Interview contributed by Jordan von Netzer
“Deep in the heart of Dixie, in a small town struggling with the ravages of addiction, a local sheriff (John Travolta) tries to maintain the peace when desperate family man Shelby (Shiloh Fernandez) robs a pill mill with his reckless brother-in-law, Trey (Kevin Dillon). But the supposedly easy score takes a violent turn, alerting the New Orleans mafia’s revenge-seeking enforcer (Stephen Dorff), who threatens Shelby’s wife (Ashley Benson) and daughter. With its unpredictable twists and turns, Mob Land is a heart-pounding, action thriller” reads the synopsis for Saban Films’ new film, Mob Land, written and directed by Nicholas Maggio.
Serving as the film’s cinematographer was Nick Matthews, whose other credits include Spoonful of Sugar, At the Frontera, Cuck and the much-anticipated Saw X to name a few. We spoke to Nick below and had him break down the complex look of Mob Land.
PH: I'd love to learn a little bit more about your background. How did you get into the world of film production?
Nick Matthews: When I was in high school, a friend was visiting and asked if I wanted to make a movie for fun. We used my parent’s camcorder and created a short scene by editing in camera. I was hooked and that led to so much experimentation. Eventually I was shooting and editing films in the non-profit space while creating personal projects on the side. At one point, it became clear that if I didn’t try to make feature films, I would regret it for the rest of my life. So I decided to make the leap to Los Angeles and started freelancing about 10 years ago. It was all smaller jobs at first, but I kept getting the opportunity to interview for independent features and eventually booked a movie that first year in LA. Step by step, I’ve had the great fortune of making friends and creating more and more daring work along the way. For me, cinematography feels tactile and sensual. It’s a way to use light, color, and atmosphere to build the vernacular of a visual world—to affect the meaning and emotional tenor of the story as the audience experiences it.
PH: How did you become involved with Mob Land? What drew you to this project?
Nick Matthews: Nicholas Maggio and I connected on Instagram. I knew he was a brilliant and intimidating photographer based upon his work–there’s a rustic grunge that felt like something straight out of the 70s. Once I met him, we clicked over stories, music, and our backgrounds (he’s also very fucking funny) which led to crafting a few commercial campaigns together. We forged a common visual language and a short hand in that process. Mob Land was originally titled American Metal, and it was a script I read years ago. It felt like an immersive, gritty, and southern neo-noir. Something about it reminded me of Cormac McCarthy and Place Beyond the Pines, and Snowtown Murders….it was propulsive, and character driven and atmospheric. I was raised in South Carolina and Kentucky–something about this harkened to that time of my life and the people I knew.
PH: How long was the Mob Land shoot?
Nick Matthews: We had 14 days (11 principal and 3 splinter unit) to tell this story. We only achieved that by shooting 2 units at the same time for half the film, and using 2 cameras for our main unit work, which was a new approach for me. A lot of the preproduction was spent figuring out how to creatively capture the set pieces, while staying on budget and schedule. You have to enlist great people and set them free to do great work.
PH: There is a scene in Mob Land that takes place in a swamp. Can you talk about that scene? Did you shoot in the actual water?
Nick Matthews: This was one of those scenes we shot with a splinter unit–just two cameras and the lead actor. We used fishtanks and just waded out into the water. My 2nd unit DP Zach Sky was responsible for shooting and pulling his own focus for a lot of this, as was my B Camera Operator Ethan Sanchez. They were instrumental in the entire film. It’s a reminder that some of your strongest material might come from a very stripped-down approach.
PH: From one of your first jobs on The Steph D Show to Mob Land, how do you think you have changed as a DP?
Nick Matthews: Every film is its own idiosyncratic story that demands a uniquely crafted visual language to bring the audience into that world and character’s experience. As I’ve continued to create, I feel more confidence to take risks to subvert the audience’s expectations. I think I felt more bound by the “rules” of cinema beforehand. I am taking bigger risks with camera movement, color palette, underexposure, and lighting with every project I shoot. I want to tell the director’s vision in a way that captivates the audience and makes them feel compelled to engage the story we’re telling.
PH: How would you describe the look of Mob Land?
Nick Matthews: This is a docureal neo-noir. The film is blood-soaked with pervading darkness, rusty & sapped colors, and brutal imagery. We contrasted isolated characters in giant landscapes against intimate closeups. Mob Land showcases bold composition choices using reflections and negative space to express the austere futility of the characters. We used naturalistic lighting motivated by real sources that puts the audience into the spaces--harsh golden daylight, dimly lit interiors where the sun pokes into the darkness, a noir-use of shadows and contrast. Practical lighting & natural light define the look – mercury vapor greens, dirty amber sodium vapor, fluorescent greens, ruddy tungsten lamps, golden sunsets, slate blue cloud cover, and harsh sunlight. There’s no backlight, frontal lighting, fill light, or rim lights. Only sidelight, toplight, and reverse-side key light. We were after high contrast and lots of falloff. Pervasive darkness and silhouettes. Mystery and terror. We moved the camera with a cinematic & grounded docu-realism similar to Place Beyond the Pines while still finding the poetry of every moment with great compositions. We'll use a mixture of simple oners and dramatic coverage to tell the story.
PH: What was your creative process on Mob Land? How did you infuse your own creativity and personality on screen?
Nick Matthews: Preproduction was a mad sprint! We landed in Georgia and were off to the races scouting locations, casting the film, hiring crew–all while listening to metal and hardcore. This was a 3-week pre-production from arrival to our first shoot day. Given that timeline, we devised a set of rules for our photography to guide us along the way since so many of the pieces were coming together exceptionally quickly. Some of the visual choices mentioned above were among those guidelines. When something is moving at this pace you have to remain adaptable while never losing sight of your vision.
PH: Did you use any unique equipment for Mob land?
We wanted the film to feel textured like pushed 35mm stock. To achieve this we did the following. Alexa Mini LF in 4K, Vintage-esque BlackWing Tribe Primes, & Augeneuix EZ Zoom Lenses filtered by 1/8th Hollywood Blackmagic for a little blooming. We shot at 2000 ASA & implemented film grain in the DI.
PH: In your opinion, what characteristics/skill set do you need to be a successful DP?
Nick Matthews: I think resilience, adaptability, and a strong point of view are among the most essential characteristics of a successful DP. Stay curious and compassionate. It takes a village to make a film–never forget that. What got you here will not take you where you want to go. Find people that believe in you and challenge you to take risks. If you keep doing everything in the same way, you’ll continue to get the same results.
PH: What advice would you have for cinematographers looking to get into the business?
Nick Matthews: Hone your voice by creating as much work as you can and identifying what you love about the process and your work. Devour as much art–paintings, photographers, literature, music, and films–as you can. The kind of work you create is the sort of work you’ll get. So it’s important to fashion the kind of portfolio that attracts the filmmakers you want. Don’t lose heart–it takes 10 years to be an overnight success. Find the uniqueness and the beauty in your mistakes, you might happen on your happiest accidents in that process.
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