VisionARRI Magazine Issue 6 by ARRI

06/08 ISSUE 6

VisionARRI

The Biannual International Magazine from the ARRI RENTAL & POSTPRODUCTION ENTERPRISES

PRINCE CASPIAN Director Andrew Adamson and DoP Karl Walter Lindenlaub ASC, BVK talk about the latest instalment of The Chronicles of Narnia

Anonyma Eine Frau in Berlin World War II drama posts at ARRI Film & TV

Hunger DoP Sean Bobbitt BSC on shooting 2-perforation

Crusoe The adventures of Robinson Crusoe and the ARRIFLEX D-21

American Gladiators Illumination Dynamics lights the gladiatorial arena

ARRI SERVICES GROUP NETWORK ARRI SUBSIDIARIES LUXEMBOURG ARRI Rental Luxembourg Cameras, Digital Steffen Ditter T +352 2670 1270 sditter@arri.de

AUSTRIA ARRI Rental Vienna Cameras, Digital Gerhard Giesser T +43 664 120 7257 rental@arri.at

SWITZERLAND Schwarz Film AG, Ostermundigen, Zürich Film Lab, Digital Intermediate Philipp Tschäppät T +41 31 938 11 50 philipp@schwarzfilm.ch

CZECH REPUBLIC UNITED KINGDOM ARRI Rental Prague Cameras, Digital, Lighting, Grip ARRI Lighting Rental, London Lighting Robert Keil T +42 025 101 3575 Tommy Moran rkeil@arri.de T +44 1895 457 200 tmoran@arrirental.com GERMANY ARRI Focus, London ARRI Rental Berlin Cameras, Digital, Lighting, Grip Short term lighting hire for commercials & promos Ute Baron Martin Maund, George Martin Christoph Hoffsten T +44 1895 810 000 T +49 30 346 800 0 martin@arrifocus.com ubaron@arri.de george@arrifocus.com choffsten@arri.de ARRI Media, London Cameras, Digital, Grip Philip Cooper T +44 1895 457 100 pcooper@arrimedia.com

ARRI Crew, London ARRI Rental Munich Cameras, Digital, Lighting, Grip Diary Service Kate Collier Thomas Loher T +44 1895 457 180 T +49 89 3809 1440 arricrew@arrimedia.com tloher@arri.de ARRI Film & TV Services, Munich USA ARRI CSC, New York Film Lab, Digital Intermediate Cameras, Digital, Lighting, Grip Visual Effects, Sound, Studio, Cinema Simon Broad, Hardwrick Johnson International Sales T +1 212 757 0906 Angela Reedwisch sbroad@arricsc.com T +49 89 3809 1574 hjohnson@arricsc.com areedwisch@arri.de National Sales Walter Brus T +49 89 3809 1772 wbrus@arri.de ARRI Schwarzfilm Berlin GmbH Film Lab, Digital Intermediate Angela Reedwisch T +49 30 408 17 8534 T +49 30 408 17 850 areedwisch@arri.de Schwarz Film GmbH Ludwigsburg Film Lab, Digital Intermediate Christine Wagner, Philipp Tschäppät T +49 7141 125 590 christine@schwarzfilm.de philipp@schwarzfilm.ch

4 THE RETURN TO NARNIA

Director Andrew Adamson and DoP Karl Walter Lindenlaub ASC, BVK, discuss shooting Prince Caspian, the next chapter in The Chronicles of Narnia

ARRI PARTNERS & ASSOCIATES

AUSTRALIA ARRI Australia, Sydney Cameras, Digital Stefan Sedlmeier T +61 2 9855 4300 ssedlmeier@arri.com.au

ARRI Rental Cologne Cameras, Digital Stefan Martini T +49 221 170 6724 smartini@arri.de

VISIONARRI

ARRI CSC, Florida Cameras, Digital, Lighting, Grip Ed Stamm T +1 954 322 4545 estamm@arricsc.com Illumination Dynamics, LA Lighting, Grip Carly Barber, Maria Carpenter T +1 818 686 6400 carly@illuminationdynamics.com maria@illuminationdynamics.com Illumination Dynamics, North Carolina, Lighting, Grip Jeff Pentek T +1 704 679 9400 jeff@illuminationdynamics.com

AUSTRALIA Cameraquip, Melbourne, Brisbane Cameras Malcolm Richards T +61 3 9699 3922 T +61 7 3844 9577 rentals@cameraquip.com.au CYPRUS Seahorse Films, Nicosia, Paphos Cameras, Digital, Lighting, Grip, Studio Andros Achilleos T +357 9967 5013 andros@seahorsefilms.com FRANCE Bogard, Paris Cameras, Digital, Grip Didier Bogard, Alain Gauthier T +33 1 49 33 16 35 didier@bogard.fr alain.gauthier@bogard.fr GERMANY Maddel’s Cameras GmbH, Hamburg Cameras, Grip Matthias Neumann T +49 40 66 86 390 info@maddels.com HUNGARY VisionTeam, Budapest Cameras, Lighting, Grip Gabor Rajna T +36 1 433 3911 info@visionteam.hu ICELAND Pegasus Pictures, Reykjavik Cameras, Lighting, Grip Snorri Thorisson T +354 414 2000 snorri@pegasus.is IRELAND The Production Depot, Co Wicklow Cameras, Lighting, Grip John Leahy, Dave Leahy T +353 1 276 4840 john@production-depot.com dave@production-depot.com JAPAN NAC Image Technology Inc. Tokyo Cameras, Digital Tomofumi Masuda Hiromi Shindome T +81 3 5211 7960 masuda@camnac.co.jp NEW ZEALAND Camera Tech, Wellington Cameras Peter Fleming T +64 4562 8814 cameratech@xtra.co.nz

ROMANIA Panalight Studio, Bucharest Cameras, Lighting, Grip Diana Apostol T +40 727 358 304 office@panalight.ro RUSSIA ACT Film Facilities Agency, St. Petersburg Cameras, Lighting, Grip Sergei Astakhov T +7 812 710 2080 act@actfilm.ru SCANDINAVIA BLIXT Camera Rental, Denmark, Norway & Sweden Cameras, Digital Björn Blixt T +45 70 20 59 50 blixt@blixt.dk SOUTH AFRICA Media Film Service, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Namibia Cameras, Digital, Lighting, Grip, Studio Jannie Van Wyk T +27 21 511 3300 jannie@mediafilmservice.com SPAIN Camara Rental Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga Cameras, Grip Andres Berenguer, Alvaro Berenguer, Sylvia Jacuinde T +34 91 651 3399 andres@camararental.com alvaro@camararental.com sylvia@camararental.com info@camararental.com

8 BALANCING GRACE AND ANGUISH

ARRI Film & TV assist in creating the look for World War II drama Anonyma – Eine Frau in Berlin

10 HUNGER

DoP Sean Bobbitt BSC reflects on filming Director Steve McQueen’s debut feature in 2-perforation 35mm

12 CRUSOE

DoP Jon Joffin talks about working with the new ARRIFLEX D-21

16 THE CINEMA EXPERIENCE: GRADING ON A LARGE SCALE

Interview with Cinematographer Jules van den Steenhoven NSC

18 A TALE OF TWO SISTERS

Serbian film Charleston & Vendetta gets colourful in a DI at ARRI Film & TV

30 DESERT OASIS

Shooting in the UAE with the Middle East’s largest rental facility, Filmquip Media

32 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT TIME TRAVEL

A report from DoP John Pardue on shooting HBO/BBC Films’ farcical sci-fi comedy

36 ARRI TRUE BLUE

38 ARRI DIGITAL FILM: DESIGNING VISUAL EFFECTS

A look at the role of Jürgen Schopper, Creative Director of Visual Effects at ARRI Digital Film

Gaffer Mark Clayton and Best Boy Benny Harper discuss lighting historic properties for The Other Boleyn Girl

20 THE AIR WAS CHARGED WITH EMOTION

42 LIGHTING THE GLADIATORIAL ARENA Lighting Designer Oscar Dominguez on lighting NBC’s American Gladiators

ARRI Film & TV helps recreate the fall of the Berlin Wall for TV miniseries Wir sind das Volk

44 TRADITIONAL ART TAKES VOYAGE INTO NEW MEDIA

22 ARRIFLEX D-21

The ARRI Rental Group introduces you to their upgraded film style digital camera

Sixteenth century painting recreated using the ARRIFLEX D-21 in Data Mode

46 100 YEARS AND BEYOND

Preserving films for future generations with a separation master

50 ARRIFLEX 416 PLUS HS

CONTENTS

New high speed 416 offers higher frame rates

52 NEW LONG ULTRA 16 LENSES Four new focal lengths for Super 16

54 AROUND THE WORLD AT 300FPS

ARRI Media’s Hi-Motion camera provides slowmotion footage for leading sports broadcasters

56 DIGITAL GRADING ON BASELIGHT HD ARRI Film & TV Commercial introduces digital colour grading with software-based tools

57 PRODUCT UPDATE 58 MOMENTS IN TIME

USA & CANADA Clairmont Camera Hollywood, LA, Toronto, Vancouver ARRIFLEX D-20 Representative

Fletcher Chicago, Chicago ARRIFLEX D-20 Representative

SAVE SERBIAN CINEMA

The next generation of ARRI lighting products

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Filmquip Media, Dubai Cameras, Lighting, Grip Anthony Smythe, Hugo Lang T +971 4 347 4909 ant@filmquipmedia.com hugo@filmquipmedia.com

Irving Correa T +1 818 761 4440 irvingc@clairmont.com

28 TWO ROUGH-AND-READY SISTERS

Stan Glapa T +1 312 932 2700 stan@fletch.com VisionARRI would like to thank the following contributors; Shuta Atsumi, Natasha Back, Susanne Bieger, Katja Birkenbach, Lisa Buschek, Romain Geib, Mark Hope-Jones, Ingo Klingspon, Tommy Moran, Sinead Moran, John Pardue, Judith Petty, Steve Pugh, Angela Reedwisch, Mark Rudge, Marc Shipman-Mueller, Michelle Smith, Andy Subratie, Mark Villa, Sabine Welte, Andreas Wirwalski, Tracy van Wyk

The ARRI Blimp rides the Czech New Wave with Closely Observed Trains

61 NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD 65 SIX OF THE BEST 66 PRODUCTION UPDATE

NARNIA

VISIONARRI

The Return to

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is the second feature film to be adapted from the children’s books of C.S. Lewis, following The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which was a huge hit in late 2005. Shot by Karl Walter Lindenlaub ASC, BVK Prince Caspian was filmed in New Zealand and various locations in Central Europe with a vast package of ARRI lighting and camera equipment. The ARRI Rental Group was able to supply and support the production across two continents, drawing on resources from ARRI Rental in Munich, ARRI Australia, ARRI Lighting Rental in London and ARRI Rental Prague.

Andrew Adamson, who has directed both Narnia films, was keen to develop a distinctive look for the second movie that would emphasise both the passage of time between the two stories and their thematic differences. “The first film was really the birth of Narnia,” he says. “The story was set not long after Narnia was created and on top of that it was a story about winter turning into spring, so everything was new and fresh. This story takes place 1,300 years later, after several hundred years of oppression and lots of Narnians have actually been driven into the woods by the Telmarines, whose world is dark and sinister, so the movie itself has a much darker visual tone. It affected everything from lighting to production design, location and costumes.” Increasing the amount of location filming over that done on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was another important consideration for Adamson as he went into preproduction. This was possible partly because the winter setting of the first film had necessitated a lot of stage work whereas the second is set in the summertime, but also because Prince Caspian is painted on a broader canvas from the outset. “One of the

ideas of the first film was that it started small and expanded,” continues the director. “The kids start by going through a wardrobe and seeing just a little bit of Narnia. Then spring comes as they travel on and Narnia expands through the movie. So in a sense we start with a larger world to begin with on this second one, but I also think that filming on location just brings a lot to the performances and to what you can do with the camera.” Filming on location exposed the crew to the hazards of unpredictable weather and constantly changing light conditions, especially in Central Europe. Though Lindenlaub made efforts to plan each day’s shooting according to the movement of the sun, he ensured that he had four ARRIMAX 18K HMIs with him wherever the production went, even if they had to be carried in by hand. “I tested them and realised how important it is on a film like this to have a light that can produce something that looks a bit more like daylight and is flexible enough to carry around,” he says. “An ARRIMAX doesn’t take any more work than putting an 18K up on a stand, but it has a lot more power and the character of the light is closer to

sunlight. We had four of them and those lights kept us shooting on a lot of days when other movies would probably have had to shut down.” The Czech Gaffer, Václav “Enzo” Cermak, echoes Lindenlaub’s praise of the ARRIMAX fixtures. “We used them to create big shafts of light in the forest and all round the set,” he says. “You can also bounce them, or go through 12-by-12 soft, so they can provide fill as well as a strong sunlight source. The good thing is that if you want to bounce it you don’t have to move it that much because it’s so powerful. You can leave it far enough away from the actors and still bounce enough light to give them key or half light.” With the ARRIMAX units, the crew also had MaxMovers – the ARRI automated stirrup that enables remote pan, tilt and focus of various lighting fixtures. “The MaxMover is good because you can put it in a corner somewhere, on a lift, and you have control without having to put someone in a basket,” says the cinematographer. “In some places you can’t get someone in a basket, or you might not even have a basket. I think it’s a great idea for location work.”

“IT’S NOT ONE OF THOSE EFFECTS MOVIES WHERE YOU JUST SPEND SIX MONTHS IN FRONT OF A GREENSCREEN AND FIGURE OUT ALL YOUR BACKGROUNDS LATER. WE ACTUALLY SHOT VERY COMPLEX EFFECTS SCENES ON LOCATION…”

THE RETURN TO NARNIA

VISIONARRI

you just spend six months in front of a greenscreen and figure out all your backgrounds later. We actually shot very complex effects scenes on location and we wanted at the same time to raise the bar on the scale – make it more epic and just bigger looking.” Visual Effects Supervisors Wendy Rogers and Dean Wright shared the responsibility of collecting vast amounts of data during the shoot, all of which would be vital for the work to be done in postproduction. They worked closely with the camera crew, organising reference markers, plate shots, HDRI (High Dynamic Range Imaging) and ‘witnesscams’, which were 24p video cameras used to capture as many different angles of each scene as possible. The weather was just as much a problem for these tasks as for the filming itself, as Wright recalls. “It is frustrating because we would love to always have any reference plate shot in exactly the same light conditions as the hero shot, but what happens many times is that you’re fighting the weather and time constraints and of course the director wants to keep shooting with the actors.”

DIRECTOR ANDREW ADAMSON

checks the framing from behind an ARRICAM Lite

DoP KARL WALTER LINDENLAUB ASC, BVK sits on the dolly as another shot is prepared

Enzo recalls a moment on the shoot for which the MaxMover proved invaluable, when they were on location by a river in Slovenia. “We were on a bridge and needed to light actors under the bridge,” he recalls. “So we put the MaxMover with an 18K at the end of a Foxy Crane and were able to actually get the 18K down to the level of the water, giving a ¾ backlight and also fill light when we turned around. The MaxMover system is brilliant because its adjustable fitting lets you mount any tungsten unit from a T-12 up to the 24K. You can also use a 6K Par, up to the 18K ARRIMAX or any 18K Fresnel and a 12K Par as well.” On top of the ARRIMAX HMIs, the production made use of a lighting package so extensive that it comprised lamps supplied from ARRI rental outlets 6

in Prague, Munich and London. “We used everything, from a candle up to the biggest light we could get from ARRI,” says Lindenlaub. “One of the big advantages of having an ARRI package on this film was that we were close to Munich and could be serviced by car within three hours, so we got all the support we could possibly need. They were also very generous in shipping brand new stuff to New Zealand for us.” With a scheduled 1,500 or so visual effects shots and Adamson’s preference for location shooting, it was necessary to film a great many sequences involving effects outside of the controlled environment of a sound stage. “We wanted to take advantage of the landscape,” continues Lindenlaub. “It’s not one of those effects movies where

In order to help the effects team gather as much metadata as possible, a new ARRI DCS-2 Data Capture System was developed that recorded information about what the camera and lens were doing for each take. “It was kind of prototyped for the film,” says Rogers. “We didn’t have it available for all the cameras and lenses, so it wasn’t used as extensively as I imagine it will be on the next films, but it was great because we could get text files out of the cameras and have information about focal lengths, frame rates and so on.” The cinematographer, whose crew had to actually use the DCS-2, was keen for it to be as inconspicuous as possible. “The most important thing is that these things remain practical,” he explains. “But it sits comfortably on the camera and didn’t bother any of the operators. It just needed to be synced up for the timecode whenever the camera was powered up, which wasn’t a big deal, it’s just one more thing you do very quickly.” The fact that Adamson wanted to shoot with multiple cameras in order to maximise coverage and take fullest

“WE USED EVERYTHING, FROM A CANDLE UP TO THE BIGGEST LIGHT WE COULD GET FROM ARRI”

advantage of the child actors’ limited time on set necessarily meant a sizeable camera kit. “We had a great package,” affirms Lindenlaub. “In New Zealand we had two sound cameras – an ARRICAM Studio and Lite, plus a back-up body, a 235 and a 435 Xtreme. Then in Europe we had even more; we had an extra ARRICAM Lite and the second unit package got almost as big as the first unit, so it was quite a lot of gear.” Having a number of cameras filming many of the scenes meant there wa flexibility of coverage, despite the meticulously planned previs that Adamson worked out in order to accommodate both the effects elements and his desire for a constantly moving camera. “On certain scenes we

followed the previs completely with the ‘A’ camera and then tried to get additional footage with the other cameras on the spot,” says Lindenlaub. “Then there were other scenes where we would purely go by performance. For action and grab shots the 235 is just the nicest little camera there is; I love it. You can quickly pick it up and find an extra angle, or it’s wonderful to film handheld stuff with. There wasn’t a firm rule to how we shot each scene; there was a nice mix of things so it didn’t get boring, let’s put it that way!” Though he had never used them before on a job, Lindenlaub opted to shoot with the ARRI Master Primes. “I did extensive testing and had a lot of support from ARRI,” he says. “We tested for everything – for day, dusk, dusk-for-night, day-for-night, firelight – every application that I knew would happen in the film. The resolution of these lenses seemed to

be so high that I could safely shoot firelight at T2.8 and still be able to pull detail out of the flame. At the same time I had the feeling that in the shadows I had more detail than with most other lenses I can think of. They were wonderful; I actually tried to shoot all the exteriors with them too, and only used zooms when we shot very quick action stuff or had to put the camera on a crane.” The film was shot 4-perforation Super 35, with a 2.39:1 centre crop, as this gave Adamson ample scope to reframe up or down for effects elements in the DI, which was done at Framestore CFC in London. Though the DI grade proved useful for smoothing out weather and light inconsistencies in location sequences as well as manipulating contrast and shadows, Lindenlaub did not approach the film any differently knowing he would have these tools at his disposal. “My general attitude on a DI film is to light as well as I can,” he says. “I don’t think a DI is a fix for bad lighting; it’s a tool like anything else and it gives you a lot of options, but with that comes a danger that the cameraman can lose control of the image. I still carry my filters, for example, even if I know I have a DI; but it’s simply about getting the best negative possible.” I Mark Hope-Jones

VISIONARRI

ARRI’s sophisticated colour grading evokes powerful emotions in World War II drama Anonyma – Eine Frau in Berlin

Balancing Grace and Anguish

Neuenfels describes a “very dark and phosphorescent yellow/green look” as being his goal for scenes taking place in the basements of residential buildings in post-war Berlin, which were shot in a brewery in Cologne. The DoP asked to have the protective coating removed from the extremely light-sensitive Zeiss lenses so he could create “amazing light reflexes and light cones” with the military flashlights of the Soviet soldiers. In order to further enhance the post-war era mood, the VFX team at ARRI – headed by Henning Rädlein – and DI/VFX Producer Katja Müller, did additional work using matte paintings and retouched images to accentuate period details.

The highly anticipated screen adaptation of the bestselling book Anonyma – Eine Frau in Berlin, directed by Grimme Award-winner Max Färberböck, is due for release in October 2008 and will subsequently air on German television as a two-part miniseries. The film owes its dramatic lighting and cinematography to the award-winning DoP Benedict Neuenfels BVK, AAC, who gives the heavily bombed Berlin setting a hazy and otherworldly feel. The story is set during the last days of April 1945, when the Red Army marched into Berlin. Russian troops, emulating the terror the Wehrmacht and SS had unleashed upon Eastern Europe during the occupation, raped thousands of German women and girls among the rubble and debris of what used to be Berlin. One of the victims, a young, nameless woman (“Anonyma”), makes the sombre decision to look for a Soviet soldier who might become her protector. Before long she finds herself in a relationship with an officer named Andrej – but whether this is a matter of love or surrender is a question they each have to answer for themselves. Constantin Film, the Munich-based media conglomerate, produced the film together with Günter Rohrbach (Das Boot, Die weiße Massai). The film is adapted from the anonymous diary entries of a journalist later identified as Marta Hiller, who passed away in 2001. Her book received a great deal of international attention when it was first published in 1959 and its popularity has not waned; a new German edition came out in 2003 and went 8

straight to the top of the national bestseller list. The part of the nameless woman is played by Nina Hoss, who received a German Film Award in 2008 for her role in Yella. The stellar supporting cast includes Sandra Hüller, who also has a German Film Award to her name (for her role in Requiem) and Irm Hermann, who had previously worked with the legendary German Director Rainer Werner Fassbinder. The cast was rounded out by Russian actors playing the Soviet soldiers, including the Russian film and television star Evgenij Sidikhin, who plays the male lead. Early in the project the producers set their sights on the accomplished German Writer/Director Max Färberböck, who most recently had directed the film September, about the repercussions of 9/11. Prior to that, Färberböck had caused quite a stir with his award-winning Aimée & Jaguar, about the relationship during World War II of a lesbian couple. In similar fashion, Anonyma – Eine Frau in Berlin, interweaves the struggle of female characters with historical events of the time.

DoP Neuenfels also had experience on films set during this period of history, having recently shot an Austrian film about life in a concentration camp. On this movie, which won the 2008 Oscar for Best Foreign Film, Neuenfels developed a faded, almost monochrome look, though he determined to do something very different for Anonyma: “Because the film depicts such tragic events I decided not to go for a gloomy, depressing look,” he says. “Besides, the story is about liberation, so I needed to be able to shoot and feel the open air. That’s why I chose not to go for the typical grey, desaturated look of war dramas. Even during times of war there is sun and colour.” During preparation a large number of tests were conducted, in close collaboration with Sepp Reidinger (ARRI Head of Lab & DI), to sync up all of the production and postproduction departments that would be involved at various stages, and achieve the desired look. For the exteriors, Neuenfels and Färberböck drew inspiration from old black & white film footage shot by the Soviets. “In those

images you can see this strange haze over Berlin,” says the cinematographer. “It was caused by smouldering fires and dust kicked up from the debris by the wind, which created a strange, almost fairytale atmosphere.” To enhance this mood the ground needed to look very pale, which meant it had to be brightened up repeatedly during production. Artificial dust clouds were used and the exteriors of the city began to blur under this layer of haze looming above the city. Characters stand out in sharp contrast to the almost white ground, which creates the look of a photographic negative. Neuenfels wanted to see what he calls the “end-of-a-war dialectic” – a mix of lethargy and optimism – reflected in the faces of the oppressed German women. “It’s a mixture of grace and anguish,” he says. Neuenfels opted for the ARRICAM Studio and ARRICAM Lite as his principal cameras. At times he also used the lightweight ARRIFLEX 235 and shot the 4-perforation images and plates for VFX scenes with an ARRIFLEX 435 Xtreme. David Laubsch, the VFX Supervisor, stood by from day-one with advice and support.

Creating a sense of “grace” required some help from the ARRI lab during colour grading. ARRI Lead Digital Colourist, Rainer Schmidt, explains: “To enhance this dusty look of the exterior shots, we had to counteract the digitally simulated bleach bypass process with a softer gradation and increased colour saturation, except for the greens in the trees which we desaturated.” Schmidt and Neuenfels also had to pay close attention to the colour of the actors’ lips and the texture of their faces: “The face is always the cosmos of a person,” explains Neuenfels. The colours of the costumes were an issue as well; in particular the bluish-green coat of lead actress Nina Hoss had to be adjusted, frame by frame, to maintain its original colour. Neuenfels spent three weeks at ARRI’s Munich headquarters in order to meet these challenges and meld the hazy mood with the motifs of production designer Uli Hanisch. Partial shading was added to the on-set lighting design during the digital grade so that the contrast and focus of the image remained on the characters, without rendering the overall tone too dark and gloomy.

Equal importance was placed on the film’s sound mix at ARRI, following Martin Scorsese’s dictum, “sound is 50 percent of the movie.” Daniel Vogl, ARRI Production Manager for sound, used digital, real-time images in 2K resolution which the grading department had made available to him and his team for the mix: “High-resolution images such as these let us fully grasp each scene or sequence, thereby allowing us to most accurately recreate the sound,” he explains. This type of collaboration is an advantage ARRI can offer because of the range of its facilities located in one place. All of the digitized data necessary for a particular workflow is stored on a cluster-server to which members of each postproduction team have access. DoP Neuenfels speaks highly of this structure: “ARRI has always been very innovative. Everything here is concentrated under one roof; that’s why I think there is no better postproduction house in Europe.” ARRI is also responsible for the digital subtitling of the film, necessitated by the decision not to dub scenes involving the Russian actors. The final mix and final approval will also take place in Munich, which means that in the case of Anonyma, ARRI Film & TV has completed the lab work, DI, visual effects, TV mastering, sound and final finish of the film. Furthermore, Technical Director Markus Kannewischer is currently producing a DCP that will play on all major servers making it possible for the producer and distributor of the film, Constantin Film, to supply theatres with digital content as well as celluloid prints. I Andreas Wirwalski

Hunger 2-perforation makes widescreen 35mm affordable for low-budget feature Turner Prize winner Steve McQueen, widely regarded as one of Britain’s leading contemporary artists, has directed his first feature film – about IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands. Produced by Blast! Films for Channel4/Film4, who co-funded the project as part of an initiative to commission new work from artists for the screen, Hunger is based on the final weeks of the Irish Republican’s life; Sands died aged 27 in 1981 after 66 days of refusing to take food while imprisoned for possession of firearms at the notorious Maze Prison near Belfast. Photographed by Sean Bobbitt BSC, who had previously worked with McQueen on a number of film installation projects, Hunger was one of the first productions to utilise the 2-perforation 35mm camera movements now available through the ARRI Rental Group. Camera equipment was supplied by ARRI Media in London and consisted of a 2-perforation ARRICAM Studio, ARRICAM Lite and ARRIFLEX 235. Lighting equipment was supplied by ARRI Lighting Rental. The 2-perforation format offers a financially economical route to the image quality of 35mm when a 2.39:1 widescreen aspect ratio is desired. As film is advanced by two perforations instead of the traditional four perforations, the previously unused space between frames is eliminated. This translates to less raw stock as the quantity of film used is reduced.

Photos: Natasha Back

DoP SEAN BOBBITT BSC stands to the right of camera preparing a shot

The natural widescreen aspect ratio of 2-perforation also meant that Bobbitt could shoot a true 2.39:1 frame. “Super 16 has to go through a blow-up in the DI for 35mm projection, so there is an increase in the amount of grain and the size of grain, which is fine if that’s what you are looking for – if you are looking for a gritty, dramatic feel – but on this film we specifically didn’t want that,” he says. “We were hoping for something that would go against the grit and grain of the story itself – something a little bit glossy. So in that regard 2-perforation fitted the bill and offered a solution that would be more effective in terms of the DI.”

Photo: Steve Pugh

Having worked on a number of low-budget feature films, Bobbitt had become very interested in the resurgence of 2-perforation. “I think the primary benefit of using 2-perforation is cost, which is of paramount importance to the production, particularly on a low-budget film,” states Bobbitt. “For Hunger we were able to shoot 2-perforation with an aspect ratio of 2.39:1 on 35mm for an additional cost of only £12,500, compared to Super 16. That represents fantastic value for quality, when you think that the actual surface area of the exposed negative is much greater in 2-perforation 35mm than it is in Super 16.”

SEAN BOBBITT

co-ordinating a location exterior shot

DIRECTOR STEVE MCQUEEN talks his actor through the scene

As 2-perforation uses less stock, it naturally increases the running time of a magazine, which made it possible for Bobbitt to fulfil the director’s desire for long takes. “Steve wanted to do very extensive shots, where the action develops in the frame,” recalls Bobbitt. “In particular, there is a dialogue scene between two characters in the centre of the film that is over 20 minutes long, which Steve wanted to capture in a single take. Using a 1,000-foot roll of 2-perforation 35mm meant that we were able to do that, so we did four takes of this scene, and I don’t know of any other film format that we could have done that in.” While 2-perforation has its advantages there are two factors that Bobbitt believes anyone using the format should be aware of. “Because there is almost no frame line between frames, if you have a really strong highlight at the top of a frame it can bleed through to the next,” he advises. “I pushed that as far as I could and it never bled through more than 4%, which will be lost in projection cut-off

anyway. The other consideration, of course, is if you do get a hair in the gate or a boom in shot then there is no way that you can move the image around to lose them, so you do have to go again. But neither of those were an issue during the production itself.” Bobbitt also recommends that a frame leader is shot for each camera and ground glass. “As there is no SMPTE frame or anything set up, there is no standard frame for the telecine and everything else to be accurate – so you do need to establish a very accurate frame reader.” Hunger will have a theatrical release before it is aired on Channel 4. The film’s postproduction involved a number of facilities, with processing and telecine carried out at Todd-AO and a Digital Intermediate at Dragon DI. Release prints will be produced by Deluxe. Before filming began Bobbitt shot tests and followed the entire 2-perforation workflow all the way through in order to check for any possible loopholes. “The initial tests I did with Todd-AO just showed that they needed to upgrade some of their sound syncing

software, which they were able to do,” he explains. “We then took the negative to Dragon DI and did a rough DI. They use the ARRISCAN and the ARRILASER, both of which are set up for 2-perforation. We scanned the negative, graded the negative and then burnt it back and printed it so we could prove that the whole chain worked – and it did, first go. The workflow is very straightforward and exactly the same as working in 3-perforation; it’s still just 35mm film, only the frames are squeezed closer together.” One thing Bobbitt is certain of – without 2-perforation Hunger would never have been originated on 35mm. “If we hadn’t had 2-perforation, and recognised the savings in cost, then that would have been very much to the detriment of what we were trying to achieve with this film,” he states. Bobbitt’s certainty that the choice of format benefited the film was reflected in its selection to open the ‘Un Certain Regard’ section of the 61st Cannes Film Festival, where it was awarded the Camera d’Or. I Michelle Smith

CRUSOE

VISIONARRI

The new ARRIFLEX D-21 is put to work on NBC’s desert island drama series

DoP JON JOFFIN

The story of Robinson Crusoe, a fictional Englishman who sails to sea in 1651 and becomes shipwrecked on a desert island where he remains for 28 years before returning to civilization, is one of the best known in history. First published in 1719, the novel by Daniel Defoe was an immediate success and quickly became the most widely read book ever written in English. Countless spin-offs, translations and adaptations have marked the 289 years since the castaway’s first incarnation, continuing into the modern age with television and film versions dating back to 1913. The latest re-telling of this famous tale is being undertaken by UK independent producer Power and takes the form of a 13-part television series entitled Crusoe, scheduled for broadcast on US channel NBC in late 2008.

with the ARRIFLEX D-21

Filming for the series has begun in England, where the production is, at the time of press, nearing the end of its first two weeks of photography, after which it will travel to South Africa and the Seychelles for 17 weeks of location work. Cinematographer Jon Joffin was keen to use the recently updated ARRIFLEX D-21 film style digital camera system for the fortnight in England, having photographed two previous projects – Flirting with Forty (2008) and The Andromeda Strain (2008) – on the ARRIFLEX D-20. Crusoe is being directed by the highly experienced television director Duane Clark. “I haven’t worked with Duane before, but it’s proving a real pleasure,” says Joffin. “He’s done a lot of CSI episodes [CSI: NY, CSI: Miami, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation] and also Meadowlands, which I always thought was a very interesting show.” The production has been based in Yorkshire during its time in England. “We’re shooting a flashback thread here in York, set before the character gets shipwrecked,” explains Joffin. “It’s nice because this section is a story on its own; the reason I wanted to do this show is because the scripts are full of little stories and action sequences, and just read really nicely. Also it’s a period show, set in the 1600s, so it’s exciting being able to work in these unbelievable period locations, with amazing costumes and some really fine actors.”

DIRECTOR DUANE CLARK at work in York Minster cathedral

One of the most imposing locations is York Minster, the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe. As is often the case with historic buildings, restrictions on how equipment can be used at York Minster influenced the cinematographer’s creative approach. In particular the lighting kit, supplied by ARRI Lighting Rental in London, was dictated to some degree by practical limitations. “The thing about York Minster is that it’s so vast,” explains Joffin. “We talked about putting up a construction crane with really big lights on it, but that wasn’t possible, mainly because of weight restrictions on the roads. So we were basically just using lights coming in through the windows and supplementing them a bit inside. The scene is a flashback, so we could shoot it as the character remembers it, which gave us a bit of license with the lighting. We didn’t make anything look unreal, but we bumped up the backlight and put in a strong shaft of light from a 10K Xenon fixture up on a 20-foot scaffold, which worked really well. The flashback shows the character’s idealised memory of his wife surrounded by rose petals, so we were blowing all these petals into the air with cannons inside the cathedral. It looked great because we were using the D-21 at 60 frames per second.”

Although the default EI/ASA equivalent rating of Logarithmic output from the D-21 is 200, Joffin was able to use look up tables (LUTs) in Cinetal monitors on set to see how the image faired at EI/ASA equivalent ratings between about 100 and 400. “It’s nice to look at other LUTs and see what you’re going to be able to do with the image later,” he explains. “We don’t apply these other ASA ratings to the dailies, but if I feel like a shot is looking a bit dark, I can quickly flick to 400 on the monitor and see how much detail I’m going to be able to pull out. In real world situations you often need a bit more light so you bump the ASA up a bit; with Linear output that can mean the image getting a bit noisy, but the Log tests we did looked really good. I definitely feel like the D-21 is faster [than the D-20]; I would certainly use the higher ASA equivalents if I was in a jam, but in general I try to keep the ASA as low as possible.”

“...OUR SHOW IS SET IN THE 1600s, SO IT’S ALL WINDOWS AND CANDLES, AND THE WAY THE LOG In general, Joffin makes no distinction between the lights he HELD DETAIL AND COLOUR needs for a D-21 shoot and those he would require if shooting SATURATION IN THE CANDLE on film. “My lighting needs would have been very similar if FLAMES WAS JUST AMAZING.” I had been on film,” he says. “The only difference was that if I were shooting on film, I probably would have chosen 500 ASA stock for inside York Minster, so there would have been a speed advantage.” Part of the reason for this is that the cinematographer chose to select Logarithmic 4:4:4 RGB (Extended Range) output from the D-21, which is rated at 200 EI/ASA equivalent. “I’ve always shot in Lin [Linear] mode before,” he continues. “This is the first show I’ve done in Log [Logarithmic] mode and it has blown me away; it’s made me realise what I was missing out on!”

Before making the decision to use Logarithmic output for the first time, Joffin spent a day testing at ARRI Media in London. “The interesting thing was that I wanted to compare the Linear and Log modes,” he continues. “So I was going to set up two cameras side by side, but Bill Lovell [Head of the Digital Department at ARRI Media] told me that I could use only one camera, because the D-21 can run Linear and Log feeds simultaneously. As great as Linear looks, when you put it next to the Log output it looks like video next to film.

CRUSOE

VISIONARRI

“...MASTER PRIMES LOOK AS GOOD TO ME AT T1.3 AS THEY DO AT T2.8. THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE OUT OF FOCUS BACKGROUND THAT I JUST LOVE.”

THE CAMERA CREW prepare a shot

I really saw that difference with candlelight; our show is set in the 1600s, so it’s all windows and candles, and the way the Log held detail and colour saturation in the candle flames was just amazing. A lot of the time we’re crashing hot shafts of light from 18Ks through windows and bouncing them off the floor or a table into the actors’ faces. It’s really exciting to be able to do that and not add any other lights in the room. With Linear I always found I had to add a little bit of fill light, but with Log that fill sometimes isn’t necessary, which means scenes are quicker to light and also look more natural.” Joffin’s choice of high speed ARRI Master Prime lenses aided this tendency toward minimal and natural-looking lighting, and he took full advantage by shooting at T1.3 both on location and on built sets. “I’ve got to say that the Master Primes blow me away; they’re just so fantastic,” he says. “Even at T1.3 they look sharp; I remember in the old days when we shot with the original Zeiss Super Speeds, they were T1.3 lenses as well, but you generally had to shoot them at T2 or T2.8, and they looked better at T4. But these Master Primes look as good to me at T1.3 as they do at T2.8. There’s something about the quality of the out of focus background that I just love. The bokeh is so buttery and beautiful; it’s almost addictive. You’ll be shooting on a

25mm and find yourself putting ND filters in front of it because you want those out of focus backgrounds. I just fell in love with the look.” Though the D-21 has an option to record raw, uncompressed data in Data Mode, it was decided that the best workflow for Crusoe was HD output recorded via fibre interfaces to SR recorders. The production did, however, benefit from another advantage of the new D-21 – automatic Defect Pixel Correction (DPC) – with which Joffin already had some experience. “I actually had a prototype version of the DPC on my previous show,” he says. “We shot for 20 days and I only saw one defect pixel, which was amazingly good.” The sophisticated Cinetal monitors used on set were necessitated by the fact that Logarithmic images have to be processed through a LUT before being displayed in order to replicate what the filmmakers will be working with in postproduction. A special LUT was developed by Laurent Treherne, a Technical Director at Ascent Media in London, where postproduction is being handled for the English shoot. “I love those Cinetal monitors, they’re unbelievable,” enthuses Joffin. “When we were about to shoot The Andromeda Strain there was no real solution for applying LUTs on set and the Cinetals have totally changed that. The beauty of

the system is seeing what you’re going to get; it means you’re able to make little corrections and really finesse things. I know there are some DoPs who shoot in Log mode and they’re not fussy about the LUTs, but I can’t say that personally. It’s a hard sell to directors as well because they want to see exactly what they’ll get, and of course they should.” In order to view the Cinetal monitors in controlled conditions, Joffin had a blacked-out tent erected on every set, inside which he could judge images without any interference from other light sources. “We have waveform monitors on the cameras and in the tent, but we mainly use the one in the tent. The Cinetal is so good that I tend to judge exposure with it,” says Joffin. “Then I check on the waveform monitor to see if things are clipping or see where the highlights are if I’m trying to match close-ups.” Being able to see the effects of different iris settings with such precision and immediacy meant the cinematographer was comfortable making even major exposure adjustments in shot. “People sometimes say that moving the tent around and shooting with an HD camera is much slower,” he says. “But there’s one area where I actually find it faster, and that’s when you’re shooting the kind of scene where you’re panning around and you have someone in the foreground who’s bright but an extra in the

background who’s dark. You can actually go on the iris and make changes in shot, just looking at the Cinetal monitor. I live on the iris; if I don’t have it in my hand I don’t feel like I have control of the shot. We have the LCS system in the tent for both cameras and I’m on it full-time. On my last show with the D-20 we were shooting in Hawaii and we did shots where we followed characters from inside a hotel room out onto a balcony overlooking the ocean; I had shots where I started at T1.3 and ended up at T11 – huge iris pulls. “It also helps when you don’t have time to finish your lighting,” continues Joffin. “With film you have to run around taking light readings and know exactly where you are because all you have is the video assist. For almost any shot on this show I’m often pulling up to two or three stops; it’s really handy for shots where you dolly around someone, where you might start on a key light that looks quite flat so you want to close the iris down a bit, but then open it up as you come around. Or shots where you have people in the foreground who walk away from you and you start wide open so the background is playing really hot and then close it down as they get into the distance. It’s amazing having that control; I couldn’t live without it.” For certain sequences Joffin is using a hand-cranked ARRIFLEX 435 film camera, which allows him to make multiple

“YOU CAN ACTUALLY GO ON THE IRIS AND MAKE CHANGES IN SHOT, JUST LOOKING AT THE CINETAL MONITOR. I LIVE ON THE IRIS; IF I DON’T HAVE IT IN MY HAND I DON’T FEEL LIKE I HAVE CONTROL OF THE SHOT.” in-camera exposures that would be impossible with the D-21. “We’re even doing some quadruple exposures in-camera,” he says. “I’d used the handcrank thing on a modified ARRI III before, but it shook the camera around like crazy. This 435 system is just fantastic; you can take the camera off the tripod and hold it in your hand or even hand-crank up to 150 fps, which is unbelievable. I’ve always carried a 435 on my previous D-20 shoots. It means you can do high speed shots, or sometimes you have barely any light and need to very quickly pick up a film camera and grab something. I’m very comfortable cutting the digital and film images together.”

The film style features of the D-21, such as its optical viewfinder, helped the crew switch between the two formats with ease. Joffin also had a Digital Imaging Technician (DIT), Neil Gray, to help coordinate the digital workflow. “Neil has been great, as has Chris Plevin [one of the camera operators, who had previous D-20 experience],” he says. “Chris came up with the idea of us doing our own clones at night and applying the LUT for dailies, because we were quite a way from London. We started off doing that ourselves, but the problem was that the editing department needed burned-in time code, so we did have to start sending the tapes up to London for cloning.” Although Crusoe will not involve as many visual effects as previous D-20 shoots Joffin has worked on, the cinematographer has already noticed advantages to the D-21 in Log mode that will make things easier when it comes to postproduction. “There isn’t a huge amount of VFX work on this show, but certainly some,” he says. “We’re doing composites of the city, painting in old buildings and cleaning the image of more modern elements. The nice thing is I don’t think we’ll have to do as much sky replacement as we would on a Linear show because the Log mode seems to be able to hold the skies much better.” I Mark Hope-Jones

The Cinema Experience

Grading on a

Large Scale Photo: T.Ehling

An Interview with Jules van den Steenhoven NSC about his experience in the Cinema Grading Suite at ARRI Schwarzfilm Berlin during the Digital Intermediate for the feature film Hardcover. JULES VAN DEN

Jules, you are one of Europe’s most renowned cinematographers. You studied at the Netherlands Film and Television Academy [NFTA] in Amsterdam and you are one of the founders of the Netherlands Society of Cinematographers.

VisionARRI:

STEENHOVEN

Andreas was fantastic, the smallest instruction and he immediately knew what I meant. A good relationship with a great colour grader, like Andreas, is very important to me because it’s easy to get lost in the maze of new possibilities. That’s why it’s vital that the colour grader understands you and can translate suggestions and ideas brilliantly – and quickly.

JS:

Yes, Theo Bierkens and I founded the NSC in 1992, on Jost Vacano’s [ASC, BVK] suggestion, as a step towards a larger European organisation. Later, this led to IMAGO, the European Federation of Cinematographers. In the spring of 2008 IMAGO held its annual meeting in Amsterdam, of which ARRI was a sponsor, among others.

Jules van den Steenhoven:

Your latest film, Hardcover, is a situation comedy set in the world of petty criminals. Christian Zübert [Lammbock (2001)] directed. You have collaborated with him in the past, on Der Schatz der weissen Falken [2005]. How did you and Christian Zübert get to know each other and what connects you two?

Photo: Menke

VA:

I believe it was Tom Spiess and Sönke Wortmann, the producers at Little Shark, who brought us together. Tom and Sönke knew my work from the Emmy Award-winning Dutch television series All Stars. Christian and I understand each other quite well and I’m very impressed with Christian’s work and his talent. Plus, I see the awards we received for Der Schatz der weissen Falken, as well as the nomination it got for the German Film Award, as proof that we work well together.

JS:

For the 92-minute theatrical version of Hardcover you decided to work in the Digital Intermediate in 2K. What sort of considerations led to this decision during prep?

I was impressed. The grading suite in Berlin is the largest in Europe with a 500 square foot screen and 23 seats. Working with a digital 2K projector and an analogue 35mm projector side-by-side offers completely new possibilities as you are sitting in front of a movie screen, just like the audience, while you’re finishing the film. I would recommend to all my colleagues to colour grade using digital projectors and a movie theatre screen. It allows you to see much more detail, compared to a monitor, and you can therefore enhance the very best in each frame.

JS:

The biggest advantage is that you can go through the entire film in real time. Also, as you don’t have to work frame by frame you can work on entire scenes at once. Being able to go back and forth through the film gives you a tremendous amount of freedom; I love that. And it has a positive impact on the end result. Every cinematographer knows about having to make compromises, but in the case of Hardcover I had much more control over contrast, lighting and colour than I would have on an analogue system. The automatic tracking feature allowed us to create masks, working from the brightness and colour of the objects we tracked, for even the smallest details. What was most convincing though, was how extremely steady the image was during colour grading. There was no technical damage and I had a much wider colour palette available to me. All in all, I had much more control.

Photo: T.Ehling

JS:

VA: Hardcover was the first film to be colour graded in the brand new Cinema Grading Suite at ARRI Schwarzfilm in Berlin. How did you like working in a movie theatre?

VA: As a cinematographer, what have you taken away from that experience?

VA:

For several years now I have finished all my films in 2K digital. Floris [2004] and Wild Romance [2006] were both finished in the DI – once you’ve done that, there’s no turning back. Digital postproduction allows you to bring out the nuances of each individual frame to a much greater extent, which of course helps the story you are trying to tell. It’s a big time saver on the set as well, because I already know which aspects I can work on in postproduction. If you can shoot three or four additional setups every day then that not only benefits the storytelling, but also helps keep the budget down.

VA: What was your collaboration with colour grader Andreas Reuber like?

“DIGITAL POSTPRODUCTION ALLOWS YOU TO BRING OUT THE NUANCES OF EACH INDIVIDUAL FRAME TO A MUCH GREATER EXTENT…”

VA: Could you imagine shooting your films digitally in the future as well as grading them digitally during postproduction?

I still think that there is no digital format out there that makes shooting as easy, fast and cheap as film – or creates the same results as film does. Although, I have to admit that I’m not yet familiar with the ARRIFLEX D-21. In the end, what is important is the story that one intends to tell. And you can tell a story using any format, from 8mm to 70mm film, or digital formats such as the ARRIFLEX D-21 and the Red One. You can even use a DV camera that costs 500 Euros. But there is still no way around carefully planning your shoot, because the basic concept and the mood of a film is created with the on-set lighting and set design. Having accomplished that, it allows you to take full advantage of the colour palette and the contrasts in postproduction, especially in the Digital Intermediate.

JS:

VA: Your current film is another Dutch production, Brief voor de koning. What particular challenges are you facing on this film?

Brief voor de koning is a Dutch-German co-production [Eyeworks and Heimat Film]. It’s an adaptation of the best Dutch children’s book of the last century, which incidentally, was quite successful in Germany as well. The story is set in the middle ages. We shot a lot of day-for-night, a technique I could take advantage of due to the possibilities digital postproduction offers.

JS:

Produced by Tom Spiess and Sönke Wortmann of Little Shark Entertainment, Hardcover was a co-production for WDR/ARTE and was distributed by Universum Film in April 2008. I Katja Birkenbach

VISIONARRI

The tents were constructed with scaffold frames and completely enveloped the location windows. A waterproof outer skin was lined with black velvet on the inside, which allowed the crew absolute control over light entering the rooms. For night scenes the velvet provided total blackout, while for day scenes a white drape could be lowered on a pulley system within the tent and lit by 18Ks and 10Ks. This gave the windows an even, white illumination when filmed from inside, with the light nicely broken up by the period, leaded frames.

A Tale of Two Sisters How location lighting, supplied by ARRI Lighting Rental in London, played its part in telling a story of sixteenth century sibling rivalry in The Other Boleyn Girl Following their collaboration on the successful 2005 television adaptation of Charles Dickens’s Bleak House – the first BBC period drama to be shot on HD – Director Justin Chadwick and DoP Kieran McGuigan were sought out by producers behind The Other Boleyn Girl, an HD feature based on the historical novel by Philippa Gregory. The film charts the tempestuous relationships between Anne Boleyn (Natalie Portman), her sister Mary (Scarlett Johansson) and Henry VIII (Eric Bana), with whom both girls have affairs. The sisters alternately find and fall from royal favour, pushed by their socially ambitious father to vie for position in a court made dangerous by the King’s fickle affections and his desperation for a male heir. Henry’s caprice stretches family ties to breaking point and the Boleyn’s soon learn that there is not only everything to gain at the top, but also everything to lose. On Bleak House Chadwick and McGuigan developed a tense and edgy visual style that was achieved by the combination of a bold lighting strategy with the use of two cameras for almost every setup. One camera tended to shoot a given scene from a fairly conventional angle, with the subjects illuminated evenly, while the other was positioned perpendicular to the action and often shot into deep shadow, with the subjects lit by hard rim light. McGuigan is habitually frugal with fill light, which results in high contrast images and also means he veers

towards low, side lighting rather than top light, in order to prevent the actors’ eyes from falling into too much darkness. Gaffer Mark Clayton explains that the DoP employed broadly the same strategy on The Other Boleyn Girl: “He’s done a similar thing again. I think perhaps it’s slightly more brightly lit than Bleak House, mainly because you want Scarlett and Natalie to look nice and also you want to be able to see the big interiors.” Filming involved a great deal of location work at a variety of magnificent historic properties across England, including Lacock Abbey, Great Chalfield Manor and Haddon Hall. The National Trust owns several of these buildings, so their period charm and authenticity came at the price of strict stipulations about the rigging that could be built and equipment that could be used. “We had a very nice woman from the National Trust called Rosy,” continues Clayton. “She followed the production around, looked after us and checked everything was alright. There are certain things you can and can’t do; it’s pretty rigorous but completely understandable.” Best Boy Benny Harper adds, “It doesn’t really stop us doing what we want to do, or get in the way, because we know about the limitations and everything is planned for in advance.”

“We used these tents whenever we could at the locations, although there was a big cost implication,” says Clayton. “But it did help us get through the schedule because we could change very quickly from night to day and it also meant we didn’t have to wait for the sun at all. A lot of these old buildings are nothing but windows; at Penshurst Place there were 25-foot high windows, though Kieran still preferred to keep the lights coming in quite low, just above head height. I did often try to get some space lights in up above, just as a kind of get-out-of-jail card really, though I suspect that Kieran wouldn’t have had any of them given the choice.

“We ended up using more light than we thought we would, because it was HD, although a lot of people think the opposite is true. We often had to put in an 18K where otherwise we might have used a 6K and that would then give us problems with the windows, because they can blow out on HD. So it was a balancing act getting enough light coming in to give us the depth of field we needed without losing information in the widows themselves.” Although the lighting package itself was relatively standard and few locations necessitated particularly unusual setups, the challenge for the lighting crew was the sheer number of different historic buildings and the logistical problems of rigging and travelling between them. One location that proved especially difficult was Dover Castle, where access was so limited that equipment had to be transported in small loads to a set that was separated from the generators by 2000 feet of cabling. “We did have some rather interesting times shooting at Dover, partly because of the weather,” recalls Harper. “We were shooting there one morning and Mark, with one of the electricians and some other crew, was the first to go up there, but between them getting into the castle and the rest of us heading up there, the wind got so bad that they closed the castle with them inside and us outside. There’s just a certain level of wind where they’ll shut it down because of the danger from falling rocks, so that morning was quite busy for the one electrician who had managed to get inside!”

McGuigan’s preference for side lighting eased the pressure of such limitations, as Clayton explains: “Kieran likes to light through windows anyway; he doesn’t like top light, so we pretty much just used the windows. What we did do in a lot of the places, partly because we shot so many night scenes during the day, was to build huge blackout tents outside the windows.”

The windy conditions prompted the castle authorities to forbid the use of lamps on external scaffolding, so McGuigan’s technique of lighting through existing windows had to be hastily modified. “We got away with it in a way,” says Clayton, “because the windows in the thick castle walls were so deep. We were able to put lights back into the recesses as though they were coming through the windows, but it was a proper plan B moment.” The lamps they used were smaller than the 18Ks McGuigan had wanted to punch through the windows, so his freedom with the camera was restricted, but the solution at least allowed them to shoot, albeit in cramped conditions. “It was one occasion where being as short as I am was actually a good thing,” says Harper, “because I could climb into the gaps in these windows!” Adapting to circumstances and thinking creatively allowed the lighting team to help McGuigan achieve the bold look he was striving for at difficult locations and with a far from extravagant lighting package. “The kit itself was pretty conventional, but what’s extraordinary about the film is the way Kieran has lit it – the contrast,” concludes Clayton. “Usually period films are quite brightly and softly lit, but this is much darker and more contrasty, reflecting the film’s story.” I Mark Hope-Jones

Photo: © David Baltzer

The Air was Charged with Emotion

DIRECTOR THOMAS BERGER prepares actors

Photo: © Sat.1/Dirk Plamböck

ARRI Film & TV helps recreate the fall of the Berlin Wall

ON LOCATION Actor Hans Werner Meyer (left)

The postproduction team at ARRI Film & TV have recently been working on a high profile two-part miniseries produced by Munich-based Olga Film and entitled Wir sind das Volk. Due to air on the German channel Sat.1 later in the year, the miniseries is directed by Thomas Berger, an actor’s director known for his attention to detail and for his work on the ZDF drama series Kommissarin Lucas (2003-2007). The story of Wir sind das Volk is set against events leading up to the fall of the Berlin wall on November 9th, 1989 and follows an East Berlin woman who courageously opposes the crumbling socialist regime. The series was shot with cameras, lighting and stage equipment supplied by ARRI Rental, reflecting the ARRI Group’s ability to supply and guide projects of any scale through every stage of production, from filming to final delivery. While location scouting, Thomas Berger discovered that, “Berlin has received a complete facelift, to the extent that there is hardly an extended section of the Berlin wall to be found.” This left the director with little choice but to use sets and extensive location dressing to recreate the Berlin of the late 1980s. One particularly impressive set, which was a highlight of the production, was an almost 700-foot long replica of a notorious stretch of the Berlin wall known as the ‘Todesstreifen’ (‘Death Strip’). This set included barbed wire, searchlights and spring-guns, and was built to create the authentic environment needed to film a failed escape attempt by the protagonist.

VISIONARRI

for a scene

TODESSTREIFEN before and after the VFX adaptation

The Todesstreifen set, which included an extended section of wall, was built in the Czech capital, Prague. Another set that was built in Prague recreated the entrance to the now famous Gethsemane Church, located in what used to be East Berlin. Prior to the wall’s demise, during the last weeks of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR), citizens used to gather there to protest peacefully, demanding a truly representative democratic government and the right to travel freely. In BerlinMitte, the central borough of modern Berlin, an entire intersection was closed off for almost three weeks to allow construction of a set recreating the Bornholmer Straße border crossing which was at Swinemünder Bridge. It was there that, from around 11:30 p.m. on November 9th, 1989, the first East German citizens crossed the border right under the noses of befuddled border guards. Berger is adamant that such elaborate sets were an absolute must: “When television viewers watch about 400 people cross that border,” he says, “they will sense that the air was charged with emotion.” The director testifies that he strongly felt such emotion himself while filming there from mid-August through mid-November of 2007. For scenes shot on location in Berlin, the production had to rely heavily on certain tricks of the trade. Greenscreens, for example, were used to allow the later addition of set extensions – including people and buildings – during postproduction. Anachronistic elements, from more recent times, had to be removed using retouching techniques. For a night scene depicting a historic mass-demonstration in Leipzig, a crowd of 1,000 extras holding candles and

lights was gathered. But in reality tens of thousands of East Germans had attended this demonstration back in 1989, so the visual effects experts at ARRI had to duplicate extras to create a more accurate depiction. The entrance to the Gethsemane Church set was also digitally extended using matte paintings to recreate the entire front of the church all the way up to the spire. Similarly, a long NVA (Nationale Volksarmee) military convoy riding along a GDR freeway, which on set actually consisted of no more than a few trucks and one jeep, was digitally extended. DI/VFX Producer Nina Knott attests that the convoy could have been extended still further by the ARRI visual effects team, had the production deemed it necessary. David Laubsch, VFX Supervisor, was on location in Prague and Berlin throughout filming. Early on in the process, the effects team at ARRI and the film crew had talked about which sequences could be shot on location and what visual elements had to be added using CGI. “We had to balance out creativity and cost,” explains the director, who worked very closely with ARRI to achieve the happiest compromise. Laubsch was impressed by Berger’s meticulous preparation: “Thomas had a complete storyboard that included every single setup,” he says. “For the Todesstreifen sequence he even had a model which he used to work out the blocking of the actors and the camera.” As is increasingly the case on modern productions, the postproduction schedule was extremely tight on Wir sind das

Volk, with over 100 effects shots to complete in a very limited amount of time. One notable scene, in which an actor is suspended from a steel wire, required two to three days of digital retouching. “That was a tremendous amount of postproduction work for a one-second action effect,” says Laubsch, laughing. ARRI Film & TV maintained constant communication with production in order to meet deadlines not only for the visual effects, but also the HD scan of all footage (16mm and 35mm) and indeed every other element of the postproduction, for which ARRI was also responsible. I Andreas Wirwalski

VISIONARRI

ARRIFLEX D-21 An upgrade to the ARRI film style digital camera Based on extensive feedback collected over the last three years, we have undertaken a major upgrade of our film style digital camera. While retaining the same housing and the same sensor as the D-20, the ARRIFLEX D-21 shows significant improvements to the image quality, simpler operation and new accessories. Further new options include the ARRIRAW T-Link transport method for raw data and the use of anamorphic lenses.

Creating a digital camera that produces cinematic images is no trivial undertaking. It takes leading edge technology, a strong research & development team and continued feedback from the field. Based on input from the many cinematographers, camera assistants and rental houses who have worked closely with our film style digital camera in recent years, we have taken a close look at all parts of the image creation chain and have re-designed the image processing software. Combined with various internal hardware changes and optimized sensor timing, the ARRIFLEX D-21 emerges as the most cinematic digital camera. All existing D-20 cameras have already been upgraded to D-21 status.

Beyond its image quality, the D-21 is distinguished by its operational flexibility. The D-21â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique construction allows different output signals to be generated, accommodating diverse production needs and workflows. In HD Mode, HD output options include Lin or Log, 4:2:2 YCbCr or 4:4:4 RGB and Normal or Extended Range.

Image Quality

ARRIRAW

Probably the most important change is the improvement to the D-21 image quality. While the D-20 was no slouch in this department, the D-21 images have an improved colour saturation and increased sharpness. A higher MTF was achieved by re-writing the image reconstruction (debayering) algorithm and by carefully fine tuning the interaction between the optical low pass filter and the down sampling algorithm. A cleaner signal path, improved internal power management, the automatic correction of defect pixels through Defect Pixel Correction (see DPC sidebar) and the elimination of various artifacts have led to improved low light performance. Colour management Look Up Tables (LUTs) for 100, 200, 250, 320, 400, 500 640 & 800 ISO equivalent are now available, in addition to Log C and Log F.

Great strides have been made towards a feasible method for recording raw data. The 12-bit ARRIRAW format contains the raw Bayer data and can be used up to 30fps. Connecting the D-21 to a suitable recorder is as easy as using two BNC cables, thanks to the ARRIRAW T-Link method, which packs the ARRIRAW data into a standard dual link HD-SDI stream (see ARRIRAW T-Link). Close co-operation with manufacturers of data recorders ensures a method of recording and previewing image data. ARRI software tools that are currently in beta testing can process the ARRIRAW files through advanced image reconstruction (debayering) algorithms. The ARRI software can output either an HD image or a 2K data file. The 2K data files are as easy to grade as data files scanned from film, since a special colour conversion matrix and LUTs in the ARRI software create data files of the same pixel raster and film-like colourimetry as film scans.

Alternatively or simultaneously, the D-21 can output the raw Bayer data. In Data Mode, the full resolution of the entire D-21 sensor can be utilized, delivering a larger image than that of HD, offering numerous benefits (see D-21 Raw Data Main Features) for productions.

Anamorphic Filming Since the raw data format transports all pixels of the 4:3 aspect ratio D-21 sensor, the D-21 is the only digital production camera that allows the use of standard anamorphic lenses, expanding the creative choices of directors and cinematographers who choose to work with digital images.

The D-21 sensor has a 4:3 aspect ratio, allowing the use of any anamorphic lens. Here is the original 4:3 (=1.33:1) image from the D-21, shooting a test chart at ARRI CSC with an Optimo 24-290 and an anamorphic rear-adapter.

By stretching the image in postproduction a 2.66:1 image is obtained. The proper 2.39:1 aspect ratio can now be achieved by cropping the sides.

ARRIFLEX D-21

VISIONARRI

Easy Operation and Updates Through suggestions from the field we have further simplified the controls of the D-21. Even though the D-20 has already been praised for its simple operation, we know how high the pressure on the set can be, and how crucial a simple menu with easy to understand commands is. The D-21’s frame rate can now be set only once on the Video Menu, and the Video Menu structure has been simplified for faster and safer operation. For remote situations, it is possible to control

the camera from a laptop via an Ethernet connection. The LOCK sliding switch on the camera left side display will now lock the buttons on that display, as well as the jogwheel on the back to avoid accidental operation. Software updates can now be achieved through a simple Windows program, and are being distributed through the same method already successfully used for ARRI film cameras.

ARRIRAW T-Link

The detailed functionality is complex, but the basic concept works like this: the D-21 constantly checks each pixel in each frame against a reference field of surrounding pixels to identify defect pixels. It does this based on the fact that even small

One of the obstacles that has stymied the use of raw data in the past has been the problem of how to get data easily from the camera to a recorder. ARRI engineers have found a way to utilize a standard dual link HD-SDI connection to transport the raw D-21 Bayer data. This new transport method is called ARRIRAW T-Link (Transport Link). It allows any recorder capable of recording an uncompressed dual link HD-SDI stream to record raw D-21 Bayer data, greatly simplifying the raw data workflow for manufacturers and users alike.

Because the DPC catches and replaces not only dead and defect pixels, but also pixels that exhibit visibly more noise than their neighbours, the D-21 gains the added benefit of a very subtle noise reduction in the dark parts of the image. As the DPC works automatically on each pixel of each frame as soon as the camera is turned on, there is no more human intervention necessary.

The properties of the dual link HS-SDI connection are defined in SMPTE 372M. The standard specifies a maximum data rate of 2.97GB/s, which is enough bandwidth to carry the 12-bit D-21 raw Bayer data. SMPTE 372M also defines a number of standardized source signal formats to be sent through two BNC cables (affectionately known as Link A and Link B).

A further zoom-in reveals a (simulated) bad pixel that has turned completely green. It is easy to see here that even pixel-sized details of image content look distinctly different from a defect pixel.

The DPC has identified the bad pixel and replaced it with a new pixel. While a simple averaging of surrounding pixels had been tried originally, that turned out to be not completely invisible and tended to “smear” the image content. So a specialised algorithm had to be created to ensure that the newly calculated pixel blends perfectly into its surroundings.

One of those source signal formats is the RGBA format. RGBA stand for red, green and blue plus an alpha channel, technically called 4:4:4:4 (R’G’B’+A) / 10 bit. The ARRIRAW T-Link works by mapping the 12-bit raw Bayer data into this ARRIFLEX D-21

D-21 Raw Bayer Data

RGBA Transport Stream Mapping

RGBA data stream, so that it can be transported via a dual link HD-SDI connection. Any recorder that is capable of recording a SMPTE 372M-compliant RGBA signal and playing it back without compression or further encoding can record this signal. If the signal is recorded by a data recorder, the additional option of a live preview exists. The data recorder can extract the original D-21 raw Bayer data out of the RGBA data stream, and use a real-time image reconstruction (debayering) algorithm to display the 4 : 3 image as a 1440 × 1080 preview HD image. If anamorphic lenses are used on the D-21 a suitably “de-squeezed” image can be displayed on an HD monitor. A similar process is used in postproduction. The original raw Bayer data is extracted from the RGBA stream, and advanced debayering algorithms are used to reconstruct a pristine image in HD or 2K. Doing this in post has the added advantage that it does not have to be done in real-time, so a significantly better image quality and greater flexibility are possible. Note that throughout the whole process, the image always stays uncompressed, at the highest quality.

2 x BNC Cables Duel Link HD-SDI Stream

D-21 Raw Bayer Data RGBA Format

File Formatting

Real-time Image Processing Recorder File Format Unpacking

D-21 Raw Bayer Data RGBA Format

Recorder File Format

D-21 Raw Bayer Data mapped into RGBA transport stream

Recorder File Format Unpacking

RGBA Transport Stream Extraction

Image Reconstruction

Non-real-time Image Processing

Image Reconstruction

RGBA Transport Stream Extraction

D-21 Raw Bayer Data

Postproduction

Data Recorder

Here is a 200 × 150 pixel excerpt from a D-21 image. The camera was looking at a black piece of cardboard with tiny holes, some with red, green and blue gels, placed before a light box to create an image with very small and detailed image content. The purpose of these images is to illustrate the DPC process. The actual DPC is being performed on the raw Bayer data, and thus difficult to show.

image details will bleed a tiny amount into surrounding pixels (see images). If a defect pixel is identified, the D-21 uses a special algorithm to replace it. At 60fps, the D-21 evaluates a staggering 42 million pixels per frame, that works out to 2.5 billion pixels each second. Amazingly, the whole analysis and correction procedure works in real time. Thanks to the processing power of the D-21’s FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays, essentially re-programmable computer chips), the DPC adds no delay to the image processing pipeline.

While modern image sensors are veritable miracles of technology, the very fact that they crowd millions of tiny picture elements (pixels) into the smallest possible space creates also some defect pixels. Careful quality control during the manufacturing process ensures that most pixels perform just fine, but some pixels provide no signal, some too much signal and others a signal with too much noise. Moreover, it is difficult to determine when a given pixel will decide to go bad. This is an issue affecting all digital cameras, and while it has been dealt with in the D-20 through a manual method for creating a defect pixel map, it has been greatly improved through a fully automatic defect pixel detection and correction system (DPC) in the D-21.

Defect Pixel Correction (DPC)

The D-21 Video Menu in advanced mode

The D-21 Video Menu in standard mode. A cleaned up menu structure makes operation of the D-21 on the set safer and faster

HD Preview Image

RGB Image

ARRIFLEX D-21

VISIONARRI

ARRI Imaging Technology

ARRIFLEX D-21 Main Features

For us as an equipment manufacturer, developing a film camera and developing a digital camera are processes with interesting similarities and differences. While both share elements we are very familiar with, like an optical viewfinder, a mirror shutter, PL mount lenses, similar ergonomics and accessories, there is a basic difference that required the establishment of a whole new department within ARRI: in a digital camera we are responsible for the actual image creation. The proprietary technology that creates the uniquely beautiful D-21 images has now been given its own name: ARRI Imaging Technology (AIT).

Optical Viewfinder • zero delay • outside image area • bright, full colour image • works without power • fatigue-free viewing

AIT stands for the smart orchestration of a custom designed CMOS sensor, a finely tuned optical low pass filter, a powerful imaging hardware engine and advanced image processing algorithms. Each part of the D-21 is custom developed to perform optimally in a digital motion picture camera, and thus we fully control the D-21’s imaging chain down to the smallest detail. This allows an optimisation of the whole system far beyond what would be possible with off-the-shelf components. In addition, we are engaged in continuous testing and improvements to all parts and their interaction. Through AIT, the D-21 produces outstanding images with a cinematic look and feel, high dynamic range, high contrast and the most film-like colour reproduction of any digital motion picture camera.

The CMOS sensor inside the D-21 was designed and developed specifically for use in ARRI high end motion picture cameras. Its Super 35 size and 4:3 aspect ratio ensure perfect compatibility with the unequalled variety of existing spherical and anamorphic cine lenses.

A number of powerful FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) constitute the imaging hardware engine inside the D-21. They are a crucial component of ARRI Imaging Technology

D-21 Raw Data Main Features Superior Image Quality • uncompressed, unprocessed 12-bit raw Bayer sensor data (ARRIRAW) • the output option with the highest dynamic range & lowest noise • images are “developed” in post with AIT advanced image reconstruction (debayering) algorithms • decisions regarding colour space conversions and look up tables are made in post • upgraded image reconstruction can be applied to archived raw data for better image quality

Accessories A number of new hardware pieces complete the picture. A new shoulder set S-5 has been created specifically for the D-21. Similar to the ARRICAM shoulder set in functionality, the S-5 can accept a quick release plate, which attaches directly to a tripod head. Additional ground glasses for the 1.33, 1.78, 1.85 & 2.39 formats will soon be available. D-21 cameras can be equipped with the FEM-2 addition, which provides a built-in radio for wireless lens and camera control. The FEM-2 also contains motor drive electronics, so the ARRI Controlled Lens Motors (CLM) can be plugged directly into the camera without any annoying extra boxes. And last but not least, the SONY Fiber Remote SFR-1 allows the remote control of a SONY HDCAM SR field recorder through the D-21’s fiber optic link SONY Fiber Interface SFI-1.

ARRI Imaging Technology (AIT) • custom designed CMOS sensor • custom designed, powerful imaging hardware engine • unique ARRI image processing software • carefully tuned system integration

Use Full Sensor Resolution for 2K or HD Output

The SFR-1 can start (REC) and pause (PAUSE) recording of the SONY HDCAM SR field recorder. In addition it can play back a few seconds of the last take (REVW) and shows when the deck is recording (green TALLY LED) or ready to record (blue READY LED).

• 2880×2160 (4:3) at 24 and 25fps • 2880×1620 (16:9) at 30fps • finer detail and crisper edges • 2K files have the same pixel raster and film-like colourimetry as 2K scanned data from film • easy, familiar post workflow • easy image reposition and cropping Cinemascope • anamorphic lenses can be used Flexible workflow options • simultaneous data and HD output possible for HD video monitoring & offline editing • ARRIRAW T-Link: transport ARRIRAW data via dual link HD-SDI • ingest converted data files to NLE

The Functional Expansion Module FEM-2 contains motor drivers for lens motors, hardware and software for the Lens Data System as well as a slot for an optional radio. With the Universal Radio Module URM-3 installed, the D-21 and its lens can be easily and quickly controlled by the ARRI Wireless Remote System (WRS) 26

The shoulder set S-5 has three cooling vents built into the shoulder pad that provide air to the D-21 cooling shafts. A quick release plate can be attached to the bottom of the S-5.

Cinematic Image Quality • AIT creates a cinematic look • rotating mirror shutter for film-like motion portrayal • single, Super 35 format sensor for 35 format depth of field • highest dynamic range of any motion picture CMOS camera • super sharp, alias-free images through over sampling, finely tuned optical low pass filter & advanced image reconstruction algorithms • extended colour space provides natural, film compatible colour reproduction • consistent match between cameras 35 Format Film Lenses • industry standard PL mount • unequalled variety of prime, zoom & specialty lenses • compatible with spherical and anamorphic lenses (1.33:1 sensor format) Compatibility with 35 Format Film Accessories & Support Equipment • ARRI matte boxes, follow focus, wireless remote control • dollies, cranes, Steadicam, etc. A True ARRI Camera • silent running < 20 dBA @ 24 fps, (no fan) • simple operation • robust construction • ergonomic design • variable speed (slow-motion, ramps) Flexible Output Options: Data and/or HD Modes • simultaneous data & HD outputs possible • Data Mode: 4:3 ARRIRAW uncompressed data for film-like 2K workflow • Data Mode: ARRIRAW T-Link • HD Mode: 16:9 uncompressed HD output • HD Mode: Lin or Log, 4:2:2 YCbCr or 4:4:4 RGB, Normal or Extended Range • Data Mode: ARRIRAW T-Link • Fiber optic option allows cable lengths of up to 500m/1,600’ Modular Architecture • sensor, electronics & firmware can be upgraded • secure investment • long product cycle 27

Photos: © Blue Pen

VISIONARRI

TWO ROUGH-AND-READY SISTERS SAVE SERBIAN CINEMA In his feature film debut Charleston & Vendetta – a visually stunning period piece with a magical quality – Serbian Director Uros Stojanovic shares his take on Serbo-Croatian history between World Wars I and II. The story and colourful look, created in a DI grading theatre at ARRI Film & TV, suggest an ingenious blend of Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s romantic comedy The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain and the wild Balkan films of Emir Kusturica. The film, to this day the most expensive Serbian production ever filmed, was co-produced by the French Director, Author, Producer and avowed European, Luc Besson (The Big Blue, The Fifth Element). The fact that the colourful look and surreal mood of Charleston & Vendetta are reminiscent of the international box-office hit Amélie is no coincidence: Didier Le Fouest, the revered French colour grader, worked on both projects. After completing his efforts on Charleston & Vendetta at ARRI Film & TV in Munich, Le Fouest remarked: “The DI workflow at ARRI is the best that I know of. I worked on the DI of Amélie back in 1999 and

know the postproduction houses Dubois and Éclair very well. As a Frenchman I don’t like saying this, but ARRI’s system is the best.” The highly involved colour grading of the film took six entire weeks to complete, but the final images wowed audiences in local theatres and will soon do the same internationally.

The lead characters in both Charleston & Vendetta (original title: Carlston za Ognjenku) and Amélie are women. But unlike Jeunet’s delicate yet mischievous Parisian heroine, the sisters Mala Boginja (Katarin Radivojevic) and Ognjenka (Sonja Kolacaric) are tough women from the countryside. In the 1920s they leave their village, which lost all of its male inhabitants to war and blood feuds, and head for the big city together in search of men. The women, who remind us a bit of Brigitte Bardot and Jeanne Moreau’s characters in Louis Malle’s western comedy Viva Maria!, rely not only on their firearms but also on the use of traditional, local magic. Stojanovic believes that his compatriots, “after years of experiencing feelings of apathy, emptiness and hopelessness, wouldn’t have been moved by a tragedy.” Only six weeks after its Serbian release on January 31st 2008, the national press reported that Charleston & Vendetta had sold 150,000 tickets, meaning this visual feast was on its way to becoming the most successful domestic production of the last three years. For a film from this small, new country, still suffering the consequences of the recent war, this meant more than a cultural victory. Recently, the online newspaper ‘blic’ reported that the number of movie screens in Serbia has shrunk from 400 down to a mere 60, leading it to conclude that, “the importance of a local film crossing the 100,000 viewer mark cannot be overstated.” Producer Mira Tomic adds: “Our film has proven that if filmmakers are willing to go about their work differently, then we are capable of reviving Serbian cinema!”

Luc Besson introduced Charleston & Vendetta at the 61st International Film Festival in Cannes to a worldwide audience. For the international version he re-cut two of the five acts at his Paris film studio, Europacorp and also brought on board the renowned Japanese composer Shigeru Umebayashi. In the past, Umebayashi has scored such classics as Wong Kar Wai’s 2046 and In the Mood for Love, and recently completed Peter Webber’s Hannibal Rising. Charleston & Vendetta was a first experience with DI for the Serbian production company Blue Pen. This, coupled with the film’s four million Euro budget, created a lot of pressure and some uneasiness about the unfamiliar digital postproduction workflow. However, the DI team at ARRI Munich, “believed in the project from the beginning,” says ARRI Key Account Manager Angela Reedwisch, and guided the Serbian Producers Batric Nenezic and Milena Tomi through the process. The ARRI team worked with DI/VFX Producer Philip Hahn to combine about 400 VFX shots from various European postproduction houses. In the end, ARRI was responsible for the lab as well as the postproduction work of Charleston & Vendetta and delivered the release prints including the theatrical trailers. I Andreas Wirwalski

VISIONARRI

A report from Dubai Dubai. It seems to be growing in fame as quickly as it is growing in fortune. One can hardly pick up a publication or watch the news these days without this fascinating city, located in the heart of the Middle East, being mentioned. In parallel with the city as a whole, the film industry in the city and its surrounding area is growing. What once was a desert village location for small-time productions has developed into a hot spot for dynamic TVCs (television commercials) and is slowly attracting the attention of the feature film market.

Dubai-based ARRI Media rental partner Filmquip Media is one of the Middle East’s largest rental houses, servicing the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait. Although Dubai is often portrayed as a hub for glitz and prestige, filming there is not always so glamorous; the shooting conditions in and around the city can be quite challenging. Filmquip Media’s in-house Gaffer, Mark Sherman, regularly has to contend with temperatures exceeding 50°C in harsh, desert environments that put equipment under threat from the elements. Not only that, but Dubai’s affluence has created other locations that are as luxurious as the desert is inhospitable and productions frequently make use of these two extremes on the same day. Such wildly varying filming locations mean technicians have to take extra care of equipment and pay careful attention to how it is being used and maintained; often gear must be cleaned, polished and essentially refurbished in the middle of a shooting day, under the relentless pressure of shooting schedules. For Grips Alex Hudson and Michael Dix, one of the biggest problems is the desert sand, which becomes like finely crushed chalk-dust in the high humidity and sticks to absolutely everything. When they lay any type of grip equipment, such as track, legs and crane platforms, even stepping in the same area can cause the sand to shift drastically, which is something Alex never had to consider in his native UK. But, in common with most technical crew, Alex and Michael agree that the greatest challenge is the extreme heat and humidity; just handling the equipment in 50°C heat and ingesting sufficient fluids is problematic enough, let alone producing work at the highest professional level. Anthony Smythe, Managing Director of Filmquip Media and a DoP himself, recognizes that the climate and diverse locations make shooting in the region difficult: “The equipment is under constant stress and our technical support has to be of the highest standard,” he says. “Working as a DoP you have to take the shooting conditions into account, not only the effect on the gear but also the crew. Getting a camera package to the top of a dune can take as long as getting an 18K to the top. Most of the time we cannot take the easy route as it is generally in our frame and we would want to keep the sand free of tracks. “Digital filming is not popular in the region and 16mm is starting to gain ground,” continues Smythe. ”As there is no real drama industry in the UAE most of our work is 35mm and the ARRIFLEX 435ES is the work horse in this market. We need to have access to the best equipment because most of the DoPs we service are from Europe and they expect the same standard as they get anywhere else in the world. We are the only rental house that is a one stop shop, from Chapman/Fisher dollies to Technocranes, Tyler helicopter mounts, underwater housings, motion control, gyro-stabilized heads, ARRIMAX, and of course the full range of ARRI cameras, grips and lights. Filmquip Media Crew has a full complement of experienced technicians on their books and are constantly training and sourcing new crew. It takes a special type of crew member to work in these challenging conditions. I Lisa Buschek

vel

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F A report from DoP John Pardue about his experiences shooting with the ARRIFLEX D-20 Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel, a coproduction between HBO and BBC Films, is both a comedy and science fiction film. It’s a very English take on time travel, referencing films such as Groundhog Day and Back to the Future. The comedy concentrates on ordinary male related issues so that throughout the fantastic journey our guys are still arguing about mundane issues from their previous real world.

Time

out

dQ ke

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VISIONARRI The story follows three ordinary mates who go into a pub and get embroiled in a series of trips back and forth through time. Our heroes frantically avoid multiple earlier versions of themselves whilst being chased by a giant radioactive ant. They need to find out who is trying to kill them and get back to normal time – that’s if the notion of ‘normal time’ exists in this film! Along the way, Ray (Chriss O’Dowd) falls in love with Cassie (Anna Farris) a woman from the future who has come to warn the guys of an impending disaster. Toby (Marc Wootton) is a serious film geek, and on hearing Ray’s story of the woman from the future naturally assumes he is pitching him a film plot. Pete (Dean Lennox–Kelly) does not believe any of it until he discovers a time leak in the gents whilst singing Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse of the Heart. He walks out of the gents to find a pub full of dead bodies.

Style of the Film Such an extraordinary situation lends itself to a visual style that also goes to extraordinary places. Director Gareth Carravich encouraged me to adopt a very visual approach while still retaining the ordinariness of our character’s world. The film has a kind of heightened naturalism. Gregory Crewdson’s photography book Twilight was a strong influence, especially for the lighting. There was a general feeling of wanting to avoid making a drab film with flat lighting and tentative design. The look of the film was established by Designer Kave Quinn. Much of the film takes place in a Victorian pub over the course of one night. The layout of the pub had to work so that the three versions of the main characters could inhabit the same place without seeing each other. Many of the different areas within the pub are crucial to parts of the story and the design and lighting had to make each part feel separate and distinct. The audience then gets a sense of the geography of the place. We shot the pub interiors at Pinewood Studios and matched these to exteriors on location. The lighting for the pub interior was a very warm palette and top lit. There was a hint of blue light in the windows mixed with some sodium streetlight filtering through. I tried to keep this slightly stylised warm and blue mix when it felt right. We used practicals inside as much as possible and gave a warm glow to complement the colours of the wall. 33

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT TIME TRAVEL

VISIONARRI

“I FOUND THE D-20 HAS A CERTAIN ‘LOOK’ WHICH I LIKE; IT SUITED THIS PROJECT AND HAS ALMOST BECOME A PART OF THE STYLE OF THE FILM.”

In the future, the derelict pub is covered in ash. I lit everything with large cold soft sources with some warm winter sun creeping through the gaps in the roof. Luckily the ambient daylight was very low when we shot the matching exteriors on location. My lights had a lot more spread and I could replicate a low winter sun so that the studio and location are pretty seamless. Choice of Camera – ARRIFLEX D-20 When the decision was taken to shoot high definition instead of 35mm for, essentially, economic reasons we looked at the Viper and the D-20 and made a choice from these. We liked both cameras in different ways but felt that the D-20 was the right camera for this picture. We tested the D-20 on the pub set and tried to work out how far we could push it. I lit a very dark scene with hard lights pointing down on the bar, which were about three stops over the key. In some of the background, there was no light at all and very little fall off from other lights. I placed a 100w light bulb in front of the lens, which was not dimmed. A negative was made and the test was printed and projected. The results were very pleasing at the brighter end. The D-20 handles highlights in a similar way to film with no bleeding or nasty video whites. The light bulb had a crisp edge and clean whites, while overexposed flesh tones were not as ugly as I’ve seen on other high definition cameras. When we started principal photography, I tried to get bright practicals in frame and exploit this aspect of the camera. In the gents toilet set, I created a top light made up of fluorescents and diffusion

DoP JOHN PARDUE hand-holds the D-20 as 1st AC Jake Marcuson pulls focus

frames. We were able to shoot into the source without it ever bleeding out and ruining the shot. Highlights look great on the D-20, but it’s a different story at the bottom end. Underexposure is more difficult. Blacks are denser than with film and dark wall surfaces fall off quicker than film. It’s a case of lighting up the blacks and having some control over the brightness of the backgrounds. (Since making FAQ, the camera has been improved greatly in the shadow areas and now has a lot more latitude at the bottom end) With proper exposure, the colour rendition of the D-20 is very accurate and worked well with the careful colour co-ordination of costume and design. We tested all wall colours and wallpaper, as well as costumes, as to how they would handle with the camera. The darker colours fell to black very quickly and as a result, dark maroons and browns were made a little brighter. We avoided black in clothes altogether. By lightening some of the darker colours and working closely with the designer Kave Quinn, I saved some of the struggle of having to independently light up the backgrounds. This can be awkward when using large ceiling pieces. Although it is a comedy, we did want to create some very dark and menacing scenes. We wanted to create a mood without losing the shadows to complete black. There is a “massacre” in the pub and Director Garath Carravich wanted a more threatening atmosphere – something like a Caravaggio painting in mood. I gave the “massacre” a painterly feel where the highlights are very bright and warm, and we kept some detail in the shadows by adding just the right amount of fill. D-20 – Studio and Location The main bar set was a relatively dark environment and I was able to use bigger sources above the set and achieve the correct amount of fill light to a higher level than I would use on film. I would not have been able to do this as easily in a location.

When we shot on location, the loom with all the various cables tended to be time consuming to re-route through different parts of the set, as well as the occasional repair. ARRI Media made sure we had lots of spares and their backup was terrific. The camera is pretty much the same as a film camera in many ways: it has a great viewfinder and the same control panel as a 435. It’s also wonderfully simple to operate: you only need to set the ASA and colour balance – and the stop, of course, but that was usually wide open. I ended up shooting on 320 ASA, and 200 ASA when we did some green screen.

has always looked like video, but the D-20 responds to flat light in a similar way to film and the results were very good. One night street scene, with a limited number of lighting options, is a good illustration of what we did. The shot was a Steadicam walk and talk lasting a good 60 yards; it was on a busy street and no overhead lighting or backlighting was possible. I put a number of bright shop signs in the back of the shot, which gave me depth. We added Kinos of various colours from the shop windows, and a tracking balloon light on a western dolly to give us the fill. The scene looks great and all the additional lighting really made a difference. The DoP has to do a good lighting job for night exteriors and a documentary available light approach would, I imagine, be less successful.

Another impressive aspect is the shallow depth of field, which is similar to 35mm. At times it felt like there was less depth of field than 35mm or perhaps the focus drops off more quickly. Focus Puller Jake Marcusson thought it was more noticeable when trying to do a focus split on two people in the same shot (using depth of field charts for Cooke S4 and working to 1/1000 of an inch circle of confusion). We often squeezed actors together a bit to help some close splits that looked wrong. The Astro monitor on the camera is a great help both for exposure and to look at the lighting with contrast. I used the bigger CRT monitor when I wanted to check the detail in the blacks and to really see what was happening in terms of colour balance. The CRT monitor is very low in contrast so the lighting often looked better on the Astro. There is the clever addition of an exposure graph on the Astro so that the exposure can be worked out with that rather than looking at monitors which can be deceptive. We did not get a chance to use the FlashMags for the Steadicam work as they were not quite ready. I think they would have made a huge difference to the flexibility of this camera on location. As it was, we had to have a whole load of people carrying cables and recorders – this was a bit of a performance but it worked out fine and did not slow the shoot down. Night and Day Exteriors The D-20 is very good at handling the exposure in exterior day situations and I would immediately choose this high definition camera for a film with a lot of day exteriors or shooting in the desert. It copes with bright skies and allows you to open up for the shadow areas without the worry of blowing things out. I found that a sunny day did not look over-harsh and whites were very clean. In the past high def on a flat overcast day

JOHN PARDUE lines the D-20 up for an exterior shot

The D-20 and Postproduction The D-20 has remarkable keying ability down to a fine hair on the back of someone’s head. Shots can be rendered quickly and comps made on set for everyone to see. We graded the film at Dragon DI and the setup there is very good. Colourist Geoffrey Case really impressed me with his precision to detail and matching. I found the D-20 has a certain ‘look’ which I like; it suited this project and has almost become a part of the style of the film. On an artistic level, I have photographed this picture in a different way than I would have done if it had been on 35mm film and I like the result which is a little different and suites the rather stylized nature of the photography. I’ve always been a film guy from the first time I loaded up a magazine as a camera assistant. However, my experiences with the D-20 have been my best experiences on high definition so far - mainly because it has solved the problem of burning highlights and loosing detail in bright surfaces which is still a problem of many high definition cameras. I’m fond of this camera and will use it again. I John Pardue

VISIONARRI

ARRI TRUE BLUE The new TRUE BLUE range epitomises ARRI’s commitment to market-leading quality and design. Representing the next generation of ARRI lighting products, this fundamental collection of lampheads for studio and location applications has been redesigned down to the smallest detail and sets a new benchmark in professional lighting equipment. Following extensive research and feedback from rental houses, gaffers and other lighting professionals, the TRUE BLUE designs bring together end-user experience with ARRI’s industry-defining expertise to form a new core range of lighting fixtures incorporating the latest technology and materials. Offering a wealth of cutting-edge features as well as reduced weight, compact size and maximum light output, the True Blues combine versatile functionality with efficient performance. While the overall weight of the TRUE BLUE fixtures has been reduced by their aluminium construction, there have been no sacrifices to robustness. Many components now offer greater strength and resistance to corrosion; the paint finish is more durable and the smooth lamp housing surfaces are easier to clean. The extensive redesign work has prioritised quick and easy access to internal parts such as cables and reflectors, which in turn has simplified maintenance and repair.

A particular focus of the enhancements to the TRUE BLUE lampheads has been their adaptability to accessories. The tilt lock has been dramatically improved by a stainless steel friction disc that locks tight enough to eliminate the danger of forward tilting when heavy, front-mounted accessories such as Chimeras or colour changers are in use. In addition, a new stirrup centre adjustment allows the stirrup to slide back and forth until it is positioned either at or near the lamphead’s centre of gravity, depending on the accessories attached. Another new feature of the TRUE BLUE range is the Stegmaier connector, a rotatable cable outlet that can be moved through 120° of turn. This easy adjustment swiftly adapts each lamphead to an ideal cable orientation for either ceiling-grid or floor-stand mounting.

Several refinements have been made to the barndoors of the TRUE BLUEs. The aluminium alloy barndoor leafs are now stronger, less susceptible to bending and fastened at the hinges by fewer and larger bolts, which are easier to tighten. The leafs can also be moved without making any noise and do not project lower than the base of the lamp housing when inserted vertically, which means that a lamphead can be placed on the floor without risk of damage to the barndoor. ARRI’s new cross-cooling system, incorporated into the design of the TRUE BLUE range, has reduced the lens temperature by 17% when the fixture is fully tilted down. While conventional cooling is severely impaired when lamps are angled downwards, which in practice they often are, this system overcomes the problem by encouraging a stream of air to pass around the Fresnel lens and into the lamphead from the front.

TRUE BLUE Key Advantages

• Improved Tilt Lock Tight-locking friction disc prevents the forward tilting caused by front-mounted accessories

• Improved Barndoor A number of design refinements combine to make a stronger, quieter and more durable barndoor

• Stirrup Centre Adjustment Sliding stirrup connection allows balancing at the tilt lock, with or without accessories

• Cross-Cooling A flow of air entering the lamphead at the lens reduces both bulb and housing temperatures

• Stegmaier Connector Rotatable cable outlet suitable for both ceiling-grid and floor-stand lamphead mounting

• Easy Maintenance Easier to clean and repair, TRUE BLUE units are also constructed of longer-lasting components

VISIONARRI

ARRI Digital Film

DESIGNING

VISUAL EFFECTS Visualizing screenplays in his head, fleshing out their narrative structure to aid the creation of a film – that’s what Professor Jürgen Schopper, Creative Director of Visual Effects at ARRI Digital Film, does best. His work generally starts where a film camera’s ends and together with an experienced team of producers, 3D animators, compositing experts and colour grading specialists, he makes sure that the confines of reality don’t limit the virtual fantasies of filmmakers.

“JÜRGEN SCHOPPER UNDERSTANDS THE COMPLEX DEMANDS OF During the mid ‘90s a VFX shot such as EVEN THE MOST SOPHISTICATED PROJECTS AND HIS the burning village in Joseph Vilsmaier’s COMPETENCE IN REGARDS TO CREATIVE DESIGN AND THE Schlafes Bruder (1995) was something EXECUTION THEREOF IS UNMATCHED. WORKING WITH HIM IS unique. Today the average feature film has WORKING IN A GREAT PARTNERSHIP IN WHICH NO ONE QUITS between 100 to 150 VFX shots, requiring UNTIL THE RESULT IS NOTHING SHORT OF PERFECT.” about three months of work. Most of the time Jürgen Schopper’s work starts with a storyboard: “The main advantage, from a production point of view, is that working from a storyboard makes budgeting easier and more reliable,” explains Schopper. “Sometimes, it even helps the narrative as well. When it comes to effect shots, it’s crucial to know what you’re trying to say and to know it before you start to roll the camera.” “What I enjoy most,” says Schopper, “is being part of the storytelling process, working with producers and directors to create something from the pages of a script. It’s important to make sure that

Ursula Woerner, Annie Brunner and Dr. Andreas Richter, Roxy Film GmbH & Co. KG

everyone has the same visual ideas in mind.” The main tool for visualising isn’t the computer, but a conventional pencil and paper. The first rough sketches soon turn into full-blown storyboards. Then a budget is generated – shot by shot – and will continuously be refined as the production progresses. “Usually about a dozen calculations precede the actual final budget of a feature film,” he says. Schopper believes that effects are not used to spend money; on the contrary, they are there to save money. That’s why it is important to focus on what is

absolutely necessary for a film in order for it to work. “What distinguishes us from a simple service provider is the fact that here at ARRI Digital Film we see the creative blueprint, the design itself, as a major part of the service we render, which in turn creates a special connection with clients,” states the Creative Director. Most viewers, depending on the genre, don’t even recognise VFX shots, which is often a mark of their success. A school building featured in Ute Wieland’s film Freche Mädchen was in fact shot during the summer but was magically transformed into a snow-covered setting at Christmas time by ARRI’s VFX Team. One genre that requires a different approach is that of fairy tales and fantasy films, in which the desired result is to ‘wow’ the audience with spectacular visual effects. The viewer needs to be impressed when the evil magician Petrosilius Zwackelmann in the German fairy tale The Robber Hotzenplotz (2006) flies through the air on his coat, or when the dragon in Don Quichote (2008) goes about his evil business. “I like that sort of spectacular effect much more than just helping to get ‘reality’ across,” reflects Schopper. “That’s why I love working on kids’ movies, because you can exaggerate to your heart’s desire – you can create the big images that draw viewers into theatres and really delight them.”

“WHEN YOU’RE WORKING WITH JÜRGEN SCHOPPER YOU GET MUCH MORE THAN EXPERT TECHNICAL ADVICE. YOU ALSO GET HIS TREMENDOUS CREATIVITY, HIS ABUNDANCE OF IDEAS, HIS IMPORTANT SUGGESTIONS, HIS CEASELESS ENTHUSIASM, AS WELL AS HIS UNWAVERING COMMITMENT. THAT’S WHY WE HAVE WORKED ON ALL MY PRODUCTIONS TOGETHER FOR MANY YEARS NOW.”

Just like architectural blueprints, design sketches of proposed visual effects are scanned into a computer, 3D models generated (Maya/3DsMax) and surfaces designed. A special team of artists at ARRI Digital Film first render low-resolution animations for preview purposes. Only after these are approved can fully-fledged computer images be rendered. Later, they will be combined with background material during compositing on the Shake Compositing System to eventually create a full-blown animation.

Prof. Ulrich Limmer, Managing Partner collina filmproduktion GmbH 38

DESIGNING VISUAL EFFECTS

VISIONARRI

“MAKING A FAIRY TALE COME TRUE, MAKING THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE, THAT’S WHAT DRIVES JÜRGEN SCHOPPER. BUT HE NEVER LOSES TRACK OF THE STORY TO BE TOLD AND IT’S NEVER ABOUT HIM OR ABOUT WHAT DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IS CAPABLE OF. HIS PLAYFULNESS, COMBINED WITH HIS TECHNICAL KNOW-HOW, IS WHAT MAKES HIM SO GREAT IN MY EYES. AND JÜRGEN ALWAYS KNOWS HOW TO MAKE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AN EXCITING PART OF MY PRODUCTIONS.”

“I DON’T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT POSTPRODUCTION WHILE I’M WRITING. BECAUSE TOGETHER WITH JÜRGEN SCHOPPER AT ARRI MUNICH WE CAN GET ANY SHOT IN THE CAN AND ALWAYS BE POSITIVE AND OPTIMISTIC!”

Ben Verbong, Director ‘Herr Bello’ and ’Laura’

Marcus H. Rosenmüller, Director ‘Wer früher stirbt ist länger tot’ and ‘Die Perlmutterfarbe’

On his return from the United States Schopper spent six months as a visual effects consultant on various film productions, during which time his path crossed with ARRI. He quickly realized that he wasn’t dealing with just another postproduction house: “To me, ARRI was, and is, the most interesting company in the business – technologically and historically, but also on a very personal level. An enormous pool of ideas is concentrated here in one location, coupled with the know-how of almost a century worth of technological discoveries.”

After finishing high school Schopper studied design at the University of Applied Sciences Nuremberg, at first focusing on illustration and typography before shifting his attentions having been bowled over by Jurassic Park (1993). The tremendous success of the film led to his school’s decision to purchase a computer and software from Softimage for its SGI department. It soon started to offer a degree in computer animation, providing students with the chance to study the creative design of images – a chance that Schopper didn’t hesitate to take up: “The courage to sit down at the computer came with my love of film. I thought it was sensational that the school was offering to teach us what we had

seen and admired in Jurassic Park, thereby allowing us to enter the professional world at a very high level.” Fully aware that this was a time of transition that revolutionised the film business, and continues to do so today, Schopper also knows that this period of change had a distinct affect on his personal biography. The new medium offered him the chance to take the traditional techniques he had already learned and apply them in the new realm of virtual production design and storyboarding. Another huge opportunity presented itself to Schopper when the Universities of Applied Sciences Nuremberg

participated in an actual television production. The digital special effects that were created for this production were then sent to SIGGRAPH in Los Angeles and ended up winning the award for “Worldwide Best Student Animation.” At that time 20th Century Fox was looking for a VFX-Particle-Specialist. Schopper received a call from Hollywood and as a result went on to spend a year in the United States working on digital effect shots for Roland Emmerich’s Independence Day (1996). The film set historic records at the box-office and won the Oscar® for Best Visual Effects.

Schopper spent the next three years at ARRI Digital Film as a Computer Animation Artist and soon advanced to VFX Supervisor. In 2000 he was offered the position of Creative Director. In his new capacity he began to work mostly on film productions, but also on projects for large events such as EXPO 2000. The number of German, as well as international film productions, working with ARRI Digital Film has increased steadily. The credit roll of ARRI’s VFX department now includes over 80 titles, among which are all of Ulrich Limmer’s productions and also films from directors such as Gernot Roll, Marcus H. Rosenmüller and Ben Verbong. In 2001 Schopper was invited to join the faculty of the Georg-Simon Ohm University of Applied Sciences Nuremberg, where he now teaches film and animation in the design department. Both ARRI and the University recognize the value of combining the academic and ‘real’ world. Professor Schopper can bring new and emerging talent to ARRI, where students can learn, while still in school, about the level of experience required ‘on the job.’ More than one of Schopper’s students have since made a successful transition into the international film business. “My students are a valuable resource. As well as their continuous input working on productions at ARRI Digital Film they keep me up-to-date about the newest tools and their capabilities, and help me stay in touch with the issues and concerns of the next generation.” Schopper is optimistic about the developments the future will bring: “A lot is changing in the business. Computers are faster now and software tools are more powerful and easier to use. Something else that’s very positive is that screenplays are becoming more daring. Five years ago it would have been impossible to secure financing for a TV production like Don Quichote. Its numerous effect shots that involve creatures, often with a moving camera, have set a new standard for television movies.” Currently Jürgen Schopper is assisting the following projects: The Countess (Julie Delpy, X-Filme), Lippels Traum (Lars Büchel, collina filmproduktion) and Die Perlmutterfarbe (Marcus H. Rosenmüller, d.i.e.film.gmbh). I Ingo Klingspon

“I GOT TO KNOW JÜRGEN SCHOPPER AS A VFX SUPERVISOR AND HE’S BECOME A CLOSE CREATIVE COLLABORATOR. HE COMBINES, IN THE MOST WONDERFUL WAY, STORYTELLING WITH DESIGN IDEAS AND TECHNOLOGY POWER. PLUS HE NEVER RUNS OUT OF IDEAS. HIS CREATIVITY KNOWS NO BOUNDS AND HIS KNOWLEDGE EXTENDS FAR BEYOND HIS FIELD OF EXPERTISE.” Ute Wieland, Director ‘Freche Mädchen’

“I REALLY APPRECIATE JÜRGEN SCHOPPER’S CREATIVITY, HIS EYE FOR THE ‘DO-ABLE’, AS WELL AS HIS FLEXIBILITY AND COMPETENCE… AND IT’S JUST A GREAT DEAL OF FUN WORKING WITH HIM.” Robert Marciniak, Managing Partner, d.i.e.film.gmbh

“OUR PRODUCTIONS HERE AT KUK FILM ALWAYS INVOLVE 360° FILM, MOTION RIDE AND STEREOSCOPY. WE OFTEN HAVE PROBLEMS THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN DEALT WITH BEFORE. BUT JÜRGEN SCHOPPER IS ALWAYS A COMPETENT PARTNER WHO SUPPORTS PIONEER EFFORTS.” Josef Kluger, Managing Partner, KUK Filmproduktion GmbH

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All designs, drawings, specifications and copies hereby furnished by Darkfire Lighting Design may be used for this production only, and shall not be reproduced nor disclosed to others without consent. Darkfire Lighting Design is responsible for the visual aspects of the production only and it is understood that all specifications relate solely to the appearance of the design and not to matters of safety or structural suitability.

ART Cave

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Mark Hope-Jones

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OPEN FOR ENTRANCES/ SCENERY

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OD: On the first series we had three consoles – the Expression 2X, which was run by Gene Webber and basically controlled all of the conventional lighting – the Maxis, Ruby 7’s, Pars and so on. The LEDs and VL 500s were controlled by a Grand MA and then the main rig was on a Virtuoso, manned by William McLachlan, who made a real contribution to the look of the show. For the second series we had the same amount of money but almost twice the rental time, so we had to sit down and figure out how to create that look with fewer lights. We cut down to just two consoles – all of the conventional stuff on the Expression and the rest of the rig on a Virtuoso. Pan

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aB eam XR 2

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OD: Oh, they’re like family. Other Audio Nest designers I know just don’t have that kind of rapport, but I find everybody at EXIT ID so incredibly good to work with, it’s very family-like. And that’s the way I treat my crew – we all break bread together, we go out to the pub together; it’s sort of like a Cosa Nostra type of thing. Illumination Dynamics is an outstanding company; I know I can phone them and tell them honestly that I need their help impressing a client on a limited budget and they’ll do it. No job is too large and no job is too small. I Color blast 12

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Basically the automated lights fall into two main categories – hard-edge lights and wash lights, so you’ve got to think ahead of time about the angles and backgrounds, and pick different styles of wash light to achieve an overall blanket of colour, with the hard-edge fixtures sort of chiselling bits out.

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The crew was a cavalcade of stars! My Gaffer Darren Langer was completely instrumental and I couldn’t have pulled this off without him; he’s just so good at managing equipment and people. At any given time we may have had in excess of 25 electricians. Simon Franklyn was the Head Rigger and he had his team, which was considerable. OD:

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Before the first series I sat down with the network and got a sense of their expectations, as well as those of the production company. NBC’s mandate was that the show needed to be massive and full of light and colour – a big look. Oscar Dominguez:

Once we’d set the big stuff, following the faces of contestants was mostly a follow spot gig. We needed to be able to shoot anywhere, so we put arrays of follow spots all around the arena to give us the flexibility to have key lights, back lights – everything. If we got in a situation where a crane obstructed the array, we’d have someone run in with a little ARRI Pocket Par and Chimera, on a stick, and there you go.

OD: We talked about that in meetings before the first series and decided that when a contestant failed to meet the mark or got knocked off something we would be bold and turn every single light in the rig to red. And then if a contestant succeeds in a challenge or beats a Gladiator we put everything to white and throw light all over the place. Actually it turned out to be a signature of the show and the light played an integral part in making the whole thing feel like a live event by really breathing life into the audience and making them react when things happen. Color blast 12

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Oscar, how did you approach your design for the lighting on American Gladiator?

VisionARRI:

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VA: You’ve been working with Illumination Dynamics for several years now. How would you describe the relationship?

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Now into its second successful series, NBC’s American Gladiators is a revival of the early-nineties TV show format which sees contestants pitted against both each other and resident bodybuilding ‘gladiators’ in physically demanding games and battles. For Lighting Designer Oscar Dominguez, the challenge was to combine the energy of a rock concert with the flexibility to light faces anywhere on the vast set without 1.2 Lens impeding multiple cameras filming the action. Dominguez turned to long-time Throw in LA, who met his requirements by collaborators at Illumination Dynamics 25'-9" inventory of VARI*LITE 3000 Spots, VARI*LITE substantially increasing the company’s 3500 Washes and VARI*LITE 500D Luminaires. Automated fixtures such as these, working together with conventional lighting, created the sense of spectacle Dominguez had envisioned.

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automated fixtures for American Gladiators.

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OD: These are two very different shows, the first and the second. The first one was done on a sound stage over at Sony, whereas this one is done at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. And actually, I feel that even though we used half the lights, we’ve created a more dynamic look because we have massive ceilings – it’s all black and much more ominous. The scale just feels larger; on the sound stage when you looked up you saw beams in the ceiling but in the sports arena it’s just black, so you can use EXIT EXIT VA: Does the lighting respond to these fantastic low angles and it’s as action cues during the games? though the world has no end.

design a lighting plan involving more than 600

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VA: What other changes have been made for the second series?

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Oscar Dominguez discusses how he worked with the

er up T ro rt o p er Sh Su

Lighting the Gladiatorial Arena

VISIONARRI

project

title

venue

American Gladiators Lighting Design REV 4 LA Sports Arena

Designer

O.M. Dominguez

Director date

D.Langer

2/20/08

rev

email: oscar@darkfirelighting.com

2/25/08

scale

3/16" = 1'

dwg sheet of

phone: 818/652-3505 fax: 818/708-9312

DIRECTOR PHILIP HAAS (right) discusses a shot with DoP Sean Bobbitt BSC

Photos: Andy Subratie

VISIONARRI

SEAN BOBBITT hand-holds the ARRIFLEX D-21 for a low-angle shot 1ST AC ERIN STEVENS busy at the ARRIFLEX D-21

uncompressed data recorder from S.two. The recorder also provides real-time image reconstruction of the raw data to supply an HD preview image via an HD-SDI 4:2:2 link. ARRI has worked closely with S.two to allow the company to record the ARRIRAW T-Link, for which S.two was granted ARRIRAW T-Link Certification.

Traditional Art Takes Voyage into New Media

Captured images are then developed in post. The raw Bayer data is processed by sophisticated ARRI software and reconstructed frame by frame to create DPX files. Once created, the DPX files can be loaded into any postproduction system. For The Butcher’s Shop they were taken to New York, where Haas lives, and grading was carried out at DuArt on a Scratch system from Assimilate.

The Butcher’s Shop, painted by Annibale Carracci in 1582, has been recreated in a 21st century adaptation using the ARRIFLEX D-21. Commissioned by the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, where the 16th century work of art hangs, the short film was the idea of filmmaker Philip Haas, who envisioned the project as an attempt to inhabit the world of the painting and of the artist who conceived it. The film will play in a continuous loop on a pair of screens facing one another, with the audience in the middle. While footage of the butchers at work plays on one, the other will depict the artist as he paints them – a view not shown in the painting. Carracci then leaves his screen and appears on the screen with the butchers. By using moving images to depict the creation of The Butcher’s Shop, the museum hopes the painting will become an emotional experience that will encourage visitors to use the same sort of imaginative approach when looking at others in their collection. Brought to life with actors in a London studio, The Butcher’s Shop was captured using the new ARRIFLEX D-21 in Data Mode supplied by ARRI Media in London. Behind the camera was Cinematographer Sean Bobbitt BSC, who had worked with Haas on The Situation (2006) – the director’s film about the war in Iraq.

CARRACCI’S 1582 PAINTING, The Butcher’s Shop

Bobbitt had initially become interested in the potential of the film style camera after attending a presentation at the Plus Camerimage 2007 festival in Poland, which had included a discussion with DoP David Higgs about his experiences shooting Guy Richie’s latest gangster movie RocknRolla with the ARRIFLEX D-20. “Having looked at some of the material David Higgs had shot for RocknRolla I was intrigued and really impressed with the quality of the imagery that was being produced in Log. I thought that theoretically it would only improve in raw,” says Bobbitt. “As Philip was describing what it was that he wanted to do, just the nature of the imagery, and the fact that we were going to be in one location in a very controlled environment – I thought it would be a really interesting project to do in raw data capture.” One of the issues that has previously stood in the way of the use of raw data has been the problem of getting the data easily from the camera to a suitable recorder. Now, with the newly developed ARRIRAW T-Link method, it is possible to transport the raw Bayer pattern data utilizing a standard dual link HD-SDI connection. During the shoot the raw Bayer signal was recorded directly from the camera onto a Take2™

For Bobbitt the primary advantage of working with raw data is the fact that captured material is uncompromised by compression. “You are working with all of the picture information straight off the sensor itself,” he states. “At no point is the data affected by compression, so you have the highest quality material possible all the way through the workflow. That gives you the maximum amount of latitude, in both exposure and colour information, moving you more into the area of film – in terms of the quality of the imagery and the potential for the manipulation of that information to create unique imagery.” The end result didn’t disappoint. “The camera creates an image that is so clean and in this particular case – as we were recreating a historical work of art – actually adds to the viewing experience. It came out very painterly, which is exactly what we were looking for, so I’m very excited by the finished film,” concludes Bobbitt. For the ARRI Rental Group the project provided the opportunity to put the camera’s raw data workflow to the test, for Haas and the Kimbell Art Museum it was a voyage of exploration into new territory of interpreting art. I Michelle Smith

VISIONARRI

Proven Concepts

Making it last – preserving films for future generations with a separation master

100 Years and Beyond ARRI Film & TV now offers a film-based option for the long-term preservation of feature films finished in the DI – the separation master. ARRI views this viable alternative as a signal as well as an appeal to both producers and film funds. The goal is clear: to preserve the cultural and commercial value of film for generations to come by offering the only archiving method that is considered secure. Today postproduction houses are facing new challenges due to the continued digitalisation of film and sound recording and the advent of digital cinema workflows. The long-term storage of feature films and effects-driven TV movies is a particular area of concern. There is still a lot of uncertainty as to which recording systems and formats are best suited for long-term storage, meaning the next 100 years or more. Many experts, who have seen countless formats come and go over the years, doubt that the digital world can guarantee that data recorded for use today will be accessible in the decades to come. The Ageing Process of Colour Film The DI process, which has become the postproduction standard at ARRI, ends with a film negative used to generate release prints. Three things happen with this final film negative completed in the DI: it is used to create a release print (analogue projection), an HDCamSR Mazband (TV/DVD) and a digital cinema master (digital projection). Occasionally, the DI version of the final film is printed a

second time onto colour stock for archiving purposes. But the archive colour negative, like all colour film footage at all stages of analogue postproduction, is subject to an ageing process. Even after processing, colour film emulsion retains colour pigments from organic material, which, depending on the storage conditions, are prone to chemical reactions. After 20, 30 or 50 years the result can be unwanted colour changes. The film industry received a wake-up call as to the seriousness of this issue in 1993 when The Walt Disney Company discovered the condition of its 1937 animated classic Snow White. The original colour negative had faded almost beyond recognition and had to be scanned frame by frame using what was then the brand new Cineon Digital File System. In the digital domain it was fortunately possible to painstakingly reconstruct the original colours of the film.

In order to prevent such potential tragedies, the use of YMC (yellow, magenta, cyan) separation masters was introduced for all big and medium budget U.S. productions several decades ago. The separation master positive is generated from the edited negative, which contains all elements including visual effects, opticals and titles, and is exposed onto black and white stock. Though black and white, the separation master contains all of the colour information of the film because the colour has been separated out into its component elements. The main advantage of using black and white stock is that it does not contain any organic components, only silver halides, which means it is highly durable. In fact, Kodak insists that their black and white film has a shelf life of up to 500 years. In a sense, then, we have now come fullcircle and returned to the format that has the longest shelf life, but it has now been integrated with the high-tech equipment and digital procedures (ARRISCAN/ ARRILASER/digital colour grading) of the modern postproduction process.

In the past, the edited film negative was projected through red, green and blue filters, one at a time, and exposed onto black & white film. Just as during colour separation in the repro-printing technique the red, green and blue tones of the negative were converted into grey tones on three different and RGBseparated black and white strips. In order to recombine the three film strips and make a new colour negative, the three prints were successively projected to cumulatively create a complete colour image that was then exposed onto film. This process required extremely precise exposures and led to an increase of film grain as well as a slight image incongruence and colour shift due to frame unsteadiness during projection. One might reasonably ask why films should not be stored digitally. After all, digital storage of a completed feature film (two to three-terabyte size data files for 2K resolution) on a hard drive isn’t very expensive any more. This solution, however, comes with many risks in terms of data safety and management. It is necessary to check and copy digital files regularly; this is also true for data tapes such as LTO, which ARRI uses as well. Another disadvantage is that due to possible writing and/or reading errors the data always has to be recorded twice onto two separate tapes at the same time. Film, in comparison to all other archiving formats, has another major advantage: the information contained in a frame on the negative hasn’t been coded using algorithms or modulation techniques. Instead, the information is clearly recognisable as an image, a replica of what was filmed. That’s why film continues to be the ideal format for long-term storage of film and audio recordings.

100 YEARS AND BEYOND

DI Data Safety In today’s industry the separation master alternative is experiencing a renaissance in an otherwise digital age because the main goal is to store digital DI data for future use. The major US studios in Los Angeles began, quite some time ago, to use the colour separation method as a safety measure, so the creation of a separation master is now a fairly standard procedure there. One US studio is storing its backup copies in a separate area within a Pennsylvania salt mine; the films are safe there and can be recombined at any time. ARRI is the first lab, not only in Germany but also in Europe, to follow the US lead and create separation masters of all films finished in the DI – regardless of the acquisition format. At the end of the DI process films are available in 2K or 4K resolution. After all derivative versions have been generated, including the release print and the digital master, three RGB prints are produced on a black and white separation negative. A recombination test will then be conducted, to test the success of the separation procedure, prior to sending the separation master to the archive for storage.

VISIONARRI

In the past a three channel, parallel procedure for Y, M and C was used, in order to be able to recombine these channels using an optical projector, projecting all three images at once. Henning Rädlein of ARRI Digital Film says, “Today we assume that we will no longer have to go the optical route, meaning we won’t need to project the negative in the future. Instead, the negatives will be scanned in and worked on digitally.” The Process First each individual positive is exposed three times, generating R, G and B frames that will be printed as a separation master negative on 2232 black and white stock from Kodak. The order is sequential – one colourseparated frame after the other. All frames carry additional information such as a tracking mark (for matching purposes), the film’s title, the exposure date, as well as a frame ID. Before and after each act break, a detailed optically-readable report with instructions in English is added (exposed onto the high resolution black and white stock). Later the lab will check the entire exposed negative mechanically for scratches and streaks, and make sure that the film was processed evenly. For quality control purposes some of the RGB frames will then be recombined, including the first and last few seconds of each act.

Recombination Tests The process of recombining works as follows: the beginning and end of each act are scanned in the ARRISCAN, in sequential order. Each separate red, green and blue negative frame is then scanned onto the hard drive. In the next step, using compositing software, precisely matched recombinations of the red, green and blue frames are used to generate an RGB frame. The various frames then simply have to be stabilised. In order to recreate the original contrast and colour, a 21-step grey scale is added to the protocol at the beginning of each act; scanners used in the future will need this information as a reference for the contrast range. In the first tests conducted, only a minimal discrepancy of about 1 pixel was noticed during the stabilisation of the image. This shows that the process of exposing (ARRILASER) followed by scanning (ARRISCAN) of a 2K image is off by only 1 pixel, which is a remarkable result. After a digital adjustment during colour grading, using the grey scales, the initial image is rendered almost identically. There is, however, a noticeable increase in film grain caused by the process itself. There are several grain reduction systems available, though ARRI choose not to remove grain digitally, for customer approval purposes. As a matter of fact it is even possible to digitally add the original grain structure of the emulsion (Vision2 etc.), but the team at ARRI believes that the decision to increase or decrease the film grain is one that involves altering the historical footage and should therefore be made by the client.

The only question that remains concerns the recombination of frames in the future. Will the exposed black and white information be useable in 50 or so years? “Digital systems keep changing,” says Rädlein. “Tape and data formats come and go and that will continue to be the case. I am certain, however, that we will be able to scan optical images in the decades and centuries to come because we will have to be accountable for the millions of hours of feature films

stored on film in the archives. It will remain necessary to have an optical system that can scan film negative. Most likely the optical process will be even better understood, and highresolution sensors will be built so that black and white negative can continue to be digitised to generate new digital data files.”

possible conditions, so clients are encouraged to complete their DI in 4K – the highest available resolution – whenever possible. “That’s when the value chain is used most efficiently,” concludes Rädlein. “Shoot on the best possible format [35mm], post the film in 4K and archive the footage on a separation master.” I

At ARRI, every effort is made to offer the separation master service under the best

Romain Geib

VISIONARRI

ARRIFLEX 416 Plus HS

At higher frame rates, any vibration created by the camera can reduce image steadiness, and thus resolution. To ensure a steady image even at higher speeds, the mirror shutter of the 416 Plus had to be completely rethought. While the 416 Plus mirror shutter has already been dynamically balanced, the number of balancing adjustments for the 416 Plus HS mirror shutter was dramatically increased. Many more tiny counterweights allow the ARRI camera assembly department to fine tune the shutter balancing four times as accurately as was possible with the 416 Plus shutter. Last but not least, the suspension between the 416 inner skeleton and the camera body’s outer housing had to be made stiffer, again to reduce vibrations for a crisp and sharp image. All these changes combined make the 416 Plus HS the most advanced high speed 16 mm camera available. Marc Shipman-Mueller

A Comparison of the 416 Models ARRI 16 mm Product Range

416

416 Plus

416 Plus HS

Speed Range (fps)

1 – 75

1 – 150

Shutter Angles (degrees)

45 – 180

150 Degree Shutter Angle 1

yes

Sound (dbA)

< 20

< 29

Weight (Kg/Lbs)

5.5 / 12.1

5.8 / 12.8

+++

Viewfinder Handling

+++

Viewfinder & Video Independent

yes

ARRIGLOW

multi-colour

Integrated Video Assist

yes

Video Assist Quality

+++

Video Image Enhancement

yes

Viewfinder Quality

On the heels of the very successful launch of the ARRIFLEX 416 Plus in 2006, we are now introducing the ARRIFLEX 416 Plus High Speed, offering higher frame rates for slow-motion shots. In 2006, significant improvements to Super 16 image quality were made through advances in lenses, film stock and post technology. This led to a remarkable renaissance of the Super 16 format and the debut of the ARRIFLEX 416 and 416 Plus cameras. Since then the interest in and the use of Super 16 has grown with more technological advances, pushing Super 16 even further. New film stocks expand the exposure latitude of film and new Ultra 16 lenses give cinematographers a complete set of nine Super 16 prime lenses from 6 to 50 mm. In post, the ARRISCAN will scan an oversampled 3K image for a pristine 2K output, optionally with a wet gate and/or DICE. New degraining options make the images more palatable for those finicky encoders. Stunning Results in Super 16 Super 16 is now routinely used for standard and high definition television productions, feature films, commercials and documentaries with stunning results. By shooting Super 16, productions gain many of the advantages of shooting film – the film look, its unsurpassed exposure latitude, natural colour reproduction, variable camera speeds, ramps, proven archivability and film being the only worldwide accepted standard format – at affordable production costs. The small size and light weight of Super 16 equipment has the extra benefit of easy portability for fast-paced production environments. 50

Integrated Accessory Electronics

yes

High Speed “Plus”

Lens Data Display Plug 3

yes

Based on strong market demand, we are now introducing the ARRIFLEX 416 Plus HS. This new camera shares most of the features that have made the 416 and 416 Plus so popular in a very short span of time. It sports the same 35-style viewfinder, high quality video assist, compact and lightweight build and the same ergonomic design. Available only in a “Plus” version, the 416 Plus HS is equipped with integrated accessory electronics. This eliminates extra boxes and cables needed for connecting lens motors and remotely controlling camera and lens through the ARRI Wireless Remote System.

Timecode

yes

Magazine Loads (meter/feet)

120 / 400

The 416 Plus HS also uses the same magazines as the 416 Plus. Unlike the 16SR series of cameras, which needed different magazines for high speed, the 416 magazines have proven completely up to the high speed task. In order to increase the frame rate, however, three components of the camera had to be completely redesigned: the motor, the shutter and the suspension of the inner skeleton within the outer housing. To pull film faster through the camera, a new motor had to be developed. Specially wound coils provide faster running without increasing the size of the motor or the vibrations it produces.

1) For 25 fps shooting with HMI, fluorescent and mercury vapor lights in 60 Hz countries 2) Body, viewfinder, loaded magazine, video assist 3) Lens Data Display can be connected to 416 Plus and 416 Plus HS for Lens Data Archive (LDA) use

Main Features • Super 16 Format High Speed Film Camera • 35-style Optical Viewfinder – bright, high contrast, high resolution – large exit pupil allows more eye movement – multi-colour RGB ARRIGLOW – accommodates wide diameter PL mount lenses – excellent optical quality with eyepiece extension • High Quality Video Assist – excellent image quality – adjustable image enhancement

• Compact & Lightweight – small camera body – low profile design – 25 % lighter than 16SR 3 • Ergonomic Design – ergonomic shoulder cut-out – viewfinder removes quickly for Steadicam and remote applications – optional integrated radio & lens motor drivers – split bridgeplate for fast switch from tripod to shoulder • Sound less than 29 db(A)

First Tests High speed Cinematographer Jim Matlosz was the first to shoot a real world test: “The 416 Plus HS was amazingly comfortable and ergonomically sound. Once I started really working with it, the camera was super smooth and easy to work with. I did shots with a first and a second AC and also shots by myself, there was no learning curve at all. It was super comfortable, everything was in the right place. I was very impressed. Having everything integrated into the system was absolutely phenomenal. To have that option at any time to use those functions without having to put on multiple boxes was great. Having the zoom control right off the body was absolutely amazing. Being someone who loves shooting on film, I would use this camera for shooting anything from a narrative to music videos to commercials. I would definitely rather shoot film than HD. Right away you can see the latitude in film, I don’t have to knock down lights. Everybody always tells you how easy it is to light HD, it’s just as easy if not easier with film because I don’t have to worry about my highlights. The combination of shooting on Kodak stock on an ARRI camera with ARRI lenses, I can be over several stops and I wouldn’t be worried.” 51

VISIONARRI

New Long Ultra 16 Lenses ARRI and Zeiss have again combined their expertise to extend the Ultra 16 lens set with four long focal lengths. In addition to the existing 6, 8, 9.5, 12 and 14 mm lenses, cinematographers can now also use 18, 25, 35 and 50 mm Ultra 16 lenses. Thus the Ultra 16 lens set consists of a total of nine high speed (T1.3) lenses designed specifically for the Super 16 format. The first five Ultra 16 lenses were introduced in 2006 together with the ARRIFLEX 416. They were originally meant as wide-angle additions to the Ultra Prime lens set. Since then, users have quickly adopted these lenses and found their optical quality, close focus performance and high speed irresistible, resulting in frequent requests for longer focal lengths. Like the Master Primes, the Ultra 16 lenses combine high speed with outstanding optical performance. A widest stop of T1.3 allows shooting in low or available light to create more natural looking images and a cinematic look including, where necessary, a shallow depth of field. Cinematographers used to pay dearly for high speed with reduced optical

performance and increased flaring. The Ultra 16 lenses, like the Master Primes, change all that by combining fast speed with outstanding optical performance at all T-stops across the whole focus range. This previously unattainable goal was made possible through new manufacturing techniques, including the use of exotic glass materials, large diameter aspherical lenses and radically shaped spherical surfaces. The Ultra 16 lenses exhibit high contrast, high resolution, almost no chromatic aberration (colour fringes) and a great resistance to flaring. They are designed as close focus lenses, and so retain their outstanding optical qualities even up close. The new T* XP multi-layer anti-reflection coating reduces flares and internal

reflections and creates a pleasing, gentle colour balance. Compared to conventional coatings it has a better transmission and a more uniform performance from optical center all the way to the edges, resulting in higher contrast and deeper, richer blacks. The Ultra 16’s round iris opening leads to organic-looking, pleasing out-of-focus highlights, and careful optical design ensures minimal breathing. The Ultra 16 lens scales are distinctly colour coded to avoid confusing the different lens types. The Ultra 16 lenses are equipped with yellow scales for focus and aperture, while the Ultra Primes traditionally have white scales. The Ultra 16 lenses also have a blue ring next to the PL mount, while the Ultra Prime barrel is completely black.

The Ultra 16 lenses are now the only complete set of carefully matched modern lenses for the Super 16 format, equaled by no other Super 16 lens in optical performance. All nine Ultra 16 lenses cover the whole Super 16 format and are fully compatible with the optical quality, colour balance and

ergonomics of the other ARRI/Zeiss lenses. The Ultra 16 lenses are the perfect companions to the ARRIFLEX 416, 416 Plus and 416 Plus HS. Marc Shipman-Mueller

Ultra 16 Specifications Name

Type 1

Aperture

Close focus2

Length3

Front diameter

Weight

Horizontal angle of view4

Ultra 16 T1.3/6mm Distagon T* XP

T1.3 to T16 0.20m/8”

91.6mm/3.6”

95mm/3.7”

1.0 kg/2.2lbs

90.22°

Ultra 16 T1.3/8mm Distagon T* XP

T1.3 to T16 0.30m/12”

91.6mm/3.6”

95mm/3.7”

1.0 kg/2.2lbs

75.83°

Ultra 16 T1.3/9.5mm Distagon T* XP

T1.3 to T16 0.30m/12”

91.6mm/3.6”

95mm/3.7”

1.0 kg/2.2lbs

66.34°

Ultra 16 T1.3/12mm Distagon T* XP

T1.3 to T16 0.30m/12”

91.6mm/3.6”

95mm/3.7”

1.0 kg/2.2lbs

55.32°

Ultra 16 T1.3/14mm Distagon T* XP

T1.3 to T16 0.30m/12”

91.6mm/3.6”

95mm/3.7”

1.0 kg/2.2lbs

48.17°

Ultra 16 T1.3/18mm Distagon T* XP

T1.3 to T16 0.30m/12”

91.6mm/3.6”

95mm/3.7”

1.2kg/2.6lbs

37.88°

Ultra 16 T1.3/25mm Distagon T* XP

T1.3 to T16 0.30m/12”

91.6mm/3.6”

95mm/3.7”

1.2kg/2.6lbs

27.82°

Ultra 16 T1.3/35mm Planar T* XP

T1.3 to T16 0.35m/14”

91.6mm/3.6”

95mm/3.7”

1.1kg/2.4lbs

20.46°

Ultra 16 T1.3/50mm Planar T* XP

T1.3 to T16 0.40m/16”

91.6mm/3.6”

95mm/3.7”

1.2kg/2.6lbs

14.76°

(1) T* XP is the trademark for the improved Zeiss anti-reflex lens coating that reduces flaring and other reflections. XP stands for extended performance. (2) Close focus is measured from the film plane. (3) Measured from lens mount to lens front. This measurement shows how far the lens will protrude beyond the camera body. (4) Horizontal angle of view for a Super 16 camera aperture (DIN 15602 and ISO-5768-1998, aspect ratio 1:1.66, dimensions 12.35 mm × 7.5 mm / 0.486” × 0.295”). All data subject to change without notice

Main Features • Complete Set of Nine Close Focus Super 16 Primes – 6, 8, 9.5, 12, 14, 18, 25, 35 & 50 mm • High Speed – T1.3 – for complete control over depth of field – for shooting in low or available light – for natural looking images – for fast-paced production environments – for tight lighting budgets

A shallow depth of field is an important narrative tool for the cinematographer, and a feature sought after by other formats for its cinematic quality

• Highest Optical Performance – high contrast and resolution – T* XP coating ensures flare resistance – image geometry free of distortions even at wide angles – minimised chromatic aberration – minimal breathing • Smooth & Robust Mechanics • Matches other ARRI / Zeiss Lenses – same size & ergonomics as Ultra Primes – Super Colour Matched to Ultra Primes, Master Primes, Variable Primes & Lightweight Zoom LWZ-1

VISIONARRI

Around the World at 300fps

The client, BOB (Beijing Olympic Broadcasting), was ecstatic with the results of the test run and confirmed their booking of seven Hi-Motion cameras for the games. “The cameras will be used to film slow-motion footage of a wide range of events,” continues Hayford. “We’ll be covering the marathon, the triathlon, cycle road racing, indoor velodrome cycle racing, mountain biking, fencing, table tennis, athletic field events, badminton and gymnastics. For a lot of those events audiences will not have previously seen footage any slower than the 3x slow-motion typical of sports coverage.” The most significant individual client for ARRI Media’s Hi-Motion cameras is Sky Sports, which airs a vast array of televised events ranging from Friday night boxing to rugby in the Guinness Premiership and Heineken Cup. However, their biggest Hi-Motion job of the last six months has been the Premier League football. “We have supplied a great many matches during the current Premiership season for Sky Sports,” says Hayford. “The fact that ARRI Media’s inventory of Hi-Motion cameras has increased from one to ten over the course of a single year has allowed us to supply such a large number of matches. Each game only requires one camera, but there might be up to three games in a single week, so we need a lot of equipment.”

54 54

THE SOLHEIM CUP international golf tournament for women in Sweden A PREMIER LEAGUE football match at Manchester United

Later in the year ARRI Media will be sending seven Hi-Motion cameras to cover the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. In preparation for what will be the largest slow-motion project the company has undertaken, ARRI Media’s Digital High Speed Manager Andy Hayford travelled to Beijing in April with a single camera for a test shoot of a marathon. “We filmed a real race, but for us it was primarily a practical, logistical and communications rehearsal to see if various things would work, including having a high-speed camera on a vehicle,” explains Hayford. “The Hi-Motion was on a gyro-head mounted on a car and was one of up to seven separate cameras – some on motorbikes and helicopters – that were all transmitting digital HD to antennas on the camera car. In the front footwell was a camera operator who operated the two gyro-heads on the car. In the back was the Hi-Motion technician and a director with a small vision mixer who was cutting between all those different feeds. No-one’s done it quite like that before, but it worked really well.”

moving vehicle for the first time

Sky almost invariably takes the Hi-Motion cameras out on dry hire because they have such extensive and established OB resources. The only exceptions to this are events that require an unusual approach or solution, one example being the Solheim Cup golf tournament in Sweden late last year. “The director wanted the high speed camera to travel quickly between numerous locations around the 18-hole course,” says Hayford. “It would have been a logistical nightmare to put in multiple SMPTE ‘drops’ over the large distances involved, so we built the Hi-Motion into a golf buggy that ran off batteries powering the system through an inverter and did the replays via a digital link from the buggy back to the trucks. We were completely mobile and it worked very well; they’re doing the same thing for the US Open this year.” Televised equestrian sport has also benefited from the added element of dynamic slow-motion footage provided by the Hi-Motion. For the last two years Sky has hired a camera for the international show jumping at Hickstead, which is one of the big events of the equestrian calendar. Shots of horses jumping obstacles at 300fps have proved so popular that Sky is interested in taking two cameras in 2008. The production company High Flyer also turned to ARRI Media to provide Hi-Motion coverage of horse races including the Cheltenham Gold Cup over four days of the Cheltenham Festival Week, which was broadcast on the UK’s Channel 4 in March. For this job ARRI Media sent the camera with its own designated van, which was positioned close to the Hi-Motion on a remote stretch of track and transmitted HD images to the main OB hub via an RF link, thereby doing away with the 2km of fibre which would otherwise have been necessary.

A Hi-Motion sporting roundup The digital slow-motion department at ARRI Media in London has enjoyed another diverse and successful six months of supplying Hi-Motion cameras for the television coverage of prestigious sporting events around the world. Capable of recording true 1920x1080 HD images at up to 300fps, the Hi-Motion is gaining popularity with sports broadcasters for the incredibly detailed slow-motion images it delivers. The cameras can be seamlessly integrated with standard outside broadcast (OB) systems and are frequently used for technical analysis during live action and breaks in action, as well as for dramatic highlight montages. Hi-Motion cameras continuously record a 22-second loop to an integrated RAM recorder while simultaneously providing a live feed. As soon as that live feed is cut by an operator, the preceding 22 seconds of footage are available for instant replay, slowed down by a factor of 6x or 12x.

A MARATHON IN BEIJING where the Hi-Motion was mounted to a

HORSE RACING at Cheltenham

ARRI Media has continued to do Hi-Motion work for another well established client over the last six months – the BBC. Again, it is football that has utilised the system most extensively; the BBC hired Hi-Motion cameras for various FA Cup matches, including the final at Wembley in May. Following this the Hi-Motion is set to enliven the BBC’s coverage of Wimbledon, the hugely popular international tennis championship, in June and July. I Mark Hope-Jones

VISIONARRI

Digital Grading on Baselight HD ARRI enters new era in commercial postproduction Under the supervision of Florian ‘Utsi’ Martin (previously Lead Digital Colourist on The Lord of the Rings trilogy), ARRI is introducing its clients to digital colour grading on Baselight HD software. Until now, commercial production houses in Germany have not given digital grading adequate thought. DoP’s working on feature films have long been accustomed to finishing their films using software-based grading tools, but have not had access to these tools during commercial postproduction. That’s why ARRI has decided to spearhead the introduction of software-based tools to the world of commercials. Now ARRI Film & TV Commercial not only offers traditional telecine on Spirit but also the tremendously powerful DI on Baselight HD, software from London based postproduction specialists FilmLight Ltd. The ARRI Commercial team strongly believes that the new system will redefine the colour grading process in Europe’s commercial postproduction world. “We now have a system at our disposal that allows us to finish all formats digitally without compromising resolution or colour depth,” states Philipp Bartel, Head of ARRI Commercial. FLORIAN ‘UTSI’ MARTIN

A vast amount of experience with digital software-based grading systems means Martin is the perfect choice to lead the endeavour. Between 1998 and 2001 he worked for ARRI Munich as a Digital Film Compositor before heading to New Zealand to The PostHouse Ltd., in Wellington. There he played an important part in Peter Jackson’s groundbreaking The Lord of the Rings trilogy, helping to shape the Lustre system and redefine the colour grading process for feature film production. Martin then returned to ARRI as a consultant in 2005 and spent most of 2007 freelancing as a colour grader on international commercial productions in Scandinavia, Turkey and Germany. In 2008 he began to focus all his attention on introducing digital colour grading on Baselight HD to ARRI’s commercial clients and is responsible for the technical implementation of the new system, focusing on the optimisation of workflows and the training of colour graders. Although the workflow of the Baselight HD based colour grading process is different compared to that of the analogue telecine process it will not adversely affect the timelines of commercial productions. All that really happens is a shift in the workflow itself,

due to the use of a different system. Now, with the availability of Baselight, all footage is digitally scanned onto a hard drive using the ARRISCAN. Once the footage is stored on a hard drive in 2K, 1K or HD, a lot of time can be saved during the actual creative process as entire sequences of material can be accessed with a simple mouse click. Another time-saving advantage of having all the footage available on a hard drive is that reel changes or fast forwarding are no longer necessary. The colour depth of scanned material (10-bit Log) is also much closer to that of the original image, due to the ARRISCAN’s logarithmic transfer system. ARRI Commercial is looking forward to the challenges that the new Baselight HD based system will bring: “We are entering a new era in the world of commercial production,” comments Bartel. “We are now able to create entirely new looks, which were previously unachievable due to the limitations of traditional grading tools. Our clients will experience more creative freedom and be able to get much closer to producing their vision. It’s a chance for agencies, in collaboration with their directors and DoPs, to create images that have never been seen before.”

PRODUCT

UPDATE Introducing the New Wireless Remote Control WRC-2 Sporting an easy-to-use touchscreen user interface, the recently developed WRC-2 extends and simplifies wireless camera control options. Compatible with all new generation ARRIFLEX and ARRICAM cameras, the WRC-2 combines the functions of previous units such as the RCU-1 and WRC-1 with a number of entirely new features. The WRC-2’s range of functions automatically adapts to the camera it is being used with. The touchscreen user interface makes remote-controlling faster and easier than ever before. Since its functionality is software-based and therefore expandable, the WRC-2 is the most versatile remote control unit ARRI has ever built. The main menu offers three different operation modes: • Camera Control permits adjustments to the speed and shutter angle of the camera • External Display emulates the display on the side of pre-ARRICAM new generation cameras • Ramp Mode facilitates compensation for in-shot changes of speed, shutter or iris Uniquely, the WRC-2 automatically calculates the correct exposure value for given ramps based on light measurements made by the DoP on set. All of the ramp data can be entered with the help of the Ramp Control Menu, guiding the user through the sometimes complex process of programming a

ramp. This makes the WRC-2 a very powerful tool for providing unprecedented levels of exposure safety and precision while saving time on set. The WRC-2 works with the ARRI Wireless Remote System (WRS) and attaches to the Wireless Main Units WMU-2 and WMU-3, which act as transmitters. It can also be wired to an ARRIFLEX or ARRICAM camera either directly or via a Wireless Handgrip Attachment WHA-2 or WHA-3 using a standard LCS cable. The WRC-2 can automatically make exposure compensations for speed, iris and shutter ramps. In order to compensate for speed or shutter ramps with the iris, a CLM-1 or CLM-2 motor is attached to the camera and the mounted lens selected in the Lens Manager. This is done automatically when using LDS lenses (Master Primes or LDS Ultra Primes), while for other lenses an Iris Table can easily be programmed and then stored in the WRC-2 internal memory. Being software-based, the WRC-2 can be continually upgraded. Newly released software updates and modules can be uploaded simply by connecting a USB memory stick to the WRC-2 mini-USB port, so there is no need to carry a laptop to the set. In addition, there is downloadable WRC-2 simulator software on the ARRI website, which allows users to become familiar with the interface before even setting hands on the unit (www.arri.com/wrc-2).

WRC-2 Compatibility

“OUR CLIENTS WILL EXPERIENCE MORE CREATIVE FREEDOM AND BE ABLE TO GET MUCH CLOSER TO PRODUCING THEIR VISION” 56

Camera ARRICAM 435 Xtreme 435 Adv. 435 ES 235 535A 535B 416 16SR3 UMC-3 D-21

Item (Accessory) Studio, Lite + FEM-2 + FEM-1

Standard, Plus or Plus HS Standard or HS + FEM-2

Software Packet Packet 04C or later Packet 03C or later Packet 03C or later Any Any Any Any Packet 02D or later

Compatibility YES YES YES, FEM-2 necessary YES, FEM-1 necessary YES Not supported (use RCU-1 / WRC-1) YES YES

Any Packet 02C or later Available shortly

YES YES YES, FEM-2 necessary 57

A retrospective of ARRIFLEX cameras at work on milestone productions

Closely Observed Trains An ARRI Blimp rides the Czech New Wave Cinematographer Jaromír Šofr and Director Jirí Menzel, Czech filmmakers who first met at school and have since worked together on 12 films spanning five decades, were honoured at the Plus Camerimage 2007 festival in Poland with a Special Director-Cinematographer Duo Award. Their earliest collaboration was on Closely Observed Trains, Menzel’s debut feature, which was first released in late 1966 and gradually gained international momentum, eventually winning an Oscar two years later in the category of

Best Foreign Language Film. Set during the Second World War, the film centres on a small, provincial railway station in occupied Czechoslovakia where a young train dispatcher’s preoccupations with girls and the desperate desire to purge himself of his virginity are tragically overtaken by wider social issues. A deeply affecting and yet irreverently light-hearted film, Trains stands out as an example of the heights reached by the Czech New Wave before it petered out in the wake of the August 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia.

CLOSELY OBSERVED TRAINS

MOMENTS IN TIME

Though only 26 years old, Šofr was by 1966 already an experienced cinematographer, having made a documentary, several shorts and a feature film, which he shot with ARRIFLEX cameras. “It was during the second year of my compulsory military service when I was asked by the highly regarded director Karel Kachyna to collaborate on a black and white CinemaScope feature,” recalls Šofr. “It was called Long Live the Republic (1965) and was based on a novel by Jan Prochazka, who later fell victim to the communist regime. This film was for me more than just good training for Trains. I used the opportunity to employ the 2.55:1 format freely, creatively and enthusiastically; such an approach enabled me to use two nonsync sound ARRI IICs, both equipped with a set of quite new monoblock CinemaScope lenses, the widest being a 35mm. After this very good experience I decided to use an ARRI IIC with a blimp to shoot Trains, which I started in the winter of 1966 with my schoolfellow Jirí Menzel.” The ARRI 120 and 300 blimps were introduced in the 1950s to allow sync sound filming with ARRIFLEX 35 II series cameras. In those days, 35mm cameras that ran quietly enough to allow the simultaneous recording of sound on set were limited to bulky studio models such as the Mitchell BNC. The ARRI blimps enabled crews to use just one camera both for shooting wild, in situations where the 35 II’s light weight and small size overrode noise concerns, as well as dialogue scenes for which the relatively heavy blimp was less of an encumbrance. “The blimp was used because my generation of directors were beginning to insist on sync sound shooting,” explains Šofr. “The ARRI 35 IIC, even inside its blimp, was not clumsy in comparison with some bigger cameras and the sound people were satisfied.” On Closely Observed Trains, the IIC remained blimped for the majority of the shoot because this mode of filming suited Menzel’s desire to combine traditional, understated camerawork with a strong sense of realism: “The blimp matched the visual concept of this movie perfectly,” continues Šofr. “Image composition in the majority of situations was intentionally derived from an old style of framing – similar to the work of pioneers during the silent era. Dominant lines within the image were mostly parallel with the frame edges and very rarely diagonal; figures were placed rather freely in the space without too much respect being paid to rules or the routine style.” Unlike the cinematographer’s previous, anamorphic project, Trains was shot with spherical lenses and an aspect ratio of 1.37:1. Prime lenses manufactured by Cooke were used for every set-up, due to a strong aversion Menzel harboured at that time against zooms. “Thanks to this film being made during that fortunate epoch preceding the advent of pseudo-widescreen films, I was able to use the Academy frame both creatively and playfully,” says Šofr. “The playfulness was concerned mostly with image composition and was made possible by the fact that these were the days when the rule ‘what you compose is what you get on the cinema screen’ was actually reliable.” Šofr wanted to augment the realism of sync sound filming with his photography and realised that lighting was the area where he had the best opportunity to do so, given the decision to opt for a fairly staid approach to camerawork and composition. “The concept of the lighting and image tonality was developed carefully and strictly respected the character of illumination in real interiors,” he says. “HMI sources were not available, so the strongest sources were provided by carbon-arc lamps, mostly pointed through windows and of course heavily diffused. The effect of sharp edges produced by lampshades in night scenes was simulated with halogen-bar lamps called Ampdiodes, which were 1500W and 2000W. We also used simple halogen 800W and 1000W units, which were usually bounced from reflectors. Extremely low-light scenes were accomplished thanks to the newly available and fast Orwo NP 7 film stock, which replaced the previous Ultra-Rapid Agfa and which we used throughout.”

MOMENTS IN TIME

VISIONARRI

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“THE BLIMP WAS USED BECAUSE MY GENERATION OF DIRECTORS WERE BEGINNING TO INSIST ON SYNC SOUND SHOOTING”

Although a good deal of Trains was shot on location, some of the interior scenes required sets to be built on a sound stage. “The location shooting was complemented by filming done in a studio at Barrandov,” says Šofr. “We used a similar lighting style to that on location, by which I mean very realistic – no backlight, no eye-light, just strict directional logic and a believable, diffused style. As for the lighting contrast, I used as high a ratio as the properties of the black and white emulsion allowed.” While Šofr has fond memories of working with an ARRIFLEX 35 IIC and ARRI Blimp 120 on his breakthrough film, he has enjoyed keeping up with the many technical advances that have punctuated his long and distinguished career since then. Most recently, he and Menzel worked together on I Served the King of England, which was shot on an ARRICAM Studio and released in 2006. Like Trains, this film is based on a novel by the Czech author Bohumil Hrabal and subtly blends the tragedy and bittersweet comedy of ordinary lives interrupted by extraordinary events. It has won awards at film festivals around the world, including Czech Lion awards for Menzel’s direction and also Šofr’s cinematography, which took full advantage of the latest equipment available from ARRI: “The ARRICAM Studio served our last project very reliably and was equipped with a wide range of lenses, from Ultra Primes to Variable Primes,” enthuses Šofr. “There were opportunities to employ all of the features of this camera, including frame rate adjustments with shutter angle compensation.”

The similarities between Closely Observed Trains and I Served the King of England make them fitting bookends to the powerful and enduring collaboration between Šofr and Menzel, especially as the director has intimated that he will not make another film. To Šofr’s mind, the brilliance of Menzel’s vision remained as strong on the last day of their working relationship as it was on the first: “My memories of working with my friend and school-fellow Jirí Menzel as a first-time director right up until, according to his words, being a last-time director, are that his conscientious and highly artistic approach to directing did not change over the course of his entire filmmaking career,” concludes the cinematographer. “Jirí’s unerring sense of optimal casting always was and still is his main gift, together with an ability to bring the best out of each person in front of the camera.” I Mark Hope-Jones

Web design and print alone are not enough for Adam Glauer, it’s the moving image that captivates him. It’s playing with colour and the graphic design of the moving image that spurs his interest – that’s where his strength lies.

ADAM GLAUER

But how did the 29-year old motion graphic designer get here? As a child he loved to draw and paint. As a teenager he was fascinated by the expressive power of graffiti art, so it came as no surprise that after graduating from high school he went on to study graphic design for digital media in Ulm. That’s where he learned to use the tools of the trade: Photoshop for matte paintings, After Effects to design the moving image and 3ds Max and Cinema 4D to incorporate 3D elements. “Without these tools,” says Adam, “we couldn’t do what we’re doing.” His next stop was the postproduction world of Munich, where he worked for companies such as PICTORION das werk and Second Unit Services before joining the creative team at ARRI Film & TV Commercial in 2007.

His mission is clear: to help the graphic suite take off! To develop the ideas of the client further by refining and bringing them to life, and to come up with concepts that the client hasn’t even thought of yet.

His role also includes working on and improving screen designs, online elements, titles and moving image graphics, and to make the CI for a new television format airtight for an internal presentation – in order to give the format a chance of actually getting made. Examples? “In the globalized world of today, there aren’t any to be found anymore. Thanks to the internet and YouTube, trends are ever present in real time. As a matter-of-fact, you have to move away from examples and come up with your own ideas. To be creative means to really immerse yourself, but at the same time you have to be able to share with others – especially when it’s about picking the best ideas.” One thing is for sure though: “TV, the internet and mobile phones are platforms of previously unimagined significance. The moving image and the graphic design of the moving image are in greater demand than ever.” The true challenge? “The incredible pace at which new forms of motion graphic design will develop over the next few years.” Adam Glauer will help his clients to keep up.

Take a look at www.arricommercial.de

New Customer Interface at ARRI Commercial In February 2008 Julia Krespelka, previously in scheduling, was appointed as a producer to the ARRI Commercials team, where she will assist clients in implementing their productions. After pursuing a degree in audio and visual design at TVA Regensburg, a regional broadcaster, Julia completed an internship at Friends Production in Munich and went on to work as a freelance production assistant and assistant editor on JULIA KRESPELKA several feature films. Julia then worked for Pirates ’n Paradise (Düsseldorf/Munich) as a postproduction assistant before bringing her professional know-how to ARRI Commercial. During her time in scheduling Julia became familiar with the needs of clients. Now, in her new capacity, Julia can use this knowledge to contribute more extensively to the production process. Julia will liaise between customers and key technical personnel at ARRI Commercial, taking on tasks such as planning, budgeting and cost reporting.

It is the interactive aspect of her responsibilities that particulary excites her: “I see my role as the interface between the imaginative ideas of our customers and the creative and technical possibilities of ARRI Commercial and its team of experts.” Julia is also looking forward to bringing her technical background and experience as an assistant editor to bear: “To me, the new and exciting challenge I am facing is to pull together the perfect resources for our clients and to organize and customise them to meet the requirements of individual jobs.” Julia Krespelka can be reached by phone on +49 89 3809 2285 or via email at jkrespelka@arri.de

Though the production team had wanted to again shoot at Prague’s famous Barrandov Studios, which has been one of the biggest studios in Europe since the war, they found that the facility was too busy with international films to accommodate them. “The Barrandov Studio complex has changed significantly since we shot Trains,” says Šofr. “But the change has not brought too many advantages for Czech national cinema, as is demonstrated by the fact that there wasn’t a single stage available for the shooting of I Served the King of England. Fortunately we received significant support from the Barrandov Camera Department and Lighting Equipment Department as well as the help of the laboratory and financial support. In the end we managed to shoot more than 95% of the movie on location.”

Portrait of a Motion Graphic Designer

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VISIONARRI

News from around the world ARRI Film & TV Services Represented in LA

New Branch Manager at ARRI Schwarzfilm Berlin Berlin is becoming an increasingly important locale in the film and TV market. Recognising this, ARRI decided to acquire Schwarz Film AG more than a year ago in order to offer their customers lab and postproduction services in Berlin as well as Munich. Since the beginning of April 2008, Angela Reedwisch has been managing the Berlin branch office; as Key Account Manager she is also responsible for international sales at ARRI Film & TV Services in Munich. ANGELA

REEDWISCH

Over the past 12 months major investments have been made in the Berlin facility. New offices and HD suites have been built as well as what the facility’s Managing Director Josef Reidinger – who oversaw the expansion – describes as, “Europe’s biggest grading cinema.” The first feature films to be graded in this cinema at 2K resolution have been Hardcover, a Little Sharks Entertainment production directed by Christian

Zübert, as well as Tengri, the first movie to be shot on a 2-perforation 35mm camera supplied by ARRI Rental, Germany. Tengri is a production of CineDok and is directed by Marie-Jaoul de Poncheville. Currently the Sony feature The International, directed by Tom Tykwer, who made Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, is in the final stage of postproduction.

In addition to his involvement with ARRI Film & TV Services Thomas Nickel will also consult for Film Finances, Inc., focusing on film projects from Germany, Eastern Europe, Russia and India.

ARRI is pleased to be able to continue to count on Thomas Nickel’s know-how and extensive experience in the realm of postproduction and wish him all the best in his new endeavours.

Thomas Nickel can be reached by phone on + 1 323 378 6012 or via email at ToNicFilm@mac.com

One of the biggest recent shoots was a television commercial for the Suzuki Motor Corporation, which used a D-20 for the main camera and combined it with an ARRIFLEX 435 for high speed sequences. The DoP Mr Syuhei Umene from Crank, one of the major local production companies, commented, “This camera [the D-20] does not have a video look; you cannot distinguish it from film cameras. The big advantage of the D-20 is that you can operate it as though it were a film camera, which for this shoot meant we only had to prepare one set of accessories, even though we had a D-20 and a 435.”

From Pascal Bony’s perspective, “The ARRI lab was very well organised and operations ran smoothly. The operators were perceived to be handling daily routines in a very professional way and all the staff were strongly committed and extremely involved from the outset. They really believe in the program.”

Mr Syuhei Umene has shot other commercials on the D-20, including one for Hitachi washing machines. For this shoot, the D-20 proved advantageous because it meant he was able to avoid the magazine changes associated with shooting on film in scenes featuring a child, whose

unpredictable performance required constant readiness and the freedom to keep the camera rolling. Though the D-20 is popular for commercials in Japan, almost two-thirds of the productions that NAC hire the film style digital camera to are music promos. In January 2008, NAC Rental supplied four ARRIFLEX D-20 cameras for a live music performance by the band Remioromen at the Tokyo International Forum. Three of the cameras were placed on Panther dollies in front of the stage while the fourth was positioned over to one side. Mr. Ajisaka, who is a freelance DoP and who has selected the D-20 for a number of live music shoots, said, “The D-20 delivers a warm, film-like picture with its depth of field and its rotating mirror shutter, and the operation is very simple for conventional film camera users. This is an obvious advantage compared to other conventional HD cameras.”

Josef Reidinger concluded that for ARRI only the highest quality in their internal negative processing is acceptable because this is the basis for the calibration of the successful ARRISCAN film scanners and ARRILASER film recorders.

“Kodak technical representative Dieter Krinke facilitated this project with a great deal of competence and passion, and was a major driving force,” continues Reidinger. “He personally motivated the ARRI team and prepared supporting documents that contributed to this success. Special thanks are also due to KODAK IMAGECARE Program accreditor Pascal Bony of the Chalon (France) based Kodak Customer Technical Services centre for his great co-operation, support and coaching.”

THOMAS NICKEL

NAC Rental, the Tokyo-based ARRI rental partner, has been hiring ARRI’s digital camera system to the Japanese market since the autumn of 2006. Their current fleet of five ARRIFLEX D-20 cameras, which will all be upgraded to D-21 specifications over the course of the next six months, are in constant demand, mainly for music promos and commercials.

On 10 April 2008, ARRI GmbH in Munich became the first laboratory in Germany to successfully gain KODAK IMAGECARE Program certification. ARRI achieved Phase 1 accreditation with a remarkable score of 229 points, or 99% – virtually the highest possible level of compliance.

In March 2008, Thomas Nickel returned to Los Angeles after spending the last 2 ½ years in Mumbai, India for the ARRI Group. He will now represent ARRI Film & TV Services in Los Angeles in the capacity of a consultant and primarily be responsible for projects that will be finished at ARRI’s lab and postproduction facilities in Munich, Berlin and Bern, Switzerland. His diverse contacts from his previous Los Angeles assignment will no doubt be of great benefit to him.

Growing Demands: Digital Acquisition in Japan

ARRI’s Stringent Lab Quality Standards Earn Kodak Imagecare Accreditation

“Right from the start, we knew that we would have to handle the implementation of the KODAK IMAGECARE Program in an ambitious and motivating way,” comments Josef Reidinger, ARRI’s Film Lab Department Head. “Together with my colleague Andy Sollacher, internal supervisor of the program, we convinced the staff of its importance and value, and kept administration to a minimum to allow them to become fully involved in the development of all the schedules. They have commented that it is now straightforward to maintain top quality through standardised and exact procedures.

News from around the world

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of the Best

News from around the world

…Duels

ARRIMAX Shines in South Africa ARRI’s brightest HMI, the ARRIMAX 18/12, recently arrived in South Africa and is now available for hire through Media Film Service, an ARRI Rental Partner with facilities in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban. The South African launch of the ARRIMAX was held at Media Film Service’s offices in Cape Town last November, when local crew and production staff were invited to ‘come and play with MAX’. “It has always been our mission at Media Film Service to provide the latest and best equipment to the South African industry and we are very excited to be in a position to add yet another state-of-the-art ARRI product to our repertoire,” commented Corrie van Wyk, Group Lighting and Technical Manager at Media Film Service.

The ARRIMAX’s unique reflector concept for beam control and optical system dazzled the local industry and the launch caused quite a buzz. Jim Browne, Lighting Manager at Media Film Service, said: “The ARRIMAX is perfect for local productions that need maximum light output. It combines the variable beam spread of a Fresnel with the light output of a PAR, providing an extremely powerful source of illumination from a single unit – and from an environmental point of view, uses the same power consumption as a standard 18K lamp.” Since its launch there has been a great deal of interest in the lighting fixture and the ARRIMAX’s first few months in South Africa have been extremely busy. Mario Mohammed, a Cape Town-based Gaffer, remarked: “It is an amazing lamp! The quality is stunning and it is a great saving for production as the illumination it provides means we don’t need to spend extra on banks of lights. I am so impressed.”

For The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, cinematographer Karl Walter Lindenlaub mounted an ARRIFLEX 235 to a shield in order to film a climactic duel with swords between the evil King Miraz (Sergio Castellitto) and Peter Pevensie (William Moseley). Here below is a selection of six other famous cinematic duels. The Count of Monte Cristo (1934) Often hailed as the greatest screen adaptation of Dumas’ 1844 novel, this version stars Robert Donat as Edmond Dantes, the young sailor who is imprisoned on false charges and returns as the Count of Monte Cristo years later to exact his revenge. At one point Dantes fights in a pistol duel which is filmed with a single shot that starts in close-up and tracks backwards as the combatants walk away from each other, skilfully keeping them both on the edge of frame until they turn, now in long shot, and fire.

The facility, to be run by Richard and Kate Sysumm, is kitted out with a basic video and grips package, a full range of daylight lighting, a comprehensive stills lighting complement, consumables, and a 100kva generator. Mauritius, a small island destination off the East coast of Africa, is serviced by regular flights from Europe, Australia and South Africa. This gives easy and efficient access to the splendors of this beautiful country for shooting in untouched and unique locations. All that the local and international film community needed was excellent equipment and tried and tested service, both of which Media Film Service now provides.

Richard Sysum opened the Durban branch of Media Film Service in 2001. It was the first of the Media Film Service outlets to offer lighting equipment in South Africa and has since grown from a small one-man operation to a facility capable of handling international feature films. Richard’s unquestionable

success with the Durban setup positioned him as the perfect man to head up a new venture overseas. Media Film Service is constantly looking for new and innovative ways of servicing the local and international film industry in South Africa, and with the establishment of the Mauritius branch, this vision is taking on new and exciting dimensions.

A wartime gem from the British filmmaking team of Powell and Pressburger, Colonel Blimp tells the story of a lifelong friendship that develops between a German and an Englishmen who, despite being strangers, find themselves having to fight a duel during the Boer War. Rising above the propagandist tone defining most British films of the time, this is a humane and moving character study that unfolds before the backdrop of a changing Europe.

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) At a cost of $2m, Robin Hood was more expensive than any preceding Warner Brothers film and also the first from that studio to be presented in Technicolor. Errol Flynn dons the obligatory green tights as Robin, whose adventures culminate in a duel with Sir Guy of Gisbourne, played by Basil Rathbone, who had previously locked blades with Flynn in Captain Blood (1935). Fight choreographer Fred Cavens was responsible for making the untrained Flynn appear a convincing match for Rathbone, who was an accomplished fencer.

Media Film Service Crosses the Ocean! On 1st July 2008, Media Film Service began welcoming clients to a new branch – in sunny Mauritius.

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)

The Mark of Zorro (1940)

Barry Lyndon (1975)

Basil Rathbone features again in the classic duel for which this film is remembered, this time against Tyrone Power’s Zorro. Director Rouben Mamoulian opted to shoot the sequence with long takes, fully utilising the skill of both his actors and choreographer Fred Cavens, who by this time was highly sought after in Hollywood. Power became typecast in swashbuckling roles, eventually succumbing to a heart attack while filming another duelling scene for Solomon and Sheba in 1958.

Inspired by paintings of the time, Stanley Kubrick worked closely with Cinematographer John Alcott, BSC and pushed the boundaries of film technology to create this lavish portrayal of a young man’s rise through the social ranks of eighteenth-century Britain. Forced to flee rural Ireland after winning a duel fought for love, Barry slowly claws his way up in the world, gradually leaving all recognisable human emotion by the wayside. Eventually drifting into an absurd duel with his stepson, he deliberately fires his pistol wide of its mark before being shot and seriously wounded. The Duellists (1977) Ridley Scott’s directorial debut is practically a duel from start to finish. Adapted from a story by Joseph Conrad, it tells of two French officers during the Napoleonic wars whose first meeting sparks a minor argument that escalates into a bitter conflict and consumes their lives. As they duel with both pistols and swords on many occasions over many years, the deadly rivalry self-perpetuates and its origin, as well as the meaning of honour itself, becomes blurred. 65

ARRI CSC

PRODUCTION UPDATE

Title

ARRI RENTAL Title

Production Company

Director

DoP

Equipment

Andrzej Bartkowiak

Geoff Boyle

Lars Büchel

Jana Marsik

DWNZ Productions Ltd

Peter Jackson

Andrew Lesnie

The Reader

The Weinstein Company

Stephen Daldry

Laura Wüstenblume Flores Negras – Schwarze Blumen Dark Sky

elsani Film Ben Verbong Desert Flower Filmproductions Sherry Hormann epo-film David Carreras

Roger Deakins ASC, BSC Chris Menges BSC Theo Bierkens Ken Kelsch Nestor Calvo Pichardo

2 x ARRICAM Lite, ARRICAM Studio, ARRIFLEX 435 Advanced, ARRIFLEX 235 ARRICAM Studio & Lite, ARRIFLEX 435 Advanced, Lighting, Grip 2 x ARRICAM Lite, ARRIFLEX 435 Advanced, ARRIFLEX 235, 16.5-110mm Master Zoom ARRICAM Studio & Lite, Master Primes, Lighting, Grip ARRICAM Lite 2-perforation ARRICAM Studio & Lite, Lighting, Grip ARRIFLEX D-20, ARRIFLEX 435 ES

Street Fighter – The Hyde Park Films Legend of Chun Lee Lippels Traum collina filmproduktion The Lovely Bones

Stillking Films

Ein Date fürs Leben antares media Das Duo – Sterben TV60Film statt erben Bunraku Bunraku Productions Mists of Time

MOD Producciones

ACS

Stephen Sommers/ Greg Michael Andi Niessner Maris Pfeiffer

Mitchell Amundsen/ Jonathan Taylor Bernd Neubauer Gunnar Fuss

Guy Moshe

Juan Ruiz-Anchia

Alejandro Amenábar

Xavi Giménez

Lighting, Grip ARRIFLEX 16SR 3, Lighting, Grip ARRIFLEX 416 Plus, Lighting, Grip ARRICAM Studio & Lite, ARRIFLEX 435 Advanced, Lighting, Grip 2 x ARRICAM Studio, ARRICAM Lite, 16,5-110mm Master Zoom, Master Primes

ARRI AUSTRALIA Title

Production Company

Director

DoP

Equipment

McLeod’s Daughters – Series 8 The Pacific

Millennium Television

Various

Henry Pierce

First Division Pty Ltd

Remi Adefarasin

Long Weekend

Arclight Films

David Nutter, Tim Van Patten Jamie Banks

Karl Von Moeller

The Vintner’s Luck – NZ Shoot Sheridan The Lakes Telstra

Ascension Films

Niki Caro

Denis Loire

8MM Commercials Synergy Films 9MM

Tim Gibbs Jeff Hogan Nicole Ryan

Garry Philips Jeff Hogan Matt Stewart

McDonald’s Olympics Smith’s

Soma Films The Guild

Sean Meehan Mat Humphrey

Sean Meehan Andrew Lesnie ACS

Donna Hay Qantas HCF Glass Rexona Nice Cowboys

Engine Engine Engine Windermere Blue 8 Commercials Arena Films

Lachlan Milne Finnegan Spencer Lachlan Milne Jayne Montague Eden Ben Phelps

Lachlan Milne Lachlan Milne Calvin Gardiner Carl Robertson Matt Stewart John Brawley

2 x ARRIFLEX 416, ARRIFLEX SR 3, Zeiss High Speeds & Zooms 2 x ARRIFLEX 235, 3 x ARRICAM Lite, LDS Ultra Primes, Optimo Set 2 x ARRIFLEX D-20, ARRIFLEX 235, Ultra Primes, Canon Zoom, Angenieux 2 x ARRIFLEX 416, Ultra Primes, 15-40mm Angenieux, 24-290mm Angenieux ARRIFLEX 235, Master Primes ARRIFLEX 435, 14mm Ultra Prime ARRIFLEX 416, 11.5-138mm Canon 6.6-66mm Canon ARRICAM Lite, Cookes ARRICAM Lite, 15-40mm Angenieux, 17-80mm Angenieux ARRIFLEX 235 3-perforation, Master Primes ARRIFLEX 235 3-perforation, Master Primes Master Primes ARRICAM Studio, Master Primes ARRIFLEX 416, Canon Zooms ARRIFLEX 435, Ultra Primes

BSC

ARRI MEDIA Title

Production Company Director

DoP

Equipment

Quantum of Solace

B22 Limited

Marc Forster

Roberto Schaefer ASC

Green Zone The Boat That Rocked Bright Star Little Dorrit

Compound Films Frigate Films Bright Star Films BBC Television

Paul Greengrass Richard Curtis Jane Campion Dearbhla Walsh, Adam Smith Duane Clark Alan Grint Yann Demange Stephan Elliott David Evans Alrick Riley Tom Clegg Gillies MacKinnon

Barry Ackroyd BSC Danny Cohen Greig Fraser Lucas Strebel

ARRICAM Studio & Lite, ARRIFLEX 435, ARRIFLEX 235, Master Primes ARRICAM Lite, ARRIFLEX 235 ARRICAM Lite, ARRIFLEX 435, Ultra Primes ARRICAM Lite, ARRIFLEX 235 ARRIFLEX D-21, Ultra Primes

Crusoe Lark Rise to Candleford Balloon Wars Easy Virtue The Children Boy Meets Girl Sharpe’s Peril Commander

Power BBC Television Zeppotron Easy Virtue Films Tightrope Pictures ITV Granada Sharpe’s Peril La Plant Productions

Jon Joffin Mark Partridge Tat Radcliffe Martin Kenzie David Luther Sean Van Hales James Aspinall Nigel Willougby

ARRIFLEX D-21, Master Primes ARRIFLEX D-21, Zeiss Primes ARRIFLEX D-20, Ultra Primes ARRICAM Studio & Lite, Cooke S4 Primes ARRIFLEX D-20, Cooke S4 Primes ARRIFLEX D-20, Zeiss Primes ARRICAM Studio, ARRIFLEX 435, Ultra Primes ARRIFLEX 416, Ultra Primes

Published by the ARRI Rental Group Marketing Department. 3 Highbridge, Oxford Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 1LX United Kingdom The opinions expressed by individuals quoted in articles in VisionARRI do not necessarily represent those of the ARRI Rental Group or the Editors. Due to our constant endeavour to improve quality and design, modifications may be made to products from time to time. Details of availability and specifications given in this publication are subject to change without notice.

Production Company DoP

Gaffer

American Gladiators AM GLAD Prods Bart Got A Room Bart Got A Room LLC Kings of Appletown 415 Crystal LLC/ Oak Films Recount 35 Days Inc.

Jim Denault

30 Rock

NBC

Vanja Cernjul

Spread State of Play The Soloist The Wrestler Tree of Life

Katalyst Films Universal DreamWorks Off The Top Rope Inc. Cottonwood

Steven Poster ASC Rodrigo Prieto ASC, AMC Seamus McGarvey BSC Maryse Alberti Emmanuel Luezki ASC

Tropic Thunder Woody Allen Summer Project

DreamWorks Perdido Prods.

John Toll ASC Harris Savides ASC

Various Hallvard Braein Daniel Pearl ASC

Equipment

Serviced by

Oscar Dominguez Automated Lighting Illumination Dynamics 2 x ARRIFLEX SR 3 Advanced ARRI CSC FLA 2 x ARRICAM Lite & ARRIFLEX 235 ARRI CSC FLA 3-perforation, Cooke S4 Primes 3 x ARRIFLEX 416, ARRI CSC FLA. ARRIFLEX SR 3 Advanced Jerry DeBlau 2 x ARRICAM Lite 3-perforation ARRI CSC NY Cooke S4 Primes Elan Yaari Lighting & Grip Illumination Dynamics Robby Baumgartner Lighting Illumination Dynamics Randy Woodside Lighting Illumination Dynamics David Skutch ARRIFLEX 416, ARRIFLEX SR 3 ARRI CSC NY 2 x ARRICAM, ARRIFLEX 235 ARRI CSC NY Master Primes Randy Woodside Lighting Illumination Dynamics 2 x ARRICAM Lite ARRI CSC NY Cooke S4 Primes

ARRI FILM & TV - POST PRODUCTION SERVICES - FEATURES Title

Production Company

Director

DoP

Services

Alle Anderen Komplizen Film Maren Ade Bernhard Keller Die Tür Wüstefilm Anno Saul Bella Halben Flame & Citron Wüste Medien GmbH Ole Christian Madsen Jørgen Johansson Ground Under Water Flying Moon Lenka Hellstedt Mark Stubbs Laura elsani Film Ben Verbong Theo Bierkens Lippels Traum collina filmproduktion Lars Büchel Jana Marsik Mammoth Zentropa Entertainments Berlin Lukas Moodysson Marcel Zyskind Reine Männersache Constantin Film Gernot Roll Gernot Roll Mord ist mein Geschäft, Liebling! Rat Pack Filmproduktion Sebastian Niemann Gerhard Schirlo Morphus Provobis Karola Hattop Sebastian Richter Ninja Assassin Warner Brothers/Fünfte James McTeigue K. W. Lindenlaub Babelsberg ASC, BVK Perlmutterfarbe d.i.e. film Marcus H. Rosenmüller Torsten Breuer Tengri Cine Dok Marie Jaoul de Poncheville Sylvie Carcédo Wüstenblume Desert Flower Filmproductions Sherry Hormann Ken Kelsch Whiskey mit Wodka Senator Film Andreas Dresen Andreas Höfer

Lab, TV-Mastering (HD), VFX Lab, DI, TV-Mastering (HD) Lab, DI-Services Lab Lab, DI, TV-Mastering (HD) Lab, DI, TV-Mastering (HD), VFX, Sound Lab, DI-Services D-21, DI, Lab Lab, DI, TV-Mastering (HD), VFX, Sound Lab, DI, TV- Mastering Lab Lab, Lab, Lab, Lab,

DI, DI, DI, DI,

TV-Mastering (HD), VFX TV- Mastering TV-Mastering (HD) TV-Mastering (HD)

ARRI FILM & TV - POST PRODUCTION SERVICES - COMMERCIALS Client

Title

Kraft Foods

Jacobs Balance Hager Moss Film “Flight Attendant” Driving Experience “Faces” Hager Moss Film Filmteam Helliventures AGCS Construction GAP Films Hüttengaudi 2008 FRAMES filmproduktion GmbH

Mercedes Benz Kellogg GmbH Allianz SE McDonald’s Deutschland GmbH SevenSenses GmbH Slam Tour mit Kuttner Bayerisches Schluss mit dem Unsinn Sozialministerium ARD Ich weiß, wer gut für dich ist Holsten Castle

Production Company

SevenSenses GmbH darkofilms

Agency

Director

DoP

JWT Frankfurt

Louis van Zwol

Rutgar Storm

King Khalil Leo Burnett BBDO Berlin Heye & Partner

Jens Junker Markus Goller Charley Stadler Badly

Christian Stangassinger Brita Mangold Fraser Taggart Andreas Berger

Brainwaves KG

Adam Glauer Andreas Grassl

Ole Reuss Winnie Heun

e+p commercial München

Xynias, Wetzel Christian Ditter Christian Rein Werbeagntur GmbH made in munich filmproduktion BBDO Moscow David Wynn-Jones David Wynn-Jones gmbh

ARRI LIGHTING RENTAL Title

Production Company Director

DoP

Green Zone The Boat That Rocked Bright Star Little Dorrit

Compond Films Frigate Films Bright Star Films BBC Television

Barry Ackroyd Danny Cohen Greig Fraser Lucas Strebel

Crusoe Balloon Wars Sleep With Me Spooks 7

Power Zeppotron Quite Funny Films (Spooks)

Lesbian Vampire Killers Skyline (LVK) Plus One (Plus one) Silent Witness BBC Television

Paul Greengrass Richard Curtis Jane Campion Dearbhla Walsh, Adam Smith Duane Clark Yann Demange Marc Jobst Colm McCarthy

Gaffer BSC

Rigging Gaffer Best Boy

Harry Wiggins Ian Franklin Paul McGeachan Pat Miller Mark Clayton Stewart King

Jon Joffin Paul Slatter Jim Wall Tat Radcliffe Gary Davies Florian Hoffmeister Dan Fontaine Damien Bromley, James Summers, James Welland Brandon Evans Phil Claydon David Higgs Dan Fontaine Sarah O'Gorman Ian Liggett Michael Onder Diarmuid Lawrence, Alan Almond BSC Micky Brown Alex Pillai, Peter Butler, Susan Tully Dominic Clemence, Noel Probyn, Nic Knowland

Steve Odonaghue Will Kendal Benny Harper Steve Anthony Mark Funnell Laurance Duffy John Walker Richard Potter John Walker Pawel Polak Dave Owen

Perforation 65mm ARRIFLEX 765

ARRICAM Studio ARRICAM Lite ARRIFLEX 535B ARRIFLEX 435 ARRIFLEX 235

Perforation

35mm

Perforation

35mm

Perforation

35mm

ARRICAM Studio ARRICAM Lite ARRIFLEX 235

Perforation 16mm

ARRIFLEX 416 ARRIFLEX 416 Plus ARRIFLEX 416 Plus HS ARRIFLEX16SR 3 Advanced ARRIFLEX16SR 3 Advanced High-speed

WHEN IT COUNTS... The 2-perforation format, with a widescreen look made famous by the likes of Sergio Leone, disappeared at the end of the seventies. Until now. Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s modern super fine grained film stocks and ultra sharp lenses combine to achieve a 2-perforation image of superb quality, and as a result the ARRI Rental Group has introduced a new 2-perforation movement. Ideal for cost-conscious filmmakers looking to compose a widescreen image, the format achieves a natural CinemaScope aspect ratio of 2.39:1 on standard 35mm film stock. The quantity of film used is reduced because it is advanced by two perforations instead of the traditional four perforations. This translates to less stock and, consequently, a reduction in processing costs. Achieve cost savings and retain the quality of 35mm with 2-perforation.

2-Perforation Uses 53% Less Film Stock* Running Time of 400ft Magazine

Running Time of 1000ft Magazine

2-Perforation

8 min 34 sec

21 min 26 sec

4-Perforation

4 min 17 sec

10 min 43 sec

*To capture 10 hours of images: 2-perforation needs 72 x 400ft rolls, 4-perforation needs 154 x 400ft rolls. (Saving calculation based on 50ft waste with 4-perforation and 25ft waste with 2-perforation)