The Cinematography Podcast Episode 318: Michael Dallatorre In the film Locked, cinematographer Michael Dallatorre faced a unique challenge: how to make a story primarily set inside a luxury SUV visually compelling. The plot follows small-time criminal Eddie (Bill Skarsgård) as he breaks into a high-tech vehicle, only to find himself trapped in an elaborate psychological game orchestrated by the car's vengeful owner, William (Anthony Hopkins). Mike collaborated closely with director David Yaroves...
Jul 17, 2025•1 hr 14 min
The Cinematography Podcast Episode 317: Mihai Mălaimare Jr. For cinematographer Mihai Mălaimare Jr., ASC, his work with director Francis Ford Coppola from Youth Without Youth to Megalopolis has been a journey of constant education and evolution. Coppola, known for embracing new technology and a dynamic, on-set creative process, frequently pivots to explore fresh ideas in the moment. Megalopolis is Mihai's fifth collaboration with Coppola. Their partnership began when Coppola came to Romania to s...
Jul 09, 2025•1 hr 10 min
The Cinematography Podcast Episode 316: Adam Newport-Berra The Studio creators Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg exploited every part of their knowledge and experience in the film industry to find the show's humor. Cinematographer Adam Newport-Berra worked closely with Rogen and Goldberg to achieve the show's signature style. They found the most dynamic ways to shoot scenes, with camera movements that immerse the audience in the characters' anxiety and panic. “It meant moving with the characters, mov...
Jun 25, 2025•1 hr 32 min
The Cinematography Podcast Episode 315: Stephen Murphy The FX and Hulu limited series Say Nothing is a historical drama that explores the harrowing period known as The Troubles in Northern Ireland, spanning four decades from the 1970s to the 1990s. The series delves into the complexities of the conflict, focusing on sisters Dolours and Marian Price and their part in the IRA. The sisters' involvement in the 1972 abduction and murder of Jean McConville, a widowed mother of ten, is a devastating na...
Jun 18, 2025•1 hr 2 min
As a huge fan of the original Squid Game, cinematographer Kim Ji-yong jumped at the opportunity to shape the visual language for the show's second and third seasons. Ji-yong has masterfully evolved the show's aesthetic, continuing to play with jarring camera perspectives. He uses disorienting low angles looking up and god-like high angles looking down to immerse the viewer in the drama. For him, color and light are the key to unlocking the show's central theme: the tension between childlike inno...
Jun 16, 2025•29 min
The Cinematography Podcast Episode 314: Luke Cormack For cinematographer Luke Cormack, filming the National Geographic series David Blaine: Do Not Attempt was an exercise in capturing the raw, unscripted moments of human connection and extraordinary feats. Luke leaned into his experience as a wildlife documentarian to patiently wait for the perfect, instinctual moments to unfold. The goal was not to capture polished performances, but the raw, visceral reactions from Blaine and the people he enco...
Jun 12, 2025•1 hr 17 min
The Cinematography Podcast Episode 313: Christophe Nuyens A huge admirer of the Star Wars movie Rogue One, cinematographer Christophe Nuyens, SBC embraced the opportunity to serve as director of photography for the first six episodes of Andor Season 2. Christophe focused on expanding Andor's universe, meticulously crafting distinct visual identities for each world. He leaned into naturalistic lighting and a dynamic use of color to evoke a range of moods. “This show has so many different worlds a...
Jun 04, 2025•57 min
The Cinematography Podcast Episode 312: Ksenia Sereda & Catherine Goldschmidt Season 2 of HBO's acclaimed series The Last of Us sees a shift not only in its narrative focus but also behind the camera, with cinematographers Ksenia Sereda and Catherine Goldschmidt, ASC, BSC, taking the visual reins. The season quickly evolves from Joel and Ellie's shared journey into a harrowing exploration of Ellie's relentless pursuit of revenge following Joel's brutal death. This quest is deeply colored by ...
May 28, 2025•1 hr 21 min
The Cinematography Podcast Episode 311: Jacques Jouffret, ASC Netflix's American Primeval plunges viewers into the harsh realities of a gritty, naturalistic Western winter. Cinematographer Jacques Jouffret, ASC, who shot all six episodes, collaborated closely with director Peter Berg to immerse the audience in the era's unforgiving environment. “That was really a lot of hard work. Pete wanted the audience to feel the difficulty of living in that period,” says Jacques. “He wanted to feel the dirt...
May 22, 2025•1 hr 13 min
The Cinematography Podcast Episode 310: Baz Irvine, BSC, ISC The second season of Silo on Apple TV+ is a dramatic visual departure from its predecessor, and cinematographer Baz Irvine, BSC, ISC is at the helm of this transformation. From the very first episode, as Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) ventures into the seemingly deserted Silo 17, viewers are plunged into a progressively darker and more uncertain world. "I think the biggest challenge for Silo 17 was that, at first, it had to appear to be l...
May 15, 2025•1 hr 16 min
The Cinematography Podcast Episode 309: Scott Siracusano The Hulu original horror film, Control Freak, plunges audiences into the unraveling world of Val (Kelly Marie Tran), a motivational speaker tormented by an unrelenting itch on the back of her head. Is it a manifestation of her own mind, or is she falling prey to a parasitic demon from her homeland? Control Freak is a body horror film that delves deep into themes of control, perfectionism, mental health, and generational trauma. Cinematogra...
May 07, 2025•1 hr 25 min
The Cinematography Podcast Episode 308: Jessica Lee Gagné Cinematographer Jessica Lee Gagné is an essential creative force behind Severance on Apple TV+. She has an expanded role in the show's second season with a producer credit and directs the pivotal episode 207, “Chikhai Bardo.” The series' unique look and world-building is meticulously crafted through extensive testing and close collaboration between her and showrunner Ben Stiller, who also directs the majority of episodes. For Severance Se...
Apr 30, 2025•1 hr 18 min
Special: Adam Bricker, ASC Cinematographer Adam Bricker, ASC chats with Illya at our live podcast event hosted by the Broadcast Education Association at NAB Las Vegas. Adam discusses his early career and education, his breakthrough role as the DP of Chef's Table on Netflix, and his work as the sole cinematographer on all four seasons of the Max TV show, Hacks. Adam enjoys shifting between the documentary style of Chef's Table and the narrative scripted comedy of Hacks. "I want my documentary wor...
Apr 23, 2025•50 min
The Cinematography Podcast Episode 307: Johanna Coelho As the cinematographer of all 15 episodes of The Pitt, Johanna Coelho helped create a fresh take on the medical genre's visual style. Executive producer John Wells wanted a feeling of constant urgency and realism to the hospital drama. They chose to treat The Pitt as if it were live theater, meticulously choreographing and blocking every action and movement within the bustling emergency room setting. Most of the episodes of The Pitt were sho...
Apr 16, 2025•1 hr 15 min
Daredevil: Born Again cinematographers Hillary Fyfe Spera and Pedro Gómez Millán were both admirers of the original Daredevil on Netflix. As the lead cinematographer on the new series, Hillary wanted to bring something new to the look of the story. “The goal was to evolve it, to bring it to a more cinematic realm,” she says. This vision was achieved through the use of anamorphic lenses, lending a more elevated and cinematic feel. Influenced by 1970s cinema, particularly The French Connection, th...
Apr 02, 2025•1 hr 8 min
Rachel Mason's documentary, Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna, is not a sensationalist recounting of tragedy. It's a deeply personal exploration of the life and untimely death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, whose life was tragically cut short on the set of Rust. Rachel, a friend and fellow filmmaker, centers the narrative on Halyna herself, weaving together interviews with her friends and colleagues to illuminate her legacy beyond the sensationalized headlines. Rachel and Halyna becam...
Mar 27, 2025•1 hr 14 min
For director Rory Karpf, a core philosophy is that things are going to change- a lesson learned from years of documentary filmmaking. This flexibility proved invaluable when crafting his indie feature, Grace Point. Adapted from a larger, more ambitious script, Grace Point tells the story of a young man on his way to a remote drug rehab. His journey takes a dark and unexpected turn when he finds himself in a strange town being chased by the locals and his own personal demons. The genesis of Grace...
Mar 19, 2025•1 hr 20 min
Heart Eyes isn't your typical horror film or romantic comedy. It's a genre-bending fusion of sweet romance and chilling slasher horror. Cinematographer Stephen Murphy, BSC, ISC has crafted a film that authentically captures the tone of both genres. This ambitious goal required a nuanced approach to lighting and color, a visual language that could seamlessly transition between heartwarming romance and heart-pounding terror. Director Josh Ruben “was very clear from the beginning that he wanted to ...
Mar 12, 2025•1 hr 13 min
Mohammad Rasoulof, the Iranian director whose films have consistently challenged the authority of the Islamic Republic, has faced imprisonment and persecution for his artistic vision. While serving time in Iranian prison for his films A Man of Integrity and 2020’s There Is No Evil, Rasoulof began to think about his next film, The Seed of the Sacred Fig. He was released from prison and began filming The Seed of the Sacred Fig in absolute secrecy while still under close scrutiny by the government....
Mar 05, 2025•1 hr 12 min
Long-time friend and colleague Jenelle Riley of Variety magazine chats with Ben and Illya for our SIXTH annual Oscar nominations special. With a focus on cinematography, they discuss what they liked, what will win, what should win, and their favorite movies of the year that may not have been recognized. They discuss this year's nominations, the BAFTAs as a predictor for this year's Oscars, the ASC Awards nominees, and a little about last year's nominee and winner, Hoyte Van Hoytema, for Oppenhei...
Feb 26, 2025•44 min
Emilia Pérez is about a Mexican cartel leader, Manitas Del Monte (Karla Sofía Gascón) who hires a lawyer (Zoe Saldaña) to help him disappear, undergo gender affirming surgery, and transition into a woman. But even as Emilia Pérez, she is unable to fully leave her dark criminal past behind. Director Jacques Audiard saw the film as a unique blend of gritty drama like Amores Perros and an opera. He approached cinematographer Paul Guilhaume, AFC to collaborate on his vision. With a combination of op...
Feb 19, 2025•1 hr
Sugarcane is a powerful documentary film that delves into the dark history of abuse and murder at a Canadian residential school. These Catholic boarding schools in North America and Canada have caused lasting trauma across Indigenous communities. The film centers around the Williams Lake First Nation in British Columbia, where a ground-breaking investigation into the St. Joseph's Mission residential school is underway. Sugarcane is Oscar-nominated for Best Documentary Feature. Director Emily Kas...
Feb 12, 2025•58 min
Dune: Prophecy, the six-episode prequel series to the Dune films, now streaming on Max, delves into the origins of the Bene Gesserit. The series is set 10,000 years before the events of the movies. Bringing this ancient future to life was just one of the challenges faced by cinematographer Pierre Gill, CSC, a veteran of science fiction and period pieces alike. Pierre, who has a deep affinity for the sci-fi genre, sees it as a close cousin to historical dramas. “It's like another type of period p...
Feb 06, 2025•1 hr 7 min
The Brutalist tells the story of László Tóth (Adrian Brody) a Hungarian-Jewish architect who survives the Holocaust and emigrates to the United States. He meets a wealthy industrialist, Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pierce), who recognizes his talent, and commissions him to design a grand community center. The opportunity presents both a chance for redemption and a descent into a dangerous power dynamic. Cinematographer Lol Crawley, BSC is currently nominated for an Academy Award for his stunning ...
Jan 29, 2025•1 hr 22 min
The Fire Inside is the true story of Claressa "T-Rex" Shields, a boxer from Flint, Michigan and her trainer, Jason Crutchfield. She became the first American woman to win Olympic gold in boxing. The Fire Inside is the feature directorial debut for Rachel Morrison, the first woman cinematographer nominated for an Academy Award. Cinematographer Rina Yang, BSC enjoyed the ability to speak with director Rachel Morrison in a shorthand way about shooting the film. “It did help that I've known Rachel f...
Jan 22, 2025•1 hr 9 min
Nosferatu is a gothic tale of obsession, about a young woman, Ellen, who faces a terrifying supernatural entity after her husband travels to Transylvania to conduct business with the enigmatic Count Orlok. As Orlok arrives in her town, he brings a plague of death and terror, forcing Ellen to confront the monstrous vampire and the darkness within herself. Cinematographer Jarin Blaschke wanted to create a visually distinct and unsettling experience for Nosferatu, drawing inspiration from F.W. Murn...
Jan 15, 2025•1 hr 9 min
The film September 5 is the story of the ABC Sports broadcasting team covering the terrorist attack at the 1972 Munich Olympics. It was the first Olympics to be broadcast live, when Israeli Olympians were taken hostage at the Olympic Village by Palestinian terrorists. The sports reporting team, initially focused on covering the games, finds themselves suddenly thrust into the role of live news reporters as the hostage situation unfolds. They have to grapple with the terrifying events while tryin...
Jan 08, 2025•1 hr 14 min
We welcome back Phedon Papamichael, ASC, GSC for the fourth time on The Cinematography Podcast. Cinematographer Phedon Papamichael started preproduction on A Complete Unknown with frequent collaborator, director James Mangold in 2019, before being postponed by the pandemic. They began prepping in summer 2023 and shooting in earnest by the early spring of 2024, which worked well for capturing the changing of the seasons in New York. The long lead time was a huge benefit for both the cast and crew...
Jan 03, 2025•1 hr 9 min
Cinematographer Lawrence Sher, ASC has a career that spans indie favorites like Garden State to blockbuster hits like the Hangover movies and Joker. But it was the arduous process of creating lookbooks for Garden State that sparked an idea: a comprehensive, searchable database of cinematic images. This idea evolved into ShotDeck, a powerful tool for filmmakers and creatives alike. Larry's initial struggle involved manually grabbing screenshots from DVDs and tapes. Google Images offered some help...
Dec 18, 2024
Anora is the story of Brooklyn, New York exotic dancer, Anora, who meets Ivan, the son of a Russian oligarch at the strip club. They impulsively marry, and once the news reaches Ivan's parents, their henchmen kidnap Ani in order to force her and Ivan to get the marriage annulled. Anora won the 2024 Palme d'Or at Cannes, and is a potential 2025 Oscar nominee. Cinematographer Drew Daniels first started working with director Sean Baker on the film Red Rocket. Drew was a fan of Baker's for years- he...
Dec 11, 2024•1 hr 14 min
