"If I had to be a Panavision lens, I'd want to be a Primo. There's a distinct quality to them--they're sharp, but not too sharp, painterly in the out of focus areas, minimal flaring, great contrast and quite user friendly. Definitely my favorites." #DOP Waleed Sokkar details his process and approach to photography. "Lens choice is probably the 1st or 2nd decision any cinematographer has to consider. Lenses make the world of a difference when it comes to the look of our photography, how it renders colors, skin & light, so I choose lenses accordingly, usually after doing various lens tests to determine which is most fitting for the story and subject matter. My general approach to principal photography is a mixture of being well prepared during scouting / previsualization and also leaving space to be intuitive in finding compositions or ideas on the day. I'm big on getting inspired by the location, where the light naturally falls and using that to inform the photography and lighting to a degree. Lighting has always been used to draw attention to things way before it was used in cinema, such as in renaissance paintings, but even further back--think back to pre-electricity when they used candles on the table during dinner to see the food they were eating. In cinema however, we use it as a way to grab attention by exposing for what the focus of the scene is and drawing attention there, or vice versa. One thing I always have with me is my light meter. I've gotten into the habit of metering light due to being an analog photographer. This is monumental for understanding lighting ratios and what different exposures look like. I might be a geek I guess, because I find the numbers and metering quite amusing. The best advice I've ever received was to 'worry less about the future and what’s gonna happen, so you don’t have to worry twice.' As a filmmaker today, you're constantly questioning yourself and your career, comparing yourself to others--whether you're doing enough, if you’ll make ends meet, or if you're even good enough altogether. In the end, all these questions don't really matter. Life is short--do what you love and be present, so you don’t wake up one day and regret how you spent your time here."
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Thanks for sharing this!
Very wise words, very well spoken! Presence 🎥✨
Word !
Cinematographer
4dI quite agree. Especially if they have been improved by Sasaki. Better call Dan, I say frecuently. Best.