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Feature Film

Rise of the Footsoldier: Vengeance

Tate goes on a rampage to avenge his loyal and trusted foot soldier's violent death.

Lens/Camera Information
Lens series: Cooke Anamorphic/i S35 SF 2x
Camera: Arri Alexa LF
Format: Digital

Production Information
Director of Photography: James Butler
Producer: Andrew Loveday
Director: Nick Nevern
Instagram: jamesbutler_cine

In my initial conversations with director Nick Nevern, he expressed a strong liking for the anamorphic format. Although the film is set in the 90s, we didn’t want too much of a vintage look that would overpower the action & the narrative with barrel distortions or focus breathing. This led us to the Cooke Anamorphic/i that had the perfect balance of the traditional Anamorphic look without the distortions or complications of Kowa or Lomo anamorphics.

After testing we were pleased with the look. However we wanted to add a distinctive element to bring out the colour & vibrancy of 1990s’ Soho. We tried the Special Flare edition that gave us the perfect balance: allowing us to bring more flares & luminal elements into the image when required, and to shut them down & flag them out when needed for the less vibrant, grittier scenes. My team found the Cookes easy to manage and maintain continuity with the Camera Rig. The lens mapping & Cooke i/technology work well with 1st AC Nacho’s new Arri Hi5. It enhanced his workflow efficiency.

When shooting, I found the 50mm as my favourite & go-to lens with a lovely natural separation of character & environment and enough scope to bring in the world around. It allowed me to stop down and maintain a focus on the subject without flattening the image.

As a mainly handheld film, the weight of the lens presented its own challenges. However the easy rig helped take the weight and allow us to maintain our shooting pace. I’d have loved to have available a 65mm Macro & 180mm for this film, which can really add a special touch to some shots and offer unique perspectives. Our biggest challenge was the lenses’ physical size vs the close focus limitations. While shooting in tight spaces inside vehicles, we often had to use diopters and pull the camera back as far as possible into corners & backseats.

Overall, we were very happy with the result and received great feedback from distributors and the general audience on the film’s cinematic look.