Behind The Scenes

On set, between takes: how the image actually comes together. Lighting rigs going up, cameras being rigged, monitors showing the frame while the room around it looks nothing like it.

These were shot across Italy on commercials, documentaries, short films and interviews, from a narrow apartment standing in for a 1950s noir to the Calcio Storico in Piazza Santa Croce, and from Michelangelo's David at the Accademia to a two-camera interview rig streaming live into a videocall.

Most of the gear you'll see here is mine: Sony FX Cinema Line bodies, LED panels and modifiers, field monitors, microphones. Some of it is rented for the job, ARRI and RED included, when the production calls for it. The equipment list has the details, and the finished work is in the portfolio. Click any photo to open it full size.

Matteo Castelli receiving the Premio Submarino Peral for Best Short Film Cinematography at the 54th Festival Internacional de Cine de Cartagena, Spain
Matteo Castelli filming a Dior artisan at work on a camera slider, with craft tools laid out on the bench
Matteo Castelli's scissor extendable crane rigged with a cinema camera over a fairytale set built in studio
Matteo Castelli at the fluid head filming a miniature set for a children's toy commercial
Matteo Castelli operating a cinema camera with a Zeiss Makro-Planar lens on a toy commercial with a young performer
Matteo Castelli operating a cinema camera behind a Feelworld field monitor on a commercial set
4K field monitor showing a lit frame during a production shot by Matteo Castelli
Michelangelo's David framed on a cinema camera monitor during filming at the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence
On set with the lighting rig in place during a production shot by Matteo Castelli in Italy
Matteo Castelli filming the Calcio Storico Fiorentino in Piazza Santa Croce, Florence
Matteo Castelli on location with an ARRI Alexa Mini and cinema zoom on a fluid head
ARRI cinema camera on a Sachtler tripod during a shoot lit by Matteo Castelli
Interview setup with ring light and shotgun microphone for a branded content shoot in Italy
RED Epic-W with cinema prime on a beauty product shoot, camera operated by Matteo Castelli
Matteo Castelli reviewing footage on an external monitor during a commercial shoot
ARRI cinema camera in a Tilta cage, rigged and ready on set
Matteo Castelli checking a shot on an ARRI Alexa during a production in Tuscany
Sony FX9 cinema camera set up inside Palazzo Vecchio, Florence
Lighting and camera setup in place before a take, on a production in Italy
Two-camera interview setup with Feelworld monitors, boom microphone and laptop for live streaming to a videocall
Behind the scenes on an Italian set, camera rigged and lighting in position