Clubhouse Conversations — The Day of the Jackal

In this episode, cinematographer Christopher Ross, BSC is joined by interviewer Roberto Schaefer, ASC, AIC to discuss his work on The Day of the Jackal — a spy-thriller series that offers a contemporary reimagining of Frederick Forsyth's renowned novel of the same name.

The Day of the Jackal tells the story of Alex "The Jackal" Duggan (Eddie Redmayne), an elite assassin whose job entails assuming false identities and weaponizing all other forms of deception in his efforts to execute high-stakes operations across Europe. Ross served as director of photography on the series' first three episodes, and was tasked with establishing much of its visual language early in its run. (He also wrote a first-person account for American Cinematographer on how he approached lighting the show's very first scene. Read his commentary, along with a full lighting plot and frames from the scene, here.)

In this interview, Ross discusses how the series' camera movement and lighting were designed to help reflect characters' psychology and build suspense; his close collaboration with director Brian Kirk, production designer Richard Bullock and costume designer Natalie Humphries to ensure that the show’s visual tone was cohesive across international locations; the influence of mood films on the show's pace, and more.

Christopher Ross, BSC is a cinematographer whose credits include the features Black Sea, Yesterday and The Swimmers and the series Top Boy, Trust and Shōgun. He is currently serving as president of the British Society of Cinematographers.

Roberto Schaefer, ASC, AIC is a cinematographer whose credits include Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, Monster's Ball, Finding Neverland, Quantum of Solace, The Kite Runner and The Paperboy.

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