The Cinematography Podcast

The Cinematography Podcast
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The Cinematography Podcast

The Cinematography Podcast is the program about the art, craft and philosophy of the moving image and the people who make it happen. Your job title doesn't have to be cinematographer to be featured on the show. We interview a wide variety of filmmakers including, actors, directors, producers, production designers, editors, storyboard artists and those in related filmmaking careers. This is not a film school, more like a professionally produced radio program found on NPR, each episode brings an interesting perspective to an often overlooked and widely misunderstood craft. Recorded in Hollywood, California at the world headquarters of Hot Rod Cameras. Hosted by Ben Rock and Illya Friedman.

  1. 18. DEZ.

    Lawrence Sher, ASC on ShotDeck, Joker: Folie à Deux

    The Cinematography Podcast Episode 293: Lawrence Sher Cinematographer Lawrence Sher, ASC has a career that spans indie favorites like Garden State to blockbuster hits like the Hangover movies and Joker. But it was the arduous process of creating lookbooks for Garden State that sparked an idea: a comprehensive, searchable database of cinematic images. This idea evolved into ShotDeck, a powerful tool for filmmakers and creatives alike. Larry's initial struggle involved manually grabbing screenshots from DVDs and tapes. Google Images offered some help, but the images lacked the cinematic quality he sought. By 2015, he began working with a computer engineer to build a solution, realizing that if he found such a library valuable, his colleagues would too. After years of beta testing, ShotDeck officially launched as a company in 2020. ShotDeck can also be used beyond pre-production pitch decks. “In my day to day, what I realized was every director I communicated with, across all the other departments, we were constantly in need of communicating creative ideas,” Larry says. “It's difficult to communicate creative ideas with words. Having images that you can point to with a director is the easiest way.” Larry would like ShotDeck to become the "visual IMDb," housing an exhaustive collection of cinematic imagery. Recently, ShotDeck partnered with Canva, integrating its library directly into the design platform. This allows Canva users to seamlessly access and incorporate over 1.5 million high-definition film stills into their projects, streamlining workflows for filmmakers, designers, and content creators. For Joker: Folie à Deux, Larry and director Todd Phillips continued their 15 year collaboration. Certain scenes of the movie were partly influenced by The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour. Larry had to rely on using screen grabs from the show's DVDs as visual references, since they weren't inputted into ShotDeck yet. Joker: Folie à Deux maintains a visual connection to the first Joker, but expands on the original by embracing more fantastical elements. They scaled up the stages and sets, which provided greater flexibility in lighting and camera movement. Larry was able to use more color and a wider range of lighting techniques during the musical sequences, as Arthur Fleck becomes more and more detached from reality. He sees Joker: Folie à Deux as an operatic tragedy, exploring the internal conflict of a person battling their shadow self and delving into the complexities of love and its potential to drive someone to the edge. Larry defends director Todd Phillips's creative vision for the sequel. “When you make a sequel, you have to have a new approach to the material, otherwise why do a sequel to anything?” he points out. “This idea that Todd just took $200 million and just lit it on fire is absurd. The greatest thing about Todd as a filmmaker is he's at heart a gambler. He's a gambler in the way that the movie business should be a gamble. What are we doing this for if not to continue to express something that isn't simply trying to service the audience? We're giving something that you might not have asked for.” He continues, “The movie we made and the way we approached it, it's exactly what we were trying to do.” Find Lawrence Sher: Instagram @lawrencesherdp Hear our previous interview with a href="https://www.camnoir.

  2. 11. DEZ.

    Anora’s distinctive style: cinematographer Drew Daniels

    The Cinematography Podcast Episode 292: Drew Daniels Anora is the story of Brooklyn, New York exotic dancer, Anora, who meets Ivan, the son of a Russian oligarch at the strip club. They impulsively marry, and once the news reaches Ivan's parents, their henchmen kidnap Ani in order to force her and Ivan to get the marriage annulled. Anora won the 2024 Palme d'Or at Cannes, and is a potential 2025 Oscar nominee. Cinematographer Drew Daniels first started working with director Sean Baker on the film Red Rocket. Drew was a fan of Baker's for years- he liked his sensibility and humanity, and his unconventional ethos behind his filmmaking approach. Drew attended the University of Texas film school, where filmmakers Robert Rodriguez and Richard Linklater are alums. He appreciated the UT film program's independent, DIY approach. When Drew had the opportunity to work with Baker on Red Rocket, he said yes before he even read the script. “What's so refreshing about working with Sean is, you're flying by the seat of your pants, but you're also the leader of this passionate little rag tag army,” says Drew. Drew and Baker began talking about Anora during the editing of Red Rocket. Baker had a very specific idea of what he wanted, so they began testing and research scouts very early, driving to locations and discussing the movie before the script was fully written. Rather than an extensive shotlist, Drew and Baker scouted and blocked out scenes on the shoot locations. The film's striking imagery, from gritty urban landscapes to opulent mansions, was shot on Kodak 35mm film with Lomo anamorphic lenses. “Anora is different than a lot of Sean's films, because Sean's films often deal with people who are on the fringes, or people who are in a lower socioeconomic standing,” says Drew. “It takes on oligarch wealth and opulence, so it needed to be a bigger, more magical format- something that will fully embrace the scope of that mansion.” Choosing to film on 35 elevated the story of an exotic dancer like Ani into something beautiful and elegant, but Drew also wanted to reflect her attitude and scrappiness. He and Baker were influenced by 1970's New York films such as The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, to find the right amount of gritty imperfection. “Sean is a social realist filmmaker, but he wants his films to have a look and style,” says Drew. “He's very visual, and we constantly talk about the edit, the pacing, the energy, how it's going to cut.” Find Drew Daniels: Instagram @drewalandaniels Anora is currently in theaters, on VOD, and will be available to stream on Hulu. Close focus: The upcoming summer movie, 28 Years Later was shot by cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle on several adapted Apple iPhone 15s. Ben's short end: The movie a href="https://www.youtube.

    1 Std. 14 Min.

  3. 5. DEZ.

    The whimsical world of Wicked: Alice Brooks, ASC

    The Cinematography Podcast Episode 291: Alice Brooks, ASC Cinematographer Alice Brooks, ASC was in post on In The Heights four years ago when director Jon M. Chu let her know their next project together was adapting the world-famous Broadway musical, Wicked. With such a huge fan base, Alice and Chu wanted to make sure they respected the musical, but they both wanted to find a dynamic, filmic way to approach the material. “John kept instilling in us, don't make the obvious choices,” Alice says. “We were all creating a world of Oz together that no one had ever seen before, that was magical and wondrous and a little bit different.” Alice chose to go back to the source material for inspiration- the Oz books by L. Frank Baum. “Every single paragraph has an incredibly rich color description. Beautiful, poetic, just the world of Oz in color. It's unbelievable. And color means something, color is symbolism in Oz. No color is arbitrary.” Alice embraced all the colors of the rainbow for Wicked. They chose the color palette of pink and green for Glinda (Ariana Grande) and Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), with pink hued lighting to represent hope and connection between the two characters. In Wicked, good and evil are not as clearly defined as in typical fairy tales, since it's the origin story of how Elphaba becomes the wicked witch. Alice knew she could play with light and contrast between the two characters. Sunrise lighting would represent Glinda, while sunset and darkness represented Elphaba. Alice made notes in the script for time of day as references for each character. She worked closely with gaffer David Smith to create complex lighting cues throughout the film to match sunrise for Glinda and sunset and darkness for Elphaba. Early on, the production team discussed how to create the magical world of Oz without relying on bluescreens or virtual production. In London, they built real, massive, practical sets just like in old Hollywood movies. Alice remembers that Wicked used 17 sets that were 85 feet by 145 feet, with four huge backlots: Munchkinland, Shiz University, the train station, and Emerald City. Each was the size of four American football fields. “We had real tangible spaces to light and to create in,” she says. “And we didn't live in a blue screen world that so many movies do these days.” To create just the right green skin tone for actress Cynthia Erivo, Alice and makeup designer Frances Hannon did several makeup and lighting tests on different shades of green. It took a lot of trial and error to find the right shade of green- many hues simply looked like paint, or appeared grayish under the lights. As the DP, Alice also had to choose what lenses Wicked would use to capture both the scope and intimacy of the story. She worked with Dan Sasaski, Panavision’s senior vice president of optical engineering and lens strategy, to create the Ultra Panatar II series of lenses for the film. For closeups, Alice chose a 65 mm lens for Cynthia Erivo and a 75mm lens for Ariana Grande because she found that a slightly different focal length for each actress worked best, due to the different shapes of their faces. Find Alice Brooks: Instagram @_alicebrooks_ Hear our previous interview with Alice Brooks on In the Heights. Wicked is currently in theaters. Close focus: The a href="https://variety.com/2024/film/awards/gotham-awards-2024-winners-1236225...

    52 Min.

  4. 2. DEZ.

    Special Episode: A tribute to Adam Somner, Assistant Director, Producer for Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Paul Thomas Anderson, Alejandro González Iñárritu

    The Cinematography Podcast Special: Adam Somner We were incredibly saddened by the loss of 1st Assistant Director and producer, Adam Somner. You can hear his fantastic energy, enthusiasm and entertaining storytelling as a guest on The Cinematography Podcast. Here we have re-posted his 2021 episode in memorial and tribute to his blockbuster career. He will be greatly missed. The job of the assistant director is to work in concert with the director and the DP to get everything done on a movie set. As a 1st AD, Adam Somner is trusted by the industry's top directors to anticipate their needs, motivate the crew, figure out the schedule, and drive the entire production forward to finish each day on time. He finds the best way to keep everything moving smoothly on set is though humor, high energy and uniting everyone as a group, persuading people to do things on the schedule and timeline needed to complete the job. Adam's father, Basil Somner, worked for MGM Studios in England, and through him, Adam got a job as a runner/production assistant at age 17. He began working on movies in the late '80's, like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Superman IV, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? He worked under many assistant directors, observed how they took charge on set, and decided he was really interested in becoming an AD. Adam has worked on eight Ridley Scott films to date, as well as several of the late Tony Scott's films. He was first hired on a Ridley Scott film as a third assistant director on 1492: Conquest of Paradise and White Squall, then moved up to second assistant director on Gladiator, (with DP John Mathieson) where he learned how to manage a huge crew of extras and background action from the 1st AD, Terry Needham. On Black Hawk Down, Adam was promoted to first assistant director for the second unit. Black Hawk Down was shooting in Morocco, and the second unit was responsible for most of the helicopter sequences, with lots of moving parts and extras, involving real Black Hawk helicopters and real U.S. military soldiers. After Black Hawk Down, Adam got the call to begin working with Steven Spielberg on War of the Worlds, where he quickly learned to read Spielberg's mind and keep an eye on the details. He's worked with Spielberg on ten films now, including Munich, Lincoln, and Ready Player One. A 1st AD is responsible for coordinating most of the background action. Adam's ability to work on big sets with lots of action, extras and special effects led director Paul Thomas Anderson to hire him for There Will Be Blood, and Anderson has since become a personal friend. Adam finds Anderson's on-set approach to be very thoughtful and measured. Unlike the action-heavy films Adam has worked on, he knew it was important to keep the crew and background actors quiet and subdued on Anderson's films with heavy dialog, such as The Master and Phantom Thread. For The Wolf of Wall Street,

    44 Min.

  5. 27. NOV.

    From grunge to Gladiator II: John Mathieson, BSC

    The Cinematography Podcast Episode 290: John Mathieson, BSC Cinematographer John Mathieson, BSC began his career shooting music videos for bands like Nirvana and Hole, moving into documentaries and commercials before working in feature films. Rather than going to film school, he joined friends who formed a film collective and everyone learned from each other. Director Ridley Scott saw his work on the movie, Plunkett & Macleane, and approached him to shoot Gladiator. “I never thought I'd be the sword and sandals guy,” says John. “I was doing grunge videos!” John was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for Gladiator. For Gladiator II, John embraced the advancements in visual effects technology, which allowed for more efficient and creative storytelling. While the film was shot digitally, his approach to cinematography remained similar to the first film. “We didn’t do much different with the cameras or the language of the story,” he says, “but parts of the filmmaking process have gotten faster and easier. We shot on digital in about half the time it took to shoot Gladiator.” John focused on creating a visually striking world in Gladiator II, inspired by historical paintings and the contrasting environments of Rome and the desert. He wanted high contrast lighting, especially in the desert scenes at the beginning of the film and in the gladiator arena so that it looked dusty, hot, and overexposed. In contrast, the light inside the Roman homes is warmer and richer. John describes it as, “Everything's got dust and then Rome is colorful, opulent- grapes, wine, peacock greens, paisleys, fabrics, all that kind of decadence-it's camp, it's vulgar, it's Vegas 1970.” When choosing projects, John prioritizes scripts that resonate with him and directors who can effectively guide the filmmaking process. He enjoys exploring and working in different film genres. “I like to think I don't have a style, you know, that I can adapt to what is on the page or what is important,” he says. Find John Mathieson Gladiator II is currently in theaters. Interested in more Gladiator? Hear our past interview with Adam Somner, Gladiator 2nd AD and frequent Ridley Scott collaborator. Close focus: “Glicked” weekend box office, with Wicked's box office opening domestically at $112.5 million and Gladiator opening at $55.5 million domestically. Ben's short end: AI has been trained using 139,000 scripts by TV writers. The AI was used to scrape the subtitles of shows to get the information. Illya's short end: Black Friday sale at Hot Rod Cameras. You can even speak to a real human! Sponsored by Hot Rod Cameras Sponsored by ARRI: ARRI SkyPanel and Orbiter lights were recently used for a karate combat match in Singapore. Sponsored by Greentree Creative: If you enjoy The Cinematography Podcast and you're intere...

    1 Std. 10 Min.

  6. 20. NOV.

    Capturing the Chaos of Saturday Night: Eric Steelberg, ASC

    The Cinematography Podcast Episode 289: Eric Steelberg, ASC The movie Saturday Night is based on the true story of the 90 minutes leading up to the 1975 premiere of NBC's Saturday Night Live. The comedy-drama isn’t just a film about the iconic show; it’s an immersive experience that captures the frenetic energy and chaos from the point of view of the show's creator, Lorne Michaels. To bring this chaotic night to life, cinematographer Eric Steelberg and director Jason Reitman, longtime collaborators and friends, embarked on a unique filmmaking journey. Reitman wanted to transport the audience back to 1975 and capture the feeling of Saturday Night, rather than make a faithful retelling of the experience. To achieve this, the production team meticulously recreated the original Saturday Night Live set, right down to the color palette and costumes. Eric and Reitman wanted to create an energy of the ticking clock, the pressure and excitement that carried the group through the night, through the eyes of Lorne Michaels. They achieved this through dynamic camera movements, close-ups, and a chaotic visual style. “We tried to make everything feel like it’s surrounding Lorne and putting downward pressure on him,” Eric explains. “Every which way he turns, he goes into a door he cannot open. He runs into groups of people who don’t know who he is. The goal was to show that within the camera frame but also create an energy that carried us through those 90 minutes and heighten that time pressure.” Eric and Reitman spent a long time in preproduction, shooting the entire movie on an iPhone first while the set was being built. This allowed them to experiment with different camera angles, blocking, and pacing. They also chose to shoot the movie on 16mm film, a decision that was met with skepticism from the studio. “Going to a major studio and saying that you want to put something in a theater that’s shot on 16mm, you don’t get a good, excited, nor favorable response from them,” Eric says. “I think that's largely because of the unfamiliarity with it and because it's not done.” However, he believed that 16mm was the perfect choice for the film, and he extensively tested both 16mm and 35mm film stocks. Eric found 16mm to work the best. The film grain could be controlled on the set with slower-speed stock and very hard, direct lighting. Working with older tungsten lights on the set was a bit of a learning curve, but Eric enjoyed the creative challenge of learning something new. The opening shot of Saturday Night is a single, unbroken take that sets the tone for the entire film. It’s a testament to the meticulous planning, rigorous rehearsal, and sheer determination of the filmmakers. Eric and Reitman knew that this opening shot had to be perfect. They carefully choreographed every camera movement, every actor’s entrance, and every line of dialogue. “Jason wanted to tell everybody right from the beginning, ‘This is the ride we’re going to be on, and this is how overwhelming it feels,’” says Eric. “It wasn’t going to feel overwhelming to the audience until we felt overwhelmed.” The day before the shoot, the entire cast and crew spent hours rehearsing the sequence. However, the next day, when it came time to capture it on film, things didn’t go as planned. Take after take, something would go wrong – a missed line, a botched camera move, a technical glitch. But Eric and Reitman were determined to get the oner without cheating. After over 20 takes, they finally nailed it. The opening shot was in the can. The rest of the production went smoothly, with the camera operators becoming increasingly adept at executing complex camera moves....

    1 Std. 20 Min.

  7. 13. NOV.

    Action comedy redefined: Thelma director Josh Margolin and DP David Bolen

    The Cinematography Podcast Episode 288: Josh Margolin and David Bolen Thelma is a heartwarming and inspiring action comedy about Thelma Post, a 93-year-old woman who falls victim to a phone scam and loses $10,000. Determined to reclaim her money, Thelma embarks on a thrilling adventure with her friend Ben (Richard Roundtree) on his borrowed mobility scooter across Los Angeles. As Thelma, June Squibb captivates with her portrayal of a feisty and independent senior citizen out for justice and redemption. Thelma challenges ageist stereotypes and inspires viewers to realize that they can fight back against injustice at any age. Director and writer Josh Margolin's masterful storytelling and keen eye for detail bring Thelma's journey to life. He wrote the script from a place of love and admiration for his own grandmother, and enjoyed playing with action adventure elements. Josh admired cinematographer David Bolen's documentary film, Some Kind of Heaven, which used a natural and humanistic style. “In making this movie, it was so important to me to find a partner who saw Thelma the way I saw it and wanted to bring a filmic look to it, but also be able to have fun with it,” says Josh. David found the script incredibly relatable, since he also has a special relationship with his grandmother. He knew exactly how he wanted to approach the visual language of Thelma. With a background in shooting documentaries, David wanted Thelma's world to feel real, so that audiences would emphasize with her life. “Documentaries have really influenced how I film narrative work,” he says. “I think it's important for things not to feel overly lit or over the top. I'm chasing that feeling of realism and that subjectivity that a documentary can bring.” David chose to shoot on the ARRI Alexa 35, which was brand new at the time. During preproduction, David found the camera responded well to natural street light and shooting in nighttime conditions, since a good part of the film takes place at night. With only a 25 day shoot, Josh and David created an extremely detailed shotlist. Josh was very aware that working with older actors meant that the production needed to work within their capabilities. The production team kept everything intimate and small, and the set felt like a close-knit family. “The logistics of it were challenging on this film,” says Josh. “It was a quick schedule and you are with elderly actors. So, you know, as capable as June is, and as amazing as she is, you don't want to do a bunch of takes on something.” He felt confident that they could adapt on the fly and adjust to practical realities of certain moments. “On the page, everything is one way, and then the second you're doing it, things change,” says Josh. “I think doing a lot of homework and also being able to be nimble was really helpful for shooting an indie in L.A.” Josh, who also edited Thelma, did not make the deadline to submit for the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, but it allowed him the luxury of a long postproduction process and screenings for friends and colleagues. Once he submitted the film to Sundance for 2024 consideration, Josh felt pessimistic about their chances. But not only did Thelma get into the festival, it was given a world premiere screening.

    1 Std. 13 Min.

  8. 6. NOV.

    Jules O’Loughlin: Balancing action and character in The Old Man Season 2

    The Cinematography Podcast Episode 287: Jules O'Loughlin In The Old Man Season 2, former CIA operative Dan Chase (Jeff Bridges) is forced to confront his past when his nemesis, Afghan warlord Faraz Hamzad kidnaps his daughter, Emily (Alia Shawkat). Chase and his former FBI handler, Harold Harper (John Lithgow), must navigate a dangerous world of international espionage and deadly consequences to rescue Emily. The season explores themes of identity, loyalty, and the sacrifices made for family. A key factor in bringing The Old Man Season 2 to life is the stunning cinematography of Jules O'Loughlin, ASC, ACS. He skillfully balances the show's dramatic tone with visually striking imagery. Jules is drawn to projects that prioritize character-driven storytelling, and loved witnessing the performances of Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow, two iconic actors who bring depth and nuance to their roles. “Jeff Bridges is so lovable, and an awesome guy,” says Jules. “I got into this to be able to photograph a great actor doing their thing, and watching two great actors going toe to toe.” Despite the show's intense action sequences, Jules believes in the importance of grounding the story in reality. The production team meticulously researched historical details and cultural nuances to create an authentic world. “It's got to feel real, it's got to feel grounded when you walk in,” he says. “If you are true to the world that you're building, then you can pretty much do anything.” His main guiding principle as a cinematographer is that overshooting is the enemy of style. A good cinematographer, and a good director, should be confident in their style and avoid “smotherage”- shooting a ton of different angles that probably won't be used and aren't needed. Jules also was a cinematographer for Season 1, which began production in 2019. By 2020, due to the pandemic, the production stayed in the U.S. and shot in Santa Clarita, just north of Los Angeles, for the hills of Afghanistan. During Season 2, the production continued to use the Santa Clarita location. Color grading, using tobacco filters and finding the right LUT were important tools to make it look like Afghanistan. For a more authentic mountain backdrop, they used plate photography shot in the Sierra Nevadas to composite into the background. Though the series is full of action, Jules did not want to sacrifice the storytelling with fast cuts and camera movements, since there is so much great acting on screen. He usually avoids excessive camera movements and flashy techniques, opting instead for a more restrained approach that allows the performances to shine. “Every time you cut away from the character, you're losing the chance to connect with them,” he says. Action sequences, especially in episode 3, were meticulously planned, storyboarded and rehearsed. Each episode usually had two cameras, but the production used as many as five for a firefight sequence in an Afghan village. Find Jules O'Loughlin: Instagram: @jules.oloughlin The Old Man Season 2 is streaming on Hulu Hear our previous episode with Jules O'Loughlin. Close Focus: Since it began in 2008, Fantastic Fest would host physical boxing match fights, often pitting film critics against filmmakers. a href="https://www.indiewire.com/features/interviews/fantastic-fest-debates-alamo-drafthouse-boxing-history...

    1 Std. 15 Min.
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The Cinematography Podcast is the program about the art, craft and philosophy of the moving image and the people who make it happen. Your job title doesn't have to be cinematographer to be featured on the show. We interview a wide variety of filmmakers including, actors, directors, producers, production designers, editors, storyboard artists and those in related filmmaking careers. This is not a film school, more like a professionally produced radio program found on NPR, each episode brings an interesting perspective to an often overlooked and widely misunderstood craft. Recorded in Hollywood, California at the world headquarters of Hot Rod Cameras. Hosted by Ben Rock and Illya Friedman.

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  • Erstellt von
    The Cinematography Podcast
  • Jahre aktiv
    2014 - 2024
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