Florian Hoffmeister, BSC on TÁR, working with director Todd Field and Cate Blanchett

In TÁR, Cate Blanchett plays Lydia Tár, a fictional world famous
female conductor and composer whose life takes a dramatic downturn
after serious allegations are made against her. Cinematographer
Florian Hoffmeister and director Todd Field made a conscious choice
to “not put a hat on a hat”- keeping the cinematography very
restrained and still throughout most of the film. The focus
remained on the music and the performances, with little camera
movement save for a few orchestra scenes and the finale of the
movie. Florian found Field to have a very precise visual
sensitivity so he was able to light the space and still allow the
actors to have freedom of movement within the scene while shaping
the light more precisely as needed. Florian wanted the precision of
his cinematography to reflect the precision of the orchestra. His
work also aided the storytelling- carefully deciding where to place
the camera and what to focus on allows TÁR to unfold in a slow
burn, as the movie purposefully omits information and significant
details at first. Florian feels that really good cinema leaves room
for reflection and allows us to develop our own perceptions about
the story. TÁR allows the audience to see itself and think about
the time we're living in, and it feels both timeless and
contemporary. He found it an equal privilege to work with an actor
like Cate Blanchett because she has a dedication to her craft and a
focus on getting the best out of every single shot. She has a good
understanding of the technical elements necessary to showcase the
best performances. Florian is currently shooting the new season of
HBO's True Detective in Iceland. TÁR is currently playing in
theaters Find Florian Hoffmeister: http://florianhoffmeister.de/
Instagram: @florian.hoffmeister Sponsored by Hot Rod Cameras:
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