I’m Matt Perren, a London-based cinematographer. I came to filmmaking with an engineering brain, which probably explains why I’m as interested in how we get the shot as I am in the shot itself.
I’ve spent the last ten years of my career shooting feature films, commercials, music videos and the occasional job that defies a neat description. I like ambitious ideas, difficult locations, complicated camera moves and finding practical ways of making things look more expensive than they are.
I’ve always been drawn to projects where the camera has something to do. Movement, unusual rigs, practical lighting, difficult environments — anything that requires a bit of thought beyond simply putting a camera in the right place. I like the problem-solving side of cinematography almost as much as the images themselves.
I run 84 Films, own far too much camera and lighting equipment, and have been known to design or build things when the piece of kit I want doesn’t exist yet.
I’m less interested in having a recognisable “look” than I am in giving each film its own. The fun bit is figuring out what that should be.