Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Villainy Never Looked So Good

18/08/2022

Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Season 1 of the Marvel Studios series Loki finds the titular God of Mischief (played by Tom Hiddleston) in the custody of the Time Variance Authority. The organization sets Loki on a timeline-traversing adventure that offered cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw, ASC, director Kate Herron and their collaborators the opportunity to craft a richly textured look across the seasons six episodes. Durald Arkapaw's work on the series, which streams on Disney+, earned the cinematographer a Primetime Emmy nomination (for Episode 3, Lamentis ).

Durald Arkapaw worked with Panavision Atlanta to assemble a camera and lens package that included modified T Series anamorphic optics and a Panavised Sony Venice camera. Here, the cinematographer discusses how she approached the show's visual style, the inspirations she and her collaborators shared, and what initially sparked her interest in pursuing a career behind the camera.

Panavision: How would you describe the look of the series?

Autumn Durald Arkapaw, ASC: We wanted the visuals in the series to stand out, to have a voice. This was a new platform for Marvel and a new environment for Loki to inhabit and explore. The design needed to be as bold as the character.

I approach each project as if I were shooting on film, and its important to me that the lighting is also a character. I'm always trying my best to make the image feel textured, nostalgic and cinematic. I appreciate a more vintage look, and with Loki that was already built into the story.

Were there any particular visual references you looked at for inspiration?

Durald Arkapaw: Our director, Kate Herron, and I had a deep appreciation for Zodiac, Seven, Blade Runner and Brazil. All of these films have a very distinct visual style and mood. We set out from beginning to do the same with Loki to make strong visual choices in each episode and take the audience on a journey with our characters as they searched for answers. Much like our references had done, we also wanted to build tension with framing and have characters playing in the shadows.

What brought you to Panavision for this project?

Durald Arkapaw: I've worked with Panavision my entire career, so there was no doubt that I wanted to shoot Loki on Panavision anamorphic. Kate also appreciated the wider field of view to tell our story.

Throughout the years, Panavision has been a huge part of my creative process, and I adore everyone I work with there. [Marketing executive] Mike Carter and [senior vice president of optical engineering and lens strategy] Dan Sasaki were amazing in supporting our long show with our difficult shooting schedule and the new challenges we all faced in production in 2020.

What were you looking for in terms of optical characteristics that drew you to a modified set of T Series lenses?

Durald Arkapaw: I react emotionally to lens characteristics, so it's very important to me that my choices aid in telling the story. The first thing I do on any project is obsess about and choose the lenses. I believe that is the first creative choice I make that the audience will inherently feel.

When working with Dan Sasaki on the characteristics for our set, I gave him the original Blade Runner and The Yards as references. Dan knows my deep love for anamorphic and how much I appreciate all the elements that go into making and modifying those lenses. It's always amazing collaborating with him and having him be a part of the creative process.

How did Loki differ from other projects in your career?

Durald Arkapaw: This project was one of the most creatively rewarding experiences. Kate and our producer Kevin Wright did an amazing job of putting together a beautiful team of filmmakers that shared the same sense of taste and passion for storytelling. Having Marvel's support from the beginning and being able to collaborate on this level of project was very satisfying. Having the trust of the filmmakers around you makes for the best creative environment and overall film.

What inspired you to become a cinematographer and what keeps you inspired today?

Durald Arkapaw: I went to undergrad at Loyola Marymount University for art history. After taking a film-genre course, where we watched and wrote papers on Raging Bull and Broadway Danny Rose, I started to research what a cinematographer was. I already had a background in photography and made short films about my friends on the weekends. I looked up who shot one of my favorite films, Blow, and I saw that a woman named Ellen Kuras [ASC] shot it. After that, I was inspired and determined to learn this craft. Learning about Ellen and her work made a big impact on me pursuing a career in cinematography. That was a big inspiration early on, that women were rare in this field and that I had a unique voice to contribute.

Today I am constantly inspired by my friends and colleagues. It's rewarding when I can be a part of work that resonates with people and is affecting. I've recently enjoyed working hand in hand with the VFX department. It's been fun collaborating with like-minded creatives who are driven by making the work better and solving problems. That's a very gratifying place to be when you're telling big stories with lots of moving parts.

Everyone's life experience is so faceted and subjective; that plays such a huge role in how you photograph a story. I believe you bring your life experience into every decision you make as a DP, from lens choice to how you light a scene. Your personal taste and background are ultimately infused into the work.

Images courtesy of Marvel Studios.
LINK: https://www.panavision.com/highlights/highlights-detail/villainy-never...
See more stories from panavision

More from Panavision France

26/03/2024

A Collaboration With Panavision: Pedro Luque, SCU

Cinematographer Pedro Luque, SCU's credits include the features Body Cam, Antebellum and director J.A. Bayona's Best International Feature Oscar-nominat...

21/03/2024

Women Making History, Part 4

In Part 4 of Panavision's Women Making History interview series, the conversation turns toward career highlights. Prompted by Panavision President and CEO K...

18/03/2024

Vintage Allure

Released this past January, the music video for Ariana Grande's yes, and? brings a modern approach to vintage allure. The video was directed by Christian ...

14/03/2024

Women Making History, Part 3

The Women Making History interview series continues, with Panavision President and CEO Kim Snyder steering the conversation toward mentorship. Here, the partici...

13/03/2024

The Making of Ferrari

I like to work with directors that have a real distinct sense for what they want out of their film, says Erik Messerschmidt, ASC. This was certainly the case w...

08/03/2024

Women Making History, Part 2

In this installment of Panavision's Women Making History interview series, the conversation turns to key advice that has helped guide the participants as th...

01/03/2024

Women Making History, Part 1

The month of March marks Women's History Month and, on the 8th, International Women's Day. These are important opportunities to focus on stories from wo...

27/02/2024

LEE Filters expands LEE Direct e-commerce platform to Canada

TORONTO (February 27, 2024) LEE Filters, a leading manufacturer of high-quality lighting gels and photographic filters and a member of the Panavision family o...

27/02/2024

The Making of The New Boy

ACS member Warwick Thornton wrote, directed and photographed the feature The New Boy, about a 9-year-old Aboriginal Australian orphan who arrives at a remote mo...

26/02/2024

Light Iron Colors Penelope in the Cloud

MovieLabs, the technology joint venture of the major Hollywood motion picture studios, recently announced that Light Iron is among the latest group of 10 partic...

25/02/2024

Look, Flow & Legacy

Directed and co-written by Nicholaus Goossen, Drugstore June follows the vigilante detective-work of a self-obsessed social-media influencer, the eponymous June...

22/02/2024

The Panavision Group at BSC Expo 2024

BSC Expo 2024 recently wrapped in London, and Panavision, Panalux and LEE Filters were all on hand to showcase products from across their range of innovative so...

21/02/2024

Vital History

With its fourth season, the National Geographic series Genius presents a dual portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, inspirational leaders who paved ...

14/02/2024

The Making of Saltburn

I always want the film to tell me what it needs, says cinematographer Linus Sandgren, FSF, ASC. In the case of writer-director Emerald Fennell's feature Sa...

13/02/2024

Worthy Company

Cinematographer Ricardo Diaz joined the HBO series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty for Season 2's third episode, The Second Coming. Depicting...

08/02/2024

The Making of Killers of the Flower Moon and Barbie

2023 saw the release of two features photographed by Rodrigo Prieto, ASC, AMC: Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig, and Killers of the Flower Moon, which reteamed ...

31/01/2024

Panalux welcomes Sandro Leone as Long Form Sales Director

LONDON, England (31 January, 2024) Panalux, a leading rental provider of lighting and power solutions for the motion-picture industry and part of Panavision&#...

29/01/2024

Family of Fighters

Written and directed by Sean Durkin, the feature film The Iron Claw shines a light on the tragedies and triumphs of the Von Erichs, a real-life family of profes...

23/01/2024

Panalux announces new London headquarters

LONDON, England (23rd January, 2024) Panalux, a leading rental provider of lighting and power solutions for the motion-picture industry and part of Panavision...

12/01/2024

The Making of The Crown

Over six seasons, the Netflix series The Crown has enthralled viewers with its simultaneously intimate and epic portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and the royal fam...

09/01/2024

Celebrating the Creative Spirit

Since its opening in 1973, the Sydney Opera House has become a globally recognized symbol of Australia and the creative spirit. In honor of the renowned institu...

16/12/2023

Texture of Emotion

Based on Priscilla Presley's 1985 memoir Elvis and Me, the feature Priscilla reunited writer-director Sofia Coppola with cinematographer Philippe Le Sourd, ...

05/12/2023

The Making of The Florida Project

Director Sean Baker's 2017 feature The Florida Project examines the world just outside the gates of the most magical place on Earth from the perspective o...

28/11/2023

Perfect Pairs

Based on the true story of two best friends, Jane (Yara Shahidi) and Corinne (Odessa A'zion), Sitting in Bars With Cake depicts a harrowing journey of matur...

16/11/2023

Seeing in the Dark

Set in 1950s France, The Deep Dark (Gueules noires) follows a group of coal miners who are commissioned to escort a professor through dangerous depths to retrie...

11/11/2023

Wistful Thinking

Writer-director Le Chau was born in Vietnam, moved to the United States when she was 22, and graduated from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television in 2...

08/11/2023

A Collaboration With Panavision: Autumn Durald Arkapaw, ASC

Like the spoken word, visual language is a gift passed down from previous generations and capable of robust growth through shared use and collaboration. For cin...

08/11/2023

Unmistakable Charm

The story of a shy photographer who breaks out of his shell after attending a succession of drag shows, Three Nights a Week offers an honest look behind the vei...

31/10/2023

A Collaboration with Panavision: Alexis Zab, ASC, AMC

An expert in the exacting craft of commercial cinematography, Alexis Zab , ASC, AMC is equally adept at lending visuals of distinct humanity to long-form projec...

16/10/2023

Sam Daley Nominated for HPA Award

The Hollywood Professional Association has announced the nominations for the 2023 HPA Awards, which will be presented on November 9. Light Iron senior colorist ...

13/10/2023

To Be Believed

Director Charl ne Favier's feature La fille quon appelle focuses on Laura Le Corre (Alba Ga a Bellugi), a young woman placed in a vulnerable position after ...

06/10/2023

In Focus: Panavision Manufacturing

This video takes viewers inside the manufacturing department at Panavision's headquarters in Woodland Hills, California. Follow along from blueprint to CNC ...

06/10/2023

A Collaboration With Panavision: John Seale, AM, ACS, ASC

Before going on to serve as cinematographer on such varied and beloved features as Witness, Rain Man, Dead Poet's Society, The English Patient, The Perfect ...

29/09/2023

Launchpad Season 2 Takes Flight

Now streaming on Disney+, Launchpad Season 2 comprises six original live-action short films from underrepresented filmmakers whose unique voices bring new persp...

20/09/2023

A Collaboration With Panavision: David Procter, BSC

It's one of the most powerful mediums of art, I believe, that we have, David Procter, BSC says of motion pictures. Having gotten his start in documentaries...

19/09/2023

LEE Filters launches LEE100 Deluxe Kit+

ANDOVER, England (19th September, 2023) LEE Filters, a leading manufacturer of high-quality lighting gels and photographic filters and a member of the Panavis...

11/09/2023

Tall Tale

Boots Riley writer, director and acclaimed vocalist of the hip-hop group The Coup is the definition of a colorful and exacting thinker. Some five years afte...

05/09/2023

Creative Exercise

Created by Annie Weisman, the 1980s-set Apple TV+ series Physical focuses on Sheila Rubin (Rose Byrne) as she navigates a path toward self-discovery after unloc...

02/09/2023

A Collaboration With Panavision: Ben Davis, BSC

My first day on set, I thought, This is what I want to do,' reflects Ben Davis, BSC, whose credits range from dramas like Three Billboards Outside Ebbing,...

28/08/2023

Kim Snyder Receives HPA Alchemist Honor

The Hollywood Professional Association recently announced the latest recipients of its League Honors. This year's honorees include Panavision President and ...

25/08/2023

Winning Depth

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty is back for its second season on HBO, pushing deeper into the 1980s as it continues to recount the on- and off-cour...

22/08/2023

Political Colors

Created by Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck and directed by David Mandel, the five-part miniseries White House Plumbers shines a fresh light on the real-life comedy...

14/08/2023

A Collaboration With Panavision: Stephen H. Burum, ASC

I was a kid who liked to play, and cinematography is like playing, shares Stephen H. Burum, ASC, the recipient of the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award from the C...

08/08/2023

The Thrill of the Ride

The new feature Haunted Mansion delivers spooky fun inspired by the famed Disney theme park attraction. Telling the story of single-mom Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) ...

28/07/2023

Surreal Sympathies

Director Yuval Adler's Sympathy for the Devil is a road movie designed to subvert expectations. The story depicts one extremely long night for one sorely un...

21/07/2023

A Collaboration with Panalux: Ben Smithard, BSC

Ben Smithard, BSC's credits include the features The Father and The Son, both with director Florian Zeller. In this video, the cinematographer retraces his ...

12/07/2023

A Collaboration with Panavision: Piotr liskowski, PSC

Since childhood, I had a photo camera, reflects acclaimed Polish cinematographer Piotr liskowski, PSC. In this exclusive video, he recalls preparing for entra...

11/07/2023

Personal Mission

In writer-director Leo Milano's debut feature, The Crusades, three friends find their school year thrown into turmoil by the possibility that their all-boys...

27/06/2023

Coming in Hot

Eva Longorias feature directorial debut, Flamin' Hot, tells the story of how America fell in love with the Flamin Hot Cheeto. Longorias inspired direction c...

21/06/2023

Legends in Living Color

The story of the friendship between Aristotle Mendoza and Dante Quintana has captured the hearts of teenaged readers and the adults who care for them since Benj...