Lucy In the Sky is the story of an astronaut who, on returning to Earth, begins to fall apart and lose touch with reality. Co-written and directed by Noah Hawley, the film is inspired by the real-life romantic drama of a U.S. astronaut, and stars Natalie Portman as fictional character Lucy Cola.
Hawley and cinematographer Polly Morgan, ASC, BSC tell Lucy's story with ambitious visual flourishes. The creative team chose Panavision's DXL2 camera and optics to bring this astronaut's disintegrating mindset to the big screen.
Written into the script was a lot of magical realism that charted Lucy's emotional decline and helped the viewer to go on this journey with her in a very visual way, Morgan says. There was a lot for a cinematographer to tuck into.
Most notably is a bold use of aspect ratio to chart the central character's emotional freefall.
When we find Lucy in space, she has this sense of immense freedom and the screen reflects that in widescreen format, Morgan explains. When she returns to Earth, she feels a sense of claustrophobia, of everything constricting her, so that's illustrated in the frame itself where we move to a squarer 4:3. It echoes her breathing. When she feels relaxed and free with a sense of wonder the screen opens up to reflect that, and when she feels overwhelmed and trapped, the frame boxes her in.
The transitions between aspect ratios were suggested by visual cues in the script. For example, as Lucy goes through a doorway, we'd use the darkness of the frame to take us from widescreen to 4:3. Or we'd match the light of the space shuttle entering the Earth's atmosphere with a bright light bulb at a doctor's office to switch from widescreen back into 4:3.
We discussed the transition elements a lot during pre-production so it would work without jarring the audience out of the story, she says. Noah and I had used aspect ratio changes on Legion to complement the story. Here we used light and darkness and set design as well as camera moves to translate the concept smoothly to the big screen.
The desire to convey the central character's altered state through aspect ratio and distortion convinced Morgan to choose anamorphic glass. In turn, that meant selecting a camera which would enable them to crop 4:3 from anamorphic 2.39:1 widescreen without losing detail in the image.
We tested a number of large format cameras but DXL2 seemed the perfect choice, she says. Shooting on the MONSTRO's 8K sensor allowed for both anamorphic squeeze and extraction of 4:3 from the 2.39 capture for a 2K deliverable. We shot REDCODE raw at 4:1 compression and 6:1 when we went to high speed.
She adds, I was really impressed with not only the sensitivity of the native 1600 ISO chip and its latitude but also its color rendition which felt very organic. Everything just pointed to using the DXL2.
In order for Morgan's choice of G Series Primes to work with the format, she worked with Panavision's Guy McVicker to customize the set.
Panavision adjusted the G Series to cover the large sensor, but it still optically stretched the image to the limit, she says. I fell in love with the look because when you took the 4:3 extraction from the 2.39 it gave this interesting effect where just the top and bottom of the frame had focus fall off and where cropping in at the sides helped us to focus sharpness in the center to punctuate the fact that Lucy is not seeing clearly and her world is distorted. I felt the lens gave a very painterly quality to the image and a softer, more feminine approach to the story. The optical artifacts helped deliver that.
Since a portion of the story is set in space for which several sequences required visual effects, Morgan decided to shoot these spherically and at full resolution 8K.
Scenes of NASA's underwater training facility were going to require particularly heavy VFX, so after some debate we decided to approach that dry for wet and to shoot it clean, full sensor, and spherically using Primo 70s. We added anamorphic optic effects to match the G series in post.
She also deployed spherical 35-200mm glass from Panavision for an infinite zoom effect to convey the out of body moment when Portman's character hears news of her grandmother's stroke.
We shot still plates at Lucy's house at night and then down an east-facing street through dawn into morning so you can see the sun rising in the plates, Morgan explains. VFX stitched those together to create a factual zoom. We then shot Natalie standing in front of an open elevator against blue screen in which we comped the infinite zoom plates. We created interactive moving light to tie Natalie into the plates and created movement by placing her on a dolly which is then pulled back and moved down a hallway in the hospital into her grandmother's room. The audience feels as if they are being pulled in a continuous shot from the house, down the street, and into the hospital.
The idea is that when you suffer traumatic news, time kind of disappears. When you think back to how you got somewhere you can't remember the details. It's one of the magical realism elements we used to illustrate Lucy's mental state.
The film is designed in primary colors red with blue and green reflecting the natural world. We wanted to have quite a vibrant color palette to contrast with the cool tone throughout the film. That was established on set and continued into the DI.
We really tried to protect highlights and have them roll off and to expose with quite subdued tones which was helped by the sensitivity of the DXL chip, she adds.
Morgan notes her relationship with Panavision began early in her career. I would go to Panavision in my spare time and label camera cases and filters for any production that would let me, she reca
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
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 ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, today unveiled its educational presentations for the 2026 NAB Show. This year SMPTE will ...
18/03/2026
Maxon, maker of powerful, approachable software solutions for creators working in 2D and 3D design, motion graphics, visual effects, gaming, and more, today ann...
18/03/2026
Digital Alert Systems
Preview
2026 NAB Show
April 19 - 22
Booth C3452
At the 2026 NAB Show, Digital Alert Systems will showcase Version 6.0 of its DASDEC ...
18/03/2026
Setplex today announced that it will showcase its complete, fully integrated Zapflex platform for the first time at the 2026 NAB Show, introducing powerful new ...
18/03/2026
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES TO THE DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION THAT QUALIFIED OR MAY HAVE QUALIFIED AS INSIDE INFORMATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 7(1) OF THE ...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking DP for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Director of Photography for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy Feature Film- I...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Location, Sound for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Location/Sound for Low Budget Dramed...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Film - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
Calrec Redefines Broadcast Workflows at NAB 2026 with its Most Powerful Hardware...
18/03/2026
Oscar Nominated Two People Exchanging Saliva Posted with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
DaVinci Resolve Studio handle...
18/03/2026
Boston Conservatory Presents Celebrated Musical Satire Urinetown Performances for this Center Stage production will take place at Boston Conservatory Theater ...
18/03/2026
Charlie Puth Joins Switched On Pop at Berklee NYC The Berklee alum spoke with host and Berklee NYC professor Charlie Harding for a live taping, answering audi...
17/03/2026
NASA+'s Rebecca Sirmons and Brittany Brown offer unique look at live streami...
17/03/2026
The transition to IP has fundamentally reshaped professional media infrastructures. Video, audio, and increasingly metadata now circulate as independent, precis...
17/03/2026
Live sports streaming can push every element in your video delivery chain to its limit, exposing every potential weakness in seconds. When the Super Bowl, the O...
17/03/2026
Texas Athletics sought to modernize its media production, enhance fan experience...
17/03/2026
Ikegami USA will demonstrate the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast...
17/03/2026
TNA Wrestling and iHeartMedia announces a new multi-platform collaboration that will integrate iHeartMedia across TNA's premium live events, weekly televisi...
17/03/2026
The goal was to transform Hard Rock Stadium into a global leader in sports and e...
17/03/2026
Spectrum has announced the launch of its new Multiview feature in the Spectrum TV App, giving customers the ability to watch up to four NCAA men's or women&...
17/03/2026
Genius Sports deal also covers data technology, AI, fan engagement, and performance analysis....
17/03/2026
Net Insight is supporting the rollout of a new state-wide centralized operation with Rede Massa, which is an SBT affiliate, the Brazilian regional television ne...
17/03/2026
Featuring audio from practice sessions, qualifying races, and Grand Prix races, the film represents Apple's sports-media ambitions
At Sunday night's Ac...
17/03/2026
Live broadcast has always been one of the most demanding environments in media a...
17/03/2026
DirecTV is introducing several new viewing features, including a multi-screen March Madness Mix channel and an updated Sports Central mobile app hub, ahead of...
17/03/2026
Deltatre has announced a multi-year partnership with ATP Media, the media arm of the ATP Tour, covering broadcast graphics, data, and production across the 2026...
17/03/2026
The Detroit Pistons have announced a third consecutive season partnering with Sc...
17/03/2026
Fresh Finds Africa spotlights emerging artists and movements across the continent and its global diaspora, with listeners tuning in to discover new Afro-forward...
17/03/2026
Last month, more than 60,000 fans piled into Bangkok's Rajamangala National ...
17/03/2026
Vintage-inspired channel strip joins line-up
Black Rooster Audio's latest plug-in provides an all-in-one mixing tool inspired by classic analogue consol...
17/03/2026
Level and EQ voice, reverb and noise independently
The latest plug-in to join Accentize's collection is said to take a new approach to dialogue processi...
17/03/2026
UHF radio mic & IEM bandwidth at risk
Once again, the UHF bandwidth that is currently allocated to RF audio gear is at risk of being reassigned to high-spee...
17/03/2026
Last Friday, the first Plant Fire Department Training Week in Bavaria successf...
17/03/2026
New campaign from NAATI and SBS CulturalConnnect highlights how we all deserve ...
17/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/03/2026
3D streaming infrastructure provider Miris today announced the launch of a public beta for its new 3D asset streaming platform. Miris is building the infrastruc...
Lucy In the Sky is the story of an astronaut who, on returning to Earth, begins to fall apart and lose touch with reality. Co-written and directed by Noah Hawley, the film is inspired by the real-life romantic drama of a U.S. astronaut, and stars Natalie Portman as fictional character Lucy Cola.
