Movie set photography is often directors with their arms over an actor or a view of the camera crew, but photographer JoJo Whilden’s pictures for Fallout take a different approach.
Whilden’s medium format film photos very much look as if they are part of the Fallout world; an Amazon TV series video game adaption set 200 years after an apocalyptic nuclear exchange.
The set photographer tells PetaPixel that her decision to shoot on a Hasselblad 500cm camera was very much driven by the overall artistic direction of the show.
“My photo producer at Amazon, Cory Bird, was incredibly supportive about shooting film on Fallout,” Wilden says over email.
“And using the Hasselblad for a more retro portrait-type feel was a no-brainer. The series itself was shot on Kodak film stock, so it was an obvious creative choice to go with Kodak Portra film stock.”
Wilden’s photos were shared to the Amazon Prime Video Instagram page with the Kodak Portra 400 border visible and they received considerable attention. Comments urged the studio to “Tag the photographer” and many others praised the photos for their beauty and authenticity.
“I limited myself to a roll a day, which allowed for 10 frames on any given day,” she explains.
“I took my time and involved the actors in composing the photographs, which may be why it feels more like I was a ‘photographer’ character in the world of the show rather than a behind-the-scenes unit photographer.
“I shot some black and white as well, but they have not been released to the public.”
Part of the Show
Edward Thompson of the Pictures On My Mind YouTube channel says Wilden’s photos “feel like they exist in the same world as Fallout and that’s why they’re brilliant.”
“They don’t break the fourth wall, for the most part, they’re very formal pictures the actors aren’t grinning they’re kind of in-character still, there are some amazing moments.”
Fallout is based on a video game and Thompson points out that in the game players are able to craft cameras that look like a 1950s medium format camera.
“That’s why it’s so exciting for me because JoJo wasn’t working as a member of a crew on a film set, it’s like she was a character in Fallout, she was the photographer and her photographs exist in that same world and that’s why it’s so refreshing.”
More of Wilden’s work can be found on her Instagram and website.
Image credits: Photographs by JoJo Whilden.