Crafting Interviews in a Tight Space at Warriors Media Day
When you’re handed a small club room as your stage for ESPN’s coverage of the Warriors Media Day, it’s easy to feel the constraints. Limited space, strict schedules, and the pressure to deliver broadcast-quality interviews could have been a logistical nightmare. Instead, it became an opportunity to flex creative muscles and showcase how a well-thought-out lighting setup can transform any room into a professional set up.
The Challenge
I’m just going to be real, the room we were assigned to shoot in wasn’t built for this kind of production. It was a modest club room at the Chase Center, with low ceilings, limited depth, and zero natural light. It’s a great space for fans to enjoy the game but it’s definitely not my first pick for a production space. But despite all these setbacks, my crew and I had to deliver an intimate, polished and professional image that ESPN would love.
The goal: create a look that felt spacious, dynamic, and clean.
The Set Up
In such a tight space, every single piece of gear had to serve a purpose. Since this was an ESPN specific project that is filmed with literally every single team in the NBA, the producer wanted to keep all the set ups consistent when it came to lighting and backdrops. Our producer sourced a backdrop for media day and shipped it out to every DP that works on this project. This year, we had a really nice blue/magenta backdrop. When I spoke to our producer, he was very clear about what he wanted: CONTRAST, DEPTH, CONTRAST.
Say no more. I love a contrasty image.
The Lighting
For the set up, I collaborated with Bay Area gaffer, Ryan Yen. We started with our backdrop and making sure it was as far back against the big screen tv as possible. While our PA steamed and straightened the backdrop, we started by setting up our key light to the left of the frame. For this, we used the Aputure 600D with a 42in softbox. Because of the limited space and the way the room was designed, we struggled with wrapping the key on our subjects face. We wanted contrast but not split lighting. To solve this, Ryan added an additional light, specifically an Aputure 300D with a 32 in softbox that was placed in a more frontal position. By doing this we were able to control how much of it spilled to the right side of their faces and still get a nice Rembrandt style for the interview.
To be honest I screamed inside with happiness when I saw that triangle shape on their faces. Made my day honestly.
In an effort to create depth and separation, we decided to add a Zhiyun MOLUS G300 and place it at the bottom of the interview chair. We used the barn door attachment to shape the light and added a sheet of diffusion to get that soft circular gradient. To help separate our subjects more from the backdrop, we used an Aputure 60D that served as a hair light, adding a subtle rim of light along their shoulders and head. Finally, we used the black side of a reflector as neg for our subjects on their right side, absorbing ambient light and enhancing contrast for a more cinematic look.
Adapting to the Space
The club room’s low ceilings and limited depth required careful positioning. For this set up, I used a RED Komodo and paired it with a 50mm lens from my DZO Vespid Prime Lens Kit. The camera and tripod were placed at the very edge of the room, just where the door could still close, maximizing the available depth. This setup allowed us to frame the players perfectly while maintaining a professional, polished look that made the cramped space feel somewhat expansive. I was clinging on to the camera during every interview but it was worth it. There was really nothing in the space that wasn’t serving a purpose, including our crew. This time around I brought my iPad so that my gaffer could view what I was seeing in camera and not have to go through a maze to see how the image looked. I think that alone helped streamline our communication and understanding of the small changes that needed to be made moments before an interview started.
Key Lessons Learned
Lighting Transforms Small Spaces: Thoughtful placement of lights, even in cramped conditions, can create depth and polish.
Gear Matters: Using a compact camera with minimal gear can help in a tight space.
Maximize Every Inch: Creative positioning of the camera and equipment can make even the smallest space feel expansive.
Final Thoughts
Working in a small space like this club room was very much a challenge, but it’s a challenge I like to welcome. Limited spaces can sometimes be a good thing for creatives. It forces us to think carefully about what gear is really needed, where is every light being placed and how. I like to think that these constraints ignite creativity in all of us and push us all to be more efficient and at times innovative with our prep.
There’s something satisfying about taking an small, empty, boring setting and turning it into a polished space worthy of looking at. Sometimes, having fewer options pushes you to focus on what really matters, and that’s where the magic happens.
The Crew
Producer: Luis Aldea
Line Producer: Jessica Shobar
Director of Photography: Jennifer Gonzalez
Gaffer: Ryan Yen
Sound Mixer: Jeff Dragomanovich