“Gaslit”

Nominated Episode: “Will”

Format: 3.2k ProRes
Camera: Alexa Mini Super 35
Lens: Speed Panchros, Zeiss Super Speeds, Canon K35s, MiniHawk, Super Baltars

[Cinematographer Larkin Seiple]: On “Gaslit,” our director, Matt Ross, wanted to use the visuals to make bold choices and bring a sense of humanity to each character and their moral ambiguity, since we follow not only the heroes but also the villains and everyone in between during the Watergate scandal. We decided to use different lens sets between the main characters to enhance their perspectives and match their emotional arc and mental state.

We spent a whole day testing every lens Keslow Camera could find in a small motel room set with stand-ins. We were chasing an image that was harsh and real but also compelling and photographic: an elevated version of 1970s street photography. We shifted between dramatic looks of blown-out windows, strong back light, hard front light, fluorescents, and tungsten practicals. We pushed the lenses to expose their flaws because we wanted to light the film in a very real manner to combat the fact that we were shooting primarily on stages.

We landed on Canon K35s for Martha, the martyr of the story, as they felt soft and intimate with subtle fall off on the edges. Impressionistic at times. This type of glass also had a raw quality, a flare and veiling that made you feel present in the space…”

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