Clay Enos may be recognized for photographing rock stars and glue sniffing children on the streets of Cambodia, but he’s reinventing himself as a the man who spent many months with some of the most shocking superheroes ever created. As the official Still Photographer for the highly anticipated graphic novel-to-film Watchmen, Enos was given the opportunity to not only witness Hollywood actors transform into frightening characters, but also work on a project that would forever change how audiences see comic books. In time for the film’s release on March 6, viewers will be able to pick up Watchmen: Portraits, a collection of black and white photos of the many people behind Director Zack Snyder’s (300) latest creation. From capturing vigilante Rorschach’s ink-ridden mask, to the film’s crew, Enos shot every moment of Watchmen’s making, revealing the real life tale of how hundreds of people revived a story told 23-years-ago.
As a result of Snyder hiring the famed photographer for Warner Brothers, Titan Books will release three coffee table books, including Watchmen: Portraits. Enos happily shares his experiences with nocheLatina where he discusses how photography, like the characters of Watchmen, has the power to show real-life heroes.
What made you want to get involved with Watchmen?
Clay Enos: I always wanted to work with Zack and then the opportunity presented itself. I’ve just been so lucky that it’s a film like Watchmen that has so many layers of meaning. I think it reveals itself as a story not just on film, but through the photography I did. The experience taking photographs while shooting the film was thorough, attentive, but without being insensitive.
What in your opinion makes Watchmen different from any other film that’s being shown today?
CE: I don’t think a lot of films are close to 20 years in the not making! Prior to Watchmen, we just referred to them as comic books and now they’re graphic novels. I think that while remarkable films have been made in the past, this is going to be the latest installment of remarkable filmmaking. A Clockwork Orange by Director Stanley Kubrick really challenged audiences and it’s now part of film history. I think Watchmen is about to do that for a bunch of people who’ve probably gotten accustomed to ‘superhero movies.’ Watchmen is really going to tap into the minds of audiences.
What’s really interesting about Watchmen is your collection of portraits that accompanies the film’s release. Audiences can then get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how the movie was made. Why was it important for you to release a book like this?
CE: I think the universe of Watchmen is so luscious. It’s so thorough that a book like this can come out and serve as being both a document of people who worked on the movie, and a very straight nonfiction book of portraits. It could also just as easily be a kind of art book that’s also a reflection of the movie and its story. It would be a shame to not have documents like I made. I’m completely flattered that this occurred for me. Every photographer dreams about having a coffee table book and now I have one.
And your coffee table book is all about superheroes.
CE: Yes, it’s on superheroes and the unsung heroes as I call them. There are so many films out there and we like to give all of the attention to the stars. However, behind the scenes are legions of invisible actors and crew. I like that they’re given equal billing in my book.
On the note of actors, since you were there to see them transform into superheroes, what were some of the surprising discoveries that you made about them?
CE: When we talk about portraiture, those were taken fairly quickly. With a guy like Jack Earle Haley, you can feel his presence as Rorschach. He was so complete in his embodiment of that character that I didn’t expect it. I knew Jackie, we socialized, but when he put that mask on, you could feel it. I wasn’t shooting Jackie, I was photographing Rorschach. I was just so impressed by the craft of acting and when someone is good, boy are they good! I think that talent translates into photographs.
I have to ask because it’s on everyone’s mind, but does the director stay faithful to the graphic novel?
CE: Look, the graphic novel is a remarkable work of genius and it’s a graphic novel, it always will be. Now we’re in the world of film and certain things have to happen for it to become a film. I think, while not literal, it is faithful. I think it is certainly believable and entirely enjoyable. The film is disturbing and beautiful. Some people will not enjoy it. But if I recall a tagline from 300, it said, ‘You Will Not Enjoy This.’ You can’t deny that kind of power.
How was capturing the filmmaking of Watchmen different from that of taking photographs of nightlife or celebrities as you’ve done before?
CE: Whenever I have a camera in my hand, I move with a kind of intention. I just applied that to the world of Watchmen. I think what made this different was that it’s so consuming. Working on a movie is an incredible moving machine. I was there to document every piece of it. It was exhausting because I was applying my normal spirit of adventure to this monster of a creative process. It was far more tiring than anything I’ve done before, combined with the crazy hours that filmmakers work. When it was over, I was finished! However, everyday was still a treat because I was the only person not making the movie. My job was to document the making of this film. And my goodness, that was a responsibility that I wasn’t going to take lightly.
It sounds like a major one.
CE: You know, I see journalists come in for junkets, and I knew that I was shooting for them. But I was also shooting for what will be the 20th anniversary DVD many years from now.
Films based on comic books tend to do either really well or really bad. How do you think audiences are going to react to Watchmen?
CE: I think audiences who don’t know Watchmen and who are coming in with a Batman, Spiderman, or Superman sensibility are going to be hit with a ton of bricks. They’re going to leave the theaters with their jaws on the floor. Again, Watchmen did that to comic book readers. Zack is doing it for filmgoers. Guaranteed, this is a powerful movie. I was there everyday. I watched this movie thinking I would just be detached, like doing a yearbook. I was devastated! I remember Zack on set and he said, ‘This is a crazy movie.’ I think viewers are going to be troubled and they’re going to have to go back and see it again because there’s so much in it. I look at my book of photographs, which are these quiet, simple meditations on the people that made this film. My book becomes a sanctuary to a film that’s otherwise challenging.
Which was your favorite character to photograph?
CE: Hmm…well, I have two favorite photos. One is a Vietnamese girl and anyone who knows the story will understand her role in the movie. The other is a picture of Mothman and he’s a vintage hero. There’s something that’s sort of timeless about the photos. They’re very selective focus, their eyes are very penetrating, and you can’t tell whether it’s true or fake.
How did the actors handle these very intense roles?
CE: I’m not an acting aficionado, but I know that everybody took their role very seriously. They knew they were working with a special source of material. The graphic novel was always on set and it was referred to like a preacher would refer to the bible. It was our point of departure. All cast members, extras, and stars alike were dedicated to bringing Watchmen to life. I hope viewers will be able to see this film and realize all the things that Watchmen can still give them today.
For more info on Clay Enos and his photography, click here.
Watchmen hits theaters on Friday, March 6.
