 Conrad Hall was not the first choice for director of photography ; Mendes believed he was " too old and too experienced " to want the job , and he had been told that Hall was difficult to work with . Instead , Mendes asked Fred Elmes , who turned the job down because he did not like the script . Hall was recommended to Mendes by Tom Cruise , because of Hall 's work on Without Limits ( 1998 ) , which Cruise had executive produced . Mendes was directing Cruise 's then @-@ wife Nicole Kidman in the play The Blue Room during preproduction on American Beauty , and had already storyboarded the whole film . Hall was involved for one month during preproduction ; his ideas for lighting the film began with his first reading of the script , and further passes allowed him to refine his approach before meeting Mendes . Hall was initially concerned that audiences would not like the characters ; he only felt able to identify with them during cast rehearsals , which gave him fresh ideas on his approach to the visuals . 
 Conrad Hall <a href='negative_concord' title='1'><mark>was</mark></a> <a href='negative_concord' title='2'><mark>not</mark></a>the first choice for director of photography ; Mendes believed he was " too old and too experienced " to want the job , and he <a href='been_done' title='3'><mark>had</mark></a> been told that Hall was difficult to work with . Instead , Mendes asked Fred Elmes , <a href='null_relcl' title='4'><mark>who</mark></a>turned the job down because he did not like <a href='None' title='5'><mark>the</mark></a><a href='negative_concord' title='6'><mark>script</mark></a> . Hall was recommended to Mendes by Tom Cruise , because of Hall <a href='null_genetive' title='7'><mark>'s</mark></a>work on Without Limits ( 1998 ) , which Cruise had executive produced . Mendes was directing Cruise <a href='null_genetive' title='8'><mark>'s</mark></a>then @-@ wife Nicole Kidman in the play The Blue Room during preproduction on American Beauty , and <a href='been_done' title='9'><mark>had</mark></a> already storyboarded the whole film . Hall was involved for one month during preproduction ; his ideas for lighting the film began with his first reading of the script , and further passes allowed him to refine his approach before meeting Mendes . Hall was initially concerned that audiences would not like <a href='None' title='10'><mark>the</mark></a><a href='negative_concord' title='11'><mark>characters</mark></a> ; he only felt able to identify with them during cast rehearsals , which gave him fresh ideas on his approach to the visuals . 
Conrad Hall ain't the first choice fa director of photography ; Mendes believed he was " too old and too experienced " to want the job , and he done been tld that Hall was difficult to work with . Instead , Mendes asked Fred Elmes , turned da job dwn cuz he did not like no script . Hall was recommended to Mendes by Tom Cruise , becacuzHall  wrk on Without Limits ( 1998 ) , which Cruise had executive produced . Mendes was directing Cruise  then @-@ wife Nicole Kidman in tdaplay The Blue Room during preproduction on American Beauty , and done already storyboarded the whole film . Hall was involved for one month during preproduction ; his ideas ffirlighting the film began with his first reading of the script , and further passes allowed him to refine his approach before meeting Mendes . Hall was initially concerned dat audiences would not like no characters ; he only felt able to identify with em during cast rehearsals , which gave em fresh ideas on his approach to thdaisuals .