Prepping 'Sinners': Ryan Coogler’s Camera and Makeup Test Secrets for Filmmakers

I love Oscar week because everyone is unloading BTS of their movies and getting people excited for who can take home the awards. And one of the most exciting films of the year was _Sinners. _

__It actually came out around this time last year, which is kind of crazy to think about in terms of how long awards season has gotten.

And if you go way back, a couple of years ago, Sinners was in preproduction, right about to shoot.

And if you want my opinion, pre-production is where the movie is actually made; production is just executing the plan you made there.

Lucky for us, Proximity Media just dropped a video featuring writer-director Ryan Coogler sharing never-before-seen footage from the hair and makeup tests for Sinners.

He gives us details on every department and the strategies behind each choice.

Let's dive in.

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What Actually Happens During a Hair & Makeup Test?

I could listen to Ryan Coogler narrate the phone book. He speaks with such enthusiasm, and you can hear the inner movie nerd come out when he talks about film.

Anyway, in the video, Coogler explains how a hair and makeup test usually happens about a week or a few days before principal photography begins. It's a massive day because it’s usually the first time all the actors are in town, and more importantly, it's the first time they get on screen in the actual format you will be shooting in.

I have to say these images look gorgeous, and the subtle highlights on all the people are so wondrous and feel magical.

Putting these people in front of the camera in their full wardrobe allows the director and cinematographer to see how the materials, colors, and textures will actually render.

And these render in Panavision.

Lighting for Ultra Panavision 65mm

I mean, when I say these tests look good, they look amazing. And that's thanks to the larger format film Coogler shot on and thanks to his amazing cinematographer, Autumn Durald Arkapaw, who crushed this movie in Ultra Panavision 65mm.

Coogler highlights how Arkapaw used this day to test real-world lighting conditions and how they'd reflect in the costumes and hair.

You can see her move the camera in these tests and navigate around people to open up the frame. She also lights the test similarly to how they will light the actual film.

This allows the camera team to check how different skin tones react to the film stock and lenses, and how practical lighting sources will bounce off the makeup and wardrobe.

I loved seeing the personalities of the actors while being shot, too. We saw them even slip in and out of character a little. You can see everyone brimming with this excitement to make this movie and to show what they can do.

'Sinners' Credit: Warner Bros.

The Cross-Department Collaboration

Here's another big part of the benefits of a pre-production day like this one. During the test, actors do what the crew calls a "turntable," where they show the camera their frontal, profile, and back angles.

In real time, you get to see every department head get a chance to analyze their work on a monitor. They can also collaborate and give each other feedback to make sure everything is set before actual cameras roll.

And it's not just looks, costumes, and props work hand-in-hand to put items in the actors' hands to see how they interact with them on their bodies, and if any adjustments need to be made before day one of the shoot.

Again, all the hard work is done so that when you want i make the movie, you can just concentrate on making the movie. That's all.

Using the Test as a Directing Tool

Again, Coogler just rocks because he's taking us through his process and unveiling a lot of information in a limited amount of time.

The most valuable tool for filmmakers that he reveals is how Coogler utilizes the actors' time on set during this test. Rather than treating it as a purely technical exercise for the camera and wardrobe departments, Coogler uses it as a "working day" to test actor chemistry and run lines.

I alluded to this earlier, but it kind of gives him free rein to see the characters they're building and to tweak before they're on camera. and that's without the pressure of making your day.

Coogler says that this specific test day in April 2024 was the moment the crew realized they had "something special that audiences could latch onto."

Summing It All Up

You may think these kinds of reproduction days are only for huge movies, but you're wrong. You can achieve this at any budget, and I think it would be smart to do that as well.

Look at all the things Cooler was able to do in one day that allowed him to know what things would be like on set and to adjust accordingly.

Getting your actors on camera, in your chosen aspect ratio, under the lighting conditions you actually plan to use, can save you headaches on set.

What are your strategies for camera tests?

Let us know down in the comments!