Brooklyn, New York, 1988. Director/Screenwriter/Actor Spike Lee with (DP) Cinematographer Ernest Dickerson on location for the shooting of “Do the Right Thing.” The duo collaborated on 6 feature films together following their initial meeting at the New York University graduate film program.
This week’s episode of The Road to Cinema Podcast features a conversation with director & (DP) cinematographer Ernest Dickerson. Today, Dickerson is one of the most acclaimed television directors for episodic dramas. His television directing credits include: “The Wire”, “The Walking Dead”, “Dexter”, “Under the Dome”, and the new Amazon Prime series “Bosch.”
Director Ernest Dickerson with cast & crew on-set of the new Amazon Prime series “Bosch.”
Dickerson began his career as a cinematographer where he developed one of the great director/cinematographer collaborations with Oscar nominated filmmaker Spike Lee. Lee and Dickerson worked on 6 feature films together which include: “She’s Gotta Have It”, “School Daze”, “Do the Right Thing”, “Mo’ Better Blues”, “Jungle Fever”, and “Malcolm X.” Dickerson takes us through the distinct style of each film and how production design and wardrobe aid in his process as a cinematographer, creating both a color scheme and consistent visual aesthetic. Dickerson can recall precisely how he shot specific sequences right down to the lens, f-stop, filter, and light bulb.
Dickerson had launched his directing career when “Malcolm X” was about to go into production in the early 1990s. He returned one last time to the role of cinematographer for the seminal, epic biography of human rights activist Malcolm X, played with nuance and bravado by Oscar nominee Denzel Washington.
March, 2015. Director Spike Lee and (DP) Cinematographer Ernest Dickerson revisit their collaboration on “Malcolm X” for a screening at the TCM Classic Film Festival. You’ll learn on the podcast how Lee and Dickerson’s passion for making a film about the civil rights leader dates back to their early days at NYU.
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Watch clips from Director Spike Lee’s conversation with author & film historian Donald Bogle following a screening of “Malcolm X” at the TCM Classic Film Festival.