A plethora of filtration and lens options gives filmmakers the perfect opportunity to establish the desired look for their project in camera. The instinct to defer creative choices is understandable in an environment as expensive and risk-strewn as a film set. The huge capability of modern post-production makes it more practical than ever to put … Read more
A rental company will welcome you with open arms when you’re looking for an aesthetic for a shoot. But in the pursuit of the right lens you’ll enter a vital creative partnership Ultimately light, or the lack of it, is the final arbiter of a look. So, your invention of this look is at the … Read more
Effective testing can give cinematographers unrivalled insight into lens performance and make their production the best it can be. There’s no easier way to while away an evening among camera crew than to drop an opinion about lenses into the conversation. Choosing lenses which might affect the success of a whole production, meanwhile, demands more … Read more
Whether chosen for their speed and versatility or as a creative tool, zoom lenses deserve their moment in the spotlight. Progress in zoom lenses over the last few decades has created a strange reaction. It’d be easy to conclude that they’ve gone directly from being considered a compromise on quality over convenience, to being too … Read more
Vintage lenses can be an invaluable part of cinematographer’s armoury, but using them effectively can be a balancing act. It’s no stretch to point out the popularity of vintage lenses, and finding a balance between that expressive gloss and the danger of distracting the audience is a compromise modern cinematographers often encounter. After three features … Read more
Is the lens the most important part of the camera channel? It may be and would explain the expanding business of lens customisation and the constant hunt for more glass. Like a music producer covets their microphones, a cinematographer will aspire to using particular lenses. Customising lenses is a wide topic and reaches from a … Read more
Asking cinematographers how they choose and use their lenses can be seen as intruding on a creative process, but a generosity of spirit is strong in this industry. Thanks to the following for sharing their secret sauce. With the arrival of digital cinematography there was concern that a digital harshness would accompany it – particular … Read more
The rise of smart lens technology is equipping cinematographers and the wider camera department with greater knowledge and flexibility on set. Humanity has been using curved glass to bend light for at least 2,500 years, and probably longer, though there are a few differences between an ancient Athenian burning glass and, say, ARRI’s 24-75mm Signature … Read more
Take a quick trip through the lens to see what sets cine lenses apart from their stills counterparts. If lenses designed for cinema and HETV were animals, they would be thoroughbred racehorses trained just for flat racing and nothing else, while lenses for stills photography would be good for the jumps and maybe showjumping. So, … Read more
Filmmakers today are spoilt for choice with the variety and quality of cine lenses available, even if their evolution hasn’t been as dramatic as other camera technology over the years. Given that lenses are the part of camera technology that have undergone the fewest fundamental changes in the last decade or two, the modern fascination … Read more
In the first of British Cinematographer’s new ‘Focus On’ supplements, we’re kicking off proceedings by shining a light on virtual production – a cutting-edge filmmaking tool creating a buzz in the industry. We hope you’ll find these guides a useful resource as they explore a variety of topics moving forward, expanding on the content in … Read more
Working in the virtual realm is nothing new for DNEG’s Paul Franklin but crafting his short film Fireworks in an LED volume presented boundless opportunity for getting creative. Virtual production is something that has been developing for a long time within the world of digital visual effects. VFX artists have worked inside fully virtual environments … Read more
Cinematographer Maria Guerberof shares her first experiences of shooting on an LED volume and the skills she learnt while on the National Film and Television School’s Virtual Production Certificate course. The future of moviemaking is already here. The advances in technologies are re-shaping our traditional ways of working on set. I joined the Virtual Production … Read more
UNTAPPED MIXED REALITY NorthHouse and Helen Dulay for Warner Music Entertainment created a promo for a special performance by Coldplay, featuring songs from “Music of the Spheres”, using ARRI Stage London and hybrid mixed reality techniques to place the band into a fantasy version of Dubai’s Al Wasl dome. Coldplay’s gig was part of Dubai … Read more
INTO THE UNKNOWN As the virtual production era dawned, cinematographer Magdalena Górka ASC PSC led the charge with the technology on the ambitious set of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. When Magdalena Górka ASC PSC joined Star Trek: Strange New Worlds in August 2020, virtual production was still in its infancy. “The only thing I … Read more
JURASSIC SPARK Beasts of old and technology of new converge in fine style in Dinosaurs: The Final Day with David Attenborough‘s DP James Medcraft explains. Creatures that no longer exist, in a landscape that is no more, featuring talent who (for health reasons) no longer travels – there could be no better scenario to apply … Read more
PLAIN SAILING FOR SUMMERER When COVID derailed plans for period drama 1899, set on a migrant steamship, to be a lavish multi-location shoot, the production pivoted to being shot almost entirely on a virtual sound stage, becoming the largest production since The Mandalorian to do so. Netflix helped fund the build of a new VP … Read more
The virtual world is a fascinating, fast-paced, and valuable space for filmmakers to explore for the right production. However, it is vital to ensure cinematographers’ voices are heard throughout the decision-making process and that they have access to the education and flexible, appropriate spaces necessary to succeed, says Greig Fraser ASC ACS. Having enjoyed the … Read more
Light control, colour matching, and close inter-departmental collaboration are the keys to lighting for virtual production. Be ready to integrate with a lot more departments than you were expecting,” advises Jeff Webster. He is probably the world’s most experienced gaffer when it comes to virtual production, having served on The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba … Read more
Directors, DPs, and VP supervisors discuss the workflows, techniques, caveats and benefits of LED volume shooting and the wider world of virtual production. If you’re shooting in an LED volume, what dictates the lighting?” asks director-DP Brett Danton. “If it’s the background, which has already been done, somebody else is dictating where the lighting is … Read more