DREAM GLASS GEAR
STEVEN HOLLERAN, VINCENT DE PAULA, QUYEN TRAN, MARSHALL ADAMS AND MAURO FIORE Cinematographer Steven Holleran, known for films including Creed II , Missing and Sympathy for the Devil , comments that when choosing a lens, he often begins with two sets of parameters which don’t overly align. “On Sympathy for the Devil , my first set of needs were lenses that were fast, lightweight and had a range that leaned towards the wide side. This instantly cut out a large chunk of glass – much of it vintage, some modern. “Then, I wanted a specific creative look, for example a set of glass that bloomed the highlights, had heavy halation, lifted blacks, and provided a cat-eye effect,” he continues. “Those prerequisites didn’t already exist together – or rather were not readily available – so we turned to the Panavision Panaspeed primes for their customisability, allowing us to tune a look into a set of lenses that matched my technical specs.” Offering full-frame coverage for large format capture with equally quality performance on Super 35 sensors, Panaspeed spherical primes feature a superfast T1.4 aperture and deliver a blend of aberration correction and artistic nuance. These characteristics also appealed to Vincent De Paula, CSC, who deployed the lenses during his work on recent Netflix shows Maid and Firefly Lane . “Panaspeeds are a high-speed, large format companion to the 35mm format spherical Primo optics,” De Paula further elaborates. THESE LENSES OFFER SUCH great contrast AND sharpness. THE FALL-OFF IS SO beautiful ”
THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS (From top to bottom) Holleran operates the camera on the set of Sympathy for the Devil, De Paula checks the frame during production of Firefly Lane, Tran keeps a handheld camera trained on Margaret Qualley for Maid, and Fiore and Braff frame up on the set of A Good Person Spider-Man: No Way Home , and I had shot with the ALEXA LF and Panaspeed lenses,” he recalls. “I really loved the combination and wanted to bring that same sort of feel to this film. Those lenses offer such great contrast and sharpness to work with on a digital format. Also, the fall-off is so beautiful and was right for the project.” “When we had Panaspeeds on Maid , I fell in love with their resolution and contrast. This made me go with them for Firefly Lane Season 2, as they gave me more resolution and assist with the softer look of the eighties and de-aging of actors we had to do. I didn’t even test – I just called Panavision and said: ‘I want the Panaspeeds’. They have become one of my favourite lenses now.” The Panaspeeds were also a big hit with Quyen Tran, ASC, who served as the lead cinematographer on Maid . “I knew we’d be shooting large format; the Panaspeeds’ close focus and 24mm and 29mm focal lengths were essential in designing the show’s subjective camerawork,” she reveals. “I wanted to be up close and personal with Alex [Margaret Qualley], operating handheld, so prime lenses that also delivered natural tones without filtration were key. Knowing I’d be shooting a lot of night exteriors as well, fast apertures were also a requirement.” The Panaspeeds’ ability to open to T1.4 also proved a deciding factor for Marshall Adams, ASC, when series Better Call Saul switched to large format for Season 5. “The Panaspeeds were a perfect match because their speed allowed me a lot of control over depth-of-field,” he shares. “We used depth-of-field as a storytelling device more than I ever had in my career before, even during day exteriors.” Yet another cinematographer keen to sing the Panaspeeds’ praises is Mauro Fiore, ASC, who selected them for 2023’s A Good Person , directed by Zach Braff. “I specifically wanted to shoot large format. I had recently worked with Panavision on
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