PRODUCTION. THE DROPOUT
T he Dropout is a compelling Holmes and her start-up, Theranos. In a parallel universe, she might have been revered as a Gates, Jobs or Musk-type figure. However, as this Hulu production reveals, her good idea and ambition quickly got away from her – as the company became embroiled in a complex mass of deception and illegal activity. Narratives of large-scale fraud have adaptation of an ABC podcast of the same name, investigating the true story of Elizabeth been capturing the attention of audiences for some time. From the Academy award- nominated Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005) to Netflix’s wildly popular Inventing Anna (2022), it seems we’re all suckers for a real-life scam-dal. Michelle Lawler explains how it felt working on such a high-profile story – one that’s still to reach a conclusion – and the decisions she made as a DOP. “What makes The Dropout different from other shows I’ve done is the wealth of content I could watch in preparation,” she explains. “I would see Elizabeth’s interviews and various TV documentaries. All that archival stuff really influenced the way this show looks.” BETWEEN THE LINES Although this may seem limiting to some, Lawler believes working with a predefined aesthetic liberated her creative process. This structure shaped decisions throughout the production, and even influenced equipment used for the series. It was shot on the Arri Alexa Mini LF with Leitz Summilux-C lenses,
and these optics were a purposeful departure from convention: “I prefer Cooke, but liked the idea of shooting with a set of lenses that were newer, more technologically advanced and sharper, especially as the plot is about technological advancement,” Lawler explains. “My hope is always that my work is invisible, but supports the story.” The series covers immense ground – even in its first four episodes – so the narrative is concise, moving swiftly. But this gives the audience less time to process complex relationships, meaning cinematography is integral to managing the gap. Unlike journalistic endeavours to tell the story, The Dropout benefits from a unique ability to explore the hows and whys of the fraud. From an entirely intellectual standpoint, it’s easy to fall into the trap of simply believing everyone involved was nefarious, foolish or mad. Here, though, relationships and character motivations are explored with nuance. We meet Ian Gibbons (Stephen Fry) in a doctor’s office, for example, and learn of his battle with cancer. Is it not so incredulous, in such a case, that he might have a vested interest in believing Holmes’ vision? Their relationship is best displayed by comparing two scenes between the characters. In episode 2, where he is tutoring her about chemiluminescence in their lab, and in episode 4, where she fires him from the now-expanded Theranos. They take place in familiar laboratory settings, with similar lighting, but have very different outcomes and emotional landscapes. For the first scene, Lawler describes: “They’re side by side – there’s a lot of close shots and French overs, and they’re tied together. It turns a cold, clinical setting into a warm, inviting space that allows Holmes to be vulnerable and experience a true connection with Gibbons.” By episode 4, however: “It’s the same low bounce lighting, but they’re shot completely separately. They’re in their own frames and it’s very intense,” she explains. There are a multitude of framing choices like this throughout the series – subtle, yet meaningful signifiers that aid the audience in navigating the tangled web that our characters find themselves trapped in. To represent a disconnect between Gibbons and Channing Robertson (Bill
Irwin) – another of Holmes’ early apostles and hands-off member of the Theranos board – Lawler chose to subvert some dialogue-shooting conventions. She forgoes two shots, instead positioning the actors in such a way that leaves a lot of blank space. “I thought framing them on the short side – with Gibbons on the bottom-right of the frame looking right, and vice versa – was a way to show that they’re trying to connect, but there are so many secrets behind them,” she
“Unlike journalistic endeavours to tell the story, The Dropout benefits from a unique ability to explore the hows and whys of the fraud”
LIGHTING THE WAY Executive producer and showrunner, Elizabeth Meriwether, works on episode 2 of The Dropout. This instalment sees Holmes bring her big ideas to the venture capitalists of Silicon Valley
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