How DP Sherri Kauk Prepped the Drugstore June Movie
Drugstore June is an indie gem that shines brightly, captivating audiences with its compelling narrative and breathtaking visuals. Filmmakers Academy mentor Sherri Kauk’s masterful cinematography enhances every scene with its exquisite composition and evocative imagery.
At the heart of Drugstore June is a story that resonates with authenticity and emotional depth. Kauk’s cinematography transports viewers into the heart of the story with its immersive camera work. Every shot is meticulously crafted to capture the raw emotion and beauty of the narrative.
Overall, Kauk’s cinematography infuses Drugstore June with a sense of visual poetry that lingers. Each frame is a work of art, elevating the film and drawing viewers deeper into its world. With its compelling story, exceptional performances, and unique visuals, it’s a film that leaves a lasting impression and reminds audiences of the magic of cinema.
NARRATIVE STORYTELLING
For Sherri Kauk, narrative feature filmmaking is what drives her long-term desire to show up every day. Even though it’s not the most viable career choice for every filmmaker, it’s what motivates many in the long term.
We may shoot commercials and music videos but we all have that Moby Dick of a project swimming somewhere on the horizon. Drugstore June is one such project that while low-budget had a solid script. Kauk notes you can tell it’s special when the producers ask all their favors and everyone shows up.
“That’s when you say, ‘Clear everything, we want to go all in as if this was the $100 million film.’ And that is part of the long game when you get these gems,” explains Kauk. “And we don’t look at the paycheck. We just show up every day and say, ‘This is why we showed up 20 years ago.’ The paycheck will come in the next one or, you know, we don’t know.”
PRE-PRODUCTION APPS
Pre-production is all about laying down the foundation for the project. When Sherri Kauk enters pre-production, she likens it to building a new car from scratch. To start, you need a frame. Kauk’s frame consists of software and apps that make her life easier.
Kauk keeps all her filmmaking apps on her phone, organizing them by lighting, camera, and office apps. The quicker and more efficient, the better.
STUDIOBINDER
Studiobinder and its features help team members stay on the same page. With Studiobinder, she can break down the script, flag scenes for specific gear, and it allows them to do a page flip.
SCRIPTATION
Kauk also prefers having all her notes on her device, so she doesn’t have to flip through paper.
She notes that since most filmmakers use apps like Scriptation, new drafts are updated without a hassle.
SHOT DESIGNER
Kauk also likes to turn to Shot Designer for its speed and lo-fi quality, and it’s gotten her out of many binds.
On Drugstore June, they shot studio mode with classic Panavision E-Series Anamorphics.
“It was kind of slow and bumbly which is great,” says Kauk. “Single cam — so that allowed us to be actually more nimble.”
Drugstore June BTS | Photo provided by Sherri Kauk
They came into a busted-up scene at a pot store the size of a shoebox where there were seven characters. “And when I start counting characters, I start counting coverage,” she says, “and I start counting hours and like, ah…”
So, Kauk turned to Shot Designer to help strategize what was a 16-hour day when they only had half a day of shooting.
“So we just mobilized and changed things. Oh, this is gonna be a handheld scene. We’re gonna group these two over here. We’re going to station this in a little triangle coverage, so we have a triangle and a back-and-forth, and then we can play a long shot. And so that tool always comes in handy at different times of day.”
APPLE NOTES
“I think having some of those structures in place allows me to move in a unique way with every show. On this one currently, I’ve really switched over to Apple Notes. I was always just keeping my own folder system in my Mac, and then copy-pasting or PDF-and-emailing. But some of my crew said, ‘No, no, no. Do all this in Notes. It’s so fast. My call sheet’s there, the lookbook is there, the next-day schedule is there, the storyboards are there. If it’s a scripted show, it’s all there. It’s so fast.”
Not only can you add your lookbook to Notes, but you can make a folder, add your PDF, annotate it, and copy it. The app can read the text and search within the lookbook as well.
“Now, on my nightly hot sheets, I can go pull an image, just pull it — and with Apple, I can copy here and paste there. So I can be working sort of on my laptop or on my computer, in Notes. So I think finding some key structures in software really, really helps.”
Drugstore June BTS | Photo provided by Sherri Kauk
SHOTDECK
For Drugstore June, the director, Nicholaus Goossen, came in with a full lookbook and Shotdeck. At first, she was overwhelmed when she saw 300 images. Through conversation and collaboration, she found that there were images for framing, and others for tone and color, etc.
“Having those references,” begins Kauk, “and then on days we’d pull up that image. ‘This is what we’re shooting everyone, just to let you know. This is the feeling of the scene.”
Goossen had about eight specific storyboards he wanted to frame. So, those days were very gratifying for Kauk to see the shot they drew a year and a half prior.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Sherri Kauk was inspired by Shane Hurlbut, ASC many years ago when he instructed that a director of photography should always get in front of production. Kauk believes with the help of the software and apps, she’s able to keep ahead.
It’s also about working with processes that are repeatable. Even though every project is different, relying on previously established workflows enhances efficiency and accuracy on the job.
CINEMATOGRAPHER SHERRI KAUK
Sherri Kauk received her Bachelor of Science in Film & Photography from Ithaca College, Ithaca NY in 2005 and her MFA from the American Film Institute in 2007. Her work has taken her on-location to India, Egypt, Mozambique, Mexico, and across the United States. Kauk won an Emmy for Outstanding Lighting Direction in 2019.
“I am drawn to everyday characters challenged to deeply understand themselves through confrontation with self and society. This character journey becomes my cinematography.”
