RED ROSE PRODUCTION.
AMIGOS Director and cinematographer Ramón Salazar and Ricardo de Gracia previously collaborated on Spanish teen drama Élite
appear ‘old school’ so as not to create a techno series, but a human-hearted one.” For that reason, Smithills Hall, a Grade I listed manor house on the slopes of the West Pennine Moors, was chosen for its eerie and ‘very real’ charm. However, despite having the luxury of two VFX houses, de Gracia explains that there were a number of technological challenges that had to be overcome. The biggest one, he says, was creating backdrops for the houses on stage. “Something like that requires a lot of deep thinking when it comes to the design process – for every show you work on,” he says. “You have in mind the budget, measurements of the stage, special shots imagined by directors, lighting rig, etc. Sometimes it’s better to use a green screen, on other occasions LED screens. When you don’t have a big budget, you really have to nail it.” While both options pose difficulties with regards to lighting, authenticity and size on stage, de Gracia claims the latter
solution worked best for the backgrounds and windows as it was easier to change picture and brightness. He adds that if he was hired to work on a second series of Red Rose , he would like to keep the human, organic touch that makes the show stand out. “I would also try to avoid super techy solutions that, in my opinion, distract audiences from empathy with the characters,” he says. “I would love to film with just one camera in order to have even more solid and clear writing with cinema language.” It’s yet to be confirmed if Red Rose is set for a Series 2. But one thing that’s for certain is that Bolton has been thoroughly put on the map. Red Rose is available on BBC iPlayer and will be coming to Netflix
“I try to avoid super techy solutions that, in my opinion, can distract audiences”
IN TOO DEEP The series was filmed on a Sony Venice cine camera with Angénieux zoom lenses, adding richness to shots
29. JANUARY 2023
Powered by FlippingBook