When it comes to filmmaking,<\/strong> it doesn’t really matter what gear you have \u2014 as long as you have a great story. That said, if you have a story so good that the Academy likes it, it certainly doesn’t hurt to have nice equipment too.<\/p>\n Here are the cameras<\/strong> and lenses<\/strong> behind many of the most popular 2017 Oscar nominees.<\/strong><\/p>\n Oscar Nominations: <\/strong>14, including\u00a0<\/strong>Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing In an interview with MovieMaker<\/a>, Linus Sandgren, FSF talks about shooting on film<\/strong> with anamorphic lenses.<\/p>\n Because of what Damien wanted to do with this film… he felt that the film had to be shot in the scope format, anamorphic.<\/p>\n I felt it would be more appropriate to shoot it in 2.55 CinemaScope like they did with A Star is Born<\/em><\/a>, for example, and films like that back in the 1950s, before the standard became 2.40: 1, so that\u2019s how the 2.55 aspect ratio came up. It was really an homage to old Hollywood.<\/p>\n Damien really wanted to shoot on film because we wanted to capture as much rich color from the sets as possible.<\/p>\n It\u2019s all shot on 35mm, but there\u2019s a sequence shot on 16mm anamorphic. We agreed that Panavision would have the lenses for us that also spoke to us more as a classic Hollywood cinemascope lens.<\/p>\n We went with Panavision XL2\u2019s camera with anamorphic C series and E series primes.<\/p>\n The camera then needed to move very tightly in or very wide, which would have caused problems with anamorphic lenses because they normally go three feet for close focus. So we had Panavision make a special 40mm anamorphic lens for the purpose of being able to go close to things. They made a special lens for us that had a much closer focus, so that we could get closer to hands and stuff and then pull out to wide shots.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Read the entire Sandgren interview on MovieMaker<\/a>.<\/p>\n Oscar Nominations:<\/strong>\u00a08, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing Cinematographer James Laxton, ASC talked with Filmmaker Magazine about his simple camera setup<\/a>.<\/p>\n It was entirely a one-camera show. There was never a B-camera on the job. I operated the majority of the show except for the Steadicam sequences.<\/p>\n We chose the Hawks [V-Lite Lenses] because they provided the most applicable rendering of what we were looking for. They\u2019re very sharp lenses and also very contrasty lenses. Those are two qualities we were interested in. There\u2019s a trend in film right now to have a low-contrast look, but we wanted to emphasize contrast.<\/p>\n We [recorded in]\u00a0ProRes. In our testing we found that the benefits of shooting Raw didn\u2019t necessarily apply to what this film needed. The ALEXA’s latitude (when shooting ProRes) was enough without going down the post-production path with Raw.<\/p>\n Another factor for us was how long we would have on the cards. Working with child actors and working with some people who were acting for the first time on screen, we wanted to be able to keep rolling and keep rolling to make sure we gave them the space to work the performances out. Sometimes on set there\u2019s a momentum that you have when you keep going and going. And sometimes you can keep that momentum by not cutting in between takes and just re-setting, rather than cutting, having the AD call \u201croll camera,\u201d bringing the slate in, and all these other things that can hurt an actor\u2019s momentum.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Laxton and colorist Alex Bickel<\/a> talked to IndieWire about the films look and LUTs<\/a>.<\/p>\n The first chapter was set to emulate Fuji film stock, which according to Bickel, is a little warmer and brings out a lot of texture in the skin tone. The third chapter used a modified Kodak stock which \u2014 is less \u201crestrained\u201d and provides more pop and shine to the image.<\/p>\n The most distinct looking chapter of Moonlight<\/em> is the second, which Bickel credits to the old Agfa film stock it was set to mirror. The long retired German film stock was known for adding a cyan to the images highlights, which is what gives the middle section of Moonlight its greenish-blue hue.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Regarding monitoring the\u00a0color, Laxton told Filmmaker Magazine:<\/p>\n On set we were just monitoring with Rec709. There can be a great advantage sometimes to having a DIT provide LUTs and start that base coloring process, but for this project and the pace we needed to work at, just monitoring Rec709 seemed like a simple and fast workflow for us to make sure we were in the right ballpark, knowing full well I would be spending time with Alex Bickel in the Digital Intermediate to polish and enhance the look of the film.<\/p>\n If we were doing something where we wanted a more desaturated look we probably would\u2019ve changed our workflow to suit those needs, but for Moonlight<\/em> using (Rec709) got us in the realm we were looking for. For me, that\u2019s all I need on set. I\u2019m not one to sit in a DIT booth and make minor adjustments. What I feel my role is on set is to provide a dense negative knowing later in the DI we\u2019ll refine the images.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Read more about the cinematography and color on IndieWire<\/a> and interview on Filmmaker Magazine<\/a>.<\/p>\n Oscar Nominations: <\/strong>8, including\u00a0Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing Bradford Young, ASC turned to ARRI’s ALEXA line for Arrival<\/em>.\u00a0Here’s a excerpt from his\u00a0interview with No Film School.<\/a><\/p>\n We shot with the ALEXA XST. I shot with two different kinds of lenses: some vintage Ultra Primes from CamTec, and I also used Super Speeds. Denis had really positive, great results with the work he’s done with Roger [Deakins] and I’ve slowly begun to really, really respect what we’re allowed to do with digital. It has so many virtues.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n IndieWire dove into\u00a0Young’s process:<\/p>\n Visually, using the ALEXA XT, Young treated the mission to find out the meaning of the arrival as mostly a mundane-looking procedural.<\/p>\n By contrast, Louise\u2019s time-bending moments, using the lighter and more mobile ALEXA M for hand-held shots, resemble warm, naturalistic portraitures.<\/p>\n \u201cI went for cooler colors when I wanted Amy to feel worn down. We tried to pull back on that a little bit, but then Denis stopped me in the [color timing] and told me not to be so concerned about skin tone and let her be pasty, let her exist in that melancholy space, let us feel that visually.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n With regards to the camera’s movement<\/strong> in the film, Young told No Film School:<\/p>\n I’ve always been apprehensive about camera movement, because I didn’t start off making films where you have dollies and technocranes and Steadicams. We couldn’t afford to have that stuff. When I use a dolly or a camera movement, I always want it to be as subtle and as understated as possible. With a lot of my work now, I try to create a sort of delicacy to how the camera moves.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Read more about Young’s work on IndieWire<\/a> and read his\u00a0interview with No Film School<\/a><\/p>\n Oscar Nominations: <\/strong>6, including\u00a0<\/strong>Best Picture, Best Cinematography Greig Fraser, ASC, ACS interviewed with No Film School<\/a>, where the DP\u00a0talked about his support gear on location in India.<\/p>\n The gimbal was a godsend for the moving stuff in India because it was the perfect height.<\/p>\n We could get it to [Saroo’s] height, whereas Steadicam wasn’t really a viable option at that height. And then we had a RED DRAGON on the drone.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Read the whole\u00a0interview at No Film School<\/a>.<\/p>\n Oscar Nominations: <\/strong>4, including\u00a0<\/strong>Best Picture, Best Film Editing Giles Nuttgens, BSC spoke with Studio Daily about\u00a0his shoots on the set of\u00a0Hell or High Water<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n 10 hours of continuous shooting, no large, controlled monitors on set, no producers on set, no cell phones or chairs on set, no clapper boards, and a constant turnover (about five times a day) of dailies to their nearby edit suite, where they would retire at the end of each shooting day to put their heads together.<\/p>\n Their purpose at that point, Nuttgens insists, was rarely to discuss \u201cdid we get the sequence, but rather, did the material have the right tone? Do we need adjustments, not particularly to lighting or framing, but more to mise en sc\u00e8ne<\/em> \u2014 whether there is anything we can do to match up to our original intentions before we get to set. That process is so invaluable.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Read the entire piece on Studio Daily<\/a>.<\/p>\n Oscar Nominations:\u00a0<\/strong>3, including Best Picture Regarding the Hidden Figures<\/em> camera movement, A-Camera and Steadicam Operator Jason Elson told ICG Magazine<\/a>:<\/p>\n Movement was kept to a minimum. There were no unmotivated camera moves unless we were moving with the actors. For dialogue scenes, to preserve the eye lines, we would swing a lens on the A-camera rather than try and force two cameras together at the same time, compromising the angles.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Mandy Walker, ASC, ACS went on to talk about the color capture:<\/strong><\/p>\n The look really resembles Kodachrome more than anything else. Production Designer Wynn Thomas and Costume Designer Renee Kalfus worked with us to create the color palette, texture and images. Color and saturation in lighting was carefully planned to support each location and the story of what the women were going through in each moment.<\/p>\n We wanted to make Katherine (Taraji P. Henson<\/a>)\u00a0<\/span>a jewel in a sea of white men, in white shirts, in a gray room. We made sure she popped with her colored outfits and bright red lipstick<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Read more about Walker and her crew on the\u00a0International Cinematographers Guild Magazine site<\/a>.<\/p>\n Oscar Nominations: <\/strong>6, including Best Picture, Best Director Director\/Writer Kenneth Lonergan spoke to Filmmaker Magazine about his process<\/a> of writing this film for John Krasinski<\/a> and Matt Damon<\/a> until eventually directing\u00a0the film himself years later.<\/p>\n With each movie, I\u2019ve become more directorial in the way I think about the scripts when I\u2019m writing them. I think I understand what\u2019s going to be happening on the set now in a way I didn\u2019t before.<\/p>\n For instance, there\u2019s a lot of driving scenes in the movie. I noticed this, and I thought, \u201cGee, I wonder if all these scenes should be driving?\u201d The towns are separated, and the kid doesn\u2019t have a license. It\u2019s in the middle of winter. It makes sense for their relationship. I thought, \u201cI\u2019ll let the director figure out an interesting way to shoot all these driving scenes.\u201d Then when I became the director, we just didn\u2019t have an interesting way to shoot the driving scenes, so we just did our best and the actors took care of it by acting well, and it turned out okay.<\/p>\n But I was a little anxious about that, and if I had known I was going to be directing it from the beginning, I might have developed a bit more of a visual concept.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Read the whole interview on Filmmaker Magazine<\/a>.<\/p>\n Oscar Nominations: <\/strong>6, including\u00a0<\/strong>Best Picture,\u00a0Best Director, Best Film Editing Simon Duggan, ASC, ACS spoke with IndieWire about shooting the war epic<\/a>.<\/p>\n Everything\u00a0was quite contained, including the battlefield, and we tried to simplify down how much we saw and really focused on the performances and stayed really tight to the storytelling.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n To create the tight intensity, the second-unit placed Blackmagic pocket cinema cameras on stuntmen<\/strong> running through explosions.<\/p>\n Regarding the three main battle sequences,<\/strong> Duggan says<\/p>\n I tried to make the three sequences different by starting with the opening battle sequence with just slightly less saturation than what we saw in the West Virginia barracks.<\/p>\n The second one I tried to pull a lot of color out and the third one we pulled even more color out, so it was a gradual turning toward black and white.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Read the whole interview on IndieWire<\/a>.<\/p>\n Oscar Nominations: <\/strong>4, including\u00a0<\/strong>Best Picture In her interview with MovieMaker Magazine<\/a>, Chartlotte Bruus Christensen talked about her choice to shoot on film.<\/p>\n There were a lot of people asking me, \u201cWhy do you shoot 35mm? Why don\u2019t you support the digital market, because it\u2019s obviously going to take off?\u201d But we were both like, \u201cWell, at the moment, film is still available, and they\u2019re opening a lab here in New York\u2026\u201d and, I don\u2019t know, I love that medium. I think it\u2019s truthful. It\u2019s like you shoot in digital. Then you go into post-production and try to make it look like film. Why don\u2019t you just shoot on film?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Regarding all the camera movement<\/strong> at the beginning of the film, Christensen\u00a0states,<\/p>\n It\u2019s a Steadicam that I\u2019m carrying and I\u2019m running. Basically from the minute [snaps her finger<\/em>] you open the movie, they talk, and it\u2019s like music. Denzel kept saying, \u201cMy direction to you is this is like music, music.\u201d I had to keep that in my mind as I moved. And then when we come to the backyard, suddenly, we feel a little bit theatrical again and we put the camera exactly where the audience was. Now we just stay there. So up until Viola comes in the camera\u2019s been moving. And then when she comes into the scene the camera is trained on her to get every emotion.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Read the entire interview on MovieMaker Magazine<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nLa La Land<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Chazelle-La-La-Land-Camera.jpg\" "\\"The")
\n<\/a>Image: Damien Chazelle via Summit Entertainment<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
\nDirector:<\/strong> Damien Chazelle<\/a>
\nDirector of Photography:<\/strong> Linus Sandgren<\/a>
\nCamera:<\/strong> Panavision<\/a>\u00a0Panaflex Millennium<\/a>\u00a0XL2
\n<\/a>Lenses:<\/strong> Panavision Anamorphic (C Series<\/a>,\u00a0E Series<\/a>), Custom Panavision 40mm Anamorphic
\n<\/a>Format:<\/strong>\u00a0Film \u2014 35mm (Kodak Vision3 500T 5219<\/a>, Kodak Vision3 250D 5207<\/a>), 16mm (Kodak Vision3 500T 7219<\/a>)
\nAspect Ratio: <\/strong>2.55 : 1<\/p>\n
\nMoonlight<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Moonlight_James_Laxton.jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/p>\n
\nDirector: <\/strong>Barry Jenkins<\/a>
\nDirector of Photography: <\/strong>James Laxton<\/a>
\nCamera:<\/strong>\u00a0ARRI ALEXA XT Plus<\/a>
\n<\/a>Lenses:<\/strong>\u00a0Hawk V-Lite<\/a>,\u00a0Angenieux\u00a0Optimo A2S
\n<\/a>Format:<\/strong> Digital \u2014 ProRes
\nAspect Ratio:<\/strong>\u00a02.35 : 1<\/p>\n
\nArrival<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/bradford-young-arrival.jpg\" "\\"The")
\nImage: Bradford Young via Paramount Pictures<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
\nDirector:<\/strong>\u00a0Denis Villeneuve<\/a>
\nDirector of Photography:<\/strong>\u00a0Bradford Young<\/a>
\nCameras:<\/strong>\u00a0ARRI ALEXA XT M<\/a>, ARRI ALEXA XT Plus<\/a>, ARRI ALEXA SXT<\/a>
\n<\/a>Lenses:<\/strong>\u00a0Camtech Vintage Ultra Prime<\/a>,\u00a0Kowa Cine Prominar<\/a>, Zeiss Super Speed<\/a>
\n<\/a>Format:<\/strong>\u00a0Digital \u2014 ARRIRAW
\nAspect Ratio:<\/strong>\u00a02.35 : 1<\/p>\n
\nLion<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/lion_garth_davis_greig_fraser.jpg\" "\\"The")
\n<\/a>Image: Greig Fraser, Rita Roy, Sunny Pawar, and Garth Davis\u00a0via Movies Film Cinema<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
\nDirector: <\/strong>Garth Davis<\/a>
\nDirector of Photography:\u00a0<\/strong>Greig Fraser<\/a>
\nCameras:<\/strong>\u00a0ARRI ALEXA XT<\/a>,\u00a0ARRI ALEXA XT M<\/a>, RED EPIC DRAGON<\/a>
\n<\/a>Lenses:<\/strong>\u00a0Unknown
\n<\/a>Format: <\/strong>Digital
\nAspect Ratio:\u00a0<\/strong>2.35 : 1<\/p>\n
\nHell or High Water<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Hell-Or-High-Water_David-Mackenzie.jpg\" "\\"The")
\nImage: Chris Pine and David Mackenzie via Empire<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
\nDirector:\u00a0<\/strong>David Mackenzie<\/a>
\nDirector of Photography:\u00a0<\/strong>Giles Nuttgens<\/a>
\nCamera:<\/strong> ARRI ALEXA XT Studio<\/a>
\n<\/a>Lenses:<\/strong>\u00a0Hawk V-Lite<\/a>,\u00a0Angenieux\u00a0Optimo A2S<\/a>
\n<\/a>Format:<\/strong> Digital \u2014 ARRIRAW
\nAspect Ratio:\u00a0<\/strong>2.35 : 1<\/p>\n
\nHidden Figures<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Mandy_Walker_Hidden_Figures.jpg\" "\\"The")
\nImage: Mandy Walker via ICG Magazine<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
\nDirector:\u00a0<\/strong>Theodore Melfi<\/a>
\nDirector of Photography:\u00a0<\/strong>Mandy Walker<\/a>
\nCamera:<\/strong>\u00a0ARRIFLEX 416<\/a>,\u00a0Panavision<\/a>\u00a0Panaflex Millennium<\/a>\u00a0XL2<\/a>
\n<\/a>Lenses:\u00a0<\/strong>Panavision Ultra Speed MKII<\/a>,\u00a0Panavision Primo (E-Series<\/a>,\u00a0T-Series<\/a>, ATZ<\/a>),\u00a0Unknown Canon
\n<\/a>Format:<\/strong>\u00a0Film \u2014 35mm and 16mm (Kodak 100D, 250D, 500T)
\nAspect Ratio: <\/strong>2.35 : 1<\/p>\n
\nManchester by the Sea<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/kenneth-lonergan-manchester-by-the-sea.jpg\" "\\"The")
\n<\/a>Image: Kenneth Lonergan via Post Perspective<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
\nDirector:\u00a0<\/strong>Kenneth Lonergan<\/a>
\nDirector of Photography:\u00a0<\/strong>Jody Lee Lipes<\/a>
\nCamera:\u00a0<\/strong>ARRI ALEXA XT<\/a>
\n<\/a>Lenses:\u00a0<\/strong>Canon K35<\/a>, Angenieux Optimo<\/a>
\n<\/a>Format:<\/strong>\u00a0Digital \u2014 ARRIRAW
\nAspect Ratio:<\/strong>\u00a01.85 : 1<\/p>\n
\nHacksaw Ridge<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Simon_Duggan_Hacksaw_Ridge.jpg\" "\\"The")
\nImage: Simon Duggan via Panavision<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
\nDirector: <\/strong>Mel Gibson<\/a>
\nDirector of Photography: <\/strong>Simon Duggan<\/a>
\nCamera:\u00a0<\/strong>ARRI ALEXA XT Plus<\/a>,\u00a0RED EPIC DRAGON<\/a>, Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera<\/a>
\n<\/a>Lenses:\u00a0<\/strong>Panavision Primo<\/a>, Primo V<\/a>, Leica Summilux-C<\/a>, Angenieux Optimo<\/a>
\n<\/a>Format:<\/strong>\u00a0Digital \u2014 ARRIRAW
\nAspect Ratio:\u00a0<\/strong>2.35 : 1<\/p>\n
\nFences<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Fences-Denzel-Charlotte.jpg\" "\\"The")
\n<\/a>Image: Charlotte Bruus Christensen and Denzel Washington via MovieMaker<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
\nDirector: <\/strong>Denzel Washington<\/a>
\nDirector of Photography:\u00a0<\/strong>Charlotte Bruus Christensen<\/a>
\nCamera:<\/strong>\u00a0Panavision<\/a>\u00a0Panaflex Millennium<\/a>\u00a0XL2<\/a>
\n<\/a>Lenses:\u00a0<\/strong>Panavision C-Series<\/a>, ATZ<\/a> and AWZ2<\/a>
\n<\/a>Format: <\/strong>Film \u2014 35 mm (Kodak Vision3 50D 5203, Vision3 250D 5207, Vision3 200T 5213, Vision3 500T 5219)
\nAspect Ratio:\u00a0<\/strong>2.35 : 1<\/p>\n
\nSilence<\/a><\/h3>\n