#Cinematographer Adam Stone takes us #behindthescenes of #Bikeridersfilm, captured in widescreen #Anamorphic on #KODAK #35mm film using #Panaflex Millennium XL2 and #System65 cameras with #Gseries lenses and serviced by #Panavision Woodland Hills.
"The Bikeriders look is simple, organic, and a bit rough-hewn. It’s meant to pay homage to a tactile bygone era when the motorcycle subculture took root in America. Think cigarettes, musty bars, flat beer, blue oil-laden exhaust plumes, chrome, and old leather jackets. We strove to make the imagery as authentic as possible so we opted to shoot on film and the production was entirely location based.
The movie is based on Danny Lyon’s photobook, The Bikeriders, so a lot of inspiration was pulled from his visuals. I was also captivated with the work of Jim Miteff. His work, though similar to Danny Lyon, was a bit more subversive and raw. (And, yes, I revisited Easyrider and The Wild One).
Panavision has the best lenses and service in the business. Jeff Nichols and I shoot all our projects on film and we’ve used XL2s on every collaboration since Mud. The XL2 is a total workhorse. It’s compact and has never let production down. The G Series have been my go-to lenses for over a decade--they are the most gorgeous lenses on the planet. The combination of G Series and film is ethereal--the fall-off, bokeh, and imperfect analog feel has always been appealing to me.
This project was particularly challenging because we had to shoot actors on bikes, without helmets, and in a safe, interpersonal way that’s engaging to the audience. We trialed many methodologies--eBike, pursuit car, and hard-mounted on a Slingshot--we finally had a eureka moment when rigging a trike so we could shoot handheld 3’ from the actor(s). Shooting in this configuration felt as if you, the audience, were actually on the bike--it was super visceral and engaging.
Inspiration is everywhere. A beautiful sunset, an esoteric film, a song, a painting, a sublime recipe, and even a social media post can cultivate creativity and inventiveness. It’s easy to stay inspired with so many talented artists that inhabit this planet."
