Expertly blending flavors of comedy and horror, director Mark Mylod's feature The Menu follows a young couple on an extravagant date to an exclusive restaurant on a remote island, where the courses quickly turn from lavish to outlandish. Working with Panavision Atlanta, cinematographer Peter Deming, ASC cooked up a recipe for the movie's visual style that included a Panavised Sony Venice camera and prototype large-format spherical VA primes. The result, Deming describes in this Q&A, grounds the unimaginable in an experience that invites viewers to their very own seats at the table.
Panavision: How would you describe the look of The Menu?
Peter Deming, ASC: It's hard sometimes to put a moniker on a film's look,' but this project may touch on the stylistic realism' category. We wanted to accentuate and heighten certain aspects of this world through the photography, but it was also essential that it stay rooted in reality for the story to land. We had an advantage of an off-kilter, remote world via the island locale and the clearly obsessive proprietor and his staff. There was a very spartan quality to most every aspect of the surroundings, which let the extravagance of the food stand out. For that reason, the lighting reinforced the angles of the sets, and the practical lighting was largely architectural in nature.
The wall of windows on one side of the set allowed for the natural light to play the room and change with the passing of time, as the entire story takes place in about five or six hours. This accommodated the idea of light to dark,' which very much reinforced the story aspects. We wanted the story's descent into madness to coincide with the arrival of night and the darkening of the mood and the room.
Not only were we shooting in one room for much of the story, but the bulk of the cast was sitting stationary for much of that time. From a camera perspective, once we were in the restaurant, where most of the story takes place, we began shooting somewhat from the perimeter with medium to long focal lengths, and over time we gradually positioned the cameras closer and closer to our subjects while using progressively wider lenses to maintain the shot sizes but feel more intimate.
We wanted to move the camera, but not in a stylistically overbearing way. As the story became more and more unhinged, we untethered the camera, first to move with the Steadicam and eventually handheld where we thought appropriate. Combining that with getting in closer proximity to our characters seemed more immediate to us. We eventually get to a place where the audience feels like they are sitting at these tables along with the characters instead of merely watching them from a distance, which is how we started and more the norm. We loved how you could really read the horror in our diners' faces from just a couple feet away on a medium-wide lens!
During preproduction, were there any visual references you looked at for inspiration?
Deming: One of the things director Mark Mylod and I discussed in prep was the close-up.' We knew we would have so many of them how would we handle the sheer volume and make them different and effective? Mark brought up Bergman, and I was able to track down a reel someone had put together of close-ups from many of his films. We cherry-picked a bit what we liked and possibly didn't like about that collection.
For much of the shooting, the story dictated and informed many of the wider angles. It was the close-ups that really brought the power.
What brought you back to Panavision for The Menu?
Deming: It's no real surprise that Panavision is always my first stop. I was considering using the Venice for the first time on a long-form project which we did and I love the amazing choice of optics Panavision creates and provides. And, of course, as we were outside of a traditional production center, I knew the customer service would be there for us.
What optical characteristics did you see in the VA primes that made them the right match for The Menu?
Deming: We wanted something classic in the optics and not overly sharp, which for me is always a danger with digital capture. My first stop is always a chat with the guru, Dan Sasaki [Panavision's senior vice president of optical engineering and lens strategy]. He had been working on a new set of large-format primes, the VAs, which I had used on another film project. They were quite pleasing and had a little funk to them technical term. We liked the shallow depth of field that large format gave us and being able to shoot with slightly wider focal lengths, as was our plan, without the customary image bend. They are also amazingly compact and lightweight, which always helps when you have a healthy portion of Steadicam and handheld.
What keeps you inspired in your work as a cinematographer?
Deming: I just really enjoy telling stories and using the camera and the lightning to support that story and tell it with a unique perspective that gives the audience an enhanced experience to capture those special moments of collaborative performances without overwhelming them, or getting in the way, or saying look at me.'
Images courtesy of Searchlight Pictures.
Most recent headlines
09/12/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced that it has been named an IDC Innovator in the IDC Innovators: ...
09/11/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced three new members of its executive team. Tara Bryant joins as Chi...
18/09/2024
STAMFORD, Conn. Spectrum has made a series of announcements that include a new simplified pricing strategy, increased broadband speeds and new customer service ...
18/09/2024
Lawo has announced that its HOME Apps platform now hosts nine essential processing apps, effectively doubling the previous offering with more apps to follow in ...
18/09/2024
Gray Media is partnering with the New Orleans Pelicans to create a new network that promises to bring every non-national Pelicans NBA game to its viewers....
18/09/2024
NEW YORK Fox News Media has announced that Fox Weather, a free ad-supported streaming television service (FAST), is now available to DirecTV customers....
18/09/2024
TV TECH: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2024 NAB Show New York?...
18/09/2024
Broadcast, media and entertainment leaders will gather once again at NAB Show New York in October to explore key innovations and strategies reshaping how conten...
18/09/2024
EXTON, Pa. The SCTE Foundation has announced a comprehensive relaunch of its efforts. The relaunch includes new branding that will be on display at the Georgia ...
18/09/2024
IRVINE, Calif. Viant Technology Inc. has launched ViantAI, an advanced AI-powered platform that it says will reshape how programmatic advertising is planned, pu...
18/09/2024
Blackmagic Design Announces Pricing for Blackmagic URSA Cine 17K 65
Brie Clayton September 17, 2024
0 Comments
Revolutionary large format digital film...
18/09/2024
Avid | Stream IO ingest & playout solution now supports SMPTE 2110
Brie Clayton September 17, 2024
0 Comments
Avid's next-gen software-based produ...
18/09/2024
NBCUniversal's Telemundo Enterprises is marking Hispanic Heritage Month with year four of its multiplatform initiative with the slogan Celebrando Todo Lo Q...
18/09/2024
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Warner Bros. Discovery U.S. Hispanic is la...
18/09/2024
As Halloween approaches, MeTV Toons will feature frightful Sunday programming. On October 13, it's a scary Flintstones block 1-3 p.m., then Scooby-Doo! 3-5 ...
18/09/2024
TMZ takes a close look at actor Matthew Perry and the drug network that led to his death when TMZ Investigates: Matthew Perry & the Secret Celebrity Drug Ring a...
18/09/2024
The Paris Summer Olympics gave a boost to broadcast and popped on Peacock in August, according to Nielsen....
18/09/2024
Gray Media is forming a new venture called Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network that will carry all of the locally televised games of the NBA's New Orl...
18/09/2024
LG Ad Solutions shared a new report The Inclusive Screen: Asian Americans, which found that 70% of Asian Americans feel that streaming TV ads are more relevant...
18/09/2024
Measurement company VideoAmp said that $1 billion in media buys have already been guaranteed using its measurement as a currency this year....
18/09/2024
Kenny Smith, former NBA star and current TNT Sports analyst, will be the host of Harlem Globetrotters: Play It Forward for Season 3, which premieres Saturday, O...
17/09/2024
New Technology Utah Scientific's New Technology
Click the sheet you would like to view
Last Media
Utah Scientific Bounces Back From Pandemic With ...
17/09/2024
UKTV today releases a selection of first look images captured in Jersey for the upcoming re-imagined series of Bergerac (6x60') for U and U&DRAMA. The six-p...
17/09/2024
Harper Steele and Will Ferrell (Photo by George Pimentel/Shutterstock for Sundance)...
17/09/2024
The $180 million mystery that reshaped music forever Red Flag: Music's Fai...
17/09/2024
Set in a call center in Bristol, England, the television sitcom Ruby Speaking focuses on the eponymous Ruby (played by Jayde Adams) and her colleagues. It'...
17/09/2024
L3Harris Technologies initiates production of its Viper Shield all-digital electronic warfare (EW) suite for F-16 fighter jets....
17/09/2024
Broadcast viewership up 8% from July and nearly 12% YOY.
NBC notched top 19 bro...
17/09/2024
August, like the entire summer, is typically characterized by less time spent watching TV at home compared to other seasons.
This year's second month of v...
17/09/2024
NEW YORK, N.Y. and SAN JOSE, Calif. AMC Networks and Roku has announced the launch of the ad-supported version of the AMC+ service through The Roku Channel....
17/09/2024
The 2024 IBC Show, which wrapped up yesterday at the RAI Amsterdam, saw a nearly 5% increase over the 2023 event....
17/09/2024
The advert was worked on by Rodeo FXs teams in Montreal and Paris
By Jenny Priestley
Published: September 17, 2024
The advert was worked on by Rodeo FX...
17/09/2024
Organisers have also confirmed the dates for IBC2025
By TVBEurope Staff
Published: September 17, 2024
Organisers have also confirmed the dates for IBC2025...
17/09/2024
By TVBEurope Staff
Published: September 17, 2024
During the TVBEurope team's meetings at IBC2024, we asked everyone to give us one word to sum up their...
17/09/2024
Blackcam, known for pioneering remote moving camera technology, announces the launch of the RP1 Robotic Pedestal and the ARRO2 Modular Robotic Arm that raises t...
17/09/2024
16 09 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and Paramount Announce New Murder M...
17/09/2024
ST. LOUIS Missouri Valley Conference and Gray Media have announced a multi-year agreement to produce and distribute MVC men's and women's basketball reg...
17/09/2024
PHILADELPHIA In advance of the annual RDK Global Summit, RDK Management has announced that Vodafone has adopted RDK-B as its central software for managing home ...
17/09/2024
STOCKHOLM Spring Media, an international full-service sports agency offering production and streaming services, marketing and rights management, has inked a dea...
17/09/2024
AMSTERDAM Brightcove at IBC 2024, which concluded today in Amsterdam, introduced the Brightcove AI Suite, a multi-faceted product launch addressing the growth a...
17/09/2024
Five Berklee Alumni Win Emmy Awards The recipients were recognized for their work on the acclaimed programs The Bear, Sho gun, and Billy Joel: The 100th-Live ...
17/09/2024
Eugene and Dan Levy took the stage to host the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on ABC on Sunday, and started with some jokes about The Bear. Eugene said, I know some...
17/09/2024
A stronger-than-expected U.S. advertising market and special events meant smaller declines in national TV ad revenues in the second quarter, according to media ...
17/09/2024
X-Rite ColorDesigner PLUS Helps Paint Manufacturers and Retailers Improve Paint ...
17/09/2024
Live From IBC 2024: Riedel Communications' Jan Schaffner on Development of R...
17/09/2024
Live From IBC 2024: Shure's Marco Weissert Talks Company's Extensive Div...
17/09/2024
Live From IBC 2024: Tata Comms Media's Robert Szab -Rowe on company rebrand ...
17/09/2024
Live From IBC 2024: Panasonic Connect Europe's Guilhem Krier on new 4K studi...
17/09/2024
Live From IBC 2024: AWS's Zach Dugan on Elemental MediaLive Anywhere, CNAP p...
Expertly blending flavors of comedy and horror, director Mark Mylod's feature The Menu follows a young couple on an extravagant date to an exclusive restaurant on a remote island, where the courses quickly turn from lavish to outlandish. Working with Panavision Atlanta, cinematographer Peter Deming, ASC cooked up a recipe for the movie's visual style that included a Panavised Sony Venice camera and prototype large-format spherical VA primes. The result, Deming describes in this Q&A, grounds the unimaginable in an experience that invites viewers to their very own seats at the table.
