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 unlocking a passion for aerobics. Jimmy Lindsey, ASC served as director of photography for all 10 episodes of the third and final season, building on the foundation established by Season 1 cinematographer Paula Huidobro and Season 2 cinematographer Spencer Combs. All three seasons were serviced by Panavision Woodland Hills and captured with Panavision anamorphic optics. In this Q&A, Lindsey outlines the techniques employed to bring Sheila's story to a close.
How would you describe the look of the series?
Jimmy Lindsey, ASC: Physical is set in a Southern California beach town during the 1980s fitness boom. The locations and characters feel relatable and grounded. The show's visual language also needed a period realism as seen through the eyes of Sheila Rubin, brilliantly played by Rose Byrne. To achieve the desired look and create the world she lives in, we combined a number of approaches, including custom vintage 2x anamorphics, a low-contrast technique in final color, and a stylized, subjective camera. These techniques, paired with stellar production and costume design, elevated the tone for the final season.
Were there any particular visual references you looked at for inspiration?
Lindsey: The 1980s was the first decade that video cameras came into wide public use. As a result, the look of the '80s is well documented and characterized by the technology of the time. The trick in shooting a series set in this period is to invoke the style of the era without being too heavy-handed and distracting from the story. With this in mind, director Stephanie Laing and I referenced a number of films set in and around our time period, including Raising Arizona, American Hustle and Last Night in Soho as well as many of the diet and fitness-craze advertising campaigns of the day.
What brought you to Panavision for this project?
Lindsey: When I want to shoot with vintage anamorphic glass, Panavision is my first call. I know I can always count on David Dodson [senior vice president, client relations and business development] to provide stellar support, allowing me the opportunity to shoot a series of tests early on to determine what approach will work best for the project.
Then there's Dan Sasaki [senior vice president, optical engineering and lens strategy]. He is arguably one of the most gifted lens designers in the world. I'm always amazed by his talents and what he achieves when bringing a new concept to life. With his help, our optical choices can be modified in a number of ways to get the look and feel that will best visually tell the story.
What modifications were done to the T Series lenses you used?
Lindsey: Essentially, they were T Series lenses with B Series front elements. This gave us a custom B Series creamy, vintage feel with soft edge focus and classic 1970s flare characteristics, but with the faster T-stops and improved minimum focus of the T Series.
How does this project differ from others in your career?
Lindsey: Physical has a very distinct style and visual language that was established in the pilot and Season 1. Along with nontraditional framing, this involves quick push-ins on wider lenses at key moments in the story and extended fluid shots that move with the actors, allowing for a lot of freedom with minimal coverage. Almost all of this is achieved through Steadicam and the amazing operating of Mark Moore, SOC. This platform is not normally my first approach to fast, precise movement, but for this series, it creates a beautifully imperfect feeling that blends perfectly with the characters and their unique struggles.
What inspired you to become a cinematographer, and what keeps you inspired today?
Lindsey: At a very young age, I was drawn to photography. When I was 11, my grandfather gave me my first camera, a hand-me-down Polaroid 180, and I quickly fell in love with the art of visual storytelling. Early in my career, my focus was mainly on composition and shot design, but soon lighting became my passion. Throughout my time in school and over 30 years spent on set, I've created images with almost every type of film and digital motion-picture camera, but the feeling remains the same. Every time I look through the eyepiece, I fall in love all over again.
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Deepens Partnership with Taiwan's 62nd Golden Hors...
25/11/2025
Tracy Bonareri Onchoke, an investigative journalist from Kenya is the winner of the Thomson Foundation's Young Journalist Award 2025.
The 26-year-old-sele...
25/11/2025
SVG All-Stars: Blayke Scheer, Senior Director, Creative Content, YES NetworkThe Indiana alum has turned storytelling into an artform for more than two decadesBy...
25/11/2025
Op-Ed: With FCC's C-Band Auction on the Horizon, Broadcasters Need Proven, C...
25/11/2025
Analysis: Is Baller League really the future of sport? By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 10:10
Print This Story
With KSI on...
25/11/2025
Platinum Whitepaper: The Growth of Broadcast in the World of Major Large Scale E...
25/11/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: SVG Women's Sports WorkshopBy Samantha Gabay
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 10:27 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlig...
25/11/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: CacheFly's Matt Levine on the Evolving Role of th...
25/11/2025
Peacock's EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast Levels Up on Thanksgiving With SkyCam as...
25/11/2025
Mathias Broe attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Sauna at Library Center Theatre. (Photo by Michael Hurcomb/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Fes...
25/11/2025
The best playlists, podcasts, and audiobooks bring a little extra magic to your daily routine. With new features and offerings, Spotify Premium delivers even mo...
25/11/2025
Comprehensive new research confirms what we already knew: Australian music fans love the quality, quantity, and access they have to new and local music on strea...
25/11/2025
Applicable Products
Objectives The purpose of this application note is to give a brief background on 5G (NR) wireless communication an explain the reason a SN...
25/11/2025
Nielsen will now measure both Lionsgate's FAST channel MovieSphere and Movie...
25/11/2025
FREMONT, Calif. Blackmagic Design said the Associated Press has completed the transition of its global video-editing platform to DaVinci Resolve Studio....
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 unlocking a passion for aerobics. Jimmy Lindsey, ASC served as director of photography for all 10 episodes of the third and final season, building on the foundation established by Season 1 cinematographer Paula Huidobro and Season 2 cinematographer Spencer Combs. All three seasons were serviced by Panavision Woodland Hills and captured with Panavision anamorphic optics. In this Q&A, Lindsey outlines the techniques employed to bring Sheila's story to a close.
