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Director of Photography Adam Santelli got his start as a cinematographer by working his way up the electrical department through the 90’s. After breaking into the role of DP on the film Mother, Santelli curated an impressive portfolio. Working in the camera department for hit tv shows and movies including Fear the Walking Dead, Midnight, Texas, and Descendants 3, Santelli has proven his skill and expertise in the field. In his tenure, Santelli has cultivated a taste in music videos, and was on the scene during the genre’s blow up in the early 2000’s.
Understanding the marriage between cinematography and choreography, particularly in music videos and musicals, has informed Santelli’s recent work as cinematographer for Netflix’s coming-of-age musical 13: The Musical. The musical stars Josh Peck, Rhea Perlman, Debra Messing, and follows a young boy (played by Eli Golden) as he moves to a new town and plans to win over new friends by throwing the coolest Bar Mitzvah ever.
We spoke with Adam about his start in cinematography, working on 13: The Musical, and his approach to shooting music-based content.
Tell us a bit about yourself. What was your first job as a DP and how did you decide to pursue your craft professionally?
I worked my way up through the electrical department working for some true legends (Russ Carpenter, John Schwartzman, Jan DeBont.) While working as the gaffer on the film “Mother” the DOP, Gerry Lively, had a family emergency and had to go back to London. He and the director went to Diane Ladd and Olympia Dukakis, who were starring in the film, and talked to them about me finishing the show as the DOP. They signed off on it and that’s how I got my first opportunity to shoot. Back then it was all film and you had to have a reel. I think it was harder to move up but I’m sure there are some young DOPs that would disagree with me.
Who are some of your favorite long term collaborators?
It would definitely be some of the music video people I have worked with like Steve Carr and Dean Karr. Back in the early 2000s, when the music video world was blowing up we were constantly pushing the boundaries of film and digital transfers, which was a relatively new process. We would shoot with homemade lenses, hand-cranked cameras, flash the film, bleach bypass then take it to this new breed of telecine operators who were true artists and stretched the film even further. It was such a great time to be DOP.
What scene was the most fun to work on for 13: The Musical?
That’s a tough one. It would definitely be one of the musical numbers, but Tamra is one of those inspirational directors that makes every scene feel like this is why I wanted to get in this business. If I had to pick one, it would be “Little More Homework.” We started shooting it on the second day of filming and shot the final scenes of it towards the end of principal photography. It was really moving to see these young kids start the number and then these young adults finish it.
What gear do you tend to use, especially in the production of 13: The Musical?
I shot 13: The Musical on Alexa LF (Large Format) with Zeiss Supreme Lenses. I’m a huge fan of the Alexa LF – I think it holds the highlights better and has more depth in the mids. The LF is a little harder to pull on, especially when shooting a musical but I had a fantastic focus puller, Dean Stinchcombe out of Toronto. We shot 2:1 aspect ratio or if you are a Vittorio Storaro Univisium. The happy compromise between film and HD. Back in my music video days, we would always shoot 2:1, so it is an aspect ratio I really enjoy shooting especially when it comes to choreography. Netflix has been a huge proponent of 2:1 I just wish everyone would call it Univisium in honor of Storaro and the work he did to make 2:1 a relevant format.
You have also previously worked on music videos, could you talk about the work you did there and did you draw from that experience for 13: The Musical?
I have a long history in shooting music videos, and I am always drawing upon that knowledge when shooting a musical. I think one of the more important things that a DOP needs to understand when shooting a musical is that there is so much visual storytelling within the musical numbers we need to convey, and you have to work with the choreography to visually highlight critical story points. There also needs to be a seamless integration between the photography and the choreography. It was great working with Tamra, who also had the music video experience.
What is your dream project? Dream collaborators?
Ha! That’s easy – I want to make a musical in the same vein as Oliver (the 1968 film Dir Carol Reed) not in story, but in scope. Turn down the volume and just watch the film – the work of Cinematographer Oswald Morris is stunning.
Where can we find you on social media?
Instagram @adamsantelli
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Thanks for reading! If you would like to check out more of Adam’s work, head over to his IMDb page!
