Lenses

Zeiss Cinema Lens Team Values Collaboration

Mon, 11/15/2021 - 09:27 -- Nick Dager

In an industry that relies heavily on collaboration to combine technical excellence with inspiring creativity, the last two years have been a unique challenge. The Zeiss cinema lens team, meanwhile, has worked hard to not only continue communications, but to also expand and improve its capabilities across the Americas. Whether it’s from behind masks or monitors they have been actively engaging with the filmmaking community, unveiling new technology, maintaining channels, sponsoring online events and film festivals, and producing their Studies in Cinematography series with the likes of Greig Fraser, ASC, ACS, Matthew Libatique, ASC and Alice Brooks, ASC.

Getting the Band Together

Mon, 10/18/2021 - 11:08 -- Nick Dager

The film We Are Lady Parts is Nida Manzoor’s anarchic and irreverent music comedy about a Muslim female punk band – called Lady Parts – who are on a mission to find a lead guitarist and maybe, just maybe, get a proper gig. It was the first time she and cinematographer Diana Olifirova had worked together, but Olifirova described all the people on board for the series as a dream team.

Traveling Light

Mon, 10/18/2021 - 10:58 -- Nick Dager

A cinematographer, executive producer, and whiskey aficionado, Johnny Derango was corresponding with the owner of The Bottle Haus, an online liquor retailer, who it turned out was looking for someone to create a series of commercials to promote their business on social media. “The directive given to me was to do a commercial that gives the bottles personality, as well as be funny,” said Derango. “It was very open ended, so I had to conceptualize that.”

Making Mayday

Mon, 10/11/2021 - 11:24 -- Nick Dager

“When you’re preparing a film you can indulge in dreamy conversations –– it’s an essential part of the process that gets infused into the work,” says cinematographer Sam Levy. “But once you’re on set, and the clock is ticking, you find yourself a passenger on a moving train. Sometimes it’s a slow-moving train, but that train is moving. This was very much the case when we shot Karen Cinorre’s new film Mayday.”

Cooke Optics Appoints Flynn as a Non-Executive Director

Tue, 10/05/2021 - 11:07 -- Nick Dager

Cooke Optics has announced the appointment of media industry veteran Roger Flynn as a new non-executive director to its board of directors. Flynn is an investor and non-executive director in media, technology, and travel businesses following a successful executive career in several international organizations, including CEO of BBC Ventures, commercial director of Virgin’s Media division, and president international of SDI Media Group.

Making Birds of Paradise

Wed, 09/22/2021 - 08:42 -- Nick Dager

Produced for Amazon Studios, the feature film Birds of Paradise tells the story of two girls at an elite Parisian ballet academy that have their bond and bodies tested as they compete for a contract to join the company of the Opéra National de Paris. The film was directed by Sarah Adina Smith, who not only adapted the A.K. Small novel for the screenplay, but also happens to be director of photography Shaheen Seth’s wife.

The Cooke Look for Power Book

Wed, 09/08/2021 - 11:38 -- Nick Dager

In the 1990s, almost every cinematographer in New York was using Cooke Optics S4/i lenses for commercials, music videos, and independent features, this according to Aaron Medick, one of the cinematographers on Power Book III: Raising Kanan. He became lead DP in the second season for Power Book II: Ghost after starting as B camera/Steadicam operator and moving up to DP for Power, which launched the franchise for cable and streaming service Starz. And it should come as no surprise that many of the DPs on the franchise come from New York, including Power lead DP Tim Ives, ASC who also shot the pilot.

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