THE BLOG
Behind the Lens
Stories from set. Lessons from the edit. Gear that works. Written by Michael Franceschini, CSC Associate Cinematographer.
MORE STORIES
How Film Festivals Actually Work: A Filmmaker's Guide
After 22+ award wins and festival screenings across multiple documentaries, here's what I wish someone had told me before I submitted my first film. The festival circuit has rules nobody writes down — here they are.
The Best Cinema Cameras for Documentary Filmmaking in 2026
Documentary filmmaking demands a different camera than narrative or commercial work. You need reliability, low-light performance, and the ability to shoot for hours without overheating. Here's my honest take on what works in the field — based on actual documentary production, not spec sheets.
Shooting WHIP CREAM: My First Big DP Job
I'd never shot anything this big. 5 weeks, 3-4 scenes a day, 1 hour to light each one. Canon C50 and Contax Zeiss primes. The Sopranos was the visual inspiration from the writers' room. Here's what I learned on my first TV series as DP.
How CAPE FEAR Uses Color to Build Suspense — A Cinematography Study
Apple TV+'s CAPE FEAR, produced by Scorsese and Spielberg with Nick Antosca showrunning, premiered this summer. The psychological thriller uses a specific color language to create tension. Here's what cinematographers can learn from watching it frame by frame.
The Gentlemen and the Case for Simple, Confident Cinematography
Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen looks effortless, but it's built on restraint. Color, wardrobe, and set dressing do half the storytelling. Rewatching both seasons reminded me that when the script is solid and the acting is great, the smartest thing is to go back to basics.
TIFF 2026: Why the Toronto International Film Festival Still Matters
TIFF 2026 opens September 10. Opening night: Sian Heder's Being Heumann. Closing: Villeneuve documentary. New film market launching. For Canadian filmmakers, this is the festival that matters most — here's why.
Shooting PADRE PIO: Cinematography Across 10 Italian Towns
We traveled to Italy with a two-man crew and a historian — San Giovanni Rotondo, Pietrelcina, Sant'Angelo, Panni. Guided by Capuchin friars into the monastery where Padre Pio lived for 50 years. Here's what it took to shoot an award-winning documentary in thousand-year-old towns with a Sony A7S II, Canon glass, and a gimbal on my back.
Inside the Edit: How We Cut a Feature Documentary in Montreal
Most people see the finished film. They don't see the months of editing that made it work — the footage that didn't make the cut, the story that revealed itself slowly, the score that had to be rewritten three times. Here's what actually happens in the edit suite.
Why Owning Your Gear Matters in Film Production
Most production companies rent. We own. Here's why that matters for your budget, your timeline, and the quality of your film — and why I made the decision to invest in a full cinema package.
Shooting an Epic: What The Odyssey's Cinematography Teaches Us
Hoyte van Hoytema shot Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey across six countries in 91 days — real locations, portable LED rigs, firelight color temperature. Here's what a $160M epic can teach every cinematographer, no matter the budget.
From PA to DP: My 12-Year Journey in Film Production
I started as a production assistant carrying C-stands. Twelve years later, I'm a CSC Associate cinematographer running my own production company in Montreal. Here's the real story of how it happened — the grind, the breaks, and the lessons along the way.
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