Cinematography World Issue 19

THE ART AND CRAFT BEHIND THE CAMERA

ISSUE 019 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024

INSIDE THIS ISSUE MATTHEW LIBATIQUE ASC LPS•ŁUKASZ ŻAL PSC•PEDRO LUQUE SCU•GEORGE RICHMOND BSC•JAMIE RAMSAY SASC•JUDITH KAUFMANN BVK ARMIN FRANZEN•RODRIGO PRIETO AMC ASC•JAC FITZGERALD•MATTHEW J LLOYD ASC•RADOSŁAW ŁADCZUK PSC•SUZIE LAVELLE ISC BSC

POOR THINGS IN CINEMAS JANUARY 12

Poor Things © 2023 Searchlight Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

FILM MAKES A DIFFERENCE 3 5M M KO DAK VI S I O N 3 50 D 520 3 / 20 0T 52 13 / 50 0T 52 19 EK TAC H RO M E 10 0 D 5294 / D O U B LE-X B &W 52 2 2

#POORTHINGSFILM

©KODAK, 2023. KODAK, DOUBLE-X, EKTACHROME, VISION and the KODAK logo are trademarks ok KODAK.

ISSUE 019•CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD If each of us thought a little more about how we treated one another, the world would tilt more towards justice, tolerance and understanding

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CONTACT US News hello@cinematography.world Ad sales & Subscriptions +44 (0) 1428 746 377 Artwork artwork@cinematography.world +44 (0) 1428 746 375 www.cinematography.world EDITORIAL TEAM Ron Prince has over three decades of experience in the film, TV, CGI and VFX industries, and has written about cinematography for 20 years. In 2014, he won the ARRI John Alcott Award from the BSC. He also runs the international content marketing and PR communications company Prince PR.

ALL THAT JAZZ

Happy New Year! The thing I love most about my job is the endless creativity of cinematographers, and the talents of their various collaborators, to picture new and iconic imagery to tell stories.

I am constantly beguiled by how different formats, framing, lighting styles, colour, contrast and textures – together with the set/costume design, direction, music and the performances of course – keep us enthralled with fresh pictures that are moving, scary, hypnotic, dreamy, painterly, psychedelic, romantic, naturalistic, nostalgic, nerve-jangling, immersive, claustrophobic, disturbing and even downright disgusting by turns.

This year’s award season nominated movies, along with many others you can see on a screen near you, are richly-rewarding visually and testament to that remarkable achievement.

It’s particularly impressive to know that a good many of these productions were shot using colour/ B&W analogue film. Indeed, four out of five films in the cinematography category for best Oscar, BAFTA and ASC awards were captured on Kodak, with the BSC selecting five-out of contenders. At least two combined 35mm with LED walls. Who’d have imagined all that in this day-and-age of ones-and-zeros?

We extend our thanks to everyone in making the watching experience so entertaining, mesmerising and memorable, and wish you all the best for the year ahead… and beyond.

Wherever you are, stay safe. and we’ll see you soon.

“Count” Iain Blair is a British writer/musician who lives in LA and writes extensively about film/entertainment for outlets including LA Times, Variety and Reuters. He interviews movie stars, as well as Hollywood’s top filmmakers.

Darek Kuźma is a film and TV journalist, translator/interpreter, and a regular collaborator/programmer of the EnergaCamerimage Film Festival.

He is an ardent cinephile who has a lifelong romance with the visual language of cinema.

Kirsty Hazlewood has over two decades of editorial experience in print/ online publications, and is a regular contributor to folk/roots music website Spiral Earth.

Natasha Block Hicks is an artist/designer/maker, who spent a decade as a freelance film and TV camera assistant, and indulges her love for cinema and cinematography through research and writing.

Thomas Servelle manages a team of lighting specialists and account managers in his role as film, TV and broadcast sales manager for EMEA at ROSCO.

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Cover Image: Maestro, shot on Kodak film

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ISSUE 019•CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD

INSIDE

ISSUE 019 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024

6 VIEW FROM THE TOP•IAIN SMITH OBE 8 PRODUCTION NEWS 16 STUDIO NEWS•ROUND UP 20 WHO, WHAT, WHEN & WHERE 28 SMOOTH OPERATOR•OSSIE MCLEAN ACO SOC 30 GREAT GEAR GUIDE•BSC EXPO 2024 PREVIEW 42 MATTHEW LIBATIQUE ASC LPS•MAESTRO 46 ŁUKASZ ŻAL PSC•THE ZONE OF INTEREST 50 JUDITH KAUFMANN BVK•DAS LEHRERZIMMER/THE TEACHERS’ LOUNGE 52 PEDRO LUQUE SCU•SOCIETY OF THE SNOW 56 GEORGE RICHMOND BSC•ARGYLLE 58 ARMIN FRANZEN•EIN GANZES LEBEN/A WHOLE LIFE 62 RODRIGO PRIETO AMC ASC•KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON 64 JAC FITZGERALD•MASTERS OF THE AIR 66 AVA DUVERNAY & DP MATTHEW J LLOYD ASC•ORIGIN 70 RADOSŁAW ŁADCZUK PSC•THE PEASANTS 72 JAMIE RAMSAY SASC•ALL OF US STRANGERS 74 SUZIE LAVELLE ISC BSC•THE END WE START FROM 76 SPOTLIGHT•DEDO WEIGERT•WAYWARD LIGHT 78 GAFFER’S CAFÉ•MARIANNE LAMOUR 80 IN PICTURES•ENERGACAMERIMAGE 2023

42 MAESTRO

46 THE ZONE OF INTEREST

52 SOCIETY OF SNOW

62 KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON

64 MASTERS OF THE AIR CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 5

VIEW FROM THE TOP•IAIN SMITH OBE

WEATHER FORECAST A

s we all know, our industry took several hits during the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent Hollywood strikes in 2023. Production ground to a virtual halt and, before long, many crew began to move away to other industries. Our studios became ghost towns waiting for the situation to pass.

We must also not forget that the demand for filmed entertainment around the world continues to grow exponentially. An endlessly growing market that needs constant supply.

None of this was caused by any kind of failure on our part. It was the impact of factors beyond our control. However, we were brazenly reminded of the old adage, “When America sneezes the rest of us catch a cold”.

Of course, being British, we are also prone to a degree of traditional self-harm.

But we are a resilient bunch and recovery has begun, even though it may not be as fast as we would like. A lot of us remain waiting in the hope that the situation will pick up soon to previous levels.

2024 does not promise to be much help I’m afraid. On both sides of the Atlantic this is an election year, and febrile electoral battling will continue to distract both the US and UK governments from their national duties.

It is vitally important that we continue to support British independent filmmakers

In the meantime, we must continue to rebuild to the production levels we enjoyed before the pandemic. And beyond.

In the UK, we are tracking the imminent threat of the proposed, massive business rate increases on studio and stage facilities throughout the country.

Across the board our industry has been tirelessly making the case to all relevant parts of government asserting the importance of maintaining the status quo as far as film and television facilities are concerned, and have been emphasising the vulnerability of the amazing Golden Goose we’ve created. Any significant hike in business rate could have a disastrous impact on us as far as international competitiveness is concerned.

We are intent on building back the inward investment business we so carefully built up before Covid. But it is also vitally important that we continue to support British independent filmmakers who have been having an incredibly difficult time.

It is hard to know quite frankly if these pleas are being understood or even heard but we have hope, and are pushing all the buttons.

Watch this space.

However, on a more positive note the UK industry is still strong and very well regarded around the globe. It is greatly trusted to keep its promises and to deliver first class results with a minimum of ‘mucking about’.

We have extraordinary talent, and consummate crew skills. Our technical and human infrastructures are the envy of the world, much of which aspires to copy us.

The industry’s lead organisation, the BFI, is currently preparing a strategic review of the industry and, in particular, the British Film Commission. We obviously hope that this review will be positive in outlook and will encourage government to continue its crucial support of the industry in all its forms.

Government will soon be heading into the dreaded election purdah after which very little

6 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD

Demand for filmed entertainment around the world continues to grow exponentially significant legislation will be undertaken, until a new government is formed.

Having said all of that, before the pandemic, our industry was able to establish itself as a major world production centre, and all the signs are that we can build back to that as soon as circumstances allow. We must simply ‘keep right on’.

Now is the time to remain stalwart and hopeful.

We are living through interesting times.

Iain Smith OBE Producer Chair of British Film Commission National Advisory Board

Watch behind the scenes with the filmmakers.

Congratulations to the team behind The Crown.

It’s been an honour to support your vision across all six seasons.

From your friends and colleagues at

www.panavision.com

www.panalux.biz

PRODUCTION & POST NEWS

MOVIES SHOT ON KODAK FILM DOMINATE 2024 OSCAR, BAFTA, ASC & BSC CINEMATOGRAPHY NOMINATIONS

I

t’s been a bumper time for films shot on Kodak, highlighted by the predominance of film-originated productions earning Oscar, BAFTA, ASC and BSC nominations for best cinematography during the 2024 awards season.

All of the nominees for the British Society Of Cinematographers’ (BSC) Feature Film award for 2024 were shot on film. The five cinematographers are: Rodrigo Prieto AMC ASC for Killers Of The Flower Moon; Matthew Libatique ASC for Maestro; Hoyte van Hoytema NSC FSF ASC for Oppenheimer; Robbie Ryan ISC BSC for Poor

BSC LIFETIME AWARD 2024 GOES TO ANTHONY B. RICHMOND BSC ASC

T

his year’s BSC Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Tony Richmond BSC ASC at the 68th BSC Awards on the 3rd February 2024.

Richmond is an accomplished cinematographer whose career spans well over six decades with credits including: Good Luck Chuck, The

Things; and Linus Sandgren FSFS ASC for Saltburn.

Four-out-of-five movies nominated for best cinematography Oscar, BAFTA and ASC Awards were also shot on film, and most of the films listed above are similarly featured. The DPs of Killers Of The Flower Moon, Maestro, Oppenheimer and Poor Things all received Oscar, BAFTA, ASC and BSC nominations. The other contenders, who shot digitally, were Ed Lachman ASC for El Conde, with Oscar and ASC nods, and Łukasz Żal PSC for The Zone Of Interest, who earned a BAFTA nomination.

“Congratulations to each of the Academy,

BAFTA, ASC and BSC nominees for best cinematography. The fact that so many, including all five of the BSC Award contenders, captured their projects on film, makes these very proud moments for Kodak,” offered Vanessa Bendetti, head of Motion Picture & Entertainment for Kodak. “We appreciate each of the nominees’ incomparable artistry and dedication to the craft of analogue filmmaking. On behalf of the Kodak Motion Picture team and our film factory, it’s an honour to have contributed to these productions.”

Comebacks, Shade, Havana Nights, Legally Blond, John Tucker Must Die, Autopsy, and Sex And Lies In Sin City, as well as Diary Of A Wimpy Kid, Dog Days and The Long Haul.

Born and raised in London, Richmond worked his way up through the ranks to his current position of director of photography. He began at the age of 16 as a messenger with Associate British Cinemas and

later with Pathe-News, where he was promoted to the camera department. He next worked as assistant cameraman on such films as: Call Me Bwana, From Russia With Love, Truffaut’s Fahrenheit 451 and David Lean’s Dr. Zhivago.

Along with the ASC and BSC Richmond is also a member of the Academy Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and BAFTA.

WARWICK THORNTON WINS 2023 CAMERIMAGE GOLDEN FROG FOR THE NEW BOY

W

arwick Thornton won the Golden Frog at the 2023 Camerimage Film Festival in Poland for his cinematography on The New Boy, which he also wrote and directed.

Thornton is now the second Australian to win the main competition prize, with DP Greig Fraser ACS ASC having previously won in 2016 for Lion. Fraser would go on to be nominated for an Academy Award.

Ed Lachman ASC won the Silver Frog for his work on the Pablo Larrain’s horror fantasy El Conde, whilst Robbie Ryan ISC BSC won the Bronze Frog for his work on Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things, which also scooped the Audience Award.

The New Boy premiered in Cannes in May as part of the Un Certain Regard programme. Set in the 1940s, the film is led by newcomer Aswan Reid as a nineyear-old Aboriginal orphan boy who arrives in the dead of night at a remote monastery, run by a renegade nun, played by Cate Blanchett.

8 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD

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PRODUCTION & POST NEWS

DP JAMIE RAMSAY SASC WINS BIFA AWARD FOR ALL OF US STRANGERS

A

ll of Us Strangers, directed by Andrew Haigh, won three awards in the craft categories at the 2023 British Independent Film Awards.

The film, starring Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott, and which amassed a total of 14 BIFA nominations, won best cinematography for Jamie D. Ramsay SASC, and was shot on Kodak 35mm film.

Ramsay, who most recently shot Living, based Akira Kurosawa’s Ikiru, and See How They Run commented, “We wanted the movie to be a subjective journey, experienced through the cast, but also through how the camera moved within the cast and within the performance. More than anything else, it just needed to be soft, subjective, and it needed to have an ethereal feeling of

nostalgia.”

Also nominated for the Best Cinematography BIFA were Olan Collardy for Rye Lane, Suzie Lavelle ISC BSC for The End We Start From, Molly Manning Walker for Scrapper, and James Rhodes for Femme.

BFI HONOURS CHRISTOPHER NOLAN WITH BFI

T

he BFI is celebrating British film director Christopher Nolan with its highest honour, a BFI Fellowship, recognising his extraordinary achievements and enormous contribution to cinema as one of the world’s most successful and influential film directors.

From Memento to Batman Begins, Inception to Dunkirk, Nolan is a rare director who marries his epic vision with an intelligent, unique approach to filmmaking and storytelling. His films have won 11 Academy Awards, enjoy huge critical acclaim and the respect of his peers, whilst appealing to audiences across the globe and – with over $6.1

billion grossed worldwide – have delivered massive box office success.

The release of his latest film, Oppenheimer, in July 2023 was Nolan’s biggest film ever at the UK box office, grossing £58.7 million to date surpassing The

Dark Knight and Dunkirk.

Nolan’s films are made for, and best experienced, on the big screen. He has long advocated for his films to be seen on the medium they were shot on, 65mm IMAX cameras on eight of his features, and, for their full impact, on 70mm prints on IMAX screens.

The director has had a profound and far-reaching impact on this great art-form, and his passion for and commitment to celluloid has seen him take an active part in advocating for film preservation, restoration and archiving, and generously supporting the work of film archives around the world, including the BFI National Archive.

JAY HUNT APPOINTED AS CHAIR OF THE BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE

J

ay Hunt OBE has been appointed chair of the British Film Institute for a term of four years commencing 16 February 2024.

Hunt is the creative director for Apple TV+ in Europe and has been a governor of the BFI since 2020. She also served on the board of the Government’s Culture

BFI AND DCMS INVEST OVER £3.3M INTO UK INDEPENDENT SCREEN SECTOR

T

he BFI has made a further 30 awards through its UK Global Screen Fund, backing seven new international co-productions and supporting 23 UK screen content businesses to boost their international activities and enhance the success of their content globally.

Financed through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the latest batch of awards sees over £1.3 million being allocated through the fund’s

10 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD

Recovery Fund. She is the only person to have run three terrestrial broadcast channels, also serving as controller of BBC One and director of programmes at Channel 5. Hunt started her career at BBC News working on Newsnight and Panorama, before becoming editor of both the One O’Clock and Six O’Clock News.

International Co-production strand and over £2 million being allocated through the fund’s International Business Development strand.

This latest round of international co-production awards sees the UK coproducing with 12 territories and will be the first time the fund has supported collaborations with Hungary, Norway and Spain. The funding will also support partnerships with Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, New Zealand, Poland and Sweden.

The funding is awarded in the form of non-recoupable grants and range between £50,000 and £150,000 in total over a three-year period. It is focussed on helping companies achieve new international business partnerships, enhance their profile and reach in the global marketplace, and increase revenue generation through export and international expansion.

Celebrating Cinematography at BSC Expo 2024

PRODUCTION & POST NEWS

REMEMBERING ROBERTO JARRATT

O

ne year ago, the film industry bade farewell to the charismatic figure of Roberto Jarratt.

Cinematography World is honoured to share heartfelt tributes to him.

Jeff Allen, former managing director at Panavision Europe, remembered, “I grew close to Roberto and was consistently struck by his warmth and his fervour for the industry, life and family. He was a formidable businessman, who knew all the tricks of the trade. I’m grateful that we became intimate friends and our two families melted into one.”

Jarratt’s influence also extended to life lessons as recounted by Jeffrey Marketta, former EVP/CFO and president of European Operations at Panavision.

“I first encountered Roberto in May 1989. Our connection was immediate, and over the next 33 years, it only deepened,” said Marketta. “My rapport with him transcended business, akin to that of older and younger brothers. One of his most

admirable qualities, which I’ve endeavoured to emulate, was his generosity and benevolence. I gleaned invaluable wisdom from him, as a mentor whose counsel I cherished, all while savouring pasta and wine. For these gifts and many others, I am forever indebted and grateful. Roberto was a one-of-a-kind individual, possessing gravitas, but never forgetting to smile.”

Professor Franz Kraus, long-time ARRI executive board member and continuing member of the supervisory board, fondly recalled warm encounters. “Whether in Rome, Malta, IBC, BSC Expos, or at

CINELAB FILM & DIGITAL REVEALS RECENT PROJECTS

C

inelab Film & Digital has been busy on a range of film and digital productions.

Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things, was lensed by DP Robbie Ryan on Kodak 500T, Ektachrome and Double-X 35mm film, and all 4K film scanning was completed

by Cinelab, as well as the creation film deliverables.

All Of Us Strangers, directed by Andrew Haigh, was shot on 35mm 3-perf film by DP Jamie Ramsay SASC, and is one of the first productions that has used 35mm film on a virtual production stage. The End We

Start From was shot by cinematographer Suzie Lavelle ISC BSC in 2-perf on 35mm film. Film processing and scanning on both films was completed by Cinelab, along with dailies, including dailies colour, overseen by Cinelab colourist Darren Rae. Society Of The Snow, the latest film from J. A. Bayona, lensed by DP Pedro Luque, harnessed Cinelab’s DFD (Digital-Film-Digital) analogue intermediate process. Transferring digitally-captured footage to 35mm Kodak VISION3 250D filmstock, before processing and scanning back to digital, helped to apply an authentic texture and grain to the movie.

Cinelab also handled digital dailies and dailies colour

Camerimage, we always concluded with shared dinners. Technical matters were not Roberto’s primary focus; those discussions were left to the shareholders.

Roberto took a keener interest in my family’s well-being.”

Kim Snyder, president & CEO of Panavision, echoed these sentiments in her recollection of dealings with Jarratt, hailing him as, “An extraordinary and passionate force in the entertainment industry. He was devoted to the filmmaking community, a crucial partner to Panavision, and a steadfast supporter of the company and of me personally.”

Martin Cayzer, former CEO of ARRI’s global camera and lighting rental operations, added his affectionate thoughts.

“La Vita È Bella (Life Is Beautiful) is exactly how we remember Roberto. So full of life, so welcoming, so warm, so generous. He lived the words he always spoke, that ‘family is everything’.”

services on Argylle, shot

by DP George Richmond BSC, The Beekeeper, lensed by Gabriel Beristain AMC ASC BSC DGA, and One Life, lit by Zac Nicholson BSC.

RENOWNED SUPERVISING COLOURIST PETER DOYLE JOINS PICTURE SHOP

P

icture Shop has announced that supervising colourist, Peter Doyle, has joined its roster of artists. Doyle brings 25 years of experience to the company including work on Oscar-winning films such as The Tragedy Of Macbeth, Cyrano, The Theory Of Everything, Inside Llewyn Davis, King Kong, and The Lord Of The Rings trilogy.

A sought-after collaborator in technology development, Doyle used custom software to colour

CVP CELEBRATES 100K YOUTUBE SUBSCRIBERS

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VP, one of Europe’s leading resellers and providers of professional video and broadcast solutions, recently announced that its YouTube channel has officially reached 100,000 subscribers.

After months of dedication, creativity and the unwavering support of its audience, youtube.com/

grade scenes of the The Matrix and employed the first DI grading packages for The Lord Of The Rings. He helped create a DI facility for Warner Bros. to grade the Harry Potter films and worked with the Coen Bros. on their first digitally originated film The Battle Of Buster Scruggs.

Prior to joining Picture Shop, Doyle was at PostWorks New York. He is a member of The Academy’s Production & Technology Branch, an

cvptv has hit this impressive milestone, marking a significant moment in its journey. In a statement the company said it is immensely grateful to every subscriber who has been part of its community, contributing to the growth and success of the channel.

To celebrate this achievement, CVP recorded a 100K special video with the team behind the channel – Jake Ratcliffe, Joe Cannon and Sam Thomas – where they shared candid insights and behind-the-scenes stories, and gave sincere thanks its subscribers, viewers and supporters.

12 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD

associate member of the ASC and an executive member of SMPTE.

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PRODUCTION & POST NEWS

MARKUS FÖRDERER ASC BVK LAUNCHES CINEFLARES LENS FLARE LIBRARY

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he new Cineflares interactive lens flare library, born out of the passion of DP Markus Förderer ASC BVK, offers filmmakers an invaluable tool for their creative endeavours.

Cineflares allows users to explore and compare a vast selection of cine lenses for their unique visual characteristics and response to light. Each lens has been professionally captured under controlled conditions, utilising state-of-the-art motion control and high-resolution large format cameras. By capturing a bright point light source against a deep black background, each optic exhibits its distinctive flare pattern, contrast-holding ability, and individual colour response, revealing the unique fingerprint or lens flare of each serial number.

Users of Cineflares’ beta-phase include top cinematographers, such as Academy Award-winner Erik Messerschmidt ASC, who called it, “An essential first stop for cinematographers when comparing lenses. The ease of which it allows us to examine flare characteristics between lenses with a simple mouse click is extraordinary.”

Cineflares library of cine lenses ranging from wide open to stopped down, and from vintage to modern optics, continues to grow.

Cineflares’ full launch will feature an extensive collection complete with the latest lenses.

DEDOLIGHT LIGHTSTREAM ADVANCED REFLECTED LIGHT SYSTEM

D

edolight offers an unprecedented range of lighting tools and reflector systems including the Dedolight PB70 parabolic light, unique in its ability to produce a virtual light source, minimising the effect of the square law. In addition, Dedolight now introduces the PB70 2.5kW, with double the power of the original PB70 parabolic light.

The Dedolight Lightstream system features five different reflector characters in five different sizes, all of which can be motorised. Products within the range and interchangeable with each other.

Dedolight Lightstream for drama productions and TV series, provides the illusion of natural light deriving from outside the studio. Lightstream Lite are portable reflectors which can be mounted anywhere. One single light, even a small puppet light, equipped with the magic parallel beam intensifier, can activate eight

or even fifteen reflectors, to light an entire scene.

The Lightstream Table Top system, offers small and versatile lights, equipped with parallel beam intensifiers and an variety of additional tools.

Dedolight also offers the expanded Lightstream Flag System, in round or square shapes, providing a bridge between hard and soft lights with different large reflector surfaces, to surround the multitude of reflector choices.

ARRI ANNOUNCES 360 EVO STABILISED REMOTE HEAD

A

RRI has announced its new top-of-the-line stabilised remote head, the 360 Evo, featuring 360-degree rotation on the roll axis as well as the pan axis, a more robust design, and remote system integration.

A new GUI and multiple accessories are shared with the Trinity 2, creating a uniquely integrated line-up of hard and soft-mounted stabiliser options.

The 360 Evo runs on the same software platform as Trinity 2, with the same GUI displayed on its touchscreen remote control panel. The two products also share cables, brackets and SAM plates for mounting different cameras, and can be controlled by the same tools, such as ARRI’s Digital Remote Wheels DRW-1 and new Digital Encoder Head DEH-2. Trinity 2 customers can therefore invest in the 360 Evo without having to double up on accessories or learn new workflows.

LBUS connectivity enables efficient digital and metadata workflows, whilst the new software and GUI are focused on long-term Unreal Engine integration to facilitate virtual production.

With its remote system integration, 360-degree roll-axis rotation, payloads up to 30kg, compact size, versatile connectivity, high-capacity 12/24 V camera power 14 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD

supply, and rock-steady stabilisation even at long focal lengths, the 360 Evo offers a price-performance ratio that makes it a budget-friendly product for the cine and broadcast markets.

Director: Andrew Haigh Cinematographer: Jamie Ramsay 35mm Film Processing, 4K Scan & Dailies Colour

Director: Bradley Cooper Cinematographer: Matthew Libatique 35mm Film Processing & 4K Scan

Director: Mahalia Belo Cinematographer: Suzie Lavelle 35mm Film Processing, 4K Scan & Dailies Colour

Director: J. A. Bayona Cinematographer: Pedro Luque DFD: Digital to 35mm Process

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Director: Emerald Fennell Cinematographer: Linus Sandgren 35mm Film Processing & 4K Scan

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STUDIO ROUND-UP•THE WHARF•UNIVERSAL•SHINFIELD

STUDIO NEWS

By Kirsty Hazlewood

PGGB ROYAL PATRON HRH THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH VISITS THE WHARF STUDIOS HRH The Duke of Edinburgh recently visited the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham’s The Wharf Studios in his role as Royal Patron of The Production Guild of Great Britain (PGGB).

Over the last ten years, the borough has curated its successful film service, ‘Film Barking & Dagenham’ which has provided a one-stop-shop for an impressive line-up of high-end productions including Marvel’s Avengers: Age Of Ultron, Doctor Strange and Black Widow, Warner Bros. The Batman, and Amazon Prime’s Heads Of State starring Idris Elba who is from east London.

HRH also had the opportunity to meet local ‘Make It Here’ students learning lighting and electrical crafts, as well as runners and marshals who have worked on highend TV productions, secondary school pupils, plus local training academies who have engaged with Film Barking & Dagenham’s industry-led career days.

HRH The Duke of Edinburgh commented, “Film is

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS BUYS BEDFORD BRICKWORKS FOR THEME PARK PLAN Universal Studios has said it is “exploring” the possibility of building a park and resort on a former brickworks site in Bedfordshire, with the company purchasing 480 acres of land near Stewartby.

The company said it was “always looking at new locations around the world” and was in the “early stages of exploring its feasibility.” Bedford council mayor Tom Wootton said he was “excited by the interest.”

In a statement, the company said, “We are always looking at new locations around the world, and the UK is an attractive place for a potential project, with a large population, creative industries, strong tourism and transportation infrastructure, with close proximity to other

about imagination, and making it happen. It takes a lot of different people to be able to do that, and that’s what the Guild is trying to encourage – more people who understand that there is a place in this industry for you.”

PGGB’s CEO, Lyndsay Duthie said, “We thank The Duke of Edinburgh for his ongoing support of PGGB, and are delighted to be able to highlight this important initiative in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham. To sustain a healthy and thriving industry in the UK, we need a skilled workforce for the future. The foundation for that future comes alive in places like this.”

Historically, generations of people in the area of East London and Essex would go to work at Ford Dagenham.

Thanks to regeneration, investment and a commitment to skills and training, The Wharf Studios and the upcoming Eastbrook Studios, developed and operated by The MBS Group and Hackman are offering long-term career paths in film and television Darren Smith, CEO Europe & APAC, The MBS Group commented, “While our world-class studio facilities, at The

parts of Europe.”

The area was chosen, due to its transportation connectivity to London and Europe with more than half

SHINFIELD STUDIOS ADVANCES FINAL PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION Shinfield Studios is nearing completion of its final phase of construction. With 13 soundstages now available, all 18 will be fully operational by early 2024. Over the past two years, Shinfield Studios has welcomed film and high-end-TV productions from some of the largest media companies in the world including Disney, Sony and the US streamers.

Based 30 miles from central London, Shinfield Studios’ state-of-the-art facility already offers two of the largest, fully climate-controlled soundstages available in the UK at 43,000sq/ft. each. On completion, the studio campus will include 18 soundstages, 38 workshops, substantial and contemporary office space, and a nineacre filming backlot.

Nick Smith, joint managing director, Shinfield Studios said, “Not only does Shinfield Studios feel like a slice of Hollywood in Berkshire, it also offers producers a modern studio facility that has been carefully designed from the ground-up to meet all the needs of the most ambitious film and HETV productions. We really have considered every detail.”

16 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD

Wharf and Eastbrook Studios, are adding much needed infrastructure to the production industry, we are equally proud of the training initiatives we are creating within the local community.”

of the UK population within two hours, including just 45 minutes outside of London.

PINEWOOD•SHEPPERTON•3 MILLS•STUDIO ROUND-UP

including The Walt Disney Studios, Marvel, Lucasfilm, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and EON Productions, as well as 20 industry experts who took part in Q&As hosted by BBC Radio 1 film critic and journalist Ali Plumb. Attendees met employers and industry professionals, took part in workshops and experienced Pinewood Studios’ world-leading filmmaking and post production facilities.

Corporate affairs director, Pinewood Group,

Andrew M Smith OBE DL, commented, “It has been wonderful to experience the buzzing atmosphere at the studios throughout our Futures Festival, and to welcome so many young people through the gates. It is so important to demonstrate the breadth of roles and careers within the film and TV industry and inspire the next generation of filmmakers.”

SHEPPERTON STUDIOS FUNDS NATIONAL FILM & TV SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS Shepperton Studios has announced a new scholarship fund at the National Film & Television School (NFTS). The scholarships are available for applicants who live within the Borough of Spelthorne, local to the studios, who have been accepted to study a diploma or masters course at

the NFTS. Courses eligible for applicants starting in January 2024 and September 2024 include diplomas in Production Management and Location Sound Recording, and masters in VFX, Directing Fiction and Production Design.

Andrew M Smith, corporate affairs director, Pinewood Group, said, “We are delighted to be launching this scholarship fund for those wishing to further their career in the UK film industry.

This opportunity for residents of the

borough of Spelthorne marks a key milestone in the expansion of Shepperton Studios as it coincides with the opening of the North West site. Once the site is fully opened Shepperton Studios will be the second biggest in the world.”

Photos by Tim Whitby.

PINEWOOD INSPIRES THE NEXT GENERATION OF FILMMAKERS Pinewood Studios’ Futures Festival 2023 welcomed over 4,000 young people to its Studios in Buckinghamshire. The annual festival is the largest, freeof-charge careers event for the film and TV industry, with the aim of inspiring and educating students about the many career opportunities across the industry.

More than 50 companies supported the event

3 MILLS STUDIOS OPENS NEW GIN STILL CREATIVE SPACE 3 Mills Studios has opened the doors to its newly-renovated on-site creative space, The Gin Still, which has been converted into three floors of modern open-plan office space to support the growing need for creative workspace by the film and television industry.

Designed with creative projects needs in mind, there is open, load-in access on the ground floor, as well as an internal passenger lift. The spaces have recently housed production teams for Amazon and ITV projects.

Work on The Gin Still was made possible through funding from the UK Government’s Getting Building Fund, via a grant allocated by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.

“London is a global hub for film and television and the restoration of these historic buildings not only offers much needed space for more industry production to take place in the capital, but also supports over a thousand jobs in the heart of east London,” said Mr Khan. “It will enable the studios to play a major role as the capital’s film and TV industries support our economy.”

CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 17

STUDIO ROUND-UP•HERTSMERE•BRISTOL’S OLD CITY HERTSMERE’S FILM & TV SECTOR ENJOYS SHADOW MINISTERIAL VISIT The Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport, Thangam Debbonaire, recently received a guided tour of Elstree Studios, which was followed-up by visits to Sky Studios Elstree and BBC Elstree.

During her visit, Ms Debbonaire was guided around the Strictly Come Dancing stage, received an exciting tour of Universal Pictures’ Wicked set at Sky Studios Elstree, and was treated to a visit to Eastenders’ Albert Square at BBC Elstree.

“These showcasing tours enable us to convey how we can be supported by government to deliver on our exciting plans for the future,” explained Cllr Jeremy Newmark, leader of Hertsmere Borough Council. “This includes the need for further investment from both the public and private sector to enable the industry to continue to flourish, and our wish to see more consistency from government on tax relief.

Rebecca Hawkes, acting head of Elstree Studios, added, “Ms. Debbonaire’s enthusiasm and passion for film and television was incredibly exciting. The visit provided an opportunity for us to discuss the crucial role that the creative industries play in shaping the economic and cultural landscape of the UK.

DOCTOR WHO, THE LAZARUS PROJECT & THE WINTER KING FILMED IN BRISTOL Bristol locations have taken centre stage in Doctor Who, The Lazarus Project and The Winter King. The highly-anticipated BBC Doctor Who: The Giggle episode was filmed in Bristol’s Old City last year with support from the city’s Film Office.

The second series of Sky Original sci-fi thriller The Lazarus Project utilised a host of Bristol locations for series one, with production company Urban Myth Films returning to film the eight-part second series.

dwellings constructed from wood, wattle and daub.

Producer Catrin Lewis Defis said, “We found all these wonderfully-beautiful locations that haven’t been touched because they’re quite remote, and I’m looking forward to people seeing the beauty of where we’ve been.”

Series two producer Benjamin Greenacre said, “Bristol always has incredible visual production value.

The Lazarus Project is primarily set in London, but Bristol has the scale and variation to be the most likely place to find suitable options.”

In addition, Arthurian legend The Winter King partfilmed at the Grade II-listed Blaise Castle Estate in Henbury, with support from Bristol Film Office, where a large section of parkland was transformed into the medieval village of Avalon, complete with a large central tower (Merlin’s Tower) and authentic period thatched

18 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD

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WHO, WHAT, WHEN & WHERE

EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY Our regular round up of who is shooting what and where Peter Field NZCS GBCT (represented by The Murtha Skouras Agency, LA) has been working on Amazon Studios’ Lord Of The Rings: Rings Of Power S2 as Eagle Unit DP, shooting at Bray Studios, Bovingdon Studios and a variety of UK locations.

Robert Shacklady finished 2023 by shooting a campaign for BMW’s Premier XM Series, and is now is busy with scripts and different projects for 2024.

SCREEN TALENT: Bart Sienkiewicz PSC recently shot a feature film teaser with producer Guy Allon.

MCKINNEY MACARTNEY MANAGEMENT: Ben Butler and Alessandra Scherillo have been shooting commercials. Sergio Delgado is shooting Surface S2 for Apple TV+. Gavin Finney BSC is filming the second series of Wolf Hall for BBC2, with Peter Kosminsky directing. Dale Elena McCready NZCS BSC is shooting Sky Studios’ Day Of The Jackal. Sam McCurdy BSC ASC is lensing Apple TV+’s Firebug. Richard Stoddard is lighting Buried for Amazon Prime.

INTRINSIC: In features, Bebe Dierken has graded Midas Man. In TV drama David Liddell continues lighting the Blue Unit on Band Of Spies in Hungary and Malta.

Gabi Norland has been operating on Insomnia.

Tom Hines is still shooting on Beyond Paradise.

Andrew Johnson was back at Casualty. James Mather ISC was in the Canaries shooting Stags.

Nic Lawson completed the grade on Vigil. Bebe Dierken continues in Germany shooting the Iraq

War drama The Second Attack.

John Hoare took on a bit of Hollyoaks. Simon Hawken FNF, Martin Roach, Lynda Hall and Leon Brehony have all been busy with commercials, trailers, idents and corporate films.

PRINCESTONE: Of the agency’s DPs… Thomas English has been shooting commercials, including Sky Sports Women’s Soccer League for director Nathan Tettey with Knucklehead, and Xbox Alpine with director Ben Newbury for Common People.

Of the agency’s camera/Steadicam operators…

Simon Baker Associate BSC ACO is shooting Polite Society, a feature with Claire Foy and Richard E. Grant, directed by Peter Glanz and Adriano Goldman ASC BSC as the DP. Cosmo Campbell ACO was A-camera/Steadicam operator on the Amazon pilot of Charlie Bone, directed by Toby Macdonald and with David Pimm the DP. Michael Carstensen ACO is shooting on Gangs Of London S3 for DP Callun Green ACS NZCS and director Hong Sun Kim. Matt Fisher ACO was in Italy shooting Lucca Mortis for legendary director Peter Greenaway, with Ruzbeh Babol the DP. Rob Hart ACO shot on The Jetty, a thriller with Jenna Coleman, directed by Marialy Rivas and with Ben Wheeler BSC the DP. Tony Kay ACO has been prepping for the new series of Strike with DP Pedro Cardillo ABC and director Sue Tully. James Layton Associate BSC ACO shot on Black Doves, a Sister Pictures/ Netflix contemporary drama starring Keira Knightly, with DP Mark Patten BSC and director Alex Gabassi. Dan Nightingale ACO shot dailies on The Red King, the comedy Peacock and Brassic S6, along with the new incarnation of Doctor Who, and is now on the live action feature of How To Train Your Dragon with DP Bill Pope ASC and director Dean DeBlois, shooting in Belfast. Joe Russell ACO is shooting on Silo S2, starring Rebecca Ferguson, with DPs Baz Irwin BSC, Kate Reid BSC and Ollie Downie BSC. Fabrizio Sciarra SOC Associate BSC GBCT ACO shot on on Interview With A Vampire S2 in Prague for DP David Tattersall BSC. VISION ARTISTS: Two shorts shot by Anna MacDonald were

20 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD

Photos: (from top to bottom) Dave Miller; Peter Field GBCT; DP Robert Shacklady, photo by Sean Beasley; and (l-r) chief lighting technicain Cullum Ross ICLS, DP Bart Sienkiewicz PSC and 1st AC Matt Choules GBCT

nominated for the short film BIFA Award. The Talent, starring Emma D’Arcy and directed by Thomas May Baile, was also short-listed for the Iris Prize.

Festival Of Slaps, directed by Abdou Cisse, took home the BIFA prize. James Blann has wrapped the new BBC comedy series Peacock, directed

by Joe Roberts through Big Talk. Luciana Riso has wrapped on Adeyemi Michael’s documentary feature Hidden Heroes, which focusses on the black soldiers who fought in WWII, produced by October Films. Nick Morris has completed on See-Saw Films’ series Sweetpea, directed by Ella Jones,

based on the ‘serial killer with a twist’ book from C.J. Kuse. Benedict Spence has graded the Netflix series Eric, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, produced

by Sister Pictures and directed by Ben’s long term collaborator Lucy Forbes. Jack Wilkinson shot the new series of The Responder, starring Martin Freeman, directed by Charlotte Regan. Jonas Mortensen recently wrapped Chris O’Dowd’s new TV Series Small Town Big Story, an Irish-set comedy drama written by O’Dowd, with episodes directed

by Catherine Morshead. Jonas has started shooting the new Fudge Park series Daddy Issues, starring Aimee Lou Wood, directed by Damon Beesley. Kia Fern Little continues shooting the Apple TV documentary of a high-profile music star, directed

by Luke Monaghan. Kia’s work can been see in new BBC series Such Brave Girls, distributed by A24. Will Hanke shot on Roughcut’s new TV comedy, We Might Regret This, directed by Nick Collett. Ans is now working on a feature written by Colin Trevorrow and starring Orlando Bloom. Courtney Bennett shot development reels for a new feature-length music doc for director Matt Kay. Two For The Road, the

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Photos: (from top down) Matt Wicks on Vigil S2, with Robbie Cairns 1st AC, Valentin Le Glaunec 2nd AC and grip Jon McCormick; Pete Rowe with Diane Morgan on Mandy; Tom Pridham on The Castaways; and Pete Rowe again!

short shot by Eoin McLoughlin for director Locky McKenna, produced by Screen Ireland, won best short and best cinematography at Galway Film Festival. Rhys Warren has been part of a longform documentary for Britpop band Blur, directed by Simon Lane. In commercials, Arthur Loveday has shot content for Alexander McQueen. Ian Murray lit promos for the NSPCC. James Watson has been working with regular collaborator Ben Tonge at Prodigious, and Jim Jolliffe has lensing with David Edwards at MythSmyth. Moritz Moessinger filmed gin commercials for Mert Alas with January Productions. Luke Scott reteamed with advertising partners Hogarth to shoot content for Soap and Glory. Martin Hill continues shooting with Simon Ratigan at Rogue. Tim Fok has been lensing home brand commercials with Simon Willows. Stephen Dunn lit Samsung content with Family Creative. Tim Green shot tech and food with photographer Dan Tobin Smith. Spike Morris has been shooting commercials for Racket Studios via Agile.

He recently wrapped as the B-camera/Steadicam operator on Mr. Big Stuff. James Anderson ACO was A-camera/Steadicam on Sweetpea.

Jack Smith and Alice Sephton have been operating on shortform projects. Sebastien Joly ACO, Grant Sandy-Phillips, Laura Seears, Michael Vega and Gary Kent have been operating Steadicam on commercial projects.

Huge congratulations to Michael EshunMensah ACO, who has been accepted as a full member of the ACO.

BERLIN ASSOCIATES: Edward Ames shot the fifth block of Waterloo Road S12 for Wall to Wall/ Warner Brothers TV/BBC. Will Baldy lit Warner Bros./Netflix’s The Sandman S2, produced by Samson Mucke. Sarah Bartles Smith recently shoot Mr Bigstuff for Water & Power Productions and Sky Comedy, directed by Matt Lipsey. Claudio

three-part comedy series directed by Simon Hynd for BBC. James Swift shot the second block of new TV series Protection for New Pictures/ITV, directed

by Sasha Ransome. Alistair Upcraft prepped and is shooting Whitstable Pearl for Buccaneer S3.

Matt Wicks lit on Avoidance S2 for Ranga Bee Productions, produced by Andrew Harvey. Phil Wood worked on The Bay S5 for Tall Story Pictures/ TV. Tom Pridham shot Jesus Crown Of Thorns in Morocco for Nutopia. Pete Rowe recently shot Mandy S3 for BBC. Annemarie Lean-Vercoe covered the last couple of shoot weeks on Suspect for ITV Studios. Frank Madone lensed Buffalo Pictures’ pilot for C4, called Night Out, for a series titled Peaked with director John Addis, and shot the short film Scenes From My Childhood with director Raffi Chipperfield.

Cadman is shooting Phoenix Rise for BBC. Andy Clark did reshoots on The Love Rat, for Clapperboard and director Katherine Churcher. Nick Cox shot on blocks four and six of Waterloo Road S12 with director Angela Griffin. Len Gowing has finished on Granite Harbour for LA Production/BBC Scotland. Nick Martin recently wrapped on Hartswood Films/ ITV’s Douglas Is Cancelled, directed by Ben Palmer. Trevelyan Oliver filmed Mammoth, a

LOOP TALENT: Dave Miller recently wrapped a film with Stigma Films. Iikka Salminen’s film Sebastian is heading to Sundance. Matt North has been shooting a BBC series. Ali Asad recently wrapped a feature in Wales.

Lorenzo Levrini is prepping a feature shooting soon. Denson Baker ACS NZCS is shot a virtual production. Martyna Knitter is shooting a feature.

Chris Fergusson is in post on a BBC series. Natalja Safronova is in prep for a documentary.

Tom Watts is shooting a documentary for Netflix. Jerry Amadi-Pradon recently shot a commercial with director Olivia Rose. Olly Wiggins, Paul Mackay, Emma Dalesman, Tom Turley, Chris O’Driscoll, Jon Muschamp, Aman Sahota, Nick Bennett are working in commercials. Bertrand Roucourt has been working in commercials across Europe.

Kyle Macfadzean is shooting short form in The Middle East. Matt Gillan has been shooting music promos. Camera/Steadicam operator Ben Eeley ACO has joined the Loop Talent Crew Diary Service.

22 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD

INDEPENDENT TALENT GROUP: Eben Bolter BSC has finished shooting The Life Of Chuck, a feature directed by Mike Lanagan starring Tom Hiddleston and Mark Hamill. Jordan Buck has been shooting with directors David Mellor, Felix and Tim Brown, for projects including Google and Lego. Miguel Carmenes has been shooting with directors Lu Xiao Wei, Talya Galasko, Simran Lotay, Troy Roscoe and Guy Paterson. Chris Clarke reunited with director Adam Wells on a Virtual/LED shoot, and shot for Ben Mallaby, with photographer Jason Schmidt(top) for XXXXX, Chanel,(below) and Opposite: Rosie Gaunt Mathieson. Oliver Curtis BSC is XXXXX/XXXX. This page: photography by shooting The Road Trip with ChinaallMoo Young. Ben XXXXX. Davis BSC had completed on Ilya Nailshuller’s Images courtesy/copyright of XXXXXXXX. Heads Of State. Michael Filocamo is prepping on Tom Vaughan’s I, Jack White, shooting soon.

Kit Fraser is reunited with Craig Roberts for The Scurry. Sam Goldie has graded The Gathering for World Productions/C4 with director Amanda Blue.

Catherine Goldschmidt BSC was in Vancouver to shoot The Last Of Us S2. Suzie Lavelle ISC BSC been shooting commercials with Mollie Burdett at Spindle Films. Seamus McGarvey BSC ASC has reunited with Gavin O’Connor for the sequel to The Accountant. Bani Mendy has graded Death In Paradise S13, directed by Steve Brett.

Andreas Neo has been shooting commercials with Final Pixel and Banquet Films. Mark Patten BSC shot the lead block of Black Doves with Alex Gabassi. James Rhodes filmed live sessions with Raye, and went to Italy where shoot for Unicredit with Billy Boyd Cape. George Richmond BSC has wrapped on Deadpool 3. Chris Ross BSC is on The Fisherwoman. Ashley Rowe BSC lit Flight 103 with Otto Bathurst. Martin Ruhe ASC has completed his work on The Amateur. David Ungaro AFC has been working with regular collaborator Scott Frank on Department Q. Tom Wade is a new client, and has been shooting on location across the UK with regular director Ben Stevenson. Mark Waters has finished shooting block 2 and 3 of Grantchester S9, directed by Katherine Churcher. Erik Wilson lit for Lindt in Uruguay with director Michael Gracey, shot and in South Africa for Jakafi, and for Lucy Forbes in London on Starling Bank. Mark Wolf was in Cornwall on Playing Nice, directed by Kate Hewitt. Maja Zamojda BSC shot on Bad Sisters S2.

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WHO, WHAT, WHEN & WHERE

This page: (from top down) DP Milos Moore (r) on A Thousand Blows with gaffer Michael McDermott (l), photo by Robert Viglasky; Aga Szeliga ACO on Ferrari; and David Procter in Lisbon on a shoot with with Man vs Machine.

Opposite: shots from Robert Shacklady’s work on a recent BMW ad.

SARA PUTT ASSOCIATES: Giulio Biccari lit block 2 of Black Doves for Sister Pictures/Netflix. Aga Szeliga ACO worked on Venom 3, and she spent time in Italy working on the Ferrari movie. Al Rae ACO worked on HBO series The Regime (AKA The Palace) staring Kate Winslet, and directed by Stephen Frears. Andrei Austin ACO worked on Joan for Snowed In, amnd has prepped for Lena Dunham’s Too Much.

Andrew Bainbridge ACO shot on S2 of Sherwood, worked with DP Vanessa Whyte on a Noel Fielding comedy series coming soon to Apple TV+, and filmed on the Netflix series One Day which will air soon. Chris Maxwell Assoc ACO worked with Mick Coulter BSC on the feature film A Scottish Love Scheme. Prior to that he operated B-camera on Nightsleeper for Euston Films/ BBC, and was A-camera on STVs Screw and Buccaneers Crime with DP David Liddell. Dan Evans ACO was in Cornwall and Bristol on the hit children’s show Malory Towers, and also worked on Bad Wolf series The Winter King, which released on ITVx around Christmas time.

Danny Bishop ACO spent

much of 2023 working on The Acolyte for Lucasfilm/ Disney+, and is currently shooting on Above The Below starring Idris Elba. Ed Clark ACO shot on a new Black Mirror episode, worked with DP Nanu Segal BSC on Scoop, and operated A-camera/ Steadicam on the feature Your Christmas Or Mine 2.

George Amos has been working on the Untitled Guy Ritchie project in the Canaries, and shot on Masters Of The Air for Apple TV+. Ilana Garrard ACO spent a few months last year working in Croatia on O’Dessa with Rina Yang, and worked on Netflix’s The Decameron, releasing soon. James Frater ACO worked on Apple TV+’s The Gorge. James Leigh ACO worked on Road Trip for Paramount+, Sky One’s The Lazarus Project S2, and on Michael Sheen’s directorial debut on The Way which

24 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD

will air on BBC One. Julian Morson ACO is shooting on a Marv Film. Last year, he worked on Wicked Little Letters and Heads Of State.

Rick Woollard ACO did Steadicam dailies on Riz Ahmed’s Hamlet and recently shot Bose job, featuring Little Simz and The Chemical Brothers, as well as fashion houses such as Burberry, Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Louis Vuitton. Tanya Marar ACO worked on The Decameron last year. Tom Walden ACO shot on The Ballad Of Renegade Nell to be released on Disney+, and last year worked on The Tattooist Of Auschwitz for Sky. He is now prepping on The Gold S2. Vince McGahon ACO operated A-camera/Steadicam on all episodes of Apple TV+’s Slow Horses, and was awarded the TV Drama Best Operator Award last year for his work on Bad Tradecraft. Will Lyte ACO worked on four episodes of Mary And George starring Julianne Moore, and shot on Paris Has Fallen for Urban Myth Films. Prior to this he operated on Two Brothers’ Boat Story for BBC One. Zoe Goodwin-Stuart ACO worked on Wonka and Paramount+’s The Burning Girls, and is currently doing dailies on Above The Below and Black Mirror.

WHO, WHAT, WHEN & WHERE Hausswolff DFF and Felix Wiedemann BSC have all been shooting commercials.

ECHO ARTISTS: Stuart Bentley BSC has graded the feature We Live In Time with director and regular collaborator John Crowley. Carlos Catalan is shooting upcoming Bad Wolf series Dope Girls with director Miranda Bowen. Nick Cooke has doe the DI on Sherwood S2 with director Tom George for House Productions/BBC1. Edgar Dubrovskiy was in post-production for and exciting upcoming documentary he shot and co-directed – details to be announced soon. Will Pugh lensed the

documentary Rising Phoenix: A New Revolution with director Sheridan O’Donnell for Harder Than You Think Productions and P&G Studios.

Bartosz Swinarski lit the feature Things That You Kill, directed by Alireza Khatami for Lava Films.

Nicolas Canniccioni, Nadim Carlsen DFF, Federico Cesca, Rachel Clark, Andrew Commis ACS, Ruben Woodin Dechamps, Bonnie Elliott ACS, Jo Jo Lam, MacGregor, Patrick Meller, Sean Price Williams, Korsshan Schlauer, Noël Schoolderman, Chloë Thomson BSC, Maria von

WIZZO & CO: Christophe Nuyens SBC has wrapped on Andor S2 for Disney+. Oli Russell shot on The Gold S2, alongside director Patrick Harkins.

Simon Stolland shot the feature Marching Powder, directed by Nick Love.

Nick Dance BSC lit Dr Who with director Amanda Brotchie. Congratulations to Antonio Paladino who was nominated in the Debut Cinematographer’s category for his work on feature Dance First directed

by James Marsh. Gary Shaw is shooting Cuban Coolie in the Dominican Republic. Nicola Daley ACS lensed on Gangs Of London S3 alongside director Tessa Hoffe, and won gold at the ACS awards for her work on The Handmaid’s Tale.

Ashley Barron ACS also won at the ACS awards, picking-up silver for her work on Dangerous Liaisons. Chas Appeti has graded the feature Heavyweight, directed by Christopher Anthony, and was also nominated at the RTS Craft Awards for his work on Jungle, for which he won a BAFTA. Susanne Salavati has completed the grade on True Love for Clerkenwell Films and director Carl Tibbetts. Ryan Kernaghan ISC’s latest feature, Kneecap, directed by Rich Peppiat, will receive its World Premiere at Sundance 2024. Aaron Reid has graded Netflix’s Supacell, and is prepping an embargoed drama for Paramount+. Karl Oskarsson IKS is prepping Cheaters S2 directed

by Elliot Hegarty. Jan Richter-Friis DFF has wrapped on La Palma, directed by Kaspar Barfoed.

Steven Ferguson has completed the grade on Dinosaur, directed

by Niamh McKeown.

Tim Sidell BSC has completed on Apple’s Surface S2, alongside director Jon East. Adam Gillham lensed on A Gentleman In Moscow alongside director Sam Miller. Molly Manning Walker continues on the festival circuit. Charlie Goodger is prepping an embargoed feature.

Franklin Dow shot two

documentary projects with Orlando von Einsidel.

Fede Alfonzo has graded the feature Near Miss, directed by Jamie Rafn. Sverre Sordal FNF has completed the grade on the short, For Fox Sake, directed by Minha Kim. Matthias Pilz is shooting an embargoed documentary directed by Bruce Goodison. Scott Coulter has done the DI grade on Things You Should Have Done for Rough Cut and director Jack Clough. Luke Bryant has graded on Extraordinary S2. Darius Shu is prepping an embargoed project and Carmen Pellon Brussosa is grading two short films. Murren Tullett shot with Louis Bhose, David Procter BSC with Joe Connor, and Ben Magahy Zac Ella. Joe Douglas shot with Grandmas, Will Bex with Chris Balmond, and Hamish Anderson with Daniel Audritt. Dmytro Nedria shot with Jonathan Vardi. Henry Gill shot with director Chris Fowles, Theo Garland with Floris Kinma and Arran Green with Troy Roscoe.

UNITED AGENTS: Remi Adefarasin OBE BSC is shooting Mr. Loverman for BBC Studios/Fable Pictures directed by Hong Khaou. Søren Bay DFF recently wrapped on The Rig S2 for Wild Mercury Productions/Amazon Prime. Mark Nutkins has graded Rivals with Happy Prince for Disney.

Danny Cohen BSC is shooting series four of Slow Horses. Damian Paul Daniel is filming various documentaries with documentary Fearless currently doing the rounds on the festival circuit. Martin Fuhrer BSC is meeting for various projects. David Higgs BSC has concluded on Five First Dates and is now shooting on Department Q. Matt Lewis has graded Steve Knight’s A Thousand Blows for Disney Plus. Kieran McGuigan BSC’s work on Lot No. 249 aired on BBC Two on Christmas Eve. Laurie Rose BSC is on Day Of The Jackal. Bet Rourich AEC was recently nominated for a Spanish Goya Award for her work on Un Amor. John Sorapure has wrapped on the third instalment

THE MOST COMPLETE SYSTEM

Flag system eliminates parasitic light and bridges HARD-/ SOFTLIGHT

UK and Ireland Rental and Sales Distribution: www.cirrolite.com

Visit the dedolight website: www.dedolight.de

CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 25

WHO, WHAT, WHEN & WHERE of the Paddington franchise. Simon Tindall is grading the opening block of the second series of Sherwood. Ollie Downey BSC shot two episodes of Wool for Apple TV+/AMC. Laurens De Geyter SBC is shooting the Flemish fiction series, Dead End, directed by Jakob Verbruggen and Maarten Moerkerke. David Rom graded the opening block of Amazon’s The Devil’s Hour S2 and is now shooting on The Devil’s Hour S3. Álvaro Gutiérrez AEC is reading scripts. Sam Heasman is in prep for Lazarus with director Nicole Volavka. Si Bell BSC lit the series Miss Austen with director Aisling Walsh for Bonnie Productions/BBC

Studios. Sam Chiplin is shooting Justin Kurzel’s next series The Narrow Road To The Deep North in Australia. Charlotte Bruus Christensen ASC is shooting commercials whilst reading and meeting. James Friend BSC ASC lit Above The Below, a feature produced by Future Artists Entertainment with directors Idris Elba and Martin Owen. Anton Mertens SBC is lensing the series Bookish, written by and starring Mark Gatiss.

Milos Moore lit multiple blocks of A Thousand Blows S1 and S2 for Disney+ with directors Ashley Walters and Dionne Edwards. Neus Ollé AEC BSC is reading and meeting. David Raedeker BSC is prepping Butterfly, a feature produced by Quiddity Films with director Itonje Guttormsen.

Kate Reid BSC on Silo S2. Ed Rutherford is shooting Mandrake with director Lewis Arnold for ITV. Juan Sarmiento G. is lighting miniseries Helicopter Heist, for B-Reel Films/Netflix, with director Daniel Espinosa. Anna Valdez Hanks is prepping on the first block of Missing You with director Sean Spencer for Quay Street Productions. Ben Wheeler BSC is getting ready with director Jeremy Lovering to shoot The Undertow, a series by Complete Fiction for Netflix, having recently finished lighting The Jetty, with director Marialy Rivas, a series by Firebird Pictures for BBC One. Barry Ackroyd BSC has been busy with commercials, including a spot with Tom Hooper via Smuggler. Magni Ágústsson recently shot the feature film One For The Money for director James Griffiths. Alex Barber lit a Philadelphia ad with directors Humans at Riff Raff.

Philipp Blaubach is currently shooting The Diplomats for Netflix. Daniel Bronks recently shot a Disco spot for director Clay Weiner at Biscuit, and a Heineken TVC for Karien Cherry via Outsider. Simon Chaudoir lensed a Helena Rubinstein ad for Justin Ridler via Birth, and a Mercedes V-Class commercial with directors Zhang & Knight through Akkurat. Sara Deane shot the TV series The Wives in Malta. Lasse Frank has wrapped on a Hennessey ad for director Andreas Nilsson via Biscuit in Georgia.

Nick Gillespie recently wrapped on Ben Wheatley’s latest feature Generation Z. Steven Keith Roach lit an Amazon spot with Dom &

Nic at Outsider, and collaborated with Danny Kleinman on a Direct Line spot through Rattling Stick. Tim Maurice Jones recently wrapped on the upcoming feature Speak No Evil for director James Watkins. Erik Messerschmidt ASC recently shot in Tokyo with director Ian Pons Jewel for a new Amazon spot. Diana Olifirova worked on We Are Lady Parts S2 for Working Title. Tristan Oliver BSC lit a Just Eat spot for The Bobbsey Twins via Arts & Sciences in London.

James Oldham recently shot a new film with collaborator Paul Holbrook in Manchester.

Simon Richards lensed a Santander ad for director Guy Manwaring through Merman.

Chris Sabogal framed a Quickbooks spot for director Tiny Bullet vua Flipt. Simona Susnea has wrapped on Heartstopper S3 for director Andy Newbery. Laust Trier Mork has wrapped on The Responder S2 for BBC. Haris Zambarloukos BSC has concluded on Beetlejuice 2 with director Tim Burton.

WORLDWIDE PRODUCTION AGENCY: Ed Moore BSC has been prepping on the upcoming feature, My Fault, with director duo Similar But Different for 42. Pedro Cardillo ABC is filming C.B Strike: The Ink Black Heart with director Sue Tully for BBC. Baz Irvine ISC BSC continues principal photography on Silo S2 with director Michael Dinner for Apple TV+. Lorenzo Senatore ASC was on second unit on Venom 3 with director Kelly Marcel for Marvel Entertainment. Catherine Derry continues principal photography on the new series The Road Trip with director Stella Corradi for Paramount+. Nathalie Pitters is shooting on Sky’s Funny Woman S2 with director Oliver Parker. Joel Devlin BSC continues on Showtrial S2 with director Julia Ford for ITV. Callan Green ACS NZCS is lensing on Gangs Of London S3 with director Kim Hong Sun. Stephen Murphy ISC BSC has wrapped principal photography on the final episodes of Say Nothing with director Micheal Lennox for FX. Ruairí O’Brien ISC BSC shot on Playground Entertainment/Sky’s new series, Small Town, Big Story, with writer/

26 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD

director Chris O’Dowd. Tony Slater Ling BSC lit on Apple TV+’s Bad Sisters S2 with director Dearbhla Walsh. Richard Donnelly ISC shot on the new HBO Max series Dune: The Sisterhood with director Richard J. Lewis. Anna Patarakina FSF lit on Left Bank Pictures/ Paramount+’s six-part series Insomnia with director Börkur Sigthorsson. Bryan Gavigan has wrapped principal photography on the series Ruth with director Lee Haven Jones for ITVx. Robert Binnall worked on the upcoming feature,The Morrigan, with director Colum Eastwood and Cowboy Cosmonaut Films. Jake Gabbay shot in Belgrade with directors Furmaan & Vass and OB42 for the latest Thorpe Park ad, and lit a Marshall campaign with Dog Eat Dog and director Kevin Castanheira. Pieter Snyman shot for Samsung with Radical Media director Josh Cohen in Barcelona, and lit a Wrigley’s Extra spot for director duo Stefano & Alendara through Irresistible Studios. Tony C. Miller lot for Palette, with director Ace Norton in Barcelona, via Papaya Films. Nikita Kuzmenko shot the latest spot for Cash App with Builders Club and Jonas Hegi. Thomas Tyson-Hole is continuing to shoot across multiple countries with director Chris Ranson and Subliminal Production for an untitled campaign. Joel Honeywell wrapped on a Battersea Dogs Home spot with Magna Studios and director Hector Dockrill. Stefan Yap framed a collaborative spot between Manchester United and Estée Lauder with Chris Ranson and Meldrum Dent. Matthew Fox wrapped with Sweetshop and Souffle Studio for Tesco, before shooting with Red Studio and Helen Downing for Sheba.

Amelia Hazlerigg shot for Dove with Believe Media and Sammy Rawal, and lit a spot for shoot Crocs with Spoon Studios, directed by Fa Watkins.

Matthew Emvin Taylor shot with Rogue director Bethan Seller for Scholl, and lit a Flora ad with Pablito and Craig Ainslie. Carl Burke recently travelled to Cape Town with Partizan and Jonas for an Amex campaign.

Photos: Si Bell BSC on the set of Miss Austen; and Tim Palmer BSC on the dolly shooting Geek Girl.

SMOOTH OPERATOR•OSSIE MCLEAN ACO SOC

EYE FOR A SHOT

By Natasha Block Hicks

Images: BTS photos from Saltburn by Chiabella James.

Operating is so much more than just pointing the camera and keeping people in frame

O

ssie McLean ACO SOC has risen to recognition as a top shooter, not just in movies like No Time To Die (2021) and Saltburn (2023)… but also in sport.

The steady hand, sense-of-timing and ability to keep cool under pressure that the camera operator once engaged upon the call of “pull!”, as a clay target champion, he now reserves solely for the call of “action!”.

“If I’ve got a difficult shot, I apply what I use in shooting,” he told the Scottish Herald in 2005, a statement which could go both ways.

McLean was born in the village of Torphichen, West Lothian. Schooled in Edinburgh, his art teacher introduced him to shooting and developing film thanks to a makeshift darkroom set-up in the classroom.

McLean followed this interest to Stevenson College to study photography, but soon became disenchanted by the loneliness of long hours spent hunched over developing tanks and so switched to a filmmaking course at Bournemouth Film School.

“That was a fun place to be,” recalls McLean fondly, “although after the course ended, I decided I should still

start as a camera trainee.”

Opportunity knocked when a Dutch documentary production company contacted Bournemouth Film School looking for a graduate. McLean found himself travelling intercontinentally as a camera assistant on Great Castles Of Europe (1993-1994), which led to a second contract on Great Palaces Of The World (1995) and then Treasures Of The Earth (1996).

“For three years, I spent chunks of each year abroad,” McLean recalls, “it was amazing.”

McLean quickly rose to 1st AC on projects shooting back home in Scotland. DP Alasdair Walker – who he met whilst assisting on commercials – became a regular collaborator and mentor, and when Walker shifted tack towards TV dramas, such as Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years (2001) and Fat Friends (20002002) he took McLean with him. It was on the second series of Fat Friends that Walker gave McLean his first taste of operating.

“I didn’t feel overly-daunted,” recalls McLean, “but compared to now, I barely knew what I was doing; operating is so much more than just pointing the camera and keeping people in the frame. It was a great experience though.”

When McLean met James Aspinall BSC on The 39 Steps (2008, dir. James Hawes), he made another important connection of his early career. He would go on to operate for Aspinall on multiple, German TV-commissioned, Rosamund Pilcher dramas directed by Giles Foster, including Shades Of Love (2014) starring Charles Dance.

“They weren’t quite to my taste,” McLean laughs, “but we had such a good time because of the people involved. It was an excellent way to learn the craft.”

Although McLean usually made first contact with potential DP-collaborators like Walker and Aspinall on location in Scotland,

28 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD

it was clear to him that, to succeed, he would have to take on productions further afield.

“Jobs in Scotland were few and far between,” he laments, “so, I kept up with my contacts in London.”

McLean deduced that adding Steadicam to his toolkit would make him more marketable to producers nationwide. He rented a rig and used low/no-budget shorts, commercials and TV idents as his practise ground. He also invested in an ARRI geared-head and taught himself the wheels.

“I would not like to watch that work back now,” McLean reflects, “but I knew if I wanted to work on bigger films, I had to find a way to learn those skills.

I eventually accepted I couldn’t do Steadicam on an occasional basis and expect to get the practice needed, so I bit the bullet and bought my own rig.”

Thus furnished, McLean was in a good position when season one of Outlander (2014-2015, DPs David Higgs BSC, Denis Crossan BSC, Martin Führer BSC) landed on his doorstep. It was the biggest industry investment into Scotland at the time and McLean joined the team as a camera and Steadicam operator. He would return to take A camera/ Steadicam on season two.

“Getting a job on Outlander was a big step-up,” McLean relates, “I had never experienced such a long and intensive run of work.”

All this time McLean was leading a double existence. Whilst busy developing his operating career, he was also training in the GB shotgun team, and travelling internationally to the European Championships, World Championships and both the 18th and 19th Commonwealth Games. He was due to compete again at the 20th Commonwealth Games hosted by Glasgow in 2014, but filming work was picking-up and he rapidly reached a crunch point.

“I couldn’t compete at that level with the shotgun and also work as an operator in the film industry,” he

OSSIE MCLEAN ACO SOC•SMOOTH OPERATOR

On every movie you get to do enjoyable, challenging and exciting things

admits, “so I just stopped dead.”

Fortunately, the satisfaction that McLean gleaned from shooting with cameras was ample compensation for hanging up his gun.

“I really enjoy the hands-on role of an operator,” he says. ‘You’re right in the middle of everything, executing the shots you’ve discussed with the DP and director and helping them achieve their vision. The days pass quickly because you’re non-stop.”

The new contacts McLean made around this time were to point his career firmly in an upwards trajectory. He operated C-camera for Andrew Dunn BSC on Emma Thompson period piece Effie Gray (2014, dir. Richard Laxton), shooting in Scotland, which led to Dunn offering him B-camera/ Steadicam on the emotional court drama The Children Act (2017, dir. Richard Eyre), which McLean declares was “very enjoyable”.

George Richmond BSC also visited Scotland to shoot Sunshine On Leith (2013, dir. Dexter Fletcher) and took McLean on as B-camera operator.

“That was a great opportunity,” notes McLean, “after we wrapped George said, ‘I’d like to work with you again, but you’re not ready for these bigger films yet’.”

Outlander arrived at exactly the right moment to give McLean’s operating hours the requisite boost.

True to his word, when Richmond was contracted onto Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017, dir. Matthew Vaughn) he called-up McLean and offered him B-camera/Steadicam alongside Mitch Dubin SOC’s A-camera.

“That blew my mind,” marvels McLean, “it was so surreal.”

Florian Hoffmeister BSC then sought out McLean’s skills on B-camera/Steadicam for the secret service parody, Johnny English Strikes Again (2018, dir. David Kerr), which led to the German DP offering him the A-camera/Steadicam position on true life spy thriller

Official Secrets (2019, dir. Gavin Hood) and then demonic horror Antlers (2021, dir Scott Cooper).

“Going out to Vancouver to shoot was exciting,” says McLean of Antlers, “Florian is an admirable and talented man and Scott was such an inclusive director.”

Interestingly, one of McLean’s most important collaborations of his recent career came about partly by happenstance. He was on the splinter unit of The Nutcracker And The Four Realms (2018, dirs.

Lasse Hallström, Joe Johnston) when Jason Ewart ACO had to leave the main unit with a week to go. McLean was brought over and found himself operating for the movie’s DP Linus Sandgren FSF ASC. Then, on Sandgren’s next picture, No Time To Die, the B-camera operator left just as shooting started, and McLean was invited to join the production alongside Ewart on A-camera/Steadicam.

“Operating on a Bond movie was definitely a career highlight,” states McLean enthusiastically, “I covered a lot of the handheld sequences facing Daniel Craig as Jason was too tall, especially with an IMAX on his shoulder. Our different height combinations as operators worked particularly well. It was hard at times physically and mentally, but the images are, of course, amazing.”

Sandgren recently invited McLean to take A-camera/Steadicam on Emerald Fennell’s latest writer/director picture, the twisty, black-humoured thriller Saltburn (2023).

“We knew at the time it was going to be a film people would talk about,” recounts McLean, “it’s so different compared to many contemporary movies,

shot in 1:33:1 ratio on Kodak film.

“I don’t know how I got to be so lucky,” he continues brightly, “I’m still waiting for someone to tap me on the shoulder and say, “Is your name McLean? Okay, it’s time to leave’. On my last job, they had me a hundred feet up in the air on a zip line, chasing a stuntman in a parachute! On every movie, you get to do enjoyable, challenging and exciting things.

“I also enjoy helping others feel appreciated in their work: it’s a nice feeling,” he contemplates.

“There’s a lot of pressure involved, but it’s just as easy to be pleasant and encouraging as it is to be anything else.”

Between shoots, McLean honours a pact he made with his wife: to always return home when the opportunity arises. On the rare occasion that time allows, he has found a new passion: racing cars.

“When I have the chance, I head to the track,” he says enthusiastically, before admitting, “last year I only managed it twice. Maybe I should take up something normal, like swimming.”

CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 29

GREAT GEAR GUIDE•BSC EXPO 2024 PREVIEW

SHOWTIME

The BSC Expo 2024, taking place at Battersea Evolution on 16th and 17th February, is just the ticket to join with friends and colleagues once more. Here are some of the highlights on the showfloor...

Reporting by Kirsty Hazlewood and Ron Prince APUTURE 117 Aputure’s is inviting visitors to “step into the future of lighting”, with an exclusive glimpse into its latest LED innovations. Experience first-hand the revolutionary Electro Storm Series, featuring the all-new XT26 and CS15 models, get hands-on with Aputure’s Spotlight Max, and see the full potential of the company’s new projection technology.

Additionally, don’t miss the chance to visit the Aputure Infinibar. It’s more than just a stop for refreshments – it’s a showcase of the Infinibar series, where you can witness their full potential alongside Sidus Link, whilst enjoying a drink.

www.aputure.com

ARRI 323 ARRI is showcasing its latest camera and lighting products. Taking centre stage is the new SkyPanel X LED system. An all-weather, modular system that is configurable into different sizes, SkyPanel X offers native soft/hard light technology, while setting a new bar in dimming, colour science, light output and beam quality.

Experience ARRI’s Alexa 35 too, a topnotch digital camera that delivers 2.5 stops more dynamic range, better low-light performance and richer colours. The stand will also feature ARRI Signature Prime and Zoom lenses, plus the Impression V filters that provide a vintage feel and more creative freedom.

Presented for the first time will be Trinity Live and

360 Evo – ARRI’s brand-new camera stabiliser system tools. Trinity Live is an upgrade option for Trinity Gen.1, whilst 360 Evo builds on the success of the stabilised remote head SRH-360, featuring 360-degree rotation on the roll axis.

ARRI RENTAL 323 Sharing a stand with ARRI, ARRI Rental will showcase some of its product offerings available for hire, including Look lenses with a detuning dial and T.ONE lenses with a full-quality T1.0 stop, both from the eclectic Heroes

Dragon S2; The Acolyte; Venom 3) and DNA optics (The Marvels; The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power S2; Hijack).

ARRI Rental’s fleet of Alexa Monochrome cameras will also be represented. The Alexa 65 Monochrome, Mini LF Monochrome and XT Monochrome cover 65mm, full frame and S35 formats. These exclusive cameras record B&W ARRIRAW with increased resolution, crisper blacks and higher native ASA

than regular Alexas, and enable infrared cinematography. DP Ed Lachman ASC used the system to great effect on Netflix’s El Conde, for which the Mini LF Monochrome was specially-created.

collection, as well as Alfa Anamorphics (The Boys In The Boat; House Of The

ASTERA 158 Astera will demonstrate the latest additions to its full lighting ecosystem: the LeoFresnel and PlutoFresnel.

Both lights maintain a beam angle between 15° and 60°. The PlutoFresnel achieves the equivalent of a 300W Tungsten Fresnel, but with an 80W draw, whilst the LeoFresnel achieves an equivalent output of 1000W, using only 250W. Both lights can be used to achieve the specific creative effects associated with Fresnels – particularly for documentary work – whilst avoiding the weight, heat and energy-draw

BLACKMAGIC 352 Blackmagic Design is showing the latest updates to its family of digital film cameras, including the Ursa Mini Pro 12K, with its support for 4K, 8K and 12K production, and the company’s first full-frame camera.

The Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K incorporates a full-frame 6K sensor that supports a range of aspect ratios, including 3:2 open gate. The large sensor allows users to work in true 6:5 Anamorphic without cropping, features an optical low pass filter and a flexible L-mount for lenses. It also integrates

www.arri.com

www.arrirental.com

associated with conventional lights.

By providing LED versions of the key traditional lighting types used most frequently by gaffers, and by integrating built-in batteries, Astera fixtures leverage all of the advantages of LED technology – including lower power draw, higher output strength, precise colour control, lightweight profile, wireless installation and creative flexibility.

www.astera-led.com

Blackmagic RAW recording and the creation of H.264 proxies in camera.

As part of its lens-to-grade workflow, Blackmagic is showcasing DaVinci Resolve Studio 18.6 and Blackmagic Cloud, with updates to its collaboration tools for editing, visual effects, colour correction and audio post-production.

www.blackmagicdesign.com

30 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD

cvp.com/prorepairs

Professional Repairs, Simplified.

P R O U D LY A P P R O V E D B Y

V I S I T U S AT

BSC expo Find us at Booth M007 Learn more cvp.com/bsc

GREAT GEAR GUIDE•BSC EXPO 2024 PREVIEW CAMERIMAGE FILM FESTIVAL F1 Members of the EnergaCAMERIMAGE team will be promoting the 2024 edition of the world’s greatest festival of cinematography. This year’s event will take place between 16th and 23rd November, 2024 in Torun, Poland. Last year, the festival attracted many stellar filmmakers (including around 800 cinematographers) from over 70 countries, and the marketplace was supported by a host of exhibitors: Aputure, ARRI, Astera, Atlas Lens Co., Canon, Codex|Pix, Cooke, Creamsource, Fujifilm/ Fujinon, Godox, Irix Lens, Laowa, Leitz,

Moonlighting Industries, Nanlux, Newell, Panavision, Prolights, Sigma, Sony, Sumolight, Sunbelt Rentals, The Studio-B&H, Vantage Film (Hawk), Xeen and Zeiss.

www.camerimage.pl

CINELAB 034 Cinelab is the only full-service film laboratory and digital dailies facility in the UK. It has the widest range of film processing for 65mm, 35mm, 16mm and 8mm, scanning and digital restoration services in Europe, and has helped play a huge part in the resurgence of shooting on film.

Cinelab will be highlighting its newest services. DFD (Digital-Film-Digital) is Cinelab’s analogue intermediate process, where your digital movie file is transferred, via ARRILASER, on to celluloid film, which is processed and scanned back to digital

with an authentic celluloid film look applied to the digital source footage.

Cinelab offers bespoke workflow solutions from pre-production to screen for all projects, whether shooting film, digital, or hybrid. Join the team and learn more about the latest digital dailies services, including remote dailies and new Dailies Drop service.

www.cinelab.co.uk

CINEO LIGHTING 355 Cineo Lighting, returns to the show to unveil its latest LED lighting fixture, the Cineo Reflex R10.

Expanding the Reflex series of LED production lighting and weighing-in at just 57 lbs, the Cineo Reflex R10 utilises Cineo‘s patented liquid cooling and leading-edge LED technology to provide users with an IP X5-rated fixture that replaces legacy HMI and Tungsten lights, all in one sleek, durable package. In addition to its compact size, the Cineo Reflex R10 also features a first for Cineo – a modular design that allows for the easy replacement of the Bi-colour LED tower with any future upgrades.

Cineo will also offer hands-on, interactive

experiences at the Expo for the Quantum series large and small soft lighting units, the Quantum II and Quantum Studio.

CIRRO LITE 237 Pop by Cirrolite’s stand and check-out a wide range of exceptional lighting instruments.

Fiilex G3 Color: introducing G3 Color, a 90W full-colour ellipsoidal. With a 360-degree rotating barrel, razor-sharp cuts and impeccable brightness, it sets new standards for quality and functionality.

Dedolight Neo Upgrade: the Dedolight Neo classic with an upgrade, maintaining its fixture format, whilst adding enhanced connectivity and dimming curves, and remaining compatible with all standard accessories.

Kino Flo Mimik and FreeStyle Air: Mimik is a realistic IBL tool, used via a lighting desk or media server, which offers seamless integration with LED walls/screens. Also, explore lightweight and rugged

FreeStyle Air that offers great fidelity.

Matthews Studio Equipment: expect to see a range of rigging innovations, including a new pipe rigging system, and Matthellini V2.0, alongside its regular Hollywood grip kit.

Pheon Lux: Cirro Lite introduces Pheon Lux, a new brand featuring high-quality products with fullydeveloped colour software, including the innovative Air Lux inflatable range.

PMI SmokeGenie: a versatile handheld smoke machine that provides new options for diverse shooting scenarios.

CREAMSOURCE c/o LCA 133 Gear-up for the full Creamsource experience as The CreamTeam welcomes you at LCA’s stand, for a friendly chat and close look at the new 2Up and 3Up multi yokes for Vortex8. The buzz intensifies as the company reveals the evolution of its flagship Vortex line. Stop by and see the hero Vortex-series fixtures which have been utilised in recent episodic series like Disney’s Ahsoka, Apple TV’s Foundation and feature films such as Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes, and the highly-anticipated epic

sequel Dune: Part Two. Don’t miss the chance to be part of LCA’s daily raffle, offering you a shot at winning some fantastic prizes, including a Creamsource Micro Colour Pro Kit.

www.cineolighting.com

www.cirrolite.com

www.creamsource.com

32 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD

Events, Workshops and Training Our events programme features everything from creative and technical masterclasses, screenings, networking and a variety of product workshops.

Find us at Booth M007

V I S I T U S AT

BSC expo

Learn more cvp.com/bsc

GREAT GEAR GUIDE•BSC EXPO 2024 PREVIEW CVP M007 CVP is back at BSC Expo with an unconventional approach! In a move which accentuates its core values – commitment to prioritising customer needs and providing unrivalled service and support – it will offer a unique and immersive experience that extends far beyond the confines of the exhibition floor.

Taking the focus to a broader plane than simply the kit it sources and supplies, CVP will shine a light on the vital, and yet unseen, mechanics at its foundation, through technical workshops and presentations from industry experts.

Visitors will also be able to see a sample of

what is permanently available at CVP’s showrooms in London and Brussels, from access to the latest technologies to CVP specialists’ insights, whether that is engineering updates and repairs, or options to empower creatives such as buying used products or financing their kit with the CVF team.

Join CVP to talk with experts

DEDOLIGHT 237 Dedolight is showing the latest advances of its Neo lighting system with state-of-the-art, multifunctional, perfect ballast system, controlling 34 different focussing LED Dedolight fixtures with one single ballast. Neo Color, sets a high- standard in multi-colour technology with RGBACL. Dedotools Colorist is a cost-effective multi-colour panel for wild lighting (disco-style) and controllable fine-tuned lighting.

Watch out for the V-Flector variable reflector.

The Flag System is the latest addition to Dedolight’s Lightstream System, elegantly eliminating parasitic light in the set, and is expanded by the Flag/Reflector System, where added areas in white, silver, gold and soft gold bridge between hard and soft light.

Dedolight’s Lightstream asymmetric background light provides totally even light from the closest distance, even on high backgrounds, with no spill on the talent, and is complemented by the asymmetric back light system.

DE SISTI LIGHTING F8 De Sisti has manufactured lighting and rigging systems for professionals since 1982.

Its ranges of LED lights include Fresnels, softlights, spacelights, and the The Muses Of Light.

Special features of the range include: a Fixed White Range for Tungsten or Daylight CCT; a VariWhite Range that tunable CCT from 2700K° to 6500K°; a Vari-White + Color Range with a tunable CCT from 2700K° to 6500K° plus Red, Green, Blue and Amber.

The Piccoletto Color Flex is a multi-optic Fresnel.

The company’s 300W Space Light fixture, has a tunable CCT from 2700K° to 6500K° with +/- Green correction.

The Super LED F20 is an innovative, 1000W, high-power Fresnel, Tungsten or Daylight. The Muses Of Light range is

FUJIFILM 121 Fujifilm is showing its premium range of Fujinon lenses and the latest X Series and GFX System cameras. For the first time in the UK you will be able to see the brand new Fujinon HZK24-300mm PL Mount zoom lens. The Duvo 24-300mm produces cinematic visual expressions with shallow depth-of-field and beautiful bokeh, meeting the growing demand for dramatic looks during live sporting events, music concerts, documentary, and wildlife cinematography.

Also on the stand will be the full range of Premista series lenses, whose stunning optical performance allows creative expression without compromise when using a large format sensor.

Finally, check-out the industry-leading GFX100 II, the X-H2S, with its open gate 6.2k shooting and ultra-low rolling shutter, and the 8K capable X-H2.

from engineers to account managers and consultants for a more intimate experience, or for networking in the lounge area with the traditional CVP hospitality.

www.cvp.com

www.dedolight.de

www.fujifilm.com

GFM 141/151 GFM returns with anticipation to this year’s show. The Germany-based leader in high-end grip equipment, GFM promises an interesting experience its stand, where you can explore innovation through products like the modular and lightweight GF-Mod Jib, the new GF - Primo Ultra Base, featuring steering geometry and a comfort steering mode selector, as well as the sleek GF-Jib Slider, and the all new Solo Track and Solo Dolly tracking system.

www.gripfactory.com

34 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD

a series of high-power LED fixtures designed with Vittorio Storaro AIC ASC and his daughter Francesca.

De Sisti will introduce a new firmware across its product ranges, with new functionality such as, theatrical super-smooth dimming, resetto-factory default, and fan speed control.

www.desisti.it

BSC Expo stand 133

Supplying the film and broadcast industry with the latest innovations in lighting and accessories since 1999

LCA - Lights, Camera, Action Offices in UK | France | Germany www.LCAlights.com

GREAT GEAR GUIDE•BSC EXPO 2024 PREVIEW GODOX M001 Discover LED innovation with the company’s latest products: the MG2400Bi and the P1200R Hard LED panel. The MG2400Bi, delivers a formidable 2600W output, and rivals the intensity of a traditional 4K Par light. It provides fullpower output across all

colour temperatures, ensuring consistent highintensity illumination essential for professional filmmaking.

The P1200R Hard LED panel offers a wide emitting-angle for uniform, extensive light spread, great for creating natural, evenly-lit scenes. These innovations, plus with other lighting solutions, showcase Godox’s particular blend of power, precision and versatility, meeting professional cinematic challenges.

GREEN VOLTAGE 008 Green Voltage Ltd specialises in providing cutting-edge battery solutions and intelligent power strategies for the UK film and TV industry. Its focus is on reducing carbon emissions and delivering silent power on-set, with tools that can serve in previously inaccessible or restricted locations.

You are invited to explore its extensive product range, featuring over 100 battery solutions, including handheld Instagrids Max, 5kW VOLTstacks, and powerful road tow EGens, with storage options ranging from 60kW to a massive 100kWh.

The Green Voltage team is always ready to assist with power planning to ensure the most sustainable solutions. In an exclusive announcement, the company will unveil its ground-breaking GV12k – a battery storage unit that promises to surpass all others.

Developed in collaboration with leading battery engineers, the robotically-assembled GV12k power box is offered as the safest, most-efficient unit on the market, weighing only 90kg and boasting an impressive 50amps output.

Demos include the powering of Betterway lights.

K5600 / ONE STOP 132 One Stop, the sales branch of K5600 Lighting Europe, is introducing a brand-new, trueFresnel unit. The fixture has a 30W draw from a battery or mains from 2800K to 6000K. The ratio between the chip and the Fresnel glass lens is optimised to render the shadow quality and progressive fall-off which made Tungsten and HMI the choice of true

photographers and cinematographers. This small yet punchy light can be used without the lens for crispier shadows, with an optional focal spot accessory for gobo projection, or a Snapbag.

One Stop is introducing the range of packshot rigs from US-based company Performing Rigs www. performingrigs.com. Whether it’s pouring cereals at the same angle and speed every time, launching a soda can at the same heights, or a turntable precisely adjustable in speed, the rigs will do the trick every time.

KODAK 205 Kodak Motion Picture film drives efficiency, reduces your shooting ratios and helps your cast and crew focus.

If you are looking to work with film on your next project, or are interested in learning

more about the budgeting, selection and purchasing of the film, Kodak can answer your queries.

The Kodak Film Lab based at Pinewood Studios offers comprehensive negative processing services.

The team will be available to discuss all aspects of the film workflow from shooting, processing, transfer, printing and scanning to long-term archiving. It will be promoting 8mm, 16mm, 35mm and 65mm production, post and preservation in the UK.

www.godox.com

www.greenvoltage.co.uk

www.k5600.eu

www.kodak.com/go/motion

LCA – LIGHTS CAMERA ACTION 133 LCA Lights Camera Action, renowned supplier to the film, broadcast and video industries, is presenting a diverse array of lights, grip, power, distribution, cables and consumables, and will unveil some new products.

These include the re-engineered LiteGear LiteMat Spectrum and Auroris products showcasing the extensive DMX capabilities of Spectrum OS3.

Additionally, witness Rosco’s Lion, a formidable 13” Fresnel, and experience the cutting-edge mobile power of Betteries with their innovative Sunrise 15000 kit.

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Whether you lean towards the dark or light side, acquaint yourself with the new SnapBridge from Lightbridge CRLS and DoPchoice. Finally, don’t miss the opportunity to get hands on with the Creamsource Two-Up and Three-Up Yokes for the Vortex 8, and discover some exciting new products from Creamsource. LCA will be holding a raffle on both days of the show with amazing prizes, including Creamsource Micro Colour Kit, DMG Dash Kit and Lightbridge/DoPchoice SnapBridge gear.

www.lcauk.com

BSC Expo stand 133

Bring a friend.

Supplying the film and broadcast industry with the latest innovations in lighting and accessories since 1999

LCA - Lights, Camera, Action Offices in UK | France | Germany www.LCAlights.com

GREAT GEAR GUIDE•BSC EXPO 2024 PREVIEW LEE FILTERS 451 LEE Filters, part of the Panavision Group’s end-to-end offerings for imagemakers, and a premier global manufacturer of professional lighting filtration, will be in a dedicated booth to showcase its renowned technical, diffusion and colour-effect filters for motion-picture lighting. Attendees can speak with LEE Filters’ representatives to learn more about

LEITZ 419 Leitz’s Elsie prime lenses blend a subtle fieldcurvature and gradual fall-off, with contemporary lens construction offering a distinctive character that is suitable for a wide range of productions.

The Leitz Hugo series shares its optical heritage with Leica’s renowned M photography lenses, whilst featuring compact and production-ready mechanics. Combine either set with the full-frame Leitz Zooms for a complete shooting package ready for any scenario. The Zooms cover the range of 25-75mm and 55-125mm with a consistent T2.8 aperture throughout.

Learn more about Leitz’s seven different prime lens families, designed to offer unique looks across

the company’s complete range of solutions that help cinematographers, gaffers and other imagemakers precisely realise their creative intent.

www.leefilters.com

a wide range of formats and price points, so you’ll know what to test before your next production.

www.leitz-cine.com

LIGHTBRIDGE 107 Lightbridge, known for the Cine Reflect Lighting System (CRLS), which creates natural-looking, spillfree, diffused light, will demonstrate how precision reflectors in five creative grades and five sizes, become a versatile keylight, maximising artistic control.

Lightbridge and DoPchoice have joined forces to introduce Snapbridge for layered lighting.

The compact SnapbridgeGlide Kit features DoPchoice’s unique

5’ octagonal ultra-bounce with a Lightbridge Precision Reflector at the centre, ready to add controllable punch into the soft light source.

Snapbridge offers two modes: Softmode produces light that wraps beautifully around a face beautifully, thanks to the ultra-bounce surface, while the central CRLS reflector adds the needed complexity to turn a simple set-up into a beautiful keylight. Turning Snapbridge around achieves Darkmode’s negative fill around the precision reflector, resulting in less spill on the talent – all on one easy-to-set-up stand, whilst minimising the onset footprint.

www.thelightbridge.com

LITEGEAR C/O LCA – LIGHTS CAMERA ACTION 133 LiteGear is showing Spectrum Technology at the show, and the power of Spectrum OS 3 to unify the full-colour ecosystem as integrated into its of LiteMat Spectrum and Auroris fixtures. The re-engineered LiteMat Spectrum offers improved dimming performance, powerful companion dimmers, up to eight pixel-mappable large-format pixels, and buttery smooth low-end dimming.

Utilising either 12 or 24 large-format pixels, Auroris combines high-quality colour rendition and precision control in a sleek, easy-to-use package.

This overhead, pixel-mappable light source, covers up to 100sq/ft with just one fixture.

Spectrum OS 3 hosts numerous new DMX features and includes a Video DMX personality. It’s now easier than ever to control LiteGear Spectrum products in an image-based lighting environment. Stop by the LCA stand (133), and have a look.

NANLUX 446 Nanlux is highlighting its latest LED light – the Evoke 2400B. It features unprecedented illumination output, and adjustable green and magenta shift within its 2700-6500K CCT range, for flexibility in various scenes.

The lamphead and power supply are constructed with IP55 weatherresistant and magnesium alloy housings, maintaining the rugged and relatively lightweight form factor. The inclusion of electronic contacts on the NL mount enable a modifier recognition function, allowing the

Evoke 2400B to identify the specific modifier in use and ensuring safety by protecting both the fixture and accessories from potential damage due to elevated heat levels.

The fixture allows precise dimming from 0.0% to 100.0% with 0.1% increments. Besides the straightforward on-board control, Evoke 2400B is also equipped with comprehensive wired and wireless control options which cater to different production needs.

www.litegear.com www.lcauk.com

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www.nglbg.com

GREAT GEAR GUIDE•BSC EXPO 2024 PREVIEW OCTICA 219 Drop by and see a range of lighting, DMX control, green power and mini-camera kit. Kelvin: made in Norway, the Kelvin Play & Play Pro is a powerful pocket light, making use of the same Cantastoria RGBACL light engine as Kelvin’s Epos series in a pocket-sized panel, with a power draw of just 18W. Velvet: following the success of the Kosmos 400 RGBWW, used extensively by rental giants such as Panalux, Velvet is introducing two new LED Fresnels, the ultra-powerful and variable Kosmos 1000 and Kosmos 200 RGBWW. Cinelex: wireless DMX just got better

with Skynode2, which retains the original compact bullet-proof design, but now has a CRMX2 chipset. ArtNet – DMX conversion with new Skybridge V2 is the go-to tool to dynamically and seamlessly convert appbased Art-Net protocol signals to LumenRadio wireless DMX in real-time. Revolt CleanTech: is demonstrating the latest in super-green battery generator technology.

MarCam Europe: is highlighting the latest 4K – NDI Mini and Compact cameras from Marshall Electronics. www.marcameurope.com

PANALUX & PANAVISION 222 Panalux will spotlight products from its comprehensive lighting rental inventory. In addition to proprietary lighting innovations, including the Panalux Allegra range of full-colour/bi-colour LED heads, it will demo popular third-party products in a demonstration area shared with Panavision’s camera and optics division.Panavision will have a breadth of its proprietary optics on show, covering the gamut from sharp to soft and high-contrast to low-contrast, offering filmmakers the creative freedom to select lenses that match their vision.

Products being shown include Ultra Panatar II Anamorphic and VA spherical prime lenses, the LCND

electronic filter, and select Panavised camera systems. A really cool lens-comparison system will offer further insights into the optical attributes that distinguish one lens series from another.

www.panalux.biz www.panavision.com

POWER GEMS 333 Well-known for designing and supplying 1000Hz high-speed HMI ballasts, Power Gems will showcase the latest from the LED range. This includes an exclusive preview of GEMwash, the new LED fixture for large-area lighting. Also on display will be the 70W LED bi-colour GEMtile, an extremely lightweight, broadcast-quality replacement LED ceiling tile for standard 600mm/2ft commercial office style fixture.

Also, the LED controllers, PWM40 and Gem6.

The PWM40 is the world’s first high-power (3kW) power supply and LED PWM driver for up to 40 channels of 12V or 24V LED light source. The Gem6 controller has six controllable channels and an input range of 12V to 24V for full-colour LED control or three channels of bi-colour.

www.powergems.com

ROSCO 138 Rosco will be displaying its RDX Lab system, powered by FuseFX. This patent-pending, userfriendly ecosystem combines Rosco’s extensive library of cinematic backdrop assets with cuttingedge VFX technology from FuseFX, to provide filmmakers with content they can easily control when shooting in a volume. RDX Lab provides filmmakers with complete creative control of the digital imagery on LED walls. These cinematic “live action backdrops” can be controlled and modified on-set – in real-time – via an easy-touse mobile app.

Watch out for the new DMG Lion, a powerful, 13-inch, all-weather Fresnel utilising cutting-edge technology to replicate the look and feel of a classic tungsten Fresnel, but with the versatility that LED technology provides. DMG Lion features two easy-to-swap LED engines – one that utilises Rosco’s patented Mix Technology for full-spectrum output, and another bi-colour LED engine that produces maximum intensity.

SHIFT 4 252 Last June, the industry saw the opening of Shift 4 Cine, the cine division of one of London’s longestrunning, independent rental houses. At its stand the firm will be showing highlights of its state-of-the-art facilities for DPs and camera crew working in drama, features and commercials.

It will also showcase exclusive “optical projects” crafted by its lens engineering team, designed to grant cinematographers full command over their creative decisions. Innovations like the Look Customization System empower DPs to fine-tune and enhance specific visual attributes and their strength within

Angenieux Optimo Primes. Furthermore, there’s an optical device that uses an infinitely-adjustable, open relay system to organically blend two planes of focus together. This in-camera imaging system allow textures, distortions and small details to be beautifully composited with the image coming out of the front taking lens.

www.rosco.com

www.shift-4.com

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BSC EXPO 2024 PREVIEW•GREAT GEAR GUIDE SONY 247 Sony is offering hands-on experiences with its solutions across filming on set, image and video capture, audio and post production. Showcased on the stand is the new Crystal LED screen Verona, made specifically for virtual production, and Burano, a versatile, lightweight and compact camera with a full frame 8K sensor.

Other elements of Sony’s CinemaLine range on display include the Venice 2, with its latest firmware update. Sony has also announced two new firmware updates to CinemaLine cameras: PMW-FX6 ver.5.0, PMW-FX3 Ver.6 and PMW-FX30 ver.5.

SUMOLIGHT 353 Visit the stand to see the latest in specialised LED solutions. Discuss with Sumolight experts hot topics, such as Image Based Lighting and the integration of lighting into VFX workflows. In addition, Universal Pixels will be joining Sumolight to show real production examples of Sumolight products and LED screens as a combined system. Experience a set-up featuring LED screens, with Sumosky and Sumomax

The FX6 Ver.5.0 will be available to preview on the stand.

www.sonycine.com

working seamlessly together.

Explore another dimension in lighting with new Sumomax accessories, and uncover the versatility and brilliance they bring to the industry and the latest projects that have been supported. Finally, get a first-hand look at the highlyanticipated Sumobeam, a new addition to the line-up.

www.sumolight.com

SUNBELT RENTALS 331 & Outside Space There’s a lot to see at Sunbelt Rentals Film & TV. Learn more about its selection of Sony and ARRI cameras, stock of Hawk Anamorphic lenses, and Gecko-Cam G35 vintage 66 optics, both of which reflect the tremendous changes in filmmaking technology.

A selection of film lighting from leading

TIFFEN 100 Tiffen is known worldwide for the world’s most extensive range of superior quality glass filters for professional film and television, in addition to other top brands, including Steadicam stabilisers and Steadicam Volt, Domke camera and accessory bags, and Lowel lighting.

New products include the Rear Mount Filter system for ARRI Signature Primes, offering access to the range of Tiffen filters including: Pro Mist,

ZEISS 319 The CinCraft Scenario camera tracking system will be in the limelight at the Zeiss stand.

Of course, the company will also showcase its entire portfolio of cinematography lenses as well: from Supreme Prime and Supreme Prime Radiance to Cinema Zooms, CP.3s and the Lightweight Zoom. But there will also be something brand-new that will make its UK debut at BSC Expo.

So, make sure to join the team, grab a coffee, talk to its experts about everything Zeiss, cinematography and camera tracking and of

manufacturers, including ARRI, Creamsource, Kino Flo and Rosco will also be displayed.

Attendees can also see the E-Scorpion, a compact, all-terrain vehicle designed to carry the Scorpion 45 or the Scorpio 38 to hard-to-access locations without noise or sound pollution. It’s 100% electric, with a built-in charger that can be charged whilst operating the hydraulics or arm.

And there’s even more, with Sunbelt Rental’s broader location services rental inventory, including powered access, power and energy management, and temporary infrastructure solutions.

www.sunbeltrentals.co.uk/sectors/film-tv/

ND, Antique Black Pearlescent, Antique Pearlescent, Antique Satin, Smoque, Glimmerglass, etc.. Also, Tiffen filters and holders sized to fit Angenieux IOP lenses including: Glimmerglass, Black Satin, Black Pro Mist, etc.. Plus, Tiffen Rear filters for the Fujinon Duvo HZK 25-1000mm lens.

Get your hands on the first production model of new Steadicam G-70x2 Arm, which holds up to 70-lbs/31.8kg, and offers easy tuning, a new

structure and tool-free adjustment. Steadicam’s Zephyr Volt sled, with three axis stabilisation assist for midweight cameras, is the first to feature Volt stabilising technology on the pan axis.

www.tiffen.com

course try out their lenses, CinCraft Scenario, and checkout the surprise guest!

www.zeiss.com

CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 41

MAESTRO•MATTHEW LIBATIQUE ASC LPS

EXTRAVAGANZA

By Ron Prince

S

hot on Kodak 35mm B&W/colour negative filmstocks, and framed in different aspect ratios, Maestro is much more than a straightforward biopic of the celebrated American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein.

Rather, the compelling visual and auditory extravaganza, dives headlong into the man behind the spotlight, being both joyous and heart-breaking by turns, to form a sweeping exploration of how Bernstein’s complex marriage to actress Felicia Montealegre, and voracious bi-sexuality, nourished his restless creativity and passion for music over many decades.

The film was directed by Bradley Cooper from a screenplay he co-wrote with Josh Singer, with Cooper starring as Bernstein, alongside Carey Mulligan as Felicia, and Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke and Sarah Silverman in supporting roles. Cooper also produced the film with Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese.

Maestro premiered at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, followed by screenings at other high-profile events, and began a limited theatrical release before streaming on Netflix in December 2023.

Along with critical praise for its central performances and stirring tribute to Bernstein’s talent and legacy, the film was nominated for numerous accolades during the 2024 awards season, including seven Academy Awards, with prestigious Oscar, BAFTA, ASC and BSC Awards nods given to its strikingly-imaginative cinematography by Matthew Libatique ASC LPS. Libatique is known for his collaborations with high-profile directors such as Jon Favreau, Spike Lee, Joel Schumacher and Darren Aronofsky, and is no stranger to shooting on film, with Pi (1998), Requiem For A Dream (2000), The Fountain (2006), Iron Man (2008), Black Swan (2010), Iron Man 2 (2010), Noah (2014) and Mother! (2017) amongst his many 16mm/35mm credits.

Maestro represents Libatique’s second scintillating cinematographic collaboration with Cooper, following their work together on A Star Is Born (2018), and is his third Academy Award nomination, after Black Swan and A Star Is Born.

The DP reveals that it was during production on A

Star Is Born when he first learned from Cooper about the project that would eventually develop into Maestro.

“I knew about Bernstein’s iconic work and stature, but not much at all about his personal life beyond the limelight of his fame,” says Libatique. “I initially assumed the movie would be more about Bernstein the conductor and composer, but soon discovered it was more about him as a married man, and that it would be just as much about Felicia as it would about him.

“So, I was really excited to delve into that and to consider how to visually tell the story from these points-of-view. Bradley and I started talking

There were plenty of challenges in putting Bradley’s vision on the screen about shooting it really early-on, thinking about the format, the framing, the aspect ratio and the overall aesthetics.”

Libatique says he did not reference other movies for the production, but did take creative inspiration from the plethora of stills, plus film and video footage,

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of Bernstein’s life and times, imbibing the reality of the lighting. He also absorbed the candid naturalism in the work of stills photographers such as Elliot Erwitt, and says he was influenced by cues in Cooper’s script and his modus operandi as a director.

“Bradley knows about lenses and understands how to maximise performances through the camera,” he says. “The screenplay was very well written and had brief descriptions explaining different shots and how the camera might react, or not react, dependent on the moment and the emotion in the scene.”

As examples, the DP mentions several impressive set-pieces, including one in the opening sequences, where the camera tracks above the young Bernstein dashing from his apartment to seize his big break conducting the New York Philharmonic from the stage at Carnegie Hall.

There’s also the thrilling recreation of Mahler’s Symphony No.2, known as the Resurrection Symphony, originally conducted by Bernstein in Ely Cathedral, UK, in 1973, where the camera drifts over the orchestra, before wrapping around the conductor to reveal Felicia standing in the wings.

By contrast, some of the most moving scenes are the ones with the least amount of camera movement, such as the near-static frames when Felicia approaches the end of her life with terminal cancer, while being cared-for by the heartbroken Bernstein.

Libatique reveals that the decision to shoot Maestro on 35mm film evolved during the testing phases of the film.

“Bradley left me in no doubt about his passion for the project, and was trying to figure-out how he could transform himself into Leonard Bernstein. We

MATTHEW LIBATIQUE ASC LPS•MAESTRO Images: BTS photos by Jason McDonald / NETFLIX. Images copyright: ©2023 NETFLIX.

Bradley is one of the best motivators – he’s so in-tune with the meaning of the camerawork and the lighting

CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 43

MAESTRO•MATTHEW LIBATIQUE ASC LPS

My job was to devise a minimalist approach and visual language to match Jon’s ideas

shot numerous tests where he was in full make-up, on film and digital, with various lenses, in different formats, in colour and B&W, and we expected the final movie would probably be a hybrid of film and digital.

“However, the moment when we realised the production had to be only on film was when we tested the scene in which Felicia takes Lenny into the theatre where she is performing in a play. We lit it with a single light bulb on the stage, and shot it on 35mm B&W. There was something about that scene, the texture and the mood, that transported both Bradley and I, and he then pushed for film for the whole movie.”

Filming began in May 2022, taking-in the famous Tanglewood concert venue in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts, and Bernstein’s country home in Fairfield, Connecticut, which Libatique says, “is a wonderful place to be, you can still feel his energy there.”

Locations in New York City included Carnegie Hall in Midtown Manhattan, St. James Theater offBroadway, and the Lincoln Center, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Filming also took place at Ely Cathedral, England, for two days, where the London Symphony Orchestra assembled to shoot the Resurrection Symphony. Sets of Bernstein’s different apartments, with backdrops specially-made from separate plate shoots, were constructed on stages at Steiner Studios in Brooklyn.

The first half of the Maestro – which focusses on Bernstein’s meteoric ascent of the classical-music hierarchy, his budding romance with Felicia and clandestine affair with David Oppenheim – was shot in B&W and framed in 1.33:1 aspect ratio, to fulfil Cooper’s desire to capture young Bernstein’s indefatigable bravura in the razzle-dazzle of old Hollywood talkies.

Libatique says the shift into colour was a natural transition-point to mark the changing dynamic of Bernstein’s relationship with Felicia – after his bisexuality is exposed to her and the couple’s marriage becomes a stand-off – whilst also portraying his professional success and the warmth of familial love surrounding them. The change of aspect ratio to 1.85:1 and use of negative space in the framing of the scenes after Felicia’s death, were designed to evoke

the sense of Bernstein’s loneliness in the latter stages of his own life, as Felicia had previously prophesied would happen.

Libatique shot Maestro with Panavision Millennium XL2 35mm lightweight, sync-sound film cameras, fitted predominantly with PVintage series lenses, whose sharpness was specially detuned under the auspices Guy McVicker and lens the team at Panavision, to bring a softness to the image along with gentle halations. He also used Zeiss Super Speed MKII optics to encourage flaring in certain scenes, and harnessed Panavision Primo primes to fill gaps in his chosen lens set. The camera and lens package was provided by Panavision New York.

The movie’s B&W sequences were filmed entirely on KODAK DOUBLE-X 5222 35mm B&W negative.

The colour section was shot on KODAK VISION3

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stocks, with KODAK VISION3 200T 5213 35mm Color Negative Film being used for day exteriors/ interiors, and KODAK VISION3 500T 5219 for night/low-light scenes. Film processing, dailies and 4K scanning were done at FotoKem in Los Angeles, under the supervision of Mark van Horne, its director of production services. The final colour grade was completed at Company3 in LA by senior colourist Stefan Sonnenfeld.

“The B&W DOUBLE-X 5222 has punchy contrast and lovely subtleties in tone, but I quickly realised during testing that I needed way-more light than I thought I would for a good exposure. I’ve become used to bouncing light, using soft LEDs or working in very low light levels, when shooting digital, but this was this was the exact opposite,” Libatique explains.

“So I needed much greater levels of light to get

MATTHEW LIBATIQUE ASC LPS•MAESTRO enough exposure on the B&W section of the movie.

I started to get the results I wanted when I began using bigger lights – old Tungsten lamps, like 5Ks, 10Ks and 20Ks, where you have to use gloves to manoeuvre them – and when I pushed the illumination through diffusion, rather than bouncing off surfaces. I also learned that, when shooting with the DOUBLE-X 5222, unless you have a black, anodized pressure plate in the camera, there’s a lot of light refraction resulting in lines on the negative. So the cameras had to be modified for that.”

As for shooting the colour section of the film, he remarks, “I decided not to use KODAK’s daylight stocks, as I was looking for something nostalgic, along the lines of Kodachrome. I knew the two Tungsten stocks would match together really well in terms of grain and texture, and that they would also soak-up the colour in the production design by Kevin Thompson and the wardrobe by Mark Bridges.

“I remembered really liking the colour rendition of previous generation VISION2 200T 5217, when I rated it at 400ASA. So I tried that again, and think the under-exposure worked really well in accentuating the nostalgic feeling we wanted.”

Production on the film often involved two cameras.

While Libatique operated a number of handheld scenes himself, Scott Sakamoto worked as the main A-camera operator, assisted by Aurelia Windborn as focus puller, with Colin Anderson on B-camera, supported by Tim Metivier. Kevin Lowry headed the

theatre, enveloped by Lenny’s giant shadow as he conducts, was Bradley’s beautiful metaphor about the nature of their relationship. But, as much as people have said my work is daring or bold

grip team, with John Velez ICLS working as the gaffer on the US-based shoot, and Perry Evans was the gaffer when the production shot in the UK. While Maestro has been noted for its imaginative, daring and bold cinematographic choices, Libatique modestly says he was essentially following Cooper’s creative vision.

“Bradley is one of the best motivators for me – as an actor and as a storytelling director – because he’s so in-tune with the meaning of the camerawork and the lighting. There’s always something fresh about his ideas, and anything is possible, whether that’s using a particular lens, the way the camera might move, or how the light needs to fall.

“For example, the moment where we see Felicia very small, standing in the wings of

He freely admits to concerns surrounding the logistics of installing, coordinating and choreographing the camera moves – between a 45ft Scorpio crane with a Libra head and an overhead cable cam – for young Bernstein’s dramatic entry to Carnegie Hall. Further apprehension came when filming the fantasy ballet sequence, in which Cooper dances, that would feature in the Broadway musical On The Town.

“There were no shot lists or storyboards for that routine, and we filmed in chronological order over the course of four days,” Libatique explains. “It was all about following what Bradley had in his mind, chasing him with light, with the camera, until we got to the end. That represented a lot of hard work from a lot of people, and was one of the toughest parts of the

The B&W DOUBLE-X 5222 has punchy contrast and lovely subtleties in tone, but needed way-more light than I thought it would for a good exposure or inventive, a lot of it was just responding to what Bradley envisioned.

“If anything, my philosophy was about keeping the set as open as possible for the performers and allowing the camera to react fluidly to them dependent on the moment and the emotion in the scene. Which created plenty of challenges and no lack of anxiety.”

shoot for me. But I think it really paid-off.”

Shooting Bernstein conducting the Resurrection Symphony in the cavernous knave of Ely Cathedral was not without its concerns either.

“We arrived there several days before the shoot.

Bradley and I walked around with a finder and different lenses to look at compositions, positions and timings of the camera, as it would move over the orchestra, drift into a dramatic mid-shot of Lenny at the height of his musical powers, before eventually wrapping around to reveal Felica.

“The London Symphony Orchestra were rehearsing during our pre-light. The entire crew stopped working, and I sat down in one of the front pews to watch and listen. I was mesmerised by the incredible acoustics of the space, and I just couldn’t believe the artistry of the musicians right there before me, to the extent that I became rather terrified about the technicalities capturing all of that visually.

“Luckily, we were shooting on colour film at 500ASA, and my gaffer, Perry Evans, had worked in this space before. We employed two balloons and had a variety of Tungsten lights in the wings. We also rigged a number SkyPanel S60s to an existing lighting rig to give the sense of the sheer volume of the cathedral. The timings of the camera worked perfectly, and whilst I might have been anxious, I am so happy with how it turned out. It’s a wonderful sequence.”

Reflecting on his experience of shooting Maestro, he says, “There were plenty of challenges to put

Bradley’s vision on the screen. Whilst very little was joyous when shooting, it’s joyous now.”

And of shooting on 35mm, “I really like the process of shooting film and always enjoy the results.

It’s simpler to shoot on film than digital, where there’s a lot of additional technology that sometimes gets in the way. Film is much more streamlined. It’s also intimate and personal, because you’re one of only a few who has control over the image, unlike digital where a lot more people can give their opinion of the images. I am very happy with what we all achieved.”

CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 45

THE ZONE OF INTEREST•ŁUKASZ ŻAL PSC

FAR

FROM THE MADDING CROWD

By Darek Kuźma

T

wo-time Academy Award nominee Łukasz Żal PSC subverted usual visual conventions to reinforce the powerful idea behind Jonathan Glazer’s atypical Holocaust drama.

And, why is The Zone Of Interest a Holocaust film like no other you have ever seen? Because human beings are exterminated just out of sight – we hear screams and gunshots in the background, we see smoke pouring from the crematoria chimneys, we are acutely aware of people being rushed to the gas chambers – yet what we observe on-screen is the domestic drama of the Höss family.

What to wear? Where to go on holiday? Which

plants to grow in the garden? How to impress the boss with efficiency solutions?

Rudolf Höss is the commandant of Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp, his wife Hedwig does her best to run a pleasant and nurturing house, where the young ones try to have fun without ever acknowledging the presence of weird skinny folks in striped clothes. Across a wall, literally a few metres away from the Höss house, the Auschwitz factory of relentless genocide works round-the-clock to fulfil the needs and dreams of people like Rudolf and Hedwig, and the regime.

It is entirely fitting that such a singular project

46 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD

I needed to live alone during production

ŁUKASZ ŻAL PSC•THE ZONE OF INTEREST Images: BTS photo by Agata Grzybowska. Images courtesy of A24.

Swiss cheese to hardwire tons of film gear – cameras, electrics, tripods, brackets, etc. – and hide all of the equipment in a way that it would not intrude on the cast as they inhabit the house as a real house,” he recalls “There was too much gear in a somewhat small space to risk operating it wirelessly. So we had to connect it with literally kilometres of cables.

This technically complex multi-camera system was crafted by my focus puller Radek Kokot, DITs Krzysiek Włodarczyk, Krzysiek Zawieja and Michał Matwij, our grip Tomek Stednicki, camera operator Stanisław Cuske, 2nd AC Karol Masiarz, gaffer Konrad Pruski and myself, and it allowed us to bring Jon’s vision to life.

“We had a team of 20 – grips, camera operators, assistants, focus pullers. We shot with ten fixed cameras, each wired to focus pullers in the basement and also to a shipping container, our ‘mission control’, that was located outside nearby, where the director, producers, myself, DITs and others followed everything on monitors. We had full control, and could adjust the cameras’ sensitivities, colour temperatures, etc.”

The system of prepping scenes was also unconventional.

The Leitz M 0.8 lenses present reality as it is, but are also discretely cinematic

was directed by Jonathan Glazer – who makes, on average, one feature per decade, each becoming an artistic event in its own right, such as Sexy Beast (2000, DP Ivan Bird) and Under The Skin (2013, DP Daniel Landin) – in collaboration with Łukasz Żal PSC, who picks films carefully only to fully immerse himself in their making, including Ida (2013) and Cold War (2018), which earned him BATFA as well as Oscar nominations.

Glazer worked on The Zone Of Interest for a better part of the past decade, basing it loosely on Martin Amis’s novel of the same name and his own meticulous research. When he was ready to shoot, he approached Żal in the fall of 2020.

“We shot ‘First Light’, a commercial for an Alexander McQueen collection, to get to know each other and see if we’re a right match. Only then we started to prep the film,” Żal remembers, adding that he was impressed with Glazer’s bold vision.

“Jon wanted to shoot with ten cameras, and no visual trickery, to create this sort of de-aestheticised space for the cast to embody their characters without any kind of emotional manipulation. My job was to devise a minimalist approach and visual language to match those ideas.”

What they did was to adapt a vacant house on location at Auschwitz, standing 300 metres from the real Höss house, and drilled it “like a

“Each shooting day was preceded by hours of prep during the previous day. We discussed all scenes to be shot, tried various angles, lenses and camera set-ups, looking for the most unobtrusive form of showing the characters. No close-ups, no portraits, no cool shots. Observational cinema. It’s a very frustrating and time-consuming process, and often I thought, ‘It isn’t working!’. But, after four, six or eight hours of tests, we always made it work, all cameras aligned for what we wanted to achieve,” says Żal.

“Next morning we did technical checks, called for the cast to take over the house and left the set.

Sometimes we briefly rehearsed with the adult actors to roughly know what they might be doing, but that was it. Then, take after take, we watched them ‘living their characters’ and reacted to any technical problems. After two or three hours of shooting the cast left the set and we started to prep for the next day. Most of our 50-something days of principal photography were like that.”

Simply put, The Zone Of Interest was supposed to be an antithesis of what modern filmmaking is about.

“There’s no three-act structure, the characters

CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 47

THE ZONE OF INTEREST•ŁUKASZ ŻAL PSC

My job was to devise a minimalist approach and visual language to match Jon’s ideas

don’t have meaningful arcs, the world mostly stays the same and you ask your audience to watch a documentary-like account of people going in and around the house doing their daily chores, sort of Big Brother in Nazi House but without narrative twists or excitement. I mean, where’s the film in that?” he asks rhetorically.

“Yet within that rather unspectacular form, through camera positions, sound design, characters’ reactions – or lack thereof – to what is happening around them, you start to see the atrociousness of Höss and reflect on the monstrosity of this Nazi killing machine.

“Jon said that with each shot, image or scene we build a framework for what’s going to happen in a viewer’s head during the screening. For us, what was visible in individual shots was as important as what was outside of the frame.” Żal chose to shoot on Sony Venice to have 6K flexibility for scaling/zooming in as well as its Rialto mode, which allowed the front image block from the Sony Venice to be relocated to much smaller, inconspicuous housings.

“Our obsession was to minimise the size and the amount of all of our gear to defy making the house look like a film set. Only the most handy tripods, brackets, batteries, etc. We obviously weren’t able to hide everything and had to clean up the images in post, but we really removed everything that wasn’t necessary,” he explains.

Size was also a factor in picking Leitz Cine M 0.8 lenses (21, 24, 28, 32, 35mm) for the shoot.

“We tested all small lenses and chose the sharpest ones that didn’t give any vintage quality or impose any look. The Leitz M 0.8 lenses present reality as it is, but are also discretely cinematic. Again, we didn’t want cheap emotionality. It’s a series of glimpses into the world

of the Höss family. None of them is significant in itself, but when you put all the glimpses together, and when you augment them with scraps of context, you begin to experience a different film in your head.” The camera gear was provided by Non Stop Film Service.

The minimalism rule also covered light sources and the numerous tricks used to make the images more alluring.

“There were no filters, gels, flags or artificial lights. Only practicals and only the ones that could exist in the 1940s. Again, everything that you see in the film is era-appropriate and was based on archival materials. If a character drank vodka in the attic at night, we didn’t put seven light sources around but shot it with a single bare bulb. Yes,

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it’s ugly, but that’s how it would’ve looked like in reality,” he illustrates.

“The only lamps we used were oil lamps.

When we needed to present the characters sweaty and tired, we shot at noon with the beauty and the harshness of direct sunlight. There’s an inimitable visual truth in this, something we often forget about with our endless choice of lamps, blends, balloons and diffusers.

“However, when we shot night exteriors in places without any street lights or actual light sources, we didn’t try to enhance the moonlight, but shot in pitch black darkness with FLIR thermal imaging infrared camera.”

They borrowed the camera for night-vision sequences from the Polish military.

ŁUKASZ ŻAL PSC•THE ZONE OF INTEREST

“It was a curious challenge that camera as it needed to be modified for the purposes of filming.

The military only released an HD version for civilian use and, after squeezing the material into 16:9 aspect ratio, it had less than 1K resolution, so we had to upscale it to 4K with the help of AI. I think the end result is quite impressive,” continues Żal who, regrettably, was not able to put the final touch personally during the DI with colourist Gareth Bishop.

“I was on a location scout with Paweł Pawlikowski for his next film, The Island. Jon sat down with Gareth and stayed true to what we did on-set. As we wanted to make it look as natural as possible, there wasn’t that much enhancement in the post outside of cleaning-up the images and supporting the visual continuity. They also had the LUTs I did during the prep with colourist Michał Herman for colour and contrast reference.”

Although Żal shot The Zone Of Interest over two years ago – principal photography divided into a few periods between May 2021 and January 2022 – he

says that the project had left a lasting impression.

“You’re there, fully immersed in making the best film possible, and you suddenly realise you’re standing in a gas chamber wondering if the frame is good.

Or you take a nap to recharge and wake-up with a realisation that the horror that you’re reproducing really happened,” he reminisces.

“I needed to live alone during production, and I stayed in a trailer around 15 kilometres from the set.

Each day I drove by the remnants of the Auschwitz camp, thinking how could this ever happen? I don’t know what interpretations the viewers are going to create in their heads but I believe that we did something important.”

This is The Zone of Interest – 2024 Oscar and BAFTA candidate, winner of Cannes Grand Prize, EnergaCAMERIMAGE FIPRESCI award and numerous other accolades. It’s a film you will certainly not like, but one you definitely need to watch.

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CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 49

DAS LEHRERZIMMER/THE TEACHERS’ LOUNGE•JUDITH KAUFMANN BVK

CLASSROOM THRILLER

By Ron Prince

D

irector İlker Çatak’s acclaimed feature, The Teachers’ Lounge, delivers a taut and unnerving study into how one small incident can proliferate into serious misunderstandings, suspicion, intimidation and cultural clashes.

When one of her high-school students is suspected of theft, idealistic teacher Carla Nowak tries to get to the bottom of things. However, she soon gets caught between her principles and the school system, with volatile consequences that might just break her.

The film was named as one of the top five international films of 2023, by The National Board of Review, and selected as Germany’s entry for best international feature at the 2024 BAFTA and Oscar awards. It was shot in 4:3 aspect ratio, by German DP Judith Kaufmann BVK, whose dynamic handheld camerawork investigates the classrooms, corridors and bathrooms in which the truth might be concealed.

When and where did you shoot?

Principal photography too place between October 2nd and November 15th, 2022, at one main location – a vacant, former-university, that was built in the 1960s in Hamburg, where we shot for 24 days of our 28 schedule. We used the existing space and restructured it, but didn’t build any sets. We also shot in the gym of a nearby school.

How much preparation time did you have?

As the entire film takes place at only one location, we started looking for the right school five months before shooting began. My core prep started two months before the shoot.

Tell about your past collaborations with İlker? İlker and I met in 2014 – he was a directing student at the time and I was giving a directingcamera seminar. I immediately noticed his energy and talent, and his studies ended shortly after with a Student Oscar for Sadakat (2015, DP Florian Mag).

When his cinematographer dropped-out from one of his subsequent films, İlker approached me to be his DP. That was 2019. Since then we have worked

together several times and The Teachers’ Lounge is our third film collaboration.

What did you feel about the script from your point-of-view?

I was involved in brainstorming for a year-anda-half before shooting began. I found İlker›s idea, of using the school as a playing field, as a microcosm and reflection of society, very exciting.

I liked the restriction of shooting in just one location, but, of course, was a little afraid that this would be a film in which you only have talking or listening heads in front of windows and doors and shelves, and that there would be too little room for images without words and atmospheric elements.

We wanted the camera to observe, but not judge or denounce The script had a strong construction and we considered which visual language this construction would be least noticeable. The school is an everyday place and almost all the scenes take place during the day, but we wanted to create a visual pull, for the school to be its own cosmos.

My biggest question for the camera was how we would shoot long scenes with the kids in the classroom? How would we keep the liveliness of the kids and their direct reactions?

In Germany, children are only allowed to be on set for five hours and shoot for three, so the time pressure on shooting the classroom scenes was immense.

What research did you do? Did you look at any visual references?

We visited a wide variety of schools in advance to gather visual references. İlker talked to countless teachers, counsellors and psychologists, and did an

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internship before filming began, spending many hours in classrooms and teachers’ rooms.

Together, of course, we watched a lot of wellknown school-based films. Specifically, we were inspired by Dardenne Brothers’ Le Jeune Ahmet, (2019, DP Benoît Dervaux), Andrea Arnold’s Fish Tank (2009) and American Honey (2016) (both DP’d by Robbie Ryan ISC BSC), Xavier Dolan’s Mommy (2014, DP André Turpin), and Stéphane Brizé The Measure Of A Man (2017, DP Eric Dumont).

But the most important cinematic inspirations for us came from two films. Firstly, Elephant (2003, DP Harris Savides ASC) by Gus van Sant, for its strong feeling of closeness to the adolescents, the lighting moods and camerawork that immerse the viewers into a school-cosmos that has its own rules, procedures and unforgettable atmosphere, and, of course, it’s 4:3 aspect ratio.

The other was The Class/Entre Les Murs (2008, DPs Pierre Milon/Catherine Pujol) by Laurent Cantet. It is a stirring film in which the main character is a real teacher, not an actor, and whose improvisations bring an incredible authenticity, directness and unpredictability to the interactions, liveliness, meanness and power of the young

people. The camera manages to capture everything seemingly effortlessly and be part of the class. All of this was a great inspiration.

What aspect ratio did you choose?

And why?

During prep İlker and I talked a lot about how the 4:3 format reminded us both of our school days, a

JUDITH KAUFMANN BVK•DAS LEHRERZIMMER/THE TEACHERS’ LOUNGE bit like looking at a Polaroid. The narrowness of 4:3 format can be used to isolate characters or emphasise loneliness in a group, but it also gives each individual more weight and presence. For example, we could show a single child and at the same time see their hands on the table, and scribbles in their notebooks.

If you wanted to show a child’s upper body in 2.35:1 you would already have the second child in frame.

Also, the effect of watching 4:3 format is interesting. You feel constricted and cramped in the picture. The idea was also to make the pressure palpable for everyone, and you become part of a system that cannot widen its view.

For İlker and me 4:3 was cinematic challenge.

Neither of us had shot in this format before, and we were euphoric about daring to try something new and being forced to find new ways of framing.

Which cameras and lenses did you choose?

It was quickly clear how mobile we had to be, firstly because of the time pressure – we only had 28 shooting days, and kids are only allowed to shoot three hours a day – and second, because the camera had to be very responsive.

So we shot with an ARRI Alexa Mini and Leica Summilux-C T1.4 lenses, supplied by MBF, Hamburg, along with the lighting package.

We shot in winter with only a few hours of daylight, so I needed fast lenses. The Summilux-Cs have a T1.4, are very light and good for shooting handheld. For the class scenes with the kids, we shot

Everyone can get used to that look and there are fewer discussions in the final DI. To find the look, I test before each film, preferably at the main location with the main actors in costume and make-up, and in the most relevant light set-ups.

The screening of graded tests with all the HoDs in a cinema then forms the basis for the look.

The time pressure on shooting the classroom scenes was immense For The Teachers’ Lounge, I worked with DIT Patrick Locher to create LUTs based on the analysis of various 35mm film stocks. We wanted to work with a fairly high contrast and strengthen the blue and brown tones.

What was your approach to moving/ motivating the camera?

I don’t really like to work from a tripod because it restricts me too much. I want to be more mobile and that’s why I usually have the camera on a mini-jib arm or do handheld.

We wanted the camera to be with Carla, to

with two cameras, both with zoom lenses – an Angenieux 24-290mm and Optimo 45-120mm – mostly positioned at a 90-degrees to each other.

Did you work with a colourist to create LUTs? I always work with grading on-set so that the dailies are as similar as possible to the final look.

experience everything from her perspective, but to never know more than her. Emotionally, we also wanted to be with her colleagues and the children too. We wanted the camera to observe seismic events, but not judge or denounce during the momentum of a situation that could not be stopped.

In the classroom scenes we shot with two

Images: Courtesy of Judith Kaufmann BVK and If Productions.

cameras, and worked with Steadicam to follow Carla through the labyrinthine corridors. Many scenes are also shot with handheld camera.

I always operate. The shoot was difficult for the 1st AC because we shot without rehearsals so as to not jeopardise the liveliness of the children.

What was your approach to the lighting?

The lighting set-up was designed to give us the greatest authenticity, and to allow us the flexibility of shooting in 360-degrees. In the classroom and the teachers’ room, it was especially important to me that the windows were not too overexposed, so that it felt like the real world and not a studio-set. Furthermore, because of short days in winter, we had to allow for night-for-day shooting.

We bounced light into interiors using M40s, plus 12x12 or 20x12 butterflies, that were housed on rigs or cranes. Indoors we worked mainly with LiteMats, Astera fixtures and ARRI SkyPanels. We tried to integrate practicals as much as possible and to not have lighting stands around the location.

So the whole lighting design was very much driven by practicality. Our focus was to be completely free with the camera, to get the kids in the mood and then shoot quickly and without interruption. To create special lighting moods and atmosphere, we put up blinds, curtains and shades, and adjusted the practicals to our needs by fitting them with LEDs.

How did this film challenge you/ encourage your skills?

The entire film is set in one location and twothirds of it takes place in the classroom and teachers’ room. The big challenge for me was to create atmospheric light, but not to lose authenticity, and to always be able to look 360-degrees.

We shot whilst there were still Covid protocols, and the time restrictions with the children were stressful. It was a matter of being fast and ready to improvise. And trying to stay as relaxed as possible, so that the children felt comfortable.

CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 51

SOCIETY OF THE SNOW•PEDRO LUQUE SCU

MIRACLE OF THE ANDES

It was hugelychallenging, but also a dream come true

By Darek Kuźma

D

P Pedro Luque SCU assisted director J.A. Bayona in retelling one of the most astounding tales of human survival through the lens of a harrowing body horror that matures into a camaraderie of the soul. You can watch Society Of The Snow on Netflix now.

On October 13, 1972, a chartered flight from Montevideo in Uruguay to Santiago in Chile, crashed in the dazzling, but unforgiving, Andes mountains. It left the survivors – a junior rugby team along with their families and friends – fighting the elements in sub-zero-temperatures and enduring starvation for an unimaginable 72 days, until 16 of the original 45 people on-board the flight were rescued in what was dubbed ‘The Miracle Of The Andes’.

The following years brought a number of accounts of the ordeal, yet it was American director Frank Marshall’s 1992 film Alive (based on British author Piers Paul Read’s 1974 book) that became the most recognised version of the story. Three decades later, Spanish director J.A. Bayona – working on a 2009 book by Uruguayan author Pablo Vierci, who personally knew some of the survivors – pushed a cast of Uruguayan and Argentinian newcomers to their limits to bring his version of the miracle to the screen.

Luque is a Uruguayan DP, living in LA, with films including the thriller Don’t Breathe (2016, dir.

Fede Alvarez) under his belt. He was introduced to Bayona by director Álvaro Brechner and would prove to be an invaluable collaborator for Bayona.

“They say luck is when preparation meets opportunity. I was lucky to be from Uruguay, to know this story and to have a career in Hollywood.

I was ready, and Bayona saw that,” claims Luque.

However, being “ready” is an understatement, as the DP proved instrumental in helping the director to orchestrate the 138-shooting-day project.

“Tackling a film this big was intense, as we had to work both in real mountains and on several sound stages, where the production design team had the plane’s fuselage recreated down to the millimetre. In prep we stuck to the book, but after we started, we allowed ourselves time and freedom to be creative. There were some key frames we needed to get, but it was more about walking a fine line between documentary re-enactment and an expressive cinematic experience.”

As Bayona wanted Society Of The Snow to be

as realistic as possible, the team shot in the Andes, including the actual crash site at an elevation of some 3,500 metres.

“Getting there took 25 minutes by helicopter through one of the most treacherous mountain ranges in the world. The alternative was a six-hour car drive followed by a 12-hour hike. We had the director and actors on the ground and three units shooting. I personally did most of the helicopter shots. The weather was tough, so we had to go back several months later to complete those shots,” Luque recalls.

Most of the principal photography, however, which started in January 2022, was done in the Sierra Nevada mountains in Spain.

“We worked in a valley at around 3,000 metres and had a fuselage replica to shoot exteriors. We did some interiors there, but most of the footage inside the wreck of the plane was shot in a fuselage built on a stage on a parking lot, close to the mountains. Inside, we had a 33 x 7 metres LED screen there displaying background footage shot in the Andes.”

Two additional fuselages were also built further down the mountains to enable complicated shots that would not have been possible to achieve otherwise.

“It was a big backlot, like 100 x 100 metres.

The production designer, Alain Bainée, and his team, created a mountain out of foam and fake snow, and we put the fuselage on scissor lifts that could go up and down to simulate the plane at different situations, including the sequence where an avalanche buries it deep in snow,” says Luque.

Production wrapped in December 2022 on a stage in Madrid where they shot the scenes for the plane crash over three consecutive weeks.

“It needed a lot of coordination between SFX, VFX and cinematography,” Luque explains. “We had a full fuselage sitting on a fixed gimbal and a half fuselage built on a moving gimbal. The guys from El Ranchito, the VFX company, did all the previz that helped to plan the shots. We knew that in one shot, that the aeroplane seats numbered 20, 21, 23 and 24 would go away, and that we would need a dolly for shots with seat 32, etc.”

The visceral plane crash sequence was shot mostly with Panaspeed spherical lenses because of the need for VFX, yet Luque shot

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the majority of Society Of The Snow in Anamorphic using Alexa Mini LFs equipped with Panavision T-series lenses, provided by Panavision Paris.

“We wanted to preserve the feel of 1970s whilst staying modern,” the DP remarks. “We tested cameras from ARRI, Sony and Red, as well as Hawk, Panavision and Leica lenses, then took the gear and some actors to the Italian Alps for a blind test.

“Our hearts told us that this film had to be Anamorphic on a large frame, and we decided to go for 2.55:1 aspect ratio as there would be shots with fifteen or so characters, and we wanted to go as wide as possible without giving importance to anyone individual in particular. We composed shots to have all faces horizontally in a frame. Dolly grip Salva Castellarnau did brilliant work flying the Technocrane over all those people lying down. It was like doing a surgery with a crane!”

Society Of The Snow’s camerawork – done by Luque and his camera operators, including Juanjo Sánchez on A-camera and Manuel Branaa on B-camera – is always inquisitive and empathetic.

Yet it never shies away from depicting the trauma nor the horror of people surviving in a frozen wasteland, where the only thing to eat is the flesh of those who did not make it.

So, it is hardly a surprise that this was the most emotional project the DP has ever worked on.

“What I enjoy the most during production are the personal relationships I create with the cast and crew. We had great camaraderie on-set.

Even though it was a big, technically-challenging project, we knew we had to open the window for emotions,” he admits.

“We were behind the monitors crying when the characters got hurt, died, lost their friends or relatives. We suffered too, shooting in tough conditions, in the snow, in the wind, physically exhausted. I believe all of this brought emotional resonance to the work.”

Technical challenges included mixing claustrophobic interior work with the visual scope of the mountain exteriors and the vistas the survivors experience on the screen.

“We’d go with more than a dozen characters

PEDRO LUQUE SCU•SOCIETY OF THE SNOW Images: All images courtesy/copyright Netflix.

from inside the plane – which was four metres wide, three metres high and 12 metres long – to the great expanse of the mountains. In lighting terms it was going from a scene lit for T2.8 to T22. Or, between T2.8 on closeups to T16 on wide shots during a place crash. It was tricky,” he says.

“I didn’t use light units on day exteriors apart from matching a few close-ups and inserts. Inside the plane it was mostly the light that came through the windows.

We tested LED mats as a roof but it looked fake. We used a mix of LED, Fresnels and HMIs, but it was always more about how to place the actors so that they were lit with a nice chiaroscuro – I like to have contrast between the bright and the dark side of the human face and body.”

Lighting gear was provided by IFL in Spain.

One sequence perfectly encapsulates the creativity and the heart that went into making the film: the avalanche that traps the survivors in the wrecked fuselage.

“They’re under two or three metres of snow, in complete darkness. Initially they use their lighters, which were real lighters enhanced with LEDs for longer flames and shadows.

Then, borrowing some of the visual ideas from Don’t Breathe, in which a blind guy kills-off the lights to trap three teenagers in his house, we decided to have a mix of infrared cameras and subtle light units. When we did the final DI grade, with Chema Alba at Deluxe Spain, it became this otherworldly

monochromatic image that resounds with the sheer desperation the characters were feeling, before they eventually see a tiny blue glow from above which gives them

hope again,” recalls Luque.

“We shot that on a stage with an LED screen in the background and 150 ARRI Sky Panels forming the roof. The set-up was enhanced for interior work

by Tungsten T12s for sunrise shots and LED Fresnels and HMIs when needed.”

The DI grade lasted six weeks and gave Luque time to experiment with the ‘70’s look before putting the final polish. Picture finishing was delivered by Deluxe Spain, with the grade, online and finish completed in DaVinci Resolve Studio.

“I did on-set colour grading with LUTs we made with my DIT Rodrigo Gomez. I knew they would work only as a reference, but they definitely boosted up the final grade. As we didn’t have any green in the production design on the mountain, we found the right kind of metalliclook for the whole film and Chema found a way of doing a mask on the skin of the actors and enhance the make-up with a touch of contrast and saturation,” Luque remarks.

Society Of The Snow’s look is also the effect of printing the digital film on to 35mm and scanning it back to digital.

“We printed it via an ARRI laser on to 250D Kodak stock and then scanned it back in 6K, which gave us a little

CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 53

SOCIETY OF THE SNOW•PEDRO LUQUE SCU

natural grain from the filmstock. We didn’t go for any artificial grain or ‘70s artifacts because we knew they would look fake. We were constantly walking this fine line between being realistic and cinematic.”

Whether it is the pact the survivors make that their bodies can be ‘used’ after their death to support others to live, or gut-wrenching moments that force you to think about how you would react in a near-death situation, Society Of The Snow – Spain’s submission for best international feature at the 96th Academy Awards – is a triumph of engrossing cinematic storytelling.

We were constantly walking a fine line between being realistic and cinematic

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It is a film devoid of any judgement or moral condemnation that became part of the initial media circus after The Miracle Of The Andes become a worldwide story. It is more a film about humanity in peril that is filled with both death and hope. The quintessential version of the 1972 tragedy turned into a miracle.

“It was hugely-challenging but also a dream come true for a DP like me,” sums-up Luque. “I’m proud to have worked on such an incredible project and hope I’ll have a chance to shoot many more of those.”

ARGYLLE•GEORGE RICHMOND BSC

STRANGER THAN FICTION

By Natasha Block Hicks

F

or DP George Richmond BSC, “shiny” is how director Matthew Vaughn encapsulated his vision for Argylle (2024), the action-comedy written by Jason Fuchs about a reclusive author who gets sucked into an espionage operation when her best-selling spy novel starts to mirror real life. Argylle is Vaughn and Richmond’s third collaboration as director/DP, and Vaughn’s first film since Stardust (2007, DP Ban Davis BSC) to welcome a younger audience, with a rating of PG. “It has what I would call a Hollywood glossy look,” explains Richmond, “taking some notes from the action comedies that were shot in the eighties and nineties.”

After a glamour-dusted overture, which introduces the slickly charismatic Agent Argylle (Henry Cavill) mid-mission, the narrative then applies the brakes to reveal him as the literary concept of the timid author Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard). Soon, however, the pace and backdrop of Elly’s own life enliven to match, and blend with, her creation.

Richmond discloses that the film opens with a “slightly heightened” look, enhanced with the help of the movie’s colourists Adam Glasman and Maria Chamberlain at Goldcrest Post Production, but this is not limited to the beginning, nor only to the novel elements of the narrative.

“We wanted the fiction and the ‘real world’ of the story to drift into each other,” details Richmond.

“It’s such a high concept, and some of the ideas and sequences are rather out there, so the lines had to be blurred. Matt is an unusual director – he doesn’t do things the same way as everybody else.”

Richmond turned to ARRI Alexa LF and Mini LF cameras, coupled with Panavision Ultra Vista Anamorphic prime lenses for Argylle, assembled by Charlie Todman at Panavision UK and prepared by the A-camera 1st AC David Cozens. This is a combination Richmond has tweaked and tuned depending on the genres of his recent projects, from the shadowy magical adventure Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore (2022, dir. David Yates), through the heady opioid-peddler confessional Pain Hustlers (2023, dir. David Yates), and also to his latest project, the irreverent superhero showpiece Deadpool 3 (2024, dir. Shawn Levy).

“For me, right now, this is the best combination of lenses and digital cameras there is,” Richmond says with conviction.

“You get to know the personality of each lens, how they focus and see the light, their unique bokeh and flare. Then, instinctively, you start choosing individual lenses to do certain jobs.”

Richmond explains that a key benefit to utilising the Ultra Vistas with a large format camera is that the 1.65:1 Anamorphic squeeze allows the creation of a 2.40:1 image using the entire LF chip.

“Which is a VistaVision capture area,” he enthuses, “and another thing I particularly enjoy about the Anamorphic system is that you have to bring the camera into the action because the lenses don’t go that long.”

This idea of the camera as a participant compliments Richmond’s view of Vaughn’s “descriptive” directorial approach.

“He’s a very visual director,” Richmond elaborates, “and he’s very into what the camera is ‘saying’.”

Production commenced in May 2021 when restrictions on access to the larger film studios meant that an independently-financed films such as Argylle had to make alternative arrangements. Practically this saw the production spread between warehouse set-builds, smaller studios and locations around West London and its neighbouring counties. For Richmond and the lighting

56 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD

crew this added travel time to their after-hours and weekend shifts pre-lighting the sets in preparation for the subsequent days of shooting.

“It was hard work,” admits Richmond, “but in this modern day you have to be well-prepared in order to work fast. Major lighting changes take a lot of time.”

Following a conversation with Vaughn, Richmond would pre-light the spaces from every conceivable camera angle, no mean feat when a proportion of the film was to be shot on Steadicam, flown by Richmond’s regular A-camera operator, the “incredibly precise” Chris Bain. Richmond would then programme the set-ups on the lighting desk, leaving only minor tweaks and the lighting of the actors for when the whole crew was present.

Aiding Richmond through such comprehensive pre-lighting set-ups was gaffer Stephen Mathie, who – perhaps significantly – first came to the DP’s attention as a lighting programmer on Richmond and Vaughn’s first collaboration Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014), where they “got on like a house on fire”.

“When the pre-light is done, my philosophy is to keep lighting equipment on-set to a minimum and make it as uncomplicated as possible,” stresses Richmond.

Though the main lighting package was from Panalux, for the more “delicate” lighting around camera, Richmond favoured a set of soft boxes he designed and built himself, conceived with the help of legendary gaffer John ‘Biggles’ Higgins when the two worked together on Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017). Based on Aladdin

GEORGE RICHMOND BSC•ARGYLLE

Images: BTS photos by George Richmond BSC. Film stills by Peter Mountain, courtesy of Universal Pictures, Apple Original Films and Marv.

bi-colour LED strips on separate channels, and with bespoke drivers from EMP Designs, Richmond’s lights can produce variable dimming across a single unit, run lighting chases and take egg crates for directional light.

“Plus, I’ve tried to make them ‘electrician proof’,” he says wryly, “so you could literally throw them onto a lighting truck and they won’t break.”

After several iterations, Richmond now has enough soft boxes to furnish two units.

“I know them well and know how to work fast with them,” he reflects, “which helps with a movie like Argylle, which has a lot of lights in it.

“Lighting starts as an idea,” Richmond continues philosophically, “but, ultimately, it has to be practical and efficient. Nine times out of ten the important thing that the director is relaying to the audience is carried through the performances and action. Occasionally you’ll be asked to create all of that feeling with light and camera movement, and that’s wonderful when it happens, but you have to pick your moments. The main objective is that the lighting looks good and pleasing and suits the project.”

Efficiency and versatility are also behind Richmond’s preference for using a Technocrane on his projects, Argylle being no exception.

“Some producers are averse to it,” reveals Richmond, “but if you know how to use it, you’re clever about where you put the base and you’re teamed-up with a good key grip who can swing and telescope to make straight lines (Jac Hopkins in the case of Argylle),

then this machine can reach into so many different parts of the set. It’s liberating and helps you work quickly.

“It’s a particularly great tool to use with Matt,” Richmond confides, “because his creative process means that things can change, and it’s really important to adapt quickly.”

Matthew is a very visual director, and he’s very into what the camera is saying Early-on in discussions, Vaughn declared to Richmond that he wanted to “reinvent action sequences”, much to the DP’s intrigue.

“He set a challenge for us, which was very interesting,” reveals Richmond.

Vaughn wanted to shoot a fight scene partly from a central character’s point of view, with certain hallucinatory switch-out elements to it. It’s not possible to say more without spoilers, but to achieve this end, with only three days set aside for the scene in the schedule, Richmond devised a way for Bain to operate two Mini LFs simultaneously, one above the other with a wide and

tight lens respectively, on a single handheld rig.

“We trimmed the tilt of the long lens camera to the action,” Richmond explains, “then we’d run that lens in slo-mo. Chris would focus his operating on the wide lens, using frame markers so that he could repeat the sequences as accurately as humanly possible.”

Richmond is pleased with the result.

“We thought it would have to use a lot of visual effects to make it work but actually a lot of it was done analogue, in the cutting room. It was amazing, and a really fun thing to do.”

VFX did of course have their place, such as the recreation of an Amtrak train hurtling through the Rockies, but even here Richmond had his own way of “looping-in the lighting”.

“I talked the VFX team into using a sky-bluescreen, rather than digi-blue or green, which allowed the light to come in from the correct place, teamed with a small lighting chase to keep it alive. That worked well.”

Although Richmond has returned to the same equipment over his last four movies, he finds enjoyment in finding new ways to apply it in different circumstances and across genres.

“My taste is always changing,” he muses, “it’s constantly in flux and I think, ‘thank God for that’.”

CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 57

EIN GANZES LEBEN/A WHOLE LIFE•ARMIN FRANZEN

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Images: BTS photos by Armin Franzen and Nicole Giesa. Film stills courtesy of EPO Film, Tobis.

By Ron Prince

N

ot only did German DP Armin Franzen put his heart and soul into shooting Ein Ganzes Leben/A Whole Life, he put his body on the line too, braving bone-chilling temperatures and sometimes perilous heights in the mountains to capture the story of a simple life and love.

The film is based on the bestselling 2014 novella of the same name by Robert Seethaler, which was subsequently translated into 40 languages and sold more than 1.6 million copies worldwide. It was adapted for the screen by Ulrich Limmer, whose credits include the Oscar nominated Schtonk (1992, dir. Helmut Dietle, DP Xaver Schwarzenberger).

A Whole Life tells the story of orphan Andreas Egger over eight decades of the last century. As a young boy, he is sent to live with his ruthless uncle on a farm in a remote valley, where he endures a childhood without affection, full of brutality and hard labour. Aged 18, though partly crippled by his uncle, Andreas has grown strong and finds the courage to leave his oppressor. He finds work on the construction of a mountain cable car, an innovation marking the start of Alpine tourism, but paid-for with many lives.

Andreas is able to buy a small cabin in the mountains and finds love for the first time with Marie, the light of his life. But when his dreams are shattered by a catastrophic avalanche, he enlists as a soldier in the German Wehrmacht is posted to the Russian frontline, with little hope left and thinking only of Marie.

When he returns to the valley, he finds the world has

changed. Despite many hardships, but with Marie always in his heart, Andreas finds contentment in the little time that is left.

The film was directed by Hans Steinbichler, whose features include the Berlin Film Festival entry, The Diary Of Anne Frank (2016, DP Bella Halben), and the third season of the Sky series Das Boot, where he and Franzen first collaborated.

It was a magical experience to shoot a story that I love C Franzen is an alumnus of the Filmakademie Baden Württemberg and Lodz Film School, in Poland, whose credits also include Gladbeck (2018), Rammstein Deutschland (2019) and How To Sell Drugs Online (Fast) (2019).

“Hans revealed his plans to direct the film when we were in Malta shooting Das Boot,” Franzen remembers.

“He told me he liked the emotional connection I bring to my work, and thought I would be right for this project.

Ironically, I had read Robert Seethaler’s book several years before, and remember being very moved by

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it. When Hans started to tell me the story again I got goosebumps.”

He adds, “The narrative is so special and meaningful to me, and I knew we had to find the right visual language to convey the feelings and emotions from a script where the central character does not talk much at all.

Franzen reveals that, “visual references take me too far away from what I want to do. The only movie we countenanced was Let There Be Blood (2007, Paul Thomas Anderson, DP Robert Elswit ASC) for the way it depicted the idea of progress and nature, but there was nothing else beyond that.

“To be believable, I felt this film had to be realistic, but to also have the poetic magic of a parable – something along the lines of Forrest Gump (1994, dir. Robert Zemeckis, DP Don Burgess ASC) meeting Hermann Hesse’s novel Siddhartha (1922), but in the

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EIN GANZES LEBEN/A WHOLE LIFE•ARMIN FRANZEN

mountains. To achieve that, we had to remain close to Andreas, to observe the world from his point-of-view, and to feel his presence in the natural environment. But with nothing artificial, no greenscreen and no visual effects, it all had to be shot in-camera to keep the feeling of reality for the audience.”

Production took place over a total of 47 shooting days, in two separate stints – ten days in February 2022, and followed by 37 in between May and July – at locations in Austria’s mountainous East Tyrol and the South Tyrol of Italy, plus indoor locations in Bavaria, Germany. Accessing the locations frequently involved lengthy drives in shuttle buses to the unit base, and then either taking a snow-mobile or hiking on foot with equipment in backpacks to arrive at the chosen site – all whilst knowing in advance the length of the shooting day, the position of the sun, the camera positions and the shots that needed to be accomplished.

This film had to be realistic, but also have the poetic magic of a parable Franzen says he wanted to shoot with the emotional language already 98% baked-in to the pictures. During tests he worked with long-time colourist collaborator, Benedikt Hugendubel, to develop one single LUT that would be applied across all day/ night, interior/exterior, summer/winter scenes, that would celebrate the power, glory and brutality of the mountains, as well as the different emotional atmospheres in the movie’s more intimate moments.

He also determined that the most satisfying visual formula would be to frame the film in Anamorphic widescreen 2.40:1, composing for mid-shots, with the camera at 1.5m from the performer, using lenses at the shorter-end of the focal range, typically 40mm and 50mm lengths. After much consideration about the logistics of shooting in the mountains, Franzen went with an ARRI Alexa Mini LF for the shoot, with Cooke full-frame Anamorphic/iFF lenses. The camera and lens package was provided by Ludwig Kameraverleih in Munich.

“Getting to many of our locations, was not easy, so the camera package had to be as compact as possible, and there was no-way we could bring a DIT tent or video village,” he explains. “The main thing was the proximity of the camera to Andreas.

Whilst this combination of camera and lenses was not physically small, it gave me the right emotional language for the film. Framing him in mid-shot, between T.4 to T5.6 against the landscapes, with the full-frame Anamorphic/iFF lenses, delivered beautiful portraiture with beautiful fall-off, and images that looked natural and immersive. We only shot wide-open when we wanted to show extreme emotion, with the background out-of-focus and distorted.”

Uve Griner was the gaffer on the movie’s winter section, with Werner Stibitz working in the summer sequences. Franzen says size and weight of the lighting package was also a key consideration.

“As some locations were so remote, there was no way we could have a generator to power the lighting.

So we took batteries, LEDs such as Creamsource Votex 8s and used Lightbridge CRLS reflectors, Carpet Lights, Astera tubes, eggcrates and butterflies to direct and shape the light. For the scenes in the town, when the power supply was not an issue, I was able to use larger lamps, like ARRI SkyPanels 360s, M40 and M18s HMIs, even an Orbiter.”

The practicalities of shooting in remote mountainous terrain, meant that Franzen shared the task of camera operating with Robert Stopfer and Michael Rathgeber, especially on winter master shots of trees being felled to make way for the cable car, when the cameras were located hundreds of yards apart. Although Franzen sometimes scaled some dizzying heights himself, secured with safety ropes, some camera positions, such as the rock face of the stone quarry and suspended cable car, were so precipitous that specialist mountain operators were brought in to film those scenes.

Shooting in the snow proved a considerable physical challenge. “Whilst it was exciting to be in the snow, you have to very conscious about the cold,” he remarks. “You consume a lot of energy, and if you make one mistake, like opening your jacket or taking-off your gloves because you’re too warm, you’re fucked for the rest of the day. You won’t get warm again.”

Whilst Franzen had every intention of capturing everything naturally in-camera, he had to resort to one neat trick to in order to depict the moment when Andreas becomes engulfed by the avalanche. With no effective way of shooting that for real in the snow, nor the budget to try it in a studio, he sourced a large opaque ball, some 4m in diameter, that gave just enough space to accommodate the actor, with a body-mounted camera and heaps of fake snow. Upon the ball being gently rolled by the grips, and nifty framing on the performer, this resulted in the desired dramatic effect.

He concludes, “I’m very happy that I was chosen to shoot this movie, as it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work in the mountains. It was never easy-going physically, working in remote locations in the cold, and I had to be super-organised, but it was a magical experience to shoot a story that I love.”

60 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD

See us at BSC Expo on STAND 219

KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON•RODRIGO PRIETO AMC ASC

DEADLY DECEPTION

By Ron Prince

S

hooting on a foundation of Kodak 35mm colour/B&W filmstocks, Mexican DP Rodrigo Prieto AMC ASC conjured-up a variety of looks, that honour the heritage of the Osage people and depict their deadly deception, for Martin Scorsese’s acclaimed period-thriller, Killers Of The Flower Moon.

Adapted from David Grann’s 2017 best-selling non-fiction book – Killers Of The Flower Moon: The Osage Murders And The Birth Of The FBI – the plot centres on the gruesome real-life, murders of multiple native Americans in the Osage Nation, Oklahoma, during the 1920s, after oil was discovered on their tribal lands and their wealth was stolen.

Costing an estimated $200 million, and framed in epic Anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio, the film was directed and produced by Scorsese, from a screenplay he co-write with Eric Roth. Robert De Niro stars as William Hale, who orchestrates the murderously Machiavellian conspiracy to rob the Osage of their wealth, alongside Leonardo DiCaprio as Ernest Buckhart, the feckless nephew who does his Uncle William’s bidding, with Lily Gladstone playing Mollie, an Osage woman who Ernest marries for the sole purpose of finagling her considerable finances by deadly means.

It was a powerful experience that stretched me as a cinematographer and a person Killers Of The Flower Moon premiered in May 2023 at the Cannes Film Festival, and was released theatrically in October, by Paramount Pictures and Apple Original Film. It received critical acclaim worldwide for Scorsese’s direction, central performances and Prieto’s cinematography. The film was nominated for ten Academy Awards, with Prieto receiving prestigious Oscar, BAFTA, ASC and BSC Award nods for his work.

Prieto forged his early career in Mexico and shot to international-acclaim with his work on Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Amores Perros (2000), which earned him the prestigious Golden Frog at Camerimage. Killers Of The Flower Moon is his fourth movie collaboration with Scorsese, following The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013), Silence (2016) and The Irishman (2019), and represents his fourth Academy Award nomination alongside Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain (2005), Silence and The Irishman – all of which were shot on Kodak 35mm film.

In preparation for the production, and to help portray an accurate depiction of the period, place and people in the movie, many of the production team, including Scorsese and Prieto, spent time with Osage leaders, local consultants and cultural advisors.

Principal photography on Killers Of The Flower Moon took place between April and October 2021, at locations around in Osage County, home to the federally-recognised Osage Nation of native Americans and where the terrible events took place.

New façades were constructed for stores and businesses, in the town of Pawhuska, with a huge volume of dirt needed to cover the road surfaces. The homes of the main characters were constructed as accurately as possible in terms of interior/exterior décor and colour palettes, and with orientations that would make the most of the sunlight for cinematographic purposes and honour the position of the sun in Osage rituals.

Speaking about his aesthetic approach to the film, Prieto remarks, “I knew Marty wanted to tell a strong, powerful story in a visually-realistic way that also honoured the Osage. So, I went back to the idea I presented to him when we shot The Irishman, which was the notion of evoking the memory of a certain era through stills photography of the time. I prefer to take my visual inspirations from real stills, and to observe where the camera is in relation to the light.

“I did lots of research into that period, including reading David Grann’s book. So did the art department, who had amassed an incredible array of photos. Everything you see in

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the film – every set-piece, every part of the production design and the lighting – is based on those old photographs, and that was very helpful to me in the early stages.”

He continues, “During my research into colour, and early techniques to create colour on film, the muted colour palette of Autochrome – which was pioneered by the Lumière brothers around 1903 – had great visual appeal to me. I thought that would be an appropriate look for the scenes involving Ernest Burkhart, William King Hale and the descendants of European immigrants, since it is a photographic technique from Europe.

“Through more research, and especially by spending time with Osage people, I came to a great understanding of how their view of the world is connected to nature, and the importance of the sun in their lives and rituals. So I determined that the look of these scenes should reproduce colours in a naturalistic way, just like KODAK negative printed on KODAK print stock does.

He adds, “For the moment when Mollie’s sister’s house explodes, and Ernest’s feelings of guilt and confusion grow deeper, I switched to a Technicolor ENR-process look, that’s contrasty, with particularly

RODRIGO PRIETO AMC ASC•KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON

Images: Creator Melinda Sue Gordon.

All images courtesy of Apple.

rich blacks but subdued colours. As the movie is a representation of real events, we also wanted to include hand-cranked newsreel footage at the beginning, and a radio show telling the story of the Osage at the end.”

As for shooting Killers Of The Flower Moon in analogue, Prieto remarks, “Film is always Marty’s preference, and it was never in doubt that Killers Of The Flower Moon, would be shot on 35mm film. It has the colour-depth to impact landscapes and shots of nature, the colour fidelity to render the nuances of different facial skin tones, and the textures to evoke emotional responses amongst the audience.”

After extensive testing Prieto settled on filming with ARRICAM ST and LT 35mm cameras, using Panavision T-series optics, modified by lens guru Dan Sasaki, to help emulate the Autochrome look, along with Petzval Anamorphic lenses to capture shots of the murder victims. The hand-cranked newsreel footage that features in the film was taken using

Scorsese’s own 1917 Bell & Howell 35mm camera, which needed some repairs and adjustments by Panavision to make it ready for the production environment. A small number of ultra-low light shots and aerials used a digital camera.

“I am not aware of there being any Anamorphic lenses from the 1920s, and I knew the sharpness of modern Anamorphic optics would look incongruous,” says Prieto. “To achieve the period-style look I wanted, Dan adapted the T-series optics by changing the coatings in a way that softened and warmed the image, especially the flares.

“Dan was also very clever in producing an Anamorphic version of the Petzval and giving it a gentle swirling background curvature that helped me create a particular visual emphasis when we photographed the murder victims.”

Prieto selected a quartet of KODAK VISON3 35mm filmstocks as the foundation stones from which the movie’s different looks would emerge during final post production: 250D 5207 for most of the daytime interior/exterior scenes; 50D 5203 for some of the exterior shots of Osage rituals; 500T 5219 for night scenes and interiors lit with Tungsten fixtures; and Double X 5222 B&W for the newsreel footage.

Film processing, dailies and 4K scans were done at FotoKem in Los Angeles. The final colour grade was done by Yvan Lucas at Company3, who had been a key collaborator with Prieto in helping to develop the variety of aesthetics from the very earliest stages of testing.

“I enjoy shooting on film very much,” says Prieto. “I still feel its colours are the most visually-satisfying, and there’s something about the contrast, the randomness of the grain, the way shadow and highlight details are reproduced in the filmed image that you just cannot create digitally in-camera, even with LUTs. So, originating on 35mm film really was integral to the way this production ended-up looking.

“For example, the 250D faithfully reproduced what was front of the camera, with no artifice getting in the way, and was the foundation of the engaging and genuinely gripping atmosphere of the Autochrome look for the scenes featuring William Hale, Ernest and their cronies,” he says.

“The 50D is great in bright daylight situations, full of rich colour, contrast and details, and was the perfect way to represent nature, the epic landscapes and the Osage rituals. The tonality and contrast of the Double-X 5222 B&W negative brought an authentic look to our newsreel footage, which is really hard to emulate digitally. And, of course, the 500T is a versatile, workhorse stock that you can use for all sorts of interior/exterior day/night situations.”

Prieto is full of praise for his camera and lighting team. “I had Scott Sakamoto on A-camera/ Steadicam, who is a real master operator and did an especially good job on the long oners we designed.

He was ably assisted by the incomparable Trevor Loomis on focus, who also hand-cranked the Bell & Howell 35mm camera.

Marty wanted to tell a strong, powerful story that also honoured the Osage people “I was fortunate to have Donald Reynolds heading our grip team, wrangling dollies, tracks and cranes in our many set-ups, and gaffer Ian Kincaid, with his skills in empathic lighting on the Osage, and more shadowy, harsh and sometimes downright ugly illumination on William Hale, Ernest and their nefarious activities. I also have to thank Ellen Kuras ASC for directing the second unit, shot by Darren Lew.” Looking back at his experience of shooting, Prieto concludes, “It was a complex and powerful experience. I admire Marty so much, and I really enjoyed the challenge of creating different visual looks to evoke different emotional experiences. Once again, we put our faith in film, and its ability to support dramatic storytelling, and were rewarded with a result of which both myself and Marty are very proud.”

CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 63

MASTERS OF THE AIR•JAC FITZGERALD

REACH FOR THE SKY

By Iain Blair

W

WII drama, Masters Of The Air, is the latest ambitious project from Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, the producing team behind Band Of Brothers and The Pacific.

Starring Austin Butler and Barry Keoghan, the nine-episode Apple TV+ limited series, based on Donald L. Miller’s book of the same name, and scripted by John Orloff, follows the men of the 100th Bomb Group as they conduct perilous bombing raids over Nazi Germany and grapple with frigid conditions, the lack of oxygen and sheer terror of combat at 25,000 feet up in the air.

Ranging in locations from the bucolic fields and villages of southeast England to the harsh deprivations of a German prisoner-of-war camp, Masters Of The Air is enormous in both scale and scope, and took many years and an army of creatives, including directors Cary Joji Fukunaga, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, and DPs including Jac Fitzgerald and Adam Arkapaw, to bring it to life.

Here, Fitzgerald (True Detective) talks about the challenges of shooting the ambitious show, and her approach to the cinematography and lighting.

This was a massive project with a lot of moving parts. What were the big challenges facing you when you took it on?

It came to me via my good friend Adam Arkapaw.

I’m a huge fan of his beautiful work, and it was Adam who started the show as DP. He shot episodes one to four. So the challenges were stepping into such big shoes, the enormity of the story and the the logistical challenges of show itself – like filming a bunch of guys in planes that were made to scale. How do we make that look realistic? How do we make them a functional space for shooting actors?

Initially these were all things that I was a little bit apprehensive about. I also anticipated the weather being a huge challenge, knowing that we would be

shooting at an airfield that was prone to getting big shifts in weather patterns. But we actually got very lucky with the weather.

When we came to shoot, Covid was a whole other issue in terms of daily challenges. We had an extraordinary number of stoppages and tiny shoot days because, at the time, Apple decided we needed to get the entire crew tested and cleared every day before anyone could step onto set. You lose momentum when you can’t start the day at 07:00am.

It was such an eyeopener to me how lovely they were to their cast and their crew, and fascinating to me how they just work as one brain. Normally you are riffing ideas with the director, whereas they could riff ideas together and then they would riff it with me, and that’s how it began.

Adam and director Cary Joji Fukunaga set the template for the look of the whole show in their first four episodes. Did this carry on and develop across your episodes?

Good question. Yes, I carried-on the template that had been set, but my episodes began to broaden the storyline. Episode six, for example, spent a long time not in the airfield and not on the army base, and the other episodes also kind of stretched the world and the visual narratives.

Did you pick the camera/lens and lighting packages? Or were they pre-assigned?

Adam and Cary had picked everything out early-on, and the camera/lens and lighting packages ran through the entire series. We used the Sony Venice camera with Panavision Primo V-series lenses, ranging from 21mm up to 135mm.

The main lighting set-up was actually very simple.

We had an HMI package and a lot of ARRI SkyPanels – 30s, 60s, 120s and 360s. My style is very low key in terms of lighting. I had a couple of 18K HMIs and a lot of the work was done in combination with the 360s around the planes because everything was so tight. I also used a lot of bendable light mats that we had built so we could stick them into the fuselage parts of the plane and could control those remotely.

You shot episodes 5 and 6 with the directing team of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck who co-wrote and directed Captain Marvel. How did you all approach those?

It was my first time working with Anna and Ryan, and I hadn’t ever worked with a directing duo before. They were the most incredibly generous and caring directors.

Tell us about the shoot and how it worked between being on location at the huge US airbase they built in Oxfordshire and the stage work?

We all started on-location shooting, and then went into a volume studio in Aylesbury to do the interior plane work. Because that was being built and hashed-through

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JAC FITZGERALD•MASTERS OF THE AIR Images: Creator Robert Viglasky. All images courtesy of Apple.

My episodes began to broaden the storyline and the visual narratives

as we were shooting, the volume equipment list just kept on growing and growing, with more and more cameras and lighting.

The rigging of the volume for the planes was so labour-intensive, as most of the planes were on gimbals, 15 feet up in the air. Rigging took an enormous amount of time and we had to have many cameras preset for just a little bites. I remember the first couple of days were a real nightmare and it was tricky just knowing how reduced our

As the battle scenes got more and more intense…

Cary said, ‘Let’s get into handheld work’ shooting schedule was because of Covid testing and the rigging time we had.

How did Anna and Ryan approach the volume work?

I think they wanted to work in a much more organic way than Adam and Cary had in the volume stage, where they’d been rigging cameras everywhere around the exterior of the plane. Anna and Ryan were much more like, ‘We want to be with the actors. We don’t need a zillion cameras everywhere. So let’s try and strip-out what has already been designed and established’.

And then Adam had to leave the show early for family health reasons, and I ended-up taking over from him for three weeks. Because of Covid and the enormity

of the show, his block went over for a good period of time. So I filled in for him and I did a bunch of work on episode four with Cary.

It was all volume stuff, although we also did a bunch of sequences where we were not in the planes, where the crew were on the ground and we had scene work to do. After the volume work we did, Cary was like, ‘Let’s get into handheld work’. He also realised that it had served its purpose for the initial episodes to be much more formal in the plane, but then, as the battles started to get more and more intense, we wanted to infuse that energy into those battle scenes with the actors a bit more.

How would you sum up the experience of making this, as it sounds a bit like dealing with an army in a very complicated campaign?

Yeah, you’re right. All the location work and then the volume work was so complex, and we always joke about how being in the film industry is just like a creative military team. It was so impressive to see those worlds actually coming together. We sat in our army tents every morning having breakfast together, and then we’d go out onto the airfield and get ready for battle for the day. Yeah, it was a fantastic experience.

Episode five is really all about the big air fights, so I assume you did a lot of previz on all those sequences?

Yeah, that was crucial for trying to make sure that all the battle-work tracked, because that was obviously such an important part for the actors to know where the planes were going to be, and what was happening outside of the windows. In theory, the volume screen was meant to have all of that there at all times so they could literally understand where everything was in the sky and what was going on around them. However, the information wasn’t always on the screen, or it would be there, but in a very rudimentary way. So often it turned into an eyeline machine rather than being used in the final image.

What was the most difficult scene to shoot and why?

There were two scenes where fog had settled over the airfield and all the pilots had to just sit around and wait for it to clear before taking-off. I was most nervous about them because they were on Cary’s episodes. Adam and Cary had done a little bit of location shooting with the fog around the radio tower, and then I had to make the rest of the scene.

So we ended-up basically bringing the entire plane into the studio minus a quarter of the wingspan. You can imagine if you put a plane inside any studio, you don’t have a lot of room after that for shooting. So just the logistics of that and fogging-out the stage and making it feel believable was a huge challenge for me. But we pulled it off and I think all the foggy work looks really great.

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ORIGIN•AVA DUVERNAY & DP MATTHEW J LLOYD ASC

THINK AGAIN

By Ron Prince

W

ritten and directed by Ava Duvernay, with cinematography on KODAK 16mm film by DP Matthew J Lloyd ASC, Origin chronicles the remarkable life and work of Pulitzer prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson, as she investigates the genesis of injustice and exposes hidden truths that affect us all.

The thought-provoking biographical drama is based on Wilkerson’s best-selling, 2020, non-fiction book, Caste: The Origins Of Our Discontent. In it, she describes the caste system as a process that has artificially-created social hierarchies which have been used to subjugate people in many cultures around the world, often to the point of complete dehumanization for those at the bottom of the stratification.

As with the book, the movie portrays racism in the United States as an aspect of a centuries-old caste system, and compares the experience of American people of colour to the even-older caste systems of India. It also links the inherent degradations within systems of caste to the rise of Nazi Germany and the horrific crimes of the Holocaust.

DuVernay’s film, made outside of the studio system, interweaves Wilkerson’s own contemporary personal journey – the effects of family tragedies as she investigates the subject of caste across different continents – with historical depictions of case studies from her research, using KODAK 16mm film to deliver the connective visual thread between times, places and emotions.

Scenarios depicted include: the killing of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman in 2012; the infamous, 1933 Nazi book-burnings in Berlin’s Bebelplatz; a portrait of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, the Dalit scholar who grew up in poverty as an ‘untouchable’ on the lowest rung of India’s social hierarchy, and went on to help

draft the country’s constitution; and the 1951 story of Al Bright, an 11-year-old Black boy who was banned from entering the swimming pool in which his white Little League teammates were celebrating.

Origin had its world premiere at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, where it was widely applauded as a film with ‘strength and purpose’, ‘unafraid to ask big questions’ about prejudice, bias and intolerance, along with earning praise for its powerful performances.

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor stars as Wilkerson, alongside Jon Bernthal as Wilkerson’s husband, Brett Hamilton, Niecy Nash-Betts as cousin Marion, together with Vera Farmiga, Audra McDonald, Nick Offerman and Blair Underwood.

Production on Origin began on December 12th 2022 and wrapped 37 shooting days later on March 3rd 2023, taking-in the southern region of the United States, Germany and India. The first five weeks of the shoot took place at locations around Savannah, Georgia, followed by a week in Berlin, Germany, and a week in Delhi, India.

“I am always reading, and trying to learn, about the human condition,” says DuVernay. “Isabel Wilkerson’s book put forward new ideas, philosophies and theories about caste as a social hierarchy that determines power and status in different cultures and continents, revealing the abuse, enslavement or extermination of an underclass.

“I was entranced by these ideas – they felt crispy, with an edge that really drew me in. Along with racism, you can apply the concept far wider to reframe and re-examine things such as sexism, homophobia, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.

“So, I reached-out to her as I would to any author where I’m interested in adapting their work. That was the beginning of a couple of years of many Zoom calls,

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and hours and hours and hours of conversations with her about caste, her own life and her relationships. I liked the idea of Isabel being the primary character to take us through these complex ideas, and to have two trains running side-be-side – Isabel’s personal story and the historical sweep of her work.”

However, DuVernay was all too aware of the film being a tough pitch to Hollywood executives, and she wanted to it hit screens soon as possible.

Whether we were shooting historic depictions or present-day scenes, the grain and texture of 16mm film helped to convey emotional intimacy She explains, “The industry currently does not, and never has, supported films about women on intellectual quests, especially Black women investigating large, weighty subject matters and social inequities. Also, I wanted the film to release a year before the next election in the US, with the idea of focussing people’s attentions on some of this stuff. So I chose not to spend time talking around town and getting turned down, and decided to raise the money independently.”

Partnering with Regina Miller, who heads Array, the non-profit arts and social change collective

AVA DUVERNAY & DP MATTHEW J LLOYD ASC•ORIGIN Images: BTS photos

by Atsushi Nishijima.

All images courtesy of NEON.

founded by DuVernay, led to $38million of funds being secured from philanthropic sources – including the Ford Foundation, Laurene Powell Jobs at Emerson Collective and Melinda Gates of Pivotal Ventures – as well as likeminded individual benefactors, including NBA star Chris Paul, amongst others.

When it came to shooting, DuVernay is unequivocal that Origin simply had to be filmed on film, despite never having shot on this format before.

“There is a disparity between men and women who have the impulse to shoot on film in the studio or streamer systems, and I have always been previously denied the opportunity,” she remarks. “So when I raised the money for this production, one of the first things I did was to grant myself the opportunity to shoot on film.

“16mm is delicious to me. When I see it, I just want to lick the screen. I love the way it looks, the texture and the feelings it evokes. I felt it could hold all of the emotions and the different stories that we were going to pursue in different ways – from the historic to the contemporary and even to the surreal at points.”

To help bring her script to life on the screen, DuVernay turned to DP Matthew J Lloyd ASC, with whom she had collaborated previously, as director and producer, on the TV series Colin In Black & White (2021), Naomi (2022) and DMZ (2022).

“The subject of caste animated, and was the foundation of, everything we did,” says Lloyd. “Ava’s visual process is reductive, rather than additive. She tries to get to the core of the visual approach during prep.

Instead of having a truck full of references, with Ava it’s quite the opposite. It’s more like carving at a block wood to reveal the form.

“Visually-speaking, she wanted the film to feel unified and cohesive, and had no interest in developing separate ‘looks’ or using different formats to delineate between time periods and geographies. She also wanted to depict Isabel Wilkerson’s desire to be ‘really inside the story’ and to put the audience into the visceral, emotional heart of moments in history and Isabel’s life.

“I knew the aesthetic and textural qualities of 16mm would help to mirror Isabel’s connective thesis across all of the different scenarios of time and place, whilst the manoeuvrability of the 16mm cameras would help deliver the necessary intimacy. That said, I did have concerns about the logistics and workflow of shooting on film in three different continents.”

In terms of references, Lloyd says Schindler’s List (1993, dir. Steven Spielberg, DP Janusz Kamiński) was a high watermark for its profound emotional intensity, and the communication of ideas about suffering and trauma.

He and DuVernay also considered the work of seminal Black American photographers including Gordon Parks and Roy Decarava, whose carefully-crafted works capture the essence of real life. They also referenced Carol (2015, dir. Todd Haynes, DP Ed Lachman ASC) to imbibe the textural qualities of 16mm, and Oliver Stone’s JFK (1991, DP Robert Richardson ASC) for how to communicate the intricacy of an investigation.

After a great deal of testing and discussion with DuVernay during pre-production, Lloyd framed the narrative in 1.85:1, using ARRIFLEX 416 16mm cameras fitted variously with Cooke S4 primes, a Canon 6.660mm zoom, and a vintage Petzval 58mm lens. The camera and lens package was supplied by Keslow Camera in LA. “Shooting 1.85:1 aspect ratio was the most photographic in terms of the images that we had been looking at together during prep,” says Lloyd. “As for the lenses, we preferred how the Cooke S4s and the Canon zoom could resolve enough fine detail in our wide shots on 16mm film, and thereby obviate the need to go to 35mm film for those.

“At the same time, those lenses were not too sharp, and had softer contrast, as compared to more modern spherical lenses, which leaned into the 16mm vibe. Ava also responded to how the glass rendered skin tones on 16mm film, especially in our naturalistic settings.

“We carried a Petzval 58mm for specific moments in the film where we wanted a different character to the portraiture, such as when Isabel first meets Brett, her future husband.”

Origin was shot using KODAK VISION3 250D 7207 and KODAK VISION3 500T 7219 16mm filmstocks. The 250D 7207 was the predominant stock for interior/exterior day work, with 500T 7219 used for low-light and nighttime scenarios. Film processing and 2K scanning was done at Kodak Film Lab Atlanta, Kodak Film Lab UK and Film Lab, a Kodak-approved facility in Mumbai.

“Savannah, Berlin and Delhi – all those places have their own innate aesthetics, and didn’t actually need much by way of individual photographic rendering to make them distinctive,” says Lloyd. “I rated the 250D 7207 at 320ISO and had it push-processed by one

stop at the lab to give it the kick Ava liked, but the 500T 7219 was exposed and processed normally. Whether we were shooting historic depictions or presentday scenes, the set dressing and costumes took us automatically to the time and place, with the grain and texture of 16mm film supporting those transitions and helping to convey the emotional intimacy.”

Lloyd adds, “Aunjanue is a stunning artist, a beautiful person and her face leapt off the screen in our first tests.

This film transformed how I think about my work and my life, about love and being During the testing process, we determined where her skin tone should fall on the film exposure curves and then maintained that throughout. That was fantastic for me because it was exactly at the midpoint of the filmstocks’ latitudes and was a very simple guide for setting the exposures. Maintaining her tonality for the entirety of the movie gave a really beautiful, naturalistic rendering that was very consistent despite of the different lighting conditions.”

With regard to his initial misgivings about the logistics and workflow of shooting on three continents, Lloyd says these were dispelled by collaboration and teamwork.

He explains, “Mel Mathis, senior VP of marketing at Keslow, together with my longtime focus puller David Edsall, did a great job in wrangling and dispatching the cameras and lenses in the first instance. During our pre-scouts in Georgia, Germany and India, I took along an ARRIFLEX 416 and shot 25,000ft of 16mm film, and some of that footage made it into the final film. This preliminary experience gave me real insight into the issues we would face during actual production.

“Upon our return from those scouts, Tom Poole, our DI colourist at Company3 in New York, sat with that test material and codified the look of the film positive and created a simple colour pipeline that would work well throughout production.

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ORIGIN•AVA DUVERNAY & DP MATTHEW J LLOYD ASC

“During production, Ava’s producing partner, Paul Garnes, was able to keep the equipment moving through customs in different countries, which allowed us to keep the same package throughout, and was adept in working with local authorities to obtain shooting permits, such as the book burning scenes we filmed in Berlin, where we had as many as five cameras.

“Kodak or their local partners made sure we were always supplied with adequate quantities of filmstock during the shoot, and the operatives at the different labs we chose proved perfectly-efficient in developing and scanning the rushes.”

Lloyd was also thankful to have had the same core camera and lighting team with him throughout the production.

“I operated one of the cameras, Michael

Fernandez, a fabulously talented young DP from Los Angeles, operated the other. My dear gaffer friend, Mazi Mitchell, was also on-board to ensure consistency between the lighting set-ups as the production travelled around, and ensure the equipment was as inconspicuous as possible when we filmed.”

Apart from a 55-inch LED screen in Delhi, Lloyd says he was fortunate to have had a dailies projection set-up at each location base.

“This was a real asset in regularly assessing the graded dailies, alongside Ava and key members of the production crew,” he says. “You can easily imagine what a problem it might have been to mount a production like this in multiple countries on film. But everyone involved understood and supported Ava’s vision, and the results are stunning.”

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DuVernay concludes, “Isabel Wilkerson found beauty in harnessing bravery, ignoring naysayers and turning trauma into triumph. Gratefully, I did too. This film transformed how I think about my work and my life, about love and being. I truly believe if each of us thought a little bit more about our place in the great scheme of things, and how we treated one another, the world would tilt on its axis a little more towards justice, tolerance and understanding.

“I’m so happy that Matthew – along with Paul Garnes and Aunjanue, my leading lady – was my closest collaborator and best friend during production.

His daily camaraderie was a source of abundant joy, and his crew nurtured my process of discovery in shooting on film for the first time. I loved shooting on film, I’m addicted, and I want to do it again and again.”

THE PEASANTS•RADOSŁAW ŁADCZUK PSC

MOVING ART

By Darek Kuźma

R

adosław Ładczuk PSC was one of the cinematographers who led the team effort to shoot The Peasants in such a way that the traditional live-action would serve as a canvas for directors DK Welchman and Hugh Welchman – plus over a hundred oil painting artists and another hundred digital artists – to make one of the most visually distinct films you will ever see.

Our cameras were often dancing with the characters, so the complexity increased tenfold… but the movement is magic

Władysław Reymont’s Nobel Prize-winning novel The Peasants is a book like no other – a sweeping epic about the austerity of life in the Polish countryside at the turn of the 20th century, as well as a poignantly universal tale of love, lust, betrayal and spiritual unrest. Jagna is a dove-eyed 19-year-old who is betrothed to a rich landowner Maciej, a much older widower who wishes for a trophy wife. The trouble is, Jagna is fiercely in love with his son, Antek, and too young to know how to mask her feelings. It effectively makes her a scapegoat for various problems and prejudices consuming the rest of the village. Their story is told against the backdrop of changing seasons along with folk customs and traditions.

I’ve never lit with so much hard light, but the result added to the overall atmosphere of the film The most impressive aspect of the adaptation was not how the Welchmans managed to condense the sprawling four-volume novel into a two-hour drama, but how they imagined it as a series of moving oil paintings rotoscoped over live-action footage – just as in their previous film, Loving Vincent (2017, DPs Tristan Oliver BSC and Łukasz Żal PSC), but this time harnessing dynamic Steadicam shots, voluptuous dance sequences and intricate in-camera movement.

Thus, although The Peasants was initially shot on a traditional set, there was nothing typical about making the film. Hence it had three cinematographers: DP Radosław Ładczuk, animation artist Kamil Polak and

assistant-turned DP Szymon Kuriata.

“I knew Kamil from film school and commercials.

He was with The Peasants from the project’s inception and helped in shaping its visual language. He recommended me when they were looking for a DP to shoot the live-action part,” Ładczuk says.

But that was 2020 and most projects suffered delays due to the pandemic. So in the autumn of that year, after yet another Covid-induced pause, Ładczuk had to go to Australia to shoot a different film.

“Szymon, fresh out of film school, started as a camera assistant, but we quickly moved him to be our second camera operator. Then, he was the perfect person to take over. I’m glad that he did, as some of the scenes had to be further rescheduled for the autumn of 2021, and he was with the project until it wrapped.” Ładczuk remembers that prepping The Peasants

was a stimulating experience.

“We talked over Zoom from April to June, bouncing world-building ideas off of each other and finding ways to fulfil DK’s vision of infusing the film with the style of Polish painters of the realist school – artists such as Ruszczyc, Chełmoński and others. When I

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joined, they had already had this huge digital library of references, gigabytes of hi-res scans of paintings and data, so it was a fascinating process,” he states.

“But each realist painter saw the world in a slightly different way, so I suggested unifying them through the style of early Tarkovsky or Bergman films, the way they thought about images and storytelling: lots of headroom, symmetrical framing, looking for order in the chaos of life.”

The prep’s most unique aspect was working with a detailed 3D model of the village that Polak had created using Unreal Engine.

“In July we started regular offline meetings.

Having such a visual aid was invaluable. We could mould the film’s environment before it was built on stage,” Ładczuk recalls. “We slightly modified Reymont’s vision to make the village more cinematic.

We made the lands surrounding it more hilly, and put the church on a hill to emphasise how God dominates our characters. Kamil incorporated all of the ideas into the 3D model. When we started principal photography in August, we felt as if we’d lived in this village for months.”

The film was shot on two soundstages in Warsaw’s Studio Transcolor, largely against greenscreens but within very tangible settings.

“Though everything we did was to be painted over in post, we felt the actors needed to be grounded in reality, to go through doors, walk on earthen floors, interact with furniture, and have natural shadows fall on their faces. That’s why we backed out of our initial idea of using LED walls. There was too much movement and too many spatial relationships involved.

“So we opted to project the Unreal Engine’s interiors/exteriors over the greenscreens. This meant that when the actors looked at monitors, they could see themselves within these environments. Art department and production designer, Elwira Pluta, did the rest through a mix of cardboard creativity, 3D printing and

RADOSŁAW ŁADCZUK PSC•THE PEASANTS Images: BTS photos by Michał Długołęcki, Miki Węcel and Tomek Wochniak.

Film stills courtesy of Break Thur Films.

Ładczuk based his lighting set-ups on Tungsten lamps.

“Our workhorse was a 20K Fresnel that mimicked the sun, but I also had a number of 10K, 5K, 2K and Par 64s. These small lamps give you beautiful, very sharp light. They all worked well with this sort of ‘cloud’ of white fabric hanging over the soundstage and simulating the sky,” he recalls.

“Our aim was to create an additional layer of evocativeness to whatever was happening in a shot, and gaffer Maciej Bedyk was brilliant in how he bounced the light off the floor or walls, hitting all the necessary spots. Yet another reason for having tangible interiors and exteriors. I’ve never lit with so much hard light but the result added to the overall atmosphere of the film.” The lighting gear was provided by Luks Film.

From early-on Ładczuk accepted that he would have to relinquish control over the final look. laying down some sort of clay-like surface that felt like you were walking on soil.”

Yet the most precarious aspect of the live-action shoot was camera movement. “Loving Vincent was quite static. Its simple left-to-right movement was quite easy to design without making the painters’ life too hard. Here our cameras were often literally dancing with the characters, so the complexity increased tenfold,” Ładczuk states.

“This was especially true during the wedding sequence, when Steadicam operators Jacek Drofiak and Jarek Wierzbicki simply flowed around the crowded room, tracing Jagna’s entry, interacting with the choir. When it was suddenly juxtaposed with a static shot of Maciej trying to hug Jagna, it generated real emotions. Movement is magic. This film wouldn’t work without movement.”

It is most obvious during the film’s numerous dance sequences.

“We devised different types of movement for each of the dances. One had the camera on a dolly going around a circle with the actors dancing and interacting inside. Another had the dolly going on a circle with the camera facing outwards and capturing reactions of those observing the dance,” he offers.

And then there is the scene in which Jagna and Antek forget themselves and begin to dance passionately only to be interrupted by furious Maciej.

“We shot that one in one long Steadicam take. It was timed over months of rehearsals, but DK decided to intercut it with other characters’ reactions during the edit.

It was a great shot, but I’m not sentimental about such things. Everything has to work for the good of the film.”

He admits that because of the project’s specific nature choosing the camera was of secondary importance.

“I liked both ARRI Alexa and Sony Venice but I decided on Venice because it had a slightly better sensor and colour separation that worked well with the greenscreen and our lenses,” he says.

“DK wanted sharp images without flares, artifacts or anything that would change their character, because on Loving Vincent those sort of things became problematic for the painters. I went with Zeiss Supremes T1.5 for their brightness and sharpness. If we use focal lengths as an analogy, most painters think in terms of wide

“DK asked me to do the first colour grading, but I knew she would then have to change it to go along with the way the oil-painting animation would shape scenes. There’s no place for a DP like me in this type of post. And that’s fine,” he offers.

Going on general release, The Peasants conquered the imaginations of viewers at the 2023 Toronto and Gdynia Film Festivals, and was announced as Poland’s entry for the 2024 Oscars.

“It was a wonderful experience, but it’s important to note that if people like The Peasants, they should know that Kamil Polak and Szymon Furiata are just as responsible for the film as I am, not to mention DK, Hugh, production designer Elwira Pluta, costume designer Katarzyna Lewińska, all the departments and the painters who worked on it.”

lenses, so unless we were shooting large ensemble scenes, we mostly used 18mm, 24mm and 35mm.” The camera and lenses were provided by Warsaw-based ATM Studio.

He remembers that he experimented a bit with light.

“We were creating a sort of simplified reality for the painters to work on, so I thought it would be cool to go against the modern trends and use hard, contrasty, unfiltered light to simulate how the sun hits us every day,” Ładczuk claims.

“We weren’t afraid of hard shadows and being expressionistic in our approach as we knew the painters would diffuse those with their brushes. And besides, it added another layer of authenticity for the cast who were commuting between two soundstages filled with greenscreens and they needed every help they could get to feel like they were living in the countryside in different times.”

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ALL OF US STRANGERS•JAMIE RAMSAY SASC

GHOSTWRITTEN

By Ron Prince

S

hooting on Kodak 35mm filmstocks, DP Jamie Ramsay SASC created a supernatural atmosphere, and sense of organic nostalgia, for All Of Us Strangers – director Andrew Haigh’s moving and muchacclaimed film, which explores loneliness, grief and human connection.

One night, in the largely-unoccupied, high-rise London tower block where he lives, Adam (Andrew Scott), a lonely screenwriter, has a chance encounter with a mysterious neighbour Harry (Paul Mescal), which unsettles the rhythm of his existence.

As a relationship blossoms between the two, Adam also becomes preoccupied with memories of the past.

He finds himself drawn to the suburban town where he grew-up, and the childhood home where his deceased parents (Claire Foy and Jamie Bell), somehow appear to be preserved and living, just like they were on the day they died, 30 years before. While his romance with Harry and reunion with his parents develop, Adam opens-up and begins to express feelings he has repressed for decades.

The $10m, Searchlight Pictures’ film was written and directed by Haigh, based on Taichi Yamada’s 1987 novel Strangers. It played to rave reviews, for its ethereal quality and profound, emotional undercurrents, and picked-up multiple awards on the global festival circuit. Ramsay earned the Best Cinematography prize at the 2023 BIFA Awards, where the film triumphed with seven accolades, including Best Screenplay, Direction and British Independent Film.

Gravitating towards rich character narratives, mostly in the drama genre, Ramsay’s visual style is

known for rich colour palettes and sensitive camerawork.

Ramsay, a South African who studied filmmaking at AFDA in Johannesburg, is recognised for his work on the breakthrough film Moffie (2019, dir. Oliver Hermanus), for which he was nominated for a best cinematography BIFA Award, the period drama Mothering Sunday (2021, dir. Eva Hudson), and the Oscar-nominated Living (2022, dir. Oliver Hermanus), a production that earned him a Bronze Frog at the 2022 Camerimage Film Festival.

“When I first read Andrew’s script for All of Us Strangers, it was one of those moments when you just can’t put it down. Your curiosity grows and the story hooks you,” Ramsay recalls. “It brought-up emotions in me, things from my past, that I thought were long-buried, but are probably universal for everyone. I felt it was an important film, and that it could be really special.

“During my first discussions with Andrew about the production, we didn’t speak about how we wanted the film to look. Rather we spoke about how we want it to feel. It became very apparent that we shared common ground about the visual fabric of the movie, and how important it was for the camerawork and the cinematography to be intimate and personal.

“Also, the touch had to be really soft with regards to the treatment of the two worlds that Adam inhabits – a delicate balance between Adam being grounded in a dreamlike contemporary world, with a level of organic nostalgia, but never overtly-sentimental, for the scenes when he travels back in time and is reunited with his parents.”

Ramsay relates that he and Haigh shared many mood-evoking references – photographs and paintings – that were very much along the same lines as regards

the emotional resonance of the storytelling, in being honest, organic and true to the story beats.

“We also took inspiration from two films from two very different genres,” Ramsay adds. “Andrew introduced Cries And Whispers (1972, dir. Ingmar Bergman, DP Sven Nykvist) into the thinking, where the camera has a transcendent presence of its own and explores as if it were going inside a memory. I brought Spirited Away

Film just felt so beautiful, and looked so right for this project (2001, dir. Hayao Miyazaki) to the table. It’s a beautiful animé film that has a childlike ethereal presence that we tend to lose sight of as adults.”

Filming on All Of Us Strangers took place during June and August of 2022, over the course of seven-shooting weeks. The first two weeks were spent on-location in Croydon, Surrey, in Haigh’s very own childhood home, which served as the location for the house in which Adam discovers his parents.

The production then moved to a studio in Wembley,

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North London, for the remaining five weeks, where the interior of Adam’s high-rise apartment, with its large windows, were filmed against an LED wall of cityscape views depicting different times of day/night and weather conditions. Exterior shots of Adam’s apartment block were captured in Stratford, East London, with the cityscape vista plates for the LED wall being captured digitally from the same building. The movie’s nightclub scenes were filmed at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, the oldest surviving LGBTQ+ cabaret venue in South London.

Ramsay shot All Of Us Strangers using ARRICAM ST and LT 35mm film cameras, with Master Prime lenses and Angénieux zooms, all supplied by ARRI Rental in London.

“I knew we would be filming at different locations, in environments with unpredictable lighting, like the nightclub, as well as shooting a variety of day/night, dawn/dusk, sunlit/rainy apartment scenes against the LED wall,” Ramsay explains. “So, I went with the Master Primes as I know them really well – how they expose and flare in different situations. They provided a solid anchor point and make a great combination with analog film.

“To represent Adam’s subjective, personal journey, the growing relationship between him and Harry, and the family dynamic with his parents, I closed-in on eyelines via the proximity of the camera to the characters using tighter lenses, and gradually brought them closer together using longer lenses. As Adam opens-up emotionally, the language of the camera movement changed too from being either still or linear, to being more reactive and flowing.”

JAMIE RAMSAY SASC•ALL OF US STRANGERS Images: Photos by Parisa Taghizadeh, courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2023 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.

The script brought-up emotions in me, that I thought were long-buried, but are probably universal for everyone

Ramsay shot All Of Us Strangers on a trio of Kodak35mm filmstocks: KODAK VISION3 5219 500T; KODAK VISION3 5207 250D; and KODAK VISION3 5203 50D. Film processing and 4K scans were done at Cinelab, UK, with the final colour grade performed by Joseph Bicknell at Company3 in New York.

Reflecting on filming All Of Us Strangers on film, Ramsay says, “It was a big win for Andrew to convince the producers to shoot on 35mm, and I knew I had been given a gift. The organic texture of film, in combination with costumes and props, was a great way to evoke the supernatural and to deal visually with ideas about memory and nostalgia.

“I shot lots of celluloid as a student at filmschool, and professionally on commercials, music videos and shorts, but this was my first full-length feature on film. So I had to reacquaint myself with the process of filming on film to a certain extent – like having to wait overnight to see the results. However, the payoff came with watching the dailies for the first time, absorbing the wonderful colour and inherent feeling of the images. Any anxieties I had were worth it, because film just felt so beautiful, and looked so right for this project.”

Ramsay says his choice of filmstocks was very much based around simplifying the process by attributing filmstocks to the lighting environment and time-of-day.

“All of the night interior/exterior scenes were filmed on 500T,” he says. “Any interiors/exteriors that were set around dusk or dawn were filmed on the 250D, and all of the exterior day scenes were captured on to 50D. I

kept it all very standard. All of the stocks were exposed normally, and I didn’t do any push or pull processing at the lab.”

All Of Us Strangers is one of the first-known film-originated productions to have used a live LED wall as a background. This saw an array of displays, measuring 50ft-tall by 120ft-wide, softly-curving around the set-build of Adam’s apartment, some 15ft beyond the windows, with a bevvy of modern LED lighting fixtures rigged above and around the set to create the appropriate lighting mood.

To obtain the relevant backgrounds for the LED wall, Ramsay spent 48-hours shooting 8K digital plates from the apartment block in Stratford. “We put the high-resolution cameras in an apartment, and were blessed by unpredictable conditions that saw a lot of different weather systems coming through at different times of the day.

“Although we tested painted backdrops and rear projection, neither of those worked convincingly for different creative and practical reasons. I think film really lends itself to shooting with LED walls – there’s a harmonious relationship in the way that analog technology softens the harshness of digital, through the organic texture of the grain and tonal roll-off of colour and contrast.”

Ramsay’s approach to depicting the delicate distinction between the worlds that Adam inhabits, was supported by a sensitive approach to the lighting, overseen by gaffer Warren Ewen.

“During prep, I presented a number of lighting options to Andrew, that we refined over the course of

several weeks,” says the DP. “What was important for him was that Adam’s apartment was a representation of his current, lonely existence, and Andrew responded to that having a slightly colder ambiance. So my lighting fixtures were mainly LED fixtures, plus some fluorescents and neons. As we were filming against the LED wall, the analog-meets-digital experience gave it specific look that Andrew really liked.

“For the scenes when Adam visits his parents, I wanted to represent those with traditional analog lighting.

I used old Tungsten lamps and incandescent practicals to wrap the characters in an ethereal quality of light that really imbued the images with a distinct feeling of memory and nostalgia.

“To evoke the feeling that his parents were ghosts of the past, I also encouraged strong, white backlighting through the windows, and that otherworldly glow helped to signify how they are passing through and on the verge of leaving Adam.

“When we shot the nightclub scenes, we relit the entire place ourselves, using a combination of LED fixtures, disco lights and stage lighting, so as to have control over the illumination and bring an authentic feeling of being in a discotheque.”

Ramsay concludes, “Andrew is a filmmaker I have respected for a long time, and I love his sensibility as a storyteller. We were kindred spirits during this production, and it was a project that proved cathartic for both of us.

I loved the result of shooting on 35mm film, and the result defines what it is to be human.”

CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 73

THE END WE START FROM•SUZIE LAVELLE ISC BSC

WATERWORLD

By Ron Prince

S

hot on KODAK 35mm film for the big screen, by Irish cinematographer Suzie Lavelle ISC BSC, director Mahalia Belo’s The End We Start From is an intimate study about the instinct for maternal survival.

The dystopian thriller, follows an unnamed woman who goes into labour and gives birth to a child, named Zeb, as London becomes submerged by an apocalyptic flooding disaster. The crisis forces her and her partner to abandon their home with newly-born Zeb, seeking refuge on higher ground in the north, only for the family to be ripped apart as civilisation dissolves into anarchy.

The film was adapted by Alice Birch from the 2017 novel of the same name by author Megan Hunter, and stars Jodie Comer as the central mother character, with Joel Fry, Benedict Cumberbatch, Katherine Waterston and Mark Strong. It was lauded by critics for Belo’s direction, Comer’s gripping performance and Lavelle’s intimate, dreamlike cinematography in conjuring-up a picture of maternal strength in the face of climate catastrophe. It was nominated for nine BIFA Awards, including one for Lavelle’s camerawork.

Lavelle and Belo are both alumnae of the UK’s National Film & TV School, but did not know one another personally having graduated respectively in 2006 and 2012. Belo’s graduation film, Volume won a BIFA award in the Best British Short Film category, and the director also earned a 2017 BAFTA Craft Award in the Best Breakthrough Talent category for the TV drama Ellen.

After film school Lavelle began shooting 16mm films for fine artists, and won the Irish Film & Television Award (IFTA) for Best Cinematography on first feature One Hundred Mornings in 2010.

Her credits also include the BBC’s Doctor Who, His Dark Materials and Normal People, as well as BBC/Hulu’s sensual Conversations With Friends TV series which she shot on 35mm film.

about the viscous quality of water, how things can be decomposed and literally washed away, but then re-found through water.”

She adds, “Having watched Mahalia’s shorts, where the camera is often playful and operatic, I thought it would be really interesting to mix that with my more naturalistic approach to visual storytelling.”

“Mahalia and I connected really well over the script from the very first moment,” Lavelle recalls. “I have young children and her intimate, subjective treatment of the narrative, with its metaphors about water, birth and the climate crisis, really resonated with me.

“Also, we were just coming out of the Covid pandemic and the isolation it enforced, so the idea of the central character being confined in the fishbowl of her home and then facing life’s hurdles as she travels alone was very familiar. Along with seeing the crisis through the eyes and the behaviour of our protagonist, the visual treatment was also all

texture of film.

Lavelle also says that, “Logistically, shooting on film can be really low-impact – you can keep the crew and the equipment footprint small and tight, and get up-and-running quickly with the camera.

From a creative point-of-view, with film you can put your energies into the visual storytelling, rather than having to spend time on trying to make it look-andfeel like film when you shoot digitally.

“It was a big ask for the producers, but we did a heartfelt pitch for film. They listened, agreed and supported us. Which was wonderful.”

Production took place over 30 shooting

I would always shoot on film if I could… I love it Visual references for the movie’s travelogue scenes included Walkabout (1971, dir. & DP Nicolas Roeg), along with Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream People Call Human Life (1995, dirs.

The Quay Brothers, DP Nic Knowland BSC) for the visual texture of the main character’s home, plus Stalker (1979, dir. Andrei Tarkovsky, DP Aleksandr Knyazhinskiy) for its metaphoric depictions of water, and camera movement through muck and mud.

When it came to shooting on film, Lavelle says, “Mahalia and I are both lovers of film. Even in our first meeting, we felt strongly that this story should be told on film. It was destined for the cinema, where so many spectacular disaster movies are shot in large format digital, but this was much more internal and subjective, with poetic, dreamlike visuals, that would be depicted best via the organic grain and

74 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD

days, during a heatwave in the summer months of 2022, with as many as ten babies being needed to stand-in during that time, so as to keep-up the pace of production.

Suitable dystopian locations were found on sites around the M25 London orbital motorway, and the final week was spent in the wilds of Argyll & Bute in the west of Scotland, where the central character finds the safe haven of a commune. The

SUZIE LAVELLE ISC BSC•THE END WE START FROM Images: BTS photo by Ben Mankin. Film stills courtesy of Anton and BBC Film.

Mahalia and I connected really well from the very first moment

explosive deluge of water that floods the house in the early part of the film, was shot in a water tank at Artem Studios in London.

Lavelle opted to shoot The End We Start From using the same format she had harnessed for Conversations With Friends – namely 2-perf on Kodak 35mm film, which she describes as “a dream”.

“2-perf is my favourite format at the moment, partly because of the gravitas that the widescreen field-of-view gives, especially for landscape work, and partly because I really love the stronger grain structure it delivers. It just feels more tactile and textural like independent cinema.

“As we were having to shoot a scene with different babies, the longer runtime of the magazines was a massive advantage. A 200ft mag gives you four minutes, four seconds of shooting time, and that doubles with a 400ft mag.”

The production carried two ARRICAM LT cameras, for their flexible magazine mounting configurations – one rigged in studio mode for tripod and dolly work, the other used for shooting more operatic moves around the characters either handheld or Steadicam. An ARRIFLEX 235 35mm camera was used to capture some of the action at 50fps for slo-mo sequences, and also mounted on a DJO Ronin 3-axis camera gimbal for a small number of other flowing moves around the characters. Lavelle’s lenses of choice were Cooke S5s. The camera package was supplied by ARRI Rental in London.

“I shot Conversations With Friends using wonderful vintage Canon K35 lenses, which are fast, but knowing this production was destined for the cinema screen, I wanted something a bit

sharper. The Cooke S5s looked right and have beautiful skin tones. As they are light, small and uniform in size, I knew they would allow for quick lens changes and be less intimidating to breastfeeding mothers and their babies.”

Lavelle says she considered using different film stocks for the production, but went with Kodak 500T 5219 for the entire shoot, just as she had for Conversations With Friends. Film processing and scanning was completed by Cinelab, along with dailies colour by Cinelab colourist Darren Rae. “Knowing that we had a fairly small team, with muddy unit moves almost every day, it was much more practical to shoot with just one film stock,” Lavell observes. “I also thought the 500T would lend itself best to the poetic, low-contrast, dreamlike look we wanted, whilst holding details in the highlights, although I had to get used to shooting day exteriors with different strengths of ND filters “The 500T is super versatile for night work, and it absolutely loves colour. I knew I could expose it slightly differently to bring more vivid colour saturation and contrast to the commune sequence, and to the flashback scenes of life as it used to be.”

Lavelle operated on what was mainly a single camera production, assisted by Ben Mankin as focus puller. Charlie Cowper operated B-camera on days when a second camera was required, along with Steadicam. Additional photography was

by Chloë Thomson BSC. Tony Fabian led the grip team, and James Bridger was the gaffer.

Explaining her philosophy behind the lighting, Lavelle says, her approach was “sourced-butplayful – driving the lighting through windows, but being able to move shadows and reflections.

“I also did not want to have equipment all over the set, because of the mothers and their babies and wanted the actors to have freedom. So, I generally used the biggest lampheads I could get and placed them as far away from the set or location as I could get them. I mostly used Tungsten lights – 20K Molebeams, T12s, plus Maxi and Mini Brutes. For firelit scenes, I had homemade wagon trains and other diffused sources. I had a few LED tubes and ARRI SkyPanels for the unexpected.

“I also wanted to experiment with senses of colour. The fishbowl world of her home with her new baby was quite naturalistic and cozy, but as she moves outside things become greener and yellower to convey the feeling of the world stagnating. When she reaches the commune, the look became more idyllic, and the flashback scenes to what was once normal life, were altogether more vibrant and saturated.”

Looking back at her experience of shooting The End We Start From, Lavelle remarks, “I had a great time. It was really fast with a lot of moves and mud. It was fun to work with Mahali and really interesting to bring our different styles together.

“I also really loved working with Jodie. From a cinematographer’s standpoint she is a dream to photograph. She has a brilliant understanding of where the camera is and knows how to respond to that by changing or evoking an emotion in a split second.

“I would always shoot on film if I could. I love it.

It gives me all the tools I need to create distinctive looks through lighting and exposure in a way that feels effortless.”

CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 75

SPOTLIGHT•DEDO WEIGERT•WAYWARD LIGHT

BEAM US UP! Article by Dedo Weigert

W

ayward light is the unruly light, that behaves like a child and wants to go wherever you don’t want it to go. So, we’re talking about controlling and “educating” the light to perform the way we need it to perform.

Let us go back one step.

In our profession you could say, without light there is nothing. But let’s not forget the mighty sibling of light – the shadow. To control the mighty shadow, we need to be able to control shape and form, and to make the light perform the way we need it – to create the wonderful shadows, which then can convey their messages, their own emotions, be it fear or structure, or the feeling of depth or size.

When we transform all these wishes, experiences and dreams into the world of reflected light – where we use narrow beam lighting instruments to light a single reflector or groups of reflectors, and to redirect, re-reflect and create an entire array of lighting effects in all kinds of directions, shapes and characters – then we have to assume, that the light from a lighting fixture would usually come in the spot position.

We know that to control the shaping of a narrow beam exiting from a focusing light, is practically impossible. In flood position on the very same light, barn doors and other devices can easily and perfectly control the size, the shape, the form of the shadow edges. But in the spot position this is not possible.

Therefore, we created the so-called parallel beam intensifier, which magically increases the light output many times beyond the spot performance, thus making the light with the parallel beam intensifier a mighty tool in the world of reflected light systems.

But, we wind up with a round beam, with which we can light a part of the reflector or we light

The Lightstream flag system is designed to get rid of all parasitic light

the entire reflector, which results in stray light that goes above, under, left and right of the reflector.

In a studio with black walls, that may not be disturbing, but when we employ the redirection and re-reflecting of the light this may very well cause disturbing effects.

To eliminate those, we can employ an army of helpers who come running in with different flags on different stands and eliminate the unwanted light, filling the entire scene with more stands and helpers than you ever want to see.

Ideally though, we want to clear the set of all unnecessary lighting paraphernalia, thus, the first step could be to control the original light deriving from the first lighting fixture.

This leads us onto to the new Dedolight Lightstream Flag System.

Traditional flags are mounted to extra C-stands and can then be oriented and placed. Sometimes you need a whole group of them to shape a square of light and get rid of the parasitic light.

But here, we go a very different way. We have a square flag with four separate pouches on the back, into which we insert steel rods. These can be inserted into a special reflector holder without the need of an extra stand. Now, we can use our new flag system (IP protected by a pending Patent Application and by registered Utility Models). The Dedolight Lightstream flag system is designed to get rid of all the parasitic light that would otherwise go up, down, left, right of the reflector.

No more extra stands needed, mission accomplished.

We’re talking about a group of reflectors we can place.

For example, four reflectors on 76 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD

adjustable arms in close proximity to each other. To this we attach the square flags behind them and still have the freedom to adjust the angle of each reflector in its own particular way. We can then redirect and re-reflect the light with different exit angles, different directions, different intensity and different characters.

This is a special set-up of the four-flag system. With the appropriate holding devices, and a few simple accessories that can all be placed on a single cross-bar, this provides four studs to hold four reflectors, and a fifth stud to attach a fifth smaller reflector. The smaller reflector can be placed to create a particular accent or highlight, and adds to the whole group of reflectors. Even an Eflect can be added, all using a single lighting stand or suspension.

This represents a very serious step forward.

With this group of reflectors we also redirect the light to further reflectors, that may be placed at a distance further down the line. Thus again, it may be unavoidable to create extra unwanted parasitic light. For this, we created yet another flag system, that consists of an unfolding round flag – again with the four pouches to insert the four steel rods – and these insert into a special holding

DEDO WEIGERT•WAYWARD LIGHT•SPOTLIGHT device seated directly behind the Sedolight Lightstream reflector. Thus, we create a round flag around a single reflector, eliminating the parasitic light.

The rail on the back of the reflector allows the movement of the holding device to be centred or used off-centre in relation to the flag and reflector. For a group of square reflectors, we can use four flags simultaneously and keep the group of reflectors tightlyplaced next to each other for efficiency.

For the unfolding round reflector, you may not always want to place this directly central, but move the reflector up and down in relation to the round unfolding flag.

Now, we come to a different subject, the definition of hard light and soft light. When we direct a No.1 reflector with the mirror-like surface onto our talent, the talent will perceive this as hard light. With reflectors No.2, 3 or 4, which produce a much wider spread angle, the talent will perceive this as soft light.

Unfortunately, this is a misconception.

Hard and soft light regarding the formation of shadow and light, and the transitions between shadow and light, is only dependent on the size of the area that emits light or reflects light, in relation to the distance to the lit object or talent.

As we move our Lightstream reflectors further away from the talent, the light becomes harder, regardless of the exit angle from each reflector and the individual perception of the talent.

We will try to bridge this and show a new invention and practice.

We cover the surrounding black flag, with its initial intention to get rid of the parasitic light, with a zip-on cover, with a white, silver, gold or soft-gold surface.

Now, all of a sudden this becomes a huge reflector, and we can still choose which part of this reflector we want to activate by focussing our light, so that either the entire reflective surface surrounding the original Lightstream reflector may be activated, or only a central part of it.

Thus, we influence the character and the effect of the outer reflector. Since the Dedolight Lightstream reflector is still placed in the centre of this new big surrounding reflective surface, the reflector itself can be changed from a No.1 reflector all the way through a No.5 reflector.

It is like a focussing light in the centre, only we do not focus continuously. We simply change the exit angle by changing the reflector, choosing a No.1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 reflector, like focus settings from a narrow angle like spot, to 12, 30, 50 or wider degrees.

We now have the same effect we would have from a focusing light in the centre of this new large-size reflector, and we can now control the relation of light coming from the big surrounding surface in relation to the smaller central reflector.

We can choose the intensity of the reflected light reaching the talent by altering the exit angle or by the choice of the central reflector, be it a nNo.1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 reflector.

Thus, we now have another tool for controlling the relation between the large reflective cover on the big round flag and the original Lightstream reflectors. This allows you, in the right combination, the choice to create the effect of a very large light that is further away.

We already know, that if you have a large soft

light you will not be affected by the square law when working in close proximity to the light surface. Once you increase the distance of the talent to the soft light by more than double the diameter of the soft light itself, the square law will bite you with all its unwanted effects.

Another example – the sun! It is a huge light with a diameter of 140,000 kilometres and nobody, even with clouds as diffusion, will talk about hard sunlight as a soft light.

So, again, hard light and soft light is only defined by the size of the light source from which the light originates, be it traditional emitting lights or reflected lights, always in relation to the distance to the subject.

A soft light far away will become a hard light. A medium-sized light panel close to the talent will definitely help to ease the transition between light and shadow formation on the talent’s face.

So here is the bridge between both hard and soft light. With this new procedure, methods of working, and unique tools provided by dedolight, you can explore and familiarise yourself, and create a myriad of controllable results.

Watch the movie, “The Wayward Light” (duration 18 mins) here: https://dedo.tv/video/the-waywardlight/705144242/

Now you can create a myriad of controllable results

CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 77

GAFFERS CAFÉ•MARIANNE LAMOUR

SHINING A LIGHT ON...

MARIANNE LAMOUR By Thomas Servelle/Ron Prince Selected Filmography (so far) as gaffer: Strangers By Night (2023) La Chimera (2023) Disco Boy (2023) Passages (2023) Divertimento (2022) Mother And Son (2022) Nobody’s Hero (2022) Skies Of Lebanon (2020) The Inside Game (2018-19) Blind Spot (2019) Maya (2018)

When did you discover you wanted to be a gaffer?

Initially, I was more into photography, that’s what interested me most. But then there was a setback, when my camera was stolen one day and I didn’t have enough money to buy a new one.

Then I met the husband of a friend from Marseille, who introduced me to his partner, who was a cinematographer. That’s how it all started. This DP asked me, “What do you want to do?” At the camera I could see there was someone who was not moving much, and another who was with the lights was running around everywhere around the set. I replied, “I want to be the one that runs around.”

How did you get into lighting?

It was with DP Pierre Boffeti, in the late ‘80s, right after I graduated, when I was 20. At the same time, I met DP Hélène Louvart AFC, who was also starting her career.

Working with Pierre was well-defined and he had his own gear. We worked during the day, and repaired what had been broken at night. It was with him that I first dismantled lighting fixtures to see what was inside.

With Hélène, we worked on movies that didn’t have much money, so we had to knock-up lighting tools ourselves. It was very demanding to find solutions, as I did not have the knowledge or the budget.

Pierre was also demanding, but because we were using his lights it was easier in that sense. He and Hélène had a strong ethic in making the movies they were shooting look distinctive, and that influence is still with me

Age// Born// School// Training//

60 Saint-Etienne, France Spelthorne Junior / Thamesmead Secondary Physics and chemistry on photography

today. I am not interested in just performing in my job.

What is important to me is that to work creatively for the movie we are making.

How do you keep up with new developments in lighting technology?

That’s quite easy. Dunod, a publishing company that produces academic, professional and trade titles, asked me to write a practical handbook on lighting for film, theatre and television, and every two years I revise this handbook. I also keep up-to-date by visiting tradeshows, talking to manufacturers and dealers.

I recently became a member of CST, (The Higher Technical Commission for Sound & Images) in France, which brings together professionals from all fields to share best professional practices.

Are modern LEDs as good as traditional fixtures?

I own incandescent lights like Pars and Madarins, but very few LEDs, because their lifetime is short, they require maintenance, and I’m not a rental company. On the set, I consider LEDs, like Astera tubes, as lights for décor, as opposed to actual fixtures.

But I am interested in LED developments and know there are high-performance LED fixtures out-there, with more coming. There is a lot of ignorance about LEDs and what they can and can’t do. I have started working with the CST to assess the quality of LEDs, by measuring the quality of light and how they work on things like skin and materials, all with the aim of bringing more knowledge about this technology.

We know the advantages of LEDs in requiring less power, and working from batteries, but at the moment I think we still we have to research the quality of things like colours, and how they are achieved with additive/ subtractive processes, like we used to work with gels.

And, I am interested how we bring out more depth-ofcolour using LEDs. Most LED lights are still panels, although we are starting to see the emergence of LED Fresnels. These panels bring colour on-set, but there is no depth, the

78 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD

colours land flat on everything. The foreground and the background get the same quality of colour. With HMIs and Tungstens the colour downgrades and diminishes, because of the way the light bounces-off different surfaces such as wood, fabric and the actors, and that creates depth.

What pieces of lighting equipment are currently catching your eye?

I think we are at a stage where LED lights have become tools that you can do several things with. For example, what is remarkable about the Rosco DMG SL1 is not the design of the light itself, but the Dome diffusor, and what you can do with that on performers and to light the set. The same with Rosco’s Dot Accessory for the DMG Dash. The Ruby-Light Boa’s is interesting, because the crumpling fabric mean it can be used just about anywhere.

Natural light is a beautiful object to study We are still using ARRI’s L5, L7 and L10 units, but I can’t put them in a room without the sound engineer getting on my case, because you can’t turn the fan off.

On the other hand, you can do that on the Vortex from Creamsource. So things are evolving.

How important is it to be green/ environmentally-friendly?

Ecologically, it is great that we are being careful with things like LEDs and sources of power. What bothers me is that, the interests of ecology might take precedence over what we are actually doing creatively.

There are times when you can only create the look you need by mixing large sources, such as 18K HMIs,

Images: two images from the time-travelling feature La Bête

MARIANNE LAMOUR•GAFFERS CAFÉ

which consume a lot of electricity, with LEDs. In fact, I did this recently on Bertrand Bonello’s film La Bête, with DP Josée Deshaies. We used Maxi Brutes and Jumbos, 16 and 24 lamps, because we needed to bring-in some warmth. The ceiling was fitted with LED carpet lights, but the insets and everything that was going to give that little shine to the wood was with Tungsten. This production consumed quite a bit of electricity, but I don’t think the quality of what we got would have been the same if we had only used LEDs. What I like is choice, because we’re building something special.

That doesn’t mean we’re going to bring out big light sources all the time throughout a film, but at key moments it’s important to have them. Until there are LED lamps capable of producing the same effects and sensations as traditional sources, we have to keep mixing sources.

Also, we still haven’t solved the problem of what to do with damaged LEDs when you can’t repair them.

Currently, you either throw them away or hope they can be recycled. And what about the batteries? It’s not right to talk about ecology without considering the many ins/outs.

What’s the best way to learn about light and lighting?

When I speak at La Fémis film-school in Paris, or at ECAL in Lausanne in Switzerland, I often give a piece of advice to people. I tell them to do a playful line-drawing of a lighting situation that they find interesting. Drawing is a fabulous tool, you decode, you enter into a space, you identify where the light comes from, why and how. You learn the same about the shadows too.

There was a time when painters had no shame in going to The Louvre to copy masterpieces and learn details about the technique. You can do the same.

Natural light is a beautiful object to study. Observing the light like this is will be really helpful when you start installing fixtures on a set for your cinematographer.

What do you consider your greatest achievement, so far?

I do not know if it is success, but the relationships I have amongst the people I work with, and the students at LA Fémis and ECAL, are a real gift.

It can be tough being a gaffer, how do you keep match-fit?

I have been working for 30 years now, and in that time we have gone from really heavy to much lighter equipment. There are a lot of people who have done the same job as me but who stopped

I like choice

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early because they had broken backs. From the start of my career, I have always been conscious about not hurting myself and balancing any weight so as not to force anything too much. I have never had to leave my job, because I have never had any problems physically.

What is the most important lesson your working life has taught you?

Curiosity about everything. And that cinema can be urgent and very political. Well, the films that I’m interested in making definitely are. I don’t just want to work on films that might improve my status as a gaffer.

What’s next for you?

To continue making films. I am lucky-enough to work with directors whose films I go to see to the cinema, to work with cinematographers whose work I love – who are real hard workers, and perfectionists in their own way. It is great because when you make different films with them, you ask yourself new questions. It’s like you’re a beginner, with knots in your stomach about whether you made the right choices at the start of the film.

I like that.

STUDIO LOCATION FEATURES COMMERCIALS DRAMA TELEVISION EQUIPMENT GENERATORS TRANSPORT SUPPORT INNOVATION SAFETY SUSTAINABILITY 12/01/2022 11:18

CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 79

IN PICTURES•EnergaCAMERIMAGE 2023 Photos and words by Ron Prince.

We entered the crucible of cinematography for the 19th time. We saw some great films including All Of Us Strangers, The Zone Of Interest and Killers Of The Flower Moon. We met-up with old friends, made a whole lot of new ones too… and generally had a ball at the 2023 edition of the veritable festival. Thank you to everyone, especially the organisers, for making it such a great trip.

The might War wick Thor y DP/director nton the 2023 Gol den Frog for Th , winner of e New Boy

tel of ie Todman and Raj Pa e!

Kevin Greene, Charl zin ga ma y ph gra favourite cinemato Panavision… with their

D P M an dy W who wa alker AM ACS s hea d o A f the ma SC, in jury

Cinematography World edi tor Ron Prince (l), with Saltburn DP Linus Sandgren FSF ASC and Forrest Schultz (r) from Atlas Lenses

Dr Michael Neubauer, manag ing director of the BVK

Gaffer Carolina Schmidtholstein (l) with DPs Salvatore Totino AIC ASC, Robbie Ryan ISC BSC and 2023 Camerimage Lifetime Laureate… Peter Biziou BSC (r)

DP Anthony Dod Mantle DFF BSC ASC and Poor Things DP Robbie Ryan ISC BSC enjoying the morning light

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80 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD

Scrumdiddlyumptious!

All Of Us St Warren Ewen rangers DP Jamie Ramsay SA , his gaffer on the Main Com SC with petition film

Sir Bob Geldof and 2023 Ca BSC answering questions afte merimage Lifetime Laureate Peter Biziou r a special screening of Pink Floyd: The Wall

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DP Oona Menges (l) with actress/directo r Magaajyia The inimitable Silberfeld (r), who organised an impromptu and debonair Women In Film event Marek Żebrow ski with Camer image film anno uncer Justyna Sieniawska

T he m The Women In Film event attracted over 120 attendees, with a panel including (l-r) DP Anna Somoronova, DP Carolina Costa ASC, Magaajyia Silberfeld, costume desig ner Jenny Beavan, DP Ellen Kuras ASC and DP Laura Merians

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CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 81

IN PICTURES•EnergaCAMERIMAGE 2023 Yes, they are related…

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DP Richard Andr y AFC and Hélène de Roux, director and Zeiss marketing/communication cons ultant C

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MAIN COMPETITION Golden Frog: The New Boy, DP Warwick Thornton, dir. Warwick Thornton Silver Frog: El Conde, DP Ed Lachman ASC, dir. Pablo Larraín Bronze Frog: Poor Things, DP Robbie Ryan ISC BSC, dir. Yorgos Lanthimos FIPRESCI AWARD The Zone of Interest, DP Łukasz Żal PSC, dir. Jonathan Glazer AUDIENCE AWARD Poor Things, DP Robbie Ryan ISC BSC , dir. Yorgos Lanthimos POLISH FILMS COMPETITION Doppelgänger, DP Bartłomiej Kaczmarek, dir. Jan Holoubek FILM & ART SCHOOL ETUDES COMPETITION Laszlo Kovacs Student Award – Golden Tadpole: Cremation, Or The Quarantine Hotel, DP Wen Lau, dir. Ning Qian, from National Taiwan University of Arts (NTUA) Silver Tadpole: Plastic Touch, DP Celia Morales, dir. Aitana Ahrens, from The Madrid Film School (ECAM) Bronze Tadpole: Poor Boy Long 82 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 CINEMATOGRAPHY WORLD

Leitz’s very ow Rainer Herch n… er and Laura Kaufman n

Way From Home, DP Tuur Oosterlinck, dir. Jonas Hollevoet, from Sint-Lucas School Of Arts, Brussels (LUCA) DOCUMENTARY FEATURES COMPETITION Golden Frog: The Echo, DP Ernesto Pardo, dir. Tatiana Huezo DOCUMENTARY SHORTS COMPETITION Golden Frog: Oasis, DP Myriam Payette, dir. Justine Martin DIRECTORS’ DEBUTS COMPETITION Inshallah A Boy, DP Kanamé Onoyama, dir. Amjad Al-Rasheed CINEMATOGRAPHERS’ DEBUTS COMPETITION A Song Sung Blue, DP Jiayue Hao, dir. Zihan Geng MUSIC VIDEOS COMPETITION Son Lux: Undertow, DP Drew Bienemann, dir. Alex Cook TV SERIES COMPETITION – BEST EPISODE The Offer: A Seat At The Table, DP Salvatore Totino AIC ASC, dir. Dexter Fletcher

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