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AMC_1109_p001:Layout 1 10/8/09 2:36 PM Page 1
Visit Litepanels new website today for the complete story.

+1 8 1 8 7 5 2 7 0 0 9 i nf o@l i t epanel s . com WWW. L I T E PANE L S . COM
Our thanks to the creative souls
who see the Lite.
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34 Wild Kingdom
Lance Acord, ASC envisions the classic childrens book
Where the Wild Things Are
48 Pandoras Predicament
Steven Poster, ASC creates surreal imagery for The Box
58 Kicked Off the Pitch
Ben Smithard immortalizes a notorious English coach
in The Damned United
66 The Root of All Evil
Anthony Dod Mantle, BSC, DFF lends eerie ambience
to Antichrist
76 Quality Viewing
The spotlight shines on this years Emmy Award
nominees for cinematography
Departments
Features
Vi s i t us o nl i ne a t www. t he a s c . c o m
On Our Cover: Unruly 9-year-old Max (Max Records) takes a soulful stroll with Carol in Where the Wild
Things Are, shot by Lance Acord, ASC. (Photo by Matt Nettheim, courtesy of Warner Bros.)
8 Editors Note
10 Presidents Desk
12 Short Takes: Synaesthesia
18 Production Slate: The Private Lives of Pippa Lee
Cairo Time
78 Post Focus: Restoring Apollo 11 Footage
84 New Products & Services
92 International Marketplace
94 Classified Ads/Ad Index
96 In Memoriam: Richard Moore, ASC
98 Clubhouse News
100 ASC Close-Up: Anastas Michos
66
N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 9 V O L . 9 0 N O . 1 1
The International Journal of Film & Digital Production Techniques
58
48
AMC_1109_p003:00 toc 10/5/09 10:54 AM Page 3
N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 9 V o l . 9 0 , N o . 1 1
The International Journal of Film & Digital Production Techniques Since 1920
Visit us online at
www.theasc.com

PUBLISHER Martha Winterhalter
EDITORIAL
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Stephen Pizzello
SENIOR EDITOR Rachael K. Bosley
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jon D. Witmer
TECHNICAL EDITOR Christopher Probst
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Stephanie Argy, Benjamin B, Douglas Bankston, Robert S. Birchard,
John Calhoun, Bob Davis, Bob Fisher, Simon Gray, Jim Hemphill, David Heuring,
Jay Holben, Mark Hope-Jones, Noah Kadner, Ron Magid, Jean Oppenheimer,
John Pavlus, Chris Pizzello, Jon Silberg, Iain Stasukevich,
Kenneth Sweeney, Patricia Thomson, David E. Williams
ART DEPARTMENT
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CIRCULATION, BOOKS & PRODUCTS

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ASC ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE Corey Clark
American Cinematographer (ISSN 0002-7928), established 1920 and in its 89th year of publication, is published
monthly in Hollywood by ASC Holding Corp., 1782 N. Orange Dr., Hollywood, CA 90028, U.S.A.,
(800) 448-0145, (323) 969-4333, Fax (323) 876-4973, direct line for subscription inquiries (323) 969-4344.
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POSTMASTER: Send address change to American Cinematographer, P.O. Box 2230, Hollywood, CA 90078.

4
AMC_1109_p004:masthead 10/6/09 2:53 PM Page 4
Which is probably why people are coming back to film. Film
has incredible exposure latitude, which makes it so easy to
light and work with on set. And it gives me an image thats
loaded with color information to start with which saves time
in post. The unmatched resolution makes everything from HD
transfers to spots on the web look amazing. Considering all
the surprises a production throws at you, why add an unproven
workflow into the mix? Film, man. Its just beautiful.
Stefan Sonnenfeld refuses to compromise. His award-winning work on commercials
and features such as Star Trek and Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen is a
testament to that. Hear his stories and others at kodak.com/go/motion
Stefan Sonnenfeld
Colorist. Entrepreneur. Fanatic.

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AMC_0909_p013:Layout 1 8/6/09 11:12 AM Page 1
OFFICERS - 2009/2010
Michael Goi
President
Richard Crudo
Vice President
Owen Roizman
Vice President
Victor J. Kemper
Vice President
Matthew Leonetti
Treasurer
Rodney Taylor
Secretary
John C. Flinn III
Sergeant At Arms
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD
Curtis Clark
Richard Crudo
George Spiro Dibie
Richard Edlund
John C. Flinn III
John Hora
Victor J. Kemper
Matthew Leonetti
Stephen Lighthill
Isidore Mankofsky
Daryn Okada
Owen Roizman
Nancy Schreiber
Haskell Wexler
Vilmos Zsigmond
ALTERNATES
Fred Elmes
Steven Fierberg
Ron Garcia
Michael D. OShea
Michael Negrin
MUSEUM CURATOR
Steve Gainer
American Society of Cine ma tog ra phers
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.
6
AMC_1109_p006:00 board 10/6/09 2:54 PM Page 6
AMC_0709_pCV3:Layout 1 5/27/09 11:50 AM Page 1
W
hen I was still in short pants, I reveled in the unruly antics
of Max, the 9-year-old hero in Maurice Sendaks pithy but
pictorially splendid childrens book Where the Wild
Things Are. Lately, Ive been reliving Maxs malfeasance
through my 3-year-old son, Nicholas, who occasionally gives
the tantrum-throwing tot a run for his money. Despite my
concern that too much Max may inspire additional mischief, I
inevitably cave when Nicholas begs for one more look at the
book or, as a true child of the digital age, another glimpse
at the online trailer for the new live-action movie thats sprung
from its pages.
Australian correspondent Simon Grays story on Spike
Jonzes big-screen rumpus (Wild Kingdom, page 34) takes you straight into the belly of the
beast literally. The Wild Things movie and Simons coverage were a long time coming, but
both were worth the wait; the otherworldly, emotionally affecting images crafted by Lance
Acord, ASC honor Jonzes uncompromising interpretation of Sendaks world. The essence of
Spikes approach was to go out and film the wild things as if we were making a fly-on-the-
wall wildlife documentary about creatures in their natural environment, Acord explains.
Inventive visuals are also evident in The Box, a thriller that marks the third collabo-
ration between Steven Poster, ASC and director Richard Kelly, a teaming that began on the
indie hit Donnie Darko. AC contributor Jay Holben digs deep into the duos use of digital tech-
nology in an article filled with insights on image capture (Pandoras Predicament, page 48).
As Poster points out, The workflow is different on every movie now, regardless of whether
you shoot film or digital. I started a dialogue [involving] Panavision, LaserPacific, our editorial
department, our post supervisor, and Thomas Tannenberger and his visual-effects team to nail
down exactly what the workflow was going to be.
Fans of British soccer will surely enjoy cinematographer Ben Smithards work on The
Damned United, which recounts the ups and downs of a football manager trying to survive the
pressures of Englands Premier League (Kicked Off the Pitch, page 58). London correspondent
Mark Hope-Jones details Smithards every move, right down to his use of vintage tube-video
cameras to capture an authentic 70s vibe. That footage looks great because the colors are all
over the place and a bit desaturated, says Smithard. Theres no other look like it; its the
equivalent of someone from Kodak giving you 300 rolls of mint film stock from the 1970s!
Aberrant psychology is the order of the day in Lars von Triers controversial drama
Antichrist, a cause clbre at this years Cannes Film Festival. To get the details about the films
remarkable photography, Jon Silberg tracked down Anthony Dod Mantle, BSC, DFF, last years
ASC and Academy award winner for Slumdog Millionaire, for a Q&A (The Root of All Evil,
page 66). [Lars] always works intuitively, but this whole project became unusually intuitive and
irrational as the film slowly began to realize itself, says Dod Mantle, later adding, I will go
all the way for a true artist if hes doing something different, even if there are difficulties and
disagreements.
This issue also offers a recap of the years Emmy Award nominees for cinematogra-
phy (Quality Viewing, page 76). When youre standing there with that statue in your hand,
you are struck by how cool it is to be acknowledged by your peers, says Michael Weaver, who
won a statuette for Californication. All the blood, sweat and tears you sacrifice during your
career actually mean something, and people notice the work. It was an amazing honor.
Stephen Pizzello
Executive Editor
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Editors Note
8
AMC_1109_p008:00 editor's note 10/6/09 3:21 PM Page 8
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I
t was late afternoon in Chicago 31 years ago. I was riding in a car with some friends, and
we stopped for a traffic light at the corner of Clark Street and Diversey Avenue. I was in
the passenger seat, and I looked casually out the window. And there she was. She was
brunette, in her mid-twenties, about 5' 5". She was wearing older but not faded blue jeans
and a sleeveless white blouse. She had on brown sandals with straps that crossed her feet
twice, and no polish on her toes or fingers. She was clutching a laundry basket filled with
dry, semi-folded clothes. She was waiting for a bus.
The orange tone of the low sun reflected off the glass windows of a building across
the street, throwing softly speckled patterns of light on everything around her, but she
remained in a calm space, a spot on the sidewalk where the light only glowed as if coming
from a source undefined. The warm summer breeze wafted her hair lightly, and she stepped
toward the curb and craned her neck to look down the street for the bus. She reached up with
her right hand to brush her long hair out of her eyes. She wore one ring, a simple silver one.
The traffic light changed about 15 seconds after we stopped, and my friends and I went on our way. She never saw me, and
I dont believe my friends saw her. She wasnt especially remarkable; she wasnt a drop-dead beauty or a traffic-stopping
bombshell. Yet not a month has gone by in 31 years when I havent thought of that girl. Mostly its a passing thought, an image
that crosses my mind in the midst of dealing with daily duties. Sometimes its more than that, a curiosity about who she is and
where she is now. It wasnt sexual, the way you would imagine a teenaged boy would think of a slightly older woman. It was
sensual, an appreciation for that particular moment in time and the sweet melancholy of knowing that this was all there would be
of the encounter.
Cinematographers frequently reference other works while developing the unique style for the project were shooting. Often
itll be another film. Many times itll be a painting, a still photograph, clips from a magazine or even a piece of music. Anything that
stirs an emotion and leaves an impression carries with it the seed that can be adapted to another expression of art. But your own
life experiences frequently inspire the most sublime transpositions into cinematographic form.
We keep a mental catalogue of these experiences to draw on as needed. They inspire our art and speak to the depth of our
ability to understand how our circumstances affect our state of mind, how we find substance in our physical surroundings. And
they create memories as vivid as something happening right now, moments we have deemed important in our lives, sometimes
not knowing why.
While shooting the film The Fixer, I was looking for a way to depict the humble surroundings of a poor priest who is hear-
ing the confession of a man in search of redemption. I remembered an early Christmas morning when I was a child. The sun had
not yet risen, and everyone was asleep. The living room was suffused with the dark blue ambience of pre-dawn, and the Christ-
mas-tree lights sparkled gently in the somber atmosphere, an oasis of hope. I proceeded to light the scene at hand with that feel-
ing not the exact colors, but the feeling of that room. When the director saw the dailies, he said it reminded him of the sound
of steam radiators heating up in winter. The editor remarked that the room had the smell of old wood and crisp air.
I have no doubt that someday I will have to film a scene that has the same ethereal quality of the encounter with that woman
31 years ago, and I will break down the technical components necessary to make it achievable and understandable to all the other
craftspeople involved in creating motion pictures: the camera assistants who must order the proper lenses, the electricians who
need to get the right lights, the grips who will need to rig the cranes, the assistant director who must schedule it at the right time
of day, and the art department who must have props in the proper color palette.
But the inspiration will be mine. Thats what makes me a cinematographer.
Michael Goi, ASC
President
Presidents Desk
10 November 2009
AMC_1109_p010:00 letters 10/6/09 2:51 PM Page 10
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AMC_1009_p011 :Layout 1 8/27/09 1:15 PM Page 11
S
ynaesthesia is the phenomenon that
occurs when one sensory stimulus
triggers a different kind of sensation
seeing colors when you hear music,
or smelling one thing while you taste
another. Synaesthesia is the latest
project from the Bay Area directing team
of Ian Kibbey and Corey Creasey. The
filmmakers met while attending classes
at UC-Berkeley, found that they shared a
lot of the same ideas, and began
shooting low-budget music videos under
the moniker Terri Timely. Since then,
theyve produced more than 25 music
videos, commercials, and short films.
A byproduct of this work is a large
backlog of visual ideas the genesis of
Synaesthesia. Cats jumping out of
speakers or plugging headphones into
food those ideas had come to us
separately, Creasey explains. Years
later, we learned about synaesthesia,
and it clicked. Adds Kibbey, It helps to
have a concept to work with; otherwise,
your film becomes this mishmash of
imagery and sound.
Synaesthesia depicts an evening
in the life of a nuclear Asian family,
during which each member experiences
a different form of the condition. The first
scene involves one of two young sons
sitting at the dinner table as he plugs a
set of headphones into different kinds of
food each of which has its own,
distinctive sound. In the kitchen, the
mother is chopping up a cookbook and
scooping the strips onto a baking pan,
while the father drops a sheaf of paper
into the toaster. A book pops up, and Dad
places the toasted tome on a tray and
walks it through the dining room and into
the living room. There, another boy is
sitting on the rug, sniffing record albums
and calling out colors for each one (in
Cantonese, with deliberately incorrect
Senses Work Overtime in Synaesthesia
by Iain Stasukevich
Short Takes
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Top and middle:
The short film
Synaesthesia
offers a visual
exploration of
the eponymous
condition, in
which one
sensory
stimulus
triggers a
different
sensory
response. For
instance, in the
scene pictured
here, a boy
(Jordan
Gimkan) listens
to his food.
Bottom: The
boys family,
including his
mother (Pearl
Wong) and
father (Larry
Kitagawa),
move through
their sensory
stew all but
oblivious to one
another.
12 November 2009
AMC_1109_p012p016:00 short takes 10/6/09 2:50 PM Page 12
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spent in Vietnam at the outset of their
commercial careers. In particular, the film
was influenced by the architecture and
design on display in Ho Chi Minh Citys
Reunification Palace. Theres a retro-
future vibe in Vietnam, Creasey offers.
Theyre really into the American 70s
there, but its interpreted through modern
Vietnamese culture. Kibbey adds,
When we were in Vietnam, we couldnt
tell if it was a Western expression of
Eastern aesthetic, or the other way
around.
Sell worked closely with
production designer Na Young Kim to
ensure that his camerawork com-
plemented her boxy, retro set design.
Constructed in Terri Timelys studio in
Fremont, Calif., the home is configured
like a railroad apartment, with one room
leading directly into the next. By putting
the camera on a dolly, Sell was able to
follow the father as he walked from the
kitchen through the dining room and into
the living room, capturing each
environment in a single move. When the
actor reached the living room, the camera
was aimed straight down the length of
the house, presenting the audience with
a view of the entire set.
Sell and Kim tried to give each
room a distinct look. We used a lot of
saturated colors, says Kim. Donavan
and I talked a lot about the color
schemes. The kitchen has a pale, sky-
blue color. The dining room has a lot of
saturated colors with the food, and the
living room has dark, natural tones. Sell
notes, Na Youngs production design
really dictated the lighting, because I
didnt know what I would be doing until I
got there.
Kim also attended the Academy of
Art University, where she studied
painting along with her production-
design courses. It helped me understand
light and colors, and how colors can be
changed by the light, she says.
Production design isnt just designing a
space; its working with the director of
photography and understanding how
light affects that space.
Sells cinematography was
inspired by Wong Kar-wais 2046 and In
the Mood For Love, both of which were
14 November 2009
subtitles). The mother opens the oven
and removes her baking pan, which
contains a papier-mch turkey. Back in
the living room, a reel-to-reel player
clicks on, running a ribbon of text across
the tape head; along with the music that
begins to play, all manner of weird
objects begin to pop out of the stereo
speakers: eggs, grass, smoke,
fireworks, cats. The film ends with a
bang literally when the son in the
dining room plugs his headphone jack
into his belly button and explodes.
According to the filmmakers, the
family analogy works on two levels.
We wanted to see what would happen
when all these manifestations existed
in one space, Kibbey points out. Each
persons neurological system takes in
different sensory information, and
theyre also a family that isnt
communicating. There are few times
when they actually acknowledge one
another, and then everything turns into
chaos at the end.
The film was shot by
cinematographer Donavan Sell, a Bay
Area resident who met Creasey while
the two were students. (Sell attended
classes across the Bay at the Academy
of Art University.) Sell was looking for a
director with a good story, and Creasey
was looking for a cinematographer.
They were introduced by mutual friends
and eventually collaborated on three
projects over the next three years until
Creasey met Kibbey, who turned the
twosome into a trio. Sell recalls being
impressed by the way the young
Berkeley students clicked. Ians got the
energy, and Creasey is very technical,
he notes. Both of them are always
coming up with interesting concepts,
which are hard to come by.
Synaesthesia was partially
inspired by the time Creasey and Kibbey
Above: The boxy,
retro set, realized
by production
designer
Na Young Kim,
enabled the
filmmakers to
track from room to
room. Below, left
to right: Grip
Keith Pikus,
camera assistant
Jeremy Wong,
cinematographer
Donavan Sell, and
directors
Ian Kibbey and
Corey Creasey
fine-tune one
of the tracking
moves.

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shot mostly by Christopher Doyle, HKSC.
Singling out particular aspects of those
films, he cites Doyles use of super-
saturated colors [and his tendency to]
push them further than they would go
normally, [as well as his strategy of] not
lighting people with tungsten light or
daylight maybe something that
matches the set more, but not
practically motivated.
On Synaesthesia, we didnt
have to hold to conventions, and it didnt
have to be textbook, he adds. I love
2046, but I could never get away with
creating that kind of look in my regular
work.
With few practicals and just one
visible window (in the dining room) at
his disposal, Sell opted for a less
motivated lighting strategy, choosing
instead to let the environments speak
for themselves. In each space he set a
base exposure with overhead 2K space
lights, then created fill by placing 5K
Fresnels on the camera side and
bouncing them into 12x UltraBounces
for fill. Source Four Pars were used as
the actors key lights; the one exception
to this approach was the boy at the
table, who was lit with a 2K space light.
In the dining room, the light coming
through the window seems too orange
for natural light; to elicit this eerie
orange glow, the cinematographer
doubled up Rosco Straw filters. Another
window, hidden offstage in the kitchen,
was skinned with Rosco Teal to match
the rest of the room.
The dining room was a tough
set to light because we had to travel
past it, Sell remarks. Theres so much
going on in the living room. You can see
that the walls have swatches of color on
them more Source Fours. We gave
the father and the boy special lights: red
and white lights that simulate the
fireworks going off in the speakers.
In addition to shaking out their
creative cobwebs, everyone on the
project was determined to shoot with
the Red camera Terri Timely had
recently purchased. Prior to
Synaethesia, most of their projects had
been shot on film. I liked it, for a digital
camera, Sell comments. You still have
to treat the image like a video image
and light for the highlights, but I was
surprised at its latitude, and the
accessories made it feel like a film
camera. I can be a little lazy when it
comes to lighting video, so I brought my
meter, and the camera was spot-on with
my readings.
The biggest plus for Sell was the
Reds PL mount, which enabled him to
use Zeiss Superspeed MKII primes.
The fact that this camera lets me use
the lenses Im used to means a lot to
me, he enthuses.
The piece is meant to be
visually stylized, says Creasey. We
tried to adhere to the conventions of
traditional cinematic imagery, but it
does have a slightly different look than it
would if we had shot on 35mm. In the
end, our visual choices were really more
about the lighting and the art direction
than the choice of camera.
Sell dialed in the 1920x1080 HD
image on set, using Red Alert software,
and exported color reference clips that
served as guidelines after they delivered
their footage to Spy Post in San
Francisco. The final color grade was
performed by Carey Burens on a DaVinci
2K, but the majority of postproduction
time was dedicated to rendering out r3d
(Redcode RAW) files for editorial.
So far, Synaesthesia has been a
big hit on the Web, and the short has
even inspired an interactive installation
at Scion Space in Culver City, Calif.
Creasey and Kibbey feel both thrilled
and vindicated. The thing we try to do
with all of our work is to tap into the
strange things people think about every
now and again, like What does a
tomato sound like? Creasey says.
Synaesthesia is not uncommon, and
our film is just a visual way of
presenting this condition that everyone
experiences on some level. I
Creasey (top)
prepares for the
fireworks display
that emanates
from the familys
stereo speakers
at Synaesthesias
climax.
16 November 2009
18 November 2009
Discovering Pippa Lee
by Claire Walla
Writer and filmmaker Rebecca
Miller published her first novel, The
Private Lives of Pippa Lee, in 2008.
Shortly after its release, Miller, whose
feature credits include Personal Velocity
(AC April 02) and The Ballad of Jack and
Rose (AC April 05), teamed with Declan
Quinn, ASC to fine-tune Pippa Lee for the
big screen.
The film centers on a 50-year-old
woman, Pippa (Robin Wright Penn), who
moves into a sleepy Connecticut retire-
ment community with her husband, Herb
(Alan Arkin), who is 30 years older. Pippa
proceeds to fall delicately into a midlife
crisis that causes her to reflect on her
aimless adolescence marked by a
pill-popping mother (Maria Bello) and an
association with her aunts partner, a
lesbian photographer (Julianne Moore)
and reconsider her present situation,
including her budding affection for a
neighbors son, Chris (Keanu Reeves).
With such a mix of characters,
time periods and emotional undercur-
rents, Miller wanted to create a unified
story that would unfold fluidly. When I
came to write the screenplay, I realized
pretty early on that the way to [achieve
continuity] was for the camera to actu-
ally be moving from one world to the
next, says Miller. Quinn collaborated
closely with production designer
Michael Shaw to create sets that
combined elements from two to three
different scenes, so that the camera
could physically roll from one time
period directly into another.
The most complicated of these
transitions involves three different sets:
Chris pickup truck, Pippas childhood
kitchen, and her present-day dining
room. Shaw created a set that put the
kitchen and the dining room back-to-
back, and in front of the kitchen he
attached the front portion of a pickup
truck. The transition begins with a two-
shot of Chris and Pippa in the truck and
then moves to a close-up of Chris before
pulling focus on the kitchen behind him,
while Pippa reminisces about her child-
hood. After we watch an imagined
exchange between an older Pippa and
her mother, the camera pans right to
Pippas present-day dining room, where
we see Pippa and Herb eating dinner.
That transition moves from
present-day to past to present-day
again in three shots, says Quinn. It
had to be done quickly, and all of these
transitions were complicated to set up. I
thought at first it would take half a day
to shoot one, but each transition only
Women in Transition
Production Slate
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e

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M
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F
i
l
m
s
.
Pippas mother,
Suky (Maria
Bello),
struggles to get
through another
morning in a
scene from The
Private Lives of
Pippa Lee, shot
by Declan
Quinn, ASC.
11_09 prod slate:00 production slate 10/5/09 11:17 AM Page 18
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accounts for a few seconds in the
movie, and the schedule didnt allow me
that kind of time. So we made foamcore
miniature models in prep and tried to
think it through very thoroughly so we
could do it as quickly as possible on the
actual day of shooting.
Although the sets for most tran-
sitions were carefully constructed
inside a small warehouse in Connecti-
cut, where the majority of the films sets
were built, the crew had to artfully
assemble one such set on location. The
action in the transition moves from a
present-day restaurant, where Pippa,
Herb and their grown children are
eating, to the kitchen in Pippas child-
hood home, where her mother is frost-
ing a birthday cake for young Pippa
(Madeline McNulty). The camera
follows a piece of cake that a waiter
physically brings from one set to the
next. Because the scene was shot on
location, the crew had to rip pieces
away from the original kitchen set and
rebuild it inside the actual restaurant.
It was a fairly open space, so it wasnt
too difficult, Quinn says. First, we
rigged some lights in the ceiling to
create a warm, ambient toplight in the
restaurant a mixture of 32K Kinos
gelled with Lee Chocolate and Lee Pale
Gold, along with a few paper lanterns
hung under the Kinos to mix in a whiter
light. The camera transitions to the
kitchen set, and for that portion of the
scene we stuck some Kino Flo tubes
behind the windowto simulate daylight
in the kitchen. There was very little
space between the kitchen-set wall
and the restaurant wall, but Kinos can
be squeezed into some very tight
spaces.
The bigger challenge was keep-
ing the pink frosting on the cake pink:
the camera pans from a warmly lit Ital-
ian restaurant to a cooler environment,
and the cake actually turned blue in the
process. Correcting it back to pink was
one of the most significant adjustments
Quinn made to Pippa Lee in the digital-
intermediate suite.
Another major adjustment was
altering the light and shadows for a
scene that is supposed to take place
early in the morning, when Chris drops
Pippa off at her house. Because of the
production schedule, the scene had to
be filmed in open shade during a very
shadowy part of the day. I had to rely
on the DI process to make it feel murky,
and it took a lot of power windows to
make it work, recalls Quinn. The cine-
matographer supervised the DI over
two weeks at Technicolor New York,
where he worked with colorist Tim
Stipan.
When Quinn began prepping
Pippa Lee, he had recently wrapped
Jonathan Demmes Rachel Getting
Married, which was shot with handheld
high-definition video cameras. Miller
Sukys dramatic
highs and lows,
exacerbated by
her drug
addiction,
eventually lead
to a tearful
confrontation
with Pippa
(Blake Lively,
bottom photo).
20 November 2009
and Quinn agreed that look wouldnt
suit Pippa Lee. We both thought it
would be nauseating to have the
camera moving that much when the
story moved so much, notes Miller.
The camera is never idle,
however; it constantly moves inward,
gradually pushing into Pippa onscreen.
Quinn explains, The fact that its sitting
on a dolly gives the visuals a grounded
feeling, so by moving the camera a little
bit all the time, we add a bit of tension.
The production used a camera
package from Panavision New York.
Quinn employed a Millennium for the
first two weeks of the show, but we
decided we needed a lighter camera, so
we switched to a Panaflex XL. His lens
selection comprised a full set of Super
Speed prime lenses and a Primo 3:1
zoom. Quinn used the latter for a high-
speed shot at the end of the film, but he
used the Super Speeds for all other
material because he wanted to capture
some lens flares. The older Super
Speeds flare much more than the newer
lenses and create a nostalgic feel, he
explains. Everything looks as if it was
filmed 20 years ago.
The XL was used mostly for
scenes with a heightened sense of
emotion, such as the moment when
young Pippa takes a handful of her
mothers diet pills in an act of defiance
and confronts her mother about her
addiction. The two women, high on
speed, melt into a semi-violent
confrontation in Pippas bedroom. Miller
wanted to do the scene in a two-shot,
but she also didnt want the camera to
be completely still. Quinn dangled the
lightweight XL in front of the two char-
acters by hanging it from latex surgical
tubing, which allowed him to stay
focused on the action while retaining
some degree of motion. Latex tubing
has incredible elasticity, he notes.
He also used that technique for
many of the scenes between Pippa and
Chris. This works particularly well
during an intimate moment that takes
place in Chris truck. Miller explains,
We wanted the camera to breathe in a
sense, so that when you watch them
fall in love, theres a slightly airy feel.
22 November 2009
Top: The adult
Pippa (Robin
Wright Penn)
enjoys a quiet
dinner with her
husband, Herb
(Alan Arkin).
Middle: Pippa
and Herbs son,
Ben (Ryan
McDonald), sits
down to
breakfast.
Bottom: In one of
the films
flashbacks,
Pippas parents
throw a lively
party.
AMC_0807_p015 6/29/07 11:51 AM Page 1
During prep, Miller and Quinn
watched films that included Black
Narcissus and High Society. Quinn
recalls, We fell in love with the Techni-
color process and tried to bring an
aspect of that look to the present-day
story. The most interesting film in terms
of color was Black Narcissus, for which
Jack Cardiff [ASC, BSC] used a cool fill
light with a warm sunlight effect. To
achieve a similar effect, Quinn often
used Pale Amber Gold gels on sunlight
sources and Pale Lavender gels on fill
lights. Id compare it to a gelato color
delicious, says Miller. We wanted
the film to be delicious!
Quinn also used colored gels to
differentiate the periods that snake
through the story. For the scenes that
take place in the 1960s, during Pippas
childhood, he created warm, slightly
pink tones; for the 1970s, he went for a
cooler tone more reminiscent of the
music of that period, he says; and for
the 1980s, the scenes are warm. The
productions lighting package included a
12K tungsten light, a few Nine-light
Maxi-Brutes, and some small tungsten
units. I bounced bigger lights outside
and tried to bring light through windows
whenever possible; when we were on
the sets, wed sometimes remove a
wall and bring in a fill light from 20-30
feet away so it would have a gentler
effect.
You dont need anything fancy
to make a film, he adds. A movie is
driven by the emotions of the charac-
ters, and the mood and tone are driven
by the script. The most important thing
is to connect with the directors vision,
and Rebecca was very articulate about
how she saw the story.
TECHNICAL SPECS
1.85:1
35mm
Panaflex Millennium, XL
Panavision Super Speed and Primo
lenses
Kodak Vision2 500T 5218,
200T 5217
Digital Intermediate
24 November 2009
Above: Quinn
dangles the
camera from a
rig made of latex
tubing, a device
he used to
achieve a
number of shots
in the picture.
Right: The
cinematographer
prepares a more
conventional
setup while
Miller checks
a monitor.

AMC_0909_p051 :Layout 1 7/27/09 4:35 PM Page 1
26 November 2009
Egypts Allure
by David Heuring
Luc Montpellier, CSC grew up in
a small town in Ontario, studied film at
Ryerson University in Toronto, and
began his career shooting music videos.
In the mid-1990s, he moved into narra-
tive filmmaking, and has since compiled
credits that include Away From Her,
Emotional Arithmetic and The Saddest
Music in the World (AC Aug. 04).
Cairo Time is Montpelliers third
collaboration with director Ruba Nadda,
following Sabah and Aadan. The new
film reverses the pattern of the previous
two by placing a Canadian woman, Juli-
ette (Patricia Clarkson), in a foreign land.
As she waits for her husband to arrive,
she strives to contain her growing inter-
est in the foreign culture so she can
experience it with him. But her thirst for
experience draws her into the chaotic
and mysterious world of Cairo, and
some basic truths about her life are
revealed as a result of the cultural dislo-
cation.
The cinematographers respon-
sibility is to translate abstract ideas into
reality, says Montpellier. Once I
submit myself to a concept, the techni-
cal means of how to achieve it comes
naturally. I was drawn to Cairo Time
because of the character arc and the
opportunities for the cinematography to
underscore those changes. There are no
special effects, and because the
photography must be honest and ring
true, the cinematography almost
becomes more important than it would
be in another kind of picture.
In spite of Cairos scenic beauty,
the filmmakers wanted to avoid a
picture-postcard look. Locations were
chosen partly based on Juliettes state
of mind at particular moments in the
story. Montpellier endeavored to create
images that would evoke the appropri-
In the
widescreen
feature Cairo
Time, a
Canadian
woman (Patricia
Clarkson) visits
Egypt for the first
time and
becomes
increasingly
fascinated by its
culture and
one Egyptian in
particular. Top:
This was our
love scene, so
the light had to
evoke the
passion present
between Juliette
(Clarkson) and
Tareq
(Alexander
Siddig), says
cinematographer
Luc Montpellier,
CSC. Bottom: For
a scene in
which Juliette
visits Tareq at a
men only caf,
the filmmakers
surrounded
Clarkson with
cool colors to
set her apart
from the
environment.
C
a
i
r
o

T
i
m
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p
h
o
t
o
s

c
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u
r
t
e
s
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o
f

F
o
u
n
d
r
y

F
i
l
m
s

a
n
d

L
u
c

M
o
n
t
p
e
l
l
i
e
r
.
www.clairmont.com
Why am I having so much fun?
Hollywood
818-761-4440
Vancouver
604-984-4563
Toronto
416-467-1700
Albuquerque
505-227-2525
Montreal
514-525-6556
Bob Primes, ASC reveals his inner child playing with the cool
toys and other kids at Clairmont Camera; a fun place to play.
I've played in some great camera rental houses.
The best constantly innovate and create awesome
new tools, toys and widgets to make our work more
beautiful, faster, easier and more fun.
Denny & Terry Clairmont, Alan Albert, Tom Boelens
and crew set fanatically high standards of quality,
service, innovation and integrity.
But that's old news. Everyone in the biz knows that!
I want to talk about how much fun I have at Clairmont.
The sign of a well managed team is the morale and
happiness of the players.
Clairmont is a busy place, yet somehow, miraculously,
everyone seems relaxed, delighted to see you, help you
create solutions and are just as crazy about the latest
toys and widgets as you are.
It is this uncanny ability of everyone you encounter to
share the joy and enthusiasm of our art form that kicks
the Clairmont experience into another dimension. Those
old-fashioned virtues of integrity, involvement, caring,
warmth and joy are really what it's all about.
Robert Primes, ASC
28 November 2009
ate feelings in the viewer even if the
picture had no sound; he says this goal
made light and its connection to the
emotional drama extremely important.
The filmmakers also believed the
script and the chaotic backdrop of Cairo
called for the counterpoint of a more
controlled, classical approach to framing
and camera movement. They decided to
avoid a documentary aesthetic, and that
choice had many ramifications for the
rest of the shoot. Because we were
shooting on location in a chaotic city of
20 million, without the resources wed
have at hand in Toronto or Los Angeles,
our challenge was to create order out of
chaos, says Montpellier. We faced a
paradox. We had to be at the right
places, rolling at the right times, control-
ling the uncontrollable.
The color palette was detailed
and precise. Cairo is represented by
the warm earth tones that dominate
the urban landscape there. At the
beginning of the film, Juliette is dressed
in and surrounded by cooler, more
modern tones, and she slowly
progresses to warmer, more golden
tones as she begins to explore and
engage with the ancient city. On loca-
tion during prep, Montpellier did exten-
sive testing for wardrobe, makeup,
filtration and skin tones, and to gauge
the local light patterns, using a Canon
5D camera and film-stock-emulation
software. Throughout the shoot, it was
a challenge to balance interiors and
exteriors because of the extremely
bright African sun, and I wanted to see
how far I could push the film stock and
still maintain detail outside windows,
he says. I wanted to avoid blinding the
actors by bringing up interior levels.
However, there are many scenes where
the characters go from inside to outside
on a balcony, and that meant I couldnt
ND the windows. It was important for
me to know how far I could go with inte-
rior levels.
Nadda and Montpellier chose to
shoot widescreen (Super 35mm) to inte-
grate the performers with the environ-
ment, to isolate single characters in the
frame when emotionally appropriate,
and sometimes to create the simple
Top to bottom:
A conversation
between
Juliette and
Tareq is set
against the
Great Pyramid
of Giza to
underscore a
feeling of
solitude;
Montpellier
(left) and 1st AC
Andy Jekabsons
capture the
scene;
preparing the
final shot of
the film,
Montpellier
waits for the
right light on the
pyramids;
Montpellier,
Jekabsons and
Egyptian
key/dolly grip
Ehab Atiya line
up the final
dolly shot of the
picture.
30 November 2009
classicism of a still photograph. We
made an effort to frame Juliette within
static shots as she first ventures out into
the city, says Montpellier. As she
begins to explore and feel more comfort-
able, the use of the Steadicam becomes
more prevalent. We hope that helps the
audience share in her emotional state.
The cinematographer used Tiffen
Soft/FX filters throughout to subtly flare
the whites, varying the strength accord-
ing to the situation and the focal length
of the lens. He chose two Moviecam
Compact MKIIs, Cooke S4 primes lenses
and a 12:1 Angenieux Optimo zoom; all
gear came from Panavision Toronto,
whose support was crucial to our
success, he says.
Filming
widescreen
enabled
Montpellier to
isolate
characters
within the frame
for dramatic
effect. In this
scene, Juliettes
husband (Tom
McCamus)
arrives
unexpectedly
and puts an end
to her potential
love affair.
Middle: As
Andris Matiss
mans the
Steadicam for a
walk-and-talk,
the crew uses
grid diffusion to
soften the harsh
sunlight. Bottom:
Tareq takes
Juliette on a tour
of Cairo. Getting
a crane on the
bridge was a
challenge,
considering that
we were unable
to ban traffic,
notes
Montpellier.
Montpellier used Kodak Vision2
250D 5205 for most daylight situations.
5205 enabled me to shoot from early
morning all the way to magic hour with-
out compromising grain; I changed ND
filtration as the day went on to maintain
a consistent look. He used a slower
stock, Kodak Vision2 50D 5201, for a
days shooting in the White Desert, a
barren location several hours outside
Cairo. In the scene, Juliette listens to a
friend confess her infidelity while she
herself secretly considers cheating on
her absent husband. We chose the
location to help create the right
emotional impact, says Montpellier.
The uncertainty and feeling of losing
ones points of reference were evoked
by the landscape. When we first arrived,
I couldnt open my eyes without wearing
sunglasses. There are chalky white and
cream-colored rock formations as far as
the eye can see, with the sun beating
down. Its an extremely low-contrast
situation. Shooting the 50-speed stock
allowed me to get the right levels with
few hassles. I needed every bit of lati-
tude I could get, and 5201 gave me that
while capturing the subtle gradations of
white and cream.
We used the 12:1 Optimo with a
doubler to accentuate the layers of
eroded rock formations, creating other-
worldly shapes, he adds. Youd almost
think youre in Antarctica, but instead
youre in the desert! Theres a surreal
quality to it.
In Cairo, the filmmakers worked
hard to compensate for a lack of stan-
dard materials. There were no blimped
generators, and there were shortages of
flags and scrims. The locals gathered
large sheets of Styrofoam and painted
them black, and a pitchfork-like metal
tool would then be stabbed into the
edge of the Styrofoam at the desired
angle and mounted on a C-stand. Mont-
pellier says the technique worked so
well that he used it on subsequent
shoots. As a substitute for scrims, the
crew purchased a variety of fishnet
stockings that would knock down the
light by a half of a stop or more.
Montpellier says the local
crewmembers had an amazing knack for
adaptive engineering. Cranes and
dollies were often customized. The lack
of legitimate rental houses meant that
equipment was located and rented
through an informal network of
crewmembers.
Shots of cars moving through the
legendary Cairo traffic were perhaps the
most difficult to achieve, according to
Montpellier. Standard towing rigs and
process trailers dont exist there. We
made a rig with three or four car batter-
ies and some 575-watt Pars to get light
inside the car, recalls the cinematogra-
pher. Again, our concern was to
balance the interiors and the exteriors.
Wed be dragging a car behind a pickup
truck with all our lamps strapped to it
with about 50 ratchet straps. We would
have handlers and grips hanging off the
truck and waving for people to clear the
way. If they didnt move, our people
would jump off the truck and try to move
them physically. We would also have a
31
vehicle ahead of us trying to find the
owners of parked cars and pleading
with them to move them. Sometimes,
our people would just pick the cars up
and carry them out of the way so we
could keep moving and finish the shot! It
was an amazing feat.
A government censor accompa-
nied the filmmakers on every shoot day,
but on days when no official shooting
was scheduled, Montpellier often went
out with his focus puller and a local
crewmember to capture street scenes
that helped frame the story. Once the
police hauled them in for filming without
a permit, but they talked their way out of
the situation. Another time, they tried to
capture footage of some children labor-
ing in a carpet-making business but
were thwarted by the censor. They then
proceeded to pretend to set up a big
shot in a nearby area, and when the
censor wasnt around the B camera, it
was surreptitiously turned on, capturing
a scene that was lit by spill that
Montpellier accidentally sent over
from the fake setup. It was worth the
risks, he says. Without that footage,
the movie would be very different. It
gives a sense of how it is to live in
Top left: Director
Ruba Nadda and
Montpellier line
up a shot. Top
right: A tow rig
devised by local
crew enabled the
filmmakers to
capture traveling
shots. What we
call process
trailers in North
America do not
exist in Cairo, so
this called for
some creative
engineering,
says Montpellier.
optimo cine lenses from 15mm to 290mm
primechoice
15mm 40mm
Theres no doubt that Angenieux Optimo 35mm film lenses deliver
exceptional optical performance and value. They feature extremely
fast apertures with outstanding contrast and color reproduction
and the most advanced zoom mechanics available. In fact, an
expansive 15 to 290mm range is provided by just four Optimo
Cairo. I think its an integral part of the
film.
Montpellier had other thrills,
such as the opportunity to light and
photograph the Great Pyramid of Giza
and the Nile River at night. In both
cases, he used uncorrected HMI lamps,
in some cases with the lenses removed,
to get the necessary levels. He was able
to isolate and adjust the color tempera-
tures in the digital intermediate, which
was done at 2K at Technicolor Toronto.
He also used the DI to fine-tune scenes
with high contrast or widely varying skin
tones, and to adjust interior and exterior
levels in building and vehicle shots.
Technicolor Toronto also processed the
productions footage, which meant the
filmmakers sometimes didnt see
dailies, which were on DVD, for a week
or more.
Montpellier was able to bring his
key Canadian crew to Egypt for the
shoot. The focus puller was Andy
Jekabsons, the operator was Andris
Matiss, and the gaffer was Scott Trem-
blay, who had worked in the Middle
East on Brian De Palmas Redacted (AC
Dec. 07). Montpellier emphasizes that
resourcefulness and openness to local
solutions were the foundation of a
successful shoot. Youd be ignorant not
to open your eyes to the way that things
are done elsewhere in the world. Some-
times when you dont have the right
equipment, you end up being more
creative. It was part of my evolution as
a cinematographer, and being a North
American going through these cultural
experiences made me somewhat like
our main character.
TECHNICAL SPECS
2.40:1
3-perf Super 35mm
Moviecam Compact MKII
Cooke and Angenieux lenses
Kodak Vision2 50D 5201, 250D 5205;
Vision3 500T 5219
Printed on Kodak Vision 2383
I
24mm 290mm 28mm 76mm 17mm 80mm
35mm lenses. Thats a lot less to purchase, rent and carry. Yet
still fills every need from hand-held and Stedicam to dolly and
crane applications. The perfect complement to your favorite fixed
lenses. Just some of the reasons pro cinematographers around
the world consider the Angenieux Optimo family of zoom lenses
a prime choice for 35mm film and large format digital production.
angenieux@tccus.com angenieux.com
Errata
Some of the text in last
months Q&A about Mad Men was
erroneously altered during the
production process. The quote that
begins at the bottom of page 40
should read: Sometimes well
throw out a suggestion, such as
asking if a scene can be twilight
instead of night; sometimes it would
just look better to glow the windows
soft blue instead of having it be
night, with nothing out there. And
the question that begins at the
bottom of page 41 should read:
With all the unusual colors and
textures in the wardrobe, do you
ever shoot wardrobe tests?
34 November 2009
Visually echoing the work of
Francisco Goya, one of Sendaks
favorite artists, Wild Things springs
straight out of Freudian psychoana-
lytical theory, which maintains that
children learn to deal with strong
emotions by projecting them onto
fantasies.
Now considered a classic of
childrens literature, Wild Things tells
the story of Max (played in the movie
by Max Records), a 9-year-old boy
who is sent to bed without his supper
after making mischief. Using his
imagination, Max transforms his
room into a jungle where he tames a
group of fantastic creatures: cantan-
kerous, furry, two-legged beasts
resplendent with claws, teeth, scales
and horns.
In bringing Maxs rambunc-
tious adventures to cinematic life,
director Spike Jonze reunited with his
longtime collaborator, cinematogra-
Lance Acord, ASC helps bring a childrens classic to life
with Where the Wild Things Are.
by Simon Gray
Unit photography by
Sonny Geras, Ben King and Matt Nettheim
Wild Kingdom
Wild Kingdom
II
t may seem hard to believe now,
but Maurice Sendaks Where the
Wild Things Are caused quite a
stir when it was first published in
1963. Despite winning the
coveted Caldecott Medal for Most
Distinguished Picture Book, the slen-
der, tableau-style volume which
has a grand total of just 10 sentences
drew strong criticism from child
psychologists, who deemed its
images too disturbing for children.
AMC_1109_p034p047:a_feature 10/5/09 10:38 AM Page 34
American Cinematographer 35
pher Lance Acord, ASC. Working
with Spike again was the great attrac-
tion of doing this film, offers Acord,
who is quite familiar with the psycho-
logical complexities of Jonzes work
after shooting the features Being John
Malkovich and Adaptation (AC Dec.
02). I initially thought the project
might involve extensive use of anima-
tronics and greenscreen, but Spikes
enthusiastic reconceptualization was
unique and very exciting. He was
adamant about not making an
effects-driven movie.
Principal photography took
place in Australia during winter and
early spring of 2006. Locations were
shot around the state of Victoria,
while studio shoots were undertaken
at Central City Studios in Melbourne.
We had a nice low sun path for the
entirety of the shoot, and when the
wind blew from the Antarctic, the
light was so clear and bright I was
getting meter readings higher than
anywhere else Ive shot, recalls
Acord.
AC caught up with the cine-
matographer while the production
was doing night shoots in Gembrook
Forest, north of Melbourne. The
location had been transformed into a
menacing land of smoke and fire,
with large, mysterious silhouettes
visible on the ridgeline. A recent
bushfire had burnt away all the
undergrowth, leaving behind
scorched earth and blackened trees
with white leaves. Dotting the barren
landscape were structures resembling
huge birds nests the homes of
the wild things. Gembrook is a
perfect example of the type of loca-
tion we wanted for the land of
the wild things, Acord notes while
keeping a watchful eye over prepara-
tions. We can see deep into the forest
with long lenses, and the strong
contrast provides a unique palette.
Production designer Keith K.K.
Barrett was the driving force in creat-
ing a forest that wasnt something
wed already seen on film. Whenever
possible, weve excluded the color
green. Photographically, green can be
a comforting color because it looks
tranquil and fertile, and we want the
forest to be a wild, untamed place of
danger and adventure.
In the sequence that was being
shot, Max is crowned king of the wild
things and issues his first royal procla-
mation: Let the wild rumpus begin!
Acord observes, The wild things
occasionally like to build large,
dangerous fires. They are not mean in
their destructiveness just some-
what rowdy!
To create the wild things
onscreen, Jonze opted for suit-
performers whose work was
Opposite: 9-year-
old Max (Max
Records), the
newly crowned
king of the wild
things, watches
the sunset with
Carol in Where
the Wild Things
Are, directed by
Spike Jonze and
based on the
acclaimed
childrens book
by Maurice
Sendak. This
page, top: Max
has a heart-to-
heart and
face-to-face
moment with
K.W. Bottom:
Cinematographer
Lance Acord,
ASC (left,
wearing hat) and
camera operator
Simon Harding
follow Maxs
adventure.
I
m
a
g
e
s

c
o
u
r
t
e
s
y

o
f

W
a
r
n
e
r

B
r
o
s
.

P
i
c
t
u
r
e
s
.
Shooting on
location around
the state of
Victoria in
Australia, the
filmmakers
found a variety
of environments
for the wild
things island.
Each location
was chosen to
visually
reinforce Maxs
emotions, says
Acord.
[Viewers] can
then interpret
his emotional
experiences
within the visual
context of a
forest, desert or
windy cliff-top.
36 November 2009
augmented with minimal visual-
effects work a decision designed
to allow realistic emotional interac-
tion between Records and the other
actors. Spike wanted the experience
to be tactile for both Max and the
suit-performers, Acord explains.
He didnt want to use CG creatures
or force Max to perform to a green-
screen. He knew that using suit-
performers would create some
limitations, but it was a worthwhile
tradeoff the opportunity of
having the suit-performers interact
with Max adds so much to the natu-
ralism of the young actors perfor-
Wild Kingdom
mance. Spike found an amazing
group of actors, many from here in
Australia; they had no experience as
suit-performers, but they were really
attuned to the subtleties of the script
and the nuances of the voice perfor-
mances.
Watching the suit-performers
go through rehearsals with the naked
eye, its readily apparent that one of
the main challenges is their bulky
costumes, which restrict their physi-
cality and range of motion; the
performers have difficulty simply
moving around and walking down
the forest paths. When viewed on
monitors fed from the sequences
three cameras, however, each of the
wild things appears dynamic, nimble
and strong. Acord points out,
Achieving that energy onscreen all
comes down to establishing the best
combination of lenses, framing,
camera movement, staging and
blocking. Getting those elements
right is a constant learning curve.
When the creatures are running
around and rumpusing, the opera-
tors right in there with them the
crazier the camerawork, the better
the result. The depth of the frame is
accentuated with handheld camera-
work, point-of-view shots and very
long lenses to compress the space,
and we also use lots of foreground
elements, such as unexpected
glimpses through trees. Im
constantly amazed at how lifelike
their movements appear.
Enabling some of the more
elaborate stunts with the wild things
were lightweight versions of the crea-
ture suits that were specifically
designed for the second-unit stunt
performers. This group was directed
by John Mahaffie and photographed
by Brad Shield. Acord explains that
the lighter suits incorporated brac-
ing where the head connected to the
body. That meant less nuanced
motion, but the stunt-suit perform-
Max and the
wild things howl
at the setting sun
in two of the
films many
scenes set
around dusk.
Time in the land
of the wild
things is
somewhat
indeterminate,
says Acord.
Theres a
dreamlike
ambiguity in
many of the
sequences, and
in the overall
timeline of the
film. Thats how
it was written.
38 November 2009
ers were able to run and jump and
generally move more than the
performers in the more refined suits.
The lighting of the Gembrook
sequence involved a simple approach
that nevertheless required a week of
rigging. A circular area measuring
approximately 600 square meters, the
location was surrounded by eight 12-
Light Dinettes and another eight
Nine-light Maxis gelled with to
Full CTO. The lamps were run
through a series of dimmers that kept
them at levels ranging from 25 to 80
percent. These lamps provide back-
light for the smoke, silhouetting the
creatures and the back- to
midground trees, explains gaffer
Karl Engeler during a break in film-
ing. The fire effect, which plays
subtly on the foreground trees, is
extended with flame bars, Par cans
and Ground Rows. A varying
mixture of Lee 250 and 216 diffusion
was applied to these lamps, as well as
the 12- and Nine-lights. A very soft,
top-to-three-quarter back moon-
light effect was provided by two 24Ks
and two T12s on 30' scaffold towers,
with Engeler and his team using
the existing landscape to get the
right height. The four lamps on the
towers were gelled with either grid-
cloth or 252
1
8 White Diffusion.
Lance doesnt like the spray effect
you get by punching through smoke
with a hard light, but we also dont
want to diffuse the lamps so much
that they negate the flicker effect of
the fire, continues Engeler. At vari-
ous angles, these lamps provide the
soft moonlight and also backlight the
smoke high up in the trees. Around
the camera, Par bars provide the fire-
light effect; for moonlight, six Ruby
Sevens are directed straight up into a
20x20 Ultrabounce, which provides
an ambience for the foreground.
The intention is to maintain a
sense of depth in the forest, Acord
explains between setups. The forest
is quite dense, were shooting at
night, and the creatures themselves
are quite dark, in the same tonal
range as the trees and groundcover.
So we have different layers: theres a
deep background layer of backlit
smoke; a row of trees silhouetted in
front of that; a layer of trees more
frontlit by the firelight; and, finally,
the creatures, which are silhouetted
in front of that.
Acords other night exterior
featured a soft, toplit, starlight look.
Engeler and his crew built a large
moon-box, constructed with a truss
and containing 12 12K space lights,
Above: Jealous of
the attention his
mother (Catherine
Keener) has been
giving her
boyfriend, Max
puts on a
monstrous display
in the kitchen
before running
away from home.
Below: After
running away,
Max finds a
small boat he
uses to sail to the
island of the wild
things. The night
portions of his
journey were
shot day-for-night,
and Acord took
advantage of the
digital
intermediate to
finesse the look.
"The DI meant
I could shoot
under open
shade in
daylight or
dappled light
under trees and
grade it for
twilight; I could
also use the
open sun and
grade those
scenes for
moonlight,"
he notes.
Wild Kingdom
with gridcloth on the outside of the
box. The rig was then hung off a
construction crane, casting a soft
ambient light. Acord says, Lighting
nights in this way is my biggest fear,
because its inherently a bit unrealis-
tic and I always approach lighting
with the motivation in mind. It
works for this film, however, because
the scenes often comprise moments
in the story, and the timelines within
individual sequences are ambiguous
and purposefully dreamlike.
The cinematographer em-
ployed Kodak Vision2 Expression
500T 5229 for all night scenes. I
prefer the softer blacks and slightly
desaturated color of that stock;
Expression isnt as snappy as 500T
5218. For day exteriors, I used 250D
Vision2 5205, rated at 250 but expos-
ing for the highlights. I kept the
shadow side of faces 2 to 3 stops
under, and because I was using more
of the stocks toe [dark] range, the
contrast was flattened out. That was
my approach on all the day exteriors,
even if we were on the shadow side a
lot. I knew I could lift the image
slightly in the DI. We used the 5205
well into the magic-hour period, and
it held up very well. I love the look of
a wide lens with a background falling
off, so our wider lenses, such as the
27mm, were at T2.8. On the longer
lenses, such as those in the 75mm to
150mm range, I kept things at T5.6 to
T8 because we were shooting hand-
held and Max often could be off his
mark.
Asked how such a slim tome
could be translated into a feature-
length film, the cinematographer
points out that Jonzes film (which
the director co-scripted with David
Eggers) dramatically expands the
storys emotional and psychological
scope: Spikes approach to Where the
Wild Things Are is thematic rather
than a narrative-driven storyline
contained within a three-act struc-
ture. The script interprets the themes
of yearning and empowerment
through the mind of Max, examining
how a child comes to terms with his
place in the world. Spike and David
explore how Max processes all the
complexity of emotions in his rela-
tionships with his family and the wild
things.
The film begins in the family
home, where Max argues with his
sister and feels jealous of his mothers
affection for her boyfriend. Acord
says he and Jonze were determined to
differentiate Wild Things from other
childrens movies by avoiding
common clichs of the genre. In
terms of the camerawork and light-
ing, the beginning of the film is some-
what conventional, notes Acord. I
Left: For a night
sequence filmed
in Gembrook
Forest, Acord
and gaffer Karl
Engeler lit in
layers to
maintain a sense
of depth, the
cinematographer
explains.
Theres a deep
background
layer of backlit
smoke; a row of
trees silhouetted
in front of that; a
layer of trees
more frontlit by
the firelight; and,
finally, the
creatures, which
are silhouetted
in front of that.
Below: As his
relationship with
the wild things
grows more
tenuous, Max
talks things over
with Alexander.
40 November 2009
wanted to impart a sense of realism
and not overly polish Maxs home
life. In films about children, theres
usually a kind of aspirational, fairy-
tale quality to the home life itself; its
often a nice Craftsman house in
Pasadena with warm, glowing lights
in the windows, and the family dogs
a golden retriever. I liked the idea of
downplaying all this a bit, letting
things be a bit more ordinary and
rough around the edges. There are
plenty of kids out there who live with
just their mom, and their moms
boyfriend, and not everyone gets
along all the time. This film is more
honest in that regard. It was impor-
tant to keep the camera right there
with Max, particularly in the scenes
when hes by himself, playing in his
fort or with his toy boat.
In a departure from the book,
Maxs room doesnt morph into a
jungle; instead, he leaves the house
and finds his way to a boat that trans-
ports him to the land of the wild
things. More than just scary
monsters, the creatures are emotional
beings that serve clear thematic
purposes in the film. Acord notes,
The creatures in the original book
are based on Sendaks often bewil-
dered childhood impressions of his
newly-arrived relatives from Europe.
Spike and David continued that idea,
using particular aspects of people
they know. Each wild thing repre-
sents specific emotions, echoing
Maxs relationships in the real world.
Carol [voiced by James Gandolfini]
is the alpha-male of the pack, the
father figure for Max; hes strong and
ambitious, the kind of guy you hope
will like you. K.W. [Lauren Ambrose]
is like that friend of your sisters
whos too old for you and you know
it. Judith [Catherine OHara] and Ira
[Forest Whitaker] are the slightly
self-loathing aunt and uncle who
always hang around. Douglas [Tom
Noonan] is the rooster of the pack,
the one who gets things done by
soldiering through everything.
Alexander [Paul Dano] is the
youngest of the bunch; as the
teenager, hes jealous of the attention
Max gets from the adults.
The wild-thing performances
were created in two stages. First, the
voices of Whitaker, Gandolfini and
the other main actors were recorded
onstage in Los Angeles as the group
Wild Kingdom
After spinning a
yarn that
convinces the
wild things to
crown him king,
Maxs first royal
act is to declare
a wild rumpus.
42 November 2009
acted out scenes with large foam
props in front of three video cameras.
Acord explains, They all wore head-
bands with microphones really close
to their mouths, all of which was in
shot, and everyone was dressed how
they felt their particular character
might dress. The result was like a
bizarre, avant-garde theater piece!
The suit-performers then studied the
footage to craft their own characteri-
zations, which retained many of the
voice actors physical traits. Carol is
certainly reminiscent of James, while
Ira feels like Forest at times, says
Acord. It was amazing to see the suit-
performers bring their respective
characters to life with physical
gestures and body language.
Another early, major decision
was to shoot most of the film on loca-
tion. Normally, a film like this would
all be shot on stage, and if you went
on location, it would be one that had
been thoroughly prepped, Acord
explains. However, the essence of
Spikes approach was to go out and
film the wild things as if we were
making a fly-on-the-wall wildlife
documentary about actual feral crea-
tures in their natural environment.
We shot in forests and on sand dunes
and cliff-tops, in all kinds of weather.
If youre going to go to the trouble of
shooting on location, you really want
to see that interaction of the environ-
ment with the creatures, the rain and
mud, with leaves falling on them and
all the things that happen in the real
world. We wanted to have a direct
physical interaction between Max
and the world of the wild things.
It was a big conceptual deci-
sion with many logistical implica-
tions, Acord continues. The reality
of shooting with a very large creature
contingent was an extraordinarily
complicated undertaking. Simply
getting the suit-performers onto
location often required using a four-
wheel-drive stake-bed truck to drive
each one individually up dirt roads
we cut through the forest; then, later,
wed have to walk them down paths
that had been cleared and smoothed
out. When we got into the stage
Wild Kingdom
Right: Max bids
adieu to K.W.
and Douglas
before returning
home. Acord
explains, The
script interprets
the themes of
yearning and
empowerment
through the mind
of Max,
examining how
a child comes to
terms with his
place in the
world. Below:
K.W., Douglas
and Carol stand
on their marks
while Acord
(foreground left)
and Harding
(foreground
right) don
EasyRigs to
frame the scene
from Maxs
eye level.
44 November 2009
work, we realized just how hard wed
made it for ourselves! There is a lot to
be said for this process, however. In
many ways, suited characters, like
Chewbacca in Star Wars, still hold up
because they are intrinsically interest-
ing; their tactile quality is quite
enchanting. Puppets and guys in suits
still work, especially with kids.
Jonzes approach also deter-
mined the style and extent of visual
effects, specifically the CG compo-
nent of the creatures faces, handled
by Framestore in London. When the
CG work had just started, I saw some
of the first tests, and there was a very
broad range of motion, Acord
explains. You saw a lot of the crea-
tures mouths and teeth; there was a
true realization of the potential of
CG. For Spike, I think it was too
much. Through the course of trying
different approaches to the anima-
tion, they ended up with a result that
looks like the best animatronics
imaginable. Its not a full-fledged
realization of CG by any means; its
very restrained and balances the use
of the suit-performers and the suits
themselves.
Acord and Jonze tell Maxs
story with a simple but effective
photographic approach. We always
tried to stay true to the concept of
shooting the film from Maxs point of
view, the cinematographer says. A
lot of scenes start from premises like,
This is Max, This is Max seeing
these things and This is what Max
sees. One of my key references was
[ASC member] Caleb Deschanels
work on The Black Stallion, which I
showed to the crew during prepro-
duction. However, there were times
when Acord felt that a different
approach would better serve the
story. With strictly subjective
imagery, its often hard to provide the
viewer with an understanding of
setting and place. Since each location
was chosen to visually reinforce
Maxs emotions, I often fought for
shots that would orient viewers by
showing them exactly where Max
was physically. They can then inter-
pret his emotional experiences within
the visual context of a forest, desert or
windy cliff-top. Finding a balance
between point-of-view shots and
more objective establishing shots of
Max in the environment was the
topic of many on-set discussions I
had with Spike.
Shooting extensive handheld
coverage from Maxs point of view
required the lens to be at a very
awkward operating height. Acord
made things easier on himself and
his operators by employing an
EasyRig, a vest-mounted camera-
support system that reduces the load
on the operators neck and shoulder
muscles by suspending the camera
and distributing the weight to other
parts of the body. Maxs eye level is
somewhere between the waist and
shoulder, and the best way to hand-
hold in that position was with the
EasyRig, he says. For handheld
work, Acord favored the Optimo
15mm-40mm zoom, and the
27mm-68mm compact Panavision
zoom. Panavision Primos are such
beautiful lenses; they have a silky
smoothness in terms of contrast, and
fantastic color rendition. I consid-
ered using Zeiss high-speeds because
of how compact and light they are,
but in the end I opted for the Primos.
The 27mm felt like Maxs
perspective on the world, and that
length was used mostly when hes
awestruck at what hes seeing it
lends an impressionistic feel to the
image. When we were photograph-
ing Max, we stayed in the 40mm-
100mm range, and for moments
when Max examines things and takes
a hard look at whats going on
around him, we were in the 100mm-
200mm range.
Concerns about scale dictated
most of the filmmakers decision-
making once Max gets to the island.
In addition to showing the crea-
Wild Kingdom
Having learned
Max was never
a king to begin
with, a
crestfallen Carol
roams the island
in solitude.
tures as Max sees them, we were
always pushing the disparity of scale
in frames where Max and the crea-
tures appear together, Acord notes.
While the tallest suit-performer, in
full costume, was more than 7' tall
(the rest were somewhere between 6'
and 7'), Acord accentuated their
height in relation to Max by compos-
ing shots from unusual angles. Max
would be right down at the bottom
of the frame, sometimes cropped
right at the neck. The frame would be
crowded with the creatures, with
their sheer size pushing the frame
itself outwards and upwards as Max
just hangs on at the very bottom.
Whenever possible, we would utilize
grade differences in the terrain to
keep Max low in frame. Spike was
always pushing things in this regard
and sometimes we would have Max
on his knees to further enhance the
effect. There are a lot of composi-
tions like that in the movie, and the
strategy works perfectly to establish
Maxs place amid the creatures.
Where the Wild Things Are was
shot in both full-frame and
3-perf Super 35, using a 2.35:1 aspect
ratio. The cameras designated for
first-unit performance coverage
were primarily 3-perf, while the
second unit utilized full frame to
allow for reframing in post. Two
cameras were utilized for every
setup, with a third employed as
necessary. The package comprised
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45
Above: Jonze gives Records a lift to the location. Below: Acord takes five with Ira.
two Panavision Millennium XLs,
Acords own Aaton 35-III (equipped
with a P+S Technik modified
viewfinder) and a Panavised Arri
235. On the A and B cameras, the
most common lens configurations
were a 40mm and 75mm, or a 50mm
and 100mm. For any given scene
theres a best place for the camera
and theres a best lens to use, says
Acord. Using two or three cameras
can obfuscate that position, and
sometimes you feel you didnt quite
get the shot. I really only like using
second and third cameras when the
shot has already been found; the
additional cameras help in obtaining
that one specific, dramatic beat that
you may have only one chance at
capturing with a younger actor.
One of Acords favorite
sequences is when K.W. swallows
Max to hide him from an angry
Carol. He found the discussions
about how to visually represent K.W.s
gullet onscreen eerily reminiscent of
the filmmakers debates about the
portal sequences in Being John
Malkovich. Charlie Kaufmans script
described the portal very vaguely as
the membranous tunnel, and we had
hours and hours of discussion about
what that meant exactly. K.W.s
insides were also the subject of much
discussion, because the emotional
psychology of that scene Maxs
symbolic rebirth and his realization
of how he feels about his mother is
very deep. The final product was a
furry sling; when the fur was wet it
had a texture like the stomach lining
of a cow. The less you saw of it, the
better, and I did what I could to keep
Wild Kingdom
46
Acord and
Jonze catch
their breath
before the next
rumpus begins.
the lighting contained on Max and let
it fall off gently onto the walls of
K.W.s stomach. I also added a low-
level backlight to the stomach lining
by just the tiniest amount the dye
in the fabric was black, but the base
for the dye gave a hint of a purple
warmth when it was backlit.
Dailies were supplied by
Digital Pictures in Melbourne and
viewed as Final Cut Pro HD files.
Where the Wild Things Are is Acords
first use of a digital intermediate.
Scanning was done on an Arriscan at
1080 onto HDCam-SR 4:4:4 in RGB
color space. One of the main reasons
for having a DI was the amount of
footage shot day-for-night, day-for-
twilight and day-for-predawn. Time
in the land of the wild things is some-
what indeterminate, Acord notes.
Theres a dreamlike ambiguity in
many of the sequences, and in the
overall timeline of the film. Thats
how it was written. Spike came to me
at one point and said, Is this actually
possible? Id worked with kids who
werent much older than Max on The
Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys, and the
time restrictions with child actors can
be a real challenge, especially when
youre shooting on location. The DI
meant I could shoot under open
shade in daylight, or dappled light
under trees, and grade it for twilight;
I could also use the open sun and
grade those scenes for moonlight. A
good percentage of the film is done
that way; being able to subtly manip-
ulate luminance, saturation and
contrast was indispensable on a
picture like this.
A basic look was applied to the
film at Londons Framestore, where
Acord and Jonze spent a week
evening out the composite work.
Final grading was then done by
Stefan Sonnenfeld at Company 3 in
Santa Monica, Calif. We got pretty
far along in London, Acord says.
That sped up the process with
Stefan because we had a good,
balanced pass of the entire film,
which allowed us to spend a couple
of weeks fine-tuning the look in
Santa Monica.
Additional reporting by Jon D.
Witmer. I
TECHNICAL SPECS
2.40:1
3-perf Super 35mm
Panaflex Millennium XL;
Aaton 35-III; PanArri 235
Panavision Lightweight Primo
and Angenieux lenses
Kodak Vision2 Expression 500T
5229, Vision2 250D 5205
47
48 November 2009
I
n these tough economic times,
its difficult to imagine a scenario
in which a young couple strug-
gling to make ends meet would
turn away the gift of a large sum
of money. In The Box, such a couple
(played by Cameron Diaz and James
Marsden) is told that all their prob-
lems can be solved with the press of
a button literally. According to a
mysterious stranger (Frank
Langella), pushing this button will
cause two things to happen: the cou-
ple will receive $1,000,000, and
someone they dont know will die.
Directed by Richard Kelly,
The Box is based on Button,
Button, a 1970 short story by
Richard Matheson. The story was
adapted for television for the 1985
reincarnation of The Twilight Zone,
but Kelly optioned the theatrical-
feature rights to the story directly
from Matheson several years ago.
Mathesons story was one of the
most intriguing, thought-provoking
and suspenseful premises Id ever
stumbled across, says Kelly. I des-
perately needed to know what hap-
pened to this couple, and I needed to
know who the mysterious Arlington
Steward [Langellas character] was. I
had hundreds of questions, and I
wanted to be the one to provide the
answers and take the story to the
next level.
The thriller The Box, shot digitally by Steven Poster, ASC,
puts a surreal spin on a moral dilemma.
by Jay Holben
Unit photography by Dale Robinette
Pand
o
ras
Predicament
Pand
o
ras
Predicament
AMC_1109_p048p057:b_feature 10/5/09 10:49 AM Page 48
The films director of photog-
raphy is Steven Poster, ASC, who
also shot Southland Tales and
Donnie Darko for Kelly. Richard
and I have been partnered since the
day we met, literally, says the veter-
an cinematographer. We became
collaborators the first day we started
working together, and it has been
that way on all the movies. Richard
begins to collaborate with me at the
script stage, sometimes even before
a studio is involved. There are sever-
al others who come into the process
early, including Richards producing
partner, Sean McKittrick, produc-
tion designer Alec Hammond and
visual-effects supervisor Thomas
Tannenberger.
This approach makes for a
very tight-knit crew and an extend-
ed prep process, which in turn lead
to a smooth production. Every film
Ive done has been ridiculously
ambitious for its schedule and
budget, Kelly remarks. As soon as I
finish a script, I get it out to all these
guys and start to plant the seed of
the production in their heads. It can
be a year or more before we actually
go into official prep, and it makes
Opposite page:
Norma Lewis
(Cameron Diaz)
finds herself
divided over how
to handle a
bizarre moral
dilemma in The
Box. This page,
top: Norma and
her husband,
Arthur (James
Marsden), are
told they will
receive a million
dollars if they
push the button
contained in a
mysterious box,
but a person they
do not know will
die as a result.
Cinematographer
Steven Poster,
ASC notes,
Every time the
box was shown
onscreen, I
treated it like a
commercial
product,
emphasizing the
sheen of the
plastic protective
top and the rich
wood grain on
the sides.
Middle: Arthur
raids a stash of
cash in a
sequence shot in
a basement set
built onstage.
Bottom: Poster
poses with
Panavisions
Genesis camera
on location in
Boston, where
the locals
undoubtedly
appreciated his
taste in baseball
caps.
P
h
o
t
o
s

c
o
u
r
t
e
s
y

o
f

W
a
r
n
e
r

B
r
o
s
.
50 November 2009
Pandoras Predicament
such a difference to have that time to
discuss and consider the script. If
Steven can start wrapping his mind
around this project a year before we
start shooting, its going to make for
a much better production all
around.
For The Box, one early consid-
eration was the character of Steward,
the mysterious keeper of the fateful
device. Kelly conceived the character
as someone whod had half his face
burned away in an accident, and the
filmmaker was insistent that this
effect be achieved digitally with the
help of Tannenberger and his com-
pany, Gradient Effects. That was a
big debate for a while, recalls Kelly.
I always wanted to do it digitally
because I knew the digital process
would allow us to create something
truly fantastic. I think todays audi-
ences are very attuned to spotting
the old tricks and effects theyre
very savvy. I wanted Arlington
Steward to be a legendary character,
an icon. I wanted him to be some-
one people just cant take their eyes
off when hes onscreen.
The choice of digital versus
practical makeup effects was not an
easy one. Going digital added a few
days to the production schedule and
created additional costs and compli-
cations. Every scene with Arlington
had to be shot with motion, and we
had to be sure to shoot clean plates
so Thomas and his team could paint
away portions of Franks face, says
Poster. We used recordable Hot
Gears, so after each scene was shot
we could play back the good takes
and photograph the empty set for
clean plates. We couldnt shoot
handheld in any of those sequences
because it would have added too
much time and expense to track the
effect in post. We had to be really
judicious about our camera move-
ment in those scenes; we had one
sweeping Technocrane shot with
Arlington because thats all we could
afford! We didnt compromise any-
thing; we just had to plan more care-
fully and be judicious.
Langella had to perform with
tracking balls glued to the affected
side of his face. I think Frank was
nervous about it at first, but hes a
veteran actor, says Kelly. After a few
days, I think he started to love it
because it gave him something phys-
ical to play with. He used it.
Poster notes that the team-
work Kelly fosters was critical to
accomplishing the effect. The work
Thomas Tannenberger and I do
together is pretty symbiotic, says
Poster. He knows my level of
understanding of visual effects, and
I know his level of understanding of
photography, and that makes it real-
ly fun to work with each other. One
thing I did on The Box that I hope to
do on every project from now on
was to bring everyone together very
early in prep to discuss workflow
the workflow is different on every
The enigmatic
Arlington
Steward (Frank
Langella)
explains the
stakes to
Norma. Notice
the part of
Langellas face
that has been
burned away,
Poster says.
This couldnt
have been done
with prosthetic
makeup. Every
time we showed
his face in a
shot, we had to
shoot clean
plates to use for
background
replacements.
movie now, regardless of whether
you shoot film or digital. I started a
dialogue between Panavision,
LaserPacific, our editorial depart-
ment, our post supervisor, and
Thomas and his visual-effects team
to really nail down exactly what the
workflow was going to be.
The decision to make
Stewards face a digital effect firmly
pushed The Box into the digital
realm. It became clear to me that
this would be a perfect movie to
shoot digitally, and we decided to go
with Panavisions Genesis camera,
says Poster. The early workflow dis-
cussions revolved around the use of
the Codex digital recorder to record
the highest possible quality image
from the Genesis. Unfortunately, the
budget would not allow for a Codex,
and the Panavision SSR-1 (Solid
State Recorder) was not yet avail-
able, so the team used the standard
HDCam-SR on camera. Every day,
each HDCam-SR tape was cloned
on the set, and the clones were sent
to LaserPacific for ingestion into the
post pipeline. When reports were
received that the ingestion was suc-
cessful, the original tapes were sent
back to the production offices.
Poster had shot some tests
and commercials with the Genesis,
but The Box was his first digital fea-
ture. I took the same approach to
the Genesis that I do to any new film
stock or imaging device: I took the
Top: Arthur
downs some
bubbly at a
wedding
reception. Poster
notes that
lighting was
built into the set
because we
were seeing
straight down
into the set,
which gave us
nowhere to
position movie
lights. Middle:
Poster
contemplates his
exposure for the
reception scene.
Bottom:
Steadicam
operator Jody
Miller tracks
Diaz through the
reading room at
the Boston
Public Library.
Poster observes,
That sequence
was lit mostly by
existing
overhead
fluorescents, but
we added some
fill light that was
handheld and
moving with the
camera.
52 November 2009
time to understand the dynamic
range, and once I understood where
my limits were in terms of boosting,
noise, underexposure and shadow
areas, I went out and shot it as
though I were shooting film.
Through testing, Poster determined
that the Genesis has a base ISO of
640, and he then began to experi-
ment with various gain settings. I
found that the gain didnt track in a
linear fashion, he notes. As I went
up in gain, there was almost a geo-
metric increase in speed to the point
where I realized I wasnt going to be
able to come up with a meter setting
that would relate to it. At that point,
I decided not to use my meter at all.
Using a waveform monitor
and his own trained eye, Poster
found a key exposure range between
28 and 45 IRE, depending on the sit-
uation. 55 IRE as middle gray is
engineering baloney, he maintains
with a laugh. You can work with
that all day long, but youre throwing
away a lot of bottom range if you do.
I took all the tests I shot with the
Genesis through the digital-inter-
mediate process with [colorist] Dave
Cole at LaserPacific. I didnt have to
do it all the way through to filmout,
because if I see it in the DI suite at
LaserPacific I know that the filmout
will match what I saw on the screen.
By pushing the footage as far as we
could, I quickly learned the limits of
the medium where it was solid
and where it got noisy. After that, I
felt I had a solid understanding of
the chips latitude.
Working from the waveform,
Poster used an 18-percent gray card
and positioned it where he wanted
to find his exposure. Focusing the
camera on the card, hed then set the
aperture to suit his desired IRE
range on the waveform and light the
rest of the scene by eye. At some
point, working with a specific emul-
sion or imaging medium becomes
intuitive, and your instincts tell you
how a particular scene is going to
look, he observes. With testing
behind me, I relied on that instinc-
tual understanding of the Genesis
for the entire shoot.
Testing included more than
the standard technical charts and
lighting ratios. During prep, Poster
actually took the camera to specific
locations the production planned to
use in Boston, Mass. One really
amazing location was a water-treat-
ment plant called Deer Island, he
recalls. There are huge treatment
Top: One of the
shows most
impressive sets
is Langley Air
Force Bases
historic wind
tunnel, which
recently closed
down after 78
years of
operation.
Bottom: After a
great deal of
discussion
about how to
create light in
this very
complicated
location where
none existed,
production
designer Alec
Hammond
designed this
Kino Flo lighting
ring that could
be raised and
lowered on
chain motors,
Poster explains.
We also added
the light boxes
ringing the
platform.
structures that look like giant eggs.
Because of the nature of the loca-
tion, there is so much free methane
gas floating around that the slightest
accident could cause the whole
plant to explode!
For safety and budget rea-
sons, Deer Island is lit almost entire-
ly with high-pressure sodium-vapor
fixtures, traditionally a troublesome
non-continuous-spectrum source
for film and digital. High-pressure
sodium-vapor lights (HPS/SON)
run about 2700K, with an average
CRI of about 85. After shooting tests
with the Genesis at the location
and manipulating the results in the
DI suite, Poster decided to augment
the locations existing lighting with
Luminys stand-alone high-output
HPS/SON fixtures, which the com-
pany manufactures to augment
street lighting. We used five of the
[Luminys] fixtures, and they were
great, he recalls. We shined one
right down the lens a couple times to
get a really great flare. Another really
nice aspect of that location was the
prevalence of hoses that made
our wet-down very easy!
Another location Poster
scouted with the Genesis was the
Boston Public Library, which served
as the setting for several sequences: a
chase into the reading room, a
sequence involving a water coffin
effect, and others. The library has a
huge atrium with a large, diffused
skylight, and you can see into each of
the wings from the atrium, Poster
Above: Arthur approaches a teleportation device that takes the form of a large water
column. Below: During filming of the scene in the Boston Public Library, Marsden
extends a finger toward the empty geometric outline for the visual effect.
53
54 November 2009
notes. Its a really dynamic location
but has a terrible mix of lighting
fluorescent fixtures, sodium fixtures,
tungsten fixtures, daylight and
mixes within those! Over the years,
the fluorescents have been replaced
haphazardly with different types of
bulbs and different color tempera-
tures. Its a real mishmash of color
temperatures!
When I tested the Genesis in
there, I was astounded by its
remarkable ability to blend all those
color temperatures so smoothly, he
continues. The color science of the
Genesis chip is remarkably close to
Kodaks Vision2 [500T] 5218. Its
amazing how well the camera han-
dled those sources.
He adds, however, that his
goal on The Box wasnt to create dig-
ital images that looked just like film.
HD is its own medium, and I treat-
ed it as such. Even though The Box
takes place in the mid-1970s, I felt
the Genesis look could stand on its
own. Richard was a little harder to
convince. When we made Donnie
Darko, he was a film purist and only
wanted to work with anamorphic
35mm. On Southland Tales, we had
to go to 3-perf Super 35mm, and
that was a tough decision for him.
Convincing him to consider digital
took a lot of discussions!
I was very nervous about
Above: This
finished
composite
shows a
worker
preparing to
teleport the
Lewises son.
Underwater
lights were
used to create
the glowing
light beneath
the waters
surface, Poster
notes. The real
water surface
was replaced
by visual
effects to
create
movement and
hide the light
sources.
Below: One of
the live-action
elements for
the scene is
created on a
greenscreen
stage.
shooting digitally, Kelly confirms.
In particular, I was worried about
motion blur with Steadicam and
tracking shots, I was worried about
day exteriors, and I was worried
about creating anything that
screamed video! We did a lot of
R&D with different types of looks.
To make sure we wouldnt get too
much motion blur, Steven did thor-
ough testing and we decided never
to shoot wider than a 270-degree
shutter. We also worked with filters
to find a look that felt like the 1970s
and wasnt a distraction for the
audience.
The film that really opened
my mind to using digital, especially
for a period piece, was David
Finchers Zodiac [AC April 07],
continues Kelly. Although he and
Harris Savides [ASC] used the Viper
on that film, the look they achieved
proved to me that you can achieve a
period look with new digital cam-
eras. The images the Genesis creates
transfer beautifully to film, and the
grain the picture picks up when its
printed on film really completes the
image for me. After the first week of
dailies, I knew the Genesis was the
right choice for us.
For lens filtration, Poster tried
to stay with filters that would have
been available in 1976. I worked
with low-cons, double fogs, Mitchell
diffusion, anything that would have
been available then, but I settled on a
very light level of Tiffen White Pro-
Mist. This more modern filter gave
us just the edge we needed with the
Genesis imaging chip, blending the
palette without drawing attention to
the image.
While shooting on location in
56
Director Richard
Kelly and Poster
scope out a
scene on their
third movie
together.
b-the box_p56_REV:b_feature 10/7/09 2:19 PM Page 56
Boston, the filmmakers were able to
watch projected dailies by creating
their own portable theater. The back
half of a 40'-long storage trailer was
partitioned off and painted black. To
create a low-budget screen, Poster
used stretched white-blackout mate-
rial. Dailies were projected with a
Panasonic PT-AE2000U full-HD-
compatible LCD projector. We had
a projectionist on a short daily call,
and wed watch dailies off the cloned
HDCam-SR tapes every day at
lunch, says Poster. Im a big fan of
watching projected dailies; it really
makes a big difference. First of all, it
allows for the collective experience of
everybody watching the footage
together in a darkened room. The
project becomes much more person-
al for everyone, and the crew gets
much more excited about what were
all working on. Projected dailies also
convey the true scope of the images,
so that later, when the director and
editor are sitting in the editing room
with a much smaller screen, they
dont tend to cut in closer images that
are more appropriate to a TV show
than a big-screen feature. Just about
the only drawback is that you tend to
spill food all over yourself while eat-
ing lunch in the dark!
Poster notes that his involve-
ment in the post process comprised
not just color-timing the final, but
also timing individual elements
along the way. Each visual-effects
shot needs a base timing for the
effects artists to work from, and I try
to get those elements close [to the
desired look]. We also did three pre-
view versions of The Box, and
although I was off shooting another
picture, I came in on the weekends
to sit with Dave Cole and refine the
timing for those. Because we did
that, we shaved about a week off the
final DI session.
Kelly says he looks forward to
working with the Genesis again. It
would be interesting to use it on a
piece that goes even further into the
past, like an 18th-century story, he
muses.
Several people have told us
The Box doesnt look like anything
theyve seen before, and that makes
me very happy, says Poster. Its
always a great thing to give audi-
ences a little something new! I
TECHNICAL SPECS
2.40:1
High-Definition Video
Panavision Genesis
Primo lenses
57
58 November 2009
B
ritish actor Michael Sheen
has made a name for himself
playing a string of real-life
characters, including former
Prime Minister Tony Blair,
comic performer Kenneth Williams
and broadcaster David Frost. His lat-
est incarnation is Brian Clough, a
legendary English soccer manager
of the 1960s and 1970s and the cen-
tral character in The Damned
United. Clough, who died in 2004,
was a charismatic but controversial
figure, adored by some and despised
by others for his outspokenness
and a confidence that bordered on
arrogance. He is often referred to as
the greatest manager England
never had, and he passionately
upheld the idea that football, as soc-
cer is called in most of the world,
could rise above the brutality of pro-
fessional matches in the 1970s to be
a beautiful game.
Based on David Peaces novel
The Damned Utd, the film was
directed by Tom Hooper and shot by
cinematographer Ben Smithard. It
examines Cloughs disastrous 44-
day tenure as manager of Leeds
United in 1974, which ended with
him being sacked after getting the
club off to its worst start in 15 sea-
sons. A flashback structure cuts
between this short spell at Leeds and
the events that led up to it: Cloughs
years as manager at Derby and his
burgeoning rivalry with Don Revie
(Colm Meaney), the highly success-
ful manager who took Leeds to the
top of the First Division before
accepting an offer to manage the
national team. A staunch critic of
Leeds aggressive playing style,
Clough steps into Revies shoes with
the brash ambition of changing a
Kicked Off
the
Pitch
Kicked Off
the
Pitch
The Damned United,
shot by Ben
Smithard, colorfully
recalls the brief,
disastrous tenure of
an English football
manager.
by Mark Hope-Jones
Unit photography by
Laurie Sparham
AMC_1109_p058p065:c_feature 10/7/09 1:00 PM Page 58
winning formula and soon meets
determined resistance.
Ive always loved football,
and I read David Peaces book,
which was fantastic, says Smithard.
It took me awhile to get a meeting
with Tom, but when I did finally
meet him, I made sure I was well
prepared. Once on board, Smithard
wasted no time in building good
relationships with the costume and
art departments, which would be
crucial to re-creating the look of
England between 1967 and 1974. I
was talking to those departments
pretty early on, continues the cine-
matographer. There were extensive
recces of locations, and [production
designer] Eve Stewarts work with
the textures at those locations played
a major part in the look of the film;
she did an amazing job with the
interiors, which made my job much
easier.
Still photographs were an
important inspiration for Smithard
as he set about crafting a look.
Period photographs of football
matches were useful because you
dont just see the players on the
pitch; you see the crowd, the archi-
tecture of the stadium, the dirt and
grime, he says. The composition of
black-and-white stills from the
Fifties and Sixties by Cartier-
Bresson and the other great photog-
raphers was the main influence. Ive
got a huge library of photographic
books. I have a real love of docu-
mentary, which ties in with
reportage and photojournalism. For
me, its about truth and honesty; if
you look at that in practical ways, a
lot of The Damned United is shot
with available light, much more
than youd think. Id hate for anyone
to feel that the film looks lit.
The influence of social pho-
tography manifests itself in some
unconventional compositions that
appear throughout the film.
Characters are often positioned in
the lower half of the frame with vast
spaces above their heads, or at the
P
h
o
t
o
s

c
o
u
r
t
e
s
y

o
f

S
o
n
y

P
i
c
t
u
r
e
s

C
l
a
s
s
i
c
s
.

A
d
d
i
t
i
o
n
a
l

p
h
o
t
o
s

c
o
u
r
t
e
s
y

o
f

B
e
n

S
m
i
t
h
a
r
d
.
Opposite: Leeds
captain Billy
Bremmer
(Stephen Graham)
performs a slide
tackle in the mud.
This page, top:
Brian Clough
(Michael Sheen)
reacts to a
competitors play
as assistant
coach Peter
Taylor (Timothy
Spall) tries to
calm him. Middle:
Filming one of
Cloughs TV
interviews.
Bottom: Upon
arriving in Leeds
for his new job,
Clough meets the
press, one of his
favorite activities.
60 November 2009
Kicked Off the Pitch
extreme edge of frame. If you start
a film off with that kind of grammar,
I think the audience will get used to
it very quickly, says Smithard. We
actually decided on a lot of those
frames when we went out on recces.
Tom liked putting people on the
opposite side to where you would
normally put them in a composed
image and also having lots of air. It
allows you to see the environments,
which I love. If the landscape and
geography are part of the story, then
it makes sense to shoot with the
landscape and characters in the
same frame.
Smithard shot primarily with
spherical Panavision Primos, and he
found that this approach to compo-
sition meant the wider focal lengths
were coming out of the box quite
frequently. Tom likes to use the
10mm a bit more than I usually
would I tend towards the
14.5mm, he says. We had the
whole range of Primos up to
150mm and also the wide and long
Primo zooms. The storytelling lens-
es, 17.5mm to 50mm, were on the
camera a lot, but we did keep using
the 10mm and 14.5mm because
they really increase the landscape.
Tom said hed loved using the Zeiss
Top: Derby
County
chairman Sam
Longson (Jim
Broadbent)
doesnt like
what he sees on
the field.
Middle:
Following his
departure from
Leeds, Don
Revie (Colm
Meaney) makes
a splash by
attending a
Leeds match.
Bottom: Clough
greets the
Leeds United
team as it
comes off the
field.
nal footage of the interviewer and
new footage of Sheen as Clough,
Smithard made the bold decision to
utilize vintage tube video cameras;
he turned to a company called
Golden Age Television Recreations
for period-accurate cameras that
could be used in shot. Dicky Howett
at GATR explains, We supplied
three EMI 2001 cameras, two of
which needed to provide live feeds.
Because the 2001s are so old and
rectilinear 8mm on John Adams
[2008]. Panavision doesnt really
have a flat-field 8mm, but I was quite
glad of that because it might have
been a step too far!
I wasnt trying to keep to a
particular stop, he continues. Id
shoot between T2 and T5.6 depend-
ing on whether we had lots of light
or not very much. I tend to prefer
Zeiss Super Speeds because I like to
push [exposure] as far as I can. I
dont shoot T1.3 for shallow focus; I
shoot it out of necessity, and if there
were a T1.1 lens, Id want it.
The Damned United contains
various forms of original footage
from the time, including black-and-
white and color pitch-side action
coverage as well as television inter-
views. In order to match this original
material and evoke the period, the
filmmakers shot a number of differ-
ent formats. The majority of the
film was shot on 35mm Fuji color
negative, but we also shot some
16mm black-and-white and 16mm
Ektachrome 100D [7285], he says.
I used my own Bolex camera, and
unfortunately, it broke halfway
through the shoot, but we were able
to borrow an Aaton XTR-Prod for a
few days. We shot the black-and-
white material on Eastman
[Double-X] 7222, which is one of
the few stocks that hasnt changed
much over the years and still has a
natural grain in it. The Ektachrome
was a bit too sharp for what we
wanted, so I pushed it 2 stops and
had it cross-processed at Film and
Photo London.
For TV-interview scenes that
necessitated cutting between origi-
Top: Longson
prepares to
confront Clough
about his team
selection in the
Derby
clubhouse.
Bottom: In
another Derby
clubhouse
scene, Taylor
watches Clough
prepare for
Revies arrival.
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62 November 2009
require so much ancillary equip-
ment, we put equivalent-age porta-
bles that actually work, Ikegami 79s,
inside two of the EMI 2001 shells.
The Ikegamis fed a live signal to
period monitors and modern
recording devices.
The live feed allowed
Smithard to compose shots that
showed the actors, the EMI 2001s
filming them and the live period-
look image on vintage monitors, all
in one frame. When I switched on
the Ikegami and pointed it at
Michael, it was just amazing, he
says. I honestly wondered if we
should have shot the whole film with
those cameras, but they were too
unreliable theyd run for about 30
minutes before the tubes heated up
so much it seemed like they were
going to blow up! That footage
looks great because the colors are all
over the place and are all a bit desat-
urated. Theres no other look like it;
its the equivalent of someone from
Kodak coming up to you and giving
you 300 rolls of mint film stock from
the 1970s!
The productions main cam-
eras were an Arricam Lite and an
Arricam Studio. We chose a final
aspect ratio of 1.85:1, because we
would have lost a lot of the height at
some of the locations if wed gone
widescreen, notes Smithard. Our
line producer requested that we
shoot 3-perf, which was fine because
Tom and I are really careful about
how things are composed. When we
set the frame, we were always happy
with it, so I didnt feel as though we
lost anything by not having space at
the top and bottom to manipulate in
post.
The production ran two cam-
eras most of the time, with Smithard
and focus puller Adam Coles on the
A camera. For the second camera,
we had Vince McGahon, whos a
great Steadicam operator, he says.
Tom would jump on my camera
now and then and do all the static
wide shots because he loves to be at
the viewfinder. In fact, you cant
keep him away from the camera
hes like a big kid!
One occasion on which
Hooper operated was for a flashback
scene that takes place in Cloughs
office at the Derby stadium. With his
team playing archrivals Leeds
United, Clough is too anxious to
watch and spends the match pacing
back and forth inside, chain-smok-
ing. Along one wall of his office is a
high, opaque window, beyond
which silhouetted supporters sit on
a tiered stand that overlooks the
pitch. Each time a goal is scored, the
supporters roar and leap to their
feet, breaking up the light entering
the room. It was a great device to
enhance Cloughs nervousness a
good sound device and a good light-
ing device, says Smithard. The
thing was not to have any lighting
inside the room at all; I didnt want
to break up the flow of the filmmak-
ing by taking lights inside. We had a
few 4K HMIs outside the window
and built a rostrum for the extras to
stand on. With the wide shot of
Michael standing by the door, its
simply the people moving that casts
a rippling shadow over him. We also
Top: Shortly after
taking over as
coach of Leeds
United, Clough
takes the team
into a charity
match. Bottom:
Working
together for
Derby, Taylor
and Clough
celebrate their
teams long-shot
victory over
Leeds.
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shot the opposite way, looking
toward the window. Tom operated
the shot with a 10mm, just going
backwards and forwards on the
track. I shot handheld with the other
camera to get a lot of the tighter
shots. Id be running up and down
the track with Tom shouting that I
was in his shot and me telling him he
was in my shot as well! It was an
interesting way to shoot it, and both
his wide stuff and my tighter shots
are in the final.
Another scene for which
Smithard was able to take a bold
approach to the lighting takes place
in Cloughs house during a night-
time power cut. The cocksure man-
ager has just been sacked from his
Derby job, and a loyal group of fam-
ily and friends have gathered at his
candlelit home to offer their sup-
port. I asked Tom if he would mind
me lighting that scene with just can-
dles, and he replied that hed always
wanted to do a scene that way,
recalls the cinematographer. The
whole room was lit with about 20 or
30 single-wick candles the dou-
ble-wick candles burn too high and
give off too much smoke. I used
Zeiss Ultra Speeds [T1.4] that day
because I needed the extra speed,
and I also pushed the stock, Fuji
[Eterna] 500T, 2 stops to 2,000 ASA.
Youve got to throw away your light
meter and trust your instincts in that
situation, although obviously, youve
got to do a test first!
Smithard had film cans made
up with nails sticking out of them
for the candles, and while he was
helping the gaffer, Stuart
Drummond, set them up, I man-
aged to stab my hand on one of the
nails. It didnt hurt much, and we
shot the scene, but the next day it got
so painful I had to go to hospital. I
thought theyd just give me some-
thing for it, but they kept me in
overnight, put me on a drip and said
they were going to operate on me in
the morning! Luckily, I had the next
day off. The surgeon came round in
the morning and pumped me full of
antibiotics. He wanted to put my
hand in a cast, but I talked him out
of it because I had to be on set 12
hours later. So I gave blood for Tom
Hooper, as well as providing him
with a candlelit scene!
For the 2K digital grade,
64
Cinematographer
Ben Smithard
prepares to film
on the field.
which was carried out at Molinare in
London, Smithard and Hooper
worked with colorist Gareth
Spensley on a Baselight 8. (Film
prints were done at Deluxe.) After
chipping away at the look during the
shoot, you get to the grading, and
that last 20 percent of the image can
be made to look the way you want it
to look, says the cinematographer.
Tom was in there every single day,
and he allowed me to push it. The
grade was a very collaborative and
successful process. It was the first
time Id worked with Gareth, and he
was fantastic.
Ben and Tom brought in a
lot of football-photography books
that had obviously been referenced
during the shoot, and our goal was
to re-create the feel of those photos,
recalls Spensley. In general, we tried
to keep the palette from looking too
varied to mimic the way older film
stocks didnt necessarily pick up
variations in colors very well. Within
Baselight, there are some very clever
emulations of older photographic
processes like early Technicolor, and
we often used those as jumping-off
points by throwing the filters at the
grade and discussing where they
were taking us. Ultimately, it was
more important to get the feel of the
period rather than just the look. It
took some time to match the
footage from those old tube cameras
with the standard-definition archive
footage of the time, because the
chromatic spill was bad. Also, we
had to sharpen the tube-camera
footage a bit. But we didnt have to
do too much, and we could never
have emulated the look of those
cameras in a post suite.
For Smithard, The Damned
United was one of those dream
projects. I havent shot another fea-
ture since then because I feel its a
great film, and Im not in any rush to
go out and shoot another one just
for the sake of it. Put it this way: I am
very passionate about it. I
65
TECHNICAL SPECS
Super 1.85:1
3-perf Super 35mm, Super 16mm
and Tube Video
Arricam Lite, Studio;
Aaton XTR-Prod; Ikegami 79
Panavision Primo,
Zeiss Ultra Speed lenses
Fuji Eterna Vivid 160 8543;
Eterna 250D 8563, 500T 8573;
Kodak Ektachrome 100D 7285;
Eastman Double-X 7222
Cross-Processing by Film and
Photo London
The Root of All Evil
A
fter wrapping Slumdog
Millionaire for Danny Boyle,
cinematographer Anthony
Dod Mantle, BSC, DFF head-
ed to Germany to shoot
Antichrist for another favorite
collaborator, Lars von Trier.
Aesthetically, Antichrist is very dif-
ferent from von Trier and Dod
Mantles previous collaborations,
Manderlay and Dogville (AC May
04), but it retains von Triers stamp
of bleakness and angst. The story of
a young mother, She (Charlotte
Gainsbourg), and her psychologist
husband, He (Willem Dafoe), gets
off to a shocking and tragic start
and tells an increasingly bizarre
story, offering nightmarish ele-
ments and moments of horror
before transforming into some-
thing entirely less describable.
Dod Mantle recently spoke to
AC about the difficult artistic and
emotional journey he took with
von Trier on the project.
American Cinematographer:
The opening of the film, which
shows the child wandering through
the apartment and spotting his par-
ents having sex, is very lyrical and
beautiful. What made you and Lars
decide to use high-speed photogra-
phy for that and other moments in
the movie?
Anthony Dod Mantle, BSC,
DFF: Lars is never one to be very
specific about such things, even with
me, but he always has a series of
images in his head to begin with. In
the opening scene, which is a pro-
logue of sorts, there is this terrible
moment, and we were trying to cre-
ate some sort of distance from it
to take that experience as far into
another, different hemisphere as
possible. Lets face it: the seventh shot
in the film is a penis entering a vagi-
na. Its at an angle you could associ-
ate with all sorts of pornographic
imagery, but I would strongly argue
that because of the high-speed pho-
Anthony Dod
Mantle, BSC, DFF
uses digital
cameras to
craft ominous
images for
Lars von Triers
Antichrist.
by Jon Silberg
Unit photography by
Christian Geisnaes
66 November 2009
AMC_1109_p066p075:d_feature 10/5/09 11:42 AM Page 66
handheld as the SI-2K [Mini], which
I used for much of Slumdog
Millionaire [AC Dec. 08]. Theres a
lot to be said for the Reds images,
especially its resilience in the shad-
ows, and theres a lot to be said for
its power in definition. But it clips
very quickly in the highlights, and I
think 16mm and 35mm cameras
are much better for handholding.
That said, the Red is new to the
tography, it becomes something else.
I think its one of the most beautiful
images Ive shot; it just happens that
its a penis traveling into a vagina!
We used a [Vision Research]
Phantom [HD] for all high-speed
work, and we used a Red One for the
rest of the movie. Lars and [his pro-
duction company] Zentropa pre-
ferred digital capture, and the com-
pany has hard economic constraints
that determine which equipment
they will use. As with many compa-
nies on smaller budgets, they prefer
to own and rent to themselves. The
Red fit their economic plan. Id used
both cameras before; theres a lot I
like about the Red in terms of image
resolution, particularly in the shad-
ows, and the Phantom is a great
high-speed camera. We could shoot
at 1,000 fps with the Phantom,
whereas the Red can only go to 110
fps.
Did the Red prove well suited
to the visual style you and Lars had
in mind?
Dod Mantle: The Red is still
very difficult to use as a handheld
camera. I think it needs a lot of
development to be as easy to use
world, and it will get better and bet-
ter. I was very pleased with the
[images] I was able to get. [Ed.
Note: Dod Mantle shot at 25 fps
and used Redcode 36.]
As for the visual style we had
in mind, Lars is basically trusting as
a collaborator; he assumes the
choices I make are appropriate for
the film based on my expertise and
the experiences weve had working
Opposite page:
He (Willem
Dafoe) and She
(Charlotte
Gainsbourg)
succumb to lust
in a forest
teeming with
evil. This page,
top: After their
attempt at
couples
therapy erupts
in violence, She
hunts for her
husband. Bottom:
Cinematographer
Anthony Dod
Mantle, BSC, DFF
(right) inspects
some filtration.
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together. On this film, he left me
more to my own devices in prep
than is normal. This was because of
his intermittent periods of anxiety
or because he just felt a little less
physically strong than usual. The
whole visual evolution of Antichrist
was governed by that factor. Lars
chose not to operate much on this
film, and that inevitably became
frustrating for him because he
enjoys holding the camera so much.
On the day, I may have been the next
best thing. It was my task to do the
best I could under what were, at
times, rather unusual shooting con-
ditions.
Top: A
concerned He
checks on his
wife after
another
upsetting
interlude.
Middle: Director
Lars von Trier
counsels his
leads. Bottom:
He uses
psychotherapy
in an attempt to
reconnect.
68 November 2009
How did you light for the
high-speed work?
Dod Mantle: We were shoot-
ing at 1,000 fps, so I was pouring a
lot of light on the sets! I was lighting
some of those apartment interiors
with 18Ks, 12Ks and 100K Soft Suns.
There are, for example, high-speed
scenes of He and She in the shower,
with the water running down their
faces, and Ill tell you, it was boiling
hot in there!
How did you create the
black-and-white images?
Dod Mantle: The images were
captured on the color matrix. I used
some softening diffusion on the lens,
but we really had to strive to attain
black-and-white during the digital
grade. I tested the typical filters youd
use for black-and-white cinematog-
raphy oranges, yellows and reds
and on set, I showed Lars what
their effects would be. We ultimately
decided to shoot as clean as possible.
It was quite an elaborate process in
post to try to get the look of real
black-and-white.
The film is inspiring strong,
mixed reactions. Some people are
gasping in horror and claiming its
misogynistic, and others are saying
its brilliant and beautiful.
Dod Mantle: I fear that in cin-
ema, its possible to be brilliant,
beautiful and misogynistic, but to
me, Antichrist is far from misogynis-
tic. Its such a personal piece of work
for Lars, and Im glad it has an effect.
Some people are moved and dont
know why; some people are moved
and do know why. I have no desire to
speak for Lars. Ive spent the last 25
years in his company but am no
expert on that subject as of yet!
When you and Lars started
talking about the project, did you
discuss the meaning of the images?
Dod Mantle: About a year
before we began shooting, I started
having meetings with him, and
things were somewhat strained. Its
not easy getting that kind of specific
information out of him. He always
works intuitively, but this whole
project became unusually intuitive
and irrational as the film slowly
began to realize itself. A lot of the
images are straight from his psyche.
The fact that he has them is enough
for me initially. Hell explain what he
can, but there are some things in this
film that just cant be articulated in a
A Phantom high-
speed camera
was used to
shoot the
movies
intensely erotic
opening scene,
which reveals
the cause of
Shes emotional
breakdown.
Although Dod
Mantle
concedes that
some may
consider a
portion of the
sequence to be
almost
pornographic, he
asserts,
Because of the
high-speed
photography, I
would strongly
argue it
becomes
something else.
70 November 2009
normal way. I had to try to under-
stand why he wanted things a cer-
tain way. That gave me some kind of
system of logic. As long as I had
something to go on, it was okay.
Regarding the recurring
motif of the three beggars, is there
a Danish cultural reference Im
missing? What are the three beg-
gars?
Dod Mantle: Perhaps they
represent the editor, the photogra-
pher and the special-effects supervi-
sor! What do I know? Its certainly
not Hans Christian Andersen, if
thats what youre asking. Lars is an
expert in creating these enigmas;
they appear and recur. I would leave
it as the right of authorship.
You have said this shoot
strained your relationship with
Lars at times. Were your issues
artistic or personal?
Dod Mantle: Neither specifi-
cally, but in making a film, its diffi-
cult to segregate the artistic territory
from the personal. In terms of artis-
tic results, Ive always maintained
that any film and any filmmaker can
only ever be as good as his director.
An auteur such as Lars will always
ultimately be the defining factor in
his films; how he is is how the film
will be. He suffers from anxiety and
is medicated appropriately, and he
can go in and out of clarity as we all
do from time to time, but in his case
its slightly more extreme. Hes an
amusing man even on a bad day, but
if you dont know him, it can be
quite unnerving. He spent up to sev-
eral hours at a time away from set,
just trying to find a space to be in,
and he didnt have the same joy in
executing this movie that he did on
his earlier films. All the production
can do in such a situation is attempt
to surround the director with peo-
ple he can trust, people who are
loyal to realizing his project to the
best of their abilities. I will go all the
way for a true artist if hes doing
something different, even if there
are difficulties and disagreements.
All I care about in this complicated
artistic vocation of ours are loyalty
and honesty; any lack thereof can
create massive imbalance.
One of the things we debated
had to do with the scenes we shot at
the couples house in the forest. It
was a real house made of 180-year-
old wood. It had been used in
Norway as a winter shelter for ani-
mals, and the production designer
broke it down, sent it to Germany,
reconstructed it in a forest and
developed it as a beautiful interior.
Originally, there was a plan to build
a double of the house in a studio.
When youre working in an interior
and you want to see the exterior,
youve got to get lights in somehow,
and I wanted to at least have an
open roof to facilitate lighting and
walls that we could fly things that
filmmakers have been doing for a
hundred years. Otherwise, I would
have liked to plate the windows
using greenscreen so I could put
lights outside without having them
appear in the shot. Six weeks before
Top: The
Phantom
camera also
lends a surreal
ambience to a
hailstorm of
acorns. Bottom:
Production
designer Karl
Juliusson at
work in the
practical cabin
that was
shipped to
Germany for
the shoot.
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.
we were to shoot, Lars and some oth-
ers involved in the production pulled
the studio version of the house, so
we had to shoot everything in the
real house. I had to light the interiors
with small practicals and Kino Flos,
and Lars wanted to see 270 and 360
degrees. I knew hed brought every-
body and this house to a forest in
Germany because he wanted to see
the exterior detail of nature through
the windows! Its the kind of difficul-
ty cinematographers go through all
the time, but the look was very
important to Lars, and [shooting in a
practical house] certainly made it
very difficult to achieve.
I suspect the strongest confu-
sion reared its head in the offline
editing, which involved an editor
who had little idea about how far the
material could be taken in the grade
in terms of lighting. Its common
knowledge that before the era of dig-
ital cinematography, cinematogra-
phers such as Gordon Willis [ASC]
often used a lot of lights to create the
illusion of darkness simply by attain-
ing a quality negative and printing
down in the lab. The same applied
here. When working with quality
actors who are playing their hearts
out half-naked in improvised scenes,
the cinematographer has to have the
courage and security to light up to
see performance, knowing he can
pull it down to wherever the ulti-
mate lighting level should be in the
final. What can happen in the digital
dailies and in editing a format such
as the Red is that the editor and
director can sit with a somewhat
alienating contrast ratio, with either
too much or too little information
for the director to know exactly what
the visual intent was at the moment
of shooting. Sometimes it is better to
consult the director of photography
rather than light a bonfire too early.
If you know your exposures and
know what youre doing while
shooting, then it is fundamental to
know what you can do with the
material afterwards. Thats true
71
AMC_1109_p071_R:d_feature 10/7/09 12:31 PM Page 71
72 November 2009
whether youre shooting 35mm or
with a cell phone.
Its strange that someone like
Lars, who has worked with digital
formats with a lot less latitude than
the Red, wouldnt understand that.
Dod Mantle: Lars is one of the
most technically knowledgeable and
competent people Ive ever worked
with. More than anyone else on his
films, he is fully capable of under-
standing any technical issue and
finding a solution with you on the
spot. Antichrist was an extremely
complicated technical mosaic of cin-
ematic experimentation and explo-
ration camouflaged by a modest
budget and a short shooting sched-
ule. We got through, but not without
moments of confusion and doubt,
and those things tend to get inflated
by people close to the creative core of
the film who have motives of their
own.
Can you talk a bit about the
scenes you shot using multiple
passes?
Dod Mantle: In one of the
visualization sequences, as we called
them, She is traveling across the
bridge in the forest. Lars and I had
talked about going for the complete-
ly non-naturalistic look of a paint-
ing. I think that when you have
images that last for up to 30 seconds
in cinema, people start to perceive
them differently, more like they
would a painting. So we did many
layers of high-speed photography
and combined them [in post]. Id
light the scene naturalistically, and
then Id flip the lights in the other
direction and shoot the water under
the bridge at different frame rates, do
passes for the foreground and for the
background basically anything
we could do to destroy any naturalis-
tic references. We brought in mist
and fog and lit them differently for
texture. Its a painting,
really. For Lars and me, these were
some of the most enjoyable
moments on the entire film.
You did some of that work
with a moving camera, didnt you?
Dod Mantle: Yes. We used a
motion-control rig under the fine
hands of Allan Ohlsson and my
German grip, Bernd Maier. We were
shooting multiple passes, but we
wanted to stay away from the larger
mo-co units. These shots were all
worked out and storyboarded with
[visual-effects supervisor] Peter
Hjorth. We have worked together
over the last 15 years, and Peter has
been a great creative support for Lars
on many films. An example of this
work is the scene of He and She
making love under a tree. I push in
with a handheld camera to the back
of his neck, and it settles. Then there
is a quick, linear movement back
that reveals all these human limbs
reaching out from the roots of the
tree. Thats an image Lars had in the
storyboards. He is a visionary, and he
imagined this kind of transition
without a cut that feels very different
from the push in. The audience per-
ceives the shot as seamless in one
sequence, but the atmosphere of the
shot, aside from the obvious addi-
tion of the human limbs, is different.
Its enigmatic. To me, its a transition
from an earthly lovemaking scene to
something that completely tran-
scends that, a scene with apocalyptic
undertones. The tree was built on
location very near where we put up
the house, and the ground was dug
out underneath. The mo-co rig
allowed us to do the whole thing in
several passes; first was the portion
with Charlotte and Willem, and then
we did passes of the limbs, which
belonged to about 18 enthusiastic
male film students from Germany. I
think we also used a few prosthetic
limbs in places where people would-
nt have been able to fit under the
tree.
Where did you do the digital
grade, and what were some of the
challenges of that work?
Dod Mantle: We worked at
Film I Vest in Trollhttan, Sweden,
because Zentropa got funding from
that sector. This meant we had to
travel 500 kilometers to sit infront of
a computer that would fit in my
bathroom. Such is the world of film
financing these days. I graded the
film with one of my longtime collab-
In a dreamlike
sequence with
the dark
overtones of a
Grimm fairytale,
She attempts to
conquer her
fear of an
ominous
footbridge.
orators, Stefan Ciupek, and [col-
orist] Dirk Meier from Farbkult in
Cologne; they were the biggest sup-
port to me throughout the project.
The 2K workflow, from graded
dailies through final filmout, worked
so well under ridiculous time con-
straints. We graded on Digital
Visions Film Master; the suite did
not exist at the facility in Sweden
before we got there, but Lars Dela
worked very hard to get it up to
scratch. I like to explore a lot in post,
not just color and effects, but also dif-
ferent techniques. Portions of
Antichrist are meant to be painterly,
and we did a lot of work with layer-
ing to achieve that. Some shots took
eight hours to render! The shot of
the woman over the bridge,
approaching the house, had 25 lay-
ers. If theres a machine that can do
60 layers, Ill use them all! The hard-
est part actually wasnt the more pic-
torial sequences or the black-and-
white sequences; it was balancing the
naturalistic scenes inside the house.
The filmout was done at the same
facility, and the prints were turned
around by my old colleagues at
Nordisk Film in Copenhagen. All
visual-effects material came from
several post facilities in Poland and
Sweden. The entire post team, led by
Karin Maarbjerg, had to work very
hard to make the Cannes deadline in
time.
Much of the color in the film
is bold and saturated. What did you
and Lars discuss about color?
Dod Mantle: Green was a spe-
74
Dod Mantles
portrait of the
director
illustrates one
of the films
flashback
looks.
P
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cial color for Lars, and Im known for
my lack of love for the color green.
And on digital systems, green is one
of the worst colors to contend with.
Lars had a very specific green in
mind; he wanted you to feel like the
forest is enveloping you, and he had
a very clear idea about which hue of
green would have that effect.
Sometimes I would try to twist it
around and tease him with some-
thing I thought might have a similar
effect, but he always brought it back
to what he liked. Its very difficult to
discuss these things if you and your
director arent in the same room,
looking at exactly the same calibrat-
ed display, and Lars stayed in
Denmark during the grading ses-
sions partially because he was not fit
enough to travel and partially to
complete the sound mix in time for
Cannes. Sending the graded material
to him only worked if Stefan or I
could be in the room to hear his
comments directly. But once we were
able to look at shots together, there
wasnt a lot of time wasted on indeci-
sion. Lars is very specific about what
he likes.
From Frankenstein to The
Exorcist, horror narratives fre-
quently present scenarios in which
science tries to conquer the natural
or supernatural world. In
Antichrist, the psychologist hus-
band is up against
Dod Mantle: something he
cant handle! Yes.
Did you and Lars discuss this
idea?
Dod Mantle: Lars has been
through a great deal of therapy for
his depression and anxiety. Hes been
open about that. All people have
deep bouts of sadness or melancholy,
fear or anxiety, and at times we all
lose faith or trust in what were
doing. I can only suspect Lars is deal-
ing with something fundamental to
us all. Are humans more good than
evil? Willems character implies he
has solutions and wants to make
everything work out, and when they
dont work out that way, the audi-
ence has to figure out who was right
or wrong. I think the meaning of
Antichrist is something people can
debate forever. Films should create
debate. Thats what ultimately keeps
us alive in cinema. I
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75
AMC_1109_p075_R:d_feature 10/7/09 12:51 PM Page 75
76 November 2009
P
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a
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.
A
roomful of prominent cine-
matographers applauded tele-
visions top behind-the-
camera talents at Eastman
Kodaks 28th annual Salute to
Cinematography dinner, held on
Sept. 11 at the Bistro Garden in
Studio City. Several ASC board
members and past presidents
attended the ceremony, joining an
array of award-winning directors of
photography.
The level of accomplishment
in the room did not go unnoticed by
the nominees, who seemed awed to
be surrounded by so many legendary
cinematographers. That heady feel-
ing continued at the actual Emmy
ceremony, where the winners found
themselves a bit stunned to be in the
spotlight. Michael Weaver, who
triumphed in the Half-Hour Series
category for his work on the
dramatic comedy Californication,
summed up his feelings a few days
later: From a distance, you may
think an award may not be all that
important or meaningful. But when
youre standing there with that statue
in your hand, youre struck by how
cool it is to be acknowledged by your
peers. All the blood, sweat and tears
you sacrifice during your career
actually mean something, and
people notice the work. It was an
amazing honor, especially after the
Kodak dinner, where you hang out
with the other nominees and get to
know them as people and fellow
artists. Theres a mutual appreciation
that puts it on a more personal level.
Echoing Weavers sentiments
was Ousama Rawi, BSC, CSC, whose
sumptuous period work on The
Tudors won the Emmy for One-
Hour Series. When I heard my
name called, my first feeling was
numbness. I had already persuaded
myself that I wasnt going to be the
winner. Maybe I should have
believed the fortune-cookie message
I got at Chin Chin the night before
the Kodak dinner; it said, Be
prepared to receive something
special. Once winning the award
sank in, the feeling became one of
elation. It is very special when your
peers have decided your work
deserves an honor.
Lukas Streibel, who won in the
Miniseries or Movie category for
Little Dorrit, shared his own anec-
dote: The morning after my return
to London, we had our burglar
alarm checked. When the technician
saw the golden angel on the kitchen
table, he asked if I had won a
badminton tournament or was it
ballroom dancing?
Also earning Emmys were
cameramen Todd Liebler and Zach
Zamboni, who won in the
Nonfiction Programming category
for Anthony Bourdain: No
Reservations; and director of photog-
raphy Derek Carver and cameramen
Michael Applebaum, John
Armstrong, Marc Bennett and Eric
Freeburg, who topped the Reality
Programming field with Out of the
Wild: The Alaska Experiment.
Quality Viewing
Kodak held its annual dinner
honoring cinematographers
nominated for Emmy Awards.
The gathering at The Bistro
Garden in Studio City was a
celebration of filmmaking with
some of todays most talented
visual artists.
(Front Row L-R):
George Mooradian; Kramer
Morgenthau, ASC; Michael
Slovis; James Carter, ASC.
(Back Row L-R):
Lukas Strebel; Ivan Strasburg,
BSC; John Aronson; Kodaks Kim
Snyder; Michael Trim; Mark
Doering-Powell; Ousama Rawi,
BSC, CSC; Michael Weaver;
Matthew Clark.
This years Emmy-nominated cinematographers
enjoy the spotlight.
AMC_1109_p076p077:e_feature 10/6/09 2:45 PM Page 76
Outstanding Cinematography,
Reality Programming
Derek Carver (director of
photography),
Michael Applebaum (camera),
John Armstrong (camera),
Marc Bennett (camera),
Eric Freeburg (camera)*
Out of the Wild: The Alaska
Experiment, What Did I Sign
Up For? (Discovery Channel)
Cinematography Team
Survivor, The Camp Is
Cursed (CBS)
Bryan Donnell (director of
photography)
Intervention, Chad (A&E)
Per Larsson (director of
photography),
Sylvestre Campe (camera),
Petr Cikhart (camera),
Tom Cunningham (camera),
Peter Riveschl (camera)
The Amazing Race, Dont Let
A Cheese Hit Me (CBS)
Tim Spellman (director of
photography)
Top Chef, The Last Supper
(Bravo)
I
Above: Haskell
Wexler, ASC
congratulates
Strasburg.
Below: Aronson
and Weaver chat
about their
accomplishments.
Following is a complete list of Emmy nominees (* denotes winner):
Half-Hour Series
Matthew Clark
30 Rock, Apollo, Apollo
(NBC)
Mark Doering-Powell
Everybody Hates Chris,
Everybody Hates Back Talk
(CW)
George Mooradian
According To Jim, Heaven
Opposed To Hell (ABC)
Michael Trim
Weeds, No Man Is Pudding
(Showtime)
Michael Weaver*
Californication, In Utero
(Showtime)
One-Hour Series
Michael Slovis
Breaking Bad, ABQ (AMC)
James L. Carter, ASC
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,
For Warrick (CBS)
Kramer Morgenthau, ASC
Life On Mars, Out Here In
The Fields (ABC)
Christopher Manley, ASC
Mad Men, The New Girl
(AMC)
Ousama Rawi, BSC, CSC*
The Tudors, Episode 303
(Showtime)
Miniseries Or Movie
Michel Amathieu, AFC
Into The Storm(HBO)
John Aronson
Gifted Hands: The Ben
Carson Story (TNT)
Mike Eley
Grey Gardens (HBO)
Ivan Strasburg, BSC
Generation Kill, Combat
Jack (HBO)
Lukas Strebel*
Little Dorrit, Part 1 (PBS)
Nonfiction Programming
Adam Beckman
(director of photography)
This American Life, John
Smith (Showtime)
Robert C. Case
Whale Wars, Nothings Ideal
(Animal Planet)
Cinematography Team
Deadliest Catch, Stay Focused
Or Die (Discovery Channel)
Cinematography Team
Expedition Africa, Episode
101 (History)
Todd Liebler (camera),
Zach Zamboni (camera)*
Anthony Bourdain: No
Reservations, Laos
(Travel Channel)
AMC_1109_p076p077:e_feature 10/5/09 10:59 AM Page 77
One Giant Leap for Clarity
by David Heuring
The images from the July 1969
Apollo 11 moonwalk are burned into
our collective consciousness. Neil
Armstrongs momentous hop from the
ladder of the lunar landing module to the
surface of the moon is a symbol of the
20th century and of humanitys urge to
explore. The millions who saw the murky
black-and-white pictures on live televi-
sion were group witnesses to history in a
way that was wholly unprecedented; in
recognition of the historic nature of the
images captured on their space missions,
Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael
Collins were made honorary members of
the American Society of Cinematogra-
phers, joining luminaries like Thomas
Edison and George Eastman on a very
exclusive list.
To mark the 40th anniversary of
the Apollo 11 mission, NASA entrusted
the moonwalk images to Lowry Digital.
The companys rsum includes more
than 400 restorations, including Citizen
Kane, Rashomon and The Robe.
Astonishingly, the original record-
ings of the video images transmitted
from Apollo 11 to NASA did not survive.
According to NASA, the original 1" video-
tape copies of this footage seem to have
been degaussed, recertified and reused.
At tracking stations in Australia and the
United States, telemetry tapes recorded
the transmissions from space, but a
three-year search for these tapes proved
unsuccessful.
Lowry Digitals work on the
project was divided into two stages.
From the roughly 2
1
2 hours of Apollo 11
video, 15 highlight sequences were
selected and restored first so they would
be ready in time for the anniversary.
These 15 scenes represent the most
significant moments of the 3
1
2 hours
Armstrong and Aldrin spent on the lunar
surface, including Armstrongs one
small step, the planting of the American
flag, Aldrin running and jumping to
demonstrate the moons weaker gravity,
and a pause to take a congratulatory call
from president Richard Nixon. The rest of
the footage was restored in a second
phase that was finished in September.
The original images had been
captured using a custom-designed video
camera and beamed to earth at 10 fps.
Armstrongs famous descent of the
ladder was captured while the camera
was mounted on the leg of the Apollo 11
lunar landing module. Later, the camera
was moved to a tripod, where it captured
such images as the flag being planted
and the astronauts toying with gravity.
The images were sent to Earth using
slow-scan television (SSTV), a low-band-
width mode of video communication.
Scan converters, capable of 320 lines of
resolution at 10 fps, were used to adapt
these images to a standard U.S. NTSC
broadcast TV signal (525 lines at 30 fps).
The tracking sites converted the signals
and transmitted them to Mission Control
in Houston using microwave links, Intel-
sat communications satellites and AT&T
analog landlines. By the time the images
appeared on international television,
they were substantially degraded.
For the restoration, a team of
Apollo-era engineers who helped
produce the 1969 live broadcast of the
moonwalk acquired the best of the
broadcast-format video from a variety of
sources. These included a copy of a tape
recorded at NASAs video-switching
center in Sydney, Australia, where
downlinked television was received for
transmission to the U.S.; original broad-
cast tapes from the CBS News Archive
recorded via direct microwave and land-
line feeds from NASAs Johnson Space
Center in Houston; and kinescopes,
found in film vaults, that had not been
seen for 36 years. Another source was a
reel of 8mm film from a wind-up camera
that had been handheld and aimed at a
video monitor at a tracking site in
Australia; this 8mm film includes the
only existing copy of some brief portions
of the telecast.
One major puzzle for Lowry Digi-
tal was deciphering the various formats,
frame rates and resolutions in the source
material. Conversion techniques moved
fields and frames ahead and back to
make the 10 fps material work in 25 fps
PAL or 30 fps NTSC. Other material had
been translated to VHS format. The 8mm
film images were recorded at 16 fps. All
these different formats and translation
techniques added their own artifacts and
flaws to the images. In some cases,
audio from the Apollo 11 mission
Post Focus
Neil Armstrong
repositions the
Apollo 11 lunar
TV camera about
70' from the
lunar module
after removing it
from the MESA
(Modular
Equipment
Storage Area).
78 November 2009
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l
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AMC_1109_p078p083:00 post focus 10/6/09 2:52 PM Page 78
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provided Lowry Digital with a reference
for reproducing the proper speed of move-
ments, which was sometimes distorted
due to the various frame rates and stan-
dards conversions.
Other issues included lag, smear-
ing, and bleed; each of these problems
required a specially tailored software
solution designed by Lowrys team. Some
issues were introduced in the original
photography the camera had limited
dynamic range and trouble compensating
for the extreme contrast of light in space
while other problems were introduced
in transmission, translation and recording;
for example, the SSTV converter was
sometimes unable to handle the blackest
areas of the image and would revert to
middle gray. Still other flaws were the
result of the media aging over four
decades.
Lowry enlisted the help of Apollo-
era engineers to trace the various flaws
back to their cause. The NASA people
provided us with very valuable informa-
tion that helped us get to the bottom of
these problems, says senior algorithm
scientist Kimball Thurston. If you can
understand what caused a problem, you
are very often taking the first step toward
defining a solution.
To address these unique prob-
lems, our in-house team developed a
range of specific proprietary tools, says
Lowry COO Mike Inchalik. We did not
use third-party software to repair or
restore the Apollo images all of the
tools and image-processing functionality
were written here and are exclusive to
Lowry Digital.
For example, the facility developed
vignetting correction that addressed
the variations in brightness across the
frame. (These variations are typical of an
analog tube camera from that era.)
The Lowry Process was also a
crucial tool. This proprietary technique
uses temporal image processing and
powerful imaging algorithms to reduce
noise and improve detail. The process
compares information from a large
number of consecutive frames in a
sequence and uses the similarities and
differences between those frames to
regain proper contrast, resolution and
80 November 2009
Top and middle:
Before-and-after
comparisons of
the footage in
which the
astronauts plant
the American
flag on the moon.
The footage was
digitally restored
utilizing Lowry
Digitals
proprietary
Lowry Process,
which uses
temporal image-
processing
science to
reduce noise,
improve detail
and regain
proper contrast,
resolution and
noise levels.
Bottom: Patrick
Edquist, project
manager of the
restoration,
reviews footage.
noise level in each frame.
According to Inchalik, No one
else has the tools we have invented over
the past decade to remove a myriad of
types of picture artifacts, or to reduce
noise and increase image detail. Given
that the original recordings of the Apollo
11 mission did not survive, this ability to
deal with lost picture detail, as well as
the increased noise and artifacts intro-
duced after original photography, was
essential. Company founder John Lowry
adds, We applied a lot of the thinking
that we apply to restoration generally.
We try to ask, What is it that we are
trying to reproduce here? You walk a fine
line all the time in that area.
Lowry utilized some basic third-
party tools to streamline its system. One
example is Nvidia Cuda, a code library
used to accelerate the custom software
built at Lowry. JMRs BlueStor Extender
also gave Lowry Digitals team faster
access to stored images at its Final Cut
Pro workstation.
In consultation, Lowry and NASA
determined that some correctable flaws
in the images, such as dirt and dust on
the camera lens, should remain. We
could make these images perfect, but at
a certain point you begin to lose authen-
ticity, says Patrick Edquist, Lowry Digi-
tals project manager for the Apollo 11
restoration. There are internal reflec-
tions from the camera lens that are
clearly visible in the images as they were
beamed to Earth, and after some discus-
sion, NASA decided that those should be
left in. The restored footage will be as
improved as we can make it without
changing the heart of it.
Inchalik adds, After looking care-
fully at the options, NASA chose to treat
Lowry Digital as a sole source provider
for this restoration. That speaks to our
proprietary technology and the picture-
quality improvements it can deliver. This
work for NASA represents the first signif-
icant deployment of The Lowry Process
outside the entertainment space. The
underlying technology applies just as
well to scientific, industrial, medical,
security and military images. Were
excited by those opportunities.
The restored footage was deliv-
How will you create,
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todays top filmmakers. Its optically-correct storyboards will save time and
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81
ered to NASA on hard drives as DPX files
in HD resolution. NASA made video of
the 15 highlight sequences available as
part of its anniversary celebrations.
Eventually, all of the Apollo 11 imagery
will be part of a library of space-explo-
ration materials accessible to television
stations, schools and other educational
outlets.
Interestingly, the Apollo 11
project represented the closing of a
circle for John Lowry. In the 1970s,
Lowry and his company Image Transform
worked with NASA to improve images
as they were sent back live from the
Apollo 16 and 17 missions. Thanks to the
tremendous growth in computing power
over the past several decades, the ideas
and methods developed by Lowry and
Image Transform eventually grew into
The Lowry Process, which serves as the
heart of Lowry Digitals current work.
Left: This camera was mounted upside-down in the
Apollo 11 lunar modules MESA compartment prior to
launch. When Neil Armstrong pulled a D-ring on the
module porch, the MESA door opened, and the camera
recorded the image of Armstrong as he descended the
ladder. Right: Stan Lebar, who worked for Westinghouse
Electric Corporation in the Aerospace Division, developed
the Apollo lunar TV cameras that recorded Armstrongs
first steps on the lunar surface. In his right hand, Lebar
holds the Apollo color camera first used on Apollo 10 and
later installed in the Apollo 11 command module. In his
left hand is the Apollo 11 black-and-white lunar camera
used on Apollo 9 and then on the moon by Armstrong.
82
Its been a delight to revisit the
Apollo program and the work we started
37 years ago, says Lowry. Its been a
tremendous privilege, and very exciting.
For the Apollo 11 work, we started with
some pretty rough images, and while
they are much improved, they are still far
[from] pristine. But its like sitting behind
the lens of the camera itself: you are
peering out into a world that is not what
it was before. Its not the way we are
used to seeing it its clearer. There are
details and depth in the pictures that we
have not seen before. It is quite a
phenomenal experience to see that for
the first time.
Scenes from the Apollo 11
restoration effort can be found at
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/hd/ap
ollo11.html. I
83
Left: Ed von Renouard was one of the first people to
see the TV pictures coming down from Apollo 11. As
Honeysuckle Creeks video tech in Australia, his
responsibility was to operate the slow-scan console
that received the 10-fps/320-line picture from Apollo
11. He also operated the scan converter, which
converted the lunar TV to U.S. standards of 30 fps and
525 lines. Here he is seen filming the monitor at
Honeysuckle with a Super 8mm camera. Right: Lowry
Digital founder and chief technologist John Lowry
(seated) and project manager Patrick Edquist (far
right) discuss the restoration with NASAs Stan Lebar
(left) and Richard Nafzger (second from left).
Fuji Adds Vivid 500 to
Eterna Line
Following the success of its
Eterna Vivid 160 color negative film, Fuji-
film has introduced Eterna Vivid 500
8547/8647. The tungsten-balanced
stock boasts high color saturation
thanks to an evolved version of the
Eterna series Super Efficient DIR-
Coupler Technology; optimized gradation
balance for attractive skin tones and
grays across a wide range of exposure
conditions; high contrast with crisp,
deep blacks; and a seamless match with
Vivid 160.
Eterna Vivid 500 incorporates
Fujifilms Super Nano-structured Grain
technology, which precisely controls the
light-sensitive structure of the silver-
halide grain to nanoscale, resulting in
extremely fine grain. The grain configu-
ration is precisely engineered to a thick-
ness that minimizes reflections, effec-
tively limiting light scatter and boosting
sharpness. Additionally, a yellow
coupler has been developed for
enhanced color formation effect during
processing.
Eterna Vivid 500s optimized
orange-mask density and sharpness
balance result in improved scanning
characteristics, and its excellent linear
response and color balance facilitate
color adjustment during telecine and
digital-intermediate workflows while
minimizing noise during scanning.
Phedon Papamichael, ASC; Dion
Beebe, ASC, ACS; and Kramer Morgen-
thau, ASC were recently tasked with
putting the stock through its paces.
There was a nice amount of detail in
the shadow, but I still got a very rich
black, notes Beebe. The stock really
held up under these quite extreme light-
ing conditions. Morgenthau adds, I
would not hesitate to choose it for a
wide variety of projects, especially
something that calls for a very powerful,
intense look.
Canon Releases EOS 7D
Canon U.S.A., Inc. has intro-
duced the EOS 7D Digital SLR camera.
More than just an improvement on a
previous model, the 7D satisfies the
most rigorous professional require-
ments with durability, flexibility, high-
resolution images and customizable
controls.
The 7D boasts significant EOS
advancements, including a 19-point
Autofocus system, the Canon iFCL
(intelligent Focus, Color and Luminance)
Metering System and an intelligent
viewfinder. An 18-megapixel, APS-C-
sized Canon CMOS sensor and Dual
DIGIC 4 Imaging Processors fuel the
7Ds 14-bit A/D data conversion and its
ability to freeze fast motion in high-reso-
lution with 8 fps continuous shooting for
up to 126 Large JPEGs using a UDMA
CF card. The camera can also capture
beautiful low-light images with or with-
out a flash thanks to a wide range of ISO
speed settings from 100-6,400 (expand-
able to 12,800).
In addition to its new still-
capture capabilities, the 7D features Full
HD video capture at 1920x1080 resolu-
tion with selectable frame rates of 24p,
25p or 30p; native 24p recording helps
videographers achieve a more cinema-
style look for their footage without the
need for post-processing. The camera
also enables 720p HD recording at 50p
or 60p and SD recording (in a 4:3 aspect
ratio) at 50p or 60p. Compatible with
more than 60 Canon EF and EF-S lenses,
the 7D gives videographers fully manual
exposure control, and the camera
provides users with the capability to use
an external stereo microphone for
professional audio effects or the built-in
monaural microphone.
Coinciding with the 7Ds release,
Canon has announced the WFT-E5A
Wireless File Transmitter, exclusively for
New Products & Services
84 November 2009
AMC_1109_p084p090:00 new products 10/6/09 4:31 PM Page 84
use with the EOS 7D. The WFT-E5A
offers professional photographers a
wide range of digital connectivity
options including IEEE802.11a/b/g
and Ethernet ideal for commercial
and studio work. With the WFT-E5A,
photographers can fire up to 10 cameras
simultaneously, from across the room or
across the country, while maintaining
control over camera settings and remote
live view on a laptop or smart phone.
The WFT-E5A can also transfer and
display images on DLNA-compatible
televisions and photo frames, and geot-
agging is now possible via Bluetooth,
using compatible GPS devices to
append coordinate data to the images.
The EOS 7D is available in a
body-only configuration at an estimated
retail price of $1,699; it is also sold in a
kit version with Canons EF 28-135mm
f/3.5-5.6 IS USM zoom lens at an esti-
mated retail price of $1,899. The WFT-
E5A sells at an estimated retail price of
$699.99.
For more information, visit
www.usa.canon.com.
Angenieux Expands
Optimo Rouge Series
Thales Angenieux has expanded
its Optimo Rouge DP series of lenses
with the Optimo Rouge 16-42mm large-
format digital zoom lens.
The Optimo DP series incorpo-
rates the next generation of optics for
high-definition imaging to specifically
complement the new breed of large-
format digital cameras that are quickly
gaining traction in the industry, says
Eva Paryzka, Thales Angenieuxs sales
manager for cinema products. Our
Optimo DP series large-format digital
zoom lenses deliver Angenieuxs indus-
try-leading optics along with superior
functionality and ergonomics. The
Optimo DP series makes no compro-
www.denz-deniz.com
154 821 234
WE ACCEPT
Precision Flange Measurement to
use with all digital video cameras
fitted with 54 mm PL-Mount
RED One, Sony F35, Arri D-20/21
100 % Precision Accuracy to
1 Micron (Collimator Technique)
Quick and easy to use
(self-explanatory)
Power Supply: DC 3 V (battery),
AC mains adapter 5 V DC
Easy controlling via the on-screen
display from monitor
F L A NG E D E P T H C O NT R O L L E R
IN
N
O
V
A
T
IO
N
Quality m
ade by Denz
85
mises and provides the image coverage
of full [Super 35mm] in a lightweight
and compact design.
The new 16-42mm zoom was
developed by Thales Angenieuxs Acad-
emy Award-winning Optimo design
team. The lightweight (4.2 pounds) PL-
mount lens boasts a fast aperture of
T2.8, calibrated focus marks, no ramp-
ing or breathing, and a unique mechan-
ical design for precise zoom and focus.
www.angenieux.com.
Cooke Unveils 5/i Primes
Cooke Optics Ltd. has launched
the 5/i prime lens series, designed for
all PL-mount professional film and elec-
tronic cameras.
The development of the 5/i
lenses has been a labor of love for us
and we couldnt be happier with the
results, says Les Zellan, chairman and
owner of Cooke Optics. We worked
closely with the customers to create a
truly unique prime lens, providing
unmatched functionality yet preserving
the luminous Cooke look that marks
our lenses out from the competition.
A key feature of the 5/i primes is
a dimmable, illuminated focus ring with
two separately toggled scales (cine-
matographer and assistant), allowing
the focus puller to read the scales in
low lighting conditions. The aperture
stops range from T1.4 to T22 across the
line; the lenses available are 18, 25, 32,
40, 50, 65, 75, 100 and 135mm.
Cooke 5/i optics offer superb
optical and mechanical performance,
control of flare, distortion, veiling glare
and spherical aberrations at full aper-
ture. The cam-type focus mechanism
allows for smooth focus adjustments,
while the modular construction
increases ease of maintenance and
serviceability. The lenses are color-
matched and compatible with the entire
Cooke range, including S4/i and the
new Panchro by Cooke. /i Technology is
included as standard to provide vital
camera information for postproduction
pipelines.
For more information visit
www.cookeoptics.com.
Otto Nemenz Takes Delivery
of Sony F35s
Band Pro Film & Digital has
announced that renowned rental house
Otto Nemenz International which is
currently celebrating its 30th anniver-
sary has taken delivery of 10 new
Sony F35 cameras.
Otto Nemenz, president of Otto
Nemenz International and an associate
member of the ASC, explains, With the
help of our friends at Band Pro, were
finally making the move to high defini-
tion. When they showed us the Sony
F35 camera, we knew it was time. We
take pride in offering our clients only the
best products. The F35, together with
our existing cine Cooke, Angenieux and
Zeiss PL-mount lenses, gives us a
system were proud to put our name
on. (Nemenz is seated at left in the
above photo with, from left, Alex
Wengert, Ryan Sheridan, Fritz Heinzle
and ASC associate member Amnon
Band.)
The F35 CineAlta camera system
captures 10-bit 4:4:4 images at 1 to 50
fps from a single, Super 35mm-sized
sensor, which allows cinematographers
to use familiar and comfortable 35mm
PL-mount optics.
www.bandpro.com or www.ottone
menz.com.
Illumination Dynamics
Moves to New Facility
Illumination Dynamics, a
member of the Arri Rental Group, has
moved into a new location in San
Fernando, Calif., featuring easy access,
ample space and amenities for produc-
tion crews. With 70,000 square feet of
warehouse space to house the
companys expanding inventory of
motion-picture lighting, grip, automated
and theatrical lighting, HVAC equip-
ment, and expendables, the rental
house offers improved equipment
accessibility, working environments and
customer service.
In addition to doubling the ware-
house space, Illumination Dynamics
provides 11,000 square feet of air-condi-
tioned office, repair, conference and
demo rooms, including separate produc-
tion offices with convenient telephone
and Wi-Fi Internet connectivity. Repair
facilities offer excellent maintenance in-
house as well as equipment servicing
for customers. Dedicated entries and
spacious loading docks for each depart-
ment facilitate easy equipment pickup
and return.
www.illuminationdynamics.com.
Denz Offers Flange
Depth Controller
Denz has introduced the Flange
Depth Controller for PL-mount digital-
video cameras, including the Red One,
Sony F35, Arri D-21, Phantom HD and
Weisscam HS-2.
Based on a cross-fading princi-
ple, the FDC incorporates two lenses,
which project two different masks onto
the cameras sensor. When the user
turns the adjustment wheel on the FDC,
86 November 2009
the two projected masks shift; when the
masks align, the precise flange depth
accurate to 1 Micron can be read
on the scale of the adjustment wheel.
Weighing less than 1.5 pounds,
the FDC can be powered by a DC 3-volt
battery with an auto-off function or with
an AC/DC adapter; the battery has an
estimated operating time of 1,400
flange-depth measurements.
www.denz-deniz.com.
Handgrip System
from Vocas
Vocas Systems BV has intro-
duced an affordable handgrip system for
use with both 15mm and 19mm rails.
Constructed of high-grade aluminum,
the flexible, robust and lightweight
handgrip system features a crown gear
compatible with those of other leading
brands, making the system easily inter-
changeable. Additionally, extender
brackets offer more flexibility for various
shooting situations, and real leather
handgrips provide extra comfort and
durability.
Vocas Sales & Services has also
signed a contract with the Vitec Group
of Companies, enabling Vocas to repre-
sent Vitec brands as a distributor and
certified service partner for the Nether-
lands. The agreement secures the Vitec
brands Sachtler, Vinten and OConnor
for service and parts delivery.
www.vocas.com.
Contact Germanys Market Leader!
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K-Cam Elevates
POV Cameras
K-Tek has introduced the K-Cam
Camera Pole, designed to give users
more creative options when working
with mini HD cameras such as the Sony
HXR-MC1 and the Iconix Studio 2K. The
K-Cam extends the users reach and
provides an easy way to move the
camera in and out of hard to reach
places.
The K-Cam Kit includes the
Camera Pole; a lightweight, sturdy
Swivel Adapter for mounting the
camera; and a Monitor Adapter for
anchoring the cameras control unit and
2.7" LCD monitor to the body of the pole.
(The Swivel Adapter can also be
purchased separately.) Additionally, the
Camera Pole is available in four models:
the K-Cam72K traveler, which extends
to 6'; the K-Cam99K, which extends to
8'3"; the K-Cam113K, which extends to
9'; and the K-Cam152K, which extends
to 12'8".
Like K-Teks Klassic Boom Poles,
the Camera Poles are crafted of high-
density graphite fiber to ensure maxi-
mum strength at minimum weight.
However, the Camera Poles feature a
beefier top section to provide extra
support. The poles telescoping sections
are held in place through the companys
proprietary captive collet locking
system, and locking collars are outfitted
with a Soft-Touch rubber sleeve for an
easy grip and comfortable touch. The
mushroom pole base is molded from
rugged polyurethane for optimum shock
protection and long life.
www.ktekbooms.com.
Easy Calculations with pCam
on iPhone
The pCam graphical cinematog-
raphy calculator created by David
88
Eubank is now available as an applica-
tion for the iPhone and iPod Touch.
Designed for directors of photog-
raphy, camera operators, camera assis-
tants, visual-effects supervisors,
gaffers, grips, editors, production
designers, art directors and film
students, pCam for iPhone boasts an
easy-to-use graphical interface that
helps the user understand how each
calculation is applied. The application
includes all of the
correct HD and
motion-picture camera
manufacturers specs
for image size and
circles of confusion.
Calculations available
in pCam include depth
of field, aperture
finder, hyperfocal,
field of view, framing
preview, angle of
view, exposure,
running time to length
of film, shooting time to screen time,
HMI safe speeds and shutters, color-
correction filters, diopter, macro, time
lapse, underwater distance, scene illu-
mination, light coverage and Siemens
star.
Calculations are made instantly
and automatically as each entry is
changed, and pCam saves entries until
the user changes or resets them.
Professional film and video formats
compatible with pCam include 8mm,
16mm, 35mm, VistaVision, 65mm,
70mm, Imax,
2
3" CCD video and HD
video. Global settings allow switching
between English and Metric measuring
systems, EI and ASA, and footcandles
and Lux. Additionally, built-in instruc-
tions accompany each screen.
www.davideubank.com.
MatchLens Available
on iPhone
Developed by Don Matthew
Smith, the MatchLens calculator appli-
cation for the iPhone computes equiva-
lent lens focal lengths to produce the
same field of view between two
cameras with different aperture/sensor
A T R A D I T I O N O F I N N O V A T I O N
24 SHELTON STREET, LONDON, WC2H 9UB U.K. TELEPHONE: +44 (0)20 7836 9642 EMAIL INFO@LFS.ORG.UK
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To find out more about training in all
departments, on a minimum of six film
exercises, including two 35mm projects,
in a working studio with students from
30 countries visit
lfs.org.uk
Duncan Jones, MA Filmmaking graduate
2001. His debut feature MOON won the
Michael Powell Award at Edinburgh for
Best New British Film.
89
11_09 new prods_p.89_REV:00 new products 10/7/09 2:18 PM Page 89
90 November 2009
sizes.
Designed specifically
for the movie industry,
MatchLens covers 16mm,
35mm and high-definition
video formats. The app
also covers an extensive
list of professional still and
point-and-shoot digital
camera formats, which can
in turn be matched across
all standards film, video and still
photography.
www.indeliblepics.com.
Blackmagic Design
Acquires DaVinci
Blackmagic Design has
announced the purchase of all assets of
DaVinci Systems LLC. Accordingly,
Blackmagic Design will now offer
DaVinci Resolve DI color-correction
systems and DaVinci Revival film
restoration products for sale world-
wide.
I remember back in 1988 to the
first day I started in postproduction and
was shown the telecine suite with
DaVinci, says Grant Perry, CEO of
Blackmagic Design. I could not believe
the quality of the images on the moni-
tor, and that was the moment I fell in
love with high-quality imaging and
color-correction. Its been a while
since I was a telecine engineer,
however its incredibly exciting to be
back involved with DaVinci again! We
have a lot to live up to and many fantas-
tic ideas, so its a very exciting time!
Blackmagic Design has initiated
a wide-ranging restructuring of the
DaVinci business. The new focus will
be on the DaVinci Resolve color-correc-
tion and DaVinci Revival film-restora-
tion products. DaVinci Resolve already
has the power to handle complex color
grades in real time even at native 4K
resolutions and in stereoscopic 3-D. To
accelerate development, the Resolve
and Revival engineering teams have
already been expanded, and further
expansion is currently underway.
Due to the age of the DaVinci 2K
systems, which were originally
launched in 1999, Blackmagic Design
will cease marketing 2K systems
immediately. Support for 2K systems
will continue, and spare parts are still
available for customer repairs. Engi-
neering will be dedicated to bug-fix
updates and small feature releases.
Annual support contracts will
also immediately cease, and a new
pay as you go system will be initi-
ated so customers only need to pay if a
fault occurs. Blackmagic Design
believes this will save customers thou-
sands of dollars of unused support
payments. Customers can pay for any
repairs required, and purchase and
repair of secondhand DaVinci products
will be supported when possible,
improving the resale value of second-
hand DaVinci products.
www.blackmagic-design.com/davinci.
DriveSavers Recovers
P2 Cards
DriveSavers, a leader in data
recovery services, has announced that
it has the capacity to successfully
recover data from P2 solid-state
memory cards. Roughly the size of a
credit card, P2 cards house four high-
speed, ultra-reliable flash memory
cards laid out in a RAID array, which
provides increased storage capacity
and faster data transfer rates. These
solid-state drives in rugged metal
shells are a convenient and inexpen-
sive way to store large amounts of digi-
tal data for high-definition video
production.
P2 cards are considered to be
one of the most durable video storage
mediums available, says Michael Hall,
chief information security officer at
DriveSavers. But, like all removable
media, they are inherently susceptible
to physical failure and data will
inevitably need to be recovered from
these devices. We have successfully
researched the cards and have the abil-
ity to overcome physical and logical
failures to these devices.
www.drivesavers.com.
Scenechronize Makes
Management Easy
Clever Machine, a San Fran-
cisco-based software company, has
launched Scenechronize, a Web-based
application that offers users a true
production-management system, giving
producers, directors, department heads
and crew 24/7 access to the most up-to-
date information for their film and tele-
vision projects.
From development to distribu-
tion, Scenechronize streamlines
communications for the entire produc-
tion, saving days of wasted time thanks
to its automated management work-
flows. Whether the production involves
10 people or 200, all the vital elements
including script, breakdown, sched-
ule, casting, location information,
reports, photos, video and dailies
are managed with up-to-the-minute
information, available to the entire crew
anytime, anywhere.
Scenechronizes easy-to-use
interface enables anyone to get up and
running in a matter of minutes. Time-
saving features include automated
script importing, script revision impact
analysis, breakdown and scheduling.
Users can organize information by
scene and department, and store docu-
ments, photos and video for thorough
record keeping.
www.scenechronize.com. I
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.
11_09 new prods:00 new products 10/7/09 12:07 PM Page 90
Trustworthy, consistent images that represent the true look of your lm from visualization through
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92 November 2009
AMC_1109_p092p094:00 marketplace&ad index 10/6/09 3:22 PM Page 92
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Advertisers Index
16x9, Inc. 92
AC 1, 53
AFI Film Festival 97
Aja Video Systems, Inc. 13
Alan Gordon Enterprises
92, 93
Arri 41
Backstage Equipment, Inc.
89
Bron Kobold 6
Burrell Enterprises 92
Camelot Broadcasting Service
87
CameraImage 73
Cavision Enterprises 17
Chapman/Leonard Studio
Equipment Inc. 23
Cinema Vision 93
Cinematography
Electronics 88
Cinekinetic 92
Cinerover 92
Clairmont Film & Digital 27
Cmotion 83
Convergent Design 46
Cooke Optics 19, 45
CTT Exp. & Rentals 47
Deluxe C2
Eastman Kodak 5, C4
EFD USA, Inc. 43, 82
Evidence Productions 93
Filmtools 89
Five Towns College 87
FTC West 92
Fuji Motion Picture 55
Glidecam Industries 7
GV Technology Expo 79
Innoventive 81
Innovision 93
JEM Studio Lighting, Inc. 53
J.L. Fisher 21
K 5600, Inc. 57
Kino Flo 74
Koerner Camera Systems 81
Laffoux Solutions, Inc. 92
Laser Pacific 91
Lentequip, Inc. 93
Lights! Action! Company
92
Litepanels 2
London Film School 89
Matthews Studio Equipment
93
Mole-Richardson Company
92, 93
Movie Tech AG 92
MP&E Mayo Productions 93
MSM Design 71
Nevada Film Commission 31
New York Film Academy 29
Oppenheimer Camera Prod.
92
Otto Nemenz 63
P+S Technik 19, 45, 93
PED Denz 85, 93
Photon Beard 93
Photo-sonics, Rental 65
Pille Film Gmbh 93
PLC Electronic Solutions 75
Pro8mm 92
Professional Sound
Services 6
Reel FX 6
Rosco Laboratories, Inc. 64
SAE Institute 71
Sim Video Productions, Ltd.
25
Sony Electronics, Inc. 11
Stanton Video Services 85
Sundance Film Festival 95
Super16 Inc. 93
Sylvania 15
Technicolor Content
& Theatrical 9
Telescopic 92
Thales Angenieux 32-33
Tiffen C3
VF Gadgets, Inc. 92
Walter Klassen FX 56
Willys Widgets 92
www.theasc.com 4, 88
Zacuto Films 93
ZGC, Inc. 19, 45, 93
EQUIPMENT FOR SALE
BUY-SELL-CONSIGN-TRADE. 47 YEARS EXPERIENCE. CALL
BILL REITER. PRO VIDEO & FILM EQUIPMENT COMPANY.
(972) 869-9990.
435 & 535B Package - Sacrifice $135,000. Details at www.big-
storm.com/camera
USED EQUIPMENT. PRO VIDEO & FILM EQUIPMENT
COMPANY. (888) 869-9998, providfilm@aol.com.
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STEADICAM used & new equipment. Arms, vests, sleds and
more. Visit our website at www.steadyrig.com or our Steadyrig
eBay store to view our range of products
11,000 USED ITEMS. PRO VIDEO & FILM EQUIPMENT.
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NEED USED EQUIPMENT? PRO VIDEO & FILM EQUIPMENT.
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MENT. (888) 869-9998.
Arri 435ES very complete package plus 18-100 Zoom lens, Arri
Varicon. Excellent prices Contact rmclachlan@mac.com
PRO VIDEO & FILM USED EQUIPMENT LIST:
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Classifieds
94 November 2009
Sundance Film Festival, Park City Utah, January 21-31 sundance.org/festival
96 November 2009
R
ichard Moore, ASC, co-founder of
Panavision and recipient of the Soci-
etys 2004 Presidents Award, died on
Aug. 16 at the age of 83 in Palm Springs,
Calif.
Moore was born in Jacksonville,
Ill., and his family moved to Los Angeles
when he was 7. After graduating from
University High during World War II, he
enrolled in the U.S. Navys ROTC
program at the University of Southern
California. A longtime interest in
photography eventually brought him to
USCs cinema department. That was
somewhat unusual in those days, he
stated during a 1998 interview. But it
was really the only way I could see to
somehow get into the movie business,
which was something I very much
wanted to do.
Moore served in the navy from
1943-1946 and was a photographic offi-
cer aboard the USS Montpelier. After
graduating from USC in 1947, he found
his prospects for employment at the
studios were nonexistent. He made a
living by doing odd jobs and taking on
occasional work as a cinematographer
for independent productions. I once
shot a travelogue and got a free trip to
Europe, and while I was there, I wangled
a meeting with Dr. August Arnold at the
Arriflex factory in Munich, he recalled.
He showed me their Arri IIA newsreel
camera, the first reflex camera, and it
really blew me away. I came back to
Hollywood with the sole right to distrib-
ute it in the western United States.
Moore soon found himself in
business with a college pal, future ASC
member Conrad Hall. Moore recalled,
The people who made decisions in the
movie business were very stodgy at the
time. We took the camera around to all
the heads of camera department at the
studios, but no one was interested, and
we went bust very quickly.
Shortly after that, Moore was
introduced to Robert Gottschalk by a
mutual friend. Gottschalk had been
experimenting with underwater hous-
ings for motion-picture cameras and
drew Moore into his efforts. Eventually,
they discovered that once cameras were
submerged, the coverage of conven-
tional lenses became narrow because of
the waters index of refraction. Their vari-
ous solutions for dealing with this issue
led to what became the industrys finest
anamorphic projection lenses. It also
sparked the creation of Panavision, a
company that changed the face of
motion-picture production.
Panavision took off really
quickly, said Moore. CinemaScope
was breaking out, and we could barely
keep up with the demand for our product.
Soon, we started building taking lenses,
and then we got into the design and
manufacture of 35mm and 65mm
cameras. In 1959, Doug Shearer,
Gottschalk and I were given an Academy
Sci-Tech Award for the 65mm system
used to photograph Ben-Hur [1959],
among many other movies. Then it was
right to the moon!
Soon, however, Moore became
restless. I wanted to get back to what I
had originally gotten into the business
for: being a director of photography.
After a brief stint as an assistant
In Memoriam
Richard Moore, ASC, 1925-2009
cameraman and camera operator to
qualify for union membership, Moore
was hired as the cinematographer on the
CBS series Daktari, in 1964. He then
began a long, successful run as a free-
lancer. He often collaborated with Lamar
Boren, ASC, most notably for the under-
water sequences on the James Bond
film Thunderball (1965).
Moores big break as principal
cinematographer came with John
Hustons The Life and Times of Judge
Roy Bean (1972). Moore recalled, Of all
the directors I knew, Huston was the one
most open to everyones ideas, not least
of which were my own. He was a gentle-
man and had total control over what he
was doing. That experience put me in a
totally different class. He reteamed
with Huston on Annie (1982).
Moore became an ASC member
in 1975. His cinematography credits
include the features The Scalphunters
(1968), The Rievers (1969), Winning
(1969), Myra Breckinridge (1970), WUSA
(1970) and Sometimes a Great Notion
(1971). He directed the feature Circle of
Iron (1978).
I had a tremendously enjoyable
career, Moore observed. I loved being
on location, and I loved working with
individuals who were really interested in
what they were doing. I was well paid
and had a ton of unique experiences.
Who could ask for more from a job?
Moore is survived by his daugh-
ter, Marina; son, Stephen; sister-in-law,
Mary Moore; and nephew, Joel Moore.
Richard Crudo, ASC
I
11_09 in memoriam:00 memoriam 10/5/09 11:15 AM Page 96
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98 November 2009
Schaefer Visits Mexico
Roberto Schaefer, ASC
recently gave a roundtable talk organized
by AC and hosted by Henner Hofmann,
ASC, AMCat the inaugural Proa Mexico
expo in Mexico City.
The show attracted more than
3,500 attendees and showcased 120
exhibitors specializing in production and
postproduction. The Mexico production
scene yields more than 100 features
every year, along with a variety of
commercials, music videos and televi-
sion programming; it also plays host to
87 film festivals.
Hofmann and Schaefers hour-
long chat was attended by industry
professionals and students from Centro
de Capacitacin Cinematogrfica, where
Hofmann was recently named director.
Schaefer screened a selection of
his work in commercials and features
and discussed his collaborations with
director Marc Forster, with whom he has
teamed on eight features, including
Quantum of Solace. The students quizzed
Schaefer about his experiences with
digital capture, including his work with
the Red One camera on Leaves of Grass,
directed by Tim Blake Nelson.
Schaefers visit to Mexico City
included another symposium at CCC and
interaction with some of the local
production houses, including Simple-
mente and EFD. Thinking back on his
time in Mexico, Schaefer says, I found
Willis to Receive
Honorary Oscar
The Academy of Motion Picture
Arts & Sciences will present an Honorary
Academy Award statuette to Gordon
Willis, ASC, on Nov. 14
in Los Angeles. The
presentation will be part
of the inaugural Gover-
nors Awards ceremony,
which will be held in the
Grand Ballroom at Holly-
wood & Highland.
Its a terrific honor,
Willis told AC. Im a
little stunned. These
things usually happen
after they throw the last
bucket of earth on you, so Im glad Im still
standing!
Born in New York City, Willis began
his cinematography career in 1970 with
the feature End of the Road. He shot more
than 30 pictures, including the Godfather
trilogy, Annie Hall, All the Presidents Men,
Manhattan, Klute, Zelig, Pennies From
Heaven and The Purple Rose of Cairo.
He earned an Academy Award
nomination for Zelig and Academy and
ASC award nominations for The Godfather
Part III. The ASC presented him with its
Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995.
Honorary Oscars, which will also be
presented this year to Lauren Bacall, John
Calley and Roger Corman, recognize extra-
ordinary distinction in lifetime achieve-
ment, exceptional contributions to the
state of motion-picture arts and sciences,
or outstanding service to the Academy.
These individuals have made lasting
impressions on the industry and audiences
worldwide, said Tom Sherak, president of
AMPAS. Im thrilled that [they were]
selected to be honored at our new Gover-
nors Awards event, which will be full of
memorable moments celebrating their
accomplishments.
the genuine enthusiasm of the local film-
makers and students to be really infec-
tious, and I would love to have the chance
to work with some Mexican and other
Latin American directors. Ive worked with
many non-Americans and really appreci-
ate the varying ways of seeing the world
and telling stories.
Ive done seminars at schools
around the United States, but this was my
first time doing this kind of event outside
of the country, he adds. I hope to do
many more.
Noah Kadner
Dryburgh, Hurwitz,
Stacey Join Society
Born in the United Kingdom, Stuart
Dryburgh, ASC spent most of his child-
hood and young-adult life in New Zealand,
where he earned a bachelor of architecture
degree from Auckland University. His first
forays into New Zealands film industry
came on such features as Middle Age
Spread, Good-Bye Pork Pie and Smash
Palace, and from 1979 to 1985, he worked
as a gaffer on numerous international
features and commercials.
Dryburghs first credits as a cine-
matographer came on short films, music
videos and commercials. In 1989, he shot
An Angel at My Table for director Jane
Campion, and the pair re-teamed for The
Piano, which earned Dryburgh ASC and
Academy award nominations in 1994. His
Clubhouse News
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Roberto Schaefer, ASC (left) and Henner
Hofmann, ASC, AMC in Mexico.
AMC_1109_p098p099:00 clubhouse 10/6/09 3:20 PM Page 98
feature credits include Analyze This, Brid-
get Joness Diary and Nims Island.
Tom Hurwitz, ASC began his film
career while attending Columbia Univer-
sity, where he majored in English and reli-
gion. As a student, he apprenticed in
cutting rooms and worked as a production
assistant. In 1967, with Peter Gessner, he
co-produced and directed the documen-
tary Last Summer Wont Happen, cement-
ing his love affair with the camera.
After working as a still photogra-
pher, Hurwitz began working as a camera
assistant on commercials, and later as a
gaffer for commercials and features. He
began earning cinematography credits on
documentaries, commercials, features
and telefilms, and in
1991, he decided to
focus on shooting
documentaries. His
credits include
Valentino: The Last
Emperor, Wild Man
Blues, Down and Out
in America and The
Turandot Project. He
has served as an
adjunct professor in
the undergraduate film program at New
York Universitys Tisch School of the Arts,
and he is currently writing the curriculum
for an MFA program in social documentary
for the School of Visual Arts in New York.
Terry Stacey, ASC traveled to
New York City after studying at the Univer-
sity of Manchester in England. He found
work at the Collec-
tive for the Living
Cinema, shooting
and editing Super
8mm shorts and
experimental music
videos. After touring
South America with
a 16mm Bolex,
Stacey returned to
England to work as a
documentary cameraman. He eventually
returned to New York and began notching
credits on independent features such as
Love God, Spring Forward, American
Splendor (AC April 03) and Winter Pass-
ing (AC Feb. 06). His credits include The
Nanny Diaries (AC May 07), P.S. I Love
You and Adventureland. He has also
written and directed a number of short
films, including Bad Liver & a Broken
Heart.
Clark, Hsui Named
Associates
Associate member Adam Clark
began his career in the film industry in
1994 as a positive developer for Deluxe
Laboratories. In 1995, he was promoted
to positive-developing shift boss, and in
1996 he ventured into answer printing,
using wetgate, M-printers and C-print-
ers. He then spent two years as a nega-
tive color timer, working on a Hazeltine
color analyzer, and in 1999 he became a
positive color timer, working with cine-
matographers to time answer prints for
feature releases. Since 2003, Clark has
served as dailies supervisor for Deluxes
Hollywood facility.
Before venturing into filmmaking,
associate member Cliff Hsui began his
career in Hong Kong and Taiwans music-
recording industry. He transitioned into
shooting and directing music videos for
Sony Music in Taiwan, and then decided
to continue his studies at New York
Universitys Tisch School of the Arts and
at FAMU in Prague. Following his stud-
ies, Hsui began working as a camera
assistant, and he then made the move to
digital-imaging technician. He currently
serves as senior vice president of
marketing and technologies for Sim
Video Los Angeles. He also works as a
DIT and volunteers for the Training Sub-
Committee on Data Handling for IATSE
Local 600.
Deschanel, Dykstra
Launch Academy Panel
Society members Caleb
Deschanel and John Dykstra recently
hosted Astronaut as Filmmaker,
presented by the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts & Sciences Science and
Technology Council. The event explored
the relationship between NASA and
motion pictures, with a particular focus
on the recent mission of the crew of the
space shuttle Atlantis to service the
Hubble Space Telescope. Atlantis
mission specialists Michael T. Good,
Andrew J. Freustel, Michael J.
Massimino and John M. Grunsfeld; pilot
Gregory C. Johnson; and Commander
Scott D. Altman were present for the
event. The astronauts showed clips from
their 13-day mission and discussed the
challenges and revelations of filming in
space with digital and Imax 3-D cameras.
ASC Members Go Behind
Motion-Picture Canvas
ASC associate member Rob
Hummel recently presented Behind the
Motion-Picture Canvas, kicking off a
three-day focus on the history and evolu-
tion of motion-picture formats at the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts &
Sciences. Following the illustrated
lecture, which featured clips from The
Great Train Robbery, The Adventures of
Robin Hood, Lady and the Tramp and The
Sound of Music, Hummel was joined
onstage by ASC members Stephen H.
Burum, Allen Daviau, John Bailey
and Caleb Deschanel.
The special focus on film formats
continued with screenings of new prints
of Manhattan, photographed by Gordon
Willis, ASC, and The Black Stallion, shot
by Deschanel.
Edlund Discusses Beckett
Richard Edlund, ASC recently
participated in a panel discussion about
the work of the late animator and visual-
effects artist Adam Beckett. The
program, Infinite Animation: The Work
of Adam Beckett, was presented by the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts &
Sciences and included a screening of Life
in the Atom, a short film Beckett left
unfinished when he died in 1979 at the
age of 29. Becketts work ran the gamut
from experimental art films to heading
the rotoscope and animation department
on Star Wars. I
ASC associate
Rob Hummel
(left) is joined
by ASC
members
Stephen Burum,
Allen Daviau,
John Bailey
and Caleb
Deschanel at
the Academy.
AMC_1109_p098p099:00 clubhouse 10/6/09 3:20 PM Page 99
100 November 2009
When you were a child, what film made the strongest
impression on you?
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). I was 4 or 5 when I saw it,
and the evil queen had me peeking out from behind my seat.
Which cinematographers, past or present, do you most admire,
and why?
Philippe Rousselot, ASC, AFC, whose sparse lighting portrays the most
complex of emotions; Vittorio Storaro, ASC, AIC, for his use of color;
Chris Doyle, HKSC, for his intuitive eye for framing; Robert Richardson,
ASC, who has defined a style all his own; and Haskell Wexler, ASC, for
his iconic body of work and never-ending enthusiasm. Also, Csar Char-
lone, ABC; Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC; Nestor Almndros, ASC; Conrad
Hall, ASC . Where do I stop?
What sparked your interest in photography?
One summer, when I was a bored teenager, I found an old 2x2 still
camera rattling around in a box. Id shoot, guessing at exposures, and
marvel at the happy accidents.
Where did you train and/or study?
Much to my regret, I didnt attend film school. I read voraciously about
film theory and technique, and I haunted art museums and photography
galleries. Of course, I also went to the movies lots of movies.
Who were your early teachers or mentors?
Garrett Brown, whose mastery of the moving camera and ability to
transpose our three-dimensional world into a two-dimensional one
continues to amaze me, and Philippe Rousselot, whose mantra fill the
frame when composing shots of the human face stayed with me long
after I operated for him. Id like to thank both of them. As a camera oper-
ator, I learned from every cinematographer I worked with; sometimes, I
learned what not to do.
What are some of your key artistic influences?
I try to give each film I photograph its own look by researching it metic-
ulously using both obvious and improbable sources. I look for a point of
view thats unique to the script and then explore it. Having said that,
some artists that move me are (in no particular order) Caravaggio, Miles
Davis, Sebastiao Salgado, Erik Satie, David Allen Harvey, Georges de La
Tour, Johannes Vermeer, Gordon Parks, Joaqun Rodrigo, Romare Bear-
den, Constantine Cavafy, John Coltrane and Nikos Kazantzakis.
How did you get your first break in the business?
When I was a non-union documentary assistant, I was introduced to
Garrett Brown and a little project called Skycam, the precursor to all the
flying rigs. I went on to operate Steadicam and work on many music
videos and commercials until I finally landed a job on a no-/low-budget
union feature.
What has been your most satisfying moment on a project?
Any time my agent says, Theyd like to make you an offer. Actually, its
probably when Im sitting with the timer and were screening the
answer print; thats when I decide whether I was successful in fulfilling
whatever vision the director and I defined way back in prep.
Have you made any memorable
blunders?
The first day of shooting Man on the
Moon, my first big Hollywood feature,
we were on Universals lot. Both
nervous and early, I decided to calm
down by stopping at Jerrys Deli for a
coffee and The New York Times. As I was reading the Op-Ed page, my
cell phone rang. It was the assistant director, wondering how long Id
be stuck in traffic. It turns out Id read my call sheet wrong, and I was
well over an hour late! I arrived at the studio to see the flashing red
light outside the stage door. With heart in throat, I walked in to see my
director, Milos Forman, in the middle of rehearsal, and producer
Michael Housman, who had championed me for the job, pacing. Luck-
ily, my friends had my back: camera operator Mitch Dubin was setting
up the first shot (a Technocrane extravaganza), and gaffer Jack English
and key grip Chris Centrella were lighting the scene. Housman only
growled at me.
What is the best professional advice youve ever received?
I was working with Don McAlpine, ASC, ACS, and getting impatient
watching the director, producer and assistant director endlessly discuss
the next setup. Don turned to me and said in his inimitable Aussie
drawl, Relax. Sooner or later theyll have to come over to talk to us.
What recent books, films or artworks have inspired you?
The films Three Monkeys and Il Divo were wonderfully and inventively
photographed. Lynn Nottages play Ruined resonated with me; Lauren
Flanigans performance at Carnegie Hall was transcendent; and
Kehinde Wileys exhibit at the Studio Museum of Harlem was superb.
The Invention of Everything is a magical novel that reimagines Nikola
Teslas life.
Do you have any favorite genres, or genres you would like
to try?
Id like to shoot a sailing film, although I know anyone in his or her right
mind should stay away from working on the water.
If you werent a cinematographer, what might you be
doing instead?
Had I the talent and discipline, Id be a composer or conductor. Photo-
journalism would be a strong second choice.
Which ASC cinematographers recommended you for
membership?
Haskell Wexler, Philippe Rousselot and Sol Negrin.
How has ASC membership impacted your life and career?
It allows me the chance to engage with the next generation of cine-
matographers through ASC workshops, panel discussions and lectures,
all of which I greatly enjoy. Its also an honor to be in the same frater-
nity as so many acknowledged masters.
I
ASC CLOSE-UP
Anastas Michos, ASC
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.
AMC_1109_p100:00 asc closeup 10/5/09 12:55 PM Page 100
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L EX DU PONT: ON F I LM
ONFILM
One of the things about lighting an episodic
television series is that you are shooting on the
same main sets every week. You need to nd
ways to keep it fresh and visually interesting,
yet right for the stories. One of the great
things about working on NYPD Blue for eight
years was that we tried all kinds of different
things. I lit the squad room more than 1,000
times. It doesnt have to be complicated, but
you need to light for the subject matter and
not be obtrusive. There is so much talk about
technology, but I dont think the role that
cinematographers play is going to change.
The place where lm really smokes digital
media is in the complexity of the tonalities
of colors. A characters skin tones are like
silent dialogue. I tell students and young crew
members that the future is now. I tell them to
master the art and craft of using the complex
tonalities of colors, which play a subtle but
important role in the storytelling that we do.
Lex du Ponts cinematography credits
include NYPD Blue, Raines, Lincoln Heights,
Saving Grace and Private Practice. His
feature film credits include Confessions
of a Sexist Pig and Saving Shiloh.
[All these programs were shot on Kodak motion picture lm.]
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