Christina Voros interview: ‘1883’ cinematographer
“It was one of those things where it took me about 10 minutes to register,” admits Christina Voros about learning she had earned first first career Emmy nomination for her cinematography on the limited series “1883.” The Paramount+ limited series about a family’s journey to Montana post-Civil War is a prequel to the hit drama “Yellowstone,” on which Voros has worked as both cinematographer and director. Check out our exclusive video interview Voros above.
One of Voros’ fellow nominees is “1883” director and cinematographer Ben Richardson. Voros credits the entire “1883” production team with helping her and Richardson, who shared directing duties with the show’s creator Taylor Sheridan, bring the project to life. “I think it’s a testament, more than it is even to us, to our crew,” she argues. “It’s the same team of people that was helping both of us create the look the achieve the creative aspirations that we had in making the project.”
Voros is nominated for the show’s seventh episode, “Lightning Yellow Hair,” which she also directed. Voros argues that the episode is a representation of the hard work of all departments, including the actors. “Every episode is remarkable in its own way,” she exclaims. “But ‘Lightning Yellow Hair’ really was the coalescing of the technical crew on the ground, the performances from the actors, the dovetailing of special effects on set and visual effects in post.” As a cinematographer, Voros does her best to not get in the way of the actors, but rather looks for ways that her shots can help support the actors’ performances. “I’m constantly looking for ways to really subtly elevate the nuances of what they choosing to do with their work,” she says.
Although Voros was no stranger to acting as director and cinematographer on “Yellowstone,” but she wasn’t sure that she wanted to have the same responsibility on “1883.” She ultimately found the experience of doing both jobs rewarding. “I think people expect me to say, ‘Oh my God, it’s so hard,'” she says. “The reality is that it does simplify it and because I’m already working with a team that I have an unspoken shorthand with, it’s actually less stressful for me. “
