The Cinematography Podcast

Capturing Bigfoot director Marq Evans and DP Jason Roark blow up the story of the infamous Bigfoot film with new footage and interviews. Podcast highlights include: -How a three-camera interview setup in ultra-wide, medium and close-up kept the look consistent over a two year production. Jason used Blackmagic Pocket cameras with Veydra lenses for a vintage character and a Super 8 camera for recreations. -How the crew stayed ready for anything with a drone and gimbal on hand. With last-minute access to subjects, the small crew had to be prepared for anything. -Matching the archival with lighting and post production. Jason used dramatic light and campfire glow for some interviews, and subtly added dust around the projector beam. Marq chose subtle film grain in post to help match the 60-year-old 16mm footage. Find Capturing Bigfoot: https://www.capturingbigfoot.com/ Instagram: @capturing_bigfoot Find Marq Evans: https://www.themccaw.studio/marq Instagram: @marqevans Find Jason Roark: https://www.jasonroark.com/about Show rundown: 02:12 Close Focus 09:51-58:26 Interview with Marq Evans and Jason Roark 59:11 Short Ends 01:09:39 Credits The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com YouTube: @TheCinematographyPodcast Facebook: @cinepod Instagram: @thecinepod Blue Sky: @thecinepod.bsky.social

Slow Horses DP Eben Bolter on shooting season six using imperfect light, a location lit with green LED tape, choosing gray screen over green, and a dark, wet London look. Podcast highlights include: -How imperfection makes light feel real. Eben sets the scene and lets actors move through it freely, using hidden practicals and uplighting that’s sometimes unflattering, but gives the show a sense of reality. -How the dramatic scene set in a London fast food restaurant was lit. What’s seen on screen is what they shot, with no VFX or grade enhancement. -Using gray screen for compositing, rather than green or blue screen. We get into why. -How Eben kept it gritty. By evoking the feel of bleach bypass and deeper contrast. Then punctuating the look through key scenes like a chase through a colorful bowling alley using 200-plus LED fixtures. Find Eben Bolter: https://www.ebenbolter.com/ Instagram: @ebenbolter Show Rundown: 02:25 Close Focus 13:52- 01:06:40 Interview with Eben Bolter 01:07:03 Short Ends 01:21:42 Credits The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com YouTube: @TheCinematographyPodcast Facebook: @cinepod Instagram: @thecinepod Blue Sky: @thecinepod.bsky.social

Cinematographer Stuart Dryburgh explains how natural light, practical sources and an invisible camera shaped Netflix’s East of Eden, shot in New Zealand with director Garth Davis. This episode is a look at how restraint, natural light and trust in the writing shape a period drama where the photography never calls attention to itself. Podcast highlights include: -How naturalism won out over a "period look." Stuart let the production design, costumes and performances capture the time period, an approach he used in his work with Jane Campion on The Piano and Portrait of a Lady. -How practical and natural light sources were key. Candles, oil lamps and firelight did the heavy lifting. -How New Zealand became the Salinas Valley. As a native Kiwi, Stuart was extremely familiar with the locations. Some of the area’s historic houses were used in the film, while others were built on location and replicated as two-story stage sets. -How a camera can observe rather than announce. Stuart favors moving and interlocking masters with close-ups rationed, even in the show's most harrowing scenes. Find Stuart Dryburgh: https://www.stuartdryburgh.com/ Instagram: @stuartdryburgh Show Rundown: 02:27 Close Focus 07:58-49:38 Interview with Stuart Dryburgh 50:02 Short Ends 56:31 Credits The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com YouTube: @TheCinematographyPodcast Facebook: @cinepod Instagram: @thecinepod Blue Sky: @thecinepod.bsky.social

Cinematographer Matheus Bastos on shooting Gazer and Anima on 16mm with little money, how handheld and zooms track character, and why focusing on the work beat chasing an agent. This episode is a candid look at how limitations, story and trust shape a career, from a scrappy $80K film shoot to the call that changed everything. Podcast highlights include: -How Gazer's look was born from necessity. Shot on 16mm over two and a half years, the micro budget meant there were no dailies. The footage was sometimes processed months after shooting. -How the 16mm feature Anima got its cleaner look. Director Brian Ivie wanted a clean negative, so Matheus never went beyond 200 speed film stock and overexposed everything. -How handheld and zooms become character psychology. Matheus’s handheld technique follows the main character’s unraveling mind in Gazer, while in Anima, operating style shifts between the characters as their lives blur together. -How focusing on his craft and professional relationships changed his career. Matheus stepped in for three days on the film Story Ave. and that job got agents calling. Find Matheus Bastos: https://www.matheusbastos.com/ Instagram: matheusbastos_dp Show Rundown: 02:29 Close Focus 10:22-53:53 Interview with Matheus Bastos 54:08 Short Ends 01:08:50 Credits

Scott "Smitty" Smith, the IMAX camera technician behind Oppenheimer, Sinners and The Odyssey, on large format film, servicing cameras and why film costs less than you'd think. This episode is packed with technical detail for anyone who wants to understand the mechanics of shooting IMAX, from servicing the cameras to what the premium ticket actually buys. Podcast highlights include: -How Smitty’s zigzag career built a one-of-a-kind specialist. From Learjet periscope systems and aerials to IMAX documentaries and features, Smitty developed IMAX camera technician into its own job. He services every camera that runs more than a mag or two a day, with partial teardowns at lunch and at night. -How three-minute mags shape the rhythm of a set. Reloads happen in under two minutes, giving the director a beat with the actors while everyone stays on their A-game. -How film and digital each has their place. Film rules the highlight roll-off, while digital rules the shadows and low light. Budget-wise, large format film costs less compared to digital than most filmmakers think. -How not every IMAX theater is the same IMAX. A high-reflectance screen, twin 4K laser projectors, a 12-speaker array and a protected 1.9 aspect ratio are what the premium ticket buys. 15-perf film projection tops it all, at three times the resolution of 70mm.