American Cinematographer - June 2020 - 67

welcome to actually have LUTs on
their monitors; John's not pre-grading
on set, because he's not right there
with us, but he's grading right after
we finish. So after John picks up every
recorded card from the set, he goes
back to his van, pre-grades everything, backs it up, and then sends it to
editorial. It's more or less the same
method, it's just not happening by my
side. I don't understand how you can
have [live grading].
Crudo: You shoot in 2:1 aspect
ratio?
Goldman: I think we are cropping the sensor to shoot 4K on spherical lenses, but we shoot 2:1. It's just a
little bit of a crop - a bit on the top
and bottom, but not too much.
Crudo: What post house do you
work with?
Goldman: Seasons 1, 2 and 3
were mainly done at Molinare, but for
Season 4 we'll be at Warner Bros. De
Lane Lea in London. Asa, our colorist,
moved from Molinare to Warner
Brothers, and I insisted that we move
with him.
Crudo: What effect do you
think the quality of the cinematography has on an audience, in the way
that it supports the story and otherwise?
Goldman: As I mentioned
earlier, I don't think good cinematography can save a bad script. I think
people only perceive what I do if they
engage with the show's themes and
performances - if they engage with
the story that's been told. I think my
job is to enhance whatever I can. My
challenge is to be as good as the material, or to exceed myself and deliver
something that is as high-end as what
I'm reading. I don't think the cinematography can truly be appreciated
unless you also appreciate what
you're watching in terms of the overall quality.
Filmmaking is a collective
[endeavor]. I don't think I'm even
supposed to have a style as a cinematographer - I should adapt and
work together with a director, a

Goldman's approach to interior lighting on the show often employs windows to their best effect. "There's an
overall lighting strategy I've been using from the beginning, which is my realistic approach: lights come from
outside in," he says. "I rely very much on practicals, because [interiors] should feel real, but I also need to
believe that the [exterior] light is coming from outside. Regardless of whether a scene takes place in the
daytime or at night, everything has a beautiful, single-source feel - you get the most out of your sources. You
provide a beautiful wrap, and the light just falls off so naturally."

production designer and a writer, in
order to build something strong. I
don't have a romantic idea about
what I do. I absolutely love what I do,
but by the time I arrive there's already
a script. Often, a location scout has
already been done, and a designer
with ideas has already been hired.
From a career perspective,
what's important to me now is trying
to get the longest prep period possible, so I can be involved on whatever
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show I'm doing for as long as I can -
maybe as long as the designer, so we
can work together on the [practical]
design of the sets. Working on The
Crown has made me appreciate the
influence you can have as a cinematographer by being part of a team
for a long time. The kind of management power I have on the show is
rare on feature films. Everything goes
through me at some point.
u
June 2020

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American Cinematographer - June 2020

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