Clubhouse Conversations — American Primeval

In this episode, cinematographer Jacques Jouffret, ASC is joined by interviewer Suki Medenčević, ASC, ASBiH, SAS to discuss his work on American Primeval — the gritty western miniseries from director Peter Berg centered around the Utah War and its infamous Mountain Meadows Massacre.

American Primeval follows Sarah (Betty Gilpin) — a fugitive and mother wanted for the murder and robbery of her husband — and her son, Devin (Preston Mota) as they attempt to escape their troubled past and carve out a new life on the harsh frontier. Set during the clash between Mormon settlers and federal troops in 1857, the series explores the brutality, displacement and moral contradictions that constituted a way of life, and death, in the American West.

In this interview, Jouffret discusses how he approached the show's female-driven story, taking inspiration from Jeremiah Johnson and McCabe & Mrs. Miller; the practical and creative challenges of shooting almost entirely with natural light at levels of high elevation; his use of Dutch angles and lenses with extreme effects to convey a world in constant flux; how he achieved some of the show's one-take sequences; how he and the crew built a 360-degree lighting strategy for night exteriors, and more.

Jacques Jouffret, ASC is a cinematographer whose credits include the features The Purge, The Purge: Anarchy, The Purge: Election Year, Mile 22 and Gran Turismo, as well as the series Jack Ryan.

Suki Medenčević, ASC, ASBiH, SAS is a cinematographer whose credits include the features The Great Water (for which he won the Camerimage Golden Frog award) and Bal-Can-Can (for which he won the València-Cinema del Mediterrani Best Cinematography award), and the series Them, Shining Vale and The Big Cigar.

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