For the fourth chapter of the Mad Max series, John Seale, 73, came out of retirement to work with fellow Aussie George Miller (Seale’s previous feature was the 2010 film The Tourist), and the result was applauded for its bold audaciousness.
Seale, who won an Oscar for his work on The Engish Patient, shot on location in the Namibian desert, convincing a reluctant Miller to use as many as four cameras at a time.
The technical shoot emphasized visual storytelling over scripted dialogue, with no fewer than 3,500 storyboards, relying on the need for speed and an aggressive use of DI in the film’s vibrant color scheme. “The dance of cars and truck at high speed was rehearsed endlessly,” says Seale.
Seale “was everywhere operating cameras as well as lighting,” according to Miller, “and he’s one of those great camera people who’s got tremendous calm no matter what’s going on around him, and that’s really great for the actors.”
