I’ve just remembered where I met Frank Marshall (producer)! It was on Peter Bogdanovich’s Long Last Love and he would turn out to become one of my strongest supporters over the years. He was happy when he was able to give me work on films he was involved in. One fine day I get a call from him–I hadn’t heard from Frank for quite a few years. The conversation went something like this. ‘Hi Eva, I’ve just joined Spielberg’s team as one of his producers. Would you like to come as ’special photographer’ on Raiders of the Lost Ark? And that’s how an extraordinary adventure began for me. I worked on three Indiana Jones movies.
The movies were shot in Tunisia, Sri Lanka and Last Crusade in Marbella and other parts of the world. Of course, working on a Spielberg movie is something very special. Just seeing Steven direct is fascinating. He has every shot completely worked out and under control. On Temple of Doom, George Lucas also took over directing at times so as to give a helping hand to Spielberg. The Indiana Jones series was created by George Lucas, already a household name thanks to his blockbuster Star Wars series and directed by Steven Spielberg. One of the biggest movie franchises of all time, the films starred Harrison Ford, with Kate Capshaw in the second and Sean Connery in the third. I was asked by production for a publicity shot of Sean Connery and Harrison Ford together; a father/son image. Anyone would think it was an easy session to get off the ground. Both actors were working, and the shot had to be done before they were called on set. Fortunately, they agreed to be ready by 7am and the camera department helped me with reflectors and erected a large diffuser above their heads. The light at that time in the morning can be very hard.
It was a very successful and fun shoot. That particular image appeared on numerable magazine covers. Just want to finish this piece with a success story.
I met Kathy Kennedy on the first Indiana Jones movie. She was Steven Spielberg’s assistant. We’d see each other in Los Angeles many months later. It was lovely catching-up with her. I asked Kathy what projects were in the pipe line. ‘Eva, I don’t think you’d be interested in the next movie. It’s a film for children, starring an animated character.’ That film would go on to be released as E.T with Kathy Kennedy as the producer.
Taken from ‘Through Her Lens‘ available signed by Eva Sereny from the Iconic Images Store.