August 31, 2026
Shot Talk – DTF St. Louis with Showrunner Steven Conrad & DP James Whitaker, ASC
Summary
In this episode of Shot Talk, Lawrence Sher, ASC sits down with Showrunner/Writer/Director Steve Conrad & DP James Whitaker, ASC for an in depth conversation about their work on the Emmy-nominated series DTF St. Louis.
From their approach to storyboarding the series in pre-production, to how they captured a stylized suburbia with a blend of real locations and liminal stage builds, the duo breaks down the creative process behind the critically-acclaimed series.
Key moments
- 00:02:55 The Origins of DTF St. Louis
- 00:04:40 Building Suspense Into a Modern Noir
- 00:05:29 Changing the Visual Approach for a New Cast
- 00:07:37 Shooting More Coverage with LED Lighting
- 00:09:30 Controlling Daylight Exteriors
- 00:12:00 Creating Consistent Winter Light in Suburban Atlanta
- 00:13:50 Building a Crew Around Trust
- 00:17:15 Scene Breakdown: Jason Bateman’s Intro
- 00:19:45 Using Prosthetics to Transform David Harbour
- 00:21:23 Lighting Close Ups in a Natural Way
- 00:23:33 Balancing Comedy and Emotional Weight with Great Actors
- 00:31:40 Scene Breakdown: The Swing Set
- 00:40:07 Why Testing and “Day Zero” Matters
- 00:41:40 The Importance of Establishing On Set Principles
- 00:45:00 Designing Action Scenes
- 00:47:25 Making Decisions as a Showrunner
- 00:52:02 Storyboards as a Jumping Off Point to Create Your Own
- 00:53:02 Creating a Modern Noir
- 00:56:13 Elevating the Footage in Color Timing
- 00:59:48 Developing the Look and Building the LUT
- 01:02:35 Testing the Alexa 265 and Prime DNA Lenses
- 01:03:22 The Trials of Shooting on Location
- 01:05:20 Avoiding TV Tropes in Interrogation Scenes
- 01:07:50 Building the Sheriff’s Office
- 01:09:23 Creating a Single Source “Sun” on a Soundstage
- 01:11:00 Photographing Richard Jenkins
- 01:13:06 Trusting Actors to Discover Their Blocking
- 01:16:34 Trusting Your Instincts When Staging a Scene
- 01:17:50 Using Two Cameras to Find More Meaningful Angles
- 01:19:40 Scene Breakdown: The Roller Rink
- 01:23:35 Programming Moving Lights and Lighting to the Beat
- 01:25:40 Lens Choices: 58mm, 80mm & 120mm
- 01:26:06 How to Film an Actor Thinking
- 01:28:10 Writing Believable Dialogue
- 01:31:14 The Recurring Themes in Steve Conrad’s Work
- 01:37:00 Handling the Ups and Downs of the Filmmaking Career
- 01:40:30 Pick the Right Partners and Make Work That Speaks for You
