Camera Operator 2000 July/Dec

july - december 2000 vol . 9 , no . 2

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The Journal of the Society of Operating

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Th n ' Fuji F --±00 color neaati e film i not onl. a cinematograph r' ch· am, it ' an actor dream too. With its combination of hiah p eed, fin arain and r trained color aturation , it lo e face and skin ton e .

The F--±00 i idea l for f ature film s and tclccin c tran f r to video becau e it offer out tandina d tail and i ea ier to manipulate than high r antra t film tock. From highlight to hadow , it cap ture the tonal cal ' ith a gentle low-contra l ubll et. perfe t for avai lab l light and highco ntra t hot . It' over a1 il e. 1he creative po ibiJiti arc ndle . o how your actor off in th e mo t flattering li ght.

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, NUMBER 2 JULY-DECEMBER

2000

IN THIS ISSUE 2 A President's Note

by Georgia Packard SOC 4 From the Editor's Desk

by George BStevenson SOC 6 The life and Times of Bill Hines Th e SOC rem embers one o f its m ost vital m embers

32 l Sprague Anderson's Camera Trivia Quiz with pri11ted answers this tim e

35 DP Ueli Steiger and Steadicam™ Operator Dan Kneece soc: 6TH IN DP/ OPERATOR SERIES

by Georgia Packard SOC 42 Member Profiles Bill M olina SO C, Bonnie Blahe SOC:

44 An historical digression: Non-theatrical filmmaking before the revolution: WIDESCREEN SERIES, PART 10 Fro111 the Lumiere Cinematographe to the Brownie

by Rick Mitchell 51 Aerial Cinematography at Night Getting the light right fo r the effect yo u wa nt

by Stan McClain soc 55 SOC News & Notes 62 Advertisers' Index 64 Roster of the Society of Operating Cameramen 13 Placing the lens: 5TH IN DP/ OPERATOR SERIES T he Vision of Anne Misawa, DP

by Georgia Packard SOC 17 large Format Cinematography Its p opu lari t)~ its fJro blem s and its rewa rds

by Sal Aridi SOC 24 Every Frame a Rembrandt A Review of A rt Lazslo fiSC's new book

by Georgia Packard SOC 25 SOC's 4th Annual Crane and Remote Head Hands·On Seminar: A Picto rial Essay 29 HydroFiex: A View from Down under An interview with Pete Rom ano

by George BStephenson SOC

A President's Note

Y

ou , the membership, are the Society's grea test asset. The Board of Governors is elected every two years to support and drive the daily functions and educa tio na l events. Elections will be taking place near the end of this year 2000. Look for the announcement for nomin ations and think of how yo u want to be acti ve within the Society.

As new technol ogies appear, seminars are being offered to teach and inform. Be sure to read carefully the Membership Newsletters a nd continually updated Website. Breakfast meetings are happening almost monthl y (with a sm all brea k for summer h olidays) and o ur presence is strong at the Crane & Remote Head Event, Ca m era Operator Workshops, C ineGear, and ShowBiz Expo including a special Camera Operators Panel Discussion. Most hands-on tra inings must turn away people due to their wonderful response. Don't be left out. Be sure to RSVP a nd pre-register w hen requested . The Society of Operating Camera Banq uet is definitively a thrilling night no t to be missed! This yea r 's Gala is Sunday October 1st a t the Marina del Rey Ritz-Carlton . Cocktai ls on the terrace are fro m 5:00pm to 6:30, dinner will be served at 6:30 a nd the Awards Presentation starts at 7:00pm. A very special occasion.

Remember - in order to feel a part of an orga nizatio n, yo u must take part in it. There ar e always plenty of opportunities to volunteer and be active in the SOC. The Society takes grea t p ride in

its m em bership : Active, Associa te a nd Corpora te Affiliates. Your names are credited on a wide variety of films and telev isio n projects tha t exc ite and enterta in their a udiences. New m embers' application s in a ll ca tegories are reviewed quarterl y.

A va lu ab le crew member is often an unsung hero: " I wined and dined o n Mulligan stew a nd never wished for turkey, As I hitched a nd hiked and grifted from Maine to Albuqu erqu e" a nd beyond to Hollywood. It is truly a n ho nor to be working in the company of such a n esteemed group.

Best wishes on yo ur c urren t a nd future projects.

EDITOR George Stephenson soc POST-PRODUCTION MANAGER Do uglas Knapp soc DESIGN & PRODUCTION Lynn Lanning, Double L Design, Glenda le COVER DESIGN Mark Leins PRODUCTION COORDINATORS T he Ing le G ro up, Brentwood CONTRIBUTORS Sa l Aridi soc Lynn Lanning Geo rge B Stephenson soc Stan McClain soc M ichae l Fredi a ni soc Rick Mitc hell Geo rgia Packard soc PHOTOGRAPHY Gary Baum soc M ic hell e Ha ll C laudi a Barius Mark Leins Bob C ran sto n Ch ip M a th eson Robert Fe ll er soc Georgia Packard soc Michae l Fred ia ni soc Barry Read Scorr G ree ne Mer ie Wallace

Copyright© 2000 by the Society of Operating Cameramen

SOC OFFICERS Presid ent Geo rgia Packard 1st Vi ce President Steve Essig 2 nd Vice President Erni e Reed 3 rd Vice President Bonnie Blake Treasurer W illi am Mo lin a Secretary M ichae l Santy Sergeant-at-Arms Lan ce Fish er Webmaster Mark Lein s Ad min . Assistant Dian a Pen ill a BOARD OF GOVERNORS Sa l Aridi M ichae l .J o nes Gary Baum Do uglas Knapp Sea n Fa irburn Ala n Lum Li To m Fraser Philip Sc hwartz Micha el Frediani Geo rge Ste phenson Sim o n .) ayes Bill Waldman Ben Wo lf

Fl

'{T!sion, the essential ingreV dient that we as Camera Operators use in our work, \!~;, intrinsically bonds us to ~ children with vision problems. Our organization contributes its fu ll supfJort to the Eye Care Clinic of th e Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles.

Contact the SOC online at

www.soc.org

~® is a registered trademar k.

All rights reserved.

SUBSCRIPTION RATES

USA $12/year Outside USA $22/year (U.S. Funds Only)

T he Operatiug Cameramau Magazine is published se mi-a nnu a ll y by th e Society of Opera tin g Ca meramen. For ad ve rti sing informa ti o n and articl e sub missions, please contact:

SOC Attn Magazine PO Box 2006 Toluca Lake, CA 91610 Phone(818) 382-7070

Corrections to the North Carolina School of the Arts Article in the Jan-June 2000 issue of The Operating Cameraman: • The author should have been listed as David E Elkins SOC. • Photos 1 and 3 on page 56 show the Weaver Steadman head , not the Ronford fluid head .

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From th~ ~ditor路g

o~gk In the last iss ue of Operating Cameraman (Jan/June '00) I had th e pri vil ege of editing th e cover articl e as we ll as one oth er. Doug Knapp thought I did "such a good job," he offered me the official job as editor of OC. I guess I all owed my ego to get the best of me for I took it on. To try and fill the shoes of Bill Hin es wo uld be an impossible drea m as Lynn Lanning's poigna nt portrait, The Life m1d Times of Bill Hines, so eloqu entl y attests.

As a charter subscriber to Woodenboat' " magazin e (now in its 25th yea r) I' ve witnessed its development from a fl edgling esoteric magazine to a virtu al

William EHi~tes to~ Jeholatship Fu11d Bill Hin es loved the film industry and loved to help others get started it in .

So he directed th at, after hi s dea th , two scholarship tru st fund s be established in hi s name and seeded from his estate, for the purpose of recogni zing and educa ting talented young peop le who are dedicated to th e art and craft of cinematograph y.

One fu nd is to be admi ni stered by th e Society of Operating Ca meram en and th e oth er by th e International Ci nematographers Gu ild.

Th e funds are to be used by each of these orga ni za ti ons to set up a "Willi am E Hines soc Scholarship Fund " to help defray tuiti onal expenses of se lected and dese rvi ng dependent children of members in good standing.

To donate to thi s fund, send contri butions (made out to "William E Hines soc Sc holarship Fund " ) to th e SOC address on page 2 or the address shown

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work of publishing art. I've li ved vicariously through all of its growing pains, its devastating fire and permanent loss of archiva l material, its flourishing circul ation and all of its acco lades. So too, in a similar way have I witnessed the trials and tribulations, growth and deve lopment of the OfJ erating Cameraman. With far less fin ancin g than WB, a much smaller circu lation and mostl y vo luntary staffing, thi s publication, our publicati on is one of whi ch we SOC members and readers ali ke may be proud.

When Doug Knapp in vited me on board I had no idea what I was getting into. That was a good thing, for I might have turned him down . In the spirit of Bi ll Hines and our fellow editorial staff I shall endeavo r to uphold the lofty standard s to which thi s pub li cation aspires.

Th e feat ure articl es in this iss ue came together somewhat serendipitously and yet there is a strong thread that weaves them togeth er. We continue with Rick M itchell 's entertaining and

inform ati ve series on The Wide Screen Revolution , thi s time foc using on Non-Theatrica l Fi lmmaking. Segueing bea utifully into Rick's articl e is Sa l Aridi 's Large Format Cinematography opening up a whole other world of spectacul ar imagery.

Georgia Packard gives us an up close view of two Operator/DP relationships: Dan Kneece SOC and Ueli Steiger, Director of Photograph y for Step hen Herek's newest Warner Bros film, and DP An ne M isawa, for whom Georgia operates.

We've continued with most of the regul ar fea tu res such as News and Notes and Member Profiles and as your new editor I invite your input. You may write or e-mail to Operatillg Cameraman and we' ll try to inclu de yo ur comments in an upcoming iss ue. I intend to crea te a new co lumn for them ca ll ed: "Retakes. " Oh, did I say something bad ?

Ggorgg Ed itor, George B. Stephenson soc

SOC WEAR See the complete line of iackets, shirts, hats & belt buckle Write to : Society of Operating Cameramen

P.O . Box 2006

or check the web site at:

TYLER MOUNT SHOOTS SUB!

T

he SOC lost a major supporter when Bill Hines died January lOth. Bill was one of the fo unding fa thers of the organization in 1978, and was active in it througho ut its existence. He held many offices and was always on the Board of Governors. His most constant official position was Corpora te Liaison, where he contacted corporations in the industry and convinced them to lend thei r support - financial and otherwise - to the SOC. For the SOC's Operating Cameraman magazine he sold ads, deli vered copies to vendors, wrote articles, located photos, courted potentia l writers, and recruited the current graphic des igner. H e could be counted on for boa rd meetings, awards banq uets, cra ne semina rs and a myriad of other responsibilities. In 1995 the SOC hono red him with the President's Award for outstanding service to the organiza tio n and gave him their prestigious Ca mmy. It was one of his proudest mo ments.

Bill was 76 when he died. Most people who met him th ought he was 10 or 20 years yo unger than that. He was nowhere near ready to retire from any of hi s acti vities.

Friend and Cinematographer

WILLIAM E (BILL) HINES April 2, 1923 -January 10, 2000

Bill loved peop le and made friends everywhere he went. Someone sa id recently that Bill never met a person he didn 't like, and it's true. Bill genuinely liked people and co uld always find the good in them. H e was a caring and supportive friend, there to lend an ear or a helping hand or offer advice or give a little push if necessary. He stayed in contact w ith everyone by telephone, by ema il , and by letter. H e could be found shmoozing at ga theri ngs, chatting with chance-met folk or o ld friends and acqua intances, tak ing an interest in others' do ings, trying to interest them in hi s own proj ects.

At his memorial service, people spoke of how Bill had touched their li ves. The union was hav ing a convention that weekend, and 75 of the members went to the memorial service.

The SOC was strongly represented.

Family and friends filled the rest of the Old North Church at Forest Lawn

Photos accompanying this article are from the William E Hines collection which has been donated to USC

where the non-denominational service - a celeb ration of Bill 's li fe - was he ld on Satu rday, Jan uary 15,2000, at 4:30P.M. Lynn Lanning, his editor and fri end , organi zed (in th e words of his widow Zee) "a to uching and un fo rgettab le memorial service." Ma ny ca me to the podium to ta lk abo ut Bill. Others wrote out what they wa nted to say and someone rea d it for them. As happens at many memorial services, people lea rned a lot about Bill th at they had n't known.

He was first an d fore most a cinematographer. It was the avoca ti on and then the vocati on that focused hi s li fe (pun intended). He took immense - and we ll deserved - pride in the TV shows he fi lmed and all th e oth er fi lm pro jects he engaged in th roughout a long and varied career. And thi s love of cin ematography led him into other acti vities in support of the ind ustry he loved so well.

Bill was an acti ve volunteer in the orga nizations he belonged to: NABET, IATSE, Loca l 600, and of course the SOC. He served on their boa rds and vo lunteered his ti me, never concerned with th e workload he was tak ing on, onl y happy to help, to be involved, to represent the people of the industry he loved.

Bi ll 's wife Zee was a fam il iar face at all the SOC functions and helped at many of the awards banquets.

In 1953, he helped fo un d and

beca me a charter member of the Fil m Craftsmen's Guild , which affiliated with the Nati ona l Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians, AFL-CIO, CLC, as the Association of Film Craftsmen. He served twenty years on its executi ve board, including two terms as president, was chairma n of the classification co mmittee and di rector of training.

Bill loved to teach. He was a guest lecturer and conducted workshops at fi lm schools. In the summer of 1999 alone he was guest lecturer in the film schoo ls at McGill Uni versity in Toronto and the North Ca rolina Schoo l of the Arrs. As a member of the International Cinematographers Gu ild, IATSE, and its National Executi ve Board, he has been an acti ve participant in tra ining seminars and wo rk shops sponsored by the guild.

Bill loved to write. He was fo under and pres ident of Ed-Ventu re Films/ Books, publishing and marketing his work himself. His first book was j ob Descriptions fo r Film and Video . As the industry grew and changed, the list of jobs grew and lines of commun ica tion ex panded, and each editi on of the book re fl ected those changes. The 5th edition, published in 1999, included Computer Graphics and was more than three times the size of the previous edition.

His book Operating Cinematography for Film and Video, published in 1997, was a reorga nization and update of the fi rst 10 yea rs of the monthl y "Operating Tips" column he wrote fo r what bega n as International Photographer magazine, and is now known as ICG, the magazine of the International Ci nematogra phers Guild. He was co llecting the next batch of Opera ting Tips columns to become a second vo lume of Operating Cinematography.

Both books are in demand in libraries and film schools. More were planned. He had started to outline the 3rd, a book of tips that

would help actors work more effectively with the ca mera . Bill had over 50 years of experience in the fi lm industry, and he wa nted to share all the things he had learned, so that the new generation of fil mmakers could benefit from them.

Bill left most of his extensive collecti on of books on filmmak ing, scripts, magazines, etc to the film school at USC, but he leaves another legacy as well. He provided for two "William E Hines SOC Scholarship Funds," one to be administered by the SOC and the other by the International Cinema tographers Guild.

They have been seeded with $5000 each from his estate. Their "purpose is to recognize and educa te talented young people who are dedica ted to the art and craft of cinematography" and the funds are to be used "to help defray tuitional expenses of selected and deserving dependent children of members in good stand ing" in both orga niza tions. Both organi zations have provided matching funds for the scholarships and donations have been coming in fro m people all over the world who knew Bill.

A brief biography Bill Hines was of pioneering stock; his mother had homesteaded property in Sa n Bern ardino, but by the time Bill and his brother Bob came along, she and her hu sband were living in a little house in East Los Angeles. Bill 's older halfsister Evelyn stayed with them when she attended UCLA. Bill still had the house when he died. He lived in it most of his life and took care of his mother when "'*>

THE O PERATING CAMERAMAN: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BILL HINES

7

she became ill (she died in 1982). After his marriage in 1993 he kept it as an office for his EdVenture Films/Books business.

Garfield High 1941 Bill was born on April 2, 1923 and attended schools in East LA: Lorena Street Elementary School, Robert Louis Stevenson Junior High Schoo l, and Garfield High School (of later Stand and Deliver fame) where he was Student Body President. He stud ied violin in junior high, and his music teacher, Loren Rhoades, became a lifelong friend . Loren died a year to the day that Bill did; Loren's widow was at the memorial service for Bill.

Bill gradua ted from high school in 1941 and started in pre-med at UCLA. But the war intervened and he served with the Army Air Force 42nd Bomb Group. One of hi s buddies from Army days was at hi s memorial service.

Bill got hi s M.A. in cinematic arts from USC in 1951. He filmed documentaries all over the wo rld , including some very out-of-the-way places, and brought home a pet ocelot from one of his South American trips. He didn 't fly planes in the Army, but he flew them now in order to get where he needed to film.

He tried to capsu lize his career, to fit it into the limited space on a

book jacket. One of hi s books says: "He has worked on many hundn:Js of films of al l types-fea tures, TV series, commercials, documentaries, industrials, etc- and during that time has functioned in most key capacities in the image-making process: writer, producer, production manager, director, actor, cinematographer, videographer, camera operator, mixer, gaffer, grip, makeup, wardrobe, props, picture/music/sound effects editor, etc, and has taught seminars and workshops on cinematic procedures and filmmaking."

The other book cover adds: "During his career, he has worked on hundreds of productions of all types-features, specials, sports, ep isod ics, sitcoms, commercials, documentaries, industrials, educationals-both film and video, in the studio and on loca tion . His extensive television program credits as Camera Operator include: You Asked For It!, McHa le's Navy, Combat!, Rhoda, Delta House, T j Hooke1; Solid Gold, A-Team, The Mary Show, MacGyve1; My Sister Sam, Duet, Cheers, Murphy Brown, Dear john, Roc, Harry & the Hendersons, The jackie Thomas Show, Tom, Ned &路Stacey, Cybill. " A good- look ing man , Bill had no troub le attracting women and had a couple of long-term relationships, but he was 70 when he first got married. Bill met Zenia Katz at a tenni s gro up in 1976. They soon became partners and

won a lot of mixed doubles tournaments over the 15 years they played together.

They got engaged in 1985 and in 1993 they eloped to Las Vegas and tied the knot. Bill had no chi ldren of his own, but he melded into the fami ly unit with Zee's children and grandchi ldren.

His hip replacement surgery and arthritis slowed him only a little, and he continued to play tennis. Besides all the outsid e organizations he was active in, he also had his own Ed-Venture Films/ Books business. He had made a few films that he marketed himself, and he had published and was marketing his own two books. It was while he was mailing some books at the post office a couple blocks from his home in East LA on Dec 17th, 1999 that he co ll apsed due to card iac arrest. Postal employees ca lled 911 and paramedics from the nearby fire stati on ran across the street, resuscitated him and rushed him to East LA

Doctors Hospital. There he was put in Intensive Care and hooked up to a respirator. When he was deemed stabilized two days later, he was transferred to Kaiser Permanente Sunset's Cardiac Care unit. Eventually they were able to disconnect the respirator. He resumed brea thing on his own, but he never regained consciousness. On January 10, he was transferred to a nursing home and died in his sleep th at same night.

Only hi s closest fr iends and family knew he had been in the hospital through the holiday season, so his passing was a shock for many.

There was no opportunity for farewell. Any farewells any of us can take with Bill have to be on the spiritual plane,

8

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BILL HINES

as on ly his sp irit remains with us. And what a spirit he had ! Always th ere to help, to lend his support, to say " I'll take

we each give a little .I help, we can build st important legacy in we do because ol care of ir. " To ca jole us into acti on. To show us how and to help us do.

And perhaps that is the best way of all for us to remember Bill Hin es and to show how much he meant to us: to pick up the jobs he left unfinished, to offer a hand in friendship, to provide support as he wou ld have, to show people we appreciate all the hard work they've done. It wi ll take a lot of us to do thi s, because Bill wore a lot of different hats.

We all have busy li ves, and none of us can take on all th e th ings Bi ll did, but if we each take on some add iti ona l responsibility that he once had, if we each give a little tim e and help, we can carry on as Bill would have wa nted, and build hi s most important legacy in what we do beca use of him .

Tributes from people who knew him DOUGLAS KNAPP SOC I first met Bi ll in one of his favorite roles-that of instructor. He held classes on Saturday morn ings at F&B Ceco, an

eq uipment rental house in Holl yvvood. I remember him as a distinguished looking professiona l cameraman, showing and explaining th e various cameras, though tfull y answering questions and occasionall y puffing on his pipe. I was a 21-year-old ci nema student and Bill 's manner and ex pertise inspired me.

Thro ugh the yea rs with SOC acti vities, I came to know Bill as a fr iend and co lleague, but behind it all is made all of us proud of our efforts. my warm fee ling of inspirati on which Bill Bill recentl y said that no individual is more importa nt than the organiza ti on imparted to me th ose many years ago.

With love and re membra nce ... as a whole, and that is certainly true also of friends, co-workers, and family.

I want to remind Bill 's widow, Zee, who MIKE FREDIANI SOC was at so many SOC functions at Bill's My history with Bill began on ly about 5 years ago when I became side, that we are her extended family president of the Society of Operating still.

I conclude with the words Bill Cameramen. I needed to ca ll the Board of Governors members to introduce myself. always used at the conclusion of our It was basically one of the co ld ca lls that many phone conversations: "You take good care. " can be difficult, but a necessary part of the job.

I rea ll y don't reca ll any of the details JEFF GOLDENBERG except that Bill seemed to ask as many I was Bill 's Assistant on Ned & questions about me as I did about the Stacey, and I saw him frequently off the SOC. It dawned on me later that he set as well. Whenever we met I had a wanted to make th at sure I wo uld devote wonderfu l tim e talking with him about all of my energy to the organ izati on that every type of subject. With Bill, I was he was instrumental in fo unding. never bored. I learned so much from That was a touchstone for me. him. He was a true gentleman, friend, and mentor. He wi ll be greatly missed We spent many hours over the by all. And by me especia lly. past 5 years working for the benefit KIM GOTILIEB-WALKER of the SOC I was so sorry to hear about Bill's but nobody, and passing. I worked with him on Cheers I mean nobody, and saw him once a month at the Loca l worked harder 600 executive board meetings and he than Bill Hines. was always calm, cheerful, thoughtful He was always and wise ... even when there were storms " up to my eyeall around hi m. Even now, I feel as balls," but he th ough he isn 't really gone, but just outco uldn 't have done side of our vision, observing, smi li ng, a better job of the same steady centered presence .. . supporting people The memorial serv ice for him was and causes that he lovely. I fe lt very fortunate to have believed in. Plus he known him even a little bit. ~>

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BILL HINES

9

GEORGE SPIRO DIBlE, Local 600 National President Bill Hines was one of the most capable and dedicated members serving on our national executive board. He truly loved representing and worki ng in the best interests of the members. He was also an excellent journalist whose column was one of the most popular features in the International Cinema tographers Guild magazine. We will never be able to replace him .

CHRIS MOON, President, South Australia ACS A friend of mine passed away in January. His name was William Hines soc.

Bill Hines was one of Hollywood's most respected camera operators. He helped estab lish the Society of Operating Cameraman in Ca lifornia and was the only charter member to receive lifetime membership of that Society.

He worked in all areas of the film industry. He was at vario us times a producer, director and director of photography, but camera operating was his first love.

I watched him operate a few times on film sitco ms, one of the trickiest operating jobs around. Boy could he spin the whee ls of that Panavision geared head!

Bill was a prolific author and regu lar contributor to Operating Cameraman and International Photographer (now ICG) magazines. One onl y At last year's has to look at the amazon.com site to see how well respected he was within the industry. His book Operating Cinematography was endorsed by some of America's finest cinematographers, such as Haske! Wexler ASC, Vilmos Zsigmond ASC, Conrad Hall ASC. He introduced me to people like Allen Daviau ASC and George Dibie ASC. Everyone was a mate of Bill's.

Bill was never a member of the Australian Cinematographers Society, but in spirit I think he was. He was always ready to share his wea lth of knowledge, reveled in his art and craft, and gave selfless ly of his time and ski ll. He was one of

10

the world's true gentlemen.

If you ever get to read one of his books or articles I know you 'll be wiser about the art of cinematograp hy. He wi ll be remembered by all who met him and I feel honoured to have been co unted among his friends.

STAN MCCLAIN SOC I met Bill through the Society of Operating Camera men. When the time came to elect new officers a few years back, there were certain ly members who were more qualified to run than I was, but none were vol unteering to run. The timing was right and I decided to step forward, and then reality stepped in .

"Oh by the way Stan," someone said after the votes were in, "your term is for two years, not one, and you're the editor of the magazi ne too. Welcome aboard ."

Bill was right there, sensing that I could use some help. Whi le other board members were quick to pat you on the back and offer their support, on ly Bill, Mike Frediani, Doug Knapp, and Bill Molina were there with true support, with Bill Hines out-distancing all the others.

As other presidents before and since have done, I relied on Bill's never-ending support.

Bill was one of those people who would ca ll several times a week, maybe just to say hell o and ask how my day crane seminar was going, but when Bill asked, you knew it was from the heart, and I always found the time to take his ca lls. Bill was my co-pilot and navigator of the SOC. He knew just the right way to make suggestions or offer gu idance and always remained focused on the ca use at hand -the betterment of the SOC. With Bill's friendship, guidance and counseling, I made it through the two years unscathed for the most part, and the SOC stepped up a rung on the ladder. His support was heartfelt and genui ne.

One of my first obstacles to clear was the magazine. I had to create a publication and had no prior experience in

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN : THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BILL HINES

that field. Bill offered to be co-editor of the first issue and together we got the magazine done, a bit behind schedule, but completed and well received. With Bill's initial help, I was able to "solo" on the next four.

Like so many organizations, the SOC membership dues don't come close to meeting all of the expenses, even though none of us receives a salary or stipend . We rely on the donations of Corporations to help make ends meet and it was Bill who was the conduit and made it happen. Bill would solicit the major film industry suppliers and filled our magazine with the "who's who" of the industry's advertisers. Our magazine is se lf-supporting, unlike some others in the industry.

Bill also raised money from the banquet. While other organizations would raise $1500 per table, Bill extended the opportunity for the Corporates to donate up to $10,000 each for a worthwhile cause, the Eye Care Clin ic. Alth ough our banquet is much sma ll er than others, we were still able to donate $20,000 to the Children's Hospital Eye Care Group, and put on an enjoyab le and entertaining event in the process.

While reviewing the SOC Charter one day, the Board of Governors (w ithout Bill's knowledge) noticed that alth ough we had a membership classification of Life Member, we actua lly had no one in that category. After carefully stud ying the criteria, we noticed that out of all the original Charter members only Bill had remained active fu ll time, and no one else who has come on board as an active member, nor any of the past Presidents, myself included, could even come close to the level of dedication that Bill had demonstrated. We decided to elect Bill as our first and only life member and bestow the honor on him at the SOC Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Details of the William E Hines SOC Scholarship Fund are on page 4.

Donations to the Scholarship Fund should be sent to: William E Hines SOC Scholarship Fund P.O. Box 93841 Pasadena, CA 911 09-3841

...

It will be some time before anyone else even re motely qualifies to fill th e pos ition as the second recipient of lifetim e membership.

Think of this as the credits to a great movie and know that it was Written by, Directed by, Produced by and starred Bill Hines.

away. You must reach out and touch others honestl y with who you are and inspire them to do the sa me."

Well , Bill , this littl e cowgirl heard yo u and is taking your words to heart.

Yee-ha!

wisdom of the industry and for the years of dedication and service he gave to mak ing movies and TV shows.

He was a union man inside and out. He gave so much of himself to the IATSE and SOC. In fact, knowing how easy go ing Bill was, you will appreciate how rarely disagreements happened.

There was one subj ect that Bill and I disagreed on. You'll know why when I tell yo u what I do: I work at a major studio in charge of the residu al department. I have been there for the past 18 years.

Bill was passionate about th e un ion and would defend their pos iti ons and practices over and over again. This was one area I neve r ca me close to winning. And that was fin e.

We are all goi ng to miss Bill. His smile, his years of wisdom and his willingness to be there for anyone who needed him. A mini ster once sa id to me th at th e way you keep a person's spirit ali ve, is to ta lk about th at person and re-tell stori es about them. I hope to keep Bill 's spirit ali ve for the rest of my li fe.

Please don't thin k of thi s as a eul ogy.

Thin k of it more as the credits to a grea t mov ie and know th at it was Written by, Di rected by, Produced

Alth ough oth ers may have spoken more eloquentl y here, I wa nt you to kn ow th at I apprec iated Bill, and he' ll be mi ssed.

KEN DOWNY [Last fall] I bought rBill Hines's] book, Operating Cinematography to add to my coll ecti on of books on cinematography. Although I never got to meet Bill in person, th e book allowed me to get to kn ow him in a way. From the boo k I could tell th at he was very enthu siastic about and dedi cated to his craft, and th at he was generous about sharing his experience and kn owl edge.

GEORGIA PACKARD SOC I fi rst met Bill Hines whil e vo luntee rin g severa l month s of my time fo r an inner city Ca mera Train ing wo rk shop hold at Panav ision Tarza na. I was a new kid in town with no famil y to lea n on and I was trying to get a handl e on " how to be pro fess ional" des pite being a ve ry emoti onal and passionate perso n.

Bill was a wonderful teacher with a grea t amount of insight and co mpass ion.

After seve ral weeks wo rking together (Bill was the Ca mera Ope rator and I the Ass istant ) Bill too k me as ide to ask some pointed qu estions. "Why do yo u wa nt to work in camera?" I had spent my tee nage yea rs in Co lorado, riding horseback ac ross mountains and in rodeos, li ving Outward Bound. I didn 't kn ow anything about Holl ywood busin ess, yet I was in my element looking through th e viewfin de r of a ca mera, whether in still s or moti on picture. I fe lt conn ected to the wo rld around me.

I was part of a larger whole, wo rking with others as a tea m to make a film . Bill li stened and nodded but the lunch ended and we had to get back to why we were there - teaching students.

To my surpri se, Bill incorporated my dil emma in to a lesson fo r everyone.

"To wo rk in thi s industry, yo u have to be sure that yo u are rea ll y committed to what yo u are doing. You must jump in the saddl e and ride wi th all of yo ur hea rt. Your pass ion will be your guide, And in order to keep yo ur pass ion growing, to keep it strong, you must give it

MARILYN KATZ, Zee's cousin Bill Hines spent his life reco rding images: on fi lm, video tape and on paper. As a ca mera operato r, he made the writer's and director's visions come to li fe . As an auth or he shared hi s ca reer skill s with the world. But th e grea test im ages he crea ted were less tangibl e, but none the loss real-the images of hi s life, reco rd ed in th e memory of th ose who shared hi s life. Th e im ages I have of Bill are onl y a small part of the story. But when combined with the mental im ages of all those he touched, th ey make the story one of a Holl ywood Legend .

Bill had many different passions in hi s life . As many of yo u are aware, Bill loved the sea. Besides hi s pass ion for Zee and his grandchildren Stephanie and Naomi Katz, Bill's largest passion was as a ca meraman, auth or of boo ks and magazine articles and teaching.

Bill believed in pass ing down to the newer generati on hi s love of the industry.

He spent a lot of time emailing and writing to my husband's famil y and fri end s in Australia who were starting out in the entertainment industry in various craft pos iti ons. Th ey respected Bill Bill recei ved the President's Award from the SOC in 1995 . for his kn owl edge and

THE OPERATING C AMERAMAN: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BILL HINES

11

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DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY

& CAMERA OPERATORS: 5th in the Series

Anne Misawa, Director of Photography, working with Brian Mitchell on Sandra 's Tree, a music video .

Placing the Lens

by Georgia Packard, SOC

" Truthfull y, I love opera ting. It is the thrill of defining th e co mpos iti on at th at mom ent of fo ll ow ing the action," says Anne Misawa, Director of Photography for Kings, a short at Slamdance and part of Showtime's African America n Month Celebration , and Festiva l Winner Letter to My Mother, by Debbi Reynolds. These fi lms are a fin e exa mpl e of her visual aesth etics and sense of style. Growing up in Hawai i with her Japanese heritage, Anne has deve loped an exc iting artistic vision .

An ne directed a short, Wakillg Mete, which premiered at Sundance thi s year. As a DP, Anne is always working =*>

Anne with her Camera Operator, Georgia Packard SOC

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN: DP/OPERATOR SERIES

13

on her craft. "Id ea lly, directors should kn ow how to cut and shoot so that they understand th e mechanics requi red fro m th eir ca mera crew," Ann e di scovered.

A background in art and crea ti ve writing at New York University and th e Uni versity of So uthern Ca liforni a Film School provided a solid fo und ati on in

ullook lor my Operator to have the technical skills to execute the camera shots gracefully." visual sto rytelling. "My eye is always looking for visual exa mples in magazin es and art, etc. to have as specific references for th e director. Thi s ca n bring all of us up to a common starting gro und an d help generate a prelimin ary shot list quite easil y. That way I ca n go in wi th a pl an, yet be open to ava ilable options I might not have bee n aware of befo re. "!look for my Operator to have th e technica l skill s to execute the camera shots gracefull y. I go ove r what I wa nt to accompl ish in the rehearsa l and then all ow them to make any adjustments necessary. Yo u have to let go of certain things, to delega te. Diplomacy and res pect work hand in hand ."

Anne has been working stea dil y in film , such as a Venice Film Festi va l short Liv by Edoa rdo Ponti , music videos including artist Radn ey Foster, and a documentary on Lenny Kravitz.

"A third eye is a grea t luxury. One of the contrib uti ons my Operator can

Director of Photography Anne Misawa working on the short narrative On the Way Home directed by Bob Spector.

make is to come up with other options coverage.

"Being both practica l and creative engages the Operator to find the right pace of movement and composition for each shot. I need for them to make safety transitions for th e Editor. And I ask them to be able to communicate.

I love suggestions. I wa nt to hear my options beca use onl y then do I rea ll y have a choice," says Anne in an animated manner.

"The Ca mera Operator helps establish the visual context. They must have good motor ski lls, be able to do the final exec ution, and have a sense of effici ency. Their ability to do what they are supposed to do we ll gives them the depend ability I require.

"Today few of us are able to work solely with the sa me crew for 20 years, developing a cherished shorth and between each member of the tea m. Most of my short fil m projects have yet to 111

afford me with a separate Ca mera Operator unl ess it is for an add itional ca mera or a "specialty" such as a Stea dicamTM or a ca m-remote cra ne. Someone who ca n do the task better th an I can."

Her fa ce lights up with excitement.

"A Director of Photography juggles a lot at once. What is the intent of what we are filming and what is the best way to achieve it? It ca n fee l like marching troops up the steep side of a mountain .

Yet the view at th e top is remarkable."

i-IOLL'f NCJO i-18 1 OLULU Uff..i-1 i-IO!.JSTON N.l NEf..?CJLIS

A comparison of frame sizes.

Far left, top to bottom : 4-perf pull-down , 8-perf horizontal, 5-perf pull-down.

Left: 8- and 10-perf pull-down .

Below: 15-perf horizontal.

Frames courtesy of CFI. Frames shown actual size.

Cinematography

by Sal Aridi

SOC

n re ent year the number of Large Format 20 and 3D film pr du ed have doubled and the continued in rea e in public intere r i fueling the financial u e f the Large Format in the U and abroad. a e in point i the mo t recent mega uc e from Ma Gillivray-Freemanllma film Everest, relea ed in 199 . Everest battered every bo office record in the Large Format world earning in e e of 7 million. The e Large Format film potentially may attain greater re ognition and profit with the I ng awaited relea e f Di ney' Fantasia 2000 in Large Format theater countrywide.

For the fir t time ever, ommer ial Large Format creen ournumber the rradiri nal theme park cience center and mu eum Large Format creen .

The u e f the Large Format film at it ore lie in it running power to vivid ly tran port an audien e to place they may never have been or will ever have an opportunity to experien e fir t hand.

I

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN: lARGE fORMAT

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JOB DESCRIPTIONS for FILM, VIDEO & CGI, 5th ed.

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-Prof Bruce Kawin, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado "I recommend this handbook to members ofthe Alliance and to those working in the industry." - Thomas Short, Int'l President IATSE

JOB DESCRIPTIONS for FILM, VIDEO & CGI is the original and authoritative source for the responsibilities and duties of more than 250 film, video & computer graphics craft classifications.

JOB DESCRIPTIONS for FILM, VIDEO & CGI, 5th edition is available at cinema and video booksellers for $27.95, or order direct from ED-VENTURE FILMS/BOOKS, P 0 Box 93841 , Pasadena, CA 91109-3841 for $30.45, including shipping-California residents add $2.30 sales tax. Another book by William E. Hines, OPERATING CINEMATOGRAPHY for FILM & VIDEO is $24.95 at bookstores; or $27.45 plus $2 CA tax when ordered direct from ED-VENTURE. For more information, contact EdVentrFim@aol.com ~

y rem wa introduced in ew York with it powerful vi ual ryle and ity' Broadway Theater on wide three creen eprember 30, 1952.

Fa t-forward to 1970 and the pre entation World' Fair in 0 aka, japan where in pired French profe or Henri !MAX (image Maximum) made it hretien to debut with Tiger Child at the Canadian Pavilion with roaring ucce . The worl d develop the Hypergonar len had never seen uch a giant moving picture. A 15 perf/70mm film frame pro e 1 till covered a towering creen of 80 feet unclear. However the high by 100 feet wide. Thi u hered in invention of thi the beginning of contemporary Large Format cinematography.

Hypergonar lens Chronos: Ron Frucke, Director and Director of Photography with Thirty year have gone by ince in 1927 wa and the Lorge Format camera in the midst of on open-domed building .

The film, produced by Reuben H. Fleet Space Theater and Science then and rhe Large Format film indu i con idered to be the mother rry ha gone from merely an amu ement Center, Son Diego, S.E.M . La Geode and Mogidson Films, feapark and cience mu eum based of the pre ent tures time lapse photography from locations around the world . anamorphic len pre enrarion to a egmenr of rhe film y rem. Unfortunately the French and indu try that command a ub tantia l howing them far away place , be ir American box office draw. Today Large Format film indu tries were not ready on top of a giant ummit in outer pace creen are found in many multiplexes for thi new wide reen proce and or even two mile beneath the ocean , in mo t large to mid-size U.. citie and con equently the len lay in limbo until on a giant reen, puts rhe audience 1953 when it wa redi covered by 20th major capitals around rhe globe. They in tantly in that environment for 40 entury Fox in the form of inemaattra r mall vi itor and tourist alike minute or more. They truly feel a with film uch a Mysteries of Egypt cope. ( ee Rick Mitchell' article in though they are phy ically pre ent in and Everest in the 20 15/70 format rhat place.

Operating Cameraman, Winter i ue and into the Deep and Encounter in the Thi total immer ion of ight and 1993) Third Dimension in 3D 15/70 format, to ound leave an indelible impre ion Filmmaker have e perimented mention a few. The e film and other with the wide and large creen format on rhe audience. The powerful imagery like them have ucceeded at the box ince the inception of the medium. ( ee of Everest, Destiny in pace Grand office becau e they have managed to anyon, and e pecially rhe film hronos the chart below for ome of the earlie t attempt .) In the perf 35mm horizoncombine entertainment and education in are ju t uch film experien e . hronos tal frame there wa Vi ta Vi ion a eamle pre entation which totally directed and photographed by Ron immer e the audience in the ight and 1954-1961 which i till in u e today in Fricke wa filmed entirely u ing rime ound of the Large Format film . vi ual effect and background plate . lap e photography. Without the u e of Memorable Large Format film of narration Chronos i a purely vi ual Finally, but not completely inerama, the pa t are To Fly, Destiny in pace, =l> the 6 perf 35mm three panel film film cored with a hypnotic ound track complementing the my tical imagery of man' relation hip to time路 pa t pre enr and future.

Experiments with wide and large screen formats

Historical Background Large Format cinematography i not new to inema or audience alike. bel Gance' 1927 apoleon wa one of the earlie t Large Format film to be simulraneou ly proje ted on a three creen ynchronized y rem. Ab I Gance a rually photographed many cene in 3D bur did not incorporate them in rhe final cut for fear of audience rea tion. apoleon wa and still i a landmark film in the hi tory of cinema for ir broke all techni al ground and created a unique grammar olely for the language of film. Whether apoleon

1895: 1896: 1897: 1899:

51mm Latham Edialoscope Demey-Gaumont 60mm Veriscope 63mm and Biograph's 68mm Graphonoscope's 50mm with the early effort to synch film to a phonograph 1900: Lumiere Brothers 75mm wide film 1914: Panoramica 70mm 1914 1921 : WideScope was presented by using 2 interlocked 35mm projectors which was revived in 1956 as Thrillarama.

1927-1931 : Fox 70mm Grandeur MGM 70mm Reallife Paramount 5 Perf 65mm and 56mm Magnefilm RKO 6 Perf 63mm Vertical Natural Vision WB Vitascope 5 Perf 65mm

8 Perf 35mm horizontal frame 1954-1961: Vista Vision which is still in use today in visual effects and background plates 1956-1967: TechniRama 1953: Fear's Super Pictures 10 Perf Horizontal also known as GlamoRama September 30, 1952: the launch of Gnerama with the 6 perf 35mm (with an Aspect Ratio of 1:2.6) three panel film system introduced in New York Gty at the Broadway Theater

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN: lARGE FORMAT

19

-

Blue Planet, Grand Canyon, Fires of Kuwait and Africa: The Serengeti, all of wh ich were filmed in the 2D 15/70 mm format.

Today's Formats Currentl y, Large Format cinema has four different size formats: 15/70, 10/70, 8170, and 5/70. The first fi gure represents the number of perfora ti ons per frame of ca mera original nega ti ve as well as projected print. The 70 figure represents the width of th e projected film print in millim eters. Th e most wide ly used Large Format as well as the largest is th e 15/70, pioneered by !max Corpora ti on. This for mat utili zes stand ard 65 mm film nega ti ve with a hori zontal fi lm fram e of 15 perfs in length (co mpared to standard 4 perf/ 35 mm vertica l fra me). This makes it the largest fi lm frame in moti on picture hi story with an aspect ratio ranging from 1.33:1 to 1.40:1. The print is projected on to a screen meas uring 80' by 1 00' .

That's ten tim es th e size of a conventi onal screen and up to eight stori es high. In a dome- like thea ter one's periphera l vision is full y occ upi ed by th e entire screen. Today IMAX no longer has an exc lu sive hold on the market, as compa nies such as lwerks and World Odyssey are producing 15/70 ca meras and projectors.

The second Large Format in use is 8170 where 8 perfs of 65mm film run ve rti ca ll y through the film ga te with the sa me aspect rati o as 15/70. The resulting 8/70 print ca n be projected on a screen up to 60' x 80' . Today, 30% of all large screen theaters are 8/70 install ati ons, due in part to less expensive camera and projection systems and to fine grai n film stocks wi th high resolution enab ling cross printing to 15/70.

In creased stability and brightn ess of 8170 projectors exceeding large screen industry standard s are helping thi s format to become the main strea m option.

Please note that 8/70 is not to be co nfused with VistaVision 35mm "Lazy 8" whi ch runs hori zontally at 8 perfs per fra me and co ntinues to be used in specia l effects work.

The third Large Format system is the 5/70 where 5 perfs per frame of 65 mm fi lm are run vertica ll y through

20

Mysteries of Egypt, Reed Smoot, Director of Photography. Above, the rema ins of the colossal pillars and statues of a temple; below, papyrus skiffs (smal l boats) on the Nile.

the film gate with a standard aspect ratio of 2.2: 1. This system was preva lent in th eatrica l work (S uperPanav ision and Todd-AO); howeve r it is rare ly used today in conventi onal filmm ak ing due to cost. Th e two most recent thea trical re leases to use 65mm were Far and Away an d Little Buddha. In the Large Fot'mat industry ShowScan is the system util izi ng 5/70. The 65mm ShowScan ca mera shoots at 60 fps and the resulting im age is pro jected at 60 fps producing an extremely high reso luti on, grain free, flickerless image.

The fourt h Large Format in use is th e 10/70 wh ich also runs hori zontall y. It is littl e used in North America,

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN: LARGE FORMAT

compared to Japan where the format dominates.

Large Screen Presentations Large screen film is presented in a multitude of settings, IMAX for exampl e, can be proj ected either flat on a giant screen or on a dome screen with a wraparound image. IM AX 3D can be projected on th e gian t flat screen or on a dome named IMAX Solido where 3D images are viewed with the new cordless, electronic liquid crystal glasses or the conventional 3D polarized glasses.

IMAX simulator ri des are also in places such as Universal Studios, Holl ywood where Back to the Future is

Format. This is made poss ible by the development of an adva nced p ro jecti on system by Electrosoni c Image Control. lwerks Corporation also presents its films in flat, dome or 3D configura ti ons and in either 15/70 o r 8/70. Encounter in the 3rd Dimension, the first Large Format film w here ac tors are put in a tota ll y computer generated digital enviro nm ent, is lwerks' most recent 3D film , in coopera ti on with nWa ve Pictures.

Another form of presentatio n is the 360 degrees theater. Disne y's C ircleVision 360 is an exa mpl e th at ca n be seen at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The system consists of nine 35 mm 4 perf synchronized 24fps projectors show n to a standing a udience on nine indi vidu a l screens ar ranged in a circle.

The 70mm Ultra To ruscope is yet anoth er 360째 system which utilizes three 5/70 proj ectors running at 30fps producing a 360째 image up to 70' in diameter. Th e a udi ence is seated on rotating servocontro lled chairs w ith Mysteries of Egypt: Top down: sun striking through the optional breeze and scents. pillars of a temple, the great Pyramids of Giza at sunset, Cinema 180 from Omni a re-enactment of slaves building the pyramids Films Interna tio na l is a 5170 based system utilizing one of th e ma jor attracti ons. For an unbe- 65 mm original negati ve and a 70mm li eva bl e 3D simulated rid e, check out the print. The print is proj ected onto a quadAdventures of Spiderman at Uni versal's rispherical domed screen 42' wide by 24' Orlando, Florida Theme Park. Twelve 3D high and 18' in depth.

8/70 screens are positioned in vario us Cinematography in the parts of the ride as the aud ience is Large Format transported from Orlando to the 100 % com puter generated back a lleys of New Technica ll y speak ing, La rge Format York City. The 3D rear screen projection cinematogra ph y is simil ar to conon some of th e 12 screens is w hat ventio na l 35 mm in terms of the bas ic makes thi s presentation unique in th e too ls used. A wide range of film stocks in 65mm is rea dil y ava il a bl e from Kodak. sense tha t it is the first successful 3D Lenses, however, are different fr om rear screen pro jecti on using the Large

standard 35mm or even 65mm len s systems. When photographing in the 15/70 format, one is essentially using a medium format still photography mode, i. e. 2 1/4' x 2W' or 6cm x 7cm, a lthough the actu a l size of 15/70 is T x 2 3/4' or Scm x 7cm. Medium format Zeiss and H asselblad Lenses are availab le according to Director of Photography Reed Smoot (Mysteries of Egypt, The journey of Man [3D], Grand Canyon: Hidden Secrets). " Begi1ming with the 30mm lens, 40mm being normal perspective, we continue all the way up to 1000mm. Of course none of these lenses tra nslate directl y to 35 mm cinematography."

In terms of filtration, Reed Smoot had a major influence in making the 6.6 x 6.6 matte box a standard accessory on all IM AX cameras since his photography of Grand Canyon: Hidden Secrets in 1983. The thinking in those days was not to put anything in front of the lens since Large Format was after the highest resolution and the finest image possible. " I had come out of a theatrica l bac kgro und where we had been using a full array of filters. So I felt a strong need to have contrast control over the sky, especiall y since in an IMAX exterior landscape fra me, a large percentage of that frame may be sky."

The Large Format cinematographer's too l box continues to be somewhat limited co mpared to the tool box of his/ her counterpart in conventional 35 mm photogra phy. In terms of the cameras used, the system is "semi-archaic" according to Max Penner of Paradise Visual Effects, a stereographer and technica l cons ultant on Terminator 2 - 3D. "The eq uipment is always bulkier and heavier and most of the time yo u have to build your own accessories. It is like shooting in the '40s," Penner states.

The ca mera technology which we take for granted in thea trica l moti on picture productio n is barely ava ilable in the Large Format systems . For example, the adva nces made in weight reduction of 35mm ca meras (average 35lbs) compared to 95 lbs and more for 15/70 and 15/70 3D systems are phenomenal. The high speed/slow motion capabi lity availa bl e o n most 35mm and 65mm producti on ca meras is not w idely ava il able in th e Large Format systems. The same is;)>

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN: LARGE FORMAT

21

true with micro and macro photography.

IMAX continues to be a domin ant supplier of equipment altho ugh co mpanies such as MacGilli vray Film s and Iwerks Corp have succeeded in equi pment manufac ture. Iwerks' "H ines" system was used in additio n to the IMAX 3D Solido system on the new Cirque de Solei! 3D film , Journey of Man .

H owever, Large Format filmm akers are inventing new too ls as they have been for the last 30 years and in so doing are creating a new form of cinema with its own grammar and language .

Cinematographers instinctively recognize the importance of compos itio n and accord it the utmost care. Composing for Large Format cinematography requires a different set of parameters than standard 35mm wide screen. For example, in conventional thea trica l or television pro jection, the a udience is not required to utilize a great dea l of head movement to view the entire screen. Not the case with La rge Format, where a good deal of head movement, up and down and side to side, is required to take in the complete spectacle. Therefore, careful placement of key images in the compositio n is para mount fo r optimum viewing impact.

Another set of challenges the Large Format cinematographer faces in terms of shot design is audience placement in relation to the screen. Camera moves, speed of action in the fra me, stro bing due to rapid pans, are all highly magnified effects in Large Format and must be considered carefull y in order no t to overwhelm the audience. O ne mu st be

discriminating in the use of impact shots as the Large Format itself has a powerful effect on an a udience.

Large Format in the Digital Age O ne ca n no longer deny the tremendo us impact digital technology has had on both film production and post production. Every film that has been released in the past five years has had digital manipul ation, be it enhancement, digital visual effects, compositing or CGI (computer generated imagery). The achievements so far are mind boggling, Reed Smoot adjusts hi s Large Format whether in film or television, and with camera fo r a sequence in Grand Can yon. every passing day the digital technology The IMAX film crew spent 7 8 days o n is unleas hing bigger and better surprises. location in Grand Canyon Nati onal Park.

O n the Large Fo rmat side of film , digital techno logy has been embraced as well.

"In conventi onal fi lmmaking," Witness the success of the first full y dig- Stassen continues, "a udiences react on ital 3D, 15/70 Iwerks/n Wave Pictures two levels, emotiona l and intellectua l. fil m, Encounter in the Third Dimension, In Large Format 3D yo u have the third level which is the physica l component of directed by Ben Stassen.

Stassen states: "I wa nted to be the participatio n, w hich in effect creates one of the first fi lmma kers ever to use a new language of cinema where audithi s digital cinema, w hat Francis Ford ences react to the images on the screen just like they wo uld react to a live conCop pola had ca lled electronic cinema cert o r stage play. It is such a powerful in the late '70s and ea rl y '80s; w here a 100 % digita l enviro nment is created medium and I am excited abo ut the future potentia l. " in which an actor is artificially placed, mak ing it possible to create a very diffe rDavid Keighley, Senior VP of Imax ent kind of 3D film , one that has never Corporation, is also very excited a bout before been attempted with incredible the digital as pect of Large Format in his quest fo r the perfec t IMAX print. "IPs oppo rtunities."

Stassen's excitement a bo ut digital and INs (i nterposi tive and in ternega tive cinema, especiall y as it relates to La rge prints) have served their purpose very Format 3D, has to do with the creation well for the past 20 years. However, of a new form of black room entertainthere are many a berrations which the ment based o n audience pa rticipation dupe negative ca nnot get rid of, such as and reacti o n. image unsteadiness, hairs, du st, etc.

~z Q :z: i3z Extreme, filmed w ith IMAX@ Cameras. Surfing the biggest wave, N orth Shore, Oahu , Hawaii. The film also featured extreme s in windsurfing , skiing , and other dangerou s individual sports.

22

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN: LARGE FORMAT

The production crew for Extreme, right to left: Jon Long (D irector), Filipe Te ixeira ( l st Assistant), Bill Reeve (DP) . Besides Hawai i, filming took place in Utah , Alaska and British Columbia .

Director Howard Hall films si lky and black tip sharks feeding on a whirlwind of green jacks. Thi s fascinating behavior appears for the first time on film in Island of the Sharks, a large-format film produced by NOVA/ WGBH Boston and Howard Hall Productions .

Now there is the DRS technology which litera ll y fixes everything including color correction. If I am able to digitize everything I can make a flawless print. This is my goal by the end of 2001, to be able to make a digital dupe negative in IMAX that riva ls the origi nal negative print."

As far as digital capture in the Large Forma t, Ke ighley is by no means excluding th e digital format. However, "origination on negative in our for mat will be

There are no archival methods for storing data better than film. aro und for a good whi le. It (digital capture) has a long way to go to captu re 12,000 lines of resolution on any video Hi Def system, " Keighley concludes.

From a cinematographer's point of view, Reed Smoot notes: "As far as image delivery in the digital domain, I saw a very interesting example of what will eventu ally rep lace the IP and IN step, and I wou ld app laud that, 100%.

Just from see ing the test as a cinematographer I am tremendously excited abo ut the possibilities. It is going to allow us as cinematographers to convey as purely as possible the information req uired. " So is the Large Format the last bastion of fi lm ? Chri s Reyna, President of the Large Format Cinema Associa ti on (LFCA) and VP of Imagica, a Large Format post prod uction house, answers unequivocally: "Yes, the Large Format is

Hall swims with the IMAX® camera and his custom-designed underwater housing during shooting of Island of the Sharks.

Filming took place 300 miles off the west coast of Costa Rica at the remote animal sanctuary of Cocos Island .

the last bastion. Quite fra nkly, all the play the media has given to digital projection or to digital cinema is more hype than actual delivery. There is no digital system that co mes close to meeting the bandwidth requirements if we are just talking app les, and app les of a Large Format. What we see more and more is that film is used to captu re the image, the image may be manipul ated digitally, but then in terms of a reliable high bandwidth system it comes back to film. " Reyna likes to remind us that when television ca me on the scene people said film was dead. However, 50 years later film is still around and remains not onl y a viable, but also a high quality means to capture a presentation. "Film in my op inion, has at least another 50 yea rs of being not onl y a capture and display medium, but also the very best way of preserving the image. There is no digital medium that

exists now or that wi ll exist in that form for a very long time. There are no archival methods for storing data better than film."

Ironica lly, even the staunchest advocates of digital capture and projection admit that digital cameras and projectors have a long way to go before they can compete with the resolution and brightness of a Large Format film.

As 35mm continues to come under the intense attack of the digital world, Large Format film capture and projection will take on greater significance as the last bastion of high quality film presentation. Perhaps just as important, more and more commercial films will be produced in the Large Format. The long awaited release of Fantasia 2000 in 15/70 is on ly the beginning.

Enj oy the show and may all your dreams be in 3D 15/70!

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THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN: LARGE FORMAT

23

Book Review:

Basic Information: Every Frame a Rembrandt, Art and Practice o f Cinematography

by A nd rew Laszlo ASC, wi th Andrew Qu icke Paperback- 280 pages Focal Press , May 2000

$34.95

Every Frome aRembrandt: Art and Practice of Cinematography

C}Ftougftt for tfte CJ)az:

Every Frame a Rembrandt: Art and Practice of Cinematography is a stunning new book by ca mera ma n And rew Laszlo

It's not the time it tokes to toke the tokes that tokes the time; it's the time between the times if tokes to toke the tokes that tokes the time.

ASC, publi shed by Foca l Press. This book is fill ed with fac ts and " how to's" and m ore im portantly, the artisti c vision behind des igning hi s pictures .

Laszlo genero usly takes us th ro ugh the steps of creating "The look " of a film by brea king down fi ve o f his own pictures: Southern Com fort, The Warriors, Rambo: First Blood, Streets of Fire, a nd Jnnerspace. Coming up w ith the app ro priate style, pre-producti on, sco uting loca ti ons, how to make th e des ired " preco nce ived " im ages come to life on ce llul o id , and vari o us mea ns of tro ubleshootin g a re thoro ughl y di scussed.

The q uesti on /a nswer secti ons give the book a threedimensiona l coverage. Always one to fo llow th ro ugh, Laszlo consistantl y delights his rea ders with an a rti stic approach to visual storytelling. Th oro ughl y entertaining. Extremely in formati ve . A spa rkling gem of pu re "grade A" craftsmanship .

Than k yo u, And rew Laszlo.

- Georgia Packard soc

-Rick Garbutt Ju st recite that real fa st th e next time so me sillyass AD w ith a sillyass ques ti on like " So, w hy aren't we ready to shoot?" hassles you.

Cheers to a ll , Ri ck

( R A 1\1 E The original inventors of the longest camera crane in the world bring you the next generation ...

THE STRADA CR 45' to 85' STRADA NY (914) 773-6555 Fax: (914) 747-4740 STRADA LA Toll Free: 877-632-8444 Fax: (541) 549-4226 AUSTRALIA The Grip Shop 61-2-9564-0059 Fax: 61-2-9564-0083

24

THE OPERATI NG CAMERAMAN

路 More rigid 路 Motorized base 路 l / 3 less set-up time 路 3 additional lengths

~

;ili~~~~~~~~:~:='Jf

More than Seminar twenty-three vendors Hands-On was held May 14th. displayed their latest equipment to be viewed and used by the 240+ attendees.

The camera cranes and various support equipment were strategically arranged around the "town center-like" setting on SOC's Warner Bros Studios backlot. Noted Fourth Annual Crane Directors of Photography including John Bailey ASC, Francis Kenny ASC, Don and Remote Head McCuaig CSC, Daryn Okada, Stephen Poster ASC, Brian Reynolds ASC, Dante Spinotti ASC ACI, and Mark Woods were on hand to assist in setting up practical shots utilizing the various crane and remote camera systems.

It could not have been a more specThe attendees consisted of SOC tacular day. Clear blue Southern members as well as technicians from varCalifornia skies complimented by ious disciplines and film students eager brilliant cumulus clouds. The fourth SOC sponsored Crane and Remote Head to partake in the hands-on opportuni-

Hands-On Seminar

ties. One of the more spectacular events was Wescam's marriage to a giant construction crane which "flew" the Wescam sphere up, over, through, and around the entire town-center arena; helicopter-like aerial shots that could not have been executed in a confined space any other way. Seminar participants were able to try their hand (thumbs?) at the joystick style controls, viewing the spectacular studio townscape from ground zero to nearly 200 feet in the air!

Kudos go to the SOC Event Committee: Tom Fraser, Bill Waldman, Phil Schwartz, Michael Santy, Bonnie Blake, Gary Baum and President Georgia Packard for their hard work and brilliant organizational skills making this yet another successful training event. Heartfelt thanks go to our co-sponsors Kent Jorgenson and Motion Picture Studio Grips, Local 80, Ed Clare and the Production Equipment Rental Association (PERA), the AMPTP, and the International Cinematographers Guild, Local 600. AND a special debt of gratitude to Warner Bros Studios' Tracy Balsz, Director of Marketing Services, assistant Amy Hilker, and Carolyn White, Director of "*> Operations.

Photos on this page show the Strada Crane.

Background photo by Gary Baum SOC. Inset photo by Michael Frediani SOC. Photos on the next 2 pages are by Gary Baum SOC, Michael Frediani SOC, and Georgia Packard SOC.

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN : CRANE SEMINAR

25

Photos from the SOC's Fourth Annual Crane and Remote Head Hands-On Seminar

26

TH E OPERATING CAMERAMAN: CRANE SEMINAR

Tomorrow Never Dies: Timothy Dalton and Michelle Yeoh filmed by Pete Romano with the HydroFiex 35-3 Deep Water Housing .

t

an interview with Pete Romano, George B Stephenson, SOC

by

Shooting the animatronic "Willy" for Free Willy 3 in a wave testing facility in Escondido, CA.

hough he choo e to remain omewhat anonymou , Pete Romano' name and HydroFie , Inc are ynonymou . Located near Marina del Rey, California, the HtdroFie facility i where Romano de ign and manufacture tate-of-the-an underwater amera housings a well a ubmer ible lighting in trument . A a former U avy underwater cameraman, Romano ha been hooting film underwater ince 1973, and ha been an underwater Dir tor of Photography ince 1986. Pete ha a long li t of credit including The Abyss, aving Private Ryan, Alien Resurrection, Waterworld, Free Willy 1 2 and 3 True Lies, 007 Tomorrow ever Dies and mo t recently, avy Diver and Pearl Harbor. In 1996 Pete received the Technical Achievement Award from the ociety of Operating ameramen for the development of the HydroFie (Arri ) 35-3 y rem.

Pete i the fir t to admit that he i not a one-man band.

With the uppon of hi fine machini t and technician , the ~

Alien Resurrection: The title character in a flooded spaceship shot on Stage 16 of the 20th Century Fox Studios.

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN: HYDROfLEX: A VIEW FROM DOWNUNDER

29

second unit. Those are some of the most powerful fra mes I've ever put on film. " Romano talks excitedl y about his latest creations, the RemoteAq uaCamTM for the Arri 435 and Arri 35-3 and the HydroHeadTM fo r the same ca meras. "The RemoteAquaCa m is a low profil e tubular housing th at ca n be moved very fast PETE ROMANO underwater," Romano explains. "It is hydrodyna mica lly superior." Another announcement Romano made is the introduction of a new catalog in the style of Kodak's 'flip boo k.' "This belongs in every AC's ditty bag!" he insists.

Underwater Lighting Romano is nota bl y pro ud of HydroFiex's unique underwater lighting systems. "Safety is key," he affi rms. "We go the extra mile and th at's why we had our special underwater connectors designed." Th ey consist of an extended ground male connector which makes contact prior to the "hot" connector in order to avoid shocks and shorts. They ca n be connected while in th e wa ter, but for safety's sa ke it's best to power down prior to connecting and disconnecting. When disconnecting, the shorter hot connector is extracted first, fo ll owed by the ground , thu s mak ing for a "Mate First/Brea k Last" scenario.

The 1200w HMI underwa ter pars are the workhorses of HydroF iex's inventory along with their equivalent in tungsten balanced lights. Romano has also developed a 4K HMI and a 5K Inca nd escent using a special quartz envelope around the

Workshop attendee with the HydroFiex 35-3 RemoteAquaCam at the 1999 SOC/ HydroFiex Underwater Workshop.

Amistad: Djimon Hounsou is filmed by Pete Romano with the

HydroFiex 35-3 Deep Water Housing globe which diss ipates th e heat. And what would underwater lighting be without underwater light meters? Romano has designed underwater housings for the Minolta Spot Meter, the Minolta Auto IV and the Spectra Pro IV.

Splash Bags During the recent production of Perfect Storm, HydroFlex worked side by si de with 1st AC Trevor Loomis and DP John Seale ASC, ACS in deve loping a family of splash bags to protect the ca mera lenses and film fro m torrents of wa ter cascading from wave generators and dump tanks. Both airpowered and spinner spray deflectors work on these splash bags to evacuate wa ter droplets fro m in fro nt of the lenses.

There was zero water damage to ca mera and lenses due to these superior splash bags during six months of continuo us filming. This is yet another exa mpl e of the close collabora tion between HydroFlex and cinematographers.

When asked what he attributed to HydroFlex's success as a com pany, Pete had this to say: "I spend a lot of time in the field in order to see what's needed; listening to inpu t from DPs, Gaffers, ACs; continuall y making improvements. We believe in giving out infor mati on free ly, conducting seminars, educating our customers, listening to their feedback. We have 12 employees and we' re all foc used on attenti on to deta il. "

Editor's No te: For further information on HydroF/ex, check out their website at www.hydroflex. com.

(a)

'JIM

Left: Arriflex 435 in th e Hyd roFiex 435 Splashbag .

Cen ter: HP4 K (HydroPar 4000W HMI).

Right: HP4K-U/ W (HydroPar 4000W HMI) .

THE OPERATI NG C AMERAMAN :

HYDROFLEX: A VIEW fROM DOWNUNDER

31

company is guided by Matt Brown, Operations Manager, who has been with H ydroFlex for 12 years. The day-to-day business of equipment rentals and production coordinating is carried out by Scott Greene. Scott works closely with Camera Assistants and production companies, ensuring a smooth operation from conception to completion. He 'll be the first person you deal with when you " make that call."

On Message in a Bottle, Director of Photography Ca leb Deschanel ASC requested a specific adaptation for a H ydroFlex housing, which became the 35-3 RAC. Pete and crew designed and manufactured the RemoteAquaCamTM for Caleb in less than 30 days! Herein lies the key to H ydroFlex's success. They are adept at meeting the special needs of cinematographers and creating specialized adaptations based on existing systems.

One of Pete Romano's earlier assignments after the Navy was with George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic in San Raphael, California. It was not an underwater job however, for he was hired as a First Assistant Cameraman by DP Bill Neil. While at ILM Pete heard of a local company that manufactured swimming pool sweep devices which was in need of a commercial. He contacted them and offered his services as an underwater cameraman. Using a 16mm Bolex underwater housing from Adolph Gasser's rental house in San Francisco, he successfully shot the commercia l. The housing had a sportfinder since an underwater reflex viewing system didn't exist at the time. This is what motivated Romano to devise an accurate viewing system, which he created while working at ILM. By the way, when you visit HydroFlex, look for an original Bolex underwater housing on display.

After working as a Camera Assistant for severa l years, Romano was eager to return to diving. He contacted Jordan Klein, a pioneer in underwater photography, who hired him as an assistant on the james Bond film Never Say Never Again (1983). Romano's ability to build as well as operate underwater camera equipment advanced his career to new levels. He was asked to design the underwater housings to be used in Jaws 3D for an Arriflex 35-3 camera and its Arrivision 18mm over/under 3D lens. After that came Splash,

Message in a Bottle: The HydroFiex 35-3 RemoteAquaCam is shown here mounted on the Libra Head . The RemoteAquaCam Housing was originally designed and created by HydroFiex at the request of Caleb Deschanel specifically for this sequence . also with Klein and Don Peterman ASC . Later, Romano joined Richard Edlund ASC at Boss Films, where he gained his specia l effects talents. While at Boss Fi lms he developed his first two H ydroFiex 35-3 Deep Water housings. By 1985 he was a full-fledged Cameraman and established his own machine shop in Marina del Rey, wh ich he named H ydroFlex, Inc. He moved hi s company to its current loca tion in 1993.

Working underwater has some unique parameters that don 't ex ist in normal a bove-wa ter film production methods.

"Ca mera has to make it happen ," Romano explains. "You can't just stand still and expect the shot to happen. The actors are without air and probably without underwater experience,

Deep Blue Sea with Pete Romano wielding the 35-3 DW at right.

Deep Blue Sea: HydroFiex 35-3 RemoteAquoCam (RAC) set up on a motion base for the POV of shark attack. The hydrodynamics of the RAC allow it to be moved quickly at high speeds .

30

and there are no marks underwater! So you have to make it work for talent. Talent is dealing with a primal fear of being underwater with no mask, no air, no fins. They must be able to hold their breath for a long time. They may be claustrophobic. " These are some of the delicate situations Romano encounters with actors underwa ter. His experience helps him instill confidence in actors, enabling them to function in a potentially dangerous and intimidating environment .

Romano continues, "One of my most rewarding experiences was with Steven Spielberg and Janus Kaminski on both Saving Private Ryan and Amistad. I discussed the shots with both of them and th ey sent me on my way to head up a

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN: HYDROfLEX: A VIEW fROM DOWNUNDER

This quiz appeared in the Jan-June 2000 issue of the Operating Cameraman magazine, with the answers on the SOC web site . Now we're printing the answers here, along with the questions again .

Camera trivia quiz I. Name the first camera that allowed reflex viewing during the shot.

2. What was the 4-digit Kodak code for the first motion picture film they had in general use?

3. True or false : You can 't change perspective by changing lenses.

4. What was the first movie w ith sychronized sound?

5. The Technicolor camera uses three strips of film to record the three primary colors . When threading, which strip of film goes in which gate, and what are the emulsion positions?

6. What was the name of the first 3-striF Technicolor film made by a studio?

You'l get 1 point if you name the first live action feature, 2 points if you name the First live action short subject, and , yes, 3 points for both . What was the name of the first 3-strip Technicolor an imated film?

7. Which camera was the first to officially use T-stops on its lenses? (H int: It was not a motion picture camera .)

8. Why did Abel Gonce choose wooden DeBrie cameras to shoot Napoleon, rather than the more modern metal DeBries?

9. Wh ich came first, the Filmo or the Eyemo?

10. Henri Chretien is credited with building the first anamorphic motion picture lens. What year did he build it, and what year was it first used on a feature film?

II. Louis LePrince made successful motion pictures in France in 1888, using a paper negative, because celluloid had yet to be invented . When Kodak invented celluloid, LePrince set up a demonstration of his sys-tem in New York. Why did the demonstration never take place?

12. What was the first film to use a Steadicam TM shot?

13. Who designed the movements that were used in early Panavision cameras?

14. How did Martin and Osa Johnson, the popular African explorers, influence the design of a famous camera?

15. Each of the following substances has been applied extensively to motion picture film at one time or another. Why? a. Hot wax b. Mercury fumes e. Uranium ferrocyanide

32

Answers: I. A trick question . In fact, I'm not sure I know the answer. Karl Brown talks about Billy Bitzer, during the making of Intolerance, watching the shot through the boresight on the back of his Pathe studio camera; the thin, unbacked emulsion of the day let you get a pretty good look at the scene as it came out the back of the film . If you said Arriflex, 1 point. If you said Pathe or DeBrie, 3 points.

2. Another trick question (this is fun).

(Isn 't it?) The first Kodak emulsion in general use never had a code number; it was known simply as "negative ." Th is filmstock was improved in 1917, and even the improved stock didn 't get a number until 1925, when it became known as Eastman Negative Par Speed, Type 1201 , to distinguish it from the new panchromatic stocks showing up on the market. [The 31 " stood for nitrate backing; the 32 " indicated that it was a negative; and the 301 " was the code for the emulsion formula .]

3. You can't change perspective if all you do is change the lens. What you 've changed is the field of view, not the relationship between objects in the scene. The confusion arises because what most people do is change the lens, then MOVE THE CAMERA. This defin itely changes the perspective . That's why zoom shots look phony: the field of view changes, but our eye tells us the perspective is the same . [Zoom lenses are contrary to nature. Stone them .] With our fixed focal length eyes, it's impossible for us to change our field of view unless we move our bodies, and it's that movement that changes the perspective .

4 . Well , if you believe William Kennedy Laurie Dickson, it was the first film he ever made for Thomas Edison.

Supposedly, when Ed ison returned from his trip to Europe, Dickson showed him a film in which he advanced to the camera, gave a little speech, and counted to len .

The sound was carried on a phonograph disk. Unfortunately, there's little corroboration in the historical record for this interesting claim, but Edison did carry on with sound motion picture research until his factory burned in 1913 .

5. There's a single strip of film in the customary gate position ; this is the green record . A beam-spl itter diverts light to the second gale, set at right angles to the first; this gate carries two strips of film .

In front is the blue-sensitive record, turned with its emulsion away from the lens. The emulsion is coated on lop with a filter, so that the second strip of film records only red light. This second strip rides with its emulsion turned toward the lens, so that the two emulsions are in contact. The

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN : TRMA QUIZ

camera takes about three minutes to load.

6. Fi rst live action: La Cucaracha, a short film. First animation : Flowers and Trees for Disney. Both were made in 1932. First all-color feature in 3-slrip was

Becky Sharp.

1. The Bell & Howell35mm Foton still camera ( 1950) used T-stops on its lenses. Still photographers didn 't understand why they needed them; the camera was over-engineered and too expensive for the average Joe; consequently, it's very rare today.

8. The wooden cameras were lighter, and Gonce needed to slack three of them on lop of each other for the triptych sequence.

9. Filmo 1923 . Eyemo 1925.

I 0. Chretien built his anamorphic lens in 1926; the first picture to make use of it was The Robe, the first Cinemascope film, in 1953 . Amazingly, they used Chretien 's prototype to shoot the entire picture. This relatively tiny lens is now in the ASC museum in Hollywood .

11. Because shortly after setting out for New York, LePrince disappeared from a train bound for Paris, and despite months of searching by private detectives, no trace of him was ever found .

12. Bound for Glory, Haskell Wexler DP, 1976.

13. George Mitchell. Panavision cannibalized the movements from Mitchell cameras, which is why there are so many gutted Mitchell BNCs and BNCRs floating around Hollywood advertised as " prop cameras ."

14. When their early, wooden Bell & Howell cameras were eaten by African termites, Albert Howell vowed never again to make a wooden camera , and designed the all-metal 2709. It was the beginning of the modern era .

15. a. Hot wax was used all through the silent era to lubricate release prints and reduce scratching in the projector gate. The process had to be discontinued when sound came in, because the wax interfered w ith the optical track.

15. b. Mercury fumes were used in the 1920s and 1930s to hypersensitize the slow emulsions of the day. By exposing raw stock in a sealed box to mercury fumes for several hours, you could increase film sensitivity by half a stop or more.

15. e. Uranium ferrocyanide was used as a release print toner - it yielded a very handsome, deep, rusty red tone that couldn't be created any other way. (I suspect it created a similar tone in the lab guys if they weren't careful.)

-L Sprague Anderson Š 1998 All rights reserved

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DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY

& CAMERA OPERATORS:

6th in the Series

-

The Super Technocrane looks out onto the star of Director Stephen Herek's untitled (as this magazine went to press) movie for Warner Bros, while gaffer Jim Grce checks smoke level.

DP Ueli Steiger and Steadicamโ ข Operator Dan Kneece, SOC

by Georgia Packard SOC

D

Ueli Steiger on the set.

an Kneece oc i the B Cameral teadicamTM Operator on a recently completed Warner Bro film directed by tephen Herek.

Dan note : ' It i es entiat to have a good relation hip with the Director of Photography. While orne simply tell you what to do here the DP, Ueli teige[ allow me to make a uggestion if I ee omething of va lue. Thi lets me ., make the hot even better than they had g ;;; hoped. " The camera crew work do ely ~ together. There i n't any competition ~ over the po ition and the Director of ~ Photography choo e the camera ยง~ placement and then the nece sary tool .g and equipment. " It is great being with ~ the DP and the Director during the early g deci ion on how the movie i going to Ci look. The work become a collaborative effort. It i fun being in the mid t

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN : DP/OPERATOR SERIES

35

Turning Heads Our Way

Los Angeles 818-845-6480

New York City 212-947-9797

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of the creative proce "Dan continue .

"I ve alway wanted to be an Operator ince I tarred in new back in 1979. You have to be persi tent and tenaciou , with a very thick kin to ' ride the hor e' a long a you can.

It i your love of the art and craft of making movie that allow you to overlook the rough part .

Dan ha been con i tently learning and growing a an Operator.

He acknowledge that film i a uange mixture of art craft and Steadicam Operator Dan Kneece SOC is silhoueHed with the Steadicam ™ rig. technical kills. how to u e it. I let teve put on my rig to You have to anticipate being in the right Yet he wa fortunate that from the beginning he had good teacher . under rand better what it take to make pot at the right time in order to capture "Garrett Brown alway encouraged orne of the hot . It i exciting to ee the magic Kneece ays excitedly. ynergy in the use of the teadicam. He the lightbulb come on when they try to Operating teadicam i a physical make a decent picture." and Randy olan oc challenged u to and ani tic challenge. Kneece describes " You have to be a good Operator modify the equipment ( ince 1982 for before you can do readicam. To learn me). It wa Voodoo the fir t time I aw 0 rM it on Garrett. It ju t popped off hi good framing, watch good movie . Look body and u pended in air. Often people for the thing that you like and the way ay that Garrett created the teadicam they are done. It' mo dy about taste. I and Ted Churchill created the teadicam embrace the video a i t becau e it' a Operator. Although it look ea y, plangreat tool and it' here to ray. It can be a good communicator becau e the Director and Cameraman can now ee what they want hown back to them and it thi way: "The roughe t thing is when adju t the hot if need be." they u e me a a human tripod. Just Herek' film ha orne remarkable becau e the Director tarts a equence concert footage involving lot of moke with the Steadicam doesn't mean the and colored light with a background entire hot has to be one. It' important ning the hot , it i about movement of everal hundred heavy meralhead . to continue the coverage after I land the and choreography. The camera often Heavy pre ure. "The tough part i that teadicam ... It' a thing, a tool like any in any one hot there are a million thing other method of pointing a camera. becomes the point of view of the actor.

It i a dance needing to be timed our. that can go wrong. There are o many "It's a wonderful tool when you use When it fall into place it can be beauti- thing that are con randy changing. If it for what it' be t for. But it's not for you ee a hundred of them, you are a ful ' Kneece explains. everything. When you build a house, "Director tephen Herek i a great geniu . You can come up with a good you don't ju t use a hammer. ometimes communicator. We often ride the ragged compo ition, but you need for it to be you need a crewdriver or even glue.' magical. That kind of parkle i illu ive.

In an environment where 9> edge of what the teadicam can do and

[The Steadicam is] a wonderful tool when you use it lor what it's best lor. But it's not lor everything."

"You have to be a good Operator before you can do Steadicam ™."

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN : DP/OPERATOR SERIES

37

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ugge ti n are en ouraged, operating one of the multiple amera can be an e citing cha llenge. "You want to make ure your ugge rion are worthy.

You think about the ryle of the movie, what you've already done, and come up with om thing even better," Kneece ay . It i a remarkable team effort where the crew works hard and upport ea h other. Filming an evening concert on location at an oil refinery i rough at be t. Add tall rower platform for the light and tor hes, a uperTechno rane, a dolly a hand-held cam ra and a readicam in a heavy-metal crowd and Mark Wahlberg on- rage and you have dynamite! ''I'm going to make the be t mo ie I an make, whether I am roasting in the de err or rawling through a canyon of nO\ . It i important to pull ir off in the be r manner that ir de erve ' ay Knee e earne rly.

Filmmaking today demand that every hor we do ha to be perfect. There i n't the rime or money to alway ger another rake. " ome hot mu r die

A snake of smoke routes through many

colored lights and special effects to create a colorful concert setting for the heavy metal band . rhar other may li ve. Ea h hot i n'r going to be the perfect hor to end all hot . 'Let's hoot rhe rehear al and move on' can be very di rre ing. When

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ยง ~ The oil refinery used in the untitled Warner Bros' movie is lit for heavy metal concert. filming The Patriot Ia r fall with Director of Photography Ueli reiger, we were able to rake timer et thing up, think about what we were doing and let the actor hine. I alway rry ro think how the editor i going to ur rhe picture. I try to give them omething ro come in with and go out on.'

Dan wa one of evera l amera peraror Ueli u ed whi le filming econd unit. Yer their home ba e wa larger in iz than many fir t unit . " We would be bouncing ba k and forth f r 2 month equence . The film i going ro be an incredible e perience with it huge et g od de ign, and ab olurely running photography!"

Kneece e claim .

"I met Ueli on The Pntriot through mutual fri nd . W have a great relation hip. He i an incr dibly tal nted per on and the nice t p r on you would ever want tom et. H make you want to b even better at your job. Who c uld a k for anything more? Ueli carrie 'A' and 'B'camera all th time on H r k's film. lt i ery ea y form to come into thi picture w ith the am cr w: gaffer Jim Cree, 'A' cam ra op rator Tom Yat ko, 1'1 a i tant Jo Sanchez and 2"d a i tant ]acqui

Compton among others. The subject matter eemed like fun, lending it elf to the creative proce . There is always omething I can contribute due to my pa t mu ic xperience . I always try to bring a much a I can to the table," Kneece conclude . ~

Dan Kneece SOC, "B" Camera Operator/ Steadicamโ ข, watches a rehearsal.

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN : DP/OPERATOR SERIES

39

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All are rigged for video assist. The Eyemo comes equipped with a built-in LCD monitor and internal batteries for independent operation.

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Ask about Clairmont's special on-board video recorder that enables the Scubacam to be operated totally untethered.

camera in very wet environments (short of actual submersion in water) , Clairmont's splash bags feature an optical glass port to shoot through and a watertight eye cup. Available for all cameras in a variety of configurations, including our exclusive Power Pod bag that covers both the camera and pod as a unit.

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Underwater Video Monitors

Rain Umbrellas Clairmont' "extra touch" is evident in these cu tom-built 5-foot diameter umbrella , which can be attached to the gear head or mounted to a eparate tand. They have roll-down flap (which erve as a rain gutter when rolled up), and store in a handy, compact pouch. Use them in the ummer for hade!

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Seikonic Underwater Light Meters As you might expect, this meter is built and calibrated for underwater operation. It's exceptionally rugged, and can be u ed in depths to 170 feet with complete confidence.

Clairmont' "condom" is engineered to allow mo t of the peri cope to be ubmerged during u e. Features heavy-duty vinyl con truction and double- ealed ecurity.

And There's More ••• Call your local Clairmont office for details on the camera and acce orie we have to make your next water hoot go perfectly. In addition to having a substantial inventory of specialty items, all maintained to the industry's highest standards, you'll be ecure in the knowledge that when we tell you "It' yours"you can count on it. Nobody works harder to erve you than the dedicated taff at Clairmont Camera.

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Bill Molina soc Bill Molina SOC treasurer for more than five years has been an asset of incalculable scope to this organization. Bill is not one who simply balances the checkbook-he balances the debate during Board of Governors meetings where critical decisions are made concerning membership activities such as seminars, the Internet, screenings, the annual picnic and more.

Bill has always approached each meeting with a level head; clearly focused on wha t is best for the SOC membership. His task is daunting at best as he is responsible for sending out membership renewal notices each year (tha t doesn't make him a bad guy),

Bill on the set of

Where Truth Lies

billing advertisers for this magazine, budgeting our annual Lifetime Achievement Awards as well as sundry items

such as the Crane & Remote Head Seminar (not to mention paying the phone bill).

In spite of it all Bill remains a prolific Camera Operator and award winning cinematographer. In 1993 he received the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences EMMYTM nomination in the category of Best Cinematography for the Discovery Channel special Oceans of the Air. Most recently the International Cinematographers Gu ild honored Bill with the Artistic Achievement Award in Cinematography for his black & white films, Le Baton and Reducing Stanley.

Born in Mexico City, Molina graduated from Trinity University with a BA in Film!Television. His first directorial film, Revelation was selected as a Mountain and Southern Regional Finalist in the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences 1981 Student Film Awards- subsequently awarded the University Film and Video Grant. "i'

Bonnie Blake soc Bonnie Blake was on the road at the early age of one when her family was transferred with General Electric from Massachusetts to Pennsylvania to Louisville, Kentucky where she grew up and attended high school.

She graduated magna cum laude from Vanderbilt University majoring in English literatu re. Through a work! study program she worked as a news clerk at The New York Times and fell in love with New York City. After receiving a Master of Fine Arts fro m the University of North Carolin a at Chapel Hill in Thea ter, she moved back to New York and began her film career there in NABET Local 15 as a Camera Assistant.

An intensive summer cinematography program at NYU with Beda Batka helped Bonnie make the transition fro m

42

Bonnie at recent Crane Seminar

theater to film ..Throughout her years in New York she was also a volunteer member of a nonprofit theater collective on the lower Eastside that provided plays, cabaret and music for schools, rehab groups and homeless shelters.

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN: MEMBER PROFILES

Bonnie assisted many wonderful cinematographers in New York and Los Angeles including Lisa Rinzler, Roger Dea kins, Tony Pierce-Roberts, Rob Draper, as well as Declan Quinn, Stephen Katz, Jeff Jur and Fred Elmes on docs, features, TV movies and commercials. One of her best adventures "i'

Molina, continued Currently, Bill is a member of the International Cinematographers Guild and has operated on many TV shows and served as 2"d unit DP on The Pretender among others. Bill's talents do not end there. He has directed Where Truth Lies starring Malcolm McDowell, Kim Cattrall and John Savage. (See Operating Cameraman July-December 1997.)

"Molina, who also served as the cinematographer," stated Weekly Variety, "develops a suitably spooky atmosphere. Molina's moody cinematography is pic's strongest tech credit." Bill's commercial directing credits include Que Pasa.com featuring the music of Gloria Estefan and Agree Shampoo with the late Tejana star Selena.

With all of that Molina's triple threat talents make him one of the most sought-after creative forces on the set.

Blake, continued included working on a documentary in Malawi, Africa about high school girls for the United Nations that premiered at the UN Conference on Women in Beijing. Additionally Bonnie landed a feature that shot in the south of France and Paris.

Bonnie is currently employed as a Camera Operator on features, MOWs and episodic television.

Recently she wrapped a low budget feature Desert Saints starring Kiefer Sutherland and Melora Walters for DP John Newby.

Although she is currently concentrating on her operating work, Bonnie has also served as cinematographer on a variety of projects including a 16mm black and white feature film and a 35mm short that was screened at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival in April.

Bonnie has volunteered her time on many recent SOC-related activities, a trait that traces back to her roots in NYC, of which the SOC is now the beneficiary.

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The Wide Screen Revolution (1952-1970) : An His torical Digression

Non-theatrical ftlmmaking e Qre the Revolution

by Rick Mitchell

Lumiere Cinematographe, front and inside. Courtesy University of Exeter, UK.

Previous installments of this series of articles have concentrated on the Wide Screen Revolution's impact on theatrical filmmaking and exhibition. Also affected were other areas of filmmaking such as documentaries, industrial and educational films, and the home market.

As these areas have rarely been written about in recent years, an historical overview putting them in perspective prior to the Wide Screen Revolution is in order.

44

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN :

WIDE SCREEN REVOLUTION

A

soon as motion pictures were projected for audiences, there was interest in using them for advertising, educational and religious purposes. Edwin S Porter's first job in the business, in 1898, was projecting advertising fi lms from the roof of one New York building to a screen on the building across the street, a presentation quickly shut down by the police because of the traffic-blocking crowds it drew.

Later Porter would get rolling stock and access to rights-of-way for The Great Train Robbery (1903), thanks to contacts he'd made making an advertising fi lm for the Lackawanna Railroad. 路 The Salvation Army, with branches in London, New York and Australia, was one of the first organizations to embrace fi lm, being among the first purchasers of the Lumiere Cinematographe in 1898. The Australian branch made "*>

that country's first documentary that year, and its first multireel-multimedia feature Soldiers of the Cross in 1900.

Footage of their activities from the turn of the 20th Century survives in Salvation Army archives in London, some of which was possibly photographed

by Academy Award winning cinematog-

rapher Ernest Palmer

ASC

(Blood and

Sand, Broken Arrow), who began his career as a Salvation Army cameraman.

To get around the hazards posed by nitrate print stocks, the Army trained projectionists and sent them into the field with portable fireproof booths.

Their film programs consisted not only of their in-house films, but appropriate cartoons, comedies, and documentaries licensed from mainstream companies.

Salvation Army filmmaking activities would continue into the video era.

Everyone wants to use film

Henri Chretien's Hypergonar lens system .

The round lens is the projection adapter; the square lens, an auxiliary anamorphic camera adapter. Circa 1927. Courtesy of the American Widescreen Museum .

In the early Teens (1910s), Henry Ford set up a film unit to record road and crash tests on his cars as well as make promotional films which would be given free to theaters; other automobile manufacturers followed suit, as did the aircraft industry in the '30s and '40s.

As dramatic filmmaking moved westward from New York to Southern California, a parallel industry making industrial films developed in the Mid-

west, principally in Detroit, Chicago, StLouis and Kansas City. Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks began their careers in animation working for such a company in Kansas City.

Falling between the theatrical and nontheatrical markets were the makers of documentaries and newsreels . These were often itinerant cameramen, usually working alone, recording life with the difficulties imposed by the use of nonreflex cameras. They sold their footage to companies that would edit the film into one-reelers which were then shown as novelties in hour-long nickelodeon programs of one and two reel dramatic films, comedies, and cartoons. Such selected short subjects would continue to be part of the program after the arrival of feature film in the Teens and through the introduction of the double feature in the '30s.

In the early Teens, Pathe and Universal began buying footage of actual events from these cameramen and editing them into newsreels. These were successful enough that all the studios soon set up their own units to shoot both newsreels, of which there were usually two editions

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46

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN: WIDE SCREEN REVOLUTION

J

director of photography

per week and travelog .

All of the different type of film de cribed above were hot in 35mm and pre ented in theater in that format. They were printed on nitrate to k, which limited their exhibition to rho e facilirie with the proper protection although orne of the cartoon comedie , and noveltie were reported ly printed on experimenta l 35mm afety rock which enabled them to bee hib-

Theotricol feotures continued to be printed on nitrote stock until 1950, when sofety stocks of comporoble imoge quolity were finolly introduced. ired in orne nontheatrical ituation where theatrical image quality wa not con idered important. Theatrical fea ture continued to be printed on nitrate to k until1950, when afety rocks of comparable image quality were finally introduced.

Pri on and orne univer irie and ho pital in tailed nitrate booth in their auditorium for film pre entation . However the danger inherent in nitrate rock e pecially when handled by untrained proje rioni t a well a the cumberomene of 35mm reel and projector , fru trared the de ire to u e film in educational and religiou in rirurion . film won middle cia re peerability in the Teen , interest grew for a maller, ea ier and afer-to-u e pre entation format that would permit film to be hown in Ia room and churche , and allow amateur to make and how their own film in their home . The obvi-

ou approach wa to lit 35mm film in half bur there wa fear rhar un crupulou manufa turer would do thi with nitrate film. (A 17 Yz mm format would later be introduced for both optical and magnetic ound recording. ) Finally the 16mm format wa adopted in 1923 with Ea tman Kodak and Bell and Howell, among rher , introducing both camera and projector for the new gauge. To help ell the equipment redu tion print of comedie and cartoon from rhe previou decade were made available路 dupe from rhe e print are all that urvive for many of rhe e film .

16mm film for home movie wa embraced by the affluent, including indu try profe ional . Though much of it has shrunk due to improp r torage, a good deal of rhi footage urvive and ha been pre erved a a record of rho e time . In 1928 Ea rman introduced a two-color lenticular rock; Howard Hawk hot footage of hi honeymoon in Hawaii with ir. There wa even a 16mm ver ion of rhe Viraphone film and y rem. ynchronized di

the right for Hypergonar and hiring hretien and ewcomer a con ultant in the development of inema cope.)

The P Goerz American Optical o li en ed ewcomer len and marketed it to the home market a the CinePanor." There wa al o the Filmo Lens Modifier marketed in England in 1929 a a upplementa l len which could "portray grote que cene a een in dream and nightmare . " Year later a colleague of Grant Lobban of the BK T acquired uch a len and thinking it purpo e wa to create wide creen image hot orne footage of rhar type with it. The imple len proved to yield urpri ingly harp image , e pecially when the prime lens wa topped down.

An attempt wa made to market hretien' lens to the home movie

Those wide wide lenses The 16mm home market ven cro ed path briefly with rhe Wide Film Revolution of 1929-30. At that rime three anamorphic len y rems were available: Profe or Henri hrerien' Hypergonar, the Fulvue len developed in England by eorge Ford and FW War on Baker and a 1.5 queeze len developed by idney H ewcomer of ew York. All were demon trated to the tudio bur rejected at the time. (Fo Re earch Dept head Earl ponable' memorie of the e demon rration would lead to that company ecunng

The illustration shows : left, a normal l6mm scene using a l .. lens; center, the same scene using a l 路路 lens plus Cine-Panor; and right, the frame showing a 50% anamorphic squeeze.

Filma Lens Modifier

marker to hoot both wide and tall cene , and a promotional film made for thi purpo e till exi t . The 16mm film wa apparently put together in 1928, according to the Kodak edge code .

It intercut title on both reversal and po itive rock with reduction footage of view of Pari : the arne view a een norma lly, then viewed through an anamorphic len oriented both ~

Cine-Panor was marketed by CP Goerz American O ptical Company of New York . The design was based on computations of Dr Sidney H Newcomer. Courtesy of American Widescreen Museum .

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN : WIDE SCREEN REVOLUTION

47

Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier in the home movie scene in Hitchcock's Rebecca.

horizontally and vertically. Grant Lobban has verified to this author that the footage is most likely Chretien's as he did shoot his tests this way and projected 16mm reduction footage on a double-headed projector he developed, which allowed him to switch between normal and anamorphic views of the same scene. (This projector and some of the surviving footage is in the museum of the Widescreen Association in England.) Mr Lobban and John Belton, author of Widescreen Cinema, have confirmed that Chretien shot tests with the lens oriented vertically to show it could also be used for tall subjects.

Unfortunately, the author has not been able to verify the use of any of these lenses by amateurs at this time, though they were likely used to create the anamorphic-type distortion effects mentioned above in theatrical and nontheatrical films made in the '30s & '40s.

Newsreels Because the Movietone optical sound system developed by Theodore W Case and Earl I Sponable was a single system process, it was readily adaptable to newsreel and documentary use. Indeed, a Fox newsreel cameraman photographed both Lindbergh 's takeoff and his reception in Washington in

48

1927. John Ford used newsreel equipment to shoot part of his short Napoleon's Barber (1928) on location, as did Raoul Walsh and Irving Cummings for the first feature with extensive location shooting, In Old Arizona (1929). Fox even shot selected newsreel footage in its 70mm Grandeur format.

By the early '30s, with sound equipment installed at all the studios, the equipment manufacturers began making it available to industrial filmmakers .

The Educational Market 16mm film came into its own as an educational medium with the introduction of optical sound for it in 1932, the same year that 8mm film, literally 16mm slit in half, was introduced for the home market. (Another format, 9.5mm, was also introduced and used primarily in Europe.) Independent companies which had been doing commercial and industrial films now also began making educational films; new companies, some affiliated with publishers of educational material like Encyclopedia Britannica and McGraw-Hill, were formed specifically for such production.

Getting 16mm prints These films were still shot, edited, and dubbed in 35mm as no acceptable

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN: WIDE SCREEN REVOLUTION

16mm production and post-production equipment had been developed, but the previous practice of making 16mm prints by direct optical reduction was deemed inefficient. Laboratory processing machines of the time were sprocket driven, with the film being pulled through by its perforations, and they were set up for 35mm. Making sprocket wheels for 16mm and constantly having to change them was not considered acceptable. Byron Film Laboratories developed the 35/32 format, in which the images and soundtrack are optically reduced to 16mm size on a special 35mm dupe negative, which is then contact printed to a special 35mm print stock that has 16mm perforations inside the 35 perfs. After developing, the film is slit in half and the outside 35mm perforations slit off. This became the standard method of mass producing 16mm prints and is still used today. With multireel films, the picture and track for one reel are printed down one side of the 35/32 stock and another reel in the opposite direction.

Technicolor developed its own variation of 35/32, initially for making dye transfer prints: for single rank prints, a single row of 16mm images would be printed down the center of a set of 35mm

A key scene in IRebecca' (1 940) revolves around the showing of home movies ancl George Cukor incluclecl such scenes in two of his films. matrices; for dual rank two mirror image rows; for quad rank, four Regular or Super 8 images would be printed.

(Technicolor is rumored to have made Super 8 dye transfer prints on some films used in the cartridge projectors it was vending in the late '60s.) They continued to use this process to make color positive 16mm and Super 8 prints after they abandoned small format dye transfer printing in 1970.

16mm Popularity Despite the Depression, 16mm continued to be popular with the affluent.

A key scene in Rebecca (1940) revolves

----

aro und th e show ing of home mov ies and George Cuk or includ ed such scenes in two of his films, The Women (1939) and Adam's Rib (1949). Eastman introduced its multilayer three co lor Reversa l Koda-

35/32 film Color Master Positive

Color Duplicate Negative

..

-

-

..

-

-

Color Release Prints

chrome stock for both 16mm and 8mm in 1935. The co lor was not as accurate as in later mod ifications of the stock, but there was no oth er method of co lor ph otography at the time; therefore survi ving home mov ies provide th e nea rest thing to an accurate chroma tic record of that period.

Many industry peop le had 16mm came ras and doc umented themselves at play an d sometimes at work . George Stevens' behind-the-scenes footage of th e shooting of Grmga Din (1939) was in cluded in hi s son's doc um entary George Stevens- A Filmmaker's j ourney (1983).

However, Holl ywood's most prominent 16mm filmmakers were comedian Ken Murray and ventril oq ui st Edgar Bergen.

Th e latte r's equipm ent included a single system optical so und camera and his fi lmmak ing activi ties ea rned him an honora ry members hip in th e America n Society of Cin ematogra phers.

And Fred Waller's initial experiments with what would become Cin era ma in volved 11 interlocked 16mm cameras.

16mm began to be viewed as a professional prod ucti on and ex hibiti on med ium during World War II. The govern ment saw film as a way of training large numbers of men and set up spec ial fac ilities at the former

Paramount Astoria Studios in New York and at the Hal Roach Studi o in Cul ver City to make them, using crews recruited from the studios. Though film ed in 35 mm , 16mm reduction prints were shown in military classrooms and in the field; Bell and Howell developed the rugged JAN (Joint Arm y Navy) projector for this purpose. Additionally, red uction prints of Holl ywood features were sent out into th e fi eld to enterta in the troops, often shown to them a yea r or more before their theatrica l release.

..

Just add color

---------------------------------

dye transfer prints. j ohn Ford's The Battle of Midway (1942) and William Wy ler's MemfJhis Belle (1944) were among the nota ble World War II documentaries done this way.

Postwar advances The successfu l use of 16mm during the war opened th e door for the producti on of educa ti onal, religious, and industrial films in th e format, especia lly for film s in color. Prior to this time, the onl y way to make co lor films was to shoot them in eith er three-strip Technicolor or Ci neCo lor and make 16mm Kodachrome reduction prints off a dye transfer or Cin eCo lor print, with results th at were very contrasty with distorted co lors. This technique would continue for film s shot on 16mm Kodachromemak ing Reve rsa l release prints from

Motion pictures had been used for reconnaissance and documentation during World War I, shot with Bell and Howell and Akel ey ca meras on tripods which made th eir use for closeup co mbat ph otograph y difficult.

In th e '20s, Bell and Howell introduced its 35 mm Eyemo, which ran 100ft spoo ls of film and was compact enough to be comfortably handheld. This camera would become popular with co mbat cinematographers but the 100 ft load, a little ove r a minute of screen time, did create problems. The 16mm Fred Waller is pictured with his eleven camera 16mm setup , precursor to Vitarama Flex ible Gunnery Trainer, which led to version, the Filmo or Cinerama . Image circa 1939, from a Cinerama souvenir 70-DR, solved thi s booklet. Courtesy of American Widescreen Museum . problem to an extent as 100 ft of 16mm eith er th e cut original or a reversal print had a screen time of abo ut 3 Y2 minutes. fl as hed to lower the contrast-until the It also eased the problem of co lor.

Prior to th e introduction of Kodachrome late '50s when Eastm an introd uced a co lor intermediate stock specifica ll y in 1935, th ere was no single strand designed for making an internegative off multila ye r color origin al. Going into a battl e zone with a three-strip Technicolor positi ve origin als. The optica l color ca mera or even a two-co lor bipack reducti on to Reversa l technique was also used for making 16mm co lor prints of li ke Cin eColor was unthinkabl e. film s shot in 35mm co lor, in cluding Kodachrome could easil y be used in th e th ose shot on co lor nega tive stocks Filmo with the results bl own up to introdu ced in 1950, until the introduc35mm black-and-white sepa rati ons for ti on of 5253 intermediate stock in ~> the mak ing of Technico lor matrices and

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN: WIDE SCREEN REVOLUTION

49

1956. The author has not been a ble to find out exactly when Technicolor began making 16mm dye transfer prints though this alternative method of making such prints from 35mm color

Nontheatricallilmmaking flourished in the '50s and '60s. preprint was available by the earl y '50s.

Interest in 16mm also increased among post-war documentarians, not only because of the smaller lightweight equipment and longer film capacities, but also the ability to shoot in color.

Travelog and some documentary footage had been shot in 35mm in three-strip Technicolor or CineColor and, in the '40s, on Technicolor Monopack (35 mm Technicolor) and Ansco Reversa l.

The post-war introducti on of the German Arriflex and French Eclair Cameflex or CM-3, along with the introduction of multilayer color negative stocks in 1950, would make such work easier in 35mm for travelogs and documentaries intended for theatrica l release which could be shot under reasonably controlled conditions.

For nature material 16mm was increasingly preferred. Walt Disney started his True-Life Adventure series of shorts and later features initially using footage licensed from nature photographers; he would later hire teams of such photographers to shoot fo otage for specifically themed films.

Nontheatrical filmmaking Nontheatrical filmma king fl o urished in the '50s and '60s. The benefits of using film as an educational tool had been proven by the War and there was an upsurge in productions for classroom use at all levels. Industrial and commercial businesses and tourist burea us also saw promotional films as a way to sell either their products or themselves and sponsored the production of films w hich would be provided for free in 16mm fro m rental libraries.

Evangelist Billy Graham started a company to make religious film s, including some 35 mm theatrical features .

50

Other religio us groups such as Moral Rearmament and Bob Jones University got into mak ing film s, including period pictures, for showing in 16mm at churches of specific denominations. (The miniature and effects work done by Bob Jones's students in 16mm wou ld rate their mention in Raymond Fielding's

was not considered to yield acceptable quality. In a period of economic turmoil, many of the major film stud ios made commercia l and industria l films out of their East Coast facilities as well as making their West Coast facilities availa ble during slow periods. Universal set up a commercial di vision and openly The Technique of Special Effects Cinso licited use of its stages and backlot for ematography.) Holl ywood professiona ls industrial films, as did the Hal Roach were involved in at least two religious Studio and RKO for its Pathe rental lot fi lms shot in 35 mm and widely distribin Culver City. uted to churches: The Prince of Peace To capita lize on post-war affluence, (1949) and Day of Wrath (1954). the a uto companies began introducing each year's new line with major trade By the '50s, no nthea trica l compa nies wo uld have all the technica l shows in Detroit and Chicago, wh ich fac ilities of the major studios including would include spec ially made fi lms of sound stages, state-of-the-a rt editing and the new cars in action. These films were dubbing facilities, animati o n services, often made in Hollywood with professional crews and even name actors. By the ea rl y '50s, these films were being made in Technicolor or CineColor. Car dealers cou ld get 35mm prints to be shown in theaters in their home towns an d/or 16mm prints to be shown to sma ll local groups.

The Regular-8mm for mat also benefited from post-war affluence.

The sma ller, often very Police searching for a demented " fou rth-dimen sional " man si mpl e to operate 8mm in this scene from 40 Man, one of the film s made by cameras found grea ter favor with th e public industrial film companies based in Pennsylvania . th an the increasingly o ptical printers, rear projection capab ili - professional 16mm format. Kodak regties, etc. Robert Altman's first feature ul arl y advertised its 8mm Brownie ca meras in middle class famil y oriented The Delinquents (film ed 1955, released 1957) was made thro ugh the facilit ies magazines such as Life, Time, and The of a Kansas City industrial film comSaturday Evening Post and was one of pany where he was empl oyed. The Blob th e first sponsors of the Disneyland TV (1958 ), 4-D Man (1959), and The Night series, stimulating the interest of what of the Living Dead (1968) were made wou ld become the " film generation" a by indu strial film compani es based in deca de later.

Pennsylvania.

In 1953 professional and ama teur photographic magazines were ful l of The picture portion of film s shot in 16mm was ed ited in that format, articles about 3-D, Cinerama, and CinemaScope, generating excitement but mu sic, sound effects editing, and dubbing would still be done on 35 mm a mong their readers by showing them how they might participate in the Wide optical film stock at the major nontheatrical studi os, both beca use those Screen Revolution. This will be covered studios were set up for such work, and in the next installments. beca use at the tim e, 16mm re-recording

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN: WIDE SCREEN REVOLUTION

S

hooting a jetliner or a helicopter flying at night has alway been a challenge. or roo many aerial cinematographer have had the opportunity to really tretch out, but when you are given the correct tool to work with, a night aerial equence can breathe magic. ln theca e of Drop Zone (Roy Wagner A wa the 1st unit DP) a rucial tory point involved a bad guy D 3 flying above Wa hington D at night while everal kydiver exited the plane. Our camera hip wa a Bell Long Ranger equipped with a Tyler Major

When shooting aircraft at night it is extremely important to use as little light as possible.

Mount and a Pan- rri with a high peed anamorphic 75mm T/2 len . I purpo ely ho e the Tyler over the We cam on thi parti ular hot for it floating attribute v the motion controlled look that the We cam give . The very light indu ed camera movement add the nuan e of a real looking aircraft. Had we been hooting element and compo iring them, then the We am would have been a better tool.

At that time Kodak 5296 had ju t been relea ed and we conducted exrenive te t under real condition for both the film and anamorphic len e . t

liberty to either gain or lo e preci e di ranee from the lighting hip yet reveal ab olutely no Lighting change in angle or inten ity. 1 elected not to color correct the blue light for the tungsten balanced film; however variou degree of cto can be added to your per onal ta re. I did however add Lee 250 to the D 3 tungten landing light which helped pread it beam and gave ju t a touch of pillover to the engine nacelle.

You've all noticed the har h beam from rho e police helicopter ' earch light at night. They are rated well over one million candlepower and a cro ection of their refracted light can be ea ily photographed. When hooting aircraft at night it i extremely important to u e a little light a po ible. Bigger and brighter i definitely not better. By hooting your ubject within the total beam and having that beam extend beyond the width and height of your frame line the air will be tran parent. nly the ubject matter will be reflecting and the little refracting that d e o ur will appear a a very light reduction in ontra t. The exception are where the dew point i in clo e proximity to the air temperature, in which ca e the moist air can how up even under dim lighting condition . Obviou ly rain and drizzle will photograph, and under orne circum ranee thi can be a de irable effect. The other obviou rea on for u ing a little light a pos ible, i to bring up detail in the background by hooting a wide open a po ible. ow that Kodak ha made it Vi ion SOOT olor egative Film 5289/7289, =*> the opporrunitie for hooting

4 000 feet the malle t dire t light ource on the ground i maller in diameter than a grain of the '96 ernul ion. ach and every little city light regi ter a a pinpoint and unfortunately, the city-lit background looked oft. Although only 12 footcandle are needed for a proper e po ure at T/2, I found that by topping down an ther top, while the city light looked mu h harper and acceptable, we lo t orne of the dark gray value . The only viable option wa to pu h the '96 to k 1/z top. The end wa re ult was, although not pri tine very reali tic and ati factory. We'll talk more about Kodak' new 52 9 and how it' reduced the e problem later.

The lighting hip wa a Twin- tar helicopter, outfitted with a battery powered 4K HMI Molepar with the 639 L6 E tra Wide Len mounted in the open doorway. Placing the lighting hip 300' from the ubject gave a beam diameter of 293.2 feet. By u ing u h a big pool of low level light, the tory hip had the This is a frame of 5296 film taken from a laser disk.

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN: AERIAL CINEMATOGRAPHY AT NIGHT

51

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52

THE OPERATI NG CAMERAMAN: AERIAL CINEMATOGRAPHY AT NIGHT

un-compromised aerial cinematography at night have extended themselves tenfo ld, so let's get aggressive and look what it wo uld take to shoot a Boeing 747-400. It's 231 feet 10 inches long and has a wingspan of 195 feet 5 inches. With the new Vision 5289, only three footcand les are required to create a norm al exposure at T/1.4. Utilizing the HMI 6K Molepar Type 6401 with the Wide Lens #64031 , set at a dista nce of 574 feet, the lumin ance is 3 footcand les and the beam diameter is just over 53T which gives us about 150 feet of coverage beyond both the nose and taiL Due to the drop off of the light's intensity around the outer circumference of the beam, the cen ter or meat of the beam wi ll cover the entire pl ane in even light.

Many airliners are painted with a high gloss Emeron fini sh, wi th the most co mm on co lor being white. Wi th the fuselage being tubul ar, th e single source back light creates a natural rim light along th e en ti re length of the roof. This ca n crea te an un wa nted miniature effect which in essence draws attenti on to the artificia l light so urce, but can be reduced

A natural rim light along the [airplane's] roof can create an unwanted miniature effect ... by tacking the plane's paint with a very thin coat of washable flat gray with a neutral density of .15 or less. This subtle techniqu e will help keep the plane from reflecting too much light and replicate a more natural moon light effect.

Th e lighting fi xture and lamp operator need to be situated in a plane that has an open ing for the fi xture and is capa ble of sustai ning the same cru ise speed as the subj ect plane. A C123 cargo pl ane, whi ch crui ses at 170 knots with a max imum speed of 240 knots, can be used, and it has a rear facing cargo door that opens in fli ght. By mounting th e par on a Weaver-Steadman, the lamp operator can make small, yet smooth and undetectable adj ustments to keep the subj ect plane centered in the pool of light. He should have a range find er which will help him determin e the distance between the lighting aircraft that

he' in and the ubject aircraft. The pilot of the lighting hip will be able to rough in hi po ition (di ranee wi e), but the lamp operator will aid him with hi finetuned po irion, by reading the di ranee on his meter and relaying the information to the lighting hip pilot.

The light' power ource hould be a cry tal generator capable of with tanding 65 amps continuou ly. Barrerie can be u ed, but they almo t alway tend to quit ju t when you are ready to roll film. ta away from them if at all po ible. arbon monoxide poi oning i a potential hazard when operating gen erator aboard aircraft and precaution mu t be taken for the crew' afery. n

Each crew member should be supplied with a carbon monoxide detector ... exhau t e tension mu t be u tom made and ported out the rear of the plane and the generator' kill witch mu t alway be acce ible. Due to the low air pre ure that i prevalent at the rear of all air rafr the po ibiliry e i t that even though the plane will be traveling at about 200 knot the exhau t can come back into the cabin. Each crew member hould be upplied with a carbon mono ide detector that i either atra hed to their clothing or within eye ight of their \J ork tati n. In the event of a ga leak the generator mu t be hut down immediately. he king for carbon mono ide mu r be a part of the initial check flight prior to the actual filming.

U ually, ' hen hooting airliner , I utilize either the Learjer mounted A rr vi ion r e torvi ion y rem . ince the e y rem have a T/6.3 and T/5.6 maximum aperture re pecrively, they have to be ruled our for night work.

If hooting pherical, prime len e like rhe Zei T/1.4 uper p ed hould be utilized with a pin regi rered camera. In alifornia, we have acce to a cu tom B-25 Bomber that ha a bra ket in rhe yr phere, Libra Ill or the new Gyron F from Bob ettmann. In addition the plane' no e e rion ha a virtual 'room" where a remote head an be

mounted and attended to for forward looking ene .

II of the crew member will require a hor-mic inter om y rem o they an communicate berween the three air raft. Before the r ry hip i brought into po ition rhe camera hip hould a ume the tory ship' po irion .

The DP u ing a foot andle meter hould rake a reading and confirm the de ired f or andle reading through a clear window. n e the t ry hip i in place, and the camera hip ha attained a de irable po ition the DP should rake rhe final reading with hi pot meter. Be au e lighting adju tmenr need to rake place lely by increa ing or decrea ing the di tan e b rween the light and the ubject the DP mu r determine which part of the illuminated tory hip hall be u ed for the ba e T- top. Wh n lit like the D 3 in the photo (bottom of page 5 J ), rhe kin above the cockpit and no e will alway be the brighre r pot due to it curvature in relation hip to the light and len .

The lamp operator mu tal o ha e b rh half- ingle and half-double rim and mu r attenuate rhe light if the no e of the tory hip will be noticeably clo er to rhe light than rhe rail. hooting helicopter at night i

The new Gyron FS, which will fit in the tail of the B-25 . a tually an ea ier ra k due to rhe ize of the aircraft. An A- tar one of rhe mo r common helicopter i only 42.45 feet long and can ea ily be lit by a 1,200 Watt HMI Par with an ele tronic flicker-free balla r. The rotor blade ometime trobe irregularly and are di c ncerring to the eye. By making very light adju tment to the camera peed and looking through the eyepiece with a 180 degree hurter, a =*>

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THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN: AERIAL CINEMATOGRAPHY AT NIGHT

53

pattern in the rotating blades can be created that is acceptable. The actua l strobing image is 180 degrees different than what is being recorded on the film, and is in essence a mirror image, but by

When shooting a cityscape air to ground using only available light, refrain from using zoom lenses. knowing that, you can create a desired rotorblade signature and be assured that it will look as you predicted when yo u watch the dailies.

Quite often, the owners of the helicopter will attempt to intervene and sell you the concept of using their Night Sun xenon fixture as the only viable too l to light helicopters with. There are severa l factors which should be kept in mind about these high-powered fixtures. They are far too bright, have a dead zone in the center, and vibrate noticeably. Their

remote pan and tilt controls are not variab le and have sudden jerking motions at the beginning and end of each movement. If the helicopter to be filmed is to appear to be bathed in moonlight, the N ight Sun is not the correct tool. However, if yo u are shooting air to ground, and the effect is that you are witnessing a pilot's POV of what is being seen in a search light's beam, then it's ideal.

When shooting a cityscape air to ground using only available light, refrain from using zoom lenses. The T/3 or greater limited stop will yield very little shadow detail. High-speed primes are preferred, a nd w hen using the Wescam, Gyrosphere, or Gyron FS, they can be under cranked to 20 fps to increase the exposure range, witho ut revealing the gag. At 24 fps the foo tage almost always appears to be over cranked at 28-30 frames, so you can use the gyro mounts' stabi lity in your favor.

The possibilities of aerial cinematography at night have not even come close to being exploited. With the new stocks, which under certain circumstances can

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be pushed by a Y4 , Y2 , or even a full stop, the film manufacturers have opened the door for new creative opportunities, and we've only mentioned film in this article. Because of the advent of the new video cameras and their powerful optics, shooting aeria l scenes at night may become as common-place as shooting night exteriors on the ground .

TRIVIA: A full moon creates 0.017 footcandles. When shooting Eastman 5289, 24 fps, at T/1.4, the exposure is still 7\11 stops under. A proper exposure wo uld require film with an EI rating of 150,000.

Stan McClain's background is in aerial cinematography, starting as an assistant in 1972. He's been a DP since 1986, works primarily on 2nd units and commercials, and continues with his aerial cinematography. He's a member of Local 600's Western Regional Council, Large Format Camera Association, DCA, and past President of the Society of Operating Cameramen.

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54

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN: AERIAL CINEMATOGRAPHY AT NIGHT

Phil Sch wartz SOC, Bonnie Blake SOC, and Mark Burnett of Bexel

SOC Seminar

In Memoriam: Lothrop Worth Lo th ro p Worth , the man w ho created the techniques for the '50s 3-D fa d , passed away recentl y at the Moti on Picture H ome in Woodla nd H ills at 96 where he'd been li ving for severa l years .

W hen he fi rst started in the industry, Worth was told he sho uld be an acto r, but he was interested in do ing something technica l, which he felt wo ul d be more lasting. H e beca me a ca mera opera tor, with a brief stin t as sound technician, and DP'd a number of films.

During a hi atu s in th e ea rl y '50s, he deve loped a techni que wi th mirrors that gave th e illu sio n of depth onscreen. H e used thi s " natu ra l visio n," as he ca lled it, to film hi s first 3-D mov ie, Bwana Devil (1952) . Jack Wa rner of Wa rner Bros immediately signed Worth a nd hi s pa rtn er to do House of \\'lax (1953) starri ng Vincent Price.

Wo rth 's later movie credits include

1 \\'las a Teenage Frankenstein, Billy the Kid us Dracula, a nd Hostile Guns. H e wa director of cinematogra ph y fo r such TV series as The Donna Reed Show a nd The Real McCoys . O n I Dream of j eanie, he coordin ated Bar bara Eden va po rizing in and out of her bottle.

An a rticle in th e July-December 1997 Operating Cameraman feat ured Wo rth and two other ea rl y filmm a kers at the Moti on Picture H ome reminiscing a bo ut how they'd gotten sta rted, what the pay was like and how they'd go abo ut shooting a movie "way back w hen. "

Bexel Showcases Hi-Def Digital Video O n May 8th the first in a series of everyday production situations . semin ars showcasing the latest in Hi gh The qu estion of long term storage Definiti on digita l video ca meras was ca pa bility was discussed extensively. offered by Bexe l (www.bexel.com ) in O ur concerns were addressed by a Burbank for SO C members. We we re representati ve of Sony w ho supplied asse mbled in their video pro jecti on information abo ut the latest equipment roo m to view side by side compa risons (backward compati ble) created to ass ure that d igital video shot toda y will be of HD 24 p video a nd 35 mm film of rece nt primetime p roductions. Needl ess re trieva ble many years fro m now.

The opportunity of employing video to say this was an eye opener for those w ho wo uld have never th ought video for series wo rk that emp loys blue/green could measure up to 35 mm film . screen and visual effects might best Altho ugh we scrutini zed the foo tage cl osely and most favore d the film , the very fact that th e video was so close in a pparent qu a lity ca used us to pa use and refl ect on 'what was and what might be,' especially o n Jeff Goldenberg , Andrew Rolands SOC, Michael Fred ian i SOC, series T V. Ma rk Burnett and Philip Schwartz SOC at the Bexel sem inar. and J ohn Keesee be served using high defin ition d igital of Bexe l then offered us the chance to o pera te a high definiti on ca mera in their allow ing the director and DP to see the custom built studio . Constructed as a compilatio n of their efforts before wrapping producti on fo r the day. T his may pa inters studio with a ll studio lights on dimmers a ll owing the foot-candles to in fact be a few yea rs away but is wo rth dwell towa rd the depths of expos ure pondering now. It is not too late to pu ll o ur hea ds from the sand and embrace to lerances, the high definiti on ca mera the too ls that will take us into the new was a ble to p ull deta il o ut o f the shadows just as film is requi red to do in century.

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN: NEWS & NOTES

55

Di vision, Sea n is looki ng forward to serving out his time in the Marines as a Sean Fairburn has been promoted Combat Ca mera Officer. to Warrant Officer in the United Sta tes " I have been a freelance cameraMari ne Corps Reserves and will be man for as long as I've been in th e Marines," said Sean, "and I am honored commanding the 4th Marine Division Co mbat Camera Unit. The ap pointment by thi s appo intment and promoti on comes from Congress and is to Warrant Offiintended to fill the Visual cer which allows Information Officer position me to do for the for the Division.

Marine Corps Sean's unit will be what I love to responsible for all Digital & do as a civilian : Still Photography, Ana log, tell th e story Digital, High Definition, with a ca mera, and Non-linear Video, and any ca mera . As Film Acquisition for operaa member of the ti ons go ing on aro und the SOC thi s opporworld in volving Marines .

Sean Fairburn tunity gives me the chance to train The objecti ves range from young Marine photog-rap hers and documentary to news ga th ering and cameramen to shoot in combat and from strategic to broadcast for training hopefull y prepare them for a future in and ed uca ti on. the rea l world . So look for me in th e Having served in the Marine Corps next War .. .Movie.

Reserve for 13 yea rs and a Veteran of "Semper Fidelis."

Operation Desert Storm with 2nd Light WO. B. Sean Fairburn SOC/ Armored In fantry Battalion 2nd Marine USMCR Combat Camera 4th Mar Div.

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At the National Executive Board Meeting in Janu ary, the new cover of the Local 600 Directory was on display, and guess who won the competition? Yes, Mark Leins, the same guy who designs the Operating Cameraman magazine covers. Way to go, Mark!

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56

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN: NEWS

& NOTES

Breakfast Meetings Include Product Demos

Stephan Lukas Bradley demonstrating the remote control unit by Arriflex who generously sponsored that month 's breakfast meeting at the Motion Picture Home in Woodland Hills. Far right: January 15th Breakfast meeting at the Motion Picture

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THE O PERATING CAMERAMAN : NEWS

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57

Photos from the SOC Camera Operators Workshop at Panavision Woodland Hills Stage #1 on 3/25/00 1. Group including SOC President, DPs, Trainers, SOC members. of camera movement and visual storytelling ."

2 . Stephen lighthill ASC with Andy Romanoff of Panavision 5 . Doug Knapp SOC introducing use of " Hot Gears" equipment.

Remote .

6 . Doug Knapp SOC showing aHendees footage that utilizes " Hot Gears" equipment.

3 . The afternoon panel Q&A: SOC President Georgia Packard , Doug Knapp SOC, Paul Babin SOC, Charles Minsky (DP, SOC 7 . Robert Primes ASC brings us up to speed on the Super member), Robert Primes ASC , Stephen lighthill ASC. Technocrane . The sequence he designed challenged even the 4. Opening tra iner Stephen lighthill ASC discussing "the design most accomplished operators . ~

58

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN : NEWS

& NOTES

8

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7

SOC Seminar

Panavision Hosts Saturday Camera Operators Workshop On arurday, March 25th over 60 amera Operator gathered on rage 1 ar Panavi ion to get their hand on operating the Millennium amera on a brand new Fi her dolly with Hot Gear , and on the uperTechno rane from Panavi ion Remote. Director of Photography offered rips they have learned over the year , uch a how to execute a hot operating handheld while walking backward down a idewalk filming an actor a a new reporter would only to ha e rhe DP pur a big light right in the middl of your path (DP huck Min ky tory from hi day a a camera operator). DP reven Lighthill, A di cu ed how an operator i an integral part of the filmmaking team: the politic of making ugge rion , rhe value of an operator who can fine e/work out the move while the DP turn ro concentrate on lighting and creating the vi ual feel of rhe ene. Doug Knapp howed how he i utilizing hi Hot Gear in rhe confine of everal mall et of tar Trek:

Voyager. Bob Prime A demon trated the capabilitie of the Panavi ion uperTechno and et up a beautiful moving hot that re ted everyone' operating ability.

After a delightful repa t of chicken Dijon, Ia agna and ae ar alad in rhe Panavision afereria the panel of inemarographer and demon trator , including amera Operator Paul Babin o fielded que tion from, and traded idea with, the group of attendee . Panel moderator, emcee of the day, and 0 Pre idem Georgia Packard aid of the event, "It i wonderful getting u h a wealth of experience and technical equipment together on a ound rage. What you di cover i the de ign of the hot are really only limited by your imagination, and maybe rhe ize of rhe production' waller. Rarely are we able to a k detailed que rion and try our the camera move while making the hot. A great luxury.

Very exciting. And a lot of fun.'

8. Paul Babin SOC, camera operator working out move with Eulanda Bailey, camera assistant (right) and dolly grip.

9 . Charles Minsky. l 0 . Charles Minsky, Director of Photography, introducing camera dolly movement and design with operator Paul Babin

soc.

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN: NEWS

& NOTES

59

Holiday Screening December bring an a orrmenr of holiday . The ociery of Operating ameramen pre enred Toy tory 2 at the Loui B Mayer creening Room at the Motion Picture Home in Woodland Hill in 1999. Mr and Mr lau offered a lap and a candy cane for a unique family photo opportunity with the giveaway camera generou ly provided by urti Jone and the people at Ea rman Kodak. everal re idem joined in around the tree to celebrate the o ca ion. mall t king gift were provided by the 0 to help mark the children afternoon while their parent wi hed each other a ery Happy Holiday.

Be ure to check the 0 Hotline and web ire for rhi year' Holiday reening and other exciting event a they rake place. The 0 wi he everyone a afe and joyou holiday eason.

New Editor

urrent 0 Pre idem Georgia Packard wa on the r of Charmed vi iring it amera Operators: 0 Pa r Pre idem Mike Frediani (left) and new Operating ameraman magazine editor George rephen on (right).

Another Death

The SOC received the sad news that one of our retired members, Captain John W Hussey, died on May 12, 2000 of congestive heart failure . We send our condolences and wish his sister Velma Wilson and the rest of his family all the best.

60

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN: NEWS

& NOTES

Another Communicator Award for Silvera

Osvaldo Silvera Jr SOC of Miami FL has Heads Up Display Glasses, so Osvaldo won another Commun icator Award, this could see what the camera was pointing at whil e handholding the camera at waist time for a Domestic Violence Ca mpaign height for the child's POV. for the Na tional Coalition aga inst Osva ld o also recently operated for Domestic Violence. It was directed by the 35mm short film Sticky Fingerz Alex Ferrari of Enigma Films. directed by Kendra Meyer and shot in The spot was a continu ous take, shooting at 12 fps, th en stretching it Miami , which shou ld be finished by earl y back to real time to crea te a blurred September. streaking effect wh ich increased the intensity of the spot, givi ng the viewers the sense th at they were one of the victims in the scene. In the spot, the ca mera becomes th e eyes of a young girl in an abusive environmen t, running through a hall, grabbing her favorite stuffed anim al, onl y to be li fted and struck by her uncontrollab le fa ther, all set in a dreary pasty blue semi monochrome color. It was shot with a 35BL, Color Tap and 2 photos of Osvaldo Silvera Jr, SOC

Size matters ... ours is smaller!

• Brains not bulk.

Microprocessor based. Crafted with care to minimize size and weight. User-friendly displays eliminate guesswork.

• Compatibility and connectors to spare.

Multiple Arri-standard Fischer 11-pin and 3-pin accessory connectors. Fully wired to make popular industry standard accessories work with the Compact.

• Expanded speed range and more.

2.000 to 50.999 fps, phasing , forward/reverse, and single-framing . No need for 64-pin box.

• Lens Light with brightness control.

Flexible 20-inch goose-neck positions light above the work area.

See us on the web at: www. CinematographyE/ectronics. com

5321 Derry Avenue, Suite G • Agoura Hills, California 91301 • USA • Phone (818) 706-3334 • Fax (818) 706-3335

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN:

NEWS & NOTES

61

The Socicf\1 of Opcratil1S Camcramrn Awarbs Dal1q~ct Sunda~October1st

Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey Cocktails on the terrace: Dinner:

5:00-6:30 6:30

PM PM

Awards Presentation:

For tickets, please

7:00PM

contact the SOC at PO Box 2006 Toluca Lake, CA 91610 Phone (818) 382-7070

MASTER OF CEREMONIES: TOM HATTEN

AOVER.TISER.S' INDEX . .. .......... 56

Advanced Camera Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

J L Fisher . ..

AeroCrane .... ......... ......... . ........... ... 15

Mr. Time Lapse . . . . ....... . . . .... . ... .... .. ..... 57

Band Pro ............. . .............. . ... ..... .. 14

Otto Nemenz .. . . .. ... . ... . ............ .. ....... 16

Bogen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52, 53

Panavision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . inside back cover

Chapman Studio Equipment . ..................... 34

Panavision Remote Systems . . . . . . .. . .. .. . ..... .. 45

Cine Video Tech .................. . . .... .. ... . ... 18

Photo-Sonics. . . . . .

Cinematography Electronics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Plus 8 Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Clairmont ........... .... . ....... ..... ...... 40-41

Reed Exhibition Companies . . .

Custom Interface ........ .... . ... ... . .. ......... 18

Sch neider Optics ................................ 3

Eastman Kodak . ..... ....... . ..... . .. . .. back cover

Schumacher. . . .

........

. ... ... . . . .. .. . ... 12

Ferra Camera Mounts ...... .. .. . . . . ..... .. .. .... 23

Strada Crane. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

FilmTools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Tiffen........... .

Fuji Photo Film ..................... inside front cover

Tyler Camera Systems...... .... ..

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN :

NEWS & NOTES

. .... . ....... 43

...... ........ 4

Ed-Venture Films/Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... 18

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. ........ . ... 54

. .... . ..... 24 . ............ 33 . .. ... . . . .... 5

SOC makes a hit at two Expos ShowBiz Expo & CineGear were a hit! Hundreds of people came to our booth to proudly buy SOCWear and magazines.

A wonderful time to say hello to people we had n't seen in a while and to meet new ones. Thanks to Ernie Reed, the event's co-chair, and to th e SOC member vo lunteers: Hal Shiffman, Guy Bee, Greg Coll ier, Bonnie Blake, Dave Frederick, Rand y Feemster, AI Gonza lez, Maja Broz, Eul anda Bailey, Philip Schwartz, David Zera, Stan McClain, Michael Chambliss, Sean Fairburn , and Mike Jones. Lyn n Lanning was there selling Bill Hines' books. We had a wonderful time representing a fantastic organ izati on, the Society of Operating Cameramen!

The Panel at ShowBiz Expo Conference 2000 are Dan Kneece, SOC President Georgia Packard , Anette Haellmigk, Norm Langley, and Susan Campbell .

ShowBiz Expo Conference Panel

Mic hael Sa nty braved the hot sun and "d id " CineGear out on th e balcony of the new Los Ange les Stages with moi, staying until the end whil e I dashed to ShowBiz for our SOC Panel Conference on "The Art and Technique of Camera Operating." The superb even t prov ided informative and interesting stories from such illustrious SOC members as Susan Campbell, Anette Haellmigk, Dan Kneece, Norm Langley and Georgia Packard. The large late-afternoon audience was attentive and appreciative. Even Jost Vacano was there as an ardent supporter. SOC stole the "S how"!

-Georgia Packard soc

Dan Kneece SOC: Steadicamn 1 operator, commercials, and B Ca mera operator on feature films including The Patriot, Metal God, Blue Velvet, Lost Highway, jackie Brown, Wild at Heart Twin Peaks (feature film and TV series), Scream and Crimson Tide.

Susan Campbell SOC: earl y in her career toured with Bill Graham Presents Live Concerts, and later with musical artists from David Bowie to Garth Brooks. Her credits include sitcoms, Mad TV, Sunset Beach, MTV Live from London and numerous sports seasons of baseball and foo tball.

Anette Haellmigk SOC: Has moved from operating on a long list of internati onall y reknowned feature films including Das Boot, Total Recall, The Never Ending Story, and House of the Spirits to Director of Photography 2nd Unit for Starship Trooper, Showgirls, Untamed Heart, Never Been Kissed, and Hollow Man, as well as numerous commercials.

Norm Langley SOC: Camera Operator for Harlem Nights, Bird, Before Women Had Wings, Indiana jones and the Last Crusade, The Dead Pool, The Color Purple, Another 48 Hours , and Roots has also enj oyed work ing on the successfu l primetime episod ic shows Picket Fences and The Practice.

Moderator Georgia Packard, SOC President: Continues working on documentary film s, sitcoms, feat ures such as Trader Ed and the Holy Grail, Now Chinatown, Get Your Stuff, stunts and remote ca mera hea ds for Metal God, Austin Powers 11: The Spy That Shagged Me and PUNKS.

At the CineGear booth: Georgia Packard , SOC President and Michael Santy, Secretary.

Georgia Packard , Anette Haellmigk, and Susan Campbell are among the talented camera operators who are visibly changing the look of the camera crew.

ShowBiz Expo SOC Booth wishes everyone all the best from Georgia Packard , Mojo Broz, and Ernie Reed.

THE OPERATING CAMERAMAN: NEWS & NOTES

63

!JWster of tlie Society of Operating Cameramen CHARTER

John A Connell

Wayne L Ke lley

Fl ori s Sijbesm a

Richard Garbutt

Haskell Wexler, ASC

CORPORATE

Parker Bart lett

Tom Connole

Glenn M Kirkpatri ck

Jam es Garvey

Shau n W heeler

AEROCRANE

Pa ul Basta

Iva n Craig

Doug las H Knapp

O svaldo Silvera . Jr Jamie Sil verstein

Harvey Genkins

Calvin T Wood

M ichael Benson

Richard A Cull is

Dan Kneece

Ph ilip Sindall

Wayne Goldwyn

N oel Adrian Wyatt

ARRIFLEX

Howa rd Block

Michael L Cu lp

Rory Robert Knepp

Guy Skin ner

AI Gonza lez

Tony Ya rl ett

CORPORATION

M ike Cheva lier

Joseph C D' Alessandro

Robert Kos itchek

Sandy Spooner

Phil Gri es

W Allen York

Sam Drummy

Rocky Da nielson

Kris Kross kove

Stephen St John

Wynn Hammer

David R Zera

CHAPMAN/ LEONARD

Vilmos Zsi gmond, ASC

STUDIO EQUIPM ENT

Greg Pedri ck

Bill Russell

Joe Epp erson

Ri chard W Davis

Robi n Lawless

Michael Stramisky

Robert Hayes

Ron Francis

Ma rk T Davison

Joshua Lesser

David Stump

John Hi ll

Bill Gahret

Ray de Ia Motte

Ke n Libby

Brian Sweeney

Chris Hood

Peter Hapke

Eric DeBiackm ere

Hugh Liftin

Jam es H Sweeney

Kent Hug hes

Bruce Doerin g

Bob Keys

Kris Den ton

Lynn Lockwood

Gene Talvin

Carrie lmai

William A Fraker, ASC

Norm Langley

David Diana

Th omas Loizeaux

Stephen A Tate

Greg ory Irwi n

Ro n Howard

Ed M orey

Troy Dick

George Loom is

Taj Teffaha

John Jennings

Ron Kelley

Lee N aka hara

David E Elkins

Allan Lum Li

Richard 1 iedem ann

Th om as Patri ck Johnson

Kathleen Kennedy

EASTMAN KODAK

Jay Nefcy

David Emmeri chs

Gregory Lundsgaa rd

John To ll, ASC

Frank E Johnson, ASC

Jerry Lewis

COMPANY

Leig h N icholson

Steve Essig

Ke nji Lu ster

Tsuneyuki To m eta ka

Kurt Jo nes

A Linn M urphree MD

John N og le

Jam es Etherid ge

Vincen t C M ack

John Trapman

M ichael A Jones

David Myers

Dan N orris

Brant S Faga n

Hea ther M acKenzie

Jay Roth

Tom Faigh

Paul S M agee

Jeffery J Tufano Pern ell Tyus

Cathy Ka navy

David Nowell

Doug las Kirkland

Steven Spielberg

Leonard T Chapman Charl es I Huenergardt

HONORARY

CLAIRMON T CAMERA Denny Clairmont DELU XE LABORATORIES David Lee Hagberg

Curtis E Jones FUJI PHOTO FILM USA Donna Stacer FUJI NON, INC

Wayn e O rr

Benjamin Sean Fairburn

Jam es M ann

Robert Ulland

Michael Kl imchak

Fra nk Stanley, ASC

Erni e Reed

David B Fang Yuen

Jamie M ax tone-Graham

Paul D Va rri eur

Robert La Bange

George Toscas

GEO FILM GROUP HYDRO FLEX

Michael Scott

Ra ndal Feemster

Stan M cClain

Ed wa rd Ven tura

George La Fountaine, ASC

Hal Shiffma n

Michael Ferris

Donald M M cCuaig

Bill Waldman

Erwin Landau

LIFETIME Wi lliam E Hines

John Newton George Nolan

Michael St Hilaire

Kenneth Ferro

Rob ert L Mehnert

Victoria Wa lker

Thomas Lappin

Ray Stella

Lance Fi sher

Anas tas N M ichos

William Webb

Steva n Larn er, ASC

Joseph F Valentine

Aa ron Fitzgerald

William E Mills

Ai ke n Weiss

Lee David Laska

RETIRED

Ron Vidor

Eric Fletch er

Wil liam M olina

Ki t Whitmore, CSC

M ark R Leins

Berni e Abram son

Ho uman Forough

Lawrence P M oody

Bri an Keith Wilcox

Alan J Levi

Eugene As hbrook

Scott Greene JL FISHER COMPANY James L Fisher Dennis Knopf LEE FILTERS Sean Hise

ACTIVE

lan Fos ter

Rob ert M oore

Bill Will iam s

M ark Levin

Rupert Benson, Jr

Art Adam s

Th om as Fraser

Chris M oseley

RL Wise

Ray M cCort

Bob Berry

NETIMANN SYSTEMS

Derek M Allen

Michael Fred iani

Don M uirhead

Ian D Woolsto n-Smith

llya Li e-Ni elsen

AI Bettcher

INTERNATI ONAL

Lee Alli son

M ike Freem an

Sean M urray

M cKeen M ick Worth en

Roland

Sai l Ari di

M ichael Richard Frift

M ichael Negrin, ASC

Wa rren Yeager

Ri chard M arks

Don Burch

OCONNOR

Ted Ash ton, Jr

Rus ty Geller

William R Nielsen, Jr

Eli za beth Zieg ler

Dr Ellen M atsumoto

Phil Caplan

ENGINEERING LABS

Bill Asm an

M ichael Genne

Randy N olen

M ic hael P McGowan

Bruce Ca tli n

John H Atkinson

Way ne Getchell

Tam as P N yerges

ASSOCIATE

Nick Mcl ea n, Sr

Bi ll Clark

OTIONEM EN Z INTERNATIONAL

I Luna

Ernst " Bob" Nettmann

Vee Bod rero

Joel johnson

Paul Babi n

William Gierh art

William O ' Dro binak

David S Adelstein

John McPherson, ASC

Cliff Concialdi

Christopher J Ba ffa

Allen Gonzales

Russell Ofria

Gary-O iy n Arm strong

Charles M insky

Jim Connell

Vincen t Baldino

Lee Grover

Andrew Oliver

M ark As hley

K Ad riana M odlin

Don Cropper

Gerard Banales

John Gunselma n

Lucio Olivieri

Eu landa Bailey

N eil M oreno

Robert Feller

Stewart Barbee

Anette Haellmigk

Rafael O rti z-Guzm an

Chuck Barbee

Ri chard M osier

M ike Ferra

Jeff Barklage

Dennis Hail

Georg ia Packard

Bonnie Blake

Scott T Mumfo rd

Gerald Perry Finnerman, ASC

Ricardo Barreda

Chris Hayes

Charl es Pa pert

Peter Bonilla

Joshua S N arin s

Jerry Fuller

Tom Barron

David Haylock

David Parrish

Doug las Busby

Sol N egrin, ASC

Jerry Good

Ga ry H Ba um

Steven F Heuer

Phil ip Pastuhov

Bruce Card ozo

Gil Haimson

Guy Bee

Sean Higg ins

Aa ro n Pazanti

Kirk Chiswell

John N ewby Andrew Parke

Tim Sellen

Ro nald Hig h

Mike Pierce

Ed Clare

Ted Polmanski

Gary Holt

Lu tz Hapke

Richard Benda

Charl es M Hill, Jr

Robert Presley

Greg Collier

Serge Poupis

Bill jo hnson

Jam es Blanford

Jeffrey Hoffm an

Randall Ro binson

Robert E Collins

Ri chard Rawlings Jr, ASC

David Kurland

Robert C Boccaccio

Joachim Hoffm ann

David Robman

Richard Crudo

Bill Rei ter

Joseph Longo

Ri chard Bolter

Rob ert Cha pman Horn e

An dy Rom ano ff

Jam es A Dennett

Alan Richter

Steve Lydecker

David Boyd

Gary Huddleston

Peter Rosenfeld

Ro nald Deveaux

M arvin Ru sh, ASC

Owe n Marsh

Scott Browner

Philip Hurn

Michael S Roth

David Dibble

M ehran Salamati

Bob M arta

M ichael K Bucher

David Insley

And rew Rowlands

Robin Buerki

Levie Isaacks

Jam es Ru sh

George Spiro Dibie, ASC Carl M artin Schumacher, Sr M ichael M cClary Bob Sea m an Emmanuel Metaxas Patrick Michael Dolan

Stephen S Campanelli

Sim on Jayes

Tom Sanders

Kevin Downey

George W Singer, Jr

King Nicho lson

Susa n A Ca mpbell

Michael A Johnson

Michael San ty

Paul Duclos

Jan Sluchak

Arn old Ri ch

Cap t Jose A Card enas

Steven Jones

Ri chard J Schaefer

Bert Dunk, ASC

Owen Stephens

Sa m Rosen

Robert Carm ichael

Jacques Jouffret

Chuck Schuman

Gary Eckert

Tara Summers

Frank Ruttencutter

M ichael W Chambliss

John H Joyce

Philip Schwa rtz

Michael Escobosa

Ronald Turows ki

Lo u Schwartz

Louis Chanatry

David Judy

Alicia Craft Sehring

John C Flinn Ill, ASC

Roy H Wa gner, ASC

Phil Stern

Joe Chess, Jr

M ark D Ka ren

Brad Shield

Ma rk Form an

Craig W Walsh

Sven Walnum

Julian Chojnacki

Michael Ka rp

Allan H Sid ney, Jr

Peter F Frintru p

Brian Watkins

Ben Wolf

Gregory Paul Collier

64

THE OPERATING C AMERAM A N :

SOC ROSTER

Ka rl Kresser PACE TE CHNOLOGIES Vicenzo M Pace PANAVISION Tracy Langan PHOTO-SONICS Conrad Kiel SCHNEIDER OPTICS Stan Wallace SONY ELECTRON ICS Larry Thorpe TECHNICOLOR I CFI Adam Chuck TECHNOCRAN E LTD Simon Jayes VINTEN, INC Ken Schwenk

ROSTER CURRENT AS OF 7/ l S/ 00