Clubhouse Conversations — 100 Foot Wave (Season 3)

In this episode, cinematographers Michael Darrigade, Vincent Kardasik, Laurent Pujol and Karl Sandrock are joined by interviewer Dave Perkal, ASC to discuss their work on 100 Foot Wave — a high-stakes, vérité-style documentary series that explores the world of big-wave surfing.

100 Foot Wave is centered on the lives of big-wave surfer Garrett McNamara and his family, friends and fellow surfers, and follows his journey to conquer the world's largest wave in Nazare, Portugal. Season 3 explores McNamara's contention with health issues, professional setbacks, and life-changing move to Italy.

In this interview, Darrigade, Kardasik, Pujol and Sandrock discuss their cinematographic approach to the series' “Cortez Bank” episode; navigating the challenges of lost gear, last-minute travel changes and sourcing equipment within hours; the operators' use of Red cameras to create a unified look and flexible re-framing in post; capturing the surf community’s camaraderie and McNamara’s personal arc; balancing unobtrusive observation with knowing when to prompt moments; and shaping a cohesive visual style through shared LUTs and consistent color workflow.

Vincent Kardasik is an Emmy Award-winning cinematographer with over 20 years of experience across film, documentary, and commercial production, known for his aquatic cinematography in some of the planet’s most demanding environments.

Laurent Pujol is a two-time Emmy Award-winning cinematographer and former professional surfer, known for pioneering an unprecedented rear-barrel photographic angle while surfing.

Michael Darrigade is an Emmy Award-winning cinematographer specializing in cinéma vérité, known for documenting the world’s best surfers in Hawaii and Nazaré, as well as covering events like the conflict in Ukraine.

Karl Sandrock is a cinematographer known for his work on 100 Foot Wave, on which he used the Sony FX6 with a range of zoom and prime lenses to capture documentary storytelling in challenging conditions.

Dave Perkal, ASC is a cinematographer working in film, TV and commercials whose recent series credits include Marvel’s Runaways, Netflix's Cowboy Bebop and Warner Bros.' The Vampire Diaries.

You’ll find all episodes in our ASC Clubhouse Conversations discussion series here.