Cinematographer Miguel Cármenes: Shaping light from Ecuador to the UK
Growing up in Ecuador left an indelible impression on how cinematographer Miguel Cármenes relates to light and Colour. When he moved to the U.K., working beneath overcast skies called for new tools and techniques, but the goal remained the same: to sculpt light in a way that reflects character and emotion. In this video, he shines a light on his technical approach to projects such as Juice Season 2 as well as his commitment to keeping the joy of filmmaking alive.
Light Perspectives
Coming from South America, Cármenes notes, “Colour has always been part of my life. It's hard for me to detach from it. In Ecuador, obviously, we're on the equator. The sun only moves in a perfect curve. It sets at 6:00 [p.m.] and it comes out at 6:00 a.m. every single day, every time, every day of the year. So you do learn to shape it in a way. Use mirrors a lot. You learn how to balance it.”
By contrast, the U.K.’s overcast skies were a new experience when he relocated to London. “I feel like my first time shaping sun with a lamp was quite interesting,” he shares. “You get the exact same result. Completely different means to get there.
“Being an outsider and coming to the U.K., I was doing a lot of music videos like everyone else at the beginning,” Cármenes continues. Working on those projects, he says, “You actually do learn a lot. You learn speed, which is fantastic. I can work really fast and not be stressed about it.”
Prepping Juice
Cármenes joined the BBC Three series Juice for the show’s second season. “You see the world through this fever-dream mindset that he has,” the cinematographer explains. “We were like, ‘How would that look on camera? How does he perceive the world?’ If he's really scared about being somewhere, it's like a horror [film]; if he feels his life is an entire joke, then we're going to shoot it as a sitcom. Using cinematic language to be able to adapt to how the character feels was one of the beautiful things about it.
“My gaffer [on Juice], Vianney [Kernanet], he's an incredible guy,” the cinematographer adds. “We’ve known each other for a while now. I was pulling references, putting them in a lighting deck that was just for him and me to see.”
Lighting the Sets
Cármenes estimates that 70 percent of Juice was shot in a studio. “That was also a rare thing for a comedy. But that gave me the chance to be able to shape the look of the show much more. We went through the sets before they were built [to determine] where the lights would be. Inside the sets, it was mostly LED.” Working with Panalux London for their lighting package, Cármenes notes that he and Kernanet “had a great selection of everything, really. We had SkyPanels, we had Nanlux. There was a little bit of everything. It was so incredibly useful.
“My favorite set, we built a small street set in a studio, and it had six or seven [store] fronts,” he continues. “We didn't have the space to be able to do a soft box to create some sort of huge skylight. We needed a punch, so it needed to be something strong like an 18K bounce into a 20-by Ultra, and then an array of Maxi Brutes at the back to create sunset. And it was amazing because Callum [Crisell, the desk operator] was able to go from overcast to last light in minutes and on a tiny space.”
Juice wasn’t the first time the cinematographer turned to Panalux for his lighting equipment. “Panalux has always helped me out when I go for scale, something big,” he says. “I've done a few commercials for McLaren where I rely on Panalux. [One called for] like 100 PAR cans on a wall. We just agreed early on it should be Panalux. Very reliable. So it just was a no-brainer for us, really.”
Passion for the Craft
Asked what it is that keeps him inspired and motivated in his work as a cinematographer, Cármenes offers this: “Your first time walking on a set or your first time filming something, even if it's a student short or something, that joy that there is in doing something for the love of it. The love, the passion for film, and the fact that we're able to do it and we're with friends and you're with them — and when you get the perfect take, and everyone looks at each other, and it's amazing. I'm trying to find things that keep me so awake and excited all the time. I think those are the projects I'm trying to chase nowadays. I want to keep that sensation alive.”