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FEATURE 01 TRANSFORMERS
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
CITY OF ANGELS
With the recent wind-driven fires, Southern California has experienced a devastating and tragic event. Thousands of families across L.A. County were uprooted, and the affected communities, home to many Local 600 members, were thrown into a different way of life and an unknown future. The loss of homes and property, as well as the mental and physical stress this tragedy has put on Southern Californians – including families with young children who don’t fully understand what happened – is hard even to comprehend.
On the heels of this disaster, this union has responded with speed and compassion, directing victims to many financial and assistance and recovery resources, including Walsh, DiTolla, Spivak Foundation Catastrophic Relief; Local 600 Hardship Fund (administered via the Entertainment Community Fund, which provides funds to members affected by natural disasters); California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services; MPTF Financial Assistance; Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA); Los Angeles Fires Relief and Response; and Disaster and Mental Health ResourcesDepartment of Mental Health.
I personally witnessed how many IATSE members sprang into action after the fires struck. Visiting Local 80 (grips) in Burbank was like walking into a pop-up Costco, with donations of essential goods – food, water, blankets, hygiene products, children’s toys – in huge quantities. Clothing was being provided at Local 892, the Costumer Designers Guild, for those in need, as many fire victims left
their homes with just the clothes on their backs.
This issue of ICG Magazine highlights Local 600 publicists, who are the most talented and creative PR professionals in the world. Despite all the challenges in the past year, ICG publicists continue to provide their incredible vision that precedes projects in every genre and platform – theatrical and episodic, broadcast, cable, streaming, awards shows, unscripted, you name it. I’m extremely proud that these publicity professionals are a key part of what makes this union strong and united. In the wake of these terrible events in Southern California, I know that these union members, along with all the other IATSE crafts locals and industry leaders, will maintain great solidarity to assist those in need. I urge this entire membership to continue to read our weekly emails, and other Guild messaging, where all the fire-relief resource links and donation centers are listed. Dozens of Local 600 members lost their homes; hundreds more were evacuated without knowing the livable conditions of their homes when they did return. These fires were on a scale this region had never seen before. We all need to live up to this city’s name, helping wherever and whenever we can.
Baird Steptoe, Sr.
Photo by Scott Everett White
National President International Cinematographers Guild
IATSE Local 600
Publisher
Teresa Muñoz
Executive Editor
David Geffner
Art Director
Wes Driver
NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
Jill Wilk
COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Tyler Bourdeau
COPY EDITORS
Peter Bonilla
Maureen Kingsley
CONTRIBUTORS
Ted Elrick
Margot Lester
Kevin Martin
Eli Joshua Adé, SMPSP
IATSE Local 600
1ST NATIONAL
2ND
Stephen Wong
NATIONAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY-TREASURER
Jamie Silverstein
NATIONAL SERGEANT-AT-ARMS
Betsy Peoples
NATIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Alex Tonisson
COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
John Lindley, ASC, Co-Chair
Chris Silano, Co-Chair
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ICG (ISSN 1527-6007)
Ten issues published annually by The International Cinematographers Guild 7755 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, CA, 90046, U.S.A. Periodical postage paid at Los Angeles, California.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ICG 7755 Sunset Boulevard Hollywood, California 90046
Copyright 2024, by Local 600, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States and Canada. Entered as Periodical matter, September 30, 1930, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, California, under the act of March 3, 1879. Subscriptions: $88.00 of each International Cinematographers Guild member’s annual dues is allocated for an annual subscription to International Cinematographers Guild Magazine. Non-members may purchase an annual subscription for $48.00 (U.S.), $82.00 (Foreign and Canada) surface mail and $117.00 air mail per year. Single Copy: $4.95
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WIDE ANGLE
As I began writing this page, I heard yet another ping on my iPhone from the “Watch Duty” app – the same ping countless numbers of Southern Californians have been hearing since January 8, 2025, when the most destructive fires in the history of Los Angeles tore the city apart in just a few hours.
The ping was to let me know that the Palisades fire was 63 percent contained – two full weeks after it began. The Eaton fire, to the east, was at 89 percent containment, with both fires still listed as “active.”
While the world’s 24/7 news cycles have already moved on, tens of thousands of Angelenos, including many Local 600 members as well as many other film and television workers in many other unions and Guilds, are still trying to make sense of it all. Those most impacted are just trying to figure out where they’ll live next month.
The two main fires, Palisades and Eaton, destroyed nearly 38,000 acres and forever altered two tightly-knit communities that were home to many in the entertainment industry –not just the high-worth celebrities social media has focused on, but working families made up of camera technicians, makeup artists, grips, gaffers, property masters, set decorators and much more. These fires were a disaster of an order that even hardened Southern Californians who lived through previous blazes (like the 1961 Bel Air Fire) couldn’t imagine, and the repercussions – socially, economically, culturally – may well be felt for decades.
Through all the turmoil and suffering, stories of tremendous kindness and compassion have surfaced, revealing to the rest of the world what we in Southern California have known all along –while there may be more than 9.5 million people in Los Angeles County, we are a much smaller, connected village than anyone imagines. That sense of community begins with this organization, Local 600, whose efforts to support its ICG family during this tragedy have included reaching out to some 950 members in impacted areas to share vital resources and offer assistance. To support their brethren, ICG members and their supporters (through the Entertainment Union Emergency Relief and Assistance Fund) raised $60,000. All across the Southland, film and television workers have come together to donate money and goods,
volunteer at donation centers and shelters, foster abandoned pets, and generally display the core value of what being a union member is all about –caring for one another, both when times are good and when the world is on fire around us.
Although the content of this February/March issue was assigned weeks before the fires began, it’s particularly fitting to be themed around Local 600’s Publicity membership, whose careers are spent in the service of promoting (uplifting) ICG camera teams. From younger publicists, such as Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Lynden Phillips, featured in our First Look department (page 16), to core veterans like Agency Owner/Unit Publicist Carri McClure, highlighted in our Deep Focus section (page 22), and The Walt Disney Studios’ Photo Editor/Senior Publicist Bill Mona (Exposure, page 24), the words of these PR professionals all echo with the same refrain: team/project/client above self. These people spend every day figuring out how to bring attention to everyone’s work but their own.
That’s just one of the many reasons why our ICG Magazine team loves assembling this Publicity-themed issue every year; another is the chance to highlight a branch of the craft for the very first time, as we’ve done with our article on BTS/EPK shooters ( What They Do in the Shadows, page 68). These gifted filmmakers (who often shoot both BTS and EPK, even though those are separate disciplines) must possess a laundry list of varying skills to be successful in their craft. As longtime ICG Unit Publicist Gregg Brilliant describes in the article: “…it’s often said that the best storytellers are the ones who make the process invisible; and, in my experience, I believe the same applies to the art of BTS and EPK. When done right, it doesn’t just document – it inspires [and] elevates, leaving a lasting legacy long after the credits roll.”
Striving to inspire and elevate describes what Local 600 Publicists do professionally throughout the year, as well as how Local 600 members (and the greater film and television industry) have responded in recent weeks, working desperately to change the horrific legacy left by the Southern California wildfires. As ICG National President Baird Steptoe and ICG National Executive Director Alex Tonisson recently shared in a weekly newsletter: “Our filmmaking community is strong, and union members will play a large role in rebuilding what has been lost.”
We at ICG Magazine humbly dedicate this February/March issue to all that was lost in the flames, and all those helping toward restoration.
David Geffner Executive Editor
Email:
david@icgmagazine.com
Cover Photo by Eli Joshua Adé, SMPSP
Photo by Sara Terry
ELI JOSHUA ADÉ, SMPSP Captain America, Stop Motion
my photos in print never gets old. I remember when I initially got in the union, all I wanted was to get a picture in ICG and shoot a Marvel film. Moments like this make me stop and appreciate just how far I’ve come from that Canon 7D stuffed in a Jacobson Blimp.”
ProductionHUB
LYNDEN PHILLIPS
SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT
BY MARGOT LESTER
PHOTO BY ROBB ROSENFELD PUBLICIST
“I LOVE THAT WE ALL SUPPORT EACH OTHER. WHETHER IT’S THE OTHER PUBLICISTS AT SONY OR PUBLICISTS AT ANOTHER STUDIO, THERE’S A FEELING OF SUPPORT THAT HELPS FOSTER GROWTH.”
Growing up in Portland, OR, Lynden Phillips had dreams of being a veterinarian. But, she says, “in high school, I realized that I excelled in reading and writing, so I decided to look into careers where I could use more of those skills. Growing up, I would always prefer to rent a movie at Blockbuster over getting ice cream or candy, so I think that was a good indication I might end up [in the entertainment industry],” the Western Region publicist laughs now.
While a student at Gonzaga majoring in public relations, Phillips interned for a local talent agency, as well for the American Childhood Cancer Organization and a private event company. She says, “Having a wide variety of internships was valuable. I learned skills that were transferable, whether it was managing a fast-paced work environment with high volumes of calls and emails, updating timelines, or cold-calling local press.” In 2015, Phillips applied for an internship with Paramount Pictures. She wasn’t selected, but she did meet Danni Pearlberg (now Maggin) who gave her tips on the kinds of experience she’d need to have a better chance the next time around. She reapplied the following year and was placed on Maggin’s publicity team.
After graduating with minors in English, promotions, and journalism, Phillips joined Sony Pictures Entertainment. Her first film was The Equalizer 2 in 2018, and she’s since worked on campaigns for action, horror, animation, rom-coms, dramas and historical dramas.
Phillips recently completed the campaign for the Jason Reitman-directed Saturday Night, shot by Eric Steelberg, ASC. A big part of her responsibility was working on all the belowthe-line pieces and being the day-to-day point of contact for the crew.
“There were so many intricate details that went into creating that film, and the crew did some incredible work,” she reflects. “One of my favorite parts of the job is getting to speak with crafts teams about their jobs. I loved that this campaign had such a focus on that.”
Another part of the job that she calls “unique” is working on Sony’s many awards contenders. “The first experience I had working on an awards contender was with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” she shares, “and that was an incredible experience to watch an underdog in the race make it all the way to the Oscars. I was working with Danni as our in-house awards team at that time, so we were very hands on with that campaign. I enjoyed getting to learn new skills, work with a variety of different agencies and meet press that we often work with in the awards space. I moved over to a broader release campaign team in 2019 but l love that we still get to work on many of the awards campaigns.”
Mentoring also plays an important role in Phillips’ career. “I have been very fortunate to have mentors and supervisors who prepared me well,” she describes. “Danni has always been there to support me throughout my
career. I’ve always been in awe of how she works with people not only in our department but also in others. She’s so collaborative and treats everyone with kindness and respect. I wouldn’t be where I am without her. Mackenzie Kirk is another incredible mentor. She has been the best guide I could have asked for in learning how we work with the press. She not only leaves no stone unturned when it comes to pitching, [she] also develops genuine relationships.”
Such foundational experiences have prompted Phillips to make the same effort as she moves forward in her career. “The most rewarding part of my job is having the opportunity to mentor newer team members,” she shares. “It’s so special to be able to pass along everything I’ve learned from so many of my wonderful colleagues over the years and getting to watch them be excited about achievements. I share what I love about my job, and get them started with pitching and building their own relationships with the press. One piece of advice I offer is to be open-minded. Be willing to take input not only from people mentoring you in your department but also… [from] newer members of your team and colleagues in other departments. Sometimes a fresh mindset can open up a whole new perspective.”
Phillips has also benefited from connections within the Union.
“I love that we all support each other. Whether it’s the other publicists at Sony or publicists at another studio, there’s a feeling of support that helps foster growth,” she states. “I also love that the union supports publicists transitioning from being on the studio side as an assistant or coordinator. Our union reps are always great about answering questions, and if they don’t know the answer to something, they find out for you or direct you to the best person who can.”
Harking back to one of her earliest career prospects, Phillips also makes the time to volunteer with animal rescue organizations like Dogs Without Borders, MaeDay Rescue, and Wags and Walks. “It’s sometimes hard to adopt a pet with our jobs,” she concludes. “But this has been a way that I can spend time with animals and help them on their way to finding their forever homes. Although earlier this year, I just couldn’t resist and adopted a pup from Dogs Without Borders. I continue to volunteer for Wags and Walks and hope to continue fostering once our puppy gets settled in.”
JESSICA BROOKS
BY MARGOT LESTER
PHOTO BY BETH DUBBER
UNIT STILL PHOTOGRAPHER
“THE COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING, SAFETY STANDARDS AND COLLECTIVELY NEGOTIATED RATES [UNIONS ACHIEVE]
ARE KEY...THE FACT ALL GENDERS RECEIVE EQUAL PAY FOR THE SAME WORK IS A STANDARD MANY INDUSTRIES STILL LACK.”
While looking for a diversion from her undergraduate studies and the pressures of being a goalie for the University of California Santa Barbara’s Division 1 Women’s Soccer team, Jessica Brooks began teaching herself photography. “When self-teaching hit a wall,” she recalls, “I looked into the only photography classes UCSB offered, but I already knew everything they taught. That’s when I toured the [now defunct] Brooks Institute of Photography [BIP] in Santa Barbara and was blown away! I didn’t know you could make a career as a photographer.”
Unit Still Photography had never been the plan.
Brooks, born in Colorado and raised in the Bay Area, aimed to go into sports neuropsychology, so she focused on science and math classes in her undergraduate studies at UCSB. While at BIP, she learned various photography specialties and job opportunities in the craft, “but not once,” she notes, “was I introduced to the career of unit photography.” Inspired by what she was learning, Brooks changed direction and earned her degree in advertising photography from BIP with an emphasis on fashion. She worked in the ad world for several years before discovering Local 600.
“I was dating my now-husband who was getting his master’s at the American Film Institute,” she remembers, “and I worked on a few Brooks student projects and AFI cycle and thesis projects. I was drawn to the
collaborative nature of filmmaking. It must have been around 2006 that I started to work towards getting my days to get into the union and meet other Local 600 photographers.”
Her first union gig began as a non-union one, a feature with Jon Hamm, Josh Lucas and Morena Baccarin called Stolen. Brooks was part of the picket line supporting a flip, and when the work action was successful, the project became her first union show.
“After that, I was working at Apple teaching classes in Apple software and Photoshop when I met a DP named Ken Zunder [ASC],” she relates. “We became friends and he referred me to my first TV show, The Starter Wife, as a portrait photographer for the props department. I had no clue this job existed, but I loved it – a blend of teamwork and creative freedom. I got to pull in my portrait-lighting skills and had more autonomy than unit photography offers.”
Since then, Brooks has worked steadily in various genres, with comedy being her favorite. “I love being surrounded by the upbeat atmosphere a comedy tends to cultivate,” she shares. Brooks has also captured images for unscripted shows like UPN/The CW’s America’s Next Top Model, a slew of cooking shows, and more outrageous fare, including AMC’s Freakshow. “Unscripted is a lot more fast-paced and unexpected,” she continues. “You need to be on your toes constantly with your head on a swivel. It has taught me some valuable lessons that I’ve used in
scripted shows that want to film like they are unscripted.” The former ad photographer even shot a few days on Mad Men. “The cast was great, the lighting was amazing, the clothes and sets were a dream,” she recalls.
One drawback of having so many irons in the fire is the difficulty of reaching a work/ life balance, something Brooks, the mother of two young children who also has elderly family members, says, “is one of the most challenging aspects of this profession for everyone. For me, it’s striking the right equilibrium while also meeting the expectations of the network, my photo producer, the show and the production company. With unpredictable schedules and late or early hours, it’s hard for working parents to manage. While a few studios offer childcare, these facilities are primarily for executives and full-time studio staff – I’ve never had the opportunity to use one myself. Without family help, my husband and I spend a significant percentage of our paycheck on childcare.”
Accessible childcare on sets is something Brooks hopes the Union will one day add to its ongoing fight for support and protections, which Brooks notes “are among the best things union membership affords. The comprehensive training, safety standards and collectively negotiated rates are key,” she states. “It’s refreshing to know that everyone in the same role receives the same base salary, without needing individual negotiation on a job-by-job basis. The fact that all genders receive equal pay for the same work is a rare standard many other industries still lack.”
As a unit stills photographer, Brooks considers herself an integral part of the publicity team. “The collaboration between the unit photographer and the unit publicist is a unique thing,” the L.A.-based shooter explains. “We are the ‘boots on the ground’ and give the network invaluable info on the day-to-day of production. I had a great relationship with my unit publicist, Linda Brown, on the [soon-tobe-released] Shondaland/Netflix show, The Residence. I was tasked with capturing the scope and magnitude of The White House. The show recreated the largest-to-date construction of the building at ⅞-scale, and it was amazing to behold. Linda and I broke down the schedule to find the best days for photography coverage. I covered the most
amount of plates of a set that I’ve ever shot. It was tricky balancing the shooting schedule with the needs of production.” Brown and Brooks also coordinated all the environmental portraits of key crew for promotion closer to air.
Brooks says her go-to camera is the Sony A9. “The follow-focus blows my mind daily,” she smiles. “I love my Elinchrome lights and the quality of light they produce, and my Spider Holster camera belt and hand straps. I used to use shoulder straps, but they hurt my shoulders and I found them distracting when they would swing.”
Whatever the assignment, Brooks finds joy in the art of storytelling and the teamwork on set.
“I relish the challenge of finding a fresh and original way to approach and tell the story visually,” she describes. “I’m always mindful of eye-lines, as well as the line of sight for key crew members like the dolly grip, boom operators, and First AC’s. Navigating alongside Steadicams and dollies is a dance
that requires a strong sense of trust from both cast and crew. When cameras aren’t rolling, I’m busy scouting my next angles, capturing behind-the-scenes moments that tell the story of the project’s creation, and documenting the crew’s hard work. I can also be found downloading images and prepping edits for my photo producer. There’s never a dull moment!”
Brooks says the work of a unit still photographer can show up anywhere, from small social media banners to gigantic Sunset Boulevard billboards. Most of her images have been distributed digitally across various social media platforms, network websites, press kits and For Your Consideration (FYC) ads. “While most people know that my images can be used to create posters and first-look imagery, they also end up in publications whenever there is an article written about the show,” she explains. “I also get to shoot prop photos for the art department that show up on screen to help tell the story to studio hair-
and-makeup tests. And of course, behind-thescenes shots are always a fun part of my day and help highlight the hard work of the crew. For Welcome to Chippendales, Hulu hosted a live pop-up event, where a lot of my work and the other photographers’ [work was] printed and displayed throughout the venue – it was fun to see it all come to life in person.”
Brooks’ stellar career has already included several awards nominations, including the upcoming 2025 Local 600 Publicists Awards for Excellence in Still Photography in Television. “I’ve been nominated for awards, referred for top projects, and had my work end up as key art, but the thing I’m most proud of is the relationships I’ve built with photo producers, peers on set, and other photographers,” Brooks concludes. “It took a few years for me to really connect with others in the field since our job is often pretty solitary. But those bonds – sharing advice, tips, and job referrals – have become a true gamechanger.”
PAM & TOMMY – HULU (2022)
TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS – HULU (2023)
THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME – APPLE (2023)
CARRI McCLURE
AGENCY OWNER / UNIT PUBLICIST
AS TOLD TO TED ELRICK
I was a student at Cal State Fullerton, also known as “Cal State Disneyland.” I was also working at the Disneyland Hotel as a tour agent for Gray Line. I was commuting up from Dana Point and also interning at Paramount Studios on MacGyver, in post-production. The post-production supervisor on the show knew of a job at Disneyland in their Entertainment Marketing division, so I applied and got it. The offices were in Tomorrowland above the America Sings Building. We would coordinate all the network specials that came through,
all of the commercials, when Regis and Kathie Lee taped at The Park and the Holiday Specials.
It was a great gig to have while I was still in college. I got the job in November of the year before I graduated. I worked there for several years on scores of productions. There were a lot of long hours. Even though we didn’t have to be in a costume per se, everything at the park is considered onstage or backstage so we had to be in full business attire during 18-
hour shoot days, even when walking through the bowels of Splash Mountain, Pirates, or Thunder Mountain.
We carried these brick-like batteries, one on one hip, the other on the other hip, which was the production walkie. I’d be walking down Main Street through to Fantasyland with these walkie bricks on each side [laughs].
I remember a McDonald’s commercial that was shot in Tomorrowland. There was a
PHOTO BY ANA CARBALLOSA
“IN THIS BUSINESS, THERE ALWAYS HAS TO BE INTENT BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN, A PLAN FOR THE KIND OF PR THAT BEST FIT THE CLIENT AND/OR THE PROJECT.”
half basketball court built inside Matterhorn Mountain with these old-school elevators that would take you up, and you’d have to pull the doors closed. I was on that elevator, in the middle of the Matterhorn, when it got stuck! I was trying to call base to have somebody come out and rescue me. That was my entry into production at Disneyland.
Several years later, my best friend was the assistant production coordinator on a little film called Sleepless in Seattle. She said: “Do you want to come up and PA on this movie?” I felt like I had done what I could do in that capacity at Disneyland, so I said yes. The move was great because I wanted to work in feature filmmaking. I didn’t get a credit, but I was able to assist in the wardrobe department, and then on set. I was there for most of the production.
I stayed up in the Pacific Northwest and worked on the TV series Northern Exposure. I spent my formative years in Portland, Oregon, where my mom still lives. When we were filming Sleepless, I wondered: what is the unit publicist doing? She’s liaising between the talent and the press, and that was intriguing. When I came back to L.A., I took a UCLA extension class with John De Simio who was at Castle Rock for many years. He worked on all the big Billy Crystal movies, and to this day he’s a mentor of mine.
I heard of an opening at PMK, put in my résumé, interviewed, and learned it was a receptionist position. I had been a receptionist/runner at a law firm in downtown Portland right out of high school, and “I didn’t
know if I could do that again.” But I knew I had to pay some dues, so I took the job, in January 1994. It was an entry-level position, but I made the best of it, volunteering to work on many screenings and premieres.
My first red-carpet premiere was Interview with the Vampire My former boss, Pat Kingsley, repped Tom Cruise. We handled all of his movies. But I remember walking Ellen DeGeneres down the red carpet, not really knowing what to do, just kind of following what other people were doing.
PMK was a tremendous learning experience. I got to work for Pat Kingsley, Catherine Olim, Lois Smith and Leslee Dart – it was the agency to be at in the 1990s. They repped so many great stars – Tom Cruise, Jodie Foster, Meryl Streep, Richard Gere, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, everybody.
One of the first clients I was assigned to was Holly Hunter, who is an amazing woman. I had to be on my game all the time! I didn’t sign a lot of business early on because my confidence wasn’t there, but ultimately we all signed our own clients and were also assigned to clients. I worked with some incredible talent over the years, directors like Norman Jewison, Phillip Noyce and Brad Silberling, to name a few. My husband and I worked with [Writer/Director] Robert Towne on Without Limits , Mission: Impossible II, and Ask the Dust. Robert was like family to us, and it was very tough to lose him [in 2024].
After PMK, I started my own company with
clients [that included] Marcia Gay Harden and Ron Livingston. I signed more TV people as well, including Poppy Montogmery, Tim Daly, Danny Pino, Elizabeth Rodriguez and Andrea Bowen, who was then one of the young actors on Desperate Housewives. I signed Andrea when she was 14, and she already had a solid, and successful career on Broadway before the show premiered.
I saw Andrea this past summer, and she said, “Remember that time when I was 15 and you had me co-host The View?” I had no recollection of it at all. It was probably just one of those things where you schedule, pitch, do itineraries, book glam, stylists, cars, and travel thousands of times, and you’re on to the next thing. Andrea said: “I really appreciated the fact that you were intentional with the press. You didn’t just have me do anything just to do it.” I thought that was the biggest compliment ever. Where I came from, working with Pat Kingsley, Heidi Schaffer, Carol Marshall, Jennifer Allen, Melissa Kates, and Joy Fehily, truly the greats in this business, there always had to be intent behind the campaign, a plan for the kind of PR that best fit the client and/ or the project.
Prior to COVID, and after having my own company for 20 years, I decided it was time for a pivot. I had long been thinking about doing Unit Publicity. So, I put some feelers out to let folks know. I was fortunate to have been brought on Season 3 of Apple TV+ Truth Be Told , and then Amazon reached out to me about Candy Cane Lane. Amazon again brought me on for Unstoppable [page 44] with Artists Equity and I have been fortunate to work on the last three Artist Equity films The Accountant 2, and the LA Unit for RIP.
Unstoppable was truly a great experience, especially given that we were shut down by the WGA strike a few weeks into shooting, and then resumed filming in mid-December. With the exception of Christmas Eve and Day, New Year’s Eve and Day, we all worked through the Holidays. There were multi-generations of family working in various departments, and I feel that everyone was just happy to be back to work. It was a very amiable set. It’s quite a good film and I am happy that it is receiving positive notices.
BILL MONA
BY DAVID GEFFNER
Twenty-eight-year ICG member Bill Mona says his nearlythree-decades-long career in the movies was a surprise “given my passion was always music,” he reflects from his offices on The Walt Disney Company’s Burbank campus. The Redondo Beach, CA, native earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from California State University, Long Beach. While still in school, he answered an ad for an internship with Michael Levine Public Relations, followed by another internship at A&M Records. “After I graduated,” he recounts, “I answered an ad in The Hollywood Reporter from Rogers & Cowan, where I spent about a yearand-a-half and worked my way up to being a publicist. When a former colleague from Rogers & Cowan needed an assistant at Columbia Pictures, I took the job. I was never an avid moviegoer and, honestly, didn’t know much about movies. So, my plan was to take a lot of lunches with very experienced publicists and just… listen to what they had to say. That was my introduction to the film industry.”
Mona’s listening skills paid off, but not exactly how he may have anticipated. After eight years at Columbia/Tri-Star Pictures (a division of Sony Entertainment), he left to pursue his first love –music. “I managed a Los Angeles-based singer, produced a couple of her albums,” he says, “and when the money ran out, I had to get a steady job. I decided the only way I’d go back into film PR was if I could work in a photo department, as I had taken up photography in college and loved it.”
PHOTO BY ROBB ROSENFELD
PHOTO EDITOR/SENIOR PUBLICIST THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS
So much so, that Mona ended up with a career editing fellow Local 600 members’ set stills, first at 20th Century Fox, where he spent nearly 13 years, and now at The Walt Disney Studios (after Disney took over FOX’s film operations), where he’s been headquartered since 2019. Mona’s résumé is enviable, with films by James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, David Fincher, Shawn Levy and Ridley Scott heading the list. ICG Magazine Executive Editor David Geffner talked with Mona about his favorite projects, his love of music (everything from Ella Fitzgerald to 80s punk), and why his own camera only comes out while traveling, typically to document critters in the wild in the service of animal preservation.
ICG Magazine: Tell ICG readers about the connection between your professional life editing other people’s images and taking your own photos while traveling. Bill Mona: I got bit by the photography bug when I was a journalism student at Cal State Long Beach. It was the only thing I could do that tapped into my creative side, as I couldn’t draw, paint, or play an instrument (laughs). This month will mark my third trip to Africa, and last year I was in Egypt. It’s fascinating to connect the history with my photography. I derive pleasure in the beauty of these places, which I guess does tie into my everyday life looking at all the incredible images taken by unit still photographers. I can honestly say the work they have provided – and continue to provide – on pretty much every project I’ve done is of the highest quality and just…amazing.
After 18 months in music, you returned to film publicity with the caveat that it had to be as a photo editor – why not become a unit photographer given your love for image-taking? I never considered being a set photographer because I think I appreciate photographs more than I enjoy taking them. Photography is my favorite art form, so to be able to look at images and choose the ones that I think will be the best to sell a film was where I wanted to be when I returned to PR. There are often shots that are more artistic than others that are not selected, but I will always keep trying to have them included because there’s something about those images that I feel is worth showing people.
Did you come in as a photo editor after you left music management behind? I did not.
I worked in FOX’s photo archives for a year. Much of the studio’s photo archives had been sitting for years at UCLA in boxes, so we did a lot of processing and organizing of the images. I love building jigsaws, and this was like putting together a huge puzzle – matching up negatives with prints. Home Entertainment was big at the time, DVD’s, so we wouldn’t let anyone come in and look at the photo collection [for marketing purposes] until it was completely processed. Many of the negatives had the “vinegar syndrome,” where they decayed, so we had to rescue and revive.
How did you make the move to photo editing? Holly Connors was working at Sony and she had an opening. Holly and I had worked together years before. I said, “I want to be a photo editor,” and Holly took a chance on me. The job in the FOX archives was very interesting, but it just didn’t pay enough so…[laughs].
Did you have any mentors in PR before the move to Sony? Not exactly. Holly gave me my first break. But Holly, Chrissy Quesada, and I had all worked together at Sony. I was doing EPK back then, not photo editing. Holly and I had taken a photo class at UCLA Extension together, so she knew I was passionate about that end of PR. After working at Sony with Holly, Chrissy Quesada had an opening at FOX, and she became my mentor. Chrissy has led, supported, and given me good advice through a lifetime. I was so fortunate to have met her way back when. I was at FOX for 13 years until the Disney acquisition. I survived the furloughs and the layoffs, and now count another five years at Disney, even though it’s still considered the same company. It’s definitely been a change between the two studios.
What guides your choices when editing imagery? My first question to the title lead is: “How are we selling this movie?” I worked on a movie that was about sailing, but it wasn’t a sailing movie. So, it’s key to figure out what the movie is really about. For me, picking an image is instinctual. And I’ve learned that you have to be a salesman of sorts and push for the images you’re passionate about. You can’t just go in and say, “I like these.” You have to say why you like it and why it’s going to help sell the film. Where I’m usually able to sprinkle something different into the mix is with the behind-thescenes photography. Those are often my favorite moments.
Tell us about your relationship with the unit photographer. It’s common for photo editors to send them a document, basically stating the obvious of what’s needed. But when I hire a unit photographer, I trust them to do their job, and I have rarely, if ever, been disappointed. I never want the unit photographer to feel like they’re going down a list, saying: “I got this, but I didn’t get that.” These are creative people and they should be allowed to do the jobs they are very qualified to do. Now, I may sometimes say, “These are some key elements to the project that you may not be aware of.”
Do you have an example? The movie I’m working on, Deliver Me From Nowhere, is about Bruce Springsteen recording his Nebraska album. The whole recording process was done in a house with, basically, a tape machine. So, I thought it would be important for the photographer, Macall Polay, to know that. She may not think to capture images of the tape deck, which can be used for all kinds of marketing purposes, even if it’s just a digital icon somewhere, unless I tell her I need that.
You mentioned hiring the unit photographer. Is that always the case? It depends on the project. Typically, when I’m on a show, I’ll reach out to the producers to ask if they have anyone in mind. If they don’t, I’ll make suggestions and begin reaching out to photographers who would be appropriate for the material. A good photographer can shoot anything, of course. But some photographers lend themselves to a certain style. Budget can play into it as well because if we are shooting in a certain city, we’ll usually need to use a local hire. That can be challenging if it’s not a regular production center. A prime example was a recent Hulu project shot in Cleveland. I didn’t know of someone local to the area, but there’s this young photographer, Zac Popik, who is based in Atlanta and grew up in Cleveland. I asked him: “Do you have a place to stay there?” and he did. Zack did an excellent, excellent job. He’s one to really watch.
You’ve worked with some incredible directors, on some incredible movies – James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, and David Fincher to name a few. Which ones stand out? Starting with David Fincher, his producer, Ceán Chaffin, was the one who opened the door for me to work closely with filmmakers. When Chrissy Quesada left FOX for Sony, I had the opportunity to take
over the department. My boss at the time, Heather Phillips, said, “I was hoping you would want to do that.” The reason is that I had gotten to prove how well I worked with filmmakers in choosing images, people like David Fincher, who is very particular about every image that goes out. Working on Gone Girl was a career highlight. Probably the ultimate highlight, at least to this point, was Avatar: The Way of Water. Working with my late friend, Jon Landau, was an incredible experience. Jon brought me into that Avatar family, and I learned so much from him. He was an inclusive person and made everyone feel inspired on what was a very challenging film.
No doubt. Most of the movie was comped on set with virtual backgrounds. What was the unit photography like? That’s one reason why I loved it so much, as it was mostly all behind the scenes. [Local 600 member] Mark Fellman was the unit photographer, and he did a fantastic job. Lightstorm was extremely meticulous in making sure each finished image looked a certain way. It was a lot of work for everyone involved. In fact, I’m still working on it since the third one comes out a year from now! [Laughs.] Another great experience was working with Kristie Macosko Krieger and Steven Spielberg on West Side Story. Kristie is another one who draws you in and makes you feel part of the production family. Niko Tavernise was the unit photographer on that and he’s so talented. I think the best experiences have been when I’ve felt part of the filmmaking team. With the unit publicist on set as well as the actors’ publicists. Going back to those lunches I had at Columbia, I’ve found that one of the key skills for this job is simply listening to people.
You mentioned personal publicists – is the approval process a factor when stars have contractual veto power? That can be challenging. Here at Disney and FOX, our lab, Film Solutions, deals with all of the talent approvals for me. And with digital photography, the volume of images has gone through the roof. Actors may be contractually bound to go through everything, which is daunting. So, many times, I will have them make approvals off my edit, just to narrow it down. Even if it’s not in someone’s contract, if they want to see the image again, or see the re-touched version, I will send it back because I want to be confident they are happy with the image. You always have to keep in mind the bigger picture:
we need the actors and the filmmakers to do publicity for our film, and the last thing we want is an actor saying, “I didn’t like that shot, and you put it out!” In the end, these are all learning experiences.
How did you observe from the office suite the change from film to digital? It feels like that transition happened so long ago. I think there was a little pushback, at first, but it happened so quickly that the photographers didn’t have much of a choice. I can’t think of anyone who turned down a job because they couldn’t shoot film anymore [laughs]. I do think that once the photographers saw the added capabilities of digital – seeing the images as you were capturing them – the transition became fairly smooth. Some photographers will overshoot with digital – because they can. So, I often say, “If you know you have the shot, that’s fine. You don’t need to shoot every take of every scene.”
Speaking with unit photographers over the years, they seem to prefer a photo editor who is as communicative as you are. I often hear from photographers that no one talks with them during the production and that surprises me. The process of getting through all the images, getting them to the lab, and having them posted can take a while. And photo editors will often be working on many films at once. My approach is to set up a secure link and say to the unit photographer: “Every week, just drop in a few highlights; I don’t need to see everything,” and then I can provide feedback. Open communication and positive reinforcement are the way I like to work. Honestly, I can’t say I’ve ever been disappointed with any unit photographer I’ve worked with.
Social media is a genie that will never go back in the bottle. How have you handled unsanctioned imagery that ends up there? Well, first of all, everyone signs something that says the unit photographer is the only person who should be capturing images on set. Do people go ahead and shoot photos with their phones anyway? Absolutely, they do, and when I hear about it, I’ll inform the unit publicist that it’s a union violation. That hopefully will make people pull back, or at least think twice.
Disney keeping the reveal of Baby Yoda, as well as Luke Skywalker, secret in the Season 2 finale of The Mandalorian was impressive.
You work for a studio that distributes both Star Wars and Marvel titles – how do you manage that first look? It’s sensitive through the whole thing, particularly if they are shooting in a public location. So, we try to get a jump on it by doing some type of “Special” shoot. Not a special but a reveal. We did this with the Springsteen film before Jeremy Allen White was going out in public. But even then, the paparazzi stuff taken on the street got more attention than the special we did! We’re living in a different world than when I started. Is it harmful to the film if the audience sees an image pre-release? Anyone who works on a Marvel film will say yes, especially if that image does not live up to the fan base’s expectations.
Here’s a question that we at ICG Magazine always wonder about: Why will a photo editor or publicist send us screengrabs when a perfectly competent and talented union still photographer was hired? That’s something we were just talking about today. And it’s a complicated question. It can depend on the amount of control the studio gives to the filmmakers, and if they feel the finished film grabs better represent their project. I will always battle to use the production and behind-thescenes stills taken by the unit photographer. But, in the end, there’s only so much the photo editor can do. We have had projects where we hired the unit photographer Production wanted. That person did a wonderful job with great imagery, and then they turned around and said, “We want to use screen grabs.” That’s frustrating and sad. But using frame grabs can create its own set of problems, especially on VFX-heavy films where the film’s not done and we need the image for marketing. I wish I had the answer.
You’re up for the Les Mason Award for Career Achievement at this year’s Publicists Awards and the only photo editor among the nominees. Was that a surprise? Completely! I always view photo editors as the forgotten step-child of the publicity world [laughs]. Andrea Foster and Ariell Brown were on my team at FOX, and Ariell, unbeknownst to me, was the one who started campaigning for me to be included. When I saw the nomination I was shocked. And when I told her, she said: “I knew if I asked, you’d tell me not to do it! So, I didn’t ask. I just did it!” Left to my own devices, I’m a loner, so it’s pretty odd I ended up in publicity, right? [Laughs.]
KRAMER MORGENTHAU, ASC, KEEPS THE REBOOTED CAPTAIN AMERICA ON COURSE FOR MARVEL’S NEW WORLD ORDER.
BY KEVIN H. MARTIN
BY ELI JOSHUA ADÉ, SMPSP / MARVEL STUDIOS
TRANSFORMERS
PHOTOS
Stepping into the shoes of a generations-spanning legend like Steve Rogers is akin to landing a prized workplace promotion. However, in Marvel’s new Captain America: Brave New World, when exAvengers team member Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), formerly known as the Falcon, raises Rogers’ iconic shield, he immediately finds himself walking a political tightrope, not to mention having to silence the doubters who don’t think he’s worthy of Rogers’ legacy. Wilson’s first challenge is reconciling with President Ross (Harrison Ford, replacing the late William Hurt), who, despite their past differences, as seen in Captain America: Civil War, wants him to reform the Avengers anew. Conflicted over his new role and the state of the world, Wilson tackles his new assignment alongside friend and sidekick Joaquin (Danny Ramirez), who takes flight alongside Wilson as the new Falcon.
“We had the mandate to shoot twenty to thirty minutes of the movie in IMAX using the 1.90 aspect ratio, so we carried Ultra Panatar 2 lenses. With the 1.33× squeeze, that got us to the proper format without having to crop and still utilize a lot of the sensor.”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY KRAMER MORGENTHAU, ASC
Marvel recruited Nigerian-American director Julius Onah, whose indie feature, Luce , drew considerable acclaim at Sundance (2019). Onah was surprised and delighted by the chance to join the MCU, co-scripting the film (originally subtitled New World Order.) “I never thought I’d get an opportunity to make a film like this,” he shares. “But when the chance arose, I was committed to keeping a focus on character. What I gravitated to was Sam Wilson’s journey and his relationships with Thaddeus Ross and Joaquin Torres. He only becomes Captain America in the last episode of the series and hasn’t had time to grow into the role. So, he’s confronting the ramifications of that decision. What does it mean not just to embrace this new role but to also define it on your terms? How do you navigate the relationships you already have and deal with how the world perceives you? The perception of Captain America as old-fashioned, perhaps even jingoistic, has to evolve as Sam makes him more relatable to the present day.”
In addition to the Russo brothers’ beloved Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Onah was inspired by past thrillers. “I was drawn to the genre element,” he continues. “We lean into the language of paranoid political thrillers. The first movie Marvel mentioned was The Day of the Jackal. I said I’d take that and raise you Le Samourai , along with John Boorman’s Point Blank – movies of the 1960s with a controlled aesthetic for how language, color and sound are used.”
Onah selected Kramer Morgenthau, ASC, as his director of photography. “I was
looking for a middle ground,” the director relates. “Somebody who understands what Marvel movies are and how to deliver spectacle, while also having passion for the genre and what the great cinematographers had done. Kramer had done a Thor and a Terminator movie, yet he’d also done smaller films, including Fahrenheit 451 for HBO. Kramer brought a sensitivity to light, color, and texture for the action aesthetic, while also knowing what needed to be done to manage that end of this very large production, including extensive interfacing with visual effects.”
Morgenthau, whose other credits include Creed II, Creed III, Chef, and The Many Saints of Newark as well as such high-end HBO series as Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire , says “the Marvel universe has grown since I did Thor: The Dark World. The epic scale is a real challenge for the director of photography,” he observes. “So, I liked that this incarnation of Captain America was a guy who does not have superpowers, and the story is more grounded on earth. Julius had a detailed lookbook filled with images from the films we sourced. Owen Roizman’s work on Three Days of the Condor was also featured, along with the more recent film The Killing of a Sacred Deer, another picture where [Onah] loved the compositions, including some abstract framing.”
Assembling a style with nods to such iconic films was Onah’s key to putting his various department heads on the right path. “The looks seen in those films informed all of our crafts heads,” Onah states. “Each design decision had to feel emotionally right
and come across in a tactile way. Production designer Ramsey Avery really embraced this and ran with it.”
Avery, who designed additional photography on previous Marvel titles Spider-Man: Homecoming and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, as well as designing The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power TV series, says one of the main conceptual frameworks of Cap 4 was to ground it in reality. “We wanted to move it away from some of the more sci-fi and VFX versions of recent Marvel movies,” he reports. “It always feels to me that putting the camera somewhere that it can’t be in the real world takes you out of the movie, so I prefer not to rely on ‘wild’ walls unless it is for crew access or to get a particularly necessary shot that simply can’t be achieved otherwise. It also takes time away from your shooting day to have to wild walls in and out. Kramer and Julius shared this approach. These days cameras can be so small that it is much less of an issue than it used to be to get into tight corners. Plus we can always design doorways, windows, and vents to give natural ports into a set.”
Ramsey says the shoot was “mainly location-based, so that meant no wild walls,” he continues. “But even when we were on stage and could create a wild wall, we didn’t. For example, we built a deliberately small interview room into a larger space within an existing prison location to emphasize the paranoid feeling that compressed space created. Then we shot it exactly as we would have had to with real cinder-block walls. The goal, in Julius’ words, was to use ‘meticulous design’ to frame and support
Sam’s journey as he learned how he wanted to take on the mantle of Captain America. Part of that was the color choices we made that were then worked through the story in the color script.”
Avery worked closely with Morgenthau to create minimally built sets. “It can be hard to get Atlanta to look like anything other than the American South across a whole movie,” he describes. “We looked at design and location options together, discussing color and lighting, and working through possible camera angles. In all cases, Kramer was able to sculpt, through lighting, camera work and color timing, some remarkable imagery that helped meet that high bar of ‘meticulous design’ while maintaining the shared goals of keeping the film grounded.”
For lensing, Morgenthau primarily used the Panavision C-series anamorphics, which he’s used many times before, and which Onah liked, “because they were made in the 1960s and 70s, and that ties in with the paranoia thriller vibe,” Morgenthau shares. “We also carried Panavision VA’s, because sometimes spherical lenses are the only way to get a particular shot – especially on wider focal lengths and in extreme low-light situations – and for some VFX elements. We had the mandate to shoot twenty to thirty minutes of the movie in IMAX using the 1.90 aspect ratio, so we carried Ultra Panatar 2 lenses. With the 1.33× squeeze, that got us to the proper format without having to crop and still utilize a lot of the sensor.”
“Kramer brought a sensitivity to light, color, and texture for the action aesthetic, while also knowing what needed to be done to manage that end of this very large production, including extensive interfacing with visual effects.”
DIRECTOR JULIUS ONAH
A-Camera 1st AC Craig Pressgrove says Morgenthau gave [Panavision’s] Dan Sasaki notes, “which Dan used to create a customized set. We tested in LA but did the bulk of prep in Atlanta,” Pressgrove explains. “Our A-Camera 2nd AC, John Hoffler [on his third movie with Morgenthau], came up with the naming convention for our primary and secondary lens sets, which he called [respectively] the ‘Shield’ and the ‘Serpent.’” A-Camera/Steadicam Operator Mike Heathcote, SOC, AOC, adds that “this is my sixth film with Kramer, and that strong working relationship allowed us to concentrate on bringing [Onah’s] vision to life. Julius’ clear direction regarding camera movement and composition, which included visual references, made our process more efficient and streamlined,” Heathcote describes. “Julius communicated his preference to avoid any handheld camera, which we embraced as an exciting challenge for an action film.”
Morgenthau concurs, adding that “[Onah] felt very strongly that the camera movement should be more controlled, designed, and intentional. We had lots of scenes that were just straight dialogue, and we often just moved the camera when it was called for. Other times it is choreographed movement in time with the action, so there was not much gratuitous camera movement.”
B-Camera Operator Brigman FosterOwens says, “Kramer and Mike Heathcote invited me to attend pre-productions meetings, as well as meetings when we wrapped, and I believe it helped a lot during
principal photography. It was also helpful to know why we were using a certain lens and what Kramer’s ‘secret sauce’ was for the look of each lens, which I often discovered during morning dailies and on set. We got to hear from VFX as well as the stunt team and to look at models like the aircraft carrier. Julius was specific about his objectives; it’s nice to have a director who thinks outside the box inventively and then manages to stick with his plan. Every shot had a purpose; it wasn’t just coverage.”
Onah laughs, describing himself as “a preparation junkie. Even on my smallestscale projects, I’ve developed storyboards for certain sequences. Thinking things through in advance gives me a firm foundation, so then if an opportunity arises on set I can be more nimble in making creative discoveries. I embraced the entire prep toolset: previs, storyboards, and stunt vis.”
While Company 3 Senior Supervising Finishing Artist Stephan Nakamura would ultimately handle the DI, a final colorist had not been selected during prep. And Morgenthau says Onah felt strongly about shooting on film. “But, of course, that isn’t how Marvel works,” he laughs. “Even so, Julius wanted the look on digital to be as close to film as possible. So, I reached out to my friend, Steve Yedlin, ASC, who is a color science guru, for advice. Steve’s done a lot of outstanding film emulation work, and he was very generous in sharing his LUT, modifying it to work for this movie. Colorist Peter Doyle was involved in testing during prep, experimenting with color science and with adding gate weave, film grain and
“Julius communicated his preference to avoid any handheld camera, which we embraced as an exciting challenge for an action film.”
A-CAMERA/STEADICAM
OPERATOR MIKE HEATHCOTE, SOC, AOC
halation, along with other artifacts that got us that filmic vibe. I used the same lighting ratios that I used to use with film, so there is a stronger modeling to the lighting, less ambient than some digital, which on its own is quite beautiful, just not what Julius was looking for.”
One of the key locales was a prison holding Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson), a once benevolent scientist who has mutated into a deformed menace known as The Leader. “The basic idea sprung from Marvel lore of it being a secret prison,” Avery recalls, “so we started with designs in the style of previous superhero prisons – a large space, with a Brutalist overlay and a panopticon design. But that felt too much like the big swings in earlier films, so we scaled back, and concentrated on creating a tight, dank space, like a hole in the ground. The vibe was to establish how an earlier version of S.H.I.E.L.D., the SSR, set up a facility in less enlightened times to make it particularly horrible for the prisoners. It even had some echoes of the HYDRA lab where Bucky was turned into the Winter Soldier. One of the key themes in the movie’s overall design was the character’s self-reflection, so we also looked at how to get materials into this more creepy design in ways we could use to distort reflections.
“We came up with a back story as to how SSR/S.H.I.E.L.D. used lighting to control the prisoners,” Avery continues, “and then sorted out how our mad scientist, with his training and intellect, could subvert that to
gain control of the facility. This all played emotionally into Isaiah’s [Carl Lumbly’s] back story, as well as the story we wanted to tell moving forward. It was a fun challenge and turned out appropriately dank and scary. That set, more than many others, was all about the lighting and the mood we wanted at this point in the story.”
Avery notes that “while there is a look in the MCU for tech, especially in the way blue light is used, we tried to move that ‘Tech Blue’ light into a more green tone. There isn’t a design bible – as each movie is allowed to sort out how to tell its story, while generally aligning with the overall MCU. So we worked closely with Kramer and his team to set that all up along with the idea of controlling actions through light patterns.”
Chief Lighting Technician Josh Davis says “interactive lighting” is a major component in most Marvel projects, and this was no exception. “While Captain America’s talents are based in the real world of strength and speed,” Davis explains, “there were tons of cues that revolved around explosions, warning systems and mood. For the lab, we used ETC SolaHyBeams with custom Gobos to create a series of large rotating fan FX as well as Fiilex Q10’s to give us sharp Fresnel shadows that were color adjustable. All practical fixtures – fluorescent, jelly jar and warehouse lights – were built using Cine 5 LED ribbon and pixelated LED ribbon. With these color and intensity controls –working in strong collaboration with the art department and VFX – we were able to
reveal important character plot points and help take a suspenseful investigation into a high-energy fight scene that complemented some thrilling stunt work.”
One scene with lots of practical lighting occurs in extremely tight quarters. As Heathcote describes: “The battleship set was very confining. So, Julius and Kramer encouraged lots of camera movement to heighten the energy and tension – including 360-degree rotations and whip-pans timed to follow the dialog. I’m grateful for their trust as it allowed me to flow with the actors.” Heathcote had a Steadicam Post custom-cut, allowing him to keep the rig extra compact. “I often had to move over objects or bodies,” he adds. “Plus it let me get very low in regular mode, but then easily get the camera back up to eye level.”
The added freedom was helpful during the action sequences. “A Steadicam shot I especially enjoyed filming was a hallway fight,” Heathcote continues. “It gives the illusion of being one continuous shot, but there are a few stitches. Joaquin and Sam are at one end of the hallway, while Ruth is at the other, separated by guards. Using a specialized wire rig and flooring with the Steadicam, I could move freely within the hall while following her every move. I precede Ruth [Israeli actress Shira Haas playing Ruth Bat-Seraph, aka “Sabra”] through the corridor as she runs along the walls and slides across the floor. As the shot progresses, Sam throws his shield toward the camera, motivating a 180-degree whip pan that reveals Ruth defeating the remaining guards. The entire sequence,
OPPOSITE/ABOVE: VFX IN BRAVE NEW WORLD WERE CHARACTER-DRIVEN, WITH ANIMATION USED TO MATCH THE FLYING STYLES OF WIRE-RIGGED PERFORMERS AND TO CREATE ROSS’ TRANSFORMATION INTO RED HULK. “IT WAS EXCITING TO SEE HARRISON FORD IN MOCAP,” ONAH OBSERVES, “WHICH WAS ESSENTIAL TO CAPTURE HIS PERSONALITY WHEN CREATING THE NEW CHARACTER.”
choreographed by Julius and the stunt team, was so much fun to film.”
Pressgrove shares that “Kramer usually shot around 2.8 and a half. That can be a good place to be for older anamorphics, with the lens resolving well but not giving a hyper-deep depth of field. There’s a little focus banding on the top and bottom of the frame, but if you’re aware of that going in, you can accept it or reframe slightly to avoid it. It looked both beautiful and unique, and I think Kramer and Mike [Heathcote] worked hard to get the most value out of these lenses.”
With two cameras used throughout, Morgenthau says “that was driven by schedule – seventy three days, not counting additional photography. When directors and producers ask to do cross-shooting, I figure out ways to get it done without compromising the lighting too much. It didn’t happen too much of the time here. We’d also occasionally add a third camera if there was a major action or pyrotechnic event.”
Foster-Owens explains that “we would almost always be on the same side of the line, but I’d be a little off-angle, getting
a tighter view. Kramer and I would often find a B-Camera angle together with the viewfinder, if there wasn’t an angle for the B-Camera already planned. Physically, I was very close to A-Camera during rehearsals and blocking, so Mike might also see a possible shot for me. Sometimes A- and Bwould be side-by-side – Mike and I would both be in the air on two Technocranes, or together side by side down on the wheels. There were a lot of key story points being told, so B-Camera was essential to the overall plan.”
With much of the film occurring in and around the White House and action sequences focused on the East Room, the original plan was to build that set to allow for stunts. Avery had worked on White House Down, and had access to very detailed drawings, “back from when you were allowed to tour the White House and take pictures,” he relates. “So, we drew up our set based on that.”
But Production had other ideas, so Avery found a local answer in Atlanta.
“Tyler Perry has built a reduced-scale reproduction of the White House at his studio,” the designer continues. “There is no West or East Wing, but some rooms,
like the Oval Office, have been built into various floors of the location, albeit not accurate to the real thing, as the overall interior layout is specific to [Perry’s] needs. So, there’s an East Room, but it’s on the west side of the building, and smaller than the real one, with lower ceilings. That meant adding in some small green screens, working closely with Kramer and Julius to get the blocking, and adjusting camera angles so they could more easily transition from room to room and make it appear to match the real-world layout.”
The White House’s iconic Rose Garden was created on a backlot.
“That was a pretty extensive build,” Avery shares, “and to keep most of it in camera, we needed to build an ‘L’ connecting the main building to the West Wing, including the whole colonnade, at 1:1 scale. Working with Kramer and VFX, we sorted out where to end the greens on the other two sides to create clean-cut lines for any needed extensions, but we built enough set that by carefully planning our shots, a lot of it could remain safely in camera.” Two large blue screen exterior sets were built on the backlot of Trilith Studios. As Davis notes: “filming large exteriors in Georgia can be
challenging, as the weather is inconsistent. To control the sun we employed four 60-by60-foot Charcoal Light Grid overhead frames. We then kept the quality and color of the sun with an impressive rig consisting of 24 18K ARRIMAXes on scissor lifts. LED lighting has come a long way, but sometimes you just need a bunch of large HMI’s to get the sun right.”
For a shot involving Harrison Ford giving an election speech in the film’s opening, Heathcote explains that “Julius envisioned starting backstage, with a bird’s-eye view tracking [Ford] as he crossed to the podium. We would then smoothly transition to a close-up behind his head, looking out at the crowd as he spoke. But stage rigging prevented mounting a crane on a platform. So, Key Grip Joey Dianda devised an innovative solution, suspending a 45-foot Scorpio crane from the ceiling in front of the stage. The platform’s height was crucial in capturing the ideal opening frame while remaining out of sight. This setup allowed for full extension and retraction as [Ford] walked out, while also providing clearance to boom down behind him. This one was especially satisfying because it was the first previs shot shared with me while prepping the film.”
Visual effects in Brave New World were character-driven, with animation used to match the flying styles of wirerigged performers and to create Ross’ transformation into Red Hulk, which was driven by motion capture of Harrison Ford. “Ross is a character trying to redefine himself as a statesman, so there’s an
emotional aspect to his transformation,” Onah describes. “It was exciting to see Harrison Ford in mocap, which was essential to capture his personality when creating the new character. As for Sam, we have a sense of him from when he flew as the Falcon, but now he’s using Wakandabuilt wings – a new technology that lets him move in an even more sure and powerful way. There’s also a contrast between him and Joaquin, who is still using the older technology and is not as experienced as Sam with the flying. When CG took over, there was a definite carry-through from what the actors were delivering; that pays off spectacularly at the end of Act Two with a major action sequence that is the first of its kind for the MCU.”
Davis worked out a lighting scheme for the flying scenes derived from VFX previs. “We reverse-engineered the lighting for scenes of Captain America doing highvelocity acrobatics that were shot against blue screen,” he says. “We used the Fiilex Q10 again, this time mounted to a 50foot Technocrane and remote head, as a rich early morning sun source. In a choreographed dance with the camera, we were able to create the sense of dynamic speed and movement.”
With Captain America: Brave New World poised as a bridge to the latter part of the MCU’s Phase 5, including 2025’s Thunderbolts , Onah welcomed the chance to further hone the project during reshoots. “I give a lot of credit to the producers and creatives at Marvel because they truly supported us in making this a singular experience,” the filmmaker concludes.
MORGENTHAU SAYS ONAH WANTED THE LOOK ON DIGITAL “TO BE AS CLOSE TO FILM AS POSSIBLE. SO, I REACHED OUT TO MY FRIEND, STEVE YEDLIN, ASC, WHO IS A COLOR SCIENCE GURU, FOR ADVICE. STEVE’S DONE A LOT OF OUTSTANDING FILM EMULATION WORK, AND HE WAS VERY GENEROUS IN SHARING HIS LUT, MODIFYING IT TO WORK FOR THIS MOVIE.”
LOCAL 600 CREW
Director of Photography
Kramer Morgenthau, ASC
A-Camera Operator/Steadicam Mike Heathcote, SOC
A-Camera 1st AC
Craig Pressgrove
A-Camera 2nd AC
John Hoffler
B-Camera Operator
Brigman Foster-Owens
B-Camera 1st AC
Dwight Campbell
B-Camera 2nd AC
Alex Waters
C-Camera Operator
Jeff Crumbley, SOC
C-Camera 1st AC
Stephen Early
C-Camera 2nd AC Lauren Gentry Loader Cory Blake
Still Photographer Eli Adé, SMPSP
Unit Publicist Carol McConnaughey
2ND UNIT
Director of Photography
Bruce McCleery, ASC
A-Camera Operator/Steadicam Matthew Petrosky, SOC
A-Camera 1st AC
Pat Sokley
A-Camera 2nd AC
Katrienne Soulagnet
B-Camera Operator
Bill Saxelby
B-Camera 1st AC Andy Hamilton
ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography
Kramer Morgenthau, ASC
A-Camera Operator
Brigman Foster-Owens
A-Camera 1st AC
Stephen Early
A-Camera 2nd AC
Lauren Gentry
B-Camera Operator/Steadicam
Colin MacDonnell
B-Camera 1st AC
Taylor Fenno
B-Camera 2nd AC
Alex Waters
C-Camera Operator/Ronin
Rebecca Ulmo
C-Camera 1st AC
Freddy Thomas
C-Camera 2nd AC
Kevin Wilson
DIT
Robert Howie Loader
Lexi Guenard
Utilities
Amanda Ashley Rory McCleery
2ND UNIT
Director of Photography
Fernando Reyes-Allendes
A-Camera Operator
Josiah Morgan
A-Camera 1st AC
Trevor Rios
A-Camera 2nd AC
Geoff Waters
DIT
Ben McLeod
Loader
Laura Spoutz
Utility
John Wachtel
SAL TOTINO, ASC, AIC, AND HIS L.A.-BASED ICG CAMERA TEAM HIT THE MAT TO TELL THE TRUE-LIFE STORY OF ONE-LEGGED NCAA WRESTLING
CHAMPION, ANTHONY ROBLES.
BY TED ELRICK
NEVER SUBMIT
PHOTOS BY ANA CARBALLOSA / AMAZON MGM STUDIOS
Unstoppable, from Artists Equity, A Really Good Home, and Amazon/MGM, is based on the true life story of Arizona native Anthony Robles, who, despite being born with one leg, still triumphed in national high school and collegiate wrestling tournaments. At the age of three, Robles refused to wear a prosthetic leg and adapted to having only one leg in all his endeavors.
FIRST-TIME DIRECTOR WILLIAM GOLDENBERG (ABOVE WITH JENNIFER LOPEZ) SAYS HIS MAIN ASK TO DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY SAL TOTINO (OPPOSITE/TOP) WAS FOR THE CAMERA] TO BE VISCERAL, “LIKE THE AUDIENCE WAS IN THE ROOM WITH THE FAMILY OR ON THE MAT WITH THE WRESTLERS, AND SAL WAS AMENABLE TO THAT,” HE EXPLAINS. “I WAS ALWAYS TRYING TO GET MORE LIFE INTO THE CAMERA. I FELT LIKE THAT COULD SEPARATE IT FROM OTHER SPORTS FILMS AND FEEL MORE EXPERIENTIAL.”
Watching the film, the first thought is: “Where did they find such a conditioned and talented actor missing a leg?” Previous movie references include Lt. Dan (Gary Sinise) in Forrest Gump and the VFX wizardry that removed his leg from the knee down. But Robles, played by Moonlight’s Jharrel Jerome, is missing his right leg up to the hip, and that called on all the skills and ingenuity of a talented production team, assembled by director William Goldenberg (editor on Zero Dark Thirty and News of the World, and Oscar winner for Argo ) in his directorial debut, as well as the determination of Jerome to be convincing. (Jennifer Lopez as Anthony’s mother Judy, Don Cheadle as Coach Shawn Charles, Bobby Cannavale as Rick Robles and Michael Peña as Anthony’s high school coach Bobby Williams round out the stellar cast.)
Goldenberg says a lot of what he learned as an editor made for a smooth
transition to the director’s chair. “You work economically,” he reflects. “You already have a pretty good idea when you do the rehearsals of what you’re going to cut together. So, you can actually move fairly quickly. It wasn’t like I was an expert, but I felt good about what we needed in terms of performances, angles to shoot and when I had the scene.”
Veteran Local 600 Director of Photography Salvatore Totino, ASC, AIC ( Concussion , Space Jam: A New Legacy , Cinderella Man, Any Given Sunday) came on to lens Goldenberg’s debut; in their early discussions, they decided the majority of the film would be shot handheld.
“It’s about ninety to ninety-five percent handheld,” Goldenberg continues. “I wanted [the camera] to be visceral, like the audience was in the room with the family or on the mat with the wrestlers, and Sal was amenable to that. I was always trying to get
more life into the camera. I felt like that could separate it from other sports films and feel more experiential.”
Totino says he and Goldenberg wanted the audience to feel they were part of the Robles family. “The way we did it made it feel like you’re just another one of the family members sitting on the couch with them,” he describes. “That helps subconsciously to bring the audience in.” Totino used the Sony VENICE 2 with a Rialto Extension System from Keslow Camera. As 1st AC Ray Milazzo reveals: “We were a fully Angénieux show. We used the 20- to 76-millimeter and then the 45- to 120-millimeter zoom, as well as a full set of Optimo primes. For long zooms, we carried a 24- to 290-inch new Optimo.”
Milazzo has worked with Totino since 2001. He says pulling focus on the long Optimo primes, which were opened up to 1.8, “was challenging, given all the action we had to cover, and that Sal wanted to shoot
“Thousands of images were fed into a proprietary machine-learning software that has only one job – to recreate the likeness of Jharrel, which is then composited onto the real Anthony’s face.”
VFX SUPERVISOR THOMAS TANNENBERGER
the film wide open as much as possible,” Milazzo describes. “With all the wrestling, we used the Rialto mode a lot because they wanted to be lightweight and low on the mat. That was also challenging focuswise because the action moved so fast. The camera movement was quick with the Rialto and because of how low we were.”
According to A-Camera Operator James Goldman, about 50 percent of the wrestling action was captured in the Rialto mode. “You have the full-body camera, and you hook an umbilical cord out, so now you have a box that’s smaller with a lens on it,” Goldman explains. “You’re leaving the body behind and giving the lens more life. You still use a Preston and all the other stuff, but everything else can stay at the back, so it’s much lighter.”
Goldman adds that for “a lot of the wrestling it was so easy to get in and out fast. Sal was a camera operator, so he understood what was doable and what was not. He knows what’s going to be tricky and is good at scheduling. He does a good job of control on the game clock.”
Also appearing in the film is the real Anthony Robles, who stood in for some of the wrestling and training action. According to VFX Supervisor Thomas Tannenberger, even Jharrel’s face replaced Anthony’s at times with the help of AI. To accomplish this, Tannenberger took still images of Jerome’s face in various lighting situations and angles.
“The resulting thousands of images were fed into a proprietary machinelearning software that has only one job – to recreate the likeness of Jharrel, which is then composited onto the real Anthony’s face,” Tannenberger describes. “We applied this ‘face replacement’ technique not only for interiors and wrestling, but also in appropriate exteriors like running up a mountain – whenever Anthony is in the shot. For shots with Jerome, we went with a CG-based ‘subtractive prosthetic’ approach. Whenever you see Jerome from the waist down, his lower body was replaced with a matching CG version that is modeled based on Anthony. Remember, it was still very physical for Jharrel, who had a rigorous training schedule and constant reminders his character was missing a leg.”
In fact, for a relatively simple dramatic storyline, the film has nearly 800 VFX shots. Other effects included filling the wrestling stadiums with thousands of fans (which at most contained 200 extras). That meant Tannenberger, co-VFX Supervisor Landon Bootsma and VFX Producer Petra McElvenny needed a full team, including CG Supervisor Julien Roy, Machine Learning (ML) Supervisor Petar Tsonev, and Compositing Supervisor Christian Simon, all, like Tannenberger, part of the Crafty Apes team.
Totino and Goldenberg wanted lighting that felt naturalistic. Chief Lighting Technician John Moore, who has worked with Totino on many commercials and most
recently on Space Jam 2, says he has steered clear of feature films to stay local to L.A. “I don’t want to work out of town without my crew,” Moore reflects. “When Sal said they were shooting in the San Fernando Valley, I had no reason to turn this down, and it turned out great.”
Moore embraced Totino’s plan that the practicals were going to do much of the heavy lifting, “and we’d augment where we can,” he continues. “Fortunately, the new technology allowed Sal to shoot at a higher ISO than normal. So, we lit it mostly from the inside with little accents from outside and tinted in the house and shot nighttime. Making the same wrestling venue look like many different venues – high schools and colleges – was challenging. A lot of late-night shifts and changeovers. There were enough things to do on the USC Galen Center campus as well, besides the wrestling, that we had moments to get away and do other sets.
“But we would be secured and safe enough,” he adds, “that they could bring in big spotlights above where all the mats were going to be. We kind of identified, okay, here’s the six mats, here’s the four mats, and then did a lot of truss rigging. We wanted to introduce a stadium feel for the bigger events. We wanted follow-spots sweeping among the crowd, and a brighter environment, so we turned off a lot of lights in the earlier arena, making them kind of seem not quite as high end and then built it up into a finale. Shout out to our terrific
Rigging Gaffer Brian Dennis and Assistant Chief Lighting Technician Rob McKay.”
Production Designer Jon Carlos says many of the projects he and Set Decorator Ellen Reede work on are highly stylized, including Palm Royale [ICG Magazine April 2024] and Westworld Unstoppable takes place primarily between 2007 and 2011, so a level of authenticity and a “visceral tangible realism” in terms of tone were the prime concerns. “If you can detect the design in this piece, we were not doing it a service,” Carlos states. “We wanted you to feel the environment emotionally, but not to necessarily notice the environment.”
Carlos notes that while the story takes place in Mesa, AZ, filming was done 90 percent
in L.A. And although Los Angeles is a desert, the city lacks the same extremes as Arizona. That meant many plants had to be imported to convey the correct desert topography. “Add to that,” Carlos says, “the L.A. Basin had just come out of a heavy rainy season, and the locations in Sun Valley, Sunland, and the northern regions of the city were all basically Ireland. It was so green out there!”
As Unstoppable is a true story, the wrestling tournaments were all heavily documented, “and we dove into research fairly hard for this project,” Carlos shares. “There was a plethora of material available when it came time for the abodes of the family. So, we approached that, I think, with an intent to be hyper-authentic, particularly to the real Judy and Anthony, whom we had a close relationship with throughout the production.”
Carlos says Judy Robles “provided a bunch of family photos, which, of course, Ellen and I looked at differently than Judy. We dissected every element in the background, the artwork on the fridge, a hand painting, the way the kids’ family portraits were displayed, Anthony’s room, the bedding, the poster. Ellen’s team recreated all of the kids’ art as best as we could. When Anthony and Judy walked onto that set for the first time, it was emotionally intense for them. I think some special memories resurfaced.”
Totino and Carlos discussed what kind of reflective surfaces could be brought into the space. And since, Carlos notes, “it wasn’t a tablecloth type of family,” a reflective glass surface was added to the dining room table. “We got some amazing double reflections
from Judy and Anthony sitting at the table,” he recounts. “I also knew the table would reflect the slat wall behind, kind of symbolic of how the home was also a cage of sorts. [The reflective surface] provided additional texture to enhance the story. We couldn’t fill it with too much, but it was a way to amplify the elements.”
Perhaps one of the biggest challenges came from the interruption to the shooting by the WGA strike. As longtime Local 600 DIT Ryan Nguyen recalls: “We shot for three weeks at the house in the San Fernando Valley, and when we’d go to other locations, there were picket lines. So, we were concerned if we would ever be able to finish the film.
“It was fortunate that when the strike ended,” Nguyen continues, “we were able to shoot at USC. It was Christmas break, and
everybody was off campus. A lot of us didn’t get to go home because we had to shoot, but we had Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off. We gave up our holiday to finish, but we were all happy to do it because this was a film to be proud of.”
Another bump in the road was when the crew went back to the San Fernando Valley house after the strike ended and the owner had sold it. Although he had assured the team the house was the same, it wasn’t, as the new owners had made changes. Adjustments were made to bring just enough of the location back to pick up the needed shots.
“Although this was Billy’s first time directing, because of his editing background he was able to reset all that,” Totino concludes. “He knew what he needed. He didn’t need the scene inside the house.
That is something you don’t plan on. But he adapted well.”
As Goldenberg adds. “We had one scene that we couldn’t shoot before the strike hit, and we were shut down for six months. When we came back, we were told, ‘Not to worry. The house is exactly the same.’ And it wasn’t even close. The cabinets were painted, the floors were different, everything was different! So, the one scene we were going to shoot inside, we shot outside. And then it got cut out of the movie,” he laughs.
“Sometimes what you think is so important in a screenplay, once you see the scene, even though it was shot fine, you realize the story worked great without it. You can’t cut the film in your head on the set, even if you think, as an editor, maybe that’s doable.”
A-CAMERA OPERATOR JAMES GOLDMAN SAYS THAT BECAUSE TOTINO (ABOVE) IS A FORMER CAMERA OPERATOR, “HE UNDERSTOOD WHAT WAS DOABLE AND WHAT WAS NOT. SAL KNOWS WHAT’S GOING TO BE TRICKY AND IS GOOD AT SCHEDULING. HE DOES A GOOD JOB OF CONTROL ON THE GAME CLOCK.”
LOCAL 600 CREW
Director of Photography
Sal Totino, ASC
A-Camera Operator/Steadicam
James Goldman
A-Camera 1st AC
Raymond Milazzo
A-Camera 2nd AC
Kevin Sun
Mike Prior
B-Camera Operator
Kent Harvey, SOC
B-Camera 1st AC
Sarah Galley
B-Camera 2nd AC
Amanda Morgan
Additional ACs
Patrick Bensimmon
Dale White
Ryan Nguyen
Digital Loader Dante Totino
Hannah Thomas
Still
HOUR
BY MARGOT LESTER
PHOTOS BY ANNE MARIE FOX / TRISTAR PICTURES
Movies provide precious respite from whatever calamities are occurring in our lives. While any genre can relieve strain and stress, comedies are particularly adept at lifting our spirits. That’s true even when, as is the case of the new Columbia Pictures comedy One of Them Days, the plot is about a mad dash to make rent – an all-too-real stress inducer.
The storyline features best pals and roommates, Dreux (Keke Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA), who find out Alyssa’s boyfriend has blown their rent money on a sketchy product scheme. That revelation sets off a chain of events that forces the two friends to extreme – and hilarious – lengths to raise the necessary funds, all in a few hours. The rollicking buddy comedy is the latest project from Issa Rae’s production company, Hoorae. Other producers include screenwriter Syreeta Singleton (Insecure, Rap Sh!t ) and Deniese Davis (also a producer on
Insecure and Rap Sh!t). Director Lawrence Lamont, another Rap Sh!t alum, helmed the production, which was lensed by Insecure alumna Ava Berkofsky, ASC. Davis brought on Production Designer Monique Davis, whose recent credits include the L.A.-set comedies, Grand Crew and Gentefied
The team collaborated to create a look that was, Berkofsky explains, “specific to this film beyond what a traditional contemporary comedy is and steeped in the style we wanted. The visual language is both energetic and stylized. Some parts are, by
design, textured and indie, while the movie overall is very aware of itself as a ‘Movie’ – hopefully in a fun, wild way.” Berkofsky says that with Lamont, they leaned into referencing films they loved from the 1990s, those that had a real point of view. “The 90s Spike Lee and Ernest Dickerson collaborations were huge influences, and so were more recent indies, like Sean Baker’s Tangerine and The Florida Project,” Berkofsky adds. “And, most importantly, it also had to be executable on a 21-day schedule.”
First AC Faith Brewer (whom Berkofsky
“The visual language is both energetic and stylized. Some parts are, by design, textured and indie, while the movie overall is very aware of itself as a ‘Movie’ – hopefully in a fun, wild way.”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY AVA BERKOFSKY, ASC
describes as “legendary”) says the tight schedule played into the natural chaos of the storyline. “I feel we overcame the challenge by leaning into the energy of the film’s story, with the chaos of the short schedule in alignment,” Brewer shares. But to realize that vision, the gear had to check many boxes. “We were 90 percent on location, so the camera’s ability to handle uncontrollable dynamics made the most sense,” Brewer adds. The rig was also right for handheld. “We tested a lot of different techniques to achieve movement, and, in the end, handheld was the most efficient and nostalgic feeling. SZA makes her acting debut, so we needed to be able to adjust and not be locked into a specific designed move. It worked out really well.”
Berkofsky chose the ALEXA 35 because it paired well with the Panavision G Series anamorphics and because it retained the feel of the 1990s movies being referenced. “When I came in with our camera test,” Berkofsky recalls, “I talked to Colorist Dave Hussey [with Company 3] about how this was a mostly day exterior movie and how much I love 5203, Kodak 50D – a really finegrain negative stock. So that was in the mix as he built our shooting LUT.”
Also in the mix was “making the female leads look incredible in every scene,” recalls Hussey, another veteran of Rae’s Insecure. “When we started the grade, we worked on skin saturation balancing for both women. We wanted their makeup and skin tone to look as consistent as possible from scene to scene and shot to shot. I always grade on the Resolve – the facial tracking is extremely fast and we did a ton of blue sky enhancement on it as well. It was challenging because of changing weather and losing light, but I feel like we were able to accomplish it.”
DIT Daniel Applegate adds: “The selection of the ALEXA 35 was such an important one because its new color science and extended dynamic range, paired with the fantastic LUT, allowed us to achieve the look easier and faster, especially when photographing people of color. Ava wanted to put the interior skin tones a full stop below normal – an exposure the old ALEXA sensor would make muddy – so I had to maintain that and make sure there was still nuance and detail in their facial skin tones. To manage the sheen, Ava wanted a polarizer for every camera on every shot, even night scenes. The Preston single-channel iris controllers on my cart have a switch that
allows me to control either the iris or the polarizer motor of each camera. Both Ava and I detest the flat powdery look of full skin polarization, so it was all about finding that perfect balance of skin color and sheen reflection.”
Berkofsky and Lamont agreed on outfitting the camera with anamorphic lenses.
“We shot a lens test exploring the look of every anamorphic lens we could get our hands on,” Brewer remembers. “I contacted Guy McVicker at Panavision Woodland Hills, explained what Ava was looking for, and he curated a beautiful selection of lenses for us to test, including the Panavision G series.” They tried them all, and when they got to the G series 35- and 40-millimeter lenses, “it was like, ‘There it is!’ We had found the soul of the film.” Adds Berkofsky: “It’s always fun the first moment you ‘see’ the movie through the lenses. Guy detuned some of them for us to have a less perfect feel, and I was really happy.”
In a film teeming with action sequences, one of the most outrageous has SZA climbing a telephone pole to get a pair of Air
ABOVE/OPPOSITE: FIRST AC FAITH BREWER CONTACTED PANAVISION’S GUY MCVICKER TO EXPLAIN WHAT BERKOFSKY WANTED, “AND HE CURATED A BEAUTIFUL SELECTION OF LENSES TO TEST, INCLUDING THE PANAVISION G SERIES,” BREWER SHARES. “WHEN WE GOT TO THE G SERIES 35- AND 40-MILLIMETERS, IT WAS LIKE, ‘THERE IT IS!’ WE HAD FOUND THE SOUL OF THE FILM.”
Jordans someone has thrown over the line, and in the process, getting electrocuted and falling 30 feet onto Palmer! “Obviously the telephone pole is not real – a fake one had to be installed on a street with cranes and wires,” Berkofsky explains. “We only had six hours to get the pole up, dressed, and rigged safely, as well as shoot the stunt sequence and the whole surrounding scene. We had the idea to be in Keke’s POV when SZA falls onto her. To create the effect, we shot it in reverse with a 45-foot MovieBird.” To make it work, Lamont “framed our double in a way that when we stitched SZA in, you can’t tell. That day we had a Technocrane, long lenses and a lot of patience.”
The two-part sequence wasn’t hard, Berkofsky allows, “but doing stunts that have to be done methodically and safely without the usual pre-rig the day before made it necessary that our work fly.” She says Stunt Coordinator Melissa Stubbs and
her team were crucial in pulling it off.
The action continues as Keke and SZA, in an ambulance after the pole-climbing adventure, escape down the street to get back to fundraising. “Elevating this was the very real fact that we were probably only going to get two or three takes,” describes A-Camera Operator Twojay Dhillon. “I gave Keke and SZA a pretty finite space for their feet to land and talked them through how to accelerate safely yet maintain the zany energy. Our camera platform was pistolgrip-handheld on a rickshaw, and we had to thread the needle in terms of how lively the camera was. We had two dolly grips on the rickshaw to ensure we hit the required top speed.” They ended up getting three excellent takes.
The rickshaw was also deployed for a scene where a villain runs down the street and gets doored. “After testing a few different ways of doing this, we settled on
the simplicity and energy of a rickshaw with Twojay handheld on his shoulder or lap,” Berkofsky recounts. “Figuring out how to make that feel major at top speed was a task. In the end, I think it sells really well thanks to the amazing stunt people and Twojay’s operating. Since this movie is all about locations, we were constantly moving. At least two or three – sometimes four – times a day. It was challenging to make a movie like that with the footprint we had on a 21-day schedule.”
The constant changing also meant always having to find the look on-the-fly.
“Not all our locations were ideal for making interesting lighting, so sometimes Ava would want to push the CDL to make a certain location more interesting or just different,” Applegate recalls. “Ava is a very creative person, so sometimes they would just tell me to do something crazy with the CDL. While often we wouldn’t use it, it
helped them identify what could be done to bring some life to an otherwise dull location.”
Applegate relied heavily on the discontinued Convergent Design Odyssey Q7+ for its small size, customizable false color mode, and spot metering. “After every turnaround, I would bring up the corresponding coverage so that we could match the lighting and contrast to the reverse shot, which gave us confidence that it would work perfectly in the edit.” Another piece of integral equipment was the Spudnik wireless ethernet bridge.
“Originally called the Anjielo Wireless ethernet bridge,” Applegate continues, “it was rehoused in a smaller case and fitted with a 2-pin LEMO power connector with voltage regulator. It’s a 900-megahertz wireless box that barely ever lost connection, so I could control the camera no matter how far away I was. It helped us move even faster, whether it was on the 50-foot Technocrane or all
the way down the street on the Steadicam. I had control and could go into high-speed mode or add some ND at the touch of a button. I even 3D-printed my own version of the case to make it even smaller and more lightweight.”
One of the funniest, most over-the-top sequences occurs at a blood bank where Palmer donates for some quick cash. It was shot on location in a cramped second-story medical office in a building with no working elevator and tight stairwells. Every piece of equipment had to be hand-carried up and down. Adding to the degree of difficulty was the action itself, which had to be captured in a single take to avoid changing the actors over. “It starts slowly at the beginning, and then chaos breaks out,” Hussey recalls. A first-time phlebotomist, played by Janelle James (Abbott Elementary), botches the job,
and blood spews everywhere. “The actors’ faces are covered in blood and we wanted to see their hilarious expressions as much as possible,” Hussey adds. “There is so much going on so fast, I feel I was able to help it with tracking windows on many of the faces.”
In fact, three cameras were employed, using “a variety of ways of setting up the melee,” Dhillon recalls. “But then when the blood hits the fan, we had to be handheld for the adjustability. There were gallons of blood everywhere, and we had to watch our footing as that stuff is slick!”
Another crucial location was the characters’ apartment complex, known as the Jungles.
“From the beginning, I had this idea to incorporate colors and emotions from the actual jungles and rainforests,” Lamont notes. “We researched color palettes and compositions that helped make it feel like Dreux, Alyssa and other characters were
going through everyday situations that certain animals have to deal with in the jungle.”
Though the location provided authenticity, it also created problems.
“The logistics weren’t great,” Dias explains. “There was one main way in and out of the complex, and the street was tight with no parking. At one point we even had to shut down production due to a shooting that occurred near the location. We were just on top of each other and exhausted. Luckily the tenants were supportive, but we were shooting eight-plus days of work, four of which were overnights at the end of a tough shoot, in a rough neighborhood, where the days were hot and the nights were cold. That being said, our crew stayed positive and got the work done.
“Given my experience and the scripted action,” Dias continues, “my gut told me that we had to build as many of the apartment’s interiors on stage [as possible]. I expressed this thought immediately to the team I just met, and the worries came out – ‘Can we afford that?’ ‘Will they look authentic?’ et cetera. At the end of the scout, Ava pulled [Lamont] aside, and I could see
her explaining why we should push for a build. The two returned, sold on the idea and trusting me, a stranger, to execute. We carried that sense of collaboration through prep as we navigated hurdle after hurdle. Simply put, our workflow was one based on constant communication.”
Dias and Berkofsky went through rounds of conversation about the location, the style of fixtures, curtain materials, window placements, and other key elements. “[Chief Lighting Technician] Justin Garcia and Esmeralda De La Cruz, our set decorator, executed every idea that Ava and I threw out at them,” Dias says. However, given the compressed schedule, Berkofsky wasn’t able to pre-light. “I had to walk in cold,” she recalls. “Justin and I hadn’t worked together before, so we had to trust each other in our plan. We worked it out without using any top light and shot as if it were a location, which is how I usually like to work when possible. I think it fits into the world quite well, lighting-wise, and we went from there. We used a mixture of rigged HMI’s and T12 tungsten units for the daylight look, which mixed nicely to match
the light in LA.”
At the action-packed romp’s conclusion, the two broke buddies ultimately prevail, and though their friendship is pushed to the limit, it still survives. As Berkofsky concludes: “We wanted this whole film to be ‘extra’ in terms of the buddy-comedy, counting-down-the-clock energy. We committed to keeping the actors in the frame together as much as possible and did far fewer singles than one usually would. But we also wanted to punctuate the beats so there are times where the camera will just lock into an image for comedic timing.”
As Dias adds, “What I appreciate most about Ava’s collaboration with Lawrence is that they found a way to elevate the humor and the heart of our story with a unique style that can best be described as ‘nostalgic.’ The cinematography helps the viewers immediately melt into this world with its naturalistic and grounded approach. The film is not necessarily ‘lit’ for comedy like the look of other studio comedic films we are normally used to seeing. But with that low-key approach, it somehow still feels bright, vibrant and beautiful.”
ABOVE: BERKOFSKY (RIGHT) AND DIRECTOR LAWRENCE LAMONT (LEFT) LEANED INTO REFERENCING FILMS THEY LOVED FROM THE 1990S THAT HAD A REAL POINT OF VIEW. “THE 90S SPIKE LEE AND ERNEST DICKERSON COLLABORATIONS WERE HUGE INFLUENCES,” BERKOFSKY SAYS.
LOCAL 600 CREW
Director of Photography
Ava Berkofsky, ASC
A-Camera Operator
Twojay Dhillon, SOC
A-Camera 1st AC
Faith Brewer
A-Camera 2nd AC
John Roney
B-Camera Operator
Janine Sides
Hilton Goring
B-Camera 1st AC
Sharla Cipicchio
B-Camera 2nd AC
Andy Kennedy-Derkay
C-Camera Operator
Kenny Niernberg, SOC
C-Camera 1st AC
Jenna Hoffman
C-Camera 2nd AC
Amanda Hamaday DIT
Daniel Applegate Loader
Lauren Cummings
Sarah Martinez
Utility
Credence Brewer
Ronin Techs
Jule Fontana
Chris Herr
Drone Operator
Chris Schuster
Still Photographer
Anne Marie Fox
Unit Publicist
Staci R. Collins Jackson
FOR AN OUTRAGEOUS ACTION SEQUENCE THAT FEATURED SZA FALLING 30-FEET ONTO HER CO-STAR PALMER, THE IATSE TEAM HAD JUST SIX HOURS TO “GET THE POLE UP, DRESSED, AND RIGGED SAFELY, AS WELL AS SHOOT THE STUNT SEQUENCE AND THE WHOLE SURROUNDING SCENE,” BERKOFSKY REMEMBERS,. “WE HAD THE IDEA TO BE IN KEKE’S POV WHEN SZA FALLS ONTO HER. TO CREATE THE EFFECT, WE SHOT IT IN REVERSE WITH A 45-FOOT MOVIEBIRD.”
WHAT THEY DO IN THE SHADOWS
GUILD MEMBERS FROM ACROSS THE ALLIANCE SHARE THEIR STORIES OF THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES (AND REWARDS) OF BTS CAPTURE.
BY MARGOT LESTER
On every set and most locations, there’s a crew behind the crew capturing the action of making a TV series or feature for behind-the-scenes (BTS) or electronic press kit (EPK) content.
The terms are sometimes used interchangeably – and most ICG members shoot both – but the two content types are different. EPK assets are created specifically for distribution to the media to support coverage of the project (although they often appear as additional content for consumers, too). BTS footage can be used as featurettes, entire shows about the making of a project, or social media content.
“Having a trusted and skilled shooter on set is an invaluable partnership,” describes longtime ICG Unit Publicist Gregg Brilliant, who’s overseen BTS and EPK content for many projects, including many of the episodics in Disney/Lucasfilm’s Star Wars franchise. “[These] captures aren’t just about showcasing the process,” Brilliant adds. “They highlight the filmmakers, actors, and the many artists and artisans involved at
every step, preserving history in the making. If every frame tells a story, documenting it authentically and seamlessly is the key to sharing that story with the world.”
By whatever name it’s called, and however it’s deployed, behind-the-scenes content is integral to getting eyeballs on screens, people in seats, and votes for accolades come awards season (exactly the season in which this Publicity-themed issue lands). Capturing/producing BTS content requires a ton of skill and talent – union publicity professionals must be resourceful, collaborative, creative and steeped in the cinematic arts. As Brilliant adds: “Achieving this without disrupting the filmmaking or distracting from the creative process requires finesse – a highly nuanced skill that sets the best in this field apart. It’s often said that the best storytellers are the ones who make the process invisible; and, in my experience, I believe the same applies to the art of BTS and EPK. When done right, it doesn’t just document – it inspires [and] elevates, leaving a lasting legacy long after
the credits roll.”
ICG Magazine is thrilled to present our first-ever profile of ICG members devoted to this special craft. Let’s meet them and hear their stories.
Mannon Butt has been an ICG Western Region member for five years. He says he initially worked at Discovery as an assistant editor in Washington, D.C. before relocating to L.A. in 2015 to focus on camera work. “Unfortunately,” he says, “it was very difficult to find work the first year, and a friend, Max Berry, asked if I’d be interested in being a media manager at the marketing agency he was at. I let the company know that I’d work for them as long as they’d give me a chance to film. I was able to shoot a proof-of-concept show with an ex-NFL player for the agency. Later I moved to Warner Bros., filming the ADR sessions for the Lego movies, which led me to shoot a lot of EPK interviews with A-list celebrities and pre-production BTS for many films, including John Wick 3.” Butt’s go-to gear is
CAMRIN PETRAMALE photo courtesy of Ami Nicole / ACRONYM
SOVONTO GREEN
photo by Sean Rosenthal
a Sony FX3 camera body with Sony zoom lenses, Sony FX6 camera body with Sony prime lenses, GoPros with various clamps, Sennheiser G4 Transmitter and Receiver for sound, a Shotgun mic, a Ronin RS3 Gimbal, and an Amaran light.
Jason Chau has been an ICG Eastern Region member for eight years. Based in Brooklyn, he has a camera assistant background working on narrative projects, before moving up to 2nd Unit director of photography and also shooting his own projects. (Chau won an ECA for Sting, the cerebral crime drama he lensed, in 2022.) “I started doing BTS during the pandemic and then the strikes,” he shares. “My good friend, Director/Producer Ben Poster, recommended me to collaborate with the production company Fab Group. We’ve collaborated a lot since then, including on Lady in the Lake.” Chau’s setup of choice is an FX6 Sony Full Frame.
Jeremy S. Emerman has been a Central Region ICG member for six years, based in Atlanta, GA. He started working in BTS in high school. “My first movie was an independent feature as a production assistant,” he recalls. “During the prep, I asked the filmmakers if it would be okay for me to bring a small video camera onto the set and capture some footage to show my peers back at school. They were extremely supportive and transitioned my job to capturing the BTS for the film,” and Emerman has been a leader in capturing BTS/EPK ever since. His go-to gear includes a RED Raptor VV, Shape Wooden Handle ARRI Rosette, OConnor 1040 D fluid head, RED Komodo on a DJI R4 gimbal, a Laowa 12-mm Zero-D, Zeiss Milvus Primes and the Canon RF lenses, and an iPhone 15 Pro MAX.
Sovonto Green has been a Western Region ICG member for 29 years, based in View Park, CA. Green, who transitioned from
news photography, cites one of his last news assignments as the infamous Rodney King trial. “News was becoming more entertainment and less news, and I was becoming burned out,” he remembers of that time. “A friend at Universal suggested I try BTS. My first job was Cop and a Half with Burt Reynolds in 1992, and I never returned to news. I stay for two reasons: I enjoy capturing and watching the magic of on-set moments and learning from talented craftspeople.” Green’s tech of choice includes RED Ranger Gemini with dual ISO, RED Komodo, Go Pros, DJI RS 4 Pro Gimbal, Hudson Spider Lights, Aputure LS 60× LED’s and MC 4 Light Travel kits, a Sachtler Video 18 tripod and a Traverse monopod.
Brian Hollars has been an ICG member for five years, starting in the Central Region and now based in Denver, CO as part of the Western Region. He began his career in the electric department before transitioning to
JEREMY EMERMAN photo by Chr!s Reel
camera, eventually joining as an operator. His true passion lies in cinematography. After relocating to Atlanta, he found his way into BTS work through his longtime friend, Pete Chiaramonte, a well-established name in the field. Hollars’ go-to gear includes the Sony BURANO with G Master lenses, a DJI Pocket OSMO, an action camera, and either ARRI Signatures or Leica glass for EPK projects.
Emilie Jackson has been an Eastern Region ICG member for five years, based in Ridgewood, Queens, NY. She has a documentary background and in 2018 many of the companies she worked for shut down. “I was introduced to Gregg Temkin, who took a chance and hired me on A Beautiful Day In the Neighborhood,” Jackson recounts. “We had such a good time shooting the process of recreating Fred Rogers’ world. It went beyond your standard EPK – it was a real documentary about the intricate making
of the film. Gregg has been instrumental in passing my name along to other producers, and I haven’t done anything but BTS since.” Jackson’s go-to gear includes a SONY FX9 and FX6, Sigma zoom and Cine primes, and a DJI RS3 gimbal with a Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K.
Troye Jenkins has been a Western Region ICG member for 20 years, based in Los Angeles. He came from a news and documentary background and started as a camera PA and then assistant, “so my knowledge of set dynamics and the ability to film documentaries landed me here,” he shares. “We are fortunate enough to see the process from the actors’ table read up until the final mix of the film. It’s amazing.” Jenkins’ toolkit includes RED Cinema Gemini with dual ISO, Afidus time-lapse cameras, a Lumix S1H hybrid camera, Tokina 18-35-mm and 50-135mm lenses, a Ronin 4D system, and an
assortment of action cameras from various manufacturers.
Daniel Marracino has been an Eastern Region ICG member for 20 years, based in New York City. He says he was working in independent film when his first BTS job came up on The Sopranos for HBO. “And BTS has been a part of my work diet ever since. Now I run The LSE Lab, a production company holding IATSE Commercial, MultiCamera, and Behind The Scenes agreements. (Recent BTS jobs include Amazon Studios’ Better Sister and AMC’s The Terror.) I like BTS because it’s honest documentary work that a lot of people enjoy.” Marracino’s gear set includes an ARRI AMIRA with a Canon 15-120mm lens and an EasyRig.
Camrin Petramale has been a Central Region ICG member for 13 years, based in the Chicago suburbs. “I’ve worked as a director of photography for 15 years, shooting over
DANIEL MARRACINO
photo by Spencer Pazer
11 independent feature films,” he explains. “This has taught me how to adapt quickly on set while shooting BTS, finding creative angles with whatever tools are available while staying out of the crew’s way. I also understand the visual language created by the DP and showrunner, which helps me capture behind-the-scenes moments and interviews that feel dynamic and true to the production’s style. I love all things movies and film-related. Seeing how different crews utilize different technologies is always something I find interesting, and being on set is an energetic experience.” Petramale’s go-to gear includes a Sony FX3 (FX9 for interviews), a Core Nano gold-mount battery and a custom-knit battery warmer, a Tiffen gas lift monopod, Sony Grand Master 2.8 zooms, and a shotgun mike onboard with a Bluetooth headset adapter.
ICG: What are the biggest challenges or misconceptions you encounter?
Petramale: Staying out of the way and trying to capture real moments of filmmaking while being respectful to the cast and crew’s creative process. Each actor has a different way they want to be filmed, and it’s important to understand that on Day One. You need to show them that you are being respectful of their wishes. Eventually, some warmup and let their guards down, which translates into better BTS footage and more comfortable, intimate interviews.
Chau: The biggest challenge I encounter on nearly every set is time. Whether it’s managing the schedule with talent, coordinating with the production team, or dealing with unforeseen delays, there’s
always pressure to stay on track. To overcome this, I focus on thorough preparation –and I always have backup plans in place. Ultimately, it’s about maintaining clear communication and prioritizing what needs to be accomplished without compromising the quality of the work.
Marracino: The most challenging part is the lack of crew. Often, I’ll have a Local 52 sound person with me and will be tasked with shooting both BTS on set and cast interviews right after. I end up managing a cart with battery operated lights and grip equipment. There can be a lot of fast lighting setups with big names – and it better be good, or else. I am forever scanning environments for good backgrounds and natural light for when we need to jump into interview mode.
Hollars: People love to watch BTS but not everyone respects our job on set. There’s a common misconception that BTS cinematographers lack the skills or experience in lighting and cinematography associated with traditional roles. Yet the ones who shine through have years of lighting or camera experience, which got them to this position. It’s exciting to see how BTS shooters and producers are becoming more adventurous with their approach. There’s a growing trend of using vintage glass or unique lighting for interviews, which adds a fresh, creative edge to the work.
How does your work fit in with the other publicity elements – unit, studio, set photographers, et cetera?
Butt: Most of the time the studio will request for us to film certain concepts as well as footage throughout the production that covers every aspect of the filmmaking process for later use by the PR team. I try my best to think of my own concepts and to capture BTS for each department because, in the end, the PR team may want to make a marketing video highlighting any of the heads of departments. The unit publicists keep the set running smoothly. They keep the relations between the cast and crew cordial. They are a very integral part of our job, and we wouldn’t be able to get any marketing footage without them.
Jenkins: My footage is used for pre-release marketing and mini-documentaries for physical media, streaming and social media platforms. My main point of contact is the unit publicist. The unit stills photographer is
EMILIE JACKSON
photo courtesy of Sara Luckey
a revered position. Their work is considered art to the actors, producers and studios, and oversized prints of their work grace the hallways across the production landscape. They have one spot, and in some cases one opportunity, to capture a still, so I defer to their priorities when it’s clear they need the space. All the photographers I’ve worked with have been accommodating to my needs as well.
Emerman: There’s an additional corporate side to our job where we service the needs of the internal business relations teams as well as business-to-business opportunities. For example, for the branding teams we would capture their product on set with the actor and crew, maybe even get a stand-up with heads of department talking about the product. Another important aspect of our job is filming the assets for the “Shot in Georgia” campaign (for example) to meet tax incentives goals for titles in some areas.
How has the job changed during your tenure?
Green: The job has evolved significantly since I started. We shoot fewer days on set –a movie used to be shot over three months, but now it can be shot in 35 days or less. When I began, I had a sound mixer with me every day – now only for interviews and some of the time on set. I have two SONY 17-inch monitors and a wireless Lectrosonics audio system for when I can’t have a sound recordist. The most significant change I’ve experienced is the shift from shooting BTS for DVD’s to social media. This change has required me to adapt my skills and approach to meet the new demands.
Emerman: Since the transition to streaming, we have branched off into capturing two subcategories of content: social or documentary. My iPhone 15 Pro Max is a valuable tool. The smaller camera and form
factor also allow me to work with talent in a less formal setting to capture fun content for social outlets. And since there isn’t a physical media release of some titles these days, the featurette space has turned into more polished feature-length documentaries about the making of the film.
Butt: The job has changed to include more vertical social pieces. Before we didn’t frame much for vertical, but now we are more aware that vertical pieces are more sought after, so we make sure to frame more for vertical, 9:16, and maintain a frame for normal 16:9. At the same time, I’ve noticed a more cinematic approach – we get more requests for slowmotion beauty footage. For example, on The Harder They Fall, I filmed Idris Elba’s character walking out of jail as a shootout is happening on a train behind him. I shot in 60 frames per second. Six months later I was told that my shot was being put in the trailer and the film. It was my first union-set BTS gig!
JASON CHAU
photo courtesy of Tiffany Nolasco
Jenkins: I began doing this work in 2002. Back then there wasn’t clarity between the union, the studios and their third-party vendors about the contractual status of EPK shooters. Many of those issues have since been addressed, and Local 600 seems to be actively working to achieve some uniformity and compliance. Another change: We have been increasingly asked to take a feature documentary approach to our shooting, which requires a little more pre-planning and a lot more specificity than the traditional vérité style.
What’s one of your more memorable assignments?
Chau: Any intense, high-stakes action scene! These are always difficult because of the limited number of takes to capture the action, cast reactions, and the aftermath. For a car explosion in an upcoming project, I set up two cameras to shoot the fluid motion and real-time reactions: one locked
off on the car and another on a gimbal. Shooting a barn burning down for another soon-to-be-released film was challenging for the same reasons. The key is balancing safety with the urgency of capturing those critical moments. These types of sequences require careful planning, quick decisionmaking, and the ability to stay focused on the performance while managing the spectacle. It’s a fine balance, but one that makes the final product feel all the more rewarding.
Jackson: I was shooting BTS on The Trial of the Chicago 7 and got this amazing slowmotion shot of the police raid on the protesters. The studio saw my shot and liked it so much that they ended up putting it in the movie! It’s even in the trailer. I think that is just hilarious. When we were trying to do Phedon Papamichael’s interview on set in New Jersey, we lost our location at the last minute and our producer ended up paying a local business down the street – which happened to be the recruiting office for a
pyramid scheme, complete with motivational posters and all. It was a mad-dash scramble to make it look good. To me that sums up the experience of shooting BTS.
Green: I worked on a Tom Ford movie, Nocturnal Animals. On my first day, Tom introduced himself to me as if I didn’t know who he was, and he said he didn’t like having BTS on his sets and was not a fan. I told him, “Maybe this time will be different,” and he looked at me and said, “I doubt it.” On my last day on set, I asked him if he had a different opinion about BTS. He said, “Sir, you are welcome on my set any time. I never saw you and you seem invisible, as if you were not here but here.” It was a nice compliment from a talented director. Keeping eyes off you when you are working on a set is what you really want to achieve, and that can only happen if you try very hard to be invisible.
What’s the best thing about being in the Union?
BRIAN HOLLARS
photo courtesy of Josh Vertucci
Jackson: There is unlimited power in collective bargaining. The way that some employers take advantage of people is by dividing them and forcing them to compete with each other. If we enter into a collective and refuse to compete with each other, we have more power in our ability to create the world we want.
Petramale: The union is critical for cinematographers like me. It provides serious protection in an unpredictable film industry, securing fair wages, comprehensive health benefits, and professional standards. Beyond just a paycheck, it ensures I’m compensated correctly for overtime, have legal support, and maintain a network of professional standards. The union transforms what could be a completely unstable freelance career into a structured, respected profession. It lets me focus on what matters: capturing incredible stories both behind and in front of the camera.
Emerman: The benefits and support from
the union are monumental for this side of the industry. For many decades there has been a gray area, [questioning whether] BTS/EPK should even be a covered position inside of the agreement. But our current group of Local 600 leaders, led by National Executive Director Alex Tonisson, hears our issues and is determined to resolve them. Alex and his team have worked hard to legitimize the BTS craft as well as looking to its future as we transition into more social content. Additionally, the Local 600 community in Atlanta, led by longtime members including Unit Publicist Shelly Williams and Unit Stills Photographer Daniel McFadden, have introduced informal events for the PR side of things. We meet up in groups of three to thirty and chat about the love of our crafts. This has been very helpful when arriving onto a new set, as we now have a person to rely on, someone we’ve met and personally know who can introduce us to cast and crew, helping to integrate the BTS craft into the production.
What advice do you have for someone thinking about this kind of work?
Hollars: Start by gaining experience in a few other departments to really understand how a set operates. This will give you a solid foundation for the workflow, set etiquette, and overall dynamics. Once you have that knowledge, start talking to the BTS shooters and see what insights they can offer. Learning from those who have been in the field for a while can give you valuable perspective.
Marracino: If you’re interested in BTS, you need to be willing to work as a mini-unit. You need to know how to light an interview quickly and have a positive attitude to avoid conflicts at all costs. It’s important to understand that you’re not making the movie – they are . Your job is to capture what you can and stay out of the way. This job takes a certain personality: someone who is both aggressive and risk-taking, yet adaptable to the needs of the situation.
TROYE JENKINS
photo by Nicola Goode, smpsp
PRODUCTION CREDITS
COMPILED
BY
TERESA MUÑOZ
The input of Local 600 members is of the utmost importance, and we rely on our membership as the prime (and often the only) source of information in compiling this section. In order for us to continue to provide this service, we ask that Guild members submitting information take note of the following requests:
Please provide up-to-date and complete crew information (including Still Photographers, Publicists, Additional Units, etc.).
Please note that the deadline for the Production Credits is on the first of the preceding cover month (excluding weekends & holidays).
Submit your jobs online by visiting: www.icg600.com/MY600/Report-Your-Job
Any questions regarding the Production Credits should be addressed to Teresa Muñoz at teresa@icgmagazine.com
4321 PRODUCTIONS
“COUNTDOWN” SEASON 1
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: VANESSA JOY SMITH
OPERATORS: MATTHEW PEARCE, GRETCHEN WARTHEN, SOC, TIM DOWLING, SOC
ASSISTANTS: MATTHEW KING, TROY BLISCHOK, TIFFANY AUG, KELSEY CASTELLITTO, MICHAELA ANGELIQUE, KOJI KOJIMA
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: MASON HARRELSON
LOADER: DAVID HURD
DIGITAL UTILITY: DANIEL BOWER
20TH TELEVISION
“9-1-1” SEASON 8
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ANDREW MITCHELL, PJ RUSS
OPERATORS: BRICE REID, PHIL MILLER, PAULINA GOMEZ
ASSISTANTS: JAMES RYDINGS, KAORU “Q” ISHIZUKA, CARLOS DOERR, BASSEM BALAA, MELVINA RAPOZO, JENNIFER LAI
STEADICAM OPERATOR: BRICE REID
DIGITAL UTILITY: BEAU MORAN
CAMERA UTILITY: JOE PACELLA
“DOCTOR ODYSSEY”
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: SIMON DENNIS, ASC, BSC, JOHN T. CONNOR
OPERATORS: ERIC SCHILLING, KEITH DUNKERLEY
ASSISTANTS: DAVID LEB, ROB MONROY,
NATHAN CRUM, JARED WILSON
STEADICAM OPERATOR: ERIC SCHILLING
STEADICAM ASSISTANT: DAVID LEB
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: SCOTT RESNICK LOADER: SONIA BARRIENTOS
“MID-CENTURY MODERN”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: GARY BAUM, ASC
OPERATORS: ALEC ELIZONDO, DEBORAH O’BRIEN, LANCE BILLITZER, EDDIE FINE
ASSISTANTS: SEAN ASKINS, BRADLEY TRAVER, SIMON JARVIS, CLINT PALMER, YUKA KADONO
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: EREK LANTZ
CAMERA UTILITIES: DAN LORENZE, RICHIE FINE
VIDEO CONTROLLER: JOHN O’BRIEN
“WILL TRENT” SEASON 3
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: FERNANDO REYESALLENDES, AMC, TIMOTHY GILLIS
OPERATORS: STEWART SMITH, SOC, CRISTIAN TROVA ASSISTANTS: GERAN COSTDANIELLO, IAN CAMPBELL, ANDY KOPEC, BENJAMIN EADES
STEADICAM OPERATOR: STEWART SMITH, SOC LOADER: STEVEN DAVID WALTON
DIGITAL UTILITY: NATHANIEL POBLET
STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: ZAC POPIK, DANIEL MCFADDEN, MATT MILLER
A24
“ONSLAUGHT”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: OREN SOFFER
OPERATOR: REID RUSSELL
ASSISTANTS: MEGHAN NOCE, LUIS FOWLER, OSCAR CIFUENTES, DANIEL MAESTAS
STEADICAM OPERATOR: REID RUSSELL
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: JAMES NOTARI
LOADER: DANIEL DUERRE
CAMERA UTILITY: TIN NGUYEN
BEACHWOOD SERVICES, INC.
“DAYS OF OUR LIVES” SEASON 60
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID MEAGHER
OPERATORS: MARK WARSHAW, MICHAEL J. DENTON, JOHNNY BROMBEREK, JOHN BOYD, STEVE CLARK
CAMERA UTILITY: GARY CYPHER
VIDEO CONTROLLER: ALEXIS DELLAR HANSON
BEST KEPT SECRET PRODUCTIONS, LLC
“UNTITLED SARAH SILVERMAN
STAND-UP SPECIAL”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: RHET BEAR
OPERATORS: NADINE MARTINEZ, DAVID WATERSTON, MARC BLOOMGARDEN, CLINT LITTON
JIB ARM OPERATOR: ROBERT BALTON
ASSISTANTS: MICHAEL CSATLOS, WESLEY HODGES, MICHELLE Q SUN, MICHAEL GUTHRIE, ELIZABETH JANE CAVANAGH, NANDIYA ATTIYA
JIB ARM TECH: DANIEL BALTON
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: NATHAN SPIVEY
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: CLIFTON PRESCOD
THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 photo by NIKO TAVERNISE / NETFLIX
CBS STUDIOS
“ELSBETH” SEASON 2
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JOHN ARONSON, ALEC JARNAGIN
OPERATORS: BARNABY SHAPIRO, KATE LAROSE
ASSISTANTS: SOREN NASH, RENE CROUT, NIALANEY RODRIGUEZ, ALISA COLLEY
LOADERS: PARKER RICE, JANAE HARRISON
STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: MICHAEL PARMELEE, ERIC LIEBOWITZ
“NCIS” SEASON 22
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: WILLIAM WEBB
OPERATORS: GREG COLLIER, CHAD ERICKSON
ASSISTANTS: JAMES TROOST, NATE LOPEZ, HELEN TADESSE, YUSEF EDMONDS, ANNA FERRARIE, DREW HAN CHO
LOADER: MIKE GENTILE
“NCIS: ORIGINS” SEASON 1
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: KEVIN MCKNIGHT, KURT JONES
OPERATORS: MICHAEL ALBA, MATT VALENTINE
ASSISTANTS: TAYLOR FENNO, KEVIN MILES, KEVIN POTTER, EMILY LAZLO
LOADER: SARAH MARTINEZ
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: BRANNON BROWN
DIGITAL UTILITY: BECKY CINTORA
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: GREG GAYNE
CHELSEA DISTRIBUTION GROUP, LLC
“THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF POTAMIC REUNION 2025” SEASON 9
OPERATORS: MARK BRITT, ED STAEBLER, GERARD CANCEL, ROB FEDER, MANUEL GUTIERREZ, THOMAS GUADARRAMA
JIB ARM OPERATOR: JAY KULICK
JIB ARM ASSISTANT: ANTHONY BENEDETTI
CAMERA UTILITIES: ROBERT BENDETTI, MITCH MAYER, ANTHONY DEFONZO
STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: CLIFTON PRESCOD, JOCELYN PRESCOD
CRANETOWN MEDIA, LLC
“MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN” SEASON 4
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: MICHAEL MCDONOUGH
OPERTORS: ALAN PIERCE, BRIAN OSMOND
ASSISTANTS: CORY STAMBLER, KIMBERLY HERMAN, BENEDICT BALDAUFF, BRIAN BRESNEHAN
DIGITAL UTILITY: MATTHEW BERAN
LOADERS: THOMAS HENRY HOLMES
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: DENNIS MONG
DARK CHOCOLATE BUNNY
“GROSS POINTE GARDEN SOCIETY”
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BRIAN BURGOYNE, MIKE KARASICK
OPERATORS: JEFF CRUMBLEY, TIM FABRIZIO
ASSISTANTS: TREY TWITTY, JACKSON MCDONALD, CHASE FLOWERS, AIMEE CASEY
STEADICAM OPERATOR: TIM FABRIZIO
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: ANDREA ACS
LOADER: LAILA COHEN
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: MARK HILL
EMPIRE LEO PRODUCTIONS
“THE MAN WITH THE BAG”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JONATHAN SELA
OPERATOR: LUCAS OWEN
ASSISTANTS: JIMMY JENSEN, JAMES SCHLITTENHART, ALEC NICKEL, FRANCES DE RUBERTIS
STEADICAM OPERATOR: DAVID THOMPSON
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: JESSICA TA
LOADERS: VICTORIA DUNN, JEFF DICKERSON
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: CLAY ENOS
UNIT PUBLICIST: JACKIE BAZAN
FOXBURG PRODUCTIONS, LLC
“THE ROOKIE” SEASON 7
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: KYLE JEWELL, PAUL THERIAULT
OPERATORS: MIGUEL PASK, MILAN JANICIN, DOUG OH
ASSISTANTS: JIM THIBO, KELLY BERG, JASON GARCIA, RICHARD KENT, CHRIS MACK, TYLER ERNST
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: RYAN DEGRAZZIO
DIGITAL LOADER: JACOB HELLINGA
UTILITY: SPENCER THIBO
HIM & HER PRODUCTIONS, LLC
“DEAD MAN’S WIRE”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ARNAUD POTIER
ASSISTANT: GEOFFREY STORTS
LUCKY LU FILM, LLC
“LUCKY LU”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: NORM LI
OPERATOR: KENNY WU
ASSISTANTS: SARAH PENSON, JOSHUA BOTE
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: JEONG PARK
MOVIE MONSTER, LLC
“THE MONSTER”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ISABELLA GONZALES
ASSISTANTS: MICHAEL BELARDI, KATHERYN IUELE
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: THOMAS GUADARRAMA
NBC UNIVERSAL TELEVISION, LLC
“CHICAGO MED”SEASON 10
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: SHAWN MAURER
OPERATORS: JOE TOLITANO, BILLY NIELSEN
ASSISTANTS: GEORGE OLSON, PATRICK DOOLEY, BRIAN KILBORN, RICHARD COLMAN, MATTHEW WILBAT, JJ LITTLEFIELD
STEADICAM OPERATOR: CHRISTOPHER GLASGOW
LOADER: TREVOR SNYDER
DIGITAL UTILITY: TRENTON LUETTICH
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: GEORGE BURNS
2ND UNIT
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: WILLIAM NIELSEN
“CHICAGO PD” SEASON 12
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JAMES ZUCAL
OPERATORS: VICTOR MACIAS, JAMISON ACKER, CHRIS HOOD
ASSISTANTS: KYLE BELOUSEK, DON CARLSON, NICK WILSON, MARK MOORE, CHRIS POLMANSKI, STEVE CLAY
STEADICAM OPERATOR: VICTOR MACIAS
STEADICAM ASSISTANT: KYLE BELOUSEK
LOADER: REBECCA JOHNSON
DIGITAL UTILITIES: JACOB OCKER, JACOB CUSHMAN
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: LORI ALLEN
“FBI” SEASON 7
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BART TAU
OPERATORS: AFTON GRANT, ANDY FISHER
ASSISTANTS: ADAM GONZALEZ, YURI INOUE, MIKE LOBB, MARVIN LEE
STEADICAM OPERATOR: AFTON GRANT
LOADER: JERON BLACK
CAMERA UTILITY: HOUSSEIN BLACK
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: BENNETT RAGLIN
“FBI MOST WANTED” SEASON 6
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: LUDOVIC LITTEE
OPERATORS: CHRIS MOONE, SCOTT TINSLEY
ASSISTANTS: JOHN FITZPATRICK, DAN PFEIFER, JOHN CONQUY, TYLER MANCUSO
LOADERS: ANTHONY VITALE, HUSSEIN FARRAJ
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: MARK SCHAFER
“HAPPY’S PLACE” SEASON 1
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: GARY BAUM, ASC OPERATORS: DAVID DECHANT, DEBORAH O’BRIEN DAMIAN DELLA SANTINA, EDDIE FINE
ASSISTANTS: BRAD TRAVER, SEAN ASKINS, YUKA KADONO
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: DEREK LANTZ
VIDEO CONTROLLER: JOHN O’BRIEN
CAMERA UTILITIES: RICHIE FINE, DANNY LORENZE
“LAW & ORDER” SEASON 24
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JON DELGADO
OPERATORS: DEKE KEENER, BEAU GRANTLAND
ASSISTANTS: JASON RIHALY, JACOB STAHLMAN, EMILY DUMBRILL, KELSEY MIDDLETON
STEADICAM OPERATOR: RICHARD KEENER
LOADER: LISA CHIN
STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: VIRGINIA SHERWOOD, IAN BRACONE, MICHAEL PARMELEE
“LAW & ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME” SEASON 5
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JIM DENAULT, JON BEATTIE
OPERATORS: JOHN PIROZZI, NIKNAZ TAVAKOLIAN
ASSISTANTS: ALEX WATERSTON, LEE VICKERY, DERRICK DAWKINS, PATRICK ARELLANO
STEADICAM OPERATOR: NIKNAZ TAVAKOLIAN
LOADERS: WILLIE CHING, BERNARDO RUIZ POZO, VINCE FERRARI
STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: GIOVANNI RUFINO, RALPH BAVARO, VIRGINIA SHERWOOD, DAVID GIESBRECHT
“LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS
UNIT” SEASON 26
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: FELIKS PARNELL
OPERATORS: JON HERRON, CHRISTOPHER DEL SORDO
ASSISTANTS: JOSEPH METZGER, CHRISTIAN CARMODY, RYAN HADDON, MARY NEARY
STEADICAM OPERATOR: JONATHAN HERRON
LOADER: JAMES WILLIAMS, MATT CHIARELLI
“TED” SEASON 2
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JEFFREY C. MYGATT
OPERATORS: BILL BRUMMOND, TOBY TUCKER, MICHAEL SHARP
ASSISTANTS: PATRICK BENSIMMON, DALE WHITE, SCOTT BIRNKRANT, FERNANDO ZACARIAS, ERIC GUERIN, JIHANE MRAD
STEADICAM OPERATOR: BILL BRUMMOND
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: HANNAH THOMAS
“THE FOUR SEASONS” SEASON 1
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: TIM ORR
OPERATORS: PHILIP MARTINEZ, ARTHUR AFRICANO
ASSISTANTS: WARIS SUPANPONG, BECKI HELLER, RANDY SCHWARTZ, ELIZABETH CASINELLI
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: PAUL SCHILENS
LOADERS: MARGARET HUGHES, DANIEL SANABRIA
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: JON PACK
NETFLIX PRODUCTIONS, LLC
“THE BOROUGHS”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: MATTTHEW JENSEN, ASC
OPERATORS: KENNY NIEMNBERG, KEVIN EMMONS
ASSISTANTS: SEBASTIAN VEGA, TAYLOR HILBURN, KATY JONES
STEADICAM OPERATOR: KENNY NIERBERG
DIGITAL UTILITY: AUBRI MARTINEZ
LOADER: EMILIO CHERINO
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: SCOTT GARFIELD
“THE LINCOLN LAWYER” SEASON 4
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ABRAHAM MARTINEZ
OPERATOS: DOMINIC BARTOLONE, WILL DEARBORN
ASSISTANTS: JOE CHEUNG, TODD AVERY,
BRANDON DEVANIE, RYAN JACKSON
STEADICAM OPERATOR: DOMINIC BARTOLONE
STEADICAM ASSISTANT: JOE CHEUNG
DIGITAL LOADER: J. CORRIA SOTOMAYOR
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: FRANCESCO SAUTA
“TIRES” SEASON 2
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: CLAYTON HERETH
ASSISTANTS: MELISSA DABBACK, MONICA MEJIA, CORRINE MCANDREWS, STEPHEN REYES
STEADICAM OPERATOR: MICHAEL THACKRAY
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: RICHARD PAUL MYERS
NICKELODEON
“THUNDERMANS”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JOSEPH CALLOWAY
NOBODY’S BIZ NYC, LLC
“LIKE NOBODY’S BUSINESS”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JOHN INWOOD
OPERATOR: DAVID TAICHER
ASSISTANTS: DOUGLAS FOOTE,
RODRIGO MILLAN GARCE, AMANDA DEERY, ANTHONY FRANCO
STEADICAM OPERATOR: DAVID TAICHER
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: LUKAS METLICKA
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: MICHAEL SOFOKLES
PARALLAX TV PRODUCTIONS, LLC
“THE PITT” SEASON 1
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JOHANNA COELHO
OPERATORS: ERDEM ERTAL, AYMAE SULICK
ASSISTANTS: JACOB DEPP, KIRSTEN CELO, PETER DEPHILIPPIS, KELLSIE DOMNITZ
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: JEFFERSON FUGITT
DIGITAL UTILITIES: TOSHA PALANI, KEITU MOKHONWANA
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: WARRICK PAGE
SONY PICTURES TELEVISION
“JEOPARDY!” SEASON 39
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JEFF ENGEL
OPERATORS: DIANE L. FARRELL, SOC, MIKE TRIBBLE, JEFF SCHUSTER,
L. DAVID IRETE
JIB ARM OPERATOR: MARC HUNTER
HEAD UTILITY: TINO MARQUEZ
CAMERA UTILITY: RAY THOMPSON
VIDEO CONTROLLER: JEFF MESSENGER
VIDEO UTILITIES: MICHAEL CORWIN, JEFF KLIMUCK
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: TYLER GOLDEN
“WHEEL OF FORTUNE” SEASON 40
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JEFF ENGEL
OPERATORS: DIANE L. FARRELL, SOC, L.DAVID IRETE, RAY GONZALES, MIKE TRIBBLE
HEAD UTILITY: TINO MARQUEZ
CAMERA UTILITY: RAY THOMPSON
VIDEO CONTROLLER: JEFF MESSENGER
VIDEO UTILITIES: MICHAEL CORWIN, JEFF KLIMUCK
JIB ARM OPERATOR: STEVE SIMMONS
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: CAROL KAELSON
STAMFORD MEDIA CENTER AND PRODUCTIONS, LLC
“KARAMO” SEASON 3
OPERATORS: VICTOR MATHEWS, RON THOMPSON, CHARLES BEDI, DOMINICK CIARDIELLO, JON ROSE, ED STAEBLER, THOMAS TUCKER
JIB ARM OPERATOR: ANTHONY LENZO
CAMERA UTILITIES: FRANK CAIOLA, ROBERT FRITCHE
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: JOE MANCUSI
“WILKOS” SEASON 18
OPERATORS: VICTOR MATHEWS, RON THOMPSON, CHARLES BEDI, DOMINICK CIARDIELLO, MARC NATHAN, JON ROSE
JIB ARM OPERATOR: ANTHONY LENZO
CAMERA UTILITIES: ROBERT BENEDETTI, FRANK CAIOLA, ROBERT FRITCHE
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: JOE MANCUSI
STU SEGALL PRODUCTIONS, INC.
“LONG HAIRED BUSINESSMEN”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ROSS RIEGE
OPERATORS: JAN RUONA, PATRIK THELANDER
ASSISTANTS: BIANCA BAHENA, JEFF LYNN, VANESSA GUFFEY, CHRIS DE LA RIVA
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: RANDALL KAPLAN
LOADER: BRIAN WINIKOFF
TCS LOUISIANA PRODUCTIONS 5, INC.
“DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE AKA
HUSKER”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: MASANOBU TAKAYANAGI
OPERATOR: BJ MCDONNELL
ASSISTANTS: GLENN KAPLAN, ADAM RUSSELL
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: MICHAEL KELLOGG
LOADER: ZAKARIAS BRYLD AIDT
UNIT PUBLICIST: PETER SILBERMANN
TUNER MOVIE CANADA, INC.
“TUNER”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: LOWELL MEYER
STEADICAM OPERATOR: PETE KEELING
UNIVERSAL TELEVISION
“SUITS LA” SEASON 1
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JOE GALLAGHER
OPERATORS: JASON BLOUNT, DANIEL WURSCHL, PAIGE THOMAS
ASSISTANTS: TONY MARTIN, CHRISTOPHER GARLAND, RICH HUGHES, PETER CARONIA, GRETCHEN HATZ, TOMMY IZUMI
LOADER: EMILY TAPANES
DIGITAL UTILITY: DILSHAN HERATHS
“THE EQUALIZER” SEASON 5
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: TERRENCE L. BURKE, CLIFF CHARLES
OPERATORS: JOE BLODGETT, MALCOLM PURNELL, RICARDO SARMIENTO
ASSISTANTS: STACY MIZE, JELANI WILSON, CHRIS GLEATON, ROB WRASE, ZAKIYA LUCAS-MURRAY, COLIN MORRIS
STEADICAM OPERATOR: JOE BLODGETT
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: TIFFANY ARMOUR-TEJADA
LOADERS: CHRIS BAZATA, ALEX LILJA
STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: EMILY ARAGONES, MICHAEL GREENBERG
WARNER BROS
“ALL AMERICAN” SEASON 7
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ERIC LAUDADIO, ERIBERTO CORDERO
OPERATORS: BROOKS ROBINSON, NATHAN STERN
ASSISTANTS: BLAKE COLLINS, GREG DELLERSON, KIRSTEN LAUBE, JESSICA PINNS
STEADICAM OPERATOR: NATHAN STERN
STEADICAM ASSISTANT: GREG DELLERSON
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: URBAN OLSSON
“H-TOWN”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ZACH GALLER
OPERATORS: KRIS KROSSKOVE, COY AUNE, GEORGE BILLINGER, CHRIS SQUIRES
ASSISTANTS: CHAD RIVETTI, BETTY CHOW, RICH FLOYD, HUNTER JENSEN, JEFRI MEINTJES, KOKO LEE, FREDDY ROSADO, ELIJAH RAWLINGS
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: JACOB LAGUARDIA
LOADER: NATHAN MIELKE
DIGITAL UTILITIES: JACOB SELDES, MELIA HALLER
“LEANNE” SEASON 1
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: STEVEN V. SILVER, ASC
OPERATORS: EDDIE FINE, DAMIAN DELLA SANTINA, JAMIE HITCHCOCK, JON PURDY
ASSISTANTS: MEGGINS MOORE, SEAN ASKINS, NIGEL STEWART, JEFF JOHNSON, WHITNEY JONES
CAMERA UTILITIES: COLIN BROWN, MATT FISHER
VIDEO CONTROLLER: KEVIN FAUST
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: BENJAMIN STEEPLES
WINGER PRODUCTIONS
“WINGER”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JOHN SCHWARTZMAN, ASC
OPERATORS: LISA SENE, JOHN MOYER
ASSISTANTS: KYLE BLACKMAN, PATRICK O’SHEA, DOUG FOOTE, EDGAR VELEZ
LOADERS: MADELEINE KING, RALPH DILULIO
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: MALIKA FRANKLIN
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: DANIEL MCFADDEN
COMMERCIALS
1ST AVE MACHINE
“CERAVE”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ROB HAUER
OPERATOR: SCOTT DROPKIN
ASSISTANTS: ERICK AGUILAR, JOSHUA COTE, BRYAM AGUILAR, GRAHAM KENNEDY
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: RAFFI VESCO
ARTS & SCIENCES
“AT&T MARCH MADNESS”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ALEX DISENHOF
OPERATOR: ETHAN BORSUK
ASSISTANTS: BRENDAN RUSSELL, RORY HANRAHAN, JOSH REYES, RACHEL FEDORKOVA
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: PATRICK CECILIAN
LOADER: ANDREW TRICE
BISCUIT
“SPECTRUM”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ERIC SCHMIDT
OPERATORS: COLLIN DAVIS, JOHN PINGRY
ASSISTANTS: LYLA BYALL, CARRIE LAZAR, JOE PROVENZANO, GAVIN GROSSI
STEADICAM OPERATORS: HENRY TIRL, DANA MORRIS
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: JOHN SPELLMAN
CAVIAR
“ZILLOW”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: KIRA KELLY, ASC
OPERATOR: ROCHELLE BROWN
ASSISTANTS: ETHAN MCDONALD, NINA PILAR PORTILLO, EDGAR GONZALEZ
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: JORDAN HARRIMAN
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: LARA SOLANKI
DIVISION7
“AMICA”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JOMO FRAY
OPERATORS: NATHAN SWINGLE, PATRICK RUTH, JOE LAVALLEE
ASSISTANTS: PAT KELLY, MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ TORRENT, JOHN MCCARTHY
HB FILMS
“CERAVE”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: MAX GOLDMAN
ASSISTANTS: ETHAN MCDONALD, EDGAR GONZALEZ
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: DANIEL APPLEGATE
MJZ
“ARCTIC BLAST”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JASPER WOLF
ASSISTANTS: ERICK AGUILAR, JOSHUA COTE, BRYAM AGUILAR, GRAHAM KENNEDY
STEADICAM OPERATOR: JANICE MIN
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: LONNY DANLER
CAMERA UTILITY: SCOTT KUKLA
PARTIZAN ENTERTAINMENT
“DSG”
OPERATOR: JEROME FAUCI
ASSISTANTS: MATTHEW JACKSON, DAVID SEEKINS, THOM LAIRSON
STEADICAM OPERATOR: JEROME FAUCI
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: KEVIN COLBER
RANGE
“VOQUEZNA”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: DARREN LEW
OPERATOR: PETER AGLIATA
ASSISTANTS: JOHN CLEMENS, SCOTT MILLER
SKUNK
“BURGER KING”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BJORN AMUNDSEN
ASSISTANTS: DAVID JUNE, EVA JUNE
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: NIHAL DANTLURI
SMUGGLER
“BMO”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BRYAN NEWMAN
OPERATOR: RUSSELL HARPER
ASSISTANTS: DAVE JUNE, MICHAEL KUBASZAK, EVA JUNE
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: ERIC ALMOND
“GOOGLE”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: DARKO SUVAK
OPERATOR: STEVE CONDIOTTI
ASSISTANTS: DENNIS ROGERS, ANNE LEE
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: BRANDON SMITH
ALAN
Email: alanbradenmedia@gmail.com
ELI JOSHUA ADÉ, SMPSP
CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD
“This was one of those long days, for Captain America: Brave New World, where we were on the same scene in the same room, and they take a little more discipline to stay present. We rehearsed the shot, so I found my spot wedged between C-stands and track, with Operator Mike Heathcote just to my left. I had a split-second to grab the image and get out of the actor’s way, who was coming in hot. After capturing the shot, I was pleased and rewarded myself with a trip to crafty for a Nutter Butter and a LimonCello LaCroix. Cheers!”
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