CANADIAN SOCIETY OF CINEMATOGRAPHERS
$4 December 2014 www.csc.ca
Up
SchittS Creek
with
Gerald Packer csc
07
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56698 94903
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Pasha Patriki csc on Hacker • ProFusion 2014
A publication of the Canadian Society of Cinematographers
FEATURES – VOLUME 6, NO. 7 DECEMBER 2014
Up Schitt’s Creek with Gerald Packer csc
8
By Fanen Chiahemen
Credit: Ramona Diaconescu
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.
Credit: Steve Wilkie
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 digital professionals, from the aspiring student and camera assistant to the news veteran and senior director of photography.
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Pasha Patriki csc Cracks the Code for Hacker
12
By Fanen Chiahemen
Cams By George Willis csc, sasc
Credit: George Willis csc, sasc
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.
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COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 2 4 5 7 22 23 24 27 28
From the President In the News Best & Worst Advice New CSC Members CSC Member Spotlight - Attila Szalay csc, asc, hsc ProFusion Tech Column Classifieds Productions Notes / Calendar
Cover: From Schitt’s Creek The Rose family – Alexis (Annie Murphy), Moira (Catherine O’Hara), Johnny (Eugene Levy), and David (Dan Levy) – are told the government is seizing their assets due to owing years of back taxes. Photo: Stephen Scott
Canadian Cinematographer December 2014 Vol. 6, No. 7 CSC BOARD MEMBERS PRESIDENT George Willis csc, sasc, gawillis@sympatico.ca PAST PRESIDENT, ADVISOR Joan Hutton csc, joanhuttondesign@gmail.com VICE PRESIDENTS Ron Stannett csc, ronstannett@sympatico.ca Carlos Esteves csc, carlos@imagesound.ca TREASURER Joseph Sunday phd JSunday1@CreativeAffinities.com SECRETARY Antonin Lhotsky csc, alhotsky@gmail.com MEMBERSHIP CO-CHAIRS Phil Earnshaw csc, philyn@sympatico.ca Alwyn Kumst csc, alwynkumst@gmail.com EDUCATION CO-CHAIRS D. Gregor Hagey csc, gregor@dghagey.com Dylan Macleod csc, dmacleod@sympatico.ca PUBLIC RELATIONS CHAIR Bruce Marshall, brucemarshall@sympatico.ca DIRECTORS EX-OFFICIO Jeremy Benning csc, jbenning@me.com Kim Derko csc, kimderko@sympatico.ca John Holosco csc, holoskofilms@gmail.com Bruno Philip csc, bphilipcsc@gmail.com Brendan Steacy, brendansteacy@gmail.com Carolyn Wong, CarolynWong50@gmail.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF George Willis csc, sasc EDITOR EMERITUS Donald Angus EXECUTIVE OFFICER Susan Saranchuk, admin@csc.ca EDITOR Fanen Chiahemen, editor@csc.ca COPY EDITOR Karen Longland ART DIRECTION Berkeley Stat House WEBSITE www.csc.ca ADVERTISING SALES Guido Kondruss, gkondruss@rogers.com OFFICE / MEMBERSHIP / SUBSCRIPTIONS 131–3007 Kingston Road Toronto, Canada M1M 1P1 Tel: 416-266-0591; Fax: 416-266-3996 Email: admin@csc.ca, subscription@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 131–3007 Kingston Road Toronto M1M 1P1
2 • Canadian Cinematographer - December 2014
FROM THE PRESIDENT George A. Willis csc , sa sc
I
t’s that time of year again when we get to thinking about the year in review. However, I will not be describing triumphs in technologies and equipment, nor referring to the various projects over the year. Instead, I would like to share a few thoughts and observations that affect us all as members of the CSC. First off, the CSC cannot exist without its sponsors, therefore, I would like to acknowledge their generosity and commitment to our society and trust that they will continue to be a part of the CSC and offer their sustained support in the coming year. I urge all CSC members to show support for our sponsors as you go about your business of filmmaking. Their products and services are present in our lives on a daily basis, one need only to see their equipment and expertise in use all around us. Secondly, you, the membership are the ones who give our task meaning. By “task” I’m referring to the fulfilling of our commitment to you as we carry out the undertaking that we were elected to do as the CSC Executive Committee. We represent the membership in many ways and are always searching for new methods and approaches in order to be more effective in our roles. We know and understand that you are aware of our efforts and we acknowledge that, and ask for your continued support in our endeavours. While on the subject of membership, I feel that it would be remiss of me if I do not address the issue of finances. While our treasurer, Joe Sunday PhD, is the man for all things financial, I would appeal to you all to be aware of our limitations as a society. In order for the CSC to operate, it needs to have a respectable cash flow, and this is where the membership can play its part very effectively by making membership funds available when due. I understand that this might be a touchy subject, but I would not be addressing it if it were not necessary. We all have different circumstances when dealing with our financial situation, but please don’t simply ignore the very important part you play in keeping the CSC machine oiled. The dedication is embodied by a few very committed individuals at the CSC that not only keep things running smoothly but also keep things alive. Like our sponsors, who can be counted on for their commitment, so too, can the CSC rely on Susan Saranchuk and Karen Longland for their indefatigable efforts and dedication to our organization and ideals. While these two women continually take on the challenges directed their way, their labours are supported by two other important players, Guido Kondruss and Sydney Kondruss. I would also like to acknowledge the excellent work of Canadian Cinematographer’s editor Fanen Chiahemen and the magazine’s graphic artist Simon Evers. I offer my thanks to them all for their effort and hard work. see President page 6
THE
TH
CSC Awards is coming… It’s time to start thinking about entering that almost perfect film you shot! Here are the categories for Directors of Photography:
Here are the categories for Cinematographers:
H Documentary H Docu-drama H Dramatic short H Music video H Performance H Commercials H Branded Content H TV Drama H TV Series H Features
H Roy Tash (spot news) H Stan Clinton (news essay) H Webeo (web content) H Corporate/Educational H Lifestyle/Reality H News Magazine H Student Film
And don’t forget to nominate your 1st or 2nd AC for the Camera Assistant Award of Merit!
Entry forms are on the csc website: csc.ca
Deadline is January 30, 2015 The gala is on March 28, 2015 at The Arcadian Court, 401 Bay St, 8th Floor, Toronto.
IN THE NEWS
diodes had been around for a long time, but without blue light, white lamps could not be created. Despite considerable efforts, both in the scientific community and in industry, the blue LED had remained a challenge for three decades. Akasaki worked together with Amano at the University of Nagoya, while Nakamura was employed at Nichia Chemicals, a small company in Tokushima. White LED lamps emit a bright white light, are long-lasting and Steve Cosens csc energy-efficient. They are constantly improved, getting more efMember News ficient with higher luminous flux (measured in lumen) per unit electrihe Jacob Tierney comedy cal input power (measured in watt). Preggoland, shot by Steve Co- The most recent record is just over 300 sens csc, was named Most lm/W, which can be compared to 16 Popular Canadian Feature Film at the for regular light bulbs and close to 70 2014 Vancouver International Film for fluorescent lamps. Materials conFestival, which wrapped on October sumption is also diminished, as LEDs 10. The feature premiered at this year’s last up to 100,000 hours, compared Toronto International Film Festival in to 1,000 for incandescent bulbs and the Special Presentations programme. 10,000 hours for fluorescent lights.
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Nobel Prize in Physics Awarded to LED Inventors
International Cinematographers Guild Launches Safety App
The Nobel Prize in Physics 2014 was awarded jointly to Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura for the invention of blue light-emitting diodes. In the spirit of Alfred Nobel, the prize rewards an invention of greatest benefit to mankind. Using blue LEDs, white light can be created in a new way, and the advent of LED lamps means longer-lasting and more efficient alternatives to older light sources. When Akasaki, Amano and Nakamura produced bright blue light beams from their semi-conductors in the early 1990s, they triggered a fundamental transformation of lighting technology, according to the Nobel committee. Red and green
The International Cinematographers Guild (ICG, IATSE Local 600) has launched a safety app, available for the iPhone and Android, called “ICG Safety,” providing comprehensive safety reference giving users a complete list of safety bulletins, in-depth articles about safety and anonymous safety hotline numbers, including Local 600’s 24/7 tip line with one click. No Internet access is required to use this app, once installed. The app is available for download in the iTunes App Store and the Google Play Store. Safety on the set has been a top issue in the industry since the tragic death of ICG member Sarah Jones. The ICG represents more than 7,000 camera crew members, still photographers and publicists. see News page 6
Canon Launches EOS Upgrade; Introduces World’s Longest 4K Ultra-Telephoto Zoom Lens for Large-Format Single-Sensor Cameras Canon USA in October launched the Canon EOS C100 Mark II Digital Video Camera, the latest edition to the Canon Cinema EOS line of professional Super 35mm 8.3 megapixel CMOS cameras and the second-generation version of the Canon EOS C100 Digital Video Camera. Among the new camera’s features are advanced image processing, AVCHD and MP4 1920x1080/60p recording, and uncompressed YCbCr output from HDMI. The EOS C100 Mark II camera weighs 2.5 lbs. and is compatible with more than 103 Canon EF Series lenses, including STM models. The Canon EOS C100 Mark II Digital Video Camera is scheduled to be available at the end of December for an estimated retail price of $5,499.00. Canon also introduced the new ultratelephoto CINE-SERVO 50-1000mm T5.0-8.9 Ultra-Telephoto Zoom lens. The lens has the world’s longest focal length (75-1500mm with its builtin 1.5x extender) and highest (20x) magnification among Super 35mm zoom lenses, according to the manufacturer. The ultra-telephoto lens has a removable Digital Drive unit to accommodate either broadcast or cinema-style production. Available in either EF- or PL-mount, the new lens is 15.9 inches in length (PL version) and weighs 14.6 pounds. The Canon CINE-SERVO 50-1000mm T5.0-8.9 Ultra-telephoto Zoom lens is expected to be available in the first quarter of 2015 for a suggested list price of $78,000.
4 • Canadian Cinematographer - December 2014 Courtesy of Canon
BEST & WORST
THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE DOWNRIGHT UGLY Advice comes in many different shades. When it’s good, it can become a career-making credo, and when it’s bad, well, we can only scratch our heads in bewilderment. Canadian Cinematographer asked full and associate members of the CSC the following question: “What was the best and the worst advice you ever received during your career?” This is part three in the series. JOSHUA ALLEN csc is a very busy and prolific DP based out of Toronto. His work cuts across all genres, from commercials and music videos through to features. His work has been screened at such festivals as the Toronto International Film Festival, SLAMDANCE and Cannes. Allen was nominated for Best Dramatic Short Cinematography at the 52nd CSC Annual Awards Gala in 2009. MICHAEL WALE csc is this year’s Leo Award winner for best cinematography in a dramatic series for his work on the TV series Continuum. In the past, Wale has been honoured for his outstanding cinematography with award nominations in 2011 by the CSC and the ASC. Wale is based in Vancouver and is currently the DP on iZombie for the CW Network. best advice
The best advice came when I was a camera trainee on a television series in Vancouver. I was working with a Steadicam operator who asked me what I wanted to do in the future. After listening to me for a bit, he cut in and said, “If you want
to be a writer then write, if you want to direct then direct, and if you want to shoot then shoot.” He told me that there is no such thing as a dress rehearsal in life and if you want to do something then do it. worst advice
The worst advice I ever received came from a director. We were shooting a show which involved a boy being swallowed by a monster. This particular scene took place in the belly of the beast. Unfortunately, the “set” was a rough wood frame lined with canvas, not much of a monster and more of a tent than anything else. We blocked the scene, and after a pause the director shook his head and said,
“Make it dark.” I lit the interior and it still looked like a collapsed sack. He turned to me and said, “Make it darker.” I dropped a couple of doubles in the lights and we shot the scene. The next day, when dailies arrived, they were dark. So dark that it was near impossible to see the set, but the actors too. I learned my lesson – if you are in the belly of the beast, make sure you can see. PS: I have to say that almost all of the advice I have received on and off the set over the years has served me well. Any success I may enjoy today is in large part due to the advice of those around me and the experiences shared by others.
best advice
When I was a film student, one of my mentors and teachers was James Crowe. I’m paraphrasing him here, but he once gave some great advice that went something like this: “Always be making choices. It’s better to make a definite choice and risk being wrong, than to not be making a conscious choice at every opportunity.” I’ll always remember that because it taught me that if you’re not prepared to be wrong, then you’ll never come up with anything original. worst advice
I tend to let that kind of stuff go and forget about it! But what does rankle see Best & Worst page 6
Canadian Cinematographer - December 2014 •
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IN THE NEWS
News from page 4 CSC Members’ Projects Win at DGC Awards
The Directors Guild of Canada handed out 19 awards in late October honouring the best work created by its members this past year. Films shot by CSC members were among the winners, including: Enemy (DP Nicolas Bolduc csc) for Best Feature Film and Watermark (DP Nicholas de Pencier csc) for the Allan King Award for Excellence in Documentary. The series Heartland, shot by Craig Wrobleski csc won for Best Television Series – Family, while The Best Laid Plans, shot by Gavin Smith csc, won for Best Television Movie/Mini-series. In the Best Short Film category the award went to The Golden Ticket, shot by Arthur Cooper csc. Two special career acknowledgments were also handed out during the evening: SIM Group founder Rob Sim was presented with the DGC Honorary Life Member Award; and director Peter Pearson received the Don Haldane Distinguished Service Award. A complete list of winners is available at the DGC website dgc.ca.
Write to Us
www.csc.ca Connect on-line with the CSC
President from page 2 Canadian Cinematographer is the CSC forum for all things relating to filmmaking. We have seen an enormous increase in not only the number of articles, but also in the caliber of the writing. The magazine has attained a level of excellence that we can all be proud of. I would like to thank all contributors for their terrific submissions. I urge all CSC members to participate in our magazine by submitting story ideas or letting us know about your latest interesting project. The sky is the limit and we’re all ears. The CSC machine can only run effectively by being maintained on a continual basis. Those who maintain the machine are the members of the Executive Committee, and I would like to not only thank them for their efforts, but also acknowledge the enormous contribution that they make to the CSC as the society’s guiding force. Finally, on behalf of the CSC Executive committee and all of those mentioned above, I wish all our readers the happiest of holidays over the festive season and look forward to a new year filled with renewed energy and commitment to the CSC.
Canadian Cinematographer welcomes feedback, comments and questions about the magazine and its contents. Please send your letters to editor@csc.ca. Letters may be edited for clarity and space.
@csc_CDN
Joshua Allen csc
Best & Worst from page 5
me is the fix-it-later approach to cinematography. I’m sure everybody has heard the “Just roll! Keep rolling!”command on set. Shoot first, everything and anything, no
6 • Canadian Cinematographer - December 2014
matter what, and we’ll fix the colour and reframe later in post. I abhor that attitude because it always yields mediocre footage. If anything, it reminds me to always have a strong and conscious intention baked into each and every shot.
A.
NEW CSC MEMBERS A. Diego Guijarro Alvarez, affiliate
B.
Student
B. Robert Barnett, associate
Director of photography
C. Jordan Eady, associate
E.
C.
Director of photography
Credit: Scott Wylie Pho to: Tolar Armiit
D. Brent Foster, associate
Director of photography, cinematographer
E. Chase Axton Gardiner, associate Director of photography, cinematographer
D. F.
G. Matthew A. MacDonald, associate
G.
Cinematographer, camera operator
H. Koroth Narayanan
Nambiar, associate Director of photography
cDonald
Cinematographer
Credit: Bertha Kang’ong
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F. Cole Graham, associate
Credit: Shannon Ma
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I. Laughlan Ough, associate
Director of photography, camera operator
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J. Emilie Paquet, affiliate
J.
Visual effects on-set technician Credit: Mark Hemmings
K. Troy Schantz, associate
Cinematographer
L. Graham Talbot, associate
Cinematographer, camera operator
M. Nelson Talbot, associate
Cinematographer, camera operator
N. Peter Turek, associate
Cinematographer
O. Othello Ubalde, associate
Cinematographer
K.
Credit: Angelyn Smolders
L.
not pictured
M.
Credit: Victor So lla
Credit: Paul Krol
Shannon Murray, affiliate Student, screenwriter, storyboard
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Canadian Cinematographer - December 2014 •
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Jennifer Robertson, Catherine O’Hara, and Eugene Levy on the set of Schitt’s Creek.
8 • Canadian Cinematographer - December 2014
Up
Schitt Creek with Gerald
S
Packer csc By FANEN CHIAHEMEN
T
Photos by STEVE WILKIE
his New Year, CBC will be rolling out a slate of fresh original television content, and in one of the most anticipated series, a once filthy rich family, having recently gone broke, attempt to rebuild their lives in a small town they once bought as a joke – Schitt’s Creek. That everything about the series screams comedy, from the fictional town that gives the show its title, to the leads – Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara of SCTV fame play husband and wife – is surely no accident. But director of photography Gerald Packer csc explains how his cinematography enabled the 13-episode series to transcend the sitcom genre.
Gerald Packer csc: Eugene Levy and [son] Dan Levy, the creators, were looking for a certain style. They did not want high key, bright lighting; they wanted it to look more stylized, with higher contrast ratios and source-driven lighting. After referencing several television shows and testing we decided to use two handheld cameras, using Cooke S4 lenses on two ARRI ALEXAs. I used rec 709 and the camera at its native ASA. We tested foot candle exposure, skin tone and diffusion. We looked over all tests at RedLab with colourist Walt Biljan and came up with our visual palette for the look of the show. CC: How much prep time did you have and what was your process in preproduction? GP: We had three weeks of prep. With my key grip Mitch Holmes and Canadian Cinematographer - December 2014 •
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COVER FEATURE
Canadian Cinematographer: What was the look that the creators of the show were looking for?
gaffer Lo Ruddock we hung grid and lights set for the interiors and exteriors of the Schitt’s Creek locations. We had practicals on dimmers to allow for quick adjustments on set, lights on rails to allow for lateral movement to mimic the sun, and an arsenal of flags and teasers to manipulate the light. We knew it would be a fast-paced show once we started shooting so we organized the lights to allow for quick turnarounds. CC: How was the shooting of the series different from other comedies as far as the camera set-ups? 1.
GP: In comedy you sometimes want to be able to capture the actors’ performances at the same time. We always had two cameras on the set. So we did some cross shooting, which allowed us to get their delivery and reaction at the same time. The lighting is a bit tricky, but the results can be as good as a single-camera lighting set-up. This requires the blocking to be adjusted, which director Gerry Ciccorittti understood from past shows we had done together, where it worked extremely well. It allowed the performances to be spontaneous, so you get the whole scene in one take similar to a four-camera sitcom.
2.
CC: What lighting approach did you adopt to avoid the flat look that is often seen in sitcoms? GP: We lit each scene separately. Typically, when working on a fast-paced show you might have your lighting design on an overhead grid, and every time you’re in that studio set you just punch on the lights. On this show, we would treat it more like we were on location, so I would light every scene like a separate lighting set-up as if it were a different time of day. So we’d be in the same room but not use the same lighting, which gave the feeling that the scenes were shot over real time in a real location.
3.
For example, one of the studio sets was the motel where the Roses – the family – live. Well, a motel room would have ambient light coming from the windows just bouncing around the room, not light coming from above. If I had lit it from above, it would have looked really terrible. You would be seeing all the light in the room coming from fluorescents overhead. Instead I tried to make it look like the sun was coming around the building and coming through the small windows of the motel room. It was more visually stimulating. CC: How do you then keep it from looking too dramatic?
4.
10 • Canadian Cinematographer - December 2014
GP: It’s all about your shaping on people’s faces. It gets real serious real fast if you’re showing a side-lit face. I always have a strong key light, and then it’s a matter of filling in to get to the contrast ratio that we figured out in prep. It’s just enough
Previous page 1: David
Rose (Dan Levy), Moira Rose (Catherine O’Hara), Alexis Rose (Annie Murphy), and Johnny Rose (Eugene Levy) at the motel in Schitt’s Creek. 2: Dan Levy on the set of Schitt’s Creek. 3: Director Jerry Ciccoritti and Catherine O’Hara on the set of Schitt’s Creek. 4: Director Jerry Ciccoritti with Eugene Levy on the set of Schitt’s Creek. Above: Roland
Schitt (Chris Elliot) and Johnny Rose (Eugene Levy) look at the Schitt’s Creek town sign.
to show some shape on the faces and the sets. And we just lit it like we would light a drama except it’s a little brighter. We shot all the interiors at 2.8, which allowed for the right depth of field for the show. The cameras operated by John Colavecchia and Peter Battistone gave an immediacy and dramatic feel with their incredible and tireless handheld operating, along with the incomparable focus pulling by Steve Mrkobrada and Ben Smith.
CC: What was it like working with these comedy icons?
CC: How much time were you shooting on location and how did you marry that to the scenes shot in the studio?
CC: Most of the work you’ve been doing recently has been on television shows. What is your take on the opportunities in television for Canadian DPs?
GP: We shot six weeks in the studio and four weeks up in rural Ontario on location for all the exteriors. When shooting in the studio, I didn’t know what kind of weather we would have to match to a month and a half later. I went for a sunny look and hoped it would be sunny on the day we were shooting the exteriors, but a lot of times it wasn’t, so I used some back light and some tungsten light to make it look like it was sunny on close-ups. I would time the sky so it looked like it could have been sunny. On the days where we had to shoot exteriors in the rain we would use 20x20s and every other trick we had to keep shooting. So marrying the interior shots on set with the scenes on location a month and a half later was a bit of a challenge but I think it worked out really well.
GP: Eugene and Dan Levy are great people. Catherine O’Hara is fantastic, and Annie Murphy, Chris Elliot and the rest of the cast were all amazing to work with. They were all professional and incredibly talented and they set the tone for the whole show, both off and on set, and through to postproduction. It was an honour to work with them.
GP: Television is evolving and creating some incredible programs these days, with HBO and AMC raising the bar for everyone. TV is attracting some of the best writers, actors and producers. Colin Brunton and Andrew Barnsley with a show like Schitt’s Creek are changing how we look at Canadian television. I would hope that with the success of a lot of these new programs, we will be able to stand proudly beside our productions and that it will create more opportunities for everyone in Canadian film and television. Schitt’s Creek will air on CBC starting January 13. The series will also air on the U.S. Channel POP sometime in 2015.
PASHA PATRIKI CSC CRACKS the Code FOR
HACKEr
A
By FANEN CHIAHEMEN
12 • Canadian Cinematographer - December 2014
kan Satayev is one of Kazakhstan’s most successful directors – two of his films, Strayed (2009) and Myn Bala (2012), have been selected as his country’s official entries into the Academy Awards’ Best Foreign Language Film category. For his first nonKazakhstani film, Satayev chose to direct the Canadian indie drama Hacker, based on real events and involving a young immigrant who gets caught up in a cyber criminal organization. A suspense thriller that spans the globe, Hacker had a budget of $2 million, and Satayev needed a director of photography he could trust. He turned to Toronto-based producer Sanzhar Sultanov, who had worked in the past with Pasha Patriki csc, a prolific cinematographer also based in Toronto. Patriki flew to Almaty, Kazakhstan, to meet Satayev in person, and after the meeting the director was confident that Patriki could create the images he wanted on such a meagre budget.
FEATURE After two months of prep, Satayev and Patriki set off on the worldwide shoot – going from Toronto to New York to Hong Kong to Bangkok – with a camera crew of just six, but with a clear goal in mind: “The idea was to make a film that could look very real,” Patriki says. “We wanted to be able to look at the picture and say, ‘This looks like it has not been lit. This looks like it was shot in a real environment with no lighting equipment in the room.’ We wanted the audience not to be taken away from the story by anything being fake or set up or artificial.” Making that vision a reality hinged on selecting the right locations – no easy task on a film with 100 of them, including jail cells, luxury hotel rooms, first class plane cabins and
banks. “It was probably the most intense and challenging part because there was a huge number of locations, some of them not more than a quarter of page of the script,” Patriki says. With Satayev still in Kazakhstan during much of preproduction, most of the location selection was entrusted to Patriki. The cinematographer’s primary focus was selecting places that would require as little dressing as possible, both for budgetary reasons and to stay as true to the reality of the story. “Also, from a technical perspective, we were looking for locations that would provide a pleasant looking and workable practical light that we could use without
DP Pasha Patricki csc captures a scene in Hong Kong from the back of a car.
Credit: Know Rules Media
Canadian Cinematographer - October 2014 •
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Photos: Ramona Diaconescu
Clockwise from top left: DP
Pasha Patriki csc rigs a car with the RED EPIC camera. Hacker director Akan Satayev. A scene from Hacker. DP Pasha Patriki csc (left) on set.
having to completely relight from scratch. I actually liked that creative challenge,” Patriki says. Nonetheless, Patriki never felt he was sacrificing the overall look of the film, primarily because he chose to shoot on his RED EPIC camera for its versatility and ability to get into small places and be inconspicuous. He fitted the RED with Zeiss high-speed prime lenses, which aided in being able to shoot in available light, especially for night exteriors. “I should add that the RED EPIC in my opinion handles night exteriors fantastically,” Patriki says. “Probably more than any other camera. I actually like how clean the image looks on the EPIC better than the ALEXA when it comes to night exteriors.” Although the crew brought along a lighting package, they “had very little use of it” Patriki says, and they shot almost entirely with natural or available light. The minimalist style was employed even in instances where the crew had to build sets, for instance in one scene in the interior of a bank where the main character attempts a fraud. “We still tried to use ambient light,” Patriki recalls. “Sometimes there would be a skylight in the warehouse or just a fluorescent light. We almost always used that as motivation for our lighting that we would build off of.”
14 • Canadian Cinematographer - December 2014
Patriki also points out that he never had a generator during the entire shoot, and ran the HMIs and LEDs in his lighting package off house power when needed. “Now I think with the capacity of digital cameras it has really become about the quality of the light, not the amount of the light. We don’t have to light the location to make everything brighter because we need the extra stop. Cameras can pretty much handle any kind of stop. What we’re doing with the light right now is really just modeling,” Patriki says. “We take what’s already there whether it’s light from the windows or light from the fixtures in the ceiling, we turn some of them off, block them, block out the windows to create the feel that we want. There were a lot of scenes in large rooms that had big windows and all we did is just tape pieces of black fabric and create a more shaped light that came through the window. We never actually used an electrical light source in the room.” Patriki approached night exteriors the same way he did day interiors, by picking locations where light was available. So when shooting a scene where two main characters walk and talk down Toronto’s Church Street, the actors were lit only with light from the storefronts they were passing. “If we had attempted to do the entire walk and talk scene as a single shot with artificial light, sooner or later you would see the light
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Canadian Cinematographer - December 2014 •
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Photos: Ramona Diaconescu
Clockwise from top left: DP
Pasha Patriki csc. The Hacker cast and crew shoot in one of the film’s 100 locations. Patriki braves the snow while shooting Hacker. Patriki and the Hacker crew shoot a scene in a subway station in Toronto.
in the shot. We would probably have had to close down the sidewalk and we did it completely without closing down on a wide street,” Patriki says. “And it’s very interesting and very alive to look at and then very real. It did not look like we were following them with a light.” Patriki’s hand-held operating skills were particularly impressive to Satayev, who trusted his cinematographer to shoot without a Steadicam or tripod when he saw how unobtrusive and subtle Patriki’s technique was. “Basically, I used every aid possible, from chairs to tables to my knees,” Patriki says. “I imagined if this is where the camera would be on a tripod how should I hold the camera. I’ve done lots of handheld work. I think what was unique to Hacker is we wanted to make it look not handheld. I do personally like it a lot. It’s a lot more fun to work with handheld than with a camera on a tripod. I’ve gone through five handheld braces and I’ve found one I really like that sits on my shoulder. It’s almost like an extension of me.” The crew would split up when shooting in public so as not to draw attention to themselves, even managing to shoot a dialogue-heavy scene in New York’s Times Square – where
16 • Canadian Cinematographer - December 2014
no permit is needed for handheld shoots, according to Patriki – just using lav mikes for the actors. But Patriki confides that the most “guerilla-style” shooting his team did was in the first class cabin on a plane from Hong Kong to Bangkok. “We had the characters show up to their flight wearing wardrobe and makeup, and we shot on the flight. It was one of the things we left to chance. We were almost expecting the flight attendant or captain to come out and ask what we were doing, but everyone just went about their business,” he says. “So we got a real working location while they were doing their job.” Despite having survived the logistics of shooting abroad with a lean crew, the filmmakers faced their biggest challenge in late 2013 in Toronto when they were surprised by a snowstorm while shooting an exterior scene set in the summer. Being their last shooting day before the Christmas break, rescheduling was not an option. “That’s where the crew showed how much they believed in film,” Patriki says with pride. “Everyone grabbed a shovel, whatever they could, and cleaned an entire block of Liberty Village of snow and ice completely. It took a few extra hours and we fell behind schedule, but we pulled off the nearly impossible.”
Canadian Cinematographer - December 2014 •
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FEATURE 18 • Canadian Cinematographer - December 2014
Credit: George Willis csc, sasc
The Oopeecam
…Cams: Part 1
By GEORGE WILLIS csc, sasc
I
t may have all started with the first Steadicam. With the floodgates wide open, we became awash with all sorts of “cams,” from the Doggicam, Birdcam, Aquacam, Motocam, Polecam, Laddercam, to the quintessential Helmetcam and everything in between. The cams just seem to keep coming. In fact, rig a camera anywhere and a new moniker arises. For example, attach a camera to one side of a teeter-totter and, voilà, the “Teetercam” is born. Or maybe it should be the “Tottercam” or possibly the double-barreled “Teeter-tottercam!” I’m sure there is a psychologist somewhere who has something to say about camera rig names. Anyway, you get my drift. Amusing names aside, the camera is the one piece of equipment common to all of these various rigs that have been born out of necessity and sometimes just for the sheer fun of it. Over the years I have constructed many of these cams for the specific use of film cameras. One of the reasons has been the ability to configure the camera into the lightest weight piece of equipment possible and with the least number of encumbrances such as a video monitor.
David Sprinbett’s Ladder Dolly
Canadian Cinematographer - December 2014 •
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Remember that with every piece of ancillary equipment comes extra weight, the nemesis of the camera operator who would be wielding one of these abnormal creations.
CSC News, December 2002). Besides, the “Ladder Dolly” being ideally suited for travel and rough terrain, it’s also ideally easy on the pocketbook.
I have seen many cams built over the years. Some are ridicuWhile my “necessity” rigs were built for film cameras, I would also hasten to include today’s digital cameras, which lously simple, such as a camera’s top handle tied to a piece of can often be seen in rather strange shooting configurations. rope attached to a beam. The camera is spun on its horizonAd Placement: this rigPagethe Also, my rigs were constructed well before GoPro, the singu- tal axis to capture the spinning effect. Let’s call Upper Left-hand PAN-COR-2560-14 Panavision Canada Client: _____________________________________________________ Docket: _______________ end of the spectrum, some rigs are larly most popular and affordable cam solution in the mod- “Dizzycam.” At the other CSC Magazine - Upper Left-Hand Page Page Media: ____________________________________________________ Placement: Left-Hand ____________ extremely complex and expensive. A friend of mine designed ern camera market. Whether for filmTrim orSize: digital, these rigs Hcan Safety: 7.375" W x 4.8125" N/A N/A _____________________ ____________________ Bleed: ________________ 4construction Colour 2014 Oct 8, 2014 ________________ Date:to ____________ andDate: custom built a rigProd. used facilitate multiple repeatable either be very simple in both designColour: and________________________ or as Publ. Page Spread Tel: allow. 416-423-9825 E-mail: dmaguire@maguiremarketing.com over several days to capture a time-lapse sequence of a complicated as ingenuity, time and money will The takes challenge, though, is always to attempt to design and build a house environment transformation. There never was a parrig that is safe for both the operator and the camera. It must ticular name assigned to this rig, but it could easily be called be quick to assemble and disassemble, unless a dedicated the “Dollarcam” for all the money spent on it! camera is assigned to the rig, and the most important part of As I wrote earlier, I’ve designed and constructed a fair numthe equation is the cost factor. It has to be inexpensive. ber of cams through the years to fit the project on which I was A great example of a simple but ingenious rig was made working for that one special shot or effect that was needed. many years ago by cinematographer David Springbett out Some were of the simple garden variety, but others were exof Victoria, BC, from a design by the late Richard Stringer tremely challenging, stretching my brain matter and design csc. Using an aluminum ladder for tracks, a thick piece of ply- capabilities to the max. wood mounted with roller skate wheels and a couple of sawThere was the “Oopeecam,” or “Rollercam,” as some crew horses, Springbett came up with a lightweight dolly system that is easy to set up and tear down (see “The Ladder Dolly,” members preferred calling the rig. Many years ago KFC –
20 • Canadian Cinematographer - December 2014
yep, the chicken guys – had a promotional item called the “Oopee Ball.” It was an inflatable ball with a small compartment inside that could be filled with water so that when the ball was thrown, the off-weighted water pocket caused the ball to rotate in a distinct eccentric arc. I thought that this could be a fun aspect to add to the TV commercial and proceeded to make some sketches. Remember, good designs always start with sketches. The task was to make the camera spin like the ball but also have an eccentric action – much like a cam’s movement in a car engine – that would give the image that strange out-of-control look, similar to the Oopee Ball. To construct the rig, I had two large circles of wood, like wheel rims, cut to house the camera body. The two circles of wood were then connected together with threaded rods. An adjustable camera platform was added between the rims that allowed for the optical axis of the lens to be varied in height. I could build a basic rostrum with plywood, similar to a long table and roll the camera on the two rims. But unfortunately, I now had a problem; the weight of the camera at some 20kg caused the rig to slow down and stop due to the uneven distribution of weight. Hmm, more thinking was
needed. I thought of my lead diving weights as a possible solution. They were slightly modified by drilling a hole in each 1.5 kg weight and then sliding them onto the connecting rods between the rims. Trial and error allowed me to arrive at the perfect point between balance and eccentric weight shift to emulate the real Oopee Ball’s action. To make the visual still more interesting, I added a zoom lens to the camera and was able to zoom while rolling the camera along the floor or on the raised surface. Of course with the added lens I need more diving weights to drive the movement. Now the whole rig became quite heavy but I didn’t care since I wasn’t hand-holding! My camera of choice was initially the ARRI IIC with a 200’ magazine. But since weight was not much of a concern, I used the ARRI BL IV, mainly because of its low profile, and it allowed for a 400’ load. We also had to “load” the camera video monitor and battery cables before we started shooting so that when the camera rolled along, there was no stress on the cables. It was one heavy Oopeecam, but it performed beautifully. The client was very pleased.
Next month in part 2 of “…Cams” the design and construction of my “Woodcam,” the “Scootercam” and the “Floatycam.”
Canadian Cinematographer - December 2014 •
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csc, asc, hsc
WHAT FILMS OR OTHER WORKS OF ART HAVE MADE THE BIGGEST IMPRESSION ON YOU?
Photographer Gyula Halász (better known as Brassaï). His work fuelled my interest in photography. Days of Heaven, Apocalypse Now, Cinema Paradiso and The Right Stuff all infected me with the uncontrollable urge to shoot motion pictures.
series The Pillars of the Earth back in Hungary. I was thrilled to receive an Emmy nomination for that project. WHAT IS ONE OF YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS ON SET?
Standing at video village with Ridley Scott, Ken Follett and director Sergio Mimica-Gezzan as 30 stuntmen on horseback attack and torch a medieval village with hundreds of fleeing extras. I realized I had fulfilled my childhood dream.
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN THE BUSINESS?
My grade 7 math teacher, Mr. Ganchev, had a passion for photography. He got me hooked, and by age 13 I knew I wanted to be a cinematographer. I graduated from Sheridan College in 1982, and Alar Kivilo csc, ASC took a chance and gave me a job as his first AC on music videos.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?
Telling stories and shaping the audience experience with light and shadow. It’s very collaborative and extremely satisfying. WHAT DO YOU LIKE LEAST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?
WHO HAVE BEEN YOUR MENTORS OR TEACHERS?
Boris Ganchev in elementary school. My college professors: Jim Cox, Jeffrey Paull and Rick Hancox, and finally Laszlo George csc, HSC, my mentor over the last 25 years. WHAT CINEMATOGRAPHERS INSPIRE YOU?
Vilmos Zsigmond asc, Néstor Almendros asc, Caleb Deschanel asc, Gordon Willis asc, and, of course, Laszlo George csc, hsc.
The long hours can take their toll. I always tell students to be prepared: it’s not a job, it’s not a career, it’s a lifestyle choice. WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS BEEN THE GREATEST INVENTION (RELATED TO YOUR CRAFT)?
The transition from film to digital has been the biggest change. Not without growing pains, the invention of the CCD changed everything. We are now able to place cameras that capture amazing images in places and with quality unimagined even five years ago.
NAME SOME OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS.
My first job as a cinematographer, filming a documentary at the 1988 Winter Olympics in my hometown, Calgary. Shooting in China for three months with Peter O’Toole and Sam Neill on the award-winning miniseries Iron Road. Had an amazing experience as the DP on the eight-hour mini-
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HOW CAN OTHERS FOLLOW YOUR WORK?
www.attilaszalay.com or look me up on imdb.com SELECTED CREDITS: Justified (FX), The Bridge (FX), Reaper (CW), The Pillars of the Earth (Starz), Iron Road (CBC)
Credit: Enrique Del Rio
CSC MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Attila Szalay
ProFusion 2014 The Art of Show and Tell
Credit: Guido Kondruss
By GUIDO KONDRUSS
CSC Executive Officer Susan Saranchuk, Co-Vice President Carlos Esteves csc, and associate CSC member Koroth Narayanan Nambiar.
T
he art of show and tell jumped a few notches with ProFusion 2014. More professionals, more vendors, new location and date all conspired to give Canada’s premier professional imaging tradeshow an edgier, upbeat vibe than in previous years. Until now, ProFusion has always been a late spring event, held in the far Northwest reaches of Toronto, near Pearson International Airport. After changing the dates to October 15 to 16, uptown flew downtown with ProFusion 2014 landing in the heart of the city at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Jennifer Pidgen, marketing manager for Vistek – the producers of ProFusion – says there are two pivotal reasons behind the date and location moves. “We wanted to be in October or September to capture the students from colleges and universities,” she said. “Getting them involved in June was a non-starter because students aren’t in school in June. Moving the date to the fall al-
lowed us to open up that channel. The other reason is because being downtown allowed us access to the studios in the area. People can easily pop into ProFusion and not spend a couple of hours in traffic getting to and from the site.” Turning up the heat further were the first new product launches for ProFusion 2014: three new cameras, for first– in-Canada reveals came from Canon with its EOS 7D Mark II, Sony with its PXW-FS7 and GoPro with its Hero4: Black Edition. With double the floor space and thousands of attendees passing through its doors, ProFusion 2014 seems to have entered a whole new era. “We created this show for the pros out there who were wondering why they had to fly to Vegas or Europe to see the latest pro imaging gear,” Christopher Huchenski, Vistek creative director, said. “It has taken five years of hard work, but we are finally being
recognized as an international event amongst the big players.” Rob Sim, president of SIM Digital, whose company had a good-sized footprint at this year’s event, shared the enthusiasm for ProFusion’s changes and direction. “It’s been 100 per cent improvement, the turnout is much better,” Sim said. “There also seems to be more suppliers here than in previous years. It’s a good mix of broadcast and film, which plays to our traditional market and into the cine field where we’ve expanded.” Manning the booth for the Canadian Society of Cinematographers at ProFusion 2014 was CSC Co-Vice President Carlos Esteves csc, DP Jim Kozmik csc, CSC Executive Board member Carolyn Wong, CSC associate member Koroth Narayanan Nambiar, CSC Executive Officer Susan Saranchuk, and myself. Hundreds of copies of Canadian Cinematographer magazine were see Profusion page 26 Canadian Cinematographer - December 2014 •
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Courtesy of Lumenaar LED Production Lighting
TECH C OLUMN
Toronto Start-up Hopes To Shine Brightly D
avid Geldart thinks he has a brighter idea for LED lighting panels. As president and founder of Lumenaar LED Production Lighting, Geldart has bootstrapped the start-up company to the brink of launch with a vision of bringing a newer, brighter form of LED lighting to the stage, cinemagraphic and still image work space. While LED boxes are carving out a niche in productions and have many attributes that make them attractive over those HMI light sources, they still don’t have the punch and power needed to push the old technology off the set. It may never happen; it may happen tomorrow. Such is the nature of technology and the pace of change. What sets Lumenaar’s range of 35, 65, 100 and 200 watt panels apart from the competitors on the marketplace is what Geldart calls “the secret sauce.” “With LED the problem is the compromise between colour and brightness,” he says. “You can get accurate colour but you lose brightness, but if you want brightness you lose colour.” It all started about a year ago when Geldart was approached by Korean-Canadian entrepreneur Simon
24 • Canadian Cinematographer - December 2014
Park. At the time Geldart had switched off from animation and media and returned to his art roots, running an LED lighting company, focused on residential-commercial track lighting and specialty lighting, with a special focus on art gallery lights. “He said he had a patent to deliver colour with brightness in LED, which no one else could do,” Geldart says. They call it Spectral CBET – Colour Balance Enhancement Technology – and a couple of prototypes later, the product’s just about ready for launch, having secured their UL/CSA and other industry standard approvals mid-September following a roll out at NAB this past spring. The difference with the Lumenaar system, he says, is that instead of coating the Blue LED emitter with phosphorus dye to create yellow, which in turn dulls the intensity, their LED uses a standard phosphorus which doesn’t diminish brightness as much. The lights are controlled by an intermediate panel that acts much like an analogue filter. The result is a lightweight luminous box with digital controls on the back which can separately ramp up brightness and colour temperature. Where it’s
different, he says, is that colour temperature isn’t a straight line when you go from the warm end at 2,600K through the cool end of 5,000 and above. “It’s actually a curve,” he explains. “Our lights stay on that curve and don’t drop off, so the colour is much more accurate.” At the same time, he says, the brightness doesn’t drop. Toronto-based still shooter Matthew Plexman got his hands on the 100-watt prototype and used it for a commercial shoot and says he was impressed with the technology, though the units he had are much bulkier and heavier than the final production designs now rolling out. “It was extremely bright compared to the rented LED panels I’ve used in the past,” he says. “It was much brighter than the 1000-watt tungsten light I was using with a light box.” The added bonus was that there was no heat. The prototype controls were a little clunky, but in the final product Plexman likes the idea of being able to quickly dial up the brightness or colour balance to match either a natural daylight source or a tungsten. “Being a soft light, the output it has is pretty phenomenal,” he says, adding that the see Tech page 26
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Tech from page 24 power draw is low, which is a bonus. “A lot of guys like me do location work and we’re in homes and offices and you don’t want to be blowing circuits. Compared to the other LEDs, these are really comfortable to work with because it’s soft light, and that’s what we use mostly.” Of course, lower power consumption and lower heat generation are two big reasons LEDs are turning heads. LEDs also have longer lifecycles. Lumenaar claims its lights offer 40 per cent savings more in power against other LEDs; are 1.6 more efficient; and 1.6 times brighter, meaning fewer lights will go further, adding to the cost benefit analysis. At 26 per cent brightness, the Lumenaar 100-watt panel draws about 28 watts, and at 100 per cent, draws 104 watts. They are also lightweight, making
them easy to move and position, and, since they are digitally controlled, can be ramped up or down remotely to lock in the right lighting mix. “We’re also working now to put white linings on the inside of the barn doors to reflect more light as well,” Geldart says. LED lighting on sets still has a long way to go, though some broadcast studios have adopted them for their comfort factor and power consumption characteristics, and some television series sets like them for lighting office scenes and night scenes because of the colour control aspect. Still, technology, like time, marches forward. “Really it’s all about the light,” Geldart says. “There is no such thing as colour, really, is what I tell people. It’s only the reflection of the light which hits it. So if the colour of the light hitting it doesn’t have that
Profusion from page 23 handed out to a steady flow of people inquiring about the society membership, submitting entries to the competition in the upcoming 58th CSC Annual Awards Gala, through to discussions on lighting techniques and, of course, cameras. For some, such as Montreal cinematographer Ray Lavers, the CSC was the big draw after learning about ProFusion 2014 on the CSC Facebook page. “I actually came for the CSC. I wanted to see and talk to the people at the booth to learn more about the society, its programs and the workshops being offered,” Lavers said, also remarking that the tradeshow was much more than he expected. “ProFusion was a bonus. It’s totally blown me away! I can’t believe how much equipment’s here. It’s just nice to get your hands on the equipment you
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604-838-3456 26 • Canadian Cinematographer - December 2014
spectrum, you don’t get that colour.” With certification in hand and prototypes refined, Geldart and his partner, who has also partnered with the factory to make them in Asia, are looking to the next step, which is sales and marketing the product. “We’re looking at stage and event lighting and cinematography, certainly the rental houses which are an important market, and directly to people who want to own their own equipment,” Geldart says. So far the venture has been self-funded, but Angel or Venture Capital investors may be next on the horizon as they seek to get in on a nascent market with vast upside potential. Ian Harvey is a Toronto-based journalist who writes for a variety of publications and covers the technology sector. He welcomes feedback and eagerly solicits ideas at ian@pitbullmedia.ca.
read about, just to see how it feels. I wish I was staying an extra day.” A large slice of the ProFusion experience is dedicated to education. I’m sure if anyone had the time and inclination, they could have spent each moment of ProFusion 2014 attending demonstrations, tutorials, seminars or workshops. It was all there for the grabbing. Carlos Esteves csc, who conducted a seminar on lighting that looked at the practical side of lighting and the LED revolution, says that tradeshows are morphing into information centres. “Modern technology is very complex and specialized, and tradeshows have become part of technology’s information highway,” according to Esteves. “No matter whether it is the nuances of lights, cameras, lenses or whatever, it’s all developing at frighteningly fast speeds and people need to be informed and educated to keep on top of their game. As trade shows become more sophisticated, so will their knowledge based programs.” ProFusion is no longer the new kid on the block and has established itself as the top imaging tradeshow in Canada, aspiring to replicate the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) trade fair in the United States and IBC (International Broadcasting Convention) in Europe. For the future, ProFusion plans to have much more to show and much more to tell. Besides more first-in-Canada product launches and expanded educational programs, organizers say they’ll be reaching into the postproduction and software markets to make ProFusion an even more all-encompassing experience for professionals. Ladies and gentlemen, time to mark your calendars for next year.
Edmonton Film Cooperative wants your unused Arri 35 mm camera. Do you have film cameras languishing on a shelf? Give it a new life, give it to a film coop and we will give you a healthy tax credit. Have a 35BL, a 235, a 435 gathering dust because everyone is Red cam nuts? Have other great camera accessories? Let us know, let’s make a deal. Contact Andy @rentals@fava.ca and work a great deal. 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 604-229-0861, 604-229-0861 or peter@ peterbenison.com. EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Cooke Speed Panchro 18mm 1.7/T2. “C” Mount, Nice condition. From United Kingdom #572079, asking $1,800.00 Barry Casson csc Office: 250-721-2113 bcasson@speakfilm.com Canon Wide angle Lens J11A X 4.5 B4 IRSD and Canon Servo Zoom Control ZSD-300 Value 27 000$ Asking only 3 000$ Elmo Suv-Cam SD ELSC5C and accessories New Value 1 200$ Asking only 100$, Anton Bauer UltraLight & Ul Soft Box Asking only 150$, Frezzi HMI Sun Gun & Frezzi Soft Box Value 1 700$ Asking only 400$, Porta Brace Rain Slicker for Pro Camcorder RS-55 like New Asking only 150$, Script Boy Wireless T.C. System needs minor repair Asking only 100$, Shure Mixer FP33 & Porta Brace audio mixer case Asking only 450$, Sony Monitor SD PVM-14N1U new Asking only 50$, 2 Camera Canon Dig Rebel 10Mp XTi, Sigma 70-300 F4-5.6 Super C-AF, 4 Canon Batteries and accessories Asking only 550$, Porta Brace monitor Case for Panasonic BT-LH910 like new Asking only 100$ andrepaul@me.com or call 514 831-8347 Panasonic AJ-HDX900P 290 drum hours, $7500.00 Canon KJ16ex7.7B IRSE lens, $5000.00 CanonJ11ex4.5B4 WRSD lens, $4500.00 Call Ian 416-725-5349 or idscott@rogers.com Asahi Pentax spotmeter(just serviced) 425.00 Minolta Colormeter III F 750.00 Spectra Professional IV 250.00 Spectra Professional IV A 300.00 Minolta SpotmeterF(need repair) 100.00 Bernard Couture: p.bc@sympatico.ca; 514-486-2749 Professional U/W housing from renowned world leader Amphibico. 2006 Sony HVR-A1U camera with 0.7x wide adapter and all accesories. 2006 AmphibicoEVO-Pro housing with .55x wide conversion and flat port. Rare model built in small quantity. Most camera functions accessible.About 60-70 dives. Complete overhaul and pressure tested by factory in 2010. 3.5’’ LCD Monitor, rebuilt in 2010. 2 compact Discovery 10W HID lamps by Amphibico with batteries and chargers. Spare o-ring for all. Soft and hard carry cases. All in good condition. E-mail or call for photos and more information. 514-941-2555, daniel@dvdp.ca
Transvideo Titan HD Transmitter and Re¬ceiver kits. $3000ea. 2 for $5500. Similar in style and operation to the Boxx Meridian. 1- Angenieux 25-250 T3.9 Arri PL mount, std film gears on focus, zoom, and iris (32 pitch-mod 0.8), lens support and collar, shipping case included $2900 1- Tamron 300mm F2.8 Arri bayonet mount with PL adapter, std film gear on focus (32 pitch-mod 0.8), 42mm filters: clear, 2 x 85, shipping case included $900 Contact: stephen.reizes@gmail.com Panasonic 3D Professional Full HD Video Camera (AG-3DA1) The AG-3DA1 is the world’s first professional, fullyintegrated Full HD 3D camcorder that records to SD card media. The AG-3DA1 will democratize 3D production by giving professional videographers a more affordable, flexible, reliable and easier-to-use tool for capturing immersive content as well as providing a training tool for educators. At less than 6.6 pounds, the AG-3DA1 is equipped with dual lenses and two full 1920 x 1080 2.07 megapixel 3-MOS imagers to record 1080/60i, 50i, 30p, 25p and 24p (native) and 720/60p and 50p in AVCHD. Camera is very new. Includes Kata Carrying case, 4 batteries. Asking price: $17,500 (includes tax). Will ship out of province. To view photos/questions email frank@tgtvinc.com or call 416-916-9010. Proline 17 inch Teleprompter Included is both PC AND Mac versions for our industry leading Flip-Q teleprompter software. Flip-Q automatically “Flips” the secondary output on your laptop so both the operator and talent will see perfect reading left-right text. The ProLine 17 standard LCD panels are the lightest weight, lowest profile designs in their class. In addition, they offer both VGA and composite video inputs adaptable with any computer output or application. They also offer flexible power options including 100-240V AC or external 12v DC input. Price includes Tripod attachments and Pelican carrying case. Complete tool-less set-up. Asking Price: $2,000 (includes tax) To view photos/questions email frank@tgtvinc.com or call 416-916-9010. Sony PMW-F3 with S-log firmware. Low hours, Excellent condition. Kaiser top handle, 32GB high rate card. $3500.00. Gemini 4:4:4 Solid State recorder now PRORes capable, with eSata and Thunderbolt readers, lots of accessories, case, 512GB and 3x 256GB solid state drives/cards. Excellent condition. $3000.00 IBE-Optics HDx35 PL to B4 adapter comes with power cable and soft case. Used on F3 and Alexa for superb results. $3000.00. Willing to sell everything as a complete package for $8500.00 Available for everything. Contact John Banovich 604-726-5646 or JohnBanovich@gmail.com Nikkor AF-S VR 500mm F 4 IS ED Lens. Super rare and very hard to find!!! Serial # 204153 Perfect condition. Not a scratch on it!!! Only one year old. Included Hard Shell Case, Lens Hood, Lens Strap, Case strap. Come with Manfrotto Carbon Fiber tripod, Jobu head and Jobu Mounting Bracket. Asking price $9000.00 gandalf-merlyn@shaw.ca, 604.566.2235 (Residence), 604.889.9515 (Mobile)
Panasonic BT-S950P 16:9 / 4:3 SD Field Monitor for Sale (Excellent Condition) - $100.Portabrace included Please contact Christian at (416) 459-4895 or email cbielz@gmail.com VIDEO & AUDIO GEAR FOR SALE: (2) HVX-200 Panasonic P2 Camcorders $1,500 each; (1) DSR-1500 Sony DVCAM recorder, $1,500; (1) Sony DSR-1 DVCAMdockablerecorder $1,000; (3) Sony PVV-3 Betacam recorders $500 each; (3) Mitsubishi XL25Uvideo projectors $500 each; (1) Mackie 1604VLZ audio mixer $500; (1) Glidecam PRO2000 camera stabilizer $200; (1) GlidecamDVPRO RIG camera stabilizer $300; (1) Yamaha P2075 amplifier 75W stereo/150W mono $500; (3) HVR-Z1U Sony HDVcamcorders $1,000 each; (1) Sony DSR-300 DVCAM camcorder $1,500; (1) For-A VPS-400D 8 input SDI switcher $2,700; (2) Sony WRT822/WRR861 wireless transmitter/receiver – no mic - $750 each; (2) Sony BRC-300 remote control P/T/Z cameras $1,990 each. Call Ted Mitchener at ZTV Broadcast Services 905-290-4430 or email ted@ztvbroadcast.com. SERVICES HILL’S VIDEO PRODUCTIONS – BURLINGTON Looking for a unique shooting control room? Rent our 32 ft. 1981 Bus complete with control room and audio. HDSDI fiber boxes for long runs. Great for keeping warm on those multi camera shoots. www.hillsvideo.com Rob Hill – 905.335.1146 Need your reel updated? Looking for an editor? I am a CSC associate member who is also an editor with my own FCP suite. I am willing to trade my edit suite time in exchange for rental of your gear, or shooting advice, or both. Please send email to miurabucho@gmail.com. Do you travel between Toronto and Hamilton for production every day? Need a place to: screen dailies, host your production office that’s close to both? Hill’s Production Services www.hillsvideo.com. We are a full Service Production Company with cameras and edit bays for making EPKs. Some grip gear, if you find yourself in the field, short of one or two items. Hill’s also has office space and a mobile screening room. Located just off the QEW in Burlington. Check us out 905-335-1146 Ask for Rob Hill.
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.
Canadian Cinematographer - December 2014 •
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CLASSIFIEDS
EQUIPMENT WANTED
CSC Member Production Notes 12 Monkeys (series); DP David Greene csc; to December 5, Toronto 30 vies V (series); DP Marc Gadoury csc; to March 27, 2015, Montreal Adventures of Napkin Man (series); DP/Operator Gerald Packer csc; to December 19, Toronto Arrow III (series); DP Gordon Verheul csc (odd); to April 20, 2015, Vancouver Bates Motel III (series); DP John Bartley csc, asc; to February 18, 2015, Vancouver Beauty and the Beast III (series); DP David Makin csc and Michael Story csc (alternating episodes); Data Management Technician Marc Forand; to March 30, 2015, Toronto Between (mini-series); DP Brendan Steacy csc; to December 16, Toronto Cole Harbour (feature); DP Samy Inayeh csc; to December 12, Dartmouth The Expanse (feature); DP Jeremy Benning csc; to March 4, 2015, Toronto Flash (series); DP C. Kim Miles csc (odd); to December 3, Vancouver The Good Witch (series); John Berrie csc; B Camera Operator Paula Tymchuk; to February 27, 2015 Haven V (series); DP Eric Cayla csc; Camera Operator Christopher Ball csc; to December 19, Halifax Heartland VIII (series); DP Craig Wrobleski csc; B Camera Operator Jarrett Craig; to December 8, Calgary Helix II (series); DP Pierre Jodoin csc; Camera Operator Alfonso Maiorana; to December 19, Oka Hyena Road (feature); DP/Camera Operator Karim Hussain csc; to December 4, Shilo iZombie (series); DP Michael Wale csc; Camera Operator Greg Fox; to January 27, 2015, North Vancouver Lisewatier, une vie à entreprendre (documentary); DP Serge Desrosiers csc; to December 01, Montreal Man Seeking Woman (series); DP Bobby Shore csc; to December 4, Toronto Motive III (series); DP Ryan McMaster (even); to January 30, 2015, Burnaby Pinkertons (series); DP Thom Best csc; to March 16, 2015, Winnipeg Reign II (series); DP Paul Sarossy csc, bsc, asc; B Operator/Steadicam Andris Matiss; to April 13, 2015, Toronto Remedy II (series); DP Stephen Reizes csc; to January 21, 2015, Etobicoke Room (feature); B Camera Operator Arthur Cooper csc; to December 15, Toronto Saving Hope III (series); DP David Perrault csc; to December 15, Mississauga Single Ladies IV (series) DP Mike McMurray csc; to December 22, Toronto Spun Out II (series); Gerald Packer csc; to December 5, Toronto The Stanley Dynamic (series); Matt Phillips csc; to December 5, Toronto Supernatural X (series); DP Serge Ladouceur csc; Camera Operator Brad Creasser; to April 21, 2015, Burnaby When Calls the Heart II (series); DP Michael Balfry csc; to February 27, 2015, Burnaby Yamasaka VI (series); DP Daniel Vincelette csc; to December 12, Montreal Young Drunk Punk (series); DP Gavin Smith csc; to December 18, Calgary
Calendar of Events DECEMBER 3-7, Whistler Film Festival, Whistler, BC, whistlerfilmfestival.com JANUARY 22-Feb. 1, Sundance Film Festival, Park City, Utah, sundance.org 31, CSC Awards entry deadline, csc.ca
MARCH 7-8, CSC Camera Assistant Workshop, Toronto 19-29, International Film Festival on Art, Montreal, artfifa.com 28, CSC Awards, Arcadian Court, 401 Bay St, Simpsons Tower, Toronto, csc.ca
CORRECTION The article “Preggoland: A Labour of Love for Steve Cosens csc” (October 2014) incorrectly named the Vancouver-based boutique camera rental house owned by Pieter Stathis csc. The company’s correct name is RAW Camera.
CANADIAN SOCIETY OF CINEMATOGRA PHERS $4 September 2013 www.csc.ca www.csc.ca $4 Januar y 2014
CANADIAN
FEBRUARY 6-15, Victoria Film Festival, Victoria BC, victoriafilmfestival.com 19-28, Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois, Montreal, rvcq.com 25, CSC Lens Testing Module Workshop, Toronto 26-March 1, Kingston Canadian Film Festival, Kingston, ON, kingcanfilmfest.com
APRIL 10-19, Cinéfranco, Toronto, cinefranco.com 23-May 5, Hot Docs, Toronto, hotdocs.ca 25-26, CSC Lighting Workshop, Toronto
28 • Canadian Cinematographer - December 2014
Craig Wrobleski
csc: Capturing
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