ADOLESCENCE PRODUCTION
THE CAMERA THAT SAVED THE DAY Finding a kit set-up that was compact, versatile and completely reliable was another challenge. After a lot of testing, Lewis chose DJI’s Ronin 4D system, paired with Cooke’s 32mm SP3 lens. Sitting at the prosumer end of the market, the Ronin might seem a surprising choice for such a high-profile project, but he’s full of praise for how it performed. “I didn’t want it to be handheld; four nauseating episodes of me bumbling around!” he laughs. “It needed to have a gimbal, and this had everything; it’s a tiny camera we could easily pass between people or move through a window. We ran with it at full sprint and it stayed perfectly steady. We mounted it onto a steady arm, put it on a drone. With everything it had to be able to do, there’s no other system we could have used. “A traditional gimbal of any sort would have had to be strapped to one operator the whole time – then you’re limited by physically carrying something for that long,” he continues. “There were limitations – like retaining information in the shadows – that we had to be aware of, but once we knew what they were and came up with strategies to counter them, the pros strongly outweighed the cons.” The camera also allowed the use of variable ND filter, which made exposure control more manageable during the continuous takes, as they didn’t have to pull iris all the way through. The camera loader essentially became the exposure controller, following the operators around.
THOUGH HE HAD backup plans in his head, HE NEVER VOICED THEM”
“The focus puller and loader moved around together – each with a monitor. One was controlling focus, while the other was riding the variable ND, correcting for exposure differences as we moved in and out of spaces.” This real-time exposure management was especially vital in episode 4, when the crew had to navigate shifting lighting conditions. Thanks to the variable ND and close monitoring, they could retain shadow detail and smooth out the transitions in post. “It was quite a long grade because it needed it,” Lewis says, “but it meant all the information was there, so we could make adjustments if necessary.” ONER TO REMEMBER Despite all the challenges faced, Lewis is open to another oner-based show or film. “I’d never say never,” he laughs. “My brain works well with this format; it just clicks for some reason, so I think I’ll keep doing them as long as I keep enjoying it and they’re being made for the right reason, with the right script. “I don’t want to do one that’s just using it for the sake of it,” he continues. “You
never want it to be about the showiness of the one-shot; it’s a mechanism for creating a feeling. I do think there’s all sorts of stories that could be told with a one-shot though; anything real time, anything with that tension, anything with that underlying nervousness.” His biggest takeaway among ‘tons of micro lessons’, he shares, was how little you actually need to make something look good from a lighting perspective. “We didn’t have many options, but we could still shape it and be clever about blocking. So much of what you can do just comes from the world around you, practical and natural light – even just closing the curtains! “It also reminded me how insanely important it is to have a good team around you. If we weren’t such a tight- knit group, when we’d had all these curveballs thrown at us we would have wondered why we were doing it. But everyone was so in love with the idea and so excited and invested – it was because everyone was so valued. If you show people how valued they are, you’ll get the best out of them.”
DREAM TEAM Stephen Graham and Christine Tremarco (left) as Jamie’s parents; Barantini with Cooper, Walters and Graham (above)
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DEFINITIONMAGS
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