Cinematographer Adam Bricker on shooting the Emmy-nominated series Hacks, Chef’s Table and more

One of Adam Bricker's favorite things about being a cinematographer
is the opportunity to collaborate with different filmmakers, try
something new and make each project the best it can be. His most
recent project is the HBO Max comedy series Hacks, which just
earned him an Emmy nomination for best cinematography. Adam was
given the scripts for the first two episodes, and loved the pilot
script, which opens with a long Steadicam single shot following
behind the main character, Deborah Vance, played by Jean Smart, for
two minutes, until her character is finally revealed in the
dressing room vanity mirror. Adam knew it's a rare thing to find a
half-hour comedy with that level of cinema, and he was excited to
shoot the show. Hacks takes place in Las Vegas, about a legendary
comedian who is losing relevance and fading from the spotlight.
Adam and show creator Lucia Aniello used vintage Las Vegas movies
and photos as a reference point, as well as films such as
Soderberg's Behind The Candelabra and Judy with Renée Zellweger.
Adam likes to set the look based on how the viewer is supposed to
feel, and he makes notes in his scripts about what emotions should
be felt in each scene. Most of Hacks is filmed on tripods and
dollies, but for the verbal duels between characters Deborah Vance
and Ava, her young comedy writer/protégé, Adam chose to shoot
handheld, which gives those scenes more energy and naturalism.
Lighting on the show goes from naturalistic, when Deborah is at
home or when Ava is in Los Angeles, contrasted with vintage
glamorous stage lighting when Deborah performs her comedy act. Adam
grew up in Chicago and attended film school there before attending
the USC summer cinema program, which inspired him to transfer to
USC and continue studying cinematography. After college, Adam began
taking as many jobs as he could, and planned to work his way up
through the camera department, before a DP mentor suggested he buy
a camera and take as many cinematography jobs as possible. He and a
group of friends invested in a Red One digital camera, and Adam
shot dozens of music videos and low-budget films. The Netflix
series Chef's Table has taken Adam all over the world. As one of
the primary DPs of Chef's Table, Adam and show creator David Gelb
have established the artistic look of the modern cuisine
documentary, which has since been imitated by countless other food
shows. When the show began, Adam had never shot a documentary
before, so he had a more cinematic approach to the show, only using
prime lenses and no zoom lenses. For him, it's been a dream job to
explore new places, eat amazing food at excellent restaurants and
work with good friends on the crew. Find Adam Bricker:
https://adambricker.com Instagram: @realadambricker You can see
Hacks on HBO Max. Find out even more about this episode, with
extensive show notes and links: http://camnoir.com/ep133/ Sponsored
by Hot Rod Cameras: www.hotrodcameras.com Sponsored by Aputure:
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