15/11/2024
Has anyone else not stopped thinking about ‘We Live In Time’ since they watched it? 🙋 Come with us and Stuart Bentley BSC () on the brilliantly heartwrenching film.
“We wanted to create a naturalistic look for 'We Live in Time' - that could support and enhance the story without being too loud or flashy,” says Stuart. “We knew the performances would be incredibly strong so I just tried my very best to support that. We wanted to respond to the atmosphere of each scene as if the camera was a character in its own right - energized and fast moving at times - static and observational at others. I was always aiming for naturalism and authenticity in the camerawork and lighting.
I love working with all sorts of lenses and always use the script and conversations with the director as a starting point for what equipment might be suitable for each new project. I wanted something slightly soft and vintage but without too much personality. We tested a whole range of lenses before landing on the – they’re gorgeous lenses and delivered the kind of naturalism we wanted whilst also retaining a little bit of that magic. I liked the comprehensive range and they were both small and fast - we did a lot of handheld so I needed something that would work well for that.
I think my favourite setup is the scene where Florence and Andrew have an argument in the kitchen at night. It’s one of the most simple lighting setups – a few practicals and a single . The performances are just so incredible – it was amazing being so close to them in the room feeling that energy.
By keeping the floor clear and the lighting simple it hopefully allowed them the space and atmosphere to concentrate on their work without getting caught up in any technicalities.
I’ve done hundreds of projects with over the years and have always loved their help and support - they looked after me when I first started out shooting music videos so it felt like a great fit for this project!”
