@cuckthefilm - Shot and Scene Breakdown by Nicholas Matthews, Cinematographer (@nmatthewsfilm)
Our schedule worked out perfectly for us to shoot this scene in the rain, despite the added logistical challenges. You can't fake rain well in wide shots, so I was very pleased with our timing. We wanted to see the nuance of the light in the San Fernando Valley, from soggy rain to blistering heat. I wanted spaces to feel worn out and unsafe to reiterate the emotional experience of the character. . In this scene, we favored the 25mm and the 85mm as a way to immerse the audience in the environment before immersing them into the character's emotional landscape. On a 25mm, you can see the car headlights dancing in the distance; you can see the rain flooding the streets due to poor drainage. These are essential contextual details in partaking in the characters world without leaning into exposition or didactic filmmaking.
