Love Story Cinematography

What makes cinematography actually work?
The cinematographer of ‘Love Story’ said it best: “cinematography’s job is to connect the audience to the appropriate emotion.” 

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Jason McCormick, one of three cinematographers on ‘Love Story,’ chose a 1.85:1 aspect ratio and spherical lenses to mimic the films of the 90s. The show has a film stock feeling because Jason worked closely with the colorists to design a LUT, a palette that creates a creamy warmth, vibrant colors, and deep contrast. This is a direct result of the core inspiration for the look, 90s fashion and paparazzi photography. The colorists referenced Kodachrome and other film stock types to match the warmth in photography of that era. This makes the show feel period-authentic but not filtered or gimmicky.

Originally a photojournalistic or paparazzi-like camera approach was considered, with long lenses, spying from behind trees. But ultimately the creatives decided to prioritize the heart of the show, close romantic intimacy, allowing us to live in the story with the couple. 

The shooting process was compared to jazz, loose, reactive captures rather than rigid shotlists, allowing responsiveness to the actors, locations, and energy of each set. That looseness allowed for a greater spontaneous, unpredictable, romantic feeling. It’s another reason handheld was often prioritized in many scenes. 

A flexible production also allowed for creative discovery. Jason acknowledged online speculation that early social media reactions to hair and wardrobe paused production and allowed for major adjustments before the full series was shot. Jason notes that in a perfect world every project would allow you to shoot for a week, throw it away, and start over. This period allowed each department to refine the look and recalibrate. 

Jason and Pepe Avila del Pino, another of the anthology’s cinematographers, praised the wardrobe, production design, and exhaustive attention to detail in recreating the period. Controlled naturalism in the look of each environment was the aim, which all build the visual world we’ve come to love in ‘Love Story.’  

| Find Jason McCormick on the 'Go Creative Show' Podcast