PASS THE POPCORN G20 blends ‘80s-style political thrills with old-school action, as Checco Varese ASC uses classic cinematic tricks to frame Viola Davis’ president fighting terrorists at a global summit. Love a good political thriller with high-stakes action, fearless heroes and the kind of tension that keeps you glued to the screen? G20 delivers all … Read more
It is perhaps no accident that after a year as tumultuous as 2023, Emmy and Oscar season(s) remain jumbled together. In normal times, the Emmys would be done by now, but Hollywood continues to experience its own version of William Faulkner’s dictum that the past isn’t really “past” at all – about which, more anon. … Read more
SMOKE & MIRRORS Checco Varese ASC reveals how he visualised 1970s Los Angeles for Daisy Jones & The Six. “There is this myth in American culture that if you live on the East Coast and you travel to the West Coast, everything is going to be better and everything is going to be brighter,” says … Read more
With Cine Gear around the corner, our LA columnist examines the possible implications of the writers’ strike on the much anticipated tradeshow, and speaks to DPs Checco Varese ASC and Ludovica Isidori about their latest projects. As this column goes up, we’ll be on the eve of Cine Gear here in Los Angeles, and its … Read more
MZed will start offering exclusive ASC video content, such as engaging conversations with members (world-renowned DPs Phedon Papamichael ASC, Hoyte van Hoytema ASC, Polly Morgan ASC, Checco Varese ASC, and more) sharing their inspiration, experiences and creative processes. Coming soon: ASC Wildlife Filmmaking & Interview Lighting Workshops During this year’s Jackson Wild Summit held in … Read more
Randy Rainbow took to the stage the first night of the two-part Creative Arts Emmy weekend, there in a sparkling tuxedo, and sang – to the tune of It Had To Be You, a song you probably last heard when you rewatched Casablanca – the words “It Had to Be Crew.” He paused during the … Read more
Checco Varese ASC took home the Emmy for Outstanding Cinematography For A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie at the Creative Arts Emmys on September 4th for his work on Dopesick‘s “Breakthrough Pain.” “I want to thank the Television Academy for this honour, Hulu for allowing us to tell this story, Barry Levinson who showed … Read more
With wisps of autumn in the air – or are those simply the tendrils of wildfires? The dampness of late season floods? – calendar time begins to change. Not only are the days literally shorter (from the standpoint of “light,” anyway – we will leave the existential aspects to you), but, as we’ve noted many … Read more
This article has been shared with permission from Zeiss – ZEISS Cinematography sat down with cinematographer Checco Varese ASC to discuss his work on the hit Hulu series Dopesick. CHECCO: The whole artistic concept behind the piece was to be there as a witness of this tragedy. It’s basically the story of how America got … Read more
A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP Critical to the successful preparation and execution of a movie is the creative partnership forged between the director and cinematographer. In order to explore the fundamental relationship, four pairings were selected, including two veteran actors making their directorial debuts, two Hollywood stalwarts working together for the first time, and a married couple … Read more