The Cinematography Podcast

Hunting Matthew Nichols is an indie horror film that’s shot as a mockumentary/found-footage movie about a documentary filmmaker investigating her brother's disappearance 20 years earlier on Vancouver Island. Writer/producer Sean Harris Oliver and DP Justin Sebastian shot the horror film in 12 days, then independently released it into theaters.

Key Podcast Highlights:

-How cinematographer Justin Sebastian used Sony FX9 cameras on autofocus, shot archival footage scenes on period-correct cameras, and then physically digitized the tapes for documentary authenticity.
-Keeping the camera crew small and the lighting natural, so that the film’s characters could realistically pull off the documentary.
-Detailed scriptwriting by Sean Harris Oliver, such as specifying who holds the camera in each scene. Sean scripted the film with cleaner, more deliberate camerawork that degrades into chaotic, survival-mode footage as events progress.
-How the team pushed hard for theatrical release against distributor pressure to go straight to streaming. They self-funded distribution and budgeted for marketing from the very beginning.

Find where to watch Hunting Matthew Nichols in theaters and play the interactive game on the website: https://www.huntingmatthewnichols.com/

Find Sean Harris-Oliver: https://www.seanharrisoliver.com/
Instagram: @SeanHarrisOliver

Find Justin Sebastian: https://www.justinsimonsebastian.com/
Instagram: @JustinSebastianDP

Listen to our episode with producer Ted Hope, who discusses similar approaches indie filmmakers can take to understand and control the entire filmmaking process from budget to shoot to distribution: https://www.camnoir.com/ep352/

Show Rundown:
02:45 Close Focus
13:04-01:02:59 Sean Harris Oliver and Justin Sebastian interview
01:03:19 Short ends
01:12:42 Wrap up/Credits

The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com
YouTube: @TheCinematographyPodcast
Facebook: @cinepod
Instagram: @thecinepod
Blue Sky: @thecinepod.bsky.social

The Cinematography Podcast Episode 353: Isaac Bauman

Cinematographer Isaac Bauman captured the visual identities of two different horror movies in They Will Kill You and Faces of Death. Both films are currently in theaters. Bauman discusses the intricate technical gymnastics required to give each film a distinct, cinematic feel.

Key Podcast Highlights:

-Carefully developing the look of They Will Kill You and Faces of Death with each film’s director.
-Solving big lighting challenges for They Will Kill You's climax, using a massive 18K light that had to be repeatedly moved.
-Working with practical puppeteering effects for the crawling eyeball in They Will Kill You, which gave the scene a higher sense of realism.
-Shooting on 35mm film for Faces of Death and intentionally reducing the camera’s visual capabilities. Isaac used wider lenses, stopped down, and embraced darkness to enhance the gritty, filmic quality of older movies.

Find Isaac Bauman: Instagram @isaacbauman
See They Will Kill You and Faces of Death in theaters.
Hear our previous interview with Isaac Bauman: https://www.camnoir.com/ep242/

Show Rundown:
02:12 Close Focus
10:28-01:00:24 Isaac Bauman interview
01:00:45 Short ends
01:07:34 Wrap up/Credits

The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com
YouTube: @TheCinematographyPodcast
Facebook: @cinepod
Instagram: @thecinepod
Blue Sky: @thecinepod.bsky.social

The Cinematography Podcast Episode 352: Ted Hope

Producer Ted Hope has worked in the film business for over 40 years, producing dozens of features with several Academy Awards nominations and wins. After leaving Amazon Studios in 2020, Hope went back to his roots as an independent producer and began writing his Substack blog, Hope For Film. He argues that the independent film ecosystem as we know it has reached its final days. However, far from being a tragedy, Ted definitely has hope for film. He sees what's happening in the industry today as a necessary seismic shift. Hope has a vision for a more “punk rock” future of cinema, with a decentralized, artist-owned future that prioritizes "freak flags" and human empathy over corporate consolidation.

Key Podcast Highlights:

-How filmmakers should stop trying to emulate "mini-Hollywood" productions and embrace a DIY, experimental approach with room to fail.
-How the streaming era has killed the anticipatory joy of seeing a film when it’s simply dropped on a homepage, making it harder for the longer-term cultural engagement that helped independent films thrive.
-Why ownership is the new path forward, paired with self-financing and total IP control.
-Film’s best defense against AI is embracing cinema that mimics life and human complexity, with scripts that contain ambiguity rather than payoffs.
-Why filmmakers must understand and control the entire filmmaking process, from budget and shoot to distribution.

**A special note to our listeners: We have an exclusive discount link to subscribe to Ted Hope’s substack, Hope For Film! Get 50% a 1 year subscription at https://tedhope.substack.com/cinepod. This offer does expire on April 20 (4/20) at 4:20 PM PT. Yep, that’s on 4-20 at 4:20. Don’t miss out!**

You can also find the discount link in our shownotes for this episode at www.camnoir.com

Show Rundown:
03:07 Close Focus
06:44-01:13:14 Ted Hope interview
01:14:04 Short ends
01:25:42 Wrap up/Credits

The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com
YouTube: @TheCinematographyPodcast
Facebook: @cinepod
Instagram: @thecinepod
Blue Sky: @thecinepod.bsky.social

The Cinematography Podcast Episode 351: Marshall Adams, ASC and Paul Donachie

Pluribus DPs Marshall Adams and Paul Donachie share a visual shorthand, love of wide shots, and creative freedom to craft inventive techniques using LED panels.

Key Podcast Highlights:

-Marshall and Paul’s collaboration as DPs, and how their shared aesthetic vision strengthens the show.
-Getting absolute top-down permission from producer/director Vince Gilligan to take creative risks.
-The importance of prep, rehearsal and flexibility in planning intriguing shots.
-Focusing on finding visual effects in camera instead of relying on VFX, such as the LED rig Marshall built for the truck oner in the pilot episode.

Find Marshall Adams, ASC: Instagram @smadadp
See Pluribus on Apple TV

Show Rundown:
02:22 Close Focus
11:46-46:45 Marshall Adams and Paul Donachie interview
47:22 Short ends
55:47 Wrap up/Credits

The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com
YouTube: @TheCinematographyPodcast
Facebook: @cinepod
Instagram: @thecinepod
Blue Sky: @thecinepod.bsky.social

The Cinematography Podcast Episode 350: Lawrence Sher, ASC

DP Lawrence Sher felt creatively challenged on The Bride! The "everything burger" movie combines many film techniques and influences, 1930's and contemporary lighting, contemporary actors dropped into archival movie footage, and practical makeup effects.

Key Podcast Highlights:
-Creating a stylized movie with director Maggie Gyllenhaal using multiple techniques and film influences
-Honoring 1930’s filmmaking with longer lenses, and using real archival footage for the “movie within a movie” sequences.
-The challenge of lighting and filming practical makeup effects on actors Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley
-Finding creative inspiration in projects that excite and scare him

Find Lawrence Sher: https://www.lawrencesher.com/
Instagram @lawrencesherdp
See The Bride! in theaters
Check out Shotdeck: https://shotdeck.com/
Hear our previous episodes with Lawrence Sher: https://www.camnoir.com/ep293/
https://www.camnoir.com/ep56/

Show Rundown:
01:38 Close Focus
09:43-50:05 Lawrence Sher interview
50:21 Short ends
57:08 Wrap up/Credits

The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com
YouTube: @TheCinematographyPodcast
Facebook: @cinepod
Instagram: @thecinepod
Blue Sky: @thecinepod.bsky.social