Camera Operator Spring 1993 by Society of Camera Operators

SOCIETY OF OPERATING CAMERAMEN spring

1995

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Society of Operating Cameramen s

magazine

c Bditor Randall Robinson

A.ssoc:Uite Editor Douglas Knapp

Production Designer Lynda Modaff Psychic Dog IDustration

Contributors Liz Bailey Mike Benson George Spiro Dibie Joe Epperson Steve Gainer Randy Habercamp GUHaimson

Bill Hines Wayne Kennan Douglas Knapp Wesley Lantbert

AllanLumli Dr. Ellen Matsumoto Rick Mitcbell OuisMoon ltandall Robinson Dam Stump Gaqe T08C81

Bell & Howell2709 4 Series on the development of the motion picture camera

E N

E R

Art; • Humanida

I.A.T.S.E. Centennial 25 The SOC salutes IATSE's 100 years with a commemorative pin

by Wesley R. Lambert

The Second Cameraman 6 A look back to the origins of the working Camera Operator

A View From The Heart 27 The personal approach in treatment at the Eye Care Clinic of Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles

by Bill Hines

by Dr. Ellen Matsumoto

Heritage Film Series 8 Film Restoration and the work being done to preserve the MGM film library

Remembering Rose 30 A tribute to the passing of our "Guiding Light'; Rose Steinberg Wapner

by Dick May

by Gil Haimson

Interview

Motion Control 32 An interview with insights on this illusive computer technology

Man vs. Volcano 10 Mike Benson's harrowing experience at the mercy of Hawaii's Kilauea volcano

by David Stump

Multi Faceted Cameramen 17 The working and politics of MultiCamera Film shows

Threading the BNC

by Douglas Knapp

Lighting Seinfeld 36 Multi-Camera techniques used in photographing a top rated show

by Steve Gainer

Some Thoughts on the Future 18 Multi-Camera Video and technical advancements affecting all of our jobs

by Wayne Kennan

by Joe Epperson

The Widescreen Revolution

by Rick Mitchell

Robotic Cameras 20 A look inside NBC's Newsroom and the future of robotics

Report From Down Under

by Chris Moon

by Allan Lumli

SOC News & Letters

tern Movles" by u ••n11n EW. Reit, comiloned by the la.Jil!t* of the American lOt the Sun Valley e$tival 1976. Courtesy of the Sun Viii Center for the

State of the Industry 24 President of the International Photographers Guild speaks out on solidarity by George Spiro Dibie

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Society of Operating Cameramen, P.O. Box 2006, Toluca Lake, CA 91610 Society of Operating Cameramen Magazine, ISSN 1069-0646, is published sem i-annually by the Society of Operating Cameramen. For advertising information and article submissions contact the SOC at P.O. Box 2006, Toluca Lake, CA. 91610 Telephone (818) 382-7070; Fax (310) 306-9245

ELL & OWELL 35MM STUDIO MOTION PICTURE CAMERA 27098 Albert Howell, an engineer and Donald Bell, a

by Wesley R. Lambert

page4

cine projectionist, went into business together in 1907. They were capitalized at $5,000. Their personalities complemented each other. Their first company effort was the general manufacturing, leasing and repairing of machinery. This led to the design and manufacture of a movie projector called the "Kenodrome". The first motion picture cameras produced by the Bell & Howell Company was a then conventional looking 35mm, wood body, hand crank camera, introduced in 1909. Its unique feature was a very precision film transport mechanism that incorporated a dual fixed pin registration during exposure. One of the fixed pins was full horizontal fit in a perforation and the other pin was full vertical fit in the opposite film perforation. The pins were machined to tolerances of one ten thousandths of an inch. During exposure the film at the aperture was impinged on these pins and in that they did not move, there was no wear from the friction of movement. Less than a dozen of these cameras were made. Although this camera was well received in the industry, Bell and Howell replaced the design with a much more sophisticated all metal camera. Some of their reasoning may have been predicated on the experience of the great travelogue film producers Osa and Martin Johnson who had their two wood B&H cameras destroyed by termites while they were in Africa. This first B&H camera was called design 2709. I believe this suggested that it was their 27th design of 1909. The new all metal body B&H camera was introduced late in 1911 and was called the 2709B. This 2709B was and still is, a truly remarkable cine camera. It had an all metal body that was brilliantly designed and executed. Almost all cameras of that period had wood bodies. The camera featured a refined version of the great pin registered - film transport system of the wood body camera. It had a four lens rotating turret which would precisely position any one of the four different lenses in front of the film aperture. The specific lens could also be rotated to a position in front of a precision optical viewer for critical focus check. The film magazines were 400 ft capacity one piece assembly that was mounted on top of the camera. Its then unusual double rounded magazine soon gave the camera the nickname of "Mickey Mouse Ears." These film magazines had a light trap that was opened when the magazine was mounted on the camera. The camera was hand cranked. The hand crank interfaced directly to a 32 tooth main Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

sprocket so that two turns per second provided 16 frames per second, the prescribed silent camera speed. Subsequently it used electric motors, Initially it had a simple optical viewfinder but a fine studio type viewfinder was offered later. The superb pin registered movement was called Unit-1 and could be easily replaced with a high speed movement. The 2709B eventually had 1,000 ft film magazines and with the advent of sound movies it had available a somewhat silenced movement. A dovetail base for the camera allowed the taking lens when rotated for critical focus to be juxtapositioned as of the taking position. The large 2709B camera's rotary shutter is well balanced and acts somewhat like a balance wheel. The shutter is adjustable for its opening by an external control. It can achieve a maximum opening of 170 degrees and can be completely closed. The

shutter can be programmed to close or open for laps and dissolves. The lenses on the B&H camera are in a special micro focusing mount and a wide range of focal lengths were available. The sun shades and special effects accessories were mounted on extensions from the tripod head rather than encumber the camera. The 2709B has been discontinued for decades now but the old cameras still find use in animation or special effects nowadays. Many cinematographers believe that the 2709B still has unsurpassed accuracy in film regis tration with its fixed pins. The great Unit-1 movement is currently used in some modern cameras. This author has serial #18 in his early cine camera collection. ~

from some Famous Motion Picture Inventors "My invention ....... can be exploited for a certain time as a scientific curiosity, but a part from that it has no commercial value what so ever.

* cArt!;ttJ!e _f3((mtel'e French co-inventor of the Lumiere Motion Picture Camera, 1895 "Talking Films are a very fascinating invention, but I do not believe that they will remain long in fashion. First of all, perfect synchronization between picture and sound is impossible, secondly, Cinema can not, must not, become Theater."

* _f3ortr1-._Yea)( _f3tt1Jae;路e Films Sonroes Avant 1928 Talking Motion Picture will not supplant the regular Silent Motion Picture There is such a tremendous investment in Pantomime Pictures that it would be absurd to disturb it."

* &1/omaJ C/1'6 . -6rlrJo )( After the demonstration of his newly invented Talking Picture Machine, to his friends at the Orange Country Club, New Jersey 1913 *(from the book "The Experts Speak" by Christopher Cerf and Victor Navasky) ~--

Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

pageS

THE

SECOND CAMERAMAN An Historical Perspective by Bill Hines, soc

hundred years ehave passed since the motion picture camera and the motion picture projector were invented to, respectively, record and give life to static images, exposed and displayed at 12-16 frames per second.

In 1889 , Thomas Alva Edison introduced the Kinetograph, a cumbersome battery-driven camera, and the Kinetoscope, a projector for the so-called "peep show. " In the same year, George Eastman produced the first celluloid strips coated with photographic emulsion . The 4-perforation per frame pull-down standard and the 35mm film width was then established by his assistant, William Kennedy Laurie Dickson. In 1894, the Lumiere brothers, Louis and Auguste, brought out the first practical, portable, hand-cranked production camera, the Cinematographe, which also served as a printer and projector, in turn. Louis Lumiere called himself an operateur (a camera-man) to describe what he did when he set up, placed and lined up the camera view, and then threaded, turned and exposed film in that camera.

page6

From 1895 to 1896 ten Cinematographes were produced in France, while other cameras were being produced in England, Germany and the United States. Lumiere filmed all of his early films outdoors for maximum light exposure on the very slow emulsions. After bi-packing unexposed negative behind the exposed negative in the Cinematographe, he would print his films by the sunlight reflected into the lens off a white board while cranking the hipacked film through the camera-printerprojector. He made fifty films in 1895 which were each 17 meters in length (60 seconds at 16 fps). To maintain the appearance of normal movement, the subject matter was usually projected at the same frame rate as it had been exposed in the camera. However, creative projectionists often varied the handcranked projection rate to either speed up or slow down the on-screen movement. Film editing had not as yet been discovered. During filming, everyone, staff, Actors and Extras pitched in and did everything, set construction and placement, costumes, prop acquisition, set dressing, makeup, hair dressing, etc. There were no specialists per se in those days. The lighting source was the sun which made shooting motion pictures an outside activity. And this remained so until the turn of the century, just five years away, when Georges Melies built his glass-enclosed studio in Paris and

fi lmed his interiors and other stage sets in daylight, protected from the elements. The Cameraman was the technical (and often creative) key to the movie-making process. Then, as now, everything was prepared for presentation to the ca mera. The Cameraman functioned as Director, Director of Photography, Camera Operator, Focus Puller , Loader, Lighting Director, Electrician, Grip, Lab Technician, Optical Technic ian , a nd (later ) Film Editor a nd Projectionist, a veritable one-man band. The Cameraman then was, and was expected to be, a one-man band, providing his personal camera equipment and the overall technical direction of the recording process. He would set up his camera, load film into it , set the exposure functions, frame the action , crank film through the camera at a given rate, set fades and dissolves and irising, unload the film, develop the film, print the film, and, when early story films required moving the ca mera from place to place, he would edit and splice the scenes together, print and then project the final result. All of this was really only an extension of what the still photographer did (and does ) in getting pictures. Many cameramen of the day were well-grounded in the techniques of still photography. By 1899, story-telling techniques developed . Scenarios were written . Film presentations were one reel (1,000 ') in length, approximately seventeen minutes at

Sociehj of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

16 fps. At 8 frames per turn, the Cameraman-Operator would crank film thro ugh the camera at the rate of two turns per second in order to maintain that 16 fps rate. By 1904, the static camera instead of recording the enti re production from a single position, began being purposefully placed at varying distances from th e actio n or subject matter. So mewhat later, the camera was placed on a mobile pl atform and moved while filming from a long view to a close view, while panning and tilting to hold the action in frame. Films we re being imported and exported. In the USA, two cameras were being used during production. The principal, or firs t camera, operated by the principal, or First Cameraman, was placed in the optimal position with respect to the blocked action and was u sed to expose the more imp orta nt domestic release negative. Next to it, with the same length lens and simil ar coverage, was placed the second camera, operated by the Seco nd Cam erama n, wh ich was used for th e fo reign release negative. Hence the origin of the designations, First Camerama n and Seco nd Cameraman. In the USA, the ea rli es t films were all of exterio rs and of exte ri o r events. Even the earliest studi o interior scenes were illu mi nated by sunli ght entering floor-to-ceiling windows, controlled by muslin sheeting. Some interior sett in gs were constructed o utdoors, or on stages which could be rotated with the movement of the sun . It was the First Ca meraman's responsibility to determine the camera(s) position, the lens, the f-stop, the focus, th e lighting balance a nd to adj ust the muslin and/or to have the studio rotated to ma intai n proper relationship to the sunlight. W h e n sod ium vapor lamp s were adapted to motion pi cture use, it made it possib le to film o n sets in studi o interiors. T h e Fi rst Ca meraman had to spend much time adj usting or supervising the adjustment of the lamps in order to properly illuminate the studio settings and balance the li ghting on the Actors. W ith these heavy lights, he was given an assista nt, a Chief Electrician, to place, co nnect and adj ust the lights. T he Chief Electrician wo uld often save himself the tro uble of using a ladder to adj ust each light by using a boat gaff stick to reach up and tilt, turn or swing each light to a desired position, or to switch a light on or off; hence, the term, "Gaffer." With the advent of sound in 1926 for major studio production, lighting procedures, handling large crews and the multipl ecamera requirements of sound recording finally divorced the Fi rst Camera man from operating a camera. Each camera had a constantspeed electric motor set to run at 24 fps but, because the silen t era did not requi re silent-running, prod uced an unacceptably high noise level for production-quality sound. In addi tio n, the strong li ghts made the studios extremely hot and uncomfortable. Compounding the problem, the recording of production sound required that all cameras and their Operators be enclosed in sound-proofed, non-air-conditioned cabinets (called "hot-boxes"). Up to ten cameras, two to a boot h , were used to film heavi lySociety of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

rehearsed sequences in one full-l oad take (up to 11 minutes per 1,000' load). In order to avoid this torture, sound-p roofing blimps were soon developed to contain the noise of the silent-era productio n cameras and self- blimped cameras were promptly put on the drawing boards. Microphone and boom shadows were everywhere and had to be controlled. The First Cameraman, now called the "Director of Photography," had to be on the flo or to be able to see what was happening, monitoring his lighting and the action, ready to take immediate corrective action . The responsibility for operating the camera, and keeping microphone, mi c booms a nd their shadows out of frame, fe ll to the Second Cameraman to whom the title, Camera Operator, was applied.

The Cam era Operator, th e person looking through the viewfi nder, has always been responsible for framing the action and including essential parts of that action in frame. In the days before vid eo assis t, the Camera Operato r saw the framed action first and was the only one able to say accurately whether the take was pictoriall y acceptable or not until dailies were looked at the following day. The heavier, bulkier precision production sound cameras with their gear heads required assistance to move, set up and operate. What had been possible for a Camera Operator, operat ing a smaller camera on a friction head-making adjustments while panning and tilting such as, focus, shutter angle, irising, sliding diffusion, etc-beca m e impossi ble or impractical to accompl ish wit h both hands on the control wheels of a heavy-duty gear head. So the Ca m era Assistant beca m e the First Ass istant Camera Operator (Focus Puller) and the Second Assistant Camera Operator helped the First Assistant and slated scenes, while a Loader kept fi lm magazines loaded, down-loaded and exposed film properly identified. The reflex camera was introduced in 1932 in Germany and used during WWII. When the reflex studio camera came into vogue, the Camera Operator was expected to monitor focus in addition to

continued on page 51 page 7

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Due to various corporate mergers, by the motion early 1980's MGM had merged with United picture holdings include approximately 3300 Artists , who in turn had purchased the entire feature films and over 2000 short subjects pre-1950 output of Warner Bros. This included and cartoons. Many of these were produced about 800 features , 350 cartoons , and a large prior to 1951, when safety film became the number of shorts. UA had converted about half standard of the industry. Extensive preservaof the features to safety film , plus making tion work has been done by both Turner and its 16mm reduction safety negatives of the predecessors to insure the survival of this entire library for television exhibition . library. MGM/UA picked up where this project left Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer began converoff, and conve rted the balance of the feasion of nitrate negatives to safety film in the tures, including 25 Technicolor films , to safeearly 1960's , beginning with a number of rare ty stock. silent movies in their vaults. Among the picIn 1986, Turner Entertainment Co . purtures upgraded at that time were LA BOHEME chased the entire MGM and pre 1950 Warner (1914) with Alice Brady (later remade in the late libraries, and continued to complete whatever silent era with Lillian Gish and John Gilbert) , and conversion work not yet done. Two years later, THE GREEN GODDESS (1923) with George Arliss , Turner purchased the entire output of RKO based on his stage classic , and remade seven years Radio Pictures (1930-1957). Of the close to later by Warner Bros. as a talking picture. 800 features in this group, 270 had not yet This work continued steadily but slowly been protected by conversion to safety, so for about ten years , when arrangements were this project was scheduled , and is being made with the International Museum of completed over a 3-year period . Photography's motion picture division at George With the rising prices of laboratory work Eastman House in Rochester, NY. and film stock, the cost of complete conversion of one black The staff there, headed by James Card , agreed to and white feature now runs from $10,000 to $20 ,000 , supervise the remaining conversion to safety film , and pro- depending on length and condition of the nitrate material. vide storage of the nitrate original negatives, which could no Conversion from 3-strip Technicolor to modern single strip longer be kept at the MGM Studio in Culver City, CA due to color negative is a minimum of $60,000. local fire laws. Laboratory work was done at the MGM Due to improvements in color technology, several of Laboratory in Culver City. the Technicolor pictures which were first converted to single Much of the black and white work was completed strip negative in the late 1970's are being done over, as the under the control of the staff of Eastman House, but eventu- original conversions did not properly represent the quality of ally continued funding became a problem , and MGM pro- the original photography. Foremost in this "re-conversion " ceeded to complete the work, although the storage agree- was GONE WITH THE WIND, finished in time for its 50th ment continues , and the negatives remain at the Eastman anniversary in 1989 at a cost of about $250,000. Other picHouse facilities . tures converted a second time include LASSIE COME HOME, The MGM safety conversion included not only the MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS, SHOW BOAT and LOVELY TO LOOK relatively simple copying of black and white films to safety AT. stock, but also the modernizing of the printing facilities of In 1991 restoration began on several color films in 115 features photographed in the 3-strip Technicolor the RKO libary that were never properly preserved . With the process , which was no longer used after 1953. Additionally, closing of the MGM Laboratory, the majority of the converall short subjects, cartoons (again Technicolor), trailers, for- sion work has been done at Guffanti Film Laboratories in eign language titles and any other material which remained New York, YCM Laboratory in Burbank CA, Film Technology only on nitrate film were dupl icated on safety stock. The in Hollywood CA, and Cine Tech in Riverside CA . ~ total cost of this work totalled about $30,000,000. page8

Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

TYLER CAMERAS YSTEMS ADVANCED STABILIZED CAMERA PLATFORM

TYLER CAMERA SYSTEMS 14218 Aetna St., Van Nuys, CA 91401

Phone:818-989-4420 Fax:818-989-0423

MIKE BENSON, soc

Man vs. Volcano by Randall Robinson, soc Founding Father and past President of the Society of Operating Cameramen, Mike Benson along with his wife, Stephanie, have been at the forefront of this organization for a decade. Whether coordinating the Lifetime Achievement Awards Banquet or raising money for our annual pin sales for the Childrens Eye Care Center, Mike has brought leadership and helped to formulate and carry the SOC to the respected position we now enjoy. His camera career has also been at the forefront, working on films like PATTON, NO WAY OUT, TERMINATOR II, FOREVER YOUNG and his most recent picture for Paramount, SLIVER. After operating for the past eighteen years, Mike has taken that step to Director of Photography. In an interesting interview with the SOC, Mike recounts in his own words this past November's near fatal helicopter crash into Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii, and the harrowing rescue, a 60-hour ordeal that has put Mike in the Guinness Book of World Records.

SOC: At every sound stage I walk onto, I am constantly stopped and the question is "How is Mike Benson?" There is much love and concern for you. So, Michael, how are you? Benson: Right now, I am doing pretty good. I lost a lot of celia, the lining in my lungs, but the doctors are really optimistic that I will heal. I go to two pulmonary specialists at UCLA and all my tests have come back that my lungs are about average right now. They're almost positive that in another month, I'll be above average where they were. I do have a little bit of a raspy voice. Whether or not that will eventually go away or not, I don't know. I do have a little bit of insomnia which is due probably to the steroids I must take. Once my body gets rid of the steroids, my sleeping patterns will be a little better. Regarding mental stress, consciously, I have no problem. I have worked it out so many times by talking about it. Whether I want to get into a helicopter and fly again, I don't know. In the back of my mind, I have a little bit of reservation. I feel that God's given me a second chance. Do I want to go back to Hawaii? Not realpage 10

ly. And I have no interest in volcanos. None. I have nothing but fine things to say about everybody through all this. I am just very, very fortunate to have a lovely family, a lovely wife of twenty-five years, Stephanie, the apple of my eye. She's just great. I have two wonderful kids. My career has been great. I've been very, very fortunate. I thank God every night for being blessed with my family and friends, being liked at work. I feel very fortunate.

SOC: You were shooting second unit on SLIVER for Paramount in Hawaii? Benson: We went over there to shoot process plates of the active Kilauea volcano. We took a WesCam System, a Tyler Nosemount and we took a Tyler Side and Major mount. So we had a whole array of camera mounts. We had a huge second unit. There were around ten in the camera department, a nice second unit. When we got there, it was raining, and it never stopped raining for ten days. This is now the 20th of November. We shot a couple of shots in the morning and ended up getSociety of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

ting some pretty bad weather, so we decided to change from the WesCam System over to the Eight-Perf Vistavision and the front nose mount system. We'd then shoot some cloud plates over the sea, until the weather broke around the volcano. About ten o'clock in the morning we took a trip up to the volcano and the visibility started to open up, so we decided to make a couple of runs. One run we were to make was from the east to the west, flying at about 3800 feet, going over the edge of the volcano and descending down into the volcano. This was going to be a background plate for the principals. And in turn, we were going to put them into the mock up and shoot over their back to what we were filming for the plate. We had a brand new Vistavision camera from Bowmont and the only problem with it was it only had 400 ft. Mags. He didn't have any 1, 000 ft. Mags for it.

SOC: 400ft. in eight-perf runs twice as fast as four-perf, so instead of a four you only get a two minute take. Benson: It's very short. We did the run and looking at the tape everything was fine except that it didn't last very long. I know from experience that a kiss of death is to have too short a plate. By the time actors get going with their performance the plate's over. I said, "Let's see if we can extend the run by at least 30 seconds." Craig Hoskins the pilot says, "Fine, I can do it, I can manipulate the helicopter and maybe do a little slower approach." I said, "Maybe I can take care of the mechanical part of it and do my tip down a little later or whatever it may be." So with that, we decided to do take two. We started flying over the ridge of the volcano and we lost engine power. We started to auto-rotate down in a total white out under the steam and clouds. I start thinking to myself "this is taking a long time, why are we doing this? Something isn't right." Craig says, "We've got a problem." The next thing I know, I see the edge of the volcano and Craig says, "We're going in!" The very next second, the main rotor hits the wall of the volcano and shears off. Fortunately for us, we were already going into a flare pattern which is an emergency procedure, like we're going to land. We ended up dropping about eight feet, from the time we sheared off the rotor to the bottom of the volcano. In the drop the helicopter broke into three pieces. Fortunately for us, no one was seriously injured. The extent of our injuries was a laceration over Craig's right eye. I had a couple of bruises on my arms and so forth, and Chris Duddy, my assistant, was in the back seat and had no injuries. We quickly unbuckled our seat belts and jumped out of the helicopter. We just stood there at the bottom of Kilauea, looking at the helicopter in total amazement. We had missed a lava pool by 150 yards, missed a crater by about 25 or 30 yards, which was a steam crater and we would have been scalded to death if we had landed in that. Where we landed was just by the grace of God probably the best place in the crater. We pretty much knew where we were in the volcano and decided to climb out. We knew that to 12 o'clock was the shortest height of the volcano, but all of the gases and steam were Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

coming from that area. It was just an unbelievable amount of toxins, you couldn't breathe. Looking up at about nine o'clock was a fairly steep wall but we thought we could scale out about three hundred feet. Chris was the first, I was second and Craig was after me. We got up to about 50 feet from the top, and Chris yelled back that he was stuck on a ledge and for us not to come up any higher. Craig and I were on a ledge about 50 feet below. Meanwhile, the gases are getting heavier and heavier. We were using our shirts over our noses as a mask. The ground was not too hot, only about 80 degrees, but it was the smoke and the steam, all of the toxins, which were really hard to breathe. Craig decided to go back to the helicopter and try to put the helicopter radio back together. He was able to jerry-rig it with a couple of camera batteries and by splicing some parts together, he was able to get out a Mayday to our picture helicopter. Another helicopter came in and the pilot risked his life and his helicopter to pick up Craig. We could hear a helicopter but we're not sure what's going on because of the visibility. Chris and I are talking back and forth and the last we heard of Craig was "I can't breathe, I can't breathe, this is really hard to breathe." We don't hear from him for over two hours. I assume that he was overcome by smoke inhalation and has died. Now its just Chris and myself. We spend the first night in the volcano. The rescue party got in contact with us at about eight o'clock that night by way of a whistle, and we communicated back and forth. When you talk or yell, you could be 50 feet from them, but if the wind is blowing it seems more like a mile away. You can't hear anything, so you shout, "Repeat, Repeat!" You try to use small phrases. In the course of conversation they tell us that they had rescued Craig and that he is all right. Meanwhile, Craig is now trying to head up a rescue party to get us out. At about noon, on Sunday, some ropes were thrown down to us. The closest rope was about 15 feet away from me and I thought at that time, should I dive

page 11

for it and try to grab hold of it . I thought to myself, well, since this is the first time, it'll be thrown down again and it will probably get closer. I watched the rope go on up. Well, that was the last time I ever heard or ever saw anybody from a rescue party until I was rescued the next morning.

SOC: Did it get very cold at night on your ledge? Benson: It got down to about 50 degrees. The rain and the wind would kick up and you would get cold from the rain. During the day the steam would come up and it would be in the seventies with the steam. The volcano, every day, was getting more and more active. You could hear the lava flow spewing up more and more, and at night it became quite a light show. You could hear the walls of the volcano caving in. You never knew exactly where you were in relationship to everything around you. SOC: Did you see Chris again? Benson: I never saw Chris from the time we left the bottom of the crater on the way up. I talked to him, periodically. On Sunday, he was in bad shape mentally. He was talking about committing suicide and getting it over with because he couldn' t take the smoke anymore. I had taken my shirt and shoved it down my throat and into my nostrils and made a breathing mask out of it. He did the same, but he said he couldn't take it anymore, and if he were going to die in here, he was going to die trying to get out. He couldn't understand why the rescue attempt had stopped at noon. I felt it had stopped because they were probably having a problem with their own safety in trying to rescue us. Three o'clock Sunday afternoon, Chris decides to scale out. I told him when he gets to the top to make sure to yell back to me. After what seemed like about 45 minutes, I asked, "You O.K." He yelled back ''I'm almost to the top! " I remind him when he gets there to yell. I never hear another word from him. He ends up making it out.

Suddenly flying over my head is this huge object with brown stripes on it. It goes hurling past me, and it lands on the helicopter down below with a big thud. Now I can't see more than maybe 10 or 15 feet in front of me with all of the smoke and steam. I'm thinking at this time that it was Chris. I'm thinking it wasn't a rock, and I haven't heard from Chris so I'm thinking that he slipped and fell, plummeting to his death down below. And I'm going, "Oh , Jesus, now what am I going to do?" Now my mind starts to play tricks on me. I forget that Craig has been rescued and I think he's died. Then I think that Chris has fallen to his death. I'm the lone survivor, right? What am I going to do? Should I go back to the helicopter? Take the chance of possibly falling or just wait here? I did remember that the rescuers were trying to locate me. I had enough survival sense to stay put. Your chances are greater if you stay where you are than to try to search out on your own. So I stayed where I was. For 48 hours I was on this little ledge that was two feet long and about a foot and a half wide. It was like my little sanctuary, my own little cave of refuge. I felt a little bit secure. It wasn't exactly hell. I didn't have any water or anything to eat for 60 hours. I didn't sleep one bit, I was awake the whole time. My adrenaline was rushing so high, there was no way I could sleep.

here in this damn volcano. I should be at the USC-UCLA game. What the hell am I doing here? Then I started thinking, I could have said no. We had it on the first take, so why did I have to be the big hero and do the second take?" I'm starting to feel sorry for myself, thinking, "My wife is having a great time at the USC-UCLA game and I'm sitting here with my butt on this little ledge."

SOC: Don't you have a twin brother who had unexplained sensitivities to your ordeal? Benson: My brother and I had a bit of a falling out. On that Thursday night before the crash I tried calling him in Auburn, California. And for some reason, he was trying to call me and to make a long story short, we ended up mending our differences. All day Saturday my brother had a strange feeling. His body was always cold, he couldn't get warm. He felt that there was something wrong with me, but he couldn't really put it in perspective or analyze what it was. He knew that something was happening to me, but that I was safe. All day he could not get warm. The press contacted him about six or seven hours later and told him that I had crashed and was stuck in a volcano. He and his wife decided to come over to Hawaii along with my wife and two kids.

SOC: What mental state were you in during this ordeal?

SOC: Wasn't there some bureaucratic blundering that almost cost you your life?

Benson: I was very confident the whole time that I was going to get out. I was really positive. I was mentally in communication with my daughter and my wife the whole time. I knew exactly when they landed in Hawaii. I talked to them and they basically told me that everything would be all right. To be strong and don't give up. That I had a lot to live for. That a lot of people loved me and that I was going to get out. And that's what kept me going through the whole night. That Saturday, USC was playing UCLA and we had tickets for it and all I could think about was, ''I'm sitting in

Benson: Basically, the Parks Department wrote me off. They said that I was dead, they weren't going to attempt any more rescues or risk any more people. Our people were saying, "Wait a minute, what the hell are you talking about? We know that he's there, he's O.K. We have Craig's statement that says Mike is alive." Craig was willing to descend into the volcano, spend the night if necessary to coordinate the apparatus. But they said no, we can't afford it, we can't spare the equipment. The screw-ups in the Parks Department were unbelievable. They basically wrote me off.

continued on page 43 page 12

Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

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Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

"In every job that must be done there is an element of fun - you find the fun and snap, the job's a game!' Thus spake MARY POPPINS. To THOSE LUCKY FEW WHO BOUNCE OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING AND REALLY FEEL, "OH BOY,

GET TO GO TO WORK

TODAY!", YOU KNOW ONE OF THE MANY JOYS OF WORKING ON A MULTI -CAMERA SITCOM. The basic design of a MULTI- CA M ERA FILM was pioneered a nd refined by Desilu Productions for LOVE LUCY. Each scene played as a stage piece, captured by three fluidly coordinated cameras. A half hour show was photographed with live audience participation, apparently in real time. The cast and crew share the excitement of participatin g in a real-life event. When the writing is clever, the players are having fun with their roles and the many elements really click, there's no other film form I've worked in that is so satisfying. As a Camera Operator, you adapt to the peculiarities of each job. Sitcoms have as wide a range of personalities and requirements as any feature or television series, to which you must adapt your style of work. Sitcom Operators experience more freedom in setting our own shots and methods of working than we can ever hope to enjoy in most single camera formats. It is through the Operator, working with the Director, the connection between performance and preservation of that performance is linked. More than in any other format, the Operator guides and unifies "his crew" (Operator, Camera Assistant, Dolly Grip) . Contact with th e Director is one-on-one and one-on-many. You receive individual shot ass ignments from the Director, or the Camera Coordinator, but are constantly aware of the other camera's assignments. You know how camera position, image size and angle, and timing of your camera's movement affect the coverage and story. Find the visual elements that embellish "the joke" and emphasize them in your shots. Your suggestions are most often welcome. SHOW

OPERATING Knapp, soc Douglas

Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

page 17

The Director of Photography's major task is the total look of the show, largely through the lighting, but also the choice of film stock, lenses and filters used on each camera. Post production choices can greatly affect the final look of the show, and often the DP follows each episode through completion. The relationship between the Operators and the DP on a sitcom is more independent than on single camera shows. Frequently, the Operator is the only one to look through the lens. Your awareness of the lighting style and potential problems of shadows, reflections, hot spots and black holes, fake looking backdrops, missing backdrops, etc. allows you to help the DP as no one else can. You put the "frame around" what everyone else is just looking at. You see it first! The Operator's knowledge of editing and of the Editor's preferences help make for a smooth series of cuts. Many of your decisions are made "on the fly" and will affect the flow of the final cut. Hold your shot a little longer, for a laugh; let someone exit your frame, then reposition for the next shot; use natural movement in the scene to bring one shot into the next without "forcing a cut." If something unplanned really works out well, ask the script supervisor to put it in the notes . That could just be the "wish we had it" shot. On most "run of the show" crew situations, bonds of friendship and professionalism carry us through the rough spots. Sometimes, those bonds carry us on to other jobs as a CORE UNIT. Sitcom crews are an exception to being "as temporary as yesterday's callsheet." My Assistant, Ken Hale, recently calculated that our crew had a combined experience of 216 years. That's a lot of bang for your buck to get with one phone call! All the "nuts & bolts" problems are long gone and you can really come through for a director handling new actors on a new show. The last thing needed is a camera crew pulling together in different directions. The advantage for a Producer or Director who can hire a complete sitcom camera crew is simple. EXPERIENCE. As a film Camera Operator, I have worked in most formats of features and television. I have found a wonderful "work family" in the film sitcom format. As technology changes, I expect to keep up my education and experience in the media of the future. The High Definition Television system will require new skills and continuing education for the serious professionals in our business. Yes .. .it is a business. Much as we try to keep the artistry separate from the business, they are one in the same. You hear of Union vs Non-union .. .it's not really about that. It's about keeping my standards .. .standards of living, standards of professional integrity, standards for my future. Top quality for whatever I do. Through my "work family", I have found a low stress, high satisfaction, truly fun way to enjoy my profession. ~ page 18

Some Thoughts on the Future of Our Craft by Joe Epperson, soc hese are very dynamic times for those of us who work with the hardware of production. Due to declining television viewership and the proliferation of cable channels, there is heavy pressure on producers to cut costs (read below-the-line costs). Now is the time for all of us, whether we work in film or tape, to assess the future and position ourselves so we don't become bystanders. Those of us who work in tape must face the reality of robotic cameras. So far they are only used in fixed-type productions like news, but with complex computer motion control, their use could easily be expanded into game shows or other productions where the shots are predictable and repetitive. It also remains to be seen if the current popularity of the reality shows holds up. Producers will certainly do everything possible to keep them going because they are cheap. On the film side, LOVE AND WAR is following in the footsteps of HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS with single-operator film production. Like it or not, I believe that the budget busters will eventually force all studio film sitcoms to switch to this system. Another aspect that we will all face is high definition (HDTV). When a U.S. standard is finally selected, I think that most studio shows destined for cable or broadcast TV will switch to HDTV original production, even if we are still using the NTSC broadcast standard. Producers will most likely make this move as soon as cost effective equipment becomes available as a hedge against having a hit show becoming obsolete because it was shot in a low definition format. Another interesting possibility is the digital recreation of a live action scene from only two or three fixed cameras. I know that it is heresy to say this in this town, but I think that as soon as a double or triple high definition system is available, we will see features shot on a digital medium and broadcast to theaters by satellite, just like cable. This could take many years, but it is a matter of economic reality. Who knows, in 10 or 20 years, video might look as good as film on a big screen. Have any of you seen the pictures from a Sony electronic still camera? Scary. Where does all of this leave us? On the outside looking in if we are not prepared. Studio video operators should learn the basics of portable camera operation and, more important, become proficient in determining proper exposure. Film operators are more familiar with exposure, but perhaps not with video field production. And of course, multiple camera film operators should learn the multiple camera tape system. While we are at this point in the story, perhaps I should explain my philosophy of video camera operation on a multi-camera sitcom. Many film operators have asked "How can you do all those things at once?"

Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

And the obvious answer is, practice. Mastering the mechanics of a video camera on a pedestal is no different than learning to drive a manual transmission car; the hands, feet and eyes each have assigned tasks that are each very simple. They only become difficult when put together. The first time most of us drove a stick shift, we bucked and ground a bit before we got the hang of it. Just as a stop light on a steep hill will tax the beginning driver, so will a fast-paced sitcom, complete with several people yelling instructions and cues in your ear. I have a real simple answer to these last problems, I ignore them. Going into a video show with a numbered list of shots that must be perfectly framed with split second accuracy can be quite terrifying. I decided some years ago that shooting "shots" made the job much harder and often resulted in an inferior product. I try to relate every camera move I make to the actual story (and believe it or not, there is a story to these shows). By knowing the story, I can then organize my slices of it and take my own cues, usually ignoring the red light or somebody's panic yelling about getting to my next shot. The question of camera position also becomes easy if you think of the lens as your own free floating window on the story. You place the camera where you want to so as to best record your assigned slices. High, low, up, down, truck left, split focus, short lens, long lens, and so on. This aspect may be a little harder to master, but again it all comes from the story and the actors' movements within that story. I've done sitcom episodes with as few 125 shots and as many as 400. I really don't care how many times the tally light goes on and off, all I need to know is that actor A has a scene with actor B where they perform a certain part of the script that is in some way connected with the rest of the story. What is my part in seeing that action? Do I cover the important singles and crosses or do I carry the actors around the set. By working the job from this angle, the shots themselves become less important than where I place my 3-D window to best see the story. I make the decision as to how hard I work to achieve the optimum camera position. I love the freedom to do this. It makes the job challenging and keeps my interest. I think the question of film sitcoms going to a single operator system is a matter of simple economics. It will make a mess of the training ground that is now available and impact a lot of careers. There is an opportunity here for the SOC to take the lead in organizing a buddy system of cross training for operators to learn the single operator system. I do it in tape, but the principles are the same on a film camera with a video assist monitor mounted on top. The only sure thing is that the industry will change for us in the coming years, dramatically. If we work together, we can be ready. ~

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ROBOTIC CAMERA SYSTEMS by Allan Lumli, soc

NBC Senior Video Engineer

had been with the National Broadcast System (NBC) for the last fifteen years, with my specialty as a Live Camera Color Correction Video Controller. In 1990, I was asked to join the news team for KNBC and operate the newly installed Robotic Cameras.

Previously we had live cameramen working in the studio with one cameraman per camera. We used three cameras at that time. NBC wanted to cut the cost of manpower and advance the state-of-the-art of camera robotics. They wanted to see if this could be done separate from how it was handled in New York. The camera robotics in New York on the Nightly News with Brokaw were on tracks. The stage floor was like a giant grid, like a chess board. They had movement in height and could ped in and out and dolly left and right. KNBC in Burbank, California, only wanted a Robotic Head. The system they chose at the time did not have a fully robotic pedestal that moved around with freedom. They didn't want to have the same application that New York was using because with the tracks you couldn't move the set around. The set had to be stationary, so there was less freedom. They sent us to Norfield, New Jersey to AF Associates. We were to learn the principals and fundamentals of robotic camera operation. Mainly, multi-camera robotic operations. We came back to Burbank and sat down with some of the directors to figure what the shots were that we would need during the news. A two-shot is an opening shot and then singles and boxes on the other two cameras. Boxes meaning a graphics box for the right side of the head to show what the news piece was about. We decided what shots we would need and at what rate you could fade from a three shot to a two shot. Or for moving the camera head around to get the weather shots. They call these the Ultimatte newsman, the blue screen and the green screens. All this information was then stored in the computer. The cameras that we have in our news studio are placed on top of what is called a robotic head made by EPO. What this robotic camera system does is remotely control the newsroom camera, which is a broadcast-quality camera, mainly RCA TK47's. Three robotic cameras on the floor that have the ability to retain the focus, zoom, pan page20

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and tilt. A smaller ENG camera on the wall can also be manipulated. So we control four cameras robotically in the news studio and a fifth camera in the newsroom that we control robotically, which is on the second floor. Getting back to the main cameras on the news set, I control those four cameras, the video levels, and color-correct the cameras live. These robotic heads send out voltages to a shot panel which is called a head control unit. In this shot panel are stored all of the voltages that represent a certain shot. The focus, zoom, pan and the tilt. So we have five aspects that give out a certain voltage from the servos that are in the robotic heads. So as we assign numbers to these voltages and, as long as the pedestal of the camera is in the same position as it was when it was stored, we can repeat that same shot, have the same focus, size, pan and tilt indefinitely. Each camera that is robotically run has a channel in which you can store up to 500 shots. Remember that this is a living dynamic system, it is not like a photographic camera that you put one picture in at a time. This system is waiting for you to tell it to go to the next shot. So we can pre-set stored shots that we can access through a keypad, or we can use what we call a Cue computer which we access through a data tablet. We have the shots stored in numerical order and we have shots that are set for three different shows. We distinguish the three shows by a series of numbers, 8AM-100, 5PM-200, 6AM-300. I can operate the cameras manually, meaning I can use a joystick to zoom from a three-shot to a two-shot on camera two or I can go from a prestored shot to another prestored shot. We normally have one hand on the joystick, so that we can track the talent as they move around being animated. The advantage of the cue computer is we can go to shots that are not on air, trimming up the shot with the joystick and matching with the camera that is on the air. We can cut from shot to shot, we can fade, we can almost duplicate, with 95% reliability, actual camera movements that a normal camera person can do, given the parameters of the news format. Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

I'd like to stress that robotic cameras work well on direction, it will count the revolutions of the wheels. Some news formats, interview and talk show formats, where there systems also use magnetic tape on the floor as a reference. is not a lot of ped movement, where there are a lot of talking With the Vinton System, you can program into the computheads as they call it. For a game show my feeling would be er the limits of the studio and it will remember not to go 50-50, depending on how many cameras they use, and if they into the set or go into the walls of the studio because it will allow a camera robotic operator and a video man to work knows it can't go there. together. In this application in the news studio, the robotic camera operator also does the video camera color correction. THE NEAR FUTURE OF ROBOTICS One of the ideas NBC has to further reduce cost is to have automated color correction. Have a computer, a How will the use of the robotic camera systems news room computer, like a Basis or the Star, with the cor- impact your life and your career? Much of the entertainment rect protocol interact with the switcher and the cue comput- industry now is in a mode to save money and to cut costs. er. The Technical Director could prepare the show and store The industry states the majority of the cost savings is in the different shot numbers in his electronic memory. And labor. You may want to look in the areas that you are workwhen the Director gives the command to take a shot, all the ing to see if your job can be robotosized. information will be there for the TD to execute the shot. There are three elements that are need to be satisThis all will eventually eliminate the robotic camera opera- fied before it can be a successful robotic operation. It has to tor in the news environment. The news environment, as the be repeatable. What you want to do with the system has to television industry would like it to go, would have a fully be reliable. It has to be redundant, meaning you can do it automated station, meaning talent and maybe two or three more than 10 times. When the director you are working with maintenance people. says "can you slow the zoom down just a little bit? Can you CNN will control the world from a Touch Tone pan it over to the left a little bit. Lets try that shot"? If you Pad. CNN uses the EPO system which is a fully robotic can repeat the shot successfully to make him happy, you can pedestal. From Atlanta they can control two separate stu- robotosize the job. If there are too many variables, you're safe! dios, New York and Washington, D.C. through a modem. As the industry looks to cut costs and reduce They have dedicated phone lines. They type in a code and labor, they will look for human jobs that can be replaced the cue computer at Atlanta will control the robotic systems with robotics. You may say to yourself, will this technology, in the other two studios. It will turn on the air conditioning, this robotic camera ped system, will it ever be applied to a the lights, the equipment and the mics. The talent comes in film camera? My guess is yes. People thought this could and does their insert into the news. When they finish they never be done to a video camera. reverse the process. There is no one in the studio but the talThis sophistication of camera robotics, the way it ent. CBS Network has the Vinton Robotic System. They con- is now, can only be applied to interview shows, news fortrol all of their robotic systems from New York and even mats, talking heads. If there's a lot of complicated moves control the camera robotics in London through a modem they may need more than one operator. via the satellite. I want to finish this up by saying, as more and more The thing that really amazed me was when the people who are computer literate get these robotic jobs, the art Vinton people were here in Burbank on the set of the Johnny of camera technique may be lost unless there's a way to pass on Carson Show. During a demonstration they had a problem the generations oflearned camera techniques in the visual mediwith the software. Using a cellular phone they called the um. Without a cross polonization of lmowledge and informadesigner in England, and, using the modem, were able to tion between video camera operators and film camera operachange the impulses into voltages to reprogram the Proms in tors, the industry will continue to eliminate jobs, keeping camthe computer to correct the software. era operators on the defense; defending their jobs, defending The reason that we are able to control these cam- their information, if there is no unity. We need shared informaeras from such a long distance is due to the new technology tion to perpetuate the art or technique. ~ with the Serial Datalink RS232. This allows sending and receiving data with a certain protocol that enables you to access each camera separately or simultaneously. Discover the Probe Lens~ Now a fully robotic pedestal • Direct & gooangles-of-view system is available. Besides the robotic • For 16/35mm film & video head they can move the camera itself, •Interchangeable lenses: 5mm to 100mm •Interchangeable mounts using a reference, dolling in, out, left and right. And with height adjustment. Once it has a home position it will go to any position you tell it to on the floor. There is no need for a grid system on the floor. There is a series of bar codes on the walls with a laser beam guidance system. As the ped is directed by the operator to go in a certain

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EXPERIENCE AND EFFICIENCY ADD VALUE IN BUDGET TIGHTENING TIMES by George Spiro Dibie, President, International Photographers Guild

he industry is changing. As production bud-

gets are tighter, costs are questioned. As cinematographers, camera operators, and crew members targeted for cost reductions, we're in the midst of a defenSIVe uproar. How do we bring value that will be recognized? First, we use our experience as our greatest asset. We work efficiently, always conscious of time and budget. We prove true that experience is a worthy investment. . Secondly, we should ask questions and when appropnate, become a consultant. What is the plan for the set construction? What are the design and color concepts? What is the "look" we're aiming for? We have experience that will add value in the development stage. Our input can save money and improve efficiency. We need to turn the Camera Crew into a recognized and valuable source of info rmation . Most important, we have to become "customer oriented." Just like the old "service-with-a-smile" adage, we

need to listen to requests and demands - not just "do it." DO IT WITH A SMILE! Why? Because if you don't, someone else will. Because having a job today isn't a guarantee you'll have a job tomorrow, unless you estab lish a reputation as one of experience, value, and customer service. Changing times make us take a new look at ourselves. Could we do better? We have the experience to do better, if we put our skills, our intuition and our talent to work. The bottom line is that we are competing in a global marketplace. In order to prosper, let alone survive, our car_nera cre":'s must continue to be the most highly tramed, effic1ent craftspeople in the world. This means we must learn and master the new technologies that have overtaken the motion picture industry in the last five years. Digital compositing, high definition TV, faster fi lm , etc. are here to stay. Unless we act quickly and aggressively to learn these new technologies, Hollywood will go the way of Detroit. ~

Behin d eue1y talented director of pb otogmphy. Th ere is a superb op erato1". Wbo bas mastered an intricate and demanding craft . And is totally com m itted to tbe pursu it of excellence. No one makes a g reat f ilm without an ou tstand ing came1-a operator.

HISTORY ol the I.A.T.S.E. by George Toscas

This year marks the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees -I.A. T.S.E. The SOC salutes this Centennial in our annual CHARITY PIN designed to raise funds for the Eye Care Clinic of the Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles.

International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and Moving Picture Machine Operators of the United States and Canada has so expanded down through the years that its name has become largely symbol ic rather than descriptive of the full scope of its far-flung activities . Gradually, the stage employees and movie operators have been joined by a great variety of other craftspersons in the numerous branches of the entertainment industry, including television , all banding together to achieve the maximum of unified strength . The organization is best known at the I.A.T.S.E. Often the members speak of it as just the I.A. It can best be described , however, as the union of people behind the scenes in the manifold media of show business. The I.A.T.S.E. began in 1893 , when show business was confined almost entirely to the stage. During the next twenty years, the stage carpenters, propertymen and electricians pioneered a drive for union recognition in the theater-and finally estab-

The

Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

lished their craft as one of the highest paid and most respected in America. Then , beginning in 1908, soon after the birth of the film industry, projectionists throughout the continent were brought into the I.A. fold. Again a battle for recognition and top-flight wages was fought and won. Later, in the 20's, union benefits were extended to the Hollywood studios and the vast network of film exchanges throughout the United States and Canada. And finally, as soon as commercial television got a start , the I.A.T.S.E. took its natural place in this newest field of entertainment. In legitimate theaters, including specifically some 35 of them in the Broadway area in New York City, and in concert halls, art and cultural centers, auditoriums, arenas, and other like facilities , as well as on industrial and other types of road shows that travel from one city to another, I.A. members play an essential role , serving as stagehands , ticket sellers, wardrobe personnel , make-up artists and hairstylists, ushers, ticket-takers and doormen and maintenance employees.

In television, the combined crafts of stage and screen are utilized in ever-growing abundance . Many carpenters, electricians, and propertymen who served their apprenticeship in the theaters , help put on live TV productions . And the work of many motion picture technicians goes into the making of shows for T.V. Masters of numerous additional techniques are needed to bring live , taped and filmed programs to the public. Today there are well over 500 locals unions of the I.A. throughout the United States and Canada . The older ones , beg inning with Stage Employees , all represent individual crafts. However, a trend toward combination began years ago with the chartering of mixed locals (Stage Employees and Moving Picture Machine Operators) in the smaller cities and mixed studio locals in smaller production centers. I.A. members who help produce film and video production for theaters, television and other purposes work in a wide variety of classifications. Among them are art directors, page25

video monitors. Not only for the benefit of the director, but for the benefit of the actor, so he could see how he was interacting with himself from the previous take. So we could DX the A side of the shot with the B side in real time as we were filming. And it makes for some really beautiful traveling split screens. Soc: So in effect, you are remaking "The Parent Trap': .. with ease! David: Oh yeah, it must have been a nightmare to make that film. I'm sure the rules as read to the director included that he couldn't pan or tilt and he couldn't rack focus . He couldn't do a dolly shot. All of those rules have gone away and now you can do practically anything with a shot, and still do a split screen.

that at the time, the studios were more than happy to give the stuff away. Ours is kind of a disposable industry that way. Once we all agree that we don't place a value on an 8perf camera anymore, it's junk. They only came to place that value on those cameras after it was demonstrated that they can be used in that way again. In that respect, my hat's off to John Dykstra for his guiding vision in that respect. Doug Trumbull has always pushed technology to the limit. I've worked for both of them and I have the highest regard for their vision as filmmakers. Additionally, they both pushed very hard at the envelope, at the edge of technology in terms of making computerized motion control one of the standard tools of the effects industry. It was not an easy battle. It didn't just happen, as if it was a good idea. They had to fight a few battles to get back on track with that equipment and to get people to trust them to make films with it. But once it worked, it was everybody's good idea.

Soc: What do you think about the use of the motion control and doing away with the operator like they use at some of the news gathering facilities? The trend now is to have the Soc: That pretty much sums up the industry. Technical Director finally operate the cameras? David: There's a funny story that John Dykstra tells about David: That's a disturbing trend. Because that takes a lot of the first time he dragged out a Vistavision camera and shot the humanity out of what we are doing. I suppose in a way a background plate with it. The cameras had been mothit works in a newsroom, because it's such a repetitive oper- balled somewhere at Paramount and no one had seen Vista ating task. And the talent are practically nailed to the floor. Vision in 10-15 years. So he took and shot plates in 8-perf and sent them to the local lab. The lab was so confused by And for that reason it seems to me that it just barely works. As a motion control operator, you get that question the roll that it disappeared for several days. John kept calland in terms of what we do in motion pictures especially ing the lab and asking "Where's my film, where's my film?" the exact opposite is true. Because we've done computer Finally, they found it in the audio/visual department. They motion control moves for so many years now where we've had cut it up and mounted the entire 1000 foot roll of print joined up these points and make them look pretty. The in slides! He had boxes and boxes of these slides of his moves were so smooth eventually people got tired of seeing print. They thought it was some big slide show! moves too beautiful that didn't have the human factor. It takes an artist to know when you are exercising The Jeff Daniels show for example, the moving too much control, over-exercising control. Over intellectusplit screens that we did, we deliberately hand operated alizing the manipulation of the image. It can be like anythose so that they would have some of the little herky jerkys thing. It can be overdone. But, in our case, in filmmaking, that you get when operating a camera, instead of being we have so many powerful tools that it can be overdone to these perfect, smooth, graceful, flawless moves that you get such a degree you can't believe it. generated by mathematics. And directors want that feel in their movie, more often than they want the perfect seamless Soc: What is your feeling, as an operator for the SOC? move. In commercials, the art seems to be now. The more human flaws you put into your photography the more David: Just the fact that I'm in the SOC and we're all curiexciting it is. It's kind of disturbing to see the human ele- ous about this means that I'm in the right place as a motion ment taken out of, like you say, the newsroom, in the name control operator, because I do feel like I'm appreciated for what I do. of a few bucks. In our organization, I get a lot of questions and a Soc: Now wasn't Lucas responsible for buying all of the old lot of people pry me for knowledge and information about Paramount Vista Vision cameras they could get their hands on. what I do. There's a lot of curiosity from our members about the branch of the business I work in. I think it's a David: Well, what prompted it was the notion that here is question of enticing more motion control operators to join, this equipment lying around that is for large format pho- I certainly feel the SOC is receptive to it. ~ tography and there are some very good printers that work with it. We know how to do effects with it, we know how to do opticals with it. The reduction back to 4-perf works wonderfully, lets you do the effects in this format. There were a lot of mothballed cameras lying around and they scavenged pretty much everyone's closet. The funny thing is Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

page 41

The Pediatric Contact Lens Patient A view from the heart by Dr. Ellen R. Matsumoto, oo, FAAO Director Contact lens Service Division of Opthamology Childrens Hospital of los Angeles The emotional side of being fitted with contact lenses is another view of the pediatric contact lens patient and his/her family. Unlike adults who are motivated to wear lenses, young patients, especially those under the age of 5 are very resistant to the idea. What is required of them and their families is another aspect of the visual rehabilitative process - a view from the heart. Although contact lens use offers the best chance for developing good vision, infants and young children cannot understand this and initially want nothing to do with lens wear. As a result, contact lens use requires strong parental commitment and cooperation. Most parents are initially aghast at the prospect of having to insert and remove lenses on a regular basis on their active kids. They are afraid of injuring their child accidentally during lens handling or that they will be unable to determine if something is wrong in their pre-verbal child . As frightening as the task appears, all but a handful have risen to the occasion and learned to handle the lenses well. Lens application and removal may pose as initial obstacles to wear, but the actual process of adapting to these lenses is far simpler in children than adults, i.e. once lenses are applied in children under 3 years of age, they appear more comfortable than an adult would. One of the first questions parents ask after their children have received their lenses is, " How well can my child see?" or "What will my child's best vision be?" Unfortunately, this question cannot be answered readily, especially if the child is pre-verbal. Although several sophisticated tests exist to assess fixation and/or electrophysiologic information, absolute acuity predictions are extremely difficult because vision can fluctuate until Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

approximately 7 years of age, i.e. it can improve or worsen. If contact lens use is disrupted or if patching of the better eye becomes lax, vision decreases. Although all parents have the best intentions to be compliant, preventing lens losses in a rebellious toddler can be exhausting. Parents must be and are resolute, often for years. The staff at the Division of Ophthalmology has come to know many families well because, in practical terms , children must be seen frequently (as often as every two months) and followed for long periods . Patients and their families become an "extended family" as we watch them and their families grow. For myself it is one of the most rewarding aspects of working at Children's Hospital. I have the utmost respect for and am constantly inspired by our families ' courage and perseverance . Regardless of a family's socioeconomic status, a universal devotion to its children exists. We witness that devotion in a mother who must transfer bus lines three times in order to bring her child to the Eye Clinic and who has not missed an appointment in 4 years. Another parent must forego part of a day's wages to bring her child and ill sibling in to obtain a contact lens which was lost only days earlier. For another parent, pe rsistence means buying 5 contact lenses each month because his two year old child has learned to remove the lenses himself and lose them! (SOC came to the rescue for several of his lenses.) Both parents, of another of our patients , are themselves legally blind . For this child 's mother contact lens handling is especially difficult. She perseveres in order to make a better life for her child than her own, and has been successful. Many children have reaped the benefits of their parents' persistence. I recently saw Michael , an eight year old who won first place in his school 's science fair. He had cataract surgery on both eyes at four weeks of age. He now swims and leads a normal 8 year old 's life with 20/25 vision. Kimberley and Kevin are 11 and 9 years old , and both are honor students at their respective schools. Lisa, whom I first saw as a shy twelve year old with best corrected visual acuity of 20/60, now has a part-time job as a computer consultant and is planning to attend business school next year after she graduates from college. For children with visual impairments, independence as an adult is not taken for granted . The parents of our patients often wonder if their child will ever be able to drive a car. The visual rehabilitative process of our patients has been truly a joint effort of parents , patients, the Eye Clinic staff and the SOC Thank you for giving hope. Thank you for helping give this most precious gift of independence to our kids. â&#x20AC;˘ page 27

The Shoulder Rest works with our 35BLs and Type 3s. T he Matte B ox a nd Fo llow Focus bot h wor k with o u r BLs, ou r 35-3s and our 35-2Cs .

Three more examples of the things we make because you asked for them

Hand- lding: How Clainnont makes the system complete T

wo things about our accessories: (1) We round out the hand-holding package; (2) Suggestions from camera crew people are built in. Getting the 35-3 balanced on your shoulder

For the 35-3, ARRI makes the 400 foot shoulder magazine and the handheld eyepiece door. The door puts the eyepiece up and forward, to get the weight back and down. The magazine helps to balance the camera in three ways : it's rear-mounted, low-profile and co-axial.

Our adjustable Shoulder Rest:

It weighs 2lb. 2oz. There's a ball socket that lets you adjust the padded piece up, down, sideways or to any shoulder-slope angle. Another ball socket makes the handle angle adjustable every which way. The handle extends from 8 to 12 inches. Our Matte Box:

The rod fits into the 35-3's carrying handle. With the BL, it fits into a socket on the body. A lever lets you quickly align the unit with the lens. Hard mattes snap onto the sunshade. You can use any prime lens from 16mm to 180mm. Weight: 2lb. exactly. Hand-holding with effects filters

The filter stage accepts two rectangular filters, 4X4 or 4X5.65. And it rotates 360 degrees. With Clairmont, you can hand hold and use grads, polarizers or other effects filters.

Our Handheld Matte Box has two 360 degree rotating filter stages. And you can change lenses without having to remove the Handheld Follow Focus rig.

Changing and setting lens is also fast and easy

That same single lever lets you instantly swing the F.F. gears away

from the lens - so you can quickly and easily change lenses without removing the Follow Focus assembly. With or without the gears in place, it's easy to get at the lens and easy to see the settings. Fast to work with.

Our flexible Focus Control:

You can work it from left or right of the camera and from any distance. It plugs into either side and it comes in any length you want. One-to-one ratio; and no play in the movement. Your witness mark is easy to see. No lens flexing

D esigned to make your work look better

Several First Assistants told us that with some follow-focus setups they could see and feel the gears moving the lens slightly in its mount. The Operator could see it in the finder. With the Clairmont Follow Focus, they say, there's no such movement.

Our Follow Focus: fits any lens, fast

It mounts on the Handheld Matte Box rod. Using one lever, you can quickly mate its adjustable gears with any of our prime lenses- our modified Canons and Cookes, our Nikons, our PL and B mount Zeisses. The Follow Focus works with any of our 35mm Arriflex cameras, including the 2C. Weight: 71!2 oz.

ClAIRMONT CAMERA 4040 Vineland Ave, Studio City, California 91604 â&#x20AC;˘ (818)761-4440 North Shore Studios, Vancouver, B.C. V7J 3S5 â&#x20AC;˘ (604)984-4563

by Gil Haimson, soc (}'f"/ - j/f/ g

have lost a grand lady! An honorary member of the Society of Operating Cameramen! An active member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the past 55 years. And a script supervisor for over fifty years for 20th Century Fox. ROSE STEINBERG WAPNER died unexpectedly at age 85, from a fall resulting in a stroke on the first of February. Here's a little background on this special lady few of us really knew. Rose's father, who spoke 5 languages fluentl y, suddenly went blind when she was a young teen. This compelled her,

Rose and freinds. along with her brother, Abe, and sister, Betty Steinberg, to quit school and seek work. All three became extras in the business and were eventually in C. B. de Mille's 1923 version of THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. Abe later became Assistant Head of Production at 20th and Betty was a film editor. Rose worked as a film cutter, lab technician and dialogue coach, before finding her niche as a script supervisor. She worked on some of the biggest 20th Century Fox Productions. In fact she made plot suggestions that were heeded by Darrell Zanuck. page 30

In 1942, Rose found that the City of Hope was in need of funds. She went to the studio heads who gave her carte blanche. She got scenic artists to design the backings, construction crews to build them, electricians to light the ballroom and the property department to fill the Ice Palace on Van Ness with floral arrangements. Then she called on some of the biggest names in Hollywood to perform for this gala event. Danny Kaye was the headliner. They raised just over $150,000 which was a great deal for that era. She met her husband Patty Wapner, Judge Wapner's Uncle, in th e 20's. It took persistent Patty over three years to lasso the wild Rose. They lived together almost 50 years until h e passed away in 1976. Though they didn't have children, She devoted her later years to their welfare. Rose was loved by the Wapner family as one of their own. In 1983 she was honored by our Society Of Operating Cameramen at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, for a Lifetime Achievement Award. When she found that the SOC's adopted charity was the Eye Care Clinic at the Los Angeles Childrens Hospital, she spent the next ten years calling, lett er writing to friends, bu si ness acq u aintances and family, who, year after year wou ld donate to her most worthy causes, the deprived and needy children. We estimate that Rose has raised over $40,000 for the Eye Care Clinic. Four years ago Rose was made an honorary member of the Society of Operating Cameramen. Three years ago at the Childrens Miracle Telethon, Rose, representing the SOC, heard abo ut an extraordinary 5 year old child at the hospital that Dr. Linn Murphrey had been treating for cancer. Though she was dying, little Katy Sleeman would wheel herself into the children's wards, bringing her cheerfulness, a smile and love to the afflicted, staff, nurses and doctors. Through the media little Katy Sleeman received world wide attention. President Reagan even paid her a visit. Rose, through the SOC, raised over $3,500. for the clinic. An eye-catching lucite plaque, embedding a beautiful butterfly inside, with donors names inscribed, now hangs in the Eye Care Clinic in memory of little Katy Sleeman. Over the years, Rose has crocheted dozens of afghan bed spreads, which she has sold to raise funds for deprived and ill children. Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

This past Christmas, Rose went to the post office and picked out four letters to Santa Claus that touched her deeply. One was from a nine year old girl who was sleeping on the cold floor with her baby sister, she asked Santa if she could please have bunk beds, so they wouldn't be so cold at night. Rose went to work calling all over town trying to find the best deal. Then she contacted her friends and family to help raise the $450. Two weeks ago, not only the bunk beds but the mattresses, sheets, pillows and pillow cases were delivered to this little girl's home. Yes, we did have with us someone who truly cared about our little people. Rose knew movie production backwards and forward . I worked with Rose on some six projects at 20th. One incident that jogs my memory was back in the early 60's when we worked with Joe Biroc on "ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES," with Joe Jackman Operating and myself assisting. One night, the Director, Assistant Director and Production Manager had gotten into a heated discussion which held up filming for an hour. It involved dropping 3 pages from the script, how to shoot the sequences and from what angles. Rose had been in a trailer typing out her script notes for the editor. She asked me what was going on. I filled her in and she mozied over and listened. She studied the script for a moment, then she tore a piece of paper from her notebook and proceeded to plot the shots of the sequence. She showed the plot and told how the scene could fit together. The director asked her why she didn't show it to them before? As she walked away she was heard to say, "I don't get paid that big money and besides, nobody asked me!" Rose's favorite Director of Photography was Leon Shamroy. She worked a lot with Camera Operator Moe Rosenberg and Assistant Red Crawford. Rose shared the stagework with some of the all time great directors, Actors and Technicians Hollywood could muster. Here are a few of the many she worked with: PRODUCTIONS: ANNA AND THE KING OFSIAM CALL MEMA DA/1/E DoiVN TO THESF.A IN SHIPS GARDEN OF EVIL How To MARR Y A MILLIONAIRE IN LIKEFLINT INTERMEZZO LET'S MAKE LOVE NIAGARA PARIS UNDERGROUND PINK!" THE PLANET OFTHEAPES PRINCE VAI.LIANT THE TALLMAN THERE'S No BUSINESS LIKE SHOIV BUSINESS THE THREE FACES OFEvE

DIRECTORS: George Cukor Edward Dimitrik Gordorz Douglas Edmund Gorllding Herzry Hathaway Howard Hawks EliaKazan HerzryKirzg Walter Lang Gregory Ratoff William Sclraffirer PERFORMERS: Liomll Barrymore Ingrid Bergman Milton Berle Richard Burton famesCobum

Gary Cooper HerzryForzda Clark Gable Betty Grable Cary Gram Richard Harrison Charlton Heston Leslie Howard JamesMasorz Ethel Merman Marilyn Morzroe David Niverr Gregory Peck Tyrone Power TorzyRanda/1 Girzger Rogers Jessica Tandy /oarzne Woodward

She was a woman of many words, and she spoke her thoughts to all who would listen. Though Rose never finished high school, she was extremely bright, with a sharp memory, street smart and deeply concerned about the world situation. Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

She would speak on any subject and was always willing to share her knowledge with who's ever ear she could bend, especially the young people just starting out in the business. Once she got you in her web, she had you for the duration! Many times she would speak her mind on the KABC Talk Radio Show with Michael Jackson in the morning and Ray Breem in the wee small hours. Rose was an insomniac, sleeping 4-5 hours a night. Long before women's rights, Rose was exercising her rights. She hated the term "woman's libber." If you wanted to get something done or accomplished, all you had to do was just ask Rose. She just couldn't watch the children of Somalia. It broke her heart and made her cry. Rose not only cared, but did something about it. She gave with her heart and sole, to help the children. Rose's doctors always looked forward to her visits. It was a pleasant change from hearing patient troubles. She would engage them in worldly conversations. She loved to entertain. I had the privilege of sitting down to some of her most delicious meals. Her salmon and chicken dishes left your taste buds crying for more. And her cheese cake and apple strudel was a special treat. She'd always make a little extra for you to take home. Twelve years ago, a young Korean couple moved in down stairs and across the way from Rose. The wife was having a difficult pregnancy and Rose was there to help as she could. When the baby was born, Rose was as excited as a child with a new toy. The family adopted her as "Grandma!" Rose relished in the loving, teaching and upbringing of their bright, sweet, shy little "Korean Doll" - Minyoung. Through the years, Rose would feed, baby sit, bathe, teach and love Minyoung as if she were her very own grandchild. When Minyoung was nine, and the family just had their second daughter, the father got word that he was being transferred back to Korea. It broke Rose's heart to see them leave. They would speak on the phone once, sometimes twice a week. Rose was always busy preparing months in advance, making or buying something for the kids' birthdays or Christmas. Rose, not wanting Minyoung to forget her English, would correspond. When Minyoung would answer her back, Rose would correct her English. Rose made 3 trips to Korea to see them. The first was during the 88 Olympics and then again this past summer. There she had a mild stroke and after 3 weeks returned to the U. S. Her recovery was amazing! Within 3 months her slow speech pattern and limited left arm movement had returned to normalcy. She was again driving her car! Rose was a fighter. She wasn't going to let anything get her down. She loved life and lived it to the ultimate. Together with her friends, the Wapner family and her adopted Korean family, who flew in for the memorial, celebrated the life of Rose Steinberg Wapner. To further support her favorite charity, the Eye Care Clinic of Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles, Rose left a donation of $5,000 to be presented through the SOC. In remembrance of Rose, several donations have been made in her name. Rose told me that when she "went," she wanted to go quickly, not to live in pain, nor to be a burden to anyone. Yes, she did it her way! ~ page31

The Art and Science of Motion Control Cinematography An Interview with David Stump, soc David Stump is one of the foremost motion control cameramen in this unique field of effects photography. He also designs, builds and provides much of the equipment for motion control work. David contracts with various companies on a non-exclusive basis for his equipment and services. An SOC member since 1988, David actively promotes our projects and events. David: I've been involved in the camera department, working my way up through the ranks as you do for 15, 16 years in the motion picture business. And I think for the last 10-11 years of that I've been in and out of the effects world, working as a visual effects camera person. The thing that I see is the aspect of camera operating that I work in has been changing very rapidly compared to the traditional craft of camera operating that we know. Motion control operating now is becoming more of a craft that is starting to come out onto the first unit set and is interfaced with normal filmmaking. Doing live

indeed, the rest of the crew, take clues from how you handle yourself on the set. Whether things are going O.K., is it all going to fit together. So in addition to the skills of running the computer and the separate skills that you have to bring to that as an operator, you also have to bring the social skills, in terms of making everyone feel like this is a competent and happening thing on their set. There are three different crafts that go into this. There is the craft of camera operating as you and I know it, because we both know that there is a certain kind of a move that you are going to do for a given shot. There's a certain way a tilt-down needs to feel, there is a certain way to operate a camera. Even if the computer is doing the pan and doing the tilt a good camera operator can bring his skills to that computer. Above and be yond that, the skills of

"There is the craft of camera operating as you and I know it... There's a certain way a tilt-down needs to feel, there is a certain way to operate a camera. Even if the computer is doing the pan and doing the tilt a good camera operator can bring his skills to that computer." action motion control on the set, with the first unit, with the condors, 18k's, Musco and HMI lights. With the director, with the UPMs ...

Soc: Much like a Steadicam operator. David: Right, only the kinds of machines that we bring out to do this sort of work are so complicated and almost fragile, that doing a live action motion control shot on the set really amounts to doing brain surgery during halftime at the Coliseum. Part of the craft is not letting anyone else in on how difficult it is. The director and the producer and page32

computer operation are the mechanics and electronics. All of the technical things that you wouldn't demand of a normal camera operator. Very frequently a step-motor will poop out and you've got to be pretty good with electronics to know how to trouble shoot it. Is it a transistor in the driver, is it a software problem, a bad cable or connector, is it the motor? You've got to have a little mechanical savvy to know how for example, if you are pulling focus with the computer, what the difference between the gears on a Panaflex zoom are as opposed to a Cook zoom. They have different pitch gears. You have to have on hand an assortment of different gears, depending on whose lenses Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

you are throwing on the front of whose camera. How to drive the Arri BLat 29.97 frames per second off of the computer. So there are a lot of mechanical skills and a lot of camera skills and things that you just don't pick up any other way than experience. And there's a certain other skill that is kind of intangible and yet still important. The art of making it look easy. Right up to the brink of disaster, you have to make it look effortless, and that everything is O.K. Most of the time, everything just goes fine .

Soc: That's where people have the impression motion control lives. That has been the case. And now it's out on the location . .. With a Spielberg or whoever's directing. David: I think in the last 4 or 5 years really big strides have been made in terms of putting motion control into the live action film-making realm. And one of the big things we've come up with, in the last few years to put it in that realm, is what we call a "hot head" set-up.

Soc: And when this art first started in the early days, this was only done by people that ran mainframe computers. David: Absolutely. Guys from Lawrence Livermore Labs like Al Miller, who is the co-inventor of Lynx Robotics Motion Control. He started off working in nuclear physics. Those were the qualifications for operating computers in those days. Now things have gotten a lot simpler. It has taken user-friendly software and a lot of experience handed down from guys like Al and just a lot of miles put on these motion control cameras by operators like myself and the other operators who do this. Soc: In those days just the major films like 2001 would use this new break-through in cinematography. Now nearly every commercial has a repetitive motion control move. David: Absolutely. And not only do they have a repetitive motion control move, they have the ability to hire an operator or a company and say to them, prep your gear tomorrow, be out here at four, you've got three hours to set up the shot and you've got to get it off before we have lunch . Which is why I referred to it as brain surgery in the Coliseum during halftime! It has become expected to perform in the way that normal live action photography performs.

Motors are driven from encoders on a wheel handle set, operated much the same as you would a hot head, or for that matter a Worral head. Encoders drive the focus and the zoom. It's a little like using a micro-force control or a hot-head or a techno-crane, or any of those things. It has that same familiar feel to it and so it fits in well on the set.

Soc: So in theory, a director could design a shot with his hands on the wheels. . . [Don't try this at home boys and girls!} David: And frequently they do. Soc: And then the computer takes it from there and makes that shot all day long.

Soc: In real time! David: Right. David: The big buzz word for motion control now is "Real Time," which, some of us who do motion control jokingly say means anything faster than 12 grips can push a dolly.

Soc: But you don't always shoot with live action cameras and crews? David: No, I spend a lot of time in dark stages, too. Soc: Black curtains, where camera passes are made a week at a time. David: In those cases then you've got a lot less at stake. If there's a problem, you can stop, figure it out, fix it. And yes frequently, we'll spend weeks on a shot. Society of Operating Cameramen

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Soc: As confusing as it might be. David: And very frequently they are. People tend to over intellectualize the control that you have with motion control. I had a director ask me on a commercial, "If I have a move from point A to point D in five seconds. Can I stop off at point B at exactly 27 frames into the move. At 43 frames into the move I want to be framed like this and then get to that end mark. Can it do that?" And the answer to that question, is yes, it can do that - but always with the qualification that this machine can do anything, except promise that you will like the finished product. Because, while it gets between these places in continued on page 40 page33

OH MY!'' WHAT EXQUISITE CINEMATOGRAPHY! N

MINE

ACADEMY AWARD:

STEPHENBURUM. A.S.C. JACK N. GREEN. A.S.C. TONY PIERCE-ROBERTS. B.S.C PHILIPPE ROUSSELOT. A.F.C.

HOFFA UNFORGIVEN HOWARDS END A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT

A.S.C. AWARD:

STEPHEN BURUM. A.S.C. TONY PIERCE-ROBERTS. B.S.C ROBERT RICHARDSON. A.S.C. PHILIPPE ROUSSELOT. A.F.C. DANTE SPINOTTI. A.I.C.

HOFFA HOWARDS END A FEW GOOD MEN A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS

JOHN C. FLINN Ill. A.S.C. ROSS A. MAEHL MICHAEL WATKINS. A.S.C. KENNETH D. ZUNDER

JAKE AND THE FATMAN THE YOUNG RIDERS OUANTUM LEAP BROOKLYN BRIDGE

MICHAEL LONZO KEES VAN OOSTRUM REYNALDO VILLALOBOS ROY H. WAGNER. A.S.C.

MGM: WHEN THE LION ROARS BURDEN OF PROOF SINATRA (PART 1) DRUG WARS

JOHNNY E. JENSEN VILMOS ZSIGMOND. A.S.C.

AN AMERICAN STORY STALIN

(FEATURE)

A. S.C. AWARD: (S E RIES)

A.S.C. AWARD: (MI N I-S E RI E S)

A.S.C. AWARD: [M . O . W. OR PILOT )

C 0 N G RATU LATI 0 N S! THANK Y O U . FOR CHOOSING

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MITCHELL BNCR

THE CAMERA DEPARTMENT A continuing series on the inner workings of various motion picture cameras. by Steve Gainer, Camera Department, Paramount Pictures

Originally reflexed by the Mitchell Camera Co. in the late 60's, the BNCR has survived to this day as the standard of quality around which motion picture cameras are built. Steps in threading the BNCR: l. The magazine is loaded in a "99" configuration with an extra loop left in the take-up side for threading. 2. Use the Inching Knob to "inch" the movement until the pulldown claws are at the top of their cycle and as far out as possible. 3. Release the registration pins by pulling out on pin release button, (A). The top loop of film should divide screw (B ) in half at the loop's zenith, and the bottom loop should have the clearance of about one index finger. On some models there is a bump on top of the gate that allows you to easily adjust the setting of the perfs for registration pin position. 4. After releasing the pins, carefully inch the pull-down claws a few cranks, turn on the camera and adjust fine tuning to the least amount of noise.

Next issue: What pride of PARAMOUNT in the SO's has become the workhorse of effects houses in the 90's? VISTAVISTON! Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

page 35

PHOTOGRAPHING ''SEINFELD'' by Wayne Kennan, soc, Director of Photography We try to treat every scene as if it stands alone. An episode might contain five scenes in ferry's living room, all day interior. We light the close-ups for each scene separately, turning lights on and off as the blocking specific to each scene dictates. place in New â&#x20AC;˘ ÂŁeldtakes S elfl York City. The cast is made up of four young single adults and each episode revolves around their everyday lives. It is produced as a fourcamera situation-comedy which is mostly filmed in front of a live audience. Even so, during the time I have been director of photography, we have worked with blue-screen process, rearscreen projection, poor-man's process, day and night exteriors, and many practical locations. I enjoy working on the show because of the wide range of production challenges. The suggestions and observations a director of photography receives from the operators and assistants is particularly important on a multicamera production. Constantly keeping track of four camera angles can sometimes prove overwhelming . I deeply appreciate the input I receive from our operators and assistants. Every series merits a different approach, just as every feature does. For that matter each episode of a series deserves a somewhat different approach. The approach I take in photographing this show is one of instinct. I took over the series towards the end of last season and I didn't have a lot of time to "plan a look". Tom Cherones and the executive producers are very open about letting me follow my instincts. I couldn't ask for a better lighting and grip crew headed by Jim Marcos and Pete Papanickolas. Lighting is a very personal and unique endeavor, whether you're lighting an epic feature or a public access cable TV show. When I say personal, I mean personal to those involved in the process of production.

most real-life situations are lit by one or two sources. By using as few lights as possible, we mimic reality. I find this approach to be visually pleasing, and it also helps eliminate multiple shadows. Fewer lights also mean an easier job for the sound department. I have always found that when I help out the sound department as much as I can,

Executive Producers: Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld

Supervising Producer: Larry Charles

Supervising Producer/Director: Tom Cherones

Gaffer: Jim Marcos Key Grip: Pete Papanickolas

Coordinating Producer: Tim Kaiser

OUR CAMERA CREW Camera Operators: Ed Nielsen, John Oteri, Herb Roberts, Charlie Young

Camera Assistants: Bob Barber, George LaFountaine, Jr., Jeff Miller, Tim Wawrzeniak, BobApger

Loader:

AVOID PROJECTED FILL-LIGHTS

Traci Lashbrook

Camera Coordinator: David Trainor they will return the favor when I really need them to. We top every light to its .absolute limit. This not only helps eliminate boom shadows and lens flare, but also helps keep the walls "down", creating more separation between subject and background.

MAKE EACH LIGHT DO AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE

LIGHT FOR THE CLOSE-UPS

By getting the most out of each light, we use fewer lights. Realistically,

We try to treat every scene as if it stands alone. An episode might con-

page36

tain five scenes in Jerry's living room, all day interior. We light the close-ups for each scene separately, turning lights on and off as the blocking specific to each scene dictates. Sometimes we add or remove solids and openends between scenes. We even float singles and doubles during scenes. Changing looks in the same set between scenes requires a top-notch grip and electrical crew. We adjust the rest of the set lighting after setting the key-lights for the close-ups . The amount of fill changes from scene to scene according to the mood and content. I prefer to use hard light on multicamera shows. Although I am using 251 on most of the keys on "Seinfeld", I still consider our show to have a "hard light" look. 251 is a somewhat lighter diffusion than opal. I am lucky to have such a young and cosmetically easy cast to photograph. If I had a much older star in the cast, I would use some diffusion on the camera lens, rather than trying to soften up the light more. Heavy diffusion on lamps, when we're lighting for four cameras, spreads the light into areas where we don't want it, and flattens out the masters.

I avoid projected fills like the plague. I don't like to see shadows on the back wall. We have had very good results with a "front-bounce" we have perfected over the years. It consists of a four feet tall piece of bead board which runs the length of the stage. Its bounce surface is about 28 feet from the center of each set. A two-foot by eight-foot shelf on hinges is used to take the curse off the downstage areas and a duvetyne teaser runs the entire length as a topper. Three juniors per ten feet are placed four feet away from the bead board. Every third junior is in Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

a separate circuit. This gives us a great deal of control over how much fill light goes where. By removing scrim, spotting and flooding, and turning off selected lights we can really punch into an area or we can shade an area. PRODUCTION DESIGN

A good rapport with the production designer is essential. Our production designer, Tom Azzari, and I have worked on series and pilots together for years. We both prefer upstage sources .. . .i.e. windows, chandeliers, sconces, etc. This means that at least in the masters there will be some reason for there to be light in the set. Wall treatments are just as important. It's great when you can have some input as to how these will be handled. FILM TO TAPE TRANSFER

A telecine colorist can make great photography look terrible or mediocre photography look great. I have worked with many different colorists. In the TV Biz of the Nineties the director of

photography rarely gets to choose where the film will be processed and who the colorist will be and so far I've lucked out. We're using Foto-Kern for processing and transfer. Tom Sartori is our colorist and he does a terrific job. I go to the transfer whenever I am available. I stay only for the master camera unless there are some closeups I'm particularly concerned about. The master camera usually photographs the downstage side of the actors. Most colorists have a tendency to want the downstage side of the face to have proper skin tone. On my show, the downstage side of the face is the filled side. If the colorist brings up the gamma to pull up the skin tones, the whole picture flattens out. Once a look for a show has been set, then the colorist can pull scenes out of frame storage to match to. Once we have established a rapport, I can give the colorist notes and he/she will know exactly what I want. On "Seinfeld", we have been using Agfa XT320 which I rate at about ASA 400. I have tested this stock at ASA 500 and it held up well. By under-exposing

it, I can stretch the gamma and still retain good blacks in telecine. The ability of the Agfa stock to accept a lot of contrast has contributed immensely to the look of our show. Another important feature of telecines is the video enhancement control. I learned about it years ago when I photographed a show using Mitchell diffusion on the lens. I went to the transfer and saw no effect. I mentioned it to the colorist and it turned out he had turned the enhancement way up to try and sharpen up the image! I now specify that I want the enhancement dial set at zero in each new transfer situation, whether I can be there or not. In summary, this is how we do it on the series, "Seinfeld". I do not suggest that it's the best way or the only way, but that it is a way that works for everyone concerned with the show. "Seinfeld" is a wonderful series to work on not only because of the challenges and quality writing and performances, but also because of the talented people I get to work with. ~

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"In order to "give a meaning" to the world, one has to feel oneself involved in what he frames through the viewfinder'~ Photography has not changed since its origins except in its technical aspects which for me are not a major concern. Photography appears to be an easy activity, in fact it is a varied and ambiguous process in which the only common denominator among its practitioners is their instrument. What emerges from this recording machine does not escape the economic constraints of a world of waste, of tensions that become increasingly intense and of insane ecological consequences. "Manufactured" or staged photography does not concern me. And if I make a judgement, it can only be on a psychological or sociological level. There are those who take photographs arranged before hand and those who go out to discover the image and size it. For me the camera is a sketch book, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity, the master of the instant which, in visual terms, questions and decides simultaneously. In order to "give a meaning" to the world, one has to feel oneself involved in what he frames through the viewfinder. This attitude requires concentration, a discipline of mind, sensitivity and a sense of geometry. It is by great economy of means that one arrives at simplicity of expression. One must always take photographs with the greatest respect for the subject and for oneself To take photographs is to hold one's breath when all faculties converge in the face offleeing reality. It is at that moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy. To take photographs means to recognize, simultaneously and within a fraction of a second, both the fact it self and the rigorous organization of visually perceived forms that give it meaning. It is pitting one's head, one's eye and one's heart on the same axis. As far as I am concerned, taking photographs is a means of understanding which cannot be separated from other means of visual expression. It is a way of shouting, offreeing oneself, not of proving or asserting one's originality. It is a way of life. Henri Cartier- Bresson

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Stump. continued from page 33 the exact prescribed amount of time, when you see that piece of film, it might look like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. In fact, most frequently when you exercise that much intellectual power over the move, it does look like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. And then the discussion comes around to how can I make this shot better. You say, well, we can relax this and we can massage that and give it a few frames here and take a few frames there and let it make a more natural path, much the same as you would do if you were explaining to a director while you were operating live action. Soc: Almost intuitive. Does it become something that has to be calculated almost... or is intuitive the same response? David: You know, that's a good question. I don't think I would have the same ability to calculate the moves that I make with the motion control if I hadn't started off as a hands-on live action operator. Because the intuition gives you a sense for how those motion control moves ought to go. Soc: But you have to go one step further. David: And synthesize. Frequently as an exercise in pure math .. you are putting onto film what you wish you could have done with wheels. Soc: And you do all of this from a computer touch-pad basically... a keyboard? David: Correct. I can do it from a keyboard. I can do it from encoder wheels. Sometimes we have a little jog box with potentiometers. The craft is not mechanics, it's not electronics. What it eventually boils down to is camera operating. It's not very well understood by most of the film crew. When you show up with the computer, the crew all sort of lift one eyebrow and regard you out of the side of their vision and mumble to each other "Uh oh! Here come the lab coat boys." Once they become comfortable with your skills as a camera operator, that goes away. But it is still ice to be broken at the start of every show. If we come driving up in a flatbed with a 600 pound track which the grips have to lift onto the set, they kind of wonder who's this guy putting us through this 600 pound lift. It's not conducive to the friendliest situation for meeting and shaking hands. Soc: How big a crew are you? Operator and an assistant? David: Three is my favorite number of crew. A grip who can help with the machinery because he can get the grip crew on your side if we're all strangers to each other. An assistant to help you wire things and set things up, find the coffee and the darkroom to sort out which emulsion we should be using. Soc: What cameras do you work with primarily? page 40

David: Mitchell High Speed Government cameras, because they're pin registered, built like a rock. I see more and more rack overs going away, turning into Fries cameras. Lately I've been having to drive Panaflex and Arri cameras with the motion control. Soc: I see you have a trusty Mark II down there. David: Yeah. Mark II is a good motion control camera. It kind of depends on what the show's using or what the individual needs of the shots are, whether it's intensive video assist or you're shooting sound. Or do you need to be rock steady for matte shots. Soc: What do you see for the future of motion control? David: We are quickly becoming a plate-making device for computer generated images. It's a great tool used in conjunction with the CGI computers. We can create articulate traveling, panning, tilting, booming, dolling, focusing splitscreens, on a live action set, bring back the A and the B half of the split and, instead of com positing it on a printer, can do much more flexible compositing on a computer. A printer is now becoming somewhat an obsolete tool in terms of heavy effects work. Optical printers these days are quickly becoming relegated to fades, dissolves, titles, and the kinds of jobs where you can turn out a lot of film quickly as opposed to the labor intensive articulate traveling mattes and the heavy effects shot. And to me that's a good marriage for the future, the motion control camera and the CGI computer. When people talk about CGI computers they talk with that techno-optimism that scares everyone so much. It scares everyone into thinking that we are all going to lose our jobs to computers some day. But what we do is storytelling. Stories are about people and your're always going to go out and take some kind of pictures of people. And as long as we still use film, and I think that's going to be a pretty good while, just because of the quality of the images we can get this way, the motion control computer is a good companion to that computer graphics computer. Its not that one or the other is in competition. A CGI computer works very well when you manipulate images that have been taken from film. And you can create really good elements for that manipulation using motion control. I did a film for Showtime about a time traveller. Jeff Daniels goes back a day or two in time to warn himself that a comet is going to hit in this little town. In a number of shots we needed to see Jeff Daniels talking to Jeff Daniels. So we were able to take motion control plates of Jeff on the left side of the frame, panning, tilting, dolling, zooming, focusing, all of the things that you would do with a normal camera, playing those moves back with Jeff on the other side of the frame. Using video interface we were able to, in real time lay those images over the top of each other on the Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

story analysts , cartoonists , set designers and set decorators, scenic artists , art craftspersons, graphic artists , set painters , grips , electricians, propertypersons, teachers , costumers, make-up artists, hair-stylists, motion picture and still camerapersons, sound technicians, editors, script supervisors, laboratory technicians, projectionists, utility workers, first aid employees, inspection, shipping , booking and other distribution employees. Members of the I.A. have long been proud of their complete coverage of the crafts of the stage, screen and television . From the moment a theatrical picture is first conceived until its last last-run house, I.A. technicians are on the job. That principle of complete coverage and singleness of purpose has been applied by the I.A. with ever-increasing success to each new form of the visual -entertainment industry. First it was the stage , then moving-picture screen and now television .This is the factor which makes the keynote of the organization 's know-how and effectiveness in building the highest wages and best working conditions to be found among skilled craftpersons anywhere. In union there is strength , and when every branch of an industry is united , that strength becomes invincible. The Supreme governing body of the I.A.T.S.E. is its biennial convention , an assemble of delegates from all the locals and form the various departments. Here, every two years the progress of the organization is reviewed ; its policies are affirmed or altered ; plans for the future are formulated ; and its laws are kept up to date. And here are elected the officers who will serve for the next two years. Between conventions , the I.A. government is entrusted to its General Executive Board-consisting of the International President , General Secretary-Treasurer and eleven Vice-Presidents. The Board

page26

meets at least twice each year. Day-to-day administration of I.A.T.S.E. affairs is in the hands of the International President, whose staff includes an Assistant to the President and a corps of International Representatives working throughout the United States and Canada. While most contracts are negotiated locally or by region , the general Office signs nation-wide agreements in cases where they are warranted by the nature of the work involved. The I.A.T.S.E. publishes a quarterly magazine , the OFFICIAL BULLETIN, which helps draw together the members of its far-flung organization and keeps them abreast of the latest developments. Particular problems to the various areas of the United States and Canada are examined at periodic gatherings of fourteen district groups. Each biennial convention is immediately preceded by conventions of the districts. The I.A. has designed an exhibit which is displayed each year at the Union Industries Show under the auspices of the AFL -CIO Union Label Service Trades Department. This exhibit allows the general public, as well as other International and National unions, to view the skills and outstanding achievements of our members in the work they perform . In addition , the I.A.T.S.E. conducts "Educational Seminars" which have been very successful in helping our local unions throughout the United States and Canada to keep informed of the various labor laws and legal matters that could affect them. The I.A.T.S.E. is represented on the Board of Directors of the Will Rogers Institute, where any member if the entertainment industry- or any member of his/her family-can go free of charge for treatment of a variety of chest diseases. One hundred years ago the purposes of the I.A.T.S.E. were set forth in its International Constitution.

These are: "To achieve, by organization and mutual endeavor, the improvement of the social and economic conditions of employees identified with the theatrical television , moving picture , entertainment , amusement , and commercial or industrial show industries of the United States and Canada, working in any of the crafts , classifications or categories referred to in Article Eighteen , Section 10 , of th is Constitution or in any other craft, classification or category over wh ich this Alliance exercises or may exercise jurisdiction or with respect to whom this Alliance holds or may acquire bargaining rights; to insure the maintenance of a fair rate of wages for services competently rendered ; to assure the employment of all members in these industries; and to secure to ourselves by unity of action such benefits as are rightfully ours, pledging ourselves in all difficulties to accept wise, honorable and conservative mediation , that equity may maintained. " The accomplishment of that purpose sometimes has been made very difficult by the vast technolog ical changes which have occurred in the entertainment industry down through the years . Through it all , however, the I.A.T.S.E. has moved steadily forward with a firm determination to bring under one banner the multitude of different crafts active in every technical phase of the legitimate theater, motion picture theaters, film and video production , film distribution, televis ion, the opera, etc. For many workers in this industry, I.A. membership is today one of the most valuable and proudest possessions of their lifetime. And they are convinced that this value and this source of pride will continue to grow mightily in the years ahead. ~

Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

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Benson. continued from page 12 The only reason I'm here today is because of the tenacity of our production company. They said, listen, we're going to go in and get him no matter what. On Sunday, Paramount sent over highly skilled stunt people, friends of mine, completely outfitted with fire suits, respirators, oxygen tanks, fire repellent, prepared to make a decent into the volcano to go after me. Vice President Gore was notified, we had some political clout in on that. He dispatched Coast Guard people from the Federal Government to try to make an attempt. Mace Neufeld, one of the producers I had worked with had contacted the Admiral of the Sixth Fleet, he in turn sent over some Marines and a big Hughie helicopter. Everything came under the control of the State's Volcano Department of the National Parks Department. One guy was so backwards it was unbelievable. He was the one calling all of the shots because it was his jurisdiction. The company had to force him to move by telling him, "Listen, do want to collect your pension?" The studio was going to go over his head. If it were up to him, he would have just left me there, I would still be there. He wrote me off. He just simply wrote me off.

SOC: But finally another heroic pilot had enough bureaucratic inaction and risked his life and plane to go in and get you out? Benson: Monday morning I hear a Hughes 500 overhead. It was about 80 feet above me. You can't yell because it's making so much noise. I'm standing out on my ledge and waving frantically. I could just barely make out the tail rotor of the Hughes 500. It must have been about 4 or 5 minutes, when the clouds just part away and I see the helicopter pilot, Tom Hautman, leaning out of the 500 looking for me. I'm waving frantically, and all of a sudden, he waves back. Now when he does this, I think that I am hallucinating, and this is not really happening at all. This is a movie, this is something else, this isn't me, so I wave again. This was all just like a movie. He waves back at me, and now I realize that he Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

has seen me, that I am going to be rescued. I'm jubilant. He has a PA and says, "I know where your location is, I've found you, stay where you are, we'll be back in twenty minutes. " Well, in twenty minutes he comes back, but this time visibility is at zero, he can't see a thing, it's a complete white-out. He is jeopardizing himself just flying in but his expertise is that of a daredevil pilot. He's a gutsy, ballsy guy. This is the guy our company decided needed to get Benson out. I hold the Guinness World Book for Records for two things: One, the most number of consecutive hours that a human being has spent in an active volcano. I also hold the I.A. Record for the most meal penalties in a single period! And I'm collecting. Plus I was on Double Gold and Hazard Pay. But I waived it all for that helicopter ride, because I love what I do! ... NOT! The helicopter comes back dropping the basket. The first time it was like 20 feet from me. I could barely see it and couldn't get to it. The second time he drops it further away and I assume its like 30 feet because I couldn't see it at all. He drops it another time, right in front me but it gets lodged on a huge rock and the rock goes into the basket. The pilot thinks it's me and it lifts up. I think, "Great, there go my chances!" He comes back and tries again in the same place. This time I just dove for it. I hit the basket, crawled inside and tugged on the line. They knew I was in the basket. In a total white-out we flew away doing about 90 knots going horizontal, the ride of my life. I looked at my knuckles and they were white. A white-knuckle ride. Definitely an "E" ticket. They took me to base camp where everyone ran up and gave me hugs and kisses and told me they were happy I was alive. From there I went to the hospital, and the rest is all history. I was a hero. I got my Andy Warhol fifteen minutes of fame, fortune and recognition. Well, I got a little bit more than that. I've been written about in People Magazine, did the Oprah Winfrey Show, probably going to do the Joan Rivers Show. We are

talking about a movie of the week, negotiating and trying to get that off the ground.

SOC: And of course now, the SOC Magazine. It sounds like the studio really came through for you. Benson: I can't say enough nice things about Paramount. Our production staff, our producers, the crew, everybody. When they came in on that Monday morning, they all got together and said a prayer for me. I received every prayer that anybody ever said. While I was in the volcano I saw Madame Pele and I told her that she wasn't going to take me. I said that I was going to be victorious. She's not a human sacrifice god but she is the god of volcanos and of fire. I just said, "there's no way you're going to get me." SOC: You did have a lot of love and prayers. We thank Madame Pele for being reasonable. Now, let's talk a little about your career. Where did you get started? Benson: I started in 1965 at Fox in the loading room. Latter part of 1968 I went on a show called PEYTON PLACE, as a second assistant. I was sent over to Spain to do PATTON that was being done in TODD-AO 65mm, which I was totally familiar with from being in the equipment room. Chuck Arnold was going to be the color technician whom I knew, and I was to be the first assistant. So that was when I left for Madrid for six months. Spain, England, French Morocco, Sardinia and Rome. George C. Scott starred in the picture. Stephanie got pregnant during that show. We did another show that George directed, Stephanie got pregnant again. The last show I did was THE FORMULA, in Germany with George C. Scott. Steph went up to him and said, 'Tve been pregnant on two of the three shows that Mike has worked with you and this time, I'm not getting pregnant!" And he said, "Well, you never know." Following that I went with Fred Koenekamp to do PAPILLON with Steve McQueen. I came back to do page43

KUNG FU with Jerry Thorpe. He wanted me to learn to operate. He said if I finish out the season as first assistant, the following season he'd promote me to operator. This was 1973. I operated for 18 years; 1974-1992. SOC: So this last year you were Director of Photography on second unit for TERMINATOR II. Benson: Right. I officially made the move on the last show with Adam Greenberg. I made eight pictures with Adam, my last show was SISTER ACT. I shot the Second Unit and operated half the show and then left and did PATRIOT GAMES and that's when I went to DP. SOC: While you were operating you worked very close with john Alcott before he died. Benson: I met John through the SOC. We had screenings that we put on and I invited Bobby Stevens, a friend of mine. He in turn brought an English cameraman by the name of John

Alcott. For some reason we just hit it off and it was a great relationship. He was just starting over here and just started getting in the Union. He was really, just a great, great man. John was a lighting cameraman. He never operated and he worked the English system where the operator lines up all of the shots, works with the director, picks the lenses, everything. John would oversee everything and if he saw that I was going in the wrong direction he would say something, otherwise, he would leave it all up to the operator. An operator would say, "Let's use a 24 on this." He would pull you over to the side and say, "Why don't we try an 18 on this?" As soon as he said it, you knew he was right. He was one of those people that just knew what would work, and he knew he was right, but he always presented it as "Why don't we try"... he never said put an 18 on it! I spent two luscious years with him. Gorgeous years. He was one of the finest men I have ever worked with. His approach to photography was the simplest way you would ever want

to do it. You would think to yourself, why didn't I think about that. I would watch what he would do and I would think that's such a simple light, why didn't I think of that? He told me that if you approach it from the easiest way, keep it simple, and 8 out of 10 times all the questions will be answered and it will come to you. I've used that approach since I've been first cameraman now and I'll tell you, it works. On NO WAY OUT, we went into the grand ballroom of t he Hilton Hotel and he lit the grand ballroom with five umbrella lamps. That's it. I mean, everybody said, "You're ready?" And he said, "Yeah." He loved these umbrellas. I use them. SOC: What light levels did he work with? Benson: Oh, he'd have two-eight. They were nook lights with these huge umbrellas, he would put four nook lights in them and these 1000 watt lamps. Everything he did was a bounce light, a soft light. SOC: Unconventional stuff?

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Benson: He learned from Stanley Kubrick, who was his mentor in every way. He learned lighting from him, and how to handle production people. John hated production. His thing was, if he could shake them up, he would. He would do it by his speed. He was a master at pre-production, something I haven't been able to master as of yet. There's another cameraman that I worked with that was the same way, Adam Greenberg. Both of them were able to sit down with a set of plans or models and pre-light the entire show. They would know exactly what they wanted well before they get there, two or three weeks before, and this is a big key today.

responsibility is to tell a story and that story deals with the actors.

SOC: What do you think of directors that are so prone toward shooting everything handheld?

Benson: I think that if it's a look that they are looking for, I have no problem with it, if it goes with the script. I think that the story dictates everything. If the story calls for it to be handheld, not to be smooth, not a Hollywood look, this is a look that he wants, I think that's great. I have no problem with that. I think that on a technical level some directors get carried away with the Steadicam. They say;'Well, let's do SOC: Even a show as complicated as Steadicam," and I'll suggest to them that Steadicam is fine, but I think we TERMINATOR II? can do it just as fast with a dolly. The thing that they don't want to Benson: You bet. Adam had it all prelit. He knew exactly what he wanted realize is that the steadicam is a right from the beginning. They will mechanical electronic tool. And we're come and spend half an hour adjust- looking through a finder, we're not ing a small light to make it better, but looking through a lens. So we don't know about focus, we don't know it was all pre-rigged. exactly what's in the frame. We don't SOC: You speak of getting ahead of know how the composition is exactly, production. It seems that with pro- it isn't like looking through the lens. ducers today, the old school is gone and we have these Wall Street guys SOC: There's another area I think coming in and nobody knows any- needs to be addressed. It's almost into thing and a little bit of knowledge a class of etiquette. It is the use of the video tap and monitor and the direcgoes a long way, it seems. tor. What are your views on that? Benson: We don't have directors today. Directors are boiled down into two Benson: My views? Well, I nicknamed classifications, in my consideration. it "video village" a long time ago. I was One is a technical director who works very fortunate that only in the latter with the camera and is very technically part of my career did I have to deal oriented. The director is involved with with video. When I began to operate, I the lighting and with the camera would say, "it's good." We'd go to dailies and they weren't surprised that movement, with all of the mechanics. The other director is an actor's they did not see a lamp in the picture. director. He is a director that is They may have been surprised at the involved with what the actors are performances, but not that it was misdoing and saying, which is the most composed. So I always took it that important thing. We're only there to video was taking away my responsibility. I have to add, now that I have help the story. The director should direct the actors, he shouldn't direct crossed over to the other bridge the camera. He should be aware of (Director of Photography), I think the what's happening. He has a visual pic- biggest fault of video is the camerature that he wants to convey, but he man looking at it. Because now, he conveys it to the cameraman. The wants to expound on it and he wants cameraman in turn is the one that to make it better. It's not necessary all does all of that. But the director's of the time to make it better. Maybe

Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

you clipped the guy for a beat or maybe the move wasn't exactly smooth. Maybe it had a little bit of an edge. Now he's talking about doing another take because it wasn't this or that. Obviously the first cameraman has his input. "Let's try it again, Randy. This time maybe just bring the headroom down a little more, O.K.?" Sure, maybe what he's saying is justified, but is it justified to go into another take if the performance was great, because he maybe had a touch of excess headroom? We end up spending more time now doing the shot because the director is looking for a specific thing and he keeps playing it back, or end up spending more time because now the first cameraman wants to make it better. Now we get input from "video village." The writers and the producers are standing back and adding their two cents and now everybody is involved. Instead of having one chief, one leader as the director should be, now we have a conglomerate, a committee.

SOC: Another thing that is disturbing is they get comfortable in these chairs with their drinks and these big giant monitors. They end up on the opposite side of the stage with these long coaxial cables over to the camera 100 yards away. There is nobody standing next to the camera for the actor to relate to. I think the closest person to the actor any more is the assistant cameraman. Nuances in the actor's performance are being lost. Benson: See what we are doing even right now. We are communicating with our eyes. That is the number one tool that actors have, their eyes. They want to be directed. They like to see a pair of eyes standing or seated next to the camera, not in their eyeline, but in the offside. That person is sitting there watching what they are doing. When that person (I'm referring to the director)is back at a monitor, looking at a flat field on a small little screen, video image, black and white, how does that director see what the actor's eyes are doing. continued on page 50 page 45

THE

WIDESCREEN RE"c â&#x20AC;˘LUTIâ&#x20AC;˘,...._~ (1952-70) by Rick Mitchell One of a series describing each of the major wide screen processes of the era he basic standards of motion picture photography and presen tation were set 1 00 years ago and have only been a ltered significantly twice: Wi th the introduction of sound in the late Twenties and of wide screen in the early Fifties. This series of articles on the latter alteration gives a chronological overview of notable techniques and processes introduced during those times, the events and situations within the industry which precipitated their introduction and the subsequent loss of popularity of some them, and their effect on production, post-production, and exhibition.

On the evening of September 30, 1952, a first night audience at the Broadway Theater in New York City was treated to an event that would have as shattering an effect on motion pictures as sound had almost 25 years earlier. page 46

The theater itself had been altered; some side seats removed and a huge curved curtained proscenium installed. When the film started, it seemed rather unimpressive: Lowell Thomas seen in an almost Lilliputian size in relation to the proscenium in the standard 1.3 7:1 ratio image, giving a lecture on the history of motion pictures. But when he said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, This is CINERAMA!" His image faded out and the curtains parted to the full width of the screen as the famous roller coaster ride came on. Accompanied by directional stereophonic sound, everyone in the audience was aghast. At that moment, the shape of theatrical motion pictures would be changed forever.

WHAT WENT BEFORE Exactly why W.K.L. Dickson chose the 1.33:1 aspect ratio for the motion picture system he was developing for Thomas Edison is still a subject of controversy and conjecture. However. by 1895, when a number of inventors were tinkering with motion picture projection, the Edison Company had generated a sufficient library of subjects for its Kinetoscope peepshow device that these films were used in projection experiments. Although other film and frame sizes were experimented with, the 35mm 4 perforation per frame 1.33:1 image became the

official standard in 1908. The original 35mm 4-perf aspect ratio established by Dickson with a perforation-to-perforation image is 1.33:1. When the frame dimensions were reduced to allow for the optical soundtrack, the new dimensions were 1.37:1, though 1.33:1 is often commonly used to refer to the Academy aperture. As the production and presentation of motion pictures developed into a multimillion dollar industry, no serious thought was given to changing this standard until after World War I. Theater chains began erecting huge picture palaces in major cities around the world. Increasing the seating capacity of the auditoriums meant increasing the size of the projected picture. The extent to which this could be done was limited by the available negative and print stocks, projection lenses, light sources, as well as the balcony overhang which might cut off the top of the picture for those in the back rows of the first floor. However, despite complaints from exhibitors, nothing was really done until the adoption of optical sound tracks in 1927. Recorded along the left side of the film inside the perforations, it cut the image aspect ratio down to about 1.22:1 which in many theaters projected as unnaturally higher than square. Some theaters compensated by Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

cutting new projector aperture plates the equipment would be revived 25 which restored the squarer image even years later. if the head and feet of actors were CINERAMA One of the studios briefly involved sometimes cut off. By the early Thirties, camera- with wide film experiments at this men began compensating for such time was Paramount, primarily at its projection and it became an official East Coast Studios. It has never been standard in 1934. In the impetus of documented whether or not Fred the conversion to sound, serious Waller, a special effects cinematograthought was for the first time given to pher at that studio, was ever involved changing the shape and size of films , in these experiments. Waller was at least those for the first run picture interested in developing a motion picture system which roughly duplicated palaces. William Fox, then trying to take the wide view of human vision. Beginning in 1936, with over the industry (he owned both the Fox Film Corp. and MGM during the eleven 16mm cameras, Waller built a summer of 1929), saw the establish- rig he called Vitarama. Each camera ment of a new format for first runs as recorded a portion of a 146 degree a further way of extending his control. field of view, and corresponding proFox opted for a 70mm system in jectors presented the results on a deep which his company made four features curved screen, an idea he got from and a couple of newsreels. THE BIG architect Ralph Walker. Vitarama was TRAIL (1930) and one of the news- demonstrated at the 1939 New York reels was restored to 35mm anamor- World's Fair and during World War II was used by the military to train aerial phic in 1985. Paramount experimented first gunners, including Joseph W. Schmit, with a 56mm system in which it later of Technicolor and an interviefilmed one short and then with a wee for this article. 65mm system similar to today's except Exactly when Waller switched for an optical sound track. Pioneering to 35mm has not been documented, producer George K. Spoor had a but by 1949 he had developed the 63mm system in which one feature basics of what was to become was made.The film was distributed by Cinerama. The camera employed three synchronized movements runRKO, which licensed the process. Warner Bros. claimed to have ning at 26 fps. Three 27mm lenses a 65mm system in which it filmed were set at slightly overlapping horithree features, however no technical zontal angles to each other and the details have been found on it. Roland frame height was increased to 6 perfs. West filmed THE BAT WHISPERS A common shutter in front of the ( 1931) in a 65mm system which looks lenses insured equal exposure on all similar to Paramount's, it has also three negatives. Projection was from three been restored to 35mm anamorphic. Concurrent 35mm versions of all booths in positions corresponding to the photographic setup. With vibratthese features were made. MGM borrowed Fox's 70mm ing shutters at the edge of the overlapGrandeur cameras to film two features ping frames to, in theory, improve the which would be optically reduced to blend into one huge, wide image. The 35mm but projected on wide screens aspect ratio of three panel Cinerama with wide angle lenses! Nine of these has been listed as anywhere from features are known to have been 2.59 :1 to 2.75:1; in actual practice it shown in their wide film formats in may have varied from theater to theNew York, Chicago and Los Angeles. ater. Although exhibitor resistance, Release printing of the subseaudience indifference, and the quent three panel films was by Depression doomed this Wide Screen Technicolor. Initially on color positive Revolution of the early Thirties, many stock, later three matrix printers were of the techniques and even some of modified to handle the six perf frame

Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

and Dubray-Howell perforations. A picture this big and wide needed more than standard monaural sound. Bell Labs had been experimenting with the recording of three discrete channels of stereophonic sound on film as well as transmitting and disc recording two channels of stereophonic sound since 1932. There are other documented attempts at recording more than one channel of optical sound on film prior to the FantaSound used in roadshow engagements of FANTASIA (1940). With post-war access to the German experiments with magnetic recording, practical high-fidelity stereo recording techniques became possible. Hazard Reeves of New York's Reeves Sound developed a special system for Waller that would run in interlock with his pictures on a 35mm full coat. Reeves chose five channels across and behind the screen to allow the sound to flow smoothly across the picture. A sixth track (later modified to seven) contained surround information directed to speakers in the auditorium by a cue track. Although "how it works " illustrations show six microphones being used for the production recording of Cinerama Sound in true stereo, this obviously was not practical in every situation. Tracks were expanded and panned in dub sessions. Waller set up his base of operations on a converted tennis court in Oyster Bay, Long Island. He invited various studio heads to demonstrations which they all found impressive but impractical. There was no way Cinerama could fit into the average neighborhood movie house. Subrun bookings would be necessary to amortize the obvious high cost of producing films in such a process. It took a unique visionary from outside the industry to see the possibilities of Cinerama- Michael Todd. During the late Thirties and Forties, Todd had made a name for himself in theatrical circles for producing flashy revues and stage shows. While he was strongly devoted to the legitimate theater, Todd felt a need to page 47

also m ake a na m e fo r h im se lf in Hollywood. In Cineram a, he saw his way of doing so. He realized that here was a special and unique form of film presentation, not something for the loca l Bijou. An event to be presented in specially selected theaters around the world under the same conditio n s as a legitim at e stage sh ow, which peop le wou ld come from mi les around to see. Forming a co m pa n y with Lowe ll Thomas, through whom he'd first learned of C inerama, To dd first ha d his so n reshoot the highl ight of Wa ll er's de m o fi lm, a roller coaster ri d e.To excite investors they used th e n ew Eastma n Color negative film . Ju st as Niagara Falls becam e t he symbol of the Thirties' wide fi lm experime n ts, being used in prac tically every demo film, the roller coaster came to symbolize the fifties revolution. Used not only in early CinemaScope and Todd-AO tests, but even for climactic sequences in two 3D fi lms, MAN IN THE DARK (1953) and GORILLA AT LARGE (1954). Todd then set off for Europe to film a series of travelogue type vignettes in various countries. Worr ied that Todd's work mi ght be t oo hi gh brow, T h o m as brought in veteran filmmaker Merian C.

Cooper to supervise a sequence to be shot at Cypress Gardens in Florida and an aerial flyover of the United States by Paul Mantz. The res ul ts wowed that first night audience and within days. T he Broadway Theater was sold ou t for the n ext several m o nth s. Ci n era m a was lau n c h e d - in New Yo rk. Tho ugh radio and print comm unications were faster tha n 25 years earlier and in spite of increasi ng tra nscontinental air service, th e coasts were still far more iso lat ed th an today. The full impact of Cinera m a was n o t immediately fe lt in Hollywood. Those executives who'd seen it still felt it to be econom ically impractical. Their interest was excited by a presentation of a m ore a pract ica l nat u re in th e ir own b ackyards. T he pre m iere of BWANA DEV IL in 3-D, a process eas ily adaptable to existi ng theate rs. 3-D at that ti me was not a wide screen process and is really o utside the scope of this article except for the following notes: By the time the stud ios' first 3-D fi lms were ready for re lease, the p ract ice of masking off the 1.33:1 frame to achieve a wider look h ad been int rod uced. THE HOUSE OF WAX was shown in many situatio n s at 1.66:1 an d IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE at 1.85:1. 3-D fi lms begun after April , 1953 were com posed fo r their

various studios' recommended aspect ratio. Warner Bros. filmed spherical 3-D versions of THE COMMAND and RING OF FEAR (both 1954); though the 3-D negatives were cut, these versions were never released. In 1960, 20thCentury-Fox released the in dependently-made SEPTEMBER STORM, advertised as the "first CinemaScope 3-D film" (the author was unab le to locate a print of this film to determine if it had been shot with anamorphic lenses). In the summer of 1954, as the 3-D boom was declining, Col. Robert Bernier anno unced he'd developed a process in wh ich the 3-D pairs would be recorded one above the other within the full aperture frame. The resultant images having a 2.35: 1 aspect ratio similar to unsqueezed CinemaScope with an optical track. This tec h niq u e appeared 11 years later as Bernier's SpaceVision process and is the basis for one of the single film 3-D systems used extensively in the Seventies and Eighties. Flat prints from these negatives are blown up and squeezed for projection through anamorphic lenses. The contin uation of this article will p rese nt Cinemascope and many of the anamorphic processes fo llowing its public introd u ction by 20th Cent u ry-Fox in 1953. ~

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Benson continued from page 45 There is what I call the triangle of directing. That triangle is the camera to the actor to the director. When that bond is broken, then there is a communication loss. The director is no longer sitting next to the camera. He is no longer able to relate to the actors. When this part of the triangle is broken, the actors cannot relate back. They'll say, "Talk to me. Would you tell me what you want?" SOC: Have you ever found yourself looking through the eyepiece during a take when something goes wrong. Your instinct is to kill the camera, but you think, "They're watching the shot, right?" So you expect they would cut it. You turn around to find nobody is watching. Benson: I'd kill the camera, regardless. If its out of focus, I'd kill the camera. I set my standard to a certain position.

Once that position or standard is broken, then I would kill the camera. If I screwed up a little bit or the dollyman or the assistant screws it up a bit, O.K., I can live with that. But when you get those three added up, how much of a screw-up is it on the screen? I've had the best of them yell at me for killing the camera. But at the same time, I've had them say, I'm glad you killed the camera.

SOC: If they ask you to be DP and to operate would you do it or do you feel it takes you away from your lighting. Benson: Everything depends. I would rath er get less money and work with an operator. I understand why some cameramen operate. Budget. My thinking is to get the operator. When I have to light and operate I can't even go to the head. You're involved with the pre-light, the lighting and the discussion afterward. Plus the next prelight. You have no break.

Some operate the European way because they have never had an operator and their egos are such that they don't want to relinquish any responsibility to an operator. You can relinquish responsibility and still be the top dog. All you have to do is go back to "video village" and watch everything there.

SOC: Do you feel you must have confidence in the eye of your operator? Benson: I have operated for 18 years, and don't have to look through the camera to know what's coming through the lens. During a scene, I can stand next to the camera and watch how the light falls and how the camera moves. But I always know I can just lean over to my operator with trust and ask, "How was th e light on the woman's face? " ~

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Hines, continued from page 7

the responsibilities for achieving smooth camera manipulation, proper framing at all times, with no microphone , boom or their shadows or extraneous personnel or equipment in frame during a take. This expectation continues in practice today. Today, the Camera Operator may be operating a film or video camera , in a studio or on locationdomestic or foreign; in the air or under water; perched on the end of a crane, or on a plane, boat, or dolly; operating a hand-held, body-mounted, or remotely-controlled camera; or working on a feature, commercial, an episodic or sitcom series, or on a documentary. No matter where or what the project or tools, good operating practices, which have evolved over the years, are being put to good use by the specialists with the title and responsibilities of Camera Operator. ~

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REPORT FROM DOWN-UNDER by Chris Moon,

ACS,

soc

Chris Moon, soc is a production cameraman for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, a Government run network that broadcasts throughout Australia and into South East Asia. He is Australia's first SOC member and is also a member of the Australian Cinematographers Society. Sitting in my hotel room on Kangaroo Island, I can just see the mainland from my window. I arrived here a few days ago to begin shooting the first of a series of documentaries about Australian Geography. The weather is cool and inclement, unusual for a summer month where temperatures regularly soar to over 100 degrees. But this is Australia, a land of contrasts, an island continent with snowfields and rainforests and sandy red deserts, with brilliant blue skies, where it hardly ever rains. If only all this natural wonder were neatly arranged on a backlot it would be a filmmaker's paradise. In reality, distance and isolation from facilities can be a film crew's main concerns. Even in the major cities, production equipment and crew can be hard to find. Yesterday I had to cajole a biologist into carrying my tripod while I resorted to a rucksack for camera equipment and batteries. There are places here that even the four wheel drive won't go. Australians have always been proud of their reputation as great improvisors. The ability to "make do" with available resources was one of the bush skills acquired from a life in the rugged Outback. As a camera operator in Australia you soon learn to make do without the facilities of Hollywood. The film industry here is not as big as many Americans believe (although this hasn't stopped us from putting our share of filmmakers onto the World Stage), so it pays to work on a broad range of productions. Before we follow Semler or Seale and head Stateside to shoot a big budget feature or pick up an Academy Award, a cameraman must struggle through numerous low budget productions and cheap TV work - news, documentaries and series. This sort of diversification is encouraged in our industry and, in fact, plays an important role in the training structure. Rather than work through the assistant grades to operator, most Australians work as assistants only until progressing to a cameraman's position on TV News. From there it is a natural progression to current affairs programs, documentaries, TV Drama and perhaps, eventually, features. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation established this structure within its camera department many years ago and it has provided a training ground for hundreds of page 52

camera operators. In fact most of the Australian Cinematographers working in The States came th rough this, or a similar, system. Some had never worked on features before they were operating on them. The relatively recent use of Video for a wide range of location television production has already started to erode this method of training. More and more operators are exclusively trained on Video and denied access to a whole range of film production skills. It would be a shame if Australia were denied it's next Dean Semler because he, or she, showed an ignorance of, or indifference to, film and film production. Organizations like the SOC can provide us with access to people and ideas beyond our own sphere of experience. Whether you work in Australia or Antarctica only the image in the viewfinder changes, the art of pointing the camera remains the same. I am proud to be a member of the SOC and I hope that Operators from around the world will continue to share their ideas and experiences in the future.

SOC WELCOMES CORPORATE AFFILIATES Bill Hines,

soc, Corporate Liaison

In December 1992, the general membership overwhelmingly approved proposed amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws of the Society. Among those amendments was a most important provision for the SOC It provided for a new class of membership, that of Corporate Affiliate. For the first time ever, corporate entities, who have been supportive of the Society, can be invited and admitted into membership, represented at meetings and functions by an appointed representative from each affiliated organization. The SOC has had an ongoing collaborative relationship with the very supportive corporate community for some time and continually seeks to strengthen that relationship. The advertising appearing in this magazine is just one clear indicator of that industry interest and support. Corporate attendance at our Lifetime Achievement Awards banquets is yet another. Even as you read this, new corporate affiliate members are working closely with us to help build our Society into an ever more viable organization. We heartily welcome each and every one of our corporate colleagues to membership and encourage their active participation in the purposes and activities of our association of professionals. Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

STANDARDS COMMITTEE REPORT Evaluation of the Fisher Rotating Dolly Seat by Bill Hines, soc, Chairman-Film The Standards Committee was established by the Society in order to encourage and facilitate development, introduction and improvement of the product and services used by film and video camera operators, thereby contributing to the art and craft of camera operating. The SOC provides this evaluation service to its corporate support group without charge. It is the policy of the Society not to endorse officially any product or service which its Standards Committee evaluates. At the request of Dennis Knop, General Manager of the J L Fisher Co, the Society undertook an evaluation of a prototype of their newly-developed rotating dolly seat for the camera operator. SOC camera operators serving on this evaluation committee were Ed Nielsen, Herb Roberts and Gene Talvin, all of whom used and tested this innovative device which they unanimously preferred over the non-rotating seat. The findings of the SOC Standards Committee follow: 1) The rotating dolly seat itself does not appear to require a clutch mechanism to control the rate or degree of rotation of the seat component. 2) The seat assembly slides quite freely along most of its supporting slide bar, but can bind at times along certain portions of the slide bar length, depending upon the weight of the operator and the position and surface condition of the slide bar. Therefore, A) a couple sets of rollers installed under the seat and which will roll on the upper side surface of the seat support slide bar should keep the

sliding movement steady, even and assured throughout the sliding range; and B) an adjustable braking mechanism might be added in order to enable the camera operator to vary the slideability of the seat along the support slide bar when such movement needs to be limited, stopped, or secured at a given position for a given shot. 3) The rotation of the seat assembly arm post in any of its support ports would benefit from less friction at the contact point areas, particularly when the extension offset arm is ad ded. Perhaps a special bushing, or bearing, installed at each mounting contact point would serve to free any binding action during rotation of the seat assembly on its support rods and posts, during broad panning action. 4) It is suggested that a four- to six-inch extension to the seat slide bar, or a slide bar which is four to six inches longer, be provided in order to allow the camera operator a more comfortable and extensive panning positioning range without the necessity of adding the offset extension arm. Summing Up. The Fisher Rotating Dolly Seat appears to have potentially and significantly lessened the stress and strain on the camera operator's derriere and, with modifications, will thereby further facilitate camera operating during sweeping panning movement of the camera control head. Suggestions from the evaluation committee, if adopted, should extend the flexibility, potential and value of this important tool.

THE FOURTH ANNUAL HOLIDAY CHILDRENS MATINEE Once again, a reception of smiling, happy kids welcome our 4th annual screening at r~~~~'i'i짜~~~iil the Louis B. Mayer Theater of the Motion Picture Fund in Woodland Hills. The special event was the screening of Walt Disney's "Lady and the Tramp". The youthful audience loved the picture, and at least one little girl asked, "Can I see it again?" Rick Neff, soc, once again brought Santa Claus to life, greeting the children on stage at the end of the film. Santa was joined by a special wizard, the magician Sylvester. Together, they escorted the children to the lobby for pizza, cake and ice cream. Santa in his large throne, and his Court Jester delighted everyone. Our guests included children and their families from the Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles. Grandchildren of the residence of the Motion Picture Home along with friends and family of the SOC came and enjoyed the special laughter these children bring. Plan to attend our Fifth Annual Holiday Matinee this December, 1993. Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

page 53

USED BOARD OF EQUIPMENT FOR GOVERNORS PROFESSIONALS At the General Membership meeting, Saturday March 13, 1993, the results of the balloting for the 1993-94 Board of Governors was announced. Several appointments were made to fill declined positions on the Board. Officers were elected from the Board Members by those present at the meeting. Pro Video & Film Equipment Group is the largest used equipment dealership in the USA. Company president and SOC member Bill Reiter says that his company specializes in takin~ care of the equipment needs of workmg professionals in film and television production. Pro Video & Film Equipment Group stocks over 6,000 items in its 10,000 square foot facility in Dal!as and offers a large selection of eqmpment such as: Arri 16SR, 35BL and 353 cameras; Sachtler and O'Connor tripods; Zeiss, Schneider and Cooke lenses; as well as a variety of shipping cases, camera slates and other accessory gear. On the video side, there is always a large selection of Sony Betacam products as well as other products by Grass Valley, Tektronix, Ampex, Abekas, to name just~ ~ew. The company's Dallas faCihty also houses a full service department with state of the art test equipment. Pro Video & Film Equipment Group also specializes in appr~isals and consignment sales of professiOnal equipment. . Bill Reiter, who began h1s career as a cameraman in 1968 and founded Pro Video & Film Equipment Group in 1987, has offered to assist all members of the SOC with their needs for buying, trading, selling or appraising p.rofessional motion picture productiOn equipment. For more information, please contact: Bill Reiter Pro Video & Film Equipment Group 11419 Mathis Dallas, TX 75234 Phone: (214) 869-0011 Fax: (214) 869-0145 page 54

Board Members: Elizabeth Bailey Douglas Knapp Bob Berry Tom Laughridge Howard Block Allan Lumli Phil Caplan Chris Moon Bill Clark Jay Nefcy George Dibie Rick Neff Joe Epperson Randall Robinson Philip Schwartz James Etheridge Terry Harkin David Stump Bill Hines John Toll Wayne Kennan Officers: President: Randall Robinson 1st Vice President: Douglas Knapp 2nd Vice President: Bill Hines 3rd Vice President: Elizabeth Bailey Treasurer: David Stump Secretary: Joe Epperson Sargeant At Arms: Terry Harkin Committees: Membership/Banquet: Howard Block Corporate Liaison: Bill Hines Technical Standards: Joe Epperson, Bill Hines Screenings: Randall Robinson Promotions: David Stump Magazine: Randall Robinson, Douglas Knapp, Bill Hines.

SOC LErrERS 2nd. November 1992. Dear Howie,

Yet another year has passed since I last communicated with you, how time speeds on it 's quite frightening. I hope all is well with you and my fellow members. Thank you for the magazine. I read it with interest. It is still my ambition to make one of your functions. They sound great fun, but it is quite difficult to fit them in to working schedules. I have been quite busy this year so far, one of the fortunate, as our industry still struggles on against lack of investment. I don't know what my fellow members are experiencing, but we are now expected to work horrendous hours on Productions and the six day minimum 72 hours working week is becoming the norm for which an in deal price is fixed with no overtime paid. In true terms I am now workirig for less money than I was three years ago . Until our industry expanda then for every Production that requires an Operator there are dozens available so it is very competitive with price cutting the key weapon for those who are desperate. The other element for us Operators to cope with is the ever increasing number of D.P.s who now choose to do their own operatinJ on dramas which I think is a very false economy by Production Companies at it lows things down cons ¢rAbly. &lOugh of my tale of woel! ~on this year I

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SOC HONORS MIRIAM LOPEZ At the General Membership breakfast meeting on Saturday, March 13, 1993, the Society gave its certificate of appreciation to Miriam Lopez of the offices of Taylor, Roth, Bush & Geffner for her exceptional and dedicated service to the SOC in assisting with the preparation of the proposed amendments to our Constitution and By-Laws. Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring1993

SOC LETTERS

SOC LETTERS Stan.McCla1D C1nernatography

November 9, 1992 Dear Randall, Congratulations on your fine new publication. Your magazine is very professional. The articles are of true interest to us in the industry, and the historical pieces are particularly informative. Again, congratulations. Very truly yours,

H.A. Parker Vice President & General Manager Professional Motion Picture Products Division FUJI PHOTO FILM U.S.A. INC.

November 20, 1992. Dear President, I wish to thank you and the Board of Governors and all the SOC brothers for sending me the Certificate, card and Pin of membership "in good standing ", and the summer SOC, magazine, I enjoyed all very much. I am living in Rome, ltaly, far from Hollywood this made me impossible to attend the screenings, meetings, conferences, ceremonies, etc.But I am very happy to follow the SOC continued progress, even as a retired member, the SOC notices keep me alive and up to date of all professional and technical news, the world is changing so fast, and I am glad to be close to you working people. I like what I see and Support you, with my very very modest contribution, and Brotherhood. With Kindest Regards,

January 20, 1993 Dear Randy, I am pleased to announce that I recently received top honors at the 1992 London International Advertising Awards for Best Cinematography on an Ian Macdonald commercial titled: Singapore Airlines "Liberty". Three cheers for the Americans, Local 659, and the SOC. Sincerely and respectfully,

Stan McClain, soc Pasadena CA

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October 27, 1992 Dear Randall, I'm writing to let you know how much I enjoyed reading your first issue of SOC Magazine. It is very well written, informative, and extremely interesting. You and your staff are to be commended for your ingenuity in relating various articles of interest to the SOC membership and industry in general. Keep up the good work. I will look forward to your next issue. Yours truly,

SOC LETTERS -PANAV/5/DN Dear Randall, All of us at Panavision would like to express our congratulations to you and the SOC on the release of your first issue of the "Society of Operating Cameraman" magazine. It is loaded with interesting articles and editorials covering all aspects of cinematography, the artists who put those great images on the screen and the vendors who help support that effort. Everyone at Panavision who has had the opportunity to read your magazine has enjoyed it immensely. Keep up the great work and good luck with your new publication. ~ _~ Sincerely, Phil Radin -r-~ Executive Vice President Marketing Dear SOC, Thank you for all the things the SOC has done for me. Being remembered means a great deal. The trophy I recieved is important. It represents the fellowship and friendships I have made over the years. I was one of the people who started this organization, and to see what it has accomplished now brings pride to me as well as it must to all the other members. All of you have made such efforts to reach out and help me to recover. I feel proud and grateful to be a part of the SOC.

PhHip

Caplan,~ ~

Otto Nemenz President TARZANA,CA Cesare Allione, soc Rome, Italy Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

page 55

LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE: diAL gjbACH

tfL ILLIAN -t11sH

by Randy Haber kamp With the recent passing of fllm pioneers Hal Roach and Lillian Gish, we are left with the realization that film is entering its second century, and its fragile and precious nature is increasingly apparent. Gone, now, are the last two voices that could speak with first hand authority on the way it was in film's Victorian age. Only their work is left as an historical record of their time, and sadly, much of it has deteriorated and disappeared. Hal Roach remembered growing up among the first automobiles and making deliveries to Mark Twain. Lillian Gish and her sister, Dorothy, grew up touring across America in theatrical road companies when roads were little more than dirt paths. Both Roach and Gish were film veterans before they were thirty. Both knew virtually every aspect of the film business like few others, before or since. They each understood the indelible power of images, and in â&#x20AC;˘ the process created cinematic icons that are still recognized, even by those who have never actually seen the ftlms these images are from. Harold Lloyd dangling from the hands of a dock, Stan and Ollie pushing a piano up a flight of stairs, the Our Gang kids and their various conglomerations of soap crates and wheels ... images that stand as a testament to Hal Roach's ability to recognize talent, nurture it, and his untiring insistence on the importance of stories told through images and editing, "It's all in the timing." Recognized primarily as an actress, Lillian Gish is best remembered for her harrowing journey toward the waterfall aboard an ice flow, her hair and hand dangling in the icy river. She became the very essence of Victorian purity, so much so that in the 1950's the scenes of her brandishing a shotgun on a screened-in porch awaiting Robert Mitchum in NIGHT OF THE HUNTER were an immediate reminder of the power of the "silent" screen in the hands of someone who understands what to do with it. It's ironic that a year which has an Academy Awards' tribute to the "Year of the Woman" should be Lillian Gish's last. Producing her own films at MGM in the Twenties, Gish's self-effacing manner has undercut her own trailblazing. This is the first century which has discovered a dimensional window in time. There has never been the unique opportunity that film affords us to visit the world and values of our ancestors. The films of Hal Roach and Lillian Gish stand to illuminate how much, and yet how little has changed. Generations tend to disavow the humanity of those that came before. History becomes stoic, lifeless, and old-fashioned. The publicist who managed to put the words "like writing history with lightning" in the mouth of Woodrow Wilson to describe THE BIRTH OF A NATION probably had no idea how accurate a description had been coined for the movies. Hal Roach and Lillian Gish were there when that lightning struck. They absorbed that unique energy that great films can inspire and they instilled their own work with it. Now that they are gone, it is up to us to pass on the excitement, whether it be through working in film, physically preserving films, or sharing them with our children. page 56

Society of Operating Cameramen

Spring 1993

ACTIVE CHARTER Parker Bartlett Paul Basta Michael Benson Bob Bergdahl Howard Block David Calloway Mike Chevalier Steve Conant Sam Drummy Joe Epperson Mike Ferra Ron Francis Bill Gahret Gil Haimson Peter Hapke Bill Hines John Huneck Wayne Kennan Bob Keys Norm Langley Tom Laughridge Brice Mack III Ed Morey Tom Munshower Lee Nakahara Jay Nefcy Rik Nervik King Nicholson Leigh Nicholson John Nogle Dan Norris Skip Norton David Nowell Wayne Orr Richard Price Ernie Reed Peter Salim Chris Schwiebert Mike Scott Hal Shiffman Roger Smith Mike St.Hilaire Ray Stella Joe Steuben Carol Sunflower Joe Valentine ACTIVE Art Adams James Anderson Ted Ashton Jr. Bill Asman Paul Babin Elizabeth Bailey Vincent Baldino Stewart Barbee Ed Barger

Society of Operating Cameramen 1993 Louis Barlia Tom Barron Richard Benda Bob Berry AI Bettcher Joe Blaisdell James Blanford Peter Bonilla Billy Bragg Garrett Brown Bob Bryan Jerry Callaway Robert Carmichael Joe Chess Jr. Dana Christiaansen Charles Cohen Freddie Cooper John Corso Ron Courtney Ivan Craig Richard Cullis Rocky Danielson David Diana George Dibie Alexis DuPont James Etheridge Tom Faigh Michael Ferris Bruce Finn Howard Ford Thomas Fraser David Frederick Michael Frediani Jag Gaynor Rusty Geller Wayne Getchell Allen Gonzales John Goode John Gutierrez Anette Haellmigk Terry Harkin Ronald High Patricia Hill William Hirsh Jeffrey Hoffman Joachim Hoffmann David !rete Levie Isaacks David Judy Burl Kinney John Kiser Douglas Knapp Dan Kneece Robert LaBonge Jeffrey Laszlo Henry Lebo Mark Levin Michael Little

George Loomis Allan Lumli Braden Lutz Cam Macdonald Constantine Makris James Mann John Maskall Richard Mason Stan McClain Don McCuaig Ron McManus Mike Meinardus Robert Mills William Molina Christopher Moon Jeff Moore Joshua Morton Rick Neff Michael Negrin Chuck Nicklin Ed Nielsen Randy Nolen Philip Oetiker Russel Ofria Michael O'Shea David Parrish Aaron Pazanti Robert Peebles David Plenn Robert Presley Laszlo Regas Bernard Reilly Herb Roberts Randall Robinson Harvey Rubin James Rush Frank Ruttencutter Steven Schoedsack Philip Schwartz Jonathan Smith Stephen St.John Craig Stewart Michael Stramisky David Stump Bill Swearingen Gene Talvin Richard Tiedemann John Toll Daniel Turrett Pernell Tyus Robert Ulland Gregory Van Der Veer Victoria Walker Bill Williams Ben Wolf Elizabeth Ziegler

ASSOCIATE Gary Armstrong Eugene Ashbrook Chuck Barbee Mitchell Block Joseph Calloway Bruce Cardozo Jeff Clark Don Cropper James Dennett Ronald Deveaux Kevin Downey David Elkins Robert Feller Dan Feder Gerald Finnerman John Flinn III Stephen Gainer Richard Garbutt James Garvey Harvey Genkins Wayne Goldwyn Jeff Greene Kevin Haggerty Donald Halliday Wynn Hammer John Hill Charles House John Huggins Philip Hurn Gregory Irwin Chris Ishii George La Fountaine Stevan Lamer John LeBlanc Brian LeGrady Dr. Ellen Matsumoto Annie McEveety John McPherson Mark Melville Charles Minsky Karin Modlin Gary Moore John Newby Nicholas Nizich Ted Polmanski Serge Poupis Bill Reiter Marvin Rush Lee Safar Richard Salvatore Bob Seaman Haskell Wexler Shaun Wheeler HONORARY Stephanie Benson Bruce Doering

Bill Fraker Ron Kelley Davlat Khudonazarov Wesley Lambert Jerry Lewis Dr. A. Linn Murphrey David Myers Jay Roth Frank Stanley George Toscas Harry Wolf RETIRED ACTIVE Cesare Allione Ralph Gerling Jerry Good John Hussey Bill Johnson David Kurland Michael McClary Arnold Rich David Rohman Sven Walnum RETIRED ASSOCIATE Bernie Abramson Bruce Catlin Jeff Goldenberg Emmanuel Metaxas David Sutton John Thoeny RETIRED CHARTER Rupert Benson Jr. Don Burch Phil Caplan Bill Clark Cliff Concialdi Jim Connell Lutz Hapke Steve Lydecker Owen Marsh Bob Marta Eli Ressler Sam Rosen Jim Saper Lou Schwartz John Stevens DECEASED Irv Heitzner Ken Hunter Al Myers Jack Thomson Rose Wapner