LEICESTER, England—Cooke Optics’ S7/i Full Frame Plus prime lenses have joined the production of Netflix’s original series “Dead to Me,” starring Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini.
The goal in bringing in the Cooke Optics lenses was for the show to maintain its look from the first season, but for the lead actresses to have a “warmer” look on screen, according to Toby Oliver, ASC, the show’s cinematographer.
The S7/i lenses were used with Sony Venice cameras in 6K mode for production, using all of the full-frame sensor. Oliver’s kit had seven Cooke S7/i lenses, ranging from 25mm to 135mm (25mm, 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, 75mm, 100mm and 135mm).
“With the Cookes, I had more flexibility, but they also gave me an edge in making the actresses look good, while keeping the overall tone continuous from season one to season two,” said Oliver.
Additional benefits of the Cooke lenses, according to Oliver, was the ability to add a softness to shooting in 6K digital; different options when shooting in full-frame mode; and the ability to collect detailed lens data for reference and have it displayed on the monitor.
The second season of “Dead to Me” is available on Netflix now.
