Cinematographer Abraham Martinez on Queen of the South, the Disney+ show National Treasure: Edge of History, the upcoming Netflix series Obliterated and more

On our 250th episode, we welcome returning guest and longtime
friend of the show, cinematographer Abe Martinez, who catches up
with Ben and Illya about his work around the world for the past few
years. Most recently, Abe completed the new Disney+ show National
Treasure: Edge of History and a new Netflix action-comedy series,
Obliterated, by the creators of Cobra Kai. Abe has been learning
and perfecting his technique of using video walls for action on big
sets, creating a version of “poor man's process” to shoot cars and
figuring out the exact size video walls needed. They coined the
phrase “middle class process” because it looks much better than the
old poor man's process. Using video walls requires a lot of math
and tech setup, but it also offers plenty of opportunities for
creativity without spending a lot of money to actually go to
locations. Abe enjoys the challenge of trying to create realism
with the proper lighting and angles. After working as a loader and
camera operator on many films, Abe began working on the series
Queen of the South on USA Network. Working on Queen of the South
launched Abe's career into director of photography work, where he
became the lead DP in season 3 and worked on the show for the next
three years. As a Latino person who grew up in a rougher area, Abe
felt he could really relate to the storylines about gangs. He also
sees a throughline from his real life as a nomadic world traveler
to the storytelling he's drawn to lately- many of the shows he has
been shooting are about characters who are being displaced, or who
feel displaced. Abe's passion is doing street photography
everywhere he goes. He enjoys exploring color and movement and
experimenting with different film stocks or digital color science.
This often gives him the creative spark for shots and compositions
to use in his work. You can see Abe's street photography on
Instagram. Find Abe Martinez: https://www.abemartinez.com/
Instagram: @abe.martinez.dp National Treasure: Edge of History is
currently showing on Disney+ Obliterated is coming to Netflix in
2023. Sponsored by Hot Rod Cameras: www.hotrodcameras.com The
Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com YouTube:
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