Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Cinematographer Ari Wegner, ACS on The Power of the Dog

12/08/2024

Cinematographer Ari Wegner, ACS is no stranger to dramatic filming locations. For the 2013 feature Ruin, she worked in the Cambodian jungle; the remote landscapes of the 2018 drama Stray were captured in New Zealand; and the 2019 biopic True History of the Kelly Gang features several spectacular filming spots around the Australian countryside.

Her most recent project, director Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog, is no exception. Shot on what Wegner describes as New Zealand's devastatingly beautiful South Island, the feature is set on a cattle ranch in 1920s Montana. It tells the story of two brothers very much set in their ways; when one of them gets married and brings his new wife and son to live on the ranch, it upsets their dynamic and sets the stage for an emotion-filled Western drama.

Since receiving the Silver Lion for Best Director upon its premiere at the 2021 Venice International Film Festival, The Power of the Dog has garnered a bevy of accolades, including Oscar, BAFTA and ASC nominations for Wegner's cinematography. Wegner recently sat down with Panavision to discuss her approach to the feature, for which she sourced her camera and lens package including Panavision Ultra Panatar large-format anamorphic primes that she paired with Alexa LF and LF Mini cameras through Panavision's Auckland, New Zealand, office.

Panavision: How did you and Jane begin to define the look for the movie?

Ari Wegner, ACS: We worked together for about a year before we started shooting, so we had a lot of time to develop the look. That idea of having a long prep and not having to make rush decisions at any point along the way was exciting for both of us. During our prep, we went to a little house not far from where we were going to be shooting, and we spent about a month or a month and a half just shot-listing one-on-one. We'd discuss what we wanted to do visually with a scene, and then we'd each do a drawing and compare what we were thinking.

When we finally got on set, we were able to discover things knowing that we'd done our homework and had such a strong foundation. Jane's always ready to find something better. She's never going to settle, which is such an inspiration. She's always willing to ask, Even if that's what we planned, does it work? Is it good?' It was a real pleasure to work in that way.

How would you describe the look of the movie?

Wegner: I would say it's quite restrained, very deliberate. I don't know if you'd call it classical,' but there's a real respect for traditional filmmaking and crafted lighting. The word unadorned' kept coming up. If there was something we could get rid of, we would. If the shot would work without movement, then why move? If it would work with less light, why add more?

It was important to us that we avoid the camera becoming too emotionally manipulative. We didn't want the camera or the photography to convince the audience that a character is good or bad. As part of that, we always designed a frame knowing how long it might hold in the edit. We were hoping to make a film with as few cuts as possible, so some of those shots really last. If you're going to hold on a shot for a minute, it can be a very different shot than one that might only be 10 seconds.

Were there any visual references that inspired you during your prep?

Wegner: We looked at a lot of references over that year, and they were as much visual as they were about getting to know the world of 1920s Montana ranch life. We weren't terribly interested in watching other films I think we were hoping to make something quite singular. So we stuck to a lot of photography of the period, and painters like Andrew Wyeth or Lucian Freud for minimalism and a restrained color palette. We also discovered the photographer Evelyn Cameron, who was British but actually lived and worked on a Montana ranch around the time the film's set. It was amazing to see her outsider's eye looking at this world of ranch life.

What brought you to Panavision for this project?

Wegner: I've worked with Panavision quite a bit in the past, since film school. They're always my first point of call. I love that whatever city you're in, you can find support from Panavision. It gives you safety and strength to know you're never going to be left in the lurch. And glass is always a big factor. Choosing lenses is such a big part of the process, and it's really important to have options. Working with Panavision, there's the whole range from contemporary to vintage and technically correct to what I'd call funky.' We shot with Ultra Panatar 1.3x anamorphic, and obviously that's not something you're going to find anywhere else.

How did you decide to use the Ultra Panatars?

Wegner: We'd initially decided to shoot in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio, but when we started drawing, we found our drawings were going off the edges, and the film was telling us it wanted to be widescreen. At the same time, we both knew we weren't being drawn towards 2x anamorphic. It felt like too strong of a look for what we wanted. When I mentioned the 1.3x anamorphic to Jane, that was really exciting for us, because it was a bit of the best of both worlds, spherical and anamorphic. Plus, a vintage lens is always a lovely thing to have on a period movie.

Can you share more about the language of the camera in this movie? What would motivate you to keep the camera static or to add some movement?

Wegner: We wanted to be deliberate and have a good reason whenever we did want to move the camera. So it was most often about finding where the camera should be and then leaving it there for each shot. Then, when you do move the camera, it becomes very memorable.

There are times when the camera moves with a character, but it do
LINK: https://www.panavision.com/highlights/highlights-detail/raw-nature...
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 ...

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...

19/05/2026

Publicis Groupe to Buy LiveRamp for $2.2 Billion

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/05/2026

Tubi Launches 2026 FIFA World Cup Fox Hub

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/05/2026

Viamedia Introduces a New Geographic Intelligence Layer

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/05/2026

NFL Pushes Back Against Shift of Games to Streaming

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/05/2026

LYNX Technik Brings SDI IP Integration and High-Density F...

LYNX Technik, provider of modular signal processing solutions for broadcast, post, and professional AV will showcase its latest signal processing solutions at B...

19/05/2026

Media Links Integrates Xscend IP Transport Platform with...

Media Links, a leading developer and manufacturer of IP media transport solutions, has announced the integration of its Xscend platform with Skyline Communicat...

19/05/2026

Media Links Expands in Southeast Asia with Clearcast Asia...

Collaboration expands regional partner ecosystem as Media Links showcases IP media transport solutions on stand 4M4-4 and alongside Clearcast Asia on stand Me...

19/05/2026

LynTec to Deliver Scalable Power Distribution and Integra...

Company Highlights Labor-Saving Control and Custom Branding Opportunities Designed to Increase Integrator Profitability LynTec, a leading manufacturer of ele...

19/05/2026

Mago Studio Moves AI Video Beyond Prompts with New Production-Focused Tools

Mago Studio Moves AI Video Beyond Prompts with New Production-Focused Tools Brie Clayton May 18, 2026 0 Comments New Capabilities Bring Controllable, ...

19/05/2026

It May be Time to Stop and Take an AI Breather

It May be Time to Stop and Take an AI Breather Brie Clayton May 19, 2026 0 Comments If the rock you stay on starts to roll, jump clean. Or you'll...

18/05/2026

For PPI, New Patents and ProCrewz App Development Portend Positive Outlook for 2026

Despite a bumpy start to the year, the provider of event-production support and ...

18/05/2026

Daktronics to Install 11 LED Displays at UNCs Kenan Stadium in 2026

Daktronics has partnered with the University of North Carolina to manufacture and install 11 LED displays totaling more than 10,000 square feet and more than 14...

18/05/2026

CBS LA and Los Angeles Rams Announce Multi-Year Local Television Partnership

CBS LA has announced a multi-year partnership with the Los Angeles Rams, covering exclusive local broadcasts of Rams preseason games, weekly year-round programm...

18/05/2026

Skyline Communications Integrates DataMiner xOps with AWS Elemental MediaConnect Router

Skyline Communications has announced an integration between its DataMiner xOps p...

18/05/2026

eCLUTCH Expands International Distribution and Content Partnerships

eCLUTCH, the hybrid esports platform powered by iKOMG, has announced an expansion of its distribution across Europe, MENA, Africa, and Asia, along with new cont...

18/05/2026

Behind The Mic: Yankees Legends Reunite to Call Game Against Red Sox with Kevin Burkhardt

Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...

18/05/2026

NBC Sports Brings the WNBA Back Home After 23 Years Away

With 22 games this season, the production team looks forward to tweaking and enhancing the coverage After 8,660 days off the air, the WNBA returned to NBC yest...

18/05/2026

A Morbid Weight Loss Trick Triggers an Insatiable Ghost in Saccharine

(L-R) Midori Francis and Natalie Erika James attend the Saccharine premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 22, 2026, in ...

18/05/2026

And the Winners of the 2026 Spotify Podcast Awards in Mexico Are. . .

Last night, the Spotify Podcast Awards in Mexico returned to the country's capital. Now in its second year, the evening honors creators whose voices are hel...

18/05/2026

Roland launch Zenology GX for iPad

ZEN-Core synth goes mobile Roland's powerful ZEN-Core software synthesizer has just been introduced to the iPad, offering a convenient entry point into ...

18/05/2026

leONE from fedDSP

Versatile new limiter plug-in announced Based in Sheffield, UK, fedDSP offer a range of plug-ins that span the music production, live sound and high-end med...

18/05/2026

Viiri Audio launch Aava

A new use for convolution? Viiri Audio's debut plug-in aims to do something a little different with convolution processing, allowing users to adjust all...

18/05/2026

Delta Goodrem shines for SBS as more than 3.27 million Australians tune in for Eurovision

Delta Goodrem shines for SBS as more than 3.27 million Australians tune in for E...

18/05/2026

L3Harris Delivers Life-Saving Robotic Systems to Keep Australian Defence Personnel Out of Harm's Way

The Australian Defence Force uses L3Harris T4 and T7 robots for explosive ordnan...

18/05/2026

CVP strengthens commitment to the DACH broadcast market w...

Continued investment across Europe and Germany is expanding local teams and improving access to stock, regional expertise, and specialist broadcast support. CV...

18/05/2026

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang at Dell Technologies World: Demand Is Going Parabolic, Utterly Parabolic'

Agentic AI inference at one-tenth the cost per token with NVIDIA Vera Rubin NVL7...

18/05/2026

VEON Announces Investor Meetings for a Potential Dual Tranche USD Notes Offering and Related Tender Offer for 2027 Notes

18 May 2026 Dubai and New York, May 18, 2026 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a glob...

18/05/2026

Sky News offers ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes for just 2.99 as listening surges 102%

Monday 18 May 2026 Sky News offers ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes for just...

18/05/2026

Comscore March 2026 Consumer AI Chatbot Usage Rankings Show Claude Gaining Share

Comscore March 2026 Consumer AI Chatbot Usage Rankings Show Claude Gaining Share OpenAI's ChatGPT maintains lead while Anthropic's Claude continues to c...

17/05/2026

Delta Goodrem's Eurovision Eclipse marks end of a stellar run

Delta Goodrem's Eurovision Eclipse marks end of a stellar run 17 May, 2026 Media releases Bulgaria wins Eurovision 2026 Relive every spellbinding mome...

17/05/2026

'Oasis' Premieres on Netflix June 19

Back to All News Oasis Premieres on Netflix June 19 Entertainment 17 May 2026 GlobalSpain Link copied to clipboard Summer, sunshine, the beach, parties. T...

16/05/2026

Eventide & Newfangled Audio release Fixate:Midrange

Helps to deliver a clean, balanced midrange Developed alongside Newfangled Audio, the latest plug-in in Eventide's software collection has been designed...

16/05/2026

Engine DJ 5.0 update now live

Brings onboard stem rendering to RANE System One Engine DJ have just released Engine DJ 5.0, a free update for their Engine DJ OS embedded hardware and Engi...

16/05/2026

Boris FX Continuum Pairs AI Precision and Advanced Creative Controls

Boris FX Continuum Pairs AI Precision and Advanced Creative Controls Jessie Electa Petrov May 16, 2026 0 Comments The 2026.5 release adds automatic de...

16/05/2026

Spectrum TV Adds Free Access to Discovery+

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

16/05/2026

Tower Family Foundation Passes $3.5 Million Milestone

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

16/05/2026

AIMS to Offer IPMX Education at InfoComm 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

16/05/2026

Rise AV Launches Second Year of UK Elevate Program

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/05/2026

Seattle Sounders FC and Reign FC Announce Seattle Soccer Celebration at Waterfront Park

Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC, in partnership with RAVE Foundation an...

15/05/2026

How Sound Designer Dan Brumm Built Blueys Audio World with Sennheiser and Neumann

Dan Brumm has served as sound designer on Bluey, the Australian children's t...

15/05/2026

Applications Close May 31 for Mark Brunner Professional Audio Scholarship

The Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance (PAMA) and Shure Incorporated are accepting applications for the 6th annual Mark Brunner Professional Audio Schola...

15/05/2026

Netflix Expands NFL Coverage With Additional Games Starting in 2026

Netflix has announced an expanded NFL schedule for 2026 and beyond under a four-year partnership extension with the NFL through the 2029-30 season. Each season,...

15/05/2026

Ateme Supports TVRIs SRT-Based Live Sports Contribution and Distribution Workflow

Ateme is supporting TVRI (Televisi Republik Indonesia) with a contribution and d...

15/05/2026

Concacaf Launches New Website and Mobile App Powered by Deltatre

Concacaf has announced the launch of a new website and mobile app built on Deltatre's FORGE platform. Concacaf.com and the mobile app, available on iOS and ...

15/05/2026

Qatar Media Corporation Launches QBC Business Channel in 4K via Eutelsat

Eutelsat has announced the launch of QBC Business Economic Channel by Qatar Media Corporation, broadcasting in 4K/UHD via Eutelsat's 7/8 West video neighbo...