FULLY VACCINATED!

As of 24 May 2021 I am fully vaccinated (the recommended 2 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, 21 days apart). While travel restrictions are still changing and vary from country to country, being vaccinated will allow me to travel internationally with fewer complications. Please see my COVID-19 FAQ blog post for more information and answers to some of the questions you may have.,

COVID-19 UPDATE

Hi friends and colleagues,

I hope that you and your loved ones are healthy and safe right now. This has been a challenging time for many of us, but I hope together we can use it as an opportunity to reflect, reset, and commit to rebuilding a more just and inclusive industry moving forward. 

As productions slowly begin to restart in many countries, I wanted to offer an update on travel between the UK, Europe, and the USA. This is the most recent information as of 24 May 2021:

• EU member countries are currently reviewing admission guidelines for people entering from the United States.

• The US has restricted entry from all Schengen Area countries, with the exception of US citizens and lawful permanent residents.

• For anybody traveling into the UK from the US, there is a strictly enforced 10 day quarantine period, along with proof of negative tests before traveling, and on day 2 and 8 of quarantine.

These restrictions will present logistical challenges for international productions for some time to come.

But as a fully vaccinated UK resident with both Italian and US citizenship, I am uniquely positioned to work in the UK, the EU, and the US without any restrictions or visa requirements. The exact guidelines differ from country to country and are continuously evolving. For example, I can currently travel from London to Barcelona, or from London to NYC, without complications. I do not need a visa in either case. If your production is contained within the UK, there will not be any travel restrictions to navigate.

This of course is a developing situation, and regulations are changing day to day. But if you have any international production needs in the UK, Europe, or the US, please do reach out so we can discuss your options. If travel is not possible, I may be able offer further guidance, or connect you with my diverse network of industry workers in these areas.

PLEASE CONTACT ME DIRECTLY: ryan.scafuro@gmail.com

This goes without saying, but for any potential jobs I will adhere to all current government regulations, guidelines, and follow a stringent set of production protocols (which can be provided upon request). Above all, common sense, safety, and ethical decisions will be priorities every step of the way.

So if you or anyone you know are looking for something shot abroad, please be in touch. And if you’d just like to catch up, I would very much love that as well.

I miss you all and hope we can collaborate in person in the very near future!

With wishes of good health and much love,

Ryan

"PHANTOM COWBOYS" PICKS UP BEST DOCUMENTARY, CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARDS

As Phantom Cowboys continues to play for festival audiences, we have been lucky enough to also be awarded a few jury prizes along the way. A huge thank you to both the New Hampshire and Lighthouse Film Festivals for awarding the film Best Feature Documentary, to the Sidewalk Film Festival for awarding us the Special Jury Prize for Cinematography, and the Tacoma Film Festival for giving Dan the Best Director award.

Upcoming festival screenings include the Mostra International Film Festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the Denver Film Festival and the American Film Festival in Wroclaw, Poland.

Also, check out our lovely new poster! Designed by the one and only Casper Newbolt at Version Industries.

MISSING EPISODE for BBC Four

When I first moved to London I was introduced to director Charlie Lyne, who had recent success with a couple of essay films, BEYOND CLUELESS and FEAR ITSELF. He showed me an early project that he had worked on with poet Ross Sutherland called STAND BY FOR TAPE BACKUP, and I was blown away. I asked Charlie to introduce me to Ross, and let them both know if they ever collaborated in the future I'd love to help out.

Fast forward a year, and the two had teamed up again for a commissioned piece for the BBC. It was going to be a "live" performance, where Ross would deliver a 30 minute sung-through monologue, timed to an episode of Eastenders that aired on a night that changed his life. The concept was unique and challenging, and like nothing else that I've ever seen on TV.

I knew right away I wanted to shoot it in a single, 30 minute take. It would complement the conceit nicely, and was a challenge I wanted to take on. We set up an Alexa Mini with a 24mm Zeiss Standard Speed to keep it light, and in order to keep the movement organically handheld (while still saving my back) we rigged the camera to an Easy Rig with a Serene arm and Flowcine Gravity One. 

We rehearsed for 5 days, and shot 4 takes a night for 5 nights. 20 in total. We used the very last one.

From the Village Voice: "...the film is a bravura feat of choreography and music, staggeringly complex and almost unaccountably beautiful."

Here's the finished piece...