Technicolor & Chef

Director Jon Favreau’s new comedy-drama, Chef, was photographed by Kramer Morganthau, ASC, and finished by Technicolor’s Steve Scott, Juan Flores and the color-finishing team working from the company’s Westside facility. 

 

Morganthau first worked with Scott on the Marvel hit, Thor: The Dark World, and will reteam on the upcoming Terminator: Genesis project currently in front of the cameras – another major project for Technicolor’s creative services’ teams.

 

Favreau’s Chef narrative concerns itself with a hot-shot LA-based chef whose career derails – only to be redeemed by taking his “act” on the road in a small food truck.  In doing so, he discovers the huge rewards of parenting, while also rediscovering his creative passion for food…and life itself.

 

Chef was photographed on locations ranging from Los Angeles, to Austin, Texas, Miami, Florida, and New Orleans, Louisiana – one of the great food capitals of America. Favreau formally trained to understand cooking, both in mobile and fixed locations, under the tutelage of famed Los Angeles chef Roy Choi – he even helped prepare food inside one of Mr. Choi’s Kogi BBQ trucks in LA.

 

A specific challenge that cinematographer Kramer Morganthau faced was the added element of making the food look as credibly appetizing as he made the various cast members look great.  The film’s finishing color-work was perfectly complementary to the food and also to the film’s wonderful performances – from a cast that clearly enjoyed every minute of the proceedings.

Chef is Mr. Favreau’s latest directorial effort – having established himself in the industry with his deft directorial handling of Marvel’s Iron Man, and Iron Man 2 – both which went on to garner blockbuster box-office status.

 

Chef brought together a number of key themes Favreau wanted to explore – along with a stellar cast, led by: Mr. Favreau, John Leguizamo, Emjay Anthony, Bobby Cannavale, Scarlett Johansson, Dustin Hoffman, Sofia Vergara, Oliver Platt, and Robert Downey Jr.​