THE CROWN PRODUCTION
Centred around Queen Elizabeth II’s 70-year reign, The Crown recently wrapped its six-series run. We speak to DOP Adriano Goldman on both establishing and evolving the look of this hugely successful historical drama
A fictionalised retelling of the DOP across all six seasons – including the first and final episodes – Adriano Goldman continuously developed the show’s visual language to mirror the evolution of the British royal family. The Crown kicks off with Wolferton Splash and the Queen’s wedding to Philip, Duke of Edinburgh – yet Goldman’s work late Queen Elizabeth II’s life, The Crown spans over half a century. didn’t strictly begin there. After former collaborator and series co-director Stephen Daldry offered him the job, Goldman began shooting episodes 3 and 5 with Philip Martin. “Although I was going to do the first two episodes with Daldry, he was too involved in a play he was finishing,” explains Goldman. “I had Philip [Martin] marching with me, so we started with episodes 3 and 5 – which included the coronation – and they were huge episodes.” As The Crown ’s original DOP, Goldman faced the daunting task of defining
the show’s cinematographic look. “We were concerned about establishing a style without Daldry,” he recounts. “It’s quite static, solid and filmic.” Wanting to leave ample room for the actors’ performances, Goldman decided ‘it should be a slow-paced show’. When reporting back to Daldry, he replied: “I’m watching all the dailies, and I love what you guys are doing. I’m happy to accommodate,” relays Goldman. Like many long-running series, The Crown sees multiple directors each season. “After shooting four episodes for Season 1, we established a few subtle rules,” describes Goldman, such as generally even pacing and level framing for UK-based scenes. “Every new director that would come aboard would have to follow these basic rules, but there is also some freedom involved. There’s enough room for each director to find their own style and add their own flavour. They experience a lot of consistency, but also plenty of variety.”
HUMANISING ROYALTY The Crown’s narrative blends historical events with intimate family drama, offering a glimpse into royal life
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