Lifting the curtain on ‘Hamnet’: Behind the scenes with DIT Krzysztof Zawieja

Hamnet has quickly become one of the year’s most talked-about films, winning over both audiences and critics. At its core, it tells the story of William Shakespeare’s family, exploring themes of love, loss, and the personal experiences behind one of history’s most iconic writers. Directed by Academy Award winner Chloé Zhao, the film picked up a Best Feature nomination this year, while lead actress Jessie Buckley took home the Oscar for her performance.

In this interview, we shift the spotlight to the camera department as DIT Krzysztof Zawieja takes us behind the scenes, lifting the curtain on his setup and workflow with Livegrade and Silverstack Lab. Let’s go! 

Joining the production 

The rural setting of Hamnet, filmed across England and Wales, feels pretty close to home for Krzysztof. He also lives in a quiet village in southern Poland, so the landscapes and slower pace are something he knows well. That said, he often leaves home to work on major productions, especially long-form features, which are where he finds the most creative satisfaction, as he explains:

„I mostly work on long-form projects; I love co-creating feature films. People talk about them, discuss them, exchange opinions, and often these films stay with us.“ 

Hamnet is clearly one of those films, as its award nominations and wins show. For Krzysztof, getting to witness Jessie Buckley’s Oscar-winning performance live on set was a memorable experience that left a lasting impression.

„Watching Jessie Buckley in the scene where her character, Agnes, loses her son was absolutely staggering. I have never experienced anything like that on set before; she was incredible. It was a massive privilege to witness her performance live on set. Thankfully, no AI can ever replace genuine human emotions.“

I have never experienced anything like that on set before; she [Jessie Buckley] was incredible.

So how did he end up on set of Hamnet? „I was invited to join Hamnet by the phenomenal Cinematographer Łukasz Żal, following our previous collaboration on the technologically demanding The Zone of Interest by Jonathan Glazer“, Krzysztof tells us. 

Their existing relationship made the collaboration much smoother, since they could skip the usual period of figuring each other out that comes with working with a new DP. As Krzysztof explains: 

„It’s a great privilege to collaborate with cinematographers from all over the world and observe their approach and how they see things. The most challenging, but also one of the most interesting aspects of working as a DIT on set, is adapting to a cinematographer you haven’t worked with before. You have to figure them out, find the right balance between creative input and technical support, adapt to their way of seeing, understand how they perceive contrast and color, and balance all of that—while simultaneously keeping a close eye on the strictly ’technological side’ of the image.“ 

It’s a great privilege to collaborate with cinematographers from all over the world and observe their approach and how they see things.

Successfully finding that balance is what gives Krzysztof the most satisfaction in his work, and it can often lead to the next opportunity.

„It might sound trivial, but what gives me the most satisfaction is when, at the end of the shoot day, the DP is happy and says, ‘Thanks for the help, man, good job.’ And, of course, getting THAT call for the next job!“ 

In Krzysztof’s case, that call did come, bringing him onto Hamnet and into a diverse, international camera team. „We had a mixed crew“, Krzysztof begins describing his team. „From Poland, we had Łukasz’s regular collaborators: Staszek Cuske (Camera Operator), Radek Kokos (Focus Puller), and myself as DIT. Łukasz also brought his famous chef/Key Grip, Tomek Sternicki. We were joined by Rami Bartholdy (1AC B Cam), Juliette Carton (2AC), Lara Diamond (Camera Trainee), and my phenomenal team: Data Manager/invaluable support Carrie Cooksley, and our talented Video/DIT Trainee Susannah Ireland.“

Oh, and there was one more essential crew member who kept spirits high on set.

„I absolutely cannot forget one very important crew member: a dog named Stich! The whole crew loved petting him, but his main base was with us on the DIT/video truck.“

Setup and workflow

To create a setup that could support both the creative vision and the realities of the shoot, Krzysztof started by aligning closely with the cinematographer: „I obviously started with discussions with Łukasz regarding formats, camera choice, lenses, and filters“, he explains.  

From there, they worked closely with their post-production studio, HARBOR, to refine the camera and color pipeline so everything was locked before filming began. Once on set, Krzysztof settled into his usual responsibilities.

On set, my main task is to relieve Łukasz [Żal, DP] of the technological burden so he can focus on what matters most: THE image.

„On set, my main task is to relieve Łukasz of the technological burden so he can focus on what matters most THE image“, he explains. For Krzysztof, this translated into a classic DIT workflow: „For me, it was standard work: CDL, iris control, continuity, monitoring levels and contrast, and matching lenses“, he recaps.

Technically, the production was straightforward, with most of the filming done on a single ARRI Alexa 35. „It’s a technological work of art“, Krzysztof adds. However, some challenges came from the film’s dynamic shooting style and outdoor environments. 

„The biggest challenge was adapting to shooting in a forest in Wales where the cart had to be light“, he says. „Łukasz asked for maximum mobility, so I had to rebuild my kit to the smallest possible footprint. Chloé (the director) wanted to shoot some things in a ‘documentary‘ style, catching incredible moments and rolling the camera without informing. Full readiness and high mobility were crucial“, Krzysztof concludes.

That flexibility meant scaling down even further – a big shift from Krzysztof’s usual multi-cart setup, which he already had to leave behind. 

„The only thing that perhaps took me slightly out of my comfort zone was that I couldn’t bring all my own equipment from Poland. I usually have three different carts prepped in various configurations, one vertical and two horizontal ones, depending on the planned shots, the locations, and the number of cameras on set. For this project, I had to limit myself to just one small, universal cart“, he remembers. 

So what did that all-in-one cart look like on Hamnet?

„My setup consisted of the essential tools: Livegrade, a Konvision 2460D monitor, Convergent Design Odyssey 7Q, Stream Deck, my custom DIT box loaded with LUT boxes, network and video routers, and Heltec’s Wi-Fi HaLow camera communication. The entire system was powered by an EcoFlow/ DJI Power. I also had my own mini tent.“

For the remote shooting locations, the team relied on CineArk, a UK-based rental company that supplies specialist film equipment, including their Eagle communication system for long-distance video monitoring and control.

„CineArk’s Eagle communication system was a huge support. Often in Wales, Staszek and Łukasz were working and capturing nature – quite a distance away, and thanks to Eagle and HaLow, I maintained full control over the image at all times “, Krzysztof explains. 

Livegrade was central to maintaining that control, allowing Krzysztof to precisely shape the image on set and realize the DP’s vision.

Honestly, I can’t imagine working without Livegrade.

„Honestly, I can’t imagine working without Livegrade,“ he says before going on to describe his favorite features. „The most important feature for me is recording in log. This allows me to make corrections even after a scene is shot, if we decide it should look slightly different. The ability to make adjustments on pre-defined nodes is also a crucial feature. Besides that, Livegrade is incredibly stable and transparent.“ 

While Krzysztof refined the grades, Data Manager Carrie Cooksley ensured their seamless integration into the asset pipeline.

„Usually, Carrie would receive the PFLA files from me during breaks, and then again at wrap. All data was imported into Silverstack Lab in the blink of an eye and linked with the OCF. After making three copies, the prepared shuttle drives went straight to the lab.“ 

However, it’s not just about speed or simple file sharing with Livegrade. Krzysztof trusts Silverstack Lab to keep every bit of data organized and safe.

„Silverstack Lab simply means a peaceful night’s sleep after shooting! Carrie used it to import my color decisions, handle backups, perform preliminary QC, extract stills, and generate all the necessary reports.“

Silverstack Lab simply means a peaceful night’s sleep after shooting!

Beyond the technical memories from working on Hamnet, this project also held personal significance for Krzysztof. During production at London’s George Lucas Stage, where a full-scale replica of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre was built, he found himself reflecting on the beginnings of his filmmaking journey.

„My first steps in film were heavily influenced by Star Wars and my older brother, who was also into filmmaking. As an 11-year-old, I learned how to use After Effects just so I could replace broomsticks with my own lightsabers on footage recorded on VHS-C,“ he recalls. 

That childhood fascination now came full circle as he found himself working in the same space where scenes from his favorite film franchise were shot.

„As a kid awkwardly painting lightsabers in After Effects, I never even dreamed that almost 25 years later I would be working on such a unique project, and on top of that, in the very place where scenes for Star Wars were created.“ 

Big thanks to Krzysztof for sharing these insights with us!