August 28, 2024

Strange Darling cinematographer Giovanni Ribisi, pt. 2

In the second part of our interview with Strange Darling cinematographer Giovanni Ribisi, he delves into his meticulous approach to testing, collaboration with director JT Mollner, and the creative muscles he uses for both acting and cinematography.

Strange Darling is a puzzle box of a movie, with seven different chapters mixed up to tell the story. It became the actors’ playground, where they could explore the thriller’s themes and characters, translating their ideas into tangible visual elements. Giovanni’s approach to the cinematography was guided by a desire to create a simple yet elegant aesthetic, emphasizing shape, lighting, camera movement and composition.

Together, Giovanni and JT Mollner found the film’s visual style. They tested several different film stocks and explored various lighting setups and color palettes using a dummy head as a stand in. “(Testing on film) doesn’t need to be expensive-you could do tests on 16 millimeter and answer questions that you have as part of the creative process,” he says. Giovanni also used an older ARRI Alexa digital camera for trying out some lenses before testing them on film.

Giovanni finds that cinematography uses some of the same processes as acting: imagination, creativity, and a willingness to take risks. Cinematography, like acting, requires preparing and practice. “You develop instincts to answer and solve problems and challenges,” he says. “It becomes an instinctual thing to frame the shot, for it to fall in line with what you prepped for. As an actor, you see it in the outcome of your work, attention, and focus.” When comparing acting to cinematography, Giovanni finds acting much more difficult. “It never ends up being what you’re trying to do because it’s a hard thing.You watch it the next day and you’re like, oh my God, I really got into self-expression there… So much of acting is about humiliation, trying not to embarrass yourself. I always find that it takes a lack of self-consciousness. If you’re too self-conscious, you just get up in your head and you can’t do it.”

About eight years ago, Giovanni was invited by cinematographer-turned director Reed Murano to be part of a panel at CameraImage. It provided valuable opportunities to connect with other professionals such as Sal Totino, Matty Libatique and Ellen Kuras. He also admires Robbie Ryan’s work on Poor Things and Kinds of Kindness.

Strange Darling is currently in theaters.

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By Illya Friedman

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August 21, 2024

From Actor to Auteur: Strange Darling DP Giovanni Ribisi, pt. 1

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.

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By Illya Friedman

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August 14, 2024

Lessons in Chemistry: DP Zachary Galler’s visual formula

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

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By Illya Friedman

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July 17, 2024

Capturing terror in THEM: The Scare with DP Brendan Uegama

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/

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By Illya Friedman

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May 8, 2024

Late Night with the Devil cinematographer Matthew Temple, ACS

The critically acclaimed horror movie Late Night With the Devil blends found-footage, mockumentary and 1970s late-night television into a movie with genuine scares. Cinematographer Matthew Temple, ACS used shaky camerawork, close-ups, and multiple video sources to add to the feeling of watching “behind the scenes” documentary found footage. Though they didn’t use vintage tube cameras for the 1970’s TV look, Matt and the camera operators used studio pedestal bases or a crane for the cameras. “Right from the get-go, (directors Cameron and Colin Cairnes) came at me with this word, ‘verisimilitude,’ which means to make something feel real.” says Matt. “And that was kind of the seed for the television show.”

During the preproduction period on Late Night with the Devil, the Cairnes brothers gave Matt a lookbook that they’d created referencing documentaries from the time. Matt had honed his craft on Australian TV shows like Comedy Inc., a sketch comedy show that spoofed movies and TV shows. He learned how to deconstruct a movie and replicate a specific look. Matt used the same approach for the film and watched several late night talk shows from the 1970’s to get the visual aesthetic right. As he learned and took notes, Matt made an extensive document setting out rules for the camera crew to follow to keep the look authentic. Using the studio pedestal bases and cranes were key, with Sony Venice cameras in 4K mode with Fujinon zooms. “We had three pedestal cameras. They were new Venices, but nonetheless they were on pedestals. Each operator had to do their own focus and zoom and trucking up the pedestals in shot. I was careful to hire two camera operators who really knew what they were doing with studio cameras because the last time I did that was 35 years ago.” Matt himself acted as the third camera operator. He would brief the other camera operators in preproduction, break down the scene, and map out how all the cameras would work together. It was critical that the cameras always have a logic and placement and appear to be moving together.

Growing up in Australia, Matt was impressed with the Australian movie Mad Max as a teenager. After studying some photography and stage production, he got a trainee job at ABC Television in Sydney. He slowly worked his way up as an assistant, operator, Steadicam operator and DP in Australian television. Late Night with the Devil is Matt’s first feature film as a cinematographer. He previously worked with directors Cameron and Colin Cairnes as a Steadicam operator on their first feature, 100 Bloody Acres. Matt thinks Australia is its own independent film and TV powerhouse because of their ability to innovate and work with very small budgets.

Find Matthew Temple: https://www.matthewtemple.com.au/
Instagram @dpwolfie

Late Night with the Devil is still playing in some theaters and is available on Shudder and VOD. https://www.latenightwiththedevil.movie/

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By Illya Friedman

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February 7, 2024

El Conde cinematographer Ed Lachman, ASC

El Conde is a a dark comedy/horror film that portrays former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet as a 250 year old vampire. Director Pablo Larraín wanted to play with the idea that a dictatorship is a blood-sucking drain on society with lasting generational impacts. Cinematographer Ed Lachman immediately liked Larraín’s message. “El Conde is his allegory of how we are seduced into yielding to fascism. And it isn’t just in Chile. It’s like the last 50 years, we’re facing that all over the world. That’s why I think the film has something to say- if you can get past the gore.”

Ed had been a long time admirer of Larraín’s work. He found Larraín’s films to be conceptually brilliant with camera placement and movement to tell the story. “They say a cinematographer and a director is a marriage. But I always like to think of it as a dance partner- you hear the same music, but do your steps compliment each other? And I’ve certainly felt I have that relationship with Pablo.” Ed knew he wanted to shoot El Conde in black and white, referencing gothic vampire movies such as Nosferatu and Vampyr (1932). Working with Netflix Latin America, Larraín obtained approval to originate the film in black and white rather than shoot in color and then desaturate it later. For production design, special effects and costumes, all the color choices could be made for the best look in black and white. Ed decided to use the ARRI LF camera, and fortunately, ARRI had just developed a monochromatic sensor for them to use. He enjoys shooting with an actual black and white camera because the exposure latitude and grain structure is different, and he can use monochromatic filters meant for black and white cinematography.

El Conde features some amazingly realistic scenes of vampires flying. The night flying sequences had to be done with a blue screen, which did require a color camera. But all of the day flying sequences and stunts were shot with the black and white camera. The flying sequences were done practically, with no special effects. A 120ft crane suspended the camera operator, who moved through the air with the actors and stunt acrobats on wires.

Ed used the EL Zone System, a method he invented, to figure out the proper exposures for the cameras on El Conde. He’s developed the EL Zone system over the past 10 years, in an effort to measure light values and standardize exposures for digital cameras, and won a technical Emmy in 2023 for the technology. The system uses 18% gray as the standard, which is a universal photography standard. The camera’s sensor data is used as a reference point and filmmakers can view the entire exposure of a shot on a monitor to make lighting adjustments easier.

El Conde is streaming on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81590652
Find Ed Lachman, and learn more about the EL Zone System: https://www.elzonesystem.com/

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By Illya Friedman

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September 20, 2023

Talk to Me cinematographer Aaron McLisky, ACS

Cinematographer Aaaron McLisky is thrilled that Talk to Me, a small Australian independent horror film, has found such a huge audience. It has become A24’s highest grossing horror movie in North America. The movie is about a group of friends who discover how to become possessed by spirits with an embalmed hand, creating a thrilling party game. The main character, Mia, has recently lost her mother, and her grief makes the idea of finding her mom on the other side both compelling and dangerous. But soon, the supernatural forces can’t be controlled any longer.

Aaron had heard rumors about the Talk to Me script and was intrigued to find out more about the project when directors Danny and Michael Philippou direct messaged him on Instagram. The twin brothers had no feature film experience, but are self-taught YouTube filmmakers. Their channel, RackaRacka is huge, and features a series of horror/comedy shorts completely shot and edited by Danny and Michael.

During the development and pre-production of Talk to Me, Aaron and the brothers discussed how they wanted the film to look cinematically and frequently workshopped and filmed sequences. Aaron always wants to elevate the story through cinematography, making sure that every frame and every camera movement speaks to a world that’s truthful to the characters. He wanted to be sure that the camera work elevated the tone of the horror movie, by showing or withholding information as needed. As a former editor, Aaron constantly thinks about editing- how certain sequences will go together and how much coverage might really be needed. Once production started, he found it exciting to be bold, keeping coverage of each scene minimal, and confident that they didn’t need more. He kept scenes lit with practical lighting and green fluorescents as much as possible, making Mia seem sickly and possessed. During the possession scenes, Aaron chose to contrast the sequences with unmotivated lighting, and as Mia’s psychological decay progresses, the film subtly becomes darker and more desaturated in the grade.

Aaron was born in Australia but lived in Indonesia for much of his childhood. He fell in love with photography there and knew he wanted to study film, so he returned to Australia. After completing his degree, he got a job at a production company as an editor, eventually moving into directing commercials and music videos, but he didn’t enjoy it. Aaron found he was always more interested in visual images as a storyteller, so he decided to start over as a cinematographer. He was fortunate enough to shoot a music video for YouTube stars, The Bondi Hipsters, who then asked him to be the cinematographer for their television series. Aaron also served as the primary cinematographer of the FX series, Mr. Inbetween.

Talk to Me is still playing in theaters and is available to purchase on VOD.

Find Aaron McLisky: http://aaronmclisky.com/
Instagram: @aaronmclisky

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By Illya Friedman

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August 9, 2023

Cabinet of Curiosities cinematographer Anastas Michos, ASC, GSC

Cinematographer Anastas Michos ASC, GSC humbly calls himself a journeyman cinematographer. However, after 25 years and multiple awards, Anastas possesses expert skill and versatility that can be seen across all genres. Most recently, Anastas was nominated for an Emmy for “The Autopsy,” an episode of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities anthology TV series on Netflix.

Del Toro selected the directors for each episode of Cabinet of Curiosities, and he chose idiosyncratic directors who brought their own sensibilities to each piece. Anastas had worked with “The Autopsy” director David Prior before on a horror film called The Empty Man, and they enjoyed collaborating together again. Anastas enjoyed working on Cabinet of Curiosities because it felt like making a short film rather than a TV show, with each piece a crafted short story rather than a serialization. For a consistent look, each episode used the same production designer, Tamara Deverell,  who also did the production design for del Toro’s Nightmare Alley. While shooting the episode, Anastas was always conscious that “The Autopsy” should fall under the look of del Toro’s brand.

Anastas has always enjoyed shooting horror films because they explore the human condition in a very specific way. The cinematographer can creatively stretch the imagination and the image in a way that can’t be done as much in dramas, comedies or romances, since they’re usually based in our day to day reality. But Anastas likes to switch around among genres- after working on an intense horror film such as Texas Chainsaw 3D, a light rom com might sound really good. He’s interested in any project that has a great story, script, director and crew.

Before finding his way behind a camera, Anastas thought he’d go into the music business since he grew up in a musical family. Instead, he became a news cameraperson, learning visual storytelling on the job. He’s found that his music background has actually served him well as a cinematographer- he feels musicality is very much a part of camera movement. One memorable time early in his career, Anastas was working Steadicam for Born on the Fourth of July. Director Oliver Stone pulled him aside and had Anastas put on a walkman so that he could move the camera to the pace of the music Stone wanted.

After working as a camera and Steadicam operator for several years, Anastas got to shoot his first feature as a DP for Man on the Moon. Anastas found director Milos Forman to be simultaneously generous and demanding, with the capability of recognizing someone’s potential and holding them to it.

Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities anthology TV series is on Netflix.

Find Anastas Michos: http://anastasmichos.com/
Instagram: @anastasmichos_asc_gsc

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By Illya Friedman

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July 6, 2023

The Blackening cinematographer Todd A. Dos Reis, ASC

Cinematographer Todd A. Dos Reis, ASC went to USC Film School a few years ahead of The Blackening director Tim Story. There were so few Black filmmakers at school that they knew of each other. Once Todd graduated and was working professionally, he and Tim finally worked together on several different TV pilots.

Todd started out as a camera assistant for Russell Carpenter and worked on a few scary movies with him such as Critters 2: The Main Course and Pet Semetary Two. But Todd is not a big fan of horror movies. As a young kid growing up in the New Bedford, Massachusetts housing projects, Todd watched The Godfather, Blackspoitation movies and Bruce Lee martial arts movies. His grandparents bought him a camera and Todd learned photography in high school. Once he started at USC, he knew he wanted to become a cinematographer.

The Blackening is a horror/comedy film about a group of African-American friends who go away for the weekend to a cabin in the woods. The friends are forced to play a game as the killer stalks them. Director Tim Story is more a fan of the horror genre than Todd, and they used The Exorcist, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Don’t Breathe as references for the look. Todd kept the lighting very dark, focusing on lighting for drama rather than for comedy. The location only had track lighting, so Todd mainly used the practical lights in the house, keeping any additional lighting to a minimum. They shot on location at a house in Brentwood, Los Angeles, where it actually felt pretty remote. The crew tented the entire house to be able to shoot during the day, since Brentwood had a 12 AM curfew for film crews.

Filmed in just 20 days, both Todd and Tim’s experience of working in television enabled them to move quickly between setups on The Blackening. Once the master shot was established, Todd only had to adjust the small lights for tweaking shots. Todd’s advice for shooting on an accelerated schedule is to have lots of prep and preproduction planning time, and to have an experienced director who knows what they want.

The Blackening is in theaters and available on VOD platforms July 7.

Find Todd A. Dos Reis: https://www.todddosreis.com/
Instagram: @todddosreis

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May 24, 2023

Evil Dead Rise cinematographer David Garbett

New Zealand cinematographer David Garbett has shot more versions of the Evil Dead franchise than any other cinematographer. These include the series Ash vs. Evil Dead and the latest movie, Evil Dead Rise. Dave has enjoyed working on Evil Dead because it’s been a fun, creative, and over-the-top experience.

Evil Dead Rise director Lee Cronin felt that after 10 years, the movie needed a different setting. The action takes place on the top floor of a Los Angeles apartment building. Dave felt a responsibility to get the tone just right since Evil Dead is loved around the world. Evil Dead Rise is witty, but it is more of a straight up horror movie compared to the other Evil Dead films, starring Bruce Campbell. It definitely doesn’t skimp on the blood and gore.

Dave thinks that the essential comedic aspect of Evil Dead is a huge part of the dynamic between director Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell. He had the amazing experience of working with both of them on the series, Ash vs Evil Dead. The show is like a gory cartoon, with lots of humor and a huge performance by Bruce Campbell as Ash. One of the aspects of shooting Ash vs Evil Dead that Dave loved was getting the script every week and thinking, what the hell kind of bizarre situation am I going to find myself in this week? For the series, Dave got to use many of the low-angle, fast moving “evil force” POV shots. Every time they needed an “evil force” shot, it required a lot of thought and logistics preparation to figure out how to maneuver the camera. They would use many different techniques to get the right look and speed- the evil force has a fast-moving energy and intensity. Dave captured the “force” with the camera mounted on a variety of tools: a gimbal, a pipe, a remote controlled car, a techno crane and also just physically running handheld to give an organic nature to the movement.

When Dave began going to film school in Auckland, he realized that he was drawn to a career as a director of photography, because you can be both technical and artistic. Dave’s timing was good, because the film industry in New Zealand was just ramping up. The movies Once Were Warriors and The Piano were being made there, followed by Heavenly Creatures and The Frighteners. Soon after, Peter Jackson put New Zealand on the map with The Lord of the Rings movies, which brought an incredible amount of work and visibility to the film scene in New Zealand.

Dave also shot several episodes of the Netflix series, Sweet Tooth. Season two of Sweet Tooth is currently streaming.

Evil Dead Rise is currently playing in theaters.

Find Dave Garbett: http://www.davidgarbett.com/
Instagram: @jarbaye

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By Illya Friedman

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