Camera Operator 2011 Awards

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AWARDS EDITION 2011

US $7.00

WWW.SOC.ORG Litepanels A Vitec Group brand ®

CAMERA OPERATOR

Features

Jennifer Lawrence in Winter’s Bone

Wading through the Ozarks on Winter’s Bone An interview by Steve Fracol SOC Camera Operator Alan Pierce talks about the RED on location in the Ozarks; overcoming obstacles (like the weather) and making it work.

Cover

SEBASTIAN MLYNARSKI

Rebecca Hall and Ben Affleck in The Town

SPECIAL AWARDS EDITION 2011

CLAIRE FOLGER

VOLUME 20, NUMBER 1

10

Lensing the Facebook Story: The Social Network

by Steve Fracol SOC and Jack Messitt SOC Camera Operator Peter Rosenfeld SOC and DP Jeff Cronenweth ASC discuss working on the film with director David Fincher.

18

On Location in Boston: The Town

Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network.

Photo by Merrick Morton, courtesy of Sony.

An interview by Steve Fracol SOC Camera Operator Colin Anderson SOC talks about how anamorphic lenses and actual Boston locations helped give this film its gritty feel.

28

In the Ring with The Fighter

An interview by Dan Gold SOC Camera Operator Geoffrey Haley explains how they shot as though no camera were there while dealing with on the fly lens changes.

Departments

2 Letter from the President

by Dan Kneece SOC

4 Editor’s Message

by Jack Messitt SOC

36

46 Advertisers’ Index 47 Last Take 48 Roster of the SOC as of 12/17/10

CAMERA OPERATOR

Features

Jennifer Lawrence in Winter’s Bone

Wading through the Ozarks on Winter’s Bone An interview by Steve Fracol SOC Camera Operator Alan Pierce talks about the RED on location in the Ozarks; overcoming obstacles (like the weather) and making it work.

Cover

SEBASTIAN MLYNARSKI

Rebecca Hall and Ben Affleck in The Town

SPECIAL AWARDS EDITION 2011

CLAIRE FOLGER

VOLUME 20, NUMBER 1

10

Lensing the Facebook Story: The Social Network

by Steve Fracol SOC and Jack Messitt SOC Camera Operator Peter Rosenfeld SOC and DP Jeff Cronenweth ASC discuss working on the film with director David Fincher.

18

On Location in Boston: The Town

Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network.

Photo by Merrick Morton, courtesy of Sony.

An interview by Steve Fracol SOC Camera Operator Colin Anderson SOC talks about how anamorphic lenses and actual Boston locations helped give this film its gritty feel.

28

In the Ring with The Fighter

An interview by Dan Gold SOC Camera Operator Geoffrey Haley explains how they shot as though no camera were there while dealing with on the fly lens changes.

Departments

2 Letter from the President

by Dan Kneece SOC

4 Editor’s Message

by Jack Messitt SOC

36

46 Advertisers’ Index 47 Last Take 48 Roster of the SOC as of 12/17/10

What the SOC Has Accomplished

T

o be the President of the Society of Camera Operators has been one of the great pleasures of my life. This job has been a lot of work and and that’s been rewarding, but two things in particular have made these last four years very special: our accomplishments, and the people involved.

According to our Constitution and By-Laws I am only allowed to serve as President for four years and that time has comes to an end in February. It’s now time for someone else to take the reins of this great organization and lead us into the future.

As individuals it is difficult to accomplish much. We can try. We can put in a very good effort, but in an organization such as this, to get things done requires the participation and teamwork of many whether they physically do things or provide their blessing and support for the things we hope to do. This is why, when I look back at the last four years, if you asked me what I did as an individual for the SOC I’d have to say nothing. I merely provided guidance. What we did as a group is a different story. Thanks to the SOC Board

of Governors, we accomplished much.

First and foremost we survived the largest financial meltdown since the Great Depression. It meant a lot of belt tightening and postponing our Lifetime Achievement Awards for a year, but we survived.

No small accomplishment for anyone in this economy. Our relationship with the Vision Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is stronger than ever and the raw footage from our new Vision Center documentary has helped the Vision Center greatly even before the film itself is finished.

We updated our Constitution and By-Laws for the first time in twenty years and will have that new version out to our membership for a vote very soon. We now have an office the SOC can call home thanks to the generosity of past SOC President Stan McClain at Filmtools and in that office we finally have a permanent place to do the business of the SOC. Thank you, Stan.

I have learned much as the President of the SOC and these past four years have brought much personal change as well.

Some of this has made me a better man. Some has been downright painful, but all of it has been my pleasure.

Together we have ensured a very bright future for our organization. Thank you all for allowing me to be your President.

Sincerely, JOEL LIPTON

Letter from the President

THE

ULTIMATE GYRO-STABILIZED CAMERA EQUIPMENT

WWW.ULTIMATEARM.COM /

CREDITS:

818-618-9988 / 805-375-3200

ADVENTURE EQUIPMENT LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

2

CAMERA OPERATOR: LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Special Awards Edition 2011

What the SOC Has Accomplished

T

o be the President of the Society of Camera Operators has been one of the great pleasures of my life. This job has been a lot of work and and that’s been rewarding, but two things in particular have made these last four years very special: our accomplishments, and the people involved.

According to our Constitution and By-Laws I am only allowed to serve as President for four years and that time has comes to an end in February. It’s now time for someone else to take the reins of this great organization and lead us into the future.

As individuals it is difficult to accomplish much. We can try. We can put in a very good effort, but in an organization such as this, to get things done requires the participation and teamwork of many whether they physically do things or provide their blessing and support for the things we hope to do. This is why, when I look back at the last four years, if you asked me what I did as an individual for the SOC I’d have to say nothing. I merely provided guidance. What we did as a group is a different story. Thanks to the SOC Board

of Governors, we accomplished much.

First and foremost we survived the largest financial meltdown since the Great Depression. It meant a lot of belt tightening and postponing our Lifetime Achievement Awards for a year, but we survived.

No small accomplishment for anyone in this economy. Our relationship with the Vision Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is stronger than ever and the raw footage from our new Vision Center documentary has helped the Vision Center greatly even before the film itself is finished.

We updated our Constitution and By-Laws for the first time in twenty years and will have that new version out to our membership for a vote very soon. We now have an office the SOC can call home thanks to the generosity of past SOC President Stan McClain at Filmtools and in that office we finally have a permanent place to do the business of the SOC. Thank you, Stan.

I have learned much as the President of the SOC and these past four years have brought much personal change as well.

Some of this has made me a better man. Some has been downright painful, but all of it has been my pleasure.

Together we have ensured a very bright future for our organization. Thank you all for allowing me to be your President.

Sincerely, JOEL LIPTON

Letter from the President

THE

ULTIMATE GYRO-STABILIZED CAMERA EQUIPMENT

WWW.ULTIMATEARM.COM /

CREDITS:

818-618-9988 / 805-375-3200

ADVENTURE EQUIPMENT LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

2

CAMERA OPERATOR: LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Special Awards Edition 2011

Editor’s Message

“GREAT

FILMMAKING. GREAT ACTING. GREAT MOVIE”.

New Voices

A

4

CAMERA OPERATOR: EDITOR’S MESSAGE

AINTRIUMPH THE LONG

BETSY SHARKEY

‘‘

“THE

COEN BROTHERS

COURTESY OF JACK MESSITT SOC

s we were wrapping up the final touches on this issue of Camera Operator, I looked through several old issues from the past few years. There has been some amazing work done in the art of camera operating and I have been lucky to help chronicle the exploits of so many talented operators.

The past four years have included both the highs of the industry — everyone busy, tons of work — as well as the lows — no one busy, with little available work due to the writers’ strike followed immediately by a recession. But through it all, Camera Operator has survived due to the strength of its incredible content — all of it, member generated.

Each and every article has helped chronicle a unique look into our jobs because every project is one of a kind. Every story needs to be told in a different way. Each director and DP has their own style of working. No two television shows are the same and no two feature films — even if they are a sequel — have the same shooting experience.

And though each article showcases a unique experience, every issue of Camera Operator consistently highlights the teamwork between an operator and a director of photography — because this team is paramount to the visual success of any project.

Having an operator creates an environment for a director of photography to bring their art to the very highest level.

Having an operator gives the director of photography another pair of eyes to safeguard the image. Having an operator allows the director of photography to be where they are supposed to be — at the director’s side, helping them make sure that their vision makes it to the screen.

And hiring an operator not only makes your project better, it saves your project time and money.

While the message of Camera Operator and the SOC itself remains steadfast, new voices and energy are necessary to keep this message alive. New faces are vitally important to keep this organization going. Like the SOC itself, Camera Operator magazine needs new blood.

As I step away from editing this magazine, I am hopefully leaving it better off than when I came aboard. And I believe that it will only continue to improve. I am extremely proud of every issue I have been a part of and I hope that you have all enjoyed reading them as well.

I look forward to receiving this magazine for years to come. I look forward to reading about all the wonderful achievements of my fellow camera operators. I look forward to reading about the impact that an operator has on the projects that they work on.

With my tenure as editor coming to a close, I wanted to thank everyone who helped write the wonderful articles that have graced the magazine. Those of you who interviewed the DPs, producers, actors and fellow camera operators are the reason this magazine exists. Without our network of unpaid

PETER TRAVERS

writers, we would have no content to print.

Many thanks go out to Doug Knapp for managing all the behind the scenes details of the actual printing of this magazine. His work goes unnoticed because it is done so well. Doug has a huge impact on the quality of each and every magazine that we put in the mail.

My biggest thank you goes out to Lynn Lanning, my comrade in arms. As the managing editor and art director, Lynn has tirelessly worked on layouts, made all the last minute changes that have constantly popped up and was always there to breathe even more life into our content.

Without Lynn, this magazine would never see the inside of your mailboxes and I owe her a huge debt of gratitude for everything that she has done and continues to do for the SOC. As I step aside to allow new voices to take over, I want to convey how important I think this publication is to the SOC. Even with the power of our website (www.SOC.org), Camera Operator is vital in spreading our message throughout the industry.

We all have been emailed a link to an online article and sometimes we actually click on it. But really, reading something on the web just isn’t the same experience as seeing yourself, your show or a friend of yours in print. As we move toward a more paperless publication business, I hope that we keep in mind what a powerful tool we have within these pages.

Making sure that our message reaches those outside the camera operating community is extremely important. And this magazine does just that — even to those that are not subscribers — because we are one of the most passed around magazines on the set.

So if you do nothing more for the SOC this year, bring your issue to the set and pass it along when you are done reading it. In doing so, you are helping promote the art and contributions of the camera operator. You are spreading our message. You are helping the SOC.

Special Awards Edition 2011

HAVE MADE

A CLASSIC

CLAUDIA PUIG

LIST OF COEN

SUCCESSES.”

INFUSED WITH ROUGH-HEWN

HUMOR AND HUMANITY.”

ANN HORNADAY

“THE COENS’MASTERY

OF EVERY CINEMATIC

MARSHALL FINE

‘‘

THE COENS SHOW

HOWAWESTERN

SHOULD BE MADE.” “ THE

ELEMENT IS

WELL-ESTABLISHED,

FROM WRITING

A BEAUTIFUL AND

‘‘

AND CASTING TO CINEMATOGRAPHY,

SOUL - SATISFYING

SOUND DESIGN.”

ADVENTURE STORY.”

EDITING AND ROGER EBERT

OLD-FASHIONED

COEN BROTHERS’ CRAFTSMANSHIP IS A WONDER. IT REMINDS US OF THE GLORY THAT WAS, AND CAN STILL BE, THE WESTERN.”

PARAMOUNTGUILDS.COM

Editor’s Message

“GREAT

FILMMAKING. GREAT ACTING. GREAT MOVIE”.

New Voices

A

4

CAMERA OPERATOR: EDITOR’S MESSAGE

AINTRIUMPH THE LONG

BETSY SHARKEY

‘‘

“THE

COEN BROTHERS

COURTESY OF JACK MESSITT SOC

s we were wrapping up the final touches on this issue of Camera Operator, I looked through several old issues from the past few years. There has been some amazing work done in the art of camera operating and I have been lucky to help chronicle the exploits of so many talented operators.

The past four years have included both the highs of the industry — everyone busy, tons of work — as well as the lows — no one busy, with little available work due to the writers’ strike followed immediately by a recession. But through it all, Camera Operator has survived due to the strength of its incredible content — all of it, member generated.

Each and every article has helped chronicle a unique look into our jobs because every project is one of a kind. Every story needs to be told in a different way. Each director and DP has their own style of working. No two television shows are the same and no two feature films — even if they are a sequel — have the same shooting experience.

And though each article showcases a unique experience, every issue of Camera Operator consistently highlights the teamwork between an operator and a director of photography — because this team is paramount to the visual success of any project.

Having an operator creates an environment for a director of photography to bring their art to the very highest level.

Having an operator gives the director of photography another pair of eyes to safeguard the image. Having an operator allows the director of photography to be where they are supposed to be — at the director’s side, helping them make sure that their vision makes it to the screen.

And hiring an operator not only makes your project better, it saves your project time and money.

While the message of Camera Operator and the SOC itself remains steadfast, new voices and energy are necessary to keep this message alive. New faces are vitally important to keep this organization going. Like the SOC itself, Camera Operator magazine needs new blood.

As I step away from editing this magazine, I am hopefully leaving it better off than when I came aboard. And I believe that it will only continue to improve. I am extremely proud of every issue I have been a part of and I hope that you have all enjoyed reading them as well.

I look forward to receiving this magazine for years to come. I look forward to reading about all the wonderful achievements of my fellow camera operators. I look forward to reading about the impact that an operator has on the projects that they work on.

With my tenure as editor coming to a close, I wanted to thank everyone who helped write the wonderful articles that have graced the magazine. Those of you who interviewed the DPs, producers, actors and fellow camera operators are the reason this magazine exists. Without our network of unpaid

PETER TRAVERS

writers, we would have no content to print.

Many thanks go out to Doug Knapp for managing all the behind the scenes details of the actual printing of this magazine. His work goes unnoticed because it is done so well. Doug has a huge impact on the quality of each and every magazine that we put in the mail.

My biggest thank you goes out to Lynn Lanning, my comrade in arms. As the managing editor and art director, Lynn has tirelessly worked on layouts, made all the last minute changes that have constantly popped up and was always there to breathe even more life into our content.

Without Lynn, this magazine would never see the inside of your mailboxes and I owe her a huge debt of gratitude for everything that she has done and continues to do for the SOC. As I step aside to allow new voices to take over, I want to convey how important I think this publication is to the SOC. Even with the power of our website (www.SOC.org), Camera Operator is vital in spreading our message throughout the industry.

We all have been emailed a link to an online article and sometimes we actually click on it. But really, reading something on the web just isn’t the same experience as seeing yourself, your show or a friend of yours in print. As we move toward a more paperless publication business, I hope that we keep in mind what a powerful tool we have within these pages.

Making sure that our message reaches those outside the camera operating community is extremely important. And this magazine does just that — even to those that are not subscribers — because we are one of the most passed around magazines on the set.

So if you do nothing more for the SOC this year, bring your issue to the set and pass it along when you are done reading it. In doing so, you are helping promote the art and contributions of the camera operator. You are spreading our message. You are helping the SOC.

Special Awards Edition 2011

HAVE MADE

A CLASSIC

CLAUDIA PUIG

LIST OF COEN

SUCCESSES.”

INFUSED WITH ROUGH-HEWN

HUMOR AND HUMANITY.”

ANN HORNADAY

“THE COENS’MASTERY

OF EVERY CINEMATIC

MARSHALL FINE

‘‘

THE COENS SHOW

HOWAWESTERN

SHOULD BE MADE.” “ THE

ELEMENT IS

WELL-ESTABLISHED,

FROM WRITING

A BEAUTIFUL AND

‘‘

AND CASTING TO CINEMATOGRAPHY,

SOUL - SATISFYING

SOUND DESIGN.”

ADVENTURE STORY.”

EDITING AND ROGER EBERT

OLD-FASHIONED

COEN BROTHERS’ CRAFTSMANSHIP IS A WONDER. IT REMINDS US OF THE GLORY THAT WAS, AND CAN STILL BE, THE WESTERN.”

PARAMOUNTGUILDS.COM

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS BOARD OF GOVERNORS OFFICERS President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dan Kneece 1st Vice President . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Messitt 2nd Vice President . . . . . . . . .David Mahlmann 3rd Vice President . . . . . . . . . . . . Bonnie Blake Recording Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dan Gold Interim Treasurer . . . . . . . . . David Allen Grove Sergeant-at-Arms . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mark August

ED GUTENTAG

Dave Tolsky soc and SOC President Dan Kneece delivered toys to delighted children at the Vision Center, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

@C75@ ,&& =BH9FB5H=CB5@ 7=B9A5HC;F5D<9FG ;I=@8

BOARD MEMBER COMMITTEE CHAIRS Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .David Mahlmann Charities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bonnie Blake Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Corporate Liaison . . . . . . . . .David Mahlmann COY Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dan Gold East Coast SOC Rep . . . . . . . . . . Alec Jarnagin Events . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark August, Gary Bush Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steve Fracol Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christopher Tufty Merchandising & Promotions . . . . . .Aiken Weiss, Mark Miller Publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Messitt Screenings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Tolsky Technical Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

BOARD MEMBERS AT LARGE Aldo Antonelli Douglas Knapp Dan Coplan Erwin Landau David Frederick George B Stephenson Samuel “Buddy” Fries Ron Vidor STAFF AND CONSULTANTS Office Administrator . . . . . . . . . . Diana Penilla Co-Events Coordinator . . . . . . . . . Karen Beck Webmaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gregory White Website Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Astrid Phillips Publications Manager . . . . . . . Douglas Knapp Publications Layout . . . . . . . . . . Lynn Lanning Publishers . . . . . . . . . . . IngleDodd Publishing Calligrapher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carrie Imai Legal Reps. . . David Adelstein, Geffner & Bush is a registered trademark.

All rights reserved.

CAMERA OPERATOR SPECIAL AWARDS EDITION 2011

PICTURE THIS ...

PRODUCTS & SERVICES That makes banking just a little easier!

Here at MICU we’re showing off our talent and letting our creative side show, by finding ways to bring you simple banking. * New Auto Loan rates as low as 3.25% up to 60 months * Used Auto Loan rates as low as 4.25% up to 60 months * Free access to over 28,000 CO-OP Network ATMs and 800,000 ATMs worldwide through links to the NYCE, STAR, Cirrus, Pulse and Plus networks * Car buying services through Autoland, Redbook, & Executive Car Leasing * Our free checking account offers you both ATM and free debit cards with REWARDS * We also offer CURewards™ for our VISA credit card * Free Online Teller and Money Maestro Audio Teller * Real Estate loan services through West Coast Realty (personal service). If we can’t fund the loan we’ll help you find a lender who can help you.

We offer guaranteed lowest loan rates for all consumer loans.

We’ll MEET or BEAT other approved rates from financial institutions.

For DETAILS, call us toll free at 1-800-393-3833 or visit us online at www.musicianscu.org Hollywood Branch 817 N. Vine Street, Suite 200 Hollywood, CA 90038

Studio City Branch 11440 Ventura Blvd, Suite 101 Studio City, CA 91604

Toll Free: 800 / 393-3833 Phone: 323 / 462-6447 Fax: 323 / 462-4411

Toll Free: 800 / 393-3833 Phone: 818 / 763-7005 Fax: 818 / 505-8407

Cuadpro Marketing 10-57

Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Messitt SOC Managing Editor/Art Director . . . Lynn Lanning Post-ProductionManager . Douglas Knapp SOC Cover Photo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Merrick Morton Production Coordinators. IngleDodd Publishing Advertising Director . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dan Dodd CONTRIBUTORS Colin Anderson SOC Steve Fracol SOC Dan Gold SOC Geoffrey Haley Dan Kneece SOC David Mahlmann SOC Jack Messitt SOC Alan Pierce Peter Rosenfeld SOC David Tolsky SOC

PHOTOGRAPHY Claire Folger Ed Gutentag Joel Lipton Sebastian Mlynarski Merrick Morton JoJo Whilden

Subscription Rates: USA $20/year Outside USA $28/year (U.S. Funds Only) Subscribe online at www.SOC.org For display advertising information, contact: Dan Dodd (310) 207-4410 x236 fax: (310) 207-1055 Dan@IngleDodd.com For article submissions, please contact: SOC Attn Magazine PO Box 2006 Toluca Lake, CA 91610 Phone (818) 382-7070 © 2011 by the Society of Camera Operators Camera Operator is published 3 times a year by the Society of Camera Operators

Visit the SOC web site www.SOC.org

The International Cinematographers Guild congratulates the 2011 Society of Camera Operators Awards honorees. www.cameraguild.com

SOCIETY OF CAMERA OPERATORS BOARD OF GOVERNORS OFFICERS President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dan Kneece 1st Vice President . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Messitt 2nd Vice President . . . . . . . . .David Mahlmann 3rd Vice President . . . . . . . . . . . . Bonnie Blake Recording Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dan Gold Interim Treasurer . . . . . . . . . David Allen Grove Sergeant-at-Arms . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mark August

ED GUTENTAG

Dave Tolsky soc and SOC President Dan Kneece delivered toys to delighted children at the Vision Center, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

@C75@ ,&& =BH9FB5H=CB5@ 7=B9A5HC;F5D<9FG ;I=@8

BOARD MEMBER COMMITTEE CHAIRS Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .David Mahlmann Charities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bonnie Blake Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Corporate Liaison . . . . . . . . .David Mahlmann COY Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dan Gold East Coast SOC Rep . . . . . . . . . . Alec Jarnagin Events . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark August, Gary Bush Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steve Fracol Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christopher Tufty Merchandising & Promotions . . . . . .Aiken Weiss, Mark Miller Publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Messitt Screenings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Tolsky Technical Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

BOARD MEMBERS AT LARGE Aldo Antonelli Douglas Knapp Dan Coplan Erwin Landau David Frederick George B Stephenson Samuel “Buddy” Fries Ron Vidor STAFF AND CONSULTANTS Office Administrator . . . . . . . . . . Diana Penilla Co-Events Coordinator . . . . . . . . . Karen Beck Webmaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gregory White Website Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Astrid Phillips Publications Manager . . . . . . . Douglas Knapp Publications Layout . . . . . . . . . . Lynn Lanning Publishers . . . . . . . . . . . IngleDodd Publishing Calligrapher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carrie Imai Legal Reps. . . David Adelstein, Geffner & Bush is a registered trademark.

All rights reserved.

CAMERA OPERATOR SPECIAL AWARDS EDITION 2011

PICTURE THIS ...

PRODUCTS & SERVICES That makes banking just a little easier!

Here at MICU we’re showing off our talent and letting our creative side show, by finding ways to bring you simple banking. * New Auto Loan rates as low as 3.25% up to 60 months * Used Auto Loan rates as low as 4.25% up to 60 months * Free access to over 28,000 CO-OP Network ATMs and 800,000 ATMs worldwide through links to the NYCE, STAR, Cirrus, Pulse and Plus networks * Car buying services through Autoland, Redbook, & Executive Car Leasing * Our free checking account offers you both ATM and free debit cards with REWARDS * We also offer CURewards™ for our VISA credit card * Free Online Teller and Money Maestro Audio Teller * Real Estate loan services through West Coast Realty (personal service). If we can’t fund the loan we’ll help you find a lender who can help you.

We offer guaranteed lowest loan rates for all consumer loans.

We’ll MEET or BEAT other approved rates from financial institutions.

For DETAILS, call us toll free at 1-800-393-3833 or visit us online at www.musicianscu.org Hollywood Branch 817 N. Vine Street, Suite 200 Hollywood, CA 90038

Studio City Branch 11440 Ventura Blvd, Suite 101 Studio City, CA 91604

Toll Free: 800 / 393-3833 Phone: 323 / 462-6447 Fax: 323 / 462-4411

Toll Free: 800 / 393-3833 Phone: 818 / 763-7005 Fax: 818 / 505-8407

Cuadpro Marketing 10-57

Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Messitt SOC Managing Editor/Art Director . . . Lynn Lanning Post-ProductionManager . Douglas Knapp SOC Cover Photo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Merrick Morton Production Coordinators. IngleDodd Publishing Advertising Director . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dan Dodd CONTRIBUTORS Colin Anderson SOC Steve Fracol SOC Dan Gold SOC Geoffrey Haley Dan Kneece SOC David Mahlmann SOC Jack Messitt SOC Alan Pierce Peter Rosenfeld SOC David Tolsky SOC

PHOTOGRAPHY Claire Folger Ed Gutentag Joel Lipton Sebastian Mlynarski Merrick Morton JoJo Whilden

Subscription Rates: USA $20/year Outside USA $28/year (U.S. Funds Only) Subscribe online at www.SOC.org For display advertising information, contact: Dan Dodd (310) 207-4410 x236 fax: (310) 207-1055 Dan@IngleDodd.com For article submissions, please contact: SOC Attn Magazine PO Box 2006 Toluca Lake, CA 91610 Phone (818) 382-7070 © 2011 by the Society of Camera Operators Camera Operator is published 3 times a year by the Society of Camera Operators

Visit the SOC web site www.SOC.org

The International Cinematographers Guild congratulates the 2011 Society of Camera Operators Awards honorees. www.cameraguild.com

Society of Camera Operators

Lifetime Achievement Awards Gala 2011 Saturday, February 5, 2011 5:30pm Cocktail Reception 7:30pm Lifetime Achievement Awards Black Tie Event Cocktails, elegant hors d’oeuvres, Warner Bros Studio Museum, networking followed by a theatrical awards presentation Warner Bros Studios 4000 Warner Boulevard Burbank, CA 91505 Please allow time for Studio Security and Parking RSVP Levy, Pazanti & Associates 310.201.5033 or Email: Mike Standifer at mike@lpaevents.com

SOC Lifetime Achievement Recipients Camera Operator — Michael Ferris, SOC Camera Technician — Alan Disler Mobile Camera Platform Operator — Peter Romano, ASC Still Photographer — David James President’s Award — IATSE Local 80 Russell Nordstedt, accepting Distinguished Service Award — Frank Kay Technical Achievement ARRI — Alexa Camera System Ultimate Arm — Gyrostabilized Camera Crane Historical Shot Das Boot — The Boat (1981) Nominees: Camera Operator of the Year — Feature Film HEREAFTER — Stephen Campanelli, SOC SALT — Scott Sakamoto, SOC THE FIGHTER — Geoffrey Haley THE SOCIAL NETWORK — Peter Rosenfeld, SOC THE TOWN — Colin Anderson, SOC Nominees: Camera Operator of the Year — Television HOUSE — Tony Gaudioz BONES — Greg Collier, SOC SONS OF ANARCHY — David Frederick, SOC RAISING HOPE — Lawrence “Doc” Karman 24 — Guy Skinner, SOC

Society of Camera Operators

Lifetime Achievement Awards Gala 2011 Saturday, February 5, 2011 5:30pm Cocktail Reception 7:30pm Lifetime Achievement Awards Black Tie Event Cocktails, elegant hors d’oeuvres, Warner Bros Studio Museum, networking followed by a theatrical awards presentation Warner Bros Studios 4000 Warner Boulevard Burbank, CA 91505 Please allow time for Studio Security and Parking RSVP Levy, Pazanti & Associates 310.201.5033 or Email: Mike Standifer at mike@lpaevents.com

SOC Lifetime Achievement Recipients Camera Operator — Michael Ferris, SOC Camera Technician — Alan Disler Mobile Camera Platform Operator — Peter Romano, ASC Still Photographer — David James President’s Award — IATSE Local 80 Russell Nordstedt, accepting Distinguished Service Award — Frank Kay Technical Achievement ARRI — Alexa Camera System Ultimate Arm — Gyrostabilized Camera Crane Historical Shot Das Boot — The Boat (1981) Nominees: Camera Operator of the Year — Feature Film HEREAFTER — Stephen Campanelli, SOC SALT — Scott Sakamoto, SOC THE FIGHTER — Geoffrey Haley THE SOCIAL NETWORK — Peter Rosenfeld, SOC THE TOWN — Colin Anderson, SOC Nominees: Camera Operator of the Year — Television HOUSE — Tony Gaudioz BONES — Greg Collier, SOC SONS OF ANARCHY — David Frederick, SOC RAISING HOPE — Lawrence “Doc” Karman 24 — Guy Skinner, SOC

Wading through the Ozarks on Winter’s Bone Camera Operator Alan Pierce interviewed by Steve Fracol soc

Photos by Sebastian Mlynarski ©2010 Roadside Attractions All Rights Reserved

Jennifer Lawrence plays Ree Dolly in the adaptation of Daniel Woodrell’s 2006 novel of the same name.

Wading through the Ozarks on Winter’s Bone Camera Operator Alan Pierce interviewed by Steve Fracol soc

Photos by Sebastian Mlynarski ©2010 Roadside Attractions All Rights Reserved

Jennifer Lawrence plays Ree Dolly in the adaptation of Daniel Woodrell’s 2006 novel of the same name.

A

Did you already have a working relationship with Director of Photography Michael McDonough prior to this project?

n adaptation of Daniel Woodrell’s 2006 novel of the same name, Winter’s Bone was written and directed by Debra Granik. The film follows 17-year-old Ree Dolly ( Jennifer Lawrence) as she tracks down her fugitive father, a longtime crystal meth maker, after he puts their home up as his bail bond. Her harrowing journey takes her through a series of dangerous encounters with local organized crime.

A-camera operator Alan Pierce talked with Steve Fracol SOC about shooting on location in the Osarks.

Yes, Michael and I had previously worked together on some television projects and during that time bonded a professional and personal friendship.

Did you have a feeling during principal photography that you were working on something that was special?

Particularly scenes with Teardrop (John Hawkes) and Ree (Jennifer Lawrence) being such strong performances?

Steve Fracol: Winter’s Bone has done very well in the festival circuit and I am sure your reaction to hearing the Oscar buzz around Winter’s Bone has been exciting.

Yes, every day I felt I was involved with something special. One scene that particularly stands out is when Ree goes to Teardrop’s house to ask him for help. The closeup as Teardrop grabs Ree and stares into her eyes was terrifying and very powerful; it is brilliant acting. We were in a very tight space — I was about two feet from them, and I was physically moved by the tension. I would finish each day completely exhausted, but I could not wait to get back to set the next day.

Alan Pierce: With Winter’s Bone being an independent film, it is thrilling that all the positive response and Oscar buzz will lead to more and more people seeing it.

What was your reaction upon getting the initial phone call to work on this project?

Michael McDonough and I had been looking for a project to collaborate on and when I got the call I knew this was the perfect opportunity.

Tell us about the collaboration between you and Michael on set. How did you work together to make frames, create movement or lack of movement for tension?

What was your reaction after the first read of the script?

During rehearsal, I would shadow Michael to get a sense of where he wanted the camera to start and follow him through the blocking. We would then discuss lenses and what filters, if any, he wanted to use. When the camera came in, we would fine tune the framing. Michael was clear that he wanted the camera movement to be motivated by the action. It was as obvious as panning with a character walking from a doorway and confronting someone or as subtle as taking a step toward the action to increase the tension of a close-up. On some extended takes, I would emotionally respond to the scene and just go for it.

It was a strong script, an interesting story, and I wanted to meet these characters. In addition, it was intriguing to me that we would be shooting on location in the Ozarks.

What role did you play in each setup and frame?

I would see the shape of the scene during the blocking rehearsal and Michael and I would quickly discuss general coverage. While he was dealing with other components of the shot (lighting or additional coverage with [Director] Debra [Granik]), I would work with the art department to adjust background elements; then I would frame up a shot and audition it. I understood the visual style they were looking for; Michael trusted me to set the initial frames consistently. He and Debra would then approve or tweak the framing.

Ree is forced to track her fugitive father after she learns that he has put their home up as his bail bond.

Inset: John Hawkes as Ree’s Uncle Teardrop.

12

CAMERA OPERATOR: WINTER’S BONE

Special Awards Edition 2011

Special Awards Edition 2011

CAMERA OPERATOR: WINTER’S BONE

13

A

Did you already have a working relationship with Director of Photography Michael McDonough prior to this project?

n adaptation of Daniel Woodrell’s 2006 novel of the same name, Winter’s Bone was written and directed by Debra Granik. The film follows 17-year-old Ree Dolly ( Jennifer Lawrence) as she tracks down her fugitive father, a longtime crystal meth maker, after he puts their home up as his bail bond. Her harrowing journey takes her through a series of dangerous encounters with local organized crime.

A-camera operator Alan Pierce talked with Steve Fracol SOC about shooting on location in the Osarks.

Yes, Michael and I had previously worked together on some television projects and during that time bonded a professional and personal friendship.

Did you have a feeling during principal photography that you were working on something that was special?

Particularly scenes with Teardrop (John Hawkes) and Ree (Jennifer Lawrence) being such strong performances?

Steve Fracol: Winter’s Bone has done very well in the festival circuit and I am sure your reaction to hearing the Oscar buzz around Winter’s Bone has been exciting.

Yes, every day I felt I was involved with something special. One scene that particularly stands out is when Ree goes to Teardrop’s house to ask him for help. The closeup as Teardrop grabs Ree and stares into her eyes was terrifying and very powerful; it is brilliant acting. We were in a very tight space — I was about two feet from them, and I was physically moved by the tension. I would finish each day completely exhausted, but I could not wait to get back to set the next day.

Alan Pierce: With Winter’s Bone being an independent film, it is thrilling that all the positive response and Oscar buzz will lead to more and more people seeing it.

What was your reaction upon getting the initial phone call to work on this project?

Michael McDonough and I had been looking for a project to collaborate on and when I got the call I knew this was the perfect opportunity.

Tell us about the collaboration between you and Michael on set. How did you work together to make frames, create movement or lack of movement for tension?

What was your reaction after the first read of the script?

During rehearsal, I would shadow Michael to get a sense of where he wanted the camera to start and follow him through the blocking. We would then discuss lenses and what filters, if any, he wanted to use. When the camera came in, we would fine tune the framing. Michael was clear that he wanted the camera movement to be motivated by the action. It was as obvious as panning with a character walking from a doorway and confronting someone or as subtle as taking a step toward the action to increase the tension of a close-up. On some extended takes, I would emotionally respond to the scene and just go for it.

It was a strong script, an interesting story, and I wanted to meet these characters. In addition, it was intriguing to me that we would be shooting on location in the Ozarks.

What role did you play in each setup and frame?

I would see the shape of the scene during the blocking rehearsal and Michael and I would quickly discuss general coverage. While he was dealing with other components of the shot (lighting or additional coverage with [Director] Debra [Granik]), I would work with the art department to adjust background elements; then I would frame up a shot and audition it. I understood the visual style they were looking for; Michael trusted me to set the initial frames consistently. He and Debra would then approve or tweak the framing.

Ree is forced to track her fugitive father after she learns that he has put their home up as his bail bond.

Inset: John Hawkes as Ree’s Uncle Teardrop.

12

CAMERA OPERATOR: WINTER’S BONE

Special Awards Edition 2011

Special Awards Edition 2011

CAMERA OPERATOR: WINTER’S BONE

13

Camera Operator Alan Pierce and Director Debra Granik at the Stockade

As a reality TV camera operator you get to make fast decisions about storytelling as the action unfolds.

You can quickly aid post with closeups of repetitive action or zoom out wide to catch all the action then slam right back in for some more closeups. When shooting a narrative story like Winter’s Bone many people have a hand in the decision of where the camera will start and end on a particular shot. Was that a hard adjustment for you?

Not at all. I understand that I am on set to help facilitate the vision of the director and DP. I was eager to work with controlled setups, actor blocking, and camera movement for each scene.

Debra and Michael had a clear vision of the framing and angles that they wanted, but they also trusted my instincts for additional coverage on extended takes. I am proud to say that several shots from the extended takes made the final cut.

Pierce readies for another handheld shot.

COURTESY OF DAVID FLEMMING

I really enjoyed the precision of working from a script and plan to do more narrative.

My experience as an operator in reality television gave me the ability to call on my instincts, patience, and intuition while shooting this film. It helped me create a style for composition and story telling that I successfully applied to Winter’s Bone.

COURTESY OF ALAN PIERCE

I see that much of your career has been spent as an ENG/EFP Videographer on reality TV shows. Winter’s Bone was quite a departure from that. Which format of storytelling do you prefer, reality TV or narrative and why?

Stabilized camera systems For motion picture & broadcast production worldwide Featuring • Eclipse • Eclipse 3D • Cineflex • Wescam

W W W . P I C T O R V I S I O N . C O M

8 0 0 . 8 7 6 . 5 5 8 3

The hardscrabble made for some challenging footwork while operating handheld. The temperature was 30 degrees on most mornings and 75 degrees on some afternoons. On the coldest mornings, we would attach hand warmers to the RED viewfinder to keep it from freezing up. I have worked in challenging locations all Special Awards Edition 2011

COURTESY OF DAVID FLEMMING

What location problems did you encounter out in the backwoods of the Ozarks? Was the cold weather ever an issue? Rain?

Pierce and Granik line up a shot.

CAMERA OPERATOR: WINTER’S BONE

15

Camera Operator Alan Pierce and Director Debra Granik at the Stockade

As a reality TV camera operator you get to make fast decisions about storytelling as the action unfolds.

You can quickly aid post with closeups of repetitive action or zoom out wide to catch all the action then slam right back in for some more closeups. When shooting a narrative story like Winter’s Bone many people have a hand in the decision of where the camera will start and end on a particular shot. Was that a hard adjustment for you?

Not at all. I understand that I am on set to help facilitate the vision of the director and DP. I was eager to work with controlled setups, actor blocking, and camera movement for each scene.

Debra and Michael had a clear vision of the framing and angles that they wanted, but they also trusted my instincts for additional coverage on extended takes. I am proud to say that several shots from the extended takes made the final cut.

Pierce readies for another handheld shot.

COURTESY OF DAVID FLEMMING

I really enjoyed the precision of working from a script and plan to do more narrative.

My experience as an operator in reality television gave me the ability to call on my instincts, patience, and intuition while shooting this film. It helped me create a style for composition and story telling that I successfully applied to Winter’s Bone.

COURTESY OF ALAN PIERCE

I see that much of your career has been spent as an ENG/EFP Videographer on reality TV shows. Winter’s Bone was quite a departure from that. Which format of storytelling do you prefer, reality TV or narrative and why?

Stabilized camera systems For motion picture & broadcast production worldwide Featuring • Eclipse • Eclipse 3D • Cineflex • Wescam

W W W . P I C T O R V I S I O N . C O M

8 0 0 . 8 7 6 . 5 5 8 3

The hardscrabble made for some challenging footwork while operating handheld. The temperature was 30 degrees on most mornings and 75 degrees on some afternoons. On the coldest mornings, we would attach hand warmers to the RED viewfinder to keep it from freezing up. I have worked in challenging locations all Special Awards Edition 2011

COURTESY OF DAVID FLEMMING

What location problems did you encounter out in the backwoods of the Ozarks? Was the cold weather ever an issue? Rain?

Pierce and Granik line up a shot.

CAMERA OPERATOR: WINTER’S BONE

15

During a rehearsal, Pierce discusses the frame with actress Jennifer Lawrence.

over the world and the Ozarks can be a brutal place. With any challenging location, you must come up with a strategy to overcome the obstacles and make it work.

How did the RED camera package serve you as an operator?

I was very fortunate to work with a talented camera team that included 1st AC Michael Burke and 2nd AC Megan Morris; their support and contributions were invaluable.

The camera package included the RED ONE, a set of Arri Master Primes, and the Angénieux Optimo 24–290mm and 15–40mm zooms. We used the RED in many different configurations. We worked on a tripod for telephoto shots, on a bungee rig for tracking shots, and with a CamTran System on hand rails in the stockade. After testing different handheld rigs, I discarded all the fancy stuff and attached a thin piece of rubber to the base of the camera along with RED Handles. Once I was comfortable with the setup I could operate all day.

By using the RED camera, did that change how you operate?

The manner in which I operate is the same. I try to be relaxed and as comfortable as possible. Each camera system requires some adjustment to make it right for you. The days can get very long if you are continually fighting the camera to get a shot.

16

CAMERA OPERATOR: WINTER’S BONE

A large portion of the film was shot handheld. What drove that decision?

Debra and Michael always intended for the visual language of Winter’s Bone to have a handheld feel. After the first few days of watching the monitor and realizing the speed at which we could work, they further embraced the handheld style and what it added to the scenes.

How many days was the shooting schedule, and was there a B operator or was this entire film shot with only one camera?

Winter’s Bone was shot in 24 days. There was one scene where we used two cameras. It is the exterior shot where Teardrop smashes a windshield with an axe; we had one take to get the shot. The rest of the film was shot single camera.

What was your favorite scene in the movie and why?

My favorite was the pond scene. We shot much of that scene day for night and then finished shooting night for night. I began the day wading out in the pond up to my waist while operating and finished many hours later on dry land. It was the most challenging scene to shoot, but the most gratifying to see on screen. Jennifer Lawrence and Dale Dickey brought emotion and drama the scene called for and the lighting and camera work enhanced the performance.

Pierce gets wet while filming the pond scene.

Special Awards Edition 2011

Special Awards Edition 2011

CAMERA OPERATOR: WINTER’S BONE

17

During a rehearsal, Pierce discusses the frame with actress Jennifer Lawrence.

over the world and the Ozarks can be a brutal place. With any challenging location, you must come up with a strategy to overcome the obstacles and make it work.

How did the RED camera package serve you as an operator?

I was very fortunate to work with a talented camera team that included 1st AC Michael Burke and 2nd AC Megan Morris; their support and contributions were invaluable.

The camera package included the RED ONE, a set of Arri Master Primes, and the Angénieux Optimo 24–290mm and 15–40mm zooms. We used the RED in many different configurations. We worked on a tripod for telephoto shots, on a bungee rig for tracking shots, and with a CamTran System on hand rails in the stockade. After testing different handheld rigs, I discarded all the fancy stuff and attached a thin piece of rubber to the base of the camera along with RED Handles. Once I was comfortable with the setup I could operate all day.

By using the RED camera, did that change how you operate?

The manner in which I operate is the same. I try to be relaxed and as comfortable as possible. Each camera system requires some adjustment to make it right for you. The days can get very long if you are continually fighting the camera to get a shot.

16

CAMERA OPERATOR: WINTER’S BONE

A large portion of the film was shot handheld. What drove that decision?

Debra and Michael always intended for the visual language of Winter’s Bone to have a handheld feel. After the first few days of watching the monitor and realizing the speed at which we could work, they further embraced the handheld style and what it added to the scenes.

How many days was the shooting schedule, and was there a B operator or was this entire film shot with only one camera?

Winter’s Bone was shot in 24 days. There was one scene where we used two cameras. It is the exterior shot where Teardrop smashes a windshield with an axe; we had one take to get the shot. The rest of the film was shot single camera.

What was your favorite scene in the movie and why?

My favorite was the pond scene. We shot much of that scene day for night and then finished shooting night for night. I began the day wading out in the pond up to my waist while operating and finished many hours later on dry land. It was the most challenging scene to shoot, but the most gratifying to see on screen. Jennifer Lawrence and Dale Dickey brought emotion and drama the scene called for and the lighting and camera work enhanced the performance.

Pierce gets wet while filming the pond scene.

Special Awards Edition 2011

Special Awards Edition 2011

CAMERA OPERATOR: WINTER’S BONE

17

Lensing the Facebook Story: The Social Network

by Steve Fracol SOC and Jack Messitt SOC

Photos by Merrick Morton Š2010 Columbia Pictures /Sony All Rights Reserved

Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) and his defense team

Lensing the Facebook Story: The Social Network

by Steve Fracol SOC and Jack Messitt SOC

Photos by Merrick Morton Š2010 Columbia Pictures /Sony All Rights Reserved

Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) and his defense team

S

ince creating the phenomenon, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has friended over 500 million people — and created more than a few enemies in the process. In The Social Network, Aaron Sorkin’s script chronicles Zuckerberg’s creation of the internet’s largest social networking website.

Under the direction of David Fincher (Fight Club, Seven, Zodiac), the film does more than that.

“Fincher and Sorkin triumph by taking it further. Lacing their scathing with an aching sadness, they define the dark irony of the past decade,” says Peter Travers in his Rolling Stone magazine review. “Director David Fincher puts his visual mastery to work on the verbal pyrotechnics.”

To help Fincher put his visual stamp on The Social Network, the director turned to Jeff Cronenweth ASC. Having teamed up on Fight Club over a decade ago, the cinematographer and the director already had a shorthand. But when Cronenweth read the script for the first time, he was already ahead of the game.

“First reads,” says Cronenweth, “always leave you with first impressions and interpretations of a story and its visual style which I feel are honest and should be remembered. However, I had met with David regarding the project before I had actually had my hands on the script. So I already had a good sense of the visual language as I went through my first read. It was all too apparent that this story was all about performance and presentation of the roller coaster-like dialog. So we tried to build a visual atmosphere of sophisticated reality inherent to the college experience that kept you engaged, but did not interfere with the delivery and rhythm that are all so critical on this type of project.

“David Fincher is a perfectionist at the highest level,” states Cronenweth, so he knew the project would need a top camera operator.

“Skill level is my top criteria in hiring a camera operator,” says Cronenweth. “But I also need someone with confidence in his or her ability, commitment in their shots and of course people skills. They are the middle man and closest person to your actors and need the ability to provide leadership and diplomacy.”

Cronenweth tapped Peter Rosenfeld as the A-camera operator. Having worked on Memoirs of a Geisha, World Trade Center and The Notebook, Rosenfeld certainly had the right experience. But he did not initially think that he would get the job.

“I had a close existing relationship with Jeff and have had the privilege of working as his operator on several pictures.

When he called me about The Social Network, I thanked him for thinking of me but knew that David handpicked his keys himself. I had never met David before and was certain he would choose someone he knew and felt comfortable with rather than the DP’s pick. Jeff told me not to worry and it was going to be great. ” After being hired on, the first thing Rosenfeld did was to read Sorkin’s screenplay.

“The Social Network was one of the best scripts I have ever read,” says Rosenfeld. “That said, it was dense. REALLY dense. In fact, it was so wordy that I was unsure if the audience would accept dialogue that was so rapid and cerebral. It seemed almost devoid of visuals, almost reading like a novel as opposed to a screenplay.”

Director David Fincher, 1st AD Bob Wagner, and Camera Operator Pete Rosenfeld

20

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE SOCIAL NETWORK

Special Awards Edition 2011

S

ince creating the phenomenon, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has friended over 500 million people — and created more than a few enemies in the process. In The Social Network, Aaron Sorkin’s script chronicles Zuckerberg’s creation of the internet’s largest social networking website.

Under the direction of David Fincher (Fight Club, Seven, Zodiac), the film does more than that.

“Fincher and Sorkin triumph by taking it further. Lacing their scathing with an aching sadness, they define the dark irony of the past decade,” says Peter Travers in his Rolling Stone magazine review. “Director David Fincher puts his visual mastery to work on the verbal pyrotechnics.”

To help Fincher put his visual stamp on The Social Network, the director turned to Jeff Cronenweth ASC. Having teamed up on Fight Club over a decade ago, the cinematographer and the director already had a shorthand. But when Cronenweth read the script for the first time, he was already ahead of the game.

“First reads,” says Cronenweth, “always leave you with first impressions and interpretations of a story and its visual style which I feel are honest and should be remembered. However, I had met with David regarding the project before I had actually had my hands on the script. So I already had a good sense of the visual language as I went through my first read. It was all too apparent that this story was all about performance and presentation of the roller coaster-like dialog. So we tried to build a visual atmosphere of sophisticated reality inherent to the college experience that kept you engaged, but did not interfere with the delivery and rhythm that are all so critical on this type of project.

“David Fincher is a perfectionist at the highest level,” states Cronenweth, so he knew the project would need a top camera operator.

“Skill level is my top criteria in hiring a camera operator,” says Cronenweth. “But I also need someone with confidence in his or her ability, commitment in their shots and of course people skills. They are the middle man and closest person to your actors and need the ability to provide leadership and diplomacy.”

Cronenweth tapped Peter Rosenfeld as the A-camera operator. Having worked on Memoirs of a Geisha, World Trade Center and The Notebook, Rosenfeld certainly had the right experience. But he did not initially think that he would get the job.

“I had a close existing relationship with Jeff and have had the privilege of working as his operator on several pictures.

When he called me about The Social Network, I thanked him for thinking of me but knew that David handpicked his keys himself. I had never met David before and was certain he would choose someone he knew and felt comfortable with rather than the DP’s pick. Jeff told me not to worry and it was going to be great. ” After being hired on, the first thing Rosenfeld did was to read Sorkin’s screenplay.

“The Social Network was one of the best scripts I have ever read,” says Rosenfeld. “That said, it was dense. REALLY dense. In fact, it was so wordy that I was unsure if the audience would accept dialogue that was so rapid and cerebral. It seemed almost devoid of visuals, almost reading like a novel as opposed to a screenplay.”

Director David Fincher, 1st AD Bob Wagner, and Camera Operator Pete Rosenfeld

20

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE SOCIAL NETWORK

Special Awards Edition 2011

Director David Fincher, Camera Operator Peter Rosenfeld, and Video Assist Wayne Tidwell

WOW! I am extremely honored to have received the 2010

very gifted and loyal staff, my colleagues, my peers, my

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences John A.

family, but most importantly to all of you cinematographers

Bonner Award. This would not have been possible without

who inspire me. Thank you so very much!

all of you. I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to my

Denny Clairmont

“The visual style was designed to keep the audience engaged, but serve the dialog,” said Cronenweth. “Move the camera to punctuate words or emotions, to isolate or immerse, but always bearing in mind the pace and rhythm that the words brought out. After all, the script was 160 pages long and needed to come in at 2 hours.”

Being a fan of digital capture over film, Fincher and Cronenweth chose RED’s new M-X camera.

“The RED Camera and the new Millennium X chip,” explains Cronenweth, “proved to have the most color range and low light sensitivity while maintaining the solid blacks we all strive for. We used the Master Primes because we wanted to maintain a shallow depth of field as a story point and emotionally and the T1.3s were beautiful.”

“The format, RED 2:40/4K was new territory for me,” said Rosenfeld. “I had worked with the RED only a few times on commercials and had no idea what this would be like on a feature. David chose the RED cameras in part due to the urging of his friend Steven Soderbergh. We were assured that our cameras would be updated to the latest sensor and it became clear that the management of RED were going to work very closely with us to make sure the director got the look he wanted for TSN. “As an operator,” adds Rosenfeld, ”I have to admit that the experience of operating the RED on a feature was not unpleasant. It was the first digital viewfinder I have ever looked through where I could clearly see focus. In addition to that, in our aspect ratio of 2:40/4K I had a bit of ‘look around.’ This is an area on the sensor that would not be in

the finished film. It allows the operator to spot intrusions and problems before they enter the frame.

“Most of the picture was recorded on the internal CF cards,” says Rosenfeld. “There was no DIT on our set ever.

No tent. Not even a laptop in the camera department. There would be a film break at lunch when editorial would pick up the morning’s cards and bring us fresh ones. All duplication and checking were done by the editorial staff. The only cable leaving my camera was one BNC to the director’s monitor and the on-set video playback system. The camera is small, light, and we shot with it much as you would have on 35mm.

Aside from some minor overheating issues we never had a breakdown or lost any material. It certainly helped that 1st AC Steve Meisler and his 2nd Paul Toomy were very familiar with the RED.” The technical aspects of the project were not Rosenfeld’s biggest challenge.

“The hardest thing a camera operator has to do, in my opinion, is figure out what the director and DP are looking for,” says Rosenfeld. “With Fincher, it was easy. He likes symmetry — balanced compositions, strong lines, level frames, zero keystone effects. He favors the precision of dolly track and avoids cranes and dance floor as much as possible.

I believe there is only one handheld shot in the entire movie.”

“We used the Technocrane sparingly and have but a single handheld shot in the film,” affirms Cronenweth. “There was no use of the Steadicam as David does not appreciate horizon line swimming. The majority of movement in the picture was accomplished with traditional dolly moves on precision

www.clairmont.com Special Awards Edition 2011

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE SOCIAL NETWORK

23

Director David Fincher, Camera Operator Peter Rosenfeld, and Video Assist Wayne Tidwell

WOW! I am extremely honored to have received the 2010

very gifted and loyal staff, my colleagues, my peers, my

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences John A.

family, but most importantly to all of you cinematographers

Bonner Award. This would not have been possible without

who inspire me. Thank you so very much!

all of you. I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to my

Denny Clairmont

“The visual style was designed to keep the audience engaged, but serve the dialog,” said Cronenweth. “Move the camera to punctuate words or emotions, to isolate or immerse, but always bearing in mind the pace and rhythm that the words brought out. After all, the script was 160 pages long and needed to come in at 2 hours.”

Being a fan of digital capture over film, Fincher and Cronenweth chose RED’s new M-X camera.

“The RED Camera and the new Millennium X chip,” explains Cronenweth, “proved to have the most color range and low light sensitivity while maintaining the solid blacks we all strive for. We used the Master Primes because we wanted to maintain a shallow depth of field as a story point and emotionally and the T1.3s were beautiful.”

“The format, RED 2:40/4K was new territory for me,” said Rosenfeld. “I had worked with the RED only a few times on commercials and had no idea what this would be like on a feature. David chose the RED cameras in part due to the urging of his friend Steven Soderbergh. We were assured that our cameras would be updated to the latest sensor and it became clear that the management of RED were going to work very closely with us to make sure the director got the look he wanted for TSN. “As an operator,” adds Rosenfeld, ”I have to admit that the experience of operating the RED on a feature was not unpleasant. It was the first digital viewfinder I have ever looked through where I could clearly see focus. In addition to that, in our aspect ratio of 2:40/4K I had a bit of ‘look around.’ This is an area on the sensor that would not be in

the finished film. It allows the operator to spot intrusions and problems before they enter the frame.

“Most of the picture was recorded on the internal CF cards,” says Rosenfeld. “There was no DIT on our set ever.

No tent. Not even a laptop in the camera department. There would be a film break at lunch when editorial would pick up the morning’s cards and bring us fresh ones. All duplication and checking were done by the editorial staff. The only cable leaving my camera was one BNC to the director’s monitor and the on-set video playback system. The camera is small, light, and we shot with it much as you would have on 35mm.

Aside from some minor overheating issues we never had a breakdown or lost any material. It certainly helped that 1st AC Steve Meisler and his 2nd Paul Toomy were very familiar with the RED.” The technical aspects of the project were not Rosenfeld’s biggest challenge.

“The hardest thing a camera operator has to do, in my opinion, is figure out what the director and DP are looking for,” says Rosenfeld. “With Fincher, it was easy. He likes symmetry — balanced compositions, strong lines, level frames, zero keystone effects. He favors the precision of dolly track and avoids cranes and dance floor as much as possible.

I believe there is only one handheld shot in the entire movie.”

“We used the Technocrane sparingly and have but a single handheld shot in the film,” affirms Cronenweth. “There was no use of the Steadicam as David does not appreciate horizon line swimming. The majority of movement in the picture was accomplished with traditional dolly moves on precision

www.clairmont.com Special Awards Edition 2011

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE SOCIAL NETWORK

23

track. We tried to block out sequences in a manner that allowed very little need for tilt corrections and tried to keep everything in pans and arm moves.”

“Fincher is a brilliant visualist,” Rosenfeld says. “And he asks a lot from his crew. Rather than relying on the DI, Jeff created much of the look of TSN in his lighting on set. He, the director and Gaffer Harold Skinner worked very closely together on this. Jeff definitely had his hands full. I often worked directly with Fincher to plan, co-ordinate, select the tools and execute the shots — under Jeff ’s supervision of course. I was surprised to discover how collaborative a filmmaker Fincher actually is. He has no ego that I could see and would abandon or modify a setup if he heard a better idea. I remember my suggestions to him were often cut off abruptly after several words by ‘OK. Go do it.’

David understood in an instant what I meant. And if I opened my mouth further about the same thing, he would say ‘Asked and answered’ and move on to another task. His mind works very fast.

“There was a strong visual aesthetic on this film,” continues Rosenfeld. “This included a muted color palette, limited depth of field, very linear camera moves, and strong and balanced compositions.

24

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE SOCIAL NETWORK

Rosenfeld had to work very closely with his dolly grip to land the frames and composition that was necessary for the director’s vision.

“The entire movie was shot at or near wide open on Master Primes,” describes Rosenfeld. “I had a fine dolly grip in Jim Wickman and a rock solid focus puller in Steve Meisler.

Together, I think we delivered exactly what David wanted.

“The opening shot of Jesse Eisenberg walking out of the Harvard gates and into Harvard Square is a great example of the creative mind of our director,” says Rosenfeld.

“David wanted that shot to set the tone of the film: in lighting and in camera movement. However, at the last minute we were denied permission to shoot on the Harvard campus.”

“The opening title sequence is designed to give you a real sense of the Harvard campus and the scale of this storied university,” says Cronenweth. “The obstacle was the fact that most of the property pictured in the sequence was owned by Harvard and therefore off-limits.

“Fortunately,” Cronenweth continues, “we had the support of the city of Cambridge. Their workers replaced all streetlight globes that were bad or off-color for the entire two-block area. Then, we hid our own globes on dimmers on the backside of the same streetlights to create bigger pools of light under them. We also used various public-parking areas to create as many edges as possible to separate Jesse out from the dark bricks of the campus. We Special Awards Edition 2011

also set up some moving lights to play as Eisenberg passed certain locations on the street.”

“Even though the RED camera shooting at night picks up a great deal of the existing light,” says Rosenfeld, “we still needed to light the Armie Hammer as a Winklevoss twin; buildings of Harvard visible in the background.

Max Minghella as Divya Narendra I remember David turning to his 1st AD and saying ‘Get me a mime for next Friday night.’” Back:Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin, Joseph Mazzello as Dustin Moskovitz, “I had my gaffer Harold Skinner create a cart Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, and Patrick Mapel as Chris Hughes Special Awards Edition 2011

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE SOCIAL NETWORK

25

track. We tried to block out sequences in a manner that allowed very little need for tilt corrections and tried to keep everything in pans and arm moves.”

“Fincher is a brilliant visualist,” Rosenfeld says. “And he asks a lot from his crew. Rather than relying on the DI, Jeff created much of the look of TSN in his lighting on set. He, the director and Gaffer Harold Skinner worked very closely together on this. Jeff definitely had his hands full. I often worked directly with Fincher to plan, co-ordinate, select the tools and execute the shots — under Jeff ’s supervision of course. I was surprised to discover how collaborative a filmmaker Fincher actually is. He has no ego that I could see and would abandon or modify a setup if he heard a better idea. I remember my suggestions to him were often cut off abruptly after several words by ‘OK. Go do it.’

David understood in an instant what I meant. And if I opened my mouth further about the same thing, he would say ‘Asked and answered’ and move on to another task. His mind works very fast.

“There was a strong visual aesthetic on this film,” continues Rosenfeld. “This included a muted color palette, limited depth of field, very linear camera moves, and strong and balanced compositions.

24

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE SOCIAL NETWORK

Rosenfeld had to work very closely with his dolly grip to land the frames and composition that was necessary for the director’s vision.

“The entire movie was shot at or near wide open on Master Primes,” describes Rosenfeld. “I had a fine dolly grip in Jim Wickman and a rock solid focus puller in Steve Meisler.

Together, I think we delivered exactly what David wanted.

“The opening shot of Jesse Eisenberg walking out of the Harvard gates and into Harvard Square is a great example of the creative mind of our director,” says Rosenfeld.

“David wanted that shot to set the tone of the film: in lighting and in camera movement. However, at the last minute we were denied permission to shoot on the Harvard campus.”

“The opening title sequence is designed to give you a real sense of the Harvard campus and the scale of this storied university,” says Cronenweth. “The obstacle was the fact that most of the property pictured in the sequence was owned by Harvard and therefore off-limits.

“Fortunately,” Cronenweth continues, “we had the support of the city of Cambridge. Their workers replaced all streetlight globes that were bad or off-color for the entire two-block area. Then, we hid our own globes on dimmers on the backside of the same streetlights to create bigger pools of light under them. We also used various public-parking areas to create as many edges as possible to separate Jesse out from the dark bricks of the campus. We Special Awards Edition 2011

also set up some moving lights to play as Eisenberg passed certain locations on the street.”

“Even though the RED camera shooting at night picks up a great deal of the existing light,” says Rosenfeld, “we still needed to light the Armie Hammer as a Winklevoss twin; buildings of Harvard visible in the background.

Max Minghella as Divya Narendra I remember David turning to his 1st AD and saying ‘Get me a mime for next Friday night.’” Back:Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin, Joseph Mazzello as Dustin Moskovitz, “I had my gaffer Harold Skinner create a cart Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, and Patrick Mapel as Chris Hughes Special Awards Edition 2011

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE SOCIAL NETWORK

25

Erica Albright (Rooney Mara) breaks up with Mark Zuckerberg ( Jesse Eisenberg)

for the mime,” says Cronenweth. The cart had a portable, battery-powered light source — two 500-watt ECT Photo Floods hooked up to an 1,800-watt inverter/battery pack — designed to fire up only when we were shooting.”

“Armed with a walkie and the cart,” adds Rosenfeld, “the mime could move around freely inside Harvard without attracting attention. On cue, he would turn on his lights, aimed where we needed them. In the final print, they painted out the mime, leaving his lighting effects behind. Brilliant.

“For those reasons,” adds Rosenfeld, “and the unstructured nature of the shot — no one knew where Jesse was going to cross the street or what path he would take — David decided to set our three RED cameras overlapping the scene and shoot them locked off. In post he would digitally create the shot that followed Jesse from the gates until he disappeared in the square. So my role in operating that particular shot was actually limited, as my camera was locked off and the movement created in post.

“I think one of my favorite sequences,” says Rosenfeld, ”was the pub in the opening scene. The breakup between Zuckerberg and Erica Albright established the tone and style for the movie. The crisp dense dialogue set the characters up beautifully. It painted a perfect picture of the world you were about to enter. It was shot over two days and the actors performed those lines no less than 90 times.

“The Social Network is a success,” explains Rosenfeld, “because viewers care about the characters. It’s a great script shaped into a great film by experienced and talented hands.

What we add as film craftspeople is the flavor that the audience takes home — the lasting memory of a particular

26

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE SOCIAL NETWORK

Special Awards Edition 2011

Special Awards Edition 2011

shot or sequence or an actor’s beautiful close up. When it all works, like I think it did in this case, it’s like magic.

“This is not a visually showy movie,” says Rosenfeld. “But the visual elements work very effectively in the background. The light, the color, the camera and the editing add a great deal to TSN and contribute to its success.

“What the audience experiences is a result of the camera operator’s ability to absorb information,” explains Rosenfeld. “For example, there is a long slow push in on Zuckerberg near the end of the movie. The Beatles’ song ‘Baby You’re a Rich Man’ comes on during it. Fincher played the song on set while we shot it. No one expected it. Wickman’s pace on the dolly, my operating and Jesse’s performance were directly influenced by this move on his part. All of us absorbed what was happening at that moment on set and communicated a feeling to the audience.

“I always wear a Comtec [earpiece]. It puts you right in with the actors, hearing every word and breath. It makes my operating better but more importantly it keeps me in tune with the story. I wear one on every take of every shot. There is a shot of Eduardo sitting at his desk in the dorm room when a letter is slid under the door. It was the director’s decision to put the camera low, directly in Eduardo’s look to the door opening at the bottom.

I probably did 10 to 15 takes of that shot. David rarely shoots less than that — sometimes much much more.

I shot it old school through the RED eyepiece on the Cartoni Lambda Head. But what I really remember about that shot is what I heard. The squeak of his chair, his intake of breath before rising. All information absorbed.”

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE SOCIAL NETWORK

27

Erica Albright (Rooney Mara) breaks up with Mark Zuckerberg ( Jesse Eisenberg)

for the mime,” says Cronenweth. The cart had a portable, battery-powered light source — two 500-watt ECT Photo Floods hooked up to an 1,800-watt inverter/battery pack — designed to fire up only when we were shooting.”

“Armed with a walkie and the cart,” adds Rosenfeld, “the mime could move around freely inside Harvard without attracting attention. On cue, he would turn on his lights, aimed where we needed them. In the final print, they painted out the mime, leaving his lighting effects behind. Brilliant.

“For those reasons,” adds Rosenfeld, “and the unstructured nature of the shot — no one knew where Jesse was going to cross the street or what path he would take — David decided to set our three RED cameras overlapping the scene and shoot them locked off. In post he would digitally create the shot that followed Jesse from the gates until he disappeared in the square. So my role in operating that particular shot was actually limited, as my camera was locked off and the movement created in post.

“I think one of my favorite sequences,” says Rosenfeld, ”was the pub in the opening scene. The breakup between Zuckerberg and Erica Albright established the tone and style for the movie. The crisp dense dialogue set the characters up beautifully. It painted a perfect picture of the world you were about to enter. It was shot over two days and the actors performed those lines no less than 90 times.

“The Social Network is a success,” explains Rosenfeld, “because viewers care about the characters. It’s a great script shaped into a great film by experienced and talented hands.

What we add as film craftspeople is the flavor that the audience takes home — the lasting memory of a particular

26

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE SOCIAL NETWORK

Special Awards Edition 2011

Special Awards Edition 2011

shot or sequence or an actor’s beautiful close up. When it all works, like I think it did in this case, it’s like magic.

“This is not a visually showy movie,” says Rosenfeld. “But the visual elements work very effectively in the background. The light, the color, the camera and the editing add a great deal to TSN and contribute to its success.

“What the audience experiences is a result of the camera operator’s ability to absorb information,” explains Rosenfeld. “For example, there is a long slow push in on Zuckerberg near the end of the movie. The Beatles’ song ‘Baby You’re a Rich Man’ comes on during it. Fincher played the song on set while we shot it. No one expected it. Wickman’s pace on the dolly, my operating and Jesse’s performance were directly influenced by this move on his part. All of us absorbed what was happening at that moment on set and communicated a feeling to the audience.

“I always wear a Comtec [earpiece]. It puts you right in with the actors, hearing every word and breath. It makes my operating better but more importantly it keeps me in tune with the story. I wear one on every take of every shot. There is a shot of Eduardo sitting at his desk in the dorm room when a letter is slid under the door. It was the director’s decision to put the camera low, directly in Eduardo’s look to the door opening at the bottom.

I probably did 10 to 15 takes of that shot. David rarely shoots less than that — sometimes much much more.

I shot it old school through the RED eyepiece on the Cartoni Lambda Head. But what I really remember about that shot is what I heard. The squeak of his chair, his intake of breath before rising. All information absorbed.”

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE SOCIAL NETWORK

27

On Location in Boston: The Town Camera Operator Colin Anderson soc interviewed by Steve Fracol soc

Photos by Claire Folger Š2010 Warner Bros All Rights Reserved

Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) and Jem Coughlin ( Jeremy Renner) walk out of Fenway Park disguised as police officers after pulling off a major heist.

On Location in Boston: The Town Camera Operator Colin Anderson soc interviewed by Steve Fracol soc

Photos by Claire Folger Š2010 Warner Bros All Rights Reserved

Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) and Jem Coughlin ( Jeremy Renner) walk out of Fenway Park disguised as police officers after pulling off a major heist.

Background: Coughlin and Macray prepare for the Fenway heist. Inset left:The bank heist crew (Renner, Slaine as Gloansy, Owen Burke as Desmond and Affleck) discuss what to do after they kidnapped a witness during a robbery.

Inset right: FBI Special Agent Adam Frawley ( Jon Hamm) breaks down details of the case.

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CAMERA OPERATOR: THE TOWN

Special Awards Edition 2011

T

he Town is a gritty heist film starring, co-written and directed by Ben Affleck. Adapted from Chuck Hoganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s novel Prince of Thieves, the film follows Doug MacRay (Affleck) as the head of a Boston crew of thieves who struggles to plan his last job while wrestling with his feelings for the woman his crew kidnapped in a previous robbery. All the while, the FBI looks to bring down him and his crew.

Steve Fracol SOC sat down with A-camera operator Colin Anderson SOC to hear a few details about the shoot.

Steve Fracol: You already had quite a bit of experience with Robert Elswit ASC prior to this project, having worked on most notably There Will Be Blood. What was your reaction upon getting the call to work on The Town?

Colin Anderson: Getting a call from Robert is always very gratifying and exciting as I consider him one of the premier cinematographers of Special Awards Edition 2011

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE TOWN

31

Background: Coughlin and Macray prepare for the Fenway heist. Inset left:The bank heist crew (Renner, Slaine as Gloansy, Owen Burke as Desmond and Affleck) discuss what to do after they kidnapped a witness during a robbery.

Inset right: FBI Special Agent Adam Frawley ( Jon Hamm) breaks down details of the case.

30

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE TOWN

Special Awards Edition 2011

T

he Town is a gritty heist film starring, co-written and directed by Ben Affleck. Adapted from Chuck Hoganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s novel Prince of Thieves, the film follows Doug MacRay (Affleck) as the head of a Boston crew of thieves who struggles to plan his last job while wrestling with his feelings for the woman his crew kidnapped in a previous robbery. All the while, the FBI looks to bring down him and his crew.

Steve Fracol SOC sat down with A-camera operator Colin Anderson SOC to hear a few details about the shoot.

Steve Fracol: You already had quite a bit of experience with Robert Elswit ASC prior to this project, having worked on most notably There Will Be Blood. What was your reaction upon getting the call to work on The Town?

Colin Anderson: Getting a call from Robert is always very gratifying and exciting as I consider him one of the premier cinematographers of Special Awards Edition 2011

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE TOWN

31

Blake Lively as Krista Coughlin

our day. His knowledge and experience is almost limitless and I try to soak up as much as I can.

was that he was so well prepared and also having Robert to cover must have been a huge comfort to him.

Did you know actor/director Ben Affleck prior to this project or was this your first experience working with him?

I was very pleased to watch a movie with such big action scenes but not all shot handheld. In my opinion the handheld in this picture was spot-on and not overused as it often is now days. Who was responsible for that result? Did you discuss the use or lack of handheld use in this picture during prep or on the day upon setup of each scene?

I had worked with Ben previously on a film called Daredevil. I did the first 8 weeks and had to leave for a commitment that I had already made on another film.

The Town was without doubt one of the most enjoyable sets I have been on because of Ben. One would be hard pressed to find a nicer person to spend your day with! He is extremely bright, humorous and knowledgeable. I think with him both acting and directing, things ran pretty smoothly. It’s an enormous workload and I think Ben felt the strain at times, but handled it admirably. What helped

32

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE TOWN

The handheld was mostly discussed on the day as decisions like those become pretty clear once a scene has been blocked and the mood set. Robert and I have a history of handheld as every shot on Syriana was on the shoulder and I think that it’s possible to do it without really drawing to much attention to it.

Special Awards Edition 2011

COURTESY OF WARNER BROS PICTURES

COURTESY OF WARNER BROS PICTURES

Special Agent Frawley and his partner (Dino Ciampa) stake out MacRay.

One shot springs to mind as being fairly challenging and fun to do… The shot is at the beginning of the North End robbery and starts in the back of the minivan, over-shoulder. Jeremy Renner and Ben Baz, the 1st AC, had put together a great rig for me to cradle a 435 and operate off the monitor. We come flying down the road, come to a stop and all pile out. Ben takes out the guard and then I chase Jeremy up a ramp into the armored car. The tricky part was jumping out of the minivan bent over, on the run, without using my hands!

How long was this shooting schedule and was this all shot on location in Boston?

The movie was shot entirely in Boston, most of it in Charlestown itself. We did it in 12 weeks, which although it is fairly standard, was challenging on this film as there was so much action. The car chase was second unit (Alexander Witt) who I think did a phenomenal job!

Special Awards Edition 2011

MacRay talks to his father (Chris Cooper) in the jail visitor’s room.

Background: Ben Affleck as Doug MacRay CAMERA OPERATOR: THE TOWN

33

Blake Lively as Krista Coughlin

our day. His knowledge and experience is almost limitless and I try to soak up as much as I can.

was that he was so well prepared and also having Robert to cover must have been a huge comfort to him.

Did you know actor/director Ben Affleck prior to this project or was this your first experience working with him?

I was very pleased to watch a movie with such big action scenes but not all shot handheld. In my opinion the handheld in this picture was spot-on and not overused as it often is now days. Who was responsible for that result? Did you discuss the use or lack of handheld use in this picture during prep or on the day upon setup of each scene?

I had worked with Ben previously on a film called Daredevil. I did the first 8 weeks and had to leave for a commitment that I had already made on another film.

The Town was without doubt one of the most enjoyable sets I have been on because of Ben. One would be hard pressed to find a nicer person to spend your day with! He is extremely bright, humorous and knowledgeable. I think with him both acting and directing, things ran pretty smoothly. It’s an enormous workload and I think Ben felt the strain at times, but handled it admirably. What helped

32

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE TOWN

The handheld was mostly discussed on the day as decisions like those become pretty clear once a scene has been blocked and the mood set. Robert and I have a history of handheld as every shot on Syriana was on the shoulder and I think that it’s possible to do it without really drawing to much attention to it.

Special Awards Edition 2011

COURTESY OF WARNER BROS PICTURES

COURTESY OF WARNER BROS PICTURES

Special Agent Frawley and his partner (Dino Ciampa) stake out MacRay.

One shot springs to mind as being fairly challenging and fun to do… The shot is at the beginning of the North End robbery and starts in the back of the minivan, over-shoulder. Jeremy Renner and Ben Baz, the 1st AC, had put together a great rig for me to cradle a 435 and operate off the monitor. We come flying down the road, come to a stop and all pile out. Ben takes out the guard and then I chase Jeremy up a ramp into the armored car. The tricky part was jumping out of the minivan bent over, on the run, without using my hands!

How long was this shooting schedule and was this all shot on location in Boston?

The movie was shot entirely in Boston, most of it in Charlestown itself. We did it in 12 weeks, which although it is fairly standard, was challenging on this film as there was so much action. The car chase was second unit (Alexander Witt) who I think did a phenomenal job!

Special Awards Edition 2011

MacRay talks to his father (Chris Cooper) in the jail visitor’s room.

Background: Ben Affleck as Doug MacRay CAMERA OPERATOR: THE TOWN

33

Colin, you are one of the top Steadicam operators in the game today. This picture had lots of Steadicam use and all seemed to be used for the right reasons. Wrapping around the actors as they looked around for the suspects, creating tension, excellent walking shots leading actors, etc. When faced with a choice of dolly vs Steadicam, who made the final decision of which to use?

Even though I am a Steadicam operator, I am a huge fan of the dolly. I think if the shot can be done on a dolly, it should be. After all, a Steadicam should look like a dolly.

So if it doesn’t have to be on the Steadicam, it shouldn’t be!

Don’t get me wrong though: the Steadicam is an amazing tool and is the obvious and logical choice for some shots.

One Steadicam shot from The Town that sticks in my mind is at Fenway Park. The entire shot didn’t make the cut but we shot it starting at an entrance gate to Fenway. Ben and Jeremy are admitted and led through a turnstile, down two flights of stairs next to the Green monster, out onto the field, back inside and then down a really long corridor to a small room. Fun to do even though the whole shot is not in the film.

What role did you play in each setup and frame? How much control did you have in decisions?

Ben and Robert both gave me an enormous amount of freedom to make my own choices regarding setups and framing, which is so rewarding. They did however have a definite vision for the film and I think they struck the perfect balance as to when the camera was moving or stationary.

What format was this shot on?

The Town was shot on film using the anamorphic format.

Robert is a big fan of anamorphic which is great as I think it is such a fabulous format to frame as an operator.

If you were allowed to do a shot or scene over again which would it be and why? What would you do differently?

One shot I would love to have another go at was a Steadicam shot outside Fenway Park. Gloansy had just crashed the ambulance into the FBI command center and we did this push in on John Hamm as he realizes the other guys are not in the ambulance. I think we were on a 75mm and it was really windy. The Steadicam was blowing all over the place but we had to live with the shot as we ran out of time.

Coughlin tries to shoot his way out of trouble.

34

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE TOWN

Coughlin contemplates what to do with MacRay. Special Awards Edition 2011

Special Awards Edition 2011

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE TOWN

35

Colin, you are one of the top Steadicam operators in the game today. This picture had lots of Steadicam use and all seemed to be used for the right reasons. Wrapping around the actors as they looked around for the suspects, creating tension, excellent walking shots leading actors, etc. When faced with a choice of dolly vs Steadicam, who made the final decision of which to use?

Even though I am a Steadicam operator, I am a huge fan of the dolly. I think if the shot can be done on a dolly, it should be. After all, a Steadicam should look like a dolly.

So if it doesn’t have to be on the Steadicam, it shouldn’t be!

Don’t get me wrong though: the Steadicam is an amazing tool and is the obvious and logical choice for some shots.

One Steadicam shot from The Town that sticks in my mind is at Fenway Park. The entire shot didn’t make the cut but we shot it starting at an entrance gate to Fenway. Ben and Jeremy are admitted and led through a turnstile, down two flights of stairs next to the Green monster, out onto the field, back inside and then down a really long corridor to a small room. Fun to do even though the whole shot is not in the film.

What role did you play in each setup and frame? How much control did you have in decisions?

Ben and Robert both gave me an enormous amount of freedom to make my own choices regarding setups and framing, which is so rewarding. They did however have a definite vision for the film and I think they struck the perfect balance as to when the camera was moving or stationary.

What format was this shot on?

The Town was shot on film using the anamorphic format.

Robert is a big fan of anamorphic which is great as I think it is such a fabulous format to frame as an operator.

If you were allowed to do a shot or scene over again which would it be and why? What would you do differently?

One shot I would love to have another go at was a Steadicam shot outside Fenway Park. Gloansy had just crashed the ambulance into the FBI command center and we did this push in on John Hamm as he realizes the other guys are not in the ambulance. I think we were on a 75mm and it was really windy. The Steadicam was blowing all over the place but we had to live with the shot as we ran out of time.

Coughlin tries to shoot his way out of trouble.

34

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE TOWN

Coughlin contemplates what to do with MacRay. Special Awards Edition 2011

Special Awards Edition 2011

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE TOWN

35

In the Ring with The Fighter

Camera Operator Geoffrey Haley interviewed by Dan Gold soc Photos by JoJo Whilden Š2010 Fighter, LLC All Rights Reserved

Fighter Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) looks back at his half-brother Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale) while their manager/mother (Melissa Leo) stands by.

In the Ring with The Fighter

Camera Operator Geoffrey Haley interviewed by Dan Gold soc Photos by JoJo Whilden Š2010 Fighter, LLC All Rights Reserved

Fighter Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) looks back at his half-brother Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale) while their manager/mother (Melissa Leo) stands by.

B

ased on the true life story of professional boxer “Irish” Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg), The Fighter follows the welterweight boxer’s meteoric rise to a Welterweight Championship bout. Directed by David O Russell, the film chronicles Ward’s training, his mentorship by a local policeman and his relationship with his older half-brother Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale), a freshly paroled former boxer looking for redemption after falling into a crack addiction.

Dan Gold SOC met with A-camera operator Geoffrey Haley to talk about his experiences on the film.

Bartender and love interest Charlene Fleming (Amy Adams) flirts with Ward.

Dan Gold: Tell me about your experience shooting The Fighter.

Geoffrey Haley: It’s great for me to talk about because it was one of the most interesting experiences I’ve had as an operator. There were a number of “first times” on this film, for myself and others in my department as well. I had worked with David O Russell before on I Heart Huckabees, so I somewhat knew what to expect. I had a fantastic dolly grip in Bruce Hamme, but he never had a chance to actually pull the dolly off the truck. The movie was around 65% Steadicam and 35% handheld.

On one occasion, we were doing a Steadicam shot in which Christian Bale was shadow boxing around the room in his crack house. As was standard practice on the film, we were finding moments and frames organically and spontaneously without much of a plan ahead of time. I had a wide lens on and David O called out from video village, “Geoff get closer” and I yelled back: “I’m going to have to go to a tighter lens.”

David agreed, so I said to the 1st AD: “Okay let’s cut and change lenses.” But David called out: “No, no, no. Don’t cut!”

So I docked the Steadicam, we changed lens, re-calibrated and continued to shoot the scene without ever cutting the camera. That was a first for me.

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CAMERA OPERATOR: THE FIGHTER

What camera did you use on the movie?

We shot on film with the Aaton Penelope 2-perf 35mm camera. There was a lot of discussion before we started about film versus High Definition. Hoyte van Hoytema, the DP, did not want to shoot digital, partly because of the run and gun nature of the film and the fact that we wanted it to look film-like, with unique film grain and texture. During my preliminary meeting with David O, he expressed his frustration on his prior films that the story so often had to service the camera, this thing in the center of the room that everybody bowed down to. He wanted it the other way around.

He wanted the camera to service the story. And so he didn’t want to ever think about the technical issues: the fact that the camera is on a dolly or a track or that it can’t look in a certain direction.

He wanted the ability to allow the organic path of the scene to carve its own course, unabated by artificial logistical impediments. That was essentially code for: it’s going to be Steadicam and handheld and you need to be prepared to see everything at all times and never cut — just roll out, re-load and keep on going. Because of that reason, a 2 perf camera made sense.

Did you discuss the advantages for the project of film over digital with the director?

David is a tactile, big picture kind of guy and doesn’t have a lot of interest in dealing with a lot of technical issues. The conversation took place mostly in the abstract. He was interested in the industrial aged gritty look that Lowell, Massachusetts offered. So he tended to gravitate toward the more weathered and gritty filmic looking things. I did tell him that I was afraid that a digital environment would literally umbilical the story to a technical framework that was not very freeing. I expressed this to him in a broad aesthetic sort of way without getting into the nuts and bolts of scopes, DITs, tents, monitors, drives, and all of the other things that can sometimes weigh down HD projects.

The Penelope had never been used on a major feature film in the US before. We did have some issues with the camera early on because of the 2 perf movement and the fact that you’re threading essentially with much of the movement in the magazine. There was definitely a learning curve. We used two camera bodies and had a third as a back-up.

Was there anything about the camera that related specifically to your concerns as a camera operator?

The big advantage to the Penelope is it’s a fairly light camera. So it’s good for handheld and Steadicam — with one Special Awards Edition 2011

B

ased on the true life story of professional boxer “Irish” Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg), The Fighter follows the welterweight boxer’s meteoric rise to a Welterweight Championship bout. Directed by David O Russell, the film chronicles Ward’s training, his mentorship by a local policeman and his relationship with his older half-brother Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale), a freshly paroled former boxer looking for redemption after falling into a crack addiction.

Dan Gold SOC met with A-camera operator Geoffrey Haley to talk about his experiences on the film.

Bartender and love interest Charlene Fleming (Amy Adams) flirts with Ward.

Dan Gold: Tell me about your experience shooting The Fighter.

Geoffrey Haley: It’s great for me to talk about because it was one of the most interesting experiences I’ve had as an operator. There were a number of “first times” on this film, for myself and others in my department as well. I had worked with David O Russell before on I Heart Huckabees, so I somewhat knew what to expect. I had a fantastic dolly grip in Bruce Hamme, but he never had a chance to actually pull the dolly off the truck. The movie was around 65% Steadicam and 35% handheld.

On one occasion, we were doing a Steadicam shot in which Christian Bale was shadow boxing around the room in his crack house. As was standard practice on the film, we were finding moments and frames organically and spontaneously without much of a plan ahead of time. I had a wide lens on and David O called out from video village, “Geoff get closer” and I yelled back: “I’m going to have to go to a tighter lens.”

David agreed, so I said to the 1st AD: “Okay let’s cut and change lenses.” But David called out: “No, no, no. Don’t cut!”

So I docked the Steadicam, we changed lens, re-calibrated and continued to shoot the scene without ever cutting the camera. That was a first for me.

38

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE FIGHTER

What camera did you use on the movie?

We shot on film with the Aaton Penelope 2-perf 35mm camera. There was a lot of discussion before we started about film versus High Definition. Hoyte van Hoytema, the DP, did not want to shoot digital, partly because of the run and gun nature of the film and the fact that we wanted it to look film-like, with unique film grain and texture. During my preliminary meeting with David O, he expressed his frustration on his prior films that the story so often had to service the camera, this thing in the center of the room that everybody bowed down to. He wanted it the other way around.

He wanted the camera to service the story. And so he didn’t want to ever think about the technical issues: the fact that the camera is on a dolly or a track or that it can’t look in a certain direction.

He wanted the ability to allow the organic path of the scene to carve its own course, unabated by artificial logistical impediments. That was essentially code for: it’s going to be Steadicam and handheld and you need to be prepared to see everything at all times and never cut — just roll out, re-load and keep on going. Because of that reason, a 2 perf camera made sense.

Did you discuss the advantages for the project of film over digital with the director?

David is a tactile, big picture kind of guy and doesn’t have a lot of interest in dealing with a lot of technical issues. The conversation took place mostly in the abstract. He was interested in the industrial aged gritty look that Lowell, Massachusetts offered. So he tended to gravitate toward the more weathered and gritty filmic looking things. I did tell him that I was afraid that a digital environment would literally umbilical the story to a technical framework that was not very freeing. I expressed this to him in a broad aesthetic sort of way without getting into the nuts and bolts of scopes, DITs, tents, monitors, drives, and all of the other things that can sometimes weigh down HD projects.

The Penelope had never been used on a major feature film in the US before. We did have some issues with the camera early on because of the 2 perf movement and the fact that you’re threading essentially with much of the movement in the magazine. There was definitely a learning curve. We used two camera bodies and had a third as a back-up.

Was there anything about the camera that related specifically to your concerns as a camera operator?

The big advantage to the Penelope is it’s a fairly light camera. So it’s good for handheld and Steadicam — with one Special Awards Edition 2011

exception. It’s got a forward/backward film displacement in the magazine so the balance changes throughout the take. I have a Steadicam rig that has the ability to change the balance on the top stage wirelessly. So I got into the habit of making small adjustments every 45 seconds or so I could stay essentially at a neutral balance throughout. It became second nature after a couple of days of working with the camera.

The eyepiece was a little tough to get used to because it tended to be slightly soft on the edges and sharper in the center. It was a bit difficult because we were shooting an aspect ratio of 2.40:1. Of course that choice is made for you if you’re going to shoot 2 perf. It was a little bit tricky sometimes knowing whether the image was sharp because we were often composing for the extremities of the frame, so I wasn’t always sure if the focus was a bit soft at certain times, or if my eyepiece was just fooling me. Given the fact that we weren’t doing rehearsals and were just shooting off the cuff, it got a little harried at times. I felt a little bad for first assistant Greg Irwin because I couldn’t always give him accurate feedback.

I think Dana Gonzales, our B camera operator, had a similar concerns for the B camera first, Rob Bullard.

In terms of style, was there a visual plan for the film that the director and DP had from the start?

It grew out of showing up the first couple of days and figuring it out. David O Russell is a very spontaneous and improvisational filmmaker. He doesn’t storyboard. It was all approached from a sort of “let’s explore the space and see

what happens on the day” kind of thing, especially with these actors, most of whom were very comfortable in an organic, no marks environment.

Initially, I think the film was meant to be a little more handheld. A main reason I wanted to do the film was that I had heard that Hoyte was going to be the DP and I loved Let the Right One In so much. He has a very distinct point of view as a cinematographer. But generally the movies of his that I had seen were a bit more static, more composed, more premeditated and deliberately photographed films.

The Fighter was the opposite. I think Hoyte had originally envisioned doing more handheld, but he also liked the idea of staying on the longer end of the lens. David wasn’t that excited about a really handheldy and super jerky looking “handheld.” So once we started getting into the longer end of the lens, Steadicam grew more into the grammar of the film.

Another “first” for me began on third day of shooting when Greg Irwin gave Hoyte the Preston wireless zoom control at video village. For this film, Hoyte had also become more improvisational in his approach and that turned into a very interesting way of working. We wouldn’t run camera rehearsals. We would just have conversations about where people might be and what emotionally and visually we were trying to accomplish. Then it would be off to the races.

I would start shooting what we had discussed and because I carried a zoom lens on the Steadicam, Hoyte would begin to make little lens adjustments here and there. Little adjustments by the fourth day turned into massive ones. In one

Ward contemplates his future after losing another fight.

Special Awards Edition 2011

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE FIGHTER

41

exception. It’s got a forward/backward film displacement in the magazine so the balance changes throughout the take. I have a Steadicam rig that has the ability to change the balance on the top stage wirelessly. So I got into the habit of making small adjustments every 45 seconds or so I could stay essentially at a neutral balance throughout. It became second nature after a couple of days of working with the camera.

The eyepiece was a little tough to get used to because it tended to be slightly soft on the edges and sharper in the center. It was a bit difficult because we were shooting an aspect ratio of 2.40:1. Of course that choice is made for you if you’re going to shoot 2 perf. It was a little bit tricky sometimes knowing whether the image was sharp because we were often composing for the extremities of the frame, so I wasn’t always sure if the focus was a bit soft at certain times, or if my eyepiece was just fooling me. Given the fact that we weren’t doing rehearsals and were just shooting off the cuff, it got a little harried at times. I felt a little bad for first assistant Greg Irwin because I couldn’t always give him accurate feedback.

I think Dana Gonzales, our B camera operator, had a similar concerns for the B camera first, Rob Bullard.

In terms of style, was there a visual plan for the film that the director and DP had from the start?

It grew out of showing up the first couple of days and figuring it out. David O Russell is a very spontaneous and improvisational filmmaker. He doesn’t storyboard. It was all approached from a sort of “let’s explore the space and see

what happens on the day” kind of thing, especially with these actors, most of whom were very comfortable in an organic, no marks environment.

Initially, I think the film was meant to be a little more handheld. A main reason I wanted to do the film was that I had heard that Hoyte was going to be the DP and I loved Let the Right One In so much. He has a very distinct point of view as a cinematographer. But generally the movies of his that I had seen were a bit more static, more composed, more premeditated and deliberately photographed films.

The Fighter was the opposite. I think Hoyte had originally envisioned doing more handheld, but he also liked the idea of staying on the longer end of the lens. David wasn’t that excited about a really handheldy and super jerky looking “handheld.” So once we started getting into the longer end of the lens, Steadicam grew more into the grammar of the film.

Another “first” for me began on third day of shooting when Greg Irwin gave Hoyte the Preston wireless zoom control at video village. For this film, Hoyte had also become more improvisational in his approach and that turned into a very interesting way of working. We wouldn’t run camera rehearsals. We would just have conversations about where people might be and what emotionally and visually we were trying to accomplish. Then it would be off to the races.

I would start shooting what we had discussed and because I carried a zoom lens on the Steadicam, Hoyte would begin to make little lens adjustments here and there. Little adjustments by the fourth day turned into massive ones. In one

Ward contemplates his future after losing another fight.

Special Awards Edition 2011

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE FIGHTER

41

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With the cameras rolling, Director David O Russell adjusts a prop for Melissa Leo on the set of The Fighter.

Orlando CANADA Toronto

Ward contemplates his broken hand as Eklund is led away.

42

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE FIGHTER

shot, I would start on a 32 millimeter and suddenly I’d be at a 76 millimeter with no idea when, or if, that was going to happen.

Initially, I was completely perplexed and frustrated. I no longer had full control of the composition of the image. As a jazz musician, it felt to me like an improvisational jazz piano solo where one person is playing the left hand and the other is playing the right hand. But it’s improv, right? You don’t know what the other person is about to do, and therefore how YOU are going to react and what the result might be. Initially, I may have a three shot. But Hoyte is pushing in tighter and tighter, so that’s forcing my hand to make a decision compositionally and movement-wise to what I think makes sense.

The grammar of that style was initially very jarring. But then it became extraordinarily freeing because every take was very different. I no longer had to abide by any set rules or understanding of what the shot was going to be before we rolled camera. I could really do whatever I wanted to. There was really no harm, no foul on a lot of this stuff.

Of course at times, it drove Greg and me crazy! He would look over my shoulder at my monitor, seeing a nice two-shot, but two seconds later it became a 75 mil extreme close-up on an actor that is moving around the set and doesn’t have any marks. In fact, we’re ALL moving around willy-nilly, not sure what’s going to happen from one moment to the next, with the DP zooming freely through 75 mils of lens barrel from video village and somehow Greg has to keep it all in focus. He’s amazing. I have no idea how he did it. Of course the director is yelling ideas and non-technical directions out to myself and the actors in the middle of the take that I need to translate into Special Awards Edition 2011

Vancouver Halifax Calgary Montreal LATIN AMERICA Mexico City Brazil EUROPE London Manchester Dublin Paris Rome Budapest Warsaw Prague Madrid ASIA PACIFIC Sydney Melbourne Queensland Gold Coast Auckland Tokyo Hong Kong Malaysia Philippines India AFRICA Capetown Johannesburg

WE LIVE IN YOUR WORLD.

In 35 dramatic cities around the globe, we support your vision with a localized base of cameras, lenses, lighting and cranes. Trust in the deep technical knowledge and robust service that has made Panavision the legend we are today.

panavision.com

UNITED STATES Woodland Hills Hollywood New York Dallas Atlanta New Orleans

With the cameras rolling, Director David O Russell adjusts a prop for Melissa Leo on the set of The Fighter.

Orlando CANADA Toronto

Ward contemplates his broken hand as Eklund is led away.

42

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE FIGHTER

shot, I would start on a 32 millimeter and suddenly I’d be at a 76 millimeter with no idea when, or if, that was going to happen.

Initially, I was completely perplexed and frustrated. I no longer had full control of the composition of the image. As a jazz musician, it felt to me like an improvisational jazz piano solo where one person is playing the left hand and the other is playing the right hand. But it’s improv, right? You don’t know what the other person is about to do, and therefore how YOU are going to react and what the result might be. Initially, I may have a three shot. But Hoyte is pushing in tighter and tighter, so that’s forcing my hand to make a decision compositionally and movement-wise to what I think makes sense.

The grammar of that style was initially very jarring. But then it became extraordinarily freeing because every take was very different. I no longer had to abide by any set rules or understanding of what the shot was going to be before we rolled camera. I could really do whatever I wanted to. There was really no harm, no foul on a lot of this stuff.

Of course at times, it drove Greg and me crazy! He would look over my shoulder at my monitor, seeing a nice two-shot, but two seconds later it became a 75 mil extreme close-up on an actor that is moving around the set and doesn’t have any marks. In fact, we’re ALL moving around willy-nilly, not sure what’s going to happen from one moment to the next, with the DP zooming freely through 75 mils of lens barrel from video village and somehow Greg has to keep it all in focus. He’s amazing. I have no idea how he did it. Of course the director is yelling ideas and non-technical directions out to myself and the actors in the middle of the take that I need to translate into Special Awards Edition 2011

Vancouver Halifax Calgary Montreal LATIN AMERICA Mexico City Brazil EUROPE London Manchester Dublin Paris Rome Budapest Warsaw Prague Madrid ASIA PACIFIC Sydney Melbourne Queensland Gold Coast Auckland Tokyo Hong Kong Malaysia Philippines India AFRICA Capetown Johannesburg

technical adjustments and hope the adjustment accurately reflects David’s ideas.

It was definitely a bit intense at times. Having that zoom come from a completely separate brain and somehow finding a way to make it seem like it’s part of a cohesive thought — that style of working was a first for me.

How was it working with Christian Bale?

I knew on the second day of shooting that Christian was going to win an Oscar for this. And I still believe it. This was such a physically difficult film for me because I was constantly doing 10 minute Steadicam takes or going handheld.

There were days when I thought I couldn’t get out of bed. It was an emotionally tough shoot with a director that is very demanding. And he doesn’t easily suffer technical delays or pragmatic considerations of not being able to see this way or that way or lighting limitations. So it was difficult to know that I was going to have to be ready for anything at all times.

Oftentimes the only thing that gave me the strength to get up in the morning at all was thinking, “I wonder what Christian is going to do today.” It was completely exhilarating. Watching his performance take after take through the eyepiece or from the Steadicam monitor wasn’t just captivating, it also gave me energy and inspiration. For me, often the right composition and the right way to move through the space became obvious because I was taking my cues from the

incredible performances of the actors.

How did Bruce Hamme, your dolly, contribute to your success in this film?

The photography of the fight scenes had a unique look.

What was the approach in filming those sequences?

Bruce was incredibly instrumental in ways that I don’t think he’d ever been needed to be instrumental in before. A lot of that was thinking ahead of problems that might be encountered as we’re shooting shots that we had never talked about shooting. He was very proactive about anticipating both physical and logistical obstacles that I might encounter so we would never have to say “Wait, hold on, we’ve got to stop, or move that thing, or get these people out of the way.”

He’s extremely smart and has an amazing amount of experience. He’s also a gentleman and has a disarming way of communicating with others that made my life and working environment a lot easier. And of course, he was always there to make sure the camera came off the shoulder when it needed to.

Unlike the rest of the film, the fight scenes were very choreographed — partly because these guys were actually hitting each other. Mark had trained to fight with these guys to recreate the fights as they actually happened, punch for punch. We shot all the fight footage in the original format that they were initially captured in the mid-nineties when those fights actually took place. We went to Beta SP video.

HBO Sports was hired to bring their entire technical team including camera operators, technical directors, and remote trucks to shoot these fights exactly the way they shot them originally. From my understanding, some of the camera operators actually shot the original fights.

The grammar of the fight coverage was very strictly mandated. Never was a camera allowed to go inside the ropes because that’s not the way it would have been covered in reality. There were 2 wide cameras up in the stands, 2 apron cameras just outside the ropes and myself and Dana on our own Beta SP camcorders to get coverage for the film that wouldn’t necessarily be gotten by an HBO camera. We concentrated on the trainers, Christian, the families and the audience. We were capturing the emotional narrative behind the fight while HBO was getting the fight coverage.

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE FIGHTER

Greg had a gargantuan task. The stops were incredibly shallow, 1.3s and 2s — partly because we used minimal “movie” lighting in many scenes. Available light was often necessary to give David O the ability to see 360 degrees at all times. I found Hoyte to be a very talented minimal lighter.

But that, along with the improvisational nature of our shoot, didn’t always make life easy for Greg.

As a camera operator, how would you describe the journey you made on this project.

I had always approached operating with a certain expectation of conscious control over the image I was capturing.

On this film, I learned that losing control of certain parameters could be an incredibly freeing exercise. And once I embraced that possibility and allowed myself to adopt a more subconscious, reactive, mode of working, my experience on The Fighter became one of the most gratifying of my career.

Eklund tries to pump up Ward before his Welterweight Championship bout with Shea Neary.

Police sergeant Mickey O’Keefe plays himself as the real life mentor of “Irish” Mickey Ward.

44

How did first assistant Greg Irwin contribute to your success in this film?

Luckily, Greg is not somebody who generally relies on marks to pull focus. He lays incredibly few of them. It was really just a matter of his understanding the cadence of the scene, the camera and the actors — and then strapping in for the ride and just winging it. I still don’t know how he did it.

Over the past few years, he and I have developed little communication systems by which I try to give him as much heads up about a camera adjustment during a take as possible.

But in this case, since Hoyte was manning the zoom from video village, adjustments were often as much news to me as they were to Greg. Greg handled all of the craziness with a calmness and professionalism that I greatly admire. Greg’s real strength, as far as my job was concerned, is the fact that I never have to worry about him or the focus. I was simply allowed to play.

Special Awards Edition 2011

Special Awards Edition 2011

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE FIGHTER

45

technical adjustments and hope the adjustment accurately reflects David’s ideas.

It was definitely a bit intense at times. Having that zoom come from a completely separate brain and somehow finding a way to make it seem like it’s part of a cohesive thought — that style of working was a first for me.

How was it working with Christian Bale?

I knew on the second day of shooting that Christian was going to win an Oscar for this. And I still believe it. This was such a physically difficult film for me because I was constantly doing 10 minute Steadicam takes or going handheld.

There were days when I thought I couldn’t get out of bed. It was an emotionally tough shoot with a director that is very demanding. And he doesn’t easily suffer technical delays or pragmatic considerations of not being able to see this way or that way or lighting limitations. So it was difficult to know that I was going to have to be ready for anything at all times.

Oftentimes the only thing that gave me the strength to get up in the morning at all was thinking, “I wonder what Christian is going to do today.” It was completely exhilarating. Watching his performance take after take through the eyepiece or from the Steadicam monitor wasn’t just captivating, it also gave me energy and inspiration. For me, often the right composition and the right way to move through the space became obvious because I was taking my cues from the

incredible performances of the actors.

How did Bruce Hamme, your dolly, contribute to your success in this film?

The photography of the fight scenes had a unique look.

What was the approach in filming those sequences?

Bruce was incredibly instrumental in ways that I don’t think he’d ever been needed to be instrumental in before. A lot of that was thinking ahead of problems that might be encountered as we’re shooting shots that we had never talked about shooting. He was very proactive about anticipating both physical and logistical obstacles that I might encounter so we would never have to say “Wait, hold on, we’ve got to stop, or move that thing, or get these people out of the way.”

He’s extremely smart and has an amazing amount of experience. He’s also a gentleman and has a disarming way of communicating with others that made my life and working environment a lot easier. And of course, he was always there to make sure the camera came off the shoulder when it needed to.

Unlike the rest of the film, the fight scenes were very choreographed — partly because these guys were actually hitting each other. Mark had trained to fight with these guys to recreate the fights as they actually happened, punch for punch. We shot all the fight footage in the original format that they were initially captured in the mid-nineties when those fights actually took place. We went to Beta SP video.

HBO Sports was hired to bring their entire technical team including camera operators, technical directors, and remote trucks to shoot these fights exactly the way they shot them originally. From my understanding, some of the camera operators actually shot the original fights.

The grammar of the fight coverage was very strictly mandated. Never was a camera allowed to go inside the ropes because that’s not the way it would have been covered in reality. There were 2 wide cameras up in the stands, 2 apron cameras just outside the ropes and myself and Dana on our own Beta SP camcorders to get coverage for the film that wouldn’t necessarily be gotten by an HBO camera. We concentrated on the trainers, Christian, the families and the audience. We were capturing the emotional narrative behind the fight while HBO was getting the fight coverage.

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE FIGHTER

Greg had a gargantuan task. The stops were incredibly shallow, 1.3s and 2s — partly because we used minimal “movie” lighting in many scenes. Available light was often necessary to give David O the ability to see 360 degrees at all times. I found Hoyte to be a very talented minimal lighter.

But that, along with the improvisational nature of our shoot, didn’t always make life easy for Greg.

As a camera operator, how would you describe the journey you made on this project.

I had always approached operating with a certain expectation of conscious control over the image I was capturing.

On this film, I learned that losing control of certain parameters could be an incredibly freeing exercise. And once I embraced that possibility and allowed myself to adopt a more subconscious, reactive, mode of working, my experience on The Fighter became one of the most gratifying of my career.

Eklund tries to pump up Ward before his Welterweight Championship bout with Shea Neary.

Police sergeant Mickey O’Keefe plays himself as the real life mentor of “Irish” Mickey Ward.

44

How did first assistant Greg Irwin contribute to your success in this film?

Luckily, Greg is not somebody who generally relies on marks to pull focus. He lays incredibly few of them. It was really just a matter of his understanding the cadence of the scene, the camera and the actors — and then strapping in for the ride and just winging it. I still don’t know how he did it.

Over the past few years, he and I have developed little communication systems by which I try to give him as much heads up about a camera adjustment during a take as possible.

But in this case, since Hoyte was manning the zoom from video village, adjustments were often as much news to me as they were to Greg. Greg handled all of the craziness with a calmness and professionalism that I greatly admire. Greg’s real strength, as far as my job was concerned, is the fact that I never have to worry about him or the focus. I was simply allowed to play.

Special Awards Edition 2011

Special Awards Edition 2011

CAMERA OPERATOR: THE FIGHTER

45

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Rigging gear for monitors, cameras, lights, microphones, and clamps Light weight, rugged, ball and socket components with an o-ring in the ball for ease of use and holding power.

For use on Red, Arri, Panavision, Canon, broadcast cameras and others.

Made in USA PH: (805)484-3334

Complete with a water reflecting pool, Camera Operator Alan Pierce films a night boat scene on dry land for Winter’s Bone.

Photo by Sebastian Mlynarski

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www.ulcs.com Special Awards Edition 2011

CAMERA OPERATOR: LAST TAKE

47

CAMERA SUPPORT SYSTEMS The Ultimate Articulating Arm System Completely modular allowing you to custom design for your needs.

Rigging gear for monitors, cameras, lights, microphones, and clamps Light weight, rugged, ball and socket components with an o-ring in the ball for ease of use and holding power.

For use on Red, Arri, Panavision, Canon, broadcast cameras and others.

Made in USA PH: (805)484-3334

Complete with a water reflecting pool, Camera Operator Alan Pierce films a night boat scene on dry land for Winter’s Bone.

Photo by Sebastian Mlynarski

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX Chapman Leonard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39. . www.chapman-leonard.com Cinematography Electronics . . . . . . . 46 . www.cinematographyelectronics.com Clairmont Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 . www.clairmont.com Deluxe Laboratories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 . www.bydeluxe.com Filmtools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21. . www.filmtools.com FUJIFILM Motion Picture Division . . 40. . www.fujifilmusa.com Fujinon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IBC . www.fujinon.com Glidecam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14. . www.glidecam.com Hot Gears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 . www.hotgears.com IATSE Local 600 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7. . www.cameraguild.com

JL Fisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC . . www.jlfisher.com Lite Panels, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC . . www.litepanels.com Musicians Interguild . . . . . . . . . . . .6 . . www.musicianscu.org Panavision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 . . www.panavision.com Paramount Motion Pictures . . . 3,5 . . www.paramount.com Pictorvision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 . . www.pictorvision.com Ultimate Arm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 . . www.ultimatearm.com Ultralight Control Systems . . . . .46 . . www.ulcs.com VariZooom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 . . www.varizoom.com Warner Bros Photo Lab . . . . . . . .46 . . www.wbphotolab.com

www.ulcs.com Special Awards Edition 2011

CAMERA OPERATOR: LAST TAKE

47

Roster of the Society of

CAMERA OPERATORS Andrew Glenn Conder Michael Condon Tom Connole Dan Coplan Javier A Costa Richard J Cottrell Andrei Cranach Jeff Cree Rod Crombie Caleb Crosby White Lyndel Crosley Richard A Cullis Michael L Culp Grant Culwell Joseph C D’Alessandro Markus Davids Bruce E Davis Richard W Davis Mark G Dawson Ray de la Motte Andrew A Dean Michael S Dean Kris Andrew Denton ACTIVE Joel Deutsch Jonathan S Abrams David E Diano Bernie Abramson Troy Dick Art Adams Jason Dittmer Steven A Adelson Ian Dodd Michael R Alba Todd A Dos Reis Bret Allen Rick Drapkin Derek M Allen Mitch Dubin Lee Allison Jerry Dugan Robert Reed Altman Simon Duggan, ACS Colin Anderson Louis R Duskin Jack Anderson Lou Dustin Aldo Antonelli Barry P Dycus Miguelangel Aponte-Rios Allen D Easton Francois Archambault David E Elkins Joseph Arena Jason Ellson Will Arnot David Emmerichs Ted Ashton, Jr Kevin J Emmons Mark August Alex Esber Grayson Grant Austin James Etheridge Paul Babin Brant S Fagan Randall B Baer Tom Faigh Christopher Baffa Diane L Farrell Lonn Bailey Dianne Teresa Farrington James Baldanza Michael Ferris Vincent Baldino Kenneth Ferro Jerry Banales Craig Fikse Jeff Barklage Dick Fisher Ricardo Barredo Lance Fisher Tom Barron Aaron Fitzgerald Gary H Baum Eric Fletcher Timothy D Beavers Houman Forough Jaswinder S Bedi Steven G Fracol Guy Norman Bee Nick Franco Tim Bellen Candide Franklyn Richard Benda Thomas Fraser Jeb Bergh David J Frederick Marc Andre Berthiaume Michael Frediani George M Bianchini Mike A Freeman Lance Billitzer Buddy Fries Howard H Bingham Jeff Fry Bonnie S Blake Jack Garrett Jason Blount David Gasperik Bob C Boccaccio Rusty Geller Richard Bolter Michael Genne Harry C Box Mark Gerasimenko Katie Boyum Vito Giambalvo Kevin D Braband Bill Gierhart Denise Brassard Laurie K Gilbert Michael Brennen Mark Goellnicht Gerard Brigante Daniel Gold Garrett Brown Allen Gonzales Kenny Brown Robert Gorelick Pete Brown David Allen Grove Scott Browner Lee Grover Robin Buerki Robert Guernsey Gary Bush John C Guntzelman Stephen S Campanelli Chris C Haarhoff Susan A Campbell Anette Haellmigk Richard Cantu Daniel Hagouel Capt Jose A Cardenas John Hankammer Peter Cavaciuti Anthony Hardwick Michael W Chambliss Kent Harvey Lou Chanatry Chris Hayes Joe Chess Jr David Haylock Julian Chojnacki Steven F Heuer Joseph V Cicio Kevin Hewitt Jeff L Clark Ronald High Jeffrey R Clark Charles M Hill, Jr Anthony Cobbs Joachim Hoffmann Steven Cohen Abe Holtz Gregory Paul Collier Jerry Holway CHARTER Parker Bartlett Paul Basta Michael Benson Jerry G Callaway Joe Epperson William Jay Gahret Peter Hapke Lee Nakahara Jay Nefcy Leigh Nicholson Dan Norris David B Nowell, ASC Wayne Orr Ernie Reed Michael Scott Michael St Hilaire Ray Stella Joseph F Valentine Ron Vidor

Casey Hotchkiss William Stephen Howell II Gary Huddleston Colin Hudson Jeffrey G Hunt Philip Hurn David Insley Levie C Isaacks Dave Isern Christopher Ivins Eugene W Jackson III Jerry M Jacob Francis G James Alec Jarnagin Michael Jarocki Simon Jayes Peter Jensen Michael A Johnson Steven Jones Jacques Jouffret John H Joyce David Judy David C Kanehann Mark Karavite Michael Karp Wayne L Kelley Vernon Kifer David Kimelman Douglas H Knapp Dan Kneece Rory Robert Knepp Kris Krosskove Jules Labarthe Erwin Landau George F Lang Per Larsson Robin Lawless John Lazear Eric Leach Sergio Leandro Silva Richard Leible Joshua Lesser Ken Libby Jimmy W Lindsey Hugh C Litfin Lynn Lockwood George Loomis David Luckenbach Allan Lum Li Greg Lundsgaard Kenji Luster Vincent C Mack Heather MacKenzie Paul S Magee David Mahlmann James Mann Kim Marks Jim McConkey BJ McDonnell Michael P McGowan Christopher TJ McGuire Maurice K McGuire Aaron Medick Robert L Mehnert Jack Messitt Marc Miller William E Mills Andrew Mitchell William Molina David Monroe Jeff Moore Robert “Bob” Moore Juan Matias Ramos Mora Denis Moran Josh Morton Manolo Rojas Moscopulos Don Muirhead Marty F Mullin Michael Mulvey Scott T Mumford Sean Murray Jon Myers Leo J Napolitano Julye Newlin William R Nielsen, Jr Randy Nolen Tamas P Nyerges William “Billy O” O’Drobinak Mark D O’Kane Michael D Off Russell Ofria James Olcovich Andrew William Oliver Lucio Olivieri Mark Richard Olsen

John Orland Rafael Ortiz-Guzman Georgia Tornai Packard George Paddock Heather Page Nick Paige Charles Papert Andrew Parke David L Parrish Patrick J Pask Philip Pastuhov Christopher T Paul William F Pecchi Jr Karin Pelloni Terry Pfrang Mike Pierce Theo Pingarelli Jens Piotrowski Joseph Piscitelli Robert Presley John Radzik Kevin Riley Mark A Ritchie Timothy Roarke Brooks Robinson Randall Robinson Rick Robinson David Robman Andy Romanoff Peter Rosenfeld Michael S Roth Dave Rutherford P Scott Sakamoto Tom O Sanders Michael Santy Martin Schaer Ron Schlaeger Mark Schlicher Gregory J Schmidt Thomas J Schnaidt Chuck Schuman Philip D Schwartz Bob Scott Brian D Scott Alicia Craft Sehring Benjamin Semanoff Khallid J Shabazz Brad Shield Geoffrey C Shotz Osvaldo Silvera Jamie Silverstein Guy Skinner John Sosenko Andy Sparaco Mike Spodnik Sandy Spooner Edward B Springer Lisa L Stacilauskas Robert Starling Scott Stelle George B Stephenson Daniel Stilling Sandra Stojanovic Michael R Stumpf David L Svenson Brian E Sweeney James H Sweeney Bill Swinghamer Paul Taylor Taj Teffaha David James Thompson Richard Tiedemann John Toll, ASC David Tolsky Tsuneyuki Tometaka Remi Tournois John Trapman Michael Tsimperopoulos Chris Tufty Dan Turrett Brian Tweedt Joseph Urbanczyk Matt Valentine Paul D Varrieur Ron Veto Stefan von Bjorn Bill Waldman Michael J Walker Adam S Ward Mark Warshaw Gretchen Warthen William Webb Aiken Weiss Thomas Weston Tom Weston

Mande Whitaker Kit Whitmore, CSC Brian Keith Wilcox Jeffrey Wilkins Bill Williams Joe “Jody” Williams Chad Wilson Dana D Winseman RL Wise David Wolff Ian D Woolston-Smith Noel Adrian Wyatt Peter C Xiques Elizabeth Ziegler Carolina Zorrilla de San Martin ASSOCIATE Amy H Abrams John Addocks David S Adelstein Lance Allen Jon L Anderson Jacob Avignone Karen Beck Bruce Bender Jaron Berman Stephen Blanor Jeffrey D Bollman Peter Bonilla Jean-Paul Bonneau David Boyd John Boyd Maja Broz Carmen Cabana Anthony Q Caldwell David S Campbell Bruce Cardozo Paolo Cascio Richard T Cascio Stephen Mark Ciappetta Chad Courtney Michelle Crenshaw Richard P Crudo, ASC Nicholas Egor Davidoff Ronald Deveaux Jorge Devotto David Dibble George Spiro Dibie, ASC Kevin Downey Paul A Duclos Bert Dunk, ASC Keith Dunkerley Steven Duval Brian James Dzyak Jonathan Edwards Keith “Iceberg” Eisberg Christopher Ekstein Shane English Robert C Fisher Archie Fletcher John C Flinn III, ASC Mark Forman Keith Francis Fred M Frintrup Peter F Frintrup Richard Garbutt James P Garvey Hank Gifford Michael Goi, ASC Wayne Goldwyn Al Gonzalez Frederic Goodich, ASC John M Goodner Afton M Grant Dave Gregory Phil Gries Eric Gunner Mortensen Kevin M Haggerty Bob Hall James Hammond James W Hart Robert Hayes Anthony P Hettinger John Hill Ken Hilmer Scott Hoffman Melissa Holt Chris Hood Jim Hunter Carrie Imai Toshiyuki Imai Gregory Irwin Blake B Jackson Leo Jaramillo Morgan Jenkins

John Chancell Jennings Peter J Johnson Frank E Johnson, ASC Kurt Jones Quenell Jones Robert Joyce David Kane Kevin N Kemp Mark H Killian Douglas Kirkland Michael Klimchak Craig Kohlhoff Michael Kowalczyk Cindy Kurland Robert La Bonge George La Fountaine, ASC Thomas Lappin Lee David Laska-Abbott Greg Le Duc Taggart A Lee Mark R Leins Alan J Levi Mark Levin Adrian Licciardi Ilya Jo Lie-Nielsen Stephen Lighthill, ASC Stuart T Lillas Jong Lin Colleen Ann Lindl Jefferson K Loftfield Jessica Lopez Jasmine Lord Roland J Luna Tony Magaletta Kominik Mainl Adam Mansfield Duane C Manwiller Jesus A Marcano Emily Marchand Jorge A Marcial Richard Marks James Mathers Tisha Mathews Jim R Matlosz Dr Ellen Matsumoto John Matysiak Krystal A Maughan Joseph T McDonnell III Charles Minsky, ASC K Adriana Modlin Larry Mole Parker Shauna Morgan Brown Dana Morris Matthew C Mosher Richard Mosier Shah Mundell Joshua S Narins John Newby Natalie Newman Derek Nickell Russell C Nordstedt Crescenzo GP Notarile, ASC John O’Shaughnessy Steven D Parker Florencia Perez Cardenal Mark W Petersen Matthew A Petrosky Jon Philion Astrid Phillips Robert G Pittman W S Pivetta Ted Polmanski Serge T Poupis Boris Price Robert Primes, ASC Andrea Quaglio Liz Radley Udo Ravenstein Richard Rawlings Jr, ASC Marcia Reed Bill Reiter Sandy Rentmeester Brian D Reynolds David Richert Alicia Robbins Ken Robings Peter J Rooney David Rosner Douglas Roth David Roy Tondeur Marvin Rush, ASC Colin Sabala Shereen L Saiyed Mehran Salamati Germano Saracco, AIC

Carl Martin Schumacher, Sr Christian Sebaldt, ASC Charles A Simons Michael Skor Jan Sluchak Robert F Smith Brian Sowell Don Spiro Joe B Stallworth Owen Stephens Tara Summers Andy Sydney John Tarver Joe Tawil Christopher Taylor John Twesten Caitlin Tyler Daniel Urbain Sandra Valde Nina Varano Craig W Walsh Brian Watkins Shaun Wheeler Gregory L White Jennifer Woldrich Rex Allan Worthy Pol C Wright Tony Yarlett Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC

Robert H Peebles Arnold Rich Sam Rosen Frank Ruttencutter Richard Salvatore Hal Shiffman Phil Stern David Sutton Gene Talvin Pernell Tyus Sven Walnum Ben Wolf

FRIENDS OF THE SOC ARRI Bill Russell BARTECH ENGINEERING Jim Bartell BEXEL CORPORATION John Keesee BIRNS & SAWYER, INC Alan Brennecke CHAPMAN/LEONARD STUDIOS Leonard T Chapman Christine J Huenergardt CLAIRMONT CAMERA Denny Clairmont DELUXE LABS Steve Van Anda DIGIHOLLYWOOD HONORARY Chol Kim John Bailey, ASC DOGGICAM James Burrows Gary Thieltges Tilman Büttner DOLBY IMAGING Alexander Calzatti Bill Admans Trevor Coop EASTMAN KODAK Roger Corman Judy Doherty Dean Cundey, ASC FILMTOOLS Bruce Doering Stan McClain William A Fraker, ASC FOTOKEM Jack Green, ASC Bill Brodersen Tom Hatten FUJFILM MOTION PICTURE Ron Howard DIVISION Ron Kelley Sandra Kurotobi Kathleen Kennedy-Marshall FUJINON,INC Jerry Lewis Chuck Lee Larry McConkey GEO FILM GROUP Rick Mitchell George Nolan A Linn Murphree MD HYDROFLEX, INC Diana Penilla Matt Brown Jay Roth ISAIA & CO Steven Spielberg Roy Isaia Robert A Torres JL FISHER COMPANY George Toscas Jimmy L Fisher Roy Wagner, ASC Frank Kay Haskell Wexler, ASC LEE FILTERS (A DIVISION OF PANAVISION) RETIRED Sean Hise Gary Olyn Armstrong MOLE-RICHARDSON Eugene Ashbrook Larry Mole Parker Stewart Barbee OASIS IMAGING Lou Barlia Cassie Crosse Rupert Benson Jr OCONNOR ENGINEERING Al Bettcher LABORATORIES Joe Blaisdell Joel Johnson James Blanford OTTO NEMENZ Vee Bodrero INTERNATIONAL Donald R Burch Fritz Heinzl Philip Caplan Otto Nemenz Bruce Catlin PACE TECHNOLOGIES Jim Connell Vincenzo M Pace Ivan Craig PANAVISION Robert Feller Bob Harvey Gerald P Finnerman, ASC Phil Radon Jerry Fuller PHOTO-SONICS Gil Haimson Conrad Kiel Wynn Hammer SCHNEIDER OPTICS/ Lutz Hapke CENTURY DIVISION Terence A “Terry” Harkin Bill Turner Gary Holt SONY ELECTRONICS Robert C Horne Reginald Watson Bob Keys TECHNICOLOR Norm Langley Adam Chuck Steve Lydecker Robert Dennis Owen Marsh TIFFEN Bob Marta Frank Rush Stan McClain VINTEN Michael McClary Peter Harman Ron McManus Peter Vinten Emmanuel Metaxas Ed Morey Sol Negrin, ASC King Nicholson John G Nogle Aaron Pazanti

Roster Current as of 12/17/10

48

CAMERA OPERATOR: SOC ROSTER

Special Awards Edition 2011

Fujinon quality - 4K and beyond in

Fujinon’s complete family of Premier PL zoom lenses.

Fujinon’s Premier PL mount zoom lenses are designed for discriminating DP’s, camera operators, and camera assistants. Featuring 4K and beyond image capture capabilities, these lenses provide focal ranges, speed and optical performance not available before. Additional features include familiar marks and consistent gear placement, along with comparable size and weight. Our unique rear mount allows optimizing each lens for Digital Cinema or 35mm film cameras. The complete Premier PL Series lenses are now available. For more details, and to see how our PL mount lenses can make a clear difference for you, visit our website at www.Fujinon.com/DigitalCinema, or call 310-536-0771.

24-180mm 18-85mm

T2.0

T2.6

75-400mm 14.5-45mm

T2.0

T2.8-T3.8

Roster of the Society of

CAMERA OPERATORS Andrew Glenn Conder Michael Condon Tom Connole Dan Coplan Javier A Costa Richard J Cottrell Andrei Cranach Jeff Cree Rod Crombie Caleb Crosby White Lyndel Crosley Richard A Cullis Michael L Culp Grant Culwell Joseph C D’Alessandro Markus Davids Bruce E Davis Richard W Davis Mark G Dawson Ray de la Motte Andrew A Dean Michael S Dean Kris Andrew Denton ACTIVE Joel Deutsch Jonathan S Abrams David E Diano Bernie Abramson Troy Dick Art Adams Jason Dittmer Steven A Adelson Ian Dodd Michael R Alba Todd A Dos Reis Bret Allen Rick Drapkin Derek M Allen Mitch Dubin Lee Allison Jerry Dugan Robert Reed Altman Simon Duggan, ACS Colin Anderson Louis R Duskin Jack Anderson Lou Dustin Aldo Antonelli Barry P Dycus Miguelangel Aponte-Rios Allen D Easton Francois Archambault David E Elkins Joseph Arena Jason Ellson Will Arnot David Emmerichs Ted Ashton, Jr Kevin J Emmons Mark August Alex Esber Grayson Grant Austin James Etheridge Paul Babin Brant S Fagan Randall B Baer Tom Faigh Christopher Baffa Diane L Farrell Lonn Bailey Dianne Teresa Farrington James Baldanza Michael Ferris Vincent Baldino Kenneth Ferro Jerry Banales Craig Fikse Jeff Barklage Dick Fisher Ricardo Barredo Lance Fisher Tom Barron Aaron Fitzgerald Gary H Baum Eric Fletcher Timothy D Beavers Houman Forough Jaswinder S Bedi Steven G Fracol Guy Norman Bee Nick Franco Tim Bellen Candide Franklyn Richard Benda Thomas Fraser Jeb Bergh David J Frederick Marc Andre Berthiaume Michael Frediani George M Bianchini Mike A Freeman Lance Billitzer Buddy Fries Howard H Bingham Jeff Fry Bonnie S Blake Jack Garrett Jason Blount David Gasperik Bob C Boccaccio Rusty Geller Richard Bolter Michael Genne Harry C Box Mark Gerasimenko Katie Boyum Vito Giambalvo Kevin D Braband Bill Gierhart Denise Brassard Laurie K Gilbert Michael Brennen Mark Goellnicht Gerard Brigante Daniel Gold Garrett Brown Allen Gonzales Kenny Brown Robert Gorelick Pete Brown David Allen Grove Scott Browner Lee Grover Robin Buerki Robert Guernsey Gary Bush John C Guntzelman Stephen S Campanelli Chris C Haarhoff Susan A Campbell Anette Haellmigk Richard Cantu Daniel Hagouel Capt Jose A Cardenas John Hankammer Peter Cavaciuti Anthony Hardwick Michael W Chambliss Kent Harvey Lou Chanatry Chris Hayes Joe Chess Jr David Haylock Julian Chojnacki Steven F Heuer Joseph V Cicio Kevin Hewitt Jeff L Clark Ronald High Jeffrey R Clark Charles M Hill, Jr Anthony Cobbs Joachim Hoffmann Steven Cohen Abe Holtz Gregory Paul Collier Jerry Holway CHARTER Parker Bartlett Paul Basta Michael Benson Jerry G Callaway Joe Epperson William Jay Gahret Peter Hapke Lee Nakahara Jay Nefcy Leigh Nicholson Dan Norris David B Nowell, ASC Wayne Orr Ernie Reed Michael Scott Michael St Hilaire Ray Stella Joseph F Valentine Ron Vidor

Casey Hotchkiss William Stephen Howell II Gary Huddleston Colin Hudson Jeffrey G Hunt Philip Hurn David Insley Levie C Isaacks Dave Isern Christopher Ivins Eugene W Jackson III Jerry M Jacob Francis G James Alec Jarnagin Michael Jarocki Simon Jayes Peter Jensen Michael A Johnson Steven Jones Jacques Jouffret John H Joyce David Judy David C Kanehann Mark Karavite Michael Karp Wayne L Kelley Vernon Kifer David Kimelman Douglas H Knapp Dan Kneece Rory Robert Knepp Kris Krosskove Jules Labarthe Erwin Landau George F Lang Per Larsson Robin Lawless John Lazear Eric Leach Sergio Leandro Silva Richard Leible Joshua Lesser Ken Libby Jimmy W Lindsey Hugh C Litfin Lynn Lockwood George Loomis David Luckenbach Allan Lum Li Greg Lundsgaard Kenji Luster Vincent C Mack Heather MacKenzie Paul S Magee David Mahlmann James Mann Kim Marks Jim McConkey BJ McDonnell Michael P McGowan Christopher TJ McGuire Maurice K McGuire Aaron Medick Robert L Mehnert Jack Messitt Marc Miller William E Mills Andrew Mitchell William Molina David Monroe Jeff Moore Robert “Bob” Moore Juan Matias Ramos Mora Denis Moran Josh Morton Manolo Rojas Moscopulos Don Muirhead Marty F Mullin Michael Mulvey Scott T Mumford Sean Murray Jon Myers Leo J Napolitano Julye Newlin William R Nielsen, Jr Randy Nolen Tamas P Nyerges William “Billy O” O’Drobinak Mark D O’Kane Michael D Off Russell Ofria James Olcovich Andrew William Oliver Lucio Olivieri Mark Richard Olsen

John Orland Rafael Ortiz-Guzman Georgia Tornai Packard George Paddock Heather Page Nick Paige Charles Papert Andrew Parke David L Parrish Patrick J Pask Philip Pastuhov Christopher T Paul William F Pecchi Jr Karin Pelloni Terry Pfrang Mike Pierce Theo Pingarelli Jens Piotrowski Joseph Piscitelli Robert Presley John Radzik Kevin Riley Mark A Ritchie Timothy Roarke Brooks Robinson Randall Robinson Rick Robinson David Robman Andy Romanoff Peter Rosenfeld Michael S Roth Dave Rutherford P Scott Sakamoto Tom O Sanders Michael Santy Martin Schaer Ron Schlaeger Mark Schlicher Gregory J Schmidt Thomas J Schnaidt Chuck Schuman Philip D Schwartz Bob Scott Brian D Scott Alicia Craft Sehring Benjamin Semanoff Khallid J Shabazz Brad Shield Geoffrey C Shotz Osvaldo Silvera Jamie Silverstein Guy Skinner John Sosenko Andy Sparaco Mike Spodnik Sandy Spooner Edward B Springer Lisa L Stacilauskas Robert Starling Scott Stelle George B Stephenson Daniel Stilling Sandra Stojanovic Michael R Stumpf David L Svenson Brian E Sweeney James H Sweeney Bill Swinghamer Paul Taylor Taj Teffaha David James Thompson Richard Tiedemann John Toll, ASC David Tolsky Tsuneyuki Tometaka Remi Tournois John Trapman Michael Tsimperopoulos Chris Tufty Dan Turrett Brian Tweedt Joseph Urbanczyk Matt Valentine Paul D Varrieur Ron Veto Stefan von Bjorn Bill Waldman Michael J Walker Adam S Ward Mark Warshaw Gretchen Warthen William Webb Aiken Weiss Thomas Weston Tom Weston

Mande Whitaker Kit Whitmore, CSC Brian Keith Wilcox Jeffrey Wilkins Bill Williams Joe “Jody” Williams Chad Wilson Dana D Winseman RL Wise David Wolff Ian D Woolston-Smith Noel Adrian Wyatt Peter C Xiques Elizabeth Ziegler Carolina Zorrilla de San Martin ASSOCIATE Amy H Abrams John Addocks David S Adelstein Lance Allen Jon L Anderson Jacob Avignone Karen Beck Bruce Bender Jaron Berman Stephen Blanor Jeffrey D Bollman Peter Bonilla Jean-Paul Bonneau David Boyd John Boyd Maja Broz Carmen Cabana Anthony Q Caldwell David S Campbell Bruce Cardozo Paolo Cascio Richard T Cascio Stephen Mark Ciappetta Chad Courtney Michelle Crenshaw Richard P Crudo, ASC Nicholas Egor Davidoff Ronald Deveaux Jorge Devotto David Dibble George Spiro Dibie, ASC Kevin Downey Paul A Duclos Bert Dunk, ASC Keith Dunkerley Steven Duval Brian James Dzyak Jonathan Edwards Keith “Iceberg” Eisberg Christopher Ekstein Shane English Robert C Fisher Archie Fletcher John C Flinn III, ASC Mark Forman Keith Francis Fred M Frintrup Peter F Frintrup Richard Garbutt James P Garvey Hank Gifford Michael Goi, ASC Wayne Goldwyn Al Gonzalez Frederic Goodich, ASC John M Goodner Afton M Grant Dave Gregory Phil Gries Eric Gunner Mortensen Kevin M Haggerty Bob Hall James Hammond James W Hart Robert Hayes Anthony P Hettinger John Hill Ken Hilmer Scott Hoffman Melissa Holt Chris Hood Jim Hunter Carrie Imai Toshiyuki Imai Gregory Irwin Blake B Jackson Leo Jaramillo Morgan Jenkins

John Chancell Jennings Peter J Johnson Frank E Johnson, ASC Kurt Jones Quenell Jones Robert Joyce David Kane Kevin N Kemp Mark H Killian Douglas Kirkland Michael Klimchak Craig Kohlhoff Michael Kowalczyk Cindy Kurland Robert La Bonge George La Fountaine, ASC Thomas Lappin Lee David Laska-Abbott Greg Le Duc Taggart A Lee Mark R Leins Alan J Levi Mark Levin Adrian Licciardi Ilya Jo Lie-Nielsen Stephen Lighthill, ASC Stuart T Lillas Jong Lin Colleen Ann Lindl Jefferson K Loftfield Jessica Lopez Jasmine Lord Roland J Luna Tony Magaletta Kominik Mainl Adam Mansfield Duane C Manwiller Jesus A Marcano Emily Marchand Jorge A Marcial Richard Marks James Mathers Tisha Mathews Jim R Matlosz Dr Ellen Matsumoto John Matysiak Krystal A Maughan Joseph T McDonnell III Charles Minsky, ASC K Adriana Modlin Larry Mole Parker Shauna Morgan Brown Dana Morris Matthew C Mosher Richard Mosier Shah Mundell Joshua S Narins John Newby Natalie Newman Derek Nickell Russell C Nordstedt Crescenzo GP Notarile, ASC John O’Shaughnessy Steven D Parker Florencia Perez Cardenal Mark W Petersen Matthew A Petrosky Jon Philion Astrid Phillips Robert G Pittman W S Pivetta Ted Polmanski Serge T Poupis Boris Price Robert Primes, ASC Andrea Quaglio Liz Radley Udo Ravenstein Richard Rawlings Jr, ASC Marcia Reed Bill Reiter Sandy Rentmeester Brian D Reynolds David Richert Alicia Robbins Ken Robings Peter J Rooney David Rosner Douglas Roth David Roy Tondeur Marvin Rush, ASC Colin Sabala Shereen L Saiyed Mehran Salamati Germano Saracco, AIC

Carl Martin Schumacher, Sr Christian Sebaldt, ASC Charles A Simons Michael Skor Jan Sluchak Robert F Smith Brian Sowell Don Spiro Joe B Stallworth Owen Stephens Tara Summers Andy Sydney John Tarver Joe Tawil Christopher Taylor John Twesten Caitlin Tyler Daniel Urbain Sandra Valde Nina Varano Craig W Walsh Brian Watkins Shaun Wheeler Gregory L White Jennifer Woldrich Rex Allan Worthy Pol C Wright Tony Yarlett Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC

Robert H Peebles Arnold Rich Sam Rosen Frank Ruttencutter Richard Salvatore Hal Shiffman Phil Stern David Sutton Gene Talvin Pernell Tyus Sven Walnum Ben Wolf

FRIENDS OF THE SOC ARRI Bill Russell BARTECH ENGINEERING Jim Bartell BEXEL CORPORATION John Keesee BIRNS & SAWYER, INC Alan Brennecke CHAPMAN/LEONARD STUDIOS Leonard T Chapman Christine J Huenergardt CLAIRMONT CAMERA Denny Clairmont DELUXE LABS Steve Van Anda DIGIHOLLYWOOD HONORARY Chol Kim John Bailey, ASC DOGGICAM James Burrows Gary Thieltges Tilman Büttner DOLBY IMAGING Alexander Calzatti Bill Admans Trevor Coop EASTMAN KODAK Roger Corman Judy Doherty Dean Cundey, ASC FILMTOOLS Bruce Doering Stan McClain William A Fraker, ASC FOTOKEM Jack Green, ASC Bill Brodersen Tom Hatten FUJFILM MOTION PICTURE Ron Howard DIVISION Ron Kelley Sandra Kurotobi Kathleen Kennedy-Marshall FUJINON,INC Jerry Lewis Chuck Lee Larry McConkey GEO FILM GROUP Rick Mitchell George Nolan A Linn Murphree MD HYDROFLEX, INC Diana Penilla Matt Brown Jay Roth ISAIA & CO Steven Spielberg Roy Isaia Robert A Torres JL FISHER COMPANY George Toscas Jimmy L Fisher Roy Wagner, ASC Frank Kay Haskell Wexler, ASC LEE FILTERS (A DIVISION OF PANAVISION) RETIRED Sean Hise Gary Olyn Armstrong MOLE-RICHARDSON Eugene Ashbrook Larry Mole Parker Stewart Barbee OASIS IMAGING Lou Barlia Cassie Crosse Rupert Benson Jr OCONNOR ENGINEERING Al Bettcher LABORATORIES Joe Blaisdell Joel Johnson James Blanford OTTO NEMENZ Vee Bodrero INTERNATIONAL Donald R Burch Fritz Heinzl Philip Caplan Otto Nemenz Bruce Catlin PACE TECHNOLOGIES Jim Connell Vincenzo M Pace Ivan Craig PANAVISION Robert Feller Bob Harvey Gerald P Finnerman, ASC Phil Radon Jerry Fuller PHOTO-SONICS Gil Haimson Conrad Kiel Wynn Hammer SCHNEIDER OPTICS/ Lutz Hapke CENTURY DIVISION Terence A “Terry” Harkin Bill Turner Gary Holt SONY ELECTRONICS Robert C Horne Reginald Watson Bob Keys TECHNICOLOR Norm Langley Adam Chuck Steve Lydecker Robert Dennis Owen Marsh TIFFEN Bob Marta Frank Rush Stan McClain VINTEN Michael McClary Peter Harman Ron McManus Peter Vinten Emmanuel Metaxas Ed Morey Sol Negrin, ASC King Nicholson John G Nogle Aaron Pazanti

Roster Current as of 12/17/10

48

CAMERA OPERATOR: SOC ROSTER

Special Awards Edition 2011

Fujinon quality - 4K and beyond in

Fujinon’s complete family of Premier PL zoom lenses.

Fujinon’s Premier PL mount zoom lenses are designed for discriminating DP’s, camera operators, and camera assistants. Featuring 4K and beyond image capture capabilities, these lenses provide focal ranges, speed and optical performance not available before. Additional features include familiar marks and consistent gear placement, along with comparable size and weight. Our unique rear mount allows optimizing each lens for Digital Cinema or 35mm film cameras. The complete Premier PL Series lenses are now available. For more details, and to see how our PL mount lenses can make a clear difference for you, visit our website at www.Fujinon.com/DigitalCinema, or call 310-536-0771.

24-180mm 18-85mm

T2.0

T2.6

75-400mm 14.5-45mm

T2.0

T2.8-T3.8

THE LIGHTING REVOLUTION:

LED BY LITEPANELS

Litepanels Sola LED Fresnel Series

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Choose from 5600º or 3200º Spot or Flood. Go with the Bi-Color for the ultimate control of tungsten and daylight. Or 1x1 models are also get variable Flood, available in LowProfile versions Spot or Super-Spot which use only 3" headroom with the Bi-Focus.

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Sola6—draws 75W with output equivalent to 650W Tungsten Fresnel. Sola6 features With 3 innovative screen controls & DMX built-in. ways to control: Traditional on-fixture knobs access motorized me chanical focus & electronic dimming Screen for dimming, focus, status indicator, temperature gauge, & DMX address Integrated DMX interface

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Display Until May 2011

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