Commercial

Cinematographer

Red Scarlet-W
Cooke S4i Lenses

Notes

James (Copson) wanted to lean into an analogue street photography aesthetic, especially as the characters are not professional models or actors, just authentic Mancunians. So, within the range of shot types are candid street scenes intercut with staged portraits.

We developed two camera presets, 16mm and S35mm, which cropped the sensor accordingly, scaled the usable sensor area, limited the field of view, and contained dynamic range. We shot the 16mm scene at 18fps with a slightly wider shutter angle. Visual effects in post-production did the rest, adding the frame, texture, and film damage from actual scans.

Like the 16mm footage, the S35mm scenes were graded under a film print LUT but kept relatively clean with minimal grain and damage added.

In keeping with the street aesthetic, we kept the crew and kit small, leaning into the imperfections and challenges of shooting handheld across the city in various weather conditions - from beautiful sunshine to the inevitable Manchester rain. Harsh light was diffused, and we bounced light where possible.