written by Johanna Coelho, British Cinematographer
Johanna Coelho reveals how she shot The Pitt’s 15-hour ER shift, using immersive 360-degree sets, handheld intimacy and inventive lighting to bring every moment to life.
When I first read the scripts for The Pitt, with its unique continuous format (15 episodes representing a single hour each of a 15-hour shift, from 7am to 10pm), I knew the ER had to feel like a living organism. It was an immersive experience that would follow doctors and nurses through the relentless intensity of their shift.
Our visual language was intimate and fluid, staying close to our main characters and their perspective, so we approached the set as a true 360-degree cohesive space. Because the story unfolds in real time, maintaining a single, cohesive visual from start to finish was essential. John Wells, Scott R. Gemmill, Noah Wyle and Michael Hissrich made the uncommon decision to have me as the sole cinematographer for all episodes.
Prep: Camera, lights and white walls
The lighting had to fit the set’s design and function as a fully 360-degree system that kept up with constant camera movement. My collaboration with production designer Nina Ruscio was particularly close, as we examined how every set element would interact with light and camera movement.
As realism was important to us, we used overhead lighting — the kind you’d actually find in most real ERs — as well as small practical lights or headboard lights. However, overhead lighting can be tricky when it comes to lighting faces.
The white walls kept the look bright and believable. While they can terrify cinematographers, in a 360-degree set with mostly overhead lighting they’re a gift, helping to act as an infinite bounce. With so many white walls, we needed to ensure the shade of white was the right one under our lighting and worked with diverse skin tones. Nina and I tested over 50 shades of white and we found the perfect one.
For our camera and lens package, I wanted both documentary realism and freedom of movement, so we went with Alexa Mini LFs paired with Angénieux Optimo Primes and Ultra Compact Zooms. Shooting full-frame felt right for the closeness we wanted and keeping everything handheld gave us the freedom to move. These specific Angénieux lenses without filtration gave us a clean, cinematic look, were extra light for our operators and worked nicely on every skin tone.
The precise two-camera system
With our committed handheld aesthetic, we aimed for precision. The A camera handled long, flowing shots that captured as much of a scene as possible in a single take, using a ZeeGee rig. This allowed smooth forward and backward movement with height adjustments while giving us stability with handheld texture. I often used a 50mm prime for these shots, as it gives a human perspective.
The B camera moved freely, picking up moments and reframing on the fly to get multiple shots in one take. After securing the main long setup, we would “clean up” the scene with both cameras, keeping the sense of continuity intact. Even with cuts, the edit often felt like one unbroken shot.
360° shooting
A true 360-degree set meant every direction had to be fully dressed with real medical equipment, integrated lighting and active background actors — with an invisible crew.
My CLT, Keelan Carothers and key grip, Maxwell Thorpe, designed clever tools for this environment: magnetic diffusion frames and cups that attached perfectly to the set ceiling troffers and cans, as well as dual onboard lights on the camera matte boxes that were fully controllable during the shot. We also used lights on a pole moving along with everyone in the shot to fill in the faces.
Because glass reflections were inevitable to a certain degree, the entire crew wore scrubs on set. This way, if someone appeared in a reflection, they blended seamlessly into the ER.
Choreographing everything
Shooting The Pitt felt like live theatre: the camera constantly moving with the actors, background extras, gurneys and furniture on wheels — all moving without breaking the illusion to allow the camera to pass through.
The constant motion meant choreography was everything and all those elements had to move with precise timing. Gurneys had to slide into frame at the exact right beat, doors had to swing open just enough for the camera’s pass and background actors had to cross paths without blocking the shot.
When it worked, it was extremely satisfying.
Emphasising emotional weight
For most of The Pitt, the camera never stops. So when it slows down, it’s powerful.
It was important for us to find the right language for the few times our characters had a pause to have an emotional moment. We wanted to ensure the audience would really feel and connect. For example, when Robby realised Jake’s girlfriend was gone and there was truly nothing to do to save her, we used a longer lens on his face, narrowing the environment around him with a shallower depth of field. The camera simply watched his emotions.
Immersive techniques and season two
We developed new techniques for lighting, movement and set design that supported a fully immersive style. Shooting the scenes in script order only deepened the authenticity. To us, it felt like we weren’t just filming an ER shift — we were living one.
Season two is filming and most of our crew has returned, so we’re ready to perfect the style we developed, refining the dance between camera, light and actors to deliver another shift that feels as real and relentless.
