WIRPUL — Netflix Production

Wirpul represented a project where I was able to fully deploy my technical and creative background, bridging camera, color, and workflow design into a cohesive process between production and post.

The production presented a highly demanding environment, requiring a comprehensive understanding of color spaces, camera pipelines, and lighting. Approximately 90% of the project was shot on blue screen, making the camera workflow a critical component to ensure consistency and avoid complications in post-production.

One of the main challenges came from working alongside cinematographer Alex de Pablo, known for As Bestas (2022), whose naturalistic approach to lighting focuses on minimizing the presence of artificial sources. This created a delicate balance between maintaining his lighting philosophy while achieving the level of uniformity required for blue screen integration. Ensuring proper exposure and color consistency between foreground and background elements was essential to support the VFX process.

Additionally, Alex’s approach to image refinement involved adjusting color on a near shot-by-shot basis, resulting in a workflow where each clip carried its own CDL and/or LUT. To address this, we implemented a system where each clip was exported with its corresponding LUT linked to the reel name. This allowed the color pipeline to automatically relink and apply the intended look in the grading suite, ensuring that the image could be accurately reconstructed as it was established on set.

It was particularly rewarding to see the entire film’s color successfully rebuilt in the grading stage, providing a solid and faithful starting point for the cinematographer’s final color work.

Beyond the technical execution, this project was also a valuable opportunity to collaborate and exchange knowledge with Alex de Pablo. His experience and approach to lighting were highly influential, contributing meaningfully to my ongoing development as a cinematographer.

Wirpul stands as a complex and technically rigorous production, highlighting the importance of precise workflow design and close integration between set and post in VFX-driven environments.