Christophe Nuyens is a Belgian cinematographer identified for tv dramas equivalent to A Discovery of Witches and Infiniti. A member of the Belgian Society of Cinematographers, he has been acknowledged for his work on Lupin and Black Spot, and now he has earned an Excellent Cinematography Emmy nomination for the Andor episode “Harvest.”
Christophe Nuyens
We talked with Nuyens about capturing new worlds,
capturing the motion from the primary character’s perspective, and the way digital camera, lenses and lighting contributed to the storytelling within the second and closing season of Andor.
How early did you become involved in Season 2, and the way did that assist?
I began prep about 4 and a half months earlier than we started capturing, which actually helped me take in the Andor appear and feel from Season 1. It additionally gave me time to construct a powerful relationship with Ariel Kleiman, the director, because it was our first time working collectively.
Nevertheless it wasn’t nearly absorbing the visible model from Season 1 — it was additionally about actually digging into the Season 2 scripts. Ariel and I learn them collectively a number of occasions, making notes, sharing ideas and placing apart concepts we would need to use later. We needed to ensure we informed the story in the very best manner — each visually and emotionally.
From there, we began creating temper boards for every world and set, which helped us outline the tone and environment of every location. As soon as that was in place, we started storyboarding and shot-listing intimately. That complete course of allowed us to be extremely well-prepped by the point we received to set.
How would you describe the look of Season 2, and did that differ a lot from Season 1?
I don’t suppose the general look of Season 2 is drastically totally different from Season 1. In the event you take a look at the frequent units, they really feel very a lot according to what was established earlier than. The large distinction is that we launched totally new worlds this season, which meant we needed to develop a brand new visible id for every of them.
Probably the most important change from a cinematography standpoint was the change in lenses. It’s not one thing the common viewer will consciously discover, however hopefully they’ll really feel the distinction.
In Season 1, they used Panavision C Sequence lenses, which cowl Tremendous 35. For Season 2, I switched to Panavision Extremely Vistas, that are full-frame anamorphic lenses. That allowed us to make use of nearly all the sensor of the Sony Venice and keep near the characters whereas nonetheless capturing the gorgeous depth of the environments.
For me, that shift was vital — staying near the characters emotionally whereas nonetheless showcasing the unimaginable world-building and units that manufacturing designer Luke Hull created. It’s a refined distinction, however one which I hope comes by means of within the viewing expertise.
You shot the primary half of the collection and helped set that tone. What course had been you given, and the way did you go about implementing it?
The course I used to be given wasn’t a lot about redefining the look of Andor as a complete however extra about setting the tone for the brand new planets we had been introducing in Season 2 — particularly Chandrila, Mina-Rau and Ghorman.
Amongst these, Ghorman actually stood out as a key focus. Tony Gilroy described it as feeling like a mixture between France and Northern Italy — and that grew to become our artistic springboard. Ariel and I began assembling temper boards with digital camera and lighting references that evoked that vibe. Visually, we had been impressed by movies like The American and The Nice Magnificence — each of which seize that quiet, moody magnificence we needed for Ghorman.
We imagined it as a mountainous area in Northern Italy throughout winter — low solar, barely humid, cool and moody. That translated right into a colder, extra atmospheric tone for episodes 4, 5 and 6. In distinction, the look of Chandrila and Mina-Rau in Episodes 1, 2 and three was a lot sunnier and extra open — they’re “happier” planets, visually talking.
One other main affect was the idea artwork by Luke Hull and his crew. It was at all times gorgeous and infrequently spot-on by way of lighting. That gave us a powerful visible basis to construct from and actually helped form our course.
Was there a lookbook? Did they let you know to take among the appears from Season 1 and alter them a bit to assist inform this a part of the story?
There wasn’t actually a proper lookbook from Season 1 that we needed to comply with, however after all, Season 1 was superbly shot — as was Rogue One. Each had a powerful visible id, and so they had been undoubtedly reference factors for us.
For me and Ariel, it was extra about re-establishing that visible language the place wanted — particularly for returning units just like the ISB constructing, which we saved visually per Season 1. However on the identical time, we had the chance to create totally new appears for the brand new worlds launched in Season 2.
That was some of the thrilling elements of the job. With every new planet, we had the prospect to think about and construct one thing contemporary from the bottom up. And since there wasn’t a strict lookbook we needed to keep on with, we had the artistic freedom to discover and increase the visible world of Andor in significant methods.
Have been you working with on-set LUTs, and in that case, how did you’re employed with the colorist and DIT?
Sure, I used to be working with LUTs on Andor Season 2. There was a present LUT from Season 1, which I checked out, however I ended up creating my very own. It’s vital for me to actually perceive and belief the LUT I’m utilizing. So I collaborated with our colorist, Jean-Clément Soret, to construct a brand new present LUT for Season 2. It wasn’t radically totally different from the unique, simply barely extra contrasty in sure areas. It was extra about fine-tuning than reinventing.
On-set, I labored intently with our DIT, Mustafa Tyebkhan. His function was primarily about sustaining consistency. We used a single present LUT throughout the shoot, and he made refined scene-by-scene corrections as wanted. Probably the most useful instruments he delivered to the method was a powerful stills library. He saved reference stills from beforehand shot scenes, so if we had been revisiting a location or lighting setup, he might immediately present me what we’d carried out — which made it a lot simpler to maintain the visible tone constant throughout all of the totally different worlds and units.
Afterward, how did you’re employed with the colorist after the footage had been shot? Any examples of notes you handed alongside?
With Jean-Clément Soret, I did a pregrade of all of the episodes I labored on. I went by means of them pretty rapidly at first, giving notes on every scene — principally about how I envisioned the tone and colour. Total, issues had been already shifting in a very good course, however there have been some changes wanted — some scenes felt a bit too heat or too cool, and we refined that.
The true detailed work got here later. One of many issues I targeted on throughout the grade was lens correction. I actually liked the Panavision Extremely Vista lenses we used, however on sure units, particularly with robust strains or structure, they may really feel a bit too “flexible” on the perimeters of the body.
So in Baselight, we used a device to appropriate that distortion — straightening out the body when vital. In some pictures, I appreciated the pure distortion and needed to maintain it; in others, it distracted from the scene. That steadiness was one thing we labored on fastidiously throughout the grading course of.
This present is motion, motion and motion. As a DP, what had been among the more difficult scenes or sequences and why?
Technically, essentially the most difficult scenes had been those involving the TIE fighter. For me, it was essential that all the sequence felt pure and constant — regardless that it was shot in a really fragmented manner.
Throughout the primary three episodes, the TIE fighter is consistently in movement with Cassian — beginning within the hangar in Episode 1, then the chase, adopted by his arrival within the forest on Yavin and eventually the journey to Mina-Rau.
We had the TIE fighter in a number of totally different setups. First, it was within the hangar — a set we constructed onstage. Then we mounted it on a gimbal in one other stage for the inside cockpit pictures. After that, we moved it to a backlot set for the Yavin forest sequence after which to actual crop fields for Mina-Rau. Lastly, we recreated these fields once more on a stage as a result of strike. So the ship itself — and the scenes round it — moved round fairly a bit.
Every part — lighting, digital camera motion, continuity — needed to be fastidiously aligned to take care of a seamless really feel throughout all these totally different areas and shoot days. It actually grew to become an enormous puzzle to resolve. Along with first AD Olly Robinson and director Ariel Kleiman, we constructed an in depth schedule to tie all of it collectively. It was some of the complicated sequences I’ve ever needed to coordinate as a DP.
However you additionally assist inform the story of Cassian Andor visually. Are you able to discuss a bit about that?
Sure, after all we had to assist inform the story of Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) — that was at all times on the coronary heart of our visible method.
In actual fact, the TIE fighter sequence we talked about earlier is an ideal instance. That complete journey is seen by means of Cassian’s expertise, and that’s a part of what made it such a posh puzzle. It wasn’t nearly lighting or areas — it was about ensuring each shot mirrored his viewpoint.
For Ariel and me, that was a tenet. Each scene needed to be shot from the proper emotional perspective. Usually, that meant Cassian’s. For instance, when he’s on Yavin, we made positive to border every little thing in a manner that felt prefer it was coming from him — like he was observing the world, the chaos, the folks round him.
It’s one thing we had been consistently conscious of — whose scene is that this, and the way can we convey the viewers nearer to that character’s expertise?
There are many VFX. How did that have an effect on the way you shot?
The VFX didn’t actually have an effect on me an excessive amount of throughout the shoot, and I believe that’s largely due to the quantity of preparation we did beforehand. We had intensive discussions early on with each the artwork division and the VFX crew, and that actually helped keep away from any surprises or last-minute compromises.
Due to that prep, VFX by no means felt like a artistic restriction. In fact, there are at all times technical issues — like minimizing lens flares and environment for compositing functions. However even that was manageable as a result of we had already agreed on which units would use greenscreen, LED partitions or painted backdrops.
For instance, within the wedding ceremony sequence and the dance that follows, it was actually vital for us to have a wealthy in-camera feeling, with flares and atmospheric parts that supported the power and emotion of the scene. That’s why we used painted backdrops in these scenes, which allowed us to shoot extra freely and preserve the naturalistic really feel.
How did you seize “the Pressure” visually?
In Andor, the Pressure isn’t actually current within the conventional Star Wars sense. And actually, I believe that’s one of many present’s best strengths. Andor isn’t about Jedi or Darth Vader or lightsabers — it’s in regards to the delivery of the insurrection, the politics, and the non-public, human value of resistance. So as a substitute of visualizing the Pressure, we targeted on grounding every little thing in a extra lifelike, tangible world. The stress, the concern, the small moments of hope — that’s the place the facility of Andor lies. It’s a extra intimate sort of Star Wars, and that knowledgeable each visible choice we made.
What cameras did you utilize and why?
I used the Sony Venice, just because I actually like that digital camera. It’s full-frame, which I favor, and it has a excessive ISO vary, which supplies me loads of flexibility with regards to lighting.
With the Venice, we didn’t want extraordinarily vibrant sources. That meant we might work with loads of LED fixtures and sensible lights on-set. These decisions helped us keep a pure look. Utilizing LED and practicals gave us effective management over colour and nuance, which was important for the tone of Andor.
For me, the selection of digital camera was very a lot tied to the lighting method. The Venice’s potential to shoot cleanly at 2500 ISO — and even larger — was an enormous benefit, particularly when working with anamorphic lenses. It gave us the liberty to gentle subtly with out compromising picture high quality.
What in regards to the lenses and lighting?
We used Panavision Extremely Vista lenses with a 1.6x squeeze issue, which was a giant shift in comparison with Season 1, the place they used Panavision C Sequence lenses designed for Tremendous 35.
My aim was to make use of the total sensor of the Sony Venice. With the 1.6x squeeze and lenses that cowl full body, we had been ready to make use of almost all the sensor with out throwing something away. That allowed us to remain near the characters whereas nonetheless sustaining a large discipline of view — holding the emotional intimacy with out shedding the dimensions of the world and the unimaginable units that manufacturing designer Luke Hull and his crew created.
When it comes to lighting, I used loads of LED fixtures and practicals — most of which had been additionally LED-based. That gave us very exact management over colour and nuance, permitting for a extra pure, versatile method to every scene.
The one exception was the marriage and dance sequence. For that, we went a bit extra old-school: Virtually every little thing was lit with tungsten sources — dinos, molebeams — as a result of I believe these lights are merely higher at making a heat, sunny feeling. They helped us seize the late-afternoon, magic-hour environment that the scene actually wanted. That sort of gentle gave the entire second a delicate glow and a way of heat that felt pure and emotionally proper.
Any glad accidents lighting-wise?
In fact. Like on any shoot, there have been glad accidents, and fairly a couple of of them. Nevertheless it’s really tough for me to level to particular scenes as a result of we embraced these moments as a part of our course of. Particularly when capturing outdoor, we at all times tried to steer the schedule towards these magical home windows — like golden hour or blue hour — when the sunshine naturally does one thing particular. These are the occasions once you’re most definitely to get these lovely, unplanned moments. So sure, there have been undoubtedly glad accidents, however they had been nearly anticipated, in a manner, as a result of we created the area for them to occur.
You’ve gotten expertise as a digital camera operator. How did that have bleed over to being a DP? Have been you in a position to pull from that have to raise your work as a DP? What classes did you’re taking from that job into this job?
That’s a fantastic query for me as a result of I come from Europe, the place it’s fairly frequent for DPs to function the digital camera — and that’s additionally how I favor to work. If you function, you’re in the course of your gentle, you’re proper subsequent to the actors, and also you’re totally immersed within the second. However on Andor, I didn’t function as a lot. I used to be extra usually subsequent to the director, overseeing the larger image. That has its benefits; it lets you actually deal with consistency, effective particulars and the way the entire sequence comes collectively. That mentioned, I did function every now and then, and I’m actually glad I had the prospect to do it. It helped me keep related to the visible storytelling in a direct manner.
I used to be additionally extremely fortunate to have two unbelievable operators — Joe Russell and Iain Struthers. Truthfully, with out them, I wouldn’t have been in a position to step again from the digital camera. They each introduced one thing further to each shot, usually making them higher than I had imagined. Nonetheless, I’m at all times in two minds about it. I actually take pleasure in working — being near the actors, feeling the power of the scene. Typically, once you’re not working, you do really feel a bit faraway from the motion. However in the long run, I admire each methods of working, and I believe every has its place relying on the mission.
