South Down Orchard

Andrew Shulkind became interested in the psychology of images early in his days at New York University. Interest became passion when he was fortunate enough to work alongside some of the best DPs in the business. That expertise defines his work to this day. Working with Darius Khondji, ASC, to light scenes that seemed too dark to expose, helping to previs VFX sequences with Don Burgess, ASC, and deciding on printer lights with Janusz Kaminski are the incomparable experiences that launched his career.

Directed by Brian Leavell, South Down Orchard is a crime drama about a petty thief after a betrayal lands him in prison. The film is centered on the day that he will escape or die trying. Shulkind shot on the ALEXA with a set of old Super Baltars.

“I like how the lenses flare and wanted to soften up the Alexa’s sensor with some vintage glass to complement both the grittiness of the prison and the nostalgia of these intimate moments,” Shulkind says. He and the director used two nihilist movies in particular for much of their reference, A Prophet and Animal Kingdom, so the Swedish Easyrig was a natural choice to get the controlled handheld that they were after.  Shulkind’s artistry with naturalistic lighting and his proficiency in color correction rounded out the unique and stylized look of this dark film.