Camera Operator Winter 2015 by Society of Camera Operators

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS . WINTER 2015 . VOL. 24, NO. 1

Gone Girl CAMERA OPERATOR 路 WINTER 2015

American Horror Story: Freak Show Birdman 1

HEARTFELT AND AFFECTING VIVIDLY SHOT ‘‘TIGHTLY EDITED AND SHARPLY ACTED… ,

‘SELMA’

OPENS HEARTS AND MINDS.” -Stephen Farber, The Hollywood Reporter

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Nominee

BRAFORD YOUNG

Independent Spirit Award

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG PA R A M O U N T G U I L D S . C O M

CONTENTS 14

DEPARTMENTS

FEATURES

4 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

14 GONE GIRL

6 NEWS & NOTES A report on this year’s Vision Center video; Surviving on the road; and Life Hack from Mike Frediani, SOC.

12 ESTABLISHING SHOT Martin Schaer, SOC

46 HI DEF WITH JEFF Report on Canon Lenses for the Cine Market.

45 SOC ROSTER

Peter Rosenfeld, SOC “frames the world” for Director David Fincher.

20 AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAK SHOW Nicholas Davidoff, SOC’s diary on operating on season 4 of this popular television series.

32 BIRDMAN Shooting on a 30-day schedule with Steadicam Operator Chris Haarhoff, SOC.

36 SOC AWARDS ROUND UP And the Honorees and Nominees Are…

45 AD INDEX

CAMERA OPERATOR · WINTER 2015

47 SHOOTING THE BREEZE

6 1

Society of Camera Operators Board of Governors OFFICERS President Mark August 1st Vice President Michael Scott 2nd Vice President Mitch Dubin 3rd Vice President Lisa Stacilauskas Recording Secretary Chris Taylor Treasurer Bill McClelland Sergeant-at-Arms Michael Frediani

BOARD MEMBERS Rochelle Brown Dan Coplan Rich Davis Twojay Dhillon David Emmerichs Eric Fletcher Tammy Fouts-Sandoval David Frederick Brad Greenspan John Hankammer Casey Hotchkiss Frank Kay Hugh Litfin Kenji Luster Tyler Phillips Chris Tufty Dan Turrett

COMMITTEE CHAIRS Awards Mark August Awards (Co-Chair) Bill McClelland Charities Chair Lisa Stacilauskas Communications Twojay Dhillon Constitution & By-Laws Stephen Silberkraus Corporate Liaison Bill McClelland COY Awards Rochelle Brown East Coast SOC Rep Bruce MacCallum Education and Mentor Hugh Litfin Historical Michael Frediani Historical (Co-Chair) Tammy Fouts Sandoval Membership Casey Hotchkiss Merchandising & Promo. (Co-Chair) Brad Greenspan Merchandising & Promo. (Co-Chair) Rochelle Brown Newsletter Editor Tara Summers Public Relations/Publicity Rich Davis Public Relations/Publicity (CoChair) Tammy Fouts Sandoval Publications Michael Frediani South Coast SOC Rep Heather Page Technical Standards David Emmerichs

STAFF AND CONSULTANTS

CAMERA OPERATOR MAGAZINE Publication Chair Michael Frediani, SOC Managing Editor Martha Winterhalter Layout & Production Stephanie Cameron Director of Advertising Matt Price

CONTRIBUTORS Jeff Cree, SOC Nicholas Davidoff, SOC Michael Frediani, SOC Chris Haarhoff, SOC Jessica L. Lopez, SOC Peter Rosenfeld, SOC Martin Schaer, SOC Lisa Stacilauskas, SOC

PHOTOGRAPHY Ja-Yoon Choe Michael Frediani, SOC Sue Young Kim Jessica L. Lopez, SOC Merrick Morton Atsushi Nishijima Alison Rosa Michele K. Short

TO SUBSCRIBE

or for Subscription information questions: SOC.org or 818-382-7070

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION

Matt Price, Director of Advertising mattprice@soc.org 310-428-8071 For digital editions and back issues: SOC.org Camera Operator is a quarterly publication, published by the Society of Camera Operators.

SOC Operations Manager Heather Ritcheson Bookkeeper Michelle Cole Webmaster Rick Gerard Calligrapher Carrie Imai

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

“ONE OF THE MOST SUBLIME MOVIES OF THE DECADE…

‘INTERSTELLAR’ IS SOMETHING TO BEHOLD… CHRISTOPHER NOLAN AND CINEMATOGR APHER HOYTE VAN HOYTEMA CONJURE

BEAUTIFUL GALACTIC IMAGERY.” JAKE COYLE, ASSOCIATED PRESS

F O R

Y O U R

C O N S I D E R A T I O N

I N

A L L

C A T E G O R I E S

I N C L U D I N G

BEST CINEMATOGR APHY HOY TE

VA N

HOY TEM A,

F. S .F. ,

N.S.C.

“SPECTACUL A R.

“G O R G E O U S –

A MUST-SEE

AN UNDENIABLY

M A STER PIECE.”

BEAUTIFUL FILM.” RICHARD CORLISS, TIME

LOU LUMENICK, NEW YORK POST

“STIR R INGLY IS NIRVANA B E A U T I F U L.”

“ ‘I N T E R S T E L L A R ’

FOR MOVIE LOVERS…

YOU’VE NEVER

DAVID DENBY, THE NEW YORKER

SEEN ANYTHING

L I K E I T .” PETER TR AVERS, ROLLING STONE

CAMERA OPERATOR · WINTER 2015

3 interstellar.withgoogle.com

Letter from President Welcome 2015! What a year last year was and I am even more excited about what 2015 will hold for the Society of Camera Operators. To kick it off, you are reading this letter in our refreshed Camera Operator magazine. It was time to refresh the look and design in addition to adding a couple new columns not to mention a new magazine team. Thank you to all of the past members and individuals that have assisted in making the magazine what it is today. We will continue to make these updates throughout 2015 and of course will stay true to what makes Camera Operator so well loved—our members writing and sharing their on set adventures and knowledge. We will soon all be gathered to celebrate at our annual Lifetime Achievement Awards on February 8th at the Paramount Theater, Paramount Studios, Hollywood. We are working diligently to create a celebratory evening that highlights the best of the best our craft. All Awards information can be found on the Awards special site— SOCAwards.com - or it is linked from the Society website under Awards. The Board of Governors has focused on 2015 planning. We now have proper financial reporting which will allow us to better track our financial status, make management decision in hopes we can increase our donations to the Vision Center at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. We now have an annual calendar, which will be posted on the website and has board meetings, workshops, and industry events that we will be participating in. With that being said, the SOC is partnering with NAB to provide two 90-minute panels in their line up in addition to the Camera Operator magazine which will be officially distributed. Not to mention the soon to be announced SOC NAB party. We are currently slated for a strong line up of education such as our underwater workshop, aerial workshop and pedestal workshop in addition to some high level hands-on evening events that our Corporate membership will be supporting. I will do my best to keep you informed of all the ways you can participate with the SOC in 2015. The commitment of the Board of Governors and myself is to insure the mission of the SOC is alive and well. We look forward to your participation. Happy New Year!

Mark August, SOC SOC President

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

“ O N E O F TH E M O S T D A Z Z L I N G A ND U N FO R GE T TA B LE B I B L I C A L E P I C S EVER PU T O N F I L M.” – RICH ARD RO EPER

F O R Y O U R C O N S I D E R AT I O N I N A L L C AT E G O R I E S I N C L U D I N G

BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR

SCOTT FRANKLIN DARREN ARONOFSKY M A R Y PA R E N T ARNON MILCHAN

B E S T C I N E M AT O G R A P H Y M AT T H E W L I B AT I Q U E ,

BEST DIRECTOR

DARREN ARONOFSKY

BEST FILM EDITING

ANDREW WEISBLUM,

ACE

B E S T O R I G I N A L S C R E E N P L AY

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

DARREN ARONOFSKY & ARI HANDEL

MICHAEL WILKINSON

BEST ACTOR

CLINT MANSELL

RUSSELL CROWE BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

J E N N I F E R C O N N E L LY E M M A W AT S O N BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

ANTHONY HOPKINS R AY W I N S T O N E BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

MARK FRIEDBERG DEBRA SCHUTT

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

“MERCY IS” PAT T I S M I T H & L E N N Y K AY E P E R F O R M E D B Y PAT T I S M I T H & KRONOS QUARTET WRITTEN BY

Patti Smith performs courtesy of Columbia Records. Kronos Quartet performs courtesy of Nonesuch Records.

ASC

BEST SOUND MIXING

KEN ISHII, C.A.S. S K I P L I E V S AY CRAIG HENIGHAN BEST SOUND EDITING

CRAIG HENIGHAN BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

ADRIEN MOROT JUDY CHIN JERRY POPOLIS BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

BEN SNOW DAN SCHRECKER MARC CHU B U R T D A LT O N

News & Notes VISION CENTER by Lisa Stacilauskas, SOC Each year the Society of Camera Operators (SOC) volunteers to create a new informational video for The Vision Center (TVC) at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, an international referral center for children with complex eye diseases. It is the only program of its kind in the United States with expertise in virtually every pediatric ophthalmologic subspecialty. The focus of this year’s video was determined during an informal meeting with TVC’s Division Head Dr. Thomas Lee, Director Clay Westervelt of Imaginaut Entertainment and SOC Charity Committee Chair, Lisa Stacilauskas. Dr. Lee explained how The Vision Center is finding ways to utilize new, affordable and sometimes even consumer grade technology to remotely diagnose or treat children with severe eye conditions. A series of interviews were shot on a soundstage donated by Mack Sennett Studios, in Hollywood, with Dr. Lee, his colleague Dr. Nallasamy and researcher Tiffany Ho. They described how their program is pioneering in this field known as “telemedicine.” Through the use of multiple types of hi-definition cameras, along with highspeed internet connection and teleconferencing, doctors at The Vision Center are able to connect remotely to evaluate and conduct procedures with patients who otherwise would not have access to their expertise. The following volunteers from the SOC and Imaginaut Entertainment worked on the interview shoot day: Director — Clay Westervelt; Producer — Carly Lassegard; Director of Photography — Philip Schwartz, SOC; Assistant Camera — Colin McDonald,

Director Clay Westervelt and DP Gary Bush, SOC filming Dr. Jason Lee giving 3yr old Mila Westervelt an eye exam. Photo by Ja-Yoon Choe (aka: Uni).

DP- Philip Schwartz, SOC instructing crew for interview set-up. Also picture,AC- Colin McDonald (SOC Associate Member) and Rob Welner. Photo by Sue Young Kim.

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

CAMERA OPERATOR 路 WINTER 2015

News & Notes SOC Associate Member; Audio - Jim Siler; Imaginaut Interns - Sue Kim (BTS stills) and Kevin Hallagan (BTS Video); Production Assistants — Theresa Snider, Rob Welner and Breanna Smith. An additional day was spent filming on site at The Vision Center with the following staff of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles: Senior Producer Production and Video Content Development - Janet Dotson; Production Coordinator Video Content Development - Alicia Maples; Nurse Kathleen Anulao; Dr. Jason Lee, Ja-Yoon Choe (aka: Uni) and Norma Dominguez. The Society thanks them immensely for being so accommodating and for letting us disrupt their routine. Our on site volunteer crew for this day was small and efficient. Present were Carly Lassegard, Clay Westervelt, Director of Photography - Gary Bush, SOC; Assistant Camera - Satya Vanii, SOC Associate Member; Imaginaut Intern/PA - Rob Welner, and Charity Committee Chair/ Executive Producer, Lisa Stacilauskas, SOC. A special thanks goes out to the director’s very precocious, three-year old daughter Mila who proved to be a model patient. Our video is currently in postproduction and will premier at the 2015 SOC Lifetime Achievement Awards.

FORD F-150 by Jessica L. Lopez, SOC I was called to do a special commercial about Ford’s latest F-150 design with Ready to Air out of New York City in Detroit. Being an experienced Steadicam operator, a local of the Detroit Metro Area and from a United Auto Workers family this was my

opportunity to work in the “plant” in my own special way. The morning of July 29, 2014 my life flashed before my eyes in a matter of seconds. The night before I ended up with the B Camera, Sony F55 and Fujinon 85-300 along with my GPI:PRO stabilizer, Steadicam model, in my possession for the night. Entrusted to keep them safe for the remainder of the night. This is the beginning of my cautionary tale in keeping your equipment safe. At 7:15a.m. I load my mother’s small hatchback Dodge Caliber up with a couple small cases in the back with the camera bag and rolling stand. I strapped my rig into the passenger seat, laid vest and arm in the back and I was on my way. Around 8:20a.m. driving Southfield Freeway in Southfield Michigan I was cut off by a white mini van whose driver had missed his exit as I was accelerated through their blind spot. As he entered my lane I jumped causing me to jerk the wheel to the right a little harder than expected. Then I countered the wheel and over corrected sending the car off into the ditch rolling 4 times before landing upside down. Never having really used my mother’s car much before I wasn’t used to her steering. That unfamiliarity caused me to lose control in the heat of the moment. Because of my experience with roller derby and prior motorcycle accidents I was able to make some good decisions while flipping. There was time to cross my hands across my chest and tuck down into the seat as the roof was caving in from the rolling. As soon as it stopped I unhooked my seatbelt and someone helped pull me from the driver side window. Once out of the vehicle the firemen checked me out. Surprisingly, I only had a scratch on my neck outside of

Above: Equipment safe and sound. Bottom: Jessica L. Lopez, SOC. Photos courtesy of the author.

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

F65

F55

FS7

Meet the crew

The latest advances in Sony® CineAlta® cameras deliver comfort, codecs and capabilities for every production. Enjoy true shoulder-mount ergonomics and control with the shoulder mount dock* for the F55 and F5. Both cameras can also add Apple® ProRes 422 and Avid DNxHD® recording.* The PXW-FS7 excels at hand-held long-form shooting. And the F65 delivers the exquisite resolution of a 20 megapixel image sensor. For every type of production from features and episodic TV to docs and industrials, professionals work with Sony CineAlta cameras. To learn more visit sony.com/35mm. * Sold separately. Requires Version 5.0 firmware, expected December 2014. © 2014 Sony Electronics Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Features and specifications are subject to change without notice. Sony, CineAlta and the CineAlta logo are trademarks of Sony. Apple is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc. Avid and DNxHD are trademarks or registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other Countries.

CAMERA OPERATOR · WINTER 2015

News & Notes being hysterical for just surviving that terrible accident. After calling my bosses at the production office a crewmember came to pick me up. I was able to collect all my belongings before the car was towed. During the flipping, the vest and a small case were launched out of the car, the arm managed to stay in the bag in back. The Sony F55 and Fujinon 85300 was still intact in the camera bag that flipped next to 3 cases, a rolling stand, and my PRO arm. And the GPI:PRO Stabilizer sled with Cinetronic II Monitor was still strapped in the passenger seat upside down. The roof had missed crushing the rig by a couple inches.

arm), Sony F55 and Fujinon 85-300mm lens, just show them this article with the pictures. For all of it survived with me and worked flawlessly. It was an amazing day, that all that gear and I survived. And I was able to get to work right away. I think my dear friend IATSE cinematographer Cira Felina Bolla, who lost her battle with Cancer on March 25, 2014 intervened. Since her passing I’ve felt this amazing energy and light shining on me.

Life Hack On the Set by Michael Frediani, SOC Your phone battery is out of juice. What do you? Hook up an extra camera battery 24v to a 12v converter, add your phone and portable charger. Photo below shows two USB and two AC outlets.

I was fortunate that I was able to get on with the shoot that day. I inspected the rig thoroughly while my AC assessed the camera and zoom lens. With luck on our side we were able to make the package work for the rest of the day. Instead of dwelling on the accident, I had a job to do. The only thing that would make me feel better is getting into that rig. After getting everything built and balanced I was shuttled to location. We were shooting an interview at the Henry Ford Headquarters and Museum in Dearborn Michigan. As I got to my designated area in the Women’s Suffrage Exhibit and we are interviewing a female employee of Ford who was a soldier in the United States Armed Forces. As a woman, it was a great honor to be the steadicam operator shooting there surrounded by the pioneer without whom I wouldn’t be here today. They are the inspiration that is a big part of my success as a filmmaker. And if anyone questions quality and stamina of a GPI:PRO Stabilizer (sled, vest, and

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

CAMERA OPERATOR 路 WINTER 2015

by Martin Schaer, SOC

Establishing Shot — there were maybe 5 usable, a huge disappointment. It became a turning point for me. I had some aspiration of being an actor, but that now shifted to filmmaker. I had learned that you can have a good story and supportive crew, but if you don’t know how to put it on film, it’s not worth a damn. So, I went to art school, studied the basics of photography, including darkroom.

I was born and educated in Switzerland, since there was not much of a film industry then my first contact with imaging was a still camera. I was also able to play with my father’s Bolex 16mm. He was a civil engineer, who made some industrials with a couple of work buddies and I helped as well. As 16mm film got too expensive, my father changed to Super-8. That enabled me, as a kid, to begin shooting my own movies. At the age of 14, I decided to write, direct and act in a Western. I watched a ton of the Spaghetti Westerns, and liked the style of an “odd, anti-hero.” For a half year, along with friends, I built sets, made tents, costumes and wigs, collected guns, tomahawks and bows. I then purchased 40 cartridges of Super-8 film with processing included. The shoot took place on location in a Boy Scout Camp in Northern France during a hot summer. I was able to organize a “train robbery” with a train that almost stopped. It was not legal in France to stop a train on mid-track. The only craft I was not involved with on this film, was camera. Oddly that is unfortunately what failed. We had used some fancy but cheapo camera that my friend had gotten at some discount place. Sadly he did not see or hear that the pull down claw did “mostly not engage” into the sprockets. Out of the 40 self financed rolls

Simultaneously I began a three-year apprenticeship as a film technician, in the most reputable of three motion-picture labs in Switzerland. Starting with processing and printing Super-8/16mm/35mm then later printing, opticals and shooting credits. My boss at the lab was very passionate about cinema and helped filmmakers get their films made, deferring lab-costs etc. He also supported his apprentices and gave us film stock so we could shoot and process our own movies. In house, we had Arri BL 16, Eclair ACL and a bunch of Bolex’s. It was soon time to make another decision — was I going to stay in Switzerland where the film industry was slow? Or move on? Eventually I took an interesting job as a photographer/interior decorator for an architectural firm based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. During those two years I traveled all over the Middle East earning a good living, saving for my next step. Considering the San Francisco Art Institute I went to the United States. I happen to have a connection to Haskell Wexler. I was in awe of his movie Medium Cool, which had introduced handheld camerawork into features. Once in the States I looked him up, the first thing he said to me “I love the Art Institute. I donated some equipment to that school.” That was encouraging. Haskell also asked that I call him when I got done with school. So, I ended up getting my MFA in Film from a truly progressive art school with an awesome faculty, all of who were artists themselves.

When I came to LA, I scored a “caretaker” position for an artist friend who lived in a Frank Gehry designed house in Point Dume. He was going away for a year and needed somebody to watch his place. I had one year of free housing. One day a location scout from Fox knocked on the door. Blake Edwards was doing a movie and wanted to use the house for a The Man Who Loved Women. Funny thing was, Haskell Wexler was the DP. I became an unofficial apprentice working in the camera department. Every day Haskell would coach me, introducing me to Hollywood filmmaking. He became my mentor during that film. Ralph Gerling was the operator on that film, who told me all the “war stories,” sharing hints and tips with me. I began working my way up the ranks in feature films. Assisting for about 5 years, and then moving up to operating. The step from assisting to operating was a natural transition. I think camera operating is truly one of the best jobs on the set. After 20 years of operating the camera the creative, collaborative process behind filmmaking still attracts me. Clearly, operating is not just panning and tilting, it feels more like being a sponge, first absorbing and taking it all in, from script, rehearsals, actors, sets, lighting, technical tools etc. Then starting to create frames, which best represent, all the elements and are true to the story we are telling. My passion has always been composition, now I get to do it 24 times a second. To close, I like to take the opportunity to thank all the directors, cinematographers, assistants and crew, who believe in me, helped me grow into the position I am in now. I also take this opportunity to make a special acknowledgement to a great man, director, mentor, friend who many of us spent “unstoppable” moments with the late Tony Scott.

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

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Cranes CAMERA OPERATOR · WINTER 2015

Dollies

Camera Cars

Pedestals

Remote Heads 13

Gone Girl Framing the World for Director David Fincher by Peter Rosenfeld, SOC

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS 路 SOC.ORG

I remember being in a restaurant with my wife and friends when I got the call. It was Jeff Cronenweth, ASC asking me if I would be available to operate for him and director David Fincher on Gone Girl. I had done four movies previously with Cronenweth, as well as one with both he and Fincher (Social Network). I knew the director was very particular about his crew and to be invited back was, for me, the highest compliment one can get. They sent me the script and I was hooked. Gone Girl, based on the bestselling thriller by Gillian Flynn, tells the portrait of a married couple, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) on the occasion of their 5th wedding anniversary. In Fincher’s hands this dark psychological drama would be a great movie Production got underway in September 2013 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. All the skill and techniques I’d picked up on Social Network came rushing back. I’ve always said that the hardest thing for an operator is to understand exactly what the director and cinematographer are going for. Once you’ve figured that out you can set up and deliver shots more effectively. Round two with Fincher was going to be easier because I now understood him better and knew the cinematic language that he favored. Most often the director already had worked out the shots before we arrived. There were times when I made suggestions or massaged the frame with him to improve on an idea, overall though Fincher was very specific. Jeff would be thrown into the lighting while I would work out the mechanics and execution of the shot. As an operator I feel I should never be imposing any of my taste or style on a project. I am there to help the director and cinematographer achieve their goal. The type photography that I like is irrelevant. The way

that Fincher shoots and moves the camera on a film is so enjoyable for me and exactly what I love seeing as viewer. These are very deliberate and precise moves that never reveal the camera. Watch a few minutes of any of his films with the sound off and you will see what I am talking about. Fincher prefers track and linear camera moves. The frames are carefully balanced and horizontal lines are kept dead straight. He does not use Steadicam and there is only one handheld shot in Gone Girl. Fincher never creates more energy with a camera than the story dictates. The result is a much more intimate style of filmmaking where we operate as little as possible. “Frame the world, Peter!” Fincher would say to me. “The actors will go where they are supposed to.” He meant that we compose the film, in his favored 2:40 aspect ratio, using the sets and geography as a guide. The actors are then carefully positioned within the frame. You see very little or no ‘corrections’ by the operator on his pictures as actors move about. It sometimes requires a fair bit of courage to not adjust the framing as a performer moves close to a frame edge. However the end result of this is a very solid frame and when the camera does move it is very deliberate.

RED DRAGONS AND 6K Gone Girl was one of the first films to take advantage of the new RED 6K Dragon sensor. In prep we set the reticle for 5K reserving the surrounding image area for stabilization and/ or re-framing in post. This is standard practice on a Fincher film. I’ve been asked a few times, mostly by other operators, what it’s like to have your work re-framed in postproduction. They wondered if it upset me at all. In fact, the reverse is true. Knowing that the director would carefully watch the compositions all the way through postproduction meant that I could be more courageous on set. If an actor

moved too close to a frame line and it didn’t deserve a correction on set I would hold it still knowing that if the frame became too unbalanced at that moment Fincher would compensate later by reframing in post. It was like operating with a safety net under me. The same goes for image stabilization. We would do the best we could on set with stabilized remote heads, vibration isolators and skateboard wheels on track. In spite of our best efforts whenever the camera was bumped or unstable we knew that the director would carefully stabilize the image in post without being forced to reframe by using the unused sensor area. The new RED electronic viewfinder (EVF) was a great improvement and helped tremendously. I’ve always preferred using an eyepiece rather than operating off a monitor. I do better work when I am ‘connected’ physically to the camera. Also being right at the lens enables me to spot problems and anticipate issues more effectively. In addition I could see focus easily and the video lag on the EVF was manageable. Video lag can be a huge problem in operating a digital cinema camera. Sometimes, when shooting fast action, by the time you see it in the viewfinder the action has already started by a few frames. This can result in a misframe. One work around for this that I have used includes making a ‘sport finder’ that would attach to the camera. I frame fast action with my left eye using a target fixed to the camera. Once I acquire the subject I then switch to my right eye for more precise compositional changes.

PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES We used two cameras on Gone Girl pretty much all the time. Fincher’s approach to shooting with two cameras is unique. With the “A” camera often in the tightest eyeline he would sometimes place “B” camera to get

Left: Nick (Ben Affleck) consults his defense attorney Tanner Bolt (Tyler Perry). Photo credit: Merrick Morton. All photos TM and © 2014 Twentieth Century Fox and Regency Enterprises. All Rights Reserved.

CAMERA OPERATOR · WINTER 2015

a wide eyeline single. Gone Girl is much like a psychological chess match and these tight shots from an omniscient camera often were quite beautiful and useful. We did a lot of remote-head work in Gone Girl. This was primarily to get the camera into places where you could not otherwise go. We used it strategically to improve coverage, develop longer shots and relieve the need to remove many set walls on stages. On several occasions we would remote both cameras. We carried the Talon Remote Head and Hot Gears all the time for this purpose. We also did not use a traditional 40ft camera truck on this movie. We took advantage of the small camera package to use a Mercedes Sprinter van that

was heavily customized for us. We were able to make location moves and set up very rapidly. In addition we NEVER had to stakebed the camera gear to a location. The camera van was always parked right next to set. In fact it appears in the movie several times in the background camouflaged as a news van!

a very high level of concentration and skill

THE GONE GIRL CREW

be some of the technocrane work shot in

I will confess that the first call I made after I got the job was to dolly grip Brad Rea. I’ve worked with Rea on many pictures over the past 10 years and he is truly one of the best. I knew that the director would expect us to lie down multiple takes of every shot and that each one had to be identical. It requires

quence. The director is not fond of cranes

on part of the dolly grip. Personally I also rely on the dolly grip to offer suggestions on how the dolly/camera can be set up to accomplish the shot. Having Rea alongside me on this picture helped enormously and I am grateful to him. An example of this would Cape Girardeau for the “nighttime vigil” seand would not tolerate any kind of ‘float’. Brad had several demanding technocrance shots that night. Each one had to be precise, linear with no corrections and he had to ‘stick’ the final frame very precisely with no movement at all. The director is also fond of

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

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shooting wide open on prime lenses. Focus pullers James Apted on “A” cam and Tucker Korte on “B” did tremendous work on this movie keeping everything sharp. On Leica Summilux C lenses at wide open there is no such thing as a ‘little bit’ soft. You either had it or not. These two guys had it. Paul Toomey, our 2nd AC, was a great asset. In prep he designed and built a customized cart for the Talon Head that greatly simplified our switches between conventional operating and remote.

NEW TECHNOLOGIES

ringed the car with LCD screens. These were

There is cutting edge technology every-

chain motors. Playing back on these LCD

where you look on Fincher’s movies, from

screens were the background plates we shot.

data management to 6K digital workflow

They used the background plates themselves

and new lighting techniques. An example of

as lighting instruments to light the perform-

this was a scene in which Cronenweth and

ers in the cars. Once the final comp back-

Gaffer Erik Messerschmitt lit a greenscreen

grounds were in place (synced to the lighting

driving shots on stage. When we were in

by time-code) the effect would be that the

Missouri we shot a fair bit of cars driving

light on the actors would be coming com-

and then shot background plates to match.

pletely from the backgrounds visible behind

When we set up to shoot the car interiors

them. It truly was one of the most amazing

on stage Erik and Key Grip Jimmy Sweet

lighting rigs I’ve seen.

positioned just outside the frame edge using

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career highpoint.

IN THE END I remember we were about a month into production when one-day producer Cean Chaffin says to me “You know Fincher has shot the entire movie in his head while in prep. What we do is screw it up during production and then he puts it all back together in post” That statement sums up a lot. I’ve never worked with a director so confident and so much in control. He challenges each and every one of us to be at our best every day, every shot and every take. There is no ego involved and he has nothing to prove. In fact he has taken many suggestions from me and from Jeff, of course. As a camera operator, I’ve never done better work than when I operate for him. It is and will always be a career highpoint.

CAMERA OPERATOR · WINTER 2015

American Horror Story: Freak Show behind-the-scenes shot from left to right: Ken Smith (dolly grip), Nicholas Davidoff, SOC (camera operator), Jessica Lange (Elsa Mars), Denis O’Hare (Stanley), John Magallon (gaffer holding light panel), Steve Huerstel (boom operator). Photo credit: Michele K. Short. Copyright 2014, FX Networks. All rights reserved. 20

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HORROR STORY DIARIES

Operating on American Horror Story: Freak Show — Season 4 by Nicholas Davidoff, SOC CAMERA OPERATOR · WINTER 2015

It was a dark, moonless night back in 2012. A night I’ll never forget. As I settled in to watch my first episode of F/X’s American Horror Story: Asylum (season 2), I could tell right away, from the bizarre credit sequence alone, this would be a television experience like no other. I was entering a dark, twisted fairy tale that would “astound my senses and harrow my soul.” AHS: Asylum was a creepy psychological thriller set in a nightmarish 1960’s mental hospital. From the rich, complex characters, to the ingenious plot twists, from the lavish production design to the wild storylines jumping across time, space, fantasy, reality, I’d never seen anything like it. The show blew my mind and haunted my dreams and became an instant obsession. And the camerawork! It was in a league all it’s own and my favorite part. From the offbeat angles to the masterful compositions, to the elaborate Steadicam shots that flowed with grace and artistry. From an operator’s perspective, the work they were doing was so cutting-edge; I was an instant admirer of cinematographer Michael Goi and A/Steadicam operator James Reid. I studied their work and craved to one day being a part of this awesome show. Then somehow, through serendipity or twist of fate, that opportunity came my way two years later.

I got a call from Michael Goi who informed me he was in need of a new operator for season 4. He had heard good things about me from his fellow cameramen. It was a pleasure to meet such a wise, soft-spoken professional with a great knowledge of his craft. A former ASC president, Michael is also a super film buff who owns a collection of over 18,000 DVD’s! From all the Hollywood classics to the most obscure foreign cult flicks, there are few movies he hasn’t seen. He’s a walking encyclopedia of cinematic history and techniques, so it’s fun to talk shop with him. It was a great meeting and it certainly helped that I was a fan of the show familiar with its shooting style. I was thrilled when Michael offered me a shot as his A-camera/Steadicam operator on American Horror Story: Freak Show. But he warned me; this show would be no walk in the park. AHS: Freak Show would be the biggest season yet. A unique feature of AHS is that each season is a standalone miniseries. The stories set in a new time and place and regular cast return playing new roles. In essence, the show resets itself each year. This season is set around a 1950’s circus freak show and shot in New Orleans. The ambitions of this year far exceed the budget so it’s going to make for a

hectic and stressful shoot. Probably the most challenging episode will be our premiere mainly because the head honcho and mastermind behind AHS, the one and only Ryan Murphy will direct it. Cool! It was around this time I decided to keep a little AHS journal. Here are some excerpts from my Horror Story Diaries:

THE JAMES REID FACTOR I’m officially booked on AHS: Freak Show and I couldn’t be more excited. We have four weeks until principal photography starts. I have to admit; the days leading up to week one have been a bit daunting. It’s my first show with Michael, a veteran DP under immense time and budget constraints from the studio. My first job with Ryan Murphy, a prominent show runner who expects top tier work from his crew and a cast of Oscar and Emmy winners who expect their operators to nail shots from take one. Mix in the summer heat of Louisiana and an ambitious, over budget schedule and you’ve got a good bit of pressure going into the first week. But I’ve always liked pressure. The most daunting thing for me however is the James Reid Factor… James was the A-Camera/Steadicam operator for the first three seasons of AHS. He’s also a friend and an expert operator whom I greatly admire. His work on the show was simply magnificent and he leaves behind a shining legacy. He set the bar so high and is so loved and respected by cast and crew that filling his shoes will be no small feat. And I’m certain everybody’s expecting the same level of work ethic from me.

PREPRODUCTION

From left to right: American Horror Story: Freak Show cast Mat Fraser as Paul the Illustrated Seal, Erika Ervin as Amazon Eve. Photo credit: Michele K. Short. Copyright 2014, FX Networks. All rights reserved.

Michael Goi has been researching similar period projects and pondering his look for this season. He’s found most shows favor a faded, de-saturated color palette, so he’s doing it different. Planning to use vibrant colors and old style glamour lighting harkening back to the Technicolor classics of Hollywood’s

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golden age, as well as Japanese cinema masters like Ozu. We’ll be shooting a variety of sequences emulating different film formats and eras from the 1930’s to the swinging sixties, flashbacks, fantasy sequences, and old style home movies. Michael’s been adventurous every season of AHS and this year will be no different. He’s asked us to get our hands-on whatever period equipment we could find. Anything used back in the 40s, 50s and 60s. He wants to experiment with it. And we’ll be shooting on film! Good ol’ celluloid and silver halide. What a rare treat these days and the perfect format for such an inventive show. We’ll carry six different film stocks which Michael plans to push, pull and bleach bypass regularly. We even have the last 10 rolls Kodak ever made of its super-saturated 5285 color reversal stock. We finished prep this week and boy is our camera package a monstrosity! We’ve got every toy in the shop and then some. It’s a blessing to have my old pal, key 1st AC Brice Reid with me. He’s been around since season 1 and has a thorough knowledge of all the rigs and contraptions we’ll be using to create the unique look of AHS. I grew more and more excited as Brice briefed me on our equipment list: Two Panavision XL2 35mm cameras, a lightweight XL2 for Steadicam, two 16mm Arri 416’s, two Arri 35mm hand crank cameras, two 16mm handcranks, a smorgasbord of Primo lenses including swing shifts, macros, 6mm and 10mm fisheyes, dutch heads, Tango heads, 3 axis remote heads, speed ramp FX boxes, a giant second unit package, two camera trucks, 9 equipment carts, and the list goes on... Brice also rounded up a variety of old time filters you barely see anymore: Old Mitchell diffusions, Pearls and Supafrosts. On the Steadicam side, my sled had to be ready to fly any one of our cameras at any given time (well, hopefully not the handcranks). Extreme low-and high-mode is also quite common on this show, so it helps to have a 4-stage post. Yep, it looks like our AC team will certainly have their hands full.

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WEEK 1 – NO EASY SHOT Ahhhh! It’s so great to have week 1 behind me. Luckily, our first day wasn’t one of those giant clusters with 5 cameras and three company moves. It was a mellow day on stage, shooting a straightforward scene between Jessica Lange’s character Elsa and Sarah Paulson’s Dot and Bette. I made the round of cordial introductions, met the cast and crew. This was the day we were all introduced to the complex process of shooting the “twins”, Bette and Dot. But more on that later… It was good to finally break the ice with Michael and establish our groove. During our blocking rehearsal he and Ryan would design a master. Michael tries to avoid the natural, logical wide shot and explore a second or third alternative. And often, the shot is not a simple one. It’s usually some angle that starts very high or low then dollies around, maneuvering through some furniture or narrow spaces, while zooming or booming or dutching. I’m discovering a direct correlation between the quality of a shot and the difficulty level for the operator. It seems the cooler, more dynamic the shot, the more uncomfortable and in pain you need to be to achieve it, funny how that works. Also did

a few super low mode setups on the Steadi. These extreme low angles look great, scraping the ground on a 10 mil, looking straight up into the ceiling. Michael thinks up some great shots. Michael also isn’t one to be standing over the operator’s shoulder with notes on how he’d like the rig built, what head or dolly you should use. He places a lot of trust and responsibility in his operator. After Michael describes his shot, he generally keeps far away from the camera. He leaves it in the operator’s hands to take charge and make it all work, refining and adjusting as he sees fit. Michael’s also a man of few words. He’s not one to engage in idle chitchat and is very efficient with his dialogue. He’s monk-like. When he speaks, it’s usually something of value and wisdom, concise and to the point, which I’m growing to admire. Funny thing is I don’t get much feedback from Michael throughout the day, which has taken a little getting used to. But as some of his crew assured me, if he’s quiet, he’s happy. If you’re doing something wrong, you’ll hear about it. So, lucky for me, I haven’t heard much from Michael at the end of a setup, which I guess is a good thing.

A behind-the-scenes shot from American Horror Story: Freak Show from left to right around the table: Daina Daigle (hairstylist), Charlie Nauman (2nd AC), Rose Siggins (Legless Suzi), Nicholas Davidoff, Soc (camera operator), James Selph (key grip), Brice Reid (1st AC), Drew Rin Varick (Toulouse). Photo credit: Michele K. Short. Copyright 2014, FX Networks. All rights reserved.

Discussing the next shot, from left to right: Michael Goi (DP), James Selph (key grip), John Magallon (gaffer, seated way in the back), Nicholas Davidoff, SOC, Loni Persistere (director), Mike De La Vina. (2nd AD). Photo credit: Michele K. Short. Copyright 2014, FX Networks. All rights reserved.

And Ryan Murphy is such an intelligent and inventive filmmaker, its no wonder he’s so highly regarded in the industry. It’s been great working with both of them. Although the work is demanding and hectic at times, it’s been a pleasant and positive vibe on set.

WEEK 2 – MEET DOT AND BETTE Imagine a woman with two heads. Identical twins with unique personalities and agendas doomed to share one body their entire lives. This is the plight of Bette and Dot Tattler, played by AHS veteran Sarah Paulson. As far as we know, a two-headed character will be a television first. This is uncharted territory and nobody, including our director, DP and our visual effects supervisor Justin Ball, knows for sure if we’ll succeed.

So far, the technical process of shooting Bette and Dot has been slow and cumbersome. Since one actress plays both heads, all of Sarah’s coverage puts us in visual effects territory. All Bette and Dot shots have to be done in multiple passes. First, Sarah’s rigged with a green reference head to stand in for the missing twin and we shoot Dot’s performance in front of a greenscreen. Then we switch heads, do an “overlay lineup” and shoot Bette’s performance. Then we pull the greenscreens and shoot a reference pass and finally a background plate. For certain wide shots or over the shoulders we rig Sarah with an animatronics puppet head operated by the effects crew. Naturally, most of the VFX shots had to be lock offs, but every now and then we get creative and design a camera move. But the

move has to be precisely laid out and repeatable. A motion control rig or techno dolly on a daily basis is not an option on a TV budget, so we are creative with the tools we have. We made precise marks on the pan, tilt and dolly then had to repeat these marks in exact timing with the scene for all the performance passes and plates. Poor-man’s motion control or “PoMoCo” as Justin coined it. Of course there was a slight margin of error, but its something the VFX team felt they could work with. The whole process is quite meticulous and makes for an interesting operating experience. But the brunt of the challenge is certainly on Sarah Paulson. For an actor, it must be grueling stuff. Trying to deliver a nuanced, emotional performance with an animatronic head on your shoulder, servo motors whir-

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

CAMERA OPERATOR 路 WINTER 2015

ring, greenscreens all around, tracking marks on your face, visual effects guys constantly tweaking your rigs, your prosthetics, the angle of your heads. Having to nail precise marks and body positions, matching your timing while playing to imaginary eye lines. All the while, learning pages of dialogue for two very different characters that need to interact with each other, sometimes even telepathically. So for Sarah, keeping everything straight in her head amidst this whirlwind of technical chaos is strenuous at times. She almost broke down in tears one day when she had to juggle two different performances, while writing in two diaries with separate hands each head reacting to three other characters. Both sides of her body had separate actions with different timing while two people read her off screen dialogue and an earwig played back her inner voice over. It was a real mindbender. And, the perfectionist that she is, Sarah didn’t give up until it was just right. My hats off to her and kudos to the VFX team who have many grueling hours of work ahead. It’s been a journey of discovery for all of us and we’re all very eager to see the finished product. Fingers crossed that it all works!

WEEK 3 – THE SHADOW FADES It’s becoming clear that Michael and Ryan want a fresh style and tone for this season. Ryan fancies more painterly, pastoral tableaus reminiscent of Douglas Sirk. They want a classical feel to our frames with a running theme of “stillness.” There are still certain trademark shots that remain a constant, like those 6mm and 10mm fisheye wide shots and the off kilter dutch angles. All this time leading up to AHS I’ve been studying the previous seasons. Dissecting the camerawork, angles, and compositions, to emulate them as best I can. But I’m realizing that I need to let go of my preconceptions and forget about the earlier years. This is to be a completely different season with it’s own look and style. If I constantly keep asking myself what would James do? How did they do it in Asylum or Coven? I would just be imitating a style, which in this case is not required. Also, 3 weeks in and we’ve settled into a good rhythm with the cast and crew. So that ominous shadow of James Reid seems to be lifting. While honoring the

beautiful work he’d done over three great seasons, I would make this season my own. I invite any fellow operators and photographers, if you want to watch a brilliant piece of camerawork by a true artist of the craft, watch the work of James Reid on Seasons 1 through 3.

WEEK 4 – THE STUPENDOUS ALFONSO GOMEZ The last few years, I’ve had the great luck to work with a variety of talented and eclectic directors. But every now and then you meet a director who’s so extraordinary he deserves a special mention. This man joined our show last week to direct episode 2 and his name is Alfonso Gomez Rejon. Alfonso’s no stranger to AHS having directed the majority of episodes in the last three seasons. He’s been a driving force behind the visual style of the show. You can always tell an Alfonso episode. It has this peculiar quality you might describe as abstract, impressionist, avant-garde. Things you may see in some underground indie or some French New Wave, but rarely encounter on a network series. My first week with Alfonso and it’s been one of my most stressful, challenging and creatively eye-opening experiences. He’s a bit of a mad genius and a tornado of creativity energy. He’s a small guy, with ferocious passion and dedication for his work. He is a true artist with a vivid imagination and strong ideas for each scene. But his shooting methods and approach to coverage are completely unconventional.

Alfonso doesn’t like to mow down a scene with a bunch of coverage. He prefers to focus on one shot at a time, setting each one as a little standalone work of art. His approach to framing reminds me of a Marlon Brando quote: “Every script I read I find the clichés and get as far away from them as possible.” When Alfonso designs a shot, he wants it to be as far from conventional as can be.

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It can be quite counterintuitive for an operator. Typically your mind is programmed for “proper” composition, third lines, headroom, look room, a balanced frame, and all that. Alfonso demands the exact opposite. Framing a shot the way nobody would frame it. The wrong way, the way you’ve learned never to do. Often times finding a composition more extreme, off-kilter, aggressive to one side. Studying these frames creates this feeling of anxiety and discomfort, like something’s not quite right. It bugs me at first but then I realize it totally works for this story. Rules don’t apply in Alfonso’s process and it’s quite refreshing. I’m finding his compositions to have this warped, abstract beauty to them. It reminds me that filmmaking is and always has been an art form. One shot we did is a great example. We were setting up a scene of Angela Basset’s character Desiree, a prostitute, having sex with a young client. Suddenly her husband Dell, played by Michael Chiklis, catches them in the act. Alfonso wanted the camera directly between the faces of Angela and her sex partner and to swing between them on the tilt axis, not the pan. The camera starts looking straight down on an upside down close-up of Angela lying on the mattress. Then tilts up and around, 180° degrees until its looking up at the face of her happy customer. Then swings back and forth between them. We mounted the camera from the side on this offset third-axis Weaver-Steadman rig, so I had no pan ability, only 360° degrees of tilt. Between takes, Angela kept sliding off the mattress, inching out of frame on her close-up. I couldn’t correct with a pan, so before we rolled I would adjust her more into frame. But Alfonso would snap back. “No, don’t move her! I love that frame!” I pointed out that Angela’s face was halfway out of the shot, cutting right through her eyeball! But Alfonso yelled back, “It’s perfect, don’t move her!” Such is Alfonso’s unusual point of view. I’m starting to agree, in this beautifully twisted world of AHS it fits right in.

CAMERA OPERATOR · WINTER 2015

Alfonso also thinks up these elaborate shots that are highly creative but sometimes nearly impossible to pull off. He doesn’t care much for “technical limitations” and “rules of filmmaking” and proudly admits that he doesn’t know that stuff and doesn’t want to know. Things like proper coverage, crossing the line, traditional methods; they’re his kryptonite. He doesn’t want to contaminate his mind with them. I think it’s this apathy for technical limits that keeps his mind free to imagine shots others may not. Occasionally, Alfonso would propose some complex 360° degree panning, twisting dolly move, that leads to a push through a window, or over a table, etc. Me and my dolly grip and 1st AC trade dubious looks. I explain to Alfonso that we’re not sure we can pull it off given the limits of our time and resources. We would need a remote head or snorkel lens or some rig that hasn’t even been invented yet. We’d offer an alternative. But Alfonso would stick to his vision and say it has to be that way, it’s the shot I see for this scene. We all had to rack our brains. Nobody wanted to say, “We can’t do it.” I would trade a glance with Michael Goi who looks back matter of fact and

says: “Okay Nick, how long do you need?” So after a brief pow-wow with the grips and AC’s, and a little bit of head scratching, we built a tricky double offset dolly rig with a 3-axis under slung head and said a few Hail Mary’s. We usually have very limited time to set it up and we better get it right the first time, because if we take a half hour laying dance floor and building an elaborate camera rig that doesn’t work, we’re screwed. Another tricky shot this week was actually simple as far as set up, just a camera on a tripod, but the execution was a bitch. A scene between Finn Wittrock’s Dandy, the spoiled young psychopath and his new friend Twisty the murderous clown played by John Carroll Lynch. The concept was simple: single take scenes with a series of whip pans between the actors. But these weren’t just everyday whip pans. This was 5 fast whips and tilts, on exact dialogue cues, 180 degrees apart. Each whip had to land in an exact, perfectly centered, symmetrical frame with no wiggle room whatsoever! Oh, and we have about ten minutes before the UPM calls a wrap. I’ll admit, I didn’t nail all five whips on take one, but I did soon enough. It was one of those

The A-camera team (from left to right): Charlie Nauman (2nd AC), Brice Reid (1st AC), Kenny Smith (dolly operator), Nick Davidoff, SOC (camera operator). Photo credit: Michele K. Short. Copyright 2014, FX Networks. All rights reserved.

tests of raw operating skill on full display to everyone, a real white knuckler. But a great rush when (and if ) you finally nail it…

WEEK 5 – OUR AMAZING PLAYERS Feeling really lucky this week to be working with such incredible actors. When you give actors such meaty dialogue and put them through these deep, dark emotional crises, the results are pure magic. We were shooting a scene of Jessica Lange’s character Elsa Mars, tragically professing her regrets about her failed dreams. I was operating her close-up, and got a note from Michael Goi to drift down to her opium pipe at a key moment in the scene. A simple and routine assignment, yet during the take, Jessica’s tearful performance was so mesmerizing that I completely forgot to the tag the pipe. Actually, it’s not so much I forgot, I

The rest of our cast is equally captivating at times. They’ve all had moments to shine. Kathy Bates did a scene in the doctor’s office where she learns she’s dying. Rolling on a close-up of Kathy, baring her soul as she professes her grief to the doctor was so electrifying. I prayed at that moment, nothing would go wrong with the camera, a dead battery, a film jam or God forbid a roll out. For it would be a tragedy to miss this magical moment.

Michael keeps things fun and always delivers the goods and has yet to miss a single mark! I’ll never forget Angela’s first scene of the show, when freak show owner Elsa Mars meets her character Desiree and we learn about her “special parts.” Angela didn’t speak much the first half of the scene. She just strolled through the tent, listening and reacting to the conversation between Elsa and her husband Dell. Shooting our close-up pass on Angela, and I felt this power emanating from her. She was simply watching and listening, but the subtle reactions and thought process on her face told this visceral story so rich with expression. You could film a whole episode of Angela just sitting and listening and you’d be glued to your seat…

Angela Bassett (Desiree Dupree) and Michael Chiklis (Dell Toledo) joined our cast recently. Both are just a dream to work with.

Rounding out the main cast is Finn Witrock playing Dandy Mott, the spoiled rotten rich kid and closet psychopath, with the bril-

knew it was coming, I had every intention to tag it, but my eyes were so transfixed on Jessica’s, that I simply couldn’t force myself to drift off her. It’s like my right brain was trying, but my left-brain, was over-riding it. It was bizarre.

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liant Francis Conroy playing his loving but delusional mother. Evan Peters plays Jimmy Darling, the lobster claw boy, struggling to do what’s right in an evil world. I worked with Evan a few years ago on Never Back Down 2, one of his early film roles. Several projects later and three seasons on AHS, Evan has blossomed into an accomplished young actor. Finn Witrock, new to the cast this season, has got to be the breakout star. Denis O’Hare who plays the charismatic, sleazy, sinister con man Stanley deserves a very special mention. Denis is just so fun to watch. He comes up with these fresh and clever layers of character for every take. There’s never a dull moment with Denis or for that matter, any of our amazing AHS players.

WEEK 8 – PANIC MODE At least once per day on AHS, we enter a zone where the pace kicks into overdrive. It’s usually as the sun’s going down, or we’ve got a half hour until wrap or a guest star has a flight to catch. This period always involves a rapidly ticking clock. The chaos level cranks up to ten and we’re in a mad rush to finish a scene in ridiculously little time. Sometimes it feels like rush hour in an emergency room. Or the last 20 seconds of the game and you’re down by one. Whatever the scenario, anybody who works on a high-pressure TV show has experienced it, and we all call it by a different name, but on AHS we fondly refer to it as Panic Mode! The set is hot, muggy and all smoked up. It’s the final hour of a long, busy day. We rehearse a big three-page scene. Actor marks are spread all over the room. The DP anxiously informs us we have three setups to get this scene and t-minus 30 minutes until the UPM pulls the plug. And the UPM isn’t kidding around. Folks, we’ve officially entered Panic Mode. Time to separate the men from the boys. We get our marching orders from the director and DP. Now it’s a mad scramble to build a dolly rig, lay dance floor, go through all the

CAMERA OPERATOR · WINTER 2015

positions with the second team, clear the set of all water bottles, tape marks, coffee cups, cables and whatever other little cinematic bogies sprout up every few seconds. Adjust all the mirrors, windows and glass for reflections. Frantically clear all the carts and crew out of said reflections. AD announces, “First team’s on the way.” I check for any last flares, C-stand legs, lensers, teazers and siders that magically creep into the edges of the frame every time you turn away. Prep for any contingencies like actors overshooting marks or directors changing the shot. Okay, let’s do a final run through. “First team is on set!” Okay, scratch that. T-minus 15 minutes! Ready or not, we’re going for it. Are we going to rehearse? No way! We shoot the rehearsal! We’re lucky to get 2 takes. The actors are ready. “Let’s roll! Wait! Hold the roll!” the director scurries in and asks me to make a little adjustment to the shot, he wants me to reposition for swinging singles, follow the dialogue, then do a push in and boom up at the end of page three. “No problem,” I reply. This changes everything I’ve just set up. I bust out my sides and start speed-reading. Actors are in position and starting to glisten. I breeze through the new marks with the dolly grip, 1st AC and boom man, a full blown re-blocking in 60 seconds flat. Amidst the chaos, I politely ask the actress if she wouldn’t mind leaning on her left so she clears that candelabra. She sort of acknowledges me but I’m not quite sure. The DP yells from the village “What’s the holdup?” “We’re ready,” I yell back. Then the director announces, “I might do two in a row!” Charlie, and Brice trade an alarmed glance. “It’s a four-minute take, we have to reload!” Charlie scrambles for a mag. Brice flings the door open on the Panaflex. “20 seconds!” he yells. The AD checks his watch. Heaves a sigh. Trades a grim look with the UPM. T-minus 10 minutes! I use those precious moments to double-check my sides. I’ve got three pages of dialogue half memorized, then the DP rushes in. “Let’s boom down and tag the wine pour

at the end”. I show him the size. “It’s has to be tighter!” I’ll have to hide a little zoom in the pan. Shoot, I knew I should’ve put that zoom control on. “Ready!” Brice yells. Ok, screw the zoom-control; I’ll do it off the barrel. One last peek at the sides, suddenly, Jimmy the B operator asks if I can play three inches back. My eyebrow just poked in his frame since the shot was changed. Sure thing, I say. I’m a team player. All our dolly marks are out the window again. Good luck Kenny. “We have to go!” yells the director. The AD calls, “rolling!” I’m still fidgeting to raise the dolly seat. Steve the boom man yells, “sound speed!” Charlie slaps the sticks. Shit, what the hell was that line I was supposed to push in on? I’ll know it when I hear it — I hope. I yell, “set!” Director calls “action!” My knuckles tighten around the panhandle. Relax; I get one chance at this, two at best. Ahh, you’ve got to love Panic Mode!

WEEK 10 – AN ODE TO THE FREAKS This season, several of our regular cast members are real life oddities of nature, our “very special players” if you will. At this point I’ve grown so accustomed to working with them day to day I don’t think much of it. To me these people had become an extended family. Rose, is a woman born without the lower half of her body who walks around on her hands and pushes herself on a skateboard. She’s also a proud mother who, despite her handicap, managed to raise two beautiful teenagers who are on set supporting her every single day. Matt, the “human seal”, born with two stubby “flipper” arms is a talented performance artist and one of the most charismatic people I’ve met. He’s also a gifted drummer who has played with some of the top musicians in England. Jyoti Amge, from India, is officially the smallest woman on earth! She’s a national treasure in her native country. At 20 years old, Jyoti is two feet tall and looks like a miniature human. She’s one of the happiest most charming little ladies you’ll ever encounter

Operating a shot Nicholas Davidoff, SOC (at the crane controls), Michael Goi (at left) and Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (seated). Photo credit: Michele K. Short. Copyright 2014, FX Networks. All rights reserved.

and her smile lights up a room. These are just a few of the colorful group of “oddities” from around the world. I’m so happy for them that they have this opportunity to live out a dream and enjoy a little time in the limelight. Working with this cast has reminded me what a magical industry we’re in. Going to unusual

places, working with exceptional people who I would have never met under regular circumstances. I’m so grateful to have gotten to know these special people. Made me place a new value on the gifts I’ve been given, and a newfound respect for all the people out there who are different, or handicapped or go through life as outcasts…To all our wonderful, beautiful “freaks”, I salute you.

WEEK 20 – CURTAIN CALL We’re near the end of the season. It’s episode 11 and Michael Goi has been given the great opportunity to finally direct his first episode! Michael is doing an excellent job and cinematically this is one of my favorite episodes. Michael has thought up some exciting visuals, and he comes thoroughly prepared with

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a precise plan of attack for every scene. One thing I especially admire about Michael is his ability to remain calm and focused under the stormiest conditions. It hasn’t been an easy show for him. With all the budget cuts and ever more ambitious scripts, super tight schedules and chaotic days, I’ve never seen Michael even come close to losing his cool.

Thank You

He’s a beacon of Zen tranquility for us all. A very special nod goes to my A-camera team, 1st AC Brice Reid, 2nd AC Charlie Nauman and dolly operator Kenny Smith. Now there are good focus pullers, and great focus pullers and then there are those few freaks of nature with some magical god given talent who somehow manage to keep everything tack

Thank you Stan McClain, Kim McClain, and the staff of Filmtools for your hospitality and generosity of providing us with our Burbank offices.

sharp, at all times under ridiculous circumstances, with no rehearsals or marks at all! These focus pullers are worth their weight in gold and Mr. Brice Reid is one of them. I commend you Brice for your mind-blowing

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work on American Horror Story. My dolly operator Kenny Smith is a local Louisiana native whom I’ve worked with on a variety of projects over the years. I’ve watched Kenny evolve into a master dolly operator with

The Society of Camera Operators, Board of Governors and Membership

an immense passion and dedication to his work. The same goes for our key 2nd AC Charlie Nauman who’s grown from a fledgling loader into an organized and efficient team leader. And on a show like this with 12 cameras, 40 lenses and 9 equipment carts, keeping it all running with a cool head is no small feat. Rounding out our team are B-1st AC Bryan Delorenzo, B-2nd AC Nancy Piraquive and loader Bily Salazar. There were also frequent “double up units” shot by our B operator/2nd unit DP James Chressanthis ASC. Credit for this show certainly needs to be shared with him and the variety of fine operators and AC’s who contributed their talents. This is the last entry in my Horror Story diaries. It’s been an honor and a privilege to be a part of this fantastic experience.

CAMERA OPERATOR · WINTER 2015

Flying with Birdman Adventures from Behind the Lens by Chris Haarhoff, SOC

Shooting a scene for Birdman on the streets of NYC with Actor Michael Keaton and Steadicam Operator Chris Haarhoff, SOC. Photo by Atsushi Nishijima. Copyright 漏 2014 Twentieth Century Fox.

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS 路 SOC.ORG

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu has been passionately clear about his intentions for Birdman. He wants to tell the story with a seemingly continuous shot which will present the actors and the crew with a huge challenge. His leading character, Riggan Thompson, played by Michael Keaton will self-destruct in close to real time and he wants his audience to be part of it. He has the greatest collaborator at his side, Emmanuel Lubezki, or “Chivo” as those who know him, as one of our finest directors of photography, fondly call him. Somehow, much to my gratitude, I’ve gotten involved as the Steadicam operator, and we find ourselves locked in a headlong charge through a 30-day schedule. Like no other film that I’ve shot, every detail has been incredibly constructed, every moment rehearsed and refined, but even so, every shooting day leads us into uncertain territory. Chivo’s challenges are relentless and every morning it seems that we dig a huge hole that we somehow we have to emerge from by the end of the day. “It’s a catastrophe,” Chivo’s words hang like a dart to the chest. Although he’s referring to a specific section of his lighting cues, I’m hearing more general caution pointing towards the day’s work. As the crew settles in for the morning, there’s an optimistic atmosphere borne partly by the previous day’s milestone and our familiarity with the upcoming scene. Like all of the shots in Birdman, this shot is really long one, a “oner,” that we’ve rehearsed extensively, both in Los Angeles and New York. Having timed out every line of dialogue with a set mapped out on a stage floor, and eventually in the location itself, every department knows what the demands will be to get the shot. Breaking up the shot into smaller, rehearsable pieces serves little purpose at this point, and we start by laying down the complete piece. Four or five run-throughs, with our fabulously focused second team, will strengthen and coordinate those of us that walk mostly backwards for a living. Too much time with

second team, though, will begin to bake in a pace that we won’t see with the actors. Around mid-morning the principals arrive. The atmosphere is quite different to what you would experience on a regular set. For the actors, this is a marathon and they are incredibly well prepared. There is absolutely no chance that we will celebrate the third or fourth take and enjoy an early wrap. Midway through the afternoon, Gregor Taverner, my incredible first assistant, will remind me that we usually all find our mojo somewhere between take fifteen and take eighteen. He encourages me not to over extend until we all reach the apex, and as wise as this sounds, I’m not sure what to do. None of us are passengers, and for the actors to polish the scene, we all have to be moving at full speed. This may also be Gregor’s way of imploring me to do better. This is essentially the first scene of the film, which starts in Riggan Thompson’s dressing room and winds it’s way down to the theater. Even though this shot starts upstairs and spends the bulk of the scene on the stage, my greatest fear is the end of the shot when Keaton and Zach Gillifinakis, who plays Riggan’s lawyer and best friend, Jake, take their initial steps into the belly of the theater.

Their route takes them through a deceptively intricate corridor and down a torturous set of stairs, arranged haphazardly at varying angles. At the end of every take I have to nail this combination at speed. There is no way around it. Every shot in Birdman has a very specific beginning and end. The entire take is useless unless a certain pace, frame, lens height and lens angle are met. This is particularly harsh when five or six minutes worth of investment is squandered in an instant. There is fertile ground here, to use a golfing analogy, but in our case a YouTube video featuring a bicycle, some alcohol and a rooftop, might be more appropriate. An underlying theme in Birdman is it’s lensing. By shooting almost the entire movie on an 18mm Leica, the audience’s unbroken perspective has a consistency and an intimacy. Things happen very fast on an 18mm and an errant step will unravel a great frame. At times we considered a 21mm, but it seemed too conventional and a bad fit for the film. Chivo and Alejandro’s instincts paid off throughout and I came to appreciate the shape and depth of the 18 mm. Throughout the film, navigating the different parts of the theater, the corridors and indeed the theater district itself, serve the varying levels

CAMERA OPERATOR · WINTER 2015

of Riggan’s battle with himself. In the corridors he is vulnerable and uncertain, while seeking sanctuary in his dressing room. The 18mm delivers the visual clues that support the performance and the story. What Alejandro really loved, though, was the pure intimacy of the frame when the 18mm gets really close to the actors. This would usually be the deciding factor between going with the Steadicam or a hand-held. This shot covers a fair amount of territory, with Michael Keaton essentially introducing the audience to many of the main characters. It requires that I also serve up that kind of intimacy with the Steadicam.

makes the rest of the shot excruciating. The

Just before midday we start our shooting in

desired lens height at this point is in the death

earnest, and it’s remarkable how the scene be-

zone for any Steadicam operator and I’ve ma-

gins to unfold before our eyes. All the prepa-

chined a 16-inch arm post to raise the camera

ration, watching the set being built around

for the occasion. A note to myself though; as

us during rehearsals, all the lighting design

we swing right and enter what becomes my

and coordination now comes into play. Ev-

own personal torture chamber, there is a low

erything is done, save the shooting, and we

concrete beam, and as Keaton grows on me,

become strangely calm, accepting our fate.

I will be tempted to start raising the camera

Michael Keaton’s performance will be strong

to reach for Zack’s line. The result would be

from the beginning. He provides the ful-

a terrible impact that will tear the top of my

crum that allows the surrounding characters

rig apart and shower Michael Keaton with

to grow from take to take. Shooting these

shrapnel. If we make it past this point in one

very long shots can be exhilarating, almost

piece, Gregor and I are virtually falling down

like floating. We drift through the set, as if

a flight of stairs. It’s the equivalent of trying

watching and living the movie itself. On the

In the middle part of the scene, we approach the actors, who’re leaning comfortably forward in their chairs with their chair backs creating an obstacle course. I’m committed to low mode for this section, but this solution

to waltz backwards at a run, with mere inches

other hand it’s terrifying! I’ve already had a

to spare. Again, if Zack drifts back slightly, I

few timing problems that I can only share

will be tempted to raise the camera and the

with myself, and I’ve let Keaton grow on us

doorway header at the bottom of the ramp,

in the shot’s final moments, giving Gregor

would strike the rig mercilessly.

little chance at success. Some changes that

From left to right: Michael Keaton, Director Alejandro González Iñárritu, and Cinematographer Emmanuel (Chivo)Lubezki on the set of Birdman. Photo by Alison Rosa. Copyright © 2014 Twentieth Century Fox.

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

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Alejandro has made regarding a subtle, but telling look from Keaton, has put me slightly behind the beginning of a particular line, a necessary change, but one that effects my stepping at a crucial moment. As the actors find their stride, we try and keep any technicalities to ourselves so Gregor and I agree on a slightly different pace when we pan off Naomi Watts, who plays Lesley, an actress and Mike’s girlfriend. With each progressive take we’ve done pretty well with our nemesis at the end of the shot, but I’m starting to feel that our luck is running out. We still don’t have a good take as we break for lunch, but this is typical. We’ll take our break with the looming reality that when we come back, we only have a few hours. The longer the day goes the harder it is to fully recover from a disastrous take. Sometimes it’s something minor like a dropped line, but as fatigue plays a role I start to make mistakes deeper into the shot.

Our old friend at the end of the shot has come back with a vengeance, however. It may have been about take thirteen, which was immaculate for the camera and the actors. When we launch down the last staircase, all I have to do is make it through the doorway. I almost catch myself as I try to find Zack’s look behind Michael, but it’s too late and one of my batteries slam into the header. Through the headset that links me to Chivo, the frustration is complete. The look on Keaton’s face is memorable, but he is quick to remind me that he blew the previous take. About an hour later, as we anxiously gather around the monitor with Chivo and Alejandro, we have mixed emotions. We have two, maybe three good takes. We certainly did hit our stride around take seventeen and now we are busy watching the last take. I’m absolutely thrilled by it and I allow myself to enjoy a slight sense of private relief

and misplaced triumph. I do know, however, that this take is not the ‘one,’ it’s merely a safety. Two takes back Alejandro saw exactly what he wanted, and is happy to share his satisfaction with the cast. It’s officially a wrap and as the crew spills out of the St. James Theater on 44th street, I weave my way through the evening theater crowd. There’s a palpable sense of anticipation, a daily ritual and rhythm. I see Alejandro and Chivo across the street, visualizing and discussing another big shot. Chivo is animated, describing his thoughts in a large sweeping style. He’s offering a solution to a problem that we will face when we gather tomorrow and I chose to continue making my way home. In the crisp New York evening I have a chance to consider my good fortune — we’re just off Broadway making a great film about a Broadway play.

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

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CAMERA OPERATOR · WINTER 2015

Society of Camera Operators Lifetime Achievment Awards Sunday, February 8, 2015 | Paramount Theater at Paramount Studios, Hollywood

Join the Society of Camera Operators on Sunday, February 8, 2015 in celebrating the Honorees, Nominees, and Winners at the 2015 SOC Lifetime Achievement Awards, benefiting The Vision Center at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The SOC is celebrating its 35th year and this years theme is honoring our military and will be reflected in our presenters. Purchase tickets online now.

SOCawards.org

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

And the Honorees and Nominees Are… SOC Camera Operator Lifetime Achievement Award Dan Gold, SOC SOC Mobile Camera Platform Operator Lifetime Achievement Award Alan “Moose” Schulz SOC Still Photographer Lifetime Achievement Award Suzanne Hanover SMPSP SOC Camera Technician Lifetime Achievement Award David Eubank SOC Historical Shot Lifetime Achievement Award Boogie Nights SOC Technical Achievement Award Teradek LLC for the advancement of HD transmission and the Bolt line of products SOC President’s Award Dan Perry Director NAO Production Manager/Director DMPC of Sony Electronics Nominees SOC Camera Operator of the Year Feature Film

Television

Peter Rosenfeld, SOC Gone Girl Peter Rosenfeld, SOC Into The Storm Chris Haarhoff, SOC Birdman Stephen Campanelli, SOC The Maze Runner Dave Chameides St. Vincent

Steve Fracol, SOC Scandal Bud Kremp, SOC Banshee Chris T.J. McGuire, SOC True Detective Stephen Campbell The Walking Dead Gary Jay House of Cards

CAMERA OPERATOR · WINTER 2015

Jeff Cree, SOC

Hi Def with Jeff

Canon Lenses for the Cine Market Most of us that work in the Film and Television industry only have a history with Canon lenses from our use of B4 mount broadcast lenses during the run of 2/3” of standard definition and high definition cameras. Most of these lenses were considered compact lenses to which a series of compromises were made to keep the lens lightweight, physically small, while providing reasonable focal length range to reduce the necessity of changing lenses. The sharpness of these lenses was always good but the compromises in design manifested themselves as ramping, focus tracking errors and breathing. These lenses also lacked the expanded focus scales and the traditional markings seen on film lens. As electronic cameras moved into the traditional film market the market considered these attributes unacceptable. Canon was one of the lens manufactures that jumped in and tried to provide a solution to the problem by repackaging and modifying lenses to work and feel more like film lenses. Canon had a background with 16mm lenses and they used their expertise from that to generate quality zooms for B4 mount cameras. As the later generation of electronic cameras moved to larger image sensors Canon has joined the traditional film lens manufacturers in making lenses to work with these new cameras. Canon’s background

producing lenses for the 35mm SLR and DSLR markets gives them a head start over some of the other broadcast lenses makers. Years of experience making lenses for full frame 35mm cameras can be carried through when producing lenses for the current lines of 4K, 6K and above cameras. Canon’s production of EF and PL lenses adds another player to the market just when the demand for large format 35mm lenses is at its highest level in years.

CANON EF MOUNT LENSES Canon has been producing EF mount lenses for the past 27 years. The current series contains more than 80 models making it the largest range of lenses available in the market for any of the popular DSLR mounts. Although the original design of the EF mount was for the still market recent innovations in camera design has extended the range of the product into other markets. Canon introduced in January 2012 EF lenses design specifically for the digital cinematography market and EF-M lenses to complement their Compact System Camera, the EOS-M, in September 2012. They have since introduced the EOS-C series cameras that support the High Definition, 2K and 4K markets in both EF and PL mounts.

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The Canon EOS C-300 and C-500 are available in both EF and PL mounts but these are not the only cameras that may utilize these lenses. The Sony NEX-FS700 and the newly introduced PXW-FS7 utilize the E mount that only requires the simplest of adapter to use EF lenses. Many natural history and documentary cinematographers have moved in this direction for multiple reasons. As always cost of the lenses is one, as EF lenses are much cheaper than PL Lenses. But the main deciding factor for many is size and weight. With very few exceptions EF lenses are smaller and lighter for a given focal length. EF zooms also tend to have a longer zoom range than PL Zooms.

Frame Size

Diagonal

Full Frame

43.2mm

APS-C

27mm

Super 35mm

28mm

The EF mount features many attributes that make it well suited for our market. The Canon EF mount has three-claw bayonet that has a 54mm diameter. This is the largest inner circle of any SLR type mount. The mount also contains multiple contacts for communications to iris, zoom and focus. Some even have image stabilization. But you must be careful to select the right series of EF lenses to get the coverage required for the cinema cameras Super 35mm image sensor. Be aware that not all EF lenses cover a full frame 35mm sensor, many are designed to work with the APS-C imager and will vignette on Super 35mm image sensor. A good example of the still photography lens in the EF mount that works well for EF mount high definition cameras are the Canon L-Series, these lenses fit well with those shooting natural history as the zooms come with longer zoom ranges and are more compact than their PL brothers. They are very strong mechanically and have exceptional optical characteristics. They are weather and dust resistant for use in the field. These lenses use ultra or low-dispersion glass as well as the new fluorite glass elements. Aspheric elements are used to both improve the performance and to reduce the size of the lens.

• Maintaining the contrast ratio as high as possible • Achieving an MTF high enough to support 4K across the • • • • •

full plane of the image Deriving excellent color reproduction Minimizing optical aberrations Upholding standards for geometric distortion so that it is subjectively invisible Limit focus breathing Remove potential for stray reflections and internal flare.

By using their long established history of producing quality lenses for the still market and focusing on these areas in establishing the design criteria for this new family of cine lenses Canon has produced a quality product that supports the market in its move to 4K and beyond. Key differences between the lenses designed for the still market and the EOS cinema lens are the use of electro magnetic diaphragm on the iris for the DSLR market vs. the mechanically controlled diaphragm in the cinema lens. The result is auto exposure being the normal operation for the DSLR model compared to the manual exposure with the cinema lens. Stepped iris in f/stops compared to continuous iris rated in T-stops. The cinema lens also has more iris blades to form a more circular iris closure and to produce a better bokeh. The DSLR lenses will have auto focus while the cinema remains a manual mechanical design. The other obvious differences are the definition of the marks and the rotation of the control rings. The cinema family of lenses contains six prime lenses and four zooms. The primes are EF only and the zooms come in EF or PL mounts.

CANON CINEMA EOS LENSES Canon has specifically designed their new Cinema EOS family of lenses to support the motion picture and high-end television production markets. These lenses are designed to have the attributes that we have historically seen in cine lenses with some new technology and innovations added to improve the ease of use and performance. This new addition to the EF line of lenses from Canon are built to meet the highest standards with particular emphasis paid to the following:

CAMERA OPERATOR · WINTER 2015

Canon EF Lenses

Specifications

Canon EF Cinema Primes

Image Circle

43mm (Full Frame 36mm x 24mm)

Focal Length (mm)

Resolution

T-Stop

135

T 3.1

T 1.5

T 1.3

T 2.2

Weight (lbs.)

2.64

2.65

2.42

2.87

3.08

Iris Blades

11 Blades

Focus Rotation

300 Degrees

CANON CINEMA EOS EF PRIME LENSES The EF Cinema Prime lenses cover a full frame 35mm sensor with a full 43mm image circle. They are designed to perform beyond the requirements for the current 4K and beyond the current cameras on market today. Built to withstand the rigors of daily production, but lightweight which is well suited for use on the Canon EOS-C series cameras, a Red using the Dragon sensor or other cameras providing native or adapted EF mount. Created to meet very strong design standards while maintaining a price point that fits the EF lens expectations. These sets of full manual EF mount primes are optically fast, which will allow the end-user to provide a shallow depth of field even in the lowest light situations. All of the lenses more than double in performance the 80 line pairs per mm required to reproduce a 4K image. This family of lenses is well color matched and provides a very pleasing bokeh due to their 11-blade iris. Due to odd number of iris blades the bokeh will be very symmetrical and will display 22 rays as the iris is closed.

All of the primes have the same front diameter of 114mm and consistent gear position to simplify on-set lens swapping. Focus rotation of the lens is a full 300-degrees with easy to read focus scales. Focus breathing is minimal so the image size will only change slightly with a full rack of the focus. All of these lenses cover the full frame 35mm format so they can be used on 35mm still cameras as well as most of the current video systems that can support the EF mount.

CANON CINEMA EOS EF/PL ZOOMS Canon has divided their family of zoom lenses in to three subcategories: convertible, compact and top-end. All of the lenses are available in both EF and PL mounts. All the lenses have back focus adjustments so shimming for flange depth is not required. Since the traditional PL market is not used to having these adjustments available they have been hidden on the PL version so that does not confuse the end-user. All of the lenses have the traditional double markings for focus, zoom and iris. Canon has added one unique feature to the zoom markings on the operator side of the lens by beveling the ring to make the markings more visible to the operator.

Diagram of Canon 50â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1000 lens, photo of lens on the opposite page.

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Lower cost large format cameras have expanded the scale of work generally performed by PL mount cameras. These cameras are moving into a handheld environment where a lens designed more like the B4 mount lenses used on prior 2/3” cameras would provide an advantage in this single operator mode. That is where the convertible lens; a new class of lens comes into play. They are zoom lenses with a removable handheld grip servo. Which tend to be compact in size, lightweight in design with longer zoom ranges than traditional film lenses while maintaining traditional film style focus markings. Canon has introduced the CN7x17 KAS 17mm-120mm in both EF and PL mounts. This 4K ready lens has servo driven iris, zoom and focus housed in an ergonomically designed grip with all the traditional ENG buttons and controls. The servo can be interfaced to all the standard remote lens control systems with a single 20-pin cable. Or the servo can be removed, so the lens can be used in a full manual mode, and returned without a complicated alignment procedure. This lens has standard ENG style back focus adjustment that simplifies moving the lens between camera systems. As with all Canons’ cinema lenses the 11 blade iris system provides a very natural bokeh. These lenses gives you the choice of mounts and a choice of handheld ENG/EFP style operation or you can remove the servo and you have a traditional cinema lens. Having tested prototypes of this lens I have found its performance to be equivalent or better than the other lenses in this class. The zoom range is slightly wider and longer than the competition but with its longer zoom range we do see ramping of the iris beyond 90mm. In all, this lens is well suited for a more ENG style production while providing full performance from cameras using larger 35mm sensors. The Canon cinema family of lenses contains two compact zooms that are available in EF or PL mount. These are more traditional short-

CAMERA OPERATOR · WINTER 2015

range cine zooms with a limited 3 to 1 zoom range. The wider of the two lenses is a 15.5mm to 47mm, while the longer version has a 30mm to 105mm focal length. The combination of the two zooms gives you the focal lengths of the traditional set of primes. The two lenses are rated at T2.8 so they are relatively fast for their compact size. Both weigh in at 4.8 lbs. so they can be used with some of the smaller cameras without over balancing the operating center of gravity. They are perfect match with Canon’s own C300 and C500 cameras both in performance and size. Being compact lenses they do have the drawback of having a smaller 31.5mm image circle so it does limit you to cameras or formats that fall in the range of Super 35mm. As with the Canon primes these lenses provide dual marking and have a 300-degree rotation on the focus. As with all compact lenses compromises must be made in the performance to maintain the small physical size of the lens. Testing both in the lab and on cameras we do find some breathing and ramping but all fall well within the acceptable range and are competitive with other lenses in this class. At the top of the Canon product line are two zooms that are rated to go beyond 4K. The wider of the two covers 14.5mm to 60mm and is rated at T2.6 throughout the zoom range. At almost 10 lbs. it is not a small or lightweight but from its size you are getting added performance compared to the compact offerings. Ramping and breathing are almost non-apparent in this 4 to 1 zoom. The other lens in this category is one of my favorites in the line-up the 30mm to 300mm zoom. This 10 to 1 zoom is rated at T2.9-3.7 as the longer zoom range and the relatively small size of this lens for its zoom range does exhibit some ramping. At 12.9 pounds this lens is small and lightweight for lenses in this range. Both of these lenses cover a Super 35mm image sensor but not much more, having an image circle of 29.6mm. Projection shows close to 200 line pairs per mm at the corners so they have no problems providing the necessary resolution

for the current 4K world. As with all Canon Cinema lenses they both have a very nice bokeh due to the 11 blades iris. The mechanics of these lenses are very durable and provide 300 degrees of rotation on the focus and 160 degrees of rotation on the zoom that allows for very generous markings on both. As with the other lenses in the family the operator side focus marks are engraved on a beveled surface making them easy to see from the side or the operator’s position. These high performance lenses are available in EF or PL mounts that have an integrated back focus that does not require the use of shims making it easy to adjust in the field. While Canon has been a key provider to the still and broadcast markets for many years they are relatively new to the cinema market with this new line of lenses. The advent of the DSLR for video movement that was created primarily by Canon with their 5D, 7D and 1DC offerings has brought considerable attention to the EF family of lenses from their still market but the cinema lenses have lived in obscurity until recently. The explosion of cameras using large sensors has created a demand for quality PL glass that the traditional lens suppliers cannot meet. Canon using their considerable knowledge in lens design has produced a quality line of EF and PL primes and zooms that deserve your attention.

Photo by: Michael Frediani, SOC

Canon Prime Lenses

A great way to connect with the legacy or share the spirit of the SOC. Browse our online store to see the inventory of T-shirts, hats, pins, and more...

SOC.org 44

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SOC ROSTER CHARTER MEMBER Lou Barlia Parker Bartlett Paul Basta Michael Benson Stephanie Benson Rupert Benson Jr. Bob Bergdahl Howard Block Donald Burch Jerry Callaway David Calloway Philip Caplan Mike Chevalier Bill Clark Dick Colean Steve Conant Jim Connell Rick Cosko Jack Courtland Elliot Davis Sam Drummy Joe Epperson Michael Ferra Ron Francis William Gahret Jim Glennon Ray Gonzales Jerry Good Jack Green, ASC Gil Haimson Peter Hapke Lutz Hapke Bill Hines Jim Hoover Bill Howard John Huneck Wayne Kennan, ASC Bob Keys Gary Kibbe David Kurland Norm Langley Thomas Laughridge Steve Lydecker Brice Mack III Joe Marquette Jr. Owen Marsh Bob Marta Bob McBride Ed Morey Tom Munshower Fred Murphy Al Myers Lee Nakahara Jay Nefcy Rik Nervik Leigh Nicholson King Nicholson John Nogle Dan Norris Dan Norris Skip Norton David Nowell, ASC Wayne Orr Richard Price Ernie Reed Arnold Rich Randall Robinson Parker Roe Sam Rosen Peter Salim

Lou Schwartz Chris Schwiebert Michael Scott Bob Seaman Hal Shiffman Roger Smith Fred Smith Michael St. Hilaire Ray Stella Joe Steuben John Stevens Carol Sunflower Bill Swearingen Joseph Valentine Ron Vidor Sven Walnum

ACTIVE MEMBER Peter Abraham Jonathan Abrams Michael Alba Bret Allen Derek Allen Robert Altman Jack Anderson Colin Anderson Kevin Andrews Francois Archambault Joseph Arena Will Arnot Ted Ashton Jr. Mark August Grayson Austin Daniel Ayers Paul Babin Christopher Baffa Lonn Bailey James Baldanza Jerry Banales Christopher Banting Jeff Barklage Ricardo Barredo Angel Barroeta Gary Baum John Beattie Jonathan Beattie Guy Bee Tim Bellen Nils Benson George Bianchini Lukasz Bielan George Billinger Howard Bingham Bonnie Blake Jason Blount Bob Boccaccio John Boyd Katie Boyum Kevin Braband Gerard Brigante Hilaire Brosio Kenny Brown Pete Brown Garrett Brown Scott Browner Robin Buerki Gary Bush Stephen Campanelli Susan Campbell Jose Cardenas Peter Cavaciuti

CAMERA OPERATOR · WINTER 2015

Dave Chameides Lou Chanatry Joe Chess Jr. Jeffrey Clark Anthony Cobbs Craig Cockerill Steven Cohen Marcis Cole Kris Conde Andrew Conder Michael Condon Brown Cooper Dan Coplan Luke Cormack Javier Costa Richard Cottrell Jeff Cree Rod Crombie Richard Crow Jeff Crumbley Richard Cullis Grant Culwell Joseph D’Alessandro Nicholas Davidoff Markus Davids Richard Davis Mark Dawson Michael Dean Andrew Dean Kris Andrew Denton Joel Deutsch Don Devine Kenny Dezendorf Twojay Dhillon David Diano Troy Dick Alfeo Dixon Matthew Doll Rick Drapkin Scott Dropkin Mitch Dubin Simon Duggan, ACS Louis Duskin Allen Easton William Eichler David Elkins Jason Ellson David Emmerichs Kevin Emmons Steve Essig Brant Fagan Tom Faigh Diane Farrell Dianne Farrington Jesse Feldman Michael Ferris George Feucht Dick Fisher Lance Fisher Aaron Fitzgerald Eric Fletcher Michael Flueck Houman Forough Felix Forrest Ian Forsyth Ian Fox Steve Fracol Keith Francis Nick Franco Tom Fraser David Frederick Michael Frediani Michael Freeman

Brian Freesh Steven French Samuel Fries Mick Froehlich Jeff Fry Paul Gardner David Gasperik Rusty Geller Mark Gerasimenko William Gierhart Laurie Gilbert Harvey Glen Mark Goellnicht Daniel Gold David Goldman Allen Gonzales Robert Gorelick Afton Grant Bruce Greene Chad Griepentrog David Grove Robert Guernsey Pedro Guimaraes John Gunselman Chris Haarhoff Jess Haas Geoffrey Haley John Hankammer Tim Harland Joshua Harrison Kent Harvey Chris Hayes David Haylock Nikk Hearn-Sutton Dawn Henry Alan Hereford Steven Heuer Kevin Hewitt Jamie Hitchcock Dean Holmes Abe Holtz Jerry Holway Paul Horn Casey Hotchkiss Colin Hudson Philip Hurn Frederick Iannone Dave Isern Christopher Ivins Eugene Jackson III Jerry Jacob Francis James Alec Jarnagin Simon Jayes Christopher Jones Kurt Jones Steven Jones Jacques Jouffret John Joyce David Judy Mark Jungjohann David Kanehann Mark Karavite Adam Keith David Kimelman Douglas Knapp Dan Kneece Rory Knepp David Knox Robert Kositchek Bud Kremp Kris Krosskove Per Larsson

Jeff Latonero Eric Leach Sergio Leandro Silva Richard Leible Sarah Levy Jimmy Lindsey Abigail Linne Hugh Litfin Patrick Longman George Loomis Jessica Lopez David Luckenbach Greg Lundsgaard Kenji Luster Bruce MacCallum Rob Macey Vincent Mack Paul Magee David Mahlmann Giuseppe Malpasso Kim Marks Jared Marshall Johnny Martin Cedric Martin Philip Martinez Parris Mayhew William McClelland David McGill Michael McGowan Christopher McGuire Aaron Medick Alan Mehlbrech Olivier Merckx Jack Messitt Duane Mieliwocki Marc Miller Andrew Mitchell William Molina Raphy Molinary Machado Lawrence Moody Mark Moore Denis Moran Josh Morton Manolo Moscopulos Jeff Muhlstock Michael Mulvey Scott Mumford Chris Murphy Sean Murray Dale Myrand Leo Napolitano Robert Newcomb Julye Newlin William Nielsen, Jr. Randy Nolen Kurt Nolen Austin Nordell Ryan O’Donnell William O’Drobinak Mark O’Kane Michael Off James Olcovich Andrew Oliver John Orland Rafael Ortiz-Guzman Brian Osmond Georgia Packard Heather Page Mario Page Nick Paige Curtis Pair Victor Pancerev Andrew Parke

Patrick Pask Christopher Paul Paul Peddinghaus Douglas Pellegrino Karin Pelloni John Perry George Peters Matthew Petrosky Jonathan Phillips Alan Pierce Theo Pingarelli S. Jacob Pinger Jens Piotrowski Joseph Piscitelli Robert Presley Louis Puli Ryan Purcell Elizabeth Radley Yavir Ramawtar Juan Ramos James Reid George Richmond Ari Robbins Alicia Robbins Peter Robertson Brooks Robinson David Robman Eric Roizman Peter Rosenfeld Andrew Rowlands Dave Rutherford P. Scott Sakamoto David Sammons Joel San Juan Bry Sanders Martin Schaer Ron Schlaeger Mark Schlicher Gregory Schmidt Mark Schmidt Vadim Schulz David Schweitzer Fabrizio Sciarra Brian Scott Benjamin Semanoff Barnaby Shapiro David Shawl Osvaldo Silvera Jr. Jamie Silverstein Teddy Smith Needham Smith III John Sosenko Mark Sparrough Benjamin Spek Sandy Spooner Lisa Stacilauskas Robert Starling Thomas Stock Meagan Stockemer Michael Stumpf David Svenson Christopher Taylor Peter Taylor Paige Thomas David Thompson Richard Tiedemann Henry Tirl John Toll, ASC David Tolsky David Tondeur Remi Tournois Neil Toussaint Jamie Trent

Bryan Trieb Michael Tsimperopoulos Chris Tufty Rick Tullis Dan Turrett Brian Tweedt Joseph Urbanczyk Matt Valentine Dale Vance, Jr. Paul Varrieur Ron Veto Andrew Voegeli Stefan von Bjorn Rob Vuona Bill Waldman Michael Walker Timothy Walker Adam Ward Gareth Ward Gretchen Warthen Aiken Weiss Dale West Mande Whitaker Robert Whitaker Kit Whitmore Joe Williams Ken Willinger Chad Wilson Dana Winseman R.L. Wise David Wolf Bill Woodbridge Ian Woolston-Smith Peter Xiques Santiago Yniguez Brian Young Chad Zellmer

ASSOCIATE MEMBER Christine Adams John Addocks David Adelstein Brook Aitken Jamie Alac Ana Amortegui Andrew Ansnick Jillian Arnold Daniel Asmelash Scott Auerbach Jacob Avignone Ryan Baker Tyson Banks Eddie Barber Josh Barrett Stephen Blanor Jeffrey Bollman Peter Bonilla Jean-Paul Bonneau Massimo Bordonaro David Boyd David Brooks Rochelle Brown Donald Brownlow Clyde Bryan Neal Bryant Sasha Burdett Anthony Caldwell Jordan Cantu Bruce Cardozo Jack Carpenter Marc Casey Damian Church Gregory Collier Mack Collins Gabriel Copeland

Gareth Cox Richard Crudo, ASC Anthony Deemer Enrique Del Rio Galindo William Demeritt, III Ronald Deveaux Jorge Devotto Keith Dunkerley Brian Dzyak Christopher Ekstein David Eubank Allen Farst Thomas Fedak Nicholas Federoff Paul Ferrazzi Kristin Fieldhouse Nichole Fleit John Flinn III, ASC Mark Forman Tammy Fouts-Sandoval Bryan Fowler Jerry Franck Peter Frintrup Fred Frintrup Nicole Fuchs Juan Fuentes Hiroyuki Fukuda Hank Gifford Michael Goi, ASC Wayne Goldwyn Al Gonzalez John Goodner Nikki Gray Brad Greenspan David Gregory George Griffith David Grober Robert Guthrie W. Adam Habib Bob Hall James Hammond Anthony Hardwick John Hart Anthony Hettinger John Hill, Jr. David Hirschmann Alex Hodge Scott Hoffman Timothy Hopper Chris Horvath Rachel Hudson Toshiyuki Imai Carrie Imai Andrew Irvine Gregory Irwin Haley Jackson Quenell Jones Lacey Joy Henry Joy IV Jessica Jurges Brett Juskalian David Kane Timothy Kane Brandon Kapelow Frank Kay Mark Killian Douglas Kirkland Adam Kirschhoffer Robert La Bonge Laurence Langton Jose-Pablo Larrea Dr. Thomas Lee Aaron Leong Alan Levi Mark Levin Howard Levine Justin Liang Adrian Licciardi Stuart Lillas

Rachel Lippert Eamon Long Gordon Lonsdale Jasmine Lord Christopher Lymberis Dominik Mainl Darin Mangan Jose Martinez James Mathers Jim Matlosz Colin McDonald Marcus McDougald Mike McEveety Hilda Mercado Jonathan Miller Charles Minsky, ASC K. Adriana ModlinLiebrecht Matthew Mosher Navid Namazi Natasha Narkiewicz Jimmy Negron Michael Nelson Natalie Newman Micah Newman Russell Nordstedt Casey Norton Crescenzo G.P. Notarile, ASC Obie Bonnie Osborne Jarrod Oswald Paul Overacker Justin Painter Kim Palmer Larry Parker Steven Parker Jeremy Parsons Michael Perez Florencia Perez Cardenal Mark Petersen Jon Philion Tyler Phillips W. S. Pivetta Ted Polmanski Robert Primes, ASC Barnabas Prontnicki Joe Prudente Liz Radley Richard Rawlings Jr., ASC Marcia Reed Bill Reiter Brian Reyes Elizabeth Reynolds Lawrence Ribeiro Claudio Rietti Ken Robings Andy Romero Tim Rook Peter Rooney Sam Rosenthal Jordi Ruiz Maso Danny Salazar Steve Saxon Terry Schroth Carl Schumacher, Sr. Christian Sebaldt, ASC Christopher Seehase Dawn Shim Kara Siebein Stephen Silberkraus Charles Simons Michael Skor Jan Sluchak Dan Smarg Robert Smith Dean Smollar Brian Sowell Don Spiro

Owen Stephens Aymae Sulick Jeremy Sultan Tara Summers Andy Sydney Tiffany Taira Ian Takahashi John Twesten Caitlin Tyler Daniel Urbain Jose Val Bal Sandra Valde Thomas Valko Satya Vanii Benjamin Verhulst Breanna Villani W. Thomas Wall Leonard Walsh,II Justin Watson Alex White Simon Wolfe Tim Wu Tim Yoder Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC

CORPORATE 3ality Technica Able Cine AJA Video Systems Inc. Arri, Inc. Band Pro Film & Video Bertone Visuals LLC Birns & Sawyer, Inc. Blackmagic Design Camadeus Film Technologies, Inc. Canon, USA Inc. Carl Zeiss Microimaging, Inc. Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment CINEVERSE Clairmont Camera Filmtools Inc Fujifilm/Fujinon Geo Film Group, Inc. GPI Pro Stabilizer Systems, Inc. History For Hire Hydroflex, Inc. JL Fisher Inc. Keslow Camera Mark Bender & Associates Matthews Studio Equipment Panavision Polecam Ltd. Schneider Optics Sony Corporation Teradek, LLC Thales Angenieux Tiffen

EDUCATOR Ralph Watkins

HONORARY John Bailey, ASC Tilman Buettner James Burrows Alexander Calzatti Trevor Coop Roger Corman Dean Cundey, ASC

Bruce Doering Clint Eastwood Tom Hatten Ron Howard Ron Kelley Kathleen KennedyMarshall Jerry Lewis Larry McConkey A. Linn Murphree M.D. Diana Penilla Steven Spielberg Robert Torres George Toscas Roy Wagner, ASC Haskell Wexler, ASC

RETIRED MEMBER Aldo Antonelli Gary Armstrong Tom Barron Al Bettcher James Blanford Bruce Catlin Ivan Craig George Dibie, ASC Robert Feller Jerry Fuller Anthony Gaudioz Wynn Hammer Ken Hilmer Gary Holt Robert Horne Heather MacKenzie James Mann Stan McClain Michael McClary Ron McManus Mike Meinardus Emmanuel Metaxas Robert Moore Sol Negrin, ASC David Parrish Aaron Pazanti Andy Romanoff Frank Ruttencutter Richard Salvatore Chuck Schuman Philip Schwartz Guy Skinner George Stephenson Joseph Tawil Ben Wolf

STUDENT Veronica Aberham Bandar Almutairi Nathan Bachmann Joseph Blankinship Ziryab Brahem Jessie Brickley Mary Brown Terrence Burke Jessica Campbell Stewart Cantrell Richard Castaneda Quaid Cde Baca Nick Centera Petr Cikhart Pascal Combes-Knoke Sabrina Cullen Stephan Dekemper Briana Del Giorno Billy Dickson, Jr. Laura DiFiglio

Annor Doeman Timothy Dolan David Duesterberg Edwin Escoto Julian Estrada Kyran Ford Michael Garcia Joshua Gary Jonathan Goldberg Sebastian Guerra Christian Hall Kiyana Hancock Rita Hansen Tobias Harbo Benjamin Hardwicke Tyler Harmon-Townsend Donovan Hennberg-Verity Carolyn Hunt Preston Jeter Timothy Kang Andrew Kendall Jeff Kulig Zachary Leazer Amahaad Lee Michael Lemnitzer Ari Linn Amy Linsamouth Matt Maio Reginald Masingale Megan McCarthy Sam McConville Raquel McKuen Alexander Moeckler Jeff-Steven Mojica Donald Monroe Fabian Montes Moira Morel Christian Nash Benjamin Nielsen Dennis Noack George Ohan Lorenzo Pace Jonathan Park Connor Pollard Karina Prieto Macias Jessida Putkaew Viktoria Raykov Elson Ros Tiye Rose-Hood Daniel Schade Alexandra Schwartz Davin Stanley Megaera Stephens Michael Street Jesse Vielleux Anthony Wells Jenise Whitehead Amanda Winner Christina Wolf Anthony Worley Roana Wullinger Jhasmine Young Dennis Zanatta Terry Zellars Botai Zhong Roster current as of December 15, 2014.

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SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS WINTER 2015 VOL. 24, NO. 1

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Shooting the Breeze

What classic movie derived its title from the label of the author’s filing cabinet? “ I have a little cabinet letter file on my desk that is just in front of

me. I was thinking and wondering about a title for the story, and had settled on the "Wizard" as part of it. My gaze was caught by the gilt letters on the three drawers of the cabinet. The first was A-G; the next drawer was labeled H-N; and on the last were the letters O-Z. And "Oz" it at once became. ” — L. Frank Baum, author of The Wizard of OZ

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What movie was this quote from? “ Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room! ” — President Merkin Muffley played by Peter Sellers in

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

“ You can't find any true closeness in Hollywood, because everybody does the fake closeness so well. ” —Carrie Fisher, actress 48

“ I hate a man who always says ''yes'' to me.

When I say ''no'' I like a man who also says ''no.' ” —Samuel Goldwyn, producer

“ In Hollywood the woods are full of people that learned to write but evidently can't read. If they could read their stuff, they'd stop writing. ” —Will Rogers, actor

BITING THE HAND THAT FEEDS US

“ Strip away the phony tinsel of Hollywood and you'll find the real tinsel underneath.” —Oscar Levant, actor/comedian

Who said? “ Hollywood is a place where they'll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul. ” — Marilyn Monroe “Listen to them. Children of the night. What music they make." — Count

Dracula played by Bela Lugosi in Dracula (1931) SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS · SOC.ORG

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SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS 路 SOC.ORG 12/17/14 10:26 AM