
Written and directed by Zach Braff, A Good Person tells the story of Allison (Florence Pugh), who unexpectedly befriends an elder gentleman named Daniel (Morgan Freeman) during a time of deep remorse and grief following her involvement in a tragic accident. To make the movie and infuse it with an emotional heft that would outweigh its indie-sized budget, Braff enlisted a team of close collaborators that included cinematographer Mauro Fiore, ASC.
Braff and Fiore turned to Panavision New York for their camera package, which included Panavised Alexa LF and Mini LF cameras and Panaspeed large-format optics. Here, the collaborators detail their approach to crafting the movie's visual language.
Panavision: How did the two of you come to collaborate on this project?
Mauro Fiore, ASC: Zach and I had done a short film, In the Time it Takes to Get There, with the production company RSA, and Florence was in that as well. We had a really nice time working together, so when he offered me A Good Person, I accepted right away, and we headed off to New Jersey to make the movie.
Everybody was completely realistic about the goals and the approach. It was a lower-budget independent project, but that wasn't going to hold us back from telling a great story. I remember something my father told me once: A real master only needs a few tools.' That always stuck in my mind. It was a great collaborative experience, and it was an important story to tell. It was really fun for me to do this film.
How would you describe the look of A Good Person?
Zach Braff: This film is way more still than anything I've ever directed before. I love moving the camera in unique and interesting ways. Directing Scrubs was very fun because the camera itself was such a character in the show each episodes director was trying to come up with more and more wacky ways to move the lens and transition the shots. But this is the first thing I've made where I chose to be very restrained and let the incredible actors and their fascinating faces just be. Of course there are some moves, but I left many of them on the cutting room floor. I liked the stillness.
Fiore: We went really classic with it. It's a dramatic film about anxiety and trauma and addiction, but we wanted to keep an optimistic tone with what could be really tough subject matter and still have beauty in this tragedy. Specifically, we looked for as much color as we could get, filming in the fall so we could take advantage of the East Coast's autumn beauty.
Our aesthetic concept for the film was to start out with romantic backlight and very classical photography and then slowly descend into darkness until we finally come out of it with Florence's character. As you see her developing and finding the light, it was important to have sunlight that was always there as part of the frame. The sunlight would give us some hope, suggesting the possibility that she could move on after her traumatic experience.
Were there any particular visual references you looked at for inspiration?
Braff: Mauro and I talked about the loneliness in many of Edward Hopper's paintings, and we shared all types of images back and forth. But, for me, the most helpful thing was working with concept artist Joanna Bush. This is something that has really helped me on projects of all sizes. I know that most often filmmakers use concept art for large-scale films, but Joanna captured the tone of what I wanted so perfectly with a handful of keyframes. It was very helpful in conveying that tone to all the members of the creative team and to the folks at MGM.
Fiore: We would also reflect on the locations and develop ideas around them. For example, there's a scene in the park where Morgan Freeman's character and his son finally reunite, and it looked like a Seurat painting so we said, Let's make it look even more like a Seurat painting. Let's develop that feeling.'
What brought you to Panavision for this project?
Braff: When I was going to film school at Northwestern, I loved looking at behind-the-scenes pictures of my favorite films, and the filmmakers always had that beautiful, giant Panavision film magazine. Then, when I was PA'ing in NYC in the mid to late '90s, I'd be on these low-budget music videos and commercials, driving in a s----y cube truck, and we'd pass the big, red Panavision camera trucks. I remember thinking, One day I'll be on a big, cool job with a Panavision camera truck.'
It wasn't until I made Garden State with Larry Sher [ASC] that I finally got to shoot Super 35 with Panavision cameras and lenses. That was the only chance I got to shoot one of my films on film. After the industrys move to digital, I fell in love with the look of Panavision anamorphic lenses. I just love how unique each lens is. I love the flares and all the imperfections. I don't like lenses that are too perfect,' without some character.
Fiore: Im really familiar with Panavision. Their service department and their lens department are just the best to work with, and [Panavision marketing executive] Lori Killam is a great representative for me. I knew they would be able to support me in this venture.
I specifically wanted to shoot large format. I had just worked with Panavision on Spider-Man: No Way Home, and I had shot with the Alexa LF and Panaspeed lenses. I really loved that combination and wanted to bring that same sort of feel to this film. We experimented with anamorphic, but ultimately I decided to shoot with Panaspeeds and frame for the 2.39:1 aspect ratio so we could get even more out of the sensor.
What characteristics did you see in the Panaspeeds that made them the right match for A Good Person?
Fiore: One of the things that Zach and I are really interested in is contrast, and those lenses offer such great contras
More from Panavision France
28/11/2023
Based on the true story of two best friends, Jane (Yara Shahidi) and Corinne (Odessa A'zion), Sitting in Bars With Cake depicts a harrowing journey of matur...
16/11/2023
Set in 1950s France, The Deep Dark (Gueules noires) follows a group of coal miners who are commissioned to escort a professor through dangerous depths to retrie...
11/11/2023
Writer-director Le Chau was born in Vietnam, moved to the United States when she was 22, and graduated from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television in 2...
08/11/2023
Like the spoken word, visual language is a gift passed down from previous generations and capable of robust growth through shared use and collaboration. For cin...
08/11/2023
The story of a shy photographer who breaks out of his shell after attending a succession of drag shows, Three Nights a Week offers an honest look behind the vei...
31/10/2023
An expert in the exacting craft of commercial cinematography, Alexis Zab , ASC, AMC is equally adept at lending visuals of distinct humanity to long-form projec...
16/10/2023
The Hollywood Professional Association has announced the nominations for the 2023 HPA Awards, which will be presented on November 9. Light Iron senior colorist ...
13/10/2023
Director Charl ne Favier's feature La fille quon appelle focuses on Laura Le Corre (Alba Ga a Bellugi), a young woman placed in a vulnerable position after ...
06/10/2023
This video takes viewers inside the manufacturing department at Panavision's headquarters in Woodland Hills, California. Follow along from blueprint to CNC ...
06/10/2023
Before going on to serve as cinematographer on such varied and beloved features as Witness, Rain Man, Dead Poet's Society, The English Patient, The Perfect ...
29/09/2023
Now streaming on Disney+, Launchpad Season 2 comprises six original live-action short films from underrepresented filmmakers whose unique voices bring new persp...
20/09/2023
It's one of the most powerful mediums of art, I believe, that we have, David Procter, BSC says of motion pictures. Having gotten his start in documentaries...
19/09/2023
ANDOVER, England (19th September, 2023) LEE Filters, a leading manufacturer of high-quality lighting gels and photographic filters and a member of the Panavis...
11/09/2023
Boots Riley writer, director and acclaimed vocalist of the hip-hop group The Coup is the definition of a colorful and exacting thinker. Some five years afte...
05/09/2023
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 unloc...
02/09/2023
My first day on set, I thought, This is what I want to do,' reflects Ben Davis, BSC, whose credits range from dramas like Three Billboards Outside Ebbing,...
28/08/2023
The Hollywood Professional Association recently announced the latest recipients of its League Honors. This year's honorees include Panavision President and ...
25/08/2023
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty is back for its second season on HBO, pushing deeper into the 1980s as it continues to recount the on- and off-cour...
22/08/2023
Created by Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck and directed by David Mandel, the five-part miniseries White House Plumbers shines a fresh light on the real-life comedy...
14/08/2023
I was a kid who liked to play, and cinematography is like playing, shares Stephen H. Burum, ASC, the recipient of the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award from the C...
08/08/2023
The new feature Haunted Mansion delivers spooky fun inspired by the famed Disney theme park attraction. Telling the story of single-mom Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) ...
28/07/2023
Director Yuval Adler's Sympathy for the Devil is a road movie designed to subvert expectations. The story depicts one extremely long night for one sorely un...
21/07/2023
Ben Smithard, BSC's credits include the features The Father and The Son, both with director Florian Zeller. In this video, the cinematographer retraces his ...
12/07/2023
Since childhood, I had a photo camera, reflects acclaimed Polish cinematographer Piotr liskowski, PSC. In this exclusive video, he recalls preparing for entra...
11/07/2023
In writer-director Leo Milano's debut feature, The Crusades, three friends find their school year thrown into turmoil by the possibility that their all-boys...
27/06/2023
Eva Longorias feature directorial debut, Flamin' Hot, tells the story of how America fell in love with the Flamin Hot Cheeto. Longorias inspired direction c...
21/06/2023
The story of the friendship between Aristotle Mendoza and Dante Quintana has captured the hearts of teenaged readers and the adults who care for them since Benj...
21/06/2023
Cinematographer Camilo Monsalve, ADFC understands the language of cinema as well as he knows his hometown of Medell n, Colombia. When presented with the opportu...
14/06/2023
I suppose you've got two sides to your lighting, says chief lighting technician Harry Wiggins. One is what you're going to rig, and the second thing i...
13/06/2023
LONDON, England (13th June, 2023) LEE Filters, a leading manufacturer of high-quality lighting gels and photographic filters and a member of the Panavision fa...
12/06/2023
My first idea was not to be a cinematographer, says director of photography scar Faura, AEC. I wanted to be an editor. In this exclusive video, Faura discus...
05/06/2023
Written and directed by Miles Warren, the feature Bruiser takes an unflinching look at the role that hand-to-hand combat plays in a boys maturation into manhood...
31/05/2023
The Silent Twins tells the story of identical twins June and Jennifer Gibbons, who grow up only communicating with each other. The movie which was serviced by...
23/05/2023
The BBC drama series Blue Lights tells the story of three rookie cops on the police force in Northern Ireland's capital, Belfast. Directed by Gilles Bannier...
16/05/2023
Director David Cronenberg's 1988 horror film Dead Ringers, about twin OBGYNs whose penchant for tricking others threatens to shatter their own psyches, has ...
16/05/2023
Chief lighting technician Julian White's credits include features such as Locke and Murder on the Orient Express with Haris Zambarloukos, BSC, GSC; Control ...
09/05/2023
The four-episode HBO Max limited series Landscapers focuses on an ordinary couple, played by Olivia Colman and David Thewlis, who become entangled in an extraor...
03/05/2023
Created by Tony Basgallop and executive-produced by M. Night Shyamalan, the horror series Servant has delivered 40 episodes of psychological torment across four...
21/04/2023
Cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski and writer-director Ari Aster began their long-running collaboration when they were both students at the American Film Institu...
18/04/2023
My celestial ride with Star Trek: Picard began when I was shooting Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 in Toronto. Thank you to Olatunde Osunsanmi, who gave me that c...
18/04/2023
Viewed over 19-million times, Tourism Australia's G'day, the short film has set a new bar for tourism videos. The short follows two talking toys, one a ...
18/04/2023
Cinematographer Erik Henriksson knows how to deliver a well-curated visual aesthetic the expertly blends experimentation, experience and craft. Having worked wi...
12/04/2023
LOS ANGELES (April 12, 2023) LEE Filters, a leading manufacturer of high-quality lighting gels and photographic filters and a member of the Panavision family ...
12/04/2023
The CW original series Kung Fu follows the life-changing decision of Chinese American college student Nicky Shen (Olivia Liang) to trade her life as a student f...
12/04/2023
For the Apple TV+ limited series Black Bird, cinematographer Natalie Kingston worked with Panavision New Orleans to assemble a camera and lens package that incl...
05/04/2023
Cinematographer Sebastien Pfaffenbichler, AAC has been behind the camera on commercials for such well-known brands as Adidas, Toyota, American Express, Samsung,...
05/04/2023
As the storied fast-food chain's recent U.K. ad campaign makes clear, Fancy a McDonald's? is a question best asked and answered with a raise of th...
05/04/2023
For director Ryan Coogler's feature Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw, ASC worked with Panavision's Woodland Hills a...
29/03/2023
TORONTO, Can. (March 29, 2023) Panavision, the entertainment industry's leading designer, manufacturer and rental provider of high precision optics and ca...
29/03/2023
The feature Soft follows three adolescent queer friends as they navigate the pardons and perils of summer break in the streets of Toronto. Written and directed ...