The Edge in 24

The tense, edgy feel of the Emmy Award-winning series 24 is largely propelled by the work of New Zealander Rodney Charters csc asc, who has been Director of Photography for all five series. Growing up in New Plymouth, Charters tagged along with his father, a still photographer who served as a photo reconnaissance technician for the Royal New Zealand Air Force during World War II. He graduated from the University of Auckland with a B.A. in art history and the Royal College of Art in London. His first feature film work was on Youngblood in 1986 and Charters has subsequently lensed Car 54, Where Are You? Kull the Conqueror and The Intern. Before 24, he worked as DOP or director on Roswell, The Pretender and Hercules and has shot more than a dozen TV movies. Since the plots of 24 are complex and pile intrigue upon intrigue, Charters uses handheld cameras, unusual angles, out-of-focus shots and constant movement to build tension. The DOP said he tries “to give the impression that you (the audience) are an observant participant in the action as it unfolds.” Charters said he is applying the documentary training he acquired early in his career to his work on 24. “To be a documentary shooter is to do a delicate dance between you and the subject. You want to get the viewer to see what you felt was important.”