Clubhouse Conversations — Saltburn

Editors' note: In-depth coverage of cinematographer Linus Sandgren, ASC, FSF's work on Saltburn first appeared in American Cinematographer's December 2023 issue. Read the full story here — and learn more here about how to subscribe to the industry's leading journal of motion-picture production techniques.

In this episode, cinematographer Linus Sandgren, ASC, FSF and writer-director Emerald Fennell are joined by interviewer Michael Goi, ASC, ISC to discuss their work on Saltburn — a Gothic drama about a strange loner's summer-long stay at a wealthy friend's estate.

Saltburn follows awkward outcast Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) as he struggles to break into the upper-class social circles that pervade Oxford University. After befriending the popular Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), Oliver is invited to spend a summer at the Catton family's massive mansion, and becomes a disruptive and chaotic force upon arrival.

In this interview, Sandgren and Fennell discuss the painterly aesthetic they created for the film; their Baroque influences; why they shot in the 1.33:1 format for both practical and narrative reasons; the use of motivated light as part of their expressionistic visual language; the cinematographer's testing and use of film stocks, and more.

Linus Sandgren, ASC, FSF is a Swedish cinematographer whose credits include such features as Promised Land (2012), La La Land (2016), First Man (2018) No Time to Die (2021) and Babylon (2022).

Emerald Fennell is an actor and filmmaker whose credits as a writer-director include the feature Promising Young Woman (2020) and the short film Careful How You Go (2018). For Promising Young Woman, she was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture, and won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

Michael Goi, ASC, ISC has over 70 credits as a cinematographer — including TV series American Horror Story, Glee and My Name is Earl — and has received four Emmy and four ASC nominations. He has served as president of the ASC and was the editor of the 10th Edition of the American Cinematographer Manual.

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