Steve Neaves Shoots GQ Motion Cover

Director and photographer Steve Neaves used a 8k Helium Red camera to create both the motion cover and stills for a feature with George MacKay in GQ Hype.

George MacKay currently stars in 1917, Sam Mendes’ hotly anticipated First World War drama, and was interviewed by John Naughon who details the technical difficulties they had in filming:

"It’s a vastly complex technical challenge, filmed to make it appear as if the entire movie is one continuous shot. This involved long takes of up to eight minutes in which every single movement of every actor had to be blocked out in microscopic detail.

So, imagine this: it’s action time on set and each individual shell hole has been filled with the precise amount of water, each sandbag discoloured the correct shade of khaki. Now, highly skilled cameramen are running backwards across rough terrain as the two protagonists hurtle towards them, explosive charges detonating to the millisecond. And, what’s more, God himself has come on board and made the clouds disappear temporarily. And then it all goes wrong. And it’s George MacKay’s fault. His belt has slipped and a gun has fallen from its holster five minutes into the shot with the finish line agonisingly in sight. They are going to have to do it all over again, right from the start. “It’s a terrible, terrible feeling,” the actor says, grimacing, over a pint of lime and soda in a North London pub, the memory still fresh. “But everyone was very supportive.”

The feature was shot at Direct Photographic studios in London ahead of the release, with Steve and GQ's creative team taking a 'camouflage' concept to create the visuals for both stills and motion.