Ben Smithard spent his childhood watching movies. When he decided to enter the business, he made his way into Cinematography with commercials and music videos. He struggled, but eventually made his way into TV and film, with credits including ‘The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,’ ‘Goodbye Christopher Robin,’ ‘Blinded by the Light,’ and ‘Downton Abbey.’

In this interview, Smithard talks about research before meeting the director, how he uses paintings to describe the hypothetical look of film, what it means to “refine ideas” during pre-production, why storyboarding isn’t always necessary, how he collaborated with Costume Designer Anna Robbins (Episode 175), the unique visual differences between the PBS series and the film, and how the industry has changed with excessive special effects.

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