Jian Xiaobai about Optimo Prime Series and IOP on TV series “Sandstorm”
In an era where suspense and crime dramas are constantly evolving, Sandstorm has stood out for its unique visual style and deep character development, garnering widespread attention. Today, we are fortunate to have the director of photography, Jian Xiaobai, with us to share the secrets behind the filming of this series. From the precise choice of lens focal lengths for outdoor shoots to the use of the IOP function and custom optical solutions, Jian Xiaobai will take us behind the scenes of Sandstorm, revealing how light and shadow shaped this complex world.
What was the first impression of the script when you read it, and how did it influence your vision of the visual style? What specific visual requirements did the director have for this film?
When I first read the script of Sandstorm, I was so captivated that I read it in one sitting, from 8 PM until 4 AM the next morning. The character psychology was so uniquely developed, especially the way the depth of the characters’ personalities was constructed. The following day, I immediately started thinking about the shooting plan, and I realized that this would be a highly challenging production: desert scenes, wild landscapes, and pastoral settings to recreate. After discussing with the director, we initially considered going for a Mad Max-type style. However, after scouting the locations, we decided to abandon this idea. The intense colors of that style didn’t suit Asian skin tones, and the texture of the desert, sand and rocks, was much more subdued, dominated by greys and blacks. So, we adjusted the shooting plan accordingly.
The filming took place in Gansu province, where the sunlight is especially strong, and most of the scenes were shot outdoors. This forced us to avoid the dark, oppressive shots typical of crime thrillers. I then decided to use uncoated lenses to reduce saturation and contrast, which helped create a more subtle and fitting atmosphere for this crime drama.
How did you feel about using Angenieux lenses in this production? Were there specific focal lengths chosen for particular scenes, and what factors influenced those decisions?
Angenieux is known for its zoom lenses, but after testing their prime lenses, I was impressed by how well they maintained sharpness while still preserving the color rendering and contrast typical of zooms. The set of prime lenses we used covered a wide focal range, which we took full advantage of. Because most of the scenes were shot on location, the choice of focal lengths was extremely important. A small deviation in angle could significantly affect the final result.
My personal favorite focal lengths are 21mm and 40mm, as they provide the most comfortable perspective in a full-frame system. We had screenings of the first two episodes in theaters, and I noticed that the images worked particularly well on the big screen or when projected onto large TVs, offering a very pleasant visual experience. The 21mm and 40mm lenses also created a sense of distance from the subjects, which I personally find very effective. I tend to avoid using very long focal lengths, as they can create a disjointed effect between the subject and the background. Once the background is blurred too much, it reduces the visual impact.
Sandstorm prominently featured the IOP (integrated optical palette) feature of Angenieux lenses. The manufacturer also provided a custom optical solution, including the Oprimo prime lenses, uncoated internal filters, and triangular Iris. What made you decide to activate the IOP function, and what was your experience with it?
At first, I wasn’t entirely familiar with the triangular Iris, and it took me about a week or two of testing to really get the hang of them. Once I understood how to use them, they became a vital tool in shaping the relationships between the characters and their inner struggles. Initially, when shooting at night, I found the triangular light spots in the background too distracting, but after refining my technique, I decided to only keep some triangular elements in the background when necessary. This helped emphasize the characters’ transformations and emotional turmoil.
The triangular bokeh effect was quite special in this film. It symbolized the complex relationships between the characters, particularly the intertwining of emotions, reason, and law. The story’s open-ended conclusion, where the truth is known only from the perspective of the female protagonist, relies on the audience’s imagination, and the use of the triangular bokeh helped reinforce this ambiguity.
We also chose to use uncoated internal optical filters. In Hollywood and other countries, they typically clean the coatings off the front of the lenses, but we opted to integrate a non-coated filter inside the lens. Initially, I thought the effect would be too different from traditional methods, but I ended up appreciating the unique look it provided. It created a layered texture between the characters and their backgrounds, almost like a matte or special relationship effect. By lowering the contrast and color saturation, the filter delivered exactly the visual effect I was aiming for, and the director was equally impressed with the results.
From a color perspective, which genre do you think the Angenieux lenses are best suited for?
I don’t believe you can judge an optical system based on a single production because every lens has its own character. Personally, I’m not fond of lenses with very high resolution that make the edges too sharp and distorted. A slight tilt or angle change can immediately alter the lines in the frame. Angenieux, however, excels in capturing the fine details of characters, especially with skin texture. It doesn’t make the image too soft, but it also doesn’t sharpen it to an extreme degree. I was particularly happy with the color rendering and aperture performance of their lenses.
Do you have any new projects coming up? Are there any new techniques or styles you’d like to experiment with?
I’ve already been discussing with the director of Sandstorm about another crime drama project, exploring human nature once again. I will likely continue using the Angenieux Optimo Prime Series, but I hope the manufacturer will continue to develop new optical filters to give us more elements to experiment with. In post-production, color grading tools can now simulate the characteristics of many lenses, but I still believe that the depth of field and interaction between the subject, background, and light cannot be fully replaced by software. Choosing the right lens for each shot is crucial. Personally, I avoid creating LUTs for color grading in advance, which is common for many cinematographers. I let the director first see the raw 709 footage and get an immediate feel for the material, and only after that do we move to the final color grade. When they see the difference, it’s always a big surprise.
Did you use many shoulder-mounted shots for this series?
Most of the shots were indeed shoulder-mounted. The first two episodes were designed to have more dynamic movement. Later on, many viewers mentioned that the shaky, handheld feel of the camera was a bit disorienting, especially in the opening sequence where the characters are outside, and the camera shakes noticeably. We shot that scene in this way because the script mentioned an approaching sandstorm, but we couldn’t physically feel the intensity of the wind during filming. So, we used the camera shake to simulate the feeling of impending chaos. As the episodes progressed, we stabilized the shots to create a different emotional atmosphere.
What scene from the entire filming process left the deepest impression on you?
For me, the most memorable scene was the final episode, particularly the car chase in the desert. We shot this sequence over seven days, within a narrow window of time, just an hour after sunset. Most of our time was spent rehearsing and rehearsing with the actors. One specific shot that really stood out to me was when an actor was slowly sinking into the sand, as if being consumed by the desert, symbolizing the end of their life. The director requested that we capture the actor’s real descent. To achieve this, we designed a mechanical setup. Initially, the plan was for the actor to slowly sink into the ground, but it turned out to be a huge technical challenge. Eventually, the art and special effects team dug a giant pit in the desert and built an underground passage, allowing the actor to emerge from the other side. This design took a lot of trial and error. We even had to rig a camera to the actor, filming from a close, almost personal perspective, as they “descended.” This shot was both challenging and exhilarating to film.
Was there a lot of color grading done during post-production?
Yes, the color grading for this project took a full two months. The first month was mostly spent on testing. The color of the desert and the skin tones of Asian characters proved to be a technical challenge. We had to figure out how to color grade the desert scenes while also ensuring the skin tones remained true to life and that the layers in the image were distinct. We did extensive testing and, in the end, we managed to get an effect where every element, whether background or character, stood out clearly, with distinct layers.
DP: Jian Xiaobai
Director: Tan Jiayan
Executive Producer: Gao Qunshu
Screenwriter: Zhao Dongling
Production Company: Youku
Co-production Companies Thornbird Culture, Motie Entertainment
Filming Location Guazhou County, Jiuquan City, Gansu Province (primarily in Liuyuan Town)
