{"id":11441,"date":"2021-09-06T11:45:27","date_gmt":"2021-09-06T18:45:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.icgmagazine.com\/web\/?p=11441"},"modified":"2021-09-06T11:45:27","modified_gmt":"2021-09-06T18:45:27","slug":"coming-out-of-age-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.icgmagazine.com\/web\/coming-out-of-age-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Coming (Out) of Age Story"},"content":{"rendered":"

JP Wakayama’s first network series, Love, Victor<\/em>, is top-in-class with the help of Guild mentor Yasu Tanida and a think-on-the-fly production team.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

by Pauline Rogers \/ Photos Courtesy of Hulu<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Season 2 of the Hulu original series Love, Victor<\/em> (based on the groundbreaking movie Love, Simon<\/em>) continues the story of Victor Salazar (Michael Cimino), a half Puerto Rican, half Colombian American teen living in Atlanta. While Season 1 focused on Victor\u2019s journey of self-discovery, his challenges at home and a struggle with his sexual orientation, Season 2 deals with the repercussions of Victor\u2019s coming out, as he navigates friends old and new and a fresh relationship with a possible love interest, Benji Campbell (George Sear).<\/p>\n

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Wakayama says, “Production’s decision to carry the Season 1 team over,” including Chief Lighting Technician Adam Uyemura, 1st AC Chris Geukens, and Camera Operators Joseph Hernandez (above setting slider shot with lead actor Michael Cimino) and Yvonne Chu, was “critical to my own comfort and success.” \/ Photo by Greg Gayne<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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When circumstances changed and Guild Director of Photography<\/strong> Mark Schwartzbard moved on after Season 1, Production looked for a fresh pair of eyes. As incoming cinematographer JP Wakayama describes: \u201cMy mentor, Yasu Tanida [ICG Magazine February\/March 2019]<\/a>, referred me to producers Issac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger. I had tremendous respect for the quality of storytelling and character development during Season 1, and the entire creative team wanted to push that further in Season 2. I quickly aligned with EP\/Director Jason Ensler\u2019s vision, and producer Shawn Wilt provided me with the resources and a wonderful crew to accomplish an ambitious season during the pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Wakayama, Love, Victor<\/em> stands out with its quality of writing \u201cand an amazing set of unique characters that each have their own rounded vulnerability and complexity. I love how the show explores each of these storylines with its arc and truth. It creates layers and depth that feel incredibly real and that audiences ultimately can relate to.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the things that excited Wakayama was that Production decided to carry the first-season camera crew into the second season, giving him experienced talent familiar with this unique show but also a group open to growing the look to fit the story.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving a tech crew that supports you is critical,\u201d he insists. \u201cI\u2019ve known Chief Lighting Technician Adam Uyemura since high school, and he knows my sensibilities in terms of light. We have refined our workflow over the years and park our Inovativ carts right by each other, and we both monitor the image separately and give notes via wireless coms. He can then tweak all lighting remotely during the shot if something isn\u2019t working out. It speeds up the process and gives the director more shooting time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wakayama adds that \u201cwith A-camera 1st AC Chris Geukens returning from Season 1, he gave me a lot of insight, which helped me navigate the show as well as build and curate our camera package. Camera operators Joseph Hernandez, who also flew Steadicam for us, Yvonne Chu, and Justen Hernandez were also crucial members of the team on the front lines in masks and face shields, able to find the best frames to tell our story and build great relationships with our cast \u2013 with big support from B-camera firsts Cameron Carey and Brian Wells. That seasoned team knew the show but was also open to changes.\u201d<\/p>\n

The team brought in B-camera 1st ACs Brian Wells and Cameron Carey, A-Camera 2nd AC Genna Palermo, B-camera 2nd AC Loren Azlein,\u00a0and Conner Daniels as Loader and Onyx Pearl Morgan as Digital Utility to round out the crew.<\/p>\n

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1st AC Chris Guekens says, \u201cit can be difficult…trying to keep [a series] in the same world while putting your spin on it. JP did an exceptional job of keeping it grounded in the look of Season 1 while growing it as our characters\u2019 stories progressed.\u201d \/ Photo by Michael Desmond<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With the team in place, Wakayama began to explore that<\/strong> growth with Geukens. \u201cIt can be difficult taking over a show; trying to keep it in the same world while putting your spin on it,\u201d Geukens offers. \u201cJP did an exceptional job of keeping it grounded in the look of Season 1 while growing it as our characters\u2019 stories progressed.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two decided to shift the look from slightly dreamy to a more grounded real-world approach. There was talk of moving to the ALEXA MINI LF, \u201cto help differentiate the seasons while keeping the same tone and color provided by the ALEXA sensors,\u201d Geukens recalls. \u201cBut we ultimately chose to keep our camera body the same as Season 1, ALEXA Mini shooting 3.2K ProRes 4444 XD framing for a 2:1 frame line,\u201d explains Wakayama.<\/p>\n

What did<\/em> change was the lenses \u2013 an addition to the Panavision SS, US, and ZS series detuned by Dan Sasaki. \u201cThe camera tests introduced the team to the new prototype spherical lenses designed by the special optics group,\u201d Wakayama adds. \u201cIn the end, we went out with two sets of the prototypes and a few SS\/US series primes. We can\u2019t thank Panavision\u2019s David Dodson enough for helping us get those lenses onto the job. I think we were one of the first series to take those lenses out for a long stretch of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wakayama says Season 2 relied heavily on \u201cour show LUT and lensing. I worked early on with final colorist Kris Santa Cruz at SIM International to create a production LUT that got us close to the direction of our final color. I love to spend time early on perfecting this so I can be bold on set and light to it in terms of contrast and color.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam Uyemura and I calibrated our light meters to our show LUT, so we knew where things would fall,\u201d he continues. \u201cWithout a dedicated DIT, I had to keep my eye on exposures and color balance for every shot \u2013 and having one show LUT throughout gave me the ability to adjust color temps in camera. As a result, every director\/producer would see on set a close version of what the dailies would look like the next day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wakayama intended to push for a cinematic look and a formal shooting style. \u201cI strive to ground the cinematography in story and character and not draw too much attention to it \u2013 to let the actors do the work,\u201d he explains. \u201cI love to add mood when a scene is calling for it, and this was done primarily with lighting and framing, but it\u2019s always motivated by what the actors are experiencing. There is subjectivity within those moments that we wanted to explore and give the audience access to that vulnerability.\u201d<\/p>\n

Uyemura and Wakayama decided to start from scratch in terms of lighting. \u201cKnowing a large portion of my budget would go to stage set exteriors, we decided to keep the stage rigs simple\/flexible,\u201d Uyemura recalls. \u201cInstead of going the traditional tungsten route, we opted for 18K HMI bounces from the ground and used M40s on truss for directional, hard light. Using fewer units, we could light with about 70 percent of the Season 1 budget, gain a couple of stops of output, and start with a more favorable daylight color balance. Interiors were mainly lit with practicals and supplemented with SkyPanels, L series, and LiteMat.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Colorist Kris Santa Cruz (SIM International) created a “production LUT that got us close to the direction of our final color,” Wakayama describes. “I love to spend time early on perfecting this so I can be bold on the set and light to it in terms of contrast and color.” \/ Photo by Patrick Wymore<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Time was key to making this second season work.<\/strong> \u201cWith limited time with our rigging crew, all tweaks during the season had to be made with set lighting, so we worked with Key Grip Randy Tambling to rig big overheads out windows for HMI units from the floor that worked double duty, creating a north light ambiance into the set and lighting our backings,\u201d Uyemura continues. \u201cWe would supplement any hard sun by direct 4K\u2019s wearing orange to create further color separation.\u201d<\/p>\n

For night work, the decision was to motivate from interior practicals, with the occasional moon or sodium vapor through windows depending on the side of the apartment they were looking at in relation to the actual location. \u201cWe tend to like our practicals played brighter and to light the scene rather than dimming them down to unrealistic levels and supplementing with units overhead,\u201d Uyemura notes.<\/p>\n

COVID added a bit of a complication in this interior setup. \u201cWe had to have flyaway ceilings and as much air ventilation as possible,\u201d Wakayama explains. \u201cWithout natural bounce-back from ceilings, we battled falloff and contrast deeper into the rooms. For this, we extended daylight motivated from the windows using wireless controlled SkyPanels s60 through an 8-by-8 T-Bone with light grid. We always tried to keep the wrap minimal and make it feel like a natural bounce-back. COVID rules also excluded the use of atmosphere, so we generally wore a Tiffen Low Contrast filter in the box to bloom highlights and add a touch of atmospheric feeling to the room.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring the COVID peak, I\u2019d say the number-one most beneficial thing was the use of wireless DMX 100 percent of the time,\u201d Uyemura states. \u201cThe guys could set lights or make adjustments and immediately walk away. From there, we had full control outside, at our carts. That drastically reduced the amount of time we had to be in the bubble on set or close to cast and other crew.\u201d<\/p>\n

COVID impacted the choice of gear in other ways. \u201cTo keep people distant, we made heavy use of the Teradek Serv Pros to allow those who needed to see a monitor to watch from their devices,\u201d Guekens adds. \u201cWe also used a ClearView Flex provided by Sohonet to allow for encrypted live streaming of all cameras to anyone working off-site. It was great to be able to work in real-time with the writers\u2019 room and VFX team without their having to wait through the COVID testing cycle needed to physically come to set.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Uyemura says the most beneficial thing about the COVID-19 safety protocols was the use of wireless DMX 100 percent of the time. “We could set lights or make adjustments and walk away…while maintaining full control at our carts. That drastically reduced the time we had to be in the bubble, or close to cast and other crew.” \/ Photo by Patrick Wymore<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Although COVID was always in the back of everyone\u2019s mind,<\/strong> the Love, Victor <\/em>team tried to \u201cgrow\u201d the story thematically and visually. So, now that the arduous Season 2 is behind them \u2013 and the crew can look back \u2013 what stands out?<\/p>\n

Wakayama\u2019s first thought is Episode One, where Rachel Hilson\u2019s character Mia gets takeout from a Chinese Restaurant and runs into her love interest, Andrew (Mason Gooding). \u201cFor scheduling, it was best to recreate the street scene on the studio lot,\u201d Wakayama recounts. \u201cWe utilized FOX\u2019s famous New York street built for the 1969 film Hello, Dolly<\/em>. Production Designer Cece De Stefano and Art Director Elizabeth Newton assisted us with adding neon signs and outfitting surrounding storefronts with practicals to use as a base, and ACLT Noah Cruz worked with Adam [Uyemura] to devise a plan for a 65-foot Condor wearing an S360 and an S60, both controlled wirelessly for our backlight washes, assisted by a generous wet-down of the street. Locally, we wrapped and extended practicals using a 12\u00d7 shoot-through and S60 through 4\u00d74 for close-ups.\u201d<\/p>\n

The DP says he opted for studio mode instead of Steadicam to maintain a more formal frame and laid dolly track for the final movement that brought Mia from the sidewalk around to her car to finish the scene. \u201cThe idea was to keep the movement specific and minimal, allowing Rachel Hilson to guide the audience with her performance and anxiety for this public encounter with her ex,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n

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Shooting inside St. James Episcopal Church, in L.A’s Koreatown, with a Chapman MiniScope 7, allowed operator Joe Hernandez to achieve the whole scene in base positions. “Joe is a problem solver and can adapt very quickly,” Wakayama praises. “I trusted his sensibilities regarding framing ideas and shot workflow.\u201d \/ Photo by Michael Desmond<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Locations were always fun. Take the big turning point<\/strong> for Victor, who accompanies his mom to church to listen to her lead the choir. \u201cWe were at St. James Episcopal Church in Koreatown, and we had a lot of material to cover,\u201d Wakayama remembers. \u201cTo assist with logistics, we lit the scene with two 4K tungsten units inside a 7-by-14-foot overhead tubular balloon and brought in textures through stained glass with S60s and M18s. It was a subjective moment for Victor, and we needed to be physically close to him with the camera while also allowing ourselves flexibility with movement and coverage. Randy [Tambling] secured a Chapman MiniScope 7 operated by Joe [Hernandez] to achieve the whole scene in just base positions. Joe is a problem solver and can adapt very quickly. I welcomed his creative input and trusted his sensibilities regarding framing ideas and shot workflow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scheduling restrictions often inspired creativity, such as for an added night-driving scene in the season finale in which Andrew drives Mia to see her mom. \u201cWe did poor-man\u2019s process outside our stage and keyed with a mix of Astera Titan and Arri SkyPanels programmed in a chase by Adam [Uyemura],\u201d Wakayama explains. \u201cAdam was able to pre-program a few sequences and could play with them live. We slightly misted the windows and added distant city lights using a horizontal pipe rig on a lateral dolly. The rig carried Titan tubes that we blacked out and carefully cut pinholes in various locations to give us some bokeh flavor.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was one of those scenes we added onto the end of the day,\u201d he adds. \u201cA-camera worked off a jib for correction and subtle movement while B-camera Operator Justen Hernandez framed three-quarter shots along the hood. We finished in time to make our day.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Operator Yvonne Chu says a relatively simple bar scene\u00a0illustrates the trust the Love, Victor<\/em> camera team shared. \u201cThe director and JP had me set up this alternate wide down the bar,” Chu recalls, “…and I noticed a reflection of [the actors’] torsos in the bar. I knew if I got the lens at the right height, I could get their faces in the reflection.\u201d \/ \u00a0Photo by Greg Gayne<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How could a story about a young man navigating<\/strong> high school not touch hallways, classrooms, or the schoolyard? Operator Yvonne Chu says she always liked \u201cshooting the dance\/band\/basketball scenes. I like being able to run around with the camera and find shots. The basketball scenes were especially fun and difficult. You\u2019re always trying to get in there to get the shot, but at the same time, trying not to get hit by the players or the ball. Michael (Cimino) ran into me (while hand-holding the camera) once. Luckily no one was hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wakayama says they tried to approach the basketball work by \u201ctracking our main character\u2019s progression through the scene while also featuring the dynamics and chaos surrounding us. We had two main setups that we utilized. The first was a long dolly track along the whole sideline of the court that carried both dollies and cameras tracking different action on our Panavision zooms. The second was a mixture of Steadicam operated by Joe while B-camera, operated by Yvonne, was adding a controlled head vibe to catch beats of Michael gaining confidence and being supported by his teammates.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Chu, there\u2019s one scene that illustrates the enormous trust the Love, Victor<\/em> camera team shared. \u201cIt\u2019s when Armando meets Simon\u2019s dad at a bar,\u201d she explains. \u201cThe director and JP had me set up this alternate wide down the bar, and while I was setting it up, I noticed that there was a reflection of their torsos in the bar. I knew if I got the lens at the right height, I could get their faces in the reflection.\u201d Wakayama smiles, noting, \u201cI love utilizing B-camera for opportunities on the days that weren\u2019t shot-listed or conceived in prep. I leaned on Yvonne to help me improvise these moments that add depth, texture, and mood.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A scene inside Victor’s high school gym featured a sideline track carrying both dollies “and cameras tracking different action on Panavision zooms,” Wakayama recalls. “The other set-up was Steadicam, operated by Joe [Hernandez], with Yvonne, on B-Camera, adding a controlled head vibe to catch beats of Michael being supported by his teammates.\u201d \/ Photo by Michael Desmond<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The mention of a bar scene spurs Geukens\u2019 memory.<\/strong> Victor takes Rahim (Anthony Keyvan) to a gay bar, much like how Victor was taken by Simon\u2019s friends in Season 1. \u201cOur director, Kevin Rodney Sullivan, had a clear vision for the camera blocking in that scene,\u201d Geukens recounts. \u201cAll of the light in the room came from LED tubes rigged as practical fixtures, allowing us to see almost the entire bar in the opening shot and move quickly for the coverage on Steadicam. The karaoke portion was done mostly with a Chapman Miniscope that allowed for some great camera movement within the small practical set.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m excited any time our characters explore locations outside of our school environment,\u201d Wakayama adds. \u201cIn this case, we were experiencing a first with Rahim, and we wanted to bring the audience along for that journey. We treated the karaoke as a performance but maintained a subjectivity of the two bonding over the song.\u201d<\/p>\n

Love, Victor<\/em>\u2019s season finale is key to the story arc, and the team needed to pull it off with as much creativity as allowed. \u201cIt\u2019s where Victor attends a wedding for Mia\u2019s father and has an epiphany about his relationship and who he wants to be with,\u201d Wakayama explains. \u201cHe runs from the party at night through neighborhood streets and ends up at an unmarked door of the person he chooses, a cliffhanger for Season 3.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Guild camera team accomplished the sequence in a series of shots, using different locations over a week of shooting. \u201cWe used an e-car with Joseph Hernandez operating Steadicam for running shots and a Moviebird 35\/45 for a sweeping shot of Victor running over a train bridge,\u201d Wakayama describes. \u201cThe producers wanted to leave Victor\u2019s choice open to interpretation, so we purposely threw any reference to backgrounds out of focus and lit the scene in a way that wasn\u2019t specific to which house he was at.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s so fun when the fans create online videos and blog posts about their theories of Victor\u2019s choice,\u201d he adds. \u201cOne of the most enjoyable things about working on the show is its community of fans. I believe that positive response is due in part to the amazing writers, producers, talent, and my crew \u2013 who bring this show to life.\u201d<\/p>\n

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When Victor takes Rahim (Anthony Keyvan, right) to a gay bar for the first time, Director Kevin Rodney Sullivan had a clear vision for camera blocking \u00a0\u201cAll of the light in the room came from LED tubes rigged as practical fixtures,” Guekens explains, “allowing us to see almost the entire bar in the opening shot and move quickly for the coverage on Steadicam.” \/ Photo by Patrick Wymore<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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What\u2019s in store for Season 3?\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cIt was recently announced, so we don\u2019t have any specifics to storylines,\u201d Wakayama concludes. \u201cBut as Season 2 has accomplished, I expect the audience to get clarity on some of the most anticipated cliffhangers. The exploration of new relationships and challenging our characters is always a goal, and diving into the visuals to represent those areas is something I look forward to tremendously. I want to thank my Local 600 crew for having my back \u2013 and Yasu Tanida for his support and guidance throughout my first season.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tanida says that because he had a long association with Aptaker and Berger from This <\/em>Is Us<\/em> when they asked for a DP reference, he was thrilled to recommend JP, whom he calls \u201ca perfect fit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI talked with the producers and executives at Disney to let them know that JP\u2019s work on Youth and Consequences<\/em>, shooting a young cast with limited resources, was very impressive,\u201d Tanida recalls.\u201d JP has hopeful energy and wanted an opportunity to prove that he could perform on a bigger canvas. Our relationship \u2013 still to this day \u2013 is about answering any questions or concerns: from technical stuff to how to put a team together, to collaborating with above-the-line cast and crew. I was in JP\u2019s shoes with my first network series many years ago, so I wanted to let him know how to navigate those challenges and to help put him at ease.\u201d<\/p>\n

On a more personal level, Tanida continues, \u201cwe are both Japanese American and it always feels good to help advance someone\u2019s career, especially if they haven\u2019t had that opportunity given to them yet.\u00a0Most importantly, it was about letting JP know that it was fine to be himself. He is uniquely different from every other DP, with his style and ideas, and he should let those qualities shine through. That is, after all, who they hired.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Guild DP Yasu\u00a0Tanida recommended Wakayama (above on Love, Victor\u00a0<\/em>set) to\u00a0<\/em>producers Issac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, and Disney executives. “Most importantly [my mentorship] was about letting JP know it was fine to be himself,” Tanida describes. “He is uniquely different from every other DP, with his style and ideas, and he should let those qualities shine through. That is, after all, who they hired.\u201d \/ Photo courtesy of Adam Uyemura<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

ICG Local 600 Crew: Love, Victor<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Director of Photography: John \u201cJP\u201d Wakayama<\/p>\n

A-Camera Operator\/Steadicam: Joseph B. Hernandez<\/p>\n

A-Camera 1st<\/sup> AC: Chris Geukens<\/p>\n

A-Camera 2nd<\/sup> AC: Genna Palermo<\/p>\n

B-Camera Operators: Yvonne Chu, SOC, Justen Hernandez<\/p>\n

B-Camera 1st<\/sup> AC: Brian Wells, Cameron Carey<\/p>\n

B-Camera 2nd<\/sup> AC: Loren Azlein<\/p>\n

C-Camera Operators: Markus Mentzer, Chris Loh, SOC<\/p>\n

C-Camera 1st<\/sup> ACs: Brian Udoff, Toby White<\/p>\n

C-Camera 2nd<\/sup> ACs: Steve Marshall, Conner Daniels<\/p>\n

Loader: Conner Daniels<\/p>\n

Digital Utilities: Onyx Morgan, Morgan Gardiner<\/p>\n

Still Photographers: Michael Desmond, Greg Gayne, Patrick Wymore<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

JP Wakayama’s first network series, Love, Victor, is top-in-class with the help of Guild mentor Yasu Tanida and a think-on-the-fly production team.\u00a0 by Pauline Rogers \/ Photos Courtesy of Hulu   Season 2 of the Hulu original series Love, Victor (based on the groundbreaking movie Love, Simon) continues the story of Victor Salazar (Michael Cimino), a half Puerto Rican, half Colombian American teen living in Atlanta. While Season 1 focused on Victor\u2019s journey of self-discovery, his challenges at home and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11444,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-web-exclusive"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nComing (Out) of Age Story - ICG Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.icgmagazine.com\/web\/coming-out-of-age-story\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Coming (Out) of Age Story - ICG Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"JP Wakayama’s first network series, Love, Victor, is top-in-class with the help of Guild mentor Yasu Tanida and a think-on-the-fly production team.\u00a0 by Pauline Rogers \/ Photos Courtesy of Hulu   Season 2 of the Hulu original series Love, Victor (based on the groundbreaking movie Love, Simon) continues the story of Victor Salazar (Michael Cimino), a half Puerto Rican, half Colombian American teen living in Atlanta. 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