My DIT Cart: Amedeo Lanza

In our My DIT Cart series, we regularly spotlight Digital Imaging Technicians from around the world, offering exclusive insights into their workflows, gear choices, and setups.

This time, we’re speaking with Rome-based DIT Amedeo Lanza about his cart layout and workflow philosophy. With more than a decade of experience, Amedeo brings a wealth of practical knowledge to every project—and isn’t afraid to engineer custom solutions when the job demands it, including designing his own sub-GHz radio system for improved on-set control. So, without further Ado, let’s meet Amedeo! 

Thanks for your time! To start, we’d love to hear a bit about yourself and your professional background. 

Amedeo: „Thank you for giving me this opportunity to share! I firmly believe that our work benefits greatly from the continuous exchange of information and updates among colleagues and enthusiasts. I’m a DIT from Sicily, but I’ve lived and worked in Rome for over ten years now.“ 

Ten years is quite some time! What initially led you toward becoming a DIT? 

Amedeo: „I’ve always had a huge passion for photography and pictorial art in general. My mother is an architect and art history teacher, and my dad put the first VHS camera in my hand when I was 5 years old. So, I’ve loved movies since I was a child, and my natural inclination toward highly technical yet artisanal and creative work ultimately led me to this world. I attended the reportage course at Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, where I met DP Gogò Bianchi. Upon graduation, he invited me to join his camera department as a video control and playback operator. After about four years in this role, I moved on to data management for a short period and finally to my current role as DIT.“

Now that you’re established in the role, how would you describe the current state of the industry in Italy from a DIT’s perspective? 

Amedeo: „Over the past years, the situation has worsened significantly in Italy due to a series of regulatory reforms related to the audiovisual sector, specifically regarding how public funds are used. Furthermore, the national contract for audiovisual workers is not updated regularly and dates back several years. However, I consider myself very lucky to be working with a certain degree of continuity, but the future doesn’t look too bright, unfortunately.“

Given the challenges, what types of projects do you primarily work on today? 

Amedeo: „I work mainly on TV series (both for national TV and international networks) and theatrical films.“ 

And what’s been the most recent project you’ve been involved in?

Amedeo: „We are currently filming a TV series about a famous family of Italian entrepreneurs. I can’t say more because of the NDA contract. The series covers the period from the 1940s to the 1970s and obviously is really stimulating for my work due to the mood changes between the years.“ 

Since you can’t share details about your current project, could you tell us about a past production you’re particularly proud of and what makes it stand out?

Amedeo: „Sure! I’m really proud of a TV series shot for Prime Video in two seasons (The Bad Guy) and a movie coming out in March, called Gli occhi degli altri (the latter has heavy film print emulation tested and re-tested for months). I think that in these two examples, the cinematography work blends perfectly with everything else, and this, for me, is the main purpose of successful storytelling.

Sounds exciting; we’ll definitely keep an eye out for that film! Across these different productions, how would you describe your overall setup and your approach to building a workflow?

Amedeo: „I’m an extremely precise person, bordering on obsessive-compulsive disorder. I need my workstation to be perfectly tidy before starting any set. The goal is to forget about any technical issues during filming so I can focus completely on the images and the interaction with the cinematographer. One of the quotes that most shaped my attitude to work, I heard in an interview with Roger Deakins, who said ’We spent most of our time on prep.’”

Take us through the bits and pieces of your perfectly tidy workstation, then! What does your setup usually look like? 

Amedeo: „I work primarily with an Adicam Mini cart. In Italy, non-studio locations are often small; so being able to move through tight spaces (or up and down staircases) without sacrificing a full setup is really important to me. On the cart, I have two racks: one 4-unit rack for UPS (soon to be replaced with an EcoFlow or similar) and a drawer for accessories like a cleaning kit, exposure meter, spectrophotometer, etc. The other rack houses my DIT box.

On the upper shelf, I mounted a system of standard aluminum profiles spaced like rack units to hold additional components such as scopes, a rack power strip, receivers, and a frame for a lightweight blackout cloth. This allows me to immediately optimize the DP’s viewing conditions when we’re waiting on tents or EZ-Ups. And I like having as many controls as possible on physical buttons, as you can see from the photos.”

And what does your monitoring setup look like? 

Amedeo: „I usually work with two Flanders Scientific monitors between 21 and 24 inches. I use a Blackmagic SmartScope Duo for the scopes, although I’m currently testing replacing it with a dedicated monitor running Nobe OmniScope. Finally, I have one or two 7-inch monitors on which I usually keep false color active. I also have a light 15” touch monitor as a GUI and an iPad Mini to always have an eye on the camera menu.“

What other gear is included in your setup? 

Amedeo: „My DIT Box is controlled by a Mac mini, although I can also pull out the rack and use a MacBook if I need to work without the full setup. Five 2U silent fans are installed at the bottom front to draw air into the rack. Just above that is a multi-switch power strip that lets me power each device individually. Above that is an 8-port Ethernet switch, a small multi-card reader, and on the right is a 3-port Thunderbolt 4 hub. Above, the Mac mini and the fan controller, which allows me to precisely adjust the RPM of both the intake and exhaust panels, along with four temperature sensors positioned on relevant components (video hub, LUT boxes). 

On top are two Flanders BoxIO units, two 3G recorders, and one Blackmagic 3G monitor protected by a removable plexiglass panel for easy inspection. Above that is the smart control for the Blackmagic Videohub, and as the first unit, a 16-channel AVMatrix router/multiviewer dedicated to video distribution for the video control operator. 

On the back, in the lower rack, I have an accessory power strip. The DIT Box is powered by a single PowerCON cable, as are all the devices on the upper shelf, by a second PowerCon. Immediately above are the BM video hub, the video control operator outputs along with a dedicated multiview output for very light setups. Above are the camera inputs and the connections dedicated to my use. 

For me, it’s crucial to be able to move the setup quickly and reassemble it just as quickly. With this system, I just have to unplug two PowerCONs and the data connection on the right side, unscrew the entire top shelf, and two people can easily reach almost any location with the complete setup. At the top, there is a panel with three silent ARGB fans installed this time in extraction, and finally, above an LED bar to illuminate the connectors below.”

Which Pomfort software do you use and why?  

Amedeo: „I’ve always used Livegrade, and my data manager works with Silverstack XT. I find the interface and the ability to integrate with external control devices irreplaceable for me (Stream Deck, Tangent, MIDI controllers), as is the node system for customizing any corrections. I’ve worked in various grading modes, from CDL to ACES, with the final result always remaining consistent. Metadata customization also allows me to exchange precise information with my data manager Mattia Tarantino, which greatly speeds up the entire workflow. The software also integrates seamlessly with the video devices I use. I’ve also tested the Livegrade 7 Beta and can’t wait to use it. Sets run at breakneck speeds, and the ability to have all the references from previous shots in the grid for matching or regrading is worth the wait alone.“ 

In addition to these staples, does your cart have any special features or customizations?

Amedeo: „I don’t really think there’s anything special about my setup. It’s fairly common, just optimized from past experience and tailored to my workflow. As I mentioned, being able to control the functions I use most with physical buttons is essential for me because it drastically speeds up decisions or tests before shooting. 

For me, a tidy workstation with everything in its place is fundamental.

So maybe it’s special in that sense: I always use a Stream Deck dedicated solely to Livegrade and switching between my most-used apps. The MIDI controller is mapped to two banks: one exclusively for direct camera controls and the other for additional Livegrade functions I use less frequently. The Ripple is dedicated to CDLs, with three banks set up depending on the type of controls I want to use in a specific case. On the BM Smart Control, I have several macros to quickly respond to director or DP requests (e.g., A only, B only, reference on the director monitor, temporary blackout, etc.).

For me, a tidy workstation with everything in its place is fundamental. It makes the work on set smoother and less stressful, while giving complete freedom to respond to any request.“

What would you say is your favorite component of your setup, and why?

Amedeo: „I’ll admit, without false modesty, that I have a strong curiosity for learning. So, together with my colleague, Simone Brancatello, I built a sub-GHz radio system like those increasingly seen on sets. I must say, it has literally transformed the way I work. 

Since I often work with ARRI cameras, I’ve mapped the companion app to the MIDI controller. Now, for last-minute corrections, I can simply rotate a knob and compensate for the Kelvin with a level of fine tuning that was almost unthinkable before. For example, I’ve managed to increase an ND filter right before we started rolling to give the DP a desired depth of field, as he decided at the last minute to blur the background more. The range and stability of the signal are unthinkable for any antenna integrated into traditional 2.4 or 5 GHz setups. 

A few days ago, a camera car was set up during an already overtime schedule. It’s unthinkable to be able to set up my entire cart in the support van. So, I simply grabbed my iPad Mini and Mercurius (my sub-GHz bridge), and jumped into the back of the van with the iris controls. By doing everything in-camera, even accommodating the sudden changes in light as we were shooting at sunset, I was able to get a very precise match between the two cameras. 

Similarly, we’re shooting a TV series with a series of TLS-rehoused Canon K35 and FD lenses. These vintage lenses require constant attention to match color, tint, and sometimes even contrast. In this regard, I use the sub-GHz system to make major adjustments in-camera and then continue on to Livegrade with CDLs or more complex adjustments.“ 

What’s the latest addition to your setup? 

Amedeo: „I just received the Lit Duo after their Kickstarter campaign, and I can’t wait to put it to use in the next few days. I hate having to switch between two meters during scene prep, so the Lit seems like a game-changer. I’m also building all the wiring and electronics so the entire setup can run on 24V/12V if needed.“

Any memorable stories involving you or your setup?

Amedeo: „I actually have two stories. The first was filming on Mount Etna, the volcano in eastern Sicily. We went to the summit crater with a fairly light setup, leaving the main cart downstream. While we were filming, a sudden, intense storm hit, literally overturning EZ-Ups, carts, and other equipment. It happened so quickly that no one could secure anything in time. Luckily, aside from minor dents on the cart, the only thing I lost were the red balls from the Tangent console.

The other anecdote involves a famous Italian actor. He was moving around the set while some electricians and I were measuring the color temperature of some lights. In the middle of giving instructions, he stopped, looked at me, and said, “Are you saying color has a temperature?!’”.

After those unexpected on-set moments, what would you say is the most challenging aspect of being a DIT – and what do you find the most rewarding? 

Amedeo: „I believe the most difficult aspects of working as a DIT actually coincide with those that ultimately give you the greatest satisfaction; they’re two sides of the same coin. Understanding and interpreting the DP’s vision is the core challenge of our role.

 If I can translate what the DP has in their mind into a digital image that best approximates what they imagined, I’ve done my job well.

We can spend hours talking about camera settings, exposure, LUTs, data management, reports, color, and all the highly technical details, but in the end, it’s the perception of our eyes that ultimately counts. If I can translate what the DP has in their mind into a digital image that best approximates what they imagined, I’ve done my job well. At the same time, I’ve simplified post-production, giving the colorist more time to focus on the creative aspects rather than fixing shots that weren’t properly supported on set.“

Thanks so much to Amedeo for sharing these insights into his setup and approach with us!