Toby Leary DOP - ‘Who Said Drill is Dead’ by Unknown T.

Toby Leary DOP talks to us about using his TLS rehoused Canon K35s on the music video production ‘Who Said Drill is Dead’ by British rapper and singer 'Unknown T'.

In his own words....

When approaching this project, I knew that there were certain components that couldn’t be compromised, and that getting the right kit was crucial to the look!

By the time we shot this video I think everyone had seen or at least heard of Top Boy, especially the new revamped Netflix series anyway. Of which I believe the look was a crucial part in its success. It looked gorgeous, yet gritty and of course those colours, amazing! The idea was created as it had the pull of the show as well as the artist involved - Unknown T. It was a very clever move from Unknown’s team as it really did merge likely worlds, and you weren’t too sure if it could’ve been real or not.

I knew that the Netflix series was one of the first productions on the streaming service to shoot on the Alexa LF, and you can tell just by looking at a frame, that camera really does give it a unique look. So it was decided and we managed to get our hands on a Alexa Mini LF (supplied by London rental house Shift 4). The lenses on the other hand were up for discussion. Obviously, they had to be full frame to cover the sensor on the Mini LF but I was looking for certain characteristics for this shoot.

Firstly, as a personal preference, I like to shoot on fast glass. I find that having the option to open up the lens can get you out of some sticky situations, and when shooting music videos you need every trick at your disposal, trust me! It then came to the look, something gritty but cinematic. I happened to have used the TLS rehoused Canon K35’s on a music video a month or so before and they came to mind straight away! The fact they are vintage glass is a HUGE plus for me as it really aids that gritty look & helps break up the digital image.

When shooting with them I found them to be insanely sharp, but they present a softness to the image at the same time, it must be because of the vintage nature of them. It really helped isolate the talent and paired with the Alexa Mini LF they gave INCREDIBLE fall off. Although on the 85mm the focus puller (Jake Loft) was turning in his grave and of course I had to be at T1.3. The physical lenses themselves were very ergonomic and allowed the camera team and I to work seamlessly, also a big plus when time is of the essence.

My favourite had to be the 85mm! The close up of Dushane (Ashley Walters) looked immense, especially when he leaned in, the world seemed to sink around him. When I was shooting that shot, I remember I couldn’t stop smiling, I was thinking ‘Damn, this is magic’!

The team that made this all happen!

Director: Dir Lx
Producer: Micheal Newton @ Great Coat Films
1st AC: Jake Loft
2nd AC: Kristiana Zhekova
Steadicam Operator: Mike Vega
Gaffer: Massimo Filippi
Rental House: Swift4

Connect with Toby

Website: https://tobyleary.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tobyleary/

Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/tobyleary

Unknown T - Who said drill’s dead?

See more of what Toby has done in the past on his YouTube channel called ‘The Trenches’. The episodes displays behind the scenes shots. So, take a look and see the process of the TLS lenses in action!