Art of The Frame: "The Creator" Co-DP Oren Soffer

September 28, 2023

The rumor that the soon-to-be widely released sci-fi film “The Creator” used the small yet mighty Sony FX3 is no longer a rumor. Co-Director of Photography Oren Soffer confirmed it to be true that the Gareth Edwards movie did, in fact, use the Sony FX3 for nearly all of the principal photography. We live in great gear times, don’t we? I had a short chat with Oren to talk about the details of the shoot and why they chose to use the Sony FX3 over other cinematic cameras.

Gareth Edwards Shooting Style

One of the key takeaways from my conversation with Oren was the want and need for him and Co-Director of Photography Greg Fraser to support Gareth and his unique style of filmmaking. Long takes, and small, quick-to-deploy camera equipment were key to capturing long, naturalistic takes to bring out the best performances Gareth sought from the actors.

Co-Director of Photography

How did Greg Fraser and Oren Soffer handle the complex roles of co-directors of photography relationship? First, they already know and work with each other. Oren stated Greg is a mentor who has helped him as he grows his career. Second, Oren was on the ground in Southeast Asia while Greg was remote from London. Greg pre-lit and set up the Pinewood Studio portion of the shoot while Gareth and Oren were still in Thailand filming on location.

Small Camera – Big Opportunities

Anyone who has used a small mirrorless camera can attest that it is far easier to wield a light camera and Ronin RS2 for long takes than a heavier camera package and a Ronin 2. Because of the weight and long takes and the fact Gareth operated the camera quite a bit supported the decision to keep the camera small and easy to use.

And we must remember small cameras also mean small camera grip gear like jibs, sliders, cranes, and drones. The power of small means cost savings and a smaller footprint for everything a Director or Director of Photography may want to move the camera to capture a scene’s emotion best.

Sony FX3 Dual Native ISO

With a dual native ISO of 800 and 12,800, the Sony FX3 is a low-light monster. In the behind-the-scenes video, you can see Gareth and crew shooting in some very low-light scenes – scenes where only a camera as powerful as the Sony FX3 could perform well.

The FX3’s low-light capabilities also meant the filmmakers could use a lighting package best suited to their filmmaking style. What do I mean by that? That translated into Oren and Gareth using Aputure 1200s and 600s as lighting sources. When one shoots at 12,800 ISO, a 1200-watt light is a lot of light.

Solving The Problem of the Sony FX3

The FX3 is not a purpose-built camera for team filmmaking often used for most productions. Practical features like onboard power distribution do not exist within the Sony FX3 architecture. That little FX3 battery would never be able to power a ProRes Raw recorder, Wireless Video transmitter, Wireless Focus, and other accessories. So, Oren and the team had to find a way to make everything they needed to be successful in their filmmaking work. The most important hurdle was finding a power solution for everything they needed.

ProRes Raw

While the Sony FX3 is a powerful camera, its internal codec was not quite as robust as the team required. In order to get the most out of the FX3, the filmmakers use the Atomos Ninja V+ as an onboard ProRes Raw recorder. To capture the best bit depth, color and dynamic range out of the FX3, the ProRes Raw option seems to be the best option for an $80,000,000 sci-fi feature film.

8 Cameras At The Ready

I have heard this before, and it is a reminder that most film productions have a handful of cameras pre-rigged and ready at a moment’s notice. The philosophy I like to remember is that no one likes to wait on camera. Oren and the team made sure to have all their options open when shooting with eight different cameras in different configurations. Some configurations were a Drone, Crane, Shoulder Rig, Gimbal Rig, and even a barebones rig ready to capture anything needed at a moment’s notice.

Not only on location

To keep the look of the film consistent, from location shooting to their time at Pinewood Studios, Greg Fraser and Oren Soffer continued to use the FX3 as they shot in the studio.

When they moved to visual effects shooting on a volume wall for five days, the requirements of camera sync to the background wall required the team to move from the Sony FX3 to the Sony FX9 for those few shots.

Lenses

With a nod to French filmmaker Robert Bresson’s philosophy, the team used mostly one lens for “The Creator.” If you don’t know some filmmaking history, Roberty Bresson often used a single lens to shoot his entire films, and that lens was usually 50mm. According to Bresson, using a single lens “flattens” a film’s point of view and freed him from creating postcardism, which he considered forced and superficial. Robert Bresson has a great book on filmmaking called “Notes on the Cinematography,” it is a worthy read for any filmmaker.

So, what was the lens used the most often on “The Creator?” The 75mm Kowa 2x anamorphic lens with a prototype of the Atlas Mercury 42mm as a backup for the small spaces where the 75mm was too tight. Think interior car scenes for the 42mm. Lenses provided by Keslow Camera.