Horizon
Posted on Oct 29, 2024 by Samara Husbands
Once upon a time in the West
Oliver Webb sits down with DOP Jimmy Muro to discuss Horizon:An American Saga – Chapter 1
Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 is the first of four instalments in Kevin Costner’s epic western, chronicling a 15-year span in the American West. Opening in 1859 in the San Pedro Valley – two years before the outbreak of the American Civil War – we see a team of surveyors outlining the forthcoming frontier town of Horizon. Chapter 1 introduces us to numerous families and characters as they navigate the American frontier. Beautifully shot by DOP Jimmy Muro, Horizon sees Costner return to the big screen in fine form.
Muro first met Costner on the set of Field of Dreams in 1989, where he served as a Panaglide operator on the film. After a good experience here, Costner asked producers to hire Muro as a camera operator on Dances with Wolves.
“I also met my wife while working on the film,” begins Muro. “We only had three cameras to shoot the whole film, so I really cut my teeth on that movie. I had an incredible time.” Muro and Costner would go on to collaborate again on a number of films throughout the years, including JFK, before Costner hired Muro as DOP on Open Range in 2003.
When it came to Horizon, Muro had reached out to Kevin and caught up with him before being approached to shoot the film. “I thought long and hard about it,” admits Muro. “I couldn’t see any path other than doing it for the individual who both made me a cinematographer and got me out of the junkyard from New York City to work on Dances with Wolves. I knew I could support him and be there to take some of the relief off his shoulders for his passion project. There’s a lot that goes on when making a movie like Horizon. We had to set it up right; I started physically working out as I knew the environment was going to be a tough one, but Kevin has got so much energy, it is incredible.”
Although Costner and Muro had lots of initial conversations about the look of Open Range, as well as watching several movies in preparation, the approach was different for Horizon. “I brought certain things to the table, including a camera test as I wanted Kevin to feel comfortable with what I was doing,” explains Muro. “Horizon has been around in Kevin’s mind for so long now. He already had various images and references, like a Rembrandt painting that inspired a certain scene in the film. As far as creating the universe, it was up to me. That’s why I thought about how we would technically capture this. Kevin and I have both been Panavision people for a long time.”
Muro opted to shoot the film with the RED V-RAPTOR and Leica Summilux lenses. “It’s the same package that David Fincher used on The Killer,” adds Muro. “It’s so unique, beautiful and light years ahead of what they’ve been doing. When we started finally seeing the images on the monitor, Kevin was over the moon. I created the visuals myself at FotoKem Laboratory with colourist Phil Beckner.
The surveyor story at the beginning of the film, for example, had a whole saturated-colour look. As the saga goes on, it’s told in flashbacks of what really happened – and that has its own unique look too. When you go up to the mountains and meet Kevin’s character for the first time, that has a bluish, otherworldly look. The worldbuilding in this movie was really fun. We also needed to rely on the weather – fortunately, we got lucky at the beginning while filming those surveyor scenes. The weather was serene and beautiful.”
When it came to shooting the Apache raid sequence, Muro remembered some valuable advice James Cameron had given him on the set of Titanic. “I was the camera operator on that film, and James said we had to run every camera for a particular scene because we were sinking a set and might only get one take. That resonated with me. The Apache raid scene took place at night, and we had to destroy an entire town. We panned the camera and saw the Kittredge family house burning down. We shot the scene with a lot of real fire, so were in a similar situation where we might only be able to complete the scene in one take. That was amazing to do. Much of the fire was digitally supplemented, but many of the burning elements were real. It took almost 20 minutes just to get the set lit.
“I was also happy with the tunnel sequence,” Muro continues. “Our effects team sent down these little rig embers, which were incredibly beautiful. That was all lit with one little cube light that fit right into the lantern. It was very liberating to shoot. However, it did take some playing around digitally and being altered in terms of visual effects. Initially, my gaffer and I were panicking about how we were going to light the tunnel, so I’m happy with how it worked out.”
One particularly challenging scene for Muro and his team to capture involved the character Russell escaping from the Apache on horseback. “That scene was really about the music,” notes Muro. “My friend Rob Legato was the second unit director. He wanted to figure out a way to shoot day for night because you can’t light an expanse like that. You are always looking for places to shoot these scenes and limit the number of visual effects. The producers are constantly whispering in your ear to shoot day for night without any lighting. But you can’t just alter the moon in your movie – it’s part of the universe. We did a test, and the sun was really pounding down. Kevin had this mindset that, in older movies, the clouds would give it up. After all these discussions, we finally started shooting and everything began to take shape. It was all shot at 4pm and, with edge light, we were able to change the sky to black. Then, the effects team digitally added the clouds. It became a beautiful homage to the concept of day-for-night shooting.”
Muro amusedly notes that there are many parallels between the making of the film and the events depicted. “There’s a man behind the creation of Horizon in the film, and that’s mirrored by Kevin’s journey to make this movie,” he says. “How lucky am I to work with one of the greatest filmmakers ever? Someone who has found the money himself to make this and get his friends to help along the way. I am so happy to be part of something with that kind of heart. Kevin loves history – it’s who he is. He simply wants people to watch the movie and have an experience. It’s similar to the escapism I knew as a kid which got me into filmmaking, and that’s ultimately what is in Kevin’s heart.”
This feature was first published in the November 2024 issue of Definition.
