Canadian Society of Cinematographers Magazine September 2011 by The CSC

CANADIAN SOCIETY OF CINEMATOGRAPHERS

$4 September 2011 www.csc.ca

Jeremy Benning csc in the V02 #03

Desert Afghan Luke with

56698 94903

John Walker csc â&#x20AC;¢ ICSC Conference in LA

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. 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.

FEATURES â&#x20AC;&#x201C; VOLUME 3, NO. 4 SEPTEMBER 2011

Jeremy Benning csc in the Desert with Afghan Luke By Fanen Chiahemen

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Living the Dream: An Interview with John Walker csc By Staff Writer

Mission Impossible? ICSC Conference in LA COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 2 From the President 4 In the News 23 Camera Classified 24 Productions Notes / Calendar Cover: From left, Nick Stahl, Nicolas Wright and Stephen Lobo. Still pulled from RED MX by Jeremy Benning csc

By Joan Hutton

Canadian Cinematographer September 2011 Vol. 3, No. 4 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joan Hutton csc EDITOR EMERITUS Donald Angus EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Susan Saranchuk admin@csc.ca EDITOR

FROM THE PRESIDENT Joan Hutton csc

Fanen Chiahemen editor@csc.ca COPY EDITOR Karen Longland ART DIRECTION Berkeley Stat House WEBSITE CONSULTANT Nikos Evdemon csc www.csc.ca

t is with great pleasure that I introduce to our readers Fanen Chiahemen, the new editor of Canadian Cinematographer. Fanen took over the reins of our magazine this month and shows off her editorial and writing chops by not only putting the issue together, but also penning the cover story on Jeremy Benning csc and his DOP’ing of Afghan Luke which makes its North American debut this month at TIFF.

ADVERTISING SALES Guido Kondruss gkondruss@rogers.com CSC OFFICE / MEMBERSHIP 131–3007 Kingston Road Toronto, Canada M1M 1P1

Fanen honed her formidable editorial skills as former associate editor of UN Wire and as staff writer for such publications as iHealthBeat.org, all out of Washington D.C. She has also written for POZ Magazine, the Montreal Gazette, the Washington Post and American Journalism Review.

Tel: 416-266-0591; Fax: 416-266-3996

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.

ISSN 1918-8781 Canadian Mail Product Sales Agreement No. 40013776 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to 181-283 Danforth Ave. Toronto M4K 1N2

2 • Canadian Cinematographer - September 2011

There is journalistic pedigree in Fanen’s background, being born in Nigeria to two journalists. Her father was a foreign correspondent for Reuters, which translated into much travel for Fanen and her family. She has lived in such countries as South Africa, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Cyprus, France, Germany, the U.K. and the U.S. where she received a Master of Journalism at the University of Maryland. She also speaks French and German. She has lived in Montreal for the past three years before setting up shop in Toronto. Fanen is a self-confessed film fanatic with a particular interest in cinematography. She says poignant cinematography is key to any production and that she is often “won over” by a film’s cinematography irrespective of other elements. To indulge her passion, Fanen has also been working as an English subtitle editor on film and television shows for studios such as Disney, Fox, Paramount, Sony and Universal. We are fortunate that she has chosen our industry and are delighted to have her as our new editor. All of us at the CSC welcome her aboard and we wish her all the best.

Photo: Joan Hutton csc

Email: admin@csc.ca

Fanen Chiahemen

What ever medium I shoot with, at Clairmont, they are always ahead with new technology, and for that I am very grateful to them. Thank you to Clairmont for always sharing with me what will become my favorite new toys. Serge Desrosiers, CSC

www.clairmont.com

IN THE NEWS

CSC Members Nominated for 2011 Gemini Awards Best Direction in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series Fakers, Pierre Gill csc Best Direction in a Dramatic Series Flashpoint – Acceptable Risk, David Frazee csc Best Photography in a Comedy Program or Series 18 to Life – Family Portrait, Marc Charlebois csc Wingin’ It – Hold the Dressing, Kim Derko csc InSecurity – Get Cranston, Anton Ken Krawczyk csc Vacation with Derek, Gerald Packer csc Living in Your Car – Chapter 1, Stephen Reizes csc Best Photography in a Documentary Program or Series Love at the Twilight Motel, Daniel Grant Photo credit: Justin Edward Lake

Best Photography in a Dramatic Program or Series Turn the Beat Around, David Greene csc Lost Girl – Faetal Justice, David Greene csc The Kennedys, David Moxness csc The Tudors – Episode 405, Ousama Rawi csc, bsc Flashpoint – Acceptable Risk, Stephen Reizes csc Director Wim Wenders

3D FLIC - The Toronto International Stereoscopic 3D Conference

he conference on stereoscopic 3D at the Bell TIFF Lightbox, June 10 to 14, was a spectacular follow-up to CSC’s 2010 3D workshop. Filmmaker Ali Kazimi, csc associate member, organized the conference, gathering a research group in stereoscopic vision to explore 3D cinema production within the Future Cinema Lab. Laurie Wilcox and Rob Allison from York University’s Centre of Vision Research also collaborated.

Best Photography in an Information Program or Series Make the Politician Work – Peter MacKay, Michael Grippo csc, Hans Vanderzande

First Annual CCE Awards May 19, 2011, was a big night for film and television editors, when the First Annual Canadian Cinema Editors Awards took place in Toronto to honour editing achievements. On hand was

Filmmaker Wim Wenders detailed the 20-year odyssey leading to the release of his first 3D documentary Pina, while top stereographer Peter Anderson ASC, (Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Tron) used chopsticks to explain the principles of convergence and interaxial. Other key participants included Jonathan Barker on “Bugs in 3D,” Don Carmody on “Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D,” and Graeme Ferguson, csc honorary member, highlighting the IMAX spectacle “Hubble 3D” shown at the Scotiabank IMAX Theatre.

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Photo credit: Rick O’Brien

Bill White of 3D Camera Company; Ken MacNeil from Creative Post; Rob Burton from Arc Productions; and Michael Drabot from PS Production Services were among 12 industry supporters to join the consortium and back research into capacity building and expanding local expertise in the field. 3D FLIC emerged from these initiatives, supported by the Ontario Media Development Corporation and the Ontario Centres for Excellence.

Susan Saranchuk, Executive Director, Canadian Society of Cinematographers; Student winners: Ernesto Sosa Lopez, York University; Deborah Gurofsky, Queen’s University; and Cameron Nixdorf, York University; Paul Winestock, President, Canadian Cinema Editors.

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Canadian Cinematographer - September 2011 •

Susan Saranchuk, CSC Executive Director, who handled the presenting duties in the student category. The CSC congratulates all the winners and nominees, as well as the CCE for an excellent inaugural awards show.

Congratulations to the Newest Accredited CSC Members The membership committee, chaired by Philip Earnshaw csc, met on July 6, 2011, and screened the works of 13 directors of photography applying for CSC full membership. Congratulations to the following newly accredited members of the Canadian Society of Cinematographers: Johnny Abi Fares csc; Norm Li csc; Matthew Lloyd csc; Anthony Metchie csc; Boris Mojsovski csc; Ali Reggab csc.

CSC Donates TV to Women’s Charity Sony of Canada donated a 32-inch flat screen TV to the 2011 CSC Awards Gala raffle. It was won by Denis Paquette of Cinépool in Montreal. Denis requested that the CSC donate the television to a worthy charitable cause. We chose the 416 Community Support for Women which provides refuge and resources to some of the hardest to reach women in the community -- who are often coping with isolation, addiction and/or mental health issues and other difficulties -- so that they can preserve their health and dignity.

From left, Rosie Smythe, Executive Director, 416 Community Support for Women; Susan Saranchuk, Executive Director, Canadian Society of Cinematographers; and Joan Hutton csc, President, Canadian Society of Cinematographers

CORRECTION In the feature article "The Borgias" published in the Summer 2011 issue of Canadian Cinematographer, the Panavision Genesis was incorrectly referred to as the Panasonic Genesis. We apologize for the error.

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ShareVUE

Share your vision and collaborate on iPad™, Android™ and other devices

In an increasingly complex production environment, the ShareVUE™ collaborative dailies solution gives you a highly secure, cloud based communication tool to view, share and coment on your dailies whenever, wherever and however you desire with high quality images.

Canadian Cinematographer - September 2011 •

Jeremy Benning csc

Desert in the

with

Photo credit: Bob Akester

Afghan Luke

By Fanen Chiahemen

8 â&#x20AC;˘ Canadian Cinematographer - September 2011

“These new MX Red sensors really blew me away. The quality that we were getting from the camera in natural light with very little control was quite stunning”

arving out a versatile career that includes shooting films, television shows, commercials and music videos inevitably means working in every corner of the world, often under taxing conditions, as Jeremy Benning csc knows. But it was while working in British Columbia last year as director of photography on Mike Clattenburg’s film Afghan Luke that the Toronto-based cinematographer faced his biggest challenges, ultimately reshaping his approach to filmmaking. Benning had worked with Clattenburg several years earlier, operating the steadicam on the director’s first Trailer Park Boys feature and doing promos for the series of the same name, which aired on Showcase, and he was convinced they would make a good director-cinematographer team. “We really got along well and shared similar creative styles,” Benning says. “And Mike had said, ‘Let’s do a movie together at some point.’” By the time Clattenburg approached him about working on Afghan Luke, Benning had already gotten wind of the story and knew it was the opportunity he’d been waiting for. “I really wanted to be a part of it because it’s a good Canadian story,” he says. Afghan Luke -- which stars Nick Stahl in the title role, along with Nicolas Wright, Stephen Lobo and Vik Sahay -- is about a young Canadian journalist who, disappointed with the way the war in Afghanistan is being covered at home, quits his job and travels to Afghanistan to report the news on his own terms. Most of the action takes place in Afghanistan, and the production team initially scouted locations in India and California. But due to security risks and high costs the film was shot in interior British Columbia, with the arid grasslands surrounding the town of Ashcroft standing in for the Afghan countryside. Unaware of Ashcroft’s high desert landscape, Benning had his doubts at first. “When Mike told me, I was like, ‘There’s no way this is going to look like Afghanistan.’ I had this vision of mountains and pine trees,” he says. But when he saw the location photos he was impressed. “That particular area is very dry,” he says. “It’s basically a desert in Canada. It’s pretty barren, it’s rocky, it’s extremely dusty, and once you throw in the right set-dressing and people who look the part, it’s quite convincing.” The credibility of the landscape was a priority for Clattenburg and the crew when it came to the look of the film. “Our first thing aesthetically was to try and make the film believable in terms of what people know of what Afghanistan looks like, but also bring in a classical feature film look,” says Benning. To capture an authentic feel, he started by working with the light that the setting provided. “We went with a very natural look. We were working mostly with natural light, so it was largely about dealing with what we had there light-wise,” he says. Trying to shoot around the changing weather conditions, however, was another story, and for that he relied on the magic of post-production. “We had sun most of the time, but we didn’t always have sun. And we knew going into it that we may have days when it’s cloudy or rainy, which of course doesn’t necessarily work for a dry Afghanistan feel. So we knew that we had some control in the post process of making the images look warmer and dusty and desaturated,” he says.

Canadian Cinematographer - September 2011 •

Photo credits: Bob Akester

From far left, B-cam operator Jason Vieira, DOP Jeremy Benning csc, and director Mike Clattenburg in ski goggles to protect against extreme dust. Previous page: A convoy making its way through a valley in Ashcroft, BC.

Initially, Benning, who is also a dedicated stills photographer, thought he would achieve Clattenburg’s vision shooting the entire film with the Canon 1D Mark IV DSLR because of its small size and high quality pictures. “Mike and I wanted to see could we shoot a film entirely with these small cameras to really give it an authentic, on-the-fly feel, make it very real and gritty,” he says. They also thought the cast would welcome the smaller camera because “they would have that freedom to be in the moment, to not have a big camera and not be tied down to all the conventional things of movie-making that take the actors out of the moment a little bit.” At the time, however, the new MX sensors for the Red One camera were just becoming available on the market. With the help of SIM Video, the production was able to secure two of their first five cameras, and it was soon clear that the quality of the detail from the Red was what the film needed. “We realized that on the big screen, because so much of what we were doing was going to be wide big vista landscapes, the Red was the way to go,” Benning says. There was still a place for the Canon, though. According to Benning, the Canon was perfect for time-lapse shots and transitional scenes, “as well as quick moments that we could just grab really close, like a quick detail of a hand writing a note, or a face.” But there was another crucial aesthetic element the film needed that would test both the crew and the equipment. “We really wanted to get that dusty dry feeling that you would expect in Afghanistan,” Benning says. As it turned, out Ashcroft provided

10 • Canadian Cinematographer - September 2011

lashings of dust, something the crew was not prepared for. “I’ve shot in deserts and all kinds of places around the world, but I’ve never been to a place as dusty as that,” Benning says. “It’s almost like talcum powder. The ground has probably a layer of a few inches deep. And when the wind picks up all the dust and flings it, it’s like having a bag of flour being thrown into a fan. Everything is covered in it all the time.” Not only did the crew have to wear ski goggles to protect their eyes, they spent hours in the camera truck cleaning the equipment, and they worried whether the cameras, lenses and monitors would endure the conditions. “Everything had to be taken apart, cleaned, put back together, and the next day it would be the same thing again,” Benning says. “No one had ever seen that kind of dust before, and we didn’t really know how any of the stuff was going to survive it.” Just before production began, Benning had acquired the first of Cooke’s Panchro/i lenses, which he decided would be right for the desert shoot based on “an educated guess.” He explains, “I was relying on the fact that I’ve known Cooke lenses for my entire career. I know that their construction is among the best and the image quality speaks for itself. So it was just, ‘Well, let’s take them into the desert and see how they do.’” The lower cost of the Panchro, compared to Cooke’s other lenses, was also a factor. “They’re not as expensive as their higher-end series of lenses, so it was kind of like, “’Well, maybe these are lenses that can withstand more punishment because they’re not the super high-end,’

Above: DOP Jeremy Benning csc. Below: Buzkashi match scene shot with Canon 1D

but from an image quality standpoint they’re just as good as the high-end lenses, just not as fast light-wise.” he says. As it turned out, Benning’s instincts were right. “Amazingly, nothing failed us,” he says. “The cameras worked the whole time even with that dust, and the lenses got a bit gritty, but they survived. At the end of the shoot they just went back to the factory for a cleaning and they were completely rejuvenated.” The film proved to be a turning point for Benning, not only because it was his first large-scale feature film, but also because it was his first big project on which he didn’t shoot on film. “I’ve shot a lot of HD and a lot of digital cinema stuff, but nothing of this scope on a digital capture system,” he says. A lifelong film devotee, Benning says his experience on Afghan Luke finally sold him on the benefits of the digital world. “It kind of changed the way I see filmmaking and the way I see image making,” he says, adding, “These new MX Red sensors really blew me away. The quality that we were getting from the camera in natural light with very little control was quite stunning. We were getting beautiful skies, not-burned-out clouds, and great skin tones and shadow detail – all these things I didn’t really expect to see so quickly from a digital camera. It actually kind of converted me.”

“No one had ever seen that kind of dust before. Everything had to be taken apart, cleaned, put back together, and the next day it would be the same thing again.”

Shooting digitally in remote conditions brought about a streamlined workflow on the set that Benning described as a “gamechanger” for him. “We’re five hours away from Vancouver. We can’t really send our footage to a lab every night to get it processed or converted into rushes to look at the next day. So we Canadian Cinematographer - September 2011 •

Photo credit: Bob Akester

film. “I owe a lot of the finesse and the final polish of the film to Walt because that was me and him together doing that,” Benning says, adding, “In this day and age with digital, your colourist is a big part of your team. “ In addition, Benning would grab TIFF frame captures of key moments of every scene using Red Cine X, ending up with 30 to 80 stills at the end of each day that he would take to his motel room, Photoshop and post as JPEGs to his Flickr site. That way every night, within a couple of hours of wrapping, Clattenburg and key crew members, such as production designer James Hazell and first assistant director Mike Crain, would have an updated gallery of the stills of each day’s shoot with the look applied to the images. It ended up being so efficient that some chose to look at the stills rather than spend hours watching rushes. “They liked getting the stills better because it was an easier way to digest what we’d shot,” Benning says. Top: DOP Jeremy Benning csc (far right) operating steadicam in a scene with actors Aria Saadi, Stephen Lobo and Nick Stahl. Bottom: From left, actors Pascale Hutton and Nick Stahl. Still pulled from Red MX footage by Jeremy Benning csc

realized early on we’d have to basically make our rushes on site.” Working with Bling, a division of SIM, the crew built their own data cart, allowing them to take the Red footage and convert it into dailies for Clattenburg and editor Roger Mattiussi to look at. “Every day I’d go to the camera truck and I’d spend an hour or so going through everything we’d shot that day on the data workstation. I’d go through all the footage and basically set the look of all the scenes as far as the colour and the saturation,” Benning says. “I’ve never really done that before, basically being my own colourist.” He is, however, quick to give credit to Walt Biljan the RedLab colourist he worked closely with to set the look of the

12 • Canadian Cinematographer - September 2011

What came about out of necessity has become a new working method for Benning on all subsequent projects, although he still loves film. “I know that film is still better by a small margin, but the benefits of the digital world, as far as workflow and amounts we can shoot and ease of working, outweigh those subtle differences in some ways,” he says, adding, “Without this technology I don’t think we could have done the film the way we did.” Afghan Luke will be screened at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, and wide release is expected shortly after that, although, according to Benning, the film has already been warmly received at a screening for a group of military personnel in Halifax. “They felt it really told the story well and gave a new angle to the Canadian perspective,” he says. “It’s nice to be part of something that’s timely, especially to do with Afghanistan. I’m looking forward to seeing it with a big audience and seeing how they react.”

By Susan Saranchuk, CSC Executive Director

Photo credits: Ernie Kestler

From left, Canadian Society of Cinematographers President Joan Hutton csc, Executive Director Susan Saranchuk and George Willis csc

roFusion 2011 more than delivered the goods. In only its second year of operation, the pro video and photography trade show has doubled in size and blossomed into the premier event of its kind in Canada. Four thousand people walked through the doors of Toronto’s Congress Centre over a two-day period to look at the wares and ask questions of some 80 exhibitors and attend over 40 scheduled product demonstrations, seminars and panel discussions. Vistek, which produces ProFusion and is a sponsor of the CSC, must be looking angelically towards the heavens, asking what they did right. Well, from my perspective, it was sheer hard work, will power, expert organization and filling a void that needed to be filled in our industry. Good work, guys! Of course, the CSC was there in force at ProFusion 2011, with an exhibit manned by myself, my assistant Karen Longland and CSC members George Willis csc sasc, Erne Kestler, Antonio Galloro csc, Sarah Moffat and Michael Jari Davidson. We chatted up the CSC to show attendees and vendors alike, all the while handing out hundreds of copies of Canadian Cinematographer. In fact, we ran out part way through the first day. Must make a mental note to bring many more copies next year! Sarah Moffat and George Willis csc sacs did double time by also leading workshops and seminars at ProFusion 2011. George

14 • Canadian Cinematographer - September 2011

CSC booth

demonstrated “Lighting for Movement,” a condensed version of his renowned multi-day CSC lighting workshop, while Sarah provided an informative lecture on “Motion Camera Theory Basics.” I would also like to note that Philip Bloom, cinematographer, filmmaker and HD-DSLR guru, who also lead seminars at ProFusion 2011, was interviewed by Canadian Cinematographer in its October 2010 issue. CSC sponsors at ProFusion 2011: Kino Flo and its fluorescent tube-based lighting systems, Arri with its revolutionary and innovative technologies that include the ARRIFLEX D-21, Sony Canada with its groundbreaking products such as the NXCAMS, and PS Production Services demonstrating the Red Epic-M and the remarkable Mo-Sys Lambda Remote Head. Want to know more about ProFusion? Please visit their website at www.profusionvideoexpo.com. Vistek says it has already started planning ProFusion 2012. See you there!

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Living the Dream An Interview with

John Walker csc

Photo Credit: Anita Olinack

By Staff Writer

From left, Jackie Burroughs, Louise Clark with clapper, John Walker csc on camera on the set of A Winter Tan

ohn Walker csc began his career in photography and turned to documentary filmmaking as a cinematographer freelancing for Crawley Films, the NFB and others in the 1970s. He directed his first film, Chambers: Tracks and Gestures produced by Atlantis Films, in 1982 and was part of the collective that produced and directed A Winter Tan. In 1990, Strand: Under the Dark Cloth won the Genie Award for best feature documentary. Five years later, he received a second Genie for executive producing George Ungar’s The Champagne Safari. His most recent documentary is A Drummer’s Dream. One of Canada’s most honoured documentary filmmakers, Walker won the 2004 CSC award for best cinematography in a documentary for Men of the Deeps and won Gemini Awards for best performing arts program and best photography in a documentary program for the same film. John Walker’s passionate commitment to the documentary form has led him to work around the world and to co-found the Canadian Independent Film Caucus (now the Documentary Organization of Canada), a lobby group for point-of-view documentaries. One of the best in his generation of independent Canadian documentary filmmakers, he’s a natural successor to the poetic tradition created by Colin Low. Canadian Cinematographer: When and where were you born? JW: Montreal in 1952. I grew up in a household where there were a lot of books on art, and my father had built a darkroom.

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I got my first Brownie at the age of six. When I was eight, my dad gave me a twin-lens reflex camera. I remember going into the darkroom at eight and seeing an image develop. The magic of that struck me forcefully. CC: Was your interest just photography, or were you also interested in movies? JW: Just photography in high school, then a Super 8 Bolex with a zoom appeared in the house when I was 14 or 15. Later I had friends at Sir George Williams University studying cinema, and I began to shoot their films. I had met Paul Strand several years before he died [1976]. I also met Patrick Crawley, the son of Budge Crawley, who was shooting film in Toronto. In 1970, I moved to Toronto to join him. While there I met Richard Leiterman csc, who was shooting Hamlet for Crawley Films, directed by René Bonnière. I got a chance to watch Richard work with the actors, with his camera on his shoulder. A short while later, Patrick was involved in a plane accident where he nearly died. When he left hospital, he was living with me, and Martin Duckworth had decided to make a film about the accident. While Martin was making this film, I was assisting him, working with a Nagra tape recorder. I was totally inspired by what Martin was doing. So it was Martin and Richard who inspired me to become a filmmaker using the handheld camera. I was still doing still photography to make a living, but I began to shoot film in the early 1970s, for Crawley Films and for the NFB. Nothing much, just small things. Then one thing led to another, and I began to shoot my first films for Crawley in 1975.

A Song for a Miner, which I shot in 35 mm, was my first credit as a DOP. Another film I remember from that period was Acid Rain: Requiem or Recovery, which was banned from showing in the U.S. by the Reagan administration. That was an important one. CC: Let’s talk about your film about Jack Chambers, one of your early ones that won all sorts of awards. JW: Jack Chambers was a London-based artist and filmmaker who came to some notoriety when he announced he had leukemia. The prices of his paintings went up, making him the highest paid living artist in Canadian history at that point. Then his cancer went into remission, and he lived another 10 years. People thought he had pulled a publicity stunt. So he became a controversial figure. He had founded the Artists’ Union, he was politically engaged, and he was also an important experimental filmmaker. He had founded the London Filmmakers’ Co-op long before the Toronto Filmmakers’ Co-op. He was somebody who used photography as a basis for his paintings. Chris Lowry, a London-based student, came to me with the suggestion we make a film about Chambers, which became Chambers: Tracks and Gestures. I shot that one in 1981. It was a one-hour film that we financed through the tax-shelter provisions of the time. It was totally successful. We sold 15 units at $10,000 per unit and raised $150,000. We sold it to the CBC for broadcast. CC: I notice that you also produced, which was a bit unusual for a documentary filmmaker at the time. Why did you choose to go that route? JW: The reason I started producing was that I wanted to make a film about the photographer and filmmaker Paul Strand, and I had the idea to make a film about Strand since the early 1970s when I first met him. CC: In the meantime you were shooting a lot of film for other people. JW: I was doing a lot of work for Rhombus Media. I shot Making Overtures, which was nominated for an Oscar. It was Larry Weinstein’s first film. Rhombus basically had me shoot most of their films at that time. CC: Also around this time, in the mid-1980s, you became involved with the Canadian Independent Film Caucus, a lobby group for documentary filmmakers. Tell me how that came about. JW: Jack Chambers was political; he fought for the rights of artists. In a sense, the formation of the Caucus was inspired by Chambers. 1984 was the first year of Telefilm Canada, which had been created out of the ashes of the Canadian Film Development Corporation. They announced their funding guidelines,

and documentaries were not included. I thought this was outrageous, especially in Canada with our documentary tradition. There were several others who felt the same way. We had been talking about creating an organization for point-of-view documentary filmmakers, and this was the issue that crystallized us. I was designated by the group to attend a meeting arranged by Telefilm. Don Haig [from Film Arts] was there. Michael MacMillan [from Atlantis Films] was there. André Lamy [representing Telefilm] was there, as was Peter Pearson, who was second-in-command to Lamy. There were representatives from other producer organizations and distributors, and I was there, representing this new, upstart organization. I looked around the table and said there is not a filmmaker sitting at this table who has not drawn from the Canadian documentary tradition. It’s central to who we are, and if you [Telefilm] do not fund documentaries you are cutting off the umbilical cord of Canadian film culture. I was looking at Peter Pearson right in the eye when I said that because he was the guy who was against the idea. He felt that it was the NFB’s job to fund documentaries, and I was representing the private sector. I was backed by MacMillan. Atlantis at the time was making documentaries, and he agreed with my point of view. If Michael and Don had not backed me, I would not have succeeded with my points. Two months later, it was announced that Telefilm would include documentaries in its funding guidelines. CC: Let’s move on to A Winter Tan, which came in the late 1980s. JW: We started work on that film in 1985, and it was released in 1987. Initially it was agreed that the credits would read: “A film by…”. There would be no directing or producing credits. We were making this film as a collective, and we wanted to break the hierarchical rules of filmmaking. It’s when we submitted the film for festival screenings, and the forms wanted the director and producer listed, that’s when we said so-and-so did this or that. It was collectively made, but I was the only one looking through the camera. And Jackie [Burroughs] was the one working on the screenplay, with the help of John Frizzell. But she was the one pulling the material from the book Give Sorrow Words by Maryse Holder. The five of us [John Walker, Louise Clark, Jackie Burroughs, John Frizzell and Aerlyn Weissman] would meet every couple of weeks for nearly a year to discuss the film and the script that was taking shape. The reason it worked was because we did have separate responsibilities. The nice thing about A Winter Tan, and probably the reason it worked so well, is that we had the freedom of a low budget and we were all friends.

Selected credits for John Walker csc A Song for a Miner 1975 (ph) Tree Power 1979 (ph) Acid Rain: Requiem or Recovery 1981 (co-ph) Chambers:Tracks and Gestures 1982 (d/ph) Making Overtures:The Story of a Community Orchestra 1984 (co-ph) A Sense of Music 1984 (ph) Blue Snake 1986 (ph) Whalesong 1986 (ph) A Winter Tan 1987 (co-p/co-d/ph) Calling the Shots 1988 (co-ph) Strand: Under the Dark Cloth 1990 (p/d/ph) Hand of Stalin: Leningrad 1990 (co-d/ph) Hand of Stalin: Leningradskaya, a Village in Southern Russia 1990 (d/ph) Distress Signals 1990 (co-p/d/co-ph) Out: Stories of Lesbian and Gay Youth in Canada 1993 (co-ph) Hidden Children 1994 (d/ph)

Canadian Cinematographer - September 2011 •

CC: I would like to move on to Place of the Boss: Utshimassits, which you made in 1996. This appears to be a film closer to your heart. Tell me about that one. JW: You’re right, that story was closer to home. “Place of the Boss” is a literal translation of the Innu word utshimassits, which is where they were living. This is the Davis Inlet story, and since they had been put there by the government, the Innu called it the “place of the boss.” It wasn’t their home, and I thought it a very poignant notion, so I called the film Place of the Boss.

Photo Credit: Simone Sinclair Walker

This story came to national attention when several children died in a fire while sniffing gasoline. I got a call from Louise Lore of the CBC series Man Alive asking me if the story interested me. But Man Alive is only a half-hour show, so I went to Davis Inlet to do some research and when I came back I told Louise I don’t think I can do it in half an hour. Concurrent to this, the Caucus was lobbying the CBC for a new documentary strand, which became Witness, and Place of the Boss was shown during the first year of that new series and it won a number of awards, including the Donald Brittain Award. CC: Let’s talk about Strand. Tell me about that film. JW: I called Paul Strand my mentor. I met him when I was a young photographer, showed him my work and had the chance to talk to him about it. I had total freedom in the making of that film, and I made it the way I wanted to. That was critical. Making the film reinforced my interest in filmmaking. Strand’s photographs are in black and white, but I shot the film in 35 mm colour, because although they were shot in black and white, they have colour. Some are blue-black, some are warmer. They have the subtlety of colour, so I shot the film in colour so you could see this colour of his black and whites. I shot my own scenes in the film in colour, but on 16 mm, which I later blew up. CC: And you won the Genie Award for best documentary for the film. Was that your first Genie? JW: That’s right. In those days they had two awards, for feature documentary and short documentary. I won for feature documentary. CC: You were involved with another Genie-winning documentary, The Champagne Safari, on which you served as executive producer. How did that one come about? JW: I also did some additional photography on that one. Around that time a lot of filmmakers who were trying to get their projects off the ground were coming to talk to me. Bruce McDonald came to me after A Winter Tan, asking me how we did it. With The Champagne Safari I formalized that relationship and spoke to Don Haig. He gave me advice on what to do as an executive producer, and he became my mentor. This took place over a period of years. Basically my role on that film was to satisfy Telefilm Canada and the OFDC that they were going to get a film at the end of the process, because at that time George Ungar was a firsttime director. It got the Genie and the New York Film Festival Gold and some other awards.

18 • Canadian Cinematographer - September 2011

I was very fortunate to be working with Nigel Markham, who was the cinematographer on that film. I chose not to shoot it myself. He had worked with the Innu before, so he brought experience, and it was a good collaboration. But it was very tough to shoot such a tragic story. The whole village had decided collectively that they had to start on a path of healing. So we were dealing with this transitional process to healing. So the timing is critical when telling these types of stories. People were at a point when they wanted to talk and get their stories out. We shot Place of the Boss over a period of a year, and I made three or four trips up to Davis Inlet. CC: Which brings us to The Fairy Faith, which I understand you also worked on for a while. JW: The Fairy Faith came about because I was quite drained from making films with a lot of tragedy. I was really questioning the type of films I wanted to make, and I thought I should go into drama and maybe make some fictional films. Frankly, I wanted to get away from documentary reality and documentary truth because it was becoming painful and difficult as a filmmaker. I wanted to use my imagination, and several forces converged that led me to make a film about mythology and the “little people.” It ended up being a documentary about the imagination. The fairy lore became the vehicle to explore this. What tweaked me, what got the whole thing started, was when I was in London and I went to an exhibition at the Royal Academy on Victorian fairy paintings. I saw all these incredible illustrations and paintings from that period. CC: Wasn’t your next film, Men of the Deeps, a more traditional documentary? JW: Coal is in the very veins of Cape Breton culture; there is an oral tradition that dates back generations, so I rooted the film in that tradition. I was familiar with the choir, but this is a film I

Selected credits continued Orphans of Manchuria 1994 (d/co-ph) Tough Assignment 1995 (co-p/d/ph) Photo Credit: Chuck Clark

The Champagne Safari 1995 (exp) Place of the Boss: Utshimassits 1997 (co-p/d)

Above: John Walker csc at table with coal mine choir members. Previous page: John Walker csc

wanted to do since the mid-1970s. This was a story that had been living inside me since I shot A Song for a Miner. What precipitated the film was the announcement that the last coal mine in Cape Breton was being shut down. It was the end of a 300-year tradition of coal mining in Cape Breton. I was speaking to Kent Martin, my NFB producer on The Fairy Faith, about this, and he was the one who suggested making a film on the Men of the Deeps choir. It struck me like a thunderbolt. I would combine a film about the choir and the closing of the last mine. At first my plan was to make it feature length, but when I started the editing process I liked the hour, although we did blow it up to 35 mm for some theatrical screenings in Cape Breton and festivals. CC Note: John’s next film, the docudrama Passage, about Sir John Franklin’s failed Northwest Passage expedition and subsequent attempts to discover what happened to him by the Scotsman John Rae, was written about in a feature article by Maurie Alioff in the first issue of Canadian Cinematographer, April 2009. It can be found on the CSC website (csc.ca) by clicking the magazine archives link.

the people organizing the camp, got the permission I needed, and went about raising the money. It was the first film I had shot on digital, and we used the Sony 900R. We were going to shoot long performance takes, and I thought the digital format was ideally suited for that. As for the result, I would say there’s about 10 per cent of A Drummer’s Dream that I wish I shot on film, mainly the exteriors. When you are shooting highcontrast summer light, film handles that beautifully. But I was really happy with the interiors and the projection looks great. It just won the FIPA gold prize in France, which is a big award. That’s like the European Emmy Awards. The film got a standing ovation. CC What is the best piece of professional advice you received?

Tops and Bottoms 1999 (co-ph) The Fairy Faith 2001 (p/d/sc/co-ph) Changing Ground 2001 (d/sc) Men of the Deeps 2003 (co-p/d/sc/ph) Pegi Nicol: Something Dancing about Her 2004 (p) Passage 2008 (co-p/d) Second Sight 2008 (exp/co-p)

JW Probably from my father, who said don’t worry about the money, focus on your craft. Do your craft as best as possible and the money will follow. It was good advice, and it has worked out that way.

Winds of Heaven: Emily Carr 0000 (ph)

CC Your most recent film is A Drummer’s Dream. Tell me about that film. Again you produced and directed it, and were you behind the camera as well?

CC One final question. You seem to be a bit of a workaholic, what’s next for John Walker?

A Drummer’s Dream 2010 (co-p/d)

JW I shot some additional third camera but very little. My DOPs were Kent Nason csc and Nigel Markham, both of whom I worked with before. The film had been developed in conjunction with the Canadian Film Centre and the NFB. I was in Montreal for my father’s wake, and my nephew, Jamal, told me about this drum camp his uncle was putting together with this amazing line-up of talent. I was immediately interested. So I got in touch with

JW I’m really spending a lot of time with A Drummer’s Dream, promoting it. There’s a lot of potential with the film, and I’m spending more time with its distribution. I promised myself I would spend at least another year promoting it. I also have another Arctic film I am developing, and I want to do another music film, because they’re a lot of fun to make. I do have a feature script I am developing, so I hope to do a drama sometime in the future. Canadian Cinematographer - September 2011 •

By Joan Hutton csc

ment that is constantly shifting direction. However, we took a giant first step by producing a powerful and mutually agreed upon mission statement emphasizing our obligations as cinematographers. “Cinematographers must continue the development of our craft as an art form, and at all levels, promote the highest standards of visual storytelling within the creative community. “Our vision is to foster and encourage dialogue between all Societies, Governments, Ministers of Culture, Manufacturers, Producers and Directors to further nurture and protect the visual integrity of the final product.

Photo credits: Joan Hutton

“We, as cinematographers are the custodians of the image. This is our heritage and our responsibility.”

Haskell Wexler asc

ast May there was an historical meeting in Los Angeles. Fifty-seven delegates representing 22 cinematography societies from around the world came together for the first International Cinematography Summit Conference (ICSC). We were there to open a global dialogue between cinematographers and tackle common issues and challenges that our profession faces in an ever-changing fast-paced digital world with new technologies seemingly emerging almost daily. Some might call a conference of this magnitude and scope a “Mission Impossible.” The four-day event was the brainchild of Michael Goi ASC, the president of the American Society of Cinematographers. I tip my hat to Michael and our ASC hosts for producing a skillfully organized conference that allowed for a perfectly balanced forum to voice concerns over creativity and technology in an industry that is increasingly focused on computer generated and enhanced imagery. The conference was very successful, even if it only scratched the surface for heightening awareness of our artistry, and redefining the role and future path of cinematography in a work environ-

20 • Canadian Cinematographer - September 2011

One of the more poignant topics of discussion at the conference dealt with the issue of image authorship. All the societies at the conference contend that cinematographers are co-authors of the works they shoot, entitling them the right to maintain and control the creative integrity of the image through the entire production process from pre to post and beyond. This puts a cinematographer’s contribution to a project on equal footing with producers, directors and writers. Remarkably, there are 15 European countries, most notably Poland and the Scandinavian region, that sanction co-authorship rights which in some cases include residuals for cinematographers. So, the concept is grabbing hold, if only in a small portion of the world. In Canada, cinematographers have no such status federally or provincially. A demonstration at Universal Studios’ Virtual Stage and a presentation by the Previsualization Society seemed to produce a collective angst among some of the delegates. The virtual stage was outfitted with a huge green screen, camera, jib, and Lightcraft Technology’s Prevision real-time camera-tracking system that allows the user to preview action on established backgrounds instantly. It was a fascinating process for some, while worrisome for others who felt this would lead to job redundancy and the breadlines for cinematographers. The Previsualization Society’s presentation later in the day, on the importance of the cinematographer’s participation in the previs process, was a tough sell to the spirited audience of cinematographers. Purists dismiss previs as a threat to the creative control of the cinematographer.

Above: Attendees at conference. Below: Isidore Mankofsky asc

have a new camera standard in the making with the F65, it was that good! Of particular interest was the lack of artifacts when the picture was blown up 900 per cent for night scenes. We also got an education in solid state lighting versus tungsten in a presentation and film shot by Daryn Okada ASC, and their effect on wardrobe, make-up and set props. One particular test that used various lights bounced off a white screen showed the gap in colour consistency between the two lighting sources. Even to the naked eye, it was apparent the tungsten reigned supreme over LED for colour consistency.

However, with visual effects becoming more and more prevalent on today’s motion picture sets, there was also a school of thought that virtual reality and previs were just another tool to add to the cinematographer’s bag of tricks. There were also presentations and discussions regarding education and archiving in a digital age. With education, it was felt that young cinematographers lack sufficient understanding of the visual language of the cinema to implement the creativity necessary to produce images that go beyond the flat video picture. With on-the-job training virtually non-existent in many areas of the world, it is felt that mentorship mentality should be fostered by cinematographer societies to guide and develop the next generation of cinematographers. The CSC has long made mentorship a part of our philosophy and initiatives. As for the current and future state of film and digital archiving and preservation, there are some systems in place, but there is no universal standard. Plus, “indie” films are still problematic, since there is no methodology for integrating them into the archiving process. Most of these films still seem to languish in basements and garages. On other technical notes, Sony gave the delegates a sneak peek at their new Sony F65 4K capabilities through a test film shot and directed by Curtis Clark ASC. By all accounts Sony may

22 • Canadian Cinematographer - September 2011

Being a cinematographer, I see the world around me as a series of images. In a conference with some of the best cinematographers there were two endearing and lasting images. One was of the legendary Haskell Wexler ASC wielding a small hand-held camera, with his eyes transfixed on a small monitor. The 89-yearold, two-time Academy Award-winning cinematographer made it his mission to shoot everything and everyone at the ICSC, only rising for air every once in a while to trade good-natured barbs with old friends and colleagues. I can’t wait to see Haskell’s finished film! The other image was of 80-year-old and equally legendary Isidore Mankofsky ASC, with a still camera slung around his neck continuously snapping pictures. The Emmynominated and multiple ASC award winner took charge of documenting the ICSC event through fabulous still photos. The images of these two elder statesmen of cinematography working the conference like a big-time feature…priceless! The aura of the summit was upbeat, filled with purpose. It was a good first meeting for gathering consensuses and laying groundwork for future discussions and programs. Yes, invoking change and direction on such a large scale may seem like a “Mission Impossible.” But, after all, we are cinematographers challenged to do the impossible every day in the course of practicing our creative craft. Cinematography is alive, well and thriving, and we’ll see that it remains so through initiatives such as the International Cinematography Summit Conference.

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Canadian Cinematographer - September 2011 •

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PRODUCTIONS & CALENDAR

Production Notes Bag of Bones (miniseries); DOP Barry A Donlevy; to October 28, Halifax Being Erica IV (series); DOP Michael Galbraith; OP Dino Laurenza; to September 20, Toronto Bomb Girls (miniseries); DOP Eric Cayla csc; to November 16, Toronto Covert Affairs II (series); DOP Colin Hoult csc & Jamie Barber (alternating episodes); OP Dave Sheridan; to October 7, Toronto Degrassi: The Next Generation XI (series); DOP Alwyn Kumst csc; OP Jeremy Lyall; to November 24, Toronto Flashpoint IV (series); DOP Mathias Hemdl & Stephen Reizes csc (alternating episodes); OP Mark Chow; to September 15, Toronto Foxfire (feature); DOP/OP Pierre Milon; to September 21, Sault Ste Marie Good Dog II (series); DOP/OP Jason Tan csc; to October 6, Toronto Haunting Hour II (series); DOP Michael Balfry csc; to October 28, Aldergrove Heartland V (series); DOP Craig Wrobleski csc; OP/Steadicam Damon Moreau & OP Jarrett Craig; to November 30, Calgary Highland Gardens (series); DOP Alwyn Kumst csc; OP Jeremy Lyall; to September 30, Toronto Lost Girl II (series); DOP David Greene csc; OP Rod Crombie; to January 22, 2012, Toronto Mr. D (series); DOP Thom Best csc; OP Peter Battistone; to September 16, Halifax Murdoch Mysteries V (series); DOP James E. Jeffrey; OP Michael Fylyshtan; to November 15, Scarborough Nurse 3D (feature); DOP Boris Mojsovski; to October 14, Toronto Republic of Doyle III (series); DOP Malcolm Cross; to December 11, St. John’s Secrets of Eden (TV movie); DOP Michael Storey csc; OP Glenn Warner; to September 2, Toronto Snow White (feature); DOP Brendan Galvin; OP Francois Daignault; to September 9, Montreal Story of Luke (feature); DOP David Klein; to September 3, Sault Ste. Marie Total Recall (feature); DOP Paul Cameron; OP Angelo Colavecchia; to September 16, Toronto The Transporter (series); DOP Derick Underschultz; OP Rudy Katkic; to November 21, Toronto Wingin’ It III (series); DOP Kim Derko; OP Antony Ellis; to September 2, Toronto Yamaska III (series); DOP Daniel Vincelette csc; to December 16, Montreal

Calendar of Events – September 1–11, Vancouver Latin American Film Festival, vlaff.org 8–18, Toronto International Film Festival, tiff.net 15–24, Atlantic Film Festival, Halifax, atlanticfilm.com 17–25, Cinéfest International Film Festival, Sudbury, ON, cinefest.com 21–25, Ottawa International Animation Festival, animationfestival.ca 27 – CSC Meeting – Videoscope, 100 Howden Road, Toronto, admin@csc.ca 23–Oct. 1, Edmonton International Film Festival, edmontonfilmfest.com 23–Oct. 2, Calgary International Film Festival, calgaryfilm.com 28–Oct. 14, Vancouver International Film Festival, viff.org

OCTOBER 12–16, Planet in Focus: International Environmental Film & Video Festival, Toronto, planetinfocus.org 12–23, Festival du nouveau cinéma, Montreal, nouveaucinema.ca 14–22, Antimatter: Underground Film Festival, Victoria, B.C., antimatter.ws 18–22, St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival, St. John’s, NL, womensfilmfestival.com 19-23, imagineNATIVE Film Festival, Toronto, imaginenative.org 20-27, Toronto After Dark Film Festival, torontoafterdark.com

24 • Canadian Cinematographer - September 2011

ALREADY T HE CAMERA OF CHOICE ALEXA is now in use on a vast range of 3D and 2D feature films,

To name only a few...

T V shows, commercials, documentaries and music videos.

ANO NYMO US – 2D feature

All over the world, filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese

H UG O C ABRET – 3D feature

and Roland Emmerich have quickly taken advantage of the

TH E TH REE MUSKETEERS – 3D feature

camera’s exceptional image quality and streamlined workflows

D ISNEY PRO M – 2D feature

to bring their creative visions to life. With a modular design and

RED BULL AIR RAC E – 2D feature

convenient update methods, the future-proof ALEXA enables

ARMANI PERFUME – commercial

cinematic storytelling like no other camera system before.

MERC ED ES BENZ – commercial ...much more to come

www.arridigital.com

Film. No Compromise. ÂŠKodak. 2010. Kodak and Vision are trademarks.