British Cinematographer - British Cinematographer

Varicam helps meet deadlines on Crazy Rich Asians

Panasonic’s VariCam Pure was selected by DP Vanja Černjul ASC HFC as the primary camera for the romantic comedy-drama Crazy Rich Asians, which has already grossed over $150m.

Cooke Anamorphic/i lenses bring cinematic look to Doctor Who

Cooke Anamorphic/i lenses have brought a new cinematic look to latest series of BBC1’s Doctor Who. Cinematographer Denis Crossan BSC and director Jamie Childs shot the first episode that set the look and feel for the new series, which began its run on 7 October 2018.

BSC calls for drama submissions at new awards evening

Submissions for the British Society Of Cinematographers’ Award For 'Best Cinematography In A TV Drama 2018' are still open, but you only have just over a month to get your entry in.

Early Years of Freddie Mercury lensed with Vintage Cooke Speed Panchros

Newton Thomas Sigel ASC combined original glass with a special LUT to express the look of the period in Freddie Mercury/Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. Image credit: Alex Bailey

EnergaCAMERIMAGE 2018 Winners!

The fantastic EnergaCAMERIMAGE festival is over for another year, and we salute all the winners in Poland in 2018, including three BSC members.

26th Edition OF EnergaCAMERIMAGE officially opened

The 26th edition of the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography, EnergaCAMERIMAGE, was officially opened on Saturday in the Opera Nova Congress Centre in Bydgoszcz. Highlights of the Opening Gala included Witold Sobociński receiving the Camerimage Lifetime Achievement Award. Photo: Paweł Skraba

Inside The New Issue: 90

We predict a riot as subscribers look to get a first look at our November edition featuring Dick Pope BSC's work on ENERGAcamerimage Golden Frog contended Peterloo, along with more historical productions from John Mathieson BSC, Newton Thomas Sigel ASC and Linus Sandgren FSF. Get a sneak preview of this, and more, that subscribers can enjoy in the new issue of British Cinematographer magazine - released 12th November.

ScreenSkills is born and launches ‘Giving Back’ initiative

Creative Skillset has adopted a new name, ScreenSkills, to more clearly reflect the work they do delivering a skilled workforce for the UK’s screen industries, and has launched with an initiative called 'Giving Back'.

Support Black T-Week In Honour of Mark Milsome

Black T-Week will take place between 18th and 24th November in support of the aims of the new Mark Milsome Foundation. Make sure to get your MMF T-Shirt today and wear it in support during Black T-Week.

Hollywood star Jack O’Connell receives Honorary Degree from University of Derby

Hollywood star Jack O’Connell became an Honorary Master of the Arts last night, when he received an Honorary Degree from the University of Derby at a special event held to mark QUAD’s tenth anniversary.

Soundbites from Cinec 2018

Thanks to our friends over at Cinec TV, you can get the news and interviews from some of the key figures at the 2018 Cinec expo, taking in the likes of Cooke Optics, ARRI, IMAGO and Sony.

Have you registered for the Media Technology Day?

Media Technology Day, presented by the Procam Group, takes place on Thursday 1st November 2018. Find out more and register your place today to not miss out on this great event.

Polly Morgan BSC adopts Panasonic VariCam for Netflix’s drama 6 Balloons

6 Balloons, a grimly effective Netflix drama, tells the story of a young woman who attempts to help her brother cope with his heroin addiction. The American drama was shot by cinematographer Polly Morgan BSC using a number of VariCam 35 cameras. All images: © Tyler Boswell

Vitec Group supports East Anglian filmmaker and cast to produce debut feature film

Filmmaker Paul Cook was able to draw upon a wide range of production equipment from Vitec Group brands to produce his new film, Magpie.

Varicam helps meet deadlines on Crazy Rich Asians

Panasonic’s VariCam Pure was selected by DP Vanja Černjul ASC HFC as the primary camera for the romantic comedy-drama Crazy Rich Asians, which has already grossed over $150m.

Cooke Anamorphic/i lenses bring cinematic look to Doctor Who

BSC calls for drama submissions at new awards evening

Submissions for the British Society Of Cinematographers’ Award For 'Best Cinematography In A TV Drama 2018' are still open, but you only have just over a month to get your entry in.

Early Years of Freddie Mercury lensed with Vintage Cooke Speed Panchros

Newton Thomas Sigel ASC combined original glass with a special LUT to express the look of the period in Freddie Mercury/Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. Image credit: Alex Bailey

EnergaCAMERIMAGE 2018 Winners!

The fantastic EnergaCAMERIMAGE festival is over for another year, and we salute all the winners in Poland in 2018, including three BSC members.

26th Edition OF EnergaCAMERIMAGE officially opened

Camera Creative

Dick Pope BSC / Peterloo

The acclaimed productionPeterloo, shot by Dick Pope BSC, depicts a bloody and brutal episode in British history. Pope tells us why there is never a conventional script on director Mike Leigh’s production, how he rose to the challenge of shooting the spectacular massacre sequence, and how Akira Kurosawa’s techniques influenced how he captured the battle.

Across the Pond

November 2018: Out of Darkness, Cometh Light

Mark London Williams is full of reflection as the year comes to a close in L.A. as he mourns the loss of Nicolas Roeg. Color and low-light are also on his mind with a chat to Mary Poppins Returns costume designer Sandy Powell seguing nicely across to production designer on Camerimage winner The Favourite, Fiona Crombie. There's also more reflection with DP Charlotte Bruus Christensen DFF, and a visit to the American Film Market in a packed edition this month.

Close-Up

Linus Sandgren FSF / First Man

Linus Sandgren FSF reunited with La La Land director Damien Chazelle to capture the tale of Neil Armstrong's moon voyage in First Man, a contender for the Golden Frog at this month's ENERGAcamerimage festival. Trevor Hogg speaks in depth with Sandgren about film formats, utilising giant LED screens, and the grand use of IMAX for the iconic landing scene.

Close-Up

Florian Hoffmeister BSC / The Terror

Screening this week at the EnergaCAMERIMAGE festival as one of the contenders for the 'First Look - TV Pilots' prize is Florian Hoffmeister BSC's work on AMC series The Terror, a fantasy-horror set aboard two ships venturing into Arctic waters. DP Hoffmeister tells us all about capturing a nautical journey gone wrong in gorgeous, excruciating detail (Photo Credit: Aidan Monaghan/AMC).

Close-Up

Sean Bobbitt BSC / Widows

American heist caper Widows, helmed by director Steve McQueen and DP Sean Bobbitt BSC, releases this month in cinemas having premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. Trevor Hogg gets into the details with Bobbitt about how the project came about, shooting primarily on location and how to make it work in 'one shot'.

Talking Heads

Mike Eley BSC “The Human Touch”

BSC President Mike Eley wonders whether robots might ever take control of the filmmaking process, in his column from the September edition (89) of British Cinematographer.

Spotlight

Fiilex

Fiilex has a rather unique perspective on lighting. With a dedicated research facility, it designs fixtures from the chip level up, and is thus able to control light on a very small scale indeed. Discover more about what they're all about.

Across the Pond

October 2018: “The Dizziness of a Cinematograph”

Mark London Williams is dizzy and busy this month, speaking to new Head of Sales at Matthews Studio Equipment Linda Swope, DP Joshua Z. Weinstein on Bikini Moon about multi-camera sources and ultilizing iPhones, and Ruben Impens on Steve Carell starring Beautiful Boy.Image - Credit from BTS on Beautiful Boy: Amazon Studios

Close-Up

Matthias Königswieser / Christopher Robin

Inspired by A. A. Milne’s classic 1926 volume, the plot of Disney's live-action production follows the grown-up Christopher Robin who has lost his sense of imagination, only to be reunited with his old stuffed bear friend, Winnie-the-Pooh. DP Matthias Königswieser takes us on a journey through the Hundred Acre Wood.

Clapperboard

Tony Richmond BSC ASC

Tony Richmond BSC ASC has been a DP on over 90 films, working with some of the cinema greats, lensed a number of pop icons, including The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, and has produced and directed too. He has quite the story to tell.

Close-Up

Andrew Dunn BSC / The Children Act

The Children Act is based on McEwan’s 2014 novel of the same name, and had its world premiere at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival to wide acclaim, especially for its sensitivity towards mature human concerns. The production was shot by British cinematographer Andrew Dunn BSC, winner of multiple BAFTA Awards, and he spoke to us about his work.

Gaffers R Us

Shawn White

He's gaffered on titles such as The Golden Compass, The Legend of Tarzan and Kingsman: The Golden Circle and now Shawn White tells us his recommendations of getting into the industry, what makes the best gaffers, and why he enjoys the challenge of bringing a set to life.

Close-Up

Kate Reid / Press

In the fictional land of Press – the BBC’s newest situation drama which screened on TV in the past month – there exist two main newspaper worlds: The Post and The Herald, both with very specific aesthetics in mind and all shot by cinematographer Kate Reid. Image by David Suchet.

Meet the New Wave

Esther Vardy

Esther Vardy is fascinated with space and now she's looking to make her name with out of this world visuals - find out all about her cinematography journey so far and her ambitions for the future.

Close-Up

Chayse Irvin CSC / BlacKkKlansman

BlacKkKlansman has become one of the most talked about films of 2018, having won the Grand Prix at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Its North American DP Chayse Irvin CSC explains all about the experimental evolution of his approach, the virtues of using film and why he sees cinematography as a “jam session”. Image Credit: David Lee / Focus Features

Talking Heads

Roy H. Wagner ASC “Past Present Perfect”

Roy H. Wagner ASC hFRPS says cinematogaphers today have more power, and relevance, than ever.

On the Job

Jess Hall BSC / Serenity

Former cover star, Jess Hall BSC talks us through Serenity – described by one of its producers as an “existential fishing thriller”. Discover how he dealt with the challenges of shooting on Mauritius, his voyage of discovery in capturing the colours of the ocean and why Anamorphics were the way to go.

Innovator

Glenn Freemantle

Much of the focus of major productions are on the visuals, but we take the time to hail Academy Award winner Glenn Freemantle, a man who has made major innovations in sound, atmosphere and aural mood.

Camera Creative

Seamus McGarvey BSC ASC/Bad Times At The El Royale

Seamus McGarvey BSC ASC’s latest production, Bad Times At The El Royale, took centre stage in Issue 89. He tells us why “film is for life”, as well as explaining why shooting exteriors in a studio proved advantageous, and how gaffer Stuart Hegarty’s flexible lighting plan aided production.

Across the Pond

September 2018: “The Jane Goodall of Cinematography”

Mark London Williams was in amongst the hurlyburly this past month, taking in the Creative Arts Emmys and grabbing some words from pioneering DP Ellen Kuras ASC after her win for National Geographic's Jane, along with visits to the ICG Luncheon and a convivial tour of Panavision Hollywood.

Close-Up

Noah Greenberg / Lizzie

Frequent collaborators, DP Noah Greenberg and Director Craig William Macneill, joined forces once more to capture Lizzie - a psychological thriller that recounts the infamous murder of the Borden family in 1892. Trevor Hogg spoke extensively with Greenberg to get his views on shooting his first period piece, released in the US this week.

Camera Creative