‘F1′ Cinematographer Claudio Miranda on Creating Tension Through Framing and Why Las Vegas’ Neon Signs Were Challenging
While Joseph Kosinski was working on “Top Gun: Maverick,” he was already thinking about his next movie, “F1,” a high-adrenaline action film set in the world of Formula 1 racing. So, he called on his go-to cinematographer Claudio Miranda, who was also working on “Top Gun: Maverick.”
Kosinski wanted to do everything for real, immerse audiences in the film and avoid the use of green screens. Miranda started to think, “Is there any technology we need to figure out?”
As with “Top Gun: Maverick,” where he pushed camera technology to new limits, Miranda worked with Sony Electronics to develop a custom camera to film high-speed shots. The custom cameras were built and mounted into the racing for filming — four per car, with remote control over pan and focus.
During a conversation moderated by Variety senior artisans editor Jazz Tangcay, Kosinski said, that while much of the behind-the-scenes was about the technology, everything was driven by story and character. “How do we connect the audience with the characters in a movie like this? That’s what drove all of this innovation that Claudio did.”
The Apple Original Film stars Brad Pitt as former Formula 1 race car driver Sonny Hayes, a retired driver. Javier Bardem plays Ruben, the boss of an underdog racing team who convinces Sonny to return to the sport to partner with and mentor rookie driver Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris). The film picks up halfway through the Formula 1 season, and by bringing Sonny into the mix, Ruben hopes the team lands a podium finish.
When it came to creating the tension between Sonny and Joshua, Kosinski explained it had to be on the page first. His next challenge was finding the right actor to play Joshua Pearce. Enter casting director Lucy Bevan, who searched far and wide looking at thousands of tapes. Kosinski said, “Damson was a miracle and went toe-to-toe with one of the biggest movie stars in the world, in his first film, and really just created this character that’s so alive.” He continued, “He is the antagonist, but he’s so likable because you totally understand where he’s coming from.”
In his compositions, Miranda said, “We picked the angles we needed for the scene. If we wanted to go intense, we pushed in a little bit more.” But that wasn’t just on the racetracks, when scenes took place off the grid he still looked to find ways of creating tension and beauty.
In one scene, Sonny and Kerry Condon’s character, Kate, have a heart-to-heart on a hotel balcony, and he opens up to her about his feelings in Las Vegas. Aside from the shot being very high up, Miranda had to contend with the neon lights of the city. “That’s a real location and it does create a little bit of lighting challenges. It’s really the night before the grand prix and you see the stadiums being set up. It’s real-time, there’s Vegas, and those lights are annoying sometimes,” said Miranda. But he found a positive in what he couldn’t control. “Sometimes those lights would go white, but in a way, it grounded the movie, and I kind of liked it as these things would blow up.” He added, “It grounds the actor in the environment. Maybe if I didn’t control it too much, it might have felt a little more synthetic.”
Kosinski wanted to do everything for real, immerse audiences in the film and avoid the use of green screens. Miranda started to think, “Is there any technology we need to figure out?”
As with “Top Gun: Maverick,” where he pushed camera technology to new limits, Miranda worked with Sony Electronics to develop a custom camera to film high-speed shots. The custom cameras were built and mounted into the racing for filming — four per car, with remote control over pan and focus.
During a conversation moderated by Variety senior artisans editor Jazz Tangcay, Kosinski said, that while much of the behind-the-scenes was about the technology, everything was driven by story and character. “How do we connect the audience with the characters in a movie like this? That’s what drove all of this innovation that Claudio did.”
The Apple Original Film stars Brad Pitt as former Formula 1 race car driver Sonny Hayes, a retired driver. Javier Bardem plays Ruben, the boss of an underdog racing team who convinces Sonny to return to the sport to partner with and mentor rookie driver Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris). The film picks up halfway through the Formula 1 season, and by bringing Sonny into the mix, Ruben hopes the team lands a podium finish.
When it came to creating the tension between Sonny and Joshua, Kosinski explained it had to be on the page first. His next challenge was finding the right actor to play Joshua Pearce. Enter casting director Lucy Bevan, who searched far and wide looking at thousands of tapes. Kosinski said, “Damson was a miracle and went toe-to-toe with one of the biggest movie stars in the world, in his first film, and really just created this character that’s so alive.” He continued, “He is the antagonist, but he’s so likable because you totally understand where he’s coming from.”
In his compositions, Miranda said, “We picked the angles we needed for the scene. If we wanted to go intense, we pushed in a little bit more.” But that wasn’t just on the racetracks, when scenes took place off the grid he still looked to find ways of creating tension and beauty.
In one scene, Sonny and Kerry Condon’s character, Kate, have a heart-to-heart on a hotel balcony, and he opens up to her about his feelings in Las Vegas. Aside from the shot being very high up, Miranda had to contend with the neon lights of the city. “That’s a real location and it does create a little bit of lighting challenges. It’s really the night before the grand prix and you see the stadiums being set up. It’s real-time, there’s Vegas, and those lights are annoying sometimes,” said Miranda. But he found a positive in what he couldn’t control. “Sometimes those lights would go white, but in a way, it grounded the movie, and I kind of liked it as these things would blow up.” He added, “It grounds the actor in the environment. Maybe if I didn’t control it too much, it might have felt a little more synthetic.”