Your Father’s Daughter

Skinner has always aspired to take on the rewarding challenges of cinematographer, fulfilling another channel for his cinematic passion. “There definitely came a time when, to keep it new and inventive, [becoming a] DP was my next step,” he reflects.

“We look at each setup differently, mixing it up, giving a director and editor many choices,” Skinner continues. “Always searching, finding captivating feelings and images. We might go with a different angle, composition, or lens, or a different overall camera movement. You have to be certain to get the shot in the way that lets the audience be involved, incorporating the bliss of both the film audience and the filmmaker having some fun.”

Skinner’s favorite scene from Your Father’s Daughter required plenty of creative camera movement. The daughter is packing her bags in a rush to leave home as her father enters to persuade her to stay. “[Director] Carlos Bernard and I wanted to shoot this scene handheld so we could capture the raw emotion and physicality of the standoff. We wanted to allow the actors maximum freedom of movement by crossing the line,” he recalls. “The compact handheld cameras gave everyone flexibility in a tight space.”

After decades in the business, Skinner says he’s still learning. “I feel that working as a crew is a wonderful reality in every film: Filmmaking becomes intensely collaborative. I am reminded of this continually! At first it’s: ‘How am I going to do this?’ But then I realize it is a shared, constantly evolving, and rediscovered mystery.”