Budapest rental house also services director of photography Lol Crawley’s next project, Wicker
On March 2, the 2025 Academy Award for Best Cinematography was presented to director of photography Lol Crawley, BSC in recognition of his work on The Brutalist. The film was produced mostly on locations in Hungary and serviced by Vantage Vision in Budapest, part of the global network of Vantage rental facilities.
"It was a privilege helping Lol and his team shoot this ambitious, extraordinary project," says Gabor Rajna, CEO of Vantage Vision in Budapest. "Helping filmmakers achieve their creative goals is what drives us. We're proud and happy that Lol and the film have received so much well-deserved praise."
The Brutalist was produced on a relatively modest budget and schedule of $10 million and 34 days, especially impressive given the finished film’s 214-minute running time. Vantage Vision provided lenses as well as Arricam LT, ST and 235 cameras. Crawley and director Brady Corbet shot in a variety of film formats including VistaVision.
The Academy Award for cinematography, one of three Oscars for the film, was the capstone on an impressive run that includes top cinematography honors from BAFTA and BSC, and a Silver Frog at the Camerimage International Festival of the Art of Cinematography in Poland.
In an interview with Variety, Crawley said that his Hungarian crews brought a strong understanding of film emulsion tools and techniques, and pointed to that culture as a major reason for basing the production in that country – despite a story set largely in New York and Philadelphia. In fact, he thanked gaffer Attila Dóczi by name in his Oscar acceptance speech.
Lol Crawley, BSC behind the camera next to his gaffer Attila Dóczi
Crawley’s next feature assignment, Wicker, was also shot primarily in Hungary using digital cameras, and Crawley again turned to Vantage Vision to provide equipment and support.
Vantage Vision, formerly Visionteam, has been a trusted partner to filmmakers in the Hungarian and European markets for three decades. Today, as part of the worldwide Vantage family of equipment rental operations, that tradition continues at a brand-new, well-equipped facility at Astra Filmland in Budapest.
images: IMDB, Attila Dóczi, Rachel Aberly
