Oscar 2016: Cinematography Nominees–Robert Richardson, The Hateful Eight

In his fifth collaboration with Quentin Tarantino dating back to 2003’s Kill Bill, Vol. 1, Robert Richardson and his director shoot The Hateful Eight on 70 mm film using archaic Ultra Panavision 70 lenses, a format that hasn’t been used since the 1960s, the heyday of the epic roadshow, and the widest possible frame available.

“The colors scream on 70 mm,” Richardson said. “The red in particular looks like we could have shot this film on Kodachrome, except there’s absolutely no grain anywhere. It’s really beautiful.”

It’s an expensive and difficult format, but Richardson, a three-time Oscar winner for JFK, The Aviator and Hugo.

“70 mm is so clean it’s hard to distinguish,” he said. “You pick up more contrast, and the colors maybe get muted a tiny bit (when you strike theatrical prints from the masters), but they’re still quite rich.”