Moviemaker - CA (2019 Summer)

COURTESY OF NEON

34 SUMMER 2019 MOVIEMAKER.COM

EYE PIECE

that hangs in the entrance of the bunker.
The length of the take (about 12 minutes),
the timing of the transition, and the shots’
multiple shifts in perspective all made the
sequence especially memorable.
The Movi paired well with the Alexa Mini,
and also pulled double duty as a stabilized
remote head. Our grip custom-built a light-
weight crane from aluminum pipes, which
was easily portable even on the most remote
locations. It traveled with us deep into the
jungle on the back of a donkey and was even
compact enough to stow on a raft when
it came time to set up shots of the river.
We initially planned to shoot Monos
in 35mm anamorphic. This felt like the right
choice when considering how the format
portrays faces and captures harsh contrast,
dynamic light conditions, and the colors and
textures of natural formations (especially the
green hues of the jungle). But after assess-
ing the logistics and taking into account the
fact that we would be shooting a great deal
of footage, we decided to shoot digitally with
the ARRI Alexa Mini.

Imbuing Monos with our desired aes-

thetic—timeless yet futuristic, even post-

apocalyptic—required a lens that would feel

uniquely modern. I eventually chose the

Hawk Vantage One, which I particularly liked

because of its outstanding rendering of skin

tones. I like to shoot at low light levels and

change the character of the lens depending

on which stop you use, and the Vantage One

has an amazing close focus range that I knew

I’d take advantage of frequently. And when

completely opened, the lens also becomes

very impressionistic, which was a perfect

match for the film’s hyperrealist style.

For our lighting, we aimed to capture the

quality of natural sources by shaping light

with negative fill—a technique used to cut

any light that’s bouncing back into the shad-

ows or fill the side of a shot. Interiors (like the

bunker) and nighttime exteriors, on the other

hand, required more practical lights: torches,

army lights, neons, interior fluorescents, and

even flame bars to supplement our fire fight

sequence.

Monos is surely the most extreme film

I’ve ever shot, but also the one that’s dearest

to me. Alejandro is an incredible moviemaker,

always inspiring you as he takes you along

on his journey. I can’t wait for us to go on

another one. MM

Monos opens in theaters September 13, 2019,

courtesy of Neon.

ABOUT FACE: WOLF SAYS SHOOTING MONOS
IN WIDE-ANGLE CINEMASCOPE COMPLEMENTED
HIS FASCINATION WITH THE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS
OF ITS KID SOLDIER CHARACTERS

HEAD IN THE CLOUDS: WOLF WAS IN
CINEMATOGRAPHY HEAVEN SHOOTING MONOS
HIGH IN THE COLOMBIAN ANDES