BENEATH

Lens/Camera Information
Lens series: Cooke Anamorphic Full Frame AP3 1.5x
Focus lengths: 35, 50 and 85mm
Camera: Sony Venice 2
Format: Digital
Original aspect ratio: 2.40:1

Production information
Director of Photography: Josh Carrington Birch
DOP Instagram: @joshbirchdop
Director: Jacob Betteridge
DOP website: www.joshbirchdop.com
Producers: Zozo Filia & Samantha Locock
Production company: Coffee. No Milk
Production company website: www.coffeenomilk.com
Photographer: Oli HIllyer-Riley
Colourist: Mara Ciorba at Harbor
Sound Designer: Luke Isom at Creative Outpost
Editor: Hector Bell
Rental: Sony & The Unit Bag

BENEATH is a cinematic short film exploring the unseen journey of fighter Samir Bouamrane through movement, environment, and raw first-person narration. Set between the backdrop of London’s cityscape and the intensity of the gym, the film reveals the sacrifice, isolation, and discipline beneath success. More than a story about victory, Beneath is an intimate portrait of transformation, resilience, and the mindset required to keep moving forward when everything is on the line.
The opportunity to tell this story came alongside the release of the new Cooke AP3 lenses, which felt perfectly suited to the visual language we wanted for the film. To keep the camera intimate and closely connected to Samir, we paired the AP3s with the Sony Venice 2 and Mini Rialto. That combination gave us the freedom to move quickly and place the camera in positions that would have been far more time restrictive with traditional dolly or crane setups, from snorricam rigs to mounting above a pull-up bar and between the moving arms of an assault bike.

All three focal lengths, 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm matched seamlessly and brought a distinct cinematic quality that elevated the tone of the film. Across a variety of environments, the lenses delivered consistent colour rendition, smooth bokeh, gentle falloff, and beautifully organic flares, all carrying the unmistakable Cooke look. For one sequence, we paired the Ronin 4D with a 50mm Cooke SP3, which blended seamlessly with the footage captured on the Venice 2.
The director Jake and I were incredibly impressed with the performance of the lenses throughout the shoot. Pairing them with the Venice 2’s full-frame sensor, they gave us a beautifully shallow depth of field that heightened the sense of isolation and intimacy central to the film’s narrative, while maintaining a natural, cinematic softness throughout.