Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Cinematographer Oren Soffer on the short film See You Soon

06/09/2024

Vincent lives in Los Angeles, Anthony in New York City. They met on a dating app and have been talking for months, but the physical distance between them has kept them apart until now, when Vincent flies to New York to stay with Anthony for a long weekend. Their first day is marked by awkward moments and fumbling connections that nevertheless give way to a profound intimacy that's both welcome and frightening to each of them. As they grow closer together, they can't help but recognize that Vincent's departure is also drawing nearer, and once the weekend is over, they'll again be thousands of miles apart.

Written and directed by Tyler Rabinowitz and shot by cinematographer Oren Soffer, the 16-minute short See You Soonstars James Cusati-Moyer as Vincent and Jonny Beauchamp as Anthony. The project was the latest in a string of collaborations between Soffer and Rabinowitz, going back to the latter's New York University thesis film. Shot in New York City over four days in the summer of 2019, See You Soon premiered online on June 27, timed with the celebration of this year's Pride Month. (The short can be watched here.)

The filmmakers captured the short with an Alexa Mini camera and Panavision Ultra Speed lenses, all sourced out of Panavision New York. The design of the movie, in terms of how we used lenses and camerawork to create intimacy, was done to address what both Tyler and I feel is a lack of representation of intimate gay relationships, Soffer shares. As queer filmmakers, it was really important for us to craft a visual story on screen that we just dont see much of, certainly not depicted in this way.

Soffer recently connected with Panavision to shine a light on his and Rabinowitz's creative approach to the project. (Note, the following conversation contains spoilers.)

Panavision: Were there any particular visual references that you and Tyler looked at for inspiration?

Oren Soffer: When Tyler sent me the first draft of this script, our process actually started with music. He said, While reading this, listen to White Ferrari by Frank Ocean. I want this film to feel the way that song sounds.' So that was the first piece of media that we consumed while thinking about how this film was going to feel, and then we started to figure out how it was going to look. We actually didn't exchange a ton of references; I think we made a conscious choice to follow our gut instinct on a lot of things. The two [features] that we did look at in terms of tone and mood were Call Me By Your Name [directed by Luca Guadagnino] and Weekend by Andrew Haigh, but stylistically we deviated from both of them a little bit.

We wanted the whole film to be about capturing the emotion between these two people, so everything about the visual style was going to be naturalistic and very minimalist and not very stylized. It was all to service the world of these two guys and what they feel spending this weekend together. We wanted to strip away any distractions in terms of the visual style and just let it be.

How did you arrive at the Ultra Speeds for your lenses?

Soffer: After the thesis that Tyler directed at NYU, Panavision helped us out on music videos that I shot and he produced and/or directed. They've been so supportive of these projects over the years, so when it came time for this project, Panavision was really the first place we thought of, and I reached out to Marni Zimmerman to see if they'd want to do another one.

Tyler and I had a conversation early on about anamorphic versus spherical, but it was not a long conversation. We wanted a sort of traditional aspect ratio, not widescreen, just to bring these two characters together in the frame and emphasize that this story is about the connection between them. And the Ultra Speeds were my first choice; they're my favorite spherical lenses. The glass is stunning. Shooting wide open, like I tend to do, creates really aesthetically pleasing visual flaws' in terms of the astigmatism, the bokeh, the falloff and everything. It was perfect for the mood that we wanted to create with this project. It was a little bit dreamy, a little bit ethereal. And I like that the lenses are really fast, so when you shoot them wide open, you get really quick falloff in terms of depth of field. That sense of separation between the characters and the background was part of the visual language that we wanted. We wanted them to feel isolated from the world, together with each other and separate from the environment.

It really underscores the intimacy between them.

Soffer: Intimacy was the key word that really informed all of our creative decisions: aspect ratio, lens choice, how we shot with the lenses, and also shooting on longer focal lengths, again to decrease the depth of field and emphasize that sense of isolation. We only shot wide-lens close-ups a few times, for key moments in the film when we wanted to create a sense of physical presence, to bring the audience within the world of the characters. As they were becoming more intimate, we were shooting with longer lenses to create this tension, like there's a separation hovering over them because they both know that eventually they're going to have to not be together. But then, for the scene where they have their fight, that's actually where we shot with wider lenses closer up, bringing them together in the moment that they're coming apart. It was an intentional, subtle subversion of the audience's physical proximity to the characters.

Early in the movie, there's a long-lens shot of the couple walking toward the camera, a day exterior with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background. What focal length would that have been?

Soffer: That was a 150mm Ultra Speed, which is the highest focal length in that set, and it was with a 2x extender, so effect
LINK: https://www.panavision.com/highlights/highlights-detail/depth-of-emoti...
See more stories from panavision

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

04/07/2026

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in Dolby Cinemas Across Japan, Presented in Dolby Atmos and Dolby ...

April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

11/05/2026

Ross Production Services 48-Foot HyperMax-1 Truck Quickly in Demand

New production unit features not only wealth of Ross gear but also Sony cameras, Canon lenses, and a Calrec Argo S audio board...

11/05/2026

Solid State Logic Launches TCA Tour Portable Audio Production System

Solid State Logic (SSL) has announced TCA Tour, a portable fly-away audio production system built from System T components for broadcast, touring, and live prod...

11/05/2026

Riedel Communications Named Official Connectivity Integration Provider for Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games

Riedel Communications has announced it will serve as Official Connectivity Integ...

11/05/2026

G&D and NETGEAR AV Launch KVM-over-IP Plugin for Automated Network Configuration

Guntermann and Drunck (G&D) and NETGEAR AV have announced a plugin that automates network configuration for G&D KVM-over-IP deployments on NETGEAR AV Line infra...

11/05/2026

The Famous Group and Elite Edge Announce Unified Ownership

The Famous Group (TFG) and Elite Edge, a production studio specializing in live-action production, show opens, set design, and fabrication for sports and live e...

11/05/2026

SVG All-Stars: Odair Auger, Tech Project Manager, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises

The native of S o Paulo, Brazil, will play a crucial role in the broadcaster'...

11/05/2026

Cobalt Digital to Showcase IPMX/ST 2110 Ecosystem at BroadcastAsia 2026

Cobalt Digital will exhibit its IPMX/ST 2110 product lineup at BroadcastAsia 2026 (Stand 5D2-4), anchored by the COBALT blueCORE family of standalone signal pro...

11/05/2026

Interra Systems to Demonstrate QC, Monitoring, and Captioning Solutions at BroadcastAsia 2026

Interra Systems will exhibit at BroadcastAsia 2026 (Stand 5C1-10), demonstrating...

11/05/2026

T-Mobile Deploys 5G and AI Tools Across 2026 PGA Championship

T-Mobile is serving as a technology partner for the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, deploying 5G connectivity and ...

11/05/2026

Vizrt Named Official Technical Supplier of Eurovision Song Contest 2026

Vizrt has announced it has been named an Official Technical Supplier of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, in partnership with host broadcaster ORF. The 70th edi...

11/05/2026

WNBA and AWS Announce Multi-Year Partnership

The WNBA and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have announced a multi-year partnership making AWS the Official Cloud and Cloud AI Partner of the WNBA. AWS is also joini...

11/05/2026

NAB 2026: kronehit Awards Lawo and SLG Broadcast Contract for Full Studio Modernization

Austrian private broadcaster kronehit publicly awarded SLG Broadcast AG and Lawo...

11/05/2026

Behind The Mic: PGA Championship Changing Weekday Announcer Lineup for 2026 Tournament

Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...

11/05/2026

Eurovision at 70: The Biggest Hits, Artists, and Trends From the Iconic Song Competition

As Eurovision fans gear up to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the iconic song ...

11/05/2026

Pelo Spotify, artistas brasileiros geraram aproximadamente R$ 2 bilhes em royalties em 2025

Pela primeira vez na hist ria, o Brasil figura entre os oito maiores mercados de...

11/05/2026

Bastl Instruments showcase the Kalimba

New desktop instrument focused on tactile performance Bastl Instruments have announced the Kalimba, a new desktop instrument that combines physical modellin...

11/05/2026

1010music release the blackbox 2

Compact sampling workstation gains new features 1010music have announced the blackbox 2, a new version of their compact standalone sampler designed for DAWl...

11/05/2026

KOMA Elektronik Monoplex Eurorack sequencer

Performance-focused sequencer with microtonal control Berlin-based KOMA Elektronik have announced Monoplex, a new 42HP Eurorack sequencer designed for hands...

11/05/2026

IK Multimedia launch the Tonex One+

Boasts wireless control from mobile devices The latest iteration of IK Multimedia's compact amp and effects modelling pedal expands on the capabilities ...

11/05/2026

Transfigured Orchestra Vol 3: Cinema Brass from Sonora Cinematic

Spans traditional orchestral and experimental sounds Sonora Cinematic have recently released the third instalment in their Transfigured Orchestra series, de...

11/05/2026

SUPERBOOTH 2026 Video Show Reports

Our exhibition coverage Watch all our SUPERBOOTH 2026 video coverage in one place. Check back to this page regularly as we will be updating with more video ...

11/05/2026

You're not meant to look at an Eclipse, but you won't be able to take your eyes off Delta's Eurovision staging

You're not meant to look at an Eclipse, but you won't be able to take yo...

11/05/2026

L3Harris Reaches Over 50% in FAA Telecommunications Modernization

L3Harris has completed more than 50% of a nationwide effort to rebuild the invisible backbone of America's airspace....

11/05/2026

aconnic presents at Equity Forum German Spring Conference 2026, Frankfurt to engage with investors and analysts

aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, is participating in the Equity Forum Ge...

11/05/2026

CBS Sacramento Debuts New AR/VR Studio

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

11/05/2026

Gray Media Advances James Fitch to Senior VP, News Services

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

11/05/2026

Smarter Monetization Stronger Retention and PurposeDriven...

As Asia Pacific's streaming market continues to evolve, operators across the region are rebalancing their strategies and shifting their focus from subscribe...

11/05/2026

QuickLink to Highlight Latest StudioEdge Models StudioPr...

LONDON, MAY 11, 2026 QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will showcase its latest innovat...

11/05/2026

Cobalt Digitals BroadcastAsia Line up Highlights Flexible...

Cobalt Digital's BroadcastAsia Line-up Highlights Flexible End-to-End IPMX/ST 2110 Ecosystem Award-winning blueCORE standalone signal processors at the he...

11/05/2026

Encompass and VideoMagic Launch Altitude Intelligence to...

Encompass Digital Media, in partnership with VideoMagic International, announced at NAB 2026 the launch of Altitude Intelligence, an AI-powered platform designe...

11/05/2026

Louis Libin Preps for the World Cup's Spectrum Crunch

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

11/05/2026

Report: Broadcast Employment Hard Hit by AI

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

11/05/2026

Alfalite installs 150 LED panels in Torre Iberdrola audit...

Alfalite, the only European manufacturer of LED screens, has completed a major new corporate installation in Spain with the upgrade of the auditorium at Torre I...

11/05/2026

VEON Shareholders Re-elect Board and Chairman, Reaffirming Confidence in Digital Growth Strategy

11 May 2026 VEON Shareholders Re-elect Board and Chairman, Reaffirming Confiden...

11/05/2026

Fox Corporation Reports Third Quarter Fiscal 2026 Financial Results

Fox Corporation Reports Third Quarter Fiscal 2026 Financial Results NEW YORK, NY, May 11, 2026 - Fox Corporation (Nasdaq: FOXA, FOX; FOX or the Company ) t...

11/05/2026

Arvato Systems becomes a member of InsurLab Germany

Arvato Systems Becomes a Member of InsurLab Germany Collaboration in the insurance industrys leading innovation network G tersloh - Arvato Systems has joine...

11/05/2026

A Predator in Plain Sight: New true-crime podcast reveals definitive story of pirate radio DJ and abuser Eamon Cooke

Pirate Predator uncovers new information from victims and survivors of abuse on ...

10/05/2026

Berklee Honors Jacob Collier, Jill Scott, and Vinnie Colaiuta at 2026 Commencement

Berklee Honors Jacob Collier, Jill Scott, and Vinnie Colaiuta at 2026 Commenceme...

10/05/2026

RT ALL-IRELAND DRAMA FESTIVAL WINNERS ANNOUNCED

RT ALL-IRELAND DRAMA FESTIVAL WINNERS ANNOUNCED DURING GALA AWARDS STREAMED LIVE ON RTE.IE/CULTURE Kilmeen Drama Group hailing from Rossmore, Co. Cork Scoops ...

09/05/2026

Bastl Instruments showcase Kalimba

New desktop instrument focused on tactile performance Bastl Instruments have announced Kalimba, a new desktop instrument that combines physical modelling, F...

09/05/2026

1010music release blackbox 2

Compact sampling workstation gains new features 1010music have announced blackbox 2, a new version of their compact standalone sampler designed for DAWless ...

09/05/2026

New SoundApp ARA Plugin Transforms Boris FX CrumplePop

New SoundApp ARA Plugin Transforms Boris FX CrumplePop Jessie Electa Petrov May 9, 2026 0 Comments CrumplePop 2026.5 streamlines music, voice, and cin...

09/05/2026

Celebrating a TV Legend: Sir David Attenborough

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

09/05/2026

Playmetrics Acquires SportsEngine From Versant

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

08/05/2026

NBC Sports, Peacock Scale Vertical-Video Production Across Sports - and Beyond - Ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026

NBC's 9:16 live-production workflows power Courtside Live, Rinkside Live, Vi...

08/05/2026

ESPN Pieces Together Production Strategy After WNBA's Unsettled Offseason

Native 1080p HDR productions will rely on a mix of remote workflows from Bristol and Los Angeles Despite another prosperous WNBA season in 2025, there was no g...