LIBERATION AND LAUGHTER

Laughter and living life to the full play a starring role in Channel 4 comedy Big Age. Cinematographer Bani Mendy reveals how he lensed the pilot episode of the invigorating production. 

“It’s so liberating for young women and conveyed such a positive message about being free to live your life not worrying about what others think,” says cinematographer Bani Mendy about the script for Big Age. 

Working with writer creator Bolu Babalola, director Nosa Eke and producer Amy Annette, Mendy helped craft their on-screen vision whilst lensing the pilot episode of the comedy which forms part of Channel 4’s Black to Front diversity initiative and follows a group of young black British friends in the ‘big age’ era of their lives. 

“It’s about young black women having lots of fun,” he says. “Although the characters Dela and Sadé are conscious of the world around them, they embrace their lives and friends with so much energy and love. It was also interesting to explore their ambitions, family dynamics and Nigerian parental expectations.” 

Planning how best to capture the multi-faceted narrative saw Mendy explore new creative techniques, looking outside of his preconceived ideas about framing. “When I graduated from film school, I worked as a director for some years before I became a DP. My psychological approach to framing was built up over many years and I would usually associate a closed frame with a dark moment or being closed off from the world or a situation,” he says. 

During pre-production, director Eke suggested playing with framing which in turn resulted in the creation of the Friend Lens, inspired by American comedy dramas such as High Fidelity (2000) and comedy series including Broad City (2014-19). “Using our Friend Lens approach, we shot two people talking in a closed frame and at a low aperture, making it feel like nothing else in the world existed and creating a connection between them.” 

This technique helped with coverage when working on a tight schedule during the six-day shoot. “The main cast had to be on stage at the theatre each night, so sometimes we didn’t get the desired coverage and had to choose it under pressure. The Friend Lens assisted us during developing that shorthand.” 

Aside from the Friend Lens method, Eke was keen to use a split screen effect to inject more energy and pace into some scenes, whilst telling multiple stories simultaneously. Elsewhere, Mendy tried to keep shots wide and limited camera movement. “Sometimes the comedy happens in the two shot or three shot. Our cast were great at physical acting, so if you went too close you lost some of the comedy. It was about keeping the camera back when possible, to give them the space needed for the performance. Even when tracking in, those shots started and ended wide.” 

As the budget would not allow for the Steadicam shot Eke had hoped would capture the Play Pen sequences, Mendy shot it handheld, using two four-foot sections of track constructed with his ACs. “I then operated the track and dolly, like a slider, with me skateboarding off the side. We were proud of those seemingly impossible shots.” 

Big Age presented Mendy with the largest space he has ever been required to black out to shoot a day-for-night sequence – a glass-fronted café with three-storey-high windows spanning 270-degrees around the building. The offices of Tiger Aspect – the production company behind Big Age – doubled up for Dela’s bedroom, an office and reception. Two days of filming took place at MC Motors studios in Hackney to capture party scenes in the Play Pen club. 

Creating authentic settings began with a colour scheme. Mendy took photos of each location and then explored colours that worked within each environment with production designer Angel Parmar. “I then used Angel’s 3D renders of each location and made sure my lighting designs complemented the sets, as well as the costumes and make-up, checking the materials weren’t too busy,” says Mendy. 

Capturing the vibrancy of the production was made possible using an ARRI Alexa Mini and Master Prime lenses, supplied by Cinehouse in Tottenham. “Kevin Harvey – the founder of Cinehouse – and I have been friends for years and the service provided is always excellent. He supported me early in my career with kit I couldn’t have otherwise afforded, and I’ve stayed loyal to him ever since.” 

Mendy was confident the ARRI camera and lenses would deliver the clean, true-to-life images Eke wanted. A light Tiffen Glimmerglass diffusion filter was also used, with a stronger version for the heightened moments. “Colourist Joe Stabb from post house Fifty Fifty also helped heighten moments by isolating and accentuating feelings. I achieved the rest through lighting because I believe that is the best way to capture a consistent image.” 

Eke also outlined a need for lighting to be motivated by emotion which was realised through a lighting package mostly comprising colour-balanced tungsten fixtures. “I lit very broadly, with large 5K tungsten sources, evenly spread Jemballs rigged into the ceilings for scenes such as those in the Play Pen, and then used Litemats on wheels which could be quickly moved. 

“Being under pressure in terms of timing taught me the importance of creating a lighting environment that allows everyone to win. If the actors are really bringing it and we only have an hour left to get the shots, I need to light broadly, even if I really want to spend time finessing. I knew that would cost us the basic coverage, so I had to be selfless and do what would be best for the cast, crew, show, and its creator’s vision.” 

Gaffer Max Hodgkinson helped accomplish the required look and feel and was also crucial during the crossover period when the “brilliant and professional” DP Anna McDonald took over the last two days of the shoot due to an unavoidable clash in schedules caused by the pandemic shutdown. “Max had seen my past work, which had quite harsh contrast ratios, and very quickly understood what we were trying to achieve on Big Age. We still wanted that contrast, but the vibe of this show is brighter and less dramatic.  

“Max and his team went above and beyond to make sure we hit schedule and went through the lighting plans in detail with Anna when she shot the last two days. I was also wowed by the whole camera team, including the work of 1^st AC Devon Sherwood-Clarke and 2^nd AC Joss Bitelli – especially as it was Joss’s first time stepping up from trainee to 2^nd AC. An incredibly devoted and skilled team helped bring Big Age to life.”