FIGHTING SPIRIT Simona Susnea explains why series 2 of Apple TV+ period drama The Buccaneers offered “a wonderful opportunity for exploration and playfulness”. The Buccaneers was my first period drama. I shot four episodes out of eight. The episodes were very different in tone and took place in the UK and Italy. William McGregor and … Read more
The 68th BFI London Film Festival (9 to 20 October) in partnership with American Express announce that this year’s opening night gala will be the world premiere of the Apple Original Film, Blitz, directed, produced and written by Academy Award and BAFTA winner Steve McQueen. Blitz follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy … Read more
23-year-old Oliver Hughes, from Dorset, graduated from BA (Hons) Animation (now BA (Hons) Animation & Games) at Arts University Plymouth in 2021 and landed a role as a 3D Animator at global VFX and animation studio the Moving Picture Company (MPC). Two years on, Oliver has worked on blockbuster titles such as Apple’s ‘Prehistoric Planet’, Disney’s live-action … Read more
Cinematographer Gavin Struthers ASC BSC on shooting docs, shooting drama and adapting the look for Apple TV+ show Invasion. After a decade making blue chip British drama like Shameless, Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Holby City, Downton Abbey, Doctor Who and Last Tango in Halifax director of photography Gavin Struthers ASC BSC switched to photographing U.S … Read more
How did you get into VFX? After film school my first job was a runner at Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. It was an amazingly creative place to work and it sparked my love of exploring ways to make the unimaginable come to life. I worked my way up to Head of Production but then took … Read more
TIME FOR REFLECTION Challenged with crafting the dystopian world for Silo, DP Mark Patten BSC made the most of the Lightbridge CRLS system to shape the Apple TV+ series’ dark visual language. When composing the short story Wool, author Hugh Howey envisioned a future where humans live in a 350-year-old subterranean city that is 140 … Read more
Created by Tony Basgallop and executive-produced by M. Night Shyamalan, the horror series Servant has delivered 40 episodes of psychological torment across four seasons as it tells the story of a young couple coping with the loss of their 13-week-old son. The series consistently takes viewers to unexpected places both narratively and visually; in the fourth … Read more
This article was share with permission from Panavision. – From the eerie calm of Lynne Cohen photographs to the “is it safe” aesthetic of Marathon Man, cinematographer Jessica Lee Gagné has underscored her own creative growth with the visual language of the Apple TV+ series Severance. Set amidst deep-seated controversy surrounding a shady corporation known as … Read more
This article was shared with permission from Panavision. – Inspired by real events, the Apple TV+ limited series Black Bird tells the story of Jimmy Keene (Taron Egerton), who, in exchange for early release from his 10-year prison sentence, agrees to be placed in a maximum-security prison where he’s tasked with eliciting a confession from suspected serial … Read more
PREHISTORIC PERFECTION Directors Adam Valdez and Andy Jones spoke to British Cinematographer about their collaboration with MPC when delivering the mind-blowing VFX of Prehistoric Planet. Apple TV+’s latest adventure into the natural world, executive produced by VFX veteran Jon Favreau and narrated by David Attenborough, is awe-inspiring in its attention to detail. The series is … Read more
This article has been shared with permission from Zeiss. – Based on the series of stories by Isaac Asimov and created by David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman for Apple TV+, Foundation deployed seven cinematographers and their teams on (at least) four planets, five spaceships, one giant lift crossing a whole atmosphere, and five time … Read more
This article has been shared with permission from Sony Cine. – Sony recently caught up with Paul Cameron, ASC, to discuss the short film he recently shot with director F. Gary Gray for the big game, featuring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar. Jeff Berlin: First, you’ve used VENICE a … Read more
A WINNING TEAM David Rom discusses avoiding comedy visual stereotypes, a fish-out-of-water cinematography style and pairing the ARRI Alexa LF with Tokina lenses. Ted Lasso is the hugely successful Emmy award-winning comedy series that follows an American football coach as he helps struggling London soccer team AFC Richmond. The AppleTV+ show’s charm struck a chord … Read more
Before Star Wars, Star Trek, and 2001: A Space Odyssey, the ‘Foundation’ series of novels by Isaac Asimov inspired a generation of science fiction lovers and helped usher in the modern science fiction genre. The books, with their expansive stories filled with wildly imaginative ideas and tremendously compelling characters had never been brought to the screen until now. … Read more
Slated for theatrical release on 9 July, feature documentary The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52 took director of photography Alan Jacobsen on a high seas adventure. “In the film, the whale is most often referred to as he, or him,” said Jacobsen, “I imagine this is likely more a reflection of the male-dominated science … Read more
INNER WARFARE Newton Thomas Sigel ASC constructed a multitude of filmic tones to suit the wide-ranging chapters within Cherry, a hard-hitting and daring production combining crime thriller and love story with originality and impact. First love, the unseen wounds of war, and downward spirals of self-destruction are examined in Cherry, a blend of emotions and … Read more
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS Shelly Johnson ASC / Greyhound CLOSE ENCOUNTERS Shelly Johnson ASC / Greyhound BY: Ron Prince In a thrilling WWII story, inspired by actual events during the Battle Of The Atlantic, Captain Ernest Krause leads an international convoy of merchant ships across the treacherous ocean to deliver soldiers and much-needed supplies to the Allied … Read more