Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 5 days ago
Cinematographer Fraser Taggart has helped shape some of the most daring sequences in modern action cinema. From second-unit work on Edge of Tomorrow and Mission: Impossible – Fallout to serving as director of photography on Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Taggart has been behind the camera for Tom Cruise’s most ambitious stunts.
In this interview, Taggart discusses his journey from shooting cars and commercials to leading photography on Dead Reckoning. He reflects on capturing the HALO jump, rigging cameras for biplane flights, and working with Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise to design action sequences around locations. Taggart also details his choice of Panavision C Series anamorphics and the collaborative support that made the “impossible” achievable.
🎬 Find this video on Panavision's website at panavision.com/highlights/highlights-detail/fraser-taggart-on-action-cinematography-and-mission-impossible
🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with today’s top cinematographers.
00:00 – Introduction
00:10 – Shooting the HALO Jump and Helicopter Sequences
00:40 – Training Through Second-Unit Work
01:06 – How a Joke Led to the *Dead Reckoning* Call
01:44 – Planning Action Around Locations
02:05 – Capturing Tom Cruise's Motorbike Jump
02:39 – Designing the Biplane Aerial Shoot
03:05 – Choosing Digital and C Series Anamorphics
03:49 – Why Collaboration Matters on Action Films
#Panavision #MissionImpossible #DeadReckoning #FraserTaggart #Cinematography #TomCruise #ActionCinematography #FilmProduction #DirectorOfPhotography #VisualStorytelling
Cinematographer Fraser Taggart has helped shape some of the most daring sequences in modern action cinema. From second-unit work on Edge of Tomorrow and Mission: Impossible – Fallout to serving as director of photography on Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Taggart has been behind the camera for Tom Cruise’s most ambitious stunts.
In this interview, Taggart discusses his journey from shooting cars and commercials to leading photography on Dead Reckoning. He reflects on capturing the HALO jump, rigging cameras for biplane flights, and working with Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise to design action sequences around locations. Taggart also details his choice of Panavision C Series anamorphics and the collaborative support that made the “impossible” achievable.
🎬 Find this video on Panavision's website at panavision.com/highlights/highlights-detail/fraser-taggart-on-action-cinematography-and-mission-impossible
🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with today’s top cinematographers.
00:00 – Introduction
00:10 – Shooting the HALO Jump and Helicopter Sequences
00:40 – Training Through Second-Unit Work
01:06 – How a Joke Led to the *Dead Reckoning* Call
01:44 – Planning Action Around Locations
02:05 – Capturing Tom Cruise's Motorbike Jump
02:39 – Designing the Biplane Aerial Shoot
03:05 – Choosing Digital and C Series Anamorphics
03:49 – Why Collaboration Matters on Action Films
#Panavision #MissionImpossible #DeadReckoning #FraserTaggart #Cinematography #TomCruise #ActionCinematography #FilmProduction #DirectorOfPhotography #VisualStorytelling
