TURNING THE TABLES - 'TRUE GRIT' - with David Mullen

Team Deakins

James Ellis Deakins

Tv & Film, Filmlighting, Deakins, Movies, Filmmaking, Production, Film, Cinematography, Film Interviews

4.8 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 25 June 2025

⏱️ 79 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 147 - Turning the Tables - TRUE GRIT - David Mullen

Cinematographer David Mullen (Season 1, Episode 83 & Season 2, Episode 113) returns for a new edition of the “Turning the Tables” series in this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast. David’s questions center around our work on the Coen Brothers’ 2010 version of TRUE GRIT, and we had a wonderful time answering them. In addition to the questions concerning how we actually made the film, we also discuss the long history of westerns and the visual variety within the genre. We also reveal the story behind the push-in in the opening shot of the film, what was on location and what was on stage, and how we shot the river crossing scene. We later reflect on working with then-child actor Hailee Steinfeld, and we discuss the script’s unique and engaging dialogue. We also reflect on the utility of cowboy hats and on the visual strength of westerns directed by John Ford and Sergio Leone, and we swap stories from our early-career, low-budget exterior shoots. Topics also include: film stocks, aspect ratios, lighting locations and sets, and nighttime nightmares shooting a black mare against a black sky.

Recommended Viewing: TRUE GRIT (2010)

This episode is sponsored by Aputure & Profoto

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi and welcome to Season 2 of the Team Deacons podcast,
0:07.0	a collection of informal conversations between Roger and James Deacons and a guest.
0:13.0	We never know where the conversation will take us, so listen in and see where it goes.
0:21.9	This episode is sponsored by Aperture and its new Storm XT-52, the industry's most
0:29.5	powerful LED point source light. Brighter than a 6K HMI and powered by Aperture's revolutionary
0:36.8	Blair light engine, the Storm XT-52 is both a tunable
0:41.9	white light and also the brightest ever adjustable color LED. Storm XT-52, unrivaled output,
0:51.5	only from aperture.
0:59.4	This episode is sponsored by Prophoto.
1:05.2	Prophoto, the light shaping company, renowned for its high-end lighting equipment used by the world's best photographers and brands, has now expanded into the world of
1:10.5	cinematography, with uncompromising
1:13.3	speed of use and limitless creativity. The L-1600D is a high output with no ballast
1:20.9	LED light. Its dual mount makes it compatible with 50-plus pro-photo modifiers and hundreds of Bowen's mount modifiers,
1:31.2	making it a breakthrough product for cinematographers and gaffers seeking speed and efficiency
1:37.3	on set with the highest degree of creative light-shaping possibilities.
1:45.0	Today's episode is another Turning the Tables episode, where we get asked the questions.
1:51.0	By popular request, David Mullen is our interrogator.
1:56.0	His credits as a cinematographer are many and include The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,
2:02.4	United States of Tara,
2:10.4	and Akela and the Bee. The topic today concerns True Grit, the movie. David, thank you for doing this. Don't be too mean to us. To say True Grit, the movie, the last version. Thank you for asking
2:17.0	me to do this.
2:17.8	I enjoyed re-watching the movie this week.
	...

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