Clubhouse Conversations — Saturday Night

In this episode, cinematographer Eric Steelberg, ASC is joined by interviewer Nancy Schreiber, ASC to discuss his work on Saturday Night — the comedic drama from director Jason Reitman that unfolds during the 90-minute run-up to Saturday Night Live's first time on air.

Saturday Night follows the high-stakes efforts of producer Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) on the night of October 11, 1975, during which he leads a spirited group of young comedians — including Chevy Chase (Cory Michael Smith), Gilda Radner (Ella Hunt), Dan Aykroyd (Dylan O’Brien), John Belushi (Matt Wood), Jane Curtin (Kim Matula), Laraine Newman (Emily Fairn) and Garrett Morris (Lamorne Morris) — and writers through the tumult and uncertainty that permeates their NBC studio as their brand new sketch show is nearly set to go live. The film marks the eighth collaboration between Steelberg and Reitman, both of whom began their long-running creative partnership with the acclaimed coming-of-age feature Juno in 2007.

In this interview, Steelberg discusses his decision to shoot on Super 16mm film; integrating period-accurate lighting into the set design; the challenges of choreographing long takes with a large ensemble cast; the task of immersing audiences by capturing the chaotic nature of live television, and more.

Eric Steelberg, ASC is a cinematographer whose credits include the features Juno (2007), Up in the Air (2009) and Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), as well as the series Hawkeye (2021) and Ahsoka (2023).

Nancy Schreiber, ASC is an award-winning cinematographer whose credits include the features Your Friends & Neighbors (1998), November (2004) and Mapplethorpe (2018), as well as the series P-Valley, The Comeback and Better Things.

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