Brian Smith
PRODUCER / DIRECTOR | FLOOR IS LAVA
BY DAVID GEFFNER
24 NOVEMBER 2022 EXPOSURE
EXECUTIVE
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Floor Is Lava Executive Producer/Director Brian Smith has a unique legacy in the unscripted world. Smith entered reality TV concurrently with one of the genre’s first big hits, Big Brother , for which he directed over a hundred episodes before moving on to another evergreen unscripted hit, The Biggest Loser , where he added a few hundred more episodes to his work as a director as well as executive producer. On The Biggest Loser (and other unscripted shows), Smith hired a wealth of camera talent that provided the foundation for some stellar Local 600 careers, including Directors of Photography (now director) Matt Sohn; DP’s Michael Pepin, David Ortkiese, and Mick Froelich; and Sarah Levy. Smith, whose background includes numerous sitcoms and a slew of assignments in pro sports and live concerts, wouldn’t have it any other way.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF BRIAN SMITH
“Many of the Guild DP’s and operators I have been fortunate enough to work with – on reality competition shows like The Biggest Loser , MasterChef , and Love is Blind ,” Smith shares, “have made successful careers in the episodic world, as well. And I’d like to think the skills they refined in the non-fiction world are universal. – whether that’s with an actor or your neighbor down the street.” Another long-time member of Smith’s unscripted team, Floor Is Lava Director of Photography Timothy Baker, says the key to Smith’s success is his preparation. “Brian always has all his camera plots and various rigs – pedestals, handhelds, Steadicams, fly-cams –super-dialed in prep,” Baker describes. “He treats these shows like they’re live events and manages to account for every possible variable.”
Preparing for the unexpected, in a genre that banks on human foibles, is no easy task. But Smith, whose peer-review honors include a Primetime Emmy for Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution , two Emmy nominations for Love Is Blind , an Editing Emmy nomination for the 74th Academy Awards, five DGA nominations, and two DGA Awards, has not only mastered the art of unscripted storytelling, he's also made sure his union crews have plenty of fun and empowerment along the way.
ICG Magazine: Tell us about the early days of your unscripted career with shows like Big Brother and The Biggest Loser . How did directing come into the pitcure? Brian Smith: I had been doing sitcoms and live multi-cam sports and concerts. The jump-to point was probably 1999, when Big Brother came to the U.S. I was a part of the tech setup, which was originally built out on the back lot at CBS-Radford Studios. Through a series of events, I ended up directing the first three years of the show. I started six days a week, sleeping behind the control room. [Laughs.]
You probably never know what’s going to take off. But The Biggest Loser connected with a huge audience. The show was uniquely personal, even for reality TV, since it was so tied to the contestants’ self-worth and identity. How
did that factor into your coverage? I think a lot of people who work in this space will agree you can’t overemphasize the work you do in prep. Both in the flushing out of the format and the layout of coverage. The more you can get your team in line with how we’re going to capture the show, the more you can become invisible and allow the contestants to experience – and resonate – with real emotion on camera. I don’t know the secret ingredient for why shows break through, but the more you can allow for truthful moments, the better. The Biggest Loser created that kind of environment. It was one of the first shows I was a part of where we all became a big family. We were living on the ranch, and it was fairly quick for the contestants to get used to all the lights and cameras. And the nature of the show, as you pointed out, didn’t allow for any fabrication. You can’t fake weight loss and all of the physical things those people went through.
Your Floor Is Lava DP, Tim Baker, mentioned not only how thorough your preparation is, but how you always have a visual look in mind for each type of unscripted show. The shows I’ve been a part of often have that combination of multi-cam competition or challenge blended with a “cinematic doc” style. Tim and I go back many moons. We worked together when he was an operator in 2004 and have done a number of different projects since.
You’re also an Executive Producer on many of your shows, which I assume goes to the prep aspect – from set design to camera placement. For sure. Being there from day one of prep, working through the format and creative beats only helps the director in me. Like with Floor Is Lava , MasterChef , and Love is Blind – all of those shows, we work for months with the creative team and set designers to flesh out the creative elements that inform the set design, which, in turn, leads to camera and equipment choices to capture it all.
You told me you’re working for the camera operators before they ever work for you. Yes,
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Assembling the camera team is akin to building your orchestra, where some people can pick up and play any song well along with others, while some focus on one or two specialties, and, in that same analogy, you try to design opportunities that sets them loose to solo.”
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sir. In that iterative creative process, I’ll walk through the creative, standing in each of the spaces to determine what operators will need to be successful. Working through the questions and doing my best to solve the problems before they arrive. You put it all together, and by the time operating teams step onto set, we’ve hopefully got a solid plan, with the right tools, allowing them to focus on what’s important, capturing the moment and elevating the story.
Patrick McManus, who directs American Ninja Warrior [ICG Magazine Deep Dive #3], told me a similar thing, in that he casts his operators much like actors – who will be best on the pedestal, on handheld, on a slider, or Techno? Is that your approach? Assembling the camera team is akin to building your orchestra, where some people can pick up and play any song well along with others, while some focus on one or two specialties, and, in that same analogy, you try to design opportunities that sets them loose to solo.
Why do you think Love Is Blind has broken through? Hah. I have no idea. .. the elusive question as to why things work while others don’t. I do know, you can make reels of pretty pictures, but if the cast is not connecting with the viewers emotionally, the stories fall flat. Taking time to create a space where people have to genuinely deal with their situation betters the odds of genuine emotion. Love is Blind creates that kind of space and gives the cast time, which is essential.
And, of course, the crews are fully a part of that environment. What they do before and during production – from camera to lighting design to set builds – to make that experience real to the cast cannot be understated in its effect on how each story comes together.
You sound like you may have been a production designer in another life – your consideration of the shooting space is at a premium. I guess I subscribe to the philosophy that the secret to taking a beautiful picture is to take a picture of a beautiful thing. It goes to something Janusz Kaminski said at a DGA event years ago that
always resonated with me. When Janusz was asked why he would need to entertain doing a scout at the top of some remote mountain in the middle of February, when it takes two weeks to trek through the cold and snow, he said “because that’s when it’s the most beautiful.” I find it very helpful to step onto sets that have been well-considered, as you say. We set each other up for success so that on the day we shoot, the easiest part of the job will be saying “action.” If we’ve done it right.
Regarding MasterChef – is there anything unique to the food genre relative to other unscripted shows? In cooking shows, as expected, food is a featured character, but not the sole story. Like any film or sitcom, it’s about the cast’s journey. To differentiate from other food-centric shows, we wanted to weave in a larger scope and sense of cinema to the experience, even if that experience is just making dinner. For example, an early challenge had 500 Marines storming the beaches with explosives, tanks, and planes filling the frames. All the while, home cooks are ducking for cover, sweating over how to grill a steak medium rare. The juxtapositions gave spectacle to the otherwise ordinary process of cooking and may have helped distinguish the series. Or maybe people just like steak. [Laughs.]
Speaking of storytelling – can you talk about the idea that reality TV is anything but? That some shows are more produced and scripted than narrative TV? From the projects I’ve been a part of, scenarios and challenges are certainly planned and produced – you’re going to fly to Mexico or Paris; you’re going to go to a bowling alley or race to the top of a volcano. The host’s dialogue is scripted and rehearsed to guide the viewer and the contestants through scenarios. How the contestants interact in the moment is not. That’s the genuine “reality TV” part of the genre, and probably where the nomenclature comes from.
You’ve directed every episode of Floor Is Lava , and, as an EP, you were in on the show from the ground up. Tim, and everyone else I talked to, said everyone has a smile on their face at the end
of the day. What makes it special? It’s tough to tell what the special sauce is exactly. The concept of the game connects with youthful innocence and a playful time of life. That in itself seems to bring a unique connection with the crew in crafting the show, and in that respect, it’s one of my favorite projects. One thing unique to the production end of Lava is the lack of traditional rehearsal with the camera operators. We do whiteboards and verbal rehearsals, but by the nature of the time it takes to fill the tank with lava and crane in all of the sets, it doesn’t allow for a physical runthrough. The operators, while prepped with their shot assignments, are still working on-the-fly in any given segment. More in line with live sports, where we live in a flow of audibles.
Lava also presents some unique safety challenges. Safety is priority number one with all of these shows, and Lava is no different in that regard. Though it did present several unique considerations. We raised the lava tank and that required decking to elevate the camera positions. The majority of the lighting now comes from under the tank through plexiglass, with the spot ops living under the decking below the ops. You have people working eight to 10 feet above the ground, next to a large tank filled with slippery, viscous liquid. So, considerations and protocols were in place with safety teams on deck, lifeguards, water safety, and medics at all times.
We ran a Web Exclusive recently on Abbott Elementary [ICG Magazine • Primary Colors], and I was surprised to learn most of the camera team – along with the executive producer/ director, Randall Einhorn, worked with you in the early days of their non-scripted careers. Michael Pepin, Brenda Zuniga, Sarah Levy, and on it goes. [Laughs.] Yeah. It’s pretty great to see so many people who work in unscripted having such great success in episodic and features, whether as DP’s, operators, EP’s, or directing. They’ve shown that the skills refined in non-fiction/nonscripted are universal and serve well in all aspects of visual storytelling. Whether that’s with an actor or your neighbor down the street.”
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FLOOR IS LAVA
Netflix’s Floor Is Lava, now streaming its third season, is a goopy, gloppy, slime-filled reality hit that keeps its Local 600 camera team ever-sharp and challenged.
by David Geffner
Photos by Lisa Rose / Netflix Framegrabs Courtesy of Netflix
Your kids (or maybe you) might have played it years ago. The object of the game? To traverse from chair to sofa to dining room table, desperately trying to avoid touching the molten magma that has overrun your parents’ living room. Other references that come to mind include the 2015 Pixar hit Inside Out, where lead character Riley’s many animated moods include “Joy” and “Sadness,” both of whom must navigate a “lake of lava” taken from Riley’s memory bank of a game she played. There have also been board- and video-game versions (DVD and mobile), the most memorable being Epic Games’ Fortnite: Battle Royale, where players must construct platforms to battle through lava leaking from a volcano. But whichever way you arrive at the abject fun (and silliness) of the enduring pastime known as “the floor is lava,” all roads eventually lead to Netflix’s 2020 reality competition hit of the same name, now streaming its third season.
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was working on another Netflix show when they shared they were considering picking up the IP [intellectual property], and would I be interested in meeting with the creator,” describes Executive Producer Brian Smith, who directed all three seasons of Lava . (See Exposure , page 24.) “In that first season, shot in [the former] Ikea warehouse in Burbank,” Smith adds, “the creative team came up with this backstory. We imagined an eccentric billionaire, who owned this abandoned mansion built on the side of the volcano that had flooded out. The house would have a limitless number of rooms and be this fantastical space to explore. Since the show is inspired by a kids’ game, the team wanted to transpose that feeling of exploration and adventure – of jumping from chairs to couches to tables throughout this oversized, imagination-fueled space. We wanted it to be this journey that the kid [in every adult] would want to go on.”
Smith says Lava’s producers also wanted to include real-world references in Season 1. “There were rooms based on Egyptian tombs, planetariums, sports and games, libraries, and more,” he continues. “Safety is always the priority, and a show with people jumping from obstacle to obstacle required conceptualizing in the drawing and design phases. A rudimentary version of that season-one set was built in a warehouse, and then the challenge
and producing teams and myself jumped on it. We wanted to find the practicalities of what would tell the story and what would be safe –and doable – for the average person. Although the ATS [construction and obstacle design] team from American Ninja Warrior came on in season two, Lava is not that show. Our contestants are not athletes who train all year. They’re regular folks.”
A big part of the show’s charm is when those “regular folks” take a tumble into the lava – a viscous, soapy liquid whose full chemical content is proprietary. Local 600 Lighting Designer Travis Hagenbuch [ICG Magazine June/July 2019], who had worked with some of Lava’s producers on NBC’s Titan Games , recalls getting a call in late 2020 to come in for tests to try and give the lava a “glowing effect.” Hagenbuch says the directive from Netflix was to make it look as real as possible.
“We tested various dyes, as well as UV light, and even briefly considered a green substance to create a key, which would have been a nightmare for postproduction,” Hagenbuch elaborates. “We settled on a tint from Blair Adhesives in December 2020, knowing that the lava substance would need to be underlit to create this magical type of glow. We basically left it there before returning in July 2021 to start shooting.”
Choosing to light the lava from below was one of the major changes for Season 2/3 (shot
together as a single block). “It meant elevating the 40-by-60-foot water tank holding the lava and adding a clear plexiglass bottom,” shares Director of Photography Tim Baker [ICG Magazine November 2021], whose partnership with Smith goes back two decades to The Biggest Loser . “To be parallel to the lava, our camera team was working some nine feet above the ground on elevated decking that ran around the entire tank. This included all the pedestal cameras, the handhelds, the Cablecam – everything used to capture the show.”
Safety teams also were elevated, along with lifeguards, medics and various “seaworthy crafts” that could, for example, travel the art department or the POV camera team out to each obstacle. Production Designer Jay Heiserman, who, like Baker and Hagenbuch, is an American Ninja Warrior regular who joined Lava in Season 2, recalls that “because we were creating these rooms, it was mainly about how best to orient the different obstacles to make the gameplay work. How far is the teeter-totter from the hanging zip line? How far are the giant pair of dice hanging out over the lava, and what happens when you jump from that to another obstacle? The goal in Season 2/3 was to build on what was established in Season 1, and make it even more kid-friendly – colorful, poppy, fun.”
Heiserman says the best way to describe
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the lava was “that it felt very goopy, like slime from a kid’s birthday party.” He says one key ask for the art department was to make sure obstacles in the various rooms stood out from the lava. “Red and orange were non-starters as they blended in too closely with the lava,” he adds. “And because a lot of the obstacles required foam padding and were coated with rubber, we had to play around with a lot of different paint treatments. It was tricky to figure out what would hold up, given all the jumping and climbing the contestants do. Also, the lava, when it was out of the tank, would dry firm, like glue. Our scenic team is super talented and amazing at what they do. Between the different paint treatments and the many times they’d go out on rafts to clean or do touch-ups on the obstacles, the entire art department was very hands-on for this show. I’ve done Ellen and Ninja , which are both more like ‘set it and walk away.’ On Lava , we’re always tweaking, tilting and fixing the room pieces, which change all the time.”
How the obstacles were changed out was also an interesting challenge for Heiserman’s team. “Everything on Lava is very heavy –weighted substantially for safety – and freestanding, so the obstacles had to be lifted in and out of the lava by large motors for all
the changeovers," he adds. "We worked with AirPro [staging services] to make that happen, and everything had to be very precise. We had a grid around the floor to figure out exactly where to drop the obstacles into the lava. You can’t see into the lava to map out where you are placing it. So, it was all choreographed –finding points overhead and [on] the sides to get it right.”
Getting it right for Baker’s camera team was also a challenge. Smith is quick to point out that Lava has no physical camera rehearsals as the show is captured like a live sporting event (where Smith’s career began). At any given point, “there are three contestants on the set and approximately five angles for any one person, give or take,” the director details. “The morning rehearsal with the camera team is white boarded and verbal. Time is limited, so no actual cast run the course. We talk through each obstacle along with its associated angles and coverage scenarios. Rooms include up to 30 obstacles creating an exponential array of route choices for the cast. Each camera operator has their shot list of coverage assignments based on where any of the three contestants land or turn in association to each
other on the course at any given moment. Operators adjust through their coverage as a unit looking both in and outside of the lens to anticipate their next assignment. Lava is run live to tape with a reference line cut for the host in the Lava Lounge.
Baker notes that “while this season had one-offs, and we did add the volcano towards the end, which meant each episode had a winner, Lava is more fun-loving than Ninja , which is very competitive. The challenge is mainly following the team play, with all of the talking back and forth among the contestants, and not missing those fun, silly moments when the teams are calling out to each other as to how to navigate the course. Ninja is one person going down the course, so all of your focus, camera-wise, is on that athlete moving forward, not three people moving 360 degrees without tons of predictability.”
The range of gear employed reflects the nature of Lava’s coverage. It includes nine pedestal cameras, a few handheld (rail cams), some robotic cams on hotheads that can turn 360 degrees, and a Spydercam. “We use the Sony FX-9 with Canon 25-250 zooms, as well some 50-1000 zooms, the Technocrane for the wide shots, and GoPros for the POV’s,” Baker explains. “The other big difference from Ninja
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OPPOSITE/ABOVE: ONE SHIFT IN SEASON 1 TO 2 WAS LIGHTING THE LAVA FROM BELOW. “NOT ONLY DID IT HAVE TO BE TRANSPARENT FOR LIGHT TO PASS THROUGH AND GLOW OUT THE TOP,” LIGHTING DESIGERN TRAVIS HAGENBUCH RECALLS, “IT ALSO NEEDED TO CLING TO SURFACES, SO WHEN SPECIAL EFFECTS RAN AIR BUBBLES THROUGH, IT’D HAVE THAT GURGLING SOUND...OUR CHALLENGE WAS ALWAYS TO LIGHT THE CONTESTANTS, THE OBSTACLES, AND THE GAMEPLAY WITHOUT LIGHTING THE TOP OF THE LAVA, AS THAT WOULD KILL THE EFFECT.”
is that [the latter show] has a narrow water pool, and once the contestant falls in, that’s it for the coverage. Here we need to make sure we see the person before and after they fall into the lava, along with their teammates’ reactions; those long lens positions are great for getting in close on their hands and feet as they’re sliding and slipping in that stuff.”
About “that stuff,” Baker describes the lava as “ very slippery” when it gets up on the deck. “It’s akin to shooting on liquid dish soap,” he continues. “So, the daily safety meetings and all of the safety provided up on the decking were exactly how it should be done. It was an extremely safety-conscious environment.”
Hagenbuch concurs, saying the lava was a challenge for his lighting team. “Not only did it have to be transparent for light to pass through and glow out the top,” he recalls, “it also needed to cling to surfaces, so when special effects ran air bubbles through, it’d have that gurgling sound. If light got on the surface of the lava, it would make it look shiny, like water. Our challenge was always to light the contestants, the obstacles, and the gameplay without lighting the top of the lava, as that would kill the effect.”
In fact, a massive amount of light was needed to penetrate through the five-foot-deep lava pool, and a relatively low-heat source so the plexiglass didn’t melt, and the lava didn’t heat up and change property.
“We used a color-mixing LED fixture –TMB Solaris Flare Q+ LR that you’d usually see in live concert lighting grids,” Hagenbuch continues. “It was a combo of a Sphero wash light with a very high output – 250 at 1000 watts each, totaling 14 million lumens.” The designer describes his team’s approach as “dynamic,” not unlike a theatrical show using hard light sources to be specific about what is lit and what is not. “We had an overhead grid of moving lights that we could focus in tight on the scenic elements without having any spill on the lava,” he adds. “We used two follow-spots for each contestant to chase them around the course, six total, and minimize any key light spill onto the lava. The followspots were moving lights in the air that are controlled remotely from underneath the deck. Each light has a small camera mounted to it with crosshairs.”
Lava’s producers also had some specialty asks for the lighting team. “To leave the
room, each contestant has to pick up an exit pass, which is hidden somewhere on the course,” Hagenbuch recounts. “We had a tight special on each exit pass that would strobe and create an effect that chased and rippled through the underlit floor when the contestant grabbed the pass. For the room with the musical instruments, each contestant landing on a drum set had to play air drums. So, we would hit a button to make lights flash as if music were playing. To do that in real-time, our programmer, Erin Anderson, had an overhead spy camera of the entire tank. She must have had four eyes and twenty fingers to keep track of all the different lighting actions that happen in real time. It was very impressive!”
The most impressive addition to Season 2/3 is the volcano, a giant foam sculpture rising some 40 feet in the air. Heiserman says there was a lot of back-and-forth with Lava’s producers and ATS, the challenge team that has built Ninja Warrior courses all over the world, along with obstacle builds for such shows as Ultimate Beastmaster , Titan Games
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and Holey Moley . “We talked a lot about how big it should be, how steep it should be, how it could be safe enough for the players,” the designer explains. “And then we went into the shop and started carving it out, all the while testing for those things I mentioned, along with things like, ‘Where should the footholds and handholds go?’”
Smith says the volcano was a nice upgrade for Season 2 for several reasons, chief among them being that it helped to build the storytelling toward a climax. “You have six contestants, plus [host] Rutledge [Wood], so it was more of a horse race in one direction as opposed to the rooms, where they could spin around and make their own course,” he describes. “The volcano had two distinct courses, so the camera coverage was more traditional. But the contestants go from eight feet above the lava [pool] to almost 28 feet in the air, so we worked closely with the art department and ATS to figure out how to make it functional but also safe, as people would be sliding down as well as climbing up.”
The math played a factor in the build stage, with Guild camera operators shooting on 10foot platforms to capture contestants at eight
feet and then having to tilt up to twenty-five feet. “How high does that translight need to be as it projects beyond where they’re climbing?” Smith posits. “Thirty-three feet was that mark, so at thirty-three and one-half feet was the bottom of the chain motor that housed a crow’s nest for some camera operators to shoot down onto the contestants climbing up, and robo cams shooting down as well. All of that had to be clear of the rail cams as well as the Spydercam that’s floating behind to provide the scale for the room. We built a 12-foot-highby-16-foot-deep [deck on top of the existing decking] to put the Techno-Jib on so that the operator could scale with them – from the zero mark all the way up to 28 feet – and have a clean look, so it [wouldn’t be] in anyone else’s shot. The game is all run in real-time, save for the static moments we pull out in the edit.”
Smith credits the use of Vectorworks 3D modeling software (often used in live sporting events) in the previsualization stage to help him understand how high things needed to be in the build. Previs in the case of Lava includes both digital modeling and various physical iterations. The volcano was built in sections and off site so the Lava team could anticipate
what the contestants might do while climbing the obstacle. “You learn a lot from doing the challenge yourself,” Smith states. “You arrive at a section that’s an obvious handhold and realize, ‘‘Okay. We can embed a camera here or amend the practical arc of the volcano, or set piece, slightly for a shooting lane to catch that POV and better help tell the story.”
Baker, who is an amateur rock climber, says both he and his director were challenged in the build stage trying to get up the volcano. “I can only imagine how difficult it was with the slippery lava coming down and your hands and feet getting wet,” he says. “We didn’t have operators on the apparatus, so the Technos and cameras high up in the perms were key to the coverage.” Baker says that because Lava is shot like a live event, “everything is an on-air camera move, and each operator knows what zone to be in for their contestants. If no one’s in your zone, you go to your next assignment on the sheet to pick off interesting shots and enhance the storytelling. The camera placements change daily on this show because the rooms change so often. My favorite room was the attic, mainly for its spookiness,” he laughs, “but also because the portraits hung on
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SEASON 2 AND 3'S BIGGEST UPGRADE WAS A GIANT FOAM VOLCANO (OPPOSITE/ABOVE) RISING SOME 40 FEET INTO THE AIR. PRODUCTION DESIGNER JAY HEISERMAN SAYS THERE WAS A LOT OF BACK-AND-FORTH WITH LAVA’S PRODUCERS AND [CHALLENGE TEAM] ATS, "ABOUT HOW BIG IT SHOULD BE, HOW STEEP IT SHOULD BE, HOW IT COULD BE SAFE ENOUGH FOR THE PLAYERS,” HEISERMAN EXPLAINS. “WE WENT INTO THE SHOP AND STARTED CARVING IT OUT, ALL THE WHILE TESTING FOR THOSE CONCERNS, ALONG WITH THINGS LIKE, ‘WHERE SHOULD THE FOOTHOLDS AND HANDHOLDS GO?’”
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THE ATTIC SET FROM SEASON 2 WAS ONE OF DP TIM BAKER'S FAVORITES, "MAINLY FOR ITS SPOOKINESS,” HE LAUGHS, “BUT ALSO BECAUSE THE PORTRAITS HUNG ON THE WALL INCLUDED LAVA’S PRODUCING TEAM. THOSE EASTER EGGS ADD TO THE FUN NATURE OF THE SHOW, AND HELP PUT A SMILE ON EVERYONE'S FACE.”
the wall included Lava’s producing team: [executive producers] Arthur Smith and Anthony Carbone. Those Easter eggs add to the fun nature of the show. Everybody on this crew has a smile on their face.”
Local 600 Lighting Designer Jenny Bloom [ICG Magazine November 2019] stepped in for Hagenbuch, who was unavailable for the back half of the shoot. She says the volcano had a different camera setup, as each room was a threewall set around the rectangular lava pool. “Jay [Heiserman] blew out the scenic walls and used a huge painted backdrop at the far perimeter of the pool platform, which allowed for a bigger feel, and the camera aisle around the pool became ground for set dressing,” Bloom explains. “We added LED Color Force fixtures to uplight the entire length of the backdrop. Brian added a camera platform above and off stage of the volcano summit to catch faces as the contestants climbed up, and more track to the rail cam so it could wrap almost totally upstage. We went from having cameras mainly moving parallel along the fourth wall to using cameras in almost every direction.”
Bloom’s team hung a “few additional Vari-Lite VL2600 moving lights beneath the camera platform to help fill in faces at the very top of the volcano and for flashy FX when the trophy appears or a team wins,” she continues. “Travis had the follow-spots arranged as crosskey lights along the fourth wall, but because the volcano set was so much more open to cameras, we had to reconfigure the spotlights to be more of a front and backlight, so faces would be lit from most camera angles. After all, unscripted is all about reactions.” She notes that “since we had two teams playing the course at once, we needed twice as many spots and operators [using the PRG Ground Control Best Boy system]. Travis had hired a lighting director to help set intensity marks on set – or near as safely possible – with the follow-spot operators so we would have as close to stop as possible wherever a contestant might end up on the course. He also sat with me in MCR and helped me eyeball spot intensity levels on camera since we were trying to
watch for six different faces at once.”
Like everyone else, Bloom calls the volcano structure a challenge “because no one was sure exactly how the lava would look running down a slide versus collecting in a giant pool – there wasn’t an affordable way to replicate the volume of lava that would be pumped in at the scene shop, and even onsite there was no way to replicate the look and volume of flowing magma. There was concern that the lava slide glow with movement like the pool, and ultimately the gaffer and the scenic construction lead were able to find the best and most affordable solution,” she continues. “That was to carve out custom channels for individual strands of LED tape in the scenic foam beneath the plexiglass slide. Also, the pool at the top of the volcano could not be lit the same way as the slide, so the gaffer had several battery-powered LED fixtures placed inside to help it glow. He double Ziploc-bagged and weighted each fixture and had to reach into the lava each time to reset and charge them. You could see long strands of the lava floating in the air like spider silk whenever the air cannons made it burst larger bubbles. As each day went on, more air bubbles in the lava made it appear opaque and the lava lighting effects didn’t read as strongly. It was quite the challenge all the way around but such a fun set to be on.” Smith, who played a big part in creating that light-hearted atmosphere, says his time on set is more gratifying when the crew is excited to shoot the show. “We added something in Season 1 that kind of reflects the whole feel of this show,” he concludes. “Instead of saying ‘ready, set, go’ to start the game, the host warns, ‘careful, the floor is…’ and the cast emphatically finishes the sentence, “lava!” Screaming lava, triggers the room to life, the lava to explode, lights to dance and the race begins. The contestants have fun competing on the show, and the crew's energy adds to the fun goofy atmosphere.” he smiles. “You can see it in the faces of the operators as they’re resetting after someone falls in. It’s still work, of course, but it’s always fun to create things that make you laugh and smile in the process.”
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LOCAL 600 CREW
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SEASON 3 Director of Photography Timothy Baker Operators James Coker, Dylan Hall, Taylor Gilmartin, Mark Johnson, Mario Pendilla, Riley Reiss, Steve Russell, Rodrigo Rodrigues Techno Operators Nick Gomez Cory Hunter Techno Assistants Jeff Klimuck Jorge Valenzuela Blackcam Operators Dawn Fleischman Rob Pittman
POV/Robo Dan Ferris, Ralph Asprec, Gary Valenzuela, Kevin Celi, Andy Curtis Lead AC Lucas Conway
ACs
Kenny Chang, Patrick Bellante, Deandre Green, Ricky Ponce, Hillary Carrol, Dary Hosseini, Armando Munoz Still Photographer Lisa Rose
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RAMY
SEASON 3 PHOTO BY MARCUS PRICE
Ramy Youssef’s self-titled series depicts the immigrant experience in alternating bursts of comedy, tragedy and surreal situations all drawn from the comic’s daily life.
by Ted Elrick photos by craig blankenhorn barbara nitke Jon Pack Marcus Price / hulu
SEASON 2 PHOTO BY CRAIG BLANKENHORN
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SEASON 3 PHOTO BY JON PACK
Standup comedian Ramy Youssef is the writer, director, and co-creator – with Ari Katcher and Ryan Welch – of the acclaimed Hulu series Ramy, now airing its third season. As Ramy Hassan, Youssef plays a first-generation Muslim American grappling with faith and lifestyles with family and friends. Youssef says the show both expands and enhances the many reallife situations that are featured, but he’s reluctant to say which parts are true to his experiences and which are artistic interpretations. What is important, Youssef insists, is that the series rings of truth, particularly in the encounters and clashes with diverse cultures, as well as depicting the immigrant experience, which has many universal elements.
“The nature of ‘getting to know your neighbors’ is a universal religious principle,” Youssef, who also directed the bulk of Ramy’s third season, describes. “To have this show even serve as an offering for the humanization of a group of people that haven’t been seen in a human light is something we were very excited about when we brought it together.”
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SEASON 2 PHOTO BY CRAIG BLANKENHORN
ike Fellini, who famously cast non-actors, Youssef cast some of his lifelong friends and family members in roles, including his uncle Laith Nakli as the show’s Uncle Naseem, a jewelry business owner who casually tosses out sexist and anti-Semitic comments despite working with Jewish jewelers. Steve Way plays a wheelchair-bound friend and coworker of Ramy’s, whose friendship is solidified after Ramy is alienated from his classmates due to his Muslim faith following the September 11 attacks. In that Season 1 episode, titled “Strawberries,” the tone swings quickly back and forth between comedy, tragedy and surreal moments with a refrigerator at night. “Strawberries” highlights the narrative (and visual) unpredictability that may well be Ramy’s greatest strength.
And while the series is scripted, there is always room for the unexpected. “We try to have as much as we can be scripted beforehand because it helps the actors,” Youssef describes. “There isn’t a lot of improv, because on comedy sets I think sometimes improv can get very wild, and I wouldn’t say we go that far. But we definitely allow the show to breathe and go where it needs to go.”
The diverse cast also includes Hiam Abbass playing Ramy’s mother, Maysa (a regular in HBO’s Succession who also directed a Ramy episode in Season 3); acclaimed Egyptian actor Amr Waked ( Contagion and Luc Besson’s Lucy ) as Ramy’s father; and May Calamawy (Layla El-Faouly in the Marvel series Moon Knight ) as Ramy’s sister Dena, a graduate student who is often frustrated by her parents’ overprotective attitude towards her.
Season 1 shot with two ALEXA Minis with detuned Primos from Panavision New York; Season 2 and 3 employed two Minis (with an occasional third) outfitted with Cooke S5/i's from TCS (Technological Cinevideo Services) in New York City. Only one set of lenses is used, with the occasional double-up on the 65mm and infrequent use of zooms. Youssef says he considered The Graduate (shot by Robert Surtees, ASC) in terms of how the
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SEASON 3 PHOTO BY MARCUS PRICE
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SEASON 1
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PHOTOS BY BARBARA NITKE
“fish out of water” look would encourage the camera to be cinematic. “We leaned into a film look as opposed to a more traditional television look,” Youssef adds.
Guild Director of Photography Ashley Connor shot Ramy’s pilot before moving on to shoot Broad City, with Adrian Peng Correia [ICG Magazine August 2021] shooting the remainder of Season 1. Correia says that “in terms of establishing the look, there was already something there when I arrived. But I knew they wanted to make some changes. Ashley’s look was quite naturalistic, so my motivation was trying to push the material to match the evolution of the character. In the beginning, Ramy is a young guy and is very specific about his opinions and point of view, with, of course, the nature of it all being funny,” Correia notes. “That’s an interesting path because they all have different textures and timing, and I wanted to get that into the form and texture of the framing, lighting and color design.”
Season 1 Chief Lighting Technician Joel Minnich has worked with Correia on many shows and says that “lighting comedy can get mundane as there seems to always be a key television look. But Adrian has a different style.
He likes it more raw and gritty, which goes against the comedy world. It’s definitely not a high-key look.
“Plus, Adrian likes to do a lot of research into storylines when it comes to color texture,” Minnich continues. “Like in the Muslim world, green [is] a big factor. A lot of our night looks were more into the teal and cyan; they had that undertone, especially in the shadow. We got to play with gels and colors, which not a lot of people do anymore. I sort of felt like Adrian’s paintbrush. And it’s always nice to be a part of that creative side.”
“Joel’s been with me forever,” Correia adds. “From the smallest indies to 40–50-milliondollar TV shows, he’s always been there. He knows my taste, so we have a shorthand that gives us freedom. Also, if there’s a difference of opinion, he’s not going to be afraid to give an honest assessment.”
Correia describes Ramy’s Season 1 set as “surprising.” He says what stayed most in his mind was an episode where Ramy’s mother, Maysa, becomes an Uber driver. “There’s a great scene with an Uber passenger who Maysa keeps advising,” Correia recounts. “We had ideas for all this coverage; we first shot
this wider medium through the windshield, which goes into a single on Maysa’s face as the whole scene takes place. She was so incredibly effective, it changed the entire nature of the shooting structure. It was like, we don’t need anything else. No coverage on Maysa, she was that devastating.”
When Correia moved on to another show, Ramy’s A-Camera operator Claudio Rietti moved up to Director of Photography for Seasons 2 and 3. Rietti says his Guild camera team does not do a lot of handheld, and “we primarily find our movement on tracks. The style of the show is somewhere between formalism and realism. Something along the lines of cinematic realism. We take a measured approach on how to move the camera and frame,” Rietti explains. “It’s certainly not a documentary style. Primarily we’re in studio mode on dollies most of the time. Sometimes we’ll bring a jib in. We’re not the kind of show that uses Technocranes or drones very often.”
Chief Lighting Technician Andrew K. Hubbard, who took over from Minnich for Season 2, says Season 1 was used as a reference,
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ABOVE: SEASON 2/3 DP CLAUDIO RIETTI (RIGHT WITH CO-CREATOR/DIRECTOR RAMY YOUSSEF) SAYS THE STYLE OF THE SHOW IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN FORMALISM AND REALISM. "SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF CINEMATIC REALISM. WE
TAKE A MEASURED APPROACH ON HOW TO MOVE THE CAMERA AND FRAME." S3 PHOTO BY MARCUS PRICE
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TOP: SEASON 3 A-CAMERA OPERATOR ANDREW TROST TALKS OVER A SHOT WITH RIETTI. / PHOTO BY JON PACK BOTTOM: RAMY’S AMBITIOUS VISUALS ARE ON DISPLAY IN THE SEASON 3 FINALE, SHOT WITH A TECHNOCRANE IN BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK. "IT WAS A METICULOUSLY PLANNED SCENE WITH ALL OUR SHOTS MAPPED OUT," REITTI RECALLS. "BUT RAMY PLAYED A BEAUTIFUL EMOTIONALLY CHARGED TAKE THAT WE JUST ENDED UP IMPROVISING TO HIS PERFORMANCE...AND DIDN’T DARE CUT THE CAMERA." / PHOTO BY JON PACK
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SEASON 2
PHOTOS BY CRAIG BLANKENHORN
“and, while being true to the tone of Season 1 and not necessarily beautifying it, giving it a more cinematic character.”
Hubbard talked to Minnich before starting Season 2, “and we tried to stay true to the fluorescent colors and color mix that he and Adrian had established,” he adds. “There is a vastness of Season 2 with bigger set pieces and bringing in more color and contrast.” A great example is the Amr Waked episode where as Ramy’s father, Farouk, has lost his job and has been finding his old passion by playing soccer – at night. “There’s a great moment where he’s playing soccer by himself with his dog,” Hubbard recalls. “We had to implement more shadow and contrast. We played a Condor with some fluorescent green color which we carried throughout. That was a fun set piece.”
Season 2 B-Camera Operator Dan Sharnoff adds that Youssef, the DP’s, and the producers have created a family-like environment. “When I got involved, I stepped into something that was very much in motion and set up from season 1,” Sharnoff recounts. “The show received a lot of acclaim, so a lot of themes were expanded upon in season two.”
The operator says there are cultural and religious customs he was not familiar with that are documented in the show, “and they often find a joke related to that,” Sharnoff adds. “Like when Ramy is going through the motions
of being a good Muslim, and there’s a reason he has to reexamine those traditional customs and behaviors. Then way later, all the behaviors come back. It was cool to shoot in a mosque, and I thought: ‘When else would I set foot in [a mosque] to get a sense of the place?’”
A-Camera 2nd AC Mabel Santos Haugen, who has worked all three seasons, agrees. “We’ve become a tight family, and I feel lucky to have been a part of it,” she observes. “I became friends with Adrian, Claudio and Ramy very quickly. I am always fascinated by the dark humor in Ramy’s writing. He was 28 when he started this show, and I felt that was inspiring and motivating. The same with Claudio, his determination and presence on set. That’s the most important thing for me, working with people that I respect and admire. That gives me the motivation to also have this sense of duty and make sure they’re content. It’s a feeling that spreads through the entire department.”
Ramy shoots on location throughout most of New York’s five boroughs with stage work shot at Eastern Effects studios on Sheffield Avenue. For Season 3, the team also shot in Spain and Palestine utilizing local crews. “We were in lots of practical locations in Queens and Brooklyn,” recounts Key Grip Taylor Drake. “Then we had a hero location in Manhattan in the Diamond District. That was probably the most challenging because it was all glass and
reflections. We had to work very hard to make that location work, and I think it did because we’ve used it for all three seasons.”
Drake says the production team couldn’t keep anything in place in the Diamond District location. “We had to go in during the night or on weekends because they wouldn’t allow us in during business hours,” he adds. “That meant we had to load in and out every day, including the art department, which was very challenging.”
Production Designer Grace Yun, who did seasons 1 and 2, with Cat Navarro coming on for Season 3, says her early talks with Ramy were about reflecting the cultural mix within the character’s family home. “How do we make this representation honest and not just a caricature?” Yun posits. “We wanted the home to have a lived-in, collected quality , specific to the characters, so it naturally developed into a complex amalgam of influences.
The Hassan house was built and decorated with layers of eras: suburban Victorianstyle architecture, 70’s kitchen remodel with 80s/90s elements from the time the family moved in, 80s/90s,” she continues. “We did a good amount of aging to achieve a grounded, imperfect scenic finish. For character dressing, my favorite and most important references came from Ramy’s personal family photos and anectdotes from his friends and family. They
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SEASON 1 PHOTO BY CRAIG BLANKENHORN
helped inform details like handmade Ramadan decorations, traditional foods, and nostalgic items like Farouk’s audio tapes.”
Because Yun had been with the show from the beginning, she knew Correia and Rietti’s styles and visual tastes. “We developed the style from Season 1 and wanted to make sure we were getting all the tonal elements right,” she adds. “Adrian and I wanted a moodier, realistic look that played into Ramy’s complicated character as he sort of fumbles into situations. We used a lot of practical lighting with colored and textured shades to give a natural feel to the sets.
And because Ramy’s script sides change, Kandefer values his relationship with Youssef and Rietti, whom he can approach at any time with questions. “We can talk about the scene and discover what’s important, focus-wise,” the 1st AC continues. "Plus I'm able to float suggestions as it's a very collaborative set."
Season 1 B-Camera 1st AC Erik Kandefer became A-Camera 1st AC for seasons 2 and 3 with Rietti’s move to director of photography. Kandefer says that because it’s an ensemble cast, “as a focus puller, I have to be ready for anything. I call it ‘playing jazz’ in terms of pulling focus. The scene is always evolving, and as a technician, it’s vital to adapt to the moment. You have to make good decisions that serve the characters and overall story. To do that, it's important to not only read the sides we get in the morning, but to know the arc of the story throughout each season, the character's growth, and who is key in certain situations, and contemplate how to integrate all of that with the DP and Director's visual style."
Kandefer adds: "if I have a great idea for a button on a scene but don't have time to discuss, I'll usually get the first take 'clean' or 'play it safe,' and then if appropriate, I'll try it out on the second or third take. Very occasionally, when I have a complex but great idea, I'll ask Claudio or Ramy for a take 'where I can try something cool for focus.' It's immensely rewarding to contribute a visually-stunning, complex, or humorous focus pull that the creative team loves and helps to tell the story. The temporal shift of a focal plane is a tool unique to cinema, and it can be powerfully artful."
Season 3 A-Camera Operator Andrew Trost is quick to point out how Youssef always knows how to lighten the mood on set. “We were working on one set where six characters sat down for dinner at a Chinese restaurant,” Trost remembers. “It was probably four to five pages of dialogue, and we were running it all day because we had to get everybody’s angle and had to get a lot of reactions across the table, a lot of over-the-shoulders.
“Getting into the tenth hour, the actors
were getting sick of eating Chinese food,” Trost continues with a smile, “because they had to continuously do that, and the restaurant kept bringing out fresh food, but at some point, you just can’t eat any more. Ramy had to eat this spring roll that his mother was handing to him over and again. I don’t remember exactly what he said, but he got a soggy one, and he said it felt like it had been out in the rain and that just broke everybody up, the crew included. Moments like that provide that extra spark of energy – like laughing in school – to keep everyone going.”
Aspects of Ramy’s visual ambition are seen in the big Season 3 finale shot in Brooklyn Bridge Park, with a Technocrane and the New York skyline behind Ramy. Rietti recalls how, “we brought the Techno in to help us get out over the sandy beach at Brooklyn Bridge Park. It was a meticulously planned scene and we had all of our shots mapped out, but Ramy played a beautiful emotionally charged take that we just ended up improvising to his performance. It was a magical performance, and we didn’t dare cut the camera. Full credit to Craig Striano on the Techno, Mike Indursky, the Libra Head tech, Andrew Trost operating and A-Camera Dolly Grip Lizardo Reyes for rolling with the punches and capturing that
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SEASON 1 PHOTO BY BARBRA NITKE
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SEASON 3
PHOTOS BY JON PACK
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SEASON 3 PHOTOS (ABOVE/OPPOSITE) BY MARCUS PRICE
performance as well as they did.”
Season 3 Chief Lighting Technician Justin Newhouse says they were unable to turn off or alter any of the existing streetlights at Brooklyn Bridge Park per local authorities. “So, we opted to use the available light from the streetlights and augment with our lights,” Newhouse recalls. “We used an ARRI M90 and an ARRI 18K Fresnel as backlights from a nearby pier. Both were on scissor lifts with 1/2 CTO and 1/4 Plus Green gels. On the shore with Ramy, we had an ARRI SkyPanel S360 bouncing into a 12×12 Ultrabounce. For any close-ups, we helped shape with a LiteMat 4.”
Season 1 B-Camera Operator Shannon Madden (who worked with Correia on Kevin Can F**k Himsel f) moved up to A-Camera operator for Season 2. Madden, who was
unable to work on Season 3, says she missed the Ramy team. “It’s going to be different watching this third season,” she says. And then with a laugh, she adds: “It will be nice to actually enjoy it and not hold my breath waiting for a camera bounce.
“What I love about Ramy ,” Madden continues, “is that it’s coming from a perspective that’s not been seen before, and yet, at the end of the day, he’s just like everybody else. Ramy has these struggles of trying to fit in, as we all do, but he’s also trying to hold onto his roots. He may be a Muslim man, but I find a lot of things in him to identify with.”
Youssef says that what excites him about this show “is that it’s about something human. We’re watching all these characters
dealing with their higher selves and their lower selves trying to close the gap between who they want to be and who they are,” he concludes. “And that is a very universal thing. Everyone is pursuing their potential and goodness and I think watching the things that get in the way of that is universal. Seeing it through this family, that’s what it’s about.”
Youssef’s words resonate with Ramy’s production family as well. Rietti points to the last shot of the Season 3 finale that required the team to maneuver the 30-foot Technocrane over the sand while holding Youssef in frame.
“Ramy gave such a spectacular performance,” Rietti recounts of the shot, “that when we called cut, the whole cast and crew exploded with applause.”
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LOCAL 600 CREW SEASON 3 Director of Photography Claudio Rietti A-Camera Operator Andrew Trost A-Camera 1st AC Erik Kandefer A-Camera 2nd AC Mabel Santos Haugen B-Camera 1st AC Marcos Herrera B-Camera 2nd AC Grace Hendricks Loader Brian Pucci Additional Loader Naima Noguera Still Photographers Jon Pack Marcus Price
SEASON 3 PHOTO BY JON PACK
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LEGO MASTERS
FOX TV’s Lego Masters puts viewers in the middle of the most outrageous tile constructs ever conceived. by pauline rogers
photos by tom griscom / fox
It’s a rambunctious, irreverent reality competition series that features teams of LEGO sculptors (builders) battling it out for a $100,000 cash prize. Each episode features a big brand tie-in, a special guest, and seemingly impossible tasks for the 12 building teams. One team is eliminated each week until one winner remains.
Guild Director of Photography Adrian Pruett says LEGO Masters takes its cues from the animated LEGO movies, and “it’s not shy about making fun of itself. The show leans into the wit and satire of our host Will Arnett, the voice of Batman in The LEGO Batman Movie,” Pruett details. “Every cliché reality TV trope is fair game, and Will cracks jokes about the cast, producers, and even the FOX network. The set is electric when Will starts to improv, and the laughs are plentiful. Visually, we keep the look contrasty and colorful and embrace flares, haze, and texture.”
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he force behind all this controlled chaos (in the U.S. version of this international hit series) is Director Rich Kim, who started his career in music videos. Pruett says Kim is extremely visual. “Rich has a high level of taste, so it’s the best kind of pressure DP’ing for him,” Pruett continues. “[Because of my] having done many features and commercials, Rich leans on me to find that cinematic point of view. It’s a special challenge in this type of format. Sometimes I have to find the shot between the shot. I’m grateful that Rich gives me quite a degree of autonomy to plan and shoot the scripted elements as well as the beauties.”
The pair has been together since Season 1, where a heavy-duty prep allowed them to get the basics in place – the same elements that are in play today. They even brought in DIT Sam McConville to build custom LUT's for the cameras, which Colorist Josh Petok still uses. The approach allows the LEGO Masters team to focus on crafting a look instead of spending a lot of time trying to match camera looks on the multiple-camera formats.
“Most people probably can’t tell by watching the show, but it is wildly challenging to film,” adds Pruett. “We have six or seven different camera plots for 12 cameras each day. Walls move in and out, the LEGO light bricks overhead are all chain motors and move up and down, and a Techno-Jib is forklifted from the stage to a 15-foot platform multiple times each episode. I’m sure it looks like chaos behind the scenes.”
Pruett cites the seven different lens options that are swapped across twelve Sony F55 cameras throughout each day. “These vary from primes to short-range zooms, compact telephoto lenses, and our long lenses – the Angénieux 24-290s and Canon 50-1000s,” he continues. “We shoot the near-360-degree reality coverage handheld or on rolling tripods on the Angénieux EZ lenses, which is not easy at times. In one of the first episodes of season one, there were moments when Rich and I looked at each other, like, ‘Oh boy, are we going to pull this off?’ Having a world-class technical team, camera operators and the support of [Dutch-based media company] Endemol helped make it happen. Hard to imagine doing it any other way now.”
LEGO Masters’ main set is two stories high and about 150 feet long. Next to it is a 75-by50-foot insert stage where Pruett focuses on the beauties of the completed LEGO builds for each episode. “Lighting Director George Maxwell gives me room to experiment and fine-tune our beauty lighting to each team build,” Pruett notes. “We aim for a slick, commercial feel and embrace deep shadows and bright highlights. I love finding unique ways to tell these micro-stories, which can add gray hairs to the heads of my 1st AC and dolly grip. I’m asking them for very complicated compound camera moves that have to occur
mere inches from the delicate LEGO builds. There’s a lot of joy in shooting this show, as we have a lane of total creative visual storytelling that we are allowed to explore each day.”
Joy, perhaps – but not without a high degree of challenge, which includes lighting and shooting an eight-foot-tall LEGO sculpture in the wide shot and then immediately transitioning into macro storytelling at the two-inch scale. Such pieces are shot on the Sony VENICE and Fisher 11 dolly, with lenses swapped between a Cooke 15-40 T/2, an ARRIFLEX 100-mm T3-5.6, and a T/14 probe lens. On the dolly, there’s a three-foot slider or Cartoni Lambda Nodal Head, depending on the visual story being told. “The VENICE handles the dynamic range brilliantly,” Pruett states. “The dual-base ISO is a game-changer, as it helps compensate for the variation in f-stop of the different lenses.”
To show off these extreme setups and challenges, the team, including Pruett, Kim, Production Designer Stuart Frossell, and Lighting Designer Maxwell, went for a fun, poppy look that can also be dramatic and moody. Kim wanted light bars in every shot for background, and Frossell’s set design includes reflective gray walls that take color well.
Similarly, Maxwell’s lighting schemes allow maximum flexibility for coverage and the ability to create an infinite number of looks and color palettes. Maxwell worked with the rigging team to design a motorized truss system to fly all of the lights, allowing the show to be shot 360 at all times, with all lighting changes done via DMX board. “Almost all of the architectural and key lights are colorchanging LED’s,” he explains. “The primary key lights are ARRI SkyPanels [S120s and S60s] as well as Creamsource Vortex 8s. I like to add Source 4 Lekos in with these LED’s because I find that Tungsten lights add warmth and beauty to skin tones that LED’s don’t replicate as well.”
The architectural lights are LED Pars (Chauvet COLORado 1 Solos and Elation SIXPAR 200 IP’s) as well as a variety of tubes (Quasar Rainbows and Astera Titans) and LED and pixel tape. “The Tubes are used in the shots, mounted on the walls and floor, and add a bright pop to the look of the set,” Maxwell adds. “The art department routed a channel in the subfloor so we could add pixel tape that flanks the runway. Every show starts with a pixel tape chase that travels from our judges and climbs up the doors as they open and the cast enters. We also have a few types of movers that provide shafts of light as well as quickly focused key light for new makers. Our moving lights are Clay Paky Scenius Unicos, Clay Paky Sharpies, and Robe BMFL Blades.”
The Beauty/Insert set is a two-walled replica of the workroom. Here, Maxwell built a 12-by-12 softbox rigged to chain motors so that he could bring it down for the close-up shots and raise it out of the way for the wider beauty
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shots. "The main challenge of this set," he continues, "is the amount of light needed for all of the macro and Snorkel Lens shots – done wide open at T14 – that Adrian does as well.”
Director Kim describes the shooting of Lego Masters as “similar to shooting a live award show or a sports game. No second takes. No pick ups. All the coverage is delivered in one take. Reality shows generally don’t do line cuts, but we could easily do one for LEGO and the edit would totally make sense to someone watching it live. However, half the fun comes from the pieces we get on the second stage.”
Each episode is centered around wellknown movies and moments. Season 3 challenges include an homage to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the high energy of a NASCAR race. “It’s just plain fun,” Kim laughs. “You never know what will happen when Will gets going. He’s so irreverent and the funniest host in unscripted television. For example, in the Season 3 finale, we did a NASCAR show with Jeff Gordon. We had 12 cameras, the Techno Jib 60 feet up. We had cameras on peds, a slider and a dolly. We
did slow motion. Everything we could come up with using studio and cinema tools.”
Kim says the show’s competitors built LEGO racing cars and raced them! “It was fun watching the cars zip along,” he recounts. “In the race, I wanted them to hit each other and fall apart. They didn’t. So, we rolled with it. We had a winner and a loser. The end. Then out of nowhere, Will and Jeff jumped into the cars and crashed them. They exploded –LEGOs everywhere. Thanks to a crack camera crew – we got everything.” (The crew is always protected from flying LEGOs by Plexiglas shields. Even so, there will, once in a while, be a stray “ping” that sets everyone off in gales of laughter.)
Pruett says the NASCAR beauty shots were a different animal. “We were able to light and shoot the finished cars on the main stage, which is an entirely different experience than using our insert stage,” he describes. “It opens up our playbook, as we got the Techno-Jib involved and George’s overhead lighting. We bring in haze and create strong backlighting, filling from the front with SkyPanel S120s through large frames of diffusion.”
The DP recalls another challenge earlier in Season 3 that was designed around five
different Marvel feature films. “These were, without a doubt, some of the most challenging beauties of the entire season,” Pruett continues. “Our showrunner, Pip Wells, wanted to be able to intercut the Marvel reference frame from the films with a static shot of the completed build and have them match. This meant somehow framing and lighting a 4-by-4-foot LEGO sculpture to replicate a shot from some of the most iconic VFX films of all time.
“Capturing the energy and feel of twoinch LEGO Thor bringing his lightningwrapped hammer down on an army of evil foes was no easy task,” Pruett laughs. “We used Astera PixelBricks, and Titan tubes teased with paper tape and black wrap to focus and feather the lighting. Since we couldn’t relight for the probe lens, we shot the macro work on the ARRIFLEX 100 millimeter. LEGO Masters is unique in that we are working on a competition reality show, but we’re lighting frames from Marvel movies. It’s difficult to think of anything else in this space where you’d have that kind of experience. To feel like we were contributing, in some small way, to that immense visual universe was a true highlight.”
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LIGHTING DESIGNER GEORGE MAXWELL WORKED WITH THE RIGGING TEAM TO DESIGN A MOTORIZED TRUSS SYSTEM TO FLY ALL OF THE LIGHTS, ALLOWING THE SHOW TO BE SHOT 360, WITH, MAXWELL EXPLAINS, “THE LIGHTING CHANGES DONE VIA DMX BOARD–NEARLY ALL THE ARCHITECTURAL AND KEY LIGHTS ARE COLOR-CHANGING LED’S.”
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DIRECTOR KIM SAYS “THIS IS LIKE SHOOTING A LIVE AWARD SHOW OR A SPORTS GAME. NO SECOND TAKES. NO PICKS UPS. ALL THE COVERAGE IS DELIVERED IN ONE TAKE.” ABOVE: BRICKMASTER JAMIE IS SHOWN BY WILLIAM BYRON’S NASCAR PIT TEAM (BELOW PHOTO) HOW TO CHANGE A TIRE.
Pruett is hardly alone in those feelings. Operator Brett Smith says every episode of LEGO Masters provides the Guild camera team the “fun, joy and versatility of what LEGO represents to the show. For us, that means capturing the process as they build brick by brick in these mammoth projects with movement and nuance,” he shares. “The idea is to bring the viewer into what is, in essence, a full-scale LEGO build.”
To do this, Smith notes, many of the cameras are equipped with 50-1000-mm lenses. “The idea behind shooting such long lenses is multifold,” Smith continues. “We need to be able to get into the intricacies of the builds, and the long lenses allow us to access the minutia. Additionally, we want to compress the colorful, well-lit backgrounds, accentuating the details. Finally, we want to take advantage of the size of our stage and allow our Techno-Jib and Ronin the ability to flow freely and capture the wide range of
action that takes place during a build. Even though the LEGO sculptors have a relatively long period to build, that time moves quickly, and by the end of the show, we are covering it almost like one would shoot a sporting event.”
Camera pedestals play an important role in the style of the show, as each challenge (including the launch, the actual build, the comedy pieces, the beauties and the judging and elimination) is completed in just two days. Kim has stressed to the camera teams that he wants “constant movement, the cameras never settling on a completely static shot,” Smith adds. “But we’re always incorporating some level of movement, whether it be up and down or side to side. The movement helps amp up the dynamic of what, in many cases, amounted to shooting the thousands of small, static pieces of LEGO that are necessary to build what was, in essence, these art pieces that would often have their own movement. Having the cameras on these
moving pedestals is key to the speed in which we go from one setup to another, as we often accomplish many different setups during a given shoot day.”
Pedestal Operator Jason Hawkins echoes Smith’s enthusiasm. “You feel this childlike excitement and want to ensure your work is helpful to the audience watching and learning with each build,” he shares. “Operating the pedestal camera with the Canon 50-1000 allows us to get in tight on the details of every brick so that kids at home can get a real understanding of how these masterpieces are created. We have the range and mobility to get our wide shots and put the minutiae of each brick in this context of the grand designs, all on the same lens. Being part of a show that allows me to capture so many ‘ah ha’ moments, like when teams solve creative or structural conundrums, re-inspired the childlike joy I had forgotten about back when I used to play LEGOs with my friends.”
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Techno-Jib operator Nick Gomez says he and his team are involved in every aspect of the show. “My tech, Jorge Valenzuela, and I are working from when we walk in the door to when we leave, but usually laughing the whole way through. There is so much comedy that doesn’t make air, and I had many neardeath experiences laughing so hard.”
Pedestal Operator Carrie Dufresne first worked for Kim 17 years ago when she was a PA. Since the show’s move to Atlanta, she’s one of the only female operators that’s been on both seasons. “One of the things I love most about being a ped op on this show was working with a 50-1000mm lens. You can zoom incredibly close to the Lego action as contestants snap pieces together with their fingertips,” she shares. “This was especially cool for the Marvel episode, where we could get really tight on the details. Watching the contestants build tiny superhero scenes reminded me how much fun my job can be.”
Pruett is quick to add that “it’s impossible to make a show of this scale and complexity happen without an amazing team of operators and assistants. With so many lens changes, filter swaps, and camera repositions, the assistants must have an intimate knowledge of Rich’s blocking assignments each day,” he explains. “The AC’s need a background in multi-camera but also some scripted or commercial work to understand the tools and techniques we’re using. The operators have dozens of marks throughout an episode, and they have to get to them quickly to stay one step ahead of Will and the hosts.
“Shooting the show like a live broadcast elevates the stakes to what otherwise could be tedious,” Pruett adds. “And the cast feeds off that energy. There’s always a moment in the season where someone realizes they are out of position moments before Will hits his mark. Watching someone rapidly fly a 350-pound
ped camera across the set while trying not to crash into a one-of-a-kind LEGO sculpture or destroy George’s pixel tape running across the entire set always gets your heart pumping. Although reality TV can be scrappier and less precise than scripted, the attention to detail on our end is without pause.”
Pruett says his prep conversations with Kim always begin with theme and tone, much like the DP has done for his narrative work. “Regardless of what we’re shooting,” he concludes, “we aim to give maximum effort and dutiful concern to each element. So many friends of mine watch the show with their families and never fail to tell me how much they enjoy it. To me, this reflects the tireless effort of hundreds of talented crew members as well as the simple freedom we are given to laugh at ourselves each day. This may well be the first show I’ve shot that my parents can watch,” he laughs. “Or at least one can hope.”
75NOVEMBER 2022 DIRECTOR
OF
PHOTOGRAPHY ADRIAN PRUETT
“It’s impossible to make a show of this scale and complexity happen without an amazing team of operators and assistants.”
PRUETT SAYS “THE SHOW LEANS INTO THE WIT AND SATIRE OF OUR HOST WILL ARNETT [RIGHT, WITH NASCAR LEGEND JEFF GORDON, LEFT]. EVERY CLICHÉ REALITY TV TROPE IS FAIR GAME, AND WILL CRACKS JOKES ABOUT THE CAST, PRODUCERS, AND EVEN THE FOX NETWORK.”
LOCAL 600 CREW SEASON 3 Director of Photography Adrian Pruett Camera Operators Jon Beattie, Brack Bradley, Jessica Grizzell, John Lipari, Brett Smith, Greg Thompson Lead Assistant Camera Zane Townsend ACs Shea Allison, David Claar, Jerry Garcia, Wendell Uren Techno Jib Operator Nick Gomez Techno Jib Assistant Jorge Valenzuela Pedestal Operators Carrie Dufresne Jason Hawkins Tech Supervisor Maxwell Barrett Tech Assistant William Im Still Photographer Tom Griscom
/
Photo by Daniel McFadden
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 Still Photographers, Publicists, Additional Units, etc.). Please note 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 PRODUCTION CREDITS
20TH TELEVISION
“A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW” SEASON 4
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: KEVIN ATKINSON OPERATORS: SERGIO DE LUCA, ERIC DYSON, GABE DINIZ ASSISTANTS: CRAIG JENNETTE, BRYAN JONES, DAVID ERICKSON, KELLSIE DOMNITZ, MATTHEW BOREK, LANI WASSERMAN
STEADICAM OPERATOR: SERGIO DE LUCA
STEADICAM ASSISTANT: CRAIG JENNETTE
LOADER: BEN IKER
DIGITAL UTILITY: PHIL COSTA
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: TINA THORPE
“9-1-1” SEASON 6
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JOAQUIN SEDILLO, ASC
OPERATORS: RICH STEVENS, DUANE MIELIWOCKI, SOC, DALE VANCE, SOC ASSISTANTS: KENNETH LITTLE, CLAUDIO BANKS, TOBY WHITE, STEPHEN FRANKLIN, MELVINA RAPOZO, JIHANE MRAD
CAMERA UTILITY: PAULINA GOMEZ
DIGITAL UTILITY: BRYANT POWELL
“911: LONE STAR” SEASON 4
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: NATHANAEL VORCE, PJ RUSS
OPERATORS: BRICE REID, JACK MESSITT, JAMES HAMMOND, DEAN MORIN ASSISTANTS: CARLOS DOERR, KAORU “Q” ISHIZUKA, PENNY SPRAGUE, KELSEY CASTELLITTO, BLAIR ROGERS, EVAN WILHELM, BEN PERRY
STEADICAM OPERATOR: BRICE REID RONIN OPERATOR: DEAN MORIN
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: MIKE SANCHEZ
CAMERA UTILITY: JOE PACELLA
DIGITAL UTILITIES: BASSEM BALAA, BEAU MORAN
“AMERICAN HORROR STORY AKA BANDANA” SEASON
11
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: STANLEY FERNANDEZ OPERATORS: CARLOS GUERRA, AILEEN TAYLOR ASSISTANTS: CHRISTOPHER ENG, NICALENA IOVINO, RONALD WRASE, MARIA GONZALES
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: JEFFREY HAGERMAN LOADERS: ETHAN FERNANDEZ, LAWRENCE ODUSANYA STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: KYLE TERBOSS
“HOW I MET YOUR FATHER” SEASON 2
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: GARY BAUM, ASC OPERATORS: JAMIE HITCHCOCK, DEBORAH O’BRIEN, DAMIAN DELLA SANTINA, ALLEN MERRIWEATHER ASSISTANTS: BRADLEY TRAVER, SEAN ASKINS, YUKA KADONO
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: DEREK LANTZ
CAMERA UTILITIES: DAN LORENZE, RICHIE FINE LOADER: KIERSTEN DIRKES
VIDEO CONTROLLER: JOHN O’BRIEN STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: PATRICK WYMORE
ABC STUDIOS
“CRIMINAL MINDS” SEASON 16
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ANTHONY VIETRO OPERATORS: JAMIE STERBA, BEN VANCLEAVE ASSISTANTS: DAVE EGERSTROM, JOHN STRADLING, JAMIE FELZ, ERIC GUTHRIE, MIKE CAHOON
STEADICAM OPERATOR: BEN VANCLEAVE
STEADICAM ASSISTANT: DAVE EGERSTROM
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: SAM MCCONVILLE
LOADER: GOBE HIRATA
DIGITAL UTILITY: ALEXA HEGRE
“JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!” SEASON 20
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,
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2ND UNIT
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BERND REINBARDT, STEVE GARRETT
“GREY’S ANATOMY” SEASON 19
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BYRON SHAH, JEANNE TYSON OPERATORS: STEPHEN CLANCY, APRIL KELLEY, GREG WILLIAMS
ASSISTANTS: NICK MCLEAN, FORREST THURMAN, CHRIS JONES, KIRK BLOOM, LISA BONACCORSO, J.P. RODRIGUEZ
STEADICAM OPERATOR: STEPHEN CLANCY STEADICAM ASSISTANT: NICK MCLEAN LOADER: MARTE POST
DIGITAL UTILITY: SPENCER ROBINS REMOTE HEAD TECH/OPERATOR: BRUCE PASTEL
“STATION 19” SEASON 6
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: DARYN OKADA, ASC, BRIAN GARBELLINI
OPERATORS: HARRY GARVIN, LISA STACILAUSKAS, SOC, DAVID MUN ASSISTANTS: TONY SCHULTZ, GEORGE MONTEJANO, III, SALVADOR VEGA, DUSTIN FRUGE, ANDREW DEGNAN, HANNAH LEVIN
STEADICAM OPERATOR: HARRY GARVIN
STEADICAM ASSISTANT: TONY SCHULTZ
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: ANDREW LEMON UTILITIES: GRANT JOHNSON, BELLA RODRIGUEZ CRANE TECHS: CHRIS DICKSON, DERRICK ROSE
APPLE STUDIOS, LLC
“THE CROWDED ROOM” SEASON 1
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: KSENIA SEREDA, WILLIAM REXER, TIMOTHY NORMAN OPERATORS: JEFF MUHLSTOCK, SAADE MUSTAFA, JONATHAN BECK, ANNE CARSON, JAMES CALLANAN ASSISTANTS: JOHN LARSON, AARON SNOW, JAMISON HENSON, TRICIA MEARS, MARTIN LUCERO, SPENCER MUHLSTOCK, RICH PALLERO, BABETTE GIBSON, MARTIN LUCERO, AMANDA DEERY,
AVALON 1 PRODUCTIONS, LLC
“AVALON” SEASON 1
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: RICHARD CRUDO, ASC
OPERATORS: GERRY O’MALLEY, LESLIE MORRIS
ASSISTANTS: ESTHER WOODWORTH, MICAH BISAGNI, ANTHONY HWANG, MICHAEL LUNTZEL
STEADICAM OPERATOR: GERRY O’MALLEY
STEADICAM ASSISTANT: ESTHER WOODWORTH LOADER: BEN SHURTLEFF
DIGITAL UTILKITY: JAI CORRIA LOADER: CHRIS CROWLEY
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: DAVID GIESBRECHT
BEACHWOOD SERVICES
“DAYS OF OUR LIVES” SEASON 56
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
BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD, LLC
“BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD”
OPERATOR: SCOTT MICHAEL LEBEDA
STEADICAM OPERATORS: THOMAS DEAN, DEAN EGAN
BIG EARL’S PRODUCTIONS
“THE SUPREMES AT EARL’S ALL YOU CAN EAT”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: SEAN MCELWEE
OPERATORS: JOHN LEHMAN, FRANK GODWIN, SHAWN LEWALLEN, CHRIS VINOPAL ASSISTANTS: PATRICK BOROWIAK, ROY KNAUF, TOM HUTCHINSON, JILL AUTRY
LOADERS: KIT MARLOWE, PAIGE MARSICANO
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: ANDY BADER
CAMERA UTILITY: ANTHONY SCOPINO
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: DANA HAWLEY
PUBLICIST: SONYA EDE-WILLIAMS
79NOVEMBER 2022 PRODUCTION CREDITS
CARLOS BARBOT DIGITAL IMAGING TECHS: ANDREW NELSON, JAKOB FRIEDMAN STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: STEPHANIE MEI-LING PUBLICIST: ERIN FELENTZER
SCOTT SPIEGEL, TRAVIS WILSON, DAVID FERNANDEZ, ADAM BARKER VIDEO CONTROLLER: GUY JONES STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: KAREN NEAL, MICHAEL DESMOND
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BIG INDIE CANDY, INC.
“CANDY CANE LANE”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: NEWTON THOMAS SIGEL, ASC
OPERATORS: P. SCOTT SAKAMOTO, SOC, TOMMY TIECH ASSISTANTS: MICAH BISAGNI, RUDY SALAS, BEN BRADY
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: JASON BAUER LOADER: DAMON MOSIER
BIG INDIE LITTLE ROCK, INC.
“ERIC LARUE”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ANDREW WHEELER
OPERATOR: JOHN C. LEHMAN
ASSISTANTS: SEBASTIEN THIBEAU, MARY-MARGARET PORTER, DARELL BURKE, CHRISTOPHER RYAN MARLOWE, ANTHONY SCOPINO STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: DANA KATHLEEN HAWLEY
BIG INDIE SMITH, INC.
“MR. & MRS. SMITH” SEASON 1
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: CHRISTIAN SPRENGER
OPERATORS: MICHAEL FUCHS, REBECCA RAJADNYA ASSISTANTS: CRAIG PRESSGROVE, JAMES SCHLITTENHART, MABEL SANTOS HAUGEN, KELLON INNOCENT
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: CHRIS HOYLE
DIGITAL UTILITY: STEPHANIE SPINDEL LOADER: RUBEN HERRERA
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: DAVID LEE
BLUE MORPHO, INC.
“PROJECT RUNWAY” SEASON 20
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BURKE HEFFNER OPERATORS: ERIC VERAS, ANTHONY SAVINI, JOHN ROMEO, AMAURY RODRIGUEZ, MIGUEL PORTO,
JIB ARM OPERATOR: MIKE MILIA
ASSISTANT: DAN MERRILL
“SWEETWATER”
JIB ARM TECH: MATTHEW CANCEL
CAMERA UTILITIES: LUIS BARBOSA, DEBORAH BROZINA, MYO CAMPBELL, HAROLD ERKINS, KATIE GREAVES, ERIK KANDEFER, DIANA KLEIN, JUSTIN PAULHAMUS, RICHARD PENA, NEJC POBERAJ, DIANA RODRIGUEZ, ANDREA ROMANSKY, KATIE WAALKES
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: LISA KONECNY STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: ZACH DILGARD, HEIDI GUTMAN
BOAT YARD PRODUCTIONS, LLC “THUG”
OPERATOR: DEAN EGAN
ASSISTANTS: NOLAN RUDMAN-BALL, THOMAS BELLOTTI
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: GRAHAM MASON LOADER: MCKENZIE RAYCROFT STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: BENJAMIN KNIGHT
BOTTOM DOLLAR PRODUCTIONS
SEASON 2
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BLAKE MCCLURE
OPERATOR: NICK MEDRUD
ASSISTANTS: LOGAN HALL, KELSEY JUDDO, NICHOLAS KRAMER, RACHEL WIEDERHOEFT
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: SPENCER SHWETZ LOADER: MIKE WILLIAMS
DIGITAL UTILITY: BRANDON GUTIERREZ STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: JOHN JOHNSON
CBS
“CSI: VEGAS” SEASON 2
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: CHRISTIAN SEBALDT, ASC, TOM CAMARDA
OPERATORS: JENS PIOTROWSKI, GARY TACHELL
ASSISTANTS: SIMON JARVIS, CLAIRE STONE, HEATHER LEROY, NICK NEINO
STEADICAM OPERATOR: JENS PIOTROWSKI
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: RYAN DEGRAZZIO LOADER: NAOE JARMON
DIGITAL UTILITY: JACOB HELLINGA
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: RON JAFFE
“ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT” SEASON 41 LIGHTING DESIGNER: DARREN LANGER
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: KURT BRAUN
OPERATORS: JAMES B. PATRICK, ALLEN VOSS, ED SARTORI, BOB CAMPI, RODNEY MCMAHON, ANTHONY SALERNO
JIB OPERATOR: JAIMIE CANTRELL
CAMERA UTILITY: TERRY AHERN
VIDEO CONTROLLERS: MIKE DOYLE, PETER STENDAL
“NCIS” SEASON 20
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: WILLIAM WEBB, ASC OPERATORS: GREG COLLIER, CHAD ERICKSON ASSISTANTS: JAMES TROOST, NATE LOPEZ, HELEN TADESSE, YUSEF EDMONDS, ANNA FERRARIE LOADER: MIKE GENTILE
“NCIS: LOS ANGELES” SEASON 14
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: VICTOR HAMMER
OPERATORS: TERENCE NIGHTINGALL, RICHIE HUGHES ASSISTANTS: KEITH BANKS, JIMMY FERGUSON, PETER CARONIA, JACQUELINE NIVENS, WILLIAM SCHMIDT
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: RYNE NINER
DIGITAL UTILITY: TAYLOR O’NEIL STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: RON JAFFE
“THE NEIGHBORHOOD” SEASON 5
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: CHRIS LAFOUNTAINE, ASC OPERATORS: BRUCE REUTLINGER, KRIS CONDE,
NOVEMBER 2022 PRODUCTION CREDITS80
TOMMY PARFITT, JONATHAN NASTASI, JIM MCGIBBON, CHRIS LANGAN, KATHLEEN HARRIS, BRIAN DEE, SARA BASIL
“MINX”
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CAMERA UTILITIES: VICKI BECK, TREVOR LA FOUNTAINE
TECHNO JOB OPERATOR: SCOTT ACOSTA TECHNO JIB TECH: JESSE WILLIAMS STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: MONTY BRINTON
“THE TALK” SEASON 13
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
“WALKER INDEPENDENCE”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BROOK WILLARD OPERATORS: AIKEN WEISS PAUL ELLIOTT
ASSISTANTS: RENE VARGAS, JEFFERSON JONES, OSCAR CIFUENTES, DANIEL DUERRE
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: MARSHALL HENDERSHOT LOADER: LINDSAY HEATLEY
DIGITAL UTILITITES: JORDAN HERRON, DANIEL WIERL
CHARITY ISLAND
“GROUNDED”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BENGT JONSSON OPERATORS: RORY KNEPP, RICK LAMB ASSISTANTS: JAN JONSSON, LORENZO ZANINI
CMS PRODUCTIONS
“JEFF DUNHAM UNTITLED SPECIAL 2022”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JAY LAFAYETTE OPERATORS: DAVID CASTELLANO, MICHAEL DRUCKER, CHARLES HUNTLEY, MARK WHITMAN
JIB ARM OPERATORS: MATTHEW MURO
TECHNO JIB OPERATOR: JAY KULICK
ASSISTANTS: NATASHA MARSHALL, MICHAEL CSATLOS, CHRISTOPHER HORNE, ERIK KANDEFER, JOSE SARMIENTO, EDWIN SHIMKO, MICHELLE SUN, STEVE DAHL
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: DAMON MELEDONES
COLTRANE PRODUCTIONS
“BOSCH: LEGACY” SEASON 2
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: RODNEY TAYLOR, ASC OPERATORS: ERIC SCHILLING, GARY HATFIELD ASSISTANTS: DAVID LEB, RYO KINNO, NATHAN CRUM, BENNY BAILEY
STEADICAM OPERATOR: ERIC SCHILLING STEADICAM ASSISTANT: DAVID LEB
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: TIM NAGASAWA LOADER: SONIA BARRIENTOS DIGITAL UTILITY: JARED WILSON
COLUMBIA PICTURES INDUSTRIES, INC.
“NO HARD FEELINGS”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: EIGIL BRYLD STEADICAM OPERATOR: LISA SENE ASSISTANTS: ANTHONY DEFRANCESCO, KYLE BLACKMAN, KYLE GORJANC, PATRICK O’SHEA
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: ROB MUIA LOADER: JEANNA CANATSEY
STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: PATRICK HARBRON, MACALL POLAY
PUBLICIST: FRANCES FIORE
COOLER WATERS
“WINNING TIME: RISE OF THE LAKERS DYNASTY” SEASON 2
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: TODD BANHAZL OPERATORS: DOMINIC BARTOLONE, JESSICA LAKOFF CANNON, JUSTIN CAMERON ASSISTANTS: DAVID EDSALL, SCOTT JOHNSON, ARTURO ROJAS, GARY BEVANS, JASON ALEGRE, RYAN JACKSON, RIO ALLEN
STEADICAM OPERATOR: DOMINIC BARTOLONE STEADICAM ASSISTANT: DAVID EDSALL LOADER: EMILY GOODWIN
DIGITAL UTILITY: BRANDON JOHNSON STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: WARRICK PAGE
CRANETOWN MEDIA, LLC “LIONESS”
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: PAUL CAMERON, ASC, MARYSE ALBERTI, ERIC KORETZ OPERATORS: KIMO PROUDFOOT, GEORGE BILLINGER, SOC, JONNY MEYER
ASSISTANTS: STEVEN WOLFE, THOMAS BARRIOS, KEVIN POTTER, RICHARD DABBS, DUSTIN WHITTLESEY, JASON HOCHREIN
CAMERA UTILITY: SAGE LARSON
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: MARK WILENKIN LOADER: LAUREN CUMMINGS STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: BILL GRAY
“MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN” SEASON 2
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: KENJI KATORI, STUART CAMPBELL
OPERATORS: LAWRENCE KARMAN, RICH SCHUTTE
ASSISTANTS: JON JUNG, BENEDICT BALDAUFF, BRIAN BRESNEHAN, KEVIN GALLOWAY CAMERA UTILITIES: KAYLA LUKITSCH, JUSTIN ILLIG LOADER: DAN SOTAK
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: DENNIS MONG
DELUCA FILM
“CRASHER” SEASON 1 DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: TIM SUHRSTEDT, DON KING (UNDERWATER)
OPERATORS: LAWRENCE KARMAN, SHAWN HIATT
ASSISTANTS: DAVID WHITE, BAILEY NAGY, HAYDN PAZANTI, LIAM WHITE, WARNER WACHA (UNDERWATER)
STEADICAM OPERATOR: LAWRENCE KARMAN
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: DANIELE COLOMBERA LOADER: NOHEA KAHAULELIO
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: KATRINA MARCINOWSKI
EYE ON THE BALL ENTERPRISES, INC.
“FLAMINGO” SEASON 5
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: LACHLAN MILNE
OPERATORS: JULIAN DELACRUZ, MATIAS MESA
ASSISTANTS: LIAM SINNOTT, PAUL TILDEN, IAN AXILROD, MASHA PAVLOVA
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: JESSICA TA LOADER: EMILY BROWN
DIGITAL UTILITY: SID CALDWELL
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: ATSUSHI NISHIJIMA
EYE PRODUCTIONS, INC.
“BLUE BLOODS” SEASON 13
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: DONALD THORIN
OPERATORS: STEPHEN CONSENTINO, GEOFFREY FROST ASSISTANTS: NICHOLAS DEEG, GLEN CHIN, KENNETH MARTELL, JONATHAN SCHAEFER, MICHAEL GUTHRIE, MAXWELL SLOAN, MATEO GONZALEZ, HAROLD ERKINS, MYO CAMPBELL LOADERS: NANDIYA ATTIYA, MICHAEL PARRY
STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: LINDA KALLERUS, ALYSSA LONGCHAMP, EMILY ARAGONES
“MAGNUM P.I.” SEASON 5
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: NEWTON TERMEER, YARON LEVY OPERATORS: KEITH JORDAN, SCOTT MASON, RUBEN CARRILLO
ASSISTANTS: JEFF PELTON, NIGEL NALLY,
81NOVEMBER 2022 PRODUCTION CREDITS
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STEADICAM OPERATOR: KEITH JORDAN
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: BLANE EGUCHI
LOADER: GEOFF LAU
UTILITY: KRISTINA ZAZUETA
DIGITAL UTILITY: MATHEW MEDEIROS STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: ZACK DOUGAN
“SWAGGER” SEASON 2
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: CLIFF CHARLES OPERATORS: KERWIN DEVONISH, ALFEO DIXON, BUNT YOUNG
ASSISTANTS: MARK BAIN, ERIC EATON, JAMIE MARLOWE, ZAKIYA LUCAS-MURRAY, SEAN SUTPHIN, ALEX JONES, JOHN LYKE
LOADER: TYRA FORBES
UTILITY: LARRINA JEFFERSON
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: JESSICA KOURKOUNIS
GIANT TOWN PRODUCTIONS, INC.
“THE OTHER TWO AKA CHASELYFE” SEASON 3
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: CHARLIE GRUET, ZACK SCHAMBERG
OPERATORS: PATRICK MORGAN, STEPHEN KOZLOWSKI ASSISTANTS: CASEY JOHNSON, CHRIS CAFARO, YAYO VANG, EMILY O’LEARY
LOADER: MORGAN ARMSTRONG
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: GREG ENDRIES
GRANDALL PRODUCTIONS, LLC
“STRAIGHT SHOOTER”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: PATRICK JOSEPH DILLON OPERATORS: STEWART CANTRELL, VINCENT VENNITTI, PETE KEELING
ASSISTANTS: RICHARD GIOIA, PETER MORELLO, DOUGE FOOTE, SCOTT HALL MILLER, JORDAN LEVIE, NATHAN MCGARIGAL, EMMALINE HING
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: BJORN JACKSON
LOADERS: DEVEREAUX ELMES, TAYLOR PRINZIVALLI STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: MACALL POLAY
HOP, SKIP, & JUMP PRODUCTIONS
“WHILE YOU WERE BREEDING” SEASON 1 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BENJAMIN KASULKE OPERATORS: MARC CARTER, GARRETT ROSE ASSISTANTS: SHARLA CIPICCHIO, LITONG ZHEN DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: CHARLES ALEXANDER
JW4 PRODUCTIONS, INC.
“CARAVAGGIO” ADDITIONAL PICKUPS
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: DAN LAUSTSEN OPERATORS: COLIN HUDSON, MICK FROEHLICH ASSISTANTS: ETHAN MCDONALD, ANDY KENNEDY-DERKAY, LILA BYALL, ALAN CERTEZA LOADER: CHRIS CARLSON DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: FRANCESCO SAUTA
KANAN PRODUCTIONS, INC.
“POWER BOOK, III: RAISING KANAN” SEASON 3 DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: CHRIS LAVASSEUR, FRANCIS SPIELDENNER OPERATORS: JEFFREY DUTEMPLE, GREGORY FINKEL ASSISTANTS: MARK FERGUSON, SUREN KARAPETYAN, EMILY DEBLASI, KEITH ANDERSION
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: HUNTER FAIRSTONE LOADERS: BRIAN CARDENAS, PAUL SPANG, JC QUIROZ STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: CARA HOWE, DAVID SCOTT HOLLOWAY, MATT INFANTE, ERIC LIEBOWITZ
PUBLICIST: EVELYN SANTANA
MINIM PRODUCTIONS, INC, “SNOWFALL” SEASON 6
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: CHRISTIAN HERRERA, LUIS SANSANS OPERATORS: DAVID CHAMEIDES, DICK CROW ASSISTANTS: ALEX LIM, GINA VICTORIA, JOSE DE LOS ANGELES, FERNANDO ZACARIAS LOADERS: JACQUES VINCENT, AIDAN OSTROGOVICH UTILITIES: SELENESOL MASSIEL SINGLETON, BEN MOHLER STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: RAY MICKSHAW
MIXED BAG PRODUCTIONS, LLC
“THE RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES” SEASON 3
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: PAUL DALEY, MICHAEL SIMMONDS, STEPHEN THOMPSON OPERATORS: FRANZISKA LEWIS, PETER VIETRO-HANNUM, DANIEL SHARNOFF, JAMIE SILVERSTEIN, BARRET BURLAGE
ASSISTANTS: MARK BAIN, DAMON LEMAY, MATTHEW MEBANE, JUSTIN URBAN, DARWIN BRANDIS, OREN MALIK, EMILY RUDY, NICHOLAS BROWN, JAMES THOMAS
TECHNOCRANE TECH: JOHN SLADE
CAMERA UTILITIES: DOUGLAS TORTORICI, OREN MALIK
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: MICHAEL TUCKER
LOADER: DOUGLAS TORTORICI
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: JEREMIAH NETTER
NBC UNIVERSAL TELEVISION, LLC
“BUPKIS” SEASON 1
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BRIAN BURGOYNE
OPERATORS: JONATHAN BECK, KOREY ROBINSON
ASSISTANTS: ALEXANDER WORSTER, ANDREW JUHL, ANJELA COVIAUX, YALE GROPMAN
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: ANDREW PISANO LOADER: DANIEL BROWN
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: HEIDI GUTMAN
“CHICAGO PD” SEASON 10
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JAMES ZUCAL OPERATORS: VICTOR MACIAS, JAMISON ACKER, CHRIS HOOD ASSISTANTS: KYLE BELOUSEK, DON CARLSON, NICK WILSON, MARION TUCKER, CHRIS POLMANSKI, MAX MOORE STEADICAM OPERATOR: VICTOR MACIAS STEADICAM ASSISTANT: KYLE BELOUSEK LOADER: STEVEN CLAY
DIGITAL UTILITY: REBECCA JOHNSON
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: LORI ALLEN
NOVEMBER 2022 PRODUCTION CREDITS82
“FBI” SEASON 5
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BART TAU OPERATORS: AFTON GRANT, MICHAEL LATINO ASSISTANTS: LEE VICKERY, YURI INOUE, GEORGE LOOKSHIRE, NKEM UMENYI LOADERS: RAUL MARTINEZ, CONNOR LYNCH STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: BENNETT RAGLIN
“GRAND CREW” SEASON 2
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: RICK PAGE OPERATOR: PHIL MASTRELLA, LAUREN GADD, MARQUES SMITH, SOC ASSISTANTS: DUSTIN MILLER, JULIUS GRAHAM, GRACE THOMAS, JENNIFER LAI, RIKKI JONES, ERNEST DICKERSON, JR.
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: NICK GILBERT DIGITAL UTILITY: JASON CHUN
“LAW & ORDER” SEASON 22
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: CRAIG DIBONA, ASC OPERATORS: CHRIS HAYES, TOM WILLS ASSISTANTS: ALEX WATERSTON, IAN BRACONE, DEREK DIBONA, EMILY DUMBRILL
LOADERS: MAX SCHWARZ, MATT ELDRIDGE
“LAW & ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME” SEASON 3
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JIM DENAULT OPERATORS: JON BEATTIE, JAY SILVER ASSISTANTS: KEVIN WALTER, ALEKSANDR ALLEN, KEVIN HOWARD, KJERSTIN ROSSI LOADERS: BRANDON OSBORN, VINCE FERRARI
“LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT” SEASON 24
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: FELIKS PARNELL OPERATORS: JON HERRON, CHRIS DEL SORDO ASSISTANTS: MIKE GUASPARI, CHRISTIAN CARMODY, RYAN HADDON, MARY NEARY
LOADERS: LIAM GANNON, JAMES WILLIAM STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: ALYSSA LONGCHAMP
“NEW AMSTERDAM”
DIRECTORD OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ANDY VOEGELI, CHRISTOPHER RAYMOND OPERATORS: GARETH MANWARING, PEDRO CORCEGA ASSISTANTS: JAMES MADRID, MATT MONTALTO, ROBERT WRASE, PHILLIP THOMPSON LOADERS: CHRIS BAZATA, MARINO SANNUTI
“THE EQUALIZER” SEASON 3
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: TERRENCE BURKE, RON FORTUNATO
OPERATORS: JOSPEPH BLODGETT, TODD SOMODEVILLA, JASON MASON, RICARDO SARMIENTO
ASSISTANTS: ADAM GONZALEZ, JOHN FITZPATRICK, JELANI WILSON, BRYANT BAILEY, JAY ECKARDT, WARIS SUPANPONG, MICHAEL LOBB, JASON RASWANT, NIALANEY RODRIGUEZ, DANTE CORROCHER, ALEJANDRO LAZARE
DIGITAL IMAGING TECHS: TIFFANY ARMOUR-TEJADA, NATHANIEL SPIVEY
LOADERS: NAJOOD ALTERKAWI, TOM FOY, JAMAR OLIVE, SAM SHOEMAKER STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: MICHAEL GREENBERG, ALYSSA LONGCHAMP
NO TICKETS PRODUCTIONS, LLC
“UNTITLED HART/ROCK DOCUMENTARY”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ROBERT BENAVIDES OPERATORS: TODD SOMODEVILLA, OMAR GUINIER ASSISTANTS: JEFFREY TAYLOR, INES PORTUGAL, NATHAN MCGARIGAL
LOADER: JEFFREY SCHULTZ
PANTHERA PRODUCTIONS, LLC
“MAESTRO AKA RYBEMIA”
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: MATTHEW LIBATIQUE, ASC, MICHAEL BAUMAN
OPERATORS: SCOTT P. SAKAMOTO, SOC, RICARDO SARMIENTO
ASSISTANTS: CORNELIA KLAPPER, BOOTS SHELTON, AURELIA WINBORN, GAVIN FERNANDEZ, TIMOTHY METIVIER, BOOTS SHELTON, ELIZABETH HEDGES, RANDY SCHWARTZ, CORNELIA KLAPPER, SEAN MCNAMARA, RANDY SCHWARTZ
STEADICAM OPERATOR: COLIN ANDERSON DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: JEFF FLOHR LOADERS: CHAD KEAN, NAIMA NOGUERA, BRETT NORMAN
PINK CHAIR PRODUCTIONS, LLC
“THE FRONT ROOM”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: AVA BERKOFSKY OPERATORS: JESSE SANCHEZ-STRAUSS, LUCAS OWEN ASSISTANTS: REBECCA HELLER, CHRISTINA CARMODY, FAE WEICHSEL, DARNELL MCDONALD
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: ZACK SAINZ DIGITAL LOADER: DON GRAHAMER STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: JON PACK
PIONEER STILLKING FBI KFT “FBI INTERNATIONAL”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ATTILA SZALAY, ASC OPERATOR: BUD KREMP, SOC STEADICAM OPERATOR: BUD KREMP, SOC
PONYBOI, LLC “PONYBOI”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ED WU OPERATOR: BEN SPANER ASSISTANTS: BRYANT BAILEY, ALEJANDRO LAZARE STEADICAM OPERATOR: BEN SPANER DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: MICHAEL ASHLEY LOADER: SAM SHOEMAKER
REMOTE BROADCASTING, INC.
“THE GOLDBERGS” SEASON 10
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JASON BLOUNT OPERATORS: SCOTT BROWNER, NATE HAVENS ASSISTANTS: TRACY DAVEY, GRETCHEN HATZ, GARY WEBSTER, TOMMY IZUMI DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: KEVIN MILLS LOADER: DILSHAN HERATH
RESONATE ENTERTAINMENT
“SITTING IN BARS WITH CAKE”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: MATT CLARK OPERATORS: REID RUSSELL, BRIAN OUTLAND ASSISTANTS: SARAH GALLEY, CASEY MULDOON, JOHN RUIZ, CARTER SMITH STEADICAM OPERATOR: REID RUSSELL LOADER: ANNE HIRSCHMANN DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: AARON PICOT STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: SAEED ADYANI
REUNION 2017, LLC
“THE CONNERS” SEASON 5
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: DONALD A. MORGAN, ASC OPERATORS: RANDY BAER, JOHN DECHENE, VITO GIAMBALVO, JOHN BOYD ASSISTANT: MARIANNE FRANCO CAMERA UTILITIES: JOHN WEISS, ADAN TORRES VIDEO CONTROLLER: VON THOMAS
ROARING STONG PRODUCTIONS, INC.
“DUMB MONEY”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: NICOLAS KARAKATSANIS OPERATORS: SANDY HAYS, DANIEL HERSEY ASSISTANTS: WALTER RODRIGUEZ, ROBERT BULLARD, GRAHAM BURT, LEONARDO GOMEZ, RORY HANRAHAN, TOMMY SCOGGINS, KELLON INNOCENT
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: THOMAS WONG LOADERS: THOMAS FOY, CHAD KEAN, CHAD KEAN, VINCENT FERRARI, OFELIA CHAVEZ
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: CLAIRE FOLGER
SAD CLOWN PRODUCTIONS
“CALL ME KAT”
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: PATTI LEE, ASC, ANTAR ABDERRAHMAN OPERATORS: MARIANNE FRANCO, BRAD GRIMMET, JOHN DECHENE, CHUN MING HUANG ASSISTANTS: BRAD TRAVER, KENNETH WILLIAMS, ROBYN LINK
STEADICAM OPERATOR: BRAD GRIMMET
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: CLIFF JONES
CAMERA UTILITY: MATT FISHER DIGITAL UTILITY: JOSE GOMEZ STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: LISA ROSE
SHELTER S1 PRODUCTIONS
“HARLAN COBEN’S SHELTER” SEASON 1
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: PETR HLINOMAZ, JOHN ARONSON OPERATORS: TODD ARMITAGE, BARNABY SHAPIRO, DANIEL CASEY ASSISTANTS: RENE CROUT, ANDREA ROMANSKY, SOREN NASH, TREVOR WOLFSON, ALISA COLLEY, ROB KOCH, ELIZABETH CASINELLI, KATIE GREAVES, SUNIL DEVADANAM DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: DAVE SATIN LOADERS: HOLDEN HLINOMAZ, ROBERT STACHOWICZ LIBRA HEAD TECH: SEAN FOLKL
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: MICHAEL PARMELEE
SONY PICTURES TELEVISION
“FOR ALL MANKIND” SEASON 4
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ROSS BERRYMAN, KARL WALTER LINDENLAUB
OPERATORS: TIM SPENCER, MIKE MCEVEETY ASSISTANTS: STEPHEN PAZANTI, DARIN KRASK, JORGE PALLARES, ARTHUR ZAJAC
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: MIKE DEGRAZZIO
CAMERA UTILITY: ROBERT RUELAS
“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: JEFF MESSENGER
VIDEO UTILITIES: MICHAEL CORWIN, JEFF KLIMUCK
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: CAROL KAELSON
“OBLITERATED” SEASON 1
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ABRAHAM MARTINEZ
OPERATORS: BRIAN NORDHEIM, DAVID SAMMONS, MICHAEL KALE BONSIGNORE
ASSISTANTS: CHRIS NORRIS, ROB SALVIOTTI, ARTU ARIN, JULIAN QUIAMBAO, DORIAN BLANCO, JESSE HEIDENFELD, DIANA DE AGUINAGA
UTILITY: KATE DENMAN
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: RAUL RIVEROS
“THEM”
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BRENDAN UEGAMA, EVANS BROWN
OPERATORS: SPENCER HUTCHINS, MYRON PARRAN ASSISTANTS: MARY STANKIEWICZ, NELSON MANCODO, DWAYNE GREEN, JAMIE STRIBY
STEADICAM OPERATOR: SPENCER HUTCHINS
LOADER: JAY JOHNSON
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: NICK HILTGEN
DIGITAL UTILITY: LIZ METZ
“WHEEL OF FORTUNE” SEASON 37
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JEFF ENGEL
OPERATORS: DIANE L. FARRELL, SOC, L.DAVID IRETE, RAY GONZALES, MIKE TRIBBLE
HEAD UTILITY: TINO MARQUEZ
CAMERA UTILITY: RAY THOMPSON
VIDEO CONTROLLER: JEFF MESSENGER
VIDEO UTILITIES: MICHAEL CORWIN, JEFF KLIMUCK
JIB ARM OPERATOR: STEVE SIMMONS
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: CAROL KAELSON
STALWART PRODUCTIONS, LLC
“INVITATION TO A BONFIRE” SEASON 1
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: KATE REID OPERATORS: DENNIS DWYER, JOHN GARRETT ASSISTANTS: ZACK SHULTZ, TALIA KROHMAL, DEAN EGAN, RICHELLE TOPPING
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: KEENAN KIMETTO LOADER: GABRIELLA PEZZELLI
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: ROBERT CLARK
STAMPEDE VENTURES
“SPACE CADET”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JOHN INWOOD OPERATORS: DAVID TAICHER, ROBERT PAGLIARO, DEXTER KENNEDY (DRONE)
ASSISTANTS: DOUGLAS FOOTE, CAI HALL, DONALD GAMBLE, PATRICK MCRAE BRACEY,
83NOVEMBER 2022 PRODUCTION CREDITS
BRITTANY JELINSKI
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: GUILLERMO TUNON
LOADERS: AARON CHAMPAGNE, OMAR ARIEL DELEON, DEVEREAUX ELMES, NYLE HIGGS
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: ERIC LIEBOWITZ PUBLICIST: JACKIE BAZAN
THE GUZ, INC.
“NOT DEAD YET” SEASON 1
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: GRANT SMITH OPERATORS: BRIAN PITTS, JOE HERNANDEZ ASSISTANTS: RYAN GUZDZIAL, JESS FAIRLESS, ANDIE GILL, MATT BERBANO
LOADER: TOSHADEVA PALANI
DIGITAL UTILITY: LY TRAN
TURNER NORTH CENTER PRODUCTIONS, INC.
“AND JUST LIKE THAT” SEASON 2
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: TIMOTHY NORMAN OPERATORS: PETER AGLIATA, MATTHEW PEBLER, PETER RAMOS ASSISTANTS: STEPHEN MCBRIDE, MARCOS RODRIGUEZ-QUIJANO, JONATHAN DAILEY, GREGORY PACE, MABEL SANTOS HAUGEN, BRIAN PUCCI
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: ANDREW NELSON LOADER: LUKE HEALY
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: CRAIG BLANKENHORN
“FULL CIRCLE”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: STEVEN SODERBERGH OPERATOR: HENRY CLINE ASSISTANTS: CHRIS SILANO, TROY SOLA, JAMES DEAN DRUMMOND, EDDIE GOLDBLATT LOADER: KRISTINA ALLEN STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: SARAH SHATZ, CHRISTOPHER SAUNDERS
UNIVERSAL CONTENT PRODUCTIONS
“TED TV”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JEFF MYGATT OPERATORS: BILL BRUMMOND, TOBY TUCKER, MICHAEL FREDIANI, SOC ASSISTANTS: DENNIS SEAWRIGHT, DALE WHITE, SCOTT BIRNKRANT, RENEE TREYBALL, CHUCK WHELAN, BROOKE MAGRATH STEADICAM OPERATOR: BILL BRUMMOND LOADER: MAYA MORGAN
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: TRAE PATTON
UPLOAD FILMS, INC.
“SUNCOAST”
OPERATORS: DIRK STEYN, CHRIS LYMBERIS ASSISTANTS: DANIEL COOPER, DOUGLAS TORTORICI DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: ERIC RANSBOTTOM STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: ERIC ZACHANOWICH
VIENNA 1913 PRODUCTIONS, LLC
“VIENNA 1913 AKA V13”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ANTONIO ROSSI ASSISTANTS: MICHAEL BELARDI, TRISTAN CLUBB, DANIEL FOLEY
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: OLGA WAGNER LOADERS: KEVIN SEAMON, ADAM KIM STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: KC BAILEY
WARNER BROS.
“ALL AMERICAN HOMECOMING”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: HANS CHARLES OPERATORS: MICHELLE CRENSHAW, TAMMY FOUTS ASSISTANTS: ALDO PORRAS, ROB MONROY, ANDREW PORRAS, DAION CHESNEY DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: TIMOTHY GAER DIGITAL UTILITY: MAX PEREZ
“YOUNG SHELDON” SEASON 6
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BUZZ FEITSHANS, IV OPERATORS: NEIL TOUSSAINT, AARON SCHUH ASSISTANTS: MATTHEW DEL RUTH, GRANT YELLEN, BRAD GILSON, JR., JAMES COBB
STEADICAM OPERATOR: AARON SCHUH LOADERS: BAILEY SOFTNESS, CONNER MCELROY
WONDER STREET PRODUCTIONS
“EAST NEW YORK”
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ZEUS MORAND, JENDRA JARNAGIN OPERATORS: JULIEN ZEITOUNI, PETER NOLAN, DAVID ISERN, ALAN JACOBSEN, LUCAS OWEN ASSISTANTS: SAMANTHA SILVER, VINCENT TUTHS, ERIKA HOULE, EVAN WALSH, MARC CHARBONNEAU, ELIZABETH CASINELLI, ANABEL CAICEDO, KYLE TERBOSS, CORY MAFFUCCI, NOLAN MALONEY, JAMES DEMETRIOU, KATHERINE RIVERA, CHRISTOPHER PATRIKIS DIGITAL IMAGING TECHS: MATTHEW RICHARDS, JESSICA TA
LOADERS: MANUEL GARCIA, TOM FOY, ALEX LILJA, DAVID DIAZ
TECHNOCRANE TECH: JORDAN HRISTOV STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: SCOTT MCDERMOTT, PATRICK HARBRON
WOODBRIDGE PRODUCTIONS
“THE BLACKLIST” SEASON 10
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: DEREK WALKER, MICHAEL O’SHEA
OPERATORS: DEVIN LADD, JAY SILVER ASSISTANTS: MIKE GUASPARI, EDWIN HERRERA, EDGAR VELEZ, KAIH WONG
LOADERS: REMINGTON LONG, BERNARDO RUIZ POZO STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: PATRICK HARBRON, WILL HART
International Cinematographers Guild
MASTERS
