Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/957795
70 DGA QUARTERLY IRECTOR/PRODUCER Francis Lawrence and his go- to cinematographer Jo Willems cut their teeth mak- ing more than 100 music videos for such A-listers as Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, Pink, Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez, as well as high-end commercials for Diet Coke, Maybelline, Svedka and Calvin Klein, among many other clients. ð After reteaming on a couple of TV projects (Gotham, Touch), the duo saw their careers turbo-charged when they took on the last three Hunger Games films and helped steer the sci-fi dystopian se- ries into the record books as one of the most success- ful franchises of all time. Their latest collaboration is Red Sparrow, a twisty, steamy international spy thriller that reunites them with Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence, playing a ballerina who turns Russian operative after an injury aborts her dance career. ð In a recent conversation with DGA Quarterly, the pair talked about their shared visual approach, simpatico temperaments, teamwork and how they submerge ego for a common cinematic goal. PHOTOS: MURRAY CLOSE/20TH CENTURY FOX Director Francis Lawrence and DP Jo Willems tackle the fanciful with a naturalistic eye By Iain Blair [ c o l l a b o r a t o r s ] D (Upper left), Jennifer Lawrence in Red Sparrow; (above) director Francis Lawrence, center, DP Jo Willems, right, and camera operator David Thompson on location in Budapest for Red Sparrow. Dystopian Visions