The Prelim Podcast I Episode 15 — Matt Kenedy

Send us Fan Mail You've seen his photos on billboard posters and across the internet - now hear how this Unit Stills Photographer gets the shot. 📸 Behind every blockbuster poster, every teaser image splashed across the internet — someone was standing feet away from the actors capturing it, invisible, while the cameras rolled for the movie itself. Meet our good friend and Unit Still Photographer Matt Kennedy—the man behind those iconic shots who almost never gets credit for taking them! Matt spent decades climbing the camera department ranks—from self-teaching how to load film mags and working as a 2nd AC, to becoming the lead Unit Still Photographer on some of Hollywood's biggest productions, including Spider-Man: No Way Home, Stranger Things, and massive projects with Jon Favreau and Peter Berg. He is tasked with capturing the "first look" images the studio will use to sell a $200 million movie to the world, all while staying invisible enough not to ruin a single take. In this episode, Matt pulls back the curtain on a job most people don't even know exists: shooting 20,000 images on a single film knowing the studio might only ever use five! Hear how he navigates insane security on Marvel and Star Wars sets. Learn why actors have "kill rights" over their own photos — and why he's often the last person to find out his work went viral with zero credit. The gear evolution from blimped DSLRs to silent mirrorless cameras. It's a rare, honest look at the invisible craft behind the images that sell every movie you've ever wanted to see! Hit play for a rare, unfiltered look behind-the-lens at the invisible craft that sells Hollywood's biggest blockbusters and discover how the world's biggest movies get sold! 🎬 🎬 Subscribe so you never miss an episode 🎙️ New episodes every Tuesday 📲 Follow us @ThePrelimPodcast on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok & Twitter #filmindustry, #crewsetstories, #theprelimpodcast, #hollywoodsetstories, #behindthescenes, #moviecrews, #setlife