British Cinematographer - Issue 78 by Open Box Media & Communications

www.britishcinematographer.co.uk Issue 78 -- November 2016

CREDITS / BRITISH CINEMATOGRAPHER / ISSUE 78 / NOVEMBER 2016

BRITISH

CINEMATOGRAPHER

UNI T ING C INE M AT O GR A P HE R S A R O UND T HE W OR L D

“Whatever the technology, there needs to be someone who understands how to get the best out of the equipment, and who can put things right if they go wrong. Recognise the skills of the technical aspects behind the camera, and find the right people to put in place for your next production – take GBCT crew with you!” - JOHN KEEDWELL GBCT

CONTRIBUTORS RON PRINCE has many years of experience in the film, TV, CGI and visual effects industries. He is the editor of British Cinematographer Magazine and runs the international content marketing and PR communications company Prince PR (www.princepr.com). In 2014 he won the prestigious ARRI John Alcott Award from the British Society of Cinematographers for services to cinematography. 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). 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 has been covering film, broadcast, VFX, animation and interactive design, in print and online, for 20 years. His work can regularly be found in such magazines as IBC Daily, Digital Arts, TVBEurope, Broadcast Tech, and more. He also works as a producer and advisor for conferences and digital agencies. TREVOR HOGG is a freelance video editor and writer who composes in-depth filmmaker and movie profiles for such websites as AWN, CGSociety, 3DTotal, Live For Films and Flickering Myth. He is a fan of Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Batman: The Animated Series, The Hobbit, Studio Ghibli and Peter Weir.

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

THE BIGGER PICTURE W

ow. We’ve got goose pimples. It’s both humbling and thrilling at the same time to have produced the biggest-ever edition of British Cinematographer magazine. What started as a hopeful finger-in-theair all those years ago – when we had some colour in our hair (and some of us actually had hair) – has blossomed into the bumper edition you are now holding in your hands. And now we have a new website too for everyone who wants to enjoy our content, and more, via online channels. We cannot thank enough our readers, advertisers, correspondents and contributors, as well as cinematographer’s agents and film distributors, around the world for their stalwart support and encouragement down the years. We just could not have started, nor sustained, these enterprises with out you, and this is a truly heartfelt thank you for helping our labours of love. Within these pages there’s the usual array of news, technology and opinion pieces, as well as the all-important coverage of our cherished cinematographers and their talented crews. This is also our regular Camerimage Festival special preview edition. It’s an amazing festival of cinematography, that we have attended for eleven consecutive years, which has also been tremendously supported by many steadfast sponsors, including the likes of Panavision, Kodak and ARRI, to name just a few. If you have never attended Camerimage, it’s time to think again, as it will give you an altogether bigger and richer picture on the art of cinematography. Speaking of which, you might be forgiven for thinking that large format is an entirely exclusive digital medium now – what with the latest binary gear being developed in spades and used in anger on all manner of productions. But think again. As we went to press, news came through about brand new 65mm film processing facilities in London, supplementing those in Los Angeles, to support a slew of fresh studio productions using large format film. Not only this, but you may be surprised to discover just how many movies, and other content, are being planned and shot using celluloid. Which will prevail – digital or emulsion – only time will tell. The wonderful thing is that cinematographers have a panoply of artistic instruments at their disposal to fill screens with a symphony of images that will variously delight and move us all. RON PRINCE Editor | British Cinematographer Magazine British Cinematographer | November 2016 | 03

CONTENTS / BRITISH CINEMATOGRAPHER / ISSUE 78 / NOVEMBER 2016

IN THIS ISSUE... 07

Cats in hats… director Tom Ford eyes up a potential shot with Seamus McGarvey on Nocturnal Animals. Photo by David Emmerichs

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

Close-Up... Paul Cameron ASC on Westworld

Barry Ackroyd BSC believes that beautiful collaborations make great cinema, and great art needs its just rewards

PRODUCTION/POST & TECHNO NEWS

The latest news concerning DPs, including the Production Guild Awards

WHO’S SHOOTING WHO?

Your definitive guide to which DPs are shooting who and where

MEET THE NEW WAVE

He’s a Gooner and likes a scary movie… meet Christopher Sabogal

SPOTLIGHT

The ambitious plans of rental house Filmscape

New wave... Christopher Sabogal

Clapperboard... Steve Begg

Pack up your thermals, it’s time to visit Camerimage 2016 in Poland

Discover how Seamus McGarvey BSC ASC used 35mm film to create a variety of atmospheric looks on Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals

The rise and rise of VFX supremo Steve Begg

SPECIAL PREVIEW

F-STOP IBC/CINEC

A round-up of the latest kit on show in Amsterdam at IBC and in Munich at Cinec

CLOSE-UP

Martin Ruhe on American Pastoral

Close DP Martin Ru Up... he and director Ewen McGre on American Pa gor storal

CAMERA CREATIVE

CLAPPERBOARD

IMAGO NEWS

Ben Davis BSC used the latest digital cameras and lighting systems to create the weird multi-verse in Doctor Strange

Paul René Roestad FNF, IMAGO president, reports on the federation’s latest vibrant machinations

Fred Elmes ASC on Paterson Don Burgess ASC on Allied Paul Cameron ASC on Westworld

New ASC president Kees Van Oostrum NSC ASC wants to see more cooperation and communication between cinematographers worldwide

ON THE JOB

CLOSE-UPS

INNOVATOR

Leon Joanknecht of FilmFabriek has made a cute new film scanner

LETTER FROM AMERICA

GBCT NEWS

Zero hours contracts and the need for a new revolution in technological development

LIVE & LET DI

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

British Cinematographer | November 2016 | 05

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE / BARRY ACKROYD BSC / BSC PRESIDENT

BUT, IS IT ART?

BRITISH SOCIETY

OF CINEMATOGRAPHERS

Board of Governors 2016-17

PRESIDENT: Barry Ackroyd BSC IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT: John de Borman BSC VICE PRESIDENTS: Rob Hardy BSC Nigel Walters BSC Haris Zambarloukos BSC GOVERNORS: Sean Bobbitt BSC Lol Crawley BSC Oliver Curtis BSC John Daly BSC Joe Dunton MBE BSC (non DoP) Mike Eley BSC Gavin Finney BSC David Higgs BSC Nic Knowland BSC Phil Meheux BSC Nic Morris BSC Dick Pope BSC Derek Suter BSC Tim Palmer BSC CO-OPTED ASSOCIATE MEMBER REPRESENTATIVE: Chris Plevin COMPANY SECRETARIES: Frances Russell Audra Marshall

It was almost 40 years ago that I studied filmmaking at a small art school on the south coast of England. Things were just great, except for one thing. I had to write my final dissertation.

aving gotten through the years of study, I distilled it down to: “Jean-Luc Godard And The Failure Of Auteur Theory.” A suitably pretentious title I know, but it contained the things that fired me up. Firstly, the films of J-LG, and the refreshing wind of the French New Wave. Who wasn’t influenced by the freedom of thought and fluidity of the camera? But what was probably more important to me was the theory of the “auteur”. First dubbed by the film critic Andrew Sarris, the theory, simply put, says that it is the director alone who authors the film, and that these directors could be categorised into gods (and I guess peasants too). As you see, it’s a nasty theory, unless you’re a god, of course! Thankfully that theory doesn’t hold much water these days, not now that the status of directors is mostly defined by their box office returns – a philosophy which would lead us to believe that James Cameron is probably the greatest director of all time. Spot the problem? My view was, and still is, when you try to codify or monetise an artform, it creates division and probably has a reason. I guess this was the gist of my dissertation and led me to the realisation that auteur theory was a bad idea. But what I’ve learnt since, is that bad ideas never really die off, they just get reinvented and often turned into something much worse. So it was that an erroneous idea gave way to the bastard sibling of auteur theory and laid the groundwork for the divide we now know as “above-the-line” and “below-the-line”. As I understand it, ATL vs BTL comes from advertising. It was a way to define the most valued kind of advertising – TV as opposed to lesser forms, such as posters or flyers. So I can only imagine that the phrase then got knocked around a production office somewhere in Hollywood and wham! It stuck. One day it’s used as a categorization and it doesn’t take long before cinematography becomes just a “belowthe-line” cost, a fact. Like all bad ideas, nobody would want to own up to it, and even if they did, they would soon want to disown it. Think Oppenheimer and the atomic bomb; at least he showed remorse. So what are the consequences? For decades, in the mind of production, cinematography has been intentionally downgraded from the status of art to that of craft. And with that, cinematography has turned into a simple enabler to producers, writers, directors and actors. It’s an obvious statement but, filmmaking is a collective process and a single element cannot stand-alone. As I’ve often said, cinematography is the first art of filmmaking. Writing, directing, producing or acting are but radio plays until cinematography is added.

No one can deny what a contribution cinematography has been to our vision of the world, and no right-minded producer or director would wish to separate the art of cinematography from their vision. But, is it art? Cinematography has produced unforgettable images that have moved and inspired and stirred our emotions. It speaks in every language. The moving image captures your heart. It can bring you to tears, and take you to places unimaginable. If I’m allowed one list, let me mention some of the cinematographers that still inspire and fired-up my passion for cinematography, names that have made cinema what it is. In no order at all: Raul, Vilmos, Nestor, Robbie, Bob, Robert, Ellen, Janusz, Ossie, Sven, Conrad, Chivo, Jack, Freddy, James, Chris, Roger, Sergei, Haskell, Greg, Michael, Douggie and Wolfgang… and so on and so on. If your name doesn’t appear it’s only because there can never be enough space for all the brilliance brought to every piece of work. Have no doubt, the moving image is a beautiful, wondrous ever-changing work of art. So why would anyone use a term like “below-the-line” when they know it’s derogatory? Because it’s based on economics, with the obvious intention of artificially elevating the few, well above those whose creativity turn words into cinema. Although cinematography has reached a place where it is ultimately respected by directors, producers and actors, at the same time it is held as a craft that can bought, interchanged or reproduced. But this is not the reality of the situation. Each cinematographer sees the world in a different way. Although cinematographers visually craft the film, no two films look the same, and the finished article is unique. If you’re reading this whilst at Camerimage I know you’ll have no doubt what role cinematography has had over the last century. It has given us images, both documentary or fictional, that shaped our worlds. We as cinematographers know as we walk out of a cinema, that the images which fill your imagination, will stay with you. You will probably wish that they were your images, but you know how unique they are. And you know that this really is “Art”. I’m not saying that cinematography is god. No, without the collaboration of directors and writers, actors and entire crew, well then there are just images. It is this beautiful collaboration that makes great cinema. Directors make great cinematographers and cinematographers make great directors. It’s a symbiotic relationship, an artform created by the combination of artists, pulling together. When it’s done well it can produce what is probably the most moving experience, outside of our real lives. Cinema is great. Long live cinema. British Cinematographer | November 2016 | 07

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP

FILM REVIVAL GETS EPIC BOOST WITH NEW 65MM FACILITIES IN THE UK T he revival of real film has received an additional boost with the news that large format Kodak 65mm film processing facilities have opened in the UK. Twentieth Century Fox’s Murder On The Orient Express, directed by Kenneth Branagh, and shot by cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos BSC, will be one of the first productions to use the new installation. 65mm celluloid has a long and illustrious history. The format was the canvas for masterpieces such as David Lean’s multi-Oscar winning Lawrence Of Arabia (1962, DP Freddie Young BSC), landmark epics like William Wyler’s Ben-Hur (1959, Robert Surtees ASC) and showstoppers including Robert Wise’s The Sound Of Music (1965, DP Ted D McCord). Now, 65mm film is enjoying a renaissance, championed by a new generation of directors and their cinematographers for its resolution, depth and true-to-life look. Director Christopher Nolan, one of the industry’s leading champions of real film, shot Kodak 65mm for Warner Brothers’ dramatic WWII thriller Dunkirk (DP Hoyte van Hoytema FSF NSC). Also set-to-shoot on 65mm are Lucasfilm/Disney’s Star Wars: Episode IX (DP John Schwartzman ASC) and Disney’s The Nutcracker And The Four Realms (DP Linus Sandgren). “The film comeback is accelerating,” said Steven Overman, global chief marketing officer at Kodak, “ and the epic, big screen experience is well and truly back. The creative and aesthetic distinctiveness of 65mm film is still well beyond the capability of digital capture, so when discerning filmmakers want to a create work of memorable grandeur and lasting visual quality, they know that only real film delivers.” Cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos BSC said, “Film has a palette like no other movie format. When Ken and I first started talking about Murder On The Orient Express, we both just knew it was the one to put our hearts and souls into making in 65mm film. It’s a rare thing to be able to bring to life a great piece of literature, and we want the audience to have a truly immersive and intimate experience. Agatha Christie’s work is one of the greatest revenge stories and it has to be immensely entertaining on the big screen. We want to make a film were you feel every stab wound, and we couldn’t think of a better way than to shoot it on 65mm film.” Adrian Bull, managing director and co-founder of Cinelab London, commented, “65mm is the Holy Grail for cinematographers, so it is really exciting to see it returning to the UK as part of a more general film renaissance. Cinelab London’s 65mm service, in partnership with Kodak, will further cater to the needs of UK and European filmmakers who have specific requirements for the larger film format.” However, it is not just big-budget studio films that are leaning towards 65mm. Directors of indies and premium brand advertising also have the format in their sights. Brady Corbet will shoot his upcoming independent Vox Lux (starring Jude Law and Rooney Mara) in 65mm, whilst Xavier Dolan chose it for Adele’s “Hello” music video, plus segments of his upcoming feature The Death And Life Of John F. Donovan. Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen also used 65mm this year to bring sensual splendour to a promotional short film for luxury brand Burberry. For the giant screen experience, Greg MacGillivray deployed 15-perf 65mm in 3D IMAX cameras for National Parks Adventure, a flagship project marking the centenary of The National Parks Service. 08 | British Cinematographer | November 2016

Lawrence Of Arabia (1962, DP Freddie Young BSC)

REMEMBERING WOLFGANG SUSCHITZKY BSC

hotographer and cinematographer, Wolfgang Suschitzky BSC, passed away aged 104 on 7th October. He was highly-regarded for his portraits of London life in the 1930s and 40s, particularly for the series of stills along Charing Cross Road, which remains today the centre of London’s bookselling trade. However, along with photography, Suschitzky was also a prolific and equally well-regarded cinematographer, perhaps best known for his work on Get Carter, director Mike Hodges’ Geordieland thriller, starring Michael Caine as a mob hitman in search of revenge. Suschitzky was born in Vienna, but fled from the city in 1935 after deciding that, as a socialist of Jewish background, there was no safe future for him. After a short time spent in the Netherlands, during which he took photos for picture postcards, he relocated to London, where he secured his reputation as a photographer. His first venture into movies came at the end of the 1930s, working as a cameraman for Paul Rotha Productions, part of the documentary movement, until 1944, when he then helped to establish Britain’s first film cooperative – the Documentary & Technicians’ Alliance. Suschitzky moved into feature films in the 1950s, collaborating once more with Rotha for No

Like father, like so n… Wolfgang and Pe ter pictured together

Resting Place. It was the beginning of a fruitful career in which features, documentaries, TV shows, shorts and corporate work sat side by side. In his late 60s, he reached possibly his largest audience – as the DP on ITV’s 1981 adaptation of Worzel Gummidge. He retired in 1987, but his work continued to be exhibited, and he was awarded Austria’s gold merit medal lifetime achievement award in 2007. Suschitzky’s grandson, Adam, commented, “Having celebrated his 104th birthday in August, he lived an extraordinary long and healthy life pretty much to the end. I know how much he valued being a part of the BSC for many years, for which he always relished his appearance each year at Operators Night. His friends, family and colleagues will miss him terribly. To me he was a constant inspiration throughout my life, both as a humane, sharp-witted man, and as the quiet observer who captured life around the world with his camera with such profound skill, and the confidence of an exceptional visual storyteller that will never be forgotten.”

SUE GIBSON BSC WINS PHILIPS VARI-LITE AWARD Cinematographer Sue Gibson BSC, who passed away on July 27th, was posthumously awarded with The Philips Vari-Lite Award For Drama for her cinematography on the popular BBC1 primetime series Death In Paradise. Roger Simonsz BSC collected the award.

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP

MICHAEL CHAPMAN IS THE HEADLINE ACT AT CAMERIMAGE

Raging Bull (1980)

scar-nominated cinematographer Michael Chapman, a frequent collaborator with director Martin Scorsese, will be the recipient of the 2016 Camerimage Film Festival’s Lifetime Achievement award. On a career spanning over 40 years Chapman’s credits for Scorsese include Taxi Driver (1976) and Raging Bull (1980), with The Lost Boys (1987) for Joel Schumacher. Chapman also worked with Scorsese on documentaries The Last Waltz (1978) and American Boy: A Profile Of Steven Prince (1978), and later on Michael Jackson’s Bad music video. During the 1970s Chapman worked with Philip Kaufman on Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978) and The Wanderers (1979) and served as Bill Butler ASC’s camera operator on Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975). Chapman made his debut as a director in 1983 Tom Cruise starrer All the Right Moves. He retired from filmmaking in 2006. You can read more about the Chapman in our special Camerimage Preview. The Camerimage Film Festival takes place in Bydgoszcz, Poland, from November 12-19. Michael Chapman

NEW LEICA M 0.8 LENSES CW Sonderoptic, sister company to Leica Camera, has introduced the new Leica M 0.8 lenses for cinema applications. Leica M full-frame lenses are popular with photographers and cinematographers for their interpretation of light, skin tones and colour. Now, thanks to a series of design innovations, the new Leica M 0.8 lenses can bring that classic look to a variety of professional cine cameras. CW has selected five lenses for this series, choosing the fastest in each focal length. The lenses will be available individually, or as a set, and include: 21mm f/1.4, 24mm f/1.4, 28mm f/1.4, 35mm f/1.4 and the 50mm f/0.95 Noctilux. The Leica M 0.8 lenses feature a smooth iris rotation and larger 0.8 module / 32 pitch gear rings for focus and

iris, allowing them to work with traditional cine accessories, such as manual follow focuses and wireless FIZ systems. They will be purpose-built, assembled and calibrated on the regular Leica M line at Leica Camera in Wetzlar. Designed for full frame (24x36mm) sensors and film stocks, the Leica M 0.8 lenses cover larger sensors like Red’s Dragon 8K VistaVision, Sony’s a7 series and the Leica SL. Their small size and light weight bring an advantage for drone and gimbal applications. The M 0.8 lenses retain the existing Leica M mount. Red’s DSMC and DSMC2 designs allow the use of their Leica M Mount on all of their cameras with interchangeable mounts, including Scarlet, Epic, Weapon 6K, Weapon 8K VV and Helium 8K. A modified OLPF is required for RED cameras, available directly from CW. Adapters are also available for Sony E and FZ mount cameras from the Sony a7 series up to the F55. The lenses are expected to start delivering in Q1 2017 and will be available through CW Sonderoptic’s global reseller network.

DP JAMES HAWKINSON WINS AN EMMY

Cinematographer James Hawkinson won the 2016 Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography On A Single-Camera Series, for the first season of Amazon Studios’ The Man in the High Castle. “To receive this recognition for the show is a great honour, and it’s a fantastic achievement for the whole crew,” Hawkinson said. “I’m delighted to get a nod from the Television Academy, particularly after all the hard work that went into the show.” Hawkinson is currently shooting a second series, scheduled for release on Amazon Prime in December.

PETITION TO SAVE CURZON MAYFAIR CINEMA

10 | British Cinematographer | November 2016

here are concerns that historic West End cinema, the Curzon in Mayfair, may have to close because of a disagreement over the soundproofing of flats being built above. Noise from films played at the Curzon in Mayfair can be heard on the two floors above the cinema, where star-studded film premieres are regularly held, according to the developers of the properties. The flats could fetch more than £2 million each. The owner of the building, Vevil International, says it is keen for the cinema to stay in its current location, but that it must deal with concerns over noise under the terms of its lease. The Curzon says it cannot afford soundproofing, which it believes would cost £500,000, and would “never obtain approval for as the auditorium and surrounding walls are listed”, according to its director of cinema development Rob Kenny. The deadlock has resulted in a legal “action for forfeiture”, meaning the cinema faces surrendering its lease and vacating the building. The BSC is calling for people to sign a petition to keep the cinema going at www. you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-curzon-mayfair.

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP

IVORY TRADE EXPOSÉ AND CHRIS PACKHAM EARN TOP WILDSCREEN GONGS

documentary exposing the brutality and corruption of the global ivory trade, made with backing from Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, was named as the 2016 winner of the WWF Golden Panda Award, the international wildlife film and TV’s industry highest accolade. The Ivory Game (2016, DP Richard Ladkani), a Netflix Original, produced by Terra Mater Film Studios (Austria) and Paul Allen’s Vulcan Productions (USA), with DiCaprio as executive producer, beat 43 other titles from 11 countries to lift both the best in festival trophy and the Panda Award for best theatrical entry at Wildscreen, which is now the world’s biggest festival of screen-based nature storytelling. At the same ceremony, held at Bristol’s Colston Hall, British TV presenter, author and photographer, Chris Packham, received the festival’s Panda Award for Outstanding Achievement. Lucie Muir, CEO of the charity behind the biennial festival, said, “A major talking point at this year’s Wildscreen Festival has been the growing success of independents, not only at finding fresh ways to tell wildlife stories, but also new ways to share them. Our Golden Panda winner, The Ivory Game, is one example of this – as gripping as a thriller drama in style, and soon to be shown by an ondemand channel with the unique ability to put an urgent conservation story in front of a huge global audience very speedily.” Muir added, “Another example is the festival’s recognition of Chris Packham, who embodies what Wildscreen stands for – an extremely talented storyteller who shares his personal passion for the natural world via film, television, photography and online networks and, so, ignites the same care and enthusiasm in very many others, especially younger people.” The Wildscreen Panda Awards ceremony 2016 was hosted by television presenters Steve Backshall and Liz Bonnin, and attended by a capacity audience of industry representatives, celebrity guests, media and the public.

RODRIGO PRIETO AMC ASC RECEIVES KODAK MENTOR AWARD

DP Rodrigo Prieto AMC ASC (The Wolf Of Wall Street) received Kodak’s Cinematography Mentor of the Year award, at the recent International Cinematographers Guild (ICG) 2016 Emerging Cinematographer Awards, held at the ASC clubhouse in Hollywood. Mexico-born Prieto came to the attention of Hollywood for his cinematography on Amores Perros for director Alejandro González Iñárritu. His other films include Frida, Brokeback Mountain, and Argo. His Silence, directed by Martin Scorsese, is set for release in January 2017. In giving the award to Prieto, Kodak’s motion picture and entertainment president, Steve Bellamy, remarked that the imaging company had turned the financial corner, moving from “staggering losses to the black last year,” and that “the next generation of motion picture artists are seeking out film as their shooting medium of choice”. Dolby Laboratories received the Canon Award for Advancement in Digital Technology, for research into high dynamic range (HDR) standards, and for developing Dolby Vision, a technology for professional displays and cinema projectors.

12 | British Cinematographer | November 2016

COOKE MINIS4/I LENSES BRING NEW LOOK TO MIDSOMER MURDERS

he latest series of longrunning British drama series, Midsomer Murders, is being shot with uncoated Cooke miniS4/i lenses, supplied by VMI. Now in its 19th season, Midsomer Murders, produced by Bentley Productions for ITV, documents the investigation of grisly murders that take place in the otherwise idyllic and quintessentially English region of Midsomer. James Moss has been the lead DP on the series for five years. “I was looking to give Midsomer Murders a new look, to update it a little,” he said. “When VMI took over the contract to supply camera equipment, we explored some uncoated Cooke miniS4/is along with ARRI Alexa cameras. I took the lenses for a single

CTBF APPOINTS INTERIM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

episode, and ended up keeping them for the whole series.” Moss had used Cooke lenses before, though this was his first experience of the miniS4/i range. “Cooke lenses give a nice colour rendition, they are detailed without being harsh, and the ‘Cooke Look’ is very kind to faces. The combination of the miniS4/is with the Alexa works really well. We do a lot of handheld work, so the size and weight of the miniS4/is are helpful. We went with uncoated lenses as I wanted to get some nice flares, which would help to update the look of the drama.” He added: “We’ve shot in all sorts of lighting set-ups – day, night, candlelight – and they cope very well with whatever you throw at them. They handle colour well too, and give a contrast that I like.” Season 19 of Midsomer Murders is expected to air on ITV in 2017.

The Cinema And Television Benevolent Fund (CTBF), the UK charity for people working behind the scenes in cinema, commercial television and film, has appointed interim CEO, D’Arcy Myers, following the recent death of CEO Richard Wilson. A consultant with more than 20 years of experience in the charity sector, D’Arcy Myers will drive the strategic development of CTBF, as well as work alongside the board of trustees as they look to appoint a full-time executive.

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP

CATE BLANCHETT PRESENTS HOPE DICKSON-LEACH WITH £50K BURSARY

he first ever £50,000 IWC Filmmaker Bursary Award, in association with the BFI, was awarded to Hope Dickson-Leach, writer and director of The Levelling (2016, DP Nanu Segal) from a shortlist of four nominees. The award was presented by Cate Blanchett during a star-studded gala dinner at London’s Rosewood hotel, hosted by Rob Brydon and accompanied by the sounds of the London Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. “I am so pleased to be here to celebrate four remarkable and unique filmmakers being supported at the beginning of their careers by the BFI and IWC,” said Blanchett, who is also a BFI Fellow. Amanda Nevill, CEO of the BFI and bursary final judge said, “Hope is a hugely promising director and The Levelling demonstrates her assured transition into feature filmmaking with a story about women in British society, exploring complex family relationships at a point of crisis. Developing and making a film is an expensive and time consuming business, and this bursary is truly a gift of time.” Dickson-Leach, said: “Winning this means everything. My life has just changed in two minutes. Being a mother of two children and a filmmaker is really tricky and I’ve now been given the gift of time. This generous bursary means that I can now develop my second feature.” Edinburgh based Dickson-Leach completed her MFA in filmmaking at Columbia University, where she made three short films that played at festivals worldwide. Whilst in New York she was assistant to Todd Solondz on his film, Palindromes. Dickson-Leach’s award-winning thesis short film, The Dawn Chorus, was selected for Sundance, Edinburgh, London and many other festivals. Since her return to the UK, she has made further acclaimed short works for C4, Film London, the UK Film Council and the National Theatre of Scotland. Her debut feature The Levelling, produced by Wellington Films, funded by BBC Films, the BFI and Creative England, as part of the iFeatures scheme, premiered at Toronto International Film Festival ahead of its LFF presentation. The other three finalists in contention for the award were: Joseph a. Adesunloye, the writer and director of White Colour Black (2016, DP Rory Skeoch), Alice Lowe, writer/director of Prevenge (2016, Ryan Eddleston) and Paul Anton Smith, director of Have You Seen My Movie?.

Pollyanna Gill

Hugh Whittaker and Jackie Rowden

N The Night Manager (Ink Factory) production team

14 | British Cinematographer | November 2016

PRODUCTION GUILD AWARDS 2016 CELEBRATE WORLD-CLASS TALENT

ow in its third year, the 2016 Production Guild Awards in association with Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, recognised the expertise, experience and excellence of Production Guild members working in film and television drama within the production office, production accounts, location management, VFX, post-production and assistant directing roles, and the people who support them. Five awards were presented to mark individual or team contributions to the UK film and TV drama industry at a ceremony supported by Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, held at The Grove, Saturday 24 September 2016. This year’s awards again supported the MAMA Youth Project charity, which works to increase diversity in the TV and film industry by equipping members with core skills and working practices to secure meaningful work.

The winners were: Pollyanna Gill, assistant accountant – winner of the Production Guild Spotlight Award, in association with Pinewood MBS Lighting. The Night Manager (The Ink Factory), production team – winners of the Production Guild Member/Team Of The Year Award, in association with Panavision. Harriet Lawrence, location manager – winner of the Production Guild Inspiration Award, in association with Working Title. Hugh Whittaker and Jackie Rowden – joint winners of the Production Guild Contribution To The Industry Award, in association with Kodak. Terry O’Neill – recipient of the Production Guild Special Award, given posthumously. Alison Small, chief executive of the Production Guild said, “The Production Guild Awards celebrate the vital part our members play in the creation of UK film and TV drama. The quality and calibre of recent UK productions are testament to their expertise and the part they play in enabling creative elements to reach new heights.”

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP Edward Lachman ASC

LACHMAN, GARCIA, ROUSSELOT AND SCHREIBER HONOURED BY ASC

he American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) has announced the honourees for the 31st annual ASC Awards for Outstanding Achievement. Edward Lachman ASC, Ron Garcia ASC, Philippe Rousselot AFC ASC and Nancy Schreiber ASC will be recognised for their contributions to the art of cinematography during the organisation’s awards gala on February 4, 2017, taking place at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland. Lachman will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. Garcia will be bestowed with the Career Achievement in Television Award. Rousselot earns the International Award, and Schreiber will take home the Presidents Award. “The work of these individual cinematographers is varied, yet it all exemplifies a stellar level of achievement,” said ASC president Kees van Oostrum. “As a group, they are also prime examples of great careers in the industry and, over the years, they have set creative standards of the highest order.” Lachman is a revered and award-winning cinematographer who has photographed over 90 titles in narrative, experimental and documentary forms. He has collaborated with directors such as Todd Haynes, Steven Soderbergh, Robert Altman, Paul Schrader,

Ron Garci a ASC

Todd Solondz, Sofia Coppola, Werner Herzog, Wim Wenders, Volker Schlöndorff, Ulrich Seidl, and Jean-Luc Godard, among others. Lachman’s work with Haynes on Far From Heaven (2002) and Carol (2015) garnered him Academy Award nominations, and the HBO mini-series Mildred Pierce (2011) earned him an Emmy nomination. He also received the Golden Frog for Carol, the Silver Frog for Far From Heaven, and the Bronze Frog for I’m Not There (2007) at Camerimage, as well as the Director/ Cinematographer Golden Frog with Haynes in 2011. He is the only American to receive the prestigious Marburg Camera Award in Germany for his body of work. Other accolades for Lachman include Independent Spirit Awards for Far From Heaven and Carol, the British Society of Cinematographers Award for Best Feature Film with Carol, and many honours from film critic associations and festivals throughout his career. Garcia has collected Emmy nominations for Murder In The Heartland (1993) and The Day Lincoln Was Shot (1998), both of which received ASC Award nominations. He earned additional nods from his peers in the ASC for Thomas Carter’s Divas (1996) and the pilot of Twin Peaks (1991). In 1991, Garcia won a CableACE Award for HBO’s movie El Diablo and another CableACE Award nomination for Peter Markle’s Nightbreaker. His long list of credits includes TV hits such as Rizzoli and Isles, the first season of the current CBS series Hawaii Five-O, Numb3rs, Providence, Gilmore Girls, EZ Streets, Michael Mann’s Crime Story and the pilots for L.A. Takedown and Stingray. A native of France, Rousselot won his first Cesar Award (France’s equivalent of an Oscar) for Diva (1981), and earned additional trophies for Thérèse (1986) and

Philippe Rousselot AFC ASC

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Queen Margot (1994). Rousselot earned an Academy Award for A River Runs Through It (1993), as well as an ASC nomination. Furthermore, he was Oscar-nominated for Hope And Glory (1987) and Henry & June (1990), with the former also receiving a BSC Award. His awardwinning body of work includes Dangerous Liaisons (1988) and The Bear (1988), which garnered ASC nominations, and Interview With The Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994), which won BAFTA and BSC awards. Additional credits include Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Planet Of The Apes, Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows, The Nice Guys, and the upcoming Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them. Schreiber is a Detroit native who, after receiving her psychology degree at the University of Michigan, moved to New York and worked her way up from production assistant to gaffer. Early in her career, she was gaffer on the Academy Award-nominated documentary The Other Half Of The Sky: A China Memoir for co-directors Shirley MacLaine and Claudia Weill. As a cinematographer, Schreiber has an eclectic list of narrative film and television credits as well as commercials, music videos and documentaries. Her work includes Your Friends And Neighbours, The Nines, Visions Of Light, In Plain Sight (pilot), HBO’s The Comeback, episodes of ABC’S The Family, and the new FX series Better Things. Schreiber’s cinematography for Chain Of Desire earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination (1994), which she followed with an Emmy nomination (1996) for her work on the documentary The Celluloid Closet. In addition to serving on the ASC Board of Governors, she was on the board of Women In Film (WIF) and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Schreiber has taught advanced cinematography at the American Film Institute and, between shooting, continues to guest lecture at film schools in California, New York, and around the world.

Nancy Schreiber ASC

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP

SMPTE HOLLYWOOD SECTION EXPLORES ‘PHONEOGRAPHY’

he Hollywood Section of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), had the increasingly popular practice of “phoneography” as a key topic at its September meeting. Phoneography is the use of smartphones as image-capture devices in film and television productions. “The smartphone has become an integral part of our ecosystem, and it’s now a viable tool for creating content,” said Marty Meyer, chair of the SMPTE Hollywood Section. “Forget big budgets and big iron – this is nobudget, in-your-pocket tech, that is ideally suited for social media offerings. ‘Phoneography’ – yes, it’s a word – is becoming a ‘thing.’” Beastgrip CEO Vadym Chalenko presented his company’s new mounting platform for iPhone and iPad devices. He discussed his success in using crowdfunding platforms, such as Kickstarter, to fund the development of the product and demonstrated the capabilities of these new tools. Director and producer Sven Dreesbak joined Sean Lawrence, vice president of business development at Beastgrip, to demonstrate the use and application of new lenses and mounting platforms for phoneography. They also dispensed advice for achieving professional results with these emerging tools. Tony Orcena, editor of the Emmy Award-winning ABC sitcom Modern Family, discussed how phoneography was used in the series. One episode from the show’s 2015 season was captured entirely using smartphones, tablets and laptops. Orcena described the impact the devices had on production time, colour correction and workflow, as well as the adjustments that were necessary to the mobile operating system templates to accommodate resolution and framing.

ANTON/BAUER POWERS VR FOOTAGE FROM TOP OF EVEREST

s it is one of the most difficult treks on the planet, not many are willing to climb to Mount Everest’s summit and face altitude sickness, high-speed winds, and the possibility of major avalanches along the way However, Amsterdam-based production company VR Explorers, didn’t just set out to reach the top, they also became the film industry’s first-ever production team to capture virtual reality (VR) footage at roughly 8,848m above sea level. Led by filmmaker and post-production artist Przemek Siemion, the VR Explorers’ team joined Irish adventurers and guides Noel and Lynn Hanna on a quest to capture cinematic VR in one of the world’s most extreme environments. Siemion’s crew aimed to capture the summit as well as the overall journey for viewers. “Other VR companies have tried before, but they failed. This was our big challenge,” explained Siemion. “Luckily, our production company had experience from

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a previous film on Mount Everest, so we knew what the climb and conditions would be.” The team started its expedition in Kathmandu, Nepal, before flying to neighbouring peak Lhotse and driving to a base camp at 5,000m. Once there, a group of 16 climbers and 30 Sherpas spent six weeks acclimatising to the elevation by travelling up and down the trails from base camp – going a little further each time. The equipment had to be especially robust to perform at that kind of extreme elevation. Knowing previous expeditions with larger cameras had failed, VR Explorers put together an innovative, lightweight kit. The crew relied on GoPros, monopods, sound equipment, Litepanels LED lights, computers and cards – plus Anton/Bauer Cine 90 batteries and the Performance Quad charger. “Because of the harsh conditions, we had to scaledown on the weight of our kit and we knew that mobile power would be a challenge,” explained Siemion. “That

was why we used Anton/Bauer. The Performance Quad Charger performed great and we had no problem charging the batteries in these conditions. Not to mention that the Cine 90s were smaller and lighter weight, so it was really easy to pack and plan our rig around it. It was so convenient and we used them for everything.” In addition to being able to power the kit to the summit, Siemion found that the Cine batteries were robust enough to power their other equipment. He ended-up preparing special plates that enabled him to charge all of his gear with Anton/Bauer Cine batteries, including the cameras, audio equipment and even his iPhone. “We also took the batteries we used on our last trek, but they just didn’t perform and they couldn’t charge from the solar-powered generators we were using at base camp. The Anton/Bauer Cines were the only ones that worked and really saved us.” The VR film is planned for release in early 2017.

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP

he National Film and Television School (NFTS) has secured funding of £1.5m from Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership (BTVLEP) to build a new Digital Content Production Training Studio. The studio will be one of the most advanced, dedicated training facilities in the UK, and will have the ability to shoot, record and stream live content in 4K UHD. The studio is expected to open in early 2017, coinciding with the new student intake. The studio will benefit students on a range of postgraduate courses including the new NFTS Production Technology MA, which has been introduced to tackle a shortage of broadcast engineers and fill a skills gap in the industry. Technologist and former BBC Scotland head of technology, John Maxwell Hobbs, has been appointed to lead the course, which will commence in January 2017.

ASC RELEASES CINEMA DISPLAY EVALUATION PLAN & TEST PROTOCOL

he Technology Committee of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) has published its “Cinema Display Evaluation Plan & Test Protocol,” which defines a method for the visual evaluation of parameters that characterise next generation cinema projection and active screens. As part of the industry’s move to high dynamic range (HDR) and wide color gamut (WCG), the document represents the first step towards the goal of identifying where value is created from the filmmaker’s point-of-view. It is available for download now via the ASC Web site. The “Cinema Display Evaluation Plan & Test Protocol” explores the capabilities in projectors and displays that go beyond those commonly found in cinema today. The focus is on deeper blacks, practical primaries for WCG, effective contrast ratios and optimal peak ocol pack… white levels for HDR cinema. Leader of prot C. Photo AS k ar Cl s Phase one of this work Curti an ASC izm Ro en w by O focusses on understanding how different parameter values impact the perception of image quality, establishing a baseline for further testing. The protocol is the work of the Next Generation Cinema Display (NGCD) subcommittee of the ASC Technology Committee. The ASC Technology Committee is chaired by Curtis Clark ASC. The NGCD subcommittee is cochaired by Michael Karagosian, Eric Rodli and Steve Schklair.

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FILMSCAPE EYES LATEST ANAMORPHIC ADVANCES

amera specialist Filmscape has taken delivery of a selection of new Anamorphic lensing options from Cooke, ARRI, Kowa and Lomo. The Cooke Anamorphic/i family has garnered praise for its precision and versatility, and the ARRI Master range is particularly suited to 35mm format use. The Lomo/Hawk lens set offers all the characteristics of classic Anamorphic glass, housed in high-quality compact casings, whilst the Kowa Prominars deliver impressive results across a wide variety of shooting formats. Commenting on the latest lens intake, MD Kevin Harvey said, “We have been steadily expanding our lens stock for a number of years. By following industry trends, and listening to exactly what cinematographers are asking for, we’ve been able to build a hire stock that offers clients the widest possible choice in quality, versatility and compatibility.” Recent productions supplied by Filmscape include The Infiltrator, shot by cinematographer Joshua Reis, and Brotherhood, shot by DP Aaron Reid, plus a selection of high-end commercials.

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP

PASSING OF FRED GOODICH ASC

red Goodich ASC, the cinematographer who worked on Kevin Costner’s For Love Of The Game, and shot nearly 1,000 commercials, died at his home in Los Angeles in September, aged 77. Born in the Bronx, Goodich worked on the Oscar-winning short film Board And Care (1980). Goodich’s list of credits also include the films Lay Of The Land (1997), Surviving Eden (2004), The Affair (2004) and G.I. Jesus (2006). He also shot and/or directed music videos, short films and documentaries. In 2012, Goodich was a segment director of the ASC/PGA Image Control Assessment Series, aimed at understanding digital cameras and workflows. In June 2016, he was re-elected secretary of the ASC Board of Governors and chaired the organisation’s International Cinematography Summit that month. He also was an active participant on the ASC Spotlight Award committee.

me For Love Of The Ga Fred Goodich ASC

ARRI RENTAL ADDS OFF-ROAD CRANE POSITIONING BASE

KINO FLO DEBUTS 360-DEGREE COLOUR LEDS

ino Flo Lighting Systems will unveil its new colour swatch offerings for Select and Diva-Lite LEDs at Camerimage. A new firmware upgrade adds a large palette of colours to its LED line of portable soft lights. Kino LED lightweight location systems can reproduce a wide variety of professional cine gel colours, blend with warm white fluorescents, mix to sodium vapour and balance to any lighting or camera colour sensitivity profile. The new firmware upgrade enables users to dial-in nearly any colour, from deeply saturated violet blue to a VFX 560nm supergreen, and upwards into the warmer climes of light straw, flame and salmon red, with all hue, angle and saturation values of the colour wheel in between. Using the green/magenta settings, Kino LEDs can colour-balance to any professional or practical light source on the set. Cinematographers can map the lights onto the spectral sensitivity curves of all makes and models of digital cameras and save the profiles as presets.

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RRI Rental has added the Hexatron all-weather, go-anywhere, crane-positioning base to its grip equipment portfolio in the UK and Germany. The heavy-duty, four-wheel drive vehicle is suitable for use with telescopic and modular camera cranes, and is engineered to handle tough terrain. Its water wading depth of 60cm and all-terrain tyres mean that harsh weather and typical hard-to-access locations, such as sodden fields, slippery slopes, muddy tracks or beaches, pose few problems. With a 45-degree hill-climbing ability, the Hexatron can also handle ruts or ridges, and drive up and down steep hills. An intelligent steering system makes the Hexatron highly manoeuvrable. A choice of crab, front or rear steering, plus four-wheel drive mode, ensure the vehicle has off-road ability and will position accurately. Once the required location is reached the vehicle’s stabilisers secure the base, and the custom-made Hexapod, a six-arm levelling system, precisely levels the crane arm. It comes with a self-contained, silent power supply, for running a telescopic crane and remote head. Exclusively available through ARRI Rental, one of two Hexatron vehicles is based in the UK, with a second in Germany to service mainland Europe. Key grip David Cadwallader employed the Hexatron on Netflix drama Marco Polo in Hungary and Slovakia, in rugged terrain with gradients up to 20%.

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP

PINEWOOD MBS LIGHTING DELIVERS SKYPANEL STOCK

inewood MBS Lighting’s sizable collection of ARRI SkyPanel LED softlights has been prepped and dispatched on new productions. A popular choice with cinematographers and crew, recent additions to the growing roster of the company’s clients to have utilised SkyPanels, include: Greig Fraser ASC and gaffers Perry Evans/ Jamie Mills on Rogue One, Steve Yedlin ASC and gaffer David Smith on Star Wars: Episode VIII, Ben Seresin BSC ASC and gaffer Pat Sweeney on The Mummy, Paul Cameron ASC and gaffer Mark Clayton on The Commuter, plus Seamus McGarvey BSC and gaffer Lee Walters on Life. As a rental specialist, Pinewood MBS Lighting is wellversed in the importance of preparation and maintenance of equipment. To cope with demand for the fixtures, the company has introduced fast turnaround protocols, including the creation of custom-designed racking systems to assist with rapid deployment, protection and portability of the units. To maximise the performance of what has become the world’s largest Skypanel stock, the company has also invested in a variety of compatible accessories that further extend the illumination capabilities of the low-energy panels. Commenting on the SkyPanels, PMBS’s managing director, Darren Smith said, “These softlights are just a part of an overall programme to introduce viable, low-energy alternatives throughout our product range. However, we never forget that we work in a creative industry and the ability of a product to deliver on the quality of its light will always be of paramount importance.”

VERSION 2 - THE NEW NAME IN TELEVISION LIGHTING RENTAL A new company, Version 2, has entered the TV lighting rental market, headed-up by former Aurora Lighting Hire MD Nick Edwards. The business will provide specialist equipment and support to the UK broadcast and event industries. The company’s inventory covers the full spectrum of moving lights and LED technology through to tungsten and grip. “We’re passionate and ambitious. As such, our aim is to be the most trusted independent provider of specialist equipment rental, and to support our industry,” declared Edwards. The company aims to raise the bar in every aspect of its service. The first in-house development has been Smart Distro, a new mains distribution system, which enables remote power monitoring and detailed power usage reports. The system was developed in direct response to television production managers and their electrical reporting requirements under the BAFTA Albert initiative. The company will handle trade hire, as well as studio-based and OB television or live events. Version 2’s first broadcast project has been Love Production’s The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice.

RED SHIPS EPIC-W AND WEAPON CAMERAS Red Digital Cinema is shipping its new Red Epic-W and Weapon cameras. Both feature the compact and design of the DSMC form factor, as well as the new Helium 8K S35 sensor, Red’s latest sensor technology, which allows for higher resolution in an S35 frame, while maintaining the dynamic range found in the Red Dragon sensor. Epic-W captures 8K, full frame motion at up to 30 fps, produces 35.4 megapixel stills, and offers Super 35 lens coverage. Additionally, Epic-W is capable of fast data speeds of up to 275 MB/s. The Weapon 8K S35 is the latest option in the Weapon line of cameras, featuring data speeds of up to 300 MB/s, the ability to capture 8K full frame motion at up to 60 fps, and a sensor upgrade path to the Red Dragon 8K VV. “From the very beginning, we’ve strived not only to develop the best imaging technology on the planet, but also make it available to as many shooters as possible,” said Jarred Land, president of Red Digital Cinema. “The Weapon remains our premier camera, and now comes with the option to either go with the 8K Helium sensor or 6K Dragon sensor. Since we began shipping the Epic in 2010, it has been a workhorse camera of the industry. Our latest camera, the Epic-W, continues that legacy and features our current-gen DSMC2 form factor as well as the 8K Helium sensor.”

MOVIETECH CELEBRATES 25 YEARS

ndependent camera, grip and lens specialist Movietech is celebrating 25 years of support for the cinematographic arts. From humble beginnings in North West London, where its first fully-serviced production was Damage, filmed with Peter Biziou BSC, Movietech has evolved over a quarter of a century to become regarded as one of the most experienced, reliable teams of camera professionals, now based on the lot at Pinewood Studios. Projects supported by Movietech include Evita (DP Darius Khondji AFC ASC), Notting Hill (DP Michael Coulter BSC), Legend (DP Dick Pope BSC), Chocolat (DP Roger Pratt BSC), Quartet (DP John de Borman BSC) and My Week With Marilyn (DP Ben Smithard BSC). More recently, the company has been supporting Silent Witness (DP James Friend BSC), Beauty And The Beast (DP Tobias A. Schliessler ASC) and Ex Machina (DP Rob Hardy BSC). “We have a true passion for what we do,” said MD John Buckley. “Since day one we have remained totally committed to providing equipment, service and support of the highest calibre and we’re incredibly proud to have worked with some of the world’s leading DPs on a huge variety of productions.” The current Movietech inventory encompasses both digital and film cameras and lensing systems from all principal manufacturers. However, the company also remains true to its engineering roots and continues to develop high-quality bespoke and re-engineered production tools. Company director John Venables commented: “An experienced, hands-on approach, and our ability to properly understand the needs of the cinematographer, have allowed us to engineer countless quality products. It’s hugely rewarding to continually help crews explore creativity behindthe-camera, and to be working in partnership with production at the forefront of our industry.”

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TIFFEN’S UK STEADICAM GOLD WORKSHOPS Tiffen International has announced a residential Steadicam Gold Workshop taking place in the interior and landscaped grounds of the Beaumont conference hotel in Windsor, Berkshire, near Windsor Castle. The fiveand-a-half day course will run from the afternoon of Sunday, November 20th 2016. The Gold Workshop provides a total immersion experience for raw beginners to experienced operators wishing to improve their techniques. The larger Steadicam rigs from the Archer2 up to the M-1 will be available to use. Depending on their availability instructors include the cream of UK Steadicam operators: Peter Cavaciuti (Thor/ Captain America/Skyfall), Peter Robertson (Anna Karenina/Hot Fuzz/Ripper Street), Paul Edwards (The Man From UNCLE/47 Ronin/various Harry Potter movies), Roger Tooley (Penny Dreadful/Green Zone/ Endeavour) and David Crute, of Rocksteadi Pictures, Steadicam operator and aerial cinematographer of over 25 years’ experience.

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP

STUDIO NEWS:

Poldark

The Bottle Yard Studios: has welcomed the return of the Poldark production team for series three of BBC1’s hit drama, which began shooting in September across Cornwall and Bristol. The second series of Poldark, attracted 5.1 million viewers and 22.7 percent audience share when it launched on September 11th. Tank House 1 and Tank House 2 are being used for set-builds of a number of the drama’s key locations. Space is also being taken for construction and prop workshops, as well as an extensive costume department. The entire production is coordinated from The Bottle Yard Studios’ production offices with Bristol Film Office providing location support. Dagenham: Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has backed a plan to build the city’s largest film and TV studios at a facility to be sited in the East London suburb of Dagenham. The mayor has teamed-up with productionsupport agency Film London, which will lead the consultation process with the film and TV industry, the London Local Enterprise Panel and the borough of Barking and Dagenham, to commission a feasibility study into creating the studios. According to Film London, last year £1 billion ($1.27 billion) was attracted to London in inward investment from international film production. The capital’s abundance of world-class crews, varied locations, talent and 25% tax relief from the UK Government for film and TV projects, Sidiq Kahn and local cou nsellors have helped show the propoesed site to maintain London’s position. This has meant high demand for studio space. Only Los Angeles and New York attract more film production. The potential site for the studios is located at the London East Industrial Park in Dagenham, and has been suggested because of its large size and train links to Central London. The Film Office in the borough of Barking and Dagenham has attracted a number of big-budget films, such as Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron and Doctor Strange (both DP Ben Pinewood... Davis BSC), plus TV Amanda Halliday dramas including the BBC’s Undercover and C4 sci-fi thriller Humans. “London has a vibrant production history and some of the best studios in the world,” Khan said. “To sustain and grow this success story, it is critical that the capital gets significantly more studio and production capacity to maximise the opportunities for filmmaking. London is open to the best creative and cultural minds, and I am looking forward to exploring whether a new film studio in Dagenham could help the capital’s film industry thrive for years to come.” 26 | British Cinematographer | November 2016

Pinewood: As part of its continued global expansion strategy, Pinewood Studios Group has opened of a representative office in Beijing, China, headed by Amanda Halliday, who becomes senior vice president of Pinewood China. The move comes in response to a growing demand in the burgeoning Chinese film industry for Pinewood’s services in studio design and build, production services, including post production, content development, marine services, education and training. Commenting on Pinewood’s expansion into China, Andrew M. Smith, president of Pinewood China said, “Pinewood has been working in China for a number of years, and we have forged strong relationships with film companies, content producers and games developers there. A permanent presence in China is a key strategic element of Pinewood’s overall international strategy.” Pinewood already provides consultancy services to a number of leading Chinese film companies and advises the Wanda Group on the design and construction of the Qingdao Oriental Movie Metropolis, a filming facility and studio complex comprising 45 stages, scheduled to open in 2017. Most recently, Pinewood’s multi award-winning post production sound team provided postproduction

services to Chinese clients including Tencent Games and Disneynature/Shanghai Media Group. Pinewood Studios has marked its 80th anniversary year with the announcement that all full-time staff across the group will receive free membership to the BFI. Amanda Nevill, CEO of the BFI said, “Pinewood is part of our film heritage and, at 80 years old, is more active and successful than ever, playing a huge role in the creative success of the UK film industry. We are very excited that they have chosen to mark this special birthday by giving the gift of BFI Membership to every single member of their staff.” Elstree: George Lucas and Steven Spielberg are two of many famous directors who have worked at Elstree Studios. To honour their creative contribution to the history of the studios, busts have been sculpted of both. On seeing pictures of his bust, Spielberg is believed to have remarked that he loved the finished product. Elstree is a special place to him and being commemorated in this way warmed his heart. The busts were made by Lifecast, based on-site at Elstree. The creative director was John Schoonraad and the sculptor was Brendan Lonergan. A bust of Alfred Hitchcock was presented last year to the BFI, where it is on display. Elstree has a range of film and TV studios from 3,000sq/ft to 16,000sq/ft, with the George Lucas stages being amongst the tallest in Europe with a height of 50ft. Elstree also recently won the Spirit Of Hertfordshire award at the Hertfordshire Digital Awards 2016. The award recognises the consistent achievements of one organisation which has used digital platforms in a significant way to attract interest into the county of Hertfordshire. Elstree Studios wins Spirit Of Hertfordshire award - image of Joely Hertz

WHO’S SHOOTING WHO? / CINEMATOGRAPHERS ROUND-UP

WATCH THE BIRDIE

ormer BSC president John de Borman BSC is working at Dragon Studios in South Wales on mini-series Will, written by Creg Pearse (Baz Lurhman’s scribe), which tells the story of William Shakespeare with a punk twist. JdB kindly sent in a shot of himself with his crew in Gloucester Cathedral. Will will premiere in the US in January 2017. Intrinsic: In features… Shaun Lee has finished the western Five Fingers for Marseilles in South Africa. George Burt is lighting Redwood in Poland. Craig Feather has finished the Hank Zipzer movie and Nic Lawson has wrapped on A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Austria. Peter Field has done his time on Rogue One. Dagmar Scheinbenreif is working on two short films, Pillow Talk and Space Between Spaces, and JC is on an as yet unnamed Refugee documentary. In TV… Soren Bay DFF continues on a block on Unforgotten for Mainstreet. Stephen Murphy has completed The Moonstone for King Bert. Ruairi O’Brien ISC lit Muncie for World Productions and did a little bit of second unit on Grantchester, as did Craig Feather. Chris Preston shot some more of Father Brown for the BBC. Rasmus Arrildt DFF has started Mammoth Screen’s Fearless. Dave Miller lit the CBBC football drama Jamie Johnson. In Ireland, James Mather ISC worked on Into the Badlands. Andrew Johnson has completed a block of Midsomer Murders. Nigel Clarkson has been operating on Class for the BBC and Torquil Fleming-Boyd has been busy on Doctors. Arturo Vasquez SVC, Chris O’Driscoll, Dagmar Scheibenreif, Dave Miller, Ed Lindsley, Gabi Norland, George Burt, Joshua Reis, Lynda Hall, Mark Nutkins, Martin Roach, Martyna Knitter, Paul Lilley, Suzanne Smith and Simon Weekes have delivered a variety of ads, corporate films and promos. Casarotto: Sturla Brandth Grøvlen is shooting Benh Zeitlin’s feature Wendy. P.J. Dillon has started the seventh season of Game Of Thrones.

Sam Care is lighting C4 thriller Born To Kill with Bruce Goodison for World Productions. Sean Bobbitt BSC is shooting On Chesil Beach with director Dominic Cooke, for Number 9 Films. Gerry Vasbenter has wrapped on My Cousin Rachel for Fox Searchlight Pictures with director Roger Michell. Pau Esteve Birba worked on Manuel Martin Cuenca’s feature El Movil. Hélène Louvart AFC is on L’Iintrusa, with Leonardo de Constanzo. Mark Wolf lit The Devil Outside for Ipso Facto, for director Andrew Hume. Tim Palmer BSC has wrapped on Babs, with Dominic le Clerc. David Pimm is working on Love Me Not with Alexandros Avranas, for Faliro House Productions. James Aspinall BSC has graded The Time Of Their Lives with director Roger Goldby. Wojciech Szepel is framing Man In An Orange Shirt for Kudos, with director Michael Samuels. James Welland BSC is shooting Silent Witness, with director Dudi Appleton. David Katznelson DFF BSC has wrapped on director Kasper Munk’s Rides Upon The Storm. Matt Gray BSC is working on Liar, directed by James Strong, for Two Brothers Pictures. Zac Nicholson BSC is shooting Lady And The Panda with director Justin Chadwick in China. Michael Wood is on Rivieria, with Adrian Lester directing, for Archery Pictures. Marcus Autelli, Eben Bolter, Percy Dean, Brian Fawcett and Annika Summerson have been working on high-level commercial projects and promos. Creative Media Management: Alvaro Gutierrez worked on La Niebla y la Doncella directed by Andrés Koppel in the Canary Islands. PrinceStone: Of the agency’s DPs… Ian Liggett is in Northern Ireland shooting the second series of The Secret Life Of Boys, with directors Beryl Richards and Max Myers and producer Trevor Klein. This ten-episode series used ARRI Amira cameras. Oliver Ford has been shooting commercials for Spotify and Nikon with Joshua Lipworth, and Asos with Bafic. Laura Bellingham is shooting a feature for Stigma Films entitled Double Date, directed by Benjamin Barfoot. Simon Walton is lighting Living A Lie series two, an eight-part BAFTA Cymru-nominated, subtitled, political drama in Welsh for S4C. Shot at 5K on a RED Dragon with Zeiss Ultra Primes,

it is set in the Welsh Parliament and follows the lives of the coalition government, full of intrigue and personal lives behind the facade of politics. Luca Ciuti is second unit DP on The Secret Life of Boys. Luca also recently shot the short Traces Of A Soul, directed by Robyn McHarry for the Royal Central School for Speech and Drama. Of the agency’s camera/Steadicam operators… Peter Robertson Assoc BSC is shooting sci-fi thriller Life over at Shepperton Studios. It stars Ryan Reynolds, Jake Gyllenhall and Rebecca Ferguson, with direction by Daniel Espinosa, and Seamus McGarvey BSC ASC as the cinematographer, shooting with ARRI Alexa 65. Sean Savage is in Belfast on series seven of Game Of Thrones. Cosmo Campbell is also working on Game Of Thrones. Thomas English has shot commercial campaigns for JD Sports, Lucozade, Adidas and Nike, and was the DP on an O2 spot for Partizan, directed by Chris Cairns. Simon Baker ACO is B-camera/Steadicam operator on the AA Milne project Goodbye Christopher Robin for Fox Searchlight, with director Simon Curtin and DP Ben Smithard BSC. It stars Domhnall Gleeson and Margot Robbie. Simon’s recent dailies duties included Stephen Spielberg’s Ready Player One with DP Janusz Kaminski, and additional photography on Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, directed by David Yates, with DP Philippe Rousselot AFC. James Layton ACO shot A-camera/Steadicam on the double bank sections of Fortitude season two, with DP Mike Spragg BSC. He shot 3D Steadicam on One More Time With Feeling, a documentary about Nick Cave, directed by Andrew Dominik with DP Alwin Kuchler BSC. He also shot Steadicam dailies on We Have Always Lived In The Castle, an adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s novel starring Sebastian Stan and Taissa Farmiga, directed by Stacie Passon, produced by Michael Douglas, with DP Pier McGrail. Xandy Sahla was B-camera/ second unit DP on series two of Unforgotten, directed by Andy Wilson, produced by Tim Bradley for Mainstreet Pictures, with Gavin Finney BSC the DP. Tony Kay has been busy on the new drama series Muncie in Scotland for DP Ruairi O’Brien and director John Strickland, shooting on Alexa Mini with ARRI Master primes. He also operated Boy scouts… Tómas Örn Tómasson and director Ari Alexander out and about

28 | British Cinematographer | November 2016

It’s murder in this cathedral… (l-) Shekhar Kapur, Matt Pointer, Rodrigo Gutierez, Derek Walker and John de Borman BSC on-location shooting Will

Splish spla sh… Dagmar Scheibenre takes a dip if

Reflex action… George Burt sets up a DSLR

Flat-out at work… Peter Field prostrates himself

Nice wheels… Robert Shacklady on a BMW shoot

B-camera dailies on Endeavour, and did dailies on block five of Vera series seven, for DP Ed Moore and director Lee Haven Jones. Dan Nightingale is on series three of Poldark, directed by Joss Agnew and Stephen Woolfenden for Mammoth Screen, shooting in Bristol and Cornwall on Alexa and Cooke S4 and S5 lenses, with DPs David Rom and Nick Dance. Of the agency’s camera operators… Mark Milsome ACO is shooting series two of The Durrells for ITV, with directors Steve Barron and Ed Hall, starring Keeley Hawes, Callum Woodhouse and Daniel Lapaine, in Corfu and at Ealing Studios. DPs are Sam Renton and Damian Bromley. It’s being shot on Alexa Minis and Black Magic cameras, with Primo zoom and prime lenses, plus Primo slant focus lenses. David Worley ACO GBCT Assoc BSC shot dailies on the second unit of Warner Brothers’ Justice League with DP Jean-Phillippe Gossart, starring Jared Leto, Ben Affleck and Amy Adams, shooting at Leavesden Studios and on location in Hertfordshire and Iceland. Independent Talent: Balazs Bolygo is in Prague for Vertigo and Neal Street’s new TV series for Sky One Britannia, with director Sheree Folkson. Ulf Brantus is with long time collaborator, Bjorn Runge, on his new feature The Wife. Eigil Bryld is lighting director on Gary Ross’ highly-anticipated Oceans 8, starring Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett and Helena Bonham Carter. Simon Dennis was in Serbia lighting the pilot Krypton, with director Colm McCarthy, for US audiences. Adam Etherington is shooting Stan Lee’s Lucky Man, with director Jamie Childs, the pair having previously worked together on many commercials. Cinders Forshaw’s cinematography on Poldark has been enjoyed by millions tuning in to BBC1 every Sunday

night. Eric Kress is in his native Denmark lighting the feature I Am William. John Mathieson BSC was in Capri with Mario Testino for D&G, and with Chris Colombus and Independent Films. Ben Smithard BSC is lighting and shooting the AA Milne project Goodbye Christopher Robin, with director Simon Curtis. Mark Waters swapped Guadeloupe and Death In Paradise for Wales and the next series of Doctor Who. Chas Bain is shooting The Last Kingdom II, with the second block directed by Jon East. Darran Bragg is shooting commercials. Bjorn Bratberg recently shot a pilot for a Norwegian feature Los Bando Immortale, directed by Christian Lo. Oliver Curtis BSC shot commercials with Chris Cottam, Martin Brierly and Andy Lambert, and had a stills exhibition, titled Volte Face, at the Pavilion Gallery at the Royal Geographical Society. For this project he visited iconic landmarks all over the world and pointed his camera in the opposite direction. Benoit Delhomme AFC has been working with Mario Testino for Chanel, and for Estee Lauder with Jean Claude Thibaut. Anthony Dod Mantle DFF BSC ASC has graded Angelina Jolie’s First They Killed My Father. Ian Foster is shooting commercials. Kit Fraser lit ads for Dunhill with Roland Kennedy, and Vogue with Jem Mitchell. Sam Goldie shot a spot for Steve Reeves at Another Film Co, plus photographer David Sims for Cle de Peau, and The Dempseys at Knucklehead. Jess Hall BSC is set to shoot The Flash, to be directed by Rick Famuyiwa, starring Ezra Miller. Darius Khondji AFC ASC has finished on Okja, for director Boon Joon Ho. Seamus McGarvey BSC ASC has wrapped on Life, for director Daniel Espinosa, and is now prepping Michael Gracey’s The Greatest Showman in NY,

starring Hugh Jackman and Michelle Williams. Andreas Neo lit an ad for Ford with Lee Cheney, and a behind-thescenes clip for the BTAA’s, with Lucy Beecham and Biscuit. Carl Nilsson and Aadel Nodeh Farahani are shooting commercials. Mark Patten is lensing McMafia for director James Watkins, a new eight-part drama for the BBC/AMC about the Russian mafia in London, starring James Norton. Stephan Pehrrson BSC is shooting Paula, BBC Two’s new revenge thriller, directed by Alex Holmes and written by Conor McPherson, starring Denise Gough and Tom Hughes. Dick Pope BSC shot a Samsung ad on location in Barcelona with director Luikh and a Dr Pepper spot with Smith & Jones’s Ulf Johansson. Tat Radcliffe BSC is set to shoot Yann Demange’s White Boy Rick, the story of teenager Richard Wershe Jr., who became an undercover informant for the police during the 1980s and was ultimately arrested for drug-trafficking and sentenced to life in prison. Sam Renton was in Corfu shooting The Durrells 2, with directors Steve Barron and Ed Hall. George Richmond BSC is prepping Tomb Raider, to be directed by Roar Uthang and starring Alicia Vikander. Christopher Ross BSC is shooting Strange New Things for director Kevin Macdonald, an adaptation of Michel Faber’s sci-fi novel. Martin Ruhe is busy on commercials. Ben Seresin lit The Mummy with Alex Kutzman at Shepperton, and is now on commercials. Matt Shaw recently lensed commercials for Toyota, Hyundai and Humira. Erik Sohlstrom has lit spots with Christian Larson, Andrew Proctor and Luikh. David Ungaro shot a Maybelline ad with Fresh Films’ director Karin Taira on location in Bangkok. Ed Wild BSC lit Debenhams’ Christmas commercial with UnLtd’s Chris Doyle. Erik Wilson is shooting Paddington II with director Paul King.

British Cinematographer | November 2016 | 29

WHO’S SHOOTING WHO? / CINEMATOGRAPHERS ROUND-UP Ride ‘em cowboy… Shean Lee gets a birdseye view of the western action

Up in the air… Peter Robertson on Life

Easy does it… Niklas Johannson wields a rig

Happy on location… Suzanne Smith has a smiley moment

Wheelie good… Ekkehart Pollack takes to a mini bike

Screen Talent: Bart Sienkiewicz has wrapped on the short TV In The Fish Tail, shot in the Indian Himalayas/ Spiti Valley, and is now shooting 1970s feature The Bromley Boys, directed by Steve Kelly and produced by Itchy Fish Films. Simon Rowling recently shot a feature titled Vengeance, directed by Ross Boyask and produced by Evolutionary films. McKinney Macartney Management: Stuart Biddlecombe has finished Call The Midwife with director Syd Macartney, and is prepping National Geographic’s Year Million in Budapest with director Mark Elijah Rosenberg. Ben Butler, Sebastian Milaszewski, Alessandra Scherillo and Clive Tickner BSC have been shooting commercials. Mick Coulter BSC has completed a short project entitled The Escape, with director Paul J Franklin. Denis Crossan BSC shot ITV drama Loch Ness, and is prepping US feature Asher on location in Syracuse. Gavin Finney BSC has completed principal photography on Unforgotten and is now shooting the feature Crossing The Border, with Peter Kosminsky directing. Jean Philippe Gossart is shooting with the second unit on Warner Bros.’ feature Justice League Part One. Sam McCurdy BSC is on Britannia in Prague, with Luke Watson directing. Andy McDonnell has finished the second series of Humans for Kudos Film & TV, and is prepping Last Tango In Halifax for Red Productions. Polly Morgan has wrapped the Netflix Original 6 Balloons, with Marja Lewis Ryan directing. Arthur Mulhern is prepping the feature The Belly Of The Whale in Dublin. John Pardue has completed principal photography on Dirk Gently, for BBC America, and is prepping the feature Finding Your Feet, with director Richard Loncraine for Eclipse Films. Chris Seager BSC is has wrapped on The White Princess, at The Bottle Yard Studios in Bristol, with director Jamie Payne for Company Wet and wild… Ian Liggett with Christopher Spurdens on th Secret Life Of Bo e ys

30 | British Cinematographer | November 2016

Pictures. Darran Tiernan is shooting the adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods for Starz. Felix Wiedemann has finished Mammoth Screen’s new two-parter, The Witness For The Prosecution, in Liverpool, with director Julian Jerrold. United Agents: Barry Ackroyd BSC wrapped on Katherine Bigelow’s latest film in the US, and shot a Land Rover ad for director Chris Palmer in Spain via Gorgeous. Remi Adefarasin BSC is shooting Amma Asante’s new film Where Hands Touch. John de Borman BSC is shooting Will, directed by Shekhar Kapur, in Wales. John Lee shot the entire series of Victoria for ITV, and has now boarded Snatch, directed by Nick Renton, shooting in Manchester. David Luther’s Mindhorn, directed by Sean Foley, had its world premiere at the London Film Festival. Nic Morris BSC is grading Loch Ness, directed by Cilla Ware. Paul Sarossy ASC BSC CSC is shooting Tin Star for director Rowan Joffe in Canada and is nominated for the Golden Frog at Camerimage for Remember, directed by Atom Egoyan. Tony Slater Ling BSC is shooting The Last Post in South Africa with director Jonny Campbell. Gavin Struthers is delighted to have become a member of the ASC, and is shooting another block of Stan Lee’s Lucky Man 2 with director Andy Hay. Chloë Thomson has premiered on an exciting theatre and live film project in Berlin with director Katie Mitchell. Haris Zambarloukos BSC GSC is shooting Kenneth Branagh’s Murder On The Orient Express. Marcel Zyskind has wrapped on Steel Country in Atlanta, directed by Simon Fellows. Alan Almond BSC is lighting for Children In Need. Danny Cohen BSC is filming Victoria And Abdul, for Stephen Frears, and Martin Fuhrer BSC is meeting for various projects. Will, created by Craig Pearce for TNT, is being shot by David Higgs BSC. Tony Miller BSC is working for Reprieve. Kieran McGuigan BSC is lighting series three of Grantchester and Laurie Rose is prepping The Escape, directed by Dominic Savage. John Sorapure is second unit director/DP on Paddington 2, and Simon Tindall is shooting pick-ups for Clio Barnard’s Dark River. Si Bell, currently shooting In Darkness for director Anthony Byrne, is a new client. Charlotte Bruus Christensen is in Toronto lighting Aaron Sorkin’s Molly’s Game. David Marsh is in Ireland for Rebellion 2, with director Catherine Morshead. Joshua James Richards is shooting a feature for director Chloé Zhau in the US. Ed Rutherford is lighting the final in the latest series of Endeavour, for director Jim Loach.

Anna Valdez Hanks is in Belfast shooting the fourth series of Line Of Duty. Ben Wheeler is lighting the second series of Doctor Foster for director Jeremy Lovering. Magni Agustsson wrapped on Endeavour IV with director Bokur Sigthorsson and is now on including Sudocrem for Stuart Douglas in Kiev, through Nice Shirtm and The Royals for David Kerr at Hungryman in London. Alex Barber’s commercials include Candy Crush for director Nathan Price in Budapest, via Park Pictures, Kerrygold for The Bobbsey Twins in Ireland through Blink, and a Lexus campaign for directors Man vs Machine in Cape Town. Philipp Blaubach is shooting the feature Shanghai 5 for director Charles Martin in Shanghai. Daniel Bronks was lighting designer at the 2016 Preen show at London Fashion Week, via Prettybird, and went to Estonia for a Royal London ad for director Ben Whitehouse at Agile Films. Daniel also shot a Maltesers campaign for director Clay Weiner that aired during the Paralympics. Simon Chaudoir has returned from Nuremberg after shooting a Puma commercial for director Alex Courtes via Insurrection. His other recent work includes Boots for Gary Freedman through Independent, and Nike for Barnaby Roper via Knucklehead. Florian Hoffmeister BSC is prepping TV drama The Terror for director Edward Berger in Budapest. His feature, A Quiet Passion, directed by Terence Davies, was screened at

One hump or two… Luke Jacobs takes an interesting ride

WHO’S SHOOTING WHO? / CINEMATOGRAPHERS ROUND-UP

I’d love a cuppa right now… Gerry Vasbenter on the crane during Amazon Adventure

>> the London Film Festival. Stephen Keith-Roach’s

ARRICREW: Tom Wade’s first short as DP, Best Man, commercials include Bells for Chris Palmer through made the official selection at the Raindance Film Festival and Gorgeous, Captain Morgan for Craig Ainsley, in Slovenia, will also feature at the London Short Film festival in January. through Blink, and a Specsavers campaign with Danny He’s shooting fashion projects for CLM Film, including jobs Kleinman, in France, for Rattling Stick. Alwin Kuchler BSC for Matches Fashion, Style.com and Balenciaga. Jeremy Hiles lit a HP campaign for director Seb Edwards in Vancouver ACO is on the second unit of Justice League with DP Jeanvia Academy. Tim Maurice-Jones’s Black Mirror ‘Shut Up Philippe Gossart. Barney Piercy did Steadicam dailies and And Dance’ episode, directed by James Watkins was camera operating for the splinter screened at the London Film Festival. Tim’s ads include unit of Nutcracker with DP Peter Panasonic for Jim Gilchrist in Barcelona through Outsider, Talbot. Derek Walker ACO GBCT IKEA for director Michael Clowater in Prague, through is operating A-camera and Premiere Heure, and a Stella campaign for director Hanah Steadicam for John de Borman Maria Heidrich, also in Prague, via Radical Media. Alex BSC on the TNT drama Will, whilst Melman’s recent spots include Toyota for David Kerr, Iain Mackay ACO is operating on through Hungryman, McDonalds also for David Kerr and a Currys Christmas ad for director James Rouse at Outsider. Tristan Oliver is working on a new Wes Anderson project in London. Jake Polonsky BSC is lighting the new series of Billions in New York. Sitting on the dock of the Simon Richards’ ads include Honda for bay… Steve Annis consults Smith & Foulkes, through Nexus, and on the next shot Vodafone for Steve Reeves, through Another Film Company. Christopher t…. one on bu Sorry to dr w Sabogal shot a new Playstation commercial Behind the scenes… re nd A ’s re he Sturla Brandth Grøvlen for Man vs Machine in London and went to d crew Boulter an on Hartstone Bulgaria for Orange’s Christmas piloting an aerial unmanned ad for Matthijs van Heijningen vehicle at Soixan7e Quin5e. Sara Putt Associates: new signing David Mackie has been busy prepping Show Dogs in Cardiff and Las Vegas. Danny Bishop is on the pilot Krypton for Warner Horizon TV. Andre Austin continues on Outlander III, and Jon Beacham has wrapped on Britannia. Ed Stephen Frears’ Clark is in Spain shooting latest film Victoria Young mas Crossing The Border, the And Abdul. Oliver Stephen M ter… on The Moourphy four-part Peter Kosminsky Loncraine is in the nstone Drama. Dale Rodkin final weeks of enjoyed working on 24hrs Transformers: The Last To Live with Ethan Hawke, about Knight before starting an assassin seeking redemption after being given a on Finding Your Feet as second chance. James Leigh has finished on The White A-camera operator. Princess. Rodrigo Gutierrez is on Will for Monumental My Management: Aaron Reid shot with Prettybird, Pictures, while Fabrizio Sciarra continues on Carnival’s and director Ashleigh Jadee, on an MK project in London series two of Lucky Man. Al Rae has finished on and Ibiza, followed by a fashion film with Jak O’Hara and a Trainspotting 2 and is doing a stint on Working Title’s music video for Krept & Konan with director Noel Clarke. Victoria & Abdul. Vince McGahon has finished on Steven He has most recently shot a Teddy Pendergrass doco in Spielberg’s Ready Player One. Giulio Biccari has wrapped Philadelphia with director Olivia Lichtenstein through on Guerrilla, and Peter Wignall is busy on season seven Storyvault, and attended The Toronto Film Festival where of Game Of Thrones. Rick Woollard did music videos his film Brotherhood was screened. Nicolaj Bruel shot with and commercials for brands such as such as Adidas and director Martin Werner on a Wingo job in Bulgaria through Beats By Dre. Peter Talbot did dailies on the splinter Pumpkin, and on Virgorsol in Bucharest with Academy unit for The Nutcracker at Pinewood. Films. He has also lensed a Wasa spot in Stockholm with

32 | British Cinematographer | November 2016

Anders Hallberg through BRW Filmland. Todd Banhazl has wrapped on the feature The Strange Ones, based on directing team Lauren Wolkstein and Christopher Radcliff’s award-winning short of the same title, which premiered at Sundance in 2011. The pair wrote and helmed the feature, which was shot in NYC and stars Alex Pettyfer. Todd’s project, Between Us, an American drama written and directed by Rafael Palacio Illingworth, is out this winter. Olivier Cariou’s recent spots include Argos, with Stink director Nieto in Kiev, Domino’s Pizza and Compare The Market with Darren Walsh at Passion Pictures, Arla with The Bobbsey Twins at Blink, and Milka with Owen Trevor in Slovenia. His latest projects include ads for Ariel and Venus with Ross Cooper at Friend. Steve Chivers worked with director Sophie Muller on Pantene in LA, and DCX in Canada. He also shot with director Jamie Hewlett at Passion Pictures. Dominic Bartels shot the short Conflict Of Interest with director/producer Alec Christie. He also worked with director Mike Harris on a Kamaal Khan promo, a Back To The Future studio shoot, and continues his collaborations with Spring Studios shooting for Kiko Milano and Baraboo. Most recently he teamed up with Grassroots and director Jamie Maule Ffinch on corporate projects. Simon Rowles has been working with Vertical Productions on Audi, presenter links with IWC Media and on an on-going Mickey Flanagan project with 7 Wonder. Katelin Arizmendi was in Philadelphia shooting for La Salle University with Kevin Castanheira, and in NYC with Trey Edwards Shults doing some pick-ups on A24 feature. Paul Mackay lensed a Compare The Market spot with Dave Scanlon via Passion Pictures, and collaborated with director Jamie Carter and The Firepit on a music video for Creeper. Most recently he worked on a Faraday Future Brand Film with VCCP Kin and director Mike Fisher. Will Humphris shot for Aston Martin with director Benedict Redgrove and Visual Artists and for Doc Morris through Partizan Berlin and director Dominic Murphy in Latvia. His latest project sees him collaborate with director Noah Harris on Sky Cinema. Vincent Warin has been in London shooting with director Devon Dickson and Irresistible Films on a project for Tech 21. Jo Willems ASC SBC worked on a job with Smuggler in LA, for director Guy Shelmerdine. Tómas Örn Tómasson and director Ari Alexander have been location scouting and lens testing for an upcoming feature.

WHO’S SHOOTING WHO? / CINEMATOGRAPHERS ROUND-UP

Taking the long view in shorts… Joe Blackwell on Hetty Feather

Bingo… Nicolaj Bruel on a Wingo job in Bulgaria

Shooting in the Canaries… Alvaro Gutierrez on the set of La Niebla y la Doncella. Photo by Lucas Pintos.

Another sunny day in para director Lesh Thapar and dise… (l-r) on the set of TV In The Bart Sienkiewicz Fish Tail

In through the outdoor… Walker on location with Derek second AC Ashlea Tamara Dow nes

34 | British Cinematographer | November 2016

Mel Griffith shot a promo for Olly Murs with director Jim Canty through Kode Media. David Wright lensed a viral with director Dylan Holmes Williams, via Zoya Films, AO in Germany with Peter Jump, Lenovo with HMX Media, Jacob’s and B&M Stores with Rob Farquhar through Shine North, and a music video with JFC Worldwide and director The Rest. Petra Korner has been working in her native Vienna on numerous projects. Jallo Faber FSF was in Barcelona shooting Freixenet with director Owen Trevor, and Stink in Warsaw shooting Argos with director Henry Schofield and Caviar Content, in Slovenia shooting SNCF with director Tom Noakes, and most recently was in Vancouver with Biscuit and director Aaron Ruell on KerryGold. Sy Turnbull was in Wales shooting Dove with director James Moore at Spicer & Moore, and in Berlin shooting for The Gate Foundation with Jess Scott Hunter. He was also in Dublin shooting a Lidl Christmas ad with director Henry Mason at Antidote. Andrew Boulter was in Dubai with Joy Films, then in Minsk on a mobile phone commercial with Ivo Mostertman, and then shot a Halfords ad with David Birkitt and Believe Media. In between attending film festivals, Robbie Ryan BSC ISC shot a Sophie Ellis Bextor promo with director Sophie Muller, a spot for Eurostar with Somesuch director Kim Rough and tumble… Gehrig and a short called The Big Day, Simon Rowling lenses with director Dawn Shadforth. the action in Vengeance Ekkehart Pollack was in Vancouver

with Frankfurt Films and directors Sämen shooting Lexus, in Kiev with Marco Kwantari, in Croatia with director Lino Russell and Bang on another Lexus TVC, and he also teamed up with Marc Scholermann on Radeberger in Poland with Marken Film. David Lanzenberg went to LA on a Kay Jewellers spot with director Harry Patramanis and Nuedexta with Tracey Rowe. He has also worked with Concrete & Clay director Declan Whitebloom on Big Lots, and director Rob Hoover with Pellinore Productions. Tim Spence collaborated with The Electric Theatre Collective on a Heston Blumenthal shoot, No.7, Mentos, Liptons and Which? with The Mill. Richard Stewart, Juan Carlos Perez, Anders Flatland FNF, Gerry Floyd, Marcelo Durst, Pedro Castro, Roger Bonnici, Tuomo Virtanen and Lester De Havilland have working on personal projects. Wizzo Features: welcomes Franklin Dow to its roster, who won the 2015 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Cinematography for the feature documentary Virunga, directed by Orlando von Einsiedel with Leonardo DiCaprio as executive producer. Gary Shaw is shooting the futuristic, Berlin set-feature Mute for director Duncan Jones, starring Paul Rudd and Alexander Skarsgard. Hubert Taczanowski is prepping the first part of a three-part BBC drama, The Cormoran Strike Mysteries, entitled The Cuckoo Calling, written by JK Rowling (under the pseudonym of Robert Galbraith), starring Tom Burke as Cormoran Strike, directed by Michael Keillor. Hubert’s feature London Town, directed by Derrick Borte, premiered at the BFI LFF. Fede Alfonzo has wrapped 1970s period feature My Name Is Lenny, directed by Ron Scalpello, exploring the life story of one of Britain’s most notorious bare-knuckle fighters, Lenny McLean. Angus Hudson BSC shot main unit days on the action adventure film Assassin’s Creed, starring Michael Fassbender. Jamie Cairney is prepping Kiss Me First, a new C4 drama, directed by Misha Manson-Smith, set in the world of online

Which one of you is Dolly?… Mark Milsome shoots sheep New signing… David Chizallet has just joined Lux

City limits… Fabian Wagner takes a reading

Keen as mustard… Andrew Rodger with his highly modified Red MX rig

gaming. Dale McCready is in Alberta on the Kudos UK/ Canadian co-pro Tin Star for Sky, penned and directed by Rowan Joffe and starring Tim Roth and Christina Hendricks. Oli Russell is shooting the 1970s-set drama/ comedy White Gold, directed and created by Damon Beesley. Baz Irvine has wrapped the second series of drama/ thriller Safehouse, starring Stehpen Moyer, with director Marc Evans. Nick Dance BSC and David Rom are shooting Poldark series three with directors Joss Agnew and Stephen Woolfenden in Cornwall and Bristol. Maja Zamojda is lighting new BBC series Clique, directed by Robert McKillop, in Edinburgh. Damian Bromley is on the second series of The Durrells in Corfu, with director Ed Hall. Richard Stoddard shot an episode of Vera, with director John Hayes, and is prepping Ill Behaviour, a black comedy shooting in Bristol, directed by Steve Bendelack. Matthias Pilz has wrapped on the reality, action/adventure Spies, the follow up to last year’s The Selection, for C4. Sergio Delgado worked on No Offence, with director Misha Manson-Smith, and did main unit days on The Good Karma Hospital, directed by Bill Eagles. His feature Set The Thames On Fire, directed by Ben Charles Edwards, was released in the UK to great reviews following its festival run. Luke Palmer is shooting director Zachary Adler’s next feature. Dan Stafford-Clark’s short, Candy Floss, directed by Jed Hart, premiered at the BFI LFF. Jan RichterFriis DFF is on the hit US fantasy drama Sleepy Hollow. Duncan Telford is shooting the documentary One Strange Rock in Morocco, with director Nat Sharman, a worldwide project executive produced by Darren Aronofsky. Congratulations to Patrick Meller who was nominated for Best Cinematography on the Miike Snow promo, ‘Genghis Khan’, directed by Ninian Doff, at the UKMVAs and at this year’s Camerimage Festival, and also to David Procter, who is also nominated at Camerimage for his work on DJ Shadow’s ‘Nobody Speak’ promo, directed by Sam Pilling.

Lux Artists: new signings include Rasmus Videbæk, Erik Henriksson and David Chizallet. Fabian Wagner BSC has finished shooting Justice League with Zack Snyder for Warner Brothers. Luca Bigazzi is currently shooting Sicilian Ghost Stories, directed by Antonio Piazza and Fabio Grassadonia. Thimios Bakatakis lit Yorgos Lanthimos’ Killing Of A Sacred Deer. Nicolas Bolduc CSC has wrapped on Hochelaga, directed by François Girard. Ole Birkeland is shooting Ghost Stories, directed by Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman. Hagen Bogdanski is shooting Papillon directed by Michael Noer. Lol Crawley BSC has graded the Netflix drama The OA. Carlos Catalan has wrapped on Broadchurch, directed by Paul Andrew Williams, Daniel Nettheim and Lewis Arnold and is now shooting Nick Holt’s The Jury. Autumn Durald is shooting Untogether, directed by Emma Forrest. Diego Garcia is on Wildfire, directed by Paul Dano and starring Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal. Adam Scarth is lensing Northern Light for BFI, directed by Dan Kokotajlo. Steve Annis has wrapped on Aoife McArdle’s feature debut Kissing Candice. Bradford Young is now lighting Star Wars: Untitled Hans Solo Anthology Film. Martijn Van Broekhuizen NSC is shooting My Foolish Heart, directed by Rolf van Eijk; Eric Gautier AFC is prepping L’Apparition for Xavier Giannoli. Jakob Ihre FSF has wrapped Joachim Trier’s next feature, Thelma. Axel Cosnefroy has wrapped on Les Filles De Reims, directed by Julien Hallard. André Chemetoff is shooting IO directed by Jonathan Helpert. Crystel Fournier AFC has finished Salea Gosses, directed by Frederic Quiring. Jessica Lee Gagne recently wrapped on Sweet Virginia, Chayse Irvin CSC is currently shooting The Whale. Jody Lee Lipes is lighting pilot for The Sinner, directed by Antonio Campos. Michael McDonough BSC ASC is working on the third series of Bosch for Amazon. Kasper Tuxen is shooting The Professor And The Madman

directed by Fahrad Safina. Ari Wegner has finished episode six of Guerilla for Sky, directed by John Ridley. Sebastian Winterø lit Crooked House, directed by Gilles Paquet Brenner. In the commercial world, Justin Brown worked on a Lexus campaign with director Tom Hooper. Steve Annis shot the latest Apple campaign for director Sam Brown. Stuart Bentley lit the Co-op’s Christmas campaign with award-winning director Shane Meadows. Danny Hiele lensed the Haig campaign with director Nima Nourizadeh featuring David Beckham. Daniel Landin BSC shot the latest Jaguar campaign with director Jorn Threlfall. Tom Townend did a Honda campaign with director Scott Lyon and Rik Zang worked a Nike campaign with director Dan DiFelice. Also busy shooting commercials are: Benjamin Kračun, Niklas Johansson FSF, Magnus Joenck, Rob Hardy BSC, Matyas Erdely HSC, Luke Jacobs, Arnaud Potier AFC, Nanu Segal, Niklas Johansson FSF, Mauro Chiarello, Benjamin Loeb, Manel Ruiz, Zack Spiger NSC, Jackson Hunt, Jake Scott, Brian Curt Petersen, Natasha Braier ADF, John Lynch ISC, Manuel Alberto Claro, Arnau Valls Colomer AEC, Andrew Commis ACS, Frederik Jacobi, Benjamin Roux, Ruben Impens SBC, Ben Moulden, Ula Pontikos BSC, Sebastian Blenkov DFF, and Alexis Zabe. Gravy Crew: Robert Shacklady GBCT has been busy on Dr Who second unit, CNN Creative, BMW, McLaren cars and gaming platform Eve Online. Operator Joe Blackwell has wrapped on series three of BBC series Hetty Feather, alongside DP Dominic Clemence. The series was captured on the ARRI Alexa with Cooke S4 prime lenses and the Optimo 28 - 340 zoom lens supplied through Ice Film. Andrew Rodger MGTC has lit an Eyewear commercial with director Rene Mednyanszky, and recently wrapped up director Giles Alderson’s worldspanning feature documentary on vampire culture. n

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MEET THE NEW WAVE / CHRISTOPHER SABOGAL / CINEMATOGRAPHER

FRESH BLOOD Filmography (so far): Tame (2016), We Always Do What We Want (2015), Senka (2015), Dregs (2014), Into The Dust (2013), The Ellington Kid (2012), Painkiller (2012), Rachael (2012), Brides Of Desire (2010), Skateboards And Spandex (2010), Big Tingz (2009), Conversation Piece (2009), Maybe One Day (2009) and Man Made (2009).

When did you first discover you wanted to be a cinematographer? It was a slow discovery starting with my love of art and photography. This evolved as I started to shoot more and more moving images until I came to understand the power of visual storytelling and cinematography. I was about 26 when I thought that I wanted to be a cinematographer. Where did you train? I studied TV production at Bournemouth University. What are your favourite films? No Country For Old Men – (2007, dirs. Ethan & Joel Coen, DP Roger Deakins CBE BSC ASC) – it’s Roger and the Coens at the pinnacle of their powers. The story, mood and craft of this film make it a truly, modern day classic. Every piece of dialogue, every shot and edit effortlessly moves the brooding story along. The Birds (1963, dir. Alfred Hitchcock, DP Robert Burks) – every frame in this film, and every element in each frame, slowly builds the suspense and tension to a horrifying effect. Se7en (1995, dir. David Fincher, DP Darius Khondji) – the atmosphere and energy that David Fincher, Arthur Max and Darius Khondji conjoure is truly chilling and breathtaking, dark and merciless. What’s the best advice you were ever given, and from whom? “Follow your heart and work hard” – ingrained in me from a young age by my family. Who are your DP/industry heroes? Roger Deakins CBE BSC ASC – an incredible human being and master of his craft.

What’s your proudest moment? The birth of my twins Poppy and Suki. What have been your best/worst moments on-set? Best: has to be shooting C4’s promo for the Grand National with directior Keith McCarthy, being up and close to horses racing and galloping at full speed out on the streets of Liverpool. Speed, power, stunts and adrenaline! What was the biggest challenge on your latest production? Working out exposure on a Christmas advert directed by Matthijas Van Heijningen where three neighbours on a suburban street at night are having a Christmas lights battle. This involved gettting the balance right between fairy lights, an LED light show and a Close Encounters spaceship light, and figuring out all the problems of flickering, pulsing and exposure. Tell us your most hilarious faux pas? Not sure I would like to divulge that story. Away from work, what are your greatest passions? Music, photography, art and Arsenal FC. What one piece of kit could you not live without? My Easyrig. Which films are you most proud of to date? Senka (2015) directed by Dan Sully, for its visual consistency, mood and flow.

What are your current top albums? Michael Kiwanuka. Jamie XX, Daniel Avery, Romare, Joey Bada$$ and Miles Davis. Tell us your greatest extravagance? Good restaurants. What’s the best thing about being a DP? It’s endlessly stimulating, meeting new people and being in environments and situations that you would never find yourself in any other job. No two days have ever been the same. What’s the worst thing about being a DP? Being away from my family for long periods of time. Give us three adjectives that best describe you and your approach to cinematography? Candid. Fervent. Fresh. If you weren’t a DP, what job would you be doing now? Something that was creative, where I would need to use my brain, my hands and that was based outside – maybe a landscape gardening musical photographer. What are your aspirations for the future? To collabrate on feature projects with directors who hold the same passions, ambitions and visions, and to explore and push this incredible and powerful visual storytelling medium.

What’s the weirdest place you’ve ever shot in? Not the weirdest, but definitely the most eye-opening, would have to be in the Favelas in Rio De Janeiro. Tell us your hidden talent/party trick? Voice imitating. In the entire history of filmmaking, which film would you love to have shot? Apocalypse Now (1979, dir. Francis Ford Coppola, DP Vittorio Storaro AIC ASC).

Alfred Hitchcock – a visual storytelling master. Emmauel Lubezki AMC ASC – he has created his own unique style and visual language. Daniel Day Lewis – I admire his shrewd choice of projects and his incredible performances in each of those projects. Have you won any awards or received any nominations? I’ve worked on numerous commercial projects that have won awards at Cannes Lions and the British Arrows. I have been nominated twice for best cinematography at the UK Music Video Awards.

36 | British Cinematographer | November 2016

Shooting C4’s promo for the Grand National with director Keith McCarthy

SPOTLIGHT / FILMSCAPE MEDIA / BY MICHAEL BURNS

Back in 2005 Kevin Harvey was the perfect rental firm customer. A theatre graduate of the BRIT School, holding a film degree from the University of Bedfordshire, he was just the sort of filmmaker who would need to hire a camera. Instead he was the one who bought a Canon XL1 and hired it out.

ack in 2005 Kevin Harvey was the perfect rental firm customer. A theatre graduate of the BRIT School, holding a film degree from the University of Bedfordshire, he was just the sort of filmmaker who would need to hire a camera. Instead he was the one who bought a Canon XL1 and hired it out. “I thought I’d buy a HD camera and rent it out to film students and indie filmmakers at the grassroots level,” says Harvey, now group managing director of Filmscape. “My first sale was £50 for a one-day camera hire. I remember thinking this is amazing, this is going to work! Our largest sale to date is for a major Hollywood feature film in the US. It’s quite an interesting journey from there to here. The limited company was set up in 2007. We were based in a 200sq/ft office in Shepherds Bush, and specialised in 35mm lens adapters for the smaller HD cameras favoured by indiefilmmakers.” After that, Harvey says things just snowballed. “I think we just hit a great technology curve,” he explains. “I went across to the USA and bought one of the first models of the RED One. I paid double the face value for it – I thought it would change everything. All these digital people wanted the 35mm film look and the RED bypassed the need for an adaptor. We ended up buying three of them in the early days. And we cleaned up on them.” Nowadays the stock list offers a more diverse mix. “We’ve got a huge stock of RED and ARRI cameras – such as Alexa Mini and Alexa XT,” Harvey says, “and we do a lot of broadcast cameras, the Sony FS5 and FS7. We also have a huge range of Anamorphic lenses and high-end spherical primes, and lots of Cooke lenses.

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We stock specialist lenses like Bausch & Lomb Super Baltars, Cooke Panchros, Zeiss Uncoated Super Speeds and lots of other good optics and strange lenses that aren’t made any more. They’re our crown jewels.” After supplying Derren Brown: Trick Of The Mind, Harvey says Filmscape started winning a lot of TV gigs. “When asked if we could do it we just said, ‘Yes’, and we learned on the way. We made some mistakes in those times, and we learned some valuable lessons.” “We did Sky Atlantic shows like Young Doctors and Mr Sloan (2014, DP Ben Wheeler) and we’ve really just been ramp-ing up from there. We’ve recently done Wasted (2016, DP Sarah Bartles-Smith) for BBC Three, and the last series of Cuckoo (2016, DP Oli Russell) another BBC Three show.” The company next started working with feature films, and began to build a business around Pinewood Studios. “One of the earliest films we did was Cockneys vs. Zombies (2012, DP Daniel Bronks) which was quite a decent little horror film,” recalls Harvey, but the projects have become slightly larger in recent times. “We supplied lenses to Spectre (2015, DP Hoyte van Hoytema FNF NSC) the last Bond film,” he reveals. “We’re cur-rently doing a big movie called Starbright (2017, DP Francesco Di Giacomo) in the US [starring John RhysDavies]. We’ve just done Brotherhood (2016, DP Aaron Reid), the Noel Clarke film, and The Infiltrator (2016, DP Joshua Reis) with Bryan Cranston. We also recently did a film called Final Score (2017, DP Emil Topuzov), that has the premise of ‘Die Hard in a football stadium’, starring Pierce Brosnan.” Another iron in the Filmscape fire is financing film production, working in conjunction with Soho’s LipSync Post. “We take a small equity stake in certain films,” says Harvey. “We put a bit of closing funding in, to get the deals over the line. We’ve done six films like that. It’s just a way of being different, having a USP, and enticing clients to use us.” In 2010 Filmscape moved to the Perfume Factory in London W3, and started to branch out. “We built a studio for product filming and plate work, SFX and lots of fashion work,” he says. “If clients need to have a

space for testing or rehearsal, or somewhere to shoot a small promo or products, they can do it all in-house with us.” The facility also offers a full service department, where Filmscape repairs and rebuilds all its own lenses - and a ma-chine shop. Says Harvey, “If clients want custom brackets made to mount cameras in weird places, well, if we can manufacture them, we will.” In 2014, Harvey sold a stake in the company to serial entrepreneur and talent pool investor John Gordon, in order to grow Filmscape further. January 2015 saw the group open a new extension to the Perfume Factory premises, includ-ing a new 180sq/ft test room, projection facilities, open plan camera floor and mezzanine space. “All these little value-adds help people choose us over a competitor,” Harvey explains. The other value-add is obviously the staff and their experience. “We put a lot of investment in the early days into as-sets, now we put the investment into people,” says Harvey. “As well as our facilities coordinator, Liam Gyde, who’s home-grown, we’ve brought in older people who have been there and done it, in terms of general business experience and managing people. “For example our technical director Renos Louka brings a world of experience at a senior level from ARRI. He is a fantastic engineer as well, so he ensures everything’s right. Our camera department manager, Mike Rosario, joined us from Take Two, and was previously at Sammy’s, ARRI and Panavision. He is a camera technician by trade and he QCs every job that goes out and makes sure the standards are as high as anywhere. Also with us, joining from Spring Studios, is Reza Ghaniloo, who is our commercials/studio manager. “Sandro Leone was brought in during July of this year from ARRI Rental as head of drama. That’s proven to work out really well, with his overall experience in the business and his network. Sandro is here to really put us on the map for doing more UK TV drama work.” As Harvey describes it, the company has enjoyed a “hockey stick of growth, if looked at it on a graph”. However it’s clear that the rental market in the UK in general hasn’t seen such consistency. “The first half of 2016 was really flat,” he explains. “Then in June, literally post-Brexit, we noticed a surge in all the dramas, and all the movies started to kick-off. We had a lot more activity. We had a fantastic last quarter, the best one we’ve ever had.” And this success seems likely to continue. “We’ve got some good dramas in the pipeline to see us over Christmas,” Harvey adds. “I think 2017 will be a great year.” n

PREVIEW / CAMERIMAGE 2016 / BY DAREK KUZMA & RON PRINCE

It’s time to pull out your thermals and head to Bydgoszcz for the splendid annual celebration that is Camerimage, the International Film Festival Of The Art Of Cinematography. Over eight chilly November days you will have the opportunity to mingle with industry professionals, cinephiles and film geeks from all over the world, watch dozens of features, documentaries and short films, student études, music videos and TV pilots. Whilst Bydgoszcz might not be a tourist hotspot, from 12-19 November it will become the capital of cinema.

his year’s incredible guest list includes: Michael Chapman, Jessica Lange, Dennis Gassner, Jay Rosenblatt, Robert Lantos, Michael Apted, Atom Egoyan, Paul Sarossy, Paul Cameron, Anthony Dod Mantle, Pawel Edelman, Dick Pope, Dante Spinotti, Robert Yeoman, Michael Seresin, Alan Parker, Roberto Schaefer, Simon Duggan, Larry Fong, John Toll, Ed Lachman, James Hawkinson, Lawrence Grobel, Hans Petter Moland, and many, many more. Here are just some of the many highlights...

British Cinematographer | November 2016 | 41

PREVIEW / CAMERIMAGE 2016

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR MICHAEL CHAPMAN Born near Boston in 1935, Michael Chapman enjoyed one the most important partnerships of his career with director Martin Scorsese, his collaborator on several film projects.

few years before Raging Bull (for which he received his first Oscar nomination) hit cinemas, they made Taxi Driver, another American masterpiece that, forty years after its release, still fascinates with its psychological complexity, overall significance and the colour palette with which Chapman depicted the decadent and gloomy nightlife in New York. During the second part of the 1970s Chapman also became Scorsese’s go-to cinematographer for two documentary projects, The Last Waltz and American Boy: A Profile Of Steven Prince, leaving behind the stylised settings of his feature films for the simplicity and earnestness of capturing the existing reality. Although Chapman did not shoot any other features with Scorsese, debuting in 1983 as a director with All the Right Moves, one of the first projects of the then unknown Tom Cruise, both filmmakers met once more on the set of Bad, one of Michael Jackson’s most popular music videos. The original version is seventeen minutes long and constitutes a small masterpiece of directing and cinematography. It is hard to believe that Chapman never wanted to become a part of the filmmaking industry, and walked onto his first film set because of his future father-inlaw. After graduating from the prestigious Columbia University he seemed to be more of an “arty party” beatnik who, for a time, worked as a freight brakeman on the railroad, a job that his future father-in-law, a renowned East Coast cameraman Joseph Brun, found objectionable. Following military service, Chapman returned to New York, where his father-in-law got him in the guild and the young man began to work as a focus puller and assistant cameraman. Later Chapman had moved to a commercial company

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“IT COMBINES AESTHETICS AND ATHLETICS. YOU HAVE TO BE VERY GOOD AND YOU HAVE TO MAKE CHOICES AT 24 FRAMES A SECOND AT THE SAME TIME.” MICHAEL CHAPMAN MPO, where he met such filmmakers as Michael Cimino, Owen Roizman and Gordon Willis. Willis became Chapman’s mentor and hired him as a camera operator for such films as Alan J. Pakula’s Klute and Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather. Shortly thereafter Hal Ashby’s The Landlord helped Chapman become a cinematographer in his own right. As it happened, in 1973 Ashby was preparing to shoot The Last Detail starring young Jack Nicholson but, because of the existing union rules, he couldn’t hire Haskell Wexler. Since Gordon Willis had another engagement, Ashby entrusted his movie to Chapman who passed his test with flying colours, adding a documentary feel to the characters’ actions and imbuing everything they did on screen with intensity and urgency. Throughout the 1970s Chapman worked with Philip Kaufman on Invasion Of The Body Snatchers

and The Wanderers, and served as Bill Butler’s camera operator on Steven Spielberg’s Jaws. Michael Chapman still considers working as a camera operator as one of the greatest jobs on a film set, because “It combines aesthetics and athletics. You have to be very good and you have to make choices at 24 frames a second at the same time.” In the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s Chapman was not only working alternately on commercial and more independent projects, but also continued his directing adventures helming The Clan Of The Cave Bear and The Viking Sagas. In Carl Reiner’s unconventional comedy Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid Chapman smoothly combined iconic film noir images with contemporary imagery. In The Lost Boys he helped Joel Schumacher to redefine the vampire myth for the young generation. In Ivan Reitman’s Ghostbusters II he played with many toys attached to the project’s bigger budget. And with The Fugitive, for which he received his second Academy Award nomination, Chapman and Andrew Davies made one of the defining action films of the 1990s. Michael Chapman’s last feature project as a cinematographer was the bittersweet fairy-tale Bridge To Terabithia. Directed by Gabor Csupo, it combined stateof-the-art VFX with the classic ways of storytelling to create a tale suspended between reality and fiction, captivating the hearts and imagination of children worldwide.

JESSICA LANGE WINS THE KRZYSZTOF KIEŚLOWSKI AWARD This year Camerimage celebrates Jessica Lange, the American film, stage and television actress, committed humanitarian, renowned photographer and non-conformist who has became a role model for many young people.

he is already a laureate of the “Triple Crown of Acting,” consisting of two Academy Awards, three Emmys and Tony Award. She also has five Golden Globes, among many other distinctions, and is widely considered one of the best actresses of her generation. Lange is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador who travelled to the Democratic Republic Of Congo and the Russian Federation to shed light on the increasing problem of rape on women and the dangers of HIV/AIDS. She achieved worldwide fame for her B&W photographs depicting the everyday beauty and simplicity of life in various places around the globe. From outward appearance Lange is an immensely attractive blonde, with playful eyes and a voluptuous figure, who could have been stranded long ago in the gilded cage of stereotypical bombshells. This is probably how legendary producer Dino De Laurentiis perceived Lange when first signing her for a multipicture deal, with John Guillermin’s King Kong being the first film she was to star in. That is not, however, how Jack Nicholson and director Bob Rafelson thought of her a few years later. They saw an intelligent, vulnerable and immensely talented young actress, and helped her to show her true colours in their film The Postman Always Rings Twice. Lange proved a revelation as Cora Papadakis, a dazzlingly beautiful and yet tragic woman in the vein of the greatest American femmes fatales. Following praise for The Postman Always Rings Twice and the comedic Tootsie (dir. Sydney Pollack), the message was loud and clear that here was a young and ambitious artist with a hunger for challenges. Tootsie brought her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, followed by a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her role in Graeme Clifford’s Frances, a harrowing tale of the rise and fall of American thespian Frances Farmer. Those were the parts she was made for – complicated, strong women, ravishing on the outside, while passionate, destructive, sensual or volatile inside. Lange produced and played the main role in a socially conscious Country (dir. Richard Pearce), a tale of a farmer couple’s struggle with the hardships of life and the indifference of the banking system. In Karel Reisz’s Sweet Dreams she played, and was uniformly hailed by the critics, Patsy Cline, the tragically deceased American country music legend. In the intense Music Box by Costa-Gavras, Lange showed her acting side as a lawyer who had to defend her father accused of being a war criminal. By contrast, in Far North (dir. Sam Shepard, Lange’s longtime partner in private life) she returned to her home state of Minnesota to play another kind of a strong woman with a fragile soul. This does not mean that Lange stayed away from the more commercially viable projects – she made huge impression in both Martin Scorsese’s Cape Fear and Michael Caton-Jones’s Rob Roy – but her instincts made her look for parts such as destructive Carly Marshall from Tony Richardson’s Blue Sky. The role brought her second Oscar, this time for Best Actress. For Lange the ‘90s were also the time of fulfilling her maternal responsibilities (the previous decade she gave birth to two daughters and a son), as well as looking for new acting challenges. Among them a Broadway debut as Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, and Queen Tamora in Julie Taymor’s Titus. She also played supporting characters in Tim Burton’s Big Fish, Jim Jarmusch’s Broken Flowers. Everything changed in 2009, when she moved to the television realm, firstly starring as “Big Eddie” in Michael Sucsy’s Grey Gardens, and later on playing in four seasons of the hugely popular Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s anthology series American Horror Story. More recently she has starred in the TV mini-series Feud, which she produced with Ryan Murphy, Brad Pitt and Susan Sarandon. Even with all these changes, however, Lange has never betrayed herself, her love for her family, her passion for cinema and admiration for art in general. British Cinematographer | November 2016 | 43

PREVIEW / CAMERIMAGE 2016

DENNIS GASSNER RECEIVES THE AWARD FOR PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Dennis Gassner

he production designer is tasked not only with creating a whole world, physical or virtual, for the actors to delve into, they also work with other department heads to establish the texture, light and the colour of everything visible on a set. Production designer Dennis Gassner is an artist in full control of each and every detail of his work, working on almost thirty features, from independent projects to tent-pole movies with enormous budgets. Little wonder that was the winner of the Academy Award for Barry Levinson’s Bugsy and two-time BAFTA winner for Peter Weir’s The Truman Show and Sam Mendes’s Road To Perdition. Starting in the 1980s, when he received his first sole production designer credit for Robert Harmon’s cultclassic The Hitcher, Gassner has grown a reputation as a creative, disciplined and perfectly-prepared professional whose work complements the overall vision of each director with whom he works. His true love with cinema began with an admiration of David Lean’s Lawrence Of Arabia. He could have become a professional football player, but chose to study architecture and film design instead. This helped him start his adventures in the film industry after moving to Los Angeles. Gassner met Francis Ford Coppola, then on the verge of shooting Apocalypse Now, who gave the ambitious boy a job as a production assistant to the film’s production designer Dean Tavoularis. Coppola also hired Gassner for his American Zoetrope studio, where the future production designer worked as a graphic and title designer on promotional campaigns and film posters, and worked with the famed Tavoularis on such films as Wim Wenders’s Hammett and Francis Ford Coppola’s Rumble Fish. The latter became Gassner’s true breakthrough credit. Since that time he has made films with numerous great filmmakers, including Stephen Frears on The Grifters and Tim Burton on Big Fish. For over a decade he crossed artistic paths with the Coen Brothers, beginning with Miller’s Crossing, for which Gassner designed the Prohibition-era world of morally devious gangsters. Their next project was Barton Fink, with its famous “hellish mind-hotel” set-piece, which inscribed itself in the imagination of many viewers. For this film Gassner got his first Academy Award nomination, and that same year he won the statuette for his work on Bugsy. With the Coens, he has also made The Hudsucker Proxy, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Man Who Wasn’t There, and The Ladykillers, each time supplementing the directors’ vision with his skill and imagination. 44 | British Cinematographer | November 2016

At the same time he met the director Sam Mendes, for whom he returned to the gangster-era in Road To Perdition, and a few years later immersed himself and the viewers in an American military base in Iraq for Jarhead. Their subsequent world-building adventures were two James Bond movies: Skyfall and Spectre. Working with the Coens and Mendes allowed Gassner to enter another fruitful collaboration – with cinematographer Rogers Deakins. The two are working currently together on Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049, the follow-up to the legendary Blade Runner.

JAY ROSENBLATT GETS DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER ACCOLADE Being a documentary filmmaker means not only registering, recording, and even manipulating the image and sound to create something that is worthwhile, but also taking full responsibility for one’s creations. This form of communication, which is quite often misunderstood, requires the ability to put one’s thoughts into an appropriate form, whilst also learning and listening. Jay Rosenblatt has repeatedly proven that he is a sensitive filmmaker, trying with his creations to make the viewers more self-aware and critical of themselves. This is no surprise when one learns that Rosenblatt has a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology and worked as a therapist, learning the extraordinary strength and frailties of the human psyche. Paradoxically, what led him to start his romance with cinema were the efforts to help his patients by opening himself to their problems and ideas of themselves. Rosenblatt’s films do not conform to the easy and popular ideas of humanity; they provoke an instant reaction and force the viewers to put themselves in someone’s shoes. They are so memorable due to their unusual form and the director’s quixotic quest to find humanity in everything that surrounds us. One of his most acknowledged creations is the documentary Human Remains, about five men widely considered as monsters – Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Joseph Stalin, Francisco Franco and Mao Tse Tung – awarded at various film festivals, including Sundance. It does not reminisce the horrors those dictators were responsible for; instead, it explores their private lives, radiating with ironic, slightly poetic and timeless reflection on the different appearances of evil. Although his creations evolved throughout the years in terms of form, aesthetics and narrative qualities, Rosenblatt’s first two films – The Session and Doubt – had already heralded most of the themes he would explore throughout his whole career: opening oneself to another human being, trying to understand the essence of human capability of doing both good and evil, provoking

discussions about cultural taboos, such as suicide, and penetrating the mechanisms of human memory, both individual and collective. “I don’t have answers, and I don’t think films have answers. But they hopefully can be catalysts for a deep discussion and a way of reflecting with one’s self as you’re viewing it,” said the American artist in one of his interviews, whose works will be screened during the festival.

ROBERT LANTOS TO RECEIVE THE PRODUCER AWARD Robert Lantos has over forty years of experience in the entertainment industry, during which he has made films with many internationally recognised artists including Atom Egoyan, David Cronenberg and István Szabó. Perhaps his biggest input to the films he worked on was his faith that cinema can be an artform, created through universal visual language, having an impact above all divisions and building bridges of empathy and understanding. His producer’s courage never made him a millionaire, but it gave him the opportunity to create films he wanted to make, rather than had to make. Although he built his reputation in Canada, where he has been living for many years, like many distinguished producers he came to the New World from Europe. He was born and grew up in Budapest, but was seven years old when his family fled the country during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. They initially went to Uruguay and a couple of years later ended up in Canada. Lantos was already fascinated by the power of cinema and decided to pursue a career in filmmaking during his time at the McGill University. He took his first steps in the industry as a co-founder of a company that imported and distributed foreign films across Canada, and he got hooked on producing. His first success came with the second film he made, George Kaczender’s In Praise of Older Women. Although he got an offer from an American studio, he decided to follow his own path. This was not the last time he rejected the easier way to maintain his independence and creative control. During the second half of the 1990s Lantos resigned as CEO of Alliance Communications Corporation – the company he had helped to build and grow into a giant – to go back to the roots of his passion and focus only on developing independent projects he felt were worthwhile. As he amusingly put it: “You know the establishment is in trouble if I’m a member of it.” In 1998 he founded Serendipity Point Films, of which he is still the sole owner, to continue supporting strong artistic visions. The company’s first feature was David Cronenberg’s eXistenZ, a futuristic-virtual-action-horror that could not have been more different from what was popular at the time. Lantos had met Cronenberg a few years before when working as executive producer on Crash, one of the

PREVIEW / CAMERIMAGE 2016

controversial films of 1990s. He supported the >> most Canadian director on gangster drama Eastern Promises.

Serendipity’s subsequent feature project was Sunshine directed by István Szabó, a harrowing tale about a Hungarian family experiencing many of the 20th century’s greatest horrors. Together with Szabó he also made Being Julia, which earned an Oscar nomination for Annette Bening. Lantos’s other projects at Serendipity included Norman Jewison’s thriller The Statement about a Nazi war criminal, Paul Gross’s sports comedy Men With Brooms, and Richard J. Lewis’s Barney’s Version, which tells a story about the trials and tribulations of a foulmouthed, politically incorrect television producer. Robert Lantos’s closest and most frequent collaborator was and still is Atom Egoyan, the Canadian filmmaker with Armenian roots who had risen during the 1990s to become one of the most cherished independent directors. Together they made seven features, starting with Exotica, an erotically-charged drama. Their other projects also included The Sweet Hereafter, a tale of a small community dealing with collective trauma, and Where the Truth Lies, a seductive thriller about fame and desire. Their latest feature, Remember, is a grueling and poignant story of an old Holocaust survivor who seeks revenge on his former captors. The film sparked a lively debate and brought Lantos the Feature Film Producer’s Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.

REMEMBERING THE MASTERS Over the years Camerimage has presented masterpieces shot by the likes of Jerzy Lipman, John Alcott, Zygmunt Samosiuk, Néstor Almendros and Gunnar Fischer, among others. This year’s special selection is devoted to the work of Haskell Wexler and Vilmos Zsigmond, two universally acclaimed masters of light and frame, both recipients of Camerimage Lifetime Achievement Awards and the festival’s dearest friends. Camerimage will screen three works shot by Wexler: Miloš Forman’s One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Norman Jewison’s In the Heat Of The Night and Mike Nichols’s Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?, for the latter of which Wexler was awarded the first of his two Oscars. As a tribute to Zsigmond, the festival will screen Robert Altman’s McCabe & Mrs. Miller, John Boorman’s Deliverance and Michael Cimino’s The Deer Hunter, each different from the other, yet perfect encapsulations of the magic of cinema. Camerimage will also screen Love Story as a tribute to the work of Arthur Hiller, another great friend, who passed away recently, as well as the late Andrzej Żuławski’s On The Silver Globe, the Polish director’s unfinished masterpiece of science fiction that still resonates today.

Lion – dir. Garth Davis DP Greig Fras , er

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS: CHARMED BY KIESLOWSKI Hosted by Camerimage and TV Kino Polska, are a series of events dedicated to Krzysztof Kieslowski. Experience his art twenty years after his death, with numerous filmmakers who had a chance to work with him. And rediscover The Decalogue, as Camerimage presents this masterpiece in its entirety.

NORWEGIAN CINEMA REVIEW Introducing an extraordinary artistic duo who created many multifarious and magnificent movies over the years – Hans Petter Moland and Philip Øgaard. Not only does their legacy allow us to perceive a filmmaking as a complex work of art, it also helps us to understand the importance of the creative collaboration between director and cinematographer.

BALTIC CINEMA REVIEW The Baltic Cinema Review is part of the Camerimage programme for the second time. This year the festival has invited movies from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Russia, Belarus, Norway, and Iceland.

DAVID CRONENBERG: EVOLUTION EXHIBITION

GET NOTICED AS A PROFESSIONAL FILM ARTIST!

This exhibition was organised and circulated by TIFF, curated by Piers Handling and Noah Cowan. It has been brought to Poland by the organisers of Camerimage – Tumult Foundation and Centre of Contemporary Art “Znaki Czasu” in Torun. The grand opening, which presents original artifacts, props and sets and includes dynamic audiovisual elements, is scheduled for November 14th, at the Centre of Contemporary Art “Znaki Czasu” in Torun, and continues until March 26th, 2017.

Make sure you get to this extremely popular panel discussion with experienced agents for emerging talents. Get a unique insight into the secrets of building your image in the motion picture market with agents from Europe and the USA who give their take on how to pursue your career to become established in the industry.

JESSICA LANGE “UNSEEN” PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION The collection, bringing together 135 B&W photographs (including 12 contact sheets), taken traditionally over the last 20 years, is arranged into two series: “Things I See” and “Mexico, On Scene.” Mexico ©Jessica Lange

Minnesota ©Jessica Lange

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DIGITAL CINEMATOGRAPHY SEMINAR WITH VITTORIO STORARO Vittorio Storaro AIC ASC will explain his digital experience shooting Café Society, directed by Woody Allen, including the importance of light, digital capture and the future preservation of edited digital material.

EXHIBITORS At the time of writing, confirmed exhibitors at this year’s festival included: Aaton, Angenieux, ARRI, Barco, B&H Photo Video, Canon, Codex Digital, Cooke Optics, CW Sonderoptic, Dedo Weigert Film, Digital Sputnik, DMG Lumière, DoPchoice, FujiFilm, Hive Lighting, J.L.Fisher, K5600, Pajak, Panasonic, Panavision, Rag Place, RED, Sony, Transvideo, Vantage Film and Zeiss.

Aaton-Digital/ Transvideo:

Jacques Delacoux, CEO of sister companies Transvideo and Aaton-Digital, and his team Hacksaw Ridge – , dir. Mel Gibson are showing n gga DP Simon Du the StarliteHD ARRI recordermonitors, the new Stargate HDR and StarliteRF, together with the TitanHD2 video Tx/Rx products and the landmark CantarX3 24-track, location sound recorder, with the Canterem2 fader panel and accessories. Transvideo is a longtime patron to students visiting the festival and, with K5600 Europe, is supporting eight students from the French film school, La Cinefabrique, in Lyon. “It is essential for student filmmakers to have an opening to the worldwide side of our industry,” says Delacoux.

Angénieux: joining the Optimo 56-152 A2S, released

in 2014, and the Optimo 30-72 A2S, released in 2015, the Optimo 44-440 A2S is the third lens in the Optimo Anamorphic 2x squeeze series. Complementary to a set of primes or the short Optimo A2S zooms, the new Angénieux 10x Anamorphic zoom brings speed and flexibility of the long range zoom to the set. The Optimo 44-440 A2S zoom features traditional 2x horizontal squeeze, minimum breathing and distortion, and a fast aperture of T4.5 across the zoom range. It has a close focus of 4ft 1in (1.24m), and is one of the lightest in its class at 16.6lbs (7.55kg). The lens image combines controlled background with an aesthetically dimensional foreground, delivering what many refer to as the “creamy and organic look” that Angenieux zooms are known for. The Optimo 44-440 A2S is shipping worldwide. ARRI: new Master Grips and SkyPanel S120 LED fixtures will feature alongside the Alexa SXT, Alexa Mini and Amira cameras, as well as the Trinity Rig camera stabiliser system. ARRI Rental will present the Alexa 65 and some new additions to the Alexa 65 lens family. ARRI Academy is sponsoring two masterclasses. Paul Cameron ASC will host a workshop titled ‘Fearless Cinematography In A Sublime Age’, whilst Stephen F. Windon ACS ASC and Marc Spicer ACS will co-host a workshop on ‘Shooting Multiple Formats’, and how different formats affect lighting and composition. Now in its third year, the ARRI Big Screen event will showcase the latest technologies through interviews and showreels comprising clips from major productions. In conjunction with Camerimage, IMAGO and Illuminatrix, ARRI will also sponsor a screening of Neon Demon, followed by a Q&A with cinematographer Natasha Braier ADF.

PREVIEW / CAMERIMAGE 2016

Codex: will be in its familiar spot at the Opera Nova,

featuring Codex Production Suite 4.1, its workhorse workflow system that delivers one streamlined camerato-post workflow solution for an ever-growing number of digital cinematography cameras, including the recently announced ARRI Alexa SXT, Canon C700 and Panasonic VariCam Pure.

Cooke Optics: is exhibiting for the first time, and will

present Anamorphic/i and Anamorphic/i SF lenses. The Anamorphic/i lenses offer a classic Anamorphic look, whilst the Anamorphic/i SF range features a coating that kicks up the flares, bokeh and other aberrations to provide another level of Anamorphic character. The Cooke team is also looking for the next stars of Cooke TV, Cooke’s website and YouTube channel for aspiring cinematographers, which features interviews and tips from such luminaries as Ed Lachman, Haris Zambarloukos, John de Borman, Geoff Boyle, Gavin Finney, Sean Bobbitt and Rodney Charters.

CW Sonderoptic: sister company to Leica Camera, CW

Sonderoptic is demonstrating its new Leica M 0.8 lenses, bringing the iconic look and character of Leica M glass to the world of cinematography. The lenses offer a muchloved character and feel, whilst their tiny size opens new doors for small camera configurations. CW Sonderoptic is also hosting a workshop focussing on choosing lenses for cinematic storytelling by the identifying character in a lens. Along with the full compliment of Leica Summilux-C and Summicron-C cine lenses on display, the latest photography cameras from Leica will be available for demo.

Digital Sputnik: is launching DS Flow, a modular light

grading and fixture management software suite. This offers a solution for any size production, from single to multithousands of fixtures. At the core of the system is an intuitive, visual, toolset-based, control software for multi-coloured lighting fixtures, designed to speed production flow. DS Flow supports sACN E1.31, Artnet, OSC and MIDI protocols, and is available for iOS, Android, Windows and OSX soon.

DMG Lumière: the French LED lighting pioneers, born

from the ideals of a gaffer, a cinematographer and an LED specialist, will show their hot new Maxi Switch. At 480W, yet weighing less than 10kg, they have created another lightweight feature without compromising their goal of MaxiPower. With a light surface of 120x75cm, yet only 2cm thick, DMG have focussed on the needs of the industry from the inside. Visit Jean, Mathieu and Thomas at their usual “Harry Potter” style booth under the stairs at Opera Nova.

DoPchoice: the renegade lighting

softbox and grid-maker is introducing new tools for today’s LED lighting needs. Its Snapgrids, Snapbags and Butterfly grids feature easyuse, fast set-up and compact, lightweight designs. Offering a fresh take on mounting, the new Rabbit-Ears replaces the often heavy and cumbersome speed rings softbox mounting standard. A single unit can quickly and securely mount various LED light brands onto a Snapbag. Three configurations fit most Snapbags: Tanna – dir. Martin Butler, Bentley Dean, DP Bentley Dean

48 | British Cinematographer | November 2016

Blood And Glory – dir. Sean Else, DP Adam Bentel

square-shaped Rabbit-Ears Mini, Rabbit-Ears Rectangular, and Rabbit-Ears Space for 3’ or 5’ octagonal and mediumsize Snapbags. DoPchoice is also premiering the Snapbag Medium, to mount via Rabbit-Ears on many fixtures, and the sturdy Gobohead Adapter that frees the confines of standard yokes with extended tilt range.

Fujifilm: watch out for the renowned range of Fujinon

4K Cine Zoom Lenses. Furthermore, Fujifilm will hold educational seminars at the Opera Nova on the first two days of the festival, moderated by a special guest who will focus on cameras, lenses and techniques for cinematography. In addition, a Fujinon lens workshop will focus purely on the hardware.

K5600: the new Bug-A-Beam 1600W will be presented for the first time. The Joker Bug-Lite design offers many possibilities, one of which is pairing it with an ETC Source-4. K5600 has, over the years, introduced the Bug-A-Beam Adapter for both the 400 and 800 Jokers. After requests from users, it has created the Bug-A-Beam Adapter for the 1600 Joker, which makes the mating of a Source-4 and the Bug-Light 1600 quick and easy. The 1600 lamp’s advantages in this particular application allow patterns to be visible in higher ambient light levels, over longer distances, as well as through the deepest colour gels. Kodak: continuing its support for Camerimage,

Kodak is hosting a special 'Film on Film" screening of the 2016 Oscar winning best foreign language film, Son Of Saul, on Wednesday 16th, followed by a Q&A with cinematographer Matyas Erdely. Kodak is also celebrating another milestone in the resurgence of film, with the launch of its 65mm processing facilities at Cinelab in London. Kodak and Cinelab staff will be around the festival, eager to speak with attendees about the increased demand for film, and the continued commitment to providing the infrastructure for shooting on celluloid formats.

LEE Filters: is debuting its new range of glass

neutral density camera filters for cinematography. These new Cine Filters will be available soon in a range of different strengths, ranging from 0.3ND (1 stop) to 2.1ND (7 Stops). Also on show are LEE’s Zircon Lighting Filters for LED lighting. It’s no secret that conventional lighting filters struggle with fade times when used in conjunction with LED lighting set-ups. Zircon filters circumvent this problem, thanks to a new technology giving an increased lifespan of up to 200 times longer than standard filters. With three types in the range – warming, minus green and diffusion – Zircon filters provide a reliable and durable way of modifying LED lighting.

Panavision: will showcase its new, largeformat, Millennium DXL 8K camera and T-series Anamorphic lenses. Several presentations of the DXL will show demo footage and offer the chance to learn more about this new camera’s features. Panavision is also presenting this year’s masterclass with Camerimage Lifetime Award recipient Michael Chapman ASC, followed by a cinematography workshop with Panavision’s VP of optical engineering Dan Sasaki, entitled “Anatomy Of A Motion Picture Lens.” Additionally, the company is exhibiting its renowned optics – from Anamorphics and sphericals, to optimized large-format lenses – alongside customised camera accessories.

Moonlight – dir. Barry Jenkins, DP James Laxton

RED Digital Cinema:

will show its line of DSMC2 cameras including the RED Epic-W and Weapon 8K S35. These new cameras combine the compact design of the DSMC2 form factor with RED’s latest sensor technology, Helium 8K S35. The Helium sensor maintains the image quality and dynamic range of the RED Dragon sensor, whilst incorporating 8K-resolution (35.4 megapixels) in a Super 35 frame. Epic-W is capable of fast data speeds up to 275 MB/s. The Weapon 8K S35 features 8K full-frame motion at up to 60 fps, data speeds up to 300 MB/s, and a sensor upgrade path to the RED Dragon 8K VV sensor. Tiffen: latest products include Natural NDs, Variable Viewing Filters and the PRO100. The “Nat-NDs”, named in honour of company founder Nat Tiffen, have been extensively field-tested by cinematographers, camera manufacturers and rental houses, and produce Tiffen’s most natural image and neutral tone so far, with top-notch IR cutting properties. Tiffen’s Variable Viewing Filter offers indexed 2-8 stops, along with the ability to add any 49mm ring filter from the Tiffen range. Users can also add additional NDs to increase the stop range, as well as UVs, polarisers, FX and diffusion filters. The PRO100 enables the use of standard 4mm 4x4” MPTV filters with lenses up to 82mm screw thread, supporting flexibility with stills photography.

Zeiss: is showing its brand new lightweight LWZ.3 zoom lens, launched at IBC 2016 in Amsterdam, a wide range of Cine lenses – including the CP.2, CZ.2, MP, UP and MA – plus still lenses such as Loxia, Milvus and Otus series glass, and the new Exolens for iPhones. A sponsor of Camerimage for many years, watch out for two Zeiss seminars where experts and cinematographers talk about the new LWZ.3 and company’s Master Anamorphic lenses.

WHO WILL WIN THE GOLDEN FROG? FILMS IN THE MAIN COMPETITION... Afterimage – dir. Andrzej Wajda, DP Pawel Edelman Arrival – dir. Denis Villeneuve, DP Bradford Young Blood And Glory – dir. Sean Else, DP Adam Bentel Hacksaw Ridge – dir. Mel Gibson, DP Simon Duggan Hatred – dir. Wojciech Smarzowski, DP Piotr Sobocinski Jr. Lion – dir. Garth Davis, DP Greig Fraser Marie Curie – dir. Marie Noelle, DP Michal Englert A Monster Calls – dir. Juan Antonio Bayona, DP Óscar Faura Moonlight – dir. Barry Jenkins, DP James Laxton Oscuro Animal – dir. Felipe Guerrero, DP Fernando Lockett Past Life – dir. Avi Nesher, DP Michel Abramowicz Remember – dir. Atom Egoyan, DP Paul Sarossy Snowden – dir. Oliver Stone, DP Anthony Dod Mantle Tanna – dir. Martin Butler, Bentley Dean, DP Bentley Dean

F-STOP / IBC & CINEC REVIEW / BY KEVIN HILTON

Winner... Transvideo receives the Cinec Award 2016. Jacques Delacoux Transvideo CEO second from the left. Holding the award is Transvideo Sales Director Karine Fouque

The years when the annual IBC exhibition and the biennial Cinec show coexist create a broad equipment showcase for all those involved in the practicalities of filmmaking who are able to get to both Amsterdam and Munich in the same ten days.

his year, both reflected the current and emerging trends of 4K/Ultra HD, HDR and virtual/ augmented reality, and showed that the basic nuts and bolts ¬– cameras, lenses, lights and support hardware – are adapting to the new technologies as well as evolving to be more efficient and flexible. In the world of lenses many leading manufacturers added the final models to new or on-going ranges. Cooke Optics was present at both IBC and Cinec with one of the two zooms that complete its Anamorphic series. The 35145mm four-times zoom was shown and, with the still-tobe-finished 45-405mm telephoto, will complete Cooke’s Anamorphic/i family. Like the Primes, these are front Anamorphics, which company chairman Les Zellan said, “give good, clear matches.”

The 180mm and 300mm Primes and 35-140mm zoom Anamorphics are shipping now; the 45-405mm is due to start deliveries next year and should be seen at the 2017 NAB show. Also slated to be at the Las Vegas expo, but announced at IBC, is the Panchro Classic. Based on the Cooke Speed Panchros of the 1920s, this cine prime lens is designed to chromatically enhance an image shot in low light. Zellan explained that the Classic had been produced for the same reason as the Anamorphics; to take the “sterility” out of digital camera shoots. Vantage Films is a Cinec-only exhibitor and used this year’s event to demonstrate the final addition to its range of spherical lenses. The arrival of the Vantage One T1 120mm optical brings the number of models Looks like the ship is tilting on the ARRI stand with the visit of Judit Romwalter and father Richie

50 | British Cinematographer | November 2016

in this series, which was launched in 2013, to nine. T4, T2.8 and T2 versions are already available, with the T1 offering what the company describes as a “subtle creaminess” that is suitable for skin tones. Vantage currently has 15 120mm lenses at T1 and is planning more in the future. Zeiss launched a new film production lens early in September and displayed it at both IBC and Cinec. The LWZ.3 21-100m/T2.9-3.9T is a lightweight Super 35 zoom described as being six lenses in one. With its interchangeable mount system, which provides five mountings for every existing camera type, the LWZ.3 is aimed at “budget sensitive” productions as well as higher-end features. Angenieux also appeared at both exhibitions, but its big announcement came at the Amsterdam show. The new Type EZ Series is a collaboration with Band Pro and Jebsen Industrial Technology; it comprises two lightweight zooms that feature a modular design using Interchangeable Rear Optics (IRO) technology. Both are designed for Super 35 and other large film formats, including FF and VistaVision. The Type EZ Series is intended to sit between DSLR and Optimo/Optimo Style lenses, with mounts covering PL, EF and E. Among the cameras accommodated are the RED 8K VV (VistaVision), ARRI Alexa Open Gate, ARRI 65 with VV crop and full-frame DSLR cameras, including Sony Paul René Roestad a7S Mk II and rests at the BC Canon EOS 5D stand, watched Mk IV. As well over by Leo as feature work the Type EZ is seen as suited to ENG ‘run-andgun’ applications. Along with the debut of the Type EZ, Angenieux gave a first European

The Cooke look... wit Carey, Robert and h Thomas, Barbara

showing to the Optimo 44-440mm A2S Anamorphic zoom lens, which it sees as part of the “renaissance of long-range Anamorphic zooms”. Cinec was the sole place to see Panavision’s latest large format lenses. These included the Primo 70, Ultra Panavision 70, Sphero 65, System 65 and Super Panavision 70. There was also a spotlight on the company’s new Anamorphic T-Series, aimed specifically at digital cameras. Many cinematography lens makers usually state that their optics are already compatible with 4K technology. Others continue to develop glass specifically for the Ultra HD format, including Canon and Fujinon. Canon is targeting broadcasting with the UJ27x6.58 IESD ‘4K premium’ lens. This 2/3-inch optical is a 27-times zoom constructed from fluorite and UD glass with anti-reflection coatings that are claimed to deal with ghosting, making it suitable for live sport. The Fujinon UA-Series 4K UHD lens was recognised in the IBC

Innovation Award presented to BT Sport for its work into Ultra HD. The UASeries is used in the coverage on the broadcaster’s dedicated UHD channel and are compatible with 2/3-inch 4k cameras. Canon’s K-35 and FD lens are among the long list of opticals offered for rehousing by P+S Technik. New additions to the roster are the Kuwa anamorphic and Lomo Anamorphic UHD and lightweight cine action zooms, which join Angenieux, Bausch &

Lomb Super Baltar, Cooke Panchro and Tele, Leica-R, Schneider Cinegon and Xenon and Meyer-Gorlitz, among others. Also new for this year was the CP.1 lens mount conversion process for interchangability. The talk at IBC over the last few years has been of 4K and Ultra HD but some developers – notably Japanese broadcaster NHK and RED Digital Cinema – have done that and are moving on with 8K. RED is already in that domain and cemented its position there with the Helium 8K Super 35mm processor, which now features in a custom camera for zoom and zap director Michael Bay. The new sensor joins the existing Dragon VV; the difference being

British Cinematographer | November 2016 | 51

F-STOP / IBC & CINEC REVIEW / BY KEVIN HILTON

Stefan Karle at dop Choice shows Alan (publisher) the SNAPBAG !

interface, and the latest 12.5.2 update for the DaVinci Resolve colour grading system. This allows it to support URSA Mini camera metadata, in addition to er The J. L. Fish colour space tags for QuickTime team man their exports, Fusion Connect for Linux and stand at CINEC, led by Jimmy himself! advanced filtering options. Ikegami showed the UHK-430 4K native portable broadcast camera, with 2/3-inch the Helium eight megapixel CMOS sensors for 3840x2170 UHD is in a smaller resolution, alongside the HDL-F3000 multi-format ultra package low-light camera. The F3000 is able to work in both featuring daylight and at night, with adjustments possible for what are haze removal, backlight correction and digital zoom. mysteriously While some digital camera manufacturers have described as chosen to stay with their own recording media, others ‘better pixels’. have collaborated with outside developers to extend Also on show the capabilities of their cameras. At IBC, both Canon at IBC were and Panasonic were highlighting their respective the Scarlet-W developments with UK recording and workflow Kevin from Videol ights 5K and manufacturer Codex Digital. Canon has integrated a off Soft Panels at shows IBC 2016 Weapon in Codex-built recorder into its new Cinema EOS C700 both 6K and model, with recording at up to 4.5K and 100 frames per 8K formats. second. This enables the Super 35mm camera to work The ARRI Alexa became widely used on both with RAW footage at over 14 stops of dynamic range in features and TV drama despite being 2.8K. The a variety of formats, including ProRes, DPX and H.264. manufacturer has introduced enhanced versions of the Panasonic gave a first showing to the VariCam original camera since 2010 and at IBC announced it had Pure system, which features a new camera module – completed development of the Alexa SXT. Based on the the AU-V35C1G – and the sensor and user interface of the first Alexa, the SXT new AU-VCXRAW2 V-RAW range cameras – SXT EV, SXT Plus and SXT Studio – are 2.0 recorder, developed by able to handle a wider variety of recording formats, with Codex. As with the recorder integrated Codex technology, and processes, such as for the Canon C700, this unit calculating looks using 3D LUTs and converting colour also works with Codex’s spaces to Rec2020. The Alexa is also now able to Production Suite to convert monitor in HDR as well as record in the higher dynamic the RAW footage into file range format. formats, which include Sony had new developments for its high-end Panasonic V-RAW, Apple cinematography cameras in its own hall at IBC. Features ProRes and Avid DNxHR. on the F55 CineAlta camera have been extended by Brian Gaffney, vice adding the AXS-R7 portable raw recorder. These include president of business recording up to 4K and 120 frames per second, which previously had only been possible on the F65. Claus Pfeifer, strategic marketing manager for broadcast and cinematography at Sony Professional Solutions Europe, said the R7 made the F55 suitable for slo-mo work and commercials, while a cache feature ensures documentary makers have more chance of caching all the action by keeping rolling. Blackmagic Design possibly attracted more attention during IBC by announcing the acquisitions of audio developer Fairlight and green/blue screen specialist Ultimatte than for its product releases. Nevertheless the company promoted the latest version of the URSA Mini, with new operating system and user

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development at Codex, commented that this configuration, with the cheaper but still 4K-compatible drive, brought RAW and ProRes operations within the reach of episodic TV production. LED lights had a high profile at both IBC and Cinec, with the organisers of the latter show giving its Lighting Engineering Award to Rotolight. The UK company was recognised for its Anova Pro, which features True Aperture Dimming, High Speed Sync (HSS) Flash and the capability to be connected to a total of 512 third party light sources. The cinecAward followed Rotolight picking up a Best of Show at IBC. ARRI extended the capabilities of the SkyPanel range of LED soft lights with the introduction of the S120-C. This is twice the length but the same weight as the S60, produces marginally more light and is claimed to be more efficient by drawing under 400W and with an output of 90 lumens per Watt. Also new for the SkyPanel range were a Remote unit and version 2.5 firmware. The Remote is handheld and can be connected over UBS ports for greater flexibility. The new firmware offers a master-slave feature to control a number of SkyPanels using DMX, plus 41 further colours for the gel library.

Creamsource… the new Doppio+

F-STOP / IBC & CINEC REVIEW / BY KEVIN HILTON Martin Cayzer (Arri) and Loius Philippe -Capelle (IMAGO)share the hospitality of Rainer Hercher at the CW SONDEROPTICS stand

Lighting accessories manufacturer DoPChoice has produced a new fitting specifically for the ARRI S120, with the aim of controlling what company founder Stefan Karle describes as a “generous output”. DoPChoice’s latest new Snapbag is designed to fit snugly on the S120, allowing it to generate an even, soft light with no leaks. Also new from the company was the Rabbit-Ears Snap-up soft box system, which is designed for fast set-ups by doing away with conventional round speed rings. Australian manufacturer Outsight gave the new Creamsource + a first European showing at IBC. The company began producing LED fixtures in 2005 and introduced Creamsource in 2009. The latest version is based on a fourthgeneration light engine, claimed to deliver more than 90 CRI/TLCI, and is a panel PAR configuration. Available in two sizes, Doppio+ and Mini+, there is a choice of daylight, bi-colour and tungsten. K5600 gave a first IBC showing to the Bug-aBeam 1600W. This is able to produce either a 400W or 800W output from a ETC Source 4 using an adapter. In this way a Bug-Lite 1600W can be used with a cut ETC Source 4, producing a visible beam in brightly lit situations with a longer throw even through colour gels. Remote Phosphor is something of a trend right now and BB&S kept up with it by introducing its first

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Rod Gammons, Chairman of Rotolight, picks up his Cinec Award for Lighting Engineering

Rotolight... Anova PRO

series of light banks based on the technology. The Pipeline 4-Bank 3’ and 4’ systems feature LED Remote Phosphor technology, which the manufacturer claims improves on the traditional form. Features include colour rendition about 96 TLCI, 4000 lumens per foot light emission and capacity for DMX control. Also on show

was the Area 48 Studio luminare, a 48V version of the Area 48 Soft. This is designed to produce exact dimming while delivering the same features as the Area 48 Remote Phosphor fixtures. Like other cinematography equipment, camera supports, hardware and accessories are evolving to meet either emerging technologies or user requirements. Miller Camera Support Equipment unveiled a new range of fluid heads at IBC, aimed at HDTV production involved augmented reality techniques. The arrowFX heads have integral high-resolution magnetic encoders designed to move the mechanism exactly with no delay according to position. Included are the arrowFX 3, arrowFX 5 and arrowFX 7, which deliver a pan resolution of 1,589,246 counts per 360-degrees and a tilt resolution of 491,520 per 180-degrees. Matthews Studio Equipment had several new products on show at IBC. The Infinity Arm is an articulating support designed by filmmaker Sage Seb, who apparently was tired of arms supposedly designed to hold cameras, lighting and other hardware falling apart on location. The Wedge is a portable camera mount designed for low points of view that can accommodate film, video and DSLR cameras. More a sign of the times is the VRig, described as the first professional support for virtual reality production. This small device is

F-STOP / IBC & CINEC REVIEW / BY KEVIN HILTON

Peter Plessner of BBS lighting (middle) is ambushed by friends on his stand

designed to support spherical cameras; it is unobtrusive and can be easily removed from shot in post. Less than a week later Grip Factory Munich (GFM) was at what co-founder Derek Magee described as “one of the busiest Cinecs ever”. GFM showed its range of dollies, cranes and camera support equipment, showcasing the new GF-Vibration Isolator, 9-foot Slider and Gyro Head G4. At the other end of the scale is the iOgrapher support for iPhones and iPads. Invented by filmmaker and former high school media teacher David Basulto, this is a stable frame designed to remove the unnecessary movement and muffled sound students were getting on their footage. The product was shown on the HHB stand at IBC, where Basulto was busy demonstrating the product, which has been used by Steven Spielberg as well as by student filmmakers. Filters perhaps have as much, maybe more, of a place in digital filmmaking as in the heyday of film. At IBC Schneider introduced what it calls the first 1-Stop Circular Polarizer for professional cinematography. Featuring a single-stop exposure loss it is designed for low-light photography and comes in 4x4, 4x5.65, 6.6x6.6 and custom sizes. The company also expanded its Platinum IRND range with a 2.4 (eight-stop filter), added Star filters to the True-Streak series and brought back the .15 ND (Neutral Density) MPTV filer. Focus control is as important as ever, particularly for gimbal, handheld, drone and Steadicam work.

Chrosziel launched the MagNum Mini wireless controller, a one-channel device with 11 selectable 2.4 Ghz channels and features including fast automotor calibration, firmware updates and Run Start/Stop. It can be used with leading digital lens motors as well as Chrosziel’s Digital Motor CDM-100S, with capability for control by the MagNum Hand Units MN100T, MN-150T and MN-200T. At the back end of the camera video monitoring is a vital component. This was recognised at Cinec through Transvideo winning an award in the Camera Technology/New Digital

Matthews.. low point-of-view Wedge POV camera mount

Capturing Tools category for its StarliteHD 5-ARRI monitor-recorder. Transvideo chief executive Jacques Delacoux said the company was “very honoured” to receive a Cinec Award, following its wins in 2014 and 2010 for the Aaton Digital Cantar X3 audio recorder and Cine Monitor HD-3D View respectively. At IBC the company unveiled further monitors in the form of the StarliteRF five-inch lightweight 3G-SDI touch screen wireless OLED unit and the Stargate seven-inch 4k/6G/HD compatible high-end monitor-recorder. Both shows appeared well attended. IBC’s organisers claimed yet another record attendance, with 55,796 visitors to both the exhibition and conference. Cinec posted figures of 3,811 visitors over three days (compared to IBC’s six). IBC will return next year from 15 to 19 September; the next Cinec will be in 2018. n

British Cinematographer | November 2016 | 55

CLOSE-UP / MARTIN RUHE / AMERICAN PASTORAL

SPLINTERED

merican Pastoral marks the directorial feature debut of actor Ewan McGregor, who also takes the lead role in the movie of Swede Levov, a hard-working businessman, whose homely middle-class life is literally blown apart by the sudden, radical action of his politically-motivated daughter. The $20m Lakeshore Entertainment production was adapted for the screen, from Philip Roth’s 1997 novel of the same name, by John Romano, and also features the acting talents of Jennifer Connelly, Dakota Fanning, Rupert Evans and Valorie Curry. Highly-regarded German cinematographer, Martin Ruhe, began principal photography on the production in mid-September 2015 at rural locations outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, wrapping production seven weeks later. “Ewan was aware of my work on Control (2007), Harry Brown (2009) and The American (2010),” says Ruhe. “There was something in the opening sequence of Harry Brown that established, just through visual images, the life of the widowed ex-serviceman, in a London housing estate flat, that touched Ewan very deeply. He felt this kind of sensitivity was right for this movie, although the two stories are quite different.” Ruhe says the script grabbed him personally in a couple of respects. “Firstly the story had a big range - from the 1940s to the early 1990s - which is a big chunk of American history to cover. There was also the human factor, the very moving story of a father and his relationship with a daughter, who sets off a bomb in a post office, and how their worlds and relationships change. It had very strong, emotional scenes. We can set our children up in life, but if it goes wrong, what can we do?” For inspiration Ruhe and McGregor referenced Leviathan (2014, dir. Andrey Zvyagintsev, DP Mikgail Krichman), “which we liked a lot for the

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bravery of letting scenes play out,” and Paulo Sotrentino’s Consequences Of Love (2004, DP Luca Bigazzi), “for its beauty in remaining centred strongly on one character.“ That said, Ruhe comments that he personally likes to see and feel the environment where the shoot will take place, and to let visuals fall into place from there. Regarding the look of the production, Ruhe says, “Ewan and I worked closely throughout with Daniel Clancy, the production designer, on the colour palette and came up with an Edward Hopper-style 20th century realist American look. We also used the changing seasons to our advantage – the beautiful world of summer and its lush greens to support the feeling of a contented family, and then the loose leaves and colours of autumn as their lives falls apart. The colouring in the production design went appropriately from dense and saturated to more sparse and cold.” There was no film versus digital debate, and Ruhe says that it’s eminently possible to create a beautiful look with digital cameras to equal that of film. He paired an Alexa XT with Zeiss Master Anamorphic lenses – supplied by ARRI CSC in New York – for the production, using 40mm, 75mm and 100mm focal lengths, plus a 1936mm Master Anamorphic zoom to help in tight shooting spaces. A 250D film-emulation LUT was used on-set for monitoring and review purposes. “I like the combination of Alexa with the Zeiss Master Anamorphics as, together, they have a certain organic purity and beauty. They are fast lenses too, so you can shoot at T1.9 in low light and at night, and get a great result. The widescreen Anamorphic format allows you to have multiple characters together in frame, and to cope with dialogueheavy scenes. But you can also use the frame to highlight the loneliness and isolation of a character. And this movie had the full range of these moments.” Ruhe says he eschewed the Anamorphic bokeh, but added a vertical filament filter between lens and sensor during the whole shoot, to produce horizontal flares Martin Ruhe on highlights in the image. He also used ultra contrast filters to reduce image contrast, plus Schneider Classic Soft diffusion, to soften the pictures and enhance the look of the intact world before the bomb explosion. However, he eliminated these for all subsequent

scenes afterwards. “It’s subtle shift in look, but you read it on an emotional level,” he remarks. With McGregor both directing and starring in the production, an extended seven-week prep period, proved very helpful, giving the pair extra time to work on the shot list together. “I never thought of Ewan as a first time director, as he has worked with some of the greatest directors around, and has a lot of on-set experience,” Ruhe notes. “Along with his acting talents, he’s a genuinely, very nice person and an excellent co-worker. But, seeing as he had this double task, I tried to take as much weight off his shoulders as possible by giving him a set that he did not need to think about technically. There is very little camera movement, and its style was calm, patient and considered, as we wanted to give the actors the space and time to perform.” Asked who decided on the take, Ruhe says “Ewan did. There’s not much I can tell him about acting. Typically, we would rehearse with the actors before inviting the crew to discuss our shooting plans each day. We would watch the first take together and go from there. Ewan felt he could direct much better from within the scene, rather than out of it. We shot 5-day weeks and every weekend we would meet to recap the work we had just done and look at our planning for the week ahead. We were very well organised, so whilst there were changes, we never had any major surprises.” Ruhe prefers to operate, and did so on this production. Although a second camera was used for coverage on some scenes, American Pastoral was mainly a single camera shoot. All second unit material was shot by Ruhe and his crew too. Except for gaffer Ed Moloney, the camera team was local. The Steadicam operator was John Moyer, with AC Deb Peterson working as first AC. Keith Seymour headed-up the gripping team, and Curtis Abbott supervised the Codex workflow tools as DIT. The cinematographer says he kept the overall lighting simplistic – for practical and aesthetic reasons. “We shot quite a lot in small, confined places and locations, and created simple pools of light – such as on the family dining table – using LEDs and Wagon lights, with practicals to supplement the look, which gave that Edward Hopper type of look. The daylight exteriors were pretty much all in natural light, perhaps with a Lite Mat added if I wanted to lift the image a little. But the overall result was true to the environment and the time period.” Ruhe completed the DI grade at Company3 with colourist Siggy Festl. He says, “Siggy had kept a keen eye on the footage well-before the DI began. So even though we went back to the RAW footage and did not use the on-set display LUT, what should have been a two week grade, was completed in five days.” n

CAMERA CREATIVE / SEAMUS MCGARVEY BSC ASC / NOCTURNAL ANIMALS / BY RON PRINCE

Stand by. You are going to get weirded-out. Tom Ford’s psychological thriller Nocturnal Animals is coming to a screen near you soon. Amy Adams stars as Susan, an LA art gallery proprietor, who becomes haunted by a violent manuscript penned by her ex-husband Tom (Jake Gyllenhaal), which she decodes as being a veiled threat as well as a symbolic revenge tale.

he Focus Features/Universal Pictures production is Ford’s follow-up to the muchpraised and awarded A Single Man (2009, DP Edu Grau), and has enjoyed five-star reviews from critics since its debut at the 2016 Venice and Toronto Film Festivals. Adapted by Ford from Austin Wright’s 1993 novel, ‘Tony And Susan’, the movie has a binary-narrative – where powerful real and fictional stories run in parallel, sometimes overlapping one another. The pundits have heaped praise on Nocturnal Animals as a tour de force from Ford and cinematographer Seamus McGarvey BSC ASC, declaring it a “stylish and gorgeous, pitch-black thriller that will make you queasy with tension and regret.” “It’s probably one of the best movies I have ever shot,” enthuses McGarvey, “it’s a great film, and I can’t wait for people to see it.” McGarvey supervised the seven week-shoot, starting in October 2015, spanning the Los Angeles conurbations of Malibu and Beverly Hills, as well as locations around the Mojave Desert, near Edwards Air Force Base, and Santa Clarita. This was the second of three films that he shot on 35mm film during 2015 – the first being Warner Bros. The Accountant (dir. Gavin O’Connor) with the Chloë Sevigny’s short Kitty following rapidly afterwards. Ron Prince caught up with the cinematographer to discover more about the production and the cinematographer’s return to shooting celluloid, as he was reposing in his Tuscan home before jetting off to New York for his next big screen assignment. How did the script for Nocturnal Animals come your way, and what was your initial reaction? SM: I had never met Tom before. He contacted me through friends and invited me to read the script. It was immediately intriguing and very scary. I sometimes find it hard to read scripts, as I disassemble them cinematographically as I go through, doing a sort of visual pathology of each scene. But this was an absolute potboiler that I read late one night and just

could not put down from the second I picked it up. It was genuinely gripping, terrifying and haunting, because it’s psychological, in the head. It struck a cord with me about the choices you make in life that can sometimes lead to disaster. Nocturnal Animals is not just a visual movie, it’s psychologically layered too with the classic film-within-a-film device, told through the imagination as Susan reads the book and conjures the movie in her head. Cinematographically there was a lot in it. Tell us about your early conversations with Tom Ford? SM: We immediately got on very well. Tom is a genius with design and is visually articulate. His inferences and influences are manifold and that makes it easy when you are having a pictorial dialogue. I discovered he had a wellevolved mood reel – comprising movies, photographs, paintings and tear-sheets from magazines – that he had used during Cannes to generate funds for the movie, and which had helped to kickstart the film financing with Focus Features. So he had a really clear idea of the broad visual trajectory of the film to begin with. I like that, as it was not didactic or exclusive. I never felt I would get shoehorned into an aesthetic that I could not contribute towards. The opposite was true. We had great creative discussions right from the start to the very end of the project. Tom has a phenomenal attention to detail, and a tuned-up sense of achieving a cinematographic style, which is self-evident in Edu Grau’s fabulous work on A Single Man. Tom made sure that I very quickly started working closely with the production designer, Shane Valentino, and the three of us had a fruitful on-going dialogue. This build-up pays dividends. I like working in this sort of imaginative, inspirational atmosphere, engendered naturally by Tom, and it is one of the reasons I enjoyed this production so much.

“TOM HAS A PHENOMENAL ATTENTION TO DETAIL, AND A TUNED-UP SENSE OF ACHIEVING A CINEMATOGRAPHIC STYLE, WHICH IS SELF-EVIDENT IN EDU GRAU’S FABULOUS WORK ON A SINGLE MAN .” SEAMUS MCGARVEY BSC ASC

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What creative references did you consider? SM: At the core of the movie there’s a wan, sterile, set-up in LA that co-exists with an extremely vivid film-within-a-film nightmare journey across the desert, which has a dark centre, spikey edges and unexpected kaleidoscopic U-turns. Tom’s mood reel was an important starting point for this colour palette, but he has an encyclopaedic knowledge and we pooled additional visual references. For the LA scenes we considered the stasis and sparseness of Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Conformist (1970, DP Vittorio Storaro). To bring in an element of the noir genre we looked at Night Of The Hunter (1955, dirs. Charles Laughton/Robert Mitchum, DP Stanley Cortez) and The Kill Off (1989, dir. Maggie Greenwald, DP Declan Quinn), which you might call deep American colour noir. We also liked the supernatural lighting and shadow in the paintings of Victorian artist Henry Fuseli. For the desert scenes we looked at how the landscape and characters were handled in masterpiece Westerns such as The Searchers (1956, dir. John Ford, DP Winton C. Hoch). And you can never rule out the influence of the great Alfred Hitchcock for interesting, spooky camera positions. How did you decide on the format, aspect ratio and lenses? SM: A Single Man was shot on film, and both Tom and the producers had already made the decision to shoot Nocturnal Animals on film too. In fact, for the film-within-the-film, it was essential to shoot on film. I did consider large format digital, to get a clinical, sterile vibe to the LA scenes, but as we were shooting out of order, and going back and forth a lot, it was impossible to hire both film and video packages simultaneously, so that fell by the wayside. Regarding aspect ratio, we wanted to shoot widescreen and to use the properties of the format to frame Susan in negative space to emphasise her loneliness, but to also use every millimetre of the frame to create dense and interesting compositions of the desert wilderness. You can also use the widescreen format in a binary way, and have two close-ups juxtaposed in the same frame.

As much of the movie was going to be shot at night – including a 15-page centrepiece scene on the highway, when the family get abducted by ne’er-do-well rednecks – I knew I would be at the edge of exposure. I would have preferred Anamorphic, but the lenses are not fast enough to give me enough stop at night, and I didn’t want to give my first AC a heart attack shooting wide open. I also wanted the keep the edges of frame sharp too. So with all of that in mind, we shot spherical 2.35:1 with Panavision Primo Primes for most of the show, and with a couple of Primo zooms – the 19-90mm and 24-275mm – for the highway car chase sequence. Which film stocks did you choose? SM: I used two stocks – Kodak 5213 200T and Kodak 5219 500T – both of which I love. Knowing that we’d be shooting at night, probably 85% of the movie, I wanted the fastest stock I could get. Unlike digital, with night-time photography on film, you have complete control of the light. You paint the negative out of a black canvas in an additive, artistic process. For the colour noir style it was the perfect stock for rendering the contrast of the pronounced lighting, and for the saturated red and deep green colours that we enhanced with the liberal use of gels. On the dark highway scene, where I used Bebe lights to illuminate over a mile of road, the 5219 gave me enough T-stop to achieve exactly the eerie levels of obscurity I intended. It also supported the misty and anaemic look of Susan’s spartan Los Angeles world, and it combined nicely too with Tiffen Glimmerglass, when I softened the image and the actors for the optimistic flashback sequences of Susan and Tom in their college days.

British Cinematographer | November 2016 | 59

CAMERA CREATIVE / SEAMUS MCGARVEY BSC ASC / NOCTURNAL ANIMALS / BY RON PRINCE

“YOU CAN NEVER RULE OUT THE INFLUENCE OF THE GREAT ALFRED HITCHCOCK FOR INTERESTING, SPOOKY CAMERA POSITIONS.” SEAMUS MCGARVEY BSC ASC

did you feel about coming back to shoot on >> How film again?

SM: The last movie I shot on film was Anna Karenina (2012), with Joe Wright, and it was wonderful to exercise my photographic muscles again. There’s a risk and a skill in using celluloid, but the pay-off is massive. There’s a beauty in the deep, inky blackness of a properly exposed negative, especially at night, that you just don’t get with digital, where the black is more of a charcoal. I love the grain in the celluloid image too. On a practical level, with digital you can get a disparate myriad of voices around you as your lighting and framing are displayed on multiple monitors in different E-Z Up Tents. This can diffuse the effort and enterprise of the cinematographer before you’ve even begun. But with film it’s more focussed and concentrated, and results rest with you. It was wonderful to compose the image through the lens, through the eyepiece, rather than have to do that on video monitors.

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What was your strategy for moving the camera? SM: Susan’s world is very spare, controlled and metric, a brittle symphony of black, grey and dark brown and we kept the camera pretty static. When she reads the script, we played with close-ups and a Hitchcockian style of shots looking down from a higher perspective to bring in a sense of suspense. As things become more horrific and more psychologically threatening, we gave a menacing sense of her being observed using long shots, through doorways and windows. We had several sequences – such as the rape and abduction scenes – where I wanted a more erratic, unstable urgency into the framing, so we went with two handheld cameras on these occasions. It was great for me to get back into the saddle again on B-camera, and I am thankful to the union for granting me a special dispensation. Who were your crew? SM: Considering this was a fairly low-budget independent movie, I was lucky to assemble a crack team. My A-camera operator was David Emmerichs, with first AC Harry Zimmerman. When I operated B-camera, Richie Masino was my very able first AC. My gaffer was Chris Napolitano, with Herb Ault as my key grip. They are all brilliant people, who have worked on some amazing movies with wonderful directors and DPs. Although it was a tough shoot physically, we all admired Tom as our talented leader.

How did you survive the night-time working hours? SM: Coffee. I am not so fond of night shoots – I should have clocked that from the title of the movie – but it was summertime and thankfully our nights were short. I’m photosensitive, and I normally wake up with the light. On the shoot, I would typically get to bed by 6am, rise by nine or ten in the morning, and be on-set by 4pm to start prep. We would then shoot in the lovely crepuscular light at the end of the day and into the night. We were doing continuous nights, without a break for lunch, which was good as it can be hard to get going again after you get food in your stomach. But once you get into a rhythm, over a long period, night work is absolutely fine. I have to say though that whilst the desert is blistering by day, the temperature plummets as the sun goes down, making the nights really, really cold. Where did you do the DI grade? SM: The DI was conducted by Siggy Ferstl from Company3 in LA, who flew in to London to work with Tom. However, I was in the thick of production on Life (dir. Daniel Espinosa) and was unable to attend for the duration of the sessions. I managed to pop in on a number of evenings to see the progress. Although I’m keen that the cinematographer must be in this part of the photographic process, the difference on this occasion was that due to my great rapport with Tom, who is just so visually astute, with a great sense of taste and colour, I knew the movie was in great hands. There’s a lot of Tom in this film. It’s a great movie. I hope that when people leave the cinema after watching it, they will appreciate what an amazing director he really is. n

SAVE THE PLANET

ON THE JOB / BEN DAVIS BSC / DOCTOR STRANGE

More often than not, cinematographers can’t wait to get their hands on the very latest bits of kit. And never was this truer than when Ben Davis BSC signed to shoot Doctor Strange, Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Pictures’ magical thriller, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, directed by Scott Derrickson.

r Stephen Strange’s life, as a leading neurosurgeon, changes after a car crash robs him of the use of his hands. When traditional medicine fails, he looks for healing and hope in a mysterious sanctuary. But he quickly discovers the place is the front line of a conflict against dark forces bent on destroying reality, and Strange is forced to defend the world from a powerful sorcerer in a multidimensional battle. Davis shot the $165m movie, releasing in 2D/3D widescreen and IMAX, between November 2015 and April 2016, on location in Kathmandu, across a multitude of sets built at Longcross and Shepperton studios, and in New York. “There was a lot of new technology just coming onto the market at the time – the first of the large format digital cameras, with their new back-end workflow systems, plus a host of interactive LED lighting equipment – and I was eager to see how I could get the best from them,” he says. Davis was completing the DI grade in LA, with colourist Steve Scott, on Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015), when he first met Derrickson and was given the script. “I was interested in Doctor Strange as it was a step in a different direction for Marvel, and I had the chance to do something new and interesting,” recalls Davis. “It was of its own, about magic more than anything else, with visuals that we have not seen before in a movie. It had to be original, yet also be respectful to the original comics, which were ‘out there’ and pretty psychedelic in places. “So I wanted to find a way to take the look, energy and dynamism of the original artwork onto the big screen. Perhaps my most important conversations, with my director Scott, revolved around the challenges of dealing with, and delivering, the alternate dimensions-inparallel, which feature in the story, and translating these to the big screen. Along with shooting live action, this was also going to be a VFX-heavy production.” Back then, the ARRI Alexa 65 had just hit the production line, and was a camera system that Davis had been itching to get his hands on. As he explains, “In the digital world, large sensor cameras are the way forward, as 35m-size sensors lack resolution on the large screen, especially on wides. Along with this, I was interested to see how large format digital would handle close-ups and portraiture. In any film the human face is the thing you will be looking at most of the time.” Davis undertook extensive tests with the Alexa 65, scrutinising five different lens sets – ARRI’s certified 765 and rehoused Hasselblads, as well as Panavision 70mm 62 | British Cinematographer | November 2016

Primos, Vintage and Auto Panatar glass – to discover which would yield the result he wanted. In the end he went with the Vintage lenses as his primary tools, supplemented by the 70mm Primos. Doctor Strange would be framed 2.35:1, but protected for 1.85:1 and full-frame for IMAX. “The resolution of the Alexa 65, using my preferred lenses for wide shots and the IMAX deliverable, was beyond question and, to my pleasant surprise, the face became a landscape too. What’s more, I found I would be able to balance the lighting and exposure to get gorgeous depth-of-field, do lovely focus pulls and ultimately have a lot of control over my shots – whilst avoiding giving our first ACs a complete nightmare on-set.” Davis deployed four Alexa 65s on the shoot – two on first unit, the other pair on second unit – and operated Alexa XT himself when an extra camera was required, or whenever the action needed to shoot above 60fps (the Alexa 65 was only able to shoot up to 60fps at that point in time). The Alexa 65s were rated at 1280 as part of Davis’ lighting and exposure equation, with the advantages of introducing a little noise, which the cinematographer says he likes, and a close aesthetic match with the Alexa XT rated at 800. Codex Vaults, which accompany the Alexa 65s, were sited near-set and also at Pinewood Post, which was responsible for back-ups, QC and deliverables for editorial and VFX post. Davis’ DIT was Tom Gough of Flow-MPS. In pre-production, Davis worked with colourist Steve Scott to establish an on-set display LUT, which was later reapplied at the start of the DI. “When shooting digital, I like to keep things simple, like a film negative production,” says Davis. “I use just one film-emulation display LUT, and certainly never have CDLs travelling from set into post. I never ever want to get stuck in a tent, doing grading on-set. To my mind it is

“THERE’S A CERTAIN NOISE, DIRT, LIGHT AND ATMOSPHERE THERE, AND FILM HAS A INNATE WAY OF CAPTURING THESE TEXTURES THAT DIGITAL JUST CANNOT.” BEN DAVIS BSC better just to shoot the on-set lighting as it is, with everyone looking at one image that cannot be altered, and pick-up from your original starting point when you do the final DI grade.” Whilst the vast majority of Doctor Strange was shot digitally, sometimes only film will suffice. The opening minutes of the movie are set in Kathmandu, and after a recce around the city, Davis decided that celluloid was the right medium for this part of the production. As he explains, “There’s a certain noise, dirt, light and atmosphere there, and film has a innate way of capturing these textures that digital just cannot. I knew film would also be a good choice on a practical level, as we wanted to take a gun-and-run approach and shoot discretely in the street with real locals and real life in the background. You can set-up a film camera on a tripod very quickly and start turning-over before hordes of people gather around. But there’s no way you could do that with a digital camera.” Returning to the UK, Davis was immersed in a 90day shoot from December 2015 to March 2016, on huge sets built on multiple stages, spread between Longcross and Shepperton studios. These included the interior and exterior of the Kathmandu sanctuary

and courtyard, and an exterior rooftop of some 300ft in length, which each had to be lit for day and night, plus an operating theatre, Hong Kong streets and a greenscreen volume for the dynamic, dimensional New York chase sequence at the end of the movie. This was followed by a week in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen area, to shoot the opening scenes of Dr Strange as a neurosurgeon, and additional footage for the chase sequence. Along with embracing new camera technology, Davis was also keen to harness the latest advances in LED lighting and interactive control systems for the production’s creative and expeditious advantage. “LED technology is a rapidly changing field, with more refined, efficient, environmentally-friendly and controllable tools at your disposal,” says Davis. He explains that the big stage at Longcross was to be used initially to shoot exterior day and night scenes of the Kathmandu temple courtyard, measuring around 250ft in length. After this, the same stage had to be rapidly converted into a greenscreen stage to shoot the acrobatic New York chase scenes, which see the action pivot around the camera axis, with the sky moving rapidly from one side of frame to the other. “You have to start with the sky first in any lighting set-up,” he says. “I was originally going to use incandescent Tungsten space lights, but these have a long cooling-down period. The lighting requirement needed to accommodate rapid changes in light direction and colour in-shot, and the set needed to be changed to a greenscreen stage on a tight schedule. So it meant taking a different approach. “As with the camera technology, ARRI had just launched their SkyPanel range. The joy of using these is that they are fully colour-controllable, and you can create any mood and ambient time-of-day that you require. At the push of a button I could go to sunny day, cloudy day and night-time, as well as light for the greenscreen, with the appropriate interactive crossfades to match the light to the action – all without having to remove or reposition the fixtures. Along with rigging

SkyPanels above and around the studio walls, I also had a couple of 20ft x 15ft truck-able lightboxes with the same SkyPanel fixtures on the floor and could reposition them as needed. So whilst the sets and lighting needs changed dramatically, the fixtures stayed where they were, making things very efficient.” Davis’ A-camera operator was Julian Morson, supported by first-AC Dave Cousins, with Sam Renton on B-camera, assisted by first-AC Leigh Gold, who he describes as, “simply great. I’ve known them for years. Whilst the lighting sometimes dropped below T4, sometimes whilst shooting handheld, they each proved they are simply-the-best.” Speaking of productive collaborations, Davis praises his working relationship with VFX supervisor Stephane Ceretti. “This production was laden with VFX, with images that mirror, fold and concertina around the action. Stephane was a hero in orchestrating that crucial role between the cinematographer and the VFX department. It’s taken a while for this relationship to develop on these big tentpole movies, but it’s vital to have an intimate relationship on-set with the VFX team, and I think things took a big leap forward on this production.” As for the working hours, Davis describes the regime as “full-on”. A 10-hour working day might often stretch to twelve. After which it was not at all uncommon to undertake a production meeting to discuss the next day’s shooting requirement, as well as recce-ing other sets, liaising with the second and third units, and viewing dailies. Weekends would regularly involve pre-lighting up-and-coming sets and scenes. “You simply have to be well-prepared, not just for the next day, but weeks in advance,” he says. Davis completed the DI with Steve Scott at Technicolor in Burbank. “There was quite a lot to do, as there were so many VFX shots to integrate, but it was all pretty straightforward. Because of the workflow the VFX shots tracked very well into our sessions, and the on-set lighting translated just as I wanted it. I like the creative opportunities you have in the DI to work with power windows and vignettes, to help guide the audience’s eyes to the right part of the image.” Davis concludes: “I absolutely loved using new camera, workflow and lighting technologies on this production. It’s still a bit of a wild frontier out there, but it’s exciting and enjoyable seeing what they can do, whilst doing your bit to protect the environment with the new lighting fixtures.” n British Cinematographer | November 2016 | 63

CLOSE-UP / FRED ELMES ASC / PATERSON

POETRY IN MOTION A

t the merest mention of his name, in casual conversations with other cinematographers prior to this interview, covetous sighs of “lucky you”, plus positive gasps of “ooh” and “ah”, were readily forthcoming. So it came with a heightened sense of expectation to speak with Fred Elmes ASC about his work on director Jim Jarmusch’s charmingly tender tale of Paterson. The outcome is that anyone with an interest in the cinematographic artform could do far worse than to imbibe the measured words of insight from a master herein, and then go enjoy the indie movie. Or vice versa, of course. Paterson (Adam Driver) is a bus driver and poet, who happens to live in the city of Paterson, New Jersey. Each day in his life follows the same routine. He rises at the same time everyday, and walks past the town’s old warehouses and factories to the bus depot. After driving the same bus route, he returns home, has supper with his wife Laura (Golshifteh Farahani), and walks his dog to the same bar, for the same regular glass of beer. Paterson is quietly fascinated by humankind, eavesdropping on his passengers’ chatter, which send him into lyrical reveries. Laura urges him to note down the lovely observational verse playing in his head, but he never seems to get around to doing it properly. Eventually, though, a small disaster threatens to shatter their idyll. The feature was shot in the autumn months of 2015, with the bus driving sections and the Passaic River’s Great Falls captured in the city of Paterson itself for authenticity, whilst the remainder was shot in and around the city Yonkers, due to tax incentives offered by New York State. It was Elmes’ fourth collaboration with Jarmusch, the pair having worked together previously on Night On Earth (1991), Coffee And Cigarettes (2003) and Broken Flowers (2005). “I saw Jim’s Stranger Than Paradise many years ago. It was an interesting movie that really made an impression on me, and I thought, ‘Wow there’s a guy to watch’. Fortunately for me, he called a couple of years later out-of-the-blue and we’ve gotten along really well ever since,” recalls Elmes. “We talked about Paterson for quite a while before the production began in earnest. I grew up around those parts, and know the town’s industrial heritage (in textiles, firearms and railroad locomotives), its great, working class history and more recent immigrant culture, and ultimately

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its ties to the wide East Coast of the US. I was hooked about the idea of a bus driver being a poet there, although initially I did not know much about the production apart from Jim had secured the involvement of Adam Driver.” Recounting his early discussions with the director about how to visualise the story, Elmes says, “Jim described Paterson as a simple story about a man whose life is run by routine, who lives by the clock, does the same thing, at the same time every day, wears the same clothes, and so on. This allows his mind to wander and be creative in other ways. Poetry is his way of expressing himself, without having to worry about anything else. “I expressed to Jim that rather than having the exact same shot for each scenario, that we capture a very subtle variety of shots around Paterson to slowly develop and build an engaging picture of his poetic character. This would also have the effect that when the story changed, we could then significantly change the camera angles, making the big moment a really big deal.” However there was another challenge, which called on Elmes inner muse. “We had to establish Paterson as a poet from the very start of the movie. So working things through with Jim, we developed the idea of also shooting a montage of forms and fragments, a sort of abstract visual festival, that would overlap the live action and build around the poetry he narrates. These montages were later supplemented by Jim in post production, with beautiful animated calligraphy, without my direct involvement, but I loved it when I saw the final result.” Elmes framed the production as 1.85:1, as he felt this would provide greater intimacy and engagement with the characters and locations, as opposed to Anamorphic, which can contain visual distractions at the edges of the wide image.

He selected Zeiss VariPrime glass, enabling subtle changes of focal length to reframe and push into the image during the different takes of the emerging character. Using the VariPrimes also came with the practical advantage of not needing to interrupt the production flow with frequent lens changes. Furthermore, these lenses offered a level of innate distortion and softness to mollify the sharpness of the cameras’ digital sensors, although Elmes further diffused the image with the application of fine netting over the lens front. Elmes elected to shoot using Alexa Studio for the bulk of the live action, with the Alexa Mini deployed onboard the bus, due to its convenient size. Although Paterson appears to drive the vehicle, it was actually towed on a lengthy trailer arrangement, and Elmes knew a diminutive camera package would be a great help in the tight spaces available. Rather than go for straight live action, Elmes had a transparent Plexiglass sheet wrapped discreetly around the bus driver’s cabin, to add a visual overlay of reflections. Bearing in mind the modest budget, and the lack of visual effects, the production shot ProRes 4444 Log C, rather than ARRIRAW and the expense it brings in data handling. A film-emulation display LUT was applied on-set, which had been developed in pre-production by Elmes and his regular colourist, Joe Gawler at Harbor Picture Company in New York, who also completed the final DI grade. Elmes says it was to the production’s advantage that the prep period, amounting to four weeks in total, was spread over the course of several months. “We found the locations we wanted early-on and started living with those in terms of the sense of spaces, the colours and the framing. Jim cares very much about how his movies look – from the costume and set design to the photography, and he goes out of his way to get every element to his liking. But he’s very respectful to suggestions and the rapport he engenders makes for a stimulating and happy family atmosphere.” Elmes says the lighting was mainly natural light, or inspired by it when required. The extended prep period allowed the production crew to take over a house in Yonkers and customise it with lighting in advance. Windows and doorways were boxed out, affording Elmes complete control over the lighting set-up there irrespective of the time of day. He illuminated interiors using bounced light from HMI lampheads, supplemented by a subtle, soft source from SkyPanels, Kino Flo Celeb LEDs and practicals, resulting in an naturalistic atmosphere overall.

Fred Elmes ASC

“I EXPRESSED TO JIM (JARMUSCH) THAT RATHER THAN HAVING THE EXACT SAME SHOT FOR EACH SCENARIO, THAT WE CAPTURE A VERY SUBTLE VARIETY OF SHOTS AROUND PATERSON TO SLOWLY DEVELOP AND BUILD AN ENGAGING PICTURE OF HIS POETIC CHARACTER.” FRED ELMES ASC

Another part of Elmes’ lighting challenge was to handle the daylight on exterior scenes and prevent the highlights from blowing out. “We kept the actors out of the sun, and were ultra careful about the times of day we shot each scene, making sure to keep the colour and contrast the same,” he explains. One senses that along with the considered framing of the live action, lensed by A-camera operator, Peter Agliata, Elmes particularly relished visualising the abstract images for the montage overlays. “During pre-production I took a bus ride through Paterson and shot footage of everyday elements – an empty seat, reflections, the glint of sunlight on an opening door, passing vehicles, telegraph wires, industrial brick work, the silvery edges of clouds – and edited this into a short reel for Jim to consider. It met his thinking head-on. Paterson is not a treatise on existentialism, it’s really not as highfaluting as that. Just a simple poetic story. For Jim it’s often more about the bits in between the dramatic moments.” As for the final DI, Elmes says he held back on bold colouring, preferring to keep the look naturalistic. “Slightly desaturating the image and lowering the contrast presented a subtle visual support to the repetition of Paterson’s life. A life that’s worth living,” he concludes. n

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CLOSE-UP / DON BURGESS ASC / ALLIED / BY DEBRA KAUFMAN

Director Robert Zemeckis’ new film Allied pairs Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard as assassins charged with killing a Nazi official in 1942 North Africa. They fall in love, marry – and then one of them discovers the other is a double agent.

or the movie, Zemeckis brought in his long-time cinematographer Don Burgess ASC, who says he begins the process by reading the script a few times. “We usually sit down, have dinner and talk about it philosophically, the larger themes of what the project is about,” he explains. “I get his take on the film, discuss things I discovered in the script and make sure I’m on the right path. As a cinematographer, I appreciate talking through a movie and, when scouting locations, working through what the movie is about and what shots are needed to tell that story.” For Allied, Burgess created six different looks, from the warm tones of North Africa in the movie’s early scenes to the darker bombed-out London. “As Brad Pitt’s character discovers what’s true and what isn’t, he becomes more isolated from the world, his friends and family,” says Burgess. “Bob suggested that,

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in that isolation, we should get longer on the lenses. In these six different sections, each has a colour and lens representation as a guide, and we slowly got into longer lenses to isolate the character into his world where he has no one to trust and nowhere to go.” With regard to the camera, Burgess tested the 6K RED Weapon and says, “it was working for me on all levels. It had the right feel. It’s nice to have a camera that is small and light, and to have a 6K image to work with. The 2.4:1 aspect ratio allowed me to reduce it 10 percent and correct some of the framing in post. It also allows the bigger chip for a lot of the visual effects work.” Burgess bought two RED camera bodies, which he brought to the UK for the production. Panavision London provided the lenses and the rest of the gear. That included Leica Summicron lenses in the 20-28mm range, and a Summilux 40mm for a nighttime scene. Burgess also brought his own Nikon Nikkor T-200mm lens. The production used RED’s 8K Weapon for some background plates, especially for scenes in war-torn London.

Locations were carefully chosen. “We shot in the Canary Islands for the desert, and we recreated an old city as Casablanca,” says Burgess. In London, Zemeckis and Burgess, along with production designer Gary Freeman and VFX supervisor Kevin Baillie, searched for locations where they could utilise the foreground and only have to replace or enhance backgrounds. “You put this puzzle together, and it’s quite challenging to pull off that time period,” says Burgess. “We huddled-up and figured out what exists, what to build and what to take to stage.” The scenes in Casablanca have “the classic 1940s look,” he says. “That era had some of the most wonderful styles in architecture, clothes and cars, and that all played into the beginning of the movie. We brought out the beauty of the era, as the two characters meet and fall in love in Casablanca.” And, yes, Zemeckis and Burgess did joke about Casablanca (1942, DP Arthur Edeson). “We’re both old film buffs,” Burgess says. “It’s always fun to tip a nod to classic cinema. There’s no relationship, but there is that kind of connection.” Burgess and Zemeckis did not look at any other films with regard to designing Allied, but Burgess says they referenced Lawrence Of Arabia (1962, DP Freddie Young) in creating “a David Lean feeling” for North Africa. “The colours were golden, sunrise, sand dunes,” he says. “And it was also about a man alone in the desert.” The only movies Burgess did look at to prepare for Allied were ones starring Cotillard and Pitt. The production shot on several stages in the UK, including the George Lucas Stage at Elstree Studios, the Gillette Building in West London and a massive hangar at the former Royal Air Force station in Cardington, in Bedfordshire.

“The Gillette Building worked for a lot of the smaller sets, but not the bigger ones,” explains Burgess. The movie’s climactic finale takes place on an airfield, in pouring rain, which is when the production moved to Cardington. That latter scene – a chase that ends up at an aircraft – proved one of the movie’s most challenging. “It was important for Bob, to have control so he could get the actor’s performance, so we had the actual confrontation on stage,” says Burgess. “We shot scenes at the [outdoor] facility and then moved on stage with aircraft, automobiles and all these people and made it feel like it’s all taking place at the real airfield.” To block and light the scene, complete with rain, Zemeckis and Burgess first determined how big a space they required. “We needed a lot of height and we needed a lot of rain,” says Burgess. “We had to make sure we could drain the rain, and that we could hang hundreds of lights in this very large hangar with an enormous piece of diffusion, 100 feet in each direction.” Burgess used hundreds of Skypanel LED lights, which enabled him to control the light, color and density in a very natural way. Zemeckis’ penchant for planning came into play on this scene. The art department built a model of the facility, with small airplanes and cars. “We laid out the shot, talked about lights and figured out illumination and colour temperature on paper,” says Burgess. “Then there was probably a good week of rigging that took place.” Other concerns were rain covers for the cameras, sometimes with spinners on the front. The result gave Zemeckis the control – and the result – he wanted. “Bob is one of the finest directors working today,” says Burgess, who was in the DI grade at Light Iron with colorist Corinne Bogdanowicz at the time of writing. “With Bob, there is a captain at the helm. He has a great energy and is able to communicate to everybody. It feels great to be part of the filmmaking process like this one when you’re working with a real filmmaker. It reminds me why I’m doing this in the first place.” n

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CLOSE-UP / PAUL CAMERON ASC / WESTWORLD / BY TREVOR HOGG

Back in 1973, an adultoriented theme park became the fearsome battleground between android hosts and human guests in the sci-fi thriller Westworld. Now that directorial debut of Michael Crichton, who also wrote the original screenplay, has had a major upgrade by director Jonathan Nolan and writer Lisa Joy who together have reimagined Westworld for HBO.

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“T

he pressure on the pilot was massive. There were high expectations for the series,” states cinematographer Paul Cameron ASC, who is known for lensing Man On Fire (2004, dir. Tony Scott) and Collateral (2004, dir. Michael Mann). “Jonathan, the production designer Nathan Crowley, and I, wanted a big-scale cinematic feel all-around. Jonathan brought that to the content. Nathan brought that to the concept of the park. Hopefully I brought it to the cinematography. I was pushing to shoot in iconic places, like Moab, Utah, specifically the Harley Bates Ranch, where I shot a lot of commercials with Tony Scott. I know the land well there, what you can do with the horses, where you can track alongside, and where to find the aerial views. We also brought a number of set walls from California locations to Moab so as to incorporate reverse angles with the real views.” “Melody Ranch [which was also used for TV series Deadwood] was where we shot the Western town, which is the

centre of Westworld,” says Cameron, who conducted 20 days of principal photography in August 2014. “It’s been shot for decades by many of the best cinematographers in the world. Fortunately, it is laid out well for sun direction.” The location was given a facelift, including the addition of a practical train. “Nathan, Jonathan and I thought this is a place where people are spending a lot of money to go to fulfil their fantasies, so it needed to be fresh and clean, yet be authentic. The biggest practical set was the saloon. It was a challenge because we were shooting throughout the day in the middle of the summer in California. There’s a swinging wooden door with people going in and out, and a number of large windows on the ground floor. I had to bring the light levels up to match the exterior. We designed an elaborate rig of 4K’s. It’s always a challenge with light to maintain the quality and feel along with volume.” In the pilot, the action goes down underground to the bottom of the Westworld facility, to the place where decommissioned bodies are taken, “We used an empty and decrepit shopping centre location, known as the Hawthorne Mall, which was perfect for the basement of Westworld,” he says. “The other main floors of the underground headquarters have a clinical appearance and consist of all glass walls, which in themselves proved a massive lighting challenge. There’s a control

“JONATHAN, THE PRODUCTION DESIGNER NATHAN CROWLEY, AND I, WANTED A BIG-SCALE CINEMATIC FEEL ALL-AROUND. JONATHAN BROUGHT THAT TO THE CONTENT. NATHAN BROUGHT THAT TO THE CONCEPT OF THE PARK. HOPEFULLY I BROUGHT IT TO THE CINEMATOGRAPHY.” PAUL CAMERON ASC room with a 25ft circular rotating 3D map of the complete Westworld Park. The idea is that some of the employees spin the map to keep an eye on the Hosts and the Guests throughout the 50-mile square area. The map would have normally been a bluescreen VFX shoot, but Jonathan asked, if we could do this as a practical effect. Nathan designed a 3D plaster topographic map from a satellite image of the Moab area, around Dead Horse Point. I designed an overhead spinning projection system with two 2K digital projectors. Another challenge on that set was the red plexiglass that circles the entire set. Gorgeous but another 360-degree reflective light challenge.” Regarding the production format for the new series Cameron recalls, “The first time I met Jonathan I asked if he would consider shooting on film, to which he replied, ‘We’re absolutely shooting film’, and I was thrilled to hear that. I shot on 3-perf 35mm on Kodak Vision 3 5207 250D, 5245 50D and 5219 500T stocks. I utilised 5219 in the control room and diagnostic centre. Day interiors and exteriors I shot predominately on the 5245. I prefer the natural richer blacks, contrast and colour rendition on that stock.” The camera equipment for the pilot was provided by Keslow Camera in Los Angeles, comprising of Arricam LTs and 235s, with Cooke S-4 Primes and Fujinon Premier zoom lenses. For the flashbacks Cameron used a set of K35 Canons, which are old lenses that have a lot of flaring and halation. For lighting day exteriors he employed multiple Arrimax 18Ks on Maxi Movers. Many

stages were rigged with LXR 12K pars on travellers through an overhead silk through a concrete coffered ceiling designed by Crowley, along with MacTech LEDs. “It would be typical for Jonathan and I to scout a location numerous times,” notes Cameron. “We’d go back again with a couple of stand-ins, photograph our angles, figure out the action and camera moves, and shot list from there. Once on-set we did the blocking and played around to see if the shot list worked. Sometimes we stuck with it but sometimes we abandoned or altered it to the new blocking and action.” Two key members of the camera crew stand out. “Chris Haarhoff was the A-camera/Steadicam operator, and Barry Idoine was on B-camera. Both of them are strong camera operators and have great progressive attitudes on-set and bring a lot to the table,” says Cameron. “Most of the time two cameras were deployed. We had specific Steadicam moves which were based on a mechanical movement to give the impression that the camera was being controlled in the control room.” Westworld features the acting talents of Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood, James Marsden, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Luke Hemsworth and Clifton Collins, Jr.. “This was an epic project with opportunities for everybody

involved, and that’s why it attracted an amazing cast across the board,” remarks Cameron. “I enjoyed the scenes with Anthony Hopkins and Jeffrey Wright having philosophical discussions. It’s always satisfying to light a scene and watch fabulous performances. Ed Harris has a few pivotal scenes that reveal his true nature as an evil character.” He continues: “I am looking forward to people’s reactions to Westworld, from the experience of being in the town to the challenges of looking behind-thescenes, and the two worlds eventually colliding,” states Cameron who was recently in London shooting The Commuter with Liam Neeson, directed by Jaume ColletSerra. He says that Blade Runner (1982, DP Jordan Cronenweth) had an influence on the production, “from the archetypical character point-of-view, where these replicant-like characters develop emotions.” Overall, Cameron reports an enjoyable experience on the project. “I felt fortunate to be approached for a show like this. It was a great opportunity. Nathan provided brilliant sets. The biggest challenge was to make it great for Jonathan, Lisa and HBO. I think of Jonathan, Nathan and I as one of the best collaborations, and I hope to have that again.” n

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INNOVATOR / LEON JOANKNECHT / FILMFABRIEK / BY ADRIAN PENNINGTON

If Apple made film scanners, they might look a lot like this. FilmFabriek’s new HDS+ machine, on display at IBC 2016, exudes attention to detail – from the metallic powder coating of its laser-cut 1.5mm steel housing, to the light source which is tuned to extract the maximum dynamic range from damaged, brittle or otherwise lost celluloid archives. The Dutch company behind it clearly care about film with a passion born out of a simple appreciation for image quality.

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“W

hile there is so much film available, traditional methods of viewing film are lost,” says Leon Joanknecht, founder and CEO. “It is like finding a library full of books which no-one is able to read. Our goal is to make old films visible again at the best quality. We would like to provide film products that can be operated by the young digital generation.” Joanknecht was working in finance when his parents asked him if he could transfer their home movies from Super8 to digital. “I was happy to do this of course and relive past birthdays and holidays featuring me and my brother and sisters – the usual home movie collection. But video just wouldn’t do it justice,” he says. “More and more now I detect a strong revival of film. In an era where content is everywhere, the beauty and depth of 8mm and 16mm footage from the twenties to the eighties is something special. People will watch it instantly. Moreover, all early footage was shot by people who carefully thought about each shot, as film was – and remains – expensive. This further extends the quality of film, compared with unlimited and inexpensive digital video.” Despite possessing no specialist knowledge of film, or the film industry, Joanknecht instinctively knew there had to be a better way. “The resolution of digital can be higher, but the depth of film will always be unbeatable. Film is special.” His research led him to Daan Müller, a Dutch inventor who had designed a frame-by-frame film scanner. “As soon as I saw it I knew that this was the way to capture film,” says Joanknecht. In 2011 he acquired the intellectual property and together with colleague Roel Eckhardt established FilmFabriek, in the appropriately titled ‘Cool District’ of Rotterdam, using his knowledge of business administration to take the product to market.

Tragically, a year into the process, Müller passed away. “We could no longer rely on the one true expert for this technology,” says Joanknecht. “This forced us to learn how to innovate the product ourselves.” The first model was based on image capture only; it couldn’t digitise sound, which limited the product’s appeal. “We were challenged to innovate new sound heads for the scanner,” says Joanknecht. “We could have acquired them from another manufacturer but, even if they wanted to licence to a competitor, this may well have cost us too much.” It took the young firm three years to engineer their own magnetic and optical sound recording heads from scratch during which time they also began the search for the perfect light source to illuminate the film. The unit digitises 8mm (regular 8 and Super 8), 16mm film gate (16 and s16) and 9.5mm Pathé reels. “The lighting solution is key to many problems regarding film scanning,” explains Joanknecht. “Film has an unbelievable dynamic range which is extremely hard to match with any digital sensor. To capture as much as possible of the dynamic range of the film on the digital sensor, the calibration levels of the light have to be as accurate as possible.” Joanknecht’s search took him to England and the expertise of Frank Vine of Cine2Digits. Vine’s technology uses LEDs which are only switched on during a frame exposure. The period for which they are switched on determines the colour balance of the exposure as the camera shutter is held open for the longest of the three (RGB) channels. The Cine2Digits software correctly exposes scenes automatically during scanning. “If the red pixels of the image are over exposed, for example, then a signal immediately tells

“OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE OLD FILMS VISIBLE AGAIN AT THE BEST QUALITY. WE WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE FILM PRODUCTS THAT CAN BE OPERATED BY THE YOUNG DIGITAL GENERATION.” LEON JOANKNECHT the system to reduce the level of red light,” explains Joanknecht. “If the blue pixels are underexposed then a signal is sent to the head to increase the amount of blue light. This constantly utilises the full dynamic range of the sensor to give lower noise, less banding and more detail in the shadow areas.” The HDS+ scanner has been sold all over the world for restoration of archives. Customers include The Internet Archive and Yale University in North America; Haghefilm Digitaal in Amsterdam; Switzerland’s Archive de Lausanne and Cinegrell; Filmfabrika in Moscow; Norway’s Filmtek AS, ZERO i U (Spain); Studio Multimediale (Italy) and Retro Enterprises (Japan). “Our clients are scanning film which is often 50 and sometimes 70 years old, and this material is very brittle and tends to tear. So we gave ourselves the challenge: How can we make a scanner that handles fragile media delicately?” FilmFabriek’s response is a design without sprockets and grabbers for capture of the most fragile and shrunken film with adjustable tension control. PTR rollers are included to remove dust and dirt from the film. Equally important is the use of a wet gate, “by far the best way to digitise damaged film, especially film which has suffered a lot passing through projectors.” FilmFabriek uses a film cleaner, to fill the scratches and vertical lines in the film emulsion. The high percentage of alcohol ensures that the fluid evaporates before it winds up on the reel again. “If you fill with the correct fluid and use the same reflective index as that of the film then 90100% of the lines are gone and the film will look as fresh as if it were shot yesterday,” he says. “If you use wet gate on Kodachrome 8mm from the ‘70s it will look like cinematic 16mm.”

FilmFabriek... founder and CEO Leon Joanknecht (l), and R&D engineer Koen Gerrits (r)

FilmFabriek’s team, including R&D engineer Koen Gerrits, are as enthusiastic about film as its founder. Deliberately so. “I want to work with a small, strong team of people who see difficulties as a challenge. My team are all young people, talented engineers, who have never worked with film before, but they are passionate about listening to film people and experiencing film.” He adds, “We’re not aiming to become the biggest company. I want to have a work atmosphere where people work in a small team and so I try to look for the best suppliers from metalwork to cameras. I want to offer the best image quality, and best build quality at the most affordable price. Many companies only focus on two of those at optimum.” Remarkably, the FilmFabriek HDS+ costs just 20,000 Euros. Wanting to concentrate on further innovation, Joanknecht is on the hunt for a network of resellers in Europe and the US which can also offer first class support. “We get a lot of requests asking us to build a 35mm machine but I believe there are many good 35mm scanners for example from ARRI or DFT, so this is not my goal,” he says – although he is mulling the niche opportunity to develop a 65mm scanner. “It will be a very small market but it would also be fun to come up with great new product,” he says. “It’s also great that Kodak is re-introducing the Super 8 camera and their high quality films. With our scanner, we are able to fully show the quality of film in the digital era. I will be really honoured when our scanners begin to digitize these fresh films.” n

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LIVE & LET DI / DIALLING-IN THE DI GRADES

Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them

Technicolor Soho: Supervising visual colourist Peter Doyle put the finishing touches to Warner Bros.’ Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, directed by David Yates, shot by cinematographer Philippe Rousselot AFC ASC, as part of an overall digital dailies and DI package. Speaking about the project, technical operations manager, Chema Gomez, said, “We set up a VFX review station, operated by our lead colourist Mel Kangleon, in the VFX post house’s preview theatre. This set-up allowed VFX production to review 2K EXR comps in a calibrated and controlled colour environment, mimicking our DI theatre. Having Mel on the spot assured to the team they were seeing an accurate representation of the film’s aesthetic and style created by Philippe Rousselot during production, as well as the chance to observe and correct potential mismatches in the VFX work before the DI started.” Dailies producer was Charlotte Llewelyn, with Stuart Bryce the data operator, and Cherri Arpino the dailies’ production manager. DI producer was Paula Crickard, with Katie McCulloch and Michael Crusz the DI editors. Colourists John Claude, Peter Doyle, Alex Gascoigne and Jean-Clément Soret worked variously with directors Owen Harris, James Watkins, Joe Wright, Jakob Verbruggen, James Hawes and Dan Trachenberg, plus DPs Gustav Danielson, Tim Maurice-Jones, Seamus McGarvey BSC ASC and Lukas Strebel on Netflix’s Black Mirror drama series, created by English satirist and broadcaster Charlie Brooker, produced by Zeppotron for Endemol. Regarding his work on the episode, titled Playtest, directed by Trachenberg, Jean-Clément commented: “Dan and I quickly realised we were on the same wavelength; we are both big fans of hyper-textural images, rich in details and with wide colour and contrast ranges, and the show reflects this. Because On The Road we shared the same vision from the beginning it meant we were able to move quickly on the agreed look.” Meanwhile, colourist Alex Gascoigne performed the grading duties on Michael Winterbottom’s On The Road, which follows the on and off-stage exploits of four-piece rock band Wolf Alice on their UK tour, as seen through the eyes of Estelle, the newest member of their road crew. Gascoigne commented: “Pre-shoot, our colourist Dan Coles worked with Michael to build a package of LUTs which could be used for on-set monitoring and in editorial. Michael was keen to use these LUTs as a starting point for the grade so we converted them into XYZ colour-space for grading in the theatre. For the most part, we aimed for a fairly naturalistic style, desaturating slightly. We avoided over-correcting the footage – allowing the backstage corridors and on the coach to remain shadowy, keeping fluorescent lights a little green, for example. DP James Clarke captured some beautiful live concert footage with the Alexa Mini, which did a great job handling the extreme changes in lighting 72 | British Cinematographer | November 2016

typical of live gigs. There would sometimes be large shifts Goldcrest: Adam Glasman has been working with DP in stage lighting colour mid-shot, so subtle adjustments Mark Patten on the DI grade of Morgan, Luke Scott’s were made to maintain a smooth balance between cuts.” feature directorial debut. Morgan, played by Anya Taylor Technicolor’s Lee Twohey graded Spaceship, Alex Joy, is a bio-engineered child whose development exceeds Taylor’s directorial debut feature, a sci-fi fantasy with the wildest expectations of her creators, but when she bold use of colour that draws from a Kodak look, shot by attacks one of her handlers, a corporate trouble-shooter Liam Landoli the DP. Technicolor also provided dailies for visits the remote, top-secret facility where she’s kept to The Foreigner, starring Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan, assess the risks of keeping her alive. directed by Martin Campbell, with David Tattersall BSC the Lee Clappison has been working with DP Eben Bolter DP. The movie involved a 51-day shoot around London, on Mum’s List, directed by Niall Johnson, the heart-breaking including Lambeth bridge, Croydon, New Scotland Yard, story of a dying mother’s life lessons to the husband and Knightsbridge, along with Belfast and a five-day shoot sons she left behind. October saw the theatrical release of in Shanghai. Andrea Arnold’s Cannes Jury prizewinner American Morgan Dailies Honey, graded by Rob Pizzey, marking the eighth producer feature collaboration between him and DP Stephen Robbie Ryan since Arnold’s Red Road (2006). McGowan was supported Cheat: colourist Toby Tomkins was nominated by technical for best colourist at the UKMVAs for his work on operations Izzy Bizu’s ‘Give Me Love’, directed by Georgia manager Hudson and shot by Adam Chema Scarth. He has also been Izzy Bizu ‘Give Me Love’ Gomez, dailies putting the finishing touches operators to Kaleidoscope, lensed by Maikel Popic Philip Blaubach, directed by and Chris Rupert Jones and starring Wilson Toby Jones, and Genesis, and dailies lensed by Sarah Deane using production Kowa Anamorphics on Alexa, manager Cherri Arpino. “Our dailies colourist and and directed by Bartolomeo dailies operators were based in our Soho facility Ruspoli and Bartolomeo for the majority of the shoot and processed the Ruspoli. Cheat is working rushes on our Technicolor Dailies system earlier with Cinelab to deliver stage this year,” said Arpino. “One of the highlights of two of its film negative the project was the Shanghai shoot. Chema developed emulation for scene referred and HDR work from and a small dailies system that could be hand-carried into for current and future digital sensors. Cheat is hosting the country and Maikel was able to create editorial its own bar at Camerimage this year alongside deliverables and back-ups as he received the media.” independent lighting company Blindspot Gear.

Molinare: senior colourist Asa Shoul has been nominated for outstanding colour grading on a feature at this year’s Hollywood Professional Association Awards. His nomination comes for Wildgaze Films’ successful romantic drama Brooklyn. Directed by Jon Crowley, with Yves Bélanger the DP and starring Saoirse Ronan, it tells the story of an Irish immigrant in 1950s New York. Brooklyn was also nominated at the 2016 Academy Awards for best film, actress and adapted screenplay. “It was a wonderful project to work on, and it is lovely to be recognised by my peers,” said Shoul. “It was also a truly transatlantic collaboration as Yves, the cinematographer, was based in Canada and had to work remotely when it came to reviews and sign-off. We were both incredibly pleased with the end result.” Shoul has previously been awarded an Emmy Honours for his work on Shackleton, and has won the International Monitor Award three times. His other recent credits include Ex Machina, War On Everyone, Victor Frankenstein, the hit BBC dramas The Living And the Dead and One of Us, plus the soon-to-be-released Netflix epic The Crown.

Brooklyn

Company 3’s Stephen Nakamura gets a nod for The Martian

HPA, Hollywood: the Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) recently announced the nominees for its 2016 Awards, which honour excellence and innovation in entertainment technology. The nominees for outstanding colour grading in the feature category include John Dowdell of Goldcrest Post Production for Carol, Steve Scott of Technicolor Production Services for The Revenant and The Jungle Book, Stephen Nakamura of Company 3 for The Martian, and, as already mentioned, Asa Shoul of Molinare for Brooklyn. The winners will be announced at a gala ceremony on November 17 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Post veteran Herb Dow will be honoured with the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award.

MTI Film, Hollywood: recently completed an all-new, 4K restoration of director Lewis Milestone’s 1931 film The Front Page. The month-long project was conducted for The Academy Film Archive and The Film Foundation, with MTI Film’s restoration team working under the direction of AFA director Michael Pogorzelski and film preservationist Heather Linville. Based on the 1928 Broadway hit, The Front Page centres on a toughtalking Chicago newspaper reporter covering the escape of a condemned criminal. The film stars Adolphe Menjou, Pat O’Brien and Mary Brian, and picked up Oscar nominations for best picture, director and actor. It was directed by Lewis Milestone, with cinematography by Glen MacWilliams, Tony Gaudio and Hal Mohr. The source element used for the restoration was a B&W composite print of the film’s US version, discovered

Sully

in the University of Nevada Las Vegas’s Howard Hughes Collection. The print was produced in the 1970s from the now lost original camera negative. Pogorzelski and Linville compared the print to surviving copies of an alternate European version and noted significant differences in action, dialogue and camera The Front Page placement throughout. Restoration began with 4K wet-gate scanning of the complete 35mm print at ImagePro in Burbank. The scanned elements then underwent several stages of automated and customised restoration at MTI Film’s facilities in Hollywood and Tianjin, China, using its proprietary DRS Nova technology. Although the source elements were in generally good condition, a number of significant issues required close attention. “Parts of the film were affected by chemical staining and mold,” noted Jim Hannafin, MTI Film SVP of business development. “One reel, in particular, was affected in its entirety.” MTI Film restoration artists addressed the staining issue as well as problems with flicker and

warping. “We used all the tools in our toolbox, and did so in unconventional and creative ways,” explained Bridgid O’Donnell-Farquhar, director of restoration and preservation. “Our grain management tool allowed us to analyse and replicate the grain pattern of the original film elements. We used that to mute much of the fungus and mold staining. Simultaneously, we replaced the grain in a manner identical to what it once was. We were very pleased with the results.” The film went through complete colour grading and remastering by Alex Chernoff, whose aim was to create a consistent look that was as close as possible to what moviegoers experienced in 1931. “With films from this period, it can be a challenge to get the black levels and density right without losing detail,” Chernoff said. “Some of the scenes in the newspaper offices were especially tricky, due to the light level and the complexity of the environment.” The re-mastering process included the production of a new 4K film negative for archiving at Universal Studios’ UDS facility. The restored film made its world premiere at the Montclair Film Festival in New Jersey followed by its European premiere at Il Cinema Ritrovato in Bologna, Italy. It also screened at Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences’ Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The restoration team made a technical presentation on the work at the recent The Reel Thing symposium in Los Angeles.

Technicolor, LA: recently gave Clint Eastwood’s biographical drama Sully the full Baselight HDR colour grade treatment to achieve a pristine look for IMAX. Produced by Malpaso Productions, the film tells the true story of pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, portrayed by Tom Hanks, the pilot hero who safely landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River in New York in 2009, saving 155 lives. Eastwood and long-term collaborator DP Tom Stern shot the movie with ARRI Alexa 65 large-format cameras at 6K resolution and finished in 4K, ready for distribution to IMAX HDR theatres. After the success of American Sniper on IMAX screens, the creative intent of the IMAX process was to provide authenticity and intensity to the movie, particularly to lend impact to the dramatic flying and landing scenes. Technicolor’s colourist Maxine Gervais, who also supervised the dailies, worked closely with Stern and Eastwood to develop the overall aesthetic and established a look of photorealism with a very “current feel”. As the incident took place on a cold January morning, it was important that the visual tones reflected the freezing river temperatures, along with the tension and urgency of the situation. “Because it was freezing that day, we wanted to make sure that it looks and feels that way– and that’s what you experience when you see the movie,” said Gervais. Sully features several flashback scenes, for which Gervais used Baselight’s compositing tools. Composite grading also enables precise control when grading VFX shots. “The 4K VFX shots were sometimes delivered with up to eight element mattes. It gave me the ability to stack and treat every element from the plane, the water, the background and foreground, to create a unique set of creative grades and manipulate in real-time without processing or rendering,” she explained. “Baselight still permitted real-time grading even while working with this large amount of data.” In a collaborative process, MPC provided key visual effects. As the VFX shots were brought into the Baselight timeline, the evolving grade was applied so the movie could be continually reviewed with Eastwood and Stern in an IMAX environment. Gervais added, “This is my third collaboration with the Malpaso team, after Jersey Boys and then American Sniper, and Sully is definitely high-tech in every sense of the word from a DI point-of-view. We had to ensure that the look would hold up, that the VFX and non-VFX shots would balance out, the blacks and the highlights would be pristine, and that the resolution was perfectly preserved to meet the exacting standards of IMAX.”

British Cinematographer | November 2016 | 73

CLAPPERBOARD / STEVE BEGG / BY MICHAEL BURNS Steve Begg and the Aliens AP miniature

DOING THE TRICK

One of the leading practitioners of the arts of special effects and VFX working today, Steve Begg was the visual effects supervisor on the recent clutch of 007 James Bond block-busters, and has worked with directors from James Cameron to Christopher Nolan. It’s clear that talent and sheer drive have played no small part in getting to this high level – as well as some chance meetings. Bond... DB5 minature

74 | British Cinematographer | November 2016

orn in Edinburgh in 1960, Steve Begg had a passion from an early age for a particular kind of filmmaking. “As a kid I was inspired by a lot of the Gerry Anderson and Ray Harryhausen type of special effects work,” he says. “It made such a big impact on me. I knew had to get involved with that.” Thus inspired, Begg invested in some hardware at the tender age of 12. “I got myself a Standard 8mm camera, and started playing about with multiple exposures, stop-motion, all sorts of tricks that I could do with that camera. That’s how I sort of kick-started myself.” Aged around 16, when he started working and earning some money, he bought himself a Bolex H16, a 16mm camera. “I pushed that thing as far as I could,” Begg recalls. “It was a semi-professional camera, and I learned a hell of a lot by just playing around with it. I actually took a lot of that experience with me into a professional environment later on. Around that time I plucked up the courage to meet, through a mutual friend, Gerry Anderson. I showed him a couple of my 16mm films.” Anderson seemed suitably impressed and told the teenage Begg to keep in touch: “Which I did, to the point of pestering him,” he admits. Made redundant from his day job as a payroll computer operator in 1982, Begg almost immediately got a phone call from Anderson, who asked him if he could draw. Impressed with the storyboards he received in reply, Anderson took Begg on-board as a designer and effects assistant on his show, Terrahawks (1983-86). “It was like going to film school for special effects,” says Begg. However, Anderson wasn’t particularly happy with his existing special effects technician on the show, and offered Begg a chance to take over. Says Begg, “I gulped, and said, ‘Yes’. I was so full of piss and vinegar that I thought I could do anything.” Given the reins of a professional special effects unit on Terrahawks, Begg’s on-the job effects education really went into high-gear. “Every single shot was a miniature effect, or a special effect of some sort. Shooting at high speeds, slow speeds, stop-motion, and all sorts of tricks,” he says. Begg worked on Terrahawks for two years. Through various contacts, he was then “fortunate enough to meet with the American effects team on James Cameron’s Aliens (1986, DP Adrian Biddle BSC).”

Dark Knight... Taking a walk through the Gotham miniature

“The Skotak brothers [Robert and Dennis] got me on board Aliens to help them out,” he explains. “I was doing storyboards, and occasionally they’d let me take care of a smaller effects unit. This typically involved creating some background plates that were going to be back-projected on the live action sets, usually with Sigourney Weaver in front of it. It was quite a responsibility and I’m very pleased that they allowed me that opportunity.” Begg continued to work over the next decade with Anderson, including on commercials. “I kept my hand in with Gerry. I was very fortunate, courtesy of Terrahawks being screened on TV, to meet Derek Meddings. He was an longtime collaborator of Gerry Anderson, and was the special effects guy responsible for Superman and the 007 James Bond films, and I ended up working with him.” Oscar and BAFTA-winning Meddings had set up his own visual effects unit, The Magic Camera Company, and Begg worked with him on films including the first Tim Burton Batman, as well as doing digital animation on GoldenEye (1995, DP Phil Méheux BSC). “It was great,” Begg says. “As with Gerry Anderson, and fellow SFX collaborator Brian Johnson, Derek was one of my heroes when I was a kid, so to actually end up working with him was terrific.” Begg’s first experience with CGI was in 1998, as a visual effects co-supervisor on Lost In Space (1998, DP Peter Levy). (Begg is also listed on the film as 2D digital artist and model unit director). “By the time I was the main visual effect supervisor on Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001, DP Peter Menzies Jr.), we were almost entirely using CGI visual effects. Becoming the overall supervisor on these big action effects movies was a highlight. Around this time I met the special effects guy, Chris Corbould, who was doing the Lara Croft work. I became friends with him, and I went on to supervise the miniature work on Batman Begins (2005,

“I WENT ON TO SUPERVISE THE MINIATURE WORK ON BATMAN BEGINS. THE MINIATURES WERE ANYTHING BUT - THEY WERE QUITE COLOSSAL. EVEN AS A THIRD-SCALE MODEL, THE BATMOBILE WAS FIVE FEET LONG.” STEVE BEGG DP Wally Pfister ASC). (Corbould was special effects coordinator on the Christopher Nolan film). The miniatures were anything but - they were quite colossal. “Even as a third-scale model, the Batmobile was five feet long,” he adds. “It was radio-controlled and could break your leg if it hit you. They were models and miniatures, but they were not small – I think we were the first to coin the phrase ‘maxitures’, or ‘bigitures’ for that sort of stuff.” After this, Begg was introduced to the team working on the Daniel Craig reboot of the James Bond film series. “That led to me to initially do the miniature work on Casino Royale (2006, DP Phil Méheux BSC),” says Begg, who would subsequently become the overall visual effects supervisor on the movie, which he considers another career highlight. “It was great – a really lovely hybrid of CGI effects, real effects, stunts and miniatures,” he recalls. “I try to use all sorts of techniques when I can, and when they fit the bill. I enjoy mixing stuff, because I feel you get the best of both worlds. “For example, the big building sinking at the end of Casino Royale – you knew it was real in one way or

Sam Mendez, Roger Deakins and Steve Begg

Batman Begins... Miniature Batmobile Terrahawks

another, albeit a miniature, but courtesy of digital effects we put it into real background plates and real plates of Venice. So we had the best of both – miniature effects with a little help from CGI effects.” Begg feels that this approach gives a sense of realism when it comes to the compositing stage. “I do think if you can start with something real and then help and augment it with CGI, then you get a much better effect.” Other Bond movies followed – Begg was overall visual effects supervisor on both Skyfall (2012, DP Roger Deakins CBE BSC ASC) and Spectre (2015, DP Hoyte van Hoytema FSF NSC) “And in charge of miniature shooting, if there was some,” he reminds us. “On the last one, Spectre, we had no miniature work whatsoever; it was all CGI. But to be honest the subject matter didn’t lend itself to miniatures.” In terms of industry accolades Begg was given the award for Outstanding Contribution to Craft by BAFTA Scotland in 2013, whilst in 2016 he was recognised for leadership and the advancement of visual effects in the UK as part of the inaugural UK Visual Effects Society Awards. “I was particularly chuffed with the award from BAFTA Scotland,” he says. “The VES Award was great fun, and it was great to be considered by your peers. “Obviously the UK VFX industry is very vibrant at the moment,” he says. “I think the weaker pound and exchange rate helps, as well as the amount of very talented and experienced people here. The thing is though, the work is not country-centric. It’s based on money. So the talent will have to go where the money is – at some point it will shift away from here.” At the time of writing Begg was on the set of Liam Neeson’s latest vehicle, The Commuter (2017, DP Paul Cameron ASC). “It’s a thriller, set on a train,” he reveals. “But just before I got involved with that, I helped Gerry Anderson’s son, Jamie Anderson out with a project called Firestorm, which used marionettes and model, special effects and digital effects. It kind of felt I was going back to my roots.” He suggests those who might like to follow in his footsteps get on a computer and study 3D or 2D packages, put together a showreel and try to get work in one of the big VFX facilities in London. “Looking back at the route I came, I was fortunate,” he admits. “It didn’t feel like it at the time, because it took a hell of a long time to happen, but every few years something profound would happen and then push me in a certain direction. I was lucky. “It’s funny – when I was a kid I wanted to do two things,” he muses. “One was to work with Gerry Anderson and the other was to work on a James Bond film. It’s amazing that I’ve actually managed to do that.” n British Cinematographer | November 2016 | 75

IMAGO NEWS / BY PAUL RENÉ ROESTAD FNF / IMAGO PRESIDENT Say cheese… IMAGO Annual General Assembly delegates in Bitola, Macedonia

GETTING TOGETHER AGAIN

IMAGO had a successful Annual General Assembly in Bitola, Macedonia, arranged during the great Manaki Brothers Cinematographers Festival in mid-September. Forty-seven IMAGO delegates participated, representing international cinematographic societies from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand and Japan in the east, to Canada and Mexico in the west.

he Macedonian Film Professionals Association was IMAGO’s host, making our stay both pleasant and our meetings effective. IMAGO’s great thanks go to Tomi Salkovski, Zoran Risteski, Dejan Dimeski, Snezana Stojanoska and Jovana Kalica, who looked after us all in such a perfect way. Also Blagoja Kunovski and Gena Teodosievska, the festival managers, for letting us experience this great Balkan film festival focussing specially on the cinematographer’s important role in film production. Macedonia, the city of Bitola, and the Manaki Film Festival is a place with a warm heart and a wellorganised festival. IMAGO’s members will keep in mind and work to promote.

76 | British Cinematographer | November 2016

Fondly remembered… Frederic Goodich and Vilmos Zsigmond visiting the IMAGO/FNF Oslo Digital Cinema Conference in 2014

Frederic Goodich ASC 1939 – 2016 Not long before the IMAGO General Assembly, we got the sad message that Frederic Goodich ASC had passed away. He was the International Liaison for the ASC, and worked continuously to increase good communication between our many national societies and across the borders. He was a true friend of IMAGO, and to many of us personally also a close friend. The loss was received with great sadness. All our thoughts and sympathy goes to Frederic´s wife Donna and son Nikolai.

New IMAGO members The Chilean and Malaysian societies of cinematographers were welcomed as new members of IMAGO during the General Assembly. IMAGO now has 50 international societies and more then 4,000 cinematographers as members from all over the World. The need and the opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience between international cinematographers and their societies have never been bigger. Authorship IMAGO is not a union, but information on the authorship situation around the world is useful and important for cinematographers. Many find the fact that stills photographers –when taking a photograph with the exact same motive, exposure and angle as a cinematographer – have full authorship rights, most peculiar, as the cinematographer does not when doing the same. The situation with authorship for our images varies greatly in between member countries. In many countries cinematographers have full authorship rights, in many they have not. IMAGO has therefore initiated a new Authorship Committee that will monitor the situation around the world, and will be working to spread information to our members about the worldwide facts and developments in this area. IMAGO’s Authorship Committee is chaired by Luciano Tovoli AIC ASC and is working with, amongst others, Nigel Walters BSC, and Jost Vacano BVK ASC and Vittorio Storaro AIC ASC as committee senior advisors. Gender and Diversity The establishment of a new IMAGO Committee for Gender and Diversity was unanimously agreed at IMAGO’s General Assembly. The committee is headed by Nina Kellgren BSC and IMAGO Vice President, and Elen Lotman ESC. It is time to look into how we can inspire more women, who represent 50% of our population, yet who only number only between 5 and 10% of international cinematographers, to become and staying working as cinematographers, whilst also looking closely into the

mechanism that may be a hindrance to them. More female colleagues would be a great advantage for us all. In cooperation with Camerimage, IMAGO’s Gender and Diversity Committee will stage a whole day session with a masterclass and a conference on Friday November 18th, during Camerimage, where this challenge and possible obstacles for women cinematographers are looked into closer. Working conditions and safety Again, IMAGO is not a union, but the problematic working hours practised by many production companies around the world, strongly affect not only our personal and our family lives, but also the art of cinematography in a negative way. Ever since the death of assistant cameraman Brent Hershman, while driving home after a 19 hour long working day on a film set in 1997, and since Haskell Wexler made his famous documentary Who Needs Sleep (with his suggestion of 12 hours on and 12 off in 2006), we have regularly, almost weekly, debated this massive problem. But nothing has happened! In fact, reports come in about this problem greatly expanding around the world. The IMAGO General Assembly decided this is a problem that IMAGO should monitor and report about. In the coming year, IMAGO will stage a conference on Working Conditions in Brussels, where it will be decided how to proceed further with this matter. IMAGO and Camerimage IMAGO will work to intensify its cooperation with Camerimage. This great festival celebrating cinematography was established in 1993, and the tremendous work that has been done by its director Marek Zydowicz, with good assistance from Kazik Suwala, and their team, has for both students of cinematography and for all international cinematographers been of invaluable importance. Along with the conference on Gender and Diversity IMAGO will, in cooperation with Camerimage and the ASC, be hosting a seminar on the importance of international cooperation between cinematographers and their societies, to find ways to secure a possibility for a better and easier update in the latest artistic and technical developments for our members and colleagues. In addition, IMAGO is working with Camerimage to spread information about this important festival to cinematographic societies and our many members worldwide. The IMAGO International Cinematographer’s Awards IMAGO is 25 years old in 2017. To honour the art of cinematography, the General Assembly voted unanimously to establish the IMAGO International Cinematographer’s Awards. This will be the first awards for cinematography given entirely by cinematographers, to cinematographers. The first Awards ceremony will be held in Helsinki October 28th 2017, and awards will be given for Best Cinematography in feature films, TV drama and documentary films. In addition, awards will be given for lifetime achievement and contribution to the art of Cinematography, along with an IMAGO award for technical excellence.

The measure of the man… Tony Costa AIP with his light meter IMAGO Tribute Award

ARRI has agreed to be the major sponsor for the IMAGO Awards Ceremony 2017, in cooperation with several other partners. The ceremony will be a highprofile, black tie event, with well-known hosts and presenters, entertainment, canapés and champagne. All our major partners will be invited in addition to representatives from the film industry around the World. The IMAGO Awards Ceremony will have broad media coverage by IMAGO’s many media ent partners, not least our main I’ll be quick… former IMAGO presid Nigel Walters BSC takes the mic, with partner British Cinematographer ad FNF current president Paul René Roest Magazine, and through the Internet sites and newsletters of our more than 50 member Awards and Tributes societies, In addition, the ceremony The IMAGO Board and General Assembly voted will be streamed on the internet. unanimously, and with great acclamation, to bestow Nigel IMAGO will need help from all our members Walters BSC with the IMAGO Honorary Member Award for societies to nominate films for the awards. Up to two his many years of intense and invaluable work for IMAGO, feature films, one documentary film and one TV drama in the exchange of knowledge and experience between can be nominated from each member society. Our international cinematographers. Nigel is still one of IMAGO’s member societies will also be invited to vote for the trusted major advisors and ambassadors, and is also a lifetime achievement award. It will be chosen from central member of the IMAGO Authorship Committee. three nominees in the main categories, by a broad In addition, the IMAGO Board and General international jury of cinematographers, and all the Assembly also bestowed the IMAGO Tribute Award nominees will be invited to come and be celebrated by to two of IMAGO’s most valuable and trusted “staff”, their colleagues during the awards ceremony in Helsinki, Kommer Kleijn SBC and Tony Costa AIP. Kommer has where the winner finally will be presented. been heading IMAGO’s Technical Committee for more The award for lifetime contribution to the art of than a decade, and has been a hub for exchanging cinematography will be voted for by the IMAGO Board, technical knowledge between international colleagues. and the technical excellence award will be decided by Tony has earlier been IMAGO’s Vice President and has, for the IMAGO Technical Committee. almost two decades, been working with excellence on the All IMAGO’s members and member societies will important issue of communication between IMAGO and soon receive more information, and will be invited to its many members and partners. We congratulate both of help make this event a great international celebration of them on their well-deserved tributes and awards. n the art of cinematography.

Bitola, Macedonia

British Cinematographer | November 2016 | 77

LETTER FROM AMERICA / KEES VAN OOSTRUM ASC

New ASC president, Kees van Oostrum ASC calls for international collaboration between cinematographers, with a view to regaining creative control over the role of imagemakers.

hroughout the years, people have asked me how we, as cinematographers, could regain our creative control over the image in a manner that we sort-of-did during the era when we were shooting solely on film. At that point in time the post process was rather simple and straightforward, and we enjoyed maybe the protection of the mystique of film exposure and development that ironically took place in the dark. With the change to digital all of that came out in the open and it nurtured a democratisation of the process, providing access to many. I know there are several factions around the world that strive to create laws and regulations to provide cinematographers with rights. And although I would support and encourage those efforts, I have often searched for a more short-term solution without negating the long-term legal process. At the ASC we have long-enjoyed a technology committee, now almost 14 years old, under the chairmanship of Curtis Clark ASC. During those years many initiatives were presented by the technology committee, that currently counts almost 120 cinematographers and engineers from various manufacturers. It has been able, over the years, to seriously influence our work in setting standards such as the Digital Cinema Initiative, ACES, ASC Color Decision List, and so on. It also showed me, over the years, that knowledge of technology often provides the cinematographer with a position where they are likely to be the most all-round knowledgeable person in the room. Having accurate and up-to-date information – from pre-visualisation, camera systems, lighting and workflow through to the finish – will often translate into economics and thus, not surprisingly, creative control. Now, I am the first to admit that most of our member cinematographers, including myself, are far from technical wizards. But fortunately we have access to the ASC technology committee, and its reports from specialised members. We are able to ask questions and get support too. So that, in fact, we really do know at some crucial point what ‘rocks the cradle’, so to speak! This year is an important year. The ASC international conference at the clubhouse this June solidified many relationships, and consequently the ASC and IMAGO are bringing their technology committees together in an attempt to collaborate. I consider this to be somewhat of a historic move, that will take place first with a joint ASC/IMAGO panel at the year’s Camerimage Festival Of Cinematography. It is called “The Importance Of International Collaboration”, and will cover key questions of how we best share, and continue to share, knowledge and experience, so that we ultimately can stay in control of the images we create. Knowledge is power. n

“HAVING ACCURATE AND UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION – FROM PRE-VISUALISATION, CAMERA SYSTEMS, LIGHTING AND WORKFLOW THROUGH TO THE FINISH – WILL OFTEN TRANSLATE INTO ECONOMICS AND THUS, NOT SURPRISINGLY, CREATIVE CONTROL.” KEES VAN OOSTRUM ASC 78 | British Cinematographer | November 2016

GBCT / NEWS FROM THE GUILD / BY TIM POTTER - CHAIR - GBCT

The media is awash with stories of the ‘gig economy’ (in which temporary positions are common), zerohours contracts and the ‘precariat’ (those whose income is always precarious). Politicians are wringing their hands, ‘How could this have happened?’.

CREDIT IS DUE

he Office Of National Statistics recently confirmed that there are 4.76m self-employed and it’s rapidly rising. No longer is this sector confined to the jobbing plumber, window cleaner or film technician, but it has been joined by anyone the management can cast out (sorry, subcontract) into the casualised beyond. Firstly, I want to say to them, welcome to our world. Our industry has been on a zero-hours life for decades. We have known the problems of casualisation for years. No sick pay, poor pensions and the holiday pay that you pay for yourself. Secondly, to the politicians I say; you caused this. The ones who are most public in the hand-wringing and gnashing-of-teeth are the very ones who stood by Thatcher as she dismantled manufacturing industries and curtailed the rights of any worker to safeguard their conditions. A few years ago, the BBC’s Newsnight displayed a graph of inflation and average wages for the period from 1945 to the present day. The very jagged lines bumped along together, after a fashion, for most of 1945 to 1985. The odd blip for things like the 1974 oil crisis gave the lines interest. However, what the pundits failed to deduce from the graph was that it plainly showed that the point at which the lines started to diverge in 1985 coincides with the triple whammy of the aftermath of the miners’ strike, the trade union bashing laws. Inflation continued on its inexorable way, but pay started to stagnate. This has been compounded by a stupefying rise in housing costs that has made wages inadequate to the task of living. This era of free enterprise disguised the real effect of the policies of the time. The ability of those in any position of power over the nation’s workforce to think the unthinkable. It gave them the permission to think that they had no responsibility for the consequences of their actions on their workers. The effects would be slow so that those in power would be long gone when their sins became apparent. Those responsible for this paradigm shift from paternal responsibility (even the Tories called it ‘One Nation’) to the ‘devil take you / shareholder profit is king’ ethos, are now popping up in think-tanks bleating about widening inequalities damaging the nation’s cohesion. This summer, both sides of mainstream politics seem to have lost the plot and certainly the peoples’ belief that they know how to control the nation’s future. Like the result or not, the Brexit vote showed us that it is now time for the people to speak up and tell the establishment what we want. Our industry is not known for its shyness when complaining to each other, but we do not use the voice we have to call our masters to account. The French have a whole separate set of conditions for ‘intermittent workers’ which recognises the area between employee and businessman, gives it similar benefits to employment and the freedom to pursue multiple contracts. Our tax and allowances system has been crying out for a regime like this. However, we have been served by an establishment that is congenitally incapable of giving what it sees as ‘something for nothing’. They are blind to the fact that it is us that are paying for it in the first place. Now is the time to start using the better models that we see in Europe and not walk away from them. British Cinematographer | November 2016 | 79

GBCT / NEWS FROM THE GUILD / BY JOHN KEEDWELL

I AM A-CAMERA

A first-time Q&A event collaboration between the ACO and the GBCT – proved a resounding success. Over 120 industry enthusiasts, from ACO and GBCT members through to film school students, filled the Tricycle Cinema in London recently for what was a thoroughly insightful and entertaining glimpse into the careers of two leading Hollywood camera operators.

ver 120 industry enthusiasts, from ACO and GBCT members through to film school students, filled the Tricycle Cinema in London recently for what was a thoroughly insightful and entertaining glimpse into the careers of two leading Hollywood camera operators. Led by UK cinematographer Phil Méheux BSC and GBCT, the discussion centred around specific scenes from Oscar-winning films such as Saving Private Ryan (1998, DP Janusz Kaminski) and Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014, DP Emmanuel Lubezki AMC ASC). Two leading camera operators, Chris Haarhoff SOC and Mitch Dubin SOC ACO,

shared many candid personal accounts and anecdotes of their experiences with the likes of Steven Spielberg and Alejandro Inarritu and the creative challenges, diplomacy and collaborative skills that are required of A-camera operators. The lively and discursive Q&A was followed by further lively conversations in the Black Lion pub across the road – which went on for several hours. The event was recorded and will be available for others to view once edited. Thanks go to Chris, Mitch and Phil, the crew and the event sponsors: ARRI Rental, 1 Film Unit, Cinelease, Talking Point, Riskbox Insurance and The Tricycle Theatre.

Crew and Organising Team:

Peter Cavaciuti GBCT, Assoc BSC & ACO President; Emma Edwards GBCT (Stills); Deanne Edwards (GBCT organiser); Jason Ellis ACO (Lighting & ACO Organiser); Gwyn Evans (DCP, Editor & Colourist); Tim Hale (Projectionist for Tricycle); Ceri Hughes (Floor Manager); Gareth Hughes GBCT & ACO (ACO Organiser & Editorial); Melanie Jansen GBCT Camera Trainee (Camera Asst); Clive Jackson GBCT, Assoc BSC & ACO; Mitchell King (Security); Graham Martyr

80 | British Cinematographer | November 2016

GBCT (Camera Supervisor);Richard Merrick IPS (Sound Supervisor); Chris Plevin GBCT & ACO (DCP & Title Card); Simon Poulter (Camera); Max Rijavec GBCT & ACO (Camera); Peter Robertson GBCT, Assoc BSC & ACO; Benjamin Treplin ACO (Posters); Kirstie Wilkinson (Camera) - With assistance from: Ray Andrew ACO; Jamie Harcourt GBCT, Assoc BSC & ACO; and Tom Wilkinson GBCT & ACO.

WHERE IS THE CAMERA BUSINESS GOING? The new innovations at trade shows have appeared somewhat lacklustre and tired, with very little appearing in real innovation. Don’t get me wrong, there have been startling technological advances in camera, lighting, lenses, camera rigs, CGI, sound, post production, distribution and projection. Yet there has been nothing really revolutionary for a few years now. On reading that back that just reminded me of the “What have the Romans ever done for us?”, scene in Monty Python’s Life Of Brian (1979, DP Peter Biziou BSC), but I digress. For example, in the camera department we have had truly inspiring ultra-high-resolution sensors built into ever smaller and lighter camera bodies, making the flexibility of movement and rigging cameras in confined spaces a great deal easier. Lens technology has had to keep up with the huge resolution ramp in camera sensors, and some remarkable glass tools have been produced. In lighting, too, there has been a revolution in LED technology, with less heat output, lower power use and the advent

of bi-colour LEDs meaning the lamp can be any colour temperature you now wish at the turn of a wheel – all in the same unit. Yes, there have been fantastic focus and lens control aids, camera rigging devices and drone technology, and now metadata of all the camera and lens parameters is being recorded and much more. Yet in terms of camera ergonomics and design it’s essentially a box with a large hole in one end where the lens attaches. (Apologies to all the camera designers who go to great pains to produce a visually exciting exterior that is also what the camera department ask for in terms of functions). Whilst this is serving the business and is very functional, there are some small camera systems in the lower-priced end of the market that could be worth looking at and adapting for the bigger sensor cameras. For example, the DJI OSMO is a small handheld, gyro-stabilised, gimbal camera system that could have potential for some fantastic shots in the right hands. This is a handheld device that has an interchangeable camera head and can be operated by a small monitor and software, or most likely, a Smartphone. The classic shot in the original Rocky (1976, DP James Crabe) film where Stallone runs up the steps of the art museum is now a classic cinema icon, yet that shot was made by the very first uses in a movie of the Steadicam invented by Garrett Brown. That shot made the audience gasp “Wow! How did they do that?”, as it had never been possible before. There have been shots that do that to the audience since then, but at the time this was truly ground-breaking. Since then there have been huge advances in technology and computers to make the stable movement of the camera more readily available, and cameras have been put in places never thought possible even 30 years ago. The thought of using a small, high-resolution camera, the size of a matchbox, in a major science fiction movie would have been laughed at even a few years ago, yet that happened in The Martian (DP Dariusz Wolski) in 2015. Inside the cab of the transporter there are several GoPro cameras used as storytelling pictures in several of the scenes. Going back to the idea of camera movement and storytelling, the Rocky sequence told a story and enhanced the story. It added a sense of achievement and success over all odds that became a truly memorable scene. Even today, buses full of children pile out and run up the steps to emulate the scene in the movie, and to emphasise there is a way to achieve goals if you stick at it and keep going even when the going gets tough and you feel like quitting. That is how much the movies and camera shots have a positive influence over the audience. Since then the Steadicam has developed into a highly-sophisticated and superb tool for the DP and director to use to enhance the storytelling process. It’s impossible to tell if that film would ever have made it quite so massive and started Stallone’s long career without that one classic Steadicam shot. Cameras are getting smaller, without doubt, and

the question is: does that create more creativity, or does it make camera systems very fiddly for the camera crew to operate? Well, both, of course! Camera lens focus rings and other bars systems have developed to be generic to any lens or camera and not specific to any camera manufacturer (with a few notable exceptions, of course). In terms of cars it is like being able to use an engine from a Mercedes in an Audi, for example. It just doesn’t work like that in cars, although several cars do use the same platform and floorplan and simply change the bodywork for different markets. VW and Audi for example, and Citroen and Peugeot are made on the same production line next to each other, just rebadged and the trim changed. OK, back to cameras. Often the robustness of the system comes with the physical size and weight, and cutting the camera size means the mount can be smaller, but perhaps not

excels in this area, of course and has a wide variety of excellent, world class talent to make sure your shoot goes as smoothly as possible. There are some world class Steadicam operators there, of course. Make sure you get a copy of the GBCT Crew Directory. I suppose the question really is where does cinematography go next? I guess the answer is it goes where the story is the important part, and the technology should come second, and not get in the way of making the story flow. It almost needs another Steadicam moment to revolutionise the business, although there are many more tools available now than when Rocky was made. It’s how the tools are used and operated that makes the difference. Perhaps the virtual world of computer graphics is an area to study closely, as the advances in the past 15-20 years have been truly astonishing. To see what is possible, CGI is perhaps the greatest storytelling advance in recent years. Look at The Lord Of The Rings (2001, DP Andrew Lesnie ACS), Avatar (2009, DP Mauro Fiore), and the opening scene of Gravity (2013, DP Emmanuel Lubezki AMC ASC). There are more subtle additions now to movies we are just not aware of. The virtual reality headsets seen at IBC in Amsterdam for the past few years are interesting for some applications, but there is a long way to go yet to get a truly immersive experience, but I am sure it will come if the audiences switch on to it and there is a demand. It could be a great tool for some training, but it is again a device the audience has to wear, which may go the way of many other devices. At the end of it all, we are storytellers, who happen to use magnificent technology to tell a story. Going back in time the ancients told stories by painting on cave walls, and blowing paint over their hands to form iconic images to last many hundreds of thousands of years. Cinema has been around for a little over a hundred years, so what will the next 10 and 20 years bring? I hope it is stories we learn from, are moved and educated by, and will last 100,000 years ahead like the cave dwellers. Whatever the technology, there needs to be someone who understands how to get the best out of the equipment, and who can put things right if they go wrong. Recognise the skills of the technical aspects behind the camera, and find the right people to put in place for your next production by taking GBCT crew people with you. n

“THERE HAVE BEEN HUGE ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY AND COMPUTERS TO MAKE THE STABLE MOVEMENT OF THE CAMERA MORE READILY AVAILABLE, AND CAMERAS HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACES NEVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE EVEN 30 YEARS AGO.” JOHN KEEDWELL as stable and robust for high-G applications, such as car chases and other action shots, etc.. However, in a different scenario a smaller hand held camera such as the DJI OSMO could have potentially done the Rocky shot if the technology had been invented and available at the time. A Steadicam is a fantastic tool for the creativity of telling a story, and there have been magnificent shots over the years that would not be possible any other way. Operating one (as anyone who has ever strapped one on might tell you) is nowhere near as easy and effortless as it looks – it needs a really dedicated and physically-fit operator who has honed their craft and skills over many shoots and years. It is not a tool to strap on and run about all day without any training. That is a recipe for injury, disaster and expensive cameras can get broken. It needs dedication and experience, and Steadicam operators deserve great respect. So it is all about picking the right tool for the job and having the team of people around to make sure they know the intricacies and potential pitfalls of the equipment and being able to foresee issues. Training is therefore paramount, and a great team of technicians is crucial to the success of any shoot. The GBCT

British Cinematographer | November 2016 | 81

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