The Cinematography Podcast

The Cinematography Podcast


Alik Sakharov, DP turned director, on Game of Thrones, House of Cards, The Sopranos, Ozark, and the director/DP relationship

December 25, 2019

The Cinematography Podcast Episode 58: Alik Sakharov, ASC

Alik Sakharov shot many feature films and television series such as The Sopranos, Rome, and Game of Thrones before moving into the director's chair. With no formal film school training, Alik began his career making industrial videos for JC Penney, a department store chain. He worked his way up, shooting independent feature films before coming to the attention of producer David Chase, who asked him to DP The Sopranos. Alik feels cinematography, directing and writing must work together to create a story, and it's difficult to separate one from the other. The cinematographer must always help the director tell the story and be a partner in creating the work. He is currently executive producer of the Netflix series The Witcher.

Learn more about Alik Sakharov

Episode Sponsors:

Hot Rod Cameras

Aputure  Aputure makes very good LED lighting products and accessories. Coming soon: the NOVA 300C RGB panel. Pre-order it at Hot Rod Cameras.

Close Focus discussion: Adaptations and whether they should be adapted or remade- some are good, and some are definitely not great.

Ben's short end: HBO's Watchmen was an amazing series that tied together the story of Watchmen, adding in new, exciting plot points and really stuck the landing.

Illya's short end: Projected LED video walls are the new technology coming to private theaters. Illya has seen one made by Samsung  and one made by Sony, made from interlocking tile-style screens. But will the audience pay to see a movie this way?

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Podcast Credits:

Editor in Chief:  Illya Friedman
@hotrodcameras instagram
@illyafriedman instagram

Ben Rock:  @neptunesalad twitter
@bejamin_rock instagram

Producer: Alana Kode
Editor: Ben Katz
Composer: Kays Alatractchi
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