Tari Segal, ASC: visual magic in Margo's Got Money Troubles

The Cinematography Podcast Episode 356: Tari Segal, ASC

The Apple TV show Margo’s Got Money Troubles really resonated with cinematographer Tari Segal, ASC. As a working film professional, she and the entire crew saw something of themselves in the story of a young woman hustling to survive. “You have an industry you like to be a part of,” she reflects, “and you just kind of do what you can to keep surviving in it.”

Segal came to the project through a recommendation from co-showrunner Eva Anderson, a colleague from the show Interior Chinatown. She then met with producing director Dearbhla Walsh, and the two quickly found a shared visual language for the show.

Segal’s approach to Margo was one rooted in spontaneity, character intimacy, and a willingness to throw out the plan when something better presented itself on the day. She developed shot lists and the actors blocked each scene, but the entire framework could be changed. “You need to work hard in prep to be able to create an environment where you can do that,” she explains. “As long as you had a base plan, we were ready to jump and create things.” The trigger for abandoning the plan was often the actors themselves — particularly Elle Fanning and Michelle Pfeiffer, whose physicality and experienced camera awareness made the traditional coverage model feel limiting. Segal shifted from handheld, Steadicam, and studio modes, sometimes within the same scene. It gave the performers freedom to move where they liked. “It was one of these really special shows where you had to be very present. It was exhausting, but in such a great way.”

One element that assisted Segal’s workflow on Margo was knowing the music in advance. Because many songs were written into the script early enough to secure rights, Segal had actual playlists before cameras rolled. Music tracks were fed directly into the crew’s headsets on set. “You already have the vibe and the mood and the speed and tempo of which to do certain moves,” she says. “That really helped a lot.” It informed not just the emotional register of any given shot, but its physical rhythm, such as how fast a push-in moved, when a slow pan resolved, the pace at which the camera breathed.

The Vegas portion of episode five was shot in three days — a schedule that required constant prioritization and creative problem-solving. The hotel rooms weren’t in Vegas at all, but rather four-walled sets created in LA with backdrops at the windows. Segal deliberately flared out the backdrop when Margo first enters the room, added blinking LED diodes to simulate the distant helicopter lights of the Vegas skyline, and using streamers in front of a fan hit with a light to create the movement of passing traffic.

Two elements of the shoot required careful handling: the nudity, and the infant actors. Nudity is present throughout the show as Margo navigates nursing, pregnancy, and OnlyFans content creation. Fanning is quite comfortable with her body and frequently wore prosthetics for the nursing scenes. It created a casual, relaxed atmosphere on set that felt very non-exploitative on screen.

The babies were a different kind of logistical challenge, with the production schedule tailored to the amount of time they could work on set. Both infants took to the set environment with remarkable ease, responding warmly to Fanning and Pfeiffer and delivering genuinely spontaneous moments.

Segal grew up in Chicago and trained at Columbia College. An internship with legendary cinematographer Phedon Papamichael, ASC on Sideways gave her a foundational education she still draws on. Those years of working fast, resourcefully, and solving problems without money shaped her as a cinematographer.

Margo’s Got Money Troubles is streaming now on Apple TV+.

Find Tari Segal: Instagram @tarissegal

Hear our interview with Tari’s mentor, Phedon Papamichael

CAMERA: ARRI ALEXA 35

LENSES: Panavision VA Primes, Petzval, ARRI HEROES

Close focus: Greta Gerwig’s Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew will get an exclusive 49-day theatrical window, including IMAX, release before its Netflix debut.

Ben’s short end: The new horror film Hokum, in theaters now, is a good, spooky time.

Illya’s short end: The Amazon series Spider Noir starring Nicholas Cage is coming soon. Viewers can choose to watch in color or black and white, but why?

Spider Noir Black and White Trailer

Spider Noir Color trailer