News
“It’s Not an Even Playing Field”: Female Cinematographers Are Breaking Down One of Hollywood’s Biggest Remaining Gender Gaps
About 10 years ago, cinematographer Alice Brooks was meeting with a producer in hopes of being hired on his movie. After talking about her work and ideas for the project, the male producer turned to her and said, “When I close my eyes and think of what a cinematographer looks like, you aren’t it.” She got the job anyway, but that experience of being dismissed from the start is familiar for the still small ranks of female cinematographers working in Hollywood.
January 25, 2022
What genius looks like in ‘Tick, Tick ... Boom!’
Underneath the stirring story of “Tick, Tick … Boom!” which illuminates the life of Jonathan Larson, the creator of the Broadway hit “Rent,” there’s an inspirational tale of undying hope. “It’s a story of a dreamer and someone who doesn’t give up no matter what,” says cinematographer Alice Brooks, who photographed the visceral imagery alongside director Lin-Manuel Miranda. When Jonathan (played by Andrew Garfield) finally catches his big break and is asked to present his musical “Superbia” there’s just one problem: It’s not finished. Escaping his cramped New York apartment for a swim to clear his head, he has an epiphany and figures out the missing pieces to the puzzle. Illustrating his melodious thoughts on screen are a number of musical notes that appear on the pool bottom as if sheet music was flowing from his mind and lyrics begin to float around his head.
“It’s a visual demonstration of a singular moment of genius for Jonathan,” says Brooks. “He’s finally at peace with his music and there’s this complete joy and excitement that he can go write it.”
January 24, 2022
How the Costumes of ABC’s ‘Women of the Movement’ Represent Joy and Tragedy
Costume designer Justine Seymour approached the devastating story of Emmett Till and his mother Mamie Till-Mobley's activism through colors that reflect emotions.
January 6, 2022
Oscar Cinematography Survey: The Cameras and Lenses Used to Shoot 29 Awards Contenders
IndieWire reached out to the directors of photography whose films are in awards contention and are among the most critically acclaimed films of the year to find out which cameras and lenses they used and, more importantly, why these were the right tools to create the visual language of their respective films.
January 3, 2022
DP Alice Brooks ASC and her collaboration with Lin-Manuel Miranda on Netflix’s hit musical Tick, Tick… BOOM!
2021 was a huge year for cinematographer Alice Brooks ASC. Well-known for her rich, textured photography, powerful compositions and dramatic lighting, she become a member of the American Society Of Cinematographers (ASC), and received rave reviews for her inspired work on In The Heights (2021) the film adaptation of the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical, directed by Jon M. Chu. She followed that success with another high-profile project, Tick, Tick…BOOM! for Netflix and Imagine Entertainment. Another musical, it’s directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who makes his feature film directorial debut, and produced by Ron Howard. An adaptation of the semi-autobiographical musical by Jonathan Larson (Rent), the film stars Andrew Garfield as Jon, a young theatre composer trying to make it in New York City in the 1990s, alongside a stellar cast that includes Alexandra Shipp, Vanessa Hudgens, Judith Light and Bradley Whitford.
January 2, 2022
How ‘The Tender Bar’ Channels Long Island History via New England
With the family house (also a Braintree exterior), Ruhe and Ivanov discussed the color palette and how it would be shot. Clooney wanted the cameras to flow through the house. Ruhe says he used a Steadicam to follow Ranieri when audiences first see JR in the home. “It was important to stay with him and show it from his point of view,” Ruhe says.
December 3, 2021
Pill Happy
Hulu’s new series, Dopesick, reteams Checco Varese, ASC, and Director Patricia Riggen for a searing look inside America’s opioid crisis.
November 16, 2021
DP Greig Fraser on Dune’s Digital/Film Process and Look
Here, Fraser, whose credits also include Lion (for which he earned Oscar and BAFTA noms), Mary Magdalene, Vice and Foxcatcher, talks about the challenges of making the ambitious epic, his unique analog/digital approach to the cinematography and working with VFX.
November 2, 2021
Hurlbut Academy Relaunches as Filmmakers Academy Online Platform for Artisans (EXCLUSIVE)
Hurlbut Academy, the online learning platform developed by Lydia Hurlbut and Shane Hurlbut, will transform into the more expansive Filmmakers Academy, a new online platform for courses in cinematography, directing, lighting, post-production and other disciplines.
October 28, 2021
'The Walking Dead: World Beyond' Director Loren Yaconelli, Cinematographer Ross Riege on Season Two
“THE THING THAT MAKES THIS SHOW UNIQUE IS THAT THIS IS THE FIRST CHANCE FOR THE AUDIENCE TO SEE THE PERSPECTIVE OF PEOPLE WHO GREW UP POST-APOCALYPSE.”
October 25, 2021
Halsey’s ‘If I Can’t Have Love…’ Filmmakers on Challenges and Rewards of a Semi-Feature-Length Movie and Pregnant Star
Colin Tilley, the film’s director, and Jamee Ranta, its executive producer (who also took on the role of creative/line producer), talked with Variety about a Prague shoot that was obviously very different from the many music videos they’ve worked on together (including numerous ones for Justin Bieber’s latest album, “Justice,” like the Diane Keaton-starring “Ghost”).
October 25, 2021
Director Patricia Riggen Reflects On Hulu's "Dopesick"
The chance to reunite with show creator Danny Strong, the significance of the all-too-real story drew her to the limited series.
October 22, 2021
‘Dune’ Cinematographer Greig Fraser on Making the Expansive Film ‘Feel Intimate to the Characters’
Denis Villeneuve’s long-awaited “Dune” arrives in theaters and on HBO Max on Oct. 22, and has already become part of the awards conversation for its sumptuous visuals.
October 13, 2021
Matthew Chuang: Going Back To Blue Bayou
Fleeing the closed doors of the Australian film industry, cinematographer Matthew Chuang is now on the rise in the US thanks to his stellar work on the new feature Blue Bayou.
October 12, 2021
Producing Halsey’s If I Can’t Love, I Want Power (with Jamee Ranta)
Rather than releasing a series of music videos, Halsey has released a short film featuring her latest album IF I CAN’T LOVE, I WANT POWER. Music video producer Jamee Ranta gives us a behind the scenes look at making the film and music videos for other iconic artists.
October 11, 2021
Following Films Podcast: Checco Varese on DOPESICK
Director of photography Checco Varese's most ambitious work yet can be seen in the gripping new limited series, Dopesick. The series is set to premiere Oct. 13 on Hulu.
October 10, 2021
CINEMATOGRAPHER SAM LEVY TALKS MAYDAY, A FEMINIST FANTASY THAT IS CALLING OUT TO AUDIENCES
The filmmaking process is nothing new for cinematographer Sam Levy. He’s been doing it since high school, when he started acting in a friend’s VHS movies. After falling in love with cinematography while studying at Brown University, Levy went on to shoot for an impressive list of directors including Kelly Reichardt, Spike Jonze, Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig. But Mayday, a surreal feminist action fantasy, marks Levy’s first feature with writer-director Karen Cinorre, his closest collaborator to date.
October 6, 2021
ICG Cover Image and Feature “Climate Change”
Greig Fraser, ACS, ASC, explores dark new worlds for Denis Villeneuve’s newest incarnation of Frank Herbert’s celebrated novel, Dune.
October 1, 2021
A self-assured first feature, Mayday doesn't need rescuing
The film is beautifully shot by Cinorre’s partner Sam Levy ( Lady Bird ), with a score by Colon Stetson ( Hereditary ) that includes a lovely rendition of the 1960s neo-classical hit Love Is Blue.
October 1, 2021
Oscars 2022: Best Cinematography Predictions
The good news for the cinematography race is that theaters have reopened, which means that the full spectacle of “Dune” and “No Time to Die” can be experienced on the big screen.
October 1, 2021