ICG Magazine - January 2018 - Film Festival Issue

ICG MAGAZINE

tHE FLORiDa PrOJeCT PROUD MARY / A SHORT HISTORY OF TIFF SUNDANCE 1 YEAR LATER / MUDBOUND

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© 2017 TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX FILM CORPORATION AND STORYTELLER DISTRIBUTION CO. LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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[contents]

52

THE FLORIDA PROJECT ALEXIS ZABÉ BRINGS WRITER/DIRECTOR SEAN BAKER’S POETIC VISION TO LIFE FOR THE INDIE FILM FESTIVAL HIT.

62 72

PROUD MARY

DAN LAUSTSEN, ASC, DFF, TAKES A TINY, FULLFRAME-SENSOR DSLR ROLLIN’ DOWN THE RIVER FOR SONY’S NEW ACTION FEATURE.

SCHOOL DAZE

THE ROAD FROM FILM STUDENT TO (UNION) PROFESSIONAL IS WELL TRAVELED, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN IT’S EASY.

36 A SHORT HISTORY OF...

42 SLIDING DOORS

CAN BEING A PART OF AN AWARD-WINNING FILM AT SUNDANCE REALLY CHANGE YOUR LIFE?

THE TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (TIFF) HAS BECOME THE GLOBAL PLATFORM FOR INDIE CINEMATOGRAPHY.

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JANUARY 2018

DEPARTMENTS

GEAR GUIDE / 14 REPLAY / 22 BOOK REVIEW / 28 EXPOSURE / 30 PRODUCTION CREDITS / 82 STOP MOTION / 94

Russell Carpenter, ASC

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Photo by Scott Alan Humbert

PRESIDENT’S

LETTER JANUARY 2018 • VOL. 89 NO. 01

Steven Poster, ASC National President International Cinematographers Guild IATSE Local 600

WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF In our professional lives as cinematographers, camera operators, assistants, DIT’s, still photographers and publicists, there’s nothing more satisfying than completing a successful day’s work on a project that any of you as crewmembers might experience. It’s hard work – always. But when it’s done well, and the job includes a high level of camaraderie and the feeling of accomplishment, it’s extremely gratifying.

Extrapolate that sentiment into an entire production. Sometimes on commercials it can be a few days, but on features it can be several weeks on up and literally months or years for successful television shows. The feeling of satisfaction that comes from a job well done is shared amongst the entire crew and across every department – from dozens to literally hundreds of union professionals, all pointed in the same direction and dedicated to a common goal. It’s really an amazing and fabulous endeavor if you stop to think about it.

There’s another level of satisfaction that comes into play when that same project is submitted to a film festival or similar industry gathering and potentially chosen to compete for an award. Everyone who works on a project that gets attention for its excellence gains a sense of pride that lingers long after the job has finished.

When that same project actually gets nominated for an award, no matter the size or reputation of the honoring body, the excitement grows even more. That’s when the most skilled public relations and marketing professionals in the world take over (our own Local 600 members) to help create buzz, spin, whatever you want to call it, to help ensure that project not only reaches its maximum intended audience but also those key decision makers who are voting on the award.

It can’t be stated enough that there is a tremendous amount of pride and satisfaction in just working on a project that’s been nominated (given how random and sometimes politically biased are the reasons that go into the final

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selection of award winners.) Of course, if your project does cross the line in first place, it takes things to yet another level. Anyone associated with that project can justifiably claim he or she was part of something that reached the top echelon of our industry; that also holds true for projects that don’t necessarily win awards but knock it out of the park in terms of business done – box office, ratings, etc. There have been films that I merely “helped on” – Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Blade Runner, for example – that still fill me with pride by association, decades after they wrapped. (Not incidentally, my name was put in the mix for other projects I never would have been interviewed for had I never worked on such cherished and groundbreaking works of cinema.)

I’m terrifically proud of the work we all, as union professionals, did on those movies. It’s the same kind of feeling I still get every time I walk off a set after a good day’s work – a tangible sense of professional pride, contentment, gratification and satisfaction that comes from being part of a larger, unified effort – very much like what this Union stands for.

It lasts a day and also a lifetime, and is the stuff cinematic dreams are made of.

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January 2018 vol. 89 no. 01

Publisher Teresa Muñoz Executive Editor David Geffner Art Director Wes Driver ACCOUNTING Glenn Berger Dominique Ibarra COPY EDITORS Peter Bonilla Maureen Kingsley EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Tyler Bourdeau STAFF WRITER Pauline Rogers CONTRIBUTORS Trevor Hogg Debra Kaufman Lauretta Prevost Dale Robinette Valentina Valentini

INTERNATIONAL CINEMATOGRAPHERS GUILD Local 600 IATSE NATIONAL PRESIDENT Steven Poster, ASC NATIONAL VICE-PRESIDENT Heather Norton 1ST NATIONAL VICE-PRESIDENT Paul Varrieur 2ND NATIONAL VICE-PRESIDENT John Lindley, ASC NATIONAL SECRETARY-TREASURER Eddie Avila NATIONAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY-TREASURER Douglas C. Hart NATIONAL SERGEANT-AT-ARMS Christy Fiers NATIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Rebecca Rhine

PUBLICATIONS & PUBLICITY COMMITTEE Henri Bollinger, Chair

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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) Published Monthly 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 2017, 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: $92.00 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.

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WIDE ANGLE FILM FESTIVAL ISSUE

S

weet and sour is the best way to describe the entertainment industry as 2018 dawns. Putting together ICG’S annual Film Festival issue, which overlaps with our Local 600 party at Sundance, as well as the run-up to the many Hollywood-based award shows, was definitely a sugary high. But ongoing revelations of sexual misconduct and abuse of authority that have rocked Hollywood have tarnished this coming awards season, even as the grim reports illuminate the seismic shifts looming on the horizon.

Consider that in the 88-year history of the Academy Awards, a woman has never…as in… never…been nominated in the cinematography category. Experts say it’s a numbers game – women accounted for five percent of the 250 top-grossing films released in 2014 (according to the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University) and currently make up only four percent of the venerable American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) – so they’ve had few if any seats at the Oscar table.

But sweeter days are coming, and the best place to look is at film festivals. Sundance alone has given rise to major Guild talents like Ellen Kuras, ASC; Nancy Schreiber, ASC; Maryse Alberti; Amy Vincent, ASC; Tami Reiker, ASC; Reed Morano, ASC; and most recently, Rachel Morrison, ASC, who have all killed it with work made on budgets (and under adverse shooting conditions) most Oscar-winners would snicker at.

Festivals, of course, are no magic bullet (some now mirror Hollywood in their lack of XX DP’s; see www.icgmagazine.com/web/ladies-night and ICG 2017, 30 Years of Cinematography).

But world-class platforms, like those available in Sundance and the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) have amplified the conversation; fingers crossed, this year’s list of Oscar nominees will include Morrison, and her 2017 Park City hit Mudbound, thereby cracking such an ignoble glass ceiling. In our Replay department (page 22), cinematographer Lauretta Prevost breaks down one frenzied, impossible and stunning shot from Mudbound, providing a must-read for all Academy voters!

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Last year’s Oscar darling, Moonlight, for which Guild member James Laxton received a Best Cinematography nomination, first caught fire at TIFF – in A Short History Of…(page 42), Toronto native Trevor Hogg charts four decades of cinematography at his hometown festival. This past year, TIFF screened even more likely Oscar nominees, including Ladybird (shot by Sam Levy), The Shape of Water (shot by Dan Laustsen, DFF, also featured this month for his work on Proud Mary, page 62) and Downsizing (shot

by Phedon Papamichael, ASC).

All indicators point to our cover story, The Florida Project (page 52), as being this year’s Moonlight. ICG first wrote about its indie writer/director, Sean Baker, after his street-life dramedy Tangerine (shot by Guild member Radium Cheung, HKSC, on an iPhone 5) took Sundance by storm, in 2015. With The Florida Project (centered on an impoverished family living in a seedy motel just outside Walt Disney World), Baker asked Mexico-born cinematographer Alexis Zabé to shoot in 35mm, and the result was bittersweet visual poetry. As for its festival connection, The Florida Project received glowing reviews at Cannes, where it debuted, and was on many Oscar short lists after it played Toronto. Baker’s approach to moviemaking – he keeps 20-30 percent of the schedule open for last-minute inspiration – offers a bit of sweet and sour itself.

“The Florida Project was my first union crew that was low-budget but not indie,” he explains in our Exposure conversation (page 30). “I realized it’s asking a lot for 40 [crewmembers] to change everything [in effect], working harder for the same money.” That’s why, Baker adds, having an experienced DP like Zabé around was crucial.

“Alexis was a huge help with morale building,” he says in the article. “He always used these colorful analogies [to inspire his camera department], talking about the look of the film as blueberry ice cream with a sour lemon twist!”

CONTRIBUTORS

Trevor Hogg

(A Short History Of…)

“An interesting mix of commercial and arthouse movies has screened over the years at the Toronto International Film Festival, catering to both the general public and specialty audiences. That type of diversity has allowed me the opportunity to do what I love best as a journalist, which is to dive deeply into the subject matter. Through photography and picture editing I was able to learn the difference between a good and inspired shot as well appreciate cinematography as a craft.”

Debra Kaufman

(Sun-Kissed, Exposure)

“I first visited Disneyland when I was five years old and the park was newly opened. Now, I tutor homeless children through School of Wheels, which was great preparation for enjoying Sean Baker’s festival hit, The Florida Project, set just outside Walt Disney World. I was already a big fan of Tangerine and DP Alexis Zabé’s Post Tenebras Lux, so these ICG articles were a chance to ask all those questions I ever wanted to ask about their filmmaking.”

Lauretta Prevost

David Geffner Executive Editor Twitter: @DGeffner Email: david@icgmagazine.com

(Replay)

“I appreciate Rachel Morrison, ASC, taking time while shooting the big-budget Black Panther to delve into the filmic details of the poetic Sundance hit Mudbound. One note about the production, which will some day not merit mention: the department heads were predominantly female, and [that fact] was simply treated as increasingly par for the course.”

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[replay]

STUCK IN IT

Deep in the dirt with Rachel Morrison, ASC, and the camera team from Dee Rees’s acclaimed period drama, Mudbound.

by Lauretta Prevost photo by Steve Dietl

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Lushly shot by Rachel Morrison, ASC, Mudbound is a hard yet hopeful 1940s period drama rooted in raw empathy with its diverse protagonists. The film, which has the richness and aroma of steeply brewed coffee, employs multiple narrators’ poetic reflections on their lot in life, be that the dirt that muddies one’s days or the land one owns. No easy task, the cinematography does justice to a story that manages to be both epic and intimate at the same time.

Director and co-writer Dee Rees, drawing from Hillary Jordan’s novel of the same name, parallels two mired families.

The Caucasian McAllans move to rural Mississippi, with wife Laura (Carey Mulligan) and small children captive to the dream of her husband Henry ( Jason Clarke) to become a landowner.

The Jacksons are black sharecroppers, who for generations have worked land the McAllans now own. Both families

become increasingly intertwined; when they welcome back sons from World War II, punishment for the veterans’ interracial friendship feels inevitable. As they all strive to rise above their demons and circumstances, combating dark forces at play in the rural, white supremacist community, “mud bound” becomes both a physical and mental reality. No shocker here: the movie was also hard on the crew.

“It was the most challenging shoot of my career,” 1st AC Robert Baird shares.

“A storm in Louisiana in the summertime can be more like a squall on the open ocean, rendering visibility to nearly zero.” Morrison agrees, noting that, “the elements kicked our ass on every level.

Mud, rain – the heat was unbearable.”

For many, the two thunderstorms per day, which offered some relief from the oppressive humidity, had silver linings: “We were creating something great, which kept a lot of people going,”

AmazonStudiosGuilds.com

JANUARY 2018

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[replay]

“WE HAD TO BE ON

THE CART [ATV] BECAUSE I COULDN’T WALK BACKWARDS IN THAT MUD WITHOUT FALLING OR GETTING STUCK.” CAMERA OPERATOR ROBERT STENGER

reflects Operator Robert Stenger. And with Sundance recognition and plenty of Oscar buzz, it is clear that many were deeply moved.

One particular scene became emblematic of the production challenges: Ronsel Jackson ( Jason Mitchell), newly returned from fighting in a more socially liberated Europe, rubs back up against entrenched Southern racism.

His burgeoning friendship with Henry’s brother, Jamie McAllan (Garrett Hedlund), enrages Jamie’s racist father (Rob Morgan). In the scene, Ronsel walks down a mud road at night in the rain looking for a lost letter when headlights bore threateningly down upon him – a historical cue that racial violence will quickly ensue.

While the use of handheld prior to the scene was fluid, here it becomes frenetic, to echo a building tension.

Morrison and Stenger rode on the back of an ATV through mud the consistency of soupy oatmeal, pointing cameras toward an approaching Ronsel.

“We were on the cart so we could stay subjective with Ronsel,” Morrison recalls.

“And there are only so many ways you can shoot someone running in the rain.”

“We had to be on the cart because I couldn’t walk backwards in that mud without falling or getting stuck,” Stenger

adds. “I was rain-geared up and inside the bag, bumping along, trying to hold as steady as I could.”

Morrison says the lighting contrast of a scene can often mirror the stakes, and in this example they were very high, with backlight playing as keylight from a bright moon. Gaffer Bob Bates used a Martin Quantum Wash LED atop a Condor as the primary source. The Quantum Washes are often used in theater venues, and Bates says he loves their output and versatility: remotely controllable color temperature, spot, flood, pan, and tilt. PAR cans, all wearing a blue-ish green gel effect (quarter CTB and quarter plus green) that Morrison and Bates chose after extensive testing were used to beef-up the moonlight: they wanted Mother Nature to present as “a wild force.”

As Ronsel walks, he is gently filled by a 12-foot-by-12-foot frame bouncing back two 2K blondes, situated about 30 feet away in a sugarcane field, and a grip riding in the four-wheeler with a bounce board. (Morrison shot with ALEXA MINIs in ARRIRAW.) Then two period picture cars turn into frame and bear down on Ronsel, their headlights, covered with neutral density to reach the desired output, adding more backlight.

Although the scene featured a rain machine, for much of the shoot there

framegrab courtesy of Rachel Morrison/Netflix

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AmazonStudiosGuilds.com

JANUARY 2018

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[replay]

LOCAL 600 CREW Director of Photography Rachel Morrison, ASC Camera Operator Robert Stenger

A-Camera 1st AC Robert Baird A-Camera 2nd AC Larron Rome Julian Daniel McKee B-Camera 1st AC Zac Sieffert B-Camera 2nd AC Cody Gautreau Steadicam Operator Grayson Austin, SOC DIT Nate Borck Digital Loader David Stellhorn Still Photographer Steve Dietl Unit Publicist Staci R. Collins Jackson

was natural water in the air. (The camera truck was stuck in the mud for weeks.) A variety of approaches were used to protect the gear from the elements, including spray deflectors on camera, and shower curtains cut to fit a camera and operator and lined with Velcro to keep them snug to the matte box.

Sometimes the crew took shelter from the storm while Morrison and Baird shot out the open door of a passenger van. The grip team’s contributions ranged from putting 4-by-4-foot floppies over the camera to creating new roads out of DuraDeck 4-by-8-foot sheets to move the Condor. With the perpetually soggy ground, one of the biggest challenges was simply finding where a Condor could be safely placed.

The oppressiveness of the ground comes through on camera, with the framing of shots often including large patches of wet earth, tilting up to find characters struggling to make their way to sturdier ground. To make the MINI look as filmic as possible, Morrison rated

at 1280 or 1600 ISO and added a film grain in post to achieve a granular quality.

She shot open-gate and framed for a 2.39:1 ratio. Most of the film was shot on Panavision C and D-series anamorphic lenses hailing from the 1960s and 1970s.

“We embraced the softening around the edges of the frame,” Morrison says.

“The vignette quality made the images feel like photographs.” For scenes with hard pinpoint backlighting, like Ronsel on the road, Panavision Ultra and Super Speeds (also from the 60's and 70's) were used because Morrison felt the anamorphic flares didn’t feel authentic to the period.

Mudbound is a beautiful, visceral look at intimate moments and small truths; it carries particular resonance in the wake of continued racial division in this country, and that is due in no small part to the visual intensity of each frame. Its skillful depiction of two WWII-era families feels real and deeply contemporary, suggesting this nation is not as far removed from its social ills as we would want to believe.

framegrabs courtesy of Rachel Morrison/Netflix

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“A BEAUTIFUL MOVIE.”

[book review]

LIGHTS, CAMERA, GAME OVER! HOW VIDEO GAME MOVIES GET MADE

BY PAULINE ROGERS

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JANUARY 2018

Allow me to preface this review with some background. I was a pinball addict when I was in the music business and for many years after.

When the Record Plant recording studio was in full bloom in West Hollywood, you’d find me with my music friends playing pinball in their lobby for hours at a time. It was an addiction – as was playing backgammon for hours on end, backstage, on planes – anywhere.

But when the video game world came in, I was at a loss. My mind didn’t transpose. I saw too complicated, too violent, and too foreign (and I don’t mean where they came from).

When Hollywood started to turn the games into movies, I just didn't get it; they were way off my radar.

So after reading Luke Owen’s Lights, Camera, Game Over! How Video Game Movies Get Made, I have to be honest – my confusion was validated. My writer’s instinct said video games and cinematic storytelling were like apples and oranges. And, in a way, that’s somewhat the issue Owen (deputy editor of entertainment news website Flickeringmyth. com) must address.

In the book’s introduction, Paul W.S. Anderson, who directed the 1995 game-toscreen hit Mortal Kombat, discusses the fact that as games became more sophisticated, so did the stories. With Super Mario Bros. and Double Dragon, Anderson writes, “you didn’t have to leave everything to your imagination.”

So why were both of those examples box-office duds? Anderson discounts critics, saying that he had faith in “video games and beautiful women wielding heavy ordinance,” which he later pulled off successfully writing and directing the Resident Evil franchise. Anderson is also quoted later in the book that with Mortal Kombat, "people were either going to laugh at or with the movie, and I wanted them to laugh with me."

In trying to determine the key between success and failure, Owen talks to gameto-movie-writers/directors/producers about exploring games that don’t even pretend to have stories. They say trying to be faithful to the “game” in the adaptation often won’t work.

Owen also declares that the screenwriting teams tasked with adapting material are not able to get "outside the gaming" medium. But what's the first rule of writing movies? Hook them with a good story and relatable characters.

One prime example referenced in the book is Silent Hill – a horror video game, first released in the U.S. in 1999, which uses a third-person

POV approach with real-time rendering of 3D environments and multiple endings. In the game, the player is in control. But with a movie adaptation (Silent Hill was released as a feature in 2006), it’s the filmmakers who guide the journey, and theatergoers (who are likely also gamers) are stuck passively watching, trying to understand or even thinking, “I’d do it this way.”

Owen’s book makes the case that you have to be a game lover to make a game movie. But, also, you have to love movies and understand them. The commonality, he writes, is “fans” like Joey Ansah and Christian Howard. They were excited about the famous Jean-Claude Van Damme adaptation, Street Fighter, based on the 1994 Japanese video game, but it fell short of expectations, with Howard calling it “a campy romp, like the 1960's Batman version of Street Fighter.” Owen talks about how the gamers followed the franchise while working on a Web series, and began to see other possibilities. They created a pitch for Street Fighter: Legacy, an example Owen uses of how fresh eyes might make a good game-to-movie project.

In fact, Owen explores many similar threads and includes the “finger pointing” of why a project fails and how characters don’t often translate. (For example, he says objectifying women in video games is commonplace, but less so on the big screen.) Owen also talks about potential unrealized when gamers/movie lovers who have created a possible franchise success are torpedoed by studio interference. Or of the popularity of games like Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. hurting (or helping) the chances of action director John Woo in bringing the ultrapopular female video-game hero, Samus Aran, to the screen. There are also reverse examples provided of film-to-game success stories, the most obvious being the Star Wars franchise, and how elusive the key ingredient for success really is. (Hint: great storytelling and writing?)

We could list more of the hits, the misses, and the inexplicable, but it’s overload. Be forewarned, this book is dense and complex.

But it does provide a great primer on the highs and lows of the game-to-movie concept that Hollywood has become hooked on. Owen seems to have a love/hate relationship with the genre, and that makes the read educational and interesting.

As for me: anybody got an old pinball machine I can buy? Better still, any challengers for a marathon backgammon session? My longest ever is nine hours!

Honest.

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Sean

BAKER

BY DEBRA KAUFMAN PHOTOS COURTESY OF A24

WRITER/DIRECTOR SEAN BAKER IS TURNING HEADS WITH THE FLORIDA PROJECT , A RAW AND LYRICAL LOOK AT POVERTY, SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF THREE IRREPRESSIBLE CHILDREN WHO LIVE IN A SHABBY MOTEL RIGHT NEAR WALT DISNEY WORLD. BAKER SAYS THE LITTLE RASCALS WAS ONE INSPIRATION FOR THE FLORIDA PROJECT – SHOT IN 35-MM FILM BY LOCAL 600 CINEMATOGRAPHER ALEXIS ZABÉ. THAT’S A SWITCH FROM BAKER’S LAST FILM, TANGERINE (ICG APRIL 2015), AN AUDACIOUS, OFTEN-COMIC NARRATIVE ABOUT TRANSGENDER PROSTITUTES IN HOLLYWOOD, WHICH WAS SHOT WITH AN APPLE IPHONE 5. IN BOTH FILMS, BAKER USED FIRST-TIME ACTORS AND PEOPLE SIMPLY PLAYING THEMSELVES, WITH A CAPTIVATING VERVE AND STYLE.

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ICG: Tangerine, which we covered, broke new ground by using an iPhone as the capture device. Why did you decide to shoot The Florida Project with 35-mm? Sean Baker: The medium always

has to complement the content, so for me it’s always a project-by-project basis. The iPhone was the perfect medium for Tangerine. When you’re in the middle of a project, there is always doubt and second-guessing, but then things work themselves out because you have to make the medium work for your content.

That happened with my second movie, Take Out. We had a $3,000 budget and three crew people, including the movie’s actor. We shot with a Sony PD-150, which, because of the subject matter, helped us gain entrance. It was the only way we could shoot clandestinely.

And The Florida Project demanded film?

I love film so much, and, yes, there was a need for the organic look of celluloid with this movie.

I showed Alexis Zabé’s work to June Pictures, and said this is going to look beautiful; so there wasn’t much convincing. But when I flew to New York City to pitch Willem [Dafoe], at the end when I told him we were shooting on 35mm, I could see that he expected it would be shot with an iPhone! [Laughs.]

was shot on 35-mm was a feat. I met Alexis through his sister-in-law, who is an actor in the film. We all had dinner and bonded. I checked out his music video, Pharrell’s Happy, and then suggested we shoot a Kenzo fashion film, Snowbird, together, which we shot with an iPhone. We got along so well, and I loved his chill, Zen attitude on set. I really need that working with first-time actors.

What role have film festivals played in your career? The festival circuit is very

important for me. I’m interested in world cinema and people who are interested in world cinema. All of us directors are living on our own little islands, and there’s no time to converse. Festivals give me time for oneon-one, not just with my peers but also with masters. I was in Istanbul with Starlet and got to sit down with Peter Weir over dinner.

I listened to him talk about all the fears and neuroses, which for all directors never change, even for a master like him. Festivals are also about travel and a chance to see the world.

I’m not making a lot on these movies, so that’s sort of my compensation. For Prince of Broadway, I went to Africa three times, Asia, and South America. It’s been rough on The Florida Project because there is so much domestic press. [Laughs.]

which was everything to a starving artist.

When I talk to students, my first words of advice are: “Just do it.” My second piece of advice is that if you want to make these indie films, you have to understand the festival circuit. We were premiering in Europe at these B-level film festivals, not knowing that it’s really about premiering at the festival that will get you the most exposure. There are also festivals that will get you a better sale.

We debuted The Florida Project at Cannes because I was interested in the global picture.

Without Italian neo-realism, French new wave, Korean new wave, this film wouldn’t have existed. I also got important inspiration when I spent two weeks at the New Zealand International Film Festival. I was watching these lower budget indie films at the time when I couldn’t find funding for The Florida Project, and I was inspired to make Tangerine.

So much so that I give credit at the end of that movie to everyone at the New Zealand International Film Festival.

You often wear numerous hats – director, writer, producer, cinematographer, and editor – all with some help from regular collaborators like Chris Bergoch and Shih-Ching Tsou. Is that about budget or control?

It’s about the budget. Quite honestly, I do How did you find Zabé, and why did you select him? I know the work of Mexican Can festivals make careers? Sundance not consider myself a cinematographer, and director Carlos Reygadas, and when I saw Silent Light [shot by Zabé], I was blown away.

Then when I saw Post Tenebras Lux, there’s an opening sequence with a wide-angle lens, where Alexis follows a small child on her eye level, seeing the world and following her rhythm. It was incredible, and the fact that it

certainly did a lot for Tangerine. Festivals can legitimize you; an A-list prestigious film festival can be a perfect launch. And if it’s accepted and warmly received, it’s a nice way to continue to roll out. Prince of Broadway won the Target Award at the Los Angeles Film Festival, and that was a $50,000 award,

I find it to be an incredibly stressful job. I was a DP out of necessity on Take Out and Prince of Broadway. On Starlet, [Guild] cinematographer Radium Cheung and I both shot, and as well on Tangerine, because we both had to learn the iPhone, although Radium brought his gaffer expertise to it. I’m

@@ THE THROUGH-LINES IN THE FILMMAKER’S WORK ARE A VISUAL NATURALISM AND THE USE OF FIRST-TIME ACTORS (A PHRASE HE PREFERS OVER “NONPROFESSIONALS”). BAKER’S FIRST FILM, FOUR LETTER WORDS (2000), WAS A RAW LOOK AT ATTITUDES AND LANGUAGE OF POST-ADOLESCENT MALES. THE TRIO OF FILMS THAT FOLLOWED – TAKE OUT (2004), THE PRINCE OF BROADWAY (2008), AND STARLET (2012) – SOLIDIFIED HIS DOCUMENTARY-LIKE APPROACH. IN 2012, INDIE WIRE DESCRIBED BAKER’S SECOND FILM, TAKE OUT AS “THE MOST DEVASTATING SLICE OF NEO-REALISM SINCE THE BICYCLE THIEF.” 32

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not a wonderful gaffer either. [Laughs.] With regard to writing, it’s more about control. My films take a while to write, and it’s almost a three-year process to make one of my films, so I feel that I truly have to be passionate about it, and that comes from my wanting to tell a story. Even if I do find a book I want to adapt, I’ll want to do the adaptation, because I know how I’ll be directing.

What was the transition like moving into a more traditional production model on The Florida Project? I’d worked

in TV, but I consider that to be a different beast. The Florida Project was my first union crew that was low budget but not indie. I learned many lessons about communication.

I’ve always dealt with a team of people wearing many hats, and sometimes there’s a nonverbal communication with them. I keep 20 to 30 percent of the schedule open to happy accidents and to be inspired in the moment. But that throws people off, especially with a crew of 40 people who have to suddenly scramble to change something.

It’s asking a lot of people to work harder than normal for the same money. I could tell that some people thought it was a crazy rogue mess of a film. But at least halfway through, we were all on the same page. But that was

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about me communicating more. I realized to use humor within serious subject matter I had to spend a lot more time breaking in a way that was not offensive and brought everything down. more truth to the storytelling. To show there is humor in behavior and how we cope with Did your DP help out in that respect? our lives and how our subjects cope with Oh, yes. Alexis had a lot to do with helping their lives. All three films are fun, but when morale. He spoke to the camera department, it comes to Tangerine, it’s a comedy with saying, “Do you want to flip burgers at dramatic moments, and we tried to do the McDonald’s or make a beautiful, custom, same thing with The Florida Project. carefully prepared meal? We’re dealing with Option Two, therefore you don’t know The Florida Project seems to introduce exactly what you’re going to get, but it’ll be an element of beauty and fantasy not interesting.” He always used analogies. He found in your other films. Does it talked about the look of the film as blueberry represent a shift in your aesthetic? With ice cream with a sour lemon twist!

Starlet, Radium Cheung shot on vintage LOMO lenses, and I think that is a beautiful In Take Out, Prince of Broadway and looking movie. We tried to use the Los Starlet, you seem to evolve your interest Angeles sun and make it its own character, in working with first-time actors and which I also took on to Tangerine. With The a naturalistic shooting style. How did Florida Project, it was that Floridian sun that this develop for you? Looking back, I was Alexis was so good at capturing. Yes, there is definitely exploring something that was a a move toward an eye-pleasing aesthetic, and hybrid between narrative and documentary. beautiful images. The beauty we’re going for There was a lot of candid camera using real is colors and calculated framing. Maybe it’s locations and businesses that can never be my desire to see things pleasing to the eye. shut down. Like the Chinese restaurant in But you can find beauty in everything. Take Take Out, or in Tangerine, where we used the Out is so rough around the edges, but people 24-hour donut shop with real pedestrians still see beauty. and customers, yet we’re shooting a fiction film. These projects also helped me find a way

SLiDiNg DOOrS CAN BEING A PART OF AN AWARD-WINNING FILM AT SUNDANCE REALLY CHANGE YOUR LIFE? WE ASKED A GROUP OF 2017 SUNDANCE DP'S TO SHARE THEIR INSIGHTS...ONE YEAR LATER.

It’s been said time and again by cinematographers the world over, film festivals are an odd place for the people behind the camera. Producers, attorneys, agents, directors, writers (and plenty of writer/directors), descend upon the sunkissed beaches of Cannes, the bustling streets of Toronto or the snowy hills of Park City, and deals are made, pictures are taken and hands are shaken. Cinematographers are

invited to join in the festivities, but it can be a confusing place to navigate and the benefits are not always immediate or apparent.

One year ago, dozens of Local 600 cinematographers had their films screen at Sundance, and some of them walked away with prizes, or their films won awards. We decided to catch up with a few members (and non-members based overseas) to find out what, if anything, having an award-winning

Sundance project did for their creative, professional and mental health in the year that followed.

Their first thoughts were from just attending (or not) the 2017 festival.

“Sundance is kind of a weird scene,” describes Bryce Fortner, who shot Ingrid Goes West, which won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award (Matt Spicer and David Branson Smith), and enjoyed a limited

BY VALENTINA VALENTINI

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EMMA THOMAS, p.g.a. CHRISTOPHER NOL AN, p.g.a.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY HOY TE VAN HOY TEMA, ASC, FSF, NSC

“CINEMATOGRAPHER HOYTE VAN HOYTEMA SHOT THE FILM USING 65MM AND IMAX® CAMERAS, AND WHILE THE BIG SCENES OF SPECTACLE ARE UNQUESTIONABLY SWEEPING AND IMPRESSIVE, IT’S THE SMALLER MOMENTS THAT STAYED WITH ME MORE.” –ALONSO DURALDE

“‘DUNKIRK’ IS A TOUR DE FORCE

OF CINEMATIC CRAFT AND TECHNIQUE.” –MANOHLA DARGIS

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L TO R: WRITER/DIRECTOR JUSTIN CHON, CINEMATOGRAPHER ANTE CHENG AND PRODUCER JAMES J. YI AT THE 2017 SUNDANCE PREMIERE OF GOOK / PHOTO COURTESY OF DANIEL BOCZARSKI/GETTY IMAGES

theatrical run later in the year, the biggest prize any Sundance feature can earn. “Even with a film in competition, I feel like a fish out of water and that I don’t belong there.

Still, there is an undeniable excitement in the air, and it feels like an honor to participate.”

Larkin Seiple, who was the DP on the Grand Jury Prize-winning quirky action hit I Don’t Feel At Home in this World Anymore (ICG December 2017, Replay), had attended Sundance in years past with Cop Car and Swiss Army Man and was prepared for the “cozy” arrangements, as he calls them. Last year his wife was near her due date, so he only spent three days in Park City. “I was staying in the classic overcrowded condo with a bunch of the crew from the film, and we were having a pretty great time,” Seiple recounts.

“I was only able to see the premiere, and it was impossible to see other films – as usual. I spent what little time I had left catching up with folks from other projects and meeting the occasional producer to talk about future projects.”

Joshua James Richards, the DP of God’s Own Country – which captured the World Cinema Dramatic Directing Award – concurs that the festival experience is different for cinematographers. “While you’re part of the movie,” he says, “there’s less at stake and it doesn’t benefit us in the same way it can directors or actors, et cetera. We’re not in the limelight. It’s like [Werner] Herzog said, ‘It’s the hunchbacks who make the movies.’ That’s kind of how I feel when I’m at a festival, like a hunchback!”

Ante Cheng made the move to Los Angeles from Taipei only three years ago, and Gook – which took home the Audience

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Award in the NEXT section – was his first feature. Cheng’s gratitude seems to know no bounds when it comes to director Justin Chon and producer Alex Chi for giving him the opportunity.

“Sundance was unbelievable,” says the young cinematographer with loads of commercial work under his belt. “The audience was laughing and crying along with the movie. And waking up to read critics’ praises of the cinematography [was incredible].”

For many DP’s, attending Sundance isn’t even an option because they’re – thankfully – on a job. Indeed, only two of the five interviewed for this story went to Park City last January; the rest were working. Hélène Louvart shot Beach Rats, and despite not being able to go due to shooting in Buenos Aires, was contacted by some New York directors after the film won the U.S. Directing Award (Eliza Hittman). Beach Rats contained supple, summer imagery of Brooklyn’s beach life that most likely got Louvart noticed.

“I was already involved in other projects in Europe, and it was too difficult to change the planning of those. But for the future, of course [we will connect].”

Fortner didn’t make any connections at the festival itself last year, but he did have a producer of some reputable acclaim and experience (i.e., larger budgeted movies) email him afterward to say that he was a fan of Ingrid Goes West. “He got me in front of the director for his next film,” says Fortner. “Also, when [Ingrid] was released in theaters, I did get a handful of feature scripts come in to my agent for me to read.”

Richards met his agents at Sundance

“AWARDS INCREASE AWARENESS...

BUT THEY DON'T CHANGE THE REASONS WHY I SHOOT.” BRYCE FORTNER INGRID GOES WEST

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ROGER A. DEAKINS , ASC, BSC

“AT CERTAIN POINTS, ‘BLADE RUNNER 2049’ HAS

THE LOOK AND FEEL OF A MIRACLE FABRIC NO ONE HAS YET INVENTED.” –STEPHANIE ZACHAREK / TIME

“THE PHOTOGRAPHY, BY ROGER DEAKINS, IS

RESOLUTELY GORGEOUS,

FILLED WITH STARK PERPENDICULAR LINES, GLOWING ORANGE HAZES AND YELLOW POOLS OF REFLECTED LIGHT.” –JAKE COYLE / ASSOCIATED PRESS

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ELIZA HITTMAN ACCEPTING THE U.S. DIRECTING AWARD FOR BEACH RATS (SHOT BY HELENE LOUVART) / PHOTO COURTESY OF SUNDANCE/STEPHEN SPECKMAN

in 2015 and signed with them shortly thereafter. “Of course I’ve made friends there and formed relationships with producers, and I’ve had shorts play that years later I’m still getting commercial jobs from,” he says. “I guess in some ways, Sundance has definitely helped pay off my [school] loan.”

And this is the complicated crux of winning an award at Sundance. Of course it’s a huge honor to be recognized by your peers and industry critics, but translating that honor into tangible results is tricky, especially if you’re not able to physically be there. Manuel Dacosse won the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Cinematography on Axolotl Overkill, but he has yet to see a concrete outcome from that win.

“The only thing that came with winning this prize is receiving gratitude from the filmmaking industry in Belgium and France,” Dacosse shares. “I’d won prizes [in Europe] before, but suddenly I receive this American award, and there is a lot of notoriety! With social media I was able to post on Facebook that I won this prize, but I wouldn’t say it helped me a lot; I already had a lot of work, but it’s another step that helps in notability.

For me Sundance is the Mecca of indie film.

I want to be there if I receive another prize. It was so disappointing to [not attend].”

For Cheng and his team, winning an Audience Award was “beyond our wildest dreams,” especially for a black-and-white lowbudget indie starring Asian-Americans, he emphasizes. Cheng says the award solidified

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the theatrical distribution with Samuel Goldwyn, and helped Gook open in 20 cities last August. “When people [in the industry] actually get to see the work for themselves,” he says, “it means more meetings for me with filmmakers, studios, vendors and agencies.”

If not serving as a direct career hopper, can winning at Sundance provide nourishing creative and psychological benefits? Fortner says it was “validating [to have the film he shot win]. But more than anything I was excited for the writers and director because they worked so hard to get the film right before, during and after filming. The most exciting thing was knowing that it would be getting a proper theatrical release and actually seen by people. At the end of the day, awards increase awareness of a film – which helps it to be taken a bit more seriously – but they don’t change the reasons why I shoot.”

All polled for this piece agreed winning an award boosts your ego and that may feel good for a little while. But the cinematographers in this story also noted they aren’t doing what they do to win awards, as even an honor from the most prestigious of all indie festivals, ultimately, has a slim chance of changing the trajectory of one’s career.

“It didn’t change my perspective,” adds Richards, “but I think other people’s perspectives changed. And that’s important.

You put so much of yourself into a film, and it’s always nice to have people respond to it.

In the long run though, regardless of awards, the work has to speak for itself.”

As the cinematographer of a microbudget film, Richards understands that the Sundance Directing Award did provide valuable exposure for the project, and “that can benefit all involved to some degree,” he offers. “Otherwise, what else are festivals for?” As for Cheng, the journey to that win gave him much needed validation to pursue this work for the rest of his life. “My mentors are advising me to choose the next projects carefully,” he adds. “[I’m contemplating] what story I should be a part of to tell; also, Justin and I plan on collaborating again in 2018.”

For Sieple – who is now motivated mostly not to get pigeonholed into comedy or mischief/mayhem cinema – it was pretty shocking that their film won. “It’s a fun little comedic thriller,” he says. “But, honestly, I didn’t expect it to win the whole festival.”

Sieple says the real connections that came out of Sundance were from the people he made the film with. “I wish I could say I met some directors and producers who offered me some amazing projects,” he concludes. “But maybe being in town for only three days, and spending time mostly with friends, may have put a damper on that. Ultimately winning didn’t change my perspective on how or why I pick or shoot a project.”

Cheng offers an inherently positive spin on his experience one year later: “The Sundance Audience Award opened a lot of doors,” he insists. “I have been picking the right door to go in before they all close, and trying to open the closed doors.”

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MATTHEW JENSEN’S CINEMATOGRAPHY ESTABLISHED

DIFFERENT VISUAL TONES

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F O R D I F F E R E N T S E T T I N G S A N D D I F F E R E N T A C T S I N T H E F I L M .”

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A SHORT HiSTORY OF..

NOW IN ITS 42ND YEAR, THE TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (TIFF) HAS BECOME THE GLOBAL PLATFORM FOR INDIE CINEMATOGRAPHY

As Piers Handling, who became Director and CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 1994 and will be stepping down at the end of 2018, tells it, a big part of the cinematic experience that has nourished and sustained one of the world’s most popular film festivals has been the cinematography.

Co-founded in 1976 by Bill Marshall (who passed away in January 2017 and was featured in a tribute before each 2017 entry) with Dusty

Cohl and Henk Van der Kolk, the “festival of festivals” screened a very modest 120 films from 30 countries, with roughly 35,000 attendees paying $6 for a three-pack. In that opening year, celebrities were far and few between. ( Jack Nicholson and Julie Christie cancelled at the last moment.)

Fast-forward to 2017, where attendance levels topped half a million, and 339 films from 89 countries were screened with ticket prices ranging

from $18 to $59 per film. Stars were everywhere – George Clooney, Jennifer Lawrence, Angelina Jolie, Helen Mirren, and Benedict Cumberbatch among them. “We started as a local, regional event and are now one of the key international festivals in the world that attracts all elements of the industry,” Handling describes. “With the addition of TIFF Bell Lightbox, our permanent home that runs five cinemas every day, we have become a year-round cultural film center.”

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CHUNG-HOON CHUNG “A RICH, CINEMATIC WORLD THAT SOMEHOW MANAGES TO BE

BOTH TERRIFYING AND

INVITING.”

–ERIC EISENBERG, CINEMABLEND

“A DAZZLING

ARRAY OF FUN HOUSE THRILLS CHOREOGRAPHED WITHIN LUSHLY DESIGNED SETS, BLENDING A PAINTERLY HAND WITH HAUNTING VFX TO BRING

THE FILM’S SUPERNATURAL SCARES TO LIFE.” –JEN YAMATO,

“A SKILLFUL BLEND OF NOSTALGIC

SENTIMENT AND HAIR-RAISING EFFECTS, WITH THE VISUAL PUNCH OF BIG-SCREEN DIGITAL HOCUS-POCUS.” –A. O. SCOTT,

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AS FOR ALL THAT GREAT IMAGE-MAKING THAT HAS COME THROUGH TORONTO, HANDLING RATTLES OFF FAVORITES LIKE “ANGELOPOULOS, TARR, HANEKE, HAYNES, VAN SANT, JIA ZHANGKE, TIMO SALMINEN’S WORK FOR KAURISMÄKI, AND YU LIK-WAI’S WORK FOR JIA ZHANGKE.” TIFF 2017’S ARTISTIC DIRECTOR CAMERON BAILEY POINTS TO MATTHEW LIBATIQUE, ASC’S SUPER-16-MM POV CAMERAWORK IN MOTHER!; RACHEL MORRISON, ASC’S PRECISE, MUTED PALETTE IN MUDBOUND; AND PAN LUO’S STUNNING PERIOD COLOR IN YOUTH. “I ALSO LIKED THE OSCILLATING ENERGY CHRISTINE MAIER BROUGHT TO MADEMOISELLE PARADIS, AND FLORIAN BALLHAUS’S OUTSTANDING BLACK-AND-WHITE CINEMATOGRAPHY IN THE CAPTAIN,” BAILEY ADDS. FOR THIS SPECIAL FILM-FESTIVAL ISSUE, ICG TALKED TO A GROUP OF CINEMATOGRAPHERS ABOUT PROJECTS THEY HAD SCREENED IN TORONTO DATING BACK TO ITS OPENING YEAR, AS WELL AS THOSE INVOLVED IN THIS MOST RECENT FESTIVAL. HERE’S WHAT THEY REMEMBER.

1976

HARVEST: 3000 YEARS ELLIOT DAVIS

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We shot in Ethiopia, at the end of the civil war against Emperor Haile Selassie, and were stopped by police and soldiers. [Director] Haile Gerima had a letter from the Minister of Agriculture, so we were under the radar until they figured out what we were doing. We were near Haile’s hometown of Gondar, so we were accepted once we cleared those administrative hurdles.

Some of his relatives are in the movie, and the farmer is actually his uncle. I had only shot a few student shorts, so my knowledge of filmmaking was rudimentary at best. But it was highly intuitive because architecture [Davis has a B.A. in Architecture from Virginia Tech] is a study of three-dimensional light in space, and I was sensitive to the direction of light and contrast. I also had taken some film classes at UCLA, which made me aware of what movies were considered important and good. We carried everything ourselves and were a crew of seven people. I had one Eclair 16-millimeter, which was the premier handheld camera of the day, and a single Angénieux 9.5- to 95-millimeter zoom lens. I went to a company called Colortran, which gave me six lights [1K, 650s, Fresnels], and I also had a sun gun.

1983 THE BIG CHILL

JOHN BAILEY, ASC (PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD)

We conceived the style and frame of the film during rehearsals [inside the house, in the yard and on the dock], unlike most of the films I had or have since done. We had two weeks of full rehearsal with the entire cast. I was there the whole time along with my wife Carol Littleton, who was the editor. We watched and discussed the rehearsals as they were going on. We met with [writer/director] Larry [Kasdan] and even the actors at certain breaks. The editing room was in a guesthouse on site, so we were able to see cut scenes every day. Having that unity of time and place with the crew and cast, and also for the story itself, which takes place over a weekend, gave a sense of real-time that was different from most movies. When I was setting up the shot that showed the empty field and craned down to reveal Bill Hurt as he arrives and goes into the church, I looked down and saw the ploughed furrows. I yelled down from the crane to Larry, “Is this shot going right after the shot of Kevin Costner’s scars [on his wrist]?” He said, “Yeah.” I said, “There’s a moment here.

We can dissolve from the vertical lines on his wrist with the vertical lines of the field.” That was not planned. It was a happy accident.

best cinematography

phedon papamichael, asc, gsc

written by alexander payne & jim taylor directed by alexander payne

1991 BLACK ROBE

PETER JAMES, ASC, ACS Black Robe was shot in 1:85:1. I wanted to shoot it in Panavision anamorphic but [director] Bruce Beresford thought the film would lose too much transferring to the standard TV frame. I asked the camera operator, Danny Batterham, to stretch the composition as much as possible, taking advantage of the Canadian wilderness. I used one Panaflex Gold and one ARRI 3. Panavision supplied all the camera gear. The lenses were just Panavision HiSpeed before Primos. The film stock was Kodak 250 ASA Daylight for day as it was fast and looked good in the dark forest and had a flat color response that I liked. Dollying a crane in the ancient forest where the ground is just peat moss was so difficult. We used canoes with a sheet of plywood on top as a dolly on the lake! I like shooting films set in pre-electricity time, using fire, candles, and oil lamps.

It makes lighting very interesting. The exteriors in the snow were not a case of using light but more about using black flags to take light away and shape the actors’ faces. I used El Greco as my reference to create dark portraits of the cast.

2005

THANK YOU FOR SMOKING JIM WHITAKER

Within the film, there are two very distinct parts to the story. At the center of both, there is the lobbyist Nick Naylor [Aaron Eckhart] who is defending Big Tobacco against all odds and is simultaneously trying to win the respect and love of his son. [Director] Jason [Reitman] and I divided these two worlds visually. When Naylor is in lobbyist mode we tried to be more presentational in our framing, often times very graphic, with clean singles.

When he was with his son, we rooted everything more in reality. For the presentational part of the film, we used Panavision’s cleanest anamorphics at the time, which were the Primos. For the father/son part of the story, we used Panavision’s C- and E-series anamorphic lenses.

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1992 RESERVOIR DOGS

ANDRZEJ SEKULA (INTERNATIONAL CRITICS AWARD)

I have never seen any director work so much with actors before he starts shooting as Quentin Tarantino. When we were prepping our technical stuff, Quentin spent a couple of weeks with his cast discussing nuances – story, dialogue, atmosphere and how we were going to shoot. I was like a first-time viewer at the cinema when looking through the viewfinder, so whenever the wide shot was losing its energy, that’s when I went to a close-up. I would listen to my intuition as to what position and angle I should continue to cover the scene. Figuring out which film stock to use was crucial. It was Kodak 50 ASA, which has a low sensitivity and is used for only shooting outside in the sun. But it has fine grain, so it’s equivalent to the contemporary pixel and saturation of the colors is incredible. It almost looks like Technicolor. I used mainly HMI lights and lights with no diffusion. I was able to give Quentin what he wanted, which was a sharp image in saturated color, and it looked as real as possible, almost threedimensional. I shot with a Panavision Panaflex Gold, Primo Primes lenses and in Super 35.

F O R YO U R C O N S ID E R AT I O N

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY BEN DAVIS, BSC FOXSEARCHLIGHT.COM/FYC

2017 A WORTHY COMPANION

FIRST REFORMED

We shot on the ALEXA 65 with Prime 65 lenses, mostly on the 80 millimeter and 100 millimeter. We shot the full-sensor RAW format, which is a 2:11:1 aspect ratio. I used a Black Pro-Mist at times to soften the sharp edges of the highlights. I used mostly LED panels for the interiors, with 4K ARRIMAX through the windows. On the night exteriors we used real sodium vapor lights. The camera is quite big and we wanted to shoot a lot of movement with it, often in small spaces. Using LED lighting permitted me to have my lights as thin as possible and often up in the ceiling to give maximum screen space in the locations.

The tricky part was to not make it always feel like harsh, top-lit lighting, so I used a lot of custom gripping to shape the light in specific ways and avoid hotspots, as well as fly-in bounce cards and flags.

Director Paul Schrader referenced films shot in 1.33:1 in pre-production, so we shot in that format. As a result, I went with the 4:3 ARRI ALEXA SXT (ARRI Rental was very generous and provided our whole kit), which has a designated 1.33:1 mode. I paired this with a set of ARRI Master Primes and Alura Zooms.

Paul was really inspired by Pawlikowski’s Ida and wanted to move the camera in a very limited way. As a result, I spent the majority of the film locked off and rotated between a 27 millimeter, 32 millimeter, and 40 millimeter. I wanted a lens that provided a beautiful quality at a deep stop, and I really love how the Master Primes hold different planes of focus within the image.

The biggest challenge we faced was how to shoot a film in which we barely moved the camera. It required a lot of very specific blocking and restrictions for the actors and crew.

OH, LUCY!

THE SHAPE OF WATER

The director, Atsuko Hirayanagi, and I were inspired by the work of Michael Haneke on The Piano Teacher.

Also, the movies Red Road and All About My Mother and Almodóvar’s work inspired us. Atsuko wanted a simpler approach to the visual storytelling, with limited amount of coverage and often one or two takes. The biggest challenge was the language barrier.

In Japan most of the crew didn’t speak English, and operating on scenes with Japanese dialogue sometimes made the cues a little trickier. The set etiquette is a little different from the U.S., but it was also a lot of fun. We all worked very hard. The opening scene of the movie, where Sestsuko witnesses a suicide in the subway platform, was very moving and intense when we shot it. We used the ARRI AMIRA with Cooke s4, 3.2k, SkyPanels, M18, and M9.

The way Guillermo del Toro shoots, he is never making a master. We’re shooting shot by shot and very much chronologically. You need to be on your toes because you have to go back to the same lighting setup three or four hours later. It’s difficult for the cinematographer but is so great for the performances. Guillermo and I wanted to do it as a classical single-light-source movie.

It was important that the girls (like Sally Hawkins) look beautiful and the guys powerful, even with the shadows we wanted on faces. Guillermo doesn’t like handheld, and I’m not a fan either. Everything is shot on Steadicam or on a crane. Ninety-five percent of the movie was shot with one ALEXA XT camera with Master Primes. All of the lights were mainly LEDs controlled by a dimmer board, except for the big light where we used 18Ks and 24Ks for sunshine.

SARA MISHARA

PAULA HUIDOBRO

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ALEXANDER DYNAN

DAN LAUSTSEN, ASC, DFF

“A ROUSING, MONUMENTAL CINEMATIC ACHIEVEMENT! ONE OF THE YEAR’S VERY BEST MOVIES!” SCOTT MANTZ • ACCESS HOLLYWOOD

“CINEMATOGRAPHER BRUNO DELBONNEL KEEPS HIS CAMERA IN A CONSTANT WHIRL, MARCHING IN TIME TO A THRILLING SCORE

BY DARIO MARIANELLI.” PETER TRAVERS • ROLLING STONE

FOR

YOUR

C O N S I D E R AT I O N

IN

ALL

C AT E G O R I E S

INCLUDING

BEST PICTURE Tim Bevan Eric Fellner Lisa Bruce Anthony McCarten Douglas Urbanski BEST DIRECTOR Joe Wright BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Bruno Delbonnel AFC ASC F O R M O R E O N T H I S F I L M , GO TO WWW.F OCUSF E AT URE SG UIL D S2 0 1 7 . COM

© 2017 FOCUS FEATURES LLC.

2017 DOWNSIZING

SWEET COUNTRY

The biggest challenge was dealing with the scale of the light sources, so VFX Supervisor Jamie Price could compose accurately. If you photograph at fivefeet distance and light a tabletop with a cracker box on it, with a 4-by-4-inch bounce, when you shoot the “little guy” who ends up sitting on the cracker box on a huge stage at a distance of 50 feet, you also have to use a bounce source that’s of the appropriate scale, like 40 by 40 feet, in order to match the light wrap, contrast, softness and shadow fall-off from your tabletop. This made for some unique rigs on very large stages, when our small characters were on the move. The lensing also presented a theoretical challenge when big and small interact in the same frame; that’s when we used “big camera” theory and the appropriate depth of field for small folks. But when in the downsized world, we used “small,” not “macro” cameras.

It’s all about creativity and using the camera to create an extra dialogue for the character and an extra bit of storytelling. I always start with the dream shot that I want and only do the wide shot and two close-ups in case it doesn’t work. I wanted the landscape to be a character, so we shot the film on the latest model of the ALEXA XT. We used vintage Panavision anamorphics from the 1970s, and we got Panavision to pull out all of the ultraviolet filters on the sensors from Blackmagic cameras and paired those with the anamorphics to shoot the whole film UV at the same time. Then we used that as a tracking map. We created a program so that they could be realigned and matched with the anamorphics. The reason I did this is I wanted to create different grain structures in the film: zero grain on humans, a hard gain on the rock system, the air had a different grain, and on top of that we had the “ether,” which was a subtle heatwave.

LADY BIRD

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI

[Director] Greta Gerwig wanted Lady Bird to look “like a memory.” I took some reference images that we liked, and made color copies of them in our office. The colors were rich, with a distressed quality that spoke to us. In the end, we shot an 18 percent gray card with a Panavised ALEXA MINI, and under-exposed it three stops. [Colorist] Alex Bickel brightened the image, which revealed the Alexa’s native grain full force. We created a layer from this, and wove it into the overall image. It was important that the ALEXA grain not sit on top of the image, lest it become distracting. We built this into our show LUT, along with a slight blurring of the image that further distressed the overall aesthetic and brought us closer to our photo facsimile goal. We re-examined the grain and blurring when we did the final grade, fine-tuning it across the entire film.

We shot with the ALEXA XT from Panavision with E and C series anamorphics, and for me, shooting on the digital format is about breaking down the image in some way. The anamorphic lenses are good for that as they have imperfections and personality. It was a location picture that featured a lot of natural night. I used LEDs and 4 by 4 Cine panels to create moonlight where I could.

[Director] Martin McDonagh wanted the film to be all about performance and character, so I was keen that the cinematography didn’t get in the way. Everything had to fit in geographically. The police station had to be opposite the press office. The house that Mildred Hayes [Frances McDormand] lived in had to overlook the town, with a nearby stable you could see. Martin scouted for close to a year and found Sylva, North Carolina. In a way, the town dictated the look.

WARWICK THORNTON (PLATFORM PRIZE)

PHOTO BY MERRICK MORTON, SMPSP

PHEDON PAPAMICHAEL, ASC, GSC

SAM LEVY

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BEN DAVIS, BSC (PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD)

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ALEXIS ZABÉ BRINGS WRITER/DIRECTOR SEAN BAKER’S POETIC VISION TO LIFE FOR THE FILM FESTIVAL HIT THE FLORIDA PROJECT.

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BY DEBRA KAUFMAN

PHOTOS/FRAMEGRABS COURTESY OF A24

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SEARCHING FOR THE IDEAL PLACE TO SHOOT THE FLORIDA PROJECT, DIRECTOR SEAN BAKER (TANGERINE, STARLET) FOUND THE APTLY NAMED MAGIC CASTLE, A GARISH, SEEDY, THREE-STORY MOTEL THAT WOULD BE THE MAIN VENUE FOR HIS DEVASTATING EXAMINATION OF POVERTY ON THE EDGES OF WALT DISNEY WORLD. WHEN CINEMATOGRAPHER ALEXIS ZABÉ ( SILENT LIGHT , POST TENEBRAS LUX ) CAME ON BOARD, HE IMMEDIATELY UNDERSTOOD WHY BAKER FELT COMMITTED TO THE LOCATION. “THERE WERE PROBLEMS, INCLUDING AN ACTIVE HELIPAD RIGHT NEXT TO THE MOTEL,” ZABÉ SAYS. “BUT WE DIDN’T HAVE A CHOICE. ANY OTHER PLACE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN RIGHT. ALL THE DISNEY STORIES ARE ABOUT PRINCESSES IN A CASTLE, AND WE WERE TRYING TO DO A FILM ABOUT PRINCESSES BUT WITH A DIFFERENT OPTIC.”

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After testing out lenses, the DP chose THAT MEANT EMBRACING THE LOCATION Squad’s Clarence Williams III, and cult the Panavision E-Series anamorphics and AND MAKING THE HELIPAD A PART OF THE actor Mary Woronov.

One thing they agreed on was that The used “one little quirky lens,” a 55-millimeter MOVIE. In fact, Zabé says the helicopters helped with the drama. “It’s like the score of the film,” he adds. “It accentuates like an orchestral beat. It was impossible, but we made it work.”

Making the impossible work is part of Baker’s aesthetic of focusing on marginalized people and working with inexperienced actors, and Zabé took to it easily in their first feature collaboration.

The two had earlier tested their relationship by shooting a short film, Snowbird, on iPhones, featuring Kenzo fashions and starring Abbey Lee, the original Mod

Florida Project should be shot with 35-mm film. Baker reports that in the years it took him to bring the project to production, he always imagined it would have the organic look of celluloid. For Zabé, shooting film – and anamorphic – was also a clear choice from the beginning. He chose the Panavision X12 at Panavision Hollywood.

“Rick DeLisle has been my sidekick on 99 percent of the jobs I’ve done in this country,” says the Mexico-born Zabé, who adds that the company also has “the best choice of anamorphic lenses.”

close-focus anamorphic that allowed him to get some of the shots not achievable with other lenses. “We were able to go from a wide shot to very close-up without diopters or cutting and reframing,” Zabé explains.

Stock of choice was Kodak Vision3 50D 5203 and 250D 5207 for day exteriors, 250D for day interiors, and 500T 5219 for night exteriors, with an anamorphic 2.39:1 aspect ratio.

The genesis for The Florida Project came via the film’s co-writer/producer and frequent Baker collaborator Chris Bergoch.

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“POVERTY IS THE CONTEXT, BUT THE PLAYFULNESS OF CHILDREN IS NORMAL. THEY HAVE NO FEELING THAT THIS ISN’T THE BEST IT CAN BE, NO REFERENCES TO OTHER REALITIES, AND THAT’S BEAUTIFUL.” ALEXIS ZABÉ His mother had moved to Orlando and was shocked by the run-down motels, and the impoverished people living in them, just outside the gates of Walt Disney World. She sent him letters and articles about it, and soon Baker – who is famously attracted to films about people on the edges of society – and Bergoch began conceptualizing the drama inherent in dire poverty on the outskirts of iconic fantasy. Baker also was inspired by the classic 1930s series The Little Rascals, which he wanted to emulate, to some degree, with his three child protagonists, Brooklynn Prince (Moonee), Valeria Cotto ( Jancey) and Christopher Rivera (Scooty).

Both Baker and Zabé wanted the Magic Castle and its inhabitants to be seen through the eyes of the children. “To look at the world with the fresh eyes and naiveté of children is a challenge,” offers Zabé, whose American grandmother had introduced him to The Little Rascals when he was a child. “It felt like the movie had to be an enhanced but also a subjective reality – through the eyes of children who see the beauty in everything.” The Little Rascals was also set against the backdrop of the Great Depression. “We’re living in a posteconomic-crisis world where things are hard for a lot of people,” Zabé continues. “Poverty is the context, but the playfulness of children is normal. They have no feeling that this isn’t the best it can be, no references to other realities, and that’s beautiful.”

Even though he has shot several movies with children, Zabé says he’s no kid whisperer.

“My approach is to just treat them as people.

But with a little more care. I always like to shoot at the level of the solar plexus. It’s the most neutral angle, not looking up or down. [ Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro] Ozu always shot like that.”

THE 35-DAY SCHEDULE MEANT THE PRODUCTION HAD TO MOVE FAST. “With

children and the 35-mm, you need marks,” says Zabé. “We’d measure it with a light meter, tape it, but there was always an element of

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uncertainty.” He credits 1st AC Bas Tiele for his expert focus pulling.

“One time the girls were 12 to 14 feet up a tree,” Zabe recounts. “I had the camera on scaffolding to be at their height and Bas was pulling focus from below. He never cringed from the challenge. Some of it was slightly out of focus, but because of the dreaminess of the sequence, Sean and I loved it.” (Dailies were at Crawford Media Services in Atlanta, the closest film lab.)

Tiele recalls the difficultly of the scene, with the camera in the trees and him on the ground.

“I couldn’t really use any of the tools I normally use to pull focus. We were on a 55-mm prime lens, and it was the only scene where I had to judge the focus on the monitor. That’s not recommended when shooting film, but it’s what we had to do in this sequence.”

Because of the speed of shooting, Zabé also decided on a small lighting kit. “The rule was no generator,” he states. “We only had a few lights we could plug into the wall – 1800 watts was as high as we had, but we only used it when strictly necessary. Honestly, we didn’t have the time.”

Zabé says that part of the film’s magic was for the audience to not be certain what was real.

“Lighting can over-stylize a movie,” he adds. “I also like to work with available light, because it makes the process more liberating. If you have trucks, you have to move the whole circus, so the flexibility in using few lights or none at all is amazing.”

That aesthetic proved to be challenging when it came time to shoot night exteriors of the Magic Castle, which after dark turned into something more akin to Dracula’s castle – dramatic, seedy and sordid. There wasn’t enough light, and it would have been a huge endeavor to relight the hotel. So, instead, Zabé picked up an ARRI ALEXA Mini. “We did an interesting process in post,” he continues. “We printed the ALEXA footage to 35-mm negative and rescanned it to digital, to get this footage and the film footage in the same universe.”

Much of the action was shot in the cramped hotel room where Halley (Bria Vinaite) lives

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“ I HAD TO JUST GO WITH THE FLOW AND TRUST MY ABILITIES TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FOUR FEET AND FOUR FEET, THREE INCHES!” 1ST AC BAS TIELE

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with her daughter Moonee. “With a Panavision camera, 1,000-foot mag and a first AC who’s pulling focus, there isn’t a lot of room for lights,” Zabé describes. The problem was solved by using Schnick Schnack System LED demo lights, which were small enough to mount around the room’s television. “I tried other ways to do it, but I would have to shoot around the lights, and that wasn’t acceptable,” the DP says. “I designed a color sequence for the lights, and it allowed us to paint the room with color.”

BAKER’S PREFERRED SHOOTING METHODOLOGY TO IS TO KEEP 20 TO 30 PERCENT of the time

unscheduled, meaning open to inspiration. One of Zabé’s favorite examples is a scene during which birds would walk into the hotel lobby to be fed by the receptionist.

“The birds had no set time to come or go,” he recounts. “We’d be upstairs and see them. But at some point, we were 40 feet away, about to set up another scene. It was so easy to put on the Steadicam and move over to reception and shoot it. There has to be a synchronicity of events.”

The most challenging scene in the movie was when Halley and Bobby (Willem Dafoe), the motel’s manager, are on the building’s third floor, having an argument, and then go down the spiral stairs and end up in the motel office. The shot was done as a “oner,” and Zabé says they had to get the timing right, and the whole crew, including Steadicam operator Mike McGowan, SOC, “had to move as a group down the stairs without being seen. I had to choreograph where everyone steps and hides.”

McGowan says the 35-mm rig with anamorphic lenses weighed about 60 pounds and the Steadicam’s post hung at his knees. In the oner, McGowan had to walk backwards at a fairly brisk pace, leading the procession of seven crewmembers. “It was actually four half-flights of stairs with landings, which made for lots of turning as we moved down the stairs,” he recounts. “The whole process was physically tricky.”

Tiele says he was basically pulling focus blind.

“I couldn’t directly see the actors, or the distance as it was changing between the actors and the camera.

I had a little monitor mounted on my Preston focus unit, but it wasn’t sharp enough to project focus. I could rely on the Cine Tape, but that can give false readings. So I tried to be off to the side to physically peek at [at the action]. Then I had to just go with the flow and trust my abilities to know the difference between four feet and four feet, three inches!”

“It was one of those scenes where the actors needed some warming up,” Zabé continues. “Usually

the second or third shot is the best, but this time it was the eighth. It was such a long take that it was like a puzzle. The actors motivated the camera, so sometimes I needed them to stop for a moment so everyone could join the group and walk down to the next landing together.”

Zabé points to another scene when Halley takes Moonee back to the burning condos. “We’re getting people from around, like the firemen to join the shot,” he says. “It’s a great performance by Bria and Brooklynn. She takes a cell phone shot of Moonee standing there, with the burning house behind her, super awkward. It synthesizes the whole movie.”

Much of The Florida Project is handheld, although occasionally they’d lock the camera off and let the action happen within the frame. “There was no dogmatic rule,” says Zabé, who points to the most notable locked-off shot – and the last such shot in the movie – being still on the faces of Moonee and Halley as they eat at the hotel’s buffet. “That had to do with the emotionality of the scene,” he says. “But throughout the movie it was an intuitive approach.

Some scenes were very clear how we’d shoot, and sometimes we would switch it around. It had more to do with time than about coverage.”

ANOTHER NOTABLE HANDHELD SCENE IS WHEN HALLEY AND MOONEE are running in the rain. Zabé

recalls that “I was just close by, running with them. If I had wanted to do a lock-off, I’d have to go wide, and it didn’t feel right for that scene.” Although Baker and Zabé were both inspired by Dogme 95, Zabé notes his limit. “I think rules should be flexible – and when you break them, it shows off the rule.”

While at the beginning of shooting Baker felt the crew thought the production was a “crazy rogue mess,” Zabé says he never felt that way. “I totally understand Sean’s way of working, and it was very refreshing,” he says. “Any time he’d come up to me with something he thought was a curveball, it made so much more sense that I’d get enthusiastic.” The DP says part of his job was to convince the crew – which included 2nd AC Carlos Sosa, additional Steadicam operators Osvaldo Silvera, SOC; Henry Gelhart and Anthony Ioannou; Key Grip Pat Meng; Gaffer David Cook; and Loader Keith Bronson – to join in with his enthusiasm.

“It’s a collaborative effort so I try to get my crew behind me,” Zabé shares. “Communication, kindness and respect go a long way in getting people to have your back on your ideas. They were game and they finished the movie, always with a good spirit.”

The movie evolved throughout the production

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“ COMMUNICATION, KINDNESS AND RESPECT GO A LONG WAY IN GETTING PEOPLE TO HAVE YOUR BACK ON YOUR IDEAS.” ALEXIS ZABÉ

and nowhere is that more evident than in the last scene. The original idea was to have the children sitting in a Disney World ride. “But they are so small, they’d be swallowed up,” Zabé laughs. So Baker changed the idea to the gut-wrenching last sequence, in Disney World, with an iPhone 6s with Filmic Pro software and the Moondog Labs anamorphic adapter. (Baker’s last feature, Tangerine, was shot entirely on iPhones by Guild DP Radium Cheung – see ICG, April 2015.)

Technicolor PostWorks New York DI artist Sam Daley graded the film.

Zabé says the festival circuit has helped build a slow buzz for the small indie feature. At its debut in Cannes, after it received glowing reviews, he recalls, the lines to see the movie grew. After it played in the Toronto Film Festival, rapper/actor Drake praised the movie, giving it a huge buzz among his fans and the pop zeitgeist, so that by the time it reached the New York Film Festival, it was already touted as a movie to watch. Many critics are already calling the film as this year’s indie Oscar sleeper, à la Moonlight.

“Film is still a robust medium,” concludes Zabé, who reports that The Florida Project was one of 16 movies shot in celluloid that debuted at Cannes. “I think it’s reincarnated and here to stay! As filmmakers, we realize it’s an arrow we just want to keep in our quiver. Keeping it alive is really important.”

LOCAL 600 CREW Director of Photography Alexis Zabé Steadicam Mike McGowan, Osvaldo Silvera A-Camera 1st AC Bas Tiele A-Camera 2nd AC Carla Sosa Film Loader Keith Bronsdon

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KEEP On BURNiN' DAN LAUSTSEN, ASC, DFF, TAKES A TINY, FULL-FRAME-SENSOR DSLR ROLLIN’ DOWN THE RIVER FOR SONY’S NEW ACTION FEATURE, PROUD MARY.

BY PAULINE ROGERS

PHOTOS DANA STARBARD

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EVERYONE REMEMBERS IKE AND TINA TURNER’S 1970 COVER OF THE JOHN FOGERTY/CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL SONG PROUD MARY. IT STARTS OFF SULTRY – AND RAMPS UP TO – FRENETIC. FOGERTY ORIGINALLY ENVISIONED IT AS THE STORY OF A BLACK WOMAN WORKING AS A MAID, HER PRIDE INTACT AT ALL COSTS. AND THAT’S JUST WHAT DIRECTOR BABAK NAJAFI AND DANISH CINEMATOGRAPHER DAN LAUSTSEN, ASC, DFF, WANTED WHEN TARAJI P. HENSON AND GLENN S. GAINOR (HEAD OF PHYSICAL PRODUCTION FOR SONY PICTURES/SCREEN GEMS) BROUGHT THEIR STORY OF AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN HIT WOMAN TO THE BIG SCREEN. HOWEVER, WHEN MARY (PLAYED BY HENSON) ACCIDENTALLY KILLS A MOTHER, LEAVING A YOUNG KID LONELY AND CONFUSED, SHE BEGINS TO REEVALUATE. CAN SHE TAKE THE YOUNG BOY UNDER HER WING AND WALK AWAY FROM EVERYTHING SHE KNOWS? 64

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LAUSTSEN DESCRIBES NAJAFI’S VISION AS A KIND OF FEMALE VERSION OF JOHN WICK, but bringing that to the screen took an

interesting turn. Gainor was interested in Proud Mary’s being a vehicle to show that the Sony a7S II (a DSLR stills camera) could create cinema on a budget.

“We’d already used them as main cameras on a previous Screen Gems production,” notes A-camera 1st AC Daniel Mason. “On Cadaver, we used the Hawk 65 lenses. For Mary, we used the cameras primarily in a full-studio build with Panavision Primo 70 lenses. The ability to strip them down and take advantage of the small camera body size allowed us to do things like fly the a7S II, with a wide-angle Primo 70 lens, on a MōVi, something that would have been much more difficult with a larger, heavier camera.”

“Dan Mason was very quick to appreciate the agility of the a7S II,” adds Gainor. “It’s important today to tell good stories with great technology backing you up. We need more and more choices about how we make our films. The large-scale sensor, the ability to use it in studio mode as well in more independent levels (like trains and streets, and not intimidate people with it) allows for shots that we may not be able to get in other situations.”

But using a “pro-sumer” mirrorless DSLR as a professional motion-picture camera is not without its challenges. The camera records 8-bit 4:2:0 internally, so it was necessary to use an external recorder to get the most out of the sensor. The decision was to use Convergent Design Odyssey 7Qs as the primary negative, while also recording internally to an SD card in the camera.

“This provided a backup should the Odyssey fail as well as optimizing the performance of the chip,” Mason explains. “The a7S II also has noticeable rolling shutter during fast movements, particularly pans and handheld, so we primarily used it more for dialogue and controlled dramatic shots, and then carried two F55 bodies for some of the faster-paced action sequences and Steadicam work.”

Mason and DIT Nicholas Pasquariello had to pay close attention to color and gamma settings in order to best match the systems. “We also had to be mindful of the unusual crop factor of the lenses on the a7S II and create custom frame lines so assistants and operators always knew what they were getting,” Mason adds.

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“Rob Bessette, who was our dailies colorist at Finish Post in Boston, also worked closely with us to make sure that the image we saw on set was as accurate and consistent as possible between the different camera and lens sets.”

Using ACES was, as Pasquariello says, “a nice added layer of confidence when working this way so that everyone on set, in dailies, and in post are all seeing the same image, which is great when we’re talking about using a lowerbit-depth camera like the a7S II.” Choosing the right lenses for the a7S II was also a challenge. “We were recording 4K on a full-frame sensor,” Mason continues. “This meant that Super 35 lenses wouldn’t have a large enough image circle to cover the chip, so we needed to look at larger format glass.” The ultimate choice was Panavision Primo 70s, which Laustsen liked for their sharpness, clarity and contrast. Designed for cameras like the Millennium DXL and ALEXA 65, the Primo 70s more than adequately covered the a7S II frame. Panavision provided modified Tilta cages and custom XPV- to E-mount lens adapters around which the build was created.

“We had a pretty constant stream of people coming over and gawking at our camera build when we were prepping down at Panavision,” Pasquariello describes. “Once you add on batteries, wireless video transmitter, focus monitor/recorder, and matte box, the build is still smaller and lighter than an ALEXA, but far larger than just an a7S II. So you end up with this primarily stills camera hidden inside all this other stuff that we rely on.”

SONY REPORTED THAT THE CAMERA LOOKS BEST WHEN OVER-EXPOSED BY TWO STOPS, and then brought down later in post.

Pasquariello says they sent tests back and forth with the dailies house in order to create a LUT that approximates a two-stop reduction. “We used this LUT – applied at my cart – to view the a7s II image on set,” the DIT recalls. “Even with the need to overexpose two stops, the camera excels in low-light situations and holds detail with little noise.

Of course, it is a lower-bit depth sensor than an ALEXA or an F55,” he continues, “so we had to make sure our exposure was correct and consistent across a scene, as trying to fix it in post would be more difficult than on other cinema cameras.”

“WE HAD A PRETTY CONSTANT STREAM OF PEOPLE COMING OVER AND GAWKING AT OUR CAMERA BUILD WHEN WE WERE PREPPING DOWN AT PANAVISION.” DIT NICHOLAS PASQUARIELLO

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“ THE ENGINEERS WERE DESIGNING THE A9 WHILE WE WERE FILMING AND WERE USING WHAT THEY LEARNED FROM US ON SET TO PERFECT IT.” A-CAMERA OPERATOR SCOTT LEBEDA

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Laustsen says the workflow “enabled us to get a clear, sharp image with deep inky blacks, which was important to the look of the film.

I like clean, richly detailed shots, so flares and other distortions to the image were avoided, unless necessary to the story.”

Mason notes that, initially, the Primo 70s on the a7S II flared too easily, but working with Dan Sasaki at Panavision he was able to modify the lens adapters and greatly reduce the sensitivity to flares.

“The larger format glass on the full-frame sensor meant that both B-camera 1st AC Nolan Ball and I had to be extra careful about critical focus,” the AC recounts, “as the already shallow lenses’ perceived depth of field was even further reduced by the less-dense pixel real estate of the sensor, causing an even more dramatic roll-off from sharp to soft.”

A-camera operator Scott Lebeda remembers one big plus was having direct contact with the engineers from Sony Japan, who built the a7S II. “They came to the States to visit us while we were shooting,” Lebeda explains. “They were designing the A9 while we were filming and were using what they learned from us on set to perfect it.”

Proud Mary was shot on location in and around Boston, with scenes varying from a steamy shower in Mary’s apartment to extended chases through hallways and warehouses, and even an intimate dance sequence between Mary and her “boss,” Benny (Danny Glover).

“Mary’s apartment was a great location to shoot in, with huge industrial windows, concrete pillars and a natural patina,” recalls B-camera/Steadicam operator Jonathan Beattie.

“Production design created a layered, sleek look that contrasted with the older industrial space.

The height of the ceiling, pillars, windows and set deck gave us infinite angles to play with.”

“We set 18Ks outside the windows and used LEDs close up with double diffusion for Taraji,” Laustsen remembers. Gaffer Jesse Goldberg says lighting Hensen was a pleasure.

“Her skin has a lovely non-reflective quality,” Goldberg describes. “You can do so many different things – reflections – open up different sides lighting her face. Dan developed a palette of golden light with interesting textures, and in some scenes [in Mary’s apartment], we played a shimmering bounce light off a speckle pink textured wallpaper that reflected off her skin.”

For the steamy shower sequence, a fully functional, giant square glass cube was installed

in the middle of the bedroom. “It’s my favorite shot,” Laustsen recalls. “It seemed easy but there were so many levels to deal with between shower and outside. We couldn’t see her naked.

The cameras couldn’t see too much. We had to be careful to get the correct levels, keep her in silhouette and make sure the shower didn’t burn out when we saw the steam of the water.”

“The silhouette approach looked natural with practical motivation,” Goldberg adds. “We put ARRI Maxes out the windows on Condors through the blinds as back light and then installed top light from 75-watt narrow-spot MR16 bulbs, although we decided not to turn them on with the steam.” In fact, with A and B cameras both rolling, the biggest challenge was the reflections of the square glass shower, with the dolly, the crew, and the camera all needing to be wrapped in Duvetyne.

CONTRASTING THE INTIMATE SHOWER MOMENT IS AN ACTION SCENE where Mary

sneaks into a mansion and takes out some gang members before killing their boss. Though mostly done on Steadicam, one shot used the MōVi Pro and required A-camera 2nd Jason Brignola to operate the rig until the moment it passed through a small window, where Mason received it on the other side and continued the move, with Lebeda remotely controlling framing and B-camera 1st Nolan Ball pulling focus. The shot starts on an upper floor of the mansion and connects Mary and Billy (fellow assassin/former lover/rival) as it winds down the master stairs to reveal a group of guards playing cards in the main lobby, unaware that they are about to be wiped out.

Goldberg lit these shots with a combination of Kino Select 20s/30s and LiteMats rigged through the ceilings. By utilizing the latest LED fixtures and wireless dimming, his team was able to reduce the overall weight and ampacity of the lighting plan, thereby minimizing cable profile and impact on the physical location.

The dancing scene, where Mary asks Benny to let her get out – take the kid and make a life for herself – was shot with Beattie on Steadicam doing a 360 as a counter to the dancing pair.

Laustsen says the key was the marriage of the camera’s movement with the actors, and hiding the film machinery. “How do you not see people with wireless gear – and everything else we needed?” he asks.

Goldberg says they decided to rig two 2-foot

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Quasar LED tubes in a Kino housing diffused with bleached muslin cloth. “The background during the 360 is all practically motivated from various sconces, chandeliers and table lamps that production designer Carl Sprague scattered around the estate for us,” he explains.

Proud Mary being an action movie, the biggest sequence was saved for the end – a long dolly shot covering 200 feet of track, with a highspeed camera. “Once all the safety precautions and measures are in place, there are few things more fun to shoot than a chase sequence, running around shooting guns and blowing stuff up,” laughs Beattie.

The final shoot-em-up takes place in a Lawrence, MA warehouse, actually the bottom floor of an old shoe factory. The art department built out a distribution hub for the main crime family, with long hallways – filled with shipping pallets – and plenty of barrels and boxes to upend in the process. “It’s a big cat-and-mouse with Mary picking off the bad guys one at a time,” Lebeda recounts. “Our angles helped give the feel that Mary was prowling from shadow to shadow; the camera becomes a partner in her revenge, peering through the boxes, watching and waiting.”

Gainor says he wanted to set the bar high for Proud Mary in every possible way. “That’s why I am so excited Dan Laustsen was the cinematographer,” he shares. “Dan’s a master with lighting and color and understands how to make a scene shine.

“At the end of the day,” Gainor concludes, “priority number one was to make a beautifullooking movie with a powerful cast. And each camera – from the F55 to the full-frame sensors of the a7S II and A9 – helped us tell a different part of the story. Those ranged from shooting in tight spaces, such as in a car or riding on a train, to mounting RX0 cameras in very tight spaces, to grab dynamic images while still embracing the language of cinema. Our camera team was quick to get this and help make the best movie possible.”

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LOCAL 600 CREW BOSTON MAIN UNIT

BOSTON ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Director of Photography Dan Laustsen, ASC

Director of Photography Dan Laustsen, ASC

A-Camera Operator Scott Lebeda

A-Camera Operator Steadicam Billy Green

A-Camera 1st AC Daniel Mason A-Camera 2nd AC Jason Brignola

A-Camera 1st AC Nolan Ball A-Camera 2nd AC Sam Lüsted

B-Camera Operator Steadicam Jon Beattie

B-Camera Operator Lisa Sene

B-Camera 1st AC Nolan Ball

B-Camera 1st AC Joe Christofori

B-Camera 2nd AC Matthew Hedges Jan Burgess

B-Camera 2nd AC Brian Lynch

DIT Nick Pasquariello Loader Thomas Bellotti Still Photographer Dana Starbard Unit Publicist Scott Levine

C-Camera Operator Bill Trautvetter C-Camera 1st AC Leonard Mazzone D-Camera Operator Mark Gunning D-Camera 1st AC Julian Bass DIT Matthew Dorris

CHICAGO ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY Director of Photography Bill Trautvetter

B-Camera Operator Darryl Miller

A-Camera Operator Steadicam Billy Green

B-Camera 1st AC KT Moss

A-Camera 1st AC Nolan Ball A-Camera 2nd AC Hannah Welever

DIT John Waterman Digital Loader Brian Kilborn

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THE ROAD FROM FILM STUDENT TO (UNION) PROFESSIONAL IS WELL TRAVELED, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN IT’S EASY. TAKE A LISTEN TO THESE GUILD MEMBERS AND THEIR STORIES.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SCAD

BY PAULINE ROGERS

SCHOOL DaZE

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EVEN THOUGH FILM SCHOOL OCCURS IN A CLASSROOM WITH PROFESSORS, A SYLLABUS AND EVEN TEXTBOOKS, IT’S FAR FROM JUST ALL THEORY AND LECTURES. LOCAL 600 MEMBERS WHO HAVE EARNED A DEGREE KNOW THE HANDS-ON LEARNING THAT STARTS DAY ONE IN FILM SCHOOL CONTINUES THROUGHOUT A GRADUATE’S CAREER. ALTHOUGH THE LESSONS LEARNED ARE INVALUABLE, MOST AGREE THAT A FILM SCHOOL EDUCATION IS NO GUARANTEE OF INDUSTRY ENTRY. IN FACT, THE ROAD OUT CAN BE EVERY BIT AS ROCKY AS THOSE WHO HAVE NO FILM SCHOOL BACKGROUND. WE ASKED A HALF-DOZEN GUILD PROFESSIONALS WHAT THEIR CAREERS ARE LIKE FIVE, OR IN SOME CASES, CLOSER TO TEN YEARS OUT OF SCHOOL. HOW HAVE THE LESSONS (OFTEN PROVIDED BY LOCAL 600 TEACHING PROFESSIONALS) IMPACTED THEIR LIVES ON SET? AND HOW DID THE EXPERIENCES FILM SCHOOL PROVIDED REMAIN WITH THEM IN THE TRANSITION FROM STUDENT TO WORKING UNION PROFESSIONAL?

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“During my third year at NYU, I began working on a super-lowbudget DIY Web series called High Maintenance,” recalls operator Zack Schamberg (2013 graduate, 2016 thesis completion). “My classmate Brian Lannin was the DP, and he had met the creators – Katja Blichfeld and Ben Sinclair – through another school connection. We worked on it for free on the weekends, shooting with our own Canon 5D’s.

“I was definitely encouraged by professors like Tom Richmond, ASC, Sandi Sissel, ASC, and Tony Jannelli to jump at any opportunity to shoot a project with a good script, regardless of the budget,” he adds. “I’ve heard Katja and Ben say that being surrounded by film students helped the show in those early days, so it has been incredibly rewarding to watch as High Maintenance has grown into a successful Union HBO show.”

Schamberg says that during a recent moment on set, “we were figuring out the camera blocking for a scene, and I looked around and noticed that the director, DP and gaffer were all from the NYU

Grad Film program! Our gaffer referenced an editing class we had all taken in which the teacher used The Conversation as an example, and this immediately provided common ground. We’ve all talked about how film school is not a golden ticket, and that a direct path ­to success is hard to see. But it offers a compressed time to experiment – and more importantly, to fail. You can focus on filmmaking as an art form before having to focus on it as a job.”

Behnood Dadfar, currently working as a 2nd AC on the Second Unit team for Martin Scorsese’s new feature, The Irishman, has a unique story. Dadfar (who ascribes to the Bahá’i faith) was kicked out of Iran for not being Muslim and immigrated to New York City. He wanted a career in the film industry, but he also wanted to do it the “right way” – through school. Once there, his mentor, NEB member Dejan Georgevich, ASC, and other kindred souls, sparked points of light that Dadfar references to this day.

“Dejan would bring in these famous paintings, and we’d recreate

(CLOCKWISE FROM TOP)

ZACK SCHAMBERG / PHOTO BY SARAH SHATZ BRENDA ZUNIGA / PHOTO BY NICOLA GOODE BEHNOOD DADFAR / PHOTO BY MARY CYBULSKI

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(CLOCKWISE FROM TOP)

JANINE SIDES / PHOTO BY NICOLA GOODE DAN BROSNAN / PHOTO BY SARAH SHATZ ALICIA PHARRIS / PHOTO BY NICOLA GOODE

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the lighting,” Dadfar recalls. “One of them was Edward Hopper’s Chop Suey. Years later, when I shot my first low-budget feature, I used what I learned at school for a dream sequence. I’m grateful for those lessons – and for the relationships that I forged through the school,” he adds. “Dejan pushed us to get out and talk to people, to network, to meet people at the rental houses, to learn all the equipment. So when I got a call from an AC on [the new Martin Scorsese movie], I knew I was prepared. It started out doing plate shots with the Red Helium, and I’ve now worked into 2nd AC on the 2nd Unit.”

Dadfar says he considers himself very lucky.

“First for the practical lessons and support I got at the School of Visual Arts – and now, so soon after, to be working with a company that is all about the art. With Scorsese, if one little thing is wrong – we do it over.”

Working for Scorsese or HBO is an enviable path, but there are many ways to build a career.

Operator Brenda Zuniga, SOC, says that studying at USC’s prestigious School of Cinematic Arts with [NEB member] Chris Chomyn, ASC, made it possible for her to enter into the camera world quickly, securing a regular spot in reality and scripted TV. “Chris urged me to visit camera houses and prep areas, get to know everything, every new camera,

read, and work on as many sets as possible,” Zuniga recounts. “We covered every area of production, not just shooting.”

Zuniga, who became Chomyn’s teaching assistant for several years and pulled focus for the DP on a feature, says the amount of knowledge gained helped propel her reality career because the technical aspects of framing a shot and searching for the best light came easily.

“I had studied the 180-degree line and proper composition for so many years that doing it at a moment’s notice was natural,” Zuniga shares. Film school also taught Zuniga to do specialty work in underwater shooting, which, she says, “requires another layer” of skill and mental toughness. In fact, Zuniga keeps taking classes in underwater shooting. She’s shot programs for incarcerated youth and taught classes in filmmaking for high school students in under-represented communities. “It’s all about giving back and helping those interested in this business as a career do it ‘the right way’ – the way I learned at USC,” she emphasizes.

Another USC alumnus, Janine Sides (2012), credits the discipline she learned and the relationships she made there as helping to determine her direction.

Today, Sides splits her time evenly between narrative and documentary. “I’ve camera-operated for USA’s Queen of the South, DP’d a digital doc series for Nike and I’m now DP’ing the pre-show for Spike TV’s Lip Sync Battle for my third season,” she offers. “And I was just asked to go back to Queen.”

Sides says one important lesson from film school (now vital to her work in the real world) is that “when you’re running out of time, the energy rises and chaos often takes over. Suddenly, everyone is moving a little faster, things are more demanding, tempers sometimes rise. The best thing is to just take a deep breath or even count to ten. Don’t meet the frantic that’s happening around you. The image always suffers if you give in to the rise. If I’m able to stay below the frantic, the final product is always better.”

But even with all that knowledge in her back pocket, attending USC didn’t instantly mean a career was born. “Since graduating, I’ve applied for endless jobs, signed up for every site out there from LinkedIn to Staff Me Up and USC’s job board to get jobs,” Sides reflects. “It’s been a slow start to transition, but you can build a client base. It’s complicated, but you have to just do it.”

Complicated is a word that resonates with Alicia Pharris, who studied with Bill Dill, ASC, at Chapman University (2010 graduate). Pharris recalls how Dill would say, “‘Cinematography tells a story.’ As students, we would try to create overly complicated shots, and there were actually a few times when we would succeed. The shot may have been beautiful, but if it didn’t help tell the story, Bill would not be impressed and would tear it apart.

“We also learned how on-set experience can be invaluable,” Pharris adds. “I volunteered on as many projects as possible, and when I graduated I felt comfortable walking into any job. Chapman gave me a strong foundation and the confidence to try, even if I’m not familiar with what I’m facing. It also provided me with a network of people working in the film industry.

“And while Bill was there to answer any questions I had about cinematography while I was in school,” she adds, it’s now the people that I am surrounded by daily [Pharris is 2nd AC on Grown-ish) that I learn the most from. A lot of my work is trouble-shooting when things go wrong, so it’s important to know about the cameras and gear that you’re working with and to stay calm under pressure.”

Dan Brosnan says his days spent at The School of Visual Arts were a major confidence builder. “It was the practical application and experimentation with professional film cameras and lighting that appealed to me,” Brosnan recalls. “The idea that all faculty are required to be currently working professionals in their craft was also a plus.”

One of the most important lessons Brosnan learned in his two years of cinematography study came from Georgevich, who always encourages his students to look deeper at things critically and try to understand not only how something works, but how it works well.

“Lighting and cinema photography is a very subjective art,” Brosnan offers, “so having a mentor with a level of expertise and mastery has really met and exceeded my expectations for my filmmaking education.”

And that education has served him well. Brosnan is currently a digital imaging technician on Gotham (along with Robert Strait). He describes Gotham as a “visually rich show” that pushes the envelope cinematographically with lighting, lensing and color.

“It’s a huge action/fantasy/drama with a lot of challenging and ambitious scripts,” Brosnan states.

“So to be a part of a show that puts such an emphasis on graphical and fantastic cinematography, I am further humbled, and very grateful.”

The Union DIT also points out that although he’s been out of film school for a while, he’s never lost sight of those early learning years. “By determination and chance, I am one of the lucky people in this world who gets to have a choice about what they do for a living,” Brosnan concludes. “A person is only as strong as those he or she surrounds themselves with, and I am fortunate to have had many kind and talented people around me. Their choices and actions have helped shape my career and my attitude. I do my best every day on set to pay forward that same kindness, understanding and respect others have given to me over the years, and with zeal.”

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PRODUCTION CREDITS COMPILED BY TERESA MUÑOZ – AS OF DECEMBER 1, 2017 ICG Magazine strives to maintain an up-to-date and accurate record of all crew members for the Production Credits section.

In order for us to continue to provide this service, your input is of the utmost importance. You are our only source of information.

Please take note of the following requests. They will allow us to better serve you.

Please provide up-to-date and complete crew information (including Still Photographers, Publicists, Additional Units, etc.).

Please note 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 address to Teresa Muñoz at teresa@icgmagazine.com

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“FRESH OFF THE BOAT” SEASON 4 Dir. of Photography: Brandon Mastrippolito Operators: Greg Matthews, Brian Morena Assistants: Ray Dier, Tomi Izumi, Christian Cobb, Steve Whitcomb Camera Utility: Adam Kolkman “LIFE IN PIECES” SEASON 3 Dir. of Photography: Mike J. Pepin Operators: Jacob Pinger, Jeremiah Smith Assistants: Chris Workman, Edward Alfred Nielsen, III, Sergei Sorokin, Jason Sharron Camera Utility: Noel Vidal “THE GIFTED” SEASON 1 Dir. of Photography: Bart Tau, Frank Perl Operators: Marcis Cole, Andy Fisher Assistants: Christian Satrazemis, Brandon Dauzat, Jonny Quintana, Mike Fisher Steadicam Operator: Marcis Cole Steadicam Assistant: Chrisitan Satrazemis Digital Imaging Tech: Mark Gilmer Loader: Peter Johnston Digital Utility: Becca Bennett Still Photographers: Eliza Morse, Ron Jaffe “THE MICK” SEASON 2 Dir. of Photography: Alan Caudillo Operators: Joel Schwartz, April Kelley, Kris Krosskove Assistants: Chad Rivetti, Chris Flurry, Roger Wall, Matt Gaumer, Winona Wacker, Chris de la Riva Steadicam Operator: Kris Krosskove Steadicam Assistant: Chad Rivetti “THE RESIDENT” SEASON 1 Dir. of Photography: John Brawley Operators: Mark Karavite, Dave Drzewiecki, Jessica Lopez Assistants: Kris Hardy, John Metcalfe, Mark Boyle, Oren Malik, Sebastian Boada, Austin Taylor Loader: Trey Volpe Digital Utility: Amanda Gianneschi Still Photographer: Guy D’Alema “THIS IS US” SEASON 2 Dir. of Photography: Yasu Tanida Operators: James Takata, Beau Chaput Assistants: Sean O’Shea, Rich Floyd, Brian Wells, Jeff Stewart Steadicam Operator: James Takata Steadicam Assistant: Sean O’Shea Loader: Mike “Mad Dog” Gentile Still Photogapher: Ron Batzdorff ABC STUDIOS “CODE BLACK” SEASON 3 Dir. of Photography: Spencer Combs Operators: Jason LeBlanc, Mike Sharp, Brian Garbellini Assistants: Jon Sharpe, Stephen Franklin, Jim Thibo, Yusef Edmonds, Bill Marti, Tim McCarthy Digital Loader: Joe Pacella Still Photographer: Ron Jaffe “CRIMINAL MINDS” SEASON 13 Dir. of Photography: Greg St. Johns Operators: Darcy Spires, Mike Walsh Assistants: Keith Peters, Tim Roe,

Todd Durboraw, Robert Forrest Steadicam Operator: Mike Walsh Steadicam Assistant: Keith Peters Utility: Jacob Kuljis “FOR THE PEOPLE” SEASON 1 Dir. of Photography: Alan Caso Operators: Stephen Collins, Cybel Martin, Jamie Sterba Assistants: Bianca Bahena, Darby Newman, Carlos Lopez-Calleja, Chris Sloan, Tim Luke, Matt Williams Digital Imaging Tech: Earl Fulcher Utility: Lauro Avila Still Photographer: Nicole Wilder “GREY’S ANATOMY” SEASON 14 Dir. of Photography: Herb Davis Operators: Fred Iannone, Steve Ullman Assistants: Nick McLean, Forrest Thurman, Chris Johnson, Lisa Bonaccorso “HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER” SEASON 4 Dir. of Photography: Michael Price, ASC Operators: Joe Broderick, John Hankammer, Scott Boettle Assistants: Heather Lea-LeRoy, Vanessa Morehouse, Darrell Herrington, Drew Han, Mark Sasabuchi, Michael Stampler Digital Imaging Tech: Andrew Osborne Digital Utility: Wil Sterner “JANE THE VIRGIN” SEASON 4 Dir. of Photography: Lowell Peterson, ASC, Joe Gallo Operators: Rory Knepp, Paul Plannette Assistants: John Flinn, IV, Veronica Bouza, John Pouncey, Don Burton Utility: Jajaira Corria Steadicam Operator: Rory Knepp Steadicam Assistant: John Flinn, IV Still Photographers: Lisa Rose, Michael Desmond, Ron Jaffe “JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!” SEASON 16 Lighting Director: Christian Hibbard Operators: Randy Gomez, Parker Bartlett, Kris Wilson, Garrett Hurt, Marc Hunter, Mike Malone Camera Utilities: Charles Fernandez, Scott Spiegel, Travis Wilson, David Fernandez, Adam Barker Video Controller: Guy Jones Still Photographers: Karen Neal, Michael Desmond 2ND UNIT Dir. of Photography: Jimmy Lindsey “KEVIN (PROBABLY) SAVES THE WORLD” SEASON 1 Operators: Steve Fracol, Michael Gfelner, Terry Schroth Assistants: Mark Reilly, Joe Thomas, Thomas Nemy, Christy Fiers, Sherri Leger, Nelson Moncada Loader: Erin Strickland Digital Utility: Darrell Lane Still Photographer: Guy D’Alema “SCANDAL” SEASON 7 Dir. of Photography: Oliver Bokelberg, ASC, Daryn Okada, ASC Operators: Ron Baldwin, Bill Boatman Assistants: Jon Zarkos, Jorge Pallares, Anthony Schultz, Hannah Levin Digital Imaging Tech: Andrew Lemon Utility: George Montejano, III Still Photographer: Mitchell Haddad “THE HATE U GIVE” Dir. of Photography: Mihai Malaimare, Jr.

Operators: Tim Fabrizio, Jeff Crumbley Assistants: Max Junquera, Ryan Weisen, Sterling Wiggins, Bess Johnson Steadicam Operator: Tim Fabrizio Steadicam Assistant: Ryan Weisen Digital Imaging Tech: Eli Berg Loader: Sherry Day Camera Utility: Marie Morrell Still Photographer: Erika Doss AFN PRODUCTIONS-TELEPICTURES “THE REAL” SEASON 4 Lighting Dir./Dir. of Photography: Earl Woody Operators: Kevin Michel, David Kanehann, Steve Russell, Bob Berkowitz Steadicam Operator: Will Demeritt Camera Utilities: James Magdalin, Henry Vereen, John Markese Jib Arm Operator: Jim Cirrito Video Controller: Jeff Messenger AMAZON/PICROW STREAMING INC. “TOO OLD TO DIE YOUNG” SEASON 1 Dir. of Photography: Darius Khondji, ASC Operators: Andy Shuttleworth, R. Michael Merriman Assistants: Faith Brewer, Wade Whitley, Gayle Hilary, Kelly Mitchell Digital Imaging Tech: Dan Skinner Loader: Jake LaGuardia Camera Utility: Ben Brady Still Photographer: Scott Garfield A VERY GOOD PRODUCTION, INC. & WAD PRODUCTIONS “THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW” SEASON 15 Lighting Director: Tom Beck Ped Operators: David Weeks, Paul Wileman, Tim O’Neill Hand Held 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 BBC FILMS “OUT OF THE BLUE” Dir. of Photography: Conrad W. Hall Assistant: Allan Keffer Still Photographer: Skip Bolen BEACH PARTY PRODUCTIONS “UNTITLED DATING PROJECT” SEASON 1 Dir. of Photography: Jason Hafer Operators: Marques Smith, Brenda Zuniga, Laura Woo Lovinger, Eddie Wright, Shane Meredith, Joel Tallbut, Steven Paul, Rickie Gustilo, Mitch Kim, Nicholas Hale Lead Utility: Dominic DeFrank Utilities: Ali Paras, James Martinez, Noah Hamilton, David Kaplan, Mike Warfel, Cameron Kahangi, Kenny Chang, Bryce Bonn BEACHWOOD SERVICES “DAYS OF OUR LIVES” SEASON 52 Dir. of Photography: Mark Levin, Ted Polmanski Operators: John Sizemore, Mark Warshaw, Vickie Walker, Michael J. Denton, Steve Clark Utilities: Steve Bagdadi, Gary Cypher Video Controller: Alexis Dellar Hanson BLUEGRASS “BIRD BOX” Dir. of Photography: Sal Totino Operators: Roberto De Angelis, Michael Jones Assistants: EJ Misisco, Sean Kisch, David Seekins, Roxanne Stephens, Andrae Crawford, Sara Galley Loader: Torey Lenart Steadicam Operator: Roberto De Angelis

JANUARY 2018

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20TH CENTURY FOX “EMPIRE” SEASON 4 Dir. of Photography: Paul M. Sommers Operators: Joe Williams, Barnaby Shapiro Assistants: Betsy Peoples, Shannon DeWolfe, Andy Borham, Uriah Kalahiki Loader: Torey Lenart Utility: Amanda Kopec Still Photographer: Chuck Hodes

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Steadicam Assistant: EJ Misisco Digital Imaging Tech: Francesco Sauta Digital Loader: George Ballenger Still Photographer: Merrick Morton Publicist: Will Casey

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BONANZA, INC “THE ORIGINALS” SEASON 5 Dir. of Photography: Roger Chingirian, John Smith Operators: Ian Forsyth, Brian Davis Assistants: Matt Brewer, Kyler Dennis, Uly Domalaon, Andy Lee Steadicam Operator: Ian Forsyth Utility: Jesse Eagle Digital Imaging Tech: Billy Mueller CBS “BULL” SEASON 2 Dir. of Photography: Derick Underschultz, John Aronson Operators: Oliver Cary, Eli Aronoff Assistants: Cris Trova, Roman Lukiw, Soren Nash, Mike Lobb, Trevor Wolfson Steadicam Operator: Eli Aronoff Steadicam Assistant: Roman Lukiw Digital Imaging Tech: Gabe Kolodny Camera Utility: Wyatt Maker “CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND” SEASON 3 Dir. of Photography: Todd Dos Reis, ASC Operators: Ian Dodd, Richard Crow Assistants: Eric Dyson, Megan Morris, Joel Perkal, Eric Wheeler Steadicam Operator: Richard Crow Digital Imaging Tech: Sam McConville Utility: Andres Raygoza Still Photographer: Ron Jaffe, Lisa Rose “ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT” SEASON 37 Lighting Designer: Darren Langer Dir. of Photography: Kurt Braun

JANUARY 2018

Operators: Jaimie Cantrell, James B. Patrick, Allen Voss, Ed Sartori, Henry Zinman, Bob Campi, Rodney McMahon, Anthony Salerno Camera Utility: Terry Ahern Video Controllers: Mike Doyle, Peter Stendal “MAN WITH A PLAN” SEASON 2 Dir. of Photography: Gary Baum, ASC Operators: Glenn Shimada, Travers Hill, Lance Billitzer, Ed Fine Assistants: Adrian Licciardi, Jeff Goldenberg, Alec Elizondo, Clint Palmer, Jason Herring Utilities: Danny Lorenze, Sean Askins Digital Imaging Tech: Derek Lantz Video Controller: John O’Brien “NCIS” SEASON 15 Dir. of Photography: William Webb, ASC Operators: Gregory Paul Collier, George Loomis Assistants: Chad Erickson, James Troost, Nathan Lopez, Helen Tadesse, Anna Ferrarie “NCIS: LOS ANGELES” SEASON 9 Dir. of Photography: Victor Hammer Operators: Terence Nightingall, Tim Beavers Assistants: Keith Banks, Richie Hughes, Peter Caronia, Jacqueline Nivens Steadicam Operators: Terence Nightingall, Tim Beavers Steadicam Assistants: Keith Banks, Richie Hughes Digital Imaging Tech: John Mills Digital Utility: Trevor Beeler Still Photographer: Ron Jaffe Publicist: Kathleen Tanji “NCIS: NEW ORLEANS” SEASON 4 Dir. of Photography: Gordon Lonsdale, ASC Operators: Jerry Jacob, Tony Politis, Vincent Bearden

Assistants: Peter Roome, Brouke Franklin, Jeff Taylor, Toni Weick, Dave Edwards, Sienna Pinderhughes Steadicam Operator: Vincent Bearden Digital Loader: Christian Wells Digital Utility: Kolby Heid Still Photographer: Sam Lothridge “SCORPION” SEASON 4 Dir. of Photography: Ken Glassing, Fernando Arguelles Operators: Paul Theriault, Chris Taylor Assistants: Scott Ronnow, John Paul Rodriguez, Chris Mack, Tim Sheridan Digital Imaging Tech: Greg Gabrio Utility: Tyler Ernst Technocrane Operator: Chris Mayhugh Technocrane Tech: Colin Michael West Remote Head Tech/Operator: Jay Sheveck Still Photographer: Ron Jaffe Publicist: Kathleen Tanji “SEAL TEAM” SEASON 1 Dir. of Photography: Kevin McKnight Operators: Alan Jacoby, Dominic Bartolone Assistants: Alex Scott, Andrew Degnan, Arturo Rojas, Gary Bevans Steadicam Operator: Dominic Bartolone Loader: Glen Landry Still Photographer: Ron Jaffe “THE GOOD FIGHT” SEASON 2 Dir. of Photography: Timothy Guinness Operators: William Hays, Chris Scarafile Assistants: Rene Crout, David Baron, Ian Schneider, Cameron Sizemore Loaders: Tommy Scoggins, Sancheev Ravichandran Still Photographer: Annette Brown “THE INSIDER” SEASON 14 Dir. of Photography: Kurt Braun

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CONACO “CONAN” SEASON 9 Operators: Ted Ashton, Nick Kober, Kosta Krstic, James Palczewski, Bart Ping, Seth Saint Vincent Head Utility: Chris Savage Utilities: Baron Johnson, Josh Gwilt

“THE TALK” SEASON 8 Lighting Director: Marisa Davis Ped Operators: Art Taylor, Mark Gonzales, Ed Staebler Hand Held Operators: Ron Barnes, Kevin Michel, Jeff Johnson Jib Operator: Randy Gomez Head Utility: Charlie Fernandez Utilities: Mike Bushner, Doug Bain, Dean Frizzel, Bill Greiner, Jon Zuccaro Video Controller: Richard Strock Still Photographer: Ron Jaffe

CRANETOWN “THE QUAD” SEASON 2 Dir. of Photography: Richard Vialet Operators: Chris Freilich, Aaron King, Brigman Foster-Owens, JR Campbell Assistants: Brian DeCroce, Jamie Marlowe, Geran Daniels, Tadesse Bantiweson Nubia Rahim, Rose Ashikyan, Erika Haggerty Steadicam Operator: Aaron King Steadicam Assistant: Brian DeCroce, Jamie Marlowe Loader: Steve Woronko

“WISDOM OF THE CROWD” SEASON 1 Dir. of Photography: Alex Nepomniaschy, ASC Operators: Chris Squires, Chris Murphy Assistants: Stefan Tarzan, Scott Martinez, Simon Jarvis, Lawrence Lim Steadicam Operator: Chris Squires Steadicam Assistant: Stefan Tarzan Loader: Ben Shurtleff COLUMBIA “TOSH.0” SEASON 10 STAGE CREW Operator: Jason Cochard Camera Utilities: Benjamin Steeples, Kyle Kimbriel, Roger Cohen FIELD CREW Dir. of Photography: Andrew Huebscher Operator: Jason Cochard Assistants: Benjamin Steeples, Kyle Kimbriel, Roger Cohen, Delfina Garfias

“THE RANCH” SEASON 3 Dir. of Photography: Donald A. Morgan, ASC Operators: Brian Armstrong, Chris Hinojosa, Robert Guernsey, Michelle Crenshaw Assistants: Don Davis, Missy Toy, Vito De Palma, Adan Torres, Al Myers Camera Utilities: Justin Metoyer, Erinn Bell DIT/Video Controller: Rick Dungan DESIGNATED 1 LTD “DESIGNATED SURVIVOR” SEASON 2 Dir. of Photography: Jeff Mygatt DEUX SOEURS, INC. “IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK (AKA DEUX SOEURS)” Dir. of Photography: James Laxton Operators: Michael Fuchs, Malcolm Purnell Assistants: Nicholas Huynh, Michelle Clementine, Janice Burgess, Iraima De Leon

Digital Imaging Tech: Tiffany Armour-Tejada Loader: Matthew Martin Still Photographer: Jon Pack EYE PRODUCTIONS, INC. “ELEMENTARY” SEASON 6 Dir. of Photography: Thomas Houghton, ASC Operators: Carlos Guerra, Jeremy Weishaar Assistants: Kate Larose, Jason Cleary, Charlie Foerschner, Kyle Blackman Loaders: Dylan Endyke, Patrick O’Shea Still Photographer: Christopher Saunders “MADAM SECRETARY” SEASON 4 Dir. of Photography: Learan Kahanov Operators: Jamie Silverstein, Peter Vietro-Hannum Assistants: Heather Norton, Jamie Fitzpatrick, Amanda Rotzler, Damon LeMay Digital Imaging Tech: Keith Putnam Loaders: Zakiya Lucas-Murray, Christopher Patrikis FANON, LLC “LUCE” Dir. of Photography: Larkin Seiple Operator: David Isern Assistants: Zach Rubin, Greg Pace Loader: Justin LeBlanc Still Photographer: Jon Pack FINALE PRODUCTIONS, LLC “OPERATION FINALE” Dir. of Photography: Javier Aguirresarobe, ASC, AEC Operator: Matias Mesa Steadicam Operator: Matias Mesa Publicist: Amy Johnson FINNMAX, LLC “BEAT SHAZAM” SEASON 2 Lighting Designer: Oscar Dominguez

JANUARY 2018

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Operators: Jaimie Cantrell, James B. Patrick, Ed Sartori, Henry Zinman, Tom Van Otteren, Bob Campi, Rodney McMahon, Anthony Salerno Camera Utility: Terry Ahern Video Controllers: Mike Doyle, Peter Stendal

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Lighting Director: Sam Barker Ped Operators: Helena Jackson, John Gardner, John Bromberek, Keith Hobelman, Kary D’Alessandro, Bruce Green, Jeff Johnson, Ed Horton Hand Held Operators: Danny Webb, Jorge Ferris Techno Jib Operators: Cory Hunter, Scott Acosta Head Utilities: Kirk Kamisato, Dave Makhanian Utilities: Drory Yelin, Ilan Solimany, Shawn Johns, Albert Jang Still Photographer: Lisa Rose FIRST MAN PRODUCTIONS, LLC “FIRST MAN” Dir. of Photography: Linus Sandgren Assistants: Jorge Sanchez, Melissa Fisher, Andy Hoehn, Paul Woods Loader: Will Whittenburg Still Photographer: Daniel McFadden Publicist: Rachael Roth FREEFORM “THE FOSTERS” SEASON 5 Dir. of Photography: Kees Van Oostrum, ASC Operators: Aaron Schuh, Michael May Assistants: Carlos Doerr, Tammy Fouts, Nathan Lewis, Nicholas Neino Steadicam Operator: Aaron Schuh Steadicam Assistant: Carlos Doerr Digital Utility: Duncan Robertson Loader: Daniel Benny Bailey

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FULLWELL 73 PRODUCTIONS “DROP THE MIC” Lighting Designer: Noah Mitz Lighting Director: David Thibodeau Jib Operator: David Kister Ped Operators: Derek Pratt, Kosta Krstic, Quin De Varona

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Hand Held Operators: Gene Huelsman, Tilmon Williams Steadicam Operator: Sean Flannery Lead Utility: David Feliciano Utilities: Michael Culeton, Will Wolf Steadicam Utility: Drory Yelin ENG CREW Dir. of Photography: David Frederick, Glen A. Brown Assistants: Shelby Cipolla, Erin Castrapel, Omar Gaieck FX PRODUCTIONS “POSE” PILOT Dir. of Photography: Nelson Cragg Operators: Andrew Mitchell, Jesse M. Feldman, Charlie Libin Assistants: Penny Sprague, Ben Perry, Wes Hodges, Andy Hamilton, Adriana Brunetto-Lipman, Patrick Bracey Loaders: Corey Licameli, Brian Lynch Still Photographer: JoJo Whilden HARLAN FILMS, LLC “311” Dir. of Photography: Chayse Irvin Operators: Ricardo Sarmiento, Kerwin DeVonish Assistants: Christopher Gleaton, Jelani Wilson, Kiersten Lane, Kellon Innocent Loader: Alec Nickel Still Photographer: David Lee HORIZONTAL PRODUCTIONS, INC. “WALK THE PRANK” SEASON 3 Dir. of Photography: Anthony Palmieri

Operators: Garrett Benson, Rocker Meadows, Ken Fisher Assistants: George Hesse, Ryan Mhor, Dave Thomas, Keith Rash, Katie DeTemple Digital Imaging Tech: Eduardo Eguia ISLAND EXPERIMENT, INC. “THE PURGE: THE ISLAND” Dir. of Photography: Anastas Michos, ASC Operators: Marcis Cole, Quenell Jones Assistants: Keitt, Jerome Williams, Yale Gropman, Brett Roedel Digital Imaging Tech: Lewis Rothenberg Loader: Kristina Lally Still Photographer: Annette Brown Publicist: Deborah Peters IT’S A LAUGH PRODUCTIONS, INC. “K.C. UNDERCOVER” SEASON 3 Dir. of Photography: Joseph W. Calloway Operators: Cory Gunter, Brian Gunter, Larry Blumenthal, Helena Jackson, Ken Herft, David “Boomer” Dougherty, Deborah O’Brien, Vito J. Giambalvo Digital Utilities: Selvyn Price, Terry Gunter Jib Arm Operators: Devin Atwood, John Goforth, Brian Gunter Video Controller: Nichelle Montgomery JAX MEDIA “NOBODIES” SEASON 2 Dir. of Photography: Sylvain D’Hautcourt Operators: Reid Russell, Michael Ropert Assistants: Zsolt Kadar, Marco Bartkowiak, Leigh Rathner, Adam Newell Steadicam Operator: Reid Russell Digital Loader: Austin Swenson Still Photographer: Lisa Rose

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JANUARY 2018

LAND THE TRICK “DESTROYER” Dir. of Photography: Julie Kirkwood Operators: Gabriel Patay, Shelly Gurzi Assistants: Aaron Bowen, Jacqueline Stahl, William Evans, Giselle Gonzalez Digital Imaging Tech: Cid Salcido MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT “AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.” SEASON 5 Dir. of Photography: Feliks Parnell, Allan Westbrook Operators: Kyle Jewell, Bill Brummond Assistants: Coby Garfield, Derek Hackett Steadicam Operator: Bill Brummond Digital Imaging Tech: Ryan Degrazzio Digital Utility: Josh Novak Remote Head Operator: Clay Platner Still Photographers: Kelsey McNeal, Ron Jaffe

John Newby Operators: Michael Stumpf, Allen Easton, SOC, Michael Frediani, SOC Assistants: Dennis Seawright, Dale White, Nick Infield, Steve Magrath, Trevor Carroll-Coe Loader: Leslie Kolter Digital Utility: Brendan Devanie ME, AND MY INC. “DAPHNE & VELMA” Dir. of Photography: Meena Singh Operators: Spencer Hutchins, SOC, Brandon Thompson Assistants: Tyler Harrison, Alexander Hooper, Roberto Delgado, Cait Rodiek Steadicam Operator: Brandon Thompson Digital Imaging Tech: Carlos Cicchelli NBC “BROOKLYN NINE-NINE” SEASON 5 Dir. of Photography: Giovani Lampassi Operators: Phil Mastrella, Rick Page, Lauren Gadd Assistants: Jamie Stephens, Rochelle Brown, Bill Gerardo, William Schmidt, Dustin Miller Loader: Nick Gilbert Digital Utility: Chris Carlson

2ND UNIT Dir. of Photography: Kyle Jewell Operators: Tony Cutrono, Miguel Pask

“CHICAGO FIRE” SEASON 6 Dir. of Photography: Jayson Crothers Operators: Rob Stenger, William R. Nielsen Assistants: Melvina Rapozo, Zach Gannaway, Brian Romano, Gary Malouf Digital Loader: J’mme Love Digital Utility: Nathan D. Sullivan Still Photographer: Elizabeth Morris

“RUNAWAYS” SEASON 1 Dir. of Photography: David Stockton,

2ND UNIT Dir. of Photography: William R. Nielsen

“CHICAGO MED” SEASON 3 Dir. of Photography: Lex duPont, ASC Operators: Scott Steele, Faires Anderson Sekiya, Joseph Fitzgerald Assistants: George Olson, Laura Difiglio, Keith Hueffmeier, Sam Knapp, Jason H. Bonner, Patrick Dooley Loader: Joey Richardson Utility: Matt Brown Still Photographer: Elizabeth Sisson “CHICAGO PD” SEASON 5 Dir. of Photography: Rohn Schmidt Operators: James Zucal, Will Eichler, Seth Thomas Assistants: John Young, Don Carlson, David “YT” Wightman, Jamison Acker, Phillip Walter, Kyle Belousek Steadicam Operator: William Eichler Digital Loader: Nicholas Wilson Digital Utilities: Michael Gleeson, Marion Tucker 2ND UNIT Dir. of Photography: James Zucal “LAW & ORDER: SVU” SEASON 19 Dir. of Photography: Michael Green Operators: Jonathan Herron, Michael Latino Assistants: Christopher Del Sordo, Matthew Balzarini, Emily Dumbrill, Justin Zverin Steadicam Operator: Jonathan Herron Loader: Jason Raswant Digital Utility: Brianna Morrison “REVERIE” SEASON 1 Dir. of Photography: Joe Gallagher Operators: Dan Ayers, Mark Laskowski, Paige Thomas

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LADY PRISON PRODUCTIONS, INC. “ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK” SEASON 6 Dir. of Photography: Ludovic Littee Operators: Scott Tinsley, Denny Kortze Assistants: Beka Venezia, Justin Mancuso, Rebecca Arndt, James Daly, Maxwell Sloan Steadicam Operator: Denny Kortze Digital Imaging Tech: Ted Viola Loader: Joshua Waterman Still Photographer: JoJo Whilden

JANUARY 2018

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Assistants: Tony Gutierrez, Rob Monroy, Naomi Villanueva, Aldo Porras, Jr., Darin Krask Steadicam Operator: Dan Ayers Steadicam Assistant: Tony Gutierrez Digital Imaging Tech: Paul Maletich Camera Utility: Rachel Mangum “RISE” SEASON 1 Dir. of Photography: Tim Bellen Operators: Peter Nolan, Jennie Jeddry Assistants: Scott Koenigsberg, Alex S. Bellen, Dean Martinez, Elizabeth Casinelli Digital Imaging Tech: Paul Schilens Loaders: James Abamont, Jay Kidd Still Photographer: Peter Kramer

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“SUPERSTORE” SEASON 3 Dir. of Photography: Jay Hunter Operators: Adam Tash, Hassan Abdul-Wahid, Danny Nichols Assistants: Jason Zakrzewski, Brandon Margulies, Eric Jenkinson, Ryan Sullivan, Sean Mennie, Rikki Alarian Jones Digital Imaging Tech: Paul Maletich Loader: Estefania Garcia

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“THE BRAVE” SEASON 1 Dir. of Photography: Mike Spragg, BSC, Jimmy Lindsey, ASC Operators: Matthew Pearce, Sean Maxwell Assistants: David Leb, Sebastian Vega, Betty Chow, Ryan Bushman Steadicam Operator: Matthew Pearce Steadicam Assistant: David Leb Digital Imaging Tech: Giovanni Carranza Loader: Taylor Hilburn Digital Utility: Katy Jones Still Photographer: Ursula Coyote “THE PATH” SEASON 3 Dir. of Photography: Yaron Orbach, Shawn Greene Operators: Philip Martinez, Arthur Africano Assistants: Waris Supanpong, Becki Heller, Randy Schwartz, Nathalie Rodriguez Digital Loader: Jessica Ta Loaders: James Demetriou, Peter Perlman Still Photographers: Craig Blankenhorn, Patrick Harbron, Cara Howe, Jeff Neumann “WILL & GRACE” SEASON 9 Dir. of Photography: Gary Baum, ASC Operators: Glenn Shimada, Travers Hill, Lance Billitzer, Ed Fine Assistants: Adrian Licciardi, Jeff Goldenberg, Alec Elizondo, Clint Palmer, Jason Herring

JANUARY 2018

Utilities: Danny Lorenze, Sean Askins Digital Imaging Tech: Derek Lantz Video Controller: Stuart Wesolik Still Photographer: Chris Haston NEW LINE CINEMA “ISN’T IT ROMANTIC” Dir. of Photography: Simon Duggan Operators: Parris Mayhew, Ricardo Sarmiento Assistants: Bradley Grant, Antonio Ponti, Suren Karapetyan, Mabel Santos Haugen Digital Imaging Tech: Patrick Cecilian Loader: Keith Anderson Still Photographer: Michael Parmalee NEXT TAKE “DEAR WHITE PEOPLE” SEASON 2 Dir. of Photography: Topher Osborn Operators: Mikael Levin, Ilan Levin Assistants: Rick Hawkinson, Craig Keefer, Troy Dickerson, Mel Kobran Loader: Ryan Polack Still Photographer: Lisa Rose NICKELODEON “HENRY DANGER” SEASON 4 Dir. of Photography: Mike Spodnik Operators: Tim Heinzel, Scott Ostermann, Dana Ross, Mike Tribble Camera Utilities: Jim Elliott, Frank Maronski, Doug Minges, Bill Sedgwick Jib Tech: Ryan Elliott Video Controllers: Jim Agnor, Bob Kaufmann Still Photographer: Lisa Rose PACIFIC 2.1 ENTERTAINMENT “HOMELAND” SEASON 7 Dir. of Photography: David Klein, ASC Operators: Giorgio Scali, Rick Davidson Assistants: Dominik Mainl, Courtney Bridgers, Elizabeth Silver, Shawn Mutchler Steadicam Operator: Rick Davidson Steadicam Assistant: Courtney Bridgers Utility: Rinny Wilson POINTLESS “POINTLESS” SEASON 1 Lighting Director: Jeff Calderon Ped Operators: Jay Alarcon, David Carline, Vincent Singletary, Brian Loewe Jib Operator: Joe Coppola Head Utility: Salvatore Bellissimo Utilities: John Addelia, Jonathan Stramisky, Kevin Tolkan, Lisa Rose

POSSIBLE PRODUCTIONS, INC. “ESCAPE AT DANNEMORA” Operators: Craig Haagensen, Matthew Pebler Assistants: Eric Swanek, James Madrid, Michael Guthrie, Samatha Silver Digital Imaging Tech: Luke Taylor Loaders: Brittany Jelinski, Tyler Swanek PP21 PRODUCTIONS, INC. “BLACK LIGHTNING” SEASON 1 Dir. of Photography: Scott Peck Operators: Brian Nordheim, Bob Newcomb Assistants: Anthony Zibelli, Alan Newcomb, Nelson Moncada, Catherine Greene Steadicam Operator: Brian Nordheim Steadicam Assistant: Anthony Zibelli Digital Imaging Tech: Justin Warren Camera Utility: Alfredo Santiago RADICAL MEDIA “UNTITLED LETTERMAN SERIES” Dir. of Photography: Declan Quinn, ASC Operators: Jeremiah Pitman, Vincent Foeillet, Shana Hagan, Josh Medak, Stephanie Martin, DJ Harder Assistants: Daniel Ferrell, Markus Mentzer, Chris Strauser, Lucas Deans, Nate Cummings, Noah Glazer Digital Imaging Tech: Lonny Danler Loader: Danny Park SHOWTIME “BILLIONS” SEASON 3 Dir. of Photography: Jake Polonsky Operators: Justin Foster, Radium Cheung Assistants: Edwin Effrein, Gus Limberis, Leonardo Gomez Loaders: Derrick Dawkins, Sean McNamara Still Photographers: Elizabeth Fisher, Mark Schafer “THE AFFAIR” SEASON 4 Dir. of Photography: Steve Fierberg, ASC, Robert McLachlan, ASC Operators: Eric Schilling, Jay Herron Assistants: Bob Hall, Dan Schroer, Michael Endler, Rudy Pahoyo Steadicam Operator: Eric Schilling Digital Imaging Tech: Tim Nagasawa Digital Loader: Derek Johnson Digital Utility: Zach Madden SIDE STREET ENTERTAINMENT “PORTLANDIA” SEASON 8 Dir. of Photography: Joe Meade Operators: Simon Miya, Tyson Wisbrock Assistants: Cameron Carey, Peggy Knoebel,

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SONY PICTURES “COBRA KAI” SEASON 1 Dir. of Photography: Cameron Duncan Operators: Noah Pankow, Abe Martinez Assistants: Nan Segler, Ross Davis, Courtney Drewes, Chase Schultz 2ND UNIT Dir. of Photography: Abe Martinez Operator: Peter Hawkins Assistants: Ross Davis, Tom Hutchinson, Chase Schultz, Will Culick LOS ANGELES UNIT Dir. of Photography: Abe Martinez Assistants: Tulio Duenas, Jared Jordan Libra Tech: Rodney Sandoval Utility: Johanna Salo “JEOPARDY!” SEASON 34 Dir. 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: Gary Taillon Still Photographer: Carol Kaelson “THE GOLDBERGS” SEASON 5 Dir. of Photography: Jason Blount Operators: Scott Browner, Kris Denton Assistants: Tracy Davey, Nate Havens, Gary Webster, Jen Bell-Price Digital Imaging Tech: Kevin Mills Digital Utility: Dilshan Herath Still Photographers: Nicole Wilder, Adam Taylor

“TIMELESS” SEASON 2 Dir. of Photography: Jimmy Lindsey, Nate Goodman Operators: Stefan von Bjorn, Peter Mercurio Assistants: Matthew King, Thomas Tieche, Billy Dicenso, Jon Kurt Steadicam Operator: Stefan von Bjorn Digital Utility: Shannon Cook Still Photographer: Justin Lubin “WHEEL OF FORTUNE” SEASON 35 Dir. of Photography: Jeff Engel Operators: Diane L. Farrell, SOC, Jeff Schuster, Ray Gonzales, Steve Simmons, L. David Irete, Mike Corwin Camera Utility: Ray Thompson Head Utility: Tino Marquez Video Controller: Gary Taillon Jib Arm Operator: Randy Gomez, Sr. Still Photographer: Carol Kaelson STARS POUR VIDA PRODUCTIONS “VIDA”SEASON 1 Operators: Conner Vandeer, David Frederick, SOC Assistants: Michael Chomieniec, Miguel Torres, Chris Collins, Katie DeTemple Steadicam Operator: David Frederick, SOC Digital Imaging Tech: Julio Saldarriaga Digital Utilities: Matthew Borek, Bianca Garcia Still Photographers: Erica Parise, Beth Dubber, Nicole Wilder STALWART FILMS, LLC “LODGE 49” SEASON 1 Dir. of Photography: Jeffrey Jur, ASC Operators: Glenn Brown, Jan Ruona Assistants: Justin DeGuire, Josh Gilbert, Taylor Case, Cameron Schwartz Digital Imaging Tech: Nick Hiltgen

Digital Utility: Dumaine Babcock Still Photographer: Jackson Davis “THE WALKING DEAD” SEASON 8 Dir. of Photography: Stephen Campbell, Paul Varrieur Operators: Deke Keener, Steve Andrich Assistants: David Galbraith, Matt Horn, Austin Blythe, Robert Veliky Steadicam Operator: Deke Keener Steadicam Assistant: David Galbraith Loader: Daniel Irons Camera Utility: Gabriel Salazar Still Photographer: Gene Page Publicist: Brandee Brooks TNT “THE LAST SHIP” SEASON 5 Dir. of Photography: Chris Baffa, ASC, Peter Kowalski Operators: Bud Kremp, SOC, Wally Sweeterman, Ben Spek Assistants: Michael D. Alvarez, Roger Spain, Jeff Lorenz, Ana Amortegui, Ulysses Domalaon, Scott Whitbread Steadicam Operator: Bud Kremp, SOC Digital Utility: George Ballenger Utility: Ben Shurtleff Technocrane Operator: Chris Mayhugh Technocrane Tech: Colin Michael West Remote Head Tech/Operator: Jay Sheveck “ANGIE TRIBECA” SEASON 4 Dir. of Photography: Tom Magill Operators: Josh Harrison, Johnny Martin Assistants: Adam Cowan, Dustin Fruge, Matt Guiza, Edwin Skip Mobley Utility: Evan Metcalfe-Church Digital Utility: Adam Tsang Still Photographer: Lisa Rose

JANUARY 2018

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“LUCIFER” SEASON 3 Dir. of Photography: Christian Sebaldt, ASC, Tom Camarda Operators: Kenny Brown, Eric Laudadio Assistants: Ryan Pilon, Nathan Crum, Rob Magnano, Jason Kinney Digital Imaging Tech: John Reyes Digital Utility: Bryce Marraro Still Photographers: Ron Jaffe, John P. Fleenor, Michael Desmond “MACGYVER” SEASON 2 Dir. of Photography: Gabriel Beristain, ASC, Mike Martinez Operators: Mark Moore, Greg Faysash, Paul Krumper Assistants: Al Cohen, Kate Roberson, Trevor Rios, Stefan Vino-Figueroa, Mike Torino, Danny Vanzura Steadicam Operator: Mark Moore Digital Imaging Tech: Greg VanZyck Digital Utility: Anna-Marie Aloia Publicist: Kathleen Tanji “MAJOR CRIMES” SEASON 6 Dir. of Photography: David A. Harp, Kenneth Zunder, ASC Operators: Chris Hood, Tim Roarke, Duane Mieliwocki Assistants: Matt Guiza, Randy Shanofsky, Dan Squires, Adam Tsang, Russ Miller, Veronica Bouza Digital Imaging Tech: Evin Grant

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TVM PRODUCTIONS, INC. “THE AMERICANS” SEASON 6 Dir. of Photography: Brad Smith Operators: Gabor Kover, Afton Grant Assistants: Rory Hanrahan, Elizabeth Singer, Sean Souza, Nick Koda Loader: Sebastian Iervolino

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TOPANGA PRODUCTIONS “EAGLE” Dir. of Photography: Francis Kenny, ASC Operators: Tim Dolan, Brian Pitts Assistants: Ryan Parks, Logan Turner, Thane Characky, Riley Padelford, Jon Jung, Mike Fauntleroy Camera Utility: Carl Lammi Loader: Jonathan Taylor Still Photographer: Ron Jaffe 2ND UNIT Dir. of Photography: Richard Crudo, ASC UNIVERSAL “THE ARRANGEMENT” SEASON 2 Dir. of Photography: Scott Williams Operators: Mark LaBonge, Michael Cassidy, Josh Williamson Assistants: Chuck Whelan, Jared Jordan, Dennis Seawright, Dale White, Aaron Bowen, Whitney Jones Digital Loader: Paulina Gomez Camera Utility: Cameron Burrell Still Photographer: Nicole Wilder “UNSOLVED” SEASON 1 Dir. of Photography: Sidney Sidell, ASC Operators: Joseph Arena, Brooks Robinson Assistants: Kevin Potter, Patrick Bensimmon, Paul Tilden, Kirsten Laube Steadicam Operator: Joseph Arena

JANUARY 2018

Loader: Brandon Gutierrez Digital Utility: Casey Muldoon VERITAS CURAT, LLC “TRIAL BY FIRE” Dir. of Photography: John Guleserian Operator: Gregg Easterbrook Assistants: Jeff Graham, Mary-Margaret Porter Digital Imaging Tech: Jonathan Carbonaro Digital Utility: Zack Norton Still Photographer: Steve Dietl WARNER BROS. “BLINDSPOT” SEASON 3 Dir. of Photography: Andrew Priestley, Jon Delgado Operators: Pyare Fortunato, Peter Ramos, John Romer Assistants: Andrew Smith, Aleksandr Allen, Liz Singer, Christian Bright, Kyle Clark, Deborah Fastuca Steadicam Operator: Pyare Fortunato Digital Imaging Tech: Chloe Walker Loaders: Kjerstin Rossi, Brian Grant “GOOD GIRLS” Dir. of Photography: Ben Rutkowski Still Photographer: Nicole Wilder “LETHAL WEAPON” SEASON 2 Dir. of Photography: David “Mox” Moxness, ASC, Andy Strahorn Operators: Victor Macias, Robert Givens Assistants: James Rydings, Kaoru “Q” Ishizuka, Troy Blischok, Kelsey Castellitto Digital Imaging Tech: Mike DeGrazzio Digital Utility: Spencer Shwetz Technocrane Operators: Colin Michael West, Chad Eshbaugh Remote Head Tech/Operator: Jay Sheveck

“MOM” SEASON 5 Dir. of Photography: Steven V. Silver, ASC Operators: Cary McCrystal, Jamie Hitchcock, Larry Gaudette, Candy Edwards Assistants: Meggins Moore, Nigel Stewart, Damian Della Santina, Mark Johnson, Benjamin Steeples Camera Utilities: Alicia Brauns, Andrew Pauling Video Controller: Kevin Faust Digital Imaging Tech: Robert “Bob Z” Zeigler Publicist: Kathleen Tanji “THE BIG BANG THEORY” SEASON 11 Dir. of Photography: Steven V. Silver, ASC Operators: John Dechene, Richard Price, SOC, Jamie Hitchcock, Brain Armstrong Assistants: Nigel Stewart, Chris Hinojosa, Steve Lund, Meggins Moore, Benjamin Steeples Camera Utilities: Colin Brown, Jeannette Hjorth Video Controller: John O’Brien Digital Imaging Tech: Robert Zeigler Publicist: Kathleen Tanji “THE MIDDLE” SEASON 9 Dir. of Photography: Blake T. Evans Operators: John Joyce, Bret Harding Assistants: Jefferson T. Jones, Roger Spain, Bryan Haigh, Suzy Dietz Steadicam Operator: John Joyce Steadicam Assistant: Jefferson T. Jones Loader: Richard Kent “YOUNG SHELDON” SEASON 1 Dir. of Photography: Buzz Feitshans Operators: Neil Toussaint, Stephen Clancy Assistants: Matthew Del Ruth, Brad Gilson, Jr., Grant Yellen, Megan Boundy Steadicam Operator: Stephen Clancy Still Photographer: Darren Michaels WHITEWATER FILMS INC. “WE ARE UNSATISFIED” Dir. of Photography: Noah Rosenthal Operator: Caitlin Machak Assistants: Jason Chau, Jaime Medrano, Kelli Wilcoxen, Yusuke Sato Digital Imaging Tech: Artur Dzieweczynski

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ARTS & SCIENCES “76” Dir. of Photography: Benn Martenson Operator: Matt Baker Assistants: Ian Congdon, Kira Hernandez, Justin Chefe Digital Imaging Tech: Jesse Tyler BIG SPOON INDUSTRIES “BELLE TIRE” Dir. of Photography: Richard Henkels Assistants: Brad Fanfalone, Anton Miasnikov BISCUIT “3M” Dir. of Photography: Eric Schmidt Assistants: JD Murray, Jason Adler Steadicam Operator: Bela Trutz Digital Imaging Tech: John Spellman BOB INDUSTRIES “NATURE MADE” Dir. of Photography: Tim Hudson Assistants: Erik Stapelfeldt, Daisy Smith Digital Imaging Tech: Eric Yu BRIDGE STREET FILMS “PA LOTTERY” Dir. of Photography: Derek McKane Assistants: Jim Mayfield, Dustin Raysik CMS “BAUSCH & LOMB-PRESERVISION” Dir. of Photography: Johan Palm Assistants: Lucas Deans, Noah Glazer Digital Imaging Tech: Jesse Tyler

COMPANY FILMS “LA QUINTA” Dir. of Photography: Richard Henkels Assistants: Michael Wohlfeld, Dick Saunders Digital Imaging Tech: Matt Aines “NORTHWESTERN MEDICAL” Dir. of Photography: Joshua Hess Steadicam Operator: Justin Painter Assistant: Eric Arndt Digital Imaging Tech: Eric Almond Drone Operator: Michael Monar CONDUCTOR PRODUCTIONS “HEALTH IQ” Dir. of Photography: Patrick Ruth Assistants: Mary Anne Janke, Micheal Rodriguez Torrent DUMMY “FINLAND 100” Dir. of Photography: Jay Feather Assistants: Lila Byall, Kira Hernandez Digital Imaging Tech: Michael Borenstein EPOCH FILMS “SPRINT” Dir. of Photography: Will Rexer Operator: Todd Armitage Assistants: Adam Miller, Steve Search, Sam Elliot Digital Imaging Tech: David Berman GIFTED YOUTH “LITTLE CAESARS” Dir. of Photography: Jeff Powers Assistants: Tom Arsenault, Logan Hall Digital Imaging Tech: Michael Borenstein

20/07/2017 GREENPOINT PICTURES “DICK’S SPORTING GOODS” Dir. of Photography: Riego Van Wersch Assistants: Jeremy Parsons, Jason Cianella

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HUNGRY MAN “HERSHEY’S Dir. of Photography: Toby Irwin Assistants: Tobin Oldach, Ian Clampett, Jeremy Cannon Digital Imaging Tech: Michael Borenstein “MONDELEZ INTERNATIONAL, INC.” Dir. of Photography: Scott Henriksen Assistants: JD Murray, Noah Glazer Digital Imaging Tech: Zak Sandberg INTERROGATE “INTUIT” Dir. of Photography: Tim Sessler Assistants: Robert Lau, Mitch Malpica Digital Imaging Tech: Kazim Karais MJZ “DAIRY QUEEN” Dir. of Photography: Jeanne Vienne Assistant: Nina Chien Digital Imaging Tech: George Robert Morse Phantom Tech: Steve Romano MOXIE PICTURES “CVS MOMENTS 2018” Dir. of Photography: Hillary Spera Assistants: Mary Anne Janke, Michael Rodriguez Torrent Digital Imaging Tech: Nicholas Pasquariello

JANUARY 2018

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NATIVE CONTENT “MICHIGAN LOTTERY” Dir. of Photography: Richard Henkels Assistants: Henry Joy, Devin Cragin Utility/Loader: Clark Birchmeier

“SOCAL HONDA” Dir. of Photography: Erik Schmidt Operator: Robert Russ Assistants: Lila Byall, Kira Hernandez Digital Imaging Tech: John Spellman

“RISE BTS/EPK” Dir. of Photography: Daniel Carp

NBC UNIVERSAL “MACY’S THANKSGIVING PARADE PRE-TAPE” Dir. of Photography: Tom Banks Operator: Matt Baker Assistants: Chevy Anderson, Ryan Nocella Steadicam Operator: Korey Robinson Loader: Ian Hurdle

RAUCOUS CONTENT “CNBC” Dir. of Photography: Sam Levy Operators: Vincent Vennitti, Nicola Benizzi Assistants: Rick Gioia, Nina Chien, Christina Carmody, Ken Thompson Steadicam Operator: Chris Moone Digital Imaging Tech: Artur Dzieweczynski

THE CALVARY PRODUCTIONS, INC. “NIKE OBJ” Dir. of Photography: Peter Konczal Assistants: Brett Walters, Sam Elliot Digital Imaging Tech: Kazim Karaismailoglu

NONFICTION UNLIMITED “LINKEDIN” Dir. of Photography: Jeff Stonehouse Assistant: Michael Lindquist Digital Imaging Tech: Michael Borenstein O POSITIVE “BUD LIGHT” Dir. of Photography: Maryse Alberti Operator: Mike Berg Assistants: Rick Gioia, Al Rogers, Jordan Levie Digital Imaging Tech: Patrick Cecilian “FOOT LOCKER” Dir. of Photography: Roberto Schaefer, ASC Assistants: Anthony Cappello, Marc Loforte Digital Imaging Tech: Mariusz Cichon “MCDONALD’S” Dir. of Photography: Adam Kimmel Operator: Ian Clampett Assistants: Tobin Oldach, Brad Rochlitzer, Jordan Martin Digital Imaging Tech: James Petersmeyer “ONEMAIN FINANCIAL” Dir. of Photography: Marten Tedin Operator: Daniel Ferrell Assitants: Conrad Castor, Nate Cummings, Adam Newell Digital Imaging Tech: Nick Strauser

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PARK PICTURES “GEICO” Dir. of Photography: Shawn Kim Assistants: Lila Byall, Kira Hernandez Digital Imaging Tech: Dylan Johnson

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PARTIZAN ENTERTAINMENT “CONVERSE” Dir. of Photography: Shawn Kim Assistants: Lila Byall, Carrie Lazar Digital Imaging Tech: Dylan Johnson PRETTYBIRD “AUDI” Dir. of Photography: Michael Svitak Operator: Rob Cammidge Jib Operator: Dan Hagouel Jib Tech: Mike Provence Utilities: Pete Quijano, Salvatore Bellissimo PULSE “SPRINT” Dir. of Photography: Autumn Cheyenne Durald Operator: Vincent Foeillet Assistants: Ethan McDonald, Garret Curtis, Marcus Del Negro Digital Imaging Tech: Conrad Radzik RADICAL MEDIA “JETBLUE” Dir. of Photography: Peter Donahue Assistants: Bob Ragozzine, Dan Keck Digital Imaging Tech: Joe Belack

JANUARY 2018

RIVERSTREET “DISNEY-DARE TO DREAM” Dir. of Photography: Ron Egozi Operator: Wayne Arnold Assistants: Alex Guckert, Mike Panczenko Digital Imaging Tech: Jason Hochrein RSA “DIET COKE” Dir. of Photography: Autumn Cheyenne Durald Assistants: Brian Freesh, Ethan McDonald, Garret Curtis, Marcus Del Negro, Daniel Asmelash Digital Imaging Tech: Daniel Satinoff “NY LOTTERY” Dir. of Photography: Peter Deming, ASC Assistants: Greg Wimer, Jenny Leavit Digital Imaging Tech: Bjorn Jackson SMUGGLER “DIET DR PEPPER” Dir. of Photography: Kramer Morgenthau, ASC Operator: Lukas Bielan Assistants: Lila Byall, Kira Hernandez, Lauren Gadd Digital Imaging Tech: Ryan Kunkleman SOMOROFF “SMIRNOFF” Dir. of Photography: Michael Somoroff Assistant: Tom Bracone SPARE PARTS “THE MORE YOU KOW 2017 NY PSA” Dir. of Photography: David Waterston Assistants: Peter Morello, Nate McGarigal Loader: Robert Cauble STATION FILM “IKEA” Dir. of Photography: Kip Bogdahn Assistants: Nina Chien, Mabel Santos Haugen Digital Imaging Tech: Bjorn Jackson SUPERLOUNGE “CHRYSLER” Dir. of Photography: Mike Svitak Operator: Derek Edwards Assistants: Mark Santoni, Niranjan Martin, Stephen Ling Digital Imaging Tech: Joe Kocsis “VALLEY TOYOTA DEALERS” Dir. of Photography: Mike Svitak Assistants: Derek Edwards, Pat Romero Digital Imaging Tech: Pasquale Paolo Digital Utility: Ben Brady TECHNOBABBLE PRODUCTIONS, LLC “CHRISTMAS IN ROCKERFELLER CENTER PRE-TAPE” Dir. of Photography: Gary Nardilla

“THE MORE YOU KNOW EPK” Dir. of Photography: Gary Nardilla

TOOL OF NORTH AMERICA “AMAZON” Dir. of Photography: William Peña Operator: Ian Clampett Assistants: Sam Butt, Brad Rochlitzer, Jake Rosenblatt Digital Imaging Tech: Colin Weinberg Phantom Tech: Tom Heigl “AMAZON” Dir. of Photography: Tim Hudson Assistants: Erik Stapelfeldt, Daisy Smith, Nathan Cummings Camera Utility: Holden Miller Digital Imaging Tech: Eric Yu TRAKTOR “NISSAN” Dir. of Photography: Larry Fong, ASC Operator: R. Michael Merriman Assistants: Ryan Rayner, Paul Santoni, James Jermyn Digital Imaging Tech: Rafel Montoya TWENTY NINE BLACK “THE CLOROX COMPANY” Dir. of Photography: Richard Henkels Assistant: Aaron Kirby WASHINGTON SQUARE “COMMAND-TIMSPIRATIONS” Dir. of Photography: Sam Kretchmar Assistant: Bahadir Gurel Digital Imaging Tech: Mike Maiatico “SPECTRUM BUSINESS” Dir. of Photography: Adam Beckman Assistants: Peter Morello, Nate McGarigal Digital Imaging Tech: Tyler Isaacson WAVE FILMS “HOME DEPOT” Dir. of Photography: Joe Aguirre Assistants: Chris Lymberis, JG Gribble Digital Imaging Tech: Jeremy Ball

CREW PHOTO: MADAM SECRETARY SEASON 4

(L TO R) front row: Zakiya Lucas Murray (loader) / Learan Kahanov (DP) / Heather Norton (A Camera 1st AC) / Chris Patrikis (loader) Back row: Amanda Rotzler (A camera 2nd AC) / Jamie Fitzpatrick (B camera 1st) / Jamie Silverstein (A camera operator) / Keith Putnam (Digital Imaging Technician) / Damon LeMay (B Camera 2nd) / Sarah Shatz (still photographer) / Peter Vietro-Hannum (B camera operator/ Steadicam) Photo Credit: Sarah Shatz

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COMPANY PAGE 20th Century Fox 4,5 Amazon 23, 25, 27 37 ARRI 29 Backstage Equipment 88 Blackmagic 15 Canon 7 Chapman Leonard 11 Cinemoves 9 Cineo Lighting 61 CL Enterprises 13 Cooke Optics 71 CW Sonderoptic 79 DJI 86, 87 Filmotechnic 51 Fox Searchlight 47 Focus Features 49 Fujinon 81 JL Fisher 84 Kino Flo 85 Lee Filters 91 Lindsey Optics 89 NAB Las Vegas 80 NBC Universal Lightblade 35 Netflix 17, 19, 21 Paralinx 96 Panavision 95 Paramount Pictures 45 Production Hub 78 Teradek 2,3 Warner Bros Photo Lab 90 Warner Bros Pictures 37, 39, 41, 43 Zeiss 33

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JANUARY 2018

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DALE ROBiNETTE

[stop motion]

DONNIE DARKO

AS I RECALL, THERE WAS BUZZ, BUZZ, BUZZ BEFORE THE PREMIERE OF DONNIE DARKO AT THE 2001 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL. AND UNLIKE TODAY’S FÊTE, IT WAS MOST UNUSUAL TO HAVE THE STARS ATTEND. BUT JAKE GYLLENHAAL (PICTURED HERE) AND DREW BARRYMORE CAME. ANXIOUS ANTICIPATION WRAPPED THE THEATER, WITH MAJOR INDIE BUYERS LIKE NEW LINE AND MIRAMAX IN ATTENDANCE. THE FIRST REEL WAS CONSUMED, BUT WHEN REEL THREE CAME UP NEXT BY MISTAKE, THE PROJECTOR GROANED TO A HALT. I REMEMBER [DIRECTOR] RICHARD KELLY, [PRODUCER] SEAN MCKITTRICK AND [DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY] STEVEN POSTER, ASC, DASHING TO THE STAGE APRON TO SILENCE ANY ALARM BELLS AND ANSWER QUESTIONS WHILE A PROJECTIONIST WAS SECURED AND SCURRIED UP TO THE BOOTH. THE FILM’S RELEASE WAS EQUALLY TROUBLED, COMING OUT THE WEEKEND RIGHT AFTER 9/11. BUT YEARS LATER, [WHEN I WAS] WORKING WITH RICHARD AND STEVEN AGAIN IN BOSTON, THERE WAS A MIDNIGHT SCREENING OF THE NOW-CULT CLASSIC AS WELL AS A PLAY BEING STAGED AT HARVARD NAMED…DONNIE DARKO! SO, AS THE BARD FAMOUSLY WROTE: “ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.” 94

JANUARY 2018

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