Jarin Blaschke: Crafting Darkness in Nosferatu

Nosferatu is a gothic tale of obsession, about a young woman,
Ellen, who faces a terrifying supernatural entity after her husband
travels to Transylvania to conduct business with the enigmatic
Count Orlok. As Orlok arrives in her town, he brings a plague of
death and terror, forcing Ellen to confront the monstrous vampire
and the darkness within herself. Cinematographer Jarin Blaschke
wanted to create a visually distinct and unsettling experience for
Nosferatu, drawing inspiration from F.W. Murnau's 1922 classic,
while developing his own unique look. Both he and director Robert
Eggers chose a more romantic approach to the film, with a palette
of blue and black. Shooting on film with candlelight and moonlight
added to the haunting atmosphere. Jarin tested several lenses and
the film scanning process to get the grain and color just right. He
wanted Nosferatu to feel very composed and controlled. “If it feels
claustrophobic, we lean into that,” he says. “How you pan, when you
pan, what's the feeling of it, and how you guide the camera
operator to execute that pan, all contributes to the overall
feeling.” Jared has collaborated with Eggers on all of his films,
beginning with the short film, The Tell Tale Heart, The Witch, The
Lighthouse and The Northman. The two share a love of fairy tales
and the golden age of illustration. As with most of their films,
the two had several months to prep for Nosferatu. They talked
through the scenes and shotlisted the movie, while Jarin drew small
storyboard thumbnails as a draft for the storyboard artist. “I love
the luxury of a long prep time,” says Jarin. “The ideas that you
come up with over the course of four months, as opposed to four
minutes, are much, much better, you know? Like if I'm just reacting
to stuff in the moment, I'm going to go for the easiest thing. But
if I have time to come up with an idea and think about how to
surprise people, that's a lot more fun.” This meticulous approach
extends to post-production, where Jarin even directed the lighting
for visual effects. "I enjoy being an obsessive perfectionist," he
admits. You can see Nosferatu in theaters and on VOD January 21.
Find Jarin Blaschke:
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