Rob Hardy talks shooting Clayface, Ex Machina & why cinematography shouldn't be noticed (4K)

Half the Picture's guest this episode is Rob Hardy BSC, the cinematographer best know for his brilliant work on movies as diverse as Clayface, Ex Machina, Supergirl, Mission: Impossible Fallout, Civil War and Annihilation amongst so many others.

Rob joined Billy on the pod' to chat about his unique approach to cinematography and the craft, skills and philosophy he's developed over his decades in the business. He also touched on how Clayface allowed him to explore his favourite genre of horror and what sets it apart visually from the rest of the DCU, the Annihilation scene that impressed Tom Cruise enough to hire him for Mission Impossible, shooting that infamous Oscar Isaac disco dance number in Ex Machina and what ultimately makes a good cinematographer. For all this and more, watch on!

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Note: This interview was recorded on July 3rd, 2026.

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Timecodes:
Intro - 0:00
Conversation Begins - 01:40
"The Rob Hardy Look" - 03:16
Rob's Cinematic Influences - 04:45
Working with Tom Cruise as a DP - 08:10
Should Cinematography Be Noticed? - 10:24
"What Makes a Good Cinematographer?" - 13:14
Finding Truth In The Image - 14:23
Shooting Supergirl - 18:06
Lessons from Shooting Music Videos - 21:08
Looking Through The Viewfinder - 23:49
Shooting Civil War - 26:13
Civil War's Ending - 32:40
War Photography & "Post-Film Blues" - 37:08
Life as a Cinematographer - 40:00
Alex Garland - 43:12
Annihilation, Tarkovsky & Stalker - 46:29
Shooting Men (2022) - 48:01
Ex Machina Dance Scene - 51:46
Tom Cruise meets Alex Garland - 53:34
Annihilation Bear Scene - 55:05
Mission Impossible Fallout Bathroom Scene - 56:38
Clayface - 01:01:02
Outro - 01:05:02

'Rob Hardy talks shooting Clayface, Ex Machina & why cinematography shouldn't be noticed (4K)’ is a non-profit project intended for educational purposes only. No copyright laws were intended to be broken. All rights to any material used remain courtesy of their respective owners.