Cinematographer Larry Fong Talks ‘Sucker Punch’

You may not know Larry Fong by name but you’ve probably seen much of his work as the cinematographer for 300, Watchmen, the highly anticipated Super 8 from JJ Abrams and now, Sucker Punch starring the likes of Emily Browning, Jamie Chung, Vanessa Hudgens and Jon Hamm. Oh, and he also the cinematographer for the Lost pilot, too.

Larry’s impressive work in Hollywood showcases the range of roles that Asian Americans play in the entertainment industry, so we were excited to catch up with the Director of Photography for his take on Sucker Punch, working closely with his friend/director, Zack Snyder and what we should look for while watching the film. (Spoiler alert: There is no spoiler!)

Tell me a little about yourself. How did you get to where you are now as a cinematographer for films like Watchmen and now Sucker Punch?

I slept my way to the middle… Just kidding. In my teens, I did a lot of photography. It was my hobby, I guess. I also made a lot of Super 8 movies with my friends, so we always dreamed–we saw Jaws and Star Wars and Close Encounters and thought those were really cool, and wondering if we’d make films like that.

It was kind of a pipe dream but after going to UCLA and earning a respectable degree, I still wanted to go back to film school, which I did. I studied photography and film and that’s where I met Zack Snyder. We teamed up on some projects and that’s when I realized I was better at photography than I was at directed, so I concentrated on cinematography and I began to work quickly after graduating.

I saw there was a quote by you online saying you were happy being a cinematographer, which I find interesting because people are always looking for the next step of being a director or more. What sets you apart with this idea?

I don’t necessarily think one is better than the other…except maybe power and money? For me, I’m pretty good at what I do and I’ve directed [before.] Because me knowing me, I know that I’m not be the greatest director.

A lot of people talk about never being satisfied with their work; how do you define being happy with what you do?

If I feel like I’m beginning to understand really what my job entails, doing it well and doing interesting things that I’m proud of, which not everyone gets to do…I’m just riding this wave now of these past cool projects and the next few projects coming down the line. I’m happy where I am right now.

Can you explain what you do as a cinematographer for those of us who don’t know what the job entails?

The cinematographer is the “eyes” of the project, and how it interprets the script into a visual style and the director’s desires in how he wants the film to look. And making it all film-able by bringing together a crew, using the camera and lights to evoke a look and a mood for the film. Also, getting it all done on time and under budget. So it seems artsy but at other times, it’s very administrative and stressful.

So basically you’re responsible for carrying out what the director sees.

Yeah, and for me, I like to try to do it with as little stress on the director’s part so he can concentrate on the important things like the actors.

After Watchmen and 300, we know Zack Snyder’s style of special effects. How does it work differently for you as the cinematographer knowing that a lot of stuff is going to be CG animated?

Well, we all know what the goal is and what we want the film to look like, so I still have to push everything in the right direction to make it look like that. We’re not working in a vacuum so that the images that I take can’t change that much. If it’s not a good image now, it’s not going to look good later. No one takes my image and completely changes it, so it’s a collaboration from the beginning to the end. Yesterday, I did the last final coloring on Sucker Punch and that was me doing it. It’s not like I film and someone else snatches it away and makes it completely different thing.

You’re the eyes for the director every step of the way.

Yes.

Sucker Punch has been described as “Alice in Wonderland with machine guns.” How did you interpret that idea?

That’s what [the movie] seems like on the outside, but I think it’s a lot deeper than that. There’s a lot more psychological darkness going on and deeper emotions… It’s not so much fairy tale. It’s more action. There’s heavy emotion going on, too. There’s deep, psychological things, dealing with reality and fantasy that I think make it work on more levels than just girls shooting guns.

But those parts look cool.

Yeah, those parts are, definitely!

I bet there are going to be so many girls dressed up like them at Comic-Con.

My friend’s girlfriend was already one!

Do you have any recommendations or words of encouragement for our readers as Asian Americans who are looking to get into your side of the entertainment business?

I would say that from my point of view, I wasn’t held back by being Asian American. I think that working hard and studying in school, trying to be the best that I could be, and living and breathing photography all the time is what led me to where I am now. I think that’s the same way it would be for anybody.

Always keep practicing your skill, just like how an athlete never stops practicing his sport every day. An artist has to do the same thing…You have to wait for the opportunities to come but in the meantime, you have to be immersed 100% in your heart and doing it.

In the practical sense, that means even if you don’t have a movie with a cast of thousands and a location, you can always still make a short movie with what you have, whether it’s a still camera or an iPhone. So you know how to use your equipment and you know how to speak the visual language of film, so that you can be conversant in them. If you’re really good at what you do, then people will notice.

So follow everything that our Asian parents told us to do, which is study hard.

Yeah! Except that if you’re a doctor, you can’t really study and operate on people in your house. If you wanted to be an artist, you can always be singing, you can always be dancing, you can always be photographing. One of the advantages of the arts is that you can do it and you can obsess over it until you’re so good so that there’s no way you can’t be noticed.

What are your thoughts on digital media, like YouTube and the Internet? People are going around the traditional Hollywood route by posting their original content online. Is this something you might venture into?

If I wasn’t doing what I do now, I think I would be doing that. It’s about grabbing every opportunity you can for exposure. Obviously there’s so much out there that’s not good but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep trying to do something great and stand out. You will be noticed if your work is exceptional.

If there’s anything cool that we should keep an eye out for while watching Sucker Punch?

Yeah, pay attention to the transitions between reality and fantasy. Look closely at the symbolic shots. There’s a lot of use of mirrors in the film. Look carefully at those shots. If you look really closely, you’ll see things in them that you might not otherwise see. It’s not a spoiler alert, but there are some cool stuff that we did that some people will notice and other people won’t.

You heard it from here first! Larry Fong wants you to pay attention during your screening of Sucker Punch. This means no drooling over all the hot chicks with machine guns. For more fun, don’t forget to enter our special Sucker Punch Journey giveaway. The film opens in theaters this Friday, March 25th.

[Partial photo credit: Flickr]