Netflix'sBeckham is a four-part documentary series that tells the inside story of soccer star David Beckham, detailing his humble working-class beginnings in east London, as well as his drive and determination to win. Beckham's story is one of ups and downs, and the series takes an in-depth look at one of the most recognizable and scrutinized athletes of all time.
The show is nominated for several Emmys, including those for "Outstanding Directing For A Documentary/Nonfiction Program" (Fisher Stevens); "Outstanding Picture Editing For A Nonfiction Program" (Michael Harte, editor; Paul Carlin, additional editor; Chris King, additional editor); and "Outstanding Music Composition For A Documentary Series Or Special (Original Dramatic Score)" (Anže Rozman, Camilo Forero).
Photo: The crew with the soccer star.
Director of photography Tim Cragg is also in Emmy contention for "Outstanding Cinematography For A Nonfiction Program." According to Cragg, the goal was for Beckham to not look over produced, but rather candid and intimate.
"We felt it was important to create a safe, intimate environment for the characters to talk, and since most of the characters in the film are superstar football players, who are very used to being filmed, we wanted the cinematography approach to facilitate an off the cuff-style," he recalls. "Therefore, less emphasis was put on controlling the lighting and the setup, but instead, to always be filming, even if that meant breaking the fourth wall."
Cragg realized that he wasn't going to be able to design the locations or control the space, and because of the nature of who was being filmed, there would be limited time to set up.
"Because of this, I opted to shoot with a very shallow depth of field, isolating what you saw, so that the subject was against a soft, blurred tonal background," he explains.
He chose to shoot on a large format camera sensor - the Arri Mini LF - knowing that the larger sensor would help increase the shallow depth of field.
“I decided to shoot using the very fast 1980s Canon K35mm lenses (at T1.4). This created a very shallow focus,” he notes. “I mostly shot with two lenses – a 35mm and an 85mm. On the 85mm, the focus was so shallow, the nose would be soft and the eyes sharp. Because of this technical challenge, I knew that I would need to crew the film accordingly, with a dedicated focus puller assigned to both cameras."
The size of the crew and the nature of who they were filming meant that there would be a larger than normal footprint that also included executive producers and agents, making the goal of creating an intimate set even more challenging.
"Everyone else was hidden away out of sight, remotely engaging through the latest wireless and remote technology," he notes.
A key element of the project is its use of archival footage of soccer matches.
"I wanted to create a visual device that connected our characters to viewing this archive," he Cragg explains. "I repurposed the use of the Interatron Eye Direct II, and rather than using the mirror box to see the director's face, I placed an iPad in exchange. This meant that I could compose a shot where our characters had a direct eyeline straight through the lens, allowing them to commentate and engage in what they viewed. I chose to have a different visual language for these shots. Everyone was photographed with a big close-up, with a more dramatic lighting style that extenuated every little muscle flinch and eye movement. This allowed our characters an instant jumping board into the past, not only through the words but more importantly, we could visibly see through the BCU framing and shallow focus what they felt, from the reactions written on their faces."
Beckham is also nominated for "Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Series."