By Robert Goldrich

Cinematographer Michael J. Pepin enrolled in Abbott Elementary (ABC) right after the very first session–namely the pilot which was lensed by Kurt Jones. Since then, Pepin has had a major hand in shaping the show’s visual language from that point through season two.

The lauded series already has amassed assorted honors, including three Emmy Award wins last year, AFI distinction as one of the best TV programs of 2022, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

This sweet, touching sitcom from creator and star Quinta Brunson has struck a responsive chord with audiences and critics alike. And contributing in part to that acclaim has been Pepin’s visual acumen which nurtures an engaging mockumentary feel.

Pepin is well versed in varied disciplines, including mockumentary fare. He was brought into the Abbott Elementary fold by showrunner and director Randall Einhorn, The two first collaborated years back on the FX series Wilfred, with Einhorn as EP/director and Pepin as camera operator. Einhorn later served as the original cinematographer and then a director on The Office, a show for which Pepin was a camera operator.

Pepin’s experience on a season of The Office and prior lensing duty on assorted unscripted shows honed his visual feel for docu-style and mockumentary fare, which came in most useful for Abbott Elementary. In fact, Einhorn wanted to bring some of those same mockumentary sensibilities from The Office to Abbott Elementary, related Pepin. This was reflected in the Abbott Elementary pilot shot by Jones and then Pepin’s subsequent approach to the show. 

Pepin recalled being most impressed with the cinematography for the Abbott Elementary pilot and how it helped to define the characters. “What struck me was the style, very much bringing back that Office type of mockumentary camerawork–fast paced, a little more hyper realistic, immersive.”

Pepin stayed true to that feel, shooting 12 straight episodes without a break. That marked a departure from the TV norm which would have perhaps three or four episodes of a series lensed, followed by a brief hiatus for rest, to make changes, regroup and so on before embarking on the next round of three or four episodes. During that stretch of work on a dozen consecutive episodes of Abbott Elementary, Pepin had contemplated some changes visually but didn’t have the time to make them given the lack of break time. It wasn’t until season two that he could act on some of the changes he had been mulling over.

For one, he changed the lighting a bit, opting to bring more natural light into the school as much as possible. He decided to go with a little less fill light, to have light bounce around a bit more and be a little more shaped than in the first season.

There were also changes sparked by different circumstances. Season two covered a greater number of episodes, 22, which is nine more than season one. That longer run opened up the show to reflect different seasons–summer, fall, into springtime. Pepin had to adapt for each season like the winter when it would get darker earlier. He had to adjust to meet the weather, including rain at one point, and even snow which crept up in mid-scene on one occasion. While the lion’s share of lensing for both season one and two of the show took place primarily inside the school, the action off campus, outside and elsewhere increased in episodes during the second season.

“The writers opened up the world quite a bit,” related Pepin. “It wasn’t all in school quite as much–we went to homes, nightclubs, exterior sets, there was more nighttime work.”

The soundstage situation also changed from season one to season two. For the former, the majority of shooting was on one giant soundstage, with the gym set housed on a separate stage. The facilities changed for season two to a pair of primary yet smaller stages, which necessitated that the main set had to be broken up between those two stages. Shooting logistics and the like thus had to be rethought.

Pepin went with ARRI Alexa Minis for Abbott Elementary, coupled with Angenieux zoom lenses and Panavision Primes. This deviated from the Jones-shot pilot which deployed the ARRI Amira camera often associated with documentary work. Pepin shifted to the Alexa, which was a bit smaller and lighter, in that it afforded some additional flexibility and maneuverability. He noted that the Amira and Alexa sensors are very similar.

Pepin added that he, Jones and Einhorn were steadfast that Abbott Elementary be shot as if it were a documentary. “We can’t cheat so to speak. We have to be true to documentary principles,” affirmed Pepin, noting that liberties cannot be taken with camera angles. “You cannot have a camera where there wouldn’t be one if we were shooting an actual documentary,” he continued. Being true to the documentary approach lends an entirely new dynamic and opens up a different creative world for the mockumentary format.

Relative to what work he should submit for Emmy consideration this year, Pepin had narrowed the field down to three episodes from season two, including “Holiday Hookah." He consulted Einhorn and editor Richie Edelson who unanimously voted for “Holiday Hookah” for its deft visual work with character performances spanning a range of settings, day and nighttime, at and outside the school–from the school library to a hookah club. The feelings too had a wide range from some teachers being full of the Christmas spirit while others grappled with a bout of holiday depression and loneliness. "Holiday Hookah," episode 10 of season two, thus became the series' Emmy entry for cinematography.

Abbott Elementary reaffirms for Pepin the importance of great writing–which is where any great project starts. “I’ve really grown to appreciate the writing on our show over the course of the two seasons. As a cinematographer, my job is to interpret the writing and be true to the vision of the director.”

Pepin added, “With any great project that’s successful, you need to be open-minded and to be really true to collaboration.” And in the collaborative process, you seek “to lift people up and that in turn lifts the work up.”

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