Don't Overcomplicate It: Finding Cinematic Magic in the Everyday

Sometimes the most creative thing you can do is not overcomplicate what’s already right in front of you.

That couldn't have been truer on a recent project. We were asked by our close friend, actor and Director Paul Clayton, to shoot a short scene of him acting alongside John Rees Walker for John’s new showreel. We were delighted to be involved.

From the start, we set ourselves a deliberate challenge: to go lightweight, take a different approach, and prioritise experimentation. That was the driving reason behind limiting ourselves to a single camera (Sony FX6), a single light source (Aputure 600D), and fully utilising our new set of prime cine lenses (DZOFilm Vespid 2s).

There were practical benefits to this setup, too. Being on the third floor of an old building with just two crew and no lift meant a smaller footprint was essential. Crucially, it meant that within our tight three-hour window, we had the time to truly play with how we filmed the scene.

The location did a lot of the work for us. Three huge windows flooded the room with natural light, while floor-to-ceiling voile drapes billowed in the wind. Rather than fighting this ethereal movement, we embraced it, using the windows as a natural place to motivate the 600D from.

Because we weren't managing complex setups, we could focus entirely on the scene's visual rhythm:

We used traditional dirty over-the-shoulders to maintain closeness, moving to clean singles when the friction between the characters increased.

We experimented with unconventional angles, including a low extreme close-up to create a heightened sense of unease, allowing the smallest changes in performance to carry significant weight.

By capturing multiple subtle variations of each angle, we ensured the final edit never settled into a predictable rhythm, heightening the tension as the conversation developed.

We decided to deliver the final film in black and white, giving a classic twist to a present-day scene. The white drapes and contrast within the room allowed us to push the highlights and shadows, creating a beautiful fall-off across both actors’ faces.

Overall, this was a brilliant project to shoot. No huge crew. No van full of lights. No complicated setup.

Just working with the environment, making deliberate choices with the camera and lighting, and giving ourselves enough time to experiment. Sometimes the simple approach creates some wonderful results.