What is the true identity of Peter Andrews, the famous cinematographer of “Traffic”?

Is Soderbergh demoted to director of photography on Magic Mike XXL?

But Soderbergh has actually served as director of photography and camera operator on someone else's film. And not when he was still unknown, but as recently as 2015. It was on Magic Mike XXL , the sequel to Magic Mike (2012), which Soderbergh also directed (and shot).

"Magic Mike" is a coming-of-age film that depicts the lives of men in the world of male stripping, inspired by the real-life experiences of movie star Channing Tatum, who worked as a male stripper before he was famous. Channing Tatum himself starred and produced the film, and Soderbergh, who heard the idea from Tatum, showed interest and made it into a reality.

However, before the sequel, Magic Mike XXL, was released, Soderbergh announced his retirement from film directing, and Gregory Jacobs, who had served as assistant director and co-producer on Magic Mike, was announced as the director for Magic Mike XXL.

Jacobs began his career as an assistant director on an indie film, and has been friends with Soderbergh since working on " My Town, St. Louis " in 1993. He has been Soderbergh's right-hand man, working as assistant director and producer on most of his films. Since Soderbergh has retired from film, it would have been a natural promotion for him to become director of "Magic Mike XXL."

However, when the staff list for "Magic Mike XXL" was made public, many movie fans were surprised because Peter Andrews (Soderbergh) was credited as the director of photography!

"Magic Mike" preview

The director of photography is the second most important role on the set after the director, and sometimes even more important than the director. Moreover, Peter Andrews (Soderbergh) believes in the style of carrying the camera himself as an operator. In other words, on the set of "Magic Mike XXL," Soderbergh, who was the director of the previous film, was carrying the camera and working. A famous film director like Soderbergh was running around more than anyone else in the work of a man who was his assistant director.

Furthermore, Soderbergh also served as executive producer and even edited under the name Mary Ann Bernard. No matter how close he is to his younger brother Jacobs, isn't he working a bit too hard? And in the first place, isn't it difficult for the new director Jacobs to work if the previous director is doing the filming and editing?

However, "Magic Mike XXL" is a road movie with a completely different taste from the previous work, and although the visual aspect is the same, it has changed into a funny and sad comedy depicting the unusual journey of a group of old strippers. The biggest change is that Soderbergh's characteristic shrewdness is hidden in the shadows, and it is wrapped in a heartwarming and warm mood.

As Channing Tatum said, "The atmosphere is different because the director has changed," it is true that "Magic Mike XXL" is a Gregory Jacobs film, and Soderbergh participated only as cinematographer Peter Andrews. The trick with a series is deciding what to retain from previous works and what new elements to incorporate, but it would be unprecedented for the director to change and have the director of the previous film continue as cinematographer.

Master craftsmen who are nimble and take part in other people's productions as staff members!