July 9, 2025

Shot Talk – Interview with DP Don Burgess, ASC

Summary

Lawrence Sher, ASC sits down with DP Don Burgess, ASC for an in-depth discussion of his career, including Cast Away, Contact, The Polar Express.

Learn how Don got his start in Hollywood, what he believes is the key to the success of his partnership with Robert Zemeckis, and the advice he has always carried with him on every set. This episode of Shot Talk was filmed at Cine Gear Expo 2025 in collaboration with RED Digital Cinema.

Key moments

  • 00:00:51 Source Code: Film vs Digital and Separating Two Worlds
  • 00:02:13 Book of Eli: Going Digital with Red One and the Side by Side Test
  • 00:06:59 Building the Workflow: Dailies, Look Development and Crew Buy In
  • 00:10:40 Aquaman: Filming Dry for Wet
  • 00:13:24 Long Term DP and Director Relationship with Zemeckis
  • 00:15:11 Don Burgess’s Big Break into Hollywood
  • 00:17:01 Early Works: Skiing Backwards with a Camera
  • 00:18:21 Back to the Future: 2nd Unit on B Movies
  • 00:20:13 Forrest Gump: The Oscar Nomination and Documentary Techniques
  • 00:24:44 The Polar Express: Digitally Planned Shots
  • 00:27:30 Contact: The Mirror Shot and Blending Locations
  • 00:33:57 Cast Away: Wilson, Day for Night and Shooting Without Light Sources
  • 00:40:14 Here: a Static Camera, LED Wall and the Hardest Film He's Ever Made
  • 00:45:29 Q&A: Saying Yes to Directors and Figuring It Out on Set
  • 00:48:57 Q&A: Spider Man Cable Rigs, Spidey Vision and Remote Heads
  • 00:50:16 Longevity and Closing Reflections: Try Everything

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