For the VIP Casino spot in Budapest, I had the opportunity to collaborate with a fantastic creative team. The director, Tamas Gacs, envisioned a contemporary black-and-white world with the flair of classic film noir, and the acclaimed production designer Pater Sparrow built a stunning set that brought that vision to life. We shot at a location popular with major Hollywood productions, which gave us the perfect canvas to create a sophisticated and timeless look, all within an efficient one-day shoot.
To achieve that authentic noir aesthetic, I made the deliberate choice to light the project almost exclusively with Tungsten Fresnel lights—the same lighting technology that created the timeless look of classic Hollywood. This was both a creative and a practical decision. Tungsten provides a beautiful, soft quality of light that feels authentic to the genre, and it's also very budget-friendly, allowing us to maximize production value.
For the camera and lens package, I paired the ARRI Alexa LF with Master Anamorphics. My brilliant 1st AC, "Galó," suggested a cropped format workflow, as he knew some of the lenses wouldn't fully cover the large format sensor. We embraced his idea, and it resulted in an image with a unique and satisfying texture that really complemented the noir style. Collaboration is key, so during a prelight day, I also worked closely with my colorist, Laszlo Gaal, to build a custom black-and-white LUT. This preparation was crucial, as it allowed us to shoot with the final look already "baked in" and saved valuable time on set.
Ultimately, by combining a classic lighting style with a modern camera workflow and the expertise of a great team, we were able to efficiently deliver a final spot with a strong, cohesive, and timeless aesthetic.