Eli Arenson, TLS Vega Lenses & 'The Watchers'

Eli Arenson is a cinematographer known for his work in film and television. He is known for his distinctive visual style and ability to craft compelling narratives through his cinematography. Arenson has worked on a variety of projects, including feature films, short films, and commercials, often collaborating with directors to bring their vision to life on screen.

"The Watchers" is an upcoming 2024 horror / thriller film directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan, the daughter of renowned filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan. The movie based on the 2021 novel ‘The Watchers’ by A.M. Shine was released on June 7, 2024, by Warner Bros. Pictures. The movie follows the story of Mina, played by Dakota Fanning, a 28-year-old artist who becomes stranded in a remote forest in western Ireland. While trying to find her way out, she discovers a mysterious place inhabited by strange and menacing creatures known as "The Watchers." As she tries to survive the night, Mina encounters other people who have also been trapped in this eerie setting, and together they must figure out how to escape before it's too late.

TLS talks to Eli about ‘The Watchers’ production and more particularly why the TLS Vega lenses were chosen for filming.

In his own words…

"The Watchers" is the debut feature of Ishana Night Shyamalan. Her vision for the film was deeply rooted in the themes of observation and the psychological tension involved in watching and being watched, which are central to the film's narrative.

We filmed the majority of the production in the woods surrounding Wicklow, Ireland. The breath-taking locations were paramount to enhance the films eerie atmosphere, but also set a number of challenges we had to consider when choosing lenses for the project.

We knew early on that we wanted the film to be 1.85:1 to allow the compositions to play on the vertical access. We wanted the trees to feel massive and the burrows in the earth to feel deep. We worked with Arri London and were filming on the Alexa65 to allow for longer lenses with less distortion, without having to sacrifice a wide field of view.

Ishana and I spent a considerable amount of time experimenting with various lenses to achieve the distinct look we envisioned. We aimed to create an immersive atmosphere that felt both haunting and beautiful.

We tested nearly all the lenses Arri London had available, taking a second round of select lenses on location to test out how they register the nature. We screened the tests blind and both myself as well as Ishana and producer M. Night Shyamalan all agreed on the TLS Vega lenses.

There was something really three dimensional with the lenses when we projected them on the big screen, especially paired with the massive sensor of the Alexa65.

The lens' fast T-stop of 1.5 was essential, because on overcast days in the dense woods, light meter reading would sometimes drop below f/1.4. The lenses were also light weight enough to fit on steadicam, wirecam and various remote heads and cranes.

The TLS Vega’s have a wonderful range of focal lengths, in particular the jump between the 50mm and 58mm was really unique, and the 85mm had a certain richness and crunch to it which made me use it as the default lens. They all provided high-contrast, consistent colour and minimal flare, which is vital in maintaining the film's consistency and working with VFX.

I’m very proud of the images we made on The Watchers, being able to photograph authentically with mostly natural light, and have lenses with a high contrast that allow for softer lighting, helped create a feeling of depth and detail - the TLS Vega’s were the correct choice for that.