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Ozu on Wheels: DP Florian Hoffmeister on Shooting Kogonada’s Half of Pachinko (Filmmaker Magazine)

Matt Mulcahey

May 9, 2022

With Pachinko now streaming in its entirety, cinematographer Florian Hoffmeister spoke with Filmmaker about the show’s unique visual duality (and the equally unique schedule it fostered), participating in Todd Field’s return to movie making, and how choosing a LUT is like choosing a print stock.

The pilot of a series is typically its true north, the aesthetic guiding light of all that follows. However, in the new Apple TV+ series Pachinko, two very different director/cinematographer teams have both been given their own creative compass.

Based on the 2017 bestseller, the familial epic unfolds over 70 years, tracing the story of four generations of a Korean immigrant family that settles in Japan following an oppressive occupation.

The season’s eight episodes were split evenly between directors Kogonada (Columbus, After Yang) and Justin Chon (Blue Bayou). The filmmakers shared the same crew, camera, sets, costumes and locations, yet each brings a divergent style—Kogonada the formalist, Chon the naturalist.

With Pachinko now streaming in its entirety, cinematographer Florian Hoffmeister spoke with Filmmaker about the show’s unique visual duality (and the equally unique schedule it fostered), participating in Todd Field’s return to movie making, and how choosing a LUT is like choosing a print stock.

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