Search for lenses, articles and help
Loosely based on Émile Zola’s 1883 novel The Ladies’ Paradise, the series, follows ambitious Denise Lovett (Joanna...
“Loosely based on Émile Zola’s 1883 novel The Ladies’ Paradise, the series, follows ambitious Denise Lovett (Joanna Vanderham) as she joins the staff of the first department store in a thriving North East city, and falls for its charming, reckless owner John Moray (Emun Elliot). The store, which is slowly throttling the city’s artisans, is an intoxicating maze of fabrics, feathers, gleaming trinkets and sparkling crystalware. The video is a cutdown from the 4 episodes that Simon Richards shot.”
Lens/Camera Information
Lens series: S4/i primes
Focus lengths: 12mm, 14mm, 16mm, 18mm, 21mm, 25mm, 27mm, 32mm, 35mm, 40mm, 50mm, 65mm, 75mm, 100mm, 135mm, 150mm all at T2
Non Cooke lenses: 24-290mm Angenieux Optimo Zoom T2.8, 15-40mm Angenieux Optimo Zoom T2.6
Camera: Arri Alexa
Original Aspect Ratio: 1.78.1
Format: Digital
Rental Company: Panavision UK https://uk.panavision.co.uk
DOP Information
Director of Photography: Simon Richards http://www.simonjrichards.com
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonjrichards/
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/simonjrichards
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonjrichardsdop/
Agent: United Artists http://www.unitedagents.co.uk
Production Information
Production: BBC The Paradise Production Company: BBC Drama / Masterpiece (PBS)
Director: David Drury (Ep 2, 3 & 8), Marc Jobst (Ep 7)
Producer: Simon Lewis
Website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00vhpsv
IMDB link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2391224
DOP Simon Richards on his camera and lens choice:
“The S4’s have always been one of my favourite set of lenses, both on film and digital. This was actually my first foray into digital capture on long form, and my first on an episodic, but thankfully I took over on the second block from Alan Almond, whom I knew well, and respected his work. The camera package was actually already decided upon, but fortuitously this would have also been my choice. I came on board in collaboration with David Drury, a wonderful director whom I knew well, and thankfully he wanted us to bring our own look to our episodes, so I was not forced into following another DP’s look. I also thought the S4’s, and the look of Cooke lenses, greatly suited the sumptuous period look, the wonderful costumes and sets with candles and oil lamps that we were able to photograph. I also preferred to shoot with a Schneider 1/4 or 1/8 Black frost, which blooms subtly with highlights, and takes the edge of the harshness of digital without diffusing the overall image too drastically nor spoiling the quality of these lenses. ”
