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 Alexa 35
Look you needed to achieve: To evoke the visual style of ‘90s rom-coms and slasher movies.
Lens testing process: I projected two sets of these lenses to look at the distortion and edge sharpness and then had a look at them in comparison to other sets of Panavision Anamorphics to compare flare, contrast and character. Taking the time to compare multiple sets on a projector meant we could cherry pick a set that worked perfectly for our needs.
Why your chosen lens was the most appropriate: I was looking for a set of lenses that had the character of older C and B Series Anamorphics used in American studio movies of the ‘70s and ‘80s. I wanted strong anamorphic flare, with a colder colour as well as nice fall off on the edges of the lenses. I also wanted the modern convenience of good close focus and consistent T-stops, something that doesn’t always go hand in hand with older anamorphic lenses. Dave Doyle in Panavision Ireland suggested these custom tuned lenses before I left for New Zealand, some of which had older B Series front elements mated to a T Series body and some of which were just T Series lenses that had been detuned to bring out a different character. The 40mm and 60mm had excellent close focus. I fell in love with them instantly. The distortion was lovely, the fall off was perfect and the flare was magical. They had a great size and weight so I could use them on Steadicam or handheld with no problems, and the close focus meant we used them in small spaces constantly, rarely needing to use diopters. Panavision anamorphics combined with hard backlight always looks like cinema to me. The backlight wraps around the actors, bounces around the lens and acts like a natural fill light. With a very active camera I could keep some of my light sources in shot and watch as the lenses reacted beautifully as the camera passed through them and flared across the screen with terrific energy.
Lens lessons this production taught you: It’s always worth asking Panavision what hidden gems they have on their shelves. They have so many custom options, I always find they can recommend something for me to test that I never even knew existed and they’re always able to find me glass that exceeds my ambitions for the story.
