Cinematographer Christian Berger said he will be employing mostly natural light for By the Sea (2015), using the 'Cine Reflect Lighting System'(CRLS) he developed together with Christian Bartenbach, an Austrian pioneer and expert on innovative light solutions. The lighting system 'CRLS' channels existing light using a series of reflectors that create a more natural lighting and at the same time a less distracting working environment: "It changes the method of working on set for the director and the actors, and in this film enhances the period and atmosphere." Berger already employed and perfected the 'CRLS' in some of his previous work including his Academy Award-nominated cinematography for Michael Haneke's The White Ribbon (2009).