Interview
Bence Szemerey
Bence Szemerey is a Hungarian cinematographer based in Budapest, working internationally. With a background in photojournalism and over seven years of experience as a photographer, his visual style is rooted in documentary aesthetics. He primarily shoots commercials and music videos, and has recently transitioned into feature-length narrative films. His photography—shot exclusively on film—includes artist portraits and stills for feature productions. A graduate of Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, he was selected for the ASC Vision Mentorship Program 2024–2025 and named one of Forbes Hungary’s most influential people under 30 in 2025.
Your journey transitioned from photography to cinematography. How has your background in still photography influenced your approach to motion pictures?
I started photography in 2010, and from the beginning, people kept telling me my photographs were “so cinematic.” I didn’t even know what cinematic meant at the time but accepted my fate. Interestingly, I later learned that many famous filmmakers—both directors and cinematographers like Stanley Kubrick—came from photography backgrounds. The coin has two sides: on one hand, it was easier for me to apply my knowledge from the stills world, like telling a story with minimal images (which is why I rarely shoot coverage). On the other hand, my “cinematic” style walks a fine line—my stills can be too dreamy and cinematic, while my motion pictures can feel too photographic and not cinematic enough. If I had to name one thing I inherited from my stills work, it’s calmness—the ability to improvise in any situation.
As the behind-the-scenes photographer for The Brutalist, how did you approach capturing the essence of the film’s production?
When I learned that The Brutalist would be shot on film, I immediately recommended shooting the behind-the-scenes and stills on film as well, abandoning all digital technology—that was the biggest initial decision. For the images themselves, my ultimate goal was to capture the feeling of the set and provide viewers with a broader window into what was happening around the actual movie shots, revealing details that audiences never see. I’ve always loved shooting with wide-angle lenses, so I focused on creating expansive images that captured both the essence of each scene and truthfully documented the set pieces and crew at work.
Sometimes it feels like an endless dance between time and me, working together to show what’s needed while keeping it engaging for the viewer.
The Brutalist was notably shot on VistaVision, a format last widely used in the 1960s . How did this choice impact your photographic documentation on set?
Without getting too technical, the key thing about VistaVision is that it runs film horizontally—just like a regular 35mm stills camera. This means it shoots 8-perf images, unlike Super35mm which moves film vertically and only shoots 4-perf wide images. As a Stills Photographer, I’m typically expected to capture shots nearly identical to what the movie camera sees. However, since our cameras were essentially capturing the same type of image (especially since we were both shooting on film), I decided to explore alternative angles on set. I acted as a sort of imaginary “C” camera, shooting wider angles or different perspectives compared to the A and B cameras. This approach made sense since the distributor could easily pull stills directly from the movie footage if they needed exact matches.
Your portfolio spans commercials, music videos, and narrative content. How do you adapt your visual storytelling techniques across these different formats
My visual style is recognizable—I shoot darker, low-key images with strong color contrast and shallow depth of field. I implement this “golden triangle” across all formats while respecting each project’s original visual intention. The most important element, which is rarely discussed, is what I call “density”—the ability to adapt how much visual information you pack into a single image. In commercials, you have 2-3 seconds to convey your message, while narrative content might require sustaining a shot for several minutes. This is perhaps the most challenging aspect of cinematographic storytelling: adjusting the density of your shots to match the timing. Sometimes it’s difficult to find a visually pleasing way to tell a story in half the ideal time, or vice versa. It’s like an endless dance between time and me, working together to show what’s needed while keeping it engaging for the viewer. Sometimes it feels harsh to completely alter a scene’s visuals for clarity, but it’s necessary. Good cinema is a complex language—it’s not just about beautiful images but about choosing the visuals that best express the intended meaning.
Your still photography often employs analog techniques. What draws you to film photography in today’s digital era?
Well, it’s hard to defend an artistic choice like this, but just as world-famous pianists often choose Steinway pianos or violinists exclusively use Stradivarius violins, it’s something you choose with your heart. I’d like to point out that shooting on film isn’t better or worse than working with digital—it just feels more pleasant to work with, at least for me. There are two main aspects of working with film that I love. First, film’s visual characteristics present our world to me in the best way possible. I’m passionate about colors, and I haven’t found anything else that represents colors this truthfully without extensive post-processing. Second, I love the process itself. I love that we can’t check results immediately on set and must wait for the scans from the lab. It’s amazing to experience that first viewing of the scans again and again. After shooting film for a while, you develop the ability to imagine exactly how a shot will look, and when you get it back looking precisely as you envisioned—that’s priceless.
Can you share a memorable experience from your time on The Brutalist set that significantly impacted your perspective as a cinematographer?
The whole shooting was a memorable experience—shout out to Director Brady Corbet and Cinematographer Lol Crawley of The Brutalist. From beginning to end, every shot was meticulously planned. I loved how Brady and Lol chose to shoot single master shots instead of basic coverage. I’ve always preferred telling stories through well-planned masters rather than shooting coverage aimlessly, and this movie strongly reinforced this perspective. The second lesson came from the lighting approach. With film, you often hear that you must light everything extensively because film isn’t as sensitive as digital cameras. However, Lol consistently lit for the minimum that film required. It was inspiring to see major scenes lit with just bare tungsten bulbs or basic lighting, rather than using massive units to brighten every dark corner. Some scenes were so dark that I struggled to shoot stills—truly showing the boundaries of working with film.Third was the importance of set design, which was incredibly lifelike and believable thanks to Judy Becker and her team. I’d argue that set design is even more crucial than cinematography and lighting—no matter how much light or expensive camera gear you use, if the set looks poor, nothing can save it. I can’t forget to mention Adrien Brody’s award-winning performance. Standing 3-5 meters away and watching him act was indescribable. It felt surreally lifelike—capturing his performance felt like entering another state of mind, as if I were photographing real life rather than a performance between “action” and “cut.” It was truly inspiring to see this movie come together from start to finish.
