{"id":1488,"date":"2025-01-30T17:27:36","date_gmt":"2025-01-30T15:27:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.futureevents.gr\/foc\/?p=1488"},"modified":"2025-01-30T17:27:36","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T15:27:36","slug":"capturing-the-modern-profiling-of-a-racing-legend-for-netflixs-senna","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.futureevents.gr\/foc\/?p=1488","title":{"rendered":"Capturing the modern profiling of a racing legend for Netflix’s “Senna”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Cinematographer Azul Serra ABC speaks with ARRI about bringing the drama of Netflix’s limited series to life, captured with ALEXA\u00a035. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The excitement surrounding the release of the Netflix series \u201cSenna\u201d has certainly been justified. \u201cSenna,\u201d Netflix\u2019s dramatic and fast-paced mini-series profiling Ayrton Senna, one of the greatest drivers in the history of Formula 1 racing, and a hero in his native Brazil, is not only for fans of motor sports. The life story of the legendary driver, punctuated with exhilarating racing scenes, offers worldwide audiences the chance to understand the man, his dedication, and his perseverance. In this interview, ARRI sits down with show cinematographer Azul Serra ABC about his multifaceted approach to the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cSenna\u201d is one of the most ambitious productions to come out of Latin America this year. You are from Brazil where Ayrton Senna is a national hero. Is that what attracted you to this project?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This project was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Telling the story of a Brazilian hero who became one of the most respected athletes in the world was both an immense challenge and an extraordinary privilege. I grew up watching a Senna race every Sunday. I vividly remember witnessing many moments live that, 30 years later, we were recreating as fiction.

I can recall the exact day Senna had his tragic accident and how I went to S\u00e3o Paulo to see his funeral, just as one of our characters does in the series. It felt like I was reliving my own experience\u2014standing in the same shoes as the character I was filming three decades later. This emotional connection wasn\u2019t just mine; it permeated the entire crew.

There were moments on set when crew members were moved to tears while watching the monitors. The emotional weight of bringing this story to life was palpable.

This was not just a cinematic journey; it was a deeply personal one for many of us. To have the opportunity to tell this story within a production that understood the importance of delivering excellence while embracing innovation on set was truly a gift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The series covers several time periods. What type of look did the director ask for? How were you able to translate these ideas to fit the overall look of the miniseries?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Showrunner and Director Vicente Amorim envisioned a series with a classic cinematic language, where the camera would never stop moving. Though the story is set in the past, we never aimed for a \u201cvintage\u201d look. Instead, we sought something contemporary\u2014bold, hostile, and reflective of the high-stakes environment of Formula 1. Every artistic decision was directed toward creating an immersive visual experience. That was our guiding principle.

We knew we would incorporate archival footage from the 1980s and 1990s and selectively use vintage cameras to add realistic texture. However, the core of our visual language had to be powerful\u2014offering wide latitude, natural skin tones, bold colors, and striking contrast. While the look would evolve over the years depicted in the series, the overall image, the canvas, had to remain consistent and cohesive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Super 35 format continues to be very popular. Why did it suit this story, and was your choice of format technically driven by the narrative?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had extensive discussions about depth of field, which was one of the primary reasons for choosing Super 35 over large format. While we appreciated the immersive qualities of large format, we needed more precise control over depth of field. Certain scenes required us to delve into Senna\u2019s internal and immersive world, often shooting wide open. However, we needed to strike a balance to ensure the depth of field wasn\u2019t so shallow that we lost the background\u2019s spatial context or the meticulous details of our sets, crafted by production designer Fred Pinto.

Another factor was VFX integration. We wanted the audience to appreciate the complexity and detail of the shots without directly noticing the visual effects.

Ultimately, choosing the ARRI ALEXA 35 felt like the perfect fit\u2014and it was absolutely reliable. At the time, ARRI\u2019s new sensor had just been released, and I had already tested it extensively on other projects. It delivered exactly what we needed: a dynamic range, precise control, and the aesthetic punch to bring the story to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What cameras did you choose to work with and why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We divided \u201cSenna\u201d into two main types of content: Dramatic storytelling and performance racing.

For the dramatic segments, we shot entirely on the ARRI ALEXA 35, while for the performance sequences\u2014centered around racing\u2014we used other cameras.

This division was intentional, as the technical and artistic challenges for each were very distinct. For the dramatic scenes, which focused on the characters, we relied on the  ALEXA 35. Its exceptional latitude was critical, especially for interior box scenes, where we had to balance the intense natural light outside with the dimmer indoor environment. Additionally, for these scenes, we used a variety of telephoto lenses and various zooms, including the Signature Zoom 65-300 mm, making the ALEXA 35\u2019s Super 35 format the perfect fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We understand that \u201cSenna\u201d was visually divided into four distinct phases, each represented by a unique color palette. Can you elaborate on these phases and how you achieved the specific color tones and textures for each?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating a visual arc was essential for us. Senna\u2019s story spans from the 1960s to the 1990s\u2014a period marked by significant technological shifts in communication, film stocks, TV broadcasts, and devices. When you look at archival footage or recall memories from those eras, the colors, textures, and overall feel vary drastically. To reflect this, we divided the series into four main phases.

Phase One: Childhood and Brazil. This phase represents Senna\u2019s home\u2014a warm and vibrant place full of life. We used rich, warm colors to evoke the Brazilian atmosphere. Lenses were wider and closer to the characters, emphasizing intimacy and movement. The camera was always in motion, mimicking the energy and youthfulness of this period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Phase Two: UK\u2014The Lonely Years. During this time, Senna was isolated, trying to prove himself in a foreign land. We still used wide lenses, but the framing pushed back, isolating him within the compositions to emphasize his solitude. The color palette was colder, but we maintained the vibrancy of the cars and team uniforms to keep the contrast alive.

Phase Three: Formula 1\u2014The Vibrant Hostility. This phase showcases the spectacle of F1: a visually stimulating, high-energy environment. The colors, textures, and lighting were all designed to reflect the vibrancy of this world. Our colorist, Luisa Cavanagh, undertook a monumental task in color timing, ensuring authenticity. Whites had to be true whites, Ferrari\u2019s red was distinct from McLaren\u2019s fluorescent tones, and Senna\u2019s iconic yellow helmet was perfectly consistent. We utilized telephoto lenses paired with constant camera motion to create an omnipresent sense of dynamism.

Phase Four: Imola\u2014The Final Chapter. In this phase, Senna transitions from his iconic red-and-white McLaren to the blue-and-white Williams. Formula 1 itself begins to modernize, with cleaner, more spacious pit boxes. To reflect this transformation and Senna\u2019s final days, we created an ethereal, almost otherworldly look with a pale, icy palette. The imagery became more mysterious and reflective, mirroring the emotional weight of this chapter.

Through these carefully crafted visual phases, we aimed to honor Senna\u2019s journey and the emotional milestones that defined his extraordinary life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are lots of things impacting colors and temperatures in \u201cSenna,\u201d from the weather to the ambient light temperature differences between Brazil and London, for example. Did you note even more differences in skin tones? How did you handle these?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was an extensive color correction project. We had a very thorough preparation phase, during which we conducted many tests to arrive on set as well-prepared as possible. Our colorist, Luisa Cavanagh, was deeply involved in every stage of the project\u2014not just at the end, as is customary. She and our DIT, Binho Tashiro, were in constant communication to ensure that everything stayed on track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How did you approach shooting in the difficult weather conditions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was definitely the challenging part. We shot extensively in Balcarce, a small city in Argentina\u2019s countryside, where we faced extremely cold temperatures, strong winds, fog, and rain. A flexible schedule was essential, allowing us to adapt our shooting plans according to the races. We filmed many of the race sequences in the rain, and the ARRI SRH\u2011360 Stabilized Remote Head was critical in enabling us to shoot under all possible conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In post-production, how did Luisa Cavanagh, your colorist, feel about the new ARRI LogC4 image processing chain? With so many visual effects, were you happy with the process and the results?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, we were impressed with the results. Luisa stated it clearly: \u201cThe image we achieved using ARRI LogC4 was impressive. I think, particularly for skin tones, there is much more color information. The response in different contexts and conditions provides more nuanced details in the colors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you have coming up next? Or are you taking some well-deserved time off?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We wrapped \u201cSenna\u201d at the end of 2023, and 2024 was also a busy but very special year. I shot two feature films, and a British TV Series called \u201cAtomic.\u201d Now it\u2019s time to rest and prepare for the next challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSenna\u201d is now streaming on Netflix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Come and see ARRI up close and personal at Future of Cinema event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Press release source: https:\/\/www.arri.com\/news-en\/capturing-the-modern-profiling-for-netflixs-senna<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cinematographer Azul Serra ABC speaks with ARRI about bringing the drama of Netflix’s limited series to life, captured with ALEXA\u00a035. The excitement surrounding the release of the Netflix series \u201cSenna\u201d has certainly been justified. \u201cSenna,\u201d Netflix\u2019s dramatic and fast-paced mini-series profiling Ayrton Senna, one of the greatest drivers in the history of Formula 1 racing,…
Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1497,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[29,31,30],"class_list":["post-1488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-company-news","tag-arri","tag-f1","tag-netflix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.futureevents.gr\/foc\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1488","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.futureevents.gr\/foc\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.futureevents.gr\/foc\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.futureevents.gr\/foc\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.futureevents.gr\/foc\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1488"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.futureevents.gr\/foc\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1488\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1500,"href":"https:\/\/www.futureevents.gr\/foc\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1488\/revisions\/1500"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.futureevents.gr\/foc\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1497"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.futureevents.gr\/foc\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.futureevents.gr\/foc\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.futureevents.gr\/foc\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}