that would help tell the story of Switchfoot. Here’s a few captures: (click on an image to start gallery slideshow)
James Drake Films
Denver Video Production