American Cinematographer 201312

DECEMBER 2013
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Y AAY D O
E S
The International Journal of Motion Imaging
38 Boom and Bust
Rodrigo Prieto, ASC, AMC visualizes stockbrokers wild ride
for The Wolf of Wall Street
54 A Soul Suppressed
Sean Bobbitt, BSC dramatizes searing plight for
12 Years a Slave
68 Grand Battles
Kramer Morgenthau, ASC pits gods against villains
on Thor: The Dark World
84 Love on the Lam
Eric Steelberg, ASC blends drama and romance on
Labor Day
DEPARTMENTS
FEATURES
VISIT WWW.THEASC.COM
On Our Cover: Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) pursues a path of excess and unethical
practices in The Wolf of Wall Street, shot by Rodrigo Prieto, ASC, AMC. (Photo by Mary
Cybulski, courtesy of Paramount Pictures.)
10 Editors Note
12 Presidents Desk
14 Short Takes: Drone
20 Production Slate: Homefront Black Nativity
96 Post Focus: Chainsaw Expands
98 New Products & Services
104 International Marketplace
105 Classified Ads
106 Ad Index
107 2013 AC Index
112 ASC Membership Roster
114 Clubhouse News
116 ASC Close-Up: Michael Slovis
D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 3 V O L . 9 4 N O . 1 2
54
68
84
The International Journal of Motion Imaging
In an exclusive podcast, cinematographer Phedon Papamichael, ASC discusses the atmospheric black-and-white cinematog-
raphy he contributed to Alexander Paynes Nebraska. Bruce Dern stars as a cranky, aging alcoholic who, convinced he has won
a million-dollar sweepstakes, travels from Montana to Nebraska with his skeptical son (Will Forte) to collect his prize.
Left: Woody Grant (Bruce Dern)
and his son David (Will Forte) take
a memorable road trip in Nebraska.
Right: Phedon Papamichael, ASC
lines up a shot on the set.
D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 3 V O L . 9 4 N O . 1 2
Frederick Schroeder: The Night of the
Hunter, Raging Bull, Winter Light, The Long
Voyage Home.
Mitchell Bergeron: Persona, The Seventh
Seal, Wild Strawberries, Through a Glass Dark-
ly.
Terry King: The Man Who Wasnt There.
Declan Keeney: For me its Soy Cuba (I Am
Cuba), shot by Sergei Urusevsky. Absolutely
stunning use of infrared stock and extraordinar-
ily long camera moves.
Aaron Caughran: 1. Citizen Kane. 2. Raging
Bull. 3. Paths of Glory. 4. Sunset Blvd. 5. Dr.
Strangelove.
Alifeleti Tuapasi Toki: Sunrise; LAtalante;
Letter from an Unknown Woman; Night of the
Hunter; Ivan the Terrible, Part 1; Ugetsu;
Alphaville; Andrei Rublev; The Hypothesis of the
Stolen Painting; LEnfant Secret.
Joe Del Balzo: Hitchcocks Rebecca has some
of the most beautiful, well-crafted shots ever
whether b&w or color. On the Waterfront and
Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? are two other
must-sees for anyone studying b&w cinematog-
raphy.
Young-mi Lee: The Big Combo, [which cer-
tainly shows] what painting with light is all
about.
Samuel Thomas Claeys: The Elephant Man.
Chryssy Tintner: Double Indemnity, The
Wind, Captain Blood, Brief Encounter.
Sean Wright: Woody Allens Manhattan [shot
by Gordon Willis, ASC]. Choosing to shoot in
black-and-white in order to greater romanticize
the city in a melancholic way was a great style
decision.
Dave Clayton: There are so many great b&w
movies. The other day I re-watched The Loved
One, photographed by Haskell Wexler, ASC.
What a superb example of b&w cinematogra-
phy, with some of the best location footage of
L.A. Ive ever seen in a movie. The work of a
genius of the lens!
Merlin M. Mannelly: The Third Man and
Rumble Fish are probably the two most striking
examples that stick out to me. Even though
there were so many amazing black-and-white
cinematographers for half of films life, these are
the two that bookend why black-and-white will
always be relevant no matter how far our tech-
nology goes.
Emma Hornor: Double Indemnity, Sunset
Blvd., Manhattan.
Darrell Sheldon: Touch of Evil, The Cranes
Are Flying, Young Frankenstein.
Iain Trimble: The use of black-and-white in
The Wizard of Oz is my favorite because its
used to help develop the story and characters.
Tobias Dodt: The Servant, brilliantly shot by
Douglas Slocombe, BSC, and The Third Man,
photographed by Robert Krasker, BSC.
Tony Davison: Anything by the master and
possibly the greatest cinematographer ever,
Gregg Toland, ASC.
Michael Truong: Throne of Blood. Talk about
the gray scale.
Conor Masterson: Tabu. The whole film was
extraordinary so beautiful I didnt notice the
lack of dialogue in Africa.
Olaf Bessenbacher: Fellinis 8.
J.T. Moreland: Such an awesome question, as
I have always loved black-and-white cinematog-
raphy! I loved the cinematography of Schindlers
List, and I also think Michael Chapman, ASCs
work on Raging Bull was outstanding.
SEE AND HEAR MORE CINEMATOGRAPHY COVERAGE AT WWW.THEASC.COM
THIS MONTHS ONLINE QUESTION: What are your favorite examples of black-and-white cinematography?
To read more replies, visit our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/AmericanCinematographer
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D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 3 V o l . 9 4 , N o . 1 2
T h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l J o u r n a l o f M o t i o n I m a g i n g
Visit us online at
www.theasc.com

PUBLISHER Martha Winterhalter
EDITORIAL
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Stephen Pizzello
SENIOR EDITOR Rachael K. Bosley
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jon D. Witmer
TECHNICAL EDITOR Christopher Probst
PHOTO EDITOR Julie Sickel
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Benjamin B, Douglas Bankston, Robert S. Birchard,
John Calhoun, Michael Goldman, Simon Gray,
David Heuring, Jay Holben, Noah Kadner,
Jean Oppenheimer, Iain Stasukevich,
Patricia Thomson
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CREATIVE DIRECTOR Marion Kramer
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6
OFFICERS - 2012/2013
Richard Crudo
President
Owen Roizman
Vice President
Kees van Oostrum
Vice President
Lowell Peterson
Vice President
Victor J. Kemper
Treasurer
Frederic Goodich
Secretary
Isidore Mankofsky
Sergeant At Arms
MEMBERS OF THE
BOARD
Curtis Clark
Richard Crudo
Dean Cundey
George Spiro Dibie
Richard Edlund
Fred Elmes
Victor J. Kemper
Francis Kenny
Matthew Leonetti
Stephen Lighthill
Michael OShea
Lowell Peterson
Owen Roizman
Rodney Taylor
Haskell Wexler
ALTERNATES
Isidore Mankofsky
Kenneth Zunder
Steven Fierberg
Karl Walter Lindenlaub
Sol Negrin
MUSEUM CURATOR
Steve Gainer
American Society of Cine ma tog ra phers
The ASC is not a labor union or a guild, but
an educational, cultural and pro fes sion al
or ga ni za tion. Membership is by invitation
to those who are actively en gaged as
di rec tors of photography and have
dem on strated out stand ing ability. ASC
membership has be come one of the highest
honors that can be bestowed upon a
pro fes sional cin e ma tog ra pher a mark
of prestige and excellence.
8
The first trailer for The Wolf of Wall Street grabbed every-
ones attention when it hit the Internet this past summer.
Set to the bacchanalian drumbeats and yelps of Kanye
Wests Black Skinhead, the teaser surprised everyone
with its coke-rush cavalcade of brokers behaving badly.
Perhaps everyone was expecting director Martin Scorsese
to take a more business-oriented approach to the story of
stockbroker Jordan Belfort (embodied with antic gusto by
Leonardo DiCaprio), but the backdrop of big-money excess
called for bold visual strategies that would emphasize
Belforts bull-in-a-china-shop lifestyle. Working with Scors-
ese for the first time, cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, ASC,
AMC was up for the adventure, mixing a variety of optics,
lighting styles and color schemes to take viewers on a wild ride of steep rises, sharp turns
and dizzying drops. Calling Wolf a movie of extremes, Prieto details all the techniques he
used to capture the energy Scorsese wanted in Michael Goldmans coverage (Boom and
Bust, page 38), which also offers the directors insights.
Elegant cinematography counterbalances stark scenes of oppression in Steve
McQueens period drama 12 Years a Slave, which dramatizes the life of another real-life
figure: Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a professional violinist living as a free man in
New York State who was abducted in 1841 and sold into slavery. In John Calhouns article
(A Soul Suppressed, page 54), Sean Bobbitt, BSC reflects upon his ongoing partnership
with McQueen, noting, Steve is always looking for a truth, a reality, and although it is never
the reason for making a film, its always the undercurrent.
A tale of warring titans offered Kramer Morgenthau, ASC an expansive canvas on
Thor: The Dark World, a sequel to Thor and The Avengers shot with anamorphic lenses and
Arri Alexa Plus 4:3 cameras. We were one of the first films to shoot anamorphic on the 4:3
sensor, and its really hard to get those lenses now because everyones doing it, Morgen-
thau tells European correspondent Benjamin B (Grand Battles, page 68), who paid a visit
to the productions London set. Adds director Alan Taylor, Mythology depends on a grand
scale, and in going for an epic vista, anamorphic is a natural choice. It gives you sweeping
scale.
Eric Steelberg, ASC would have enjoyed a bit more elbowroom while working on the
drama Labor Day with his longtime collaborator Jason Reitman. The pair found themselves
shooting most of the movie on location at a house in Massachusetts where the main floor
measured less than 1,000 square feet. Its a hundred-year-old house with no walls that we
could move, low ceilings, creaky floors and smaller-than-standard doorways, Steelberg tells
Mark Dillon (Love on the Lam, page 84). The logistics of putting the crew, actors,
cameras and dollies together in the same physical space made it the most challenging movie
Ive ever done.
Stephen Pizzello
Executive Editor
Editors Note
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Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, and the best of all the rest to every one of our faithful
readers!
Over the course of a busy 12 months, the holiday season represents a welcome break
from daily pressures as we kick back and (hopefully) overindulge in every manner of food,
drink and what-have-you. What makes this time special is not the shopping, gift giving or
parties and family gatherings, but the specific context within which they take place. We dont
engage in these activities every day, so they stand out in comparison to the rest of the year.
This begs a question: Has the way we think about and appreciate cinematography lost
its context?
Until the mid-1990s, cinematographys supreme standard was universal and unassail-
able: originating on 35mm negative and projecting optically on a big screen. Its staggering to
see how quickly and radically things have changed. Outstanding work can now be viewed
around the clock on any of a hundred channels, each delivered to your large flat-screen tele-
vision with the quality of a first-run movie house. At the same time, we are overwhelmed with
an endless wave of other images delivered across a variety of transportable and easily acces-
sible platforms; that so many of them are technically superb and aesthetically pleasing is
equally amazing and just as unsettling.
This has created a glut of notable imagery that has watered down the field to such an
extent that an overabundance of competence actually seems to have lowered standards. In a world where so much is
polished and impressive, how do we determine what really counts? Worse than that, if virtually anyone can press a button
and achieve results that some consider professional, where does that leave us? The context has shifted in such a way that
the honor once reserved for the result of study, experience, dedication and proper execution excellence, in other words
is on shaky ground. It has become an era of anything goes, and believe me, too often it does.
I think a comparison can be drawn to the blogosphere and the ubiquity of laptops and mobile devices. The massive
expansion of the blogosphere surely hasnt brought us any more Hemingways than we had before, but what does that
matter if most people reading online dont know or care to know the difference?
So, we in the ASC will probably never again experience that feeling of certitude about what we do that we are
the gatekeepers, the final arbiters of what is valued. That notion was ingrained in the Society from the beginning, and its a
hard thing to let go. Nonetheless, we can influence the new standards that are evolving before our eyes. Technological
progress has forced us to accept a new context for what we do, but its an imperfect and unfinished one, and therein lies
our chance for continuing relevance.
I recall having good-natured arguments with older relatives when I was a teenager. Who was musically superior, Benny
Goodman or Jimmy Page? Theres no real answer to that, though you can imagine which side was mine. Today I am much
more conciliatory. Both men were enormously gifted, and, regardless of where you stand, you have to recognize that both
knew their way around their instruments.
Those of us who know our way around our instruments understand that the fundamental issue is not about tech-
nology or experience. Its about taste and choices. And no matter how many images bombard us every day, the appreciation
of whats good about them will never be legislated or reduced to a code.
Richard P. Crudo
ASC President
Presidents Desk
12 December 2013 American Cinematographer
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FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
TOBIAS SCHLIESSLER ASC
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LONE SURVIVOR PULLS YOU INTO
AN INTIMATE EXPERIENCE OF WAR.
Peter Bergs lm is uncompromising, presenting a
complex portrait of men who are both allies and
enemies. Its a harrowing memoir of a man
who confronts the horrors of war with grace.
Lynn Hirschberg, W MAGAZINE
THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY WAR FILM
SINCE SAVING PRIVATE RYAN.
Bill Simmons, GRANTLAND
2013 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS universalpicturesawards.com
Bland Assassin
By Iain Blair
When director Daniel Jewel came up with the idea for the
13-minute short film Drone, a dialogue-free movie that presents
an unsettling look at the daily life of a military drone operator
(played by Ewen Bremner), he wanted to pay tribute to the silent
films he has long admired. He reports that such classics as Chap-
lins City Lights, D.W Griffiths Intolerance and Abel Gances
Napoleon had a big impact on him while he was growing up in
England.
He teamed with cinematographer James Watson, a
frequent collaborator, to make the short. Over the last few years,
James and I have worked together on a variety of commercial
projects as well as a documentary short [The Gardening Club], so
weve built up a great working relationship and shorthand, says
Jewel. James has a great ability to discern the essence of a
project and find the best way to tell that story visually. Hes also
very meticulous in his preparation and working methods, whereas
I can be quite run-and-gun; I think the creative tension that comes
from these different ways of working translates well to the
screen.
Drone was shot in three days, and the primary location was
an office complex just outside London. This served as the drone
operators anonymous-looking workplace. Surrounded by trees,
the location offered a great balance in that it feels like a modern
office park, while all around it is nature, says Jewel. Also, the
site had a real feeling of isolation, as if it could be a secret govern-
ment building.
Watson shot Drone for a final aspect ratio of 2.40:1 using
an Arri Alexa Plus and Cooke S4 prime lenses provided by On
Sight in London. He captured in ProRes 4:4:4:4 to SxS cards. We
had a choice between S4s or Zeiss Ultra Primes, and I had heard
and read great things about the Cookes and was really open to
using them I dont have a favorite glass yet, says the cine-
matographer. They proved to be great lenses, and Im very
happy with the results they gave us. As for the Alexa, he adds,
its simply the best digital camera. That, together with its ease-
of-use and workflow, made it a no-brainer.
Because the movie has no dialogue, the filmmakers placed
particular emphasis on camera placement and moves. Every-
thing centered around Ewen at his desk, so I had to work out how
we could shoot that in an interesting way without being repeti-
tive, and also without just using every angle possible, says
Watson. Daniel and I liked the idea of starting wide and then
getting tighter as the drone operation reaches its finale. [Produc-
tion designer] Kristian Milsted sent me his Google Sketchup
designs of the set, and I used the camera-view tool in [that
program] to make a storyboard. That was a great tool for prep; I
could put the camera anywhere in the set to see what worked,
and I could play with camera moves and framing.
One of the notable moves Watson devised using Sketchup
is a slow push in when the drone operator first sits down at his
desk, waiting for his mission to start. Its a 20-foot dolly move
that goes through the other empty cubicles and finishes on Ewen
at his desk, says Jewel. It isolates him from the room and the
rest of the world, which I think emphasizes his lonely, removed
occupation.
A military
drone operator
(Ewen
Bremner)
heads to his
office in this
frame from the
short film
Drone.
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Short Takes
WWW. WA R NE R B R O S 2 0 1 3 . C O M
F O R Y O U R C O N S I D E R A T I O N
R O G E R A. D E A K I N S, A S C , B S C
B E S T C I N E M A T O G R A P H Y
The great cinematographer Roger A. Deakins brings a classic rigor
to the film as his camera finds the crevices of this blue-collar
community and the ravaged faces of its lost children and damaged parents.
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

The goal in the office was a sterile,
stripped-back look, says Watson. I
embraced the locations existing lighting,
ceiling-fitted Osram Dulux L 36-watt
compact fluorescents, and used Frost
diffusion to soften only the lights around
Ewen that gave unwanted shadows.
Because the Osram fluorescents give you
a little too much green, I also put a 4-foot
4-bank Kino Flo with a mix of tungsten
and daylight tubes above Ewens desk to
get a better skin tone. (The productions
lighting came from Sola Lighting in
London.)
To help separate Bremner from his
surroundings, Watson also employed a
larger soft source, a 2.5K HMI bounced
into some muslin bed sheets, about 10'
from the actor. I wanted to light the
space so Daniel and Ewen could have as
much flexibility as possible, he adds.
The office was lined with
windows, which placed the production at
the mercy of the short December days.
Luckily, the majority of the office was
north-facing, so there was never any
direct light to control, notes Watson.
Most of our angles had windows in
shot, so we arranged the schedule to
shoot those first, and then grab any
cutaways and close-ups when the
daylight went.
A visual-effects team at Jellyfish
Pictures created images of the drone
Top, left and right: The operator prepares to
carry out a drone mission. Middle: A visual-
effects team at Jellyfish Pictures composited
the drone footage onto the operators
monitors. Bottom (from left): Makeup artist
Kathryn Fa, focus puller Eva Arnold, sound
recordist Josh Tarr, cinematographer James
Watson, gaffer Johann Cruickshank, dolly
grip Garth Sewell and camera trainee Calem
Trevor work in the office location.
operations on computer screens in the
office. We shot all the computer screens
with tracking marks so Jellyfish could later
key in what the drone operator sees on
his three monitors, explains Jewel. It
was a challenge for Ewen to act off of and
react to blank screens. For close-ups of
Ewen [with the monitors out of frame],
James and I cut together a short film for
him to react to; we used stock footage of
families playing together and built up to
real footage of drone strikes that we
found online.
To get aerial shots of the drones
unspecified foreign target, the filmmakers
flew a Canon EOS 5D Mark II on an Octo-
copter over a sand quarry outside of
London. Jellyfish artists then comped
these onto the operators monitors. In
post, we graded those shots green and
added tracking marks and navigational
symbols, says Jewel.
Drone was edited on an Avid by
Paul Knight. Watson and Jewel supervised
the final color correction at Pinewood
Studios, where colorist Martin Greenbank
graded on a DaVinci Resolve. We had
two days for the grade, which was a real
luxury on a short film, notes Jewel. The
main challenge was to give the picture a
stylistic look whilst keeping the color
palette muted. We really wanted to
emphasize the feeling of isolation and the
artificiality of the drone operators
surroundings.
The fact that a drone operator
can drive home to his family after having
completed a strike, and be at his childrens
football game an hour after a mission,
seems a really surreal and disturbing way
to exist, adds the director. Thanks to
modern warfare technology, some battle-
fields are now only a short commute
away.
Drone has screened at more than a
dozen film festivals in the United States
and abroad, most recently at the BFI
London Film Festival. Jewel and Watson
recently wrapped another documentary
short, Foley, about Pinewood Studios
award-winning Foley artists.
Top: Octocopter
operator Adam Hall
(far left) and
Octocopter pilot Leo
Bund, both from
Digital Cinema Films,
prepare to shoot the
drone footage in a
sand quarry while
Watson (in red
jacket) confers with
director Daniel
Jewel. Middle: The
Octocopter in action.
Bottom: A closer
look at the
Octocopter.
OF F I CI A L S E L E CT I ON
51
ST
NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL
2013
STEPHEN REBELLO,
A Violent Homecoming
By David Heuring
According to Theo van de Sande, ASC, the new feature
Homefront aptly illustrates the intersection of creative decisions,
technical choices and budgetary parameters on an independent
medium-budget feature shot in a tax-incentive state. The film, which
follows a DEA agent (played by Jason Statham) who returns to his
hometown for personal reasons and ends up combatting a local
meth dealer (James Franco), was shot almost entirely on location in
southern Louisiana.
Director Gary Fleder saw parallels between Homefront and
classic Westerns. Its not an overly complicated story, but the char-
acters are complex, and every setting had to help tell the story, he
explains. We had to find a way to mix a classical approach with a
modern, scrappier flavor. The picture was thoroughly planned out
and storyboarded, but I wanted the result to have a guerrilla feel.
When he and Van de Sande began discussing the visuals, the
cinematographer suggested shooting 35mm anamorphic. Though
he was certain the project could be brought in on time and on
budget, production objected to shooting film, so he then proposed
capturing digitally with Arri Alexas and anamorphic lenses. But even
the lenses were deemed too expensive. The financial calculations on
a project like this are very strict, says Van de Sande. We wanted
the movie to have scope, and I wanted to light the many night
scenes big. Also, I knew Gary wanted to shoot with two or three
cameras simultaneously using zoom lenses, and the few existing fast
anamorphic zooms were unavailable. As a consequence, we had to
give up on shooting anamorphic.
Eventually, the filmmakers settled on shooting with standard
Arri Alexa cameras, extracting a 2.40:1 frame from the native 16:9
aspect ratio, and Angenieux Optimo (24-290mm T2.8, 17-80mm
T2.2 and 15-40mm T2.6) zooms and Cooke S4 primes. The pack-
age was provided by Fletcher Camera in New Orleans. The support
of a good rental house is crucial when shooting on a 43-day sched-
ule in a tax-incentive state, notes Van de Sande.
In prep, he shot extensive exposure tests at ISO 800, 1,600
and 3,200, often with 2nd-unit director of photography Duane
Manwiller, who was tasked with filming a number of car chases on
unlit country roads. I discovered that if I shot at 800 ASA and
pushed it a little bit in the DI, the image quality was better than
going to 1,600 ASA, Van de Sande reports. At 1,600 I would get
more noise, which I didnt want. I did go to 1,600 for a few 50-fps
and 100-fps shots, but we helped those in post.
As production drew closer, Van de Sande and Fleder decided
they wanted to go for a gritty look, especially for the opening scenes
and the climactic shootout. I suggested to Gary that we push the
images in terms of contrast and bold, edgy colors, says the cine-
Production Slate
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.
After returning
to his
hometown, DEA
agent Phil
Broker (Jason
Statham) takes
his daughter,
Maddy (Izabela
Vidovic),
horseback riding
in the feature
Homefront.
I
matographer. The nice part about a
project like this is that as long as you stay on
schedule, nobody is telling you that some-
thing is too orange or too green! He
tested about 20 different gel colors in
theatrical hues. For a slightly exaggerated
sodium-vapor look, he depended largely on
Lee Chrome Orange 179, and to give
moonlight a heightened feel, he chose Lee
Steel Blue 117.
Early in the movie, an important
scene takes place in a biker bar that fronts
for a large-scale meth lab. Van de Sande lit
the bar interior mostly with practicals, and a
sodium-vapor practical was visible outside
the front door. When authorities raid the
bar, the power is cut and red emergency
lights come on. The light was an intense
red and contrasted strongly with the
sodium-vapor feel, he says. I created the
feel of flashing blue police-car lights blast-
ing through the windows and the front
door and flickering through the scene. That
created tremendous reactions between
colors.
The officers night-vision POV shots
were captured at 6,400 ASA with a Canon
EOS 5D Mark II white-balanced with a triple
Full Magenta filter and equipped with a
24mm Canon L Series (f1.4) lens. For light-
ing in the meth lab, Van de Sande worked
with production designer Greg Berry and
the set dresser to find 10 beefy bomb shel-
ter fluorescent fixtures that delivered a
strong ambience.
Van de Sande notes that Fleders
preference for an improvisational three-
camera approach dovetails with an impres-
sionistic approach to editing. Gary and
[editor] Pat McKinley cut the images like
music, he says. We shoot the images like
jazz: structured, but with lots of space for
improvisation. [A-camera operator] Steve
Adelson, [A-camera 1st AC] Brian Moreno
and the local B and C camera teams were
incredible.
Working with digital cameras,
every week I discover something new on
the spot, he observes. For instance, on
this project I discovered a new way of fill
lighting for night scenes. On wide shots,
Kino Flos on the floor gelled with Steel Blue
117 and bounced into 4-by-8 silver reflec-
tors gave me a very low, threatening, bluish
light that was almost invisible because it
Top: Brokers
Louisiana home.
Middle: The crew
prepares multiple
cameras for a
night scene with
Vidovic outside
the house.
Bottom: ArriMax
18Ks gelled with
Steel Blue were
positioned above
tall oak trees to
mimic moonlight
for a night scene
in the bayou.
FROM THE DIRECTOR OF THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY
BEST CI NEMATOGRAPHY
ANDREW LESNIE, ACS, ASC

was coming from a weird angle. We could
light big areas with it in no time and get a
naturalistic feel that was just slightly
enhanced.
With digital, lighting becomes
more complicated in that we have to not
only control the existing practicals, but also
remove other, undesired light and add very
subtle splashes of our own light, he contin-
ues. Because of that, the cinematogra-
phers job becomes more complicated but
also much more creative.
At the same time, developments in
lighting are making standard 1K and 2K
lamps a little obsolete. I was in China
recently, and LED technology is exploding
there; you can plug into any home outlet
and get an enormous amount of light
power. Nowadays, lighting is often creating
an environment and mood with practicals
and just enhancing that light slightly. We no
longer set up a camera, create the shot and
then light the shot, as was the case 30 years
ago.
Homefronts climactic confrontation
takes place at night at a large house in the
bayou. ArriMax 18Ks gelled with Steel Blue
bathed the scene in a moonlight ambience
from above the towering oak trees. In some
shots with intense action, a blue-streak filter
mimicked an anamorphic lens flare. The
18Ks lit everything, but in a kind of invisible
way because theres barely any other color
in the scene, says Van de Sande. The light
had to come through a dense tree canopy,
so we ended up with very little dappled
Top left: Cassie (Kate Bosworth) asks a local meth
dealer, Gator (James Franco), to teach the Broker
family a lesson. Top right: Cinematographer Theo
van de Sande, ASC. Middle: Broker confronts Gator
and Sheryl (Winona Ryder). Bottom: The police arrive
to raid a biker bar that fronts for a meth lab.
moonlight on the ground, but it was
enough to give it a feeling of enormous
depth. If wed shot 35mm anamorphic, you
wouldnt be able to see that.
Van de Sande often used a some-
what shallow depth-of-field, usually at a
stop of T2.8. He reports that he no longer
uses a light meter on the set. Instead, after
an initial lighting setup, he consults a Flan-
ders Scientific reference monitor. With New
Orleans gaffer Paul Olinde, he continuously
improved the lighting of a shot, even
between takes.
Convergent Design Gemini 4:4:4
digital recorders recorded 2880x1620
images in the ArriRaw format, using 512GB
SSD cards. Using Pomforts LiveGrade, digi-
tal-imaging technician Nate Brock applied
corrections to an extended-range Log C
output of the Gemini live to Van de Sandes
taste. At the end of the day, Brock and Van
de Sande verified and tweaked the ASC
CDLs, playing the ProRes 4:4:4:4 footage
back, again using LiveGrade. Van de Sande
viewed dailies in ProRes 4:2:2.
At FotoKems NextLab facility in New
Orleans, the ArriRaw files were ingested to
a 100TB Raid6 for processing. The ASC CDL
values were applied and manipulated using
the labs proprietary software, which was
also used for audio sync, color, logging and
LTO tape archive. FotoKem used its Global-
Data software to securely upload the Avid
editorial media and source audio to the
editorial department in California. Color
adjustments were also supplied to the
visual-effects team for matching purposes.
Van de Sande pulled reference
frames for every scene from the ProRes
4:2:2 dailies files. When we came closer to
the final grade, I used the EDL to select
about 400 stills and colored them in
[Adobe] Lightroom on my Apple Cinema
display, he recalls. I brought the same
cinema display to the DI bay at FotoKem [in
Burbank] and showed them to our colorist,
John Daro. That was very helpful in getting
us quickly to the feel for each scene, and
we could then spend more time finessing
the shots creatively. It was very time
consuming to do all that work during the
shoot, but at the end it paid off. For the
final grade, which took about a week, Daro
worked at 16-bit precision on an SGO Mist-
ika, which was fed by a Dot Hill SAN. The
file formats were ArriRaw and DPX, with a
few ProRes shots.
After collaborating with Fleder on
several television pilots and now a feature,
Van de Sande says, we know the melody,
we know the story and the structure, and
we jam. Sometimes the results are brilliant,
sometimes theyre okay, but the feeling is
always there, and we always learn. We
enjoy it tremendously.
When I have an instinct, says
Fleder, Theo always runs with it and
makes it better.
TECHNICAL SPECS
2.40:1
Digital Capture
Arri Alexa, Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Angenieux Optimo, Cooke S4,
Canon L Series
Top: Gator and a
colleague work in
the meth lab in
this frame grab.
Bottom: Van de
Sande used Lee
Chrome Orange
179 gels to create
an exaggerated
sodium-vapor
look.

A Vibrant Holiday Musical
By Iain Stasukevich
Adapted from Langston Hughes
play, which premiered Off-Broadway in
1961, Black Nativity follows a young boy
from Baltimore, Langston (Jacob Latimore),
whose single mother (Jennifer Hudson)
sends him to Harlem to meet his estranged
grandparents (Forest Whitaker and Angela
Bassett) for the first time. The grandfather is
the reverend at a local church, where he is
staging a production of Hughes play. Less
than enthralled by the production, young
Langston falls asleep and dreams his own
nativity tale, which is full of lively musical
numbers and populated by the strangers he
met on his way to his grandparents home.
Black Nativity was directed and writ-
ten by Kasi Lemmons and shot by Anastas
Michos, ASC. The cinematographer recently
met with AC to discuss his work on the
production.
American Cinematographer:
When you and Kasi Lemmons began
discussing format options, what were
your considerations?
Anastas Michos, ASC: Kasi
conceived the film as a musical, with a lot of
singing and dancing. The dream sequences
are musical numbers, and parts of the narra-
tive reality are also musical numbers. We
wanted to differentiate the dream world
from the real world, and we thought wed
do this by making the dream world very
saturated and hyper-real, and the real world
more urban and earthy. We wanted to
shoot the dream world with the [Arri] Alexa
and use a mix of 16mm and 35mm film for
the real world; we thought wed use 16mm
for settings like Baltimore and Times
Square, and then switch to 35mm when
Langston arrives at his grandparents house.
For many reasons, the studio nixed
the idea of shooting film, so we decided to
shoot with the Alexa and use exposure
techniques and the DI process to achieve
what we had in mind. I shot the dream
sequences at exposure so I could get a
sharp cutoff on the blacks and crush them
down a bit, and I underexposed the real-
world material, creating a gentler falloff in
the blacks and a more filmic look. We also
did a lot of saturation work in the DI; we
pumped up the blues, oranges and reds in
many of the dream sequences. If Id shot
this on film, I would have used a mix of
stocks and probably a pull or push process
to achieve the same things.
Did you set different looks while
you were shooting?
Michos: We captured in ArriRaw.
Typically, I take the time in preproduction to
set a dailies look, and then I use my two
weeks in the DI to do the grade for the
release. When you color a picture for a
theatrical release, youre grading it to very
specific standards, with look-up tables, et
cetera, but for dailies, you have to be aware
that the studio and the director will watch
the dailies on different platforms. Who
knows how those screens are calibrated?
What our editor sees is probably very differ-
ent from what studio executives are looking
at, and thats different from what Im doing
in the dailies suite with the colorist. For the
dailies, which I timed with Adrienne
McNeary at Harbor, we timed for a Pix
upload, a version that was bright and flat
enough to be viewable on an iPad, and then
did another timing for the Avid. Neither of
those looked like what I did in the final grade
with [Harbor colorist/owner] Joe Gawler.
How would you describe the look
you actually wanted?
Michos: We wanted Langstons
world to be a bit raw. Its messy and erratic,
and we go handheld when hes by himself,
so the frame has a lot of movement in it.
Also, the color palette is fairly cold almost
everywhere but in his grandparents house,
which is rendered in beautiful warm tones to
suggest home and safety. We also took a
more restrained, formal approach to lighting
and camerawork in their house. For dream
sequences, we went for a very fine-grain,
almost grainless image, hyper-saturated
color and more camera motion.
Your photography for the dream-
world musical numbers has a loose feel,
like a live concert.
Michos: We did have live singing,
not just playback, and I wanted to be sure
we didnt miss any of our cues behind the
camera. Gerard Sava was our accomplished
A-camera operator, and I operated the B
camera. We needed to react instinctively to
the musical performances. To me, camera
operating is akin to playing music because
its about expressing emotion over time. Our
setups were less formal than another musi-
cal might be because we wanted them to
have an organic feel, and we used two or
three cameras to cover them, just like we
would a live performance. I wanted to be
able to capture happy accidents, like the
camera arriving half a beat early, or an inter- B
l
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.

Langston (Jacob Latimore, center) gets into the Christmas spirit in the musical Black Nativity, shot by
Anastas Michos, ASC.
I
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MAN & BEAST - A docu-drama
Director: Dante Ariola, DGA Award winner
Cinematographer: Jef Cronenweth, Academy Award nominee
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esting focus choice. Now that Ive seen the
final cut, I think those concepts really
worked.
Were you at all concerned that
the spherical Panavision Primos would
be too sharp for a digital camera?
Michos: Ive been a Panavision fan
for the longest time, so I know their sharp-
ness, coatings and flare factors very well. I
actually wanted to get our images to be as
sharp and crisp as possible. I know thats
counterintuitive to how dreams are usually
portrayed in movies, but we wanted to
suggest a hyper-real state. When I wanted a
more filmic look, Id use Tiffen Soft FX filters
ranging from
1
2 to 1
1
2. Compared to other
digital cameras, the Alexa look is already
somewhat filmic, and I was quite happy to
go even softer with filtration.
What was your approach to
underexposing the image? Did you
light under or stop down?
Michos: Thats basically the same
thing. I light by eye and then meter yes,
I still use a light meter! In the interiors, I
would expose at T2.8 when the subject was
actually at a T2 or T1.4. But when youre
shooting a night exterior in New York City,
there is much you cant control. You have to
look at the ambient level and then decide
how youre going to light your foreground
compared to that background. More often
than not, my night exteriors were exposed
at T1.9 to T2. On the brightest streets I
would expose at T2.8, and I think T5.6 was
the base stop in Times Square! Rated at ISO
800, the Alexa reads a tremendous amount
of detail in the blacks.
Top: Langstons mother, Naima (Jennifer Hudson), sends him to spend the holidays with his
grandparents in New York. Middle: Langston surveys his grandparents home in Harlem under
the watchful eye of his grandfather, Rev. Cobbs (Forest Whitaker). Bottom: Langston and Loot
(Tyrese Gibson) sit in the Queens County jail.

Did you have to make any special
lighting considerations because you
were working with an all-black cast?
Michos: On a studio feature, the
mandate is to make the cast look as good as
possible. An all-black cast means the range
of skin tones is quite broad, whereas the
luminance value of white skin falls within a
fairly narrow spectrum. I shot much of the
picture in cool light, but I didnt go warmer
or cooler because of a skin tone. It was
always about what the scene required, and
then I would light the actor in a way that
emphasized the emotion of that moment.
Was there a go-to keylight config-
uration?
Michos: Our talented gaffer, Bob
Sciretta, and I were more concerned about
the quality of the light than we were about
specific lighting instruments. The camera
only knows the quality of light, and you can
achieve that many different ways, whether
its with rows of LEDs mounted on foamcore,
a Chinese lantern, or a bounce with a Leko.
Because 95 percent of our work was done
on locations, we chose many of our lights
just because they happened to physically fit
in the location. On location you have to be a
little more creative about figuring out where
to place a light because you cant rip out a
wall. I like to use those limitations as starting
points. If I cant pull the wall out, what can I
do that will look interesting?
Describe a location where you
had to get creative because of limited
space.
Michos: We shot Langston waking
up in his Baltimore row house practically, in a
6-by-10-foot bedroom. Much of the look
was down to practical lighting, and I had a
great collaboration with our set designer,
Diane Liederman. We put a green shade
over the window because I wanted half the
room to have a cool feel, and because it was
Christmas season, we had a string of Christ-
mas-tree lights hanging from the wall. I lit
the space with a 6K HMI bounce through a
window and a dimmed Chinese lantern. I
dont know if I wouldve done it that way
had the room been bigger.
What was your largest location?
Michos: The church, which was built
in the early 1800s. It seats about 400 people.
We were not allowed to touch the walls or
hang any kind of grid. In the film, the grand-
Top: A-
camera/Steadicam
operator Gerard
Sava films
Whitaker in the
church. Middle:
Langston, Aretha
(Angela Bassett),
Naima and Rev.
Cobbs join the
church choir.
Bottom: A Louma
2 crane
maneuvers the
camera to capture
the celebration.
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father is trying to raise money to fix the
church roof, so [production designer] Kristi
Zea gave us several scaffolds draped with
tarps and whatnot that allowed us to justify
the legwork that was supporting our rock
n roll truss it held the 60-odd Martin
Mac Vipers that we needed for the dream
and dance sequences. We wanted to tran-
sition between a naturalistic look, with over-
head toplights and soft boxes, and a theatri-
cal look that involved moving lights and a
full spectrum of color. Some of the dance
sequences are bathed entirely in blue or red.
Another challenge in the church was that
Jacob, our lead actor, was 16 years old, so
he couldnt work past midnight. The
church/dream sequence takes place on
Christmas Eve, so we had to black out the
entire three-story church and shoot the
whole thing day-for-night. The second-floor
stained-glass windows had to be tented in
order to keep them from looking dead,
because in Manhattan the streetlights will
still light up those windows. To make the
light seem more random, Bob Sciretta came
up with the great idea of placing tiny bulbs
around windows on the outside.
Did you finish in 2K or 4K?
Michos: This was a 2K film. Theres
a lot of talk about 4K, but Im not convinced
that resolution alone is the benchmark of
quality. There is also, of course, the cameras
latitude to consider. You must choose reso-
lution and latitude based on the kind of film
youre creating. For me, its always about
the aesthetic. If Im shooting a large-scale
epic with wide shots and I want to resolve
small objects on a large screen, then Ill look
for a lot of resolution. If its an intimate,
character-driven story that takes place
mainly in houses and churches, Ill probably
want less resolution. In that situation, the
last thing I want is to see every pore on an
actors face.
TECHNICAL SPECS
2.40:1
Digital Capture
Arri Alexa
Panavision Primo
Top: Langston
places a call for
help in Times
Square. Middle:
Sava and focus
puller Craig
Pressgrove
capture the shot.
Bottom: Michos
frames up inside
the church.
JASON FABBRO
MARK KUEPER
MICHAEL HATZER
MIKE SOWA
NICO ILIES
PAUL ENSBY
PETER DOYLE
SKIP KIMBALL
STEVEN J. SCOTT
TONY DUSTIN
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R
odrigo Prieto, ASC, AMC recalls feeling amazing and
excited, but also a bit scared when he first met with
Martin Scorsese to discuss the possibility of shooting
The Wolf of Wall Street, which is based on a bestselling
book about the rise-and-fall life of Wall Street broker Jordan
Belfort (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) during the 1990s.
Belfort dived spectacularly into drugs, securities fraud and
money laundering, and eventually ended up in jail.
With longtime collaborator Robert Richardson, ASC
unavailable, Scorsese turned to Prieto because he had long
admired his work, particularly Brokeback Mountain (AC Jan.
06) and Lust, Caution (AC Oct. 07). In a sense, I would say
Rodrigos lighting is more naturalistic, and his cinematogra-
phy more invisible, the director observes, corresponding with
AC via email. It has an impact on the subconscious [and]
Boom
and
Bust
Rodrigo Prieto, ASC, AMC
and Martin Scorsese discuss their
approach to The Wolf of Wall Street,
the true story of a stockbroker
run amok.
By Michael Goldman
|
www.theasc.com December 2013 39
creates a kind of energy that nudges the
audience in the intended direction.
Scorsese was pleased with the
results he and Richardson had attained
with the Arri Alexa on the 3-D feature
Hugo (AC Dec. 11), and he had already
decided to shoot Wolf digitally by the
time Prieto came aboard. However,
rigorous preproduction testing led the
filmmakers to choose a hybrid
approach. When we started testing
different digital cameras and ideas, I also
shot film as a benchmark so I could
understand differences in terms of lati-
tude, color and so on, Prieto recalls. I
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Opposite: Wall Street broker Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) flaunts a life of excess in The Wolf
of Wall Street. This page, top: Belfort rallies his employees in the refurbished auto shop that first
houses his company, Stratton Oakmont. Middle: Belfort dines with his mentor, Mark Hanna
(Matthew McConaughey). Bottom: Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, ASC, AMC lines up a shot
with 1st AC Zoran Veselic.
shot the same images on film and on
digital, and when I screened the tests for
Scorsese, he kept pointing to the film
versions and saying they looked better,
basically noting that the skin tones were
richer and there was more color nuance.
So, I went to our producers to explore
the financial implications of shooting
on film negative and reserving digital
capture for low-light situations. After
looking at the comparative costs,
production agreed to work with that
hybrid method.
We did bear some additional
costs carrying additional cameras along
the way, notes producer Emma
Tillinger Koskoff, but at the end of the
day, we shot on the media that best
served the look.
Thus, says Scorsese, we took
advantage of both worlds, shooting
most of the movie on film, and then
using the Alexa for night scenes, exper-
iments with shutter speed, and green-
screen visual effects. The filmmakers
retained the Alexa for the latter because
the project had been budgeted based on
a digital workflow, and visual-effects
supervisor/2nd-unit director Rob
Legato, ASC had already designed an
Alexa-based methodology for the
second-unit work and the creation of
Boom and Bust

Top: Belfort leads
an office
bacchanalia.
Middle: Prieto
finds a high angle
on the office
mayhem. Bottom:
The crew executes
a dolly move.
more than 400 visual-effects shots.
Legato had collaborated with
Richardson on three Scorsese pictures,
Hugo, Shutter Island (AC March 10)
and The Aviator (AC Jan. 05), and says
he found it stimulating to embrace a
different approach and learn something
new from Prieto. After working with
Bob Richardson for so long, I had
grown to have similar sensibilities about
shots and lighting, and Rodrigo has an
entirely different lighting style, he says.
That gave me an opportunity to adapt
to a different way of working and seeing
things, which I found intriguing. My
challenge for both the visual effects and
the second-unit work was to match
Rodrigos lighting style precisely.
For the productions film work,
which was shot on 4-perf Super 35mm,
Prieto chose Arricam Lites and Kodak
Vision3 250D 5207 (for day scenes)
and 500T 5219 (for tungsten-lit
scenes). For the digital work, he chose
Arri Alexa Studio and Plus systems,
capturing in ArriRaw in Log C wide
gamut.
The filmmakers global challenge
was to figure out how to visually repre-
sent the different stages of Belforts
story. Rodrigo and I decided to [distin-
guish] the scenes where Jordan is uncer-
tain or lost from the scenes where he
Top: Belfort sets
the tone for an
ill-conceived
contest. Middle:
Key grip Tommy
Prate (right) uses a
pole to push the
camera along a 70'
I-beam, to capture
the brokers as
they frantically sell
stock. Bottom: The
grips built a
protective wall so
wrestling actors
could appear to
bump into the
camera.
has found some clarity and direction,
says Scorsese.
They decided to achieve this
mainly with different optics, lighting
styles and color schemes. Using Belforts
state of mind as his guide, Prieto alter-
nated between spherical Arri Master
Primes and anamorphic Hawk V, V-
Lite and V-Plus lenses to achieve differ-
ent degrees of depth, perspective and
clarity. Scorsese adds that Prieto also
convinced him to enhance the contrast
between Belforts states of mind by
mixing in some diffusion filters, occa-
sionally adding ambient smoke and
pushing the negative.
At the beginning of Belforts
story, we started with a softer, slightly
murky look, Prieto explains. He hasnt
found himself yet, and hes still confused
and awestruck by Wall Street. I used the
shallow depth-of-field and slight distor-
tion of anamorphic lenses for this first
phase of his career.
Before Belfort starts his own
business, he lands his first job at the firm
LF Rothschild, a set dominated by
green and gold lighting that evokes
old-world wealth, as Scorsese notes.
Prieto adds, The color scheme was
inspired by a photo I found of a broker-
age firm in the 1980s. Shooting on
5207, the cinematographer used tung-
sten-balanced fluorescent lights and
Tiffen Black Pro-Mist filters on the
Hawk lenses. For wide shots of the
office space, we used the 28mm and
35mm V-Lite lenses, which curved the
edges of the frame a bit, adding to the
sense of instability, he says. This look
was not as crisp or clean as the look of
Belforts later offices, where we used a
lot of white. Using daylight stock with
tungsten lighting resulted in an amber
coloration, and then I pushed those
scenes 1 stop to add a little extra grain
and contrast. The warm ambient light-
ing contrasts with the green graphics on
all the desktop computer screens and
the green LED tickertape in the office.
When the crash of 1987
Boom and Bust

Top (from left):
Chantelle (Katarina
Cas) models a
money suit for
Donnie Azoff
(Jonah Hill),
Belfort, Naomi
(Margot Robbie)
and Brad (Jon
Bernthal). Bottom:
Scorsese takes the
actors through the
scene.
happens, LF Rothschild fails and
closes, and Belfort finds himself unem-
ployed, Prieto continues. He eventu-
ally finds work at an investment center
as a regular employee, a job he hates. I
lit that set only with light through big
windows on one side, and the feeling is
like a cave, a place where he sort of falls
into darkness.
Eventually, Belfort rebounds,
starts his own brokerage house and
achieves massive success, only to crash
and lose it all. When he figures out
how to make a lot of money and
becomes a success, we wanted a crisper,
more pristine look a look of greater
clarity, says Prieto. We switched to
spherical Master Primes and used them
without diffusion for this section.
Then, when he finds himself
under investigation and his world
unravels, we devised what I call the
paranoia look, he continues. We
switched back to Hawk anamorphics,
this time using longer focal lengths to
create a sense of being spied on, and for
some scenes we added some ambient
smoke so the backgrounds became
slightly milky, with shallow depth-of-
field. For those scenes, I also pushed the
film stock [both 5219 and 5207,
depending on the scene] 1 stop to add
grain and contrast.
First AC Zoran Veselic jokingly
calls the Hawk lenses anamorphic
Master Primes because they have that
same quality of crispness and sharpness,
but with a slight anamorphic falloff. We
loved their consistency. On the longer
end of the primes, we started the show
with a V-Lite 140mm, and then we
decided to continue with a V-Plus
135mm, which we found a little bit
sharper. Prieto also used V-Lite 45mm,
55mm, 65mm, 80mm and 110mm
primes; V-Plus 45-90mm and 80-
180mm zooms; and a V series 180mm.
Prietos approach was adapted
more specifically to visually distinguish
the three iterations of Belforts company,
Stratton Oakmont, as it grows. After
starting out in a refurbished auto shop,
Belfort moves his business into a proper
office, and then, finally, into a large,
ornate office space. To help differentiate
among the settings, Prieto used different
color-temperature mixtures and applied
various filters and diffusion.
When Belfort starts his own
Top: Belfort belts out a tune during a pool party at his beach house. Bottom: The crew positions an
18K HMI Fresnel on a Condor to maintain lighting continuity beneath the oncoming cloud cover.
company, the old auto-shop location is
darker and grittier than his evolving
office spaces, says Prieto. I also pushed
the stock, both 5207 and 5219. We lit
the space with 2K Fresnels and some
Cool White fluorescent practicals. In
addition, we rigged [Kino Flo] Image
80s in the ceiling to enhance the fluo-
rescent fill, using 2,900K tubes for
night and 5,500K tubes for day scenes.
After that comes Belforts power
look, as his offices grow more opulent.
Scorsese describes this as a crisper,
cleaner look, with wide focal lengths,
deep focus, white light, vibrant contrast
and quick, defined camera moves.
The final iteration of Belforts
company, Stratton Oakmont III, is an
enormous space with windows on three
sides and glass-walled offices. This
practical location was the third floor of
an office building in Westchester, N.Y.
The filmmakers started shooting these
sequences in late November, meaning
they lost daylight around 4:30 p.m.
Further, the building sat on the side of a
hill, meaning the third floor was closer
to six stories high, increasing the diffi-
culty of controlling sunlight and re-
creating it after the sun went down.
To keep daylight going in there,
we built light boxes for two sides [of the
set], outfitted them with Kino Flos, hid
the ballast up in the ceiling, and then
put the boxes right into the windows as
plugs, with vertical blinds in front of
them to modulate the effect of a plain
whiteout, says gaffer Bill OLeary. On
a third side, where Belforts office was
located, was a window that offered an
exterior view. Because that window was
dominant in many shots, we decided
not to white it; instead, we put a back-
ing outside it. We used shipping
containers to build [the frame for a wall]
three stories high in the shape of an L,
and we attached the backing to that [in
Boom and Bust

Scorsese directs
Robbie and
DiCaprio for a
scene in a
nursery.
tent fashion]. Then, we put a roof over
it to protect it from the elements. We lit
the backing with Arri X Lights on scaf-
folding that was just below the
windows; then, we put up a Traveler
truss rig and hung a 50K SoftSun to
provide sunlight, along with two 12K
Pars for the times when Rodrigo
wanted a hotter splash in the back-
ground. So, we ended up with lights in
both directions lamps away from us
to light the backing, and lamps toward
us to light the set itself. It was the only
way we could maintain a consistent
daylight look regardless of the hour or
weather.
In addition to devising looks for
different times and locations in Belforts
story, the filmmakers also created
certain looks to evoke the characters
emotions and/or mental state. For
example, to highlight his ongoing drug
abuse, Prieto devised the Quaalude
look, getting up close and personal
with DiCaprio as the actor delivered
slurred-speech dialogue. I used an
Alexa with a 360-degree shutter at
12 fps, and then we printed each frame
twice so the speed returned to 24 fps in
real time, creating quite a bit of motion
blur, Prieto explains. The image has
the feeling of blur but also of flow,
giving the sensation of being very loose.
For one of these drugged-out scenes, in
a nightclub, we also used Vantage
Bethke Effect filters on the lens to add
to the confusion. For another Quaalude
scene, we used a Probe II Plus [from
Innovision Optics] with a 20mm lens
on it to get very close to Leos eye and
mouth as he attempted to talk.
In Belforts Manhattan apart-
ment, Prieto used dimmable 4'
MacTech LED tubes, mounting them
Boom and Bust

Right: The crew
employs a night-
for-day setup for
a bus interior. As
an 18K Arrimax
(right) is moved
along dolly track,
a grip waves
branches in front
of the fixture to
create the illusion
of sunlight
filtering through
trees. Below:
Prieto readies the
brake-light and
blinker effect for
a scene in which
Belfort backs his
car into a brick
pillar.
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on the top of the walls and windows
around the perimeter of the rooms to
bounce light off the ceiling. He loved the
LED instruments because I could use
them to softly backlight the interior of
the apartment, and because theyre
dimmable we could set a very low level
so the city lights would still register
through the tinted windows at night.
We shot those night scenes with the
Tommy Prate recalls that the crew
created soft window light using 12'x12'
frames of Full Grid Cloth with soft
crates on them. We had Arri T12s
lighting through those frames, says
Prieto, and outside the big window you
see at the end of the shot we created
sunlight with a 24K rigged on a truss
over a large greenscreen. The tracking
shot was executed by placing a camera
on the end of a 50' Technocrane on a
10'-high platform, permitting the
camera to telescope straight without
having to adjust the boom during the
shot. As the shot ends, the camera
booms down behind Belfort and looks
out the window at a view of the city.
Such work is why Prieto calls The
Wolf of Wall Street a movie of extremes
in terms of what was required to
capture the energy Scorsese wanted.
The film also features several elaborate
visual-effects sequences, including the
crash of an all-CG helicopter in
Belforts backyard. Without a doubt,
however, the most complicated part of
the entire production was a sequence in
which a drug-addled Belfort sails his
luxury yacht into the middle of a major
Alexa Studio, with the Master Primes
wide open.
A post-orgy scene in a Las Vegas
hotel suite includes an overhead track-
ing shot of partygoers in various posi-
tions. This was shot on a built set, but
no sidewalls were built because the
camera only needed to travel over the
top of the 50'-long suite, which
comprised three rooms. Key grip
Boom and Bust

Right: Belfort
raises a glass
atop his yacht.
Below: Belfort
speaks with FBI
Agent Patrick
Denham (Kyle
Chandler).
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storm as several characters struggle to
survive on the bridge of the boat.
The filmmakers shot the live-
action portions of the storm sequence
on a yacht set that was built in the park-
ing lot of Steiner Studios in Brooklyn.
They had to create a believable dark and
stormy day exterior, so Prieto decided to
shoot the sequence at night to better
control lighting. The bridge was built on
a large gimbal that was shaken so
violently it was frequently necessary for
the dolly grips to latch onto Prieto and
B-camera/Steadicam operator Maceo
Bishop to help them stay upright as they
captured the action.
OLearys crew created soft ambi-
ent light for the sequence by bouncing
24Ks gelled with CTB off a 20'x30'
frame of UltraBounce, and also with
two 250K Lightning Strikes periodi-
cally going off as the gimbal thrashed.
Meanwhile, the special-effects team
used dump tanks and water cannons to
send water onto the bridge of the set in
order to simulate the wave that finally
sinks the ship. A Chapman Hydrascope
was used for shots looking into the
bridge so that water could literally be
dumped right over the camera.
For other scenes on the yacht, the
art department built a replica of the
upper deck of the boat in a soundstage
at Kaufman Astoria Studios. There, all
around the actors and crew, on the deck
of the yacht, sat the fruits of what Prieto
calls a huge pre-rig that was built in
order to light and capture background
plates. A semicircular greenscreen
measuring roughly 50' high by 80' wide
wrapped around the set, and it was
rigged on a track so the crew could slide
it to accommodate each shot without
sending green spill to other areas of the
set. Outside of shooting range, hung on
the same truss, was a huge, white curtain
that bounced light for a soft fill behind
the camera. Lighting was complicated
by the fact that the yacht set included
shiny chrome, a lot of white, and low
ceilings; this prevented OLearys crew
from hanging space lights to create
ambient daylight.
OLeary recalls, The yacht was
Boom and Bust

Top: With the
Innovision
Probe II Plus on
the camera,
Prieto prepares
to shoot a
phone-booth
reflection of
Belfort on
Quaaludes.
Middle: The
crew films a
scene in which
Denham
receives an
important call.
Bottom (from
left): B-camera
1st AC Bobby
Mancuso,
B-camera dolly
grip Pete
Bulavinitz,
B-camera/
Steadicam
operator
Maceo Bishop,
A-camera dolly
grip Chris
Gamiello,
Prieto, two
unidentified
crewmembers,
Veselic, two
unidentified
crewmembers,
B-camera 2nd
AC/C-camera
1st AC Scott
Tinsley and
A-camera 2nd
AC Beka
Venezia.
high on a platform, which didnt give us
much overhead space to work with, so
we decided to basically lay in a blanket
of Image 80s as high as we could get
them and then stretch Full Grid Cloth
beneath that. That rendered a broad,
soft toplight. From there, we created
sun for backlight using two 50K
SoftSuns gelled with
1
2 CTO, one on
a scissor lift and one on a Condor.
Fortunately, the yacht was designed to
have a structure over the top of the
middle of the deck, and that enabled us
to separate the light from the SoftSun
on the Condor. That gave us a hard,
distinct sunlight that we could use as a
three-quarter backlight. We controlled
many units with a DMX board so we
could switch certain bulbs on or off.
Another notable aspect of the
shoot was the second units work
capturing aerial plates using a prototype
of the Canon C500. Prieto tested the
camera for more extensive use, but
because it was still in the prototype stage
and there were multiple Alexas avail-
able, he decided it was unnecessary.
However, Legato found it ideal for the
aerial work because of its small size and
light weight; his team was able to rig it
onto the nose of a remote-controlled
Octocopter and fly it over beachfront
property on Long Island. (Local rules
prohibited the use of a full-sized heli-
copter in the area.) The C500 weighs
about 7 pounds, and the image quality
was excellent, even with a prototype,
Boom and Bust

Scorsese discusses a shot with Prieto and 1st AD Adam Somner (center).
52
Legato says. Using the Octocopter
allowed us to get shots we couldnt have
with a normal helicopter.
Throughout the shoot, Deluxe
Laboratories processed the productions
negative and created dailies, scanning
the negative at 2K and using
Colorfronts On Set Dailies for the
timing, which was done in P3 log for
Avid DNX115 dailies. Dailies colorist
Steve Bodner applied viewing LUTs
created by EFilm to the Alexa material
that emulated Kodak Vision 2383 print
stock. To communicate his creative
intent to Bodner during the shoot,
Prieto recalls that he did basic CDLs
on set for the Alexa footage using a
viewing LUT from EFilm, and sent
written notes for the scenes shot on film
negative. The cinematographer usually
watched Blu-ray dailies at home on a
calibrated monitor provided by Deluxe.
At press time, Prieto was prepar-
ing to commence the final grade at
EFilm in Hollywood with colorist Yvan
Lucas. EFilm New York did a 6K scan
of the negative for this work, and EFilm
Hollywood was set to do a 4K filmout.
Although Prieto had previously
worked on somewhat similar terrain
when he shot Wall Street: Money Never
Sleeps for Oliver Stone (AC Oct. 10),
Scorseses project and methods were
totally new experiences for him. I
learned a lot from him, says Prieto. I
remember when [1st AD] Adam
Somner and I first sat down with him
and went through his shot list. Just
listening to him explain why he wanted
to use a static camera in a particular
place, a mobile camera in a different
scene, a big crane move, or whatever,
was incredible. I felt like I was at some
kind of an amazing seminar with a great
professor. It was a great joy to build on
his ideas and be a creative partner to
such a brilliant mind.
TECHNICAL SPECS
2.40:1
4-perf Super 35mm and
Digital Capture
Arricam Lite; Arri Alexa Studio, Plus
Arri Master Prime;
Vantage Film Hawk V, V-Plus, V-Lite;
Innovision Optics Probe II Plus
Kodak Vision3 250D 5207,
500T 5219
Digital Intermediate
53
O
ne of the most striking elements of 12 Years a Slave,
director Steve McQueens film about slavery in the
antebellum South, is its visual beauty. McQueen and
cinematographer Sean Bobbitt, BSC use a widescreen
canvas to capture the golden glow of the Louisiana bayou at
sunset, and the pastoral quality of lush plantation grounds
being worked by dark-skinned field hands. But the film is not
an idyll, of course; it is a horrific account of enslavement and
abuse, and the camera catches all of that, too.
We were really looking for a painterly quality as a
counterpoint to the horrors of slavery, says Bobbitt. We tried
not to do it in a heavy-handed way, though, and to find those
moments as opposed to planning them. The thing we kept
saying to ourselves was, Keep it simple. This mandate influ-
enced all of the cinematographic choices, from lighting to
camera moves.
Steve is always looking for a truth, a reality, and
although it is never the reason for making a film, its always
the undercurrent, continues Bobbitt, who worked with
McQueen on the features Hunger (AC April 09) and Shame
and on a number of the directors film-based art installations.
He always undergoes an exploration thats intellectual as well
as visual.
McQueen was first inspired to contact Bobbitt after
seeing Michael Winterbottoms Wonderland, which Bobbitt
shot in 2000. Influenced by the Dogme95 movement, that
film had a lot of blurred shots and handheld camera in real
places with real people, says the cinematographer. McQueen
subsequently enlisted Bobbitt to shoot the installation Western
Deep in a South African gold mine. It was an event that
A free African-American man is
abducted and sold into slavery in the
searing drama 12 Years a Slave, shot
by Sean Bobbitt, BSC.
By John Calhoun
|
A
Soul
Suppressed
changed my life forever, Bobbitt says.
Up to then, everything I had shot was
linear narrative, and here was something
that had no structure. It upset me at
first, but then I realized that the creation
of images just for the sake of it was the
most liberating and amazing thing.
Steve used all the years of work I had
done, the skills Id developed, in a free
and open form. I think everything Ive
done since then has been touched by
that.
Steve has an amazing ability to
transform simple imagery into a power-
ful emotional state, and he has trans-
posed that into his feature-film work in
a way thats unencumbered by the
conventions of contemporary filmmak-
ing, Bobbitt adds. He doesnt feel
bound by the way everyone else makes
films. As a result, hes incredibly brave;
he will do things that most people
would consider foolhardy, and pull it
off. Hungers three-act narrative is one
P
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.
Opposite: Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) considers his plight after being kidnapped and sold into
slavery. This page, top: Northup is threatened by plantation owner Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender).
Bottom: Cinematographer Sean Bobbitt, BSC (left) and director Steve McQueen line up a shot.
example: the first act has no scripted
dialogue, the second is entirely
composed of a scripted exchange
between hunger striker Bobby Sands
and a priest, and the third returns to the
unscripted method.
Though 12 Years a Slave has a
more familiar narrative structure, it was
not shot in a conventional manner. For
instance, the word coverage does not
exist in Steves vocabulary, says Bobbitt.
We shoot what is needed to tell the
story as opposed to shooting what we
might need to tell the story.
The film is based on the memoir
by Solomon Northup (played by
Chiwetel Ejiofor), a professional violin-
ist living as a free man in New York
State who was kidnapped in 1841 and
sold into slavery. He toiled on a succes-
sion of Louisiana plantations for 12
years until he was rescued. In the film,
two white plantation owners, William
Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch) and
Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender),
offer a study in contrast: Ford is rela-
tively benevolent, while Epps is cruel,
verging on psychotic.
The movie was shot over 35 days
on locations in Louisiana, including
four preserved antebellum plantations
where the art department, led
by production designer Adam
Stockhausen, built slave cabins to scale.
Prior to shooting, Bobbitt visited the
locations and took a number of stills. I
A Soul Suppressed
Top: Northup enjoys a
day out in Saratoga
Springs with his wife
(Kelsey Scott) and
children (Cameron
Zeigler, left, and
Quvenzhan Wallis).
Middle: He bids his
family farewell
before setting off for
another engagement.
Bottom: China balls
and Dedolights
augment double-wick
candles for Northups
dinner with Brown
(Scoot McNairy, left)
and Hamilton (Taran
Killam).
We shoot what is
needed to tell the
story as opposed to
shooting what we
might need to tell
the story.
started doing that on Shame but did
much more of it on this movie, he says.
I spent a lot of time taking stills, which
allowed me to see the different qualities
of the light at different times of day, and
then used Adobe Lightroom to grade
them and reframe them in 2.40:1. I then
went through them to see what was
unique about each location, where the
angles were and what the compositions
might be in relation to the scene. I sat
down with Steve after I put all those
[elements] together, and they informed
our approach on the day of shooting.
But the beauty is that [despite]
all the prep Steve and I do, the only
thing that matters is what happens on
the day, when the actors are there, he
continues. If one of them walks one
way instead of another, everything weve
planned could just go out the window.
Responding to that is so exciting, and it
makes every day a challenge and fun.
And one of the great things about Steve
is that he recognizes when were going
down a dead end, so we dont waste time
his focus is absolute.
Certain choices have remained
consistent in Bobbitts work with
McQueen, and one is their use of the
widescreen aspect ratio. On 12 Years a
Slave, they achieved this by shooting 4-
perf Super 35mm. When the audience
sees that wide frame, they immediately
know its a feature film, the cinematog-
rapher says. Also, from an operating
point of view, there are so many more
compositional possibilities. Depending
on where you put the subject in the
frame and how you move around him,
you can make things much more
dynamic and heighten the emotional
elements.
Bobbitt, who does his own oper-
ating, uses a single camera on a scene to
avoid compromising the lighting. If
you maximize for one shot, the other
shot suffers, and youve watered down
your aesthetic. I find that when Im
operating, I can focus on the frame
because thoughts about the next setup
or the next lighting issue go to the back
of my brain. Looking at a monitor
doesnt focus his attention in the same
57
way, he adds. When its not right, I
know that immediately, and I can
change it. I also get a lot of pleasure out
of operating and I dont want to give
that up.
He and McQueen used camera
moves very judiciously for 12 Years a
Slave. Tapping Steadicam operators
Andy Shuttleworth, Larry McConkey
and Grayson Austin, they employed a
Steadicam for four key scenes: an early
shot of Solomon playing violin at a
dance as a free man; the slave auction
where he is first sold; a scene showing
him playing violin for wealthy planta-
tion owners as a slave; and a scene in
which he attempts to escape through
the woods. We chose Steadicam for
[those first three scenes] because we
wanted them to be slick, says Bobbitt.
With the slave sale, it drives home the
point that these people are commodi-
ties, and that the auction is a sophisti-
cated operation.
Extended handheld takes are
another recurring element in Bobbitt
and McQueens collaborations, and
they often use the technique for scenes
involving violence. In 12 Years a Slave,
they opted to do a long take for the
scene in which Solomon is forced by
Epps to whip a young female slave,
Patsey (Lupita Nyongo). The moment
you cut, the audience knows theyre
watching a film, Bobbitt comments.
By not putting an edit in, you dont let
A Soul Suppressed
Top: The filmmakers
shoot a bluescreen
sequence in which
Northup and other
kidnapped blacks are
smuggled onto a boat
for transport to the
South. Middle:
Assisted by dolly grip
Joe Cassano (far left)
and 1st AC Brett
Walters (right of
camera), Bobbitt
captures the victims
perspective for the
boats arrival at its
destination. Bottom:
A slave trader (Paul
Giamatti) assigns
Northup a new name.
Despite all the prep
we do, the only thing
that matters is what
happens on the day,
when the actors
are there.
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viewers off the hook; theyre drawn into
the violence to the point where it
becomes uncomfortable and leaves a
lasting impression.
McQueen and Bobbitt have
steadfastly chosen film over digital
capture. Shooting on film simply takes
a will and desire to do so, and Steve
always wants to shoot film, says
Bobbitt, whose credits include one digi-
tal feature, Neil Jordans Byzantium. I
think film still results in a more interest-
ing image and offers greater flexibility. I
like grain and texture; sharpness and
detail are not so important to me.
He recognizes, however that this
is partly a generational preference. I
grew up watching films, so for me the
film image is the highest quality. A lot of
people coming up now have grown up
with computer screens, so their percep-
tion of a good image is completely
different.
For 12 Years a Slave, Bobbitt used
Arricam Studio and Lite cameras,
Cooke S4 prime lenses and Kodak
Vision3 negatives. He tried to stay as
true as possible to period light sources,
lending the films largely authentic loca-
tions a natural ambience. This strategy
informs the visual dichotomy of the
picture, as terrible acts frequently occur
in the warm glow of candlelight. I
wanted to make the candlelight feel like
candlelight, says the cinematographer,
but in reality, candlelit rooms are very
A Soul Suppressed
Top: Plantation
owner William
Ford (Benedict
Cumberbatch)
leads a sermon.
Middle: Ford
offers Northup a
violin in
appreciation of
his work.
Bottom: Northup
lands a paying
gig at a masked
ball for
plantation
owners.
The moment you cut,
the audience knows
theyre watching a film.
By not putting an edit
in, you dont let
viewers off the hook.
The Tifen Company
90 Oser Avenue, Hauppauge, NY 11788 Visit us at tifen.com
2013 The Tifen Company. All trademarks or registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.
These images are from 42 Legendary Pictures Productions LLC. & Warner Bros Entertainment Inc.
Legendary cinematographer Don Burgess was seeking a period look when shooting the hit
learure "42." He c|ose ro _ive eac| year ol Jackie Fo|inson's career represenred in r|e llm
irs own su|rle look wir| a dillerenr Tillen llrer. " wanred ir ro |ecome solrer, warmer and
pro_ressively a lirrle cleaner, wir| r|e colors less mured, as Jackie moved closer ro playin_
lor r|e Dod_ers," Don says. As lor Tillen llrers, "'ve |een usin_ r|em lor 30 years r|e
consisrency makes r|em a producr know can rely on."
When shooting 42, T||en |ters
heped ne ht t out o| the Lapark."

DON BURGESS, A.S.C.
1945: Warm Pro-Mist
1946: Warm Soft/FX
1947: Bronze Glimmerglass
FILTERS
TM
dark, and once you go into that dark-
ness, darker faces disappear, so we had
to find a balance.
Bobbitt paired double-wick
candles at maximum output with low-
wattage China balls on dimmers to
bring the color temperature even lower,
and shot nighttime scenes on Vision3
500T 5219 pushed 1 stop. Rather than
just putting candles in the frame and
using [lighting] instruments to augment
them, I was pushing everything right
down to the bottom, where you can
actually feel the candles. And because
5219 is an extraordinarily clean stock,
pushing it to [ISO] 1,000 also intro-
duced an element of grain.
Working with gaffer Michael
McLaughlin, Bobbitt introduced a
moonlight source into night scenes as
often as possible, creating a great color
contrast between the ultra-warmth of
the candles and the blue-green moon-
light, which we achieved with a combi-
nation of White Flame Green and
CTB [gels], he says. We used that
contrast to create depth within the
scene. As an example, he cites a night
scene that takes place in a slave cabin
after Solomon has been whipped, as a
white indentured servant, Armsby
(Garret Dillahunt), treats his wounds.
Its a horrible scene, says Bobbitt.
Solomon is still bleeding and theyre
talking about slavery, and yet the
candlelight is providing warmth. The
ambience is augmented by a soft tinge
of steely-green moonlight coming
through the window. Key grip Nick
Leon created this effect with a fillopi,
A Soul Suppressed
Top: Fords
overseer, Tibeats
(Paul Dano),
gives Northups
work a poor
evaluation.
Bottom: 1st AD
Doug Torres (far
right) offers
guidance to
Ejiofor as
Bobbitt and his
crew prep an
overhead angle
of Northup
being dragged
off for
punishment.
Standing at the
dolly are (from
left) key grip
Nick Leon (face
obscured), dolly
grip Joe Cassano
and grip Richard
Ramee.
a 2K bounced off an 8'x4' white floppy
angled to the window.
Bobbitt approaches lighting a
scene with the whole set in mind. I
light for 360 degrees on the set, not one
half and then the other, he explains. I
dont want to take the time to relight, so
I avoid a lot of stands on the floor. That
simplifies my life dramatically.
The cinematographer got his
start in documentaries, and that has
informed his lighting style. On one
particular documentary, he recalls, we
were in the Middle East for three
months, and within the first three days
I had blown up every single light. I had
one left, and for the next 2 months I
did everything with one light. I learned
more about lighting during that time
than Id learned in my entire life! So, my
basic approach is, if I can do it with one
light, I will.
Bobbitt shot day exteriors on
Vision3 50D 5203 and day interiors on
250D 5207. On exteriors, he made
liberal use of polarizers to control hot
spots and highlights under the hot
Louisiana sun. He notes that the filters
can also do amazing things on darker
skin tones. His stop on daytime scenes
varied from T4 to T5.6, while night-
time interiors were shot at T2. I
wanted to use the full dynamic range of
the film stock, he says. I tend to drift
into underexposure as a matter of
course; its the place where interesting
A Soul Suppressed
Top: Epps shares
a Bible passage
with his slaves
as his wife
(Sarah Paulson)
looks on.
Middle:
Northup, Patsey
(Lupita
Nyongo, in
purple dress)
and other slaves
await Epps
evaluation of
the days
pickings.
Bottom:
Steel-green
moonlight keys
a scene in
which Patsey
begs Northup
for a favor.
I tend to drift into
underexposure as a
matter of course; its
the place where
interesting things
happen.
things happen. Im always looking for
that hot spot and the spot at the bottom
as well.
In addition to the Cooke primes,
Bobbitt used an Angenieux Optimo 24-
290mm T2.8 zoom lens, but rarely. In
terms of focal length, he says, Steve and
I use everything. We look at each scene
and respond to what the actors do on
the location, [and we consider that] in
relation to where that is in the story.
Sometimes wide-angle lenses are the
way to go; at other times, we choose
longer lenses to isolate elements within
the landscape.
A long lens was used for a central
scene, shot over a grueling two-day
period, in which Solomon is punished
for assaulting an overseer, Tibeats (Paul
Dano), on Fords plantation. He is hung
from a tree, with his feet barely touching
the ground, for an entire day. The wide
shot shows children playing and other
slaves moving through the background,
doing their chores as the day drags on.
His life is completely out of his control,
hanging by a thread, and that thread,
like his life, is owned by someone else,
says Bobbitt. And theres nothing
anyone else can do about it. You see that
writ large as he hangs there and the
other slaves go about their daily lives.
Cineworks in New Orleans
processed the productions negative and
generated digital dailies. They did a
fantastic job for us, and I am particularly
grateful to our dailies colorist, Bradley
Greer, who worked above and beyond
the call of duty to produce consistently
Top: Patsey tries
to justify her
brief absence
from Epps
plantation.
Bottom left: Epps
forces Northup
to deliver
Patseys
punishment.
Bottom right:
McQueen and
Bobbitt discuss
their approach to
a shot at the
location.
beautiful dailies, says Bobbitt. I viewed
rushes as high-quality QuickTimes on a
calibrated screen. Working with a local
lab was a great bonus, because if there
were any questions, I could pop in and
view the material projected digitally.
He adds that the productions
New Orleans-based crew was world
class, and their efforts and commitment
are there on the screen. I am privileged
to work around the world with different
crews, and except for our first AC, Brett
Walters, whom we brought from New
York, this crew was all local. Their
support, hard work, patience and good
humor helped make this a great experi-
ence.
Bobbitt and McQueen carried
out the final grade at Company 3 in
New Yorkwith colorist Tom Poole, who
also worked with Bobbitt on The Place
Beyond the Pines (AC April 13). The
negative was scanned at 2K on an
Arriscan, the color correction was done
on a DaVinci Resolve, and the 2K
filmout was done on an Arrilaser.
Deluxe Laboratories made the answer
print.
The grade is where everything
you planned and shot comes together
its where you can really sit down and
craft the film, says Bobbitt. In the
past, with traditional color timing, youd
A Soul Suppressed
Northup reveals his identity to Bass (Brad Pitt), a Canadian builder Epps has contracted for a job.
66
have to do an awful lot more on the set.
Today, as budgets are cut and shooting
schedules get shorter and shorter, I have
to rely more and more on the grade to
finalize the images. Consequently, I
try not to look at the grading as fixing,
but everyone makes mistakes, and the
grade can be very helpful in forgiving
the mistakes. Sometimes a really small
scene is the one that takes the most
fuss.
One such scene in 12 Years a
Slave finds Solomon bribing Armsby to
send a letter to Solomons friends back
home. We shot that scene at 3 in the
morning, and we were all exhausted,
recalls Bobbitt. It wasnt quite working,
and I moved one of the lights halfway
through, so the lighting of the back-
ground changed, and I didnt realize it
until it was cut together. At that point,
you just cry! We spent a long time [in
the grade] making that scene work. He
stresses that it is crucial to have a highly
skilled and experienced collaborator
like Poole during this process.
Shooting on film and doing digital
post with a top colorist is the best of
both worlds.
Bobbitt suspects that for the
scene in question, theres not a single
person who would notice something is
wrong even if wed left it the way it was.
But I also remember the words of a
French gaffer I worked with once:
Every shot counts. Ive always
embraced that. The best way to make
sure the audience remains completely
immersed in a film is to ensure theres
nothing in it that distracts them. Thats
what I strive for. Every shot does
count.
TECHNICAL SPECS
2.40:1
4-perf Super 35mm
Arricam Studio, Lite
Cooke S4, Angenieux
Optimo
Kodak Vision3 50D 5203,
250D 5207, 500T 5219
Digital Intermediate
67
A
t work on Thor: The Dark World, director of photography
Kramer Morgenthau, ASC, gaffer John Biggles
Higgins and lighting-desk operator Stephen Mathie
confer in the Throne Room, a huge set that fills the
30,000-square-foot H Stage at Shepperton Studios. Nearby,
director Alan Taylor refines a dolly move with A-camera oper-
ator Des Whelan while 1st AC Julian Bucknall pulls focus on
a C40 anamorphic lens.
Morgenthau and Higgins quickly discuss which lights
they will need for the next setup, a scene involving Thor
(Chris Hemsworth) and his father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins).
They single out a few 20K fixtures 50' above them, and
Mathie swipes his iPad to bring the lights up and adjust their
intensity. Thats good, says Morgenthau. The three then
turn their attention to some Vari-Lites above the throne. A
few more swipes of Mathies hand and the units are rotated
and focused below, and their color is adjusted to a golden
yellow. As the crew makes the final preparations, Taylor
returns to his monitors and uses his iPod to fill the stage with
music by Ekova to set the mood.
Mathies iPad control of the lighting, facilitated by a
wireless DMX network, is an everyday occurrence on the
production. When Morgenthau spoke to AC after the shoot
wrapped, he explained, We were able to control the whole set
from the camera with Biggles and Stephen, and we did it very
quickly. It was almost like painting. I also had my own six-
channel mixer at the monitors so I could ride levels as the
camera moved.
AC joins director of photography
Kramer Morgenthau, ASC and
his collaborators on the set of
Thor: The Dark World.
By Benjamin B
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The Dark World is a sequel to both
Thor (AC June 11) and The Avengers
(AC June 12). The latter film ended
with Thors treacherous brother, Loki
(Tom Hiddleston), being imprisoned,
and The Dark World finds Thor forming
an alliance with Loki in order to battle
the latest threat to the Nine Realms, the
villainous Malekith (Christopher
Eccleston).
The Dark World was among the
earliest features to shoot with anamor-
phic lenses and Arri Alexa Plus 4:3
cameras. Unlike most digital motion-
picture cameras, which have 16:9
sensors, the Alexa 4:3 covers the entire
squeezed anamorphic image without
any cropping. Morgenthau chose a
mixture of Panavision anamorphic
lenses: C Series, E Series and G Series
Opposite: The mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth) battles to save the universe in Thor: The Dark World. This
page, top: The nefarious Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) plots dark deeds. Middle: Thor and his
adopted brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), must stand united to combat Malekiths army of Dark Elves.
Bottom: Cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau, ASC.
primes and AWZ2 and ATZ zooms.
Images were captured in ArriRaw to
Codex recorders.
We were one of the first films to
shoot anamorphic on the 4:3 sensor, and
its really hard to get those lenses now
because everyones doing it, says
Morgenthau. In his format discussions
with Taylor, the cinematographer cham-
pioned anamorphic for its ability to give
The Drak World both an epic quality and
a unique look, and Taylor embraced the
idea. The director observes, Mythology
depends on a grand scale, and when
going for an epic vista anamorphic is a
natural choice. It gives you sweeping
scale. We decided to shoot [with the C
and G Series lenses] because we also
wanted their special optical qualities.
Wed let the lenses flare and let focus be
a little wobbly around the edges because
we love all that stuff.
Our visual-effects supervisor,
Jake Morrison, embraced the anamor-
phic look and brought that visual
language into his teams work, notes
Morgenthau. The image is painterly.
The lenses really are magical; they have
texture and soul.
Digital cameras give you this
perfect, almost clinical-looking image,
and I wanted to try to bring some soul
back into it, he continues. A lot of
todays movies are starting to look simi-
lar. Shooting with the Alexa is like using
Grand Battles
Top: Odin (Anthony Hopkins) reigns over Asgard, where theres a shade of gold everywhere in
the art direction, says Morgenthau. Middle and bottom: Loki, imprisoned in Asgard for his
previous misdeeds, is given a second chance.
one very sharp film stock, but there are
many types of stories and visual land-
scapes. If you want an organic look, a
distressed look or an inviting look, you
have to find ways to achieve that opti-
cally, with light. Of course, there are a
lot of ways to accomplish that in post,
but Alan and I always want to capture
the look in-camera.
Morgenthau credits Panavision
London, which provided the camera
package, for its wonderful support,
and he notes that Panavision optical
engineer Dan Sasaki flew in from the
companys Woodland Hills, Calif.,
headquarters to help tweak the lenses
for the project. The ones he used most
often were the C Series 40mm and
75mm. I shot a large amount of the
movie with the C40, an absolutely
beautiful lens, and we used the C75 as a
portrait lens, says Morgenthau. You
could shoot an entire movie with those
two lenses. The AWZ zoom was
frequently on a Technocrane. For long
lenses, the filmmakers favored the E
Series 135mm and 180mm and the
ATZ zoom.
Taylor and Morgenthau had
previously collaborated on many
episodes of the TV series Game of
Thrones, and the director notes that The
Dark World has a taste of the fantasy
series mingled with a lot of other
flavors. I think the Marvel folks were
interested in me because of that body of
work, and I wanted to bring Kramer
along and continue our partnership.
One of Alans original concepts
After reuniting with
Jane Foster (Natalie
Portman) on Earth
(top), Thor brings
her with him to
Asgard (middle).
Bottom: Thor shares
a moment with the
Asgardian warrior
Sif (Jaimie
Alexander).
Mythology depends
on a grand scale, and
when going for an epic
vista anamorphic is a
natural choice.
for this film was to bring a real-world
grittiness to this mythological realm,
something weve also explored in Game
of Thrones, Morgenthau says. This
meant giving a textured feeling to the
sets and shooting in real environments
whenever possible. We wanted to bring
real textures and feelings to the story.
Taylor adds, I wanted to move away
from some of the shininess and newness
of the first Thor and instill a sense of lift
in textures, and the culture written into
the textures. We were drawing on a lot
of Celtic imagery, and Kramer worked
to highlight the details of the materials
stone, metal and so forth and not
just shiny surfaces.
I appreciate anything that makes
it real for me, real for the crew, real for
the camera and real for the actors,
Taylor continues, so we went on loca-
tion, and when possible we built practi-
cal sets. For instance, we built a section
of Asgard that you could sort of wander
around and get lost in.
The filmmakers devised different
looks for each realm that appears in the
story: dark Svartalfheim, which was
shot in Iceland; wooded Vanaheim, shot
in an English forest; heavenly Asgard,
which was shot on several soundstages;
and Earth, the site of the climactic
battle, which was shot on location at the
Royal Naval College in Greenwich.
There are many different tones in a
Marvel movie, Taylor observes. It has
Grand Battles
Top: Malekith
takes a darker
form on Earth in
this frame grab.
Middle: Director
Alan Taylor runs
through the
scene with
Eccleston.
Bottom: On
location in
Iceland, the crew
films part of a
battle sequence
set in
Svartalfheim, the
realm of the Dark
Elves.
to be urgent and extreme when the
emotions get intense, but at times its
also absurd and comic. Being able to cut
from one tone to the next or weave
through the same tones within the same
scene was a big part of the challenge.
Kramer and I defined a visual palette for
each world so that they wouldnt blur
together too much, and he worked very
hard with Charlie Wood, our brilliant
production designer, to make sure we
had the clarity we wanted.
Asgards palette was very influ-
enced by the pre-Raphaelite and
Orientalist painters, including John
Everett Millais, John William
Waterhouse, John Frederick Lewis and
Frederic Leighton, says Morgenthau.
Theres a shade of gold everywhere in
the art direction. In Asgard, there is no
accidental color; every bit of color in the
frame was carefully selected and relates
to another piece of color.
Morgenthau observes that The
Dark World taps both mythology and
science fiction. He sought to avoid the
blue hues that are so often associated
with science fiction and instead branded
Asgard technology with yellow, while
the villains weaponry is cochineal red.
The look for the city of London was
more neutral, if slightly cool, with occa-
sional highly saturated blues and reds,
and inky blacks for final battle scenes.
One of the productions battle-
scene locations was an isolated stretch of
wilderness in Iceland. Morgenthau was
struck by the desolate location. I had
never seen anything like that: a vast,
apocalyptic-looking landscape that felt
like a foreign world. Im not comparing
the films, but it felt like we were shoot-
ing Lawrence of Arabia or a Western on
an expansive black desert and a big
anamorphic canvas. There is a lot of
CGI in the Svartalfheim battle
sequence, of course, but Iceland gave us
a real-world jumping-off point to create
the look of that world.
Iceland was one of the defining
[factors] from the beginning, explains
Left: Thor converses
with Heimdall (Idris
Elba) in the
Asgardian Medina.
Below: A wider look
at the intricately
detailed set. We
wanted to bring
real textures and
feelings to the
story, says
Morgenthau. Taylor
adds, We were
drawing on a lot of
Celtic imagery, and
Kramer worked to
highlight the details
of the materials
stone, metal and so
forth and not just
shiny surfaces.
Taylor. I wanted to situate our villains
in a real place because I think when an
environment is purely greenscreen, you
can always feel that. Kramer shot beau-
tiful alien-looking imagery at that loca-
tion, and that gave the visual-effects
team some great landscapes with which
to work.
According to Higgins, the only
lighting in the Iceland day exteriors was
provided by three 4WD vehicles outfit-
ted with 250K Lightning Strikes units
powered by batteries; these were driven
into position and fired to punctuate the
battle between Thor and his adversaries.
The interactive lighting was a starting
point for the CG lightning that would
be added in post.
Taylor, whose long rsum also
includes directing episodes of The
Sopranos and Mad Men, confides that
the transition from TV series to features
wasnt as daunting as he thought it
would be. Its funny, because its very
apparent that theres a step up from tele-
vision to a big Hollywood blockbuster,
and youre aware of the increased chal-
lenge, but there are some parts of it
where the challenge actually seems to
decrease. One is the pace at which you
shoot. Ive been shooting seven or eight
pages a day on recent TV projects, and
Grand Battles
Asgards grand Throne Room filled the
30,000-square-foot H Stage at Shepperton
Studios. Morgenthau based his approach to
the set on cathedral lighting, he says. The
concept was constant late-afternoon sun
coming through those paneled windows.
Throne Room Set
on a big movie, because of the scale of
the machine youre moving around, you
might do one or two pages a day. So, in
terms of the task of directing, its down-
right relaxed by comparison.
Asked if he was intimidated by
the vast Shepperton soundstages,
Morgenthau deadpans that H Stage
wasnt really big enough. Because the
set was so close to the walls, he couldnt
place external lights at a distance. He
credits Higgins whose collaborators
have included cinematographers Roger
Deakins, ASC, BSC; Bruno
Delbonnel, ASC, AFC; Emmanuel
Lubezki, ASC, AMC; and Philippe
Rousselot, ASC, AFC for sharing
his mastery of stage lighting. I almost
feel like I got to work with all the cine-
matographers Biggles has worked
with, says Morgenthau. He definitely
brought a lot to the table, and he intro-
duced me to a number of different
fixtures and techniques. Higgins, in
turn, says he appreciated Morgenthaus
clarity, adding, He knew what he
wanted to accomplish. I enjoyed work-
ing with him.
Morgenthau describes his
approach to lighting the Throne Room
set as cathedral lighting. The concept
was constant late-afternoon sun coming
Grand Battles
This sequence of frame grabs illustrates part of Thors confrontation with a Kronan, a
stony-bodied extraterrestrial.
www.technicolor.com/hollywood
Where the best talent, services,
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Grand Battles
through those paneled windows. It was
inspired by walking into a cathedral and
studying the light inside. Light is like
power inside the Throne Room; these
guys rule the universe, and light radiates
around them.
Morgenthau heightened the
cathedral feeling by using smoke to
delineate the shafts of light and soften
the image. Smoke is an expressive way
to feel the sources, he observes. It
brings a real texture to and takes some of
the electronic edge off the digital
image.
The H Stage lighting plot was
designed for flexibility. Higgins recalls,
When we rigged those stages, we had
to be able to light from either side
because it was going to be reused as
different sets. There must have been six
or eight revamps. 20K Molebeams and
20K Fresnels were lined up along the
stage walls to simulate sunlight through
windows. All of the fixtures were on
motorized trapezes that allowed their
height to be changed remotely, although
a scissor lift was needed to change the
tilt of the head. The 20K Molebeams
were higher than the Fresnels in order to
create steep shafts of light hitting the
floor. If the Molebeam had come too
deep into the space, it would have over-
lit it, so we put it at a really steep angle,
explains Morgenthau.
Top: A Dark Elf Ark ship touches down on Earth. Middle: Malekith walks from an Ark on Svartalfheim.
Bottom: Jane, Thor and Loki enter Svartalfheim aboard an Asgardian skiff.
If you want a punchy light, the
Molebeam is fantastic, but those
windows were so big that if wed just
had a beam, it would have looked
spotty, he continues. So we hit them
with 20K Fresnels. One light gives you
the punch, and the other gives you the
spread. The 20K gave us a nice, sharp
shadow from the fretwork-patterned
screens that were used throughout the
set.
A base lighting for H Stage was
provided by four rows of soft boxes, one
in the center and the others on the
sides. The soft boxes consisted of 12
space lights with five 800-watt bulbs,
each diffused by Full Grid Cloth. Each
box was on chain motors so their height
and angle could be adjusted remotely.
DMX control allowed for dimming up
two, three or five bulbs. That gives you
three different levels of the same color
temperature on each space light, says
Higgins. If you want a nice warm look,
you can dim all five bulbs at, say, 40 or
50 percent, which is what we did in the
Throne Room.
Mathie could also lower the light
level by turning off every other fixture
in a checkerboard pattern, an arrange-
ment that provided great flexibility.
Higgins notes, We do the same on all
the light boxes whether theyre in exte-
riors or on Condors or cranes. Its some-
thing Ive been doing for years with
many cinematographers. It gives them a
great range of light levels without
changing color temperature.
Morgenthau adds, The Alexas sensor
is so sensitive that you have too much
light half the time, so its great to be able
to turn off some bulbs and not others. It
keeps you from having to dim too
much, which gives you crazy warm
light.
Alongside the soft boxes were
alternating Vari-Lite VL3500 washes
and VL3000 spots. They were working
all the time, says Higgins. They were
positioned in a pattern to be able to
highlight anything below, and we could
deploy them remotely via DMX. We
could focus them in moments, and they
were motorized for height change as
well. We didnt need to gel them in
order to get a complete range of colors.
The equipment on the floor
included 20'x20' frames that could be
quickly positioned and double diffused
with 20Ks behind them when
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Smoke brings a
real texture to and
takes some of the
electronic edge off
the digital image.
Morgenthau wanted a soft source.
When lighting the actors in the fore-
ground, the cinematographer often
opted for big soft sources that gave a
sourceless feel. For the most part, the
light was gentle on faces but not so
gentle on the environments, he says. I
like violent extremes in contrast.
Sometimes a cleanly lit face can pop out
more against a chiaroscuro back-
ground.
A common portrait technique for
Morgenthau was the book light: a 5K,
10K or 20K bouncing off muslin before
going through Full Grid diffusion.
When you use muslin as a bounce, its
best to put an UltraBounce on the frame
first, and then cover it with the muslin,
notes Higgins. That way youre getting
the color of the muslin with a bit more
reflectivity.
Morgenthau says other portrait
techniques included 48-inch China
balls behind Full Grid, and also two
large Chimera Octadomes punched
into 12'x12' Grid Cloth frames. That
became the big soft source, he says.
You can fade them up and down if you
have any flicker. I used those a lot. The
Octadome, Higgins explains, is an
octagonal soft light with a very small
front-to-back footprint. You can
squeeze it into a corner or hang it from
above. It comes with an eggcrate and
Grand Battles
Top: Thor looks
out over Asgard.
Middle: Actors
and crew
prepare to shoot
in the exterior
set for Asgards
courtyard
training
grounds.
Bottom: A closer
look at the set.
different grades of diffusion. Theyre
quick to deploy, and we worked them
every day.
For diffusion, says Morgenthau,
I almost always use Full Grid. It might
be Half Grid if I need the stop, but Full
Grid evenly illuminated has a way of
glowing that looks source-less if you get
close enough or big enough.
Assisted by digital-imaging tech-
nician Francesco Luigi Giardello, the
filmmakers monitored images on set in
Rec 709 using Sony BVM E250
OLED monitors fed from the DIT
station, where Giardello used
FilmLights Truelight On-Set to apply
Morgenthaus looks directly to the
Alexas live SDI stream. Giardello also
used Truelight to create the dailies color,
applying CDL values and a viewing
LUT to the recorded/backed-up
ArriRaw files. Pinewood Digital then
transcoded the files to DNX36 for
editorial dailies and to H.264 for Pix
online dailies; dailies were projected in
Grand Battles
Elba stands on Heimdalls platform, ready to open the rainbow bridge that connects the realms,
in the Asgard Observatory set at Shepperton Studios.
82
2K in a theater at Shepperton.
For the final timing, at
Technicolor Hollywood, colorist Steven
J. Scott graded 10-bit DPX LogCv3
files with Autodesks Flame Premium
on a Lustre 2013, according to
Technicolor Senior Producer Mike
Dillon. Camera capture was framed
with 10-percent padding, so the final
deliverables were cropped 10 percent to
2048x1716, says Dillon. The 2K deliv-
erables for 2-D and 3-D were 16-bit
TIFF/CapXYZ DCDMs (2048x858).
For 3-D Imax, 4K 16-bit TIFFs were
horizontally expanded from 2048x1716
to a 4096x1716 flat image. A 2K
filmout was done on a Cinevator to
Kodak 2254. Deluxe Laboratories in
Hollywood made the domestic answer
and release prints on Fujifilm Eterna-
CP 3514DI.
Looking back at his collaboration
with Taylor on The Dark World,
Morgenthau offers, Working with
Alan is a creative high. He is a visually
sophisticated director who has taught
me a lot about using the camera to tell
the story in a strong, direct way. He is
one of the most specific directors Ive
worked with. Once he has found the
scene in his head and you get tuned into
it, its easy to find the best way to use
light and shadow to enhance that
vision. He always welcomes pushing the
visuals as long as there is a good narra-
tive rationale for doing so. When I work
with him, I always feel creatively
supported and encouraged.
Taylor concludes, What excites
me about filmmaking is the world-
building, and Kramer helped me to do
that on Thor. I get excited when you can
feel the coherence of a culture, the
weight of it, and the reality of the imag-
inary world youre trying to depict. Its
wonderful when a fantastical world
seems real.
83
TECHNICAL SPECS
2.40:1
Digital Capture
Arri Alexa Plus
Panavision C Series, E Series,
G Series, AWZ2, ATZ
Stereoscopic Conversion
L
abor Day is the fourth feature collaboration between
director/writer Jason Reitman and cinematographer Eric
Steelberg, ASC, but the family drama marks a departure
from their previous films (Young Adult, Up in the Air and
Juno) and called for a fresh approach. Based on the novel by
Joyce Maynard, Labor Day tells the story of 13-year-old
Henry (Gattlin Griffith), who lives with his depressed,
divorced mother, Adele (Kate Winslet), in a small town. One
September weekend, their quiet lives are disrupted when an
escaped convict, Frank Chambers ( Josh Brolin), approaches
them at the local department store and intimidates them into
taking him to their house. While Frank nurses his wounds
Love on the Lam
A fugitive forms an unlikely
bond with a divorce and her
young son in Labor Day, directed
by Jason Reitman and shot by
Eric Steelberg, ASC.
By Mark Dillon
|
and lies low, Adele and Henry learn from
TV reports that he was imprisoned for
murder. An unexpected bond forms
between Frank and both Adele and
Henry, leading them to ponder the
dream of a free life together.
Speaking to AC at the 2013
Toronto International Film Festival,
where Labor Day had its world premiere,
Steelberg recalled Reitmans initial
remarks about the project. Jason said,
This is a beautiful story, and the movie
has to be beautiful in a way weve never
done. Take everything youve learned up
to now and everything youve ever
wanted to try, and go crazy. Its a clean
slate. Approach it fresh and interpret it.
In a separate interview at Toronto,
Reitman noted, Eric and I had to learn
a whole new cinematic language for this
movie, and we worked harder on it than
we have on anything else. Despite the
fact that the story takes place over five
days, it has 300 scenes. Kate has 50
costume changes. It has many flashbacks
that move backward and forward 20
years in either direction, and we had to
identify the era and location and set the
mood for all sorts of romantic and dark
and painful things that happen. Its diffi-
cult, shot after shot, to tell a new story
and convey so much information. It is a
time-consuming style of shooting that
makes every sunrise and sunset matter.
Aiding the process was the famil-
iarity Steelberg and Reitman share. They
met in high school through a mutual
friend, and by that time they were both
making their own short films. When
Reitman enrolled at the University of
Southern California, he enlisted
Steelberg as a first assistant cameraman
on an ambitious short shot on a
Panavision 16mm camera, and then
called him back to handle some inserts.
A partnership was born.
Steelberg taught himself film
history, starting with his parents
Betamax collection. Particularly impres-
sive in his formative years were the films
Allen Daviau, ASC shot for Steven
Spielberg (E.T., The Color Purple and
Empire of the Sun) and the work of Caleb
Deschanel, ASC on The Black Stallion P
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Opposite: An escaped convict, Frank (Josh Brolin), invades the lives of Adele (Kate Winslet) and
her son, Henry (Gattlin Griffith), in Labor Day. This page, top: Frank initially holds the pair
hostage in their house. Middle: As the story progresses, Frank and Adele warm to each other.
Bottom: Cinematographer Eric Steelberg, ASC measures the light on Winslet.
and The Right Stuff. I learned about
Vilmos Zsigmond [ASC] concurrently
with Allen Daviau, Steelberg adds.
My parents bought Close Encounters of
the Third Kind, and I thought, Thats
cool. They made me notice what a
cinematographer is.
Steelberg shot a short film for
Reitman in 2000, In God We Trust, but
Reitmans first feature, Thank You for
Smoking, required a cinematographer
with feature experience, and the gig
went to James Whitaker (AC April 06).
Steelberg continued working on inde-
pendent features and commercials (the
latter sometimes with Reitman), and his
break came on the Latino family drama
Quinceaera (2006), which captured
audience and jury prizes at the
Sundance Film Festival.
Reitman made sure to get
Steelberg on board for Juno (2007), and
the two have worked together ever
since. Steelbergs credits also include
(500) Days of Summer and Going the
Distance.
Leading up to Labor Day,
Steelberg and Reitman screened many
films together, including The Desperate
Hours, The Night of the Hunter, Stand by
Me, Running on Empty and The Tree of
Life. They also paid close attention to
Body Heat because Labor Day transpires
over the warmest weekend of the
summer. We watched it just to see how
sweat works, Reitman explained at an
earlier Toronto press conference. How
does it work in someones hair? How
does it look on someones clothes? How
does the sheen look on someones fore-
head?
Perhaps even more important
were still-photography references,
including the suburban landscapes of
Stephen Shore, Joel Sternfeld and
William Eggleston and the dramatic
setups of Gregory Crewdson, which
influenced the flashback scenes. A lot
of photography from the late 1960s and
early 1970s has a color, tonality and
warmth we wanted to capture,
Steelberg notes.
Preliminary scouting began in
February 2012, and the following

Love on the Lam
Top: In this
flashback scene,
a young Frank
(Tom Lipinski)
clutches his child
and searches for
his wife inside a
crowded bar.
Middle: Frank
pauses in a
moment of self-
reflection.
Bottom: Another
flashback shows
Adele and her
husband (Clark
Gregg) in happier
times.
summer the production shot all over
Massachusetts, including the towns of
Concord, Greenfield, Shelburne Falls
and Worcester. Reitman insists on loca-
tion shooting, which Steelberg supports,
but that presented some major hurdles
in this instance. The storys principal
location is Adele and Henrys home, and
location manager John Latenser eventu-
ally found an appropriate house in
Acton, Mass. Steelberg liked the charac-
ter of the place, but he estimates that the
main floor, where seven weeks of shoot-
ing had to take place, was smaller than
1,000 square feet. Its a hundred-year-
old house with no walls that we could
move, low ceilings, creaky floors and
smaller-than-standard doorways, says
the cinematographer. The logistics of
putting the crew, actors, cameras and
dollies together in the same physical
space made it the most challenging
movie Ive ever done. Also, it was a very
humid summer, and the house had no
air-conditioning!
The production bought some
space by remodeling the house. Much of
the film, including a key sequence in
which Frank teaches Adele and Henry
how to make a peach pie, transpires in
the kitchen, which was too small until
the production expanded it with a
dining area and porch. Steelberg lobbied
to make the add-ons bigger than
planned. I begged, he recalls. I said,
Please give me room to put a camera
back here. If we dont do this, were
going to be kicking ourselves. I can
make anything look smaller, but I cant
make it bigger. I was asking for 2 more
feet! So they made it a little bigger, and
that really helped us out. It bought us an
extra 30 square feet, which isnt much,
but its enough for two PeeWee dollies,
two cameras and two operators.
Ahead of the 50-day shoot, which
ran from June to August, Reitman and
Steelberg spent a couple of weeks block-
ing scenes with stand-ins and
photographing their angles with
Reitmans Canon EOS 5D Mark II.
They had the images printed, cropped
for the movies 2.40:1 aspect ratio and
mounted on photo-boards. By the time
we were ready to shoot, everybody knew
what we wanted in terms of the direc-
tion and size of each shot, says
Steelberg. So much happens in the
house, and we wanted to keep it inter-
esting and not repeat ourselves.
Typically, Reitman calls the shots
on composition and leaves the lighting
to Steelberg. In general terms, the direc-
tor told Steelberg they were going to
create a dreamlike weekend in the lives
of three lonely characters who come
together as a family, albeit fleetingly.
There had to be a sense of darkness
because theres suspense in the story,
says Reitman, but at the end of the day,
its a romance, and there had to be a
stronger sense of beauty.
He and Steelberg also watched a
movie or two from 1987, the year Labor
Day takes place, to see if there was a
particular look that they could capture
beyond production design. Steelberg
recalls, I said we shouldnt use any
lighting they didnt have in 1987, which
meant, for example, no LEDs. But that
idea quickly went out the window
because we had so little space in the
house. We hid little Dracast LEDs in
corners or behind furniture to just pick
up parts of the room. There were LEDs
in nearly every scene. That was more a
lifeline than an approach! (In one nod
to 1987, they shot TV newscasts with
an era-appropriate Sony CCD-V100
Video 8 camera.)
Steelberg believed shooting film
would best suit the material, especially
because of the flashbacks to the late
1960s and early 1970s. I was concerned
digital would feel too sharp, he says.
Theres such presence and reality to
digital capture, particularly when its
projected digitally, which is almost
always the case today. When its
projected on film, theres that layer of
analog to help with the audiences
suspended disbelief, but when its digital
capture and projection, theres an imme-

Love on the Lam
Top: Frank offers
instruction in
how to make a
peach pie.
Bottom left: The
crew readies an
angle from
above the table.
Bottom right:
Steelberg
surveys the tight
location. The
lack of space in
the house was
mind-boggling,
he recalls.

diacy, a super-clear window onto the
world. I was worried about that.
However, Reitman became a
digital convert on Young Adult, which
Steelberg shot on the Arri Alexa.
Theres nothing like looking at an HD
tap off a digital camera, the director
says. You see exactly what the actors are
doing, and you get a very strong sense of
what your finished product is going to
look like. When my films are projected
digitally, youre seeing exactly what I
intended; theres no variance in the color
and the contrast depending on whats in
the lab that day. On top of that, I like
how digital feels; I like that look. Now
that we shoot so much with digital
devices, the look of digital is starting to
become commensurate with the look of
reality.
So, with a final aspect ratio of
2.40:1 in mind, Steelberg tested an
Alexa and a Red Epic with spherical
and anamorphic lenses. I had used the
Red Epic before and enjoyed it very
much, he says. When we did the tests,
I was pushing the Epic, particularly
when we thought we were going to use
anamorphic lenses; I think thats a great
combination.

Love on the Lam
Above: 1st AC
Zoran Veselic and
A-camera/
Steadicam
operator P. Scott
Sakamoto frame
Brolin and Griffith
for a scene in
which Frank
teaches Henry to
hit a baseball.
Right: Sakamoto
captures the main
characters in a
moment of
intimacy.
www.clairmont.com
It's about story and the challenge of shaping a visual
language that is true and organic to the dramatic demands.
Choosing the right tools is a fundamental part of that
process. I can count on Clairmont Camera. Their deep
inventory of lenses, accessories and impeccable service
allow me the freedom to create.
Michael Slovis ASC
After testing colors and contrast
on faces and backgrounds at Reitmans
house, they chose the Epic. They
ditched the idea of anamorphic lenses,
however, because they felt it would limit
their lens choices in the small main loca-
tion. Instead, Steelberg chose Arri
Master Prime lenses and a Fujinon
Premier 18-85mm zoom for the main
storyline, using them without filtration.
I shot many scenes with low light
most night scenes were shot at T2 so
I wanted a zoom that could handle that
as well as the Master Primes could, he
says.
For flashbacks to Franks past,
which reveal why he landed in prison,
Steelberg used old Bausch & Lomb
Super Baltar lenses, a Cooke 20-60mm
T3.1 zoom and, occasionally, an
Angenieux Optimo 24-290mm T2.8
zoom. The Baltars are beautiful and
take the edge off [digital] without
requiring a filter, he explains. The
Epics [MX] sensor is so sharp you can
see aberrations in the optics much more
than before. So, you can create unique
looks by utilizing older or unusual
lenses.
For flashbacks depicting Adeles
increasingly unhappy marriage (in the
early 1980s), Steelberg used the Master
Primes with either a Tiffen Soft/FX 1 or
a Schneider Hollywood Black Magic
1
8
filter; sometimes he combined the two,
depending on light levels.
The biggest daytime lighting
setup Steelberg could have managed
inside the principal location was hang-
ing a Kino Flo, but he mostly avoided
doing so because he had no room to flag
the lights. So, his crew positioned HMIs
around the exterior of the house in what
they dubbed a ring of fire. They
considered where the sun would be for
each scene and shifted the lights accord-
ingly. Usually, there were 18Ks with
bounces on one side of the house and
one or two 18Ks shining straight
through the back windows, sometimes
suspended off the bottom of a Condor.
Then, on the other side of the house,
4Ks were positioned to shine through
diffusion or bounce off the floor in the
house. I tried to keep our lights out of
the house as much as possible to make it
look tonally correct, to allow for camera
moves and wide shots, and to provide a
little flexibility with the blocking, says
Steelberg. If the lighting couldnt get to
where we originally blocked a scene,
wed often re-block it for the light. It was
a great team effort, and the actors were
very helpful in that regard.
To cool light temperatures to
differentiate times of day, Steelberg used
and strengths of Rosco CTS gels
on the HMI lamps. Night interiors in
the house, meanwhile, involved many
tungsten practicals on dimmers. The
crew used Chimeras on small fixtures
such as Tweenies and 1Ks with egg-
crate grids to control the light and limit
spill.
The arc of Steelbergs lighting
scheme hews to that of the drama, in
which Frank seems threatening until
Adele and Henry get to know him. It
starts out with high contrast and deeper
shadows inside the house, the cine-
matographer says. Its a bit unsettling
when they bring Frank home, and then,
as everything becomes a little more
comfortable, it lightens up a little on one

Love on the Lam
Top: Reitman plans his coverage as crewmembers build a camera platform for a scene on a riverbed.
Bottom: A crane arm facilitates a shot of Frank toiling next to a barn.
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side. Theres more fill light and the
shadows are more open, so its less
ominous.
Reitman and Steelberg usually
watched the shooting unfold on a
monitor in the upstairs hallway. When
they shot upstairs, they would watch
from downstairs. The lack of space in
the house was mind-boggling, recalls
Steelberg. Everything took 20 percent
longer than it normally would because
there was just one door, so everyone had
to use it. It was a major test to keep the
pace going.
Steelberg captured the Epic
footage in Redcode Raw at 5:1
compression, recording to 128GB SSD
cards. He reports that he was entirely
happy with the Epics performance.
We worked with two cameras when
possible and only if it didnt compro-
mise the A-camera shot and we
didnt have a single lost frame or camera
breakdown, he says. In that respect, it
was a trouble-free shoot.
In addition to what Steelberg
calls the invaluable and talented crews
out of Boston and elsewhere on the
East Coast, he and Reitman brought
several collaborators from Los Angeles,
including 1st AC Zoran Veselic, key
grip Dave Richardson, and B-camera
operator/2nd-unit cinematographer
Cale Finot. New to the team were gaffer
Bob Krattiger and A-camera/Steadicam

Love on the Lam
Some of the shows local electricians man the HMIs and gel frames positioned
outside the prisons windows.
94
new friend, Eleanor (Brighid Fleming),
walk on the rocks down by a riverbed.
Dailies were prepared on set
using Redcine-X Pro, which allowed
Steelberg to make minor corrections for
contrast and mid-tones. I set the dailies
color with [digital-imaging technician]
Jeroen Hendricks, who then transcoded
the dailies in the camera truck, recalls
Steelberg. Dailies were sent to editorial
on the West Coast and uploaded to Pix
for viewing at home, he adds.
For the final grade, colorist
Natasha Leonnet and her team at
Modern VideoFilm devised a
customized color palette and LUT
specific to the Epic that emulated what
Jason was accustomed to from the
dailies we just opened it up and
broadened it, says Leonnet. She
graded DPX files in 4K on an Autodesk
Lustre. Steelberg was present for the
first pass, and then Reitman came in for
tweaks. The deliverables, including the
filmout, were 2K. After comparing 2K
operator P. Scott Sakamoto.
Steelberg expresses particularly
high praise for his dolly grip, John Mang,
with whom he also worked on (500)
Days of Summer and Up in the Air.
Nearly every shot in Labor Day has a
move, and although many could have
been done on sliders, Jason and I felt it
was important to put a person behind
them because a good dolly grip is an
extension of the camera operator,
Steelberg says. The floors in the house
were warped and uneven. There was no
room for dolly tracks. Every setup
involved re-laying a floor. John did a
beautiful job. The dolly work makes
every scene in the house seem lyrical.
Reitman adds, I like the idea of combin-
ing as many shots as possible into one, so
wed create big, moving dolly shots, and
Sakamoto and Mang developed an abil-
ity to work together that was like ballet.
Mang also operated a 30'
Technocrane on a few exterior shots,
including one in which Henry and his
and 4K, we decided 4K was just too
sharp for the presentation we wanted,
notes Steelberg.
Labor Day is the kind of movie
Ive been waiting to do my whole life,
and it just so happened to be with a
director with whom I have a great rela-
tionship, he concludes. It was also the
hardest movie Ive ever done. The heat
and the close quarters made it physically
draining, and there are some emotional
components to the story that were hard
to shoot. But it was definitely worth it.
TECHNICAL SPECS
2.40:1
Digital Capture
Red Epic
Arri Master Prime,
Bausch & Lomb Baltar,
Cooke, Angenieux
Chainsaw Launches Feature-Film Division
By Iain Blair
Branching out from its roots in television, Hollywood post
house Chainsaw recently opened a division that focuses on feature
films. The new facility, located at 940 N. Orange Dr., features a 4K DI
theater, a FilmLight Baselight grading system, a Christie CP4220 4K
digital projector and a 20' screen. The theater is directly linked via 3G
video over fiber and fiberoptic networking to the main Chainsaw
facility, giving filmmakers access to editorial, compositing, visual
effects and other related services.
According to Steve Purcell, Chainsaws general manager, the
company has also beefed up its talent roster, which at press time
included post producer Annalise Kurinsky, who serves as director of
the feature-film division, colorist John Persichetti and finishing editor
Jon Pehlke. Kurinsky and Pehlke were formerly at Santa Monica post
house New Hat, where their recent credits included the feature The
Call, and Persichetti was formerly a senior colorist at Sony Pictures
Colorworks, where his recent credits included the feature This Is the
End.
Chainsaws new facility is a really client-friendly room, notes
Persichetti, and whats great is that its an all-4K room. Real-time 4K
grading is where the industry is going now. A fan of the Baselight,
he notes, Ive used the Resolve and the Lustre, which are both good
systems, but my preference is for the Baselight. Ive never felt limited
by it; its a very powerful system.
4K projection in the DI suite is equally important, he adds.
Cinematographers want to see their images at full resolution, and
we have that capability whether they shot on film, Alexa, Red or
Sony, says Persichetti.
Founded 17 years ago by Emmy-winning editors Bill
DeRonde and Mike Polito, Chainsaw has built a reputation for
finishing network specials and variety shows, including the Academy
Awards telecast. We continue to service TV productions, including
episodic series, with two Baselight color bays, notes Purcell. So
many TV directors and cinematographers are crossing over into the
feature world, and this expansion enables us to grow with those
clients.
For Kurinsky, the move to Chainsaw was perfect timing. Jon
[Pehlke] and I plan to continue the great relationships we established
with filmmakers at New Hat, and bring them over here. Our 4K
capability is already getting a lot of attention.
Persichetti notes that the prevalence of digital capture means
its more and more important for the colorist to get involved early
in the process. In the old days, the timer would typically only get
involved at the end, but now cinematographers are testing lots of
digital cameras and workflows to get the looks they want, and they
need to see the results on the big screen.
At press time, Chainsaws feature projects included the indie
The Librarian, directed by Juan Feldman and shot by Salvador Vallo.
For more information, visit www.chainsawedit.com.
Post Focus
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Chainsaws
feature-film
facility in
Hollywood
boasts a 4K DI
theater
outfitted with
a FilmLight
Baselight
grading
system.
Codex Expands
Workflow Solutions
Codex has
introduced an array
of workflow prod-
ucts, including the
Codex Review, Vault 2
and Data Logger One.
The Codex Vault 2 facili-
tates extremely fast transfers of camera originals,
enabling users to create on-set safety copies, archive to LTO
tape with automated production management, QC image and
metadata, and review all media. Vault 2 also incorporates powerful
look-management features, and provides a simple, streamlined
workflow for Red, Sony, Arri and Canon cameras.
Recognizing the need for on- or near-set playback, the Codex
Review allows for playback of digital camera originals directly
through the Codex Vault for QC and review on a calibrated moni-
tor. Review contains a full color pipeline and is ACES-compliant. A
control surface enables easy panning and zooming for thorough QC
examination, and an intuitive user interface with a sophisticated
timeline allows users to flag issues and generate reports.
The Data Logger One is a single-channel serial data recorder
that can be mounted on a camera rod. The unit can capture meta-
data including focus distance, depth of field, focal zoom position,
inertial, GPS and iris settings directly from a number of devices,
including Preston FI+Z controllers and Cooke /i lenses.
The company has also introduced the Codex Production
Server and Backbone. Based on the proven technology of the Codex
Vault, the Production Server is a repository for all digital files and
metadata generated during principal photography. By using the
Production Server in tandem with the Backbone which enables
users to take advantage of the cloud projects can be run in
remote locations while linking to production, visual-effects vendors
and other post companies, so that critical information is immediately
available to those who need it.
Codex has worked with leading pipeline provider Shotgun
Software during the development of the Backbone and Production
Server. The Production Server can host the Shotgun Server and can
serve as the delivery mechanism for visual-effects plate pulls and
transcodes, as well as managing the creation of bid packages and
the submission of shots.
No matter what the budget, the transition from film to digi-
tal production provides enormous opportunities for automating and
putting control of all of the digital data and metadata in the hands
of production, where it can be accessed and utilized easily and
quickly, says ASC associate Marc Dando, managing director for
New Products & Services
SUBMISSION INFORMATION
Please e-mail New Products/Services releases to
newproducts@ascmag.com and include full contact
information and product images. Photos must be
TIFF or JPEG files of at least 300dpi.
Codex. Both Codex and Shotgun Software have firsthand knowl-
edge of managing digital productions and we will continue to
provide cost-effective tools that will facilitate and optimize produc-
tion in this critical transition period.
For additional information, visit www.codexdigital.com.
Nila Lights up Zaila
Nila, Inc., a provider of environmen-
tally sustainable LED lighting fixtures, has
released the Zaila portable and compact
LED. The Zaila provides a high amount of
light in a very small form factor while offer-
ing all of the features found in other Nila
lights, such as on-board, DMX controllable
dimming; holographic lenses; AC/DC input;
barn doors; and a robust design.
Zaila provides the light output of a
200-watt HMI (or a 350 watt with the tung-
sten replacement option) while only drawing 45
watts of power. It features instant on, a 10-18-
volt DC or 90-250-volt AC input, and conductive
cooling. It is also DMX controllable.
The Zaila promises reliability with color accuracy from fixture
to fixture, stable color through the entire dimming range, and flicker-
free operation at any speed up to 1,500 fps. It uses long-life LEDs,
and features a built-in Chimera mount and a two-year limited
warranty.
The Zaila Deluxe Kit retails for $999 and comes in a 5"x5"x5"
housing that weighs less than 5 pounds.
For additional information, visit www.nila.tv.
Vantage Opens up T1 Primes
Vantage Film, manufacturer of Hawk anamorphic lenses, has
introduced its first line of spherical primes, the Vantage One lenses.
Comprising 17.5mm, 21mm, 25mm, 32mm, 40mm, 50mm,
65mm, 90mm and 120mm lenses, each prime in the Vantage One
line boasts super close-focus optics and a wide-open aperture of T1.
The Vantage One lenses are grounded in an understanding
of the history of lens design, an awareness of the industrys fast-
changing technological environment, and informative conversations
with cinematographers. With modern light-sensitive digital sensors
in mind, Vantage One lenses are designed to deliver a flawless look
at T2, T2.8 and T4; at T1, the Vantage One lenses lend the image a
subtle creaminess perfect for skin tones.
Vantage One lenses will be offered in two versions, one with
the regular lens coatings, and the other marked with a distinctive
red ring with certain uncoated optical elements, which results in
additional flaring and lower contrast.
The Vantage
One primes feature
all the durable,
dependable mechan-
ics and robust con-
struction that cinematographers have come
to expect from Vantages Hawk anamor-
phics. All of the lenses in the Vantage One
line weigh between 3.3 and 6.2 pounds and
feature a front diameter between 110mm
and 150mm, and an overall length between
126mm and 174mm. The lenses can be
covered by 4"x5.65" filters.
For additional information, visit
www.vantagefilm.com.
Canon Partners with AbelCine
for Cinema Lens Service
Canon U.S.A., Inc. has announced
that U.S.-based motion-picture equipment
and service provider AbelCine is the first to
join Canons Cinema Lens Service Partner
Program.
As a partner, AbelCine joins Canons
existing factory service facility network in
providing comprehensive service and
support to users of Canons EF- and PL-
mount Cinema Lenses. AbelCine will be
authorized to provide warranty repair, non-
warranty repair and preventative mainte-
nance on the full line of Canon EF- and PL-
mount Cinema Lenses. AbelCine technicians
will be qualified to perform detailed function
checks on all Canon Cinema prime and
zoom lenses, including diagnosis of issues,
as well as lens disassembly, maintenance,
adjustment and cleaning.
Canon prides itself on providing
first-class service and customer support for
professional clients, says Yuichi Ishizuka,
executive vice president and general
manager, Imaging Technologies & Commu-
nications Group, Canon U.S.A. We under-
stand that our commitment to our loyal
customers only begins at the point of sale.
Our new Cinema Lens Service Partner
program looks to identify and align us with
those organizations that match our own
commitment to service and reliability. We are
happy to welcome AbelCine as our first
partner in this new program.
AbelCines New York City and
Burbank locations will begin offering
Canon Cinema Lens Service by the end of
the year.
www.usa.canon.com and www.abel
cine.com.
GoPro Upgrades Hero Line
GoPro has released the Hero3+ line
of cameras, which feature a 20-percent
smaller and lighter design and 30-percent
better battery life than previous GoPro
models. These upgrades combine with an
improved lens and convenient new video-
capture modes to produce the most
advanced and easy-to-use GoPro yet.
The Hero3+ Black Edition features
four-times faster Wi-Fi for quicker transfer
and playback of photos and videos from
the Hero3+ camera to a mobile device
when using the GoPro App. It also offers
SuperView, a new wide-angle perspective
video mode, as well as Auto Low Light
mode for varying lighting conditions.
The Hero3+ Silver Edition offers a
two-times faster image processor than its
predecessor. It enables 1080p60 and
720p120 fps video, features a smaller and
lighter housing, and is waterproof up to
40m. The 3+ Silver also offers the same
faster Wi-Fi as the Black Edition.
GoPro has also announced several
mounting accessories. The Jaws Flex Clamp
Mount features an optional opposable neck
to achieve a wide range of camera posi-
tioning and adjustability as well as secure-
grip jaws for clamping to irregular shapes
and super-slim objects. The Junior Chest
Harness is a smaller version of the adult-
sized chest harness, ideal for children 3
years and older. Additionally, the QuickClip,
which now comes bundled with GoPros
Headstrap, enables ultra-compact, low-
profile mounting to baseball hats, belts and
Telecine &
Color Grading
Jod is a true artist with
a great passion for his craft.
John W. Simmons, ASC
Contact Jod @ 310-713-8388
Jod@apt-4.com
99
we hear from those in the field, says Robert
Kulesh, vice president of sales and marketing
for MSE. Recently, we came to understand
that shooters were in need of a simple but
multi-faceted slider for everything from the
smallest cameras to a 175-pound load.
The MatthewsSlider is low-mainte-
nance and field-adjustable with only a few
basic tools. It can work upside-down for
low-angle shots and support more than one
carriage at a time for A-and-B-camera shots.
The slider has a positive lock at 90 degrees
when in use on most dollies.
The MatthewsSlider comes in three
basic sizes, 29", 35" and 45", but it is also
available in custom lengths in 4.75" incre-
ments between cross members up to 12'.
Each foot/track adds approximately 3
pounds.
www.msegrip.com.
Zacuto
Introduces Axis
Zacuto has introduced the
Axis, an adjustable, universal electronic-
viewfinder mount designed to work with
any camera. The Axis can be swung far
forward for a compact shoulder-mounted
rig, it can be extended rearward and act as a
tripod leveler, or it can be positioned
anywhere in between for high-mode, low-
mode, dolly, handheld and tripod shots.
The Axis three pivoting points are
controlled independently by red tension
levers, which allow users to dial in the exact
amount of tension on each segment. The
Axis attaches to the camera via other Zacuto
accessories such as a Z-Rail, Half Cage or
other Z-Rail accessories; it is also compatible
with rails from Nato, Swat, Red, Picatinny
and Wooden Camera. The Axis can be
installed and packed away in seconds.
www.zacuto.com.
Campilots Flies Colibri
Campilots, the company co-founded
by cinematographers Volker Tittel, BVK and
Holger Fleig, BVK (pictured), has introduced
other objects ranging in thickness from
3mm to 10mm.
GoPro has also updated its Studio
2.0 editing software with storyboard-based
video-editing software for Windows or Mac
and GoPro Edit Templates to create profes-
sional-looking videos based on edits origi-
nally produced by GoPros production team.
www.gopro.com.
SanDisk Speeds Recording
with CFast 2.0
SanDisk Corporation, a provider of
flash memory storage solutions, has intro-
duced the SanDisk Extreme Pro
CFast 2.0 memory card, designed for
professional broadcast, cinematography
and next-generation professional photogra-
phy. The 120GB memory card features read
speeds of up to 450MB/s for maximum
workflow efficiency, and write speeds up to
350MB/s for faster recording performance.
With the SanDisk Extreme Pro
CFast 2.0 card, we are enabling a next-
generation card format to meet the needs
of high-end professional cinematogra-
phers, says Dinesh Bahal, vice president,
product marketing, SanDisk. These cards
will enable new digital solutions for profes-
sional filmmakers looking to embrace tech-
nologies such as high-quality 4K video.
Arri will be the first to implement
CFast 2.0 as recording media in a camera.
The documentary-style Arri Amira will
record to in-camera CFast 2.0 cards, and
Alexa XT camera users will be able to use a
new CFast 2.0 adapter, allowing Alexa XT
cameras, as well as Alexa Classic cameras
upgraded with the XR Module, to do the
same.
SanDisks new SanDisk Extreme Pro
CFast 2.0 cards deliver tremendous perfor-
mance, allowing professionals to record
ProRes 4:4:4:4 [at] up to 200 fps with
Amira, and up to 120 fps with Alexa XT/XR
cameras, on cost-effective recording
media, says Stephan Schenk, general
manager of Arris camera and DI systems
business unit.
Canon is also a supporter of the
CFast 2.0 standard. With extremely fast
performance, CFast 2.0 memory cards will
enable us to develop next-generation
cameras with more powerful features,
enabling future 4K Ultra HD video recording
capability, says Masaya Maeda, managing
director and chief executive of image
communication product operations at
Canon.
The SanDisk Extreme Pro CFast 2.0
cards are created to withstand real-world
exposure to temperature, shock and vibra-
tion, and include a pinless design, which
lessens the chance of damaging the card or
camera while changing cards. Each card will
be marked with a unique individual serial-
ization number that can be registered with
SanDisk Pro Care Customer Support.
Also available is the SanDisk Extreme
Pro CFast 2.0 Reader/Writer. Small enough
for field work, the reader is built to handle
the high performance demands of CFast
2.0 technology and increase workflow effi-
ciency with support for USB 3.0 interface
transfer speeds up to 500MB/s.
www.sandisk.com.
Matthews Slides Cameras
Matthews Studio Equipment, a
manufacturer of specialized supports for the
entertainment industry, has introduced the
sturdy, lightweight MatthewsSlider, which
features an open-frame construction.
We at Matthews pride ourselves in
listening to the industry and filling the needs
the Colibri Brushless Gimbal, a three-axis
stabilizing platform for handheld operating.
Designed in cooperation with Dieter Wurster,
the Calibri enables perfectly stabilized move-
ment in a variety of shooting situations with
cameras up to the size of a Red Epic.
The lightweight Colibri incorporates
two motors for each axis six motors in
total to provide the necessary power to
smoothly move the weight of a fully rigged
Epic; even with the six motors, the Colibri
operates with absolutely no noise. Addition-
ally, Bluetooth modules allow the stabilizer to
be configured via PC.
For more information, visit
www.campilots.com.
Mac Group Supports
Benro S6 Monopod
Benro has released
the S6 Video Monopod,
a three-leg folding-base monopod com-
bined with Benros S6 Video Head for
increased weight capacity.
Designed for the run-and-gun videog-
rapher who requires mobility, the Benro
video monopod series provides solid
support, flexibility and portability. The
heavy-duty S6 Video Monopod features a
three-leg base with pan cartridge for
smooth and stable shots along with
reverse folding legs for compact travel. The
system provides a 13.2-pound payload
capacity as well as a four-step counterbal-
ance for working with heavier cameras and
longer lenses. The S6 head also includes an
independent pan lock, which allows the user
to pan smoothly without having to turn the
entire monopod, and is equipped with a
65mm flat base with a
3
8" thread. The S6
video head can be removed from the mono-
pod to allow users to mount the head sepa-
rately on sliders, jibs or half-ball adapters.
Other features of the S6 monopod
and S6 head include independent tilt lock, a
Backstage Equipment, nc. 8052 Lankershim Bl. North Hollywood, CA 91605 (818) 504-6026 Fax (818) 504-6180 backstaged@aol.com www.backstageweb.com
Come visit our showroom or call for our latest Magliner product catalog
We are the largest retailer specializing in Magliner customized products and accessories for the Film and Television Industry in the world
New York Showroom C.W..H. 364 W. 36th St. New York, NY 10018 (877)-Mr-CASTER (877-672-2783) backstage@cwih.com www.cwih.com
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+90/-75 tilt range and a 501PL compatible
QR6 plate. The S6 reaches a maximum
height of 70" and a minimum height of
27.8".
Pairing the proper video head,
monopod and travel case, each Benro
Video Monopod Kit is based on an eighth-
generation design of single leg, aluminum
alloy tubes. The Benro S6 Video Monopod
is available now in both flip leg lock and
twist leg lock.
Benro products are distributed in the
U.S. by Mac Group. For more information,
visit www.macgroupus.com.
Wooden Camera Powers C-Box
Wooden Camera has introduced the
C-Box, a single-input four-output HD-SDI
distribution amplifier. Each output is inde-
pendently re-clocked and carries the same
signal strength as the original. LED indica-
tors are located on the operators side to
show the status of power and signal.
The C-Box can accept between 8-
20-volt DC and is available in three config-
urations: C-Box (D-Tap) attaches between a
mounting plate and Gold Mount or V-
Mount battery plate, and draws power
from a D-Tap plug; C-Box (V-Mount)
attaches between a V-Mount and battery,
power is taken internally, and Red data
protocol if present is passed through
to camera; and C-Box (Gold Mount)
attaches between a Gold Mount and
battery, and power is taken internally.
www.woodencamera.com.
Ianiro Travels with Gulliver LED
Ianiro International has unveiled the
Gulliver LED, a portable and fully dimmable
40-watt unit that is available in AC and DC
versions.
With this new unit, we have deliv-
ered a product that does not fall into the
usual LED traps, says Nick Allen-Miles, of
Ianiro International. Its designed to
perform to a high level over its entire lifes-
pan and to maintain a consistent output
throughout a shoot, with no change in
color response.
The Gulliver LED is designed for use
in small studios and on location. Light-
weight and durable, it is ideal for news and
documentary reporters. The Gullivers
aluminum casing incorporates near-invisible
vents throughout, to keep temperature
stable and facilitate heat dispersion. Addi-
tionally, the fixtures mirrors are printed on
ultra-pure time-tested aluminum, and a
special diffusing finish provides the right
light balance between softness and high
luminance.
Because of our precise LED arrays
and custom-designed heat sinks, the
dreaded color shift is not an issue, says
Allen-Miles. These factors, plus LED bulb
quality, means that the unit has excellent
heat dissipation. This makes a real differ-
ence compared to standard products.
www.ianirouk.com.
SGO Accelerates Compositing
with Mamba FX
SGO has introduced the Windows-
based Mamba FX compositing software,
which is available for a wide variety of PC
configurations. Mamba FX equips users
with an entire visual-effects suite, with tools
for keying, tracking, painting and restora-
tion. Utilizing an intuitive node-based
graphic interface, the software boasts
unlimited compositing layers and effects;
the softwares compositing trees also
generate plain text files that describe the
chain of processes that are scripted and
manipulated to automate functions and
workflows.
Like SGOs Mistika color-grading and
post solution, Mamba FX takes advantage
of Nvidia GPU graphics boards to allow for
real-time construction and review of effects
and incredibly fast processing. Additionally,
Mamba FX is completely open in terms of
file structure, allowing it to be easily inte-
grated into an existing workflow. Effects
created within Mamba FX are completely
compatible with SGOs Mistika systems;
Mistika can provide conforming, high-end
finishing, grading and client-review facilities
while numerous Mamba FX systems can
share Mistikas storage and file system for a
fully integrated pipeline. At additional cost,
Mamba FX can also run other SGO feature
options, such as the companys Stereo 3D
toolset and DCP Creation.
www.sgo.es.
International Marketplace
(623) 561-6490 ( 33) 55 4499 6622 6611-66 0
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Advertisers Index
AC 101
Adorama 33, 89
AJA Video Systems, Inc. 53
Alan Gordon 105
Arri 59
Arri CSC 45
Art-4.com 99
ASC 66
AZGrip 104
Backstage Equipment, Inc.
101
Birns & Sawyer 104
Blackmagic Design, Inc. 31
Camerimage 103
Canon USA Video 29
Carl Zeiss SBE, LLC 51
Cavision Enterprises 104
CBS Films 9
Chapman/Leonard Studio
Equipment Inc. 93
Cinebags Inc. 105
Cinematography
Electronics 8
Cinekinetic 104
Clairmont Film & Digital 91
Cooke Optics 47
Denecke 104
Eastman Kodak C4
Film Gear (International), Ltd.
57
Filmotechnic USA 52
Filmtools 99
Fox Searchlight 5
Glidecam Industries 81
Hertz Corporation 49
Huesca Film Office (HUFO)
8
K5600 63
Kino Flo 83
Lights! Action! Co. 105
Manfrotto 79
M.M. Mukhi & Sons 105
Movie Tech AG 104, 105
NBC Universal Pictures 13
NBC Universal Studio
Operations 87
Next Shot 57
No Subtitles Necessary 82
P+S Technik 105
Panavision C3
Panther Gmbh 95
Paramount Pictures 21, 25
PC&E 67
Pille Filmgeraeteverleih
Gmbh 104
Pro8mm 104
Red Digital Cinema C2-1
Schneider Optics 2
Sony Electronics, Inc. 36-37
Sony Pictures Entertainment
17
Super16, Inc. 104
Technicolor 35, 77
Tiffen 61
Visual Products 8
Walt Disney Studios 7
Warner Bros. 11, 15, 19,
23, 27
Willys Widgets 104
www.theasc.com 6, 82,
94, 97, 106
106
Thor: The Dark World,
Dec. p. 68
Trance, May p. 20
Wolf of Wall Street, The,
Dec. p. 38
Wolverine, The,
Aug. p. 56
Worlds End, The,
Sept. p. 64
Arbogast, AFC, Thierry,
Sept. p. 20
Arkapaw, Adam,
March p. 20, Nov. p. 92
Armstrong, Sergio,
April p. 97
ASC CLOSE-UP
Baffa, Christopher,
April p. 120
Burgess, Don, July p. 88
Carpenter, Russell,
March p. 76
Dryburgh, Stuart,
Aug. p. 88
Fortunato, Ron,
Sept. p. 120
Gainer, Steve, Oct. p. 100
Goldblatt, Stephen,
Feb. p. 88
Johnson, Shelly,
June p. 108
Maibaum, Paul,
May p. 100
McGarvey, Seamus,
Nov. p. 112
Sigel, Newton Thomas,
Jan. p. 108
Slovis, Michael,
Dec. p. 116
Attack, The, Aug. p. 66
Austin, ASC, Charles,
March p. 71
Baffa, ASC, Christopher,
April p. 120
Barron, Ashley, July p. 14
Bazelli, ASC, Bojan,
Aug. p. 32
Beebe, ASC, ACS, Dion,
Feb. p. 42
Belanger, CSC, Yves,
July p. 20
Berberian Sound Studio,
Aug. p. 24
Big Sur, April p. 88
BLACK-AND-WHITE
Justin Timberlake and
Jay-Z, Suit & Tie,
May p. 14
Black Nativity, Dec. p. 28
3-D
Gravity, Nov. p. 36
Great Gatsby, The,
June p. 48
Hobbit: An Unexpected
Journey, The,
Jan. p. 50
Metallica Through the
Never, Nov. p. 78
Oz the Great and
Powerful, April p. 36
Pacific Rim, Aug. p. 46
Star Trek Into Darkness,
June p. 34
Dec. p. 68
7x6x2, April p. 14
12 Years a Slave,
Dec. p. 54
35MM (SUPER 35MM LISTED
SEPARATELY)
Laurence Anyways,
July p.20
Post Tenebras Lux,
July p. 24
42, May p. 48
65MM
Gravity, Nov. p. 36
June p. 34
Ackroyd, BSC, Barry,
Nov. p. 64
After Earth, July p. 44
After Tiller, Oct. p. 22
Aint Them Bodies Saints,
Sept. p. 80
All Is Lost, Nov. p. 50
Amour, Jan. p. 18
ANAMORPHIC
Django Unchained,
Jan. p. 32
Elysium, Sept. p. 34
Gangster Squad,
Feb. p. 42
General Electric, Juice
Train, Jan. p. 12
Houston, April p. 80
London Grammar,
Strong, Nov. p. 16
Lone Ranger, The,
Aug. p. 32
Patience Stone, The,
Sept. p. 20
Promised Land,
Jan. p. 24
June p. 34
Bobbitt, BSC, Sean,
April p. 52, Dec. p. 54
Bolduc, CSC, Nicolas,
April p. 20
Briesewitz, ASC, Uta,
April p. 118
Bright Side, The,
Oct. p. 14
Broomberg, Ryan, Oct. p. 14
Bryld, DFF, Eigil, Feb. p. 18,
Nov. p. 92
Bukowski, Bobby,
June p. 60
Burgess, ASC, Don,
May p. 48, July p. 88
Caesar Must Die,
Feb. p. 24
Californication,
March p. 31
Captain Phillips,
Nov. p. 64
Carpenter, ASC, Russell,
March p. 76
Cernjul, ASC, HFS, Vanja,
Sept. p. 118
Charters, ASC, CSC,
Rodney, March p. 40
Chediak, ASC, Enrique,
March p. 74
Chevy Volt, The Volt
Plasma Challenge,
June p. 14
Chicago Fire, March p. 33
Chomyn, ASC, Christopher,
Feb. p. 86
Christensen, Charlotte
Bruus, Aug. p. 20
Clark, ASC, Curtis,
March p. 50
Cohen, BSC, Danny,
Jan. p. 66
COMMERCIALS
Plasma Challenge,
June p. 14
Train, Jan. p. 12
Cronenweth, ASC, Jeff,
Jan. p. 78
CSI: Crime Scene Inves-
tigation, Oct. p. 86
Darkest Day, The,
April p. 26
Deakins, ASC, BSC, Roger,
Oct. p. 54
Debie, AFC, Benot,
June p. 26
DeMarco, Frank, Nov. p. 50
Deming, ASC, Peter,
April p. 36
Die Antwoord, I Fink U
Freeky, March p. 14
DIGITAL ACQUISITION
7x6x2, April p. 14
42, May p. 48
After Earth, July p. 44
Amour, Jan. p. 18
Attack, The, Aug. p. 66
Aug. p. 24
Big Sur, April p. 88
Black Nativity, Dec. p. 28
Bright Side, The,
Oct. p. 14
Caesar Must Die,
Feb, p. 24
Californication,
March p. 31
Captain Phillips,
Nov. p. 64
Plasma Challenge,
June p. 14
Chicago Fire, March p. 33
Darkest Day, The,
April p. 26
Freeky, March p. 14
Dreamland, July p. 14
Drone, Dec. p. 12
Exitmusic, White Noise,
Sept. p. 14
Fifth Estate, The,
Nov. p. 22
Frances Ha, June p. 20
Gangster Squad,
Feb. p. 42
Train, Jan. p. 12
Gravity, Nov. p. 36
Great Gatsby, The,
June p. 48
Hitchcock, Jan. p. 78
Journey, The, Jan. p. 50
Homefront, Dec. p. 20
House of Cards,
Feb. p. 18
Hunt, The, Aug. p. 20
Iceman, The, June p. 60
Jay-Z, Suit & Tie,
May p. 14
2013 Index
by Cinematographer, Project Title, Format, Subject and Author
Compiled by Christopher Probst
Labor Day, Dec. p. 84
London Grammar,
Strong, Nov. p. 16
Lone Ranger, The,
Aug. p. 32
Marilyn Manson,
Slo-Mo-Tion,
Feb. p. 12
Never, Nov. p. 78
Mother of George,
April p. 80
Much Ado About
Nothing, July p. 56
Narco Cultura,
April p. 100
NCIS, Oct. p. 66
No, April p. 97
Oblivion, May p. 34
Only God Forgives,
Sept. p. 50
Oz the Great and
Parades End, Feb. p. 54
Sept. p. 20
Phil Spector, March p. 28
Prisoners, Oct. p. 54
Reluctant Fundamentalist,
The, May p. 28
Rush, Oct. p. 38
Spring Breakers,
June p. 26
Straight Down Low,
Oct. p. 14
Dec. p. 68
Trance, May p. 20
Under the Dome,
Aug. p. 74
War Witch, April p. 20
We Are the Land,
Oct. p. 14
White House Down,
July p. 32
Wild Horses, Aug. p. 14
Dec. p. 38
Wolverine, The,
Aug. p. 56
Zero Dark Thirty,
Feb. p. 32
DIRECTORS INTERVIEWED
Abrams, J.J., June p. 34
Antal, Nimrod, Nov. p. 78
Ballen, Roger, March p. 14
Bigelow, Kathryn,
Feb. p. 32
Chandor, J.C., Nov. p. 50
Cianfrance, Derek,
April p. 52
Condon, Bill, Nov. p. 22
Coogler, Ryan, April p. 83
Cuarn, Alfonso,
Nov. p. 36
Del Toro, Guillermo,
Aug. p. 46
Emmerich, Roland,
July p. 32
Fleder, Gary, Dec. p. 20
Fleischer, Ruben,
Feb. p. 42
Gervasi, Sacha,
Jan. p. 82
Gordon-Levitt, Joseph,
Oct. p. 30
Greengrass, Paul,
Nov. p. 64
Helgeland, Brian,
May p. 48
Heskett, Drew,
Oct. p. 14
Hooper, Tom, Jan. p. 66
Howard, Ron, Oct. p. 42
Jewel, Daniel,
Dec. p. 12
Martin, Stephanie,
Aug. p. 14
Mehta, Deepa,
May p. 56
Nguyen, Kim, April p. 20
Perez, Monica,
Sept. p. 14
Pope, Paul, April p. 14
Reddy, Sridhar,
April p. 14
Refn, Nicolas Winding,
Sept. pp. 50, 60
Reitman, Jason,
Dec. p. 84
Schwarz, Shaul,
April p. 100
Scorsese, Martin,
Dec. p. 38
Shane, Martha,
Oct. p. 22
Shyamalan, M. Night,
July p. 44
Strickland, Peter,
Aug. p. 24
Strohmaier, David,
April p. 64
Tarantino, Quentin,
Jan. p. 32
Taviani, Paolo,
Feb. p. 24
Taylor, Alan, Dec. p. 68
Vinterberg, Thomas,
Aug. p. 20
White, Susanna,
Feb. p. 54
Wright, Edgar,
Sept. p. 64
Django Unchained,
Jan. p. 32
DOCUMENTARIES
Never, Nov. p. 78
Narco Cultura,
April p. 100
Dod Mantle, ASC, BSC,
DFF, Anthony, May p. 20,
Oct. p. 38
Don Jon, Oct. p. 30
Dreamland, July p. 14
Drone, Dec. p. 12
Dryburgh, ASC, NZCS,
Stuart, Aug. p. 88
Duggan, ACS, Simon,
June p. 48
Durald, Autumn, Nov. p. 16
Eley, BSC, Mike, Feb. p. 54
Emery, ACS, Ross, Aug. p. 56
Enter the Dragon,
July p. 64
Erb, ASC, Geoffrey,
Sept. p. 114
Exitmusic, White
Noise, Sept. p. 14
Fey, ASC, Cort,
March p. 74, Aug. p. 74
Fifth Estate, The,
Nov. p. 22
FILMMAKERS FORUM
Cinematographer-Editor
Collaboration More
Crucial Than Ever,
June p. 82
My Year in the Tadpole
Trenches, Nov. p. 96
Fiorilli, SBC, Tommaso,
Aug. p. 66
Foerster, ASC, Anna J.,
Jan. p. 106, July p. 32
Forrest, Trevor, Sept. p. 94
Fortunato, ASC, Ron,
Sept. p. 120
Frances Ha, June p. 20
Fraser, ACS, Greig,
Feb. p. 32
Fruitvale Station (a.k.a.
Fruitvale), April p. 83
Gainer, ASC, Steve,
Oct. p. 100
Gangster Squad, Feb. p. 42
Gautier, AFC, Eric, June p. 68
Train, Jan. p. 12
Goldblatt, ASC, BSC,
Stephen, Feb. p. 88
Gravity, Nov. p. 36
Great Gatsby, The,
June p. 48
Green, Jesse, April p. 14
Heskett, Drew, Oct. p. 14
HISTORICAL
Enter the Dragon,
July p. 64
Hitchcock, Jan. p. 78
Journey, The, Jan. p. 50
Homefront, Dec. p. 20
Hora, ASC, John, April p. 64
House of Cards, Feb. p. 18
Houston, April p. 80
Hubbs, ASC, Gil, July p. 64
Hunt, The, Aug. p. 20
Hunter, Jay, July p. 56
Iceman, The, June p. 60
IMAX
June p. 34
IN MEMORIA
Austin, ASC, Charles,
March p. 71
Erb, ASC, Geoffrey,
Sept. p. 114
Lamkin, ASC, Ken,
Jan. p. 105
Taylor, ASC, Alfred,
March p. 69
Taylor, BSC, Gilbert,
Nov. p. 111
INSTRUCTIONAL
The ABCs of DMX,
May p. 66
In the Picture, April p. 64
Jensen, ASC, Matthew,
Nov. p. 110
Joffin, ASC, Jon,
March p. 74
Johnson, ASC, Shelly,
June p. 108
Jay-Z, Suit & Tie,
May p. 14
Khondji, ASC, AFC, Darius,
Jan. p. 18
Kloss, Thomas, Oct. p. 30
Knapp, Douglas, April p. 64
Knowland, BSC, Nic,
Aug. p. 24
Koretz, Eric, June p. 14
Kornai, Mishka, Oct. p. 14
Kotschi, Michael,
April p. 80
Labor Day, Dec. p. 84
Lamkin, ASC, Ken,
Jan. p. 105
Lasky, Alan, Feb. p. 12
Laurence Anyways,
July p. 20
Laxton, James, Sept. p. 14
Les Misrables,
Jan. p. 66
Lesnie, ASC, ACS, Andrew,
Jan. p. 50
Levy, Sam, June p. 20
Libatique, ASC, Matthew,
May p. 14
LIGHTING DIAGRAMS
Plasma Challenge,
June p. 14
Enter the Dragon,
July p. 64
Gangster Squad,
Feb. p. 42
Les Misrables,
Jan. p. 66
Never, Nov. p. 78
Rush, Oct. p. 38
The ABCs of DMX,
May p. 66
Dec. p. 68
White House Down,
July p. 32
Worlds End, The,
Sept. p. 64
London Grammar,
Strong, Nov. p. 16
Lone Ranger, The,
Aug. p. 32
Lore, March p. 20
Lubezki, ASC, AMC,
Emmanuel, Nov. p. 36
Maibaum, ASC, Paul,
May p. 100
Marilyn Manson,
Slo-Mo-Tion,
Feb. p. 12
McDonough, ASC, Michael,
March p. 74
McGarvey, ASC, BSC,
Seamus, Nov. p. 112
Never, Nov. p. 78
Metcalfe, Alex, April p. 26
Michos, ASC, Anastas,
Dec. p. 28
Midnights Children,
May p. 56
Mindel, ASC, BSC, Dan,
June p. 34
Miranda, ASC, Claudio,
May p. 34
Morano, ASC, Reed,
June p. 106
Morgenthau, ASC, Kramer,
Dec. p. 68
Morrison, Rachel,
April p. 83
Mother of George,
April p. 80
Much Ado About
Nothing, July p. 56
Mullen, ASC, M. David,
April p. 88
MUSIC VIDEOS
Freeky, March p. 14
Exitmusic, White
Noise, Sept. p. 14
Jay-Z, Suit & Tie,
May p. 14
London Grammar,
Strong, Nov. p. 16
Marilyn Manson,
Slo-Mo-Tion,
Feb. p. 12
Narco Cultura,
April p. 100
Navarro, ASC, Guillermo,
Aug. p. 46
NCIS, Oct. p. 66
NEW ASC ASSOCIATES
Abel, Pete, Oct. p. 98
Abel, Rich, Oct. p. 98
Bogdanowicz, Jill,
Oct. p. 98
Dando, Marc, Oct. p. 98
Harp, Lisa, Sept. p. 118
Jannard, Jim,
Jan. p. 106
Kraus, Franz, Aug. p. 86
Land, Jarred,
Nov. p. 110
Mankofsky, Chris,
June p. 106
Peck, Eliott, Aug. p. 86
Potter, Sherri, July p. 86
Reisner, David,
Feb. p. 86
Schwarz, Alexander,
Dec. p. 114
NEW ASC MEMBERS
Briesewitz, Uta,
April p. 118
Cernjul, Vanja,
Sept. p. 118
Chediak, Enrique,
March p. 74
Chomyn, Christopher,
Feb. p. 86
Fey, Cort, March p. 74
Foerster, Anna J.,
Jan. p. 106
Jensen, Matthew,
Nov. p. 110
Joffin, Jon, March p. 74
Legato, Robert,
Dec. p. 114
McDonough, Michael,
March p. 74
Morano, Reed,
June p. 106
Phillips, Sean MacLeod,
Nov. p. 110
Pusheck, Cynthia,
Sept. p. 118
Sarossy, Paul, May p. 98
Sher, Lawrence,
Jan. p. 106
Tirone, Romeo,
March p. 74
Webb, William,
March p. 75
NEW HONORARY ASC MEMBERS
Zydowicz, Marek,
July p. 86
No, April p. 97
Notarile, ASC, Crescenzo,
Oct. p. 86
Nuttgens, BSC, Giles,
May p. 56
Oblivion, May p. 34
Only God Forgives,
Sept. p. 50
Opaloch, Trent, Sept. p. 34
Oz the Great and
Pados, HSC, Gyula,
Nov. p. 78
Sept. p. 20
Phil Spector, March p. 28
Phillips, ASC, Sean
MacLeod, Nov. p. 110
Place Beyond the Pines,
The, April p. 52
Polonsky, Jake, Sept. p. 66
Pope, ASC, Bill, Sept. p. 64
Populaire, Oct. p. 78
POSTPRODUCTION
Another Trip Down
Sunset Blvd.,
Jan. p. 90
Chainsaw Launches
Feature-Film Division,
Dec. p. 96
Gravity, Nov. p. 42
Rush, Oct. p. 44
Una Noche, Sept. p. 94
Under the Dome,
Aug. p. 74
Post Tenebras Lux,
July p. 24
PRESERVATION/RESTORATION
Sunset Blvd., Jan. p. 90
Prieto, ASC, AMC, Rodrigo,
Dec. p. 38
Prisoners, Oct. p. 54
Promised Land,
Jan. p. 24
Pusheck, ASC, Cynthia,
Sept. p. 118
Quinn, ASC, Declan,
May p. 28
Reluctant Fundamentalist,
The, May p. 28
Richardson, ASC, Robert,
Jan. p. 32, Aug. p. 14
Ruiz-Anchia, ASC, Juan,
March p. 28
Rush, Oct. p. 38
Sandgren, FSF, Linus,
Jan. p. 24
Sarossy, ASC, BSC, CSC,
Paul, May p. 98
Schiffman, AFC, Guillaume,
Oct. p. 78
Schliessler, ASC, Tobias,
Nov. p. 22
Schwarz, Shaul, April p. 100
Semler, ASC, ACS, Dean,
Feb. p. 62
Sher, ASC, Lawrence,
Jan. p. 106
Sigel, ASC, Newton
Thomas, Jan. p. 108
Slovis, ASC, Michael,
Dec. p. 116
Smith, BSC, Larry,
Sept. p. 50
Something in the Air,
June p. 68
SPECIAL LAB PROCESSES
Lone Ranger, The,
Aug. p. 32
June p. 68
SPECIAL VENUE
June p. 34
SPECIALIZED CINEMATOGRAPHY
Train, Jan. p. 12
Great Gatsby, The,
June p. 48
Journey, The,
Jan. p. 50
Never, Nov. p. 78
Oz the Great and Power-
ful, April p. 36
Spera, Hillary, Oct. p. 22
Spring Breakers,
June p. 26
June p. 34
Steelberg, ASC, Eric,
Dec. p. 84
Straight Down Low,
Oct. p. 14
SUPER 16MM
Aug. p. 24
Captain Phillips,
Nov. p. 64
Fruitvale Station (a.k.a.
Fruitvale), April p. 83
Lore, March p. 20
Worlds End, The,
Sept. p. 64
SUPER 35MM
12 Years a Slave,
Dec. p. 54
Aint Them Bodies
Saints, Sept. p. 80
Captain Phillips,
Nov. p. 64
Don Jon, Oct. p. 30
Les Misrables,
Jan. p. 66
Midnights Children,
May p. 56
Place Beyond the Pines,
The, April p. 52
Populaire, Oct. p. 78
Promised Land,
Jan. p. 24
June p. 68
Wolf of Wall Street,
The, Dec. p. 38
Suschitzky, ASC, Peter,
July p. 44
Taylor, ASC, Alfred,
March p. 69
Taylor, BSC, Gilbert,
Nov. p. 111
TELEVISION
Californication,
March p. 31
Chicago Fire,
March p. 33
House of Cards,
Feb. p. 18
NCIS, Oct. p. 66
Phil Spector,
March p. 28
Television Triumphs,
Nov. p. 92
Under the Dome,
Aug. p. 74
Dec. p. 68
Tirone, ASC, Romeo,
March p. 74
Topper, Emily, Oct. p. 22
Trance, May p. 20
Una Noche, Sept. p. 94
Under the Dome,
Aug. p. 74
Van de Sande, ASC, Theo,
Dec. p. 20
Van Essen, Melle,
March p. 14
War Witch, April p. 20
Watson, James, Dec. p. 12
We Are the Land,
Oct. p. 14
Weaver, ASC, Michael,
March p. 31
WEB PRODUCTIONS
Train, Jan. p. 12
Webb, ASC, William,
March p. 75, Oct. p. 66
Weigand, Lisa, March p. 33
Westra, Ryan, Oct. p. 14
White House Down,
July p. 32
Wild Horses, Aug. p. 14
Dec. p. 38
Wolverine, The,
Aug. p. 56
Wonder, Andrew,
Jan. p. 12
Worlds End, The,
Sept. p. 64
Young, Bradford,
April p. 80, Sept. p. 80
Zabe, Alexis, July p. 24
Zampagni, Simone,
Feb. p. 24
Zero Dark Thirty,
Feb. p. 32
Zuccarini, Peter, Nov. p. 50
Index by Author
Bailey, ASC, John,
My Year in the Tadpole
Trenches, Nov. p. 96
Bankston, Douglas,
Strong Foundations,
March p. 40
Worlds Apart,
Sept. p. 34
Baumert, Gregor,
Organizing a 9-Camera
Workflow, Oct. p. 44
Bergery, Benjamin
Enduring Love,
Jan. p. 18
The ABCs of DMX,
May p. 66
Utopian Dreams,
June p. 68
Wild Planet,
July p. 44
Hard Truths in
Afghanistan,
Sept. p. 20
Facing the Void,
Nov. p. 36
Tracking an Intricate
Workflow, Nov. p. 42
A Grand Battle,
Dec. p. 68
Birchard, Robert S.,
Another Trip Down
Sunset Blvd.,
Jan. p. 90
Blair, Iain,
Finding Her Way,
June p. 20
A View of the Future,
Aug. p. 74
View from Cuba,
Sept. p. 94
Investigating CSI s
Bland Assassin,
Dec. p. 12
Chainsaw Launches
Feature-Film
Division, Dec. p. 96
Bosley, Rachael K.,
6 Sundance Stand-
outs, April p. 83
Big Guns, Aug. p. 32
Unique Perspectives
on Abortion,
Oct. p. 22
Burcksen, Edgar,
Cinematographer-
Editor Collaboration
More Crucial Than
Ever, June p. 82
Calhoun, John,
A Musical Revolution,
Jan. p. 66
Power Plays,
Feb. p. 18
A Singular Vision,
July p. 24
A Soul Suppressed,
Dec. p. 54
Dillon, Mark,
Child Soldiers in
Africa, April p. 20
The Drama of Sound,
Aug. p. 24
Internet Whistleblow-
ers, Nov. p. 22
Love on the Lam,
Dec. p. 84
Dod Mantle, ASC, BSC,
DFF, Anthony,
Rendering Altered
States for Trance,
May p. 20
Ernest, Alec,
Bullet Train,
Jan. p. 12
Gervasi, Sacha,
Dramatizing the
Master of Suspense,
Jan. p. 82
Giesen, Erhard,
Goldman, Michael,
The Worlds Most
Wanted Man,
Feb. p. 32
Trials by Fire,
March p. 28
Hell on Wheels,
April p. 52
A Trailblazers Tale,
May p. 48
Boldly Captured,
June p. 34
Prime Target,
July p. 32
Boom and Bust,
Dec. p. 38
Gray, Simon,
An Unlikely Hero,
Jan. p. 50
Living Large,
June p. 48
Rapturous Action,
Aug. p. 56
Heuring, David,
A Conscience
Decision, Jan. p. 24
Tech Savvy,
March p. 50
A Violent Homecoming,
Dec. p. 20
Holben, Jay,
An Auteurs Angst,
Jan. p. 78
Trials by Fire,
March p. 31
Surviving the Future,
May p. 34
Battle Bots, Aug. p. 46
Taking on Water,
Nov. p. 50
Hope-Jones, Mark,
Crumbling Pillars,
Feb. p. 54
Capturing Vikings with
Canons C300,
April p. 26
Full Throttle,
Oct. p. 38
Oppenheimer, Jean,
Vision and Verve,
Feb. p. 62
A Teen View of
Zealotry, March p. 20
6 Sundance Stand-
outs, April p. 97
Torn Loyalties,
May p. 8
An Indie Twist on
Shakespeare,
July p. 56
Shattered Past,
Aug. p. 66
LACMA to Celebrate
Figueroa, Sept. p. 26
Magic Touch,
Oct. p. 78
Pizzello, Stephen,
6 Sundance Stand-
outs, April p. 80
Bangkok Dangerous,
Sept. p. 50
Polonsky, Jake,
A 2nd-Unit Shooting
Gallery, Sept. p. 66
Refn, Nicolas Winding,
Directing for All
Platforms, Sept. p. 60
Schruers, Fred,
A Director Shifts
Gears, Oct. p. 42
Sickel, Julie,
Television Triumphs,
Nov. p. 92
Stasukevich, Iain,
Once Upon a Time in
the South, Jan. p. 32
Die Antwoords Freek
Show, March p. 14
Hello, Yellow Brick
Road, April p. 36
Retro Style,
May p. 14
Girls Gone Wild,
June p. 26
Pounding More Than
Pints, Sept. p. 64
Hard-Rock Apoca-
lypse, Nov. p. 78
A Vibrant Holiday
Musical, Dec. p. 28
Steiner, Valentin,
Thomson, Patricia,
The Bard Behind Bars,
Feb. p. 24
Trials by Fire,
March p. 33
6 Sundance Standouts,
April pp. 80, 88, 100
Conjuring Hope,
May p. 56
A Killer with 2 Faces,
June p. 60
Unreliable Charges,
Aug. p. 20
A Ladies Man
Evolves, Oct. p. 30
Seized at Sea,
Nov. p. 64
Tonguette, Peter,
Eyes on the Ball,
July p. 14
Fatherly Fireworks,
Nov. p. 16
Williams, David E.,
Beyond the Law,
Oct. p. 54
Tournament of Death,
July p. 64
Witmer, Jon D.,
7x6x2 Taps Sony F65
and PMW-F55
Prototype, April p. 14
All In, April p. 64
American Mythology,
Sept. p. 80
An Unconventional
Romance, July p. 20
HPA Honors 2012
Achievements,
Jan. p. 92
Hurlbuts Unveil Revo-
lution Cinema
Rentals, Jan. p. 96
In Memoria:
Jan. p. 105;
March pp. 69, 71;
Sept. p. 114
Naval Campaign,
Oct. p. 66
War on Crime,
Feb. p. 42
Wolfe, Jennifer,
Pushing Boundaries
with Marilyn
Manson, Feb. p. 12
Hive Plasmas Illumi-
nate Chevy Volt,
June p. 14
Equine Plight,
Aug. p. 14
Diving Toward Self-
Discovery, Sept. 14
ASC Honors 3 with
Harris Savides
Heritage Awards,
Oct. p. 14
STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP,
MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION
Title of publication:
AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER
Publication no. 0002-7928
Date of filing: October 25, 2013
Frequency of issue: Monthly
Annual subscription price: $50
Number of issues published annually: 12
Location of known office of publication:
1782 N. Orange Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90028.
Location of the headquarters or general business offices of the
publishers: Same as above.
Names and address of publisher: ASC Holding Corp., 1782 N. Orange
Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90028; Publisher, Martha Winterhalter, Executive
Editor, Stephen Pizzello, 1782 N. Orange Dr., Hollywood, CA 90028. Owner:
ASC Holding Corp.
Known bondholders, mortgages, and other security holders owning
or holding 1 per cent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or
other securities: same as above.
Extent and nature of circulation: Total numbers of copies printed (net
press run): average number of copies each issue during preceding 12
months, 37,447; actual number copies of single issue published nearest to
filing date, 38,676.
Paid and/or requested circulation: Paid/Requested Outside-County Mail
Subscriptions stated on Form 3541: average number of copies each issue
during preceding 12 months, 25,024; actual number of copies of single issue
published nearest to filing date, 25,200.
Paid and/or requested circulation: Sales through dealers and carriers,
street vendors and counter sales, and other non-USPS paid distribution:
average number copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 10,463;
actual number of copies single issue published nearest to filing date,
11,326.
Total paid and/or requested circulation: average number copies each
issue during preceding 12 months, 35,487; actual number copies of single
issue published nearest to filing date, 36,526.
Free distribution by mail (samples, complimentary and other free
copies): average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months,
1,535; actual number copies of single issue published nearest to filing date,
1,800.
Total free distributions: average number of copies each issue during
preceding 12 months, 1,535; actual number copies of single issue published
nearest to filing date, 1,800.
Total distribution: average number of copies each issue during preceding
12 months, 37,022; actual number of copies of single issue published near-
est to filing date, 38,326.
Copies not distributed (office use, left over, unaccounted, spoiled
after printing): average number of copies each issue during preceding 12
months, 425; actual number of copies of single issue published nearest to
filing date, 350.
Total: average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months,
37,447; actual number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing
date, 38,676.
Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: average number of copies
each issue during preceding 12 months, 95.8%; actual number of copies of
single issue published nearest to filing date, 95.3%.
I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete.
Martha Winterhalter, Publisher
American Society of Cinematographers Roster
OFFICERS 2013-14
Richard Crudo,
President
Owen Roizman,
Vice President
Kees van Oostrum,
Vice President
Lowell Peterson,
Vice President
Victor J. Kemper,
Treasurer
Frederic Goodich,
Secretary
Isidore Mankofsky,
Sergeant-at-Arms
MEMBERS
OF THE BOARD
Curtis Clark
Richard Crudo
Dean Cundey
George Spiro Dibie
Richard Edlund
Fred Elmes
Victor J. Kemper
Francis Kenny
Matthew Leonetti
Stephen Lighthill
Michael OShea
Lowell Peterson
Owen Roizman
Rodney Taylor
Haskell Wexler
ALTERNATES
Isidore Mankofsky
Kenneth Zunder
Steven Fierberg
Sol Negrin
Vincent G. Cox
Jeff Cronenweth
Richard Crudo
Dean R. Cundey
Stefan Czapsky
David Darby
Allen Daviau
Roger Deakins
Jan DeBont
Thomas Del Ruth
Bruno Delbonnel
Peter Deming
Jim Denault
Caleb Deschanel
Ron Dexter
Craig Di Bona
George Spiro Dibie
Ernest Dickerson
Billy Dickson
Bill Dill
Anthony Dod Mantle
Stuart Dryburgh
Bert Dunk
Lex DuPont
John Dykstra
Richard Edlund
Eagle Egilsson
Frederick Elmes
Robert Elswit
Scott Farrar
Jon Fauer
Don E. FauntLeRoy
Gerald Feil
Cort Fey
Steven Fierberg
Mauro Fiore
John C. Flinn III
Anna Foerster
Larry Fong
Ron Fortunato
Jonathan Freeman
Tak Fujimoto
Alex Funke
Steve Gainer
Robert Gantz
Ron Garcia
David Geddes
Dejan Georgevich
Michael Goi
Stephen Goldblatt
Paul Goldsmith
Frederic Goodich
Victor Goss
Jack Green
Adam Greenberg
Robbie Greenberg
Xavier Grobet
Alexander Gruszynski
Changwei Gu
Rick Gunter
Rob Hahn
Gerald Hirschfeld
Constantine Makris
Denis Maloney
Isidore Mankofsky
Christopher Manley
Michael D. Margulies
Barry Markowitz
Steve Mason
Clark Mathis
Don McAlpine
Don McCuaig
Michael McDonough
Seamus McGarvey
Robert McLachlan
Geary McLeod
Greg McMurry
Steve McNutt
Terry K. Meade
Suki Medencevic
Chris Menges
Rexford Metz
Anastas Michos
David Miller
Douglas Milsome
Dan Mindel
Charles Minsky
Claudio Miranda
George Mooradian
Reed Morano
Donald A. Morgan
Donald M. Morgan
Kramer Morgenthau
Peter Moss
M. David Mullen
Dennis Muren
Fred Murphy
Hiro Narita
Guillermo Navarro
Michael B. Negrin
Sol Negrin
Bill Neil
Alex Nepomniaschy
John Newby
Yuri Neyman
Sam Nicholson
Crescenzo Notarile
David B. Nowell
Rene Ohashi
Daryn Okada
Thomas Olgeirsson
Woody Omens
Miroslav Ondricek
Michael D. OShea
Vince Pace
Anthony Palmieri
Phedon Papamichael
Daniel Pearl
Edward J. Pei
James Pergola
Dave Perkal
Lowell Peterson
Wally Pfister
Sean MacLeod Phillips
Henner Hofmann
Adam Holender
Ernie Holzman
John C. Hora
Tom Houghton
Gil Hubbs
Shane Hurlbut
Tom Hurwitz
Judy Irola
Mark Irwin
Levie Isaacks
Peter James
Johnny E. Jensen
Matthew Jensen
Jon Joffin
Frank Johnson
Shelly Johnson
Jeffrey Jur
Adam Kane
Stephen M. Katz
Ken Kelsch
Victor J. Kemper
Wayne Kennan
Francis Kenny
Glenn Kershaw
Darius Khondji
Gary Kibbe
Jan Kiesser
Jeffrey L. Kimball
Adam Kimmel
Alar Kivilo
David Klein
Richard Kline
George Koblasa
Fred J. Koenekamp
Lajos Koltai
Pete Kozachik
Neil Krepela
Willy Kurant
Ellen M. Kuras
George La Fountaine
Edward Lachman
Jacek Laskus
Rob Legato
Denis Lenoir
John R. Leonetti
Matthew Leonetti
Andrew Lesnie
Peter Levy
Matthew Libatique
Charlie Lieberman
Stephen Lighthill
John Lindley
Robert F. Liu
Walt Lloyd
Bruce Logan
Gordon Lonsdale
Emmanuel Lubezki
Julio G. Macat
Glen MacPherson
Paul Maibaum
ACTIVE MEMBERS
Thomas Ackerman
Lance Acord
Marshall Adams
Javier Aguirresarobe
Lloyd Ahern II
Russ Alsobrook
Howard A. Anderson III
Howard A. Anderson Jr.
James Anderson
Peter Anderson
Tony Askins
Christopher Baffa
James Bagdonas
King Baggot
John Bailey
Florian Ballhaus
Michael Ballhaus
Andrzej Bartkowiak
John Bartley
Bojan Bazelli
Frank Beascoechea
Affonso Beato
Mat Beck
Dion Beebe
Bill Bennett
Andres Berenguer
Carl Berger
Gabriel Beristain
Steven Bernstein
Ross Berryman
Josh Bleibtreu
Oliver Bokelberg
Michael Bonvillain
Richard Bowen
David Boyd
Russell Boyd
Uta Breisewitz
Jonathan Brown
Don Burgess
Stephen H. Burum
Bill Butler
Frank B. Byers
Bobby Byrne
Patrick Cady
Antonio Calvache
Paul Cameron
Russell P. Carpenter
James L. Carter
Alan Caso
Vanja ernjul
Michael Chapman
Rodney Charters
Enrique Chediak
Christopher Chomyn
James A. Chressanthis
T.C. Christensen
Joan Churchill
Curtis Clark
Peter L. Collister
Jack Cooperman
Jack Couffer
Bill Pope
Steven Poster
Tom Priestley Jr.
Rodrigo Prieto
Robert Primes
Frank Prinzi
Cynthia Pusheck
Richard Quinlan
Declan Quinn
Earl Rath
Richard Rawlings Jr.
Frank Raymond
Tami Reiker
Robert Richardson
Anthony B. Richmond
Tom Richmond
Bill Roe
Owen Roizman
Pete Romano
Charles Rosher Jr.
Giuseppe Rotunno
Philippe Rousselot
Juan Ruiz-Anchia
Marvin Rush
Paul Ryan
Eric Saarinen
Alik Sakharov
Mikael Salomon
Paul Sarossy
Roberto Schaefer
Tobias Schliessler
Aaron Schneider
Nancy Schreiber
Fred Schuler
John Schwartzman
John Seale
Christian Sebaldt
Dean Semler
Ben Seresin
Eduardo Serra
Steven Shaw
Lawrence Sher
Richard Shore
Newton Thomas Sigel
Steven V. Silver
John Simmons
Sandi Sissel
Santosh Sivan
Bradley B. Six
Michael Slovis
Dennis L. Smith
Roland Ozzie Smith
Reed Smoot
Bing Sokolsky
Peter Sova
Dante Spinotti
Terry Stacey
Eric Steelberg
Ueli Steiger
Peter Stein
Tom Stern
Robert M. Stevens
David Stockton
Rogier Stoffers
Vittorio Storaro
Harry Stradling Jr.
David Stump
Tim Suhrstedt
Peter Suschitzky
Jonathan Taylor
Rodney Taylor
William Taylor
Don Thorin Sr.
Romeo Tirone
John Toll
Mario Tosi
Salvatore Totino
Luciano Tovoli
Jost Vacano
Theo van de Sande
Eric van Haren Noman
Kees van Oostrum
Checco Varese
Ron Vargas
Mark Vargo
Amelia Vincent
William Wages
Roy H. Wagner
Mandy Walker
Michael Watkins
Michael Weaver
William Billy Webb
Jonathan West
Haskell Wexler
Jack Whitman
Gordon Willis
Dariusz Wolski
Ralph Woolsey
Peter Wunstorf
Robert Yeoman
Richard Yuricich
Jerzy Zielinski
Vilmos Zsigmond
Kenneth Zunder
ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
Pete Abel
Rich Abel
Alan Albert
Richard Aschman
Kay Baker
Joseph J. Ball
Amnon Band
Carly M. Barber
Craig Barron
Thomas M. Barron
Larry Barton
Wolfgang Baumler
Bob Beitcher
Mark Bender
Bruce Berke
Bob Bianco
Steven A. Blakely
Jill Bogdanowicz
Mitchell Bogdanowicz
Michael Bravin
Simon Broad
William Brodersen
Garrett Brown
Ronald D. Burdett
Reid Burns
Vincent Carabello
Jim Carter
Leonard Chapman
Mark Chiolis
Denny Clairmont
Adam Clark
Cary Clayton
Dave Cole
Michael Condon
Grover Crisp
Peter Crithary
Daniel Curry
Marc Dando
Ross Danielson
Carlos D. DeMattos
Gary Demos
Mato Der Avanessian
Kevin Dillon
David Dodson
Judith Doherty
Peter Doyle
Cyril Drabinsky
Jesse Dylan
Jonathan Erland
Ray Feeney
William Feightner
Phil Feiner
Jimmy Fisher
Scott Fleischer
Thomas Fletcher
Claude Gagnon
Salvatore Giarratano
Richard B. Glickman
John A. Gresch
Jim Hannafin
Bill Hansard Jr.
Lisa Harp
Richard Hart
Robert Harvey
Michael Hatzer
Josh Haynie
Charles Herzfeld
Larry Hezzelwood
Frieder Hochheim
Bob Hoffman
Vinny Hogan
Cliff Hsui
Robert C. Hummel
Roy Isaia
Jim Jannard
George Joblove
Joel Johnson
John Johnston
Mike Kanfer
Marker Karahadian
Frank Kay
Debbie Kennard
Glenn Kennel
Milton Keslow
Robert Keslow
Douglas Kirkland
Mark Kirkland
Timothy J. Knapp
Franz Kraus
Karl Kresser
Chet Kucinski
Jarred Land
Chuck Lee
Doug Leighton
Lou Levinson
Suzanne Lezotte
Grant Loucks
Howard Lukk
Andy Maltz
Steven E. Manios Jr.
Steven E. Manios Sr.
Chris Mankofsky
Peter Martin
Robert Mastronardi
Joe Matza
Albert Mayer Jr.
Bill McDonald
Karen McHugh
Andy McIntyre
Stan Miller
Walter H. Mills
George Milton
Mike Mimaki
Michael Morelli
Dash Morrison
Nolan Murdock
Dan Muscarella
Iain A. Neil
Otto Nemenz
Ernst Nettmann
Tony Ngai
Mickel Niehenke
Jeff Okun
Marty Oppenheimer
Walt Ordway
Ahmad Ouri
Michael Parker
Dhanendra Patel
Elliot Peck
Kristin Petrovich
Ed Phillips
Nick Phillips
Joshua Pines
Carl Porcello
Sherri Potter
Howard Preston
Sarah Priestnall
David Pringle
Phil Radin
David Reisner
Christopher Reyna
Colin Ritchie
D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 3
Eric G. Rodli
Domenic Rom
Andy Romanoff
Frederic Rose
Daniel Rosen
Dana Ross
Bill Russell
Kish Sadhvani
David Samuelson
Steve Schklair
Peter K. Schnitzler
Walter Schonfeld
Wayne Schulman
Alexander Schwarz
Juergen Schwinzer
Steven Scott
Alec Shapiro
Don Shapiro
Milton R. Shefter
Leon Silverman
Garrett Smith
Timothy E. Smith
Kimberly Snyder
Stefan Sonnenfeld
John L. Sprung
Joseph N. Tawil
Ira Tiffen
Steve Tiffen
Arthur Tostado
Jeffrey Treanor
Bill Turner
Stephan Ukas-Bradley
Mark Van Horne
Richard Vetter
Dedo Weigert
Evans Wetmore
Franz Wieser
Beverly Wood
Jan Yarbrough
Hoyt Yeatman
Irwin M. Young
Michael Zacharia
Bob Zahn
Nazir Zaidi
Michael Zakula
Les Zellan
HONORARY MEMBERS
Col. Edwin E. Al drin Jr.
Col. Michael Collins
Bob Fisher
David MacDonald
Cpt. Bruce McCandless II
Larry Parker
D. Brian Spruill
Marek Zydowicz
Society Welcomes Legato
New active member Robert Legato,
ASC grew up in New Jersey. When he was 4
years old, he began helping his father
develop and print family photographs. He
went on to attend the Brooks Institute of
Photography, where he earned a bachelors
degree in cinematography in 1979, and later
an honorary masters degree.
Legato got his first break when a
producer spotted him reading American
Cinematographer on a plane the day after
graduation. He was hired as a live-action
producer at HISK productions, where he
worked on national television commercials
until he joined Robert Abel and Associates
in 1982. Legato later supervised visual
effects for the CBS series The Twilight Zone,
as well as Paramount productions such as
Star Trek: The Next Generation, for which
he won two Primetime Emmys.
Legato made the jump to features
with Interview with the Vampire, on which
he served as the visual-effects cameraman
and second-unit director. His visual-effects
credits also include the features Apollo 13,
Titanic, The Aviator, The Departed, The
Good Shepherd, Shutter Island, Hugo and
The Wolf of Wall Street.
Legato won Academy Awards for
his work on Titanic and Hugo.
Schwarz Named Associate
New associate member Alexander
Schwarz was born in Noerdlingen,
Germany, and holds a masters degree in
computer science and image processing
from the University of Applied Sciences in
Augsburg. In 2003, he joined Vantage Film
to focus on the development of the
companys video-assist system, the PSU. He
soon became involved with Vantages
customer-relations department, and since
2009 he has served as director of digital
systems and key accounts. In that role, he
works closely with cinematographers who
use Vantages Hawk anamorphic lenses.
Society Members
Join Imago Conference
Under the auspices of the ASCs
International and Technology committees,
David Stump, ASC and Frederic Good-
ich, ASC recently attended the fourth
Imago/FNF Oslo Digital Cinema Confer-
ence, where they discussed the Image
Control Assessment Series and the Acad-
emy Color Encoding System. More than
100 cinematographers were in attendance.
Stump also provided updates on the work
of the ASC Technology Committee, and
Goodich and Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC
screened their short film, Kickstart Theft (AC
Nov. 12), which employed ACES in its post
workflow. Zsigmond and fellow ASC
members Yuri Neyman and Sam Nichol-
son also presented other topics during the
conference.
Organized by cinematographer Paul
Ren Roestad, FNF, the conference repre-
Clubhouse News
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Top left: Robert Legato, ASC. Top right: Associate member Alexander
Schwarz. Bottom: Attendees of the Imago/FNF Oslo Digital Cinema
Conference gather outside the conference's screening venue.
sents Imagos bi-annual technical summit.
Other topics included DCP projection and
screen quality; digital image restoration and
the need for a uniform digital archival stan-
dard; data management; the Imago Star, a
label to indicate a cinematographers
approval of the image quality of his or her
film; and visual effects and virtual cine-
matography.
Toll Saluted in Big Bear
John Toll, ASC was honored with
the Lifetime Achievement Award for Cine-
matography during the 14th annual Big Bear
Lake International Film Festival. He received
the award during the festivals opening-night
gala, and the following morning, he and
fellow honoree Nick Urata (recipient of the
Award of Excellence for Film Music) sat on a
panel and discussed their careers. Toll and his
wife, makeup artist Lois Burwell, also partic-
ipated in a panel moderated by AC associate
editor Jon D. Witmer. The session featured
clips from and discussions of the films Brave-
heart, Almost Famous and The Last Samurai.
Prieto Serves on London Jury
Rodrigo Prieto, ASC, AMC was
chosen to serve on the jury for the 2013 BFI
London Film Festival awards, which were
presented in October. Joining him were
film critic and journalist Philip French, who
also served as jury president; director Lone
Scherfig; visual artist Stan Douglas;
actress Miranda Richardson; and screen-
writer/author Deborah Moggach. The festi-
val program included 235 feature films and
134 short films from 57 countries around
the world.
Goodich Visits
Wine Country Festival
Frederic Goodich, ASC recently
discussed the cinematographers craft at the
Wine Country Film Festival in Northern Cali-
fornia. For his presentation, Goodich
screened clips from his own work and from
projects shot by such cinematographers as
Conrad Hall, ASC; Vittorio Storaro, ASC,
AIC; Tonino Delli Colli, AIC; and Wally Pfister,
ASC.
The lecture demonstrated how
great cinematography is not about
capturing, but rather about creating and
constructing meaningful images, says
Goodich. Cinematographers dont just
take pictures; they make pictures.
Tiffen Named SMPTE Fellow
The Society of Motion Picture and
Television Engineers recently named ASC
associate member Steve D. Tiffen, presi-
dent and CEO of The Tiffen Co., a SMPTE
Fellow. Fellow status is given to individuals
who have attained an outstanding rank
among engineers or executives in the
motion picture or related industries. Tiffen
was selected with 13 other industry leaders.
Feightner Joins Colorfront as CTO
Colorfront has appointed ASC asso-
ciate member Bill Feightner its new chief
technology officer. His appointment coin-
cides with his receipt of SMPTEs 2013 Tech-
nicolor/Herbert T. Kalmus Medal for his
contributions to the art and science of digi-
tal motion-picture image science.
Bill is recognized industry wide as
one of the top image-science experts in the
field, says Aron Jaszberenyi, managing
director of Colorfront. We worked closely
with him at EFilm for over a decade, and
have been continually impressed by how his
cutting-edge vision as a champion of file-
based workflows has become accepted as
the mainstream. His expertise will be invalu-
able as Colorfront further expands into
high-end image processing, custom devel-
opment, consulting and other workflow
services.
Top: Frederic Goodich, ASC and his wife, Donna, at the Wine Country
Film Festival. Bottom left: Associate member Steve Tiffen.
Bottom right: Associate member Bill Feightner.
When you were a child, what film made the strongest
impression on you?
The Fly (1958). It scared me to death.
Which cinematographers, past or
present, do you most admire?
ASC members Gregg Toland, Owen Roiz-
man and Caleb Deschanel, to name a
few. These artists created or continue to
create visual languages for each film that
are graphically beautiful and inseparable
from the stories being told. I love that.
What sparked your interest in
photography?
My mom had a foldout bellows Kodak
Tourist II camera. I couldnt get enough of
it.
Where did you train and/or study?
At the Rochester Institute of Technology,
where I earned a BFA, and at New York
Universitys Tisch School of the Arts,
where I earned an MFA in film.
Who were your early teachers
or mentors?
I was lucky enough to be at NYU when Nick Ray taught there. Later,
I started as a gaffer for cinematographer Arthur Albert, and we
would figure things out together. That process was invaluable.
What are some of your key artistic influences?
The Neorealist films of De Sica, Antonioni and Fellini, and the films of
Preston Sturges. I love great writing.
How did you get your first break in the business?
I started as an electrician on low-budget films.
What has been your most satisfying moment on a project?
The entire experience of shooting and directing on Breaking Bad. It
defined the collaborative creative experience for me.
Have you made any memorable blunders?
Anyone who experiments will end up with failures that will ultimately
lead to something worthwhile. A friend of mine once said, I never
did anything great intentionally. I like that.
What is the best professional advice youve ever received?
Remain positive. Its harder than you think.
What recent books, films or artworks
have inspired you?
I read a lot, but what has inspired me the
most lately is the long-form novelistic
storytelling Ive enjoyed by binge view-
ing Homeland, House of Cards, Top of
the Lake and Rectify. They are all part of a
revolution in televised drama; there is
attention to the writing, the perfor-
mances and the look, and, as with a good
book, you can pick them up and put
them down anytime you like. Its very
exciting.
Do you have any favorite genres, or
genres you would like to try?
I like anything thats well written, but
something in the fantasy genre, open to
graphic interpretation, would be espe-
cially fun.
If you werent a cinematographer,
what might you be doing instead?
I love music and have played a variety of instruments. Its a very good
thing that cinematography worked out.
Which ASC cinematographers recommended you for
membership?
Nancy Schreiber, James L. Carter, John Lindley and Steven Poster.
How has ASC membership impacted your life and career?
In my interview with the Societys Membership Committee, all of the
discussion centered on artistic choices rather than technical ones
they asked questions like, Why did you do this? or, What moti-
vated you to go in that direction? Id been searching for that type
of community for a long time and immediately felt comfortable. The
impact on my career is impossible to measure. Inclusion in the
worlds most celebrated cinematographers society is a dream for
hundreds of filmmakers and a credit that supports me wherever I go.
I consider myself very fortunate.
Michael Slovis, ASC Close-up
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