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 gym, the film reveals the sacrifice, isolation, and discipline beneath success. More than a story about victory, Beneath is an intimate portrait of transformation, resilience, and the mindset required to keep moving forward when everything is on the line.

The project came together through a timely collaboration. With Cooke preparing to introduce their new AP3 1.5x anamorphic lenses, there was an opportunity to create a film that could explore their character and capabilities in a meaningful way.

When I called Jake to discuss potential ideas, he had coincidentally just revisited a project he’d wanted to make for many years. The timing couldn’t have been better. Within weeks, we had assembled an incredible team and with the support of Cooke and Sony, were in production.

We paired the Cooke AP3s with the Sony Venice 2 and Mini Rialto system. The combination proved ideal for the story we wanted to tell. As Beneath is fundamentally a film about isolation the full-frame sensor and 2.39:1 aspect ratio helped emphasise the space around Samir, reinforcing both his physical and emotional separation from the world around him.

The Mini Rialto allowed us to keep the camera close to his experience, bringing the audience into his world without feeling intrusive. Its compact form factor also gave us the flexibility to move quickly, whether mounting it to a Snorricam rig or placing it in locations that would otherwise have been difficult or time consuming to access.

Our approach to the cinematography was to create something moody and emotionally driven, embracing a low-key, high-contrast aesthetic throughout. With our main shooting day involving two unit moves, Jake and I spent time carefully scouting the boxing location to ensure we could achieve this look with a minimal lighting package and an efficient setup.

The moment we stepped into Selby Amateur Boxing Club, we knew it was the right location. The space had everything we were looking for: high ceilings, dark walls, plenty of room to work, and a continuous row of windows running down one side of the gym. The existing atmosphere was already doing much of the heavy lifting.

Working closely with my gaffer, Jeff Celis, our lighting approach was intentionally simple. Rather than fighting the natural light, we chose to shape and enhance it, primarily using a Nanlux Evoke 2400B and negative fill where needed. We had additional fixtures on standby, but throughout the day we found that the simplicity of the setup served the film best, allowing us to move quickly while maintaining the mood and consistency we were after.

Our approach to camera movement varied depending on where Samir was in his journey. For the locker room and blackout warehouse sequences, we leaned heavily into Steadicam, combining it with prisms and old school Vaseline on filters to introduce subtle distortions and create a more subjective visual language. These moments were designed to reflect Samir’s state of mind, blurring the line between the physical and psychological pressures he was experiencing.

For almost everything else, we shot handheld. We initially had a number of additional Steadicam shots planned, but it quickly became clear that handheld movement served the film more honestly. The immediacy and rawness of the approach felt more aligned with the intimate nature of the story and kept the audience closely connected to Samir’s experience. Justin Theodore ACO, who operated throughout the shoot, was fantastic in bringing this approach to life. Having worked together on many occasions, my focus puller Alex Rawson instinctively knew exactly where focus needed to land, which was invaluable for the spontaneity of our handheld work.

For some of the running sequences, we also utilised the Ronin 4D paired with Cooke SP3s. This setup allowed me to remain incredibly low profile while matching Samir’s pace, giving us the freedom to move with him naturally and capture a real sense of momentum. In the grade, Mara Ciorba at Harbor Picture Company seamlessly matched the footage from both camera systems and brought a lovely refined finish to the final film.

We shot almost exclusively wide open at T2.4 throughout the film, embracing the character of the lenses and the separation they provided. Across a variety of environments, the lenses delivered consistent colour rendition, smooth bokeh, gentle falloff, and beautifully organic flares, all carrying the unmistakable Cooke look.

Looking back on Beneath, what stands out most is a sense of pure collaboration. There was no client, no agency, just a group of likeminded people who were passionate about telling this story. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who supported the film and contributed their time, talent, and energy to bringing it to life.