PRODUCTION. RUSSIAN DOLL
Did you know? Among masses of inspiration for the series, Lyonne’s reading list included the philosophical physics of Carlo Rovelli
beautiful. I found those through strange serendipity. Arri Rental, who did an incredible job on the production, were going to ship some all the way from the UK. The night before, I was speaking with [cinematographer] Ed Lachman, and he told me he owns a set. I tested them and just fell in love. “We also used Cooke Varotal zooms through the different timelines. They hadn’t been rehoused, so my focus puller hated them,” she laughs, “but the crew were so professional and skilful.” Never one to carry personal preference into a shoot, the Sony Venice was chosen with the unique requirements of Russian Doll in mind, as the DOP explains. “We needed a camera equipped to maintain the saturated look of the first season. I also wanted something that could shoot well in low light. We were often working quickly and much of the lighting package was selected to create high contrast – the Venice was the best fit for the project. I like to deconstruct my choices and start fresh every time.”
TUNNEL VISION Shooting the iconic scenery of the New York subway required interesting sets and shooting techniques
LOOKING GLASS As ever, Pontikos’ choice of kit shaped the cinematography. Leitz Summilux-C lenses used by Teague were revisited, and sharpened by the impressive Sony Venice’s 6K capabilities. “There were limitations on how low we could take the resolution elsewhere,”
Pontikos states. “But we did drop it down to 4K for everything historical. The lenses we chose for those eras also took a little more crispness out of the image. “For New York, we shot on Bausch and Lomb Super Baltars, from the sixties. The Budapest section required an even older set from the thirties, which were
“We also used Cooke Varotal zooms through the different timelines. They hadn’t been rehoused, so my focus puller hated them”
Production Fact File
FILMING Principal photography for Season 2 was completed in just eight weeks
FAMILY HISTORY True to her character,
Lyonne’s own grandparents were Holocaust survivors
RESOLUTION Modern scenes were shot at 6K, but historic sequences were dropped to 4K
ACCEPTABLE IN THE EIGHTIES Sharlto Copley (above left) plays Chez – one of the many time-hopping challenges Nadia must deal with
10. DEFINITIONMAGAZINE.COM
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