Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Christopher Charles Kempinski and Geoff Wallace on Kung Fu Season 3

01/08/2024

The CW original series Kung Fu follows the life-changing decision of Chinese American college student Nicky Shen (Olivia Liang) to trade her life as a student for one of martial-arts mastery, which she applies to cleaning up crime in her hometown of San Francisco. The series was given its signature look by Season 1 cinematographers Lindsay George and Neil Cervin, CSC, NZCS, who worked with Panavision Vancouver to build an equipment package around Panavision G Series anamorphic optics and Panavised Alexa Mini cameras. That approach has continued through Kung Fu's third season, which saw cinematographers Christopher Charles Kempinski and Geoff Wallace alternating episodes and expanding their palette to incorporate Primo Close Focus primes. Here, Kempinski and Wallace discuss the optical qualities that allowed the series to move in exciting new directions.

Panavision: How would you describe the look of the series?

Christopher Charles Kempinski: I consider it natural yet also somewhat forced. We like to bring the camera to the action or bring the action to the camera, and because of the need to be efficient during the fight sequences, I learned to light the room to give directors, the cast and the stunt team the freedom to move in the space. The production designer, Bridget McGuire, made that process simple and was always on board when designing sets and locations.

Geoff Wallace: I looked at it as maintaining a style that had been established by some great cinematographers ahead of me on this series. One of the greatest aspects of this show is the creative concept of developing different realms the characters visit, each with its own unique look and style. That's where I found I was really able to be creative and give each realm its own feel visually.

Were there any particular visual references that provided inspiration?

Kempinski: The show itself is a grounded family drama with fighting. Season 2 really started exploring the spiritual and mystical aspects. That said, I set out to try to ground everything spiritual and fantastical in camera, with minimal VFX. Most of the references were from ancient Chinese folklore. The reds and blues from tablet art and ancient scrolls, along with the tones and framing, helped in shooting each scene and accenting our locations.

Wallace: For me it was about keeping the look and feel that has done this series well, established in Season 1 by Neil Cervin and Lindsay George, and continued in Season 2 by Lindsay and Chris. When it came to the realms, I let the script guide me and used references from movies past that I felt had a look that would work well with our story. For example, for the Abandoned Wasteland,' I used references like Jarhead, Three Kings and The Book of Eli.

What brought you to Panavision for this project?

Kempinski: I was brought into Season 2 by the very talented Lindsay George, who did the first season, and Joe Menendez, the producing director. The lenses and aspect ratio were established in the first season, but I couldnt have been more thrilled. Panavision has supported me since my early transition to DP, and I know the quality of glass and service is capable of overachieving at the highest level. Also, the ability to modify or machine specific pieces to help make specific shots possible is invaluable. The compact periscope was one tool we kept for the run of the show. Knowing we could put a 17.5mm lens right on the ground allowed for some dynamic shot designs. Most low-angle prisms won't let you use anything wider than a 40mm.

Wallace: Panavision is a world leader in our industry and always looking to advance our creative ambitions as cinematographers. One of the driving forces for using Panavision is the great selection of optics that are just not available anywhere else.

What optical characteristics did you see in the G Series that made them the right match for Kung Fu?

Kempinski: I love the look of these lenses. The trademark blue streak made our Season 2 finale what it was. The minimal breathing when focusing is perfectly imperfect,' to borrow a phrase Phil Lanyon [CSC] used when we were comparing Star Trek and Kung Fu. The lens distortion and pinpoint focus is just perfect, and how the background falls out and falls off is amazing. The look of the show is baked in with the G Series lenses as soon as the lens is up on the camera, the look is there.

Wallace: The G Series lenses were a great option for us that worked well with all the creative realms while still maintaining a clean overarching look for the main storyline. They provide clean skin tones and a slight softness that takes the edge off the look of modern digital cameras.

Kempinski: For Season 2, we ordered a 35mm Primo Close Focus for a specialty shot, and Joe Menendez absolutely fell in love it. That's when we began talking about a hybrid approach for Season 3. Adam Osten at Panavision Vancouver did a great job of sourcing a set of Close Focus Primos. We quickly established a style of blocking with the camera chasing the action or the action coming to the lens; the Primos became an essential part of this, allowing us to start wide, move the camera into an over-medium that would push to a close-up, and still leave room for the dramatic scene to push into an ECU at the end. They also helped with fight sequences, giving us an extra stop and change for slow motion and off-shutter. I need to give A-cam 1st AC Terry Garnett a shout out, as he was constantly using the entire focus wheel, starting at 50 feet and ending each shot at nine inch mins, nailing it every time. If you're shooting in Vancouver, definitely check if he's available!

How does this project differ from others in your career?

Wallace: As a cinematographer, a show like this is unique because it has everything, from fight scenes to love scenes, creative dimensions i
LINK: https://www.panavision.com/highlights/highlights-detail/room-to-move...
See more stories from panavision

Europe Stories

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

04/07/2026

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in Dolby Cinemas Across Japan, Presented in Dolby Atmos and Dolby ...

April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

24/04/2026

Audiobooks About Climate, Conservation, and the Stories They Inspire

Earth Day is a chance to reflect on our connection to the natural world. To mark the 57th Earth Day on April 22, Spotify's editors have pulled together a co...

24/04/2026

From Page to Stage: Spotify Celebrates Storytelling at the LA Times Festival of Books

This past weekend, Spotify was at the heart of the largest literary event in the...

24/04/2026

What 20 Years of Spotify Data Reveals About Our Listeners

All data tells a story, and in our case, that story is written by you. To celebrate 20 years of Spotify, we're sharing bite sized moments that capture how t...

24/04/2026

The Look Behind the Sound

Over the past 20 years, Spotify's look and feel has evolved with the way people use our platform, while ensuring we preserve an intuitive, personal, and fam...

24/04/2026

Spotify at 20: The Most Streamed Music, Podcasts, and Audiobooks of All Time

It's been 20 years since Spotify began, but the real story is what the world chose to play. For the first time, we're unveiling the most streamed artist...

24/04/2026

Spotify Brings Music and Podcast Recommendations to Claude

Whether you're relaxing at home or on the go, Spotify is there across more than 2,000 devices, ready with your favorites or something new to discover. Now, ...

24/04/2026

Nintendo and Spotify Bring Nostalgia with New Super Mario Galaxy' Playlists

Nintendo and Spotify are welcoming fans to the Super Mario Bros. 40th anniversary and the release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie with new playlists and a speci...

24/04/2026

AES Show moves to Nashville

30 October - 1 November 2026 The Audio Engineering Society (AES) have announced that the AES Show 2026 will be held on Halloween weekend - Friday 30 October...

24/04/2026

Sennheiser introduce the HD 480 Pro

New closed-back design promises honest' low end Sennheiser have just announced the launch of a new pair of flagship closed-back headphones which they s...

24/04/2026

Cre8audio unveil the Programm

Powerful 12-channel hardware sequencer announced Cre8audio are renowned for their innovative, and often visually striking designs, and although their latest...

24/04/2026

IK Multimedia ARC X Immersive arrives

Room correction now supports full 9.1.6 Dolby Atmos setups The software element of IK Multimedia's room-correction system has just received an update th...

24/04/2026

VSL announce free Big Bang Orchestra expansions

New content for BBO Tutti & BBO Riffs VSL have recently introduced some new free content expansions for two of their most popular Big Bang Orchestra Packs: ...

24/04/2026

Rohde & Schwarz to highlight its R&S EVSD1000 UAV-based navigation analyzer at IFIS 2026

Rohde & Schwarz to highlight its R&S EVSD1000 UAV-based navigation analyzer at I...

24/04/2026

Andrea Riseborough & Ashley Walters To Star In ITV Thriller First Woman' About Race To Find Missing Astronaut

ITV's Director of Drama Polly Hill has commissioned six part propulsive, lun...

24/04/2026

AgileTV showcases its TV solutions at NAB Show and wins Best of Show Award

AgileTV presents in Las Vegas its technological proposition to power safer, more scalable and efficient TV ecosystems for telecom operators, ISPs and entertainm...

24/04/2026

Canada's Cgep de Jonquire chooses Brio

Canada's C gep de Jonqui re and Calrec take five with a substantial TV studio upgrade Underscoring its global reputation as one of Canada's most renowne...

24/04/2026

NAB 2026: 5 Reasons to Join Calrec at NAB

Redefining Broadcast Workflows at NAB 2026 with our Most Powerful Hardware, Virtual and Hybrid Audio Lineup Yet We're looking forward to meeting up with you...

24/04/2026

VEON Boosts Accessibility for Investors by Waiving Depositary Service Fees on American Depositary Shares

24 Apr 2026 VEON Boosts Accessibility for Investors by Waiving Depositary Servi...

24/04/2026

All episodes of espionage thriller series Ponies starring Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson coming to Sky and NOW on 22 May

Friday 24 April 2026 All episodes of espionage thriller series Ponies starring ...

24/04/2026

Dolby Elevates In-Car Entertainment to New Heights at Auto China 2026

April 24 2026, 00:00 (PDT) Dolby Elevates In-Car Entertainment to New Heights at Auto China 2026 More Automakers, More Models: Dolby-enabled Vehicles Drive...

24/04/2026

Dolby Cinema Arrives in Tamil Nadu: Dolby Laboratories and LA Cinema Launch the State's First Dolby Cinema in Trichy

April 24 2026, 06:48 (PDT) Dolby Cinema Arrives in Tamil Nadu: Dolby Laboratori...

23/04/2026

VEON 2025 Integrated Annual Report: Record Digital Growth, Sovereign AI and Kyivstar Listing Define a Transformative Year

23 Apr 2026 VEON 2025 Integrated Annual Report: Record Digital Growth, Sovereig...

23/04/2026

FOX Advertising Launches FOX AdStudio, Unifying Audience Intelligence Across Its Premium Portfolio

FOX Advertising Launches FOX AdStudio, Unifying Audience Intelligence Across Its...

23/04/2026

Dalet Takes Home The Best in Show Award for Dalia at 2026 NAB

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced that Dalia, its agentic AI solution for media & entertainment, ha...

23/04/2026

New RT series Masters: Keepers of Tradition delves into the remarkable world of rare skills and crafts

Six crafts. Six lives. Six reasons to believe that making things by hand still...

23/04/2026

AMATEUR DRAMA TAKES CENTRE STAGE AS THE 2026 RT ALL IRELAND DRAMA FESTIVAL LAUNCHES IN THE ABBEY THEATRE

The festival programme promises a feast of drama, a bumper packed fringe festiva...

22/04/2026

Spotify and WNBA's New York Liberty Bring Basketball and Music Together With New Partnership

Spotify and the New York Liberty are teaming up to give music and basketball fan...

22/04/2026

The story of the Focusrite ISA preamp

New 20-minute documentary explores iconic design The Focusrite Room in Mesa, Arizona, where John Aquilino hosts the Studio Console 005. In 2025, Focusrite co...

22/04/2026

EverSync SP-10 wireless from Cloudvocal

Offers compact wireless solution for pedalboards Taiwanese audio brand Cloudvocal have announced the availability of a new pedalboard-friendly wireless syst...

22/04/2026

Arturia release Augmented Persia

Latest hybrid sampling/synthesis instrument arrives Arturia's Augmented series offerings rely on a mixture of sampling and synthesis, allowing users to ...

22/04/2026

Acustica Audio launch Salt 2

Combines three distinct analogue EQ emulations The latest addition to Acustica Audio's ever-expanding collection of analogue-emulation plug-ins combines...

22/04/2026

Analog Empire: Bass & Lead from Melda Production

Final instalment in vintage-inspired instrument series Analog Empire: Bass & Lead marks the final instalment in Melda Production's vintage hardware-insp...

22/04/2026

Strymon reveal the Canoga

Fuzz pedal joins all-analogue Series A line Given that Strymons reputation was built on unapologetically digital pedals, it was a little surprising to see t...

22/04/2026

VEON's Banglalink to Bring Starlink Mobile to Customers in Bangladesh

22 Apr 2026 VEON's Banglalink to Bring Starlink Mobile to Customers in Bangladesh Bangladesh becomes the third market where VEON and Starlink Mobile partne...

22/04/2026

FIRST LOOK FOR NEW U DRAMA SERIES HIT POINT

U have unveiled exclusive first-look images for their six-part police thriller Hit Point, starring Nick Blood (Day of the Jackal) and BAFTA nominee Saffron Hock...

22/04/2026

UKTV Highlights: Saturday May 9th -15th 2026

What can I watch on UKTV and stream on U this week? This week on UKTV and the free streaming service U, viewers can watch a range of new and returning programm...

22/04/2026

Sky announces fifth year of WNT Fund with 30,000 bursary supporting players and grassroots football

Wednesday 22 April 2026 Sky announces fifth year of WNT Fund with 30,000 bursa...

22/04/2026

Retail Media Standards Are Expanding Into Commerce Media - Here's Why That Matters for Measurement

The move from Retail Media to Commerce Media is about broadening the scope of th...

22/04/2026

Dolby and BMW Bring Dolby Atmos to the BMW 7 Series, Expanding Immersive Audio Across Future Models

April 22 2026, 07:00 (PDT) Dolby and BMW Bring Dolby Atmos to the BMW 7 Series,...

22/04/2026

RT Licenses Stolen Sister to Pushkin

RT Documentary On One 7-part series breaks US market for first time RT Programme Sales has announced its first deal with a US distribution partner for its 7-...

21/04/2026

5 Years of Spotify in Pakistan: The Trends Shaping the Country's Music Scene

Five years ago, Spotify arrived in Pakistan, opening a new chapter in the country's music scene. Since then, local listeners have explored across genres, ge...

21/04/2026

The Next Wave of RADAR Spain Artists Arrives for 2026

Since its launch in 2020, RADAR has been our program for spotlighting emerging artists around the world. This year marks the sixth edition of RADAR Spain, our o...

21/04/2026

EverSync SP-10 from Cloudvocal

Offers compact wireless solution for pedalboards Taiwanese audio brand Cloudvocal have announced the availability of a new pedalboard-friendly wireless syst...