​The Hybrid DP: How Mathew Rudenberg Blends Realism with Narrative Cinema

One take a look at Mathew Rudenberg’s filmography, and one query involves thoughts: how does he do all of it? The South African-born cinematographer has lensed every part from the moody, arthouse visuals of Ultrasound to the explosive comedy of Die Hart 2, from cult TV hits like Kroll Present to the Emmy-winning polish of Actors on Actors.And now, he is crushing just a few episodes on ABC and Hulu’s Excessive Potential.But it surely’s his deep expertise in documentary filmmaking—which has taken him from Folsom jail to a Juggalo rally and earned him a SXSW Grand Jury Prize for The Work—that could be the key to his success.We spoke with Mathew about his course of and the way nonfiction capturing informs his scripted work, and his recommendation for DPs trying to keep away from being pigeonholed.Let’s dive in. – YouTubewww.youtube.comNFS: Hello Mathew! Having joined Excessive Potential in its second season, how do you adapt to a present’s present visible language whereas additionally hoping to innovate upon it?Mathew Rudenberg: One of many issues I like most about capturing tv is that it’s iterative. You may all the time take a look at what’s been executed and ask, “How can we excellent this? “Becoming a member of Excessive Potential in Season 2 was an important alternative to take a step again, breathe, and actually consider what was working and the place we might elevate issues.Constructing a visible language all the time begins with story and character. At its core, Excessive Potential is about an unconventional character, Morgan Gillory, whose presence brings shade and unpredictability right into a grounded police procedural world. There’s a pure stress in these two worlds colliding, and I needed the visuals to mirror that.For the police procedural facet, my co-DP Amanda Treyz and I fully re-evaluated our digital camera and lens bundle. We spent days testing cameras, filters, and lenses at my longtime digital camera home, Keslow, after which reviewed the footage with our improbable colorist, Cody Baker, at Firm 3.We determined to stick with the Alexa 35 due to its unbelievable vary and pores and skin tones, however Cody constructed a brand-new present LUT that basically introduced out the blues within the shadows. We additionally switched our principal lens bundle to the Arri Grasp Primes, paired with zooms, for a clear however cinematic really feel.For Morgan’s inside world, my longtime collaborator and visionary producing director Nancy Hower inspired me to essentially push issues creatively. We zeroed in on the “Morgan Visions” as a spot to experiment and elevate the present’s visible storytelling, taking them past what was executed in Season 1.NFS: Are you able to inform us extra concerning the “Morgan Visions” that play such a necessary function within the present? Do you may have any favorites from this season?MR: The “Morgan Visions” are moments the place the viewers will get to peek inside Morgan’s good and quirky thoughts as she connects seemingly unrelated information to unravel a thriller. They should ship info, however all the time by way of her lens—her humor, her associations, her worldview.Our showrunner, Todd Harthan, needed to maneuver away from greenscreen and inventory footage and as a substitute floor these moments in actuality. That doesn’t imply we by no means use CG to enhance issues, however we attempt to do as a lot as attainable virtually—even when it’s imperfect. That handmade high quality is a part of the appeal.For instance, we wanted a time-lapse of a plant rising, however didn’t have time to shoot it virtually. As a substitute of utilizing CG, we constructed a pretend sq. of floor, pulled the plant by way of a gap, and performed it backward so it appeared prefer it was sprouting. It’s foolish, tactile, and it really works fantastically.To distinguish the look of those sequences, we use Historical Optics Petzvelux lenses, probe lenses, and tilt-shift lenses to craft uncommon visuals. Past that, we’ve created all types of appears to be like—from Nineteen Forties newsreels to 8mm Vietnam hostage movies to Eighties instructional children’ reveals. There’s even a really particular cameo I can’t spoil but, however viewers are going to like it.NFS: How does Excessive Potential examine to your work on different sequence, corresponding to Blue Mountain State or The Kroll Present?MR: One in all my main objectives as a DP is to search out the suitable search for every present somewhat than impose a private signature. I like utilizing all of the instruments obtainable to craft a mode that finest communicates the tone, characters, and story. In that sense, I consider my method as a bit chameleonic—I’ve constructed completely totally different visible types for comedies, horror, and sci-fi.Each venture expands my toolbox of methods and concepts. Kroll Present, particularly, was an important primer for Excessive Potential, as a result of I labored with DP Christian Sprenger to design quite a lot of appears to be like relying on the sketch or section.That have of continually shifting tone and texture—from heightened parody to naturalism—actually helped put together me for a present like Excessive Potential, which walks the road between grounded drama and playful creativeness.We have been capturing on an early RED digital camera that allow us range the sensor measurement. For the cinematic items, we’d use the total sensor with primes for a wealthy depth of subject, whereas for the reality-style segments, we’d crop the sensor to 16mm measurement to imitate ENG cameras. I’ve taken the same method on Excessive Potential utilizing the Alexa.And whereas Blue Mountain State was a cult comedy, there’s the same humorousness in Excessive Potential that balances and heightens the dramatic moments. Mathew RudenbergPhoto by Rob SchroederNFS: I’m fascinated by your work because the cinematographer on Selection’s Actors on Actors sequence. What has that have taught you about being a inventive or the business at giant?MR: I’ve shot Actors on Actors for a couple of decade now, and it’s been some of the rewarding long-term initiatives I’ve been part of. The present has developed quite a bit—it began with extra of a talk-show vibe, however after going distant throughout the pandemic, we returned with a a lot cleaner, minimal aesthetic that I actually love.That stripped-down method places all of the give attention to two actors having an intimate, sincere dialog. Through the years, I’ve had the privilege of sitting simply off-camera from nearly each main actor in movie and tv, listening as they open up about their inspirations, struggles, and triumphs. It’s given me a a lot deeper appreciation for his or her humanity.Throughout the business, there’s plenty of speak about AI-generated tales and performances. However after witnessing these conversations firsthand, I’m satisfied that no know-how—regardless of how superior—can exchange the lived expertise, ardour, and emotional fact of an actual particular person.NFS: Excessive Potential deftly walks a tightrope between comedy and drama. How do you navigate that stability from a visible perspective?MR: There’s a bent in our business to make binary distinctions— dividing reveals into “comedy” and “drama.” However that’s actually only a sensible separation based mostly on runtime. In reality, all good comedy has drama in it, and all good drama has humor.I do have a bit saying: “Comedy is clear, drama is soiled.” By that I imply that when capturing comedy, I usually go for clear singles—particularly since there’s often improv and matching might be difficult—whereas in drama I like to incorporate each actors in body to really feel the emotional weight between them. However that’s hardly a hard-and-fast rule.In Excessive Potential, the one moments that lean overtly comedic are the Morgan Visions, since they exist outdoors of actuality. Generally we even finish these with a wink to the digital camera, breaking the fourth wall. For the remainder of the present, I don’t suppose when it comes to comedy versus drama—I believe when it comes to emotional fact.For instance, my episode “11 Minutes” tells a heartbreaking story of two very totally different grownup youngsters attempting to reconnect with their dying mother and father. If it have been shot with a comedic sensibility, it wouldn’t land the identical method emotionally.NFS: What’s the collaboration like among the many division heads on Excessive Potential?MR: Some of the very important collaborations is with our manufacturing designer, Valerie Inexperienced, and artwork director, Ryan Suchon. Since we keep away from greenscreen and inventory footage, every Morgan Imaginative and prescient requires a bodily set—usually constructed for only a few seconds of display time.For instance, one Morgan Imaginative and prescient was initially written as spinning journal covers flying into body—a easy submit impact. I urged we print every cowl and bodily throw them onto a small set dressed to match every headline. Val ended up constructing little environments—a swamp, a development web site, a fitness center—all only a few ft sq..For one more scene, Ryan constructed a large lock so we might push a probe lens on the digital camera by way of it to disclose a legal choosing it from the opposite facet.Our entire crew loves that we do issues virtually. I can see our particular results coordinator, Jonathan Kombrinck, gentle up each time we resolve to realize one thing in-camera, like determining a protected technique to simulate a thermite response burning by way of glass.NFS: Are there another genres you’d prefer to discover?MR: As I’ve stated, I like tailoring a glance to every venture, and what excites me most is once I get to construct a whole world by way of cinematography—as I’ve executed on a few of the sci-fi initiatives I’ve shot, just like the Nolan-esque function Ultrasound for Rob Schroeder, which performed at Tribeca in 2021.I grew up studying sci-fi paperbacks from my dad’s library, and I’ve all the time been impressed by the epic worlds of filmmakers like Villeneuve and Kubrick. However I’m simply as amazed by what might be executed on a smaller scale—movies like Shane Carruth’s Upstream Colour or Caldwell and Earl’s Prospect.So a dream of mine would undoubtedly be to shoot a sci-fi sequence, or just a few extra options in that house.NFS: Is there anything you’d prefer to share about Excessive Potential or your upcoming work?MR: I couldn’t finish an interview with out mentioning how unbelievable Kaitlin Olson is—each as an EP and as an actor. She’s the guts of the present and deeply concerned in each side, from idea to efficiency. Working along with her is an absolute pleasure, and I’m in awe of every part she brings to the manufacturing each single day.We’re nonetheless in the midst of capturing Season 2, and there’s a lot nice stuff developing that I can’t look ahead to audiences to see—together with a killer automobile chase we shot proper right here in LA, with a few of the finest stunt drivers within the enterprise, fantastically orchestrated by our stunt coordinator, Kimberly Shannon.If anybody’s curious concerning the craft behind Excessive Potential, I like sharing behind-the-scenes appears to be like at our digital camera and lighting setups on Instagram — you’ll find me at @rudenberg_dp.