LOVE AND LAVA Ollie Downey BSC recounts shooting The Fires in Iceland, navigating volcanic eruptions, extreme weather and a tiny crew to capture epic visuals on a modest budget. There aren’t too many more exciting calls to get as a cinematographer than to travel to Iceland to shoot a feature film. I was lucky enough to receive the call from my friend, … Read more
SIGNS OF THE TIMES Ollie Downey BSC relied on Astera tubes with diffusion socks and HMIs outside windows to light Reunion, managing a tight schedule and high page count with a traditional yet effective lighting setup. The BBC drama miniseries Reunion is widely regarded as the first major UK primetime series to place the deaf experience at its … Read more
DIGGING DEEPER Apple’s dystopian drama Silo pushes creative boundaries in its ambitious second season, with parallel timelines, epic visuals, and innovative cinematography that redefines underground storytelling. Apple was confident enough in its world building drama Silo that season two was already well into production before the first season had even released. Baz Irvine BSC ISC (Invasion) recalls … Read more
ELECTRIC DREAMS A sparky HETV reimagining of Naomi Alderman’s award-winning speculative novel, The Power, subverts gender dynamics with an electrifying twist. We speak to three of the show’s DPs – Ollie Downey BSC, Ruairí O’Brien BSC ISC and Carlos Catalan – about their work. In a rather literal bolt from the blue, women suddenly find themselves … Read more
SPECIAL OPS The team behind short film Fireworks explain how they used virtual production technology to explore new ideas and immersive storytelling. Fireworks is a short political thriller about MI6 agents in a special operations room in London attempting to eliminate a dangerous militant in Tripoli. Helmed by VFX house DNEG’s creative director Paul Franklin and backed by Epic Games, … Read more
We’re delighted to announce that the September 2021 issue of British Cinematographer is now here! You can find out more about the incredible interviews and articles you can expect to find inside our 107th edition now by reading on… BEN RICHARDSON ASC ON MARE OF EASTTOWN In this month’s cover story special, Ben Richardson ASC shares fascinating insight into his … Read more