Steadicam

“When we first filmed the sequence, it didn’t have the energy the choreography had: We were staying too distant; the planned blocking disappointed. So we went with a much shorter, 20-millimeter lens on a Steadicam. The Steadicam operator, Sacha Naceri, Damien, Zoe and I just tried to find the right position for the camera on almost every one of her moves. Zoe’s character kind of dictates the camera and lighting movements.”

“Saturday Night’s” long Steadicam takes — through a perfectly re-created Studio 8H, 2022 “SNL” host Dafoe attests — gave the stage veteran extra juice.

Otherwise, our Steadicam operator Karsten Jacobsen has an incredible dance background; he started his career as a production assistant on a dance competition show, and when their Steadicam operator got hurt, they’re like “Put this rig on!”

The series opens with a Mendes specialty, a Steadicam shot that follows Daniel through a soundstage setup while introducing all of the characters along with the AD’s tasks.

“On broadcast, someone wins an award, a Steadicam follows them offstage, and that’s generally when you’ve got to cut to the commercial,” says Bracco.