CAMERON TAKES
DIRECTOR'S CHAIR
FOR SPECIAL OPS LIONESS

Paul Cameron, ASC is a highly regarded cinematographer whose work behind the camera includes some of the most visually groundbreaking imagery of our era, with highlights such as Reminiscence, 21 Bridges, Westworld, Total Recall, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Man on Fire, Gone in Sixty Seconds and Collateral – the latter a landmark in the development of high-end digital cinematography. Cameron serves on the AMPAS Board as well as on its Technology Committee and has been in the forefront of technological developments throughout his career, consulting for major studios on best practices for current and developing technologies, from lens design to robotic camera supports. 

Cameron’s most recent assignment came with a move into the director’s chair, a role he had also taken on two episodes of Westworld. This time, the project was Special Ops: Lioness, Taylor Sheridan’s eight-episode spy thriller for Paramount+ that stars Zoe Saldaña as a CIA agent who puts the families of targeted terrorists into high-risk situations. The cast also include Nicole Kidman and Morgan Freeman.

Thad Luckinbill and Paul Cameron, ASC on set

Cameron directed episodes 5 and 6 after shooting the first two chapters for director John Hillcoat. Cinematographers Nicolas Karakatsanis, Eric Koretz, Nicole Whitaker, ASC, John Conroy, ASC, BSC, and Niels Alpert also contributed across multiple episodes. Locations included Baltimore, Mallorca and Marrakesh. Canon K35s and Zeiss Distagon Primes – both single- and double-uncoated sets – were the predominant lens choices, along with a wide range of even older glass. For the first six installments of Lioness, the cameras were ALEXA Mini LFs set up for a 2:1 aspect ratio. The final episodes were done with the ALEXA 35 cameras. Both the Mini LF and the 35 rely on CODEX in-camera recording. 

“My initial conversations with John Hillcoat were about camera, format and lenses,” says Cameron. “John didn’t want a lens made after 1980. Our goal was to use vintage lenses to help create a more cinematic feel. I suggested utilizing the larger sensor. To me, it’s such an elegant format. We settled on the Mini LF.  I put together a five-camera package with forty lenses on very short notice – about a week. It was pretty insane.”

"THE CODEX WORKFLOW ALLOWED ME TO SHOOT AT THE HIGHER RESOLUTION, COMPENSATING FOR INCONSISTENCIES IN POST. THE RESULTS ARE SUBTLE AND ELEGANT"

Cameron wanted the greater image area not so much for the additional resolution, but for the distinctive feel that comes with a bigger sensor and wider lenses when shot wide open. “Our mantra was to shoot large format and deconstruct the image – mostly through lensing – to eliminate any digital feel. The resulting images are distinctive and immersive.”

Although resolution was not the primary goal, the filmmakers opted to shoot at 4.5K ARRIRAW resolution using the full sensor – the richest file format available on the Mini LF, enabled by CODEX – and cropping to a 2:1 frame. When the lens choice allowed it, Cameron could use more of the sensor – a major advantage of digital cinematography. At other times, that sensor flexibility made it possible to use an older, idiosyncratic lens that might not otherwise adequately cover the same image area. He often leaned on a couple of wide focal lengths. 

Zoe Saldaña in a scene from Special Ops: Lioness

“Mixing the vintage lenses in the Super 35 format and wider, larger format lenses in Full Frame Sensor mode was the path,” he says. 

The pursuit of halation and overall image deconstruction warranted the use of uncoated lenses, including double-uncoated, meaning that the coating was removed from both front and/or rear elements. The result is very distinctive, but with much less consistency and less tolerance for error. 

"MIXING THE VINTAGE LENSES IN THE SUPER 35 FORMAT AND WIDER, LARGER FORMAT LENSES IN FULL FRAME SENSOR MODE WAS THE PATH"

The combination of high resolution, large format camera sensors and older, less technically perfect lenses might seem counterintuitive.  

“But the results are subtle and elegant in a way you can’t get just using smaller formats,” says Cameron. “Some of these lenses were designed in the 1970s – 50 years ago. They weren’t planning to cover a large format digital sensor. The resolution of the ARRIRAW file format helped make it possible to compensate for variations in color temperature and other anomalies on the fly, as well as in post, without diminishing the image. The final images also benefit from added grain.”

Morgan Freeman in a scene from Special Ops: Lioness

Regarding the move to directing, Cameron says, “It was a great opportunity to shoot on a show, and then also direct,” he says. “It was natural to continue talking and relating to the actors but focusing on performance and story. In that sense, it was similar to my experience directing Westworld. I was interested in directing many years ago, but I didn’t really pursue it. Now, it’s a great new challenge. The bar is set so high today, visually, and the schedules are very demanding. I can bring my experience to the party, and while directing is different, many of the concerns and thought processes are similar. I’ve always been focused on story as a DP, and that translates. And my shooting experience definitely expedites conversations with the directors of photography.”

"THE RESOLUTION OF THE ARRIRAW FILE FORMAT HELPED MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO COMPENSATE FOR VARIATIONS IN COLOR TEMPERATURE..."

Cameron’s contributions on Westworld and Spec Ops: Lioness extended far beyond the normal cinematographer’s role. He was integral in the world building of both shows. 

There’s always room for discovery, says Beebe. “Ultimately, you’re always adapting,” he says. “We hit the final phase of color timing literally only weeks before the movie premiered in L.A. Visual effects were still completing work just because of the huge scope and scale of the project.”

“It’s all there in the writing,” he says. “The greatest challenge is understanding the words and the intention as written.  I love the process of storytelling, developing the scene, and being surprised by amazing actors, and then the continued shaping through editing, mixing and coloring. It’s been exciting. I won’t lie – I’m hard on DPs. But I’m very specific and I know what’s realistic and what isn’t.”