8 Reasons Why Rian Johnson Should Direct Phantom Of The Opera

One of the most incredible features of NBC's live rendition of Jesus Christ Superstar was how the production used its cameras. In cutting back and forth between several different angles from across the stage, never once was a camera actually visible in the shot. This served to better immerse viewers and successfully toed the line that so many of these televised live performances trip over.

Johnson and his cinematographer, Steve Yeldin, have become experts at camera placement and movement over the course of their respective careers. This is best observed in their most recent film, The Last Jedi, in which the camera is frequently moving in ways it never has in a Star Wars film before. A couple of easy examples would be shots in the bridge of the dreadnought in the opening or the fight sequence in Snoke's throne room.

These sequences, and several more like them through Johnson's filmography, demonstrate he and Yeldin's adept understanding of how camera movement affects the viewer and the story.

The struggle of adapting any stage play for the screen is that the filmmakers are suddenly restraining an audience's vision. In a play, the viewer can look anywhere they want, but on screen, the camera dictates what they can and cannot see. Johnson and Yeldin's refined skills would go a long way towards making this a strength rather than a weakness.