SEASON 2 - EPISODE 94 - BILL BENNETT - CINEMATOGRAPHER

On this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, cinematographer Bill Bennett speaks with us about the world of commercial filmmaking. Born into a family of engineers, Bill came to love art through his mother’s own development as an artist, and he quickly changed majors in college to pursue his passion. Finding his way to LA, Bill built sets for commercials for years until breaking his way into camera operating and eventually cinematography in the field. Bill reveals how commercial filmmakers transitioned from film to digital formats and of his involvement in the development of the Arriflex 435 camera, a major breakthrough at the time. Bill later reflects on the impact of the Arri Alexa camera on the design of digital cameras at large and on the moment a digital camera demonstrated its value as a viable replacement for film cameras to him on a car commercial shoot. Bill also shares plenty of advice for young filmmakers looking to enter the world of commercial production and what his own views are on what makes someone stand out from the crowd. Towards the end, we discuss how commercial filmmaking is changing with new technologies like artificial intelligence and volume lighting systems.

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This episode is sponsored by Aputure