Head Count was a deeply rewarding challenge—a neo-western drama with a dark, slow-burn tone and a clear visual identity from the start. As the cinematographer, I worked closely with the directors to create a camera language that felt alive—one that could be playful, precise, and sometimes unexpected. That meant everything from mounting props to the lens to complex, orchestrated Steadicam moves that helped pull the audience deeper into the story.
Visually, we wanted a world that felt weathered and cinematic—moody, vintage, and full of texture. I drew from a wide range of references, but early Coen brothers films like Blood Simple played a huge part in shaping the tone. We built a look that embraced deep shadows, practical lighting, and a grounded color palette that still left room for surreal touches.
This film pushed me—in the best way. It taught me a lot about leadership, collaboration, and the weight of fast decisions on a production’s visual flow. Being trusted with the look of Head Count was an incredible experience, and one that left me more confident, more precise, and more excited than ever to tackle the next story.
Behind the scenes, the shoot was both intense and energizing. We were often working in remote desert locations with limited resources, so planning and communication had to be sharp. I leaned heavily on my crew—we built a fast, intuitive rhythm, especially with our Steadicam op, who was game for every long take and late adjustment we threw at him. A lot of the look came together in the margins—finding just the right window to bounce light through, or rigging a fixture in a way that felt organic to the space. We weren’t just lighting scenes, we were building atmosphere.
Part of my role on this project was also about knowing when and where to scale up. I worked closely with production to manage resources across the shoot—making strategic decisions about when to expand the lighting team, when to bring in specialty gear, and how to allocate time across departments. On our car rigging days, we brought in a dedicated rigging team to safely execute the complex setups we needed. Other times, we’d split into two units—pre-lighting one location while another unit was shooting elsewhere—to keep the momentum going without sacrificing quality. It took a ton of coordination, but it let us move quickly while still crafting an intentional, cinematic look.
