British Cinematographer - Issue 69 by Open Box Media & Communications

www.britishcinematographer.co.uk Issue 69 -- May 2015

CREDITS / BRITISH CINEMATOGRAPHER / ISSUE 69 / maY 2015

BRITISH

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Uniting C ine m at o gr a p hers Ar o und the W or l d

“This is more than a wham

bam smash-up derby. Having a female road warrior gives the piece a much deeper and broader emotional palette than the previous Mad Max films.”

John Seale ACS ASC

Contributors Ron Prince has many years experience working in the film, TV, CGI and visual effects industries. He is the editor of British Cinematographer Magazine and runs the international marketing and communications company Prince PR (www.princepr.com). Adrian Pennington writes about the business and technology of film and TV for publications including The Guardian, Screen International and Broadcast. He is managing editor of The IBC Daily, editorial consultant for TVB Europe, a producer of the 3D Masters conference, and co-author of Exploring 3D: The New Grammar Of Stereoscopic Filmmaking (Focal Press). Carolyn Giardina is based in Los Angels and has been covering production for more than 17 years and is contributing editor, tech, at The Hollywood Reporter, for which she edits its “Behind The Screen” blog. She is also co-author of Exploring 3D: The New Grammar Of Stereoscopic Filmmaking (Focal Press). David A Ellis worked in the BBC’s film department. He has written for many publications including Cinema Technology and Film International. He is the author of Conversations With Cinematographers. His second book In Conversation With Cinematographers is out this year.. Debra Kaufman writes about media and entertainment technology for American Cinematographer, ICG Magazine, DV Magazine, TV Technology and CineMontage, the Editor’s Guild publication. She also covers CES, SMPTE conferences, and the HPA Tech Retreat for USC’s Entertainment Technology Center. John Keedwell the GBCT News Editor, is a documentary and commercials cameraman who has worked on many productions around the world. He crosses over in both film and tape productions and has great knowledge of the new file-based formats and their methods of production. Kevin Hilton is a freelance journalist who writes about technology and personalities in film and broadcasting, and contributes film reviews and interviews to a variety of publications in the UK and abroad. Michael Burns is a journalist and author covering the film, broadcast, design and interactive sectors. His work over the last 16 years can be found in magazines such as Broadcast and Televisual, Macuser and MovieScope and online at www.firedbydesign.com. Valentina I. Valentini focuses on the art and craft of cinematography, and all that it includes, as a freelance writer based in Los Angeles. She contributes to ICG Magazine, Camera Angles, HDVideoPro, and is the West Coast Correspondent to IndieFilm3D.com and DigitalCinemaReport.com.

British Cinematographer is part of LAWS Publishing. Laws Publishing Ltd, Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire SL0 0NH t. +44 (0) 1753 650101 | f. +44 (0) 1753 650111 The publishers wish to emphasise that the opinions expressed in British Cinematographer are not representative of Laws Publishing Ltd but the responsibility of the individual contributors.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Comfort And Joy U

nless I’m mistaken, and unless there’s a disruptive bolt from the blue, the UK movie production industry should be jumping for joy at the prospect of a fully-fledged Conservative government for the next five years. The stock markets rallied instantly on the news of stability from the new administration. Likewise, any productions that perhaps paused for thought as to who might be running the country, can now be comforted by the continuum of a film-friendly UK regime, offering attractive financial terms, supported by an enviable depth and breadth of talent and state-of-the-art service companies. Unlike some of the political parties, who found it hard to impress the electorate, the UK filmmaking community appears to have done a great job in maintaining the ear of The Treasury, and long may it continue. This edition is a bit of a time traveller’s treat: from the wilds of Victorian Wessex, in Far From The Madding Crowd, lensed by Charlotte Bruus Christensen, to Sara Deane’s present-day envisioning of London suburbia for The Beat Beneath My Feet, to John Seale ACS ASC’s delirious dystopia in Mad Max: Fury Road. Not forgetting the time-shifting switcheroos in Tomorrowland, shot by Claudio Miranda, and the fantasy served-up by Ben Davis BSC in Avengers: Age Of Ultron where time and place are peripheral. For the creative geeks out there, Steve Yedlin’s technical approach to the colour on Danny Collins should be of great appeal, as should our 2015 NAB/Cine Gear Expo feature, and our interview with Curtis Clarke ASC, who relates the past, present and future work of the ASC Technology Committee. However, on a note of caution, Richard Crudo ASC, in his Letter From America, is keen that developers don’t hamstring creatives with needless nerdiness. Thanks for reading. We’re all looking forward to a straight path, without too many ups and downs, twist or turns en route, for the foreseeable future.

RON PRINCE Editor | British Cinematographer Magazine British Cinematographer | May 2015 | 03

CONTENTS / BRITISH CINEMATOGRAPHER / ISSUE 69 / maY 2015

IN THIS ISSUE...

On the cover... John Seale ACS ASC lines up a shot on Mad Max: Fury Road

Behind the scenes... Claudio Miranda on Tomorrowland

President’s Perspective

Barry Ackroyd BSC attends the acupuncturist and ponders the finer points of the future of celluloid

Production/Post & Techno News

The latest news concerning DPs, plus Studios Round-Up and Cannes Film Festival 2015 preview

Who’s Shooting Who?

Your definitive guide to which DPs are shooting who and where

ON THE JOB

John Seale ACS ASC gives the cinematographic inside-track on the reboot of dystopian caper Mad Max: Fury Road

Camera Creative

Charlotte Bruus Christensen reveals her love of the English countryside as she recalls her work on Far From The Madding Crowd

Mountain high... Robin Browne pictured on A Passage To India (1984)

New wave... David Procter BSC on location

Ben Davis BSC on Avengers: Age Of Ultron; Sara Deane on The Beat Beneath My Feet; Claudio Miranda on Tomorrowland; and Steve Yedlin on Danny Collins

Classic Soho post-house Goldcrest is enjoying a bit of a resurgence

Curtis Clark ASC talks about the on-going work of the ASC’s Technology Committee

Close-Ups

POST-IT-NOTES

54 F-Stop

Innovator

IMAGO News

A look at the UK lighting kit developer Rotolight

Review of NAB 2015 and a preview of the 2015 Cine Gear Expo in LA, featuring the latest filmmaking kit

David Procter... cooks up a mean curry!

Discover who’s been dialling-in the most recent DI grades

The chairman’s statement plus the latest news and views from the Guild

Spotlight

MEET THE NEW WAVE

Letter From America

ASC president Richard Crudo ASC says that manufacturers need to do more to keep their kit simple

Live & Let DI

Nigel Walters BSC reports IMAGO’s recent and forthcoming events around Europe

GBCT News

Clapperboard

Ace cinematographer… Robin Browne Honorary Member BSC

British Cinematographer | May 2015 | 05

PRESIDENTS PERSPECTIVE / BARRY ACKROYD BSC / BSC PRESIDENT

Vinyl records

British Society

of Cinematographers Board of Governors 2015 PRESIDENT: Barry Ackroyd BSC IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT: John de Borman BSC VICE PRESIDENTS: Sean Bobbitt BSC Nigel Walters BSC Haris Zambarloukos BSC GOVERNORS: Oliver Curtis BSC John Daly BSC Joe Dunton MBE BSC (non DoP) Mike Eley BSC Gavin Finney BSC Sue Gibson BSC David Higgs BSC Nic Knowland BSC Phil Meheux BSC Nic Morris BSC Dick Pope BSC Chris Seager BSC Derek Suter BSC Robin Vidgeon BSC CO-OPTED ASSOCIATE MEMBER REPRESENTATIVE: Chris Plevin SECRETARY/Treasurer: Frances Russell

I’m sure you can imagine this. You’re in the first week of filming and, by the weekend, you’re coming down with the worst head cold ever.

t’s one of those things that gets passed around the crew, like damp pizza at a wrap party. Pounding headache. Sore throat. The lot. So, I headed to a Chinese acupuncturist and whilst I lay there, listening to soothing Chinese music, with the needles literally from head-to-toe, I started thinking of the time I spent as a camera assistant in China in the 1980s. I was working with Mike Fox, the great documentary cinematographer and fellow BSC member. We travelled over much of China, with Mike creating the most exquisite images that became Channel 4’s first-ever documentary series, Heart Of The Dragon. As we travelled around this almost unbelievable country, discovering the “never before seen”, our Aaton cameras and Kodak filmstock had to endure –30ºC in Harbin and +40ºC in Nanjing. As I lay on the acupuncturist’s couch, my thoughts concentrated on the simple beauty of the cameras and the stock: two things that were totally reliable in all conditions, that made filming possible; precious things that could just slip away. Which are slipping away. And this brought me back to our big questions. Is there a future at all for film? For celluloid? For an analogue world? Or, put simply, can Kodak, our sole provider of filmstock, be profitable enough to survive? Can we as cinematographers generate enough work to keep calling ourselves a “film industry”? Or is the die cast, with no turning back? It’s been a dramatic decade of change for our film suppliers. Kodak was selling 124 billion feet of film a year in the mid 2000s. As digital shooting has become the norm, last year sales dropped to less than 500 million feet of raw stock. Digital is replacing analogue filming, and digital cameras continue to be developed at a pace. Yet, despite these changes, film fights on. For example, the new Star Wars movies have returned to using film, thanks to DP Dan Mindel and his director JJ Abrams. A strange choice perhaps, as it was George Lucas and the Star Wars franchise that first pioneered the use of digital projection. Then Star Wars became the first movie in the early 1990s to be shot entirely digitally. But maybe things are turning around. Maybe the rot has stopped and a balance somewhere around this present mark might remain. Who knows? Maybe Fuji, and yes Agfa, might join in again? Let’s see. Our craft is confronting changes on many fronts – such as the motionography in gaming and animation, digital worlds that can and

do generate lensless images. Where real things can be fixed, adjusted and replaced seamlessly. Take a look at the third character in Gravity, the Asian astronaut who gets blow away. No credit for him, because he is just a collection of pixels created in the computer. Yet we all know it’s unimaginable to not have some element of digital work in a film these days. We as cinematographers depend on Digital Intermediates and computer graphic imaging. It’s practically unknown for a film to not use these two elements. So technology is not going to stop and we, as cinematographers, need to be ready to participate in developments. It seems to me that there could be many pitfalls as well as crucially important decisions to be made. But if the wrong decisions are made, they could practically destroy cinematography as we know it, and reduce our roll to information gathering. So what of the future? Optics – the very thing that unites all types of cinematography. The lens – the magician’s crystal, that transmits light that excites chemicals. We are seeing new developments and new products almost every week. More variety, better speeds, more choice. Fortunately cine cameras had already reached a peak and these cameras are indestructible, well almost indestructible. So it’s true to say film cameras will continue to run, filmstock can be made readily available, quality film labs can be at our disposal, in the places wherever we make films. We also need trained camera crews to keep the cameras and the traditions alive. Then with the existing brilliance of cinematography we can develop both digital and analogue together. I can almost hear the groans, sounding like an old record player. But that’s my point. Records are still alive. It’s an old adage. Radio was never replaced by television. TV was not replaced by the Internet. And digital technology will not replace celluloid. Look at what has happened to records. Vinyl records last year sold 38% more than they did in 2013. Forty million LP records were sold. In the same way that some attempts to progress turn into gimmicks, in the way 3D filmmaking burns itself out in a short time, the best technologies remain. This is not the final stage of celluloid, it’s merely the vinyl years. My wee cold cleared up, as colds always do. Things go on as before. Tomorrow morning I start shooting again on Kodak with beautiful ARRI cameras. And filmmaking, storytelling, and all forms of cinema, go on. Long live cinema! British Cinematographer | May 2015 | 07

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP

Deakins movie tribute is a highlight of Cannes Film Festival Tribute... one of the UK’s greatest cinematographers, Roger Deakins, gets a special salute from Thales Angenieux Brothers in arms... jury the Coens lead the at Cannes this year

lthough there are no films from British directors in this year’s competition line-up at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, there is considerable anticipation for London-born Asif Kapadia’s Amy Winehouse documentary and, with the jury chaired by Joel and Ethan Coen, a highlight for British cinematographers is the Thales Angénieux tribute to Roger Deakins CBE BSC ASC, the Coen’s longtime visual collaborator. Screen idols Cate Blanchett, Matthew McConaughey, Marion Cotillard and Sir Michael Caine are among those with films competing at this year’s festival. The 2015 line-up also sees several auteurs returning, with new films from Gus Van Sant, Nanni Moretti and Jacques Audiard. Playing out of competition are Woody Allen’s 45th film, Irrational Man, which sees Joaquin Phoenix star as a college professor who starts a relationship with one of his students, and the new Pixar animation Inside Out. Festival director Thierry Fremaux announced the line-up in Paris, simultaneously launching a campaign to stem the tide of “selfies” on the red carpet. “We don’t

Banned... selfies have been outlawed from the red carpet

want to prohibit it, but we think it’s ridiculous and grotesque and really slows things down. You never look as ugly as you do in a selfie.” This year’s opening film is La Tete Haute (Standing Tall), by French actress/director Emmanuelle Bercot, and Cannes is also the worldwide premiere of Fury Road, the new chapter in the rebooted Mad Max franchise. Seventeen films were unveiled in competition and 14 in Un Certain Regard. Cait Blanchett will star alongside Rooney Mara in Carol, based on a novel by The Talented Mr Ripley author Patricia Highsmith. The 1950’s New York-set drama is directed by Todd Haynes of Far From Heaven fame, lensed by Ed Lachman ASC. In Gus Van Sant’s The Sea Of Trees, Matthew McConaughey and Ken Watanabe play two men who meet by chance in Japan’s Suicide Forest, where both have gone to end their lives; Naomi Watts also stars. Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard co-star in a new adaptation of Macbeth, from up-and-coming Australian director Justin Kurzel, whilst Italy’s Paolo Sorrentino follows up 2013’s The Great Beauty with the English-language drama Youth starring Sir Michael Caine as a retired orchestra conductor who receives an invitation to perform for the Queen. The line-up also includes two other Italian directors, Gomorrah’s Matteo Garrone, who is premiering his The Tale of Tales, and Cannes regular Nanni Moretti, with My Mother. As tradition dictates, France is represented by four directors - including Audiard, Maiwenn, Valerie Donzelli and first-timer Stephane Brize. Asia is represented by The Assassin, from Taiwan’s Hou Hsiao-hsien, China’s Jia Zhangke whose Mountains May Depart marks his fourth film at Cannes and Our Little Sister, from Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda.

Canada’s Denis Villeneuve’s is showing Sicario, a crime drama starring Emily Blunt and Benecio Del Toro. One beacon for Brits, especially the cinematographic community, is the Thales Angénieux Tribute To Roger Deakins. As an official partner of the festival since 2013, the company makes a tribute every year to a prominent international director of photography. After Philippe Rousselot AFC ASC in 2013 and Vilmos Zsigmond HSC ASC in 2014, Angénieux is honouring Deakins this year, whose work on Coen brothers movies includes Fargo, The Man Who Wasn’t There, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, No Country For Old Men and True Grit, as well as Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption, Martin Scorsese’s High hopes... Asif Kundun, Sam Kapadia’s Amy is one of the few Mendes’ British contenders Skyfall, Denis Villeneuve’s Prisoners and most recently Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken. The twelve-time Academy Award nominee for Best Cinematography, has also served as visual consultant for several animated features, including WALL-E, How To Train Your Dragon, Rango, The Guardians, The Croods, and most recently, How to Train Your Dragon 2. Amongst his many accolades, Deakins received the ASC’s Lifetime Achievement award in 2011 and has garnered five wins of the British Society Of Cinematographers’ (BSC) Best Cinematography Award. In 2013, Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II made him a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), the only cinematographer to have been given this high honour. British Cinematographer | May 2015 | 09

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP Sitting pretty... (l-r) Panavision’s Hugh Whittaker and Charlie Todman, Samantha Grieves, James Kar, John Daly BSC, the BSC’s Audra Marshall and Nigel Walters BSC at a preview of the Regent Street Cinema

Birthplace of British cinema reopens in London

fter a £5.8 fundraising campaign the oldest cinema in the UK has been restored in Regent Street, London, and is now open for screenings to the public. Considered the birthplace of British cinema, The Regent Street Cinema, within the University of Westminster’s flagship building, first screened the Lumiere brothers’ moving picture show in 1896. The brothers chose the Regent Street Polytechnic, as it was then called, for the screening because of the institution’s reputation as a leader in scientific experimentation and entertainment. Entitled Cinematographe, it was the UK’s first public cinema performance to a paying audience, and showed a train moving into a station. At the time it left the audience so astounded they thought it was actually coming towards them. Leading figures from UK production service companies attended a special preview of the restored cinema. Panavision, the British Society Of Cinematographers and British Cinematographer Magazine became sponsors at the event.

Creative Skillset announces new chair and board members

Creative Skillset, the industry skills body, has announced that chief executive officer (CEO), Dinah Caine CBE, will leave her post to become chair of the organisation’s board. She will replace Stewart Till CBE, who completes his five-year term as chair following his previous terms as vice chair. Creative Skillset has grown in profile and has delivered several initiatives, such as Hiive, the Skills Investment Funds and industry accreditation of courses through the Creative Skillset “Tick”. Building on this success, a new CEO is being sought with a strong industry background to develop fresh Moving on up... Dinah Caine is and ambitious moving to the board public private of Creative Skillset partnerships

10 | British Cinematographer | May 2015

as well as a strong, sustainable business plan for the next phase of the Creative Industries’ growth. Caine will move to chair the organisation on the appointment of the new CEO, and two new board members will also join the board of Creative Skillset, namely Ivan Dunleavy, the chief executive of Pinewood Group and Sophie Turner-Laing, chief executive of Endemol Shine Group. Stewart Till said: “I’m delighted that Dinah remains with Creative Skillset. She has led the organisation since it was a small-scale operation and brought the importance of skills and public/private creative partnerships to the heart of Government thinking and industry practice. We’re delighted that she will continue to play a key role going forward. Our new board members, Ivan and Sophie bring huge expertise and experience from the top of the industry and will be a massive asset to Creative Skillset.”

Kodak announces independent production package for UK filmmakers

As part of on-going efforts to support independent filmmakers, Kodak has introduced a new programme in the UK to assist nonstudio productions in originating their stories on film. Kodak’s Independent Production Package (KIPP) simplifies the budgeting process for indies and provides a package deal that includes stock, equipment rental and lab services. Kodak hopes to announce the availability of KIPP in other regions soon. “Film has always been a big part of the independent filmmaking community, and we want it to stay that way,” said Andrew Evenski, Kodak’s president of Entertainment &

Commercial Films. “This UK programme makes shooting film a one-stop-shop for filmmakers on a budget. From origination through to post, we can put together a package to get their stories told on film.” Filmmakers that are interested in shooting on film can request a combined services package that includes camera rental, stock, processing and transfer services. Both 16mm and 35mm packages are available, tailored to fit their needs. Options are calculated based on title length, shooting ratio, and the best price at a single per foot rate. Partners in the KIPP programme include ARRI Rental, Panavision, Movietech, Take Two Films, Cinelab London and i-Dailies. “All of these well-respected companies that service the imaging chain have heard filmmakers asking for assistance,” said Sam Clark, origination manager at Kodak. “These companies understand the challenges independent productions face, and the programme exists because we all want to see filmmakers realise their vision.” Working in collaboration with the University Film & Video Foundation (UFVF), Kodak has continued to support the Kodak Scholarship Program, the annual international contest to encourage students wanting to pursue careers in filmmaking. The awards will be judged by John Bailey ASC, his fourth consecutive year as a judge, and the winners will be announced in August.

Remember this?... Kodak is offering special packages for indie filmmakers

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP

Ikegami 8K ultra high-definition television (UHDTV) camera

kegami has collaborated with Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) to develop an 8K ultra highdefinition television (UHDTV) camera. Designed for live studio and field production, the SHK-810 camera head is compact and weighs less than 20lbs (9 kg). It can be operated in the same way as the existing Ikegami broadcast camera systems. Ikegami introduced the first generation 8K UHDTV camera with NHK in 2002. This was followed by a second-generation model in 2004 and a third generation camera in 2010. Ikegami’s SHK-810 fourth generation UHDTV camera is one tenth the size of the first generation model and has significantly improved operability. According to the roadmap of the Japan Ministry of Internal Affairs & Communications, test broadcasts of 4K/8K via BS

Ikegami... new 8K camera

satellite television will start at the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, followed by 8K on-air broadcasting which is scheduled to start by 2018 in Japan. The Ikegami SHK-810 camera employs a single 33 millionpixel Super 35 CMOS sensor, achieving 4,000 horizontal and vertical resolution lines. The colour filter on the sensor employs a dual-green SHV colour arrangement and achieves a high level of modulation depth. The PLLens mount allows the operator to use the camera with 8K lenses, cine lenses, 4K lenses and custom-designed zoom lenses for single-chip SHV cameras.

Canon 4K broadcast zoom lens

Canon is developing a high-magnification, long-length 4K broadcast zoom lens for use with 4K-capable broadcast cameras employing 2/3-inch sensors. The new lens is being developed as a new model in Canon’s UHD DigiSuper series of studio and field broadcasting lenses. In addition to realising a high level of imaging performance, supporting the capture of 4K-resolution video, the new lens will feature specifications and a body size that ensure a high level of operability and ease-of-use on a par with Canon’s HD broadcast models. Canon is aiming to commercialise the 4K field zoom lens in late 2015.

Transvideo StarliteHD 5” OLED monitor

ransvideo collaborated with ARRI on a specially-adapted version of Transvideo’s StarliteHD 5” OLED monitor. The resulting StarliteHD5-ARRI will be able to control key camera functions of the ARRI Alexa Mini and the ARRI Amira cameras. Constructed from aviation-grade aluminium, the StarliteHD5-ARRI monitor is the size of a smartphone and weighs less than 200g. The StarliteHD5-ARRI will also be compatible with other cameras as it retains all of the monitor’s original functionality, including waveform, vectorscope and histogram displays, as well as a builtin recorder for H.264 rushes on SD cards. The StarliteHD5ARRI will be sold exclusively through ARRI sales channels.

Transvideo... ARRI Alexa Mini with a StarLite touchscreen monitor

12 | British Cinematographer | May 2015

BBS Lighting: Pipeline System Remote Phosphor LED lights

BS Lighting have premiered its Pipeline System Remote Phosphor LED lights. In a versatile form factor, Pipeline offers BBS’ colour rendering, fan-less operation for both Daylight and Tungsten color output and wireless DMX control, running on AC or DC. Made to address the challenges of travelling correspondents who often deliver their reports via Skype or Messenger from a webcam on a desktop, BBS presented present the Pipeline Reporter 3200, 4300 and 5600 Kits. It also demonstrated its LED Flyer Boom light, a ready-to-go LED boom light and accessory kit built to satisfy the needs of camera and lighting professionals shooting video, cine and news production. It provides soft bi-colour output along with rapid set-up. The LED Flyer can deployed on the end of a boom pole, enabling it to follow subjects across the ground or stage as either a top, front or back light. BBS Lighting’s K7 LED Display also made its NAB debut. Round in shape, the small K7 can be hidden hides in small nooks in the background of live television programme sets, museums and other high-end displays where it provides high CRI illumination. Beam control is provided by quick-change lenses and honeycombs. The fixture comes with a choice of 2W 3000K, 4000K or 5600K or 2W LEDs. The power supply runs off 120-240 VAC. BBS is showed its Area 48 remote phosphor system, demonstrating that by moving the phosphor away from the LED itself, colour rendering, consistency and light output are markedly improved. A staple for features, television and news sets, the source is comparable to a traditional 1k soft light. It offers DMX and manual control and multiple power options including an optional mount for V-mount or A/B mount batteries or standard AC power.

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP Fujinon... the powerful new UA80x9” zoom

Fujinon launch two new 2/3” UHDTV broadcast zoom lenses

ujinon have launched two new 2/3” UHDTV broadcast zoom lenses, the UA80x9 and UA22x8, both compatible with 4K cameras. The UA80x9 is an 80x zoom lens that covers a broad range of focal lengths from 9mm in wide angle to 720mm in telephoto, making it suitable for live sporting events and concerts. The lens features an “optical stabilisation mechanism” that provides adjustment to image shakes caused by vibrations and wind. The “floating focus system”, which controls multiple lens groups according to the shooting distance, delivers high-resolution and high-contrast images from close-up to infinity, enabling 4K video production with a highly realistic sensation and premium picture quality. The UA22x8 is a lightweight, portable 22x zoom lens covering the focal length from 8mm in wide angle to 176mm in telephoto. It also

features the “floating focus system”, and delivers an advanced level of mobility for live sport coverage, indoor/outdoor programme production and news reporting.

Light Illusion

Colour management developer Light Illusion have released next-generation colour mathematics for the advanced Colour Engine, which is at the heart LightSpace CMS colour calibration system. Whilst the original Colour Engine had previously proven a fast and accurate for display calibration, LUT generation, conversion and manipulation, the new LightSpace Colour Engine has been completely re-written and enhanced, with visible and measurable improvements in final calibration results. Flanders Scientific Inc. has been actively involved in beta testing the new Colour Engine, and

Bram Desmet, general manager, commented. “It’s always impressive to see something that was already good to begin with get even better. LightSpace. The improved accuracy we are seeing is a testament to Light Illusion’s commitment to the continued refinement of their products.” Steve Shaw, CEO of Light Illusion, commented, “The advanced calibration capabilities of LightSpace CMS can be seen by the fact any display can be accurately calibrated without the need for intricate optimisation of internal display settings. All that is needed is to turn off any internal display colour management, set the black and white points as required, and let LightSpace CMS do the rest.”

Egripment Support Systems TDT Remote Crane System

Pomfort livegrade air

omfort have released LiveGrade Air, a free iOS App for professional look creation. LiveGrade Air helps DPs and DITs to prepare looks for the next shooting days by creating and visualising their colour ideas on an iPad or iPhone. For exchanging the created looks with the film team the App provides support for all essential look formats. App can now be downloaded on the App Store (for iPad or iPhone with iOS 8).

14 | British Cinematographer | May 2015

Egripment... the TDT remote crane

gripment Support Systems were at NAB 2015 and featured several new compact and portable hardware solutions, including the ProTraveller System, TDT Remote Crane System and Universal Dolly as well as its Focus Dolly Light and Aluminum Pack Track. The TDT Remote Crane System is a high-quality, lightweight, modular length, remote crane, dolly and remote head. The remote head on the TDT features the best qualities of Egripment’s Scanner and 306 Heads and incorporates them into an economical, smooth and solid solution suitable for most ENG-sized broadcast and smaller digital cameras. The Universal Dolly can being folded down to 20x30x5 inches (50x75x12.5 cm), and makes a simple addition to other Egripment accessories, such as seat supports, columns, bazookas and jib arms. The Focus Dolly Light and Aluminum Pack Track is based on the company’s original Focus Dolly, but features an entirely new design and is built from aluminium, making it lighter and far more durable than the original. The company’s crane/jib/remote head ProTraveller System is designed for use with DSLR and HDV cameras. With its maximum weight of 82.5 pounds (37 kg) at the largest set-up length, the ProTraveller combines high-quality crane movements with a technical remote head on a lightweight frame.

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP

ARRI Rental hires Ed Jones as marketing executive

ARRI... Ed Jones has joined to boost commercials and promos

RRI Rental UK has hired of Ed Jones as commercials and promos marketing executive. This new position is dedicated to building stronger bonds between ARRI Rental’s new and existing clients. Jones joins Simon Surtees, who was appointed as features and drama marketing executive at the end of 2014. Both have extensive industry experience as camera assistants, and will focus on managing the company’s relationships with production and crew, as well as seeking new business opportunities. “We hope to take our client relations to a new level of excellence with the addition of both Ed and Simon to our team,” said Russell Allen, director of operations at ARRI Rental UK’s camera and grip division. In addition to the new appointments, ARRI Rental’s recent focus has been on the introduction of the Alexa 65, as well as the implementation of a programme of refurbishment works to add new and improved facilities to the company’s premises in Uxbridge. “Our clients are at the centre of everything we do,” added Allen. “With this in mind we have concentrated on strengthening our staff, enhancing operations and offering industry-leading products and services.” The Alexa 65 system was officially launched in December 2014. Comprising of camera, lenses and a complete image workflow developed by Codex, ARRI Rental is experiencing significant demand for the Alexa 65. It is now in use on major productions including Oliver Stone’s Snowden, lensed by Anthony Dod Mantle DFF BSC ASC, and Yimou Zhang’s The Great Wall, which is being shot by Stuart Dryburgh ASC. Jess Hall BSC also used the Alexa 65 on a series of commercials for the Halo 5 videogame.

New Dedolight LED kits available to rent from Cirro Lite

fter a delay of almost a year due to demand in sales, Cirro Lite has announced the availability of new Dedolight DLED kits from its own rental department as well as all main rental companies. The new and efficient LED 40w units, available as bicolour, Daylight and Tungsten versions, offer the typical optical performance and control expected from a Dedolight, but they also have added ability to dim without any colour shift, as well as the capacity to tune the colour on bi-colour versions with even colour distribution and without colour shift. They also provide a clean beam, with no stray light outside the beam, no hotspots. The DLED lighting system addresses many of the challenges when shooting with the new digital cameras in a busy environment – not only does it provide optical control for efficiency on-set, it also provides a new level of dimming control, allowing the fine-tuning on the fly, and the ability to add effects and highlights with the projector system.

New book In Conversation With Cinematographers arrives in August

In Conversation With Cinematographers, the new book by David A. Ellis, a regular contributor to British Cinematographer Magazine, goes on sale in August 2015. Published by Rowman and Littlefield, the new tome features interviews with 21 directors of photography, as well as two notable camera operators, working in film and television today. Readers are taken behindthe-scenes of some of the most successful films and shows of the last several decades. Included are BSC members: Sue Gibson, Gavin Finney, Oliver Stapleton, Phil Méheux, Brian Tufano, Clive Tickner, Stephen Goldblatt, Seamus McGarvey, Peter MacDonald, Mike Southon, Rob Hardy, Harvey Harrison, Robin Browne, Adam Suschitzky, Simon Kossoff, Chris Seager, Haris Zambarloukos, Peter Hannan and Roger Pratt. Also included are Ken Westbury, David Worley, Trevor Coop and underwater specialist Mike Valentine. These cinematographers recount their experiences on sets and reveal what it was like to work with some of the most acclaimed directors of recent times, including Danny Boyle, Francis Ford Coppola, Clint Eastwood, Lasse Hallstrom, David Lynch and Steven Spielberg. “Although cinematographers are vital to the filmmaking process, they don’t always get the recognition they deserve,” said Ellis. “They are responsible for the look of a film and its lasting impression on the viewer, but their skills are not as readily appreciated as those of directors or screenwriters. With valuable insight into the art of moviemaking, and featuring plentiful photos, this collection of interviews will appeal to anyone with an interest in the art of cinematography.”

Blushes for Blanshard Cirro Lite... is now stocking the long-awaited Dedolight LED packages

16 | British Cinematographer | May 2015

In the last issue of the magazine (BC68) our longtime collaborator, and honourary friend of the BSC, Richard Blanshard went uncredited for the great photos he again provided from the 2015 BSC Expo, held at Pinewood Studios in January. We apologise for this oversight, and thank Richard for all the wonderful images he has provided of Summer Luncheons, Operators Nights and BSC Shows over the years.

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP

Canon unveils 4K reference display and 4K cameras C

anon has announced its next-generation of input-to-output solutions for 4K production workflows. The range includes the DP-V2410, a 24-inch 4K reference display, and two new 4K camcorders – the EOS C300 Mark II, a 4K Cinema EOS camera, and the XC10, a compact, lightweight 4K video and digital stills camera for aspiring filmmakers. The DP-V2410 monitor has been engineered for use on-set or on-location to provide accurate and reliable output of 4K content, facilitating live shooting for quality control, focusing and exposure confirmation, as well as on-set colour management and grading. It delivers 4K, 4096 x 2160 resolution, and a High Dynamic Range mode displays extreme highlights and shadow detail simultaneously. The DP-V2410 has been optimised to support the DCI-P3 cinema standard, the ITU-R BT.2020 broadcast standard and ACES Proxy (ACES Ver. 1.0). Equipped with 3G/HD-SDI and HDMI interfaces, plus a built-in deBayer, the DP-V2410 is able to show native 4K RAW footage direct from compatible Cinema EOS cameras, saving costs on an external deBayer unit. The monitor is expected to be available in Europe towards the end of 2015. Canon’s new generation of 4K cameras includes the EOS C300 Mark II and XC10 Touted as highly durable, the EOS C300 Mark II enables filmmakers and broadcasters to record 4K video with 15-stops of dynamic range at high bit-rates to internal CFast 2.0 cards. Created for aspiring filmmakers, or as a B-camera in professional productions, the XC10 is a compact digital camcorder that offers the versatility to capture both high bit-rate 4K video and 12MP stills.

4K-ing crazy... Canon’s new 4K capable cameras

Canon’s new reference monitor

Panalux expands into new Perivale facility

Panalux, a provider of lighting rental equipment for film, television and media production, has consolidated its Broadcast & Event division, engineering and product development departments into a customised facility in Perivale Park, west London. The 48,000sq/ft warehouse and offices will enable the company to accommodate a greater number of projects and allow future business expansion. The new facility has more than triple the loading bays than its former Broadcast & Event warehouse, and has a high-bay rack system allowing for easier loading, more prep space and greater storage capacity.

Panalux has also consolidated equipment and personnel from several other smaller locations into the new site, although its headquarters will remain at Waxlow Road in Park Royal. “Panalux Broadcast & Event has experienced consistent growth over the past years; as a result, we’ve outgrown our current location,” explained Ed Pagett, Panalux Broadcast & Event managing director. “We’re looking forward to settling into our new building, which will provide our different teams with the space they need to continue to expand on our services.” Chris Millard, Panalux group technical director, added, “In-house R&D and engineering continue to set Panalux apart from its competitors. It is important to the development of our products and technology that these departments work and collaborate closely, and we are pleased to have a more than adequate space to work from.”

Cineverse opens camera, lens and LED lighting rental facility in Atlanta

igital cinema equipment provider, Cineverse, has opened new premises in Atlanta, Georgia. The 18,500sq/ft facility is located in the heart of Georgia’s Midtown Atlanta production community, close by the city’s downtown area, most stages and popular production locations. It boasts state-of-the-art camera rental facilities including an impressive collection of cutting-edge camera and optics engineering evaluation equipment, along with an accomplished team of technicians. Cameras include ARRI Alexa and Amiras, Sony F65, F55 and F5s, RED Dragon and Epic, plus Canon C300 and C500s. Lenses include the latest primes from Zeiss, Leica Summilux and Cooke, as well as vintage glass, with Anamorphics from Vantage/ Hawk, Cooke, Kowa and Angenieux, plus zooms from Fujinon Angenieux and ARRI. The facility has large three large prep areas, hair and make-up studios, and an LED lighting showroom displaying new technology in the lighting and greenscreen world, used in such films as Gravity and Fast & Furious 7. 18 | British Cinematographer | May 2015

Cineverse... is opening new facilities in Atlanta

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP

Codex Action Cam proves a revelation for Papamichael C inematographer Phedon Papamichael ASC GSC recently deployed dual Codex Action Cam point, shoot and record packages on a TV branding film for the new Infiniti QX50 luxury compact SUV. Using the Codex Action Cams to shoot handheld location and road footage himself, Papamichael says he discovered new-found freedoms and creative cinematographic possibilities, and that the Action Cam imagery intercut perfectly with the 4K footage from the principal cameras on the production. Papamichael, who is best known for big-screen cinematography on movies including The Descendants, The Ides Of March, The Monuments Men and Nebraska, which brought him an Oscar nomination in 2014, often shoots and directs commercials, where he tries out the very latest gear. In the film, Chinese superstars, Archie Kao and Zhou Xun, portray a couple who break the rules during a typical car shoot, and get a taste of freedom in the new SUV. Chased by paparazzi on motorcycles, they abscond across LA into the high desert and across Malibu beach, shooting movies on their mobile phones. The film was directed by Jaume Collet-Sera, through Bullitt. The toolkit, mainly provided by CamTec in Burbank,

20 | British Cinematographer | May 2015

Codex... Phedon Papamichael used Action Cam himself from the back seat on a recent car commercial

included two RED Dragon cameras, a drone mounted with a Panasonic Lumix GH4, an Edge vehicle and crane, three Canon 6Ds shooting time-lapse footage, plus two Codex Action Cams. “We initially added the Codex Action Cams to our camera package for travelling car logo/badge shots and other moving details,” said first AC Jeff Porter. “But when Phedon and Jaume saw that you can literally hold the Action Cam head in the palm of your hand, they wanted to play. They saw an opportunity to shoot unscripted, spontaneous moments with the actors driving in the Infiniti SUV.” However, limited space inside the car meant there was no room for camera operators or focus pullers. Consequently, Papamichael and Collet-Sera were given small, handheld monitors, and quickly instructed in how operate the Codex Camera Control Recorder. “We literally held the cameras with one hand and went free-driving with the actors,” said Papamichael. “Because we used these small cameras, we were able to get probably 100 set-ups on a 30-minute drive. It was great. From the back seat, I could hold an Action Cam out of the window and point it through the side window of the front seat, getting a hostess-tray-type of shot. I could rake the car and get the actress’ reflection in the rear-view mirror. We were working quickly and winging it. There’s a lot of shaking and bumps in there, but it definitely made for some usable shots that we could never have gotten otherwise.” Papamichael appreciated the Action Cam’s compatibility with professional grade cine lenses

– in this case he opted for Super 16-format Zeiss Superspeeds, with a C-mount-to-PL-mount adaptor. “I could roll the iris with one finger,” added Papamichael. “The little monitor was lying on my lap and I could pull my own focus to a degree. I would open it up and get the image flared out, or we’d come out of a tunnel and I’d roll the iris closed. People are excited about the footage we got. I’m thinking that with short edits, it will integrate pretty well with the RED footage we shot. Action Cam gives you a lot of possibilities – and it’s certainly a fun option to play with.” The Action Cams recorded 1920 x 1080 imagery that Codex Tech Nick Lantz converted to 10-bit DPX files. For the most part, a rate of 25fps was called for, as the commercial is meant for broadcast in China, although Papamichael sometimes shot up to 50fps. The RED cameras were set up to capture images at 4K resolution with 5:1 compression. Papamichael used Optimo zooms on these cameras in part because he likes the way they flare. “The images are simply amazing. For previous car and motorcycle commercials, Phedon and I have used a variety of other small cameras, such as the Novo 2K, BlackMagic Pocket Camera and GoPros. But the Codex Action Cam is by far the best. Besides its image quality and low light capability, it is the only one of these cameras that has a global shutter, which virtually eliminates the wobbleeffect we’ve experienced when we have mounted cameras with rolling shutters onto vibrating cars or motorcycles.” Papamichael is currently in London shooting The Huntsman, a Brothers Grimm-based feature starring Emily Blunt, Jessica Chastain, Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron. Codex also recently announced that it is supporting the new ARRI Alexa Mini and Alexa SXT with its recording technologies.

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP

Angenieux lenses capture dwarf planet images on NASA mission T

hales Angénieux has been a key partner in NASA’s programmes since the successful Ranger 7 and Apollo 11 missions of the early 1960s. Today, it continues to be closely involved in the US space agency’s space exploration programme. Two Angénieux 150-mm-focal-length lenses are on NASA’s Dawn probe that recently obtained the first images of the dwarf planet Ceres. Dawn’s mission is to study the asteroid Vesta and the dwarf planet Ceres, two protoplanet remnants of the formation of our Solar System that lie in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The significant feature of these two distant bodies is that they are virtually unchanged since their formation 4.6 billion years ago. Three scientific instruments aboard the 1,300-kg probe are designed to image and map Vesta and Ceres, analyse their gravity fields and acquire spectral measurements of the abundance and distribution of rocks on their surface, as well as any significant traces of chemical elements. Dawn was launched on 27 September 2007; it then completed a fly-by of Mars in February 2009 before reaching Vesta in July 2011, which it studied up-close for a year. It arrived at Ceres in February 2015, and has already sent back detailed pictures of the dwarf planet. In particular, images acquired on 19 February show two tantalizing bright spots on its

Ding dong... Procam, which supplied kit to Dynamo: Magician Impossible, has bought HotCam NY

surface. Dawn reached orbit around Ceres on Friday 6 March. Its mission is scheduled to end in July. Looking back on the project’s development, in 2005, Thales Angénieux delivered four lenses to German firm Kayser Threde for the Max Planck Institute (MPI), whish was responsible for Dawn’s top-tier framing camera subassembly. Two of the lenses were designed for integration with the system and two for testing and preparation. Thales Angénieux had to meet the challenge of supplying lenses capable of satisfying the mission’s particularly exacting thermal constraints (–50°C, +40°C), whilst withstanding the rigours of space (vacuum conditions, radiation and launch-vehicle vibrations on lift-off). Drawing on its experience from previous projects working with NASA, Thales Angénieux designed lenses that fully-met these specifications. Employing the principle of passive athermalisation, Angénieux’s lenses are able to acquire clear, sharp pictures in any temperature conditions. Special

Procam zooms into US production market with HotCam NY acquisition

K camera rental facility, Procam, recently acquired of US-based camera rental company HotCam New York. The move is designed to enable Procam to provide its expanding US client base with the same levels of service and expertise it is know in the UK, whilst also supporting UK-based clients shooting in the US. HotCam New York will mirror the range of services provided by Procam’s UK offices in London, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh, which include kit and crew rental, project management, workflow consultancy and training for TV drama, features, commercials, branded and VoD content. Procam is planning on keeping the HotCam New York branding for the business, and HotCam New York will benefit from the same 24-hour support offered to all Procam’s UK clients. Procam plans to expand HotCam New York’s offering in the US, as well as extend Procam’s reach into new territories, through further acquisitions over the next 12 to 24 months. In the UK Procam works with production companies including All3Media and Monkey Kingdom

22 | British Cinematographer | May 2015

types of glass were used to withstand radiations, notably gamma rays. The lenses’ titanium body offered the best resistance to launch vibrations. Thales is also involved in NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory mission, the most ambitious ever to land on the surface of Mars. Thales’s Optronics Business Line, to which Thales Angénieux is attached, supplied the laser for the ChemCam instrument on MSL’s Curiosity rover. This laser, employing laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technology, is fired at rock targets to generate a plasma that is then analysed by the rover’s instruments to determine their mineral composition. ChemCam is a joint effort of the French space agency CNES (Centre National d’ Etudes Spatiales) and the U.S. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).

(part of NBCUniversal), with recent productions including the Made In Chelsea and The Island With Bear Grylls. Procam also provided crew and equipment on both sides of the Atlantic for Dynamo: Magician Impossible and US support for the British reality series Taking New York. HotCam New York has a long list of high-profile US shows to its credit, including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, American Pickers and Teen Mom. The company was established in December 2004 by sound mixer Trevor Hotz and partner Ali Grapes, as an off-shoot of HotCam UK. Hotz and Grapes have resigned their positions as co-owners of HotCam New York. HotCam UK will operate unaffected by Procam’s acquisition. The acquisition of HotCam New York is the latest part of Procam’s ambitious expansion plans. It follows the purchase of UK-based lens service and manufacturing facility True Lens Services, which has designed and supplied lens modifications for high-profile motion pictures, including the Bourne series, 007 Casino Royale and the 2015 Oscar-nominated movie Mr. Turner.

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP

Siren Studios makes large order from MSE grip kit C

amera and lighting support manufacturer, Matthews Studio Equipment has taken a large order of MSE C-Stands and other support equipment from Hollywoodbased Siren Studios. “Siren is a company that specialises in renting and supporting our photo and sound stages as well as renting grip, lighting, and production equipment,” said Justin Rhoads, warehouse manager for Siren. “Our clients range from small to large budget feature films, music videos, special events, and print work for various media including magazine and web. “We’ve been using MSE since the company started, and our clients love the strength and innovation of the various support pieces we supply,” he added. “Especially the Lo Boys due to their compact deign and strength. The crank-ovators, medium rollers, c-stands and various other pieces of hardware are also on every shoot we do.” Recently, via Siern, MSE supported commercials for Hasbro, Olay, Taco Bell and Denny’s, which needed six LoBoys and 12 cranks. “We’re waiting on a couple of more items from MSE – Apple Boxes and flags,” said Rhoads. “Then, there will be another big order – to keep this busy house supported in the style we need to accommodate our clients.” Siren... takes a large order of lighting and grip kit from MSE

Downton DP David Raedecker goes green with Albert+ scheme

P David Raedecker wrote in with his experiences of the Albert+ sustainability scheme, as applied to the final season of Downton Abbey, directed by Minkie Spiro, produced by Carnival Films for ITV Albert+ is a mark of sustainability which indicates that a programme has taken steps to manage and reduce its environmental impact during production. It was originally devised at the BBC, contributed to and peer-reviewed by members of BAFTA’s Albert consortium, and reviewed by a panel of sustainability experts who advise the BBC. “Our sign-up to the green Albert+ scheme was up by Jez Nightingale from BAFTA,” said Raedecker. “To reduce electricity consumption, and bring more control over the lighting, we redesigned the previous studio lighting rig. We ended-up swopping most of the Tungsten lighting with LED technology and invented some of our own customised LED lights. In the past mainly big tungsten units – such as 20kw, T12s, space-lights, octodomes and skypans – were traditionally used on Downton. I felt I didn’t need that much light output for the look that I planned on shooting with the Alexa cameras and ARRI Masterprime lenses. My gaffer, Bernie Rostoski, suggested swapping all space-lights and most 10k fresnels with Panalux LED Hilos and Rifa lights with LED Tech-Tiles. To keep the look of the series consistent, I kept some of the 20k fresnels. 24 | British Cinematographer | May 2015

We tested different LED lights for colour matching with Tungsten. We found that the only way to match them to the 20ks was by eye with bi-colour LEDs. Unlike in previous generations, the LED Hilos and Tech-Tiles didn’t have a green tint and looked great on skin, but we found that they fall off quicker than their Tungsten equivalents. Bernie and his team came up with the design of a 1” thick, 4’x4’ lightweight soft light made of bi-colour LED ribbons and Depron, which we christened the Banjo light. It was powered by a small battery and wirelessly controlled via the main dimmer desk. We also made smaller 2’x2’ units, called Ukuleles and a 1” ribbon, the Violin Stick, with the same design. They gave a nice soft light and fitted into every corner without cabling, hence making lighting set-ups faster

and allowing more freedom for camera movement. They replaced the octodome, and became our primary lighting source on the floor. We could dim all LEDs down, without colour shift, to almost nothing and often ran them at less than 5% of their full capacity. Everything could be wirelessly controlled via an i-Pad, with the desk op sitting next to me by the monitor. To sum up: we saved production about a half to two-thirds on electricity costs – around £250 daily. Hire costs of lights were the same or less than the previous Tungsten packages. Overheating in the studio was not an issue anymore with the cold-running LEDs. But, most importantly, they gave me a previously never encountered fine control and freedom over lighting. I am excited about these new possibilities, it really felt like painting with light for the first time. I think this has been a great success.”

Efficient... gaffer Bernie Rostosky stands next to the banjo light, which he built, and shows-off its properties to Downton DP David Raedecker

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP Expansion... Pinewood is planning the first phase of its enlargement scheme

Studio Round-Up:

Pinewood Group: is to raise £30m that will part-

fund the expansion of its Buckinghamshire site. The expansion plans, which are known as the Pinewood Studios Development Framework (PSDF), are intended to address “capacity constraints” by doubling the existing capacity of Pinewood Studios through the addition of 323,000sq/ft of studios and stages, including three studios of 40,000sq/ft, along with ten workshops and two production offices.

Pinewood Digital: provided front-to-end picture

services on the production of Genius. The company worked with DP Ben Davis BSC, DIT Tom Gough and colourist Adam Inglis to manage look creation, editorial deliverables, data management through to VFX pulls and conform. The final grade is to be completed by Inglis at Pinewood Post Production. Pinewood Digital also worked with Davis and Marvel on Avengers: Age Of Ultron, supporting the project with digital dailies, dailies grading, screening and data archival services in multiple locations around the world, including Shepperton Studios. Elstree... enlisted the help of C3PO to encourage training and apprenticeships

Elstree Studios:

recently rolled out the red carpet for the National Apprenticeship Week, when a catwalk-themed reception was held the studios, organised by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Skills Funding Agency in partnership with the British Fashion Council. The event highlighted how employer ‘trailblazers’ are designing new apprenticeships that better meet the needs of key industries, and was also a thank you to employers for their hard work in designing and implementing apprenticeships. The event was hosted by Nick Boles, Minister for Skills and Simon Ward, chief operating officer for the British Fashion Council. Roger Morris, managing director of Elstree Studios and chairman of Elstree University Technical College said, “Our country’s creative industries are some of the most successful and innovative in the world, employing thousands of people and earning millions of pounds for the economy. They play an important part in promoting the country and all its industries to the world.”

Bottle Yard Studios: production

has commenced on MoliFilms Entertainment heist caper Golden Years, shooting at the studio and on-location

26 | British Cinematographer | May 2015

across Bristol with the support of Bristol Film Office. Written by TV Presenter Nick Knowles, Jeremy Sheldon and writer/director John Miller, Golden Years’ ensemble cast includes Bernard Hill, Virginia McKenna Sue Johnston, Alun Armstrong, Simon Callow Phil Davies and Mark Williams. It is produced by Mark Foligno and associate-produced by Lucy Selwood, Tanya Beadle and Jolien Buijs, with Adam Lincoln the cinematographer. Bottle Yard Studios also recently hosted popular BBC dramas Poldark, Wolf Hall and Sherlock, and Disney/ABC Studios’ musical comedy Galavant.

Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden: principal

photography, under the auspices of John Mathieson BSC, has begun on Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures King Arthur, a sweeping fantasy action movie directed by Guy Ritchie starring Charlie Hunnam and Astrid Bergès-Frisbey as Guinevere. The bold new story introduces a streetwise young Arthur, who runs the back alleys of Londonium with his gang, unaware of the life he was born for, until he grasps hold of the sword Excalibur – and with it, his future. Throwing in with the resistance, and a mysterious young woman named Guinevere, he must learn to master the sword,

Pinewood Digital... was on-set with Ben Davis on Avengers: Age Of Ultron

face down his demons and unite the people. The screenplay is by Joby Harold. Ritchie is also producing alongside Lionel Wigram, Steve Clark-Hall, Akiva Goldsman and Joby Harold, whilst Tory Tunnell, David Dobkin and Bruce Berman are executive producing. The movie will shoot primarily at the studios, and onlocation in Wales and Scotland. It is slated for release in July 2016. Michael Seresin BSC has started principal photography on Warner Bros. Pictures’ new big-screen, 3D adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s beloved classic The Jungle Book, marking the feature directorial debut of Andy Serkis. Blending live action and performance capture, the film features an impressive roster of stars including: Benedict Cumberbatch as the tiger, Shere Khan; Cate Blanchett as Kaa, the snake; Christian Bale as the panther, Bagheera; Andy Serkis as Baloo, the bear; Peter Mullan as the leader of the wolf pack, Akela; Naomie Harris as Nisha, the female wolf, who Classic... Rohan Chand adopts the baby Mowgli is playing Mowgli in as one of her cubs; and The Jungle Book Eddie Marsan as Nisha’s mate, Vihaan. On the human side, young actor Rohan Chand will play the boy raised by wolves, Mowgli. The film is being produced by Steve Kloves and Jonathan Cavendish, with Nikki Penny as executive producer. The screenplay is by Callie Kloves, based on the stories by Kipling. The film is slated for release in October 2017.

Legend... Astrid Bergès-Frisbey stars as Guinevere in the new King Arthur movie

WHO’S SHOOTING WHO? / CINEMATOGRAPHERS ROUND-UP

CONTACT LENSES

History man... Toby Moore on the set of A.D.

Toby Moore lit A.D. in Morocco for Lightworkers Media/NBC

ess Hall BSC sent us images of himself at work during the shoot of two Halo ads, directed by Rupert Sanders. Jess says that these were the first commercials to be shot using the new Alexa 65 camera. The spots had over 4 million combined YouTube hits within 24 hours of their release. Lux Artists: Nicholas Bolduc CSC is on Kim Nguyen’s Two Lovers And A Bear, starring Dane Dehaan. Natasha Braier ADF is photographing Nicholas Winding Refn’s The Neon Demon, starring Elle Fanning and Keanu Reeves. Autumn Durald is shooting Charlie McDowell’s Untitled Sarah Silverman Pilot for HBO. Eric Gautier AFC is prepping Deep Water, directed by James Marsh. Rob Hardy BSC is prepping Lewis And Clark, directed by John Curran, starring Casey Affleck, for Playtone/HBO. Benjamin Kračun shot The Tunnel: Debris for Sky Atlantic, starring Clemency Posey. Jody Lee Lipes is prepping Manchester By The Sea for director Kenneth Lonergan, starring Casey Affleck and Michelle Stand and deliver... Williams. Michael McDonough Jess Hall BSC shot one of the first TV ASC is shooting Virtuoso, a new commercials with HBO show directed by Alan the new Alexa 65 Ball. Martijn Van Broekhuizen NSC is on Corin Hardy’s The Crow, starring Jack Huston. Gökhan Tiryaki is shooting the Christopher Hampton-scripted feature Ali And Nino, directed by Asif Kapadia. Fabian Wagner BSC lit the pilot for Jenna Ban’s new show on ABC, Flesh And Blood, and is grading Victor Frankenstein. Bradford Young is prepping Story Of My Life for Denis Villeneuve. Meanwhile, Steve Annis, Andre Chemetoff, Kasper Tuxen, Arnaud Potier, Manuel Alberto Claro, Nikklas Johansson FSF and Tom Townend are shooting commercials. Dinedor Mangement: Sara Deane has wrapped the feature Genesis. Peter Field is operating 28 | British Cinematographer | May 2015

second unit on The Huntsman. Gareth Hughes is on Steadicam in Manchester for the German feature UFA. Marc Gomez del Moral shot a teaser for an unnamed Bulgarian feature. Gabi Norland lit the shorts In Memory and Birth. Bashart Malik operated for Adam Lincoln on Golden Years. Rasmus Arridlt DFF is on block one of Tiger Aspect’s Cuffs. Craig Feather has begun Mount Pleasant, also for Tiger Aspect. Ruairi O’Brien ISC is in Prague to on the new season of BBC’s The Musketeers, and Gareth Hughes is operating on the 30th anniversary episode of Casualty. Dave Miller lit the computer game Stagefright, followed by Jura Productions’ documentary, The Wine Show. Nic Lawson shot additional work on Batchewana for The Tilting Ground, and Carl Burke is in the US for Raw’s Team Foxcatcher. Marc Gomez del Moral, Dave Miller, Stephen Murphy, Paul Lilley, Pau Castejon, Ciro Candia, Carl Burke, Craig Feather, Lynda Hall, Sara Deane, Shaun Harvey Lee, Martyna Knitter and Martin Roach shot a range of commercials, corporate films and music promos. Berlin Associates: Owen McPolin shot the opening block of Beowulf with director Jon East and producer Stephen Smallwood for ITV Studios in Newcastle. He was BAFTAnominated

for his work on Da Vinci’s Demons. Suzie Lavelle is on the opening block of Endeavour, with director Sandra Goldbacher, for Mammoth Screen/ITV. Toby Moore lit A.D. in Morocco for Lightworkers Media/NBC, and is now on Call The Midwife’s Christmas episode with director Juliet May. Andy Hollis is lighting Ruby Robinson for King Bert Productions, with director Matt Lipsey, and will go on to Mount Pleasant for Tiger Aspect/Sky, director Ian Barnes. Oliver Downey is shooting Fresh Meat in Manchester for Objective Productions/C4, with director Jamie Jay Johnson and producer Rhonda Smith. Mark Garrett was DP on the BAFTA-winner and Oscar-nominated short, Boogaloo & Graham, shot in Belfast, directed by Michael Lennox. Alasdair Walker is lensing Benidorm for Tiger Aspect/BBC. Phil Wood lit producer/director Tony Britten’s feature Draw On Sweet Night, starring Christian McKay and Doon Mackichan. Kelvin Richard is starting Beyond Blood, shooting in Nigeria, UK, France and Germany. Sarah Bartles-Smith is on second unit of Apocalypse Slough for Working Title TV/Sky. Casarotto: Sean Bobbitt BSC is shooting The Queen Of Katwe, with director Mira Nair, in Uganda and Johannesburg. PJ Dillon is on Penny Dreadful II with director Brian Kirk. Matt Gray is lighting Midwinter Of The Spirit for ITV with director Richard Clarke. Jean-Francois Hensgens is in the midst of Blind Point with Dominik Moll. Tim Palmer BSC is on Shetland III for the BBC, with director Thaddeus O’Sullivan. Lukas Strebel has wrapped on Wallander: The White Lioness. Selfie... Wojciech Szepel is with Adam director Michael Engler Sliwinski on the set on Apocalypse Slough for of With Working Title/Sky Atlantic. This Ring Screen Talent: Adam Biddle is lighting in darkest Peru. Adam Sliwinski is

Oooh aarr h. Etherington .. Adam shooting Po (l) on location puller Ram ldark, with focus i Bartholdy

Enigmatic... Bjorn Bratberg!

shooting With This Ring for director Anne Wheeler. Bart Sienkiewicz shot various promos for Kuwait Airways and Kuwait International Bank. Catherine Derry lit several commercials for Buddy Films. Independent: has signed Adam Etherington who recently shot Poldark with Will McGregor for Mammoth/ BBC. Chas Bain is in Budapest shooting Nick Murphy’s The Last Kingdom with Carnival Films/BBC2. Darran Bragg has wrapped Anomalia in Switzerland with director Pierre Monnard. Henry Braham BSC is shooting Fox’s The Bastard Executioner for director Paris Barclay. Bjorn Bratberg shot with Indy8 directors John Turner and Jake Dypka for Nescafe and Panache. Oliver Curtis BSC lit three Dove ads and one for luxury perfume brand Ferragamo. Ben Davis BSC was in Cuba with Knucklehead director Rob Leggatt for V05. Benoit Delhomme AFC is on Free State Of Jones for director Gary Ross, starring Matthew McConaughey. Anthony Dod Mantle DFF BSC ASC is on Oliver Stone’s feature about Edward Snowden. Ian Foster did a BMW

spot Shock horror... it’s with Owen McPolin on the Rogue set of Penny Dreadful Films’ director Mark Jenksinson. Sam Goldie lit the BBC Election Campaign trailer. Eduard Grau has wrapped on The Gift for director Joel Edgerton. Daniel Landin’s work features as part of the Alexander McQueen exhibition ‘Savage Beauty’ at the V&A. Seamus McGarvey BSC ASC has completed Gavin O’Connor’s The Accountant, starring Ben Affleck. Mark Patten was in Budapest and Jordan shooting second unit and digital content for Ridley Scott’s The Martian. George Richmond BSC is shooting Eddie The Eagle for director Dexter Fletcher, starring Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman.

Chris Ross BSC has wrapped Detour for director Chris Smith. Ashley Rowe BSC is shooting Stephen Poliakoff’s Close To The Enemy. Martin Ruhe was in Manchester with Some Such director Nick Gordon shooting a John Smith’s ad. Erik Sohlstrom collaborated with RSA director Christian Larson on a Rimmel shoot. Daniel Trapp was in South Africa with Rohan Blair Mangat for Landrover. Ed Wild BSC is shooting London Has Fallen for director Babak Najafi, starring Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman and Aaron Eckhart. Balazs Bolygo has completed NBC’s 13-part thriller Odyssey in Morocco. Ulf Brantus is shooting Nobel, a Swedish television drama, in Stockholm. Simon Dennis is prepping She Who Brings Gifts, with director Colm McCarthy. Eric Kress shot a pilot for Sony in the US, with director Neils Arden Oplev. Ryszard Lenczewski is teaching at a film school in Poland after his feature Ida won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film. John Mathieson BSC is shooting Warner Bros’ King Arthur with Guy Ritchie. Ben Smithard BSC lit Richard Eyre’s adaptation of the stage

Dear-stalker... Daniel Trapp in the wilds on a Landrover job

British Cinematographer | May 2015 | 29

WHO’S SHOOTING WHO? / CINEMATOGRAPHERS ROUND-UP

Men are from Mars... Mark Patten has been shooting for Sir Ridley recently

Born in a barn... (l-r) Henry Landgrebe (focus puller), Dai Hopkins (grip) and DP Stuart Biddlecombe on Hinterland

>> play The Dresser. Mark Waters is shooting ITV’s Jekyll And

Hyde, with director Robert Quinn. MyManagement: Anders Flatland FNF worked with director Jakob Ström on a Gilde commercial. Will Humphris is prepping Scott & Sid with director Scott Elliott in York. David Lanzenberg’s two latest feature The Age of Adaline and Paper Towns are due for UK and US release. Jallo Faber FSF is shooting second unit on Spectre. Simon Rowles has begun a docu-series starring Idris Elba through Shine North shooting in the UK, Ireland and US. Petra Korner is shooting the historical bio-epic Zayed in the desert near Abu Dhabi, UAE with director Mohamed Gomma. Olivier Cariou was in Budapest for The Range with director Ross Cooper for Friend London. He also shot Compare The Market Campaign starring action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger. Richard Stewart lit a music video for Rae Morris through Forever Pictures with director Charlie Robins. Paul Mackay worked with directing duo I Owe Youth on promos for Freddie Dixon and The Charlatans. Sy Turnbull shot spots for Vax with Riff Raff films and Epson with Citizen Films. John Perez has been shooting with The Dempsey Brothers

That’s the way I like it... director Andy Saunders shows DP Roger Bonnici what he wants on a Zurich Insurance job

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on Right Guard and spots for Bertolli Oil with Paul Goldman. Steve Chivers worked with Vaughn Arnell on Dove and Mars with Stink Shanghai. Nicolaj Bruel lit campaigns for Schwarzkopf in Bogota with local director Oscar Azula. Simon Archer BSC has started another block of Doc Martin. Tomas Tomasson shot a commercial for an Icelandic TeleCompany, directed by Guðjón Jónsson using Alexa with Zeiss MasterPrime lenses, and a Vodafone ad on RED Dragon camera with an Alura 18-80mm zoom. Aaron Reid shot music videos with director Carly Cusson for Jeremih feat Krept & Konan and Alexa Goddard. Robbie Ryan BSC has wrapped on I Am Not A Serial Killer with director Billy O’Brien, and is prepping American Honey, the latest feature from director Andrea Arnold. Dominic Bartels lit numerous commercials, one being for Kiko Cosmetics with Spring Studios and director Robin Harvey. Roger Bonnici shot with The Camera Crewing Co on a Shark Vacuums commercial, and graded his film The Power. Vincent Warin is shooting Johnson & Johnson te?... ints ma n in Cape Town in Michael o t any m els Go ic Bart Domin ercial with a a comm horse hungry

Geoghegan. Ekkehart Pollack was in Germany for Nivea with Knucklehead directors The Dempseys and Opal with Andi Roth. He also got two nominations at the German Film Awards for his work on a Cafe Royal ad and a Mafia/Gangster-AachenMünchener’ commercial, both directed by Marc Scholermann. Tim Spence worked with directors Tim Hope and Passion Pictures as well as shooting campaigns for McDonalds with director Richard Jung at Park Village and Sky Sports with Chris Wilcox. Jo Willems SBC has been in Cape Town on Budweiser with director Adam Hashemi. Pedro Castro, Lester De Havilland, Marcelo Durst, Dennis Madden, Mel Griffith, Gerry Floyd, Tuomo Virtanen, Andy Horner and have all been busy shooting their own projects. Sara Putt Associates: Simon Bell is winding up on series two of People Just Do Nothing for Roughcut and will start a block of Cuffs. Ed Moore has been doing dailies on My Mad Fat Diary. Simon Hawken and Kate Reid have lit a number of commercials. Paul Lang was on location in the US, Germany and Poland shooting a documentary on Nazi Secret Files. Dave Marsh is lighting Fungus the Bogey Man. Nick Dance BSC is joining the next series of Mr Selfridge. Giulio Biccari is lighting a block of Crossing Lines in Prague. Si Wagen is in Yukon again for a block of Gold Rush for Raw TV. Mike Brewster is confirmed on The Autopsy Of Jane Doe as second unit DP. Danny Bishop lit a block of Endeavour and is B-camera/Steadicam operator on The Crow. Rodrigo Gutirrez did dailies on The Infiltrator. James Leigh is in Cornwall operating on Doc Martin. Jon Beacham is operating on Crossing Lines. Andrei Austin is on the new series of Outlander. Vince McGahon is B camera/Steadicam operator on Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Julian Morson continues on the new Bond Spectre. Al Rae is B-camera/Steadicam operator on Jungle Book. Fabrizio Sciarra was in Morocco operating on A.D.. Rick Woollard operated on commercials for Partizan and RSA, including Heineken and Rimmel. Des Whelan is A-camera on Tim Burton’s Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children. Ed Clark is operating on Bastard X with DP Henry Braham BSC. Phil Sindall has been doing dailies on Downton Abbey for Carnival.

WHO’S SHOOTING WHO? / CINEMATOGRAPHERS ROUND-UP

In the thick of it... Fabrizio Sciarra doing some Steadicam operating on A.D.

McKinney Macartney Management: Stuart Biddlecombe is shooting noir crime drama Hinterland in South Wales. Ben Butler, Denis Crossan, Sebastian Milaszewski, Katie Swain, Arthur Mulhern, Alessandra Scherillo, Clive Tickner and Robin Whenary have all been shooting commercials. Seamus Deasy is lighting Out of Innocence for Country Woman Films in Ireland, with Danny Hiller at the helm. Gavin Finney BSC is shooting the forthcoming ITV drama Unforgotten for Mainstream Pictures with Andy Wilson directing. Jean Philippe Gossart is on Drama Republic’s six-parter, Doctor Foster, for BBC One with director Tom Vaughan. Sam McCurdy BSC is shooting Crossing Lines III, in Prague with directors Niall MacCormick and Susan Tully for Tandem Films. Andy McDonnell is on the final series of BBC drama New Tricks. Polly Morgan has teamed up with director Dominic Leclerc for BBC psychological crime drama, From Darkness, prepping on location in Manchester and Oban. John Pardue is prepping John le Carré adaptation, Lucky Man, with director Andy De Emmony for Carnival Productions. Chris Seager BSC shot the Untitled John Stamos Pilot in Los Angeles. Mike Spragg is prepping second unit on FX’s The Bastard Executioner. Felix Wiedemann completed photography Away, with director David Blair, and is prepping City Of Tiny Lights with director Pete Travis in London. United Agents: Barry Ackroyd BSC is in New Orleans on The Big Short, for Plan B Entertainment/ Paramount, with director Adam McKay. Robert Alazraki AFC is in India shooting Un Plus Une with director Claude Lelouch. John de Borman BSC is in Malaysia on the first block of Indian Summers II, directed by John Alexander. Andrew Dunn BSC is in Atlanta shooting Keeping Up With The Joneses with

reading various projects, whilst her work on Thomas director Greg Mottola. John Lee did pick-ups for The Vinterberg’s Far From The Madding Crowd has gained Call Up, which he shot last year with director Charles rave reviews. James Friend BSC is lighting block one Barker. Gavin Struthers and David Luther are both of Silent Witness. Zac Nicholson is shooting three-part working in Cape Town on alternate episodes of the drama Capital for Euros Lyn and Kudos/BBC1, and is Starz pirate series Black Sails. Nic Morris BSC is nominated for a BAFTA TV Craft Award for his doing Jekyll & Hyde, directed by Joss Agnew for ITV. work on The Honourable Woman. Neus Tony Slater Ling BSC is in the US shooting The Olle lit short film The Rain Collector Dirt Road To Lafayette with director Kenny for director Isabella Wing-Davey Glenaan. Chloë Thomson was in Morocco at Wigwam Films. David shooting Damascus Cover for director Raedeker has wrapped on Dan Berk. Haris Zambaloukos BSC’s block one of Downton work on the hugely successful Abbey’s final series. Niels Cinderella has been widely praised. Reedtz Johansen is Alan Almond BSC is on Dickensian shooting Danish drama for the BBC. Danny Cohen BSC Follow The Money, has finished The Danish Girl, and directed by Søren is prepping Stephen Frears’ latest Kragh Jacobsen and the feature, Florence Foster Jenkins. producers of Borgen. Martin Fuhrer BSC has started Ed Rutherford graded on the first block of Jericho, BFI feature The Ones directed by Paul Whittington for Below for director David ITV and David Higgs BSC has Farr. Anna Valdez Hanks graded Ed Hall’s Partners In Crime, me... Tomas is meeting for projects. Ben starring David Walliams. Ian Moss Chrome-do ts the make-up ge Wheeler is in Manchester is in Belfast shooting The Frankenstein Tomasson e the highlights lady to tam shooting 1970s-set Cradle To Chronicles, directed by Ben Ross for ITV/ The Grave for BBC2 and director Netflix. Tony Miller BSC is prepping ITV’s Sandy Johnson. John Barr shot a Peter Pan, directed by Diarmuid Lawrence and commercial for Google in LA with Sami Kieran McGuigan BSC has begun Danny And The Benhadj through Big Productions in Paris. Philipp Human Zoo, written by Lenny Henry for the BBC. Laurie Blaubach worked with Paul Gay at RSA on Wickes and Rose is prepping Ben Wheatley’s Free Fire. Simon Dyson spots. Daniel Bronks lit a commercial for Issey Tindall is grading the Chapman Brothers’ The Marriage Miyake with Jacob Sutton via Laura Holmes. Simon Of Reason And Chaudoir shot a campaign for L’Oreal with Barnaby Squalor for Sky. Roper through Premiere Heure. Florian Hoffmeister Charlotte Bruus lly Morgan BSC recently shot a Vodafone commercial for directors Christensen is Squinting... Po

C drama on the set of BBDarkness From

32 | British Cinematographer | May 2015

Abroad.... Olivier Cariou in Budapest on The Range

WHO’S SHOOTING WHO? / CINEMATOGRAPHERS ROUND-UP

The plot thickens.... DP Eben Boulter on the set of thriller Level Up. Images by Craig Sugden Photography.

Jan Richter-Friis FSF shot US TV series Powers with Walfa in London & Lisbon through Pulse Films, and directors Mikael Salomon, David Petraraca, Bill Eagles, is working on Terence Davies’ new feature A Quiet Tim Hunter and Aaron Lipstadt, which will hit UK Passion in Belgium and the USA. Stephen Keith-Roach’s screens soon. Dale McCready is on Carnival Films’ commercials include a recent trip to Mexico for Old El superhero drama Lucky Man. David Rom has wrapped Paso for Peter Lydon, directing through 76 Ltd. Darren on the eight-part sci-fi drama HUMANS, with director Lew recently completed a multi-country shoot for New Lewis Arnold via Kudos Film and TV. Jamie Cairney has Balance with director Johnny Hardstaff through RSA. wrapped on BBC series The Kennedys, directed by Chris Tim Maurice-Jones BSC was in Bucharest with Jake Gernon. Duncan Telford is grading the mockumentary Nava on a Tanqueray campaign through Cherry. Alex Hoff The Record for Dave Channel starring David Melman shot a Thunderhand spot for Rocky Morton Hasselfhoff and Craig Roberts, directed by Natalie Bailey. at MJZ in London. Phedon Papamichael is prepping PrinceStone: DP Stephan Pehrsson is shooting The Huntsman for director Cedric Nicolas-Troyan. Tat Apocalypse Slough via Working Title TV for SKY/NBC. Radcliffe has shot a Halifax ad for Guy Manwaring This comedy series, depicting the end of the world as in London through Sonny. Peter Suschitzky lit a a comet hurtles towards earth, is being directed by Tim Habitat commercial with director Miles Aldridge for Kirkby and Saul Metzstein, and is Annex London. Simon Richards was in sunny Cape shooting in Malta, South Africa and Town shooting a new LV spot for director Vesa London. DP Ian Liggett is in Manninen at Outsider. Joost Van Gelder shot Belfast on The Secret Life Of a Gillette ad for director Adam Berg in Boys for BBC, with director Barcelona through Smuggler. Beryl Richards. This is Wizzo FEATURES: Hubert a ground-breaking, Taczanowski’s feature, Spooks: interactive comedy The Greater Good, has premiered, series for kids starring Kit Harrington, Jennifer made for different Ehle and Peter Firth. He has platforms. DP Gary just wrapped Kudos’ six-part drama River starring Stellan Skarsgard with directors Richard Laxton, Tim Fywell and Jessica Hobbs. David Procter’s debut feature Bypass, which premiered at Venice Film Festival last year, has been on general release in the UK. Erik Wilson shot the US heist movie Masterminds, directed by Is it a bird? Is it a plane?... no, Jared Hess and starring Owen Wilson, it’s Petra Korner flying around on a telescopic arm Kristen Wiig and Jason Sudeikis. Tim Sidell’s feature Norfolk is on the festival circuit after premiering at the Rotterdam Film Festival. Maja Zamojda’s film Jet Trash is being released in the UK this summer. It was directed by Charles Henri Belville and stars Robert Sheehan. She is currently shooting the sci-fi comedy series Tripped for director Jamie Stone through Mammoth Screen starring Blake Morrison. Dan Stafford-Clark shot main unit pick-ups on Remainder, directed by Omer Fast and written by Tom McCarthy. Eben Bolter is shooting the thriller Level Up, the directorial debut for Adam Randall, starring Josh Bowman. Mattias Nyberg is lighting Thea, a thriller/horror directed Nirpal Bhogal. Gary Shaw has wrapped on Life At These Speeds, starring Barry Crudup, directed by Leif Tilden, with Sam Rockwell as EP. Peter Hannan BSC ACS has graded Absolutely Anything, directed by Terry Jones, starring Simon Pegg, Kate Beckinsale and the voice of the late Robin Buddies... Jallo Faber (l) gets Williams. Pressure, Richard Mott’s second feature for a hug from cinematographer director Ron Scalpello, is on the festival circuit. Richard Hoyte Van Hoytema during production of 007 Spectre Stoddard’s feature, Just Jim, the directorial debut by Craig Roberts, received its world premiere at SXSW.

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Clarke is shot a BBC documentary about the history of Romanian gypsy music, Gypsy Bling Kings, directed by Liviu Tiparitu. DP Gerry Vasbenter is shooting Worm, a fast and dramatic sci-fi thriller. Directed by Keir Burrows it tells the story of three Oxford PhD students who accidently invent a wormhole generator. DP Simon Walton worked on BBC’s Casualty using an Alexa, with Claire Winyard as director. Of the agency’s camera/ Steadicam operators… Peter Robertson Assoc BSC, ACO is shooting Tempest in Malta, directed by Michael Bay, with cinematographer Dion Beebe ACS ASC. Sean Savage Assoc BSC ACO lit pick-ups of season five of HBO’s Game Of Thrones, and will work on season six, shooting on Alexa with Cooke Primes and Angenieux zooms. Simon Baker ACO is on The Huntsman with director Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, producer Joe Roth and cinematographer is Phedon Papamichael. Mark Milsome ACO and James Layton ACO are shooting several episodes of Downton Abbey series six. Nic Milner ACO is shooting London Has Fallen, with director Babak Najafi and DP Ed Wild. Thomas English did Omega Revolution operating on ads for Jaguar, Land Rover and New Balance, plus Steadicam on Adidas, music videos for FKA Twigs and Nero and German a language drama in the Peak District.

on the job / JOHN SEALE ACS ASC / MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

Mad Max: Fury Road is the muchanticipated, fourth instalment in writer/director George Miller’s post-apocalyptic, high-octane, action franchise. It is also the first digital film for cinematographer John Seale ACS ASC, whose storied career spans more than 30 years and such iconic titles as Mosquito Coast, Witness, Gorillas In The Mist, Dead Poets Society and The English Patient, for which he won the 1997 Academy Award, writes Adrian Pennington.

he project has had an arduous trek to screen since first being mooted 25 years ago. It was close to shooting in 2001 with original star Mel Gibson. Security concerns at the time of the Iraq war halted another attempt in 2003. With Warner Bros’ backing, and a $100m budget, the Village Road Show Pictures sequel got back on track in 2009/10, with lead actors Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron. Riding the crest of the 3D wave, the production was conceived in native stereo with Dean Semler ACS ASC, who lensed Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Spool forward three years, and in January 2012 with little more than two months until principal photography, John Seale received a phone call at his home in Sydney from producer Doug Mitchell. “He rings out of the blue. Tells me Dean has amicably parted from the show and asks me if I would step in,” recalls Seale, who had worked with Miller on Lorenzo’s Oil (1992). “I suppose I was the only one available,” he suggests modestly. “I had an evening to think about it.”

British Cinematographer | May 2015 | 35

on the job / JOHN SEALE ACS ASC / MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

In truth, Seale had enjoyed the experience of working with Miller and was friends with Mitchell. While Semler’s reasons for leaving at the eleventh hour are a little sketchy, the film could not have found a more experienced talent to take over the reigns. With the decision made, Seale was thrust into the white heat of pre-production. The crew and technical decisions were already locked-in, so the main challenge was grasping the stereo 3D system, which stereographer and VFX producer Paul Nichola had spent three years trying to perfect. Planning in 3D Since 45% of the script was to be filmed in the confines of the War Rig – an armoured oil tanker driven by a group of female warriors led by Theron’s character Furiosa – the 3D cameras had to be small and portable, characteristics which none of the existing stereo rigs were able to fulfil. Using sensors acquired from discontinued optical system Dalsa, the project’s 3D team custom-built cameras from scratch. The plan was to have at least twenty camera bodies fitted with different sets of paired lenses, which the production would simply swap over rather than have to stop, change and realign, thereby slowing the shooting schedule. “It was a headlong flight into digital, which I had not done before, and into 3D which was new to me,”

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“I knew enough about the Alexa to know it was a battle-hardened camera with a good contrast ratio.”John Seale ACS ASC explains Seale. “In addition, coverage was planned with one camera, which was a little alien to me after 15 years of using multiple cameras.” Nor was there a script until shooting began, in part because the film’s dialogue is so sparse. Preproduction was designed from 3,500 storyboards. In a week of changeover in Sydney, Semler walked Seale through the tests and technical parameters, but no sooner had Seale got himself familiar with the challenge than Miller announced the show would shoot in 2D. “That was in front of 30 people one morning and he promptly asked me what camera I was going to use,” says Seale. “I was a little staggered, but I knew enough about the Alexa to know it was a battle-hardened camera with a good contrast ratio. So that’s what I said we’d use.”

Switching to 2D A quick call to Panavision Sydney and Seale secured six ARRI Alexa Plus’ (for standard sound shooting) and four Alexa Ms (for truck interiors) a pair of which were hot from Roger Deakins BSC ASC’s use on Skyfall. With principal photography less than five weeks away, Seale briefed first AC Ricky Schamburg and coordinating camera assistant Michelle Pizanis to visit Panavision LA, procure glass and ship it back to Australia. The inventory: 17 PV mounted zooms, 4 x 19-90mm, 5 x 15-40mm, 2 x 11; 1 24-275mm, 2 x 4; 1 17.5 – 75mm, 2 x LWZ2 17.5-34mm and 2 X LWZ 127-68mm. The show didn’t carry any primes, standard for any John Seale film, apart from two mini 16mm T2 and 15mm T4 lenses, which Panavision’s Dan Sasaki reconfigured especially for Seale. “The elements of the 16mm primes had a hyper-focal distance from the front of the glass to about 10ft at T5.6/8 stops, which gave us fantastic focus range on the Alexa M’s for the interior of the truck,” explains Seale. “Thanks to Bob Harvey and Paul Jackson [Panavision] and Stephan Ukas Bradley [ARRI] we had the amazing back-up service that is required for a film of this size at remote and distance locations.”

Lining-up... getting ready for a shot in the War rig

Each camera was pre-built and dedicated to a rig. Two Steadicams were used consecutively with Alexa Pluses, riding with a 15-40mm lens most of the time or a LWZ. “I could see in Dean’s tests that he was struggling a bit to find a balance between the interiors and desert exteriors, particularly at the beginning of the movie when the vehicle is intact (with the Dalsa chip),” reports Seale. “The truck had a sunroof in it for daylight, which mainly lit the driver and front passenger, but we had five beautiful girls in the back seat to cover too.” The Alexa’s range helped balance interiors and exteriors as did a change in lighting package from HMI to LED in the switch from 3D to 2D. Cool,

dimmable Creamsource LEDs were hidden inside the cab and on a roof-mounted rig ready to be shifted into position. They could also be handheld making multicamera work more feasible. As the War Rig suffers damage during the course of the film, the light became less of an issue. By the final scenes the camera crew were able to work handheld with available light. On location in Namibia Fury Road was originally to be shot near Broken Hill in New South Wales, Australia. “Two years of heavy rainfall rendered it more like an alpine meadow than a desert when the whole premise of the movie is that the world

Back in handheld mode… John Seale pictured with B-camera operator Andrew Johnson (l) in the War rig Another POV... John takes a different view with the Alexa M

Following the action... the “Truggie“ tracking vehicle

Cool shades... John pops on the the videocular glasses

has no water and no plant life,” explains Iain Smith, who boarded as executive producer in 2012 to assuage studio nerves about the location change. Relocating to the Dorob National Park in the Namib Desert, along southern Africa’s Atlantic coast, provided the fantastically barren wasteland and coincidentally fulfilled a creative ambition of Miller who had wanted to shoot there in 2003. “We had 120 vehicles running at high-speed in the park, but we were very careful to make sure everything we did was environmentally correct,” stresses Smith. Frequent sandstorms and intense heat required special precautions by the camera crew. “Much as I have shot plenty of film negative films in desert or jungles, I had never shot digital under severe conditions,” says Seale. Time was too tight to perform many tests on the Alexa before the units were shipped to Africa, but Seale quickly learned that its contrast was as proximate to film negative as he’d experienced. “Once I knew that I settled in quite happily.” The Alexa’s were supported by Codex Onboard recorders and backed-up to SXS cards in Pro Res. The Codex assigned to the Alexa Ms were protected in sealed Pelican cases to which the crew added motorised fans to keep the kit cool with a hole for cables to the camera. Leaf blowers from a local hardware store were adapted to fit to camera matte boxes to blow dust away from the lens when mounted on two specially built dune buggies fitted with Libra Head mounts, front and back. The camera arsenal supplied by Pizanis included ten Canon 5D Mark 11, with cinestyle software applied to desaturate the image, and six Olympus OM 5 (as ‘crash’ cameras). “All the crash cameras had a set working film speed, filtration and shutter speed by the time we were ready to roll,” says Seale. Two Ultimate Arm Edges (tracking, stabilised cranes on a Toyota Tundra and a Mercedes 4WD supplied by Performance Film Works) were deployed in over 40% of the action sequences. Each needed its own camera package: Alexa Plus with a 19-90 or/ a 4:1. These would go to and from main unit and action unit, which was shot by second unit stunt action specialist David Burr ACS. “We would try and supply David with as much gear as possible from main unit when extras cameras were required. When they needed the additional Edge Vehicle, or Steadicam shot, the crew would follow with its own dedicated gear,” he explains. “This worked a

British Cinematographer | May 2015 | 37

on the job / JOHN SEALE ACS ASC / MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Bare-chested... War Boys and War Lord dressed for set

Tigers under the tanker... DP John Seale and gaffer Shaun Conway consider the lighting options All action... multiple Steadicams at work

All aboard... the camera team riding the action rig in the desert

Handheld... John has a look through the Alexa M

>> treat and really the hardest thing was that everyone

wanted a 15-40mm. We got another one in the end as I spent most of the day policing gear and lenses, whilst rigging or de-rigging cameras.” The 3D R&D was put to good use by the grip department, led by Adam Kuiper, which devised a harken rig and track system using yacht fittings and bungee cords to allow three camera cross shooting. “It gave extreme mobility to the cameras,” says Seale. RF interfaces were used with the Alexas to transmit images to a command vehicle for monitoring by the director. Miller was not only able to review shots, he could edit material to determine what further coverage was needed. “He was adamant that all the operators keep the point of interest of the shot in the centre of the frame,” says Seale. “That was very difficult for most of us who had spent all our life framing for Anamorphic. George is saying ‘put Charlize’ or ‘put the car into the centre of the frame, it doesn’t matter what’s on the edge’. He wanted the audience’s eye to go straight to that point of interest.” He continues: “There is conventional continuity of lighting and continuity of scene, but George was getting us to frame as such and he would reframe again in post to achieve a continually smoother flow of images so that there are is no eye travel on the cuts. There is a boldness to that kind of process.” Having worked with Miller before, Seale was prepared for the director’s determination not to waste time on set and to mould the film through post. “He might not know how to get there, but he knows where he is going. On this film, the end result controlled the execution.” To provide maximum image quality and flexibility for post-production manipulation, Seale operated the Alexas in ARRIRAW. Heads of department viewed dailies

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“George spent a lot of time convincing me I didn’t have to worry about continuity of colour, of lighting or weather. We’d fix it in post.”John Seale ACS ASC on iPads. “They had a LUT on them just so that the image looked reasonable but really we were watching the action,” he explains. “This show was always going to be made in post. George didn’t talk about a look and neither did Dean pass on anything. George spent a lot of time convincing me I didn’t have to worry about continuity of colour, of lighting or weather. We’d fix it in post. That was fine with me. I’m a great advocate of the DI and tend not to use grads or filters because you can add them in post, and if you do lock them in on the digital neg you can have a nightmare trying to alter it later.” At least 80% of the film has been manipulated in some fashion. With a script spare on dialogue, few if any shots were run at 24fps. There are numerous VFX shots and colourist Eric Whipp went to work crunching the focus, tuning colour or replacing skies for eight months on Miller’s Baselight.

“I could never deny that this film has the image impact it has without the collaboration of those departments. Let’s be honest, some of the ARRIRAW negatives were pretty boring, but in the final grade it just looks great.” The seven-month shoot wrapped before Christmas 2012 and required a month of reshoots in Sydney a year later. The additional photography made use of two Blackmagic Design Cinema Cameras and four Nikon D800s recording Pro Res to the Atomos Ninja 2. “This is more than a wham bam smash-up derby,” says Seale. “Having a female road warrior brings a whole new light to what might have caused the apocalyptic event, how that has impacted the planet and how that would influence the character’s actions. It gives the piece a much deeper and broader emotional palette than the previous Mad Max films.”

CAMERA CREATIVE / CHARLOTTE BRUUS CHRISTENSEN / FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD

Hardy perennial

Far From The Madding Crowd was Thomas Hardy’s fourth novel and his first major literary success. It originally appeared anonymously as a monthly serial in Cornhill Magazine, a popular literary journal, where it gained a wide readership and positive critical notices.

hilst the 1874 novel has remained a favoured read, several films have been based on the book, the best-known of which is John Schlesinger’s 1967 adaptation starring Julie Christie, Terence Stamp, Peter Finch and Alan Bates, lensed by Nic Roeg BSC. Although being a hard act to follow, the romantic drama has been reworked once again for the big screen, with Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Sheen and Tom Sturridge in the leading roles, under the auspices of Danish Dogme auteur Thomas Vinterberg and young Danish cinematographer/operator Charlotte Bruus Christensen in charge of delivering the visuals on celluloid. Made on an estimated £12m budget, the BBC Films, DNA Films and Fox Searchlight Pictures production, includes Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich amongst the producers, with the screenplay by David Nicholls. For those unfamiliar with Hardy’s tale, it is set in south-west Victorian England and revolves around the headstrong and beautiful farm-owner Bathsheba Everdene (Mulligan) who is attracted to, and buffeted by, three very different suitors: Gabriel Oak (Schoenaerts), a frugal but well-meaning sheep farmer; William Boldwood (Sheen), a prosperous, mature but lonely bachelor; and Frank Troy (Tom Sturridge), a dashing but reckless Sergeant. They each contend for Bathsheba’s hand, and conflict is inevitable. By the end of the dramatic story, Bathsheba learns that romantic passion can be a dangerous, heartbreaking illusion. And that love can blind a person to defects of character, when what really count are honesty, steadiness and integrity. Whilst the new production has been enjoying favourable reviews, the critics have particularly honed-in on the “ravishingly good”, “sun-soaked” and “lustrous” framing of Bruus Christensen’s work. The visual appeal of Wessex proved so great that one pundit remarked, “As soon as you leave the cinema, you want to pack a suitcase.” A 2004 alumnus of the National Film & Television School, and recently listed among Variety’s ‘Top Ten cinematographers to watch in 2015’, Ron Prince caught up with meteoric Bruus Christensen over Skype to discover more about her take on the movie.

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How did the script come your way? CBC: It was through Thomas, as we have worked successfully together on two movies now – Submarino (2010) and The Hunt (2012). However, I think he may have had to convince the studio and the producers that a little blonde Danish girl could put a classic Thomas Hardy story on the big screen. Did you have any reservations about shooting a remake? CBC: Yes and no. Although I had never done a studio picture before, I had absolutely no reservations about shooting a period piece, a studio picture, and welcomed the chance to work with Carey and also with Thomas again. But, Thomas and I realised how very-much-loved the 1967 film is in the UK, and around the world, and knew it was a challenging project to take on in that respect. So we asked ourselves how are we going to tell the story for a 21st century audience? Thomas felt that we should be inspired by, and stay true to, the original story. That we should go with Hardy’s scenes and descriptions, keep it underlit, and not force any modern energy into the drama or the cinematography. What were your discussions with Thomas about the movie? CBC: As I have mentioned, we wanted to stay faithful to the book, the emotions, feelings and descriptions in the story, and not push anything unnatural upon it. At the very early stages of working on a movie with Thomas he often throws in words or lines to create a frame of reference. On this production the words were “sweeping romance” – which got me thinking. That said, Thomas is a Dogme 95 director with a robust, but simple, Scandinavian style about his work, and he also wanted to get to the bone of story – to the truth. So there was a mix in our thinking – a combination of old-style and free-style; a merger of big, static shots that are allowed time to breathe, juxtaposed with intimate, more Bergman-like images, where the lighting in the eyes exposes the emotions in the soul. Nothing unnatural, no special focus on the beautiful costumes or candlelight – more of a simple documentary, if anything, of 1874.

What research did you do, and what creative references did you consider? CBC: I read the novel a couple of years ago, when Thomas first started talking about the project, and also again when I was being considered as the cinematographer. I was struck by Bathsheba’s fragility, by the strong and powerful emotional currents that Hardy’s novel evokes inside the characters, and the backdrop of the English countryside he describes. Along with the novel, we just had to see the 1967 movie version with Julie Christie. But, we also watched Fanny And Alexander (1982, DP Sven Nykvist), Doctor Zhivago (1965, DP Freddie Young), Gone With The Wind (1939, DPs Ernest Haller and Lee Garmes) and Days Of Heaven (DP Nestor Almendros). These are classic films that stay within themselves – their tales are simply-told, and are not affected by trends. Along with the feeling of properness in these movies, we also liked the Technicolor look in Gone With The Wind and how it supports the sweeping romance. Obviously, we do not have the tools for that now, so Thomas and I invented the idea of a “Prime Colour” movie – that would play-up the strong, heavy reds in the costumes, the blues in the dawn and dusk lighting, and the natural green of the landscape. Actually, there’s a lot of landscape Hardy’s book, and what you realise from reading the text is that he picks up on something specific in the views he describes – such as corn heads bobbing in the wind, sturdy trees in the landscape or scudding clouds. I underlined these descriptions when reading the book. So rather than just pitching-up with a camera and shooting a straight but beautiful landscape, I had something extra to consider that would bring interest to the frame. I also referenced a whole host of French and Danish landscape artists and photographers, and in the end I compiled a 300-page PowerPoint, scene-by-scene mood document. How did you decide to shoot film vs digital? CBC: Right from the start we knew this production must be shot on 35mm film, and to keep the visuals as simple and as natural as possible. Hardy is all about texture, the subtle quality of the texture, and the best way to achieve this was in-camera on film. We could have chosen to shoot digitally, and then relied heavily on the DI to give us the

“I was struck by the strong and powerful emotional currents that Hardy’s novel evokes inside the characters.”Charlotte Bruus Christensen result we wanted, but we did not want to go on that detour. We wanted to create the movie on-set, in the camera, using different film stocks lights, filters and use only a short DI to help it come together. With this in mind, and taking into account that the film takes place over many years and different seasons, meant me having to be meticulously prepared. For each scene I had know exactly the time of year and time of day it was set, to pre-plan the filmstock I wanted to use, plus the lens, filtration, colour palette, camera movement, framing and overall intention – all so that images would cut together nicely and minimise the time in the DI too. Whilst this is nothing new, it does take dogged determination and discipline. It’s very hard to keep things simple. But there’s beauty and romance in simplicity. Can you explain the creative reasoning behind you choice of aspect ratio, cameras and cameras, lenses? CBC: The camera and lens package came from Panavision. We shot open gate 2.35:1 Anamorphic, but with a set of spherical lenses. I wanted to shoot widescreen, not just to capture wilds of the landscapes but also for its compositional possibilities in support of Bathsehba’s romantic story. For example, when we see Bathsheba and Gabriel Oak, they are almost always on their own in the frame, with space around them, isolated from one another. But with Bathsheba and Boldwood, they are more often in the frame, close together, deepening the feeling of how he has forced himself upon her. With Sergeant Tory, to emphasise Bathsheba’s feelings of danger and attraction, I went more for a two-shot, where you can place one subject in the foreground and the other in the background, and play with distance and intimacy in the same frame. I went with Panavision Millennium camera, and a set of Panavision Primos. The lenses are very colourful and helped to bring out the red, green and blues we wanted, without having to adopt too much filtration. There was also great colour consistency between the lenses in the set. To bring a richness to the close-up images of Carey, I specially selected a 40mm UltraSpeed, which had the perfect balance of softness, warmth and rich blacks for working on low ASA stock.

Which filmstocks did you choose? CBC: I went with Kodak Vision 3 50/250 Daylight and 200/500 Tungsten. I used the 50D on all of the daytime exteriors and some interiors with bigger lights, as the contrast is good and the over-exposure is great. I wanted a richness of colour on the negative, and nice fine grain. I used the 500T on the fire and storm sequences, and several party scenes when lighting for 360º-handheld. It’s a beautiful stock too. I knew the 250D would be perfect for the many overcast autumn and winter scenes in movie. I employed the 200T to help keep things underlit, but keep subtle details in the shadows. For example, I used it on the opening shot to heighten the visual impact as Carey emerges from dark shadows and into the light, and also in some of the candlelit scenes to capture the natural fall-off of the light but without the image quite going to black. The film processing was done at i-Dailies in London, who did a great job for us throughout the production. Who were your crew? CBC: Oh, I really loved my British crew! They were all so experienced, committed to the project and very supportive. I connected with gaffer Alex Scott immediately – he knew what I wanted from the candlelight and made sure it worked. It was great to reconnect with focus puller Ashley Bond, having previously worked with him on Mark Evan’s Hunky Dory. Nothing was ever too much trouble for my key grip Simon Thorpe. On B-camera and Steadicam I relied on Anders Holck, and AC Rami Bartholdy, who I asked over from Denmark. Anders shot the gorgeous, floating Steadicam that concludes one of my favourite scenes of the movie, the ‘Hollow In The Ferns’ sequence, in which Troy seduces Bathsheba in the misty forest with a display of his swordsmanship. Are there any other special mentions? CBC: Thomas and I had an amazing collaboration with the extremely gifted production designer Kave Quinn, who was constantly offering options and creative solutions to all our needs and wishes. Her eye for atmosphere and creative mind certainly gave us the perfect settings to create the look of the film.

What was your shooting schedule? CBC: I was in the UK for a total of 17 weeks. Apart from an exterior for the fire scene, which we shot at Warner Bros, Leavesden Studios, and a week in London at the end of the shoot, we were based entirely on-location in Dorset – Sherborne, Mapperton, Beaminster and the coast near Durdle Door. It’s a beautiful county, with rolling hills, coastline and wonderful light, and I absolutely fell in love with it. I could easily imagine myself living there one day. We started principal photography on September 16th 2013 and shot for seven weeks, mainly 11-day fortnights. Were there any happy accidents? CBC: The whole shoot was very tricky because of the changeable weather conditions. It rained a lot. I don’t know if you could describe it as a happy accident, but one morning, as we were setting up for one of the bigger shots in the movie, in which Gabriel’s inexperienced new sheepdog drives the flock over the cliff, the weather turned in our favour. The combination of the sea mist and the rising sun gave me a wonderful, ethereal, silvery light that suited the moment, and provided wonderful cinematographic opportunities with dramatic silhouettes that are very pleasing on-screen. Tell us about the DI? CBC: We completed the DI with Adam Inglis at Company 3 in London. As we had created the movie in-camera, this was really a finishing and finessing point for the visuals. Although we had ten days booked, a fair amount of time was taken up doing other jobs, such as creating screeners for the studio execs, and checking the VFX. It all went very smoothly and we did fewer days of grading than we had expected. Throughout the production, Thomas and myself were nervous about the final result. But I think we have delivered a simple movie about a fragile heroine in a powerfully emotional story with empathetic visuals, of which were are very proud.

Smooth operator... Charlotte likes to frame the images herself and has a subtle handheld style

British Cinematographer | May 2015 | 41

CLOSE-UP / ben davis bsc / avengers: age of ultron & Genius

Super hero

s much as big action blockbusters are often derided for being all visual effects and noisy set pieces, the genre is hugely popular and successful, which can be only good for the film industry. They provide employment for hundreds of crew and allow studios to finance more thoughtful, intellectually stimulating features. Like many cinematographers Ben Davis BSC works on both, most recently the latest Marvel Comics epic, Avengers: Age Of Ultron, and Genius, a lowbudget study of the background to some of the great literary works of the 20th century. Davis’ filmography is varied, but super-heroes of various kinds have become frequent entries. From the wannabes of Kick-Ass (2010) to ancient Greek prototype super-beings in Wrath Of The Titans (2012) and, most recently, a foray into the Marvel-verse with Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014), Davis has become more familiar with those of amazing powers. “It’s something that just happened,” he says. “I was never a huge comic book fan, but your career goes in a certain direction. It wasn’t something I deliberately set out to do.” Avengers: Age Of Ultron is the second film to feature an ensemble of Marvel characters – Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jnr), Captain America (Chris Evans, Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) among them. Like 2012’s The Avengers (DP Seamus McGarvey BSC ASC) it was directed by Joss Whedon, co-creator of the similarly Marvel-based The Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D TV series and driving force behind Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Davis met Whedon when the writer-director visited the set of Guardians Of The Galaxy. “He liked what I was doing and from that meeting to signing on to do Avengers: Age Of Ultron was a quick process,” Davis says. “What he brings to The Avengers is very different to Guardians Of The Galaxy. It’s earth-bound and a normal setting but in that are these extraordinary characters and situations. Joss gives them a humanity through the writing, but in this one he did set out to make it grittier than the original, which I loved.” All Marvel films are shot digitally 42 | British Cinematographer | May 2015

in HD but there was not a prescribed ‘house style’. Davis says there were “many discussions” during which a number of concepts were worked on, with input from production designer Charles Wood, who also worked on Guardians Of The Galaxy and Wrath s Tent-poles... Ben believe essary Of The Titans. “The nec blockbuster billions are s style developed in to bankroll little beautie pre-production,” Davis explains. “The aim was to get something very real so we looked at quite a bit of war photography, which influenced the third act featuring a big battle.” This has “a lot of handheld camera” but the angles are different from what people might expect. “War photographers and camera operators don’t stand in the line of fire,” Davis comments, “so there are views not directly looking that way. But within this we wanted to show each hero using his or her powers and put the audience in there with them.” The scale of the action sequences is shown by the use of three camera operators: Julian Morson on A-camera, Luke Redgrave on B and Sam Renton on a third when necessary, which Davis says was “about 70 percent of the time.” Each was using an ARRI Alexa XT with Primo lenses provided by Panavision. Davis adds that although he “loves operating” the size of this film did not make that a practical option: “I need to be on top of the lighting and be looking at the monitors. If I’m on a camera then I don’t have an overview of everything, although during the big battle scenes I did grab a [Canon EOS] C500 to do a bit of handheld shooting.” There are cinema purists

who are concerned at the amount of money spent on what they see as lightweight, mass-market entertainment. But as well as clearly enjoying working on a production like Avengers: Age Of Ultron, Davis sees it as the reason he can do a film such as Genius. “It’s also why the crews can do it and Panavision and Panalux can supply equipment for a lower budget, independent film,” he says. “If you’ve got returns of billions from an Avengers movie, then that keeps the industry viable and is how it can get indies into cinemas.” Genius was directed by actor and stage director Michael Grandage and tells the story of book editor Max Perkins’ work, at New York publishing house Scribner, handling such American literary heavyweights as Ernest Hemmingway, F Scott Fitzgerald and Thomas Wolfe. Starring Colin Firth as Perkins, with Dominic West, Guy Pearce and Jude Law as the authors, Genius was shot in the UK, where Manchester, Liverpool and London stood in for the Big Apple. Davis says Genius threw up a “completely different set of challenges to Avengers”, the biggest of which was recreating NYC of the 1930s without actually being able to go to the US due to the small budget. “We had to create [the period and the look] but with very little money for visual effects,” he explains. “What we did was create a sense of the city.” To portray a mid-20th century metropolis bustling with people and creative energy, Davis and Grandage looked to early colour photographs of New York by Saul Leiter as both inspiration and a template for their look. “Those were very interesting and from that I created a LUT with [freelance colourist] Adam Inglis working at Pinewood,” Davis comments. “It was exhaustive to cover all the colours and changes and all the settings were connected to it.” Genius was shot using Panavision Anamorphic lenses on the Alexa, which Davis says softened the digital camera, reducing some of the sharpness and helping achieve the period feel. Which is a far cry from what he describes as the “heroic lighting” for The Avengers, where all the characters had to look as good as each other. Although there are many who would consider the protagonists of Genius – particularly Hemmingway – to be as much a superhero as Captain America, Iron Man or Hulk.

CLOSE-UP / sara deane / The beat beneath my feet Images by Gavin Smith

Low-budget filmmaking can come with all kinds of restraints and frustrations for the creatives on a production. Scant crew, stripped-back resources and precious little time.

ll of which mean, you have to get on and make Fish Tank (DP Robbie Ryan BSC), and The Royal Tenebaums the best of your situation, in the hope that it (DP Robert D. Yeoman) as suitable references.” will come together on the big screen. Which Production took place during October 2013, at is exactly the case for cinematographer Sara suburban locations across Wimbledon, Sutton and Croydon, Deane, whose nimble-footed, collaborative work on the south London. “I had just two weeks to prep the kit, do the financially-challenged indie production, The Beat Beneath recce’s and plan the shooting schedule, before we went into My Feat, has resulted in a movie of real heart, and earned full production – which lasted for 24 days,” she explains. plaudits at Raindance and Berlin, where it was nominated Deane’s crew included gaffer Neil Hawkins, grip Fric for a Crystal Bear and listed as one of the festivals’ top ten Lopez Verdeguer, DIT Romek Sudak, focus pullers Adam films by GQ magazine. Conlon, Jason Wingrove and Malte Hubner, plus Steadicam A 2009 graduate of the National Film & Television operator Andy Johnson. Due to the restricted finances and School, with a multitude of shorts to her name, schedule, she says there was no chance to pre-light any of plus a handful of feature credits, Deane says she the scenes – including the leapt at the chance to shoot the production in order to expand her dramatic palette in testing circumstances. Produced for an estimated budget of less than half a million pounds, The Beat Beneath My Feet follows Tom (played by Nicholas Galitzine), a teenage outsider who harbours dreams of becoming a rock star. Bullied at school, his life takes a dramatic turn when an intimidating stranger moves into the flat below and plays loud music throughout the night. Tom recognises his new neighbour as Max Stone (Luke Perry), a disgraced American guitarist who disappeared years earlier, owing a fortune in unpaid tax, and has been presumed dead. Tom agrees not to reveal Max to the authorities on condition that he teaches him the dark arts of rock guitar. Life then takes on some unexpected twists and turns for them both. three short, music video The production marks style, fantasy sequences the directorial movie debut by that intersperse the movie John Williams, who hails from a – and keeping the limited background of working in animation number of repeat locations lst and directing music videos for big visually different presented Wistful for dollars... whi ed, help more cash would have names such as Radiohead, Coldplay a significant challenge. ne cinematographer Sara Dea and and The Offspring. It features an The production thinks the pressure of timerp original soundtrack, performed by shot ProRes on Alexa XT, money kept everyone sha Galitzine, with music supervision by using a variety of Cooke veteran producer Tony Visconti. S4 lenses and an Angenieux zoom, with a 2.39:1 aspect “I was recommended, and introduced to ratio. The lighting and camera equipment was provided by the director, by my old film-school friend, DP Felix Filmscape Media. Wiedemann,” says Deane. “I loved the wonderfully “Due to the budget, there was no way we could immersive and emotional script. Although I knew there have ever shot this production on film, so digital and ProRes would be limited resources, I really wanted to work on the digital were always on the cards,” says Deane. “I elected production as I had not shot this type of rites-of-passage for the widescreen format, as I knew it would lend itself to comedy drama before. I wanted it to be naturalistic, but the story as a whole, and I could compose the image for not too kitchen-sink, cleanly-lit and with a bit of a look. I two people in a close-up, or create an individual’s sense of suggested some images from Submarine (DP Erik Wilson), isolation and contemplative loneliness, as needed.” 44 | British Cinematographer | May 2015

Deane likes to operate, and shot a mixture of dolly and handheld camera styles to separate the different parts of the story as they frequently took place in the same locations. “I wanted the look to be soft whilst also bringing an honesty to the visuals and showing a certain innocence in the faces. So we lit very soft and cleanly, using colourless white light from HMIs for day interiors and tungsten for nights. We shot at T2.8 as much as possible throughout production. I frequently used wide lenses to get close-up, to place the characters in their surroundings, and often shot Tom front-on to enhance his frank openness in contrast to Max’s brooding shadow. Now and again, I used the zoom on the dolly to inject some fun ‘70s energy into the pictures,” she says. “It was one of those productions where we all wanted more of a look to the locations, and in some instances, due to location restraints, we had make do with what we had. But the production designer Alison Butler added colour in many locations and the results of those worked out well.” Along with shooting straight live action, Deane was also charged with lensing a trio of stylised music video sequences that Williams developed for the movie. For The Devil Cheated Me, Tom is pictured playing guitar in a car driven by the devil, against a Las Vegas-style backdrop, which Deane shot against greenscreen at Wimbledon Studios using Alexa, with lighting effects to simulate movement. For Girl In A Wardrobe, Deane captured puppeteered paper cutouts of the characters, around 10cm in height, on a small stage using a BlackMagic cinema camera. Separate live-action greenscreen footage of the characters’ faces was composited over the puppets for the final result. The third music video, for The Dream, features a liveaction greenscreen performance overlying an animated background of stills, taken from the movie’s various day and nighttime locations. “The music videos make an interesting creative juxtaposition against the realism of the story,” she remarks. “We only had a day to shoot each of them, and I enjoyed the challenges of shooting these too.” Deane completed the DI on the movie with colourist Kevin Horsewood at Prime Focus in Soho. “Perhaps because of the pressures of time and money, the team galvanised and worked well together,” concludes Deane. “All-in-all, the production went according to plan, and it was an enjoyable experience making what has turned-out to be a feel-good British film.”

British Cinematographer | May 2015 | 45

CLOSE-UP / CLAUDIO MIRANDA / TOMORROWLAND: A WORLD BEYOND

Future shock

Claudio Miranda ASC, the Chilean cinematographer who won an Oscar and BAFTA in 2013 for Ang Lee’s Life Of Pi, most recently photographed director Brad Bird’s ambitious Tomorrowland for Disney. Images courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

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et in the present day, the story – penned by Bird and Damon Lindelof (Lost) – revolves around a disillusioned former boy genius, played by George Clooney, and an optimistic and curious teen named Casey, played by Britt Robertson, who embark on a mission in an alternate present world, Tomorrowland, a vision of the future. Walt Disney himself first coined this name to represent his futuristic views and it went on to became one of the sections of his theme parks. The first Tomorrowland opened at Disneyland in 1955. Ironically, the film itself might also offer a future look at filmmaking. It was shot and posted in 4K resolution, and, received high dynamic range (HDR) grading. When Tomorrowland opens, it will become the first theatrical feature to be released in Dolby Vision, Dolby’s new HDR format. Additionally it will get mastered for IMAX’s new HDR-billed laser-illuminated projection system. For the cinematography, Miranda relates that, “Brad wanted to have a 65mm look, but it turned out to be really impractical, that’s when we chose the F65. He wanted a detailed negative.”

Miranda previously used Sony’s F65 4K digital cinematography camera on Joe Kosinski’s Oblivion. “It really has huge latitude,” the cinematographer says. Tomorrowland began filming in August 2013, with principal photography wrapping that February. It was shot on stage in Vancouver, BC, as well as on location including at Calatrava in Valencia, Spain and on an exterior set built at Kent Hangar Field in Vancouver. For the shoot, Miranda reteamed with camera operator Lucas Bielan, who also worked on Oblivion and Life Of Pi. “Naturalistic” is how Miranda describes his approach to the photography, saying “I love a lot of practical lighting, and I feed off of that. I’m not heavy handed.” He cites as an example a scene that takes place in a monitor room, which was photographed in a 60-ft. ring of media panels. “I used a lot of LED media panels and use them to light the actors,” he says. The difference between the two worlds – the “real” present world and Tomorrowland – is most obvious in the architecture though also with light, as Miranda relates. “When we first visit Tomorrowland, I had a little more glorious colour to it. When Casey holds the pin and first sees Tomorrowland, there’s adventure and hope and light. It’s warm and inviting and exciting. There’s a present day that’s more muted, a little more bleak… but there are also

Picture this... whilst HDR delivers pleasing results, Claudio believes it comes with a learning curve and needs more time

different versions of how we approached Tomorrowland driven by what is happening in the story.” The cinematographer says he had a “great” first experience collaborating with Bird, whose directing credits also include Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, and earlier, Pixar’s Ratatouille and The Incredibles, both of which won him Oscars for best animated feature. “For Tomorrowland we talked about scene and tone, and I’d ask him what he wanted it to feel like. We had a shorthand.” To create the fantasy world of Tomorrowland, Bird employed visual effects, expertly led by VFX supervisor Craig Hammack and Industrial Light & Magic. But Miranda relates that they also wanted to do a lot in camera. “When she touches the pin [as seen in the trailer], that’s an incamera cut. She’s really in a field and really in a jail ceil. “In another scene, she goes through a field, which takes her to the Calatrava. She goes down a flight of stairs, through a doorway, and she’s now in Vancouver, and we go into a tunnel and board a monorail. She’s on stage, and goes to an exterior stage in Vancouver, then back into the monorail to a stage. The monorail stops, and she’s in Spain again at the Calatrava, and then a swamp in Florida. It feels like a continuous shot.” Tomorrowland was graded with colorist Stephen Nakamura (Ridley Scott’s Exodus: Gods And Kings) at Company 3. Nakamura also graded the Dolby Vision version. “It’s pretty amazing; it feels very three dimensional. This is a great thing that’s coming,” Miranda says of HDR.

“You have more range, though you want to be careful not to use the whole gamut all the time, or it gets slightly abusive for the eyes. “Night time blacks are just insane; they’re just beautiful. A starry night is true black, and it makes the nights feels very three-dimensional,” he adds. “Explosions get a flash of brightness that you don’t get in the normal theatrical world.” He also learned that that are some aspects of HDR to be watchful of, including high contrast panning shots. “For instance, if you have a high contrast building and pan, there’s subtle stuttering in film. But in Dolby HDR, that difference between whites and blacks is much greater, so the stuttering between frames could come across sometimes as a mistake. It’s not anything people

are going to see because we’ll address it. It’s something you just have to watch out for.” Miranda oversaw the Dolby Vision grade. At press time, IMAX was going to create the master for its laser projection system, also with Miranda’s input. He recommends, ideally, building an extra week into the post schedule for HDR grading. “Once you have your master grade, some say you can just apply an HDR grade, but I disagree,” Miranda explains. “You have to do a special grade with access to the original footage, and make the grade for that. You can take it a lot further, but how you wield it is different. You have to make an aesthetic choice in that new environment. I don’t think you can get the benefit if you just put a curve on the movie, you have to take the time and do a good pass for it.”

British Cinematographer | May 2015 | 47

CLOSE-UP / Steve Yedlin / Danny Collins

Director of photography Steve Yedlin’s cinematographic process focuses on rigorous image science no less than on creative camera work and lighting.

lending his own unique style of on-set artistry with in-lab artistry, he’s captured photographic beauty in such projects as 2012’s Looper and the 2013 reboot of cult classic, Carrie. With the release of Danny Collins comes yet another example of Yedlin’s multifaceted expertise. Written and directed by seasoned Hollywood writer and producer Dan Fogelman, the film exemplifies Yedlin’s dualistic approach to the capture of light, in which a balance is struck between intuitive creativity and deterministic science. The movie focusses on aging ‘70s rocker Danny Collins, played by Al Pacino, who cannot give up his hard-living ways. But when his manager Frank Grubman (Christopher Plummer) uncovers a 40-year-old undelivered letter written to him by John Lennon, he decides to change course, and embarks on a heartfelt journey to rediscover his family, find true love and begin a second act. Using mostly traditional lighting units on set, often diffused with 1mm Depron, Yedlin was able to achieve Fogelman’s vision of a classically-lit piece. “We just wanted it to feel traditional and cinematic,” he says. “We didn’t want that plastered veneer or over-baked comedy look. Instead, we wanted traditionally rich photography, but with a very palatable sense.” 48 | British Cinematographer | May 2015

Yedlin used the ARRI Alexa, often mounted on an AeroCrane jib arm and Carbon Head remote head. Panavision’s PCZ 19-90mm zoom lens was the workhorse glass. With good optical performance for a zoom and a versatile focal length range, Yedlin notes that, compared to using prime lenses, the lens saved time by reducing both the changing of lenses and the rebalancing of the jib and remote head. To enhance the traditional aesthetic of the piece, Yedlin used his own custom colour algorithms to emulate the response of Kodak’s 5219 camera stock printed to Kodak Vision 2383 print stock. He combined this with a film-grain emulation algorithm – not an outof-the box plug-in, but yet another of his own custom creations, which uses a probability-map method that’s totally different from other film grain algorithms on the market. These post effects were combined with the in-camera use of a classic, nowdiscontinued lens diffusion. “There’s a company called Harrison that made multiple types of diffusions,” says Yedlin, “but there is one type simply called ‘Diffusion’ or ‘Harrison Diffusion.’ And that specific filter gives you a local blooming effect without defocusing blur. So, it has the attribute I like about lens diffusion without the attribute I’d rather avoid.” Harrison is now defunct, but luckily, Yedlin had a small collection of Harrison filters that he’d had custom-made by the company in 2007 for the film The Brothers Bloom. Although Harrison Diffusion were commercially produced in

thicknesses starting at 1 and getting thicker from there, the Bloom filters which were brought out for Danny Collins were custom-fabricated to be subtler, with a thickness rating of 1/2. As for the Alexa, Yedlin argues it’s the best on the market: “It has the best latitude, the lowest noise, the most light sensitivity, and it’s just superior in terms of onset use. I just care about what gets the most information, and that’s the Alexa.” In regards to colour response, Yedlin takes a mathematical approach, opting for custom transformations based on his own data sets over the manufacturer’s prescribed LUT. In explaining his methodology, Yedlin says: “The manufacturer’s LUTs are just a proposed way to display data. You don’t have to use that. I have my own system for taking the data that’s collected and prepping it for display.” In this case, that system – based on data sets from a purely photochemical processes – converts Alexa’s LogC response to a more photochemical-like response, including imperfections and idiosyncrasies of negative and print film. “The transformation between the data sets is done with a bunch of maths I’ve developed for the purpose,” he says. “This math is completely different from what you can get from simple lift/ gamma/gain adjustments. I prep the final colour response, and I determine the way the colours and densities are displayed.” For Danny Collins, Yedlin was selected from a short list of possible cinematographers, which was, again, another lucky coincidence in the making of the film. Director Dan Fogelman recognised Yedlin’s name after recalling a note he had written himself following a screening

Free radical... rather than just accep t manufacturers’ LUTs as standard, Steve has developed his own math s for handling the colour response

“we wanted traditionally rich photography, but with a very palatable sense.”Steve Yedlin of Looper: “Check out this DP.” Fogelman’s research proved serendipitous for Yedlin, as his name immediately stood out among the potential picks. The two couldn’t have been more creatively insync, and Yedlin’s admiration for Fogelman’s professionalism kept the project moving along successfully. “Even though he was technically a first time director,” says Yedlin, “Dan’s a veteran writer and producer and is someone who has sat there with directors, sat next to the monitors. So, he didn’t feel like a first-timer. Moreover, he was just magnificent with the cast and crew. If there was a member of the crew he hadn’t spoken to in a long time, he would go out of his way to do a joke with them, make them feel appreciated. It was just amazing how gentlemanly he was.”

Yedlin also enlisted the help of Wade Whitley, a focus puller with whom he had worked on at least ten previous films, and camera operator Dale Myrand, a regular member of Yedlin’s crew. Yedlin and Myrand strove for a confident and inertial camera style, actively trying to avoid any sense of an over-reactive or fidgety camera. Yedlin praises the work of production designer Dan Bishop, who was mostly sculpting a realistic contemporary world for the film but also got to, for one flashback scene, create a period environment in his signature mid-century style. And it was this scene that was Yedlin’s favourite to light in the film. “Since we weren’t doing a flashback ‘look,’ we wanted the light itself for this scene to be oddly evocative,” explains Yedlin. “So we hit on the idea of

the sun coming through the window, shining in the character’s face and twinkling through trees that were rocking in the breeze. We achieved this by putting an 18K on a lift directly in the shot. There was a second lift that had the trees and a fan.” Yedlin’s unique blend of hard science and cinematic savvy make him a sought after cinematographer in Hollywood. With a precise method and deliberate execution, Yedlin’s work in Danny Collins combines elements of classicism with contemporary technology, and this is sure to appeal to filmgoers everywhere. Close-ups were researched and written by Valentina I. Valentini, Carolyn Giardina, Kevin Hilton and Ron Prince.

British Cinematographer | May 2015 | 49

SPOTLIGHT / ROTOLIGHT

SEEING THE LIGHT

otolight is a multi-award winning, British manufacturer which has helped change the way people work with light. Whether a multi-million pound 007 James Bond feature or a low-budget short, versatile, colour calibrated lighting equipment is a necessity and one on which Rotolight has established its reputation, writes Adrian Pennington. The family-run business is headed by Rod Gammons, its creative director and chair, his son Rod Aaron Gammons, as managing director, and Helen Gammons the financial director. Rod Gammons was a former music producer and owner of a highly successful A/V equipment company where he established a day-to-day contact with producers, broadcasters and cinematographers. Through these relationships he conceived the idea of a ringlight as a unique mounting method for professional video cameras, and decided to pursue its development by launching Rotolight in 2009. The RL48 proved to be a ground-breaking product. The design allowed the light to be attached to a shot gun microphone mounted on top of the camera making it ideal for run-and-gun style documentary, ENG work on camcorders and the new influx of DSLRs. What’s more, it introduced LED to a market dominated by tungsten, fluorescent and HMI. “This was a step forward in lighting, not just for video but for photography,” says Alex H-French, Rotolight’s head of marketing. “It meant one light could be used for both photographic and cinematographic image capture, previously impossible with traditional flash systems. Flash light systems have a lot of drawbacks, such as diffusion and bounce and a strong light source. The RL48 was offering full spectrum continuous light with studio accurate colour and a 140-degree angle that produced subtle, flicker-free effects and enhanced natural skin tones.” The RL48 range expanded to kit form, featuring calibration and colour FX gels and an adaptor to mount the light on tripod mounts or accessories. The product is now on its third iteration, boasts colour rendering index (CRI) greater than 91 and continues to be a staple of any gaffer’s toolbox. On Captain Phillips (2013), for example, Barry Ackroyd BSC and chief gaffer Harry Wiggins handpicked ten RL48s to illuminate the cramped interior of the lifeboat which features in the latter half of the movie. In 2012, the company debuted the Anova V1. This Bi-Colour LED EcoFlood delivered a 1,000W (tungsten equivalent) output, with a 110-degree superwide floodlight, perfect for creating a high quality key light or ambient fill light for studio and location filming.

50 | British Cinematographer | May 2015

The units can be electronically set to accurately reproduce any colour of white light, from candlelight through to full daylight, in 10 degree Kelvin steps of 3150K – 6300K maintaining perfect colour temperature across the whole dimming range, which makes colour correction a very simple task when matching to ambient light. An innovative ‘Magic Eye HD’ app provided iPhone/iPad remote control of colour temperature and brightness, for which the firm was honoured with the Technical Excellence and Innovation Award at Cinec 2012 and the Cinegear 2013 Technical Award. Most recently, this May, the Guild of Television Cameramen bestowed its prestigious ‘Seal Of Approval’ award on the Anova. The Anova are the fill lights of choice at the Rovers Return in Coronation Street, where ITV head of lighting Chris Chisnall appreciates being able to quickly balance the prevailing colour temperature without having to resort to gels, whilst the battery operation makes them a dream for fast rigging in awkward areas of the set. The fixtures are also deployed on EastEnders and Hollyoaks, for BBC Three drama In The Flesh, Country File, The Great British Sewing Bee and in studios like central London’s newest 4K-ready space Celebro Studios. In the cinema, Rotolight gear has seen action on Skyfall, specified by VFX and plate photographer Stefan Lange to fill in for the night-time scene in which Bond enters the Golden Dragon casino by water taxi. More honours followed, notably the prestigious BKSTS Technical and Scientific Achievement in 2013, but with competitors beginning to offer LED alternatives, Rotolight couldn’t afford to rest on its laurels. “Some people have been burnt in terms of the quality of LEDs which can bring the whole technology into disrepute. So what we decided to do was fine tune our technology,” explains

H-French. “Lower quality LEDs can produce too much green skin tone or too little red, in which case a modifier has to be used and no-one wants to be using those. Lighting camera operators want excellent quality lighting with minimal fuss. That is the mark we want to achieve and I truly believe we’ve hit it.” Measured by CRI or the Television Lighting Consistency Index (TLCI), fast becoming the industry standard for gauging the quality of broadcast lighting, Rotolight kit scores at the highest end of the register. The Anova Bi Colour V2 is placed in the top category with a score of 86, according to the TLCI scale. The majority of product is designed, tested and assembled at Pinewood Studios UK since 2010 from where, incorporating feedback from gaffers, photographers and lighting camera-ops, Rotolight is preparing to fulfil orders for its third major on-camera LED product line. Ready to ship, the circular Neo is already winning plaudits as an industry-standard in waiting. It’s feature set includes a dual rotary encoder control system for rapid brightness and colour temperature adjustment in the field, and ‘Dynamic Drift Compensation’ for smooth dimming from 0%-100% with no colour shift. The Bi-Colour LED technology (from 3150K to 6300K) delivers a powerful 1077 lux at 3 feet – twice that of competing LED on camera lights, it is claimed. The CRI is 95 with an almost perfect skin tone reproduction. It can be powered by 6 AA batteries for up to 5 hours or by AC or D-TAP cable, drawing only 9W at full power. “We are now in at a stage with LED lighting where tuneable colour temperature is becoming an increasingly usable option rather than a gimmick,” declared British Guild of Television Cameramen member Simon Edwards. “Rotolight with the Anova and now Neo are at the forefront of that technology.”

MEET THE NEW WAVE / DaVID PROCTER BSC / CINEMATOGRAPHER

HIGH JUMPER Filmography (so far): Isolation (2009), Bypass (2015), Blood Cells (2015)

When did you discover you wanted to be a DP? The raw, emotive power of film grasped me from a very young age, but it wasn’t until I was about 19 that I even knew what a cinematographer was. Storytelling led me first into documentary, where I soon discovered that my true passion lay in the visuals. Where did you train? Ravensbourne, Hull School of Art & Design and NFTS Short Courses. Then I cut my teeth in the documentary world. What are you favourite films, and why? The Diving Bell And The Butterfly (2007, DP Janusz Kaminski) – a powerfully executed piece of cinema that is beautifully crafted. Outstanding cinematography and exceptional performances. The Hunt (2012, DP Charlotte Bruus Christensen) – a compelling and deeply harrowing social study. Terrifying because of its viability. The films of Andrey Zvyagintsev and Alejandro González Iñárritu have influenced and inspired me heavily. What’s the best advice you were ever given? Don McAlpine ACS ASC once told me, “Calm seas never made a skilled sailor”. Who are your DP/industry heroes? Phil Méheux BSC has been incredibly supportive as a mentor over the years. Conrad Hall ASC for his exquisite work. Mikhail Krichman for his collaborations with Andrey Zvyagintsev. Rodrigo Prieto AMC ASC for his technical mastery across styles. Anthony Dod Mantle DFF BSC ASC, for whom I recently shot second unit, as he is always pushing boundaries. Have you won any awards or received any nominations? Short films I’ve shot have had great exposure on the festival circuit with numerous awards and jury mentions internationally, as with my commercial work. I’ve been lucky enough to receive a BIFA nomination and four nominations at Camerimage since 2009, most recently the 2014 ‘Cinematographer’s Debut’ for Bypass. What’s your proudest moment? Having my feature debuts Bypass and Blood Cells both premiere just days apart at Venice Film Festival was pretty overwhelming. What’s the worst knock-back/rejection you ever had? I was rejected from NFTS. Everyone has their own path! What’s been your best moment on set? Shooting Arcade Fire live last year. Lol Crawley BSC and myself were dressed as skeletons shooting Anamorphic 16mm on stage in front of 20,000 people.

And your worst moment on set? During a tech recce on the salt marshes of Morcambe Bay we were caught out by the infamous tides. Next thing we knew our car was on its side sinking in quicksand, freezing water flooding the interior. We had to swim for shore with what we could save. A lot of kit didn’t make it and the car was destroyed, but fortunately no one was hurt. What was your biggest challenge on your latest production? On a recent perfume commercial in Prague, after weeks of set build at Barrandov Studios, I had to light the entire stage to 2,000fps. We couldn’t source enough 1,000hz ballasts in Eastern Europe and so went tungsten, utilising nearly 400K of lighting. That was fun!

Tell us your most hilarious faux pas? Whilst shooting a Metallica documentary in India many years ago during Divali. Being the festival of light there was no shortage of candles lining the narrow streets of Old Delhi Market. I became lost in the moment searching for a frame. Seconds later, the camera was grabbed from me and I was thrown to the floor, with shouting in all directions. As I noticed flames around me and the smell of burning, I realised I got too close to the candles. I wasn’t seriously hurt but my clothes were gone. Away from work, what are your greatest passions? Snowboarding. Travel. Music. Cooking, particularly Asian. I’ve trained in Indian cuisine and love to relax in the kitchen after trips away. What one piece of kit could you not live without? It would have to be Helios, the sun-tracker. Knowing where the sun will be, or should be, is invaluable. Which films are you most proud of to date? Blood Cells was a true rite of passage, and the cumination of six years collaborating with directors Luke Seomore and Joseph Bull. What’s the weirdest place you’ve ever shot in? On Blood Cells we shot in the basement of an East London steambaths. Sandwiched between a scrapyard and a recycling plant, the place was a squalid network of glass walled cubicles. I can only imagine what goes on there after dark.

What’s the hardest shot/thing you’ve had to light/frame? On a commercial for Tesco Smoked Haddock (dir. Kim Gehrig) we wanted to achieve a rotating shot, ascending a working 100yr old chimney on location in Grimsby. Lined with a century of tar, the wire rig took the best part of a day to install and lighting was extremely challenging. It was worth every second. Tell us your hidden talent/ party trick? I can jump pretty high, apparently. In the entire history of filmmaking, which film would you love to have shot? Jurassic Park (1993, DP Dean Cundey ASC) What are your current top albums? I’m bouncing between Emika, Ludovico Einaudi and Sage Francis. Can you tell us your greatest extravagance? Cage diving with great whites. I’m hooked. What’s the best thing about being a DP? The travelling. What’s the worst thing about being a DP? The travelling. Give us three adjectives that best describe you and your approach to cinematography? Passionate. Emotive. Instinctive. If you weren’t a DP, what job would you be doing now? Chef. What are your aspirations for the future? I’m very happy maintaining a balance between the diverse challenges of commercial and dramatic work. I’m keen to make the right choices and wait for the stories that simply need to be told. British Cinematographer | May 2015 | 51

LETTER FROM AMERICA / Richard Crudo ASC

Simple stupid ASC president Richard Crudo ASC says changes in the textures and topography of technological development are disorienting, unnecessary and need to be more accessible for cinematographers.

hen British Cinematographer Magazine editor, Ronny Prince, asked me to write this column he mentioned that I might want to include some observations about the 2015 National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention, which I attended this April in Las Vegas. OK, here goes… It was big. Huge. Enormous, in fact… Filled with people. Oh yes, and lots of motion imaging technology too. 4K this, 8K that. Someone was probably hatching ideas for the next wave of 16K and 32K devices on the property as well, but I must’ve missed them on the way to the bar. Technology on top of technology on top of... well, you get the idea. And what was the big take away shaped by the collective of merchants at the temple? We’re living in a time of great change. Gee, that’s original. Can anyone cite a single moment in history that didn’t represent a time of great change? Now, obviously, a cinematographer’s lot is wholly governed by our mastery of the equipment we use. And believe me, I’m no Luddite. I’m as well-educated about the capabilities and applications of our gear as anyone. Proof positive? I made my reputation in the film era and continue to recognise it as the gold standard for image creation. But I’d now much rather shoot digitally. Don’t let that openness and embrace of the future fool you, though. When you peel away the pixel-pap and nano-nonsense and really get down to the bottom line, circuits and wires bore the hell out of me. We have some spectacularly well-informed technical minds both as Active and Associate members at the ASC, and I must tell you there have been moments when I’ve been cornered by one of their number and their chatter has put me to sleep... standing up! I recall a conversation some years back with the late, great Conrad Hall ASC in which he stated that it’s irrelevant for a cinematographer to know the chemical composition of the Eastman negative. This is so obvious that it cries out to become a motto, chiselled into the masonry above the entrance to every one of our current manufacturers’ headquarters. Their drive to complicate rather than simplify is the great plague of our industry. 52 | British Cinematographer | May 2015

What’s even more disturbing is that so many cinematographers have blindly signed on to the movement. I can only speculate that they don’t feel competent in their positions unless they can expound at will about the minutiae of the latest gadgets, most of which Conrad would have agreed is meaningless. Perhaps the loss of our magicianlike hegemony over film has simply been replaced by the impenetrable recitation of the unfathomable. Though his sentiment may be lost on them, it’s important to remember that Conrad’s informed dismissal of whatever might come between his emotions and his tools did nothing to deter the brilliance of his achievements. By now the enlightened cinematographer knows that throwing more people and more equipment at what is in its essence a very simple task is not a wise path. We also know that obfuscating a creative process with increasingly cumbersome and more onerous technical requirements does not help us do our jobs any better or more efficiently. But why do there seem to be so few attempts to redirect that bend in the river? How is it that the community of cinematographers – especially the younger ones - aren’t out there burning down the establishment with demands for simpler, more ‘plug-andplay’ solutions to imagemaking? Among many of our manufacturers, a catastrophic loss of clarity has pervaded what not long ago was a smart, sensible atmosphere. Time and again I hear it from my colleagues; I also see it in my own experiences. Nothing is basic or intuitive anymore. We understand that it’s hard for the makers of our gear to be simple, to pursue the elementary...but I have no sympathy. Anything worthwhile in life requires focus, commitment and effort. When you don’t approach it from that level, you end up with the type of mess we’re forced to deal with every day. Go out to photograph a movie or television show and what you need to pull it off recalls not so much the building of a rocket (which is bad enough) but the launching of one. Yes, the game has changed. For those without benefit of a few decades perspective, I assure you, it’s not for the better.

Straight-talk in’... ASC mem ber George Folsey liked to ke focussed in a ep conversations forthright m anner!

Another publication recently asked what technological development would be most beneficial to cinematographers in the next decade. Only half-jokingly, I answered film. Clearly, that’s never going to happen – and that’s okay, since digital images are finally starting to approach the potential of what we had before. Beside which, I realise this is a scream into the wilderness – and a wilderness it is. Sit quietly in the desert for an hour and you’ll be amazed at the disorienting changes in the textures and topography surrounding you. Review the tools and practices you employed on a shoot just last month and you’ll experience a similar confusion at the rapid transformation. I look forward with the greatest of optimism and implore our manufacturers to stop mistaking movement for progress. Please... embrace a philosophy of ‘less is more’. If there’s one thing you can do to assure a good future, it would be to make our tools and workflows more compatible with a direct and uncluttered mind. During my early days as an ASC member, the legendary William A. Fraker used to wax poetic about his own start with the organisation more than thirty years earlier. Thirteen-time Oscar nominee George Folsey was a member of the Board of Governors and, when the discussion at a meeting veered too far off track, he was known for slamming his hand on the table and proclaiming, “Enough with the horseshit! Let’s talk about photography.” And he was so right. In the final analysis, the only thing that matters is what your work looks like when you’re done. Not the technical horseshit you had to use to get there.

POST-IT NOTES / Goldcrest

Goldcrest, which originated as an independent film production company, was founded in January 1977. It enjoyed early success, receiving 30 Oscar nominations and winning 15; most notably Best Picture gongs for Chariots Of Fire and Ghandi.

ther significant titles include Watership Down, Local Hero, The Killing Fields, The Mission, Hope And Glory and All Dogs Go To Heaven. Goldcrest was acquired by the current owner, John Quested, in 1992, and the company launched Goldcrest Post Production the same year. Since the early nineties Goldcrest has continued to develop its distribution, finance and post production services alongside its extensive film library. In 2012, mindful of the increasing global demand for UK creative services and talent, the Quested family embarked upon an ambitious plan to refurbish and expand Goldcrest’s post-production facilities, committing a substantial investment to the development. Building upon its rich heritage and credibility within the film industry worldwide, and uniquely placed in terms of its independent status and location, they formulated a plan to create an indomitable USP – a legitimate, one-stop location for feature and high-end television clients, encompassing first class picture and audio post facilities in a central Soho location. Goldcrest enjoys considerable regard for its sound post services within an international client base, and its credit list includes many of the biggest feature titles of recent years. Until recently, its focus was almost exclusively on audio post production, but over the last twelve months it has completed a hugely ambitious programme of enhancement, adding theatrical picture post facilities to its roster of services. This development entailed the opening of three new digital intermediate grading theatres within its Lexington Street facility. To accompany the new DI offering, and to maximise convenience to clients, the company has developed a full range of supplementary services, including film and

RenaissancE period colourist .. Goldcrest’s Grading trio. s Adam Glasman de clu in up elin

Rob Pizzey

Lee Clappison

digital dailies, conform and on-line editorial, Digital Cinema Mastering, 35mm film scanning and recording, video and file deliverables and screening facilities. In terms of spec, the details are impressive. A total of ten DaVinci Resolve systems connected to a SAN, with half a Petabyte of storage, support Goldcrest’s grading and online functions. With an eye on future requirements as well as today’s needs, the system is capable of the playback and real-time grading of multiple 4K streams. Each of the DI suites, built around Resolve’s grading platform, run on Linux workstations with 4GPUs. A fourth room, dedicated to video mastering, pairs a Resolve colour corrector with a Canon 4K monitor. The facility also continues to make provision for those clients originating on film, with 35mm ARRI scanning, dustbusting via Pixel Farm’s PFClean and ARRI film recording included in its list of services. Alongside the technical capabilities of the DI department, the aesthetics of the new space were equally important. These environments and their respective circulation and reception areas needed to be comfortable and agreeable places to be as well as satisfying practical needs. To achieve this, the company sought input from colourists, clients and designers, distilling years of cumulative experience to create the environs. Alert to the demand for established creatives, Goldcrest has furnished its new picture post facilities with some of London’s premier film grading talent. The new picture post team boasts renowned colourists Adam Glasman and Rob Pizzey, both formerly at Company 3, and Lee Clappison, who joined Goldcrest from Lipsync Post. Between them they have graded u Grau graded many of the Good timing... Ed at Goldcrest ise nça Fra te Sui most criticallyacclaimed film releases of recent years, including Cinderella, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Macbeth, Les Miserables, Anna Karenina, Rush, Skyfall, Captain Phillips, The Iron

Lady, Calvary and My Week With Marilyn. The company also recruited leading industry figures to develop and oversee the new facility. Patrick Malone came on board as managing director in January 2014 and was joined soon after by CTO Laurent Treherne, commercial director Martin Poultney and head of production Rob Farris. In tandem with picture-post developments Goldcrest, has invested heavily in improving its audio services, with refurbished foley, ADR and dubbing stages, pus the construction of central London’s largest Dolby Atmos mixing theatre. Furthermore, it has thirty-four cutting rooms within the same location, affording it the ability to accommodate projects on-site for the duration of their post schedules. The DI facilities have been in demand since opening last July, with grading services provided for High Rise, (DP Laurie Rose), Kingsman: The Secret Service (DP George Richmond BSC), Suite Française (DP Eduard Grau), Icon and London Road (DP Danny Cohen BSC), Slow West (Robbie Ryan BSC), Urban Hymn (DP Denis Crossan BSC), Suffragette (Eduard Grau), Inbetweeners II (DP Ben Wheeler), Survivor (DP Danny Ruhlmann), Our Kind of Traitor (DP Anthony Dod Mantle DFF BSC ASC) and Macbeth (DP Adam Arkapaw). There is a great deal of creative collaboration between Goldcrest’s DI colourists and the cinematographers with whom they work, and Kingsman: The Secret Service was no exception. Having worked with cinematographer George Richmond before on a number of projects, colourist Rob Pizzey knew that Richmond liked to establish the look of a film prior to the shoot. This provides a solid reference for use both on-set and within the dailies process, and sets things up for the final grade. To facilitate this, Richmond pre-lit some of the sets at Leavesden Studios together with various exterior locations. This allowed Pizzey to set basic looks for each scene with a range of different exposures. In all, Pizzey set about 25 different looks for Richmond to apply via LUTs. As a result of these efforts the dailies were balanced and a pre-grade wasn’t needed to match scenes for offline. When it came to the final DI sessions there were no nasty surprises, as everybody had a good idea how the film should look. The colourist and cinematographer were able to concentrate their efforts on the finessing the look of the movie. Unencumbered by corporate agenda, Goldcrest aims to continue to grow both domestically and internationally, expanding its existing facilities in New York and to establish a facility Los Angeles. British Cinematographer | May 2015 | 53

F-STOP / NAB 2015 Review / by Debra Kaufman

Lights, camera, action!

up-ande h t o t g in d a e h e If you’r en our h t o p x E r a e G e in coming C round5 1 0 2 B A N y m m double-wha , will give w ie v re p r a e G e in up and C e of m o s n o k c ra t e id you the ins ent m ip u q e g in k a m ie the latest mov leading m o fr e e s o t t c e p x you can e orld. w e h t d n u ro a s r manufacture

nab 2015 review ARRI... showed a clutch of new gear – including the Alexa 65

ARRI:

showcased the recently introduced ALEXA SXT and ALEXA Mini, as well as the ALEXA 65, announcing that a deal with IMAX will see the corporation using a customised ALEXA 65 on its major 2D productions. The new ARRI Anamorphic Ultra Wide Zoom AUWZ 19-36/T4.2 extends the range of the ARRI/ ZEISS Master Anamorphic lenses to cover extreme wide-angle focal lengths between 19mm and 36mm, while the SkyPanel new Master LED fixture Anamorphic Flare Sets enhance the creative looks possible with these lenses. ARRI also unveiled SkyPanel, a new line of LED fixtures. The S60 and smaller S30 are colour tuneable, and offer soft, clean shadows as well ARRI... as interchangeable diffusion panels, adapted large aperture for smooth, even Transvideo light and on-board battery input for monitor portability. In collaboration with cmotion, ARRI introduced new tools for its Electronic Control System: the new intelligent cforce mini-motor, to adjust lens settings on weight-optimised

cforce mini

54 | British Cinematographer | May 2015

AMC-1

WCU-4

Codex... broke into colour with Review Live, pictured on a Mac beside a Tangent panel

camera configurations; the Active Motor Controller AMC-1 with an LBUS interface; and the Wireless Compact Unit WCU-4, featuring M4 mounting points on its top and bottom. ARRI is also working with Transvideo on a specially-adapted version of Transvideo’s StarliteHD 5” OLED monitor, which will be able to control the ALEXA Mini and AMIRA cameras.

Cinedeck: caused quite a stir with File-based Insert Editing, a new feature enabling file-to-file insert editing on digital deliverables. Using this capability via a Cinedeck RX, MX or ZX platform, editors can perform frameaccurate insert edits, of video and audio, into a digital file, in a similar manner to insert-editing on tape. This eliminates the traditional, time-consuming workaround procedures of editing and rerendering entire final programme content, or editing and laying off to tape then re-encoding to a delivery file, with vastly improved efficiency.

Codex: unveiled its Codex Review Live colour management and look-creation system at NAB 2015. Based on the concept that it is preferable to create LUTs in advance, this new Review Live system allows users on-set to create and preview looks, as well as do basic grading and colour management from multiple live HD-SDI camera feeds. These looks and grades can be used by the cinematographer to communicate their creative intent, and also be used as the starting point for dailies and post deliverables that adhere to that intent. Codex Review Live is compliant both with ASC’s CDL (Colour Decision List) and the AMPAS’ new ACES (Academy Colour Encoding System), and also works with Codex Backbone digital production pipeline and media management system, in which looks and metadata are securely managed for downstream image-processing. Codex Action Cam, the new 4K recorder for Panasonic’s Varicam 35 and the wide range of support for ARRI cameras also proved big attractions from Codex Codex... broke into colour this year. with the S-series Vault

K5600... lit up the show with its well known lamps

K5600 Lighting: showed off the Evolution Kit with its

new 3200K colour temp lamps for both the Alpha 200 and Joker 200, now available in addition to the existing 5600K lamps. The Kit combines the Alpha 200 and/ or the Joker 200 in five configuration options. The new Alpha 200 is a compact (6.75” W, 10” H and 6” D) and 4-pound Fresnel, based on the same design philosophy as the larger Alpha fixtures. The Alpha 200 accepts both HMI and Ceramic Discharge Lamps, to project in 3200K and 5600K. K5600 also introduced the 3200K lamp for the Joker 800; by emitting comparable lumens to its traditional 5600K equivalent, the Joker 800 can now generate over 3000W of incandescent light. Also shown were the Joker-Zoom 800 with a faceted, open-face style reflector and focusable 15-55 degrees and the compact and lightweight Alpha 9K for location shooting. K5600 also now offers a1000Hz high-speed ballast for both the Joker 400 and Joker 800.

the package. With the addition of slider capabilities, rails/ shelf can be used from ground level to over six feet; it also accommodates two speed rails for a slider dolly, and gives the user a stable base for sliding, eliminating the transport of C-stands and sand bags. The KerriKart can transport any size camera and lens. Matthews... Car Mount package

Litepanels... Astra and Caliber lighting products

Litepanels/Vitec Group: introduced the Caliber 3-Light Kit, which offers a wide focus range that can be powered via AC or AA batteries and is aimed at webcasting, blogging and professional content creation as a portable, out-of-box lighting solution. Accessories include a colour frame, correction filters and a 4-way barn door. Also new are the Astra 1x1 EP and 1x1 E Series, as well as two additional models in the Astra 1x1 series that debuted last year. Extensions to this line are aimed at offering more variety of intensity levels and price points. Both the new 1×1 EP and 1×1 E series offer a Bi-Colour fixture to adjust colour from daylight

Panasonic: introduced its 4K companion camera, the AG-DVX200 for the Varicam series, the AK-UB300 4K multi-purpose camera, the AK-UC3000 4K-ready studio system and the P2 Cast, a cloud-based news production system. The AG-DVX200 4K large-sensor, 4/3” handheld camcorder offers 4K/60p recording, a 13X optical zoom and a V-Log L gamma curve (12 stops of latitude, target) and will be available in autumn 2015 at a suggested list price under $5,000. The AK-UB300 4K multi-purpose camera targets remote studio, weather and traffic reporting, image magnification and sports implementations. The AKUC3000 4K-ready system outputs a UHD signal up to 3840/2160/60p, and its B4 mount accommodates existing 2/3-inch lenses. P2 Cast integrates the network features of Panasonic’s P2 HD camcorders with AVC-ULTRA recording, the AJ-PX5000G, AJ-PX800 and AJPX270, to make content uploaded to the cloud immediately available for reviewing and editing. Time Warner Cable NY1 News in New York City has tested the system; PS Cast is available now in the U.S. and Europe on a free trial basis through to September 2015. Panasonic also announced its HX-AI wearable POV action camcorder that weighs 45 grams and the AJ-PX380 1/3-inch AVC-UTRA shoulder-mount camcorder for ENG operations. Also showcased was the latest Toughpad and Toughbook mobile computers including the next generation 4K displays, available in July 2015.

Mole Richardson: released seven new LED products,

including the 100W Vari-Mole (Type 9161) portable all-in-one kit lighting fixture aimed at professionals and consumers and priced at under $1,000. This fixture is tune-able between 2700K and 5600K and has the equivalent output of a 650-watt tungsten head. The 150W Vari-Baby LED (Type 892131), the company’s first variable colour baby, is equivalent to a 1,000-watt Fresnel fixture, with 2700K to 5600K adjustable colour and dimmable from zero to 100 percent. The 900W SeniorLED uses a 960-watt LED chip to output 1000-foot candles in full flood at 10 feet and is available in Tungsten (9341) or Daylite (9351). The Vari-SoftLED is a colour-adjustable light from 2700K to 5600K that is also zero to 100 percent dimmable and can be daisy-chained with other fixtures. The 300W VariSoftLED is a shadowless wrap-around light that has been one of the company’s most popular products in the three months since it was released.

Panasonic... ToughPad

to tungsten. Built from aluminium I-beam core for maximum durability, all Astra fixtures include a curved yoke design with a wide tilt range, dual-integrated cable guides and optional Gold Mount or V-Mount battery plates.

Matthews Studio Equipment:

showcased its new Vator III series of heavyduty cranking stands. Matthews began making the Vators over 35 years ago and introduced the Vator II stands 15 years ago. The new Vator IIIs are manufactured via CAD-CAM techniques, precision laser cutting/machining and CNC machining and come with a two-year warranty on parts and manufacturing. Central to the Vator III stands is the precision rack-and-pinion gear drive mechanism that reduces components in the drive train to two moving parts. MSE also introduced the customizable KerriKart, designed by director of photography Bill Kerrigan, which incorporates traditional cart support with a capacity to add a slider to

Panasonic... 4K AG-DVX200 camera

>> British Cinematographer | May 2015 | 55

F-STOP / NAB 2015 Review / by Debra Kaufman

RED... new 6K Weapon camera

RED: debuted Weapon, its smallest and lightest digital

camera that uses RED’s 6K 19-megapixel Dragon sensor. Weapon’s features include workflow enhancements, cable-free peripherals, and integrated mounting points. Interchangeable I/O expanders allow cinematographers to use the camera in a gimbal, run-and-gun, or studio environment and the camera incorporates peripherals with integrated circuitry, including top handle and LCD display options that connect directly to the DSMC Brain. Weapon’s onboard wireless connectivity allows for remote control by either Apple iOS or Android mobile devices. Other features include built-in stereo microphones and speaker, a Record/Start/Stop button on the top handle and new intelligent OLPFs with integrated circuitry that communicate colourimetry information to the Brain. Weapon also supports the Apple ProRes codec, and allows users to record simultaneously in R3D and Apple ProRes file formats. Weapon is backwardscompatible with existing power options, RED Mini-Mags, DSMC lens mounts, cables, and most mounting and support components.

Rosco: introduced two new LED light fixtures: the LitePad Vector and Silk 210. The LitePad Vector is a portable LED fixture measuring 8”x8” (200mm x 200mm), weighing less than four pounds, with four times the brightness of its 12”x12” LitePad predecessors. Features include on-board dimming controls and compatibility with Anton-Bauer and Sony battery packs. The lightweight Silk 210 light fixture uses high-quality proprietary tungsten and daylight-balanced LEDs to create broadspectrum white light and colour rendering for skin tones and vibrant scenic elements. This fixture can be ordered with the industry-standard V-mount or Anton Bauer battery plates.

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Rosco... LitePad vector and Silk 210 LED lights

RoscoLED Tape Systems are customisable, engineered LED solutions that can be used as accent lighting in a set. Three different Broadcast Kits come with multiple 5M reels of high-quality, high-output LED Tape and a RoscoLED Power Box for power and dimming controls. RoscoLED Tapes, which are field-cuttable, are UL and CE certified and come with a 3-year warranty.

SolidAnim: introduced SolidVCam, equipped with SolidTrack camera real time markerless tracking technology, Motion Builder and Unity plug-in. SolidVcam has a full stabiliser HD monitor within system. This easily portable viewer can be used for on-set previz, virtual shows, and providing accurate framing or cinematics. SolidTrack can be used indoors and outdoors and be set up in 10 minutes. The new version includes a wireless option, a smaller and lighter camera survey and a new platform compatible with Linux. Sony: unveiled its next generation HDC series camera, the HDC-4300, which uses three 2/3-inch 4K-image sensors and supports the same B4-mount lenses and control surfaces as the HDC-2000 series cameras. The HDC-4300 is capable of 4K/HD operation, with 2x, 3x Super Slow Motion as standard; higher speeds up to 8x are also available. The HDC-4300 supports next-generation ITU-R BT.2020 broadcast standard’s widened colour space. With direct attachment of B4 HD lenses, the camera works well for live sports broadcasts; Sony’s SZC-4001 software package (sold separately) allows broadcasters to take advantage of 4K capabilities.

Sony also showed its 4K live over IP solution for live broadcasting, centered on its 4K-ready, IP networked live production switcher. The Networked Media Interface allows all devices to be connected, and all signal types transmitted, via a single Ethernet cable. As of April 2015, 30 manufacturers support Sony’s IP Live Production System. The company demonstrated High Dynamic Range mastering with FilmLight Baselight, with its BVM-X300 master monitor. Sony also debuted 1TB and 2TB Hard Disk Drives with Thunderbolt and USB3.0 dual interfaces, the latest entries in its expanding portable storage line-up.

SolidAnim... Solid Track and Solid Camera technology

Thales Angénieux... new Optimo 30-72mm Anamorphic glass

Thales Angénieux: gave the first demonstration at NAB of its wide-angle Anamorphic zoom lens, the Optimo 30-72mm. This lens is complementary to the Optimo 56-152mm A2S launched in 2013, and is the second of three planned. The Optimo 30-72mm is based on the optical design of the 2012 SOC and 2009 Academy of Motion Picture award-winning Optimo 28-76mm and 15-40mm zoom lenses. The Optimo A2S lenses are optically-designed to weave in cylindrical and spherical optical elements in the rear group for a 2x squeeze of the image on the horizontal axis. With this design, both lenses are also compact and lightweight (4.8lbs/2.2kg and 5.3lbs/2.4kg). They are both PL-mount lenses with a PV mount available on request and can be used with the Angénieux lens servo motorization system –ASU (Angénieux Servo Unit).

Tiffen... Lowell LED lights, Steadicam Solo and Dfx digital filter suite

The Tiffen Company: demonstrated, for the first time at NAB, version 4 of its Tiffen Dfx digital filter suite, a plug-in package that replicates Tiffen optical filters, Rosco and Gam gobos and gels. Version 4 adds support for OFX, which makes it compatible with Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve and Assimilate Scratch solutions, as well as The Foundry’s Nuke. Also newly supported are Sony Vegas and Blackmagic Resolve Lite editing suites. Version 4 adds 12 new visual effects filters, 93 new historical photographic processes, and 30 new motion picture film stocks. Other new features include edge-aware smoothing algorithm, a curve tool and an improved interface. GPU acceleration rampsup speed; other features include 32-bit floatingpoint precision for a non-destructive workflow, and Retina display support for Mac. Tiffen also held live demonstrations of its new Black Diffusion Filters, including Black GlimmerGlass, Black Pearlescent, and Black Soft/FX as well as other available filters designed specifically for HD and 4K acquisition. Tiffen displayed a line of Lowel lighting solutions and the new Steadicam Solo, with the new Arm and Vest Package and the new Steadicam Universal Smartphone Mount.

British Cinematographer | May 2015 | 57

F-STOP / Cine Gear Expo / by Michael Burns

Cine Gear Expo LOS ANGELES 2015 Preview Cine Gear Expo LA 2015 – the annual four-day conference and tradeshow for film, video and digital media – is almost upon us.

aking place from June 4th to 7th at The Studios at Paramount, Hollywood, you’ll get the opportunity to discover the latest technology and techniques, get hands-on training, gain knowledge and skills from industry leaders, hear breaking industry news and network with artist and technician peers and industry leaders. You’ll also be able to obtain the newest equipment and top professional services, such as the selection we have gathered here for you.

ARRI: will be promoting its new-generation ALEXA

lineup – the ALEXA SXT models, the ALEXA Mini and the flagship ALEXA 65, with a live feed showing off the 100 mm Prime 65 lens. Also on display will be the new ARRI SkyPanel LED soft lights, as well as the L10, which rounds out the company’s L-Series of LED Fresnels. ARRI will be hosting two presentations: one from ARRI Rental on the ALEXA 65 system (now at work on productions worldwide) and the other on the increasing importance of mobile filming applications.

Barger-Lite: is debuting three, all-new LED production

Lite prototypes, utilising the latest in LED tube technology. “Like all Barger-Lites they are designed to work with Chimera Light Banks and Lighttools LCDs, the industry standards in controlled soft lighting,” revealed company founder and award-winning cameraman, Ed Barger. “The new LED models use extremely shallow Chimera Light Banks developed for the three Barger-Lite

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LED models, offering medium (3x4 foot), small (2x3 foot), and extra small (1x2 foot) front screens.” The Barger-lite LED Lites will be at the Chimera and RST Visions In Colour stands.

Cinelease: The Cinelease team will also be welcoming visitors to its stand throughout Cine Gear, presenting hands-on product experiences, entertaining industry colleagues and detailing the latest developments at the company. The biggest news among the latter is the recent addition of Steve Smith to the UK team, bringing his thirty years experience in the global lighting industry to the new role of managing director. Cineo Lighting: is

exhibiting the Cineo Matchbox, its latest portable Remote Phosphor Lighting source for film and TV production. At 3.25in x 5.25in x 1.5in, and weighing 15oz (0.42kg), Cineo describes the Matchbox as ‘small but mighty’. It outputs up to 1,000 lumens at a variety of interchangeable colour temperatures. The company claims Matchbox can be run on any input voltage from 6-26V DC, as well as AC with the included adapter. The Matchbox includes an onboard 0-100 percent flicker-free dimmer. Versatile mounting options are provided by the standard quarter-inch tap include at the bottom of the fixture. Cineo says the small sources are ruggedlybuilt from anodised aluminium to withstand demanding applications in both the field and the studio.

Cooke Optics: Visitors to the Cooke Optics stand

at Cine Gear Expo may be the first to see the recently unveiled Anamorphic/i Zoom lens. Like the rest of the Cooke Anamorphic/i Prime set, it’s a true front Anamorphic lens, with 2x squeeze. In addition, the company is showcasing its newly-shipping 25mm and 135mm Cooke Anamorphic/i lenses as part of the range that currently includes 25, 32, 40, 50, 75, 100, 135mm. Cooke’s /i Technology enables film and digital cameras to automatically record key lens data for every frame shot and provide it to post-production teams digitally. Also on show will be a complete range of colour-matched 5/i prime lenses, the S4/i series and the miniS4/i range. The latest Cooke Metrology range of lens testing equipment will also be available for demonstration.

Grip Factory Munich (GFM): Manufacturer of dollies, cranes, track and camera support equipment, GFM, is also taking a trip to LA. “On show this year is the stabilised remote head, Gyro Head G2, plus the Spring Mounts for stabilised heads,” said GFM owner Dieter Zuhra. The G2 is a 3-axis, digital, gyro stabilised remote head system with a joystick for one-man operation. It offers programmable start / stop smoothness, damping and maximum speed for all axes, as well as eliminating undesired shaking during fast and rough camera operation. “The GF-8 Crane, Multi-Jib, GF-Jib and GF-Tele Jib as well as a number of other rigs will also be on display,” added Zuhra.

F-STOP / Cine Gear Expo / by Michael Burns

i-Dailies: support services and rental firms are

also well represented at the LA Expo. Among the former is the venerable i-Dailies, which is flying the flag for UK film processing and laboratory services – ranging from 35mm and 16mm negative processing to full grading facilities, sound track processing, and archive restoration.

K5600: New 3200K discharge bulbs are part of

the array of lighting presented on the K5600 stand. First marketed when K5600 launched its Evolution Kit 200W, these 3200K bulbs are now available for the company’s Joker-Bug 800W, with no adaptation to the existing beamer required. K5600 claimed around 100lm/W with the 3200K discharge bulb for the 800W, without overheating. The company also claimed the advantage of these bulbs would become clear in situations where working with gels proved to be ‘a bit intricate’, such as on Chinese lanterns, Pancakes and Softubes.

Pinewood MBS Lighting: Also keen for discussion about their lighting and grip equipment services at the Expo, in the comfort of their hospitality suite, are newlyformed UK-based Pinewood MBS Lighting and US-based partner MBS Equipment Company. Offering the latest in state-of-the-art lighting equipment, the company says its experienced team is there to collaborate with production and crew to deliver a comprehensive equipment package, on-budget without compromising on logistical or creative needs.

fast, tuneable colour on location. Neo uses exposure information from the camera (Shutter speed and ISO), plus distance to the subject and data from the light, to accurately calculate the correct aperture whilst also compensating for skin tone contrast. Neo also offers Designer Fade Mode, which allows DSLR cinematographers to create and design custom fade up / fade down production effects, or for seamlessly transitioning between scenes. The system features Bi-Colour LED lighting technology with Accu-Colour for colour rendering. It delivers 1077 lux at three feet, providing a soft light source, as well as long battery life and Rotolight’s signature ‘ring-light’ effect.

Rotolight: is showcasing its Neo LED lighting fixture, developed via extensive feedback from cinematographers and photographers. The company says the Neo is the world’s first on-camera lighting system with accurate electronic colour temperature display (CCT) to enable

True Lens Services (TLS): Premier lens service and repair company, TLS, will also have a presence at Cine Gear Expo, and according to head of group marketing Anushka Ayaru it will be showing two sides to its

business. “Along with service and repair, we also have a wide range of bespoke products,” she said. “Among our offerings this year we will be showcasing our extension tubes, range extenders, the TLS Speed Panchro conversions and the TLS Morpheus 80-200mm. Also on show will be the brand new, much anticipated Nikon conversion, the Aurora 24-70mm, which will be released later this year. TLS is always keen to create solutions for our clients so we look forward to meeting and discussing what the lens world needs next.

British Cinematographer | May 2015 | 59

LIVE & LET DI / WHO’S DIALLING-IN THE DI GRADES Skylab... developed a slick VFX, editorial and grading workflow for Chappie

Company 3... senior grader Paul Ensby

Drama queen... Jet Omoshebi is a standout grader at Company 3

Company 3, Soho: well-known DI grader Jet Omeshebi,

recently voted London’s No.1 drama colourist by Televisual Magazine, has completed the DI on feature Fifty. The company has expanded its DI team with new recruits Todd Kleparski, Kim Honeyman and Jahanzeb Hayat. Kleparski, who previously held senior positions at Technicolor and Molinare, is head of production and has overseen the DIs on Cinderella and Everest. Honeyman and Jahanzeb both bring over five years of DI and dailies experience. Honeyman has supervised the DI done by recently-recruited senior grader Paul Ensby on The Book Thief and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. The CO3 dailies team worked on Mission Impossible 5: Rogue Nation and Now You See Me: The Second Act, and is supporting premier shows currently shooting, including 007 Spectre and Zoolander 2. Ensby has graded The Lady In The Van, the Allan Bennett story for BBC Films lensed by Andrew Dunn BSC for director Nicholas Hytner. Senior grader Greg Fisher has completed Brian Helgeland’s Legend, lit by Dick Pope BSC, helping to enhance actor Tom Hardy’s two different looks for Ronnie and Reggie Kray throughout the feature.

Molinare: has

appointed post veteran Rowan Bray as general manager of operations. She joins from Prime Focus, where she was managing director of the UK post division. Molinare DI grader Andrew Daniel was responsible for the looks on Darlow Smithson’s documentary Dark Horse, the true story of how a syndicate, in one of the poorest mining valleys in Wales, bred the racehorse Dream Alliance, on a slagheap allotment, which went on to challenge the racing elite. Dark Horse was directed by Louise Osmond, with cinematography by Benjamin Kracun. “We treated Dark Horse’s dramatic reconstruction sections as if we were designing the look for a feature,” said Daniel. “That is to say, we told that story almost separately, in the grade anyway, from the archive. The temptation is to pump a lot of blue into the blacks, but with Dark Horse we wanted something a little more

Molinare... has lured the talents of Rowan Bray

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challenge of lightning for a cross shoot in every scene. ethereal. So we introduced some Asa did a great job in the DI.” green into the mix and then “Andrew had just a single day to set a colour bible graded separately on top of that with me,” said Shoul. “We conformed a wide and closebase. Some of the archive was up from each scene of the movie for us to play with. We pretty tough to deal with and, went for a rich glossy for many of the look, wanting a saturated, races, we let the more American feel to the jockey’s outfits film. For the sunset shot do a large portion of the work, pumping of the London skyline, we the colours of our hero horse and rider replaced the sky and even to better expose them to the eye.” changed the time on Big Meanwhile, senior grader Asa Ben - all in the grade!” Shoul worked on Big Talk Productions’ The Game romcom Man Up and BBC Wales’ Cold stars Brian Cox and Tom War spy series The Game. Directed Hughes, was directed by Ben Palmer and lensed by Andrew Molinare... pulled out the stops for Man Up... by Niall MacCormick Dunn BSC using ARRI Alexa, Man Up ...and Dark Horse and Daniel O’Hara, and follows Simon Pegg and Lake Bell as was lensed by Urszula they go on a chaotic and hilarious blind Pontikos and Sam date. Palmer said, “From the outset I McCurdy BSC, using wanted a very naturalistic look to help Sony F65 and ARRI Alexa enforce the realism and the honesty cameras. “We had a of the story. Coupled with that, a limited palette of colours lot of my references were American with mostly muted romantic comedies - When Harry Met browns,” said Shoul. “We Sally, Bridesmaids, Silver Lining Playbook enhanced the green and and Crazy Stupid Love. Luckily Andrew blue tones where we had shot Crazy Stupid Love, so that was could, added grain for a real help. I talked with him and a filmic feel and used a Asa about achieving that Hollywood Kodak print emulation LUT to make it more cinematic – gloss without compromising on the naturalism we playing it shadowy to keep the interest on the actors and were after. To make things trickier I wanted to cross going with the practical low-lighting feel. The result has a shoot all the scenes. This presented its own challenges, wonderfully real and atmospheric feel.” but Andrew is an astonishing DP and embraced the

Technicolor PostWorks... completed the final mastering of Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine

Technicolor PostWorks, New York: completed final

mastering for Sinatra: All Or Nothing At All and Steve Jobs: The Man In The Machine, the latest documentaries from Academy Award-winning producer/director Alex Gibney. Editorial conforming and final colour grading for both projects was performed by a small team of artists and technicians working under the direction of Ben Murray, the company’s VP of creative services, in collaboration with Gibney’s production team and editors from Jigsaw, NY.

X+Y

Park Road Post... used Mistika for magical purposes on The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

LipSync Post: has opened its third grading suite, incorporating a Baselight grading

system and Blackboard control panel from FilmLight. LipSync Post recently provided full post-production services for Wolf Hall, the hugely-successful drama adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s historical fiction novel. Freelance colourist Adam Inglis, who graded the show, commented, “Wolf Hall was a true collaborative work with director Peter Kosminsky and DP Gavin Finney BSC. With Baselight it was a very smooth process, as the system is quick, precise, clean, intuitive and adjustable. It was particularly useful on this project because you can really precisely manipulate the shadows – and there are a lot of shadows in Wolf Hall.” LipSync also provided full post services on Catch Me Daddy, Hyena, X+Y, The Face Of An Angel, A Little Chaos and The Falling.

Onsight: the spellbinding visual account of how flying animals evolved into the species we see today, became a reality in the documentary series David Attenborough’s Conquest Of The Skies, produced by Atlantic Productions, with the help of SGO’s Mistika technology. As well as winning a 2014 BAFTA, the landmark series was recently nominated for a British Academy Television Craft Award for Special, Visual & Graphic Effects. Formats used included 4K, HD, 3D and 2D including a bespoke 4K workflow, built by the company’s post division. After providing R&D and camera solutions for the project, the facility worked with massive amounts of data, approximately 50 terabytes, and a variety of camera formats, including RED Epic. In post, Onsight provided plate preparations, DI, VFX, conform, QC, mastering and deliverables in 3D and 2D across numerous high-tech suites at its London facility. This included the ability to screen 4K masters, combining 5K live action with 4K VFX and CGI. Using Mistika senior colourist Andy Lee was able to alternate between the colour and depth grades, as well as the VFX conform, and bring vivid, eye-catching colour to the remarkable winged creatures in the show. Technicolor: is expanding its colour grading services to

include high dynamic range (HDR) grading for movies, TV shows and commercials. The result is a more realistic, immersive cinematic experience with greater depth, richer colours and enhanced details in shadows and highlights. HDR colour grading services will launch at Technicolor facilities in 2015, beginning in LA. Additionally, the company is licensing an Intelligent Tone Management plug-in that enables broadcasters to create HDR content ngs The Nature Of Thi

LipSync Post... delivered the grades on The Face Of An Angel and X+Y

in their own facilities. The plug-in analyses video content in real-time and provides colorists with direct control of luminance in the shadows, mid-tones and highlights.

Shed, Santa Monica: new creative-finishing boutique Shed is the launch customer for the latest generation of Baselight multi-GPU hardware platform. In the configuration at Shed, the hardware employs multiple GPUs to provide faster access to high-quality RAW content, as well as boosting grading power for Ultra-HD, 4K or higher resolutions. Shed will also add location and dailies services, based around FilmLight’s Daylight system with Slate, shared storage, and review and digital asset management systems from Codex. Among Shed’s roster of DI graders is Yvan Lucas, who started at film laboratory Éclair in Paris before moving to the USA. He is supervising colourist on Quentin Tarantino’s current production The Hateful Eight. Filmworkers, Chicago: has reached an agreement

with veteran colourist Craig Leffel to represent him for colour correction projects in the US Midwest. Leffel has worked in colour correction for more than 20 years, grading for all of the city’s top advertising agencies for accounts including Coors Lite, American Family Insurance, Kraft, Coca-Cola and Chicago Blackhawks.

Skylab, Vancouver: (formerly Digital Film Central),

recently developed a new workflow to integrate creative grading with editorial and VFX for Neill Blomkamp’s movie, Chappie. Working with visual effects studio, Image Engine, the team created a feature-finishing architecture using FilmLight’s BLG file format, Baselight and Academy Color Encoding System (ACES) technology. Chappie is set in the near future where crime is controlled by an

Cheat: has been working with celluloid exposed by

Stealing Sheep

Rumble

various DPs. Nick Eriksson lensed a music video by James Slater, shot on 16mm with a Bolex, for Stealing Sheep’s charming exercise in lo-fi surrealism Not Real. James Westbrook photographed Rumble, a short film about a young boxer directed by Matthew Hopper on Super 16mm. Rina Yang framed Roxanne, a short which gives transgender women a voice, for director Paul Frankl on 35mm. All the grading, finishing and deliverable creation for these projects was carried out at Cheat, with thanks to iDailies and Cinelab for film processing and scanning services. Continuing its research into film neg emulation, Cheat is working with colour scientists and programmers to create accurate profiles of film neg emulations that will work with cameras of the future. An example of the current technology is short film The Nature Of Things, directed by Bjoern Ruehmann, shot by American DP Larkin Seiple, which used Cheat’s emulation as a starting point for the look.

Park Road Post, Wellington: used SGO Mistika for post production of The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies. Mistika’s colour grading and finishing systems have played a central role at the Wellington-based post house since shooting began for the trilogy of Hobbit films in 2011. SGO’s technology was again used throughout the DI online, stereoscopic post and final grade.

oppressive mechanised police force. The title character was realised entirely in VFX, based on a motion capture performance by Sharlto Copley, and the majority of the movie is comprised of VFX shots. Principal photography, by DP Trent Opaloch, took place in South Africa, with a Baselight grading system on-set to create proxies for editorial and to prepare the full resolution content for transport. Skylab managed the entirety of the media, as well as colour metadata, on behalf of the studio. Background plates were delivered to Image Engine and other VFX houses as OpenEXR files, using ACES to ensure consistency between viewing environments and BLG files to manage technical grade information in a nondestructive way. Using Baselight’s colour grading and finishing tools, creative director and colourist Andrea Chlebak began to develop the look before and during the shoot. This created significant efficiencies in the finishing process and provided a context for other departments to make their decisions. Skylab’s technical director, Chris Davies, also developed a range of custom LUTs to be applied automatically to particular scenes and VFX layers to ensure each element would work well together in the final grade. “When a project involves as much VFX as Chappie, it is far better for editorial, effects and grading to take place in parallel to avoid the pressures that mount up at the end of a typical DI,” commented Davies. “This highly evolved workflow has profound implications for boosting productivity. In the past, VFX and DI companies all had their own internal colour pipelines. Now, we are at the point where we can link technologies together and produce an overall workflow that allows everybody to work with one unified system.”

Cheat... did the DIs on Rumble, Roxanne, Stealing Sheep and The Nature Of Things

Roxanne

British Cinematographer | May 2015 | 61

CLAPPERBOARD / Robin Browne Honorary Member BSC / by David A. Ellis Aspiring... pictured at the camera as a clapper/loader on The Victors (1963)

Classical composer Cinematographer Robin Browne was born in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire in November 1941, moving to the London area in 1952. He was always interested in photography and whilst at his school in Highgate he ran the photographic society and volunteered to snap school events. During his school holidays he did some work for a London fashion photographer and learned how to process film.

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fter leaving school he went to Merton Park Studios and trained in the camera department, working with twelve others. He said: “I started by making tea, which was part of the trainees duties. I learned how to operate a number of cameras including the Newman Sinclair and was with them for eighteen months. The first feature I worked on was Horrors Of the Black Museum (1959) as the assistant clapper loader. A chap named Trevor Wrenn was the main loader. Some time later the operator on the film rang me and said he was about to start work on The Third Man TV series and would I consider moving to Shepperton? I went because I was offered twice the wage.” Browne remained a loader for seven years and went on to become a focus puller for six. He says he was a focus puller when all DPs would shoot wide open. When he entered the business, Kodak stock was only 12ASA. Following his time as a focus puller he became an operator for three years before moving on to DP work. Asked what his first day as a DP was like, he said, “I was quite confident about exposure and composition. Having worked as a camera operator I wasn’t thrown in at the deep end.”

On location... Robin Browne (c) with the second unit camera team on A Passage To India (1984)

Films he has worked on include The Battle Of Britain (1969), Catch 22 (1970), A Bridge Too Far (1977) and Moonraker (1979). He has had a number of credits for visual effects. “I was involved with Force 10 from Navarone (1978) on the second unit. Visual effects designer Derek Meddings (1931-1995) suggested I do visual effects on Krull (1983), which took eighteen months to shoot.” Browne said the best advice he was given was by the son of his godfather, cinematographer Harry Stradling. Stradling junior, also called Harry said, “You have got to maintain continuity of lighting. There is a tendency to do a wide shot and then cut-in close to the actors. I can’t tell you how many times cameramen re-light the close up – but it is much better to have it match the long shot than be completely different.” What does he think of cinematography today? “I think the schedules have got a lot tighter. When I was a loader and focus puller productions were much longer and there was less pressure. My son Justin is a steadicam operator. He is working on a big production for a major studio in Hollywood. He said they have to get seven pages of dialogue done in a day and it is all-go.” What advice would he give to up-and-coming cinematographers? “I would say don’t over light. I am one for avoiding camera movement unless it is necessary. I would say use zooms sparingly. I think it is a shame when people zoom unnecessarily.”

“I can’t tell you how many times cameramen re-light the close up – but it is much better to have it match the long shot than be completely different.”Robin Browne Honorary Member BSC When asked what the worst thing about being a DP was he said it was the limited time you have to prepare and light shots. He said that a lot of directors he worked with in later years didn’t want to rehearse, they just wanted to shoot. “One of the things I loved about the early days was that the directors rehearsed and perfected the scene,” said Browne. What was the hardest thing he has lit? “On one film starring Kevin Costner, I was told they couldn’t afford to supply me with more lights. One shot, which was essential to the film, was a house exterior at night. We used the headlights from cars. I think for a major film with a leading star in it, it was a pretty grim situation to be in; but in the end I was very pleased with the result.”

On-set... Robin takes a serious look at the next scene. Image courtesy of BKSTS/Image Technology.

Eye eye... Robin getting ready to shoot some 16mm on a job for Honda

Seasoned... Robin Browne operating the camera aboard a 1970’s industrial-strength crane on The Adventures Of Black Beauty (1972-74)

Precision... Robin lines-up a three-element matte shot

Browne says one of the best locations he worked on was in Kenya when working on Born Free (1966) as a loader in 1964. It was still old Africa and he was there for eleven months. He says that the only crew members still alive are John Hall, the boom swinger and Bill Cartlidge, the assistant director. Some of the directors he has worked with include David Lean and Richard Attenborough. He said, “I love working with really intelligent people. They include the late Mike Nichols. He was so brilliant and a tremendous talent, who had the time for everyone. Attenborough and Lean were good directors that gave you the time of day. I love directors that have a visual eye – the ones that can see a composition and help you frame up.” When asked about his aerial work, Browne commented, “The wonderful thing about shooting aerial sequences in America and the UK is that there are companies that provide pilots with filming experience. On Gandhi (1982) we had a helicopter pilot from the Indian army, who unfortunately had no previous film experience. I had to film the train sequence and get close. The pilot was reluctant to get close enough. It is a dangerous job and I have worked with several pilots who were eventually killed during aerial filming or stunt flying.” As for his views on digital cinematography, Browne, who now lives in Detroit USA said, “Since I moved to the states I have done less and less production and have done more commercials. I have shot a few commercials digitally, but I am going back three years. In the last three years or so digital has bounced ahead. Most of the problems seem to be sorted now.” Is he sad to see film disappear? “Yes, I have spent most of my life shooting film. In the old days I would shoot on Kodak for colour and Ilford for B&W. Another stock I loved, which I was introduced to by the late cinematographer David Watkin BSC was Agfa. You could shoot really contrasty subjects with Agfa. It had a soft image, which I thought was great. I also liked the fine grain, slow Kodak film. I was never one for high-speed film. I preferred to use more light.” Asked about the challenges facing cinematographers today he said, “If you have come from my generation and you are not on board with the new technology, then that must be a challenge. There was a time when we used Mitchell cameras for B&W and Technicolor cameras to shoot colour. Now a cameraman has to know about film and the many digital cameras that are used.” Finally, he was asked if he ever had a favourite camera. Browne said, “Yes it was the ARRIflex. When it first came out you could only load 400ft, so you were constantly re-loading.” British Cinematographer | May 2015 | 63

INNOVATOR / Curtis Clarke ASC

Practical primaries As a cinematographer, Curtis Clark ASC is known for pushing creative boundaries. As the chair of the ASC Technology Committee since 2002, he is also leading the charge to investigate new motion picture technologies and champion workable cinematographic and display solutions.

t’s a huge undertaking, made even more vital as digital technology continues to evolve and advance. The ASC Technology Committee maintains a large and active membership, including vice chairs Richard Edlund ASC and Steven Poster ASC. Its stated goal is: “to examine and understand emerging motion imaging technologies so that it can advise its membership and the motion picture industry on the convergence of these technologies with traditional motion picture techniques.” Carolyn Giardina caught up with Curtis Clark ASC in LA to discover more.

From the selection of the sharpest lenses with optimal exposure, to the way we handled the blow-up, it had to be done very carefully. The objective was that anyone who saw the finished film wouldn’t know it wasn’t 35mm origination, and it worked perfectly. I loved the fusion of how technology finds solutions to enhance the art form. I continued to do that on almost all the films I’ve photographed, such as Alamo Bay (1985). This led to my awareness of, and being drawn to, technology solutions that best serve the art form of filmmaking, particularly cinematography.

BC: Tell us BC: Tell us about your about the background and how it formation inspired you to address of the ASC technical initiatives. Technology CC: I started my feature Committee? film career with The CC: In 2002 I Draughtsman’s Contract was asked to (1982), made in England form the ASC with Peter Greenaway, Technology which was an immensely Committee. successful film that had its The ASC own technical challenges. realised we I had to shoot numerous were entering scenes at very low light into new The usual suspects... (l-r) Lou Levinson, David Reisner, Joshua Pines, Curtis Clark and David Register at the 2013 Academy levels using candlelight, world that of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Scientific and Technical and found that depthwould be Achievement Awards. Photo by Aaron Poole/©A.M.P.A.S.. of-field was going to be filled with a problem with 35mm. uncertainty I needed to be able to shoot at T1.3. I had the idea and disruption during the transition from everything to experiment with Super 16mm, because it has an being shot on film and finished on film, using an intrinsically bigger depth-of-field, and find a way to end-to-end photochemical workflow, to the Digital enhance the image quality of the 35mm blow-up Intermediate process, initiated by Kodak with its reproduction. We kind of pioneered that process. I had innovative Cineon system. But DI was just the starting a very special relationship with the film lab that helped point of the emerging digital imaging revolution, which us take the right steps, and recall getting wonderful then progressed to digital cinema projection and support at the lab from Len Brown and Paul Collard. eventually digital motion picture cameras.

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Leader of the pack... Curtis Clark ASC, chairman of the ASC’s Technology Committee. Photo by Owen Roizman ASC.

BC: A notable initiative was the development of the ASC Colour Decision List (ASC CDL). What impact have you seen from this, and is there more work ahead? CC: It’s hard to find a production that doesn’t use the ASC CDL; it has become a de facto standard. Its flexibility is the secret to its success. It can be used within ACES or any colour space reference. It’s a very mature and robust technology. There’s continual suggestion and encouragement to expand it into secondary colours, and that presents a bit of a challenge. Once we start doing that we are in effect starting to develop a colour corrector. At the moment we have most postproduction technology vendors implementing our current RGB primary colour grading; it’s been a universal adoption. If we start to move into supporting secondary colour correction, then it might become a question of how readily they will continue to adopt it, because we are now starting to potentially compete with their own proprietary colour corrector grading functionality. I see both sides. I see the rationale that says, if we extend our open platform to secondary colours, it would be a powerful tool for cinematographers and filmmakers. The other side is, we’ve already achieved what it was originally intended to do. For most dailies colour grading, you don’t necessarily need to go beyond primaries. But the functionality could expanded to include secondary colour. It wouldn’t replace ADC CDL v1; it would be an additional option. If we do go down that path, that’s how it would be emphasised, because it’s not an attempt to compete with colour corrector manufacturers, and their comprehensive colour grading features that are essential for final colour grading.

BC: AMPAS recently introduced v1.0 of its Academy Color Encoding System (ACES), an open, device-independent colour management and image interchange system. Tell us about the committee’s involvement in this work. CC: The committee has been involved for five or six years. The ASC has been a huge supporter of this, knowing the importance of having an open colour management system that is crossplatform and eliminates the ambiguities of secret sauce transforms. We are trying to get to one image interchange framework so everything is known. The workflow shouldn’t be broken; it should be a perfectly healthy workflow that has an understood and very powerful colour management system, and accommodates the widest dynamic range and colour space that the source material has. All of that should be preserved and utilised throughout the production Winners... (l-r): Joshua Pine chain, especially when colour grading. s, Curtis Clark, David Reisner David Register at the 2013 and Academy of Motion Picture Education has been an ongoing effort. Arts and Sciences’ Scientific and Technical Achievement Awa There will be a more concerted effort, now Photo by Michael Yada/©A rds. .M.P.A.S.. that there’s an official version 1.0. There’s a perception that the official release of version 1.0, now makes it ready to use. Actually it was ready to use before it was an official release version 1.0, but since it now has the Academy’s official release imprimatur, it really is safe to go in the water. On a personal note Sony Pictures and Tristar recently remastered Alamo Bay (1985). They did a 4K scan with ACES, ADX, full 16-bit colour. All of a sudden we were seeing colours and tones in the negative that I wasn’t able to see in the answer print. If I ever needed convincing about the importance of ACES, which I didn’t, this was a remarkable epiphany. BC: You’ve been working in the field of high dynamic range (HDR) recently, and served as technical consultant on a short film, Trick Shot, filmed by Gale Tattersall with Canon’s new C300 Mark II. Tell us more... CC: The Canon C300 Mark II is an excellent new camera that not only has a 15-stop dynamic range, but also outputs an exceptionally wide colour gamut with 4K resolution. There are two sides to the HDR coin – image capture and display. This means you have to capture an extended dynamic range of scene tones in the original image and then be able to properly reproduce it on an HDR display, which in itself can effectively reproduce that dynamic range at significantly greater brightness levels than are the norm with current standard dynamic range displays. There is some controversy about what that optimum light level should be for HDR mastering with a professional reference monitor, which Dolby has been promoting at 4000nits. Others are saying maybe 2000nits is more practical for mastering. HDR consumer sets, when they come to market, will probably peak at around 1000nits. Then you have to do a conversion or remastering to make it practical for distribution – to non-HDR formats. We used ACES in the final grade of Trick Shot to preserve the wide colour gamut and wide dynamic range captured by the C300 Mark II.

Colour decision... members of the ASC Technology Committee at the 2014 HPA Awards with the gong for the ASC CDL. Photo by Capture Imaging.

“It’s hard to find a production that doesn’t use the ASC Colour Decision List; it has become a de facto standard. Its flexibility is the secret to its success.”Curtis Clark ASC BC: What are some additional ASC Technology Committee initiatives? CC: We currently have two, highly-active subcommittees. One is UHDTV, which is directly addressing HDR – clarifying what it means and how it can be used in a predictable and efficient way that best supports the filmmaker’s creative intent. The other is a laser projection subcommittee, which is working to understand what can happen with laser-illuminated projection – both to increase brightness for HDR, and also to expand the colour gamut, because we know it will probably expand beyond the current DCI P3 digital cinema colour space. What might that new standard be? We have put out a suggestion – we’re calling it practical primaries, based on a variation of the new Rec 2020 colour space proposal that’s part of the UHDTV agenda. We have an RFI (request for information) out to all the projector manufacturers, who are actively working with us on the committee, which should help us come to an understanding and agreement on what those practical

primaries might be if they are not Rec 2020, but within the wide gamut colour space vicinity of Rec 2020. It doesn’t have to be Rec 2020, which was created for UHDTV broadcasting. Rec 2020 wasn’t created for digital cinema, though digital cinema is being influenced by it. BC: A further subcommittee of the ASC Technology Committee is addressing virtual production. Could you give us an update on its initiatives? CC: Our virtual production group has been hugelysuccessful. We originally had previs, which morphed into virtual production because it was difficult to separate the two. As we move more into the use of virtual production techniques, the importance of previs, especially for visual effects, has become common practice. But previs is also extending more into planning the entire film. We are exploring tests and showcasing successful examples of the use of virtual production, as well as previs and postvis. It’s all merging into a new approach to filmmaking where we can integrate live action with CGI elements in a way that lets us better-manage creative intent, with efficiency.

ASC Colour Decision List The ASC Colour Decision List (ASC CDL) allows the crossplatform interchange of basic RGB colour-correction data during production and postproduction. It has received numerous awards, including a technical achievement award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Primetime Emmy Engineering Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and a Hollywood Post Alliance Judges Award for Creativity and Innovation.

British Cinematographer | May 2015 | 65

IMAGO NEWS / NIGEL WALTERS BSC / PRESIDENT OF IMAGO Object of affection... retiring and muchloved president Joan Hutton CSC is thrilled with her memento

Walters Light meter... Nigel AGO’s BSC presents IM Spectra tribute to Joan – a plinth mounted on a

Slings and arrows

When the proposed IMAGO International Cinematographers’ Hall Of Fame is inaugurated, one Canadian name will feature prominently. It is that of Joan Hutton CSC, who has retired after serving 22 years as president of her society. Not only is Joan the longest serving past president of any IMAGO society but also, as the first lady president anywhere, she deserves her place in history of the federation. New boss... new president of the Caadian societyGeorge Willis CSC SABC

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t was to honour her dedication and role in building a successful society that the CSC recently held in Toronto a meticulously-organised Awards Gala. As a delegate representing fellow cinematographers at many international conferences, Joan Hutton was responsible for encouraging the CSC to join IMAGO, thereby introducing the federation’s presence on North American soil. It was to show IMAGO’s appreciation that, as president, I had the privilege of presenting the IMAGO tribute to Joan. It is simply a Spectra Meter mounted on a plinth, fortunately not yet a complete relic of a previous age in filmmaking. The first of the four previously awarded went to Giuseppe Rotunno AIC, Fellini’s cinematographer, who is known in Italy as “Mr 5.6”. By luck rather than judgement they all read 5.6 anyway! By good fortune it also proved to be Joan’s favourite light meter. It was presented for her dedication to her society and support for the international aims of IMAGO. By example of their support to establish a strong global organisation the Canadians, the Japanese, Israelis, New Zealanders and Australians had been a crucial factor in persuading the European Societies to evolve IMAGO into its present community. The sitting board of IMAGO comes to the end of its six-year term of office in Jerusalem next October. In an interview by Guido Kondross of the Canadian Cinematographer, I was asked where I thought IMAGO to be heading in future years. Not a simple question to answer. It is not as easy to foresee the future as it is to look back on past mistakes and reflect on challenges which should have been handled with greater wisdom. It requires a clairvoyant to predict the role of the cinematographer in twenty years, yet alone that of IMAGO! Not every society has had a leader like Joan, although the Austrians were favoured to secure the dedication of Kurt Brazda as the rock on which their society was established. The Luciano Tovolis of our profession are few and far between, and every society is dependent for survival on the dedication of one or two individuals. Cinematographers are fortunate to have such colleagues giving freely of their time to improve standards of cinematography, to restore respect in our profession and to fight for better working conditions and a just reward for our creativity. There are encouraging signs that younger cinematographers

are showing a desire to actively contribute to creating more civilised working lives to meet the pressures of this digitalised world. In the last six years I have been struck by the generosity and goodwill towards one another by members of our profession. IMAGO’s Masterclasses are an example. They do not only embrace technology, but also primarily focus on the inspiration which creates images. Inspiration is a two way experience; many “master” cinematographers admit to the inspiration they themselves have experienced by just attending these Masterclasses. Many years ago I shot a film in Japan. When it was completed the crew clubbed together and bought an expensive gift for our interpreter. It was a framed print, which was duly wrapped and presented to him at the end of production party. He showed great delight; when we asked him why he had not opened it he replied was that the act of opening in the presence of the giver would imply the possibility of displeasure. His pleasure was receiving the gift. To open it was an act of disrespect! To appreciate one another we have to appreciate that cultural differences within our organisations are a reflection of society itself. We all have something to learn from each other. There are no identical rooms in the house that IMAGO has patiently built from the original inspiration of an Italian some 23 years ago. Cinematographers as artists can now enjoy the freedom of crossing physical frontiers. The frontiers of understanding the more intricate machinations of the minds of cinematographers require greater patience. All cinematographers will benefit by the CSC joining IMAGO. What each society contributes to communicating with another is usually returned with interest. No miracle cure exists for solving problems but, by using the Internet and the tools available to us, we have the means to help each other. IMAGO will continue to work to press for improvements through legislation in the European Union to improve the vulnerability of the growing army of self-employed workers in the film industry. Co-authors rights for cinematographers already Place setting... the exist in many countries. hall in readiness for the gala celebrati Efforts to persuade our ng Joan Hutton’s lon legislators are beginning to g presidency of the bear fruit as IMAGO has Canadian society repeatedly explained the logic and justice of our cause of residual rights to European legislators mainly through the efforts of our legal advisor, Dr Cristina Busch.

Remember the

Hall of fame... Conrad Hall ASC believed cinematographers were responsible for the well-being of the crew, as well as the visual image of the movie

declaration T

he final event of 2015 for Cinematographers will be the evergreen experience of Camerimage in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Ten years have passed since the declaration of Lodz passed a resolution that “the working conditions of many film and TV Productions have deteriorated to such a critical degree that immediate action is imperative.” The signatories included Vilmos Zsigmond, Billy Williams, Jost Vacano, Kees van Oostrum, Alfonso Beato and Phedon Papamichael. Among those present were the late Lazlo Kovacs ASC and Gerry Fisher BSC. IMAGO honours their memory as it does that of Miroslav Ondříček whose death recently marks the loss of an inspirational and respected Czech cinematographer. As I continue these Presidential ramblings (an expression much-loved by the Australian president of the ACS, Ron Johanson), I am reminded of a recent email from Haskell Wexler ASC. His missives are seldom addressed correctly but they have a habit of arriving, eventually. His latest is a reminder by the nature of its contents that when the IMAGO Hall of Fame becomes a reality the pride of place should be reserved for Conrad Hall ASC. There are no apologies, following Fondly remembered... the anniversary of the tragic death of IMAGO honours Sarah Jones through criminal negligence the memory of by the producers, to quote once respected Czech cine matographer more Conrad Hall’s statement: “Our Miroslav Ondříček responsibility is to the visual image who passed of the film as well as the well-being away recently of our crew. We strive to explore the language of cinematography and the art of storytelling. The expanding practice of working extreme hours seriously compromises both the quality of our work and the health and safety of others. I believe it is my obligation and the obligation of every cinematographer to oppose a practise that compromises our creative ability as well as the health and well-being of every member of the crew.” Nothing much has changed since the Camerimage declaration.

“Our responsibility is to the visual image of the film as well as the well-being of our crew.”Conrad Hall ASC

Brussels didn’t sprout

It was with more than a twist of outrageous fortune that IMAGO was forced to cancel at a late hour the planned March Brussels Conference on which so many hopes were resting.

verything was in place for a memorable and successful day. Guest speakers of great distinction were in place. The Danish DFF were sending to the conference delegates to illustrate how they are able to achieve excellent cinematography in civilised working conditions. A wide range of issues in the agenda included the problems of the self-employed film worker and the role of the cinematographer in the restoration and archiving of our images. Unfortunately, the planned cine equipment exhibition to help finance the conference failed to materialise. A perfect storm of misfortune ensued: key personnel to the conference success found themselves filming on different continents. More back-up will be needed in future. An apology is owed to the many who were disappointed. Gratitude is due to those whose contribution promised to make this event the most important in our 23-year history. Many lessons will have been learnt for the future. IMAGO must never lose the energy and enthusiasm of all our voluntary board members. They are the backbone of our profession. However, there is future requirement for a more professional base for our operations. A permanently manned office with a secretary is essential. The societies of Australia and Israel, the Japanese, New Zealanders, and latterly Canadians are

now members with full voting rights. The CSC, on the evidence of their outstanding Awards Gala, has much to offer IMAGO. Film is still taught at their outstanding faculty at Ryerson University. Their President George A Willis CSC SASC will be attending the IAGA in Israel, the first to be held outside Europe. The interests of societies outside Europe are now represented by a board member and the aspirations of the remaining “associate” nations who will not be forgotten. Malaysia is expected to be accepted as such a member in October. IMAGO will continue to support the two Festivals dedicated to the craft of Cinematography. The oldest is the Manaki Festival in Macedonia and the flag bearer for our profession is Camerimage in Bydgoszcz, Poland. IMAGO must sadly say farewell to Labina Mitevska, the former festival director of the Manaki Festival, the oldest devoted to the craft of cinematography anywhere. IMAGO owes much to Labina who is returning to pursue her acting career. She has transformed her festival into the most glamourous and successful in Macedonia. Her replacement is Dimitar Nikolov who has extended the festival by two days and has introduced two new competitions, including SEE CAMERA, which focuses and encourages cinematographers of films from South Eastern Europe.

Thanks to the generosity of the Manaki Festival, IMAGO has been able to hold in Bitola for the last three years one of its most important events in its calendar. It is the IMAGO Balkan Conference, which encourages understanding by communication in the region as well as helping to improve standards of cinematography. An eagerly-anticipated event early this October, usually supported by distinguished members of the ASC, is the IMAGO Oslo Digital Cinema Forum, organised by Paul-Rene Roestad and the Norwegian FNF. IMAGO is appreciative of the smaller societies in particular associating their events with pride with the umbrella federation. Using the logo of IMAGO is synonymous with working together for the common good. The Finnish Society held a successful inaugural Film week-end last November whereby the larger Scandinavian Societies were hosts to cinematographers from Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. Possibly a regular Baltic Conference could point the way to the future of IMAGO with similar meetings taking place in South America, Eastern Europe and Asia, bringing together cinematographers to communicate and examine regional problems.

British Cinematographer | May 2015 | 67

GBCT / NEWS FROM THE GUILD / by Tim Potter

The going

rate T

hose of you who know me will know that I enjoy the odd glass of wine. So much so that from early in my career I would use some of my disposable income to fill my cellar with some rather nice vintages from some of the world’s better sources. As the years went by, and the wine improved, I would open the occasional rather fine example and, as well as enjoying its wonderful taste, I would marvel at how much the value of the bottle had increased over the intervening years. The gains in some cases were quiet refreshing. Refreshing enough to enhance the enjoyment immeasurably. I was never in it for the financial gain, I liked drinking it too much. But the enjoyment has often become tainted when I consider that, as the wine has sat quietly maturing in my cellar, inflation has been eating away at its value as surely as any mouse that has tried to gnaw its way in through the foil and cork. Since my collecting started the level of the Retail Prices Index (RPI) has risen from 100 in 1987 to 256.7 in February of this year. For most of this period the rates that camera crews could achieve (particularly on television dramas) were almost static. There was dip in the rates in the early ‘90s as a consequence of the 1990 Broadcasting Act, leading to changes in the broadcast environment, that in turn led to the dumping of large numbers of former staff crews unceremoniously on to the open market. After recovering its former level the rate did not move until the union signed an agreement with the BBC that started to force the minimum up, and consequently the going rate started to rise, but oh so slowly. This is the world into which the grips launched their campaign for a base rate of £300/day. The focus pullers have joined this campaign and there has been considerable success. Some producers have complained to the union that they felt like they were being mugged. This is rather disingenuous as it is they who have been slowly but surely mugging us for the last quarter century. If the rate had kept pace with inflation over these years the new grip/focus base rate would be closer to £500/day. This means that the job is still worth nearly half its real terms value compared with 25 years ago. This slow erosion of the value of the work we do leads to many struggling to make a decent living from their career. Ultimately it would have led to an unsustainable workforce. The successes that are being achieved in consolidating the going rate, and the lack of success in getting any of what the crews want formalised in any agreement, has led us inexorably to the point where we must set the conditions of our own services. From April 1st. each of the craft branches of BECTU issued its own terms. To know what we are all expected to demand, everyone should check their branch websites for the details. This action is a rallying call to all technicians to stand up for themselves. To realise that it is possible to impose a fairer set of terms and conditions.

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Peanuts... the unions are now setting rates of pay, check your branch website for details!

GBCT / NEWS FROM THE GUILD / by John Keedwell

FORM FACTORS

ameras are getting smaller. It’s official. Looking around at the wide variety of cameras available it’s clear to see the trend is firmly towards cameras becoming smaller and more compact. Looking back only a few years the thought of a 4K-capable, moving image camera, was a thought only imagined by a few visionaries. RED cameras, with the ability to shoot 4K and above, have only really been around since the official launch of the RED One in 2007, and they were hailed at the time as the pioneering company that gave the rest of the industry a jolt. Now 4K-capable cameras are readily available at a much lower budget than even a few years ago, some for around just around a thousand pounds. For example the Panasonic GH4 has a form factor similar to a DSLR stills camera, yet doesn’t have size of the mirror box of a DSLR. Instead the Micro 4/3 (MFT) lens mount reduces the depth between the lens flange and the sensor so the camera can be reduced in size. This has the added bonus of enabling lens adapters to be used for many different lens mounts as there is now a larger distance to accommodate lens adapters. Whilst perhaps not as robust as other lens mounts, it certainly opens up possibilities of using many different lenses on the camera. I recently did an independent test for the Rosco Silk 210 LED light, and this was launched at the NAB show. More detail of this great new lighting tool in a minute, but as part of the test we wanted to see how different sensors on different cameras registered the colours on a test chart. We tested many of the highend moving picture cameras side-byside with the same lighting, along with my Panasonic GH4 I recently bought. On examining the results side-by-side the GH4 actually stood up extremely well against other massively more expensive and complex cameras. This was, of course, a simple static test of a test chart, and perhaps a moving image could be showing up different impression artefacts, yet I was suitably impressed with the image quality of this tiny camera compared to the other big hitters. If I was to shoot a long movie production I would still pick one of the traditional form factors over the form factor of mirrorless cameras, however shooting a documentary where I needed to hike up a mountain with the camera would probably make it a first choice over the other cameras. It’s all about picking the right tool for the job in hand.

Of course form factor is a vital part of the operational efficiency of any camera, along with the robustness of the lens mount, flexibility of use in terms of accessory ports, and the connectivity. Other factors to be taken into consideration are the recording format, compression, and overall form factor when shooting on location. The larger form factor of a traditional moving picture camera – such as the ARRI Alexa, RED, or a Sony – is way more manageable and robust than a small stills camera that happens to shoot 4K video. The cameras have, of course, become even smaller and lighter than even a few years ago, due to improvements in electronics and sensors. However, if a camera becomes too small it is more difficult to design in terms of buttons, switches and connectors to the outside world. It is also more difficult for the camera technicians to operate in cold conditions for example, when wearing gloves. This is always one of the traditional tests when evaluating any camera, can it be used at -10° C with your gloves still on? For some cameras that is a bit of a struggle to achieve. What we now have available are many extremely small cameras, capable of some extraordinary visual results, with many now able to record up to 13 stops of dynamic range or more, and recording high-quality images on a relatively small storage device. Some cameras are specifically designed for hazardous use, and they really need to be as small and compact as possible so they can

“form factor is a vital part of the operational efficiency of any camera, along with the robustness of the lens mount, flexibility of use and the connectivity.”John Keedwell

High-flyers... Small 4K-capable cameras, like Blackmagic’s Micro Cine Camera and Panasonic’s GHR, make an irresistible mix with the latest drones

operational possibilities. Up until only a few years ago the only way to get quality aerial shots was to use a helicopter or perhaps even a jet aircraft. Now it is possible to fly a high-quality camera over land with some incredible results. In fact there are places you could fly a drone where you wouldn’t be able to fly a helicopter if the safety of the helicopter crew was at risk, such as over a volcano for example. A drone can even be flown inside a building with suitable safety provisions put in place, and the helicopter would definitely not be allowed inside many buildings! Whilst this is enabling great creative shots to be created for documentaries and also movies, it also brings up other potential safety issues of course, and these have become front-page news in recent months. Where the drone needs to be operated by a competent operator who also has a “spotter” looking at the drone and what is around it at all times, they also need to be certified by the different aviation authorities in different countries, and the airworthiness needs to be also certified. All this is extremely sensible of course, and will hopefully bring a professionalism and safety element to unlicensed operators wanting to potentially undercut other operators. The certification is suitably expensive in price to sort out people who are playing at it against those people who are taking it professionally.

be placed in shot of the main camera and be able to be disguised. One such example is the Blackmagic Micro Cine Camera, which was launched at the NAB show recently. Whilst not recording in full 4K resolution, its small size and low weight lends itself extremely well to being attached to a remote controlled hexacopter drone, for example, with the ability to have the focus, iris, and zoom to be adjusted wirelessly. A truly remarkable engineering feat considering it will cost around about £700 when it becomes available in July. This idea of a small high-resolution camera being attached to a drone brings up other interesting British Cinematographer | May 2015 | 69

GBCT / NEWS FROM THE GUILD / by John Keedwell

Rosco LED

Another area in which technology has marched on has been in the use of LED lighting for moving picture productions.

The advantages of LED lights are many over traditional hot lights, and include less power draw for more illumination, the ability to change the colour temperature of the light output at the turn of a dial, smaller size, less weight and the eradication of the need to change lamp bulbs when they blow. LED lights are certainly here to stay and the positive effect on the environment alone in using less power is something to be applauded. They are not the magic bullet that does everything, of course, but they are now highly sophisticated and here to stay. A few years ago there were only a few notable major manufacturers who were cornering most of the available LED lighting market and being quite robust in their defence of their position. Now it seems the choice of LED lighting is immense with many different qualities of construction and colour control. So a new LED light is now not as big a headline as it was even two or three years ago. One lamp does jump out in recent months and I mentioned above about the Rosco Silk 210 LED light and this needs closer attention. The biggest factors in which LED lights are measured and compared are: quality of the colour temperature output of the light; the physical amount of light emitted per Watt of input current; and also the size and weight of the unit. In all these areas the Silk light excels, and when it becomes available I’m sure it will be the first choice for most DPs looking for quality LED lighting fixtures. Take a look for yourself.

When the levy breaks

I recently attended a discussion and debate organised by BECTU called The Future Of Film Post-Election. The discussion and debate was held between filmmakers and several politicians.

n the audience of the filmmakers were some eminent directors of photography, directors and producers, who were all at the top of their profession. Onstage were three politicians from different parties and also Jane Roscoe, the director of the London Film School. Many different areas of film production were discussed including tax incentives, piracy and digital IP, skills and apprenticeships, the EU being a single digital territory, and film production being spread more around the country, not just London-centric. There were also discussions about the pros and cons of zero hours contracts, unpaid internships, and also funding for training in creating moving images being available at an earlier level in schools, and this was an interesting development going forward. All of the discussions up to this point were quite positive and constructive and will obviously depend on which party ends up in power after the general election in May as to where the direction will lead. It seems whoever the government is for the next five years will have some longer discussions regarding funding of British films, distribution of a wider variety of content and the requirement for more investment into training at a grassroots level. Training people to use the moving image to convey their message to the world is now vitally important, yet there seems a lack of understanding how powerful the moving image can be, in any form. With 4K TVs and vastly superior technology we have available in the home, there should be many more visually-literate people out there who understand a good image and a story told well.

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As part of my training schemes I now hold, I have been personally asking many people who have a clear and important message how they deliver it to a wider audience. Many have really no idea how the basics of the moving image can enhance their vision, and yet children can easily pick up the fundamentals of creating a story using quite basic video equipment. There is perhaps a big lesson to be learned here. Back to the discussion: Then came a longer discussion talk about a levy scheme similar to the French system and also the Eady Levy we had in this country a few years ago. The Eady Levy was a tax on box office receipts in the United Kingdom, intended to support the British film industry and named for Sir Wilfred Eady. It was established in 1957 and terminated in 1985. This discussion then divided the audience from all of the politicians. Many in the audience were of the opinion a levy scheme was a positive direction to move towards yet the politicians unanimously agreed between themselves that this was a bad idea going forward and wouldn’t apparently work, they said. Obviously the few words I have available here do not do justice to the level of discussion on the night - yet the mood of the audience seemed to turn at this point where they felt none of the politicians were listening to the people on the ground who work within the business. It reminded me of a situation I was in where the organisation I worked for didn’t really understand the role my team played in the success of the project. The people at the top didn’t even really know what I did yet were making decisions based on what they thought we did.

Quiz mistress... Jane Roscoe, director of London Film School, asked politicians for their views on government incentives and laws for filmmaking

It reminded me that filmmaking is a highly collaborative and coherent effort all working intensely and hard towards the common goal, and every day there need to be difficult decisions made at many levels to achieve the results everyone desires. When somebody or something stops that machine from working efficiently it becomes chaos, so filmmaking has developed into an efficient structure of departments, all ultimately working between themselves towards a common objective. Truly magnificent productions can be achieved this way, and it struck me that many lessons can be learnt by other industries by taking this passion we have with our business to create something extraordinary and something we can be proud of.

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