Writer-director John Michael McDonagh and cinematographer Larry Smith ASC BSC faced a race against time in the face of a threatening global pandemic to capture the vibrant colours and contrasting scenes of the Moroccan landscape for the feature film The Forgiven. The film, starring Jessica Chastain, Ralph Fiennes and Matt Smith, was shot on Cooke Anamorphic/i … Read more
With a film featuring a more mature cast, set in the world of movie memorabilia, The Sixth Reel’s DP Jendra Jarnagin immediately gravitated to vintage Cooke Speed Panchros to capture a natural look while flattering older skin. The humorous and heart-felt caper follows Jimmy, an old Hollywood-Obsessed New Yorker who is one of an extended community of discerning – and extremely … Read more
When writer/director Christian Rousseau envisioned the look of No Loss // No Gain (NLNG), he knew that the two worlds the film would portray would need to be photographed differently, but the idea of using completely different lenses from two different manufacturers was not part of the initial plan — until cinematographers John Sedlack and Kate Steinhebel had to switch which unit each would photograph. … Read more
In the comedic dual worlds of Kevin Can F**k Himself, coming to AMC in the summer of 2021, cinematographer Adrian Peng Correia relied on Cooke Optics S7/i Full Frame prime lenses for the striking visual voice of reality as opposed to the surreal world of the 4-camera sitcom world. Kevin Can F**k Himself is the story about a woman (Annie Murphy) who keeps playing a perfect housewife. Then, … Read more
Director of Photography Alexander Hackinger has brought a cinematic yet intimate ambience to the Meet Your Master German series of inspirational and entertaining online courses with the use of Cooke S4/i prime lenses and ARRI Amira and Alexa Mini cameras. Produced by Wolff Brothers, Meet Your Master is an online education platform enabling viewers to sign up to learn from specialists in their fields. … Read more
Cooke Optics has appointed Adrian Keane to the role of CFO. Reporting to CEO Tim Pugh, Adrian will be responsible for all financial aspects of the business as it continues to grow operationally and geographically. With over 30 years of financial and commercial experience at the highest levels across a range of industry sectors, from manufacturing to transportation, Adrian has a proven track record of delivering and managing strategic … Read more
For cinematographer Isaac Vila, the choice of lenses is the most important decision of all when planning a feature film. For his latest project, Netflix’s Below Zero, which has quickly become a breakout hit globally, he chose Cooke S7/i Full Frame lenses, creating the perfect atmosphere for this action thriller. The Spanish Netflix Original follows the events after … Read more
Cooke Optics has announced the appointment of Andy Buckland to the newly created role of director of product management. Reporting directly to Tim Pugh, CEO, Buckland’s new role includes responsibility for developing Cooke’s product roadmap, including launching forums to enable the design and development team to engage more effectively with our diverse range of customers and users. Buckland brings extensive experience from … Read more
Cooke Optics, the manufacturer of precision lenses for film and television, has transferred the Cooke Archives, an historic collection dating from 1886, to a new permanent home at the Margaret Herrick Library. The library is the main repository of research materials of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, located in Beverly Hills, California. The Cooke Archives, which includes documents, photographs … Read more
Cooke Optics has announced that multi-award-winning lens designer Iain Neil has accepted the role of chief optics advisor. Neil will provide support for Cooke’s team of in-house lens designers and support the company’s plans to develop next-generation lenses that will keep Cooke at the forefront of the industry. Neil is the recipient of 12 Academy … Read more
Following the worldwide success of its 2019 debut, the second season of HIERRO recently premiered on Movistar + in Spain, once again featuring the photography of cinematographer Jose Luis Bernal AEC who this time relied on Cooke Anamorphic/i SF (Special Flair) lenses to create a new look for the series. Created by brothers Pepe and … Read more
Israeli born British filmmaker Dekel Berenson is inspired by the stories of brave and determined women worldwide. Karen Pyudik finds out about his latest creation Anna and collaboration with Ukranian DP Volodymyr Ivanov. Dekel Berenson wanted to construct Anna out of the five stories connected thematically, with his creative analysis theme being individuals who experience … Read more
Cinematographer Felix Wiedemann, BSC chose Cooke Optics’ S7/i Full Frame Plus prime lenses to shoot Behind Her Eyes, a six-part mystery-drama for Netflix. Based on the eponymous novel by Sarah Pinborough, the story follows Louise, a single mum with a son and a part-time job in a psychiatrist’s office. Louise begins an affair with her … Read more
DP Toby Oliver, ACS (Australian Cinematographers Society) and director Josh Greenbaum selected Cooke Optics Anamorphic/i Standard and Special Flair (SF) prime and zoom lenses to tell the story of best friends Barb and Star who leave their small Midwestern town for the first time to go on vacation in Vista Del Mar, Florida, where they … Read more
Robert Lorenz’s movie The Marksman debuted at No. 1 on release in the US and is a title that owes much of its look to DP Mark Patten’s choice of Cooke lenses. As such, it’s not unusual — Cooke Optics’ lenses are a perennially popular choice for productions, especially those looking to maximise the majesty … Read more
LOVE AND LOSS Dick Pope BSC / Supernova LOVE AND LOSS Dick Pope BSC / Supernova BY: ZOE MUTTER Writer/director Harry Macqueen’s second feature Supernova explores love, loss and the heartbreak of coping with a terminal illness that is cruelly causing cherished memories to fade. Supernova tells the powerful love story of partners of 20 … Read more
When it came time to select lenses for the Lookout Point’s six-episode series of Vikram Seth’s bestselling novel A Suitable Boy, DP Declan Quinn knew exactly what he wanted: Cooke Optics’ flagship spherical S4/i primes. Produced to extremely high production standards and directed by Indian-American filmmaker Mira Nair, A Suitable Boy tells the story of … Read more
The pressure is on: film director Carlos Montero writes the novel, The Mess You Leave Behind, imagining every scene and character as he writes, and not too far in time after that, he calls cinematographer Isaac Vila to let him know that the project will be taken to the screen and shaped into an eight-episode … Read more
New on the #shotoncooke curated motion gallery is Camerimage main competition Silver Frog winner, director of photography Rauno Ronkainen, with a selected sequence, technical breakdown and testimonial from Ronkainen on the feature film Helene. Helene is is a story about the life of famous Finnish painter Helene Schjerfbeck (who lived between 1862 – 1946). The … Read more
For cinematographer Peter Simonite, ASC, CSC lensing the drama Fugitive Dreams meant needing a vintage look — but a look that was also consistent between lenses. To accomplish this, he chose the Cooke Optics Panchro/i Classic to give director and writer Jason Neulander the exact look he wanted for the film. Fugitive Dreams, based on … Read more