Jack Lewis Walsh

A few things have changed with the start of the year. I’ll post more about that soon, but for now it’s… NEW SHOWREEL TIME! Enjoy it. It goes hard. I’ve fully returned back to the freelance world, ramped up my kit and upped my skills. I mostly work as a DOP but I also have significant experience as a videographer/ camera operator, grip/gaffer, and editor / colourist. I can also project manage & crew full productions. So if anyone has any projects they’re looking to crew up, give me a shout and let’s see what we can do!

This time last year I was shooting another micro-budget horror-comedy feature in Wales, which was one of the coldest shoots I have ever done… and I once camped at Mount Snowdon in -3° (without a tent) for a documentary. The majority of the shoot took place in a derelict hotel which had no heating or electricity. The incredibly tight schedule meant we had minimal time for camera builds and lighting setups. My incredibly patient gaffer had to quickly, and safely, run cables from an exterior building, and find workarounds for power options, while my camera team built rigs - often in the dark. This was no small feat, especially as the dolly did not have the correct stands. The limitations on time and available power meant that we often had to work with what we had. With this in mind, I lit the scenes to imitate harsh but natural daylight coming through the broken windows, leaning into the imperfections. I prepared a detailed shot list, meaning I knew the essential coverage, and planned contingency one-shot scenes where possible to combat the schedule. Note: Again, I have omitted the production name and details #cinematographer #microbudgetfilmmaking #reduser

Here’s some frames from a micro-budget horror-comedy feature I shot last year. The project was incredibly ambitious, with only seven days allocated to production and 95+ scenes, often in different locations, and a small crew. This meant minimal time for unit moves, and setups. To prepare for this project, I created detailed shotlists, compositions, and lighting plans ahead of schedule. I also created script breakdowns and knew the script well, so we could adapt to changing situations. This allowed us to minimise setup time per scene, and to stick to the tight schedule as much as possible. I prioritised lighting the spaces and embraced warm tones, hard light and shadows. The majority of the lighting was achieved through imitating daylight, with two Nanlite 720b units lighting through windows. We also filmed during a heatwave, and took advantage of the natural lighting as much as possible. For composition we opted for strong / creative wides as much as possible. Camera moves were limited & were motivated, which helped hide VFX plates and to add tension by letting a scene play out. Framing and lens choices were narrative driven, for instance in a scene where a character was suffering from paranoia a wide angle lens was used with the camera positioned close to the subject to create an uncomfortable perspective. Note: I have decided to omit the production name and details. The cast and crew were fantastic and the film would not have been possible without their efforts. #cinematographer #ukhorror #reduser

I like to do things in threes, so I’m going to finish this round of my Cinematography Inspiration series with the late Adam Greenberg’s work on the Terminator films (It really is a shame that they never made any more Terminator films…) My love for cinema began with The Terminator, with a VHS of T-2 being on constant rotation, a collection of T-800 toys, and a bicycle painted black with ‘TERMINATOR’ written across it … I was three years old. The Terminator (1984) was low-budget compared with the sequel, and the “Tech Noir” fusion of industrial Los Angeles with neon lights and lasers defined a generation. The ’80s vision of the future has become a nostalgic genre in itself, with The Terminator often acting as a centrepiece. I drew inspiration from this during my photography days, and I am actively looking to apply this style to a project in the near future. Greenberg took a unique approach to lighting the on screen talent, using different styles to suit each character. Sarah Connor was often lit with soft light, Kyle embraced shadows, and the T-800 was given a mechanical look with harsh cold light. For T2 the budget increase was significant, record breaking, in fact, and it was the first film to be made with a budget of $100 million. The lighting rigs got bigger, locations and narratives took priority when lighting, and Greenberg leaned into colour, particularly for Arnold, using cold tones to create a metallic feel, which contrasted with the warm tones of the climactic battle in the steel mill. Edit: Slight error with the film stock. For T2 Greenberg used Kodak 5297 for daytime interiors, 5245 for exterior day, and 5296 for night exteriors. #cinematography #technoir #theterminator

I can’t talk about cinematography without mentioning Marshall Adams, and his work on Better Call Saul, El Camino, and now Plur1bus. His work has directly influenced my cinematography and made me fall in love with ultra wide shots, low-key lighting, and minimal camera movements. Adams joined BCS in season 3 and initially shot with RED cameras before transitioning to large format with the Arri LF and Panavision Panaspeed lenses. His primary operators Matt Credle, Jordan Slovin and Wally Sweeterman often had to NOT operate, letting the scene play out. Movements were typically limited to one motion, whether that's to pan, tilt or to push. I carry a cheat sheet of the cinematography from BCS, to help me to think outside the box when I’m on, or planning shoots. Like Hong Kyung-pyo, Adams uses the environment to his advantage, and frames the shot in such a way that it’s not just visually engaging, but a vital element of the narrative. This has taught me to approach my lighting differently, and to shape the light in a way that can be used almost as a prop within the scene. I typically approach a scene by lighting the space, and only bringing in additional lights for some fill or kick, and lean into imperfections. #cinematography #lighting #composition

I'm going to mix it up a bit on here with a look at some of my favourite cinematographers and how they've influenced my visual style. First up is South Korean cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo 홍경표 (also known as Alex Hong). I remember watching his work on 'Parasite' (2019) and finding myself torn between reading the subtitles and appreciating the cinematography, but it was in Na Hong-jin’s 2016 film 'The Wailing' that I truly fell in love with his work. I often favour strong wides and creative angles in my own projects, and Hong's use of these techniques has certainly influenced how I approach scenes. His deep-frame compositions are not only cinematic but also perfect for horror, allowing the scene to play out and build tension, while creating a sense of unease. Hong's consistent use of the environment in his shots creates a distinctive visual style and makes the setting feel like a strong character in the film. His dramatic landscapes contrast with the size of the characters within them, producing an overbearing and vulnerable atmosphere. Another technique of Hong's that I favour is the way he frames characters in unusual ways, either by layering the shot so they are partially obscured by doorways or windows, or by using unconventional angles. #cinematography #cinematographer #filmmaking #thewailing #koreancinema #creativeinspiration #visualinspiration #visualstorytelling #mastersofcinema #casestudy #directorofphotography

Filming on stage at Giants Live events with SBD was a fantastic, and surreal experience. Our team filmed at nearly every event in the UK over two years & delivered same day edits of the event / winner, as well as individual athlete edits. My biggest takeaway... I can't complain about heavy cameras when the athletes are lifting (literally) more than half a ton. --- Giants Live: World's Strongest Man UK SBD Apparel Producers – Adam Bryant-Scott /Lindsay Crawford / Peter Spence Director of Photography / Camera – Jack Walsh Camera Operators – Edward Netherton / Ryan Berry Sound Recordist – Ryan Berry Editor – Lewis Price Photographers - Sam Todd / James Speakman Production companies Volspire | SBD --- #cinematography #blackmagic #bmpcc4k #giantslive #dırectorofphotography #filmmaking #liveevent #videography #sbdapparel #worldsstrongestman

It’s been a while, and I said I’d post more work, so here are some shots from my first broadcast feature documentary, which turns 10 next year! This was a fantastic project, my first international shoot, and with an amazing crew. Definitely one of the most memorable jobs of my career to date. --- Barbados: An Island of Sport Producer – Domenico Lucarelli Director / Camera Operator – Jamie Anderson Director of Photography – Jack Walsh Camera Operator – Michael Cornell Sound Recordist – Dave S. Walker Drone Operator – Alwyn Kirk Editor – Michael Cornell Sound Designer / Composer – Dave S. Walker Presented by Rebecca Charlton Production companies Ether / Awe | The BIKE Channel --- #cinematography #sonyfs7 #sonyalpha #barbados #dırectorofphotography #filmmaking #documentaryfilm #broadcasttv

I’m going to start posting more of my work here, focusing on how I approach projects, behind-the-scenes content, and more. Starting with 'Substitute', the second entry in 'The Missing Peace' series; an anthology of monologue-based stories centred around loss. SUBSTITUTE Producer / Writer - Ian Donaghy Director - Jason Edwards Director of photography - Jack Walsh Sound recordist - Edward Netherton Production assistant - Will Gurrey Audio Mastering - 2Gram Media Sound designer - Julian Pineda Still photography - David Harrison Starring Mark Addy, Audrie Woodhouse & Davide Carta Production companies Journey with Film | Industrial Pleasures | Volspire #filmproduction #directorofphotography #cinematography #ukfilm #britishfilm #yorkshirefilm #reddigitalcamera #redkomodousers #york

I know I need to post more on here. I'm going to try more this year, so I'll start with this. Just before 2024 came to an end, I finished my first screenplay for a feature, which I plan to film later this year. This has been a project that I've wanted to do for a long time and goes as far back as 2008, when @shaunfinneran and I sat on an old mattress on the floor of my old bedroom, shared a pack of caramel digestives and spent a day coming up with the idea for a short film. Life got in the way, and we never made it. Since then, I've developed and expanded the project. A short film became a web series, which then went dormant for years... before resurfacing and finally becoming a feature. Over the past few years, I've been working on this whenever I get a chance, mostly on trains and in hotels whilst I'm working away. I already have some great cast & crew interested, and I can't wait to start pre-production and share more with you. For now, his a sneak peak of the end page.

I've been wanting to sink my teeth back into narrative productions for a while now, so what a treat yesterday was to DP a short with the King of the Seven Kingdoms himself, Mark Addy. MUCH more news on this series & some exciting future projects coming, but for now I just want to thank & acknowledge how great the cast and crew were. In the first pic (L to R) is myself, Ian Donaghy (writer/producer) Jason Edwards (Director) & Ed Netherton (Sound) Looking forward to the next one!

As always, I'm very late to post but had a surprise trip to Copenhagen for my birthday last month to visit the vikings, eat pastries and walk lots. 🇩🇰 #viking #copenhagen #denmark🇩🇰 #birthdayholiday #danishpastry