ICG MAGAZINE
T H E
G I L D E D
A G E
+
P A M
&
T O M M Y
+
A R C H I V E
8 1
Wireless Camera Control. Pair any Bolt 4K system with a SmallHD Smart 7 Monitor* to wirelessly control select RED, ARRI, and Sony Cameras from up to 1500 ft away.
In every Bolt 4K.
teradek.com
*Requires camera control license and communication cables.
Scan To Learn More
Bolt 4K
Bolt 4K LT
Bolt 4K LT MAX
Bolt 4K Monitor Module
Member stories, Profiles, Safety Articles and more...
600 LIVE! l i v e . i c g 6 0 0 . c o m
pictured: Wally Pfister, ASC
Contents PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON February/March 2022 / Vol. 93 No. 02
DEPARTMENTS gear guide ................ 16 first look ................ 24 deep focus ................ 26 zoom-in ................ 30 exposure ................ 32 production credits ................ 102 stop motion .............. 110
SPECIALS Snap and Click ...... 84 Ch-ch-ch-changes ...... 92
38
FEATURE 01
ALL THAT GLITTERS… HBO’s new series The Gilded Age, shot by Vanja Černjul, ASC, and Manuel Billeter, boasts visuals as opulent and expansive as the city and era it portrays.
FEATURE 02 FOUND FOOTAGE Netflix’s new thriller, Archive 81, draws from 1970s paranoia and voyeurism to upend the visual paradigm of streaming dramas.
FEATURE 03 SEX, LIES & VIDEOTAPE Emmy nominee Paula Huidobro, AMC, and Director Craig Gillespie re-team to visualize “the greatest story ever sold” in Hulu’s new throwback miniseries, Pam & Tommy.
8
FEB/MAR 2022
56 70
president's letter
The envelope please… “International Cinematographers Guild” is a narrow title for the broad array of people and activities found in the pages that follow. As we gear up for the annual Publicists Awards Luncheon and the onrush of Awards season, it is worth noting the sheer breadth and talents of our members, who work in features, television, commercials, scripted and unscripted, news and sports, along with the many publicists who work on sets, in offices and with agencies to attract the viewers who watch our work. All of that is done around the country and across the globe, and continues daily even in the face of a seemingly endless pandemic that has paralyzed many other industries, large and small. As we celebrate our crafts this Awards season, let us also acknowledge the spirit that has enabled us to keep working in all our disciplines and genres. This year’s award for courage, tenacity and stamina goes to all our far-flung members, and is represented in the work written about in the pages that follow. Congratulations to every single member of the ICG for your award-winning determination and dedication to your craft, as well as your continued success in overcoming adversity. John Lindley, ASC National President International Cinematographers Guild IATSE Local 600
10
FEB/MAR 2022
Publisher Teresa Muñoz Executive Editor David Geffner Art Director Wes Driver
STAFF WRITER Pauline Rogers
COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
Tyler Bourdeau
COPY EDITORS
Peter Bonilla Maureen Kingsley
CONTRIBUTORS Ted Elrick Antony Platt Clifton Prescod Valentina Valentini
ACCOUNTING Mark Rubinfield Dominique Gallal
February/March 2022 vol. 93 no. 02
Local
600
International Cinematographers Guild
IATSE Local 600 NATIONAL PRESIDENT John Lindley, ASC VICE PRESIDENT Dejan Georgevich, ASC 1ST NATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT Christy Fiers 2ND NATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT Baird Steptoe NATIONAL SECRETARY-TREASURER Stephen Wong NATIONAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY-TREASURER Jamie Silverstein NATIONAL SERGEANT-AT-ARMS Deborah Lipman NATIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Rebecca Rhine ASSOCIATE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Chaim Kantor
COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
Spooky Stevens, Chair
CIRCULATION OFFICE 7755 Sunset Boulevard Hollywood, CA 90046 Tel: (323) 876-0160 Fax: (323) 878-1180 Email: circulation@icgmagazine.com
ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES WEST COAST & CANADA Rombeau, Inc. Sharon Rombeau Tel: (818) 762 – 6020 Fax: (818) 760 – 0860 Email: sharonrombeau@gmail.com EAST COAST, EUROPE, & ASIA Alan Braden, Inc. Alan Braden Tel: (818) 850-9398 Email: alanbradenmedia@gmail.com
Instagram/Twitter/Facebook: @theicgmag
ADVERTISING POLICY: Readers should not assume that any products or services advertised in International Cinematographers Guild Magazine are endorsed by the International Cinematographers Guild. Although the Editorial staff adheres to standard industry practices in requiring advertisers to be “truthful and forthright,” there has been no extensive screening process by either International Cinematographers Guild Magazine or the International Cinematographers Guild. EDITORIAL POLICY: The International Cinematographers Guild neither implicitly nor explicitly endorses opinions or political statements expressed in International Cinematographers Guild Magazine. ICG Magazine considers unsolicited material via email only, provided all submissions are within current Contributor Guideline standards. All published material is subject to editing for length, style and content, with inclusion at the discretion of the Executive Editor and Art Director. Local 600, International Cinematographers Guild, retains all ancillary and expressed rights of content and photos published in ICG Magazine and icgmagazine.com, subject to any negotiated prior arrangement. ICG Magazine regrets that it cannot publish letters to the editor. ICG (ISSN 1527-6007) Ten issues published annually by The International Cinematographers Guild 7755 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, CA, 90046, U.S.A. Periodical postage paid at Los Angeles, California. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ICG 7755 Sunset Boulevard Hollywood, California 90046 Copyright 2021, by Local 600, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States and Canada. Entered as Periodical matter, September 30, 1930, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, California, under the act of March 3, 1879. Subscriptions: $88.00 of each International Cinematographers Guild member’s annual dues is allocated for an annual subscription to International Cinematographers Guild Magazine. Non-members may purchase an annual subscription for $48.00 (U.S.), $82.00 (Foreign and Canada) surface mail and $117.00 air mail per year. Single Copy: $4.95 The International Cinematographers Guild Magazine has been published monthly since 1929. International Cinematographers Guild Magazine is a registered trademark.
www.icgmagazine.com www.icg600.com
www.astera-led.com/ax9
100%
THE NEW AX9 POWERPAR AX5's Big Brother – Twice as bright!
The AX9 utilizes the AX5's successful 3-in-1 concept which allows it to be used as wireless light and elegant uplight as well as a wired PAR light for longer or bigger installations. This makes it an extremely cost-efficient light and keeps your investment to a minimum. The AX9 packs extreme brightness in a compact and light housing while giving you industry-leading colors and white tones thanks to its Titan LED Engine.
Max. 20h
App
Wireless DMX
IP65
105 WATT OPTIMIZED BRACKET
with Airline Track, 3/8“ thread, 1/2“ hole
13° NATIVE BEAM ANGLE AX9 POWERED BY
ASTERA TITAN LED ENGINE
RGB+MINT+AMBER FULL SPECTRUM
1750K - 20000K WIDE CCT RANGE
TLCI/CRI Ra ≥ 96
EXCELLENT COLOR RENDERING from 3.200K to 6.500K
RGB, HSI, X,Y & FILTER GELS
KEYPAD
with dedicated brightness & color buttons
3-IN-1: WIRELESS PAR | WIRED PAR | ELEGANT UPLIGHT
wide angle
T
his year’s Publicity/Awards Seasonthemed double issue provides a glimpse into what makes this Guild so enduring. Two articles in particular showcase pillars that are foundational to this organization’s success. Snap and Click (page 84) profiles three pairs of unit still photographers who have enjoyed a mentor-mentee relationship that, once upon a time, was built into most production budgets as an apprentice program – until it wasn’t, and camera craft newbies had to find their way. Local 600 has done a superb job in initiating training programs down through the years to ensure members stay ahead of the technological curve – a moving target that’s almost impossible to chart in a straight line. But when it comes to providing on-thejob learning, that’s time seasoned Guild members have had to carve out from production schedules that seem to be shrinking with every new COVID surge. Which is why it’s such a pleasure to hear from newer photographers, like Clifton Prescod, Robert Clark, and Danny Delgado, who give so much love back to mentors like Quantrell Colbert, Claire Folger, and Frank Masi. Prescod stepped in for Colbert on Netflix’s new time-capsule thriller, Archive 81 (page 58), when Colbert’s existing show returned from hiatus. When Prescod rang up Q, who he calls “a photography hero of mine,” Colbert relayed to him the critical elements of an episodic-series set. “You have to watch the rehearsals, figure out where A and B cameras are – don’t forget the boom operator – and where you can find yourself to get the pictures,” he told Prescod, whose background is in fashion and unscripted. “The objective is not to take every picture. That’s what the [motion] cameras are there for. Instead of thinking about what ‘they’ want, it’s about what you see.” Delgado received similarly key advice from Masi, who won a Publicists Guild Award for Excellence in Motion Picture Photography. “Frankie told me to never be the guy or gal photographer who comes in, shoots and then leaves without getting to know anyone,” Delgado recounts. “He said character is everything. You never know what actor, producer, or director may like your vibe and want to hire you again.” Clark, who transitioned from the electric department, says Folger helped him through a rough patch shooting photos on a low-budget film. “About a week [after taking images at a beach location], the producers came to the set and literally pulled me off,”
14
FEB/MAR 2022
Photo by Idris Solomon
Photo by Sara Terry
CONTRIBUTORS
Clark remembers. “They accused me of selling my photos to the tabloids, even threatening to sue me. No one had seen anything that day. It was shocking. I panicked.” Folger’s wise counsel instilled the strength Clark needed to resolve the incident. “Claire talked to me about the perspective of my shots and reminded me of the time stamp on my photos,” Clark continues. “We realized that the bogus shots had a different copyright stamp!” If mentorship is the engine that keeps this Guild thriving, then the publicists we talked to for Ch-Ch-Changes (page 94) represent a knowledge base that is the fuel (or maybe an electric hybrid) that drives the engine forward. Richard Lippin, Heidi Schaffer, Heidi Falconer, Julie Kuehndorf, Amanda Brand, Michelle Alt, Courtney Lindsay, Carly Nelson, Natalie Bjelajac, and Marshall Weinbaum, who hail from every corner of the publicity world – agency, indie, studio, unit, awards-focused, digital, streaming – are incredibly adept at navigating the one absolute constant in their craft – change. Hearing how digital technology shapeshifted Kuehndorf’s work on sets, how Weinbaum has to sift through hundreds of websites to see which ones will make a difference in an online campaign, or how Brand breaks down the elements to a successful Media Day event is to tap into a brain trust that is invaluable for anyone looking to make a career in this key sector. For me, it’s two younger Guild members who beautifully sum up what makes this organization special (and what makes our February/March issue a must-read). Lindsay, who works in International Publicity at Paramount and joined the Guild two years ago, says, “in an industry where everything happens too fast, and there sometimes is the sense that you are on the ride alone, the Union feels like a big sister watching out for me. It makes me want to boost those working around me and fight for a better work environment for all.” “Probably the best thing that Frankie did for me,” Unit Still Photographer Delgado concludes about his mentor, “was helping me to walk confidently onto a set and trust my abilities to get the job done – and have fun doing it. He’s also shown me how important it is to always want to help someone succeed. My best advice to pass on from being with Frankie is to find a mentor who believes in you – it makes a world of difference.”
Clifton Prescod Found Footage, Snap & Click, Stop Motion “The title of this page says it all: Contributors. It’s an honor to be a contributor to ICG Magazine and to the film and television industry. I joined Local 600 because I wanted to be a part of something greater than myself, and I wanted to contribute in a meaningful way to the history and culture of this rich industry. I’m looking forward to contributing and collaborating more with my fellow brothers and sisters in the Guild.”
Antony Platt Ch-Ch-Changes “I love the challenge of working on set – turning a script into imagery one frame at a time with available light, hopefully, next to the A-Camera. I have been lucky to have been on projects where one can be swept up in the story and can share those emotions through the unit stills. And then there are the great crews we work with, who will sometimes tap you on the shoulder as the dolly blows past its marks, or the mysterious butt pad slide across a wet concrete floor you’re about to sit on. They are the war stories and scars we all share along the way.”
ICG MAGAZINE
T H E
G I L D E D
A G E
+
P A M
&
T O M M Y
+
A R C H I V E
David Geffner Executive Editor
Email: david@icgmagazine.com
Cover photo by Alison Cohen Rosa
8 1
10 B E S T P I C T U R E A C A D E M Y
WINNER
—
A W A R D
A S C
2021 TOP FILM—
®
INCLUDING
A W A R D
N O M I N A T I O N S
B E S T C I N E M ATO G R A P H Y GREIG FRASER,
N O M I N E E
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY GREIG FRASER, ASC, ACS
ASC, ACS
WINNER —
TOP 10
MOTION PICTURES — of THE YEAR
W I N N E R B E S T C I N E M AT O G R A P H Y
SUNSET FILM CRITICS CIRCLE | PHOENIX FILM CRITICS SOCIETY | CRITICS ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL FLORIDA PORTLAND CRITICS ASSOCIATION | SAN DIEGO FILM CRITICS SOCIETY | SOUTHEASTERN FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION | WASHINGTON AREA FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION
“DENIS VILLENEUVE’S ‘DUNE’ IS
AN IMPRESSIVELY IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE THANKS TO THE MARVELOUS VISUALS OF GREIG FRASER.” BOSTON HERALD // JAMES VERNIERE
F O R
Y O U R
C O N S I D E R A T I O N
BEST PICTURE BEST CI N EM ATO GR APHY GREI G FR ASER, ASC, ACS
W W W. W B AWA R D S . C OM
0 2/0 3 . 2 0 2 2
GEAR GUIDE
Creamsource Vortex4 $2,799 WWW.CREAMSOURCE.COM
“Producing more colors than a rainbow, creating light the darkness fears,” describes Chief Lighting Technician Martin Smith (Mission: Impossible 7, Top Gun: Maverick, The Witches), “the Vortex4 is all of the power and performance of the Vortex8 in a smaller package. Beyond the technical performance, the unit’s IP65 rating allows for rigging in the rain and wind without concern. Vortex4 is far superior to any LED light in its class.” The Vortex4 is a 1×1-in. 32-W high-powered LED featuring a narrow native beam angle of 20 in. and CCT range from 2200K to 15000K, enabling the extreme versatility Creamsource is known for. It can be used as a hard punch light to bounce or push through diffusion, or as soft light. Built with durability and elegance, Vortex4 features world-class engineering combining diverse production methods from precision-machined extrusions and high-strength die casting to leading-edge technopolymer components and aerospacegrade sealing technologies. The result is a water-resistant fixture that can take on weather, messy effects machines, and extreme dust while integrated internal power supplies simplify rigging and cabling.
IRIX Cine Primes $1,195 WWW.DUCLOSLENSES.COM
“IRIX has been able to deliver an affordable, versatile lens at a great value, which is a commendable feat in the modern cine lens market,” says Matthew Duclos, owner of Duclos Lenses. Currently consisting of six focal lengths, the IRIX Cine lineup offers a wide range of focal lengths, including specialty lenses like the ultra-wide T 4.3 11-mm or the 150mm T 3.0 Macro 1:1. Cine Primes are an ideal launching point for professionals transitioning from still to cinema, as well as seasoned cinematographers looking for a lightweight, nimble option. The line features consistent focus and aperture gear diameter and position for quick field swaps as well as weather sealing and large-format coverage. The entire family of cinema-oriented lenses is available in a variety of mounts, including PL, EF, RF, F, Z, E, L and Micro 4/3, all without compromising quality. The latest addition to the IRIX Cine line is the brand-new 21-mm T1.5 – a unique wide-angle focal length with a high-speed aperture and generous coverage.
16
FEB/MAR 2022
6 6
A C A D E M Y AWA R D N O M I N AT I O N S ®
BEST PICTURE INCLUDING
BEST ACTOR WILL SMITH BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS AUNJANUE ELLIS
BEST CAST
BEST ACTOR WILL SMITH
IN A
MOTION PICTURE
CRITICS CHOICE AWARD NOMINATIONS
BEST PICTURE INCLUDING
BEST ACTOR WILL SMITH BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS AUNJANUE ELLIS
“A U N J A N U E ELLIS I S S U P E R B.”
“WILL SMITH GIVES THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS LIFE.”
JUSTIN CHANG
F
O
R
Y
PETER TRAVERS
W W W. W B AWA R DS . COM
O
U
R
C
O
N
S
I
D
E
R
A
T
I
O
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
N
17
GEAR GUIDE
0 2/0 3 . 2 0 2 2
DMG DASH Kits POCKET KIT $279, WITH CRMX $399 QUAD $1,250 WITH CRMX $1,730 WWW.ROSCO.COM
“There are many small-pocket LED lights on the market, but the Rosco DMG DASH has so many of the key features that have been missing from these types of fixtures,” says Director of Photography Pietro Villani. “One – it has great color. Two – it’s brighter than most lights of this size. Three – it’s incredibly easy to control, whether using its interface, the my-MIX app, or by a console or programmer. I’ve used it as an eye light with the round DOT attachment, placed it in a fireplace using the flame effect, and used it just out of frame as a police light at night. It’s a versatile tool that has become a staple on all my shoots.” DMG DASH features patented six-chip LED MIX technology with True Rosco Color gel matches. The kit comes fully accessorized with beam shaping, diffusion and mounting options. Its weatherproof and durable housing is IP6 rated and is available as a single light kit or quad kit to link four lights together. A wireless DMX model featuring LumenRadio for control via W-DMX and CRMX is now shipping.
Ghost One $98,998.97 WWW.TOPCRANE.COM
Remote crane operator John Betancourt says, “The Ghost streamlined a recent job I did big time. It’s got all the features of the great cranes out there, in a small travelable footprint.” Top Crane’s Ghost One is the first 20-foot universal remote arm on the market. It carries an 80-pound payload, is powerful, durable, lightweight and mobile. It ships in five cases, assembles quickly, and can be mounted on nearly anything with four wheels or a rudder. The joystick interface is intuitive and simple. Grasp the controls and get the shot at max speed, on the pavement or off. It is the only universal remote arm with the Phantom Stabilization Algorithm, a twin gyro-driven motor feedback, with thousands of counter calculations per second, working in tandem with Ghost One’s hinged tail that flexes independently of its boom, allowing the vehicle to traverse jarring situations without transferring shake down the arm. Flexibility is woven into the prowess with the Ghost One’s modular 15/20-foot boom. Short mode is best for close-quarters dynamics and long mode for all the reach needed for stunts and big reveals. Ghost One is built for use in silt beds, dunes, rainstorms, blizzards and racetracks.
18
FEB/MAR 2022
SEE THE WHOLE ECOSYSTEM. CREATE.
CONNECT.
CAPITALIZE.
All things pre-production to post.
All things distribution and delivery.
All things reach and ROI.
The 2022 NAB Show is an entirely reimagined experience where everything you could possibly imagine — and then some — is brought to life. We’re talking the entire content lifecycle. And we’re introducing INTELLIGENT CONTENT, where you’ll find industry-wide transformation enabling customized, immersive content. Come along to the most highly anticipated broadcast, media and entertainment industry event...we promise you’ll be in for a surprise!
IF YOU ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF STORYTELLING, THEN YOU BELONG HERE.
APRIL 23 - 27, 2022
LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER NABSHOW.COM | #NABSHOW
IMAGINED BY NAB SHOW, POWERED BY YOU. Access exclusive curated content on NAB Amplify – an interactive digital hub that connects you to the world of media and entertainment. Sign-up is easy and free!
S I G N U P TO DAY O N N A B A M P L I F Y.CO M
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
19
GEAR GUIDE
0 2/0 3 . 2 0 2 2
NINA Camera Robot System $110,000; $6,000 PER DAY RENTAL WWW.DOOSANROBOTICS.COM
The NINA (New Inspiration New Angle) Camera Robot is Doosan’s first product in motion control. Highlights of the NINA include safety/emergency stop functions that provide collision sensitivity powered by six-torque sensors. The lightweight unit checks in at 165 pounds with a 22–55-pound payload capacity. The NINA system automatically senses an object and calculates distance, allowing smooth and consistent robot-assisted filming. It offers user pre-test angles by running simulations before actual filming to conserve time and save production costs. Doosan created an open platform for users to exchange presets of camera movements to diversify filming results and allow beginners to incorporate difficult-to-film angles at the click of a button. NINA is compatible with DSLR and various cinema cams. Its 720-degree rotation allows for complex camera angles.
Steadicam M-2 Core Kits $25,000; M2-VOLT UPGRADE $6,250 WWW.TIFFEN.COM
Steadicam M-2 Core Kits utilize the same lighter weight build and all the latest technology of the Steadicam M-Series, while offering users a more affordable price point. The two M-2 Core Kits feature similar standard components, except the M2-VLKIT is compatible with V-Lock, and the M2-ABKIT is made for Gold Mount batteries. Both versions include the M-2 flat-top stage with dovetail plate and M-2 gimbal with the ½-inch-, ¾-inch-, and ⅝-inch-arm post adaptors; a 1.58inch two-section post; monitor bracket; battery base and padded docking bracket. The kits also feature the G-50X iso-elastic arm with Steadicam’s exclusive Lift and Ride control as well as ½, ¾ and ⅝-inch arm posts – ready to attach to the large socket block installed on the included Zephyr Vest. As part of the M-Series family, the kits may be upgraded later to suit each operator’s preferences, or additional accessories can be added for adapting the sled to the operator’s needs. The optional Steadicam Volt technology adds the capacity to measure and control the roll-tilt motion of the camera to keep a perfect horizon.
20
FEB/MAR 2022
12
ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS ®
including
BEST PICTURE BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY ARI WEGNER
8
B A F TA
NOMIN ATION S including
BEST FILM
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY ARI WEGNER
“Incredible and beautiful.
ari wegner oscar history.”
is on her way to making ®
VARIETY
ASC AWARD NOMINEE ARI WEGNER, ACS
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY (FEATURE FILM)
14
CRITICS GROUP WINS BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
ARI WEGNER INCLUDING
ATLANTA FILM CRITICS CIRCLE BOSTON ONLINE FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION CHICAGO FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION NEW YORK FILM CRITICS ONLINE
A FILM BY ACADEMY AWARD® WINNER JANE CAMPION
SCAN HERE
to watch a conversation with Academy Award ® nominee Ari Wegner and Rachel Morrison.
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON 21 FILM.NETFLIXAWARDS.COM
GEAR GUIDE
0 2/0 3 . 2 0 2 2
Dragonfish $100,000 TO $200,000 DEPENDING ON MODEL WWW.AUTELROBOTICS.COM
The Dragonfish’s unique tilt-rotor design simplifies operation while maximizing performance and efficiency. With no complicated moving parts, the Dragonfish is modular, waterproof, smart and reliable. The unit is missionready out of the box and includes powerful AI tracking capabilities and a multitude of modular payload options. An endurance of up to 180 minutes (including payload) further augments the Dragonfish’s robust mission capabilities and outdistances its competition. The Dragonfish series includes three models: Dragonfish Lite, Dragonfish Standard and Dragonfish Pro. Each model can greatly improve work efficiency with a flight time of 75 minutes, 120 minutes and 180 minutes, respectively, while carrying a payload.
TILTA’s Power Module for RED KOMODO $400 WWW.TILTA.COM
The new Advanced Power Distribution Module for RED KOMODO is Tilta’s latest addition to the RED KOMODO line of accessories. This new module allows users to power their camera via a Gold Mount or V-mount battery plate, and greatly expands the camera’s functionality by offering new ports for Run Stop, Timecode, and accessories that utilize RED’s CTRL port, such as SmallHD’s Indie 7. This new module fully communicates with the KOMODO, allowing you to view battery life information via the camera’s user interface when using V-mount batteries. The modular design allows users to easily swap out battery plates to accommodate different battery types and orientations. It also features an incredibly useful three-pin Fischer Run Stop port – great for powering Tilta’s Nucleus M Motors and using them to trigger record via a single cable. This module is compatible with most existing camera cages for the RED KOMODO.
22
FEB/MAR 2022
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
23
FIRST LOOK
24
FEB/MAR 2022
0 2/0 3 . 2 0 2 2
Mitul Patel UNIT PUBLICIST BY PAULINE ROGERS PHOTO BY TROY HARVEY
Los Angeles-based unit publicist Mitul Patel got the industry bug from his grandfather, who worked as a Bollywood film producer in Mumbai. That led to his fascination with moviemaking, which, as it turns out, was on the publicity side. “Batman (1989) started that passion,” he recalls. “The movie ran for over six months in theaters, and the press covered it so frequently. I’d cut out news clippings and record all the TV specials on my family VCR. This was all before I could convince my parents to let me go see the movie with my older cousins,” Patel smiles. Immediately after graduating from Columbia College, Chicago, Patel started with John Iltis & Associates (which specialized in communications for indie filmmakers). “I fondly remember picking up the entertainment sections from the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times buildings each week. I was even lucky to sit in on a few screenings with Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper.” His path took a different turn when Marvel Studios was born, ushering in a new genre with Iron Man – and a new production department called “Content Protection Security.” “We originally started with set security working with the filmmakers and heads of departments on safeguarding the script, story design, costumes, sets, special-effects gags, running sidebars, and anything else believed to be considered a spoiler,” Patel recounts. “As the years went on and more projects came online, we expanded our focus with various post
pipelines and third-party vendors,” he continues. “I remember traveling to Europe in the span of two weeks and meeting with VFX vendors, disc replication factories, and even an audio vendor out of the Universitat de Barcelona, as they had technology that was being sought to change a lead actor’s voice in one of our films.” Eventually, Patel moved from the yin of protecting the production to the yang of promoting it. “I asked John Iltis, ‘What exactly does a unit publicist do?’ after I carefully studied the end credits of Michael Bay’s Pearl Harbor,” Patel recalls. “State Street Pictures shot Barbershop 2 in Chicago a little while later, and I remember dropping off my résumé to the production office in a three-piece suit at the height of a very humid summer season! I landed the assistant role to the on-set production publicist.” Patel joined Local 600, in August of 2017, as a unit publicist on the Black Label Media feature Devotion. “The filmmakers wholeheartedly endorse my enthusiasm for storytelling,” Patel shares. “Due to the ongoing pandemic, I conducted some of the EPK interviews myself, as we were on a strict testing regimen. It was fantastic to be able to sit down with the cast, which brought more organic dialog to those interviews. We also shot aerial battle sequences in Washington and Georgia,” he adds, “which brought media attention from the local press. I worked with the filmmakers and local media to help ease folks’ concerns for the true-to-1950-period warbirds that were zooming overhead with prop warheads strapped to their underbellies.”
Now in New Orleans (his new favorite city), Patel’s latest project is We Have a Ghost for Netflix. “The city is great, and the crews are top-notch,” he adds. “It was simply amazing to fly into the airport and see the mighty Mississippi snaking to the delta. It felt like coming full circle. We shot in numerous landscapes, as the story was set in Chicago and the Midwest. However, at every location, I felt as if I were back home.” Even though Patel is relatively new to on-set publicity, he’s felt the shift in the past few years. “In the current pandemic landscape, I’ve had to lean on past experiences and remain flexible on set while wearing many hats to compensate for BTS and EPK crews not being able to be present,” he explains. Still, he says he’s energized by all the new challenges in today’s publicity landscape. “The streamers have blown the roof off the building with their immense slates and the need for this line of work,” he says. “Publicity for streaming changes and extends what we do. A prime example is that our cast members can do virtual roundtables and phoners from the comfort of their homes.” Things are changing fast, and the duties of a publicist – specifically how to control the publicity – change from project to project. “I learn something new every day,” Patel concludes. “And, like those who have helped me, I want to share what I learn with anyone interested. While no two paths are identical, we all have to make sure this is what we really want to do and find the right balance, as we fine-tune our own rhythm.”
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
25
DEEP FOCUS
Alison Branch PHOTOS BY CHRISTINA BELLE
Publicity campaigns have changed a lot since my first PR job at PolyGram Films in 1997. Now with so many social media platforms, and the ability for consumers to have instant gratification, the bar is set high to come up with non-traditional and out-of-the-box ideas to break through the clutter and get the attention of consumers. Creative ideas can develop from rejection mixed with cheekiness. I was on a film where the leading actor would be in L.A. for a few days with one week’s notice, and management and filmmakers expected him to be on The Tonight Show. The show booker was delighted to hear the actor wanted to be on the show. However, NBC had implemented a “Green Week” initiative across all programming – Al Gore and a list of other environmental scientists, activists, et cetera. As a result, they weren’t able to book our star!
Finding a legal workaround for mailing spray paint was a challenge, but it paid off with a story USA Today ran about the mailer, specifically noting the can of spray paint. Working on a trilogy like The Hobbit can be a challenge as you have to maintain fresh, creative ideas for the same film and cast over three different campaigns. At the time, The Travel Channel had a show where they surprised someone with a trip to another country. My pitch was to find the film’s biggest fan at Comic-Con and surprise them and a guest with a five-day trip to New Zealand, where The Hobbit was shot.
Just as our conversation was closing, I ended the call by saying the actor was Irish and believed to have a great- great- great-grandfather of Leprechaun descent – a perfect fit for the “Green” theme. The booker laughed. Two days later, I got a call from that booker letting me know that Jay thought my “pitch” was clever and that they would like to book our Irish actor for Green Week. You never know when a seemingly silly idea just might work.
I had to persuade New Zealand’s airline to exchange show and promotional call-out ID’s on The Travel Channel for free flights, accommodations, and adventure tours. I also needed to see if the studio had a media buy already or would be willing to purchase commercial space on The Travel Channel. The last hurdle was to get the director on board to meet the fan, give a tour of his studio and possibly a “sneak peek” of the film. We pulled it off, and the result was an hour-long film-themed show at no cost.
Out-of-the-box can sometimes be truly out of the box. I was in charge of creating a mailer for a much-anticipated reboot of a popular DC Comics franchise – the press would receive three separate items spaced one week apart. One of the items was a can of black spray paint.
One of the most interesting PR events is ComicCon, which I first became aware of while working at Screen Gems. Back then, the convention was a fraction of its current size and held in a small location. Because of my experience with
26
FEB/MAR FEB/MAR 2022 2022
0 2/0 3 . 2 0 2 2
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
27
DEEP FOCUS
0 2/0 3 . 2 0 2 2
conventions, I became the point person and ended up overseeing Warner Bros.’ theatrical participation at Comic-Con and its sister convention, Wonder-Con, for many years. As Comic-Con grew, the industry realized its unique opportunities. For four days, you have the undivided attention of tens of thousands of fans willing to stand in line for hours to see a few minutes of what’s upcoming in the comic book, sciencefiction, fantasy and horror film genres. There are many options for marketing at Comic-Con, depending on your budget. In my opinion, doing a presentation with footage and talent is still the most effective. Fans want to see amazing footage and engage with the cast/filmmakers with a panel or Q&A. Having a surprise appearance during a presentation is a sure-fire way to get social media and the press talking about your project. With 6900 seats, the famous Hall H is still the most coveted location for a presentation, but an impactful show can take place in any of the presentation rooms, as well as with outdoor marketing. The past few years have shown a huge influx in experiential activations ranging from pop-up stores, immersive VR, themed obstacle courses, art exhibits and even fashion shows. One of the most significant changes in publicity has been virtual junkets. Born out of necessity, as a temporary solution to in-person junkets, virtual has allowed more access to talent and journalists. And once all the kinks were ironed out, the acceptance of the Zoom interview was widespread. They won’t permanently replace inperson junkets, but virtual has benefits in-person can’t provide. The cost benefits alone are substantial by eliminating the need to travel talent or press. You also eliminate having to buy-out production to get talent. As long as there is access to strong WiFi, talent can do a virtual junket in their trailer, at home, on set, almost anywhere. Journalists that aren’t allowed to accept travel/accommodations or are on-air by 6 a.m. Monday through Friday and therefore can’t make the travel turnaround time, are now able to participate. I think we will see hybrid junkets moving forward.
28
FEB/MAR FEB/MAR 2022 2022
CINE GEAR EXPO 2 0 2 2
LA EVENT
JUNE 9-12, 2022
ATL EVENT
OCTOBER 7-8, 2022 WWW.CINEGEAREXPO.COM GO AHEAD - EXPERIENCE IT ALL LIVE EVENTS | ON AIR EVENTS | SCREENINGS | FILM COMPETITION | MASTER CLASSES PUBLICITY/AWARDS FILM FEST ISSUE SEASON
29
ZOOM-IN
Grant Adams BY PAULINE ROGERS PHOTO BY CLIFTON PRESCOD
New Zealand native Grant Adams, SOC, decided early that college wasn’t for him, and, moreover, that he was fascinated by the film industry. Cold contacts with New Zealand productions netted him his first break as a camera trainee. He began his career by spending three years watching Steadicam operator Peter McCaffrey, SOC, do his magic. Then, a oneweek Steadicam workshop with Garrett Brown [ICG Magazine June 2012] in Umbria, Italy, cemented his creative path. “Working in New Zealand is so much different from the United States,” Adams reflects. “New Zealand is like a small village, fostering a culture of collaboration and familiarity, but it’s also fiercely competitive and tough to break in. There are also operational differences. For example, the lighting department sets up and shapes light with diffusion frames or solid fill or anti-fill surfaces, a domain
30
FEB/MAR FEB/MAR 2022 2022
in the U.S. handled by the Grip department. It has always fascinated me that U.S. grips take this on, because their other major responsibility is camera support and movement. Quite different tasks with specialized skill sets.” Adams’ recent work with Oscar-winning writer/ director Jane Campion was a unique experience. “For The Power of the Dog, we tried to depict emotive imagery where the viewer can watch the characters feel something, but not allow the camera movement to judge or manipulate the viewer,” Adams explains. He adds that the aim was “to invite the audience into the film,” rather than tell them what to feel about it. “One of my favorite uses of Steadicam was the Haymaking Camp where Rose and her son Peter arrive on horse and cart,” Adams continues. “We were able to establish this naturally, having a spontaneous rhythm and an elegance to the way
the action unfolded. It was a tricky scene logistically, involving many moving parts in a remote location with limited time, and I feel Steadicam contributed greatly to its efficient execution.” While The Power of the Dog featured a variety of Steadicam sequences, Adams says the Hulu series Reprisal was the wildest Steadicam he’s ever done. “The shot features Joel Kelly (Rodrigo Santoro) descending upon a rival gang in search of his kidnapped daughter.” Adams started the shot high on a crane, which jibs down as Kelly and his sidekick’s car hurtle into the park; continues as Adams steps off and Kelly storms into the first dwelling, fighting, kicking and throwing Ghoul gang members through windows and doorways. As Kelly exits the back door, the camera follows him as he takes on more Ghouls, continuing his rampage through sheets hanging on a clothesline.
0 2/0 3 . 2 0 2 2
“These sheets provided an opportunity to hide a cut point and break the oner into two separate parts as the lens is momentarily wiped by the sheet,” Adams reveals. “The action continues, and the scene ends when Rodrigo arrives at the trailer where his daughter is held. Steadicam wraps around him as he finishes off one last Ghoul and kicks the door in. The entire shot has a screen time of one minute and 40 seconds, but it took a day to rehearse and the best part of a day to execute. That was because so many vital elements and cuts needed to be perfect for the scene to work.” Adams’ most recent project is his biggest yet: Amazon’s upcoming series, The Lord of the Rings. “The production value ambitions on this show were of a level I’ve never before witnessed in television,” he states. “One chase sequence started with Steadicam following a character
approaching the other, who was hiding. The shot wrapped around and followed, transitioning from interior to exterior, overtaking as the character got closer and continued to end on a close-up of the character hiding. This was achieved by a motioncontrol camera replicating the tail end of the Steadicam shot and continuing it as the camera descended into a space on stage. I operated both the start and finish, executing on two different camera platforms, which were blended in post and which had to work seamlessly.” Every Steadicam job excites Adams because of the inherent creativity of the craft and how vendors treat the once specialty tool as a major part of the process. “The technology of accessories available has progressed hugely in the last few years, with things like the Volt, the Wave, and the introduction of the AR and Trinity, which allow you to go from low to high mode in one
shot,” Adams says. “And the focus and monitoring devices used by AC’s now have revolutionized what can be achieved on the fly. The introduction of lightweight gimbals into the market has carved out another niche. Still, in terms of reliability and intuitiveness for single-operator situations, there will always be the need for Steadicam.” Adams says the evolution of where Steadicam – indeed all moving camerawork – will go depends on what the camera lens package requirements call for. “Bigger sensors require larger optical glass,” he concludes. “3D requires larger camera/ lens builds. As we transitioned from film to digital, certain things got simpler, but the workload increased as the potential to save setup time became possible. It’s exciting times, for sure, and I feel the future lies in providing solutions that allow the previously unimaginable scenarios to happen, again and again, with minimal fuss.”
• Fully accessorized kit with diffusers and eggcrate • 4-fixture Quad Kit available • Controlled via interface or myMIX® mobile app • Wireless DMX by LumenRadio with CRMX and W-DMX
now shipping!
Introducing DMG DASH™ Pocket LED Kit The latest member of the MIX® family. The handheld fixture features superior color rendering with the same 6-chip LED set as the MAXI, SL1 and MINI MIX.
dash.rosco.com
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
31
EXPOSURE
Lord Julian Fellowes WRITER/CREATOR THE GILDED AGE BY DAVID GEFFNER PHOTOS BY ALISON COHEN ROSA
To hear Lord Julian Fellowes tell it, a career that includes an Oscar and multiple Emmys – for critically lauded British ensemble dramas like Gosford Park and Downton Abbey – almost happened by chance. The one-time stage, TV and film actor (A Touch of Spring, Monarch of the Glen, Damage), whose newest HBO series, The Gilded Age (page 40), charts the rise of urbanization in late 19th Century New York City, says he’s “not quite sure” how his humble beginnings treading the West End boards landed him at the pinnacle of American episodic television – creatively speaking. Lord Fellowes knew he didn’t want a career writing children’s TV, into which he stumbled by default when he was co-producing a show for the BBC. But, by his admission, he never imagined ending up on one of the most elaborate backlots (in Long Island, NY)
32
FEB/MAR 2022
ever built for an HBO series, or recreating Thomas Edison’s famous lighting up of The New York Times building (in 1882) – as Director of Photography Vanja Černjul, ASC, and Director/ EP Michael Engler did in Episode 8 of The Gilded Age. What Lord Fellowes is clear about is his debt to production partners like Engler, Černjul, Manuel Billeter, Co-Writer/EP Sonja Warfield, Director Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Gilded Age Production Designer Bob Shaw and Costume Designer Kasia Walicka-Maimone. In the wide-ranging Zoom interview I had that follows below, Lord Fellowes proves to be every bit as self-effacing and charming as one of his historical characters. In true British fashion, he’s quick to deflate his own highly successful career balloon in favor of those fellow travelers he’s met along the way.
0 2/0 3 . 2 0 2 2
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
33
EXPOSURE
“Few people wake up and think, ‘How can I make people unhappy?’ I wanted to see a group of people [in Downton Abbey] who are doing their best. That’s my Pollyanna-ish philosophy of the world, and I think that appealed to audiences.”
34
FEB/MAR 2022
0 2/0 3 . 2 0 2 2
ICG Magazine: How did you end up winning an Oscar and several Emmys, behind the camera instead of in front? Julian Fellowes: I always wanted to be one of those people who write five career goals on an envelope and the last is “prime minister.” But I’m not that person, and, honestly, I’m not sure how any of [my success in film/TV] happened! I think I got to a point a lot of actors get to. I had five years in a running series, Monarch of the Glen, and had played a war minister in a Bond movie, but started to see I needed a Plan B. I thought it was going to be as a producer, as I had done a fair bit of that in children’s television, which in those days was a way into the BBC. We sold [the BBC] this idea of a Victorian book, and when the scripts came in I didn’t think they were makeable – which my wife always thought was unfair. [Laughs.] But the fact was we had already spent all the money and needed someone to write the scripts for nothing. There aren’t many fools who would do that, except yours truly. And that show did pretty well, being the only children’s series that got into BBC’s top ten sales that year. They asked me to do another one, more officially the next time around, which was a version of Little Lord Fauntleroy. And that won an International Emmy. Suddenly, without looking, I’d become this sort of writer! Indeed you had, whose first produced feature script won an Oscar with Robert Altman directing. Tell us about Gosford Park. I’d written a feature script for the actor Bob Balaban, which never got made. He was trying to set up a film with Bob Altman, and for some extraordinary reason, they couldn’t get a writer to say yes. Tom Stoppard, Christopher Hampton, you name it. They all turned it down. To this day I don’t understand why, as it was quite clear it was going to be Altman’s only English movie. He was the king of Americana, and he was in his 70s…the whole thing after that was like a Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland musical. Bob Balaban rang me up and asked if I’d like to write a script for Robert Altman. And I said: “Yes, I would!” There’s some irony to winning a screenwriting Oscar for an Altman movie, as a big part of his legacy was a gift for improvising with actors. Right you are, and I thought to myself: “This is definitely not Altman territory,” and he will approach the script I turn in without enthusiasm. That’s just a fact. So, I ran out to the old VHS rental store near our house and rented every Altman film they had. I gave myself a three- to four-day Altman festival and tried to put down the shape of his films, which are multi-arc and multi-narrative. What I wanted was for him to get the script and say: “Well, here goes nothing.” And then he’d open it up and would recognize the type of film. Not necessarily the people or the stories, but just that he’d instantly know how to make it. That was completely
deliberate on my part, and, surprisingly enough, I ended up sticking with that form of Altman-inspired filmmaking the rest of my career – rather than the linear narrative work I’d done before. And, even more surprising, you were on the set next to Altman the entire production. The whole thing was just so fantastical, I never believed it was going to happen. They sent me a ticket to fly to California – third class, mind you [laughs] – and they said I’d have a day to rest – to which my wife, Emma, said, “Do not trust that. They’re going to have you working the moment you land,” and she was right. I invested in a Club class ticket so that I could sleep on the plane, and sure enough the minute I got off the plane, they had a car waiting to take me to meet Bob in Malibu and work on the script. He had a few changes, but not in an oppressive way. I’ve come up against much worse. As for him going off script, I was luckier than most, because the more he heard people say, “You’re making a film about the British class system! Good luck with that!” the more he realized it was a quicksand-type project and wanted me to be on set the entire film. Do you have any memories from that experience? The very first day of shooting, doing the first scene, where Maggie [Smith] comes out of her house and gets into the car. Bob says to the actors, “Oh, don’t worry about what’s on the page. Just start talking!” And then what comes out of the actors’ mouths is complete rubbish – all 1970s slang. If I was 30 years old, I might not have had the nerve, but I was 50, and I knew if this was a bad movie I’d never get another chance. I spoke up and said that this film takes place in 1932 and that they hadn’t said a single phrase that was in common use even close to that time. Bob was very annoyed and said: “I don’t like that scene! I don’t want that scene! I’ll tell them to say nothing!” And I said, “Nothing is fine, but not this rubbish!” [Laughs.] There are about 30 stories in the film, and you can’t possibly improvise every character, and to his credit, he understood that and mainly observed that discipline [of recording the entire script]. We had our moments – we were these two fat men behind the camera who both thought they were right. The problem, of course, was that I only spoke up when something was wrong, which annoyed him to no end. But Bob was very good to me. In fact, before the picture started, the studio panicked and wanted to put in another writer for a polish – which we all know is code for “rewrite” – and Altman said: “No. I’m making this film with Julian’s script, or I’m not making the film.” Did you think you might work with him again? I didn’t know about that. But I did feel very proud that I was one of the few scriptwriters who remained pals with Bob after the picture was done. Our wives arranged a dinner to make sure we kept the flame
going. In fact, years later, I asked him to come to New York for the premiere of Mary Poppins, which I’d written the book for, and he couldn’t make it out from California. We talked quite a long time on the phone, and…six days later he was dead. [Long pause.] I feel quite emotional about that. [Pause.] Everything changed after I met Bob Altman – it was a complete transformation of my professional life. Speaking of transformations, how did Downton Abbey come to be the highest-rated dramatic series in the history of American public television? Gosford was the template because Producer Gareth Neame asked me if I would consider going back into Gosford Park territory for television, and I said yes. But Downton, set 20 years earlier in 1912, is a much warmer version of that world. I jolly well love Gosford Park; it holds up quite well. But I didn’t believe people would tune in every Sunday night to see something that bleak. Few people wake up in the morning and think, “How can I make people unhappy?” I wanted to see a group of people [in Downton Abbey] who are doing their best. That’s my Pollyanna-ish philosophy of the world, and I think that appealed to audiences. I would also add that [Downton Abbey] has very strong women characters, strong older women characters. There’s a long tradition in Hollywood of being afraid of female characters over 29, and I’m certainly not afraid of writing for a woman over 29. So for me, it was interesting to explore how clever and ambitious women worked around the status quo a century ago, or did not, as we do in the show. Of course, the cast was fantastic, and finding the younger actors, as our casting director, Jill Trevellick, did, was a great coup. All of that, plus the fact we deliberately cover three dramatically different periods – the end of the Edwardian era, the middle of the first World War, and the beginning of the 1920s – allowed for great exploration. People like that. People also liked the filmmaking, courtesy of Downton’s terrific U.K. cinematographers – Nigel Willoughby, Graham Frake, and Gavin Struthers. Garrett Brown, who invented the Steadicam, told me Downton was one of the best uses of his tool he had ever seen. How involved were you with the filmmaking nuts and bolts? Very little! That was [Director] Brian Percival and [Producer] Gareth Neame, who wanted to establish two distinct ways of visualizing the people who lived in this house. Upstairs was all smooth cameras gliding around on dollies with graceful movement. Downstairs was the Steadicam, which put an urgency to everything as there’s a lot of work being done – cooking, cleaning, preparing, et cetera. One of the tricks of making a show with different dramatic domains is that the audience needs to be pleased to go to each one. When you cut from the drawing room to the kitchen,
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
35
EXPOSURE
0 2/0 3 . 2 0 2 2
“My hope is that the [filmmakers] I’m working with truly understand the characters. And when I feel they’ve got that, it’s time to let them get on with it.”
they need to say, in their heads: “Oh, good, we’re going to find out what’s going on in the kitchen,” and not “Oh, I wish we could go back to the drawing room.” The use of Steadicam made the downstairs seem immediate and interesting. The opening shot
interest is character/narrative, and everything I do – whether it’s School of Rock or Downton Abbey – is about character/narrative. My hope is that the people I’m working with truly understand the characters. When I feel they’ve got that, it’s time to
correct. But that doesn’t mean you’re doing the other person’s job.
of the house upstairs is a beautifully gliding camera movement, as the maids are drawing the curtains and tending the fires, and ends up with Thomas in the dining room for the first cut. That was like an Orson Welles shot, and a wonderful introduction to this place.
let them get on with it. And things like design and costumes can make or break your characters – in the details. Bob [Shaw] is a kind of genius. He built this palace, and when I went to New York to see his sets, I was agog, like everyone else. It wasn’t until later I learned that because we used the music room of the Breakers mansion, in Newport, as our ballroom, he had taken all these design elements from the ballroom and utilized them throughout his sets. That’s brilliant!
surprises is Peggy Scott’s story, and her Black upper-middle-class family in Brooklyn. [Director] Salli Richardson-Whitfield talked about feeling grateful she had a chance to tell Peggy’s story. That there was a reasonably prosperous and sizable Black bourgeoisie in late 19th Century New York was a discovery for me. Carla Peterson, who wrote the book Black Gotham, which started me down that track, was writing about her ancestors. And it’s not about victims, it’s about independent, free-thinking people who have to put up with entrenched racism, and I hope we didn’t gloss that over. That discovery inspired by Carla’s book allowed us to have interactions with 61st Street, of course, and it led to other discoveries, like the Colored Institute for Youth in Philadelphia, founded in 1837, and a leader in Black education. My co-writer Sonja Warfield (Will & Grace, Zoe Ever After) has a background in that social group – private school, debutante, all of that, and was a huge help. And Sonja’s American, of course, which also helped. I feel like I know America pretty well now, so it’s not strange to me. But there’s always something a local can pick you up on.
What made you want to take on The Gilded Age? It’s a period in American history rarely captured on screen. It began with a simple interest, not necessarily with the idea of a TV series in mind. I read a book about Alva Vanderbilt and her daughter, Consuelo, and then books about Jay Gould, Carnegie, and Frick. I started to find the Gilded Age homes that had survived when visiting New York, and then I was taken to dinner at the University Club, built by [architect] Stanford White at the peak of the Gilded Age. All of this gave me a sense of who these people thought they were, and the more I studied it the more I realized it was a time when America redefined itself. The rich who came out of the Civil War were richer than anyone had ever seen – no income or inheritance tax. Just money. They built these palaces to demonstrate their power and were no longer content to imitate the European aristocracies. Mrs. Astor, who was born into the old group as a Schermerhorn and had married fairly new money, thought she was uniquely qualified to blend these two groups into society. All of this made me feel it was a time of great energy and worth telling visually. It was a foreshadow of the century to come that America would dominate and continues to dominate to this day. Michael Engler described you as “very generous when it comes to the filmmakers who translate his characters.” How would you describe that process for The Gilded Age? A part of me believes that doing anything successfully that’s a group effort means allowing other people to do what they know best. If you’ve got a good cinematographer, let him or her light and line-up the shots. The same is true for sound, costumes, and sets. My prime
36
FEB/MAR 2022
You have directed several features yourself, so you must have a feeling about the visual presentation, even as the writer/producer. That’s true, and one of those films I directed I’m actually pleased with. [Laughs.] But on The Gilded Age, I’m not the director, and it’s annoying for directors when producers, writers or actors think they’re the directors. You have to observe a certain professional courtesy. Because if you don’t think they’re good at their job, why did you hire them? And if you know they’re good at their job, then let them get on with it. Everybody I spoke with for our Gilded Age feature talked about the copious amounts of research they did to prepare. How important is all that – books, paintings, illustrations, prime source material – when you’re writing? Very important. When you get the details right, it goes to the authenticity of the characters. When you get them wrong, it undercuts the narrative, and, really, everything you’re trying to accomplish with your audience, even if many of those details are just felt rather than seen. For example, I love how Kasia had Ada and Agnes dress in fashions that were slightly of the 1870s, even though it’s 1882 – while Bertha is absolutely at the cutting edge of fashion. The audience probably doesn’t know that, but when they see them on-screen, particularly together, there’s a sense that Bertha is ahead of the game. As a writer/producer, which I suppose I am now, it’s valid to call attention to those details that aren’t
As noted, The Gilded Age is not a time American TV audiences know well; among the many
That brings it full circle since you helped pick Robert Altman up when he came to England for Gosford Park. Do the many roads you’ve traveled – producer, TV writer, feature director, musical theater, novelist – lead to The Gilded Age? Do they all help inform what you’re doing right now? They all offer different pleasures. When you write for American television, about 17,000 people are allowed to give you notes [laughs]; and if you write a novel, it’s just you and the editor! When you write a book for a musical it’s a close collaboration with the composer and lyricist. And that process is like a negotiation, as opposed to sitting in a room and talking to yourself. [Laughs.] But I suppose the whole of life just comes down to who you’re with – your marriage, work or anything else. If you’re with nice people, you have a nice time. Pretty simple, really.
L I GHTI N G A S CE N E ALWAYS STARTS WITH TH E U N DE R LYIN G E M OTION . MY D ESI R E TO F E E L THE LIG HT IN TH E SPAC E— ITS R HY THM , CADE N CE , BEHAVI O U R S AN D R E ACTION S — I S FU EL ED BY SE R E N DIPITOU S OB S E RVATI O N S I N DAILY LIF E . I WANT TO HARVEST L IG HT ’ S NATU R AL PLAY AC RO SS L I FE’S M OM E NTS AN D B R IN G TH O SE EMOTI O N S INTO THE ARTIF ICE THAT WE CR E ATE . L IGHTBR I D GE CR LS CIN E R E F LECTOR S GAVE ME AN I NSTANT, INTU ITIVE WAY TO R ECAP TU R E LIG HT. N OTHIN G AP PEAR ED ‘ L IT ’, BUT R ATHE R , LIGHT ’ S I NTER P L AY C OU LD B E S U BTLY, NATU R AL LY ORCHESTR ATE D.
MANUEL BILLETER C in e m ato g rap h e r
L I G H T ! Q U O T E S BY
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
37
FEATURE . 001
THE GILDED AGE
ALL THAT
HBO’S STUNNING NEW SERIES, THE GILDED AGE, SHOT BY VANJA ČERNJUL, ASC, AND MANUEL BILLETER, BOASTS VISUALS AS OPULENT AND EXPANSIVE AS THE CITY AND ERA IT PORTRAYS. BY DAVID GEFFNER PHOTOS BY ALISON COHEN ROSA / HBO
GLITTERS...
There are few cinematic references – on the big or small screen – for late 19th Century urban America, a period dubbed “The Gilded Age” by writer Mark Twain more than a quarter-century after the era had come to an end (in 1900). Martin Scorsese’s The Age of Innocence (shot by Michael Ballhaus, ASC) is the most celebrated of those efforts, given it was based on Edith Wharton’s novel about her years growing up in an elite New York City family – the same world portrayed in HBO’s new mini-series The Gilded Age. So, with not many film sources to draw from, The Gilded Age’s creative team – Writer/Creator Julian Fellowes (Exposure, page 36); Directors/ Executive Producers Michael Engler and Salli Richardson-Whitfield; Directors of Photography Vanja Černjul, ASC, and Manuel Billeter; Production Designer Bob Shaw; and Costume Designer Kasia Walicka Maimone all had to dig deep into other cultural research to bring the series to life. Those included paintings by John Singer Sargent, the Hudson River School, and the French illustrator, James Jacques Tissot; novels by Wharton and Henry James; French couture collections of the era (like those on display at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, in 1889) and even a book Černjul unearthed called Brilliant – The Evolution of Artificial Light, which Billeter says puts the history of electric lighting “in a very comprehensive context with its users of the times, how it changed their lives, and the development of urban life it helped influence.”
42
FEB/MAR 2022
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
43
T 44
FEB/MAR 2022
he urbanization of America’s greatest city is very much at the heart of The Gilded Age. Beginning in 1882 in rural Pennsylvania, we meet Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson), a sheltered young woman whose father has passed away. Unmarried and with no prospects, Brook assumes he left a secure fortune, but the opposite is true – swimming in debt, she must sell the family home to satisfy his creditors. Once done, her best option is to travel by rail (and boat ferry) to New York City to begin life anew with her aunts, the widow Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) and the spinster Ada Brook (Cynthia Nixon), 5th Avenue scions who epitomize “old New York” society. Brook, who has her purse stolen at the train depot, becomes indebted to (and friendly with) Peggy Scott (Denée Benton), an aspiring Black writer seeking a fresh start in Manhattan. However, once settled into the Brook home, the two new friends are plunged into a social war with the aunts’ garrulously rich neighbors – George and Bertha Russell (Morgan Spector and Carrie Coon) – he a ruthless railroad tycoon and she an ambitious climber determined to have New York’s reigning socialite, Mrs. Astor, welcome her in. Černjul [ICG Magazine September
2017], who created the look of the series in the first two episodes, says he and Engler needed to visually distinguish the two social contexts – mainly represented by the aunts’ sedate brownstone and the Russell mansion across the street. “We didn’t want to use any formally distracting or obvious stylistic choices,” relates Černjul, who met Engler 16 years ago on NBC’s classic comedy 30 Rock. “We wanted the differences to be felt rather than easily seen. We wanted Old New York to feel like the romantic paintings of the early 1800s, with their sense of an idealized past and escapism from the waves of change that came with industrialization. And with that reference came more controlled compositions and a painterly, portraiture look.” In contrast, Černjul adds, the scenes with the new moneyed class “needed the kinetic energy of Modernist art, while still maintaining an overall formalism to the frame. We rarely ever used Steadicam, always a stabilized [Libra] head on a dolly for movement. ‘New New York’ was also portrayed in louder, visual statements.” Or as Walicka Maimone describes: “Old New York should feel like being inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and ‘New New York’ should feel like visiting MOMA.”
OPPOSITE/THIS PAGE: COOKE ANAMORPHIC GLASS, AND FORMAL COMPOSITIONS HELPED TO CREATE AN EARLY 1800’S “PAINTERLY LOOK” THAT VISUALLY DISTINGUISHED “OLD NEW YORK” FROM THE NEW EMPIRE BUILDERS.
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
45
ABOVE: WORKING IN LARGE SPACES, WITH HARD CEILINGS IN FRAME, BILLETER COMBINED FOUR OF LIGHT BRIDGE’S CRLS PANELS (RIGGED TOGETHER BY KEY GRIP CHRIS SKUTCH AND RAISED BY MATTHEWS’ SUPER CRANK-O-VATORS). “THE RESULT WAS A MOVEABLE, DIRECTIONAL, AND REFLECTIVE SOURCE THAT COULD BE COMBINED WITH ANY LIGHT INSTRUMENT,” THE DP EXPLAINS. / PHOTO COURTESY OF MANUEL BILLETER
Billeter, who shot a four-episode block with Richardson-Whitfield, credits Černjul with finding subtle but effective ways to distinguish the two social landscapes. “We used Cooke 2X anamorphic lenses for the ‘Old New York’ scenes [with the Panasonic VariCam Pure 4K],” Billeter recounts, “as the anamorphic glass provided that hint of romance and nostalgia. For ‘New New York’ we used the Cooke spherical S7 lenses, which are cleaner and more modern in the context of the story and characters. One film that particularly inspired me for the Old New York scenes was Mike Leigh’s Mr. Turner [shot by Dick Pope, BSC], as it’s filled with that painterly nostalgia of the early nineteenth century that Vanja and Michael wanted to emphasize.” Another way of marking each social milieu was through the use of the real-time texturing mapping tool LiveGrain, which Černjul says can be used in the service of the narrative and not just to simulate a film look. “The texture applied to the Old New York scenes was based on the shape of the Kodak EXR color negative grain,” the Croatia-born DP reveals,
46
FEB/MAR 2022
“while ‘New New York’ had a slightly different grain shape based on Kodak Vision3 color negative. Of course, these two film stocks were from different eras in film history, and that was another way to visually separate these colliding worlds.” Černjul says there were other benefits to having LiveGrain applied in post. “The pandemic shut us down right before we started shooting,” he continues. “And, when we came back months later, atmospherics like smoke and fog weren’t allowed on sets. That meant we couldn’t use haze to light through to help create depth. I spoke to Suny [Behar, LiveGrain founder and director of photography], and he was able to help us vary the color textures in the LiveGrain application. For example, we put a lot more cyan in the shadows to build in the depth we lost from not using haze. I just love the results.” Without question, The Gilded Age presented a physical canvas grander than any of its seasoned team had encountered. Shaw says
he’s worked on other HBO shows “where the level of commitment was fantastic – like the backlot we did for Boardwalk Empire. But there was less of an expectation of reality [than for The Gilded Age]. And the boardwalk was built in a temporary manner due to its location by the ocean. The Gilded Age had elements like a monumental limestone mansion, where every detail had to be correct, and a backlot New York City street, lined with brownstones, where horse carriages could go up and down. It was the biggest show, by far, in terms of the scale and volume of our builds.” When it comes to scale, all roads lead to the Russell mansion, which engulfs the entire view from the Brooks’ windows. Loosely based on W.K. Vanderbilt’s 5th Avenue and 52nd Street mansion (where Vanderbilt’s wife, Alva, threw an 1883 costume ball reckoned at $6 million in today’s money), the sheer height and spread of the rooms in Shaw’s sets awed even Gilded Age crewmembers, let alone the characters in the story who visit. The backlot for the street exterior (referenced above), which included one- and two-story buildings, a dirt street,
ABOVE: VFX SUPERVISORS LESLEY ROBSON FOSTER AND DOUGLAS PURVER DESCRIBE THE BACKLOT (FEATURING THE RUSSELL MANSION FACADE ABOVE) AS THE SHOW’S BIGGEST PIECE OF THE VFX PUZZLE. “IT IS FEATURED OFTEN AND FROM MANY DIFFERENT ANGLES,” ROBSON FOSTER RELATES. “SO, WE KNEW IT HAD TO HOLD UP UNDER EVERY LIGHTING AND CAMERA ANGLE.”
gaslight streetlamps, and the façade of the Russell Mansion and the Brook brownstone, were built on a New York-area backlot, and as Engler notes, key to the story’s core. “We wanted it to feel like the proximity of a Rear Window, where every door or window provided a view of the Russell mansion across the street,” Engler shares. “If we couldn’t play that space in reality, since there was no way of finding that as a real location in Twenty-First Century New York City, we’d be very limited as to how much we could use the zone in between that connects the two homes. And that visual divide is the essence of the conflict. Gilded Age VFX Supervisors Lesley Robson Foster and Douglas Purver, both NY-based Local 600 members, describe the backlot as the show’s biggest piece of the VFX puzzle. “It is featured often and from many different angles,” Robson Foster relates. “So, we knew it had to hold up under every lighting and camera angle. The process started with the practical build and architectural drawings provided to us by Bob and his Art Department. Using those drawings, we got started with modeling the CG
extensions of these prominent houses.” Purver adds that, “once the practical set was built, we used Lidar scanning and Photogrammetry to get accurate representations of the practical piece. Then the CG modeled extensions were placed accurately to match where the practical buildings ended.” Extensive photography was taken of the set and reference buildings to match textures and details in the CG version. The VFX team even loaded the Digital Set Extension into an AR App that VFX house DNEG created while shooting, “so that Vanja and Manuel could compose their shots with the actual building heights in mind,” Purver continues. “HDRI’s were gathered throughout the day while shooting so that we were able to match the lighting at any point for those scenes.” One memorable shot from the pilot episode, when Marian and Peggy sneak out from the Brook house at night, features a bright moon high above a full shot of the backlot street. “I’ll never forget Vanja saying how much he’d love for there to be a moon,” Robson Foster recalls. “His lighting rig was right there, and
we used its position to motivate where to place the moon and how the light was falling on the sidewalks and buildings.” Shaw says that “one reason Mrs. Astor and the Old Money were so disdainful of people like the Vanderbilts is that it was considered in poor taste to flaunt your wealth. If the Brook house is like a plus-size brownstone, the Russell mansion is akin to those massive New York banks that make anyone – outside or in – feel very small.” Engler laughs when he recalls a still photographer friend asking him to stop playback while watching a scene in the Russell mansion. “He said: ‘How can you be in a room so big, with ceilings that high, and not have it look distorted?’ What kind of lens is that?’ It was truly one of the show’s big challenges – to not only visualize the amazing builds of Bob’s team but also to ensure the camera portrayed these spaces in a way that defined the character of the people who lived there.” Richardson-Whitfield, whose TV directing credits include Altered Carbon, The Chi, and Queen Sugar, describes both the sets (and
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
47
costumes) as “characters that are integral to telling the story. Although I’d never directed this period before, I do love a pretty frame – and, my goodness – Bob’s designs on this project were just so…beautiful. I felt like telling the story of those places, as well as the dresses for the women which filled up those rooms with color and texture, was a big part of my job.” Sets built at the Broadway Stages in Queens, NY and the Gold Coast Studios in Bethpage, NY were modeled after Gilded Age mansions in Newport, RI, like the Breakers (another Vanderbilt property), used for the massive Russell ballroom and referenced by Shaw throughout other Russell interiors. Černjul says an early observation he made while scouting the Newport mansions (preserved as museums and in pristine condition) was how everyone behaved when they first entered. “They’d move their heads side to side in awe, and then look up at the magnificent ceilings,” he recalls. “Some people would rotate their bodies 360 degrees just to take in the space. And we thought: how do you translate the experience of entering these spaces for the first time into a two-dimensional film frame? Most of the characters in the story were used to living and working in places like these, so a moving POV wasn’t a good fit. Rather, we wanted to see the characters in a frame wide enough to depict the scale and glory of the rooms. And we didn’t want to use an extremewide-angle lens because we didn’t want to draw attention to the camera and distort the architecture.” The solution was a unique method of tiling and stitching. As Černjul continues: “We shot a simple test with a stand-in for a central ‘master frame,’ and then shot eight other tiles that were stitched into an impossibly wide shot. Our visual effects department stitched the tiles together and corrected most of the distortion on the edges of the combined panorama. We’d shoot the master frame with the actors, and then we’d shoot the tiles of the whole room. And it worked!” There was a learning curve as to how to make the process quick and repeatable. Černjul credits 1st AC John Oliveri with figuring out how to quickly put the camera in a nodal configuration, before the space had to be lit (without grip equipment visible in any of the tiles). “We also had to make sure that all the action would fit inside the ‘master tile’ without reframing,” Černjul notes. “Once VFX combined all the tiles and corrected the geometry, each had to be cropped slightly to fine-tune the compositions. We called these shots ‘Master Panoramas,’ and they became a signature look of the series.” Given the unique Gilded Age period, lighting became another signature. Shaw
48
FEB/MAR 2022
ABOVE: TO CAPTURE SHAW’S MASSIVE SETS INCAMERA, ČERNJUL WORKED WITH VFX TO CREATE A UNIQUE SYSTEM OF TILING AND STICHING THEY TEREMED “MASTER PANORAMAS.” PHOTO COURTESY OF VANJA ČERNJUL.
describes how even though it was the dawn of electric light, “these people basically lived in the dark. They had a layer of lace in addition to the thick drapery, because they didn’t want anyone looking into the windows,” he explains. “And they also put awnings outside the windows so no sunshine could get in. With the change from candles to gas fixtures, people thought gas was vulgar and lower class, and it was similar when going from gas to electric. I found an illustration in my research of a room lit by electricity, and the women are all holding parasols because they think it’s too bright.” Working in large spaces, with hard ceilings seen in frame, Billeter wanted to upgrade Light Bridge’s CRLS Cine Reflectors he’d been using on Jessica Jones [ICG Magazine January 2016]. “The Light Bridge system uses engineered surfaces that precisely reflect light in five different diffusion grades,” Billeter explains. “Since the Cine Reflectors are spill-light free, they give you more control and output than if light were just bounced off a beadboard. I talked to [Light Bridge founder] Jakob Ballinger to see if he could make something bigger than 100-by-100 centimeters, and he
gave us hardware that allowed us to combine multiple custom-made C-100 panels.” Billeter goes on to note how Key Grip Chris Skutch and his team created a pipe system that rigged four CRLS panels together, which were then placed on Matthews’ Super Crank-OVators. “The result was a moveable, directional, and reflective source that could be combined with any light instrument – SkyPanels S60s or S30s, or also harder lights depending on the desired effect,” Billeter continues. “We used them on a lift outside the Brook house stage as a soft wash of sunlight, and inside the Russell mansion, where we could adjust the height and inclination. With these Cine Reflectors, we were able to set up book lights that were more controlled than usual, as we could easily adjust their angle.” Černjul is quick to credit Chief Lighting Technician Sean Sheridan, whose “grasp of LED technology” helped resolve how to replicate gas-fueled firelight. “We couldn’t use real flames in the Newport locations, and the chandeliers in the Russell mansion were so big, real flames were not an option,” Černjul states. “So, we tested many different LED’s for color,
ABOVE/BELOW: COSTUME DESIGNER WALICKA MAIMONE SAYS HER RESEARCH SHOWED COLOR COMBINATIONS USED IN GILDED AGE FASHIONS WERE MORE DARING THAN MODERN SENSIBILITIES WOULD IMAGINE. “I KNEW WE WOULD BE CHALLENGED LEFT AND RIGHT IF PORTRAYED FAITHFULLY,” SHE LAUGHS, “AS IT WOULD LOOK WAY TOO CONTEMPORARY AND MODERN.”
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
49
and how we could build in that subtle flicker of gas lighting. Sean brought us these RGB LED’s [the Hudson Spider Redbacks], where we could dial-in color. But it took some trial and error, as each manufacturer has a different standard, and there’s not much consistency.” In fact, the lighting in Gilded Age homes was complex at best. “During the day, the servants would take all the fixtures down to the basement and clean them,” Černjul continues, “and then bring them up and light them after dinner. After the gas fixtures were put out, everyone would use hand-held oil fixtures. That meant that if the scene took place after 10 p.m., we’d use real oil lamps and flames. There was also candlelight used for the dinner scenes, because of the poor aesthetic regard gas light was held at that time.” Shaw says he and Černjul were often “negotiating” about the amount of daylight present through the windows. “Vanja wanted more ‘source’ light coming in and would ask to have the drapery opened 18 inches. I’d say that in reality, it was more like six inches at best, and then we’d end up compromising with 12. It’s amazing to think about, but they had to light the oven hours before it could be used in these big homes – they had the cook live on the ground floor, right near the oven, so he could wake up early to light it!” The “downstairs” lives of the Brook and Russell servants offer a counterpoint to the gilded opulence. One example is from Episode 3, lensed by Billeter and directed by Richardson-Whitfield, when two young Irish servants from the Brook house visit a Magic Lantern theater, a precursor to cinema. “It was set up as rear or a front projection, with slides to create a crude kind of animation,” Billeter explains. “Salli and I decided on rear projection to be able to show the machinations of the behind-the-scenes.” Production found an expert hobbyist to bring in his Magic Lantern projector. As Billeter continues: “The script called for the Magic Lantern audience to see a train rushing toward the audience – a nod to the famous [1895] short by the Lumière Brothers. The location they go to is based on a real New York Vaudeville theater, and this setting allowed for evocative moodiness. The light sources in those projectors could be limelight or even small arc lights. We used a small, powerful LED light to emulate a strong source, and added a few practicals on the piano to provide a warmer glow as a contrast to the cool ambient light.” One of the most spectacular lighting moments comes in Episode 8 and is based on a real-life event. “In 1882, Thomas Edison lit up the exterior of The New York Times building, downtown on Pearl Street, and thousands of people came to watch,” Černjul recounts. “Everyone described the event in magical, almost mystical terms, and we wanted to
50
FEB/MAR 2022
recreate that feeling for the viewer.” Shot in an open square in Troy, NY, a large rig was built with hundreds of tungsten lights to bathe the entire square in warm light. “The streets at that time were all lit with gas light,” Černjul adds, “so we began with that on all the spectators. Those sources [RGB LED’s] were shut off, and then it was moonlight illumination before we see this crescendo of electric [tungsten] light on their faces.” Engler says accounts liken the electrified building to seeing natural wonders like the Aurora Borealis or the Grand Canyon, “and that’s a huge ask to recreate,” the director smiles. “We realized there would not have been one big source, where a switch was flicked on and the whole building was suddenly lit. It would be a more gradual, incremental
process. Also, we understood that sources of electrical energy back then were not as stable as they are now, so that instability had to be visualized. What’s so great is the event brought all New Yorkers together, almost like America gathering for a space launch.” Robson Foster and Purver say that “lighting up the square practically” was the very best option to convey the grandeur of the event. “The rig that Vanja and his team built was impressive,” Robson Foster states. “A lot of planning went into how this was going to be shot, not only because we were adding in the whole building being lit up, but also because we could not fill the entire square with people practically.” Purver continues: “Vanja had the lighting ceremony timed out on a program so that the
ABOVE: THOMAS EDISON’S 1882 LIGHTING UP OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BUILDING– EQUAL TO A MODERN-DAY SPACE LAUNCH IN PURE SPECTACLE – WAS RECREATED THROUGH AN INGENIOUS BLEND OF LARGE PRACTICAL SOURCE LIGHTING IN THE TROY, NY LOCATION, AND VFX. / FRAMEGRAB COURTESY OF HBO.
streetlamps and scene lighting would dim before the massive building light rig ramped up. This was crucial as we had to shoot an additional 10 tiles of people to fill out that square. The timing being the same for each tile allowed us to seamlessly assemble that crowd in VFX and give the appearance that they are all falling into shadow or receiving that light at once.” Robson Foster says HDRIs were captured from the location of where VFX would place the building, “so that Vanja’s light sources would fall on the CG building in the same way it fell on the surrounding practical buildings and the people,” she adds. “I found stories that described what it was like to experience early electrification, and it could actually be quite frightening. So, we used that to inform
how intense this light should feel from the windows as well as how stable the current should be. All the while, of course, our goal was to have everything balanced with what was captured on camera.”
If Shaw’s physical designs helped reveal character, and Černjul and Billeter’s lighting helped propel the narrative, the costumes built by Walicka Maimone’s team provided an equally key element to the series. Scenes like those from Episode 2, depicting a charity event at a 5th Avenue hotel at which Aurora Fane, Agnes’ niece by marriage, is gathered with other New York socialites, and a major ballroom scene in a later episode, serve as
a canvas of color and texture to underscore place, story, and character. “One of the main challenges with costuming this period,” Walicka Maimone offers, “is that the candle and gas light would transform the colors and textures of the fabrics. We also found in our research that at night, when people would go out socially, they’d wear fabrics that reflected light to better show off their gowns. We did a lot of testing in our studio to see how Vanja and Manuel’s lighting would read on camera. It was a learning process every day, especially with the darker interiors.” Walicka Maimone’s research also showed that color combinations used in Gilded Age fashions were more daring than modern sensibilities would imagine. “I knew we would be challenged left and right if portrayed faithfully,” she laughs, “as it would look way too contemporary and modern. But fashion at that time did mirror what was going on with technology, architecture, and science. The folds of drapery, the asymmetry, the exaggerated women’s silhouette with the bustle – it was innovative, and we had many different fabrics and colors to choose from.” The line between old and new money was also finer for costumes than production design, camera movement or lensing. “Bertha Russell is more receptive to the new Parisian fashions than the old-money women,” Walicka Maimone adds. “But she’s also trying to be accepted in that world, so it was a balancing act. Her husband has unlimited amounts of money, and she wants to impress, while the Brooks don’t have to impress anyone. From that comes more experimentation with Bertha in her gowns and dresses.” Portraiture painting also factored into Walicka Maimone’s process. A scene in Episode 2, when Marian and Peggy meet attorney John Raikes (Thomas Cocquerel), relocated from Pennsylvania in pursuit of Marian’s hand in marriage, is an elegant example. The trio convenes at Bethesda Fountain in Central Park (which was installed in 1873), and the natural light, costumes, and framing evoke an Impressionist masterwork. “Those Romantic-era painters typically abandoned reality for the sake of beauty in their work, and that was the approach we wanted with this show,” Walicka Maimone describes. “Of course, the details had to be correct, but as an idea of how to create the strongest image, we were guided by fine art rather than a documentary-like approach.” And yet social realities of the time are present throughout The Gilded Age. Richardson-Whitfield points to a scene she directed in Episode 4 when Marian travels to the Brooklyn brownstone where Peggy is having a birthday lunch with her parents. Marian arrives unannounced (a social faux pas just as in white neighborhoods), carrying hand-me-down shoes to a home she assumed
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
51
52
FEB/MAR 2022
would be impoverished. “It was important to accurately portray the vibrancy of these historic African-American neighborhoods,” Richardson-Whitfield explains, “where they had independence and were growing wealth, completely separate from [white] society. We told the scene through the eyes of Marian, who is continually surprised by Peggy’s anger and annoyance. Ultimately, Marian learns some humility from her cultural assumptions, so I think the show speaks to many present-day issues we’re still struggling with.” Engler agrees, noting an earlier scene from the same episode when Marian brings Peggy with her to shop at Bloomingdale’s. “It’s not that there was a law against a Black woman going into a store like Bloomingdale’s,” he describes of research done by historians for the series. “But could that kind of bias [by the store clerk] have happened, and, if so, how would it have happened? Once you ask those questions, it reveals so much about the character.” Adds Rich ardson-Whitfield: “ The blocking in that scene creates the best moments because Peggy is always a little behind Marian, who’s oblivious to the clerk’s hostility to Peggy. That goes to Marian’s innocence as she walks through this world. But the whole store wouldn’t turn to look at Peggy, just different glances, which, for me, went to how race was handled in this series.
It was painted with a soft brush, which felt more authentic.” Using the camera to paint an evocative story of a long-ago time and place goes to the strength of The Gilded Age’s Local 600 camera team. Billeter references the final scene of Episode 4, set at the Academy of Music when Marian attends a concert with Aurora Fane and Bertha Russell. The women occupy a booth above the orchestra, across from another booth where John Raikes is in attendance, paired with an old-money debutante. “COVID prevented us from filling the space with extras,” Billeter recalls, “so we utilized a Technodolly with a motion-control arm that would allow for repeatable movements. We started with the orchestra and panned across the room to the rhythm of the music. We had to do eight or nine passes moving people around to appear like the room is filled. This sweeping movement leads to the boxes with our characters. “The end of the scene,” he continues, “after intermission, has one of my favorite shots in the series. Full credit goes to A-Camera Operator Oliver Cary, who found a simple but effective camera move, panning and moving the crane arm, while John Oliveri pulled focus. We can see [in the move] how each character has their own contrasting emotions and dreams. It’s a remarkable storytelling moment
that shows the skill of our entire camera team.” Černjul is equally effusive about his experience on The Gilded Age. “I was fortunate to be a part of this project as the sets were being built, which is not always the case,” he describes. “That allowed us to work closely with Bob and his art department – one of the best I’ve ever been lucky enough to work with. We could test all the colored fabrics on the windows and their reaction to light. We could also ask for hard ceilings to force us to light in a certain way, all of which was crucial to the look. Also, being able to shoot in these Newport mansions built by the Gilded Age super-rich was amazing. I’m from Europe, where most locations like these were burned down at least twice in the last 100 years alone. It was fascinating to see that most of these grand salons, dining rooms, and master bedrooms still had original window dressing and carpeting.” Černjul, whose résumé includes other large-design/costume-heavy projects like Crazy Rich Asians and Marco Polo, says “having the [preproduction] time to work through everything with all of these incredible collaborators was something special with The Gilded Age. It should be a part of every project, but the opposite is true, as preproduction times continue to shrink every year,” he concludes. This one was different, and I’m so thankful for that.””
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
53
54
FEB/MAR 2022
LOCAL 600 CREW Directors of Photography Vanja Černjul, ASC (Odd Episodes) Manuel Billeter (Even Episodes) A-Camera Operator Oliver Cary A-Camera 1st AC John Oliveri A-Camera 2nd AC Sarah May Guenther B-Camera Operator Pyare Fortunato B-Camera 1st AC Mike Burke B-Camera 2nd AC Mabel Santos Haugen Loader Caleb Murphy DIT Matt Selkirk Still Photographer Alison Cohen Rosa VFX Supervisors Lesley Robson Foster Douglas Purver PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
55
FEATURE . 002 ARCHIVE 81
56
FEB/MAR 2022
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
57
Photo by Quantrell Colbert
NETFLIX’S NEW THRILLER, ARCHIVE 81, DRAWS FROM 1970S PARANOIA AND VOYEURISM TO UPEND THE VISUAL PARADIGM OF STREAMING DRAMAS.
BY TED ELRICK PHOTOS BY QUANTRELL COLBERT CLIFTON PRESCOD IDRIS SOLOMON
FOUND FOOTAGE
Photo by Idris Solomon
Netflix’s new series, Archive 81, follows archivist Dan Turner (Mamoudou Athie), who accepts a freelance assignment from Virgil (Martin Donovan), the head of a mysterious organization, to restore a collection of videotapes that were unearthed in an apartment-building fire decades ago. The caveat? Turner must restore the tapes in secret at a remote wooded location. But as he begins the process, Turner discovers the tapes’ creator, filmmaker Melody Pendras (Dina Shihabi), had been investigating a dangerous cult. Soon, both Pendras in the 1990s and Turner in contemporary times begin questioning everything around them. Are the events real, or are they both very paranoid?
60
FEB/MAR 2022
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
61
Photo by Clifton Prescod
T
he show is an intriguing (and layered) adaptation of a popular podcast series. It was developed for Netflix by executive producer/showrunner/writer Rebecca Sonnenshine, whose credits include The Vampire Diaries. “Podcasts are a great jumping-off point for a series,” Sonnenshine describes, “because they have a similar format. It’s a serialized story, so it’s much easier to adapt a podcast as opposed to a comic book or a novel.” One of the keys to the look of the show was drawing from 1970s-era horror and thriller features. “It’s not slick, it’s found footage from Melody Pendras,” Sonnenshine adds. “We wanted a look that, even if people couldn’t put their finger on it, still felt real.” Three directors of photography were hired to shoot eight episodes. The pilot and second episode went to Julie Kirkwood, who worked with director Rebecca Thomas and Sonnenshine to develop the look for the series. Kirkwood and Thomas had previously worked on the horror series Limetown, which also began as a podcast, and Kirkwood had also shot the pilot for Yellowjackets, another creepy horror series currently on Showtime. What all three women agreed on was that Archive 81 had to have a unique look.
62
FEB/MAR 2022
“There’s so much content out there, and everything is beginning to look a bit similar,” Kirkwood shares. “I think it’s partly because everyone is forced to move so quickly, we have to go with the fastest lighting setup, with no time to try something new.” Thomas says they all agreed that elements of Francis Coppola’s The Conversation (shot by Bill Butler, ASC, and an uncredited Haskell Wexler, ASC) resonated. “Reading the pilot, I couldn’t help but think about this guy, Dan Turner, who is obsessed with his tools and his hands, and he’s resurrecting this old footage,” Thomas explains. “There’s a tactility to what Dan does that I fell in love with. We wanted to make the show also feel handmade. We always wanted to put the camera in places where humans could also stand; we were harkening back to movies like All the President’s Men [shot by Gordon Willis, ASC] and Mean Streets [shot by Kent Wakeford] as major references.” Kirkwood notes that because the show had adequate prep time, she wanted to push past that first instinct “where everyone uses the same cameras and lights and things feel rushed,” she adds. “When I was talking with [Chief Lighting Technician] Jason [Velez] and Bobby Bukowski [DP on Episodes 3, 4, 7 and 8], I wanted to go to that second instinct – or, should I say, the opposite of that first instinct. We wanted to make sure we did something different from every streaming show out there.” “Where it becomes a little bit lazy,” Bukowski adds, “is because the cameras are so fast in terms of their speed, and their lightcollecting capabilities are so good, you don’t have to light to get an image. That’s not to say that you don’t have to light to create art. “It’s the difference between creating an image that has import and focus and is part of the narrative, as opposed to, ‘Oh, yeah, you can see what’s going on.’ It feels like classic film lighting sometimes takes a back seat to ‘We can see everything.’ Maybe the point is we don’t want to see everything.” Director of Photography Nate Goodman, who shot Episodes 5 and 6 with director Haifaa Al-Mansour, adds that, “most of the shows I’ve done, I come in and establish the look. But even with that, you’re still working within parameters. The actual execution is for whatever the story is at that moment. Typically, I’ll look at the pilot and maybe the first episode and think: is this something I’d like to take on? But when I got to Pittsburgh, they were shooting Episodes 3 and 4 [Bukowski and directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead] and doing things Julie and Rebecca did not do in Episodes 1 and 2.”
Photo by Clifton Prescod
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
63
Photo by Quantrell Colbert
As Goodman notes, the series also had multiple directors – an approach Bukowski says worked well due to all the prep time. “I was there early, so I was able to get into Julie’s head before she started shooting the first episode and was even there for some early testing. Rebecca [Thomas] directed the first two with Julie and then the last two with me.” The two main locations are the Visser apartment building, which charts Pendras’ investigation of the secretive history of the building and its tenants, and then a modernistic cabin in the woods, reminiscent of a modular Frank Lloyd Wright design, where Turner’s restoration is done. Each location required its own look to clue viewers in on time and place. The Guild team used ALEXA Mini LF and an assortment of Hi8 cameras to simulate Pendras’ footage. Once established, the ALEXA could be used with Pendras, but the Hi8 is always watched by Turner as he follows her progress. Kirkwood and her crew had to turn to eBay to purchase multiple Hi8 cameras – some that worked, others that were for show. “The use of Hi-8 cameras added an interesting dimension to the workflow,” recounts Digital Loader Gabe Marchetti. “The camera department
64
FEB/MAR 2022
designed a hardware pipeline so that sound and video from a consumer-grade Hi8 camera could record simultaneously to both internal cassette and an external digital video recorder. A line ran from the Hi8 to a battery belt rigged with an analog/digital converter, a digital PIX recorder, and a loop out to a Teradek transmitter, all of which was powered by a single gold mount battery. The belt could be easily carried or hidden. “In several scenes,” Marchetti adds, “our actors rolled on the Hi8 during a take while in full frame of the primary cameras. In this case, we stripped the Hi8 to its body and rolled tape only. At my downloading station, we built a second recording rig functionally identical to the battery belt. When the scene ended, I logged and captured the Hi8 tape in real time, which meant I had to watch each take during the transfer for errors and artifacts to let the director and DP know immediately if they needed to reshoot before moving on.” Two ALEXA LF Minis worked as standard A and B cameras between studio, handheld, and Steadicam modes; an additional LF Mini body was built for a permanent Ronin rig, and they maintained the Hi8 and A7SIII rigs (used for any shots that needed to look like Hi8 but
also needed VFX, and, consequently more resolution) for the run of the show. Tribe BLACKWING7 primes, “T tuned” for slightly more flaring and a smoother image, were used for lensing throughout. Bukowski describes the Tribe BLACKWING7s as “quite beautiful. I’ve been shooting since the 80s, so I come from analog film,” he explains. “And we’re always looking for a way to replicate the analog film look in digital. I keep feeling I’m trying to put what I know about analog film into digital. Lenses like these BLACKWINGs are made with distortions that affect sharpness and contrast roll-off. Modern lenses tend to get rid of all those distortions, but these lenses are created to embrace them.” The lenses are co-designed by Oscarnominated Director of Photography Bradford Young, ASC, who, Bukowski adds, “got together with some engineers and said: ‘This is what I’m looking for in a lens, and I’d like to apply those attributes to their design and construction.’ Interesting things happen when a cinematographer designs lenses.” Because Kirkwood, Sonnenshine and Thomas leaned into 1970s films, in addition
Photo by Quantrell Colbert
to those already mentioned – Klute (Gordon Willis, ASC), Rosemary’s Baby (William Fraker, ASC ) and Three Days of the Condor (Owen Roizman, ASC) – Archive 81 has an unsettling quality. A-Camera Operator Bud Kremp, SOC, recalls that Kirkwood “took a lot of time to make sure our angles and shots served the story. She thought outside the box and set a great tone. Then Bobby and Nate came in and added their flavor on top. The camera movement in those classic 70s suspense thrillers was just different. So, it was fun trying to recreate what they all had done. I researched those movies to get the right feel.” Kirkwood says she likes to be able to go to extremes with imagery. “I like to play with darkness, which is why I like this genre,” she explains. “The unsettling extremes make sense in a story like this.” It also helped that Kirkwood was involved in the discussions about selecting the other DP’s. “I was excited to work with Bobby because he had ideas about the characters and the story, and I wanted to have someone who wasn’t just going to straight-up copy the shots and lighting that I did in the first two episodes,” she continues. “It had to be someone who would continue the look I set
and also come in with their ideas. And Gaffer Jason Velez had worked with Bobby years ago – Jason and I had been working together for months on how we wanted to light the show.” As Velez recalls: “Julie said that everything she sees is super soft, and the lighting is always coming at a perfect angle, and we needed to flip that around and do something else – steep frontal hard light, for example. She’d say: ‘Gee, I love this. Now how can we mess it up?’ That meant she’d go in and we’d do something kind of wacky to either a light, the frame, or the diffusion. I really enjoyed doing those first two episodes with her.” Velez brought most of his lighting package with him from Insight Equipment in New York City. “I think I brought 22 Mole Beams with me for stage rigs. From CineLease, in Pittsburgh, we got 100 DMG Lumières – an LED panel light I use almost exclusively. The color spectrum is significantly bigger than any other panel light on the market.” Archive 81 was the first Pittsburghbased shoot after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which only added to the feeling of disconnection. “It was right to shoot at this time during the pandemic,” 1st AC Deb Peterson recalls. “Parts of it could be shot
small with only one character. We spent a lot of time with Mamoudou and Dina, our two main actors, as he is going through his restoration, and she is going through her investigation. In that way, it was very COVID-safe because we didn’t have a lot of scenes with multiple actors. “Everybody was trying to figure out how to tell the story safely,” Peterson continues. “Julie did a good job of doing the research and getting evaluations of people who were already in Pittsburgh and didn’t have to be brought in. There wasn’t a lot going on at the time, so she pulled a strong crew who had worked together on many projects.” Kirkwood says Peterson was the first crew member she hired. “Deb was recommended by another DP whom I didn’t know, but I knew he shot in Pittsburgh recently,” Kirkwood recalls. “He said: ‘Call Deb Peterson, and not only should you hire her, but she will help you figure out the other locals you should hire,’ and he was right! Deb helped me put together an amazing Pittsburgh crew.” Kremp was also impressed with Peterson. “The one thing that any operator holds precious is the freedom to be able to instinctually move the camera without notice, tape or marks, and to know the person on the node is going to be
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
65
instinctually there with you,” he describes. “It’s like finding a best friend. You’re going for the same goal, you immediately mesh, and that person has the technical expertise to be able to deliver.” The COVID protocols did affect workflows in other ways. DIT Curtis Abbott remembers how it changed the traditional notion of video village. “When I was contacted about the job, I asked them: ‘Are we allowed to be around the monitor? Usually, the DP, gaffer and key grip will come into the tent, and we’ll all watch and make adjustments,” Abbott shares. “With the protocols, I couldn’t do that.” Abbott ended up having three different video villages. “I had my cart, and then I built a smaller cart on a roller stand for the DP’s with a 4-by-4 blackout tent. Then we had a 17inch monitor for the gaffer and his crew and a little blackout tent for them. We were all on HME’s communicating, but none of us were in the same tent due to social distancing.” He also needed a way for the DP to control the image and switch between cameras without approaching Abbott’s cart. So, he added a network box to allow others to control whatever image they were receiving on his router. “They could remotely control things on my cart from their cart,” he adds. “Julie also wanted the ability to grade the image, so I bought a second set of color wheels, and she could use the tangent panel at her cart.” While Kremp says an Aerocrane Jib Arm was put in service a few times, it was a tool he brought to set, which the crew dubbed the “Bud Seat,” that got the most love. “It’s officially called the ‘Bob Seat,’ named after Robert Richardson,” Kremp explains. “He and a technician created this marvelous piece of gear that is attached to the dolly and allows you to ride on the boom arm, rather than being separated from it. You can circulate 360 degrees around the top of the arm without needing to trip and traverse the actual dolly. Perfect for those shots that require you to pan anywhere from 180 to 360 degrees.” One of the most challenging shots for Kremp was at the wooded location. “Our lead actor believes he is alone,” he describes. “From the top of a very steep hill in the woods, he sees a figure and runs at full speed
66
FEB/MAR 2022
downhill, jumping over broken, long-dead branches, leaf-covered holes, and smaller hidden tree stumps, all of which were just waiting to catch a foot and tumble anyone running at top speed – including me.” Kremp was tasked with following behind Mamoudou in full-sprint mode. “We did the shot about seven times, and I never fell once,” Kremp recalls. “The cheers of our crew were great, and they weren’t shy about telling me how amazed they were that not only did I not fall, I also never dropped the camera – and that I had that much speed in me.” For Goodman, an interesting sequence involved following Pendras when she’s sneaking into a floor of the Visser apartment building that is supposedly off-limits. “I’m really happy with the way that turned out, because it’s done in a very classic, horrorfilm type of way,” Goodman reflects. “We were able to light it evocatively – moody and dark – because we’re trying to experience the environment in the same way that she does. In Episode 6, there’s a sequence where Pendras is trying to run away. We took two levels of a stairwell, and with minor art direction and just the way we shot it and scheduled it, we were able to turn it into six floors of stairwell. I’m very happy with that sequence,” he adds. Sonnenshine says “it’s a very interesting time” to be working in television. “I came out of film school and made films,” she concludes. “Eight episodes of a streaming show provides the opportunity to have a point-of-view and a look, and to have control over every moment. It’s a lot like making a film because of the amount of time you get to spend with the crew, in the edit and mix. In broadcast, you just race through it.” Kremp, who is currently back on a network show, agrees, noting that “they want so many variations of coverage so that they can put it together in the edit. On these Netflix shows, we’re able to let the story breathe and let shots transform into storytelling moments where you can get more emphasis on a character’s thoughts or feelings just by letting it play out in front of you. Let the audience decide where they want to look, what they want to pay attention to, or where we want to misdirect them to. It’s so much fun to be able to paint like that as storytellers.”
OPPOSITE: JULIE KIRKWOOD (TOP/BOTTOM), WHO WAS ONE OF THREE DP’S ON THE SERIES (WITH BOBBY BUKOWSKI AND NATE GOODMAN), AND WHO DEVELOPED THE LOOK OF THE SERIES IN EPISODES 1/2 SAYS THE THRILLER GENRE “ALLOWS YOU TO PLAY WITH DARKNESS. THE UNSETTLING EXTREMES MAKE SENSE IN A STORY LIKE THIS.” / PHOTOS BY QUANTRELL COLBERT
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
67
LOCAL 600 CREW Directors of Photography Julie Kirkwood (Episodes 1, 2) Bobby Bukowski (Episodes 3, 4, 7, 8) Nate Goodman, ASC (Episodes 5, 6) A-Camera/Steadicam Operator Bud Kremp, SOC A-Camera 1st AC Deb Peterson A-Camera 2nd ACs Benedict Baldauff Dave Ross B-Camera Operator Lisa Sene, SOC B-Camera 1st AC Kyle Blackman B-Camera 2nd AC Kevin Galloway Loader Gabe Marchetti DIT Curtis Abbott Utilities Ralph DiLullo Kim Herman Still Photographers Quantrell Colbert Clifton Prescod Idris Solomon 68
FEB/MAR 2022
LEFT: A-CAMERA OPERATOR BUD KREMP SAYS “THE CAMERA MOVEMENT IN THOSE CLASSIC 70S SUSPENSE THRILLERS WAS JUST DIFFERENT. I RESEARCHED THOSE TO GET PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASONMOVIES 69 THE RIGHT FEEL.” / PHOTO BY QUANTRELL COLBERT
70
FEB/MAR 2022
FEATURE . 003
PAM & TOMMY
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
71
SEX, LIES &
72
VIDEO FEB/MAR 2022
EMMY NOMINEE, PAULA HUIDOBRO, AMC, AND DIRECTOR CRAIG GILLESPIE RE-TEAM TO VISUALIZE “THE GREATEST STORY EVER SOLD” IN HULU’S NEW THROWBACK MINISERIES, PAM & TOMMY. BY VALENTINA VALENTINI PHOTOS BY
OTAPE
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
Photo by Erin Simkin
ERIN SIMKIN
73
I
t isn’t until Episode 2 of the Hulu miniseries Pam & Tommy that we see Pamela Anderson – played by British actress Lily James in a complete physical and vocal transformation – for more than a few seconds on screen. Episode 1 of the series focuses mainly on two men: Anderson’s soon-to-be husband, Tommy Lee (an uncanny Sebastian Stan), the drummer from 1980s hair band Mötley Crüe, and his carpenter (played by Seth Rogen, who also serves as one of the show’s producers), tasked with renovating Lee’s bedroom into a sex paradise, complete with swing, mirrors, and king-sized waterbed. When Anderson finally does appear, though, it’s clear viewers will be following her as the story unfolds over its eightepisode run. Visually speaking, everyone else is just playing a part in the Pamela Anderson Show. In Pam & Tommy, viewers are taken on a wild ride through the 1990s, where Anderson is anything but in control of her destiny. Lee’s carpenter, Rand Gauthier (an electrician in real life), wanted to get revenge on Lee for firing him without pay and holding him at gunpoint when Gauthier went to collect his tools. That revenge came in the
74
FEB/MAR 2022
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
75
76
FEB/MAR 2022
ABOVE/OPPOSITE: OPERATOR MARK EMERY MOORE SAYS HE LOVES TO BE IN “THAT PSYCHOLOGICAL ARENA” WITH THE ACTORS TO CONVEY THEIR EMOTION THROUGH CAMERA MOVEMENT. “THAT’S WHY I PREFER STEADICAM OVER ANY OTHER PLATFORM,” EMERY MOORE SAYS. “IT’S ME AND THE ACTORS, WHICH CREATES A UNIQUE DANCE OF A RELATIONSHIP.” / PHOTO BY ERICA PARISE
form of single-handedly stealing a giant safe from Lee’s garage containing items of various worth, and one very important Hi-8 video tape. The stolen sex tape makes the rounds, and in the early days of the World Wide Web, plays out like Shakespearean drama (or maybe comedy) at Anderson and Lee’s expense. The show is based on Amanda Chicago Lewis’ 2014 Rolling Stone article Pam and Tommy: The Untold Story of the World’s Most Infamous Sex Tape. But co-showrunner Robert Siegel hadn’t been aware of the backstory surrounding the tape when the producers (who optioned Lewis’ article) thought it would be up his alley – “which,” Siegel recounts, “it very much was. I’m extremely drawn to wild, true-crime stories, especially ones with a pop-culture aspect. And it was clear there was a lot of potential for depth in this story. Great characters and resonant themes.” With Siegel having never worked in television – he had written six features, including The Wrestler and The Founder – the producers thought teaming him up with a more seasoned showrunner was key. Siegel met with many candidates, but as soon as he spoke to D.V. DeVincentis (American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson, Dead Last), it was clear that was his guy. Craig Gillespie (of I, Tonya fame) directed the first three episodes of Pam & Tommy, creating and setting the look with Guild Director of Photography Paula Huidobro,
AMC [ICG Magazine September 2020]. The pair jumped right from Apple TV+’s Physical – another period TV series, set in the 1980s – onto Pam & Tommy. Other directors on the show included Lake Bell, Hannah Fidell, and Gwyneth Horder-Payton, whose stellar résumé in episodic TV dates back to The Shield and Criminal Minds. The Mexico-born Huidobro, whose TV credits include Barry and Insecure and who is known for her collaborations with writer/ director Sian Heder, including the Sundance breakout hit CODA, says Gillespie is “incredibly visual and verry inspiring. Craig gives the perfect balance of freedom and tust with a vision as wll as a leadership role. That’s when you can achieve your best work.” Of Huidobro, Gillespie says: “Paula creates a look that isn’t too self-aware but also puts you in that space without being overt. That subtle dance is what I love [about her work].” Huidobro used the ALEXA Mini LF with Panavision Anamorphic B-series and T-series lenses. She’d fallen in love with the look of these lenses on Physical, especially how they flared, and decided to use them again on Pam & Tommy, with slight characteristic changes by Panavision’s Dan Sasaki. She wanted the T series to look more like the B series, which are softer lenses with more of the anamorphic bend, more flare, and warmer in color with less contrast. “In prep, Dan showed me the changes he made for Paula specific to the look
of this show,” recalls A-Camera 1st AC Naomi Villanueva who pulled focus for Huidobro on Physical and recently wrapped an untitled feature starring Jonah Hill. “Making these changes was key for Paula because of the nature of how Craig wanted to shoot,” Villanueva adds. “Energetic shots with lots of push-ins to close-ups on the actors. We could achieve that because the T-series focused closer than the B-series. But since they weren’t as soft as the B-series, Paula used a Black Satin 2 Diffusion filter and atmospheric smoke on every set to soften the look of the lenses even more. We shot mainly at a T 2.8 using mostly the 40- and 50-millimeter T-series lenses.” Pam & Tommy’s look is delineated between Anderson and Lee’s mansion in the hills above Malibu and then everywhere else; Gauthier’s Valley apartment occupies the other end of the spectrum with its dark and dingy aesthetic, browns spreading out from every crevice. By contrast, the mansion is always bathed in soft light, playing easily off the cream and pale peach walls. The show does have a consistent glow in interior scenes with windows or exteriors, emphasizing the sunny SoCal climate. For the camera work, Gillespie wanted a constant frenetic energy with motivated pushins providing both a geography of the scene and the urgency of any character’s situation.
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
77
Photo by Jessica Brooks
“It’s a bit of a rule book that I go by in terms of working with actors and being within their space,” Gillespie explains. “I remember talking to Wally Pfister [ASC] years ago when he and Christopher Nolan were doing The Dark Knight – the camera was either in front of the actor or behind the actor. It gave me the confidence to realize that I didn’t have to do a lot of coverage. Once we explored that, it made me realize the actor is everything; if they can carry the scene, you just need to decide where to [follow them with the camera].” That approach, of course, demanded top-tier technique from Steadicam Operator Mark Emery Moore, who also worked with Huidobro and Gillespie on Physical. And while Gillespie typically likes the actors to look at a mark on the lens for close-ups, James and Stan wanted to see each other’s eyes to react from. That required them to stay extremely close to Moore and the camera for eyelines as tight as possible – so close that Moore would give a safety speech before each shot with warnings of camera movement. “I would make slow and easy movements so as not to cause any pain to anyone,” the
78
FEB/MAR 2022
veteran operator, whose credits include Ratched, the final season of How to Get Away with Murder and Reagan, recalls. “At times, I was cheek-to-cheek with Sebastian or Lily. I love being in the psychological mix with the actors, [where] each shot is a journey of whatever emotion [the actors] are dictating. I need to be in that arena with them to convey their emotion through the camera movement. That’s why I prefer Steadicam over any other camera platform. It’s me and the actors, which creates a unique dance of a relationship.” Moore says his conversations with Huidobro and Gillespie began while still filming Physical, which was about 98 percent Steadicam. That’s why, when filming began on Pam & Tommy, the shooting format and style were already baked into the prevailing ethos. Moore shot nearly the entire show, with B-Camera operator Joseph Messier filling in where necessary. (Messier had the honor of shooting the memorable, locked-off, up-angle shot of Lee’s talking penis in episode 2.) “It was often like a Cassavetes’ oner,” remembers Huidobro. “We’d go from one character to the other, allowing the actors to
have total freedom. I had to light the space more than the shot itself. And the actors would discover things as they [played out the scene]. They didn’t want to do marks, so sometimes we would find the scenes as we were shooting them, and it would evolve. Then we would try to get as much as possible in that oner with maybe going for another reverse or close-up after. It was pure energy.” Because Moore became so accustomed to a constant “dance with the actors,” it wasn’t until he saw the show that he realized just how much camera movement was involved. “It honestly blew me away,” he laughs. “Seth, Lily, and Sebastian were totally invested in these roles, with free rein to move in large spaces in any way they felt would give validity to the characters. We did a lot of 360s. There were no limitations.” Of course, a camera show with no limits can translate into a challenging assignment for the focus-puller, and Villanueva describes pulling focus as already “one of the most technically difficult jobs on the camera
Photo by Kelsey McNeal
crew on a normal day.” Add in Black Satin 2, atmospheric smoke and constantly moving actors, with little to no rehearsal time and a Steadicam operator following their every move with sporadic push-ins, and the ability to “go with the flow and be ready for anything” became all-important. “I can’t begin to explain to anyone how this made my job really difficult,” recalls Villanueva, who, like Huidobro, also hails from Mexico. “Trying to see focus some days was extremely challenging. But since I’ve been working with Paula this past year and with these lenses, it has pushed me to be better. And I’ve learned a lot. I’m not perfect, of course. And with the first AC, everyone knows when you mess up because they see it right away – and when you do well, you don’t often get noticed. But I am blessed to work with good people, which makes going to work every day enjoyable.” Not to bury the lead, but while the sex tape is the reason this story exists, the content on the actual tape isn’t given major time. Instead, we follow Anderson’s devastation after it’s released. We’re given snippets of the
sound and a few glimpses here and there of the vintage footage, grainy and contrasty. “I think it’s important that we don’t show much of the video,” describes Production Designer Ethan Tobman. “It’s so private, so intimate, and such a violation that it became exploited. The story is more about how people reacted to it, pedaled it, and then how Pam and Tommy tried to protect it.” Though Gillespie and Huidobro wanted to use a 1990s camcorder, there were resolution requirements, so the home video was filmed on a Canon Vixia 4K camcorder. Villanueva made sure the settings were correct and handed the camera off to James and Stan, who had total freedom in how they wanted to film each other. That footage was given to postproduction and “down-res’d” to look like Hi-8 camera footage from the ’90s. “The footage had to be extremely intimate – how two lovers, who are husband and wife, would portray each other with a camera in the privacy of their own space,” recounts Huidobro. “If there had been an operator there, it would have been uncomfortable. I think the connection they made as actors and as these
characters, they were so used to each other that it worked well.” And although the crafts team was trying for authenticity wherever and however they could get it, Tobman didn’t want to mistake that for recreation: “I have a few images of Pam and Tommy’s actual house,” he says. “But we decided not to redesign it. We went for what it made us feel like.” Tobman, known for music videos for Grammy-winning artists like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Ariana Grande, as well as features like the Oscar-winning Room and last summer’s action flick Free Guy, describes himself as “25 percent craftsperson and 75 percent cultural detective.” When he starts on a new project, he begins with a color palette but also dives deep into politics, global influences, cultural icons, arts and entertainment, and any other visual signifiers that pertain to the prescribed period/world he needs to build. …like the couple’s bedroom. “That set is the ultimate expression of 1990s excess and of ‘money can’t buy taste,’” Tobman shares. “The context is that this is
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
79
DIRECTOR CRAIG GILLESPIE SAYS HUIDOBRO “CREATES A LOOK THAT ISN’T TOO SELF-AWARE BUT ALSO PUTS YOU IN THAT SPACE WITHOUT BEING OVERT. THAT SUBTLE DANCE IS WHAT I LOVE [ABOUT HER WORK].” / PHOTO BY ERICA PARISE
Tommy’s house and she’s moved into it. And he’s essentially built a throne for himself. I looked at hundreds of bedrooms from the 1990s, sometimes from the 1980s, because maybe he built this in ’90 or ’91, when Mötley Crüe was still on top. But he’s now wanting to settle down a bit, not tour as much, but still very much in the residue of huge 80s fame. This wasn’t built for Pam. Those are the things I’m thinking about as I start drawing.” And not that he necessarily aimed for it when he began the set, but Tobman’s design turned out to feel nautical, like the presidential suite of a giant yacht, which tracks, because everything begins to fall apart with lovemaking on a boat. The filmmakers liked the bedroom set so much, they shot more scenes there than were originally intended. And in telling a story about a marriage under pressure, all roads lead to the bedroom. “That’s where the tension grows,” Tobman adds. Huidobro opted to go with indirect
80
FEB/MAR 2022
lighting, another popular design choice from the 1990s. It’s also an approach often taken in scenes with boats. Tobman made sure there were nooks and crannies, curved pieces, and pillars all over that made sense to light with strips in a variety of light sources – halogen, fluorescent, Kino, and LED strips – staying true to the 90s even if they were employing more modern technology. “We had a terrific time with practicals,” Tobman adds. “There are enormous lamps on either side of that bed; they have to be enormous because the bed is enormous, and they’re sitting on 10-foot side tables. We found them online in Europe, and they’re just stupidly excessive.” Set decorator Nya Patrinos helped to customize lamp shades with creamy, gold silk, which Huidobro chose from a few different options. Those kinds of details set the tone for the nouveau riche world of Los Angeles – an exuberant, endless fountain of money, still present (pre-dot-com-bust) in the late 1990s.
“Ethan built me spaces where there could be very dynamic blocking,” Huidobro concludes. “There was a giant window in the main part of the house where I’d put a softbox outside of it, and the actors could just run around anywhere. It wasn’t a traditionally beautiful location – none of the locations for this show are. But it’s about staying in the realness of it and finding that edge that turns them into something interesting.” Giving the actors room to play is key to Gillespie’s approach. He says the blocking of the actors, in large part, contributes to the humor and the tone of a scene. And he’s willing to be flexible with the camera to get it right. “Like in that opening scene,” the director concludes, “when we finally see that [Tommy] is wearing a thong. It’s not [until] halfway through the scene [because] I deliberately wanted the camera to stay close on him and then go a little wider and, as he turns around, we go back in again. It’s all about that subtle reveal.”
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
81
HUIDOBRO SAYS PRODUCTION DESIGNER TOBMAN “BUILT SPACES WHERE THERE COULD BE DYNAMIC BLOCKING. NONE OF THE LOCATIONS FOR THIS SHOW ARE TRADITIONALLY BEAUTIFUL – BUT IT WAS ABOUT FINDING THAT EDGE THAT TURNS THEM INTO SOMETHING INTERESTING.” / PHOTO BY KELSEY MCNEAL
82
FEB/MAR 2022
LOCAL 600 CREW Director of Photography Paula Huidobro A-Camera/Steadicam Operator Mark Moore, SOC A-Camera 1st AC Naomi Villanueva A-Camera 2nd AC Josh Benavidez B-Camera Operator Joseph Messier B-Camera 1st AC Yoshihiro Kinoshita B-Camera 2nd AC Jonathan Stromberg Loaders Ben Booker Ryan Kelly Utilities Ben Shurtleff Josh Smith Digital Utilities Michael Luntzel Val Sklar Still Photographers Jessica Brooks Kelsey McNeal Erica Parise Erin Simkin PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
83
snap THE NEXT GENERATION OF LOCAL 600 UNIT STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS IS BUILT ON MENTORSHIP RELATIONSHIPS. BY PAULINE ROGERS
It can be casual, born from an incidental conversation. It can be formal, through many of the programs set up by Local 600. It can even come out of a request from a studio. How unit still photographers in this industry find each other is less important than the reality that the Guild members who have been capturing images for many years find in their DNA the need to share their craft knowledge. If they can help newbies avoid some of the bumps they’ve experienced or give them advice on how to navigate the “setiquette” of the business, they are often willing – and eager – to do so. It’s how an alliance of union workers remains strong over more than a century of image-making. For this publicity-themed issue of ICG Magazine, we reached out to three mentor/mentee pairs of Guild unit still photographers. We wanted to know how they met, how they’ve worked together (especially in these strange times), and what were some of the most important – and sometimes unexpected elements – that helped their partnership click.
click
and
QUANTRELL COLBERT + CLIFTON PRESCOD It was about the time, a few summers back, when Black Lives Matter had reached critical mass. Netflix asked Quantrell Colbert (Emancipation, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Emergency, Heels, Respect) if he would be willing to participate in a mentoring project to help get more African American photographers onto the set. They wanted him for their new psychological thriller series, Archive 81 (page 56), and agreed to allow Colbert [ICG Magazine April 2021] to leave the show when his existing job, Heels, returned from hiatus. To fill in for the last two months, Netflix Photo Coordinator Hanifa Haris asked if they could bring in Clifton Prescod (Jigsaw, Bel Air, Real Husbands of Hollywood) to shadow him and finish the show.
Quantrell Colbert / photo by Mike Taing
86
FEB/MAR 2022
She had explained that Prescod, who was working in unscripted and fashion photography, had reached out, cold, and they liked his work. So they wanted to help him take the next step. “Mentoring other still photographers is important,” says Colbert. “Because of COVID, we weren’t able to bring Clifton to the set. But we talked, and I felt extremely comfortable working with him in this way.” As for Prescod [ICG Magazine June 2021], he says “everything happened so fast. I was on my way to Pittsburgh – car taking me to the airport, business class. I felt Netflix was extending the love. While I was sequestered, before I took over the shoot, I called Q. He’s a photography hero of mine,
so I knew he would have some important things for me to learn.” “One of the first things I told him was that he had a right to be there,” recalls Colbert. “You are an anomaly coming into a well-oiled machine. It’s not that you’re Black – it’s that you are water. It’s just how the beast works.” Colbert then got down to the basics. He ticked off the critical elements of an episodic series set, a type of production different than what Prescod was used to. “You have to watch the rehearsals, figure out where A and B cameras are – don’t forget the boom operator – and where you can find yourself to get the pictures,” Colbert states. “The objective is not to take every picture.
That’s what the [motion] cameras are there for. Instead of thinking about what ‘they’ want, it’s about what you see.” “I asked about editing,” Prescod adds, “which can be overwhelming. And Q’s advice was invaluable.” Colbert told his apprentice, “You have to decide how much time to put into your edit after your day is done. While some people ask for everything, my advice is to do a soft edit, limit the shots to two or three of the same things. You don’t want them to see everything – especially when you are new at the job.” “Setiquette” – or how to properly respect the various departments and their jobs – also was a key issue for Prescod to learn. Colbert reinforced the “you have a right to be there” mentality, which is not often a given in the unit photographer’s craft, and to “forget about the director screaming at someone or a conflict in the crew. Working with the actors and the rules, that’s another story,” Colbert adds. Prescod took the message to heart. “Before I walked into the working set,” he recounts, “I was determined to kill them with kindness. Everyone would take a liking to me, and I would get all I wanted and more. That is the dream.” The newbie says he would never have made it through the shoot if Colbert hadn’t warned him about the sensitivity of a certain actor. “Q said, ‘He’s probably going to ask you to leave the set during his scenes.’ So, being very determined, I came to the set wearing all black! I hid in the shadows, photographing the cast during the marking rehearsal. “When the rehearsal ended, the actor came up to me and said, ‘You won’t be on set when we roll, right?’” Prescod continues. “I answered, ‘Of course! But don’t worry, I will be out of your eye line and invisible.’ ‘I’d prefer not!’ he answered. Dang, I thought I’d be the exception. Q was right – and his support, and that of Netflix because I would be getting less than expected – was invaluable.” “Clifton learned a lot on this first scripted series,” Colbert concludes. “I wanted to make sure he felt somewhat comfortable before coming to set. The last thing he needed to think about was being an African American on a set. Or new. Take the Black card out of the picture, think about who and what you are – a photographer getting great unit coverage for your client. You belong there, and your work is important.” Clifton Prescod / photo by Idris Solomon
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
87
Claire Folger and Robert “Bobby” Clark / photo by Seacia Pavao
88
FEB/MAR 2022
CLAIRE FOLGER + ROBERT CLARK It all started with the need for a blimp. Unit Still Photographer Claire Folger [ICG Magazine January 2022, The Tender Bar] and then-Electric Robert Clark met more than two decades ago on the set of Session 9, shot in
working a lot as an electric,” Folger adds. “He’d regularly get calls from the best boy electric asking for his availability. It’s a different world as a unit still photographer. He had to have work to show. He could take advantage of the Union
Danvers, Massachusetts. Over the years, as part of the industry’s New England community, they’d find themselves on the same projects – The Finest Hours, Ted, The Judge, The Legend of Lucy Keyes. “We’d chat occasionally, but he never talked about transitioning into becoming a still photographer, until he told me he was thinking of taking a non-Union film – as a still photographer,” Folger recalls. Clark says he’s always been “deeply involved in the stills world, but having a steady income in electric, I’d hesitated about the move. A casual conversation with a gaffer friend led to a phone call from a non-union producer and an offer. But I didn’t have a blimp. So, I called Claire.” Folger remembers how they started to talk about making the transition. “I offered my blimp, and everything moved quickly,” she laughs. “He did a series of non-union jobs, then in 2015 got lucky – the movie he was on flipped, and he joined Local 600.” Clark – whose credits now include Defending Jacob, Sound of Metal, Dexter: New Blood, Call Jane, and Confess Fletch – began a new filmmaking journey. Working as an electric, he
networking, but there was a lot to learn. We talked about a website and building a list of contacts.” “I thought I’d get in and establish myself, and there would be jobs,” Clark says. “It surprised me when she said every job is different. Even today, she can present herself for a project, and it could be months before a decision is made. Claire also explained that the unit photographer can often become a target. It took me a little while to figure out that it wasn’t just the actors that you have to be careful with.” Case in point: Clark was taking photos for a Tier 1 project shooting at the beach. “About a week later, the producers came to the set and literally pulled me off,” he recalls. “They accused me of selling my photos to the tabloids, even threatening to sue me. No one had seen anything that day. It was shocking. Yes, I panicked. But the strength Claire instilled in me kicked in, and I pushed back. ‘Are you kidding? I wouldn’t sell my photos to one of the rags for a few hundred dollars!’ I explained that what I shot was over the water – while the shots [the producers] showed me were from the water.” He also called Folger.
was mostly invisible to all but his team and other departments. But now, walking into a set with a camera made him instantly visible – and that changed everything, including his relationship with Folger. Instead of casual conversation, they talked deeply about her craft and the ins and outs of taking images for publicity purposes on busy sets. “In the beginning, I thought it would be important for me to immediately introduce myself to the talent,” Clark recounts. “Claire said that was not a great idea, which was the right advice! By waiting until the talent approaches me, we meet on equal ground.” Folger’s guidance has also helped Clark navigate what’s not happening on the set, and learn that to make his new career work, he had to be opportunistic – and ambitious. “Bobby was
“Claire was calm and walked me through the incident,” Clark continues. “We talked about the perspective of my shots. She reminded me of the time stamp on my photos. And we realized that the bogus shots were stamped ‘copyright by Patriot Pictures.’” “I knew he could prove he didn’t do this,” Folger concludes. “But the bigger lesson is that you never know what kind of situation you will have to address. This was one I had never encountered, so to see Bobby handle it so calmly and professionally was very gratifying. My confidence in him is so strong, I’ve even begun to ask him to cover for me on a job or two. However,” she adds, laughing, “I said, ultimately, I was just being selfish. Someday our roles will reverse. And when that happens, I expect him to give me a call and let me cover for him.”
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
89
FRANK MASI, SMPSP + DANNY DELGADO It started with coffee at Brother Moto, a DIY motorcycle garage in Atlanta, GA, where a friendship over bikes between award-winning Local 600 Unit Still Photographer Frank Masi (Black Adam, Red Notice, Jungle Cruise, Jumanji: The Next Level) and budding unit still photographer Danny Delgado, Jr. (Naomi, Queens, Promised Land, Stargirl) turned into a mentorship. “I knew Danny was trying to climb the unit stills ladder,” Masi recalls. “But how serious was he?” As the year progressed, their conversations became focused on the craft of photography. “In so many ways, he reminded me of myself, 30plus years ago,” Masi adds. “Nothing was going to stop him from getting into the Union and working on big shows. Unfortunately, the pandemic had just hit, and I couldn’t take Danny onto a set with me or to a gallery shoot. But we kept riding – and talking. The main thing I wanted him to learn is you have to build relationships – keep them humble and stay loyal.” Delgado says it’s the little things he’s learned from Masi that have made all the difference. “Frankie told me to never be the guy or gal photographer who comes in, shoots, and then leaves without getting to know anyone. He said: character is everything. You never know what actor, producer, or director may like your vibe and want to hire you again.” Over the years, Masi counts relationships with creatives like Jerry Bruckheimer, Bruce Willis, and M. Night Shyamalan, alongside Union publicists like Gabriela Gutentag [ICG Magazine February/ March 2020], Claire Raskind, and Ernie Malik, as keys to his longevity. “I’ve had a 20-year relationship with Bruce Willis,” Masi states. “So when I got a call to do a shoot with Bruce and wasn’t available, I called him and said: ‘I have a new guy that would do a great job!’ And Bruce trusted me. I called Danny and asked: ‘How would you like to work with Bruce Willis for a few days?’” Delgado says that when the call came from Masi about working
with the A-list star, “I jumped out of my chair,” he laughs. “I was beyond excited but, at the same time, nervous. So, I immediately asked Frankie how to handle him.” “I said to be yourself,” Masi recounts. “Start the day off by introducing yourself to the producers, the director and Bruce’s producing partner, and, of course, Bruce himself. As far as working with Bruce, I said it was best to get his coverage during the actual scenes, as Bruce is great about allowing those shots during takes. A few days into the shoot, Danny texted me a picture of him with Bruce and the producers – all with big smiles. After seeing that photo, I knew Danny was well on his way.” Recently, Masi was working on Aquaman and needed someone to fill in on Dwayne Johnson’s NBC comedy series, Young Rock. “I didn’t hesitate to call Danny,” Masi continues. “I told him that DJ understands the importance of a great still image and will do anything to ensure you get the shot. He also has no eye line. You can do jumping jacks in front of him, and he won’t notice you. But you should still ‘respect’ Dwayne’s eye line.” “That advice helped a lot,” Delgado recounts, “as I knew I could be with A-Camera and get the shots I needed without anxiety. DJ also loves to see photos on set, so anytime there was downtime, I would go over and let him take a look. Of course, it always ended with DJ fist-bumping me.” “A few hours into the shoot, I started getting texts in Hawaii from Dwayne’s camp about what a great guy Danny is,” Masi says, “and was jokingly told I need not rush back.” “Probably the best thing that Frankie did for me was helping me to walk confidently onto a set and trust my abilities to get the job done – and have fun doing it,” Delgado concludes. “He’s also shown me how important it is in this industry to always want to help someone succeed. My best advice to pass on from being with Frankie is to find a mentor who believes in you – it makes a world of difference.” Frank Masi / photo by Anne Marie Fox
90
FEB/MAR 2022
Danny Delgado / photo by Daniel McFadden, SMPSP
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
91
ch- chch-
THERE’S A SEISMIC SHIFT IN THE WORLD OF PUBLIC RELATIONS. GUILD PUBLICISTS FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE INDUSTRY BREAK IT DOWN FOR ICG READERS. BY
changes PAULINE ROGERS
David Bowie’s classic anthem, Changes, written some 50 years ago about a man who claims he can’t be altered by time yet is powerless to track how quickly the world around him is moving, might well be applied to the gravitational forces at work in the world of entertainment publicity. As Bowie sang: “Strange fascinations fascinate me…Ah, changes are taking…The pace I’m goin’ through.” Or as Richard Lippin, founder of The Lippin Group, which has created corporate campaigns for the likes of The Walt Disney Company, Lionsgate, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros., and Sony Pictures Entertainment, puts it: “Publicists today have to be much more analytical. They need to deal with so many more factors when developing a campaign or executing one. For example, what is the upside/ downside? Who are they trying to reach, and how is it best to do it?” Whether it’s differentiating one corporate client from another, putting a star in the right place at the right time and in the best light, or thinking out of the box to draw an audience to a film or television project, Lippin says public relations professionals are experiencing workflow change at a level unprecedented in his time in the industry. “With the advent of social media,” Lippin observes, “the ability to control when the announcements are made, and the messaging, are becoming exceedingly more challenging. Keeping developments confidential was, in the majority of cases, possible. Today, it is almost impossible because of the 24/7 nature of the media and the high degree of announcements being leaked by people with their own interests at heart.” Heidi Schaeffer, who has been a personal publicist for over 40 years, representing Jamie Lee Curtis, Sally Field, and Candice Bergen, says, “When
there were magazines like Life and Look that were photo-driven, photographers would sometimes spend days covering a subject. That has now been diminished to about 20 minutes. You could launch a campaign with the cover of Time or Newsweek. Magazines don’t hold that sort of weight anymore.” Another sea change publicity professionals must navigate is the time allotted to nurture relationships, which are still at the core of the publicist’s craft. “We used to take the time to get to know a journalist, have lunch together, know a little bit about their lives,” Schaeffer continues. “It made it more personal when you called.” Such a relationship was the seed for one of Schaeffer’s fondest memories. “It was when I was able to arrange something for a friend’s mother,” she recounts. “She was turning 100. She was a life-long Dodger fan. And I arranged for her to throw out the first pitch at a game. And then, my favorite columnist at the LA Times [Chris Erskine] interviewed her and did a great column. And KABC covered it. It was a day to cherish forever. Today, I’ve said things on calls – like a reference I remember making to Dorothy Parker – and then realized the group [of younger publicists] had no idea who or what I was talking about!”
The ch-ch-changes bombarding Guild publicists extend to studio and unit work as well – and not all are due to the pandemic. With the proliferation of streaming media, some are predicted, while others have come from the forced isolation of COVID. The question many unit publicists have now is: Where will the work land once the industry comes back to whatever will be the “new normal”? The consensus is that unit publicity – whether remote or on a
Heidi Falconer | portrait by Patrick Wymore
94
FEB/MAR 2022
set – has gained in value, with the craft actually expanding. “The general idea of what falls under ‘publicity’ has shifted quite a lot since I started working in film,” observes Heidi Falconer (Babylon, A Star Is Born, Birds of Prey, The Way Back, Jurassic World, Star Trek into Darkness). “For a unit publicist, this has evolved into an integrated model of publicity, marketing, creative content, promotion and licensing. While some of the more traditional approaches and strategies are still exercised, the job today is so much more multi-faceted. A lot more needs to be created, managed, and facilitated during production, with a greater demand for more creative content, materials and assets, behind-thescenes coverage, and in-world extras. Either way, everything needs to be completed without slowing down or impacting the filmmaking process, which can sometimes feel like spinning multiple plates at the same time on a high-speed train.” And there are more changes afoot, Falconer notes, regarding the announcement process. “In addition to an official start of a production release,” she adds, “is a social post where the engagement is direct, immediate, and far-reaching. Fans and movie-goers now want less marketingdriven outreach and more organic, straight-fromthe-source/insider experience. This change helps establish and control the narrative and pre-emptively minimizes the impact of leaks and unapproved images from the set.” Falconer says that with the potential for information and images to make it outside of the production bubble so easily, “it’s important for the unit publicist to understand how to create and maintain the narrative. The immediacy with which an image or a story can hit the ether can Heidi Schaeffer | portrait by Claudette Barius, SMPSP
Dick Lippin | portrait by James V. Evers PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
95
significantly impact perception before the film day is done,” she describes. “The ability to pivot quickly is more important than ever and is only intensifying. Working with filmmakers and studio collaborators to monitor and manage the chatter will continue to intensify and requires a lot of bandwidth.” Julie Kuehndorf (The Good Nurse, The Bubble, tick, tick…BOOM!, The Many Saints of Newark, The Trial of the Chicago 7) says she’s encountered many changes going from features to the streaming world, many of which only add to her already full plate. “EPK’s have always been a central part of a unit’s work,” Kuehndorf shares. “Now, I’m often filling in as the EPK producer and do the interviews myself. In addition, ad shoots, which technically don’t even fall into the category of publicity, are more and more the responsibility of the unit publicist. Rather than just a photo shoot, the ad shoot will also include a video element, as well as separate sit-down interviews for digital content.” Kuehndorf, who recently did Apple TV+’s Dickinson and Netflix’s Maniac, says that the use of unit stills has also evolved in the streaming world. “Rather than have every single photo shot by the unit photographer, approved by the talent and captioned by the publicist, selects are whittled down for approval only after filming has wrapped, and the unit publicist doesn’t caption photos anymore,” she explains. Kuehndorf says the advent of digital photography has impacted her work, whether in traditional features or streamers, because here, too, Amanda Brand | portrait by Antony Platt
Julie Kuehndorf | portrait by Barry Wetcher, SMPSP
96
FEB/MAR 2022
the personal interaction has been truncated – no FedEx delivery, no meeting with the artists. “We interact less with the talent,” she continues. “Delivering contact sheets and going over the shots helped develop a relationship that was handy when it was time for press visits or EPK interviews. Now everything is done online – and that loss of contact with talent and crew makes it a bit more of a challenge for the unit publicist.” Amanda Brand (Mission: Impossible 7, Strays, The Old Guard, Terminator: Dark Fate, Mission: Impossible – Fallout) sees the work of the unit publicist shifting as well. “BTS has become allimportant,” Brand states. “Publicists are now, more than ever, producers of creative content. The BTS vendors work closely with the unit publicist to identify and create catchy short pieces. The ability to conduct interviews is essential.” One of the elements Brand (and others) conceived to cover multiple “gets” in a short period of time was Media Day, which takes place during or immediately following principal photography. “A well-produced Media Day can allow the studio to complete the photoshoot, BTS interviews, and motion-capture, if necessary, in one or two days while the cast is available,” Brand adds. “The secret to a well-organized and productive Media Day is 90 percent in the planning and five percent in the execution.” For Netflix’s The Old Guard, Brand and Unit Still Photographer Ian Rankin liaised between his
company and the production. “Our AD’s worked in conjunction with theirs to create a junket-style schedule that would allow the talent’s time to be fully maximized with little or no downtime,” Brand recalls. “The actors had individual call sheets that were staggered, so they were all photographed by Ian in singles, doubles, and groups. Then, during the gaps in the photography, the actors completed their BTS interviews and Netflix’s motion-capture requirements. The result was many high-fives at the end of that day,” she smiles.
Have all these changes rippled over into studio publicity? You bet they have. While much of the traditional presswork is still in place, so much more has been introduced. Paramount Senior Publicist Michelle Alt (Rocketman, Sonic, Arrival, Interstellar, Playing with Fire, Book Club, Star Trek Beyond) started when print was king, and the digital space was just beginning to percolate. “Now it’s the opposite, of course,” she says. “But whatever the media, it all still starts with building relationships. And then approaching each press source with ‘What can I get added to this talk show booking? Is there a human-interest side? Can we add a skit or what extra? What can we do to make this stand out?’ It’s about knowing the shows and what they are willing to do but also knowing your cast and what they are willing to do.”
Michelle Alt | portrait by Frank Schaefer
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
97
Alt says it’s also about using creative thinking “to help amplify not just your film but also [the media entity’s] show,” she continues. “You have to take the journalist, producer, or talent booker through things. For example, I was the first to get a trailer on a talk show without paying an integration fee. We brought the talent to the show along with them shooting a separate piece to air closer to our release date, and after that, everyone was seeing how they could do a trailer launch on this show.” Like her brethren, Alt sees digital technology as the ultimate disrupter. “It’s always about what is trending, how many views something has, and what new and outsidethe-box things we can do that don’t cost money,” she describes. “It is always hard when something new comes along to get people to see your ideas and why this would be good for a campaign.” Courtney Lindsay (Crazy Rich Asians, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Top Gun: Maverick), who was formerly part of Warner Bros. feature publicity team and now a publicist with Paramount, came to the craft with the digital world fully established. Yet, she’s aware that old and new practices must be integrated for a successful campaign. “More than ever, it’s about taking risks,” Lindsay shares. “With Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, my team at Warner Bros. partnered with The Today Show and local Alabama outlets to surprise teachers at a small-town school that painted and decorated their classrooms to look like Hogwarts [using their funds and donations]. Warner Bros. created t-shirts and school supplies for the kids and flew the cast to participate in fun activities and ultimately present the school with a check to put towards buying SMART boards. It was a fun, feel-good day and brought awareness to the film and its core message – education and acceptance.” While studios are approaching this new order of publicity with greater freedom, many have found it essential to add a new arm to their PR departments devoted exclusively to the digital space. The Walt Disney Company’s Senior Publicist Marshall Weinbaum (Avengers: End Game, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Black Panther, Lincoln, Frozen), who has his foot in traditional features and recently the new streaming platform Disney+ (The Mandalorian, WandaVision, Hamilton, Loki), says
98
FEB/MAR 2022
Carly Nelson | portrait by Elisabeth Caren
Courtney Dawn Lindsay | portrait by Elisabeth Caren
that publicity circa 2022 lives and breathes on the now. “With each new campaign, you have to look at the landscape and ask yourself what works and makes an impact,” offers Weinbaum, whose current focus is mainly online. “That means constantly sifting through hundreds of websites and trying to decide which ones will make a difference in the campaign,” he continues. “Will an interview work here? Would an exclusive clip debut be more meaningful? How will the audience react to this journalist’s review? You have to be asking yourself these questions each time, so you don’t become complacent.” Weinbaum speaks for all online publicists when noting that there can be a “misconception” that digital outlets are less important to a campaign. He says it’s crucial to surf thousands of venues to gain a firm awareness of their audiences and to realize digital media has a power that has not yet been fully harnessed. When Carly Nelson (Arrival, An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power, Halloween, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Last Christmas, Ma, A Dog’s Journey, The King of Staten Island, Old, Sing 2) moved from Paramount to NBCUniversal where she is a junior publicist, spearheading their digital department, she had a similar epiphany as Weinbaum, both understanding just how fast the digital sphere continues to grow. “When I first started at Universal, TikTok was ‘Musical.ly,’ and now TikTok is one of the biggest components of our digital campaigns [heavily used on Ambulance and Bros, and planned for the Untitled Super Mario Bros Film],” Nelson reveals. But, she adds that her duties in the digital world are very much a new version of an old-school approach. “Only we pitch and coordinate interviews with the digital press like Buzzfeed, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Fandango, et cetera, and we conceptualize and execute global influencer campaigns [organic and paid],” she adds. “Depending on the title, the creative focus and dependency on influencers fluctuate. “Things that people don’t realize about being in the digital publicity space is that our campaigns revolve around what is currently relevant and trending,” Nelson continues. “It’s about what could be an important facet to a campaign in 2016 that
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
99
Marshall Weinbaum | portrait by Tobin Yelland
100
FEB/MAR 2022
could be obsolete by 2022. In digital, you can never get comfortable. It’s extremely important to know what is happening in the tech and influencer space so that you can use and execute first-of-its-kind activations on new social and AR apps, know which influencers are relevant and whom to work with – or not work with. The act of keeping up with digital news is a major component of a digital publicist’s job that many people may not even think about.” Natalie Bjelajac, Director of Film Publicity at Netflix, says that when she first started at the streaming giant, in January of 2018, “it was difficult to even get our films reviewed, as much of the press didn’t know whether to consider them real films. But in the four years since, we’ve seen a complete turnaround in perception. We’ve built robust, meaningful relationships with press globally and can secure topnotch coverage and reviews for our titles around the world.” While Bjelajac says there are many similarities to a traditional studio release campaign, “at Netflix, we often work on a more truncated runway, focusing the bulk of our activities right on top of release and post-release versus starting a roll-out three to six months out. This allows the Netflix PR team to build on partnerships with the trending digital sources on a project basis. The partnership with TikTok for the Red Carpet premiere of Red Notice is one such example, where they captured the content of talent answering questions from the TikTok community via hashtag #AskRedNotice. “We partnered with Twitter Spaces on an exclusive conversation with Jay-Z on The Harder They Fall,” Bjelajac adds. “Most recently, we partnered with Clubhouse on a first-of-its-kind watchalong event for Don’t Look Up, where listeners all pressed play on the film at the same time and watched along as director Adam McKay provided live interactive commentary for the duration of the film.” So as the old Bowie song goes, the ch-ch-changes in the world of entertainment publicity are so swift, it’s hard “to catch a glimpse” of your reflection. Now, more than ever, publicists are besieged with new press venues that seemingly pop up overnight, and campaigns that not only have to be tailored to the content – but also a particular press venue.
Of course, Guild publicists can’t keep up with all that change without some help. Even teams at the various studios, the unit, or personal publicists may often have to pivot on a dime when new information comes through. “That’s why it’s so important to be part of the Union,” the 28-year-old Nelson insists. “I have been striving to be a part of this Union for years, and I’m incredibly happy to finally be here. The Union gives us publicists a way of connecting between studios and agencies. We are all master storytellers – having the Union to be able to keep us cohesive, no matter where we work, is a big deal!” The more seasoned veteran, Alt, agrees. As a member of the Publicist Guild Committee, she finds meeting people from all crafts (and not just at committee meetings) creates the opportunity to see her work from multiple perspectives. “We can also ask questions that may not have occurred to us in isolation,” Alt notes. “We get so wrapped up in our jobs, we need to see our counterparts and ask how they did this or that, and what they are struggling with. The foundation of our strength is relationships. The Union offers us a way to get involved; it encourages us to mentor and have information sessions with other publicists, or other crafts, that all help to strengthen our future.” For Lippin, who has experienced virtually every type of publicity campaign, as well as the running battle over exactly what is a publicist’s role, “the Guild is important because it is a critical voice for a key industry sector. The degree to which the Guild helps promote the value of what public relations people do is at the core of our work,” Lippin describes. “In today’s complex world, public relations is often not given the credit it deserves for making it easier for organizations and individuals to succeed at a modest cost, in comparison with advertising and other promotional services.” The 29-year-old Lindsay, who joined the Guild two years ago, distills the conversation down to one simple truth: “In an industry where everything happens too fast, and there sometimes is the sense that you are on the ride alone, the Union feels like a big sister watching out for me,” she concludes. “It makes me want to boost those working around me and fight for a better work environment for all.”
Natalie Bjelajac | portrait by Christina Belle
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
101
PRODUCTION CREDITS COMPILED BY TERESA MUÑOZ The input of Local 600 members is of the utmost importance, and we rely on our membership as the prime (and often the only) source of information in compiling this section. In order for us to continue to provide this service, we ask that Guild members submitting information take note of the following requests: Please provide up-to-date and complete crew information (including that the deadline for the Production Credits is on the first of the preceding cover month (excluding weekends & holidays).
Submit your jobs online by visiting: www.icg600.com/MY600/Report-Your-Job Any questions regarding the Production Credits should be addressed to Teresa Muñoz at teresa@icgmagazine.com 102
FEB/MAR 2022
First Man / Photo by Daniel McFadden
Still Photographers, Publicists, Additional Units, etc.). Please note
44 BLUE PRODUCTIONS
“LA FIRE & RESCUE” SEASON 1 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID CHUNG OPERATOR: BRIAN KELLY UTILITY: MATTHEW BOREK
20TH CENTURY FOX “911” SEASON 5
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JOAQUIN SEDILLO, ASC OPERATORS: RICH STEVENS, DUANE MIELIWOCKI, SOC, DALE VANCE, JR, SOC ASSISTANTS: KENNETH LITTLE JR, CLAUDIO BANKS, ERIC GUERIN, STEPHEN FRANKLIN, MELVINA M. RAPOZO, JIHANE MRAD STEADICAM OPERATOR: DALE VANCE, JR, SOC STEADICAM ASSISTANT: MELVINA M. RAPOZO CAMERA UTILITY: PAULINA GOMEZ DIGITAL UTILITY: DUSTIN LEBOEUF
“911: LONE STAR” SEASON 3 DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ANDY STRAHORN, DAVID STOCKTON OPERATORS: BRICE REID, JACK MESSITT ASSISTANTS: JAMES RYDINGS, KAORU “Q” ISHIZUKA, CARLOS DOERR, KELSEY CASTELLITTO STEADICAM OPERATOR: JACK MESSITT DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: PJ RUSS DIGITAL UTILITY: BASSEM BALAA CAMERA UTILITY: JOE PACELLA
“ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING” SEASON 2 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: CHRISTOPHER TEAGUE OPERATORS: KYLE WULLSCHLEGER, DANIEL SHARNOFF ASSISTANTS: TIMOTHY TROTMAN, SARA BOARDMAN, CORY MAFFUCCI LOADERS: STORR TODD, DEVEREAUX ELMES STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: CRAIG BLANKENHORN
ABC SIGNATURE, LLC
“GREY’S ANATOMY” SEASON 18 DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: STEVEN FRACOL, BYRON SHAH OPERATORS: ADAM AUSTIN, STEVE ULLMAN, JEANNE TYSON ASSISTANTS: NICK MCLEAN, FORREST THURMAN, CHRIS JONES, KIRK BLOOM, LISA BONACCORSO, J.P. RODRIGUEZ STEADICAM OPERATOR: STEVE ULLMAN STEADICAM ASSISTANTS: FORREST THURMAN, LISA BONACCORSO CAMERA UTILITY: MARTE POST DIGITAL UTILITY: SPENCER ROBINS
“PROMISED LAND” SEASON 1 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ANTHONY VIETRO, OPERATORS: REID RUSSELL, JAMIE STERBA ASSISTANTS: DAVE EGERSTROM, JAMIE FELZ, ERIC GUTHRIE, KYLE SAUER STEADICAM OPERATOR: REID RUSSELL DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: KEVIN BRITTON LOADER: MAYA MORGAN DIGITAL UTILITY: ERIC MEDINA STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: PAUL SARKIS
2ND UNIT DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JAMIE STERBA
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: MICHAEL BOSMAN DIGITAL UTILITY: JONATHAN TAYLOR STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: JESSICA BROOKS
“QUEENS” SEASON 1 DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: SIDNEY SIDELL, ASC, FERNANDO REYES-ALLENDES, AMC OPERATORS: RAMON ENGLE, BODIE ORMAN ASSISTANTS: MARY STANKIEWICZ, JASON LANCOUR, VIOLET JACKSON, SHERRY DAY, RACHEL WALDON STEADICAM OPERATOR: RAMON ENGLE STEADICAM ASSISTANT: MARY STANKIEWICZ DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: QAIS KARADSHEH LOADER: PATRICK LEONARD
“REASONABLE DOUBT” SEASON 1
AMERICAN HIGH, LLC “BINGEMAS”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ANDREW HUEBSCHER OPERATORS: JOSHUA FRIZ, KEVIN GRAVES ASSISTANTS: CAMILLE FREER, JELANI WILSON, JUSTIN MARZELLA, JORGE DEL TORO DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: AARON BILLER
A VERY GOOD PRODUCTION, INC. & WAD PRODUCTIONS
“THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW” SEASON 19
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: KIRA KELLY, ASC OERATORS: ERIN G. WESLEY, ROBERT ARNOLD ASSISTANTS: JOSEPH CANON, CHRIS MARIUS JONES, LUIS SUAREZ, CHRIS CARLSON STEADICAM OPERATOR: ROBERT ARNOLD DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: MIKE PEREZ CAMERA UTILITY: GEREMIAH EDNESS LOADER: BEN BOOKER STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: RON JAFFE UNIT PHOTOGRAPHER: SER BAFFO
LIGHTING DIRECTOR: TOM BECK PED OPERATORS: DAVID WEEKS, PAUL WILEMAN, TIM O’NEILL HANDHELD OPERATOR: CHIP FRASER JIB OPERATOR: DAVID RHEA STEADICAM OPERATOR: DONOVAN GILBUENA VIDEO CONTROLLER: JAMES MORAN HEAD UTILITY: CRAIG “ZZO” MARAZZO UTILITIES: ARLO GILBUENA, WALLY LANCASTER, DIEGO AVALOS
ABC STUDIOS
BEACHWOOD SERVICES
“JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!” SEASON 19 LIGHTING DIRECTOR: CHRISTIAN HIBBARD OPERATORS: GREG GROUWINKEL, PARKER BARTLETT, GARRETT HURT, MARK GONZALES STEADICAM OPERATOR: KRIS WILSON JIB OPERATORS: MARC HUNTER, RANDY GOMEZ, JR., NICK GOMEZ CAMERA UTILITIES: CHARLES FERNANDEZ, SCOTT SPIEGEL, TRAVIS WILSON, DAVID FERNANDEZ, ADAM BARKER VIDEO CONTROLLER: GUY JONES STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: KAREN NEAL, MICHAEL DESMOND 2ND UNIT DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BERND REINBARDT, STEVE GARRETT
“STATION 19” SEASON 5 DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: DARYN OKADA, ASC, JAYSON CROTHERS OPERATORS: HARRY GARVIN, MARIANA ANTUÑANO, SOC, BRIAN GARBELLINI ASSISTANTS: TONY SCHULTZ, GEORGE MONTEJANO, III, WILLIAM MARTI, DUSTIN FRUGE, DAVID MUN, VANESSA MOOREHOUSE STEADICAM OPERATOR: HARRY GARVIN STEADICAM ASSISTANT: TONY SCHULTZ DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: ANDREW LEMON UTILITIES: GRANT JOHNSON, BELLA RODRIGUEZ SPLINTER UNIT DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BRIAN GARBELLINI
APPLE TV+
“CARPE” SEASON 1 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: STEVE GAINER OPERATORS: LAUREN GADD, RYAN CAMPBELL ASSISTANTS: KYMM SWANK, TIM UNGER, GEORGE HESSE, DAN TAYLOR
“DAYS OF OUR LIVES” SEASON 56 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: VINCE STEIB OPERATORS: MARK WARSHAW, MICHAEL J. DENTON, JOHNNY BROMBEREK, STEVE CLARK CAMERA UTILITIES: STEVE BAGDADI, GARY CYPHER VIDEO CONTROLLER: ALEXIS DELLAR HANSON
BERLANTI PRODUCTIONS
“ALL AMERICAN: HOMECOMING” SEASON 1 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: HANS CHARLES OPERATORS: GREG DIEGO WILLIAMS, TAMMY FOUTS ASSISTANTS: JON LINDSAY, ROB MONROY, ALDO PORRAS, JR., DAION CHESNEY DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: SHANNON COOK DIGITAL UTILITY: MAX PEREZ
BLUE BOX, LLC “BLUE BOX”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BRYCE FORTNER OPERATORS: MARC CARTER, RYAN WOOD ASSISTANTS: SAMAHRA LITTLE, CRAIG KEEFER, CAMERON WAKAYAMA CAREY, RODRIGO MELGAREJO STEADICAM OPERATOR: RYAN WOOD DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: JAMES PETERSMEYER LOADER: ROSE LICAVOLI STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: ERIN SIMKIN PUBLICIST: JAMES FERRERA
BRIGHTSIDE PRODUCTIONS, LLC
“HELLO TOMORROW AKA BRIGHTSIDE” SEASON 1 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JUSTIN BROWN OPERATOR: MATT FLEISCHMANN ASSISTANTS: CORY STAMBLER, EVE STRICKMAN LOADERS: RYAN BALDWIN, AUDE VALLO STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: PETER KRAMER, GIOVANNI RUFINO
FEB/MAR 2022 PRODUCTION CREDITS
103
CBS
“BULL” SEASON 6 DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JOHN ARONSON, BARNABY SHAPIRO OPERATORS: ELI ARONOFF, ROMAN LUKIW ASSISTANTS: SOREN NASH, MICHAEL LOBB, TREVOR WOLFSON, NIALANEY RODRIGUEZ LOADERS: IVANA BERNAL, JONATHAN FARMER DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: KEITH PUTNAM
“ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT” SEASON 40 LIGHTING DESIGNER: DARREN LANGER DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: KURT BRAUN OPERATORS: JAMES B. PATRICK, ALLEN VOSS, ED SARTORI, HENRY ZINMAN, BOB CAMPI, RODNEY MCMAHON, ANTHONY SALERNO JIB OPERATOR: JAIMIE CANTRELL CAMERA UTILITY: TERRY AHERN VIDEO CONTROLLERS: MIKE DOYLE, PETER STENDAL
“EVIL” SEASON 3 DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: FRED MURPHY, PETR HLINOMAZ OPERATORS: PARRIS MAYHEW, GEORGE TUR ASSISTANTS: RENE CROUT, THOMAS GRECO, ALISA COLLEY, JAY KIDD LOADERS: DANIEL SANABRIA, III, ROBERT STACHOWICZ STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: ELIZABETH FISHER
“NCIS” SEASON 19 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: WILLIAM WEBB, ASC OPERATORS: GREG COLLIER, CHAD ERICKSON ASSISTANTS: JAMES TROOST, NATE LOPEZ, YUSEF EDMONDS, ANNA FERRARIE, HELEN TADESSE, ANDREW HAN DIGITAL LOADER: MIKE GENTILE
“THE TALK” SEASON 12 LIGHTING DIRECTOR: MARISA DAVIS PED OPERATORS: ART TAYLOR, MARK GONZALES, ED STAEBLER HANDHELD OPERATORS: RON BARNES, KEVIN MICHEL, JEFF JOHNSON JIB OPERATOR: RANDY GOMEZ HEAD UTILITY: CHARLES FERNANDEZ UTILITIES: MIKE BUSHNER, DOUG BAIN, DEAN FRIZZEL, BILL GREINER, JON ZUCCARO VIDEO CONTROLLER: RICHARD STROCK STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: RON JAFFE
CHORIS BOY
“ZIWE” SEASON 2 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: CHRISTINE NG OPERATORS: NADINE MARTINEZ, JESSE SANCHEZ-STRAUSS, MICHELLE SUN ASSISTANTS: OLGA ABRAMSON, REBECCA HELLER, TRICIA MEARS, AMANDA URIBE, LOTTE SKUTCH, NATHALIE RODRIGUEZ DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: MALIKA FRANKLIN
COMMUNITY SERVICE PRODUCTIONS, INC. “THAT DAMN MICHAEL CHE” SEASON 2
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: RAMULAS BURGESS OPERATORS: DAVID TUMBLETY, OMAR GUINIER ASSISTANTS: ELIZABETH CAVANAGH, CHRIS GLEATON, WYATT MAKER, ZAKIYA LUCAS-MURRAY DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: LOIC DE LAME LOADER: DAN FOLEY
CRANETOWN MEDIA, LLC “GEORGE AND TAMMY”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: IGOR MARTINOVIC OPERATORS: JOHN LEHMAN, FRANK GODWIN ASSISTANTS: PATRICK BOROWIAK, SEAN YAPLE, ROY KNAUF, NICK COCUZZA DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: ANDY BADER LOADER: JILL AUTRY DIGITAL UTILITY: PAIGE MARSICANO STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: BROWNIE HARRIS
“THE PALE BLUE EYE” DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: MASANOBU TAKAYANAGI OPERATOR: DANA MORRIS ASSISTANTS: JAMES APTED, RICK CRUMRINE, JEREMIAH KENT, WILLIAM CRUMRINE CAMERA UTILITY: KAYLA LUKITSCH DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: DANIEL HERNANDEZ LOADER: MATT BERAN STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: SCOTT GARFIELD
ERASE, LLC
“ERASE UNA VEZ EN EL CARIBE” DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: WILFREDO BERRIOS MARTINEZ OPERATOR: EDUARDO MARIOTA ASSISTANTS: DANIEL VELEZ VARGAS, JORGE RODRIGUEZ MALDONADO
“HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL: THE MUSICAL” SEASON 3
EYE PRODUCTIONS, INC.
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: HISHAM ABED OPERATORS: JESSE EVANS, TAHLEE SCARPITTI ASSISTANTS: CHRIS WORKMAN, STEVE ROMMEVAUX, ROBERT GILPIN, KEITH BRONSDON DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: EARL FULCHER CAMERA UTILITY: EMMA MASSALONE
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: DONALD THORIN OPERATORS: JIM MCCONKEY, GEOFFREY FROST ASSISTANTS: NICHOLAS DEEG, MARTIN PETERSON, KENNETH MARTELL, JONATHAN SCHAEFER LOADER: DEVERAUX ELMES
CMS
“RAMY” SEASON 3 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: CLAUDIO RIETTI OPERATORS: JAMES GUCCIARDO, ANDREW TROST ASSISTANTS: ERIK KANDEFER, MARCOS HERRERA, MABEL SANTOS HAUGEN, GRACE HENDRICKS
104
LOADERS: BRIAN PUCCI, NAIMA NOGUERA
FEB/MAR 2022 PRODUCTION CREDITS
DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: ERIC HENSON STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: CHRIS REEL
“WALKER” SEASON 1 DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: PETER B. KOWALSKI, IAN ELLIS OPERATORS: TIM BEAVERS, PK MUNSON, ROB MCGRATH ASSISTANTS: ROBERT RENDON, KELLY BOGDAN, THEDA CUNNINGHAM, RIGNEY SACKLEY, JACK LEWANDOWSKI, LESLIE FRID STEADICAM OPERATOR: TIM BEAVERS STEADICAM ASSISTANT: ROBERT RENDON LOADER: BRENDA SZWEJBKA DIGITAL UTILITIES: EMILY BROWN, DUSTIN MILLER REMOTE HEAD TECH/OPERATOR: CHRIS SMITH STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: REBECCA BRENNEMAN
FUQUA FILMS
“THE RESIDENT” SEASON 5 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JULES LABARTHE OPERATORS: LAWRENCE KARMAN, ANDY FISHER, JESSICA HERSHATTER, JUSTIN DEGUIRE, JENNIFER RANKINE, TAYLOR CASE, CAMERON SCHWARTZ, GRACE CHAMBERS LOADER: TREY VOLPE DIGITAL UTILITY: ALEX GALVEZ STEADICAM OPERTOR: LAWRENCE KARMAN STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: GUY D’ALEMA
GIMME DAT MONEY, LLC “DESUS & MERO” SEASON 3
OPERATORS: DANIEL CARP, KATHLEEN HARRIS, MARK SPARROUGH ASSISTANT: PETER STAUBS CAMERA UTILITY: JONATHAN SCHAMANN
HORIZON SCRIPTED TELEVISION “THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT” SEASON 2
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: CORT FEY OPERATORS: DAN AYERS, NICOLE LOBELL, DAVID SAMMONS ASSISTANTS: SHANE CARLSON, CHRISTINE HODINH, STEVE PAZANTI, GAYLE HILARY, KOKO LEE, ROBIN BURSEY LOADER: DYLAN NEAL DIGITAL UTILITIES: ALEXA HEGRE, RENE RIOS TECHNOCRANE TECH: CARLOS DE VARONA REMOTE HEAD TECH/OPERATOR: JAY SHEVECK STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: JENNIFER CLASEN
“BLUE BLOODS” SEASON 12
“DYNASTY” SEASON 5 DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ROGER CHINGIRIAN, STAR BARRY OPERATORS: IAN FORSYTH, ROB ROBINSON, PETE VILLANI ASSISTANTS: COLIN DURAN, ALEXA ROMERO, TREVOR WHITE, JIMARI JONES, JOSH JONES
JAX MEDIA, LLC
“UNCOUPLED” SEASON 1 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: SEAMUS TIERNEY OPERATORS: CHARLIE BEYER, PETER KEELING ASSISTANTS: MIKE GUTHRIE, JOHNNY SOUSA, VINCENT TUTHS, EMMALINE HING DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: MICHAEL POMORSKI STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: SARAH SHATZ, BARBARA NITKE
JAY SQUARED PRODUCTIONS, LLC “MANIFEST” SEASON 4
CREW PHOTO “ZIWE” SEASON 2
FRONT ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): JESSE SANCHEZ- STRAUSS (B OP/ STEADI) AMANDA URIBE (A 2ND) MIDDLE ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): LOTTE SKUTCH (B 2ND) REBECCA HELLER (B 1ST) CHRISTINE NG (DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY) MICHELLE SUN (C OP) ADRIANA BRUNETTO LIPMAN (A 1ST)
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: SARAH CAWLEY OPERATORS: RYAN TOUSSIENG, DANIEL HERSEY ASSISTANTS: ANDREW PECK, WESLEY HODGES, HILARY BENAS, ANNE STRAUMAN-SCOTT LOADER: ANDREW BOYD
DON BURGHARDT, ROBYN BUCHANAN DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: JUSTIN STEPTOE LOADER: EMILY GOODWIN CAMERA UTILITY: JOHN GOODNER STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: SUZANNE TENNER
LIKELY STORY, INC.
MIRAMAX
OPERATOR: BLAKE JOHNSON ASSISTANTS: CHRISTOPHER WIEZOREK, ADAM DEREZENDES DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: PETER SYMONOWICZ STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: JEONG PARK
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: EIGIL BRYLD ASSISTANTS: GLENN KAPLAN, JOEL ADAM RUSSELL DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: KYO MOON STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: SEACIA PAVAO
MINIM PRODUCTIONS
“THE HOME”
“EILEEN”
“THE PATIENT” SEASON 1 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: MOIRA DEL PILAR MOREL OPERATORS: JOSHUA TURNER, COLBY OLIVER ASSISTANTS: MICHAEL ENDLER, RUDY PAHOYO,
“THE HOLDOVERS”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ANASTAS MICHOS OPERATORS: HEATHER NORTON, BEKA VENEZIA ASSISTANTS: KEITT, DJ CARROLL,
BACK ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): MELIA BESCHTA (CAMERA PA) MALIKA FRANKLIN (DIT) NADINE MARTINEZ (A OP) TRICIA MEARS (C 1ST) NATHALIE RODRIGUEZ (C 2ND) - NOT PICTURED. PHOTO BY: GREG ENDRIES
ZAKIYA LUCAS-MURRAY, CHRISTOPHER CHAVES DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: LEWIS ROTHENBERG LOADER: MADELEINE KING
NBC UNIVERSAL TELEVISION, LLC “CHICAGO MED” SEASON 7
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: FAIRES A. SEKIYA OPERATORS: JOE TOLITANO, BENJAMIN SPEK, WILLIAM NIELSEN ASSISTANTS: GEORGE OLSON, MATTHEW BROWN, MICHAEL KUBASZAK, BRIAN KILBORN, PATRICK DOOLEY, ELIJAH WILBORN LOADER: RICHARD COLMAN UTILITY: KIEN LAM
“CHICAGO PD” SEASON 10 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JAMES ZUCAL
FEB/MAR 2022 PRODUCTION CREDITS
105
CREW PHOTO “KILLING IT”
OPERATORS: VICTOR MACIAS, JAMISON ACKER, CHRIS HOOD ASSISTANTS: KYLE BELOUSEK, DON CARLSON, NICHOLAS WILSON, MARION TUCKER, CHRIS POLMANSKI, MAX MOORE STEADICAM OPERATOR: VICTOR MACIAS STEADICAM ASSISTANT: KYLE BELOUSEK LOADER: STEVEN CLAY CAMERA UTILITY: REBECCA JOHNSON DIGITAL UTILITY: CHRISTOPHER HAYDEN STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: LORI ALLEN
“FBI” SEASON 4 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BART TAU OPERATORS: AFTON GRANT, JAMES GUCCIARDO ASSISTANTS: LEE VICKERY, YURI INOUE, GEORGE LOOKSHIRE, NKEM UMENYI LOADERS: RAUL MARTINEZ, CONNOR LYNCH STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: WALLY MCGRADY,
FRONT ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): DIGITAL UTILITY JOHNATHEN HARRIS C-CAM 1ST AC BROOKE JAGNEAUX B-CAM 2ND AC HAI LE C-CAM OPERATOR PATRICK MCGINLEY DP JUDD OVERTON A-CAM OPERATOR SCOTT HOFFMAN A-CAM 1ST AC BRIAN UDOFF B-CAM OPERATOR QUENELL JONES DIT BRIAN STEGEMAN B-CAM 1ST AC SAL VEGA
MIKE PARMELEE
“FBI MOST WANTED” SEASON 3 DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: WILLIAM KLAYER, LUDOVIC LITTEE OPERATORS: CHRISTOPHER MOONE, SCOTT TINSLEY ASSISTANTS: RORY HANRAHAN, JAMES DALY, CAROLYN WILLS, DANIEL PFEIFER LOADERS: JOHN CONQUY, MATT ORO STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: MARK SCHAFER
“GIRLS5EVA” SEASON 2 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JOHN INWOOD OPERATORS: DAVID TAICHER, ROBERT PAGLIARO ASSISTANTS: DOUGLAS FOOTE, SEAN YAPLE, ROY KNAUF, PATRICK BRACEY DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: GUILLERMO TUNON LOADERS: FRANCES DE RUBERTIS, ARIEL WATSON
“LAW & ORDER” SEASON 21
106
FEB/MAR 2022 PRODUCTION CREDITS
MIDDLE ROW: A-CAM DOLLY GRIP SCOTT DELANE A-CAM 2ND AC MELANIE GATES GRIP DAVE MARKLE BACK ROW: C-CAM 2ND AC DAN LACY LOADER DANIKA ANDRADE PHOTO BY SKIP BOLAN
DIRECTOS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: CRAIG DIBONA OPERATORS: CHRIS HAYES, THOMAS WILLS ASSISTANTS: ALEX WATERSTON, IAN BRACONE, DEREK DIBONA, EMILY DUMBRILL LOADERS: REBECCA HEWITT, NAIMA NOGUERA
“LAW & ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME” SEASON 2 DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JIM DENAULT, JACK DONNELLY OPERATORS: JON BEATTIE, JOHN PIROZZI ASSISTANTS: JOHN OLIVERI, NICHOLAS HAHN, KEVIN HOWARD, DERRICK DAWKINS LOADERS: EVAN BREEN, PATRICK ARELLANO STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: MICHAEL PARMELEE, VIRGINIA SHERWOOD
“WHEEL OF FORTUNE” SEASON 37 “LAW & ORDER SVU” SEASON 23 OPERATORS: JONATHAN HERRON, JAMIE SILVERSTEIN ASSISTANTS: CHRIS DEL SORDO, MATTHEW BALZARINI, BRIAN LYNCH CAMERA UTILITY: GIANNI CARSON
“NEW AMSTERDAM” SEASON 4 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ANDREW VOEGELI OPERATORS: GARETH MANWARING, PEDRO CORCEGA ASSISTANTS: JAMES MADRID, MATTHEW MONTALTO, ROBERT WRASE, BRIAN GRANT LOADERS: THOMAS FOY, PHILIP THOMPSON STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: CHRISTOPHER SAUNDERS
“THE ENDGAME” SEASON 1 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID TUTTMAN OPERATORS: PETER RAMOS, PETER VIETRO-HANNUM ASSISTANTS: MARCOS RODRIGUEZ-QUJIANO, DAMON LEMAY, MICHAEL STAMPLER, KRISTINA LALLY DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: ANDREW NELSON LOADER: RICHARD PENA
“THIS IS US” SEASON 6
PARAMOUNT TV
“AMERICAN GIGOLO” SEASON 1 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ROBERT MCLACHLAN OPERATORS: ERIC SCHILLING, YVONNE CHU ASSISTANTS: DAVID LEB, ROB MONROY, NATHAN CRUM, EMILY LAZLO STEADICAM OPERATOR: ERIC SCHILLING STEADICAM ASSISTANT: NATHAN CRUM DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: TIM NAGASAWA LOADER: KARLA MENDOZA MOYAR
REMOTE BROADCASTING
“THE GOLDBERGS” SEASON 9 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JASON BLOUNT OPERATORS: SCOTT BROWNER, NATE HAVENS ASSISTANTS: TRACY DAVEY, GRETCHEN HATZ, GARY WEBSTER, TOMOKA IZUMI DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: KEVIN MILLS LOADER: DILSHAN HERATH
RADICAL MEDIA
“SHERMAN’S SHOWCASE” SEASON 2
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: YASU TANIDA OPERATORS: JAMES TAKATA, DANIEL COTRONEO ASSISTANTS: SEAN O’SHEA, JOE SOLARI, JEFF STEWART, TIM SHERIDAN LOADER: WADE FERRARI STEADICAM OPERATOR: JAMES TAKATA STEADICAM ASSISTANT: SEAN O’SHEA DIGITAL UTILITIES: GOBE HIRATA, ADAM GARCIA STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: RON BATZDORFF
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: GILES DUNNING OPERATORS: WAYNE GORING, JOHN VELETA, JOANNA ANSNICK ASSISTANTS: NITO SERNA, PABLO JARA, LORENZO PORRAS, PATRICK ROMERO, NOAH GLAZER DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: SCOTT BECKLEY DIGITAL UTILITY: JOEL MARTIN STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: MICHAEL MORIATIS
NETFLIX PRODUCTIONS, LLC
SHOWTIME PICTURES
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ERIC MOYNIER, NIELS ALPERT OPERATORS: RACHAEL LEVINE, ETHAN BORSUK ASSISTANTS: BLACKFORD SHELTON, III, JASON BRIGNOLA, ALFONSO DIAZ, DAVID ROSS DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: MATTHEW SELKIRK LOADER: ANDREW HWANG STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS: CLIFTON PRESCOD, DAVID HOLLOWAY
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: MAURICIO RUBINSTEIN OPERATORS: ALAN MEHLBRECH, ANNE CARSON ASSISTANTS: HAMILTON LONGYEAR, JOHN LARSON, MARC LOFORTE, RICHARD PALLERO DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: ROSS CITRIN LOADER: MICHAEL FULLER
“JIGSAW” SEASON 1
“THE ‘90S SHOW” SEASON 1 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: GARY BAUM, ASC OPERATORS: JAMIE HITCHCOCK, DAVID DECHANT, EDDIE FINE, LANCE BILLITZER ASSISTANTS: CHRIS WORKMAN, YUKA KADONO DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: DEREK LANTZ VIDEO CONTROLLER: JOHN O’BRIEN UTILITIES: DAN LORENZE, RICHIE FINE
ORANGE CONE PRODUCITONS, LLC
“LEGACIES” SEASON 4
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JOHN SMITH, ROB GIVENS OPERATORS: STEWART SMITH, HUGH BRASELTON ASSISTANTS: GERAN DANIELS, AMANDA KOPEC, JOE WAISTELL, SAGAR DESAI STEADICAM OPERATOR: STEWART SMITH DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: ANDREA ACS LOADER: JACK WACHTEL UTILITIES: JASON NORMAN, CASSIE SHORT STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: CHRIS REEL
“CITY ON A HILL” SEASON 3
“THREE WOMEN” DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ULA PONTIKOS, CATHERINE LUTES ASSISTANTS: JOHN REEVES, SARAH SCRIVENER STEADICAM OPERATOR: DEVON CATUCCI DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: DOUG HORTON LOADERS: LIAM GANNON, JASON GAINES STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: JOJO WHILDEN
SONY
“JEOPARDY!” SEASON 36 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JEFF ENGEL OPERATORS: DIANE L. FARRELL, SOC, MIKE TRIBBLE, JEFF SCHUSTER, L. DAVID IRETE JIB ARM OPERATOR: MARC HUNTER HEAD UTILITY: TINO MARQUEZ CAMERA UTILITY: RAY THOMPSON VIDEO CONTROLLER: JEFF MESSENGER VIDEO UTILITIES: MICHAEL CORWIN, JEFF KLIMUCK STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: CAROL KAELSON
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JEFF ENGEL OPERATORS: DIANE L. FARRELL, SOC, L.DAVID IRETE, RAY GONZALES, MIKE TRIBBLE HEAD UTILITY: TINO MARQUEZ CAMERA UTILITY: RAY THOMPSON VIDEO CONTROLLER: JEFF MESSENGER VIDEO UTILITIES: MICHAEL CORWIN, JEFF KLIMUCK JIB ARM OPERATOR: STEVE SIMMONS STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: CAROL KAELSON
SPECTACULAR, LLC
“A SPECTACULAR CHRISTMAS” DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: DERICK UNDERSCHULTZ OPERATORS: DOUGLAS PELLEGRINO, JOSEPH BLODGETT ASSISTANTS: WARIS SUPANPONG, BRYANT BAILEY, RANDY SCHWARTZ, ALEJANDRO LAZARE DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: VINCENT CARNEVALE STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: DAVID HOLLOWAY
STALWART PRODUCTIONS, LLC
“KEVIN CAN F**K HIMSELF” SEASON 2 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: SHANNON MADDEN OPERATORS: TODD ARMITAGE, CHRIS JONES ASSISTANTS: JAMIESON FITZPATRICK, CHRISTIAN HOLLYER, M. EGAN, RICHELLE TOPPING DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: MATTHEW DORRIS LOADER: ANNE ABBRUZZESE DIGITAL UTILITY: MCKENZIE RAYCROFT
“TALES OF THE WALKING DEAD” SEASON 1 DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ADAM SUSCHITZKY, THOMAS YATSKO OPERATORS: CHRISTIAN SATRAZEMIS, KRIS HARDY, JUAN RAMOS ASSISTANTS: JAMES SPRATTLEY, TREY TWITTY, GRIFFIN MCCANN, PRESTON PHILLIPS, PETER JOHNSTON, WIL HUGHES STEADICAM OPERATOR: CHRISTIAN SATRAZEMIS DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: JASON BAUER LOADER: JAKE WICKSTROM CAMERA UTILITY: SAMANTHA GARDELLA DIGITAL UTILITY: LEXI GUENARD TECHNOCRANE TECH: MATT BERNING REMOTE HEAD TECH/OPERATOR: BECCA ULMO STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: CURTIS BAKER
STARZ POWER PRODUCTIONS, LLC “POWER BOOK” SEASON 3
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: AARON MEDICK OPERATORS: PHILIP MARTINEZ, CHRIS SCARAFILE ASSISTANTS: MICHAEL GAROFALO, RODRIGO MILLAN GARCE, DYLAN ENDYKE, SCOTT GAROFALO DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: ROB MUIA LOADER: TREVOR BARCUS PUBLICIST: SABRINA LAUFER
TCS US PRODUCTIONS, 9, INC.
“NEW ENGLAND AKA BOSTON STRANGLER” DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BEN KUTCHINS OPERATORS: ARI ISSLER, NICK MULLER ASSISTANTS: LIAM SINNOTT, GREG WIMER,
FEB/MAR 2022 PRODUCTION CREDITS
107
MATT HEDGES, TALIA KROHMAL STEADICAM OPERATOR: NICK MULLER STEADICAM ASSISTANT: GREG WIMER DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: ILYA AKIYOSHI DIGITAL LOADER: JEFF DICKERSON LOADER: MATTIE HAMER STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: CLAIRE FOLGER PUBLICIST: WILL CASEY
TURNER CENTER NORTH, INC.
CAMERA UTILITY: MAJA FEENEY DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: ANDREW CAPINO
“OLIVE GARDEN” DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: GRAHAM ROBBINS OPERATORS: DANIEL FRITZ, JUNE ZANDONA ASSISTANTS: CHRIS DANIEL, MELANIE ADAMS, MILANA BURDETTE, PATRICK GERAGHTY, SOPHIE BRUZA DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: BEN CRUMP
“PRETTY LITTLE LIARS: ORIGINAL SIN”
“GT’S LIVING FOODS”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ANKA MALATYNSKA OPERATORS: JOHN ROMER, SCOTT KOENIGSBERG ASSISTANTS: DEAN MARTINEZ, NICALENA IOVINO, KELLON INNOCENT, MAX COLLINS DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: ANDREW PISANO LOADER: JERON BLACK STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: KAROLINA WOJTASIK
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: DANIEL BOMBELL ASSISTANTS: ETHAN MCDONALD, JASON ALEGRE STEADICAM OPERATOR: CHRIS CUNNINGHAM DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: LONNY DANLER
UNCLE GEORGE PRODUCTIONS, LLC “SERVANT” SEASON 4
DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: LOWELL MEYER, GABRIEL LOBOS OPERATORS: AARON KING, NICHOLAS HUYNH ASSISTANTS: ANTON MIASNIKOV, MIKE TOLAND, JAMES MCCANN, LEON SANGINITI, JR. LOADER: SEAN GALCZYK STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: JESSICA KOURKOUNIS
WARNER BROS
HEY WONDERFUL “BAYER”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ROB HAUER ASSISTANTS: TOM HALEY, MICHAEL CRUICKSHANK DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: MAT MEDEIROS UNDERWATER UNIT DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: DON KING ASSISTANT: WARNER WACHA
HUNGRY MAN “QUORN”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: DANIEL BOMBELL ASSISTANTS: PETER MORELLO, NATE MCGARIGAL DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: MARIUSZ CICHON
LOVESONG
“WHATSAPP” DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: DIEGO GARCIA ASSISTANTS: RUDY SALAS, DAISY SMITH LOADER: SCOTT BECKLEY
M SS NG P ECES “MCDONALD’S”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ROB WITT ASSISTANTS: NICOLAS MARTIN, ALAN CERTEZA DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: CHRIS HOSEY
PRETTYBIRD
COMMERCIALS BISCUIT
“GMC”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: OLIVER MILLAR ASSISTANTS: RILEY KEETON, LIAM MILLER DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: TAMAS HARANGI
“DELL”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: TIM HUDSON, ACS OPERATOR: BELA TRUTZ ASSISTANTS: ERIK STAPELFELDT, MICAH BISAGNI, DAISY SMITH STEADICAM OPERATOR: BELA TRUTZ DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: ERIC YU DIGITAL UTILITY: KALEB STAPELFELDT
CMS PRODUCTIONS “AFL CIO MLK SHOOT”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: KERWIN DEVONISH OPERATORS: WAYNE ARNOLD, PETER DIETRICH ASSISTANT: ANDY KUESTER
108
FEB/MAR 2022 PRODUCTION CREDITS
STRAY ANGEL
“LIQUID DEATH” DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID MORRISON ASSISTANTS: LAURA GOLDBERG, ERIC MATOS, DAISY SMITH DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: BEN LONGSWORTH
TOOL
“CREDIT ONE”
“BOB HEARTS ABISHOLA” SEASON 3 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: PATTI LEE, ASC OPERATORS: MARK DAVISON, CHRIS HINOJOSA, JON PURDY, MICHELLE CRENSHAW ASSISTANTS: JEFF JOHNSON, VITO DE PALMA, MARIANNE FRANCO, ADAN TORRES, LISA ANDERSON, ALICIA BRAUNS, LANCE MITCHELL, JORDAN HRISTOV VIDEO CONTROLLER: JOHN O’BRIEN DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: T. BRETT FEENEY STILL PHOTOGRAPHER: MICHAEL YARISH PUBLICISTS: KATHLEEN TANJI, MARC KLEIN
OPERATOR: LUCAS OWEN ASSISTANTS: KEN THOMPSON, LIZ CAVANAGH, YAYO VANG TECHNOCRANE TECH: PAUL GOROFF DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: THOMAS WONG LIBRA HEAD TECH: JOSH BLAKESLEE
RADICAL MEDIA “GEICO”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ERIC SCHMIDT OPERATOR: JOHN PINGRY ASSISTANTS: ETHAN MCDONALD, LILA BYALL, DANIEL FERRELL, ARTHUR ZAJAC, JASON ALEGRE, REGINA LOY, MATT SUMNEY DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: JOHN SPELLMAN
SPARE PARTS, INC. “END GAME LAUNCH”
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ZEUS MORAND
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: TIM HUDSON, ACS OPERATOR: CAM GLENDENNING ASSISTANTS: ERIK STAPELFELDT, MICAH BISAGNI, DAISY SMITH DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: ERIC YU
“GATORADE” DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: MAX GOLDMAN ASSISTANTS: ETHAN MCDONALD, ARTHUR ZAJAC, NOAH GLAZER, JOSHUA COTE STEADICAM OPERATOR: ANDREW FISHER DIGITAL IMAGING TECH: JESSE TYLER
Advertisers Index COMPANY
PAGE
URL
600LIVE
4&5
WWW.600LIVE.COM
AMAZON
9
WWW.AMAZONSTUIDIOGUILDS.COM
WEST COAST & CANADA
ASTERA
13
WWW.ASTEREA-LED.COM/AX9
ROMBEAU INC. Sharon Rombeau Tel: (818) 762-6020 Fax: (818) 760-0860 Email: sharonrombeau@gmail.com
CINE GEAR EXPO
27
CREAMSOURCE
23
ICG’S SHORT TAKE LIGHTBRIDGE NAB SHOW NETFLIX
6&7
37 19
TERADEK
WWW.CINEGEAREXPO.COM WWW.CREAMSOURCE.COM WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/THEICGMAG/ WWW.LIGHTBRIDGE.COM WWW.NABSHOW.COM
21
FILM.NETFLIXAWARDS.COM
PANAVISION/LIGHTIRON ROSCO
31
11 WWW.PANAVISION.COM WWW.DASH.ROSCO.COM
2&3
WARNER BROS
ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES
EAST COAST & EUROPE ALAN BRADEN INC. Alan Braden Tel: (818) 850-9398 Email: alanbradenmedia@gmail.com
TERADEK.COM/BLOG 15 , 17
WWW.WBAWARDS.COM
FEB/MAR 2022 PRODUCTION CREDITS
109
STOP MOTION
Clifton Prescod ARCHIVE 81
“Whew! I just remember taking this image towards the end of a very long and very cold day in downtown Pittsburgh, PA. This was the first day I met Dina Shihabi. I was the new guy on set as I was relieving Quantrell Colbert (Snap and Click, page 86). Our eyes eventually connected, and Dina smiled and waved as she noticed a new face on set. We then braved the cold throughout the day and into the late night. (Note operators Budd Kremp and Lisa Sene bundled up to the max.) I love this shot because we were all converging on Dina while already in a tight telephone booth. It depicts the level of focus the actors and camera department members display while bringing words on a page to life.”
110
FEB/MAR 2022
0 2/0 3 . 2 0 2 2
PUBLICITY/AWARDS SEASON
111