Filmmaker Mark Anthony Green'sOpus follows young writer Ariel (Ayo Edebiri), who is invited to the remote compound of legendary pop star Moretti (John Malkovich). Moretti is both beloved and mysterious. He disappeared 30 years ago, but has recently emerged and invited a select group of guests to hear his first new music in decades. Ariel, however, finds herself surrounded by his cult-like following and in the middle of a twisted plan. Juliette Lewis plays a supporting role as gossip show host Clara Armstrong.
Opus premiered in the Sundance Midnight Selection and is being released theatrically by A24, beginning on March 14th. Cinematographer Tommy Maddox-Upshaw, ASC (Snowfall, Empire, The Man Who Fell to Earth), shot the project, which features a visually-rich though unsettling world. He relied on the Sony Venice 2 and DZO Vespid Retro primes to craft a layered, textured aesthetic that evolves with the film’s shifting psychological states.
Director Mark Anthony Green describesOpus as having three distinct visual worlds: before, during and after Ariel’s encounter with Moretti. In each, color, light and composition is used to reflect her transformation.
"Opus was so much to make," reveals Maddox-Upshaw. "I enjoyed the writing and the ideas we exercised throughout the film. We wanted the visuals to follow the arc of Ariel throughout her journey from a cool tonality to a warmth of discovery, back to a cool, neutral-tone existence."
The hardest scene to shoot was the dining room scene, he recalls, since the production wasn't allowed to hard-rig anything into the ceiling.
"We had to make-shift something into the one skylight that was in the structure, and we were not allowed to have any actual fire light in the structure, so I was so limited in the approach," he recalls.
Maddox-Upshaw cites the puppet show as the most enjoyable to shoot.
"It was so crazy with all the beats and things that were going on,” he reveals. “I thought the performances and the stunts in such a small space were great. The listening party was also crazy and fun. Ayo and John and the cast made it such a great environment with that fun of a script."