Our friends at The Creators Project sat down with Cinematographer Ben Richardson to discuss his approach to shooting Beasts of the Southern Wild. Early on, Richardson and Director Benh Zeitlin agreed that the camera should be both "interested and reactive", giving the cinematographer freedom to capture anything that caught his eye or rather, anything he thought would catch Hushpuppy's eye.
BR: "When I met her (Quvenzhané Wallis), there was this energy from her and I really realized my responsibility was not to try to impose something on this but just to be receptive to what was being put out by her and by the bayou...I tried to be Hushpuppy's sense if not literally her eyes."
Learn more from behind the camera at the video below including what Ben's most favorite and challenging scene to was.