A director's own Noctilux, and children lip-syncing adult lyrics
Shot largely on the DP's personal lens, with a karaoke lyric video cut in advance to work as an on-set autocue for performers who could not read the script.
Watch on YouTubeSaul Abraham's video for Truman stages children lip-syncing adult lyrics as a series of school portraits. Two production decisions carry it.
Main lens the DP's own Leica Noctilux
Also Focus Canning's Astro Berlin Pan-Tachar primes
Autocue a karaoke lyric video cut in advance
Lighting re-tuned per subject for skin tone
Budget, crew, days not stated beyond "very limited resources"
We shot on an Alexa Mini LF, mainly using David's own Leica Noctilux, but we also had Focus Canning's Astro Berlin Pan-Tachar primes, which we loved playing with.
A DP's personal glass is a real and under-discussed part of low-budget production economics: the look of a great many videos is, in practice, whatever the cinematographer already owns.
The karaoke autocue is the transferable trick. Cut the lyric video first and play it next to the lens, and a performer who cannot memorise a lyric can still hit every word.
On the reception, which has become its own story:
The idea that you have to answer questions on AI because the kids' performances were 'too good to be real' is a fascinating place to be as filmmakers.
Crew named: Harrison Newman (gaffer), Richard Fearon (colourist), Katie McGoldrick (costume), Heather Basten (casting), Keri Rothwell Douglas (producer), Ross Aitken (artwork).
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