CZECH CHANGEMAKER Our BSC Heritage Series, adapted from profiles in the BSC’s Preserving the Vision book, continues with the gifted Otto Heller BSC, who worked on over 250 films. Notable for the photography of The Ladykillers (1955 d. Alexander Mackendrick),…
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,…
WIRELESS WONDER Armed with a standout LED product, Astera carved a niche for itself in the crowded lighting market. Off the back of its latest launch, the company reveals how its international fusion of German engineering expertise and Chinese production…
POET OF LIGHT In the first instalment of the new BSC Heritage Series, adapted from profiles featured in the BSC book Preserving the Vision, we celebrate the work and talent of the society’s founding member, Georges Périnal. Georges Périnal BSC…
If you’ve had a bad experience with HDR (High Dynamic Range) in the early days, or been forced to use an ACES colour workflow at any point, I hope you might find this article useful. So far I’ve graded fifteen…
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…
The shortage of skilled crew amidst a production boom has been well-documented, but a post-pandemic flurry of apprenticeships and training schemes hopes to boost the talent pipeline. Is it enough? It’s something of a miracle that UK film crew enjoys…
SENSOR SENSIBILITY There are more lens and sensor options to choose from than ever before. Exploring how the two can work together in harmony, cinematographers share their thoughts on the large-format phenomenon and their preferred combinations. All things being equal,…
Bridging the gap Part of the Mayor’s Academies Programme, the West London Film and Television Skills Hub aims to nurture blossoming creative talent to meet rising demand, as its ambassador, the filmmaker and director Chris Skarratt explains. Every time I…
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