December 16, 2024
Shot Talk – Rez Ball with Dir. Sydney Freeland & DP Kira Kelly, ASC
Summary
In this episode of Shot Talk, Lawrence Sher, ASC sits down with director Sydney Freeland and cinematographer Kira Kelly, ASC for an in-depth conversation about their Netflix sports drama Rez Ball.
From discussing how they tackled filming intense multi-cam basketball scenes, to how they worked around a limited shooting window, Sydney and Kira offer an insider’s look into the creative journey they took to bring this film to life.
Key moments
- 00:01:35 Sydney’s Path to the Project
- 00:03:52 Why Kira: Finding the Right Cinematographer
- 00:05:09 Kira’s First Impressions and Shooting Anamorphic
- 00:07:06 Landscape as a Character: Open Skies and Endless Horizon
- 00:08:13 Shooting the Reservation: Heavy Prep, Plates and the Alexa 35
- 00:11:03 Basketball and Casting: 5,000 Submissions for 10 Roles
- 00:14:20 Shooting 29 Days, 11 Games and the Three Camera Ramp Effect
- 00:17:06 Reference Films and the Split Court In Camera Montage
- 00:22:02 Lighting the Tunnel Walk and the Philosophy of Subtracting Equipment
- 00:23:30 Finding the Key Home Gym and Filling the Arena
- 00:26:03 Culture and Tradition: The Funeral Ceremony
- 00:34:53 How Tradition Shaped the Whole Shoot
- 00:37:50 The Volume Stage: Bringing the Reservation to Albuquerque
- 00:44:29 Scene Breakdown: The Free Throw and Building Jimmy’s Headspace
- 00:47:05 LeBron, ESPN and Directing Scott Van Pelt from a Van
- 00:49:30 Q&A: The Dos and Don’ts of Shot Listing
- 00:51:27 Q&A: Working with Basketball Choreographer Mike Fisher
- 00:54:31 Q&A: Camera Mechanics of Shooting Basketball
- 00:57:10 Closing Reflections: What We Learned (Don’t Work with Sheep)
