DP Linus Sandgren has used some celluloid magic to create authentic and funny panic in the American science fiction film, Don’t Look Up. The main tools for the job were the mighty Aaton Penelope film cameras paired with Kowa Cine Prominar Macros, and some Atlas Orion Anamorphic lenses with Fujinon Cabrio, on other film cameras (ARRICAM LTs). 

Don’t Look Up: Shot on film

Don’t Look Up is a 2021 American science fiction film written, produced, and directed by Adam McKay, and starring an ensemble cast consisting of Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Rob Morgan, Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Timothée Chalamet, Ron Perlman, Ariana Grande, and Scott Mescudi. It tells the story of two astronomers attempting to warn humanity about an approaching comet that will destroy human civilization. The impact event is an allegory for climate change, and the film is a satire of government, political, and media indifference to the climate crisis. Don’t Look Up was shot entirely on film cameras (ARRICAM LT and Aaton Penelope) by DP Linus Sandgren. Check out the trailer below:

Shot by Linus Sandgren

Cinematographer Linus Sandgren, ASC, FSF is a big fan of shooting on film. You have probably heard that name before. Sandgren was the DP of No Time To Die (2021) which is a movie that is well known for being shot on a wide range of film cameras (IMAX 9802, ARRIFLEX 765, Panavision XL2, and more). Moreover, Sandgren shot the great La La Land, and First Man on Aaton cameras as well. For further reading, check out our articles:

• First Man was Shot on Aaton Penelope: A 2008 Model Film Camera
• Aerial Filming: Lifting an ARRI 535B Armed With 1000-Foot Magazine
• ARRIFLEX 765: The Camera Behind “No Time To Die”
• ‘No Time to Die’ is Coming to the World’s Biggest IMAX Theater: Shot Entirely on Film

On Don’t Look Up, Sandgren has utilized the Aaton Penelope to emphasize the faces of the actors in extreme closeups. For that, he chose to pair the camera with Kowa Cine Prominar Macro lenses.

Aaton Penelope + Kowa Cine Prominar Macros

The Aaton Penelope camera is convertible between a 2-perf or 3-perf movement, quieter than previous Aaton 35s, and offers a new viewing system, as well as other enhancements. Because the camera can do two perf, it means that we can get up to nine minutes of running time at 24 FPS. The camera runs on two batteries and it’s considered an advanced film camera. 

Explore an overview of the camera behind ‘Don’t Look Up’:

For ‘Don’t Look Up’, the camera utilized Kowa Cine Prominar Macro glass. According to Sandgren, these Macro lenses enhanced the intimate moments, by focusing on the Actors’ faces. The Kowa Cine Prominar originated in Japan in the 1960s. They are optically sharp for their age and offer a cool lower contrast image with interesting flares. They’re known for the vintage look, impressive macro imagery, and close focus of 10 inches.

Atlas Orion and Fujinon 25mm-300mm Cabrio on ARRICAM LTs

For the anamorphic look, Sandgren has picked the Atlas Orion Anamorphic series paired with the ARRICAM LT cameras. For zoom, he chose the Fujinon 25mm-300mm Cabrio that was very versatile during the shoot. This combination gave rise to a very unique look. BTW,  most of the shown smartphones used by the characters and presented by the company BASH throughout the movie are “HYDROGEN” phones made by RED Digital Cinema. Although the RED HYDROGEN has failed as a smartphone. it appears that high-end productions use it as a gimmick. For instance, the phone also was used in Fast and Furious 9. Anyway, ‘Don’t Look Up’ has become Netflix’s 3rd most-viewed film ever in just 11 days. 

Have you watched ‘Don’t Look Up’? What do you think about its cinematography?