Ac Ac0418 PDF

APRIL 2018
A M E R I C A N C I N E M ATO G R A P H E R • A P R I L 2 0 1 8 • A W R I N K L E I N T I M E – I S L E O F D O G S – G E N E R A L H O S P I TA L – R E D S PA R R O W – 7 D AYS I N E N T E B B E • V O L . 9 9 N O. 4
A P R I L 2 0 1 8 V O L . 9 9 N O . 4
An International Publication of the ASC
On Our Cover, from left: Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon), Mrs. Which (Oprah
Winfrey) and Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling) aid a young girl’s interstellar search for her
missing father in the feature A Wrinkle in Time, shot by Tobias Schliessler, ASC.
(Image courtesy of Disney Enterprises Inc.)
FEATURES
32 A Wrinkle in Time – Across the Universe
Tobias Schliessler, ASC teams with director Ava DuVernay
for a sci-fi adventure
50 Isle of Dogs – Animal Kingdom 50

Tristan Oliver shines a light on the making of a
stop-motion epic
68 General Hospital – The Never-Ending Story

The production team welcomes AC to the set as the
soap opera marks its 55th anniversary
84 Red Sparrow – Seduce and Destroy 68

Jo Willems, ASC, SBC and director Francis Lawrence craft a spy story
100 7 Days in Entebbe – Daring Operation

Lula Carvalho, ASC, ABC and director José Padilha
re-create tense historical events
DEPARTMENTS 84
10 Editor’s Note
12 President’s Desk
16 Shot Craft: LEDs • lumens • power consumption • incident metering
26 Short Takes: The Last Dance
116 Filmmakers’ Forum: Shooting Loev and The Inspectors
120 New Products & Services
130 International Marketplace 100
131 Classified Ads
132 Ad Index
134 Clubhouse News
136 ASC Close-Up: Alik Sakharov
— VISIT WWW.ASCMAG.COM —
<<< NEW, IMPROVED & ONLINE>>>
Your Two Best Cinematography Resources
ascmag.com theasc.com
The annual Park City cinema summit always presents a schedule of unique
narrative and documentary projects. American Cinematographer was on the scene and offers
two online reports that dig deep into the current state of indie production and post.
You’ll find both at ascmag.com/articles
At the Canon Creative Studio

In partnership with Canon, AC moderated a series of six in-depth panel
discussions at the company’s headquarters on Main St. in Park City,
focusing on a variety of creative and technical topics in regard to specific
projects and key issues:
DP First: Women Who Shoot

Three cinematographers
— Autumn Eakin, Claudia
Raschke and Greta Zozula
— examine and what it means to
be a woman in the industry today.
Shooting Cinematic VR —
Awavena
Lead artist Lynette Wallworth and Options in Optics
Cinematography director of photography Greg Lenses are the ultimate creative
tool. But how do you decide which
Standouts Downing discuss virtual reality’s
future through the lens of their glass to use to craft your desired
AC offers a guide to 10 Sundance titles that trippy VR project Awavena. look? Three cinematographers —
impressed audiences with their exceptional Brent Barbano, Martina Radwan
visual approach to storytelling, including Documentary Cinematography and Yamit Shimonovitz — share
I Think We’re Alone Now, Skate Kitchen, When shooting documentaries, their insights.
Monsters and Men, We the Animals, Time you need the right tools to pick up
Share, Loveling and American Animals. and go. Cinematographers Laela Spotlight on Indie Episodic:
Kilbourn, Max Preiss and Graham The Adulterers
Willoughby chat about the gear Director-cinematographer Darin
they use to capture cinematic cine- Quan and cinematographer Zack
ma verité. Schamberg take us behind the
scenes of The Adulterers, shot with
Spotlight on Collaboration: Canon’s EOS C300 Mark II.
The Sentence
Mastering the art of collaboration
is the key to filmmaking. Hear
Log on at bit.ly/ACSundance2018 from director-cinematographer
for more from the festival, and at Rudy Valdez and editor Viridiana
bit.ly/CanonACSundance Lieberman as they break down
for full video of each Canon Creative their process.
Studio panel discussion.
A p r i l 2 0 1 8 V o l . 9 9 , N o . 4
An International Publication of the ASC
Visit us online at www.ascmag.com
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF and PUBLISHER

Stephen Pizzello
————————————————————————————————————
WEB DIRECTOR and ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
David E. Williams
————————————————————————————————————
EDITORIAL
MANAGING EDITOR Jon D. Witmer
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Andrew Fish
TECHNICAL EDITOR Christopher Probst, ASC
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Benjamin B, Rachael K. Bosley, John Calhoun, Mark Dillon, Michael Goldman, Simon Gray, Jim Hemphill, David Heuring, Jay Holben,
Noah Kadner, Debra Kaufman, Iain Marcks, Matt Mulcahey, Jean Oppenheimer, Phil Rhodes, Patricia Thomson
PODCASTS
Jim Hemphill, Iain Marcks, Chase Yeremian
BLOGS
Benjamin B; John Bailey, ASC; David Heuring
IT DIRECTOR/WEB PRODUCER Mat Newman
NEW PRODUCTS & SERVICES David Alexander Willis
————————————————————————————————————
ART & DESIGN
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Marion Kramer
PHOTO EDITOR Kelly Brinker
————————————————————————————————————
ADVERTISING
ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Angie Gollmann
323-936-3769 Fax 323-952-2140 e-mail: [email protected]
ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Sanja Pearce
CLASSIFIEDS/ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Diella Peru
————————————————————————————————————
SUBSCRIPTIONS, BOOKS & PRODUCTS
CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Saul Molina
CIRCULATION MANAGER Alex Lopez
SHIPPING MANAGER Miguel Madrigal
————————————————————————————————————
ASC SPONSORSHIP & EVENTS DIRECTOR Patricia Armacost
ASC ACCOUNTANT Shawnté Howard
————————————————————————————————————
American Cinematographer (ISSN 0002-7928), established 1920 and in its 98th 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.
Subscriptions: U.S. $50; Canada/Mexico $70; all other foreign countries $95 a year (remit international Money Order or other exchange payable in U.S. $).
Advertising: Rate card upon request from Hollywood office. Copyright 2018 ASC Holding Corp. (All rights reserved.) Periodicals postage paid at Los Angeles, CA
and at additional mailing offices. Printed in the USA.
POSTMASTER: Send address change to American Cinematographer, P.O. Box 2230, Hollywood, CA 90078.
6
American Society of Cinematographers
The ASC is not a labor union or a guild, but
an educational, cultural and professional
organization. Membership is by invitation
to those who are actively engaged as
directors of photography and have
demonstrated outstanding ability. ASC
membership has become one of the highest
honors that can be bestowed upon a
professional cinematographer — a mark
of prestige and excellence.
OFFICERS - 2017/2018
Kees van Oostrum
President
Bill Bennett
Vice President
John Simmons
Vice President
Cynthia Pusheck
Vice President
Levie Isaacks
Treasurer
David Darby
Secretary
Isidore Mankofsky
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IUXLWIXOMRXUQH\VLQFH,WRRNWKH$6&0DVWHU&ODVVDQG Paul Cameron
,·PGHHSO\JUDWHIXOIRUDOOWKHFRQQHFWLRQVDQGLQVLJKWV Russell Carpenter
Curtis Clark
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PRPHQW·VKHVLWDWLRQUHFRPPHQGDWWHQGLQJWKH$6& Dean Cundey
0DVWHU&ODVVWRDQ\ILOPPDNHUµ George Spiro Dibie
Fred Elmes
Stephen Lighthill
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Robert Primes
Cynthia Pusheck
Roberto Schaefer
John Simmons
John Toll
Amy Vincent
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Lowell Peterson
Stephen Burum
Mandy Walker
Ron Garcia
6ISITOURWEBSITEFORUPDATES Levie Isaacks
ÜÜÜ°Ìi>ÃV°V MUSEUM CURATOR

Steve Gainer
8
EDITOR’S NOTE
This is an issue my mother will love.
When I was a young reader in Massachusetts who
accompanied my mom on her frequent trips to the Salem
Public Library — an institution she’s supported so faithfully
that the administration should name a wing, or at least a
reading room, after her — she introduced me to
Madeleine L’Engle’s fantasy novel A Wrinkle in Time. Now
ASC member Tobias Schliessler has helped mount an ambi-
tious Disney adaptation starring Storm Reid as young hero-
ine Meg Murry, with star-power support from Oprah
Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling as celestial
guides Mrs. Which, Whatsit and Who, respectively.
Director Ava DuVernay’s previous career directly
influenced her decision to collaborate with Schliessler on
the saga’s epic journey through space and time. “I was a publicist for Dreamgirls [which
Schliessler shot for director Bill Condon],” she tells Michael Goldman (“Across the Universe,”
page 32). “I watched Tobias on that set, and I thought, ‘He’s cool, he’s calm, he’s collected,
he’s focused.’ And when I saw the film, I thought it was gorgeous.”
My mom will be equally delighted to read photo editor Kelly Brinker’s comprehensive
piece on the production of General Hospital, the longest-running soap opera still on the air,
which has kept both of them tuning in faithfully for decades. As Kelly notes in her article (“The
Never-Ending Story,” page 68), General Hospital has been airing on ABC since April 1, 1963,
and recently broadcast its 14,000th episode in February. I hereby confess that even I got sucked
into portions of the show’s rollercoaster drama during the Luke-and-Laura years, when I would
come home from school to find Mom glued to the tube.
Along with the early Mother’s Day presents, this jam-packed issue offers coverage of
Wes Anderson’s canine stop-motion extravaganza Isle of Dogs, framed with painstaking care
by Tristan Oliver (“Animal Kingdom,” page 50); the seductive spy thriller Red Sparrow, shot by
Jo Willems, ASC, SBC for director Francis Lawrence (“Seduce and Destroy,” page 84); and the
historical drama 7 Days in Entebbe, which reteamed Lula Carvalho, ASC, ABC with director
José Padilha (“Daring Operation,” page 100).
All of this month’s features offer sidebar spotlights on specific tools that proved invalu-
able for achieving each production’s visual style. Schliessler cites Arri’s Maxima gimbal rig; Oliver
lauds Canon’s EOS-1D X DSLR camera; Melanie Mohr, one of three lighting directors working
on General Hospital, praises Litepanels’ LED panels; Willems singles out LiteGear’s LiteMats
fixtures; and Carvalho details why he used tungsten units to emulate daylight.
Further “enlightenment” can be found in Jay Holben’s monthly Shot Craft section
(page 16), which offers a primer on LED fixtures, a lesson on lumens, a field guide to power
consumption, and tips on using an incident light meter.
On a personal note, I’d like to congratulate Jay and AC technical editor Christopher
Probst on their recent inductions into the ASC. I could not have been prouder when the Soci-
ety’s board voted to approve Jay as an associate member and Chris (who earned a 2017 ASC
Photo by Owen Roizman, ASC.
Award nomination for his cinematography on David Fincher’s Mindhunter pilot) as an active
member. “The boys,” as I call them, have each distinguished themselves for more than 20
years in their professional careers and as contributors to this magazine. Well done, gentlemen.
Stephen Pizzello
Editor-in-Chief and Publisher
10
PRESIDENT’S DESK
Bending Light
“In wildness is the preservation of the world.” — Henry David Thoreau
Nature’s admirers often make use of epic language to inspire thoughts of a wilderness exud-
ing beauty and undisturbed by mankind. Thoreau, however, transcends these ideas and focuses on the
human need for a freedom that can only be found in the beauty of “ordinary” nature. His talents for
drawing attention to the “wildness” of both the natural world and humanity were revolutionary.
I came to think of Thoreau because I wanted to analyze the meaning of light. Light is a
strange and powerful phenomenon — in what we do with it as cinematographers, and in reference
to the very essentials of life and the intricacies of nature that inspire us as image makers.
Our visual experiences begin when we are newborns, barely able to process shapes but
already beginning to connect with the emotional values of contrast and color. In an essential way, the
sun itself and the environment around us educate us about light as our visual perception develops.
I have always been fascinated by the notion that Dutch light is somehow unique. Based on
the work and reputation of the Dutch masters, many painters of the 17th century traveled from afar to see it firsthand. What
was it that made Holland’s light so different from the light to be found just a short distance away throughout the rest of Europe?
As noted on the website for the documentary Dutch Light, German painter Max Liebermann observed, “The mists that
rise from the water and shroud the world in a translucent veil give that country its extraordinarily picturesque quality. … Everything
is bathed in light and air.” French critic and historian Hippolyte Taine mused, “The air is always hazy, which makes all the contours
blurred and indistinct. … What we notice are the nuances, the contrasts, the values and tonality of the colors. The shades of
brightness and the gradations of color are astonishing … a delight to the eye.”
So maybe it was the abundance of water, which the sun condenses into a fine, humid mist that filters the sky and softens
the sunlight while providing dramatic cloud formations and crimson sunsets.
A meticulous study of light was likewise reflected in the work of the late Sven Nykvist, ASC — one of the world’s foremost
cinematographers, whose poetic use of light illuminated many of Ingmar Bergman’s greatest films. The light in those films takes
on a metaphysical dimension that goes beyond “mood.” It distills and deepens the feelings of torment and spiritual separation
that afflict Bergman’s characters — and then, in scenes of tranquility filmed outdoors, it offers a glimpse of transcendence.
Winter Light, Nykvist said, was one of the first films in which he deliberately set out to explore light’s expressive qualities.
The atmosphere he created was inspired by his experience sitting with Bergman in a church for a full day, studying the natural
light as it came through the windows and played across the walls. From then on, Nykvist would often spend hours or even days
in a location, studying the path and appearance of the natural light, and photographing it with a still camera to create a visual
diary.
His work, especially with Bergman, expresses a depth and strength of vision that can be attributed to such meticulous
preparation. His style can be as naturalistic as Fanny and Alexander and as abstract as The Unbearable Lightness of Being.
In its purest form, the light on Earth comes from one source: the sun. When it hits the Earth it gets reflected, bounced
and shadowed. When it comes to lighting with an artificial source, I believe we should follow the same pattern. We should let
the source play — and then bend that source to achieve a desired mood. And if the desire is to deviate from realism, we should
respect the source even more. Nature offers the most incredible “unrealistic” patterns of light that can be far more abstract than
anything artificially created.
Photo by Jacek Laskus, ASC, PSC.
In 1845, Thoreau built his famous cabin on the shores of Walden Pond, where he moved in order to “live deliberately,”
as he explained in his book Walden. The legend of his two years in the woods is that of a lone woodsman-philosopher scraping
out a living in the wilderness, pausing on occasion to write down his observations. I find those observations inspiring and reveal-
ing. They encourage me to bend the light.
Kees van Oostrum

ASC President
12 April 2018 American Cinematographer

SHOT CRAFT
A massive array
of WinVision Air
9mm LED panels
provide a view
of hyperspace
for a scene in
Rogue One: A
Star Wars Story,
shot by Greig
Fraser, ASC,
ACS.
I How LEDs Work

By Jay Holben
This also means that the LED is a remarkably simple piece of
hardware. There is a cathode and an anode, forming a diode — the
semiconductor substrate itself — and an epoxy dome that acts as a
LED is an acronym for light-emitting diode. The modern LED lens to concentrate the emission of light.
was invented in the 1960s, and initially was only capable of emitting In 2014 Shuji Nakamura, Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano
a red light at very low intensity; further advancements paved the way were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics “for the invention of effi-
to brighter red, then orange and green. These early LEDs were often cient blue light-emitting diodes which has enabled bright and
relegated to serve as simple indicator lights in electronic devices — energy-saving white light sources,” as the official website for the
like the power indicator on your long-gone VHS player. They required Nobel Prize explains. The blue LED has paved the way to making
very little energy and were long-lasting. brighter and more effective fixtures that have replaced utility fixtures
LEDs create light from an electroluminescence effect in a such as sodium- and mercury-vapor streetlights, traffic lights and
semiconductor material. To achieve this, the semiconductor is architectural lights. The use of LED technology for these applications
“doped” by adding additional elements that change its properties, requires significantly less energy. It’s estimated that 20 percent of
so that it can have both a positive region and a negative region. A global energy is dedicated to lighting; the sufficient use of LED tech-
junction is formed between these two regions, aptly called the P-N nology can reduce that number to 4 percent.
junction (positive-negative). In the doping process, the electrons from Through specific phosphor mixtures, we can alter and control
each atom on the positive side are removed, creating an “electron the color of the diode, resulting in LED fixtures that are suitable for
hole”; this polarity imbalance makes each atom positively charged photographic use. An “applied phosphor” is one that’s applied
Rogue One photo courtesy of Lucasfilm Ltd.
and eager to find its missing electron in order to bring balance to the directly to the surface of the diode, while a “remote phosphor” is
Force — er, semiconductor. placed a distance away from the diode. For our purposes as cine-
When a current is applied to the semiconductor, electrons matographers, the important colors are red, green, blue, tungsten
pass from the negative side, across the P-N junction and into the (with a CCT of 3,200K) and daylight (with a CCT of 5,600K or
positive side, where they fall into these “holes,” causing the elec- 6,500K). Each diode is only capable of emitting a single color; many
trons to release energy in the form of a photon, which in turn emits fixtures today incorporate LEDs of different colors — for example,
light. So light is thereby produced without heat and without requir- red, green and blue — enabling the cinematographer to fade
ing gas to energize the photons, as happens in fluorescent and HMI between the different diodes in order to create nearly any color of
fixtures. This process is known as electroluminescence or solid-state the rainbow from that single fixture.
lighting because the creation of photons happens entirely within the Phosphors that are placed on the surface of the diode can
semiconductor. shift in color output as the diode heats up. Yes, LEDs do create some

begun to permeate movie theaters, with
finer diode sizes allowing for the creation of
backlit theater screens such as Samsung’s
HDR Cinema LED screen in Korea.
When it comes to lighting subjects
for either stills or motion pictures, the prob-
lem with all LEDs is that they do not
During production of The Neon Demon — shot by Natasha Braier, ASC, ADF — key grip Amos
James (foreground, wearing headset) creates a watery reflection with the help of a Digital produce a full, natural spectrum of light,
Sputnik LED fixture bounced onto a pan containing broken bits of mirror. which causes issues with the photographic
medium — i.e., film negative and digital
heat — any time electrons are moving from clustering many diodes together. Most sensors. As we’ve discussed previously in
around, the byproduct of that activity is LED fixtures feature hundreds, if not thou- Shot Craft (see “The Fault in Your CRIs,”
heat. Remote-phosphor fixtures, in which sands, of individual diodes. Aug. ’17), the lack of color spectrum in the
the phosphor is placed at a distance from Once the three primary-color LEDs light source results in the inability of the
the diode, are less vulnerable to the diodes’ were perfected, large screens could be missing color to be reflected on the subject.
heat discharge, but are relegated to only manufactured with red, green and blue If it can’t be reflected, it can’t be seen by
one color for the fixture. Typical remote- diodes clustered together in “pixel” forma- the film or sensor — and that can lead to
phosphor fixtures employ an insert that is tions, allowing the screens to display some weird-looking results in your image,
coated with the phosphors that set the images. Many giant outdoor screens are like a black strawberry that should appear
color; if you need a different color output, now made from LED lamps, including red. Careful mixing of phosphors can bring
you have to replace the insert with one that PixelFlex, MadEffects’ StarvisionLED curtain an LED close to a natural spectrum, but it is
has a different phosphor coating. and Sony’s massive JumboTron. These more likely that a fixture will combine
The typical LED is a 5mm cylindrical screens go as large as Adi’s iConic 100, an several LEDs with separate phosphors and
shape, although they can be larger. The size approximately 42'x23' LED screen with a spectrum outputs to create a more
of the diode isn’t directly related to its lumi- 47' diagonal picture — it’s a mobile, complete, simulated, natural-looking spec-
nance output — larger doesn’t always outdoor television larger than most cinema tral output.
mean brighter. Brightness comes instead screens. In fact, LED technology has even LED technology is on a rapid curve,
Some (But Not Nearly All) of the LED Fixtures Available Today The Neon Demon photo courtesy of Amazon Studios.
RGB+W (also RGB+WW): • Kino Flo FreeStyle Multi-Diode Daylight/ Single Diode/Single Color:
(These feature a combination • LiteGear LiteRibbon Tungsten: • Fluotec AuraLux and VegaLux
of red, green, blue and • Litepanels Gemini • BargerLite LED StudioLED Fresnel
“white” diodes, the latter • NBCUniversal LightBlade • Fluotec StarMaker BiColor • Mole-Richardson MoleLED
of which can be tungsten, • RoscoLED Tape VariColor ProductionLED Fresnel
daylight or both) • LiteGear LiteMat • Visionsmith ReLamp LED
• Arri L-Series C Fresnel Remote Phosphor: • Litepanels Astra Bi-Color
• Arri SkyPanel • BB&S Area 48 • Litepanels Croma 2
• Digital Sputnik DS • BB&S Pipeline • Mole-Richardson MoleLED
• Digital Sputnik Voyager • Cineo Maverick Variable-Color
• Kino Flo Celeb • Cineo TruColor HS • Rosco DMG Lumière Switch
• Kino Flo Diva-Lite LED

increasing in brightness and decreasing in
cost. In little over a decade, we have gone
from small onboard LED fixtures that
sit atop the camera, providing a bit of fill,
to units that can match the output of
a nine-light Maxi-Brute. Features such
as Independence Day: Resurgence,
photographed by Markus Förderer, BVK (AC
July ’16), and Rogue One: A Star Wars
Story, shot by Greig Fraser, ASC, ACS (AC
Feb. ’17), made extensive use of multicol-
ored LED fixtures, which allowed the cine-
An LED incorporates a semiconductor that’s been “doped” to have a positive region and a negative matographers to alter the color and inten-
region. When a current is applied, electrons pass from the negative side to the positive side, where they
release energy in the form of a photon, which in turn emits light.
sity of those lights nearly instantaneously.
The savings to the production can
Deep Focus across all types of lighting fixtures: lumens. and plasma lighting fixtures have substan-
The Need for Lumens The lumen is an English measurement of tially lower wattage ratings for substantially
brightness that is exactly equal to the foot- higher light outputs than tungsten bulbs.
For years, cinematographers, gaffers candle, defined as the amount of illumina- So we need to learn to say, “I need
and electricians have identified lighting by tion produced by one candle at a distance of 7,000 lumens here and 1,000 lumens
wattage. “I need a 650 over here and a 1K 1'. It is a consistent form of intensity there.” In truth, it’s a return to old-school
there, and give me a 5K outside that measurement, regardless of the light source methods of communication. Cinematogra-
window.” That’s a 650-, 1,000- and 5,000- or its power consumption. phers used to regularly ask gaffers for a
watt fixture, respectively. Lighting profession- Lumens have already begun to take certain footcandle level in a given portion of
als know, intuitively, what kind of illumina- hold on the consumer level. Consumer pack- a scene. Everything old is new again.
tion levels we’ll get from a specific wattage aging for all types of luminaires feature the Of course, as noted, the lumen, or
tungsten fixture. actual wattage of the lamp, the equivalent footcandle, is an English system of measure-
When HMI came on the scene, we wattage in a standard tungsten lamp, and ment. The metric measurement is the lux; 1
continued to identify the sources by their the lumen output. It’s that last part that we lux is equal to 1 lumen over a 1-square-meter
wattage — for example, 1.2K, 4K and 12K need to adopt in motion-picture lighting. area. It’s almost the same thing, except that
HMIs. We did this even though, per watt, While some manufacturers of 1 square meter is equal to 10.76 square feet.
HMIs are substantially brighter than their motion-picture lighting equipment have So:
tungsten counterparts. But this was a conceit started to incorporate this in their specs and
that everyone understood and mentally photometrics, overall our industry has been 1 lux = .09 footcandles or lumens
accounted for. If you needed the output of a slow to change. This change is necessary,
5K tungsten from an HMI, you knew to ask though, as wattage has become both By way of example, the chart below
for a 1.2K instead. outdated and, frankly, inadequate for identi- compares various lumen outputs and the
With the arrival of fluorescent fixtures fying a fixture’s lighting output. Wattage only relative wattage equivalents of consumer
for motion-picture lighting, the correlation describes the amount of energy necessary — incandescent bulbs, CFLs and LEDs.
between wattage and output was suddenly the product of amperage and voltage — to
very different. A 23-watt tube puts out how power a light source. HMI, fluorescent, LED
much light? So, instead, we started identify-
ing fluorescent units by the length and
number of tubes in the fixture. As in, “Give
me a four-by-four over there and a two-foot
four-bank in the corner.”
And now LEDs are here, and wattage
has been flung even farther out the window
in terms of being a useful descriptor. No one
really knows quite how to identify these
fixtures.
What is required is a change in our
thinking — a move away from wattage to a
universal terminology that remains consistent

also be substantial. Electrical usage — color-tunable LEDs do away with the need weight fixtures and simpler DMX cabling. It
generator fuel or kilowatt-hours charged for colored lighting gels; the crew saves all adds up very quickly.
— decreases; air conditioning costs are time, since no one needs to climb into the LED technology continues to evolve.
reduced, as there’s no need to combat the perms to scrim a fixture or swap out a gel; It is not yet a perfect medium — but it is
heat generated from incandescent sources; and pre-rigging time and hardware require- certainly a lighting solution that is here to
the expendables budget goes down, since ments are mitigated thanks to lighter- stay. ●
Field Guide cules suspended in gas inside the tube; the designed to be the most HMI output you can
Power Consumption and excited mercury then strikes phosphors that get on 20-amp “household” power. Where
Alternate Light Sources coat the inside of the tube and creates light, you get the most bang for your buck — the
aka fluorescence. The greater the surface highest output with the lowest energy
Traditional tungsten fixtures are incan- area of the fluorescent tube, the brighter the consumption — is with fluorescent and LED
descent sources of light — incandescent source of light. This is why compact fluores- fixtures.
meaning “light from heat.” In order for an cent bulbs have those tight curls to them: Energy in this sense is wattage. If we
incandescent source to produce light, elec- Those curls create more overall surface area recall the “West Virginia” law — watts =
tricity passes through the tungsten filament, and, therefore, a brighter output. Although volts x amps — we can see that while voltage
which resists the electrical flow of electrons; fluorescent fixtures require a ballast to regu- remains a constant, if we reduce the
the friction of that resistance in turn causes late the arc of electricity inside the tube, they wattage, we also reduce the amperage.
the element to heat up until it eventually gets need relatively low electrical current to func- If a 100-watt tungsten bulb produces
hot enough to glow. tion — about 60-70 percent less electricity approximately 1,600 lumens of illumination,
This process produces beautiful light, than a tungsten lamp with an equivalent it also consumes 1 amp of electricity (assum-
but at the cost of considerable energy being brightness. ing a 100-volt system). If a 1,600-lumen fluo-
lost to the generation of heat — 70-80 LED fixtures are even more efficient in rescent fixture only requires 25 watts of
percent of the energy used by a tungsten their electrical usage per lumen. The move- power, then it only consumes .25 amps. The
light bulb is lost to heat. A naturally occurring ment of the electrons within the light-emit- same 1,600 lumens can be produced by an
metal, tungsten is a very brittle substance ting diode creates its own light, with little to LED fixture at 15 watts, which is only .15
with the highest melting point of non-alloyed no wasted energy. This efficiency means that amps. So we’re using significantly less elec-
metals, and the second highest melting point for the equivalent output of a tungsten bulb, tricity for the same general amount of light.
of all elements on the periodic table: an LED fixture uses up to 80 percent less Scaling this up, imagine that you’re
3,422°C, or 6,192°F. This makes it the perfect energy. lighting a scene where you would normally
source of incandescence, as the standard One of the woes of location shooting, use a 2K tungsten soft light — that’s 20 amps
tungsten filament can heat up to tempera- especially on small productions where you of electricity. The same brightness of light
tures of more than 5,000°F. That’s super hot can’t afford a generator or a qualified electri- from a fluorescent fixture requires only 750
— and it results in the expenditure of a lot of cian to tap into existing power, is being watts, or 7.5 amps. With LEDs that’s about
energy, which means it takes more electricity limited to wall-socket power in the 15-amp 400 watts, or 4 amps.
to produce a given amount of light from a or, at most, 20-amp variety. (See Shot Craft, You can quickly see how utilizing alter-
tungsten fixture than it does from other “Keeping the Lights On,” AC March ’18.) nate power sources not only saves electricity,
sources of light. This limits you to, at most, a 2,000-watt but allows you to light brighter scenes with
Fluorescent lighting, for example, fixture — which is definitely pushing the available power.
requires significantly less energy. Instead of limits of safety. In the HMI world, you’re — JH
“light from heat,” it’s produced by means of limited to a 1,200-watt fixture or perhaps the
an arc of electricity that excites mercury mole- 1,800-watt Arri M18, which was specifically
From left: A Mole-Richardson 2K tungsten Fresnel, an Arri M18 1.8K HMI, a Kino Flo 2' 4Bank fluorescent fixture, and LiteGear LiteMat LED units.

Tech Essentials at key. Instead, I tend to place skin tones side of your subject. Knowing the dynamic
Using an Incident Light Meter under key and highlights over key. To my eye, range of your camera and the look you
this results in a much more refined look. intend to create will inform whether or not
The light meter is a wonderful tool By individually measuring each light as you need to add a bounce or some fill for the
that still has a strong place in today’s heavily a separate value, you provide yourself with a shadow side. If that shadow side is 8 stops
digital production environments. However, as great deal of information to fine-tune your under the key but you want to see detail in
more and more cinematographers are enter- lighting. Is your backlight reading 2 stops that side of the face, you know you have to
ing the industry without having had the hotter than your key light? Is that too much? add some fill.
opportunity to expose film, techniques for If it is, you can easily ask your gaffer to drop Understanding the dynamic range of
using light meters have started to wane. a double in the appropriate fixture to drop your medium is critical to understanding how
The incident light meter is one of the the backlight’s intensity to just a single stop to handle your exposures. To that end, I have
most common handheld meters available. As over the key light. If you hadn’t measured the a favorite technique that I use in metering
noted in a previous Shot Craft (“To Meter or lights individually, you wouldn’t be able to that nearly every digital meter is capable of.
Not to Meter,” AC Dec. ’17), it measures the make this decision nearly as quickly or Often I know the stop at which I want to
incident light falling onto the meter, before methodically. shoot my scene; I’ll choose it ahead of time
the light hits the subject to be photographed. Some meters allow you to remove the to control the depth of field in the scene. If I
This type of meter is easily recognized by its “ping-pong ball” and replace it with a flat know I want to shoot a scene at T2.8, for
“half ping-pong ball” light-gathering hemi- disc, or to retract the ball inside the face of example, I’ll use my meter and take measure-
sphere, which is designed to approximate the the meter to mimic a flat disc. This makes the ments around me until I get exactly 2.8 on
curvature of the human face and is intended measuring of individual fixtures much easier, the meter, and then I’ll lock that into the
to average the light levels falling on it. Place as it requires less shading from stray light. memory. It doesn’t matter where I measure
the hemisphere in front of the subject’s face, As odd as it may seem, it is also very that 2.8, just as long as I get the meter to
pointing toward the lens, and take a reading; effective to take meter readings where there read it somewhere. Then, with that reading
this reading will average-out the light levels aren’t actually any lights. Perhaps your talent set in memory, I put the meter into “aver-
striking the hemisphere and give an f-stop is merely lit from a window. You take a read- age” function — so now, whenever I take a
reading correlating to the aperture setting on ing from the subject’s position toward the reading on set, instead of showing me the
your lens for “proper” exposure of the window to get your “key light” reading, and f-stop value for that reading, the meter will
subject. This is a fine technique for an aver- then take a reading on the shadow side of show me how many stops above or below
age exposure — but it leaves a lot to be the room — facing away from the window the memory setting this reading is. This will
desired in the way of creative control. — to measure the amount of ambient light instantly tell me if my key light is 11⁄3 stops
A more refined methodology with an bouncing around the room. Even without a over, for example, or my shadow side is 1
incident meter is to measure each light light source facing the shadow side, the stop under, or my backlight is 2 stops over.
source, independently, that’s striking your ambient light will often be enough for your This is an extremely quick and easy way to
subject. In a classic three-light scenario, you meter to give you a reading. dial in the ratios — so easy, in fact, it almost
would measure your key, fill and backlight This is an important technique for always feels like cheating!
separately. To do this, you place the meter at determining the ratio of the key to shadow — JH
the subject’s position, but instead of facing
the hemisphere toward the lens, you face it
Inside Llewyn Davis photo by Alison Rosa, courtesy of CBS Films.

toward a single light source that’s illuminat-
ing your subject and take a reading of that
source alone; this often requires shading the
ball to eliminate any stray light from a source
other than the one you’re trying to read.
Then, if your meter has one, you can set that
measurement into the meter’s memory func-
tion and move on to the next source, and
then the next. Armed with this knowledge,
you can then decide for yourself where you
want these values to fall in the overall expo-
sure of the scene.
I generally underexpose Caucasian
skin tone about a stop to a stop-and-a-half
under “key” — which, in this case, refers to
Bruno Delbonnel, ASC, AFC takes an incident-meter reading on actor Oscar Isaac during
the stop at which I set my lens. I rarely, if ever, production of the feature Inside Llewyn Davis.
set any particular value in the scene actually

SHORT TAKES
Set in the near future, the short The Last Dance tells the story of Hugo (Richard Syms) as he engineers a holographic re-creation of a precious
memory of his late wife, Sophie (Sharea Samuels).
I Holographic Memory
By Phil Rhodes
Moore considers the 10th season of the science-fiction
comedy series Red Dwarf to have been his big break. “They hired me
as B-camera and Steadicam operator and second-unit
The narrative of writer-director Chris Keller’s short The Last cinematographer. From that point, it was about gradually working
Dance is disarmingly simple. For a piece that’s heavy on visual up.” Upon ascending to director of photography, Moore returned to
cleverness, it is, as cinematographer Ed Moore describes it, “a really Red Dwarf to shoot a total of 12 episodes. Further cinematography
sweet little story with a sci-fi twist.” The short runs for just under eight credits include the series Shetland, Vera, Hold the Sunset and Drifters;
minutes and depicts a near future in which lead character Hugo commercials for brands including McDonald’s and Mars; and the
(Richard Syms) engineers, in his garage, a spectacular holographic re- feature The Last Showing. His 2nd-unit work includes such
creation of a fond memory. While the director’s visual-effects productions as Doctor Who, Poldark, Our Girl and Mapp & Lucia.
background might lead viewers to expect a lot of computer-generated Moore’s involvement in The Last Dance stems from his work
imagery, the filmmakers actually achieved much of the desired effect as 2nd-unit director of photography on Atlantis, where he met
practically. producer Oliver Milburn, who was working as a visual-effects
A role in the creative industry might have seemed inevitable assistant. Milburn connected Moore to Keller in the summer of 2016,
for Moore. As the son of an actor, he explains, he had “been around when preparation for the short was already well underway. Moore
film sets and lots of theaters. I started working in theater lighting, recalls, “He’d already produced beautiful digitally painted mood
operating followspots and that sort of thing, and I loved it. I wanted boards. The script was all there and a lot of the music was in place.
to carry on with theater-lighting design, but I ended up getting a job It was a really easy decision to get on board. Many short films are a
with ProVision, the film rental company in Leeds. I spent several bit ‘kitchen-sink,’ whereas this was really visual at its heart, but it
Images courtesy of the filmmakers.
months working in the lighting-rental department and became wasn’t visual effects for visual effects’ sake.”
interested in film lighting. In between loading lighting trucks, I used The Last Dance was shot over two days in November 2016,
to light my own little scenes in the warehouse to become familiar with with a day’s pre-rig for the practical hologram effects and a morning’s
the kit.” work to cover the wedding scene. The production used Red’s Epic
Having founded a small production company while attending Dragon 6K camera with Arri/Zeiss Master Prime lenses. Moore is quick
university, Moore says he “never even graduated. The company got to thank supplier Pixipixel for its generosity: “Toby Newman at Pixipixel
bigger and bigger, from little, tiny corporate promos to commercials. I was ludicrously kind to us.”
was always the ‘camera guy.’ I realized I wouldn’t get into the actual The choice of lenses was driven largely by a simple desire for
industry doing that, so I went freelance as a cinematographer in 2009.” speed, and Moore makes clear that Keller’s visual-effects savvy didn’t

lead the director to limit the options. “If I’d
wanted to shoot on some crazy old lens, it
would have been no problem for Chris, [but]
we both agreed that Master Primes were the
right look,” he says. “I love Master Primes,
and for this one I needed the stop to get the
most out of the projectors and lasers.”
The principal source of artificial light
for both the garage interior and wedding
exteriors was a 5K tungsten Molebeam. The
effect of the 5K is particularly clear in the
garage scene, for which an electrician
manually moved a flag to simulate the
motion of a mechanical shade on the
window. Other lighting equipment included
LiteGear LiteMats and an Arri SkyPanel.
“I always use my own [Convergent
Design] Odyssey7Q monitor on camera,”
Moore notes. “We kept it simple; we would
loop everything through the Odyssey. I have
Above, from left: it set up to auto-record ProRes LT. It’s a
Director Chris touchscreen and you can just scrub through
Keller,
cinematographer
the clip using the full width of the screen,
Ed Moore, focus which is quite a good way of getting to a
puller Jack Mayo moment in that clip quickly and accurately
and electrician
Ryan Monteith
— ‘What was that eyeline from three scenes
ready a shot of ago?’” Digital-imaging technician Alix Milan
Hugo at work in of I Love Hue Ltd. used a USB 3.0 reader for
his garage. Right:
Samuels stands
the camera media and an Areca 8050T2
in front of RAID connected via Thunderbolt 2, with
greenscreen for a Pomfort Silverstack XT to coordinate
shot of the Sophie
hologram. Below:
backups and Blackmagic Design DaVinci
Moore frames a Resolve 12.5 to create graded dailies. Milan’s
close-up of Syms. precision monitor of choice is Flanders
Scientific’s DM240.
“Chris’ level of visual-effects expertise
is so high that it was never an issue to
establish if we had to shoot in a certain way,
limit how we shoot things, or think about
using greenscreen,” Moore says. “Chris has
a background in gigantically visual-effects-
heavy films, and he knows every trick in the
book. He also understood that the success
of the digital hologram would depend on
practical lighting and smoke. We were able
to shoot as if the holograms were right in
front of us; [almost] everything was
composited with no use of greenscreen and
limited tracking markers. I’m pretty proud
that much of what you see of the hologram
effect was pretty much done in camera. It
was sweetened a bit with the big geometric
grids that fly out.”
Practical effects were coordinated
with the help of Ziggy Jacobs-Wyburn, a

QLab software, under OSC control from the
ETCNomad. Haze was employed, as well as
Martin’s Jem Glaciator heavy-fog machine
for thicker fog effects. “Back-timing all those
effects was so much easier when it was a
proper cue stack off a lighting desk,” Moore
enthuses. “We would run the full dance
sequence all the way through on each take,
to guarantee the timing of each effect.”
The short’s postproduction effort was
managed by Keller with the assistance of his
colleagues in the visual-effects industry —
particularly the team at Double Negative,
which was involved in both the onscreen CG
delivery drone and hologram effects.
Software included SideFX’s Houdini for 3D
Top: A young Hugo (Nigel Thomas) dances with his wife. Above: Moore employs a dolly
on a circular track to capture a 360-degree move around the couple.
work, Foundry’s Nuke for compositing, and
Brekel Pro PointCloud to capture a
3-dimensional model of actor Sharea
lighting-console operator whom Moore had provided a beam-projecting effect. We Samuels’ performance. The Last Dance was
“worked with on Red Dwarf, which would added some DMX lasers, which were graded and finished in Nuke and Adobe’s
have been the end of 2015 into 2016,” the inexpensive but very effective. We were all After Effects by Keller himself.
cinematographer says. “She’s an utter genius of the belief that it would take a range of At the time of writing, Keller was
when it comes to lighting control. She’s a effects coming together to make something working as digital-effects supervisor in
computer programmer as well; she was the believable. Vancouver on the final stages of Pacific Rim
perfect person. Ziggy and gaffer Nick Dale “We had to choose,” Moore notes. Uprising while completing post on his next
were the first people I spoke to when I came “I think we wanted 10,000-lumen video short and prepping future projects.
on the project.” projectors, and we had to decide between Meanwhile, Moore has just begun prep on
Moore explains that it was Jacobs- having one 10K projector or two 6K a new thriller series, Dark Heart, for British
Wyburn who had the connection with projectors. We thought it would be more broadcaster ITV. ●
Bristol-based Enlightened, “and we went valuable to have two beams intersecting. It
down there in the summer to shoot some was fun to imagine how this hologram
tests of what [theatrical lighting equipment] technology would work ‘in real life.’”
might work. We ended up using a The final configuration was controlled
combination of video projector with via an ETCNomad lighting console, which
geometrical video content, which Ziggy and had domain over the lasers and Mac 250s.
Chris created, and Martin Mac 250s that Video content was served from Figure 53’s

Across
the
Universe
Tobias Schliessler, ASC, joins an
ensemble effort to realize director
Ava DuVernay’s richly layered
big-screen adaptation of
A Wrinkle in Time.
By Michael Goldman
•|•
T
obias Schliessler, ASC calmly picks at his salad while The movie is based on Madeleine L’Engle’s classic
taking a break from the grading on director Ava novel about a young girl, Meg Murry (played in the feature
DuVernay’s A Wrinkle in Time at EFilm in Hollywood. by Storm Reid), who turns to three celestial beings — Mrs.
His relaxed demeanor belies the fact that, in the face of Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon), Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling)
the looming delivery deadline, his workday is far from and Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey) — to guide her on a jour-
finished. As he explains, this is the day “we absolutely have ney through the cosmos in search of her missing scientist
to be done with the first pass on the digital intermediate. I’ll father (Chris Pine). Accompanied by her younger brother,
be here until at least 2 in the morning.” Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe), and friend Calvin
With its massive scope and complex visual design, A O’Keefe (Levi Miller), Meg travels to a series of strange
Wrinkle in Time is “an extremely collaborative project.” Just planets.
as Schliessler says this, DuVernay pops into the room to give “Every 10 minutes or so, there’s a different planet,”
the cinematographer a hug. She also takes a moment to DuVernay explains in a later phone interview with AC. “I
explain her general approach to the project, and why she told Tobias, ‘I need all of them to be similar yet different. I
sought to push the proverbial envelope with its visuals. “It’s don’t want to rely on production design [exclusively] for
a movie for kids and family, but we had to do that with a that.’ I described what I wanted the images to look like and
little extra ‘oomph,’” she says. “That was my goal. And to do feel like in very detailed terms, and I gave him references,
that, you have to take risks and be bold.” both photographic and cinematic.

Opposite: Accompanied
by her brother, Charles
Wallace (Deric McCabe,
center), and friend Calvin
O’Keefe (Levi Miller, left),
Meg Murry (Storm Reid)
embarks on a journey
through the cosmos to
find her scientist father in
A Wrinkle in Time. This
page, top, from left: Mrs.
Who (Mindy Kaling), Mrs.
Which (Oprah Winfrey)
and Mrs. Whatsit (Reese
Witherspoon) aid Meg in
her quest. Below:
Cinematographer Tobias
Schliessler, ASC (third
from left), director Ava
DuVernay (center) and
crew plan a shot. Bottom:
Meg reunites with her
father, Dr. Alex Murry
(Chris Pine).
“I had a real stew of images I was

prepared with,” DuVernay adds with a
laugh. “[ Japanese animator Hayao]
Miyazaki was a big reference. The
question was, ‘How do you put that in
a Disney picture without folks freaking
out?’ What were the parts of that
imagery and that approach that we
could translate into live action? You try
to put that all through a ‘Disney’ lens
and see how those images fit on a
Disney landscape. I decided to push it
as far as I could, but still stay within a
realm where kids and families who are
Unit photography by Atsushi Nishijima, courtesy of Disney Enterprises Inc.
used to that brand could feel like they

were comfortable.”
For her features Middle of
Nowhere (AC Nov. ’12) and Selma (AC
Feb. ’15), DuVernay had partnered
with cinematographer Bradford
Young, ASC. His commitment to
shoot the upcoming Solo: A Star Wars
Story precluded his involvement in A
Wrinkle in Time, so the director turned
immediately to Schliessler. “Tobias was
the first person who came to mind,”
says DuVernay. “In my previous career,
before I was a filmmaker, I was a publi-
cist, and I was a publicist for
Dreamgirls [which Schliessler shot for
director Bill Condon; AC Dec. ’06]. I
watched Tobias on that set, and I
thought, ‘He’s cool, he’s calm, he’s
www.ascmag.com April 2018 33

◗ Across the Universe
collected, he’s focused.’ And when I
saw the film, I thought it was gorgeous,
especially the way he lit black skin,
which is not easy. It was important to
me to have a cinematographer who
could light different skin tones.
Mindy Kaling has a darker skin tone
than Storm Reid, and they are standing
in the same frame with Reese
Witherspoon and Oprah. I knew
Tobias could make all that shimmer
and shine — and he did.”
Due to the volume of visual
effects — totaling more than 1,300
shots in the finished movie —
Schliessler opted to shoot the movie
using Arri Alexa XT and Alexa Mini
cameras, capturing data in the
ArriRaw format in Open Gate sensor
mode with spherical lenses: CW
Sonderoptic’s Leica Summilux-C
primes and Fujinon’s 14.5-45mm
(T2.0), 18-85mm (T2.0), 24-180mm
A brilliant (T2.6) and 75-400mm (T2.8-3.8)
physicist, Alex Premier PL zooms. “Using the Open
discovers that Gate mode gave the visual effects some
time can be
“wrinkled,” wiggle room, if needed,” explains the
enabling cinematographer, who worked with
interplanetary Keslow Camera for his camera and
travel in the
blink of an eye. lens package.
He adds that many of the
choices he made for the 75-day
production revolved around the fact
that three of the lead actors were
minors, which meant their availability
on set was limited. “We were allowed
to have the kids on set eight hours a
day, but they had to do three hours of
schooling, so we only really had them
for five hours,” Schliessler relates.
“With certain scenes, we had to shoot
quickly and reframe fast. Because of
that, we ended up using zoom lenses
more than I normally would. That’s
also why we ended up shooting two,
sometimes three cameras at the same
time — cross-shooting, whatever
needed to be done.”
Another major challenge was
that, given the elaborate nature of the
various worlds, many of the sets were
essentially too big for the available
stages at Santa Clarita Studios, and
were often built right up to the ceiling.

Top and middle:
Meg’s classmates,
as well as
Principal Jenkins
(André Holland),
see her as a
troublesome
outcast. Bottom:
Schliessler peers
through a
polarizer as the
crew preps a late-
day exterior on
the basketball
courts outside
Meg’s school.
“It was impossible to get to some of the

lights,” Schliessler recalls, “so we used a
lot of remote-controlled lights, a lot of
theatrical lighting [and] LED solu-
tions.
“I have experience doing such
lighting on portions of shows like
Dreamgirls and Beauty and the Beast,”
the cinematographer continues, “but
just using it as a tool — and not
because the light was designed to be
theatrical — was new for me. I don’t
think we would have been able to light
‘normally’ on these stages without this
ability.
“I think [our approach] illus-
trates the industry’s continued push
down the road of LED lighting,”
Schliessler adds. “We used Arri
SkyPanels in our soft boxes and space
lights, allowing us to change color and
intensity on the lighting board or
through an iPad. I can’t imagine going
back to the old way of doing it; the
control we have now is unbelievable.”
To move the camera, the cine-
matographer says he used “a combina-
tion of everything,” including various
cranes and Steadicam, as well as Arri’s
Maxima gimbal rig that proved crucial
for several sequences — such as a chase
through a dark, living forest, shot on

•|•
Gear Spotlight:
Arri Maxima
•|•
T obias Schliessler, ASC had never

used Arri’s Maxima lightweight,
three-axis, electronically stabilized
handheld gimbal rig before working on
A Wrinkle in Time, but he had recently
seen a sequence shot by his friend Jon
Joffin, ASC, for which Joffin had put
the rig through its paces. Adopting it
for Wrinkle, Schliessler says he found
the Maxima to be “an incredibly helpful
tool. When you have kids running full
speed through and between trees, and
over fallen trees, you could never run
that fast with a Steadicam in that
terrain.”
Schliessler is referring to the Lights are put into position for a night exterior outside the Murry house.
movie’s forest chase — one of a number
of sequences for which the Maxima location in the redwoods of Northern was an un-color-processed Log C
proved useful. For the forest chase, the California (see sidebar at left). That signal,” Saini explains. “I used
cinematographer continues, “We built particular sequence also relied on a LiveGrade Pro coupled with the IS-
a 5-foot long pipe and simply under- Spydercam cable run and “every other mini LUT boxes to create looks live, in
slung the [Maxima] with the Alexa moving rig available,” according to the moment, during the shoot.
Mini on it. Stunt coordinator Stephen Schliessler. “In areas where we had “When prep on the film started,
Pope and I held on to either side and room between the trees, we also used I worked with Tobias to create a base
ran forward, with the camera facing an Aerial Mob drone for some exciting [CDL] that we could start with each
backward, with the actors basically counter-moves, to add speed to the day,” Saini continues. “Then, through
chasing the camera. [A-camera opera- chase. And when there was a path next discussion with Company 3, I used
tor] Lucasz Bielan operated wirelessly to the run, we had a camera on a Grip Arri’s standard K1S1 LUT as a base,
with remote wheels. It allowed us to get Trix electric car, with a small jib arm and then I applied the base CDL that
shots we wouldn’t have been able to get and Libra head.” Tobias and I created during prep. From
with a Steadicam.” To enable the capturing, manag- there, I would adjust the CDL to craft
Bielan adds that the Maxima ing and monitoring of data both on whatever look he was going for in a
was a perfect complement to the stage and on location, digital-imaging given scene, adjusting CDLs per
Steadicam, which also saw its fair share technician Maninder “Indy” Saini’s cart camera to match the A-camera’s look.”
of use on the production. “[The included two 25" Flanders OLED Saini also created a base show
Maxima] allowed us vertical move- monitors and a 17" Sony OLED; two LUT for the SmallHD monitors that
ment from very low to higher angles, Leader LV5333 waveform monitors the focus pullers used. “They were also
something that the Steadicam is for exposure and color-signal monitor- getting the Log C signal,” she explains.
limited with. We mounted it on the ing; Convergent Design Apollo multi- “Their HD monitors could store looks
pipe, and I also wore it on an Easyrig. camera recording monitors, which in them, so I took the [K1S1] LUT
That allowed us to get wide, sweeping allowed Saini to record every setup, for and the base CDL and made a new
shots [in locations where] it would have matching various angles and for later LUT as the base show LUT, loading it
been too big of an ordeal to bring in reference; Fujifilm IS-mini LUT into all the focus pullers’ and operators’
cranes.” Even on stage, the operator boxes; a Blackmagic Design Smart monitors. They weren’t getting live
adds, “surfaces were often uneven, and Videohub router; a 15" MacBook Pro color updates, but they were working
[the Maxima] saved us the time it with Retina Display; Pomfort’s off a look that was in the zone.”
would have taken to build a track, LiveGrade Pro color-grading software; Dailies were handled by EC3,
dance floor, or another surface for the and Preston single-channel Focus-Iris the dailies unit for EFilm and
Steadicam.” controls for each camera. Company 3; colorist Adrian DeLude
— MG “The monitor feed from camera worked with Colorfront’s On-Set

Dailies color-correction system. “We
made backups of the data on set, then
sent the mags to EC3 at lunch and end
of day,” Saini details. “I would email
my CDLs to post at those designated
breaks when the mags would travel,
and EC3 would create and distribute
dailies to the predetermined designa-
tions. We would get calibrated iPads
back the next day with the previous
day’s work. Tobias and I would go
through those iPad dailies during
down moments, in the tent.”
To help navigate the shallow
depth of field in what Schliessler
describes as “some very tricky focus
shots,” A-camera 1st AC Paul Santoni
embraced Preston’s Light Ranger 2
focus-assist system, which could over-
lay graphics onto the focus puller’s
monitor. Santoni calls it “a break-
through technology for focus pulling.
It makes following focus much more
precise.”
Before the story launches across
the cosmos, the filmmakers strove to
imbue the earthbound locales with a
gray, emotionally unsettling aesthetic,
underscoring Meg’s sense of loss over
her missing father. “But that look was
difficult to achieve while shooting
exteriors in sunny Los Angeles,”
Schliessler points out. “I had to create
that feeling with the help of our DI
colorist, Mitch Paulson, to desaturate
the colors and give it a cooler look.”
Meg, Charles Wallace and
Calvin fly from a backyard on Earth to
another planet by way of the so-called
“tesser” process — and all the adven-
tures that follow transpire “in the blink
of an eye,” Schliessler explains.
DuVernay wanted that moment on
Earth to take place during magic hour,
so that when the characters later
return, it would be on “a happy note,”
the cinematographer adds. “But it was
hard to control light [during sunset]
on our location. That resulted in our
moving from the location backyard to
a backlot so that we could control
ambient light with overhead diffusion.
Meg’s mother, Dr. Kate Murry (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) helps explain her missing husband’s theory,
The key light for our sunset there which posits that a straight line is not the shortest distance between two points.
came from Maxi-Brutes on lifts

Top: Mrs. Whatsit welcomes Meg to the planet Uriel. Above left: DuVernay studies the monitor while shooting a Uriel scene on location in
New Zealand. Above right: Schliessler surveys the setting.
behind bluescreens, which were meant low depth of field and control the focus built for the different planets required
to create a warmer color temperature.” to tell the story within the frame, so what chief lighting technician Len
The first planet on the charac- having everything in focus took some Levine refers to as “collaborative light-
ters’ journey is Uriel, for which the getting used to. Because it was exterior, ing. Ava, Tobias, the art department,
production shot on location in New I was able to shoot between f16 and visual effects and production all
Zealand. There, Schliessler says, “Ava f22. We also used polarizers at maxi- chimed in.” DuVernay routinely held
really wanted a strong change to the mum strength to saturate skies, grassy what Schliessler calls “think-tank
look. We decided to go with an hills, and water on a lake, but we still meetings, where we would gather
extremely high depth of field to give needed help in the DI to enhance the together visual references and make it a
the image an immediate difference look.” real collaboration with the entire
from Earth. I usually try to shoot with Virtually all of the sets that were team.” ➣

During their
travels, Meg,
Charles
Wallace and
Calvin find
themselves
in an
unsettling
environment.
Levine adds that the production

also “did an immense camera, lighting,
set [and] wardrobe test prior to shoot-
ing. Six different lighting looks on six
sets were presented. Those were sort of
a proof of concept and a general forum
for the art department, visual effects,
Ava and Tobias to get communication
going outside the conference room.”
The gaffer approached lighting
the various planets’ sets as though they
“were basically a bunch of individual
art installations,” he says. Thus, the
lights were largely operated remotely
by lighting-console programmer and
operator Joshua Thatcher, who used
High End Systems’ Hog 4 console and
DMX Processor 8000s to control color
and effects with LED-based instru-
ments that were built into, above or
just outside of the sets.
Each set had its own require-
ments. For the foggy planet of Orion,
for instance, Schliessler needed to
create a soft light that would shine
through the layer of dense fog that
visual effects would generate in post; to
realize this, he explains, “We spanned
the set with four 20-by-40 soft boxes
with Arri SkyPanels, double diffused
with ¼ and ½ Grid Cloth, and we used
two 50K SoftSuns on scissor lifts
through ¼ Grid diffusion for key light.
If we needed any fill light to wrap the
key, we’d bounce SkyPanels into 12-
by-12 muslin frames.”
Within Orion is the Happy

Medium’s cave, which serves as home
to Zach Galifianakis’ character and
became “possibly the biggest challenge
for us,” says Schliessler. There, the char-
acters were essentially limited to step-
ping on 1'-square “teeters” above an
endless abyss. “The teeters were glow-
ing amber,” Levine explains. “They
were built by the special-effects depart-
ment and construction crew, and then
wrapped with thousands of LED emit-
ters by our fixture department, headed
by Damon Liebowitz. They were then
skinned with a translucent and slightly
painted acrylic.
“There were warm sandstone
walls, and we had to discuss how to
light them, because we [were looking
toward] the floor and into the ceiling,”
Levine continues. “So we used
ColorBlast TRXs — which are
RGBAW — hidden in the floor, for
Above: Meg their color-changing ability and low
speaks with Mrs. profile. Then, from above, we used
Who. Right: The Martin Mac Quantum Washes for
crew preps the
cave where the their quiet operation, wonderful color
Happy Medium and super-wide beam, which was
(Zach Galifianakis, necessary because of the proximity to
not pictured)
dwells. Below: the walls. Almost all units from above
Mrs. Which were ‘movers,’ because we had no acces-
guides Meg sibility to any of the lights for pan-and-
across the cave’s
“teeters.” tilt control. For accents on the cave
walls and backlights for the actors, we
used Clay Paky Scenius units.”
The question then became “how
to light an ensemble elevated on teeters
in a way that could be quick and yet
flattering,” Levine adds. Building on an
idea from rigging gaffer Roger
Meilink, Levine used SkyPanel S60-C
lights with extra-large 12K space-light
skirts, sometimes grouping a few of
them together to create large soft boxes
that could be moved up and down on
small chain motors. “For most of our
closer work, we used LiteGear
LiteMats and 19-inch Jem Balls with
hybrid LED ribbon inserts built by our
fixtures department,” Levine notes.
“Joshua controlled everything on his
console, parked right next to the DIT
tent so that Tobias could make subtle
adjustments on the fly,” Levine notes.
Schliessler points out that the set

also limited camera access. “Our
construction coordinator, Bob
Blackburn, [mitigated] that with plat-
forms outside the set and flyable walls,
which allowed cameras — on
Chapman Hydrascope cranes with
remote heads — to reach anywhere in
the cave,” the cinematographer notes.
Another planet, Camazotz, was
home to a menacing disembodied
brain referred to simply as “It,” which
threatens to take over the minds of
Meg and her companions. The charac-
ters go to the proverbial heart of the
evil entity in a set that was meant to
look like a living construct, with elec-
trical synapses reverberating through-
out the scene. The action was shot on
limited set pieces on a bluescreen stage,
with visual-effects supervisor Richard
McBride’s visual-effects team provid-
ing fantastical embellishments in post.
On the “It’s lair” set, the film-
makers wanted to generate intense
lighting effects that the visual effects
could later match. “We used long runs
of Chroma-Q Color Force 72 LED
battens,” Levine explains. “They were
very responsive and provided a clean,
extremely bright white light. Joshua
controlled the [synapse] strikes on the
console.”
Camazotz is also where Meg
eventually finds her father, who’s been
trapped in a setting the filmmakers
referred to simply as “father’s room.”
Schliessler describes the set as “an
endless tunnel of diminishing cubes.”
Working with production
Top and above: designer Naomi Shohan, Levine
In a scene shot
on location
relates, “Ava and Tobias chose colors for
among Northern the backgrounds as Meg and her father
California’s interact, and we simply had [Thatcher]
redwoods, Meg
and Calvin arrive
utilize the Road Hog 4’s color wheel to
in a dark, living change color, controlling diffused
forest. A chase Color Force 72 LED strips [that were
scene takes
place at this
positioned to shine through 6-inch
location as well. seams between each wall layer] to get
Right: DuVernay even [colored] light on the white
discusses a
sequence with
walls.”
Reid. The “round room” set also
presented unique opportunities for
lighting. Built 4' off the ground, 210
degrees of the oval-shaped room was

constructed on stage, enabling camera
access (with the rest to be completed
via visual effects), and its white walls
were spotted with thousands of 2.5"
holes arrayed in “perfect geometry,”
Schliessler says, to let in rays of light.
“It was supposed to be like an infinite
white space, but backlit evenly with
hundreds of Sunray LEDs through
Opal diffusion [placed] directly on the
holes,” the cinematographer adds. “We
were able to use whatever part of the
set that was not in the shot as a key
light by increasing the intensity of the
LED tubes without changing the color
temperature. Then, when necessary, we
bounced Arri SkyPanels from the key
side to add contrast. It was important
to maintain consistency with the depth
of field [across] all lens sizes so we
could keep the geometry of the set in
focus; the LEDs made it easy to
increase the overall light levels up to
two stops to increase the depth of field
for our longer lenses.”
The movie’s characters travel
from one planet to another in an
instant, “wrinkling time” by means of
an artifact known as a tesseract. To
illustrate the effect and show Meg trav-
eling through fluttering “tesser
ribbons,” the filmmakers placed Reid
on a Robomoco robotic motion-
control arm on a greenscreen stage. A
1,600-watt Joker Bug was mounted on
a second Robomoco arm, which was
programmed to create an ultra-fast-
moving lighting and shadow effect in
counter-motion to the arm that was
moving the actor. “For additional
effect,” Levine adds, “we also used
Color Force 72s on the ground [and on
two trusses overhead], with media
playback, and Joshua added effects
from his console to augment the move-
ment and color. They shot it with the
Phantom [Flex4K high-speed] camera
and the Alexa.”
The Robomoco motion-control
system also proved crucial for a
sequence in which the characters ride
Top: DuVernay directs Reid through a production-induced rainstorm. Middle: The crew readies on the back of a flying creature that
the lighting for a beach exterior. Bottom: Schliessler and visual-effects supervisor Richard resembles a giant leaf. To capture this
McBride (bottom center) examine an outdoor bluescreen set.
action, the actors were attached via

scenes was our biggest visual-effects
challenge,” says McBride. “Ava had a
lot of characters to choreograph in
each scene, and [there were often] at
least three cameras on any given setup.
The visual-effects team had to work
closely with the camera team to make
sure we had set data for everything we
were doing. We also used witness
cameras on stages and on location to
help reconstruct the scenes digitally.”
“Rich McBride had especially
strong input into this movie visually,”
Schliessler says of the visual-effects
supervisor. “Rich was central to
making frames — probably my biggest
collaboration, my second eye.”
Colorist Mitch Paulson was
Schliessler and crew prepare their next move. another close collaborator, using
Autodesk Lustre for the movie’s final
body harnesses to the Robomoco arm, watt Tener LED Fresnel that was digital grade. Schliessler describes the
and were shot against bluescreen. To rigged on a Chapman crane and could work as being particularly “compli-
emulate the look of moving sunlight be dimmed up or down without affect- cated,” and he stresses that Paulson’s
for this traveling sequence, the crew ing the color temperature. work “was crucial to my cinematogra-
employed a Mole-Richardson 1,600- “Matching the lighting within phy.”
48
“It was definitely the most color- Time looks like a significant change of
TECHNICAL SPECS
ful movie I have ever done,” Paulson pace from DuVernay’s previous,
adds. “I built curves in Lustre to satu- smaller-budgeted features. However, 2.39:1
rate some colors more than others the director offers, despite the produc-
while primarily leaving skin tone alone. tions’ disparate scales, “There really Digital Capture
Then we went through and built keys isn’t much of a difference at the end of Arri Alexa XT, Mini;
to control different colors more specif- the day. It’s all about what’s going on in Vision Research Phantom Flex4K
ically — and did the opposite for the front of the lens. Any romanticizing of
less-saturated parts of the movie. There what a big movie would be, that’s CW Sonderoptic Leica Summilux-C;
was no global saturation being done; all great, but you can have all of that, and Fujinon Premier
the colors were individually picked and if you can’t get what’s in front of the
then adjusted. There were a lot of camera, if you can’t communicate your
different keys going on for this one.” ideas effectively, it doesn’t matter.
In one particular scene in the That’s a huge lesson to take with me at
Happy Medium’s cave, Paulson recalls, this point in my career.”
“Ava and Tobias both gave me some
input on what they were looking for, Click here for a selection of lighting
and I tried something I’d done before: I diagrams from the production.
keyed into the shadow area, and blurred
and darkened it a little bit. It’s sort of weblink: https://ascmag.com/articles/a-
the opposite effect of a print bleach wrinkle-in-time-lighting-diagrams ●
bypass, which blurs highlights — this
technique blurs shadows. Everybody
was happy with the results.”
From the outside, A Wrinkle in
49
Animal Kingdom
Cinematographer Tristan Oliver same key crew, notably director of photography Tristan Oliver.
Over the course of the 87-week shoot, Oliver supervised three
illuminates the whimsical lighting cameramen, and at the peak of production, there were
futurescape of director 44 units running simultaneously on stages at 3 Mills Studios.
Wes Anderson’s stop-motion With roots going back to Aardman’s acclaimed Wallace
& Gromit films, Oliver has been honing his craft for nearly 30
feature Isle of Dogs. years, and his work so far includes the 2017 Academy Award
nominee Loving Vincent, the Academy Award-winning The
By Rachael K. Bosley Curse of the Were-Rabbit (AC Oct. ’05), and the widescreen 3D
stop-motion feature ParaNorman (AC Sept. ’12). Technically
•|• and stylistically, Isle of Dogs was less complex than all of those
projects, but “it wasn’t easy by any means,” says Oliver.
S
et in Japan at an indeterminate point in the future, Isle of “Working with Wes is very different than the highly collabo-
Dogs marks a return to stop-motion animation for writer- rative environments I’ve experienced on other films. He is very
director Wes Anderson, whose first foray into the genre exacting, and the process is more reactive than proactive.”
was Fantastic Mr. Fox (AC Dec. ’09). For the new film, Oliver connected with AC via FaceTime in January to
Anderson returned to London and reassembled some of the discuss the movie, which follows a pack of dogs that has been

Opposite and this
page, top and above:
Photos by Emilie Dubois, Valérie Sadoun and Ray Lewis, courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures.
banished to an island of garbage follow- In the stop-motion

ing an outbreak of canine influenza. feature Isle of Dogs,
an outbreak of canine
influenza leads Mayor
American Cinematographer: Kobayashi (voiced by
This movie situates Anderson’s Kunichi Nomura) to
picture-book aesthetic in an unusual quarantine all dogs to
Trash Island, where a
environment, one that isn’t immedi- young boy, Atari
ately recognizable. How did he (Koyu Rankin),
describe the look he was after? ventures in search of
his dog, Spots (Liev
Tristan Oliver: He was looking Schreiber). Left:
for an aesthetic based on a lot of old Cinematographer
Japanese movies he’d been watching. Tristan Oliver.
What we ended up with doesn’t look
like any of those, I suppose, but there’s a
distillation that settles somewhere in Oliver: [Laughs.] Definitely. Fox much when discussing what he
your brain. He described the setting as Kurosawa is the most accessible, and wanted for Isle of Dogs?
Japan in the near future, but the sort of everything else is a bit more aggressively Oliver: He was very fond of what
future people in the 1950s would have Japanese, if you will. Wes was keen to we did on Fox, but this film is different
imagined. The state of society is some- push a Seven Samurai feeling with the in some key ways. Fox has a fairly simple
what bizarre and alien, but most things pack of dogs. They’re ropey characters narrative arc, and Isle of Dogs is infinitely
within that society appear familiar. coming together for a mission to do more complicated; you really don’t want
Were some of those Japanese something. It’s not an essentially to blink while you’re watching it, or
films more influential than others? Japanese story, but it’s that kind of vibe. you’ll miss something. And the environ-
Was it more Kurosawa than Ozu? Did he reference Fantastic Mr. ment is very different, so there were

◗ Animal Kingdom
aesthetic of this movie. It’s a very differ-

ent kind of landscape, and the charm of
having little characters running around
in woods and fields wasn’t there. We
also found that although our main-
character dogs worked beautifully at full
size, they started to look rather puppy-
ish at half size. There’s a lot of character
in the key dogs. So, although we had a
lot of sizes made, we shot most of the
movie in just one scale because it fit
together much better that way.
Also, we used a huge amount of
colored light in Fox, but on this film
Wes wanted a lighting palette that was
very restrictive — sort of washed out,
almost monochrome. He wanted to
instead use set color to create what he
wanted color-wise. So, in the human
world, the sets are very brightly colored,
but the light is always white and nearly
Top: The aftermath of Kobayashi’s rally, which the filmmakers styled after a similar sequence in always quite flat. The days are all heav-
Citizen Kane. Above: The rally was staged in the Municipal Dome set. “The huge graphic of the mayor’s
head was very useful as an ambient fill source,” says Oliver. “That provided back-fill, and when we ily overcast with almost no shadows.
turned ’round to film the audience, that motivated the light coming from the stage.” We used almost no key light for the
exteriors; if we were keying, we were
some things we did on Fox that just and painted the right color, that were keying just slightly stronger off the fill
didn’t work this time around. For exam- just skittering around in the back- board on one side than we were on the
ple, Wes was fond of forcing the size of ground. other. Wes recently invited me to look
the characters down as small as possible When we started Isle of Dogs, he at the work he has done in the DI —
— [on Fox] we’d set up a shot, and he was very keen on pursuing this. We had he’s been grading in New York via a
would pull the camera farther and many scales: small, medium and large, remote linkup to Molinare [in London]
farther away and shrink the puppets and then tiny, super tiny and super tiny — and he has added a lot of saturation
down till we ended up with these very tiny. He’d say, ‘This next shot is going to to combat the overall monochrome feel.
tiny sets and tiny characters. Sometimes be in our super tiny tiny scale.’ But once How did you balance the flat
they were just bits of scrap, little we started to play with that, it was obvi- lighting scheme with the need to
oblongs and triangles glued together ous it wasn’t working within the visual model the puppets?

Shooting in the Municipal Dome set required significant motion-control work in order to make it look as though 3,000 people filled the seats.
Oliver: We really had to concen- sized, but these were made to human close together and don’t have the
trate on that. With all this flat light, it proportions, so they were about the size wetness of the human eye, and you
was tricky to get some degree of read- of the top joint of my thumb; conse- often have to put in an eye light for each
ability and modeling into the faces quently, their eyes were very small and eyeball. We tried all kinds of things, and
without making them look too keyed or quite far back in the head, and finding we finally arrived at placing Power
contrasty. We built a lot of special eye the reflection point on them was diffi- LEDs in ping-pong balls. We got a
lights and rigged them very, very close cult. degree of sourcey-ness out of them, but
to the lens. It’s a convention in anima- Eye lights need to be very small also a degree of ambient fill because of
tion that human heads are slightly over- for puppets because puppet eyes are the plastic covering. Seated on top of or

◗ Animal Kingdom
•|•
Gear Spotlight:
Canon EOS-1D X
•|•
T he Canon EOS-1D X is the first

DSLR to stand up well to the
rigors of stop-motion animation,
according to director of photography
Tristan Oliver, who shot Isle of Dogs
with the first iteration of the camera.
“We’re asking a DSLR to do some-
thing it’s not built to do,” he observes.
“It’s essentially a photojournalist’s
camera, and we require it to take a
flawless sequence of images that are
all perfectly matched and coherent.
Lights are put into position outside a portion of the animal-testing facility set.
It’s a big ask.
“Prior to the 1D X, our stan-
dard tool was various iterations of the just under the lens, they normally had substantially cheaper than the Flair
[Canon] 5D, which was very suscep- enough spread to accommodate both system, and [Mantis’] developer, Gerald
tible to the kind of temperature eyes. We mounted them on the camera Thompson, was on hand to rewrite the
changes that are common on our because they had to be as near the lens code for us. It wasn’t an innately bad
long shoots,” Oliver continues. axis as possible, and if the camera was piece of software; it’s just that Gerald
“While shooting with 5Ds on moving, we’d have them on dimmers so thought it did what it needed to do, and
ParaNorman, for example, we’d we could dim them as the camera it didn’t do what we needed it to do.
sometimes spend half a day trying to moved. Given that stop-motion is a
get the cameras to the temperature What did you use for your fairly small niche, was it difficult to
they were the previous evening so motion-control work? crew up? Did you run the trainee
there wasn’t a kick in the color temp Oliver: We had to build our own program you’ve run on past shows?
or the density — problems that are rigs and do it inexpensively. We’re a Oliver: Yes. It’s very hard to get
quite hard to sort out in the grading single-production setup, so we’re not camerapeople with the necessary skill
process. But on Isle of Dogs, whether investing for the future. I brought in set; many are now lighting commercials
it was a freezing-cold day or a boil- Justin Pentecost, who’d worked on or have moved on to other things. We
ing-hot night, the 1D X was solid as Under the Skin, and he built what we took on more trainees than normal, and,
a rock.” needed with off-the-shelf components as on ParaNorman, the female trainees
Oliver was equally impressed from China. We were able to assemble were far and away the best of the bunch.
by the quality of the data captured by a library of modular motion-control More than half my crew was female on
the camera’s full-frame 18.1- heads, trackers and risers, all of which this job, actually. Our motion-control
megapixel CMOS sensor. “The could be bolted together because they operator, Ayumi Ishikawa, had worked
contrast range on the raw file is just were made to my specs. The quality of on productions in Japan, and she could
getting better and better,” he says. the engineering is astonishing, and it also weld and run the lathe. She came in
“Range-wise, it’s as good as negative. costs just a few hundred bucks to as a trainee and was promoted very
It doesn’t look like negative, but it make multiples of things. Also, because quickly.
does have that kind of range. That’s the components are substantially Two of my lighting cameramen,
great news for the cinematographer.” aluminum-based rather than steel, James Lewis and Malcolm Hadley,
they’re much lighter. A 3-meter tracker were already very experienced. I found
— RKB that would have taken six people to lift the other one, Max Williams, through
is now a two-man lift. mentoring Daisy Jacobs, a student at
We used Australian software, the National Film and Television
Mantis, which Justin recommended. It’s School, who had hired Max to shoot

◗ Animal Kingdom
The animal-testing facility was inspired in part by the Brutalist architecture of St. Peter’s Seminary in Scotland. The portion of the facility seen here is
revealed at the end of a long tracking shot, and serves as the setting for a dramatic showdown. This set was used for background plates, while the character
animation was shot primarily against greenscreen.
her stop-frame film [The Bigger Picture], and black-lacquer walls that were highly graphic of his face, just like in Citizen
which was nominated for an Academy reflective. There were so many angles in Kane, and that had to double as a
Award. Max has a very good eye and there that it was challenging just work- projection screen, which meant we had
did great work for me. I was working ing out where to place lights so you a lot of lighting changes within that
with first AC Mark Swaffield for the weren’t constantly seeing them. It’s environment. It was quite fun in that
first time, and he was brilliant. Our meant to look as though there are 3,000 respect.
great electrics crew, led by my regular people in the audience, so we had The hundreds of tiny Japanese
gaffer, Toby Farrar, also featured many dozens of [motion-control] passes on lanterns illuminating the set were made
trainees. audience characters. The sequence starts of cast resin and then sandblasted to
How did you approach the with the camera looking up at the night give the effect of a tissue finish, and the
lighting in the Municipal Dome, sky through the glass dome, and then ribs were hand-painted onto the
where the mayor stages a Citizen the camera tilts down, jibs down past outside. We drilled a hole in the back of
Kane-style political rally? gallery after gallery of applauding those and pushed in a tiny 12-volt tung-
Oliver: We had so many shots on people, and comes to rest behind the sten taillight bulb. We ran everything
that set I think it ran for well over a year. podium. Then the mayor steps into the back to dimmers; we could dim those
It’s a huge, octagonal theater with a frame and addresses the crowd. The quite low so they glowed with warm
domed roof and gorgeous red-lacquer wall behind the mayor is a massive light. The temptation is to go with

◗ Animal Kingdom
The character Yoko Ono (voiced by Yoko Ono) is introduced in a sake bar.
LEDs on everything, but LEDs stay useful as an ambient fill source; I fired a see a glass of liquor pushed down the
white no matter how much you dim profile [ellipsoidal reflector] spotlight at length of the bar toward a character.
them. We also had some 1-inch-long it and shuttered it in so you couldn’t The walls at both ends of the bar flew
Fresnel spotlights on stands, and we did really see where the edges were — it just out, as did the wall behind characters
put LEDs in those. We used various became a white square. That provided seated at the bar. I wanted it nice and
other 12-volt fixtures, including down- back-fill, and when we turned ’round to moody in there. The main source is the
lighters across the top of the stage. film the audience, that motivated the milk Perspex behind the shelves of
There are a lot of people and dogs light coming from the stage. colored flasks behind the bar; I fired a
getting in each other’s way on the stage, The sake bar where we meet the load of cyc lights into a huge bounce
so there was a lot of shadowing going character Yoko Ono looks like the board behind that wall to create super-
on, and I had to find ways to feed the polar opposite in terms of scale. soft light. Above Yoko are square paper
light in. Quite often I was flying little Oliver: It was! That set was lanterns, but Wes wanted to project
LED strips off the front of the camera extremely narrow, and we had to shoot circles of light onto the bar, not squares,
to each side just to fill in bits and pieces, down the bar in both directions. It’s so we cut down some pieces of 1⁄3-inch
to keep it as clean as possible. The huge meant to be a Japanese interpretation of steel tubing and attached them to the
graphic of the mayor’s head was very the classic Western bar scene, where you Power LED in each lantern so it would

◗ Animal Kingdom
Right: Atari
searches for
Spots with the
aid of a four-
legged friend.
Below:
Kobayashi, in a
scene that echoes
Dr. Strangelove.
Bottom: An in-
movie prop
camera next to its
life-size
counterpart.
risers, and as their heads come together,

the wall behind them jacks up.
We actually had quite a lot of
motion-control in that set. There’s
another shot that tracks the entire
length of the bar and finds a frame-fill-
ing close-up at the end. I was having
trouble making that work, and Stuart
Galloway, our head of motion-control,
built a tracker rig we placed way outside
the set with a long Ubangi on it, and a
little idler wheel came down off it and
rested on a tiny track hidden behind the
bar, just to bear the weight of the
camera. We used a 24mm macro Sigma
lens because it was the only one we
could rack far enough to get a close-up
of this character and the wide of the bar
at the other end.
The long tracking shot in the
laboratory adjacent to the sake bar
involves a lot of lighting effects. How
did you approach that?
Oliver: That set was about 30
feet long, and it was absolutely covered
in LED practicals that were all on indi-
vidual channels running back to
dimmers. There are gauges, flashing
lights, and also a large tube built off the
project a circle of light. book. Wes wanted to reference the shot back of the set that pulses with light. As
There’s a very unusual shot in that in The Color of Money where Tom Cruise the chief scientist walks along and stops
set, an extreme close-up of Yoko and leans down over the pool table with his to confer with other scientists at various
Tracy, an American exchange student, cue and the table rises up to meet him. points, some extraordinary thing
as they sit at the bar and look through a We couldn’t move the bar because it was happens at each stop — something
book of documents. The shot starts as a only 2 inches wide, and moving it even spins and lights up or explodes. Wes
very tight two-shot, and then the slightly threw everything out of kilter. loves to tinker with the timing on stuff,
camera pushes in slightly as the girls So we sawed out the wall behind the and he preferred to work off site, so we
bring their heads together over the girls and mounted it on motion-control captured 16 iterations of every frame in

◗ Animal Kingdom
Left, top and bottom: An animator works

through the sequence in which Atari arrives
on Trash Island and befriends a pack of dogs.
Above: Oliver and gaffer Toby Farrar examine
tiny practical lights.
Oliver: We shot with the Canon

[EOS] 1D X [see sidebar, page 54], and
[visual-effects supervisor] Lev Kolobov
built a LUT for us that worked on the
floor, in our projection area, and in the
DI. On the floor, we mostly worked to
calibrated Eizo flat-screen monitors.
Wes worked with a large iMac at home.
How did you arrive at the look
of the animal-testing facility where the
climactic action occurs?
Oliver: I sent Wes some of
Christopher Payne’s photos of North
that sequence to give him all the options Oliver: Yes. It did take longer to Brother Island [from North Brother
he wanted for the lighting effects. So, set up all the iterations, and the anima- Island: The Last Unknown Place in New
whereas the animator would typically tor had several minutes of wait time, but York City], the site of an old tuberculosis
press the button, capture the frame and this film is less cutty than a lot of hospital that’s now totally overgrown
then move on to animate the next movies. Several shots run over a minute. with vines, and some photos of St.
frame, in this case the animator would ParaNorman took about 85 weeks, and Peter’s Seminary in Scotland, a master-
press the button, the camera would fire, this film has two-thirds of the shots that piece of Brutalist concrete architecture
and then the lights would change and film had. We were generating a vast that was built in the 1960s and is now
the animator would capture the other amount of data on the set, and Wes was also totally overgrown. Wes liked these
15 options [for that same frame]. After on top of it all. After shooting two films references, so that’s what we worked
viewing all the options, Wes would for him, I’ve come to understand that towards.
decide what flash rate or explosion point viewing material on a flat screen, The sequence begins with a shot
he wanted. removed from the geography and logis- of our hero pack of dogs, and once the
That process sounds like it tics of the set, is somehow essential to boy steps into frame, the camera starts
would lengthen your schedule, but 87 his process. moving and reveals the rest of the facil-
weeks is fairly typical for a stop- How did you ensure consistency ity with a tracking shot that lasts about
motion feature, isn’t it? across all the monitoring devices? 50 seconds. Each room is bigger than

◗ Animal Kingdom
smoke because there’s no animation in

the set — it’s a beautiful miniature we
used to create a set of background plates
to lay in behind the action. It was about
4 feet wide, 4 feet tall and 8 feet long,
and we photographed the hell out of it
with every lens at every height. We shot
it with and without smoke just to give it
some proper depth. I lit it very simply
with big bounced soft sources at left and
at right, slightly brighter on the right,
and also had soft light coming through
a glazed panel in the roof. I aimed a
profile spotlight straight down at the
area of the floor where the action would
take place, and I stuck a few LED strips
under the platform visible at the back of
the space just to lift the darkness away a
bit.
The [showdown] action was, for
the most part, shot against greenscreen
using the full-size dogs — although we
did have some scaled-up floor planes
made to give the right kind of shadow
and fill detail on the dogs. I created
large versions of the [set’s] windows by
Top: Scientists confer in the laboratory adjacent to the sake bar. Middle: Scientists meet with the mayor.
Bottom: This theater set incorporates miniature Japanese lanterns, which “were made of cast resin and cutting holes in 8-by-4 sheets of bead-
then sandblasted to give the effect of a tissue finish,” Oliver explains. board, covering them in Hi Lite diffu-
sion, and then rigging them in a kind of
the last and filled with more dogs, and a final shot that would have one coher- tented-roof shape over the floor. We lit
the shot ends in the space where a ent size. with a combination of [Quartzcolor]
showdown takes place. The tracking I used very large soft sources Iris 1 cyc lights directly through the
shot involved a variety of scales, so we throughout this set, and for the space holes and 650-watt Arri tungsten
had to rescale the camera move and the where the showdown occurs, I was also Fresnels bounced off more beadboard
distance from the set in order to create able to create atmosphere with some to match the look of the miniature. ➣

◗ Animal Kingdom
American exchange student Tracy (Greta Gerwig) organizes a resistance to Mayor Kobayashi’s machinations.
Apart from the Sigma macro Leitax adapter hard-mounted on the lengths, but our default lens was the
lens, did you source anything unusual back of the lens. We needed about 150 20mm, and we shot most of our close-
for your lens kit? of them, and Grays of Westminster got ups with the 28mm. We had a few
Oliver: We mostly used old us the lot in very short measure. We had 16mm fisheye lenses because Wes was
Nikon manual prime lenses with a a fairly catholic selection of focal very struck with the look of Seconds
66
[shot by James Wong Howe, ASC; AC applied to zooms and even occasionally what it is. However, I’m sure that won’t
Nov. ’97], and he wanted some shots to to shots we made with primes: we broke detract from people’s pleasure in watch-
look like that. The 16mm has very bad the shot into planes and shot each plane ing the movie. Isle of Dogs is an absolute
minimum focus, so we had some of separately. For example, if we were film- distillation of Wes Anderson. If you like
them shimmed out. But composition- ing a dog close with other dogs behind, his movies, you will love this one. ●
ally, we weren’t making the most of it, we’d shoot the close-up with green-
because in order for that lens to look as screen and then refocus on the mid-
bendy as possible, you need a diagonal ground and shoot the rest of the shot to
of receding size in the frame. Wes wants get both a sharp mid-ground and a
symmetrical compositions, so we were sharp foreground. Because the dogs
only seeing the distortion in the set at were hairy and getting a key off the
the edges of the frame. Eventually, he green was so difficult, every close-up
found a way of working with that. involved shooting a frame with green-
He also wanted to do some screen and a frame without; we had
zooms, so we had some really good, greenscreens on rails that could be
lightweight Canon cine zooms, the pulled in and out like curtains. That way
[CN-E] 15.5-47mm and 30-105mm the visual-effects team could extract the
[both T2.8], which we had adapted to hair detail from the non-greenscreen TECHNICAL SPECS
cover our full-frame sensor. Of course, frame and then use the greenscreen as a
we were immediately compromised in match to sort of soft-edge it back into 2.39:1
terms of depth of field, and Wes wanted the image.
crisp depth of field while zooming. How do those look comped Digital Capture
With Wes, there’s always a conflict with together? Canon EOS-1D X
Newton. [Laughs.] Oliver: Your eye senses some-
We arrived at a solution that we thing strange, but you’re not quite sure Nikon, Canon, Sigma
67
The Never-Ending
Story
AC visits the set of

General Hospital to
observe the finely tuned
methods and marathon
pace of daytime-drama
production.
By Kelly Brinker
•|•
T
he camera focuses on a computer screen as “Henrik reaches to grab her glass of red wine from the coffee table.
Faison” is typed into the “Spyder-Finder” search bar. No The camera slowly zooms in, right before a cut to a closer
results appear. Cut to Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) shot of Anna as she sips her wine. The camera zooms in
sitting on the couch in her dark living room. Her face is further. She is deep in thought when interrupted by the
illuminated by the glow of her laptop. Cut to a wider, elevated sound of her daughter.
angle that reveals the fire burning in her fireplace as she “Mom?” Robin Scorpio-Drake (Kimberly

McCullough) calls out. Cut to Robin
entering the room.
“Oh, my God — Robin!” Anna
exclaims. Cut back to Anna as she sets
down her glass of wine and her laptop.
The camera tracks her rising from the
couch to embrace her daughter.
“What are you doing sitting all
alone in the dark?” Robin asks. Cut to
Robin’s expression as she embraces her
mother. Cut to Anna’s expression during
Behind-the-scenes photography by XJ Johnson and Howard Wise, courtesy of jpistudios.com. Additional photography by Erik Hein, Matt Petit and Todd Wawrychuk,
the embrace.
“Cut!” It is the voice of director
William Ludel, speaking over the P.A.
system from the control booth on the
set of the longest-running American
daytime drama currently on television,
General Hospital — the set of which AC
has been invited to visit. We watch as
stage managers rush to give the actors
direction imparted to them by Ludel
through their headsets. The crew
quickly resets all equipment to the top
marks. Like a well-choreographed
dance, all players return to their starting
positions to record the scene’s second
and final take.
There is a two-monitor display to
the left of the set. The top monitor
shows the “director’s cut,” which displays
the scene as it would appear to an audi-
ence, while the bottom monitor is a
split-screen showing the feed from all
four cameras. This is where we meet
courtesy of American Broadcasting Companies Inc. and ABC Photo Archives.
producer Mercer Barrows, who serves as

our behind-the-scenes tour guide for the
episodic production shot at the Prospect
Studios in Los Angeles.
The previous incarnation of this Opposite: On April 1, 1963, the world was introduced to Dr. Steve Hardy (John Beradino) and fiancée
Peggy Mercer (K.T. Stevens) when the daytime drama General Hospital premiered on ABC. This page,
particular stage once housed such classic top: In February 2018, cast and crew celebrated the shooting of the 14,000th episode of the longest-
shows as American Bandstand, The running American soap opera currently on television. Above, from left: James Patrick Stuart (who plays
Lawrence Welk Show, Let’s Make a Deal Valentin Cassadine), Chloe Lanier (Nelle Benson), executive producer Frank Valentini, and Finola Hughes
(Anna Devane) pose on stage during the celebration.
and Family Feud, and served as home
base for the 1984 Summer Olympics in
Los Angeles. It was torn down and ABC on April 1, 1963. The story runtime that expanded to 45 minutes in
replaced in 1989 with a structure focused on Dr. Steve Hardy ( John 1976 and eventually to 60 minutes by
designed specifically for General Beradino), chief of internal medicine, 1978. The show airs five episodes a
Hospital. Prospect Studios is the original and Nurse Jessie Brewer (Emily week, 52 weeks a year, and they recorded
home of the production, though McLaughlin) as their daily lives played their 14,000th episode this past
through the years it cycled to Desilu out on the seventh floor of the hospital. February.
Studios (now Red Studios Hollywood), Created by Frank and Doris “When I started on the show in
followed by Sunset Gower Studios, Hursley, General Hospital was the first 1979, I worked in the art department,”
before returning. daytime medical drama shot on the Barrows says. “We would shoot one
General Hospital first aired on West Coast, with an original half-hour episode a day. Each night, we would

•|•
Gear Spotlight:
◗ The Never-Ending Story
Litepanels
LED Panels
•|•
M elanie Mohr started off her career

on General Hospital as a stagehand
in 2005, with a background in theatrical
lighting design. She worked her way up
to the position of head electrician — and
in January 2016, she became one of three
lighting directors on the show.
During AC’s set visit, we asked
Mohr to identify a piece of equipment
she feels is indispensible for keeping pace
with the soap opera’s shooting schedule.
“My most valuable asset is my crew,” she
says. “We move at a very fast pace, shoot- From left: Actors Michael Easton (portraying Dr. Hamilton Finn) and Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis
ing up to 140 pages a day, and it is really Davis) check their scripts between scenes while lighting director Melanie Mohr gives instructions
to the lighting controller through her headset.
important to be surrounded by people
who are reliable, think fast and act fast.
We have to improvise a lot on the spot, so prep the stage for the next day, setting up meeting is about an hour long and
a crew that can do that, and do it well, is for different scenes and different sets. includes executive producer Frank
invaluable. Now, for cost reasons, we try to complete Valentini, the director or directors
“But if you want an actual piece of blocks of scenes without changing the scheduled for that day, the booth
lighting equipment that has greatly sets. So at the end of each day, we have producer for the day, the art department,
reduced time cost and the nuisance of completed multiple parts of up to three the writer, hair and makeup, the prop
running cables, that would be the LED or four episodes.” master, the financial department,
panels by Litepanels,” Mohr continues. To keep up with this type of production manager Tom Rotolo, and
“We use 12-by-12s that are battery- shooting schedule, there is an extensive myself — the lighting director. We will
operated and handheld — so when a amount of planning that goes into each go through every single scene scheduled
director comes up with a new idea for a production day, and it is executive for that day, and talk about whether the
shot that we are not currently lit for, we producer Frank Valentini who keeps it scenes are day or night, who is in the
can run in with an LED light panel, put all running smoothly. “My position is scenes, what the feel of the scenes are,
some light on an actor or piece of set, and all-encompassing,” Valentini says. “I which cameras are going to be used, and
then continue on with the scene without oversee all of the directors, the look of if they are going to use a high camera or
us having to grab a ladder and rig a new the show, the casting of the show, and a low camera. I will talk with the direc-
light. The light panels are a really quick, the writing. As the showrunner, I am tor, producer and art department
run-in-and-save-the-day kind of instru- also in charge of the budget and figuring directly. I will look at the blueprint of
ment, and without these we wouldn’t be out how we are going to execute each each set and go through it with the
able to complete the days, lighting-wise. episode. It is pretty intense, but a lot of director to find out what the action is,
“This also speaks to the crew, fun.” where people are going to stand, and
because they have to run in and stand He further notes that the show’s where the cameras are going to be. I’ll
there with the light panel while the light- three lighting directors — Melanie put all that in my head and then go
ing director talks them through the angle Mohr, Vincent Steib and Bob Bessoir home to take a nap, before returning at
and height of where to direct the light. — in large part serve as the production’s midnight to join the night lighting crew.
[The lighting directors] have the advan- cinematographers. To help explain the “At midnight, we hit the ground
tage, because we can see the monitors in amount of preparation involved in the running and start lighting all the sched-
the booth, while [the crew] cannot see daily production schedule, Mohr breaks uled sets,” she continues. “I go through
them on stage. It is important to have a down the lighting process: every set, look at the blueprints and the
crew that has the right knowledge and “If I am scheduled to be the light- blocking from each director, and I
instincts to know where to stand on set, ing director on Thursday, I will report to instruct the crew about where to put
and on which side of the cameras.” the studio at 10 a.m. on Wednesday for every light and what gels to use. Then
— KB the Thursday production meeting. The we will move to the next set and do it all

Right: Sitting on
the couch in her
townhouse, Anna
catches up with
her daughter, Dr.
Robin Scorpio-
Drake (Kimberly
McCullough), who
is in town for a
funeral. Below: In
1985, Robert
Scorpio (Tristan
Rogers, right)
learns from his
ex-wife, Anna,
that Robin is his
daughter.
uously placed in different areas on the

stage and are subject to varying story-
based requirements.
“All standard rotating sets have a
basic ‘look,’” Bessoir says, “but that can
change [based on] the type of story we
are telling — time of day, dramatic situ-
ation, or camera or actor movement. If
[the script calls for a] blackout on the
show — or a fire! — the source will
change.”
Since the job requires a 20-hour
workday, the lighting directors rotate, but
they do communicate with each other
when necessary.
“Communication between the
lighting directors is important for conti-
nuity, especially when we are establishing
over again until all the sets are done.” tend to incorporate materials repurposed a new set,” Mohr says. “The lighting and
The nurses’ station is the only from previous sets, and might only stick colors on a set can look vastly different in
permanent set on stage. There is an esti- around long enough to complete a story- person than they do on camera, and since
mated total of 200 sets that rotate in and line. The location of each set is arranged we set up the lights hours before the
out of the stage’s remaining space. to maximize stage space. Sets are some- cameras are brought in, it is important
Depending on the scenes planned, the times built in a condensed version. that we communicate with each other in
number of sets prepared for a single day “Shooting order is determined by degree regard to what we tried out, so together
of shooting range from two or three to of difficulty of scenes and cast require- we can produce the right look and feel
12 or 13. ments,” Barrows notes. for a set.”
Three days a week, construction For each set, “the head electrician When Mohr has the opportunity
crews come in at night, along with the draws a lighting plot as instructed and to establish a set, she uses her back-
electrical crew. Some of the sets, like designed by the lighting director of the ground in theatrical lighting as her main
Kelly’s Diner and the Quartermaine day,” Steib says. This plot notes the inspiration. Her love of horror, science
mansion, have been a part of the show channel of each fixture, and is later fiction and silent films influence her
for decades — and have been built to be referenced during recording. There are lighting designs as well. “I borrow a lot of
reassembled quickly — while others are no permanent lighting designs for the lighting looks from The X-Files,” Mohr
created for limited-time use. The latter individual sets because they are contin- relates. “When we had to light the set of

Right: Camera
operator Barbara
Langdon lines up
a shot behind
Emme Rylan
(portraying Lulu
Falconeri). Below:
Camera operator
Craig Camou
focuses on Steve
Burton
(portraying Jason
Morgan) while
maneuvering the
camera just
underneath Mole-
Richardson 2K
Fresnels.
house set. A gas fireplace is installed and

run by special effects, and practical
lamps are placed by the art department.
All lights are run through dimmers, and
controlled via DMX with an ETC
console by daytime lighting-board oper-
ator Peter Canon in a small room
located on the fourth floor. There are
more than 1,000 60-amp and 20-amp
dimmers on the stage.
“The night crews leave at around
8 a.m., and at 8:30 we go on camera,”
Mohr says. “The daytime electric crew
is now on stage and I take my place
inside the production booth. I watch
every scene and adjust the light levels
accordingly until we wrap for that day. It
could be 5 p.m. or it could be 9 p.m. It
depends on how many pages are
an old boiler room in the hospital base- & McAlister ‘green-head’ lights, but they planned for that day.”
ment about a year ago, I established it to are smaller in size so it gives the cameras On the day of our visit, produc-
look like something you would see on and boom operators a little more room to tion has prepared for a 118-page work-
that show.” maneuver.” day and Bessoir is the day’s lighting
Mohr also established Anna’s Bessoir adds, “We use 1⁄2 diffu- director. The scenes we observe are for
townhouse. Bardwell & McAlister 2K sion wraps and modifiers, plus the usual episode 13,977. Anna’s townhouse is the
Fresnels are typically rigged high above corrective colors. We also use 24-by-32 first set scheduled. Cameras 1, 3 and 4
this set, while Mole-Richardson 2K Chimera Quartz Plus soft banks, in — Ikegami HDK-79Ds operated by
Fresnels are hung lower to serve as “eye addition to a selection of ‘soft lights’ Barbara Langdon, Craig Camou and
lights, but we also call them hangers or from 1K to 4K. Theatrical gels are used Dean Cosanella, respectively — are
front lights,” she notes. “The Mole- as well.” mounted to pedestals and fitted with
Richardson lights give out the same Mohr employs ellipsoidals to Fujinon 6.5-180mm broadcast lenses.
amount of illumination as the Bardwell simulate window light on the town- Dale Carlson operates camera 2, an

notes, “At the start of each day, I move
all the cameras to the nurses’ station for
chipping and calibration.” As the only
permanent set, the nurses’ station “has
the brightest light, [so it is used for] gray
cards to ensure all cameras have the
same white balance.”
Simone controls the camera
settings from a console that contains the
Ikegami operation control panels
(OCPs) for each camera. The console is
located in a curtained-off space near the
main recording server. With the OCPs,
Simone can color correct the image on
the fly, and add an ND1 filter for skin
tones when needed.
“The cameras have a Black Net
and a Soft/FX filter in the filter wheel
behind the lens,” Steib says. “Normally
the show uses the Black Net, but that
can be changed as needed.” The cameras
are set to shoot 720p at 59.94 fps and
record to Avid DNxHD 145. “We rate
the cameras at 340 ASA, and we shoot
at a -3dB gain at approximately 20 to 25
footcandles, with a stop ranging from
f2.2 to f2.4,” he says.
Bessoir adds, “We try to keep a
narrow depth of focus to blur our sets
and give a nice close-up look, but we
also need enough depth to make focus
accurately and fast.”
Clipboards are placed on each
camera, with notes containing shot
numbers followed by specific directions
for the camera operator. Each operator
has a different set of notes based on the
placement of their specific camera.
“They start with number one on the first
Top: A clipboard on the camera contains shot notes for camera operator Dale Carlson, who’s
page of the script,” Langdon says.
framing a rehearsal with William deVry (portraying Julian Jerome) for a live episode that aired “Whether or not each shot is coordi-
in May 2015. Below: Camera operator Dean Cosanella lines up his shot for a scene in the Port nated with dialogue or action is decided
Charles Police Department set.
by the director.”
“On other soap operas like Days
Ikegami fitted with a Fujinon 4.5-59mm “We have a constant challenge of Our Lives and The Young and the
wide-angle zoom and placed on a with lighting a multiple-camera drama Restless, every scene will start on shot
Vinten Merlin compact pedestal- series,” Bessoir says. The task, he number one,” Cosanella adds. “General
mounted jib arm, which requires only explains, is to “create a rich dramatic Hospital is the only one that I know of
one operator. “Dale Carlson is the only environment [while lighting] for many that numbers them [based on the full
member of our camera crew who has the camera angles at once, avoiding prob- script].”
ability to use this difficult piece of equip- lems with live audio gathering, and “We have pencils ready so we
ment,” Barrows says. Steib adds that the [shooting] flattering but dramatic close- can write down any modifications or
crew is also ready with “a handheld, ups — at a breakneck pace.” new adds given to us by the associate
and/or a handheld on sticks.” Video operator Tony Simone director,” Langdon continues. “We do

scene once or twice, three times at most,
and then we move on to the next one.”
This fast-paced production
schedule helps keep costs down and the
show on the air. In the late ’70s when
General Hospital was on the brink of
cancellation, Gloria Monty was hired as
executive producer and given a short
timeframe to turn the show around — or
the world would have said goodbye to
the citizens of Port Charles, N.Y. Monty
immediately changed the pacing of the
program by eliminating the long, drawn-
out pauses, and more than doubled the
number of scenes per episode. She also
redesigned the sets, costumes and story-
lines to capture the attention of a more
youthful, collegiate audience.
On November 16 and 17, 1981,
30 million Americans tuned in to see the
wedding of Luke and Laura Spencer
(Anthony Geary and Genie Francis,
respectively) — which remains the
most-watched television event in
American soap-opera history. The
nuptials took place at the home of Port
Charles Mayor John Everett ( James
Mendenhall), who also officiated the
ceremony. The event was shot on loca-
tion at a home in the Fremont Place
gated community located in the
Hancock Park area of Los Angeles.
“I was an electrician for the
wedding remote, and Thomas Markle
was the lighting director,” Steib says. “At
the time, they were shooting with
Ikegami HL-79A tube cameras. With
Top: Alexis faces her opponent for the mayoral race, Ned Quartermaine (Wally Kurth, second
from left) inside Charlie’s Pub. Bottom: Carlson operates the Vinten Merlin compact jib on the
tube cameras, you had to be really careful
PCPD set. not to aim them toward the sun so the
tubes wouldn’t burn out. I believe we had
have a lot of input as to whether a shot Santa Barbara. Langdon began her four cameras that had triax cable,
is going to work or not. For example, career in 1982, shooting professional [which] went back to a video village
with [Anna’s townhouse] today, there sports, and switched to soap operas in where each camera had its own tape
is one wall off, and a whole second 1994 during the baseball strike — start- machine.
wing of the original set is missing. This ing off on the show Another World. “We used 12K and 6K HMIs,
setup might not be what they had in “I don’t want to go back to the and a lot of shiny boards,” he continues.
mind when it was blocked, so we have days where it took forever to shoot one “It felt like we were using miles and
to speak up and move some equipment scene,” Cosanella attests. “It is exhaust- miles of cable for this remote. We had
or props to get a better angle to make ing shooting the same thing over and 15 electricians working without any
the shot work.” over again.” meal breaks. When the cast would
Both operators prefer the current “We have to get through 140 break for a meal, we had to pre-set the
fast-paced shooting environment. pages a day,” Langdon adds. “We don’t next scene, so we would just grab some-
Cosanella started working on soap really have much downtime, so your thing while pulling out the cable. Each
operas in 1988 for NBC on the show energy is up from the start. We shoot a scene was finished in a couple of takes,

He began as a day player hired by
Monty, but his role expanded when his
character was adopted by Rick and
Lesley Webber (Chris Robinson and
Denise Alexander, respectively) —
Laura’s parents. He appeared regularly in
two to three episodes a week for six-and-
a-half years.
“Some tape days were different
than others,” Mendenhall recalls. “Some
days were called ‘block and tape,’ where
we would get our blocking from the
director and tape immediately afterward.
We would start in the morning and
shoot until we were done. However,
most days were what we called ‘rehearse
and tape.’ When we taped shows that
way, we would block and rehearse in the
mornings. After rehearsals ended, all the
actors would be called in to receive notes
from the director and Gloria for the
scenes we worked on together. We
would start taping those scenes in the
afternoon.”
McCullough started on the show
in 1985 at the age of 7, with Robin
immediately set up as an integral part of
the storyline, which was unusual for
child actors working on soaps.
McCullough worked five days a week
with 40-50 pages of dialogue a day, while
attending studio school on set, along
with Mendenhall.
“Gloria liked to work a scene to
death,” McCullough says. “Even
though she was the executive producer,
Top, from left: Associate director Teresa Cicala, director William Ludel, technical director Chuck
Abate and lighting director Bob Bessoir work at a fast pace inside the production control booth.
she acted more like a director. She had
Above: AC photo editor Kelly Brinker (second from right, wearing black) grills Ludel and me audition for the role 12 times, and
producer Mary-Kelly Weir (right) between scenes. the last three times were improv screen
tests to make sure I could improv with
and then we were right back to setting place. Even though we might be doing Finola Hughes and Tristan Rogers
up the next scene.” outlandish stories, everything had to be (portraying Robert Scorpio), who
Shooting on location occurred rooted in a real emotion and be very played my parents. There was a lot of
quite frequently during the 1980s. “I human.” trying to make it seem like real life, and
think we maybe did four location shoots Some of the locations included the scenes felt really natural because we
a year, and a bunch of mini-shoots,” Catalina Island, Santa Barbara, Big Bear worked the hell out of them. It is very
recalls Hughes, who started on the show Lake, Mexico, Texas and Mount different than it is today, because we
in 1985. “We would be out of the studio, Rushmore. “The show had a lot of had long hours. We would get there at
out in the open, driving cars and jump- money back then,” Steib says, “so if there about 6 a.m. and some actors would still
ing off cliffs, making it look as real as we was something that Gloria wanted to do be taping until midnight or 1 or 2 in the
could.” She explains that Monty was a with the production, they let her do it.” morning every day.”
“real visionary who was amazingly in Actor David Mendenhall, who These days, the workday for the
touch with human emotion, and she portrayed Mike Webber, started on the actor depends on when their scenes are
wanted everything to come from a real show in 1980 when he was 8 years old. scheduled for recording. McCullough

quick rehearsal and blocking with the
actors and director at around 7:15 a.m.
Per usual, the director then headed to
Former the control booth, where he joined
executive Bessoir, producer Mary-Kelly Weir,
producer Gloria production associate Jillian Dedote,
Monty (center)
works through a associate director Teresa Cicala and
scene with technical director Chuck Abate. They
Rogers and now sit facing a wall of monitors. Similar
Anthony Geary
(portraying Luke to the monitors on set, the larger one
Spencer) on displays the feed with cuts, while the
location on June smaller ones are linked to each camera
13, 1981.
on set.
They start with a technical
rehearsal. The production associate
monitors the script and keeps track of
the overall timing. The associate director
and Hughes note that they often arrive “I read the script as soon as I get it, so if gives shot numbers to the camera oper-
at the studio around 6-6:30 a.m. so they there is something that jumps out to me ators through the headset. Ludel snaps
can get through hair and makeup and in a speech or in the dialogue, I will his finger and says the camera number
not have to rush before rehearsal, “unless email the producer to see if we can play he wants to cut to, and the technical
you are first up, and then you are rush- around with it a little, and they will send director makes those cuts from the
ing,” Hughes says. me revised pages about a day or two switcher.
“The scripts are sent out digitally before shooting.” In the far-right corner of the
about a week in advance,” Hughes says. Once on set, we learn there was a room, Bessoir keeps an eye on the light-
82
ing. Upon noticing a glare on a picture the first editing pass with Avid Media everything we do here. We have an
frame on Anna’s fireplace, he instructs Composer, after which postproduction incredible team made up of very dedi-
the crew to make an adjustment. He also supervisor Peter Fillmore takes over. cated individuals. So many have been
refers to the lighting plot, and tells Fillmore reviews all footage to ensure with the show for a very long time, and
Canon — via headset — which channel the best possible cut. He completes the they really love what they are doing and
to adjust, and how much light needs to final cut with Valentini before it goes to are excited about it and care about it and
be reduced, to help eliminate the glare. sound effects, music and coloring. come in every day prepared. It really is
He also notices a shadow coming from Colorist Stephen Kuns performs final like a family.”
either the boom or the Merlin. He calls color correction using Blackmagic
for additional adjustments from the crew Design DaVinci Resolve. All deliver- For additional coverage — includ-
until the shadow disappears. ables are output to 720p and 59.94 fps, ing interviews with McCullough and
The technical rehearsal ends and and given to the network where closed Hughes about their work as directors, and
they start from the top, recording a captioning is added. more tales from Vincent Steib — visit
single take. Everyone looks to Weir for “There are so many wonderful www.ascmag.com. ●
approval. “Looks good,” she says. dramas on the air — Grey’s Anatomy, for
“Moving on.” example — that have borrowed from
The crew sets up for the next soap themes,” McCullough says. “I just
scene, the actors check their scripts, and have so much respect for Frank Valentini TECHNICAL SPECS
Ludel quickly runs to set to speak with and for how he runs his show, because
the actors. When he returns to the nobody is putting out that type of quality 1.78:1
booth, the process starts over again. This in that amount of time with that amount
continues until all scheduled scenes are of money.” Digital Capture
recorded. Valentini adds, “People who don’t Ikegami HDK-79D
The associate director who was in watch [daytime dramas] are often quick
the booth for that episode will complete to dismiss them, but I am so proud of Fujinon zooms
Seduce
and
Destroy
R
ed Sparrow begins with an ending. In an ornate opera
Jo Willems, ASC, SBC and palace, the performance of Russian ballerina Dominika
director Francis Lawrence weave Egorova ( Jennifer Lawrence) comes to an abrupt and
a web of intrigue with the dramatic conclusion when her partner lands awkwardly,
shattering both Dominika’s leg and her promising stage
modern-day spy thriller career. It’s the inciting incident that propels Dominika into
Red Sparrow. the world of contemporary Cold War espionage. She reluc-
tantly enrolls at “Sparrow School,” a training facility where
By Matt Mulcahey Russian agents are taught the art of seduction and manipula-
tion. Her first assignment out of school: cozy up to CIA agent
Nate Nash ( Joel Edgerton) in order to discover the identity of
•|• a mole operating in the upper reaches of Russian intelligence.

Opposite: Dominika Egorova (Jennifer Lawrence) is pressed into service as a Russian intelligence operative
in the feature Red Sparrow. This page, top: Dominika is sent to “Sparrow School” to learn the finer points
of tradecraft. Above: Cinematographer Jo Willems, ASC, SBC (standing at right), director Francis Lawrence
(center) and camera operator Dave Thompson prepare to shoot in the Hungarian State Opera House.
Based on the 2013 novel by CIA also found Jennifer Lawrence in front of philosophy. “Red Sparrow is a stylized
operative turned fiction scribe Jason the camera. After completing that saga, film, but I strived to create a look that
Matthews, Red Sparrow continues the Francis Lawrence was ready to explore a felt authentic and naturalistic, not artifi-
Unit photography by Murray Close,
long-running collaboration between new aesthetic. The director explains, “I cial, theatrical or forced,” the cine-
courtesy of 20th Century Fox.
Belgian cinematographer Jo Willems, wanted to get out of the handheld matographer notes. “I wanted to create a
ASC, SBC and director Francis world of what I call ‘faux-naturalism’ visual world that didn’t overpower, but
Lawrence, who first met on a P.O.D. that we used on the Hunger Games one that was in balance with the story.
music video in the early 2000s. The two films, and I wanted to get onto dollies “I try to be as efficient with light-
had most recently teamed for the final and cranes, and to find more graphic, ing as possible,” Willems continues.
three installments — comprising some symmetrical frames.” “More than on any other film, I let
250 shooting days — of the Hunger The change in style, however, did myself be led by the locations we chose.
Games franchise (AC Dec. ’15), which not alter the basic tenets of Willems’ There are a lot of practical considera-

◗ Seduce and Destroy
•|•
Gear Spotlight:
LiteMats
•|•
O ver the years I have used many

tools to create soft lighting, from
covered wagons to Nine Light Maxis
behind large frames of heavy diffu-
sion, from strings of Christmas lights
to China balls. I’ve even used [ASC
member] Harris Savides’ infamous
‘Bling light.’
But as the years have gone by,
I’ve strived to make the shooting
process more efficient, and to stream-
line my equipment. On Red Sparrow, Dominika is sent to find and engage with the target of a Russian intelligence operation.
that smaller footprint was a necessity.
Director Francis Lawrence liked to tions to make when shooting a film on array of Panavision anamorphic lenses.
have a shooting angle of at least 270 location, so you have to go in with an After working with C Series anamor-
degrees, and often we’d see 360 open mind.” phics on the Hunger Games movies,
degrees. We needed a tool that was Indeed, Red Sparrow’s reliance on Willems shifted to E Series and newer
easy to hide and didn’t take up a lot of real locations aided the filmmakers’ T Series lenses to capture Red Sparrow’s
space, but could still create that soft quest for verisimilitude. During the wintry intrigue. “The C Series has a
light. movie’s 85 days of principal photogra- softness and a slight period feel to it,”
LiteGear’s LiteMats brought phy — which began in January of 2017 Willems notes. “I love those lenses, but
exactly what I needed for many and stretched from Budapest to for Red Sparrow I wanted the sharpest
scenes in Red Sparrow, and I used Bratislava, London to Vienna — all 45 glass I could get [in order] to achieve a
them extensively on the film. We of the feature’s locations were practical. contemporary feel rather than period.”
shot 100 percent on location, often “We didn’t spend one day on a sound- Only the 35mm, 65mm,
in small spaces and in sensitive stage,” says Lawrence. “Jo definitely had 100mm, 135mm and 180mm T Series
historical buildings where we some tricky challenges because we were primes were available when Red
couldn’t rig any heavy or large equip- in real environments — like being in an Sparrow went into production, so the
ment. LiteMats allowed us to tran- apartment for nine days on the fifth package was rounded out with 40mm,
scend those restrictions. They are floor of an abandoned building in the 50mm and 75mm E Series primes, as
light enough to be taped to ceilings middle of Budapest.” well as a handful of C Series and G
or walls, or to be hung off long Gaffer Walter Bithell says that Series optics. A trio of Panavision
menace arms. They provide beautiful merely getting equipment to set could anamorphic zooms — a T Series
skin tones — equally as nice as tung- be a monumental undertaking. “Some AWZ2.3 37-85mm (T2.8), an ATZ
sten lights. They are dimmable with- of the buildings were constructed before 70-200mm (T3.5) and an ALZ3 270-
out color-temperature change, they elevators existed, and most of the eleva- 840mm (T4.5) — were employed for
can be controlled remotely and, most tors that were present could not handle expediency in certain situations, such as
importantly, they provide a very soft the size or the weight of the gear,” he those involving crane work or car
light. recalls. “Sometimes we used ropes mounts.
It’s not the only light we and pulleys [to move equipment], and The Panavision lenses were
carried on the truck, but LiteMats occasionally we could use condors and coupled with a pair of Arri Alexa XTs
truly have become my favorite light- scissor lifts, but a good portion of the and an Alexa Mini. Willems typically
ing instrument for interiors. I wish camera, grip and electric gear was hand- rated the cameras at 800 ISO while
they had a little more output at times, carried piece by piece up anywhere from capturing 3414x2198 ArriRaw images
but hopefully that will come! two to six flights of stairs.” in Open Gate mode. The recorded
— Jo Willems, ASC, SBC That equipment included a broad frame was then cropped to the desired

Hungarian State Opera House, which

provided the setting for Dominika’s
fateful ballet performance. To light the
opulent 19th-century performance
space, Willems mixed his units with
those already in place at the venue.
Thus the opera house’s existing Robert
Juliat ellipsoidal follow-spots and
Chauvet LED washes were combined
with the production’s HMI follow-
spots, Arri SkyPanels, LiteGear
LiteMats, and tungsten helium
balloons from the Germany-based
Balloonlight.
“We had to squeeze in our shoot-
ing times between the regular opera
shows,” Bithell says of the location. “We
had crazy call times that started right
after the opera was finished. Upon
completion of each day’s work, we had
The crew captures Sparrow School exteriors at the Festetics Palace in Dég, Hungary.
to pull everything out to make room for
the next opera show.” The art depart-
2.39:1 aspect ratio during postproduc- form factor was required, such as atop ment began work at roughly midnight.
tion. camera operator Dave Thompson’s Willems and the grip and electric crew
The XTs recorded to 512GB Steadicam or crammed into a tight spot lit the space from 2 a.m. until 6 a.m.,
Codex XR Capture Drives, while the in one of the locations. and then the production shot until 3
Mini recorded to CFast 2.0 memory Red Sparrow’s shooting schedule p.m., at which point they’d get booted
cards. The Mini played when its small began at Budapest’s fully functioning to make way for the opera’s next public

brought in to assist with custom runway

fixtures — for entrance, threshold,
centerline and edge demarcations —
that had to be built, wired and installed.
For the runway approach lights, 72
medium-flood PAR cans, attached to
truss towers, were used on each end of
the runway. A half-dozen condors, each
with one or two 18K Arrimaxes, were
also employed, as were several HMI
light cubes rigged to condors. “Eight
Digital Sputnik DS6 units were modi-
fied to fit inside Wacker-style mobile
light towers,” Bithell adds. “There were
also approximately 20 2K Blondes and
20 400-watt sodium-vapor units strate-
gically placed in the background on the
entire length of each side of the
runway.”
A Servicevision Scorpio 45' telescoping crane with a Flight Head V gyrostabilized remote head is
employed for swimming-pool interiors featuring Joel Edgerton as CIA agent Nate Nash.
Everything was run wirelessly
through a GrandMA lighting console.
Haze from what Bithell describes as a
performance. In total, the crew had four shot at a former Soviet military air base “3,000-foot ‘tube of death’” was
days to shoot out the opera house. “It in Tököl, Hungary, proved nearly as provided by Germany-based Nefzer
was the hardest location of our shoot, difficult. The “set” included 3,000' of Special Effects to add to the atmos-
and I was very happy it happened early,” runway — not an inch of which had any phere. “All the lights ended up being in
says Willems. functioning practical lights. London- frame,” recalls Willems. “It’s an airfield,
A climactic prisoner exchange based fixtures foreman Joe McGee was so they didn’t look out of place, but they

all were in shot and we just went with
it.”
The scene includes a long
Steadicam shot as the prisoner
exchange commences. “It was a classic
spy-movie prisoner hand-off scenario,
but in the Francis Lawrence style,”
Thompson explains. “Big but under-
stated, with helicopters landing and
taking off, gunfire, and about a quarter-
mile walk-and-talk mixed in with all of
it. The endurance of doing it for two
long, cold nights was challenging.”
To provide fill on Jennifer Lawrence
during that walk-and-talk, Bithell used
a battery-powered and wirelessly
controlled LiteMat 2 on a handheld
light pole.
Lighting a sprawling airfield at
night was not the time for a less-is-
more approach, but when the opportu-
nity presented itself, Willems embraced
simplicity. He often used no lights for
day exteriors — such as the training
scenes at the Sparrow School, which
were shot at the Festetics Palace in the
village of Dég. Instead, Willems
preferred to shoot at the optimal time of
day to take advantage of natural light.
That goal was aided by Hungary’s
almost constantly overcast skies. “We
were lucky with the weather,” the cine-
matographer says. “I think we had two
days of sunlight the entire shoot. I tried
to make those exteriors look as cold,
oppressive and miserable as possible.”
For night interiors, Willems
relied heavily on LED units, particu-
larly SkyPanels, LiteMats and Digital
Sputnik fixtures. He also embraced
existing practicals, turning a few off to
create contrast, or replacing 600 fluores-
cent bulbs with 100-watt tungsten
household globes. The latter technique
was required for a scene set at the
American embassy in Budapest, where
Dominika begins her seduction of Nash
during an evening event.
The cinematographer’s choice to
employ LEDs came in part from neces-
sity, as the director has a penchant for
setups that reveal a majority of the set,
Dominika works her wiles on Nate, who simultaneously hopes to turn her against the Russians
and recruit her to the CIA’s cause.
leaving little real estate for hiding lights.
As Bithell puts it, “When you’re shoot-

Right and below:

Willems and crew
capture night
exteriors with the
camera on a
Chapman dolly.
Bottom right: A
Steadicam is
employed to
follow Jennifer
Lawrence through
a location.
ing on a Francis Lawrence set, you are to be creative in their rigging, using her onstage accident; for the steam-
definitely going to see the world.” tape, sash, rope or Velcro to attach shrouded scene, LiteMats supple-
Willems adds, “You have to be LiteMats to ceilings and walls, or using mented fluorescent practicals, while
very strategic about where you’re plan- grip rigging to affix units to pillars, Arri T12s and T5s blasted through the
ning to put lights. Francis often likes to furniture, chandeliers or moldings. room’s windows. In the second scene, a
look one way and then hinge the “Each location presented its own special knife fight at Nash’s home in Budapest,
camera 180 degrees to the other side of challenges,” says Bithell. “We would use the action was lit almost entirely with
the room. You sometimes have just 30 whatever we could find to mask the LED fixtures.
degrees of the whole room to work presence of our lights. At one point we “We actually shot the knife-fight
with, and it’s right beside the camera.” even hid lights behind gravestones at scene day-for-night,” Bithell explains.
LiteMats became the hero units the Hungarian version of Arlington “We blacked out the windows to the
for those situations. (See sidebar, page National Cemetery.” entire apartment and installed two
86.) They were powered off batteries to A pair of action scenes also custom LED panels into the windows
eliminate the need to hide cables, and leaned heavily on LiteMats. In the first, of the kitchen to replicate sodium-vapor
were controlled via wireless DMX from Dominika enters a steam room to take streetlight from below. These panels
RatPac Cintennas. Bithell and crew had revenge on the two dancers who plotted were custom-built by our local fixtures

crew; they installed 430 feet of RGBA

LED ribbon onto four sheets of
Coroplast that were fitted to the exact
dimensions of the windows. Wireless,
battery-powered LiteMat 4s and 2Ls
were used along with the custom LED
window panels, which were also
controlled wirelessly but powered by
regular electricity.”
Both scenes are brutally violent,
but that brutality is brief. “The violence
in the movie has a slow-burn buildup
Lighting diagram courtesy of Walter Bithell.
and then is over after a quick explosion,”

the director explains. “We were aiming
for a gritty, visceral, almost naturalistic
version of that kind of violence, versus
the ‘ballet’ of it.”
For the on-set color workflow,
Willems and Company 3 colorist Dave
Hussey collaborated during preproduc-
Top: This lighting diagram illustrates how Willems and gaffer Walter Bithell approached lighting tion to develop a show LUT, a process
the movie’s climactic night exterior, which was staged at a former military air base in Tököl, Hungary. that took several weeks of trial-and-error.
Above: Cast and crew capture the action at the airfield.
“Jo wanted a more organic look for the

film, something that didn’t feel too pushed
or stepped on,” says Hussey. “We spent
some time experimenting with various
LUTs on test footage that Jo shot.
Eventually we created a LUT that had a
softer roll-off in the highlights and deep
blacks without looking crushed.”
On set, Willems and digital-imag-
ing technician Dániel Farkas applied the
LUT to the Log C image coming from
camera, and then took turns manning
Tangent’s Element and Ripple panels to
make CDL changes via Pomfort’s
LiveGrade. A pair of Flanders Scientific
DM250s were used for monitoring. “I’m
constantly coloring on set,” says Willems.
“I color almost every shot [through] the
whole movie. Then we pull stills, and that
becomes our grading reference. If you
look at those stills from set, they are not
that far off from the final grade.”
Those stills, along with the CDL
adjustments, were sent from set to
The camera rolls for a scene featuring Mary-Louise Parker, who portrays
U.S. diplomat Stephanie Boucher.
Colorfront in Budapest for the creation of
dailies. The stills also played a key role in
98
the final digital grade. “I loved the look of
those stills, and I used them as a reference
while I did the pregrade,” says Hussey. “It Francis Lawrence
saved us an incredible amount of time.” confabs with
Edgerton in a
Hussey worked with 16-bit EXR pedestrian tunnel
files in Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci that’s seen
Resolve 14, monitoring with a Barco onscreen in the
movie’s opening
DP2K-P projector paired with a Stewart minutes. “We
Filmscreen projection screen. After the didn’t spend one
colorist spent nine days on his initial day on a
soundstage,” the
pregrade, it was time to share his work director says of the
with Willems. “He had done the grade production.
based on the stills, and it was like, ‘All
right, Dave, nice work. Let’s go home,’”
Willems recalls with a laugh. “I’ve never
done a DI so fast in my entire career. I turn up and start shooting, yet I still feel
went in there for a week and we were it’s naturalistic in its lighting. Maybe I TECHNICAL SPECS
finished.” should call it ‘enhanced naturalism,’ or 2.39:1
Willems says he’s extremely proud ‘stylized naturalism’?”
of the look of the movie, even if he can’t Digital Capture
quite pin down how to describe Red Click here for a diagram detailing
Sparrow’s mixture of realism and styliza- the Opera House lighting. Arri Alexa XT, Mini
tion. “I really don’t know how to define Panavision T Series, E Series,
this movie,” says Willems. “It’s obviously weblink: https://ascmag.com/articles/red- G Series, C Series, Anamorphic
not ‘Ken Loach,’ because he would just sparrow-lighting-diagram ● Zooms
99
Daring
Operation
Lula Carvalho, ASC, ABC and the passengers hostage in an old, disused terminal. Most of
the non-Israeli hostages were freed, but the hijackers
director José Padilha continue their demanded the release of a number of Palestinian and other
collaboration with the historical prisoners — who were predominantly in Israel — in
thriller 7 Days in Entebbe. exchange for the Israeli hostages. They threatened to kill the
hostages if their demands were not met. For days, Israeli
Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and his cabinet of advisors,
By Michael Kogge chief among them Defense Minister Shimon Peres, debated
whether or not to negotiate with the hijackers, until a rescue
•|• mission was decided upon and executed.
The events of this tense week form the story of director
I
n June 1976, a pair of German revolutionaries teamed with José Padilha’s 7 Days in Entebbe, shot by Lula Carvalho,
two men from the Popular Front for the Liberation of ASC, ABC. Carvalho and Padilha were no strangers to each
Palestine (PFLP) to hijack an Air France flight that other, having shared a history of fruitful collaborations,
carried 248 passengers. The pilots were forced to land the including the two Elite Squad movies, the 2014 remake of
plane in Uganda’s Entebbe Airport, where the hijackers held RoboCop, and the series Narcos and The Mechanism. Though

both hail from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil,
they came to filmmaking in different
ways. Padilha studied mathematics and
physics at university, then was hired by
an investment bank to calculate deriva-
tives. Detesting stock-market work, he
took a sabbatical to help a friend
Unit photography by Liam Daniel,
produce a “cinematographic essay” on

the destruction of the Amazon rain-
courtesy of Focus Features.
forests — a project that led to a full-

time detour into filmmaking.
Carvalho, on the other hand, is
Opposite: The feature 7 Days in Entebbe recounts the real events of June 1976, when German
the son of the celebrated Brazilian militants Wilfried Böse (Daniel Brühl) and Brigitte Kuhlmann (Rosamund Pike) helped to hijack
cinematographer and director Walter an Air France flight en route from Tel Aviv to Paris. This page, top: Zeev Hirsch (Ben Schnetzer) is
Carvalho, ABC. In the Carvalho part of the Israel Defense Forces that execute a daring rescue mission. Middle: Cinematographer
Lula Carvalho, ASC, ABC. Bottom: Director José Padilha.
household, film periodicals like

◗ Daring Operation
•|•
Gear Spotlight:
Using Tungsten for
Daylight
•|•
“W hen lighting, I always look

for the drama,” says Lula
Carvalho, ASC, ABC. “As cine-
matographers, we have to be part of
the story, helping the characters and
the script to become alive. In this
case, we were talking about a real
story that happened in a certain
period in history. On the one hand,
we used practical lighting fixtures so
people could see the story as a real
one. On the other, we mixed those
elements with the narrative and
mood so we could help the director Ugandan President Idi Amin (Nonso Anozie) supports the hijackers and
allows them to land at Entebbe Airport.
build the drama of these characters.”
To emulate daylight for the
movie’s interiors — and especially for American Cinematographer were cher- Amazon rainforest. Discovering that
scenes set inside the Entebbe airport ished objects. “I grew up with the ASC they spoke the same cinematic
terminal — Carvalho and gaffer magazine, started learning English with language, the director and cinematogra-
Shawn White deployed tungsten it, studied the cinematographers in it, pher formed a lasting friendship.
fixtures such as Dinos and 20Ks and translated it to my father,” Lula During breaks on Secrets of the
rather than LEDs or HMIs. “Even Carvalho remembers. Tribe, Padilha pitched Carvalho the
though HMIs would have given us By the time he was eight, he crime drama he wanted to make, Elite
more strength, which could have would spend his summer break with his Squad, and they discussed potential
helped, I decided to go with tungsten father on location. “After a while, I shooting techniques. What resulted was
because of the color and the natural really started to enjoy being on a set. a fast-moving, handheld style inspired
feeling of it,” Carvalho explains. Then, I began to learn the camera-crew by cinema-verité filmmaking and
“Tungsten’s rays gave us a ‘deepness,’ craft, as I started helping the ACs and intensified by scripted action. “When I
with texture on the faces — and this clapper loaders. At 10, I was loading block the scene, I’m not going to block
added to the drama of the story. It film magazines. The whole process of the actors rigidly,” Padilha explains. “I’m
would have been an easier path to go filmmaking completely thrilled me. going to let them move in the set freely
with HMIs, but it would not have When I became a teenager, I was between certain constraints, but I will
created such a tense and dramatic already a professional. In high school, I never give them precise marks. Instead,
environment. worked as a second assistant camera. I will give marks to the camera” — and
“It’s a very tough decision for Because of that, I ended up not attend- the camera operator must follow the
the cinematographer, which kind of ing university — although I was action as if shooting a documentary.
light you’re going to use to play [as] enrolled as a history major.” This kinetic approach to Elite Squad
the sun,” Carvalho adds. “HMIs are For nearly a decade, Carvalho garnered critical praise around the
stronger, but they have a certain worked as a camera assistant and oper- globe.
color, texture and feeling that is not ator, taking on director of photography Producer Kate Solomon enlisted
necessarily the most beautiful. The jobs on music videos and short films. It Padilha to direct 7 Days in Entebbe, and
choice of tungsten meant we were was Padilha who gave Carvalho his first the director in turn asked Carvalho to
not going with the easiest path, and I big break, hiring him to shoot two photograph the feature. Reading the
think it made a huge difference for documentaries: one unfinished, and the screenplay by Gregory Burke, the cine-
the movie.” other Secrets of the Tribe, about the matographer became excited about
— MK indigenous Yanomami tribes in the shooting a thriller involving a plane

hijacking and Israeli politics. Rosamund
Pike and Daniel Brühl signed on to play
the two German hijackers, Brigitte
Kuhlmann and Wilfried Böse, while
Eddie Marsan would portray Shimon
Peres.
Carvalho dove into the work,
consulting with production designer
Kave Quinn and costume designer Bina
Daigeler on how best to reproduce the
’70s period on the screen. “The color
and the design of the wardrobe, the sets
and the props, they tell us a lot about
the time represented,” the cinematogra-
pher notes.
“We believed
we should use a
lot of handheld
camerawork to
give us the feeling
and the tension of
being alive.”
“For the lighting, we looked for
the appropriate temperature and design
to match and enhance the mood
proposed by production design,”
Carvalho continues. “In general, we
believed a golden hue would make that
happen. So the palette of oranges and
browns was explored — but even if you
want to create a brown and orange
palette, you have to have hints of differ-
ent colors. You have to have something
to contrast so the colors you want come
The captive out. To add to the feeling of the
passengers Seventies and its colorful characteris-
enter the
Entebbe tics, we propped up reds and blues in
Airport the wardrobe. I believe this mix gave the
terminal, where film a Kodachrome feeling, which was
they are
separated into what we looked for.”
Israeli and non- Padilha frequently relies on a
Israeli groups. handheld camera for his narrative
features, and 7 Days in Entebbe proved
no different. “The story we were
portraying was real, and we believed we
should use a lot of handheld camera-

Right and below:
London’s Harrow
Civic Centre
provided the
production with
locations for the
Israeli
government,
including scenes
of the
administration
deliberating on its
response to the
hostage crisis.
Bottom: Carvalho
captures a scene
between Eddie
Marsan (left,
portraying Israeli
Defense Minister
Shimon Peres)
and Lior
Ashkenazi (as
Prime Minister
Yitzhak Rabin).
work to give us the feeling and the

tension of being alive,” Carvalho notes.
However, where he and Padilha had
opted for the 1.85:1 aspect ratio on the
Elite Squad movies — as they found the
taller ratio to be beneficial for capturing
fluid movement while de-emphasizing
horizon lines — they decided to frame
Entebbe for the 2.39:1 aspect ratio,
shooting spherically with CW
Sonderoptic’s Leica Summilux-C
primes almost exclusively. “We thought
the merging of this visual element
along with the movement of the hand-
held camera was the best way to tell this
story,” Carvalho emphasizes. “It makes
the camera moves very strong.”
Despite the widescreen aspect
ratio, Carvalho says, “We did not want
the ‘anamorphic look.’ We needed more
flexible lenses so we could [work at]
slower stops and would have closer
minimum focus.”
As he has on his other projects
with Padilha, Carvalho would operate a
camera himself for Entebbe, sharing the
responsibilities with operator Vince
McGahon. “For my methodology to
work, I need a camera operator who
understands documentary filmmak-

ing,” Padilha says. “Lula does. And so
together we’ve developed this way of
shooting. We never use tripods. We like
the camera to be alive and searching for
the action.”
Carvalho relishes the opportu-
nity to explore scenes in this way. “The
handheld camera — it’s what I like the
most in life. It’s my favorite toy of all
time. José’s so smart; he understands
that the more free I am, the better I get.
Then you can really follow your heart,
you can follow your eyes, your instincts,
and in the handheld world that gives
you the best results. And when you find
actors that also like to play this way, it’s
amazing. It’s you and the actors playing
with your heart and your feelings to
make the scene happen.”
“We needed
flexible lenses so
we could work at
slower stops and
would have closer
minimum focus.”
With a crew that also included
A- and B-camera 1st ACs Nathan
Mann and Richard Jakes, respectively
— “The two of them did an amazing
job pulling focus,” Carvalho says — as
well as key grip Jim Philpott, Carvalho
shot digitally, using two Arri Alexa
Minis for the handheld scenes and an
Alexa XT Plus for high-speed shots at
100 fps. With the Mini, they recorded
MXF/ArriRaw files to 512GB
SanDisk Pro CFast 2.0 cards; with the
XT, they recorded ArriRaw to 512GB
Codex XR Capture Drives.
The handheld cameras were
outfitted with Vislink L1700 wireless
HD transmitters, and live footage was
viewed on the set on a Sony
PVMA250 25" OLED monitor;
Top: Amin oversees the release of the non-Israeli hostages. Middle: Amin addresses the
hostages. Bottom: The crew readies a scene with Anozie at the president’s desk.
tighter spaces, such as the back of vehi-
cles, necessitated viewing on a Sony

PVMA170 17" monitor. Digital-imag-
ing technician Joe Steel worked with a
Mac Pro system running Pomfort’s
LiveGrade, and he used Blackmagic
Design Mini Recorders to capture Log
C reference video and create CDLs that
were later sent to the lab on a flash drive.
Entebbe had a shooting schedule
of nearly 10 weeks, six of which were
spent in Malta, where a terminal of the
international airport doubled for the one
in Entebbe. For night scenes at the loca-
tion, Carvalho explains, “We chose
warm tones to represent the exterior
lighting, as if it was in the sodium-vapor
world, and cooler tones, towards fluores-
cents, for the interior light. In both
scenarios, we had practical lighting with
those main colors, as well as some oppo-
site color tones to create a rich and real-
istic environment.”
For night exteriors outside the
Above: Lt. Col. terminal, gaffer Shawn White suggested
Yonatan they use Philips Vari-Lite VL3500
Netanyahu
(Angel Bonanni) Washes arrayed on cranes, with 16 VLs
commands the on each. These remote-operated moving
Israel Defense lights offered the flexibility to change
Forces unit
tasked with the their color, focus them into a pool, or
rescue mission. spread them over an area; they were
Middle and rigged in two configurations, one with-
below: Padilha
works through out any diffusion, and the other with a
the rescue cube of Light Grid.
mission with In addition to the Summilux-Cs,
cast.
Carvalho often employed a 14mm
Arri/Zeiss Master Prime, and although
he wasn’t strict about maintaining a
consistent T-stop, he offers, “I like work-
ing between 2.0 and 2.8 in the digital
world. In some scenes, we went under
2.0, when we really wanted to separate
some specific element and leave the
background blurred.”
Principal photography also took
the production to London for three
weeks. There, the art department found
the Harrow Civic Centre offered the
Brutalist architectural style they sought
for the Israeli government locations. The
production shot in the council cham-
bers, the parking lot and the members’
lounge. “There was a lot of tension
between the characters who were nego-
tiating the hijacking situation,”
Carvalho says. “Kave found this amaz-

Top and above, left: The commandos have one week to plan and rehearse their rescue operation.
Above, right: The crew prepares to roll with the camera atop a crane.
ing location with wooden walls, and we crane so we could move it during the ing of the Passover song “Echad Mi
used tungsten lighting to replicate shot and create the feeling that the Yodea.” In the movie, a girlfriend of an
sunlight coming through the windows plane was actually flying,” the cine- Israeli solider is a member of the
for pretty much all of the day scenes in matographer notes. company, and when the soldier goes on
the building.” (See sidebar, page 102.) For the final week of production, the rescue mission to Entebbe, she
Meanwhile, the interior of the the crew traveled to Israel to shoot the enacts the crucial part of the dance,
Air France plane was re-created on a Batsheva Dance Company because falling out of her chair time and again.
soundstage at London’s Ealing Studios. Padilha wanted to open the movie and Though Naharin didn’t create
“On the first scene inside the plane, we intercut the finale with a performance the dance until years after the events of
rigged a tungsten 20K Fresnel on a of choreographer Ohad Naharin’s stag- Entebbe, Padilha says that its inclusion

in the movie “was an artistic freedom I
took because I thought that the mean-
ing of the dance was very relevant. The
movie is about whether Israel wants to
negotiate or not, and the pros and cons
of negotiation. The dance shows
dancers dressed in Orthodox Jewish
clothes, and as the dance progresses,
they make movements of self-inflicted
pain. But they make fewer movements
as they start to undress themselves out
of the Orthodox clothes — they
become more secular. And the one
dancer who doesn’t take off the clothes
keeps dying, keeps falling out of her
chair. I thought this was a great
metaphorical way to make a political
statement in the movie.”
In capturing the dance, Padilha
and Carvalho maintained their
commitment to shooting handheld. “It
was very tough physically,” Carvalho
admits. “That ballet piece takes six to
Hirsch and his fellow commandos execute the rescue mission at night.
seven minutes. And then José and I
were trying to get what we needed, so
114
we were like, ‘One more time, one more help give the images a bit more of a TECHNICAL SPECS
time.’ But when the music played, it ‘film look,’” Fisher says. “There are
was so strong that you could feel the times when colorists might use a LUT 2.39:1
energy. It was one of the most unfor- that is more pronounced and with a
Digital Capture
gettable experiences I’ve had. I was very warm white point to really drive
with those dancers, inside the dance.” home the period look, but this was Arri Alexa Mini, XT Plus
During postproduction, senior more subtle. It just meant that the
colorists Greg Fisher and Paul Ensby images had more of a film-like quality.” CW Sonderoptic Leica Summilux-C,
graded the footage at Company 3’s Fisher also did an HDR pass on Arri/Zeiss Master Prime,
Angenieux Optimo
London facility, where they worked the footage for the movie’s HDR
with a Barco 4K projector. Fisher — release. “There is a significant amount
who finalized the grade following of contrast in the shots even in standard
Ensby’s initial pass — had joined the dynamic range, so it’s not as if it’s a
production near the start and created a completely different look,” Fisher says,
look-up table for Carvalho to reference “but it was nice to be able to take
while shooting; Carvalho’s on-set advantage of what HDR offers.”
monitor was calibrated to make sure Reflecting on his work, Carvalho
that what the cinematographer saw sees a unifying principle. He offers, “I
during production matched what he believe the magic of cinematography is
would see at Company 3. Carvalho sat to try to merge emotion, poetry, tech-
in throughout the final grade, which nique, lighting, framing, breath and
was performed with Blackmagic tension through the camera, working
Design’s DaVinci Resolve 12.5. together with the director, actors and
“We made use of a tweaked the whole crew.” ●
print-emulation LUT in the grade to
FILMMAKERS’ FORUM
A weekend
trip forces
childhood
friends Sahil
(Dhruv
Ganesh) and
Jai (Shiv
Pandit) to
explore their
true feelings
for one
another in the
romantic
drama Loev.
Loev photos by Oankar Chavan. Murder Made Easy photo by Tim Davis. All images courtesy of Sherri Kauk.
I Digging Deep Into My Vocation
By Sherri Kauk
feature, I shifted strongly away from small-form camera bodies
and full-frame sensors. Initially, this put production in a monetary
bind, because Red Epics and Scarlets, Canon 5Ds, and the
One episode every two-and-a-half days. A new director Franken-rigs that support them were more readily available for our
each week. Thirty weeks shooting back to back — for almost seven budget level. We even tested the Red One. But Arri had just
months. I am an indie cinematographer being offered to shoot released its Alexa XT, and its handheld form factor — echoing
Seasons 3 and 4 of the CBS Saturday-morning series The Inspec- 16mm film-camera greats like Arri’s own 416 and Aaton’s XTR
tors. For emerging cinematographers who shoot one, maybe two Prod — and its ability to sensor-crop from 35mm to Super 16
features a year — and with indie shoot schedules averaging 16-22 made this the camera system best suited for Loev. Because Loev
days — being able to stand on set every day is a boon. I am consists of tension-developing, dynamically blocked long takes, I
pumped for this yearlong cinematography craft intensive. By the needed to ensure we were laying down technically sound takes so
end of the run in December 2017, I will have reframed how I speak editorial would be building the film based on performance and not
about the experience, understanding it more fully as an instruction technicalities.
in craft, collaboration and sustainability. Wanting to set up first-time focus puller Achyu Dwivedi and
myself for success, I pitched that we shoot Super 16 format for
Craft dialogue and 35mm sensor for wide establishing shots. Our
Rewind to May 2017. I am settled into the stage in producers at Bombay Berlin Film, Katharina Suckale and Arfi
Charleston, S.C., prepping for The Inspectors. Netflix has just Lamba, connected with Arri head of sales Hans Salzinger. Hans
released director Sudhanshu Saria’s debut feature, Loev, under its pitched back: If I could light to one stop deeper to protect focus
exclusive worldwide acquisitions banner. We shot Loev in the concerns, the slightly older-model Alexa Classic in ProRes 4:4:4
summer of 2015 in Mumbai and cities including Mahabaleshwar would be a phenomenal indie camera option capable of delivering
and the Sandhan Valley. We shot for 16 densely humid days, big value. Forgoing raw streamlined the post workflow and helped
moving through 32 locations and racing to capture exteriors before our shoestring budget.
the monsoons released their summer fury. Shooting handheld with the Alexa, with Arri’s EVF as refer-
Shooting and handheld-operating this ultra-low-budget ence and my light meters at my hip, was cinematography set free.

For Achyu and crew, the camera’s industry- directors. Getting into their minds is the The Inspectors. I was in Atlanta co-leading
standard workflow set them free as well. best part of my job, because everything is a Julie Donovan-organized camera-operat-
In addition to the Alexa Classic imaginary until the director calls “action” ing workshop alongside Geoff Haley and
package, I carried my Blackmagic Pocket and the camera rolls. I want to know we Hilda Mercado. The major differences
Cinema Camera with PL mount for car are creating from complementary points of between shooting an indie project like
work, guerrilla shots, and as a backup inspiration. When all of us are in sync, I Loev versus a studio project like The
body. I appreciate its Super 16 sensor, 10- don’t call it “making the day”; I high-five Inspectors were on my mind. I asked
bit color space, and how well it can match the team and exclaim, “We have won the Geoff, whose career had risen through the
the Alexa’s color space. day!” film ranks from shoestring to blockbuster
We shot Loev with a 35mm and a During a rare break in the day, I — at that time he had just wrapped The
Super 16 set of Zeiss Super Speeds. There pause to remember just three months Fate of the Furious — for his opinion.
is a “honeymoon” portion of the film, back, when I was interviewing to shoot “There is no critical difference,” he
which takes place outside in the breathtak-
ing Sandhan Valley. Shooting this portion
almost wide open, and allowing the Super
Speeds to bloom the highlights and edges,
echoes the gentle whimsy that our charac-
ters, Sahil and Jai, feel.
Collaboration
I’m feeling great. Prep month for
The Inspectors has come to an end, and
we are deep into shooting Season 3. While
shooting today, I steal away with gaffer
Ben Baggott and key grip Dave Justice to
discuss pre-rig needs for next week’s sets; I
pop into tomorrow’s swing sets to touch
base with set decorators Missy Ricker and
Cara Rhodes, and to share coverage notes
I’ve gleaned from this week’s director; I
stop by production designer Leslie Keel’s
office to review previs images for the sets
she’s designing four episodes out. Keel and
I have devised denotations in our break-
downs to qualify sets as “Full Sets” or
“Long Lens Limited Sets” to stretch both
budget and time. “Full Sets” offer 360-
degree shooting, which Keel builds out in
great detail. “Long Lens Limited Sets” are
targeted at short scenes or one-off loca-
tions where coverage requires only one or
two set walls and less detailed finishing.
When I need to step away, I am
covered because I have a camera team
whose members each work like cine-
matographers in their own right. Shooting
with two Red Epic MXs — production-
company owned — fitted with a shared
set of Bausch & Lomb Super Baltars, A-
camera/Steadicam operator Robert Arnold
leads our camera team, with B-camera
operator Jake Butler delivering that extra,
critical piece of coverage.
I love saying “let’s figure out how”
to showrunner Bryan Curb and our visiting
Right:
Cinematographer
Sherri Kauk
(holding the
camera) and crew
capture a scene
with Ganesh and
Pandit in India’s
Sandhan Valley.
Below, left: Kauk
lines up a shot on
Jessica Graham
on the set of
director David
Palamaro’s
Murder Made
Easy, which Kauk
shot between
Loev and The
Inspectors.
Below, right:
Kauk frames a
car-to-car night
exterior for Loev.
replied, “In the end, every production is I learned, for example, when I make our day and the editors make theirs.
challenged by the same beasts — not started Season 3 of The Inspectors, that the “Winning!”
enough money and not enough time. The B camera had previously worked only 30 Months later, with the end of
only difference is the scale and perhaps the percent of the time. I immediately adjusted Season 4 in sight, we wrap for the day. I
source of the challenge, but the challenges the blocking to support both A and B am exhausted, feeling a long way from
will always present themselves.” cameras whenever possible, and we now home, and working every day to keep the
I was skeptical then, but smile now. run two cameras 90 percent of the time. everyday shooting “fresh.”
Shifting from a 16-day road-trip movie in This time saved on coverage is twofold,
India to a seven-month soundstage series because apparently editorial loves it, too. Sustainability
in Charleston has presented insane hurdles Curb shared this tidbit with me: Laying For its premiere and second
stemming from time and money crunches. down multiple camera angles per take seasons, The Inspectors delivered one
The scale and source of the challenges streamlines editing for both continuity and episode in five shooting days. I arrived on
have varied vastly, but the challenge, as he performance when cutting a scene. Season 3 with production having sched-
assured, remains. Employing two cameras helps the crew uled an episode every three days. By

Season 4, we’re shooting each episode in
two-and-a-half days. I don’t know entirely
what to think about this, except to say I
saw the same panic and frustration hit
each director, each week, on their first day
of shooting, as the speed with which we
flew pressured their craft. I felt it too — on
Episode 404, which I directed.
This is where the word “crew”
becomes critical in its essence. We kept
each other afloat and engaged. As the
episodes progressed, we challenged
ourselves around a craft area — we had a
color-splash episode, a dynamic-range
episode, a lighting ratio/big-window-key
vs. overhead-interior-key episode.
Crewmembers bumped up at times to
gain experience. The shorthand and work-
flow we’d established over the year made
every challenge surmountable.
On a personal note, initially, swim-
ming before and after work charged me,
and kept me refreshed and centered. As
we entered the chillier months, and when
the shooting schedule expanded from 10-
hour days to 12-hour days — along with
added weekly lunch meetings and pre-call
scouts — my time for swimming drained.
Indeed, my time for anything outside of
work dried up.
The need to have a counterbalance
to work, even as work hours consume the
majority of the day, is critical. On my next
adventure, I will stay near an indoor pool,
where I can swim during all seasons. I also
support the 10-hour “French hours”
schedule, which likewise supports a more
balanced, healthier family life.
This area — sustainability — is crit-
ical. When I maintain peak overall health, I
can offer peak collaboration and skill. As
my energy, health or well-being wane,
what I am able to lend of myself dimin-
ishes. This area is a part of our vocation I’d
like to hear us all talk more about.
Whereas craft and collaboration rule the
set, sustainability keeps us on those sets
for years to come. ●
NEW PRODUCTS & SERVICES
• SUBMISSION INFORMATION - Please email New Products/Services releases to [email protected] and include full contact information and product images.
Photos must be TIFF or JPEG files of at least 300dpi.
Kim Snyder, Panavision’s CEO and president. “We have been listen-
ing to feedback from cinematographers, and the results of our
collaboration are directly manifested in the DXL2. We remain
committed to continuous technological development and are
excited to bring this new camera to market.”
DXL2 cameras are available now to rent exclusively from
Panavision on a worldwide basis.
For additional information, visit www.panavision.com/dxl.
Panavision Upgrades Millennium DXL

Panavision has introduced the Millennium DXL2 8K camera.
The large-format camera is the heart of an imaging ecosystem that
incorporates Panavision’s optics and camera architecture, Red Digital
Cinema’s Monstro 8K VV sensor, and Light Iron Color 2 science
(LiColor2). The DXL2 builds on the success of the Millennium DXL
and benefits from real-world experience and input gained from
Panavision’s partnership with cinematographers.
“The Millennium DXL2 8K camera system was conceived
with the goal of maximum creative control from the moment of
capture through delivery and display,” says ASC associate Michael
Cioni, senior vice president of innovation at Panavision and Light Arri Launches Large-Format Alexa
Iron. Arri has unveiled a complete large-format system to meet
Since its introduction in 2016, the DXL has been used on modern production requirements. Based on a large-format 4K
more than 20 features and an array of television series, commercials version of the Alexa sensor, the system comprises the Alexa LF
and music videos. John Schwartzman, ASC photographed two camera, Arri Signature Prime lenses, LPL lens mount, and PL-to-LPL
features with the DXL and is among those who have tested the adapter. The system is also compatible with existing lenses, acces-
DXL2, providing input that has guided the design. “When you take sories and workflows.
an 8K image and super-sample it, it only gets better,” says Schwartz- Featuring a sensor slightly bigger than full frame, the Alexa LF
man. “It’s absolutely beautiful to look at. For me, the Millennium camera records native 4K, allowing filmmakers to embrace a large-
DXL2 is a no-brainer. It’s something I would use on anything. It does format aesthetic while retaining the Alexa sensor’s colorimetry and
it all. And in fact, I’m currently planning to shoot my next feature proven suitability for HDR and WCG workflows. Recording formats
with it.” include ProRes as well as uncompressed, unencrypted ArriRaw at up
The Monstro 8K VV sensor in the DXL2 offers 16-plus stops to 150 fps.
of dynamic range with improvements in image quality and shadow “The larger Alexa LF sensor has the same optimal pixel size as
detail, a native ISO setting of 1,600, and ProRes 4K recording at up other Alexas, resulting in a 4448-by-3096 image,” says ASC associ-
to 60 fps. Images are presented on the camera in log format using ate Marc Shipman-Mueller, Arri product manager for camera
Light Iron’s color science. An integrated PX-Pro color-spectrum filter systems. “This doesn’t just add definition, it creates a whole new
custom-made for the DXL offers a significant increase in color sepa- look — one that is truly immersive, with a three-dimensional feel.
ration and higher color precision to the image. Built-in Preston MDR, The various recording formats and sensor modes make this look
24-volt power and expanded direct-to-edit features are also stan- available to all productions and satisfy any possible deliverable
dard on the DXL2. An anamorphic flare attachment (AFA) offers a requirement.”
convenient, controllable method of introducing anamorphic-style Accompanying the Alexa LF camera are 16 large-format
flares with spherical lenses. Additionally, LiColor2 streamlines the 8K Signature Prime lenses, ranging from 12mm to 280mm and outfit-
pipeline, smoothly handling the workflow and offering quick, ted with the Arri LPL mount. A fast T-stop of T1.8 facilitates images
convenient access to high-quality raw images. with a shallow depth of field, and the smooth focus falloff gives
“We are proud to provide an ecosystem of tools that gives subjects heightened presence in the frame.
filmmakers more choices to express their vision,” says ASC associate Thorsten Meywald, Arri product manager for optical systems,

cious start for Harp, who joined Arri Rental
in November, following 27 years with
Panavision. Arri Rental’s headquarters,
found in nearby Secaucus, N.J., will remain
the center for the company’s full spectrum
of services for camera, lighting and grip
needs. Arri Rental’s exclusive offerings
include Alexa 65 and Alexa XT B+W
cameras.
“Having a presence in New York City
will bring day-to-day efficiencies for our
comments, “The Arri Signature Prime lenses At press time, the first Alexa LF clients,” adds ASC associate Martin Cayzer,
are incredibly lightweight and robust due to cameras were scheduled to ship at the end Arri Rental’s chief executive, “and, just as
the magnesium lens barrels. They also of March, with the initial set of four Signa- importantly, give them a sense of who we
feature LDS-2, Arri’s next-generation Lens ture Prime lenses (35mm, 47mm, 75mm, are and what we stand for by providing a
Data System. What has impressed cine- and 125mm) slated to be shipped in early [home away from home] in this vibrant,
matographers most, however, is the look. June. The remaining lenses will be available creative and exciting borough. That and
Skin tones are rendered beautifully and over the course of the year. great coffee, of course.”
kindly, while all the detail of landscapes can For additional information, visit Arri Rental Brooklyn Haus, 236
be captured. Our focus was on the www.arri.com/largeformat. Greenpoint Avenue, Building Six, Brooklyn,
emotional impact of images, creating N.Y. 11222. For more information, visit
unique and pleasing bokeh both in the fore- Arri Rental Opens Brooklyn Haus www.arrirentalgroup.com.
ground and background.” Promising “crew hospitality” to the
Optimized for large-format sensors, Brooklyn production community, Arri Rental
the LPL lens mount has a wider diameter has announced the opening of a satellite
and shorter flange focal depth than the PL office to accommodate camera rentals, with
mount, allowing the Signature Primes and space for prep, drop-offs and pickups.
future large-format lenses to be small and Located in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighbor-
lightweight, with a fast T-stop and pleasing hood, Arri Rental’s Brooklyn Haus is situated
bokeh. The LPL mount will also be available near popular studio locations including
for other Arri cameras and is being licensed Broadway Stages, Steiner Studios, Silvercup
to third-party lens and camera manufactur- Studios and Kaufman Astoria Studios.
ers. With meeting rooms, entertaining
Full compatibility with existing PL- spaces and a café, the Brooklyn Haus can
mount lenses and Alexa accessories is a serve as a gathering place for production
cornerstone of the system’s design. A PL-to- and crew. ASC associate Lisa Harp, presi-
LPL adapter offers backwards compatibility dent of Arri Rental U.S. Camera, says, “By
with all PL-mount lenses, whether Super 35 opening Brooklyn Haus, we not only under-
or full frame. The adapter attaches securely line our long-term commitment to support
to the LPL lens mount without tools, allow- New York’s bustling production community
ing crews to rapidly switch between PL and and its members, but also create an inviting
LPL lenses on set, and offering cinematogra- environment for networking, exchanging
phers a vast field of lenses from which to ideas and listening to customers.” NBCUniversal Wields LightBlade
choose. The facility opening marks an auspi- Launched last year, NBCUniversal’s
“As always, we want to make sure LightBlade family of LED units recently
that our customers get the best possible expanded with the addition of 1 Blade, 2
return on their investments in Arri equip- Blade and 4 Blade configurations. These
ment,” says Stephan Schenk, managing new products join the popular LB1K and
director of Arri Cine Technik. “Providing Ladder Light.
compatibility with existing lenses, camera The basic NBCUniversal LightBlade
accessories, workflows, Arri Look Files, lens module is a linear 4' fixture that can be used
metadata, and software tools makes it individually or combined to build lighting
easier for crews to work with Alexa LF on set fixtures tailored for any soft-light applica-
and for rental houses to incorporate it into tion. Each LightBlade produces up to 8,000
their inventories.” lumens of high-CRI white light, tunable

brightest monitor SmallHD has so far made.
Capable of two input sources for
simultaneous A/B camera monitoring, the
703 Bolt Wireless Director’s Monitor can be
powered by a single Gold or V-mount
battery, with a 90 watt-hour battery provid-
ing more than four hours of viewing and
from 2,700K to 6,500K. The white-light signal reception. Built from a milled-
output can be blended with the built-in aluminum frame with a durable Gorilla
high-output RGB saturated color engine, Glass screen, the 703 Bolt system measures
providing nearly unlimited lighting-control 8.4"x4.8"x1.21" without antennas, and
possibilities. Lighting professionals can weighs 4.35 pounds with battery and
selectively layer saturated color on top of handles, the latter of which are contoured
white light to create different with an ergonomic rubberized coating. If a
shades, tints and tones without wired configuration is preferred, the moni-
sacrificing the white-light qual- tor can run two SDI inputs simultaneously,
ity critical for production and or as an SDI input and an SDI output.
broadcast lighting. Each Light- The 703 Bolt Wireless Director’s
Blade is powered by 24-volt DC Monitor is delivered with SmallHD’s latest
and controllable via four chan- OS3 operating system, which incorporates
nels of DMX/RDM.
NBCUniversal Light-
Blade LED has been quickly
adopted by feature, series and
commercial productions across
North America. The light-
weight, 1.5"x48", 50-watt
light engines are silent and
flicker-free, and are built to
endure the wear and tear of
staging and production.
NBCUniversal LightBlade LED is avail-
able for rental and sales. For more informa-
tion, visit www.lightbladeled.com. features for color synchronization, spot
metering and auto-calibration, including
custom false color, improved battery meter
and computer-free integration with the
optional SmallHD Color Probe.
SmallHD CEO Wes Phillips explains
that OS3 enables users to “calibrate their
on-camera and production monitors with-
out using a computer. We’ve added the
capability to create up to 10 customizable
IRE ranges and assign specific colors to the
SmallHD, Teradek Partner for ranges. It allows the user to choose what’s
Director’s Monitor important in the exposure, and identify
Marking the first collaboration problem areas faster than ever.”
between Vitec Group companies SmallHD The 703 Bolt is available on its own
and Teradek, the 703 Bolt Wireless Direc- or in a Director’s Kit, which bundles the
tor’s Monitor provides live review of full monitor with handles, neck strap, battery
1920x1080p at up to 300' when used with bracket, and both matte and transparent
compatible Teradek Bolt 500, 1000 or 3000 screen protectors.
transmitters. With previews and playback as For additional information, visit
well as stereo audio headphone output, the www.smallhd.com and www.teradek.com.
3,000-nit, daylight-viewable display is the ➣
123
Industry City Welcomes AbelCine large productions alongside state-of-the-art
AbelCine, a supplier of products and maintenance and service centers for
services to the broadcast and media indus- cameras, lenses and ancillaries.
tries, has relocated its Manhattan operation, “At AbelCine, we support filmmak-
including more than 85 employees, into a ers and content producers in all their
new 44,000-square-foot facility in the creative and business endeavors,” says
Industry City business park in Brooklyn. The Abel. “We do this by offering a range of
move was planned and overseen by ASC services focused on gear, support and learn-
associate member Rich Abel, AbelCine’s co- ing. This combination of technology, inno-
founder and COO, with Liz McGill, Abel- vation and creativity is also central to Indus-
Cine’s creative director. The result is a try City. With a healthy mix of artists,
reimagined physical location where designers, media producers and makers, we
creatives can work and interact while gain- immediately recognized that I.C. was our
ing seamless access to gear, support and natural home.”
education. Constructed on the waterfront in
The move to Industry City provides Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood,
productions with a 107-seat training theater Industry City is home to 16 separate but
that has been equipped with 4K projection, interconnected buildings for creative,
a 15' screen, 7.1 surround sound, and commercial and industrial businesses.
multi-camera live-switch/livestream capabili- “AbelCine is a key component to the film
ties. The large, open, interactive showroom and media ecosystem that continues to
incorporates sales, rentals, tech services and grow at Industry City,” adds Industry City
training, each easily accessible from a CEO Andrew Kimball. “The company’s
central floor. There are also spacious rental commitment to the industry through inno-
checkout bays with amenities for small to vation and ongoing education fit well with
124
the ethos of the vibrant Industry City
campus.”
The interior and exterior of the Abel-
Cine HQ features several collaborations with
local artisans who have repurposed materi-
als from past Industry City warehouses. In
addition to a lounge and community area,
the new AbelCine site has an engineering

lab with machine room for product devel-
opment, prototypes, and manufacturing
needs. An integration area is also provided
for the building and staging of broadcast,
livestream and studio solutions. Finally,
multipurpose rooms are available for
custom training or technical consultations.
AbelCine NY, 88 35th Street, Indus-
try City, Brooklyn, N.Y., 11232. For more
information, visit www.abelcine.com. ➣
DJI Stabilizes handheld Systems The Ronin-S is compatible with a
DJI has unveiled two new stabiliza- variety of accessories already available for
tion systems, the Osmo Mobile 2 and professional DJI products, including a Focus
Ronin-S, each of which has been built to Control Center with focusing dial and
bring smooth and steady panning and screen, allowing advanced gimbal and focus
tracking to handheld video capture. without a mobile device. It also comes with
“With the introduction of these two a vehicle-mount solution, DJI Master Force,
stabilizers, DJI now offers gimbal technology DJI Master Wheels, an external focus motor,
to help unlock the creative story- and a cheese plate adapter for third-party
teller in everyone, no matter accessories. A dual-handle support will be
what camera they’re produced for the Ronin-S, too.
using,” says Paul Pan, The Osmo Mobile 2 is a handheld
senior product manager stabilizer for smartphones with an dual-mount plate has intelligent LED sensors
at DJI. “Osmo Mobile 2 adjustable two-way mobile clamp that can to monitor battery status, and houses two
offers the best in smart- pivot between landscape and portrait orien- D-Taps.
phone stabilization at an tation. Constructed of high-strength modi- The Mini V-Lok “packs a lot of
affordable price, and Ronin-S fied nylon, the Osmo Mobile 2 is compact power-into a small footprint,” says ASC
brings the quality of DJI’s and foldable. associate Steven Manios Jr., president of
professional gimbal tech- The three-axis Osmo Mobile 2 Manios Digital & Film. “Hawk-Woods Mini
nology to a new form gimbal works in concert with the same V-Lok eliminates the need to swap out
factor that is perfect for SmoothTrack technology to detect and batteries every hour without adding undo
run-and-gun filming using compensate for camera movements. The extra weight.
your favorite DSLR or mirrorless camera 1⁄4" screw will secure accessories including “Either battery can be swapped out
system.” lights or microphones, and a USB port has without having to power down, so you
With manual focusing options, the been incorporated to enable charge during never run out of power,” continues Manios
Ronin-S is the company’s first single-handed capture and serve as a power bank for Jr. “It works like stackable batteries except
stabilizer for the DSLR and mirrorless smaller electronics. A zoom slider has been that you don’t have to carry around the
markets. The SmoothTrack handle technol- added that can simulate a dolly effect, and extra weight of a dead battery.”
ogy offers a simplified button and joystick the battery offers up to 15 hours of runtime. An authorized distributor for Hawk-
interface to control the camera and gimbal The free DJI Go application offers Woods — as well as Cartoni, Vocas,
as well as operations. With three-axis modes including ActiveTrack, which auto- Kinotehnik, and Veydra — Manios Digital &
gimbaling, there are high-torque motors matically follows moving subjects; Motion Film has an extensive relationship nation-
that support both in-camera and in-lens Timelapse, for up to five different camera wide with dealers and manufacturers.
optical stabilization from systems such as positions; and Hyperlapse, to create time- “These batteries are an ideal choice for
Canon’s EOS 5D, Panasonic’s GH and Sony’s lapse videos while the camera is in motion. lightweight configurations, and they
Alpha cameras. The app can also livestream to Facebook, conform to air-transport restrictions,” adds
Axis locks and an ergonomic, curved YouTube and other popular social platforms. Cartoni France CEP Régis Prosper.
design reduce shake during complex move- For additional information, visit For additional information, visit
ments. The stabilization system also www.dji.com. www.hawkwoods.co.uk and www.manios
compensates for zoom lenses, even those digital.com.
with higher magnification ratios and exter- Hawk-Woods Packs Power
nal zooming barrels. In With U.S. distribution through Miller Aims True With CompassX
addition to Sport mode for Manios Digital & Film, broadcast-solutions Camera-support solutions provider
tight tracking of provider Hawk-Woods has announced Miller has announced the CompassX series
quickly moving flight-safe, ultra-small and lightweight Mini of fluid heads. Designed for speed, balance
subjects, a Push V-Lok batteries. and strength, the CompassX series currently
mode allows users to The Mini V-Lok is available in two comprises five models: CX2, CX6, CX8,
manipulate the pan-and- sizes: 100 watt-hour and 150 watt-hour, CX10 and CX18.
tilt axis by hand. DJI’s intel- the latter of which includes two D-Tap The CX fluid heads incorporate
ligent batteries can be hot- outlets. When used in tandem with an Miller’s CB Plus technology, which takes
swapped in the Ronin-S optional adaptor, the Mini V-Lok will extend traditional counterbalancing a step forward.
during operation. Smooth- capacity up to 300 watt hours. Hawk- All five models feature 16 positions of coun-
Track settings can be directly Woods also introduced the VL-MCF1 — terbalance for fine, rapid adjustment, and
customized with dedicated respon- and VL-MCF2 for Red users — hot-swap- the side-loading base plate enables fast and
siveness on each axis. pable battery mount for the Mini V-Lok; the easy mounting of camera rigs. The wide

payload range of the CompassX series
provides flexibility when switching cameras
or adding accessories. Its robust construc-
tion promises a long, low-maintenance
service-life and low cost of ownership.
The CX2 and CX6 boast a payload
range of 0-8kg (0-17.6 pounds) and 0-12kg
(0-26.4 pounds), respectively, with “3+0”
pan-and-tilt drag positions and a 75mm
ball-leveling mounting base for lighter rigs
where portability is important. Where more
fluid drag is required, the CX8 and CX10
both support 5+0 drag positions, a 0-12kg
payload range, and a 75mm and 100mm
ball-leveling mounting base, respectively.
The models top out with the CX18, which
features a 0-16kg (0-35.2 pounds) range,
5+0 pan-and-tilt drag positions, and a
100mm ball-leveling mounting base.
For additional information, visit
www.millertripods.com.
Rokinon Offers Wide Angle

Following on the heels of the
company’s 35mm (f1.4) full-frame lens for
Sony E mount, Rokinon has released the
14mm (f2.8) — the company’s first AF lens
to be available for Canon EF.
With a seven-blade aperture and
116.6-degree angle of view, the lens
holds 15 elements in 10 groups, including
one Extra-Low Dispersion, two Aspherical,
and four High-Refractive Index lens
elements. Ultra Multi-Coating anti-reflective
coatings further minimize aberration. The
lens construction includes an all-metal
housing and Manual/AF switch. Though it
is full-frame, the EF-mount
lens is compatible with
Canon EF-S Super
35-sized APS-C
sensors at approx-
imately 22.4mm
(depending on
sensor) for an
equivalent angle
of view of 92.8
degrees in 35mm. Sony, Canon, Nikon and Micro Four
The lens has a minimum focusing Thirds mounts.
distance of 7.8" and a magnification ratio For additional information, visit
of x0.15. As an ultra-wide prime, there is no www.rokinon.com. aligned thanks to
filter thread, and lens petals are affixed. The 55mm of camera-plate
compact 14mm lens measures 3.8" long Manfrotto travel. The previously released Nitrotech N8
with a weight of 17.1 ounces (485 grams). Expands head supports up to 17.6 pounds for use on
Rokinon lenses are produced by Nitrotech Range tripods, cranes or slider rigs; Manfrotto’s
Korean lens company Samyang Optics. With variable fluidity adjustment for new Nitrotech N12 supports rigs from 8.8
Samyang offers several similar focal lengths both pan and tilt, Manfrotto’s Nitrotech pounds up to 26.4 pounds.
under their own brand, including a line of fluid video heads boast a continuous To keep the weight of peripherals off
Cine Lenses with de-clicked apertures for counterbalance system that can be precisely of cameras, Nitrotech heads feature a 3⁄8"
Easy Link connection with a fast anti-rota-
tion lockdown switch for adding external
monitors or other accessories such as flags
or lights.
Building on the design of the
Nitrotech N8, the $599 Nitrotech N12 adds
a side knob for adjusting the counterbal-
ance. Bumping up to $1,099, the Nitrotech
N12 is available with the two-stage
aluminum 545GB tripod, which includes a
ground spreader, or the 545B tripod, with
mid-level spreader; each tripod
offers a height range of 11"-60"
and weighs only 8 pounds with a
payload capacity of up to
55 pounds. An included
flat-base-to-half-bowl
adapter allows the
75mm flat-base head
to be used with the
100mm bowl on
both tripods.
The Nitrotech
N12 with 536
carbon-fiber tripod is
available at $1,479. The three-stage 536
tripod does not incorporate a spreader and
offers a height range of 10"-80" and
weighs only 7 pounds while offering a
55-pound payload capacity.
Manfrotto’s Nitrotech N8 is also
available in multiple configurations, includ-
ing with the 546GB or 546B aluminum
tripod, or the 535 carbon-fiber legs.
The Nitrotech fluid heads are also
compatible with several Manfrotto dolly and
slider systems.
For additional information, visit
www.manfrotto.us. ●
ERRWK&
&KHFNRXUZHEVLWHIRUGHWDLOV
WKHDVFFRP
INTERNATIONAL MARKETPLACE

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ADVERTISER’S
INDEX
Abel Cine Tech 73 Eastman Kodak C4 Rag Place, The 119
Adorama 57 Fluotec 97 Really Right Stuff 47
Arri 14-15, 55 Formatt KT America Inc./ Red Digital Cinema 89
Arri Rental 39 Tokina Cinema 7 Revolution 435 D&C/Bolt Stage
ASC Master Class 8 Mexico 107
Glidecam Industries 75 Rosco Laboratories, Inc. 93
B&H Photo-Video-Pro Audio Gripandelectric.com, LLC.
121 RPM Lights Inc. 124
130 RTS Inc. 41
Backstage Equipment, Inc. Grip Factory Munich/GFM 127
123 Samy’s DV & Edit 21, 23, 25,
Band Pro Film & Digital 43 Hexolux/Visionsmith 130 27, 29
Blackmagic Design, Inc. 11 Hollywood PL 119 Scheimpflug Rentals 125
Canon USA C3 J. L. Fisher 83 Schneider Optics 2
Carl Zeiss 81 Selected Tables 132
Kino Flo 67 Sigma Corp. of America 19
Cavision Enterprises 130 Koerner Camera Systems 127
Chapman/Leonard Super16, Inc. 131
Koto Electric Co., Inc. 111
Studio Equip. 105 Teradek, LLC C2-1, 95
Cinec 128 Lee Filters 49 Thales Angenieux 31
Cine Gear Expo 133 Lights!Action! Co. 131 Tiffen 109
Cinekinetic 130 Maccam 99 Tilta Inc. 103
Cinematography Mole-Richardson 130 Vantage Gmbh 113
Electronics 119 Movietech AG 130 Velvetlight/Thelight Luminary
Cineo 114 S.L. 115
NBC/Universal 45
Cooke Optics 17 VER Los Angeles 5
Nila Inc. 66
CTT Exp. & Rentals 98 Visual Products 131
CW Sonderoptic Gmbh 91 Otto Nemenz International 77
Wild Rabbit Productions 48
DJI Creative Studio 59, 61, P+S Technik Feinmechanik
Willy’s Widgets 131
63, 65 Gmbh 125, 131
www.ascmag.com 119, 124,
Duclos Lenses 9, 87 Panasonic System
129
Communications Comp. 13
Panavision 79 XEEN by Rokinon 71
Pille Filmgeraeteverleih
Gmbh 130
Power Gems Ltd. 117
Pro8mm 130
Quasar Science LLC 82
132
CLUBHOUSE
NEWS
matography discipline, recently held its
eighth annual Winners Show at the AFI
campus in Los Angeles. The show brings
selected prizewinning films from the Polish
festival to Los Angeles. Among the projects
screened were The Art of Loving, shot by
Michal Sobocinski, PSC (“Rising Stars of
Cinematography,” AC Feb. ‘18); ASC Spot-
light Award nominee Loveless, shot by
Mikhail Krichman, RGC; and ASC Spotlight
Award nominee On Body and Soul, shot by
Máté Herbai, HSC.
AC at Sundance
American Cinematographer made
large footprints in the snow at the 2018
Clockwise from top left: Lois Burwell with
John Bailey, ASC; associate member Bill Sundance Film Festival, serving as the media
Russell; associate member Denny Clairmont. partner of Canon, the festival’s official
camera sponsor, while co-hosting two major
Russell Named VP Sales, parties for filmmakers.
Sim Camera U.S. On January 21, the magazine helped
ASC associate member Bill Russell Canon welcome a capacity crowd of film-
was recently appointed vice president of makers and their guests at the Canon
sales at Sim Camera U.S. In this new posi- Creative Studio, the company’s official
tion, Russell is charged with establishing festival headquarters on Main Street, where
and maintaining relationships with Sim the company celebrated cinematographers
clients in the U.S. market, and will oversee with its annual “Raise Your Glass to Cine-
Photo of Clubhouse by Isidore Mankofsky, ASC; lighting by Donald M. Morgan, ASC.

business development activities for the matography” party. ASC president Kees van
company’s Los Angeles and Atlanta camera Oostrum and fellow Society members Steven
operations. Russell previously served as vice Shaw and Nancy Schreiber were among the
president of camera products for Arri, and many industry professionals who attended
ran a consulting business for entrepreneurs the event, where guests mingled while keep-
Bailey, Clairmont Honored seeking to enter or improve their position in ing an eye on the NFL’s NFC Championship
at SOC Awards the motion-picture industry. Game.
The Society of Camera Operators “I am very happy to be part of this As part of the media partnership with
(SOC) recently held their Lifetime Achieve- growing and dynamic team,” says Russell. Canon, the magazine also helped present a
ment Awards at the Loews Hollywood “Sim is uniquely positioned to provide first- series of six panel discussions moderated by
Hotel. John Bailey, ASC was presented rate service in camera rentals and world- veteran contributors Jay Holben and Pat
with the Governors Award, and ASC associ- class post facilities across the market. The Thomson and streamed live on the AC Face-
SOC Awards photos by Albert L. Ortega.
ate member Denny Clairmont received combination of these linked services under book page (facebook.com/AmericanCine-
the Distinguished Service Award. Actress one roof gives our customers in production matographer). Complete details — as well as
Meryl Streep received the Presidents Award. and post the partner they need.” additional coverage of select Sundance
Lifetime Achievement Awards were also Russell is based in Los Angeles. projects — can be found on the magazine’s
presented to camera operator P. Scott website (ascmag.com/articles/canon-
Sakamoto, SOC; mobile camera platform Camerimage Presents creative-studio-at-sundance-2018).
operator Dan Pershing; camera technician Winners Show “Our inaugural partnership with
John Connor; and still photographer JoJo The Camerimage International Film Canon was extremely successful, spotlighting
Whilden, SMPSP. Festival, in partnership with the ASC and the the kind of filmmaker and educational
American Film Institute Conservatory’s cine- outreach both of our organizations offer to

1. 1. AC contributor Pat Thomson
leads a discussion at Canon’s
Sundance headquarters. 2. ASC
the industry,” says Stephen Pizzello, associate Jay Holben (far right)
AC editor-in-chief and publisher. moderates a talk with (from left)
Brent Barbano, Yamit
“We’re very grateful to our friends at Shimonovitz and Martina
Canon and its media-relations firm, Radwan. 3. Thomson (far right)
Sunshine Sachs, for inviting us to join with (from left) Greta Zozula,
Claudia Raschke and Autumn
forces.” Eakin. 4. ASC President Kees van
On January 20, for the third Oostrum with filmmaker Dan
successive year, AC co-hosted its Kneece at Canon’s “Raise Your
Glass to Cinematography” party.
“Park City Beer ’n’ Brats” reception 5. ASC members Steven Shaw
for filmmakers along with sponsors and Nancy Schreiber at the
TCS New York, CW Sonderoptic/Leica Canon party. 6. Halyna Hutchins
and Drew Levin at the “Park City
Cine, Camadeus Film Technologies Beer ’n’ Brats” party. 7. Erik
and the International Collective of Schietinger of TCS New York,
Female Cinematographers (ICFC). Seth Emmons of CW Sonderoptic
and Sebastian Lumme of
The invitation-only party attracted Camadeus Film Technologies
several hundred cinematographers pose with Meg Kettell at the
and industry pros who enjoyed a full Park City party. 8. ICFC members.
bar and catered, alpine-themed food in a
luxurious venue with spectacular mountain
views.
“The magazine deeply appreciates
the stalwart and extremely generous
support provided by Erik and Oliver Schi-
etinger of TCS, Seth Emmons and Rainer
Hercher of CW Sonderoptic, and Sebastian
2. 4.
Lumme of Camadeus, whose enthusiasm
and extraordinary attention to detail have
3. 5.
helped our annual reception attain ‘hot
ticket’ status,” says Pizzello. “We were also
happy to share the day with our friends
from the ICFC, who turned out in force to
Sundance/Park City photos by Seth Emmons, Andrew Fish, Rainer Hercher and Danna Kinsky.
help us celebrate the kind of inclusive

artistry that American Cinematographer
and the ASC emphatically support.” ●
6.
7.
8.

CLOSE-UP
Alik Sakharov, ASC
When you were a child, What has been your most

what film made the satisfying moment on a
strongest impression on project?
you? There is not one moment —
Aleksandr Dovzhenko’s silent there are moments! Many
film Earth, and Andrei moments on many projects
Tarkovsky’s film The Mirror. can at times bring tremen-
dous satisfaction. It all
Which cinematographers, depends.
past or present, do you
most admire? Have you made any
Danilo Demutsky, from memorable blunders?
Ukraine; Sergey Urusevsky, Who does not? I’m sure I
from Russia; and Gordon have.
Willis, ASC, from the USA.
What is the best professional advice you’ve ever received?
What sparked your interest in photography? Want to be somebody? Don’t think too much. Just get out there
Black-and-white images in general. Taking pictures at an early age and start doing it. If you have something worthy to bring to the
— 11 or 12. Processing the film and printing pictures in the dark- table, people will notice.
room. The whole process was akin to magic. It hooked me imme-
diately. Many years later, I am still under its powerful grip. What recent books, films or artworks have inspired you?
This is a truly continuous process. It’s not really books, films or
Where did you train and/or study? artworks — it is mostly people who inspire me. Chief among them
I have no formal higher education in photography or cinema. As a are Andrei Tarkovsky, Yuri Norstein, Eduard Nazarov, Ingmar
boy, from 11 to 13, I attended an afterschool photo program in Bergman, Stanley Kubrick and Michelangelo Antonioni.
Moscow’s House of Culture in the Krasnopresnenskaya district.
Do you have any favorite genres, or genres you would like
Who were your early teachers or mentors? to try?
The instructors in the photo program at the House of Culture — I Poetic cinema.
don’t remember their names.
If you weren’t a cinematographer, what might you be doing
What are some of your key artistic influences? instead?
The films of Andrei Tarkovsky, Aleksandr Dovzhenko, Ingmar I am doing it already, and that is directing.
Bergman, Michelangelo Antonioni and Stanley Kubrick.
Which ASC cinematographers recommended you for
How did you get your first break in the business? membership?
In the Eighties I did a lot of industrials, eventually progressing to The late Harris Savides was my main sponsor, along with Sol
shooting music videos, commercials, and then films — low-budget Negrin and Julio Macat.
films, that is. After that, things started really ‘snowballing’ into the
career of a real cinematographer. After five or six features, I ended How has ASC membership impacted your life and career?
up shooting the pilot of The Sopranos, and on and on it went. It made/makes one matter. Still does. ●

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APRIL 2018

An International Publication of the ASC

50 Isle of Dogs – Animal Kingdom 50

68 General Hospital – The Never-Ending Story

84 Red Sparrow – Seduce and Destroy 68

100 7 Days in Entebbe – Daring Operation

At the Canon Creative Studio

DP First: Women Who Shoot

Visit us online at www.ascmag.com

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF and PUBLISHER

$6&0DVWHU&ODVV,·PVWLOOLQWRXFKZLWKPDQ\RIWKH MEMBERS OF THE

ÜÜÜ°Ì i>ÃV°V MUSEUM CURATOR

“In wildness is the preservation of the world.” — Henry David Thoreau

Kees van Oostrum

12 April 2018 American Cinematographer

I How LEDs Work

16 April 2018 American Cinematographer

18 April 2018 American Cinematographer

20 April 2018 American Cinematographer

22 April 2018 American Cinematographer

Inside Llewyn Davis photo by Alison Rosa, courtesy of CBS Films.

24 April 2018 American Cinematographer

26 April 2018 American Cinematographer

28 April 2018 American Cinematographer

30 April 2018 American Cinematographer

32 April 2018 American Cinematographer

“I had a real stew of images I was

used to that brand could feel like they

www.ascmag.com April 2018 33

34 April 2018 American Cinematographer

“It was impossible to get to some of the

www.ascmag.com April 2018 35

T obias Schliessler, ASC had never

36 April 2018 American Cinematographer

www.ascmag.com April 2018 37

38 April 2018 American Cinematographer

Levine adds that the production

40 April 2018 American Cinematographer

42 April 2018 American Cinematographer

44 April 2018 American Cinematographer

46 April 2018 American Cinematographer

50 April 2018 American Cinematographer

banished to an island of garbage follow- In the stop-motion

www.ascmag.com April 2018 51

aesthetic of this movie. It’s a very differ-

52 April 2018 American Cinematographer

www.ascmag.com April 2018 53

T he Canon EOS-1D X is the first

54 April 2018 American Cinematographer

56 April 2018 American Cinematographer

58 April 2018 American Cinematographer

risers, and as their heads come together,

60 April 2018 American Cinematographer

Left, top and bottom: An animator works

Oliver: We shot with the Canon

62 April 2018 American Cinematographer

smoke because there’s no animation in

64 April 2018 American Cinematographer

AC visits the set of

$6&0DVWHU&ODVV,·PVWLOOLQWRXFKZLWKPDQ\RIWKH MEMBERS OF THE

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