A World Behind the Scene by Mary Ellen Mark

"Since the late 1960s, I have worked on many film sets. Sometimes a magazine assigns me a story but, more often, I am hired by the film studio as what is called a "special stills photographer." A special stills photographer works on a film set for any number of days or weeks and makes photographs which are used for publicity or advertising. The advertising pictures are for the one-sheet poster--usually, the concept and design of the poster is the work of the advertising art director and the film company, and I collaborate with them very closely to produce what is needed. The publicity photographs are used for magazine covers and stories. I make some portraits of actors in the studio, but most often they are taken behind the scenes, which has always been one of my preferred ways of working, especially in a surreal atmosphere like that of a film set.
..."




Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn between takes on the set of On Golden Pond,Meredith, New Hampshire, 1980




Billy Williams, cinematographer, checking Katharine Hepburn's light, On Golden Pond,Meredith, New Hampshire, 1980




Sydney Pollack clowns on the set of Tootsie,Manhattan, New York 1982




Sidney Lumet and Faye Dunaway between takes, Network,Manhattan, New York, 1975




Ron Howard, director, checking out an extra. Cocoon,St. Petersburg, Florida, 1984




Jane Fonda and Meg Tilly rehearsing, Agnes of God,Toronto, Canada, 1984




Luis Buñuel and Jean-Claude Carriere discussing the Tristana script,Toledo, Spain 1969




Luis Buñuel directs Catherine Deneuve, Tristana,Toledo, Spain 1969




Luis Buñuel on the Set of Tristana,Toledo, Spain, 1969




Francois Truffaut on the set of Mississippi Mermaid,Grenoble, France, 1969




Francois Truffaut directing Catherine Deneuve on the set of Mississippi Mermaid,Grenoble, France, 1969




Catherine Deneuve waiting in the snow on the set of Mississippi Mermaid,Grenoble, France, 1969




Federico Fellini, back lot of Cine Citta Studios, Fellini's Satyricon,Rome, Italy 1969




Federico Fellini on the Set of Satyricon,Rome, Italy, 1969




An extra rehearses on the set of Fellini's Satyricon,Rome, Italy, 1969




An extra and crew members on the set of Fellini's Satyricon,Rome, Italy, 1969.jpg




Dennis Hopper plays with an American flag, Apocalypse Now,Pagsanjan, Philippines, 1976




Francis Ford Coppola sheltering himself from the rain, Apocalypse Now,Pagsanjan, Philippines, 1976




Marlon Brando fascinated by a dragonfly, Apocalypse Now,Pagsanjan, Philippines, 1976




Martin Sheen taking a cigarette break. Apocalypse Now,Pagsanjan, Philippines, 197




Martin Sheen and Dennis Hopper rehearsing on the set of Apocalypse Now,Pagsanjan, Philippines, 1976




Mary Ellen Mark with Marlon Brando, Apocalypse Now,Pagsanjan, Philippines, 1976 (photo by Stefani Kong Uhler)



Pictures and text by: Mary Ellen Mark