The Studio

This show is such a sharply crafted and entertaining portrait of Hollywood’s inner workings — anchored by an absolutely legendary cast.

We had just 3–7 minutes with each subject for solo portraits, plus about 15 minutes to capture two group shots and a cover image. I proposed a visual approach inspired by the golden era of classic Hollywood: high-key lighting, warm tungsten tones, and heavy vignetting. Old studio lots carry a mythical, surreal quality — places where dreams are created and lost — and I wanted the images to capture that atmosphere while still feeling contemporary.

To pull it off within the limited time we had, my two-person lighting team and I pre-lit and marked every setup in reverse order of the shoot schedule, building six sets in a large circle across the stage. The process took six hours. Three minutes after we finished lighting the final set, talent walked in.

From there, everything moved like a well-oiled machine — our team flowing through a choreographed dance of lights, smoke machines & effect fans.

I’m proud of these images and deeply grateful to the cast for being such generous collaborators, to the team at The Wrap for trusting and supporting my vision, and to my hardworking crew for helping bring it all to life.