Large Format vs. Super 35: DIT's Composition & DoF Query

Hey everyone,

I'm Terrence Cole, a DIT mostly working on narrative and commercial projects. Lately, I've noticed a significant shift towards large-format sensors like on the ALEXA 35 or even a VENICE 2, pairable with lenses like ARRI Signatures or Cooke S8s. Back in the Super 35 days, with an AMIRA and Ultra Primes, I felt like I had a pretty good handle on predicting how shots would look, especially for shallow depth of field.

Now, with these larger sensors, it feels like everything is inherently shallower. I've been on sets where DPs are pushing for extremely wide-open looks, sometimes to the point where focus pulling becomes incredibly difficult, even with a strong 1st AC and a good follow focus like the ARRI Hi-5. I'm trying to wrap my head around how this impacts composition too. Are you folks framing differently now to account for that increased background separation? Are there new 'rules' or considerations for getting good, cinematic compositions that still tell the story effectively without everything blurring into oblivion?

How has your approach to composition and achieving desired shallow depth of field changed with large-format sensors compared to the Super 35 era?