Behind The Scenes: How Vintage Lenses Helped Tell a Powerful Story
Dir. Daeil Kim directs lead actor Ian Oh on set of Loving Day (2024)
When Director Daeil Kim set out to direct Loving Day, a powerful short film about an interracial couple facing the hypothetical overturning of Loving v. Virginia, the visual language needed to be as compelling as the narrative. DFI Rentals had the privilege of providing the iconic 1960 Bausch & Lomb Super Baltar lenses that helped bring this story to life.
The Art of Vintage Cinema Lenses in Modern Filmmaking
“Super Baltars strike a perfect balance between emotional characteristics in close-ups and a vintage look with stylistic edges. It was important to capture the story with a sense of drama and heightened realism.”
Working with cinematographer Giancarlo Stigliano, the team turned to these iconic cinematography lenses for their unique imaging characteristics.
Designed and built before the dawn of electronic computing, the Super Baltars' distinct bokeh, spherical aberrations, and natural focus falloffs are emblematic of the era they represent. They helped create a visual language that bridges past and present, fitting for a story that connects America's civil rights history with contemporary concerns.
Bausch & Lomb Super Baltar Lens Set
The 20mm B&L Super Baltar features a radioactive thorium oxide-infused front element to achieve its large angle of view and reduce artifacts from dispersion, such as chromatic aberration and coma.
Adventures in Transportation
Getting these storied cinema lenses from Los Angeles to New York came with its own story. When it came time to travel, the team raised questions regarding a particular feature of the lenses that could affect their flights.
The 20mm Super Baltar emits Alpha particle radiation from its front element and requires special handling to board a commercial airplane in the United States. However, the production swiftly passed through TSA and boarded their flight thanks to DFI’s experience in labeling and declaring specialty equipment such as radioactive goods. This small interlude became just another part of the production's journey and not a show-ending obstacle that could’ve derailed the production.
Vintage Glass On Set with Modern Workflow
The rehoused Super Baltars with modern mechanics proved their worth on set, delivering stunning imagery while maintaining modern workflow compatibility. Their 350-degree focus throw and uniform front diameter - courtesy of P+S Technik's robust rehousing - allowed the crew to work efficiently while capturing the distinctive look only vintage glass can provide.
The lenses' unique optical characteristics shine through in the final imagery. In close-ups, they deliver sharp subjects against beautifully distorted bokeh, creating an intimate yet cinematic feel that serves the story's emotional core.
Loving Day (2024) Shot on Bauch & Lomb Super Baltars and Sony Venice 6K
Imaging Modern Stories with Vintage Optics
This collaboration showcases DFI’s robust ability to overcome geographical and temporal gaps to service productions with the best possible creative tools to tell their stories. DFI Rentals' commitment to curating, maintaining, and providing access to historically significant cinematography equipment and artifacts always strives to assist filmmakers in achieving their creative vision wherever they may need it.
Loving Day, featuring performances by Ian Oh and Sidney Flanigan, is currently making its way through the festival circuit.
