I shoot for broadcast

Surgeons: at the edge of life (Gemma) - 4min watch

I set a series of cinematography ‘rules’ that conformed my sequences to the same look over a series. In this series, I was tied to the sensitive moments before, during and after lifesaving procedures, so it was important to create intimacy and a feeling of being inside the key interactions. I did this by consciously keeping the camera low, at or below contributor shoulder height, creating the feeling of being a part of the conversation. Hospitals are claustrophobic ugly places, but the series had to feel premium and beautiful, so lighting-wise I placed the key person on the shade side of the key, trusting the dynamic range of my FX6 to find the detail in the shadows, and being creative with the location to find interesting or unusual establishers.

Often I find myself having to do several types of filming within the same working day. On the first day on this story, about a mum called Gemma with a tumour behind her eye, I had to light her interview and also find naturalistic actuality, all on a tight timescale, one location and without much equipment.