When one sets out to make their directorial debut, one factor that often gets overlooked is the cinematography. If the execution is tawdry, it can bring down the whole production. With two examples this year, Ex Machina and Testament of Youth (both featuring Alicia Vikander), cinematographer Rob Hardy has brought a level of elegance to the photography in each film and today brings a look inside his process.
Recently taking part in a 35-minute conversation with Sony, he discusses going to film school in Sheffield for cinematography without knowing a thing about it, his first true feature experience with Boy A, shooting digitally for the first time with Ex Machina, and more. He also dives into how the lighting of the film reflects the mood of the characters, capturing the different skin tones, and attempting to take on a natural feel, in the technical chat.
Check out the conversation below, and listen to our discussion, read our interview with Alex Garland, and more here.
Ex Machina arrives on Blu-ray on July 14th.