
Cinematographer Todd Banhazl shot Hustlers, currently in theaters, and the upcoming HBO series Showtime. His work on the seaside noir film Blow the Man Down recently won Special Jury Mention for Cinematography at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival. Todd has also compiled music video and fashion credits, including work for Janelle Monae, Muse, Lorde, Imagine Dragons, John Legend, A$AP Rocky, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Death Cab for Cutie. He lives with his curly-haired wife and straight-haired dog in Los Angeles.
What led you to cinematography?
The original Blade Runner was a light bulb moment when I was a kid where I realized you could photograph mood. I used to go in my bedroom, play the Blade Runner soundtrack, and drink apple juice pretending it was whiskey and imagining that I was Deckard. I would imagine shots of myself drinking the whisky thinking about the pressures of being a replicant! My first cinematographer crushes were Jordan Cronenweth, ASC, Lance Accord, ASC and Harris Savides, ASC. Lost in Translation was really important for me. Something about the delicate exposure matching the delicate emotions. It's never left me.
Can you tell us about some of your earliest experiences?
I remember I was starting out as a DP in Los Angeles shooting small music videos, branded content, etc. I wanted to start getting familiar with all the beautiful Panavision glass I had heard so much about. So, I reached out and Mike Carter generously invited me to a lunch to get to know me. I think we had cheeseburgers. Over the years Mike Carter, Marni Zimmerman, and so many wonderful Panavision team members from Los Angeles, New York, and around the world have been so supportive of my projects no matter how big or small the budgets have been. They've customized lenses for me, figured out ways to make things work, and have always treated me like I was one of the big cats that I look up to. It really is a family with Panavision and I've always felt supported and embraced by them. We used customized Standard Speeds to captured the glow of an affair in Between Us; brought an SLZ11 zoom onto the salty cliffs of Baja for an H&M commercial; shot beautiful B Series in Cape Town on a commercial; used my favorite C Series zoom to create existential dread in The Strange Ones; and they outfitted our film Hustlers with DXL2's and customized large format lenses.
Motion Picture Artwork 2019 STX Financing, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
What do you think was your real first big break?
I've had so many little breaks along the way thanks to the generosity of so many wonderful collaborators. I'm so grateful to all of them. The biggest one that comes to mind is (writer-director) Lorene Scafaria asking me to shoot her movie Hustlers. Somehow, she believed in me based on our first conversation, my initial visual ideas for the film, and my previous work. Hustlers was a big jump for me in terms of budget. She fought hard to get me on that film. I am forever indebted to her.
What project to date are you most proud of, and why?
I cant choose between my children. At the moment, Im particularly proud of two films that got into TIFF: Blow the Man Down and Hustlers. For me they are spiritual cousins in that they are both exploring ways of photographing women in ways that I feel passionately about in ways we dont traditionally see female characters on the big screen.
Your latest film, Hustlers, has been getting great buzz. Can you describe the look for this film, and tell us a little about how you achieved it?
Lorene (Scafaria) and I nicknamed our look gritty glamour. It's a mix of 2007 pop with gritty gangster lighting. We looked at Goodfellas, Boogie Nights, The Wolf of Wall Street, Heat, and, of course, Flashdance, which is an early example of a female-centric perspective on stripping and dancing. We also looked at a lot of sports movies for cues on how to shoot strippers like athletes.
We chose the DXL2 with customized Panaspeeds and various filter combinations to further degrade the image. We modulated between 8K, 7K, 6K, 5K and some 4K to express the different levels of control or pressure that the characters were experiencing. When the ladies are clocking the club in full power, we shot a lot of low angle 8K on wide lenses. When their world comes crashing down, we used a lot of longer zooms at 4K or 5K, including my favorite Primo zoom, the SLZ11. Lorene wanted the Usher scene at the end during the height of the happy times to look like a full on music video from the mid-2000's, so we shot that scene on E Series anamorphics and flared the lens with green sharpies as much as possible. It's the height of glamour before the financial crash.
Do you have any advice for aspiring cinematographers on how to achieve success?
Never accept no as the answer the first time, especially as it relates to camera and light placement. There is always a way. People want to be a part of things that are exciting and new and challenge the ways they normally do things; you just have to show them youre on the same team.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
15/07/2026
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is a big deal for DAZN, which has distribution rights in three markets: Italy, Spain, and Japan. Each requires a different editorial app...
15/07/2026
As sports-media organizations manage rapidly growing content libraries and incre...
15/07/2026
HBS director of digital Johannes Franken talks SVG Europe through the operation built to serve FIFA World Cup 2026 rights holders remotely from Stratford, east ...
15/07/2026
IBC has unveiled the conference program for IBC2026, with this year's event ...
15/07/2026
Software-defined wideband RF platform supports 96-kHz monitoring, streamlined fr...
15/07/2026
New AI-powered module enables broadcasters and content owners to extract dialogu...
15/07/2026
Weeklong gathering at EBU headquarters will test new IPMX capabilities and expand certified product ecosystem...
15/07/2026
Force Tech has announced the appointment of Bryan Adams, CTS, as Vice President of Integration. Adams will oversee AV and broadcast integration project delivery...
15/07/2026
USA Sports has announced an exclusive English-language agreement with the Bundes...
15/07/2026
ITV Sport's FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage has been produced from one of the m...
15/07/2026
Program will provide professional camera kits, training, and technical support to participating local newsrooms...
15/07/2026
San Francisco church becomes first U.S. deployment of the 2 M/E production switcher...
15/07/2026
Former ESPN and NFL Network executive to advise startup league on media, distribution, technology, and fan engagement...
15/07/2026
The Houston-based RSN is the live-game home of the Astros and Rockets...
15/07/2026
Launched alongside new FreqSoft installer
Designed to bridge the gap between hardware and software, Freqport's FreqInOut FO1 unit provides a simple way ...
15/07/2026
Save up to 55% on software until 23 July 2026
Expressive E have just launched their Summer Offer sale, with discounts of up to 55% now applied across their ...
15/07/2026
Real-time stem-separation tool updated
zplane have recently released a new and improved version of their real-time stem-separation plug-in which they say ma...
15/07/2026
A new benchmark in bass enhancement
Described as a new benchmark in bass enhancement , Baby Audio's latest release has been designed to augment the lo...
15/07/2026
DMC Production's AR 1 and AR 2 units reverse the conventional OB workflow, keeping all production-critical processing at the venue while operators work remo...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
GigaCloud, a leading Ukrainian cloud service provider, and Cubbit, the first geo-distributed cloud storage enabler, today announced a new Business Alliance Part...
15/07/2026
SMPTE, the global society for media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has announced the launch of the SMPTE 110th Anniversary Campaign, a fundraising...
15/07/2026
Studio Technologies, a leading manufacturer of high-quality audio, video, and fiber-optic solutions, unveils the new StudioComm Model 762 Stereo Level Control, ...
15/07/2026
COW Jobs: Producer, Virtual Events - Hybrid, Full Time, Salaried
Brie Clayton July 15, 2026
0 Comments
Producer, Virtual Events (Hybrid | Full-time | ...
15/07/2026
Brazilian media organization builds nationwide CDN with Broadpeak's high-performance software for low-latency streaming and new content distribution service...
15/07/2026
DHD announces a new utility designed to increase the efficiency of its audio mixing systems during initial installation and subsequent configuration.
Anyone w...
15/07/2026
BCNEXXT Brings Next-Generation Vipe to IBC2026, Breaking the 1:1 Channel-to-Server Ratio New innovations liberate broadcasters from legacy playout infrastructur...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Wednesday 15 July 2026
Screeners and press pack now available: Gomorrah: The Or...
15/07/2026
Trinity's Treasures features Ruth Negga, Eleanor McEvoy, and David Norris, a...
15/07/2026
Join geographer Dr Susan Hegarty, Engineer Tim Joyce and Architect Orla Murphy a...
15/07/2026
Home to leading manufacturers, robotics pioneers, infrastructure builders and gaming, of course, Japan is one of the world's centers of AI - building across...
14/07/2026
South end zone videoboard, cloud-based control system will be ready for 2026 football season...
14/07/2026
Redesigned website, enhanced mobile app unify content, ticketing, and personalized fan engagement...
14/07/2026
Agreement spans sponsorship sales, digital monetization, radio production, and new practice facility naming rights...
14/07/2026
Independent league adds 14 regional sports network affiliates, growing distribut...
14/07/2026
New strategy aims to unify competitions, content, fan engagement, and commercial...
14/07/2026
ESPN and Disney+ become exclusive home of PFL events in key international MMA market...
14/07/2026
Gill will oversee engineering, technology, and sports operations across the company's 64 local television stations...
14/07/2026
Submitted by North American Broadcasters Association (NABA)
As broadcasters con...
14/07/2026
Modernized mobile unit combines HOME Apps, mc 56 console, and IP infrastructure ...
14/07/2026
Every match of the 32-team tournament will air across ION and Scripps Sports platforms in English and Spanish...
14/07/2026
FloHockey to stream every game of the annual international tournament under four...