Don't f*ck with Pikkis

September 28

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Script written by Valo Sauri, Jacob Nordgren and Kristian Nordgren: "Don't F*ck With Pikkis", a short film production.

The film was shot by Jacob (Mestoil Films), and I was once again behind the tech as 1st AC.

At the director’s request for a global shutter camera, we used the Red Komodo 6K. It’s a small, lightweight, but powerful camera. The downside, though, is how poorly it handles low light conditions compared to our usual pick — the Red Gemini 5K S35 — especially on a set where lighting was going to be very limited.

Almost every shot was captured with the sensor wide open, resulting in a very shallow depth of field, especially for close-ups. We primarily used a 21mm f/2.8 Zeiss Distagon T lens, but also brought in a Canon 24–105mm f/2.8 for some selective zoom work.

The film was shot mostly handheld, with lots of pans, tilts, chases, stunts, and fast movement. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it, regardless of how late the clock got some days.

Focus markers were basically useless — actors and camera positions changed every take, so all I could do was estimate and hope for the best. It came down to anticipating the movement and trusting my instincts. If the cinematographer and director say it’s good, then I’m happy — even if I know a few shots could’ve been just a bit sharper with some more time. But that’s life on set.

As usual a big thanks and shout out to Feelm Creative and Koptercam for the camera, and thanks to Albert Lindberg for the nice BTS photos.