PRODUCTION. HARRY WILD
be a challenge as you want to make sure you maintain the continuity of shooting style from scene to scene within any specific episode. For example, if you shoot scene 35 from episode 5 on week one, when you come to shoot scene 36 five weeks later, you need to remind yourself how you ended the previous scene. Was I handheld? Were the actors in scene 35 looking left to right? Does that need to cut with a character in scene 36 who should look the opposite way? Was I using a specific colour on the light? And so on and so forth. Our continuity person, Sinéad Lillis, was a fantastic support helping to keep me on track.” ADDING COLOUR Kavanagh’s brief for Series 2 was to choose two LUTs – one for day and one for night. Otherwise it would have been too complicated to track multiple LUTs, with potential for confusion and errors from both the camera perspective and also in post-production. He explains how, working with experienced DIT Aislinn McDonald ( Vikings: Valhalla ), the team shot tests and decided on a slightly desaturated look – about -15% saturation.
“The shallow depth-of-field we work with is tough. Modern focus pullers work harder than some of us did pulling focus on film”
“On-set and through the shooting day, Aislinn would WhatsApp me images as she did a first pass for colour and quality control,” Kavanagh clarifies. “If I was happy, then that’s what was sent to post. If not, then some minor tweak in contrast might be added the off the material was sent to post at Screen Scene in Dublin. Having worked a lot in North America over the last few years, I consider this stage of colour grade very basic and a starting point.” Once the episodes were cut, Kavanagh made specific notes that he sent to the colourist before they started. “Often, I’ll remind myself of the early visual references that I researched and share those, then allow them to bring their experience to the table,” he says. “What’s important to me is that there is a continuity of look from episode to episode – and the audience are aided by composition, light and colour.” NOT-SO-LIGHT WORK For lighting, Kavanagh used LED lights mixed with HMI through windows, as well as LiteMats with 4x4 diffusion and an eggcrate grid during his block on Series 2. “We had a custom-built Obie light bicolour LED that can be mounted on-camera at any angle,” he continues. “In addition, we used Astera Titan Tubes
and Arri S60 Skypanels – plus the new Lightstar Airlite at night for ambient. It’s a very good tool, and less expensive than heliums.” In terms of camera, an Arri Alexa Mini LF was combined with Signature Primes for Series 1. Though Kavanagh wasn’t on that shoot, he continued with the same package because he says it gives the show a more filmic feel with greater definition – yet a shallower depth-of-field. “Our excellent focus puller David Boyle really helped tell the story with great focus choices,” he points out. “The shallow depth-of-field we work with in large format is a challenge, but also part of its beauty. Modern focus pullers are working harder than some of us did when pulling focus on film. Arri Signature Primes are beautiful and fantastically engineered. My only gripe is that there needs to be a larger choice of lenses, though I imagine they’ll come in time.” Kavanagh also implemented Tiffen Glimmerglass diffusion filters. “It’s a very interesting glass,” he continues. “There’s a slight dreaminess; it seems to help separate the character from the environment, but not enough to distract from the image. Also, unlike some diffusions, none of the artefacts in the glass show in flares or firelight. So, the Glimmerglass stayed on the camera throughout the shoot.” GOING DIGITAL Having been in the industry for so long, Seymour has seen technologies come and go. However, there are some advancements that have taken the pain out of shooting. “We no longer have to wait for rushes to find out whether they got it or not – so we don’t have to re-shoot,” she says. “Also, the fact we’re doing it digitally, we’re not worried about the cost of film. On Dr Quinn we used 16mm, but the DOP could make it look like 35mm.
EMERALD ISLE The mystery series is shot on location in the south-east of the Republic of Ireland, specifically in and around Wicklow, Bray and Dublin.
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