
--
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
11/12/2025
Sash is ready to samba as Fair City star Stephanie Kelly is revealed as the late...
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
10/12/2025
For the first time, Spotify is giving users the power to steer the algorithm. Gustav S derstr m, Spotify's Co-President, CPO, and CTO, shares the vision beh...
10/12/2025
10 Dec 2025
VEON's Rising Capital Markets Profile Strengthened by Inclusion...
10/12/2025
10 Dec 2025
VEON Recognized for JazzCash, Kyivstar and Jazz at the World Commun...
10/12/2025
Wednesday 10 December 2025
Sky extends partnership with the Ladies European Tour for a landmark 30th year
Sky and the Ladies European Tour (LET) have announce...
10/12/2025
Wednesday 10 December 2025
Walk-on if you love the darts: James Maddison, Luke ...
10/12/2025
Rohde & Schwarz presents world's first RF power sensor with 0.80 mm RF conne...
10/12/2025
It's out of the frying pan and into the sequins for comedian and actor Micha...
10/12/2025
Born That Way airs Thursday 18 December on RT One and RT Player
Born That ...
09/12/2025
For decades, music videos have done more than just accompany a song; they've shaped style, started conversations, and helped us fall in love with our favori...
09/12/2025
Tuesday 9 December 2025
Judy Murray calls for PE to be a priority for all schoo...
09/12/2025
Kyocera and Rohde & Schwarz demonstrate OTA characterization of mmWave PAAM at C...
09/12/2025
Wuppertal December 9, 2025
Riedel and Racing Electronics Announce Strategic Pa...
09/12/2025
Another year, another 12 months of amazing adventures.
We are pleased to bring you our Highlights of the Year 2025.
We've worked hard and played hard this...
09/12/2025
DPA Microphones today announces the immediate availability of its new N-Series Digital Wireless Microphone System for customers throughout the U.S. In addition ...
09/12/2025
Jason, before we get into the detail, what first got you involved in retail media standards? And how did you come to chair IAB Europe's Retail and Commerce ...
09/12/2025
Current Rose of Tralee Katelyn Cummins has been revealed as the third contestant...
08/12/2025
Comscore Releases 2025 AI Intelligence Report: Establishing New Benchmarks for G...
08/12/2025
Over 1.7 million people watched across the weekend
Another record-breaking year...
08/12/2025
08 Dec 2025
VEON's Beeline Kazakhstan Breaks Ground for Hyper Cloud Data Ce...
08/12/2025
Strategic and transformative transaction would sharpen Harmonic's focus on its core Broadband business and advance its growth initiatives
Ensures continued...
08/12/2025
Copenhagen's The Epicurus is a one-of-a-kind Jazz Gastropub that presents exclusive performances curated by Jazz Pianist and Producer Sir Niels Lan Doky. Fe...
08/12/2025
Arvato Systems Receives gematik-approval for TI-Messenger tim
Approval secured for TI Messenger tim - paving the way for secure and interoperable communicat...
08/12/2025
Eurovision winner Niamh Kavanagh is the first celebrity to be revealed for the s...
08/12/2025
Changing children's lives for good: A staggering 4.6 million raised in the 2025 appeal
The people of Ireland and people all over the world have once again...
08/12/2025
It's murder on the dancefloor as The Traitors Ireland legend Paudie Moloney ...
05/12/2025
Every year, Spotify Wrapped offers a personalized look back at the audio that defined your year. It's a snapshot of your listening habits, designed to tell ...
05/12/2025
In 2025, Spotify's EQUAL, GLOW, and RADAR programs celebrated women, LGBTQIA , and emerging artists who turned moments into milestones. From breaking record...
05/12/2025
In our latest blog, we explain how Wi-Fi 7 rollouts can drive consumer loyalty with value-add services such as consumer cybersecurity. We also explore how this ...
05/12/2025
Friday 5 December 2025
A new Game of Thrones Tale: Official trailer for Sky Exc...
05/12/2025
Tis the season of giving once again and this year we've taken our Give Back Fridays' concept and turned it on its head.
In the autumn we were approach...
05/12/2025
Brayden Gogis doesn't remember a time when he wasn't completely fixated on games in all forms. In preschool, when they asked us to dress up as what we ...
05/12/2025
The Grinch steals the spotlight as the theme for The Late Late Toy Show 2025
Tune in tonight at 9:35pm on RT One and worldwide on RT Player
#LateLateToyShow...
05/12/2025
RT Announces New Presenters of Flagship News Programmes
New RT Six One News co-presenter Tommy Meskill
Sarah McInerney & Justin McCarthy join Morning Ir...
04/12/2025
ToolsOnAir Blackmagic Design HyperDeck Event Presets for just:in mac pro 2025 & ...
04/12/2025
ToolsOnAir AJA Ki Pro Event Presets for just:in mac pro 2025 & just:in linux
More Details:Starting with version 5.5, both just:in mac pro and just:in linux sol...
04/12/2025
Wangu Kanuri from Kenya and Godwin Asediba from Ghana are two of this years finalists for Thomsons Young Journalist of the Year Award. The pair are runners-up i...
04/12/2025
Following today's EBU Winter General Assembly in Geneva at which Israel's participation in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest was confirmed, RT 's pos...
04/12/2025
Thursday 4 December 2025
Sky set to co-produce the story behind the world's most famous whale
Image Credit - Free Willy Keiko Foundation
Sky will co-pro...
04/12/2025
Thursday 4 December 2025
Sky Original documentary Murder at the Post Office to ...
04/12/2025
OBJECT MATRIX
OverviewObject Matrix
OM Cloud
Quattro
SWARMOverviewSwarmSingle Node Swarm
Ngenea
Pixstor
Swarm Support
Object Matrix Support
Pixstor & N...
04/12/2025
FOX Advertising Announces Plans for 2026 Upfront Presentation Annual Presentation for Advertisers to Take Place Monday, May 11 at New Location, the Historic N...
04/12/2025
The ninth series of Dancing with the Stars returns to screens in early
2026 and will be proudly sponsored by Hyundai
Filling our Sunday evenings with glitz an...
03/12/2025
ToolsOnAir Composition Builder 2025 Boilerplate
More Details: The Composition Builder 2025 application for macOS enables TV stations and Live Event broadcast...
03/12/2025
ToolsOnAr just:live pro 2025 Boilerplate
More Details: just:live pro 2025 is a Single Channel Live Production Playout solution for video and static or real-t...
03/12/2025
ToolsOnAr just:play pro 2025 Boilerplate
More Details: just:play pro 2025 is a Single Channel automated 24/7 Master Control playout solution with SD, HD and ...
03/12/2025
ToolsOnAr live:cut 2025 Boilerplate
More Details: live:cut is an option to just:in mac pro 2025 and enables multicamera production workflows for up to 16 cam...
03/12/2025
ToolsOnAir Just In Mac Lite NDI 2025 Boilerplate
More Details: The Just In Mac Lite NDI application is a streamlined media capture solution designed specific...
03/12/2025
ToolsOnAir Just In Mac Lite 2025 Boilerplate
More Details: The Just In Mac Lite application is a streamlined media capture solution designed specifically for...