CANADIAN SOCIETY OF CINEMATOGRAPHERS
$4 November 2019 www.csc.ca
KILLER DOLL
BRENDAN UEGAMA csc retools
Child's Play Lighting by Colour: Jeremy Benning csc & Evans Brown Lighting My Story: John M. Lyden
A publication of the Canadian Society of Cinematographers
FEATURES – VOLUME 11, NO. 6 NOVEMBER 2019 Fostering cinematography in Canada since 1957. The Canadian Society of Cinematographers was founded by a group of Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa cameramen. Since then over 800 cinematographers and persons in associated occupations have joined the organization. The CSC provides 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.
AC Lighting Inc. All Axis Remote Camera Systems Applied Electronics Limited Arri Canada Ltd. Canon Canada Inc. Cinetx Inc. Codes Pro Media Cooke Optics Dazmo Camera Deluxe Toronto DMG Lumière FUJIFILM, North America Corporation FUJIFILM, Optical Devices Division Fusion Cine Henry’s Camera HD Source Image Group Canada Ltd. Keslow Camera Kino Flo Lee Filters Mole-Richardson MOSS LED Inc. Nikon Canada Inc. PRG Panasonic Canada Panavision Canada Quasar Science REDLABdigital RED Red Square Motion Rosco Canada S1 Group SHAPE Sigma SIM SIMMOD LENS Sony of Canada Ltd. Technically Yours Inc. Technicolor The Source Shop Urban Post Production Vistek Walter Klassen FX William F. White International Inc. Zeiss ZGC Inc. ZTV
By Trevor Hogg, Special to Canadian Cinematographer
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Credit: Tanner Coon
CORPORATE SPONSORS
Killer Doll: Brendan Uegama csc Retools Child’s Play
Lighting the Story: My Journey By John M. Lyden
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Credit: Carlos Esteves csc
The CSC is a not-for-profit organization run by volunteer board members of the society. Thank you to our sponsors for their continued support.
Credit: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
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.
Lighting by Colour
COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 2 4 6 10 20 30 32
From the Editor-In-Chief From the President In the News CSC Member Spotlight – Karim Hussain csc In Conversation with Zoe Dirse csc Tech Column Production Notes/Calendar
Cover Chucky Courtesy of Orion Pictures
Canadian Cinematographer November 2019 Vol. 11, No. 6 EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joan Hutton csc EDITOR EMERITUS Donald Angus EXECUTIVE OFFICER Susan Saranchuk, susans@csc.ca EDITOR Fanen Chiahemen, editor@csc.ca COPY EDITOR Patty Guyader PHOTO EDITOR Janek Lowe ART DIRECTION Berkeley Stat House WEBSITE www.csc.ca ADVERTISING SALES Guido Kondruss, gkondruss@rogers.com CSC BOARD OF DIRECTORS Serge Desrosiers csc Zoe Dirse csc Phil Earnshaw csc Carlos Esteves csc Joan Hutton csc Bruno Philip csc Joe Sunday PhD George Willis csc, sasc CSC EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT George Willis csc, sasc PAST PRESIDENT, ADVISOR Joan Hutton csc VICE PRESIDENTS Carlos Esteves csc Bruno Philip csc MEMBERSHIP CHAIRS Arthur Cooper csc Zoe Dirse csc EDUCATION CHAIRS Carlos Esteves csc George Willis csc, sasc AWARDS CHAIR Arthur Cooper csc DIGITAL PORTALS Carolyn Wong (Content Manager) RELATIONSHIPS Gaston Bernier OFFICE / MEMBERSHIP / SUBSCRIPTIONS 131–3085 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.
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FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joan Hutton csc
I
t’s our industry’s dirty little secret. Films and television series that are made on the backs of production crews labouring through overly long workdays that reach into the realm of dangerous and life threatening.
We’ve put a stop to the mistreatment and abuse of animals in moviemaking,
which was abhorrent to begin with. The METOO movement quite rightly has put sexual assault, misogyny and bullying on the set into the glare of klieg lights for all to see, to be dealt with and rectified. These two changes have bettered our industry and us as human beings. But for some reason, allowing production crews to work 12, 14, 16, 20 hours a day for days on end remains acceptable. Besides those directly involved on sets, does anyone even bother asking or even care about the working conditions behind the glamour on the screen? This subject is usually dead air until there is a heinous accident involving excessively long working hours, then it garners a modicum of attention. I believe that part of the problem is that excessively long working days are officially sanctioned in some cases. In Ontario, it’s on the books that the standard workday for crews on a film set is 14 hours with extenuating circumstance provisos allowing producers to extend the day even longer. Even without the OT, that’s a 70-hour work week! Shame on our government for allowing this. IMAGO, an international umbrella organization for cinematography societies around the world of which Canada is a member, is attempting to cap film set working hours in Europe. It’s petitioned the European Union to recognize a sane 10-hour workday, and consequently a 50-hour work week, as their legal standard for film crews. Whether IMAGO will be successful is anyone’s guess, but at least they are taking a stand, and I commend them. We desperately need a similar North America-wide initiative for our industry to make gonzo working hours for crews not only illegal but socially unacceptable to the point where a public backlash would keep people away from the box office, TV or whatever the platform. This may seem fantastical, but I do not believe it to be improbable. We need to do something before another decade or two slips by with no change. Lives really are at stake.
Canadian Cinematographer - November 2019 •
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FROM THE PRESIDENT George A. Willis csc, sasc
W
hen teaching cinematography to my students, the path that I take is to specifically discuss the merits of what I refer to as “getting back to basics.” I believe that this is a reasonable approach in circumventing the confusion that might initially result from too many camera options. For this initial path of creative exploration, it might be better to delay the choice of camera, lenses, support equipment, as well as the many items associated with assembling a package until the basics are better understood. These basics that I refer to are of course the three requirements necessary to produce an image – shutter speed, aperture and ISO. Understanding these is mandatory in order to capture images that fulfill the needs of successful visual interpretation. But there is an additional important requirement to add to the above and that is how one frames the image. The single most important aspect of creating visuals is to initially concentrate on an idea and imagine the frame. We have seen how directors and cinematographers use their fingers to create two “L” shapes (one inverted) and in turn use the technique to create a “frame,” which they need to plan or evaluate an intended composition. That is the first important step in understanding the process of creativity, for once the idea has been visually defined, it is somewhat easier to move beyond the peripheral visual clutter. As an example, if we sit in a movie theatre, we concentrate solely on the images projected on the screen (the frame), or in a live performance, such as an opera with a proscenium, that vertical plane of space that serves as the frame that the audience observes as the story unfolds. One can further explore the subject of framing by observ-
CSC Annual General Meeting
ing many of the older, classic black-and-white movies where much like the theatre stages, actors moved within the space. This is not to suggest that the sophisticated use of a camera is negated. On the contrary, that technology allows for the next stage of the exercise, that of capturing the images that have been created by using our imagination. In a recent column, I made mention of words that are important in the cinematographer’s vocabulary. “Imagination” ranks very highly, followed closely by “vision” or “visualization.” In fact, the new CSC Envisionist Award was unveiled at the Society’s Awards Gala held earlier this year. The question might be asked why the word “visualization” is so important. The answer is fairly simple because it is directly linked to one’s imagination. In our CSC Lighting Workshops, we ask participants to rely heavily on these words as they begin to plan a story for their lighting exercises. A typical example would be to choose an area within the lighting workshop space, and then, using their imagination and lighting skills, create a visual interpretation of their thoughts. It is often surprising what they are able to achieve because they have to use whatever is immediately available to them to address their creative endeavours, which most often is very little. As we consider these fundamental basics of creativity, all we need to do is learn from watching children play. Because of their uncluttered minds, their creativity results in ideas based on nothing more than imagination. And so, as we utilize these basics to define our thinking, the only thing left to do is to tell the story by using the frame.
Monday, December 9, 2019 at 6:30 pm Technicolor Toronto. Boardroom No. 1 49 Ontario Street
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Following the meeting we will have a light dinner and refreshments, courtesy of the good folks at Technicolor. Great opportunity to meet and chat with your fellow cinematographers! Hope to see you there, CSC member!
VANCOUVER CALGARY WINNIPEG SUDBURY TORONTO HALIFAX
In The News ects to international markets and help generate significant economic benefits at home by creating jobs and fostering social prosperity. Creative Export Canada is for Canadian organizations ready to export a project that showcases creative content. Its mission is to make Canada’s creative industries more profitable.
The new ASC ARRI Educational Center.
American Society of Cinematographers Opens New ARRI Educational Center In late September, the American Society of Cinematographers completed construction of its new ASC ARRI Educational Center. Located behind the historic ASC Clubhouse in Hollywood, the building now serves as a hub for the organization’s ongoing efforts to educate the next generation of filmmakers on the art and craft of cinematography. The new 5,000-square-foot space consists of offices, a large meeting room, and is made possible through the support of ARRI. The centre also houses an archive of historic American Cinematographer magazines. The official opening of the new structure coincides with the ASC’s celebration of its 100th anniversary with members and sponsors. (More to come in the December issue).
Raj Jawanda Joins Whites as National Director, Rental Maintenance William F. White recently announced that Raj Jawanda has been appointed to the full-time position of national
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Credit: Courtesy of the ASC
DGC Launches Recruitment Drive for Documentary Filmmakers
director, rental maintenance. Reporting directly to Garin Josey, executive vice president/chief operating officer, Jawanda will nationally oversee all rental, electrical and maintenance departments, while coordinating with regional general managers on overall operations and department priorities. Jawanda brings more than 20 years of directly related experience to this role. Prior to joining William F. White, he led a project engineering team as technical services manager at APEX Aluminum Extrusions and performed product electrical safety certifications at QAI Laboratories (Quality Assurance Institute).
Minister Rodriguez Announces New Funding Through Creative Export Canada Program In early September, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism Pablo Rodriguez announced new Creative Export Canada funding for 22 different organizations. The projects, which include those that have received funding under both the first and second intake rounds, will share a total of $8.3 million in funding. This funding will support these organizations in exporting their artistic proj-
The Directors Guild of Canada in early September launched a recruitment campaign to bolster its membership among documentary filmmakers. The campaign includes sponsorships at film festivals across the country this fall. Canadian documentary filmmakers have enjoyed global success, but their communities have long been unrepresented or underrepresented in industry circles. This campaign will recruit documentary filmmakers, highlight the commercial and artistic value of their work and give them a stronger voice in policy making. As part of this initiative, the DGC will be waiving its initiation fee and offering 50 per cent off annual dues through 2020. This totals up to $3,500 in savings. DGC members will also gain access to the DGC Benefits health plan, preferred rates on production insurance, as well as the guild’s low management fee group RRSP.
CBS Launches TorontoArea Production Studio U.S. network CBS in late September officially opened its planned production hub in the Greater Toronto Area. CBS Stages Canada, the 260,000-square-foot Mississauga facility, includes six sound stages, production offices, support facilities and other services for film and television projects. The network, which announced the facility last year, estimates that the hub will generate around $200 million in yearly production expenditures and an average of 300 jobs daily when all six sound stages are filled.
Martini Film Studios Plans Canada’s Largest Complex with 600,000-SquareFoot Expansion In early September, Martini Film Studios announced a new studio development in Langley, B.C. The studio complex, which will be Canada’s largest, according to Global Construction Review, will triple the production capacity of Martini Film Studios and increase film stock in the region by up to 15 per cent. The 250,000-square-foot facility launched two years ago and plans to add 600,000 square feet of purpose-built sound stages, offices and production support buildings over more than 25 acres, with half the space dedicated to sound stages. Martini’s current projects include Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Another Life and Snowpiercer.
The AFC Welcomes New Leadership The AFC, the lifeline for Canada’s entertainment industry, in late September announced the election of Board Member Deborah Bernstein as President of the Board, Board Member Adrian MacDonald as Vice-President, and the appointment of new members Ryan Goldhar, Alan Goluboff, and Hari Krishnan. Gerard Roxburgh will remain a member of The AFC Board as Past President, and Barbara Gordon joins the Executive Committee as Secretary.
From Our Sponsors William F. White Unveils MovieQuiet Eco Series William F. White recently introduced the MovieQuiet ECO series, a product line designed to provide clean, reliable, quiet and renewable power to set. The series are available in two models; the 6kWhr and the 26kWhr. Both come outfitted with hospital-grade receptacles, a hospital-grade twist lock, four USB charge ports and charging input connector. The 26kWhr also includes a Joy Connector output and can be utilized in conjunction with multiple trailer options available upon request.
RED Adds HELIUM and GEMINI Sensor Options to RANGER RED announced recently that its HELIUM 8K S35 and GEMINI 5K S35 sensors will be incorporated into the RED RANGER camera ecosystem. The RANGER HELIUM 8K S35 and RANGER GEMINI 5K S35 are available now via RED’s global network of resellers, participating rental houses, and directly through RED. All three sensor variants of the RED RANGER camera system include the same benefits of the compact, standardized camera body, weighing around 7.5 pounds. The Courtesy of RED RED RANGER camera system consists of three SDI outputs (two mirrored and one independent) allowing two different looks to be output simultaneously; wide-input voltage (11.5V to 32V); 24V and 12V power outs (two of each); one 12V P-Tap; integrated 5-pin XLR stereo audio input (line/mic/+48V selectable); as well as genlock, timecode, USB, and control. Both V-Lock and Gold Mount battery options are supported. The RANGER can simultaneously record REDCODE RAW plus Apple ProRes or AVID DNxHD or DNxHR at up to 300 MB/s write speeds. It also features RED’s end-to-end colour management and post workflow with the enhanced image processing pipeline (IPP2). More information is available at red.com/red-ranger or at your local RED Authorized Dealer.
ARRI Introduces Ultra-Bright LED Orbiter ARRI in September introduced Orbiter, a new ultrabright, tunable and directional LED fixture.Orbiter’s new six-colour light engine delivers a wide-colour gamut and colour rendition across all colour temperatures, along with smooth dimming from 100 to 0%. With its changeable optics, Orbiter can transform into many different types of lamp heads, including projection, open face, and soft light. Additional features include a fast processor, ample memory, expanded connectivity, a built-in array of sensors, and weatherproof housing. More information is available at: arri.com/orbiter. Courtesy of ARRI
ACCEPTANCES / AWARDS / NOMINATIONS David Bercovici-Artieda, associate member (producer/ director and co-editor) BOULEVARD (short), winner: Gold Remi, 2019 Houston World Film Festival; Official Selection: 2019 Miami Independent Film Festival; 2019 New York Shorts Independent Film Festival; 2019 HOLLYSHORTS Film Festival; 2019 Vancouver Latin American Film Festival
Michael Jari Davidson, associate member (cinematographer) Into Water (short), accepted: imagineNATIVE Originals, 20th annual imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival, Toronto, October 22-27, 2019 Karim Hussain csc (director of photography) Please Speak Continuously and Describe Your Experiences as They Come to You (short), accepted: Cannes Film
Festival - Critic’s Week (May 2019); New York Film Festival (October 2019); London Frightfest (September 2019); Random Acts of Violence (feature), accepted: Fantastic Fest - Austin, TX USA (Sept 2019) Morgana McKenzie, associate member (cinematographer and director) Wild (short film), winner: Best Cinematography, Toronto New Wave, Toronto, August 2019
Canadian Cinematographer - November 2019 •
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Credit: Mark Hanna
Credit: Luis Pinto
On Set
Associate member Othello Ubalde (right) on the set of Coffee Bikes with actor Andy Mill.
Credit: Craig Minielly
Credit: Luka Cyprian
DP Ahmad Al Morsy csc on set in Sofia, Bulgaria, filming his latest feature film Younes, starring Ahmed Ezz also pictured with him.
From left to right: 2nd AC Coenraad Been; dolly grip Michael Heaton; key grip Graham Harrington; gaffer John Heinekey; 1st AC Agatha Lee; DP Chris M. Oben (associate member); director Raul Inglis; and lead actor C. Thomas Howell during the production of Crimson Point in Vancouver.
Cinetx Kinefinity Demo
Habibi Film Rentals and Cinetx hosted a drop-in hands-on demo for the new Kinefinity MAVO LF large format Cinema Camera. Attendees had the opportunity to discuss the camera with people who have used it in the field and with a rep from Cinetx, the Canadian supplier for Kinefinity products.
photos: Marc De Acetis
September 18, 2019 Habibi Film Rentals, Toronto
Producer/director and co-editor David Bercovici-Artieda (associate member) with actor Carmen Aguirre (right) and script supervisor Kelly McLaughlin (left) on the set of the short film Boulevard.
From left to right: cinematographer Adam Gaudreault, cinematographer Giulio Cosmo Calisse, Barry Lank csc and cinematographer Zefred Ansaldo.
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Barry Lank csc, cinematographer Giulio Cosmo Calisse and Alex Fensham (HABIBI Film Rentals shop manager).
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CSC Member Spotlight Zulawski, both as a DP and operator, my favourite being some of the most jaw-dropping science fiction set pieces ever made in On the Silver Globe.
Karim Hussain csc What films or other works of art have made the biggest impression on you?
Easily the world of Italian horror movies has been a great inspiration and influence. Great Dario Argento movies like Suspiria, Opera, Tenebrae; the works of Mario Bava, such as Hatchet for the Honeymoon, Blood and Black Lace, Lisa and the Devil; all the great giallo movies and works of Lucio Fulci. I’m also greatly influenced by the work of Alejandro Jodorowsky in all disciplines but primarily his films The Holy Mountain and Santa Sangre; the great ‘70s and ‘80s horror and exploitation films, like the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, George Romero’s work, and also extreme and bold world cinema. How did you get started in the business?
I started by making underground horror and experimental movies, first on Super 8 film, then graduating to 16 mm. I never went to film school; I never even graduated high school. I got kicked out because I was making movies that the high school faculty were offended by, even if they were simply underground experimental movies, so I had to learn everything on my own. Basically I read a lot and then picked up a camera and learned from my mistakes. I met a great friend called Mitch Davis in Montreal at a genre film festival in the early
Credit: Ken Woroner
Name some of your professional highlights.
‘90s, and we embarked on my first 16 mm feature called Subconscious Cruelty when I was 19. It ultimately did very well in Japan and caused some noise on the genre film festival circuit, so that got me started. Who have been your mentors or teachers?
I learned by reading – certainly American Cinematographer was one of my multiple bibles. That and Fangoria magazine. I studied camera manuals meticulously and The Professional Cameraman’s Handbook. So my teachers were books and magazines and learning from failure. Of course, I’ve worked with many directors and producers who’ve helped me greatly along the way and to whom I am eternally grateful, but they are too many to mention and they know who they are. What cinematographers inspire you?
Mario Bava, one of the great Italian directors, started out as a cinematographer; his camera and lighting ideas inspire me to this day. I love Jack Cardiff ’s [BSC] early Technicolor films; Luciano Tovoli’s [ASC, AIC] work on Suspiria and Tenebrae; Ronnie Taylor’s [BSC] work on Opera. I’m a huge fan of Zbigniew Rybczynski’s amazing innovations on an Austrian movie from the ‘80s called Angst. Andrzej Jaroszewicz did some stunning work for the great Andrzej
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Probably going to the Sundance Film Festival with Jason Eisener’s Hobo with a Shotgun, then the year after that going to the Cannes Film Festival with Brandon Cronenberg’s Antiviral. I would have to say the recent shoot on Brandon Cronenberg’s upcoming Possessor, after four long years of start-and-stop development hell, was also an amazing highlight for me – the culmination of everything I’ve learned as a cinematographer, many new experiments, and one of the best scripts I have been gifted to work with. What is one of your most memorable moments on set?
On Hobo with a Shotgun, Rutger Hauer taught us many important lessons in terms of trick shooting certain stunts and action sequences that he learned from the best stunt coordinators and specialty camera people around the world. I’ll remember that wisdom and knowledge until the day I die.
What do you like best about what you do?
Honestly, everything. It is the best thing a person like me can ever possibly do, and even when it’s difficult it’s still exactly where I want to be. What do you like least about what you do?
Nothing. Every day on a movie set is a lucky day. Even the problems are good problems to have, and a privilege. What do you think has been the greatest invention (related to your craft)?
Probably the Steadicam. In terms of lighting, LED and all the amazing doors it opened, easily. How can others follow your work?
My website is karimhussaindp.com
The Society congratulates the following members on receiving full CSC accreditation
Credit: Khaled Zohny
FILM STUDENTS Are you graduating from a film or cinematography course and love the idea of becoming a professional cinematographer? JOIN OUR MENTOR PROGRAM
Credit: Ramona Diaconescu
Ahmad Al Morsy csc
Michael LeBlanc csc
Join the Canadian Society of Cinematographers as a STUDENT MEMBER
And we will enrol you in our MENTOR PROGRAM. Check us out on at www.csc.ca or call the office at 416-266-0591 for more information
Canadian Cinematographer - November 2019 •
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Killer Doll
Brendan Uegama csc retools
By Trevor Hogg, Special to Canadian Cinematographer Photo credits: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
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A
fter two direct-to-video releases, the Child’s Play franchise returns to the big screen with a self-titled installment directed by Lars Klevberg (Polaroid) and lensed by Brendan Uegama csc (Riverdale). “I’d seen the original Child’s Play when I was a kid a few times but not in many years,” Uegama states. “I watched it once during prep just as a refresher. I have so much respect for the original film. They did so well with Chucky and created one of the most iconic horror characters of all time. But we are rebooting the film, meaning we are doing a new take on it. It’s a killer doll, yes, but as the script suggests, it’s a different type of doll completely. In the original 1988 film, it’s a human murderer trapped in a doll by voodoo. In our reboot, it’s AI gone bad. “By the time I was asked to do the film, the director Lars and I had already been talking for a month,” the DP explains. “During that process, he would ask me to send him images and artwork I liked so we could get on the same page artistically. I sent him a couple versions of a look book during that time. We would spend time every day tossing ideas back and forth about ways to approach scenes or moments in the script, and if it stuck, it did so because it was the right decision for the film. We plastered our office walls with images and creative collages that we could use as inspiration. Nothing to ever copy, but just to keep creative conversations going. During our endless amount of conversations, we would talk about other movies that held similar feelings we were after for some scenes, moments or story points. That was helpful for us to narrow in. But our visual language sort of just developed throughout the process.”
Chucky (voiced by Mark Hamill) and Andy Barclay (played by Gabriel Bateman).
“[Chucky] wasn’t a CGI character but an animatronic doll that was operated by a group of puppeteers. Working with a doll of that technology was really great.” Canadian Cinematographer - November 2019 •
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“No one wanted to make a CG character film. We wanted to make a movie with a puppet. When you see Chucky in the final film, it’s almost always our animatronic doll. Even when his mouth is moving and he is making facial expressions, that’s us.”
A good portion of the film was storyboarded. “When I came on, there were already some boards done for a few scenes which was a great start,” Uegama remarks. “Generally, we would try and spend time each day locked in one of our offices and board a scene or two. We had a really good storyboard artist who would take our stick figure boards and draw them into proper storyboards. In addition, there were animatics done for most of our boarded scenes and specifically our big action or kill scenes. This was helpful for everyone in prep to better understand the direction we were going.” What made Child’s Play stand out from other projects that the native of Vancouver has worked on was Chucky. “He wasn’t a CGI character but an animatronic doll that was operated by a group of puppeteers. Working with a doll of that technology was really great.” Multiple Chucky dolls were used on set. “Our main doll was a full animatronic Chucky that was robotic in head movement, facial expressions and arms,” Uegama says. “We used him for 90 per cent of the filming. We also had a Posable Chucky that was photographable and could use it if there was no movement out of Chucky. We used him a few times but not often. Then we had a Stunt Chucky that could be tossed around a bit more and wouldn’t break if it fell. We used him as little as possible, but he came in handy a couple times. When it comes to artistic choice
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of how we framed him, we kept it fairly normal in the sense that he didn’t have a special lens or a specific degree of tilt to see him at; that was all selective to each shot and what felt right for the story.” Not everything could be achieved without digital augmentation, though. “We all knew from the start that we would use our practical doll as much as possible,” Uegama notes. “No one wanted to make a CG character film. We wanted to make a movie with a puppet. When you see Chucky in the final film, it’s almost always our animatronic doll. Even when his mouth
is moving and he is making facial expressions, that’s us. Sometimes there were face enhancements but more specifically near the end of the film and by design. Early in prep, we knew that we would need to rely on CGI Chucky for shots where he is seen walking from head to toe. We didn’t really do greenscreen work so shooting the visual effects were not too extensive.” Principal photography took place in Vancouver and lasted from September to November 2018. “I was originally brought in for prep at seven weeks out from photography; however, during prep we pushed one week, which gave us eight in total,”
Director Lars Klevberg and Cinematographer Brendan Uegama csc on the set of Child's Play.
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Canadian Cinematographer - November 2019 •
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Uegama recalls. “We ended up with 34 days of photography, which was tight for a film like this. A couple months after we wrapped principal photography, we did return for a few days of additional photography. We built the interior apartment sets and the main hallway on a sound stage and shot there for three weeks. The exterior of Karen Barclay’s [Aubrey Plaza] and Andy Barclay’s [Gabriel Bateman] apartment building and the entrance was in a practical location in downtown Vancouver.” Keslow Camera supplied ARRI ALEXA Mini cameras with Leica Summilux-C lenses and Angénieux zooms. “They are a fantastic company to work with and I have been working with them for a while,” Uegama remarks. “It was a two-camera shoot; however, we would use one camera more often than not unless it was an action scene or we needed two for performances. We did our opening of the film, the Kaslan commercial, on RED cameras. It wasn’t the type of film that used mostly one or two lenses as a rule. I’m sure I used all lenses in the set, but the 40 mm was used quite often. I find the Summilux-C 40 mm to be such a beautiful lens. A great quality to it and so pleasing as a medium close lens.” Lighting equipment was provided by William F. White in Vancouver. “I used a variety of LED and traditional tungsten and HMI. We built our stage with HMI pushing through the windows. We would use tungsten and LED lights up close. Mostly LiteMats for LEDs but some others as well. Our Translight was lit with fluorescent ladder lights that were alternating 5600k and 3200k,” Uegama says. “Whenever I shoot, colour contrast is always important to me,” he notes. “I like to mix colours and find ways to motivate them through story and set design. I worked with our production designer to add specific lighting in certain locations. For example, the art department ended up buying approximately 20 sodium vapour lights of various wattages that I could place around exterior sets to look at during night scenes. In the big massacre in the Zed Mart when the lights go out, I knew we needed something to motivate the lighting. Otherwise, it would just feel so wrong if it was just fake ‘ambient’ light. We added around 15 of those sodium lights outside the store’s windows and pushed them inward as if they were security type of lighting. This gave us a rich warm look and motivated our lighting approach. It also helped us immensely in moving throughout our day. “In the same location, we also added the large TV wall at the end of the store,” he continues. “I was originally looking at one big display idea, then throughout conversations in prep we settled on the nine televisions that you see in the final film. This became a light source for us when we were in that side of the room, but most importantly, it allowed us to have our actors silhouetted by it so we could easily see them at a distance. This was important and made it feel more natural. This was the overall approach to everything. Finding ways to motivate the lighting in the shot, but not always being restricted by that motivation.” According to Uegama, the shooting schedule for Child’s
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Top: Brendan Uegama csc on set. Middle: Aubrey Plaza and Gabriel Bateman. Bottom: Brian Tyree Henry as Detective Mike Norris.
“Whenever I shoot, colour contrast is always important to me. I like to mix colours and find ways to motivate them through story and set design.” Play worked out perfectly so that a number of shows in Vancouver were ending as production was starting on the feature, so they were able to secure a solid crew. “My gaffer was David Warner and key grip was Dean Reca; they were both strong at leading their team and thinking creatively outside the box. I had David Crone on A camera and Steadicam, and I operated B camera unless it was a really big day when I’d bring in a B operator. Our first camera assistants were Tyler Woeste on A camera, Josh Kjorven on B camera; 2nd camera assistants were Amie Gibbins and Laura Hyvarinen, and DIT was Dwight Hartnett. It was a top-notch camera department and they all worked so hard at helping make this show happen. Our production designer Dan Hermansen [Supernatural] did a fantastic job with his team.” The DI was done at Encore in Vancouver under the supervision of colourist Claudio Sepulveda (The Order). “Claudio is fantastic,” Uegama remarks. “We did the initial pass in just under two weeks. Then I did one more day, and there were a few extra days, as visual effects shots would come in to match. It was very fast for this type of film, and we could have used an extra week or more in there. Luckily, Claudio was so quick and good that we were able to accomplish a lot in the time we had.” There was no shortage of challenges throughout the production, Uegama reveals. “Whether it was the tight schedule, working with child actors, time constraints, an animatronic doll or just general problemsolving, it was just like anything else,” he says. “You know your goal and plan, and you move forward towards it without allowing the challenges to dictate the quality of the film.”
Top: Klevberg and Uegama on set.Middle: Klevberg and Uegama discuss a shot. Bottom: Andy going after Chucky. Canadian Cinematographer - November 2019 •
19
DOC Institute Honours Awards In Conversation with
Zoe Dirse csc By Oyin Olalekan
I
n December 2018, Zoe Dirse csc was honoured with the DOC Institute’s Rogers-DOC Luminary Award, which recognizes industry leaders who inspire upand-coming filmmakers. Award winners were chosen by a jury of documentary filmmakers and producers from across the country. In the lead-up to celebrating the sixth edition of the DOC Institute Honours, the institute profiled the 2018 recipients, including Dirse in an interview shared with Canadian Cinematographer. DOC INSTITUTE (DI): Considering that you have had such an expansive career, I was very curious about what keeps you going. Have you seen anything recently that inspired you or made you think, “Right, this is why I do what I do”? ZOE DIRSE (ZD): I can say with true honesty that I’ve been watching some television series that are really quite amazing. In terms of being a cinematographer, I’ve enjoyed Big Little Lies – the first season was directed by Jean-Marc Vallée from Quebec and shot by Yves Bélanger [csc], a terrific director of photography from Montreal. Most of the crew were all French Canadian, and I was watching it thinking, this doesn’t even feel like a series. It feels like a whole feature film. It’s so well crafted and so well put together. That was really lovely to watch and feel really proud to see people that I knew and worked with. I’m very active right now with the Canadian Society of Cinematographers – I’m on the Board of Directors– and it was my mission when I first became
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a full member to get more women and directors of photography from Quebec. And it makes me happy to see that it’s happened! There are some terrific women that are now full members that I knew and worked with when they were starting out. DI: It’s great that you’ve been able to see this shift yourself. How else have you seen the industry change throughout the years? ZD: Well, when I started out there were hardly any women in the industry and I thought, well, what’s wrong with this picture? I was in my 20s and I had finished my degrees at U of T in psychology and education and had studied second wave feminism. There were a few professors who were very influential for me; especially Kay Armatage who I had the privilege of working with on some of her early, early stuff just as a volunteer. And I
realized that I would love to be a cinematographer! I loved taking photos and I thought it was such a lovely creative process because I was so enamored with cinema. But then I started looking around and realized, wait a minute, they’re all guys! But I wasn’t turned off by it, it just felt odd. It just didn’t make any sense. In my teaching career too I noticed that a lot of the students would want to be either directors or cinematographers and it was interesting to see that most of the students that wanted to be cinematographers were male. That’s still fairly the case. But I think what’s key is role-modelling – that they see that there are women that do it, have done it, and can talk from experience to the students about that reality. DI: You’ve spoken a bit about the collaborative nature of working in film and meeting the right people along the
way. What was the value of working in community throughout the course of your career? ZD: Documentary is my passion and I’ve always had an interest in documentary even in the very early stages of my life when I was working as a teacher in an alternative high school. I would show a lot of documentaries, go to the library, rent a projector and show them NFB films! I was dreaming and thinking, oh I would love to be a part of that process! But the collaborative sense of the community didn’t come until I got to the film board in the early 1980s. The documentaries coming out of that time were so powerful internationally. When we travelled around the world, people would know about our films and we realized what an impact we were making. For me the Film Board really instilled the sense of collaboration and working as a team so that everybody had a voice. There were times I was on my way to the lab and would get pulled in to watch a rough-cut and see different versions of a film that I had worked on, or someone else had worked on, and I could give my opinion and they could listen or not listen. But that sense of collaboration was there; sometimes it just came down to being safe too. When you’re walking backwards in a hallway with a camera on your shoulder, you’ve got to have someone watching your back so you don’t fall over! DI: Something that we often hear about is the difficulty that emerging filmmakers have breaking into the industry. But as someone who has worked in the industry for so long, one thing I’m curious about is what were the challenges you faced as you started making more films, whether with the Film Board or after that period? ZD: Well I think ageism in the industry, especially for women, is a definite prejudice. People start to think that you’re not up to it. But you can’t beat experience, and that’s something that I would tell my students all the time. I’d say, “You’re
making your first film, and you’ve written a script. Go out and hire that DOP who’s 70 years old and hasn’t shot anything in two or three years. And I’ll bet you they’ll do it for a deal and you’ll get a fantastic looking film!” They look at me and say, “Really?” and I say, “Don’t always hire your best friends. They may not do the best job for you. Especially when you’re starting up because you’re in a learning curve yourself.” It’s also a psychological barrier that you as an older cinematographer have to overcome. You have to get over that yourself, maybe by doing more fitness training and physical training so that you can keep up with the rest of them. The job is very physically and mentally demanding and we need to be more cognizant of that, and especially in documentary you never know the circumstances that you might come across. I can’t remember the last time I climbed a volcano! You have to find your niche so that you can keep going and keep working. A few weeks ago, I was helping out a few friends and we had to film a female director on a big NBC set here in Toronto. They were working with former students, but the students didn’t have the skills to react to sudden changes and make them work. So in this particular case, we were running late in getting into the room to set up the lights. The director wanted me to light from one side, and then the producer came running in to say, “No, no, no, the editor wants you to light from the other side.” And then the director came back in and said, “No, no, no, I need you to light from this side because of my lazy eye!” So everything had to happen within seconds, without batting an eye. I said to my assistant at the time, “I hope I wasn’t too tough on you because of the time,” and she said, “It was amazing to watch you work because it would’ve taken me two hours to set that up, but you did it in minutes!” So there is that advantage that comes with experience: being able to do in minutes what it would take someone else hours to do. Reprinted with permission from the DOC Institute.
Canadian Cinematographer - November 2019 •
21
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Lighting the Story My Journey By John M. Lyden, associate member Photos by Tanner Coon
22 • Canadian Cinematographer - November 2019
Good lighting has many layers, quite akin to the most meaningful paintings and photographs.
W
hen I began a short film production in October of 2018, I had considerable anxiety in light of the fact that I would be working with a medium I had very little experience with. I would be the director and director of photography for The Last Domino, a story set in 1978 about two young boys caught up in the distribution of drugs as they struggle to survive in impoverished conditions. Notwithstanding my anxiety and insecurity about shooting an entire project on 16 mm film, a format that I intuited would lend itself well to this short period piece, I felt that I was well prepared for this undertaking thanks in large part to the CSC. I was inspired to shoot this project after attending the CSC Lighting Faces workshop that was led by Carlos Esteves csc and George Willis csc, sasc in October of 2018. Carlos and George went out of their way to tailor
their approaches to each individual skill level and knowledge base among the diverse group of participants. As a relatively young cinematographer, I was very appreciative of this and grateful to be in the company of such experienced, generous artists. In the two-day workshop, I was refamiliarized with important cinematographic concepts, such as the inverse square law and its implications in light intensity, directionality and evenness, the importance of crafting a thematically resonant aesthetic within the framework of the story and the locations, as well as the versatility of light modifiers in lighting faces. The staggering number of lighting and camera tools that we have available to us can sometimes dilute our vision and divert our attention away
Canadian Cinematographer - November 2019 •
23
Clockwise from top right: Actor Pierre Sandaire. Actor JR Richards. Actor Lee-Roy Tau in both bottom photos.
I owe a debt of gratitude to Carlos, George and the other active leaders in the CSC for their deep commitment to providing other CSC members with the tools and knowledge they need to thrive in this industry.” from the most important elements to consider. I was so thankful to have so much information distilled into a palatable presentation that helped clarify for me what my priorities should be as a DP. As I worked on lighting exercises with my fellow participants in the workshop, I became increasingly aware of how less is often more with regard to lighting and composition. Some of the cinematographers in the workshop crafted beautiful yet subtle lighting schemes by utilizing relatively few lights. They achieved beautiful three-dimensionality by only using a couple of lighting fixtures and augmenting the look with light
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modifiers, camera placement and colour contrast. It was enlightening and inspiring for me to watch these experts – such as the incredibly talented Mark Foerster csc – shape their look with great care and restraint. Lighting is an art in and of itself and is far more important than which camera system you plan to employ. All too often I have been guilty of focusing excessively on the latter. Good lighting has many layers, quite akin to the most meaningful paintings and photographs. The colours, gradations, and planes of light and shadow collectively make for a rich visual tapestry that lends additional layers of sub-textual
and textual meaning to a picture. With my heightened appreciation and awareness of this important concept, I began to visualize and shape the look of my own film in the Lighting Faces workshop. After returning home from the inspiring CSC workshop, I made the decision to take a chance and shoot The Last Domino on 16 mm film, partly because it would force me to improve my lighting skills, but also because I felt it was appropriate for the story I was telling. I wanted to create a sense of naturalism and impart a documentary feel in this film. I have been greatly influenced by the cinematography of Yves Bélanger csc
and Ronald Plante csc in the HBO series Sharp Objects. I wanted to use a minimalist approach to the lighting and rigging to give the actors as much freedom as possible, as well as challenge myself as an artist and technician. I used a powerful, indirect lighting source to provide a strong base for exposure. One of the drawbacks of using film is that you need a lot of light to get an acceptable picture. Compounding this challenge was the fact that I only wanted practical sources for illumination, with very few supplementary lighting tools. Also, in order to eliminate chromatic aberration and get acceptable image quality, the lens on my Canon Scoopic M had to be stopped down to at least T.4. These factors made for a very challenging production that forced me to be very deliberative and thoughtful in how I lit and composed. Additionally, I had to be cognizant of the fact that I only had 10 100-foot spools of film, which would provide our team with roughly 30 minutes of recording time, thus necessitating an extremely conservative and economical approach to my storytelling. Once I achieved a base exposure of T2.8 for the interior scenes by bouncing a powerful HMI off a ceiling or a back wall, so long as it was not colour tinted, I was able to primarily rely on natural light and practical sources, such as desk lamps, to place emphasis on the most important compositional elements. I kept referring back to Carlos’s wise words on the importance of tailoring your lighting approach to suit the individual actor/ subject’s facial features and head shape. I often made use of a small LED panel wrapped in two layers of diffusion as an eye light. It produced beautiful results when placed right over the camera and dimmed to 10 per cent intensity. The shape and texture of the key sources were considered in the context of the story and each actor’s unique features. Because I opted to use Kodak 250D Vision 3 stock, I knew the grain in the shadows would be aesthetically pleasing even in some dreary, dark scenes. I felt like a fish out of water on the first day of filming, as I could no longer rely on a waveform monitor or histogram,
26 • Canadian Cinematographer - November 2019
Director/cinematographer John M. Lyden.
which have essentially become crutches for too many of us. Nor did I have the luxury of previewing looks and LUTs with a DIT, causing episodic insomnia as I anxiously awaited the return of my hard drive from the lab. All I could use as gauges of my efficacy were my incident and spot meters and my eye. Looking through the eye piece of the Scoopic only provided me with a soft approximation of the image we were capturing, so my depth of field calculator became my compass on this arduous cinematographic voyage into deeper waters. I used colour contrast in coordination with my production designer to help create separation between the actors and the background, and accentuate the brothers’ isolation and loneliness. My crew and I had spent weeks reviewing the story and letting our understanding of the narrative and its themes inform our lighting decisions and compositional structure. I did not have the film pushed or pulled at the film lab. I opted for a 2K HDR flat scan to give us maximum dynamic range
and latitude in the grade. Through the use of power windows in Resolve, my colourist and I were able to make selective exposure and colour adjustments to various parts of the frame and really dial in a look that was built off of my lighting decisions and original vision. I was amazed by how much detail we could bring out of the shadows and retrieve from blown highlights, hence strengthening my passion for film and all that it has to offer as far as colour and tonality are concerned. The final cut of The Last Domino far surpassed my expectations and is one of my best works to date. I feel that I owe a debt of gratitude to Carlos, George and the other active leaders in the CSC for their deep commitment to providing other CSC members with the tools and knowledge they need to thrive in this industry. My story is but a microcosm of a broader movement within the CSC: masters inspiring and encouraging young artists to be bold creatively while honouring and using the fundamental principles upon which the art of cinematography was built.
gimbal shot VFX scene streaming series environment department documentary shot sitcom production phase build monitoring setup commercial production music video great idea movie department documentary monitoring setup shot hand held scene wireless fiz crane project steadicam setup camera assistant genre cinematographer market workflow operator ecosystem ideal for every shooting situation director shot post pipeline production phase build hand held scene department streaming series www.panavision.com aerial shot Canadian Cinematographer - October 2019 • 23 budget
+
Truly
Credits: Carlos Esteves csc
Presented by Evans Brown and Jeremy Benning csc Saturday, September 14, 2019 – Toronto
M
odern lighting meets creative consciousness within the rapid pace of modern-day filmmaking. In this seminar, Evans Brown and Jeremy Benning csc, co-DPs on the web television series The Boys, led a deep dive into the practicalities of the colour of light, how to achieve a look for a show through a complementary colour lighting approach and how this translates on screen. Using examples from their work on the AT&T TV series Condor, the DPs led participants through the practical experience of mixing lighting
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sources, shifting the spectral curve of the camera sensor, and folding this all into the LUT and on-set grade. Brown and Benning offer a summary of the concept, its genesis and its application: Brown: The concept of lighting by colour is just a coming together of three basic steps: one being changing the dynamic of the spectral curve in the camera by putting a glass coloured filter on the lens, then complementing that colour on the lens. Let’s say it’s cyan, you would neutralize skin tone by adding the comple-
mentary colour red. And then the third part of that is what the onset colourist brings to it as far as finding the gap in the two spectral curves being created on the camera and with lighting to create silver. I was a gaffer for 20 years before I transitioned to a fulltime DP career about 10 years ago, and 20 years ago I gaffed the HBO series The Wire, which was shot in Baltimore. In the third season of that show, I was able to shoot a lot of second unit. We did a lot of night exteriors on that show, and Baltimore – like many cities at the time – was lit with sodium
vapour lights. And that can be cool looking, but it’s also very extreme, so I had this idea that I presented to the DP of the show Eagle Egilsson, and said, “Hey, I want to try something. I want to put 30 or 40 cyan on the lens, mellow out the sodium vapour so it goes less reddish orange, and then where we need skin tones to become neutral, I’ll counteract it with a little red gel.” We didn’t have all the wonders of RGB colour mixing at the time, so it was just a matter of putting red gels on the lights where we wanted to neutralize the skin tone. And that was sort of the
start of it. I’ve been playing around with this for 20 years. Before The Boys, I shot an AMC series called Halt and Catch Fire, and we did it a lot on that show too. The technique is kind of meant to give a little bit of creative control back to the cinematographer as far as post goes. It kind of lets you do dynamic grading on set like you would do in a DI suite doing final colour. Because if producers get in the colour suite and they try to push things too far one way or too far another way colour wise, they can lose skin tone. So it allows a little bit of control. What
you give them is kind of what you get. Benning: As DPs, we’re working under these tight time frames all the time. You have to have something that looks good, is unique and appropriate for the look of the show, and you have to do it quickly. When you’re rushed like that, it’s very hard to achieve that, so having this extra technique that you can do relatively quickly and see it on the monitor right away allows you to kind of play a little more in a time frame that’s really tight. A complete video of the seminar is available on the CSC website: csc.ca Canadian Cinematographer - November 2019 •
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Tech Column
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Credit: Courtesy of Kala
Toronto Cinematographers Bring High-End Chase Vehicle to Market
hen you’re struggling to tell big stories on small budgets, every piece of technology that gets those shots that are usually commensurate with a big budget is a bonus. Many DPs would love to have a Russian Arm or crane in their production but for the inconvenient truth that they can’t afford it. Enter Kala. It’s the brainchild of Toronto cinematographers Vinit Borrison, Asif Limbada and Alessandro Lanzillota, offering many of the features of a Russian Arm but on a much more affordable basis. It’s an arm with a 12-foot, 360-degree vantage, mounted to the roof of a Mercedes AMG SUV with a special racing seat installed for the operator in the back for maximum comfort and stability. “The benefit of our system is the much lower cost of entry,” Borrison says. “Our goal has been to bring this to Toronto as a tool that a group of young filmmakers could access who don’t have the money to rent a Russian Arm or remote crane arm system.” The Russian Arm runs “north of $300,000,” and comes with a stiff rental fee, he says, and that’s a prohibitive barrier to most filmmakers working on tight budgets. He and his partners started working on the design in October 2018, had a prototype version up and running in January 2019 and were shooting with it in February.
It’s a Motocrane Ultra remote-controlled arm with a customized mounting system that secures to a 2” speedrail pipe that is permanently attached to the roof of the vehicle. “There are suction cup mounts, but they are not as secure,” Borrison says. It has a modular pack that can be flown to any location and mounted on any vehicle with a flat roof. “Taking a Russian Arm to a super remote location like the Yukon to shoot a Ford F150 against that landscape would be almost impossible,” Borrison maintains. “Ours is rigged to go on anything, a boat, an ATV or all sorts of vehicles.” Kala is the result of a perfect storm: the advent of smaller, more powerful cameras that are lighter, and the arrival of lightweight arm technologies that can easily support that kind of payload with a Ronin R2 or MōVI stabilizers, which have also downsized. It also feeds directly into market demand with technology also driving down prices for lighting, cameras, lenses and storage media, opening up much high-level production tools to younger, hungrier filmmakers. The MotoCrane Ultra arm has been mounted on the back of a pickup truck, a Mini Cooper and even a Tesla, Borrison says, adding that it is adaptable to the RED MONSTRO and ALEXA Mini but should work with most compact cameras. It’s available for rental, and they are building their brand through word of mouth. First impressions have been wholly positive. Associate member Justin Black used it on a Kubota tractor commercial shooting with Cooke SS anamorphic primes, driving the Mercedes over rough terrain to capture footage of the tractor and its attachments, cutting grass, feeding cows and baling hay, and says he was happy with the result. “I actually got in the back and operated because I wanted to learn,” he says. “When we first thought about this job we didn’t think we could swing a Russian Arm or a crane, and this turned out to be perfect.”
30 • Canadian Cinematographer - November 2019
The Ronin stabilizer took all the shake out of the shot while the vehicle was driving, and when static it was a fairly easy take to control of things from the specially mounted back seat. Similarly, affiliate member John Ker shot an Infinity commercial in Northern Ontario on highways with some off-road work, leaving the operating to Kala’s gimbal technician Luke Saagi. “Overall, it seems quick and lightweight and good shooting car to car,” Ker says. “I was impressed with how this small vehicle could get around in small places and across fourwheel drive terrain.” The shoot involved a RED MONSTRO with Kowa anamorphic lenses, and when Ker and his crew showed up, the Kala team had prepped everything and was ready to go. “It was great; they didn’t seem to mind that we had some weather with rain and a lot of puddle shots,” Ker says. “Overall, I’d say it was very rugged and able to perform in less than ideal weather conditions.” Borrison is hoping these first positive results will drive more business to them. “We love that there is a whole slate of people who could imagine renting a tool like this,” he says. “Also, it’s easy to jump from one rig to another because the camera is already on a gimbal that most people know how to use. If needed, you can just take the gimbal off and move it to a new platform very quickly.” Kala is renting as a turnkey solution with a driver, crane operator, and a head tech because there’s a learning curve involved in using the arm in its full capacity. Most rentals have been in the GTA, but they are hopeful about expanding demand across Canada. “We called it Kala because we’re Indian and ‘Kala’ means ‘black’ in Hindi, and that was our design aesthetic, all matte black,” Borrison says. “It’s a bit of an inside joke.” Ian Harvey is a journalist who has been writing about digital disruption for 20 years. He welcomes feedback and eagerly solicits subject matter ideas at ian@pitbullmedia.ca.
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Production Notes & Calendar
Classifieds
100, THE VII (series)
DP Gerald Packer csc
to March 19, 2020
Langley
50 STATES OF FRIGHT (series)
DP Michael Wale csc DP Tony Mirza
to November 21
Burnaby
A BABYSITTER’S GUIDE TO MONSTER HUNTING (feature)
DP Gregory Middleton csc, asc
to November 8
Burnaby
ARROW VIII (series)
DP Gordon Verheul csc & Neil Cervin csc (alternating episodes)
to November 14
Vancouver
BONZO AKA TWILIGHT ZONE II (series)
DP Craig Wrobleski csc
to March 17, 2020
Vancouver
BLOOD & TREASURE II (series)
DP Ronald Plante csc Camera Operator Alfonso Maiorana
BOOKS OF BLOOD (TV movie)
B Camera Operator Christopher Ball csc
to November 25
Halifax
Montreal
BOYS, THE II (series)
DP Dylan Macleod csc (odd episodes) Camera Utility Robert Murdoch
to November 1
Toronto
CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA, THE II
(series) DP Stephen Maier (alternating episodes)
to February 19, 2020
Langley
CORONER II (series)
DP Samy Inayeh csc Camera Operator / Steadicam Keith Murphy soc B Camera 1st Assistant Kyryll Sobolev
to November 8
Toronto
DC’S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW V (series)
DP David Geddes csc, asc (alternating episodes)
to January 29, 2020
Burnaby
DODGE & MILES (web series)
DP Matthew Lloyd csc
to November 21
Toronto
EXPANSE, THE V (series)
DP Jeremy Benning csc & Ray Dumas csc (alternating episodes)
to February 26, 2020
Toronto
FIREFLY LANE (series)
DP Vincent De Paula csc
to January 21, 2020
Burnaby
FLASH, THE VI (series)
DP Brenton Spencer csc (odd) & Alwyn J. Kumst csc (even)
to April 17, 2020
Vancouver
GINNY & GEORGIA (series)
DP Gavin Smith csc B Camera Operator/Steadicam Brent Robinson soc
to December 10
Toronto
GOOD HOUSE, THE (feature)
Camera Operator Forbes MacDonald Jr to
November 4
Halifax
GOOD WITCH VI (series)
DP Ken Krawczyk csc
to December 13
Toronto
GRAVITY PRODUCTIONS AKA TWILIGHT ZONE (series)
DP Craig Wrobleski csc
March 16, 2020
Vancouver
GREEN HARVEST III (series)
DP Glen Keenan csc C Camera Operator J.P. Locherer csc
to February 6, 2020
Toronto
HARDY BOYS, THE (series)
DP Fraser Brown csc B Camera Operator Robert J. Barnett
to January 22
Toronto
IN THE DARK II (series)
1st Assistant Pierre Branconnier
to January 31, 2020
Mississauga
IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS (MOW)
DP Ryan McMaster csc
to November 8
Burnaby
JAN II (series)
DP Brett Van Dyke csc
to November 6
Calgary
JULIE AND THE PHANTOMS (series)
DP Randal Platt csc
to December 20
Burnaby
MAGICIANS V (series)
DP Corey Robson & Thomas Burstyn csc, nczs (alternating episodes)
to November 8
Vancouver
MERCURY (series)
DP Craig Wrobleski csc
to November 15
Toronto
MURDOCH MYSTERIES XIII (series)
DP Yuri Yakubiw csc 1st Assistant Kevin Michael Leblanc
to November 8
Toronto
NANCY DREW, THE (series)
DP John Bartley csc, asc
to December 9
N. Vancouver
NOW, THE (series)
Operator/Steadicam Greg Fox
to December 20
Burnaby
NIGHT RAIDERS (feature)
DP Daniel Grant csc
to November 7
Etobicoke
OMENS (series)
DP Bernard Couture csc
to February 29, 2020
Burnaby
PRIVATE EYES IV (series)
DP Eric Cayla csc (odd episodes) & Mike McMurray csc (even episodes) B Camera Operator Brad Hruboska soc
to November 15
Scarborough
PROJECT BLUE BOOK II (series)
DP François Dagenais csc & C. Kim Miles csc (alternating episodes)
to November 13
Burnaby
RIVERDALE IV (series)
DP Ronald Richard (odd episodes)
to April 17, 2020
Langley
RUN (series)
DP Kristin Fieldhouse (alternating episodes)
to November 15
Etobicoke
SISTER RISING III – (fka STREETS OF YESTERDAY) (series)
DP Marc Laliberté csc (even episodes) & DP Tico Poulakakis csc (odd episodes)
to February 28, 2020
Toronto
SNOWPIERCER II (series)
DP Thomas Burstyn csc, nczs (alternating episodes)
to March 13, 2020
Langley
SUPERGIRL V (series)
DP Michael Storey csc 2nd Unit B Cam Op Justin Beattie
to March 17, 2020
Langley
SUPERNATURAL XV (series)
DP Serge Ladouceur csc Camera Operator Brad Creasser
to April 3, 2020
Burnaby
TINY PRETTY THINGS (series)
DP Luc Montpellier csc
to December 2
Toronto
TRICKSTER, THE (miniseries)
DP Steve Cosens csc
to November 7
North Bay
U.S. VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY (feature)
Camera Operator Yoann Malnati EPK/BTS Sound Andre Paul Therrien
to December 5
Montreal
WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS II (series)
1st Assistant Ciaran Copelin
to December 22
Toronto
WHEN CALLS THE HEART VI (feature)
DP Michael Balfry csc
to December 19
Burnaby
ZEUS (series)
Digital Technician Marc Forand B Operator/Steadicam Richard Wilmot
to November 22
Toronto
NOVEMBER 2-9, ADF International Film Festival of Cinematography, Buenos Aires and Vicente López, Argentina, adfcine.org 6-13, American Film Market Fest, Santa Monica, americanfilmmarket.com 9-16, Camerimage International Film Festival, Torun, Poland, camerimage.pl/en 13-14, ProFusion, Toronto, profusionexpo.com 13-15, Inter Bee 2019, Japan, inter-bee.com 14, NAB Show’s CineEmerge, Los Angeles, cineemerge.nabshow.com 14-21, AFI FEST 2019, Hollywood, afi.com/afifest
@canadiancinematographer @csc_CDN
17-20, SIGGRAPH Asia, Brisbane, sa2019.siggraph.org/ 22, 1st Annual “That’s a Wrap” Fundraiser, Canadian Academy, Toronto, academy.ca/fundraiser DECEMBER 3, WIFT Crystal Awards, Toronto, wift.com 9, CSC Annual General Meeting, Toronto, csc.ca JANUARY 23-Feb. 2, Sundance Film Festival, Park City, Utah, sundance.org 31, CSC Awards entry deadline, csc.ca
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.
32 • Canadian Cinematographer - November 2019
EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Panasonic DVCPRO Digital Video Recorder D230H SONY BETACAM SP Recorder UVW-1800 JVC S-Video Cassette Recorder BR-S800U Panasonic H1350 Colour Monitor JVC 9" Colour Monitor JVC Hi Resolution Colour Monitor A VERY GOOD DEAL FOR SOMEONE Contact Robert Bocking csc for further information. 416 636-9587 or rvbocking@rogers.com ALEXA ITEMS FOR SALE Arri Alura T2.9. 18-80mm (PL Mount, Feet) CAD$20,000 OBO Arri Eyepiece Leveler (EL-3) Brand New CAD$400 OBO Arri Viewfinder Cable Medium KC151S Brand New CAD$350 OBO Please email Ian Toews csc at: ian@291filmcompany.ca Canon CN-E Prime Lenses 24mm T1.5, 35mm T1.5, 50mm T1.5 In excellent condition. EF mount, covers S35 and full frame. Asking $3400 each. Contact info@johnker.com. 35 4x5.6 Schneider filters: ND’s, color correction, diffusion, grads 2 138mm Tiffen Tobacco, Sunset grad 2 138mm Schneider Tru Pola, 85 Pola 2 138mm Schneider CU diopter #1, Cu Diopter • includes case and pouches for every filter. • Excellent condition • 4x5.6 and 138mm. clears included Today’s value in U.S. dollars $13,705 U.S. Selling price $9,500 CDN PLEASE CONTACT: Bert Tougas H: 514-634-2374 C: 514-913-2376 I have 15 - 3x3 Tiffen filters for sale - fogs, Promists Grads, 812's etc. all with cases $185.00 - contact Barry Casson csc - 250-7212113 or e-mail bcasson@speakfilm.com TIFFEN ULTRA STEADICAM , HD Ultrabrite color monitor ,HDMI Decimator 2,Iso-elastic arm, 4-24 volt batteries, 1-Pag battery charger 24v,1Lentequip battery charger 12/24v,Klassen vest and carrying bag, 1 Preston F1+Z transmitter 1 Preston MDR-1 receiver,1 Preston control, 2 motors, 2 batteries, charger, numerous Hill motor mount brackets rossette brackets and rods, 1 long dovetail plate,1 short dovetail plate, 1 docking bracket,1 fgs wheel chair/ dolly adaptor,rain cover, too many cables, hard cases and accessories to list.This rig was well maintained looks new,all it needs is a few upgrades. $3,5000.00 can 416 817 3938 or acadian@ rogers.com Rick Kearney Preston FIZ 2 kit - $5,000 2 x Arri MB-20 studio matte box - $8,000 Arri LMB-15 Clip-on matte box - $1,200 Power-Pod Classic - $5,000 Please contact Michael Balfry csc @: michaelbalfry@gmail.com for a complete list of items. Looking for a set of old, no longer used, standard legs with Mitchell base. Or any type of disused heavy camera support. This is to be used to mount a Mitchell BNCR camera in order to place it on display. Anyone with access to such a tripod or with information about one, please contact me: rawi@earthlink.net 416-691-6865
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.
Modern Lens. Timeless Look. Ranging from 12 mm to 280 mm, the ARRI Signature Prime lenses offer a unique look never seen before in cinema. Warm, smooth skin; open shadows with crisp blacks; and bokeh like looking through a window in the rain.
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A Cut Above
Photograph by Melissa Thompson Courtesy Sony Electronics
Building on the uncompromising quality of its popular FS7 series, Sony’s new PXW-FX9 XDCAM sets a dramatic new standard for image quality, performance and flexibility among camcorders in this class. The newly designed 6K full-frame sensor records superbly in Ultra HD and HD, and you can switch to Super35 mode for greater depth of field and to follow fast action. There’s also Dual Base ISO, so you can quickly adapt to challenging light conditions, plus an electronic variable ND filter – the world’s first for a fullframe sensor – to help you capture every single nuance. Enhanced Fast Hybrid AF locks onto your subject with unprecedented precision, and a built-in gyro captures data to ensure that even handheld footage can be made to look like it was shot using a gimbal. Along with 15 stops of dynamic range, you’ll be shooting with the same cinematic colour science developed for Sony’s worldleading VENICE cine camera. We could go on, but we think you get the picture.
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