Since his feature debut in 2000, filmmaker Bong Joon Ho has become a crucial contributor to the tremendous growth of South Korean cinema and its globalization. Known for his inquisitive mind and meticulous eye for detail, Bong’s creations, which span both realistic and fantastical realms, continue to impact the evolving atmosphere of the South Korean film industry as well as art and culture around the world.
For one weekend in April 2026, Bong returned to the Academy Museum to create exhilarating memories on stage. On April 11, director David Fincher joined Bong for a conversation and screening of Fincher’s Zodiac (2007), a masterpiece thriller showcased via an original poster in the current exhibition, Director’s Inspiration: Bong Joon Ho.
There is always a class of filmmakers perennially itching for the next technological leap forward: James Cameron and Steven Soderbergh come to mind as two directors with opposing working styles but similar ambitions for the efficiencies and reality-bending possibilities of digital technology. The transition from the photochemical film process to digital production—from cameras to visual effects to editing within the early part of the 21st century—represents one of the most profound flashpoints in cinema history. David Fincher, just as technically savvy and game to test out the latest toys, has been less has received less fanfare, but if one has paid attention to Fincher’s career for any length of time, a sentimental affinity for the medium lags far behind the more practical desire to move on to the next project. It’s one of a panoply of oft-stated advantages with digital filmmaking, the ability to move quickly and dexterously, without the literal weight of film to slow you down. But Fincher’s work, inclusive of his time in television advertising and music videos in the ’80s and ’90s, illustrates a director’s desire at first to uphold and then transcend the strictures of the camera itself.
There are two competing perspectives of David Fincher: that of a hard-driving auteur who demands perfection and challenges his audiences with provocative material while still working comfortably within the commercial constraints of the Hollywood studio system; and that of the technical savant, an artist who, from a young age, steeped in the filmmaking culture of the 1970s (George Lucas was his neighbor in northern California for a time), absorbed every part of the cinematic production process, from developing film for director John Korty to working in the matte department at Industrial Light & Magic (Fincher worked under both Korty and Lucas on the 1983 animated feature Twice Upon a Time). Both views run parallel to one another throughout Fincher’s career, a gun-for-hire with an insatiable curiosity for process, a defining feature of his style and the narratives of his films.
After Reznor brought industrial grind into the mainstream, he became an in-demand film composer—and from Natural Born Killers to Tron: Ares, he’s done some of his best, most adventurous work for the screen. A definitive guide to Nine Inch Nails on film.
Nine Inch Nails founder Trent Reznor can’t have known how different a line like “I don’t believe in your institutions” would sound decades later. Nine Inch Nails have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; Reznor and his composing partner Atticus Ross have an Emmy, a Bafta, two Grammies, three Golden Globes, two Oscars (they’re just a Tony away from an EGOT), and a Country Music Award. In some ways Reznor is now the kind of establishment figure he always despised, a respected elder statesman to goths and queers everywhere. With Nine Inch Nails, he married industrial aesthetics to pop instincts; Prince and Bowie were always more important to the recipe than Skinny Puppy. Reznor and Ross won their second Oscar for a Disney movie, and might win for another one at next year’s ceremony. The institutions believe in them.
It makes a lot of sense that someone whose audience is wide enough to include every strain of angry queer teen and the staff of Pixar would embrace these contradictions as he got older, got sober, had children, and became close friends with the people he grew up admiring (Bowie, David Lynch, John Carpenter). There is something in Reznor’s voice that speaks to millions of people, something indefinable that has nothing to do with hooks or record-label muscle behind him. The subject matter has always been lacerating and bleak. On his albums, Reznor was a one-man band plus hired hands until around 2016, where he officially made Atticus Ross a full member. Contradictorily, when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame he submitted every single touring musician as a band member and was forced to negotiate down to 7.
The Tron: Ares soundtrack, released a few weeks ago in advance of the Jared Leto-led threequel, is the first Nine Inch Nails album in five years credited to the band (as opposed to Reznor and Ross) and the first NIN release with sung vocals since 2018’s excellent but brief Bad Witch. It comes on the heels of a tour that everyone you know and admire went to, featuring startling production and the seamless incorporation of acoustic pianos and new collaborator Boys Noize. The pair have announced upcoming projects ranging from a new Naughty Dog video game to starting a production company that wants to branch into film production and fashion. Tron Ares, out today, isn’t even the only movie with a Reznor/Ross soundtrack in theaters right now—they also scored Luca Guadagnino‘s After The Hunt.
Frame & Reference is a conversation between Cinematographers hosted by Kenny McMillan. Each episode dives into the respective DP’s current and past work, as well as what influences and inspires them. These discussions are an entertaining and informative look into the world of making films through the lens of the people who shoot them.
Let’s get into how Erik Messerschmidt does what he does, by unpacking his thoughts and philosophy on photography and looking at what gear he chooses in this episode of Cinematography Style.
00:00: Introduction 01:04: Background 02:06: Visual Language & References 03:44: Perspective & Camera Movement 05:40: Post Production 07:15: Lenses 09:05: Cameras 10:51: Grips 11:33: Lighting 12:28: MUBI
Music: Ottom – ‘Hold On’ Stephen Keech – ‘Grand Design’ Nuer Self – ‘Dawn’ Liquid Memoirs – ‘Distant Dream’ Joley – ‘Night Stroll’ I Am Alex – ‘Bonfire’ The Soundkeeper – ‘The View From The Attic Window’ Sero – ‘Mid August’ Chill Winston – ‘The Truth’
DISCLAIMER: Some links in this description are affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with these links I may receive a small commission without an additional charge to you. Thank you for supporting my channel so I can continue to provide you with free videos!
With The Killer, David Fincher created a masterpiece of cinematic storytelling.
In the first act – the Paris hit – Fincher and his team combined three sets in post. They also added typical artifacts like horizontal flares and distortions to give The Killer an anamorphic vibe.
To learn and explore, we set out to recreate the climax of the first act of The Killer, BUT to do it for real: One real location and real anamorphic lenses. We even developed a way to do film through a real rifle scope – anamorphic of course.
This was possible as DZO just introduced three new focal lengths to their awesome PAVO lineup of 2x anamorphic lenses, a 135mm, a 180mm, and a 65mm Macro. This new focal length and the general short minimum focus distance of the PAVO made them the ideal companions to shoot our short.
We take you behind the scenes, share our experiences with you, and, of course, show you the result: “The Killers” gives the original a slightly different spin…
Disclaimer: We collaborated with DZOfilm and got the full PAVO set of 9 lenses to shoot our short. As always, we strive to give you our honest opinion based on our experience and tests.
00:00: Intro & Contents 02:48: The Killer / A Cinematic Masterpiece 03:44: Subjective Camera Movement 05:00: Subjective Sound Design 05:41: Subjective Edit 06:25: Paris: A Real Fake Location 10:08: Faking the Anamorphic Look| 12:14: Reimagining The Killer 15:49: Gear: The Lenses 23:18: The Rifle Scope 25:01: Gear: The Cameras 27:45: Feature: The Killers 31:08: A Second Killer & Verdict 33:16: Thank You 34:02: Member Shout Out
On this episode of Prop Talk, we sit down with PMG member and Local 44Property MasterJames Eddy and his daughter, Local 44 member Assistant Property Master Kelsi Eddy, to discuss their relationship and experiences working for Directors like David Fincher in Mindhunter and The Killer.
Hosts: Chris Call, PMG Founding Member & Local 44 Property Master with Michael Trudel, PMG Secretary & Local 44 Property Master.
In David Fincher’s Netflix darkly comic thriller The Killer, Michael Fassbender is the nameless assassin who goes on an international hunt for revenge while insisting to himself that it isn’t personal.
The film marks the second Fincher-directed feature shot by Erik Messerschmidt ASC, following the Citizen Kane drama Mank, for which he won the 2020 Academy Award for Best Cinematography.
It is also the latest in a long line of Fincher movies since The Social Network to be shot on RED.
“There was not a conversation about using another camera system – there never is with David,” Messerschmidt says. “RED as a partner have been enormously collaborative with us in terms of helping us develop new ideas and solve problems. RED is absolutely creative partners to David’s process and certainly to me.”
Master of creating imagery that illustrates beyond the narrative, Erik Messerschmidt is an Academy-Award-winning cinematographer and long-time David Fincher collaborator equipped with a captivating photographic eye and razor-sharp instinct. Messerschmidt’s expertise lies in the visceral experience, the intricacy of his lens causing hairs on the backs of necks to stand to attention while Fincher’s protagonists face a run-in with death, and chests to pound amid the thrill of a car chase – all thanks to the cinematographer’s ability to deliver a sucker-punch to the senses.
After starting out as gaffer on Fincher’s 2014 thriller Gone Girl, Messerschmidt was the guiding visual eye behind the auteur’s chilling Netflix series Mindhunter, his monochromatic ode to 1940s cinema, Mank (for which Messerschmidt won the Oscar for Best Cinematography), and most recently The Killer, stalking the dark psyche of a trained assassin. Having developed an instinctive shorthand with Fincher, Messerschmidt’s ongoing intention is to ensure the viewer is immersed in a world that is palpable in our own. Messerschmidt switched lanes for his most recent project, as Michael Mann’s cinematographer for his acclaimed high-speed epic, Ferrari, bringing to life the tumultuous rise of Enzo Ferrari’s automotive empire in Northern Italy.
Hollywood Stunt Coordinator & VFX Artist Dave Macomber discusses pre-visualizing the fight sequence for David Fincher’s The Killer and his new Unreal Engineproject.
Dave Macomber is an award-winning stunt/fight coordinator and second-unit director in the film industry. With a passion for Visual Effects (VFX), Dave seamlessly incorporates VFX elements into his stunt visualizations, providing a comprehensive template for directors and the rest of the crew.
Having worked on iconic blockbusters like Transformers, HBO‘s Watchmen, and numerous Marvel Cinematic Universe films, Dave’s expertise shines through. Just a glance at his IMDB page showcases his impressive portfolio.
In his latest project for David Fincher‘s The Killer, Dave coordinated a gripping 6-minute fight sequence shot mostly in darkness. Join him as he shares insights into working with David Fincher, revealing that Fincher is an extremely collaborative director, and how his background as a VFX artist dictates his approach to photographing sequences in his movies.
‘Killer vs Brute’ exemplifies Dave’s mastery in delivering high-impact action sequences. Even though the scene turned out to be a success, Dave states that it was “the most intimidating thing I’ve ever done in my career.”
Venturing into Unreal Engine filmmaking during his spare time, Dave’s creativity knows no bounds. Last year, he unveiled The Ronin, his first Unreal Engine short film, showcasing a fight scene performed entirely by himself, using Rokoko Motion Capture technology. Now, with The Widow: Assassins Highway, Dave enlists a team of Marvel stunt performers to help him capture the stunts and elevate the action.
This episode offers a captivating glimpse into the VFX pipeline, the Hollywood stunt process, and Unreal Engine filmmaking.
Listen to the extended version of the conversation as a podcast:
The Fincher Analyst 