James Laxton, ASC came to Beef for its second season as the one new voice in a room that had already made something people loved. His job, as he saw it, was to carry forward what Beef is at the level of shot structure, whose shoulder the camera sits over, whose scene it is, how far back the wide holds, while telling a different story than Season 1.
He and host Jared Levy get into the season's organizing idea: four couples as four seasons, spring to winter, an ensemble led by Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Charles Melton, and Cailee Spaeny, and a color language built with the production designer, Grace, to track love across a lifetime. Laxton talks through shooting large format, 65mm, for the weight it gives a face, the episode-eight silhouettes he is proudest of, and the night he calls "impending doom," a car fight shot at the end of an already full day, where the thing he feared most was not the lighting but letting the actors down.
CREDITS
James Laxton, ASC
Instagram · Website · IMDb
Jared Levy, host
Instagram · Website · IMDb
David Kruta, producer
Instagram · Website · IMDb
Topher Hammond, producer
Instagram
MUSIC
Original music by One Wave.
THE SALON
Episode page and full gallery: https://cinematographysalon.com/podcast/james-laxton-asc-beef-season-2
Newsletter and events: cinematographysalon.com
Instagram: @cinematographysalon
PRESENTING SPONSOR
This episode is made possible by Fujifilm — home of the GFX Eterna 55, the large format, IMAX-certified cinema camera, and FUJINON cinema lenses. https://fujifilm-x.com
SUPPORT THE SALON
The podcast, the writing, and both Resources tools are free. No paywall, no membership, no login. That is on purpose: learning to light a scene should not depend on what you can afford. Sponsors cover part of it and readers cover the rest. If you want to chip in, it starts at the price of a coffee a month at https://cinematographysalon.com/support. If your company wants to reach working cinematographers, get in touch at https://cinematographysalon.com/sponsors.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
Stay Connected
