SHOOT STORY | DEATH AND N IGHT I NGALES
In keeping with our simplicity of style, we shot most of the show on just two lenses, the 35mm and 50mm
In 2018, the things that stayed with me, photographically speaking, were the second series of Ozark , photographed by Ben Kutchins and Armando Salas, and Solo: A Star Wars Story , photographed by Bradford Young. I loved how still and dark the images in Ozark are – very brave exposures for a TV series. And I loved the visual darkness and texture of Solo . Quite difficult to get such a strong look through the studio system, especially in this era of risk-averse studios and superhero movies. WHAT I’VE BEEN WATCHING – STEPHEN MURPHY
wholeheartedly. We composed for the 2:1 aspect ratio, rather than the full 2.40:1. I carried a range of prime lenses with me, but we really only used two or three with any frequency. In keeping with our simplicity of style, we shot most of the show on just two lenses, the 35mm and 50mm. Master shots would start with the 35mm and for close-ups, I’d use the 50mm and push in a little tighter. One of the beautiful things about the anamorphic format is how the background can literally open up behind an actor as you push in on a medium-length lens. I like seeing the set or the location behind an actor – not just a massive blur of out of focus shape and colour. I like depth and, despite the fact it has a shallower depth of field, an anamorphic lens at a stop of T4 still gives you a fantastic sense of depth and scale.
and Smoque filter to alter the contrast curve of the sensor. I work a lot with Panavision’s anamorphic lenses. When this was in prep, I went to Greenford to test some of Panavision’s newer series of lenses. I knew I’d be shooting in confined spaces and small locations, so I wanted to use a set of lenses with modern mechanics and features, ie. good close focus and a physically small size. I tested the G Series and the T Series and fell in love with the latter. They have a beautifully creamy quality to them, have the anamorphic aberrations I like and still feel handmade. However, they have all the benefits of a modern spherical prime. ANAMORPHIC FORMAT We wanted a classical-looking film, something cinematic and painterly. During prep we had talked about a few recent dramas that had been shot in similar locations and time periods that used a very modern visual style and Allan and me agreed we didn’t feel that was appropriate for this. For me, so much of the appeal of the script was about the poetry of the language being used, so I didn’t want to do anything with the camera that might detract from listening to that language, that stillness. Simplicity became a word I kept in mind throughout the shoot, both in the lighting design and the design of the coverage and camera movement. I’m quite fond of proscenium framing so I tried to design master shots that covered the scene in as simple a way as possible. If the camera needed to move to accommodate the blocking, then it moved. If it didn’t need to move, it didn’t. I’m a big fan of the anamorphic format, and when I suggested it to Allan, he agreed
BELOW Anamorphic format can open up the background behind an actor, rather than a blur.
28 DEF I N I T ION | JANUARY 20 1 9
Powered by FlippingBook