February 12, 2025

Sugarcane filmmakers Emily Kassie and Christopher LaMarca

Sugarcane is a powerful documentary film that delves into the dark history of abuse and murder at a Canadian residential school. These Catholic boarding schools in North America and Canada have caused lasting trauma across Indigenous communities. The film centers around the Williams Lake First Nation in British Columbia, where a ground-breaking investigation into the St. Joseph’s Mission residential school is underway. Sugarcane is Oscar-nominated for Best Documentary Feature.

Director Emily Kassie is an Emmy and Peabody-nominated investigative journalist and filmmaker. She was compelled to tell the story of the ongoing investigation and asked journalist and co-director Julian Brave NoiseCat to be a part of the team. NoiseCat’s family has an intimate and painful connection to the residential schools. His father, Ed Archie NoiseCat, was born at St. Joseph’s Mission to a student there. The NoiseCat family story became inextricably woven into the fabric of the documentary.

Emily envisioned a film that was not only informative but also deeply sensitive. She partnered with cinematographer Christopher LaMarca, whose verité style of filmmaking hinges on the power of time, trust and truth. Over two and a half years, Kassie and LaMarca spent 160 days in Williams Lake, embedding themselves within the community. “The approach to true verité filmmaking is time,” says Chris. “You need lots of time to shoot this way. You need to spend time with people before you even start shooting so that they trust you. It’s a way of being instead of just being a cinematographer.” Emily fully embraced Chris’s approach. “For me, what comes with time is trust and intimacy,” she says. “It was so important to earn the trust of this community that has been ravaged by colonization, that has been lied to and betrayed by white people since they arrived on the land.”

This trust informed every aspect of their filmmaking. The decision to use prime lenses, for example, was a deliberate choice. Instead of the distancing effect of a zoom lens, prime lenses required the filmmakers to physically move closer to their subjects, fostering a sense of connection and intimacy. “Prime lenses render the face and space differently than a zoom does,” Chris notes, emphasizing the importance of physical proximity in creating a sense of genuine conversation. The resulting close-up shots, born from their time spent in the community, offer a powerful and intimate glimpse into the lives and experiences of those affected by the residential school.

Both Emily and Chris were shooting with a Canon C500 Mark II camera at all times, simultaneously filming and recording their own sound. The emphasis on capturing dialogue was crucial, allowing them to connect the dots in the ongoing investigation and understand the full scope of the story. Emily meticulously logged and organized all the footage, immersing herself in the project for three and a half years. She became intimately familiar with every piece of research and evidence uncovered in the residential school archives.

For Chris, the most vital part of their process happened after each day of filming. Every night, they would download the footage and reflect on the moments that resonated most deeply. “You’re recalling all of the things that hit your heart the hardest and penetrated the deepest,” he explains. “And in that moment, that’s where the film starts to get made – not on paper, but from the heart, being totally clear and focused on what was happening in the day.”

Sugarcane premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and is available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu.

Find Emily Kassie: http://www.emilykassie.com/
Instagram @emilykassie

Find Chris LaMarca: http://www.christopherlamarca.com/
Instagram @christopher_lamarca

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November 6, 2024

Jules O’Loughlin: Balancing action and character in The Old Man Season 2

In The Old Man Season 2, former CIA operative Dan Chase (Jeff Bridges) is forced to confront his past when his nemesis, Afghan warlord Faraz Hamzad kidnaps his daughter, Emily (Alia Shawkat). Chase and his former FBI handler, Harold Harper (John Lithgow), must navigate a dangerous world of international espionage and deadly consequences to rescue Emily. The season explores themes of identity, loyalty, and the sacrifices made for family.

A key factor in bringing The Old Man Season 2 to life is the stunning cinematography of Jules O’Loughlin, ASC, ACS. He skillfully balances the show’s dramatic tone with visually striking imagery. Jules is drawn to projects that prioritize character-driven storytelling, and loved witnessing the performances of Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow, two iconic actors who bring depth and nuance to their roles. “Jeff Bridges is so lovable, and an awesome guy,” says Jules. “I got into this to be able to photograph a great actor doing their thing, and watching two great actors going toe to toe.”

Despite the show’s intense action sequences, Jules believes in the importance of grounding the story in reality. The production team meticulously researched historical details and cultural nuances to create an authentic world. “It’s got to feel real, it’s got to feel grounded when you walk in,” he says. “If you are true to the world that you’re building, then you can pretty much do anything.” His main guiding principle as a cinematographer is that overshooting is the enemy of style. A good cinematographer, and a good director, should be confident in their style and avoid “smotherage”- shooting a ton of different angles that probably won’t be used and aren’t needed.

Jules also was a cinematographer for Season 1, which began production in 2019. By 2020, due to the pandemic, the production stayed in the U.S. and shot in Santa Clarita, just north of Los Angeles, for the hills of Afghanistan. During Season 2, the production continued to use the Santa Clarita location. Color grading, using tobacco filters and finding the right LUT were important tools to make it look like Afghanistan. For a more authentic mountain backdrop, they used plate photography shot in the Sierra Nevadas to composite into the background.

Though the series is full of action, Jules did not want to sacrifice the storytelling with fast cuts and camera movements, since there is so much great acting on screen. He usually avoids excessive camera movements and flashy techniques, opting instead for a more restrained approach that allows the performances to shine. “Every time you cut away from the character, you’re losing the chance to connect with them,” he says. Action sequences, especially in episode 3, were meticulously planned, storyboarded and rehearsed. Each episode usually had two cameras, but the production used as many as five for a firefight sequence in an Afghan village.

Find Jules O’Loughlin: https://www.julesoloughlin.com/
Instagram: @jules.oloughlin

The Old Man Season 2 is streaming on Hulu

Hear our previous episode with Jules O’Loughlin: https://www.camnoir.com/ep177/

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The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com
Facebook: @cinepod
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September 18, 2024

Shotcraft: A Masterclass in Cinematography with Jay Holben

Shotcraft: Lessons, Tips & Techniques on the Art and Science of Cinematography is a new book by veteran cinematographer, producer and director Jay Holben. Shotcraft offers a comprehensive guide to the art and science of filmmaking. Based on his popular column in American Cinematographer, the book offers insightful essays and practical tips that cover a wide range of topics, from technical fundamentals to creative storytelling.

Jay emphasizes the importance of understanding the technical aspects of cinematography while also nurturing one’s artistic vision. He encourages readers to experiment with different techniques, test, try and learn about the latest technology, and build a strong network within the industry.

Key takeaways:

Master the fundamentals: A solid grasp of technical knowledge, including lighting, exposure, and camera movement, is essential for successful cinematography.
Develop your artistic eye: Cinematography is as much about creativity as it is about technical skill. Experiment with different styles and techniques to find your unique voice.
Build a strong network: Networking with other filmmakers can provide valuable opportunities, mentorship, and support.
Create a compelling reel: A well-crafted reel is a powerful tool for showcasing your skills and attracting potential clients, especially before you have agency representation.

You can buy Shotcraft: Lessons, Tips & Techniques on the Art and Science of Cinematography on Jay’s website: http://jayholben.com/shotcraftbook

Jay has a companion book to Shotcraft coming out next month. It covers tips and stories from the top cinematographers in the world such as Roger Deakins, Harris Savites, Janusz Kamiński, and Greig Frazier.

Find Jay Holben: http://jayholben.com/
Instagram: @jayholben

**WIN A COPY OF SHOTCRAFT! Like, Follow and Comment on our post for this week’s episode on Instagram, Facebook or Threads and we will pick a winner**
*Winner must be within the continental U.S.!*

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June 5, 2024

Shogun director Jonathan van Tulleken and cinematographer Christopher Ross, BSC

The FX miniseries Shōgun takes viewers on a journey filled with action and adventure through historically accurate 1600’s Edo-era Japan. Englishman John Blackthorne arrives on a Dutch trading ship after a rough voyage, interested in beginning trade with the Japanese. The country is governed by five regents locked in a power struggle, and the ruler Toranaga thinks the Englishman might be useful to him.

Director Jonathan van Tulleken and cinematographer Christopher Ross worked on episodes one and two together, establishing the look of the series. They have a deep understanding of each other’s creative vision, collaborating on several TV shows over the years. For Shōgun, Jonathan and Chris created a visual experience that honors both the grandeur of feudal Japan and the disorientation of a foreign visitor like the “anjin,” John Blackthorne. The two met and created a look book and sizzle reel to present to FX. Jonathan drew inspiration from movies such as The Revenant and Apocalypse Now. Chris was influenced by classic Japanese films Ran, Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, and Akira Kirosawa’s jidaigeki (historical drama) films. Most importantly, they wanted the show to be bold and stand out with a cinematic look and genuine artistic intention behind it. Chris chose anamorphic lenses and wider aspect ratios for the first two episodes, playing with the point of view of the outsider’s subjectivity and disorientation. The choice of anamorphic lenses, which create a lot of background blur but keeps the character in crisp focus, may have seemed controversial, but has become more widely used on today’s television shows. (Read this article from The Ringer to learn more.)

Shōgun was shot in British Columbia during the winter, with the wild ocean shores of Canada and carefully designed soundstages standing in for Japan. Jonathan, Chris and the production team chose a lighting and color palette of browns and greens for the warring factions. Opulent costumes, warmer lights and colors represented palace life in Osaka, while in the village, the use of blues and grays reflected the harsh realities of the time period.

The dialog is almost entirely in Japanese, and Jonathan actually enjoyed directing in a language he didn’t speak. “It meant that you were not giving line readings, you couldn’t give line readings. You had to direct in a much more pure way, dealing with the bigger arcs of the scene, the character development, without getting into very macro stuff that isn’t helpful. I think you could just feel the emotion.” Chris agrees. “What you’re hoping to achieve is some sort of emotional resonance with a character that is in tune with what they’re saying and synchronous with what they’re saying.”

Find Jonathan Van Tulleken: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1743387/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Find Chris Ross: Instagram @edjibevel

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May 1, 2024

Hundreds of Beavers director Mike Cheslik and cinematographer Quinn Hester

Hundreds of Beavers is a callback to slapstick comedies like classic WB Looney Tunes cartoons. It’s full of live-action wacky pratfalls, ridiculous situations, and a healthy dose of beaver-related mayhem. Shot on a micro-budget of $150,000, Hundreds of Beavers was made with passion, creativity, and a whole lot of beaver costumes.

Director Mike Cheslik and cinematographer Quinn Hester and most of the cast and crew are all from Wisconsin, where Hundreds of Beavers was shot. Everyone was comfortable with snow, loved physical comedy, and had the desire to make a film that would stand out as a true indie. After first meeting at the Milwaukee Film Festival in 2018, Mike called Quinn in October, 2020 to ask if he’d DP the film during the winter in zero degree weather. “It couldn’t have been anybody but Quinn because he’s just a tough guy and he’s used to the winter,” says Mike. In total, the film took about 8 weeks of shooting with a core crew of about 4-6 people over the course of two winters. The main location was a remote cabin in Northern Wisconsin. “We’re out there in the elements. It’s very rare to be on a production where you are not only making a movie and having to use all your energy, focus and creativity and meditate on how to accomplish certain looks and goals and shots,” says Quinn. “But you’re also trying to not die. All of us almost died at least once.”

To make Hundreds of Beavers, Mike spent years creating extensive storyboards and animatics. “People could watch the animatic on the DIT computer and they could also see the boards in my binders that I was carrying around,” he says.”But it still takes a lot of explaining and there’s a lot to wrap your head around because there’s so much in this movie. It is a lot. I was just thinking about it nonstop for years. And then just doing my best to explain it to the team. I was always surprised how much trust we got.” The film is very effects-heavy and made to look old-timey in grainy black and white. “The freedom of picking a grainy black and white style, it frees you up to tell a bigger story and to have bigger visual ideas. This style gave us permission to work that way in the modern day,” says Mike. Since they were shooting in the winter, they would have to wrap by 4:30 pm. Mike imported everything into Adobe After Effects and edited with Adobe Premiere every night. That way, Quinn and the crew knew exactly what they needed by the next day. Quinn shot on a Panasonic LUMIX GH5 camera that worked well even in extremely cold weather. All the footage could easily be imported into Adobe Premiere and After Effects.

Hundreds of Beavers is still playing in select theaters and is tons of fun to see with a live audience. Go to the Hundreds of Beavers website to find cities where it’s playing. https://www.hundredsofbeavers.com/

Hundreds of Beavers is also available to rent on Amazon and Apple.

Find Mike Cheslik: Instagram @mikeches

Find Quinn Hester: Instagram @quinn.hester

Sponsored by Hot Rod Cameras www.hotrodcameras.com

The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com
Facebook: @cinepod
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December 20, 2023

Flamin’ Hot director Eva Longoria and cinematographer Federico Cantini

Flamin’ Hot is an entertaining biopic about Richard Montañez, a janitor at the Frito Lay chip factory who rose to become a marketing executive after (he claims) he came up with the idea for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. While Monteñez may be exaggerating his role in the invention of Flamin’ Hot, the movie is based on his real life experience as detailed in his book, “Flamin’ Hot: The Incredible True Story of One Man’s Rise from Janitor to Top Executive.” Director Eva Longoria was drawn to telling Montañez’s story for her first feature film debut. She wanted to tell a heroic, positive story about a Mexican American who worked hard to achieve the American dream, with the support of his family and community. Cinematographer Federico Cantini had previously worked with Eva on Unplugging, a small indie movie, where the two of them were the only Spanish speakers on set. Eva admired his energy, passion and collaboration with the female director. When it came time for her to choose her DP for Flamin’ Hot, Federico was Eva’s top choice.

The original script Eva received for Flamin’ Hot was a very straightforward, factual biography film, without any elements of humor. Eva knew she needed to capture the charismatic character and voice of Richard Monteñez, so she watched videos of his TED talks and other public appearances. She worked with writer Linda Yvette Chávez to rework the script during COVID. It was important to keep the film high energy and constantly push the narrative forward. “Ron Howard’s one of my mentors,” says Eva, “and his motto is something should be happening every nine to ten pages. So you should have nine to ten page sequences. It’s a page turner, you know, it’s constantly moving.” She also admires the narrative style of director Adam McKay’s films (The Big Short, Winning Time) and the way he fluidly uses montages and voiceovers to tell stories based on fact. Flamin’ Hot has 11 montages, with tons of information crammed into each shot. The movie also never strays from Montañez’s point of view. Even in scenes where he isn’t there, Eva used the comedic device of Moñtenez narrating what might have happened in certain scenes, such as at Frito Lay executive board meetings.

Once the script was complete, Federico read it and found it extremely relatable. As an immigrant himself, Flamin’ Hot was an opportunity to make his mark, much as Monteñez had. Fortunately, he and Eva had lots of pre-production prep time. They are both big planners, which was important- the shooting schedule was extremely tight, with just 30 days to shoot Flamin’ Hot on 108 sets, during COVID. The film was primarily shot in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the entire Frito Lay factory was a set. Today’s Frito Lay factories are extremely modern and automated, so they knew it would not have the right look for the 80s and early 1990s. With the set, they had lots of control over where they could shoot and what it would look like with depth and color. The set pieces such as the tumbler and conveyor belt were all on wheels, so they could easily be moved around. Coming from TV, Eva felt confident that they could accomplish all they wanted in the time that they had, and they left all their creative energy on the screen.

Federico and Eva wanted to break up Monteñez’s story into three different decades with three distinct looks to separate them. Federico used Crystal Express lenses for Montañez’s childhood, Canon K-35s for his gang banger days, and then for the 80s and 90s, Panavision Panaspeeds, but modified to look like Super Speeds from the 80s. He also used a probe lens to emphasize the size of the factory and for drama in the tasting scenes.

Eva enjoyed directing a biopic, and she looks forward to telling more stories from her community. She likes directing projects she’s also acting in, and she wants to continue to direct and produce films with purpose. Federico had a great experience working on Flamin’ Hot, and he and Eva plan to work together again soon.

You can watch Flamin’ Hot on Hulu or on Disney+.

Find Eva Longoria: Instagram @evalongoria

Find Federico Cantini: http://www.federicocantini.com/
Instagram @federicocantini

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The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com
Facebook: @cinepod
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Twitter: @ShortEndz

September 27, 2023

River Wild director and writer Ben Ketai

Director and writer Ben Ketai’s latest movie, River Wild, is a thriller inspired by the original 90’s movie The River Wild, but with a reimagined plot. In River Wild, a group of friends take a white water rafting trip that becomes a desperate fight for survival as they get caught in serious rapids. Things only get worse once they realize that one of their friends has a dangerous and violent past.

River Wild was shot in Eastern Europe in just 25 days with the added burdens of water, kids, and animals thrown in. With such stunt-heavy scenes, Ben worked with stunt coordinators and experienced river rafting guides to carefully storyboard the white water rafting sequences. The rapids in the movie really exist, and professional rafters practiced for weeks to know exactly where and how to shoot the sequences on the river. Ben had to make sure that the water scenes looked amazing, and he wanted to capture the power of the water as a raft is sucked through it. Fortunately, he had a long prep period with the cast and came up with an efficient coverage strategy for each scene. For the closer scenes with actors on the rafts, the production was able to use a special Olympic kayak training facility, where the water was shallow and could be turned on and off.

As a Netflix movie, Ben knew River Wild was set to go straight to streaming on the platform. Though there was no big marketing push, it crept up to number three and stayed in the top 10 for over a month, and River Wild became the third most watched movie on Netflix in August. Ben says he doesn’t mind making movies that go straight to streaming- he likes the idea that more people can actually watch things there. His show, Startup, also spread and charted well on Netflix.

Ben and Ben Rock worked together on a series for Crackle called Chosen that was shot in 22 days for six 30-minute episodes. Both Bens fondly remember it as a lot of fun, and Ben Ketai thinks the challenge of a short time period and less money keeps you on your toes and forces you to be creative. On Chosen, he had the opportunity to make mistakes- with less money, there’s also not a lot of people standing in your way.

Growing up, Ben always wanted to make movies as a career and would use his dad’s video camera to make movies with his friends. As soon as he graduated from college, Ben moved to L.A. Luckily, his mom casually knew director Sam Raimi’s mother, and she was able to give him Raimi’s contact info. Raimi was just starting Spiderman 3, so Ben was able to get a job as an office PA for Ghost House Pictures. After working at the production company and scriptwriting for a few years, they asked him to direct his first movie, 30 Days of Night- Dark Days.

River Wild is available to stream on Netflix.

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June 21, 2023

Beef cinematographer Larkin Seiple

We welcome back cinematographer Larkin Seiple, who was the cinematographer for the Best Picture winner, Everything Everywhere All At Once. Larkin’s most recent project was the Netflix series, Beef.

Beef is about Danny Cho (Steven Yeun) and Amy Lau (Ali Wong) who clash in a parking lot, leading to a road rage chase. But it doesn’t end there- both Danny and Amy continually escalate their anger and revenge towards each other, endangering their families and everyone around them. Both characters are stressed, unhappy people who do terrible things to ruin other people’s lives.

Larkin enjoyed exploring how the antihero characters in Beef make awful and selfish decisions that get worse and worse, like a pebble rolling downhill. He manipulated the camera to influence the audience’s understanding of what’s happening, so that they can identify or even sympathize with Danny and Amy. He kept the cameras very close to the main characters, using wider lenses to bring the audience into their sphere, often using handheld shots over the shoulder with medium close ups and minimal coverage. Larkin also likes keeping things dark and moody, with minimal extra lighting. This enables him to shoot fast, and actors Steven Yeun and Ali Wong had more time to really explore their performances.

You can watch Beef on Netflix.

Find Larkin Seiple: http://www.larkinseiple.com/
Instagram: @larksss

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June 14, 2023

Abbott Elementary, The Office, Parks and Recreation director, producer and cinematographer Randall Einhorn

Multihyphenate producer-director-cinematographer and all around talented guy Randall Einhorn is currently the executive producer and director of the award-winning ABC show, Abbott Elementary. Randall began his career in series television first as the DP of The Office, then became one of the most frequent directors of the series. He got to know the mockumentary style intimately, and carried it onto many other shows such as Parks and Recreation, The Muppets, and Modern Family.

Quinta Brunson, show creator and star of Abbott Elementary, was a huge fan of The Office and pitched her idea to executive producers Randall Einhorn and Patrick Schumacker. Randall immediately knew that the mockumentary format would work well as they followed the everyday drama of teachers in an underprivileged elementary school in Philadelphia. They began shooting the pilot in August 2021, working with kids who were mostly non-actors and hadn’t been inside a classroom for an entire year due to COVID. Working with kids made everything harder, but also made everything better, and Randall emphasized that they would have a good time every day. The children were so happy and excited to see each other and to be in a classroom, even if it was a set.

On Abbott Elementary, Randall wanted the teachers to be treated like heroes, so they chose to use ARRI cameras and Angenieux Optimo Zoom lenses. The classrooms look inviting, with wood, warm earth tones and bright light coming in from the windows. By contrast, on The Office they would “dirty up” the frame to make it seem more spontaneous, as though something unexpected was actually caught. Randall would pan to someone, purposely defocus, then bring the actor into focus, to make it seem as though it was just caught. For Abbott Elementary, the camera crew keeps everything mostly in focus, but they will make a conscious effort to keep a piece of doorway in the shot, for example, to imply that people are having a private moment with the cameras hanging back. Randall feels that there’s an honesty to using a long lens and backing up so it would look like the actors are having an intimate conversation.

Randall naturally developed his mockumentary shooting style after working on reality and extreme sports shows. Executive producer Ben Silverman saw his work and thought his verite style would work well for The Office. Randall met with executive producer Greg Daniels, and they hit it off. Since he’d never worked on scripted shows before, Randall broke lots of rules that were considered “normal” for series television on The Office, such as operating himself and pulling his own focus. Blocking and planning the camera placement ahead of time was also essential- the camera crew would never put a camera where it couldn’t or wouldn’t be. He also figured out how to add to the improvisational comedy through the camera’s movement and focus. Randall would keep one eye on the eyepiece and another on the actors to see who was going to improv. He’d lean in with the camera on an actor, stepping in closer to make a moment even more awkward. Unlike the British version of The Office, which was always carefully rehearsed, they would just shoot the scenes and reactions, in true documentary style.

Randall’s company, Sad Unicorn, has a multi-year first look deal at Warner Bros. and he will continue executive producing and directing Abbott Elementary.

Abbot Elementary is in its second season on ABC and Hulu, and season three will likely be delayed due to the writers strike.

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May 17, 2023

Dead Ringers cinematographer Laura Merians Gonçalves

Cinematographer Laura Merians Gonçalves was extremely intrigued to work on the new Prime Video series, Dead Ringers. The show is based on the 1988 David Cronenberg movie, which starred Jeremy Irons as twin gynecologists. When she read the script for the series, Laura thought changing the genders of the twins to female gave the show more interest. She liked that over six episodes, they could explore a deeper, more complicated story about women. Laura shot the bulk of the series, episodes three, four, five and six.

Both Laura and DP Jody Lee Lipes, who shot episodes one and two, worked closely together to share ideas and find the look of the show. There is a restraint to the color palette, with the exception of red as a theme- just as in the movie. They used red scrubs and even red latex gloves in the operating rooms. The style of the show is very stark and elegant, making it easier to cleanly insert the twinning shots.

The biggest challenge for Dead Ringers was ensuring that the twinning for actor Rachel Weisz was seamless and convincing. Jody had previous experience shooting twin shots with VFX supervisor Eric Pascarelli on the HBO series I Know This Much Is True. For Dead Ringers, the twinning shots were done with the assistance of an old motion control camera system that actually used floppy disk drives. Anything involving twinning was discussed in advance and carefully planned and blocked. A body double, Kitty Hawthorne, was also essential for the twinning effect to work. Rachel would do rehearsals and then takes for side A, with Kitty miming the other twin. Then they would switch and do side B, with Kitty now mimicking the A side twin. The motion control camera exactly synched the camera so that the scene could be composited seamlessly together in post.

Laura found that with the real-time movie magic they were able to create, it was easy to forget that actor Rachel Weisz was actually just one person. She is a huge fan of motion control and doing things technically in camera, rather than relying on special effects in post. The actor can be invested in their performance as their character and they don’t have to have a face replacement or deep fake special effect.

Dead Ringers is currently streaming on Prime Video.

Find Laura Merians Gonçalves: https://lauramerians.com/
Instagram: @lauramelodygoncalves

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