Zack Snyder Goes (again) Wide-Open With a Bespoke Summiscope Anamorphic Paired with RED V-Raptor XL
Zack Snyder Goes (again) Wide-Open With a Bespoke Summiscope Anamorphic Paired with RED V-Raptor XL

Zack Snyder Goes (again) Wide-Open With a Bespoke Summiscope Anamorphic Paired with RED V-Raptor XL

2022-08-01
3 mins read

Yeah, he likes to shoot wide-open, and with a very special glass. Netflix’s Rebel Moon directed (and shot) by Zack Snyder will have a very distinctive look. Zack uses a specially made Zero-Optik’s super fast anamorphic lens titled Summiscope, paired on the RED Digital Cinema V-Raptor XL.

Snyder and Land. With the V-Raptor XL and the Summiscope lens. Credit: Jarred Land
Snyder and Land. With the V-Raptor XL and the Summiscope lens. Credit: Jarred Land

Rebel Moon: Directed and shot by Snyder

Rebel Moon is an upcoming American epic ‘space opera’ film directed by Zack Snyder from a screenplay he co-wrote with Shay Hatten and Kurt Johnstad, based on a story he also created. Filming commenced in April 2022 and run until November  2022 (117 days of filming) taking place in California. Rebel Moon is set to release on Netflix. Similar to the previous Snyder’s Netflix project (Army of the Dead), Zack serves as a cinematographer as well.

RED V-Raptor XL. Credit - Zack Snyder
RED V-Raptor XL. Credit – Zack Snyder

All wide open (again…)

Zack loves bokeh and blurry/dreamy imagery. Thus, he shoots wide open by using super-fast specially made lenses. For instance, Army of the Dead was almost exclusively shot with Canon Rangefinder lenses that were rehoused by Zero Optik, especially for Snyder. He shot the entire film with a maximum aperture of T1.5 (some of the lenses were even below T-stop 1). “I’m going to shoot the entire movie wide-open (0.95). There’s never to be a stop on any lens, for the entire film… and I just feel that it’s a rude thing to ask for a cinematographer…It’s really about just sort of taking responsibility for the experimental nature of what I wanted to do..and then if it was a complete fuck-up then it would be my fault and I’m fine with that” Snyder stated back then. And it seems he is doing it again.

The RED V-Raptor XL. Credit - Zack Snyder
The RED V-Raptor XL. Credit – Zack Snyder

Shot on V-Raptor XL paired with Summiscope anamorphic

RED Digital Cinema CEO, Jarred Land, has posted a picture with him and his good friend (Snyder) holding the Raptor XL and a very special lens. “Super stoked to have the mighty Zack Snyder be the first out of the gate shooting the Raptor XL on his movie Rebel Moon. It’s a Magic combo the Raptor sensor with the Zero Optik’s insane custom f1.5 anamorphics that they shoot pretty much wide open all of the time. Keeps 1st AC Braden Batsford at the top of his game :)” Land said.

Summiscope lens. Credit - Zack Snyder
Summiscope lens. Credit – Zack Snyder

It’s a Magic combo the Raptor sensor with the Zero Optik’s insane custom f1.5 anamorphics that they shoot pretty much wide open all of the time.

Jarred Land – CEO of RED Digital Cinema

Indeed, the most intriguing thing in the picture is that super fast anamorphic lens, especially rehoused by Zero Optik. Unhappily, Zero Optik didn’t elaborate much and stated: “Unfortunately we’re under a pretty strict NDA on this project, but there’s a doc coming about these lenses so the details will eventually be very public”. Nevertheless, we’ve managed to gather some pictures of these lenses, and the name is Summiscope.

V-Raptor XL and the Summiscope lens. Credit - Zack Snyder
V-Raptor XL and the Summiscope lens. Credit – Zack Snyder

Little preview of 2 of the 4 focal lengths I custom-made with Zero Optik for Rebel Moon.

Zack Snyder – Director of Revel Moon

Even Zack said: ”Little preview of 2 of the 4 focal lengths I custom made with Zero Optik for Rebel Moon. More on these incredible bespoke anamorphic lenses to come”.

The Summiscope lens. Credit - Zack Snyder
The Summiscope lens. Credit – Zack Snyder

Unfortunately we’re under a pretty strict NDA on this project, but there’s a doc coming about these lenses so the details will eventually be very public.

Zero Optik

Final thoughts

There’s no doubt that the look of Rebel Moon will be special. We guess that the imagery will be very similar to Army of the Dead, which means a dreamy (but anamorphic) look. Note that Rebel Moon and Army were made for home TV, and not for the big screen. In our personal opinion, shooting with these lenses wide open will probably be an exaggeration when the movie will be delivered to the big screen. Let’s know your take on that. 

Product List

Here’re the products mentioned in the article, and the links to purchase them from authorized dealers. 

Yossy is a filmmaker who specializes mainly in action sports cinematography. Yossy also lectures about the art of independent filmmaking in leading educational institutes, academic programs, and festivals, and his independent films have garnered international awards and recognition.
Yossy is the founder of Y.M.Cinema Magazine.

7 Comments

  1. Big fucking deal.
    I shot my last 3 shorts with a combo of fast. 95 and 1.4 Voigtlander lenses and Kowa anamorphics.

    Difference is, my shorts have better stories than his full length features.

  2. It’s not especially made! It specially made – meaning it was made special for this task for him! I bet you say pacifically instead of specific too. SMH🤦

  3. I didn’t like the blurry look of Army Of The Dead at all. The bokeh stuff has been overused the last few years anyway and in Army it was way too much – I found it very distracting which can never be the goal of cinematography. Very frustrating because Snyder is at face value very good at staging compositions and framing.

    At least it won’t have that other fad that’s been overused for a long time: a drab and dreary look with little color. Dolby Vision being available on many tv’s luckily put a dent in that. I hate it when movies look like it was shot with Wide Color Gamut but watched on a screen that doesn’t support it and you get that washed out look.

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