Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Autumn Durald Arkapaw Chooses Panavision Anamorphics to Frame The Sun Is Also a Star

17/05/2022

Autumn Durald Arkapaw had a good feeling about her first meeting with director Ry Russo-Young. The topic was the prospective feature film The Sun is Also a Star, and Russo-Young had specified Panavision anamorphic in her lookbook.

I'm a big fan of Panavision and the anamorphic format, says Durald Arkapaw, who was interviewing as a potential director of photography on the film at the time. What attracted me to the project, first off, was that it's a love story set in Manhattan. Woody Allen's Manhattan is one of my favorite films, and Gordon Willis' work is what drew me to cinematography. Ry and I definitely hit it off, and we couldn't see The Sun is Also a Star shot any other way.

Director Ry Russo-Young and DP Autumn Durald Arkapaw on the set of The Sun is Also a Star.

Durald Arkapaw graduated from AFI's cinematography program a decade ago, and The Sun is Also a Star is the third feature she has hitting screens in 2019, with Untogether and Teen Spirit released in February and April, respectively. All three films were shot with Panavision C Series anamorphic glass.

The Sun is Also a Star is a Warner Bros. film based on a successful young adult novel in which a physics student (Yara Shahidi) falls in love with a charming college-bound student (Charles Melton) despite her family's imminent deportation. Once Durald Arkapaw officially signed on to the project, she researched the history of the squeeze format, including the industry-changing Hypergonar lens invention by French astronomer Jacques Chr tien that sparked the origination of the CinemaScope process.

I'm kind of a nerd when it comes to that stuff, she says. I wanted to get my story in place for why it meant so much to us. With any job, what's important is having the cinematography work with the story so you feel something. You don't want to feel like you're watching a film.

The C Series lenses are very textured and vintage, and that's another layer that renders a more filmic image for me, she adds. I come from a film background, and I always like to beat up my digital a bit. Ry and I had seen YA films that looked very sharp and were a little too precious. The stories are good, but they didn't feel real to us. Most of our references were shot on film and naturally lit. We wanted our environments to feel like organic spaces where the actors could live and grow.

Durald Arkapaw and Russo-Young were also in tune when it came to framing and camera movement. Ry is very precise in execution, explains Durald Arkapaw. I gravitate towards a moodier, underexposed image, and often accentuate the flares. The C Series lenses are flarey and dreamy when shot wide open. I embraced that rather than trying to hide it. Given the title and the story, you always want to feel the sun around and what better way than to have the lenses flaring in interesting ways! I know them so well. I even have my assistant write down the serial numbers, and I ask for particular lenses. You know the sweet spot and you work with that. They have beautiful attributes, and you get these happy accidents.

One lens in particular, a 55 mm macro, comes in handy for beauty portrait shots. It's really creamy when it's wide open, and it looks great for complexions, Durald Arkapaw notes. When it's too sharp, you see skin irregularities and it's not as filmic. You end up doing a lot of post work to compensate. I prefer shooting wide open with this lens, because it already gets you to a good spot and there's beautiful light fall-off.

Durald Arkapaw operates the camera herself whenever possible. Being close to the actors, seeing it through my eyes and emotionally connecting, I get all of that when operating. If it doesn't feel real through the lens while I'm operating, I immediately offer something else up to the director that feels more inspiring.

Director Max Minghella's Teen Spirit, Durald Arkapaw's previous assignment, was also done with Panavision. Elle Fanning plays a shy teenager with dreams of pop stardom. This time, the C Series lenses came with the help of Panavision London.

I love working in London, and I often work with the Panavision London team on commercials, says Durald Arkapaw. But this was my first feature in the UK. I really wanted to shoot C Series for that film, and the teams from Panavision London, with the help of Rik DeLisle at Panavision Los Angeles, were really amazing in helping make it happen. I mostly shoot with Panavision glass, so they've been key collaborators throughout my career. The texture and flaring came in handy for rendering that story. I'm very proud of the film, and it just wouldn't be as successful without those lenses.

The Sun is Also a Star is currently in theaters. Durald Arkapaw's next film is Mainstream, a feature film directed by Gia Coppola currently filming in Los Angeles, starring Andrew Garfield and Maya Hawke, and once again supported by Panavision.
LINK: https://www.panavision.com/highlights/highlights-detail/autumn-durald-...
See more stories from panavision

Most recent headlines

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 ...

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 ...

07/04/2026

NAB 2026: Ikegami USA To Launch Two New Viewfinders, Refine UHD Cameras

Ikegami USA will launch a refinement to the UHK-X700 and UHK-X750 3-CMOS -in. UHD cameras in the UNICAM XE series plus two new 7-in. viewfinders at NAB 2026 in...

07/04/2026

NAB 2026: NAB Leadership Foundation to Host Technology Students Career Mixer

The NAB Leadership Foundation and NAB PILOT will host a career mixer for technology students at NAB Show 2026 on April 18, 5-6:30 p.m., North Hall, Room N225/22...

07/04/2026

Survey: AVoIP Adoption Accelerating, With Interoperability and Security as Key Drivers

Audinate Group Limited and Futuresource Consulting have published results from a...

07/04/2026

NAB 2026: Eluvio Announces Commercial Availability of Content Fabric Bucharest Release

Eluvio has announced the commercial availability of its Content Fabric Bucharest...

07/04/2026

NAB 2026: Eluvio Introduces Inline AI Video Intelligence and Updated EVIE

Eluvio has unveiled a new architecture for video AI and an updated Eluvio Video Intelligence Editor (EVIE) ahead of NAB Show 2026. Eluvio AI runs analysis and i...

07/04/2026

Professional Fighters League Partners With Sky New Zealand for Exclusive Broadcast Rights

The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has announced a deal with Sky New Zealand...

07/04/2026

NBA, Enjoy Basketball' To Produce Live Game Altcast, Enjoy the NBA Trivia Show as Part of New Multi-Platform Collab

The NBA and Enjoy Basketball, the digital media company co-founded by YouTube cr...

07/04/2026

Beyond Golf: PGA of America, Ko-Mar Productions Offer Clients a Customizable Production Studio

The 4,000-sq.-ft. space in Frisco, TX, has produced live and packaged programmin...

07/04/2026

A New POV: RefCam's Rise in the Bundesliga Signals a Potential New Era for Soccer Broadcasts

What began as a referee training tool is evolving into a powerful production ass...

07/04/2026

NAB 2026: Manifold Technologies to Join NEP Platform as Deployable Application

Manifold Technologies will announce at NAB Show 2026 (Booth C.1808) that its manifold CLOUD platform will be available as a deployable application within NEP Pl...

07/04/2026

Shaquille O'Neal and TNT Sports to Launch DUNKMAN Professional Dunk League in Summer 2026

Shaquille O'Neal, Authentic Brands Group, and TNT Sports, in partnership wit...

07/04/2026

NAB 2026: Telos Alliance Unveils Omnia XII Audio Processor

Telos Alliance will debut the Omnia XII, a new FM/HD/DAB audio processor, at NAB Show 2026 in Las Vegas. Built on a 2RU hardware platform, Omnia XII features a...

07/04/2026

NAB 2026: AWS to Showcase AI and Cloud Media Technologies

Amazon Web Services (AWS) will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 (April 18-22, Las Vegas Convention Center, Booth W1701), with demonstrations, speaking sessions, and int...

07/04/2026

NAB 2026: Synamedia to Demonstrate AI by Quortex

Synamedia will demonstrate AI by Quortex at NAB Show 2026, a framework that applies AI capabilities to video workflows on demand rather than continuously. The s...

07/04/2026

NAB 2026: TVNewsCheck Announces 2026 Women in Technology Award Honorees

TVNewsCheck will present its 15th annual Women in Technology Awards on Tuesday, April 21, at 5 p.m. PT at NAB Show, in the Media and Entertainment Theater (W146...

07/04/2026

NAB 2026: Akta to Showcase AI Video Platform

Akta will demonstrate its AI video platform at NAB Show 2026, highlighting new capabilities in media processing and vertical video formatting alongside its exis...

07/04/2026

ESPN Expands to Disney+ in Europe and Select Asia-Pacific Markets

ESPN and Disney have announced the launch of ESPN on Disney in Europe and select Asia-Pacific markets, bringing the offering to 53 countries and territories a...

07/04/2026

Announcing the 2026 Sundance Institute Native Lab Fellows

LOS ANGELES, CA, April 7, 2026 - The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the fellows selected for the 2026 Native Lab, the signature initiative of the ...

07/04/2026

Prompted Playlist Levels Up to Include Podcasts, Helping You Explore More Interests and Curiosities

Starting today, Prompted Playlist is expanding beyond music to now include podca...

07/04/2026

VSL release Synchron Harpsichord (Blanchet)

Launched alongside piano promotion The latest instalment in VSL's Synchron Series line-up captures the sound of a faithful copy of a Fran ois tienne Bl...

07/04/2026

Roland announce SPD-SX Pro Version 2.0

Flagship sampling pad gets an update Roland's flagship sampling pad has just received a major update that kits it out with an array of new features and ...

07/04/2026

Sound Devices unveil the Astral Mini Plus

Popular compact wireless system upgraded Sound Devices have recently introduced a new and improved version of their compact wireless transmitter bodypacks, ...

07/04/2026

YEP November 2025 Newsletter

The November 2025 YEP Newsletter highlights a recent YEP Coffee Chat, offering members the chance to connect with industry professionals in an informal setting ...

07/04/2026

YEP December 2025 Newsletter

The December 2025 YEP Newsletter includes a Spotlight on Emily Vail, showcasing her career journey and work in the industry, alongside Mentorship Reflections by...

07/04/2026

US Space Force Selects L3Harris to Strengthen America's Defense with Advanced Space Surveillance

Ground-Based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance (GEODSS) telescope operated...

07/04/2026

Haivision Unveils Makito ONE Live Video Contribution Platform

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

07/04/2026

Neutrik To Unveil TRUE1 Data Connector Series At 2026 NAB Show

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

07/04/2026

Chris Welcker Deployed Full DPA Arsenal to Record Live Mu...

Catgut Sound Owner and Production Sound Mixer Chris Welcker, CAS, has built a career at the intersection of music and film. A former musician and composer, Welc...

07/04/2026

SDVI Launches Next Generation Rally Platform to Give Medi...

SDVI Corporation today announced the next generation of its Rally media supply chain management platform, introducing a redesigned orchestration engine that rep...

07/04/2026

Avid to Debut Avid Content Core on AWS at 2026 NAB Show

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

07/04/2026

Frequency Launches Smarter Ways to Operate Streaming Chan...

Frequency, the engine behind many of the world's leading streaming television channels, at NAB 2026 will be launching new Studio services to help content ow...

07/04/2026

Ikegami to Introduce Expanded Range of Broadcast Producti...

Ikegami USA has chosen NAB 2026 in Las Vegas as the launch platform for new additions to its range of broadcast-quality television production equipment. These w...

07/04/2026

Kiloview Advancing Broadcast IP Workflows with a Smarter...

April 19, 2026, Las Vegas Kiloview, an innovative provider of AV-over-IP technologies, will showcase its latest broadcast IP solutions at NAB 2026, presenting...

07/04/2026

Bitmovin Adds Support for SGAI in its Playback Products t...

Bitmovin has announced support for Server-Guided Ad Insertion (SGAI) across its playback products using HLS interstitials, enabling more advanced ad-supported s...

07/04/2026

Synamedia unveils AI by Quortex - a just-in-time AI-plugi...

Synamedia is unveiling AI by Quortex at The NAB show, a just-in-time AI plugin framework that applies intelligence only when needed across video processing, dis...

07/04/2026

Cuez Brings Four New Innovations to NAB 2026 From Story-C...

Cuez will showcase four additions to its cloud-based newsroom, rundown and automation platform at NAB Show 2026 (April 18 22, Las Vegas, Booth N1867): Cuez ...

07/04/2026

Barix Extends Transport Options for Multi-Engine IP Encoder

Barix Extends Transport Options for Multi-Engine IP Encoder Brie Clayton April 7, 2026 0 Comments New for NAB, Barix adds SRT and RIST support to Mult...

07/04/2026

Elite Media Technologies Selects Interra Systems' BATON File-Based QC Solution

Elite Media Technologies Selects Interra Systems' BATON File-Based QC Soluti...

07/04/2026

Tightrope Media Systems to Debut Cablecast LiveBridge for Simultaneous Streaming at NAB 2026

Tightrope Media Systems to Debut Cablecast LiveBridge for Simultaneous Streaming...

07/04/2026

Cuez Brings Four New Innovations to NAB 2026: From Story-Centric Newsroom to Open AI Agent Framework

Cuez Brings Four New Innovations to NAB 2026: From Story-Centric Newsroom to Ope...

07/04/2026

ASG Names Andrea Cummis VP of Systems Engineering

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

07/04/2026

KTVJ Completes Major Signal Upgrade

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

07/04/2026

Hearst's WDSU to Air Million Dollar Rodeo Competition

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

07/04/2026

Grass Valley Launches Future Playmakers Program

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

07/04/2026

Saranyu Technologies Launches MATCH - Multi-View Sports S...

Designed for synchronized multi-stream playback, low-latency delivery, and real-time analytics, MATCH introduces a unified viewing experience for sports broadca...