Yellowstone is celebrating International Women’s Day with a look at the passion of one of the Yellowverse’s most influential and powerhouse talents: Christina Alexandra Voros. Her name might not ring a bell if you’re only looking at the characters within Taylor Sheridan’s realm, but the opportunity to look at them at all wouldn’t be possible without her.
The official Yellowstone Instagram account posted a video tribute to the auteur today featuring her and the stars of the series speaking on her unique vision and talent.
Voros is a director at Yellowstone, but that almost feels like an understatement for all that she truly does. Speaking of Voros’ all-encompassing dedication to her craft, Kelly Reilly says that “she’s a master at what she does.” Voros started as a camera operator at Yellowstone, and she describes her journey with the series in her own words and her drive to work on the series.
“My name is Christina Alexandra Foros. I’m a director, cinematographer, and EP on Yellowstone. Being familiar with Taylor’s work, I remember thinking: ‘I have to get on the show. How do I get on the show?'”
Her getting on the series is a treat that fans everywhere are truly blessed to have. As she continues to speak about how she sees the importance of the right shot for the right character, drawing parallels, and making connections to tell a visual story, we realize how she is involved in every aspect of the storytelling.
“As a visual storyteller, you’re always looking for ways to heighten the words to heighten the character, and sometimes that’s by creating parallel frames, and sometimes it’s by doing the opposite. Sometimes it’s by letting the parallel be the emotional beat and not the visual beat.”
When Voros first started film school, she notes that she couldn’t think of any women in the role of cinematographer. That very thought is an influential piece of the puzzle and her journey through her career.
“I remember, my first year of film school, not really knowing what a cinematographer did and certainly not being able to call to mind any women who were doing it with any amount of success.”
To live on the other side of that idea and be a name in which everyone can look to the craft and immediately think of as a high-level talent is a great place for Voros to be. Yellowstone knows a thing or two about strong women, and the idea that it doesn’t stop at on-screen writing is something fans have always paid attention to and been proud of, as are the actors and actresses on set.
Reilly mentions that very idea in the video.
“Just to have a female behind the camera and behind the edit — I’m proud of that.”
Of course, Voros says that getting that perfect shot is a group effort, and she sees a lot of powerful women working behind the scenes in Sheridan’s Yellowverse. It takes a team to bring a story to life, and there are many benefits to having strong females as part of the storytellers, creators, crafters, and technicians on any project – but especially something as solid yet vulnerable as Yellowstone and the Dutton family story.
“If wardrobe, makeup, visual effects, special effects, the camera operators — if everyone was not on point, that wouldn’t have been the end product. It’s really inspiring to see the proliferation of strong female technicians and visual artists in this field.”
The Yellowverse is a stronger place because of Voros and the female talent that helps round out the beautiful, heartbreaking, imaginative, and explosive journey we’re on with the Dutton family. Here’s to the beauty in the storytelling, acting, and technical aspects of bringing the series to our screens each Sunday and the women who help make it happen.