Dolby Creator Talks

The Cinematography of Killers of the Flower Moon, with DP Rodrigo Prieto

February 14, 2024

With our continuing Oscars coverage, today we are joined by Academy Award®-nominated cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, ASC, AMC. He discusses how he got his start in the film business, working with legendary director Martin Scorsese, the challenges of shooting “Killers of the Flower Moon,” as well as how his research into Osage traditions and rituals became directly woven into his photography for the film.

A lot of it I remember was based on the sun and the sun position. And even the rituals. For example, a burial happens when the sun is at the zenith. So okay, that's usually a time of day you don't want to shoot as a cinematographer. You want to avoid it. But I thought it was important to respect that. And so we decided to have the sun in frame in those moments. And that's why precisely there's a scene of Mollie's mother's burial and the camera's looking straight up at the sky. These are shots that aren't meant to be cool. We're honoring, hopefully, the way they themselves honor the sun.

Rodrigo Prieto, ASC, AMC, Director of Photography, “Killers of the Flower Moon”

Be sure to check out “Killers of the Flower Moon” ahead of the Academy Awards, live from the Dolby Theatre® on March 10th! Please subscribe to The Dolby Institute Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. You can also check out the video for this episode. Learn more about the Dolby Institute and check out Dolby.com. Connect with Dolby on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

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