Vincent Laforet, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer and director, spent four days preparing for the Republican presidential debates in Las Vegas. Seven still cameras were set up on ceilings and balconies at a theater inside the Venetian hotel and casino.
Vincent Laforet for CNN
The cameras were rigged to photograph simultaneously, taking seven images from seven angles.
Vincent Laforet for CNN
Before the debate, as CNN crews set up the stage, Laforet and a team of three crawled catwalks, arranged remote-controlled cameras, ran wires and tested exposure.
Vincent Laforet for CNN
"We kind of have this dual responsibility of not only making beautiful or interesting-looking images but also to kind of capture the history of the event," Laforet said.
Vincent Laforet for CNN
While still photography is Laforet's first love, he wanted to take the project beyond the seven cameras. "At the same time, we're shooting with a second team on the Phantom camera, and we're going to be capturing as many moments as we can of these candidates at a high frame rate," Laforet said before the debate began. Phantom cameras are high-speed digital cameras that can shoot 1,000 frames per second at 4K resolution. Laforet shot around 200 frames per second during the debate.
Vincent Laforet for CNN
This debate was the fifth Republican debate of this election cycle and the last one of 2015.
Vincent Laforet for CNN
"That's kind of our goal here," Laforet said. "To produce something you don't see every day and that gives you a literally different take on the entire event."
