DP Stefan Ciupek on Guns Akimbo, the challenges of Russian Ark, working with Anthony Dod Mantle on Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours

The Cinematography Podcast Episode 68: Stefan Ciupek Stefan Ciupek
became interested in film while growing up in East Germany, but his
options were limited in what was then a Communist country. His
family managed to escape to Poland, and movies became a refuge from
difficult times. In fact, Stefan and his mother were able to pirate
Western films and re-sell them as bootlegs. His family managed to
move to West Berlin, and by the age of 16, Stefan had a videocamera
and started studying film in Germany. Stefan became one of the
first adopters of digital camera technology, and became an early
digital imaging technician (DIT) and colorist. He helped pull off
an amazing achievement with 2003's Russian Ark, a 90 minute film
shot entirely in one take, in one location. After his
accomplishments on Russian Ark, cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle
found him and the two worked on several projects, including 127
Hours and Slumdog Millionaire, which became the first digital film
to win an Academy Award for Best Cinematography and Best Picture.
As digital technology became more technical, Stefan decided he
wanted to be more involved in the creative process and returned to
cinematography. He shot director Lulu Wang's first film,
Posthumous, as well as several episodes of the upcoming season of
The Spanish Princess on Starz. For Guns Akimbo, Stefan read the
script and immediately knew how he would shoot it. Everything in
the action movie is highly exaggerated and over-the-top. Stefan
used the Red Monstro camera, a variety of different lenses and high
key lighting to highlight some of the humor. You can see Guns
Akimbo streaming now on Vudu and Amazon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOFatKD0Vzo Find out even more
about this episode, with extensive show notes and links:
http://camnoir.com/ep68/ LIKE AND FOLLOW US, send fan mail or
suggestions! Website: www.camnoir.com Facebook: @cinepod Instagram:
@thecinepod Twitter: @ShortEndz Brought to you by Hot Rod Cameras:
Find your next camera, lens, light or accessory at
https://hotrodcameras.com/ Hot Rod Cameras is giving away TWO
professional, cinema quality Aputure MC lights! One for you AND a
friend you tag! Go to http://hotrodcameras.com/giveaway to enter.
Contest ends March 30, 2020.