Cinematographer Tim Ives, ASC was looking forward to some downtime at home in New York City upon wrapping another season in Atlanta of the Netflix hit series Stranger Things. That is, until he heard the FX miniseries Fosse/Verdon would be going into production in his backyard. Fosse/Verdon chronicles the tumultuous and creatively brilliant relationship between legendary director-choreographer Bob Fosse and renowned dancer Gwen Verdon.
Kelli Barrett as Liza Minelli, Michelle Williams as Gwen Verdon, Sam Rockwell as Bob Fosse.
I grew up in Vermont and for my 10th birthday my mom brought me to New York for the first time to see Bob Fosse's Pippin, Ives recalls. I can still sing those songs because of that experience. Fosse is a big deal here in New York. I was very excited to find a way to pursue it.
Ives sent out some feelers for the series that stars Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams and has as one of its executive producers Lin-Manuel Miranda of Broadways Hamilton fame. Producer-director Thomas Kail gave the cinematographer a call. Maybe it was kismet or something, but Tommy got my name and saw my work and called, says Ives. I was very excited to work with him and Lin.
With four weeks of prep, Ives began what he calls the fun part of the process picking the right camera and service for the job. His experience with Panavision G Series anamorphic lenses on a pilot for the Syfy show Deadly Class stuck in his mind. I just fell in love with the glass, remembers Ives. When I got this show, I wanted to go further. I was like a kid in a candy store when Panavision laid out all the glass options for me.
With assistance from Panavision New York Senior Marketing Rep Sal Giarratano, all the sampling and testing led Ives to the Primo 70 spherical primes on a Panavised version of Sonys Venice full-frame 6K digital cinema camera. The Primo 70s were further customized to meet Ives' desired aesthetic.
They have a softness and a flare to them that was really unique, Ives explains, and the Sony Venice game me the color separation that I was looking for to match with them. I felt like I was getting a really filmic look that I could manipulate in other ways as we went through the decades on this show.
The cinematographer took advantage of the tunable focus feature with the Primo 70 series. I wanted to have the highlights and flares bloom a little, he says. Dan Sasaki, SVP of Optical Engineering at Panavision Woodland Hills, customized the set of lenses to do just that.
These lenses, Ives continues, certainly have a feel that looks less electronic or digital when combined with the Venice than other combinations I tested at the time. We had to represent five decades, and these lenses worked well through all of them. I also changed the lighting up now and then. The 1950s into the early 60s had a more evenly lit look and less contrast on peoples faces. As we got into the late-1960s and 70s, I added more contrast to the lighting. The lenses handled that very well. Im kind of blown away by them, to tell you the truth.
Tim Ives and Thomas Kail.
If a bloom on a light wasnt quite enough to get the halo Ives sought, he added a light Black Pro-Mist filter to the lens. For some dance and rehearsal shots, he needed a 19-90 mm Primo Compact Zoom (PCZ). Panavision New York came through, not only finding one but also customizing it to match the primes.
The shows lighting also followed the trajectory of Fosse and Verdon's relationship. When times were good, Ives bathed them in soft, attractive light. During their heated arguments, the actors would dip in and out of sources. As the show progressed through time, Ives had to pay particular attention to the makeup. Debbie Zoller did wonderful makeup on the show, and one thing I definitely didnt want to do was hide something she wanted the audience to see, he says.
Although the camera is 6K-capable, Ives shot at 4K resolution. The detail at 4K is just about perfect for what I thought the show should look like, he notes. Fosse was a notorious chain smoker. Interiors would be smoky and we emphasized the atmosphere; its almost a character in the show. The smoke sometimes made the image a little dirty and we wanted that, but otherwise, its a clean look. We mastered the show in SDR and HDR, and I got it pretty much the way I wanted it to look like for both.
Looking back on the production, a standout shot for Ives occurred during the Damn Yankees Broadway show re-creation, where Verdon received a standing ovation after only the first half of the show a rarity. Ives explains, We did a oner' a Steadicam shot off the stage, up the stairs to her dressing room, then back down, onto the stage and 360 degrees around her, with light changes and color shifts throughout. Mark Schmidt is my A-camera/Steadicam operator and Adriana Brunetto-Lipman is our first AC on the show. I was very nervous for both because of the steep stairs, but it was no problem. Its one of my favorite shots, especially because of Michelle Williams' remarkable performance in it.
While looking back on his Panavision experience, Ives notes that this show really was a smooth shoot, and I didnt have a worry. Panavision gave me the ability to approach the project from a very creative place. I felt at ease and well supported. Everything worked wonderfully from a technical standpoint.
Unit photography by Craig Blankenhorn and Michael Parmelee, courtesy of FX.
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
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, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
14/04/2026
ToolsOnAir and Omnistream Bring Mobile SRT Contribution into Professional 24/7 P...
14/04/2026
Captures a trio of renowned polysynths
The latest software to join AIR Music Tech's extensive catalogue captures the sound of three sought-after polysyn...
14/04/2026
Free offering includes 10 powerful plug-ins
United Plugins have announced the launch of a new bundle that brings together 10 of their pro-audio plug-ins, an...
14/04/2026
Julian Coryell joins virtual session player line-up
Announced at NAMM 2026, Celemony's Tonalic kits DAW users out with real performances by world-class ...
14/04/2026
X-Rite Pantone Color Academy Grand Opening in Shanghai
On March 27, 2026, X-Rite Pantone, the global authority in color standards and color science, held the...
14/04/2026
14 Apr 2026
VEON and JazzWorld Receive Competition Commission of Pakistan Appro...
14/04/2026
Tuesday 14 April 2026
Nicola Coughlan and Aimee Lou Wood to host next two episo...
14/04/2026
Lead writer and executive producer Jack Lothian joins alongside lead director Je...
14/04/2026
Wuppertal April 14, 2026
Thomas Riedel Acquires Premium Manufacturer ARRIStrategic Alignment With the Riedel Group for Innovation and Growth
Thomas Riedel, f...
14/04/2026
New Service Simplifies Integration of AI Applications with Exceptional Reliabili...
14/04/2026
Luxembourg, April 14, 2026 - SES, a leading space solutions company, today annou...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAir Composition Builder 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: The Composition Builder 2026 application for macOS enables TV stations and Live Event broadcast...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAr just:live pro 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: just:live pro 2026 is a Multi-Channel Live Production Playout solution for video and static or real-ti...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAr just:play pro 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: just:play pro 2026 is a Multi-Channel automated 24/7 Master Control playout solution with SD, HD and U...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAr live:cut 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: live:cut is an option to just:in mac pro 2025 and enables multicamera production workflows for up to 16 cam...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAir Just In Mac Lite NDI 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: The Just In Mac Lite NDI application is a streamlined media capture solution designed specific...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAir Just In Mac Lite 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: The Just In Mac Lite application is a streamlined media capture solution designed specifically for...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAir just:in mac pro 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: just:in mac pro is a macOS-based client-server multichannel capture solution to record SDI, HDMI, N...
13/04/2026
Intuitive EQ plug-in gets an upgrade
Following its official launch back in February 2026, Musik Hack's intuitive EQ plug-in has been treated to its firs...
13/04/2026
Flagship soft synth collection expanded
The latest version of UVI's flagship vintage-inspired soft synth collection has just arrived, expanding the suit...
13/04/2026
Free version of innovative string library arrives
Released in October 2025, Lux Orchestral Strings was said to be Sonuscore's most ambitious library to ...
13/04/2026
The Girls' Research Camp is part of the Technology - Future in Bavaria edu...
13/04/2026
Rohde & Schwarz transforms submarine communications for real time underwater dom...
13/04/2026
Rohde & Schwarz enables Pulsar signal simulation to support next-generation navi...
13/04/2026
Monday 13 April 2026
Global environmental action NGO WRAP brings recycling to l...
13/04/2026
J nger Audio has joined the EBU ADM Implementers Group (ADM-IG) as a founding me...
13/04/2026
FOX Latin America Announces The Launch Of The FOX Channel In Central America And...
13/04/2026
No amps, no safety net The biggest challenge was the music itself. Everything in the film is acoustic and unamplified. The theme itself is kind of hard to expl...
13/04/2026
RT Radio 1 has today launched a significant step in its ongoing strategic evolution. Following the launch of its brand-new schedule late last year, RT Radio 1...
13/04/2026
The Late Late Show Opening Act, the search for Ireland's newest country musi...
13/04/2026
RT has today announced the appointment of Annemarie Britz to the position of Chief Financial Officer, RT following a public competition.
Annemarie Britz is c...
12/04/2026
Headphone system designed for immersive monitoring
With the demand for immersive audio showing no signs of slowing down, lots of companies are turning their...
11/04/2026
Engineer collective welcome Freddy Knop
Infrasonic, an award-winning collective of audio engineers operating out of Nashville and Los Angeles with credits r...
10/04/2026
After launching the Spotify Podcast Awards in Mexico last year, we brought the fan-voted celebration to Paris this week for its first edition in France. Hosted ...
10/04/2026
Powered and unpowered live PA ranges upgraded
Yamaha have just refreshed four of their hugely popular PA speaker ranges, delivering significant improvements...
10/04/2026
Underlying plug-in & VI technology now available to others
UJAM's latest announcement sees the company open up' Gorilla Engine, the development pla...
10/04/2026
Luxembourg, April 10, 2026 - SES, a leading space solutions company, announces that it has entrusted BNP Paribas with the implementation of a liquidity agreemen...
10/04/2026
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...
10/04/2026
Five-part Sky Original drama airs nightly on Sky Mix and Sky Atlantic from 20 Ap...
09/04/2026
Staines-upon-Thames, UK, 09, April, 2026 - Yospace, the trusted leader in Dynam...
09/04/2026
just:play pro 2026 and just:live pro 2026 Sneak Preview News for NAB 2026
More Details:At NAB 2026, ToolsOnAir will showcase just:play pro 2026 and just:live p...
09/04/2026
just:in mac pro 2026 - The Next Level of Professional Recording on macOS at NAB ...
09/04/2026
Spotify has always been about putting listeners in the driver's seat. Today, people don't just want more ways to spend their time; they want that time t...
Cinematographer Tim Ives, ASC was looking forward to some downtime at home in New York City upon wrapping another season in Atlanta of the Netflix hit series Stranger Things. That is, until he heard the FX miniseries Fosse/Verdon would be going into production in his backyard. Fosse/Verdon chronicles the tumultuous and creatively brilliant relationship between legendary director-choreographer Bob Fosse and renowned dancer Gwen Verdon.
