PRODUCTION THE CROWN
Goldman stresses that while maintaining a degree of accuracy enhances The Crown ’s production design, too much can run the risk of it feeling like non-fiction – confusing audiences on what’s true and what’s false. “It’s not a documentary,” he states. Additionally, while he used vintage lenses, Goldman’s technology wasn’t historically accurate either. “I never try to use period sources,” he shares. “It’s supposed to be filmic, elegant and sophisticated, but it’s still a massive series; you have to shoot quickly and have multiple cameras. We embraced new technology and made use of it in the best way possible.” combining history with familial drama, pitting duty against desire, balancing intimate affairs with international ones. Goldman recalls the challenges he faced while shooting – namely, managing order on large-scale sets and finding visual solutions to the show’s more existential ideas. A story of global scale, Goldman recalls filming The Crown in England, South Africa, Spain and Hungary, to UP TO THE TASK The Crown is narratively complex,
name a few. In the latter, the crew managed 1000 extras with only one day to shoot. “There’s no dialogue, so that always makes our lives a little bit easier,” he concedes. Similarly, he was pressed for time while working in York Minster. “Shooting in big spaces is always challenging because you have to be fast,” he reports. Coming from South America, Goldman also found the subject matter at times foreign, though he brought a unique spin to the series, incorporating elements of magical realism – associated with Latin American art and culture – into an otherwise ‘anti- Cinderella ’ story. This style lent itself to various sequences, from Philip’s flashback in Paterfamilias to Diana’s ghost in Aftermath, and the Queen’s conscience in the series finale Sleep, Dearie Sleep . “There was this idea of getting the Queens back together somehow,” says Goldman. “I think we found a beautiful solution.” END OF THE LINE Now that The Crown is complete, Goldman reflects on the series with rosy retrospection. “It was the most special project so far in my life – no doubt about it,” he gushes. “I started in May 2015, and finished in May 2023. I am the only DOP who was present for all six seasons,” Goldman continues. “I had this lead role; as Peter
Morgan used to say, I was the ‘keeper of the flame’. I’m proud to say I was there from the very beginning to the very end.” Goldman and co wrapped The Crown by saving the finale for last. “There was that element of ‘this is goodbye, so we need to make it big and beautiful’,” he recounts, with the episode coming in at a record runtime of 72 minutes. “We finished with 80% of the same crew that we had on Season 1. It was emotional for all of us.” The Crown fits into a well-established genre – the historical drama, the period piece – though it manages to surmount the stereotypes of being over-reliant on nostalgia or unrealistically positive. “When you start a show like this, you think, ‘Oh, another royal drama’. We strived to humanise them,” says Goldman. “I give Claire (Foy) most of that credit, because her performance is extremely believable and grounded. It’s not meant to be glossy; it’s supposed to be touchable.” He concludes: “I think we achieved that.”
REGAL SHOTS The cinematography evolved with its characters, capturing the shifting eras and moods of the royal family’s saga
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