BCineSkills Article Category: Interviews with Cinematographers
Cassius Rayner: Mobile Filmmaking 101
Cassius Rayner is one of the hardest working people in mobile filmmaking today. He’s been quietly making films for more than 20 years, working as a director and camera operator for many years working on a variety of productions in the UK and around Europe for such icons as Sky, ABC, PBS, FilmFour and Channel … Read more
Director-DP Lauren Maya Davis on Songbirds
Please share an outline of the production? Songbirds is a short film inspired by personal experiences working with children and rescued wolves and is loosely based on scenes from the award-winning novel Theft by American writer BK Loren. It was awarded bronze at the 2024 CICLOPE Festival in Berlin, has been awarded best short film … Read more
DP James Hoare on Don’t Talk About the Monster on the Roof
Please share an outline of the production? Don’t Talk About the Monster on the Roof is a short student film that follows four buddies on a road trip who are confronted with a monstrous creature living on the roof of their car. This film was a final major project for the Screen Arts course at … Read more
Yu-Ming Huan / “To Night”
CHINESE WINTERS DP Yu-Ming Huang and director Rui Wang won the music video category at the CVP Canon Stories in Motion event with their video for the song To Night. Here they explain filming it during the winter break. When Rui Wang was approached by rap group Ghost Crew to direct its music video “To Night”, … Read more
Nanu Segal BSC / Hoard
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 me the script for Hoard, as soon as I read it, I knew this was … Read more
Industry Wide Shot / Studios
TRUE BRIT As UK studios adapt to industry changes, they are expanding, embracing sustainability, and enhancing training initiatives, paving the way for a vibrant future in film. The uncertainty around film and HETV production may not have yet subsided, but studios—the foundation of the UK film industry in more ways than one—continue to operate. Expansion … Read more
Tim Palmer BSC / Geek Girl
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 photographer in the late 1980s. I used to shoot everything on medium format, which gave … Read more
Benedict Spence BSC / Eric
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 long-term director collaborator Lucy Forbes said it was a mystery thriller, all set in 1980’s … Read more
Benjamin Kračun BSC / The Substance
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 pages of that is dialogue. So when I read it, I thought it was amazing … Read more
Lorene Desportes / Diary of a Ghost
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 a variety of different location styles for us to work with, which required a lot … Read more
Andy Leung / Arcade
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, underworld vibe. Projects like Good Time and Euphoria Season 2 served as close reference points, … Read more
Industry Wide Shot / Aerial filming
WATCH THE SKIES Aerial cinematography is booming as filmmakers leverage advanced drone and helicopter technology to create dynamic, breathtaking visuals for major productions. Aerial cinematography took a dive last year, along with the rest of the industry, but the skies are getting busier, as filmmakers shooting from drones and helicopters take advantage of the latest … Read more
Rick Joaquim SASC / Stay Calm
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 as three paramedics fight to save the life of a wounded criminal. Acclaimed actors Shaun … Read more
Samuel Perry-Falvey / “Money Game Part 3”
STRENGTH IN COLLABORATION Co-directors Ren and Samuel Perry-Falvey continue their stellar collaboration which already produced the Camerimage-selected music video for “Hi Ren” at last year’s festival. Having lensed the music video for “Hi Ren” in 2022, Samuel Perry-Falvey returns to work with the idiosyncratic musician Ren. This time, to shoot the visual accompaniment to the … Read more
Daniel Stafford-Clark / Big Mood
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 dark edges that doesn’t pull its punches. It follows the friendship of two women living … Read more
Anna Patarakina FSF / Insomnia
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+ with a director I have always loved working with —Börkur Sigþórsson. Sigþórsson and I had … Read more
Shane Hurlbut ASC / Música
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 a series of seven three-hour brainstorms. During one of our deliberations, Rudy presented the idea … Read more
Simon Rowling / Lord of Misrule
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 agent. It was such an intense, spine-tingling read that I wasn’t able to put it … Read more
Rina Yang BSC / ‘Anti-Hero’
WOMEN OF THE HOUR Taylor Swift’s ‘Anti Hero’ video, written and directed by the multi-hyphenate singer, was a big hit with MTV Video Music Awards voters. Best Cinematography winner Rina Yang BSC reflects on her work on the fun shoot. “Watch my nightmare scenarios and intrusive thoughts play out in real time,” is how Taylor … Read more
Dominic Howlett / “La Prison Des Amoureuses Malheureuses”
Inside job Director Flora Lopategui and DP Dominic Howlett bring creativity to a three-day music video project, featuring a prison setting, using limited resources for a compelling visual narrative. In the realm of music videos, artists transcend the visual medium, delving into potent symbolism to craft intricate narratives that elevate their songs to cinematic heights. … Read more