Hawk class-X Embraced on a Wide Range of Projects

Dante Spinotti, ASC, AIC, two-time Oscar nominee and highly respected cinematographer, used Hawk class-X lenses on Black and Blue, a cop-drama feature film directed by Deon Taylor.

“The combination of Hawk lenses and the new Sony Venice camera is formidable. The results we achieved on Black and Blue are simply stunning. Sometimes, we reduced the format and pushed in rather than switching lenses, which is quite an advantage. When I saw the movie towards the end of grading on 4K projection, I thought the sharpness and perspective and depth you get on a close-up or an over-the-shoulder with the 100 mm was fantastic. There’s a three-dimensional quality of presence in these faces that is really remarkable and distinctive.”

Stuart Dryburgh, ASC, NZCS combined Hawk class-X and the Arri Alexa Mini with a documentary shooting style on Ben is Back, a narrative feature directed by Peter Hedges and starring Julia Roberts.

 “The class-X lenses are not too heavy, so we could let the blocking happen naturally, and essentially follow the action in a quite spontaneous manner. It worked very well for us. From the lighting point of view, it’s very naturalistic, and we weren’t lighting for beauty as such. Julia is playing her actual age, and she looks terrific. But these lenses are slightly softer, slightly low con, and slightly flarey in a very flattering way, especially with bright sources. It’s another reason I like anamorphic. When you’re shooting a close-up, sometimes the space around the subject is as informative as the center of the frame.”

Jonathan Sela chose Hawk class-X glass for Deadpool 2, the tongue-in-cheek superhero caper directed by David Leitch. Vantage fine-tuned a set to his specifications.

“I really wanted to keep working with the Vintage ‘74s, but I felt they were a little too low in contrast, flarey and hazy for this movie. I wanted something in the middle, and I didn’t want to do it with filtration. Vantage ended up making a set of lenses that served our movie so well, some with a specific focal distance and the perfect amount of halation. I really like shooting close with wide lenses, and the Hawk people accommodated me, giving me the opportunity to do things I otherwise couldn’t do. It was fun to be in a place where you can talk to technical people who can help translate your vision.”

René Richter used Hawk class-X to deliver a classic tone in Head Full of Honey, a North American remake of Honig im Kopf, a film he originally shot for German screens, where it became that country’s biggest box-office success of 2014. The cast includes Nick Nolte, Matt Dillon, Emily Mortimer, Jacqueline Bisset and Eric Roberts.

“Til [director Til Schweiger] and I were searching for a classic look with lots of backlight, flares and shallow focus – a bit misty, not too crisp. I tested many different types of spherical and anamorphic lenses to find the perfect mix. I fell in love with the class-X. Unlike many older sets, which are smaller, the set of Hawk primes included nine focal lengths, and the two Hawk zooms matched perfectly. The look and feel of the costumes and interior design are reminiscent of older films, and these lenses were in harmony with that. I love watching the close-ups, because there are so many details, and yet it’s not too crisp.”

Terry Stacey, ASC opted for Hawk class-X on the action-comedy The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, with Salma Hayek, Ryan Reynolds, Samuel Jackson, Morgan Freeman and Frank Grillo.

“The intention was to give it a bigger, classic feel, and it’s almost sexier with ‘Scope. I’ve worked with the V‑Lites a lot, but we wanted a little sharper, a little cleaner. The big thing with the class-X, for me, is that they’re so much better at close focus. Quite often, with anamorphic, you’re stuck using diopters the whole time. These lenses are lightweight, the contrast is just right, and you get this amazing, clean feel. It’s sharp, but it doesn’t feel flat. There’s a lot of dimensionality and the color rendition is wonderful. Also, they match, so you can just swap them out. The class-X were perfect for this film.”

Daniel Gottschalk shot with Hawk class-X on Sweethearts, an action-comedy feature in which a professional criminal and a flighty hostage are forced to cooperate.

“Our big references were Thelma & Louise, Miami Vice, and other 1980s films. I’m a big fan of the graphic style of the Hawk lenses, with all the anamorphic traits. For Sweethearts, I wanted that anamorphic imperfection but with a bit more modern touch. We shot with a Red camera, and the class-X were great for the handheld action because they are pretty lightweight, with a compact build. I was really pleased with the skin tones, and there’s no need for diffusion to soften skin. These lenses are really handsome for the actors.”

Christopher Aoun, whose strong feature debut, Capernaum, brought him to the attention of the cinematography world in 2019, used Hawk class-X anamorphic lenses on The Man Who Sold His Skin, a feature starring Monica Bellucci. The camera was a Sony Venice capturing at 4K.

“One of the main photographic subjects in the film is a man’s heavily tattooed body. I found that the class-X glass gave me the sharpness when I needed it. My approach also involved as many as seven or eight filters on top of each other, and I could play with filters but maintain focus and crispness. I could also stop down and create new textures and vary the bokeh for certain scenes, and the close focus was important, too. I love the look, and the context allowed me to be very bold with the cinematography.”