Join the Art of the Shot podcast for an exclusive conversation with the director of photography and production designer of Dune: Greig Fraser, ASC, ACS and Patrice Vermette.
Dune is what many are calling the definitive big-screen adaptation of Frank Herbert’s landmark science fiction novel of the same name, first published in 1965. Dune has been director Denis Villeneuve’s fantasy project since he first dreamed of becoming a film director, and it shows. The massive scale, the mythic imagery, the futuristic-Brutalism meets Mesopotamian architecture, and that epic score from Hans Zimmer… No wonder Dune is already a part of the awards conversation.
If you love cinema, do yourself a favor and go see it in IMAX while it's still playing there. And if you don't love cinema, what are you doing listening to a filmmaking podcast?! Also, if you don't love cinema, go see Dune in IMAX. You will fall in love with cinema.
On the day that Dune: Part Two was officially announced, I had the opportunity to speak with Greig and Patrice despite them being between 8 and 18 hours ahead of me. It's absolutely a conversation I was willing to stay up past midnight to have, and I hope you enjoy.
In this exclusive conversation between the two of them, you’ll discover:
—How DP Greig Fraser got involved in Dune. (00:04:40)
—How Denis Villeneuve's films result from a deep collaboration among departments. (00:06:04)
—The early discussions on the visual identity of Dune. (00:08:49)
—How filmmaking is like being in a band. (00:14:46)
—How the "perfect collaboration" between Patrice and Greig was the realization of a lifelong dream. (00:15:49)
—The "glowglobe" as an example of the collaboration between Greig and Patrice. (00:16:59)
—How Patrice determined the design aesthetic for Dune. (00:19:38)
—Greig's approach to lighting the massive sets, which he calls "the most challenging lighting job I'd ever done”. (00:25:17)
—Greig's love of LED film lighting. (00:29:17)
—The creation of the ornate hand-carved panels in the Atreides residence and in Arrakeen. (00:31:51)
—The thick blast doors in Arrakeen as an example of how limitations often lead to the best solutions. (00:35:01)
—Breakdown of the arrival on Arrakis sequence. (00:40:16)
—Why both Greig and Patrice aim to simplify their work and subscribe to the philosophy of "less is more”. (00:46:33)
—What makes Denis Villeneuve a master filmmaker. (00:51:01)
—Denis and Greig's approach to blocking and coverage. (00:58:04)
—Dune's aspect ratio, depth of field, and lens choices. (01:01:36)
—The dance of the camera in the training room set. (01:06:40)
—Lighting the hunter seeker hologram sequence. (01:10:00)
—Honoring the concept art to achieve the biggest challenge making Dune. (01:15:54)
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