
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 professional wrestlers who brought signature style to the sport in the early 1980s. For cinematographer M ty s Erd ly, HCA, the project offered his first opportunity to shoot an American feature, and he chose to shoot the story on 35mm film with Primo optics, working with a package sourced through Panavision New Orleans. Panavision recently caught up with Erd ly for the cinematographer's reflections on the production.
Panavision: How would you describe the look of The Iron Claw?
M ty s Erd ly, HCA: Sean and I believe that it is unnecessary to create a look' by forcing certain ingredients. We believe that the production design, locations, wardrobe, props, etc., will create a world that is true to the film. This combined with shooting on film and lighting mainly with tungsten units was our approach. These elements serve the story in an organic way, and the combination of these elements became the look. So my description of the film would be that it is very raw and organic, definitely not too stylized, and very simple in its approach.
Were there any particular visual references you looked at for inspiration?
Erd ly: There were many references for minor details, but we usually dont use overall references for a film. Sean and production designer James Price compiled an extensive library of references for the real locations like the Sportatorium and for wardrobe. We tried to stay close to the reality of the Von Erichs' world but also felt free to elevate or deviate from reality when it felt necessary.
What drew you to use Primo optics and the Panflex Millennium XL2 camera?
Erd ly: I've always had a very romantic relationship with everything Panavision. Growing up in Hungary, and reading American Cinematographer and looking at my heroes, using Panavision was constantly on my mind. When Sean and I first started to talk about The Iron Claw, I immediately suggested that this film needs to feel American,' and Panavision glass especially a classic like the Primos represents something very American for me in a romantic way. We tested the Primos, and we both felt they were the right choice for this film.
The camera body obviously is not affecting the image [when shooting film], but we needed something that is flexible and quiet enough to shoot sync sound. We also carried an Arri 235, which we used as an action cam' and was extremely useful for the fight scenes.
How does this project differ from others in your career?
Erd ly: This was my first real American film. We were so lucky to have an amazing cast and crew and producers who gave us full creative freedom, which I believe is the most important thing to be able to make something that is truly personal and because of that can turn into something universally engaging.
The Iron Claw is a film that immerses the audience in a world that was very alien for me before we started our discussions in preproduction. I was given the opportunity to immerse myself in it and allowed to shoot this world with an outsiders approach. I was constantly shocked and surprised in a great way and I feel it kept the photography fresh at all times.
What inspired you to become a cinematographer, and what keeps you inspired today?
Erd ly: I had this realization when I was about 16 years old that cinematography is something that combines everything I was interested in. Photography, literature, technology, theater, painting, architecture and even dance. It is such a complex experience to make a movie, and the fact that we are surrounded by our crew who have way more experience than us allows us to always learn. It is the best job there is!
Stories inspire me. Important stories that allow us to learn about human behavior and, in an ideal world, to become better or at least more empathetic human beings.
Behind-the-scenes photos by Devin Oktar Yalkin. All images courtesy of A24.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
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...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
10/04/2026
Imagine Communications will showcase its multiviewer portfolio at NAB Show 2026 (April 19-22, Booth N1328, Las Vegas Convention Center), including Prismon and t...
10/04/2026
Chyron has released PRIME VSAR 2.3, an update to its virtual set and augmented reality solution for broadcast. The release adds compatibility with Unreal Engine...
10/04/2026
Techex will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 (Booth W2267, April 19-23, Las Vegas Convention Center), demonstrating new tx darwin features including consumer multiview,...
10/04/2026
NDI will exhibit at NAB Show 2026, demonstrating its IP video ecosystem through live partner integrations, NDI 6.3 features, AI metadata workflows, and creator ...
10/04/2026
FOR-A has announced the acquisition of all shares of Tamu Radiance Corporation, a new company spun off from the Information Equipment Business of Tamura Corpora...
10/04/2026
InSync Technology will showcase new and updated video conversion products at NAB...
10/04/2026
TNT Sports and DAZN have announced a partnership to air monthly boxing events in the United States under the brand The Fight. The series will be promoted in p...
10/04/2026
Panasonic Projector and Display has announced the SQ3 Series of 4K LCD displays as part of its MEVIX professional display portfolio. All sizes will be available...
10/04/2026
Amagi has announced the addition of Agentic Media Operations to its Amagi NOW platform, integrating AI reasoning agents across its media supply chain workflows ...
10/04/2026
LTN has announced enhancements to its global IP video network targeting broadcasters transitioning from satellite distribution. The updates come ahead of US fed...
10/04/2026
Daktronics has installed new LED displays at Yankee Stadium, upgrading the main centerfield board, two flanking boards, and two ribbon displays spanning the 200...
10/04/2026
Harmonic has announced updates to its hybrid streaming solution, including Model Context Protocol (MCP) connectivity for AI applications, cloud-native deploymen...
10/04/2026
MultiDyne Video and Fiber Optic Systems will introduce two new fiber transport products at NAB Show 2026 (Booth C4425, April 19-22): the FiberSaver-10G waveleng...
10/04/2026
Telos Alliance and ip-studio will demonstrate STUDIO ZERO, a cloud-hosted virtual studio, at NAB Show 2026. First introduced at NAB Show 2023, STUDIO ZERO integ...
10/04/2026
d&b solutions, a London-based audio-visual, lighting, and media integration grou...
10/04/2026
ARRI and SmallHD have announced a new expansion license for ARRI's Hi-5 and Hi-5 SX hand units that displays lens data overlays on supported SmallHD monitor...
10/04/2026
Roku and the Banana Ball Championship League (BBCL) have announced an exclusive streaming partnership to bring five BBCL games to the Roku Sports Channel in 202...
10/04/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
10/04/2026
The Peabody Awards don't just recognize great storytelling, they spotlight t...
10/04/2026
After launching the Spotify Podcast Awards in Mexico last year, we brought the fan-voted celebration to Paris this week for its first edition in France. Hosted ...
10/04/2026
Powered and unpowered live PA ranges upgraded
Yamaha have just refreshed four of their hugely popular PA speaker ranges, delivering significant improvements...
10/04/2026
Underlying plug-in & VI technology now available to others
UJAM's latest announcement sees the company open up' Gorilla Engine, the development pla...
10/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/04/2026
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., April 10, 2026 Bitcentral, a leading provider of professional media solutions for broadcast and digital video, will showcase its latest...
10/04/2026
Ikegami to Introduce Expanded Range of Broadcast Production Solutions at NAB 202...
10/04/2026
AJA Debuts SMPTE ST 2110 and openGear Solutions Ahead of NAB 2026
Brie Clayton April 10, 2026
0 Comments
New gear and updates address evolving hybrid ...
10/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/04/2026
Frequency, the engine behind the worlds leading streaming television channels, today launched its AI platform for Frequency Studio, powering the entire channel ...
10/04/2026
J nger Audio Joins EBU ADM Integration Group as Founding Member to Help Advance...
10/04/2026
Five-part Sky Original drama airs nightly on Sky Mix and Sky Atlantic from 20 Ap...
09/04/2026
Staines-upon-Thames, UK, 09, April, 2026 - Yospace, the trusted leader in Dynam...
09/04/2026
just:play pro 2026 and just:live pro 2026 Sneak Preview News for NAB 2026
More Details:At NAB 2026, ToolsOnAir will showcase just:play pro 2026 and just:live p...
09/04/2026
just:in mac pro 2026 - The Next Level of Professional Recording on macOS at NAB ...
09/04/2026
Zixi will demonstrate IP-based live video workflow solutions at NAB Show 2026 (Booth W2057).
The industry is moving quickly toward IP-based distribution as br...
09/04/2026
Global women's elite sports revenues are expected to reach at least $3 billi...
09/04/2026
Monitor engineer Gavin Tempany mixed Kylie Minogue s Tension Tour on a Solid Sta...
09/04/2026
KOKUSAI DENKI Electric America will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 (Booth C5507), debu...
09/04/2026
With the 2025-26 NBA regular season concluded and the playoffs beginning next we...
09/04/2026
Telestream and Mimir have announced an integration connecting Telestream's V...
09/04/2026
Bitmovin has expanded its Live Encoding and Observability solutions to provide r...