CANADIAN SOCIETY OF CINEMATOGRAPHERS
$4 Februar y 2015 www.csc.ca
Yves Bélanger csc
The Call of the
Wild
Mike McLaughlin Explores The Valley Below • Expanded Cinematography
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.
FEATURES – VOLUME 6, NO. 9 FEBRUARY 2015
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: Anne Marie Fox
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.
Yves BĂŠlanger csc: The Call of the Wild By Fanen Chiahemen
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Credit: Paul Chirka
CORPORATE SPONSORS
DP Mike McLaughlin Explores The Valley Below By Fanen Chiahemen
Credit: Karl Herrmann csc
AC Lighting Inc. All Axis Remote Camera Systems Arri Canada Ltd. Canon Canada Inc. Clairmont Camera Codes Pro Media Dazmo Camera Deluxe Toronto FUJIFILM North America Corporation FUJIFILM, Optical Devices Division Fusion Cine HD Source Inspired Image Picture Company Kino Flo Kodak Canada Inc. Lee Filters Miller Camera Support Equipment Mole-Richardson PS Production Services Panasonic Canada Panavision Canada REDLABdigital Rosco Canada SIM Digital Sony of Canada Ltd. Technicolor The Source Shop Vistek Camera Ltd. Whites Digital Sales & Service William F. White International Inc. ZGC Inc. ZTV
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Heavyweight Cinematographers Expand Our Minds By Karl Herrmann csc
COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 2 4 5 6 7 24 26 27 28
From the President In the News Best & Worst Advice New CSC Members Dedo Comes to Town Tech Column CSC Member Spotlight - Henry Less csc Classifieds Productions Notes / Calendar
Cover: Reese Witherspoon in Wild. Credit: Anne Marie Fox
Canadian Cinematographer February 2015 Vol. 6, No. 9 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
FROM THE PRESIDENT George A. Willis csc, sasc
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ne of the lines in the Guns N’ Roses song Sweet Child o’ Mine poses the question, “Where do we go now?” I find the significance of this question very relevant in today’s cinematography, since we seem to be at a point where the traditional system of filmmaking is being sacrificed largely in favour of technology. I began my filming career in the early ‘70s and I’ve always been acutely aware of the changes in the film and television industry. While change can be tough and I had many questions relating to it, I always accepted it as an automatic progression. The pros and cons of what was taking place never really entered the picture.
Bruno Philip csc, bphilipcsc@gmail.com Brendan Steacy csc, 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
However, in recent years there has been an enormous, mind-boggling escalation of technological development that has never been experienced before and it shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, even with the advances of the last 10 to 15 years, technology development has never been as prolific as it is today, with all that is happening in our industry. Virtually every day sees a new array of equipment and accessories making their debut and consequently pushing production methodology into a constant state of flux.
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2 • Canadian Cinematographer - February 2015
While professional camera equipment was once expensive to both purchase and maintain when it was film, in today’s digital world the reverse is true. Camera equipment being now completely affordable and more readily available than ever has changed the way we see and experience the world of cinematography. The process that defines the path of becoming a cinematographer has been so diluted as to almost negate the process itself. In a world where the availability of professional cameras and accessories are well within the reach of anyone, there exists now a situation that is akin to putting the cart before the horse. In other words, the purchase of a DSLR HD camera is often seen as a ticket to the professional world of filmmaking but without the necessary credentials, knowledge and experience that has always been such an essential part of the cinematic process. Lately, there have been a number of remarks, comments and prognostications regarding the path that cinematography is taking. There are those who will ignore the experiences that have led us to where we are today. see President page 28
Mark the date in your calendar!!!
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Annual CSC Awards Gala Saturday, March 28, 2015 The Arcadian Court, 401 Bay St, 8th Floor, Toronto
Tickets available at csc.ca
Awards Party in Vancouver Saturday, March 28, 2015 Hosted by IATSE 669 Details to come
Monsoon Selected for TIFF Canada’s Top Ten
The documentary Monsoon, shot by associate CSC member Van Royko and directed by Sturla Gunnarsson, won The People’s Choice Award at Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival in January. The film will open in theatres nationwide starting in Toronto on February 27. Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival celebrates and promotes contemporary Canadian cinema and raises awareness of Canadian achievements in film. The 10-day festival ran from January 2 to 11 at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto.
Enemy Wins Rogers Best Canadian Film Award
Photo: Caitlin Cronenberg.
Toronto Critics Name Piers Handling Winner of Technicolor Clyde Gilmour Award
Technicolor Hosts Inaugural Seminar at Camerimage
Photos courtesy of Technicolor
Credit: Amit Vachharajani
IN THE NEWS Monsoon cinematographer Van Royko.
The Toronto Film Critics Association recently named Piers Handling, CEO and director of TIFF, as winner of the 2014 Technicolor Clyde Gilmour Award. The award recipient receives $50,000 in services to give to a filmmaker of their choosing. Handling chose Randall Okita, whose film The Weatherman and the Shadowboxer (DP Samy Inayeh csc) was named Best Canadian Short at TIFF last September. The Technicolor Clyde Gilmour Award has been given to Canadians whose work has in some way enriched the understanding and appreciation of film in their native country. Handling has been CEO and director of TIFF since 1994. Meanwhile, to honour its 40th anniversary, TIFF will receive the first Academy Legacy Award – for unyielding dedication in bringing international acclaim to Canadian talent in film, television or digital media, Helga Stephenson, CEO, Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, announced in January. The inaugural Academy Legacy Award, a Canadian Screen Award, will be presented at Canada Stars in Awards Season, a red carpet event in Beverly Hills on February 19 to celebrate excellence of Canada’s talent in the film and television industry.
At the 2014 edition of Camerimage, held in late November in Bydgoszcz, Poland, Technicolor produced its inaugural seminar, a moderated panel of celebrated cinematographers, presented to an audience comprised of established talent, as well as emerging cinematographers from around the globe. Steven Poster asc, former president of the American Society of Cinematographers, was among the speakers, discussing cinematographers’ loss of control over their images due to technological advancements. Poster described how cinematographers began to lose their influence as crews transitioned from watching film dailies to lower-quality video dailies, Variety reports. Poster suggested colouring on set as one option for cinematographers. The crew “are seeing what your intent is. All of a sudden people start to feel the magic is coming back,” Poster is quoted as saying. He also highlighted the importance of working closely with the digital imaging technician, as “it gives you the control over the image that has been lost.” Other speakers at the seminar included cinematographers Ed Lachman asc, Matthew Libatique asc and Nancy Schreiber asc.
Credit: Leon Efimov
Nicolas Bolduc csc
Piers Handling, CEO and director of TIFF
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Denis Villeneuve’s feature film Enemy, shot by Nicolas Bolduc csc, has won the Toronto Film Critics Association’s 2014 Rogers Best Canadian Film Award. The award was presented to the director by Deepa Mehta at a gala see News page 6
Edward Lachman asc
Matthew Libatique asc
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 five in the series. shoot before even the sound crews were straightened out. Years later, I asked Vic what was the heaviest shooting year he ever had. He figured that when he was shooting dramas and long-form docs in between his CBC Fifth Estate assignments, he racked up around 600,000 feet of 16 mm film over a one-year period. That’s five 400-foot rolls of film every day for 300 days. In my second year shooting for CBC’s The Journal, I figured I shot about 640,000 feet over a year, although I was shooting on tape by then. MICHAEL PATRICK SAVOIE CSC Fully committed to the documentary genre, Michael Patrick Savoie csc has worked on numerous award-winning productions and garnered a CSC best cinematography award nomination for the Docudrama Hangman’s Graveyard. Besides being a top notch DP, Savoie has also branched off into directing and producing feature-length documentaries. Best Advice When I was assistant to Vic Sarin csc in the late ‘70s on dramas, he told me to shoot as much as I could, that practice makes perfect. Shooting a lot builds efficiency and speed into your work methods. You develop tricks such as how to get the same effect with two lights, while it will take others three. The best training ground for learning to shoot efficiently and grow as a cinematographer is current affairs, where I headed and where I took Vic’s words to heart. Television is a beast that needs to be fed every day and where speed and timing are paramount. I remember often being set up and ready to
Worst Advice A producer once convinced me to shoot an interview with a subject who was wearing sunglasses and had a beer in their hand. The interview was about paternal filicide, the killing of one’s children. This man had allegedly murdered his own two children and got away with it. In current affairs you are constantly searching for the truth, and the best visual cue for that is to see a person’s eyes. I explained this to the producer, adding that the fact that the subject was also drinking alcohol meant nobody would trust anything he said. The producer prevailed and the interview sucked. In the end we were no closer to uncovering any shred of truth. I’ve always regretted that interview. LLOYD WALTON An associate lifetime member of the CSC, Lloyd Walton garnered over 35 provincial, national and international awards as culture, nature, and wildlife cinematographerdirector for the Ontario and federal governments. Besides
Panavision Rolls Out Primo 70 Lenses at Camerimage Panavision in late November showcased its new line of Primo 70 lenses at the 22nd Camerimage International Film Festival. The lenses are designed to work with today’s larger sensor digital cameras. Panavision Primo 70 prime lenses are available in 11 focal lengths: 27 mm, 35 mm, 40 mm, 50 mm, 65 mm, 80 mm, 100 mm, 125 mm, 150 mm, 200 mm and 250 mm. Super 70 zoom lenses are also available in three sizes: 28-80 mm, 70-185 mm and 200-400 mm. The Primo 70 series are equivalent in size and weight to standard Primos. Primo 70 lenses are not compatible with film cameras. The internal mechanics retain a familiar Primo feel. Floating internal elements control breathing and allow the lens to perform from infinity to close focus. Currently, Panavision has made Primo 70 mounts for the Sony F55, RED DRAGON, ARRI ALEXA (standard and Open Gate), Phantom Flex4K and Phantom 65, with other cameras being assessed for compatibility. The Primo 70 series of lenses are available to rent from Panavision worldwide. Courtesy of Panavision
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cinematography, Walton is also a painter of note, using oils and acrylics to create his images instead of the camera. Based in Port Carling, Ontario, Walton has just completed writing Into the Stone, a book about his journey deep into the soul of Canada as an artist and filmmaker.
New Full CSC Members Congratulations on receiving full membership.
Credit: Lyle Ruby
Lloyd Walton
Credit: Dennis J. Evans
Simon Shohet csc
Ian Toews csc
News from page 4 dinner held on January 6 in Toronto. The $100,000 value of the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award makes it the richest annual film prize in Canada. Canadian Screen Awards
CSC congratulates the members whose projects have been nominated for Canadian Screen Awards:
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Best Advice I got that from the late National Film Board director-cinematographer Bill Mason. Bill was my first filmmaking hero. He was a naturalist, author, artist and conservationist who became my friend and mentor. Bill said, “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing with enthusiasm and joy,” which is how he conducted and lived his life. It’s an attitude that I’ve always tried to emulate. I feel very privileged to have made a living making my kind of movies in Canada, so the enthusiasm and joy came naturally to me. It’s also an attitude I find to be infectious and motivating to the people with whom you work, which in turn breeds a collective magic that always filters through to the images and stories on the screen. Worst Advice I got that from a client after taking 16 years to make a film deciphering native pictographs and petroglyphs found in remote areas of Ontario. Nobody really knew what they meant, so I sought out older aboriginal elders, including one man who lived to the age of 108, who could read them. The client wanted me to include interviews with white academic experts on the subject and not mention politics or religion in the film whatsoever. I didn’t do any of that. Instead, I stuck with the native elders, their interpretations of the ancient symbols, including politics and religion. In the end, the client used scissors liberally to cut out half of the film after I had finished it. But not before I sent the full version I’d made to the American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco, where it opened the event and won first place. Over 25 years later, The Teaching Rocks is still being widely shown in schools and museums. I’m proud to say this was the worst advice I never followed.
• Achievement in Cinematography: Norayr Kasper csc (Fall); Luc Montpellier csc (It Was You Charlie) • Best Photography in a Comedy Program or Series: Douglas Koch csc (Sensitive Skin); Gerald Packer csc (Seed) • Best Photography in a Documentary Program or Factual Series: Derek Rogers csc (Camp X: Secret Agent School); Nicholas de Pen-
cier csc; Iris Ng (The Ghosts in Our Machine) • Best Photography in a Dramatic Program or Series: Eric Cayla csc (Bomb Girls; Haven) • Best Photography in a Lifestyle or Reality/Competition Program or Series: Jason Tan csc (One Night Stand With Annie Sibonney) see News page 8
Dedo Weigert is a director of photography and creator of the Dedolight, the first of which was built in 1984, and sold and used for professional motion picture, television, still photography and documentaries. In 1990, Dedolight and its revolutionary optical principle of the dual lens concept had so successfully established itself as a well-known standard in the international film community that it earned the Technical Achievement Award from the Oscar Committee of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In November, the Screen Industries Research and Training Centre hosted a three-day Dedolight seminar event, with Dedo Weigert himself, at their new location at Pinewood Toronto Studios. I had the opportunity to attend, and I share some of my observations.
Dedo Comes to Town By LORI LONGSTAFF, affiliate csc
Photo by Jim Hagarty
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Toronto Actor Michael Copeman projected onto the 4K screen during a lighting demonstration.
he seats in the studio were filled with well-known Toronto DPs and new faces curious to see the new Dedo LED lights at the presentation. In a dimly lit quiet storytelling setting, Weigert introduced his arsenal of lights and described the science behind his designs. Sitting in the audience, I could imagine the thoughts in some of the DPs’ minds, “Oh, how I wish I could have that big, soft multi-LED FELLONI2 Panel Bicolour light with the Pan Aura grid placed just across the room.” During the PowerPoint presentation, Weigert talked about some of the advantages of using LED lights – they are compact, lightweight, perform well in wet exteriors, and the panel LEDs are very thin and can be rather useful on film sets big and small. The low power consumption of the lights enables the lighting technician to use existing house power, whereas a heavy and bulky 2K light uses 15 amps and may need a generator. The fact that the LED lights are not hot to the touch means the actors can be bathed with light illuminating the effects of intense annoying heat. Canadian Cinematographer - February 2015 •
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Weigert also spoke about different lighting styles and demonstrated the process of using various types of lights and accessories to light the subject. SIRT’s brand new ALEXA XT camera was hooked up live to the 4K projector to demonstrate how the light falls on the subject. The lighting assistant, Elena Kostadinova, gathered a selection of lights on display in the studio to light scenes and produce images. Starting with the key light, the lighting assistant used a Felloni LED light with a soft box and diffusion placed from the right of the camera, lighting the left side of an actor’s face. The backlight was DLED 12.1-D_DMX Focusing Light Head. A flex fill reflector was placed below the camera, adding a warm fill light. The final light that was used was the Dedolight DLED9.1 with its unique double aspheric optical system combined with the projected attachment accessory. The “Gobo” nine squared pattern image was projected on the back wall with a red gel creating a dynamic background. Interesting backgrounds with stunning effects can be achieved by using
background slide projections of scenic landscapes with the actors placed in the foreground. FX coloured glass is also available, and can be inserted into the DP1 Imager and sandwiched with metal gobos for a wider selection of choices. The afternoon session turned into a fun, casual lighting competition. Some of the new faces in the film industry were eager to use the large selection of lights in the studio. Broken into groups of three – to play the roles of a director, a cinematographer and an actor – participants competed for a chance to use the broad selection of lights and accessories, including a complete range of LED panel lights, tungsten, daylight, Bicolour, soft lights, projection attachments for Gobos, background effect filters, Floures-zillas and Ledzillas. In addition to the lights, each group had a camera and video monitor to assist with lighting each set up. The time
News from page 6
20 or more artists. Capabilities at both facilities include 2D and 3D visual effects, 3D animation, compositing, finishing, matte painting, cosmetic enhancement and pre-visualization. FuseFX, British Columbia is led by visual effects supervisor and producer Mike Leeming.
• Best Photography in a News or Information Program, Series or Segment: Kirk Neff (16x9; The West Block with Tom Clark); John Badcock csc (CBC News: the fifth estate) • Best Direction in a Children’s or Youth Program or Series: Phil Earnshaw csc (Degrassi) Winners will be announced at a gala on March 1.
A detailed educational experience about the science behind light and technology is available in Weigert’s PowerPoint presentation: www.dedoweigertfilm.de/download/ppt/dedolight_10-2014_engl.zip
FuseFX Expands to Vancouver, NY
Panavision Acquires Light Iron; SIM Group Acquires Pixel Underground
FuseFX, which provides visual effects services for television, features and commercials, has opened fullscale production facilities in Vancouver and New York. FuseFX, British Columbia, located in Vancouver’s Yaletown section, is currently servicing Backstrom for Fox and The Returned for A&E. It can accommodate
Panavision announced in December that it had reached an agreement to acquire postproduction technology innovator Light Iron. Founded in Los Angeles in 2009, Light Iron provides mobile dailies, archival services, offline editorial rental, finishing and delivery. Through both its suite of OUTPOST systems and premium DI services,
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limit for the competition was approximately 20 minutes. One group created an opaque cyan-coloured moon on the background wall, with a side fill light and an LED panel light as a front key light positioned from above. They selected a wide-angle lens, creating a quiet mood of isolation. The other teams lit for a close-up shot. One team lit for night, appearing very moody, and yet another did a beautiful job lighting a young man’s face – although his eyes were sharp, they emanated a soft, warm glow. And the quality of light shaped his face softly. One could feel his sad expression projected onto the monitor. The lighting competition was the perfect opportunity to experiment with light sources, new technology, models and the opportunity to judge learned lighting skills and knowledge from the morning seminar. It was like watching kids in a candy store!
Light Iron supports high-resolution 6K acquisition formats and UHD delivery. Meanwhile, the SIM Group announced in December it had acquired Toronto postproduction facility Pixel Underground and its associated companies FINI Films and stationEX. Pixel Underground, which provides postproduction services for television, was founded in 2009 and specializes in colour grading, visual effects and online finishing, and serves a clientele that includes Canadian, U.S. and European producers. FINI Films and StationEX, respectively, provide physical and filebased media fulfillment and distribution services. Marc Bachli, partner/ executive producer, said the company is currently building a digital-intermediate-style colour grading theatre with true 4K monitoring and a pipeline to accommodate features.
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Yves Bélanger csc
The Call of the Wild By FANEN CHIAHEMEN
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he Pacific Crest Trail is a 2,650-mile hiking and equestrian trail stretching from Mexico to Canada. It’s one of the main characters in the bestselling memoir Wild by Cheryl Strayed, a woman who at the age of 26 decided to hike the trail, despite having no experience, in order to rediscover herself after acute grief over her mother’s death triggered a self-destructive spiral of drug use and promiscuity. Published in 2012, Wild reached the top of the New York Times bestsellers list, and it wasn’t long before Hollywood came knocking with movie rights. While the great outdoors may be an appealing backdrop for a film, it takes a visionary filmmaker to effectively translate the repetitive and cyclical activity of hiking onto the big screen. Producers of Wild saw Jean-Marc Vallée – who had most recently received critical acclaim for 2013’s Dallas Buyers Club – as the director who could take on the project, and Vallée was clear from the start about his objective: “The big picture challenge was to try to make a film as beautiful and powerful and emotional
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as the book,” he confides. Working off of a script by Nick Hornby, Vallée’s adaptation of Strayed’s story weaves flashbacks and fragments from the woman’s life together with poetry and song so that the result is something of a visual mosaic with all the texture and colour of the trail itself. Nevertheless, it took some trial and error to devise a way to shoot what amounts to the visual spine of the film: Strayed – played by Reese Witherspoon, who is also one of the film’s producers –
Credit: Anne Marie Fox
“We decided very fast that we would shoot with only a camera and no tripod,” cinematographer Yves Bélanger csc (left) says of the shooting style employed on Wild.
walking for long stretches of time alone with a backpack. “We tried everything,” cinematographer Yves Bélanger csc says. “Me behind her, me in front of her, walking backwards; wide shots of her coming towards the lens, and then the opposite. After one or two days, we realized the best way to shoot her was head on with me walking backwards. When I was walking behind her looking at what she sees it was okay, but we could only see a big backpack with no face, no hair, and the bag was bigger than her, so it was kind of weird. It was like a big blue fridge floating in the air. So we stopped doing that really fast.” It’s almost impossible to talk about Wild without talking about Dallas Buyers Club, a feature that thrust Vallée into the Hollywood limelight, earning six Oscar nominations and winning three of them – for Best Actor (Matthew McConaughey), Best Supporting Actor ( Jared Leto) and Best Makeup and Hairstyling (Adruitha Lee and Robin Mathew). But Dallas Buyers Club was also the film on which Vallée and Bélanger first collaborated and honed
a cinematic style that Vallée had employed on his previous film, Café de Flore – shooting handheld and using no artificial lights. Dallas Buyers Club – a 1980s period drama about real-life antiAIDS crusader Ron Woodroof – lent itself to a documentary-style look, and shooting it handheld with only existing light not only served the narrative but was also cost-effective on a film with a 25-day schedule and a roughly $5 million budget. But more than the efficiency, it was also the relative freedom that this shooting style afforded that appealed to the director. “I’ve known Jean-Marc for 20 years, and he was getting tired of the show we have on film sets where there are all these people. He wanted a shoot with fewer people. He wanted more time to shoot and less waiting,” Bélanger says. “Dallas was the perfect project for that because we had no money. Jean-Marc called me and said, ‘I have only $4 million to do the movie. I think we can do it if you have no truck, no grips, no electrics, no crew, just you and a camera.’”
The director and DP were pleasantly surprised with the result of Dallas Buyers Club (“We were afraid it would be ugly, but sometimes it was too beautiful,” Bélanger says), so they employed the same style on Wild – which had a larger budget and an additional 10 shooting days – because Vallée valued that old-school style of filmmaking and was convinced it would suit the story. “The purpose was to go back to the roots of when movies were made with like 15 people,” Bélanger says. “We decided very fast that we would shoot with only a camera and no tripod. I had one grip and one electric. There was no waiting around for the DP to do his show. We finished early, no overtime, no going over budget.” Bélanger is quick to point out that this aesthetic requires a particularly skilled focus puller, which Bélanger says he found in Paul Santoni. “He was amazing because for this kind of shoot there’s no marks, no reference, and normally we shoot with no rehearsal, so he had to react quickly behind the monitor,” Bélanger says. “I would never see his face. Canadian Cinematographer - February 2015 •
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He was always behind the monitor with black velvet over it, very concentrated. He was great.” A camera that could handle existing light was also imperative, so the ARRI ALEXA XT in ARRIRAW was the obvious choice. “Me and Jean-Marc love the way the ARRI reacts to available light, the way it balances daylight with artificial light. It’s not aggressive, it’s very smooth,” Bélanger says. “We could just respect the natural light of where we were shooting [in Oregon and California]. We calculated where the sun was going to be and chose the moments when we would shoot outside.” Bélanger adds that he lit interiors “with almost nothing,” just two 4-foot Kino Flos and 2Ks, relying on the art department to provide him with “a lot of choices of lamps, fixtures, neons, everything I could use on the set.” Lens choice was inspired by the story’s inherent symbolism, the cinematographer says. “The movie is about woman against nature. Jean-Marc and I talked about how if you look into a telescope to look at the stars, it’s the same as looking into a microscope. So we had the idea of using a human face as a landscape and the landscape as a human face,” Bélanger explains. “We would often start on a big landscape and suddenly focus on this beautiful face, and we thought it was a nice idea, to go from very close to infinity. That means we needed to sometimes start on a close-up on her face and go to the magnificent landscape. And then the opposite. So we used the ARRI Master Primes because they are sharper and more flattering for the skin, and they are good for shooting human faces and landscapes at the same time. ” Despite having all the appropriate tools, nothing could have prepared Bélanger for the physical exertion of capturing the trek. “I had to do the same thing as Reese, which means walking in the desert and mountains with 40 pounds on me. So most of my job was trying not to pass out,” the 54-year-old
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says. “It’s the only movie where I lost weight. After each take, me and Reese would look at each other and say, ‘Are you okay?’” The cinematographer soon discovered that when he and Witherspoon synchronized their pace he could transform the experience into a kind of dance. “Sometimes you follow an actor and he’s too fast or too slow, but with Reese I never felt like stopping her or that she had to walk faster. We were good dancers together,” he said. The easy connection between DP and actress became essential during scenes of nudity and sex, the likes of which Witherspoon had not yet tackled in her career. The DP describes shooting a scene in which Witherspoon’s Cheryl examines her naked, bruised body in the shower. While the director and focus puller were in another room behind a monitor, Bélanger was alone with Witherspoon in the bathroom. “You treat it like any other scene,” the cinematographer says. “But you have to have respect. I wear glasses, and between takes we would sit on the side of the bath and talk about life. And I talked to her the same as I would if she was dressed, but I wouldn’t put my glasses back on when I was talking to her.” Sex scenes were shot quickly and treated “just like a fight scene or dinner scene,” he says –“We framed the shot, said action, and then in five minutes they were done” – but they provided an opportunity to use lighting to reflect character and story. When Cheryl has casual sex in a hotel room with a man she picks up at a bar, Bélanger’s jumping off point was “what practical lights would this guy keep on?” Figuring that such an encounter would happen in the dark, Bélanger just kept the hotel room bathroom light on and was thankful the ALEXA was good in low light situations. “We always went with the reality of scene,” the cinematographer says, and he did the same for a scene in which Cheryl sleeps with a
man she’s actually attracted to. “For that one we thought there would be a bit more light, because he has a date with her and wants to show her his place. We just turned on and off the practical lights that the set decorator provided.” Another important element in Wild is Cheryl’s close relationship with her mother (played by Laura Dern), and the house where the family live is the setting for many mother-daughter scenes, told in flashback. In those settings, Bélanger employed the same old Zeiss high speeds that he had used on Dallas Buyers Club. “They’re already warm, already softer, and art direction, Javiera Varas, provided us with very warm colours,” Bélanger says. “We decided it would be brown and yellow. And those lenses have less definition and are always a little yellow.” Bélanger says that one of the principles of his and Vallée’s cinematic style is to eschew heavy colour correction in post. “We believe in the decision we make on the spot, on the sets,” the cinematographer says. “It’s very rare that we change it in colour grading. Even if it’s a little bit too green or yellow or something, we leave it like that; we like the mistakes that happen. Therefore on a Jean-Marc Vallée movie it takes maybe two to four days to do colour grading.” “We don’t want to interfere with the image,” Vallée concurs. “We want to be as humble as possible and let the story be the star of the film and the acting. We want to let it be as real as possible, so we hardly touch it.” Bélanger describes the essence of the director’s style as “‘perfect imperfection.’ The dream for him is an image that’s imperfect but perfect. He wants the thing to look imperfect but it has to be perfect – the framing, the lighting, the colours and everything. It’s kind of tough to find the balance,” the DP says, chuckling. But that’s what Bélanger likes about collaborating with Vallée. “He works, works and works,” the cinematographer says. “I don’t want to be cruel,
Credit: Anne Marie Fox Credit: Anne Marie Fox
but a lot of directors are lazy and don’t work that much. They’re in love with the idea of making movies. Jean-Marc always works in prep, always works between shooting days, and he’s always on the script even when we’re shooting.” Vallée is also very hands on, sometimes even going so far as to use Bélanger as a viewfinder. “I’ll have the camera on my shoulder and he physically moves me like a puppet trying to find the frame. It looks quite ridiculous,” Bélanger says. “Or sometimes if we had only five minutes left to shoot, Jean-Marc would say, ‘Shit, I don’t have the time to explain it to you; I’m going to do it.’ So he would jump on the camera and he would do it, and I would change the aperture with a remote. When I’m operating for Jean-Marc, I always have a finger on the iris of the camera so I can control the different exposures of all the angles we cover. So when Jean-Marc operates, I use a remote control for the exposure so I can have the same control as when I’m operating.” Bélanger thinks the style of lighting that he and Vallée have cultivated will only bring directors and cinematographers closer together. “I think DPs are going to be closer to the storytelling, to the mise en scène,” he says. “We’re going to have more spare time because we’ll be less busy with lighting. I won’t be spending two hours to light and talking to electrics on walkie-talkies. I’m going to be more with the director and we’re going to talk more about the film. We’ll still have to control the light. Light can add something to the scene, so if you shoot without controlling or choosing it, it can still be very bad. “And we’re always going to make horror movies, film noirs and homage films, so we’ll always need good old techniques,” he continues. “But you’ll have time to talk with the director about what is important in the story. Also, you’ll be closer to actors because you’re there physically.”
Director Jean-Marc Vallée, by all accounts a hard-working, hands-on director, with Reese Witherspoon. Below: DP Yves Bélanger csc (with camera) sets up to capture a scene in Wild. Canadian Cinematographer - February 2015 •
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tored within the membership of the CSC is a wealth of knowledge that can only be gained and perfected through decades of experience working in our film and television industry. CSC DPs strive to be ahead of the curve with all things and anything to do with cinematography. Unlocking this vast vault of knowledge was skillfully stickhandled by CSC Education Co-chairs Dylan Macleod csc and D. Gregor Hagey csc, who fielded a full roster of CSC workshops in 2014. Almost all of the workshops were sold out and were lauded by their participants for their high quality content and top-notch instructors. Living up to the society’s motto “For professionals by professionals,” CSC workshops are led by full CSC members such as Alwyn Kumst csc, Philip Earnshaw csc, George Willis csc, sasc, Carlos Estevez csc, John Holosko csc and other professionals with relevant specialty skills such as Ernie Kestler and first AC Lem Ritsoo with his vast knowledge of lenses.
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CSC Lights the Way with With the changes in our industry, there have also been new additions to the type of person taking a CSC lighting and camera workshop. Not only are those working on sets attending CSC workshops, but so are postproduction professionals such as VFX and CGI artists, who are taking the skills learned in the real world and applying it to their digital world, for better results. The CSC, through its education program, also offers an AC certificate, which is recognized as a prerequisite for entrance into the IATSE camera trainee program. The CSC education initiatives are partnered with participating sponsors of the society, with workshops being held at sponsor locations. This is a terrific bonus for anyone taking a CSC workshop, since sponsors often have representatives on hand to answer questions about their organization, services and gear, and will often provide tours of their facility. This is a good way for participants to forge industry contacts and to get an insider snapshot of their operations. Participating sponsor locations for 2015 workshops in the Toronto area are William F. White, SIM Digital, Dazmo Camera, Vistek, Clairmont Film & Digital, Technicolor, Deluxe and REDLAB Digital. For 2015, the CSC has a stellar line-up of 14 workshops starting this month and running until November. Five of the workshops have never been offered before. The new workshops are DSLR; Lighting for Tabletop; High End Post Workflow; Camera Movement; and Camera Module - High Speed. The returning workshops are Lighting for Faces; AC Course (2); Camera Module – RED EPIC; Lighting Workshop; Camera Module – F55; Lens Testing and Acting with Cameras.
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TESTIMONIALS CSC Acting With Cameras Workshop, William F. White, Toronto My expectations were to better understand the technical processes of filmmaking from an actor’s perspective. The workshop provides a hands-on experience for the actor from both sides of the camera. The instructors were both knowledgeable and personable. – Mike Malott A practical and enlightening workshop. A must for beginners. – Lavinia Catara This is essential information for actors who are wanting to increase their confidence on set. Real equipment, real professionals, real scenarios, real practice. I will feel way more confident on set. – Nicole St. Martin CSC Lighting Faces Workshop, William F. White, Toronto
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A wonderful two-day experience that will definitely have an effect on my future shooting. [The] cinematographer’s talk and instruction were perfect. Visual examples with first-hand insight were wonderful. – James Lewis The combination of talented, experienced mentors and lots of hands-on time makes for a fantastic workshop. The equipment and staff are top notch. The most practical part was setting the lights, changing the actor and then seeing what changes were needed for the new talent. This workshop absolutely met my expectations. – Rob Roy A great environment to play and learn. Great teachers who really care about passing on their knowledge. – Andrew Oxley Even if you’ve been paid to light, taking the faces workshops can give you a different perspective by industry professionals. – Carmelina Crocco
CSC Camera Assistant Workshop, SIM Digital, Toronto If you’re lost and don’t know what you’re doing, the CSC will be a path to the light. – Anonymous CSC Lighting Workshop, William F. White,Toronto I didn’t know what to expect, but I was really open to absorbing any information that was presented whether I knew it or not, and I learned a lot. I came for the lighting and left with knowledge. – Darcy DeToni Lifetime of experience at your disposal. – Bohdan Turok As a VFX artist, the workshop allowed me to bridge the gap between [the] practical world and the digital one. – Alexandre Scott (Lead lighting/VFX artist)
ed (in foreground), Camera Assistant Workshop 2. Felipe Belalcazar (centre), CSC Camera Assistant Workshop 3. Danielle CSC Lens Testing Workshop 4. Sandro Pehar, CSC Lens Testing Workshop 5. Sandro Pehar, CSC Camera Assistant Workshop cott and John Reed, CSC Lighting Workshop 7. CSC Camera Assistant Workshop 8. Nicole St. Martin 9/10. Logan Scott, CSC Workshop 11. John Reed, CSC Lens Testing Workshop Photos by Ernie Kestler, D. Gregor Hagey csc & Brandon Morin Canadian Cinematographer - February 2015 •
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There’s Something About the Prairies:
Mike McLaughlin Explores The Valley Below
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o matter how many times filmmaker Kyle Thomas returns home to Alberta after spending some time away, his awe for its uniquely bleak, expansive beauty never seems to wane. “I went to film school in Montreal five years ago, and every time I would come back I would think, ‘Oh my goodness, we have this huge sky,” Thomas says. “I don’t know how it’s that different from any other part of country, but it is. Just the vastness of it and how open it is. Some of the most beautiful sunsets and sunrises that I’ve seen have been in Alberta.” Film is maybe the perfect medium for Thomas, who has poured all that wonder – combined with his fascination with small towns – into his first feature, The Valley Below, a simple multi-narrative portrait of life in contemporary Drumheller, a town nestled in the Red Deer River valley in east-central Alberta. The film, which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival before being released nationwide this winter, explores the interweaving lives of four Albertans adrift in the badlands over the course of a year – a teenage girl who becomes pregnant by a man with whom she sees an uncertain future; an emotionally distant, borderline alcoholic musician, a reclusive taxidermist, and a dependable RCMP officer. Although Thomas says he wanted The Valley Below to be “character-driven first and foremost,” with Alberta being what it is, the director knew that the environment, through
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all its seasonal changes, could aid in capturing the mood of living in a small town in the prairies. “Just that feeling of when autumn comes on how that makes us feel, and then when we’re into the freezing winter how that makes us feel,” Thomas says. “I think the contrast is extremely interesting, and I wanted to have that reflected in some of the stories.” Thomas therefore divided the shoot into three blocks – 12 days in August, a few days in October and another 12 days in November, a schedule that posed a unique challenge for cinematographer Mike McLaughlin, associate csc. “It’s kind of scary because you could go away and come back after you’ve shot a bunch of other projects and not maintain that look. That was a huge fear of mine,” McLaughlin reveals, adding that he would watch dailies closely after each shooting day and then re-watch them before each subsequent shooting block “just to get back in the mode.” The crew also adopted a shooting style that supported a natural, raw visual aesthetic: they shot quickly and freely, simply capturing the rugged beauty of their surroundings as the seasons changed. “When we showed up in Drumheller and saw the striking landscape, I said, ‘Let’s maintain a consistent look and let the landscape do its work,’” McLaughlin recalls. “We had a distinct look in each section of the film because when you shoot in August in Drumheller it has such a different look than in the winter. It goes from being sun-soaked
Photos by Paul Chirka
By FANEN CHIAHEMEN
and warm, to the fall season, which is richer and darker, and the winter is completely bleak with white everywhere, but it still has blue and magenta hues everywhere; it’s still quite beautiful.” Unencumbered by big lighting set-ups, the small crew would simply pre-light interiors, blocking scenes “in the most natural way,” McLaughlin says. “Kyle wanted it very loose. He wanted me to light scenes in a way that we would just show up and block and have actors do what they needed to do, and my camera would be a part of the characters’ movement. We never did a shot list. Kyle didn’t want to be locked down into a shot. That’s very much his style, to experience it on the day.” McLaughlin nevertheless embraced the challenge, equipping himself with a RED EPIC, which he operated, and 2550 mm Zeiss Super Speed lenses “because they gave us the most flexibility,” he says. “The cinematography is not meant to be at the forefront. The cinematographer plays a supporting role. So I felt like a 5K sensor with older Zeiss Super Speeds, which have a little softness to them, would be the biggest bang for our buck.” Shunning the trappings of filmmaking was not only timeand cost-effective, it also gave the actors more room to deliver the naturalistic performances that the film required, something Thomas, who has an acting background, could appreciate. “I felt like getting close and having that loose feel was essential. The characters could move around freely, and we would not stop and wait an hour or two to relight to get the second part of a shot,” the director says. “This allows actors to be in the scene for the whole time. If they want to get up and move to the other end of the table and that feels right for that character, they can do that. That’s also why we chose to shoot handheld for most of it. Because we’re really getting into their lives, we’re seeing some very subtle, private moments.” The film delves so deeply into the characters’ intimate spaces that often McLaughlin’s close-ups, captured with the 50 mm lenses, seem uncomfortably close, an effect the cinematographer indicates was intentional. “We wouldn’t even have establishing shots sometimes,” he says. “It’s a portrait lens. It’s not too tight, not too wide, but it’s kind of compressing and it’s kind of claustrophobic a little bit. It matches the aesthetic of the landscape too. Normally when you shoot in places like Drumheller you’d want to be on wides all the time because you’ve got all these beautiful landscapes, but that wasn’t the intention. The intention was to be tight and with the characters.” McLaughlin says he also added a rare Canon 150 – 600 mm lens to his kit “for the sheer size of the focal length,” which he needed to compress the gigantic landscapes. “We could shoot these beautiful rolling hills on a long lens and it would juxtapose with the close-ups in the intimate sections,” he says. “Also we would shoot on a 600 mm lens and compress
Top: Cinematographer Mike McLaughlin with the big lens in the badlands. Bottom: Jon Macleod (Assistant Camera – Left) and Mike McLaughlin (Cinematographer – Right) prepare for a car mount shot.Previous page: The prairie beauty on full display in a scene captured at sunset. Canadian Cinematographer - February 2015 •
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The crew during a shoot in a jail cell: Director Kyle Thomas, AC Jon MacLeod, DP Mike McLaughlin and actor Kris Demeanor.
these images, and the highways and cars and telephone wires would almost look like they were toys.” The cinematographer was inspired to shoot this way when he first glimpsed the roughly 2 km-wide valley. “When you’re in the valley it feels like you’re in the mountains, and then you drive up the hill and as soon as you get to the top it’s completely prairie again. I thought, ‘This is crazy. It would be awesome to be on one side and be able to get both the prairie at the top and the small town in the bottom of the frame,’” he says. The Canon 150 – 600 mm lens belonged to Edmonton documentarian Albert Karvonen, who used it for wildlife photography and documentaries for many years before donating it to the Edmonton-based film co-op FAVA. “I wouldn’t have been able to afford such a beautiful piece of glass otherwise,” McLaughlin says. His lighting package he kept lean, using nothing larger than a few HMIs. “A lot of the time we would use available light and just have an 8x8 with black solids and various bounces,” the cinematographer says. “We also used a few ARRI L7-Cs, which are LED Fresnels. What’s awesome about these lights is they act like Fresnels lenses, but they’re LEDs, so on the lamp I could adjust the colour temperature and the hue; I could add green or magenta into it. So for me that was so much faster than setting up different lights or getting gels, I could just adjust things on the fly.” It also helped that the crew was judicious in selecting interior locations during pre-production. “We picked locations that have at least some sort of practical lighting to begin with so that I didn’t have to add anything,” McLaughlin says. “For example, we shot a scene in a bowling alley that had these
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amazing green spikes coming from these old florescent ballasts in the ceiling. I didn’t want to turn them all off and then add my own lights, so we just skirted them with black fabric and controlled it and let this kind of shady bowling alley look just represent itself.” Meanwhile, the soft white light that permeates much of the film, including the exteriors, was created by McLaughlin putting 800 watt jokers through a couple of layers of 250 diffusion frame, “inching it back and letting it bloom out,” he says. “I would also ND down to make the T-stop be something around a 2 so that focus is quite shallow and highlights bloom out.” The prairie beauty is on its fullest display in a scene in which the teenage girl and her boyfriend go camping at sundown, a final fling before their lives diverge. The young couple pitch their tent at the top of a hill and are engulfed by a landscape that is bathed in a soft, clean, sparkling light. “That’s just a classic magic hour shot. I didn’t add any light, I didn’t even bounce light. I just let it be,” McLaughlin says. “That was fun because when shooting in Alberta at that time of year – late August – the sunlight is unbelievable, one of a kind, and it falls fast so you have to be quick. Once we set up and I was shooting into the flares, Kyle fell in love with that. And that scene is supposed to be warm; they’re going camping before they go to university. So I tried to keep highlights lit in the frame with the sun as much as possible.” And that’s what is special about shooting in Alberta, McLaughlin offers. “The light in that province is a bit different. There’s just something about it,” he says.” It certainly lends itself to this film.”
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HEAVYWEIGHT CINEMATOGRAPHERS Expand Our Minds
Expanded Cinematography Master Class TM
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Words and photos by KARL HERRMANN csc
vents don’t happen by themselves, they happen because a group of dedicated folks band together for the benefit of others. Those who stepped up recently to bring the Global Cinematography Institute to Vancouver for “Expanded Cinematography” include Capilano University, Clairmont Camera, the CSC, Lorne Lapham Rentals, William F. White, and IATSE 669. Louise Baker-Griffiths, training coordinator for IA 669, spearheaded the well-received three-day event, held from November 14 to 16, 2014. The Global Cinematography Institute was founded by Yuri Neyman asc and Oscar winner Vilmos Zsigmond asc. They offer advanced courses taught by industry experts. Two instructors they brought along included DIT/colourist Jason Knutzen and David Stump asc, chair of technical committees for the ASC, SMPTE and other industry organizations. Stump is also the author of the recently released Digital Cinematography book, published by Focal Press. It’s affordable, available and belongs on every cinematographer’s bookshelf. Day one started out at Clairmont Camera with introductions all around by IA 669 president Brian Whittred csc, then immediately jumped into a discussion of image evaluation and colorization by Jason Knutzen. A more in-depth session was to follow, but the emphasis was on getting your dailies to look good right from the start. Once “dailies love” sets in, it’s very difficult to change the visual impression in people’s minds. Stump, arguably one of the most tech savvy cinematographers out there, picked up the puck from here on a breakaway.
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He quickly set up a camera evaluation demo with the ARRI ALEXA and RED DRAGON. Since a standard reflective gray scale can’t record more than approximately seven stops, Stump used two gray scales, side by side and independently lit, to allow a 15-stop range that was visible to both cameras. Taking the manufacturers’ stated sensitivity ratings as a starting point, exposure ratings varying by four stops were created for later analysis in the colour timing demonstration. Of course, everyone’s looking for a silver bullet, so here it is. Each of these specific cameras fairly matched their stated basic ISO of 800 in this test. Although not the only thing we were after in our evaluation, both cameras also showed a dynamic range in excess of 12 stops. Careful evaluation at a subsequent session showed how grain (read: noise!) presented itself on both cameras and which specific channels could be culprits. Stump was careful to point out that each camera, even by the same manufacturer, needs to be tested and evaluated. Stump also got into a discussion on MTF (Modulation Transfer Function), both for lenses and the entire workflow. Bayer patterns, low pass filtration, IR contamination/consideration and a fundamental discussion of colour space were also presented. For those somewhat technically challenged, Stump presented his material in an open discussion format that made it a safe environment to ask questions. Numerous times the questions would take us “into the weeds,” Stump was fond of saying, but his vast knowledge would answer the question and bring us back on subject again.
Day two could easily have been the highlight for many attendees. How often do you get to sit in a room with a multiple award-winning cinematographer and watch him light a scene? Short answer: not often. On top of that, how often do you get to offer suggestions to his lighting? Suffice it to say, almost never. The Bosa Centre for Film and Animation at Capilano University hosted this session of the workshop. The set, lighting and camera equipment was all provided thanks to Bosa Centre director Bill Thumm. Zsigmond entertained the crowd with a humorous spirit while gliding through the initial late afternoon lighting setup. He stressed the importance of studying painters and photographers so you understand light and how it works. “Make it look real so you’re not aware of the technique,” he stressed. “Movies must be lit, even at 800 ASA.” He also made particular note of his preference for hard light due to the precise control it affords. Attendees viewing large monitors were encouraged to give input on the lighting as it progressed. When asked if he relied a lot on postproduction for the look of his lighting, there was a long pause, before he offered: “I like to light it right on set. I don’t believe it should be done in post.” That being said, Zsigmond agreed that final adjustments in post were necessary and was adamant that the cinematographer must be involved in the DI process. He added
that he felt it was the union’s job to assure cinematographers were part of – and paid for – participation in the final colour grading. For a night look, Zsigmond had some lit candles added to the set. There was a comparison demonstration of how the scene would look simply by shifting the colour balance on the ALEXA to a cooler moonlight look versus actually adding blue gels to the moonlight with only a minor colour temperature adjustment on the camera. Additional small units were added selectively to enhance the glow of the candles and to again demonstrate the control Zsigmond had with hard light. “Truth is, I light all my films like film noir. I like shadows. Lights are shadow makers,” Zsigmond explained. “I light all my movies like black and white.” To demonstrate, he had all the colour drained from the image feeding the monitors. Clearly, this scene would have looked equally stunning in black and white. Jan Kiesser csc, asc, who operated for Zsigmond on several movies, operated the camera while Danny Nowak csc was not only one of the actors, but also the first AD! Footage was recorded for use in the upcoming session on colour correction. A lively panel discussion followed the lighting demonstration. Stephen McNutt csc, asc, and Jan Kiesser csc, asc, were added to the guests from down south. The discussion
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Louise Baker-Griffiths (training director, IATSE 669), David Stump asc, Yuri
Neyman asc, Vilmos Zsigmond asc, Jan Kiesser csc, asc
and Stephen McNutt csc, asc. Attendees of the Expanded Cinematography Master Class watch as Oscar winner Vilmos Zsigmond asc instructs, with Danny Nowak csc serving as one of the actors and first AD. Vilmos Zsigmond asc (right) during the Expanded Cinematography Master Class, with Danny Nowak csc as actor and first AD. Previous page: Jason Knutzen, Yuri Neiman asc, Vilmos Zsigmond asc and David Stump asc.
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highlighted control of the image by the cinematographer. Stump made a plea encouraging all cinematographers to get to know their equipment inside and out “so they can’t speak down to us.” McNutt echoed, suggesting that we become “partners with our colourist.” Zsigmond and Stump suggested getting some continuity with those you’re working with in post and build a trust with them. “Communicate your point of view while understanding theirs. You must be artist, technologist and businessman. Recognize that they have a budget.” The conversation moved onto continued learning and expanding your knowledge base. Stump refers to the last 10 years as “the dark days of digital. The sensors and technology were evolving while we were in the process of using it,” he says. McNutt suggested that today’s cinematographer must know how to physically light, in the traditional sense, and also have a grasp of lighting with “zeros and ones,” adding, “Each LUT is like its own film stock, learn to light and shoot to it. Get involved with post tools, they allow you to move faster on set.” All the cinematographers on the panel preferred to work in collaboration with a DIT. Some felt the position enabled a smooth flow of material from production to post, while others felt the DIT was a true creative partner in the image making process. The DIT was also referred to as an “insurance policy,” “another set of eyes” and, adamantly, “a member of my team, part of my toolkit.” Yuri Neyman ASC gave a PowerPoint presentation on composition and the history of the cinematic image with terrific examples of how one art borrows from, and is inspired by, another art. One can study the Impressionists to understand soft light or the Dutch masters to understand the power of shadows. Some styles are technology driven – lightweight cameras, high ISO ratings – while others are defined by the lack of technology, like the French New Wave. In the end, if you thought you were done learning when you left university, you better think again. The day came to a close with Stump presenting material on high frame rates. Having worked with Doug Trumbull and his Showscan system – 65mm film shot at 60 fps – Stump is uniquely qualified to speak on the subject. He then transitioned into the work he’s been involved with for SMPTE, the ASC and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on creating a homogenous workflow that would include all cameras and all output devices. It’s the future and it’s coming to you shortly. It’s called ACES – Academy Color Encoding System. What’s all the hype about? Consider this: it will be capable of a dynamic range of approximately 30 stops and a colour range larger than our human vision. Don’t blink now; we’ve all got more learning to do!
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TECH COLUMN Credit: Courtesy of NextVR
Digital Disruption Melds Perfect Storm of Price and Technology into a New Vision
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f one RED Dragon is cool how awesome would it be to chain-gang six 6K beasts together? It’s mind boggling, but here we have it: Six RED Dragons on a single rig set up with fisheyes to capture a whole new world of virtual reality. This is what happens when price, hardware, software and platforms converge in a perfect storm, and it really is going to change the way we look at games, entertainment and sports, according to DJ Roller, co-founder of the Californiabased company, NextVR, which rolled out its latest demo last September at IBC in Amsterdam. For the last year, NextVR has been inundated with meetings and showing off their nascent technology and creating a buzz. There’s a lot of talk over creating content for the technology and how it might change the nature of storytelling, but so far it’s about understanding just what it can do and how it can be blended in with existing technologies. The Virtual Reality Digital Cinema Camera System, as the rig is named, supports the recording and live streaming of immersive, ultra-high-definition, stereoscopic content at 60fps and includes spatial audio capture. It captures images on a 360-degree panorama in 3D and delivers those pixels to a single viewer wearing a VR headset. It works and is still in its infancy as far as creating content goes because it changes all the rules about the smoke and mirrors of the set. What’s behind the camera now is as important as what is in front, beside it or over it, though as Roller notes, most sets are designed with a Computer Aided Design (CAD) program, so it’s a fairly simple matter to CGI in the fourth
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wall and ceiling in postproduction. Even actors will have to learn to adapt their craft and incorporate a different level of camera awareness, while lighting will also have to be much more encompassing. Scripts, too, may change as the nature of the medium changes how we tell and present stories. Still, it will also trigger other changes: The director and the DP don’t have total control of the frame anymore, it’s been usurped by the audience which can select what’s in the frame merely by tilting, turning or cocking their head. This isn’t just technology for technology’s sake here. Samsung is already shipping a VR headset retailing at US$199, powered by its Galaxy Note 4. It, however, is expected to pale in comparison to the Oculus Rift headset which will run on a 1080p OLED display with 960 by 1080 resolution in each eye with anti-blur technology baked in. Games will clearly be the first content to leverage the VR technology to create immersive experiences for those RPGs. “VR is the holy grail for gaming,” Roller says. “And so it has to be real to be totally immersive.” Launch is said to be 2015, and while that could change, there are some big bets on the table. Facebook paid $400 million cash plus $1.6 billion in Facebook stock for Oculus last year because it sees VR as the next big social media platform. Roller is a DP in his own right, as well as a producer, having worked on several underwater documentaries –including Great White Shark and the Last Reef 3D – and shot for TV shows such as National Geographic Explorer over the last 15 or so years. This, he says, changes everything, from how movies are made
to how we consume them. “The former CTO of Time Warner tried a headset and afterwards, said, ‘Now I know how those radio guys felt when they saw TV for the first time,’” Roller says, adding that he sees NextVR as a technology company and content channel. “We’re not a camera company. We’re a technology company with content, more like Netflix or iTunes.” NextVR holds 17 patents either granted and pending for capture, compression, transmission and display of virtual reality content and says its compression and transmission standard will allow streaming over average home Internet and mobile connections at about 4 to 6 Mbps. Viewers will be able to choose from a library of content ranging from sports, games, documentaries and features. “When a kid comes home from school they might say we saw a movie about Everest, but with VR they’ll say they stood on the summit of Everest,” Roller says. “You can’t describe it. It’s beyond even IMAX. It really does take you somewhere else.” The world is shrinking by the second as VR develops, he says. One minute you can be standing on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the next in a shark cage encountering a great white. Ultimately, it might even disrupt the theatre experience, but Roller insists exhibitors will simply adjust. “I love going to the cinema and I go for all kinds of movies and places,” he says. “I think watching a movie will still be a social thing we share with people we know. Just like going to a sports event.” 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.
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So many! Gregg Toland asc, Sven Nykvist, Vittorio Storaro asc, aic, and recently, Peter Suschitzky asc for Immortal Beloved and Peter Pau for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I was also awed by Frank Tidy’s work on The Duellists. NAME SOME OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS.
Credit: Sissy Federer
CSC MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
WHAT CINEMATOGRAPHERS INSPIRE YOU?
Henry Less csc WHAT FILMS OR OTHER WORKS OF ART HAVE MADE THE BIGGEST IMPRESSION ON YOU?
Cries and Whispers – every frame is a painting. Citizen Kane – I’d never before seen such provocative angles and such lighting bravado. Michelangelo’s David – the perfect human. HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN THE BUSINESS?
I became more interested in photography than my other classes while studying architecture in Winnipeg, and on an impromptu trip to Miami I met and apprenticed for a master photographer who owned his own colour lab. He taught me the technical aspects of photography and film and I began shooting stills and 16 mm footage. After many stills contracts, including a Newsweek cover, I landed some commercials from my stills clients that I wrote, shot, directed and edited. After that I volunteered to shoot anything that was offered to me and soon built a reel. WHO HAVE BEEN YOUR MENTORS OR TEACHERS?
Lou Buzone, a Miami photographer, taught me the technical aspects of photography. Then I was hired to AC for Victor Lukens, a genius designer and filmmaker from New York. Victor was creatively fearless and broke all the rules. He operated and would often walk away from the camera, never cutting or locking the tilt, leaving me to grapple for it as the 35 mm film was blowing through the gate. His rushes were typically all over the map but the moments he captured were soul-stirring. Even his reel from the early 1970s was stunning. He moved in with me and took me under his large wing and taught me about capturing “the moment” and to not be encumbered by technology.
26 • Canadian Cinematographer - February 2015
Shooting title sequences for Shaftesbury Films – Regenesis and Murdoch Mysteries – were very inspiring. Creating a distinct look for Exhibit A: The Secrets of Forensic Science was a challenge since budgets were too small to allow stunts or pyro, which meant hiding a lot of imperfections. I recommended using a slow shutter, which 17 years ago was only available on a Prosumer MiniDV camera. I shot and directed the first episode using DBeta and MiniDV, which we presented to Discovery who ultimately chose the sexier MiniDV version. I was also thrilled to shoot the first HDCam feature shot at CBC, Scar Tissue. And last but not least, I got to shoot 20 spillover days on Defiance with Michael Nanking, a director who likes to take chances. WHAT IS ONE OF YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS ON SET?
Filming at a depth of 80’ under 3’ of ice in Iqaluit on David Suzuki’s Sacred Balance. I was claustrophobic and scared beyond belief in the dry suit. And shooting on the bobsled in Calgary’s Olympic Park. WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?
Travel. The incredible freedom of run-and-gun shooting where a shallow depth of field is the only way to get great results when you have no control over backgrounds, wardrobe, etc. At the other end of the spectrum, I love creating scenes from scratch in a studio, painting with light and designing complex shots. WHAT DO YOU LIKE LEAST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?
The need for run-and-gun on much of factual TV where you have no control over any of the elements. WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS BEEN THE GREATEST INVENTION (RELATED TO YOUR CRAFT)?
The HMI (daylight balanced) light. The worst invention was video assist for film cameras. HOW CAN OTHERS FOLLOW YOUR WORK?
We have a large multi-cam food series starting in September on FNC which promises to be a fun challenge. SELECTED CREDITS: From Spain with Love, I Prophesy, Scar Tissue, Made To Order
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.
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
EQUIPMENT FOR SALE
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
FOR SALE : Preston FI+Z (RF) remote follow focus package. Includes: MDR1, 2X DM1 motors(Jerry Hill style), Microforce zoom control, Iris controller, hand unit, speed booster (12v-24v)+ fast charger. Panavison, RED, Arri power cables/run cables. + brackets/ various lens gears/marking discs. ASKING $9,000 for more info and a detailed spec list please contact: Greg Biskup (647) 405-8644, greg@ biskupcine.com
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 1Tamron 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
DEDO KIT FOR SALE 3 X 24 Volt, 150 watt heads Multi voltage input Power supply with North American and European power cords 3 – 3 pin supply cables 3 – 3 pin extension cords 3 – light stands 1 – light stand extension Contained in a rugged Pelican 1600 case. All in full working order. Selling for $2500 or best offer. This kit new sells for $3500. If you’ve worked with these lamps you know what they can do- nothing like ‘em. The kit is owned by a retired documentary DP based in Vancouver and photos of the kit are available. Please contact me if you’d like to purchase or for more information and I’ll put you in touch. Ian Kerr csc tel 604 307 4198
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.
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.
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
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 - January 2015 •
27
CLASSIFIEDS
EQUIPMENT WANTED
CSC Member Production Notes 30 vies V (series); DP Marc Gadoury csc; to March 27, Montreal Arrow III (series); DP Gordon Verheul csc (odd); to April 20, Vancouver Bates Motel III (series); DP John Bartley csc, asc; to February 26, Vancouver Beauty and the Beast III (series); DP David Makin csc and Michael Story csc (alternating episodes); Data Management Technician Marc Forand; to February 6, Toronto Dark Matter (series); B camera 1st assistant Marcel Janisse; to May 15, Toronto The Drop (series); DP Mitchell Ness csc; to March 20, Toronto The Expanse (series); DP Jeremy Benning csc; to March 4, Toronto Fargo II (series); DP Craig Wrobleski csc; to May 20, Calgary Flash (series); DP C. Kim Miles csc (odd); to April 10, Vancouver The Good Witch (series); John Berrie csc; B Camera Operator Paula Tymchuk; to February 26, Toronto Lise watier, une vie à entreprendre (documentary); DP Serge Desrosiers csc, Montreal Lizzie Borden Chronicles (series); DP François Dagenais csc; Halifax Marilyn (mini-series); Camera Operator/Steadicam Keith Murphy; B Camera Operator Peter Sweeney; B Camera 1st Assistant Kevin Michael Leblanc; to February 6, Toronto Pinkertons (series); DP Thom Best csc; to March 16, Winnipeg Proof (series); DP Bernard Couture csc; to April 27, Vancouver Reign II (series); B Operator/Steadicam Andris Matiss; to April 13, Toronto The Strain II (series); DP Colin Hoult csc (alternating episodes); B Camera Operator J.P. Locherer csc; to April 29, Toronto Supernatural X (series); DP Serge Ladouceur csc; Camera Operator Brad Creasser; to April 21, Burnaby When Calls the Heart II (series); DP Michael Balfry csc; to March 5, Burnaby Supernatural X (series); DP Serge Ladouceur csc; Camera Operator Brad Creasser; to April 21, Burnaby When Calls the Heart II (series); DP Michael Balfry csc; to March 5, Burnaby
Calendar of Events FEBRUARY 2, CSC Annual General Meeting, Toronto, csc.ca 3, February Freeze, William F. White Centre, Toronto 15, ASC Awards, Los Angeles, theasc.com 6-15, Victoria Film Festival, Victoria, BC, victoriafilmfestival.com 18-19, ACTRA Conference, Toronto, actra.ca 19-28, Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois, Montreal, rvcq.com 21-22, CSC Assistant Camera Workshop, Toronto, csc.ca 26, CSC Lens Testing Module Workshop, Toronto, csc.ca 26-March 1, Kingston Canadian Film Festival, Kingston, ON, kingcanfilmfest.com 28, CSC Lighting Faces Workshop, Toronto, csc.ca
President from page 2 The teaching, training and mentorship that is so necessary and such an important part of our trade, tends to be overshadowed by the ability to go online and check out the latest fads. As a cinematographer, I find this distressing because it undermines the art of cinematography and our craft in favour of technology and gimmicks. Cinematography in unskilled hands is producing a lot of mediocre and sub-standard work. There is nothing wrong in keeping up with the latest trends
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www.csc.ca Connect on-line with the CSC 28 • Canadian Cinematographer - February 2015
MARCH 19-29, International Film Festival on Art, Montreal, artfifa.com 28, CSC Awards, Arcadian Court, 401 Bay St, Simpsons Tower, Toronto, csc.ca APRIL 10-19, Cinéfranco, Toronto, cinefranco.com 11, CSC Camera Module Workshop – RED EPIC & DRAGON – for ACs, Toronto, csc.ca 12, CSC Camera Module Workshop – RED EPIC & DRAGON – for DPs, Toronto, csc.ca 18-19, CSC Lighting Workshop, Toronto, csc.ca 23-May 5, Hot Docs, Toronto, hotdocs.ca
and technologies, but it is important to remember that these things are just tools and not in itself the end result. It is also important to constantly remind ourselves that the image should always be the driving force and the reason for pursuing excellence in our chosen field within the industry – cinematography. As directors of photography, we all have a duty to uphold and preserve the traditions, principals and standards that are the foundations of our profession.
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
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