
--
When cinematographer Scott Peck first learned that Stargirlwas going to become a series on the DC Universe streaming service, he started doing a lot of research about the DC Comics character STARGIRL and its creator Geoff Johns. That led him to the Cooke Optics'Anamorphic/istandard and Anamorphic/i SF (Special Flair) lenses.
To me, the look was always this idea of the past meeting the present, said Peck. The Cooke Anamorphic/i standard primes combined with the Cooke Anamorphic/i SF versions were a part of that from the start. Inspired by the original Justice Society of America (J.S.A.) comics, where they mix older comic characters with new comic characters, I saw the show as having a slight retro vibe combined with modern day flair. That's why I wanted to use both the standard and special flair lenses.
The Cooke Anamorphic/i SF prime lenses are specially manufactured with a coating that allows for even more creative options. They are called Special Flair because they allow filmmakers to kick the flares, bokeh and other aberrations into new visual territory.
Known for lensing the CW Network's series Black Lightning, AMC's Fear the Walking Deadand the Sony/WGN AMERICA series Outsiders, Peck's research paid off, having recently finished shooting six episodes of Stargirl, which is set to premiere on the OTT service in 2020.
Stargirl follows high school sophomore Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger), a teenage girl originally from California who just moved to Nebraska with her recently remarried mom, Barbara (Amy Smart), who discovers that her stepfather, Pat (Luke Wilson), has a secret past - he used to be the sidekick to a super hero named Starman (Joel McHale), a member of the legendary J.S.A. After Courtney stumbles upon her stepdad's secret stash of old super hero equipment, she is drawn to Starman's staff and takes on his legacy to become the crime fighter Stargirl. With Pat's help, Courtney inspires an unlikely group of young heroes to stop the villains of the past and rebuild the J.S.A.
After several discussions with series pilot DP Chris Manley ASC and fellow alternating DP Michael Karasick, it was agreed that Sony VENICE cameras with two sets of Cooke Anamorphic/i prime lenses - would give us the beautiful consistent look and versatility we needed to deliver the show under very demanding conditions, according to Peck. Stargirl is very ambitious; given the production scale, delivery requirements, stunts and special effects, we knew we would have two full units often shooting simultaneously.
With cameras and lenses supplied by Keslow Camera of Culver City, CA, both Cooke Anamorphic/i lens kits consisted of 25mm, 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, 65 MACRO, 75mm, 100mm, 135mm and 180mm primes.
What I love about Cooke glass is that you can always count on its beauty and its consistency, said Peck. Michael Karasick and I carried two sets of Cooke Anamorphic/i primes: one set of standard lenses and one set of Special Flairs. The two sets cut flawlessly from scene-to-scene and episode-to-episode, with the 25, 40 and 65 MACRO being our most commonly used lenses.
Like other superhero movies and television shows, Stargirl is filled with a world of interesting and challenging lighting scenarios.
All of our lighting work is done with hybrid and full colour LED units to achieve a more unique comic book colour palette, explained Peck. This gives us the ability to subtly change the colours we use for varying skin tones and environments. Being able to utilise all of our LED lighting tools has given us the flexibility to not only have every gel in the book, but also create flicker and other lighting effects that just aren't possible without the use of LEDs.
When it comes to Cooke lenses, I'm very familiar with the look I'm going to get and that's really important, said Peck. I'm a huge fan of the Cooke S4/i spherical lenses and have used them on several projects. In today's marketplace, cinematographers have a plethora of options when it comes to choosing cinema optics. I love Cooke lenses because they exhibit beautiful warm skin tones, smooth contrast and just the right amount of sharpness.
Stargirl is a great adventure story that has that sense of wonder I remember from watching movies as a kid, like The Goonies, Back to the Future andThe Karate Kid, said Peck. We set out to create a superhero television show that is lighter in tone and appeals to the entire family, while offering a cinematic experience from episode to episode. Cooke lenses were the right lenses for Stargirl because of their beauty, consistency and reliability.
DC Comics Stargirl airs Tuesday, May 19, 2020 on the CW Network.
About Cooke Optics, LTD
Cooke is a storied name in both cinematographic and ultra-high-end professional photography markets. Known worldwide for their precision, exacting tolerances and superior quality, Cooke lenses are specified by many of the world's most respected cinematographers. Cooke is also the developer behind /i Technology, the protocol enabling vital lens and camera information to be captured and passed digitally to post-production teams. Cooke was honored with a 2013 Academy Award of Merit (an Oscar statuette) for its continuing innovation in the design, development and manufacture of motion picture camera lenses.
Features in production or recently shot with Cooke lenses include Pinocchio, Onward, Toy Story 4,Birds of Prey: and the Fantabulous Emancipation of Harley Quinn, Motherless Brooklyn,Sweetheart,Vice, Bohemian Rhapsody, A Star Is Born, Venom, Call Me By Your Name, Motherless Brooklyn, Stan and Ollie, Darkest Hour, Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House. Television shows in production or recently shot with Cooke lenses include Dead to Me, Save Me Too, Insecure, Dark Crystal, Star Trek: Picard,Pe
Europe Stories
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...
01/07/2025
The launch of Code of Silence, coupled with the Britains Got Talent semi final, gave ITV its best Sunday night of 2025.
The first episode of the new crime dr...
01/07/2025
ITV and Mammoth Screen have announced the start of filming for Betrayal, a gripp...
01/07/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
01/07/2025
Vocal-processing plug-in joins NOIZ Hub series
Launched in 2024, KIT Plugins' NOIZ Hub series was created with the aim of providing a range of professio...
01/07/2025
New self-paced learning programme announced
Mastering.com have announced the availability of a new online course designed to cover the fundamentals of maste...
01/07/2025
cetecom advanced certifies Rohde & Schwarz test solution for the verification of...
01/07/2025
RT has announced that Teresa Smith has been appointed Commissioning Editor with responsibility for Factual Entertainment following a public competition. This s...
01/07/2025
This July, RT is delighted to support Galway International Arts Festival, Earagail Arts Festival in Donegal, Belfast TradFest and 23 other arts and cultural ev...
30/06/2025
There's nothing quite like the magic of finding music that feels made just f...
30/06/2025
When it comes to new music, Spotify's team of editors across North America is always on the hunt for songs that make them feel, think, and move. They're...
30/06/2025
Star Studded Ensemble Cast Are Joined by Richard Rankin as Filming Begins on the Second Season
[June 12, 2025 - Boston, MA]: The Forsytes, Debbie Horsfield...
30/06/2025
Eurorack sequencer module reimagined
California-based modular synth innovators Qu-Bit have announced the launch of a new module that offers a fresh new take...
30/06/2025
Improved dynamic behaviour, improved audio quality & more
Techivation have announced the release of an upgraded edition of their very first premium plug-in,...
30/06/2025
German premiere with live flight demonstration: German industry team showcases e...
30/06/2025
The Focusrite Summer Sale is now on Don't miss unbeatable deals on Scarlett, Vocaster, and more.
Whether you're an artist, a producer, or a podcaste...
30/06/2025
All 8 episodes of Season 1 of 1923 will be available on RT Player from Tuesday ...
30/06/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
52% report AI security spending is displacing tr...
30/06/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Cannes, June 30th, 2025 - Thales Alenia Space, t...
29/06/2025
Handpan-inspired instrument announced
Roland have announced the launch of the Mood Pan, a unique electronic hand percussion instrument that has been designe...
28/06/2025
Music theory plug-in updated
Three months on from the release of the latest version of their renowned music theory plug in, Scaler Music have launched an up...
27/06/2025
K-Pop remains one of the biggest genres globally, and many fans just can't get enough of it. That's why Spotify has launched a new series of K-Pop perf...
27/06/2025
In our latest blog post, Rafael Rivera highlights the rising threat of online scams, and the important role cybersecurity plays in protecting families across ge...
27/06/2025
From grounded realism to bending, impossible geometries
Klevgrand have announced the release of a new algorithmic reverb plug-in which they say deconstruct...
27/06/2025
Learn to use REW for room analysis
Acoustic treatment is one of the most important factors in any studio, and with the extensive range of products available...
27/06/2025
Second edition of parallel clipper plug-in announced
Soundtheory have announced the launch of Kraftur Focus, a new edition of their parallel clipper plug-in...
27/06/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Thales, a global high-tech leader, and Kongsberg...
27/06/2025
Friday 27 June 2025
Combination of RTL Deutschland and Sky Deutschland (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) to create a unique proposition in entertainment, sports ...
26/06/2025
Bilbao Linz, June 26th 2025 - AgileTV, a European leader in TV and video technology solutions, has signed an agreement this week with the Austrian telco LIWES...
26/06/2025
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has resolved, based on the decisions ma...
26/06/2025
Three new entry-level models introduced
Catering to everything from casual listening to professional content creation, KRK's new Kreate Series monitors ...
26/06/2025
Registration closes on 8 July 2025
The deadline for entires into the fifth annual MIDI Innovation Awards is now just two weeks away. Product submissions are...
26/06/2025
Entire plug-in range updated
Waves have announced the launch of Waves V16, the latest version of their extensive plug-ins collection. Along with compatibili...
26/06/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Madrid, June 26, 2025 - The European Space Agenc...
26/06/2025
UKTV and Talented People are delighted to announce the renewal of their successf...
26/06/2025
THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING OF MAGYAR TELEKOM DECIDES ON THE SEPARATION OF...
26/06/2025
Keeper Pictures, the Dublin-based scripted production company whose credits include The Gone and Striking Out, has optioned the exclusive TV adaptation rights t...
26/06/2025
This July, RT presents The Phone Box Babies, a documentary revealing new insigh...
25/06/2025
Last week, content creators from all over the world flocked to Anaheim for VidCon 2025, one of the largest creator conferences in the U.S. As an official sponso...
25/06/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
25/06/2025
Sales proceeds from 25 - 26 June 2025 donated to Lambda Legal
Soundtoys have announced that 100% of all sales made on 25 and 26 June 2025 will be donated to...
25/06/2025
No Apollo or UAD hardware required
Universal Audio have announced that their software recreation of Dolby's renowned multiband enhancer - which was laun...
25/06/2025
Recreates AKGs sought-after C24
Warm Audio have announced the launch of a new stereo valve microphone that offers a modern take on AKG's sought-after C2...
25/06/2025
Save up to 50% on Kontakt instruments
Emergence Audio have announced that their Infinite Summer Sale promotion is now live, with savings of up to 50% applie...
25/06/2025
Rohde & Schwarz selected by Collins Aerospace to upgrade oceanic communications ...
25/06/2025
Arqiva will engage with fellow members to explore the latest developments in sensor innovation, environmental monitoring and data analytics
Arqiva is proud to ...
25/06/2025
Continuing its commitment to creating technology that enriches users' lives while helping them stay safe online and protect their privacy, Apple today share...
25/06/2025
Apple Sports - the free app for iPhone that gives sports fans access to real-time scores, stats, and more, delivered with speed and simplicity - today added ten...
25/06/2025
RT has confirmed its Monday night television series, Upfront with Katie Hannon has come to an end and will not be returning in September following three season...