
Winner of the Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema at the 2023 Santa Barbara International Film Festival and the RBC Emerging Canadian Artist Award at the 2022 Calgary International Film Festival, the comedy feature I Like Movies follows the plight of a socially challenged 17-year-old who's forced to confront the realities of adulthood while working at his local video store. Drawing inspiration from writer-director Chandler Levack's cinematic acumen, the movie marks the feature-length debut for Levack as well as cinematographer Rico Moran. Together, the duo crafted a stylized aesthetic that underscores the perspective of the movie's protagonist, Lawrence (played by Isaiah Lehtinen).
Panavision recently caught up with the director and cinematographer, who recount their journey to turn their visions into reality.
Panavision: How would you describe the look of I Like Movies?
Chandler Levack: Southern Ontario nostalgic realness.' We wanted to create a lot of warmth and use natural light sources from windows and lamps to highlight the environments. The movie is a period piece set in the early 2000s, in my hometown of Burlington, Ontario, so it was crucial to create a warm, nostalgic atmosphere that was still a bit stylized, paying subtle homage to the auteurs our lead protagonist, Lawrence, is obsessed with namely Stanley Kubrick and Paul Thomas Anderson. We shot in the old Academy aspect ratio of 1.33:1, and we were rarely handheld. We wanted to create a warm sense of intimacy in the camerawork that could really highlight the blocking of the actors in the scene and the environment of the video store.
Rico Moran: We set out to make I Like Movies look at once nostalgic and modern, like the way you remember your grad-photo glossies even though they're a bit sun-faded now. We wanted the colors to be vivid yet restrained and the framing to echo Lawrence's narrow perspective. Chandler had chosen the 1.33:1 aspect ratio as a nod to the TVs we grew up watching movies on. It was a perfect size to frame a close-up portrait and to emphasize how Lawrence didn't really look beyond his own little world.
Were there any visual references you looked at for inspiration?
Levack: Rico and I created an exhaustive visual reference board for the movie, which was so fun to do. Color-palette-wise, I was obsessed with the way that Almod var always uses red and teal in his films. Antonio Banderas kitchen in Pain and Glory became the inspiration for the branded scheme of our fictional video store, Sequels, which bled its way into the set dec and color scheme throughout the movie. We also watched a lot of French New Wave movies by Godard, like La Chinoise, to see how primary colors against neutral backgrounds could really pop.
All the coming-of-age movies that I revered as a teenager and today also played a pivotal role in designing our camera moves and the general vibe and lighting of the film. I think Rico got sick of how many times per day I would reference Lady Bird, but it was really a guiding light for creating an environment of stylized authenticity that remained true to a prickly protagonists lived experience of the world. We also studied Ghost World, Rushmore and My Night at Mauds.
Moran: It was quite a range of movies we watched together to align ourselves, from Andrea Arnold to Eric Rohmer, with stops at Elephant and Marriage Story. Often there would be a specific reference point in terms of framing style, color treatment or coverage strategy, and other times it was just for a dash of fun. I was also keen on looking to photographers like Paul Graham, Hannah Starkey and Tina Barney for their vivid palettes and inspired framing.
What brought you to Panavision for this project?
Moran: Panavision was always my first choice for my first feature. To be able to tell the story of our film-obsessed hero with the lenses that were used to shoot some of his favorite movies felt perfectly appropriate. I wanted to give a touch of Hollywood to the not-so-Hollywood Burlington, Ontario.
I've always felt so supported by Jerry Papernick, James McMahon and Johanna Gravelle at Panavision Toronto, and this project was no exception. Their team is always game to work with me and my crew to find the perfect lenses and accessories for every situation.
Levack: Panavision are the most iconic camera company in the world, and my favorite directors of all time have always shot with them. I love their lenses so much they're not only iconic but divine vessels of cinematic creation. I'd always dreamed of being a Panavision filmmaker. It was a shot in the dark, but I wrote Panavision a very sincere love letter expressing my desire to work with them on I Like Movies. Lawrences heroes Paul Thomas Anderson and Stanley Kubrick have famously always shot with Panavision, so I included behind-the-scenes photos of them shooting with Panavision cameras and explained my artistic vision for the movie and the way Rico and I wanted to shoot the film. When they said yes, I teared up.
Panavision have been such generous collaborators and supporters of the project. At our U.S. premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, I Like Movies even won a juried award for Independent Cinema that included an equipment grant from Panavision. It is such a gift to know that I can continue to shoot with Panavision cameras and lenses on future projects.
What optical characteristics do you see in the PVintage lenses that made them the right match for I Like Movies?
Moran: During prep, Chandler and I tested different sets to determine what would be the best fit. I had a feeling that the PVintages would be the winner, and after a blind test, this was confirmed. I love their soft contrast, velvety focus roll-off, expressive but not excessive flares, and fast T-stop. We didn't have a lot of
Most recent headlines
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
07/08/2025
July 8 2025, 22:30 (PDT) Tata Motors & Dolby Bring Dolby Atmos to Harrier.ev, R...
15/07/2025
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
15/07/2025
L3Harris put its CORVUS-RAVEN counter-small UAS capability into the hands of soldiers at VANAHEIM, showcasing its ability to provide passive signal detect, enha...
15/07/2025
Netflix Viewing Up 13.5% vs. May, Represents 42% of Monthly Gain for Streaming
...
15/07/2025
SAN FRANCISCO and BENGALARU, India Sangeeta Chakraborty has been named chief revenue officer at Amagi, a cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) technology pro...
15/07/2025
As part of its mandate, the Advanced Television Systems Committee the U.S. organization tasked with developing advanced broadcast TV standards promotes ATSC 3.0...
15/07/2025
QuickLink, the leading global provider of multi-camera video productions and remote contributions, announces the launch of two innovative control panels Studi...
15/07/2025
Chris Kontopanos has joined leading high-quality microphone solutions manufacturer, DPA Microphones, as the company's new Regional Sales Manager for the Mid...
15/07/2025
Magnifi by VideoVerse, a global leader in AI-powered video automation, has launched a major platform upgrade built to simplify live and archival video editing f...
15/07/2025
Telestream, a global leader in media workflow technologies, will preview its latest innovations at IBC2025, Stand 7.B21. This year's showcase highlights how...
15/07/2025
IBC2025 is set to transform the onsite experience for its global attendees with the launch of a pioneering new feature: full integration of Amsterdam's GVB ...
15/07/2025
Music, sport and technology collided in spectacular fashion as ASB GlassFloor powered the debut of Beats N Buckets, Germany's first Basketball meets Hip-Ho...
15/07/2025
The Collectv, the Emmy award-winning broadcast solutions and workflows consultancy - and winner of Broadcast Tech's Team of the Year is delighted to announc...
15/07/2025
SipRadius, the expert in secure, low latency media transport, will showcase how broadcasters and media companies can take control of fragmented IP workflows at ...
15/07/2025
Appear, the global leader in live production technology, today announced its strategic partnership with beIN ASIA PACIFIC, a leading multi-platform sports media...
15/07/2025
Company marks 15 years of innovation at the show
Broadpeak, a leader in streaming and monetization at scale, will return to IBC (Hall 1, Stand F83. RAI, Amster...
15/07/2025
New software solutions extend trusted timing measurement across broadcast, venue, and professional AV applications
Hitomi Broadcast, the market leader in audi...
15/07/2025
SHENZHEN, China Telycam has added control options for its portfolio of pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras with a new plug-in for Elgato's Stream Deck family of con...
15/07/2025
MELVILLE, N.Y. Chyron said its Chyron LIVE cloud-native live production solution has successfully completed the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Foundational Technical...
15/07/2025
PHILADELPHIA The Xumo streaming platform joint venture between Comcast and Charter has announced the nationwide launch of a new line of Xumo TVs from Westinghou...
15/07/2025
LONGMONT, Colo. DPA Microphones said Chris Kontopanos has joined the microphone solutions provider as its new regional sales manager, Mid-Atlantic....
15/07/2025
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO OR TO ANY PERSON LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN THE UNIT...
15/07/2025
News Corp Authorizes New $1 Billion Stock Repurchase Program and Intends to Acce...
15/07/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Announces the Start of Production of Los secretos de l...
15/07/2025
Harmonic's Hybrid, AI-Powered and Live Sports Streaming Innovations are Key ...
15/07/2025
The well-known and well-loved 4099 has been completely revamped. It features amazing CORE+ technology, which eliminates distortion and extends dynamic range, a ...
15/07/2025
Comscore Partners with HyphaMetrics to Launch Advanced Person-Level Audience Mea...
15/07/2025
Peak audiences of over half a million tune into both Kerry v Tyrone and Donegal ...
15/07/2025
PROTON Announces Production Facility Expansion Ahead of IBC2025 posted: 15/07/2025
Proton Announces Production Facility Expansion Ahead of IBC2025
Alongs...
15/07/2025
Submissions for NVIDIA's Plug and Play: Project G-Assist Plug-In Hackathon a...
14/07/2025
The Royal Moroccan Air Force hosted a C-130 award ceremony with L3Harris Technologies President of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Jason Lambert a...
14/07/2025
UK launch set for September, following on from recent US and Germany releases
London - UK, July 14, 2025 - Nielsen, a global leader in audience measurement, da...
14/07/2025
SHENZHEN, China Telycam has added control options for its portfolio of pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras with a new plug-in for Elgato's Stream Deck family of con...
14/07/2025
The awards are open to IBC2025 show exhibitors and offer a valuable platform for companies to raise awareness for the new products and solutions they will be la...
14/07/2025
Clear-Com is excited to announce a significant expansion of the award-winning Arcadia Central Station with new software updates. Together, these releases dram...
14/07/2025
Grass Valley and Daktronics today announced a strategic technology partnership that unites Grass Valley's live production expertise with Daktronics' lea...
14/07/2025
Cloud playout solutions provider, Veset, and swXtch.io, provider of cloud-based multicast and reliable networking solutions, are partnering to deliver multicast...
14/07/2025
Tintri , a DDN subsidiary and leader in AI-powered data management solutions, today announces a game-changing and award-winning refresh to its global Partner P...
14/07/2025
HighField AI, the broadcast industry's first agentic and multimodal AI platform for automating graphics production, is now commercially available. Developed...
14/07/2025
Encompass Digital Media has today announced that it has been delivering a complex global services project for DAZN, the world s leading sports entertainment pla...
14/07/2025
MASV (massive.io), the fastest, most reliable large file transfer platform trusted by over 10,000 global organizations, announced today it will showcase its nex...
14/07/2025
Calrec is introducing a series of usability, customisation and system enhancements across the entire range of Argo consoles at IBC 2025, on Stand 8.C47. Look ou...
14/07/2025
Fincons Group, IT business consultancy and systems integrator company with more than 40 years of experience in the market, is proud to announce a new engagement...
14/07/2025
Intinor returns to IBC to present the latest updates to its Direkt series. A key development on show is Intinor Direkt Management (IDM), a web-based interface f...
14/07/2025
Back to All News
Trailer Out Now! Netflix and YRF Entertainment's Mandala ...
14/07/2025
Back to All News
25 Former Athletes Seek Redemption in Final Draft,' Japan...