August 28, 2026

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Cinematography Podcast, Latest Posts, Podcast Episodes

Building a nearly silent crime drama in Motor City

Cinematographer John Matysiak on shooting Motor City’s nearly dialogue-free story, real in-camera stunts, and building its 1970s Detroit look from film tests.

Podcast highlights include:

-Why Motor City tells its story with almost no dialogue, and how that shaped everything from frame rate to needle-drop music. The crew tested wildly different frame rates to find moments where the image alone could carry the emotion of a scene.
-The commitment to shooting practical over digital, including a real car fight and a one-day elevator brawl. The team built real stunts on real streets, saving resources for the effects work that truly needed it.
-How the team engineered Motor City’s period 1970s Detroit look. Side-by-side film tests on 35mm and Alexa helped the team reverse-engineer a great film look for digital.
-Pulling off an ambitious 44-location shoot in just 27 days. Heavy pre-production and storyboarding gave the crew the flexibility to improvise and pivot when locations and permits fell through at the last minute.

Find John Matysiak: https://www.johnmatysiak.com/
Instagram: @john_matysiak

Motor City is still in select theaters and available on pay per view.

Hear our past interview with John Matysiak and Potsy Ponciroli on their film, Old Henry: https://www.camnoir.com/ep143/

SHOW RUNDOWN:

02:09 Close Focus
12:46-01:01:45 John Matysiak Interview
01:02:26 Short Ends
01:11:33 Credits

The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com
YouTube: @TheCinematographyPodcast
Facebook: @cinepod
Instagram: @thecinepod
Blue Sky: @thecinepod.bsky.social

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August 21, 2026

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Cinematography Podcast, Latest Posts, Podcast Episodes

Bringing indie instincts to Voicemails for Isabelle

DP Julia Swain on faking the Golden Gate Bridge, rigging a real tour bus, and bringing indie instincts to Netflix’s Voicemails for Isabelle

Podcast highlights include:

-How Julia shot the film’s pivotal Golden Gate Bridge overlook scenes without using a stage. The team scouted the real Marin Headlands, built a 3D map of the exact sightline, then recreated the spot in a Vancouver park at night, using blue screen only where the bridge needed to be.
-How Julia pulled off shooting the most difficult scenes of the film: a real tour bus driving through San Francisco instead of faking it on a soundstage.
-Why stepping up in budget didn’t change how she and McKendrick actually work. The instincts built on tiny indie sets, and knowing what to prioritize and when to pivot, became the exact skillset that Julia needed to let them move fast on a much bigger show.

Find Julia Swain: https://www.juliaswain.net/
Instagram: @juliaswain

Voicemails for Isabelle is currently streaming on Netflix.

Hear our previous interview with Julia Swain on The Dreadful. https://www.camnoir.com/ep347/

SHOW RUNDOWN:

03:21 Close Focus
10:35-51:52 Julia Swain Interview
52:13 Short Ends
02:00:07 Credits

The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com
YouTube: @TheCinematographyPodcast
Facebook: @cinepod
Instagram: @thecinepod
Blue Sky: @thecinepod.bsky.social

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August 14, 2026

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Cinematography Podcast, Latest Posts, Podcast Episodes

Michael Bauman on building horror for Monster: The Ed Gein Story

DP Michael Bauman, ASC on shooting Monster: The Ed Gein Story, building a visual language with period lenses, and lighting with just reflectors and flashlights.

Podcast highlights include:

-How Michael built a distinct visual language for each era with lensing shifting from period to period. Color and texture gave the digital image a weathered, film-period feel.
-Lighting the Emmy-nominated Episode 6 sequence almost entirely with reflected and practical light. Rather than lighting the set conventionally, the crew bounced light and had actors sweep real flashlights themselves, revealing the horror gradually.
-Why the “less is more” philosophy shaped how the show handles its most gruesome material. Instead of extreme gore, props and details were shot so that it was hard for the audience to see clearly, with sound design and suggestion doing the work.
-How a single unbroken shot in the hardware-store reveal scene grew out of a scheduling crunch. Short winter daylight forced a one-take solution that ended up becoming one of the episode’s most cinematic moments.

Find Michael Bauman: Instagram @baumanlights
Monster: The Ed Gein Story is currently streaming on Netflix.
Hear our previous interview with Michael Bauman on One Battle After Another. https://www.camnoir.com/ep343/

SHOW RUNDOWN:
02:14 Close Focus
11:37-53:40 Michael Bauman Interview
53:57 Short Ends
01:03:50 Credits

The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com
YouTube: @TheCinematographyPodcast
Facebook: @cinepod
Instagram: @thecinepod
Blue Sky: @thecinepod.bsky.social

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August 7, 2026

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Cinematography Podcast, Latest Posts, Podcast Episodes

Shooting mud, fog and firelight in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

DOP Gustav Danielsson, FSF on shooting HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms with naturalistic firelight, practical battlefield fog, and in-camera POV shots

Podcast highlights include:

-How Gustav and director Owen Harris planned the show’s night time, fire-light-driven look.
-Beginning their shoot day at dusk to catch the natural blue hour light in the wide shots before moving into closer setups.
-Pulling off the massive dueling tournament in Episode 5, using practical fog and mud to set the mood.
-The sinister gray mist was chosen as a practical solution to use fewer extras, and added to the atmosphere of dread as it obscured the combatants. As for the mud, it looked great, but the production team had to adjust as it quickly became hard as concrete when it dried.
-Using a Ronin 4D rigged to an operator’s chest for the helmet POV shots. Rather than adding digital effects, the second unit shot the visceral mace-impact perspective entirely in-camera.
-Shooting the flashback sequences on a Panavision’s T-Series Anamorphic lenses to distinguish it from the present-day story without adjusting the color grade.

Find Gustav Danielsson: https://gustavdanielsson.com/
Instagram: @gustavdanielssson

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is currently streaming on HBO.

SHOW RUNDOWN:
02:39 Close Focus
10:44-01:04:42 Gustav Danielsson Interview
01:05:10 Short Ends
01:14:26 Credits

The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com
YouTube: @TheCinematographyPodcast
Facebook: @cinepod
Instagram: @thecinepod
Blue Sky: @thecinepod.bsky.social

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July 30, 2026

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Cinematography Podcast, Latest Posts, Podcast Episodes

Matt Ball on shooting in remote regions for Tucci in Italy

DP Matt Ball on shooting Tucci in Italy Season 2, the challenges of journeying to remote regions over tourist spots, and capturing emotional moments on camera.

Podcast highlights include:

-How the show featured lesser-traveled regions like Sardinia, Le Marche, and rural Abruzzo to capture authentic regional culture.
-Running a lean, self-contained crew for shoots in remote and hard-to-reach locations. The production has a “no egos allowed” policy where everyone — including Stanley Tucci himself — pitches in to make the day work.
-Why what you see on screen is pretty close to what actually happened on the day, with editing driven mostly by time constraints rather than reshaping the story.
-And a hint at the upcoming show, Tucci in Great Britain, exploring British food history, identity, and the influence of immigrant communities on the national cuisine.

Find Matt Ball: https://mattballcamera.com/
Instagram: @mattbcam

Tucci in Italy Season 2 is currently streaming on Disney+, Nat Geo, and Hulu.

Hear our previous episode with Matt Ball on Tucci in Italy Season 1. https://www.camnoir.com/ep320/

SHOW RUNDOWN:
02:08 Close Focus
09:16-50:32 Matt Ball Interview
51:09 Short Ends
01:04:55 Wrap up/Credits

The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com
YouTube: @TheCinematographyPodcast
Facebook: @cinepod
Instagram: @thecinepod
Blue Sky: @thecinepod.bsky.social

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