In the fast-paced, high-pressure world of film festivals, cinematographer Veronica Bouza found herself juggling not one, but two projects she shot, which premiered at SXSW this past year.
We caught up with Bouza to get an inside look at the challenges and thrills of shooting indie film, as well as where creativity, efficiency, and a touch of adrenaline all come into play.
Let’s dive in.
Editor’s note: the following interview is edited for length and clarity.
No Film School: Can you tell us about your experience working as a cinematographer on The Gutter?
Veronica Bouza: The Gutter has been one of the funniest projects I’ve been a part of so far in my career.
The Gutter is a bowling comedy that leans into absurdity and feels nostalgic to comedies of the early 2000s. Visually, Yassir, Isaiah, and I wanted to create a cinematic look that gave a fresh spin to the world of bowling. We were heavily influenced by Boogie Nights, Pulp Fiction, and, of course, King Pin and The Big Lebowski.
As a cinematographer, it was a complete joy to push myself visually while constantly laughing every step of the process.
NFS: Could you describe your collaboration with directors Yassir Lester and Isaiah Lester on the film?
Bouza: Working with Yassir and Isaiah was an absolute dream. Beyond being hilarious and clever, those brothers were very collaborative, and I felt like part of the family. We utilized having a three-person team to our advantage, so I could be shot listing with one while the other worked with another department. During production, the three of us were very in sync and could lean on one another if we had to adapt.How did you approach capturing the atmosphere and tone of each film?
To allow The Gutter‘s comedy and ridiculousness to excel, we grounded our visual design in a way similar to shooting a drama. We broke down the character beats to build our shot selection and designed our lighting to feel natural in the spaces. Tonally, it was vital to allow the audience to enjoy the ride and never question the environments.
As for “Inner Demon”, we created a psychological thriller during the day. It’s one thing to be afraid of the dark, but being frightened during the day adds a different level of suspense. To reflect Mya’s state of depression, we designed the look of the bathroom and bedroom to feel bleak. Although the sun is coming through the windows, we limit the ambient light to allow parts of the images to fall into darkness.
NFS: Can you share any memorable moments or experiences from set?
Bouza: My most memorable experience shooting The Gutter was shooting the championship sequence. For all of the bowling scenes, we shot at one bowling alley. Our production designer, Maggie Ruder, and I worked very closely together to determine each location’s look.
At times, we had to split the lanes so one side would be one location and the opposite side would be the following day’s location. For the championship sequence, we could look 360 degrees and visually play. A heightened energy was in the air, watching Susan Sarandon and Shamiek Moore entirely in their element with the crowd roaring behind them.
NFS: The Gutter and your work on the short “Inner Demons” seem to explore different genres and themes. How did you adapt your cinematography style to fit each film’s unique narrative?
Bouza: The key to adapting visual styles to different genres is to ground the visual choices in the story and character development. When I join a project, the director tends to have a concept of where they want to take the film visually. Through collaboration, we can work together to figure out the best way to visually represent the story. I find the process refreshing, and I always learn something new.
NFS: What techniques did you employ to convey the internal conflicts and supernatural elements present in “Inner Demons”?
Bouza: To convey the internal conflict and supernatural elements in “Inner Demon”, we first had to familiarize our audience with our protagonist in her environment. As she unravels, we move away from conventional framing and introduce fragmentation, prisms, and subjective framing. Combining familiar framing with uncomfortable framing allows the audience to be part of the psychological ride.
NFS: How did your background in cinematography influence your approach to filming the bowling scenes in The Gutter?
Bouza: We grounded our bowling sequences on character emotional beats to give each bowling scene its own flare. Walt’s (Shameik Moore) bowling scenes were shot on primes with physical push-ins and pull-outs to lean into his subjective. In contrast, Walt’s rival, Linda Curson (Susan Sarandon), is shot solely on zooms to amplify her stature.
NFS: What advice would you give to aspiring cinematographers, especially those looking to break into the industry?
Bouza: I recommend that with every project you shoot, you put 100% into that project and genuinely get to know your collaborators. Not only are you building very lasting friendships, but you never know who will recommend you for your next job.
NFS: Lastly, can you share any upcoming projects or goals you have for your career in cinematography?
Bouza: My career goal is to continually build to bigger budgets and shoot projects of all types of genres. I look at someone like Lawrence Sher, ASC, who shot the Hangover trilogy and then went off to shoot the Joker.
For me, it’s about getting behind a story and really connecting with the collaborators behind it. This is only the beginning.
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