Broadcast News

Bookmark and Share
27/06/2019

Cinematographer Relies On Cooke Optics'S4/i Prime Lenses

News Image
Cinematographer Martin Ruhe relied on two sets of Cooke Optics'S4/i prime lenses matched with two ARRI ALEXA Mini cameras to capture the Hulu six-episode mini-series Catch-22, directed by Grant Heslov, Ellen Kuras and George Clooney, which premiered on 17 May.

Based on the acclaimed Joseph Heller novel Catch-22 is set during World War II and revolves around a military by-law which states that if you fly your missions, you're crazy, and all you have to do is ask not to fly them. But if you ask not to, then you're sane, and so you have to fly them. The book's title coined the term that has entered the common lexicon since Heller’s book was first published in 1961.

One thing that was made clear was that it would be its own film, and not based on the 1970 version. "We all looked at the original film, and the two projects have a different nature,” said Ruhe. “Ours is a dark comedy with a strong look for a strong visual story, as compared to the original which was more of a straight comedy. The aerial scenes had to show the intense horror of being up in those small tin boxes. It had to be about life and death.|

Ruhe's goal was to contrast the horror of the aerial scenes and the absurdity of the ground scenes. To do that, he made use of two identical sets of Cooke S4/i prime lenses — 14mm, 18mm, 21mm, 25mm, 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, 65mm, 75mm, 100mm and 135mm focal lengths — shooting with the ARRI ALEXA Mini’s Super 35mm (2.8K) sensor in ARRI Raw 16:9, which would later be finished in 4K HDR.

"We had two sets of camera/lens combinations as we were cross shooting as well as having some days with splinter [second] unit shooting," explained Ruhe. "While I used all of the lenses, the 32mm was my all-time favourite for close-ups inside the planes. Although, to be honest, I did have to move to the 50mm at times due to the limited space within those planes."

In fact, one of the main benefits of using Cooke S4/i primes for Ruhe was their size. "I had to be very fast and versatile in tight places. I didn't want to get stuck fighting minimal focus, and thanks to the S4/i's, I didn't," he added.

To help understand the period, Production Designer David Gropman provided a lot of stills from Heller's regiment to show the team what life in those camps was like, along with viewing historical newsreel footage. Then, during camera tests, stills were taken and placed into Photoshop to match the old postcard look of the era. Company 3, which would handle the digital intermediates, then created LUTs for the cameras to match the required looks.

With more than 20 years of experience with Cooke lenses, Ruhe knew from the start that he wanted the S4/i primes. "I first grew attached to Cookes on commercials, and I shot The American with S4s as well as The Keeping Room, where I also used original Cooke Speed Panchros,” he said. “They are just beautiful in the way that they fall off, how they flare and the texture you get from them. This is especially important when shooting in digital, as the lenses give you a nice organic feel. There’s just something so beautiful about the Cookes, and I go back to them time and time again. And the close-up with the 32mm is just the perfect tool."

For both the ground and aerial scenes, Ruhe went for a natural look. This was especially important on-board the planes as he didn’t want them to be too perfectly lit. For ground interiors, a 120’x75’ soft sail and grey screen was used with a 20K standing in for sunlight.
VMI.TV Ltd

Top Related Stories
Click here for the latest broadcast news stories.

21/09/2022
Cooke Optics Announces Major Investments In Facilities
Cooke Optics has majorly investment in two important facilities and several new staff appointments to support its ongoing global growth. Crest Rise, a
11/11/2021
Cooke Optics Launches Two Additions To Its Full Frame Lenses
Cooke Optics has launched two additions to its expanding range of Full Frame lenses. Two new Varotal/i FF zoom lenses bring leading-edge modern design
21/07/2009
Man Behind Cooke Optics Commemorated
Thomas Cooke, the name behind Cooke Optics' film and photographic lenses, has been honoured in his home town of Allerthorpe in East Yorkshire, with a
22/08/2019
Cooke Optics To Unveil Two New Lenses At IBC 2019
Cooke Optics is to debut two new lenses at IBC 2019, giving cinematographers and directors of photography more ways to achieve “The Cooke Look”® for t
11/03/2019
Cooke Panchro/i Classic Lenses Help Create A Dark Look For 'Skam France'
A selection of Cooke Panchro/i Classic lenses have been utilised to help create a darker and vintage aesthetic for two seasons of ’Skam France'. Cinem
09/01/2019
Matthew Libatique Uses Cooke Lenses On 'A Star Is Born'
Matthew Libatique, ASC, who has already won the 2018 Hollywood Film Award for Cinematographer of the Year for his work on Warner Bros. Pictures' A Sta
13/09/2018
Cooke Anamorphic/i Lenses Deliver Exciting Visuals For New 'Doctor Who' Series
Cooke Anamorphic/i lenses have delivered an exciting cinematic look to the hotly anticipated new series of 'Doctor Who'. The rebooted series will retu
17/01/2018
Cooke Lenses Deployed For 'The Expanse'
Cooke Optic's 5/i Primes lenses have been used on set to film season 3 of SyFy drama The Expanse. In 2014, Syfy commissioned 10 one-hour episodes of T
14/12/2017
Cooke Brings S7/i Purpose-Built Full Frame Lenses To BSC Expo 2018
At BSC EXPO Cooke Optics will present for the first time its new S7/i Full Frame Plus lenses. The new range is the only purpose-built full frame lens
20/06/2017
Cooke Lenses Used On Set Of The Little Mermaid
Cooke Optics' S4/i lenses have been selected to film the live action remake of The Little Mermaid. The movie, inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen
19/04/2017
Cooke Optics To Unveil S7/i Full Frame Plus Lenses
At NAB 2017, Booth C5414, Cooke Optics will launch its S7/i Full Frame Plus prime lens range. The range is designed to cover the emergent full frame c
17/01/2017
Cooke Lenses Used For Valkyrien Series
Cooke Optics' Anamorphic/i and Cooke 5/i lenses have been used to shoot forthcoming Norwegian drama series, Valkyrien. In addition, the lens metadata
04/10/2016
'Midsomer Murders' Being Shot With Uncoated Cooke miniS4/i lenses
Cooke Optics has announced the latest series of the long-running British drama series 'Midsomer Murders' is being shot with uncoated Cooke miniS4/i le
21/06/2016
Movietech Secures New Cooke Lenses
Movietech has secured a range of the new Cooke 35–140mm Anamorphic/i Zoom lenses. Featuring a cam-style mechanism for smooth focus adjustments, the fr
06/03/2015
Cooke Optics To Ship New Anamorphic/i Lenses
Cooke Optics, manufacturer of precision lenses for film and television, has pledged to start shipping the 25mm and 135mm Anamorphic/i lenses by NAB 20