Based on Pulitzer Prize winning writer Michael Chabon’s debut novel, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh is a coming of age story set in early 1980s Pittsburgh. After graduating from college, Art Bechstein (Jon Foster) puts his future on hold and takes a job with the “least amount of responsibility” at the dreadful Book Barn, while half heartedly studying for the Series Seven exam his gangster father (Nick Nolte) is forcing him to take. His luck starts to change when he meets the beautiful Jane Bellweather (Sienna Miller) and her dangerous on-and-off again boyfriend Cleveland (Peter Sarsgaard), who take Art on a life-changing journey that would become “his last summer” as he begins the next phase in life.

Cinematographer Michael Barrett received the script from his agents while he was finishing post production on Bobby. Although Barrett had read the book many years before, he wasn’t sure how the text could be adapted. “Upon reading the script, I had great admiration for [writer/director] Rawson [Marshall Thurber],” reveals Barrett. “His script evoked the same emotions I had felt when reading the novel. He had altered the structure appreciably. It was a complicated book with many characters weaving in and out of a somewhat non-linear story. Rawson narrowed the focus to a love triangle of sorts and in certain instances combined characters from the novel. Michael Chabon felt that Rawson’s was the first adaptation that could be made into a film.”

According to Barrett, Thurber’s script dictated the look of the film. In their initial meetings, they discussed every scene in detail, including the pacing, the weight of lighting in a scene and camera movement. Because it was a relatively short shoot (32 days) for an ambitious story, they knew they would have to be prepared. “We wanted the film to be beautiful in it’s simplicity,” explains Barrett. “Both Rawson and I felt that our work should disappear in order to support the honesty of the story. We relied a great deal on Steadicam and handheld cameras to contrast the energy of the characters with the quiet grandeur of Pittsburgh.”

For the overall look of the film, the director and cinematographer referenced a number of films, photography and art books. The painter, Edward Hopper, was perhaps the biggest influence for the look of the film for his picturesque kind of Americana and his unique use of color and composition. Thurber reveals, “We stole as much as we could from Hopper, not only from a compositional standpoint but from his color palette; the emerald greens, inky blacks and midnight blues and yellows that are warm but not hot and chestnut browns.”

Barrett shot The Mysteries of Pittsburgh with Panavision Gold II and Millennium XL cameras and Primo lenses. For filtration, he used quarter and half Schneider Classic Softs and various color filters. His choice of film stocks were Kodak 5217, 5205 and some 5218, all of which he over rated a quarter to half a stop for the added density in the negative. “I had an excellent local crew—key grip Bart Flaherty, camera operator John “Buzz” Moyer and first AC Brian Osmond,” says Barrett. “Everyone was pleasant and hard working.

We brought our gaffer Rick West from Los Angeles. We had worked together on the CSI: Miami pilot.
“We used two cameras most of the time and I would usually be seated next to Rawson watching the monitors,” continues Barrett. “I have become reliant on headset communication because it affords the possibility of making adjustments mid-take. The headsets were also found to be valuable in telling not particularly funny jokes. Prior to the actual filming of a scene, we [Barrett and operator Moyer] would discuss with Rawson the camera placement and lens choices.

The film was shot at various locations in Pittsburgh, which according to Barrett is a “magnificent looking city where they didn’t have to do much in the way of selling its beauty.” Perhaps the biggest challenge for Barrett to shoot and light was a punk rock club where Art, Jane and Cleveland first get to know each other. “We wanted the cameras to be able to look anywhere,” he explains. “Rawson, production designer Maher Ahmed and I decided to hang single cool-white fluorescent tubes throughout the club at odd angles, suggesting a lack of patience or effort on the part of whoever hung them. In addition, we had Lightning Strikes! fixtures surrounding the room and Par cans with deep red gel. Wherever the camera faced, we had something of interest whether it be heat or color. The look is very raw, which we felt to be a nice counter point to the idyllic summer.”

Barrett’s favorite sequence in the film is a night swimming montage in which the threesome take off their black tie evening wear and take a spontaneous dip in a nearby pool. “We placed a few HydroPars with 60 cyan gel just under the water’s edge to both backlight and silhouette the swimmers,” reveals Barrett. “Beyond the pool we had a small Condor carrying a couple of Maxi-Brutes with Half Orange to simulate sodium street lights. For a bit of fill, we used HMI coupled with the cyan gel in a book light bounce through a 12x12-light grid cloth. We utilized some existing light fixtures as a white reference within the frame. For one shot, we purchased a consumer hi-definition camera with a water housing.

“Most of our lighting was designed to facilitate movement of the camera and actors, so Rawson and the actors could improvise a great deal. From that point it was just a discussion as to how we best capture a scene.”

Barrett finished the film at Post Logic with DI colorist Doug Delaney. According to Barrett, “The DI is a remarkable tool when refining the look of a film but the cinematographer’s participation is vital. The climax of the film takes place at dawn. We filmed our wider shots and those involving police headlights at magic hour and otherwise kept everything in shadow. We relied on the DI to darken the skies, match the different shades of blue, and maintain consistent contrast levels. I would certainly have been a bit nervous attempting this scene without a DI at the end. As it was, we were able to continue shooting throughout the day.

“I had a great experience at Sundance,” concludes Barrett, on attending the festival. “It had been ten years since my last visit. There is no better audience for a film. It was very inspiring.”

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