Cannes Film Festival: Behind the lens
Getty Images photographer Michael Buckner sorted through some of his most memorable shots from the Cannes Film Festival from recent years and gave CBSNews.com a glimpse of what it's like behind the lens.
He told us: "The best way to describe the vibe at Cannes is glamorous chaos. It's the world's best actors, in dresses by the world's top designers being shot by some of the world's best entertainment photographers. I cover major events around North America throughout the year including film festivals in Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Austin and Toronto. This festival by far is not JUST about the film. It's about the dresses, the tuxedos and the jewelry as much as anything. Every designer has a hand in the pot to get a dress on the red carpet. It's my job to capture those moments. Cannes is a great festival to cover because the Palais is one of the most beautiful backgrounds in the world. No other red carpet looks like the Palais du Festival."
In this photo, Jack Black and actress Angelina Jolie attend the "Kung Fu Panda 2" photo call during the 64th annual Cannes Film Festival at the Carlton Hotel on May 12, 2011, in Cannes, France.
Buckner: "Jack Black, Angelina Jolie and a panda costume. Need I say more?"
Getting the Shot
Actress Jane Fonda attends the opening ceremony and "Moonrise Kingdom" premiere during the 65th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 16, 2012, in Cannes, France.
Buckner: "Jane Fonda came out to the opening night ceremony in 2013 and stunned. She was 76 years old at the time and looks amazing. She raised her arms for the photographers with an expression like, 'Why aren't you all taking more pictures?'"
Getting the Shot
Director Terry Gilliam and Verne Troyer attend "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" photo call at the Palais de Festivals during the 62nd International Cannes Film Festival on May 22, 2009, in Cannes, France.
Buckner: "Terry Giliam is as strange as his movies. At his photo call for 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,' I knew he would do something different. Fortunately for me, he had a little help from actor Verne Troyer."
Getting the Shot
Director Diego Luna from the film "Abel" at the Salle du Soixantieme during the 63rd annual Cannes Film Festival on May 15, 2010, in Cannes, France.
Buckner: "Diego Luna was promoting a film he had directed and I was at a very small photo call with the cast. I managed to pull him aside in the shade for a quick portrait and it's still one of my favorite pictures I've taken. For a movie star, Diego is very shy, very quiet. The picture just took a second, and I think he appreciated that more than anything."
Getting the Shot
Actresses Sophie Marceau and Monica Bellucci attend the "Don't Look Back" premiere held at the Palais Des Festival during the 62nd International Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2009, in Cannes, France.
Buckner: "We get to shoot from the rooftop of the Palais for the major premieres, which can lead to some great angles. The red carpet becomes the backdrop. Two actresses in red together just made it even better."
Getting the Shot
Brad Pitt attends the photo call for "Killing Them Softly" during the 65th annual Cannes Film Festival at the Palais des Festivals on May 22, 2012, in Cannes, France.
Buckner: "Brad Pitt's 'Killing Them Softly' photo call was nuts. Stacks upon stacks of photographers all aiming their cameras at him. I hung back and got him as he walked out."
Getting the Shot
Thorald Koren, left, and brother Isaac Koren of band The Kin attend the "Genius On Hold Party" during the 64th annual Cannes Film Festival at the American Pavillion on May 16, 2011, in Cannes, France.
Buckner: "While you're shooting, you aren't really even thinking about getting the shot. It's second nature at that point. It's so hectic along the red carpet. It's so loud. All the photographers around you are bumping you, leaning on you, waving their hands in front of your camera. We are all trying to get THE SHOT. The MOMENT. So you have to have a prepared game plan. I make a mental note before, and I stick to my choice on lenses. For the Marches, my favorite lens to use is the 300mm 2.8. It's razor sharp with a huge depth of field. It's perfect for those over the shoulder shots down the carpet, or when they are walking up the steps. I stay on the lens until I know I have it."
Getting the Shot
Ryan Gosling attends the "Blue Valentine" Premiere at the Palais des Festivals during the 63rd annual Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2010, in Cannes, France.
Buckner: "Ryan Gosling came to the 'Blue Valentine' premiere. I don't even know how I got this shot, nor do I think it was on purpose, but I definitely like the outcome."
Getting the Shot
Singer Beth Ditto attends the "Outside of the Law" premiere at the Palais des Festivals during the 63rd annual Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2010, in Cannes, France.
When asked about the most challenging part of getting the shot, Buckner said, "Often times there are so many factors that seem out of my control. I can't control the crowd. I can't control the people around me, and I definitely can't control who decides to walk the carpet. I have to find a little bit of Zen when I'm out there. You can get swept up in the chaos too easily. Also, there are so many photographers (sometimes over 100) that are all vying for the same covers of magazines, so I have to try to get something unique. That's what Getty Images emphasizes so much. Sure, it's about the head shots, full lengths, details. We know that, we get that. But it's also about the unique moments, the catch of another photographers flash, the different angle."
Getting the Shot
Mariah Carey attends the "Precious" red carpet held at the Palais Des Festivals during the 62nd International Cannes Film Festival on May 15, 2009, in Cannes, France.
Buckner: "Mariah Carey was stunning for the 'Precious' premiere."
Getting the Shot
Director Quentin Tarantino and actor Brad Pitt attend the "Inglourious Basterds" premiere held at the Palais Des Festivals during the 62nd International Cannes Film Festival on May 20th, 2009, in Cannes, France.
Buckner: "I didn't shoot the Quentin Tarantino premiere from the red carpet. I was out of the street with the fans, standing on a ladder with a 400 mm lens hoping that they'd give us a look. At the top of the steps, Brad Pitt wraps his arms around Tarantino and gives a wave to the thousands of fans who lined the Croissette. Like they say, sometimes it's better to be lucky than good."