InCinematographer - Issue 3 - 40

40

www.incinematographer.com | Issue 3

Cooke Helps Shed Light
on The Morning After
Director/Writer/Producer/DP Shanra J. Kehl used Cooke S4/i lenses to
bring the awkwardness of The Morning After to the big screen...

S

hanra J. Kehl's The Morning After, shot with Cooke
S4/i lenses, features eight intercut vignettes shot
in eight locations in 11 days, telling the story of the
moment when you wake up next to someone... the
next morning.
"I've always been a really big fan of Cooke lenses,"
said Kehl. "To my eye, you get a warmer image
that's gentler on the skin and a really good friend
to the actors by not calling out whatever flaws they
might have, especially in 4K and above. The light the
Cooke lenses absorb gives you a more pastel-like
look that enhances the pallet of the Alexa Plus in a
warm, glowy way. It's just beautiful and that's what
I needed."
"If you haven't used Cookes before, what are you waiting for?" Shanra J. Kehl

Lighted world
In those awkward "moment after" moments when
people don't say what they want to say, Kehl wanted
to portray a dreamy, hopeful world with light and
exposure to make her characters more vulnerable
and lead to more conversation. The Morning After is
brightly lit, with emotions exposed and raw.
"When writing, I envisioned large windows lighting
the film so that the characters couldn't hide in a
corner," said Kehl. "We used windows as the main
light source and then added minimal fill lighting. The
window was key, and we had to shoot at the right
time of the day in all eight locations."
In a mansion, Kehl blocked and scheduled for light
coming through the windows. A hotel room was
booked with an eastern exposure to capture sunrise,
while the two sets that were built - a room in a hostel
and a "dot com" loft - were created to give similar
lighting.
"The hostel scene was one where the Cooke
S4/i lenses really shone," said Kehl. "Sunlight
burst through the window and we had to add more

negative fill. But once I went to color correct, the
Cookes held up so well with the Alexa Plus that you
can't tell. When you have a window with someone in
front of it, the light is so soft and just wraps around
their skin, even when diffused."
Pickup day
The S4/i kit, rented from Division Camera in North
Hollywood, consisted of 18, 25, 35, 50, 75 and 100mm
primes, with a 65mm used for pickups. It was on the
pickup day that the Cooke S4/i 65mm would help
Kehl again during coloring.
"We were running out of daylight during 'golden
hour' on pickups for our threesome vignette, and I
knew that if I wasn't using a Cooke lens that would
give me a more contrasty and cooler look, that I
wouldn't be able to correct it as much," explained
Kehl. "When you're literally racing against the sun,
and you're wanting a specific look, knowing that
your lens can help give you that look really eases the
pressure."
All of that light gave Kehl a great depth of field,

Vignettes: The Morning After

helping her to tell the story of the locations as well as
the characters. In the threesome vignette mansion,
multiple windows lit the actress from the threesome
snooping around and seeing what the couple has to
offer, and enhancing the look of the location.
"If you haven't used Cookes before, what
are you waiting for?" asks Kehl. "They make a
cinematographer's and gaffer's job easier when you
pick the right camera and right lens. And, it enhances
the look of the actors... that's the director in me."
Successful run
After touring the festival circuit in 2015 and 2016
- garnering multiple nominations and wins - The
Morning After was picked up by Amazon, Fandango,
Apple TV, HBO Europe and Lighthouse Home
Entertainment (for on-disc and on-demand release in
Germany).
The film is also scheduled to be added to the lineup
of a number of cable network providers. The Morning
After was produced by Oops Productions, and He and
She Films. www.cookeoptics.com
http://www.incinematographer.com https://www.cookeoptics.com/ http://www.cookeoptics.com http://www.themorningaftermovie.com/the-film-1
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of InCinematographer - Issue 3
