SXSW 2024: The Cameras and Lenses Behind 10 TV Shows and Pilots

“Bettendorf Talks”

Dir: Jack C. Newell, DP: Mike Bove 
Category: Independent TV Pilot Competition
Format: 3.2k ProRes 4444, 4k MOV
Camera: ALEXA Mini, Panasonic AG-DVX200
Lenses: Angenieux Optimo zooms 16-42, 45-120

The Look: This is the story of a poorly funded public access TV show. A large chunk of the script was the actual taped show, so it was important to us to differentiate between the show and reality in terms of look. The show should feel lower quality, so we decided to split it into a different camera system for that portion rather than do it in post, which could look a little forced. The ALEXA Mini was the preferred choice for A Cam due to its skin tone capture, color fidelity, and cinematic motion rendering. Pairing that with the Optimos was a natural choice as we were dealing with comedic talent who are very good at improvising, so we wanted the ability to reframe on the fly without interrupting the performances. The Panasonic was ideal for our show camera as the story takes place in the present day, and we were not seeking a complete 180 in terms of look; we wanted it to feel lower-end than our A cam but at the same time not smash you in the face with how different it is. It fit that parameter as it’s a modern 4K capture yet with a smaller sensor and less robust codecs which helped separate it effectively from the ALEXA footage.

“The Broadcast”

Dirs: Courtney Pauroso, Natalie Palamides DP: Armando Ballesteros
Category: TV Spotlight 
Format: 4K UHD (XAVC-I Codec)
Camera: Sony FX6 
Lenses: We shot on two sets of re-housed old Russian lenses that the Duplass Brothers own. Our workhorses were the 58mm and the 85mm lenses. We also mixed in the 37mm and the 135mm. They’re all E-Mount. 

The Look: “The Broadcast” was shot on a very limited budget. I knew that going into the project and was excited for the challenge. Having worked with Duplass Brothers Productions several times before, I knew what may lie ahead. Because of the size of the project, I was OK with not renting a different camera like an ALEXA or a Venice. Having worked with Sony cameras in the past, though, I had a good idea of what they could do, the Sony SLog3 having come a long way. We shot “The Broadcast” almost 100 percent on a white cyc, so knowing that the camera could hold the highlights and give me a good skin tone at the same time was very important and helped ease some stress.

I was fine using our camera budget on getting more lighting units to light the space as evenly as possible and aiding the art/prop departmenys get the things they needed to help tell the story. The white cyc was the world in which “The Broadcast” existed, so lighting this evenly was crucial. I wanted to let Natalie and Courtney go wherever they wanted in this world. “The Broadcast” was very prop heavy with a ton of physical comedy, so I didn’t want to confine the talent because I didn’t have enough light. I didn’t want the cinematography to take away from what they were doing on camera. That’s something we discussed in pre-production. Very static, well-composed frames. We kept camera movement to a minimum, only used really to reveal. The cinematography was a little subdued and I’m OK with that, because what was happening in front of the camera was far more interesting.

“Hacks”

Dir: Lucia Aniello, DP: Adam Bricker 
Category: TV Premiere
Format: REDCODE RAW 8K
Camera: RED V-RAPTOR
Lenses: Panavision Primo 70

The Look: We shot Season 3 on the RED V-RAPTOR, which we used and loved on Season 2. I was so impressed with the camera’s dynamic range, and its ultra-compact size meant that we could fit two, three, even four cameras in confined spaces if we needed to. Since the pilot, our lenses have been modern Primo 70s with a vintage customization. Before the start of each season, I get together with Panavision’s Guy McVicker to review the internals and make some small tweaks, but we always preserve the core recipe that Guy developed for us that gives “Hacks” its signature look.

“The Long, Long Night”

Dir: Barret O’Brien DP: Gary Lundgren
Category: TV Spotlight 
Format: 5.9K Cinema RAW Light
Camera: Two C500 MKII’s + iPhone’s for correspondence
Lenses: SLR Magic APO Microprimes T2.1

The Look: Barret and Mark wanted to film on location in L.A. during peak pandemic with a very small footprint. Limiting the number of people on set for safety shaped our approach. I decided to go with cinema cameras and micro-primes rigged with the smallest form factor possible. The C500 MK II was great for this. It allowed two cameras to pull their own focus while filming all day on easyrigs. Because we had no DIT, we rented 40 CFExpress cards and never wiped them throughout the shoot. Our cards served as one of our three backups. Our locations were pre-lit to allow 360-degree filming and unlimited blocking options. Everything was low light with even fall-off, so we could shoot wide open from f/2 to f/4.

Filming in a small motel room with two cameras, three actors, and our sound mixer required a lot of pre-planning in terms of choreography and staying out of each other’s shots. If A Cam was on a 35 or 50, the B Cam would be on an 85. Then we’d swap positions on the next setup. If a shot would fall apart, we’d simply scramble and reframe. Prioritizing the performances was our goal and we ended up doing many long takes.

Having the C500’s full-frame sensor was very helpful. It allowed us to shoot with a 25mm and make the bathroom feel spacious with little distortion. We had no ACs, so both camera packages were identical, each having a full set of lenses, batteries, and cards. We knew going in that B&W was an option, but hadn’t committed to it, so we wanted the flexibility that Cinema RAW Light gave us at 5.9K. We aimed for good skin tones and a high contrast ratio in the low light against tan walls. In the end, our colorist did a great job making the B&W look the way we wanted.

“Lucy & Sara”

Dir: Susan Park DPs: Jeremy Joyce and Cristal Ono 
Category: Independent TV Pilot Competition
Format: 2K
Camera: Sony A7siii 
Lenses: Predominantly, we used 70-200 & 24-70mm zoom lenses. 

The Look: We used two quite small camera set ups simultaneously because we wanted to be able to move around easily and be as flexible as possible. Having two cameras shooting at the same time was important because we wanted to be able to focus on the different characters in the scene at the same time. There was sometimes quite a lot of improvisation so we wanted to make sure we captured as much as we could in each take. We also wanted to be able to zoom in and out at moments in the scene to pick up reactions. It worked quite well, with the longer zoom lens being able to crash in on certain reactions for comedic effect. We had really small rigs set up — so we were able to move quickly and get a more hand-held, documentary style of shooting. Having cameras which perform well in low light was a bonus too, shooting in a dark cottage in North Wales in March!

“Marvin Is Sorry”

Dir: Clint Pang DP: Benjy Berkowitz 
Category: Independent TV Pilot Competition
Format: 4:3 2.8k
Camera: ALEXA Mini 
Lenses: Angenieux ez-1 and ez-2

The Look: Early on, director Clint Pang brought in references of Buster Keaton, Wes Anderson, and “Better Call Saul” for framing inspiration. We knew we wanted to use flatter, more central framing to achieve a coherent visual language that emphasized comedy. We decided on the taller 1.43:1 aspect ratio to enhance this effect. The aspect ratio also creates a subjective view of Marvin as the center of his and the people he involves himself with’s world. Everyone is trying to use his fame/misfortune for their own self-centered reasons. We break this subjective view and use 16:9 when we see the content that Marvin puts out in the world. We are no longer in his world but watching him as an objective viewer.

Other references Clint brought in included “The Social Network” and “Succession.” We knew we wanted a clean and modern look to deal with the show’s themes of influencers and social media. The Angenieux EZ-1 and EZ-2 gave us a very clean yet cinematic look that fit what we were going for perfectly. The zoom range and wide aperture also allowed us to make our tightly scheduled days.

“Neo-Dome”

Dir: Bonnie Discepolo DP: Carson Nyquist
Category: Independent TV Pilot Program
Format: 2.8K 4:3
Camera: ALEXA Mini 
Lenses: Kowa Anamorphic

The Look: “Neo-Dome” was a dream project on many levels — when you start with references like “No Country for Old Men.” “Breaking Bad,” and “Westworld,” I knew the bar was set high, but also a challenge worth accepting. In terms of cinematography, we placed our focus on creating timeless, expansive imagery that anticipates the utopia the characters are clawing to attain. With the narrative set in a barren, deserted environment, we wanted to lean into the warmer tones of the sand, dirt, and Joshua Trees while also capturing the imagery on a wide, anamorphic canvas to embrace the endless landscape and shifting power dynamics that play out among the characters. We went with the ALEXA Mini as the tried and true digital format to give us the most natural image while retaining the midday highlights with a gentle roll-off. Then for lensing, opted for a vintage set of Kowa Anamorphics, known for their organic, softer, and often imperfect characteristics. In the end, the goal was to capture visuals that balance the paradox of a utopian rat race, with heaven and hell often being one and the same. 

“Penelope”

Dir: Mel Eslyn  DP: Nathan M. Miller
Category: TV Spotlight 
Format: Codec: ProRes 4444 XQ // Res: 3840×2160 (4.3K 16:9 UHD) // Color Space: Log C
Camera: ALEXA Mini LF 
Lenses: TRIBE7 BLACKWING7’s

The Look: The ALEXA consistently gives you a beautiful image to work with. Another consideration was the size. Because I do so much handheld work, I try to keep the camera as stripped down as possible. The hope is that the camera and I are as unobtrusive as possible to the actors as they move through the space. This also allows me to respond accordingly.

Mel and I used the BLACKWING7s on “Biosphere,” and we really loved what they gave us. We thought they’d work well for this. It was as simple as that.

There’s no lofty goals I set for myself. You just need to keep your objectives simple: tell the story that’s on the page thoughtfully and compassionately. I prefer a style that feels more organic, as opposed to anything that attempts to approach perfection, be it lighting or framing. Everything, technically speaking, can always be better, and if you let that weigh you down, a lot of the time you forget what’s best for the story.

“Star Trek: Discovery”

Dirs: Douglas Aarniokoski, Andi Armaganian, Jonathan Frakes, Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour, Jen McGowan, Olatunde Osunsanmi, Lee Rose
DPs: Maya Bankovic, Philip Lanyon, Christopher Mably
Category: TV Spotlight
Format: Sony Raw OXCN 
Camera: Sony Venice 6K
Lenses: Panavision G, E and T series 

The Look: The Panavision look has a rich history in “Star Trek.” That nostalgic “Trek” feeling was something we wanted to lean into, but we also wanted to create something that was uniquely “Discovery.” We really loved the complexity of the flares that have multiple shades and shapes with that classic anamorphic streak that we got in the G series. Something we could play to taste through stoping down and lighting control. We build our sets with anamorphic framing in mind. We worked very hard with Dan Sasaki at Panavision to tune the lenses to our specific needs, altering the coverage, focus falloff and flare attributes in each individual lens. We use a lot of practical light to do complex shots that look in multiple directions, this means we use a lot of sources and highlights in frame. The lenses provided a base amount of glow around highlights that we enhanced with glimmer glass. We used the Sony Venice system. It has great sensitivity and latitude as well as rendering reds in red alert correctly. 

“3 Body Problem”

Dirs: Jeremy Podeswa, Minkie Spiro, Andrew Stanton, Derek Tsang
DPs: Martin Ahlgren, P.J. Dillon, Richard Donnelly, Jonathan Freeman 
Category: TV Premiere
Format: 4.5K ARRIRAW 
Camera: ALEXA LF, ALEXA MINI LF 
Lenses: ALFA ANAMORPHICS, DNA. 

The Look: We settled on a 2:35 aspect ratio. We felt that it was the right scope to portray the vastness of space and the distance between people and their environments. It also allowed for intimate close-ups that held intrigue, making the faces of our characters landscapes in themselves. Our story takes place over decades, starting during the Cultural Revolution in China and continuing to the present day and beyond.

When choosing the lenses, we were looking for glass that had a vintage feel yet could also feel modern at times. The team at ARRI LONDON suggested we look at prototypes that were developed with Greig Fraser for his “The Batman” film. Being a great admirer of Greig’s, I was curious. We were assured that if we liked them after testing, ARRI could have a set available for our first day of shooting. We were blown away with the results.

The ALFAs have a magical bokeh, reminiscent of the great glass of the ’60s and ’70s. A subtle soft vignette encircles the edges, pulling your eye closer to the center. Yet the center is resolutely clear, with accurate color contrast. A perfect combination of vintage and modern. They are exquisite lenses. — Jonathan Freeman