Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Cinematographer Simona Susnea brings Unseen Kingdoms to light

14/01/2021

Cinematographer Simona Susnea brings Unseen Kingdoms to light

data-src=https://cdn.creativecow.net/wp-content/uploads/avatars/263018/5fa08c562aaf4-bpthumb.jpg data-srcset=https://cdn.creativecow.net/wp-content/uploads/avatars/263018/5fa08c561c0e7-bpfull.jpg 2x class=lazyload avatar avatar-80 photo height=80 width=80 />

Brie Clayton January 13, 2021

0 Comments

Cinematographer Simona Susnea traces her career behind the camera back to an early interest in journalism, which in turn opened the door to still photography. Segueing into moving images, she went to film school in her native Romania and then continued her education at the U.K.'s National Film & Television School, where she earned her master's in cinematography. Since graduating, she's made London her base of operations, notching a steady stream of credits in music videos, shorts, documentaries and commercials.

data-src=https://gcs.creativecow.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/13232722/Susnea3_1200-1024x540.jpg alt= class=lazyload wp-image-2350040/>Cinematographer Simona Susnea, captured on DXL2 with a prism in front of a 50mm Primo 70 prime.Among her most recent commercial work is a 60-second spot made for cosmetics company The Body Shop and charitable organization End Youth Homelessness in partnership with U.K. broadcaster Channel 4. The commercial is part of a larger project, titled Unseen Kingdoms, that combines spoken-word poetry with intimate studies of young women and their personal experiences with homelessness. It's a really important campaign, Susnea notes. It's all doc-style with real people, no actors whatsoever.

Susnea shot Unseen Kingdoms over four days, two each in Bristol and London, working with co-directors Andrea Kurland and Daisy-May Hudson. Kurland is editor-in-chief at Huck magazine and editorial director at TCO London, while Hudson had previously directed the acclaimed documentary Half Way, which charted her own experience with homelessness. They had really good synergy, Susnea says. Andrea was more the creative director, and Daisy-May focused on working with our [on-camera] contributors. It was a great approach.

data-src=https://gcs.creativecow.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/13232736/Susnea2_650.jpg alt= class=lazyload wp-image-2350041/>Panavision recently connected with Susnea to discuss her experiences capturing the project in large format with the Millennium DXL2 camera system.

When did you first begin working with Panavision?

Simona Susnea: I was back home in Romania, about to graduate from film school, and I was lucky to be one of the last people to go to the Budapest Masterclass that Vilmos Zsigmond [ASC, HSC] was organizing. I was there for about two weeks, at Korda Studios, and it happened that Lee Mackey brought the camera equipment from Panavision London. I loved the cameras, and it was my first time trying anamorphic on film. When I came to the U.K., I reached out to Lee, and Panavision helped me over the course of my time at the NFTS. Working with Panavision, the collaboration isn't just based on a technical conversation. They're excited to hear about the project, which I really love. You know you're going to a place where they appreciate your work - plus they have the best kit and the best glass.

data-src=https://gcs.creativecow.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/13232800/Unseen_Kingdoms_1200-1024x777.jpg alt= class=lazyload wp-image-2350042/>Susnea captures the action at sunrise. (Photo by Marina Lewin.)What led to the decision to shoot Unseen Kingdoms' with DXL2?

Susnea: It just so happened that before I was confirmed on the job, I had booked a test with the DXL2, so it was a bit of serendipity. We went through different lenses, shooting with ambient light, and ISO tests. The base sensitivity is 1600, and after doing the test, I knew I could push the ISO to 4000 and still get very good results.

Having the test beforehand made me feel confident taking the camera into a scenario where I knew there wasn't going to be a lot of time. I knew I could trust it. A lot of the people we were working with feel quite uncomfortable when you light them; I was able to see what the light was doing in the space, be confident that I could push the ISO, and get all the coverage in a small amount of time. We shot everything either handheld or on Steadicam, and it worked really well.

data-src=https://gcs.creativecow.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/13232819/Benjy_650.jpg alt= class=lazyload wp-image-2350043/>From left: 1st AC Benjy Kirkman, loader Jakub Rogala, and Susnea. (Photo by Benjy Kirkman.)Also, coming from photography, I love large format, and I felt it was going to be good for enhancing the faces of our characters, which was very important. The combination of Panavision glass on large format was really exciting.

You paired the camera with Primo 70 lenses?

Susnea: Yes, we had a full set with us. There's something modern but also something vintage that I love about their look - almost no distortion, beautiful warm highlights, the flares are really nice. The way they render highlights feels modern to me, but not plastic. It has an organic feeling that's very pleasing and very similar to what I see with my eyes, but it still has a sharpness that I appreciate. They hit the sweet spot between soft and sharp, which can be harder to get with vintage lenses unless you're at a particular T-stop. But with the Primo 70s, I wasn't locked into having to shoot at T4; I could go to T2, and I loved that freedom, especially since I had very little control of the lighting.

data-src=https://gcs.creativecow.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/13233007/Susnea_ISO650.jpg alt= class=lazyload wp-image-2350044/>This image was captured with an ISO of 2500 at 6K resolution, with a 65mm Primo 70 on the DXL2.

What was your collaboration like with Andrea a
LINK: https://creativecow.net/cinematographer-simona-susnea-brings-unseen-ki...
See more stories from creativecow

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...

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...

08/05/2026

SVG GameDay, Ep. 14: Buffalo Sabres' Autumn Bolton - Bringing Back Better Days at KeyBank Center

In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...

08/05/2026

ESPN and Players Era Announce Multi-Year Broadcast Agreement for Mens College Basketball Championships

Players Era, an EverWonder Studio company, and ESPN have announced a multi-year ...

08/05/2026

BFBS Selects Synamedia to Build Next-Generation Digital Platform for UK Armed Forces

BFBS (British Forces Broadcasting Service) has announced the selection of Syname...

08/05/2026

UFC and Joe Hand Promotions Launch Championship Rounds Commercial Subscription Package

UFC and Joe Hand Promotions, UFC's exclusive commercial distributor in the U...

08/05/2026

Ease Live Granted US Patent for Interactive Streaming Overlay Technology

Ease Live, an Evertz company, has announced it has been granted US Patent No. 12,556,777 for its graphical overlay technology for interactive live streaming. Th...

08/05/2026

Ateme Deploys OTT Platform for VTVcabs VTVprime Service in Vietnam

Ateme has announced that VTVcab has deployed Ateme's OTT platform to power its VTVprime streaming service in Vietnam. The deployment covers live and on-dema...

08/05/2026

Amagi Launches In-Content Ads Marketplace for CTV Advertising

Amagi has announced the availability of its In-Content Ads offering via the Amagi ADS PLUS marketplace, providing programmatic access to ad formats inserted dir...

08/05/2026

USA Sports Dives Headfirst Into Its Inaugural WNBA Season With Onsite Postseason-Style' Productions

Young broadcaster will deploy 11-camera complement, At the Line' scorebug f...

08/05/2026

Ratings Roundup: NBCs Derby Coverage Hits All-Time High; 1st Round of NBA, NHA Playoffs Up Big

Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...

08/05/2026

A Mother's Day Toast to Joan Rubinsky in Theater Camp

Molly Gordon and Ben Platt appear in Theater Camp. (Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures) By Lucy Spicer Her character is the beloved founder of the AdirondACTS...

08/05/2026

Cyma Forma & Bambounou unveil RND synth

One-button synth generates random four-track ideas Cyma Forma and French artist Bambounou have announced RND synth, a compact hardware synthesizer built aro...

08/05/2026

Tasty Chips GR-2 granular synthesizer

Portable four-layer granular and sampling instrument Tasty Chips have announced the GR-2, a new granular synthesizer and sampling instrument that combines e...

08/05/2026

SUPERBOOTH 2026: Polyend Drums

Video Show Report Video of SUPERBOOTH 26: Polyend Drums Polyends big announcement for Superbooth 2026 is the Drums, a new drum machine that features both ...

08/05/2026

Native Instruments to be acquired by inMusic

Deal agreed as NI enters new chapter Native Instruments CEO Nick Williams has announced that a definitive agreement has been signed for the company to be ac...

08/05/2026

SUPERBOOTH 2026: Erica Synths Bullfrog Drums

Video Show Report Video of SUPERBOOTH 26: Erica Bullfrog Drums The Bullfrog Drums is the latest collaboration between Erica Synths and Richie Hawtin, and ...

08/05/2026

Play Snooker: Cueing Up the Future So Every Frame Counts

In our latest blog, Tim Pearson reflects on the recent launch of Play Snooker, the new digital home of snooker by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker A...

08/05/2026

G&D KVM-over-IP Plugin for Netgear AV Simplifies Deployments

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

08/05/2026

Riedel to Support Glasgow 2026 as Official Connectivity I...

Riedel Communications today announced its return as a sponsor of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, where the company will serve as the Official Connectivity ...

08/05/2026

Miri V410 Encoder-Decoder Wins 2026 NAB Show Product of t...

For the second straight year, Miri Technologies Inc. has been honored with a pair of coveted awards at the broadcast, media and entertainment industry's pre...

08/05/2026

Nine Alumni Nominated for Tony Awards

Nine Alumni Nominated for Tony Awards More than 20 alumni contributed to this year's Tony-nominated productions. May 7, 2026 By Tori Donahue Boston Co...

08/05/2026

Report: Rise of Video Podcasts Prompts Hybrid Approach

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

08/05/2026

U.K. Military Broadcaster Taps Synamedia for Digital Platform

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

08/05/2026

Gayle Benson To Receive NAB Leadership Foundation Leadership Award

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

08/05/2026

Dems Blast FCC Disney Probe As 'Egregious Abuse of Power'

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

08/05/2026

Liberty University on why broadcast technology isn't just a technical investment, it's a human one

Liberty University on why broadcast technology isn't just a technical invest...

08/05/2026

COW Jobs: UGC, On-Camera Video Content

COW Jobs: UGC, On-Camera Video Content Brie Clayton May 7, 2026 0 Comments UGC, On-Camera Video Content April 17, 2026Documentary Editor - US,......

08/05/2026

For Dogs' Sake! Pete Wicks returns with more heart-warming rescue journeys

Pete reunites with Dogs Trust for a fourth series and a two-part overseas special London, Friday 8th May 2026: The award winning factual entertainment series P...

08/05/2026

Riedel to Support Glasgow 2026 as Official Connectivity Integration Provider

Wuppertal May 8, 2026 Riedel to Support Glasgow 2026 as Official Connectivity Integration Provider Riedel Communications today announced its return as a spons...

08/05/2026

Netflix Announces Standalone Sequel to Global Hit 'La Palma'

Back to All News Netflix Announces Standalone Sequel to Global Hit La Palma Entertainment 08 May 2026 GlobalDenmarkFinlandNorwaySweden Link copied to clipb...

08/05/2026

Say hello to ICG Belfast

ICG is excited to share news of our official launch in Northern Ireland, marking a significant milestone in the agency's growth. Led by Digital Marketing M...

08/05/2026

Investing in smart metering to close London's water gap

Over the past ten years, Thames Water, in partnership with Arqiva, has installed more than 1.2 million smart meters, creating one of the most extensive advanced...

07/05/2026

Sudan Digital Investigation Hub launches to support journalists navigating disinformation in conflict

Journalists reporting on Sudan are working in one of the most complex and fast-m...

07/05/2026

Victory+ CEO Neil Gruninger on the Impact of the Dallas Cowboys Deal, Creator-Led Content, and Free In-Market Access for Fans

Multi-year partnership positions Victory+ as a free home for Dallas Cowboys orig...

07/05/2026

SVG Students To Watch: Ella Peterson, University of Illinois

From sideline reporting to directing and producing, the talented sophomore is building a well-rounded foundation for a career in live sports production In the ...

07/05/2026

NAB 2026: Cobalt Digital Wins Two Future Best of Show Awards

Cobalt Digital has received two Future Best of Show awards at NAB Show 2026. The COBALT blueCORE platform was recognized by TV Tech, and the COBALT PACIFIC ULL-...

07/05/2026

Scripps National Spelling Bee Revamps Broadcast; Mina Kimes to Host, Embassy Rows Michael Davies to Produce

ESPN analyst Mina Kimes will host the televised semifinals and finals of the 202...

07/05/2026

MUBI Selects Bitmovin as Cloud VOD Encoding Partner

Bitmovin has announced that MUBI, the global film streaming platform, has selected Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner. Bitmovin's encoding infrastru...

07/05/2026

NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and U.S. Soccer Extend Spanish-Language Media Rights Through 2030

NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and the U.S. Soccer Federation have announced...

07/05/2026

Angel City Football Club and Victory+ Announce Regional Broadcast Partnership

Angel City Football Club (ACFC) and Victory have announced a regional broadcast partnership bringing live match coverage to fans across the greater Los Angeles...

07/05/2026

Spiideo Launches AI Highlights for Automated Highlight and Clip Creation

Spiideo has announced the launch of AI Highlights inside Spiideo Play, its automated sports production platform. AI Highlights combines video, event data, audio...

07/05/2026

Leostream Announces Unified HPC Remote Access Ecosystem for Post-Production and Enterprise Workflows

Leostream Corporation has announced a unified remote access ecosystem for high-p...

07/05/2026

Victory+ Adds Atlanta Dream Local Broadcasts to Free Streaming Platform

The Atlanta Dream has partnered with Victory to stream all locally broadcast Dream games for free, expanding the team's digital distribution strategy and g...

07/05/2026

Riedel Communications Appoints Marc Engroff as CFO; Frank Eischet Moves to Group COO Role

Riedel Communications has announced the appointment of Marc Engroff as Chief Fin...