Canadian Society of Cinematographers Magazine June 2011

CANADIAN SOCIETY OF CINEMATOGRAPHERS

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S C E N E S

$4 Summer 2011 www.csc.ca

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CSC Wives • Paul Sarossy csc, BSC & The Borgias

A publication of the Canadian Society of Cinematographers The Canadian Society of Cinematographers (CSC) was founded in 1957 by a group of Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa cameramen.

Since then over 800 cinematographers and persons in associated occupations have joined the organization.

The purpose of the CSC is to promote the art and craft of cinematography in Canada and to provide tangible recognition of the common bonds that link film and video professionals, from the aspiring student and camera assistant to the news veteran and senior director of photography.

FEATURES – VOLUME 3, NO. 3 SUMMER 2011

Oceans: Behind the Scenes

By Lance Carlson

We facilitate the dissemination and exchange of technical information and endeavor to advance the knowledge and status of our members within the industry. As an organization dedicated to furthering technical assistance, we maintain contact with non-partisan groups in our industry but have no political or union affiliation.

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Paul Sarossy csc, BSC & The Borgias By Krystyna Hunt

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A Life Like No Other: Cinematographer’s Wives Speak Out

By Moira Potter

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 2 From the President 4 In the News 25 - 27 CSC Members / Classified Classified 28 Productions Notes / Calendar Cover: Jacques Perrin & Jacques Cluzaud’s Oceans

Photo credit: Roberto Rinaldi, courtesy of Galatée Films

Canadian Cinematographer Summer 2011 Vol. 3, No. 3 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joan Hutton csc CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF George Willis csc, sasc EDITOR EMERITUS Donald Angus EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Susan Saranchuk

FROM THE PRESIDENT Joan Hutton csc

admin@csc.ca EDITOR / PROOFREADER Wyndham Wise ma, mfa editor@csc.ca COPY EDITOR Karen Longland ART DIRECTION Berkeley Stat House STUDENT INTERN Krystyna Hunt WEBSITE CONSULTANT Nikos Evdemon csc www.csc.ca ADVERTISING SALES Guido Kondruss

S

tarting with the September 2011 issue, Canadian Cinematographer will be publishing a new series, which profiles members of our organization that we don’t hear about too often but are very important to our society, our profession and our film and television industry. I’m not talking about cinematographers per say, but about those professions that help us do our jobs each and every time we shoot a single frame. They are first and second camera assistants, camera operators and Steadicam operators. Their work and skills are essential to our industry, and we at the CSC feel they should be recognized for their craft. So, we are asking our membership which ACs, camera and Steadicam ops you would like to see profiled in Canadian Cinematographer by emailing us at admin@csc.ca or telephoning us at 416-266-0591.

gkondruss@rogers.com CSC OFFICE / MEMBERSHIP 131–3007 Kingston Road Toronto, Canada M1M 1P1 Tel: 416-266-0591; Fax: 416-266-3996 Email: admin@csc.ca CSC SUBSCRIPTION DEPT. PO Box 181 283 Danforth Avenue Toronto, Canada M4K 1N2 Email: editor@csc.ca Canadian Cinematographer makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information it publishes; however, it cannot be held responsible for any consequences arising from errors or omissions. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the publisher.

The opinions expressed within the magazine are those of the authors and not necessarily of the publisher.

Upon publication, Canadian Cinematographer acquires Canadian Serial Rights; copyright reverts to the writer after publication.

Canadian Cinematographer is printed by Winnipeg Sun Commercial Print and is published 10 times a year.

One-year subscriptions are available in Canada for $40.00 for individuals and $80.00 for institutions, including HST. In U.S. rates are $45.00 and $90.00 for institutions in U.S. funds. International subscriptions are $50.00 for individuals and $100.00 for institutions.

Subscribe online at www.csc.ca.

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While Canadian Cinematographer endeavours to showcase the newest technology and advancements in our industry, we also try to spotlight fresh perspectives. I would like to draw everyone’s attention to writer Moira Potter’s article “A Life Like No Other” in this issue. Moira’s story takes a look at the spouses of cinematographers. I’m sure we can all attest that being a shooter of any kind means long hours, unpredictable schedules and a determination that banks on fanaticism. While this could be a recipe for profession success, it can also be a recipe for familial failure. Without a stable family many of us would not be able to accomplish what we do professionally. Our spouses, who stick with us while we ply our craft in this crazy and wild industry, deserve our respect and admiration, if not a medal. Potter’s story is not about “lights, camera, action,” but about the personal fortitude necessary for our allencompassing profession.

Many of you may not know this, but there is a new Canadian awards show on the block. The Canadian Cinema Editors (CCE), which was founded in 2007 to promote editing in film, television and new media, achieved a milestone by holding its first ever awards night on May 19 in Toronto. By all accounts the evening was a roaring success with awards being handed out in nine individual categories. The CCE at one time was a part of the Director’s Guild of Canada, before deciding to go it alone. Well they did it, and they’ve done it well. The CSC would like to congratulate the Canadian Cinema Editors on their success and to wish them continued success in the future.

An Eye On The World Mark Irwin, ASC, CSC, reflects on advantages of global resourcing “The thing I like the most about cinematography is the ability to use an Austrian camera with a French zoom lens on an Italian fluid head with an English tripod and also rely on a set of German prime lenses.

The reason I get my gear from Clairmont Camera is very simple. To me, it’s not a rental house—it’s a portal into the World of Cinematography.

I started out in the business in Canada and managed to travel a lot while shooting films, so I gained an appreciation for all things international. At the same time, I found that a “monoculture” point of view could not give me the options I was looking for. What I find in Clairmont is a group of people who share my outlook; people who travel to trade seminars and cinematography forums all over the world; people

who can understand my shooting conditions and discover new equipment—film or digital—to meet those needs. I can’t get to Germany, France, Japan or the UK to find the next best thing so I rely on Denny Clairmont, Alan Albert, Tom Boelens, Andree Martin and Mike Condon to go there and bring it back so I can use it.

Call me selfish, but I eagerly await the chance to shoot my next project with the latest and greatest equipment; the Arri 235, the Sony F35, the Arri D-21, the Iconix, the Red, whatever—and repeat the same experience I have had for 16 years and over 38 film and television projects: excellent equipment, innovative modifications and quality service...from quality people I’ve come to trust.”

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IN THE NEWS Stéphane Thibault’s At Night, They Dance

Julia Ivanova’s Family Portrait in Black and White

2011 Hot Docs Forum and Festival Awards’ Wrap The Hot Docs Forum, Hot Docs’ key international co-financing market event, wrapped in May after two days of brisk pitching, networking and deal-making. In total, 28 projects representing 12 countries were presented to a panel of over 120 key commissioning editors and other funders. Over $40,000 in cash prizes was awarded to projects at this year’s event. The Shaw MediaHot Docs Funds Forum Pitch Prize was awarded to Clear Lake Historical Productions’ Doc Pompus, a feature documentary about one of America’s great songwriters. The $40,000 cash prize is awarded to the best Canadian pitch at the Forum as voted on by attending international commissioning editors. Shaw Media’s Sarah Jane Flynn presented the award to pitch team member Will Hechter.

The Cuban Hat Award, which offers “real cash, no strings attached” support for powerful and unique projects, was presented to two projects: The Jungle Prescription (Nomad Films) and A Whole Lott More (Flying V Films/The Channel 4 Britdoc Foundation). Established in 2009 in an impromptu display of collegial support, the Cuban Hat Award is decided from ballots collected from Hot Docs Forum Observers, and the cash was raised by passing the hat. The Cuban hat was presented to BBC’s Nick Fraser (U.K.), named favourite funder, also by Observer ballot. The founders of the Cuban Hat Award, Diego Briceno and Giulia Frati, announced the winners following the close of this year’s Hot Docs Forum.

At the Hot Docs awards ceremony, films about a Ukrainian woman who looks after 23 abandoned children and a California skate-punk who spends his days getting wasted have won top prizes at this year’s event. The annual documentary marathon crowned Family Portrait in Black And White best Canadian feature, handing writer/director Julia Ivanova a $15,000

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prize. Dragonslayer, about a slacker who skateboards in empty swimming pools, was named best international feature. The award comes with a $10,000 prize for director Tristan Patterson.

The $20,000 Don Haig Award, sponsored by CBC’s documentary channel, went to Toronto writer/director Rama Rau. Nine awards and more than $72,000 in cash prizes were presented to Canadian and international filmmakers at the ceremony.

Other awards handed out included the $10,000 special jury prize for a Canadian feature, which was shared by two films: Isabelle Lavigne and Stéphane Thibault’s At Night, They Dance, about the chaotic world of female belly dancers in Cairo, and Thomas Selim Wallner’s The Guantanamo Trap, which follows four lives changed by the U.S. detention camp.

Special jury prize for international feature ($5,000 prize): Massimo D’Anolfi and Martina Parenti’s The Castle, about border security at Milan’s Malpensa Airport. Best mid-length documentary ($3,000 prize): Eline Flipse’s Our Newspaper, about a disgruntled journalist who starts a new publication in a remote Russian village. Best short documentary ($3,000 prize): Catherine van Campan’s Flying Anne, about a girl with Tourette syndrome looking for love, acceptance and understanding.

HBO documentary films emerging artist award went to Polish director Michal Marczak for At the Edge of Russia, in which a young recruit patrols an invisible border hundreds of miles from the nearest human settlement. The Lindalee Tracey Award went to Quebec-based documentary filmmaker Alexandre Hamel. The fifth annual award – a hand-blown glass sculpture – included $6,000 in cash and $3,000 in film stock. The award celebrates Tracey’s memory through supporting emerging filmmakers whose work shows passion, conviction, a sense of social justice and a joie de vivre.

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Canadian Cinematographer - Summer 2011 •

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Arri and Cameron-Pace Group Cooperate in 3D Market Development ARRI extended its relationship with the Cameron-Pace Group (CPG) by announcing a cooperative partnership in the development of the Alexa M camera system, which had its first concept showing at the NAB Show 2011 in Las Vegas. Since the launch of the Alexa digital camera in June 2010, leading directors and cinematographers have adopted the camera as the most sophisticated solution for digital cinematography.

The Alexa M – which is basically an Alexa camera sawn in half for 3D work and any projects where space at the sensor end of things is a concern – is tailored for action photography, tight corner shots and 3D productions. The M head is optimized for small size and low weight, offering the greatest flexibility when used on lightweight 3D setups. Multiple mounting points on top and bottom allow an easy setup onto existing 3D rigs. Alexa M has a PL mount, works perfectly with all existing 35-mm lenses and is compatible with a wide range of Arri accessories.

Arri and Cameron-Pace Group have worked together on several premium 3D projects such as Paul Anderson’s The Three Musketeers; Martin Scorsese’s Hugo Cabret, starring Johnny Depp, due for release this November; Ang Lee’s ongoing production Life Of Pi; and 47 Ronin, starring Keanu Reeves, which recently entered principal photography. Arri Managing Director Martin Prillmann said in a press release, “The Alexa M camera system is designed for mobile 2D and 3D camera configurations, offering the same unparalleled image quality, reliability and workflow options as all other cameras in the Alexa product range. The Cameron-Pace Group will have exclusive commercial access to the first systems to be made available in September 2011.”

Denis Villeneuve Goes Hollywood The Los Angeles Times reports the Quebec director, still basking in Oscar glow from directing Incendies, is now set to helm the English-language vigilante thriller Prisoners, to be produced by Warner Bros. and Alcon Entertainment. The script, by Aaron Guzikowski, tells the story of a working-class Boston father who takes hostage the man he believes is responsible for kidnapping his daughter and her friend. Prisoners has been in development for quite a while, with Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale at one point attached to play the father and a detective, respectively.

Leonardo DiCaprio was most recently set to star in the film, but it appears that he’s no longer involved with the project.

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D B EN HI H I NE B D

T H E

S C E N E S

In the first article on Oceans, George Willis csc, sasc gave us a very eloquent introduction to this fascinating film (Canadian Cinematographer, May 2011). I am pleased to expand on some of the technical challenges, thanks to my conversation with Philippe Ros AFC DOP and digital-imaging director, and Luc Drion SBC, two of the DOPs responsible for much of the spectacular footage in the film. Since there is far more than we can deal with here, I asked Philippe if the presentation that he gave to the CSC at the screening at Deluxe in February 2011 could be made available. He has graciously provided us a pdf and members may request it from the CSC office. The testing and quality control procedures developed by Philippe could be useful to cinematographers in many other situations.

By Lance Carlson

O

ceans is a nature film that goes beyond documentary into the realm of drama and art. George referred to it as ‘Opera of the Depths.’ Visual ‘poetry in motion’ is also an apt descriptor. The directors requested that camera crews treat the animal subjects as performers with every shot designed and executed for dramatic impact. The result sets a new standard and implores us to respect these aquatic performers, their habitat and their environment.

The producers and crews invested almost seven years of inspired labour to create this masterpiece.

With a budget of more than 50 million Euro, they were able to push their creative and technical capabilities to the limit in crafting a film that simply hasn’t been done before. The directors demanded pure and dynamic imaging as the leading priority.

The producers began by developing a dynamic script and in several cases new tools were developed to support this. The direction required that the emotion, the dynamic and movement all be in phase with the animals – a dolphin among the dolphins; following a crab in extreme closeup; following a seahorse love parade; following a plankton in a drop of water; and, as in a musical score, finding the right tempo and rhythm.

I spoke via Skype with Philippe Ros AFC and Luc Drion SBC, two of the lead DOPs. Philippe first insisted on thanking Philippe Lavalette csc, George Willis csc, sasc, Joan Hutton csc and Above: Cinematographer/diver CSC Executive Director Susan Saranchuk for the Rene Heusey wearing a re-breather. invitation and the hospitality he received Right top: Best boy operating the while here. lamp over the reef location. Bottom right: Underwater tracking shot directed by Rene Heuzey; bounced lighting effect conducted by head underwater gaffer Paul (PJ) Johnstone.

LC: What were some of the considerations early on regarding visual design?

PR: There were many discussions. It was to have a film style aesthetic to evoke audience emotion

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and connection to the animals and their environment. The producers had decided on a 2.40 aspect ratio, and we decided the best format was Super 35, three perf. When we needed a bit of crop room in post to re-frame, we would opt for four perf. For example, the operator whose shot of the young turtles being attacked by birds chose three-perf because he was very confident in his framing. But for the whales jumping out of the water, we used mostly four perf to allow for the possibility to re-frame if necessary. We chose HDCam for underwater because of the 48 minutes of shooting time. My biggest challenge was to match the quality of HD to 35-mm film for theatrical projection.

LD: The directors wanted to be as close to the animals as possible and move with them.

They favoured shorter focal lengths to give a feeling of life and movement; ‘a fish among the fish, not a spectator,’ was their motto. The film was conceived as a drama, not documentary.

Special care was taken to not sense the mechanics involved in capturing the images, like vibrations of a boat or helicopter. Stabilization of the cameras was very important.

LC: The production spent three years capturing a ‘signature visual’ for the film, flying a helicopter with camera and operator between the crest of the biggest waves they could find. The result is a heart-stopping shot of a French Navy Coast Guard vessel bobbing and tossing in mammoth swells off Brittany. How did you prepare for that?

PR: The big waves were shot off the coast of Brittany in an area where normally no ships go.

In the footage you see the boat disappearing behind the 18-metre waves. This was the idea of Jacques Perrin – to go where nobody is supposed to go. When the Admiral saw the footage, he said, ‘Where’s the captain? I’m going to kill him. He could have wrecked my boat.’ I’m sure Luc can describe it better than me.

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This photo and the one on the far left by Pascal Kobeh

Photo: Philippe Ros

Photo credit : Philippe Ros

Remotely controlled 20K shining through a floating cucoloris in the main reef-set location.

LD: The producers rented the Stab-C for two months. I was able to test it on a smaller storm in 2008. In Brest, one of the difficulties was that the critical wind speed at the airport was 50 kilometres an hour. At 50 or 51, we couldn’t fly out but at 49 we could. I was actually on a shoot in the Aran Islands and got a rush call that the big storm was coming. We used local helicopter pilots and in France the experience of Thierry Leygnac was invaluable in capturing the strong images we got in those harsh conditions (Force 10). The chopper was an Icarus B-2 with an Arri 435 on the Stab-C mount, which had adjustable tension so we could sort of sync it with the movement of the waves.

They asked me to track a sea horse, which was five-centimetres long, and then move close to its eye. And, once again, it’s after an expensive meal with wine I said, ‘yes, why not?’ But when I spoke to the biologist, he said ‘you have to be very careful.’ That’s why I designed the probe, and we were all surprised looking at the clown fish, because it was looking at the lens and following it.

I based this choice on my experience and my feeling from previous tests and shooting. The waves are sort of naturally in slow motion, and I would alter the frame rate to get the right feel.

Sometimes 23, 27 or 28 frames was enough; at other times as high as 100fps. The 435 handled the ramping flawlessly. One of the biggest challenges was for the focus puller to continually lean out and clean the lens. During shooting I was operating the joystick and watching the monitor. I kept asking the pilot to go lower, but fortunately he knew what he was doing and kept us safe.

LD: To be as close as possible to the animals above water and at their speed, 18 knots for the dolphins, the use of a stabilized head was a necessity and Galatée decided to build their own. It was Jacques-Fernand Perrin, an ex-military engineer, who designed it. Alexander Bügel built it. He was also the grip on the shoot.

Jacques adjusted the settings to maximize stabilization.

LC: Getting up close and personal with many of these critters of varying sizes and speeds is challenge enough as most don’t sit quietly for their close-ups. How did you respond to the idea of shooting from the animal’s perspective?

PR: It was part of the challenge to be in sync with the animal, and that’s why I designed the probes and other special equipment to get as close as possible. I used the 6-24 Zeiss digi-zoom because it had no spherical aberration. Everything was designed in terms of technical improvements because of the desires of the directors. They wanted us to be in harmony with the animals.

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LC: Tell me about the Thétys, a gyro-stabilized camera mount, designed by Galatée engineers to be slung from a small techno-crane that is portable enough to be set up on a Zodiac.

The Thétys head was fixed atop or under-slung on a crane that was built to fit on the Zodiac. After some trials it did a good job of stabilizing, with little drift. Adjusting for the movement of the horizon caused by the roll of the boat was difficult. The rain deflector on the Thétys was its Achilles heel. We spent a lot of time finding the right ones.

LC: Sharks and dolphins have probably never been tracked at full speed as they are captured for this film, with the specially designed housings and Polecams. To enable their cameras to glide through the water tracking dolphins and other creatures, several custom camera capsules were designed and built including Polecam, Jonas, Simeon.

I’ve heard of the Polecam idea, but how did you design the unit you used, the Jonas Polecam, to shoot just under the surface?

PR: Jonas, Siméon and the Polecam were built around a capsule or small housing fitted with a sensor removed from a Sony HDC950 and Zeiss 6-24 zoom lens. The capsule was linked to the camera via a fibre optic cable that was able to transmit images and also controlled zoom, focus, aperture and filter functions. The capsule designed by SubSpace in Geneva was placed in a controllable torpedo, towed about 100 metres behind the boat, for shots of the dolphins swimming towards us.

By adjusting our boat speed, Jonas could also move backwards through a school of fish. The torpedo underwent a long period of testing in a navy tank used to test submarines in order to evaluate its hydrodynamic capacities.

The capsule was also used in the Polecam in a side or front position. We designed one that was about five metres off the side of the boat to get a good perspective. Two of our grips, Alexander Bügel and Alain Benoit, had experience working with boats and knew the constraints because some captains would refuse to have the rig put on their boats. It was heavy and resulted in a lot of stress on the boats. It was mounted under the surface on the front of the boat for following shots, and enabled us to get close to the dolphins whether tracking, following or leading them.

PR: I knew there were solutions to the challenges but no one guy could solve it all so it was my job to find the skills and the people and get them into the right teams. For example, when you have to follow a sea horse love parade and track around this tiny animal with a technocrane. I thought of one guy who would be able to do this – the famous dolly grip, Geoff Brown, from Australia. He had worked in France several times and he was very good at following actors. I called him and I said, ‘We want you to follow some actors, but can you follow actors only four centi-metres long?’ And he said, ‘What the hell is that?’ I explained that we were going to follow a sea horse and other animals you have never seen before.

We also tracked a clown fish with the technocrane and an F-23 with Innovision macro-snorkel tubes. What was amazing was that this little character, who became our unofficial mascot, seemed to be fascinated by the lens and actually followed the camera. Geoff was the right guy to do this and of course you need a good focus puller, otherwise you’re dead. To get the best quality from this set-up, you have to use it between T-16 and T-22, because it was designed mainly for television.

Developing the techniques for this project was an ongoing evolution of technology and ideas. There was no rest during my five-and-a-half years on the film. When they asked me to shoot plankton in the drop of water there was just three months left on the shoot. Someone suggested using CGI, but the producers said, ‘No way. Philippe can you find a solution?’ I wasn’t sure how to do it, but they took me to a very expensive Italian restaurant with expensive wine and used lots of charm. Afterwards I scratched my head and asked myself, ‘Did I say yes to this craziness?’ But it was teamwork, with help from HD Systems, the colourists

Photo credit: Christophe Pottier

LC: For the smaller fish you adapted the Innovision Optics, HD Probe lens system. How challenging was that?

The ‘Birdy Fly’ over the coast of Norway.

and the DITs. As well, Olli Barbé the production manager and executive producer really understood and translated the technical demands because when you are speaking about motion, emotion and philosophy, you need this interpretation.

LC: Conventional helicopters were used on this film, but for getting close to whales something else was required to avoid the noise, downdraft and fumes. The Galatée team completely redesigned a miniature chopper with electric motors, which became the ‘Birdy Fly.’ How was that worked out?

PR: The mini-helicopter was interesting and got lot of shots that a regular helicopter could not get. They were modified with electric motors. This gave Christophe Pottier, a French DOP several advantages – no noise, no wake, getting closer with wider lenses and customized stabilization giving us much more flexibility in various weather conditions. Originally we wanted to use an Arri 235, but had to use an Arri 111B with a 200-foot magazine because of flight regulations and size constraints so it would fit the mount.

LC:There were times when the script had to be modified. Philippe describes a course change for shooting the small fish when they

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Photo credit: Luc Drion SBC

The big waves were shot off the coast of Brittany in an area that most ships tend to avoid.

realized that they could not control or light them in their natural environment. They had planned to shoot them in natural coral reef habitat but it was impossible, so they built tanks in which they could track them with a crane and snorkel. Capturing, creating and recreating the environment of the reef was a major challenge because it involved making four different settings look like one: a natural coral reef off New Caledonia; a re-formed coral reef in a giant tank; inserted coral in a 23-centimetres deep tank; and mini-scenery in a small tank. We all know about Rembrandt lighting. But whose idea was it to create Renoir lighting?

PR: Ah yes, that was my idea and it was a challenge because when we started out we tried to shoot coral reef life at night but it was impossible to do the smaller shots there. We needed to match four different locations, four different types of water and four different types of waves. I thought from the beginning that the solution would involve different aspects and I thought that the cucoloris would be one way to create the look of the natural waves in the reef. In the beginning I wasn’t sure, so I took a lamp into my bathroom and put on a scuba mask and with a mock-up floating cucoloris, I looked at the effect with my head in the bathtub. My wife came in and said, ‘Oh my god, this guy is mad.’ But it worked. I have to give credit to the team of grips and gaffers who helped work it all out.

In the large tank it was easy to put a floating cucoloris with a single light, which was following in backlight, a 20K T. We were not allowed to create waves for biological reasons. Paul Johnstone, the Australian underwater gaffer, helped design a method of following the animals through the maze of the coral, and we decided to move the light and the cucoloris during the shot. You don’t realize it when you watch the film but everything is moving. Then when we shot in the 23-centimetre tank, using the probe, we weren’t able to use a floating cucoloris. That’s why I decided to create rows of cucoloris between the light and the tank and leave some freedom for the arm of the technocrane and to recreate the effect of waves.

Director Jaques Perrin did not want any of the animals to

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be ill treated during the shoot. The scene featuring the shark massacre was done with animatronics. For the animals in fishnets, Australian technicians were called upon for their experience in underwater work and their stock of animal animatronics. Jacques Cluzaud, co-director, and Christophe Cheysson, 2nd-unit director, spent a month in Australia with cameraman Simon Christidis shooting underwater footage on 35 mm. The harpoons shot at the whales were rendered in a simple way in order to make it less real.

LC: What were your memorble moments workin on this film?

LD: The hardest part in the genre of nature films is to convey the visual impression of our eyes, which is powerful, with the help of a camera, which is just a tool. I have seen some extraordinary things, such as the sardine run, the bubble net filling or just a baby seal that came to say hello. My apprehension in these situations was one of a fiction cameraman. I had preconceived images in my head, based on the requests of the directors and I treated the animals as if they were actors. I had to remember to not surrender too much to the pressure of the unexpected.

I was looking for precise shots rather than waiting for them to happen.

The film was a great human and technical adventure and the hardest part was to leave it. The different encounters around the world with scientists, technicians, the Breton fishermen and local guides, due to their different cultural backgrounds, gave me a different impression of the world. It was also an initiation voyage, a search for ones self and ones origins. To see 20 whales jump out of the water before you evokes a shock that takes us back to our origins and a kind of search for “the mother” of the sea.

Now that the film is released, I hope that the images collected between 2005 and 2009 will provoke a reaction from the audience and the political powers to save what is still left in the oceans. It is not too late, but it is urgent that we change our ways and save the fauna and flora and ourselves.

By Krystyna Hunt

ne great thing a pro like Paul Sarossy csc, Bsc appreciates about the profession of cinematography is that he always has a chance to learn something new. Even when he is not entirely sure what part of his past experience will apply The Borgias, a sumptuous period-television series that went on air on Bravo! in April, co-produced by Canada’s Take 5 Productions, was such a chance. The other producers are Octagon Films of Ireland and MidAtlantic Productions of Hungary. Take 5 recommended Paul Sarossy for cinematographer, but Octagon Films, who had the final say, made the decision to hire him.

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Paul Sarossy CSC, BSC Sarossy has never worked on a production that had so many different elements. For one thing, the miniseries had four directors attached to it. “That is a very intriguing educational process, because I had to examine what was the difference between one director and another and where one left off and the other carried on. Each was truly individual,” Sarossy said.

“It fell upon the cinematographer and the actors to maintain a continuity – visually and dramatically.”

day we’d be shooting inside St. Peter’s Basilica, the next day it became the Vatican Library. Two days later it transformed into a vast corridor, a backdrop for secret conversations. Often I had little advance idea what a set would become in a few days time.

This approach, while cost-effective, required quick problem solving. Even with big sets, often what you didn’t see was as important as what you did. This was part of the visual language of The Borgias.”

“One of my biggest challenges was to start a project from zero and to create a visual universe, particularly as that universe is in the past. The period will determine many things in terms of how one approaches the lighting and shooting of the story. In The Borgias it was an entire world lit by daylight, candlelight or firelight. It forced me to approach things in a very particular way and to find something beautiful in that palette.” Sarossy and other fellow Canadians, including actors Colm Feore, François Arnaud and director Jeremy Podeswa, were brought onto the series as part of the Canadian end of the package. Take 5 and Octagon also partnered for The Tudors (see CSC News November 2008), the enormously successful television series. With The Borgias, they found gold in feeding viewers’ fascination with historical and costume drama.

In The Borgias viewers are transported to Italy of 1492 to the beginning of the 1500s, in the bloom of the Renaissance, only a couple of decades earlier than Henry VIII was having problems with his luckless wives. The Borgias have been advertised as “the original crime family” and indeed murder, mayhem and sexual rapaciousness was much of what they contributed to history.

It is said Mario Puzo based his Godfather Corleone clan on the Borgia family. The head of the notorious family, Rodrigo Borgia, became the very notorious Pope Alexander VI. His illegitimate son, Cesare Borgia, was the role model for Western civilization’s iconic dissertation on political treachery, Nicolo Machiavelli’s widely admired The Prince. The name of Lucrezia Borgia, another illegitimate child, has become synonymous with ruthless behaviour.

Sarossy is best known for the films directed by his long-time friend Atom Egoyan, such as Chloe, The Sweet Hereafter and Ararat. He has won five Genie Awards, three for Egoyan films.

The Borgias, his first television series, was definitely a culture shock for him. It was mostly shot in interiors built at the Korda Studios in Hungary. “Shooting on the sets for The Borgias was about 90 per cent interior. The sets were ingeniously organized so they could be transformed quickly for multiple purposes. One

One decision Sarossy had to make was whether to shoot with real or simulated candlelight. The Italian Renaissance left so much art in its wake that the look of that art has come to represent the look of the times. It has a certain warm, dark glow to it. Sarossy had to figure out if this was indeed how the times appeared to the artists of those paintings, or is it the effect of passing centuries, or is it something else? “In those days those references were brand new, probably very colourful and bright. A famous example was Canadian Cinematographer - Summer 2011 •

15

The Borgias backlot at the Korda Studios, Hungary

“

Cameras are changing every six months. When cameras became digital they became computers with lenses on them, and computers have a very short life span.” Paul Sarossy csc, Bsc Sistine Chapel, which was restored a few years ago. Much to every ones’ surprise, it was not a monochrome and muddylooking thing. It was colourful and bright. Presumably that’s what it looked like when it was new.

“This particular story and its place in the world has so much visual reference attached to it – frescoes and paintings – it is the forefront of Western visual art. When we decided to shoot one scene in candlelight, I made a discovery. I thought there was some horrible problem as the scene was getting darker and darker and I couldn’t understand what was happening. Now I understand why so few films are not shot in real candlelight.

We had 100 candles, and that created a huge amount of smoke to the point that the air was so polluted I couldn’t see through it. I guess that’s the reality of the world of candlelight, and there was a lot of smoke in the air. After a few centuries the paintings would have become darkened and lost colour.

With real candles, the smoke is black. With movie smoke, it’s white and that’s good for seeing. That was very interesting.”

Sarossy and the rest of the creative team decided the best

16 • Canadian Cinematographer - Summer 2011

way to go was halfway between the world of smoke-affected canvasses and the brightness of what those objects and people must have looked like when they were fresh. “This was definitely a learning curve. The conundrum was: Do I make things look old, because that’s what the audience is expecting, or do I make it look new like it was at the time, but the audience is not used to? In the first few weeks of work, everything was shot as clean but it didn’t look correct. Then it was decided to strike a happy balance.

Things may have been relatively new at that point, but Rome is an ancient city. The clothes and ornaments would have been brand new, and those were shot as new, but the walls and windows had grime. We decided to use some artistic license to make it seem more realistic, and I guess dirty looks more real.”

The choice of camera was determined by the fact that the production would be shot digitally. “The camera came from Munich, the best HD that they had available at the time. Cameras are changing every six months. Whatever camera is the cat’s meow last year is on the junk heap this year. When cameras became digital they became computers

with lenses on them, and computers have a very short life span.

Everything is changing, upgrading and whatnot. It used to be that you had a camera for decades, but now cameras have become disposable. They have become the new film stock.”

Just for the record, the camera was the Sony F35, “which is very similar to the Panasonic Genesis.” It doesn’t seem to make much difference to Sarossy anyway. “I have never been very techno oriented. I am much more intrigued with the story and the way the camera does and doesn’t see things; the way the story is supported by the camera. It doesn’t matter what the camera is, as long as it works.”

With The Borgias, Sarossy had a chance to work with Neil Jordan, writer, director and Oscar nominee for best director for The Crying Game, and Jeremy Irons, an established A-list star, multiple Oscar nominee and winner for best actor in Reversal of Fortune. What was Sarossy’s experience with Neil Jordan?

“It was definitely a great education. What was incredible was his ability at the last minute to figure things out. He’d arrive on set with no pre-conceived notions. He never let pre-formed ideas interfere with how a scene would evolve in front of him.

He’d watch the actors play the scene a few times. He’d walk around them with the viewfinder and determine the best place to see the scene play out. He’d ask the operator (Mark Willis) and me what our thoughts were. Very quickly he figured out what was important to see and always allowed the camera to tell the story, in the most efficient yet clever way. We finished everyday with what I felt were some of the best shots I’d ever done. It was kind of mysterious but wonderful.”

Canadian Jeremy Podeswa has been a popular director on high-end American television cable series such as Boardwalk Empire, True Blood and The Pacific. He was one of the four alternate directors on The Borgias. “Jeremy is very organized and prepared, very different than Neil. Neil Jordan shoots very few shots, but each one is fully committed to moving the story forward, nothing is superfluous. On the other hand, Jeremy is a director who uses coverage where he shoots a lot of the same material over and over. That allows the actors to try many different things, which gives him a wider choice of the right performance but the camera moves very little.”

The lessons seem to have been well learnt. Now, due to ratings that are higher than even The Tudors, The Borgias have been announced for a second season shoot, no doubt with much credit to how well Paul Sarossy made the first season look.

Perhaps he won’t have as much to learn on the second season, but will make it even more pleasant to the eyes from what he learnt in the first.

Images coursety of Bell Media.

But what about Jeremy Irons, the A-list actor? “As much as he is a star in the American sense, he has much of the work habits of a European actor. In Europe, an actor feels that they are a part of the crew and are both technicians and artists. ‘Should I stand here first? Should I walk forward? How can I help you tell the story?’ He is very aware that what helps the camera helps him, so he’s just wonderful to work with.”

On the top: Colm Feore as Giuliano Della Rovere; in the middle: the children; on the bottom: Jeremy Irons as Pope Alexander VI, Rodrigo Borgia

Canadian Cinematographer - Summer 2011 •

17

Rhonda and Tony Wannamaker csc

A Life Like No Other

Tony Westman csc and his wife Marja de Jong Westman

k a e Sp Out

Cinematographer’s Wives

By Moira Potter

T

om Cochrane sings that life is a highway. For cinematographers, however, life is more like a roller coaster, full of ups and downs, twists and turns and never knowing exactly what’s around the next corner. It has incredible highs and plummeting lows. It’s chaotic, stressful, exciting and, at times, joyous. It’s chaotic adapting to constantly changing schedules and working long hours in every sort of weather and terrain, often in unstable countries. It’s stressful spending weeks away from spouses and children and trying to create art in an industry more concerned with profits and schedules. But it’s exciting tackling a new project every few weeks, and joyous when the light is just right, the talent is in the moment, the stunts are working, the crew is holding its breath and the shot is perfect.

So we know what a cinematographer’s life is like. What’s it like being married to one? How do spouses manage the long absences, unpredictable schedules and the nature of their partners’ work? There are after all, many happy, long-term marriages out there, like that of Marja de Jong Westman and her husband Tony, together now for more than 30 years. “Even though Tony warned me before we married what I was in for, I still found it tough that I never knew where my husband was going next, or when,” Marja says. “Military spouses know where Canadian Cinematographer - Summer 2011 •

19

their partners are, and when they’re coming home. Doctors work long hours, but there’s a regularity. Business travellers are away for defined periods and are usually home on weekends. There’s none of that in this industry. It’s hard on family life.”

That wasn’t the biggest surprise for Marja. “The biggest shock was finding out the danger he constantly places himself in,” she says. “Like the time he spent hours filming from the very edge of a helicopter only to realize, when he was finished, that he hadn’t been strapped in. That sort of discovery can make a wife’s heart skip a beat. It’s not the best pillow talk.” Or the time Tony was shooting the film Alaska back in 1995. Part of the shoot was on Chief Mountain in Squamish and the crew, knowing how focussed Tony could be in setting up shots and gauging the light, actually hired a safety person just for him. “He was, in essence, Tony’s bodyguard,” Marja laughs. “The crew knew that Tony would become so engrossed in his work that he was likely to take that extra step back and be sent tumbling down the mountain’s granite face. I think this is why partners of DOPs go grey or stop asking their husbands, ‘How was your day, dear?’”

When Sharan Gordon, the wife of Steve Gordon, saw the final footage of a Rocky Mountain shoot, she saw beyond the stunning camerawork that swept along train tracks and swooped under bridges as a train rapidly approached. She saw the danger. “That helicopter was going at full speed along the track and under a bridge as the train approached just metres away, and I knew Steve was hanging from that helicopter. It was scary,” she said. That’s not the only scary thing. There are the animals. When Steve Gordon told Sharan he was off to “film a monkey,” she didn’t flinch. Until she saw the monkey was a mandrill “with very large, sharp teeth,” and Steve was just centimetres away from those teeth. “And I won’t even discuss the cheetah he shot for a Telus commercial. Of course, he never tells me about the risks he takes,” she laughs. “Because we work together now, I hear about them later from producers and crew members.”

It’s not only cinematographers who put themselves in danger getting the perfect shot. Teryl Crombie, wife of camera operator Rod, has had a similar experience as Sharan, only it involved Rod hanging from the back of a roaring motorcycle; camera in his hands and, again, with no safety harness. “Okay, Rod is a bit of an adrenaline junkie, but I think many of the colleagues are too,” she sighs. “They’re professionals, and their profession is about getting amazing shots. They’re so focused on the task at hand they don’t even realize the danger they’re putting themselves in. The thrill for them is when they pull it off and deliver that breathtaking footage.” Teryl, a makeup artist, has been in the industry long enough to understand the nature of Rod’s work.

She also realizes that Rod loves what he does and that he’ll keep taking risks if that’s what it takes to deliver what the cinematographer and/or director envision. But it doesn’t stop her heart from missing a beat when she finds out he’s been filming from the back of a motorcycle again.

When New Zealand journalist Barbara Sumner married husband Tom Burstyn 12 years ago, they agreed he would no longer do helicopter work or anything dangerous. And he didn’t until the

20 • Canadian Cinematographer - Summer 2011

couple made their first film together, the Oscar short-listed documentary, This Way of Life (see Canadian Cinematographer November 2009). “Tom had to go over a mountain on horseback, just him and the subject of the film, Peter. They would be three days from any help if anything went wrong, out in the wildest, steepest, most difficult terrain the New Zealand backcountry has to offer. Way outside cell phone range, no backup, no safety gear; just Peter, a string of horses, Tom and his camera. And Tom can’t ride a horse. I stayed home, terrified every minute in case something went wrong. This is a man who can endure a Montreal winter but wouldn’t know how to survive a night outdoors in the middle of a New Zealand summer.”

Cathy Fabre is still getting used to life with a cinematographer. After five years with fiancé Brad Rushing, she finds the financial unpredictability and Brad’s constant travelling to often distant locations stressful. Based in L.A., Brad has worked all over the world, from Canada to Brazil. “But when he does eventually return home, we’re both so excited to be back together,” she says. “Our relationship is constantly being renewed.”

It was a producer who called Rhonda Wannamaker some years back to say her husband Tony had been arrested by the KGB while shooting a documentary in the old Soviet Union. Like any good cinematographer, he wouldn’t hand over his footage.

Fortunately, Russian crewmembers persuaded the authorities that the footage was no threat to national security and he was released.

“Oh, the life of a cinematographer,” she sighs. “And his wife.”

That’s what Reggie Modlich, who’s been married to Nikos Evdemon for more than three decades, wants people to know – that while a cinematographer’s life is exhausting, unpredictable, stressful and exciting, the same can be said for that cinematographer’s spouse. “Cinematographers work brutal hours, cope with a lot of stress and are often away from their spouse for weeks at a time,” she says. “But it’s the same for their partners. The nature of a cinematographer’s work makes it impossible for him, or her, to deal with day-to-day parenting, family, household and social responsibilities. It’s their partners who pretty much singlehandedly do that. They can’t have a successful career and a family without a strong life partner.”

Sharan Gordon agrees. “My husband is a wonderful father, but his work has forced him to miss all the children’s major functions,” she says. “We made every effort to keep him in the loop with phone calls and emails. When we could, the kids and I would travel to where Steve was filming and book into a separate hotel. That way, he could focus on the clients, crew, etc., but could join us for dinner and breakfast. It makes a huge difference for the kids and for Steve, now that we work and travel together.

We use Skype to stay connected with the family.”

When cinematographers return home, they’re usually so tired they just want to sleep, just ask Tony Westman. Returning home from a long shoot, he’d want to read a bedtime story to the kids, but never made it to the happy-ever-after part. “Tony was exhausted when he came home, and it didn’t take him long

to crash,” Marja says. Their daughters are now adults, but still laugh at the memories of dad asleep before the end of their bedtime tale.

Cathy Fabre has become accustomed to her fiancé’s nomadic life, with one exception. “Cinematographer’s don’t travel light, so when they come home exhausted, there are always bags of equipment everywhere,” she laughs. “I tell him to unpack and he says, ‘why?’ because he’s off somewhere else in a day or two. I’ve given up even trying to vacuum.” While wives and kids usually understand the demands of the industry, not all family members are so accommodating. “The cat got so peeved at Brad’s constant comings and goings and the amazing amount of luggage he brings home with him, that she peed in one of his bags,” says Cathy.

Irene and George Willis csc, sAsc

Even when the prodigal is home, life is never normal. “The hardest part for me is that you can never plan anything,” says Marja. “You do anyway, but you know things will change. We’d make arrangements with friends, and then Tony would get a call and we’d have to cancel. Over the years people have given up on us and just stopped inviting us anywhere. It’s like living with a giant eraser in your hand.”

Most cinematographers – and their wives – can relate. But a sense of humour helps, and it helps to embrace the business. Over the years, that’s what Rhonda Wannamaker has done. Married for almost 30 years, Rhonda now acts as Tony’s full-time agent and assistant and driver and gopher and stunt woman, often at the cost of her pride. “When Tony worked for Citytv he was on 24/7 call,” she says. “One night, we were having a dinner party, and Tony had had a few drinks, when a gun call came in. Tony had a Citytv car, so I decided to be his driver just to be on the safe side.

I tore to the scene and right into the line of fire. The police were not amused. So much for keeping Tony safe.”

Sharan and Steve Gordon csc

She remembers another time when she was assisting her husband on a live news shoot in Banff. Tony thought the shot needed someone to ski past his camera so asked Rhonda if she would oblige. Always the good sport, Rhonda agreed. She got the necessary gear and readied herself for Tony’s cue. Tony had everything ready to go and was completely prepared, with one exception, Rhonda’s skiing ability. “Tony can ski forwards and backwards and is terrific,” she says. “I barely get down a hill.”

On Tony’s command, Rhonda kicked off, only to immediately lose her balance and wipe out, sliding down the hill on her rear end on live television. “It was a long time before everyone let me forget that one.”

Don’t need your wife for your shot? How about your newborn?

When Marja de Jong Westman came to the set of Christmas in Willow Creek to visit her husband with their new baby daughter, that baby was suddenly drafted to play the role of baby Jesus.

“Life is never boring, that’s for sure,” she says.

Being in the same industry is what brought Irene and George Willis together, and keeps them together. “We fell in love because we admired each other’s skills and professional passion,”

Nikos Evdemon csc and his wife Reggie Modlich

…while a cinematographer’s life is exhausting, unpredictable, stressful and exciting, the same can be said for that cinematographer’s spouse.

– Reggie Modlich Canadian Cinematographer - Summer 2011 •

21

Barbara Sumner Burstyn and Tom Burstyn csc, nzsc, frsa

Irene says. “A producer and a cinematographer are meant to be together – one has the vision and the other makes it happen.” As a producer, Irene has had many opportunities over the years to work alongside George and is still amazed at what an experienced cinematographer can create. “We once worked on an iced tea television commercial that was to look like a scorching hot day on the golf course,” she remembers. “We woke up that morning to black sky and a raging thunderstorm. George didn’t panic and simply began by staging a product shot on a covered porch and somehow made it look like a bright, sunny day. As soon as the rain stopped, the big lights came off the truck and he shot the scenes involving golfers. There was no sign of black clouds when we saw the footage the next day. I marvel that he can sometimes play God.” The Burstyns also credit the success of their personal relationship with being able to work together. As a journalist, Sumner was able to travel with Tom and over time, they started to work together, eventually forming their own production company with Sumner producing and Tom directing. “We don’t like being apart,” says Sumner. “That’s the advice I’d give other DOPs and their spouses, work it out so you can travel together.”

But even safe and sound back in the bosoms of the families, cinematographers are never not working. “When we’re at dinner or entertaining at home, I’ll see George sitting there and his head is bobbing from side to side; he’s looking past me, and everyone else,” says Irene. “But after 25 years I know now that it’s because the light has changed or the blinds and sheers are causing interesting light play. That’s what cinematographers live for – light.”

22 • Canadian Cinematographer - Summer 2011

Cathy Fabre and Brad Rushing csc

“There’s nothing like being woken up at 5:30 a.m. because your husband is up doing a time exposure and just clicking away,” laughs Marja. “He’s never not filming. There’s even a camera on his bike. And if we go on a walk, I have to walk behind him so as not to obstruct his view line. I just find it funny now.”

Like Marja, Irene Willis has got used to her husband being permanently attached to a camera, taking pictures everywhere they go. But, she says, that has its up side. “He’s captured every special occasion we’ve been part of beautifully, whether or not he’s been asked. But that’s a tremendous gift, to be able to capture memories in such a magical way.”

While cinematographers know how to capture a romantic scene on film, forget romantic moments at home. Once the candles are lit, a cinematographer is reaching for his camera to capture the light not his spouse. “I long ago realized my husband has many mistresses,” jokes Sharan Gordon. “They’re his cameras and lenses, and I have to share my life with them.”

Despite the days and weeks apart, the long hours, the stress and constant worry, wives of DOPs agree that it does have some perks. Over the years as Tony Wannamaker’s unpaid assistant, Rhonda, has enjoyed music festivals, concerts and other events for free. And Sharan Gordon is now enjoying extensive travel thanks to her job as Steve’s camera assistant. “Now our nest is empty, I can travel with him,” she says. “It’s been great. We’re having a blast.”

Would they do it again? “In a heartbeat,” says Rhonda. “My life has been unpredictable, interesting and entertaining, and I can’t imagine living my life any other way. Besides, my husband still makes my heart flutter.”

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24 • Canadian Cinematographer - June 2011

Manfred Guthe csc D. Gregor Hagey csc Thomas M. Harting csc Pauline R. Heaton csc Brian Hebb csc David Herrington csc Karl Herrmann csc Kenneth A. Hewlett csc Robert Holmes csc John Holosko csc George Hosek csc Colin Hoult csc Donald Hunter csc Mark Irwin csc, asc James Jeffrey csc Pierre Jodoin csc Martin Julian csc Norayr Kasper csc Glen Keenan csc Ian Kerr csc Jan E. Kiesser csc, asc Alar Kivilo csc, asc Douglas Koch csc Charles D. Konowal csc Ken Krawczyk csc Alwyn J. Kumst csc Jean-Claude Labrecque csc Serge Ladouceur csc George Lajtai csc Marc Laliberté Else csc Barry Lank csc Philippe Lavalette csc Allan Leader csc John Lesavage csc Henry Less csc Pierre Letarte csc Antonin Lhotsky csc Philip Linzey csc J.P. Locherer csc Larry Lynn csc Dylan Macleod csc Bernie MacNeil csc Glen MacPherson csc, asc Shawn Maher csc David A. Makin csc Adam Marsden csc Donald M. McCuaig csc, asc Robert B. McLachlan csc, asc Ryan McMaster csc Michael McMurray csc Stephen F. McNutt csc, asc Simon Mestel csc Alastair Meux csc Gregory D. Middleton csc C. Kim Miles csc Gordon Miller csc Robin S. Miller csc Paul Mitchnick csc Luc Montpellier csc Rhett Morita csc David Moxness csc Douglas Munro csc

Kent Nason csc Mitchell T. Ness csc Robert C. New csc Stefan Nitoslawski csc Danny Nowak csc Rene Ohashi csc, asc Harald K. Ortenburger csc Gerald Packer csc Barry Parrell csc Brian Pearson csc David Perrault csc Barry F. Peterson csc Bruno Philip csc Matthew R. Phillips csc André Pienaar csc, sasc Zbigniew (Ed) Pietrzkiewicz csc Ronald Plante csc Milan Podsedly csc Hang Sang Poon csc Andreas Poulsson csc Don Purser csc Ousama Rawi csc, bsc William Walker Reeve csc Stephen Reizes csc Derek Rogers csc Peter Rowe csc Brad Rushing csc Branimir Ruzic csc Jérôme Sabourin csc Victor Sarin csc Paul Sarossy csc, bsc Michael Patrick Savoie csc Ian Seabrook csc Gavin Smith csc Christopher Soos csc Brenton Spencer csc Michael Spicer csc John Spooner csc Ronald Edward Stannett csc Pieter Stathis csc Brendan Steacy csc Barry Ewart Stone csc Michael Storey csc Michael Sweeney csc Adam Swica csc Attila Szalay csc, hsc Jason Tan csc John P. Tarver csc Paul Tolton csc Bert Tougas csc Chris Triffo csc Sean Valentini csc Brett Van Dyke csc Roger Vernon csc Frank Vilaca csc Daniel Villeneuve csc Daniel Vincelette csc Michael Wale csc John Walker csc James Wallace csc Tony Wannamaker csc Peter Warren csc

CSC MEMBERS

CSC FULL MEMBERS Jim Aquila csc John Badcock csc Michael Balfry csc Christopher Ball csc John Banovich csc John Stanley Bartley csc, asc Stan Barua csc Yves Bélanger csc Peter Benison csc Jeremy Benning csc John Berrie csc Michel Bisson csc Michael Boland csc Nicolas Bolduc csc Thomas Burstyn csc, frsa, nzcs Barry Casson csc Eric Cayla csc Neil Cervin csc Henry Chan csc Marc Charlebois csc Rodney Charters csc, asc Damir I. Chytil csc Jericca Cleland csc Arthur E. Cooper csc Walter Corbett csc Steve Cosens csc Bernard Couture csc Richard P. Crudo csc, asc Dean Cundey csc, asc François Dagenais csc Steve Danyluk csc Kamal Derkaoui csc Kim Derko csc Serge Desrosiers csc Ricardo Diaz csc Jean-Yves Dion csc Zoe Dirse csc Mark Dobrescu csc Wes Doyle csc John Drake csc Guy Dufaux csc Ray Dumas csc Albert Dunk csc, asc Philip Earnshaw csc Gamal El-Boushi csc, acs Michael Ellis csc Carlos A. Esteves csc Nikos Evdemon csc David Frazee csc Marc Gadoury csc Antonio Galloro csc James Gardner csc, sasc David A Geddes csc Ivan Gekoff csc Laszlo George csc, hsc Pierre Gill csc Russ Goozee csc Steve Gordon csc Barry R. Gravelle csc David Greene csc Michael Grippo csc

Andrew Watt csc Jim Westenbrink csc Tony Westman csc Kit Whitmore csc, soc Brian Whittred csc Ron Williams csc George A. Willis csc, sasc Glen Winter csc Peter Woeste csc Kelly John Wolfert csc Bill C.P. Wong csc Kevin C.W. Wong csc Bruce Worrall csc Craig Wrobleski csc Yuri Yakubiw csc Ellie Yonova csc CSC ASSOCIATE MEMBERS Johnny Abi Fares Joshua Allen Don Armstrong Vince Arvidson François Aubrey John W. Bailey Douglas Baird Kenneth Walter Balys Maya Bankovic David Battistella Gregory Bennett Guy Bennett Jonathan Benny Jonathan Bensimon André Bériault Aaron Bernakevitch Roy Biafore Christian Bielz Thomas Billingsley Stan Bioksic Francois M. Bisson Martin Brown Scott Brown Richard Burman Lance Carlson Jon Castell Mark Caswell Maurice Chabot César Charlone Stephen Chung David Collard René Jean Collins Jarrett B. Craig Rod Crombie James Crowe Micha Dahan Michael Jari Davidson Vincent De Paula Nicholas de Pencier Randy Dreager Duane Empey Andreas Evdemon Jay Ferguson

Canadian Cinematographer - Summer 2011 •

25

CSC MEMBERS

Andrew Forbes Richard Fox Joshua Fraiman Kevin A. Fraser Brian Gedge Yorgos Giannelis Rion Gonzales Dave Gordon Vladimir Gosaric Daniel Grant Jeffrey Hanley Josh Henderson David M.J. Hodge John Hodgson James D. Holloway Suave Hupa George Hupka David Johns Jorma Kantola Ali Kazimi Ernie Kestler Shannon Kohli Douglas John Kropla Charles Lavack Jim Laverdiere Robin Lawless soc Byung-Ho Lee Philip Letourneau James Lewis John V. Lindsay Matthew J. Lloyd Dave Luxton Robert Macdonald Mario Anthony Madau Jeff Maher Alfonso Maiorana Yoann Malnati Roy Marques Kelly Mason Andris D. Matiss Paul McCool Patrick McLaughlin Gabriel Medina Tony Meerakker Tony Merzetti Anthony Metchie Bentley Miller Paul Mockler Sarah Moffat Boris Mojsovski Robin Lee Morgan Helmfried Muller Brian Charles Murphy Keith Murphy Christopher M. Oben Eric Oh Alexandre M. Oktan Ted Parkes Deborah Parks Pavel “Pasha” Patriki Rick Perotto Allan Piil

Scott Plante Ryan A. Randall Ali Reggab Michael Rita-Procter Cathy Robertson Peter Rosenfeld Don Roussel Albert Rudnicki Steve Sanguedolce Christopher Sargent Andrew W. Scholotiuk Ian Scott Neil Scott Neil Seale Wayne Sheldon Simon Shohet Sarorn Ron Sim Barry E. Springgay Paul Steinberg Marc Stone Michael Strange Joseph G. Sunday phd Peter Sweeney Aaron Szimanski Peter Szperling André Paul Therrien George (Sandy) Thomson John Thronberg Ian Toews John Walsh Lloyd Walton Glenn C. Warner Douglas H. Watson Roger Williams Richard Wilmot Peter Wayne Wiltshire Carolyn Wong Dave Woodside Peter Wunstorf asc Xiao Chen Yu Steven Zajaczkiwsky CSC AFFILIATE MEMBERS JoAnne Alaric Donald G. Angus Derek Archibald Robin Bain Iain Alexander Baird Peter Battistone Russell Bell Jacques F. Bernier Greg Biskup Tyson Burger Gordon A. Burkell Joseph Calabrese Sean Carson Arnold Caylakyan Bernard Chartouni Johnny Yan Chen Brent J. Craig Brad Creasser

26 • Canadian Cinematographer - Summer 2011

Colin Davis Dominika Dittwald Tony Edgar Zachary Finkelstein Randy French Richard Gira James D. Hardie Stephen Hargreaves Bruce William Harper John Richard Hergel BA CD Adam Christopher Hickman Perry Hoffmann Robert Howard Brad Hruboska Marcel D. Janisse Michael Jasen Nazir Kassam Rick Kearney Matthew Casey Kennedy Guido Kondruss Boris Kurtzman Ryan Lalonde Charles Lenhoff Tony Lippa John Lipsz Lori P. Longstaff Robert H. Lynn Megan MacDonald Jill MacLauchlan Parks Justin McIntosh Ian McLaren Andrew Medicky Alejandro Muñoz Kar Wai Ng Peter Osborne Andrew Oxley Gino Papineau Graeme Parcher Kalpesh Patel Greg Petrigo Craig Pew Douglas B. Pruss Lem Ristsoo David Rumley Donna Santos Susan Saranchuk Chirayouth Jim Saysana James Scott Alexey Sikorsky Brad Smith Michael Soos Gillian Stokvis-Hauer Steve Thorpe Steven Tsushima Paula Tymchuk Anton van Rooyen Trevor J. Wiens Irene Sweeney Willis Ridvan Yavuz CSC LIFE MEMBERS Herbert Alpert csc, asc

Robert Bocking csc Raymond A. Brounstein csc David Carr csc Marc Champion csc Christopher Chapman csc, cfe Robert C. Crone csc, cfc, dg David A. De Volpi csc Kelly Duncan csc, dgc Glen Ferrier John C. Foster csc Leonard Gilday csc John Goldi csc Kenneth W. Gregg csc John B. Griffin csc Edward Higginson csc Brian Holmes csc Brian Hosking Joan Hutton csc Douglas Kiefer csc Rudolf Kovanic csc Les Krizsan csc Naohiko Kurita csc Harry Lake csc Peter C. Luxford csc Duncan MacFarlane csc Harry Makin csc Douglas A. McKay csc Donald James McMillan csc Jim Mercer csc Roger Moride csc George Morita csc Wilhelm E. Nassau Ron Orieux csc Dean Peterson csc Roland K. Pirker Randal G. Platt csc Norman Quick csc Roger Racine csc Robert G. Saad csc Josef Seckeresh csc Michael S. Smith John Stoneman csc Kirk Tougas Y. Robert Tymstra Walter Wasik csc Ron Wegoda csc James A. Wright Keith Young CSC HONOURARY MEMBERS Roberta Bondar Vi Crone Graeme Ferguson Wilson Markle Philippe Ros afc

indicates demo reel online, www.csc.ca

Used Leica Geo System Disto Laser Measurement Devices Attention crew technicians interested in selling used Leica Disto Laser Measurement devices for cash to upgrade to newer models. Contact: Alan J. Crimi, Panavision Canada Corp. at 416-258-7239, shipping, receiving and client services at 416444-7000 or alan.crimi@panavision.com. www.panavision.com.

SHORT-TERM ACCOMMODATION FOR RENT Visiting Vancouver for a shoot? One-bedroom condo in Kitsilano on English Bay with secure underground parking, $350 per week. Contact: Peter Benison at 604-730-0860, 416-698-4482 or peter@peterbenison.com.

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Pro 35 with three mounts (Nikon, PL & Canon) $4,5000; Sony F900 with low hours and accessories, no lens $6,000 obo. Contact: Angela Donald, 416-8494877 or angela@hlp.tv.

Sony DXC-D30 3 Camera Live Production Package includes three DXCD30 cameras/camera backs/ CCUs and multicore camera cables; Panasonic WJMX70 8 input switcher; full camera and switcher monitoring package and waveform/vectorscope; equipment rack for camera monitors & CCUs. Wired and operational. $19,500. Contact Ted Mitchener at ZTV Broadcast Services for complete list of equipment: 905-290-4430 or ted@ztvbroadcast.com.

Portable Gel Bin great for studio or location use, holds 24 Rosco or Lee colour correction, diffusion, reflective, scrim, etc., rolls outer dimensions measure 17.5x24x 63 inches, not including wheels and sturdy wooden construction, painted black, bottom and back wheels, side handles hinged front & top, locks for added safety, handy reference chart, $300 obo; Darkroom Safety Lights popular Model D type, accepts 10x12 inches safelight filters (possibly included, depending which kind you’re looking for), takes 7½-, 15- or 25-watt bulb, excellent condition, $50 each. Contact: Andrew at dp@andrewwatt.com.

Canon HJ11x4.7Birse HD WA lens one DOP owner, canon factory maintained, $12,000; Canon KJ16Ex7.7 HD lens, mint-used only a dozen times, one DOP owner, canon factory maintained, $5,000; Sennheiser evolution 100 wireless mic kit with wireless lav and wireless handheld mics and receiver with original packaging, mint, barely used, $700. Contact Dave: c 416.553.3356 or email davidwoodside@rogers.com.

Sony Beta SP DXC-D30WSP/PVV3P, PAL, 262hours drum time, $ 2,500; Sony Beta SP DXC-D30WS/PVV3, NTSC, 251hours drum time, $2,500; Sony BetaCam SX DNW-7, NTSC, 257hours drum time, $5,000; and IKEGAMI DV-CAM HL-DV7AW, NTSC, mint condition, as new, 61hours drum time, $7,000. All cameras with porta-brace covers. All owned by me and serviced by Sony Hong Kong. Sony Beta SP/SX player/recorders, DNW-A25P X2, PAL & NTSC, 500 & 644hours drum time, $6,000; Satchler 575 HMI, open-face, mint condition with spare bulb, $2,500 & case. The lot for $20,000. Contact: François Bisson at blitzvideo@mac.com.

Briese 77 Light, full kit, including Tungsten and HMI flicker-free setup, two Eggcrates and Manfrotto Mega-Boom. Excellent condition, $ 22,000. Contact: pierredp1@gmail.com New Video Camera Rain Covers. Custom rain covers for sale. New design that fits and protects most Sony PMW EX3, Canon XHHDV, Panasonic VX200 cameras with the viewfinder extending toward the rear of the camera, $200.

Noiseless rain cover for the external camera microphone, $30. Onboard Monitor rain cover, camera assistants can see the focus during the shot. No more hassles in the rain, $60. Custom Red One camera covers available upon request.

Also can sew various types of heavy-duty material. Repairs and zipper replacement on equipment and ditty bags. Contact: Lori Longstaff at 416-452-9247 or llong@rogers.com.

NEW PRICE – DVW700WS Digital Betacam with viewfinder and two widescreen zoom lenses. Canon J1 5x8 B4WRS SX12 and Fujinon 5.5-47. Very low hours on new heads, $8,000 plus tax. Contact: Michael Ellis at 416-233-6378.

Betacam SP Camera package including BVP550 Betacam SP camera with BVV5 recorder, complete with Fuijinon 15x8 broadcast zoom lens, “Red Eye” wide-angle adapter, 6 IDX Li-Ion batteries, IDX quick charger with AC adapter, flight case, soft carry case, Sony monitor and 10 fresh Beta SP tapes ($140 value), $2,500. Contact: Christian at 416-459-4895.

CAMERA CLASSIFIEDS

EQUIPMENT WANTED

Fujinon XA17X7.6 BERM-M48 HD Lens in new condition, bought and mounted but never used. As new in box (camera is sold), $7,900. Panasonic Digital AV mixer WJ-MX50 (missing a few knobs from the lower right corner on the audio mixer), $400. JVC TN-9U 9-inich colour monitor, $60. Photos available for everything. Contact: johnbanovich@gamail.com or 604-726-5646.

FOR SALE 28-Foot Black Camera Trailer with new brakes and tires, 20-foot awning, dark room, viewing lounge, two countertops with lots of storage space, heating and air conditioned, side windows and three access doors. Contact: jwestenbrink@rogers.com Digital audio natural sound effects library for sale, recorded in various countries. All recorded on VHS digital with analog audio search on audio channel 1 and time code on audio channel 2. Completely catalogued by time code and includes Sony PCM decoder. $3,500.00 OBO. Contact: rvbocking@rogers.com.

Camera Classified is a free service provided for CSC members.

For all others, there is a one-time $25 (plus GST) insertion fee.

Your ad will appear here and on the CSC’s website, www.csc.ca.

If you have items you would like to buy, sell or rent, please email your information to editor@csc.ca.

Sony BVW-400a Betacam SP Camcorder camera used by professional cinematographer (one owner), never rented out. Comes complete with Fujinon A15x8BEVM-28 lens, Petroff matte box with 4x4 and 4x5.6 filter holders, remote zoom and focus control for lens, six Cadnica NP-1 batteries, Sony BC-1WD battery charger, Porta-Brace fitted cover with rain jacket (like new) and Sony factory hard shipping case and manuals. Lens and camera professionally maintained by factory technicians. Usage hours are: A – 1,918 hours; B – 1,489 hours; C – 4,286 hours, $10,000.00 obo. Contact: Craig Wrobleski csc at 403-995-4202 Aaton XTR Super 16 package including body, video relay optics, extension eyepiece, three magazines, Cooke 10.5-mm–60-mm S-16 zoom lens, Zeiss 9.5 prime lens, 4x4 matte box, 4x4 filters (85,85N6, polarizer, ND6, clear), follow focus and cases $17,500. Nikon 50–300-mm F4-5 E.D. lens with support, $1,000.

Kinoptik 9–8-mm 35-mm format lens c/with sunshade. Contact: stringercam@ shaw.ca or mike@imagegearinc.com

VANCOUVER

CALGARY

604-527-7262 403-246-7267 VANCOUVER CALGARY

604-527-7262

403-246-7267

TORONTO

416-444-7000 TORONTO

HALIFAX

HALIFAX

902-404-3630

416-444-7000

Canadian Cinematographer - Summer 2011 •

902-404-3630

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PRODUCTIONS & CALENDAR

Production Notes Against the Wall (series); DOP Miroslaw Baszak; OP Perry Hoffmann; B Cam OP/Steadicam Brian Gedge; to August 31, Toronto Alphas (series); DOP David Perrault csc; OP Frank Polyak; to August 22, Toronto Certain Prey (feature); DOP Steve Cosens csc; OP Roger Finlay; B cam OP Andreas Evdemon; to June 10, Toronto Cobu 3D (feature); DOP Gregory Middleton csc; OP Brian Johnson 3D stereographer William Reeve csc to June 24, Toronto Combat Hospital (series); DOP Gavin Smith csc; OP Sean Jensen; to July 15, Toronto Covert Affairs II (series); DOP Colin Hoult csc & Jaime Barber (alternating episodes); OP David Sheridan; to October 17, Toronto Degrassi: The Next Generation XI (series); DOP Alwyn Kumst csc; OP Jeremy Lyall; to November 17, Toronto Flashpoint IV (series); DOP Mathias Hemdl & Stephen Reizes csc (alternating episodes); OP Tony Guerin; to September 15, Toronto Haven II (series); DOP Eric Cayla csc; OP Christopher Ball csc; to August 19, Chester, NS Heartland V (series); DOP Craig Wrobleski csc; OP/Steadicam Damon Moreau; to November 30, Calgary Level Up (series); DOP Philip Linzey csc; OP Michael Wrinch; to August 12, North Vancouver Life with Boys (series); DOP Mitchell Ness csc; to July 7, Toronto Little Mosque on the Prairies VI (series); DOP Yuri Yakubiw csc; Brian Harper; to July 4, Toronto Lost Girl II (series); DOP David Greene csc; OP Rod Crombie; to September 22, Toronto Mirador (series); DOP Jérôme Sabourin csc; to June 8, Montreal Rags (TV movie); DOP Glen Winter csc; OP John Davidson; to June 22, Vancouver Sanctuary IV (series); DOP Gordon Verheul csc; OP Ryan Purcell; to August 19, Vancouver S.O.S. II (series) DOP Marc Gadoury csc; to June 30, Montreal Suits (series); DOP Patrick Cady; OP Michael Soos; B cam OP J.P. Locherer csc; to August 12, Toronto Warehouse 13 III (series); DOP Mike McMurray csc & David Herrington csc (alternating); OP David Towers; to July 22, Toronto Yamaska III (series); DOP Daniel Vincelette csc; to December 16, Montreal

Calendar of Events JUNE 1–6, CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival, Toronto, worldwideshortfilmfest.com 2–6, Toronto Italian Film Festival, festivalfocus.org 12–15, Banff World Media Festival, banff2011.com JULY 9–10, CSC Lighting workshop; for more information, contact the CSC at admin@csc.ca AUGUST 18–28, Montreal World Film Festival, ffm-montreal.org SEPTEMBER 8–18, Toronto International Film Festival, tiff.net CANADIAN SOCIETY OF CINEMATOGRAPH ERS

CANADIAN SOCIETY OF CINEMATOGRAPH ERS

$4 April 2011 www.csc.ca

$4 Januar y 2011 www.csc.ca

Subscribe to Canadian Cinematographer online www.csc.ca

An Exclusive Interview with

David Moxness csc, DOP on the Mini series The Kennedys L

28 • Canadian Cinematographer - Summer 2011

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Award Nominees • Don

Carmody 21/03/2011 11:14

A CLEAR PATH THROUGH POST Format

SxS cards

Direct to Edit workflow Tape-based workflow

Format

HD

Tape

Format

HD

On-board recorder

File-based workflow

On-board recorder

ARRIRAW workflow

Format

ALEXA gives you a choice of ultra fast workflows.

give you instant access to dailies and the freedom

Whichever of the ALEXA output options you go

to start an off-line edit immediately. If you choose

for, our Direct to Edit feature will speed up your

an HD workflow, the Apple ProRes codecs will

workflow. When recording uncompressed HD or

allow you to begin your on-line edit simply by

ARRIRAW, the Apple QuickTime proxy that is

removing the memory card from ALEXA and

simultaneously recorded to onboard SxS cards will

slotting it into a laptop: nothing could be easier.

More details on www.arridigital.com

© Kodak, 2011. Kodak and Vision are trademarks.

HIGHER DEFINITIONx3 As our family grows, so do the possibilities of filmmaking. The KODAK VISION3 Film family has raised the bar for high-definition capture — with unrivaled highlight latitude, reduced grain in shadows, flexibility in post, and of course, proven archival stability. Now with the addition of KODAK VISION3 200T Color Negative Film 5213/7213, we’ve developed a film that performs superbly in both controlled interiors and in challenging high-contrast exteriors. It’s time to look forward to the future with more options and no compromise.

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