Phedon Papamichael: Unveiling Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown

We welcome back Phedon Papamichael, ASC, GSC for the fourth time on
The Cinematography Podcast. Cinematographer Phedon Papamichael
started preproduction on A Complete Unknown with frequent
collaborator, director James Mangold in 2019, before being
postponed by the pandemic. They began prepping in summer 2023 and
shooting in earnest by the early spring of 2024, which worked well
for capturing the changing of the seasons in New York. The long
lead time was a huge benefit for both the cast and crew. Phedon and
the production team had time to research the time period, create an
extensive lookbook of period photos and mull over the script and
characters. Actor Timothee Chalamet had time to practice guitar and
harmonica and was able to perform most of the songs live. Phedon
was very familiar with the music of Bob Dylan, and grew up
listening to the artist. He wanted to capture how Dylan evolved and
developed as a musician. The set was very intimate, and Chalamet
completely absorbed the character of Bob Dylan, frequently watching
playback on set, then finding something new with each take. “It was
very much this organic process of us capturing and him discovering
the character,” says Phedon. “And you could just see it was so
enjoyable for every crew member. Everybody was inspired by it.” A
Complete Unknown used very few sets and stages, and the production
designers transformed two blocks of New York City streets into the
1960's. Phedon shot digitally on the Sony Venice 2 camera, which
was then scanned to a film negative and then scanned back to
digital. Influenced by the films Klute, The Godfather and The
French Connection, he wanted A Complete Unknown to have the
Kodachrome look with an earthy color palette. Phedon used lighting
that was appropriate for the time period as well, using white and
tungsten lights, enhanced with numerous practicals on the set. He
embraced the mood of the nightclub scenes, with a single source
spotlight hitting the performers on stage and the audience lit with
candles on the tables. As the movie progresses into the '60's and
Bob Dylan becomes more famous, Phedon began to change the look of
the film. “It becomes a little bit more expressionistic, a little
more aggressive,” he says. “The stage lights become a little bit
bigger, the highlights are a bit hotter, the contrast and shadows
are more extreme.” Phedon's ultimate goal as a cinematographer is
to stay subtle. “I never want anybody to perceive or feel that I'm
lighting something,” he says. “I never want it to feel like there's
a craftsman behind it. I always like the photography to just allow
us to focus on the character, and really not distract from it.”
Find Phedon Papamichael: Instagram @papa2 Hear our previous
interviews with Phedon Papamichael on The Trial of the Chicago 7,
Ford v. Ferrari, and our live podcast interview. You can see A
Complete Unknown currently in theaters. Sponsored by Hot Rod
Cameras: https://hotrodcameras.com/ Sponsored by Venus Optics,
Laowa lenses: https://www.venuslens.net/ The Cinematography Podcast
website: www.camnoir.com YouTube: @TheCinematographyPodcast
Facebook: @cinepod Instagram: @thecinepod Blue Sky:
@thecinepod.bsky.social