Ac Ac1210

DECEMBER 2010
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M E M B E R P O R T R A I T
Bruce Logan, ASC
“I
wasn’t allowed to see a movie
until I was 10 years old, and
when I finally saw 20,000
Leagues Under the Sea, the
forbidden fruit was beyond
delicious. I suppose watching
Journey to the Center of the Earth ,
In Search of the Castaways and
The Time Machine steered me
down my own career path, which
has included the films 2001: A
Space Odyssey, Tron, Star Wars
and Airplane!
“American Cinematographer
was my window onto the souls of
my fellow artists, because I never
really had any contact with other
directors of photography until I
joined the ASC. I still look through
that window today to see all the
innovative ways my peers solve the
same problems I am faced with.
AC is an invaluable tool for staying
current in my chosen profession.”
— Bruce Logan, ASC

©photo by Owen Roizman, ASC
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D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 0 V O L . 9 1 N O . 1 2
The International Journal of Motion Imaging
On Our Cover: A ballerina (Natalie Portman) suffers a terrifying psychological

breakdown in Black Swan, shot by Matthew Libatique, ASC. (Photo by Niko
Tavernise, courtesy of Fox Searchlight.)
FEATURES
30 Danse Macabre
Matthew Libatique, ASC attempts an audacious jeté with
the unnerving drama BlackSwan
50 Up Against It
50
Anthony Dod Mantle, BSC, DFF and Enrique Chediak

serve as co-cinematographers on Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours
64 Romantic Chemistry
Steven Fierberg, ASC brings soul mates together in
Love and Other Drugs
76 A Big-City Dream 64
Bojan Bazelli, ASC captures glitz and glamour for the
musical extravaganza Burlesque
DEPARTMENTS
8 Editor’s Note
10 President’s Desk
12 Short Takes: “Dot” 76
18 Production Slate: The King’s Speech • I Love You Phillip Morris
88 Post Focus: 3-D Workflow at Company 3
92 Tomorrow’s Technology
94 Filmmakers’ Forum: Michael Grady
96 New Products & Services
102 International Marketplace
104 Classified Ads
104 Ad Index
105 2010 AC Index
112 ASC Membership Roster
114 Clubhouse News
116 ASC Close-Up: Frank B. Byers
— VISIT WWW.THEASC.COM TO ENJOY THESE WEB EXCLUSIVES —

Podcast: Edward Lachman, ASC on Howl
DVD Playback: The Exorcist • Breathless • Troll 2
D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0 V o l . 9 1 , N o . 1 2
The International Journal ofMotion Imaging
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John Calhoun, Bob Fisher, Michael Goldman, Simon Gray, Jim Hemphill,
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American Cinematographer (ISSN 0002-7928), established 1920 and in its 90th year of publication, is published
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4 ————————————————————————————————————
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American Society of Cine matographers
The ASC is not a labor union or a guild, but
an educational, cultural and pro fes sion al
or ga ni za tion. Membership is by invitation
to those who are actively en gaged as
di rec tors of photography and have
dem on strated out stand ing ability. ASC
membership has be come one of the highest
honors that can be bestowed upon a
pro fes sional cin e ma tog ra pher — a mark
of prestige and excellence.
OFFICERS - 2010/2011
Michael Goi
President
Richard Crudo
Vice President
Owen Roizman
Vice President
John C. Flinn III
Vice President
Matthew Leonetti
Treasurer
Rodney Taylor
Secretary
Ron Garcia
Sergeant At Arms
MEMBERS OF THE
BOARD
John Bailey
Stephen Burum
Curtis Clark
George Spiro Dibie
Richard Edlund
John C. Flinn III
Michael Goi
Stephen Lighthill
Isidore Mankofsky
Daryn Okada
Robert Primes
Nancy Schreiber
Kees Van Oostrum
Haskell Wexler
Vilmos Zsigmond
ALTERNATES
Fred Elmes
Rodney Taylor
Michael D. O’Shea
Sol Negrin
Michael B. Negrin
MUSEUM CURATOR
Steve Gainer
6
Editor’s Note
I first met Matthew Libatique, ASC and Darren
Aronofsky at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival, shortly
after their debut film, Pi, won the directing award in the
Dramatic category. As they celebrated, I noticed their easy
rapport — close friends who were excited to see the
future opening up for them. We stayed in touch as they
continued taking creative risks with Requiem for a Dream
and The Fountain. Their latest effort, Black Swan, gener-
ated immediate buzz after it opened this year’s Venice Film
Festival. The movie’s dark, experimental tone makes it a
must-see for cinephiles who prefer material that tran-
scends established genres — in this case, drama, dance
and horror. As Libatique told me during our interview,
“When I read the original script years ago, it seemed like a genre film, but on every project
I’ve done with Darren, the script is just 25 percent of what the film’s eventually going to be.”
You can read much more of his analysis in our Q&A (“Danse Macabre,” page 30), along with
Aronofsky’s own reflections on the project (“Directing Black Swan,” page 34).
Also testing themselves were Anthony Dod Mantle, BSC, DFF and Enrique
“Quique” Chediak, who served as co-cinematographers on Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours. The
movie tells the true story of Aron Ralston, a young climber who was forced to amputate his
arm after it became wedged between a dislodged boulder and a canyon wall. In addition to
working as a duo, Dod Mantle and Chediak had to dramatize a unique dilemma. “With the
film’s single character stuck in a canyon for most of the movie, Danny thought it would be
interesting to add a bit of chaos by shooting through two sets of eyes, and that started to
make sense to me,” Chediak tells Mark Hope-Jones (“Up Against It,” page 50). “It was a
real challenge for Quique and me on every level, including operating, lighting and commu-
nication,” Dod Mantle adds. “Our job was to help Danny find new ways of keeping the story
alive in a very limited space.”
Romantic comedy might seem like a conventional form, but Steven Fierberg, ASC
and director Ed Zwick mixed things up on Love and Other Drugs, in which a randy pharma-
ceuticals rep experiences the surprising urge to settle down with a free-spirited artist suffer-
ing from Parkinson’s Disease. While the film offers romance and laughs, it also acknowledges
the potentially tragic future of the characters’ relationship, so Fierberg took a path that
balanced these elements. “We wanted to sculpt their faces in a way that made them appear
their most attractive,the strongest version of themselves,” he explains to Michael Goldman
(“Romantic Chemistry,” page 64). “That meant lighting faces from a precise angle and not
putting much light anywhere else. There are a lot of dark areas in the frame. So even though
the movie is largely a comedy, I’d say we lit for drama.”
Whereas Black Swan takes a stripped-down approach to dance, Bojan Bazelli, ASC
pulled out all the stops on Burlesque, the story of a small-town girl (Christina Aguilera) trying
Photo by Owen Roizman, ASC.
to make it big in a Los Angeles cabaret show.“ Burlesque is the kind of movie every cine-
matographer dreams about — it’s eye candy,” he tells Iain Stasukevich (“A Big-City Dream,”
page 76).
Stephen Pizzello
Executive Editor
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President’s Desk
Inspiration is difficult to quantify and impossible to predict. It happens at unexpected times
and affects our lives and careers in unexpected ways. Yet it is the one element that drives us to do
the things we do, regardless of reason, logic or common sense. Years from now, I’ll be able to say
I was there when my 3-year-old son, Michael, got his first big jolt of inspiration. Sure, he’s always
been happy mixing his food together after watching a cooking show, or marveling at the way a
hummingbird flies, but this was different.
Gina gave birth to our second son, Ryan, two weeks ago. Michael has been protectively
supportive of his little brother, so we wanted to do something special for him. We decided to take
him to Disneyland for the day. As we were preparing to leave the park in the evening, we stopped
by the Nickelodeon Theater on Main Street, where they run six different black-and-white Mickey
Mouse cartoons on six screens in a circular setup. The moment we walked into the dark room, I
could see it hit him; Michael stopped in his tracks and slowly looked around the room at the six
screens. He has certainly seen movies and cartoons before, and he has been to numerous theaters,
but this was different.
He stood in one spot for a good five minutes, taking in the surroundings, then sat on the
floor in front of one screen and watched the six-minute cartoon ( Traffic Troubles) twice. Then he
shifted over and watched the next screen’s cartoon twice, and so on, all around the room. He is a
talkative boy, but he never said a thing during the experience — not a laugh nor a question. I watched his face as he scanned t he
screen and the environment. I could see him thinking. When we had watched all the cartoons twice, he simply got up and walked
out the door with us.
It reminded me of the time I was 7 years old and went to a friend’s birthday party, where he was showing 8mm films of
Frankenstein and Dracula on the wall with a projector. Watching the strip of film with little pictures disappear into the machine and
seeing the moving pictures on the wall jogged something in my brain; suddenly, it was like random thoughts had focus, and I fel t
like I understood more. It also freed my mind to truly explore and fantasize.
I see that change in Michael now. He’s still the same kid, but he’s different. I sense it in the way he speaks and the manner
in which he plays. He’s looking at the world in a different way, and I can’t pretend to fully understand why. I don’t ask him about it
because I don’t think he would be able to explain it, and I also don’t want to disrupt the thought process he’s going through b y
asking him to analyze it. But it’s there. Who can say how that moment of inspiration will affect the rest of his life?
Inspiration is necessary for all of us to get through the day, let alone our lives. If we don’t find it, we somehow become holl ow
representations of ourselves, shadows of the people we really are. For a few years, I thought I had lost the ability to be insp ired.
Then, typically, I found it again in an unusual way. My wife snapped this photo of Michael and me on her phone. It’s out of foc us,
compositionally crooked, and you can’t see our faces, yet it is my favorite photo. It inspires me — to be a loving husband, a d ecent
father, a dedicated teacher, a selfless mentor, a tireless artist and a
compassionate leader.
My wife jokingly says of Michael’s introspective observations,
“Oh, boy, now he’s going to be just like his daddy. He’s going to want
to save the world.” I hope for nothing less.
Happy holidays, and best wishes for an inspiring new year.
Portrait by Owen Roizman, ASC.
Michael Goi, ASC

President
10 December 2010 American Cinematographer

Short Takes
Tiny puppets
attached to thin
wires star in
“Dot,” a stop-
motion Nokia
spot created by
Aardman
Animations.
I Aardman Animates With Nokia’s N8

By Iain Stasukevich
their film. Manipulating a 9mm-tall puppet was out of the question,
so, in consultation with Aardman’s head modelmaker, Chris
Entwhistle, they decided to do replacement animation: a resin-based
University of California-Berkeley professor Daniel Fletcher rapid prototyping machine would create a microscopic Dot model
created the CellScope with the idea that a user could transform a for every frame of movement.
cell-phone camera into a diagnostic-quality microscope by attaching “It’s worth noting that we actually planned to go a lot smaller
a 5-50x lens with a custom mount that clamps onto the phone body. than we did,” says Patterson. The directors wanted the puppet to
The goal was to enable medical professionals working in remote be 4mm tall, but the rapid prototype machine couldn’t physically
locations to visualize, capture, organize and transmit images of print the character that small. Gardiner’s work on the modified
biological samples for diagnosis. CellScope lens was already complete, so the lens angle was widened
Creatives at Wieden+Kennedy advertising agency in London to accommodate a 9mm character.
decided to pair Fletcher’s creation with a high-end smartphone, the A total of 150 puppets — 50 poses, three puppets for each
N okia N 8. The agency approached Aardman Animations with an pose — were attached to thin wire, painted and positioned in front
Photos courtesy of Aardman Animations and Wieden+Kennedy.

open brief: create a microscopic film with the CellScope and an N8. of the camera lens while the meter-long background scrolled from
Animation directors Ed Patterson and Will Studd, collectively known right to left on the base of an old Rostrum camera. The motion-
as Sumo Science, and cinematographer Mark Chamberlain all controlled animation stand was programmed for a continuous 60-
jumped at the opportunity. second shot, Chamberlain explains. “Lew modified the platform’s
Early on, the filmmakers considered medical concepts, like stepper motors so we could work in increments of half a millimeter.
animating blood cells, but scrapped them in favor of “Dot,” a side- That’s how precise we had to be.”
scrolling adventure about a microscopic girl who falls into a Wonder- The N okia N 8 turned out to be an excellent animation
land-like world constructed of textiles, loose change and pocket lint. camera, with its 12-megapixel 1⁄1.83" image sensor, 5.9mm Carl
Chamberlain’s first task was to have Lew Gardiner, Aardman’s Zeiss lens and HDMI-out capabilities. (It also captures 720p HD video
senior mechnical engineer, construct a CellScope lens that would at 25 fps.) “The image has virtually no noise,” says Chamberlain.
perceive depth — CellScopes are designed to focus on a single plane “For what we were doing, and the size at which we were doing it,
of glass, and Chamberlain needed to know how much depth-of-field there was no margin of error when it came to getting the image as
he could get. Gardiner consulted with optics professors at the Univer- clean as possible.”
sity of Bristol to modify the lens design and brought the new A specially modified prototype N8 helped circumvent certain
elements back to Aardman, where he built the final assembly. Mean- production-model issues, such as shifting color temperatures and an
while, Studd and Patterson got to work figuring out how to animate auto-shutdown function. Chamberlain looked at locking the expo-

“THERE’S A TOUCH OF AGITATION IN ROBERT ELSWIT’S
CAMERAWORK, ENOUGH TO LEND AN EDGE OF
AUTHENTICITY TO THE PROCEEDINGS.”
AMY BIANCOLLI, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
ROBERT ELSWIT, ASC
F O R Y O U R C O N S I D E R A T I O N
E/@<3@0@=A 1=;
moved in every frame, Chamberlain’s
biggest concern was figuring out how to
light the whole setup. “We mounted two
lamps, an Arri 650-watt key light bounced
onto a 6-by-4-inch poly and an Arri 350-
watt fill with F1 [Rosco 216] diffusion,on a
goalpost lighting stand above the set,” he
says. “We also had a 50-watt fiber-optic
light attached to the top of the camera so
that as we moved the set, it was consis-
tently toplit. It worked brilliantly.”
Studd and Patterson wanted to
contextualize the film’s scale by setting it in
a tiny Edwardian world of keys, pencil shav-
ings and Liberty Fabrics. Dot must outrun a
tidal wave of frayed edges as the patchwork
landscape begins to unravel at her heels.
Almost every effect onscreen was accom-
plished in-camera as hand-manipulated
animation, which kept the two animators
busy for four weeks. In addition to the
painstaking task of moving his leading lady
with a pair of tweezers, Patterson had to
remember to press three buttons every
setup. He explains, “I had to take my frame
in Stop Motion Pro, then the frame from
the Nokia phone, and then move the set.”
Although the set was motion-controlled,
the image was so magnified — approxi-
mately 15x with a modified field of view —
that even the smallest shift in an object’s
position was noticeable. “We were dealing
with such fine increments,” says Chamber-
lain. “If we’d been on a Milo motion-
Top: Dot control system shooting 35mm, we could
hitches a ride
on a have gone back to any exact frame, but
bumblebee. nothing has been engineered to work
Middle: The under a microscope and repeat the moves
portion of the
small set used perfectly.”
for the “It was a bit of an issue at first,
bumblebee because we didn’t want to have to touch
ride. Bottom:
The puppets the phone every time we took a frame
are laid out because we were afraid it would move,”
with sketches adds Patterson. “So we connected an
depicting their
specific Apple wireless keyboard to the phone.
movements. Hitting ‘return’ captured the image with the
phone.”
As the set unravels, Dot flees across
sure manually, “but it turns out that you provided the team with a live HDMI feed so the edges of coins, through crystal caves
can’t actually do that,” he says. “We did they could watch low-resolution live-view and even atop a fuzzy bumblebee. The set
some tests and realized that by the time images overlaid onto the stored images in is a relief from which the elements rise
you’ve lit the shot and animated the set and Stop Motion Pro. toward the camera; at one point, Dot runs
the character, the camera’s sensor has Because the end of the CellScope behind one of the crystals, and the fore-
settled to the point where every exposure is lens was never more than a couple of ground element is so close to the CellScope
relatively constant.” The modified N8 also centimeters from the subject, and the set lens that the two almost scrape across each

other. The densely layered crystals also
caused depth-of-field concerns. “Even with
Lew adjusting the arrangement of the
lenses in the microscope attachment, we
were pushing the edges of our focus,”
notes Chamberlain.
The unraveling effect that pursues
Dot was accomplished in two ways: The
boiling mass was made up of extra materi-
als from each sequence in the film —
fabrics, metal and scraps. Studd and Patter-
son animated the threads to push the right-
hand side of the screen, followed by a strip
of white card to simulate a featureless void.
“The other method was to rip the set apart
as we went along, which was a scary thing
to do,” says Studd. “It’s only when we got
to the forest, in the last sequence, that we
actually had to rip it up by hand.”
“With this sort of animation, once
you’ve committed to it, you have to go for
it,” asserts Chamberlain. “You have to prep
everything carefully, and if you knock it
down, you have to build it back up before
you can do it again. And you don’t have the
time to do those two seconds over again
because capturing them took an entire
day!”
Some visual effects were needed to
complete the spot. Studd used Adobe
AfterEffects to realign the background
plates and remove Dot’s wires, and the bee
called for a few touch-ups as well. (The
animators used a dead bee, but used a
computer to simulate its flapping wings.)
“Animating on this scale hadn’t
been done before, but we knew we could
do it — we’re all experimenters,” says
Patterson. They were also gunning for a
world record, and they got it: Guinness
confirms that “Dot” contains “the world’s
smallest stop-motion character animation.”
“I love the jobs where someone says
it’s impossible to do, because I know I can
find a way of doing it,” says Chamberlain.
“Will, Ed and Lew have exactly the same
spirit, and that’s why we could achieve what
we did.” ●
Top: Dot scampers across the edge of a coin. Middle: A wider view of the coin set.
Bottom: One of the puppets provides scale in this photo of the CellScope lens attached to a
modified Nokia prototype.

F O R Y O U R C O N S I D E R A T I O N
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
EDUARDO SERRA, ASC, AFC
E/@<3@0@=A 1=;
Production Slate
In The King’s
Speech, Albert
Frederick Arthur
George (Colin Firth,
left), soon to
become England’s
King George VI,
undergoes speech
therapy with
Lionel Logue
(Geoffrey Rush).
I A Future King Finds His Voice

By Jean Oppenheimer
director Tom Hooper had a very clear vision of how he wanted the
story told: hard light, wide lenses and short-sided framing. “Period
films usually employ soft light, but Tom believes that to make history
Thunderous applause erupted inside the Chuck Jones Theater come alive, you must give it an emotional power that feels current,”
after the Telluride Film Festival’s first screening of The King’sSpeech says Cohen, who also collaborated with Hooper on Longford and
— and after the second screening, and the third. Two weeks later, John Adams. (On the latter, Cohen handled the European shoot
the period drama about the unlikely friendship between a future while Tak Fujimoto, ASC handled the U.S. shoot.) “Part of that is
king of England (Colin Firth) and an eccentric Australian speech ther- making [events] look as if they could have happened two days ago.
The King’s Speech photos by Laurie Sparham, courtesy of See-Saw Films.

apist (Geoffrey Rush) won the Audience Award at the Toronto Inter- Hard light coming through windows gives the images a slightly more
national Film Festival. And on top of everything, the story is true. contemporary feel.”
Unlike Henry VIII or Elizabeth I and II, George VI doesn’t have Most of The King’s Speech was shot on location, including
a high profile outside the United Kingdom. Christened Albert Fred- scenes set in Logue’s consulting room. The filmmakers originally
erick Arthur George — and known as Bertie within the family — planned to build the room onstage at Elstree Studios, but changed
George VI reluctantly ascended to the throne in 1936, when his their minds after Hooper and production designer Eve Stewart
brother abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson. He had developed a found a beautifully preserved Georgian house that offered an ideal
debilitating stutter in childhood, and that, coupled with his father’s space: a large back room that featured dark wood and a leaded-
constant disparagement, stripped him of all confidence. Speaking in glass ceiling. “We built a scaffold on the roof and rigged 14 4K and
public, part of his duties as Duke of York, was excruciating for him 6K Arri X Lights,” recalls Cohen. “We added a few [Kino Flo] Wall-
and his audience. It wasn’t until Bertie stumbled upon Lionel Logue, O-Lites and 2.5K [Arri HMI] Compacts, then covered the entire roof
an Australian speech therapist, that he learned to control his stam- with a huge blackout tent. No matter when we were shooting, day
mer. The two men became close friends, something unheard of or night, we were able to maintain consistent light.”
between royalty and commoners. The King’s Speech begins shortly “To achieve the kind of light Tom wanted coming through
before the two men meet and ends with the king’s first wartime the windows, Danny tended to use bigger lights and soften them,”
speech to the nation. says Paul McGeachan, Cohen’s longtime gaffer. “We used 18K HMI
Director of photography Danny Cohen, BSC, whose recent and 6K MSR units with no-color straws or 1⁄8 CTOs, or put a 1⁄4, 1⁄2
credits include This isEngland and HBO’s John Adams, reports that or Full Spun on barn doors and either [directed the light through] a

“ DAZZLIN G.’THE SOCIAL NET WORK’ IS
”
P O W E R E D B Y I M P E C C A B L E C R A F T S M A N S H I P.
JOE MORGENS TERN ,
“THE MUTED TONES AND PROWLING C AMERA
”
M A K E T H E F I L M A N E O - N O I R , S TA L K I N G T H E T R U T H .
RIC HARD CORLISS,
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
BES T CINEMATOGRAPHY
JEFF CRONENWETH, ASC
SonyPictures.com/Awards
Right: The future
king meets with
Logue in the
therapist’s
consulting room.
Below: Prepping a
shot of Logue’s
son (Dominic
Applewhite) in
the consulting
room are (from
left) boom
operator Mike
Reardon, focus
puller Peter
Byrne, camera
operator Zac
Nicholson and
director of
photography
Danny Cohen,
BSC.
floated off to one side. A mix of other units

— 2.5K Compacts, 4K Mole Beams and 6K
Pars, most gelled with 1⁄8 CTO — were scat-
tered throughout the church.
“Tom was very keen on using wider
lenses, typically 14mm, 18mm, 21mm,
25mm and 27mm, and often with the
camera very close to the actor,” notes
Cohen. The slight distortion of the image
serves to underscore Bertie’s intense anxiety
and discomfort. “If you put a lens 6 inches
from somebody’s face, you get more
emotion than if you’re on a long lens 20 feet
away,” observes Cohen.
Early in the film, Bertie has to
give a speech at Wembley Stadium. A-
camera/Steadicam operator Zac N icholson
and focus puller Peter Byrne, both part of
couple of frames of silk or bounced it into 4K Pars, aimed through 1⁄8 CTO and Lee Cohen’s regular crew, recall the scene: “The
poly [through] a frame of silk.” 251 diffusion,on a balcony that ran along intention was to shoot Bertie’s walk up the
At Lancaster House, which doubled one side of the nave. The fixtures, all wired stairs and out onto the stands, and then
for Buckingham Palace, Cohen’s crew to dimmers, were aimed at the floor, where capture as much of the speech as one 400-
rigged 30 4K HMI Pars outside the windows white sheets and unbleached muslin served foot mag would allow, in one Steadicam
on scaffolding that a construction crew had as bounce. Most of the abbey scenes are set shot,” recounts N icholson. “[That entailed]
already erected. (The mansion was under- in the crossing, a large, octagonal space squeezing through a very narrow gap as we
going renovation). This light was softened close to the center of the church. To light the came out into the stadium and onto the
by Egyptian cotton, 300 meters in all. crossing, an Airstar 8.4K Hybrid Ellipse rostrum, [where Bertie steps] in front of the
At Ely Cathedral, whose interior balloon light (holding four 1.2K MSR bulbs microphone, and then holding a static frame
doubled for Westminster Abbey, the crew and four 1K tungsten bulbs) was floated for what felt like ages.” Byrne picks up the
covered the windows and placed a row of overhead, and a 4K tungsten balloon was story: “The Steadicam was on a 21mm lens.

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with fantastic ceilings, so we wanted to see
as much of them as possible,” notes the
cinematographer.
The picture was finished with a digi-
tal intermediate at Molinare, where Cohen
worked with colorist Gareth Spensley. The
negative was scanned at 4K on a N orth-
light, and the color correction and Arrilaser
filmout were done at 2K. “It wasn’t a partic-
ularly complicated grade — our biggest task
was removing modern cars from wide
shots,” Cohen recalls. “We also had to add
some soot to the buildings. Once London
passed the Clean Air Act, people stopped
burning coal at home.”
In fact, creating smog and fog on
the set “was a fun thing to try and do,” he
continues. For a scene showing Bertie’s wife
Above: riding in a car in dense fog, “massive smoke
Nicholson,
Byrne and
machines were positioned up and down
Reardon follow Harley Street, much to the neighborhood’s
Firth and Rush annoyance. There was so much smoke it set
for a key walk-
and-talk in
off the fire alarms in a nearby hospital, so
foggy Regents we had to move down the street.” In
Park. Below: The another scene, Bertie and Logue walk
crew prepares a
scene in
through a foggy Regents Park, and as the
which Bertie, scene progresses, the skies clear and the
accompanied by sun emerges. “We were incredibly lucky
his wife (Helena
Bonham Carter),
that day,” recalls Cohen. “It was the end of
delivers a the day, and as they walk, they’re backlit by
disastrous the sun, which is very low in the sky at that
speech.
time of day in late November/early Decem-
ber. They argue, and then Bertie walks
away, and Lionel turns and walks back in
Danny gave me a stop pull to incorporate finally listens to a recording that Logue the direction he came from. He’s now
between T1.4 and T2 as we were tracking made of him speaking — at Logue’s insis- frontlit by the sun, which, due to its angle,
backwards up the steps. At times, Colin gets tence, Bertie had worn headphones that gives him an unusually long shadow. A
very close to the lens, [which was at] prevented him from hearing his own voice, horseman trots by in the opposite direction,
absolute minimum focus. We shot without and he didn’t stutter. Upon hearing the casting an equally eye-catching shadow.”
the matte box because it would have recording, Bertie breaks into sobs, and his Cohen was delighted by the enthu-
thrown a shadow on his face.” wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), siastic response The King’s Speech received
Hooper’s third stylistic imperative approaches from a doorway behind him. in Telluride and Toronto. “The story is 80
involved some unusual framing. “If some- The scene is bathed in a warm light that years old,” he muses, “but it hasn’t lost its
body is looking off-screen to the right, you’d Cohen reserved for scenes in which Bertie is impact.”
normally put them in the left of frame, leav- alone with his wife. The Chinese lanterns,
ing space on the right — that’s what is 650-watt Fresnels and 150-watt Peppers TECHNICAL SPECS
generally conceived as a comfortable that illuminate the scene were all dimmed
image,” explains Cohen. “But if you put down to a golden glow. Super 1.85:1
that same face very close to the right-hand Cohen shot The King’s Speech in 3-perf Super 35mm
side of the frame, it feels kind of jagged. It’s 3-perf Super 35mm for a final aspect Arricam Lite
not an easy watch, and putting people in ratio of 1.85:1, using two Arricam Lites Arri lenses
uncomfortable positions worked for this and Arri Master Primes (provided by Take Fujifilm Eterna Vivid 500 8547, 160 8543
story.” Two in London). “You get a bit more height Digital Intermediate
A turning point in the film comes in the frame with 1.85, and we were Printed on Kodak Vision 2383
when a thoroughly demoralized Bertie filming in these old, beautiful buildings ➣

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Colorful con
man Steven
Russell (Jim
Carrey) finds
true love in
prison with
Phillip Morris
(Ewan
McGregor) in
the comedy
I Love You
Phillip Morris,
shot by Xavier
Pérez Grobet,
ASC, AMC.
two people who will do almost anything to

be together,” says Grobet. The visual style,
which he describes as “free, open and unre-
strained,” often dictated a handheld
camera. (Grobet usually operated the A
I Love You Phillip Morris photosby Patti Perret and Glen Watson, courtesy of Roadside Attractions.
camera, while Brian Nordheim was on the B
camera.) A handheld camera was also well
suited to Carrey’s improvisational style,
which kept the camera crew on their toes.
Grobet recalls, “Jim usually did two or three
takes along the lines of what he’d discussed
with the directors, but then he would do as
many as 10 takes going off in completely
different directions, and we had to be
prepared to capture all that.”
The filmmakers’ spontaneous
approach was a key factor in their decision
to shoot on film. “Glenn was initially inter-
I A Daring Romance
By David Heuring
element of I Love You Phillip Morris , a
comedy based on the true story of Steven
Russell (Jim Carrey), a closeted homosexual
ested in shooting digital, and we tested
some high-end digital cameras, but with the
style we had in mind, I knew I would want
I Love You Phillip Morris marks the whose life is changed by a car accident. the camera to become an extension of my
directing debut of writing team Glenn After coming out of the closet and leaving body,” explains Grobet. “We had a tight
Ficarra and John Requa, and cinematogra- his wife (Leslie Mann), he becomes a con schedule, and I was afraid of spending a lot
pher Xavier Pérez Grobet, ASC, AMC recalls man and lands in prison, where he falls in of time with cables and in tents — all the
that when he asked them why they wanted love with a fellow inmate, Phillip Morris stuff that comes with digital. This film had a
to direct, they said, “We’ve repeatedly (Ewan McGregor). Once Morris is released, lot of scenes that required mobility and free-
watched other directors destroy our vision. Russell escapes from prison four times in dom.
Now it’s our turn to destroy our vision.” order to be with him. “I also felt that the texture of film
Sharp humor is an important “This is essentially a love story about was better suited to the emotion in the

©Kodak. 2010. Kodak and Vision are trademarks.
Right: After
coming out of
the closet and
leaving his wife,
Russell takes up
with Jimmy
(Rodrigo
Santoro) and
lives large in
Miami Beach.
Below: Russell is
apprehended by
the authorities
for his latest
scam.
wouldn’t look too old, either.”

Working with two directors did not
complicate the filmmaking process, accord-
ing to Grobet. “It always felt like working
with one person,” he says. “There was a
slight division of labor that made their rela-
tionship very complementary — John was
focused on taking care of the actors,
whereas Glenn is a bit more technically
inclined, so he paid more attention to those
details. But they were both involved in
everything.”
Most of the movie was shot on loca-
tion in and around New Orleans, with addi-
tional work in South Beach, Fla. In a ware-
house on the outskirts of New Orleans, sets
were built for a prison cell and hallway that
play an important role in the action. “Our
story, and would allow for a more organic lens, they have a bit of distortion, and approach to the lighting was naturalistic,”
approach to lighting,” he adds. “So I they’re not as precise at the frame, so they says Grobet. “We tried to stay in tune with
pushed to shoot on film, and I’m glad I did.” helped make the movie feel a little more the fact that the film is based on a true
Grobet shot most of the picture on Kodak loose. I could subtly use the zoom capability story, so we tried to work with the light that
Vision2 500T 5218; he used another Vision2 within scenes, and that was very helpful at existed at our locations. In some situations,
negative, Expression 500T 5229, for some times.” To give the flashbacks a different the fixtures were very old, and in other situ-
flashback scenes to achieve a lower-contrast feel, he shot those scenes with an Optica ations, we weren’t allowed to make alter-
look. Elite 25-80mm zoom lens and Kowa ations, so we had to accept things and
An Angenieux Optimo 15-40mm or 25mm, 32mm and 50mm prime lenses. make them part of our look. When we got
28-76mm zoom was usually on the camera, “With Panavision’s help, I chose those to our jail-cell set, I lit with fluorescent
a Panaflex Millennium XL. “Those lenses lenses because they created great flares,” sources and kept the greenish look for the
were the right choice for this project,” he notes. “We wanted a slightly different sake of consistency. The grittiness and
observes Grobet. “Compared to a prime look that wouldn’t feel sharp and new, but mixed color temperatures look great. In the

handling the different color temperatures.
In keeping with the arc of the story, I lit with
softer contrast in the beginning and gradu-
ally increased it. After Jim’s character comes
out, we made things more colorful and
joyful, and further along, as things become
tense and frantic, we heightened the
contrast and color saturation through the
choice of film stock and in the digital inter-
mediate.”
Sunny, slightly blown-out highlights
are another aspect of the look. “We created
that with a combination of lighting on set
and DI tools,” says Grobet. “I like highlights
to pop a little because it makes the images
more vibrant and realistic. With today’s film
stocks and DI technology, you can stretch it
a long way, and they will hold.”
Grobet (left, with light meter) fine-tunes a setup on location in Louisiana.
The production’s negative was
processed at Miami’s Cineworks Digital
old days, we would have corrected every- a range of sizes and configurations. “The Studios, which also provided high-defini-
thing, but I think it’s fun to play with those Rifas are a great soft source, easy to set up tion-video dailies. The final 2K scan and
elements and integrate them into the over- and control,” he says. “In the Kinos, we color-correction were done at LaserPacific in
all image.” used the type of bulbs you’d typically find in Hollywood, where colorist Mike Sowa did
For night interiors, Grobet often used settings such as prisons or supermarkets. the timing. Release prints were made at
Kino Flo Image 80s and Lowel Rifa lights in For the romantic scenes, I was gentler in FotoKem in Burbank.
28
“This movie was released around the
world to positive response after it premiered ASC to Honor Deakins, Seale, tain, The Perfect Storm and Rain Man.
at Sundance in 2009, but it struggled to find O’Shea, Kirkland O’Shea won an Emmy Award for
a distributor in the United States, even CSI: Miami and also earned Emmy nomina-
though it has two major movie stars,” The 25th Annual ASC Awards for tions for the series Doogie Howser, M.D.
muses Grobet. “I suspect it’s because of the Outstanding Achievement in Cinematogra- and Relativity and the telefilms The ’60s and
homosexual subject matter, and I find that phy will include four honorary awards for To Love, Honor and Deceive.
depressing and difficult to understand. visual artistry: Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC will Kirkland, an associate member of
Thanks to Roadside Attractions, American receive the Lifetime Achievement Award; the ASC, has worked as a special photogra-
audiences can now see and appreciate the John Seale, ASC, ACS, the International pher on numerous film productions, includ-
film for what it is: a romance with dramatic Award; Michael D. O’Shea, ASC, the Career ing 2001: A Space Odyssey , The Sound of
and comedic elements. I hope audiences Achievement in Television Award; and stills Music, Titanic and Moulin Rouge!
here will connect with it the way others photographer Douglas Kirkland, the Presi- At press time, the ASC had not
have.” dents Award. announced the recipient of its Board of
Deakins won ASC Awards for The Governors Award, which is presented to an
TECHNICAL SPECS Man Who Wasn’t There and The Shaw- individual who has made significant contri-
shank Redemption , and was also nomi- butions to advancing the art of filmmaking.
1.85:1 nated by the Society for The Reader (a The ASC Awards will be held Feb. 13
35mm shared credit with Chris Menges, ASC, at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in
Panaflex Millennium XL BSC), Revolutionary Road , The Assassina- Los Angeles. For ticket information, call
Angenieux, Optica Elite and Kowa lenses tion of Jesse James by the Coward Robert (323) 969-4333.
Kodak Vision2 500T 5218, Ford, N o Country for Old Men , Kundun,
Expression 500T 5229 Fargo and O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Digital Intermediate Seale won ASC and Academy
Printed on Fuji Eterna-CP 3513DI awards for The English Patient, and he also
● earned ASC nominations for Cold Moun-
“PURE PLEASURE. By the end of this

funny, touching and acutely observed
film, shot in Georgia by the gifted
cinematographer David Boyd,
Felix Bush reveals his secret heart.”
-Peter Travers, ROLLING STONE
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
David Boyd, A.S.C.
29
Danse Macabre
Matthew Libatique, ASC and

Darren Aronofsky renew their
collaboration with the darkballet
drama Black Swan.
By Stephen Pizzello
•|•

Opposite: Nina
(Natalie
Portman), a
New York
ballerina under
heavy stress,
begins
experiencing
bizarre
hallucinations in
Black Swan.
This page, top
and middle:
Nina commands
the spotlight as
the White Swan
in a daring
interpretation
of Swan Lake.
Bottom: The
ballet’s artistic
director,
Thomas
(Vincent Cassel),
initially feels
that Nina is
too repressed
to play the
Photos by Niko Tavernise and Ray Lewis, courtesy of Fox Searchlight. Frame grabs courtesy of Technicolor and Fox Searchlight.
darker role of
the Black Swan.
B
lack Swan focuses its lens on Nina
(Natalie Portman), a New York
City ballerina vying for the lead
role in a postmodern interpretation
of Swan Lake helmed by demanding
artistic director Thomas Leroy
(Vincent Cassel). Having dismissed his
previous prima ballerina, Beth
MacIntyre (Winona Ryder), Leroy
seeks a lead dancer who can embody
the innocence and grace of the White
Swan and the eroticism and cunning of
the Black Swan. Though impressed
with Nina’s moves as the White Swan,
Leroy feels she is too guileless and
repressed to capture the nuances of the
darker part, and his eye falls on a new
dancer, Lily (Mila Kunis), whose overt
sensuality makes her Nina’s main
competition. Strangely drawn to her
rival, Nina forms a risky friendship that
agitates her neurotic mother (Barbara
Hershey), a former ballerina. Nina’s
stress causes her to experience terrifying
hallucinations that send her into a
psychological tailspin.
To realize this dark story, direc-
tor/writer Darren Aronofsky reteamed
with Matthew Libatique, ASC, his
collaborator on Pi (AC April ’98),
ww.theasc.com
w December 2010 31
◗ Danse Macabre
Requiem for a Dream (AC Oct. ’00) and

The Fountain (AC Nov. ’06). Libatique
recently met with AC in Los Angeles to
discuss Black Swan.
American Cinematographer:
When did you and Darren begin
discussing this project, and how did it
evolve?
Matthew Libatique, ASC: This
property was around for awhile. It was
originally called The Understudy, and it
was set in the theater world. Someone
approached Darren about it after
Requiem for a Dream, but at the time, it
didn’t seem as exciting to me as some of
the other projects he was being offered.
It wound up on the back burner, but it
stayed in his mind, and when he started
to get interested in ballet, he thought he
could resuscitate the project and set it in
that world.
How has your relationship with
Darren progressed?
Libatique: I think we respect
each other a lot more now. We used to
abuse each other a little bit because we
knew each other from film school.
When we’re shooting, our relationship
is a professional one, not a friendship,
and it should be. Luckily we’ve always
been able to draw on similar references,
which helps to focus us in the same
place.
Did it feel strange to move from
Top left: Nina’s main rival for the starring role, Lily (Mila Kunis), gives free rein to her big Hollywood projects like the Iron
sensual side. Top right: Nina endures angst-filled solitude while awaiting Man films back to an indie?
the director’s casting decisions. Bottom: Mirrors are used throughout the story to convey
the fractures in Nina’s psyche.
Libatique: That was probably
the best part of the process. I liked that

Left: Nina’s mother
(Barbara Hershey), a
former ballerina,
exhibits an unhealthy
obsession with her
daughter, over whom
she exerts suffocating
emotional control.
Below: A combination
of small fixtures and
practical sources light
the apartment Nina
shares with her
mother, a real location
next to Prospect Park.
“We moved the
camera in as though
we were documenting
real people’s lives,”
Libatique says. “We
made it a point to
travel from kitchen to
hallway to foyer to
bedroom to
bathroom, but the
space really dictated
the kinds of moves
we could make.”
I could come off something as big and

chaotic as Iron Man 2 to do something
like Black Swan , which was a 40-day
shoot. You can take some of the tech-
niques you’d apply on a bigger film and
simplify them. On Black Swan, I knew
we’d be dealing with small spaces, and
that I’d probably have to provide 360
degrees of coverage. A beautiful thing
about working with Darren is that he
has a visual style in mind, and he’s very
clear about what he’s trying to do —
there’s no coverage ambiguity. In fact, I
wouldn’t even call what he does cover-
age. His style is more like the European
style: you only have a few bites of the
apple, so you make them all count.
What were some of the influ-
ences on the film’s look?
Libatique: One of our early movie’s black-white chiaroscuro. by director Donya Feuer called
reference images came from our collab- Polanski’s Repulsion was also a Dansaren (The Dancer), which has a lot
oration with Rodarte, the fashion reference, but Darren and I have talked of the long-lens, ‘camera in the corner’-
designers who created the movie’s about that film many times, so it’s style camerawork we wanted to employ.
costumes. The image was a cube that always been an influence. We talked At the beginning of Black Swan, there’s
was pristine on the outside, but had all about The Red Shoes, of course. I looked a scene that shows Nina scuffing up her
of these spikes within it. That provided at a lot of Kieslowski in terms of the shoes, and that image came straight out
the central metaphor for the movie: a atmosphere and tone, mostly the Three of The Dancer.
beautiful ballerina who’s holding this Colors trilogy [ Blue, White and Red]. What was your primary focus
pain inside her. There was a yin-yang to We also looked at a lot of dance films. during prep?
the concept that’s reflected in the Darren sent me a foreign documentary Libatique: The most substantial
ww.theasc.com
w December 2010 33
•|• Directing Black Swan •|•
E ven before this project came around,

I was very interested in doing a
movie set in the ballet world. My sister
year of training before we started, she
could never have done it.
I used Super 16mm on The
inventions of the 20th century; it allows
an audience to sit in a dark room and
stare into the eyes of a person who’s
was a dancer when we were kids, so I Wrestler [AC Jan. ’09] because I wanted emoting without being self-conscious.
grew up with it in the house. I’ve always to use a cinema vérité feel to tell a story I’m always about getting close to the
been interested in unique, interesting about a pro wrestler, and I really enjoyed actors and feeling their emotions and
worlds, and the ballet world definitely their presence.
felt different. Few filmmakers have Mirrors are omnipresent in the
dealt with it in a serious way, so I film, as they are in the landscape of the
started looking into it. At the same dancer. When dancers are training,
time, I was working on a film version they’re constantly observing them-
of Dostoevsky’s The Double , about a selves in mirrors, so I knew that would
man who wakes up to discover that be a big visual motif. People have used
his doppelgänger is taking over his mirror gags in all kinds of movies, so
life. Then I went to see Swan Lake , we tried to figure out creepy and weird
which involves a black swan and a ways to use them in new ways.
white swan played by the same dancer, Sometimes those shots involved visual
and that’s when everything came effects; there are almost 300 effects
together in my head. shots in the movie. The visual-effects
The original ballet of Swan supervisor, Dan Schrecker at Look
Lake is a very Gothic tale, as it’s about Effects, has worked on a bunch of my
a woman who actually transforms into films. We were actually college room-
a swan — by night she’s half-swan, mates, and we used to run an effects
half-human. So very early on, I knew company, Amoeba Proteus. Now I
this would be a type of werewolf collaborate with him through Look
movie. That concept motivated all the Effects, and it’s worked out really well.
Gothic overtones we eventually incor- I don’t think my relationship with
porated into the look. We weren’t Matty has changed that much over the
really paying homage to anything years. We’ve both become so busy that
specific, but Matty and I definitely there’s less time to just hang out, but
drew on a lot of our influences: our work relationship is very similar to
Roman Polanski’s Repulsion and The the way it’s always been. We clicked in
Tenant, David Cronenberg, the the long, sweeping takes that were film school; we were among the
Dardennes for the camera style, and, of possible when we just had a man with a youngest kids in the school and came
course, The Red Shoes. camera following the actors. I thought it from similar backgrounds, so we had a
We wanted to update Swan Lake would be interesting to bring that very easy rapport, and that’s continued
and make it more modern, and we were approach to the ballet world because it through all of our films together. We
working with choreographer Benjamin would really capture the energy onstage. now have more experiences together to
Millepied of the New York City Ballet. We wanted to bring the camera right draw upon, so we can say, ‘Let’s try to do
I would explain to him what I wanted, onto the stage and make it dance along what we did with that other thing,’ or
especially in terms of the emotions I was with the dancers. We were very nervous ‘Let’s not screw this up like we screwed
trying to draw out of the actors, and he about mixing a vérité approach with that up.’ We have a lot of common refer-
would turn those emotions into move- the horror aspects of the film, because ences.
ment. Natalie Portman danced till she we thought the documentary feel might I think both of us have found that
was 13, which was actually pretty destroy the suspense of those scenes. as you become more experienced, you
important, because early training allows We tried to find other films that had get more relaxed, and that allows you to
your body to sort of get back to it. A lot taken a similar approach, but we accomplish more. There’s less adrena-
of professional dancers have been doing couldn’t, so we just decided to roll the line, and you’re more present.
it since they were 5 years old, and their dice. — Darren Aronofsky
bodies actually transform. If Natalie We used a lot of close-ups. For
hadn’t had that background, and then a me, the close-up is one of the great

Toplight aimed
through
overhead
diffusion
illuminates the
dancers’
rehearsal space.
All of the
movie’s ballet
scenes were
filmed at State
University of
New York
Purchase College.
“It had
everything we
needed,
including
dressing rooms,
cinderblock
corridors and the
large rehearsal
space,” says
cinematographer
Matthew
Libatique, ASC.
He adds that the
rehearsal space
was the setting
for Joe Gideon’s
death scenes in
work I did in prep was to spend time
All That Jazz.
planning out the dance sequences with “That movie was
[choreographer] Benjamin Millepied, a big influence
Natalie and some other dancers. I shot on Requiem for a
Dream, so the
all of that rehearsal footage with the
place had good
Canon 5D Mark II, which gave me mojo. The only
references for the shots we wanted to problem was
make. I also figured out a lot of the that we were
living in
mirror shots during prep,because we
Manhattan and
were rehearsing in a room with a three- driving 45
sided mirror. We worked out how to minutes to
transition from Vincent to Natalie, or Westchester
County every
how to do a Texas switch with Natalie
day.”
— we’d shoot her double from far away
and then come around Vincent’s face to
reveal Natalie, or we’d have Vincent in
focus in the foreground watching
Natalie’s double, who was in soft focus
dancing in the distance, and then we’d
transition over to a closer reflection of
Natalie dancing. It’s called a Texas
switch because in old Westerns,they’d
have a stuntman do a stunt and then
pop John Wayne into the frame.
Where did you shoot the dance
sequences?
Libatique: All of the ballet
performances were done at State
ww.theasc.com
w December 2010 35
◗ Danse Macabre
Mirrors show
the progression
of Nina’s
anxieties as she
prepares for the
role of her life
(top), examines
a strange rash
on her back
(middle) and
sees her
reflection take
on a life of its
own (bottom).
University of New York Purchase

College, which had everything we
needed, including dressing rooms,
cinderblock corridors and the large
rehearsal space. We didn’t have the abil-
ity to use moving lights there, so we
basically used what they had: spot-
lights, cyc strips, Source Fours [Lekos]
and Par cans. Mo Flam was the first
gaffer on the show, but he had to leave
to do another movie, so John Velez
took over.
How did Super 16mm fit your
creative agenda?
Libatique: Darren likes 16mm
because it’s small, he can do handheld,
and he doesn’t have to wait around for
camera setups. We were using real loca-
tions, so it helped in that regard, too.
The apartmentNina shares with her
mother was right next to Prospect Park,
and we moved the camera in as though
we were documenting real people’s
lives. We made it a point to travel from
kitchen to hallway to foyer to bedroom
to bathroom, but the space really
dictated the kinds of moves we could
make.I think 16mm creates interesting
texture, especially if you expose it
correctly. Harris Savides [ASC] is
probably the master of it; he’s always

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◗ Danse Macabre
Right: Lily
urges Nina to
relax and have
more fun
during dinner
and a night on
the town.
Below:
Libatique
reflects on his
approach to
one of the
film’s many
mirror shots.
for this one because of the costume

colors and our overall palette, which
included green, pink, white and black.
It was a single-camera shoot
except for maybe one day, and our main
camera was an Arri 416, which we used
with Arri Ultra Prime 16 lenses. We
used a Canon 7D or 1D Mark IV for
all the subway scenes; I could just carry
a 7D and shoot on the subway all day
with a very small crew. I did some tests
with my wife beforehand to figure out
my ASA, my stop, and how I was going
to deal with the focus. I didn’t use any
rigs with it because I wasn’t trying to
shoot in the traditional way. I tested a
bunch of different exposures and then
brought the footage to Charlie
Hertzfeld at Technicolor, who put it in
the system so I could look at the high-
pushing the negative so you can see it in Fuji Eterna Vivid 500 [8647] and 160 lights, the moiré and the resolution.
a perfect way. One of my goals was to [8643]. I liked how both stocks looked Then I went back to the drawing board
show the grain in a way that was crafts- at their box rating in terms of grain and to do more tests. The 7D has more
manlike. I didn’t want it to look under- color separation. I had used Fuji on My depth of field than the 5D, but I
exposed;I wanted it to look like it was Own Love Song , and I liked its color needed that because I didn’t have a
a choice, and I think that comes across. properties, so it was really my first follow-focus unit and needed to work
I considered shooting on Kodak choice, but I just had to find out what it really fast. I shot everything documen-
[Vision2 200T] 7217with a rating of would look like in 16mm. Every movie tary-style. I did all the focus pulls by
400, but after tests I opted to go with is different, and Fuji just worked better hand, and we’d just look at it on the

◗ Danse Macabre
camera’s monitor. I ended up shooting
on a Canon 24mm lens at 1,600 ASA
to get as much depth of field as possi-
ble at a stop of T8 1⁄2.
What was your lens range on the
show?
Libatique: Darren wanted to
shoot everything on a 12mm lens,like
he did on The Wrestler [AC Jan. ’09],
but I didn’t think we could do every-
thing on that lens. When we started
testing, we looked at a 12mm, a 16mm
and a 25mm. We wound up using all
three, but mostly the 16mm. We used
the 12mm for some of our traveling
shots to take the bumpiness out and
show more of the surroundings.
How did your lighting philoso-
phy take shape?
Libatique: The beautiful thing
about Black Swan was that I could
apply what I’d learned on independent
films and what I’d learned on studio
films. From a craft perspective, this is
probably the most satisfying movie I’ve
ever done, because it had some big-
movie situations, like the ballet, but in
real settings. Before we started the
movie, Darren and I went to some
stage plays in New York to see how
theatrical-lighting designers dealt with
live performance. In one off-Broadway
play starring Scott Glenn, there was a
scene where he walked up to a doorway
and this fluorescent glow came on; I
was struck by how simple and effective
the lighting was, and I tried to apply
that kind of approach to this movie.
The main lesson I took away was that it
doesn’t really matter whether you see
the source— the audience will get an
idea of where the light’s coming from.
Because this movie had a theatrical
edge, I decided I could take more
liberty with the lighting. I took a natu-
ralistic approach, but didn’t try to justify
every source. Most of our fixtures were
practical globes, China balls and
covered wagons [batten strips with
diffusion wrapped around them]. The
Top and middle: Nina lets herself go on the dance floor while tripping on a hit of Ecstasy provided units we used contained 75-watt EDTs
by Lily. Bottom: The nightclub scene was shot at Santos Party House, where the crew set up and sometimes clear globes. Practical
three walls made of Mylar mirror. Illumination was provided by green Kino Flos and Paparazzis globes have become really prevalent in
fitted with magenta gels. “We just mixed up the rhythm,” Libatique says.
cinematography. You can work in a

small space and let the light play practi- scenes in All That Jazz. Luckily,it had all kinds of options in the other dance
cally without using Fresnels. I hardly balconies, so we just put four spots on scenes. I had nowhere else to go!
ever use Fresnels any more. four corners. We rehearsed the dance Mirrors are a big visual motif.
How much interaction did you with the spot operators, and I would Did you avoid camera reflections prac-
have with the production designer, cue them on the walkie. The direct tically or digitally?
Thérèse DePrez? reference for that scene was a 1957 Libatique: We did as much as we
Libatique: In prep, our offices Soviet film version of Swan Lake. For a could practically, but we knew there
were right next to each other, so we had long time,I thought it was too simple would be moments when we wanted to
a lot of conversations, and she’d always an approach to the scene, but we actu- create seemingly unachievable shots,
show me samples of what she had in ally shot that toward the end of and for those we just removed the
mind. Darren likes a designer to pitch production, and I’d already exhausted reflections digitally with the help of
an idea for a limited palette, and then
we all agree on different colors. We
assigned some symbolism to the various
colors: black represents the darker side www.sylvania.com/entertainment
“I wanted the film

to have a balletic
quality but still be
© 2010 OSRAM SYLVANIA OSRAM and KREIOS are registered trademarks of OSRAM GmbH Photo Credit: Image Source / Getty Images
as naturalistic as
possible.”
of Nina’s character, white is her inno-

cent side, pink represents her child-
hood, and green conveys envy and
ambition. For example, the pink
bedroom with all the stuffed animals
shows that her mother never let her
grow up, and the apartment’s green
walls underscore the competitive nature
of their relationship. Darren makes bold KREIOS LED lighting shows true color.
®
choices, and I ask myself if it’s too much OSRAM KREIOS lighting solutions render true color and skin tones on
sometimes, but I trust his instincts. film and video—exactly how the eye sees them. And with precise color
The film’s first scene is very strik-
temperature matching, OSRAM KREIOS LEDs seamlessly integrate with
ing, with Nina dancing in a limbo-like
existing traditional lighting. The fact that you can’t tell them apart is
space that’s illuminated by a single
spotlight. what sets them apart. For more information on OSRAM KREIOS LED
Libatique: The goal was to make lighting system solutions, please email entertainment@osram.com
it look like one spotlight, but we actually or call 1-888-677-2627.
had four operators choreographing four
spotlights. We would switch from a
backlight to a frontlight, and so on. It
was a square room, all black — it’s the
space they used for Joe Gideon’s death
◗ Danse Macabre
Top: Libatique
used
strategically
positioned
lighting units to
create hard
shadows of the
dancers on
various
theatrical
backgrounds.
Middle:
Handheld
camerawork
places viewers
amid the
dancers.
Bottom: The
cinematographer
positions
Portman for a
soft-lit overhead
angle.
Dan Schrecker, our visual-effects

supervisor at Look Effects. A good
example of Look’s work is the scene
where Nina is rehearsing in front of a
mirror, the lights go out,and her reflec-
tion starts moving independently; the
camera was right where you see the
reflection, but Darren wanted to get
tight eyelines, so we had to paint
ourselves out in post. For other scenes,
it was easier to just hide the camera or
shoot from angles where you couldn’t
see it. We also used one-way mirrors to
get a shot where we created an ‘infinity
reflection’ of Nina sitting in front of a
dressing-room mirror. We positioned
Natalie between two one-way mirrors
and just shot from behind them. We
wanted the film’s horror beats to be a
bit more stylistic.
Did you depart from the docu-
mentary approach and relight for
close-ups?
Libatique: Not that much. If we
were doing a wide shot in Nina’s
bedroom, we might have a practical
light hitting the bed, and when it was
time to do Natalie’s close-up, the light
would be motivated by the practical in
the wide shot, but I’d just add a bit of
diffusion. It was usually that simple. I
wanted the film to have a balletic qual-

ity but still be as naturalistic as possible. mixed up the rhythm. I would keep the Did you bring in any outside
That’s why I kept looking at green really down and we’d add flashes experts to help with the ballet
Kieslowski’s Three Colors trilogy. In of magenta, or turn the green off alto- sequences?
those movies, everything’s lit, but gether. It was fun. Libatique: We didn’t have any
things still look naturalistic. It’s sort of Technicolor’s Sam Daley pre- consultants for our theatrical lighting
a stylized reality. pared DVD dailies for us, but digital because I didn’t really have enough
The restaurant and nightclub dailies don’t really tell me where I am lights to justify it! I also didn’t have
scenes involving Nina and Lily were a with my exposures. To check the expo- enough time to collaborate with some-
bit more glamorous-looking. sures, Joey Violante, the head timer at body else; I didn’t want to get into a
Libatique: In working within a Technicolor New York, would put the situation that would involve a lot of
color palette, I naturally play a lot of footage up on an analyzer for me. back-and-forth. When we got to those
color contrast. I might combine white
light with a background color from our
overall palette. In the restaurant, I lit
the actresses with a table lamp and
carefully positioned China balls, but
“Every performance
was covered in long
master shots, and
we just augmented
with other moves as
necessary.”
there’s a lot of green/cyan in the back-

ground provided by compact fluores-
cent tubes that Mo Flam hid here and
there. In any space, if I know I’m going
to neutralize the actors’ faces, I’m going
to put a color in the background. I
didn’t do a lot of filtration, so it was all
based on color temperature. That’s
harder to do these days, because a lot of
the film stocks are designed to balance
everything out for the digital interme-
diate.
The nightclub scene was shot in
Santos Party House in Chinatown. It
was a big space, and inside we basically
set up three walls made of Mylar mirror
and then crammed in all of our dancing
extras. I surrounded the set with green
Kinos and four Paparazzis with
magenta gels on them, and we just
◗ Danse Macabre
scenes, I’d literally be shooting some-
thing in the dressing rooms with the
actors, and then, between takes,I’d run
up to the stage area, look at what the
crew had put together, and start
changing a few of the colors and cues.
Top: One of the
show’s camera For the dancing, in addition
operators to our choreographer, Benjamin
captures a shot Millepied, we had the Pennsylvania
of Portman Ballet come in to work with us — they
performing in a
spotlight. were between seasons at the time, and
Middle: Nina we were fortunate that their hiatus
prepares to make worked for our time frame. They did
her big entrance. all the choreography for us onstage
Bottom: As the
performance while I was playing around with the
approaches its lighting. While we were shooting all
climax, an the scenes surrounding the Swan Lake
ominous figure performances in the third act,
looms up behind
the White Swan. Benjamin and the Penn Ballet were
rehearsing the performances in detail
with the idea that Natalie would be
inserted into the performance. As our
crew pre-rigged around rehearsals, we
kept a constant eye on the ballet they
were creating so that we’d have a place
to begin when I was ready to start
setting lighting cues. I wish I could say
we did that efficiently, but we did not;
in typical fashion, the lighting was
created and finalized on the day of
[shooting], but a great deal of prepara-
tion was done to lay the groundwork
for meto be able to work with the guys
creatively. Because I was shooting and
there was no money for prelighting, I
decided I wasn’t going to chase what
the ballet company was doing; instead,
I listened to the music for cues.
The main lighting source was
the cyc strips above the dancers’ heads;
we had about eight rows of 1K cinema
globes running 60 feet across the stage.
We just used different gels and put the
lights on different channels; we’d go
from a green gel to white to magenta,
and we also started to mix them,
which was nice. It was less compli-
cated than using moving lights.For
one sequence, we combined a moon
backdrop with a rain effect that we
created by filling a pool of water with
broken glass and placing it at the base
of the background. We just powered
Source Fours into the pool and modu-

lated the water movement with fans.
In the climactic dance routine
with the black swan, we had a big sun
piece as our backdrop, and we used 2K
nook lights in the footlights on the
stage. Those came in handy for an
earlier scene that shows the dancers
rehearsing the number; we didn’t have
the set completely built at that point, so
I used the nook lights to create nice,
hard shadows of the dancers on the
back wall. I knew we’d lose those shad-
ows in the full-costume performance
of that routine, so I decided to back-
“It was important

to Darren to
capture Nina’s
internal struggle,
and Natalie
definitely nails
those emotions.”
light Natalie to make her a silhouette

in the middle of the sun, and let all the
other dancers have the frontlight. I MARK II
kept her in the shadow of two light

sources to create that symbolic element
of light and darkness.
The work of the artist Olafur
Eliasson also influenced the look of our
ballet scenes. He did an installation at
the Tate Modern in London calledThe
Weather Project that was a great inspira-
tion in terms of our stage design; we
were impressed by his use of reflection Available with For all 35 mm lenses incl.
and scale. PL54-mount Optimo Rouge DP
PANA-mount
The handheld camerawork BNCR-mount
really takes the viewer inside the danc-
ing onstage.
Libatique: Every performance
was covered in long master shots, Representative in U.S.:
which we just augmented with other camadeus Film Technologies
Nor th Hollywood, CA 91605
Tel. +1-818-764-1234 We accept www.denz-deniz.com
◗ Danse Macabre
shape, performance-wise, as long as we
could see her face and arms. For wider
shots, we could just use her dance
double. Darren wanted Natalie doing
as much of the performance as possible,
so he would often stay on her face or
torso instead of going to those wider
shots. It was important to him to
capture Nina’s internal struggle, and
Natalie definitely nails those emotions.
We did almost everything handheld.
The only Steadicam shot is at the
climax of the final dance number.
Who were your camera opera-
tors?
Libatique: At the beginning of
the film,I had Joey Cicio, whom I’d
met on the Iron Man movies. We were
looking for somebody who was close to
Libatique uses a small handheld light to illuminate a subway reflection captured
with the Canon 7D.
my height and Natalie’s height, because
we knew we wanted to be subjective
moves as necessary. To Natalie’s credit, months beforehand, and she did a with the camera without looking down
we rarely did more takes for her; if we phenomenal job. We knew we’d be at her. Steve Constantino, whom I’d
required additional takes, it was usually shooting her from the chest up most of worked with on Spike Lee projects,
for us. She trained for three or four the time, but we knew we’d be in great finished the more dramatic sections of
46
the film— the apartment scenes and I did two sessions with Tim at TECHNICAL SPECS
so forth. I did some of the operating Technicolor’s facility in L.A. while he
myself, but very little. Sometimes I’d and Darren were in a Technicolor New 2.40:1
shoot the rehearsals just to show every- York suite.They were able to patch the
one how we wanted the shots to play. image into the L.A. suite so we could all Super 16mm and
What were your goals in the DI? look at the same image in real time, and Digital Capture
Libatique: I worked with Tim I was able to give Tim my corrections
Stipan at Technicolor New York, and over the phone. It was probably the best Arri 416; Canon EOS 7D,
we spent most of our time finessing DI experience I’ve ever had. ● 1D Mark IV
specific colors. It was hard to get some
of the colors just right. For example, we Arri Ultra Prime 16 and
really worked on the red for the Canon EF prime lenses
sequence in Act 2 when Nina is
onstage by herself with the moon Fujifilm Eterna Vivid 500 8647,
behind her. We also did a lot of Vivid 160 8643
cosmetic fixes here and there. One of
my main goals was to get on the same Digital Intermediate
page with Tim to determine the
contrast levels for the entire film. I Printed on Fujifilm 3513DI
didn’t want the image to be too
contrasty, and if the cinematographer
doesn’t sit in on those sessions, most
colorists will give the images more
contrast because it looks sharper. I was
actually in L.A. during that process, but
.LQR)OR $/D&DUWH

ZZZNLQRIORFRP 1RUWK+ROO\ZRRG:D\%XUEDQN&$86$YRLFH

w w w.t e c h n i c o l o r. c o m
Co-cinematographers
Anthony Dod Mantle,
BSC, DFF and Enrique
Chediak capture an
incredible true story
for Danny Boyle’s
127 Hours.
By Mark Hope-Jones
•|•
Up O
ne of the key challenges in making 127 Hours was that
the story builds up to and is centered on a single, shock-
ing act, and most viewers already know what it is. Danny
Boyle’s new film tells the true story of Aron Ralston
(James Franco), a young mountain climber who amputated
Against
his right forearm with a blunt knife after spending five days
trapped between a dislodged boulder and the wall of Utah’s
Blue John Canyon in 2003.
Boyle first became interested in bringing the harrowing
story to the screen when he read Ralston’s book, Between a
It
Rock and a Hard Place , in 2006. The success of Slumdog
Millionaire (AC Dec. ’08) gave Boyle and his team the free-
dom to tackle what they readily admit was a difficult pitch. “In
all seriousness, it’s one of the most impossible ideas to
market,” observes cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle,

Unit photography by Chuck Zlotnick, courtesy of Fox Searchlight. Additional photos and sketch by Anthony Dod Mantle.
BSC, DFF, who won ASC and

Academy awards, along with a bevy of
other accolades, for his work on
Slumdog Millionaire.
Although 127 Hours marks Dod
Mantle’s sixth collaboration with Boyle,
it was a first in the sense that he shared
the cinematography duties equally with
another director of photography,
Enrique Chediak ( 28 Weeks Later ; AC
May ’07). The reasons for this were
multifarious and evolved during the
shoot. Boyle explains, “We decided to
make the film without a break, so we
built in this idea that we could just keep
shooting by using two crews, and that
led us to two cinematographers. It must
have been very odd for both of them to Opposite page: Aron Ralston (James Franco) calls for help in vain after becoming trapped in
a narrow pass in Utah’s Blue John Canyon. This page: Ralston’s adventure in the canyon starts
enter into it —Anthony because I’d with a pleasant encounter with two fellow hikers (Kate Mara, left, and Amber Tamblyn),
previously had a solo relationship with after which he sets out on his own.
him, and Enrique because he somehow
had to fit into that. But I told them two directors of photography might started to appreciate the value of a little
what I had in mind and that it would be bring to the production. “With the bit of chaos!”
absolutely equal in every conceivable film’s single character stuck in a canyon The two-unit, seven-day-a-week
way, and, God bless them, they went for most of the movie, Danny thought it shooting schedule suited Boyle’s restless
along with it.” would be interesting to add a bit of zeal — Dod Mantle describes him as
After receiving this assurance at chaos by shooting through two sets of someone who “just cannot gas down” —
his first meeting with Boyle, Chediak eyes, and that started to make sense to but its primary function was to invest
(known to everyone as “Quique”) talked me,” recalls Chediak. “Danny said that the film with unabated energy. “You
further with the director about what after working in India [on Slumdog], he could make this film in a European art-
ww.theasc.com
w December 2010 51
◗ Up Against It
During prep, co-cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle, BSC, DFF sketched a trajectory for the
film’s visuals, a diagram he likens to sheet music. Also pictured are some of the low-res stills he
shot for inspiration.
house way, emphasizing how long it length. “Every crack and curve was as the confines of the set were also the key
takes for the time to pass, but I thought close to the real thing as you could determining factors in choosing camera
that would be unwatchable,” says Boyle. possibly get,” says Dod Mantle. “The systems and formats. Having shot
“So we drove everybody mad, and the sets were actually physically harder to portions of Slumdog with a highly
scheduling was a nightmare. There was work in than the real canyon because mobile configuration of Silicon
almost no time off for the key people.” they were slightly smaller and were just Imaging’s SI-2K Mini, Dod Mantle
This intensity was vital to the director’s as inaccessible.” began prepping 127 Hours by investi-
overall approach, which was to make the The logic behind Boyle’s refusal gating how far compact digital systems
film as experiential as possible. “We to cheat the sets or make them easier to had advanced since then. Though
wanted to stay trapped with Aron for work in was twofold, he continues. briefly intrigued by some even smaller
the whole time, so that when we finally “Danny felt that if the set walls split digital cameras, he ultimately decided to
get to the decisive act, you will be able to open and James could get in and out too use SI-2Ks as his primary cameras.
tolerate it,” says Boyle. “You’re not going easily, then that would be reflected in (These were supplied by HD Camera
to love it, but you will at least appreciate his performance. When you’re shut into Rentals, which also assisted with the
that it has to be done. That’s the whole that set with the cold and the silence, preliminary digital-camera build.) He
deal: it’s a first-person film.” you really believe you’re in the canyon. also brought in Stefan Ciupek, a long-
Some filming took place at the It would have been nice to slip out for a time collaborator and digital-imaging
real location in eastern Utah, but practi- cup of tea now and then, but when I expert, to act as the digital-camera
cal considerations made it impossible to look at the film now, I’m pretty sure supervisor. Together, they chose digital-
shoot the bulk of the film there. Instead, Danny was right; the content is intense imaging technician Chris Cavanaugh to
Blue John Canyon was LIDAR- because James, Quique and I were work with Chediak’s crew,while
scanned by the design department (led locked in there, and it was really quite Ciupek worked with Dod Mantle’s.
by production designer Suttirat Anne difficult. “During prep for this movie,
Larlarb) and re-created as two sets in an “It was a real challenge for there was an evolution going on with
old granite factory in Salt Lake City, Quique and me on every level, includ- the SI-2K,” says Ciupek. “We commu-
where the production was based. One ing operating, lighting and communi- nicated a lot with Ari Presler [at Silicon
set was built for vertical shots looking cation,” he continues. “Our job was to Imaging] to get some improvements
either down into or up from within the help Danny find new ways of keeping made to the camera, including latitude
canyon, and the other was optimized for the story alive in a very limited space.” and, even more important, sensitivity.
lateral shots looking along its horizontal Boyle’s experiential approach and On Slumdog, we found that night shoots

were very difficult because the camera keep warm. “There’s an extraordinary that would help us explore the space at
was only about 200 ASA. For 127 intimacy to these smaller cameras,” hand.”
Hours, we changed our whole setup to notes Dod Mantle. “We could get right The Canon cameras, a mix of
record uncompressed instead of using inside that rope bag with James, close EOS-1D Mark IV, 5D and 7D models,
the Cineform compression. We enough to see the dirt on his fingers. It’s were often used in a burst mode,
recorded 12-bit raw data and gained very hard to do anything like that with capturing high-resolution still images at
about half a stop, which isn’t a lot, but it normal gear. a rate of around 11 fps. Chediak
helped. We also had the software “I always shot with the Mini explains, “We used them for specific
customized to allow us to shoot with a either on gyros or on a bungee-cord rig, moments, such as the moment when
360-degree shutter when we needed a as I’ve learned on many different Aron carves his name on the rock where
bigger exposure range. That gave us projects that the camera’s innate vibra- he’s trapped, and they formed part of
another stop.” tion is always noticeable on the big the language of the movie. We also used
Each unit carried several SI-2K screen when you shoot handheld with- them to shoot a big sequence where we
Minis, covering two slightly different out them,” he adds. follow all the routes he took to get into
handheld gyrostabilized configurations. Film cameras were never used the canyon.”
The first configuration, used when inside the canyon sets, though both For Boyle, the mix of cameras
space allowed, incorporated a PL- units carried a Moviecam Compact made perfect sense. “I think that
mount and was used with Zeiss Ultra MKII (from Clairmont Camera) as language is really appropriate to a world
Primes at the wide end and lighter backup and took advantage of the reso- where just about everybody is carrying
Cooke Speed Panchros at longer focal lution and sensitivity of 35mm film for around cameras and phones that shoot
lengths. The second configuration, landscapes and plate shots. Further video,” he observes. “It’s also a language
designed for the tightest shooting adding to the eclectic mix of camera that has developed through YouTube.
conditions, utilized a C-mount that systems, Dod Mantle and Chediak both Rather than being locked into the liquid
accepted very small Schneider carried a selection of Canon DSLRs. beauty and smoothness of celluloid,
Kreuznach and Fujinon lenses, allowing “Canon and I help each other develop people are prepared to see an image
the cinematographers to position the technology,” notes Dod Mantle, “but I fractured by a mix of formats. I love
front element within 1½"of Franco’s don’t choose lots of cameras for the sake that, because it’s very dynamic to work
face. This was especially helpful for of having an orgy of formats. The phys- with.”
scenes that took place under a rope bag ical restrictions of this shoot meant we Chediak had never shot a digital
that Ralston covered himself with to had to find methods of image capture feature, so he spent the first three weeks
ww.theasc.com
w December 2010 53
◗ Up Against It
of prep getting a crash course from Dod
Mantle. “I felt like Anthony’s younger
brother until about week three in
preproduction, when there was a very
healthy little rupture between us and I
somehow left the younger-brother role
to become the co-cinematographer,”
recalls Chediak. “I learned what I
Dod Mantle needed to learn, and then we came to a
and co- point where we just needed to be
cinematographer
Enrique Chediak ourselves. It was a break, but a very
were able to find beautiful and necessary one.” Dod
a variety of Mantle adds, “Quique had to adapt to
angles in the
narrow set with a shooting digital in record short time,
mix of small and this wasn’t conventional digital-
cameras, mainly camera technology by any means, but
Silicon Imaging’s
SI-2K Mini and the freshness of his appreciation was
Canon stills undoubtedly a force in his work once he
cameras. and his crew began to feel comfortable
with the rather unusual cameras we’d
built for the production. [This aspect of
the shoot] was the biggest hurdle for us
to cross over together, and succeeding in
that is the main reason the material cuts
seamlessly, technically speaking.”
Indeed, Boyle initially thought
each cinematographer might bring his

◗ Up Against It
own look to the material, but he now

believes “you can’t differentiate
Anthony’s and Quique’s work; the film
developed its own language. I first
thought that with so much focus on one
character, two cinematographers with
Top left: Dod contrasting styles would provide the
Mantle (front), variation we lose by the lack of other
Boyle (middle)
and Babak
characters. But, of course, none of that
Mansouri eyeball panned out. There’s a fluency that
the canyon set. enforces this idea of it being first-person
Mansouri
assisted the
and of going through the experience
team with some with Aron.”
preliminary The ferocious momentum of the
builds for the
Mini. Top right:
shoot meant that changes were
Chediak constant, with scenes frequently being
(wearing purple) rescheduled. “The schedule was always
and 1st AC Nino
Neuboeck prep
going to change incessantly because of
an underwater practical reasons having to do with
shot with gaffer James’ fragile turnaround time,” notes
Justin Andrews.
Right: Ralston
Dod Mantle. “I knew that James’ turn-
rejoices in around and Danny’s intuition would
a sudden stipulate which scene went to which
rainstorm,
unaware that a
cinematographer, and I refused to allow
flash flood will myself to focus on who was shooting
soon follow. what. What I insisted on was avoiding
competition of any kind; that would
have been fatal.” Chediak recalls, “Some
scenes I was to shoot ended up going to
Anthony, and vice-versa. For example, I
was initially scheduled to shoot Aron
cutting off his arm, and in the end,
Anthony did that. I always had a very

◗ Up Against It
Right: Climber
and additional
camera operator
Mike Call preps a
high-angle shot
of Ralston’s
rappel point on
location in Utah.
Below:
Dod Mantle
fine-tunes the
lighting in the
canyon set.
particular idea for the separation scene,

and when I learned that Anthony was
going to shoot it, I told him how I had
envisioned it, and I think he respected
that. Then, when I had to do the shot
when Aron emerges from the canyon
into the sunlight, Anthony told me how
he was thinking of shooting it, and, of
course, I reacted to that. We were
communicating very well at key
moments. I saw the collaboration as
something like a rock band with two
guitar players; it worked beautifully.”
Ralston had a camcorder with
him in the canyon and began recording
farewell messages to his family when he
realized that his chances of survival were
slim. Ralston showed this footage to
Franco, Boyle and both cinematogra-
phers, and it informed their creative
approaches. Ralston had secured the
camera in front of his face and addressed
it periodically as he struggled to free
himself. This introduced ideas such as
locked-off camera angles and breaking
the fourth wall, which the filmmakers
explored for dramatic effect.
“We used this camera that Aron
had with him as a tool,” says Dod
Mantle. “It’s a lock-in, a stylistic change,
and you really feel like you’re there with
him. Over and above that, we locked
other cameras in place to give Danny
punctuation points for the acting. As
hard as it was to hide cameras in a space

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◗ Up Against It
“Danny wanted to put us in the same

situation as Aron and push us to work
The canyon sets with those constraints, to find the
were built in an
old granite factory
angles within that confinement. A lot
in Salt Lake City. of the time, I was breathing right in
“Every crack and James’ ear; it was really very intimate. If
curve were as
close to the real
he moved even a little bit, then the
thing as you could camera had to move as well. It puts the
get,” recalls Dod audience right in there with him.”
Mantle. Right: Dod
Mantle and
Having created such a restrictive
Chediak confer environment, Boyle could not direct the
during the shoot. action in any conventional sense. “We
were in this hole with this little speaker
through which you could sometimes
hear Danny very close, like the voice of
the size of a public lavatory, it was also a with something like a rodent, but Aron God!” recalls Dod Mantle. Often,
great advantage; the cameras were so develops that relationship with the however, neither actor nor cinematog-
small that we could shoot simultane- camera. Sometimes I would tell James rapher could actually hear Boyle’s
ously with three or four of them without to look directly at our cameras, not instructions, and they instead had to
getting them in shot or interfering with because he was directly addressing rely on instinct through takes that could
the lighting.” them, but because it just felt right. We’re last up to 20 minutes. “Just as being
Directing from behind monitors watching him, and it feels like he can locked in that space influenced James’
outside the set, Boyle became acutely look at us. The cameras became his performance, it influenced us,” says
aware of Franco’s relationship with the companions.” Dod Mantle. “Eventually, we began to
cameras around him. “The cameras As an extension of Franco’s rela- do things instinctively, even irrationally,
become like creatures with him,” says tionship with the cameras, his relation- because the camera was emotionally
the director. “In most movies, a trapped ship with Chediak and Dod Mantle was involved.”
character might develop a relationship extremely close. Chediak explains, Though much of the camera-

work was instinctive, it had to work canyon, Thomas Neivelt, Dod Mantle’s Ralston was in shadow or darkness,
within the overall structure of the film’s long-time gaffer, set up a 4K lamp on a which presented a considerable chal-
emotional journey: a gradual descent to moving head. “We built a track all the lenge to the two cinematographers.
the point where both Ralston and the way along the top of the canyon set,” he “Lighting that godforsaken hole was
audience can confront the amputation. says. “The head was pulled manually, actually harder than operating in it!”
The film was largely shot in sequence, but the light was moving at the same says Dod Mantle. Justifiable natural
which helped, but Dod Mantle also time in a programmed pattern. Of light had to come from above, so 100
drew and referred to diagrams that he course, we sped up the movement of the Kino Flo Image 80s were rigged above
likens to sheet music, visually scoring sun to make it a bit more visually each set and diffused with silks to create
the film. (See diagram on pp. 52-53.) dramatic.” a large, even toplight. “We also created
He explains, “The slow disintegration of Aside from these brief moments, some background highlights with small
this young man was the guiding line for
whether, how and why we moved the
camera. I found it useful to draw Aron’s
descent, with the angles, critical points,
ups and downs, like a piece of music. As
we follow that descent, Danny throws
out tangents, brief cerebral exits from
the canyon that show what Aron’s
thinking about. These dreams and
visions are related to stories Aron told
Danny, and our job was to visualize
them in a way we thought appropriate
for the film.”
To link the physical reality of
Ralston’s situation with his memories
and hallucinations, Boyle suggested
occasionally splitting the frame into a
triptych, an idea Dod Mantle embraced.
“I saw an exhibition of Bill Viola’s work
in London years ago and never forgot
it,” says the cinematographer. “It was an
extraordinary video triptych showing his
grandmother dying, a child being born
and, between them, a man floating in
fluid. You could look at death, at life or
at the limbo in the middle. When
Danny and I had our very first meeting
about 127 Hours, we talked about using
triptychs for key emotional moments; I
thought the storytelling potential would
be enormous if we could get it right.
When I could, I would tilt the camera
over on its side for [those] shots to get as
much resolution as possible.”
Water is a strong theme in the
story, as it was dehydration that would
have killed Ralston had he not taken
action, but he felt the lack of light
almost as acutely. On each of the five
days of his entrapment, he was exposed
to direct sunlight for only 15 minutes,
and only on part of one leg. To achieve
the effect of the sun moving through the
◗ Up Against It
Neivelt recalls that for night scenes, “We
stopped down and used a similar
approach, but switched off some of the
overhead lamps. Then we worked with
1st AD David the headlight James was wearing,
Ticotin (left), bouncing it back at him and continuing
Boyle and to use the LitePads.”
Dod Mantle
check the Since there was not enough room
frame as for recording devices in the sets, the
other crew Minis were tethered to Cinedecks posi-
look on.
tioned near the video village. “We were
after small, mobile, high-performance
recording units, and the Cinedecks had
been announced but not released,” says
Ciupek. “We probably had the four or
five Cinedecks available at that time.
Pars, such as 200-, 400- and 800-watt quite close to the edge of the frame.” They’re good because they have a touch-
Joker-Bugs,” says Neivelt. “Inside the Scenes under the rope bag were screen and work quickly and intuitively
canyon, we used Rosco LED LitePads, even more difficult. Chediak, who with the new Silicon DVR software. At
which we either rigged or handheld worked with gaffer Justin Andrews, the same time, they were fast enough for
very close to James. Often I was sitting notes, “I was operating the camera with us to record uncompressed. I also used
almost between his legs, reaching up my right hand and holding the LED them to create different look-up tables
and trying to get a little bit of light into with my left hand so I could regulate it and pre-grades with Anthony.”
his eyes. I’m very familiar with myself. I also had a bit of backlight The first portion of the post
Anthony’s operating, so I could work outside the bag to give it some texture.” workflow was handled by Color Mill in
62
Salt Lake City. “We actually did the first and ‘dry pictures,’ but we had to find a hope, that it isn’t the cinematographer
QC on set,” recalls Ciupek. “When we way of drying images with sharpening who owns the film, but rather the film
were shooting onstage, we had a wran- tools and contrast ratios. To visualize a and its story that own the cinematogra-
gler copying the data at 1 Beyond dehydrated feeling, you’ve got to desat- pher. The rest is all down to manage-
Wrangler Dude work stations. We kept urate, which is not my favorite occupa- ment!” Chediak concurs, “I couldn’t put
the original camera data on set and sent tion, and you’ve also got to lift the it any better than that.” ●
shuttle drives to Color Mill, where more whites and mid-tones, which is not any
copies were made. When we got a QC cinematographer’s favorite occupation.”
report back and a green light from the Despite this counterintuitive TECHNICAL SPECS
post house, we reformatted the SSD work in the grade and the challenges of
drives and brought them back on set to the shoot, Dod Mantle believes the 1.85:1
be reused.” result captures the spirit of Ralston’s
Digital Capture and
For the digital grade at story. “I look at the material now, analyt- 3-perf Super 35mm
Technicolor London, Dod Mantle, ically, and I can feel the imprisonment,”
Chediak and colorist Jean-Clement he says. “There’s a stubborn ruggedness Silicon Imaging SI-2K Mini;
Soret utilized sharpening tools to to the way Quique and I were able to Redlake Y5;Canon EOS-1D
improve the SI-2K image, and to light and access James’ face in different Mark IV, 5D, 7D; Moviecam
Compact Mark II
create a feeling of dryness that increases moods and impossible situations.”
as Ralston’s condition deteriorates. As for the project’s groundbreak- Zeiss, Cooke, Angenieux,
“Normally in the grade you’re talking ing collaboration between two directors Schneider Kreuznach and
about color, effervescence and satura- of photography, Dod Mantle concludes, Fujinon lenses
tion, but on this film we were talking “It challenged and diffused somewhat
Kodak Vision3 500T 5219,
about dryness and wetness,” says Dod the ego element that is very evident in 250D 5207;Vision2 50D 5201
Mantle. “It was the first time I ever sat some director/cinematographer rela-
in a grade and talked about ‘wet pictures’ tionships, and it reminded us both, I Digital Intermediate
63
Romantic
Chemistry
Steven Fierberg, ASC helps
L
ove and Other Drugs is a romantic tale about a relationship
between a free spirit, Maggie (Anne Hathaway),and a
Ed Zwick visualize Love and Other Pfizer pharmaceuticals salesman, Jamie (Jake Gyllenhaal).
Drugs, the story of a pharmeceuticals With its close focus on an intimate story, it’s a far cry from
salesman who finds his soul mate. the movies director/writer Ed Zwick has made in recent years,
including Defiance (AC Jan. ’09), Blood Diamond and The Last
Samurai (AC Jan. ’04), but he maintains the he has “always been
interested in relationships in my movies, even in the more
By Michael Goldman muscular ones.”
Producer Pieter Jan Brugge recommended Zwick meet
with Steven Fierberg, ASC about Love and Other Drugs , and
•|• the director and cinematographer quickly discovered they

Opposite: In Love
and Other Drugs,
pharmaceuticals
sales rep Jamie
Randall (Jake
Gyllenhaal) falls
hard for Maggie
Murdock (Anne
Hathaway), a
young artist with
Parkinson’s
Disease. This
page, top: Jamie
implores a
reluctant doctor
to write
prescriptions for
Pfizer products.
Below:
Cinematographer
Steven Fierberg,
ASC (left) and
director Ed Zwick
frame an angle.
shared many of the same beliefs about meant lighting faces from a precise angle
Unit photography by David James, SMPSP, courtesy of 20th Century Fox. Additional photos by Steven Fierberg.
how to realize a romantic-comedy and not putting much light anywhere

aesthetic. Fierberg describes the else. There are a lot of dark areas in the
approach as “heightened realism,” frame. So even though the movie is
noting, “That’s how Ed’s partner, largely a comedy, I’d say we lit for
Marshall Herskovitz, described it, and I drama.”Zwick calls this approach
think it fits. This script has tremendous “beautiful but not overly romantic.
dialogue, some of the best I’ve ever read. There’s one school that says comic films
With great writing and characters,you have to be overlit and frontlit, but
want to shoot in a way that allows view- Gordon Willis [ASC] and Woody Allen
ers to perceive what they’re seeing as real pretty much smashed that idea long ago.
and organic to the drama, so the lighting So we knew we wouldn’t be going in that
has to have some connection to reality particular direction.”
and not be completely abstract.” “For direct light on Anne or Jake,
The visual approach also had to we’d usually key with a nine-light Fay, a
work within the production’s lean 49- 5K or a 10K through 6-by-6 or 8-by-8
day shoot, which took place in Full Grid with Lighttools [Soft Egg
Pittsburgh, Pa. “My crew and I strive to Crates], sometimes with an intermediate
be nimble so that changes can happen [Lee] 250 or Half Grid frame as well,”
quickly and fluidly,” says Fierberg. “It explains Fierberg. “When the space and
was important to be able to give Ed the the distance to the background were
time he needed with the actors, and to more appropriate, the grip department matographer shot most of the picture
facilitate any spontaneous ideas he might carried standard rags, loose pieces of with zoom lenses, the Angenieux
have.” bleached muslin and even white bed Optimo 15-40mm and 28-76mm and
At the same time, lighting the two sheets, which we used to bounce a the Panavision Primo 11:1 24-275mm,
leads “like old-time movie stars” was key, Blonde or Source Four [Leko].” and he chose “to light for the A camera
continues the cinematographer. “We Fierberg also has a specific philos- as if there was no B camera,” he says.
wanted to sculpt their faces in a way that ophy about lighting for two cameras, “I’m not one to light in a general way; I
made them appear their most attractive, which was important to Zwick on such light very specifically for the A camera,
the strongest version of themselves. That acharacter-driven piece. The cine- but in a way that leaves room for the B
ww.theasc.com
w December 2010 65
◗ Romantic Chemistry
Right: A fan of the

“proscenium”
strategy favored
by fellow ASC
member Gordon
Willis, Fierberg
used an archway
to frame a family-
dinner scene.
Below: While
lounging in the
Pfizer lobby, the
oversexed Jamie
and a fellow
salesman, Bruce
(Oliver Platt), ogle
an attractive
blonde rep.
because it afforded the B camera more

creative freedom than is customary. He
recalls, “On the first day, after the first
team had rehearsed and A camera was
setting up their shot, I asked Steve if it
would work for his lighting if we found
a tighter shot. He said, ‘Just find me a
cool shot.’ He just wanted something
interesting. So with my focus puller,Jeff
Graham,and dolly grip,Brian Buzzelli,
I was able to do just that. I’d say we
worked that way about 90 percent of the
time on this show, just looking for little
moments in scenes to accentuate what
the A camera was doing.”
All these considerations, plus the
project’s short shooting schedule, led the
filmmakers to extensively test not only
film stocks and lights, but also all sorts
camera to get something really good if “When setting up, I picked stand- of minute details. Zwick recalls, “We
that opportunity is there. [A-camera ins who closely resembled Anne and spent hours looking at photographs of
operator] Chris Hayes, assisted by Jake in terms of facial structure and then, Jake and Anne and analyzing specifi-
Patrick McArdle, would capture the using big soft sources, worked to make cally how to utilize them best. It’s a
perfect shot for the main melody of the the center of the light falling on them process of working to capture intimacy
drama, usually with the 28-76mm come from a specific angle,” he contin- that I associate more with European
Optimo on our Panaflex Platinum, and ues. “When Jake and Anne came in, I’d films than American films.”In fact, the
then [B-camera operator] Rick make any necessary adjustments. If the team spent a great deal of time choosing
Davidson, with the longer reach of the angle of the key is correct, it doesn’t wall colors, photographing stand-ins
11:1 Primo and our Millennium XL, require much fill.” Davidson notes that and the actors in front of some 30 differ-
would capture the ‘jazz,’ so to speak. he found this approach refreshing ent colors to determine which would

look the most flattering in tandem with

the chosen film stocks, Kodak Vision2
5217 and Vision3 500T 5219. Formal
and informal tests continued during
production,whenever there was an
opportunity.
Much of the movie was shot on
sets built at various locations around
Pittsburgh. Some of these, including
Maggie’s large loft apartment (built
inside a former factory), were fairly large
and required extensive pre-lighting.
Gaffer Steve Mathis recalls that after
finishing the day’s shooting, he and
Fierberg often went to various sets that
would be used in the near future and
“turned lights on and looked at it for
ourselves. We’d take the key grip, Bart
Flaherty, and meet [rigging gaffer]
Kevin Tiesiera and a small rigging crew,
and we’d study the wall colors and try
different ideas. Then, we’d give the
riggers our notes and come back another
night,after the changes were made. That
way we could try things when there
weren’t a hundred people standing
around waiting for us.”
From the outset, Zwick man-
dated that Love and Other Drugs would
be shot on 35mm. “I felt we could get a
kind of luminosity on film that was just
Top and middle: Fierberg lent a splashy look to a song-and-dance extravaganza Pfizer right for this material,” he explains.
stages for new sales recruits. Christie LX120 projectors were used to create sexy, backlit images After a wide range of tests, Fierberg
on the screens. Bottom: Colorful interior and exterior lighting creates enticing ambience for opted for 5217 and 5219 largely because
an orgiastic pajama party Jamie attends with his brother.
he felt they would render a romantically
lush image. He notes, “Anne has perfect

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porcelain skin, but we also needed her

hair, which was darkened for this movie,
to lushly frame her face.
“When I shot a test with both
Anne and Jake, the Kodak stocks made
them look perfect next to each other,” he
continues. “With some other stocks, we
could get one actor or the other to look
great, but not both of them. So, when we
had enough light, I shot 5217, which
made the actors’ skin tones look especially
radiant, and when we were in low light,
we went with 5219. In release printing,
we found that Kodak Vision [2383] was
best able to capture Anne’s skin and the
deep brown tones in her hair.”
Of all the movie’s lighting chal-
lenges, Maggie’s loft apartment, where
much of the story takes place, was the
most complex, according to the filmmak-
ers. A large, open space that featured
huge windows, the apartment required a
constant stream of natural light. Fierberg
worked with his crew to design areas that
would look a bit too bright or a bit too
dark. “I wanted to create an image that
would mimic what you encounter when
you’re filming on a real location,” he says.
“If you balance all the values too well, it
One of the film’s
key settings is screams ‘stage.’ We let areas outside the
Maggie’s loft windows burn out, and allowed other
apartment, areas to go too dark, to sell that we were
which was in a real location.”
created on
stage. This Zwick and Fierberg analyzed the
sequence of script to strategically plot changes in light
photos shows and camera angles in order to enliven
the set at certain loft sequences. These departures
various points
during prep. The included shots from outside the windows,
still at the upper and perspectives that showcased a
right shows a skylight during weather that included
cardboard model snow and rain. One key sequence in the
of the set.
loft occurs when Jamie brings Maggie
dinner in the afternoon and then stays

Fierberg strove
to create a
variety of
different
“natural light”
looks to reflect
the passage of
time in the loft
set, a challenge
that required
his crew to
devise a
lighting rig that
would allow
maximum
flexibility. “On
location, it
would have
been hellish to
try to control
the moving
sunlight,”
he notes.
behind that were 100'x40' TransLites

showing a view of Chicago. (The
production used two TransLites, one for
day and one for dusk/night.) To partially
obscure some of the view from inside the
loft, several windowpanes were covered
with colored gels or painted with
translucent paint. For ambient skylight,
Mathis’ crew rigged space lights (six 1K
globes in silk bags) on 10' centers outside
the windows, and for sunlight, they
rigged 20Ks and MoleBeams gelled
with ¼ CTS or Lee 152 Pale Gold on a
truss. “They were rigged on rollers so we
could easily slide lights along the truss to
move the sun as needed from shot to
shot,” notes Mathis. Skypans with 2K
globes softened with Full Grid backlit
the TransLite. “For night, we came up
with a few different looks,” says Mathis.
through the next morning. This required ing angles to create the various times of “Sometimes we’d turn off exterior lights
lighting that would move from early day.” on buildings outside the set, tape off
afternoon into dusk and then night, and The story takes place over several windows seen through the TransLite, or
then into overcast dawn. “On location, it months, with certain times of day add streaks across walls to vary the look.”
would have been hellish to try to control presented in different seasons, so the In small areas and corners of the
the moving sunlight and also elicit sensi- lighting rig for the apartment had to loft, soft toplight was created with 3'x6'
tive performances in dusk and the facilitate maximum flexibility. Built custom-built softboxes holding 250-
middle of the night. Shooting on a set outside the windows was a practical watt PhotoFloods. In more open areas
allowed us to film the entire sequence rooftop set that included air-condition- of the set, the toplight was created with
during the day and use color and lighting ducts, stairs and brick structures, and 6K space lights (without silks) hung

above 8'x8'and 12'x12'frames of Half
Grid, with Lighttools Soft Egg Crates
and blacked-in sides controlling the spill.
“In retrospect, we could have gone with
2K space lights, as we only used one or
two globes in each,” adds Mathis.
Another lighting challenge in-
volved an extravagant song-and-dance
performance at a special event for new
recruits at Pfizer. The sequence is set in
Chicago’s United Center, but it was shot
at Pittsburgh’s Mellon Arena, which the
production could only shoot in for a
single day. In the sequence, an
announcer starts speaking in darkness as
backlit images projected by four Christie
LX120 projectors hit big screens skinned Motion Picture Arts
with what Mathis calls “shower
curtains,” hanging from a truss. A song
for high school filmmakers
starts, dancers take the stage, and a dance
number ensues. Collaborate, learn, and focus your talents
The filmmakers’ original plan was Summer Arts Camp • Fine Arts Boarding School
to rig the arena on a Sunday in time to
rehearse lighting for the dance number,
but that didn’t work out. So on Monday, www.interlochen.org
after shooting in a different location all
day, Mathis and board operator Kevin
Hogan worked into the night to finish
the arena lighting. Theatrical-lighting
rigs provided by Pittsburgh’s Three
Rivers Entertainment were central to
making the whole thing work.“Luckily,
Steve Mathis was well suited for this
challenge — after all, he litMoulin Rouge
[for Don McAlpine, ASC, ACS],” says
Fierberg. “He brought enormous
creativity and skill to the scene. In order
to make it work, he had to delegate
gaffing the end of Monday’s work to his
best boy, Chris Milani, so he could spend
some of that time at the arena preparing
the lighting. I then joined him after we
wrapped, and we continued to work
until about 3 a.m. I’d suggested that we
use Daniel Ezralow to choreograph the
dance, and our thinking evolved from
having the dancers silhouetted in front
of simple, colored, backlit panels to also
having the dancers silhouetted within
rotating,custom-made gobos in the
shape of medication pills. The gobos
could be flipped in by our Vari-Lite
backlights, colored, rotated, zoomed,
and then flipped out for later parts of the
split. We placed lights high overhead,
directed back at the audience, to provide
details in the foreground, which was 2
stops down. We did that mostly with
Juniors and 5Ks. The key was to use as
few trusses as possible— for cost and
time reasons— and get maximum value
out of each position. Again, program-
ming Vari-Lites for several different
positions gave us maximum flexibility
with fewer instruments. We had a 12-
by-12 Ultrabounce rigged on a Condor
just outside the arena ready to roll in
when it came time to light the audience
and Jake at the end of the day. We hit the
12-by with a 20K from the floor to wrap
the lighting around the actors.”
Mathis credits Hogan, who
Two cameras capture a scene in which Jamie is sucker-punched by a rival sales rep (Gabriel Macht). helped him program live lighting cues
through a High End Systems
dance scene. I could get, because we were concerned Wholehog 3 console as the sequence
“Once we chose colors, we care- with maintaining detail in the fireworks progressed. “There was no time to
fully set levels to maintain saturation and part of the show. In my dreams, we rehearse any of the cues before the scene
a beautiful tonal range,” continues would have achieved an f4, but the arena was shot — there was barely enough
Fierberg. “I went for as deep an f-stop as was huge, so we settled for an f2.8/4 time just to think of them!” says Mathis.
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74
He also has high praise for Three Rivers color in the film” was fully executed. She the black level, the highlight level, and
Entertainment’s director of lighting, explains, “As Jamie and Maggie get then adjust mid-tones generally for
Wade Shaner, for helping to execute the closer, there’s a warmth that increases. lightness and darkness, continually
lighting on a rigorous timeline. Three Scene to scene, as the two characters manipulating contrast. At EFilm, it’s
Rivers supervised the truss, took care of spend more time together, the warmth more like conventional printing. They
overhead rigging, and provided a mix of develops, until it plateaus and stops in a make sure the photography is left as it
Vari-Lite 3000 and 3500 spots, Coemar certain scene. Then the image takes on a was intended, unless they are specifically
iWash Halos and Coemar Parlite LED crisp coolness because of the distance asked to change it.” ●
truss warmers, among other instru- between them. Steven did all this
ments. (The balance of the lighting and in-camera, but I was able to enhance it
grip equipment came from Cinelease in at certain points.”Fierberg adds, TECHNICAL SPECS
North Carolina and Intergalactic “Throughout the shoot, we used CTS,
Super 1.85:1
Illumination in Los Angeles.) “To do Lee 152 and dimming lights to warm
that all in one daywas pretty impres- them as techniques to control the 3-perf Super 35mm
sive,” says Mathis. “When you’re work- amount of warmth in the image.”
ing on location, finding skilled local The cinematographer notes that Panaflex Platinum,
people is so important to your success, EFilm’s proprietary EWorks color- Millennium XL
and Pittsburgh is filled with talented correction systemis designed to mimic Angenieux and
crewmembers.” the traditional photochemical-timing Panavision lenses
Fierberg’s work in the digital- process. “Their first goal is to maintain
intermediate suite at EFilm was subtle. the contrast curve of the film, like Kodak Vision2 200T 5217,
In particular, colorist Natasha Leonnet normal [photochemical]film timing, to Vision3 500T 5219
focused on smoothing out skin tones make uniform color changes,” he says. Digital Intermediate
and balancing the two leads. She also “Then, they adjust as they need to. In my
made sure that the “progressive arc of years of telecine, they would usually set Printed on Kodak Vision 2383
kezia 50 & 200

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75
A Big-City Dream
“B
urlesque is the kind of movie every cinematographer
Bojan Bazelli, ASC lends a dreams about — it’s eye candy,” says Bojan Bazelli,
glamorous look to the musical ASC. Directed by Steven Antin, the movie tells the
extravaganza Burlesque. story of Alice (Christina Aguilera), a small-town girl
who moves to Los Angeles to become a singer. Her first gig
is a waitressing job at the imperiled Burlesque Lounge, an
By Iain Stasukevich old cabaret run and headlined by Tess (Cher). Alice quickly
becomes infatuated with the glitz and glamour of the stage,
and makes it her dream to sing from it one day.
•|• The subject matter presented the filmmakers with

Opposite: Alice
(Christina
Aguilera)
realizes her
dreams and
takes center
stage in
Burlesque,
directed by
Steven Antin
and
photographed
by Bojan Bazelli,
ASC.This page,
top: Tess (Cher)
serves as the
Burlesque
Lounge’s
proprietress and
headliner.
Middle: Nikki
(Kristen Bell)
Screen Gems, Inc. Lighting diagram courtesy of Anthony
competes with
more than a few stylistic options, and in Alice for the top
Unit photography by Stephen Vaughan, courtesy of
prep, they watched films that took spot in the club’s

lineup. Bottom:
different approaches to presenting A-camera
dance onstage. “Ultimately, Bob Fosse’s operator Patrick
Cabaret and Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Loungway (top
left), key grip
Lyndon, together with the chiaroscuro- Joseph Dianda
style lighting found in Caravaggio’s (bottom left)
paintings, were our top inspirations,” and Bazelli
frame a scene.
says Bazelli. “Steven and I wanted all
that, but with a modern feel. The idea
was to update Cabaret’slook to suit our
Nakonechnyj.
storyline.”
Very early in the show’s 15-week
prep, the creative team, which included
ww.theasc.com
w December 2010 77
◗ A Big-City Dream
choreographers Denise Faye and Joey
Pizzi, realized that a Cabaret-sized
stage would not be large enough to
accommodate all their dancers and
very complex musical numbers, so
production designer Jon Gary Steele
designed a set for the Burlesque
Lounge that was about the size of a
small hockey rink. “It’s bigger than it
would be in real life, but the extra size,
and Gary’s attention to the smallest
detail, helped us photograph all those
numbers in a fresh and non-repetitive
way,” says Bazelli.
The Burlesque Lounge was built
in its entirety — two floors that
included the stage, backstage area, bar,
dressing rooms and offices — on Stage
23 at Sony Studios in Culver City.
“When you walked in, you could
believe you were walking into a real
club, except for the hundreds of lights
on the grid above,” continues the cine-
matographer. “Gary, Steven and I had
long talks about the types of fabrics,
wallpaper, lampshades and sconces
we’d use. We also chose the colors and
Top (left to
right): degrees of sheen and aging for the
Aguilera, walls and mirrors. We used materials
Chelsea Traille that would bounce light rather than
and Paula Van
Oppen strike a absorb it; all surface paints were 35-to-
pose during 65-percent reflective.”
the song Before the first flat went up,
“Tough Lover.”
Middle: B- gaffer Anthony “Nako” Nakonechnyj
camera dolly and rigging key grip Chris Leidholdt
grip Dwayne built a speed-rail truss that ran the
Barr (far right)
guides length of the set. When fully rigged,
Steadicam the overhead lamps were operated via a
operator Colin dimmer board. Nako’s crew installed
Hudson
through the hundreds of practical lamps and
musical accents in addition to the 200 film
number. lights on the truss, and the theatrical-
Bottom: The
crew prepares lighting crew added roughly 200
another setup moving lights to the stage area.
with the Beauty lighting for the film’s two
cameras on
dollies. leads was essential. Cher had not been
in a feature film since 2003 ( Stuck on
You), and Bazelli “wanted her to be
comfortable in front of the camera and
know that she’d look great on film,” he
says. “Gaining Cher’s trust was my
goal, and it was my pleasure to light
her.” Her scenes, including her musical
numbers, were rehearsed and blocked

to accommodate a classic portrait-
lighting arrangement. The key, usually
a 5K or 10K tungsten unit, or the spot-
light onstage, was positioned above and
behind the camera, pointing down at
the actress at a 45-degree angle. A
snoot with Lee 250 diffusion softly
illuminated the front of her face while
everything around her fell into dark-
ness. “Tess represents the club, and the
club’s dominant color is red, so we
decided to give red a theatrical presence
in all of Tess’s scenes, even when she’s
not performing,” adds Bazelli.
Aguilera always had to look
beautiful but also natural. “Alice has
many looks throughout the movie,”
says the cinematographer. “At the
beginning, the direction of light is less
flat to camera; she’s more sidelit,
presented in dramatic lighting that was
often created with a 3-Lite or 6-Lite
Barger Lite.When she becomes a
dancer at the club, her lighting
becomes softer and more glamorous. It
all comes together beautifully in Alice’s
solo (“Bound to You”), where she’s
backlit, standing against a pale-blue
backdrop, wearing an acid-green dress.
This ballad has a great visual impact.”
For the wide shots and dialogue
scenes, keylight was provided by large
softboxes Nako had originally designed
for The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (AC Aug.
’10). Each box contained JT 1000
1,000-watt quartz halogen globes in
4x8 (eight globes), 4x4 and 2x4 (four
globes), and 1x2 (one globe) arrange-
ments, diffused by Half Grid or
bleached muslin, as well as black/white
Rosco Cinebounce.
Bazelli wanted to soften the
image without using heavy diffusion in
front of the lens. “We loved the soft,
painterly feeling of Barry Lyndon ,” he
notes. After much testing, the film-
makers decided that the set should be
filled with smoke for the run of the 65-
day shoot. “Smoke is a great tool,” says
Bazelli. “It’s an element between the
lens and the actor, and it’s very organic
Top: The Burlesque Lounge was built in its entirety onstage at Sony Studios and fitted with hundreds of
and friendly to the eye. As a slight practical lamps in addition to 200 film lights on an overhead truss and 200 moving theatrical fixtures
diffuser, it makes every light around the around the stage.Bottom: Georgia (Julianne Hough, center)takes the lead role in “Diamond”;Bazelli
set softer, and the tonalities smoother. and company lent the song a silvery blue palette.
ww.theasc.com
w December 2010 79
Left, top and bottom: Alice breaks into the song

“I’m a Good Girl.” Above (front to back): C-camera
1st AC Justin Chefe, C-camera operator Paul
Sanchez, Loungway, B-camera 1st AC John Szajner
and Hudson capture the glamour.
your meter is 1⁄3 of a stop. If you stretch

it less, you lose more light and the
image becomes more diffused.”
Shooting Burlesque on film was
never in question. “It would be very
hard to shoot this movie with anything
but film,” asserts Bazelli. “When beauty
is of the essence and you have strong
It also carries the ambient light into the light that comes onto the lens is scat- lights tearing through the smoke and a
shadows, so the blacks are more trans- tered by the filter, decreasing its capa- wide contrast between light and
parent, more like a painting. And it bility to handle the flare.” shadow, I think a digital camera would
looked great with the moving lights we Bazelli prefers to use a thin net or totally freeze.” The filmmakers initially
used as part of the stage lighting.” stocking on the back of the lens to considered shooting scenes set in the
The cinematographer shot close- knock down the sharpness of the Burlesque Lounge on one film stock
ups with 75mm or 100mm Cooke image. “We tried many nets until we and the rest of the picture on a different
Panchro lenses, “an older, smokier found the ones we liked. I like Fogal, a film stock, but Bazelli ultimately
glass,” and he decided to do without French stocking that’s very smooth and decided to use one negative, Kodak
filtration on the lens, apart from ND not so thick.” Many effects are possible, Vision3 250D 5207, and change the
filters. “We could stack five Double Fog from chromatic aberrations in colors to color and tonality of his lighting to
filters in front of the camera and the geometric artifacts in lens flares. “How achieve the different looks. “The deci-
faces would look amazingly soft, but it you stretch it on the lens, how tight or sion to use a daylight-balanced film
wouldn’t look real or be appropriate for loose it is, and how dark the material is stock had to do with the flesh tones,
a modern story,” says Bazelli. “If you will affect your image. If it’s very light and all the moving lights are daylight-
put diffusion in front of the lens, the and you stretch it all the way, the loss by balanced,” he says. “5207 has a softer

rendering of flesh tones, which helps
“Alice has many
looks throughout
with beauty shots.”
the movie,” notes Though he was shooting a
Bazelli. “At the daylight-balanced negative, Bazelli lit
beginning [top],
she’s more sidelit,
with mostly tungsten sources and
presented in corrected for the difference in the
dramatic lighting. dailies, which were handled by colorist
When she becomes a
dancer at the club
Willie Lawton at FotoKem.
[middle], her lighting “Whenever you do that much correc-
becomes softer and tion on a film stock, certain lights will
more glamorous. It
all comes together
come out very blue and shift toward
beautifully in green,” notes Nako. “We anticipated
[“Bound to You,” that shift with gels on the lights.”
bottom], where she’s
backlit, standing
Each of the film’s 15 dance
against a pale-blue numbers is two to four minutes long,
backdrop, wearing and they were all photographed in
an acid-green dress.”
complete takes. Routines were divided
into four sections: wide shots, medium
shots, close-ups and specialty setups; the
wide and medium shots captured the
whole performance, whereas close-ups
and specialty setups were planned in
advance. In this fashion, a single musical
number took one to three days to
complete, depending on its complexity.
Each number has its own point of
view and was designed to convey a
certain emotional idea. Bazelli calls it
“positioning ourselves dramatically.”
The first number, “Welcome to
Burlesque,” is an elaborate, sensual
come-hither that emphasizes Alice’s
point of view. “When Alice sees Tess
performing this number, she is instantly
seduced by the beauty of it,” says Bazelli.
“With that, we set the tone for these
glamorous and colorful performances.
It’s a strong introduction to the style of
the movie.”
The main camera crew com-
prised A-camera operator Patrick
Loungway, B-camera/Steadicam opera-
tor Colin Hudson, A-camera 1st AC
John Holmes and B-camera 1st AC
John Szajner. For musical numbers, “we
used four cameras,” says Bazelli.
“Typically, the A, B and C cameras
would be on dollies, and the D camera
would be on the 30-foot or 50-foot
Technocrane with a Libra head. I think
we shot about 10 percent of the film
with the Steadicam, and maybe 5
percent handheld.”
Arricam Lites were used for dolly,

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235s were used for handheld work.
“The camera is always moving, and
we’re always expressing someone’s point
of view by doing that,” he says. “We
didn’t want to take your attention away
from the performance, so the moves
aren’t radical or disturbing, but you can
feel the change of the shot.” His main
lenses were Cooke S4 primes ranging
from 12mm to 150mm. “S4 lenses are
wonderful,” he observes. “They handle
strong lights and backlit smoke beauti-
fully, and I knew I was going to have a
lot of strong lights pointed at the
camera.”
The process for lighting dance
numbers “was both creative and chal-
lenging,” he continues. Onstage, Antin,
Bazelli and theatrical-lighting designer
Peggy Eisenhauer worked with the
choreographed dancers to adjust their
blocking to the stage lighting, which
could change dramatically with each
number. Some routines were so
complex that they had to be
programmed in sections from different
parts of the stage in order for
Eisenhauer and console operator Harry
Sangmeister to see what they were
doing. One example is “Express,” which
starts in a conventional way before the
scenery blasts apart. “It becomes a wild
lighting situation, almost a departure
from theatrical — it actually goes into
concert lighting,” says Eisenhauer,
whose motion-picture credits include
Dreamgirls (AC Dec. ’06). Her crew
deployed Martin Atomic strobes that
Top: The filmmakers fired on the beat and then went full-
employed an insert blast with an arsenal of robotic 1.2K
car and trailer for a Vari-Lite VL3000 and VL3500 spots
scene in which
Marcus Gerber (Eric and washes controlled through a
Dane) drives Alice to Virtuoso console.
a party at his home. “We usually shot a number in
Middle: A crane
captures a shot one or two days, and then moved to
looking inside another scene to give the art depart-
Marcus’ house. ment some time to redress and Peggy’s
Bottom (from left): A-
camera 1st AC John crew time to set the theatrical lighting,”
Holmes, Loungway says Bazelli. “We’d tech-rehearse and
and Bazelli prepare a finalize lighting over the weekend.
shot of Aguilera
inside the location. Nako and I would walk through the
number step-by-step, adjusting the cues
and exposure and tweaking the lights

quality of light that can be translated
correctly to film color space,” cautions
Bazelli. “Each number was designed
and lit with a specific color palette in
mind. We wanted red to be especially
Despite Tess’
strong and vibrant.
cold shoulder, “We know that print stocks can’t
Alice is handle some colors at all,” he adds. “For
determined to
prove herself at
instance, a certain shade of purple does-
the Burlesque n’t exist on color positive because [the
Lounge. stock] has been designed to replicate
flesh tones in the most accurate way,
subduing other colors.”
“There are colors you can get in
Rec709 that you can’t get on print, and
vice-versa,” confirms colorist Trent
Johnson, who worked with Bazelli on
Burlesque’s final digital grade at Sony
for the camera positions. That included challenge because we want to work with ColorWorks. “You can only get true
the follow spots, Super Troupers, whose brightness,” Eisenhauer remarks. turquoise on print stock. On video, it’s
operators had to do very complex and “When we squeeze the brightness going to swing either green or blue.”
challenging work. They were amazing down into the middle range, it becomes Bazelli emphasizes the impor-
— some numbers had more than 150 harder to tell the differences between tance of maintaining good communica-
cues.” changes.” tion with the lab. The cinematographer
“Restraining the palette is our big “It’s important to generate the was in constant contact with Lawton
86
and Mark Van Horne, FotoKem’s direc- The smoke and the netting can be with your creativity and decision-
tor of production services, throughout served their purpose in the end, in that making during preproduction and
principal photography; the trio often the actors required minimal polishing. shooting, the better off you’ll be in post,
met in the pre-dawn hours to review the The detail work was in shading the because then you’re sweetening some-
previous day’s work. “Bojan is very frame and maintaining an authentic thing that’s already good.” ●
involved,” notes Van Horne. “We’d talk color palette. Working on a Baselight,
four or five times a day, and he was Bazelli and Johnson were careful to
always shooting tests and coming to preserve detail in the blacks with a great
double-check his work.” deal of transparency in the shadows.
At Sony ColorWorks, the nega- “We used windows to darken or lighten
tive was scanned at 4K on a Scanity film areas of the frame, giving the image
scanner, and for the color correction, depth,” says Johnson. “Bojan wanted
Johnson used the dailies for reference, the club to be dark and moody but alive TECHNICAL SPECS
viewing them as an Avid output of the with texture, whereas when the girls are
locked sequences on a calibrated moni- onstage, it’s an explosion of color and 2.40:1
tor in the digital-intermediate theater. light. In the routines, Bojan’s lights are
3-perf Super 35mm
He spent the first few weeks evening so strong and colorful the image was
out the exposure from shot to shot, a bulletproof.” (Kodak Vision3 5254 Arricam Lite, Arri 235
process affected by the varying levels of intermediate stock was used for the 4K
smoke in each take. “Too much smoke filmout.) Cooke lenses
diffuses the light and increases the The ability to create “bullet-
general exposure,” notes Johnson. proof” images stems from extensive Kodak Vision3 250D 5207
“Adjusting the exposure pretty much preparation and, in turn, the ability to Digital Intermediate
solves the issue. It’s like reaching out adapt to the situation at hand, according
and adjusting the f-stop on the lens.” to Bazelli. “The more disciplined you Printed on Kodak Vision 2383
87
Post Focus
On Fright Night, cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe, AEC (background) collaborated on set with Company 3 colorist Alex Bickel (foreground)
to color-correct the 3-D footage shot with Red One cameras.
I Company 3 Brings 3-D Post to Set

By Simon Wakelin
comfortably from cut to cut,” says Carter. “The size of the screen is
an important factor in setting the correct convergence. Since the
Pirates stereographer was watching 3-D dailies projected at 2K, he
Company 3, a member of Ascent Media’s creative services could continually calibrate and refine the look on set the next day.”
group, recently found itself reinventing its dailies pipeline to accom- Plasma screens were also used on the Pirates set to give the
modate three very different 3-D productions, Pirates of the team an idea of how depth effects will play on smaller screens when
Caribbean: On Stranger Tides , Fright Night and Transformers: The the film is eventually released on home video. “Moving from an
Dark of the Moon. On all three, the filmmakers used the company’s image 50 feet across to inches across can require some tweaking,”
services on-set to gauge how their final 3-D images would appear. observes Anthony Davis, Ascent Media’s director of on-location
Jackie Lee, vice president of feature sales at Ascent Media, notes, services.
“We’re now seeing post workflows being integrated directly on set. Throughout the Pirates, Fright N ight and Transformers
The expectation is to have final sequences ready for delivery as shoots, Company 3 was delivering “both flat and 3-D dailies to the
quickly as possible.” editing houses so they could cut in 2-D and review in 3-D,” says
For example, on the visual-effects-heavy fourth Pirates film, Carter. “Most of the time, they’re not editing while wearing 3-D
“the visual-effects team needed to see sequences as soon as possi- glasses; they’re cutting 2-D, and then checking to make sure it
Photo courtesy of Company 3.
ble, and in context, so they could begin their work immediately,” works in 3-D.” Fright Night on-set colorist Alex Bickel elaborates,
says Dylan Carter, Company 3’s director of visual workflow. To help “They’re editing with a single stream of Avid 125 DNX 1080 media
streamline the transition from set to post, Pirates’ camera crew that has left and right eye, side by side. They typically scale the image
included a stereographer who adjusted convergence, or the focal to look at only the left eye while cutting, but remove the scale and
point in relation to the screen plane, either toward or away from the screen it almost exclusively in 3-D.”
audience to minimize eye strain across edits and guide the eye to The Transformers film mixed 35mm with digital capture
specific parts of the frame. “Each shot has a certain amount of (courtesy of the Sony F35 and Arri Alexa), but both the Pirates film
depth, and the position of the characters and props also need to roll and Fright Night were shot digitally with Red One cameras. Through

its work on the latter films, Company 3
helped Red develop a new color space that
Red is, at press time, about to release
publicly, according to Carter.
Cinematographer Javier Aguirre-
sarobe, AEC signed on to Fright Night after
meeting director Craig Gillespie and warm-
ing to his energy and enthusiasm. Although
the project was not Aguirresarobe’s first
vampire film — he previously shot the
Twilight films N ew Moon and Eclipse —
Fright N ight marked his first venture into
digital and 3-D cinematography. “I was
apprehensive at first, but soon felt very
comfortable going through the Red work-
flow at Company 3,” says Aguirresarobe. The video for School Gyrls’ “Something Like a Party” was color-corrected at Digital Jungle’s
“The 3-D in the movie is not about fancy recently launched Digital Jungle Music Video division.
effects; the story called for something that
was more real and less spectacular. I really Facility News company’s three business groups: Features,
wanted to see how dark I could shoot Commercials and Digital.
everything while still maintaining detail.” Digital Jungle Creates The re-launch establishes Gravity as
Fright N ight follows Charley Brew- Music-Video Division a generator of high-end visual effects,
ster (Anton Yelchin) in his quest to destroy Following the success of several creative content, motion graphics, anima-
the vampire next door. Aguirresarobe music videos finished at Digital Jungle, the tion and digital strategy capable of living on
framed for 1.85:1, shooting with Arri post house recently announced a new divi- any media outlet. The company has offices
Master Primes and rating the Red at 640 sion focused solely on music-video post: in New York, Los Angeles and Tel Aviv.
ASA in dark, smoky environments. This Digital Jungle Music Video. “We’ve learned For additional information, visit
allowed Bickel to lift the blacks without through extensive experience how different www.gravityworld.com.
revealing the noise floor, thereby creating the needs are between music videos [and]
milky blacks and a soft, low-contrast look. film or TV projects,” says Dennis Ho, Origami Digital Expands in
He worked with Assimilate’s Scratch, one of company president. “In music videos, the New Location
a few DI solutions that enable 3-D screen- color grading is a central key to holding the Visual-effects company Origami
ing capabilities from Red files without addi- audience’s attention, whereas with film and Digital has moved into an 8,000-square-
tional processing. “One of the challenges TV projects, color is more supplemental to foot facility near Los Angeles’ Hawthorne
was choosing the platform that would the narrative.” Airport. The space includes an expanded
grade and output two streams of Red in Color grading for DJMV takes place performance-capture stage, a large studio
real time,” says Bickel. “We built a full- in Digital Jungle’s screening room, which is and a state-of-the-art infrastructure.
fledged Scratch DI at a central location near powered by a Quantel Pablo system “We’ve always had a full-service
the soundstages using a 50-inch 3-D Pana- projected from a Barco 2K Digital Projector approach to our work, and in this new
sonic plasma screen with active glasses to onto a 21'x8' screen. Colorist John Scheer space we can offer our whole range of
monitor images in 3-D, and a Sony BVM handles the coloring process. services more efficiently,” says Oliver Hotz,
Series reference monitor and Black Magic For additional information, visit Origami Digital’s founder and visual-effects
Ultra Scope for color-critical tasks.” www.digijungle.com. supervisor. “We have invested a great deal
Before matching the left- and right- in the development of our mo-cap pipeline,
eye streams, Bickel first graded in mono. Rhino Re-Launches as Gravity and we now have a dedicated 50-by-50
Frame grab courtesy of Digital Jungle.
“With Scratch, you first color in 2-D and Visual-effects company Rhino has mo-cap volume so we can really put the
then translate that grade to 3-D space,” he rebranded itself as Gravity, an international system to work.”
says. “We colored everything with the right creative, content and brand-communica- The visual-effects pipeline is based
eye and then matched the left. Having the tions company. Gravity’s expertise is in pair- on a suite of in-house tools for project
dailies color suite on location was very ing creativity with technological innovation tracking and asset management, which
productive for us. Javier and Craig were to achieve engaging experiences for brands; enable the facility to handle large projects
able to work directly with a colorist and see the company has made a significant invest- with a minimum of internal bureaucracy.
exactly how the image looked before going ment in management talent for its commer- Artists have access to all assets for their
back to the set.” Aguirresarobe adds, “It cial, digital and technology offerings, which shots, and they can easily evaluate their
gave me the freedom to take more risks.” are now fully integrated across the work in the context of the edit. The work-

Origami Digital’s new 8,000-square-foot facility.
flow allows artists to work more indepen-

dently. “Our flat hierarchy allows us to
complete a lot of work in a short time,”
explains Matt Rubin, a producer at the
company. “The primary benefit for our
clients is the freedom it gives them to
explore ideas. We can offer this because of
our fast turnaround.”
Loco, a technology developed at
Origami, serves as a development platform
for a number of the facility’s in-house tools,
including the proprietary motion-capture
system Loco MoCap, which uses Phase-
Space cameras and an active optical
system. Each marker in Loco MoCap has a
unique ID, which enables artists to quickly
repair any occlusion errors. “The accuracy
of the system is within 1⁄10 of a millimeter,
which means it is virtually noiseless,” says
Hotz. “As long as we can see the marker,
there’s no cleanup required and no need to
smooth the data. That allows us to work
faster.” Loco MoCap’s active optical system
also allows it to work outdoors in daylight
using the infrared spectrum.
Another system developed on the
Loco platform, Loco DVR, records the
video-assist feeds from all of the cameras
on set along with notes from the visual-
effects supervisor, giving artists access to
the cameras’ video taps during post. Loco
DVR can also be used to stream live from
the video-assist feed over the Internet,
enabling two production units to coordi-
nate their work, or allowing the director
and cinematographer to remotely keep in
touch with a second unit.
Origami Digital, 3349 Jack Northrop
Ave., Hawthorne, Calif., 90250. For addi-
tional information, visit www.origamidigi
tal.com. ●
Tomorrow’s Technology
I
3-D, New Camera Assessments on generation higher-resolution digital motion-picture camera. 35mm
Technology Committee’s Agenda film will again be used as the basis for comparison. “Discovering
By Simon Wakelin what various digital motion-picture cameras are capable of captur-
ing will open up huge possibilities for cinematographers, who will
The industry has seen rapid developments in digital-capture be able to more confidently manage a project’s look,” says Stump.
technologies and digital-intermediate workflow practices since the “Variances in film development are trivial compared to what needs
ASC Technology Committee was founded in 2003, and the to be known about digital media.”
committee continues to monitor the industry’s shift from analog to CAS II is expected to be finished in a 4K IIF workflow, and
digital with the fundamental objective of understanding how these will include the ASC CDL to allow interchange and interoperation
developments affect the cinematographer’s craft. “The ASC Tech- of basic primary color corrections. Stump notes that the Camera
nology Committee continues to focus on the hybrid digital/film Subcommittee also plans to explore a similar evaluation of 3-D
motion-picture imaging chain because it’s becoming increasingly image-capture devices.
complex to manage as each new technology is introduced,” says Another area of change has been the increased use of post
Curtis Clark, ASC, chair of the committee. processes during production, which has led to more display tech-
“We are in the midst of a radical transformation that is nologies being used on set. The Digital Display Subcommittee
affecting workflow standards,” he continues. “Digital tools are continues to look at new displays as they are introduced, specifically
evolving rapidly, and the committee’s job is to recommend the best analyzing how such devices are calibrated. “The careful manage-
practices for cinematographers to better manage new workflows ment and due process required to capture the image during
and achieve consistent results. We’re recalibrating our focus and production needs to keep its integrity through the entire process,”
analyzing an array of specific workflow issues, but with a clearer ‘big says Clark. “With so many display devices in use, discrepancies can
picture’ vision of where we’re headed with our work, which be so extreme in contrast, color and brightness that the image no
includes the implementation of the Academy’s Image Interchange longer possesses its original characteristics. It’s an awareness issue
Framework and Academy Color Encoding Specification.” as much as anything else, and it’s one of the biggest challenges we
IIF-ACES was developed by the Academy of Motion Picture currently face.”
Arts and Sciences with members of the ASC Technology Commit- The recent increase in 3-D production is also an area of
tee and other industry collaborators.“Our interaction with the scrutiny. “The Technology Committee’s Stereoscopic Subcommittee
Academy was fruitful this year,” says David Stump, ASC, who chairs has been integrated into our Camera Subcommittee and will
the Society’s Camera Subcommittee. “We’re well down the road in address issues related to production, post and exhibition by coordi-
understanding metadata, workflow and color management. We’re nating closely with our Digital Intermediate and Digital Display
also examining next-generation workflows for the DI that will ulti- subcommittees,” says Clark. “3-D has accelerated the expansion of
mately resolve many challenges and difficulties, such as transforms digital projection, and it’s reaching critical mass. One discerning
between log and linear. In essence, we’re finding a way to effec- issue that isn’t widely understood is the impact of silver screens
tively standardize the process.” installed in theaters. They can be a curse if regular 2-D films are
Past ASC Technology Committee initiatives and achieve- shown on them, displaying an image with high gain and hot spots.
ments have included working closely with Digital Cinema Initiatives, 3-D is suddenly mainstream, and we need to adapt the same imag-
LLC, to produce the ASC-DCI Standard Evaluation Material, which ing standards we’re establishing in the 2-D world to the 3-D world,
is now used to evaluate the performance of digital projectors and which poses additional challenges.
digital-cinema systems. In 2009, the committee partnered with the “I fully expect our work to become more complex and
Producers Guild of America on the Camera-Assessment Series, care- challenging in the coming years,” he concludes. “However, we
fully comparing images captured by seven leading digital-motion- will continue to implement a new foundation for cinematographers
picture cameras to images captured on 35mm( AC June ’09 and to get a consistent handle on digital processes. At the end of
Sept. ’09). And the ASC Color Decision List has been embraced by the day, we want to maximize the creative potential of all these
most major color-correction systems. technologies.” ●
Another camera-assessment series is in the works for 2011,
says Clark, and among the new cameras that will be tested using
the IIF workflow will be Arri’s Alexa, Red’s Epic, and Sony’s next-

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Filmmakers’ Forum
I The Rubber Hits the Road on Faster
By Michael Grady
For lenses, I like all the Panavision Primo primes and zooms.
To recall that ’70s style, we did a lot of zooms.
We created the skip-bleach look in the digital grade, going
Faster, my latest collaboration with director George Tillman for heavy blacks and warm tones. I did the color correction at
Jr., stars Dwayne Johnson as Driver, an ex-con who steps out of Company 3 with colorist Siggy Ferstl, an incredible talent. We’d
prison ready to avenge the murder of his brother. Over the course of done some tests beforehand to establish our visual concept, and
the film, Driver is pursued by a cop who’s ready for retirement (Billy Siggy and his team did a great job managing our dailies, keeping
Bob Thornton) and a young hit man (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). It’s a our concept in mind and letting us know what we needed to do on
modern-day noir that recalls some set in order to be able to go so
of Charles Bronson’s great 1970s harsh with the color correction on
films. the back side.
With a title like Faster, you It’s rare for a first unit to get
know there will be a lot of high- the opportunity to shoot a lot of
speed car chases to go along with the stunts — the fun stuff. Most of
the guns. Our principal cars the time, this work goes to the
included Driver’s 1970 Super Sport second unit. For Faster, first unit
Chevelle, a muscle car with an covered a tremendous number of
upgraded engine and nitro booster, the stunts on a tight schedule; we
and the hit man’s car, a silver Ferrari only did eight or 10 second-unit
GT. Because of the amount of days. It was probably the only
action and smash-ups, there were chance I’ll ever get to play with so
four Chevelles and three Ferraris on many toys!
set. Stunts and stuntmen always
From the beginning, George amaze me. Their work is controlled
wanted to avoid a lot of CGI. He chaos. Stunt coordinator Darrin
preferred the realism of “old Prescott is the best, with a huge
school” car chases, and wanted to credit list that includes Public
use practical methods to bring the Enemies and The Hangover . He
audience closer to near misses and made sure we never got stupid.
collisions as much as possible. He Putting the camera in dangerous
also wanted each character to be places needs to be thought out very
shot using a certain style and well beforehand. George had
palette. It’s a mostly rural story, and pretty specific ideas for the action,
for Driver, who grew up in a remote desert location, the look is and Darrin’s team would tweak them based upon their expertise
almost sepia, with a harsh, skip-bleach feel and deep blacks. For the and knowledge.
hit man, we used cleaner light and colder tones, and a lot of reflec- For many driving scenes, we used traditional process trailers,
tive surfaces. The cop’s look shifts between the harsh desert and the which were pulled behind a vehicle to give us enough of a platform
harsher city, which has almost no color. for lights and dollies. We used these for close-up work with Dwayne
Shooting with two Panaflex Millennium XLs, two Arri 435s or Billy Bob. We also used ATVs outfitted with arms. But for the
and an Arri 235, we used Fujifilm Eterna Vivid 500 8547 and Vivid sequences that were fast or that had to feel fast, we used the
160 8543 and Kodak Vision 500T 5218. We used 5218 mostly for a Biscuit, a super-fast version of a process trailer, like a race car, with
climactic scene in which the three central characters meet, to show everybody strapped in and wearing helmets. The Biscuit’s driving
the nature of collision and explosion in their different worlds, and for platform can be moved to any space— in front of, behind or to the
a night sequence set on a fairly isolated stretch of road involving side of the prop car. For instance, there are several shots of Driver
stunts with a tractor-trailer. For the night sequence, we pushed 5218 speeding in reverse during a chase following a bank robbery. An
one stop and used very minimal lighting, augmenting the existing empty Chevelle chassis, including a full interior, was fastened onto
streetlight with Kino Flos, LitePanels and LED lights rigged on and in the Biscuit. The driver of the Biscuit was facing forward, while it
the vehicles. appears Dwayne is driving in reverse. The Biscuit gave us whatever
94 December2010 American Cinematographer

angle we wanted. It careened around
corners or pulled 360s. It also has a very low
profile.
For other shots, we used Allan
Padelford’s Moto Arm, which extends out
of a Cadillac Escalade about 14'-20'to posi-
tion the camera using a 4:1 zoom mounted
on a stabilized head. The arm can be oper-
ated completely from within the Escalade.
Allan drives the Escalade, and for us he hit
speeds of up to 75 mph. His partner oper-
ates the Moto Arm. George and I were also
in the Escalade, watching the monitors,
along with my first AC, Brian Morena. Our
vehicle stayed right on the bumper of the
Chevelle, with the Moto Arm closely follow-
ing Dwayne’s driving stunt double, Tanoai
Reed. At the right moment, Allan would
slam on the brakes while his operator
retracted the arm, allowing us to capture
many near misses.
The stunt drivers were great. They
know their speeds, and they were always
calm, sometimes even joking around. Only
once did I see Allan flinch, and he quietly
said, “Oh, that was close.” The rest of the
time, it was like, “When’s lunch?”
Brian is an incredible focus puller,
and I pushed him with longer lenses. We’ve
literally made it a game over the years. I’ll go
longer, thinking he can’t possibly get it all,
but even if he gets half of it in focus, there’ll
be some really cool moments on super long
lenses. So I always challenge him.
For lighting in daylight shots, we
used battery-operated Nila LEDs, which my
gaffer, Michael Karasick, recommended. It
was a good call. The only drawback was
that on some big stunts, or if we hit a curve
really hard in one of the stunt vehicles, the
batteries failed. But batteries and battery-
powered lights perform far better than
onboard gas generators with HMIs.
Faster taught me a great deal about
what you can and cannot do with cars. One
of the great aspects of working repeatedly
with the same people is the knowledge you
share. Michael Karasick and my grip,
Aubrey Husar, have worked with me for 10
years, but they have also worked with other
cinematographers, and they bring all that
experience with them. When you work
with good people, you do better work,
because it’s much more collaborative. ●
New Products & Services
• 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.
ASC, Chemical Wedding Release Toland App Dolby Unveils LCD Reference Monitor
Chemical Wedding, in partnership with the ASC, has intro- Dolby Laboratories, Inc., has released the PRM-4200 Profes-
duced the Toland ASC Digital Assistant for the iPhone and iPod sional Reference Monitor. The LCD-based display accurately reveals
Touch. The app takes portions of the American Cinematographer true black levels with exceptional dark detail and higher contrast
Manual and provides instant solutions to technical concerns. Inte- across the entire color gamut.
grated features include a comprehensive database of cameras and The PRM-4200’s back-
lenses; an exposure calculator covering light consists of 1,500 RGB LED
camera speed, shutter angle and filter factor; triads, with the light from each
a running time and footage calculator; a R, G and B element indepen-
flicker-free warning indicator; a depth-of-field dently controlled frame-by-
calculator with focus marks; an angle-of-view frame to create a full-color
indicator; and full camera data logging, which backlight image on the 42"
can be exported and e-mailed. LCD flat-panel display in real
The Toland ASC Digital Assistant is time. The combined LED backlight and LCD screen produce a final
named after the late Gregg Toland, ASC, image with true blacks, exceptional dark detail, high dynamic range
whose innovative lighting and camerawork and a wide, accurate color gamut. Additionally, the monitor goes
on such films as Citizen Kane made him a beyond 10 bits with support for emerging 12-bit formats. Other
legend among cinematographers. ASC Presi- features include 1920x1080 pixel resolution with a 120 Hz refresh
dent Michael Goi notes, “It is entirely appro- rate and a spacious, wide-angle viewing area of plus or minus 45
priate to name this application in honor of degrees.
Gregg Toland, one of cinema’s most ground- The PRM-4200 features DCI/P3 color-gamut support,
breaking artists. enabling color-critical grading without the use of a digital cinema
“While researching the right tech company to partner with on projector. Support for 3-D LUTs allows the PRM-4200 to be cali-
this project, Chemical Wedding’s intelligent design of Helios and brated to perfectly match digital screening environments and to
Artemis resonated with our members as having the kind of quality emulate the response of film print stocks during the DI color-correc-
and craft people have come to associate with the ASC,” Goi contin- tion process; on the set, the PRM-4200 displays color looks and
ues. “With this venture, we are expanding the ASC’s outreach by previsualization with 1-D and 3-D LUTs. The monitor’s ability to
creating tools that reflect how we work today.” emulate any other display device allows all content preparation and
Fred Elmes, ASC played an important role in testing the quality evaluation to be done on one monitor.
Toland app and providing feedback to its developers. He notes, An included external remote controller handles all of the
“Toland puts the AC Manual into your pocket. When a shot gets PRM-4200’s functions, so no onscreen displays interfere with the
complicated and you need to make a quick change, it’s wonderful to image on the monitor. The remote gives users immediate, intuitive
pull out Toland and be certain you’re doing the right thing. Other access to all features, functions and parameters via simple, easy-to-
programs do similar things, but Toland does it best because it’s all use menus, and it can be rack-mounted or used on a desktop.
under one roof.” For additional information, visit www.dolby.com.
“Rather than having to enter specific data to answer ques-
tions, Toland is designed to track your choices as you make them,”
explains cinematographer Nic Sadler, the lead product designer for Zeiss Adds Lightweight Zoom
Chemical Wedding. “As you change the camera speed, you will Optics specialist Carl Zeiss has introduced the Lightweight
instantly get feedback on how this affects running time and expo- Zoom LWZ.2, which features interchangeable mounts — PL, EF and
sure. When you change lenses, you will see the depth-of-field and F — that allow the lens to be used with a wide range of cameras,
field-of-view update in real time. Toland then allows you to log all this from traditional cine cameras to HDSLR systems. The LWZ.2 covers
information to build comprehensive camera reports.” the ANSI Super 35 image area.
The Toland ASC Digital Assistant is available worldwide Weighing approximately 4½ pounds, the LWZ.2 is especially
through iTunes. For more information, visit www.theasc.com and well suited to handheld and Steadicam work. The lens features radi-
www.chemicalwedding.tv. cally shaped spherical glass surfaces with a very strong curvature,
guaranteeing high optical performance. Large-diameter aspherical

lens elements keep the ISee3D Offers Stereo View
lens light while reducing in One Lens
spherical aberrations and ISee3D, Inc., has released its single-
keeping the image free of lens 3-D technology. The system removes
distortion. Additionally, the cumbersome equipment, calibration
Zeiss’ multi-layer anti- issues and complex post workflows
reflex coating reduces presented by traditional two-lens 3-D
flare and internal reflec- systems, allowing users to capture 3-D digi-
tions, resulting in pleasing tal motion pictures through one lens. The
and gentle colors, high technology can scale across device sizes,
contrasts and deep blacks. meaning the optical switch can work within
For additional information, visit any device, including digital cameras and
www.zeiss.com/cine. even cell phones.
“Most 3-D approaches have focused
Cartoni Introduces 3-D Lambda on improving existing post techniques,”
Cartoni has released the Lambda says Dwight Romanica, CEO of ISee3D.
Twin 3D Head, a professional, nodal pan- “We’re bringing the advancement to the
and-tilt support for both parallel and beam- camera, not the computer. Our single-lens
splitter stereoscopic rigs. process streamlines the entire process and
Designed to support full-size digital- provides the most effective way to bring
camera rigs weighing up to 200 pounds, real-time 3-D to the present.”
the Lambda Twin 3D Head features a “U” The company’s single-lens system
captures stereoscopic images by occluding
in sequence the left and right portions of
the lens, essentially moving the center of
the lens. This shifting center then allows the
capture of different perspectives through a
single lens, and the separate perspectives
can be fused together to create a stereo-
scopic image. Because both images are
coming through one lens, the image pairs
are always perfectly matched; vertical, hori-
zontal or rotational misalignment are non-
issues, and focus and zoom operations are
no different than in 2-D shooting.
For additional information, visit
www.isee3d.com.
shaped swinging platform and a sliding
base. The head can be fitted to a range of Vinten Bridges Vector,
supports, including heavy-duty tripods, Vision Ranges
dollies, cranes and camera cars. Addition- Vinten, a Vitec Group brand, has
ally, the Lambda Twin 3D can be inverted in introduced the Vector 430 pan-and-tilt
an under-slung position for low-angle shots head. Developed in collaboration with
that position the 3-D rig at nearly ground customers, the Vector 430 bridges the gap
level. between Vinten’s Vision and Vector ranges,
The Lambda Twin 3D employs a and is ideal for the growing number of
patented Cartoni fluid-drag control system, applications that use both compact box
micro-metric sliding vertical plates and posi- lenses and large EFP barrel lenses.
tive locks on all movements. Several The lightweight Vector 430 incorpo-
rosettes and 3⁄8" threads are easily accessi- rates Vinten’s Perfect Balance Technology
ble in multiple locations on the head for and smooth TF drag technology, and boasts
attaching the pan bar, counterweights and an extremely large capacity range of 22-
other accessories. 94.8 pounds, making it a perfect choice
For additional information, visit whether shooting in the studio or in the
www.cartoni.com. field. The head’s compact design also makes
camera, only one clamping needs to be
opened, and the camera can be swiveled in
each direction via the 80mm Euromount Straight
tube without any waste of time. Addition- Shoot’r
ally, a new software package lets users Goes Mini
quickly and easily store limit positions, and a Straight Shoot’r
new column measuring system with a Cranes, Inc. has introduced
magnetic switch replaces the rotary encoder the Mini-Me three-axis jib
and offers maximum reliability. arm. The one-piece Mini-Me is a
The Tristar Dolly builds on Panther’s 7' version of the company’s 10' Straight
decades of experience in designing and Shoot’r.
manufacturing electromechanical dolly Like the classic Straight Shoot’r
systems. At the heart of the Tristar Dolly is a three-axis jib, the Mini-Me offers cine-
three-stage column, which gives the dolly a matographers a unique Z-axis “slider” glid-
very low starting position, enabling camera ing camera mount in combination with a
it simple to rig and transport. movements that frame an actor at eye level rock-solid jib arm with smooth three-axis
The Vector 430 controls were from a seated to a standing position with- camera movement capabilities. Unlike the
ergonomically designed to ensure ease of out any further conversion of the dolly; the classic jib arm, though, the Mini-Me can be
use in any situation, whether in the studio column boasts a magnetic-switch measur- used in tighter locations.
or during an outside broadcast. The controls “I’m in constant touch with the
include a retractable counterbalance cinematographers who use my equipment,
adjuster, backlit drag knobs and an illumi- and one of the most frequent [notes] they
nated LCD display for low-light situations. had was that they found the classic Straight
The base of the Vector 430 includes an inte- Shoot’r to be too large at times,” says Andy
gral Quickfix groove for fast and secure Coradeschi, president of Straight Shoot’r
attachment. All of these features, combined Cranes. “I manufactured several smaller
with a Quickfit wedge adaptor, make the prototypes, and the 7-foot model was the
Vector 430 the perfect choice for busy one that cinematographers agreed best
multi-camera productions. enabled them to benefit from the creative
The Vector 430 is also available in a freedom and production efficiencies the
430i configuration, featuring a high quality, Straight Shoot’r system offers, even while
highly accurate encoder output to meet shooting in cramped quarters.”
demand for virtual- and augmented-reality Straight Shoot’r three-axis jib arms
applications in outside broadcast and studio are available for rent through the
environments. The 430i incorporates an company’s headquarters in Los Angeles and
Intelligence Module to provide precise, real- selected grip-rental houses across the
time digital electronic positioning of pan United States, Canada, Europe and Japan.
and tilt, enabling graphics to be placed ing system for maximum reliability. Also, as For more information, visit www.straight
perfectly onto the live environment. The with the Classic Dolly, the Tristar features a shootr.com.
430i also includes a unique optional incli- High-Low Turnstile, an electronic drive train
nometer feature developed to solve the and wheel system, and a software package Illumination Dynamics Opens
challenge of platform movement. for storing limit positions. North Carolina Camera Division
For additional information, visit The Tristar’s platform system makes it Illumination Dynamics has estab-
www.vinten.com. possible to mount the platform at standard lished a camera division at its N orth
height or in low-mode position by simply Carolina rental facility. The camera division
Panther Expands Dolly Line turning it around. Three different steering will complement Illumination Dynamics’
Camera-support company Panther modes — crab, steer front and steer rear — rental of lighting, grip, generators and
has introduced an updated Panther Classic make it easy to maneuver the dolly; a single power distribution to the entertainment,
Dolly and an all-new Tristar Dolly. knob on the wheel arm adjusts the steering live-broadcast and special-event industries.
The new Panther Classic Dolly boasts mode. Batteries and most of the accessories The new department will be fully supported
a patent-pending High-Low Turnstile; this introduced for previous Panther dolly by parent company Arri CSC, and will start
innovative camera support gives users the systems can be used with the Tristar. with an inventory that includes Arricam Lite
freedom to employ low camera positions For additional information, visit and Arriflex 435, 235 and D-21 packages.
while maximizing the ergonomics for the www.panther.tv. “This expansion is part of our
operator. When changing the height of the continued commitment and support to the

film community in North Carolina and the
surrounding region,” says Jeff Pentek, Illu-
mination Dynamics’ chief operating officer.
Additionally, Rory Holder has joined Illumi-
nation Dynamics’ staff to provide both
camera rental and prep-tech services.
Holder has worked as a camera operator
and has received extensive training from Arri
CSC.
For additional information, visit
www.illuminationdynamics.com.
AJA Shrinks Ki Pro

AJA Video Systems has introduced
the Ki Pro Mini, a smaller, lighter version of
the company’s Ki Pro portable tapeless
recorder, which captures to the Apple
ProRes 422 codec directly from camera. The
highly portable Ki Pro Mini flash-disk
recorder mounts easily to digital cameras
and accessories, enabling it to fit unobtru-
sively in small spaces for on-set capture of
10-bit 4:2:2 files that are immediately ready
for editing.
Supporting SD/HD SDI and HDMI I/O
connectivity, the Ki Pro Mini offers full-raster
recording to Compact Flash cards in Apple
ProRes 422 SD and HD formats, including
HQ, LT and Proxy; the native QuickTime files
require no log and capture for editing in
Final Cut Pro. Flexible control options
include familiar front-panel and Web-
browser interfaces, and optional Ki Pro Mini
Mounting Plates attach to hot shoes,
battery plates and virtually any other acces-
sory bracket. Other features include two
channels of balanced XLR audio with
switch-selectable line/mic levels and eight

channels of embedded digital audio over
SDI and HDMI.
“Anywhere a camera can go, Ki Pro
Mini can follow,” says AJA President N ick
Rashby. “It’s smaller than some battery
packs and mounts to virtually everything.
We designed Ki Pro Mini for any sized
production that needs seamless 10-bit file- nine color ranges, which offer an intuitive, Windows users, Color Finesse 3.0 is
based acquisition — it’s about extreme visual method of adjusting individual colors. compatible with Windows XP, Vista 32/64
portability and going from lens to post in a Additionally, a keyer allows users to adjust and Windows 7 32/64. Color Finesse 3.0
flash.” the individual color or ranges of colors; intu- supports Adobe After Effects 7.0 and CS3
Constructed from aircraft-grade itively create color keys with a direct through CS5, Premiere Pro CS3 through
aluminum, the lightweight, rugged Ki Pro sampling interface; and soften, choke or CS5, Final Cut Pro 6 and 7, and Motion 4.0.
Mini sells for a recommended price of invert the matte, and use it in conjunction The plug-in is available for $575; upgrades
$1,995. For more information, visit with Power Masks for ultimate control. from prior versions of Color Finesse are
www.aja.com. Colorista II is available for $299; available for $149.
current Colorista users can upgrade for For additional information, visit
Red Giant Upgrades Colorista $99. For additional information, visit www.synthetic-ap.com.
Red Giant Software has introduced www.redgiantsoftware.com.
Magic Bullet Colorista II color-correction CoreMelt Locks, Loads
software, which brings the professional Synthetic Aperture Editing Plug-in
power of high-end color systems directly to Finesses Colors CoreMelt has released the Lock &
the desktop. Colorista II’s easy-to-use inter- Synthetic Aperture has introduced Load Express plug-in for videographers
face is equally good for making quick Color Finesse 3.0, the latest version of the using DSLR cameras and working with
adjustments on a deadline or finessing company’s color-correction plug-in for Apple’s Final Cut Express.
footage without limitations, all from within Adobe After Effects and Apple Final Cut Lock & Load Express harnesses much
the user’s favorite editing applications. Pro. of the key functionality found in CoreMelt’s
“When I created Colorista three Color Finesse 3.0 adds a 64-bit plug- Lock & Load X software application —
years ago, there was no such thing as in to support Adobe’s CS5 64-bit applica- including image stabilization and rolling-
professional color correction on the desk- tions, in addition to supporting the 32-bit shutter reduction — but in a simplified
top,” says Stu Maschwitz, creative director version; migrating to 64 bit significantly version. Roger Bolton, CoreMelt’s founder,
reduces the possibility of out-of-memory
errors occurring during effects rendering.
Version 3.0 also adds a native FxPlug-style
plug-in to support Apple Final Cut Pro, Final
Cut Express and Motion; the plug-in
enhances overall performance and reduces
pixel format conversions.
Other new features include Auto
Color and Auto Exposure buttons, which
provide one-click access for beginning a
creative color grade; Vibrance control, notes, “Lock & Load Express addresses the
at Red Giant Software. “Since then, some which refines control over image saturation; everyday challenges facing videographers
amazing color tools have become widely HSL curves, which let users control image — especially event videographers that shoot
available. The problem is that they require saturation and lightness based on hue; a on DSLR cameras — to give handheld
you to change your workflow, learn a new Highlight Recovery tool for recovering over- footage a [steady] quality instantly without
application and draw a firm line between bright areas of the image; the ability to the need to set tracking points. Using the
the editorial and finishing phases of your export color-correction settings as a 3-D LUT rolling shutter reduction functionality …
production. With Colorista II, my goal was in a variety of formats, including Autodesk helps lessen image distortions and lets digi-
simple: put every ounce of professional Lustre and Smoke, Academy LUT, Assimilate tal content creators get on with the business
color-correction power right in your editing Scratch, Pogle, Truelight, Cine-tal and of creating and meeting tight deadlines.”
application of choice, so you don’t have to LUTher; preview displays, which automati- The intuitive and easy-to-use Lock &
change a thing about your workflow to cally adjust to footage pixel aspect ratio, Load Express boasts tremendous speed, a
start using it.” giving users a correctly formatted preview streamlined workflow and even back-
Colorista II features three-way color when working with anamorphic footage; ground tracking, allowing users to work on
wheels for easy adjustment of shadows, an enhanced Vectorscope with zoom capa- their project while the software tracks. The
midtones and highlights; a Pop control for bility, making it easier to see detail when plug-in runs on Mac OS X 10.5.4 or later in
adding or reducing visual clarity; two white- and black-balancing; and support for Final Cut Express 4.0 or later; it is available
animate-able Power Masks; highlight recov- the Tangent Wave control surface. now for $79.
ery, which intelligently rebuilds blown-out Color Finesse 3.0 is compatible with For additional information, visit
highlight detail; and eight channels of Hue, both Intel- and PowerPC-based Mac www.lockandloadexpress.com. ●
Saturation and Luminance control across systems running Mac OS X 10.5 or later. For

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Classifieds Advertiser’s Index
RATES 16x9, Inc. 102 Eastman Kodak 25, C4 Rosco Laboratories, Inc. 63
All classifications are $4.50 per word. Words set in bold face or Abel Cine Tech 55 Film Gear 45 Schneider Optics 2
all capitals are $5.00 per word. First word of ad and advertiser’s AC 1, 111 Filmtools 91 Shelton Communications
name can be set in capitals without extra charge. N o agency
commission or discounts on clas si fied advertising. PAYMENTMUST
Aja Video Systems, Inc. C3 Five Towns College 91 102
AC COM PA NYORDER. VISA, Mastercard, AmEx and Discover card are Alan Gordon Enterprises 102 FTC West 103 Sony Pictures Classics 29
ac cept ed. Send ad to Clas si fied Ad ver tis ing, Amer i can Cin e - Arri 37 Fujji Motion Picture Sony Pictures Entertainment
ma tog ra pher, P.O. Box 2230, Hol ly wood, CA 90078. Or FAX AZGrip 102 32a-d 19
(323) 876-4973. Dead line for payment and copy must be in the Stanton Video Services 95
office by 15th of second month preceding pub li ca tion. Sub ject mat - Backstage Equipment, Inc. Gekko Technologies 75
ter is lim it ed to items and ser vic es per tain ing to film mak ing and vid - 6 Gemini 3D Camera, LLC 4 Super16 Inc. 103
eo pro duc tion. Words used are sub ject to mag a zine style Band Pro Film & Digital Glidecam Industries 27 Sylvania 41, 43
Min i mum amount per ad: $45
ab bre vi a tion.
103 Hollywood Post Alliance 99 Technicolor 48-49
Bron Imaging Group - US 28 Technocrane 6
CLASSIFIEDS ON-LINE Burrell Enterprises 102 Innoventive Software 95
Interlochen Center for VF Gadgets, Inc. 102
Ads may now also be placed in the on-line Classifieds Camera Essentials 103 Visual Products 73
at the ASC web site.
the Arts 73
Canon USA 21 Vitec Group, The 6
Internet ads are seen around the world at the same Cavision Enterprises 71 JMR Electronics Inc., 69
great rate as in print, or for slightly more you can Warner Bros. Pictures
appear both online and in print.
Chapman/Leonard Studio K5600 67 5, 9, 13, 17
For more information please visit Equipment Inc. 85 Kino Flo 47 Welch Integrated 93
www.theasc.com/advertiser, or e-mail: Chapman University 97 Kobold 28 Willy’s Widgets 102
classifieds@theasc.com. Chemical Wedding 89, 101 www.theasc.com 86, 99,
Cinematography Laffoux Solutions, Inc. 102
111
Electronics 91 Movie Tech AG 103
EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Cinekinetic 102 M. M. Mukhi and Sons 103 Zacuto Films 103
Cinerover 103
SONY PMW-EX1 Camcorder XDCAMX Complete Package, New York Film Academy 81
used less than 20 hours. MustSell. 305-302-1057 Cinevate 57
Clairmont Film & Digital 83 O’Connor 6
USED EQUIPMEN T. PRO VIDEO & FILM EQUIPMEN T Codex Digital Ltd., 39 Oppenheimer Camera Prod.
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Cooke Optics 23, 59 102
Arri 435ES very complete package plus 18-100 Zoom lens, Arri
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Denecke 103 Panther Gmbh 46
USED EQUIPMEN T. PRO VIDEO & FILM EQUIPMEN T Paramount Studios
Duclos Lenses 97
COMPAN Y. (888) 869-9998, providfilm@aol.com.
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5659.

American Cinematographer 2010 Index
Compiled by Christopher Probst
Indexed by Author, Cinematographer, Format, Subject and Title
2-PERF Prophet, A, March p. 18 Lady Gaga, “Telephone,” Adams, Marshall, March p. 46

Carlos, Nov. p. 42 Shutter Island, March July p. 12 Adefarasin, BSC, Remi, March
3-D p. 30 Pacific, The, March p. 46 p. 46
“3-D on a Shoestring,” Wall Street: Money 35MM — SUPER 35MM (1.85:1) Alice in Wonderland, April
Oct. p. 24 Never Sleeps, Oct. 127 Hours, Dec. p. 50 p. 32
Alice in Wonderland, p. 42 Alice in Wonderland, Amélie, Aug. p. 16
April p. 32 White Ribbon, The, Jan. April p. 32 American Beauty, Aug.
“Assimilate, Telairity p. 18 Love and Other Drugs , p. 20
Collaborate for 8-PERF (VISTAVISION) Dec. p. 64 Animal Kingdom, Oct. p. 66
Remote 3-D Post,” Inception, July p. 36 Scott Pilgrim vs. the Arkapaw, Adam, Oct. p. 66
Oct. p. 75 Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Aug. p. 42 ASC CLOSE-UP
Avatar, Jan. p. 32 World, Aug. p. 42 Wolfman, The, Feb. p. 32 Byers, Frank B., Dec. p. 116
Cane Toads: The 16MM — SUPER 16MM 35MM — SUPER 35MM (2.40:1) Cameron, Paul, Feb. p. 96
Conquest 3-D, Black Swan, Dec. p. 30 Animal Kingdom, Oct. Del Ruth, Thomas A., July
April p. 83 Enter the Void, Oct. p. 18 p. 66 p. 88
“Company 3 Brings 3-D Girl With the Dragon Brooklyn’s Finest, April Denault, Jim, Oct. p. 92
Post to Set,” Tattoo, The, May p. 26 Dickson, Billy, Jan. p. 104
Dec. p. 88 p. 56 Burlesque, Dec. p. 76 Elmes, Fred, May p. 88
“Digital Jungle Creates His & Hers, April p. 77 Carlos, Nov. p. 43 Georgevich, Dejan, Sept.
Music-Video Lebanon, April p. 20 Centurion, Sept. p. 74 p. 112
Division,” Dec. p. 88 Life on Earth, May p. 12 Enter the Void, Oct. p. 18 Minsky, Charles, Aug. p. 96
“Fairburn Aligns 3-D Rig,” White Stripes Under Expendables, The, Sept. Ohashi, Rene, April p. 104
Nov. p. 86 Great White Northern p. 50 Papamichael, Phedon, Nov.
Hubble 3-D, April p. 60 Lights, The, June Girl With the Dragon p. 100
“Origami Digital Expands p. 64 Tattoo, The, May Schwartzman, John, June
in New Location,” 35MM — 1.33:1 p. 56 p. 100
Dec. p. 88 Fish Tank, Feb. p. 18 Green Zone, April p. 48 Totino, Salvatore, March
“Rhino Re-Launches as 35MM — 1.85:1 Inception, July p. 26 p. 96
Gravity,” Dec. p. 88 Eat, Pray, Love, Sept. Iron Man 2, May p. 24 Avatar, Jan. p. 32
“Visual Data Debuts 3-D p. 18 Killer Inside Me, The , Baffa, ASC, Christopher,
Workflow,” Oct. p. 74 I Am Love, July p. 50 July p. 22 March p. 46
3-PERF I Love You Phillip Morris, Last Airbender, The, July Bakshi, Benji, May p. 12
127 Hours, Dec. p. 50 Dec. p. 24 p. 40 Barratt, Will, June p. 72
Animal Kingdom, Kids Are All Right, The , Lovely Bones, The, Jan. Bazelli, ASC, Bojan, Aug.
Oct. p. 66 Aug. p. 22 p. 48 p. 56, Dec. p. 76
Boardwalk Empire, Land and Bread, June Micmacs, June p. 52 Bejach, Giora, April p. 20
Sept. p. 34 p. 12 Oceans, May p. 40 Berger, AAC, Christian, Jan.
Brooklyn’s Finest, Milk of Sorrow, The, Prince of Persia: The p. 18
April p. 26 Sept. p. 28 Sands of Time, June BLACK-AND-WHITE
Burlesque, Dec. p. 76 35MM — ANAMORPHIC 2.40:1 p. 42 White Ribbon, The, Jan.
Centurion, Sept. p. 74 Brooklyn’s Finest, April Robin Hood, June p. 30 p. 18
Expendables, The, p. 26 Salt, Aug. p. 28 Black Swan, Dec. pp. 30, 34
Sept. p. 50 Get Low, Aug. p. 68 Secretariat, Nov. p. 30 Black Tulip, Sept. p. 90
Girl With the Dragon Hereafter, Nov. p. 54 Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Boardwalk Empire, Sept.
Tattoo, The, History of Aviation, The, The, Aug. p. 56 p. 34
May p. 56 April p. 14 Shutter Island, March Bowman, Chase, June p. 78
Glee, March p. 52 Inception, July p. 26 p. 30 Boyd, ASC, David, Aug. p. 68
Green Zone, April p. 48 Let Me In, Oct. p. 54 Wall Street 2: Money Braier, Natasha, Sept. p. 28
Imaginarium of Doctor Nowhere Boy, Sept. p. 64 Never Sleeps, Oct. Brooklyn’s Finest, April p. 26
Parnassus, The, NY Export: Opus Jazz , p. 42 Brooks, Alice, Nov. p. 18
Jan. p. 24 March p. 24 65MM Bryan, Chris, Aug. p. 12
Killer Inside Me, The , Suspiria, Feb. p. 68 Hubble 3-D (Imax), April Burlesque, Dec. p. 76
July p. 22 35MM — SUPER 35MM (1.78:1) p. 60 Byers, ASC, Frank B., Dec.
King’s Speech, The, Boardwalk Empire, Sept. Inception, July p. 26 p. 116
Dec. p. 18 p. 34 Shutter Island, March Cady, Patrick, Sept. p. 86
Love and Other Drugs , Glee, March p. 52 p. 30 Cameron, ASC, Paul, Feb.
Dec. p. 64 Hyundai Sonata, Jan. 127 Hours, Dec. p. 50 p. 96
Micmacs, June p. 52 p. 12 Ackroyd, BSC, Barry, April Cane Toads: The Conquest
Oceans, May p. 40 p. 48 3-D, April p. 83
www.theasc.com December 2010 105

Carlos, Nov. p. 43 Première, La, March Tudors, The, July Nowhere Boy, Sept.
Centurion, Sept. p. 74 p. 12 p. 58 p. 64
Chamberlain, Mark, Dec. Social Network, The, What’s in the Box? Oceans, May p. 40
p. 12 Oct. p. 28 Feb. p. 12 Prince of Persia: The
Charlone, ABC, César, Aug. Southern District, White Stripes Under Sands of Time, June
p. 20 April p. 80 Great White p. 42
Chediak, Enrique, Dec. p. 50 Winter’s Bone, June Northern Lights, Prophet, A, March p. 18
Children of Men, Aug. p. 16 p. 16 The, June p. 64 Robin Hood, June p. 30
Christensen, ASC, T.C., Dec. “Working With the DIGITAL INTERMEDIATE Salt, Aug. p. 28
p. 114 Red,” Feb. p. 56 127 Hours, Dec. p. 50 Scott Pilgrim vs. the
City of God, Aug. p. 20 DIGITAL VIDEO Alice in Wonderland, World, Aug. p. 42
Clark, ASC, Curtis, Jan. p. 12, Man Next Door, The, April p. 32 Secretariat, Nov. p. 30
Dec. p. 92 May p. 16 Animal Kingdom, Oct. Sherlock Holmes, Jan.
Cohen, BSC, Danny, Dec. Oath, The, April p. 74 p. 66 p. 60
p. 18 DSLR Avatar, Jan. p. 32 Shutter Island, March
Cohn, Mariano, May p. 16 127 Hours, Dec. p. 50 Black Swan, Dec. p. 30 p. 30
COMMERCIALS Black Swan, Dec. Brooklyn’s Finest, April Social Network, the,
Hyundai Sonata, Jan. p. 30 p. 26 Oct. p. 28
p. 12 House, M.D., July Burlesque, Dec. p. 76 Sorcerer’s Apprentice,
Nokia N8, “Dot,” Dec. p. 72 Carlos, Nov. p. 43 The, Aug. p. 56
p. 12 “How Digital SLRs Centurion, Sept. p. 74 Southern District, April
Quiksilver, Aug. p. 12 Can Change the Eat, Pray, Love, Sept. p. 80
Cronenweth, ASC, Jeff, Aug. Way We Make p. 18 Wall Street 2: Money
p. 18, Oct. p. 28 Movies,” Jan. Enter the Void, Oct. p. 18 Never Sleeps, Oct.
CSI: NY, March p. 46 p. 88 Expendables, The, Sept. p. 42
Dark Knight, The, Aug. p. 18 Lakairomania, Oct. p. 50 White Ribbon, The, Jan.
De Lumen, Paul, April p. 80 p. 12 Fish Tank, Feb. p. 18 p. 18
Deakins, ASC, BSC, Roger, Nokia N8, “Dot,” Dec. Get Low, Aug. p. 68 Winter’s Bone, June
Aug. p. 17 p. 12 Girl With the Dragon p. 16
Debie, AFC, Benoît, Oct. p. 18 Première, La, March Tattoo, The, May Wolfman, The, Feb. p. 32
Del Ruth, ASC, Thomas A., p. 12 p. 56 DIRECTOR INTERVIEWS
July p. 88 Secretariat, Nov. Green Zone, April p. 48 Arnold, Andrea, Feb.
Delbonnel, ASC, AFC, Bruno, p. 30 Harry Brown, June p. 24 p. 18
Aug. p. 16 HIGH-DEFINITION VIDEO Hereafter, Nov. p. 54 Aronofsky, Darren, Dec.
Denault, ASC, Jim, Jan. “3-D on a Shoe- His & Hers, April p. 77 p. 34
p. 102, Oct. p. 92 string,” Oct. p. 24 History of Aviation, The, Audiard, Jacques, March
Deschanel, ASC, Caleb, Jan. Alice in Wonderland, April p. 14 p. 18
p. 72 April p. 32 Hubble 3-D, April p. 60 Bell, Diane, April p. 72
Dickson, ASC, Billy, Jan. Arri Alexa Demo, I Love You Phillip Morris, Boyle, Danny, Dec. p. 50
p. 104 Sept. p. 12 Dec. p. 24 Burton, Tim, April p. 32
DIGITAL CINEMATOGRAPHY Avatar, Jan. p. 32 Imaginarium of Doctor Cassaday, John, Feb.
2K CAPTURE CSI: NY, March p. 46 Parnassus, The, Jan. p. 26
127 Hours, Dec. p. 50 Dollhouse, Feb. p. 24 p. 24 Chu, Jon M., Nov. p. 18
Cane Toads: The Harry Brown, June Inception, July p. 26 Cluzaud, Jacques, May
Conquest 3-D, p. 24 Iron Man 2, May p. 24 p. 40
April p. 83 Hubble 3-D, April Kids Are All Right, The , Cohn, Mariano, May
4KC APTURE p. 60 Aug. p. 22 p. 16
Alice in Wonderland, Inception, July p. 26 Killer Inside Me, The , Duprat, Gaston, May
April p. 32 Lie to Me, July p. 16 July p. 22 p. 16
Black Tulip, Sept. p. 90 Lovely Bones, The, King’s Speech, The, Dec. Edwards, Gareth, Nov.
Deftones, The, Jan. p. 48 p. 18 p. 24
“Sextape,” Nov. Monsters, Nov. p. 24 Last Airbender, The, July Evans, Ty, Oct. p. 12
p. 12 Mother and Child, p. 40 Favreau, Jon, May p. 24
Hereafter, Nov. p. 54 May p. 50 Lebanon, April p. 20 Fincher, David, Oct. p. 28
Lakairomania, Oct. Oceans, May p. 40 Let Me In, Oct. p. 54 Forrest, Zak, Nov. p. 12
p. 12 Quiksilver commer- Lottery Ticket, Sept. p. 86 Gilliam, Terry, Jan. p. 24
Lebanon, April p. 20 cial, Aug. p. 12 Love and Other Drugs , Granik, Debra, June
Legion of Extraordinary Scott Pilgrim vs. the Dec. p. 64 p. 16
Dancers, The, Nov. World, Aug. p. 42 Lovely Bones, The, Jan. Greengrass, Paul, April
p. 18 Secretariat, Nov. p. 48 p. 48
Lovely Bones, The, p. 30 Man Next Door, The, Guadagnino, Luca, July
Jan. p. 48 Sherlock Holmes, May p. 16 p. 50
Mother and Child, Jan. p. 60 Micmacs, June p. 52 Jackson, Peter, Jan. p. 48
May p. 50 Shutter Island, Mother and Child, May Jeunet, Jean-Pierre, June
Obselidia, April p. 72 March p. 30 p. 50 p. 52

Kenyeres, Balint, April Dunning, Giles, June p. 64 Hall, ASC, Conrad L., Aug. Kress, DFF, Eric, May p. 56
p. 14 Duprat, Gaston, May p. 16 p. 20 Lakairomania, Oct. p. 12
Liebenguth, Chad, Nov. Eat, Pray, Love, Sept. p. 18 Harry Brown, June p. 24 Land and Bread, June p. 12
p. 12 Edwards, Gareth, Nov. p. 24 Hereafter, Nov. p. 54 Last Airbender, The, July
Lipes, Jody Lee, March Ekberg, Par, July p. 12 Heuzey, René, May p. 40 p. 40
p. 24 Elmes, ASC, Fred, May p. 88 His & Hers, April p. 77 Lavelle, Michael, April p. 77
Lewis, Mark, April p. 83 Elswit, ASC, Robert, Aug. HISTORICALS Le Saux, Yorick, July p. 50,
Malloy, Emmett, June pp. 17, 28 Suspiria, Feb. p. 68 Nov. p. 43
p. 64 Enter the Void, Oct. p. 18 History of Aviation, The, Lebanon, April p. 20
Maoz, Samuel, April Erdely, Matyas, April p. 14 April p. 14 Legion of Extraordinary
p. 20 Expendables, The, Sept. Houghton, ASC, Tom, Feb. Dancers, The, Nov. p. 18
Morgan, Curt, Aug. p. 12 p. 50 p. 94, Nov. p. 98 Lenoir, ASC, AFC, Denis, Nov.
Newell, Mike, June p. 42 Fairburn, Sean, Nov. p. 86 House, M.D., July p. 72 p. 43
Noé, Gaspar, Oct. p. 18 Faster, Dec. p. 94 Hubble 3-D, April pp. 60, 68 Lesnie, ASC, ACS, Andrew,
Nolan, Christopher, July Fierberg, ASC, Steven, Aug. Hurlbut, ASC, Shane, Jan. Jan. p. 48, July p. 40
p. 26 p. 80, Dec. p. 64 p. 88 Let Me In, Oct. p. 54
Oplev, Niels Arden, May Fight Club, Aug. p. 18 Hyundai Sonata commercial, Libatique, ASC, Matthew,
p. 56 FILMMAKERS’ FORUM Jan. p. 12 May p. 24, Dec. p. 30
Patterson, Ed, Dec. p. 12 “Capturing an Episodic I Am Love, July p. 50 Lie to Me, July p. 16
Poitras, Laura, April p. 74 Drama With a DSLR,” I Love You Phillip Morris, Liebenguth, Chad, Nov. p. 12
Polanski, Roman, Nov. July p. 72 Dec. p. 24 Life on Earth, May p. 12
p. 74 “Consider ‘Red’ Another Imaginarium of Doctor LIGHTING DIAGRAMS
Reeves, Matt, Oct. p. 54 Paint in Your Palette,” Parnassus, The, Jan. Avatar, Jan. p. 32
Regalbuto, Michael, Aug. p. 80 p. 24 Boardwalk Empire, Sept.
March p. 12 “How Digital SLRs Can IMAX p. 34
Regalbuto, Nick, March Change the Way We Hubble 3-D, April p. 60 Burlesque, Dec. p. 76
p. 12 Make Movies,” Jan. In the Gravest Extreme , Inception, July p. 26
Ritchie, Guy, Jan. p. 60 p. 88 Oct. p. 24 Iron Man 2, May p. 24
Schneider, ASC, Aaron, “Shooting Black Tulip in Inception, July pp. 26, 30 Première, La, March p. 12
Aug. p. 68 Afghanistan,” Sept. IN MEMORIA Prince of Persia: The
Shyamalan, M. Night, p. 90 Fraker, ASC, BSC, Sands of Time, June
July p. 40 “Strengthening Crucial William A., Nov. p. 64 p. 42
Smit, Tim, Feb. p. 12 Ties With Collabora- Malkames, ASC, Karl, Social Network, The, Oct.
Stallone, Sylvester, Sept. tors,” April p. 88 July p. 86 p. 28
p. 50 “The Rubber Hits the Martinelli, ASC, Vincent, Sorcerer’s Apprentice,
Stone, Oliver, Oct. p. 46 Road on Faster,” Dec. July p. 86 The, Aug. p. 56
Studd, Will, Dec. p. 12 p. 94 Reshovsky, ASC, Marc, Wolfman, The, Feb. p. 32
Valdivia, Juan Carlos, Fiore, ASC, Mauro, Jan. Feb. p. 92 Lipes, Jody Lee, March p. 24
April p. 80 p. 32 INSTRUCTIONAL Londono, Mateo, Nov. p. 82
Wallace, Randall, Nov. Fish Tank, Feb. p. 18 “Creating a Virtual New Lottery Ticket, Sept. p. 86
p. 30 Flinn, ASC, John C., March York for 24,” May Love and Other Drugs ,
Winterbottom, Michael, p. 62 p. 74 Dec. p. 64
July p. 22 Fontaine, AFC, Stéphane, “Fairburn Aligns 3-D Lovely Bones, The, Jan.
Zwick, Ed, Dec. p. 64 March p. 18 Rig,” Nov. p. 86 p. 48
DOCUMENTARIES Forrest, Zak, Nov. p. 12 “Sebaldt Explains Coved Lubezki, ASC, AMC,
Cane Toads: The Fraker, ASC, BSC, William A., Bounce,” Nov. p. 86 Emmanuel, Aug. p. 16
Conquest 3-D, April Nov. p. 64 “Using Red’s False Malkames, ASC, Karl, July
p. 83 Fraser, Greig, Oct. p. 54 Color,” June p. 78 p. 86
His & Hers, April p. 77 Freeman, ASC, Jonathan, “Working With the Red,” Man Next Door, The, May
Hubble 3-D, April p. 60 Sept. p. 34, Dec. p. 114 Feb. p. 56 p. 16
Oath, The, April p. 74 Frozen, June p. 72 Iron Man 2, May pp. 24, 32 Martinelli, ASC, Vincent, July
Oceans, May p. 40 Gallagher, Joe, July p. 16 Jadue-Lillo, Igor, Aug. p. 22 p. 86
White Stripes Under Georgevich, ASC, Dejan, Johnson, ASC, Shelly, Feb. Mathieson, BSC, John, June
Great White Northern Sept. p. 112 p. 32 p. 30
Lights, The, June Get Low, Aug. p. 68 Johnson, Kirsten, April p. 74 McCullough, Kate, April p. 77
p. 64 Girl With the Dragon Kaminski, Janusz, Aug. p. 17 McCurdy, BSC, Sam, Sept.
Dod Mantle, BSC, DFF, Tattoo, The, May p. 56 Kids Are All Right, The , p. 74
Anthony, Dec. p. 50 Glee, March p. 46 Aug. p. 22 McDonough, Michael, June
Dollhouse, Feb. pp. 24, 26 Goi, ASC, Michael, April Killer Inside Me, The , July p. 16
“Dot,” Nokia N8,Dec. p. 12 p. 88 p. 22 McFarland, David, Sept. p. 90
Drion,Luc, May p. 40 Grady, Michael, Dec. p. 94 Kimball, ASC, Jeffrey L., McGarvey, ASC, BSC,
Dryburgh, ASC, Stuart, Sept. Green Zone, April p. 48 Sept. p. 50 Seamus, Sept. p. 64
p. 34 Grobet, ASC, AMC, Xavier King’s Speech, The, Dec. Medencevic, ASC, Suki,
Du Pont, ASC, Lex, Feb. p. 94 Pérez, May p. 50, Dec. p. 18 May p. 87
p. 24 Klein, ASC, David, Feb. p. 94

Menges, ASC, BSC, Chris, No Country for Old Men , “New Hat Finishes Miss Secretariat, Nov. p. 30
Feb. p. 46 Aug. p. 17 Nobody,” Nov. p. 82 Semler, ASC, ACS, Dean,
Micmacs, June p. 52 Nowhere Boy, Sept. p. 64 “Oasis Imagery Opens Nov. p. 30
Milk of Sorrow, The, Sept. NY Export: Opus Jazz , Hollywood Facility,“ “Sextape,” The Deftones,
p. 28 March p. 24 Oct. p. 73 Nov. p. 12
Milliss, Kathryn, April p. 83 Oath, The, April p. 74 “Offhollywood’s Digital Shannon, Garrett, May p. 12
Minsky, ASC, Charles, Aug. Obselidia, April p. 72 Perspective,” Feb. Sherlock Holmes, Jan.
p. 96 Oceans, May p. 40 p. 78 p. 60
Miranda, ASC, Claudio, July Ohashi, ASC, CSC, Rene, “Pro8mm Adds 4:4:4 Shulkind, Andrew, Oct. p. 24
p. 87 April p. 104 Workflows,” Aug. Shutter Island, March
Miss Nobody, Nov. p. 82 Oliver, ACS, Toby, April p. 83 p. 78 pp. 30, 78
Monsters, Nov. p. 24 Pacific, The, March p. 46 “Restoring Fassbinder’s Sidell, Sidney, July p. 16
Morgenthau, ASC, Kramer, Papamichael, ASC, Phedon, World on a Wire,” Smit, Tim, Feb. p. 12
Sept. p. 34 Nov. p. 100 July p. 68 Social Network, The, Oct.
Mother and Child, May Parnell, Feliks, March p. 46 “True Blood Workflow p. 28
p. 50 Patterson, Chris, July p. 30 Becomes File-Based,” Sorcerer’s Apprentice,
Mulligan, Zak, April p. 72 Pecorini, Nicola, Jan. p. 24 Aug. p. 76 The, Aug. p. 56
Murguia, AMC, Patrick, April Pfister, ASC, Wally, July “VCL Builds Home in Southern District, April
p. 26 p. 26, Aug. p. 18 Hollywood,” March p. 80
MUSIC VIDEOS Poitras, Laura, April p. 74 p. 79 SPECIAL LAB PROCESSES
Deftones, The, Pope, ASC, Bill, Aug. p. 42 “Visual Data Debuts 3-D Get Low, Aug. p. 68
“Sextape,” Nov. p. 12 POST FOCUS Workflow,” Oct. p. 74 Suspiria, Feb. p. 68
Lady Gaga, “Telephone,” “A Star is Born Restora- Prèmiere, La, March p. 12 SPECIALIZED CINEMATOGRAPHY
July p. 12 tion Starts With 8K PRESERVATION/RESTORATION Avatar, Jan. p. 32
Nagata, AFC, Tetsuo, June Scan,” May p. 72 Star is Born, A , May Cane Toads: The
p. 52 “Adding Chills to Frozen,” p. 72 Conquest 3-D, April
Negrin, ASC, Sol, March June p. 72 World on a Wire, July p. 83
p. 72 “ADS Advances a Differ- p. 68 Hubble 3-D, April p. 60
Neihouse, James, April p. 60 ent Side of Post,” Prieto, ASC, AMC, Rodrigo, Star is Born, A, May p. 72
NEW ASC ASSOCIATES Oct. p. 72 Oct. p. 42 Stern, ASC, AFC, Tom,
Bianco, Robert, March “Assimilate, Telairity Prince of Persia: The Nov. p. 54
p. 94 Collaborate for Sands of Time, June Stump, ASC, David, Dec.
Condon, Michael, July Remote 3-D Post,” p. 42 p. 92
p. 87 Oct. p. 75 Probst, Christopher, Feb. Suspiria, Feb. p. 68
Karahadian, Marker, “Autodesk Unveils 2011 p. 56 Tattersall, Gale, July p. 72
March p. 94 Lineup,” June p. 74 Prophet, A, March p. 18 Taylor, ASC, Jonathan, May
Kucinsky, Chuck, Oct. “Cinemascan Streamlines Quiksilver commercial, p. 32
p. 90 Shutter Island,” Aug. p. 12 ”Telephone,” Lady Gaga,
Leighton, Doug, April March p. 78 Rawi, BSC, CSC, Ousama, July p. 12
p. 102 “Cinesite Expands with July p. 58 TELEVISION
Lukk, Howard, Jan. p. 102 Nuke,” Aug. p. 78 Reshovsky, ASC, Marc, Feb. ASC Career Achievement
McDonald, William, “Company 3 Brings 3-D p. 92 in TV Award, March
March p. 94 Post to Set,” Dec. Richardson, ASC, Robert, p. 62
Snyder, Kim, Nov. p. 98 p. 88 March p. 30, Sept. p. 18 Boardwalk Empire, Sept.
Tiffen, Steven, Dec. “Creating Summer Sizzle Ritzema, Marc, Oct. p. 12 p. 34
p. 114 for Lottery Ticket,” Road to Perdition, Aug. CSI: NY, March p. 58
NEW ASC MEMBERS Sept. p. 86 p. 20 Dollhouse, Feb. p. 24
Christensen, T.C., Dec. “Electric Picture Solutions Robin Hood, June p. 30 Emmy Nominees, Nov.
p. 114 Opens Santa Monica Ros, Philippe, May p. 40 p. 80
Denault, Jim, Jan. p. 102 Facility,” March p. 80 Rousselot, ASC, AFC, Glee, March p. 52
Du Pont, Lex, Feb. p. 94 “FilmLight Offers Low- Philippe, Jan. p. 60 Lie to Me, July p. 16
Freeman, Jonathan, Dec. Cost Baselight, Ruhe, Martin, June p. 24 NY Export: Opus Jazz ,
p. 114 Streamlines HDCam- Ryan, BSC, Robbie, Feb. March p. 24
Houghton, Tom, Feb. SR Workflow,” June p. 18 Pacific, The, March p. 46
p. 94 p. 76 Salt, Aug. p. 28 Tudors, The, July p. 58
Klein, David, Feb. p. 94 “HPA Honors Post Profes- Sarfati, Isi, June p. 12 There Will Be Blood , Aug.
Medencevic, Suki, May sionals,” Jan. p. 86 Saving Private Ryan, Aug. p. 17
p. 87 “Inside Technicolor’s New p. 17 Totino, ASC, Salvatore,
Miranda, Claudio, July Hub,” Jan. p. 84 Schwartzman, ASC, John, March p. 96
p. 87 “LightIron Commits to June p. 100 Tovoli, ASC, AIC, Luciano,
Parker, Larry (Honorary), File-Based Post,” Scott Pilgrim vs. the Feb. p. 68, May p. 40
April p. 102 March p. 78 World, Aug. p. 42 Tudors, The, July p. 58
Nichola, Paul, April p. 83 “MTI Film Automates Seale, ASC, ACS, John, VISUAL EFFECTS
Nicholson, ASC, Sam, Sept. Hollywood Facility June p. 42 24, May p. 74
p. 12 with ContentAgent,” Sebaldt, ASC, Christian, Nov. Alice in Wonderland,
Aug. p. 78 p. 86 April p. 32

Avatar, Jan. p. 32 “Aaton Introduces Pene- “Inside Technicolor’s Hope-Jones, Mark
Frozen, June p. 72 lope-Delta,” June New Hub,” Jan. p. 84 “A Beatle’s Upbringing,”
Hereafter, Nov. p. 54 p. 80 “Redesigning Doll- Sept. p. 64
Iron Man 2, May. p. 24 “Arri Unveils Alexa house,” Feb. p. 24 “An American’s Spiritual
Monsters, Nov. p. 24 Prototype,” April “Romantic Chemistry,” Journey,” Sept. p. 18
Nokia N8, “Dot,” Dec. p. 92 Dec. p. 64 “Artistry and Conscience,
p. 12 “Camerimage’s Golden “True Blood Workflow Feb. p. 46
Salt, Aug. p. 28 Lebanon,” April p. 20 Becomes File-Based,” “England’s Dirty Harry,”
Scott Pilgrim vs. the “Contemplating a Color- Aug. p. 76 June p. 24
World, Aug. p. 42 ful Afterlife,” Oct. “True Colors,” Aug. p. 68 “Slings and Arrows,”
Sherlock Holmes, Jan. p. 18 “War Horses,” Sept. June p. 30
p. 60 “Super Sleuth,” Jan. p. 50 “Up Against It,” Dec.
“Strengthening Crucial p. 60 “With Friends Like p. 50
Ties With Collabora- “The World’s Most These …,” Oct. p. 28 “Weapons of Decep-
tors,” April p. 88 Wanted Man,” Nov. Gollish, Joshua tion,” April p. 48
What’s in the Box? Feb. p. 43 “Home-Screen Hits,” Hurlbut, ASC, Shane
p. 12 “Very French Revenge,” March p. 46 “How Digital SLRs Can
Wall Street: Money June p. 52 Grady, Michael Change the Way We
Never Sleeps, Oct. “Wonders of the Sea,” “The Rubber Hits the Make Movies,” Jan.
pp. 42, 46 May p. 40 Road on Faster,” Dec. p. 88
WEB PRODUCTIONS Birchard, Robert S. p. 94 Johnson, ASC, Shelly
Nokia N8, “Dot,” Dec. “A Star is Born Restora- Gray, Simon “Bad Moon Rising,” Feb.
p. 12 tion Starts with 8K “Elements of Power,” p. 32
Legion of Extraordinary Scan,” May p. 72 July p. 40 Kadner, Noah
Dancers, The, Nov. Bosley, Rachael K. “Sundance 2010: “A Window into the
p. 18 “AC Poll Names 10 Best- Expanded Palettes,” Soul,” May p. 16
What’s in the Box? Feb. Shot Films of 1998- April p. 80 “Brain Farm Makes
p. 12 2008,” Aug. p. 16 “Watchful Spirit,” Jan. Waves with Quiksil-
What’s in the Box? Feb. “Lost and Found Fami- p. 48 ver Campaign,” Aug.
p. 12 lies,” May p. 50 “Welcome to the p. 12
White Ribbon, The, Jan. Calhoun, John Jungle,” Oct. p. 66 “Girl Trouble,” Aug. p. 42
p. 18 “The Return of Jerome Heuring, David Manders, Stanley
White Stripes Under Robbins,” March “A Daring Romance,” “Terror in Technicolor,”
Great White Northern p. 24 Dec. p. 24 Feb. p. 68
Lights, The, June p. 64 Clark, ASC, Curtis “A Magical Manhattan,” “Romans on the Run,”
Wiegand, Lisa, Feb. p. 24 “Launching the 2011 Aug. p. 56 Sept. p. 74
Windon, ACS, Stephen, Hyundai Sonata,” “Bakshi, Shannon Win McFarland, David
March p. 46 Jan. p. 12 ASC Richard Moore “Shooting Black Tulip in
Winter’s Bone, June p. 16 Crudo, ASC, Richard P. Heritage Awards,” Afghanistan,” Sept.
Wise, Matt, March p. 12 “A Personal Remem- May p. 12 p. 90
Wolfman, The, Feb. p. 32 brance,” Nov. p. 66 “Dream Thieves,” July Oppenheimer, Jean
Wolski, ASC, Dariusz, April Frankel, David p. 26 “A Contemporary
p. 32 “A Lawman Gone “Home-Screen Hits,” Comedy,” Aug. p. 22
Zyskind, Marcel, July p. 22 Wrong,” July p. 22 March p. 46 “An Emotional Transfor-
Goi, ASC, Michael “Land and Bread Shines mation in Peru,”
Index by Author President’s Desk: on the Festival Sept. p. 28
Argy, Stephanie Jan. p. 10, Feb. p. 10, Circuit,” June p. 12 “Dark Secrets,” May
”Strengthening Crucial March p. 10, April “Saluting an Industry p. 56
Ties With Collabora- p. 10, May p. 10, Stalwart,” March “A Future King Finds His
tors,” April p. 88 June p. 10, July p. 72 Voice,” Dec. p. 18
Aronofsky, Darren p. 10, Aug. p. 10, “Skiing into the Action,” “Home-Screen Hits,”
“Directing Black Swan,” Sept. p. 10, Oct. July p. 30 March p. 46
Dec. p. 34 p. 10, Nov. p. 10, Holben, Jay “Lethal Dance Moves,”
Bankston, Douglas Dec. p. 10 “3-D on a Shoestring,” Nov. p. 18
“A Passion for His Craft,” Goldman, Michael Oct. p. 24 “Police Under Pressure,”
March p. 62 “A Modern Romance,” “Academy Salutes Sci- April p. 26
“Creating a Virtual New Nov. p. 54 Tech Achievements,” “Rural Terrorism,” Jan.
York for 24,” May “Adding Chills to May p. 20 p. 18
p. 74 Frozen,” June p. 72 “Conquering New “Telltale Tics,” July p. 16
“Fairburn Aligns 3-D “Crowning Achieve- Worlds,” Jan. p. 32 Pizzello, Stephen
Rig,” Nov. p. 86 ments,” July p. 58 “Filmmakers in Orbit,” “Danse Macabre,” Dec.
“Sebaldt Explains Coved “Desert Storm,” June April p. 68 p. 30
Bounce,” Nov. p. 86 p. 42 “The Final Frontier in 3 “King of Cool,” Nov. p. 64
Bergery, Benjamin “Down the Rabbit Hole,” Dimensions,” April Probst, Christopher
“A Self-Made Man,” April p. 32 p. 60 “Working With the Red,”
March p. 18 Feb. p. 56

Silberg, Jon Wakelin, Simon
STATEMENTOF OWNERSHIP, “The Right Stuff,” Jan. “New Hat Finishes Miss
MANAGEMENTAND CIRCULATION p. 72 Nobody,” Nov. p. 82
Stasukevich, Iain “Company 3 Brings 3-D
Title of publication: “A Big-City Dream,” Dec. Post to Set,” Dec.
AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER p. 76 p. 88
Publication no. 0002-7928 “A Blazing Skate Video,” “3-D, New Camera
Oct. p. 12 Assessments on
Date of filing: October 12, 2010 “Aardman Animates With Technology Commit-
Frequency of issue: Monthly Nokia’s N8,” Dec. tee’s Agenda,” Dec.
Annual subscription price: $50 p. 12 p. 92
Number of issues published annually: 12 “An Anamorphic History Walla, Claire
of Aviation,” April “Offhollywood’s Digital
Location of known office of publication: p. 14 Perspective,” Feb.
1782 N. Orange Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90028. “Bloody Valentine,” Oct. p. 78
Location of the headquarters or general business offices of the p. 54 “Using Red’s False
publishers: Same as above. “Cat and Mouse,” Aug. Color,” June p. 78
Names and address of publisher: ASC Holding Corp., 1782 N. Orange p. 28 Witmer, Jon D.
Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90028; Publisher, Martha Winterhalter, Executive “Crafting What’s in the “ADS Advances a Differ-
Editor, Stephen Pizzello, 1782 N. Orange Dr., Hollywood, CA 90028. Owner: Box? ” Feb. p. 12 ent Side of Post,”
ASC Holding Corp. “Creating an Underwater Oct. p. 72
Dreamscape for “Armor Wars,” May
Known bondholders, mortgages, and other security holders owning ‘Sextape,’” Nov. p. 12 p. 24
or holding 1 per cent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or “Creating Summer Sizzle “Cassaday Imprints ‘The
other securities: same as above. for Lottery Ticket,” Attic,’” Feb. p. 26
Extent and nature of circulation: Total numbers of copies printed (net Sept. p. 86 “Creature Feature,” Nov.
press run): average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 “Dramatizing Cinema p. 24
months, 34,833; actual number copies of single issue published nearest to History,” March p. 12 In Memoria: Feb. p. 92,
filing date, 33,000. “Painting Towns White,” July p. 86
Paid and/or requested circulation: Paid/Requested Outside-County Mail June p. 64 “Primetime Artistry,”
Subscriptions stated on Form 3541: average number of copies each issue “Restoring Fassbinder’s Nov. p. 80
during preceding 12 months, 24,110; actual number of copies of single issue World on a Wire,” “Sundance 2010:
published nearest to filing date, 23,916. July p. 68 Expanded Palettes,”
“Taking Arri’s Alexa to the April p. 77
Paid and/or requested circulation: Sales through dealers and carriers, World Cup,” Sept. “Taylor Leads 1st-Rate
street vendors and counter sales, and other non-USPS paid distribution: p. 12 2nd Unit,” May p. 32
average number copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 8,099; “’Telephone’Generates “Through the Looking
actual number of copies single issue published nearest to filing date, 6,890. Caged Heat,” July Glass,” Jan. p. 24
Total paid and/or requested circulation: average number copies each p. 12 “Where Cinematography
issue during preceding 12 months, 32,209; actual number copies of single Stone, Oliver Lives,” Sept. p. 82
issue published nearest to filing date, 30,806. “Reflecting on a Creative
Free distribution by mail (samples, complimentary and other free Partnership,” Oct.
copies): average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months, p. 46
2,029; actual number copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, Tattersall, Gale
1,500. “Capturing an Episodic
Total free distributions: average number of copies each issue during Drama With a DSLR,”
preceding 12 months, 2,029; actual number copies of single issue published
July p. 72
nearest to filing date, 1,500.
Thomson, Patricia
“Hard Lessons,” Feb.
Total distribution: average number of copies each issue during preceding p. 18
12 months, 34,238; actual number of copies of single issue published near- “Mind Games,” March
est to filing date, 32,306. p. 30
Copies not distributed (office use, left over, unaccounted, spoiled “Cinemascan Streamlines
after printing): average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 Shutter Island,”
months, 595; actual number of copies of single issue published nearest to March p. 78
filing date, 694. “Sundance 2010:
Total: average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months, Expanded Palettes,”
34,833; actual number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing April pp. 74, 80
date, 33,000. “An Odyssey in the
Ozarks,” June p. 16
Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: average number of copies “An Emotional Rebirth,”
each issue during preceding 12 months, 94%; actual number of copies of July p. 50
single issue published nearest to filing date, 95%. “Mob Money,” Sept.
p. 34
I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete. “Horse Power,” Nov.
— Martha Winterhalter, Publisher p. 30
110
American Society of Cinematographers Roster
OFFICERS – 2009-’10 ACTIVE MEMBERS Roger Deakins Levie Isaacks Don McAlpine
Michael Goi, Thomas Ackerman Jan DeBont Andrew Jackson Don McCuaig
President Lance Acord Thomas Del Ruth Peter James Seamus McGarvey
Lloyd Ahern II Bruno Delbonnel Johnny E. Jensen Robert McLachlan
Richard Crudo, Herbert Alpert Peter Deming Torben Johnke Geary McLeod
Vice President Russ Alsobrook Jim Denault Frank Johnson Greg McMurry
Owen Roizman, Howard A. Anderson III Caleb Deschanel Shelly Johnson Steve McNutt
Vice President Howard A. Anderson Jr. Ron Dexter Jeffrey Jur Terry K. Meade
James Anderson Craig Di Bona William K. Jurgensen Suki Medencevic
John C. Flinn III, George Spiro Dibie Adam Kane Chris Menges
Peter Anderson
Vice President Tony Askins Ernest Dickerson Stephen M. Katz Rexford Metz
Matthew Leonetti, Charles Austin Billy Dickson Ken Kelsch Anastas Michos
Treasurer Christopher Baffa Bill Dill Victor J. Kemper Douglas Milsome
Rodney Taylor, James Bagdonas Stuart Dryburgh Wayne Kennan Dan Mindel
King Baggot Bert Dunk Francis Kenny Charles Minsky
Secretary
John Bailey Lex DuPont Glenn Kershaw Claudio Miranda
Ron Garcia, Michael Ballhaus John Dykstra Darius Khondji George Mooradian
Sergeant-at-Arms Andrzej Bartkowiak Richard Edlund Gary Kibbe Donald A. Morgan
John Bartley Eagle Egilsson Jan Kiesser Donald M. Morgan
MEMBERS Bojan Bazelli Frederick Elmes Jeffrey L. Kimball Kramer Morgenthau
OF THE BOARD Frank Beascoechea Robert Elswit Adam Kimmel M. David Mullen
John Bailey Affonso Beato Geoffrey Erb Alar Kivilo Dennis Muren
Stephen H. Burum Mat Beck Scott Farrar David Klein Fred Murphy
Dion Beebe Jon Fauer Richard Kline Hiro Narita
Curtis Clark
Bill Bennett Don E. FauntLeRoy George Koblasa Guillermo Navarro
George Spiro Dibie Gerald Feil Michael B. Negrin
Andres Berenguer Fred J. Koenekamp
Richard Edlund Carl Berger Steven Fierberg Lajos Koltai Sol Negrin
John C. Flinn III Gabriel Beristain Gerald Perry Finnerman Pete Kozachik Bill Neil
Michael Goi Steven Bernstein Mauro Fiore Neil Krepela Alex Nepomniaschy
Stephen Lighthill Ross Berryman John C. Flinn III Willy Kurant John Newby
Isidore Mankofsky Michael Bonvillain Ron Fortunato Ellen M. Kuras Yuri Neyman
Daryn Okada Richard Bowen Jonathan Freeman George La Fountaine Sam Nicholson
David Boyd Tak Fujimoto Edward Lachman Crescenzo Notarile
Robert Primes
Russell Boyd Alex Funke Ken Lamkin David B. Nowell
Nancy Schreiber Steve Gainer Jacek Laskus Rene Ohashi
Jonathan Brown
Haskell Wexler Don Burgess Ron Garcia Andrew Laszlo Daryn Okada
Kees Van Oostrum Stephen H. Burum Dejan Georgevich Denis Lenoir Thomas Olgeirsson
Vilmos Zsigmond Bill Butler Michael Goi John R. Leonetti Woody Omens
Frank B. Byers Stephen Goldblatt Matthew Leonetti Miroslav Ondricek
ALTERNATES Bobby Byrne Paul Goldsmith Andrew Lesnie Michael D. O’Shea
Antonio Calvache Frederic Goodich Peter Levy Anthony Palmieri
Fred Elmes
Paul Cameron Victor Goss Matthew Libatique Phedon Papamichael
Rodney Taylor Jack Green Charlie Lieberman Daniel Pearl
Russell P. Carpenter
Michael D. O’Shea James L. Carter Adam Greenberg Stephen Lighthill Edward J. Pei
Sol Negrin Alan Caso Robbie Greenberg Karl Walter Lindenlaub James Pergola
Michael B. Negrin Michael Chapman Xavier Perez Grobet John Lindley Don Peterman
Rodney Charters Alexander Gruszynski Robert F. Liu Lowell Peterson
James A. Chressanthis Changwei Gu Walt Lloyd Wally Pfister
T.C. Christensen Rick Gunter Bruce Logan Gene Polito
Joan Churchill Rob Hahn Gordon Lonsdale Bill Pope
Curtis Clark Gerald Hirschfeld Emmanuel Lubezki Steven Poster
Peter L. Collister Henner Hofmann Julio G. Macat Tom Priestley Jr.
Jack Cooperman Adam Holender Glen MacPherson Rodrigo Prieto
Jack Couffer Ernie Holzman Constantine Makris Robert Primes
Vincent G. Cox John C. Hora Denis Maloney Frank Prinzi
Jeff Cronenweth Tom Houghton Isidore Mankofsky Richard Quinlan
Richard Crudo Gil Hubbs Christopher Manley Declan Quinn
Dean R. Cundey Shane Hurlbut Michael D. Margulies Earl Rath
Stefan Czapsky Tom Hurwitz Barry Markowitz Richard Rawlings Jr.
David Darby Judy Irola Steve Mason Frank Raymond
Allen Daviau Mark Irwin Clark Mathis Tami Reiker

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 0
Robert Richardson Kees Van Oostrum Richard Di Bona Michael Morelli Michael Zacharia
Anthony B. Richmond Ron Vargas Kevin Dillon Dash Morrison Bob Zahn
Bill Roe Mark Vargo David Dodson Nolan Murdock Nazir Zaidi
Owen Roizman Amelia Vincent Judith Doherty Dan Muscarella Michael Zakula
Pete Romano William Wages Cyril Drabinsky Iain A. Neil Les Zellan
Charles Rosher Jr. Roy H. Wagner Jesse Dylan Otto Nemenz
Giuseppe Rotunno Ric Waite Jonathan Erland Ernst Nettmann HONORARY MEMBERS
Philippe Rousselot Michael Watkins John Farrand Tony Ngai Col. Edwin E. Al drin Jr.
Juan Ruiz-Anchia Jonathan West Ray Feeney Mickel Niehenke Neil A. Armstrong
Marvin Rush Haskell Wexler William Feightner Marty Oppenheimer Col. Michael Collins
Paul Ryan Jack Whitman Phil Feiner Walt Ordway Bob Fisher
Eric Saarinen Gordon Willis Jimmy Fisher Michael Parker David MacDonald
Alik Sakharov Dariusz Wolski Scott Fleischer Warren Parker Cpt. Bruce McCandless II
Mikael Salomon Ralph Woolsey Thomas Fletcher Doug Pentek Larry Parker
Harris Savides Peter Wunstorf Salvatore Giarratano Kristin Petrovich D. Brian Spruill
Roberto Schaefer Robert Yeoman Richard B. Glickman Ed Phillips
Tobias Schliessler Richard Yuricich John A. Gresch Nick Phillips
Aaron Schneider Jerzy Zielinski Jim Hannafin Jerry Pierce
Nancy Schreiber Vilmos Zsigmond William Hansard Joshua Pines
Fred Schuler Kenneth Zunder Bill Hansard, Jr. Carl Porcello
John Schwartzman Richard Hart Howard Preston
John Seale ASSOCIATE MEMBERS Robert Harvey David Pringle
Christian Sebaldt Alan Albert Charles Herzfeld Phil Radin
Dean Semler Richard Aschman Larry Hezzelwood Christopher Reyna
Eduardo Serra Volker Bahnemann Frieder Hochheim Colin Ritchie
Steven Shaw Kay Baker Bob Hoffman Eric G. Rodli
Richard Shore Joseph J. Ball Vinny Hogan Andy Romanoff
Newton Thomas Sigel Amnon Band Cliff Hsui Daniel Rosen
John Simmons Carly M. Barber Robert C. Hummel Dana Ross
Sandi Sissel Craig Barron Roy Isaia Bill Russell
Bradley B. Six Thomas M. Barron George Joblove Kish Sadhvani
Dennis L. Smith Larry Barton Joel Johnson David Samuelson
Roland “Ozzie” Smith Bob Beitcher John Johnston Peter K. Schnitzler
Reed Smoot Mark Bender Marker Karahadian Walter Schonfeld
Bing Sokolsky Bruce Berke Frank Kay Juergen Schwinzer
Peter Sova Bob Bianco Debbie Kennard Ronald Scott
Dante Spinotti John Bickford Milton Keslow Steven Scott
Terry Stacey Steven A. Blakely Robert Keslow Don Shapiro
Robert Steadman Mitchell Bogdanowicz Larry Kingen Milton R. Shefter
Ueli Steiger Jack Bonura Douglas Kirkland Leon Silverman
Peter Stein Michael Bravin Timothy J. Knapp Garrett Smith
Robert M. Stevens William Brodersen Ron Koch Kimberly Snyder
Tom Stern Garrett Brown Karl Kresser Stefan Sonnenfeld
Rogier Stoffers Ronald D. Burdett Chet Kucinski John L. Sprung
Vittorio Storaro Reid Burns Doug Leighton Joseph N. Tawil
Harry Stradling Jr. Vincent Carabello Lou Levinson Ira Tiffen
David Stump Jim Carter Suzanne Lezotte Steve Tiffen
Tim Suhrstedt Leonard Chapman Grant Loucks Arthur Tostado
Peter Suschitzky Mark Chiolis Howard Lukk Bill Turner
Alfred Taylor Denny Clairmont Andy Maltz Stephan Ukas-Bradley
Jonathan Taylor Adam Clark Steven E. Manios Mark Van Horne
Rodney Taylor Cary Clayton Robert Mastronardi Richard Vetter
William Taylor Michael Condon Joe Matza Joe Violante
Don Thorin Sean Coughlin Albert Mayer, Jr. Dedo Weigert
John Toll Robert B. Creamer Bill McDonald Franz Weiser
Mario Tosi Grover Crisp Andy McIntyre Evans Wetmore
Salvatore Totino Daniel Curry Stan Miller Beverly Wood
Luciano Tovoli Ross Danielson Walter H. Mills Jan Yarbrough
Jost Vacano Carlos D. DeMattos George Milton Hoyt Yeatman
Theo Van de Sande Gary Demos Mike Mimaki Irwin M. Young
Eric Van Haren Noman Mato Der Avannesian Rami Mina

Clubhouse News
Christensen, Freeman Tiffen Becomes Associate
Join Society Steven Tiffen, chairman, president
T.C. Christensen and Jonathan and CEO of The Tiffen Co., has joined the
Freeman have joined the Society as active ASC as an associate member. After earning
members. a bachelor’s degree in political science from
Hailing from Salt Lake City, Utah, George Washington University, he joined
T.C. Christensen, ASC credits a childhood the family business in 1982 with a focus on
crush on actress Hayley Mills for his desire to improving operations and manufacturing.
get behind a camera. He started making He was named president and CEO of Tiffen
films when he was 12, and despite a high- in 1987, and since then he has overseen a
school aptitude test that declared he would host of product developments. During his
make an excellent candy wrapper, Chris- tenure at Tiffen, the company’s technical
tensen went on to attend the University of achievements have earned two Academy
Utah and Brigham Young University, earn- Awards, an Emmy Award and an SOC
ing a bachelor’s degree in communications award.
with an emphasis on cinematography. Tiffen is a member of the board of
Christensen has distinguished directors of the Photographic Manufactur-
himself with shorts and features for screens ers & Distributors Association, and chair-
large and small in a variety of formats, man of the Digital Imaging Division of the
including Imax and 3-D. His large-format Consumer Electronics Association.
credits include Sea Monsters, Roving Mars,
Lewis & Clark and Olympic Glory . Other Lighthill, Romanoff,
credits include The Jerk Theory , Forever Fisher Earn Honors
Strong and The Work and the Glory . Addi- The International Cinematographers
tionally, he has earned directing credits on Guild recently presented awards to
such projects as Emma Smith: My Story (co- Stephen Lighthill, ASC ; ASC associate
directed with Gary Cook), The Penny member Andy Romanoff ; and ASC
Promise (co-directed with Timothy J. honorary member Bob Fisher . Lighthill
Nelson) and Bug Off! received the Deluxe/Bud Stone Award for
Photo of ASC clubhouse by Isidore Mankofsky, ASC; LIghting by Donald M. Morgan, ASC.
Born in Toronto, Ontario, Jonathan his educational contributions to the art and
Freeman, ASC was introduced to the craft of cinematography; Romanoff
powerful effects of light and shadow at an received the Kodak Award for mentoring
early age by his mother, a painter. It was young cinematographers; and Fisher
Star Wars that prompted Freeman to paint received the Technicolor/William A. Fraker
with light and pursue a career behind the Award for his journalistic contributions to
camera. He earned a bachelor’s degree in the field.
film production from Concordia University
in Montreal, and he cut his professional Couffer Tells All
teeth on low-budget dramas and science- BearManor Media recently pub-
From top: fiction pictures. lished Jack Couffer, ASC ’s memoir, The
T.C. Christensen,
ASC; Jonathan Since then, he has earned credits on Lion and the Giraffe: A Naturalist’s Life in
Freeman, ASC; such series as Rome, Damages and Sons of the Movie Business . The book chronicles
associate member Anarchy, and features such as The Prize the Oscar-nominated cinematographer’s
Steven Tiffen;
the cover of Winner of Defiance, Ohio ; Hollywoodland, globe-spanning journey through the ardu-
Jack Couffer, ASC’s and Remember Me. Freeman earned ASC ous terrain of the motion-picture industry,
recently published Award nominations for his work on Prince with accounts of his experiences working
memoir.
Street, Strange Justice , Taken and Home- on Disney’s True Life Adventures and The
land Security, winning for the latter. Wonderful World of Disney, as well as such
features as Jonathan Livingston Seagull,

Out of Africa and Sheena, Queen of the
Jungle. Couffer pulls back the curtain to
reveal each project’s personal and artistic
challenges, triumphs, conflicts and set-
backs, always in entertaining detail.
To read AC’s review of the book,
visit www.theasc.com/book_reviews/Octo
ber2010/index.php.
ASC at DV Expo
ASC members presented two
master classes in lighting during the recent
DV Expo in Pasadena, Calif. Moderated by
George Spiro Dibie, ASC , both classes
were filled to capacity with attendees eager
to learn from James L. Carter , David
Darby, Mark Irwin, Peter Levy, Isidore
Mankofsky, Rexford Metz , Yuri
Neyman and Anthony Palmieri . The
panelists each screened footage and fielded
wide-ranging questions about their
approaches to lighting and camerawork.
Answering a question about motivating
lighting, Levy quipped, “Backlight comes
from the same place the music comes
from,” and Mankofsky stressed, “There’s
no formula for lighting.” Dibie imparted
such rules of thumb as “always smell good
on the set.”
Metz and fellow Society members
Bill Bennett, Eagle Egilsson and George
Mooradian joined Robert Orlando of The
Tiffen Co. and Bob Zupca of Schneider
Optics for “Camera Filtration for Cine-
matography,” a panel discussion presented
by the Digital Cinema Society. Cinematog-
rapher and DCS President James Mathers
moderated the discussion, which included
From top: (From left)
tips for using lens filtration. ASC members Peter
Levy, James L. Carter,
Pearl Visits Mexico City George Spiro Dibie,
Mark Irwin, Isidore
Sponsored by rental house Equip- Mankofsky and David
ment & Film Design, Daniel Pearl, ASC Darby at DV Expo;
DV Expo, Pearl photos by Alex Lopez.
recently traveled to Mexico City for three Daniel Pearl, ASC (left)
and Henner Hoffmann,
days of events that culminated with a light- ASC, AMC speak to
ing workshop at EFD’s facility. Pearl’s activi- students at the Centro
ties included a presentation at the Proa de Capacitación
Cinematográfica in
Expo; a visit to the Centro de Capacitación Mexico City; Pearl
Cinematográfica, where he was joined by leads a lighting
the school’s director, Henner Hoffmann, workshop at
Equipment & Film
ASC, AMC; and the demo at EFD. ● Design; Pearl discusses
lighting at EFD.
ww.theasc.com
w December 2010 115
Close-up Frank B. Byers, ASC
When you were a child, what film made the strongest What has been your most satisfying moment on a
impression on you? project?
I remember two. When I was very young, I saw the original Doing my first 35mm release print at Technicolor.
Invaders from Mars (1953), which was powerfully frightening.
And Lawrence of Arabia (1962) — Have you made any memorable
such strong visuals, and in 65mm, blunders?
no less. No.
Which cinematographers, past What is the best professional

or present, do you most admire, advice you’ve ever received?
and why? From my agent: ‘Be the happiest
ASC members Haskell Wexler, guy on set.’ He was right.
Gordon Willis and Owen Roizman.
N o two of their films seemed to What recent books, films or
look alike, and they’re very story- artworks have inspired you?
oriented cinematographers. The movie An Education , which
was beautifully done in every way.
What sparked your interest in
photography? Do you have any favorite
The photographic aspects of film, genres, or genres you would
lighting and composition, seemed like to try?
to attract me from the beginning. I I love gangster films, and I’d love to
remember being 15 or 16 and do more comedies.
wanting to know what duties the
director of photography performed If you weren’t a cinematogra-
for his job. pher, what might you be doing
instead?
Where did you train and/or I’d be a musician.
study?
The American Film Institute. Which ASC cinematographers recommended you for
membership?
Who were your early teachers or mentors? Gil Hubbs, Johnny Jensen and Alan Caso.
George Folsey Sr., ASC, and Jan DeBont, ASC.
How has ASC membership impacted your life and career?
What are some of your key artistic influences? I realized after attending some functions at the ASC that many
The films of Truffaut, Godard and Hitchcock. of the members shared experiences and questions I had about
the business. It was invaluable to find that out.
How did you get your first break in the business? ●
I fell in with a documentary company in the Boston area. I
started loading Éclair N PR mags, and within six months I was
shooting second camera.

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B e c a u s e i t m a t t e r s .
ONFILM
RO B B OWM A N
“Filmmaking like any art is subjective. But

the more I study and practice the art of
filmmaking, the more I realize that happiness,
frustration, sadness, victory and defeat are
universal themes that evoke similar emotions
everywhere in the world. The camera is the
tool I use to capture that. Every inch of the
frame is important. With every shot, the
director must think of where to draw the
viewer’s eye, using composition, light, color and
movement. And more often than not, I want
the viewer’s eyes to be drawn to the character’s
eyes, because in that connection the magic
happens. Whatever is on the page, whatever
is in my head, the only way to capture that
emotional experience is to show the audience
what the characters are thinking and feeling.
For me, the physicality of film, the chemical
process that mimics the human eye, has a
depth and richness that is unlike any other
medium to breathe life to those emotions. It’s
a gamble every time you make a film, but that’s
a really exciting part of being a filmmaker.”
Rob Bowman has produced and/or

directed episodes of nearly 40 television
series and telefilms, and movies for the
cinema. He earned four consecutive Emmy
nominations for The X-Files. A short list of
his diverse credits includes the television
series StarTrek: The Next Generation, Parker
Lewis, The A-Team and Castle, and the
feature films Reign of Fire and The X-Files.
For an extended interview with Rob Bowman,
visit www.kodak.com/go/onfilm
To order Kodak motion picture film,

call (800) 621-film.
© Eastman Kodak Company, 2010.
Photography: © Douglas Kirkland

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DECEMBER 2010

Bruce Logan, ASC

— Bruce Logan, ASC

“What the Classic Black

“I’m a long-time fan of the

“The Century Low Angle Prism “On day exteriors HD

The International Journal of Motion Imaging

On Our Cover: A ballerina (Natalie Portman) suffers a terrifying psychological

Anthony Dod Mantle, BSC, DFF and Enrique Chediak

— VISIT WWW.THEASC.COM TO ENJOY THESE WEB EXCLUSIVES —

Michael Goi, ASC

10 December 2010 American Cinematographer

I Aardman Animates With Nokia’s N8

Photos courtesy of Aardman Animations and Wieden+Kennedy.

12 December 2010 American Cinematographer

14 December 2010 American Cinematographer

16 December 2010 American Cinematographer

I A Future King Finds His Voice

The King’s Speech photos by Laurie Sparham, courtesy of See-Saw Films.

18 December 2010 American Cinematographer

“THE MUTED TONES AND PROWLING C AMERA

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

floated off to one side. A mix of other units

20 December 2010 American Cinematographer

22 December 2010 American Cinematographer

Cooke Optics 5/ Lenses

two people who will do almost anything to

24 December 2010 American Cinematographer

wouldn’t look too old, either.”

26 December 2010 American Cinematographer

“PURE PLEASURE. By the end of this

Matthew Libatique, ASC and

30 December 2010 American Cinematographer

Requiem for a Dream (AC Oct. ’00) and

32 December 2010 American Cinematographer

I could come off something as big and

E ven before this project came around,

34 December 2010 American Cinematographer

University of New York Purchase

36 December 2010 American Cinematographer

for this one because of the costume

38 December 2010 American Cinematographer

40 December 2010 American Cinematographer

“I wanted the film

of Nina’s character, white is her inno-

Dan Schrecker, our visual-effects

42 December 2010 American Cinematographer

there’s a lot of green/cyan in the back-

44 December 2010 American Cinematographer

“It was important

light Natalie to make her a silhouette

kept her in the shadow of two light

50 December 2010 American Cinematographer

BSC, DFF, who won ASC and

52 December 2010 American Cinematographer

54 December 2010 American Cinematographer

own look to the material, but he now

56 December 2010 American Cinematographer

particular idea for the separation scene,

58 December 2010 American Cinematographer

35Digital Lenses v&XVWRPL]DEOH6HJPHQWV 3UHVHW5HFRUGLQJ0RGHV

“Danny wanted to put us in the same