Cinematography of Tenet | Hoyte Van Hoytema

In Today’s video, we are doing a simple breakdown of the Cinematography of Tenet, shot by none other than Hoyte van Hoytema and director Christopher Nolan. We explore Hoyte’s camera, lenses, lighting, and composition choices in the movie on Tenet. As always, we focus on delivering the true message of the cinematographer and so you’ll find many direct quotes from Hoyte himself. Hope you enjoy!

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TIMESTAMPS⏰
00:00 Intro
00:53 Reason to shoot on IMAX
01:37 Reasons for camera choices
02:54 Christopher Nolan’s quote on the greatest DPs
03:42 Reason for spherical lenses
04:00 Lens choices
04:40 Framing
06:28 Lighting: realism
09:08 Hoyte on working with your heart

SOURCES ✔ 
Hoyte van Hoytema Interview

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[prsnheretodo]

I watched it on a glorious 70MM film in Columbus Ohio. It was like an oil-painting!

[nireviews]

The fact that the film wasn't even nominated in the Oscars shocked me. Tenet has some of the best cinematography I've in a long long while. And easily the best of last year

[MrPhenom]

teneT is the Blade Runner of our generation. Snubbed and misunderstood at first, but should grow into the legendary status it deserves!

[ArunSingh-idey]

Hoyte is one of the brilliant DP. The way he shot the brilliant 'Let the right one in' is top notch. Considering the average budget which they got for that project. Man, he has a style of his own. ♥️

[FrancoE.Zapata]

Hoytema is a genius, i especially love his work in Dunkirk and Soldier tinker tailor spy. Good vid!

[MLJ_edits]

The entire prologue sequence of Tenet was one of the most intense things I've ever seen in a theater. I knew instantly I was watching a masterpiece. So great!

[henrik]

It's INSANE that Hoyte started out his film career with filming small movies (some with actually pretty racist titles lmao) in the norway / swedish industry. And now he is the cinemotographer for Nolan, insane career.

[albertschweiger]

Been waiting for a cinematography video of Tenet forever, can't believe nobody did one yet. Hoyte's lighting on Tenet was unbelievable and you are spot on about th realism! Great vid

[VariTimo]

In the talk where he was talking about center punching, he’s talking about how he wasn’t really able to do that with Spectre because he didn’t operate on that one and the operator had a different intuition for the film.

[oracleofvalerius]

I love that movie, so well shot and not so pixel sharp which really tires the eye. Thanks for putting this together

[crapshot]

I may not have loved this movie but the cinematography is world class. It should've have definitely won for Best Cinematography at the Oscars.

[marcom.]

For those with an eye for beauty, Dunkirk and Tenet are on the top 5 most beautiful films of all time. Dunkirk being number 1.

[oniriscope]

I have been waiting for this notification for months!
May the gods of cinema bless you guys.

Thank you for this and bravo for the narrative upgrade!

[CortesFantásticosOficial]

Yes, thank you for this. I Love the cinematography of this film.

[trannel]

I got my first 4K oled tv couple of weeks ago. Yes. Totally not cinema experience (but to be honest the cinema experience always overwhelms me and I cannot focus on details. So I need to watch @ home again. As soon as the 4K stuff is available on disc 😅. UHD Blu-ray’s these days give me proper image quality to nerd into. Thanks for bringing me these insights. I was wondering why interstellar and tenet had some shots with and without the black bars / different aspect rations.

Now I understand. Thank you so much 😍

[oniriscope]

Just rewatched your TENET cinematography breakdown.
Your absence weights (heavy) on this platform…
Hope you guys are okay!
And that we’ll be able to get more of your helpful contribution to aspiring filmmakers on YouTube.
Take care guys!

[spideymoin]

Excellent work AlterCine. Please do Cinematography of Inception/ TDK/ TDKR. They all have breathtaking Cinematography. Please 🙏🙏🙏

[VariTimo]

The main camera for 65mm 5-perf was the Panavision 65.

[monkynutzuk]

At 8:25 I like how they randomly used a black magic pocket cinema camera as a prop lol

[BRENTxBEAR]

It's really sad that there are no real IMAX screens near me. I've never seen any of the movies filmed in IMAX in a real screen. I've seen them in the smaller digital IMAX screens, but even I know it's not the same, since I've been only to one real IMAX screen so far in my life