The cinematographer Vincent Eckert in a new lighting breakdown for “Daemonicon” Pilot.

Hello everyone, and welcome back to our magazine! We’re featuring a cinematographer we’ve already interviewed for his stunning work on Martyrs of Striving: Vincent Eckert!

Vincent is known for his refined approach to lighting, both in exterior and interior settings. His distinctive style stands out for the evocative use of natural light, as seen in his work in complex environments like forests.

If you missed it, we highly recommend taking a look. Incredible visuals, and lots of filmmaking insights! This time, Vincent brings us an exclusive breakdown of his recent work Daemonicon, where he once again shines as the cinematographer.

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Let’s dive into the director of photography notes:

“On some nights, we shot 6 minutes of film per shooting day, with several location changes around the castle. We needed a fast, simple, and effective lighting setup without compromising quality. 

To achieve this, we gave the actors lanterns or torches in certain scenes so they were always lit, and we used a portable Carpetlight 42 to extend this lighting for medium shots. Additionally, for the exterior castle areas, we used the tower for the base light – our cherry picker at no extra cost. I reflected M40s off mirrors rigged outside. With its 2500 Base ISO, the Sony Venice saved us from having to haul larger units up the tower.

Scene inside the castle hall.

For the scenes inside the castle hall, I mostly used candlelight, extending it as needed. In some areas, we rigged Asteras to the ceiling to enhance the moonlight coming from outside. This kept the number of lights in the set to a minimum, speeding up the lighting process.

To keep the camera work agile and flexible, I sometimes mounted the Sony Rialto on a Cartoni 25, set up on a Vario Jib with dolly and tracks. This allowed me to quickly capture all the angles and heights I needed in the room with a single camera setup.”

Using Cinema 4D tool.

“When working with set constructions, 3D visualization using Cinema 4D is an invaluable tool for me. It allows the director and me to meticulously plan shot compositions and explore every possible angle and setup before construction even begins. This workflow enables me to give detailed feedback to the production designer—whether it’s about adding movable walls, adjusting the size of a table, shifting the placement of a window, or reducing costs by avoiding unnecessary set areas.

Instead of relying solely on a top-down floor plan, we can virtually step into the scene to get an initial sense of how the space functions, which helps us prepare the shot list with precision. It also facilitates collaboration with the gaffer to refine the lighting plan. For complex VFX shots, the director and I can experiment with various ideas before moving into previs with the post-production team.”

3D visualization.

“Even when set builds aren’t involved, 3D visualization remains incredibly useful. Pre-production time on location is sometimes limited, but by using 360-degree images and a few measurements, I can later reconstruct the space in 3D and explore all possibilities with the director again. While Cinetracer is another option, I find that Cinema 4D allows me to work much faster and more flexibly due to my experience with it. Depending on their complexity, many of these reconstructions take around 20 minutes.”

“This approach ensures that we arrive on set with a well-thought-out plan, having already anticipated potential challenges. While unforeseen issues may still arise during filming, we always have a strong foundation to adapt from. At the same time, I believe it’s essential to leave room for spontaneity—this is often where the most creative ideas emerge, ones you couldn’t have planned for in advance.”

Thank you so much, Vincent, for sharing your experience and these valuable insights with the community!

Thank you fam for reading, if you wanna learn more about Vincent Eckert, go check his website and his Instagram, and in case you missed our previous mag piece, check it out!

Much love!
FilmmakersWorld Team

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