After four seasons shooting with the ALEXA and spherical lenses, cinematographer Si Bell and director Anthony Byrne wanted a change. Thus moving to Cooke Anamorphic Primes paired with the RED MONSTRO seemed like a logical artistic decision. Scroll down to read more about the production behind Peaky Blinders Season 5.

Elevating the “cinematic feel” with the anamorphic look

“Going anamorphic for the new season made absolute sense,” said Bell, the cinematographer behind Peaky Blinders Season 5. “There’s a time jump between the fourth and fifth seasons, with a new storyline for the Shelby family, so a new look made sense…and it made the series more cinematic than it had ever looked.”

Lenses also had to be very reliable through varied environmental conditions

Cinematographer Si Bell

Following extensive testing, the anamorphic lens of choice became the Cooke Anamorphic/i primes. “We wanted a great anamorphic cinematic look with the ability to shoot fast, but the lenses also had to be very reliable through varied environmental conditions and have good accuracy for the focus pullers. That may seem like a lot to ask, but the Anamorphic/i just stood out from the rest” adds Bell. 

Y.M.Cinema Magazine: Can you elaborate more about those “extensive testing” that led to choosing Cooke above other options?

Cinematographer Si Bell: We shot lens tests with practical flame sources and lamps to replicate the Peaky sets and the lighting we would be working with. We then shot setups with different Anamorphic lenses to test the flare qualities and also aberrations and Anamorphic qualities etc.

For production, Bell’s kit consisted of the Anamorphic/i 25, 32, 40, 50, 65 MACRO, 75, 100, and 135mm. “The 40mm was a real workhorse for handheld and establishing shots, with the 65 MACRO being the go-to lens for getting really close to the actors and to pull focus from the background,” said Bell.

“Not an extreme ‘in your face’ anamorphic look”

According to Bell, the Anamorphic Cooke Look grants a cleaner look, and not an extreme “in your face” anamorphic look. This is an advantage for those who seek anamorphic imagery without exaggeration with anamorphic characteristics. “We needed and got a softer, more naturalistic look that didn’t make a statement that we were changing the show,” said Bell.

For those who pursuit after the flare, Cooke has its own Anamorphic/i SF lenses that are specially manufactured with a coating that allows for even more creative options. The “SF” stands for Special Flair because they allow you to emphasize those flares. 

The RED Monstro was chosen for the job

The previous seasons were shot on an ARRI ALEXA. Still, through many camera tests, the team decided that the RED MONSTRO 8K sensor had the best look for the project, with the flexibility, sensitivity, and physical size of the camera they needed.

We shot low light tests using small flame sources pushing the cameras as far as they could be pushed in terms of ISO

Cinematographer Si Bell

Y.M.Cinema Magazine: What are those “camera tests” that caused choosing the Monstro over other cinema cameras?

Cinematographer Si Bell: We shot low light tests using small flame sources pushing the cameras as far as they could be pushed in terms of ISO. Also, we performed dynamic range tests and also tests measuring skin tone detail. We shot tests with Alexa LF, Sony Venice, Red Helium, and Monstro sensors.

Final thoughts

It’s always fascinating to compare the cameras and lenses behind various seasons and explore that they have been changed to grant different look and feel to a specific season. For instance, the first two seasons of Money Heist were shot on the ALEXA Mini, and season three, the DP has decided to switch to RED Helium. Of course, other calculations are taking into consideration, like the camera requirements and image capture spec of the streaming company (Netflix, Apple TV+, HBO, etc.). Camera’s capability is not the sole factor.

Nevertheless, in my opinion, I do think it makes sense to refresh the imagery because it contributes to art’s diversity.

Watch the trailer down below. Would you recognize the Anamorphic Cooke Look combined with the Vista Vision Sensor?