A FUZZY NIGHTMARE Teaming up with director Curry Barker for record-breaking levels of success, Obsession cinematographer Taylor Clemons explains how he helped to bring a fresh feel to horror filmmaking – crafting a “fuzzy nightmare” in the process. Haley…
HITTING THE JACKPOT Tari Segal ASC received an Emmy nomination for her compelling cinematography on the Las Vegas-set Margo’s Got Money Troubles episode “Flamingos” – here, she explains how it came together. With the “Flamingos” episode taking place in Vegas,…
BREAKING NEW GROUND In “deeply personal project” The Land Remains, cinematographer Jack Thompson-Roylance explores British identity, folklore and migration. The Land Remains explores British identity, folklore and migration. The film, shot over the course of a year, is about this…
CRAFTING A MODERN CLASSIC In shooting A24 action thriller Onslaught, Oren Soffer blended classic influences with a contemporary feel. What struck me immediately about this project was the clarity of director Adam Wingard’s vision. His influences included John Carpenter’s work,…
CINEMATIC POETRY Cinematographer Darius Shu explains how the Sony FX6, Cooke SP3 lenses, an expressive colour palette and carefully motivated lighting built an intimate, nostalgic visual language for Molly, finding cinematic poetry within a three-and-a-half-day independent shoot. For Molly, I wanted the…
RETURNING TO MY ROOTS Cinematographer Eira Wyn Jones discusses capturing Effi o Blaenau‘s mixture of vulnerability, chaos and resilience in Wales. After reading the script that Marc Evans shared with me, I immediately felt a connection to the story. I’d…
YEARS IN THE MAKING James L Brown ACS explains how lighting plots, backup plans and visual bibles helped to shape One Hundred Years of Solitude — Part Two. I was invited to Part Two of One Hundred Years of Solitude…
A BLOODY GOOD SHOOT Joining Appofeniacs shortly before shooting began, DP Adam Leene adopted a fluid filming philosophy to bring bloody chaos to the big screen. I first got involved with Appofeniacs when the previous cinematographer had a scheduling conflict…
IN THE DRIVING SEAT Cinematographer Adam Barnett discusses tackling technological change in James Arden’s thought-provoking short film Black Cab. I was drawn to James Arden’s work from seeing his first shorts. There was a strong sense of gravity to all…
REIMAGINING A MODERN-DAY NOSFERATU Cinematographer David Bird explains how the Alexa 65, custom lenses, a versatile lighting plan and a rock-solid crew provided cinematic polish to heartwarming vampire comedy Uncle Artoo on a tight schedule. Zoë Whittaker’s comedy short Uncle…
FEELING THE BLUES Mari Yamamura explains how she ensured lighting and scenes were consistent throughout all six episodes of Blue Season, and that the programme had an interesting visual arc to aid the narrative. I had previously shot a short…
FRESH STORYTELLING Cinematographer Kai-Yan Lai explains how he helped to blend genres in sharp satire New Starter. Shot in 2025 over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, New Starter marked my first collaboration with writer/director Olamide Ajisafe and was executive produced…
A WINNING FORMULA DP Tristan Chenais explains how simplifying the filmmaking process led to a successful shoot on Raindance Film Festival breakout Tramp. When director Philip McGoldrick first approached me about a short narrative film centred on a female MMA…
REINTRODUCING GILEAD WITH COLOUR AND CONTROL Greta Zozula takes viewers back to Gilead in The Testaments, reworking its visual language—balancing continuity with evolution in lensing, lighting and colour to reflect a world shifting from idealism to disillusionment. I was a huge…
BUILDING THE BACKROOMS DP Jeremy Cox explains how he helped bring YouTube sensation Backrooms to the big screen in true cinematic style. Backrooms came to me through Chris Ferguson, a producer at Oddfellows. We’d worked together on several projects, so…
SHINING A LIGHT ON HISTORY Cinematographer Alejo Maglio explains how lighting, lenses and the ARRI Alexa Mini helped to shape historical drama Summer War. When Alicia Scherson invited me to shoot Summer War, one of our first conversations was not…
FILMMAKING WITH PRIDE The Rainbow Crossing Academy effortlessly blends comedy and drama – with DP Neal Parsons explaining how he and his team navigated the short film’s ever-changing moods. I love the challenge of working with a director I don’t…
BRIDGING THE GAPS In Netflix’s latest #1 film, Jill (Zoey Deutch) copes with her sister’s death by leaving her voicemails chronicling her chaotic life in San Francisco. When the number is unknowingly reassigned, an elusive Austin real estate agent named…
RECLAIMING THE NARRATIVE Cinematographer Mo Azmi explains how he helped to shape the look of some of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series two’s most tense moments. On the surface, the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder trilogy presents…
DP Moritz Moessinger reveals how a fantastic team effort helped to bring stunning surreal visuals to feature Superbuhei. When I first read the script for Superbuhei, I was immediately drawn to it. The surreal tonality, settings, and hints of genre, mixed with…
STAYING GROUNDED Surviving Earth DP Olan Collardy explains why he prioritised observational visuals for this touching true-life feature, which follows an Eastern European migrant in Bristol. My journey to shooting Surviving Earth didn’t start with a script. It was one…
DP Moritz Moessinger reveals how a fantastic team effort helped to bring stunning surreal visuals to feature Superbuhei. When I first read the script for Superbuhei, I was immediately drawn to it. The surreal tonality, settings, and hints of genre, mixed with…
PLANET OF THE ADDICTS Cinematographer James Whitaker ASC on shooting Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die — the most technically demanding project of his career and the sequence that kept him testing and guessing until the very last week. We are already…
GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND Beneath, directed by Jake Betteridge, is a short film exploring the unseen journey of fighter Samir Bouamrane through movement, environment, and raw first-person narration. Set between the backdrop of London’s cityscape and the intensity of the…
KEEPING IT PRACTICAL Writer and director Kevin Walls’ debut feature, Premature, is a contemporary romantic comedy following flatmates Cameron (James Rottger) and Eilidh (Elle Watson) after their drunken one-night stand results in an unexpected pregnancy. When Eilidh discovers she can’t…
A COMPLEX OPERATION Charlie Painter runs through his approach to lensing Second World War film Operation Dynamo – with which he has a very close connection. Eighty-six years ago today, my great-great-uncle, Jack, was fighting for his life in Dunkirk. Operation…
SOAP OPERA DIGEST Chris Ramage GBCT runs through the comprehensive camera and lighting package he relied on when making soaps history with Corriedale. When I was initially approached by director Duncan Foster to DP both of ITV’s flagship soaps Emmerdale and Coronation Street for a unique one-off…
CRAFTING EMOTIONAL RESTRAINT Little Rock, directed by Nick Tree, is a six-minute short created in support of the charity Younger People with Dementia. It follows an earlier collaboration with the charity, which starred Kate Dickie (The Witch), but this time…
NEVER STATIONARY Netflix hit The Vince Staples Show shifts between visual languages, tones and genres with unique results – epitomised by its stunning season two opener, set in a car rental store with a difference… The question mark in this…
BOLDLY GOING WHERE I’D NEVER GONE BEFORE Tommy Maddox-Upshaw ASC reflects on honouring Star Trek’s legacy while crafting a warmer, intimate visual language that balances anamorphic tradition with modern in-camera innovation. I grew up on Star Trek original films and…
THE LENS AS THRESHOLD While building a world that blends visual languages, Swarnim Gawade found inspiration in 12mm for Cyclops. When director Stefanos Papageorgiou and I began building the visual language of Cyclops, our central challenge was world-building. The film…
MAKING A SPLASH In one of Primate’s most tense sequences, its characters try to escape a bloodthirsty chimp by diving into an infinity pool – Stephen Murphy BSC ISC explains how the impressive set and sequence came together. Most of…
ADVENTURES IN EKTACHROME Cinematographer Owain Wilshaw runs through the challenges and opportunities that shooting on 16mm Kodak Ektachrome provides – after lensing Sofía Petersen’s directorial debut, Olivia, entirely in the format. Olivia, the directorial debut of Sofía Petersen, is a…
LENSING SUBURBIA The ‘Burbs DP Jonathan Furmanski reveals how he helped to remake a classic movie for a modern TV audience. Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to work on all kinds of projects at all kinds of locations, including…
NAILING VISUAL LANGUAGE Cinematographer Fyras Slaiman explains how he worked with director-star Zhizi Hao to execute the visual language of bittersweet romance Vocabulary. Vocabulary, directed by Zhizi Hao, is a story that has been in the works for a few…
On 3 November 1957, the Soviet Union launched Laika, a stray dog from the streets of Moscow, into the Earth’s orbit. She died just hours into her voyage. Little Bug is the story of the man who took her home…
CRAFTING A STYLISTIC HORROR SHORT Cinematographer Marti Guiver and director Ethan Evans explain how camera and lighting choices helped shape the horror in their Sony Future Filmmaker Awards finalist short Outside Noise. Made to reflect the modern horrors of doomscrolling…
DEATH BECOMES HER Lead cinematographer Ashley Barron ACS explains how she shaped a visually expressive look, mixing warmth, haunting unease and storybook menace in How to Get to Heaven From Belfast. The eight-part Netflix comedy-drama thriller from Derry Girls creator Lisa…
MAKING IT COUNT Director Cal McMau’s debut feature, Wasteman, follows Taylor (David Jonsson), an inmate who is up for early release. His chances are jeopardised when he gets a new cellmate, Dee (Tom Blyth), who threatens to drag him into his world of…
SHAKE IT OFF Every scene in The Testament of Ann Lee, following the titular leader of the Shaker Movement, is unique, stylish and supporting of its story. Yet one particular sequence – as Ann and her followers head on a stormy voyage from the UK to the…
FILMING WITH PURPOSE There are many powerful scenes in Iranian drama It Was Just an Accident. However, the penultimate sequence of the film – in which Ebrahim Azizi’s Eghbal is tied to a tree and interrogated by the film’s protagonists – is striking in…
LOVE AND LAVA Ollie Downey BSC recounts shooting The Fires in Iceland, navigating volcanic eruptions, extreme weather and a tiny crew to capture epic visuals on a modest budget. There aren’t too many more exciting calls to get as a cinematographer than to travel to Iceland…
TAKING ACTION TO NEW HEIGHTS Son of the Soil follows a fierce ex Special Ops soldier, Zion Ladejo, who returns home to Lagos, Nigeria, after his sister’s tragic death. Determined to uncover those responsible, he embarks on a vengeful path into Lagos’…
AN UNLIKELY LOVE STORY Huntsman is a short narrative drama filmed in Somerset, England. Set the morning after New Year’s Eve, a boy tries to salvage his relationship with the girl that he’s seeing, but as we learn his story, we find the truth is far more complicated. It’s a film about modern-day relationships and about…
A STORY BY THE SEA Screening in competition at this year’s Manchester Film Festival, Misper follows the employees of a dying seaside hotel as they have their lives upended when their colleague, Elle, vanishes. Instead of focusing on the police…
Ryan J. Smith explains how he and his team worked on location to bring Arthur’s Empire to life. Arthur’s Empire largely takes place in “The Empire Antiques”, a fictional trinkets hall inspired by The Regent – a real-life location in…
EVOLVING THE LOOK FOR SEASON 2 DP Phil Wood explains how the visual language of ITV drama After the Flood evolved from series one to series two. Returning to After the Flood for a second series presented an unusual challenge:…
DANCES IN THE DESERT Following a man and his son as they navigate discos in the desert in search of his daughter, Óliver Laxe’s Sirāt tapped up real-life ravers to bring authenticity to its raw story. Speaking after his European…
FROM BOOK TO BIG SCREEN Chatting to British Cinematographer after being nominated for the European Cinematographer prize at the European Film Awards, director of photography Manu Dacosse explains how he worked with director François Ozon to adapt L’Étranger for the…
ONE LOCATION, FOUR GENERATIONS Speaking to British Cinematographer after his nomination for European Cinematographer at the European Film Awards, Fabian Gamper explains how he wanted Sound of Falling to feel like a visualisation of memory – using a single location…
SUBJECTIVE CINEMATOGRAPHY Bella Gonzales explains why The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox required a visual approach grounded in empathy and restraint, with every choice designed to honour perspective as something shaped by experience rather than certainty. As a cinematographer, I…
LIGHTS, CAMERA, MAC-TION Stranger Things is synonymous with thrilling sequences, and season 5 is no different. DP Caleb Heymann explains how the major Mac-Z showdown in “Chapter 4: The Sorcerer” came together. For the big action sequence in the Mac-Z…
INDIE SHORT TO GLOBAL SUCCESS Writer and director Flora Lopategui reveals how she worked with Window Zebra Productions to turn her first-time, low-budget indie short Olive into a multi-award-winning film using dynamic lighting and overcoming unique, unforeseen circumstances. Olive started as a sketch idea from the confines of my bedroom. It was an idea from my fellow co-creator and actor Lucy Nicholson to write…
A UNIQUE JOURNEY Exploring complex topics such as manhood and family leadership – often in the former warzones of Croatia – Lika is a powerful short film that required powerful imagery. DP Zhan Zharoff explains how he captured that imagery.…
A PROFOUND PROJECT 22+1 is a story about an interracial couple navigating the grief of a late-term pregnancy loss while confronting the underlying racism within the UK health system. The film follows Ruby (Pippa Bennett-Warner) and Will (Harry Lloyd) through…
THE ETHICAL SPECTACLE: GROUNDING EPIC ACTION WITH PRACTICAL EFFECTS Jules O’Loughlin ASC ACS explains how modern constraints forced the crew to innovate for a key chariot race in Percy Jackson and the Olympians series two. When we approached the epic…
SHOOTING AT SEA Largo is a short film about a Syrian child refugee living in foster care in the UK who attempts to build a boat and sail home to find his parents. Director of photography Rick Joaquim SASC explains how the filmmakers…
VISUAL GRAMMAR FOR THE UNTHINKABLE The BAFTA-winning four-part docuseries Death with Kris follows mortician and author Kristoffer Hughes as he travels across Earth to explore how different cultures confront, honour, and even celebrate death. From ritual practices to community-led ceremonies,…
MULTIPLE LOOKS IN ONE SEASON Coming on board Apple TV comedy Loot for series three, DP Jason Oldak pushed to evolve the visuals alongside the evolution of main character Molly Wells – here, he explains how. I was hired onto…
LIGHTING A MODERN FABLE Clout asks audiences to reflect on how social media is shaping how young people, and adults, see themselves and each other – with collaboration between the crew proving key to its success, as Amelia Hazlerigg explains. Clout,…
BRINGING HISTORY TO LIFE A Life’s Worth is a six-part drama inspired by the first Swedish UN battalion in Bosnia in 1993. Four young soldiers face their first mission in a brutal conflict where peacekeeping solely isn’t enough. Their commander,…
TUNNEL VISION Using high-speed Venice 2 photography, practical lighting and selective VFX, Outrageous evokes fractured memory, culminating in a stylised, slow-motion “Cathedral of Light” at Nuremberg. Outrageous is narrated by eldest sibling Nancy Mitford, who opens the show by describing…
COLD CALL New horror Black Phone 2 boasts a number of shocking sequences, but none as memorable as the climactic finale set on a frozen lake. DP Pär M. Ekberg FSF recalls how he and the team put it together.…
TRANSFORMING COMEDY Earning star and creator Mawaan Rizwan a BAFTA, BBC comedy Juice takes bold swings both tonally and visually. DP Miguel Cármenes explains how some of the show’s most striking moments came to be. When I first got approached…
PUTTING PERFORMANCE FIRST Showing at this year’s BFI London Film Festival, short film MAGID / ZAFAR tracks rising tensions in the heat of a busy Pakistani takeaway. DP Jaime Ackroyd explains how he and director Luís Hindman used simple lens…
CAPTURING THE CHAOS OF THE ER Johanna Coelho reveals how she shot The Pitt’s 15-hour ER shift, using immersive 360-degree sets, handheld intimacy and inventive lighting to bring every moment to life. When I first read the scripts for The…
BRINGING TRUTH TO LIGHT Balazs Bolygo BSC HCA crafts a rigorous, multi-format reconstruction, using lighting to underscore emotional proximity, institutional detachment, and shifting perspectives in Jean Charles de Menezes’ tragic misidentification. The four-part Disney+ series Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles…
CHILD’S PLAY Made for a mere £4,500, Kid premiered in competition at the BAFTA/BIFA-qualifying Manchester Film Festival and is out now on streaming services. Filmmaker Ryan J. Smith tells us about his unique shooting process. The attic in Kid plays…
TOMB RAIDERS Following archaeologist Kathleen Martinez’s search for Cleopatra’s tomb, Cleopatra’s Final Secret features desert and underwater expeditions on the Mediterranean Sea. DP Mikołaj Bakalarz runs through the challenges and joys that this historic journey presented. How do you bring…
EMBRACING BLACK-AND-WHITE The Ceremony follows two migrant workers in a Bradford car wash as they scramble to bury a body in the Yorkshire Dales, often clashing morally and verbally in the process. DP Robbie Bryant explains how a fast-paced January…
The Severed Sun is a British folk horror film directed by Dean Puckett. Set in an isolated, patriarchal church community in rural England, the story follows Magpie (Emma Appleton), the daughter of the authoritarian Pastor (Toby Stephens). After Magpie murders…
CREATING AN IMMERSIVE VISUAL UNIVERSE DP Pierre Gill CSC reveals how he balanced epic scale with emotional intimacy in Dune: Prophecy, using precise lighting, anamorphic lenses and immersive collaboration. Dune: Prophecy is deeply atmospheric, a textured universe where every visual element contributes…
FAST-PACED FILMMAKING IN THE SWISS ALPS The filming of the Locarno- and Camerimage-nominated thriller Sew Torn, lensed by Swiss cinematographer Sebastian Klinger, presented both production challenges and stunning visuals. Set deep in the Alps, he reveals how primary colours played…
THERE IN BLACK-AND-WHITE Adapting social worker and freedom fighter Sane Guruji’s autobiographical novel of the same name, Shyamchi Aai tells a fascinating story–DP Vijay Mishra explains why embracing simplicity helped to elevate its impact. I had the honour of shooting…
PUNCHING ABOVE THEIR WEIGHT Sean Ellis BSC discusses how he delivered a theatrical experience on a small budget with Orlando Bloom boxing film The Cut. During Christmas 2022 I was sent a very cinematic script from Mark Lane at Teashop.…
When my wife confessed she’d never seen Breaking Bad, I knew that had to be fixed. A few binge-filled weeks later, just as we were nearing the final episodes — my phone rang. It was my agent, sounding upbeat…
James Hyde – The Very Thought of You is an epic short film: a World War II romantic thriller based on true events, centred on a real dogfight fought during Operation Market Garden in 1944 by Trinidadian RAF pilot James Hyde
POWER TO THE PEOPLE Sheldon Chau discusses filming Pooja, Sir with the Sony FX6/FX3, navigating power cuts, minimal lighting and the lead actress’s health struggles to capture Nepal’s raw realism. I’ve been fortunate to work on films across Asia, including India and…
RISING FROM THE RUINS Serbian DP Bojana Andrić SAS brings atmospheric intimacy to Follow Me using Cooke anamorphics, a Technocrane, and delicate lighting in a gracefully aging Belgrade villa. I had already shot multiple feature films in Serbia and worked on over…
When director Sam Arnold and I first met on a sunny summer shoot in Yorkshire two years ago, we quickly connected over our career goals and what we wanted to achieve. We decided to collaborate on a short film to…
SINK OR SWIM Martin Ruhe ASC explains the dramatic sky pool sequence in The Amateur, blending drones, LEDs and architectural light, with key collaboration from ARRI Rental in the UK and Germany. When I first received the script for The Amateur,…
TO INFINITY AND BEYOND Following the success of the award-winning “USS Callister” episode of Black Mirror season four, Stephan Pehrsson BSC was thrilled to embark on a return voyage to the videogame space world for a feature-length sequel in series…
When Tim Nathan contacted me about shooting his short Thoughts and Prayers I was tremendously excited – he is a good friend and I know he had been working away on the script for a while. From our early conversations,…
BULDING WORKS Annika Summerson BSC crafts a distinctive visual style for the genre-blending detective-comedy Ludwig—using a Supertechno 75 Plus crane bold anamorphic choices and precise comedic framing. Having collaborated with director Robbie McKillop on multiple projects, our established partnership allowed…
LENSING IN THE FAST LANE Azul Serra ABC, co-DP on Senna, shares his experiences of lensing Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna’s pivotal Monaco 1984 race and combining, real footage, sequences shot on a volume, visual effects and archive footage to…
Contact Hours is a short drama about student suicide, told through the eyes of a university caretaker struggling to connect with his son. The film opens with a caretaker organising student letters into pigeon holes. One student has lots of…
AUTHENTICITY REIGNS SUPREME When capturing the powerful performances at the heart of We Live in Time, Stuart Bentley BSC adopted a stripped back approach to lighting and camerawork, creating a comfortable environment for the cast and resulting in authentic visuals…
CREATIVE FLOW When lensing director Sasha Nathwani’s debut feature, careful kit selection, control over the frame and being reactive to the performances were at the core of Olan Collardy’s approach to produce a dreamy yet grounded look and feel. I…
A JOURNEY INTO CORNWALL’S FORGOTTEN DEPTHS Cinematographer Daniel Simpkins descends 50 metre mine shafts, wades through chest-deep water, and squeezes through tight passageways for a new documentary about Cornish mine explorers. The Lost Boys of Carbis Bay is a 30-minute…
The first time I met director Nick Love, his first words were, “I’ve got a very good idea of how this film should look.” The very next day, we were in the production office sharing our ideas. Nick spoke about…
COLOUR CONTRAST Ed Lachman ASC is known for seamlessly blending period lenses, film textures, and innovative techniques to create a rich visual style that authentically evokes the eras he portrays. In collaboration with director Pablo Larraín, Lachman explains his…
NEW DIMENSIONS Virtual production is often presented as an alternative to shooting on location; a solution for places too inaccessible, hostile or expensive to capture in actuality. But what if the “real” location actually exists virtually? London-based cinematographer Ollie Craig…
CAPTURING THE CLUTTER Nanu Segal BSC explores how lensing choices and lighting transitions came into play when shooting haunting drama examining childhood trauma, Hoard – from scenes grounded in naturalism through to more absurd hoarding sequences. When my agent sent…
EN VOGUE The Netflix series Geek Girl, centred on an awkward teen model, uniquely benefits from cinematographer Tim Palmer BSC’s fashion industry knowledge and experience. Not many people know this, but before I entered the camera department, I was a fully-fledged fashion…
PULLING THE STRINGS Benedict Spence BSC details the technical challenges of Eric, focusing on maintaining continuity across scenes filmed in New York City and Budapest. I was thrilled when I was first given the script for Eric. My friend and…
BODY SHOCK Benjamin Kračun BSC reveals the approach he adopted when shooting The Substance, working with prosthetics and practical effects to realise director Coralie Fargeat’s vision for the body horror. The script for The Substance is 150 pages and 20…
Diary of a Ghost is a short drama about a young woman’s relationship with her deceased partner and her struggle to let go of the past. We shot the film over two days in and around London. There was…
During pre-production, Ruari and I extensively discussed our approach to crafting a visual aesthetic that would complement our narrative, drawing from arcade theme. Our aim was to evoke the vibrant, colourful ambiance of arcades, infusing our film with a rich,…
THE MOVING IMAGE Cinematographer Rick Joaquim SASC loved the challenge of shooting the short film Stay Calm, set entirely in the back of an ambulance. Stay Calm is a 20-minute, edge-of-the-seat thriller, set entirely in the back of an ambulance…
RIDING THE WAVE Find out how Channel 4’s Big Mood depicts the flip from “up to down” experienced by its bipolar main character through the lens of cinematographer Daniel Stafford-Clark. Big Mood is my favourite kind of comedy; one with…
A little over a year ago, I got a message from my agent. It read simply: “Are you ready to be really excited?” What she was about to offer was the opportunity to work on an entire season for Paramount+…
BEHIND THE SCREENS Cinematographer Shane Hurlbut ASC reveals how alongside Rudy Mancuso – director, writer, actor and composer of Música – they approached an in-camera split-screen scene. Rudy Mancuso, the director, writer, actor and composer of Música, and I had…
WHAT’S IN A FRAME? Simon Rowling shares his framing and composition rules when crafting the visual grammar for eerie folk horror Lord of Misrule. In autumn 2021 I was sent the script for folk horror Lord of Misrule by my…
HITTING THE SPOT For the pacey pitch-side sequences in French sports biopic Marinette cinematographer Xavier Dolléans AFC looked to a robotic dolly system to help him keep up with the action. Marinette is actually the first biopic about a female…
TEAM SPIRIT As another chapter of fish-out-of-water football comedy Ted Lasso comes to a close, cinematographers David Rom and Vanessa Whyte reveal how they lensed some of season three’s most iconic sequences. An innovative approach was required by David Rom…
GAME ON Last year, Rick Joaquim SASC shot his most unusual project to date – Cuttlefish, a live-action video game from Flavourworks complete with over 140 interactive VFX sequences. He delves into the challenges of the choose-your-own-adventure narrative, sharing the…
THE REVOLUTION WILL BE TELEVISED Delve into the artistry and technical mastery that brought to life RRR‘s most memorable sequence – the fiery encounter between the two protagonists – through the innovative use of miniatures and fiery lighting effects from…
FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT Jess Hall ASC BSC reflects on how cinematographers can bring their own life experiences to their lensing for truly authentic storytelling. Spring 2014, Highgate, London. I prepare to bury my father amongst some of his closest…
MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN To help Wedding Season’s viewers navigate the show’s non-linear timelines, choosing the right glass for the challenge was pivotal for cinematographer Adam Etherington BSC. Wedding Season is a high-octane comedy with a rip-roaring narrative that accelerates…
Shooting fast and hitting hard Cinematographer Simon Rowling reveals how he shot action and dialogue scenes in a limited timeframe for rip-roaring thriller One Ranger. I have always been keen to work with Jesse Johnson for many years, having seen…
RIGHT ROYAL DRAMA A timely shift in focus from the Royal Family takes Netflix’s The Crown from English to Egyptian soil to follow the Al-Fayed family in season five’s “Mou Mou”. The series’ seasoned cinematographer, Adriano Goldman ASC BSC ABC,…
THE SHOW MUST GO ON Shooting in the precious setting of London’s Freemasons’ Hall added an extra layer of complexity for See How They Run’s cinematographer Jamie D. Ramsay SASC and gaffer Carolina Schmidtholstein. The duo discusses the intricacies of…
ORCS BY FIRELIGHT An enormous lighting setup was required when Alex Disenhof ASC lensed the orc nighttime invasion of a village in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. I remember the moment when I was in high school,…
PLAYING WITH FIRE Time was of the essence for Will Baldy when lighting a fast-evolving tavern set on The Sandman. He explains the tricks and techniques used to capture the changing light over the centuries. On the surface, The Sandman…
GRANULARITY OF TIME Ula Pontikos BSC’s work on “Nowhen” – the opening episode of season two of Russian Doll, the series merging death, rebirth, past trauma, and time travel – saw her receive an Emmy nomination. The cinematographer talks us…
EXPLORING NEW DIMENSIONS Erik Alexander Wilson BSC details how he captured elements of four-part series Landscapers, adopting a new “Portrait Anamorphic” mode approach which saw him shoot with 2x anamorphic lenses for a 16:9 delivery. Whilst trying out ideas to…
AT THE HEART OF THE ACTION Polly Morgan BSC ASC breaks down an action-packed scene from A Quiet Place Part II and the bespoke car rig, teamwork, and kit that made capturing the first-of-its-kind, tightly choreographed sequence possible. When John…
He’s our ChatGPT-powered friend with an encyclopaedic knowledge of all thing’s cinematography from British Cinematographer. Ask him a question and you’ll be amazed by his response.
