Building Fear Through Cinematography
Workshop with Radek Ładczuk, director of photography for films screened and awarded at Cannes, Venice, and Tribeca. Winner of a Camerimage Golden Frog, as well as Best Cinematography awards from the Jerusalem Film Festival and the Australian Film Critics Association, alongside numerous other nominations.
Short Description
Building Fear Through Cinematography is an intensive practical workshop focused on the visual construction of tension, fear, and psychological atmosphere in cinema.
Working under the guidance of cinematographer Radosław Ładczuk, participants will analyze selected scenes from The Babadook and recreate them through practical studio exercises focused on lighting, framing, movement, rhythm, and spatial dramaturgy.
The workshop combines film analysis with hands-on production practice, allowing participants to work in professional shooting conditions while exploring how cinematography shapes emotional and psychological experience.
Who is it for?
This masterclass is designed for participants interested in cinematography and visual storytelling, with a particular focus on the construction of suspense and cinematic atmosphere.
Through the analysis and practical reconstruction of scenes from The Babadook, participants will explore how visual language operates in psychological horror cinema. The workshop emphasizes the relationship between script, mise-en-scène, lighting, camera movement, composition, and emotional tension.
Participants will work collaboratively in small production teams while developing practical experience in studio-based cinematography workflows.
The workshop will be led by Radosław Ładczuk, cinematographer of The Babadook.
Outcomes
Participants will gain:
- practical experience in professional cinematography workflows
- completed workshop scenes for portfolio use
- experience working in collaborative production environments
- direct feedback from Radosław Ładczuk
- networking opportunities within an international film environment
Participants will receive a certificate of completion.
Workshop Info
Workshop dates: 01/09/2026-04/09/2026
Registration deadline: 01/08/2026
Notification of acceptance: 03/08/2026
Fee: 1200 €
Participants: 8
Language: English
Hours: 10-18
Place: Lodz Film School
The school provides:
- soundstage access
- lighting and camera equipment
- production support
- editing support
Planned production environment includes:
- ARRI Alexa camera package
- focus puller support
- dolly movement
- lighting crew
- constructed set environment
Scenes will be realized with actors in the roles of Mother and Child.
Contact: workshops@filmschool.lodz.pl
Learning Focus
Participants will explore:
- cinematic tension through lighting
- psychological atmosphere in visual storytelling
- composition and spatial dynamics
- camera movement as dramaturgical tool
- collaboration within cinematography teams
- practical studio workflow under time pressure
Application Requirements
Applicants should submit:
- CV / short biography
- portfolio
- up to 30 photographs
- up to 5 minutes of film material
The workshop is intended for:
- cinematography students
- emerging cinematographers
- filmmakers interested in visual storytelling
Communicative English is required.
Workshop Structure
Day 1
Film Analysis and Preproduction
- analysis of selected scenes from The Babadook
- discussion of visual language and cinematic techniques
- selection of scenes for realization
- division into production teams
- lighting and technical preparation
Day 2
Studio Production
- practical realization of selected scenes on a soundstage
- work with actors, lighting, camera movement, and blocking
- collaborative production workflow
Day 3
Studio Production and Review
- continuation of scene production
- final scene realization
- evening screening and discussion of recorded material
Day 4
Postproduction Review and Consultations
- analysis of completed scenes
- feedback sessions
- discussion of creative and technical approaches
About the Tutor
Radek Ładczuk (b. 1976) graduated from the Cinematography Faculty of the Lodz Film School. An award-winning cinematographer known for his distinctive visual style, he received the Golden Duck award for Suicide Room dir. Jan Komasa, the Golden Frog for cinematography debut and Best Polish Film at the Camerimage Festival, as well as Best Cinematography at the Jerusalem Film Festival for Princess dir. Tali Shalom Ezer.
Radek is the cinematographer of The Babadook, widely acclaimed as one of the best horror films of the 21st century. His international credits include the Turkish drama In Flame (Kaygi), My Days of Mercy starring Ellen Page, and The Nightingale directed by Jennifer Kent, which won the Special Jury Prize in Competition at the 75th Venice International Film Festival.
In 2019, he reunited with director Jan Komasa for The Hater, which went on to win Best International Narrative Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Recent projects include the feature The Surfer and Nocebo led by Eva Green, both films directed by Lorcan Finnegan; and Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities—episode The Murmuring, directed by Jennifer Kent. He also worked on The Peasants (Chłopi), directed by DK Welchman and Hugh Welchman, alongside Kamil Polak and Szymon Kuriata. Produced in a unique hand-painted animation technique and based on the Nobel Prize-winning novel by Władysław Reymont, the film won the Audience Award and Special Jury Award at the Gdynia Film Festival.
Radek’s work on Pietro Castellitto’s Enea took him to the Official Competition lineup of the 80th Venice Film Festival, where the premiere was met with an eight-minute standing ovation.
His latest project, The Surfer—directed by Lorcan Finnegan and led by Nicolas Cage—was selected for the Midnight Screenings at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.
Radek earned an AACTA (Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts) nomination for his remarkable cinematography on the film.
