Frankenstein
Creating Emotion with the Camera

A Conversation with Gilles Corbeil, SOC & James Frater, SOC​
By David Daut

If there’s anything one could glean from Guillermo del Toro’s work, it’s that he has an affection for monsters, and none more so than the creature that birthed the science fiction genre—Frankenstein’s monster. For the better part of 20 years, del Toro has talked about wanting to bring his take on Mary Shelley’s classic novel to the screen. Now, after a number of false starts and close calls, it has finally arrived as an epic production filled with lavish sets and captivating performances.

Camera Operator spoke with A camera operator Gilles Corbeil, SOC, and Steadicam operator James Frater, SOC, to learn more about what it was like working with Guillermo del Toro to bring this passion project to life, from the massive practical builds that had to accommodate cranes to camera work that ethereally glides through the compositions.

It is 1857, somewhere in the Arctic Circle, where the crew of a Danish naval ship comes across Victor Frankenstein, near death, bleeding out onto the ice. He is taken into the captain’s quarters and nursed back to health as he tells the tale of his ambitions to defeat death and the monster he made in the process. All the while, the Creature has pursued the Baron to this desolate place, marching across the ice to take his revenge against his creator. Frankenstein is written and directed by Guillermo del Toro and stars Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, and Christoph Waltz.

Camera Operator: Gilles and James, you’re each credited on this film as A camera operator and Steadicam operator respectively. Could you walk me through what the working relationship was like and how you each divided up the work on the film?

Gilles Corbeil: Well, it was Guillermo [del Toro] calling the shots. We watch the blocking and try to imagine how the scene would be done on either tool, but you ultimately don’t know until he says, “Okay, we’re going to do it on a crane or we’re going to do it on Steadicam.” You just always have to assume you’re going to be called upon at any moment.

James Frater: The whole movie is either on crane or on Steadicam. It’s actually maybe 70% or more on crane, but if the shot needed to be a little bit more reactive, then we’d bring in the Steadicam. If we couldn’t fit the crane into places, it would also be Steadicam, but all the sets had walls that flew, so everything was designed to get the crane in.

Corbeil: Some sets more than others. The morgue set had all of these ornate pillars that could be removed quickly using a lift system. And after a while, they would be able to turn around, remove a wall, lose five or six pillars, and put it all back within half an hour. It was quite something.

CO: One of the most striking things about this film is all of those lavish, practical sets you see throughout the film. It sounds like they were all designed around the challenges of shooting with cranes and Steadicams. Could you talk a little bit more about what it was like shooting in those environments?

Corbeil: Having done a few movies with Guillermo, this has been sort of an evolution over time. On something with a smaller budget, like The Shape of Water, that was like a $18 million budget, and they repurposed sets from the TV series The Strain. They very cleverly set everything up, but those sets were less forgiving, so we had to be on a jib arm on a hybrid dolly instead of a Technocrane. On this film, they could make decisions beforehand whether they needed to be able to fly walls on any given set. On something like the woodsman set—with David Bradley—that set was sort of made for a technocrane. Just a long cabin with room down the middle. The technocrane was able to basically go anywhere, so there was really no need to fly walls on that one.

Frater: I’ve never seen anything like it. Every single aspect of the design of these sets was built around shooting. Even the ship’s cabin. Everything flew on that set as well, which is quite remarkable in such a small space.

Corbeil: And it’s all because Guillermo is such a detailed person. He would come up with the shots on the day, generally—he has his little book, and nobody disturbs him because he’s planning the shots. As a result, you know the blocking, but where the camera is going to go is always the question. So, once the crane is in, or the Steadicam is placed in a certain position, you start to consider the shot. You start to imagine what he’s going to tell you, because you still don’t know exactly what the shot is.

We park the camera for lighting, and Dan Laustsen is working seven days a week, either shooting or pre-lighting. You’re getting all of these indications just seeing what is being lit. Then we’re guided during the shot, so the shots don’t fully become evident until after the first take, and sometimes you move on. So, you’re always thinking in real time about where this shot is going to go.

Frater: Dan lights from outside the set, so being able to get the camera anywhere is really easy, because there are no lights to shoot around. You can point the camera in nearly any direction.

Corbeil: Absolutely. I’ve never seen someone reverse and then reverse again so quickly. On Shape of Water, we were reversing because of issues with the creature. Doug Jones could only handle 20 minutes in the suit, so Dan had to perfect being able to reverse multiple times quickly. Ultimately, our job is simply to make it all look seamless. It’s like playing chess. You’re always wondering what are we doing next, where is this shot going to go? And they’re not static shots, so you’re always thinking in 3D space but without being able to see what you’re about to reveal until it’s in frame.

It’s like the difference between a reflex camera and a range finder. When you have a 50mm lens on a range finder Leica, you can see people walking into the frame, you have an indication where in context this shot’s going to go. But we’re in a reflex world, we’re only seeing the edges of the frame, and that’s it. You have an idea where you’re going and what you’re going to introduce, but until it happens, you really don’t know. Certainly on Steadicam, you have your peripheral vision, so you have an indication of what’s happening. But on a crane, a lot of times you’re in a different room, so it’s tough. Also, with three or four people operating, everybody has to be on the same page.

CO: That’s really interesting. Like you said, almost every shot of the film has movement to it. Even in a more conventional shot, reverse shot dialog scene, the camera floats around the characters and pushes in following the momentum of the scene. Tell me more about shooting in that way and what you think that adds to the feeling of the film for the audience.

Frater: The camera becomes a bit of a character in itself and creates the emotion. Guillermo sits on the comms while we’re doing the shot, and he’s walking us through the movement as we’re shooting. Meanwhile, he’s thinking of what the reverse shot is going to be, so he’s 100% guiding us through that whole moment.

Corbeil: From an outside perspective, you might say, “Oh, it’s easy. Just follow what he says.” But the thing is, you still have to consider intangibles. You know generally what events are going to happen, if there are props that need to be seen, but even with direction, you still have to take care of business. We’re not robots, the actors aren’t robots, so with the direction, you also have to interpret his intention. There is a lot of processing that has to happen—whether you have to delay things, how are your fellow operators on the crane. If Guillermo says to go up and hit the limit of how far the crane can move, you still have to be able to honor the sentiment, even if we can’t technically do exactly what he’s saying. We don’t want to clutter up the comms, and sometimes you can’t talk on a set, you can only listen. So, you have to be able to make these decisions in the moment.

CO: We’re talking about how you respond to what’s happening on the day. Guillermo del Toro comes in and figures out how he wants the shots to be on the day of shooting, so you’re responding to his direction as well as the actors’ performances and anything else that is going on in the scene. I’m curious, what do you do as operators to prepare to be in that space where you can make those decisions on the fly?

Corbeil: There are limits. Even though we’re lighting from outside, there are still things you don’t want to be in frame. You want to know what your limits are, and you want to know generally where you should be. Generally Guillermo doesn’t like to change more than one variable at a time. He likes to pick away at whatever is in the way of getting a successful shot. On Pacific Rim, we had a wide shot of the kaiju shelter, and we were doing several takes, and we didn’t know why we were going again. It might have been an extra not being in the same place in continuity, but now he’s relying on you to always do the same thing every time, even though we’re moving.

Ultimately, you have to always consider what is the limit of the shot, and you have to think how is Guillermo going to manifest that into maybe redirecting us? In a way, you’re split in two. Your body is responding with the controls directly from his mouth, but your brain is sort of considering the options at the same time. That’s pretty standard procedure as an operator. Whether you’re doing Steadicam or crane work, you develop that split. Your brain is always considering the options.You’re always prepared for it, listening for cues. Verbal cues from the director, cues for the actors. Sometimes you have three people talking to you at the same time, and you have to decide, Who am I listening to, what am I reacting to? You’re always doing a running scorecard of cues, and it keeps you busy.

Frater: For me, it’s just being able to watch as much of the blockings and rehearsals as I can, and then figuring out what Guillermo would want and what he’s directing me to do. Figure out how I can achieve that within the set and the parameters that exist, be they furniture on the floor or positions where the actors are supposed to go. All of that you have to take into consideration.

Corbeil: Isn’t that always the contribution of an operator? You want to be able to solve problems, and that can be frustrating when you’re not right in the set. If you’re operating from a distance, that’s where some frustration can create anxiety, because you want to be able to solve the problem, but you don’t have all the information to do that.

CO: Gilles, you’ve been working with Guillermo del Toro off and on since Mimic in 1997. Obviously you’ve developed quite a relationship with him through the years on films like Pacific Rim and Shape of Water. How has that relationship between the two of you evolved over time, and was there anything about this movie in particular that was new or unique in that relationship?

Corbeil: It isn’t just how technology has changed, but that’s a big part of it. The freedom that comes with these advances. In the old days, remote heads were limited in how much range they had. With the advent of the Matrix-style head you can basically see the crane in any direction. You can go all around. That has opened up a lot of vistas of available set to Guillermo, and he’s using it. He embraces that kind of thing wholeheartedly, because if you can see more of his world, then he’ll utilize it. 

I don’t know if we did any handheld in this.

Frater: I did one shot. The sequence on the ship deck where the Creature attacks the sailors.

Corbeil: And we did one static shot on the dolly. It was just a point-of-view shot in case he needed it, but I don’t think he ever used it. Certainly technology has been a big thing that has created far more freedom, but there’s a responsibility with that freedom in terms of how much time it takes to set up shots. That’s always been a consideration. It’s not an instant thing when you want to set up a crane.

There really hasn’t been a sea change in the relationship. It’s always been the same. You can figure out so many things just from walking onto the set and reading the script. Once you start doing the first shot of the day, you have a pretty good idea of the tempo and the pacing. There are always surprises, and that’s what I concern myself with. What are the things that you simply can’t fully expect? How to be in the moment and not overreact to something that isn’t expected. You just have to know that’s going to come, and you have to be ready for it.

CO: And James, this is your first time working with Guillermo del Toro, correct?

Frater: My first time working with Guillermo, and my third movie with Dan. I’m such a fanboy of Guillermo’s work—and Dan’s—so to be welcomed into their world is quite special. One of the most amazing things that I found on the set is how everybody there has been working with him for years. It was like being welcomed into this family, it was such an amazing experience. You can see how much he loves all of the people that are working for him on the set. It was really, really cool.

Corbeil: You were a perfect fit. It was amazing working with you.

CO: Were there any specific shots on the film that stick out as being particularly challenging or any moments from the production that stick out in your memory?

Corbeil: On the ship, we had the 75-foot technocrane, and the camera on the top of the deck was following the captain as the Creature was pushing on the hull. We had to be able to follow him as if we were just on the deck without a crane. He ends up on the gunnel while the whole boat is rocking, so now the crane has to isolate itself from that action. The gunnel was probably moving 8 or 10 feet, and we do a vertical wrap around and end up looking across the hull from below, where his eyeline has to be specific, so he’s looking straight down. The camera had to do a vertical wrap without colliding with the ship. That was nuts. You just hold your breath on stuff like that, because you’re thinking if I pan the camera in the wrong direction, it would probably be rather expensive. The same goes for Ron Renzetti Jr. and John Stubbings, who are controlling the extension called the pickle. He was having to just work from visual cues, sometimes just off a monitor. That was probably one of the toughest shots I’ve done.

Frater: For me, because we shot on the ALEXA 65 and I used the Alien Revolution, just the sheer weight of that thing on a Steadicam is quite a challenge. Some of the master shots we’re doing are quite long, and Guillermo likes to move the camera incredibly slow. Getting to grips with the weight of that camera and moving it through space without dying was the most challenging thing.

Corbeil: I’ve used that camera once before on a series. The issue with moving that slowly is having to basically walk a tightrope in such a way that you’re not giving away that you’re effectively balancing on one foot 80% of the time. It’s bonkers.

Frater: You have to push the weight along without showing your footsteps.

Corbeil: I have to give a shout out to 1st AC Doug Lavender, an amazing focus puller, Ron Renzetti and John Stubbings on the crane, our head tech John Harper, and R.J. [Robert Johnson], the key grip, and Dennis Bellingham on boom, who had to leave the show because of a broken ankle managing that ship. And, of course, Dan, our D.P.

Frater: Yeah, it’s a strange one, because it was one camera shoot, so we shared the same crew. Doug Lavender is the absolute MVP, if you ask me, managing all the camera gear and working with Dan seven days a week. His focus is incredible.

CO: Guillermo del Toro has been talking about wanting to make Frankenstein for the better part of 20 years, and I’m sure he’s been thinking about it longer than that. It took a long time in gestation to finally get here, but I know this project is a big deal for him. What was it like working with him to bring it to life? Clearly there is an enormous level of thought and care that went into the script, the production design, and everything else. How did that carry through to your work as camera operators?

Corbeil: There’s so much already done by the time we show up on a set. I would imagine for any other director, it would be three or four times the amount of effort to get the same result because Guillermo is so detail oriented. He can answer a question in an instant because it is in his DNA. Our production designer, Tamara Deverell, has also been there forever, and is as much part of that world and being able to execute it.

I remember on Nightmare Alley there was this massive house set and an elevator. They had to bite out a section of the ceiling and floor on four levels of the set so that I could fit on a jut out, so that I could run up beside a character and ride outside of the elevator. They had to measure what amount of footprint I would take so that they could execute that. That’s a lot of pre-planning, and it is illustrative of how Guillermo thinks to get a shot. He would go to that trouble. In the same way, you come onto a set and you think you’ve seen everything, but you find there are so many more elements that are yet to be discovered.

On this film, you have the big batteries with the lights and the steam and all of these elements. He always believes in practical elements. You show up on a set like that and it’s a lot to take in, but you have to concentrate on your work and you have to keep all your emotions in check. You just have to get the work done. I’ll watch the movie at the end, that’s when I can really enjoy it, because you really can’t let your emotions get ahead of you.

Frater: Everything is so immense in detail and everything is so prepared and so organized. It’s so easy to just concentrate on the framing and getting the right shots for him, because everything is right there in front of you. You don’t have to cheat on anything. Everything is perfectly laid out in front of you.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES

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Gilles Corbeil, SOC

Gilles Corbeil, SOC was born in North Bay Ontario, Canada. His first camera assignment was in third grade covering a school trip. He attended Ryerson Film School and shot docs in Europe during summer breaks. Gilles was DP on several low-budget features including The Brain. While working as 2nd AD on Tin Tin: K-9 Cop, his wife, Christina Kaufmann convinced producer, Hebert Leonard to give Gilles a shot as operator.

Credits include Dawn of The Dead, John Rambo; The Corruptor; 16 Blocks; The Recruit; The In-Laws; Hot Tub Time Machine; Spotlight; 11.22.63; Umbrella Academy; and for Guillermo del Toro Mimic; Pacific Rim; Crimson Peak; The Strain; and The Shape of Water. He holds a U.S. Patent No. US5389987A titled “A motion translation device for positioning cameras and other aimed instruments.”

Photo by Christina Kaufmann

James Frater, SOC

James Frater, SOC, is a camera and Steadicam operator known for his exceptional work on major productions like John Wick: Chapter 4 and The Witcher. With a deep passion for visual storytelling, Frater’s career began with a fascination for capturing real-life moments through the lens. His formal education in film and cinematography laid the foundation for his success. Starting as a camera assistant, he quickly earned recognition for his reliability and technical skills. Frater’s ability to seamlessly blend traditional camera work with Steadicam operation enhances the dynamic quality of his projects, making him a sought-after professional in the industry.

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