Mandy Walker ACS ASC has shot the biographical musical masterpiece —ELVIS, on a specially made Panavision glass titled “Elvis” Lenses. As opposed to modern lenses, the ‘Elvis’ is less sharp, and with more aberration, in order to grant the good old cinematic look of the seventies.

ELVIS (2022)

ELVIS is a 2022 biographical musical drama film based on the life of rock and roll superstar Elvis Presley, told from the perspective of his manager and close friend Colonel Tom Parker. It was directed by Baz Luhrmann and shot by cinematographer Mandy Walker ACS ASC. ELVIS marks Walker’s fourth collaboration with Luhrmann following Australia and a couple of commercials. Watch the mesmerizing trailer below:

DP Mandy Walker: Born with a camera

Mandy Walker ACS ASC is an acclaimed cinematographer that is known for many masterpieces. Born in 1963, the Australian camera-woman has been a director of photography on major Hollywood films including Mulan, Hidden Figures, and Australia. She studied film criticism and cinema studies with John Flaus, who introduced her to several people working in the industry. She apprenticed as an unpaid assistant on several documentaries and music videos before shooting her first feature film, Return Home, at the age of twenty-five. As one of the movie industry’s very few female cinematographers, she decided at age 13 to become a DP. “My dad made me a little dark room in the back yard and I loved going to movies, so I decided to join those two things together” she stated. Walker is currently shooting another animation-to-live- action adaptation for Disney, called Snow White. Her ambition and dream are to shoot the next James Bond movie.

Shot on Panavision “Elvis” lenses

For the look & feel of ELVIS, Walker wanted pure and precise vintage imagery. Not too sharp, and even a bit ‘dirty’ and with extra aberration, so it would remind the good old anamorphic glass from the seventies. Walker did her research together with Panavision in order to craft the perfect glass for the American culture presented in the movie. The results were two sets of lenses, one for the first half of Elvis’ life, and then the second was the T-Series anamorphic with a classic flare and aberrations on the edges. Those weren’t clinically perfect like modern lenses since Panavision added aberration upon Walker’s request. Walker emphasized that modern lenses should not perform a good fit for ELVIS, since they are too pristine and crisp. To mark these beautifully ‘dirty’ glass, Panavision put little Elvis icons on them. ELVIS was shot on the ARRI ALEXA 65, LF, and Panaflex System 65. 

Wrapping up

First, the movie looks awesome. The imagery perfectly blends into the story. As usual, Walker did a tremendous job here. From a cinematography point of view, the most interesting finding is the ‘impaired’ glass by Panavision. This is not the first time that acclaimed DPs claim that modern glass is just too fine, sharp, and crisp. Sometimes it’s an advantage, but sometimes you need something more ‘contaminated’ in order to tell the story in a unique way. That is what dictates art, and for ELVIS, moviegoers seem to be pleased with what they have seen on the big screen. Elvis premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 25, 2022, and was released theatrically by Warner Bros. Pictures in Australia on June 23, 2022, and in the United States on June 24. It’s interesting to note that 31% of the opening weekend audiences were over the age of 55, with 48% being over 45, while women over 25 made up 45%. Have you seen ELVIS? What are your thoughts about its imagery?

• Y.M.CINEMA 65 – A Gift for Filmmakers