A year ago, some six editions back in fact, we reported on the UK production industry coming good again, following downturns caused by the global pandemic, plus the WGA SAG-AFTRA strikes. And, 12 months later, it would seem that is exactly what has been happening.
Whilst official figures about the levels of inward investment and homegrown production won’t be released until January 2026, it’s clear – just from our various trips and visits to studios and suppliers, plus news and other inputs we receive about who’s shooting what – that things have bounced back.
After a dip in 2024, there’s an expectation that 2025 will show increased stability and a decent recovery in production volumes, with some projecting around 80% of 2022 production levels.
There’s no doubt the industry has had a bruising couple of years. But with the right support in place from the government, such as the recent Screen Growth Package, plus the administration’s stated desire to enhance the UK’s status as a global creative superpower by 2035, the film and television industry will rebuild.
With this issue, we’re one away from the 30th edition, representing five years of championing cinematography worldwide. That will be something to celebrate too, won’t it!
Stay safe and happy filming…
EDITORIAL TEAM
Ron Prince has over three decades of experience in the film, TV, CGI and VFX industries, and has written about cinematography for 20 years. In 2014, he won the ARRI John Alcott Award from the BSC. He also runs the international content marketing and PR communications company Prince PR. “Count” Iain Blair is a British writer/musician who lives in LA and writes extensively about film/entertainment for outlets including LA Times, Variety and Reuters. He interviews movie stars, as well as Hollywood’s top filmmakers.
Darek Kuźma is a film and TV journalist, translator/interpreter, and a regular collaborator/programmer of the EnergaCamerimage Film Festival. He is an ardent cinephile who has a lifelong romance with the visual language of cinema.
David Wood is a freelance journalist covering film/TV technology and production He was a former technology editor at Televisual, and is a regular contributor to Worldscreen, TVB Europe and Broadcast.
John Keedwell GBCT/UAV Pilot is a documentary and commercials cameraman who has worked on productions worldwide. He has great knowledge of film, tape/file-based formats and lighting, and their uses in production.
Kirsty Hazlewood has over two decades of editorial experience in print/online publications, including reporting for the IBC and ISE Daily, and is a regular contributor to folk/roots music website Spiral Earth.
Cover Image: Colin Farrell stars as Lord Doyle in Ballad Of A Small Player, directed by Edward Berger, shot by James Friend BSC ASC. Image courtesy/ copyright Netflix. All rights reserved.
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Ron Prince
photo by Joe Short www.joeshort.com
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THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND
BRITISH FILM COMMISSION & FILM FRANCE CNC SIGN MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
The British Film Commission and Film
France CNC have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), with the aim of recognising and enhancing the collaboration between the UK and French screen industries, as well as incentivising and promoting inward investment film and high-end TV production across the two territories.
The agreement was signed at BFI Southbank, in the presence of French Culture Minister, Rachida Dati, UK Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism, Sir Chris Bryant, as well as CNC president Gaëtan Bruel, British Film Commission chief executive Adrian Wootton OBE, and BFI chief executive Ben Roberts.
Inward investment film and high-end TV production in both the UK and France continues to thrive. In the UK, the UK spend generated by inward investment film and HETV production during 2024 reached £4.7 billion.
Recent film and HETV productions that filmed or carried out VFX and post production work in both territories include The Amateur, shot in London, Paris, Marseille and Provence Studio as well as in Turkey and Washington DC, and The Lord Of The Rings, Rings Of Power S2, which shot in the UK,
with VFX done in France, and some VFX and post in the UK.
On the strengthening of ties between UK and French screen industries, Adrian Wootton OBE, chief executive of the British Film Commission, said, “We are delighted to be reinforcing our relationship with Film France CNC with this partnership agreement, building on a long-standing
relationship with our friends across the Channel. Within a similar time-zone and geographical neighbours, there’s an ease for productions working within this European production hub. Plus, our two countries already have a depth of experience working together on major productions.”
SHADOWBOX SECURES £250M FOR SHINFIELD STUDIOS REFINANCING
Shadowbox Studios has secured £250 million in financing for Shinfield Studios, its state-of-the-art film and television studio in the UK.
The refinancing, from Apollo-managed funds, follows the completion of construction last year of Shinfield Studios, with the site becoming fully-
operational and attracting major feature film and highend television productions.
The one million-square-foot facility is one of the largest studios in the UK and features 18 soundstages, workshops, contemporary office spaces and over eleven acres of backlot.
Since its debut, Shinfield Studios has quickly
become a destination for high-profile productions, including Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and The Acolyte, A Star Wars series, alongside productions for all of the major US streaming services.
“We are tremendously proud of what we’ve accomplished since fully-opening Shinfield Studios last year,” said Peter Rumbold, CEO of Shadowbox Studios.
“Shadowbox’s business model is predicated on providing modern, high-quality film infrastructure, and this announcement both marks a major milestone for Shinfield and further validates the importance of purpose-built facilities within the global production landscape.”
The Amateur
The Lord Of The Rings, Rings Of Power S2
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REBRANDED 2026 EDITION OF EUROCINE ANNOUNCED FOR BUDAPEST
Eurocine, the international celebration of the moving image, has announced that the 2026 edition will take place in Budapest.
Now rebranded simply as Eurocine (formerly Euro Cine Expo, starting-out in Munich) the event marks a major evolution, expanding beyond cinema to include immersive formats, TV and emerging screen technologies.
Each year, Eurocine partners with local film commissions, schools and institutes, creating a city-specific experience that reflects both regional identity and wider industry trends.
The 2026 edition in Budapest will feature curated screenings, a symposium of panels and workshops, an industry-focused expo, networking opportunities and the Eurocine Awards spotlighting emerging international talent.
From cinematographers to producers, editors to sound designers, Eurocine celebrates every craft behind the screen. It offers a city-hopping platform where Europe’s screen industries connect under one creative roof.
Claire and Rob Saunders, co-founders of Eurocine, commented on the rebrand and the choice of Budapest as next year’s host city. “For the fifth edition of Eurocine, we are excited to be heading to Budapest. Whilst our time in Munich has been fantastic, our plan was always to move around Europe. We are happy to say that we will still be working closely with our partners from
Germany, including the BVK, and the supporting media partners, whilst also expanding our partner network with our new hosts.” Visit www.euro-cine.com for more information.
PGGB’S NEW CEO KAYE ELLIOTT CONFIRMS NEW BOARD MEMBERS
PGGB’s new CEO, Kaye Elliott has announced that Bianca Gavin, head of production, scripted for Pulse Films has been re-elected to the board for another four-year term, continuing as PGGB chair.
Elliott also confirmed that producer Brian Donovan will once again take a seat on the board following his previous four-year tenure; whilst Bertie Spiegelberg, manager, physical production (UK & European Studio Film) Netflix has been newly elected to join the PGGB Board.
Addressing PGGB members in her first public engagement as PGGB CEO, Elliott said, “We absolutely know that continuing to provide a platform for our members and partners to meet, learn, share experiences and knowledge, question, guide and support each other, is at the very heart of what you want. In this new role at the helm of PGGB, I can assure you that we can and will continue to deliver that for you, with a refreshed vision.”
Elliott acknowledged that despite the challenges that the PGGB and the industry as a whole have faced over the last year – because of a slower than anticipated green light on productions of scale, and uncertainty around budget levels – the industry is now seeing a renewed pick-up in the pace of UK filming and reassured PGGB members that “there is renewed optimism ahead.”
JULIA MILLER APPOINTED BRANCH MANAGER OF PANALUX MANCHESTER
Julia Miller has been appointed branch manager of Panalux Manchester. Her new role coincides with the retirement of longtime Panalux veteran Ian Swindells, whose nearly 40year tenure saw him advance from maintenance technician to trusted client contact on his way to becoming branch supervisor for the Manchester office.
Before joining the Panavision group, Miller built her career across a range of roles in the film and television industry. Her extensive industry experience laid the groundwork for the leadership and expertise she brings to her new role with Panalux.
“We’re excited to welcome Julia into her new role as branch manager of Panalux Manchester,” said Michele Channer, managing director for Panalux.
“She brings experience, deep industry knowledge and relationships, and a strong commitment to supporting our clients and teams, making her an excellent fit to lead our Manchester operations.”
“I’m thrilled to join as the new branch manager and lead such a skilled and passionate team,” said Miller. “It’s an honour to follow in Ian’s footsteps, and I’m committed to building on the strong relationships and high standards that have defined the Panalux brand.”
Kaye Elliott
Bertie Spiegelberg
Brian Donovan
Bianca Galvin
NEWS FROM SPACE STUDIOS MANCHESTER
Space Studios Manchester has recently hosted House Of Guinness for Netflix, along with AMC’s Talamasca, which is part of the Anne Rice Universe. The studio also welcomed back Daddy Issues S2 for Channel 4 and hosted the romantic comedy feature film, CC: Emily for Working Title.
Studio manager, Dean Sinacola has recently been nominated in the Neil Grigson Studio Unit
Managers category at the inaugural Location Managers Award UK, which will take place on Saturday 4th October at St George’s Hall, Liverpool.
In July, Cheryl Hughes took up the role of brand and marketing manager with Space Studios. Hughes joins Space from The Pinewood Group, where she was senior brand and content marketing manager, working across its Pinewood, Shepperton and Toronto Studios.
Commenting on Hughes’ arrival, Rob Page, MD Space Studios said, “Welcoming Cheryl into the role of brand and marketing manager, marks an important step in Space Studios’ evolution. Her expertise will help shape Space for the future and really put us on the map as the go-to destination for filming in the north-west of England.”
With more that 15 years of brand and marketing experience, in both the media and charity sector for the likes of Global Media Entertainment, AO.com and the RNID, Hughes returns to her northern roots to take up this new position at a time when there is increased emphasis on the importance of supporting film and high-end TV production across the UK’s nations and regions.
Hughes said she was, “Excited to be back in Manchester to help raise the profile of Space Studios and the whole northwest region as a first-class filming destination here in the UK.”
DEDOLIGHT EFLECT – THE COMPLETE TEXTURAL PACKAGE
Dedolight Eflect was introduced to the market five years ago, and has established itself as an effective system for creating patterns and textures which can be used on backgrounds, foregrounds or on the subject being lit.
Dedolight Eflect is part of Dedolight Lightstream. Whilst Dedolight Lightstream is designed for working with reflected light, the emphasis of Dedolight Eflect is for using reflected light to create patterns and textures. These can be multi-coloured, silver, gold and a myriad of subtle or intense shades, which organically blend together in a way that other systems cannot readily provide.
The Dedolight Eflect reflectors are available in multiple sizes, from the diminutive 7x10cm designed for table-top lighting, all the way through to the massive Eflect XL at 80x80cm, suitable for creating patterns on the largest studio walls.
Dedolight Eflect works by shining a light into the Dedolight Eflect reflector. Whilst any light can be used,
this works particularly well with Dedolight focussing lights. Varying the intensity of the light, and how narrow or wide the beam is, in combination with distance of light to the reflector, will all influence the shape and texture of the patterns created. Furthermore, adding a Dedolight Parallel Beam Intensifier to the front of a Dedolight focussing light will enhance the light output and the ability to create even deeper and richer patterns and textures –very much an analogue way of working in an increasingly digital world.
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URSA Cine records an HD proxy in H.264 in addition to the camera original media. The small proxy file can upload to Blackmagic Cloud in seconds, even as the camera’s recording, so your media is available back at the studio in real time. If you have multiple cameras, then the new multi source feature in DaVinci Resolve’s Cut page will show each camera angle in a multiview.
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COLLINS AND WILSON USE ZEISS LENSES FOR HIT KIDS’ SERIES BLIPPI’S JOB SHOW
When Blippi’s Job Show hit Netflix, its visual style stood out: vibrant colours, animated energy, and a tactile sense of wonder tailored to its preschool audience.
Behind the educational whimsy are cinematographers Nathan Wilson and Chris Collins, whose combined backgrounds in music videos, feature films and documentary storytelling helped elevate the series beyond standard children’s fare.
For Wilson, shooting Blippi’s Job Show was a chance to bring his visual sensibility to a different audience. The show’s mission – introducing three-to-six-year-olds to a variety of jobs – called for both realism and imagination.
Chris Collins, a longtime collaborator with director Shannon Flynn, came to Blippi’s Job Show after working on Blippi’s Treehouse for Amazon. The show alternates directors and DPs, with Wilson and Collins leading their respective teams – but a shared visual language quickly emerged.
The show’s visuals owe much to its carefully curated camera and lens package. On-location, the DPs relied on Sony FX6s paired with Zeiss Nano primes.
“When we had to shoot inside a tiny airplane fuselage – the FX3 and Nanos fitted the bill. Having a small compact package that’s handheld all day long and still having the beautiful attributes of larger lenses was a lifesaver,” says Wilson.
“We used the 70–200mm zoom a lot,” says Collins. “For dancing, you want to see head-to-toe but also get insert shots of toes and fingers. The Compact Zooms cut really nicely with the Nanos and Supremes.”
The choice of large format cinematography brought depth to the show’s wide-angle aesthetic.
“Each episode is a fun way for kids to learn about professions,” he explains. “A pizza chef, a pilot, a park ranger… we balance education with entertainment.”
They were happy to deepen their knowledge of LED Volume and Unreal Engine whilst working a third of the time at Nant Studios. The choice there was pairing Sony Venice and Zeiss Supreme Primes. For scenes requiring tighter coverage or dance inserts, Zeiss Compact Zooms were the solution.
“The combination of using large format with the Zeiss lenses at a relatively shallow depth-of-field really helped separate our characters and draw attention to the presenters, Blippi and Meekah,” notes Collins. “Having a T1.3 lens in your bag of tricks is something every cinematographer likes.”
NANLITE LAUNCHES HANDY FULL-COLOUR LED WAND
The recently released Nanlite Wand is a lightweight (420g), full-colour LED with 36,000 colour options and a wide 2700K–7500K CCT range. Powered by NP-F batteries, PD charger or power bank, it offers 14,150 lux at 0.5m (5600K) via the Nebula C4 Light Engine.
Features include one-hand operation, full app control, 14 customisable effects, removable barndoors and diffuser – delivering performance, portability and creative flexibility for filmmakers and
vloggers on the move.
At just 420g, the Wand is easy-to-handle onehanded, with focussing lenses delivering a bright 14,150 lux beam (0.5m, 5600K) for illuminating subjects or creating vivid backgrounds.
The Wand’s Nebula C4 Light Engine delivers accurate whites, natural skintones and vibrant colours, with a 2700K–7500K CCT range and ±150 green/magenta adjustment for matching ambient light or cameras.
The Wand’s RGB chips and HSI mode offer 36,000 colours, plus 14 customisable effects for creating diverse moods and enhancing visual storytelling.
Available in mint blue and midnight blue, the Wand features a modern, ergonomic design that’s easy to hold, carry, and operate, with a 1.28-inch round display and an intuitive control layout. It also supports wireless control via the
Nanlink App 2.0, enabling users to manage multiple lights – individually or in groups. The app can also be used to keep firmware up to date.
The fixture comes with removable barndoors and a diffuser. Both accessories attach quickly for flexible lighting setups. A 1/4″-20 mount at the base allows easy attachment to a tripod, light stand or other support.
REMEMBERING EDUARDO SERRA AIP ASC
Eduardo Serra AIP ASC, the acclaimed Portuguese cinematographer, whose work included Girl With A Pearl Earring (2003, dir. Peter Webber) and the final Harry Potter films, Deathly Hallows –Part 1 and Part 2 (2010-2011, dir. David Yates), passed away on 19th August 2025, aged 81 in Paris, following a short illness.
Serra’s career spanned over five decades and bridged European arthouse cinema with Hollywood productions. Widely-recognised for his artistry in lighting and framing both independent cinema productions and global blockbusters, he earned
Academy Award nominations for The Wings Of The Dove (1997, dir. Iain Softley), which also won him the BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography, and for Girl With A Pearl Earring, which re-imagined Johannes Vermeer’s creation of the famous Dutch masterpiece.
Serra’s distinctive and painterly cinematography was also seen in Vincent Ward’s Map Of The Human Heart (1992), M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable (2000), Edward Zwick’s Blood Diamond (2006), and culminated in his work on Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2, helping to close one of the most beloved and successful franchises in film history with impressive visual depth.
ARRI UNVEILS ALEXA 35 XTREME & ARRICORE CODEC
ARRI has introduced the Alexa 35 Xtreme, an upgrade to the Alexa 35, offering higher-frame rates, a new codec for reduced data rates, longer pre-recording, lower power use and improved WiFi.
Available as a new camera or upgrade, it offers up to 330fps with the full 17 stops of dynamic range, or 660fps in Sensor Overdrive mode (11 stops). A faster processor with more on-board memory enables these speeds, reducing the need for a separate high-speed camera and helping footage match seamlessly in post.
The Alexa 35 Xtreme is complemented by
ARRICORE, ARRI’s next-generation RGB codec designed to deliver the camera’s exceptional image quality at a more accessible cost by reducing data rates.
ARRICORE keeps sensitivity, white balance and tint adjustable in post, whilst maintaining compatibility with existing Alexa 35 workflows, codecs, drives, metadata, ALF4 look files, textures, MXF wrapper and audio. Launching in beta, ARRI is inviting user-feedback to refine features. Most third-party tools supporting Alexa 35 codecs will work with ARRICORE.
The Alexa 35 Xtreme offers pre-recording times up to five times longer than its predecessor – 30 seconds at 24fps in 4.6K ProRes 4444, or five minutes in HD ProRes 422 HQ – currently the longest in any cinema camera. It also delivers 10% lower power consumption and improved wireless performance, with
WiFi 5GHz support, mesh network roaming and autoreconnect to known networks.
The Alexa 35 Xtreme will be available in sets that include either Base of Premium licensing options.
BLACKMAGIC URSA CINE 17K 65 NOW ON NETFLIX APPROVED LIST
The Blackmagic Ursa Cine 17K 65 digital film camera has been added to the Netflix Approved Camera List.
Officially titled “Cameras & Image Capture: Requirements & Best Practices”, the list highlights the capture requirements necessary to be qualified as an approved camera by the streamer, including dynamic range, resolution, codec, workflow compatibility and more.
Netflix requires 90% of a programme’s final total runtime to be captured on approved cameras. The list already includes the Blackmagic Design URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 and Blackmagic Ursa Mini Pro 12K OLPF amongst its approved systems.
CAMERIMAGE 2025 POSTER HIGHLIGHTS THE MAGIC OF CINEMA
The EnergaCAMERIMAGE Film Festival has unveiled the poster for its 33rd edition, which will take place on 15–22 November 2025 in Toruń , Poland. The poster concept pays tribute to the magic of cinema, evoking a circuslike aura of wonder and mystery. It was created by Marek Żydowicz , director of EnergaCAMERIMAGE, with the visual framework developed by Nadia Kasprowicz, a young graphic designer who collaborates with the festival and is known online under the pseudonym ‘genitivart’.
The composition shows a smartly-dressed magician, drawing a Golden Frog – the emblem the festival, and one of Toruń’s most recognisable symbols – from the depths of a black top hat.
Here, the hat plays a key role, functioning like a camera obscura, conjuring from darkness a gleaming trophy that heralds the ultimate triumph over the shadows. Summoned into being by the magician’s gesture, the frog becomes a spark of a new idea, the seed of a story which, in the right hands, takes on form, colour and true magic.
The design deliberately weaves together two traditions of the art of illusion – cinematic and theatrical – while subtly evoking the symbolism of the circus as a place of wonder. It is also the festival’s tribute to the artistic sensibility of director David Lynch, who passed away this year, a friend and advocate of the festival’s mission, and an artist who often drew on the circus’s imagination and the mystery of performance in his work.
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TORUŃ’S CINEMA 1410 BLENDS HISTORY AND SONY HIGH-END PROJECTION
In Toruń, Poland, Sony projection technology has been integrated into a unique heritage setting. The boutique Hotel 1231, built on the ruins of a Teutonic castle, now houses Cinema 1410, a 23-seat screening room designed to offer an intimate but technical- advanced viewing experience.
The installation, led by Avalon Olgierd Lichociński, centred on Sony’s VPLVW760ES 4K SXRD laser projector. Chosen for its optical performance, HDR capability, Motionflow processing and 20,000-hour maintenancefree operation, the projector delivers rich contrast, fine detail and smooth motion.
Paired with Dolby Atmos THX sound, the system
aims to replicate the creator’s intent whether screening feature films, live opera relays or art-focused programming. The design process balanced technical requirements with the building’s historic architecture, ensuring the projection and sound system integrate discreetly into the space.
In other news, Sony has expanded its professional audio range with the ECM-778, a compact, high-resolution shotgun microphone designed for film, drama and documentary production. Measuring 176mm and weighing 102g, the ECM-778 combines a newly-developed capsule, brass acoustic tube and tailored circuitry to deliver clear
SONY ANNOUNCES FREE
high-frequency response and stable mid-low performance.
The microphone offers strong forward directivity and ships with a holder and stand adapter for mounting on boom poles or directly to cameras with XLR inputs, including Sony’s Cinema Line and Alpha models.
INFRARED CUT FILTER REPLACEMENT TO IMPROVE BURANO COLOUR REPRODUCTION
Sony’s full-frame Burano digital cinema camera will receive a free infrared cut filter replacement to improve colour reproduction under strong light, including sunlight. The programme, open until 31 May 2026, covers parts and labour on a firstcome basis. Units with a visible protrusion on the upper front optical filter already have
the revised component and do not require replacement.
Firmware Version 2.0, available from 3 June 2025, adds new recording modes – a 3.8K full-frame crop at up to 120 fps, S35c 1.9K at up to 240fps, and Super35 4:3 – as well as a 1.8x de-squeeze setting, additional S&Q high-frame-rate options, proxy recording for 24fps, and monitoring improvements.
Atomos has announced the all-new Ninja TX, a completely re-engineered and advanced addition to its Ninja monitor-recorder family. Ninja TX features both 12G-SDI and HDMI 2.0 inputs and outputs, along with integrated Wi-Fi and AirGlu timecode technology. It introduces a brand-new industrial design that improves thermal efficiency, reduces weight and enhances portability, all in a compact five-inch form factor.
Despite its size, Ninja TX delivers powerful features previously reserved for the larger Shogun Ultra, but also adds support for ultra-fast CFexpress Type B media and recording to USB-C external drives.
system provides faster performance, over-the-air updates, and a streamlined user experience. It also includes all the extensive monitoring tools that have made Ninja a popular field monitor for video professionals for over a decade.
The all-new AtomOS Linux-based operating
The Ninja TX features a five-inch, 1500-nit screen, 50% brighter than previous models – with tools such as EL Zone false colour, focus peaking, waveform, RGB parade and vectorscope for precise shot control. Built-in Wi-Fi and AirGlu support cloud workflows, with 20GB of AtomoSphere storage included, plus direct upload to platforms like Frame.io or Dropbox, and streaming via NDI 6/HX3.
“This is the most advanced and capable Ninja we’ve ever built,” said Peter Barber, Atomos CEO.
“Whilst it may look similar at first glance, Ninja TX is a completely new product, re-engineered from the ground up. There’s nothing carried over from previous models. The mechanical design, electronics, and thermal system have all been
SHOOTING STARS
Our regular round up of who is shooting what and where
BERLIN ASSOCIATES:
Edward Ames recently finished shooting the next series of The Dumping Ground with directors Claire Tailyour and Jason Wingard. Sarah Bartles Smith shot episodes 5 and 6 of The Marlow Murder Club S3, directed by Katherine Churcher, with producer Serena Cullen, for Monumental Television, and is in prep on Tommy & Tuppence for Lookout Point. George Geddes has been framing on Balamory for ITV. Len Gowing lensed on Odd Squad S5 for BBC Studios. Annemarie Lean-Vercoe lit the opening block of Bergerac S2 for Blacklight Television, directed by Joss Agnew. Frank Madone lit on Only Child S2 for Happy Tramp. Nick Martin lensed the opening block on Ludwig AS2 for Big Talk. Trevelyan Oliver shot episode 4 of Call The Midwife S15. Tom Pridham recently wrapped on Teacher S3 in Spain for Clapperboard Studios. Pete Rowe has been shooting The Chelsea Detective S4 for Expectation Entertainment. Matt Wicks has finished on Twenty Twenty Six for Expectation Entertainment. Phil Wood is lighting The Blame for Quay Street Productions.
UNITED AGENTS:
Søren Bay DFF is shooting the second block of The Forsytes S2 for Mammoth. Adam Etherington BSC has wrapped on Apollo Has Fallen for Canal+ and Paramount+ with director David Caffrey. Philippe Kress DFF is lighting a TV series in Denmark. John Lee BSC shot the first block of The Forsytes S2 for Mammoth. Mark Nutkins lit an episode of the new series of Silent Witness for BBC One. Matt
Lewis recently wrapped on Philip Barantini’s latest film, Enola Holmes 3. Kieran McGuigan BSC is shooting on Trigger Point S4. John Sorapure is second unit directing on Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew. Simon Tindall has graded Clio Barnard’s I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning. Ollie Downey BSC is prepping a block of Silo S4 directed by Aric Avalino. Álvaro Gutiérrez AEC has wrapped on McKenzie with New Pictures. Frida Wendel FSF shot a four-part mini-series for TV2 Norway and Amazon Prime with director Kenneth Karlstad. Alasdair Boyce is lensing on ITV’s Frauds David Rom is currently shooting on The Capture S4, as well as prepping to work on Ted Lasso S4. Laurens de Geyter is prepping for the series Tommy & Tuppence for Britbox. Si Bell BSC is shooting the new drama series Maya for C4, written and co-directed by Daisy Haggard. Bonnie Elliott ASC has wrapped with director Christian Schwochow on Dispatcher, a 60Forty series for Apple TV+. James Friend ASC BSC is lighting for JJ Abrams on the feature Ghostwriter Anton Mertens SBC is preparing to shoot Bookish S2 for UKTV. Milos Moore shot a block of drama series Pierre for C4, directed by Sarmad Masud. Neus Ollé lit the Spanish feature Caballé for director Patricia Ortega. David Raedeker BSC is lead DP on Apple TV+ drama series 12 12 12, directed by Kari Skogland. Ed Rutherford BSC lit a block on Rivals S2 for director Dee Koppang. Juan Sarmiento G is lighting Kaouther Ben Hania’s feature You Shall Not Make An Image Anna Valdez Hanks BSC lit a block of Silo S4 for AMC Studios/Apple TV+. Ben Wheeler
BSC is the opening DP on Black Doves S2 for Sister Pictures/Netflix. Felix Wiedermann is shooting the new drama series Betrayal for director Julian Jarrold and Mammoth Screen/ITV. Barry Ackroyd BSC has been lensing commercials, including an 02 spot for director Marcus Soderlund via Academy Films. Magni Ágústsson IKS shot block one of the upcoming TV series Grown-Ups with director James Griffiths, in Dublin, for See-saw Films/Netflix. Alex Barber recently shot a Ladbrokes ad for director Mark Albiston at Merman and a Nat West commercial with director Freddy Mandy via Smuggler. Sam Care BSC is shooting the feature Our Fault: London with director Chanya Button through 42 Films for Amazon. Simon Chaudoir lit a Boots TVC with directors Dom & Nic for Outsider. Sara Deane is shooting block two of Grown-ups with director Ciaran Donnelly for See-Saw films/Netflix. Alex Melman lensed an Emirates spot with directors Big Red Button at Blink. Glynn Speeckaert ASC AFC lit a Michael Hill Jeweller spot with director Noah Marshall for Exit Films, Australia. Marcely Zyskind shot an LBS ad in Berlin with Czar Films for director Adam Hashemi.
VISION ARTISTS:
Benedict Spence has wrapped new scifi Neuromancer, the Apple TV series created by Graham Roland and J. D. Dillard, and adaptation of William Gibson’s 1984 novel of the same name. The past few months also saw Ben’s work on Netflix’s mystery series Eric, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, nominated for a BAFTA for his cinematography. Nick Morris’ film Pillion premiered at Cannes in Un Certain Regard. Directed by long term collaborator Harry Lighton, the erotic queer romance stars Alexander Skarsgård, Harry Melling and is produced by Element Pictures. This summer also saw Nick’s work on Sky TV series Sweet Pea nominated for a BAFTA for cinematography. The DP is currently in prep-on series 2 with director Ella Jones. Jaime Feliu-Torres has wrapped the new Amazon TV series The Price You Pay starring Catherine Zeta Jones, directed by Dawn Shadworth. Jonas Mortensen has graded the BBC TV dramedy series Film Club, written by Aimee Lou-Wood and starring Nabhaan Rizwan, directed by Catherine Morshead. Jonas has also begun prep on Counsels, a Glasgow-set legal drama produced by Brian Kaczynski and directed by Lynsey Miller for BBC. Kia Fern Little has wrapped Theo James Krekis’ BBC short Pretty Green Eyes. The comedyhorror was produced by The Fold. Will Hanke is shooting on Clerkenwell Films comedy series Alice
Images: (top & bottom)
Rowe on The Chelsea Detective; and (l-r) operator Tony Kay ACO, DP Stephen Murphy BSC ISC and 1st AD Shelly Lankovits on The Gentlemen S2.
WHO, WHAT, WHEN & WHERE
And Steve, starring Jemaine Clements and Nicola Walker, directed by Tom Kingsley. This summer also saw the premier of Will’s actioncomedy feature Deep Cover, also directed by Tom Kingsley, which premiered on Amazon. Luciana Riso’s film Retreat, featuring
an all-deaf cast and directed by Ted Evans, premiered at Cannes and exhibited at Toronto. James Blann’s feature I Swear will also premiere at Toronto. The Kirk Jones-directed film stars Rob Aramayo and follows the story of Tourette’s campaigner John Davidson.
PRINCESTONE:
Of the agency’s camera/Steadicam operators… Cosmo Campbell ACO is shooting on A Wanted Man for New Pictures and Apple TV+, with DP Trevor Forrest, directed by Jakob Verbruggen and a cast including Hugh Laurie and Thandiwe Newton. Michael Carstensen ACO is shooting on House Of the Dragon S3 on Blood Unit with DPs PJ Dillon ISC ASC, Vanja Cernjul ASC, Richard Donnelly and Alejandro Martinez. Matt Fisher ACO is working on the WW2 espionage drama feature, Fortitude, with DP Alan Caudillo and director Simon West. Justin Hawkins ACO is lensing on Rivals S2 with DPs John Lynch ISC and Carlos Catalan BSC, starring David Tennant and Aidan Turner. Tony Jackson ACO has just wrapped as B-camera on Ghostwriter for Warner Bros. Productions, working with DP James Friend BSC ASC. Tony Kay ACO is shooting on The Gentlemen S2 for director Guy Ritchie, with a cast including Theo James and Joely Richardson. James Layton Associate BSC ACO is shooting on Silo S4 as A camera operator & Steadicam with DPs Ollie Downey, Anna Valdez-Hanks and Zac Nicholson BSC for Apple TV+. Dan Nightingale ACO recently wrapped on Sirius, an action thriller for Future Artists Entertainment with DP David Mackie and director Lee Smith, starring Mads Mikkelsen, and is now in prep for Tip Toe, a TV drama series with director Peter Hoar and DP Matt Gray BSC for Quay Street Productions. Joe Russell ACO is currently shooting War, an eight part drama, with DP Oli Russell BSC, starring Dominic West. Peter Wignall ACO prepping on an undisclosed TV series, filming in Ireland and Morocco as A-camera/Steadicam. Of
the agency’s DPs Diego Rodriguez is working on Formula 1: Drive To Survive, a docuseries following the FIA Formula One World Championship, and also shooting a documentary for 22 Summers, with King Charles and Edris Elba, looking at the work of the Kings Trust.
INTRINSIC:
In features, James Mather ISC is prepping on the James Stewart bio-pic, after finishing These Sacred Vows in the Canaries. Gavin White shot Romance in Ibiza. In TV drama, Rasmus Arrildt DFF lit the final block of The Capture David Liddell has finished on Shetland and has been grading Summerwater in Scotland. Evan Barry lit Baby Doll in Spain’s Basque region. Shaun Lee SASC has graded Dreaming Whilst Black S2 in London. Simon Hawken FNF finished working as Splinter Unit DP on The Twisted Tale Of Amanda Knox Tom Hines has been busy on Beyond Paradise and Silent Witness Andrew Johnson, Tony Coldwell and Nic Lawson each did episodes of Call The Midwife, and Nic has started on series two of the revamped Bergerac Simon Vickery has been operating on The Clinch in Scotland. Philip
Blake has finished on The Young Offenders in Cork. Lynda Hall and Gabi Norland have been busy on documentaries. Martin Roach, Gareth Munden and Leon Brehony have been busy with commercials and corporate films.
LOOP TALENT:
Denson Baker NZCS ACS is shooting the feature The Butler, directed by Tom Edmunds. Ryan Eddleston is lighting the feature About A Bell, directed by Simon Callow. Jon Muschamp is shooting the feature The Car Park Matt North lit blocks of a BBC returning drama. Dave Miller has been shooting ads. Oona Menges BSC is lighting commercials, and is attached to the feature Trenchfoot Olly Wiggins has been shooting short form. Emma Dalesman is shooting a film directed by Karen Finch, alongside commercials. Ali Asad has graded two feature films. Lorenzo Levrini is shooting a documentary, and prepping for the feature Let It Come Down shooting in Scotland. His feature film The Kidnapping Of Arabella will premiere at Venice Film Festival. Rufai Ajala has been shooting a project in NY. Tom Turley has been shooting spots.
Images: (clockwise) – operator/Steadicam Justin Hawkins (r) on Rivals S2, with focus puller John Davis (l); Denson Baker ACS NZCS on The Butler; Tom Turley filming at Wireless Festival; two shots of Gavin White and director Graham Pritz-Bennett.
WHO, WHAT, WHEN & WHERE
Natalja Safronova lit a Dyson ad with England Lioness captain Leah Williamson. Nicholas Bennett is shooting TVCs. Paul MacKay is shooting with director Rebekah Creative. Marti Guiver has been lensing fashion campaigns with Conde Nast. Martyna Knitter is framing documentaries. Bertrand Rocourt, Arthur Lok and Chris O’Driscoll have been shooting commercials and
content around Europe. James Anderson ACO is working on block 2 on The Wanted Man as A-cam/ Steadicam. Michael Eshun-Mensah ACO recently wrapped on the feature Good People Bad
Ben Eeley ACO SOC is on Bergerac S2 as A-cam/Steadicam. Sebastien Joly ACO, Gary Kent, Laura Seears, Michael Vega have been operating Steadicam on commercial projects. Camera operators Jack Smith and Alice Sephton have been operating on short form projects. Laura Van De Hel is working alongside Loop DP Denson Baker NCS AZCS on The Butler operating B- camera.
ECHO ARTISTS:
Federico Cesca ADF ASK has finished shooting on Industry S4 produced by Bad Wolf. Rachel Clark BSC is working on the next instalment of the I Am C4 series, directed by Dominic Savage. Noël Schoolderman recently shot a Nike campaign with director Ben Strebel to mark The Lionesses historic win at the UEFA European Championships. Nadim Carlsen DFF has graded The Death Of Bunny Munro, directed by Isabella Eklöf, starring Matt Smith for Clerkenwell Films. Toby Leary recently shot Dua Lipa’s ‘The Beat Before’ directed by Becky Garner and produced by Lowkey Films & Radical22 Productions.
INDEPENDENT TALENT:
Things and is back to the world of commercials. David Pulgarin ACO is working on Alice & Steve as Steadicam/camera operator. Ben Mitchell ACO is as camera/Steadicam on Industry S4 shooting in Wales. Grant Sandy-Phillips ACO is prepping for his next feature Confinement as B-cam/Steadicam.
Toby Lloyd has joined the agency’s roster and has been working as 2nd Unit DP on Oasis Live ‘25, directed by Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern. Stuart Bentley has been filming ads with Traktor, Nicolas Jack Davies, Dougal Wilson and Marc Sidelsky. Ole Birkeland BSC is shooting on Dear England, directed by Rupert Goold and Paul Whittington. Caroline Bridges recently wrapped on Easy, directed by Luke Eve. Eben Bolter BSC ASC is lighting Cape Fear Miguel Carmenes graded Juice S2 with director Eros V and has been lensing spots with GoshDamn, Silence, Mak, Jed Simkins, Eros V, Mike Christie and Menno Fokma. Chris Clarke has been shooting with directors Nico Bayer, Adam Wells and Eros V. Toby Elwes framed 2nd Unit on a Mini Cooper ad. Arni Filippusson has wrapped shooting The Cage, directed by Al Mackay. Catherine Goldschmidt BSC ASC is prepping on Three Body Problem with director Miguel Saoichnik. Rick Joaquim is shooting the feature The Hoarder with director James Owen. Billy Kendall has been lensing music videos and TVCs with directors Kelvin Jones + JR Paces, Relta, Annie Bercy, Gugzay, Bedroom, Tom Wheeler and Charlie
Chloë Thomson BSC is shooting on Pride And Prejudice,
Netflix’s six-part limited series directed by Euros Lyn. Korsshan Schlauer is currently shooting Schooled directed by John Ogunmuyiwa for The Broed Machine. Sean Price Williams recently wrapped on a feature with Paul Schrader. Will Pugh recently shot Willow, the latest feature from Milcho Manchevski.
Fuego. Suzie Lavelle ISC BSC is shooting Bloomers, directed by Will Sharpe. John Mathieson BSC is prepping for Lincoln In The Bardo, directed by Duke Johnson. Bani Mendy has wrapped on Death In Paradise Seamus McGarvey BSC ASC is shooting on Narnia with Greta Gerwig. Patrick Meller has also joined the agency, and has been lighting ads with Chris Balmond, Rosie May Bird Smith and Fiona McGee. Andreas Neo has been filming with director Ian Roderick Gray. Stephan Pehrsson
Images: (clockwise from top) – Nick Bennett at the eyepiece; Caroline Bridges shooting the feature Easy, photo by Mark Cassar; Mark Waters shooting on Grantchester S11, photo by Robson Green; Lorenzo Levrini up the ladder; and Ryan Eddleston filming on About A Bell, with actress Eleanor Worthington Cox.
BSC is shooting Ahsoka S2 for Lucasfilm. Armen Pellon Brussosa has been lensing commercials with directors Sofia Grillo, Serena Brown, Carlijn Brown,
Sophie King and Neil Bedford. Tat Radcliffe has been shooting TVCs with Giuseppe Capotondi and Declan Lowney. Kate Reid BSC has wrapped on Miss Pirie And Miss Woods James Rhodes recently completed on Netflix’s Heartstopper with director Wash Westmoreland. George Richmond BSC lit a spot for Ulf Johnasson. Ashley Rowe BSC wrapped on Matthew Moore’s series, Go Away, and is now shooting Clifftops directed by Hugo Blick. Martin Ruhe ASC is shooting the second season of The Agency Alan Stewart BSC is on the concept shoot of BR directed by TJ Steyn. Mark Waters has been lensing on Grantchester S11, directed by Rob Evans. Erik Wilson BSC is prepping on Celeb
WHO, WHAT, WHEN & WHERE
Friends directed by Jason Orley.
SARA PUTT ASSOCIATES:
Akhilesh Patel is B -camera on I
Am Not Alice Bell with DP Giulio Biccari. Alastair Rae recently worked with Kate Winslet on her directorial debut Goodbye June. Andrei Austin has been picking-up dailies on The Witcher. Andrew Bainbridge is A-camera on Boarders with DP Yinka Edward. Ben Mankin is shooting in Canada on the Untitled Netflix Newfoundland Series with director Jamie Childs and DP Will Baldy. Chris Maxwell wrapped on The Forsyte Saga and now shooting block 3 of Blood Of My Blood, with DP Ali Walker. Dan Evans has been picking-up dailies and operated Steadicam on Secret Service for ITV and The Capture for BBC1. Danny Bishop continues on Ghostwriter alongside James Friend BSC ASC and JJ Abrams. Ed Clark operated on Ahsoka for Disney+. Ilana Garrard was A-camera on Marvel’s Vision Quest Jack Mealing is B -camera on the main unit on The Witcher. James Frater is operating on The Gentleman S2 for Netflix, with DP Mark Patten BSC. James Leigh is A-camera/Steadicam on Mammoth Screen’s The Rapture with DP Catherine Derry BSC. Jessica Lopez picked-up splinter unit dailies on House Of The Dragon, before going on to Counsels in Glasgow. Julian Morson operated dailies on 2nd unit of The Thomas Crown Affair with 2nd unit DP Sam Renton Rick Woollard was Steadicam
for Merman and North Six on ads for Paul Smith X Barbour and Omega, and operated AR for Art Practice, LG Studio and Holmes on spots for Samsung, Valentino and Burberry. Tanya Marar did dailies on The Agency S2. Tom Walden was A-camera on Amazon Prime’s Rings Of Power Vince McGahon did dailies on Dark Train for Warner Bros. Will Lyte was in Malta on Has Fallen with DPs Adam Etherington and Dale Elena McCready. Zoe Goodwin-Stuart is prepping on Narnia Aga Szeliga recently lit the ComicCon trailer Hyde, featuring Johnny Depp. Chris Dodds lit the short Albatross with Harry Enfield. Chris Fergusson has been shooting ads and filmed the short Two Kids. Giulio Biccari is lighting the new series I Am Not Alice Bell for Clapperboard in Ireland. Helena Gonzalez is prepping for the shorts The Pheasant and Friendship Was A Safe Bet Jan Jonaeus lit Legends for Netflix, and N Flight is now available to watch on C4. Iikka Salminen recently finished the short The Baby She Built with director Kristian Lever. Lorena Pagès has been lighting TVCs including Talquistina. Martyna Jakimowska recently finished lighting 2nd unit on All Creatures Great And Small Toby Moore spent the summer working on Ghostwriter, as splinter unit DP. Yinka Edward is lighting Boarders S3 for BBC Three with director Yero Timi-Biu.
CASAROTTO:
Fẹ́mi Awójídé has wrapped on Death In Paradise S15 with director Ray McBride. Greg Duffield is shooting Apple TV’s Trying S5, working alongside Ollie Parsons. Matt Gray BSC is shooting Tiptoe for Quay Street with director Peter Hoar. Kate McCullough ISC lighting with Frank Berry on The Lost Children for Element Pictures. David Pimm has wrapped on See-Saw’s Sweetpea S2 working with director Coky Giedroyc. Frank Lamm is shooting Silo S4 with Michael Dinner. Hélène Louvart AFC is lensing The Wolf Will Tear Your Immaculate Hands for Quiddity with director Nathalie Álvarez Mesén. Annika Summerson BSC is shooting Age Of Innocence, collaborating again with Shannon Murphy for Netflix.
WIZZO & CO:
Congratulations to Aaron Reid BSC and Susanne Salavati BSC who have been awarded BSC status. Aaron recently graded Wild Cherry, directed by Toby Macdonald, and is prepping a Netflix drama. Susanne has graded the Netflix feature The Storm, directed by Josephine Bornebusch. Chaimuki has
Images: (top down) – camera/Steadicam Chris Maxwell and comrades on The Forsyte Saga; and Chris Dodds shooting Albatross.
WHO, WHAT, WHEN & WHERE
graded the Vertigo drama Never Too Late directed by Sara Harrack. Ashley Barron ACS is shooting on Happy Prince Nicola Daley BSC ACS wrapped and has graded the feature Queen Of Fashion alongside director Alex Marx. Tim Sidell BSC has graded on The Night Manager S2. Luke Bryant has completed the colour The Other Bennett Sister, directed by Jennifer Sheridan. Ryan Kernaghan ISC has graded Trespasses and is shooting an
embargoed HBO drama. Steven Ferguson is shooting S2 of Dinosaur, directed by Niamh McKeown. Chas Appeti is prepping an embargoed drama. Scott Coulter is lensing Mammoth S2 with director Akaash Meeda. Nick Dance BSC is shooting an episode of Grace Franklin Dow is framing a documentary project with director Joanna Natasegara. Simon Stolland filmed 2nd Unit for Andrzej Sekula on the feature Breaking Cover
Maximiliaan Dierickx SBC is shooting a drama in Belgium. Jan Richter-Friis DFF is shooting The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon in Spain. Sverre Sørdal FNF is prepping a feature. Hamish Anderson is lighting an embargoed feature. Darius Shu has been shooting short films, as has Aman K Sahota Dan
Stafford-Clark is lensing Big Mood S2, directed by Rebecca Asher. Karl Oskarsson IKS is working on a project in Iceland. Matthias Pilz has graded his latest feature. Gary Shaw has graded Coolie David Procter BSC shot with Joe Connor. Will Bex is lensing an embargoed documentary project with director Scott Lyon. Charlie Goodger shot with director Trevor Robinson. Theo Garland lit for Toby Haynes. Arran Green shot with Hugh Rochfort and Murren Tullett with Thomas Hilland. Ben Magahy filmed with Jared Lapidus, Joe Douglas with Jake Mavity and Henry Gill with Otis Dominique. Dmytro Nedria lensed for with Sam Preece, and Fede Alfonzo for Finn Taylor.
WORLDWIDE
PRODUCTION AGENCY:
Simon Duggan ACS ASC is shooting Practical Magic 2 with director Susanne Bier for Warner Bros, and is being supported by WPA clients Mark Goellnicht SOC and Alejandro Chávez AMC taking-on operating and splinter unit roles. Baz Irvine ISC BSC continues on the second season of The Agency alongside director Zetna Fuentes for Paramount+. PJ Dillon ISC ASC and Richard Donnelly ISC continue lighting their respective blocks on HBO’s House Of The Dragon S3 Baz Idoine ASC is shooting on the second season of Ahsoka for Disney+. Ed Moore BSC wrapped Neuromancer for Apple TV+ and then graded Hijack S2. Callan Green ACS NZCS is filming The Beekeeper II with director Timo Tjahjanto. Vanessa Whyte BSC is shoots the fourth season of Ted Lasso for Apple TV+. Tony Slater Ling BSC and Simon Archer BSC recently wrapped their respective blocks on A Woman Of Substance for C4. Maja Zamojd, BSC is working alongside director Al Campbell on Project Codename, the new Netflix limited series from Broke & Bones. Stephen Murphy ISC BSC is shooting on the upcoming second season of The Gentlemen with director Eran Creevy for Netflix. Jamie Ramsay SASC BSC has wrapped Sian Heder’s next film Being Heuman for Apple TV + Joel Devlin BSC is shooting Deadpoint with directors Marco Kreuzpaintner and Laura
Scrivano for C4 and Clerkenwell Films. Matt Windon is on The Terminal List: Dark Wolf S2 with director Marcos Seiga for Amazon. Paul Morris is framing The Wanted Man with director Rachel Leiterman for Apple TV+. Scott Winig and Robert Binnall continue shooting the next season of Netflix’s The Witcher. Kolja Brandt is filming the fourth and final season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon for AMC, working with acclaimed director and DP Michael Slovis ASC. Bryan Gavigan is lighting ITV’s new series Believe Me with director Julia Ford. Nathalie Pitters is shooting Adultery with director Will Sinclair for ITV and Poison Pen Studios. Joel Honeywell is lensing another series for ITV and Poison Pen titled The Dark, working alongside director Gilles Bannier. Arthur Mulhern ISC is filming The Hardacres S2 for C5 with directors Rachel Carey and Stephen Bradley. Jake Polonsky BSC continues shooting 70Up for ITV alongside director Asif Kapadia. Mattias Troelstrup DFF has wrapped on Grand Palais for Incognita Studio with director Eva Husson. Carl Burke continues shooting Simon Ross’ next feature Call Of The Void Amandine Klee SBC is shooting the feature Four Loves for Deal Productions alongside director Jorge Dorado. Sunshine Hsien Yu Niu continues shadowing and operating on Pride & Prejudice for Netflix with director Euros Lyn. Jake Gabbay travelled to Chile with Intricate and director Fabio De Frel for Oysho Ski’s latest ad, and the continued to the Dominican Republic with Cebe Studio and Renell Medrano for an Adidas spot Benjamin Todd wrapped in Bulgaria for Bose with London Alley and Rodrigo Saavedra. Thomas Tyson-Hole shot in Dubai with Electriclime on a Gillette spot directed by Dominic O’Riordan, before travelling back to London to shoot with Irresistible Studios and T20. Jaime Ackroyd shot with director Amara Abbas and Iconoclast for Amex Courtney J. Bennett wrapped an NHS spot with Friend and Ehsan. Edward Gibbs lit for London Alley and Huda with director Hannah Lux Davis Matthew Emvin Taylor wrapped on Moju with Anonymous Content and Max Barden Pieter
Images: (clockwise) – Chris Dodds shooting Albatross; Will Lyte on Has Fallen; two shots of Lorena Pages lensing a commercial; Ikka Salminen on The Baby She Built; and Martyna Jakimowska eyeing-up a shot on Marriage Unplugged.
Snyman shot with Prettybird for McDonald’s with Kelvin Jones, and with Common People Films for Topps with director Elliot Simpson. Matthew J. Smith wrapped with director McKenzie Thompson and Irresistible Studios for Batiste. Kanamé Onoyama AFC travelled to Japan with Stink and directors The Fridman Sisters for MLB
MCKINNEY MACARTNEY MANAGEMENT: Ben Butler has been shooting commercials. Wes Cardino wrapped Nobody Wants This S2 for Netflix, and started shooting Fox’s Best Medicine in New York State. Sergio Delgado BSC AEC recently wrapped The Season in Hong Kong, with Marialy Rivas directing. Gavin Finney BSC is shooting Lord Of The Rings S5 for Amazon, with director Stefan Schwartz. Jean Philippe Gossart AFC is prepping on 3 Body Problem in Budapest, with Jeremy Podeswa directing. Steve Lawes has completed filming AMC’s The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon S3, with director Dan Percival. Dale Elena McCready BSC NZCS is shooting Hulu/Canal+’s Paris Has Fallen S2 for director Alice Troughton in Wales, Malta and Spain. Andy McDonnell wrapped C5’s Murder Before Evensong with director David Moore, and Pierre for C4 with director Sarmad Masud, and is now shooting C4’s A Woman Of Substance with director Richard Senior. Richard Mott wrapped The Marlow Murder Club Series 3 with director Steve Barron for ITV/PBS. John Pardue BSC is filming The Syndicate with director Joseph Bullman. Mike Spragg BSC is shooting on Netflix’s The Witcher S5, with Alex Garcia Lopez directing. Richard Stoddard wrapped Run Away for Netflix with director Nimer Rashed in Manchester and is in prep for Death Valley Robin Whenary just wrapped on Call The Midwife S15 for Neal Street/ BBC with director Syd Macartney.
Image: Will Lyte shooting Has Fallen.
SUPER TROOPERS
By Iain Blair
When director Matt Shakman and director of photography Jess Hall BSC ASC first teamed-up on WandaVision (2021) – an inspired and inventive mash-up of classic TV sitcoms and large-scale Marvel action – the result was a Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated hit. Their vision for the show also paved the way for their most recent collaboration, Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Set against the retro-fresh backdrop of a 1960s-inspired futuristic world, the acclaimed film introduces Marvel’s First Family — Reed Richards/ Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Ben Grimm/The Thing and Johnny Storm/Human Torch –as they are forced to balance their roles as ordinary people with extraordinary superpowers and the task of defending Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer.
It was exciting right from the beginning –dramatic, original and full of visual challenges
“Coming off WandaVision the script was everything you’d expect in a new project from Matt,” recalls Hall. “It was exciting right from the beginning – dramatic, very original, and full of great visual challenges for a DP. First Steps is set in its own alternate universe
Earth 828 which is distinct from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and therefore exists in a different timeline. As a result, we were liberated in terms of our retro-future aesthetic.
“Primarily it’s a New York story about a family and a drama, but we were able to create something that is quite distinctive and singular. Our objective was a period look inspired by designers and artists from the late sixties who were often thinking in a very progressive way. The culture around that time was gearing towards space travel and had an international perspective.”
In terms of cinematic references from that period the team looked at films “like The Graduate (1967, dir. Mike Nichols, DP Robert Surtees ASC), Le Samourï (1967, dir. Jean-Pierre Melville, DP Henry Decaë AFC), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, dir. Stanley Kubrick, DP Geoffrey Unsworth BSC), and The French Connection (1971, dir. William Friedkin, DP Owen Roizman ASC) as we were trying to integrate classic period film references with really strong design and our own unique futuristic touch” he adds.
Hall says he began prep “earlier than normal, as Matt wanted me to get into previz immediately on some complicated key sequences, including the entire third act finale with Galactus in New York, the journey that the four take into space on-board the Excelsior spaceship and multiple Silver Surfer scenes.
“A lot of my early prep was also based around the colour work that I was doing to establish the period aesthetic, designing customised lenses and testing for IMAX. We’d done a lot of experimentation on WandaVision in that area, but that was more of a nostalgic period look, although I think this fell somewhere between that and the reimagining of a cinematic retrofuture”
The DP reports that whilst he specifically used the
same Panavision Ultra Panatar lens package from Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019) (both directed by Anthony & Joe Russo, and shot by DP Trent Opaloch), for the modern section on WandaVision, “on First Steps we used the Ultra Panatar 2, 1.3x Anamorphic lenses, but we did a lot of customisation with them to push them towards a more period and unique look. We made significant changes across the complete set, particularly in relation to colour, sharpness and halation. We also designed a unique 29mm Ultra Panatar 2 with beautiful flare characteristics.”
A lot of the testing “was focused on IMAX and some of our special techniques,” he explains. “We have 85 shots that are in full IMAX 1.4:3 aspect ratio. In IMAX theatres the image expands there from its native 1.90:1 (the film is 2.39:1 in standard theatres).
“We built a new set of spherical lenses that covered 1.43:1 on the Alexa 65 with focal lengths in 18mm-29mm. Longer focal lengths 35-80mm were constructed using existing vintage elements. I ended-up referring to them as the ‘2001’ lenses because in some respects that film was their key inspiration. The other key reference for their design is the medium format NASA space photography from the late 1960s, and the Apollo 11 IMAX film which was mostly shot in 70mm.”
The ‘2001’ lenses were also specially-designed to photograph miniatures such as the 13-foot Excelsior spaceship built by Ian Hunter.
“We did some testing in IMAX that really showed me what we needed to do with those lenses to make the miniatures work,” notes Hall. “And we ended-up building them so they could stop down to T.45, which is extraordinarily deep. This enabled us to hold focus on the miniatures from front to back which made the scale work. We also used a set of Super Baltars, with
the original 1960s glass. which we rehoused and expanded to cover the Alexa 65. We shot our archival and newsreel footage with them.
In addition, we shot Super 16mm film which was initially intended as an absolute film reference. However, Matt really loved the look of that Super 16mm footage, so we ended-up using some of it in the film as archival and newsreel footage in a 1.66:1 aspect ratio.”
Our final colour work fell into place very easily
Hall worked closely with lens guru Dan Sasaki at Panavision. “Dan worked on all three sets of lenses and, as always, it was an excellent collaborative process” the DP reports. “We did at least three different rounds of testing on our lenses, and we kept returning to the IMAX theatre to project the results. Inspired by our attempts to explore deep focus photography, Dan created a device which I called the ‘Deep Focus Probe’ It’s a kind of periscope system which effectively extends the depth-of-field and was designed to capture live performance elements of the Galactus character.”
Choosing the camera package was a far faster process than dealing with all the lenses, Hall notes. “I was pretty locked into the ARRI Alexa 65 from the beginning, but I did some camera testing body-tobody which confirmed my opinion that the Alexa 65 was the right camera.”
Hall worked with colourist Yvan Lucas in prep on
early colour development. “In early LUT development Yvan and I took the cover of an early Fantastic Four comic book (1969 No.86) as inspiration. Using a system where we could isolate 16 colours individually and subtly adjust them, we took the blue of Reed’s suit, the orange of The Thing and the green in Dooms cape and shifted them to reflect the unique hues evident in the original artwork by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
“In an attempt to control the colour still further I assembled a reference book comprised of frames from films of the late sixties and early seventies and still photographs of the period,” he adds. “In collaboration with production designer, Kasra Farahani, and costume designer, Alexander Bryne, we extracted 40 colours from those frames to build a unique colour palette. We all committed to working within that palette to create a unified aesthetic.”
Later, Hall worked with colourist Tom Poole to further refine the LUT prior to the commencement of filming and ultimately to complete the DI at CO3 Los Angeles.
“The colour science team at CO3 and Evan Jacobs at Marvel were all extremely committed to our process of deep colour analysis and film emulation. We had the Super 16mm reference footage that we had shot, and we did grain analysis on that in addition to a 35mm
we used that for the lobby of the Baxter Building and the United Nations meeting hall.”
film-out reference from Fotokem. Ultimately it was an extremely multi-faceted process and a combination of multiple techniques across the entire production and post-production process that went into creating this retro look.”
Production was based at Pinewood Studios in the UK. “We shot for around 80 days on main unit. We utilised two backlots, one for the immense Times Square set and the other for the smaller Yancy Street set, plus six stages for our interior sets and process work” says Hall.
A few London locations were also used, including the Sandys Row Synagogue in East London, which provided the setting for the Yancy Street synagogue. The exterior street scene, where The Thing finds H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot, was shot at Catherine Wheel Alley.
“We also shot in Spain at the spectacular Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos in Oviedo, which was one of the few interiors we could find that fitted our very distinct architectural grammar” Hall reports. “There wasn’t a lot that we could find location-wise that really worked with our aesthetic, but
Another location that also worked was Middleton Mine, a massive limestone quarry in Derbyshire, England, “which was perfect for the setting of Subterranea and creating Mole Man’s headquarters,” he explains. “We did originally want to shoot entire sequences in New York, and we scouted there but soon realised it wasn’t practical. Especially at ground level the city has been largely transformed since the 1960s and most of the period buildings were partially obscured or featured alterations.
“However, we did shoot extensive groundbased plate photography, panoramas from rooftops and aerials of New York, which were modified and combined with our CGI retro future buildings designed by Kasra.”
Lighting the massive sets and locations was another challenge. The Times Square set was immense, with a dozen fully-dressed shops, two theatres, six lanes of traffic and over 2,000 lighting fixtures. Silver Surfer
descends into this set in a night exterior scene for which Hall utilised multiple arrays of 24-bank Creamsource Vortex 8 units mounted on 120ft Condors.
We were able to create something that is quite distinctive and singular
Other big lighting set-ups included the Baxter apartment, “a two-story, open-plan, mid-century design with an atrium at its centre, a floating staircase and a vast array of full-height glass windows”, Reid’s lab, and Galactus’s World Ship, “which is consuming planets, so the sheer scale of that is quite hard to intellectualise.”
Hall also worked closely with the visual effects team, led by Oscar-winning VFX supervisor Scott Stokdyk, who played a crucial role helping to create the retro-futuristic New York of the 1960s, several space environments, multiple set extensions and many other essential contributions. The world-building
of digital and physical environments.
“We also had three very important CG characters –Galactus, Silver Surfer and The Thing – plus H.E.R.B.I.E., who was a combination of animatronic, puppetry and CG,” he says.
“It was essential that Scott and I were very aligned, and each character had a specific technical approach which Scott, Matt and I developed together. Techniques were driven by a desire to capture as much of the subtlety and nuance as possible in each actor’s original performance, and to translate this into a compelling and visuallyconvincing photoreal CG characters.”
Picture finishing on The Fantastic Four: First Steps was handled at Company 3 in DaVinci Resolve Studio, with colourist Stefan Sonnenfeld delivering the final grade.
Summing-up, Hall notes that, “Having prepared this movie so extensively with an excellent team of collaborators, and having instilled such a controlled, unified production process, by the time we got to the DI the need for intervention was quite minimal. Because every set, prop and costume element existed within our specifically-designed colour
Multiple techniques across production and post-production went into creating the retro look
different elements – from large, practically-built sets to miniatures, location work, New York background plates combined with VFX and CG characters. This all provided an interesting variety of challenges for a DP, as did the tonal shifts between action, drama and comedy.
“Often films veer towards one specificity or another, but to
palette our final colour work fell into place very easily.
“Making this film required so many
do something which combines all these different factors within a singular retrofuture aesthetic was a fantastic opportunity. The result is an intense drama housed an incredibly expansive visual aesthetic, which makes it special.”
ROCK OF AGES
By Ron Prince
Some 40 years after making his documentary This Is Spinal Tap (1984), about the US tour of ‘one of England’s loudest groups’, film director Marty DiBergi unearths estranged bandmates David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel and Derek Smalls, and then decides to follow the heavy metal rockers once more as they search for a drummer and prepare for a reunion concert in New Orleans. Joined by music royalty of Paul McCartney and Elton John, the members of Spinal Tap wrestle with their chequered pasts to put on a grand finale that they hope will solidify their place in the pantheon of rock ‘n’ roll.
It was terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time when Rob invited me to shoot this film
The 1984 film and the highly-anticipated sequel Spinal Tap II: The End Continues were both directed by Rob Reiner, performing as DiBergi, and both
feature the same trio of Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer reprising their roles as members of the fictional heavy metal band. In addition to McCartney and Elton John, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues features legendary drummers Chad Smith of The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lars Ulrich of Metallica and Questlove from The Roots, appearing as themselves.
Along with being credited as effectively launching the ‘mockumentary’ genre, by satirising the behaviour and musical pretensions of a rock band, This Is Spinal Tap proved a long-burner that edged its way over time to cult classic status. So, when it came to shooting Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, DP Lincoln Else was under no illusions whatsoever.
“The original film is now such a cultural icon that it was terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time when Rob invited me to shoot Spinal Tap II: The End Continues for him,” says the DP. “I knew expectations would be really high.
“Stylistically, Rob wanted to approach it the same way he did with the original, by which I mean as a fake documentary. He wanted to bring-in a documentary cinematographer capable of a verité style, which is what I do,” explains Else, whose credits include the award-winning The Island President (2011, dir. Jon Shenk), Broadway Idiot (2013, dir. Doug Hamilton), The Inventor: Out For Blood In Silicon Valley (2019, dir. Alex Gibney) and Rebuilding Paradise (2020, dir. Ron Howard).
“Rob found me through the grapevine of filmmakers and directors in the documentary world, and we had a really good initial connection,” Else continues, whilst adding there was an important caveat.
“At the risk of talking myself out of a job, I wanted to make sure Rob truly wanted a verité documentary DP as opposed to a narrative DP capable of crafting something to ‘look’ like verité camerawork. Over the years, especially in commercial work, I’ve been asked to shoot ‘like a documentary’ many times when in truth the director wanted everything blocked and lit like a traditional feature, then shot with a shaky camera.
“When I pushed Rob on this, it quickly became clear he wanted the piece shot the same way that I was envisaging it, namely by a DP/operator as opposed to a traditional narrative structure in which the DP does not operate. I was pleasantly surprised that he assumed I’d be shooting on-the-shoulder and pulling focus myself, and he was happy to follow my lead as to which cameras and lenses we would use. So, I signed-up and was determined to make something that would be a worthy follow-up to the original film.”
During pre-production, along with rewatching This Is Spinal Tap and seeking the sage counsel of its DP Peter Smokler, Else did what he calls a “ deep dive” into music documentaries and the “mockumentary” genre that came out of the original movie.
In terms of music-related productions, references included Don’t Look Back (1967, dir. D.A.
Pennebaker), covering Bob Dylan’s 1965 concert tour in England, and Gimme Shelter (1970, dirs. Albert & David Maysles/Charlotte Zwerin, DPs Albert & David Maysles), chronicling the last weeks of The
I was determined to make something that would be a worthy followup to the original
Rolling Stones’ 1969 US tour, “both seminal rock ‘n’ roll documentaries, where this whole thing started,” Else remarks.
He also imbibed more recent documentaries such as Taylor Swift: Miss Americana (2020, dir.
Lana Wilson, DP Emily Topper), Jennifer Lopez: Halftime (2022, dir. Amanda Micheli, DP Jason Bergh) and Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster (2004, dirs. Joe Berlinger/Bruce Sinofsky, DP Robert Richman), “not that we were aiming to copy from those, more that it was interesting to watch the visual language of how those were captured.”
Else also made a point of looking at traditional, unscripted verité documentary work, where the coverage was unplanned, and investigated mockumentary productions that bore the hallmarks of having been inspired by the original Spinal Tap movie, such as The Office TV sitcom.
“It was really interesting to see how things have gone in different directions. Some fake documentary-style productions are a little more staged or blocked for the punchline, others are a little
looser and more improvised,” he says.
“The key thing with this film was that there was truly no script. There was an outline describing what would happen in each scene, or how a gag might unfold, but beyond that it was all improvised.
“There was never a plan for the camera to be on a person when saying or doing something particular. Rob believed, as I did, that what makes a scene funny might be watching a punchline being delivered, but sometimes it’s funnier to simply see someone else’s reaction.
“So, for scenes with multiple characters we decided
to shoot with two cameras, which would give Rob room in the edit to decide how a scene or a gag might unfold best. This led me to bring in Jeremy Leach – a documentary DP/operator with whom I’ve worked quite a bit and who has similar cinematographic sensibilities – to work on B-camera.”
Production on Spinal Tap II: The End Continues took place over 22 shooting days, during March and April 2024, at locations around New Orleans, some doubling for UK-set scenes, and others for locations such as Morro Bay, in California. The recording studio,
Images: Bleecker Street / Kyle Kaplan
Most of the movie was a happy accident
in which the band rehearse and play with Paul McCartney and Elton John, was built on a sound stage at Imagination Station Stages. The grand finale concert itself was filmed at the UNO Lake Front Arena in New Orleans.
The FaceTime drummer interviews with Questlove, Chad Smith and Lars Ulrich were filmed in single takes from their homes. As Else explains, “I worked with either their personal assistants, or in Lars Ulrich’s case, his wife, and scouted their houses over FaceTime to predetermine the space where we would do the interviews using just the existing light. The interviews themselves were all singletake FaceTime interactions, with no screen replacements or magic in post later on.”
Else shot Spinal Tap II: The End Continues using ARRI Alexa 35 cameras, shooting ProRes4444 16:9, later cropped to 1.85:1 for release – matching the aspect ratio of the original film. Lenses included Angénieux Optimo mid-range 28-76mm T2.6, wide-angle 1540mm T2 and telephoto 45-120mm T2.8 zooms, plus Cooke S4 primes. The camera package was provided by ARRI Rental in New Orleans.
“For most of the verité work that I’ve done previously, my camera choice was typically the
ARRI Amira, and I have lived on it for years and years. The Alexa 35 was the next logical progression in the ARRI world, and I loved it when I tested it,” Else declares.
“For this shoot, we kept the cameras really stripped-down because of the way we wanted to operate with them on-the-shoulder. I’m a huge fan of holding the camera and using an eyepiece instead of a monitor. I don’t use a follow focus, and pull-focus on the barrel. That’s how I grew-up and will always stay that way. So, I had ARRI take everything off to leave just a lens, a matte box and a video transmitter.
“We could have played-around with aspect ratios and lenses, but I respected that Rob wanted to stay true to Peter Smokler’s cinematography in the original film, and to use wide-angle, standard and telephoto framing to create the sense of realism, whilst capturing different perspectives on the band members, their expressions and interactions.
“We shot mostly with the mid-range and wide-angle Angénieux Optimo zooms, variously on A and B-camera depending on the scene, with Cooke S4 primes mixed-in here and there for some of the interview moments. When you operate
and pull focus on unscripted and unblocked scenarios it looks different, and there can be imperfections, like not nailing the focus. Imperfections were what Rob wanted and what theoretically would make the piece feel like
There was no script – it was all improvised
the original. Rob did not give a damn if we ever crossed the line, and when I watch the final film there are shots where I can’t remember who shot what, which is great.
“I knew before we started production that Rob is known to be one of the most decisive directors in Hollywood. I’m sure he has some competition, but he works extremely fast,” exclaims Else. “ When he thinks he has something in the can, he moves on to the next thing, and that is what definitely played-out. He would never want to do more takes than he felt were necessary,
that would give the footage a documentary feel while befitting from the wide dynamic range of the Alexa 35.”
Else says his camera and lighting team were, “Some of the best I’ve worked with. Everyone was a fan of the original film and, like myself, felt it was an honour to be involved.”
Zach Blosser and Matt Gaumer supported Else respectively on A-camera as 1st and 2nd ACs, whilst Penelope Helmer and Taylor Perry were the 1st and 2nd ACs for Jeremy Leach on B-camera. The DIT was Robert Barr, with Neera Chatrath working a loader/ utility. Key grip was Nick Nickolay.
“ When I sat down with the team at the beginning, I was frank about my lack of experience in the narrative space. I wanted to learn from their experience, but I was going to intentionally break many of the usual rules for how a narrative camera team works, which was what Rob wanted. The result was a messy wonderful collaboration that mixed verité camera work into a traditional film set.”
Working with gaffer Allen Parks, and a small electric team, Else says the goal with the lighting was to keep the image real, and to illuminate spaces than the performers themselves.
and there was no place for riffing. When he felt he had what he wanted, we moved on.”
During pre-production, Else worked with senior colourist Siggy Ferstl at Company 3 in Los Angeles, on LUTs for the shoot. “Given we were lighting spaces, rather than shot-to-shot, we landed on a versatile LUT
“ We used available light as much as possible, but when illumination was required, we intentionally kept things minimal and naturalistic – using practicals, along with LEDs and HMIs for soft keys – so as to stay as true as possible to a genuine documentary look.
“A significant proportion of the film took place in and around the recording studio, where the band rehearse, which was a traditional set-build from the ground-up, on a sound stage. It was an interesting and fun challenge for Allen and myself to light the perfect recording studio in which to shoot a documentary, stacking the deck in our favour where we could, while embracing the imperfections inevitable in long unscripted takes.”
Lighting and shooting the band’s concert was
an altogether different animal, and Else says he and Parks enjoyed collaborating with lighting director Mike Baldassari, who was brought on-board especially for the task.
“ Visually, the concert – which really was performed live by the band themselves – was intentionally designed as a distinct and dynamic break from the rest of the film, and Mike brought-in proper rock ‘n’ roll lighting for that, everything from the moving lights to pyrotechnics.
“It became clear early-on in prep, that managing the overall cinematography of that event would need a different approach. So I switched from operating into a traditional DP role, overseeing the camerawork and the lighting design, and translating Rob’s direction to the camera team.
“ We used the same base-combination of camera and lenses – the Alexa 35 and Angénieux zooms – but added to that in order to bring a certain visual swagger. We covered the concert with five cameras, variously mounted on jib arms and dollies, and added long/ wide 19.5-94mm T2.6 and 12x 24-290mm T2.8 Angénieux Optimo zooms into the visual mix. We also had GoPros on-stage up-close with the performers to bring even more dynamism to the scene.”
Looking back on his experience of shooting Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, Else concludes, “I’ve always found improvisational humour to be the funniest of all the comedy genres. There was a lot of laughter during production, especially between takes, and it would have been a disaster if the case were opposite.
“Although we came very close to breaking into fits of giggles on many occasions, Jeremy and I never actually ruined any takes. People often talk about happy accidents, and I feel like most of the movie was a happy accident. Hats off to Rob, the band and the crew for making it go well. I’m excited to see how people will react, given it’s been 40 years in the coming.”
HOUSE OF CARDS
By Ron Prince
Set amid the ostentatious casinos of Macau, Ballad
Of A Small Player follows Lord Doyle, a gambler who spends his days and nights drinking heavily, whilst also burning through what little money he has left playing high-risk punto banco Baccarat in lucky yellow leather gloves.
This was one of the hardest film experiences I’ve had
Images: Courtesy/copyright Netflix. All rights
JAMES FRIEND BSC ASC•BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER
BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER•JAMES FRIEND BSC
Struggling to keep-up with soaring debts, he is offered a lifeline by the mysterious Dao Ming, a casino employee with secrets of her own. However, in hot pursuit is Cynthia Blithe, a private investigator eager to confront Doyle with some painful home truths. As the Festival Of The Hungry Ghost approaches – when desperate souls must be fed and watered to ward-off misfortune amongst the living – Doyle tries to find his own salvation.
Directed by Oscar/BAFTA-winning filmmaker Edward Berger, Ballad Of A Small Player was written by Rowan Joffé, based on the 2014 novel of the same name by Lawrence Osborne, and stars Colin Farrell alongside Fala Chen, Deanie Ip, Alex Jennings and Tilda Swinton. The Netflix film reunited Berger with cinematographer James Friend BSC ASC.
“As well as being a long-term collaborator Ed is one of my dearest friends, and I have many treasured memories working with him,” says Friend, whose credits with Berger include the TV mini-series’ Patrick Melrose (2018) and Your Honor (2020), the Apple Immersive short Submerged (2024), and the feature All Quiet On The Western Front (2022), which earned Friend Oscar, BAFTA and BSC Awards for Best Cinematography, with Berger accepting the film’s Academy Award for Best International Feature.
“When you look at the pie chart of life, we’ve spent the equivalent of a couple of years working together in the trenches. I think Ed and I keep each other sharp in a creatively-productive way – by testing and sometimes annoying one another – and he always comes to me with a project that attracts my sensibilities as a storyteller.
“Ballad Of A Small Player was one such production – an atmospheric morality tale about the compulsive nature of gambling, interwoven with superstition and supernatural elements, where the central character is a lost soul in emptiest place on earth spiritually, but in search of a haven and peace. Rowan Joffé did an absolutely incredible job of developing the script, and I was so intrigued by the story that I also read Lawrence Osborne’s original novel.”
Speaking about references and creative conversations with Berger, Friend confides, “Ed saw it as a kind of opera that had to be colourful, bold, humorous and tragic all at the same time, and wanted to make something that would be really different from anything we’d done before.
“These days I look at references less from an artistic standpoint and more from a technical standpoint, and what is achievable. We looked at films that had
The Aputure Infinimats became my workhorses
Coral Anamorphics are soft, warm, forgiving and interesting to look at
We simply walked the course and found ourselves inspired by the environments and places we discovered, rather than specific film or photographic references.”
Principal photography on the film began at the end of June 2024 and wrapped after some seven shooting weeks in late August, having moved between
casino settings, especially films by Martin Scorsese like Goodfellas (1990, DP Michael Ballhaus ASC) and Casino (1995, DP Robert Richardson ASC). By the sheer nature of their decadence, what you realise is that casinos give you a lot of opportunity to have fun and to be quite bombastic visually, and in that way, it can be more akin to shooting a music video than a piece of narrative drama.
“But bombast isn’t enough to keep the audience engaged for two hours, and Ed and I are the first to put-up our hands and admit from the beginning that we don’t know the precise visual language of a film. On this production, about a year before we shot, I joined him in Macau for the first of several lengthy recces.
carefullyconsidered locations in Macau, Hong Kong and Lamma Island.
Formerly a Portuguese colony, Macau, is a special administrative region of China, off the country’s southern tip. With a population of 710,000 and a land area of 12.7sq/ miles it is the most densely populated region in the world. It is the only place in China where casinos are legal, and the gambling industry is seven times larger than that of Las Vegas.
Locations for the film included The Venetian, one of the largest luxury casino resorts in the world – offering over 3,000 rooms/suites, 350 shopping stores, all set beside in-built water canals – interconnected with other themed casino destinations on the Cotai Strip in Macau. Production also encompassed Macau’s poorer districts, areas that house many low-wage casino workers and
migrant labourers who form a significant portion of the population, as well as the fishing community off the coast of Lamma Island, a territory off Hong Kong, known for its peace and tranquility.
“I had never been to Macau and, until we did our recces, my impression of the place was formed by the short sequence in Skyfall, (2012, dir. Sam Mendes, DP Sir Roger Deakins CBE BSC ASC) when Bond arrives at a casino by boat to meet Sévérine. The way that was painted made Macau look like a place you would really like to visit – a colourful little city set beside the water,” Friend admits.
“But I have never felt so overwhelmed when I went there for the first time. The sheer scale of the place –where every atom is assigned to the single purpose of gambling from the hordes of Chinese nationals that are ferried-in on a daily basis – was staggering. We frequently got lost in the vast underground city that connects the different hotels along the strip. Sensorially, it’s like being hit by a cricket bat, there’s loud music and noise from the gambling machines, and everything seems to emit light.
“Ed and I really like to wrap our heads around our options for a scene, and focussed on how the spaces and environments could be used to tell this story to the best of their abilities. So along with the plush hotel suites and the casino floors, we also scouted behind-the-
scenes, and discovered vast locker rooms and machines that deliver dry-cleaned uniforms for the thousands of hotel staff, and decided to feature those in the chase sequence between Lord Doyle and Cynthia Blithe.
“But there’s a flip-side to Macau, the sweaty underbelly where you can’t ignore the smell of fish guts and the stench of poverty, where people walk around with no shoes on their feet. These areas gave us a really intriguing visual juxtaposition, and was where we decided to shoot the scenes involving Dao Ming and her flat.”
Friend framed Ballad Of A Small Player in 2.20:1, a wide landscape aspect ratio, shooting with ARRI Alexa 35 cameras and a combination of Coral Anamorphics, made by Second Reef, and spherical Tribe7 Blackwing lenses. The camera package was supplied by One Stop Films in London.
“I originally intended to shoot 2.40:1 to really show-off the place, but during our recces it rapidly became apparent that the widescreen aspect ratio didn’t lend itself the vertical environment of Macau, especially frames that needed to reveal the insanely tall buildings. So, I investigated 2:1, a format I have never shot in before, and it really grabbed me. It felt instinctively right for the framing sensibility on faces/ mid-shots, whilst still maintaining the environment.
in the studio and out in-the-field and the Alexa 35 won-out.
“One of my takeaways from our recce’s was that whatever camera we were going to use, it would have to perform and give faithful rendition of the variety interior/exterior day/ night locations and the dynamic lighting conditions. During prep I put alternative cameras under incredible pressure on challenging material during tests
company’s joint CEOs, Alexander Schwarz and James Bouchie, signed an NDA and had a demo.
“I have to say that I instantly fell in love with the Coral Anamorphics – they’re soft, warm, forgiving and interesting to look at, with easily-controllable flares and an oval iris giving the true Anamorphic bokeh. I liked them so much that I bought a set about a week later.
“As the Corals are 1.5x Anamorphic, you don’t get the same compressive squeeze and distortion of traditional 2x Anamorphic optics, so the look lies
“When we started filming in Macau, I’ve never been so in awe of a piece of cinematographic technology as the sensor in the Alexa 35. My base is always 800 ISO, but the extended sensitivity meant I could capture every scenario – from the darkest corners to the brightest LED billboards and neon lights. Along with its dynamic range and latitude for exposures, it was apparent how well it deals with overall colour rendition and details, especially in the most extreme highlights, and I knew it was the backbone I could rely on.”
Regarding his choice of lenses, Friend says, “About a year before we shot, I was invited by the team at Movietech (now part of Sunbelt Rentals) to a private technology showcase, where I saw some prototype Full Frame Anamorphic lenses made by a German company called Second Reef. I met the
somewhere between spherical and Anamorphic. The image clarity, colour rendition and skin tones are fantastic, they’re unbelievably good on close-ups, and ultimately give the great cinematic value to the image out of the box.
“During the shoot, I never had to use any diffusion or any additional sharpening afterwards, just NDs and polarisers. They were my workhorses, and we shot 60% of the film with them, the rest on the Tribe7 Blackwings. I didn’t pre-ordain per se how the different sets of lenses would be used on particular scenes, and went by the emotional feeling a particular focal length gave on the day.”
During pre-production, Friend worked with senior
colourist Andrew Daniel, at The Look in London, to create a small number of interior/exterior day/night 3D LUTs, that were be managed during the shoot by DIT Peter Marsden.
“Andrew has graded pretty much everything I have shot for the last 20 years, and I bring him on-board during pre-production, when I’m testing cameras and lenses, to build LUTs and help me to design the general look of the movie.
“It’s only when we started shooting for real that we learned how the LUTs responded in their intended environments, to things like extreme shadows and highlights. They did pretty well. Peter was typically brilliant at making any necessary tweaks to keep things looking operatic during the casino and hotel-set scenes, and within the realms of realism when we were on the other side of Macau and at Lamma Island.”
Friend also adds, “Whilst Peter is a brilliant DIT and on-set colourist, and proved adept in ironing-out any colour inconsistencies between the Coral and Blackwing lenses, he’s also a talented DP in his own right. So, when it came to doing inserts and splinter work, he was the obvious candidate for that, and proved a great co-pilot in that respect.”
Ballad Of A Small Player was mainly a single camera shoot, especially for scenes featuring just Farrell, with Danny Bishop ACO working as A-camera operator, supported by Phil Hardy as 1st AC on focus. The key grip was Guy Bennett. Friend wielded B-camera when, due to the logistics and schedule, some of the casino set scenes required simultaneous close-ups of faces, hands and playing cards.
“Whilst I love to operate and to be near the actors, I also love to light,” says Friend. “If there’s a single second that sees me being divorced from the lighting, then the camerawork is not my job anymore. Danny is a far better operator than me anyway, so working as a triumvirate with Ed, we generally set frames and blocked scenes together through the Pentafinder and we went from there.”
Friend reports that shooting in the casino environment was far from a straightforward experience. “It’s probably easier to film in the MI5 building in London. You need so many approvals from the casino head office about the space you want to film in, and we had to get permissions a year in advance. Then, when you shoot, you generally can’t control the existing lights, and certainly can’t cover, block or interfere with any of the CCTV surveillance cameras with filming equipment. You can’t turn off the ambient music either, so the voices on some shots had to be over-dubbed in post.
“When it came to shooting the gambling scenes at the tables, such as when Lord Doyle plays Baccarat, I knew it would pretty much impossible for us to capture the shots and the coverage we would need. So I started thinking about virtual production, as I’d had success with it on All Quiet On The Western Front for scenes set on the train.
“Serendipitously, before we started shooting, I bumped into Alexis Haggar, a brilliant VFX producer, with whom I’d worked on the TV mini-series Rillington Place (2017), who said he was working in Macau and made me aware of a large LED screen at the MGM Cotai in Macau.”
As Friend soon discovered, the theatre in the MGM
Cotai houses a curved 4K LED wall, measuring 40ft high and 200ft end-to-end, featuring nearly 10,000sq/ft of LED display screens, for the entertainment of guests and visitors alike. The DP was able to use this installation as a virtual production environment for some of the movie’s key gambling moments.
We wanted to make something that would be different from anything we’d done before
As he explains, “I proposed Alexis to production, and he and his brilliant team supervised our virtual reality shoot. We shot high-resolution background plates that were played through the through the LED wall. As the pixel pitch on the panels was 5.3mm, as opposed to the normal 1.2mm or 1.5mm, it meant having to work out much larger distances between the wall, foreground elements, cast and the camera.
“Thankfully the place was so enormous that it wasn’t difficult to get the correct perspectives, and it just worked beautifully. We were able to shoot one or two set-ups using real locations, but we must have done at least 20 other set-ups using the LED wall. When I watch the film now, I can’t visually distinguish between the real and the virtual, that’s how good the set-up was.”
Every penny we had went on the screen
Friend lit Ballad Of A Small Player in collaboration with gaffer Harlon Haveland. “Along with Danny, my operator, Harlon is one of my best friends, and is a talented gaffer. Everything in Macau emits light, which was a curse and a blessing at the same time. The biggest challenge was controlling the ambient lighting around Macau, whilst also introducing our own film lighting. At some locations the task was to avoid having shadows on the camera in-shot, but doing that might then eliminate the shape of the light on the actor. This meant the infrastructure to do get things as we wanted them was often time-consuming and complicated.
“I’m a champion of Astera’s Helios/Titan tubes and Lunabulbs, and we used them a lot architecturally to illuminate the scenes such as those set in and around the tenement block where Dao Ming lives.
“I’ve also become a huge fan of Aputure lighting, as their equipment is consistently impressive and consistently improving. I know the team there and have to thank Menno Propitious (marketing manager for Europe) for supporting us. In particular, we used
Aputure Infinimats of different sizes and in scaledcombinations, as they are rugged, compact and lightweight, and can be deployed quickly on stands or suspended overhead, with eggcrates to help shape the light.
“The Infinimats became my workhorses. They have a terrific intensity of brightness, but can dim ultra-low without colour shift. Colin pretty much always had an Infinimat angled towards his face, dimmed to create light and shadow. For Tilda in was more about beauty lighting, where had an Infinimat more front-on with the intensity increased just a touch.
Friend reveals that Infinimats proved so bright and punchy that he also used them to help the general illumination on some of the interior mall and exterior street scenes. “We also put them in the backgrounds of certain shots and ran video through them, to make them appear like billboard screens. There’s a face-to-face scene between Colin and Tilda with an Infinimat in-shot between them, but dimmed down to a minimum, but you can’t tell it’s a filmmaking fixture.
Shooting on Lamma Island, came with its own set of challenges. “As Dao Ming is the mythical love interest in the film, we wanted somewhere remote, romantic and natural – the polar opposite of Macau – as her retreat. Originally it was going to be a forest, but when Ed and I saw the floating fishing huts in a bay off Lamma Island, our instincts told us that this was her safe haven.
“But it was a rudimentary location, with no electrical connections. Furthermore, we wanted to shoot in more of a documentary style, which created a flurry of issues to solve logistically and creatively. Jonathan Houlding, the production designer built a floating set – Dao Ming’s hut and a surrounding pontoon for the lights, and we filmed there and off two production boats.
“We had to shoot many of the day interior scenes at night, which meant having to flood the place full of light. It was tough but liberating, and I think the change of style, really worked for this part of film.”
Friend completed the DI grade with Andrew Daniel at The Look. “As with the shoot, when it comes to final colour it’s all about the talent operating the equipment. Andrew was in-tune with the emotional resonance of each moment, and sometimes elevated or bent the look to places that Ed and I never imagined or intended, but generally really liked.”
Looking back on his experience of shooting the film, Friend concludes, “You can easily fool yourself into believing your next production will be easier than the one before, but this was one of the hardest film experiences I’ve had. The legalities and logistics of shooting in casinos were not easy, and being away from family in an unhealthy, superficial environment for six months, wasn’t easy either. I was fortunate that my wife and little girl managed to join me out-there for a good portion of it, which helped to keep me sane.
“It’s an unconventional story from an unconventional book, and every penny we had went on the screen. I’m proud of the visual narrative in the final film, because it takes the audience on a rollercoaster journey, where we embraced the sensory overload of the place to create a cinematic fever dream, which I hope many people get to see and enjoy.”
KEYS WITHOUT LOCKS
By Darek Kuźma
Franz , an unorthodox biopic of the legendary and ambiguous writer Franz Kafka, marked cinematographer Tomasz Naumiuk PSC’s most challenging collaboration to date with veteran filmmaker Agnieszka Holland.
A biopic that refuses the comfort of chronology, Franz assembles Kafka’s life as an exasperating mosaic of disjointed events, fraught relationships, altercations, traumas and imagined lives. As such, it weaves a visual and narrative patchwork that mirrors the complex, fragmented nature of Kafka’s psyche and work.
We follow the man through early 20 th century Prague and Berlin, accompany him during sanatorium stays and brothel visits, witness the charged rituals of family dinners, and listen-in on public readings. At times elegant and poised, at others raw and surreal, Franz is enthralled by the enigma of the man.
It also confidently slips into meta-commentary, as a 21st century museum guide explains that Kafka was so elusive that there are endless analyses of his stories, and none is definitive. The film brims with unease, shuns easy answers, and sidesteps the well-worn clichés of the literary biography in an effort to get a feeling of who he was as a writer and a human being.
Naumiuk first encountered Kafka in high school and was immediately drawn to his writing. But it was only after joining Franz – and returning to the novels with more years, more craft and more life behind him – that Naumiuk’s fascination deepened with Kafka himself as much as his existentially-charged worlds. Still, the decisive pull was Holland, with whom he first connected artistically in 2017 as camera operator and second-unit cinematographer on Spoor
“Agnieszka taught me one of the most important things in work and in life: never get comfortable, and always find ways out of your comfort zone,” he explains. “On our earlier collaborations, we kept each other honest: pushing past habit, arguing in good faith, choosing the riskier shot. With Franz, which
The spirit of a place can give a tone that no stage reconstruction can match
was deeply personal for her, as she knows Kafka’s work and letters and understands his struggle against being easily defined, it quickly became clear we’d be exercising that rule to its limits.”
The patchwork nature of the film’s narrative demanded an equally fluid, deliberately fragmented visual grammar: shifting lenses, rhythms and vantage points to mirror Kafka’s split selves and the labels the world tried to pin on him.
“The most difficult thing was to find a cinematic key that would hold this whole structure together, but we soon realised that we actually needed dozens of keys: if one approach began to settle, the next had to disrupt it: through focal length, blocking or a simple twitch of a zoom. Only then could we feel we’re getting closer to who he was.”
Not everything ran smoothly. Early in prep, Holland screened a film she considered a visual reference, but Naumiuk rejected it outright.
“I was taken aback. I said, ‘I don’t feel it, I don’t understand it, I don’t like it at all.’ We politely said goodnight, and I was honestly convinced I’d just been fired. But the next morning, we began again, searching until we found a form that matched the subject.”
Prague – Kafka’s home city, which he dearly loved even as he felt it entrapped him – became their shared visual compass, shaping an evolving vision through scouting its narrow streets and capturing Franz’s spirit in the real locations they filmed in.
The true epiphany, however, came when they revisited the avant-garde work of English filmmaker, documentarian, writer and film theorist, Peter Watkins, from the 1960s and ’70s.
“It became a wonderful reference, especially his 1974 biopic Edvard Munch (DP Odd Geir Saether): a film about an artist that does not tell his story linearly, but unfolds across different times and spaces, combining documentary truth with subjective experience,” Naumiuk reminisces.
“It was Watkins’ fearless use of the zoom, his disregard for conventional rules, his ability to make
the viewer a participant. We later watched many other films that inspired us, including Agnieszka’s own Total Eclipse (1995, DP Yorgos Arvanitis GSC), which rendered the non-conformist poet Arthur Rimbaud surprisingly modern, but we always came back to Edvard Munch.”
To give the film’s fragmented timeline a cohesive visual identity, Naumiuk chose to shoot in 2:1 aspect ratio on ARRI Alexa Mini LF (provided by Vantage Film Praha), paired with his own set of Cooke Panchro Full Frame lenses.
“No filters or gels, the plasticity of the glass was meant to be the visual denominator, along with the production and costume design, and our rule that every scene had to be different. In one, I might draw on Czech painters from Kafka’s era; in the next, I’d do something entirely unrelated; like the graphic sequence with the imagined torture machine, staged in a sun-bleached quarry near Prague.”
Whilst the core tools stayed constant, the focal range spanned extremes.
“Some scenes we shot with very wide lenses, others with long telephoto lenses. The Cookes, from 18mm to 100mm, were supported by an Angénieux 25-250mm zoom or other glass. The shortest lens was a Chinese Laowa 12mm. The longest, extended with a doubler, could reach up to 450mm.”
The film was shot between March and May 2024 in and around Prague, mostly in real locations, including Kafka’s actual apartment in a tenement near the Old Town Square. The one exception was a brothel, built for logistical reasons inside the local University’s Faculty of Architecture. In early June, the production moved to Berlin for two weeks, filming
in locations such as the old Kodak offices which doubled as Kafka’s workplace.
On the second day of shooting came another jolt for Naumiuk. “Agnieszka asked why one of the existing set-ups looked the way it did. I said, ‘Well, that’s what we agreed,’ and she replied, ‘You misunderstood me,’ and walked away.
“I was overcome by the fear that after months of preparation, I had messed something up, and maybe I just wasn’t right for this film. It finally turned out everything was fine and Agnieszka and I were still on the same page, but that was the second time I truly doubted myself.”
The film’s camera movement was as unorthodox as its narrative, built around three main tools. The first was the handheld camera – a method Naumiuk, who operated A-camera himself (with Karel Kaliban controlling B-camera), relishes for the way it lets him “breathe with the actors, react to their emotions in real time, like during a family quarrel scene where the camera frantically pans from one character to another, trying to capture the emotional momentum.”
The second was the zoom, a conscious homage to Edvard Munch. “We liked how Watkins used it to disorient the viewers, so we used it wherever it made narrative sense.”
The third was a Ronin gimbal steered via Force Pro, providing a smooth image in select shots. By
accident, it also served as Naumiuk’s ‘revenge’ at Holland for the challenges she had set.
“It knocked Agnieszka out of her comfort zone. For me it was freedom and unpredictability; for her, a strange technical novelty. It ultimately became yet another exercise in our little pact: to keep each other honest, to challenge habit, and to never get too comfortable.”
Lighting for Franz followed Naumiuk’s minimalist
Our rule was that every scene had to be different
creed. “A black cloth and negative fill first, then as few lamps as possible, especially in this project where we didn’t want to lecture or moralize at any point in the film,” he explains.
This time, he relied almost entirely on an LED package from Heliograf, mainly Asteras, SkyPanels, and LED balloons.
“The only classic source I had was a Tungsten Par64. I have a huge sentiment for its distinctive character, and always carry it with me on any set,” he notes. “The greatest lighting challenge was Kafka’s apartment in the heart of Prague. It had a beautiful view but no place for standard lighting set-ups or lift permits, forcing us to rig lights through upper-floor spaces, including a glass-walled medical studio.”
Led by gaffer Łukasz Głaszczka, the team turned a logistical nightmare into a creative feat. “It was a lesson in humility and proof that the spirit of a place can give a tone that no stage reconstruction can match.”
Naumiuk’s meticulous approach to colour grading, supported by the work he had done in prep to have LUTs that would resemble the final look, further refined the film’s unique aesthetic.
“Agnieszka and I worked closely with colourist Hanz at Mat Film for slightly over a week to make our two perspectives – hers as an avid reader who knew Kafka’s work by heart, and mine, naïve and slightly boyish – complement each other. As well as to
deny the audience any kind of ‘comfortable’ viewing experience,” he laughs.
In many ways, Franz is also the story of this creative partnership of two filmmakers who want to constantly challenge themselves and their audience.
“Yes, I had moments of panic, surprise, even rebellion, but they kept me diligent and open. I never wanted to be ‘Holland’s DP’ by title. I want to treat each project with her as if it were our first, earning it through disagreement and risk.”
The film is not a straightforward portrait of Kafka but a mirror reflecting his many facets, his struggle with identity, and the world’s rigid labels – concerns that, as Naumiuk soberly points out, feel profoundly modern.
“His confusion, and his failed attempts to be who he wanted to be, make him feel close to us today, in an age when social media can turn anyone into anything in a matter of seconds. We tried to present the most three-dimensional image of him as possible, precisely as there is no single opinion on who Kafka really was. All that to encourage the viewers to dig for it themselves.
“One line from the film says, ‘Kafka’s work is locked, and he took the keys with him.’ I believe that’s true. So why not watch the film, pick-up one of his books, and try to unlock it for yourself?”
Images: Photos by Michal Ureš & Zuzana Panská.
Courtesy of Marlene Film Production.
BACK TO THE PAST
By John Keedwell GBCT UAV Pilot
In the 1985 movie Back To The Future (dir. Robert Zemekis, DP Dean Cundey ASC) Marty McFly (played by Michael J. Fox) pointed a chunky JVC GR-C1 camcorder at a gleaming DeLorean car, and the camera instantly became part of the plot as well as an icon in itself. Four decades later, that same camera – and dozens like it – are not museum pieces, but part of a thriving rental business bringing analogue tape back to life.
Thanks to two people’s passion, these icons of ‘80’s amateur filmmaking have been lovingly collected, painstakingly restored, and now form the rental stock for a new generation of creators.
CamCo is a London-based camcorder rental company founded by director and filmmaker James Worsley, and cinematographer Richard Dunton Both were born in the 1980s, they grew-up with camcorders – portable electronic device that combine a video camera and a video recorder – and never really put them down.
They now have the largest collection of consumer video cameras in the UK available for hire. Tucked away in a quietly buzzing workshop, the shelves brim with VHS, Video8, Hi8, MiniDV and other tapebased consumer video cameras — once consigned to the back of cupboards.
What convinced you to start this business?
James: I always used camcorders in my personal and professional work, so people would often ask if I had one spare for them to borrow, ask advice on what to get, or how to fix something. Combining with Richard’s background, and the fact there is definitely a hunger for analogue amongst consumers, it felt like the right time.
Richard: James and I came to it quite naturally. Having come from a camera rental family it felt obvious I wanted to get these cameras into other people’s hands. I’ve always grown-up around kit, either sitting on a Fisher dolly, playing with a geared head or looking down the viewfinder of a ARRI 435 at the age of 9 at JDC. The combination of camera/ film/sensor/tube/lens/ filter has always kept me exploring and it’s always been a pleasure to discuss the findings with my dad, Joe, who as you can imagine is equally as interested!
With a full-size VHS camera, you carried something the size of a shoebox on your shoulder. The more compact Video8 or MiniDV still required belts, gears, motors and many intricate moving parts.
Restoring these machines isn’t for the faint-hearted. Belts perish. Heads wear down. Batteries leak and capacitors blow. And some formats — like MicroMV or Digital8 — are rare enough to make sourcing parts a small act of archaeology.
Why is CamCo unique?
Along with TikTokers and YouTubers, there’s strong interest from students and young filmmakers too
James: My passion for camcorders really started in 1988 to be specific, when I was 6. My dad bought the Sony CCD-V90e Video8 HandyCam camcorder. I now have this camcorder tattooed on my leg! Of course, back then it wasn’t vintage, it was cutting edge.
What began as a hobby snowballed into something far more ambitious. The collection grew from classic shoulder-mounted VHS beasts to compact MiniDV. Working with tape formats means embracing their limitations — and in many ways, that’s the point. Unlike today’s wafer-thin smartphones, these cameras are bulky. The tape size literally dictates the size of the camera.
Richard: We wanted to curate our catalogue so it’s not just about hiring a camcorder. Rather, it’s more like, “Cool, I can hire the same camcorder used in American Beauty (1999, dir. Sam Mendes, DP Conrad L Hall ASC) or the same MiniDV camcorder used by Lars Von Trier from the Dogme 95 Movement”. Or, “I want one of those strange Sony camcorders with the upright form from the mid-90’s”. There are so many niche eras of camcorders, and we’re really trying to explore them all.
Refurbishing the kit…
James: We love it when we bring a camcorder back to life, sometimes a sea of errors can be rectified by a full disassembly and reseating the ribbon cables. Some are just not fixable, or just not worth it. The tape mechanism is ‘watchmaker’ level of complexity, so if that’s broken, we tend to avoid!
We provide new batteries with all our cameras, and any you can’t get batteries for we make our own! We rebuilt the NP22 battery, the standard for Sony camcorders
from 1985 to 1986, and we also now sell them. Do the cameras record digitally?
Richard: There is a difference in quality in recording onto tape and going tapeless. It’s up to the client to work out what’s best for them. All our camcorders can record onto tape unless it has unfixable tape mechanism. It might not be for the purist, but all cameras, where possible, can be connected to external recording monitors with internal SD card storage solutions.
Old-school editing
Richard: Recording on tape might feel like stepping back in time but getting that footage into the modern world still matters. In the past, tape edits were done linearly, electronically recording from deck-to-deck, one shot at a time. Some purists enjoy the lo-fi aesthetic straight from the tape, artefacts and all. Others use the RAW footage as a creative layer — dropping it into 4K timelines for music videos, fashion films or art projects.
James: By recording digitally it’s just a digital file on the timeline, the same as working with footage from
an Alexa. Grading is more of a challenge as there is a lot less latitude with camcorder footage, but for the purpose of the footage it’s never really a problem.
We always maintain a good level of communication with our clients and are here to give any advice we can, such as whether it’s with upscaling or deinterlacing.
Who are your clients?
and promos and doco’s here in the UK. We haven’t had anyone shoot an entire feature on any of our cameras… yet…. I’d like to be first in line to shoot one though!
James: Recently director Ben Hanratty with My Accomplice ( a commercial production company) had one of our Sony Hi8 Handycams in Ireland shooting with music producer/DJ Kettama. The up-and-coming director Eve Believe just shot a whole music video in LA for ‘Sofia And The Antoinettes’ with our Sony Hi8 Handycam. Are there any drawbacks?
Richard: All our cameras shoot 4:3 aspect ratio, which for some is a challenge to frame if you are used to 16:9 ratio. It dates the time frame. Some of our cameras do offer a comical ‘Widescreen Mode’. It just puts black bars on the image to make it 16x9.
James: It’s the lack of wide-angle lens for me. Wide angle adaptors can sort the problem, but it often leaves you with a fixed focal length. However, our Panasonic NV-DX1 from 1995 (Panasonic’s answer to the VX1000) has a wide-angle adapter that still allows you to zoom though the focal range, it’s quite unique! Are there any rare sought-after models?
James: The Sony VX1000 has always been kind of The Holy Grail. It was really adopted by the skateboard community, but every cinematographer I know has a space in their heart for it!
Also the Sony CCD-TR55 from 1989. At the time it was the smallest and lightest camcorder ever released; it really was a technological marvel. Unfortunately, it’s from the era of camcorders that are all mostly dead now due to burst capacitors that destroyed the boards.
Richard: For me it must be the JVC DV1 from 1996. This was JVC’s first entry into the Mini DV market. It’s an incredibly sleek-looking camera that wouldn’t look out-of-place in James Bond’s hands. When it was released shortly after the Sony VX1000 it cost £3,000! I have one, but it’s a bit temperamental. Hopefully we’ll get a minty one in our collection soon!
charm that can’t be faked with a filter.
Some purists enjoy the lo-fi aesthetic straight from the tape, artefacts and all
Richard: Music video directors use VHS and Video8 for gritty, nostalgic textures, the colour bleed, the blooming highlights, the authentic ‘90s look. Even TikTokers and YouTubers are diving-in, filming Vlogs or skits on old camcorders for that grainy, honest
James: Along with TikTokers and YouTubers, there‘s strong interest from students and young filmmakers too. They’ve grown-up with iPhones and 4K, so for them it’s like a ‘90’s kid discovering vinyl. Now with TikTok influencers there are people using older formats because it’s a current trend. Some will stick with it, and it will become their language. Others will get bored and do something else. But there will always be people that love its look and what it brings to filmmaking. Recent productions?
Richard: We launched and been live since the end of April, so we’re still early days, however, we have had cameras out on features in North Carolina, Promos in LA
The most famous camera is probably the JVC GR-1C, the first all in one VHS-C camera made famous when it featured in Back To The Future. The future?
James: Our mission is to preserve and share the magic of magnetic tape in an age that’s increasingly digital, disposable and AI-generated. Like any film-based format, it teaches the filmmaker to be a bit more precise in what they are shooting due to the limited tape time. Richard: There are many cameras out there, and our collection will continue to grow. We are sticking to magnetic tape. Tape is great!
In a world obsessed with megapixels, CamCo has found its niche not by chasing the future — but by celebrating the beautifully-flawed past. CamCo is the antithesis of artificial. Rooted in nostalgia, physicality, and human connection. It’s a love letter to the raw and beautifully imperfect look of consumer video.
REBELS WITH A CAUSE
By Darek Kuźma
Veteran cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle DFF BSC ASC, one of the pioneers of digital filmmaking, joined forces with director Danny Boyle to revisit the end of the world they imagined over twenty years ago in 28 Days Later (2002) – only to make things stranger, darker and more dangerously-alive than ever.
No electricity, no modern amenities, no systems, no rules left to break. Nearly three decades after the outbreak of the Rage Virus that decimated the entire UK, a group of survivors endures in a primitive scavenger society. Connected to the mainland by a tidal causeway, they live, love and fade in constant fear of the feral packs of zombified humans.
Yet the infected are no longer mindless vectors of violence: some burn-out and die from the sheer unsustainable intensity of their fury, while others – the Alphas – roam the land with a mythic dominance. It’s brutal, tragic and chaotic, but also strange and strangely human. And 28 Years Later dares you to venture into this mad world through the eyes of 12-yearold Spike, who is on the cusp of losing his innocence.
This third chapter of one of the most visceral cinematic universes of the 21st century, following 28 Days Later (2002) and 28 Weeks Later (2007, dir. Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, DP Enrique Chediak ASC), marks
both a continuation and a beginning: the first entry in a new trilogy – set to continue with 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (dir. Nia DaCosta, DP Sean Bobbitt BSC) due in January 2026 – that promises to expand and close this wild world once and for all.
And it does so with technological bravado and something that few studio films dare to embrace anymore: rebel spirit and unpredictability. What director Danny Boyle and cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle have created is not sanitised spectacle, but a rough, raw, kinetic, genre-straddling epic that collides
horror with allegory, survival with coming-of-age, and innovation with memory.
Dod Mantle and Boyle had only shot the first film. “I’m not particularly eager to go back to the same place twice, so even with Danny, Alex Garland as the writer, and Andrew Macdonald producing, on-board again, I was a little hesitant. But when I read the script, I thought, ‘This could be interesting,’ and started talking to Danny about how we might approach it,” Dod Mantle recalls.
That series of conversations led them into uncharted territory. “Danny was looking for something to guide his way into the film – not an excuse, but a starting point. Something that would merge with its DNA. His idea was: smartphone. At first, it wasn’t an iPhone 15 Pro, it was anything. It was something ubiquitous, small and manoeuvrable, just like the consumer cameras we used to shoot 28 Days Later.”
The first film’s gritty, Canon XL1 DV-shot aesthetic was a big part of its appeal in a cinematic landscape increasingly taken
hostage by expensive CGI spectacle, and mirrored Dod Mantle’s own creative leanings.
“It wasn’t a conventional thing to do, but I’ve never really done much by way of convention. If you think about it, it came only a few years after I did the Dogmestyle Festen (1998) with Thomas Vinterberg.” The DP shot that production with a Sony DCR-PC3 Handycam.
the decision to shoot 28 Years Later using iPhones came with consequences. “Danny offered me a challenge and his trust, which was beautiful but also kind of lonely and terrifying. It took me a long time to wrap my head around the idea, and make it mine. The iPhone 15 Pro is a very advanced piece of equipment, but it can also be quite limiting if used the wrong way.”
That tension between freedom and limitation shaped every frame of the new film. Among Dod
I’ve never really done much by way of convention
Mantle’s challenges were depth-of-field limitations, tricky VFX integration, and custom rigs for multiple iPhones. The Yorkshire and Northumberland terrain in the UK
– where most of the film was shot – did not help either. “We had to walk and climb up a lot of hills and make long journeys into protected landscapes not exactly friendly to film crews, whilst the English summer gave us sun, rain and wind all at once,” he confesses.
“Our characters go into this unspoilt nature, filled with hidden dangers. The lightness of being is not just about physical weight. It’s about how you move and let yourself play with the tools at your disposal. It’s about understanding this weird technical soul inside these smart phones and figuringout how to disconnect all sorts of their AI-powered tendencies.”
After extensive testing, Dod Mantle settled on the Atlas Mercury family of Anamorphic lenses.
“They’re used on high-end films and are sort of middleweight – about the size of a big coffee cup – which suited the economics of our shoot. They’re reliable, the glass quality and squeeze is nice: they’re all 1.5x squeeze ratio.”
He used two sets of Atlas Mercury Anamorphics ranging from 24mm to 95mm, but also built more complex set-ups involving adapters and attaching diopters or macros above the front lenses. BeastGrip supplied the EF mount adaptor for iPhone whilst ARRI London modified it into a PL mount, opening access to more Anamorphic options.
“I had a lot of tools. Canon K35 vintage zoom with 1-4 extenders, Lensbabies, drones, cranes, a good set of Tiffen ND filters, even C-mount lenses from ARRI Germany for body-mounted work on animals, infected slow-motion shots and other visual experiments.
When I read the script, I thought, ‘This could be interesting’
No tracks or dollies, except in the causeway studio sequence – 80-90% of the film was shot or based on iPhone 15 Pro, the rest used Blackmagic Cameras, DJI FPV (First Person View) drones, and vintage Panasonic cameras with the IR filter removed.”
All of this was complemented by the decision to shoot in 2.76:1. “We switched from 2.39:1 a week before principal photography, when I realised there
was a lot of real estate left on the sensor. And it suited the anarchy and rebellious spirit of the film. You have very few, very lonely individuals in a vast, bewildering environment, a handful of raging infected, the Alphas, and a few deer here and there. You could barely fill the frame with living organisms, but the world itself is still there, imposing,” he says.
They shot for around 50 days, plus two days of pick-ups, between May and July 2024. “Danny likes to shoot fast and furious. But I don’t recall being on-set, in the rain, with the clock ticking and my pants down, unable to give him something.”
There’s an intuitive truth to the emotional tone you’re trying to capture
In some scenes, the actors operated the phones themselves. “Danny generally avoided stabilisers as he felt they compromised the quality of the image. I placed iPhones, in their most basic set-up, in actors’ hands or in their costumes, and the results – later enhanced in post – boosted the film’s overall energy. Still, 80% of the film was shot handheld or on small gimbals, the rest on cranes, drones, and other variations.”
This sense of closeness and relatability was important to Dod Mantle. “I’m an emotional beast. I’m drawn to what’s not necessarily said, but felt between actors. There’s an intuitive truth to the emotional tone you’re trying to capture. Where you put the camera, how it moves, its speed and height in relation to the eyes – that’s essential for horror scenes, but also for moments of reflection. It’s not all action and thrill.”
Light – or its absence – brought its own complications. “The dilemma on a film like 28 Years Later is justifying lighting in a world without electricity. The iPhone isn’t the most light-sensitive sensor either, so balancing light levels and naturalism was delicate.”
For large set-ups like the Bone Temple – a bizarrely poignant construct made of human skulls –
the lighting team, led by David Sinfield ICLS and Ian Sinfield, pre-rigged MBSE-supplied Vulcans on cranes for rapid repositioning.
“I had a kilometre-long circle of lights around the Bone Temple to control temperature and create variation. I also had a beautiful, wind-capable Astera Titan tube rig for night work, mounted on an overhead lightbox that let gusts pass through without casting shadows.”
Around the perimeter, they had “a circumference of mist and light for colour separation and background atmosphere. Whenever possible, I patched everything into the iPad to fine-tune the details. Sometimes we pre-
rigged lights in trees. We generally avoided balloons due to wind.”
The causeway sequence, where Spike and his dad are chased by an Alpha – originally intended to be shot dayfor-night on a real location with real water –became a complex indoor setup.
“After weeks of prep, we found a big empty Covid vaccination centre outside Newcastle.
We blacked-out windows, installed rigs, lights and water, and had a massive LED panel set-up that I could control quickly and cleverly.”
They shot using grey background plates instead of green/blue screen due to sensor limitations. Then came scenes inside a pitch-black building, an abandoned train carriage, or torn-down houses.
“We had to move fast navigating between awkward, quieter days with
smaller lighting fixtures and limited power sources, and larger set-ups like the causeway. When smaller set-ups were possible, we’d concentrate on smaller HMI units combined with Creamsources.”
On set, DIT duties were handled by Jim Knight. “We
had on-set grading. I wanted to extract the RAW image at full resolution to get the best out of the iPhone 15 Pro cameras, and so I could work directly with Ed Lachman ASC’s EL Zone colour grading tool and exposure system,” Dod Mantle explains.
“That allowed us to apply an 18% grayscale system on-set, a rough but reliable guide for exposure, so I didn’t have to sit with a light meter all the time.”
In post, Dod Mantle worked closely with colourist Jean-Clément Soret at Company 3. “Grading is an essential, creative part of the film, and I’m a beast during colour grades. Mostly, I go back to the RAW images and recreate looks.”
They tackled 950 VFX shots – a mixture of clean-up, repairs and enhancements. Some images were deliberately stabilised, others destabilised for effect, so that the audience never feels they know what awaits around the corner.
The result is something that does not belong to any single category, a horror film as intense as it is poignant, a gripping tale of brutal survival and the search for humanity in the most inhuman conditions. A studio film born of discomfort and resistance, it will make you shriek, laugh, cry and wonder, often all at once.
“We succeeded because it is a very independent film in its narrative, essence and form,” says Dod Mantle. “The film has its own DNA, a sort of anarchic, rebellious spirit that’s beautiful. It’s a mix of gothic horror with political, cultural and social allegories, and emotional scenes that catch you off-guard.
“I know some people didn’t like it because it’s not only a horror, or only a postapocalyptic drama, but that’s what I love about it. And I hope many viewers will share that.”
The film has its own DNA, a sort of anarchic, rebellious spirit that’s beautiful
SOUND OF MUSIC
By Ron Prince
Old tensions smoulder when former folk duo and lovers, Herb McGwyer and Nell Mortimer, reunite for a private beachside concert on a secluded island, the home of Charles, an eccentric widower and lottery-winning millionaire, who also happens to be a McGwyer Mortimer superfan.
Directed by James Griffiths (aka ‘Griff’), the acclaimed £1.5million British indie comedy-drama, The Ballad Of Wallis Island, was written by Tim Key and Tom Basden, who also star alongside Carey Mulligan. The film is based on Key and Basden’s award-winning short The One And Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island (2007), which Griffiths also directed.
Our intention was to tell this story in a simple, honest and realistic manner
Exploring themes of nostalgia, regret and the possibility of rekindling musical and romantic connections, the film was praised as a sleeper hit for its charming and heart-warming story, and was lauded by renowned screenwriter, producer and director Richard Curtis (Four Weddings And A Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually) as one of the best British romantic comedies of all time.
“I have worked with Griff for over 18 years on a multitude of projects – many commercials and
shorts, plus TV shows such as Free Agents (2009), A Million Little Things (2018), Stumptown (2019) and Bad Sisters S2 (2024). This was our second feature film together after Royal Wedding (2010),” says the film’s cinematographer G. Magni Ágústsson ÍKS, who originally hails from Reykjavík, Iceland.
“Although I didn’t shoot the original short, I had always been aware that Griff wanted to make it into a full-length feature. After many years of waiting, all-of-asudden the finances clicked into place and he told me it was a greenlit around nine months before we shot.”
After one month of prep, principal photography took place over the course of just 18 shooting days during July and August 2023, in changeable weather conditions. Despite being set on a remote island, the feature was filmed primarily along the Pembrokeshire coast in Wales, with the real shoreline landscapes used to create the illusion of the isolated setting.
Speaking about his creative deliberations with Griffiths in advance of production, Ágústsson says, “Our intention was to tell this story, about complex characters and emotions, in a simple, honest and realistic manner. In that way our approach was very ‘Scandinavian’ – along the lines of the legendary collaborations between director Ingmar Bergman and his cinematographer Sven Nykvist – using available and naturalistic light, allowing the locations to create their own personas, often shooting with still frames and encouraging the action to play-out within those frames.
“Because we had just 18 shooting days, that kind of forced us to block scenes so they didn’t need a lot of separate coverage, whilst giving Griff scope to fashion them later in the edit. So, during pre-production, he and I spent time walking around the locations taking photographs, working-out the compositions and set-ups
that would be required, but always being conscious of the cinematography being something the audience would not notice.”
References for the shoot included Local Hero (1983, dir. Bill Forsyth, DP Chris Menges BSC ASC), for the premise of the story being set in a remote costal locale, along with The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011) and Gone Girl (2014), both directed by David Fincher and shot by DP Jeff Cronenweth ASC, for the simplicity of the cinematography, and subtle direction of the lighting. “Nothing too complex, just soft, beautiful and purposeful,” Ágústsson notes.
The DP says he also considered the work of stills photographer Elle Hanley, who is noted for capturing people and events in candid and often raw moments to evoke true emotions.
“Although she creates staged photographs, I love the way they have a natural feeling and texture through the lighting and the warmth the colour –they’re like paintings.”
Ágústsson framed The Ballad Of Wallis Island in 2.35:1 Cinemascope aspect ratio using ARRI Alexa 35 cameras, fitted with Leitz Prime large-format optics for the mainstay of the shoot, plus a Leica 50mm T1.0 Noctilux lens for portraiture. The camera package was supplied by Shift 4, which later went into administration and whose assets went on sale via Visual Impact.
“I shot in in widescreen because I knew we were often going to have three people in the frame, plus a lot of walk-and-talks, and it’s a lot easier to come up with satisfying compositions using that aspect ratio than anything narrower,” Ágústsson remarks. “It also gave room to have the environment as a presence in the image.”
As for his choice of camera, the DP explains, “Back
G. MAGNI ÁGÚSTSSON ÍKS•
then the Alexa 35 had only been recently launched, and although I had never used it before, I went with it partly because I like ARRI cameras and am familiar with how they operate, and also because of the enhanced sensitivity ratings – such as EI 2560 for shooting moderately dark scenes, EI 3200 for dark scenes, and EI 6400 when shooting in extreme low light or no light conditions.
“With our night scenes, especially the beachside concert, which we shot during the day and well after sundown, I knew I would not have the resources to bring-in big generators and lamps to illuminate the setting. So I wanted the reassurance of having extra sensitivity
in-camera. As it turned out, I generally shot the night scenes at either EI1250 or EI 2560, with the lighting tuned between 5,600K or 3,200 Kelvin for the appropriate warmth of colour.”
I always imagine handheld as being like a ballet, where the moves need to be elegant
Regarding the optics, Ágústsson says, “I have used Leitz lenses for many years, and know them really well too. They’re sharp and have a neutral character, but I do like to enhance the look with diffusion and colour filters – such as Schneider Hollywood Blackmagic filters and Harrison & Harrison diffusion to soften the skin, along with subtle yellow or other filters to warm the image slightly. But it’s all very subtle.
“Our workhorses were the 29mm and 40mm focal lengths. I generally shot at around T2.8, as I wanted a shallow depth-of-field. For the portraiture and medium close-ups, I used the Leica Noctilux, and generally shot wide-open, which has the effect of blowing-out the skin a little bit, especially in the highlights, and gives a slight 1970’s-style diffusion, although you have to be careful as your subject can easily fall out-of-focus.”
Ágústsson says he typically relies on a standard Rec.709 LUT, but on this production, working in
collaboration with DIT Jake Williams, he reduced the contrast level by 25% and raised the blacks just a touch. For night scenes, the LUT was amended with reduced saturation to give the images a more silvery, monochromatic tone.
“As the weather was so changeable – sometimes we would start a shot in the pouring rain and end in sunshine – I made of point of regularly looking at a couple of still frames from a circle take with Jake on an iPad and talking with him about any adjustments that were required. He had a really good sensibility of what needed to be achieved with the colours and never went overboard.”
The Ballad Of Wallis Island was mainly a two-camera shoot, with Ágústsson operating A-camera, assisted by Ross Onions on focus, and Steve
Burgess wielding B-camera/Steadicam, assisted by Sam Rhys James.
“Griff likes to use two cameras, so we would often put them side-by-side, but we would cross-shoot too if the scene – such as a three-way conversation – called for it. Both focus pullers did a great job, especially Ross when it came to working with the Leica Noctilux, as it’s incredibly difficult to work with.
“I also have to pay tribute to my key grip Ken Hodgson, who intuitively knew the pace and speed I wanted the camera to move on the dolly at any given moment in the story. We shot the scene in which Nell decides to leave the island and removes her eye makeup inside a tiny room. This involved a very complex dolly move. We did three takes and thanks to Ken the movement was spot-on every single time.”
Ágústsson shot some of the more emotionallycharged scenes handheld. “When we wanted to get a little bit closer to the characters and their emotions, I had the camera on my shoulder, but chose to make the
movements very subtle so as not to jolt the audience out of the storytelling.
“It might sound corny or even absurd, but I always imagine handheld as being like a ballet, where the moves need to be elegant. I do that by controlled breathing. I just keep the camera as still as possible, and then I use my breath to create the most imperceptible of camera movements.”
Hailing from Iceland, where he says the weather can change on a sixpence, Ágústsson says, “I never look at it as a nightmare. You just have to pay attention and have solutions at-the-ready. One of those solutions is commitment to the shot.
“We didn’t have the luxury of waiting around for the right weather or lighting conditions, like they did on 1917 (2019, dir. Sam Mendes, DP Sir Roger Deakins CBE BSC ASC), and had to decide whether we’d shoot a scene in the sun or when it was cloudy.
“Of course, we looked constantly at the weather report to see when it might rain, and for how long, and
Photos by Alistair Heap.
most of the time we ended-up filming in the overcast conditions, simply because there were more cloudy than sunny moments.”
This being a low-budget production, the lighting
We didn’t have the luxury of waiting around for the right weather or lighting conditions
package, supplied by gaffer Mark Hołownia, was necessarily diminutive – a small clutch of ARRI M90, M40 and M18s, supplemented with Creamsource Vortex’s and Astera tubes.
“Shooting the exteriors using natural, available light as much as possible, helped a lot with our tight schedule. I generally controlled the illumination through negative fill, using textiles, like Charcoal Vintage Grid, that allowed a little light to penetrate and softened the contrast,” says Ágústsson.
Illuminating and shooting the beachside concert scene at night, however, was a different matter. This involving mounting M90s and M40s on unmanned cherry pickers above the beach to light-up the
background, with hard light from Creamsource Vortex’s on the actors, supplemented by real firelight.
“Of course, we wanted to give this sequence some of the cinematographic sweep that goes with a live concert. But, as it was filmed on a small pebble beach with limited access, it was impossible to bring-in large bits of filmmaking kit, such as a Technocrane.
“So Ken and his grip team built a track on platforms which allowed us to use a small fixed-arm crane and move it as if it were telescopic, or just use it to shoot static shots from different angles, whilst I was on the wheels.”
The final DI grade was completed by senior colourist Emily Russul Saib at OnSight in London.
“Emily really understood what I was trying to do with the look. She kept things naturalistic and not too
stylish, very much in-tune with the emotions of the moment,” says Ágústsson, whilst also honestly admitting, “That was the last I saw of it. Generally, I don’t watch productions I have shot after finishing the colour grade. I think it’s something similar to way that some actors don’t want to watch themselves on-screen. You give so much of your persona to a production, and I’m hypercritical about my work –all I see are the mistakes.
“All in all, making this film was a great experience, one that I will remember fondly. But it wasn’t easy because of the limited time we had. Thankfully we had a tightknit crew, and Griff is the kind of person who is genuinely grateful for everybody’s input and that helped us all make the very best of it.”
G. MAGNI ÁGÚSTSSON
LOVE LIES & AXES
By Darek Kuźma
DP Sebastian Blenkov DFF’s fourth feature collaboration with director Anders Thomas Jensen is that rare dark comedy that makes you flinch in disgust, laugh at the wrong moments and reconsider what counts as family bonding.
Anders Thomas Jensen’s body of work has always been a place where the absurd, the grotesque and the deeply human collide in a spectacularly dysfunctional dance. The Last Viking – a pitch-black comedy that keeps a straight face whilst people tumble from windows, lose fingers and spiral into psychological turmoil, all while making the audience grin – is no different.
Anker returns home from prison to reclaim his share of a botched bank heist, yet his mentallyfractured brother Manfred, currently convinced he is John Lennon, has no interest in watching him vanish to some far-off paradise. They return to their
childhood house in the woods, where Anker must navigate Manfred’s unstable fantasies to find the cash that his faux-Beatle brother has buried. What follows is a frantic, deeply violent, laugh-out-loud, tale of mending broken ties, spiced with bad Beatles covers and underscored by a profound reflection on the nature of family, loss and acceptance.
The unique tone stems from the long-standing creative bond between Blenkov and Jensen.
“I’ve known him since film school. We shared a flat, grew-up in the same film circle in Copenhagen, with the same actors who are always in his films, forming a family,” the cinematographer recalls.
Their shared history spans The Green Butchers (2003), Adam’s Apples (2005) and Men & Chicken (2015), as well as countless discussions that built the trust allowing them to push boundaries.
“Anders Thomas’s films are very dark comedies with lots of layers. We always keep the visual language serious, and base prep on watching serious films. For example, for Adam’s Apples we watched Bergman. Mostly to understand our characters and the world they live in, but also as a sort of a visual reference as we wanted to treat humour with gravitas and sincerity. For The Last Viking, one of my references was Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Leviathan (2014, DP Mikhail Krichman RGC). As mad as that may seem, it makes perfect sense in my head,” he laughs.
A key element of this playful visual strategy was Anker and Manfred’s childhood house, buried deep in the lush forest, where the Danish would-be Beatle hid the cash Anker is so desperate to find. The imposing wooden building, with its adjacent shed full of axes and other creepy relics, from John Lennon’s own past fixation with being a Viking, holds both joyous and traumatic memories.
I always try to keep lighting restrained… too many lamps can trap you
“From the start we knew the house was always going to be one of the protagonists,” Blenkov says. “We shot in Sweden, but the existing houses we scouted were too small or impractical, and matching exterior shots with studio-built interiors would have required too much cheating.
“So, production designer Nikolaj Danielsen built it from scratch, drawing inspiration from a mix of classic Viking architecture, Swedish building culture, and elements of American Shaker.”
Five of the film’s seven shooting weeks took place there, in September and October 2024, giving the crew complete control. The rest was shot on-location in Denmark.
The house, now owned by a bickering couple, and the surrounding forest also became a bittersweet gateway to the brothers’ tumultuous past, revisited in the film in a series of 1980’s flashbacks that are far from the nostalgia-soaked sequences that audiences are accustomed to.
“Anders Thomas hates these glossy ‘good old days’ cutaways that tend to pull people out of the story. He wanted these scenes to feel like something out of a dream: no specific eyeline, leaning toward expressionism, a weightless way of seeing the brothers’ memories,” Blenkov explains.
Working with Steadicam operator Anders Holck, they paired an ARRI Trinity stabiliser with a Lensbaby, modified to pull focus but still leaving the rest of the image in a soft blur. The look was completed with a custom LUT.
“We wanted the flashbacks to feel like old, sunbleached photographs from the Kodak prints you’d find in your parents’ drawer… blacks turning red, time pressed into every frame.”
Such a vivid distinction between the ghostly past and slightly unhinged present is central to the film’s
visual fabric, thus Blenkov developed separate LUTs to define and differentiate the timelines.
“The weightless, faded-colour flashbacks of the 1980s hint at why Anker and Manfred became who they are in the modern sequences. The 2010s scenes of what happens after a robbery went wrong we shot handheld on Ultra Primes that brought crisp neutrality to offset the softness of the Lensbaby past. The presentday storyline was filmed in measured, static frames using Cooke Full Frame Anamorphic lenses, giving it a more expansive yet grounded feel,” Blenkov offers.
“The focal lengths stayed within that 40mm to 60mm range, where I feel most comfortable. When I’m operating, I like to be physically close to the actors, to stay connected. There was no need for very wide angles because the Lensbaby flashbacks already feel wide-angled and distorted.”
With so many visually-distinct timelines and settings to work with – including the lush Swedish forest serving as an alluring backdrop for a number of darkly comic events, some involving a hilariously kooky Beatles reunion – Blenkov chose his trusted ARRI Alexa 35 camera.
“After so many films, I know it by heart. It’s got great colours, a great sensor, and I really wanted to shoot on a high ISO in the forest scenes and at certain points,” he notes.
The extra sensitivity capabilities of the Alexa 35 proved crucial for sequences where Anker’s debtridden heist partner goes on a face-punching, fingercutting frenzy to get the money he does not deserve.
“I didn’t use the Cookes’ full potential but paired with Alexa 35 they kept the forest background crisp and detailed. They have a subtle pin-cushioning effect, so the tree lines and the house didn’t bend too much and distract the audience from what the actors are doing. All the violence and black comedy aside, this is
“The night forest exteriors were softened with LED balloons and other soft sources, whilst interiors relied on existing fixtures, shaped or filled as needed. For the shed’s night scenes, all we needed was one 1K bulb on a dimmer that gaffer Janne Kokki set-up there. It worked wonders. Hard shadows, boats hanging from the ceiling, walls marked by Manfred’s weird Viking runes, the metallic gleam of his battle axe and other tools. It’s beautiful and mysterious, and evocative.”
Filmgear supported lights and grip package.
The film’s simple-yet-complex visual identity was then meticulously shaped during the grade. Blenkov worked with colourist Hannibal Lang at Zentropa for two weeks, balancing the various layers, textures and grain levels, whilst seamlessly stitching together the chaotic, action-packed car interiors shot on a 360-degree LED volume at Nordisk Film in Copenhagen.
“Working in an LED volume saves time, and keeps you in control of light and background. And with a small budget, that’s everything,” he informs.
Ultimately, The Last Viking is a film that – to paraphrase Walt Whitman – contains multitudes. A powerful story of a fractured family healing under the worst possible conditions, it is also a film where humour is vicious, violence absurd and reflection hits
a character-driven film.” Camera rental house Storyline Copenhagen provided the camera gear.
Camera movement was also carefully considered, with the cinematographer relying on a mix of Steadicam and dolly work, each tool serving a distinct purpose.
“In the forest, laying tracks was difficult, so Steadicam was used a lot. The dolly was reserved for the house and the adjacent Viking shed, allowing for slow, deliberate pushes that build tension and highlight the location’s significance,” he explains.
Although some scenes were storyboarded in prep and most ensemble shots were carefully blocked to maintain efficiency during shooting, there was still room for improvisation.
“Truth be told, we were a really small crew with limited resources. We wanted to have everything under control without dragging a whole village of people with us. We wanted to tune-in with the actors, each having their own interesting ideas that elevated the material. It’s the Scandinavian way, and keeps the family feeling intact. This film wouldn’t have worked without grip Martin Hartland, 1st AC Arvid Jernqvist, DIT Derek Zacho, and all the others.”
The lighting approach was as minimalist and intentional as the camera work. Blenkov favoured practicals as he and the team wanted the audience to feel the real environment beyond the walls of the house, making it clear the film was not shot on a soundstage.
“I always try to keep lighting restrained. Too many lamps can trap you, and you end-up calibrating them instead of making the image serve the story. Usually, when you switch one lamp off, it looks better,” he laughs.
where it hurts.
For Blenkov, however, it was another project he could do with his second family. “Making a film with people you’ve known for years is like coming home. I hope this shines through on the big screen.”
Photos by Rolf Konow and Anders Overgaard.
PUNCH DRUNK LOVE
By Ron Prince
Psychological thriller, The Cut, directed and shot on 35mm and 16mm analogue film by Sean Ellis BSC, follows a former boxing champion as he trains for a redemptive return to the ring, following a career-ending defeat ten years before.
Coming out of retirement and determined to win a championship title in Las Vegas, the fighter begins a gruelling regime to make the starting weight – he has to lose 30 pounds in a week – under the auspices of an unorthodox and ultra-demanding coach.
Starring Orlando Bloom as the boxer, Caitríona Balfe as his wife and business partner Caitlin, and John Turturro as Boz the coach, the film premiered as a special presentation at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, where Bloom was acclaimed for an ‘all-time-great performance’ and Ellis earned praise for the subjective horror of his framing and camerawork in capturing a story about obsessive drive.
The screenplay for The Cut was written by Justin Bull from a story by Mark Lane, who worked as a producer on the film. In preparation for his role, Bloom reportedly lost over 50lbs weight over three months, achieved through a strict diet and an intense training regime overseen by a nutritionist.
Production on the film took place over 25 shooting days during May and June 2023, at a hotel near Heathrow Airport, London, doubling as an off-strip Las Vegas-style resort, and a quarry in North London for the movie’s Nevada desert scenes. Terraced streets with red-brick houses around West London were used to film flashback scenes of the boxer’s childhood in Belfast. Later in 2023, a small camera crew, led by Ellis, spent a week in Las Vegas shooting day/night cityscapes and other pick-ups to help cement the visual storytelling in the city.
“I’d been looking for a boxing movie for a long time, as some of my favourite films are in that genre,” says Ellis, who directed Cashback (2006, DP Angus Hudson BSC), and who shot/directed Metro Manila (2013), Anthropoid (2016) and Eight For Silver (aka The Cursed in some markets) (2021), all on 35mm analogue filmstocks.
“Features like Rocky (1976, dir. John G Avildsen, DP James Crabe ASC), Raging Bull (1980, dir. Martin Scorsese, DP Michael Chapman ASC) and Day Of The Fight (1951, dir. Stanley Kubrick, DP Stanley Kubrick), all have their own tropes and set the bar very high. Looking at what’s gone before, it’s very hard to do something from a new angle.
“So, when I first read the script for The Cut, I was like, ‘Wow, I’ve not seen this in a boxing movie before’. I thought it had a really original premise about the mindset behind driving ambition, and getting there at all costs. It was beautifully written too. So, I said ‘Yes’ to Mark Lane, the producer who sent it to me, and we went from there.”
Being both director and cinematographer on films, Ellis laughs about the creative conversations he has with himself, calling it “the schizophrenic act that I sometimes
It had a really original premise about the mindset behind driving ambition
have to pull. First and foremost, The Cut was about thinking backwards. We had to shoot in reverse chronological order as Orlando had to get inshape and lose enough weight before we could start filming, which was a bit of a head-scratcher.
“Also, my first creative question was whether, given a shoestring budget and 25-day shooting schedule, there would be enough money to shot on analogue film? The answer was ‘Yes’, and it was from this point that I was able to start forming a visual identity of the film.”
Along with the aforementioned pugilistic movies, Ellis says, “I pretty much looked at every boxing movie that’s been made, as well as others that were apt in other ways – films about driven characters, obsession and addiction, such as Leaving Las Vegas (1995, dir. Mike Figgis, DP Declan Quinn ASC), The Machinist (2004, dir. Brad Anderson, DP Xavi Giménez) and Jacob’s Ladder (1990, dir. Adrian Lyne, DP Jeffrey L. Kimball ASC). As far as wouldbe contenders were concerned, I also looked at The Hustler (1961, dir. Robert Rossen, DP Eugen Schüfftan) and The Color Of Money (1986, dir. Martin Scorsese, Michael Ballhaus ASC).”
Ellis shot The Cut in 4-perf 2.40:1 widescreen aspect ratio, using ARRICAM ST and LT 35mm cameras, chiefly using a Cooke Varotal 18100mm zoom lens, adapted with an Anamorphic 2x squeeze rear element, along with Elite Series-7
Everybody, the cast and the crew, knuckled down and gave 200%
Anamorphic primes. The director/DP used an ARRIFLEX 416 16mm camera fitted with ARRI Zeiss Ultra 16 Primes and ARRI Zeiss Master Prime lenses, for the film’s flashback sequences, filming open gate but framing for 2.40:1. The camera package was supplied by ARRI Rental in London.
“I went with the Cooke Varotal 18-100mm zoom as we were going to shoot multiple characters – sometimes as many as five –in various rooms together, and I knew that traditional blocking of those scenes would be pretty much impossible. We’d always be moving characters around and trying to find an angle, all against the clock,” Ellis explains.
“So, we shot four separate takes of these scenes, with the camera in each corner and I rode the Cooke zoom each time, starting wide and slowing closing-in, finding frames of the characters. When one take was complete, we’d move the camera to the next corner and do it again until we had done each of the four corners. There was an element of winging-it a bit, but working that way I knew I would have enough coverage in the edit.
“That lovely Cooke Varotal 18-100mm zoom is a very sharp lens and capable of capturing extreme close-ups. Normally it is T3 wide-open, but when you work in Anamorphic it becomes T4, so we had to boost the light as I wanted to shoot at T4. My focus puller, Dominique Cheung really liked it, and even got a bit upset whenever it came off the camera and one of the Elite primes went on instead. Although we mainly shot the Belfast flashbacks on 16mm film using the Master Primes, I mixed things up a little bit by also using the Cooke zoom, but without the Anamorphic rear element.”
Ellis’s filmstocks of choice were KODAK VISION3 5213 200T 35mm for all of the interior and night scenes, with KODAK VISION3 50D 7203/5203 16mm/35mm for the day exteriors. Shooting Anamorphic there were a few occasions on dark scenes when Ellis needed extra stops, so he switched to KODAK VISION3 5219 500T for those. Film processing and 4K scanning was done at Cinelab, London.
“For me the 200T is just a really, really beautiful stock. I fell in love with it on Eight For Silver. It’s got
Images & photos courtesy of Sean Ellis BSC.
a great dynamic range and is very malleable too. It’s not as sensitive as the KODAK VISION3 5219 500T, but you can under/over expose it, push/pull it, to get different looks just the same. For this film, however, I used an ARRI VariCon to pre-flash the negative in-camera to flatten the contrast level and introduce base colours – blues and greens – into the shadow areas.
“I originally learnt how to pre-flash the negative by Freddie Francis BSC, one of the true masters of cinematography. He was the DP on the All Saints Never Ever music video I directed in mid-90s, and used an ARRI VariCon for that shoot. I have used pre-flash a great deal on many projects that I have shot or directed, including extensive used on Eight For Silver
The ARRI VariCon fits into two filter slots in an ARRI MB-14 matte box. The VariCon uses a variable colour and light intensity source to illuminate a glass filter that fogs the image when filming, thereby raising detail in shadow areas, but without affecting the mid-range or highlights. On The Cut Ellis used the VariCon to give the exposed 35mm negative a base of softened blacks, and to provide a base for the subsequent colour grade.
Except for the film’s opening fight sequence, which involved three cameras, The Cut was mainly a single-camera shoot. Along with directing and overseeing the cinematography on the film, Ellis also operated throughout the production, assisted by Dominique Cheung on focus, with Ross Dixon as second AC, and camera trainees Charlotte MurphyFrost and Matthew Hollis.
“My original approach was to shoot everything on the dolly and have a lot of static frames,” Ellis estimates. “But even the best made plans get thrown out of the window on contact with the enemy, and we were probably on the dolly 60% of the time with slow creep-ins to give a sense of movement, with the rest either handheld or on Steadicam.”
Will Lyte ACO operated Steadicam using an Omega AR2 system that enables the camera to move seamlessly from floor-to-ceiling, rotate 360-degrees, and maintain a level horizon even during these transitions. Lyte and his system were harnessed to disorienting effect for a scene in which the camera whirls woozily around the boxer as the
coach wrestles him to the floor to prevent him from escaping the hotel, with Ellis using an iPhone to control the camera head.
“Obviously, most of the film involved lighting interiors, and whilst I understand LEDs are convenient, I don’t really like LED lighting, as I’m always fighting some kind of colour spike,” Ellis emotes.
“I much prefer Tungsten lighting and using oldschool Fresnels, but traditional lighting does have a big impact on the size of the generator you need.
For me, eyes give you the emotion of a character
So, in talks with Vianney Kernanet my gaffer, I had a combination of the two – the practicality of being able to change the colour of an LED during a shot, and to control it all from an iPad, whilst using Tungsten sources as catch lights, to create glints and reflections in the eyes.
“For me, eyes give you the emotion of a character, and they are great way of being able to tell their story. If there’s a single glint it can give an oppressive or disconcerting feeling, multiple catch lights are what I call ‘sparks of hope’, and I made sure there were plenty of both of those.”
Reflecting on his experience of shooting The Cut, Ellis remarks, “You want to surround yourself with like-minded people who are excited about creating something. Orlando and John brought something special and unexpected to their performances –Orlando with his physical transformation for the role and the lived-in pain of his character, John with the super-manipulative nature to his role, almost like the devil on your shoulder.
“Everybody, the cast and the crew, knuckled down and gave 200%, and whilst we all might have wanted more time, it proved a really great production.”
We had to shoot in reverse chronological order as Orlando had to get in-shape
FILM FACTORY
Words & photos by Ron Prince
Oh what fun you’ll have if you accept an invitation from Hugh Whittaker for a tour around the Set Lighting & Rigging department he oversees at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden (WBSL), UK.
Health and safety is a major focus for us
It’s yet another hot, sticky summer morning, and after successfully parking – albeit on the open top of the multistorey parking structure – I’m greeted with typical backslapping bonhomie from the man himself at the security turnstile, before being ushered aboard a Hollywoodstyle golf-buggy. The first stop on our battery-powered itinerary is the commissary to grab a takeaway coffee that, much to my amusement, gets ‘VIP’ inscribed on it, before we swing around the enormous lot which is clearly bustling with activity of one sort or another.
“Right now, between 2,500 and 3,000 people are coming here every day to either work on productions or take part in the construction of 11 new stages over yonder,” Whittaker motions as we trundle along at a princely 10mph, so as to adhere to the speed-limit around the lot. “And that number is going to grow with the productions that are scheduled to shoot here over the coming months.”
With a java in-hand, our first port of call is to the dual warehouses containing the Set Lighting & Rigging department’s main offices, meeting senior rental manager Sandra McGuinness, plus Lexi the adorable office pooch, along the way. There seems to be ample space for a huge number of lamp-heads and the paraphernalia associated with them, but it’s highlylikely this facility will be relocated to an even larger site elsewhere on the lot in advance of the predicted deluge of in-coming productions.
For anyone unfamiliar with WBSL, the place was formerly an aerodrome and aircraft factory during World War II, later used by De Havilland and RollsRoyce for aero-engine manufacturing. In 1994, it was repurposed as a film studio, notably for the 007 James Bond film GoldenEye (dir. Martin Campbell, DP Phil Méheux BSC), before Warner Bros. then leased the site for the Harry Potter film series and eventually purchased it in 2010.
Today, the 200-acre lot, owned and operated by Warner Bros., is now one of the largest studio facilities in the UK – presently with 19 stages offering 350,000ft of studio space, a sizeable backlot, one of
the largest heated underwater filming tanks in Europe, plus extensive workshop, warehouse and office spaces, along with costume and prop stores, and postproduction facilities.
The Set Lighting & Rigging division that Whittaker inherited after joining from Panavision in 2023, was built from scratch by Jackie Rowden, a legendary figure in film lighting, as a dedicated rental business providing an inventory of lights, mobile generation, trucks and scaffold to productions shooting filming at WBSL, plus other studios and locations beyond. There are no other lighting or rigging suppliers on the lot.
investment in lighting and rigging equipment, but says it would not be an understatement to call it “substantialenough to satisfy the vast majority of needs. At one point we had 1,300 LEDs on Barbie.”
We have plenty of LED firepower in-store, although we are still beholden to stock a good range of traditional lighting
Over time, WBSL’s Set Light & Rigging department has grown considerably as the now 35-strong team has serviced an ever-lengthening list of film and streaming productions. Recent titles include: Barbie (2023, dir. Greta Gerwig, DP Rodrigo Prieto AMC ASC, gaffer Lee Walters), Wonka (dir. Paul King, DP Chung-hoon Chung, gaffer Lee Walters), Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024, dir. Tim Burton, DP Haris Zambarloukos BSC GSC, gaffer Dan Lowe), Mickey 17 (2025, dir. Bong Joon Ho, DP Darius Khondji AFC ASC, gaffer John ‘Biggles’ Higgins ICLS), and House Of The Dragon S2, to name just a few. Whittaker is not at liberty to reveal the financial
In terms of the lighting inventory, he says, “Lighting manufacturers visit us almost weekly to show us their latest innovations, and our purchasing is guided by the general requirements of DPs and their gaffers in terms the overall make-up of the stock we supply to them on-set, whilst also being conscious of the need to be environmentally-friendly.
“So we have plenty of LED firepower in-store, although we are still beholden by-demand from DPs to stock a good range of traditional Tungsten, HMI and fluorescent lighting. We’re not in the business of procuring lamps for try-outs, and we are shy of investing in movers, as they can be troublesome to maintain and are not immediately suited to the studio shooting environment anyway.”
The warehouses themselves are a hive of activity, as lamps and accessories are dispatched to, or received back from, the different stages around the bustling studio complex.
On the shelves you can find the very latest LEDs from the likes of Creamsource, ARRI, Kino Flo, LiteGear, Velvet Light, K5600, Dedolight, Prolights, Cineo, Nanlux, ETC and Astera, along with more traditional Tungsten/ Daylight Fresnel and Par lamps, such as Wendy’s and Dinos, Molebeams and Source4 spots.
WARNER BROS. STUDIOS LEAVESDEN – SET LIGHT
There’s also underwater gear, a multitude of lighting desks and dimmers, wireless controllers, stands, spigots, eggcrates, flags, nets, reflectors, filters, diffusion materials and all manner of consumables – all underlining that there’s more than enough here to satisfy most needs.
Cabling is one area that Whittaker believes WBSL’s Set Light & Rigging department has stolen a significant and disruptive march over other firms offering lighting. Concertedly over time, all heavy-duty, highcurrent cable connectors have been upgraded from traditional BAC to IP67-rated Powerlock Vanten. Complying to British Safety Standard BS 7909, the Vanten connectors incorporate features such as locking mechanisms, finger-proof contacts and colourcoded insulators to prevent accidental disconnection or physical contact with live parts.
“Health and safety is a major focus for us, as
production studios involve big lumps of machinery and large voltages,” says Whittaker.
“Having upgraded all of our cabling to Powerlock Vanten will be a great reassurance to producers that we offer a very high level of on-set safety which, we believe, can’t be found anywhere else. It will force similar change elsewhere.”
Then we’re back in the eco-chariot travelling right across the lot to the rigging yard to meet the team there.
Knowing that James Friend BSC ASC is here shooting a major feature, I ping him a quick text message to see if he might be available for a few minutes between takes.
Moving along in the buggy at a leisurely pace, you can’t help but notice there’s a lot of building work going on under the noon-day sun – high-viz jackets, portacabins and diggers galore – with the studio expansion work. Nor can you ignore the many working sets on the backlot. Precise details remain about all of that under strict embargo for the time being, but suffice to say, the size and scale of what’s going-on is really quite breathtaking. We’ll report back on this in a few months.
The rigging team is run by senior manager Lucinda Perkoff, who has been with the company since 2013. From our all-too-brief rendez-vous, it’s clear that she and her team, know a thing or two about the prompt delivery of scaffolding pipes, couplers, planks, trusses, baseplates, ropes, pulleys, cranes and ladders from the 86,000sq/ft rigging yard. Eat your
heart out Travis Perkins.
I get a text reply from James saying he’d love a quick visit, and for us to pop round to G-Stage, which we duly do to find him working hard but in fine fettle. “It’s going well,” he reports.
For those productions that have to leave the studio confines for location shoots, the department offers transport and power generation services via a fleet of trucks. All vehicles are Euro 6 compliant and can run on Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (HVO), the lowcarbon biofuel alternative to diesel.
Mounted on 18-tonne Mercedes Benz chassis, the generators can provide technical power, lighting power and power to batteries with an automatic stop/start functionality.
As we shoot the breeze about sustainability, Whittaker says, “We have a strategy to eliminate or significantly reduce harmful emissions across our operations, and shift towards cleaner, quieter and more sustainable power solutions using low or no-carbon alternatives to things like diesel.
“We currently offer mobile battery power in the form of Instagrid units, and are are keeping a close eye on the development of larger, emissions-free power banks. The new studios that are under-construction will be plastered with solar panels, representing quiet some acreage of solar collection.”
And with that, I sorry to say, my tour has come to an end. There’s clearly a lot going-on here, with much more to come, and it’s been an eye-opening, jaw-dropping and awe-inducing experience by turns.
As I bid farewell to mein host, there’s no need for him to utter a further word. I’ll say it for him. “It’s a wonderful place to make films.”
www.wbsl.com
THOMAS NEIVELT By David Wood
SHINING A LIGHT ON...
Age//
Born//
Lives//
Education// Hobbies & Interests// 64
1960, Stockholm, Sweden, moved to Denmark aged 9
Hundested (small coastal town), Denmark
A-levels in 1980
Surfing – kite surfing, wave surfing and stand-up paddleboard. I’m not very good at any of them, but enjoy them a lot!
Grandchildren and family
My house and garden
Selected Filmography:
(as gaffer unless otherwise stated)
Loving Adults (2022)
Radioactive (2019)
First They Killed My Father (2017)
T2: Trainspotting (2017)
In The Heart Of The Sea (2015) Trance (2013)
Dredd (2012)
127 Hours (2010)
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
The Last King Of Scotland (2006) Manderlay (2005)
Brothers Of The Head (2005)
It’s All About Love (2003) 28 Days Later (2002)
How did you get started?
I simply worked my way up in the business. Starting-out as a spark in 1982 I just kept going. It all started as a coincidence. I was a conscientious objector in Denmark where, instead of doing military service, you could either go to a camp in the forest and work there, or do some kind of civilian service at either social or cultural institutions.
I looked in the book with suggestions of places you could go and my eye caught The Danish Film Institute workshop, a place where people can come in from the street and get some help to make little films.
In the workshop my work was all kinds of work – cleaning, repairing equipment, running the projections of dailies, and a lot of other things. It was there that I started to learn about film equipment.
After leaving the workshop I worked on some low-budget, non-paid projects. Some weeks later I got a job as a spark on a feature – Beauty And The Beast (1983), directed by Nils Malmros, with DP
Jan Weincke. This was my first fully paid work in film. These days in Denmark, the lighting crew comprises two people; the gaffer and a spark. This way you learned a lot. I was lucky people were really nice and it was a joy, and I never got to university.
Films followed on after another. DP Jan Weincke took me on the next couple of features and a couple of films later I met gaffer Søren Sørensen. We worked together almost constantly for the next ten years. How did you learn the trade?
By working and listening. I have always been curious and have also been good at hearing what is going on. In that way I was always a bit ahead. Obviously Søren Sørensen was a big source of knowledge to me.
DPs you have worked with?
Anthony Dod Mantle DFF BSC ASC: first of them all. We have had a long-term working relationship. (I hope it’s not over!). I have known Anthony since we went to the same filmschool in Denmark. It was a while after filmschool that we got in-sync, but since then we worked together a lot, on 28 Days Later, Last King Of Scotland, Slumdog Millionaire, Antichrist, Rush and many more. We got out-of-sync during the Covid pandemic, but I hope we will get back together at some point.
Jan Weincke was the first DP I worked with and taught me a lot about lighting and set awareness. I have also worked with Mikael Salomon on features and TV series, before he went to US and had a big career, and Jörgen Persson, a Swedish DP, who I worked with on House Of The Spirits (1993) and Smilla’s Feeling For Snow (1997) How do you prefer to work with DPs?
That’s a hard one. In prep, we obviously do all
the tech-recces like all other crews and talk about specific solutions for specific scenes. But not for all scenes, lots of the more normal scenes we just light on the go. Not such a big deal.
I like to get to know the DP’s thoughts for special scenes, things we would like to try and what style we want it to be. I like a two-way communication, so we both chip-in with thoughts. But I’m from a time when the DP was the boss, so in the end it is up to me to go with their ideas.
I also find it helpful to chat about anything that we find interesting. Could be anything: sport, politics, news, home and life whatever. Just to get to know each other. On-set I like to be close to the DP so we can do the changes we need as quick as possible.
Normal crew/best-boy?
It’s very dependent on where I am working and the project. Right now, I’m working a lot in Denmark, often you end-up with a crew of three, including yourself. So, it’s one best boy and one spark, sometimes two best boys. I like the best boy to do a lot of the communication with rental houses and to sort out the equipment. Also to pre-rig for the next scene if possible. I run the set. Then on bigger days you bring in extra crew as needed.
In Denmark I normally bring on my best boy Jesper With if he is available. But I have worked a lot in countries where I have not been able to bring my own crew. Crews have been of all kind of sizes from four up to 17. Of course, there have been ups and downs. But just as well as I might not feel happy with a crew, maybe I am not good enough at explaining my ways or good enough to adapt to their way of working. I think that when I go to another country and get a crew there, I have to adapt to get the best out of it, whilst still thinking of the end result and the look of the film.
THOMAS NEIVELT•GAFFERS CAFÉ
I don’t have a favourite piece of kit… I believe in the right light
Biggest challenge?
I think In The Heart Of The Sea (2015, dir. Ron Howard, DP Anthony Dod Mantle DFF BSC ASC) has been the biggest challenge so far. It was just so much bigger than other things I had tried. Big budget, big sets. I had to workout some difficult technical solutions. So there were some sleepless nights there. But it was also a good ride. Very much so because I had a very good and experienced crew. David Sinfield was my co-gaffer, with Tom O’Sullivan as pre-rigging gaffer. They really made it easy for me to focus on my part. David brought on lot of his guys so everything worked like a machine.
Most difficult set?
On In The Heart Of The Sea we shot one scene in the exterior tank at Leavesden as night-for-day. This was to have control. We wanted daylight to disappear as the storm gets closer. It was a pretty big rig all connected to the dimmers. I worked out a system to dim the lights without having huge changes in colour temperature. All the lights were Tungsten. It was in the early days of LED so we went for traditional technology that we knew. But just as it can be a challenge to go big, I find that it can be just as hard to work-out good solutions on small sets with much lower budgets. Favourite movies?
There have been many over the years, but my favourites are probably…
The Flying Devils (1985, dir. Anders Refn, DP Mikael Salomon, gaffer Søren Sørensen) – we had a two-man lighting crew – the gaffer and me. I was young, we travelled around Europe and had a blast.
It’s All About Love (2003, dir. Thomas Vinterberg, DP Anthony Dod Mantle) –was simply a good job, and looked good.
28 Days Later (2002, dir. Danny Boyle, DP Anthony Dod Mantle) – my first feature in UK, just an experience.
The Last King Of Scotland (2006, dir. Kevin McDonald, DP Anthony Dod
Image: Thomas pictured on-set of an upcoming Danish TV series
Be nice, be honest and treat all crew respectfully
Mantle) – we shot in Uganda, and the result looked good.
Slumdog Millionaire (2008, dir. Danny Boyle, DP Anthony Dod Mantle) – it was really hard work, but the result speaks for itself.
Copenhagen Cowboy (2022, dir. Nicholas Winding Refn, DP Magnus Jønck) – a Danish Netflix TV series I did recently. It was just a joy to work on and was very inspiring.
Istanbul Crossing (2024, dir. Levan Akin, DP Lisabi Fridell) – I lit this Swedish film last year and it was a really good job.
Favourite kit?
I don’t have a favourite piece of kit. I believe in the right light to do the job in a way I like it to. But there are lights you end-up using all the time such as Asteras.
In general, I like many of the new LED lights, because they are bi-colour or RGB. They just make it easy to tune and adjust. In Denmark we run it all to Blackout Lighting Console and can do it all from an iPad. Blackout Lighting Console has been a big thing now for some years. It’s such a big help in running the set efficiently, with all the new DMXcontrolled lights.
I’m not very good at using it, but have a good idea of what you can use it for. So I always bring on someone who knows it, to compensate for the fact that programming has never been my strong side.
Virtual Production
I have done some virtual production, which has been both fun and challenging. You can get a lot of help lighting-wise from the screens. But also the fact that you can see the result compared to working on greenscreen.
Importance of desk ops
When I have been on productions with the need for a desk op, I have always seen them as a key member of the lighting crew. Such a big help on a big set, they allow you to bring everything back to the desk so that many complicated adjustments are just a slider away.
Advice for anybody wanting to get into lighting?
Learn the basics. Be nice, be honest and treat all crew respectfully.
Images: Keeping an eye on the sun, plus BTS shots from In The Heart Of The Sea at WB Leavesden Studios; and a night out with the lighting crew in Japan on The outsider (2015)
