Articles by Adrian Pennington
Lol Crawley, DoP

Behind the scenes: The Brutalist

Cinematographer Lol Crawley finds the monumental visual language to capture an artform that is essentially static.

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Digital Catapult: AI innovations to supercharge the creative industries

Accelerated VFX workflows, video game characters you can converse with, and auto-generated visual experiences from sound for XR headsets are just some of the AI innovations devised by start-ups as part of a recent Digital Catapult programme. Adrian Pennington reports.

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Behind the scenes: Bringing live deepfakes to the fore in Here

The breakthrough in the making of Here was not the authenticity of a de-aged Tom Hanks, but that the face-swapping technique could be achieved live on set.

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 “Deepfakes are so dangerous because they risk polluting the entire information ecosystem and eroding people’s notion of trust”

ITN: Fighting to keep trust in news

News organisations face an increasing arms race against AI companies to protect the authenticity of the content reaching audiences through their channels. AI-powered deepfake content risks polluting the entire information ecosystem, says ITN’s Tami Hoffman, “What happens when people just don’t believe what they see?” Adrian Pennington finds out.

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Writer, executive producer and director Alfonso Cuarón with executive producer and cinematographer Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki, on location in Forte dei Marmi, Italy.

Behind the Scenes: Disclaimer

For all the slippery perspectives in psychological thriller Disclaimer, the truth is lying in plain sight, explains Editor Adam Gough.

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Inside Media Village Sound Stage

RSIFF: Kingdom underlines ambitions to become filmmaking powerhouse

Saudi Arabia's cinema market is experiencing a cultural renaissance, driven by increasing local productions and a growing appetite for diverse storytelling, reports Adrian Pennington from the Red Sea International Film Festival.

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(L to R) Director of Photography Stéphane Fontaine and actor Ralph Fiennes on the set of Director Edward Berger’s CONCLAVE, a Focus Features release

Behind the Scenes: Conclave

Mystery, suspense and a game of thrones in the Vatican lensed by cinematographer Stéphane Fontaine.

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Centre L-R - Cynthia Erivo (as Elphaba), Director Jon M. Chu, and Ariana Grande (as Glinda) on the set of Wicked

Behind the Scenes: Wicked

Opposing colours in the same frame, 6000 lightning cues and shooting 17 sound stages - one the size of four American football fields, all merit why Wicked is the ‘latest hurrah to the golden days of epic studio filmmaking,’ writes Adrian Pennington.

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Steve McQueen in Blitz, now streaming on Apple TV+

Behind the Scenes: Blitz

The director of 12 Years A Slave and Small Axe has created a historical aesthetic of a tragic and turbulent London, depicting lives subjected to a permanent black out, in Blitz, Steve McQueen’s new film based on authentic anecdotes and inspired by filmmaker archives of the era.

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Ed Lachman, on set of Maria

Camerimage: “We have to be part of the change”

A usually quiet show dedicated to cinematography erupted into controversy around female representation.

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