DP Jendra Jarnagin on the film Asking For It, tips on working with short prep time, developing a DP/director bond, how to light for women
Jendra Jarnagin returns to The Cinematography Podcast after 7 years to talk about her latest movie, Asking For It, a female vigilante revenge thriller, about women who exact revenge on men who have abused women. First-time director Eamon O'Rourke wanted it to be a female exploitation-style movie without the exploitation, and he and Jendra were influenced by films such as Switchblade Sisters, Belly, True Romance, and Natural Born Killers. Jendra was hired to work on the low-budget film only three weeks before the shoot, so she had to hit the ground running with a very short amount of prep time. O'Rourke had made a look book, so Jendra used what he created to get herself up to speed. The days were full of casting and scouts, but the evenings were spent as sacred one-on-one time to discuss the film and create the DP/director collaborative bond. O'Rourke was concerned about the fact that he is a white man telling a story with women of color and their experience with sexual assault. He was open to handling the material with sensitivity and listened to Jendra and the female cast and crew members about how to shoot certain scenes. They gave careful consideration to what the film wanted to say and how to portray the feeling of emotional overwhelm visually. Jendra also discusses her recent work on a 2020 commercial featuring former First Lady Michelle Obama. It was shot soon after production started returning after COVID lockdowns, and the directors had to work remotely. One of Jendra's skills is understanding how to light women, and she is very proud of her work on this commercial. She had limited time with Mrs. Obama and knew she would not be able to tweak the lighting again once they were rolling. Find Jendra Jarnagin: https://www.jendrajarnagin.com/ Instagram: @jendradp See Asking For It in select theaters and VOD. Find out even more about this episode, with extensive show notes and links: http://camnoir.com//ep165/ Sponsored by Hot Rod Cameras: www.hotrodcameras.com Sponsored by DZOFilm: https://www.dzofilm.com/ The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheCinematographyPodcast Facebook: @cinepod Instagram: @thecinepod Twitter: @ShortEndz
Download episode audio · 01:00:06
Show notes
The Cinematography Podcast Episode 165: Jendra Jarnagin
Jendra Jarnagin returns to The Cinematography Podcast after 7 years to talk about her latest movie, Asking For It, a female vigilante revenge thriller, about women who exact revenge on men who have abused women. Tirst-time director wanted it to be a female exploitation-style movie without the exploitation, and he and Jendra were influenced by films such as Switchblade Sisters, Belly, True Romance, and Natural Born Killers.
Jendra was hired to work on the low-budget film only three weeks before the shoot, so she had to hit the ground running with a very short amount of prep time. O’Rourke had made a look book, so Jendra used what he created to get herself up to speed. The days were full of casting and scouts, but the evenings were spent as sacred one-on-one time to discuss the film and create the DP/director collaborative bond.
Jendra also discusses her recent work on a 2020 commercial featuring former First Lady Michelle Obama. It was shot soon after production started returning after COVID lockdowns, and the directors had to work remotely. One of Jendra’s skills is understanding how to light women, and she is very proud of her work on this commercial. She had limited time with Mrs. Obama and knew she would not be able to tweak the lighting again once they were rolling.
Find Jendra Jarnagin
Instagram: @jendradp
Hear Jendra’s past episode on The Cinematography Podcast from 2015!
See Asking For It in select theaters and on VOD platforms.
Close Focus: People are feeling overwhelmed with streaming video choices but don’t plan on cutting back on their services.
Illya’s short end: DALL-E, an AI software that can take text and create an image from the text. You can request an artistic image in a certain style. Right now it only does still images, but it’s only a matter of time before it can be done with moving images.
Ben’s short end: Ben is thrilled to announce that the website domain benrock.com is now his!
Adobe acquired the review site Frame.io and in Premiere and AfterEffects, you can make notes and scribble on the frame, where it can be seen as markers in the timeline, integrating notes and feedback into your project file.
Sponsored by Hot Rod Cameras
Sponsored by DZOFilm: DZOFilm makes impressive and inexpensive lenses, such as the Catta Zooms and Vespid Primes. DZOFilm now offers Koop PL mount magnetic filters that are placed behind the lens. You can find Koop Filters at Hot Rod Cameras.
LIKE AND FOLLOW US, send fan mail or suggestions! Rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts!
Email: editor@camnoir.com
Facebook:@cinepod
Instagram: @thecinepod
Twitter: @ShortEndz
Podcast Credits:
Producer: Alana Kode
All web and social media content written by Alana Kode
Host and editor in Chief: Illya Friedman
Instagram: @illyafriedman @hotrodcameras
Host: Ben Rock
Twitter: @neptunesalad
Instagram: @bejamin_rock
Editor: Ben Katz
Composer: Kays Al-Atrakchi