british society of cinematographers
bsc expo

The BSC Panels & Seminars

The BSC Expo includes a packed two day programme of free to attend seminars and discussion panels.

The 2026 Seminar Schedule

FRIDAY 13th FEBRUARY

11.00am Virtual Production Gone Wrong

Panellists: Stephen Maddox (Writer/Director/Producer and VP Producer (Host)), David Gray (Virtual Production Supervisor), Julian White (Gaffer), Frank Walsh (Production Designer), Ed Moore BSC (Cinematographer), Ruth Oates (Producer and Virtual Production Lead for WPP Productions/Hogarth).

Description: Learn from other people’s errors in the ideas gone sideways. Listen to the panel of Virtual Production Supervisors, DoP’s, and Production Designers of how the process was used incorrectly and how they moved through it.

11:45 pm Operating – It’s Just Pan and Tilting Right?

Panellists: Ed Moore BSC (Cinematographer), Zoe Goodwin Assoc BSC ACO (Operator), Danny Bishop Assoc BSC ACO (Operator), Colin MacDonnell ACO (Operator), David Chameides SOC (Operator) and Katie Swain Cinematographer)

Description: Beyond the wheels: Discover the camera operator as the diplomatic heart of the film set. We explore the vital choreography between directors, DPs, actor, ADs and more, demonstrating that the best operating is as much about human connection as it is about the frame.

13:30 The Importance of Colour in the Eye of the Cinematographer

Panellists: Daphné Polski (Filmlight), Ula Pontikos BSC (Cinematographer)

In this conversation, FilmLight speaks with award-winning cinematographer Ula Pontikos, BSC, about her relationship with colour in cinematography. She shares her creative process and explains how her approach to colour shapes mood, character, and narrative across her work.

Ula Pontikos, BSC, is an award-winning cinematographer celebrated for her emotionally resonant storytelling and technical mastery, with credits spanning film and high-end television. Her work includes Weekend, Russian Doll (Emmy-nominated), the upcoming TV series Blade Runner 2099, and the upcoming feature The Man in My Basement, premiering at TIFF.

14.30 Shooting Bedlam in 65mm: Anamorphic Storytelling on the Ursa 17k 65

Panellists: James Butler (Cinematographer), Mark Kozlowski (DIT), Michele De Benedetti (Blackmagic Design/Host)

Director of Photography James Butler has recently completed principal photography on Bedlam, a new Blackwater Pictures feature starring Scott Adkins and shot on the Blackmagic URSA Cine 17K 65.

From lens testing and rigging to exposure in fire-lit dungeons and keeping producers reassured, James and DIT Mark Kozlowski share practical insights into how they approached digital 65mm anamorphic with Hawk65 lenses and how a cloud native DaVinci Resolve workflow.

15.30 No Prep? No Panic! – Stepping onto a Project with no Prep

Panellists: Vanessa Whyte BSC (Cinematographer), Stephen Murphy BSC ISC (Cinematographer), Olan Collardy (Cinematographer) and Laura Bellingham (Cinematographer)


Stephen Murphy BSC ISC

Description: Whether you’re jumping on late, covering for another DP or simply don’t have a script yet, we’ll discuss what essentials you need to cover to set you up for the best outcome when shooting.

17.00 Colour Pipelines for On-set and Post-production

Panellists: Andy Bellamy (Technical Director, AJA Video Systems)


Andy Bellamy

Description: Join AJA´s Andy Bellamy for a look into modern production and post pipelines for Colour.

 

SATURDAY 14th FEBRUARY

11.00 am How a DOP chooses the perfect camera and lens package?

Panellists: Danny Bishop ACO Assoc ACO (Host), Rachel Clark BSC, Jonathan Iles (One Stop Films)

Description: Join One Stop Films and three top DOPs at BSC Expo as they break down the creative thinking behind building the right cameras and lenses, for the right look — for your production.

12.15 Mastering Light & Colour by Aputure

Panellists: TBC

Description: In Mastering Light & Colour, Aputure’s Tim King will take attendees deeper into the fundamentals of light and color. The seminar explores how understanding the physics of the light spectrum influences how light is perceived by the eye versus the camera, and how this knowledge can be used to make more informed creative decisions on set.

Through practical examples, the session connects spectrum, light, and colour to real-world cinematography workflows.

13.30 One Feature, Four Weeks and Profoto Cinema Lighting  – A behind the scenes look at ‘The Butler’

Panellists: Denson Baker ACS NZCS (Cinematographer), Cullum Ross (Chief Lighting Technician)

Description: Join renowned Cinematographer Denson Baker and Chief Lighting Technician Cullum Ross for a panel discussion and go behind the scenes of “The Butler”, exploring how Profotos new Cinema line transformed on-set lighting speed and creativity.

14.30 – The Architecture of Action: Filmmakers, Stunts and Storytelling in Sync

Panellists: Rob Hardy ASC BSC, Catherine Goldschmidt ASC BSC, Markus Forderer ASC BVK, Aron von Adrian Actor

Description: Discover the critical interplay between directors, cinematographers, camera teams, actors and stunt professionals that lays the visual foundation of action cinema. Top-flight filmmakers explore how stunt expertise translates into story-driven, director-aligned coverage and actor’s challenges — mirroring the main unit’s lens while executing high-stakes, dangerous, and thrilling sequences. Panelists include…

15.30 The Cinematographers Signature

Panellists: Oliver Stapleton BSC (Host), Jarin Blaschke ASC (Cinematographer), Tim Sidell BSC (Cinematographer), Catherine Goldschmidt ASC BSC (Cinematographer), Diana Olifirova (Cinematographer), M. David Mullen ASC (Cinematographer), Alana Mejia Gonzalez (Cinematographer), Sean Ellis BSC (Director/Cinematographer)

Description: “The Cinematographer Signature” is an exploration by some of the panel members of work they consider has their “stamp” on it. Some of the members of the panel consider they have a “signature” and others do not – so this promises to provoke a lively debate on a very interesting topic.