Behind the shot: Lady in the Lake
Posted on Mar 28, 2025 by Admin
DOP Lachlan Milne, ASC, ACS, NZCS on his favourite shot in noir thriller Lady in the Lake
Words Nicola Foley | Images Apple TV+
You might have missed this stylish thriller when it dropped on Apple TV+ last summer, but our recommendation is to add it to your must-watch list ASAP. Starring Natalie Portman in electrifying form, the show plunges us into the disappearance of a young girl in sixties Baltimore, beginning a chain of events that puts two women on a fatal collision course.
Beyond its gripping central mystery, the series is a real feast for the eyes; drenched in rich period detail and dripping with noir elegance. A standout moment appears early on – a stunning long-take sequence in the pilot episode, Did You Know Seahorses Are Fish? Running from 30:39 to 40:40, it marks our first introduction to the Pharaoh nightclub – the domain of mob boss Shell Gordon – where lead protagonist Cleo Johnson cooks the books while her husband Slappy performs his close-to-the-bone comedy routines.
Cinematographer Lachlan Milne, ASC, ACS, NZCS highlights this as a favourite from the whole series: “We were really interested in keeping the scene as much like a real-time event as possible, where the place feels packed, the air is thick and we get a sense of the decadence and free-spirited nature of the time,” he explains. To achieve this immersive feel, the club was meticulously constructed on a sound stage, with period-accurate in-camera lighting built into the set. Walls were made removable for the crane’s movement, while the dance floor ceiling was left open to accommodate additional lighting and top shots.
The sequence was technically impressive, deploying a hybrid set-up of a 30ft telescopic crane and a three-axis wireless gimbal. Halfway through, the gimbal detaches and is seamlessly carried by grips. “Myself, Alma (our director) and Jude (first AD) spent hours meticulously choreographing both the talent and background to keep the club feeling alive while allowing the camera to navigate through safely,” Milne shares.
The shot begins with the camera tracking Reggie as he moves through the club, transitions to a sweeping crane push-in towards the stage, then booms down to meet Shell Gordon. At this moment, the gimbal detaches and grips weave the camera back through the crowd, finally arriving at the bar with Officer Platt.
Milne credits the success of the shot to careful prep and the flexibility of their rig: “This set-up allowed us to keep the ARRI ALEXA LF and G Series anamorphic lens package, maintaining the show’s established photographic aesthetic.” The result is a slick, dynamic scene that sets the tone for the entire series.
A lot goes behind creating the perfect shot. Find out how DOP Pedro Cardillo achieved this in Joan’s opening scene.
This story appears in the March 2025 issue of Definition
