DRAŽEN

DRAŽEN (FEATURE)

WORKING AS A CINEMATOGRAPHER ON THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN AN ABSOLUTE HONOR AND AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE. I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO EXPRESS MY DEEPEST GRATITUDE FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PAY TRIBUTE TO ONE OF THE GREATEST CROATIAN ATHLETES, DRAŽEN PETROVIĆ.
WHEN PRODUCERS LJUBO AND IVOR, ALONG WITH DIRECTOR DANILO, INVITED ME TO COLLABORATE ON THIS PROJECT, I FELT IMMENSE JOY AT THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOOT MY FIRST FEATURE FILM. AT THE SAME TIME, I KNEW IT WOULD BE A HUGE CHALLENGE. I TOLD MYSELF THAT I HAD TO GIVE MY ABSOLUTE BEST IN EVERY ASPECT - JUST AS DRAŽEN DID IN HIS CAREER.
SOON AFTER, I EMBARKED ON IN-DEPTH RESEARCH OF THE ERA, WHICH ALLOWED ME TO CAREFULLY STRUCTURE THE STORY AND DEPICT DRAŽEN’S LIFE FROM THE 1970S TO THE 1990S.
WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE SET AND COSTUME DESIGN DEPARTMENTS, WE DEVELOPED VISUALLY COMPELLING PERIOD TEXTURES AND BROUGHT THE COLORS OF THAT TIME TO LIFE. THIS WAS NO EASY TASK, AS THE PRODUCTION INVOLVED A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE, OVER SIXTY LOCATIONS ACROSS CROATIA, AND ADDITIONAL FILMING IN NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY.
AFTER EXTENSIVE TESTING OF DIFFERENT CAMERAS AND LENSES, AND WITH THE HELP OF COLORIST LUTS FORSTER, WE CREATED A LUT PRESET THAT WE MAINTAINED FROM THE SET ALL THE WAY THROUGH POST-PRODUCTION. FOR ME, THIS PRECISE AND THOUGHTFUL APPROACH WAS KEY TO SHAPING THE FILM’S VISUAL STYLE.
TO ALL LIGHTING AND CAMERA TEAMS, PRODUCTION, POST-PRODUCTION, AND THE ENTIRE CAST AND CREW - THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE. I TRULY BELIEVE WE HAVE CREATED SOMETHING SPECIAL TOGETHER.

PRODUCTION: KINOTEKA

PRODUCERS: LJUBO ZDJELAREVIĆ, IVOR ŠIBER

DIRECTOR: DANILO ŠERBEDŽIJA

EDITOR: DAVOR BOSANKIĆ

PRODUCTION DESIGN: IVO KNEZOVIĆ

COSTUME DESIGN: ŽELJKA FRANULOVIĆ, ANA KALA KOVAČEVIĆ

GAFFER: JOŠKO MILIĆ

1AC: RENE RECEK

COLORIST: LUTZ FORSTER

SHOT ON ARRI ALEXA MINI LF WITH COOKE ANAMORPHIC 1.8X