ICG Magazine - February/March 2021 - Bold Directions

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FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION In All Categories Including

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contents BOLD DIRECTIONS February/March 2021 / Vol. 92 No. 02

DEPARTMENTS gear guide ................ 20 replay ................ 28 refraction ................ 32 master class ................ 36 exposure ................ 40 production credits ................ 96 stop motion .............. 102

SPECIAL Lone Star Journey ...... 84

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FEATURE 01

DAZED AND CONFUSED Season 2 of HBO’s runaway hit Euphoria was cut short by the pandemic; but the craft team had already broken new visual ground. Two (COVID19-safe) “bridge episodes” have helped keep viewers connected.

FEATURE 02 HOME, SWEET HOME Jess Hall, ASC, BSC, gets his domestic groove on for WandaVision, the most surprising new entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

FEATURE O3 ADDICTED TO LOVE Newton Thomas Sigel, ASC, plunges into the depths of America’s opioid crisis with the Gen-Z romance Cherry.

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president's letter

What Have We Learned?

Soon it will have been a full year since the pandemic shut down our country and our industry, and it raises the question: “What have we learned?” Recently, I asked a friend nearing retirement age what she had learned, and she answered immediately that the loss of her work showed her that she is not ready to leave her career behind yet. We have all learned that change often involves loss, justice for all is still aspirational, and the chasm between those who have and those who have not continues to widen. Education, health care, housing and food security have become even more elusive for large segments of our society.

Closer to home, we confirmed what we already knew, which is that our membership is resilient and adaptable. New and often difficult ways of working on sets are becoming routine as we try to work as safely as we can to provide content that has never been in higher demand. Our employers have embraced safety protocols, and they have been rewarded with record numbers of viewers.

After almost a year of closed offices, we understand more fully than ever that our union’s heart and soul live in the membership and staff, not the offices and buildings.

I sometimes hear all of this called “the new normal,” and the connotation is generally negative. But the “old” normal had its flaws, too. If there is a “normal,” it is defined by constant, ongoing and accelerating change that will challenge us in ways we have not yet imagined. Whatever comes at us, the lesson I value most from this year is that there is nothing more important than taking care of each other. That is why we joined together to form a union, and that is what will guide and protect us now and in the future.

John Lindley, ASC National President International Cinematographers Guild IATSE Local 600

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Publisher Teresa Muñoz Executive Editor David Geffner Art Director Wes Driver

COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

Tyler Bourdeau

STAFF WRITER Pauline Rogers

ACCOUNTING

Glenn Berger Dominique Ibarra

COPY EDITORS

Peter Bonilla Maureen Kingsley

CONTRIBUTORS Michael Chambliss Eddy Chen Ted Elrick Margot Lester Kevin H. Martin

COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE

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February/March 2021 vol. 92 no. 02

Local

600

International Cinematographers Guild

IATSE Local 600 NATIONAL PRESIDENT John Lindley, ASC VICE PRESIDENT Dejan Georgevich, ASC 1ST NATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT Christy Fiers 2ND NATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT Baird Steptoe NATIONAL SECRETARY-TREASURER Stephen Wong NATIONAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY-TREASURER Jamie Silverstein NATIONAL SERGEANT-AT-ARMS Deborah Lipman NATIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Rebecca Rhine ASSOCIATE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Chaim Kantor

ADVERTISING POLICY: Readers should not assume that any products or services advertised in International Cinematographers Guild Magazine are endorsed by the International Cinematographers Guild. Although the Editorial staff adheres to standard industry practices in requiring advertisers to be “truthful and forthright,” there has been no extensive screening process by either International Cinematographers Guild Magazine or the International Cinematographers Guild.

EDITORIAL POLICY: The International Cinematographers Guild neither implicitly nor explicitly endorses opinions or political statements expressed in International Cinematographers Guild Magazine. ICG Magazine considers unsolicited material via email only, provided all submissions are within current Contributor Guideline standards. All published material is subject to editing for length, style and content, with inclusion at the discretion of the Executive Editor and Art Director.

Local 600, International Cinematographers Guild, retains all ancillary and expressed rights of content and photos published in ICG Magazine and icgmagazine.com, subject to any negotiated prior arrangement. ICG Magazine regrets that it cannot publish letters to the editor.

ICG (ISSN 1527-6007) Ten issues published annually by The International Cinematographers Guild 7755 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, CA, 90046, U.S.A. Periodical postage paid at Los Angeles, California.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ICG 7755 Sunset Boulevard Hollywood, California 90046 Copyright 2021, by Local 600, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States and Canada. Entered as Periodical matter, September 30, 1930, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, California, under the act of March 3, 1879. Subscriptions: $88.00 of each International Cinematographers Guild member’s annual dues is allocated for an annual subscription to International Cinematographers Guild Magazine.

Non-members may purchase an annual subscription for $48.00 (U.S.), $82.00 (Foreign and Canada) surface mail and $117.00 air mail per year. Single Copy: $4.95 The International Cinematographers Guild Magazine has been published monthly since 1929.

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“BOLDLY ASSURED, MASTERFUL FILMMAKING.” DAVID ROONEY,

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wide angle

I

n a typical year, February/March, the first of ICG’s two annual combined issues, would focus on Hollywood’s Awards Season and the many Local 600 members who form that foundation, including unit still photographers, unit publicists, and live-event camera/lighting teams. But when COVID-19 pushed all live-event production forward, including the 93rd Academy Awards, which organizers moved to the end of April, ICG Magazine had to quickly “pivot” (with apologies for using the most overused term of the pandemic) our content and our focus for 2021.

That means this February/March issue (which you’re reading on a digital platform only) is now entitled Bold Directions, and shares stories of new production journeys.

That includes our cover piece on HBO’s Emmywinning teen drama Euphoria (Dazed and Confused, page 44). Marcell Rév shot Euphoria’s pilot, with Directors of Photography Adam Newport-Berra, Drew Daniels, and André Chemetoff sharing duties on the remaining Season 1 episodes. Aside from its wildly creative visuals, Euphoria is unique in that it was shut down by COVID-19 days before Season 2 began; it then resurfaced at the end of 2020 with two special “bridge episodes” (shot by Rév) scrupulously done under industry-wide COVID-19 safety protocols. The goal of the two COVID-safe bridge episodes was for Creator Sam Levinson and his team to keep their large (and loyal) fan base connected to the story of Rue (Zendaya, the youngest Best Actress winner in Emmy history) and her high-school friends.

More creative “pivoting” is featured in Kevin Martin’s story on WandaVision (Home, Sweet Home, page 58) , the first streaming TV show from Marvel Studios, unfurling weekly on Disney+. Shot by Director of Photography Jess Hall, ASC, BSC (ICG Magazine April 2017), the series reunites two favorite characters from the MCU – Scarlet Witch/Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) – the latter of which perished in Avengers: Infinity War and returns in android version as the loving domestic partner Wanda never had. Given that Wanda and Vision’s life exists mainly inside a TV show, the

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series leaps through various television eras, allowing Hall, Production Designer Mark Worthington (Exposure, page 40), Costume Designer Mayes Rubeo, and Chief Lighting Technician John Vecchio to let their creative energies flow. Hall amassed a library of sitcom stills from each era, even analyzing RGB values of the color palette from the various eras and sharing that data with Rubeo’s and Worthington’s departments.

“That gave us a lot of color integrity and let us play complementary colors in clothing and on the walls against one another, which I could augment with lighting gels,” Hall notes in the article. Hall’s lighting was not the only thing that evolved from episode to episode. “The camerawork, lensing, and composition change as the series progresses, along with the aspect ratio,” he adds. “We start with Academy 1:33, then go to 1:78 before winding up at 2:39. Some episodes intermingle periods; hence, the aspect ratio changes or even transitions within single shots.”

The ability to transition (very quickly these days) is a quality shared by other filmmaking voices in this issue. That includes Guild members like Holly Connors, Vice President of World Photography, Paramount (Master Class, page 36); who has also led photo departments for Sony, MGM, UA, and Insight Media. Connors vividly recalls the industry’s switch from film to digital, and when publicity photography first combined live action and CGI. She notes her close collaborations with Local 600 Unit Photographers Peter Iovino, NEB Board Member Melinda Sue Gordon, SMPSP, and Merie Wallace, SMPSP, to ensure the core of their work was accurately represented, while still helping the studio to create the best product.

More recently, Connors praises Local 600 Unit Photographer Scott Garfield, with whom she worked closely on the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick. Garfield’s images were shown bi-weekly (at the naval air base in San Diego) to Lead Actor Tom Cruise, Director Joseph Kosinski, and Producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

Other industry voices – such as Joachim “JZ” Zell’s (Refraction, page 32) on the Hollywood Professional Association’s annual retreat going virtual; Guild Director of Photography Gavin Kelly’s on his team’s work on CBS’s The Equalizer (Replay, page 28), a reboot of the popular series on which star Queen Latifah does many of her own action stunts; and a profile on recently retired Unit Still Photographer Ron Phillips (Lone Star Journey, page 84), who’s passing on his experience to a new generation of Guild members – highlight an industry (and a membership) bravely willing and able to transition – okay, “pivot” – to this new world before us.

CONTRIBUTORS

Eddy Chen Stop Motion, Dazed and Confused “HBO’s Euphoria has been a dream project.

They have given me so much creative freedom from the start. I grew up shooting film and still prefer it to the digital medium. All my personal projects are on film. HBO has encouraged me to shoot as much film as possible and gave me a massive film budget for Season 2. I’m beyond thrilled!”

Margot Lester Dazed and Confused “It’s always great to cover a show that makes me look cool to my nieces and nephews.

It’s even more fun when it’s a show I like and admire, too, like Euphoria.”

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David Geffner Executive Editor

Email: david@icgmagazine.com Cover photo by Eddy Chen

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For your consideration

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY (MOTION PICTURE, MINISERIES, OR PILOT MADE FOR TELEVISION)

SUZIE LAVELLE, BSC

“COMPLETELY

SPELLBINDING. THE CINEMATOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTES IN SUCH A VITAL WAY TO HOW THIS STORY IS TOLD.”

DECIDER

GEAR GUIDE

SIGMA I Series $549 (24MM) $639 (35MM) $699 (65MM) $549 (45MM) WWW.SIGMAPHOTO.COM

Local 600 Director of Photography Sandra Valde, describes the SIGMA I series as “compact, lightweight lenses, which are portable and rugged for the cinematographer on-the-go. Using the I series lenses for scouting not only gives images that represent your visual ideas, but also gives beautiful, crisp images that can be used for a portfolio,” she adds. “Their durability and sleek design allow you to put [them] in your pocket and change lenses quickly, so you can be quick on your feet as you find the perfect shot.” In addition to stellar build quality, the SIGMA I series lenses all feature an aperture ring with well-damped click stops, a handy AF/ MF switch, and a weather-sealed mount. The newer 24mm F3.5, 35mm F2, and 65mm F2 lenses also come with a magnetic metal lens cap, adding an extra touch.

The optional CH-11 magnetic lens-cap holder, which clips to virtually any belt loop or backpack strap, helps users keep metal caps close at hand.

Orca Rigalto $1300 TO $2300

(IF INCLUDING EASYRIG)

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“It’s the best solution I’ve found for both rig customization and operator comfort,” says Director of Photography Henry Grenier. “Shooting Sony VENICE with Rigalto, and going handheld, really makes any shooting situation work. We used it on a commercial, following talent into some incredibly tight spaces, and having a single operator on the Rigalto was just what we needed.” The new OR-2020 Rigalto Backpack System from ORCA Bags is designed as the ideal solution for operating Sony VENICE when combined with Sony’s Rialto tethered extension system. Rigalto’s lightweight, fully configurable plate system mounts to all standard industry camera plates including ARRI dovetail, Sony VCT-14, and many more. Rigalto can also be configured to incorporate the Easyrig MiniMax camera support system, Noga arms, battery adapter plates, and more.

Easily stripped and stowed for transport, Rigalto was designed to provide maximum ergonomic comfort, resulting in a lightweight solution for effortless handheld operation of the Sony VENICE camera system’s 6K tethered extension unit.

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FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN ALL CATEGORIES INCLUDING

Best Picture Best Cinematography ERIK MESSERSCHMIDT, ASC

“★★★★★

A GORGEOUSLY SHOT FILM.” THE GUARDIAN

“A LOVE LETTER TO CINEMA.” ROLLING STONE

“SOME OF THE MOST GORGEOUS FILMMAKING CRAFT IMAGINABLE.” EMPIRE

“One of the things we do in color photography is use color to show depth, and when you have the absence of color it distills it down, so you have the opportunity to be more nuanced in how you explain to the audience where to look in the frame.” – Erik Messerschmidt, ASC, Cinematographer

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GEAR GUIDE

Rotolight Titan X1 $2,999 (THROUGH APRIL 2021) $3,999 AFTER WWW.ROTOLIGHT.COM

This new 1×1 panel features a pioneering feature-set, making it a go-to light for both studio and location. SmartSoft™ electronic diffusion technology allows for control of diffusion, focus and spread without the need for gels. It features the flexibility of soft output and a harder light source all in one. The full-color touchscreen display saves time on set. In addition, the Titan X1 features a High-Speed Sync RGB flash, built-in wireless connectivity (Bluetooth/W-DMX), and class-leading energy efficiency. The X1’s touchscreen includes quick-start icons and 50 user-customizable presets. The RGB flash (up to 1/8000th) delivers a powerful output and zero recycle time. Guild members can shoot at any color temperature across the CCT spectrum (3000-10,000 Kelvin) for a significant performance boost over continuous light output.

The superior color rendition is due to Rotolight’s special RGBWW Pentachromic Color Engine™ for precise skin tones and vivid color saturation. It flatters subjects in-camera and saves time in postproduction. Roy Wagner, ASC, says “it’s incredibly exciting to have a light where you can shape and control the light without any modifiers. I use it now for virtually every setup.”

Cineo ReFlex R15 $24,995 WWW.CINEOLIGHTING.COM

With the ReFlex, Cineo has applied patented groundbreaking technologies to create a high-output, focusable-beam, fully dimmable hard light that exceeds the capabilities of traditional lighting tools. ReFlex R15 delivers up to 90,000 lumens of color-adjustable, variable-beam lighting using less than a 1,500-W AC power draw. By providing constantly variable CCT, it can outperform both tungsten and HMI sources, eliminating the deficiencies of traditional sources. Beam angle adjustment from 15 to 75 degrees is accomplished without mechanical movement, making it remotely adjustable; and the Beam Share and BeamK controls open a whole new realm of possibilities. The reflector can easily be removed and replaced with a variety of soft accessories, including Snapbags®, lanterns, and Space Light bags for a structured soft-lighting solution. Cineo has completely redesigned its control strategy, making it as easy to use as your smartphone. A full complement of remote-control protocols is included. All of this is offered in a completely integrated, waterproof package weighing less than 75 pounds.

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“★★★★★.

STUNNING CAMERA WORK BY NEWTON THOMAS SIGEL.” DEADLINE

“THE BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR.” ABC NEWS

“THE WORK OF NEWTON THOMAS SIGEL IS OFF THE CHARTS

UNBELIEVABLE.” CINEMABLEND

F O R

Y O U R

C O N S I D E R A T I O N

BEST PICTURE BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

NEWTON THOMAS SIGEL, ASC

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GEAR GUIDE

Core SWX Nano $245 WWW.CORESWX.COM

The Nano Micro is quite possibly the smallest style battery pack, measuring less than 4 in. high and 2 in. deep, and weighing 1.2 pounds. It is the perfect “grab and go” pack for the majority of powering applications. Capable of handling up to a 10A load, consider these packs for lighter camera powering applications, onboard monitors, recorders, wireless tx/rx, etc. Its 14.8-V, 98-wh capacity allows the packs to be transported as carry-on for air travel, without restrictions, under IATA, ICAO, and UN regulations. The packs have been UN-tested and -certified, passing UN38.3 certification. Furthermore, NANO Micro packs an onboard, unregulated p-tap, which can be used to power most 12-V-DC devices, as well as doubling as a charge input port. The packs also include a 5V, 3A USB for powering/charging mobile devices, and a 4-stage LED gauge to view remaining power.

Ikan STRATUS Rig $599–$649 WWW.IKANCORP.COM

The STRATUS shoulder rig for cinema cameras provides a full, shoulder-mounted solution for cinema and DSLR cameras. It comes with dual 360-degree rotating hand grips for secure shoulder-mounted operating. An EVF/monitor holder is also included, which allows for pro-style viewing. The rig includes a Manfrotto 501 style quick-release baseplate, extendable dog bones, counterweights, two carbon-fiber 15-mm rods, a shoulder pad, rubber hand grips, a 15-mm rod adapter, a monitor mount, and an EVF holder. The rubber hand grips can be individually rotated, and the dog bones can be extended to a maximum length of 8.5 in. and compressed to a minimum length of 5.25 in. The EVF mount can work with any side-mounted ARRI rosette EVF. The monitor/EVF mount can be attached by sliding it into the 15-mm rod mount on the front of the top handle. It features an 8.5-in. standard rail to move the monitor closer to or farther from the operator. Once the monitor is mounted, it can be rotated to provide a comfortable viewing angle. Recently Brian Kennedy, of the Texas-based Kennedy Bros Productions, used the rig for “whenever we needed shots of vehicles passing by, panning shots, tracking the vehicle. Shooting from the back seat of a car filming another vehicle was great – and useful for moving shots. What impressed me most was how easy it is to unmount the camera from shoulder rig shot to tripod.”

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FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN ALL CATEGORIES INCLUDING

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

PHEDON PAPAMICHAEL, ASC, GSC

“THE BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR.” “PHEDON PAPAMICHAEL’S CINEMATOGRAPHY IS EXCELLENT.”

FILM.NETFLIXAWARDS.COM BOLD DIRECTION S

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GEAR GUIDE

Panasonic LUMIX Box $1,999 WWW.PANASONIC.COM

Panasonic recently announced the release of its first box-style LUMIX Digital Single Lens Mirrorless Camera, the DC-BGH1. It is based on the Micro Four Thirds System standard and makes use of an extensive interchangeable lens lineup. With the increasing streaming opportunities in addition to traditional broadcasting, this easy-toinstall camera offers high expandability, and multi-camera control – everything from drones to IP remote control to live streaming and more. “The BGH1 offers big camera image quality and utility for those tight shooting spaces,” observes Local 600 DIT Earl Fulcher, who recently worked with the new camera on ABC-TV’s The Rookie. The BGH1 integrates a 10.2-megapixel Live MOS Sensor with Dual Native ISO technology and the Venus Engine. It enables 4:2:0 10-bit C4K/4K 60p or 4:2:2 10-bit C4K/4K 30p internal video recording and can record video with a designated gamma curve compatible with ITU-R BT.2100.

Users can also choose Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) in Photo Style, and a low-bit-rate recording mode C4K/4K HEVC/H.265 for HLG is also available. V-Log L now features log characteristics with 13 stops of wide dynamic range and is preinstalled. It is also capable of 4K 4:2:2 10-bit C4K/4K 60p output over HDMI. The BGH1 is the first Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera that has been approved by Netflix. It follows the Lumix S1H that was approved last year.

Sony G Master Lenses $599–$649 WWW.SONY.COM

The newest addition to Sony’s G Master full-frame lens series, the FE 35mm F1.4 GM, delivers exquisite resolution and intelligent focusing technology with a tiny form factor. “It’s not only a great lens for shooting stills, but also for shooting video,” says Beauty and Portrait Photographer Miguel Quiles. “The compact size makes it easy to use on a smaller gimbal.” State-of-the-art algorithms, developed specifically for Sony’s XD Linear Motors, improve control response and precision while minimizing vibration and noise for fast, smooth and silent AF performance. Advanced focusing can also be achieved when shooting at a high frame rate. Linear Response ensures the focus ring responds to subtle control when focusing manually and is ideal for creative focusing effects when shooting video. The focusring rotation translates directly to a corresponding change in focus, so control feels immediate and precise.The combination of F1.4 maximum aperture and the minimum focusing distance to just 10.6 in. allows for ultimate control with creamy bokeh in close-ups. “35mm is such a versatile focal length that it makes this lens a no-brainer for hybrid shooters who use their cameras for both stills and video,” Quiles adds.

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FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

CHRIS MENGES

WATCH THE TRAILER

REPLAY

The Equalizer

BY PAULINE ROGERS PHOTOS BY BARBARA NITKE

“I’m the one you call when you can’t call 911.”

Sound familiar? It was 1985 when Robert McCall (played by Edward Woodward) made this catchphrase popular for CBS TV’s hit crime drama The Equalizer – so much so that Denzel Washington brought the characters into movie theaters in a feature version not once, but twice – in 2014 and 2018. What does a third incarnation of The Equalizer look like in 2021? The series debuted on CBS earlier this month with Robyn McCall (Queen Latifah) now coming to the aid of desperate New Yorkers, a woman with a unique skill set to help others who have nowhere else to turn. Her deductive reasoning is acute, and her physical prowess is

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impressive, with Queen Latifah doing many of her own stunts.

There’s rarely a lull in the action in this new reboot. Take the chase scene in the pilot episode, which features a transport van carrying a young woman named Jewel who’s been wrongly accused of murder. McCall, on her motorcycle, roars out of an alley and takes off to pursue the van as it passes by. As she rides, she’s talking via earpiece with her partner Mel (Liza Lapira), who is positioned on the fourth floor of a nearby parking garage.

When Mel shoots out the van’s tires, it skids and turns to a stop. McCall pulls up, smashes the cab, and tosses a smoke grenade into the van to disorient the two police officers

Runner camera car, motorcycle tow dolly and a Scorpio 23-foot telescoping crane with Libra head for closer hero shots of Queen on the bike. We mixed in some Cooke Xtal Express anamorphic lens shots of her riding the motorcycle on this rig. The Xtal Express gave dramatic flares and texture for key, signature Equalizer moments in the pilot.” (Kelly says the primary package was Panaspeed primes and various zooms on ALEXA MINI LF.)

inside. She then gets into a bit of hand-tohand combat with one of the cops, taking and disarming his gun. She returns to the back of the van, gets Jewel out, and they hop on her motorcycle, blazing off down a side alley as cop cars approach behind them.

So how challenging is an action scene like that to pull off, especially with COVID-19 safety protocols in place? Such requirements as crew and cast remaining ten feet apart, coronavirus testing five to six times per week, face masks, goggles, and face shields that fog glasses or goggles (it’s cold in Newark in the winter) all make it difficult to see the shot or the monitor.

Planning the stunt also had to be made COVID safe – plexiglass inside the van for cast and crew, and safety for all when a smoke bomb is set off. According to the creative team – Director Liz Friedlander, 1st AD Tony Phillippe, Stunt Coordinator Melissa Stubbs, and Director of Photography Gavin Kelly, who all help to break down the process – it’s a challenging new normal.

“The first thing we learned was that the motorcycle rescue was way more sequence than we had time to shoot in one day,” Phillippe recalls. “So we decided to break it into a main-unit day and a stunt-unit day.” The team decision was to employ the main unit to capture Queen Latifah doing as much in the scene as possible, with the 2nd unit – led by Director of Photography Teo Maniaci – to shoot additional motorcycle action shots with stunt doubles.

“It’s one thing to see a figure in all black and a helmet kick some cop’s butt, but it’s way more exciting when she flips her helmet up, and it’s Queen Latifah,” Phillippe adds.

Friedlander and Kelly plotted the cameras in a leapfrog manner, “so that we would be shooting several pieces of the sequence at once,” the director shares. Kelly says, “We shot Queen actually pulling out from the small alley on her motorcycle. Then we used the Road

placing you right in the middle of the action,” Kelly adds. “There were three cameras on the ground and one up on the fourth-floor parking garage vantage point. We then went in for the tighter performance and action work with Queen, who did her own action work with the cops and Jewel around the van. We also did some further shots with Queen’s stunt double of specific action beats.”

Friedlander says that “part of the fun was planning out how to hide cameras from other ones. Our cameras stretched out over a city block, and one of the biggest challenges was cabling to monitors and the DIT so that we could watch. This resulted in even more ‘fun’ since it was also freezing and started to snow – on one of the shortest days of the year.”

Kelly and Friedlander decided to shoot a 90-degree shutter for most of the action in the series, including this major set-piece, “to make everything feel crisp and hyper-real,” Friedlander adds. “Gavin and I chose handheld to give even more of a sense of urgency. It forced us to make strong decisions – and move quickly.”

With a careful shot layout, it fell to Stunt Coordinator Stubbs [ICG Magazine June/July 2019] to execute the action safely. Questions that were answered included who was real, who was stunt, where the cameras were, and what safety restraints were needed for cast and crew, with Stubbs’ production-note sketches filling an entire book. To make sure the riding action was effective, Stubbs worked with Latifah to fine-tune her handling of the BMW motorcycle.

“Conscious of where Gavin placed the cameras, I turned to the key part of the sequence – the bike/van,” Stubbs shares.

“The NYPD van was the set. When the picture car department brought it in, someone forgot to check if the doors opened or the seat configuration in the back allowed Queen to pull

Four cameras were used for the van’s tire being blown, skidding to a stop, and the motorcycle action. “We had a mix of kinetic angles on long zooms on dollies, and then handheld angles

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Jewel out. Of course, the van doors would not open, and the seat configuration made it impossible for her to get to the girl!”

Kelly sympathizes with Stubbs, whom he calls “unflappable,” and was in constant communication with Safety, stunt people, cast, and Camera.

“Filmmaking is a process of creative adaptation in real-time,” Kelly describes. “It’s art crammed into a pressure-cooker, and that’s part of what I love about it. You have a solid plan, but you always know it’s going to evolve once you’re on set.”

The director of photography says they shot other angles of specific action on the fourth floor with Mel sniping, while the van-door issue was rectified. “And there was a B-plan forming for what we’d do if the doors wouldn’t open, of how we’d shoot around the issue and re-stage some of the action,” he adds. “But fortunately, they finally got them open. There wasn’t a minute to spare on such a packed day – so we just kept shooting.”

A-Camera Operator/Steadicam Dave Isern, SOC, describes being on a long lens until the vehicles came to a stop. “After that, I went in close-range handheld with McCall as she stormed the police van,” he recounts. “Later on, when we shot those close-up shots with the process trailer,

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a mounted motorcycle would lean from side to side, to help sell the action.”

Kelly sagely notes that “even when not in the midst of a pandemic, every member of the team has to be on the ball, thinking several steps ahead to bring an ambitious show to life, day to day, safely. During these COVID times, the challenge is greater on every level. You have to map-out and think everything through with protocols in mind.”

That meant deploying a Local 600 camera team that functioned as one entity.

“Dave Isern on A-Cam and Rachael Levine on B-Cam, along with Blake Johnson on C, worked as collaborative operators,” Kelly adds. “And our Key 1st AC, Ben Spaner, was the ‘Zen master’ in keeping things running smoothly with crew and camera packages, helped by excellent support from Panavision New York. DIT Tiffany ArmourTejada always had my back as we moved quickly, juggling cameras and looks across many setups.

“I’m proud of what we were able to achieve in this dynamic pilot sequence,” Kelly concludes. “It really helped establish the look, tone, and energy for the series. And it was a lot of fun! I know there were plenty of smiles behind all the PPE. At least I hope so.”

LOCAL 600 CREW Director of Photography Gavin Kelly A-Camera/Steadicam Operator Dave Isern, SOC A-Camera 1st AC Ben Spaner A-Camera 2nd AC Katherine Rivera B-Camera Operator Rachael Levine, SOC B-Camera 1st AC Filipp Penson B-Camera 2nd AC Robbie Cline C-Camera Operator Blake Johnson DIT Tiffany Armour-Tejada Loaders Peter Perlman Ivana Bernal Still Photographer Barbara Nitke

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Joachim Zell

BY MICHAEL CHAMBLISS PHOTO COURTESY OF MORNINGSTAR PRODUCTIONS

The HPA (Hollywood Professional Association) Tech Retreat has become the preeminent industry gathering for creation, management, and distribution of media content. Last year, for its 25th anniversary,

the moviemaking process didn’t really work in the cloud at that time. But we got much better. Then we started to think about this year’s 2021 HPA Tech Retreat. We already knew that, because of the

Joachim “JZ” Zell, ACES Project Vice Chair, AMPAS, HPA Board of Directors Member, and reknowned technologist, produced a full day’s demonstration of new filmmaking technologies ranging from virtual production to cloud-based workflows. This year JZ is taking it global, sharing with ICG readers HPA’s game plan for a new, virtually connected industry.

pandemic, we couldn’t meet in Palm Springs, with 600 people in a big conference room, so we opened it up to the whole world.

We contacted Sandra De Silva De La Torre, who produced the ASC Masterclass in Mexico City, and the team from a cinematography masterclass in Dubai agreed to work with us, too. I’d just finished working on Disney’s Mulan, with Mandy Walker, ASC and Ruby Bell, and knew they were filming a secret project in Brisbane. They made time to hire a crew and gave up a weekend to film a short film on Australia’s Gold Coast. Last year, I went to a film festival in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, with Kees Van Oostrum, ASC, where we met filmmakers and the whole stunt crew from Mulan. They wanted to be part of it, too. But then there were three cases of COVID in Mongolia, and their president shut the whole country down. But they had another idea,

2020 was the 25th anniversary of the HPA Tech Retreat, so we thought we’d do something special.

We looked at all the vendors who wanted to support the HPA or present their technology, and we found out that we could make a movie. And since it was 2020, we thought we’d make it directly in the cloud, because that’s the trendiest thing you can do! How could we have known that just one month later, we’d have to do everything in the cloud? We learned a lot and had to sometimes go to plans B and C because

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and they are making an animated project for the Supersession. We also have a team in London making a short.

In Hollywood, Steve Yedlin, ASC [ICG December 2017] is shooting on a virtual production stage. While I wasn’t sure about repeating virtual production again this year, it’s what everybody in the whole world is talking about. There’s a lot of information on virtual production, but we’re all still in the discovery phase.

Epic Games and their Unreal Engine is supporting us, along with Framestore and WETA, who are working on the background plates. USC’s Entertainment Technology Center [ETC @ USC] has come on board as well. It’s really great news that, as it turns out, five of our directors and two of our cinematographers are women. We didn’t try to enable that, it just happened.

For this year’s HPA, there will be live viewing from everywhere, and heavy lifting into the cloud. Each location will use transmitters on their cameras. Some are from Teradek and others from Samara, who incorporate cellular SIM cards into their transmitters.

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The image flows straight from the camera onto the World Wide Web with the help of a cell connection.

As a producer, I can watch everybody around the world filming. But the rub is that it’s all in different time zones. We got Amazon, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud on board, so we mixed it up with different locations using different cloud providers.

We’re shooting nothing below 4K. Some crews thought they could upload from home and realized the next morning that not much happened because the files were so big. That sent them searching for friends with fast internet connections.

Regarding metadata, workflows and crew roles, we needed a production data-management tool for each city. Moxion and Frame.io, which both won HPA Engineering Awards for their systems last year, were joined by 5th Kind, Adobe and BeBop

scene, slate and take. That complicates how we arrange data or create our shooting protocols. As for handling time code – how the audio department works with the camera department is handled differently in different countries, and this was an eye-opener. Everybody understands workflow in slightly different ways. MovieLabs jumped in to help us at least establish naming and data-handling conventions, but there’s still a lot of work to do in this area.

The cloud is great, but we’re still human beings.

This makes it interesting to see how quickly we can react and assign tasks to different people around the world when we’re working in the cloud. We can collaborate instantly whether scouting, shooting, editing or compositing. We may not be in paradise

temperature in the room and to feel how someone reacts to something.

As a technologist, I’m impressed at how we now can be virtually on the set, transmit audio and image, generate instant dailies, and everybody can theoretically see everything right away. But many, many creatives are fighting that new aspect of our business, because we want to test certain situations: we want to get a bad take and the good take and try another take. But, if somebody doesn’t know the purpose of what we just did, we might get thrown under the bus because a studio executive who cannot be there looks in just at the time when we do something really bad, without understanding the context.

We need to learn how to manage this freedom of instantly sharing data. We’ll have to create

Technology. When it comes to implementing data management, it turns out that we don’t mean the same thing even when we call it the same thing.

It was interesting to find out how much talking is still needed. And we have to account for different filming styles around the world. In America, we have scene and take, and in Europe we have

yet, but hopefully we’ll be showing producers how it can be done and how artists can become a part of a Hollywood blockbuster movie without actually moving to Hollywood. And yet what this pandemic has shown is that we still all want to be together for the core decisions, because that’s what human beings do. We need to huddle together – to feel the

boundaries and guide [this process] in the right direction. Perhaps it’s going to boil down to choices between quality and quantity. Quantity definitely benefits from cloud production. But, for a high level of quality, I think you’ll be able to tell that the people were together and got the best out of it by being together.

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7 CRITICS

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“ W H AT ’ S M O S T U N E X P E C T E D A N D B E A U T I F U L LY C O N V E Y E D T H R O U G H D P DA R I U S Z W O L S K I ’ S W I D E - S C R E E N L E N S , I S H O W R E L E VA N T T H I S O L D - FA S H I O N E D W E S T E R N F E E L S TO DAY.” S C R E E N

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Holly Connors VICE PRESIDENT OF WORLDWIDE PHOTOGRAPHY, PARAMOUNT PICTURES PHOTO BY ELISABETH CAREN

Local 600 Publicity Member Holly Connors remembers that growing up in the rural town of Trenton, Tennessee, she “really wanted to work on feature films, so I just loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly Hills.” Connors, who has served as Vice President of Worldwide Photography at Paramount Studios since 2017, also says she was lucky – her best friend from Trenton had graduated from the University of Southern California, and her roommate was publicist Stacia Brigham, who introduced Holly to TriStar’s Barbara Lakin. “Barb and I hit it off immediately,” Connors adds. Connors, Lakin, and another now-close friend, Chrissy Quesada, Vice President of Photographic Services for Sony Pictures, worked together for almost ten years.

Over her nearly 30-year career, Connors has helmed photo departments at Sony, MGM, UA, Insight Creative Media, and now Paramount. Each project, she reflects, has left a mark – some emotionally, some creatively. “The film Ali was so amazing,” she recalls, “as one of the producers was photographer Howard Bingham, who was also Muhammad Ali’s great friend.

Working with Howard, who had documented Ali’s entire career, made me feel greatly connected to that project. So much so, that one day I was editing a tall stack of black-and-white proofs and looked up to see Howard standing at my door with The Champ himself. Ali was the most humble, gentle spirit, and very funny. It was mind-blowing that this man was also the greatest boxer of all time.”

Connors says one of the most exciting changes in publicity photography was when projects began to combine CGI and live action. For the Stuart

Little franchise, she worked with Guild Unit Still Photographer Peter Iovino to create some early images before the final VFX. On Men in Black, Connors grew her appreciation of what a passionate and meticulous unit photographer could accomplish with Melinda Sue Gordon, SMPSP. But the ultimate effects film was Spider-Man 3.

“We had several photographers on that film, but Merie Wallace [SMPSP] was our primary,” Connors adds. “Because the film was so VFX-heavy, most of which would not be completed until close to the film’s release, we had to create many effects in Photoshop. That team consisted of Josh Matas, who coordinated feedback with Director Sam Raimi; Photo Editor and then Junior Publicist Monica Guzman; and our in-house retoucher, Graphic Artist Elizabeth Prochow, who had to add individual grains of sand into the final shots.”

There’s also a personal story from another favorite project – Sense and Sensibility, for which Clive Coote shot unit stills. “At one point, I got word that Emma did not like the shots we had chosen for publicity, and she wanted to meet with me,” Connors reflects. “She was staying at producer Lindsay Doran’s house, so I packed my red Chevy truck with boxes of slides and black-and-white proofs. The parking was at the bottom of a hill and the house at the top. I schlepped all the boxes up one by one to the front door and then rang the bell. Emma came to the door and hugged me. Then she helped me bring the boxes into this incredible room – and offered to make tea. I sat there as she yelled to me from the kitchen about how many lumps of sugar! When we

started to go through the stills, it turned out I had Emma looking too proper. I had been trained not to select images with actors having their mouths hanging open, but this is exactly what she wanted.

They needed expression. This forever changed the way I approached editing photos.”

Of the more recent projects she’s helmed at Paramount, Connors says putting the elements together for the Elton John biopic Rocketman truly showed the range of creative challenges for photo departments. The script was a visual feast, leading her to work with International Publicity’s Liz West to come up with multiple shoots – requiring several specialists.

“We wanted someone in the art world to cover the fashion element, an iconic rock-and-roll photographer to cover performance elements with Taron as Elton, and a journalistic photographer to do portraits of the key characters in a reportage/ editorial manner,” Connors details. “My team – Photo Editors/Senior Publicists Denise Cubbins, Liz David, and intern Laura Cameron – and I brainstormed with Louise Kaufman, who runs our New York office.

Louise brought up Terry O’Neill, whom we asked to shoot the Dodger stadium scene [where John wore a sequined Dodgers uniform]. Terry wasn’t in great health, but he art-directed the shot, and his former lifelong assistant, Richard Pereira, an accomplished photographer, was behind the camera.”

Unit photographer David Appleby, who worked on Pink Floyd’s The Wall, was hired to do stills for the unique Rocketman campaign. Appleby covered high-resolution plates of the sets. His wife, Julia,

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shot galleries and detailed images of Julian Day’s costumes, including hats, glasses, shoes, boots, and other accessories. Gavin Bond, well known for his work on Victoria’s Secret campaigns as well as the Cannes Film Festival and other red-carpet events, captured reportage and advertising key art. Because the fashion was so important, Connors wanted to make Sir Elton John as comfortable as possible with the direction and brought in his close friend and longtime collaborator, David LaChapelle.

“On shoot day, just after production wrapped in London, we pulled together six different baby grand pianos, set up a costume shop, which also included many of Elton’s personal collection with one-of-akind Gucci pieces,” she continues. “David and Jo Hambro, who had styled Elton personally for years,

sensibility that matches the film she sees in her head.

“I try to think about the kind of attitude and degree of physicality required,” she explains. “An action film that is shooting all nights is not for everyone, nor is a comedy shoot ideal for a more serious artistic type. The still photographer needs to be someone who has enough ego to be able to gain the trust of the actors confidently, but also someone who can be a fly on the wall when it’s required. It’s such a challenging craft! The unit photographer is all things to all people as they are not there to make the movie, so they have to get along with everyone and still get the job done.”

Connors says a great example of this kind of talent is Local 600 Unit Still Photographer Scott Garfield, who shot Paramount’s upcoming Top

“We coordinated with Scott to show images biweekly at the Naval Airbase in San Diego so that we could get feedback from Tom and other filmmakers.

We ended up with images that are not only gorgeous but also reflect the special Top Gun look that’s true to the heart of the story.”

For Connors, being a member of The Publicists Guild is not just the professional stature – her title at Paramount gives her that – it’s about the relationships she has built with other industry members. “There’s a sense of family in our group as we share a protectiveness of talent and the filmmakers,” she shares. “We work with very public people in some of their most vulnerable moments and keep it to ourselves.”

Connors says many publicists led the way

organized the elements.

“The shoot was done primarily for international covers, but also ended up being used for the wildly colorful teaser poster, which producer David Furnish and Elton agreed captured the phantasmagorical nature of the film and Elton himself.”

Such a project is, Connors says, where she really shines – finding the photographer who has a visual

Gun: Maverick. “Scott has the ability to get inside the action and reveal the heart and soul of a film,” Connors outlines. “Tom Cruise’s passion and drive for excellence ups everyone’s A-game, and we needed someone who could work well with Tom directly, as well as Director Joe Kosinski and Producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who happens to be an accomplished photographer himself.

for her generation, “and many who will follow me,” she concludes. “However, there’s one for me who will always be the dearest: the late, great Stanley Brossette, who never shared the stories of his years with Elvis, or Bette Davis, or Sharon Stone. Stanley was a mentor to me and so many others as to how to weather the storms of our business with grace – and a smile.”

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Mark Worthington PRODUCTION DESIGNER - WANDAVISION

BY KEVIN H. MARTIN PHOTO BY PRASHANT GUPTA

WandaVision production designer Mark Worthington attended Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama’s graduate program to pursue a career in set and costume design for the theater. After venturing into film design on a whim, he quickly amassed a variety of art-direction credits on feature projects ranging from the comedic (Legally Blonde 2 and Wag the Dog) to action fare (U.S. Marshals) and drama (The Chamber). Television soon beckoned, and after a short stint in the art department on the long-running ABC series Lost, Worthington served as production designer for Ugly Betty’s full run, where he earned his first two of eight Emmy nominations. After a lengthy tenure on American Horror Story, Worthington, who also teaches production design at UCLA, designed the pilot installments of Star Trek: Discovery, Watchmen, and The Umbrella Academy before taking on productiondesigner duties on the new Disney+ MCU series.

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ICG: Given the diverse design challenges in each episode of WandaVision, did you approach the project piecemeal? Mark Worthington: Matt Shakman, who directed all of the episodes, took the approach that this was one long-form story, and that’s how we boarded and shot it. That’s a different approach than you’d take with multiple directors in an episodic series. Conceptually, by knowing where it starts and ends, you can modulate each visual change.

Tell us about your working relationship with Director of Photography Jess Hall [ASC, BSC].

Jess is one of the most collaborative, intelligent, and skillful DPs I’ve ever worked with. That sounds like hyperbole, but bear in mind I’ve also worked with Billy Fraker [ASC], Bob Richardson [ASC], and Fred Elmes [ASC], who is another one of my favorites.

With Jess, there were none of the cliché tensions that come up between departments, so the product is ultimately better because of his openness to considering the approaches of others. He and I worked very closely in prep, agreeing on the palette as it applied to sets, wardrobe and lighting. Even though some of the final product would be black and white, you had to be careful because of the way certain colors translated, and that required a ton of camera testing to get the period feel right.

The early reviews mentioned just how accurate the period recreations are. Some of those comments, which I guess were intended as compliments, have said we “slavishly” recreated the era. But the truth is that we interpreted each era, filtering them through the eyes of our characters.

These worlds are less-than-faithful recreations, which becomes clear later in the story, so there’s an element of subjectivity that weighs on and colors the presentation. Tonally, it was a complex puzzle for Camera, Costuming, and the art department to put together.

How do you coordinate and supervise all the art being produced to design these alt-realities on a TV schedule? Designers and creative artists in this world are always part of a team, but the relationships are more nuanced and complex than that. Production is an organism formed when individuals come together in all of these necessary contributing roles. No one’s going to get – or should get – everything they want … not even the director.

Matt is a lovely collaborative person, but seriously specific about what he finds to be important.

There is a kind of obsessiveness, as irritating or as impossible as it can be, that comes with a certain intensity of vision. But that’s good because you

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need a leader who is smart enough to understand processes and meticulous enough to get everyone to the finish line.

The first art director credit I saw for you was the Kurt Russell – Val Kilmer western Tombstone, shot by William Fraker, ASC, as you noted. I got that two years out of Carnegie Mellon, and I had no business being on a film that big, but doing a movie appealed to me, and I thought: Why not?

[Production Designer] Catherine Hardwicke picked me for it. It was shot in Arizona and nobody thought it would do any business because all the money was on the [Lawrence Kasdan-directed] Wyatt Earp shooting in New Mexico. Billy Fraker was DP and later I did Town and Country with him. I miss him even now.

Your first project for JJ Abrams, the pilot for Lost, didn’t seem to feature the strong aspect of fantasy up front. At that point, I had been an art director on features and done smaller films as a production designer. Production designer Scott Chambliss was JJ’s guy going back to Alias, so he recommended me, as I had done plane crashes. We had four-and-a-half weeks, and the brief was, “Treat

this as an action film.” So, in doing two episodes back to back, it was like a feature film. It was challenging because the studio was stunned by the costs – it was probably the most expensive pilot up to that time. Lost was my intro to TV. In retrospect, was that atypical? Does the separation between features and TV still hold? No, the walls have all come down. You see production value on original streaming projects that exceed a lot of low-budget features, and in some cases, like Game of Thrones, you wind up with material that looks better than big features. But less than a decade ago, it was a different story. Studio production for TV mainly was looked at in terms of broadcast. But when you get Ryan Murphy doing American Horror Story for FX, just when that entity was turning into something more like premium cable, you begin a dialog using a different language, asking if this story should be told in long form or shorter form. That could be shorthand for “TV” and “feature,” but the instrumentality we use to view the material now is largely the same. You can choose to watch Star Wars or Lawrence of Arabia on your iPhone – not that I’d recommend it. [Laughs.] It’s not so much how it is purveyed but what the narrative necessity is, which British TV recognized ahead of us.

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soft light if he needed it to be. Table practicals are bread-and-butter, but that’s still always a conversation I have with the cinematographer and the gaffer, and oftentimes the grip since things have to be built in. On Star Trek: Discovery, we had miles of LED strip lights in those sets. The studio was shocked by the outlay, but when you turn those on, the set is effectively already lit, except for when you need close coverage. You can just tweak and go.

You were on American Horror Story for nearly five seasons. Did the anthology-like format help keep things fresh? Ryan [Murphy] has a vision. I was responding to the material and Ryan’s sensibilities, so it grew into what you saw, which was a departure from the norm. And Director of Photography Michael Goi [ASC] might know more about the horror genre than any living person – he is a tremendous

Your starting point is always provisional because nobody knows what will end up on screen. I tend to come up with iterations, so it’s like I’m offering up a set of flavors. The reason cinema is such a robust art form owes more to the visuals being at the core of the experience. That doesn’t take away from the importance of good writing, but the medium is capable of so much more than talking

cinephile with encyclopedic knowledge. The conversations between Ryan, Michael and I always used shorthand film references. Ryan could just say, “This needs to be very Eyes of Laura Mars,” and we’d get it. For example, the carpet in the hotel in Season 5 is a homage to The Shining; it doesn’t duplicate so much as possess a graphic quality that suggests the Overlook. There are lots of embedded things you might not recognize, but a cinematic history informs what we did. I’m usually one to move on because things start to feel itchy after a while – but every season on AHS was a completely new world, except for the occasional character crossover. A career’s worth of design in five years.

heads. And, of course, cinematic expectations in TV are building, so the tension of money is increasingly a factor when you try to meet those grander visuals.

You have to live inside that tension. I don’t always navigate it gracefully, but I do make a good effort.

Do you allocate time for research before creating artwork? It’s usually concurrent. I may start with a sketch from an idea I need to get down on paper.

With today’s camera sensors able to see in the dark, it’s possible to light a scene with practicals alone. Do your discussions with a DP often revolve around building such units into your sets? On AHS, Michael would always use practicals to light the actors. Generally, I like to come to the DP and ask whether he or she wants architecturally embedded lighting, especially if it’s a substantial build that will be seen over multiple episodes. The hotel in AHS Season 5 is a good example. It had lighting that could offer Michael different things. There was a skylight overhead that could become a beautiful

Your website seems to reinforce the notion that your illustration work is consciously intended more like a plan for the film than art for its own sake. It made me think of a film that seemed to demonstrate the reverse – The Fifth Element – where the concept art book is more fun to look at than the film. The Fifth Element is an interesting example of how a film can fail in some major ways – including the dramatic aspect – but you still can’t turn your eyes away. It’s baroque in design, inconsistent in performance, and one of those films where part of me wishes I could have gotten my hands on it, too, perhaps to be a bit more thoughtful about what it needed to be.

But the vision was bold, and obviously all of the various artists involved had the courage of their convictions, which you have to respect. Of course, then there’s a fantasy film like Buckaroo Banzai, which features organic-looking spaceships [based on seashells] that look goofy but still work because it’s original and plays against sciencefiction tropes. Inside the craft, they had control seats hanging like swings!

Any thoughts on design avenues outside mainstream film, like VR and gaming? I’m not into gaming at all, but I am fascinated with it as an alternate form of narrative. It’s a nascent story type that, when it matures, could have some genuine artistic impact. I think there will always be a need to retain traditional narrative; you wouldn’t want to see James Joyce done as a game. [Laughs.] But a narrative operating on a level other than violence and action that invited audience participation? I’d like to see what storytelling might look like once you put away all the killing with automatic weapons. Given that an immersive experience leads to greater emotional investment, what does that mean in narrative terms? And how does that impact your designs for the look of this world? I can’t help but think we’ll see an idea in gaming that uses narrative in a groundbreaking way. With any change, there are things gained and lost. I just hope to react to those changes in some way other than taking on the “crabby old man” aspect. [Laughs.]

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01 EUPHORIA

AN AMERICAN TEEN DRAMA T E L E V I S I O N S E R I E S CREATED AND WRITTEN B Y S A M L E V I N S O N FOR HBO, LOOSELY BASE D O N T H E I S R A E L I MINISERIES OF THE SAME N A M E . I T F O L L O W S A GROUP OF HIGH SCHOOL S T U D E N T S T H R O U G H THEIR EXPERIENCE S O F S E X , D R U G S , FRIENDSHIPS, LOVE, IDEN T I T Y A N D T R A U M A .

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PHOTOS BY EDDY CHEN

“We are making a show that looks like how today’s youth imagine themselves. So instead of going for something realistic, we had a more expressionistic approach based on the exaggerated emotional drive of the characters. We called it ‘emotional realism.’”

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That’s how Local 600 Director of Photography Marcell Rév describes the unique look and feel of HBO’s runaway hit drama Euphoria. The Hungary-born Rév adds that he and Sam Levinson, Euphoria’s writer/producer/director/creator, “take this generation seriously. We aren’t trying to make a teen show, but rather a show about issues we think are important. It’s a very personal project for Sam, involving a lot from his own experiences. Honest things are always easy to relate to.”

This is the third project for Levinson and Rév, who partnered on 2018’s Assassination Nation and the upcoming Malcolm & Marie.

Rév, who shot the pilot and two other episodes, notes that “Sam writes movie scenes with a vision already in mind. That sounds simple, but it’s so rare to come across. Also, he is a hard-working person who likes planning but can be flexible on the day, and that is the right combination, in my opinion. I like his taste

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and bravery, and he runs a fun set, which is an important thing if you spend a lot of time shooting.”

From the first day of the show’s pilot, Levinson and Rév treated the series more like a movie-style project. “By that,” Rév adds, “we mean it’s more of an auteur-style approach, both stylistically and the way we planned production and picked our crew. We looked at a lot of movies. I remember we both were inspired by the camera moves in Magnolia. I even called Key Grip Jeff Kunkel, who usually works with [Magnolia director] Paul Thomas Anderson, and he ended up working with us on the show. Another reference was the Hungarian movie from the early ’80s Time Stands Still, by Péter Gothár.”

“The result,” adds Director of Photography Adam Newport-Berra, who shot episodes 107 and 108 – Drew Daniels and André Chemetoff lensed the remaining episodes – “is a vibrant, fast-paced, visual feast. It’s

vivid and maximalist. Impressionist and uncompromising. Intimate yet grand.”

If that all sounds like a lot to digest for the Local 600 camera team – that’s true, but in the best possible way. As 1st AC Norris Fox describes: “It’s by far the most challenging show concerning focus I have ever done.

Every episode has an opening sequence with a series of challenging shots – or in some cases, practical effects – that require every department to harmonize on one take. We shot 95 percent of the season on one [Prime DNA] lens that has a special characteristic when pegged wide open at T1.6, which, considering the size of the sensor on the ALEXA 65, gave us an extremely shallow depth of field.

Anybody who has worked with an ALEXA 65, shooting wide open, knows that every take is challenging. I honestly walked away from almost every shot feeling lucky to have gotten

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it. It’s a beast to keep sharp, but I love it.”

The look also tested the mettle of Chief Lighting Technician Danny Durr, who calls Euphoria “the most creatively fulfilling job I had ever been a part of – we were constantly trying to push the limits of how the lighting could be surreal and still very real,” Durr recounts. “When you’re trying to do something original, you constantly have to test yourself and operate outside your comfort zone. Every day we had to come up with creative ways to achieve different shots practically, sometimes even on a whim.”

Durr relied on four 80-foot Condors with two 20K Fresnels, each colored with Lee Filters’ 102 Light Amber, as well as a 120-foot Condor with two 18K ARRIMAX’s and two graduals (one with a lightbox with ARRI SkyPanels and one with Astera Tubes). “The amount of pressure from scheduling, budgeting cost, and other factors can sometimes make you revert to doing things a simpler way. Without the support from [Levinson and Rév], I might

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not have been allowed the luxury of operating more like a feature set lighting team than a television series.”

Keeping that visual language consistent over eight episodes – shot out of order – with four directors of photography fell to Company 3 Senior Colorist Tom Poole (whom Rév describes as a “very experienced colorist with great taste”) and on-set DIT Justin Steptoe.

Poole says the degree of difficulty was part of the allure. “Based on our early conversations, I knew it was going to be a highly visual series, which, for a colorist, is always an enticing prospect,” he notes. “We talked endlessly about our love for how film renders highly saturated colors. The aim was to create a look that had nice filmic contrast with softer highlights and textured blacks. We also added some slight chroma restriction to offset the extreme color palettes of the show.”

Poole created a LUT based on Rév’s light tests, and Steptoe used it on set, tweaking underneath it with the four cinematographers.

Steptoe used Flanders Scientific DM250 monitors with Livegrade.

“Having a set of monitors that are calibrated was very critical to keeping the look of the show consistent,” Steptoe explains. “So was my custom Inovativ with support from Set Carts Industry and upgrade innovations to get around all of our locations.” Rév says Steptoe was not only his exposure guide, “but an important bridge between the four DP’s to keep the visual language together.”

Levinson and Rév established the series standard in the pilot. A rotating hallway sequence simulated Rue (played by Zendaya, who won a 2020 Emmy for her portrayal) woozily walking past partygoers as the space starts to spin. “The whole lighting setup had to move with the set rotating around,” Rév remembers. “We used our own LED lights above the covers of the fixtures, outside the hallway side doors, as well as in the bathroom

PAGES 52/53: “IT’S BY FAR THE MOST CHALLENGING SHOW CONCERNING FOCUS I HAVE EVER DONE,” DESCRIBES 1ST AC NORRIS FOX. “EVERY EPISODE HAS AN OPENING SEQUENCE WITH A SERIES OF CHALLENGING SHOTS – OR IN SOME CASES, PRACTICAL EFFECTS – THAT REQUIRE EVERY DEPARTMENT TO HARMONIZE ON ONE TAKE.

where the shot starts. The bathroom comes apart to give space for the crane pushing through it.” Stunt performers were strapped to the set’s wall and floor.

Most of the action had to be captured incamera. Rév used a telescoping crane and a stabilized M7 head to infuse more life into the sequence. The rig provided the flexibility necessary to vary the rhythm and flow and to follow Zendaya’s performance intimately.

“VFX Supervisor David Van Dyke had to track the camera movement and recreate it on the ground with some extras walking down the hallway,” Rév adds.

Episode 104, “Shook Ones Pt II,” shot in a scant seven days, was another challenging outing.

“There were so many moving parts for the entire production on that episode, and because of how the shooting schedule worked out, it was shot closer to the very beginning of our season,” Durr recalls. “That was one specific time where Sam was editing after

we shot to make sure we got everything he needed. Once we got through that, I knew we were potentially making something special.”

Much of the episode is filmed at a carnival created by Production Designer Michael Grasley to allow the crew to pull off long traveling shots without having to move rides or big structures.

“Sometimes we could utilize both directions of a 400-foot dolly track as two separate scenes,” Rév recounts. “We had Condors with 20Ks and ARRIMAX’s in five locations, so we didn’t have to reposition them to shoot into another direction. On the ground, we had Maxi-Brutes in the distance that could create glow and backlight around structures with the help of a massive amount of smoke.

We had a 12-by-12 softbox on a Manitou so we could easily move around to create soft light in the foreground.” The episode closes with a circle track montage with Rue and Jules (Hunter Schafer, who also wrote the episode “F*ck Anyone Who’s Not a Sea Blob”). Set

pieces were designed on their sides, so when the actors stood, it appeared they were lying in bed. This enabled the camera to dolly around them and disappear into the “ground,” which was actually a set wall.

“It’s trippy,” Rév laughs.

Newport-Berra says, “ The bar had already been set so high, I had to break my back every day to maintain the power of the visual language. The continuity provided by [Durr and Steptoe] was so important. Danny is incredibly talented and was able to help us transform any location into the world of Euphoria. And Justin already had a really strong dial on the show. He kept an eye on exposure and lighting and was an incredibly helpful and creative collaborator.

“One of the scenes I love most is when Jules goes to the club with her friends in the city in Episode 107 [‘The Trials and Tribulations of Trying to Pee While Depressed’],” NewportBerra continues. “We found a location with LED screens covering the ceiling, and after

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Euphoria was the most creatively fulfilling job I had ever been a part of - we were constantly trying to push the limits of how the lighting could be surreal and still very real.”

CHIEF LIGHTING TECHNICIAN DANNY DURR

seeing what the location had to project, we decided to shoot our own plates. We built a water tank on our stages, suspended lighting above the tank, and shot a day’s worth of light reflections in the water. We programmed all of the LED’s for different moments in the club scenes – some playful, some terrifying and strobe-like. That footage was then mapped onto the LED screens, providing a key source of light throughout these very intense scenes.”

Newport-Berra, who was profiled in [ICG Magazine January 2020], is also proud of the episode’s climax, a montage in which Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) has an abortion and breaks up with McKay (Algee Smith), while Fez (Angus Cloud) executes a high-stakes robbery to pay off his blackmailing drug dealers. But Newport-Berra insists the final sequence in the Season 1 finale, “And Salt the Earth Behind You,” was the most difficult to capture. Rue has fallen off the wagon after three months of sobriety and ends the show as it began, stumbling down a dark hallway.

She weaves her way through her home, onto the street, and into a fully choreographic musical number featuring a marching band and a chorus. The action was choreographed

by Grammy-nominated Ryan Heffington, who also choreographed for the Netflix sci-fi series The OA. “We spent a week pre-lighting this set and used over 100 lights. I don’t think you could walk 50 feet in any direction without running into a light,” Newport-Barra says. “They all had to be programmed and remotely controlled

so that they could be turned off when the camera moved into a shadow position around a subject.”

Euphoria’s debut season garnered massive audience appeal, as well as critical success – it was nominated for eight Emmys and won two.

That meant there was plenty of momentum heading into Season 2, which was set to start shooting days before California’s pandemic restrictions shut down production across the industry. With the outlook for the resumption of shooting looking dim, Levinson decided to write two “bridge episodes” to keep fans connected to the show – episodes that would be produced safely with a skeleton crew, adhering to industry-wide COVID-19 safety protocols. The camera department switched to film because the precautions prohibited atmosphere.

Rév, who shot both bridge episodes, explains that “Sam knew we couldn’t go back and do the same crazy things in the middle of the pandemic, so he figured out another way of pushing the style of the show. The safety protocols and the general cautiousness slowed things down, but the core of collaborations didn’t change.”

Durr describes the COVID-safe bridge episodes as “finding a way to move fast, but still moving slower.” He says one of the biggest challenges was communication. “We communicate through facial and physical gestures on a film set. Now we all have masks

on, so sometimes you can’t tell if someone is being serious or if it’s playful banter.” One silver lining was more time for prep. “Because of the COVID element, we were given more prep to make sure the plans we were coming up with would work and everyone was comfortable with them,” Durr adds.

Poole says he, too, appreciated having more time but adds that “little else diverged” from the virtual process he’s been using since the pandemic began. “We have a great virtual workflow at Company 3…and [Marcell and I] had recently graded Malcolm & Marie virtually, so we were pretty dialed-in with the process,” he offers. “I received a flat scan conform of each episode. Marcell and I then selected a LUT to achieve a photochemical – print emulation – aesthetic. We used this LUT for the final grade, where we dialed-in everything to Marcell’s liking.”

The bonus episodes gave Rév the opportunity to experiment in advance of kicking off production for Season 2, which will also be shot on film.

“We found new stylistic and technical choices that make me even more excited about shooting the coming season,” he concludes.

“It’s evolving towards something more detailed – but maybe a bit simpler approach.”

While both fans and industry insiders are all speculating where the show’s meteoric first season will take its characters, Rév is cagey about the direction. “It’s too early to go into depth. I prefer talking about it once we shoot it,” he laughs.

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LOCAL 600 CREW PILOT

SEASON ONE

Directors of Photography Marcell Rév

Directors of Photography Marcell Rév Drew Daniels Adam Newport-Berra André Chemetoff

A-Camera 1st AC Joshua Friz A-Camera 2nd ACs Megan Morris Amanda Darouie B-Camera Operator Cory Geryak

A-Camera Operator Davon Slininger A-Camera 1st AC Norris Fox

Director of Photography Marcell Rév A-Camera 1st AC Norris Fox A-Camera 2nd AC Jonathan Clark B-Camera Operator Rob Witt

B-Camera 1st AC Michael Lincoln

A-Camera 2nd ACs Jonathan Clark (episodes 2-7) David “O.B.” O’Brien (episode 8)

B-Camera 2nd ACs Elver Hernandez

B-Camera Operator Kristen “K2” Correll

DIT Justin Stepto

B-Camera 1st AC Tulio Duenas

Loader Amanda Darouie Nicola Caruso

B-Camera 2nd ACs Gavin Grossi (episodes 2-7) Milan “Miki” Janicin (episode 8)

Loader Emily Goodwin

Still Photographer Eddy Chen Jason LeVeris

DIT Justin Steptoe

Utility Chester Milton

Loaders Baird Steptoe Jr. (episode 2-7) Amanda Darouie (episode 8)

Still Photographer Eddy Chen

Utilities DeWayne Williams Jr. (episode 2-7) Ryan Murray (episode 8) Still Photographer Eddy Chen

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B-Camera 1st ACs Paul Metcalf (episode 200) Lucas Deans (episode 201) B-Camera 2nd AC Jake Magee DIT Justin Steptoe

A ROTATING HALLWAY SEQUENCE IN THE PILOT (SHOT BY RÉV ) SET THE TONE FOR THE SHOW’S CREATIVE RISK-TAKING. “THE WHOLE LIGHTING SETUP HAD TO MOVE WITH THE SET ROTATING AROUND,” RÉV REMEMBERS. “THE BATHROOM COMES APART TO GIVE SPACE FOR THE CRANE PUSHING THROUGH IT.” BOLD DIRECTION S 57

Feature

AN AMERICAN CREATED BY STREAMING SER THE MARVEL C MAXIMOFF/SCA

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WANDAVISION TELEVISI O N M I N I SE R I E S JAC SCHA E F F E R F OR T H E VICE DISN E Y + , B A SE D O N OMICS CHA R A C T E R S W A N D A RLET WITC H A N D V I S I O N .

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HOM SWEET HOME J E S S HALL, ASC, BSC PUTS HIS D O M E S TIC GROOVE ON WANDAVISION , T H E M OST SURPRISING NEW ENTRY IN T H E M ARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE.

BY KEVIN H. MARTIN P H O T O S BY C H U C K Z L O T N I C K SUZANNE TENNER, SMPSP F R A M E G R AB S C O U R T E S Y O F DISNEY+

ME,

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With Avengers: Endgame forming the epic conclusion to Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), it might be reasonable to expect less ambitious followups. But if the new Disney+ streaming entry, WandaVision, is any indication, the future of the MCU promises both exciting creative departures as well as the requisite spectacle.

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Avengers teammates Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and the AI/Android Vision (Paul Bettany) had formed a romantic liaison before Vision’s demise in Infinity War, but when the series begins, they appear to be sharing a state of monochromatic bliss.

Inspired in part by the Marvel Comics series The Vision, the pair’s daily misadventures play out in shifting realities (and over numerous decades) that reflect past TV sitcoms, which are marred only by occasional anachronisms that suggest their idealized reality is just that.

Director of Photography Jess Hall, ASC, BSC, was approached by series director Matt Shakman, who was a fan of Hall’s work on Hot Fuzz and that film’s ability to shift between comedy, action and drama (as does WandaVision). Additionally, the changing environments would require critical attention to color detail, which Hall had demonstrated with his work on Ghost in the Shell [ICG Magazine April 2017]. Hall studied sitcoms from each period, amassing a reference library of stills from each. “I analyzed RGB values of the color palette from the various eras, sharing that data with Costume Designer Mayes Rubio and Production Designer Mark Worthington’s [Exposure, Page 40] art department,” Hall recounts. “That gave us a lot of color integrity and let us play complementary colors in

clothing and on the walls against one another, which I could augment with lighting gels.”

Many of WandaVision’s visual components evolve as episodes progress from early blackand-white-era TV stylings toward modern episodics and eventually a return to MCU standards. “The camerawork, lensing, and composition change as the series progresses, along with the aspect ratio,” Hall adds. “We start with Academy 1:33, then go to 1:78 before winding up at 2:39. Some episodes intermingle period hence the aspect ratio changes or even transitions within single shots.”

While other recent productions, such as Mank, shot by Erik Messerschmidt, ASC, used a sensor that captured in black and white, Hall took a different approach. “Since we’d be moving from black-and-white to color, I didn’t choose a monochrome chip because I wanted a single camera platform throughout.

That’s how I shot for the Smirnoff Infamous Since 1864 commercial (AICP Award winner for Cinematography and Color Grading) which also takes the viewer through various historical periods. I wanted a camera that provided enough image information to allow me a diverse palette in a range of formats, including using 1.3× anamorphics on later episodes. The big sensor of the ALEXA LF, augmented by the LF Mini, provided a flexible platform and a color space I was confident I could push in several directions.”

The monochrome look was built into a LUT designed in collaboration with Technicolor’s Josh Pines and Chris Kutcka. Hall says they largely used the values of color elements inshot to dictate the tonal palette of the blackand-white. “Black-and-white film stocks traditionally do not have equal sensitivity across the color spectrum,” he notes, “so we played with that principle. For example, the walls on The Dick Van Dyke Show [1961–1966] had been painted blue-green, which contrasted nicely with warm skin tones. This enabled us to choose particular colors and enhance their luminance or shift their tonal value individually, without using a key – by applying a color matrix to the RGB image, we could more closely emulate the response of a traditional black and white film stock. Doing this outside of the LUT ultimately gave us more control and flexibility.”

Hall also embarked on a detailed series of lens tests to lock in his variegated approach, with Marvel embracing the testing and the various looks. “Their brief to me was, ‘Bring feature quality to streaming,’” adds Hall, who had never previously shot television.

“At six hours in length, this was like shooting approximately three movies. I had support to go into feature-level prep, especially as we were establishing a new workflow for the streaming platform. Naturally that time was compacted, particularly towards the end of our prep schedule.”

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The lens tests included older glass, with Panavision’s Dan Sasaki rebuilding P-Vintage lenses into new assemblies for the early episodes, augmented by modified Cooke Series 2 zooms. “I attempt to control the look and put my mark on the image by getting as much of the look in-camera [as I can], as opposed to relying too heavily on post,” Hall continues. “We knew it would take work in-camera to get the look for the ’50s/’60s and ’70s eras, in particular. In testing, my preference was for the older lenses, combined with Black Vintage Christian Dior net behind the rear element. However, due to

the scarcity of the original glass, it would have been hard to put two matching sets together.

The lenses were also fragile, so adapting them was complex and would only allow us to push the characteristics so far.”

The option for Hall was to explore what Sasaki had described as “adaptive optics.”

“According to Sasaki, this concept was exploited beyond anything Panavision had done on any previous project.” Adaptive optics involves a new optical assembly that incorporates additional elements to the existing glass. Hall says this approach “enabled

us to get close to our desired look, which was formed in part by period authenticity and partly reflected my own aesthetic preferences in terms of what the narrative required.”

Hall says the adaptive optics let him push lensing anomalies and character further than simply detuning or using existing vintage glass. “It wasn’t a uniform application,” he explains. “We were able to alter the image in terms of fall-off in focus, highlight halation and lens curvature, in addition to softening the image in selective color. We built two full sets for episodes 1 through 3 and scaled them

“I analyzed RGB values of the color palette from the various eras, sharing that data with Costume Designer Mayes Rubio and Production Designer Mark Worthington’s art department.”

JESS HALL, ASC, BSC

so that the characteristics varied in relation to the iris. I could shoot these lenses for the ’70s-era shows at a T4-5.6 for a moderate look, then shoot the same glass at T2.5-2.8 for the ’50s look and achieve a more dramatic effect.”

The team built a unique 50mm and 75mm portrait lens for Wanda’s close-ups, which emulated a look Hall had seen in prep when he projected 35-millimeter prints of Bewitched [1964–1972], sourced from the show’s original negative. “They used a more classic, cinematic beautification of Elizabeth Montgomery on these shots than I’d associate with TV of the period,” Hall adds. “In fact, these close-ups fetishize her beauty in a way that struck me as both unusual and impactful.” Hall says they enhanced the center-weighted aspect of the portrait lenses, providing an increase in the fall-off in focus, as well as increased softness and halation. “I think these special lenses helped express Wanda’s character predicament, highlighting the grief and isolation at key dramatic moments.”

Episodes taking place in more recent TV eras were shot with Panaspeed primes and Fujinon zooms, while full-on MCU aspects relied on Ultra Panatars, which was the same series of lenses used in Avengers: Endgame. In all, Hall wielded 47 different lenses.

“Since we were among the first Marvel shows on Disney+, I was deeply involved with Marvel’s post team, led by Evan Jacobs and Mike Maloney,” Hall continues. “We collaborated on

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their initial workflow and HDR testing that would, to a greater extent, extend into the rest of MCU, Phase 4 streaming work. They had not mastered in HDR on set for the previous features, instead doing a conversion. This time, though, I worked with 4K HDR monitors on set; DIT Kyle Spicer had to completely redesign the HDR cart to work in 4K live.”

Two 32-inch Sony HX-310s and a pair of PVM A250s for SDR viewing made up Spicer’s viewing station. “Those monitors were beasts, just incredibly heavy,” states 1st AC Sean Moe. “Kyle had to have help to lift them off his cart each night. But the image was amazing; he caught detail I couldn’t even see on my 1080p monitor.”

Spicer is another MCU vet and says the DI-grade monitors on set provided the truest color. “We were in HDR from Step 1 to DI, all the way through as our master,” he shares.

“Typically, HDR and SDR passes are done at the end of a feature, after everybody views SDR on set and in editorial. Then a trim pass is done on the HDR side, where the SDR is tweaked. Marvel and Disney knew this was going to be streaming, not in theaters, and also that future-proofing was a concern, so HDR became the primary issue rather than treated as a sidebar to the SDR finishing. In the DI, it was mastered in HDR, and the trim pass was on the SDR side. We’re doing the same thing on Hawkeye now.”

The streaming series, Spicer observes, felt

more like a feature. “Everybody was trying to squeeze the best possible production value out of the work,” he declares. “It’s very close to a feature-style workflow, but with key differences. We had three LUT’s for each period, plus varying LUT’s depending on the camera used, so 23 in all. While we were matching to very specific styles of sitcoms past, Jess brought his own twist to reflect the dramatic issues with the characters.”

To combat the common complaint of HDR being too bright, nit-levels for MCU scenes were limited to 600. “Kyle did a brilliant job of archiving,” Hall lauds. “He had a huge volume of high-quality reference material at hand at any given moment, so the DIT tent was a command center from which all this info could be retrieved. Kyle already knew how Marvel liked to organize the material and data.

It seemed incongruous at first that we were using all these high-resolution processes to produce a degraded 1950s image. But that was only part of the look for the series. In the early episodes, we limited the highlight range to 100 nits, to more accurately reflect the technology of the period. Coupled with a soft roll-off, it got us the desired look in the highlights.”

To convey greater period verisimilitude, WandaVision’s first episode was shot live with a studio audience. Hall used three cameras, and then shot pickups as inserts later. “Overall,

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it was treated very much as it had been in the past, stopping only for set changes,” he explains. “The lighting was broad, and the camera was limited to moves associated with live shows. I did live cues on the lighting while speaking to the operators by headset.”

The live audience shoots called for the crew to get into the act. Moe says, “We all dressed up with hats and ties [Midcentury] style. The audience was assembled with NDA’s to keep the secrecy aspect.” Movement of the camera by A-Camera Operator Henry Tirl was deliberately limited, in keeping with the style of the era. “We didn’t do a lot of panning and

dollying,” Moe states. “If we had a two-shot, I wouldn’t ever rack focus, because that wasn’t done on The Dick Van Dyke Show. Those kinds of moves [in sitcoms] came decades later when shooting the Modern Family-era stuff, plus the MCU material.”

Hall also employed period lighting. “Our gaffer, John Vecchio, went to various studios, including Paramount, to source a variety of old units,” he reveals. “To keep the sets cool, and because we were working at 800 ASA, not the 50 or 100 ASA these lights were designed for, I used 2Ks or 5K bulbs within the old Big Eye 10K Fresnel housings, which still gave me the same

quality of light.

“And I limited Key Grip Jim Kwiatkowski to period diffusion materials like Tough Soft Frost and Spun diffusion,” Hall continues. “He was able to source several rolls of discontinued materials like Rosco Spun Silver. Episode 2 moves towards single camera, reflecting the later era. That work used a more traditional hard-key light and 3-point lighting structure. I utilized more light control in the form of flags and snoots, and an old-style light on [Elizabeth Olsen]. The general contrast is increased with deeper blacks and we move to a cooler D62 white point, from the D58 of Episode 1. Lighting

Hall says the “adaptive optics,” employed by Panavision’s Dan Sasaki, let him “alter the image in terms of falloff in focus, highlight halation and lens curvature, in addition to softening the image in selective color.”

was strictly tungsten in the early episodes, except for a small amount of LED in the ‘70s that I required for specific color temperature reasons.”

With the switch to modern sources in later episodes, Hall was able to reference the saturated look of Marvel Comics – in a controlled manner. “Although I didn’t lean stylistically towards the compositional style of the Marvel comics for our MCU material, I was influenced by their richness of color, particularly in House of M and Scarlet Witch Vol. 3: The Final Hex,” he acknowledges. “I glimpsed an opportunity to exploit the expanded color gamut possibilities of the HDR platform to render some of the richness and vivid color that was used so effectively as a design element in the original intellectual property.

[I utilized] a customized LED color palette [to map] various LED fixtures, which permitted me to maintain precise color control and

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consistency. This was done by generating XY values from colors, using RGB values from the Digital Sputnik as the master.”

Spicer notes that “the lighting manufacturers all show you a different color value when you ask for sky-blue. So, for Jess to be able to get all of those – plus some consumer-level LED’s in the set – to live together and match was a big win. Even consumer LED’s that go into the set.” Hall’s team employed a spectrometer to create RGB values for additional fixtures – ARRI SkyPanels, Kino Flo Freestyles, Astera Titan Tubes and AX3s– matching the source XY within .001 to .003 of the original XY value. Other interactive lighting elements placed near or on the actors were made from LiteGear RGBW ribbon, for which Hall established color values by eye, via the camera, using his MCU LUT. “We moved the camera differently in the modern-era scenes, making extensive use of

the Technocrane, dolly, slider and drones,” Hall states. “We tried to maintain some simplicity and elegance in the camera choreography of our action sequences as that would blend more succinctly with the period work, and we didn’t want the transitions to be too abrupt. Matt has a background in theater and favors strategies that allow his actors freedom of performance.

So, we often established longer moving master shots that could accommodate the blocking.”

After the bulk of shooting was completed at Pinewood Studios, Atlanta, and other parts of Georgia, production was slated to resume in California at the Warner Bros Ranch in Burbank, including on the historic Blondie Street. But, as Hall notes, “we were on a month’s hiatus when COVID happened. One positive aspect emerging from the shutdown was having time to set up a remote DI at my

JESS HALL, ASC, BSC

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BELOW: DIRECTOR MATT SHAKMAN (LOWER RIGHT) WAS A FAN OF HALL (STANDING) FROM HIS WORK ON HOT FUZZ, A BRITISH INDIE THAT, LIKE WANDAVISION, SEAMLESSLY SHIFTS BETWEEN COMEDY, ACTION AND DRAMA.

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home, which Marvel helped with,” he says. “I have a room with a calibrated monitor Resolve fed in real time from the grading suite. Resolve can change contrast curves or windows or blending VFX plates with live action. Thus, when we started up again six months later, I had completed considerable color grading work, and accumulated a lot of knowledge by looking at what we had shot previously.”

Storyboards and previs were used on more complex sequences. “I got in a room with Matt and contributed there,” Hall adds, “ensuring our lenses got mapped so the previs would

accurately reflect our lensing, and the way we intended to shoot each era. That allowed us to determine the size of green screen we required or design the stunt rigging. And with the volume of VFX work being spread across so many vendors, it became more challenging to control issues with color space. We fed the VFX vendors base grades from the DI when possible, as well as our LUT’s. A CDL developed on set works in that moment, but the look did shift in the DI when examining a whole episode in context. Marvel built their own digital intermediate facility, which worked

in Resolve. I had Technicolor colorist Matt Watson doing my dailies and my finals.”

While the early episodes deliberately employ old-school, in-camera effects, ranging from jump-cuts and undercranking to wire gags – digital trickery, under the stewardship of VFX Supervisor Tara DeMarco, is still a significant presence.

“I came on early enough to sit with the department heads and help determine which effects technique would work best in each period,” DeMarco reports. “We always knew that puppeteered wire rigs were going to figure

“The post workflow Evan Jacobs built out is incredible, and it means we can do a lot of things without ever going outside of Marvel.”

VFX SUPERVISOR TARA DEMARCO

into the early episodes, so those conversations involved special effects and props, as well as camera placement and lighting for Jess. Dan Sudick has a long history with Marvel features, including Infinity War and Endgame, and is head of special effects for all Marvel streaming shows. His background included a fair amount of wirework, so we relied on him to determine what could and couldn’t be done practically.

“The post-work we did on the early shows is intended to look like it was done in those less-advanced times,” DeMarco continues, “except for Vision and his CG face. We set up a color pipeline for the VFX vendors – who had already done Vision in the features – because black-and-white Vision actually has blue skin in order to read as a silvery tone. So, there was extensive testing for makeup color, AI color, and figuring out where we wanted our white balance to fit to arrive at a final grade that felt rich and looked period after we had added grain. The VFX vendors would deliver EXR’s back in color, so we could balance the black-and-white ourselves, plus a QuickTime reference that used the LUT and CDL so they

could see where we were going. Many times, we gave pre-graded reference from the DI, especially with the ’70s sequences, for which we wanted a look that was even bolder than that of the dailies.”

The volume of VFX expanded with each episode, which DeMarco says was a conscious part of the transition from early TV to the MCU of recent features. The VFX shot number continued to grow in post to more than 3,000 cuts. “The post workflow Evan Jacobs built out is incredible, and it means we can do a lot of things without ever going outside of Marvel,” DeMarco adds. “The company also has great archives, so if you are interested in reviewing the look of a past effect and to see how it was done, they have a resource on all those previous projects that you can examine.”

Looking back on his involvement, Hall says Marvel’s success starts from the top.

“Even though [Marvel Studios President] Kevin Feige presides over the most successful film franchise of all time, he did not play it safe, producing something in WandaVision that might be considered avant-garde, or at

the very least, highly conceptual, relative to past Marvel work,” Hall offers. “WandaVision was an exciting departure and one I’m delighted to be a part of. When I started doing research, I was captivated by the imagination and creativity I saw in older episodes of The Twilight Zone. With the current volume of content available, viewers could easily become oversaturated, so looking at different and inventive ways to present a story seems an intelligent option.”

Hall points to the many subtle tonal shifts throughout WandaVision. “The range is immense – from comedy and romance to sci-fi action and drama, and this made it especially appealing,” he concludes. “There are so many characters in a Marvel Avengers feature, you can only manage snippets of time for each. I loved that this series gave us the opportunity to explore the love story between Paul and Lizzie’s characters, expanding on those brief, beautiful moments they had in Age of Ultron and Infinity War, and delving more deeply into that relationship. That is a gift for any cinematographer.”

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DIT KYLE SPICER, A MARVEL VETERAN, SAYS “EVERYBODY WAS TRYING TO SQUEEZE THE BEST POSSIBLE PRODUCTION VALUE OUT OF THE WORK. IT’S VERY CLOSE TO A FEATURE-STYLE WORKFLOW, BUT WITH KEY DIFFERENCES. WE HAD THREE LUT’S FOR EACH PERIOD, PLUS VARYING LUT’S DEPENDING ON THE CAMERA USED, SO 23 IN ALL.”

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LOCAL 600 CREW ATLANTA

LOS ANGELES

Director of Photography Jess Hall, ASC, BSC

Director of Photography Jess Hall, ASC, BSC

A-Camera Operator/Steadicam Henry Tirl

A-Camera Operator/Steadicam Henry Tirl

A-Camera Operator Dave Luckenbach, SOC

A-Camera 1st AC Sean Moe

A-Camera 1st AC Sean Moe

A-Camera 2nd AC Paul Tilden

A-Camera 2nd AC Zach Junquera

B-Camera Operator Dave Luckenbach, SOC

B-Camera Operator Jeff Crumbley, SOC

B-Camera 1st AC Craig Grossmueller

B-Camera 1st AC Trey Twitty

B-Camera 2nd AC Miki Janicin

B-Camera 2nd AC Bess Johnson

C-Camera Operators Chris Duskin Lukas Bielan

C-Camera Operators Ian Clampett Hugh Braselton C-Camera 1st ACs Alessandro Di Meo Dwight Campbell

C-Camera 1st ACs Dan Ming Dennis Geraghty C-Camera 2nd AC Kalli Kouf

C-Camera 2nd AC Victoria Warren

DIT Kyle Spicer

DIT Kyle Spicer

Loader Kat Soulagnet

Loader Kat Soulagnet

Utility Torey Lenart

Utility Torey Lenart

Matrix Head Jason Sutton

Still Photographer Chuck Zlotnick

Still Photographer Suzanne Tenner, SMPSP

Unit Publicist John Pisani

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CHERRY AN AMERICAN CRIME DRAMA FILM DIRECTED

BY ANTHONY AND JOE RUSSO, FROM A SCREENPLAY BY ANGELA RUSSO-OTSTOT AND JESSICA GOLDBERG, BASED ON THE NOVEL OF THE SAME NAME BY NICO WALKER.

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ADDIC

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CTED TO LOVE NEWTON THOMAS SIGEL, ASC, PLUNGES INTO THE DEPTHS OF AMERICA’S OPIOID CRISIS W I T H T H E G E N - Z R O M A N C E CHERRY , D I R E C T E D

BY JOE AND ANTHONY RUSSO.

BY TED ELRICK

/

PHOTOS COURTESY OF APPLE

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The career of Newton Thomas Sigel, ASC, spans a wide range of megahits - everything from Bohemian Rhapsody, The Usual Suspects, and Drive to X-Men, Superman Returns, and Valkyrie. And with Cherry, a self-described passion project from the brother directing team Joe and Anthony Russo, Sigel adds another stunning and compelling film to his rEsumE.

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Cherry (Tom Holland) is a PTSDsuffering Army medic, who after serving in the Iraq War returns home (to the Russo brothers’ hometown of Cleveland) and becomes addicted to painkillers, even turning to robbing banks to fund his habit. His wife, Emily (Ciara Bravo), follows Cherry down the rabbit hole of drug abuse and crime, providing the emotional center of a script (by Angela Russo-Otstot and Jessica Goldberg) that is based on the book by Nico Walker – a book many considered unadaptable because of its raw confrontation with the opioid epidemic. The film is divided into six chapters, because as Sigel notes: “We always talked about the film as a story told in chapters, each chapter with its defining set of characteristics.”

DIT Jason Bauer says he and Sigel had detailed discussions in prep about the various looks needed for the different chapters. “We tweaked them as we went along with each scene,” Bauer shares. “We’d use the defined LUT as a base for that scene or era. Tom would work his magic with lighting and then we would do as much in camera and with lighting to achieve the look he was after for each of the scenarios. They’re all very different but supportive of the storyline.”

The chapters begin with what Joe Russo describes as “magical realism,” and Cherry falling in love with Emily.

Then the story becomes surreal when a misunderstanding drives Cherry to enlist in the Army, becomes even more surreal throughout boot camp and medic training, and then moves into the heightened reality of the war in Iraq before coming home to deal with PTSD. “This movie is geared toward Gen Z,” Joe Russo explains. “They consume at a volume and pace that is unprecedented in comparison to how we all grew up. This opioid crisis is in a lot of ways their crisis. They’re on the front lines of it and the ones most exposed and most susceptible. So, we crafted this film in a way we thought would be received with maximum digestibility by that generation.” Russo says the chapters in the movie were motivated by this concept. “How do we hold their attention? How do we design

a new visual style that will appeal to that generation and allow them to invest in this movie?” he adds.

Sony VENICE was Sigel’s camera platform of choice, using a large variety of lenses. First AC Dan Schroer reports that the main set of lenses consisted of Todd-AO anamorphics 35, 38, 55, 75, and 100 and the Hawk Class-X anamorphics 35, 45, 55, 65, 80, 110, and 140. They also employed a 55mm Petzval and 14mm Sigma, and the Leica M 095 Cine lenses 18, 21, 24, 28, 35, 50, 75 and 90.

“The beginning and the end of the film are all done predominately with the Todd-AO anamorphics,” Sigel explains, “occasionally mixed with the Hawk X anamorphics. The middle section of the movie, which is basic training, was shot entirely with a Sigma 14mm spherical lens in 6K full sensor mode. The Iraq section we shot in Morocco was all done with the Leica M series spherical lenses.”

Russo shares that the specialized Petzval lens was used for the first time in the courtyard scene in which Cherry is courting Emily. “The entire background is out of focus, and the world has become this girl for him,” he elaborates. “The Petzval is used throughout the movie to signify his adoration for her, and when we go to boot camp, with that wide Sigma lens, there’s a massive contrast in what that Petzval does and what that wide lens does. The Sigma holds everything in focus to where it warps faces and distorts geography.”

Cherry opens in Cleveland with an extended oner that follows a boy on a bicycle down the middle of a street.

The shot is the first of two major drone shots in the film, both of which involved handoffs between the drone and Guild camera operators.

A-Camera Operator Geoff Haley, SOC, notes that for the Cleveland sequence, he ran backward ahead of the drone operator, Tim Sessler, trying to match his speed with the drone (using a RED). “As soon as I get my hands on the drone, Tim throttles down on his rotors, and I take over and push into Tom as he exits the house

and runs down the porch,” Haley recalls. “Fairly simple but fun!”

Schroer adds that “the Cleveland drone was large, with a significant carriage. It was not like the DJI Inspire Kevin LaRosa flew in Morocco. The Cleveland drone comes down under the tree line, and Geoff jumps up, grabs it, and pushes in on Tom, and I said, ‘OK, good to go. That was a good rehearsal for Morocco.’”

The second oner in the Iraq War sequence involved two handoffs of the drone. As Haley explains: “Morocco was the only time we had a call for an additional operator. The sequence started with the drone camera flying over the mountains, while we had all the pyro going off, from the POV of the insurgents bearing down on the convoy of Humvees. Kevin [LaRosa] is flying the drone, and [B-Camera Operator] Greg Baldi, doing splinter unit work for us in Morocco, is dressed up in fatigues and has a rifle. You can see him as the drone approaches the convoy. A number of the soldiers are firing, and he’s one of them. Once the drone gets past him, Greg throws away the gun and immediately grabs the drone and holds it as our military advisor, Brain McCue, who is also an actor in the shot, is telling another soldier what to do in the middle of this ambush.

“Greg has the camera handheld,” Haley continues, “but he lets it go again, and the drone keeps going up over a hill as the rescue squad arrives.

I was also dressed in fatigues with a rifle, and you can see me and eight other people jumping out of a Humvee as the drone passes over. As soon as it passes over, I throw away the gun and quickly turn around, run and grab the drone, hold on to it, and then push it into the final Humvee, as Tom Holland gets out and I go into a screaming close-up.”

With the distance covered and two handoffs, pulling focus was no easy feat.

“I had a couple of basic measurements,” Schroer laughs. “Doing close-ups multiple times for a single shot, you try to find a good vantage point on a hill near the pilot and see each of the spots where it was landing. Geoff and Greg are both excellent operators, and they’re consistent with how they do

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the shots; so once you get a couple of runthroughs, you can see how close they’re pushing into the guys. It wasn’t easy, but it was fun.”

“The shot may seem to go on forever,” Sigel laughs. “But it’s only about a minute.

The degree of action that takes place – flying through explosions and all of that stuff – and having to hand the camera off to people mid-shot, obviously added to the complexity. But what I love is that it goes from the epic scope horror of this battle scene into a very personal interior moment of Cherry’s face. To me that’s one of the great things that you can do with a drone in a way that you can’t do with a helicopter – you can go from something very wide to something very close without endangering the actor in any way.”

Other visual perks in Cherry included a forced-perspective set used early in the film after Cherry tells Emily he has a girlfriend named Madison Kowalski (Kelli Berglund).

“We later learn that Madison emasculates and diminishes Cherry,” Sigel describes.

“So I was thinking what would instantly express that feeling of insecurity and a crisis of self-esteem in this girl. That’s what led to the forced perspective concept, which Joe and Anthony loved.”

Production Designer Philip Ivey built a bedroom set in sections, “so if you put the camera in the right place and the furniture is scaled correctly, you could make Cherry look very small in relation to Madison,” Sigel adds. “Kind of like our Production Designer, Phil Ivey, did on Lord of the Rings for the Hobbits. Very old technique done in an atypical context.”

When Cherry returns from war in Iraq, what should be a warm homecoming turns in a nightmare of PTSD. The V.A. prescribes him Oxycotin, and so begins his descent into the horror of drug addiction.

“We looked for a visual metaphor to symbolize his sinking into the rabbit hole, and it came at the moment where Emily no longer tries to save Cherry, instead joining him in his addiction,” Sigel describes.

“They are lying in bed high, talking.

The camera is above them in a top-shot, a Technocrane on scaffolding dipped into the set. I had them build the walls of the set very close to the ceiling of this little warehouse we were shooting in. Extending the height of the set way higher than it would ever naturally be. As the camera pulls away, instead of stopping where one expects, it just keeps going. Cherry and Emily get smaller and smaller as they sink into the abyss of addiction.”

Co-director Anthony Russo adds that “when Emily starts taking the pills as well, we spent a lot of time researching and

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talking to people and learned the addiction experience can be as difficult for loved ones of those addicted as it is for the addicts themselves. The complexity of living with an addict and trying to help them through these problems – that dimension was very important to us. Ciara Bravo put an extraordinary amount of time into understanding those experiences and that point of view.”

According to Key Grip James Shelton, the production was only able to use a Technocrane for a few days. Other crane shots employed a Foxy crane that Shelton owns. “We used that quite a bit,” Shelton says. “We used a two-axis non-stabilized head that Tom owns, attached to the Foxy crane, and that was quite a warhorse on this movie, like inside the bank.”

The bank robbery sequence that begins and ends the film used lighting on scissor lifts outside the bank’s windows.

“Everything ran back to a dimmer,” describes Chief Lighting Technician Robert E. Krattiger. “They wanted to go to where you just saw the teller, Vanessa, and everything just blacks out. We used beam projectors on Condors outside the windows to get the streaks of light. We had real ambient daylight out there, and the windows were 20, 25 feet tall, so controlling that became a bit of a problem with the sun going east to west. We lucked out with clouds at certain points.”

Krattiger goes on to describe how Shelton rigged a large flag, “so when we go to the black-out mode, he just lowered that flag down in front of the lights, and at the same time, we dimmed them out as well,” Krattiger says. “Super low-tech, but effective. And we discovered an interesting effect that felt like something was moving with the lights. You saw streaks of light with the beam projector, and it just gave this weird look that was great. We also did that in the classroom set as well, for when Cherry first notices Emily.”

Another sequence simulating Cherry having an out-of-body drug experience involved a hasty addition to the camera lens. Shelton had built a small platform that Holland stood on that could be steered around the set, in sync with the camera.

“Unlike a body cam, it allowed him to sway, move and lean, yet he didn’t have to walk, so it feels like he is floating – high as a kite,” Sigel explains.

Shelton says it was “a butt dolly, that’s basically a mechanic’s stool that has all these wheels on it. We had two of those dollies. We attached Tom to one and attached the camera to the other, then attached those two. Tom was standing on one, and the camera was attached to the

“The complexity of living with an addict and trying to help them through these problems - that dimension was very important to us.”

CO-DIRECTOR ANTHONY RUSSO

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other. It formed a more ethereal, dream-type situation. And that was pushed around the room by Dolly Grip Dustin VonLossberg.”

Sigel found a huge piece of convex glass he thought was set dressing, but later learned “was something the medic used to remove splinters – a giant magnifying glass set in a piece of wood. I rigged it in front of our normal taking lens and it created this tremendous distortion, especially on the edges. Not just a perspective distortion but also a chromatic aberration.” Schroer says he’s “never seen a piece of glass like it. It looked a bit like the plus-3 diopter we use all the time, but it was more like a plus 10. Just a huge chunk of glass.”

The effect was enhanced by the overexposed lighting, making the perception of the image warped and difficult to read. As VonLossberg wheeled Holland through the set, the actor swayed to his inner rhythm.

Shelton loved Sigel’s sudden improvised inspiration with the magnifying glass. “Tom reminded me a lot of Conrad Hall when we did Jennifer 8,” Shelton reflects. “Connie would see something like Tom did. He has this artistic dark side to him, where he’ll find an object and say, ‘Let’s try this.’ And it works. It’s amazing.”

Bauer says shooting in Cleveland also made the film special.

“When Tom originally called me for the project, he said it was going to shoot in Cleveland, then back in L.A. for tax incentives, then back to Cleveland!” Bauer recalls. “The Russos are from Cleveland, and the story is about a guy from Cleveland, so the switch to shoot back in their hometown was important. We had people on the crew who knew this guy, friends of friends, et cetera. And I thought, there’s no way you’d get these same locations in L.A.” Schroer adds that when he took the job,

the producers were emphatic that Cherry “was not another Marvel/Avengers movie,” he recalls. “The Russos were so flexible and fluid, and the lack of the toys [they’d normally have on a Marvel film] didn’t seem to impede them in any way. Everybody was so creative.

It’s their style of moviemaking.”

Sigel, who is sorely overdue for an Oscar nomination given his amazing body of work, says that one of the fascinating aspects of Cherry is that the story is both epic and intimate.

“It’s about a boy and a girl with a massively universal backdrop of war and the crisis of opioid addiction. And that was the challenge: how to visualize the grand and personal hand in hand? Some of my favorite films have that done so well. Look at Lawrence of Arabia. It has the same kind of quality of being both a very personal film, inside this massive world event.

Cherry was a very special experience – the cast, crew, and the brothers Russo.”

LOCAL 600 CREW Director of Photography Newton Thomas Sigel, ASC

B-Camera Operator Greg Baldi

A-Camera Operator Geoff Haley, SOC

B-Camera 1st AC Tulio Duenas

A-Camera 1st AC Dan Schroer

B-Camera 2nd AC Dan Urbain

A-Camera 2nd ACs Natasha Mullan Dan Urbain

DIT Jason Bauer

DIT Jason Bauer

US AERIAL CREW

Loader Ryan Forte

Aerial Director of Photography Tim Sessler

MOROCCO UNIT

MOROCCO AERIAL CREW

Director of Photography Newton Thomas Sigel, ASC

Aerial Coordinator Kevin LaRosa Jr.

A-Camera Operator Geoff Haley, SOC

UAS Aerial Director of Photography Michael FitzMaurice

A-Camera 1st AC Dan Schroer

UAS Technician Stephen Scherba

A-Camera 2nd ACs Natasha Mullan

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Special

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JOURNEY THE LONG, WINDING ROAD OF LOCAL 6 0 0 UNIT STILL PHOTOGRAPHER RON PHIL L I P S .

B Y P A U L I N E ROGERS P H O T O S B Y RON PHILLIPS

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It was 1978 when Dallas, TX resident Ron Phillips began to explore different facets of the entertainment industry. He was a jack-of-all-trades at a local tape/film production company, sometimes directing, other times operating the camera. Phillips would shoot stills for his company and watch the movie crews he’d hire for productions. “They were a lot of fun and made a lot more money than I was making,” he laughs. “I wanted to do what they were doing. But back then, you had to get two Union members as sponsors. So, I flew to the Chicago office, was interviewed by the Council, and got my Union card.”

Dallas was a big production hub at the time.

After getting his sea legs on a series of Movie of the Week’s, Phillips hit the jackpot. “Suddenly, I was taking images for one of the most talkedabout television shows – ever: Dallas,” he recounts. “I shot three or four months at the ‘Southfork Ranch’ in the summer when it was 100 degrees. It was a great local Dallas crew, and all the cast members were so easy to work with. I shot the official Ewing family portrait on my RB67, along with my Nikon F2, with a 20-by-20-foot silk over the cast. For the episode where the big question was, ‘Who shot J.R.?’ I knew who it was to know what to shoot and what not to shoot. But I had to keep it a secret!”

Phillips’ move into features was easy, although he was unaware his first two assignments, so-called “small pictures,” would turn into the mega-hits Urban Cowboy and Body Heat. “One day, they were shooting a boom up for the reveal of John Travolta’s character, and the camera failed on the first take,” Phillips remembers. “The dolly grip pulled the dolly back so that the first AC could ascertain the problem, and there was John leaning against the bar all alone. I stepped up

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and shot him, and it became the one-sheet!

The image remained the same as I shot it, for the most part. This was before everything was sweetened in Photoshop. On most of my film sets, the studio would want to assign a special photographer. But they knew I would get the shot that they needed.”

As Phillips’ career took off, he describes a much different industry, where unit photographers would often just “drop in” on photo editors and publicists to “see what was available.” Phillips’ easy-going manner, and always getting what was needed, became an effective calling card. “I remember once being in the office of the head of publicity at a major studio, and learning that several high-profile publicists were bidding for me to do their films,” he says. “Back then, it wasn’t unusual that a casual conversation with the head of production at the studio would lead to a phone call and a job.”

Over a nearly four-decades-long career, Phillips has captured stills for every genre, including classic comedies like the National

Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (one of his favorites); the Naked Gun series, two Grumpy Old Men films, and Old Dogs, of which he says, “Looking at Chevy Chase, Leslie Nielsen, Robin Williams, Walter Matthau, and Jack Lemmon through your lens, and trying not to laugh to spoil your shot, was tough.”

Phillips says one key to shooting comedy was knowing what the director liked, even though “I would try to capture the instant of the comedic bit on set, and the photo editor in Los Angeles wouldn’t have a clue what the director was trying to achieve,” he shares. “I remember when Leslie Nielsen would do a comedic gag with Priscilla Presley or another actor, and I always wanted to get the facial expressions from Leslie and Priscilla at the exact moment. As a still photographer, we have one frame to tell a story, whereas the film camera is telling the story at 24 frames per second for a few seconds.”

Shooting Paul Newman and Tom Cruise on The Color of Money was a career highlight.

“Working with the Old Hollywood actors was the best,” Phillips adds. “One day, I had a great single shot of Paul lined up. I went to

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him and explained it was a great shot, but, unfortunately, I had to be right in his eye line. Paul said, ‘Ron, I’m an actor – just don’t move around. I’m an actor and can see right through you.’”

“Effects pictures, even mild ones, were also fascinating to capture in a single frame,” Phillips adds. “My first was Jaws 3-D. The Sixth Sense was a different style. So was Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. And – of course – my ultimate favorite, working with Christopher Nolan on The Dark Knight Rises” and the very challenging first reveal of Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. “We filmed with Annie for the very

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first time at an exterior location in Pittsburgh, and there had been no images of Catwoman released, even to Warner Bros. for three months prior. Chris [Nolan] didn’t want paparazzi capturing – and releasing – the first image of Catwoman. So, when we broke for lunch that first day with her, he said we were going to shoot the Catwoman still [for worldwide release] the next day in that location we had just started filming! I had a quick lunch, then ran back to the room to make sure all of my cameras were set to get the shot.”

“The entire crew stood around while Chris and I shot Annie; all the while I was being

directed by Chris with what he wanted the images to reveal. I showed it to him on the back of my camera, and we finally got the shots. Out of 121 images, Annie and Chris approved 36 and selected the final image we sent to Warner Bros. The image went worldwide at midnight that same day. Talk about nerve-wracking!”

Phillips says he fought the transition from film to digital, even though all the studios pretty much demanded it. “I always applied the knowledge I had learned from attending an Ansel Adams photographic workshop, so

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it wasn’t that difficult,” he describes. “The good thing about digital is that you could see the image you had just shot, and if you had any camera problems, [you would know] right away. I would always give the lab the camera-original RAW files and never number or manipulate them. That was the Union lab’s job.”

A few years ago, Phillips “disappointed” many longtime publicists and photo editors by retiring from unit stills work, but (fortunately) not from the craft of photography. Phillips’ current passion is passing on his extensive knowledge to a new generation of Local 600 unit still photographers, as he recently did for an online Local 600 Zoom class created by ICG Training Coordinator Richard Negri and virtually attended by 75 union members.

“In giving these classes, I am sharing information that I have learned over the years,” Phillips describes. “Color temperature, web sites, set dynamics, equipment rental, contracts, downloading, post-production, set safety, sunscreen, ear protection, meeting the key actors before you shoot them, and common sense in being a unit photographer on set. It’s a way to give back for the success I’ve enjoyed over the years. It’s giving back good karma.”

There’s also some relief in Phillips’ voice when the topic turns to working under current COVID-19 safety protocols. “A few shooters told stories about what they and the rest of the crew were experiencing regarding the regulations and face shields and masks,” he reflects. “Sometimes the first AD won’t let the stills person take the set for 30 seconds due to a time frame they’re now under, being asked to ‘sit this one out’ or not even being able to get the best position to get the shot they need. I have so much empathy for anyone on a COVID set with all the mandatory precautions they have to adhere to.”

The long-time union member, who also spent years serving on ICG’s National Executive Board, says these days he’s capturing images that feed his passion. “I planned for eight months and shot the total solar eclipse, and I plan to do it again in 2024,” he smiles. “And the knowledge I’ve got from working with various directors of photography, gaffers, and other crew members has been put to use shooting golf courses and South Carolina state parks.

[Phillips relocated to South Carolina from Arkansas a few years ago.]

“I loved working on films like I love my own skin,” he concludes. “But there comes a time when the shot you want to capture is of your choosing…..what, when, where, and how.”

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PRODUCTION CREDITS COMPILED BY TERESA MUÑOZ The input of Local 600 members is of the utmost importance, and we rely on our membership as the prime (and often the only) source of information in compiling this section. In order for us to continue to provide this service, we ask that Guild members submitting information take note of the following requests: Please provide up-to-date and complete crew information (including that the deadline for the Production Credits is on the first of the preceding cover month (excluding weekends & holidays).

Submit your jobs online by visiting: www.icg600.com/MY600/Report-Your-Job Any questions regarding the Production Credits should be addressed to Teresa Muñoz at teresa@icgmagazine.com 96

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First Man / Photo by Daniel McFadden

Still Photographers, Publicists, Additional Units, etc.). Please note

CINEMATOGRAPHY - POST PRODUCTION - DIGITAL WORKFLOWS During these challenging times, The Studio continues to offer innovative solutions for your projects.

Contact us for all your cinema production, post or workflow needs.

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20TH CENTURY FOX “911” SEASON 4

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JOAQUIN SEDILLO, ASC OPERATORS: SPENCER HUTCHINS, SOC DUANE MIELIWOCKI, SOC, PHIL MILLER, SOC ASSISTANTS: KEN LITTLE, CLAUDIO BANKS, ERIC GUERIN, DAVID STELLHORN, ERIC WHEELER, JIHANE MRAD CAMERA UTILITY: PAULINA GOMEZ DIGITAL UTILITY: DUSTIN LEBOUEF

“9-1-1: LONE STAR” SEASON 2 DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ANDY STRAHORN, JOE BRODERICK, DOUG HOLGATE OPERATORS: BRICE REID, DEAN MORIN, MIKE VEJAR ASSISTANTS: JAMES RYDINGS, KAORU ISHIZUKA, CARLOS DOERR, KELSEY CASTELLITTO, CHRIS BURKET, RON ELLIOTT, KOJI KOJIMA STEADICAM OPERATOR: BRICE REID DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: PETER RUSS CAMERA UTILITY: JOE PACELLA DIGITAL UTILITY: BASSEM BALAA TECHNOCRANE OPERATOR: NAZARIY HATAK TECHNOCRANE TECH: JAY SHEVECK REMOTE HEAD TECH/OPERATOR: BRICE REID

“LAST MAN STANDING” SEASON 9 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: DONALD A. MORGAN, ASC OPERATORS: GARY ALLEN, RANDY BAER, DAMIAN DELLA SANTINA, JOHN BOYD ASSISTANTS: MISSY TOY-OZEAS, SEAN ASKINS, AL MYERS CAMERA UTIITIES: JOHN WEISS, STEVE MASIAS DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: VON THOMAS STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: PATRICK WYMORE, MICHAEL BECKER

“LOVE, VICTOR” SEASON 2 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JOHN WAKAYAMA CAREY OPERATORS: JOSEPH B. HERNANDEZ, YVONNE CHU, JUSTEN HERNANDEZ ASSISTANTS: CHRIS GEUKENS, BRIAN WELLS, GENNA PALERMO, LOREN AZLEIN STEADICAM OPERATOR: JOSEPH B. HERNANDEZ LOADER: CONNER DANIELS

“ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING” SEASON 1 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: CHRISTOPHER TEAGUE OPERATORS: STEWART CANTRELL, PAUL DALEY ASSISTANTS: ADRIANA BRUNETTO-LIPMAN, TSYEN SHEN, NATHALIE RODRIGUEZ, CORY MAFFUCCI LOADERS: TREVOR BARCUS, ANJELA COVIAUX HEAD TECH: BECKI HELLER STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: CRAIG BLANKENHORN

“THE ORVILLE” SEASON 3 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JEFF C. MYGATT OPERATORS: BILL BRUMMOND, GARY TACHELL, MICHAEL SHARP ASSISTANTS: DENNISH SEAWRIGHT, STEVEN MAGRATH, BUTCH PIERSON, DALE WHITE, DUSTIN KELLER, KYLE SAUER STEADICAM OPERATOR: BILL BRUMMOND STEADICAM ASSISTANT: DENNIS SEAWRIGHT LOADER: BROOKE MAGRATH DIGITAL UTILITY: JORDAN SCHUSTER REMOTE HEAD TECH/OPERATOR: DUSTIN KELLER

ABC STUDIOS

“GREY’S ANATOMY” SEASON 17 DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ALICIA ROBBINS, STEVEN FRACOL OPERATORS: ERIC FLETCHER, MARCIS COLE, JEANNE TYSON ASSISTANTS: NICK MCLEAN, FORREST THURMAN,

CHRIS JONES, KIRK BLOOM, LISA BONACCORSO, J.P. RODRIGUEZ STEADICAM OPERATOR: MARCIS COLE STEADICAM ASSISTANTS: FORREST THURMAN, LISA BONACCORSO CAMERA UTILITY: MARTE POST DIGITAL UTILITY: SPENCER ROBINS CRANE TECH: STEVE MCDONAGH STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: LISA ROSE

“JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!” SEASON 18 LIGHTING DIRECTOR: CHRISTIAN HIBBARD OPERATORS: GREG GROUWINKEL, PARKER BARTLETT, GARRETT HURT, MARK GONZALES STEADICAM OPERATOR: KRIS WILSON JIB OPERATORS: MARC HUNTER, RANDY GOMEZ, JR., NICK GOMEZ CAMERA UTILITIES: CHARLES FERNANDEZ, SCOTT SPIEGEL, TRAVIS WILSON, DAVID FERNANDEZ, ADAM BARKER VIDEO CONTROLLER: GUY JONES STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: KAREN NEAL, MICHAEL DESMOND 2ND UNIT DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BERND REINBARDT, STEVE GARRETT

“MIXED-ISH” SEASON 2 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: TROY SMITH OPERATORS: JACK MESSITT, JOSH SCHNOSE, JONATHAN GOLDFISHER ASSISTANTS: LOU DEMARCO, CHRISTOPHER DAWSON, TONY MULLER, BEN SHURTLEFF, JULIUS GRAHAM, SCOTT WHITBREAD DIGITAL LOADER: ZAC PRANGE CAMERA UTILITIES: EDUARDO GONZALEZ, ANDY MACAT STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: FREDRICK GREISSING

FEB/MAR 2021 PRODUCTION CREDITS

97

“REBEL” SEASON 1 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: TODD A. DOS REIS, ASC OPERATORS: IAN DODD, DEMIAN SCOTT VAUGHS, ERIC DYSON ASSISTANTS: JAMIE STEPHENS, OLIVER PONCE, JASON GARCIA, RICHARD KENT, MELISSA FISHER, LANI WASSERMAN STEADICAM OPERATOR: DEMIAN SCOTT VAUGHS DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: SAM MCCONVILLE LOADER: ANNIE LI DIGITAL UTILITY: ALEXA HEGRE

“STATION 19” SEASON 4 DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: DARYN OKADA, ASC, SPENCER COMBS OPERATORS: RON SCHLAEGER, MARIANA ANTUNANO, BRIAN GARBELLINI ASSISTANTS: TONY SCHULTZ, HANNAH LEVIN, WILLIAM MARTI, GAYLE HILARY, GREG WILLIAMS, TIM MCCARTHY STEADICAM OPERATOR: RON SCHLAEGER STEADICAM ASSISTANT: TONY SCHULTZ DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: ANDREW LEMON UTILITIES: GEORGE MONTEJANO, III, ROBERTO RUELAS SPLINTER UNIT DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BRIAN GARBELINNI

AMAZON STUDIOS/REUNION PACIFIC “OUTER RANGE” SEASON 1

DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ADAM NEWPORT-BERRA, DREW DANIELS OPERATORS: MATT HARSHBARGER, PAUL ELLIOTT ASSISTANTS: GABE PFEIFFER, KINGSLEA BUELTEL, TAYLOR HILBURN, JASON SEIGEL STEADICAM OPERATOR: MATT HARSHBARGER STEADICAM ASSISTANT: GABE PFEIFFER DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: TIM GREGOIRE LOADER: GENESIS HERNANDEZ DIGITAL UTILITY: LINDSAY HEATLEY

A VERY GOOD PRODUCTION, INC. & WAD PRODUCTIONS

“THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW” SEASON 18 LIGHTING DIRECTOR: TOM BECK PED OPERATORS: DAVID WEEKS, PAUL WILEMAN, TIM O’NEILL HANDHELD OPERATOR: CHIP FRASER JIB OPERATOR: DAVID RHEA STEADICAM OPERATOR: DONOVAN GILBUENA VIDEO CONTROLLER: JAMES MORAN HEAD UTILITY: CRAIG “ZZO” MARAZZO UTILITIES: ARLO GILBUENA, WALLY LANCASTER, DIEGO AVALOS

BEACHWOOD SERVICES

“DAYS OF OUR LIVES” SEASON 57 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: VINCE STEIB OPERATORS: MARK WARSHAW, MICHAEL J. DENTON, JOHNNY BROMBEREK, STEVE CLARK CAMERA UTILITIES: STEVE BAGDADI, GARY CYPHER VIDEO CONTROLLER: ALEXIS DELLAR HANSON

“THE GOLDBERGS” SEASON 8 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JASON BLOUNT OPERATORS: SCOTT BROWNER, NATE HAVENS ASSISTANTS: TRACY DAVEY, GARY WEBSTER, JENNIFER BELL PRICE, MICHELLE BAKER DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: KEVIN MILLS LOADER: DILSHAN HERATH

BIG INDIE BELLEVILLE, INC. “MASTER”

DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: CHARLOTTE HORSNBY OPERATOR: WILLIAM GREEN, IV ASSISTANTS: EVAN WALSH, HELEN CASSELL DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: HUNTER LEVIN LOADER: JAMAR OLIVE STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: LINDA KALLERUS

98

FEB/MAR 2021 PRODUCTION CREDITS

BLACK LABEL “DEVOTION”

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ERIK MESSERSCHIDT, ASC OPERATORS: BRIAN OSMOND, JESSICA CLARKE-NASH ASSISTANTS: ALEX SCOTT, BRIAN WELLS, NICHOLE FIREBAUGH, LAUREN GENTRY DIGITAL UTILITY: KYLE FORD STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: ELI ADE

BONANZA PRODUCTIONS, INC “SHAMELESS” SEASON 11

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ANTHONY HARDWICK OPERATOR: SYLVAIN D’HAUTCOURT, KRISTY TULLY BOTTOMS ASSISTANTS: RYO KINNO, DARBY NEWMAN, DAVID BERRYMAN, TIM LUKE LOADER: MAYA MORGAN DIGITAL UTILITY: AMI MARISCAL STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: PAUL SARKIS

CALLING GRACE PRODUCTIONS “SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE”

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ANDRIJ PAREKH, ASC OPERATOR: HEATHER NORTON ASSISTANTS: TOSHIRO YAMAGUCHI, ELIZABETH CASINELLI, AURELIA WINBORN, LIZ HEDGES STEADICAM OPERATOR: JULIAN DELACRUZ DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: GUILLERMO TUNON LOADER: KATIE GREAVES STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: JOJO WHILDEN

BROADWAY VIDEO

“MIRACLE WORKERS” SEASON 3 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BLAKE MCCLURE OPERATORS: NICK MEDRUD, SCOTT DROPKIN, MICHELLE GONZALES ASSISTANTS: JASON WITTENBERG, DAN MARINO, TIFFANY MURRAY, MARIA VALLETTA, JOSHUA ROBERT COTE, SEATON TROTTER DIGITAL LOADER: TOSHADEVA PALANI UTILITY: EMMA MASSALONE

CBS

GEORGE LA FOUNTAINE, CHRIS WILCOX, KRIS CONDE CAMERA UTILITIES: CHRIS TODD, VICKI BECK ASSISTANT: CRAIG LA FOUNTAINE VIDEO CONTROLLER: CLIFF JONES

“THE UNICORN” SEASON 2 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: CRAIG KIEF, ASC OPERATORS: HASSAN ABDUL-WAHID, ERIC ZIMMERMAN ASSISTANS: JARROD OSWALD, RICHARD AVALON, JOE SOLARI, JOHN RONEY CAMERA UTILITY: AARON BILLER DIGITAL LOADER: JASON FAUST

“THE TALK” SEASON 11 LIGHTING DIRECTOR: MARISA DAVIS PED OPERATORS: ART TAYLOR, MARK GONZALES, ED STAEBLER HANDHELD OPERATORS: RON BARNES, KEVIN MICHEL, JEFF JOHNSON JIB OPERATOR: RANDY GOMEZ HEAD UTILITY: CHARLES FERNANDEZ UTILITIES: MIKE BUSHNER, DOUG BAIN, DEAN FRIZZEL, BILL GREINER, JON ZUCCARO VIDEO CONTROLLER: RICHARD STROCK STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: RON JAFFE

“WHY WOMEN KILL” SEASON 2 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: MICHAEL PRICE, ASC OPERATORS: SCOTT BOETTLE, JOHN HANKAMMER, COBY GARFIELD ASSISTANTS: DARRELL HERRINGTON, DREW HAN, MARK SASABUCHI, GARY JOHNSON, ERIC MATOS, JOSH NOVAK STEADICAM OPERATOR: JOHN HANKAMMER DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: MIKE RUSH STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: NICOLE WILDER

COOLER WATER PRODUCTIONS, LLC “GILDED AGE” SEASON 1

DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: MANUEL BILLETER, VANJA CERNJUL, ASC OPERATORS: OLIVER CARY, PYARE FORTUNATO ASSISTANTS: JOHN OLIVERI, MICHAEL BURKE, SARAH MAY GUENTHER, MABEL SANTOS HAUGEN LOADERS: CALEB MURPHY, BRIAN CARDENAS STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: ALISON ROSA

“BULL” SEASON 5 DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: DERICK UNDERSCHULTZ, JOHN ARONSON OPERATORS: BARNABY SHAPIRO, DOUGLAS PELLEGRINO ASSISTANTS: ROMAN LUKIW, SOREN NASH, MICHAEL LOBB, TREVOR WOLFSON DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: KEITH PUTNAM STEADICAM OPERATOR: BARNABY SHAPIRO LOADERS: NIALANEY RODRIGUEZ, REBECCA HEWITT STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: DAVID RUSSELL

“ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT” SEASON 40

LIGHTING DESIGNER: DARREN LANGER DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: KURT BRAUN OPERATORS: JAMES B. PATRICK, ALLEN VOSS, ED SARTORI, HENRY ZINMAN, BOB CAMPI, RODNEY MCMAHON, ANTHONY SALERNO JIB OPERATOR: JAIMIE CANTRELL CAMERA UTILITY: TERRY AHERN VIDEO CONTROLLERS: MIKE DOYLE, PETER STENDAL

“EVIL” SEASON 2 DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: PETR HLINOMAZ, FRED MURPHY, ASC OPERATORS: AIKEN WEISS, KATE LAROSE, PARRIS MAYHEW ASSISTANTS: ROBERT BECCHIO, RENE CROUT, ALISA COLLEY, VINCENT LARAWAY LOADERS: TONI SHEPPARD, HOLDEN HLINOMAZ STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: ELIZABETH FISHER

“THE NEIGHBORHOOD” SEASON 3 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: CHRISTIAN LA FOUNTAINE OPERATORS: BRUCE REUTLINGER

“IN TREATMENT” SEASON 4 DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: STEVEN FIERBERG, ASC, ANNE ETHERIDGE OPERATORS: JAY HERRON, TAMMY FOUTS ASSISTANTS: MICHAEL ENDLER, DONALD BURGHARDT RUDY D. PAHOYO, MIKE PRIOR DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: TIM NAGASAWA LOADER: EMILY GOODWIN TECHNOCRANE OPERATOR: BRIAN LOVE REMOTE HEAD TECH/OPERATOR: JAY SHEVECK STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: SUZANNE TENNER

CRANETOWN MEDIA, LLC “YOUNGER” SEASON 7

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: HOLLIS MEMINGER OPERATORS: PETER VIETRO-HANNUM, BEKA VENEZIA ASSISTANTS: AMANDA ROTZLER, DAMON LEMAY, EMILY DEBLASI, KRISTINA LALLY DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: JAMES STROSAHL LOADER: TANEICE MCFADDEN STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: NICOLE RIVELLI

DISNEY/FOX 21

“QUEEN OF THE SOUTH” SEASON 5 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ABE MARTINEZ OPERATORS: DOMINIC BARTOLONE, MATT VALENTINE ASSISTANTS: JASON GARCIA, DAN MCKEE, RIGNEY SACKLEY, ZANDER WHITE STEADICAM OPERATOR: DOMINIC BARTOLONE STEADICAM ASSISTANT: JASON GARCIA DIGITAL LOADER: ADAM LIPSCOMB

EDEAVOR CONTENT

LGTV SET UP 5 PRODUCTIONS, INC.

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ROBERT DE ANGELIS OPERATOR: BROOKS GUYER ASSISTANTS: BRAD PETERMAN, JOHN HOLMES, CHRIS SLOAN, MARK CONNELLY DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: STEVE FREEBAIRN DIGITAL UTILITY: ZACH MADDEN TECHNOCRANE OPERATOR: JOSEPH RODMELL TECHNOCRANE TECH: CHAD ESHBAUGH REMOTE HEAD TECH: JAY SHEVECK STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: ANDREW COOPER BEHIND THE SCENES: JACK KNEY

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: SHANA HAGAN, ASC OPERATOR: BRENDA ZUNIGA ASSISTANTS: NICHOLAS GOWIN, ELI WALLACE-JOHANSSON, PALMER ANDERSON, NICHOLAS BROWN DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: MARK GILMER STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: BROWNIE HARRIS

“AMBULANCE”

EYE PRODUCTIONS, INC.

“BLUE BLOODS” SEASON 11 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: DONALD THORIN, JR. OPERATORS: STEPHEN CONSENTINO, GEOFF FROST ASSISTANTS: GRAHAM BURT, JACOB STAHLMAN, MARTIN PETERSON, KENNETH MARTELL LOADER: JONATHAN SCHAEFER STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: PATRICK HARBRON

“SWAGGER” SEASON 1 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: RODNEY TAYLOR OPERATORS: BODIE ORMAN, GARY HATFIELD ASSISTANTS: CHRISTOPHER GLEATON, ELIZABETH SILVER, MARK BAIN, ZAKIYA LUCAS-MURRAY, ERIC EATON, MAXWELL FISHER LOADER: BRITTANY WILSON STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: JESSICA KOURKOUNIS

FUQUA FILMS

“THE RESIDENT” SEASON 4 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BART TAU OPERATORS: MATT DOLL, ANDY FISHER, CHRISTIAN SATRAZEMIS ASSISTANTS: JUSTIN DEGUIRE, TAYLOR CASE, APRIL RUANE CROWLEY, MIKE FISHER, JENNIFER RANKINE, GRACE PRELLER CHAMBERS STEADICAM OPERATOR: MATT DOLL STEADICAM ASSISTANT: JUSTIN DEGUIRE LOADER: TREY VOLPE DIGITAL UTILITY: RYAN ST CLAIR 2ND UNIT DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ANDY FISHER OPERATORS: CHRISTIAN SATRAZEMIS, MICHAEL GFELNER, COOPER DUNN ASSISTANTS: JACKSON MCDONALD, CLAIRE PAPEVIES, TAYLOR CASE, MATT EVANS, STERLING WIGGINS, TRISHA SOLYN STEADICAM OPERATOR: CHRISTIAN SATRAZEMIS DIGITAL UTILITY: TREY VOLPE UTILITY: ERIC GAVLINSKI

JAY SQUARED PRODUCTIONS, LLC “MANIFEST” SEASON 3

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ANDREW PRIESTLEY OPERATORS: CARLOS GUERRA, RYAN TOUSSIENG ASSISTANTS: ANDREW PECK, WESLEY HODGES, CORNELIA KLAPPER, KAIH WONG LOADERS: WILL FORTUNE, PHILIP THOMPSON STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: ELIZABETH FISHER

KANAN PRODUCTIONS, INC. “RAISING KANAN” SEASON 1

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: HERNAN OTANO OPERATORS: FRANCIS SPIELDENNER, GREGORY FINKEL ASSISTANTS: MARK FERGUSON, EMMA REESE-SCANLON, MARC LOFORTE, GREGORY PACE DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: BJORN JACKSON LOADERS: KEITH ANDERSON, JESSICA CELE-NAZARIO STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: ZACH DILGARD, PAUL SCHIRALDI PUBLICIST: SABRINA LAUFER

“THIS COUNTRY” SEASON 1

LIONSGATE

“BLINDSPOTTING” SEASON 1 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: TARIN ANDERSON OPERATORS: REID RUSSELL, JAN RUONA ASSISTANTS: IAN BARBELLA, ERIN NAIFEH, BRIAN FREEMAN, BIANCA GARCIA STEADICAM OPERATOR: REID RUSSELL DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: AARON PICOT CAMERA UTILITY: NICOLA CARUSO

MESQUITE PRODUCTIONS

“I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER” SEASON 1 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ANKA MALATYNSKA OPERATORS: SERGIO DE LUCA, JOSH TURNER ASSISTANTS: PATRICK BLANCHET, NIGEL NALLY, RYAN CHARLTON-HALWEG, MICHAEL CRUICKSHANK DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: GAYLEN NEBEKER LOADER: GEOFF LAU DIGITAL UTILITY: KRISTINA ZAZUETA STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: MICHAEL DESMOND

MPAT PRODUCTIONS, LLC “THE MS. PAT SHOW”

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: GEORGE CHAPPELL OPERATORS: ANTHONY OLIVER, GERARLD MCCLAIN, CHARLES STANCLIFF ASSISTANTS: ROBERTO DELGADO, PEDRO ESCOBAR CAMERA UTILITIES: CAIT RODIEK, SHAINA WALKER DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: BEN MURATET

MRC/APPLE/EASY MARK, LLC “EASY MARK”

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: MICHELLE LAWLER OPERATORS: ROSS COSCIA, SARAH LEVY ASSISTANTS: CHELI CLAYTON SAMARA, IGNACIO MUSICH, AMANDA MORGAN, ARTHUR ZAJAC DIGITAL IMGAGING TECH: PETER BRUNET DIGITAL UTILITY: LARRINA JEFFERSON

NBC

“BROOKLYN NINE-NINE” SEASON 8 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: RICK PAGE OPERATORS: PHIL MASTRELLA, LAUREN GADD, JOEL TALLBUT ASSISTANTS: JAY LEVY, BILL GERARDO, DUSTIN MILLER, WILLIAM SCHMIDT, CHRIS CARLSON DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: NICK GILBERT LOADER: KURT LEVY STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: JOHN P. FLEENOR

“CHICAGO MED” SEASON 6 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: LEX DUPONT, ASC OPERATORS: FAIRES ANDERSON SEKIYA, JOE TOLITANO, BENJAMIN SPEK ASSISTANTS: GEORGE OLSON, KEITH HUEFFMEIER, SAM KNAPP, PATRICK DOOLEY, JOEY RICHARDSON, MATT BROWN STEADICAM OPERATOR: FAIRES ANDERSON SEKIYA LOADER: CHRIS SUMMERS UTILITY: ELIJAH WILBORN STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: ELIZABETH SISSON

“CHICAGO PD” SEASON 8 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JAMES ZUCAL OPERATORS: VICTOR MACIAS, DARRYL MILLER, SETH THOMAS ASSISTANTS: JOHN YOUNG, DON CARLSON,

DAVID WIGHTMAN, JAMISON ACKER, KYLE BELOUSEK, NICK WILSON STEADICAM OPERATOR: VICTOR MACIAS LOADER: MARION TUCKER DIGITAL UTILITIES: CHRIS POLMANSKI, STEVE CLAY

“F.B.I.” SEASON 3 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: MARC RITZEMA OPERATORS: AFTON GRANT, JAMIE SILVERSTEIN ASSISTANTS: LEE VICKERY, YURI INOUE, GEORGE LOOKSHIRE, NKEM UMENYI STEADICAM OPERATOR: AFTON GRANT LOADERS: RAUL MARTINEZ, CONNOR LYNCH

“FBI: MOST WANTED” SEASON 2 DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: LUDOVIC LITTEE, DANIEL PATTERSON OPERATORS: CHRISTOPHER MOONE, REBECCA ARNDT ASSISTANTS: BRADEN BELMONTE, JAMES DALY, RACHAEL DOUGHTY, CAROLYN WILLS, STORR TODD LOADER: AUSTIN RESTREPO STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: MARK SCHAFER

“GIRLS5EVA” SEASON 1 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JOHN INWOOD OPERATORS: DAVID TAICHER, ROBERT PAGLIARO ASSISTANTS: DOUGLAS FOOTE, CHRISTOPHER WIEZOREK, AMBER ROSALES, PATRICK BRACEY LOADER: CHARLOTTE SKUTCH STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: ANNE JOYCE, HEIDI GUTMAN

“GOOD GIRLS” SEASON 4 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JASON OLDAK OPERATORS: MIKA LEVIN, BRIAN OUTLAND, SHELLY GURZI ASSISTANTS: JOHN RUIZ, PATRICK BLANCHET, JENNA HOFFMAN, ROBYN BUCHANAN, CARTER SMITH, JONNIE MENTZER LOADER: MATT SCHOUTEN STEADICAM OPERATOR: MIKA LEVIN STEADICAM ASSISTANT: JOHN RUIZ CAMERA UTILITY: GLEN LANDRY DIGITAL UTILITY: DEEPAK ADHIKARY STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: JORDIN ALTHAUS

“NEW AMSTERDAM” SEASON 3 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ANDREW VOEGELI OPERATORS: SCOTT TINSLEY, GARETH MANWARING ASSISTANTS: PEDRO CORCEGA, JAMES MADRID, MATTHEW MONTALTO, ROBERT WRASE LOADERS: ANABEL CAICEDO, KATHERINE RIVERA

“THE EQUALIZER” SEASON 1 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: GAVIN KELLY OPERATORS: DAVID ISERN, RACHAEL LEVINE, SOC, BLAKE JOHNSON ASSISTANTS: BEN SPANER, KATHERINE RIVERA, FILIPP PENSON, ROBERT CLINE, JIEUN SHIM, DARNELL MCDONALD DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: TIFFANY ARMOUR-TEJADA LOADERS: PETER PERLMAN, IVANA BERNAL STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: BARBARA NITKE, MICHAEL GREENBERG

NETFLIX PRODUCTIONS, LLC “ARCHIVE 81” SEASON 1

DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BOBBY BUKOWSKI, JULIE KIRKWOOD OPERATORS: BUD KREMP, LISA SENE ASSISTANTS: DEB PETERSON, KYLE BLACKMAN, BENEDICT BALDAUFF, KEVIN GALLOWAY CAMERA UTILITY: KIMBERLY HERMAN DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: CURTIS ABBOTT LOADER: GABRIEL MARCHETTI STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: QUANTRELL COLBERT

FEB/MAR 2021 PRODUCTION CREDITS

99

“COLIN IN BLACK AND WHITE”

“WHEEL OF FORTUNE” SEASON 37

“S.W.A.T.” SEASON 4

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: MATTHEW J. LLOYD OPERATORS: CHRISTINE NG, MICHELLE MARRION ASSISTANTS: KEITT, MICHELLE SUN, YVES WILSON, HILARY BENAS DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: THOMAS WONG LOADER: GIANNI CARSON HEAD LIBRA TECH: SEAN FOLKL

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JEFF ENGEL OPERATORS: DIANE L. FARRELL, SOC, L.DAVID IRETE, RAY GONZALES, MIKE TRIBBLE CAMERA UTILITY: RAY THOMPSON HEAD UTILITY: TINO MARQUEZ VIDEO CONTROLLER: GARY TAILLON JIB ARM OPERATOR: MARC HUNTER STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: CAROL KAELSON

DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: FRANCIS KENNY, ASC, CRAIG FIKSE OPERATORS: TIM DOLAN, RILEY PADELFORD, MICHAEL OTIS ROPERT ASSISTANTS: RYAN PARKS, TIM COBBS, THANE CHARACKY, BAIRD STEPTOE, II, LOGAN TURNER, GARY BEVANS, MIKE FAUNTLEROY STEADICAM OPERATORS: TIM DOLAN, RILEY PADELFORD CAMERA UTILITY: CARL LAMMI LOADERS: TREVOR BEELER, LOUIS HERNANDEZ

ORANGE CONE PRODUCTIONS “LEGACIES” SEASON 3

“SUCCESSION” SEASON 3

PACIFIC 2/1 ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, INC.

“FEAR THE WALKING DEAD” SEASON 6

“AMERICAN CRIME STORY: IMPEACHMENT” SEASON 4 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: SIMON DENNIS, BSC OPERATORS: ERIC SCHILLING, JAMIE STERBA ASSISTANTS: DAVID LEB, NATHAN CRUM, JARED WILSON STEADICAM OPERATOR: ERIC SCHILLING DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: SPENCER SHWETZ DIGITAL UTILITY: SHANNON VAN METRE

ROCART, INC.

“SIDE HUSTLE” SEASON 1 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: MICHAEL FRANKS OPERATORS: GEORGE LA FOUNTAINE, KRIS CONDE, ELI FRANKS, BOB MCCALL TECHNOJIB OPERATOR: ELI FRANKS TECHNOJIB TECH: COREY GIBBONS ASSISTANT: VERONICA DAVIDSON CAMERA UTILITIES: ERINN BELL, RICHARD FINE, CHRIS COBB DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: DEREK LANTZ VIDEO CONTROLLER: BARRY LONG

SAN VICENTE PRODUCTIONS, INC. “THE BLACKLIST” SEASON 8

DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: SAADE MUSTAFA, MICHAEL CARACCIOLO OPERATORS: DEREK WALKER, DEVIN LADD, PETER RENIERS ASSISTANTS: DANIEL CASEY, MIKE GUASPARI, JAMES GOURLEY, EDGAR VELEZ, EDWIN HERRERA, KATHERYN IUELE STEADICAM OPERATOR: DEVIN LADD STEADICAM ASSISTANT: MIKE GUASPARI LOADERS: HAROLD ERKINS, MARK BOYLE STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: WILL HART

SONY

“CALL YOUR MOTHER” SEASON 1 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: GARY BAUM, ASC OPERATORS: EDDIE FINE, RON HIRSCHMAN, DEBORAH O’BRIEN, DAVID DECHANT, BRIAN GUNTER ASSISTANT: JASON HERRING VIDEO CONTROLLER: DEREK LANTZ UTILITIES: RICHIE FINE, DAN LORENZE STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: JESSICA BROOKS

“JEOPARDY!” SEASON 36 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JEFF ENGEL OPERATORS: DIANE L. FARRELL, SOC, MIKE TRIBBLE, JEFF SCHUSTER, L. DAVID IRETE JIB ARM OPERATOR: MARC HUNTER HEAD UTILITY: TINO MARQUEZ CAMERA UTILITY: RAY THOMPSON VIDEO CONTROLLER: GARY TAILLON STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: CAROL KAELSON

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SOURDOUGH PRODUCTIONS, LLC

DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JOHN SMITH, MICHAEL KARASICK OPERATORS: BRIAN DAVIS, SOC, STEWART SMITH, SOC ASSISTANTS: GERAN DANIELS, KELLY POOR, BENJAMIN EADES, SAGAR DESAI STEADICAM OPERATOR: STEWART SMITH, SOC DIGITA IMAGING TECH: BILL MUELLER LOADER: JESSE EAGLE DIGITAL UTILITIES: AMANDA KOPEC, EMILY GIBSON

FEB/MAR 2021 PRODUCTION CREDITS

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: PATRICK CAPONE OPERATORS: GREGOR TAVENNER, ALAN PIERCE ASSISTANTS: ETHAN BORSUK, CORY STAMBLER, BRENDAN RUSSELL, ALEC NICKEL LOADERS: JOSHUA BOTE, NAIMA NOGUERA STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: MACALL POLAY

TURNER NORTH CENTER PRODUCTIONS “THE LAST O.G.” SEASON 4

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ROBERT GANTZ OPERATORS: VINCE VENNITTI, JULIAN DELACRUZ ASSISTANTS: JUSTIN WHITACRE, JOSHUA WATERMAN SETADICAM OPERATOR: JULIAN DELACRUZ

STALWART PRODUCTIONS

UNIVERSAL

DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JALALUDIN TRAUTMANN, BVK, RAMSEY NICKELL OPERATORS: RAMON ENGLE, KRIS HARDY ASSISTANTS: MARK BOYLE, THEDA CUNNINGHAM, SAM PEARCY, DON HOWE STEADICAM OPERATOR: RAMON ENGLE DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: JAMIE METZGER DIGITAL UTILITY: JASON HEAD LOADER: LOUIS WATT TECHNOCRANE OPERATOR: JOE DATRI TECHNOCRANE TECH: RYAN CROCI REMOTE HEAD TECH: JOE DATRI STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: RYAN GREEN PUBLICIST: SHARA STORCH

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: MICHAEL GREEN OPERATORS: JONATHAN HERRON, MICHAEL LATINO ASSISTANTS: CHRISTOPHER DEL SORDO, MATTHEW BALZARINI, JUSTIN ZVERIN, EMILY DUMBRILL LOADERS: MAX SCHWARZ, JASON GAINES STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: MICHAEL PARMELEE

“KEVIN CAN F**K HIMSELF” SEASON 1 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ADRIAN PENG CORREIA OPERATORS: SHANNON MADDEN, JOEL SAN JUAN ASSISTANTS: GREG WIMER, DEAN EGAN, JAMIE FITZPATRICK, MATT HEDGES LOADER: AUDREY STEVENS DIGITAL UTILITY: ANNI ABBRUZZESE STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: JOJO WHILDEN

STARZ P-TOWN PRODUCTIONS, LLC “HIGHTOWN” SEASON 2

DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BRAD SMITH, RADIUM CHEUNG, HKSC OPERATORS: DAVID KIMELMAN, DEREK TINDALL ASSISTANTS: ALAN ALDRIDGE, SEAN YAPLE, SETH LEWIS, NICK COCUZZA DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: MALIKA FRANKLIN LOADER: CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: DANA HAWLEY

THIMBLE PEA PICTURES, LLC

“UNTITLED ANNA DELVEY ART PROJECT” SEASON 1 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: TIMOTHY NORMAN OPERATORS: GEORGE BIANCHINI, GREGORY PRINCIPATO ASSISTANTS: ROBERT MANCUSO, NICHOLAS HAHN, JUSTIN MANCUSO, EVE STRICKMAN DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: DOUGLAS HORTON LOADER: JONATHAN PERALTA STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: NICOLE RIVELLI, LIZ FISHER, CHRIS SAUNDERS

TOPANGA PRODUCTIONS, INC. “FOR LIFE” SEASON 2

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: CLIFF CHARLES OPERATORS: ELI ARONOFF, RICARDO SARMIENTO ASSISTANTS: DEAN MARTINEZ, JELANI WILSON, KELLON INNOCENT, BRIAN GRANT LOADER: JAMES ABAMONT

“LAW & ORDER: SVU” SEASON 22

VERTICAL HOLD PRODUCTIONS, LLC “PRODIGAL SON” SEASON 2

DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ANTHONY WOLBERG, CHRISTOPHER RAYMOND OPERATORS: MALCOLM PURNELL, BRIAN JACKSON ASSISTANTS: ALEX WATERSTON, HAMILTON LONGYEAR, WARIS SUPANPONG, KEVIN HOWARD, KATIE WAALKES, RANDY SCHWARTZ CAMERA UTILITY: MCKENZIE RAYCROFT DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: KYO MOON LOADER: MATTIE HAMER

WARNER BROS

“ALL AMERICAN” SEASON 3 DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: NIKHIL PANIZ OPERATORS: ERIC LAUDADIO, DANIEL WURSCHL ASSISTANTS: JON LINDSAY, BLAKE COLLINS, GREG DELLERSON, JESSICA PINNS DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: URBAN OLSSON

“ALL RISE” SEASON 2 DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID HARP, AMANDA TREYZ OPERATORS: TIM ROARKE, STEPHEN CLANCY, SHANELE ALVAREZ ASSISTANTS: MATT GUIZA, KRISTI ARNDS, RANDY SHANOFSKY, ADAM TSANG, COLLEEN LINDL, BENNY BAILEY STEADICAM OPERATOR: STEPHEN CLANCY STEADICAM ASSISTANT: KRISTI ARNDS LOADER: PETER PEI DIGITAL UTILITIES: MORGAN JENKINS, KAREN CLANCY

“BOB HEARTS ABISHOLA” SEASON 2 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: PATTI LEE, ASC OPERATORS: MARK DAVISON, CHRIS HINOJOSA, JON PURDY, MICHELLE CRENSHAW ASSISTANTS: JEFF JOHNSON, VITO DE PALMA, MARIANNE FRANCO, ADAN TORRES, LISA ANDERSON, ALICIA BRAUNS, LANCE MITCHELL, JORDAN HRISTOV VIDEO CONTROLLER: JOHN O’BRIEN DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: T. BRETT FEENEY STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: MICHAEL YARISH PUBLICISTS: KATHLEEN TANJI, MARC KLEIN

“B POSITIVE” SEASON 1 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: GARY BAUM, ASC OPERATORS: ALEC ELIZONDO, TRAVERS HILL, LANCE BILLITZER, EDDIE FINE ASSISTANTS: ADRIAN LICCIARDI, MICHELE MCKINLEY, JEFF ROTH, CLINT PALMER, JASON HERRING DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: DEREK LANTZ

VIDEO CONTROLLER: JOHN O’BRIEN UTILITIES: RICHARD FINE, DAN LORENZE

“LUCIFER” SEASON 6 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: TOM CAMARDA OPERATORS: MATTHEW PIERCE, DOUG OH ASSISTANTS: SIMON JARVIS, CHRIS MACK, CLAIRE STONE, TIM SHERIDAN DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: GREG GABRIO DIGITAL UTILITIES: TYLER ERNST, RICH CONTI TECHNOCRANE OPERATOR: PAUL VOUGHT REMOTE HEAD TECH/OPERATOR: JAY SHEVECK

“MOM” SEASON 8 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: STEVEN V. SILVER, ASC OPERATORS: CARY MCCRYSTAL, JAMIE HITCHCOCK, SOC, DAMIAN DELLA SANTINA, CANDY EDWARDS ASSISTANTS: MEGGINS MOORE, NIGEL STEWART, SEAN ASKINS, MARK JOHNSON, WHITNEY JONES CAMERA UTILITIES: ALICIA BRAUNS, COLIN BROWN, JEANNETTE HJORTH VIDEO CONTROLLER: KEVIN FAUST DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: BENJAMIN STEEPLES STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: ROBERT VOETS PUBLICIST: MARC KLEIN

STEADICAM OPERATOR: AARON SCHUH STEADICAM ASSISTANT: GRANT YELLEN DIGITAL LOADERS: BAILEY SOFTNESS, JENISE WHITEHEAD STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: ROBERT VOETS, MICHAEL DESMOND, DARREN MICHAELS, NICOLE WILDER

EG PLUS

WASH RIVER FILM PRODUCTION PR, LLC

HUNGRY MAN, INC.

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ERIC KORETZ OPERATORS: GEORGE BILLINGER, III, DAVID ANGLIN ASSISTANTS: SIMON ENGLAND, CARLOS RIVERA, MARAYDA CABRERA DAVILA, ERNESTO GOMEZ CAMERA UTILITY: MARIA BELTRAN DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: OMAR RIVERA ABREU STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: LAURA MAGRUDER

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: KAI SAUL ASSISTANTS: NICOLAS MARTIN, ALAN CERTEZA DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: BEN HOPKINS

“WASH ME IN THE RIVER”

ZAMBO PRODUCTIONS, LLC “GENTEFIED” SEASON 2

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: PEDRO GOMEZ MILAN OPERATORS: CHRISTIAN GIBSON, JUDY PHU ASSISTANTS: CAMERON OWEN, ROSE LICAVOLI, ASIA HEREDIA, KELSEY JUDDO DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: JANE FLECK

“THE KOMINSKY METHOD” SEASON 3 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JAIME REYNOSO, AMC OPERATORS: MICHAEL WALSH, BONNIE BLAKE, JOEL PERKAL ASSISTANTS: ROBERT MUTHAMIA, JIM THIBO, CAMERON OWEN, YEVGENIY SHRAYBER, OLIVER PONCE STEADICAM OPERATOR: MICHAEL WALSH LOADER: ROSE LICAVOLI CAMERA UTILITY: CHRISTOPHER BROOKS STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: ERIC VOAKE, ANNE MARIE FOX

“THE SEX LIVES OF COLLEGE GIRLS” PILOT DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: RICK PAGE OPERATORS: PHIL MASTRELLA, LAUREN GADD, JON PURDY, KENNY BROWN ASSISTANTS: JAY LEVY, DUSTIN MILLER, LISA GUERRIERO, CHRIS CARLSON DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: MICK PACIFICI DIGITAL UTILITY: MICHAEL TROBISCH, ALEX MACAT STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: JESSICA BROOKS

“YOUNG SHELDON” SEASON 4 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BUZZ FEITSHANS, IV OPERATORS: NEIL TOUSSAINT, SOC, AARON SCHUH ASSISTANTS: MATTHEW DEL RUTH, GRANT YELLEN, BRAD GILSON, JR., JAMES COBB

“AUSTEDO” DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ROB HAUER ASSISTANTS: PETER MORELLO, NATE MCGARIGAL DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: TYLER ISAACSON

“AT&T”

O POSITIVE

“CADILLAC” DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JEFF CRONENWETH OPERATOR: LUKAS BIELAN ASSISTANTS: BOB SMATHERS, PAUL SANTONI, PAUL TOOMEY, NOAH THOMSON DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: MICHELE DELORIMIER

SUPPLY & DEMAND “THE MIDDLE”

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JOE DESALVO OPERATOR: DAVID WELDON ASSISTANTS: STEVE MATTSON, PHILLIP WALTER DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: CHRIS NIGHTINGALE

TOOL OF NORTH AMERICA “CHASE HOME LENDING”

COMMERCIALS ANONYMOUS CONTENT “CORONA”

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: TIM HUDSON, ACS ASSISTANTS: ERIK STAPELFELDT, KYMM SWANK DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: ERIC YU TECHNOCRANE OPERATOR: CHRISTIAN HURLEY REMOTE HEAD TECH/OPERATOR: BRETT FOLK

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: KARINA SILVA OPERATOR: CHRISTIAN ADKINS ASSISTANTS: ERICK AGUILAR, REBECCA BASAURE, ANGELO GENTILE DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: NICK FRY

“MINWAX” DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: KAI SAUL ASSISTANTS: NICOLAS MARTIN, ALAN CERTEZA DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: ANDY BETHKE

ARTS & SCIENCES

“PROJECT BON BON” DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: SAM LEVY ASSISTANTS: ROBERT RAGOZZINE, KYLE REPKA, DAN KECK DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: LOIC DE LAME

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FEB/MAR 2021 PRODUCTION CREDITS

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Eddy Chen UNIT STILL PHOTOGRAPHER EUPHORIA

After a six-month shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we found ourselves at a little diner in Burbank, shooting a very different episode than we’d ever imagined. Shooting at this diner reminds me of Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks painting, which I had a print of as a kid – amidst the chaos of the pandemic around Los Angeles and the world, there was a calmness on set. Here, we were all able to witness a commanding and awe-inspiring performance by Zendaya, who just weeks later became the youngest Emmy Award winner for her role as Rue in Euphoria.

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Announcing the newly upgraded Cineo LB800™ Engineered for greater reliability, versatility and ease of use.

Our 2’ x 4’ soft light represents the latest technological advances in production lighting, adding the new C2OS control system.

Here’s the best news: legacy LB800 systems can be upgraded in-field to take advantage of all the great new features: - Touchscreen control of all operations - 50,000 lumen output @ 800 watts - Variable CCT : 2500K-10,000K, +/- Green control - Saturated color control: HSIK or RGBK - Single or ten zone operation - Unlimited presets and effects - DMX/RDM, CRMX, Ethernet and WiFi connectivity

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