{"id":14384,"date":"2026-01-02T17:06:50","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T17:06:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sbcine.be\/?p=14384"},"modified":"2026-01-02T17:08:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T17:08:16","slug":"robrecht-heyvaert-on-realism-for-steve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sbcine.be\/?p=14384","title":{"rendered":"Robrecht Heyvaert on realism for Steve\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Based on the novel\u00a0Shy<\/em>, by Max Porter,\u00a0Steve\u00a0<\/em>documents headteacher Steve (portrayed by Cillian Murphy) as he battles for his\u00a0reform\u00a0school\u2019s survival. The film was captured by Robrecht Heyvaert.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steve <\/em>marks Tim Mielants and Heyvaert second feature collaboration, having previously worked together on the 2023 film Wil<\/em>. \u201cTim spoke with me about Steve<\/em> before I read the script,\u201d begins Heyvaert. \u201cHe described it as a slice of life of Steve, the headmaster of this reform school, set in the mid-90s. So, the arena is already very exciting and so are in the characters in the script.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Stanton Wood. (L to R) Jay Lycurgo as Shy, Cillian Murphy as Steve on the set of Stanton Wood. Cr. Robert Viglasky\/Neflix \u00a9 2025<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Heyvaert was impressed by the script, which he explains was unconventional in its structure. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t follow traditional script structure of traditional plot points as they are written in certain academic books,\u201d he says. \u201cI think that it makes it all the more interesting and challenging. I like when films every now and then break the mould and draw outside of the lines. Tim is the perfect director to tackle projects like this, so I was happy that he contacted me. We started discussing it about six months before pre-production started.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heyvaert read Shy<\/em> in preparation for the film. Steve<\/em> is an unconventional film and Shy <\/em>is an unconventional book. \u201cIt almost reads like a slam poetry book, which is really energizing,\u201d he says. \u201cIt shoots in all directions and it has a very particular rhythm and pace to it that I thought was worth capturing and trying to translate to the screen.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heyvaert began to look at the material, which covers both what it is like to be a teenager, as well as the life of a head principal in the 90s in a school for troubled youths. \u201cWe started looking at what that is,\u201d he explains. \u201cWe looked at the music and cinema scene of those days, as well as 90s indie filmmaking. We particularly focused on the Danish Dogme 95 movement which was in its heyday, as well as looking at the other side of the spectrum with the stylised, kinetic and dynamic music videos of the period.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heyvaert and Mielants discussed the idea of merging these numerous elements. \u201cYou could go rough, down and dirty, as some of these Dogme films do and you could also go stylised, rhythmic and musical on the other hand,\u201d says Hervaert. \u201cThe script and the writing and the subject matter captures different aspects of teenage life. We thought there might be a way to merge and actually play with different styles that suit the story whenever it’s needed, and transition from A to B throughout the film. That was the journey of the experiment we set out to achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Stanton Wood. (L to R) Youssef Kerkour as Owen, Tracey Ullman as Amanda, Cillian Murphy as Steve in Stanton Wood. Cr. Robert Viglasky\/Neflix \u00a9 2025<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One of the Dogme films that was discussed was Thomas Vinterberg\u2019s 1998 film Festen<\/em>. \u201cYou can\u2019t really talk about the movement without touching up on that film,\u201d admits Heyvaert. \u201cIt was spearheading the movement, along with The Idiots<\/em> and a few others. Coincidentally it also takes place in one location, in a mansion, so there are definitely some similarities there. I think Steve<\/em> isn’t a Dogme film at all, but we took certain influences from it. Our film was more directed and more blocked. That fast and loose camera also slowly transitions to a more observing camera and takes more position in the storytelling, whereas in Dogme it\u2019s always following the action and not really painting in a certain canvas. It\u2019s there to capture the moment and nothing else.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mielants and Heyvaert looked at all sorts of films to see what their own language would be. Although, it was important not to try and mimic the look of 90s cinema, instead aiming towards making their own contemporary version of it. \u201cThat allowed us, or gave us the creative freedom to look at different genres or filmmaking styles and make our own hybrid of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heyvaert opted to shoot the film with the ARRI Alexa 35, with ARRI HEROES lenses and rehoused Moviecam lenses. Additionally, they had a classic vintage Betacam SP video camera to hand for the BBC documentary crew sequences. They also looked at numerous news gathering video cameras from that era and ultimately settled on what they thought was the most appropriate for the storytelling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Alexa 35 was our hero camera,\u201d adds Heyvaert. \u201cThe film mixes those two formats, going from one to the other. It also uses different aspect rations, which was a fun experiment and puzzle. We also had fun searching for the vintage cameras, dusting them off to see if they still worked and then adapting them to modern standards because they obviously recorded on tape and didn\u2019t have modern video outputs or wireless video options.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Stanton Wood. Cillian Murphy as Steve (Center-Right) in\nStanton Wood. Cr. Robert Viglasky\/Netflix\n\u00a9 2025.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Choreographing the film proved to be a challenge and physically demanding due to the unpredictability of the characters. \u201cThe film has a unique cast in the sense that you have very seasoned actors that have been around for decades and know every single bit of filmmaking, and then you have got newcomers that have their acting debut on screen, so it’s a great hybrid.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lot of liberty was given to the actors to improvise scenes and to play with blocking. \u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean they just did whatever they liked, however,\u201d explains Heyvaert. \u201cThey were given a certain canvas in which we gave them liberty to operate. It was exciting to see how these seasoned actors, fully embraced the dynamics and the energy coming from the younger generation and vice versa. I think it was a beautiful cocktail. It really makes a lot of the scenes stand apart. Obviously, it was challenging to sometimes capture those lightning in a bottle moments. It required flexibility when it came to camera positions and camera movement and we allowed for 360 degrees movement.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Stanton Wood. Emily Watson as Jenny (Left) in Stanton Wood. Cr. Robert Viglasky\/Neflix \u00a9 2025<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tom Mulder served as colourist on the film, having worked with Heyvaert across numerous projects. \u201cTom is a long-time collaborator and we know each other very well,\u201d says Heyvaert. \u201cWe also worked together on Wil <\/em>and he has a good collaboration with Tim. In early pre-production, we were testing the Alexa 35 with the lenses we were using, putting actors or stand-ins in the right costumes and starting to tweak the look. We created these LUTs which were our interpretation of what we liked about the look of certain feature films and music videos from that era. I described it as like a not too grainy 16mm look with blown out highlights, so that everything that’s bright on the screen can be of a certain glow and be almost overexposed to give it a certain grit and reality, but without mimicking the films that we were referencing. It’s still our own interpretation and it is a contemporary look that is inspired by certain 90s films that we liked.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The overall shoot lasted seven weeks. Heyvaert particularly enjoyed finding the right rhythm and tone. \u201cI really like rhythm on set,\u201d he says. \u201cI like to find the rhythm of the camera and the camera movement and letting that energy and rhythm come from the blocking, the actors and from the script. I really enjoy that and that’s also how I operate. I think pretty rhythmically when it comes to filmmaking.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Heyvaert, working with Mielants is always a pleasure. \u201cHe\u2019s super well prepared and does his homework. He has interesting and original ideas for every single scene,\u201d he concludes. \u201cAt the same time, he also embraces any new ideas on the day, whether that\u2019s from the actors, the weather, art direction, or whatever. He can see a fire extinguisher, for example and come up with a new and fresh idea and make it part of the scene. Seeing Tim and Cillian work together as a duo is also a rare thing to see. As a cinematographer, you can stand by and just try to fully support them and capture all the magic that they create, which is challenging but also very rewarding.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Stanton Wood. Cillian Murphy as Steve (Left) on the set of Stanton Wood. Cr. Robert Viglasky\/Neflix \u00a9 2025<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Crew<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Caldecott Thornton<\/em> – <\/em>Drone Assistant<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sion Davies<\/em> – <\/em>Best Boy<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ben Grady<\/em> – <\/em>Digital Imaging Technician<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alex Hollowbread – Second Assistant Camera: “b” Camera<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ben Jones – First Assistant Camera: “b” Camera<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matthew McCabe – Grip: “b” Camera<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arron Monkman – First Assistant Camera: “a” Camera<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Julie Sande – Second Assistant Camera: “a” Camera<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stamos Triantafyllos – Camera Operator \/ Steadicam Operator<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wim <\/em>Swinnen<\/em> – Gaffer<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tom Stansfield- Key Grip<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Oliver Webb <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Based on the novel\u00a0Shy, by Max Porter,\u00a0Steve\u00a0documents headteacher Steve (portrayed by Cillian Murphy) as he battles for his\u00a0reform\u00a0school\u2019s survival. The film was captured by Robrecht Heyvaert.\u00a0 Steve marks Tim Mielants and Heyvaert second feature collaboration, having previously worked together on the 2023 film Wil. \u201cTim spoke with me about Steve before I read the script,\u201d begins Heyvaert. \u201cHe described…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":90,"featured_media":14391,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rs_blank_template":"","rs_page_bg_color":"","slide_template_v7":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14384","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-productions"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sbcine.be\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14384","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sbcine.be\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sbcine.be\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sbcine.be\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/90"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sbcine.be\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14384"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.sbcine.be\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14384\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14397,"href":"https:\/\/www.sbcine.be\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14384\/revisions\/14397"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sbcine.be\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sbcine.be\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14384"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sbcine.be\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14384"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sbcine.be\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14384"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}