Adriano Goldman, ASC, BSC, ABC and Sophia Olsson, FSF earned Emmy nominations this year for Outstanding Cinematography for a One-Hour Series on the strength of their work on The Crown (Netflix)–Goldman for the show’s finale, “Sleep, Dearie Sleep,” and Olsson for the “Ritz” episode. These are two of the 18 nominations bestowed this year upon The Crown, including for Outstanding Drama Series.
This marks the sixth nomination that Goldman has received for The Crown, having won twice–for the “Beryl” episode in 2018 and the “Fairytale” installment in 2021.
Meanwhile Olsson joined The Crown in this, it’s sixth and final season. This is her first career Emmy nomination. While SHOOT has chronicled Goldman’s exploits over the years, particularly on The Crown, and most recently in phase one of the current Emmy Awards season, Olsson hadn’t been in our “Road To Emmy” spotlight–until now. She lensed the first and eighth episodes of season 6, both directed by Alex Gabassi who brought Olsson into The Crown fold. He was drawn to her feature work and reached out to the Swedish cinematographer about the possibility of shooting The Crown.
The pivotal season 6 “Ritz” episode dealt with extraordinary familial relationships, particularly between sisters Margaret and Elizabeth–as well as one’s relationship with the past. The latter dynamic was reflected in the life of a declining Margaret who had endured a series of strokes. She recalls a wild night with her sister at the Ritz in 1945 only to return for a current celebration of her 70th birthday there.
Olsson related that the “Ritz” episode contains many scenes and situations that are quite emotional, casting light on the relationship between Elizabeth and Margaret. The key from a cinematography standpoint was not to let those emotions take over and be over-exaggerated, instead trying to delve thoughtfully and insightfully into the intimacy between the two, particularly in their later years. Olsson credited director Gabassi with attaining that delicate balance while also doing justice to the fun, comic moments that help lift the episode.
Olsson and Gabassi made the choice to keep the camera close to the sisters in the 1990s when they come together for the 70th birthday festivities. “Not too many long lenses, not standing too far away,” said Olsson who brought the camera “closer and in their sphere.”
This provided a contrast to the visual expression chosen to convey 1945–often deploying longer lenses, for instance. During yesteryear, there were people around and about all the time. By the 1990s, the sisters were more often “very much alone,” prompting Olsson to not only move in on them but in select shots go wider to underscore their aloneness in the present time.
Particularly helpful and gratifying for Olsson was getting the opportunity to compare notes with cinematographer Goldman as the two were often prepping at the same time. “It was so much fun to have Adriano to talk to, to ask about past things that they had done,” said Olsson, picking up valuable context but at the same time realizing that the season 6 work had requirements and creative considerations all their own. In that vein, Olsson shared that series showrunner/creator Peter Morgan was open-minded relative to how she and Gabassi wanted to approach the story visually, creatively and in terms of problem solving.
“Alex had a close relationship with Peter,” said Olsson, noting that over six seasons, The Crown amassed vast resources and talent. Yet even with this “big machine” behind the show, Morgan preserved the creativity and freedom needed to do full justice to the narrative. And of course, there’s the inherent advantage of being able to work with a stellar cast. “With such a big crew and so many people, we could still be intimate,” said Olsson, when in the core of a scene with the actors who were “so professional and always present” in the moment.
Testament to the actors’ talent and commitment are the current Emmy nominations for their performances–Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Dominic West (as Prince Charles), Lead Actress for Imelda Staunton (Queen Elizabeth II), Supporting Actor for Jonathan Pryce (Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh), and Supporting Actress nods for both Elizabeth Debicki (Princess Diana) and Lesley Manville (Princess Margaret).
The Crown is not the only source of major recognition this year for Olsson. She lensed writer-director Rúnar Rúnarsson’s feature When the Light Breaks, which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival this past May where it was in the running for the Un Certain Regard Award.
Martin Childs
Production designer Martin Childs has worked on The Crown from its inception. He just earned his fifth career Emmy nomination for the series, winning twice–for the “Smoke and Mirrors” episode in 2017, and “Aberfan” in 2020.
Plaudits for Childs span features and TV. He is a two-time Oscar nominee–winning for Shakespeare in Love in 1999, and nominated in 2001 for Quills.
Childs recalled being drawn to The Crown by the story and two great storytellers–creator/showrunner/writer Morgan and director/executive producer Stephen Daldry.
The production designer feels it’s only fitting that his last nomination on the series would be for the finale, “Sleep, Dearie Sleep,” directed by Daldry–nine years after Childs production designed the very first episode, “Wolferton Splash,” which too was helmed by Daldry. Childs described Daldry as “a fantastic storyteller” whom he could collaborate with on a tiny detail and build it out to help the narrative blossom. Daldry this year is an Emmy nominee for his directing on The Crown, specifically for “Sleep, Dearie Sleep.” Daldry has eight career nominations–all for The Crown, three for directing, five for Outstanding Drama Series. He won for the latter in 2021, three years after he won for directing. Daldry is also a three-time Best Director Oscar nominee–for Billy Elliot in 2001, The Hours in 2003, and The Reader in 2009.
As for The Crown creator Morgan, Childs related that the writer had a penchant for coming up with a script that “would surprise and delight me.” Childs added that Morgan would never describe an environment in his scripts but made sure to convey the weight that it needed to carry in a given episode. “He never described the set,” said Childs while affording his team “the license to surprise and hopefully delight him.”
Helping Childs surprise and delight have been his core team collaborators–supervising art director Mark Raggett and lead set decorator Alison Harvey. The latter was promoted to lead set decorator succeeding Celia Bobak who departed after the first season, recalled Childs, because she lived so far away from the studio, making for an arduous commute. Childs, Raggett and Harvey have a strong creative rapport that’s only intensified over their years together on The Crown. The continuity of a loyal team attuned to one another’s likes, dislikes and preferences has been key in meeting the needs of The Crown which entail a huge number of finely detailed sets.
Childs noted that his collaborative bond with Raggett predates The Crown, going back some 30 years when they first worked together on The Madness of King George. Childs was production designer Ken Adam’s art director on that feature. Childs recollected that another artisan was needed in the art department and someone suggested he’d get along well with Raggett–which proved to be right on varied fronts. “We have a kind of rapport, the same sense of humor,” observed Childs. “I get frustrated by different things than he gets frustrated over. We’re good at calming each other down.”
Childs’ experience was largely in theatrical features prior to his getting The Crown gig. And in some respects, he feels that he treated The Crown like a 60-hour feature film. He just kept hoping he’d be asked back from one season to the next so he could complete the film–which he did with the wrapping of season 6.
(This is the final installment of SHOOT’s weekly 16-part The Road To Emmy Series of feature stories. Creative Arts Emmy winners will be covered on September 7 and 8, and primetime Emmy ceremony winners will be reported on come September 15.)
