Yasu Tanida and Us | Cinematographer

This is a head gum podcast. [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] Ladies and gentlemen, it's another epic history. Historic episode for that with us. One of our big guests, one of our big guests, Yasu Tanita. For the longest time, our director of photography, D.P., cinematographer, we've been asking and asking and asking. He's like, oh, you know I'm shooting because he does the land and he does paradise, et cetera. Finally, he made some time for us. And we're going to have a really cool conversation. So excited to finally have him here. There's so much I want to ask him. There's so much I'm eager to learn about. Yeah. He is the best. And also, like said, Kosla, our composer, I feel like he is such an indelible, like, part of the fabric of the show. That would be it without him. Exactly. The look of the show is the look of the show because of Yasu. So if you love the way our show looks, you love Yasu. That's exactly it. For anybody who doesn't know what a cinematographer is or the director of photography, it's essentially the person in charge of the cameras. Where they are. What lenses they use, how the scene is lit is kind of directed by them. So they have the look of the show. Yeah. They work in tandem with the director, you know what I'm saying? And they come up with things. And like, our show is really unique. It's interesting. Like for me, I'll say this before even Yasu gets here, is the first show that I ever did that was all handheld. Yeah. Had anybody had that experience before? I mean, maybe on an independent film. Yeah. The Nick was all handheld. But it's a very specific, and it takes a highly skilled group of people. It does. To do that for our audience. There are several things you can do with the camera. You can put them on tripods or as they call sticks. Yeah. And they kind of have a stationary shot. They can sit on on track, on dollies and roll around. They can sit on cranes. But yeah, to have a show that is handheld. Yeah. Like having somebody holding the camera, moving in and out, kind of like breathing with you in a way. We didn't necessarily get into this with the conversation. But the camera men themselves. Yes. Yes, the operators. We had some bad act. Like there's a certain athleticism that comes with being a handheld camera operator. Yeah. You know, we have like a former like D1 football players. Yep. Uh, Coy, right? We had, uh, Takata James. James Takata. Um, the best. We had, there was another didn't season one named James as well. Do you remember the tall? Yes. James. Kind of Linky. Yeah. Yeah. But he was great. He loved us for a lesser show, I think. He did? It couldn't have been greater. I forget why he left. He went to do a movie, I think. I think he did. Yeah. I think that's right. People would sort of cut us. A lot of the operators, camera operators would come and go. They do. Absolutely. Um, and they would. Yeah. Come, come back to us eventually. James sort of stuck around, stuck around for the longest. And James also directed on a show as well. That's right. Does he operate on the land? He does. I'm sorry. I'm on paradise because he does. He has come on paradise and Coy has been on paradise as well. We had him on land too. Yeah. So it's been, it's been a good time. Like that whole department, man. Like you get so close with them. Yeah. With the camera department. You know what I'm saying? They are in the scene. They are looking at them and not at them at the same time. Yeah. I wish we had asked more about that because I love also sometimes with Yasu. He'd be setting up a shot or explaining what he wanted. And when things didn't necessarily go exactly the way he wanted. Yeah. You're like, I'll operate. So he would do it. Let me do it. Let me do it. Exactly. He's like, I got it. I got it. And Yasu often tends to get in and operate for the shot. And it was great. There's also this thing that happens that this sort of um. This dance with the camera people themselves. They're like, hey, man, could you sit down a little slower? And that thing means you're like, when you get up from the table or whatnot. Because they go, oh, you do too. You're following me down. And he's like, yeah, I'm following you down. So if you help me out. I'm like, I got you. Yeah. And it's just. Can you can you shift the cell phone over just like a little bit more towards camera? Yeah. Yeah. You come to have like sort of this unspoken language with the camera operators. Yeah. It's helping each other out. They'll let you know the frame. Yeah. Yeah. Hey, right here. Yeah. Right here. You guys ever. Or you could take your heels off, man. We're not seeing you. Yeah. There you go. That's a good one. My favorite. Thank you. Do you guys ever watch second team set up? Like do you guys look through the camera to see how the second team is? Sometimes. I find I find it's one of the things that helps me the most. Yeah. Because when I get a chance to see my stand in there, I'm like, all right. That's what you're working with. That's how much space I have on the side. You're using this much of your body and the scene. So like, even if I do something with my hands here. If I do something with my feet here, like that will add something to it. Yeah. It's nice to see. Absolutely. Absolutely. So we're going to talk to Yasu. Yeah. And you're going to love it. Whether you like it or not. Hell. Right after this. Dude, we did it. We did. Finally. I feel like we've been talking about this. How does this particular interview for like years? For a long time. How does this change? I thought it was three on one. And it was. Of course. The D.P. He's going to come in here and talk about you. So you watched the podcast, but he like, he refused for the longest time. Ladies and gentlemen, just so you know, I watched the one with Fogelman. Yes. He's done more than one. Is that a couple? Yes. The first one. Because Chani said, watch, watch their podcast and watch the first one with Fogelman. Well, we're in a completely different studio than from the one. Yes, sure. Yeah. That was a different. That was in Santa Monica. We were in Santa Monica. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And every time we asked him, he's like, oh, I don't know. You guys went down the roll of decks and finally went to the letter Y. No, that is not. That's what happened. You went through the cast. Literally. Since the beginning. Okay. Since the beginning. Let's make an introduction. Yes. Welcome, Yasu. Welcome, Yasu. Yasu. Yasu. Yasu. Yasu. Yasu. Our director. No, but you're it. Director photography. For this is us. From the beginning. Did you do the pilot? No, Brett did the pilot. He didn't do the pilot, but every episode of the show is Yasu. Can I also say that for Paradise. Yes. Every episode of Paradise. Paradise. Is Yasu. Yeah. Like this dude is the man with a master plan. You did the first four episodes of the land, which is Dan's football show. Is that correct? I did not the first one. Not the first one. I did one, two, four and six. One, two, four and six. Okay. One in Paris. The one in Paris, yeah. Yeah. I was that fun. We. We, we, we, we. So his imprint is all over the Fogelman Empire. Well, I did pitch as well. Yeah. You did the pilot. I did the pilot with pitch. I did the pilot pitch with Paris. Yes, with Paris. And then Dan brought you over to do this is us. You left pitch to come do this is us. I didn't leave. Did he leave it? No, no, no, no. Pitching a cancel. If this is first season. It did between episode. Yeah. So pitch. And this is us premiered in the same week. I don't know if you guys remember. I do. I do. I do. I do. I premiered on Fox and we were on NBC. And then after we did the pitch pilot, I was thinking of what to do. Yeah. And then Dan said, oh, I have this other show. So. And then he sent me. The pilot. And then I really liked the pilot. Yeah. And then Dan said, do you want to interview with John and Glenn? Okay. Yeah. The directors are a pilot. John Rackwood Glynfacara also directors of the pilot of Paradise as well. That's right. Yeah. Working with Dan right now in Australia. You know, on a movie. They also did crazy stupid love together. Yes. They've been in here. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They're pretty awesome. So, wait, where do we start? You started with pitch. You come, you read the pilot for this is us. What is it about? I never read the pilot. I saw the pilot. It was all it was done. Yeah. And I remember watching it with Jen and we were on the couch and we were just blowing away. You guys did such a great job on the pilot. It was very. It was very emotional and I loved it. And it was hard to decide, but I thought, yeah, we love to do this is us. Okay. So, and then I met with John and Glenn at their little doms, right? Oh, yeah. It's like they're on this. They're on this. Just their office. And then, yeah, we had a really good conversation and I was very thankful that I got hired, yeah. One of my favorite things is Yasu will watch playback. There's no sound. He didn't care about sound. He didn't care what people are saying. That's not true. He's just looking and he's like, oh, yeah, it's great. It's great. I like that. And it's all about the shot. It's like, yeah, that looks good. That's what I wanted to do. You're saying, I don't listen. You're saying, because play like this. Do you listen? No, but I can't listen. You can't listen. Yes. I have really good ears. So, I can listen to people, other people's headphones. That's right. Because some headphones are very loud. Yeah. That's true. That's true. Some people have bad hearing, and then you crank them up. Talk to us about the look of this is us. Like, what is it that was important for you in terms of storytelling to make sure that? your job added to whatever Dan had on the page with the actors or doing what the writers would do. The look of this is us. It's just, oh, I'm trying to remember now. I mean, the look of this is us was. I mean, what do you guys think? What do you guys think? It has a distinct style, right? Like, every, there's so much, like, hand held. Like, whose idea was that? Because I feel like, once you came into the picture, the show shifted in a way, right? It's like, it shifted into what we all, like, the pilot is its own thing. And, you know, most of the time, like, for network shows or for pilot season or whatever, it's like, you do the pilot, it gets picked up, and god willing. And then, like, months and months later, you continue the show. And often, times it is with, like, a different team. Like, different people come on board to do, like, the series. So, it's like, you really took what we did in the pilot and made it your own for the series, moving forward. Like, there's a very distinctive, like, hand held feel. It feels like there's an intimacy about the show. It's like, you are one of the family members. You're a soft, nostalgic documentary. Yes, yeah. That's a good way. It's good now. Well, the hand held and the intimate is there because we're always trying to find the best lens for the shot, for the close-up, for the wide shot. So, that's always a consideration, depending on what scene it is, right? So, that is always a 35, a 50, a 65, a 100 close-up. Those are all different ways you can tell a story. So, those are just unique to the scene. There's no agenda to say, like, this is, we have to shoot sterling with a 50, or we have to shoot Mandy with a 35. It's just whatever that situation calls for. I think it's the best, as far as lenses, it's the best lens that you can use to tell that story. And then, as far as you said, soft. It is soft and nostalgic, nostalgia, maybe because it's not as overly bright as digital things are these days, the colors aren't so in your face, everything's a little bit toward neutral, not so saturated. It feels like a memory. Like, it feels like the way I remember things, especially when I'm young. Like, I can think back to the 1980s, and the atmosphere of our show, there's always light coming in a window, a nice soft. Yeah, I feel like that's a whole lot of the experience. Either the light is coming from somewhere else or the camera is coming from somewhere else. I noticed you set up outside the room a lot, or outside of the room. We do, we do. You know what I mean? And so, that's where that documentary feeling always came from. It is, yeah. Like, we're outside. Yeah, peaking in on this family's life. That is true. At the same time, having memories of your own. Yeah, it's very evocative in that way, for sure. Yeah, I think that is, yeah, it's very observational. It's very, I mean, it is handheld, it's got a subjective kind of thing. Yeah. But the way we did it, I wanted to feel more, like, not subjective, but objective, because that way, in a way, whenever a man and a star are not seen, you guys have the same size. Sure. So, not one person has a bigger size than the other. So, you guys are told equally. Yes. So, that's not always the case. I mean, it is, but we did it to the point that I wanted to be this and this, so that I'm not being subjective. I'm being objective with that makes sense. And then the soft thing you're talking about is, you know, we did a thing when I got the show, I think it was episode two, is when you have to do the prosthetics or no? Yeah, at the very end of that episode, there was something to do. So, we knew going in that we would have to do some makeup, right, for you. So, I was thinking, oh, how do we find a way to soften the digital image? Tell them a little bit about the digital is very sharp. It can be very sharp. And you can pick up all imperfections. It can, yeah. So, there's a term in cinematography that it's called detuning the lens. And this is a term that wasn't there before our show. Oh. Now, it's very common. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm. But it's basically what we, the long story short is we would take a lens. Right. So, there's the frontal lens and there's the back of the lens. So, with panorasion, what we did was-- This looks like something completely different if you didn't explain it a little bit. No, keep going. Keep going. Keep going. So, it's really keep going. So, the very back piece of a lens, it's smaller than the front one. Yes. Yeah. But we took the back glass off. And then we opened it up. And then we do a little frosting on it. So, it's like a little smist. Yes. I told you guys. Totally. So, what that does is when light hits a lens, it goes in and it softens the highlights. Right. So, the highlights. So, when you see the hot bright window, it kind of has a halo too. It's like diffused a little bit. Diffused, yeah. More that was us after these words from our sponsors. I'm telling you, this is key to, I think, why our audience connects to these stories. Because the phrase had not occurred to me until this conversation. It feels like a memory that I've had. Yeah. You know, it feels like-- We're able to tap into that. It feels like a memory that I had at four years old of being in my brother's room and his crib and the way it's lit and the softness of it. It has to be a huge part of why our audience can connect with this family. Even if this family is nothing like their own. This technique, dude, would you use it for like-- I was just about to ask. Yeah, it's something you're using a lot. Stuff for like, what mandated when you did and didn't do it. So, I could push the softness if I overexposed even more. Right. So, if I put it even brighter, then it'll glow even more. Which I tend to do in the past. Yeah, okay, guys. But the actual detuning of that lens is similar throughout. So, you would use it for present-day stuff as well? It just kind of was like what you used to get the look of the show. Yeah, and I don't know if you remember this, Manny, but we did these tests. Yes, we did. These makeup tests. That was probably the first time I met you. You guys came out to Panvision. Yep. And that's where Zo was there and Michael Rice was there. And we did tests. And that was the first time I saw the detuning with you. Oh, wow, okay. On the screen. Yeah, yeah, with your older. With the exactly each makeup. Wow. And for our audience, when you are adjusting these lights, you are working in partnership with a crew member called a gaffer. Right. And it's the head gaffer that works with you to adjust the lights to match what you're looking for in the lens. Is that correct? That's right. Yeah. Okay. This detuning has to be so important because the digital landscape now and what's happening with the streamers and the way the level at which they stream things at 4K, all of these things, can take a show and instantly transform it to like a 1980s British daytime sitcom. And it's like unwatchable. Unwatchable. And you have to like figure out my. I have a buddy who can't figure out how to get his TV setting. So everything he watches on Netflix is terrible. Yeah. Because of his subscription, he got the high subscription. So everything comes in at 4K. Oh, yeah. So everything is going. It's the way too crisp. Yeah. Way too sharp. Oh, it looks too good. And it looks too good. So that has to be a new consideration for. The way things are shot. Yeah. Well, going back to the detuning on Paradise, we did it even more. Ah. If you don't know if you noticed, but the pilot, it's, you know, when you're in the kitchen, the first scene, it's very. Yeah, yeah. Hey, Louie. It is. It's almost like, what is wrong with this place? Yeah. This man's an heaven. This is heaven, yeah. Or Paradise. Is that kind of in terms of like how we shoot in the bunker versus outside of the bunker? A little bit, yeah. A little bit different. Because I try to control the amount that gets let out. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I thought it was just because you had a whole bunch of black people on screen at the same time. You don't have to blast your boy with life. Like, you be doing all this nonsense. We shoot the scene. It'd be like me and Justin, me and Mandy, and I would look at like, they're shot for this shot. I was like, oh, that lights nice. That's, that's nice. Soft. Turn around on Brown. Brown's staring into the sun. Spotlight. Spotlight. No. But I get it. I appreciate being seen in this part of my life. Like, honest to goodness, that you have to use more life. Yes? A little. Well, maybe. Yeah. Yeah, too. You have to use more life. Like, there is a unique thing that I think that I and dark skinned people sort of have to learn. This is your light, right? And so you just sort of like Breathe into it or what have you and and you start to enjoy it You know what I mean? But like the first few times and it's before you like before like my whole career It's like I need significantly more light Everybody else I love lighting all you guys. I think it's a success. It's Between my and Mandy and Chrissy and Sully and You know this KB and SKW. Yeah, it was great. I think you know with paradise. I shape you guys more I don't know. It just depends on the situation. Yeah We could talk about a particular episode. I don't know. I don't know. Let's want to real quick Let's go all the way back to the beginning. Yes. I was about to say that beginning. Okay. Sure. Yeah, you did with pitch No, no, no, no, no, I'm like you the beginning of yoss you And how you came into this you were you were born in Tokyo, Japan I'm born Japan. Yes, and you moved here when you were three years old to the year's almost three years old Yes. Tell me about your parents. No, my parents are great. I love my parents I'm glad you kicked my heart. Of course Why why did your parents move from from Japan to the US? I didn't know where to talk about my parents. This is this is us No, just just curious. Yeah, what made you guys move from Japan to the United States when you were three did you have siblings? I did so the five of us. I met your sister. I met your sister. Yeah, they're not my sister. She came by the set Yeah, I mean, so if you want to go that far back You know, there was the five of us my parents my brother. Yeah, my sister to go to you met and we moved when I was three years old my sister was six. We moved to Orange County. Yeah, and It was because my dad's work he worked for Mazda Corporation back then so back then it was the height of the 80s. Oh, yeah The boy caught me so yeah, we we moved to Orange County and Orange County's was a was a really great place to grow up in the 1980s and 90s was It was a real melting pot. Yeah, it was a real melting pot in the way that like for example We grew up in a cul-de-sac. Yeah, yeah me too. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm close to him, but no, not a cul-de-sac. No, I mean It was a melting pot because my neighbor to the left was Jewish. Yeah, it was Nigerian was Caucasian Louis was Hispanic. Louis was Cambodian That's another Caucasian family. There was an African-American family from the South Vietnamese family Next to this side was a Chinese Filipino. Oh, so it was really right. Yeah, so the so growing up in Orange County was Diversity felt normal. Yeah, sure to the point that even in high school we would go to my friend Adrienne's house and eat Romanian Cabbage rolls. Yeah, that would be the thing We'd go to his house to eat his mom's cabbage roll man and then we'd go to My friend longs house to eat Vietnamese fur. Uh-huh, and it was the situation where You know, they were coming to my house and eat my curry my Japanese curry But it was like it was very normal that everybody was a little bit, you know different Right. I love that. I think I think I think diversity was Common so everybody was out there. It was okay. Yeah get away. So nobody felt a third. Yeah, I think that was normal and I think that was That was a great place to grow up when I was 12 because I was 3 and the next time I went back to Japan I was 12 years old, right? I hadn't gone back. Yeah So that was a big culture shock because I'm sure I was like oh My god, everybody looks like me. Yeah, did you speak Japanese in the home in your house? Yeah, we still do to this day I still speak Japanese to my parents. Yeah, and Yeah, it was we have a cameraman every once in a while is a hero hero And you guys started rocking out the Japanese together. Oh, yeah, so yeah We spoke we still speak Japanese to my parents are you speaking Japanese with your kids? I do speak to poppy in Japanese. Yeah, I do. Yeah, and Mika. Yeah So as right now poppy can understand it, but she doesn't speak it Yeah, yeah, so get there. I think it's common when you have two languages Boken in the home that they don't necessarily speak both of them, but they will later. Yeah, they understand it right before they speak it Yeah, so in the 1980s sudden sewn into the Southern California culture was was Skating surfing all sort of part of your job. Yes, you surf. I surf. Yeah, I could surf pretty good I grew up surfing. I grew up playing water polo and swimming that's what a show He's got shoulders. He looks like he's closed his hang on a hanger and then he just put them on it hangs the same way I still love swimming. I still love going to the ocean. Yeah, have you ever gone surfing with big Chris? Not yet. No, okay. I'm not he does the night surfing stuff or he's a crazy surfing night surfing Well, it's nice surfing. Yeah, then they also wake up like it for us. Yeah. Well, that's the best time to get to go get it Yeah, the way the waves aren't so big big Chris is a Viking of a man. He really is Man who was on the sass and I'm assuming he's on Yeah, but he's a venous beach guy. Oh, he lives in the South Bay. Yeah, okay. Yeah, just a Viking of a man Yes, yeah, he's a key grip. He's like he's a key grip. He's been with us since the beginning since the beginning Man a few words Big beard. He wears all black to work everything. You're supposed to name most people wear black on set But like he has a black t-shirt and black pants. Yeah, he's great Like twice the size of Brown. He stands there like this, right? He's looking at it He's like put that there put that there and but you say it to him's like what's up big Chris? He goes what's up? So yeah, and then he goes back to yeah, yeah, it's awesome But I mean growing up I played water polo. Yeah, and then So the team that I was on was the one apart coyotes. Okay, I don't have to one apart high school shout out Shout out. Yeah, but our team was very much like like I mentioned is a very diverse group Yeah, and we were all very scrawny like My size or just a little bigger. We only had one kid Jared who was six foot or more Okay, did you have any brothers in the water? Yeah, Brett Johnson our goalie was okay. Yeah, he was really good Yeah, it was really good. No, you agreed really well, but So that's why I mentioned the diversity. Yeah, we had a brother as well. So the thing about high school for me that really helped that changed my life was that we were very scrawny but We had a coach named Ted Clark who who who taught us water polo this smart way Yeah, and we were always more faster. Yeah. Yeah, you know at the end of a water polo tournament or a game The thing to do in high school is you get out of the pool in your speedos and you walk around and you and you shake the hands of the other team Sure over the wall, you know above ground. Okay and Almost every time we would shake these guys hands that were they were like six foot team Yeah, yeah, so we would beat these teams and we were very scrawny But we beat these teams because we were smarter and we could Yeah, so that really gave me a mentality that you know You're six four, but in my head. I'm six four, too. That's right. I guess I've always kind of that's still to this day. It's kind of Just just some I don't really think I'm six four, but I'm just my mentality is that is that that showed us as High school kids that you can you know you don't need to be the biggest guy. I don't normally associate OC with diversity So it's nice to maybe maybe it's sort of shifted. Well, it's shifted Like yeah, I'm not be the same No, no, no, no, I think you grew up in the heyday. Yeah, I think so So when did you get a camera in your hand? Yeah first time. Oh, when did this happen? How are you going to cinematography? Yeah, yeah, how I got into cinematography was so Ted Clark are our high school water polo coach. Yeah, I was the TA for him senior year Uh-huh, and I was literally trying to figure out what to study in college because Growing up in Orange County I I knew I had to find a job college was a place where you could we have a Career right and find a career. So I just remember thinking oh Chapman University is down the street and they have a film program and I thought oh film might be a fun thing to do. Were you a film fan? Did you love movies and TV shows? Did you love entertainment or I a film fan? No, I mean we were No, no, I am now. I love film Or did you like taking photos like I'm just curious where you had the confidence you're like oh, I have an eye for this I mean, I loved movies just to go and watch your own friends but I mean I'll tell you how culturally weird strange I was because I was you know growing up Japanese that I remember like people say oh they watched Star Wars and their life changed and stuff like that they watched some film I remember the first time I saw Return of the Jedi was on TV on CBS and you could you know I don't know if you remember this you could record right if you push play and the right button yeah yeah yeah yeah of course we were here yeah so it recorded Return of the Jedi I remember watching like Return of the Jedi and I I hadn't seen the first two right yes I remember like you know Darth Vader is this cool guy sure he's got the James Earl Jones yeah this guy's great this guy's cool and then when he died the first one you saw like you saw just the first one yeah yeah yeah okay and then he takes the mask off right there's old old frail dude yeah and I I mean me my brother and my friends we just started laughing we were like what the hell he's just some old white guy you know he's frail what's going on this is so weird and that was the reference that was how we're thinking because at that time when we were I mean we've probably were like 10 or 11 yeah and we used to be we were watching like predator or commando yeah fortunate your films sure so our our cultural I see what you saying yeah going that to that yeah was like you know we would watch these very violent films growing up yeah because my parents didn't really know any better super vision they were working because they were of course my parents worked full time we the same age you know no no you're a little you're older you're older no no no no no no no no a little bit oh we're sick we're sick we're sick but my parents worked both they both worked yeah right so so that was that's so that's just to give you an idea of what where my mind was yeah growing up you know I mean it's not a that's not a normal way to react to return of the Jedi yeah kids you saw it out of order I this the order like the shame on yeah also I also love picturing three kids laughing their heads off at that reveal like the most dramatic one of the most dramatic reveals in cinema history yeah and they're just like right that's not the way you should but just to go back to your question man yeah so I had to pick a major sure I decided I would try film just on a whim no because I knew Hollywood was close 30 miles away yeah and I thought it would be a great maybe it would be a great profession for me to try to work in something in it was practical it was a practical choice because I like being out and about so and then what happened was the summer before I went to Chapman University I saw some film shoots uh-huh and I gravitated toward what the cinematographer was doing yeah and yeah that kind of shaped yeah you're the lens per se of when you were starting to go into school you're like oh maybe this will be like yeah what I decide to study yeah so so three and a half years I was at Chapman University I graduated early because it was expensive and then I really focused those three and a half years in cinematography yeah because I knew I wanted to do that from the beginning you know that was the goal yeah you know the goal for college for me was I have to find a way to work after I get a job what was your parents response to to you going into film you know my parents were very very open to what we wanted to do okay they are and to the point now that the three of us you know I'm doing something that I love to do yeah my brother works at Microsoft Masha okay he is uh really smart and he used to do like the programs for like fighter jets he used to build those programs so he's like super smart yeah yeah and he loves that yeah and then my sis is a a nurse at cedar yeah you guys all have your lanes yeah so I think to answer that question my parents were very they always wanted us to try to get we to do what we want to do which is really that's a great question yeah because it seems like it was it was a very practical sort of thought out thing with regards to you you thought film industry is close by I need to make some money you know I'm saying let me get out of school in three and a half years I went to this film shoot before the cinematography thing looks interesting yeah when do you think it became yeah where it shifted from practical to like something that you were enamored with because I do think that you just said that you are enamored with it yeah no I think I think the three and a half years that I was there because when you were winning all those awards yeah that's cool yeah the Einstein award and oh wow yeah you did your research yeah pretty fantastic because I was focused on those trying to get work those three and a half years I spent I shot more films than probably any student you know during that time yeah because for the sole purpose of building a cinematographer real yeah so that I could find work and then my senior year for some reason I think on a film shoot even as a freshman not knowing too much I was very comfortable yeah there's something about a film said that I don't know why I'm very comfortable and I feel very you're comfortable in your skin now like I see you get that's the number one word I would use to describe you comfortable yeah good well you're right yeah it's Yasu is like unflappable I'll say this you're you never get ruffle I've seen things where I've seen things where like I don't think can yeah I've seen disagreements with directors right disagreements or conversations framing hold on Yasu is getting distracted by an actual camera like he saw camera but like you you you do deal with it very well right like I I've you know what I've seen like I've seen things but like what do you think contributes to that level of comfort I think specifically in the world of television even over film because there is a time there's a certain pace to teach that you need to get you know we're probably averaging about six pages a day or something or in that area where films depending on the budget of the film if it's a low-budget film you may be doing 11 pages 12 that you know I'm saying yeah but if it has a budget which is I don't know if everybody knows it's the more money you get the less you know shoot and it's like sometimes it will shoot two pages like y'all got this right like I'm from TV but they can shoot it from this angle right we can come underneath like all this kind of like shots that you know add ambiance to things what not so given the timeframe of TV and whatnot like do you just have an internal clock that just sort of like I know what I need to do and when I need to do it yeah I do have an internal clock that I think about where we're at at the day yeah for sure yeah yeah I have a I have a clock in my head and cover like I think sometimes yeah this is what I've been told you guys tell me because you've you've done the directing yeah especially on a television show you watch the pilot you try to watch as much of the show as possible but then you know the style of the show and then for you you say to yourself like art and you got to get the master and your close-ups and basic coverage yeah and then if there's a special shot there's something that you want to do in terms of storytelling sort of like okay I do need a crane there's this idea for this shot that I want to do or whatnot but you only get so many of those in an episode before you like art basically I'm just going to be shooting the show when the director comes and they have like a great idea of what not but maybe it doesn't translate into what you know the fabric of the show is tell me a little bit about that conversation I think that's what it is it's the conversation yeah about it on this is us was an easy sh not easy but it was a simplified show because it was all handheld no crane is here's the thing with the crane is that I love crane shots yeah and I love doing them but a crane can have a lot of weight right if you put a crane in this room it takes up a lot of weight you think a crane can fit me I think I mean just as an example like a crane would take up a lot of space right and that space is not necessarily helpful yeah and telling the story which is basically about for example on paradise it's about you finding your wife right so I like to try to get the crane shot and then try to get it out because the main the most important thing is the story I say what you're saying you just don't want it eating up real estate that could be used for other things in terms of storytelling yeah exactly I know that it's there for the purpose let's use that but let's go to the story right yeah I mean I think that's what the director appreciates at the end of the day yeah that we capture that we'll be right back with more that was us I think another hallmark of yours. Yasu is the way that you light, like there is an efficiency to the way you work. You want to light things in such a way, especially, I mean, for our show, I'll use this as an example. I'll show this as well. This is us. Oh, yeah. This is us. So that we can kind of like once the general lighting is sort of set up, we've got, we go in, we rehearse the scene, we sort of know what we're aiming for, like what we want to accomplish. You light the scene in such a way where it is easy to do the master and do all of the coverage and stuff, where we're not necessarily having to change the lighting so much. I feel like that's a signature of yours. It's just like, let's try to maximize this space. I want to get things like generally where I want them. So then when we shoot, we can move quickly. And it was always appreciated. I'm sure you guys feel this way too, as an actor, because it's like for some of the more emotional scenes to know that like we were going to shoot the master, we were shooting things a certain way. But like when it came down to like performance stuff and having not having to do stuff like over and over and over again or staying in like a particularly like difficult place. I knew that we were always taking care of with you because there was a lot of consideration for like we're going to try to accomplish all of this as quickly as possible. So like it's not compromising the performance. Yeah, well thanks for saying that, man. I think I definitely do because that's the most important thing. You guys are the most important thing, right? You guys in the story. But not everybody feels that way. I mean, not that we're the most important thing, but I will say that oftentimes DPs and directors too don't necessarily aren't thinking about the performance in that context and like what a performer sitting and holding on to. But I always felt like we were in such good hands with you because I was like oh Yasu's going to make sure to take care of us in that way. Well, that to me that is the most important thing that you guys are because momentum on a set, I could change a moment, being a cinematographer, you change a momentum of a set. Yeah. So you can take it where you can take it to the level that you can make things go really slow and every shot feels like a new scene or you can do it where I like having the momentum. So it feels, you know, everything feels immediate. Yeah, we're in it. Yeah, you're in it. And so it's done. We're in the zone. We're all in the zone together. Yeah. And at the end of the day, I think that is a successful show that you guys are that the show, it comes off on screen, I think. Yeah. I've also seen and you probably witnessed the same thing like on the episode that I directed, you were able to move things along at a clip when you and Katie, Kate, we're fighting. Yeah. And then in the softer, quieter moments, slow everything down. Yeah. Everyone just sit and just kind of rest in the moments. That's a that's a that's a really valuable skill. When you ended up directing on this is us. How many did you do three episodes? Yeah. I did three. How did all of that experience? Yeah. Was that the first time you directed episodes of television? It was. It was. It was. How did that translate into directing? And did you enjoy it? I did enjoy it. Remember. Remember. I did enjoy it. Sometimes look, the best learning experience is when you're put in uncomfortable situations. And directing was an uncomfortable situation for me. But I I welcomed it. Why was it uncomfortable? Because it's something I've never done before or nor did I think that I would do. Yeah. Whose idea was it? It was Dan and Ken's idea. Yeah. Okay. But I think it grew, right? Yeah. I think in order to grow, you have to be an uncomfortable situation. So it was good for me. Yeah. And I became a better cinematographer for it, I think. It's at the end of the day. Is it something you would want to do again? I don't think about it. You know, if somebody were to ask me, I'll think about it. But to me, I love being a cinematographer. I love lighting you guys. So to me, I don't. If it comes up, I don't know. Are you guys excited to do it again? You guys should do it. I would. Yeah. I really liked it. Context. I'm not sure that I have it in me to do, like, what, where it is is so good at, like being a director for higher. Yeah. But the, uh, being maybe directing a show that I'm already a part of because you intimately, yeah, that you, oh, too much of a, that's too big of a show. It's too big. Okay. Yeah. I'm like, I don't want to do the football stuff. Okay. But like, where you're intimately involved and you know the characters and you know the story and like that, that to me feels exciting. Yeah. Yeah. Would you show your friends? I would. I would. I would. I enjoyed it way more than I even thought. Wow. Okay. Yeah. I really had a good time. Most mostly because of working with you. Oh, thanks. I mean, it made it a really enjoyable experience. Yeah. No, it's fun. You know the fabric of the show so well that yes, you were an essential element to us as directors. It was like, yeah, she's going to lead the way and you just get to follow along and learn as, as you go. And we've noticed as we rewatch these episodes that we can, we can identify the Yasuo episodes by look. Yeah. You're episodes have a very distinct look. Really? There's, there's an extra sauce on them. Oh, really? Yeah. Not, not that, not that they look that different from the rest of the show, obviously. Yeah. But there is some autoorship. Yeah. There's like a little sparkle. A little extra sparkle. Shadow and light. Shadow light. Yeah. Yeah. Was the first. That was first shot. Yeah. My first day directing was an empty Hollywood bowl with Justin and Sophia Bush and John Legend. Yeah. That's the first day. That's so cool. That's so cool. I have a question. Do you want to talk about your relationship with both Dan and you're like, you're working relationship with him and then Ken, I'm fascinated by because you've worked with Ken a lot. I have worked with Ken. I mean, Dan, I love Dan. We all love Dan. Yeah. What are we doing? That sounds like you're setting up for Ken. Well, no, Ken. Tell us about Dan. No. So with this is us next to Dan in the editing room. I was in the editing room more than anybody else. Yeah. That's what Dan said. Yeah. Yeah. So what that allowed me to do and what the reason for that was I wanted to learn Dan from him, right? I want to know what he likes. Yeah. I want to know what he didn't like. I want to know what he really liked. I want to know what he hated about what I did. Yeah. So those were questions that I brought to Julia and Howard and really hard questions. I said, well, why did you guys use that one? Why did you cut here? Why didn't she use that? Because Dan sometimes, you know, on this, you don't necessarily use the most beautiful shot all the time. Yeah. Sometimes the most beautiful shot doesn't work because it kind of takes away from a close-up or something, right? So I learned the language of this is us. And we both, I think, developed it together over the seasons. And then the same thing with paradise. Yeah. And same thing with land. I'm trying to learn what the language of land is right now in my head. And then paradise as well. So I'm always trying to learn a new language. Learn the language of the show. So I think I remember, I don't know if you said it to me. I'm sure you might have said it to me, but I remember you saying, say at least one director, like we can do that. But it's not going to be on the show. Yeah. When people come in with their ideas, yeah. That's what I was talking about before. And you just being very honest, like, yeah, I think it's a great idea. Yeah. Dan will never put it on the show. Yeah. And like, yeah, we'll be used. Yeah. Because it doesn't, it doesn't, it's not the same language. Yeah. Yeah. That's, that's the, I might have said that. I don't know. Sure. But Dan's so great because I think there are other showrunners, there are other director producers, but I love Dan because he stands for something. Yeah. You know, there's a decency and the stuff that he has. Yeah. From the, not just this is us, but the land and paradise. Yeah. You can make a post-apocalyptic show can sometimes be not so nice. Yeah. You know, I think it could go there, but there's heart and paradise. I think, you know, there's hard and everything Dan does. There's hard and everything. That's just who he is, he's a human. So it's like artists like, for example, like Bob Marley stands for something. Yeah, right. John Lennon stands for something. Yeah. Virginia Woolf stands for something. Yeah. Emily Dickinson stands for something. Yeah. Yeah. Kobe Bryant stands for something. Yeah. This guy loves Kurt. So like, so, so those are, those are all, you know, a musician, authors, authors, basketball player, but they transcend that. Yeah. So there's, there's something about culturally creative process. Yeah. But showrunners can do shows, but they don't necessarily stand for something. Yeah. And that's a really great thing about Dan. We'll compare and contrast that with Ken. Okay. I love Ken. We got to get Ken in here in person. He's only been on Zoom. He's wonderful. Oh really? Yeah. So I still talked to him all the time. Yeah. You guys had a lot of fun. - The funniest relationship, I wish you could bottle it. - For anyone who doesn't remember, Ken was our producing director on This Is Us. - Yeah. - He directed. - 30 some odd, so it was a show. - A third of a show, yeah. - And Yasu and Ken together were like Abbott and Costello, as a comedy duo. - They're the odd couple, but they worked, that they worked. - So much love and respect, yeah. - Ken is so good with you guys and so good. - It's just really a great thing to watch them work with actors, if anything, that was something that, because the well of, for me, cinematography, I still have a lot to learn. It's like the pool is like, what I still have to learn in cinematography is like, an Olympic-sized pool, and what I have to learn in directing is like, the Pacific Ocean, that's the difference. And Ken is, knows most of that Pacific Ocean in a way. Is that makes sense? - Yeah. - He's such a good guy about directing, and the way he talks or brings something up is really smart. So, and we have a great relationship. So, yeah. - Yeah, you guys have worked on a few projects together too. - Yeah, we did paradise. - Did you go pilot in the hiatus? - We did a, we did Gran Hotel at the series and we track her. - Track her, track her, yeah. - You did Milo show too? Oh, Ken didn't do that, sorry, yeah. You did my show, the video. - My show, yeah, I did, yeah. - We talk about, this is a lot on the podcast about being kind of a handbook for living. And that Mandy and I have learned so much from being on the show, and then since the show started, we have since become parents many times over. - So I live, yeah, yeah, yeah. - And I'm wondering if your experience on the show has affected the way you approach family life or if becoming a father has affected the way you treat your creative process? - That's a good question. I mean, I think that if I were to do this is us now with two girls, I'll be a bumbling kind of more of a mess, I think, I think it's, I think if anything, I was glad I did this is us without children because I got to do it objectionally. - Yeah, yeah. - You know, because, I mean, just thinking about scenes in that, and if I had Poppy and Mika, I would be, I think it would take longer. - Yeah, that's true. - But what I learned from this is us, I mean, I was so concerned and not concerned, but I was just so focused on telling the story that anything related to raising kids, I didn't even, I don't think about it. I didn't really, yeah. - You'll have to go back and re-watch the show and listen to the podcast. - Yeah. - See if anything comes to mind. - And how does being a father affect your, you're working for? - I mean, I care so much about what we do. I mean, I always cared, but I want her to hurt the kids to watch one day and be proud of it. - You know, for sure. - I mean, if you guys, when did you have Gus? Season five, right? - Season five, yeah. - Yeah, I think we're the same, yeah. - Yeah. - Right before season five, we had a prayer. - And yeah, and you had prayer too. - Yeah. So I mean, did that change your season six a little bit? - Oh, did. - I just feel like, and maybe it's not even something you're conscious of, but we talk about like, there's just like a whole new toolbox that becomes available to you that you're like, oh, I didn't even know this was here. Like it changes everything, even if you're unaware of it. The way you view life, the things, it's funny. You say that 'cause I just, I even just remembering this. I remember we were shooting the land and it was Halloween and you're like, I wanna get out to go to a good treating. And I was like, me too. And it's just those shifts of like, I love our job. We're the luckiest people in the world to get to do this. And I love my family and I wanna be there for them. There's a duality now. There's a balance that you're like, I'm grateful to be able to make the choice to do stuff that really means something to me because that is the only reason to be away from my family otherwise, you know? And I felt that kinship with you during the same way that you're like, it's important to be here and I love what I do and I wanna be there to go trick or treating with my kids. I do. And we were able to but that I feel like is not something we ever would have thought about while we were doing this as us. It's like we're here to work and that's our job and that's our focus and our priority and now there's just other considerations. - Yeah, I thought I've always loved doing this and I remember walking back on set after having bear and being like, oh, this isn't nearly as serious as I thought it was. - It just worked, yeah. - My internal grip that I had on the process of like the importance that I put on it. - Sure. - And it's not that it's unimportant. - I see. - But there's like a photo negative flip of what important means, like what something means to be important and I can see in my performance like a genuine relaxation shift in from before kids to after kids. - I wanna go back, I do. I'm like, I wanna go back and like, now I know. - Well, you knew all along 'cause you had to do all along but it's like, but now I know and I would do stuff just so differently or just, you know, going into it 'cause you're different, you're a different person. - Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. - That is interesting. - I'll talk on that in a second, but I wanna ask one question just before I forget it. For you, do you have a mount rush more of episodes that you sort of like think about in terms of like, I feel really great about. - Oh, man, that's too tough. - It might be tough. - I care about all of them. - I know, I do. But I'm like, if you had to, if you can only go back and rewatch three or four. - Okay. - Man, that's, you know, one strange one that I really liked that might be very odd. It was the one that we went to Las Vegas on. Do you remember this? - No, that was a great episode. For the Bachelor of Bachelor record, yeah. For so many times, I would just like it 'cause it's fun and it's not one of the serious ones. I enjoyed it 'cause everyone's having a blast. - And we had so much fun. - We had a great time until Sue got sick. - Yeah, Sue got sick. I mean, that's what I remember most about our show is that we had so many good moments. - Yeah. - We had so much laughter. - Yeah. - Like I remember just, it was just a great six years. - I don't think people think with everything that when they watch our show that there was so much levity in laughter. - Yeah. - Because we knew at season three that there was the end at six. - And we then kicked up for the last three, for a factor. - But to know that there's a finale there, you can breathe and just take in every moment, I think, and appreciate it. - Yeah, that's what we, and you don't think about that. Because so many things don't get a chance to end. - Do you know what I mean? - Consciously. - Consciously, you know what I'm saying? They end abruptly, but like we knew we were building something that's different. - There's so many great, I mean, I was so lucky to shoot all your guys' relationships. And there was, there was Dr. K, right? Matt was great. - Yeah. - And Ron was great and Ron was so good. - So just the vagus is like, just for now, 'cause I was looking through 'em. 'Cause Samantha said you should watch yours. So I was looking through it. I just glanced at the vagus one. I was like, oh, that's a good one. - There is, there are episodes that, I'm gonna mention a couple of just stick out in my mind. But like these are random. And if you guys have come curious about when Jack goes back to his home with his mom's passing away, there's a quietness that I remember in that episode. - I was a real silence. - A real silence, like there's the snow that has to be replicated and everything. So I'm just curious about like if that pops in your head. I think 615, like a lot of people talk about the, but like Miguel, that shit is beyond. I find it breathtaking, like breathtaking. Like we haven't gotten to it yet, obviously, 'cause it's in the sixth season. But when we all watch, we watched it together. Dan had us go. - We went away for like a little, get away. We watched this episode, Yasu. And like, I, I started, I made a sound that I didn't know that I was gonna make. And it was like, ah, ah, ah. Like it was tears coming up and then I heard, where'd this go, ah, ah, ah. - I think if for all of us, it was like the most emotional episode. - For sure. - For sure. - For sure. - So that one sticks out in my head. There's a lot of them. The first birthday party with the three of them, with the introduction of, like, Sophie and that sort of, like, relation to, like, I love how that just sort of-- - Oh, that was a Chris Koch episode. That was a catch up. Yeah, like that's so I'm just naming ones that stick out. Yeah, yeah. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Memphis. Memphis. Yeah. Memphis. Yeah. Did you any any of the places that you went like you going to be it now? Go on the Philadelphia. Oh, yeah. Yeah, we went everywhere. So don't feel New York San Francisco. Yeah, those were all amazing. Isn't that like things that happen on network TV? No, you know, I'm saying like nothing anymore. Yeah, never again. No, you know, but my parents watched every week too. They did. Yeah, they're very proud of the show. I bet they were. You know, and then New York was a blast. Yeah, yeah, we went to New York. That was right before a pandemic. Yeah, that was end of February. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I remember I watched Hamilton. I don't know if I remember Tony guys. I saw Hamilton during our trip there. I did. Yeah. Okay. And then I remember that line in New York. There's a song called Yorktown. Yeah. And they go like immigrants. We get the job done. Yes, sir. Oh, I felt very proud of that. Yeah. That's right. Yeah, man. What else? Well, 25 years from now, we will reboot the podcast and all of our children will rewatch the show. And we'll have them talk about everything. Talk about it. Great. Yeah. I can't wait for that. Thank you so much for coming to talk. No, not at all. I was like, you're just talking with us. We're just talking about the work. I had fun. Yeah. Very good. Do me a favor. Yeah. We come to our conclusion. You look into your camera right over there. And will you tell them not the name of the show that we shot, but the name of this podcast right now. That was us. That was us is filmed at Rabbit Green Studios and produced by Rabbit Green Productions music by Taylor Goldsmith and Griffin Goldsmith. [BLANK_AUDIO]