Cooke lenses capture the magic of Matilda the Musical

Cinematographer Tat Radcliffe details how he used a Cooke S7/i prime lens range paired with a Sony Venice camera to create the look of the film

By Jenny Priestley

Published: December 8, 2022 Updated: December 9, 2022

Cinematographer Tat Radcliffe details how he used a Cooke S7/i prime lens range paired with a Sony Venice camera to create the look of the film

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The cinematographer on the new Matilda the Musical film used a Cooke S7/i prime lens range paired with a Sony Venice camera to create the look of the film.

Tat Radcliffe worked alongside A-camera operator Ossie Mclean on the film, which is in UK cinemas now and released worldwide on Netflix on 25th December.

The pair decided to use focal lengths of 25mm, 32mm, 40mm and 50mm, largely shooting close and wide.

In the film version we are 90 per cent of the time seeing it from the perspective of Matilda and we had to convey the wonder of this precocious imagination of hers; a combination of fairy tale aesthetic and down-to-earth realism (if at times somewhat fantastical!), said Radcliffe.

To this end one of my favorite sequences was the cake eating sequence. It took many months to work out how best to shoot Ellen Kane's mesmerising choreography. And although incorporated in the sequence are revolving floors, stage lighting and spangly costumes the audience must never be left in any doubt that it is seeing the world through Matilda's keen eyes.

Radcliffe added that the best thing about the Cooke lenses is that they do not shout at the top of their voices and bring attention to themselves. All the benefits I can think of stem from what they don't do: no funky aberrations, not much flaring, no surprises.

I wanted a glass that could achieve a gentleness with no aberrations, a glass that was visually uncomplicated and down to earth. The S7/i's were a no-brainer, he said.

LINK:	https://www.tvbeurope.com/production-post/cooke-lenses-capture-the-mag...
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