Exploring new territory through in-depth features and comment from some of the industry’s most experienced cinematographers, their collaborators and industry experts.
There is no such thing as one size fits all when it comes to creating a visual approach for film making. That is quite an obvious thing to say but with so many demands on a DP’s time these days in pre-production from budgeting issues, time restraints and even environmental and corporate policy how do … Read more
ZEISS Supreme Zoom Radiance offer cinematographers flexibility, consistency and controlled flares, allowing them to add texture and atmosphere to their cinematic creations. ZEISS Supreme Zoom Radiance lenses are one-of-a-kind modern cine zooms with unique character. A set of three purpose-built T2.9 high-end cine zooms – 15-30mm, 28-80mm and 70-200mm, which let cinematographers create their distinct … Read more
TLS revives the iconic Zeiss Standard Speeds for modern filmmaking. In a world where digital precision often dominates the conversation, where sharpness is measured and every pixel is accounted for, cinematographers are rediscovering the power of imperfection. There’s a growing appreciation for the organic qualities that breathe life into an image: the subtle texture, the … Read more
Leitz Cine open up the creative options for cinematographers thanks to an array of storytelling tools including the HUGO, ELSIE and THALIA lenses. Lenses with character remain widely used across all budget levels, but as more and more cinematographers try these old, classic lenses they discover trade-offs in consistency, flare control, and availability. However, some … Read more
Klaus Eckerl, CEO and founder of IBE Optics, and Winnie Heun, director of photography, give the lowdown on the key features of the RAPTOR SCOPE and what makes it stand out in the market. How does one come up with the idea to build something like a SCOPE? Klaus Eckerl (KE): Back in 2004 Wolfgang Weigel … Read more
CINEFLARES, created by Markus Förderer ASC BVK, offers a comprehensive lens database to compare flare, contrast, and colour for cinematographers. CINEFLARES is a unique web app that allows cinematographers to test and compare lenses for their flare and image characteristics and find just the right lens for their story. It is the brainchild of Markus … Read more
Poland’s best-kept filmmaking secret, ATM SYSTEM pairs rare vintage lenses with expert tech and sommelier-style service, helping DPs unlock bold, character-rich visuals. Most rental houses claim to meet every need, but few truly cater to a cinematographer’s discerning eye. Even fewer offer rare lenses and expert guidance. ATM SYSTEM, Poland’s largest independent rental house, is … Read more
Cinematographer Martin Ruhe ASC shoots in large format with ARRI Rental’s exclusive ALFA anamorphic lenses on the spy thriller starring Rami Malek. CIA cryptographer Charlie Heller (Rami Malek) has his life turned upside down when his wife is killed in a London terror attack. Frustrated by the agency’s muted response, he overrides his remit and … Read more
With optical innovation at its core, Panavision’s lens rental inventory offers new advancements while continuing to support legacy lenses. “An artist might use airbrush or acrylic or oil or spray paint, and the people who make those products don’t decide what art is going to be made with them,” says Charlie Todman, technical marketing director … Read more
CVP’s European Lens Summit returns, offering knowledge, networking and insightful sessions designed around real tools and real-world tests. In a digital world of bits and bytes, lenses remain reassuringly analogue and a solid unbreakable link to the way that content has been shot since the early days of film. Cinematographers will often talk about lenses … Read more
FRAMING GRIEF Production name: Him Then Us Production type: Short film Cinematographer: Sarah Tehranian Director: Elika Norowzian Overview of production and the visual approach you adopted: Him Then Us was an ambitious short, half shot in gritty urban London, half in the vast mountains of the Yorkshire Dales. This shift mirrored the emotional journey of … Read more
HEART OF THE ACTION BODY// Production name: Thirst Production type: Criminal drama Cinematographer: Emils Spungis LGC Director: Ronalds Mezmacs Overview of production and the visual approach you adopted: The screenplay is originally written and directed by the director Ronalds Mezmacs and when I joined the project just a month before the production had started, he … Read more
A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY Production name: Atom & Void Production type: Short film Cinematographer: Alex Grigoras Director: Gonçalo Almeida Overview of production and the visual approach you adopted: The film follows Valya, a spider who leaves her burrow to investigate a strange disturbance, only to discover she lives inside a dead astronaut aboard a drifting … Read more
VOYAGE INTO VINTAGE Production name: Rumours Production type: Feature film Cinematographer: Stefan Ciupek Director: Guy Maddin, Evan and Galen Johnson Lens(es) used: Cooke S2 TLS rehoused (1950s Lens set) Camera used: 2 ARRI Alexa 35, 1 Fuji XH2S Look you needed to achieve: A brave, surrealistic, vintage 35mm film aesthetic. I reviewed many of Guy … Read more
LEAD CHARACTER Production name: Heart Eyes Production type: Feature film Cinematographer: Stephen Murphy BSC ISC Director: Josh Ruben Overview of production and the visual approach you adopted: A horror rom-com with a visual style akin to ‘90s horror movies. Lens(es) used: Panavision B-tuned T Series Anamorphics Lenses supplied by: Panavision New Zealand Camera used: ARRI … Read more
POWER OF SIMPLICITY Production name: The Creator Production type: Feature film Cinematographer: Oren Soffer, Greig Fraser ASC ACS Director: Gareth Edwards Overview of production and the visual approach you adopted: This film adopted a unique production approach for a film of its scale, embracing a minimalistic almost guerrilla/documentary filmmaking style with the camera rigged on a gimbal … Read more
Ed Moore BSC explores the evolving role of virtual production in cinematography, emphasising creative lens choices and the importance of fundamental techniques for believable visual effects. In the days of miniature and optical effects, visual effects often used two lenses – one for photographing miniatures, the other for live action. With CGI, one lens became … Read more
High-end filmmaking has long been a discipline in which huge efforts were made to put the most capable equipment in the most interesting places, but ever since crews hauled 65mm into the deep desert for Lawrence of Arabia, ambitious cinematographers have pushed for smaller, easier gear. Better film stocks and digital cameras helped cinematographers in … Read more
Through the careful choice of focal length and field of view, a DP can dramatically affect how the audience sees a character and their relationship to the world around them. “The choice of focal lengths will affect how we see the world as an audience is modulated,” says Alex Grigoras. “If our normal human vision … Read more
For most of the history of filmmaking, field of view and focal length has existed in a fairly fixed relationship. Beyond adjustments for anamorphics and 16mm, it was only spectacular large-scale formats developed to fight mid-century television which changed how focal length worked. This has changed as sensors have evolved. Now that silicon sensors come … Read more
