In this episode of Clubhouse Conversations, cinematographer Chuck Ozeas is joined by interviewer John Simmons, ASC to discuss his work on The Upshaws — a sitcom centered on a Black American family who pursue their version of the American Dream in their Indiana hometown. Ozeas received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Cinematography for the episode "Indy Streets."
The Upshaws (Netflix)
Created by Regina Y. Hicks and Wanda Sykes, The Upshaws follows Bennie Upshaw (Mike Epps), a working-class mechanic who tries to hold together his family and his auto-body shop with the help of his wife, Regina (Kim Fields), her sister Lucretia (Sykes), and their children.
Ozeas’ conversation with Simmons explores a range of strategies, as well as the creative and practical challenges he encountered, including:
- Taking the reigns as director of photography in the middle of Season 1 and developing its look across five seasons
- Treating the production’s swing sets as opportunities to re-design lighting
- How the production’s color pipeline helped him match lenses and establish LUTs
- How his fine-art influences — including Warhol, Haring, Hockney, Rembrandt and Vermeer — informed his single-source approach
Watch the full episode here:
