American Cinematographer - Ac1115
American Cinematographer - Ac1115
American Cinematographer - Ac1115
11
NOVEMBER 2015
On Our Cover: James Bond (Daniel Craig) returns to take on a nefarious criminal syndicate
in Spectre, shot by Hoyte van Hoytema, FSF, NSC. (Image courtesy of Metro-GoldwynMayer Studios, Inc.; Danjaq, LLC; and Columbia Pictures.)
FEATURES
34
48
62
74
Sinister Sect
Hoyte van Hoytema, FSF, NSC goes into the field to
track 007s exploits in Spectre
Questions of Perspective
Dariusz Wolski, ASC details his work and collaborations
on the features The Martian and The Walk
Thinking Different
62
Counterparts in Crime
Dick Pope, BSC crafts period ambience for the criminal
Kray twins in Legend
74
DEPARTMENTS
10
12
14
20
84
88
90
91
92
94
96
48
Editors Note
Presidents Desk
Short Takes: Best Man Wins
Production Slate: Victoria Jem and the Holograms
Filmmakers Forum
New Products & Services
International Marketplace
Classified Ads
Ad Index
Clubhouse News
ASC Close-Up: Mark Vargo
VISIT WWW.THEASC.COM
COMING SOON
N o v e m b e r
2 0 1 5
V o l .
9 6 ,
N o .
1 1
EDITORIAL
MANAGING EDITOR Jon D. Witmer
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Andrew Fish
TECHNICAL EDITOR Christopher Probst
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Benjamin B, Douglas Bankston, John Calhoun, Mark Dillon, Michael Goldman, Simon Gray,
Jay Holben, Noah Kadner, Debra Kaufman, Jean Oppenheimer, Iain Stasukevich, Patricia Thomson
ONLINE
MANAGING DIRECTOR Rachael K. Bosley
PODCASTS Jim Hemphill, Iain Stasukevich, Chase Yeremian
BLOGS
Benjamin B
John Bailey, ASC
David Heuring
WEB DEVELOPER Jon Stout
ADVERTISING
ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Angie Gollmann
323-936-3769 Fax 323-936-9188 e-mail: angiegollmann@gmail.com
ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Sanja Pearce
323-952-2114 Fax 323-952-2140 e-mail: sanja@ascmag.com
CLASSIFIEDS/ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Diella Peru
323-952-2124 Fax 323-952-2140 e-mail: diella@ascmag.com
American Cinematographer (ISSN 0002-7928), established 1920 and in its 95th year of publication, is published monthly in Hollywood by
ASC Holding Corp., 1782 N. Orange Dr., Hollywood, CA 90028, U.S.A.,
(800) 448-0145, (323) 969-4333, Fax (323) 876-4973, direct line for subscription inquiries (323) 969-4344.
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and at additional mailing offices. Printed in the USA.
POSTMASTER: Send address change to American Cinematographer, P.O. Box 2230, Hollywood, CA 90078.
OFFICERS - 2015/2016
Richard Crudo
President
Owen Roizman
Vice President
Lowell Peterson
Vice President
Matthew Leonetti
Treasurer
Frederic Goodich
Secretary
Isidore Mankofsky
Sergeant-at-Arms
MEMBERS OF THE
BOARD
John Bailey
Bill Bennett
Richard Crudo
George Spiro Dibie
Richard Edlund
Fred Elmes
Michael Goi
Victor J. Kemper
Daryn Okada
Lowell Peterson
Robert Primes
Owen Roizman
Rodney Taylor
Kees van Oostrum
Haskell Wexler
ALTERNATES
Isidore Mankofsky
Karl Walter Lindenlaub
Kenneth Zunder
Francis Kenny
John C. Flinn III
MUSEUM CURATOR
Steve Gainer
8
Editors Note
James Bond is a big deal in the Pizzello household. My
9-year-old son, Nicholas, reveres 007 and once celebrated Halloween by donning a tux and arming himself
with a toy Walther PPK. My wife, Delphine, still laughs
whenever she recalls the conversation that ensued after
Nicholas and his younger brother, Matthew, had
watched Goldfinger together:
Stephen Pizzello
Editor-in-Chief and Publisher
10
Presidents Desk
A couple of weeks ago I was out for dinner with some friends at a place an unenlightened person
might refer to as a dive a locals-mostly bar/restaurant where the food is marginal and the decor
somewhat less so. Which is not to say it has no appeal. Fresh off the beach, after your eyes have
adjusted to the T1.4 lighting, the wood-paneled 70s makeover of this 50s original will keep you
scanning the red banquettes for Jimmy Page and the rest of the Led Zeppelin entourage. Even
though you dont smoke, the native vibe makes you wish you did, and when you park two blocks
away, the wafting smell of beef on the grill promises more than it will deliver.
Making up for that, its a serious no-hipster zone theres not a hate the man beard
or touch of smarmy irony within flame-thrower range. The unpretentious patrons are more
concerned that you mind your business and check your nonsense at the door. House Rule
Number One? Noise-making or attention-seeking of any variety are discouraged by the governing
barflies.
About an hour into my visit just as the manhattans were kicking in something
happened that was so extraordinary in its effect that an exception had to be allowed. Three men
and two women, middle-aged and respectful of the prevailing code, were ensconced over their
meal in one of the booths. Youd be hard-pressed to find a more unassuming group in a place
filled with purposefully low-key souls. However, their anonymity ended when one of the gentlemen chose just the right moment to voice a rendition of Happy Birthday. Under normal circumstances he wouldve been shushed
into silence by the village elders or, worse, told by the staff that the kitchen had closed and the lights were about to be turned off.
Instead, this man, unfamiliar yet clearly a trained vocalist, continued with a warm, rich baritone that froze everyone in mid-sneer. It
came from deep inside his chest and communicated a profundity of emotion rarely encountered in daily life. I can think of only one
word to describe the way he sounded: exquisite. And as his mesmerizing effect washed over the room, I was not alone in feeling
that I was hearing this most familiar of melodies for the very first time. As he finished, the initial sideways glances of the gin-mill
Taliban had been turned to full, outward appreciation. Their applause was every bit equal to his performance.
But our new friend wasnt finished. A few minutes later, after the drinks were freshened and the ambience resettled, he
once again piped up, this time with The Star Spangled Banner. Unlike so many of the celebrity fools we see these days who turn
it into an ego-driven vocal exercise at the ballpark or arena, his version was genuine and brought forth without artifice or reference
to himself. Leading up to a deafening appreciation at its conclusion, the entire house was on its feet, hands over hearts, with not a
dry eye to be found.
At this point you might be asking what any of this has to do with cinematography. Well, it has everything to do with it.
Under the right circumstances, the work we perform can have the identical effect on people as that nameless singer in the
bar. It doesnt matter if youre shooting the most innocuous bit of tripe or a top studio release. Rest assured that someone somewhere is going to be moved perhaps deeply or unexpectedly by what youre doing. Though its easy to lose sight of this critical
notion amidst todays obsession with technology and the breakneck pace at which we work, we cant afford to let it slip away. In
an industry that is too often too short on decency and humanity, any pure motivation to do something is valuable and must be
welcomed.
ASC legends Vittorio Storaro and Haskell Wexler recently called for a more humanistic awareness within our ranks. As we
approach the end of the year, I suggest the new one start with that singer in mind. Its only through recognizing our own effect on
others that positive change can take place. And since the only thing we can fully control in life is our own behavior you got it!
the effort begins with you-know-who.
Richard P. Crudo
ASC President
12
November 2015
American Cinematographer
Short Takes
Sweet Revenge
By Neil Matsumoto
November 2015
American Cinematographer
Edward Stiles
(Tim DeKay,
left), a famous
New York City
chef, cooks up
a revenge plot
against his
friend JeanLouis Vachon
(Franois
Vincentelli) in
the short film
Best Man Wins.
Top: Edward
rushes to board a
plane. Middle: The
greenscreen set
and lighting setup
for the scene
above. Bottom:
Cinematographer
Wes Cardino (left)
discusses the
scene with visualeffects supervisor
Elliott Jobe.
November 2015
Final frame grabs from scenes inside the airport, paired with their greenscreen beginnings.
18
November 2015
American Cinematographer
Production Slate
Single-Take Heist
By Patricia Thomson
One city, one night, one take is the tagline for Victoria,
which sums up the stunning tour de force by German director Sebastian Schipper and Norwegian cinematographer Sturla Brandth
Grvlen, DFF. While this isnt the first one-take film 2002s Russian
Ark (AC Jan. 03) holds that honor it is the first to bring such harddriving, spontaneous energy to this high-wire act.
Consider the magnitude: Two hours and 18 minutes of handheld camera, 22 locations, more than 150 extras managed by six
assistant directors, seven actors followed sequentially by three sound
teams, and the whole enterprise timed to end with the morning light.
We first meet Victorias title character (Laia Costa) dancing by
herself in an underground club. Shes a vivacious newcomer from
Madrid, open to making friends, and is soon adopted by a quartet of
rowdy rogues who say theyll show her the real Berlin. The first
hour follows them from nightclub to city streets to a rooftop hangout
to the coffee bar where Victoria works. She and the friendliest of the
bunch, Sonne (Frederick Lau), hit it off, but their flirtation is interrupted by his ex-con pal (Franz Rogowski), who has promised a
favor to the man who was his protector in jail (Andr Hennicke).
Victoria is sucked into duty as a driver for the ensuing bank robbery,
and the second half of the film follows them as they take the money
and run. This hour has several dramatic set pieces in the getaway
car, celebrating at a nightclub, a police foot-chase, a hostage-taking
as well as more intimate moments.
When Schipper got in touch with Grvlen about the project,
20
November 2015
American Cinematographer
Victoria images courtesy of Adopt Films. Photo of Sturla Brandth Grvlen, DFF by Roxy Reiss.
A newcomer from Madrid, the titular character (Laia Costa) endures an adventurous and harrowing Berlin night in the feature Victoria.
Top: Open to meeting new people, Victoria befriends Sonne (Frederick Lau), a roguish local.
Bottom: Victoria soon finds herself in a predicament.
Grvlen also wandered the neighborhood with his camera, getting to know
the lighting conditions and the ergonomics
of the Canon EOS C300 PL. I did test the
Sony F3 and some sort of modified GoPro,
where you could have interchangeable
lenses, he says. But I was pretty confident
from the beginning that I would choose the
Canon C300 [because of the cameras]
ergonomics and light sensitivity and I like
the texture and image quality.
Eschewing cables of any kind,
Grvlen recorded onto a 32GB CF memory
card, which could hold two hours and 40
minutes using the MPEG-2 50 Mbps 4:2:2
codec. The C300 was outfitted with a Zeiss
Standard Speed 24mm T2.1 prime lens, and
a small matte box held a 18 Tiffen Black ProMist filter. The ISO was set to 2,000. The
camera sat inside a Redrock Micro
UltraCage, which held a monitor, microphone, top handle, side handle and lightweight Arri follow-focus. That was basi22
November 2015
Cinematographer
Sturla Brandth
Grvlen, DFF
lines up a shot.
November 2015
TECHNICAL SPECS
2.39:1
Digital Capture
Canon EOS C300 PL
Zeiss Standard Speed
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Outrageous Fortune
By Neil Matsumoto
November 2015
Jem and the Holograms unit photography by Justina Mintz, courtesy of Universal Pictures.
A YouTube
sensation rises
to superstardom,
but fame
threatens to tear
her family and
friendships apart
in the feature
Jem and the
Holograms.
November 2015
Top (from left): Shana (Aurora Perrineau), Kimber, Aja (Hayley Kiyoko) and Jerrica (Aubrey Peeples)
before they become Jem and the Holograms. Middle: Kimber documents Jerrica/Jems rise to stardom.
Bottom: Jem and the Holograms perform.
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November 2015
American Cinematographer
November 2015
TECHNICAL SPECS
2.39:1
Digital Capture
Red Epic Mysterium-X,
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera,
Panasonic OmniMovie, GoPro Hero 3+
Panavision PVintage
ERRATA
The photo credit for our September 2015
cover (Straight Outta Compton) was incorrect and should have read, Photo by
Jaimie Trueblood, SMPSP, courtesy of
Universal Pictures.
The aspect ratio of The Man From
U.N.C.L.E. (also covered in September) is
2.39:1 not 1.33:1, as our Technical
Specs on page 67 assert.
Sinister Sect
Hoyte van Hoytema, FSF, NSC
combines classic and contemporary styles
for the James Bond film Spectre.
By Benjamin B
|
34
November 2015
American Cinematographer
November 2015
35
Sinister Sect
himself, adding, You have to put our
film on the cover of American
Cinematographer!
We joke that Bond might get the
cover if Craig provides an exclusive, tellall interview. The notoriously private
actor responds with a good-natured
smile and goes back to shooting. Were
pleasantly surprised, however, when he
does return to offer his thoughts about
the importance of shooting on film. As
far as Im concerned, nothing beats
shooting on 35mm film, the actor
opines. Film is so much more beautiful
than digital; it gives so many more
textures and variations. I dont know very
much, but the amount of work that goes
into working on digital to make it look
like film after the event seems like a great
waste of time. Why not just shoot on
film?
Indeed, if theres a single theme
that emerges from our time with van
Hoytema, its his unconditional devotion
to film negative. After the production
wraps, the cinematographer kindly
invites AC to appreciate the films grain
and texture during the DI at Company 3
in London, where he reads amusing
statistics about the production sent by 1st
AC Julian Bucknall: The Spectre camera
crew used 30 cameras, 280 lenses,
consumed 1,800 espressos and almost
a million feet of film!
Spectre was shot over seven
months in Mexico City, London, Rome,
Austria and Morocco. In addition, giant
sets were built at several facilities at
Pinewood Studios, including the famous
007 Stage, the back lot and the Paddock
Tank. Van Hoytema worked mainly
with Panavision C Series anamorphic
lenses, with exceptions including the
opening sequence, which was filmed
with spherical Primos, and a nocturnal
boat chase along miles of the Thames
riverfront in London; for reasons of
exposure, the latter was shot with
Panavisions new Primo 70s on Arris
new Alexa 65 digital camera (see sidebar,
p. 44).
The cinematographer used three
Kodak Vision3 negatives on Spectre: 50D
5203, 250D 5207 and 500T 5219. The
Top: Bond
inspects his new
car. Middle: The
camera crew
preps the car
reveal. Bottom:
A Performance
Filmworks Edge
crane trails
Bonds vehicle.
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November 2015
American Cinematographer
Unit photography by Jonathan Olley, Franois Duhamel, Stephen Vaughan and Jasin Boland, SMPSP, courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Inc.; Danjaq, LLC; and Columbia Pictures.
Top: Panalux
FloBanks
illuminate the
Translight that
surrounds the
Austrian-spa set
built at
Pinewood
Studios (see
sidebar, p. 38).
Middle and
bottom: Mr.
Hinx (Dave
Bautista)
pursues Bond
through the
streets of Rome.
www.theasc.com
November 2015
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November 2015
American Cinematographer
Sinister Sect
Sinister Sect
face is lit in the same meticulous way in
different scenes: a frontal with a little
bit of fill. When you find the perfect
light for a face all the time, you step
away from reality. For this Bond I
wanted close-ups to have different feels,
and I also used different tools: RifaLites, fluorescents, LED panels.
I like to do dynamic close-ups,
where the light on the faces changes
because of the mise-en-scne. For
example, when Bond and Madeleine
[La Seydoux] are in the back room of
the hotel in Morocco, theyre standing
in half-darkness, in a very soft ambient
light, and then they have a confrontation as they step into the light of an
overhead lightbulb hanging above a
table.
The Day of the Dead opening
sequence in Mexico City is shot without direct sunlight, and with a lot of
smoke. That gives the day exterior a
unique look.
Van Hoytema: We wanted to
make Mexico like an exotic, strange
dream. We would literally wait for the
sun to disappear, add smoke and shoot.
We added a lot of smoke, because we
really wanted to disperse the light, to
make the air feel heavy. We shot in
Mexico in [4-perf ] Super 35 with a
combination of the 50 and 250 [stocks].
We tried to shoot everything in
Mexico overcast, but we werent always
successful; there are parts where the sun
breaks out. We wanted to reserve direct
sunlight for Morocco.
Why did you shoot Mexico City
with spherical Primos instead of
anamorphics?
Van Hoytema: I wanted to make
the image a little softer and grittier, as
well as help visual effects with some
extra negative at the top and bottom to
assist with their transitions for the
master shot. Spherical always feels a
little more rounded off; the edges are
taken off a little bit. Anamorphic is so
much sharper.
Some people feel that spherical
is sharper than anamorphic.
Van Hoytema: Not if youre
working with extremely well-tuned
Top and
middle: M
(Ralph Fiennes)
meets with
Bond. Bottom:
Mendes
prepares a
train-car
interior with
Craig and La
Seydoux.
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November 2015
American Cinematographer
Sinister Sect
anamorphic lenses. A good anamorphic
lens has much better resolution in
[2.39:1] than a Super 35 image. But its
very hard to create anamorphic glass that
is good, so its true that you come across a
lot of lenses that feel soft. People often
use anamorphics in commercials to make
soft images with lots of flare. [ASC associate and Panavisions vice president of
optical engineering], Dan Sasaki, tuned
our anamorphic lenses so that flares dont
occur as much in sunlight, but they do
occur in artificial light.
For the [nighttime chase scene in
Rome], we used a big collection of
lenses. Our workhorse set [for these
sequences] was actually the Arri Master
Anamorphics, to avoid extreme headlight flares and still be able to shoot in
low light, as they are a [T1.9] across the
set. All the other [footage] in Rome was
shot with the Panavisions.
This playfulness with the
formats, mixing spherical and anamorphic, is very much a part of modern
filmmaking.
Van Hoytema: I think so, too, and
I love it. The mantra that I got at the
classic film school in dz [Poland]
and also read in old American
Cinematographer interviews was that
it doesnt matter what you do as long as
youre consistent. I take pleasure in trying
to be inconsistent!
How did you light the interiors
in the Roman car chase at night?
Van Hoytema: The car interiors
were shot on a stage with a mixture of
rear-screen projection, LED panels and
classic light gags. Rear screen disappeared because of greenscreen, but the
big problem with greenscreen is that
youre always lighting the foreground
and background separately. Rear screen
gives you reflections in the car and light
on peoples faces that you wouldnt get
with greenscreen. We added rotating
mirrors and classic light gags with
moving panels to sell the effect. We also
fed the content of the rear projection to
bright, low-resolution LED screens and
used them off-camera as a light source.
You used Translights a lot on
your sets.
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November 2015
American Cinematographer
44
November 2015
American Cinematographer
Sinister Sect
46
Thames required an epic lighting installation that only a James Bond film could
get away with.
Van Hoytema: Its the biggest
lighting setup Ive ever done, and it might
be one for The Guinness Book of World
Records! It took five weeks to set up. My
gaffer, David Smith, and his crew set up
eight construction cranes and two floating pontoons on the Thames, plus
dozens of other fixtures on the shore. We
had 28 generators.
[Editors note: The full lighting rig
for the Thames shoot included 30 20Ks,
primarily on rooftops; eight Full Wendys
on cranes and barges; 24 Quarter
Wendys, mainly on rooftops; 25 T12s,
rigged on rooftops and on stands along
the water; 16 10Ks, 12 5Ks and 50
Blondes, mostly on stands along the river;
and 150 1,250-watt Atlas fittings, which
took a crew three weeks working at
night to rig beneath the bridges.]
Why did you do the DI in 4K?
Van Hoytema: 2K is not enough
TECHNICAL SPECS
2.39:1
Anamorphic 35mm,
4-perf Super 35mm,
Digital Capture
Panavision Millennium XL2,
Arriflex 235, Arri Alexa 65
Panavision C Series, Primo,
Primo 70;
Arri Master Anamorphic
Kodak Vision3 50D 5203,
250D 5207, 500T 5219
Digital Intermediate
47
Questions of
Perspective
November 2015
The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (AC Jan. 08) and Alice in
Wonderland (AC April 10), Wolski is no stranger to imaginative, complex productions, but his two most recent projects
have proved to be visual showcases not only for his technical
prowess but his ability to carefully mesh his own artistic sensibility with those of his directors.
Equally fanciful and historically accurate, The Walk is an
inspiring period drama set in the 1970s, detailing the exploits
of French high-wire walker Philippe Petit ( Joseph GordonLevitt) and his obsession with the World Trade Center; the
feature marks Wolskis first film with director Robert
Zemeckis. In contrast, the futuristic yet science-based drama
The Martian, which follows a castaway NASA scientist (Matt
Damon) as he fights for survival after being stranded alone on
the Red Planet, is Wolskis fourth collaboration with director
Ridley Scott, following Prometheus (AC July 12), The Counselor
and Exodus: Gods and Kings (AC Jan. 15).
With just days to go before the start of principal
photography for War Machine which he describes as a serious change of pace after a series of big-budget studio assignments Wolski opened up about his work with Zemeckis
and Scott, and how he approached each picture to help achieve
their singular storytelling visions.
American Cinematographer
The Walk photos by Takashi Seida, courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment. The Martian photos by Giles Keyte and Aidan Monaghan, courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox.
American
Cinematographer:
Thematically, there are a lot of similarities between The Walk and The
Martian. They would make quite a
double feature.
Dariusz Wolski, ASC: Thats
interesting, because theyre very different pictures from two directors with
completely different styles. And I had
an established relationship with Ridley
that helped me understand his way of
thinking using multiple cameras,
setting up the event and capturing it
while Bobs way of thinking is
completely different, working with very
long, design-intensive shots. Photographically, though, both films were
very challenging but a lot of fun to do.
After having seen both films
one set largely on Mars and the other
high above Manhattan I can only
imagine how many days you spent that
year shooting on greenscreen stages.
Wolski: Actually, not as many as
you might think, specifically because of
the way Ridley and Bob wanted to
shoot both pictures. They both wanted
their stories to feel real, which meant
building as much as we could for real.
On The Martian, much of what
we shot for Mars was done on location
Opposite:
Philippe Petit
(Joseph GordonLevitt) tests his
high-wire skills in
The Walk. This
page, top: NASA
scientist Mark
Watney (Matt
Damon) struggles
to survive in
The Martian.
Left: Dariusz
Wolski, ASC.
49
Questions of Perspective
Petits dream of
walking a wire
suspended
between the
twin towers of
the World Trade
Center is made
possible by his
diverse team of
collaborators
(below).
November 2015
camera. It can be the POV of a character, and we see through those eyes and
experience the scene as they do. For
example, when Philippe is finally walking on the wire between the Trade
www.theasc.com
51
Questions of Perspective
Right: Petit takes
a knee above
Manhattan.
Below: The
greenscreen
setup for the
shot.
November 2015
Questions of Perspective
For The Martian,
the interior of
NASAs habitat
was purposefully
planned by
production
designer Arthur
Max to be
neutral in color
to offer dramatic
contrast to the
red-hued surface
of Mars.
November 2015
American Cinematographer
Questions of Perspective
On location in
Jordans
desolate Wadi
Rum valley, the
Martian
production
team led by
director Ridley
Scott (middle, in
white) often
used multiple
3D camera rigs
to capture the
action.
November 2015
American Cinematographer
Questions of Perspective
1974], but that also gave us the opportunity to use transitions in the lighting
the sunrise, clouds passing and
other weather for dramatic effect as the
walk occurs, ending with this nice sunup look when Philippe is done. So there
is an arc to the lighting [that suits] the
scene.
We shot all of those scenes on
stage in Montreal [at Mels Cite du
Cinema], basically hanging diffusion
from the ceiling to create a huge soft
box overhead huge battens with
hundreds of 2K bulbs and then very
heavy silk which was the exact opposite of what we did on The Martian. On
the Montreal stage, we always modeled
the light, using trims and sections in the
silk or by just turning bulbs off, but
because everything was so green and we
had such issues with spill and reflections, we would also use either white or
gray flags for negative fill, because if you
use black, you get too much negative,
but sometimes white creates too much
bounce. The gray will eliminate the
green spill but not go too far with the
shadows. I came up with this approach
on Alice in Wonderland, which also had a
lot of greenscreen work. We also used
some other fixtures in there for various
effects; for instance, we employed
balloon lights a mix of tungsten and
[HMI] to create a moonlit look for
the night before the walk takes place.
The great thing about having this huge
soft box overhead was that we had a
base illumination in place, and it was
just a matter of adjustments and a few
additions.
This big-box approach, of course,
would not have worked for our stagework exteriors on The Martian, in part
because the visor of the space helmet
Matt Damon wears throughout the film
would have picked up all these reflections that we didnt want. So our singlesource, directional lighting was the way
to go. Even still, we shot some scenes
with a different helmet that had no visor
and it was added later in post, primarily
in case we were going in for tight closeups and wed get a reflection of the
camera. It was a constant change back
Extensive use of
cranes and jib
arms throughout
The Martian
allowed Wolski
to counterpoint
the extensive
use of GoPro
documentarystyle footage
with more
sweeping
camerawork.
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November 2015
American Cinematographer
Questions of Perspective
At Korda Studios, just west of Budapest, a spacesuit-clad performer is prepped for some wire
work while shooting the storm sequence that opens The Martian.
60
TECHNICAL SPECS
The Walk
2.39:1
Digital Capture
Red Epic Dragon
Zeiss Ultra Prime;
Angenieux Optimo, Optimo DP
The Martian
2.39:1
Digital Capture
Red Epic Dragon, GoPro Hero4
Angenieux Optimo, Optimo DP;
Fujinon Premier PL Cabrio
61
Thinking
Different
November 2015
American Cinematographer
63
Thinking Different
November 2015
Lighting diagram courtesy of Len Levine and the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco.
Lighting diagram for the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco.
www.theasc.com
November 2015
65
Thinking Different
Top: Andy
Hertzfeld (Michael
Stuhlbarg), Jobs
and Joanna
Hoffman (Kate
Winslet) prepare
for the unveiling
of the original
Macintosh
computer at the
Flint Center for
the Performing
Arts in Cupertino.
Bottom: A camera
crane assists in
capturing the
audience reaction
at the Flint Center.
November 2015
Thinking Different
A row of gelled HMIs bolster the daylight ambience outside the War Memorial Opera House
in San Francisco.
November 2015
to look the most advanced and cinematic. Its not quite based on period
accuracy, but we did it to enhance the
camera formats. We also added Tiffen
White Pro-Mist filters onto the front of
the projectors to get a little more light
bleed.
The eras divided neatly into the
different camera formats, but the script
occasionally prompted the filmmakers
to break those rules. As an example,
Kchler shot a flashback to appear
during the 1998 sequence that depicted
a moment set before 1984, and they
shot it with the Alexa rather than going
back to Super 16mm. We used
uncoated Cooke Panchro primes on the
Alexa to get more flared highlights and
knock down the sharpness, but we
didnt want to go too far in jumping
radically between the formats and
become too pretentious, Kchler
comments.
Although Steadicam was the
primary camera platform, Steve Jobs also
deployed dollies, Technocranes, a
Hydrascope arm, and even a drone for a
shot during the 1988 era at the Opera
House. We hired a Hot Gears Remote
Systems MR-14 Octocopter drone for a
huge crowd scene, reveals Irwin. It was
a continuous shot going from the top
balcony, over the full audience, past the
chandeliers and the orchestra pit, and
finally into a medium close-up of Jobs
preparing onstage.
The drone crew was a selfcontained unit supervised by cinematographer Mehran Salamati, Irwin
adds. It came complete with a Red
[Epic] Dragon shooting with [Zeiss]
Compact Prime lenses, and I pulled
focus for it. It wouldnt have been possible to get that kind of shot any other
way, given the physical restrictions of
the location. According to Salamati,
the units wheel controller was custommade for this project.
Kchler supervised the movies
2K DI at Technicolor in London with
colorist Jean-Clment Soret, using
FilmLights Baselight, for a 2K DCP
final deliverable. Danny was popping
in and out of the sessions, and we
An Immersive Collaboration
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November 2015
American Cinematographer
Thinking Different
Steadicam
operator
Geoff Haley
discusses a
scene with
Boyle.
72
graded all of the greens out and emphasized more metallic grays and cooler
blacks. Working with Jean-Clment is
like working with a Michelangelo of the
grading world. He has great taste. I dont
like to defer completely to the original
on-set LUT; instead, I prefer to see
where we can take things and support
the storytelling.
Working tirelessly to complete
the color grading in time for the films
premiere at the 2015 Telluride Film
Festival, Kchler and Boyle took a
moment to reflect on the experience of
making Steve Jobs. The biggest technical challenge was the huge crowd days
we did, says Boyle. But the biggest
creative challenge that we set for
ourselves was to construct the film in
two-shots. Its a 180-page script driven
completely by dialogue. Cinema is a
visual medium occupying a widescreen
canvas, and we didnt want a movie full
of singles. We developed a language to
build the film in two-shots and used
TECHNICAL SPECS
2.39:1
Super 16mm,
3-perf Super 35mm,
Digital Capture
Kodak Vision3 500T 7219,
500T 5219
Arriflex 416; Arricam LT, ST;
Arri Alexa XT; Red Epic Dragon
Arri/Zeiss Master Prime;
Zeiss Super Speed,
Compact Prime; Cooke Panchro;
Angenieux Optimo
Digital Intermediate
73
Counterparts
in Crime
Dick Pope, BSC and his
collaborators craft a period palette
for Legend, a biopic about the
Kray twins, a pair of infamous
London gangsters.
By Phil Rhodes
|
rom the late 1950s until their arrests in 1967, twin brothers Ronald and Reginald Kray were almost single-handedly responsible for the organized crime in Londons East
End. For Legend, director Brian Helgelands biopic about
the ruthless twins, cinematographer Dick Pope, BSC was
tasked with crafting an appropriate 1960s look while working
on location in modern London. Combining this with the fact
that the brothers despite their divergent personalities
are both portrayed by Tom Hardy, the project called for a close
association between Pope and the shows visual-effects team.
Legend marks Pope and Helgelands first collaboration.
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November 2015
American Cinematographer
Unit photography by Simon Mein. Photos and concept art courtesy of StudioCanal and Universal Pictures. Additional photos by Peter Marsden.
75
Counterparts in Crime
Top: Reggie
berates Ronnie
inside Esmeraldas
Barn. Middle:
Ronnies blaring
trumpet disrupts
the show.
Bottom: The
lighting setup for
the Esmeraldas
Barn set, which
was built in
Londons Rivoli
Ballroom.
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November 2015
American Cinematographer
Counterparts in Crime
Top: Reggie
dines with
Frances (Emily
Browning) at
the Double R
club. Middle:
Reggie and
Frances get cozy
at the
Hideaway.
Bottom: The
lighting setup
for the
Hideaway set,
built at the Caf
de Paris.
November 2015
American Cinematographer
Counterparts in Crime
Chapman/Leonard UK specially
chosen, says Pope, to reach the height
we needed and have a low enough profile
to pass under the bridge. The rig made
use of a Libra-stabilized head, supplied
by Camera Revolution. The setup also
included two Full Wendy lights on what
Pope describes as 150-foot-high mobile
truck cranes, set right back so they were
giving maximum spread. Additionally,
gaffer Julian White and his crew installed
numerous lights over a days pre-rig in
order to define the canals towpath and
distant industrial installations.
Pope operated the B camera
throughout the shoot, and Vince
McGahon served as A-camera/Steadicam operator. McGahons prowess with
the Steadicam is particularly on display
80
November 2015
Counterparts in Crime
82
TECHNICAL SPECS
2.39:1
Digital Capture
Arri Alexa XT
Cooke S4, Angenieux Optimo
83
Filmmakers Forum
November 2015
matographer Show & Tell, during which ASC members show clips
of their work and explain how they lit and shot the scenes, and
Dialogue With ASC Cinematographers, an open forum in which
the conversation is driven by whatever questions the attendees ask.
Schools that have participated include George Washington University; University of California, Los Angeles; California State University,
Northridge; Tulane University; College of Southern Nevada; Loyola
Marymount University; Rochester Institute of Technology; Montana
State University; and Compass College of Cinematic Arts. With
anywhere from 20 to 60 students attending each event, Dibie estimates that the Committees activities have so far impacted close to
1,000 students, he says, and not all of them have been aspiring
cinematographers. Some of them want to be directors, editors,
writers or producers, Dibie notes. But, for all of them, the more
you know about cinematography, the easier your job will be.
In addition to hosting these events at the ASC Clubhouse
or, as Dibie refers to it, the shrine the Committee has also
presented similar sessions at CSUN, J.L. Fisher and Cine Gear Expo.
Whatever the venue, Dibie assembles each session by recruiting
fellow ASC members to sit on the panels, and schools to send their
students. He requests that faculty provide their students with the
names of the panelists ahead of time so they can come prepared
with specific questions tailored to those cinematographers experiences. According to Dibie, 54 ASC cinematographers have so far
participated.
The conversations frequently focus on lighting, composition
and camera movement. We talk about how to light for different
genres and different stories, and how to achieve different looks,
American Cinematographer
From left: ASC members Bill Bennett, David Perkal, Anna Foerster, George Spiro Dibie, Haskell Wexler, Victor J. Kemper, M. David Mullen and James
L. Carter speak with visiting students during an event presented by the Education and Public Outreach Committee at the Clubhouse in Hollywood.
From left:
Society members
Paul Maibaum,
Patrick Cady,
Peter Moss,
Dibie, Wexler,
Bennett and
Peter Levy
participate in
another of the
Committees
events.
November 2015
November 2015
SUBMISSION INFORMATION
Please e-mail New Products/Services releases to
newproducts@ascmag.com and include full contact
information and product images. Photos must be
TIFF or JPEG files of at least 300dpi.
American Cinematographer
Manios Distributes
Veydra Expander
Manios Digital & Film has reached an
agreement with cinema-lens maker Veydra
to become the exclusive worldwide distributor for the Veydra 1.2x PL-to-PL Expander.
The Expander makes it possible to use
vintage zoom lenses from the Academyformat era with current-generation Super
35mm and larger-sensor cameras.
The Veydra Expander extends the
image circle of vintage zoom lenses from
28mm to 36mm diagonal with a light loss
of only stop. Such lenses can then be
used with PL-mount digital cameras with
sensors that have up to a 34mm image
circle.
The Veydra Expander gives vintage
zoom lenses a new lease on life, says ASC
associate Steven Manios Jr., president of
Manios Digital & Film. Cinematographers
can once again use their favorite vintage
zoom lenses and recapture the classic film
looks of yesteryear.
For additional information, visit
www.maniosdigital.com.
Cinematography Institute
Opens in India
Located in South Indias film hub of
Chennai, the Achariya School of Moving
Image Technology and Arts opened its
doors to eligible international students this
past October. The institute was co-founded
by award-winning Indian cinematographer
Ravi K. Chandran and Camerimage-nominated cinematographer Alexander du Prel
from the Mozarteum University at Salzburg;
du Prel has also been named the institutes
inaugural dean.
Along with contemporary cinematography techniques, ASMITAs globally
focused program will teach aspiring directors of photography to think like visual
storytellers and develop a signature visual
language using the latest technology on the
market. Attending the Camerimage International Film Festival in Poland will be a vital
part of the course.
For additional information, visit
www.asmitaedu.org.
Telecine &
Color Grading
Jod is a true artist with
a great passion for his craft.
John W. Simmons, ASC
International Marketplace
90
November 2015
American Cinematographer
Watch out
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91
Advertisers Index
Abel Cine tech 43
Adorama 15, 39
Aerial Mob, LLC 53
AFI Film Festival 71
AJA Video Systems, Inc. 61
Alan Gordon Enterprises 91
Arri 17
Arri Rental 29
ASC Master Class 8
Aura Productions 89
B&H Photo-Video_Pro Audio
23
Backstage Equipment, Inc.
79
BBS Lighting 19
Blackmagic Design, Inc. 7
Camerimage 93
Canon USA 13
Carl Zeiss SBE, LLC 67
Cavision Enterprises 90
Chapman/Leonard
Studio Equip. 33
Chrosziel 59
Cinematography
Electronics 79
Cinekinetic 90
Convergent Design 25
Cooke Optics 21
CW Sonderoptic Gmbh 31
92
Welch Integrated 87
Willys Widgets 90
www.theasc.com 89, 92
Yes Watches 82
Clubhouse News
November 2015
Left: Masanobu
Takayanagi, ASC
on the set of Black
Mass. Right (from
left): Otto
Bathurst; Roberto
Schaefer, ASC, AIC;
and Terry Flaxton
participate in a
directorcinematographer
collaboration
panel at the
Bristol
International
Festival of
Cinematography.
When you were a child, what film made the strongest impression on you?
Darby OGill and the Little People. Scared me to death.
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November 2015
American Cinematographer
Close-up