Project Development: Further Research on Rachel Morrison

source: Amy Smart Girls

    In this research post, I will be researching about another famous cinematographer, Rachel Morrison. I will be including her in my major project as she is widely known to be the first ever woman that is highly acknowledged for her work.

    Rachel Morrison is an American cinematographer and director from Massachusetts. She is best known for her work in Fruitvale Station (2013),  Dope (2015), Mudbound (2017), and Black Panther (2018). She began her career by working on different series and TV movies for a number of networks. Palo Alto (2007) was her debut as the primary cinematographer on a feature film. 

    She was the first woman to be nominated for a cinematography award, and has made history three times in three distinct prize categories, winning two of them at that. One of the nominations include a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, which is a genuinely an amazing accomplishment. She then made history by being the first woman to direct a Marvel movie.

    Her films are not always about looking nice, although they are aesthetically impressive, it is largely about exposing the passion and feeling underneath the tale. The truth haunts every frame, and her film making approach adapts to the subject she is portraying at the moment. The camera serves as an eye into whatever new reality is emerging. The fluidity of her photography makes it appear as though she does not commit to any certain kind of camera arrangement. She consistently draws the audience's attention with her camera style, frequently adding movement to the scenes by moving in and out of frames.

    To sum up, this research was extremely useful for my project. Not only is her technique in cinematography widely appreciated, she has also made history as a female cinematographer and in creating a new environment for future female cinematographers. 

Reference: 

• Beresford, T. (2017) Meet Rachel Morrison: A smart girl rocking the cinematography world, Medium. Amy Poehler's Smart Girls. Available at: https://amysmartgirls.com/meet-rachel-morrison-a-smart-girl-rocking-the-cinematography-world-880fc4f9e8a8 (Accessed: March 2, 2023).
• Rachel Morrison (no date) IMDb. IMDb.com. Available at: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1121126/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm (Accessed: March 3, 2023). 
• Screen and Film School (2022) Featured filmmakers: Rachel Morrison, Screen and Film School. Screen and Film School. Available at: https://screenfilmschool.ac.uk/news/featured-filmmakers-rachel-morrison/ (Accessed: March 3, 2023).