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“Something That Felt Unadorned and a Bit Raw”: DP Doug Emmett on Hal & Harper

Two adult siblings facing the camera hug their father, who is facing away.Still from Hal & Harper. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.

Hal & Harper charts the development two codependent siblings with a lifetime of inside jokes and their father. The series is directed by Cooper Raiff (Cha Cha Real Smooth), who plays Hal; Lili Reinhart; and Mark Ruffalo.

The first four episodes of Hal & Harper will screen as part of Sundance’s Episodics sidebar. Doug Emmett (The Edge of Seventeen, Sorry to Bother You) the series’ cinematographer, describes the show’s naturalistic and raw feel below.

See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here.

Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired for this job?

Emmett: Cooper is friends with Jay Duplass, and I have a history of working with the Duplass brothers. I know that Cooper liked my work on the HBO show Togetherness and our desire for a “hands-off” style aligned. We both wanted something that felt unadorned and a bit raw, which added to the analogue realism we were after.

Filmmaker: What were your artistic goals on this film, and how did you realize them? How did you want your cinematography to enhance the film’s storytelling and treatment of its characters?

Emmett: We didn’t want the show to have a fussy quality. The cinematography should reflect the haphazard nature of Hal & Harper’s lives. Our objective was to zero in on the emotional foundation of each scene, so that motivated our primary approach: keep the camera on the actors faces to capture every subtlety and nuance. There was an improvisational approach to shooting, which I certainly enjoyed.

Filmmaker: Were there any specific influences on your cinematography, whether they be other films, or visual art, of photography, or something else?

Emmett: No, we weren’t referencing other work. The acting and script would be our guide in terms of how best to photograph and light a scene.

Filmmaker: What were the biggest challenges posed by production to those goals?

Emmett: We didn’t have much time or money. This was a small indie production with a small but mighty union crew.

Filmmaker: What camera did you shoot on? Why did you choose the camera that you did? What lenses did you use?

Emmett: Sony Venice cameras and rehoused Cooke Panchros from Keslow Camera. They shoot full frame and have a gentleness to them. We rated the cameras at 4000 iso to capture some noise and allow us to use practicals on set for lighting.

Filmmaker: Describe your approach to lighting.

Emmett: Minimal. We had a crew of three electrics and three grips. I would do as little lighting as possible so that the cameras could look 360 degrees at any given time. Rarely would there be equipment to frame out. Often, we would use the existing overhead lights or light from outside windows. This approach to lighting was discussed ahead of time and embraced for the visual authenticity it lends.

Filmmaker: Finally, describe the finishing of the film. How much of your look was “baked in” versus realized in the DI?

Emmett: Our grain was baked in from shooting at higher iso. We finished color at Headquarters Post. We developed a few looks within the grade to enhance the shift between eras (the show jumps between different pasts and the present). We also purposely allowed the color grade to be somewhat imperfect. I wasn’t interested in having the shots match within certain scenes.

TECH BOX

Film Title: Hal & Harper
Camera: Sony Venice 2
Lenses: Cooke Panchro
Color Grading: Headquarter Post on DaVinci

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