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TOM COMERFORD - DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY It’s been
a busy couple of years for cinematographer Tom Comerford. After shooting various feature films, including You’re Ugly Too and Pilgrimage, Comerford’s work drew wide acclaim with last year’s Michael Inside. Now his cinematography is set to reach an even greater audience with The Hole in the Ground, a project that Comerford has been considering for a long time. “Lee and I have talked about this film in one form or another for years, so I was thrilled to be involved when the financing finally came together. He was certainly pushing for this film to be as cinematic as possible within the constraints of time and budget. So we did spend a lot of time in pre-production short-listing, sketching storyboards and scouting locations with an eye on getting the most value for money on screen.” From the beginning, Comerford and Cronin picked a dark colour palette of earthy browns and greens to echo the hole itself. “We tried to create a heavy atmosphere with plenty of darkness in the frame, even in daytime scenes.” When asked if the crew faced any major difficulties during the shoot, Comerford is coy in case he veers into spoiler territory. But he does give one surprising detail. “We actually couldn’t afford to shoot at night, which is tricky when you’re making a horror film! So whatever exterior night scenes you see were done for an hour or two after sunset.” Up next for Comerford is Rosie Plays Julie, an Irish film starring Ann Skelly and Aiden Gillen. With The Hole in the Ground set for an American release by renowned arthouse horror distributor A24, it’s likely that Comerford is going to be even busier in the near future. The Hole in the Ground opens on March 1 47