PRODUCTION LUPIN
FRENCH CONNECTION The Cooke Optics team converse with cinematographer Maxime Cointe , revealing the behind-the-scenes magic that elevates Lupin’s visual storytelling I n early 2021, a French mystery thriller series took the world by storm. Watched by 76 million households
Black Pearl and his attempts to rebuild relationships with his family. Cinematographer Cointe shot the first and second episodes of Series 3 with director Ludovic Bernard, as well as both episodes 3 and 4 with Canadian director Daniel Grou (Podz). Lupin was an anamorphic show from its origin, with cinematographer Christophe Nuyens opting for a 1.5x-squeeze lens set. Bernard previously directed a couple of episodes in the latter half of Series 2 and, on pairing up with Cointe, asked the cinematographer to find him a ’more organic, more sensitive’ set of glass. This, combined with Netflix’s requirements for 4K and Cointe’s familiarity with the ARRI ALEXA camera family, led him towards large format anamorphic options. “I recalled that Bruno Delbonnel mentioned he worked with the Cooke S4s for a long time, and remembered the softness of the optics on the skin tone. I said ‘okay, let’s go with Cooke!’” Prior to Lupin , Cointe had worked mainly with 2x anamorphics on Super
35 4-perf and digital 4:3. Utilising a 1.8x squeeze on full-frame, he was impressed by the scale of his new canvas. All the while, Cooke’s offering of wide-angle full- frame coverage lent a unique energy to certain sequences. “It’s massive, shooting in anamorphic and full-frame. It’s completely different and incredibly immersive, which is why I use it. I worked with another director called Julien Lacombe on a series called Missions and we spoke a lot about anamorphic. He’d mention, ‘I prefer shooting in full-frame, but finding a genuine anamorphic lens is always a challenge’. We’d collaborate, and he excitedly showed me a series, saying ’Max, check this out, a true anamorphic lens’. I tested it, and it made a significant impact. When we faced the bustling Place La Donna for a robbery scene, I suggested using a wide angle and it turned out to be a perfect fit.” The production carried two sets of special flare Cooke anamorphics along with the 85mm Macro, which offered a
during its first month on Netflix, Lupin became the highest-streamed non- English series on the platform at the time. Fast-forward to today and the third season has been unveiled, with Maxime Cointe taking over the duties of cinematographer and utilising Cooke Anamorphic/i FF special flare lenses to dazzling effect. Set against iconic Parisian backdrops, Lupin stars Omar Sy in the role of Assane Diop; a character taking inspiration from Arsène Lupin, a famed (fictional) gentleman thief created in the 1900s by Maurice Leblanc. When his immigrant Senegalese father is framed for the theft of a diamond necklace and dies in prison, 14-year-old Diop is forced to fend for himself. Later in life – inspired by stories of Lupin – Diop sets out for revenge armed with his undeniable charisma and criminal skillset. Series 3 follows Diop’s theft of the priceless
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