Interview of Gordon Willis

'There is No Formula'

Basically you don’t know any of those things when you’re working. You do what you want to do, make what you’re doing at that moment work. I never thought of anything as being iconic.

I think it’s important to be reminded not to get too far ahead of ourselves; to focus on the present task and not be bogged down with all the periphery. Sometimes, people are going to think you’re crazy, but that can’t stop you — even if it means using split diopters. We live in a time when we can so easily access history, to look at someone’s career and say: “I’d like to do things the way that person did,” — but perhaps it’s more important to do them how you want to; to serve your own artistic needs first. Gordon Willis will always be remembered as a champion of doing things differently and changing the art of cinematographer forever — but you can be sure he was only following his heart. A lesson for all of us.