In the new horror film Strange Darling, a one-night stand at a motel becomes a dangerous game of cat and mouse as the woman is chased down by a serial killer. But nothing is what it seems as the film is cleverly revealed in chapters out of sequence, allowing the audience to slowly piece together the thriller. Giovanni Ribisi, the cinematographer of Strange Darling, has been a familiar face on screen for decades as an actor. Over the past 15 years, he's been quietly honing his skills behind the camera on music videos and commercials. Strange Darling is his first feature as a cinematographer. After growing up on film sets and around cameras, Giovanni was always curious about the mystery, magic and technology of creating images on film. He says, “The difference between acting and cinematography is, with acting, you start from a subjective place where you want to work from the inside out on a character to establish or understand the experience of what the writer had intended for that character. (Cinematography) is the inversion of that. It's an objective launching pad trying to get more subjective for stories.” After working on the visually captivating film, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004), Giovanni began exploring the world of visual effects. He enrolled at the Gnomon School in North Hollywood to learn the basics, while continuing to act in order to pay the bills. Giovanni and some partners formed the visual effects company, Stereo D, which they eventually sold. Though he continued acting, Giovanni turned his attention to photography and cinematography, experimenting with film stock and cameras for personal projects and music videos. Once Strange Darling director JT Mollner sent Giovanni the script, they were on the phone within 15 minutes discussing how they could make the film on a tight budget with some of Giovanni's gear and resources. Giovanni feels strongly that most filmmakers don't have the time to really dig in and create a movie. Strange Darling was about $4 million dollars, and typically would have been granted 18 days to shoot. Instead, they budgeted for a 32 day schedule, which allowed Mollner to have time to make something in realistic terms, with a humane schedule for the crew. Giovanni's choice to shoot Strange Darling on 35mm film was a deliberate one. When a film is shot digitally, Giovanni feels the camera crew is often just checking off boxes, “hosing down” a scene with as many shots as possible without much thought to the process as they go. He appreciates the aesthetic qualities of film and the meticulous planning involved. In contrast to the often frantic pace of digital filmmaking, he and Mollner meticulously planned every shot, creating a detailed shotlist that guided the entire production. The visual inspiration for Strange Darling came from classic films of the 60s and 70s, such as Mademoiselle, The Innocents, and The Devils. They worked closely with the production designer to develop a unique color palette for each scene, with vivid primary colors playing a huge part in each scene. As the cinematographer, Giovanni was extremely proud of a long dialogue scene in the film that was bathed in neon blue light from the motel. The carefully crafted lighting and composition create a visually striking and memorable moment. Strange Darling showcases Giovanni's ability to create visually stunning and thought-provoking work as a cinematographer. His passion for filmmaking and transition from actor to cinematographer is rare and inspiring. Sponsored by Hot Rod Cameras www.hotrodcameras.com The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com Facebook: @cinepod Instagram: @thecinepod Twitter: @ShortEndz

The Apple TV+ show, Lessons in Chemistry, is a period piece set in the 1950s. Elizabeth Zott (Brie Larson) is a brilliant chemist whose career is derailed by sexism. Denied her scientific aspirations, she finds an unexpected platform hosting a cooking show, using it to empower women and challenge societal norms. Zachary Galler, one of the Emmy-nominated cinematographers behind the stunning visuals of Lessons in Chemistry, brought a unique perspective to the 1950s drama. Rather than indulging in nostalgia, Zack aimed to create a lived-in world that resonated with contemporary audiences. The team chose the ARRI Alexa Mini LF camera because it handles natural light very well. After many lens tests, they picked Canon K 35 lenses, which Zack felt were quite flattering. One of the show's most visually striking settings was the chemistry lab. While it might seem like a dream location for a cinematographer, Zack found unique challenges. "So much of what chemists do is pouring clear liquids into other clear liquids," he explained. To overcome this, Zack focused on creating spaces that allowed for dynamic performances, emphasizing natural light and embracing imperfections to enhance the authenticity of the scenes. Zack and his team meticulously planned their shots, opting for side lighting to draw viewers into the characters’ worlds. They also employed practical techniques like dollies and Steadicams for dynamic walk-and-talk scenes. To capture the era's aesthetic, Galler developed a custom LUT inspired by vintage food photography. However, the power of the performances ultimately led to a decision to tone down the LUT, allowing the actors to shine without visual distractions. Collaborating with fellow cinematographer Jason Oldek on the series was a highlight for Zack. "I feel like what’s really successful about the show is the comprehensive world-building that we did," he said. Together, they crafted a visual language that captured the essence of the 1950s without resorting to clichés, creating a world that felt both familiar and fresh. Find Zachary Galler: https://www.zacharygaller.com/ Instagram: @zachary_galler Sponsored by Hot Rod Cameras www.hotrodcameras.com The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com Facebook: @cinepod Instagram: @thecinepod Twitter: @ShortEndz

For cinematographer Vanja Černjul, ASC, finding creative inspiration within House of the Dragon season 2 wasn't difficult. “House of the Dragon includes such a range of settings, from huge battle scenes to remote locations with just a small crew, a camera and tripod,” he says. “What's in front of the camera is so strong that you really have to exercise every filmmaking or storytelling muscle that you have developed over the years.” Vanja was the director of photography for episodes 6 and 7 and the production team chose to use the ARRI Alexa 35 for season 2. They knew that the Alexa's superior sensor would retain all the details of candlelight and fire, showing the highlights of light without blowing out the source. Vanja was happy that House of the Dragon Season 2 included many more locations and amazing sets on a large backlot, with much less filming on volume stages. The volume stages were mainly used for the dragon riding scenes, on a stage in London with three large LED screens surrounding the actors on a mechanical device. The pre-production and prep process for House of the Dragon season 2 was lengthy and extremely detailed. Five director and DP teams worked on eight episodes. They started with creating a shot list that was approved by the show producers, then shared with the visual effects department and storyboard artists. “In order to create the best visual effects, they needed to know what we were going to do on location as early as possible,” says Vanja. “It really streamlined the visual effects process and allowed enough time for them to build excellent visual effects.” Prep was just as intense as the pre-production period. House of the Dragon was a huge production that required multiple directors, DPs, and assistant directors to prepare each episode while others were being shot. All five teams had to shoot and share the same locations, so there was a rigorous schedule with little room for extending shoot days. Episode 7 features a stunning dragon battle sequence, seamlessly done as what appears to be a oner. Vanja worked with director Loni Peristere to plot out the scene, which takes place in a huge cave where the dragons live. All the action was centered around the shot, and featured practical stunts. “There were 16 people on fire in a dragon battle in one scene. It's really mind-blowing when you're there in person, they really know what they're doing- but it's people on fire, falling from the ceiling!” says Vanja. Once the stunt person was ignited, they could only be on fire for a few seconds, so it was important to get the shots as fast as possible. Vanja is also Emmy-nominated for the documentary Jim Henson: Idea Man, along with friend and fellow cinematographer Igor Martinović. Vanja grew up watching The Muppet Show, and is a huge fan of Jim Henson's work. Vanja and Igor worked together to shoot all the interviews for the documentary, as well as the stop-motion sequences within it. Vanja had never shot any stop-motion animation before, so it was a fun and interesting challenge. All the interviews were shot first, in several different locations and over a long period of time, so it was important that all of the scenes matched. They chose a set design that could be reproduced no matter where it was located, keeping exact notes of the depth of field, camera placement, and lighting. Find Vanja Černjul: https://vimeo.com/showcase/5574603 Instagram: @vanjacernjul Sponsored by Hot Rod Cameras www.hotrodcameras.com The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com Facebook: @cinepod Instagram: @thecinepod Twitter: @ShortEndz

Echo continues the journey of Maya Lopez, a skilled fighter who was first seen in the Marvel series, Hawkeye. After the death of her father, Maya escapes Kingpin's gang by returning to her Choctaw Nation home in Oklahoma. It's the first Marvel series to feature a Native American character and explore indigenous culture and history. As Maya Lopez, Echo star Alaqua Cox breaks barriers as a deaf, indigenous amputee. Cinematographer Kira Kelly, ASC enjoyed crafting a Marvel story that didn't require a rigorous backstory from previous Marvel movies or shows. The script included depictions of the history of the Choctaw, including the Choctaw creation myth. “What starts the pilot is the creation myth of the Choctaw people, which had never been shown before,” says Kira. “Sydney Freeland, our director, made sure we did it in a very respectful way, and a way that was authentic to (the Choctaw.) Being able to be part of that visual storytelling is not something that you get to do every day.” Different parts of Echo are separated by a specific look and feel. Most of the series was shot using anamorphic lenses, but Kira chose 12 and 20 mm spherical lenses to depict the beginning of the Choctaw nation at the dawn of time. For Maya's world in New York, Kira used darker and more desaturated lighting. She and director Sydney Freeland agreed that once Maya goes back home to her roots in Oklahoma, deeper, more saturated colors should be part of the visual story. Kira enjoys lighting, and a big part of it is speaking with the production and set designers about what can be built in naturally for success later. She purposefully changed the treatment of the light between the characters of Fisk (Kingpin) and Maya. For Fisk, she played with a direct, single source side light on his face that created more falloff and emphasized shadows to question his loyalties and motivations. Echo was Kira's first experience shooting extensive action sequences and working with a large second unit. She particularly enjoyed recreating the Choctaw Powwow in Oklahoma for the final sequence at the conclusion of the series. The crew had visited the real powwow on a scout, and some of the dancers were hired to perform for the show. “It was a really emotional sequence because we got to be a part of this thing that people who aren't Native American never get to experience. We had created this space for it and the people who are a part of it came up and said, 'This is like a real powwow. You guys created a powwow.' And so it was an honor to be part of something that was visually fulfilling and a great challenge.” Kira is partnering again with director Sydney Freeland for her film, Rez Ball, coming this fall. Hear our previous interview with Kira Kelly. https://www.camnoir.com/ep67/ Find Kira Kelly: https://www.kirakellydp.com/ Instagram: @kirakellydp Sponsored by Hot Rod Cameras www.hotrodcameras.com Sponsored by ARRI: https://www.arri.com/en The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com Facebook: @cinepod Instagram: @thecinepod Twitter: @ShortEndz

In the Arena: Serena Williams is the second season of the ESPN+ documentary series. Through a series of intimate interviews with Williams and others, the show offers an in-depth look at the legendary tennis player's life and career. Cinematographer Ayana Baraka was the director of photography for the entire 8-episode series. She met with the production company, Religion of Sports, with her images and pitch prepared. “We had the same ideas about lighting. I was familiar with (Season 1 of the series) Man in the Arena: Tom Brady and so I know that we wanted to honor season one, but at the same time Serena is a a different person, a different athlete.” A few weeks later, Ayana was called to meet with Serena for lunch. It was very nerve wracking, but she felt confident in the meeting. Once she was hired, Ayana researched and tested all the equipment she wanted to use. She selected the ARRI ALEXA LF with Cooke Anamorphic lenses. Illuminating Serena properly for the sit-down interviews was extremely important to her. She created custom LUTs for Serena's skin to bring out her pinkish undertones. The falloff of the light from the backdrop also had to be just right. Ayana used rags (different thicknesses of fabric diffusion to modify light) and bounced the light for a 180-degree lighting setup. To set each episode apart, Ayana changed up the lighting slightly. Growing up in New Jersey, Ayana initially went into the health care industry. While in college, she took a film class and made a short documentary about a person struggling with their mental health. Ayana pursued her career in health care, but didn't feel like she was changing lives the way she wanted to. She started getting film jobs in New York and became an ARRI prep tech, which enabled her to learn the technical aspects of camera work and test into the IATSE Local 600, the International Cinematographer's Guild. Ayana felt she wanted to learn more about film and storytelling, so she went to graduate school at USC. As a woman of color, she felt that director Ryan Coogler, who was a recent graduate of the program, had opened up a world of opportunity. “We have the success of Ryan Coogler, and I know it was different for people who came before me, people of color or black folks. My class, it was so diverse. And I think it was because he let that charge and he showed we have stories to tell, and people will watch our stories.” Ayana also shot the documentary Uncharted, about singer Alicia Keys' She Is the Music songwriting camp. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last year and is currently on the film festival circuit. In the Arena: Serena Williams is available on ESPN+ and Hulu. Find Ayana Baraka: http://www.ayanabaraka.com/ Instagram @iseeflicks Sponsored by Hot Rod Cameras www.hotrodcameras.com The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com Facebook: @cinepod Instagram: @thecinepod Twitter: @ShortEndz

The second season of the Amazon Prime horror anthology series THEM takes place in 1989 and 1991 Los Angeles. LAPD detective Dawn Reeve is investigating a horrifying murder. As she gets closer to the truth, a dark and menacing force threatens her and her family. THEM: The Scare explores themes of fear, dark family secrets and the supernatural. Cinematographer Brendan Uegama was a fan of season 1 of THEM, and got a call from his agent to meet with writer, creator and showrunner Little Marvin about shooting season 2. As an anthology series, each season is its own standalone story. Brendan and Little Marvin's guiding idea was not to make the show look exactly like it took place in the early 1990's, and discussed how to create a feeling of warmth, contrasted with the feeling of terror in the shadows. Brendan decided to use just two lenses and two focal lengths on an ARRI Alexa Mini LF, with everything drastically changing look and tone for episode 7. On Episode 7, “One of Us is Gonna Die Tonight” of THEM: The Scare, Brendan had the opportunity to fully unleash his creativity. Little Marvin decided to direct this episode, and he wanted it to feel utterly horrific, using all of the tools they had at their disposal: lighting, camera effects, and sound. They embraced using as much red lighting as they possibly could throughout the episode. “We had lights in different areas, and we had red from the toy store.” says Brendan. “We had red flares, red cop lights. And Little Marvin's like, 'Man, it would be cool if it was even MORE red.' So I started adding red lights behind all the cop cars and uplighting things, really going heavy with the red. And once we started looking at that, we're like, 'Oh, yeah, now it feels like this is a hellscape.'” Brendan chose to use a 4:3 aspect ratio exclusively for episode 7 to make it feel like the walls are literally closing in. After strictly using the same lenses and focal lengths throughout the series, Brendan changed it up for almost half the episode with a Petzval lens, which creates a unique, swirly bokeh in the center of the frame. Along with the red lighting and aspect ratio shift, it helped create a distorted, nightmarish look. (Hear Robbie Ryan's discussion of using a Petzval lens on Poor Things https://www.camnoir.com/ep248/) Brendan enjoyed the creative opportunity to work on THEM: The Scare. “A huge part of it was the overall excitement to make something great,” he says. “It was exciting to push boundaries and not do formulaic television of any kind.” Find Brendan Uegama: Instagram @brendanuegama_dp Hear our interview with THEM season 1 cinematographer Checco Varese, ASC. https://www.camnoir.com/ep136/ Sponsored by Hot Rod Cameras www.hotrodcameras.com Sponsored by Aputure: https://www.aputure.com/ The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com Facebook: @cinepod Instagram: @thecinepod Twitter: @ShortEndz

The post-apocalyptic TV show Fallout is based on the 1997 videogame, which was a huge commercial and critical success. Centuries after a nuclear war, Lucy (Ella Purnell) must venture out of her sheltered underground Vault dwelling into the dangerous Wasteland of Los Angeles to find her kidnapped father (Kyle MacLachlan.) She encounters strange characters, including a Ghoul bounty hunter (Walton Goggins) and Maximus (Aaron Moten) a member of the militaristic Brotherhood of Steel. Cinematographer Stuart Dryburgh is best known for his work on the 1993 film, The Piano, for which he received an Academy Award nomination. It opened up opportunities for him outside of New Zealand, and he frequently worked with women directors like Karyn Kusama (Aeon Flux) and Susan Seidelman (Sex and the City TV pilot.) Stuart also shot Bridget Jones's Diary, The Runaway Bride, and the New Zealand indie film Once Were Warriors. He particularly enjoyed working with director John Sayles on the 1996 western mystery drama, Lone Star. Stuart's cinematography captured the vastness and beauty of Texas. The low budget forced him to use “poor man's process” an old film technique used for staging a driving sequence. When Stuart read the script for Fallout, he watched play throughs of the game to get an idea of what it should look like. “I had some idea what the basis is, because the game has been around for 30 years. I pulled a lot of images and built a Pinterest board, which turned out to be completely wrong, because I'd gone very atmospheric, very gamey with my references.” says Stuart. “And Jonathan (Nolan) said 'No, I don't want to do it that way. I want to play it real, not too many tricks. There's going to be enough crazy stuff in this movie content-wise- play it straight, and just make it nice.'” Fallout creator Jonathan Nolan chose to shoot on 35mm film, using ARRI cameras and anamorphic lenses. The show is set in three main spaces, each with its own distinct color palette and look: the underground vault, the wasteland, and the past, before the nuclear disaster. The vault is lit entirely by artificial lighting and Stuart worked closely with the art department to make sure the visible lighting provided enough ambient light to shoot film. It allowed the camera freedom of movement within the space. By contrast, for the wasteland, Stuart leaned into the Western genre the show evokes, balancing the washed-out, desolate surroundings with the vibrancy of pre-war remnants. The wasteland was shot in several different locations including Namibia, the Utah salt flats and upstate New York. Find Stuart Dryburgh: Instagram @stuartdryburgh Sponsored by Hot Rod Cameras www.hotrodcameras.com Sponsored by Aputure: https://www.aputure.com/ The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com Facebook: @cinepod Instagram: @thecinepod Twitter: @ShortEndz

In case you missed it, we're reposting our 2023 Sundance interview with Fancy Dance director/writer Erica Tremblay and cinematographer Carolina Costa, AMC. Fancy Dance is now available in select theaters and streaming on AppleTV+. Fancy Dance follows Jax (Lily Gladstone), a Native American woman on Oklahoma's Seneca-Cayuga reservation. When her sister Tawi vanishes mysteriously, Jax becomes guardian to her niece Roki. Their search for Tawi is met with indifference from law enforcement. Facing financial hardship, Jax resorts to petty crimes that threaten custody of Roki, who's placed with her non-Indigenous grandparents. Determined to keep a promise and celebrate their heritage, Jax takes Roki on a daring journey to the state powwow, hoping to find answers about Tawi's fate and to give Roki the opportunity to perform the traditional dance she and her mother practiced together. Fancy Dance director and writer Erica Tremblay and cinematographer Carolina Costa met when Erica was searching for a DP and Carolina was on a short list. Carolina loved the script, and saw the film was special just from reading the page- she could see all the visuals in her mind, and felt it was important to see these characters come alive on the big screen. She decided to keep the lighting natural and didn’t use many additional lights. They wanted the film to feel specific to the topography of Oklahoma in the summer- a hot, humid time, when the sky is a washed-out blue. Erica and Carolina had several conversations about what the film would look and feel like, including using natural moonlight to represent Tawi, the missing sister and mother. The moon is a symbol of matrilineal kinship which is vital to the Native American community. One of the biggest challenges facing director Erica Tremblay was finding financing for Fancy Dance. It was hard to convince the right people to fund a film whose main character is an abrasive, lawless, queer indigenous woman. Erica grew up in the Seneca Cayuga nation, and drew upon characters she knew. She wanted her script to reflect the issues faced by Native Americans today, especially the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women who are never found. But she also includes humor, loving family connections and the celebration of joyous culture at the powwow. Erica was also a writer on the acclaimed FX series, Reservation Dogs. Fancy Dance is available now in theaters and on AppleTV+ Find Erica Tremblay: Instagram @ericajtremblay Find Carolina Costa: Instagram @ccostacine Find Fancy Dance: Instagram #fancydancemovie Sponsored by Hot Rod Cameras www.hotrodcameras.com The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com Facebook: @cinepod Instagram: @thecinepod Twitter: @ShortEndz

Netflix's Baby Reindeer is a dark comedic thriller that chronicles the true story of a struggling comedian, Donny (Richard Gadd) as he's stalked by a seemingly harmless woman named Martha (Jessica Gunning). As her pursuit of him escalates and becomes progressively unhinged, the audience learns more about why Donny may be so passive about stopping her advances. Cinematographer Kryzsztof Trojnar reunited with his fellow Polish film school classmate, director Weronika Tofilska, on Baby Reindeer's first four episodes. The show's unique origin, a one-man stage play, proved a valuable resource for Kryzsztof. He immersed himself in the audio recording alongside the script, capturing the story's rhythm and intensity. “It was all about how we create that intensity, how we create the intrusion of Martha, how we show her overtures in that pub.” says Kryzsztof. “It all has to be really close and really intense that as an audience you feel that intrusion.” Both Kryzsztof and Tofilska were inspired by Coen brothers movies and Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia, admiring their treatment of character-driven narratives. Kryzsztof made sure to keep the perspective of the story firmly in Donny's first person point of view. Wide-angle lenses frequently frame him in the center, and the use of Steadicam shots keep up the frantic pace of Donny's increasing unease. Kryzsztof and Tofilska chose lighting and a color palette they jokingly called “decomposing body” for Baby Reindeer. It creates a stylized world with a LUT heavy on earth tones of yellow, brown, and green. Against those colors, naturally lit moments and other hues stand out with a jarring vibrancy. Kryzsztof also favored unflattering, hard lighting for Donny as he feels more haunted and hunted by Martha. Martha, on the other hand, is lit in a flattering way, as she admires and flirts with Donny, making him feel adored. Find Kryzsztof Trojnar: Instagram: @krzysztof_trojnar Sponsored by Hot Rod Cameras www.hotrodcameras.com The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com Facebook: @cinepod Instagram: @thecinepod Twitter: @ShortEndz

Jonathan Freeman, ASC faced a unique challenge on Netflix's sci-fi series 3 Body Problem. The books, written by Cixin Liu, are extremely intellectually dense novels. Translating them into visually compelling television seemed like a daunting task. Show creators DB Weiss and David Benioff had worked with Jonathan previously on Game of Thrones, and they leaned into filmmaking that was motivated by impactful storytelling rather than just "cool shots." A key reveal moment in particular was achieved simply by pushing in on a photo of one of the characters in the first episode, revealing how the stories were interconnected. Together, they decided on the look of the show and chose three distinct visual styles for 1960s China, modern London, and the virtual world of a videogame. The 2:3:5 aspect ratio and ARRI ALFA lenses helped differentiate these environments. The lenses were prototypes that Greig Fraser was developing on The Batman. “They had exactly all that beautiful bokeh that you would expect, but the center was optically pure,” says Jonathan. “They also had these chromatic aberrations to them. These distorted, stretchy little bits in the edges of the frame just looked funky and kind of otherworldly. I just like the idea that it could be interpreted as sort of an alien's point of view.” Filming the virtual world within a limited physical space required innovation. Jonathan's "low-res volume" stage concept used a massive wall of SkyPanels and strategically placed lighting to create a realistic, immersive environment for actors. “Each (panel) was almost like a pixel, so we created an array of 110 feet by 45 wide wrapped around 180 degrees.” says Jonathan. “It was a very complex system, but overall the intent was to recreate these live environments the way you might be able to do in a regular volume. Then, there was the lighting on top, similar to the skylight, where we programmed animated lights to recreate sunrise, sunset, dusk, and dawn. It was quite complicated, but we were able to use a real space and transition in camera. It took a lot of minds to put it together, but I thought it was really successful.” Find Jonathan Freeman: http://freemandp.com/ Sponsored by Hot Rod Cameras www.hotrodcameras.com Sponsored by ARRI: https://www.arri.com/en The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com Facebook: @cinepod Instagram: @thecinepod Twitter: @ShortEndz