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AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER • DECEMBER 2017 • BLADE RUNNER 2049 – THOR: RAGNAROK – SUBURBICON – ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ. – MUDBOUND – OUR SOULS AT NIGHT • VOL. 98 NO. 12
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D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7 V O L . 9 8 N O . 1 2
FEATURES
36 Blade Runner 2049 – Uncanny Valley 50
Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC blends film noir and
science fiction
DEPARTMENTS
12 Editor’s Note
14 President’s Desk
18 Shot Craft: Light Meters • K Counts • False Color
28 Short Takes: Empty Skies 90
100 Filmmakers’ Forum: Wonder Wheel
108 New Products & Services
116 International Marketplace
117 Classified Ads
118 Ad Index
119 2017 AC Index
124 ASC Membership Roster
126 Clubhouse News
128 ASC Close-Up: Patrick Cady
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D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 7 V o l . 9 8 , N o . 1 2
An International Publication of the ASC
6
American Society of Cinematographers
The ASC is not a labor union or a guild, but
an educational, cultural and professional
organization. Membership is by invitation
to those who are actively engaged as
directors of photography and have
demonstrated outstanding ability. ASC
membership has become one of the highest
honors that can be bestowed upon a
professional cinematographer — a mark
of prestige and excellence.
OFFICERS - 2017/2018
Kees van Oostrum
President
Bill Bennett
Vice President
John Simmons
Vice President
Cynthia Pusheck
Vice President
Levie Isaacks
Treasurer
David Darby
Secretary
Isidore Mankofsky
Sergeant-at-Arms
MEMBERS OF THE
BOARD
Paul Cameron
Russell Carpenter
Curtis Clark
Richard Crudo
George Spiro Dibie
Fred Elmes
Victor J. Kemper
Stephen Lighthill
Karl-Walter Lindenlaub
Robert Primes
Cynthia Pusheck
Roberto Schaefer
John Simmons
John Toll
Amy Vincent
ALTERNATES
Dean Cundey
Lowell Peterson
Steven Fierberg
Stephen Burum
Mandy Walker
MUSEUM CURATOR
Steve Gainer
8
EDITOR’S NOTE
Continuing the narrative of a landmark film like Blade
Runner is a daunting prospect for everyone involved. On
Blade Runner 2049, nobody occupied a hotter seat than
cinematographer Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC, who was
following in the very large footsteps of another ASC icon,
the late Jordan Cronenweth.
Cronenweth’s groundbreaking work on the original
movie has long been canonized for its artful fusion of film-
noir style with a spectacularly dank cyberpunk aesthetic, as
well as an eerie, dystopian ambience achieved through the
cinematographer’s unorthodox and adventurous combina-
tion of xenon lights, smoke and low-con filters. (Cronen-
weth credited the application of xenon lights to legendary
gaffer Dick Hart. Addressing the smoking of sets in a July
1982 interview with AC, Cronenweth joked, “I find that a good density is achieved just before
I lose consciousness.”)
In a Q&A conducted by Rachael Bosley (“Uncanny Valley,” page 36), Deakins maintains
that he and director Denis Villeneuve opted to blaze their own trail and “didn’t really reference
Blade Runner” very much in their approach to the new movie. Instead, Deakins notes, “Many
of our references were architecture, actually. One of the early references Denis gravitated
toward was the architecture in Beijing and the look of the city in the smog; he liked the idea of
L.A. being cold, with either rain or snow in exterior scenes. We wanted the environment to be
a character in itself, and gradually we came to the idea of stark, minimal Brutalist architecture.”
Since its October release, Blade Runner 2049 has received lavish praise for its look, which
suggests that in a universe of “franchise titles,” forging a fresh aesthetic can be a welcome
alternative to cautious homage.
On Thor: Ragnarok, cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe, ASC, AEC and director Taika
Waititi infused a similarly familiar realm with an energetic approach to the Norse superhero’s
latest adventure (“Hammer Time,” page 50). While Aguirresarobe fully acknowledges the
necessity of CGI and bluescreen work to realize this corner of the Marvel universe, he observes
that “the challenge consisted of creating fantastic worlds with settings that originated in our
imagination and were lit with realistic lighting.” In his own interview with writer Noah Kadner,
Waititi added, “A lot of inspiration came from the art of [comic-book artist] Jack Kirby, in terms
of color, line, form, and sometimes even composition.”
ASC member Robert Elswit’s work on a pair of intriguing projects helmed by two familiar
collaborators, George Clooney (Suburbicon) and Dan Gilroy (Roman J. Israel, Esq.), inspired us
to ask New York correspondent Patricia Thomson to conduct an interview with Bob about both
movies (“Strife and Justice,” page 62). The former is based on a Coen brothers script that was
reconfigured by Clooney and Grant Heslov, and the latter is a Los Angeles-based legal thriller
that provides its star, Denzel Washington, with a showcase for a compelling character study.
This month’s other feature articles spotlight two more exceptionally talented ASC
members: Rachel Morrison, who brings an authentic look and feel to Mississippi settings in the
Photo by Owen Roizman, ASC.
post-World War II drama Mudbound (“Delta Blues,” page 78), and Stephen Goldblatt, who
explains how he applied LED lighting techniques to the romantic drama Our Souls at Night
(“Timeless Romance,” page 90).
Stephen Pizzello
Editor-in-Chief and Publisher
12
PRESIDENT’S DESK
Tuxedo Time
The other day Caleb Deschanel, ASC called me to see if I had any suggestions for what he might say
about “what cinematography means to the uninitiated — actors, publicists, composers, etc. — to give
them an idea of what to look for when judging cinematography.”
It was meant for the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, all of whom
vote for the Academy Awards after the films in each category have been nominated by the Academy
members within an award’s given branch. In other words, cinematographers nominate the films in the
Best Cinematography category, and then all Academy members vote on which film is worthy of the
Oscar. As it stands, the system has resulted in some interesting choices over the years, to say the least!
As cinematographers, we’re resigned to the notion that films with sweeping panoramic images,
preferably in a period setting, often seem most attractive to the full voting body of the Academy —
which, by percentage, is largely represented by the actors’ branch. I remember when David Watkin,
BSC accepted his Academy Award for Out of Africa; standing onstage, he said, “A while ago I was
sitting in a theater watching one of my movies next to a friend of mine who is a film director. And after
about an hour he touched me on the arm and said, ‘That’s beautiful; you’re very clever.’ I explained that it was a second-unit
shot. So I think it’s best if I point out that all of the flying material was shot by Peter Allwork and the animal photography
was Simon Trevor. I’m truly honored and very flattered, and thank you very much.”
I don’t think any of us would suggest that David Watkin did not deserve the award. His body of work — which also
included Chariots of Fire, Yentl and The Hotel New Hampshire — was driven by a casual approach to lighting, often noted
for its “painterly qualities” and compared by some to Vermeer. His inspiration remains extensive and important to us as cine-
matographers. But, again, we tend to believe that if you should be so lucky as to receive the coveted award, it probably
won’t be for what you consider your best work.
My thoughts go directly to Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC. By now I think he probably deserves some kind of a fashion
award, ironically for the most worn-out tuxedo and black loafers! He has attended the Academy Awards often, having been
nominated for one exceptional achievement in cinematography after another — 13 times in total, as of this writing. It started
with The Shawshank Redemption, then there was Fargo, Kundun, No Country for Old Men, Skyfall — the list of iconic and
intricately shot movies goes on. Through all of the nominations, he’s waited with the utmost restraint and a British attitude
of humility and resignation.
As I considered Caleb’s question, my thoughts began to wander. The “visual sense” is one we as humans develop
first, even in the darkness of the womb. It made me realize that in the everyday life of moviemaking, the opening shot of
most movies is handled with great care, establishing the visual presentation before a word of dialogue is spoken; the story
has begun, and at this point it’s a purely visual one. The same goes for the closing shot of a film — usually a visual crescendo
to send off the audience with an eye-catching experience they will remember.
The camera is indeed a magical metaphor for all filmmakers. After pictures of themselves clutching an Academy
Award, directors, writers, producers and actors all like to be photographed posing next to or even behind a camera. Given
my wry sense of humor, I’ve asked before: Since so many of them are so incredibly involved with words, when will they start
to pose next to a microphone?
This year, Roger Deakins has Blade Runner 2049 in the mix. With great care and after careful consideration, our peers
Photo by Jacek Laskus, ASC, PSC.
will nominate five well-deserving films for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography. What happens after that, of course,
remains to be seen — but, seeing the magnitude and impact of Blade Runner from both a current and historical perspective,
and given Roger’s exquisite interpretation, maybe now is the time for him to shop for a new tux and loafers.
their light meters, the question remains: Do light meters have a The inverse is also true. If you’re shooting a white card,
place in today’s production workflow? Has the meter gone the the meter will still assume it’s 18-percent gray. Since the white
way of the dodo, or is it still a worthwhile investment? card might actually be reflecting back 85 percent of the light
There’s no doubt in my mind that every cinematogra- that hits it, the meter will tell you to stop down the lens —
pher should own — and know how to use — a light meter. and if you do as the meter says, you’ll underexpose the white
Ideally, they should own both spot and incident meters, or one card so that it appears as medium gray in the final shot.
meter that combines the two — but if that’s too expensive, a So when you’re using a spot meter, you have to under-
trusty incident meter is the minimum requirement. It’s crucial to stand the difference in value between your subject and
be proficient with a meter because, regardless of the production medium gray. If the black card is three stops darker than
2048x1080 is 2K
4096x2160 is 4K
clipped highlights are indicated with white. Red cameras also offer Some monitors allow the ability to fine-tune your false-color
a modified version of false color called a “clip guide.” This function display to your exact exposure preferences, allowing the user to set
turns the display into full black-and-white, with the exception of the luminance values at which the display will indicate clipping,
crushed blacks (purple) and clipped highlights (red) — a very effi- crushing, and middle gray. If you prefer to underexpose your skin
cient way to check the extremes of your image. tones, for example, setting the middle-gray indication a stop lower
If you’re always using the same displays to view false color, than normal can offer a helpful assist.
then you’ll quickly get used to their individual color schemes. If — JH
you’re switching from one brand to another on various jobs, take ●
Hong (ViviAnn Yee) reads from Mao Zedong’s “Little Red Book” as she enlists Li (Arthur Welch) to join her in hunting a sparrow
in the short Empty Skies, which takes place during China in the late 1950s.
I Youth Movement
By Michael Kogge
hoping to raise questions about society and the human condition,
as well as inform the public about this forgotten catalyst of the
Great Famine.”
Sparrows are among the most numerous and recognizable Born in New York and raised in Brooklyn, Chan credits his
birds on the planet. Small in size, with the biggest of their species passion for telling stories with images to a childhood love of draw-
able to be held in a human palm, they commonly have gray, brown ing and comic books. He later studied photography and cinema in
and white feathers, and possess short, sharp beaks evolved for eating college, finding inspiration in the deep-focus cinematography of
seeds and insects. Grain fields and orchards make for nutritious habi- James Wong Howe, ASC; the natural lighting of Sven Nykvist, ASC;
tats — until a sparrow colony devours all the seeds, leaving little in its and the pictorial methods of Karl Struss, ASC. As a director of
wake. In the late 1950s, to protect China’s crops and feed its popu- photography, Chan has shot music videos; short films; and commer-
lation, Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong identified sparrows cials for clients as varied as Bombay Sapphire, GE and Foot Locker.
as one of China’s four main pests and declared war against the bird. Since the “Great Sparrow Campaign” remains a controver-
Mao’s campaign provides the backdrop for Empty Skies, a short sial subject in mainland China, the directors decided to shoot Empty
movie about a Chinese boy and girl involved in the hunting and Skies in the United States with a Chinese-speaking cast. Deng
killing of a single sparrow. instructed Chan to watch Tian Zhuangzhuang’s The Blue Kite and Photos and frame grabs courtesy of the filmmakers.
The project was written and directed by Wenting Deng and Zhang Yimou’s To Live for their critical representations of Commu-
Luke Fisher, recent graduates of Ohio University’s MFA film program, nist China, while Chan examined Caleb Deschanel, ASC’s images in
who in turn invited cinematographer Tinx Chan to shoot the short. The Black Stallion and Chris Menges, ASC, BSC’s photography in
Though his parents had lived in China during this period, Chan was Kes to inform how he would shoot the scenes in which the boy and
unaware of the ecological disaster that occurred as a result of Mao’s girl chase the sparrow. The filmmakers also spent a good deal of
campaign: The near-extinction of the sparrows led to an explosion in time researching the historical period. “We looked at old propa-
the population of the birds’ other main source of food, the locust. ganda posters from the Cultural Revolution that were popular at the
Without a primary predator, these grain-feeding insects devoured time,” Chan says. “There was one particular shot where the girl,
field after field in China, contributing to the mass famine that starved Hong [portrayed by ViviAnn Yee], reads from Mao’s ‘Little Red
an estimated 30 million people to death. Book,’ which was a direct homage to a specific propaganda poster.”
“There was this dichotomy of innocence versus guilt that the Chan had two weeks of prep, during which he scouted loca-
directors wanted to play with,” says Chan, “and so they cleverly tions in Los Angeles. The hills and sun-browned landscape of Malibu
wrote a fictional story about two children during this period in China, Creek State Park doubled for rural China. “L.A. was in the middle of
•|•
W
hen director Denis Villeneuve asked him to shoot mately to Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), K’s predecessor on
Blade Runner 2049, Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC the “blade runner” beat who has spent 30 years in hiding.
jumped at the opportunity to make a science-fiction Blade Runner 2049’s scale and visual complexity
feature. The fact that the project was a sequel to an exceeded that of Villeneuve and Deakins’ previous collabora-
icon of the genre was almost incidental to its appeal. “I can’t tions, the contemporary dramas Prisoners (AC Oct. ’13) and
say I was a big fan of Blade Runner, though I suppose it’s sort Sicario (AC Oct. ’15), but the duo strove to maintain the same
of grown on me since I first saw it,” says Deakins. “I love close focus on character — whether replicant, human or holo-
science fiction, but you’ve got to have a good story, and I gram. This informed their decisions from the earliest stages of
wanted to make this movie because I thought the script was prep, which began in Montreal in late 2015; through 92 days
pretty damn good, and I wanted to work with Denis again.” of principal photography in Hungary, at Origo Studios and
Set 30 years after the events depicted in Blade Runner Korda Studios and on location; and in the final grade at
— which was directed by Ridley Scott and shot by Jordan EFilm.
Cronenweth, ASC (AC July ’82) — the new film follows K For the production, EC3 — the dailies unit for EFilm
(Ryan Gosling), who tracks down and “retires” wayward repli- and Company 3 — established a dailies workflow in the P3
cants for the Los Angeles Police Dept. When his latest digital-cinema space, and shipped the calibrated projection
assignment yields a surprising discovery, K begins an investi- and monitoring equipment to Budapest, where dailies colorist
gation that leads to Wallace ( Jared Leto), a reclusive inventor Matt Wallach could work closely with Deakins on the look
who seems to have perfected replicant technology, and ulti- that went out to the other filmmakers, executives and picture
American Cinematographer:
What sparked your interest in science
fiction, and what are some of your
favorite sci-fi films?
Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC: I I was concerned. One of the early things begin, and what were some of your
read a lot of science fiction as a kid, Denis was very specific about was the visual references?
mainly Asimov and Bradbury. I really look of K’s apartment. He wanted a Deakins: We worked in
liked the original Planet of the Apes, and severe prefab interior with a kind of Montreal for quite some time at the end
I thought Soylent Green was an amazing plastic feel to it that would reflect that K of 2015, while Denis was cutting
movie. I think my favorite science- is an android. A lot of the references for Arrival [shot by Bradford Young, ASC;
fiction film is Tarkovsky’s Solaris. I that look came from Japan and Hong AC Dec. ’16], and we went through the
watch it every few years. Kong. In a bit of a throwback to the feel script and started doing storyboards
Did you and Denis tap the orig- of Deckard’s apartment in the first film, along with [production designer]
inal Blade Runner for any particular the kitchen also had this modular qual- Dennis Gassner. Many of our refer-
visual references? Did you watch it ity, almost like a galley on a sailboat. ences were architecture, actually. One of
together in prep? But otherwise, no, we didn’t really refer- the early references Denis gravitated
Deakins: No. [Blade Runner ence Blade Runner. toward was the architecture in Beijing
2049] was always a film by itself as far as How did your work with Denis and the look of the city in the smog; he
Mariette
(Mackenzie
Davis,
center) sets
her sights
on K.
background that they could add or which would have been impossible to larly use — and there were a few instances
remove. replicate with greenscreen, frankly. And where [visual-effects artists] had to paint
How did you accomplish the the performances speak for themselves. out the camera’s reflection because there
scene in which Joi merges with the The dome-shaped lab where was no way to shoot without getting it in
escort [played by Mackenzie Davis] so Ana [Carla Juri] creates replicants’ shot, but it was fairly forgiving.
she can physically connect with K? memory implants is one of the more Ana’s creation of the birthday-
Deakins: That was kind of terri- unusual sets. party memory is a lovely bit of interac-
fying because if it didn’t have the right Deakins: Yes, it’s a big egg with tive lighting. How did you achieve that?
pitch, it could have turned into an no light source! [Laughs.] The design Deakins: First we storyboarded
Aladdin-type fantasy rather than some- was inspired by the Darwin Centre the scene to determine all the angles we
thing you could believe as real. It was a Cocoon of the Natural History needed. We shot the children as an
very hard balance, and we spent a lot of Museum in London. The shots that element during preproduction, lining up
time in prep on that sequence. John introduce Ana, where you see her in the our shots with our actress but always
Nelson originally wanted us to shoot the forest that then dissolves into her lab, keeping the children as a clean element. I
scene with one of the actresses and then were actually shot in prep, whilst the lab used a circular tray of 250-watt bulbs on
shoot a greenscreen element of the other was a set we shot late in the schedule. flicker generators to mimic the light that
actress to replace it, but that proved to be So it was quite a long time between the would be coming from the candles on the
less realistic. Effects companies did quite shooting of the plate and the interior, cake. Some shots we made with multiple
a few tests where they played with the and we had to choose our angles very cameras for the moment when the kids
idea of pixelation and distressing the early on. We lit the lab almost entirely freeze but the cake is still spinning; using
image as the women combined, but it all with LED ribbons recessed into a cove multiple cameras enabled the visual-
became too fussy. In the end we made in the floor. It doesn’t look like much, effects team to manipulate the kids in
tests of just shooting each actress in the but it was an enormous amount of light. three dimensions. We shot the birthday
same situation, in exactly the same poses There was a hole in the top of the dome cake as a totally separate element because
or as close as we could get it, and then that doesn’t appear in shot, and we put the light level of the candles wouldn’t
simply overlapping the images. We a small amount of LED soft light there have lit the scene as I wanted it, and
storyboarded it precisely and that’s what using [Arri] LED SkyPanels, but it’s because the cake changes from shot to
we did. very minimal. shot. Finally, at the end of our schedule,
It was time-consuming — we Did the wall of glass separating we shot the main work with Carla and
shot the scene with Ryan and one Ana from her visitors present any Ryan. We had boarded the scene and
actress within the shot first, and then the concerns? mapped out our camera positions, camera
other actress had to watch the playback Deakins: It was suggested we height and lens, so we knew where the
and basically mimic what the first shoot without the glass and add CG children would be matted into the frame.
actress had done. But it actually worked reflections in post, but that wouldn’t The main trick was making sure we had
much better that way because both have looked right. I had the camera on the right camera angles before we shot a
actresses are in the same light; the light an Aerocrane and Power Pod remote frame of the scene.
matches the environment perfectly, head — the same system that I regu- How about the interactive light-
A trail of clues
eventually
leads K to
what remains
of Las Vegas,
where he
finds Deckard
hiding out in
a hotel-casino.
ing in the night scene where the giant look is still closer to reality because the both sets. I decided to rig 250 space
advertisement for ‘Joi’ directly actual light and colors are all there. lights overhead and just leave them
addresses K? The striking dusky look of Las there to do both scenes. Space lights are
Deakins: We shot the ‘Pink Joi’ Vegas, where K meets Deckard, really fairly old-fashioned now, but we could
element first. When we shot the scene sets those scenes apart from the rest of get them locally quite easily. For the
with Ryan, I felt it important that we the film. How much of the look did Vegas exterior, we didn’t gel the space
play the element at a true scale so that you achieve in camera? lights, but we added 20 Maxi-Brutes
the lighting could be interactive Deakins: Both Denis and I gelled green at the sides of the stage to
between the advert and K. There’s rain always wanted to do as much as possible add a yellow highlight in the sky, and I
and fog in the scene, so we filled the in camera. The wide shot that opens the had a filter pack on the front of the lens
stage with mist and had this 40-by-30- sequence, which shows K looking at the that Tiffen had made for me based on
foot LED screen playing back the image CG city in the distance, was shot on a some lighting gels I’d chosen — in this
that we had shot during preproduction. studio back lot, whilst the exterior shots case, a combination of [Lee] 790
The pink-and-blue advert was basically showing K approaching the casino were Moroccan Pink and 105 Orange —
lighting the whole shot — the atmos- shot on stage. This was the same stage which gave the image an overall red
phere and Ryan. The light changes as and lighting rig we intended to use later look. [Ed. note: According to Mike
the advert changes. Of course, in post for a different set — a day exterior that Fecik, lab manager at Tiffen, the
the visual-effects team altered Joi to takes place in the snow. Both scenes company created three filter options for
make her look more three-dimensional involved CGI, so there was a gray cyc Deakins, one based on Lee 134 Golden
and to walk out of her screen, but the around the whole stage that worked for Amber, one based on Lee 020 Medium
www.blackmagicdesign.com
◗ Uncanny Valley
Right: Deckard
and K catch
their collective
breath after a
harrowing
spinner crash
and an intense
fight with Luv.
Below:
Villeneuve
works with
Gosling and
Ford.
48
spinners crash-landing in the ocean white emergency lighting when they for anybody!
looks as though it’s lit entirely by the crash. That way I could justify brighter Did this project whet your
vehicles’ lighting. lighting for the body of the sequence. appetite to shoot more science fiction
Deakins: It was. We originally For the action outside the vehicle, anytime soon?
planned to shoot that sequence in a tank we maneuvered the lighting so the Deakins: Actually, the next
in Malta at the end of the shoot, but that headlights, taillights or interior lights movie I’m going to do is The Goldfinch
proved to be too problematic in terms of would appear to be all that was lighting with [director] John Crowley. It’s based
scheduling and expense, so we built a Ryan and Sylvia, and we chose angles on a novel by Donna Tartt, and it’s a
150-by-150-foot water tank on a back that placed the actors either in beams of really wonderful story that’s very much
lot in Hungary and shot it there. That light or in silhouette. To boost the light about characters.
was much more practical because we level, we added LED spotlight rigs —
could prep and shoot without losing simple off-the-shelf units that Billy had To read a Q&A with Blade
travel time. found locally — to the headlights, and Runner 2049 production designer Dennis
We had to see a lot of action, but orange LEDs to the taillights. There’s a Gassner, visit http://bit.ly/2y6Gdrf. ●
I didn’t want to light the whole place up. lot of atmosphere, too. We were outside
I wanted something ‘sketchy’ — sort of at night in late October, so it was pretty
pools of light surrounded by darkness. damn cold. The water was heated for
We built LED lighting into the spin- the actors, so we sometimes got a little TECHNICAL SPECS
ners, whose original design was done by more steam than we had wanted! 2.39:1
Dennis Gassner and [supervising art You do your own operating, so
director] Paul Inglis in prep, and we was that you down there underwater? Digital Capture
designed the LEDs in the larger spinner Deakins: Well, the camera was
Arri Alexa XT Studio, Alexa Plus,
to change color over the course of the always on a remote, so either Peter Alexa Mini
scene. I wanted it warm and dark when Cavaciuti or I was operating, but no, I
they’re flying, and then to be bright, can’t swim. I wasn’t getting in the water Arri/Zeiss Master Primes
49
Hammer Time
Javier Aguirresarobe, ASC, AEC
W
hen a movie is the second sequel to a property set
within Marvel Comics’ interconnected universe of
and director Taika Waititi wade more than a dozen films and counting, a degree of
deep into a colorful mix of franchise fatigue among the filmmakers might be
Norse mythology and the expected. In the case of Thor: Ragnarok, the exact opposite
occurred, due in large part to the enthusiasm of director Taika
Marvel Cinematic Universe on Waititi and cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe, ASC,
Thor: Ragnarok. AEC, who are both new to the series. The two joined forces
with a game cast — including Chris Hemsworth, Tom
By Noah Kadner Hiddleston, Tessa Thompson, Jeff Goldblum, Idris Elba and
Cate Blanchett — to bring to life the latest adventures of the
•|• titular Norse god of thunder.
“In my first conversations with Taika, even before hiring
me he let me know that the film would be up to 95 percent shot
on bluescreen,” Aguirresarobe recalls. “He asked if that was all
Aguirresarobe to shoot the project, funny, but also tell a story where the Jack Kirby, in terms of color, line, form,
Waititi enthuses, “I’ve been a huge audience could invest emotionally in the and sometimes even composition.”
admirer of Javier’s work for many years characters. If you look into what The filmmakers shot Thor:
and he’s also one of the nicest people Ragnarok actually is in Norse mythol- Ragnarok at Village Roadshow Studios
you’ll ever meet. I try to make my sets ogy, it’s the end of the world, but it’s also in Oxenford, Gold Coast, Australia,
feel like you’re working with family, so a new beginning with a rebirthing and from July through October 2016. After
there’s a lot of joking around, playing rebuilding. almost a year of postproduction, the
music and dancing. Javier is great, with “The press-release pitch for this filmmakers reconvened in July 2017 for
such good energy, and he’s just deter- movie is: Thor loses his hammer, is additional photography with an eye
mined to make things as beautiful as he trapped on an insane world across the toward a fall 2017 release. Key
can. You can tell he’s an artist and loves universe, and has to fight his way to free- crewmembers included 2nd-unit direc-
what he does.” dom and get back home to save his own tor of photography David Burr, ACS;
Recounting the path that brought planet,” Waititi continues. “I would also A-camera operator Pete McCaffrey;
him to this particular director’s chair, describe it as, ‘What if you got a bunch digital-imaging technician Pete
Waititi explains, “Marvel liked my work of the craziest kids together and asked Harrow; key grip David Nichols; gaffer
in What We Do in the Shadows, and in them everything they would want to see Reg Garside; and rigging gaffer Craig
particular, Boy, my second film. They in a movie?’ A lot of inspiration also Clark.
saw I could not only do something came from the art of [comic-book artist] While recent Marvel adaptations
added a small amount of fill light with The production had the benefit further explains that — as has become
our SkyPanels when needed, but the of screening dailies both online via the traditional for many modern big-budget
majority of the scenes on the bridge Pix System, and in person at a screening action movies — on Imax screens, the
were shot with natural light.” theater at Village Roadshow Studios aspect ratio will periodically jump from
Though the majority of the outfitted with a 4K NEC projector. 2.39:1 to 1.90:1. “In general, we’ve
movie was captured using the Alexa 65 Dailies were processed by Shed under maintained 2.39 for more intimate
camera, Aguirresarobe also deployed a the supervision of dailies colorist Fergus dialogue scenes, but whenever we get
Phantom Flex4K for one key high- Hally. “We used an evolution of the into an action beat it’s 1.90 all the way,”
speed sequence. “For the flashback scene ACES workflow, which Shed devel- he says. “The Imax version of the movie
where Hela fights against the Valkyries, oped for Guardians [of the Galaxy Vol.] 2, is stunning.” The 1.90:1 footage
60
‘We should be focusing on that guy over ShotReactors [background cache these bluescreen shots, and in your head
there, except it’s way too bright on the renderers].” He notes the additional you’re wanting it to look a certain way,”
other side of the frame and my eyes are contributions of finishing artists Adam he says. “You have to wait until all those
being drawn over to that tree instead, so Nazarenko and Dave Franks. “Finishing backgrounds, set extensions and CG
let’s fix that.’ These artists are all so great was done in multiple theaters on the characters are finished. Once they start
at what they do.” Disney lot,” Dillon adds, “which gave coming in, you can finally refine what
Scott explains, “Our initial focus the filmmakers the flexibility to partici- you originally intended at the start of
was the 2D SDR version using pate in finishing and sound mix without the production, but you really need
Autodesk’s new [Lustre/Flame] much interruption.” those crucial key creative elements
Connected Colour Workflow in Pondering the conclusion of a within the frame right from the begin-
Disney’s great theatrical environment. I project largely crafted in postproduc- ning.”
laid the foundation and set key tion, Aguirresarobe recalls taking great
sequences with the production team, satisfaction in seeing the final result. Click here for exclusive lighting
which then served as the guide for our “When you’re constantly surrounded diagrams and additional images. ●
team, including finishing artists Charles with bluescreen, you end up a little
Bunnag and Gray Marshall. We began worried about how it’s ultimately all
the final finishing in late August and going to look,” he says. “Once I started
TECHNICAL SPECS
delivered in mid-October. From the 2D seeing the final trailers, I was very
SDR master grade, we derived the 3D pleased to see the outcome is a very 2.39:1, 1.90:1 (Imax)
stereo conversion, HDR, Imax, and all imaginative and spectacular-looking
the home-video deliverables.” film.” Digital Capture
Dillon elaborates that the finish- Waititi agrees, noting that the
Arri Alexa 65,
ing employed “Lustre 2018.2 with an project’s nearly yearlong postproduction Vision Research Phantom Flex4K
HP Z840 [Workstation outfitted with phase afforded plenty of time for reflec-
an] Nvidia P6000 GPU, and dual tion. “You sit for a long time with all Arri Prime 65, Vintage 765
61
Strife and Justice
R
Robert Elswit, ASC discusses obert Elswit, ASC has a knack for inspiring loyalty in
directors. His first Academy Award nomination came
his second teamings with two after working with director George Clooney on 2005’s
directors — George Clooney on Good Night, and Good Luck (AC Nov. ’05), and the two
Suburbicon and Dan Gilroy on have once again joined forces on Suburbicon. Elswit has also
reteamed with screenwriter Dan Gilroy for the latter’s sopho-
Roman J. Israel, Esq. more outing as director, Roman J. Israel, Esq., following 2014’s
Nightcrawler (AC Nov. ’14).
By Patricia Thomson Suburbicon — the duo’s second project with Clooney in
the director’s seat and fifth time together on a set — centers
•|• on the Lodges, a seemingly ordinary family comprising dad
(Matt Damon), mom and twin sister (both played by Julianne
Moore), and 11-year-old son, Nicky (Noah Jupe). Their
normalcy implodes after a home break-in, which causes a
death, followed by a cascade of bad decisions.
Right: An LED
fixture is rigged
off of a car to key
Damon for a
nighttime driving
shot. Below:
Multiple cameras
roll as a practical
flame helps
illuminate
Gardner’s harried
bicycle ride.
76
correctly, you don’t want to do much. I Thomas Anderson always shoots film. TECHNICAL SPECS
was happy with dailies, so it was just So do Spielberg and Chris Nolan. A lot
finding the right balance between shad- of them, actually. Suburbicon
ows and highlights, foreground and You know what’s really viable,
background. It was tricky in Farrell’s still, is Super 16. I recently did a Super 2.39:1
office; we really didn’t have the money 16 movie that cost a million dollars and
Digital Capture
to gel all the windows, so we went with shot for 24 days. The Arriflex 16SR is
an available-light look. not much bigger than a Canon. The Arri Alexa XT
I don’t want to spend much time director didn’t want playback. The
in postproduction fixing things. Often camera connected to nothing. I proba- Panavision C Series, T Series
with digital, you’re trying to find the bly had more fun shooting that than I
Roman J. Israel, Esq.
look of your movie eight months later, had in 30 years! There’s just something
sitting in a room for three weeks. I just freeing and wonderful about not having 1.85:1
despise that. I know some people love it. 20 people sitting around the monitor
On both these movies, the directors watching your shots. Film simplifies 3-perf Super 35mm and
were pretty happy with what I handed everything and focuses everyone’s atten- Digital Capture
them, so the changes were pretty mini- tion a little differently. Maybe it’ll stick Panavision Millennium XL2;
mal. around for a while. ● Arri Alexa XT, Alexa Mini
There was an uptick in 35mm
films at the Toronto International Panavision Super Speed,
Film Festival, where Roman J. Israel, Primo zooms; Zeiss Macro
Esq. showed. Are you hopeful about Kodak Vision3 500T 5219,
the future of film? 200T 5213, 50D 5203
Elswit: Film is always around.
Danny’s next will be on film. Paul Digital Intermediate
Delta
Rachel Morrison, ASC and
Blues Even before Ronsel and Jamie meet, their families are
already connected. Ronsel’s parents — Hap (Rob Morgan)
director Dee Rees craft a portrait and Florence (Mary J. Blige) — dream of land ownership, but
of post-World War II Mississippi toil as tenant farmers on property recently purchased by
Jamie’s brother and sister-in-law, Henry ( Jason Clarke) and
in the feature Mudbound. Laura (Carey Mulligan). Ronsel is willing to work alongside
his siblings, but has a hard time accepting hometown racism
By Mark Dillon after being heralded as a hero overseas.
Though the McAllans had planned to live in a
comfortable country home some distance from the farm,
•|•
Henry discovers that his ‘purchase’ of the house had been a
swindle, and the family is forced into living conditions far
T
he feature Mudbound tells the story of a pair of disparate below what they were accustomed to in the city. Thus, Laura
families whose lives become intertwined during and brings up their young children in muddy desolation — a situ-
after World War II. Following their military service, tank ation not dissimilar to that of the Jacksons — amid the chal-
sergeant Ronsel Jackson ( Jason Mitchell), who is black, lenges of Henry’s live-in, mean-spirited father, Pappy
and bomber pilot Jamie McAllan (Garrett Hedlund), who is ( Jonathan Banks), and a lack of emotional support from her
white, come home to respective hardships in the Mississippi husband. She also contends with a growing attraction to
Delta. Jamie.
88
pack to backlight the rain and illuminate never intended to have many visual torch-lit scene at night in the barn.
characters as they come and go. Selee effects, so when they look out the Rachel also captured some amazing
produced lightning flashes with Mac window and see the soldiers marching moments of the sun setting and rising
Quantum Wash LEDs on two condors. in the background — we wanted that to that benefited from just a touch of addi-
Though it would have been easier to be done in real space,” Morrison says. tional magic in the sky.”
keep the mill doors shut, Morrison The director of photography’s Morrison concludes, “I try to
notes, “there was more authenticity in Black Panther schedule prevented her choose projects that are meaningful to
being able to see even a little bit of the from attending sessions with supervis- me and ideally have a message that will
rain and the world outside, and ing digital colorist Joe Gawler at New engage the audience in some form of
metaphorically speaking, the water to York’s Harbor Picture Co. — but she social consciousness. Mudbound had the
put out the fire could be seen and heard viewed the reels on a calibrated monitor added bonus of being a period film,
but was just out of reach.” and communicated with Gawler by which is a gift to any cinematographer.”
The filmmakers were grateful for altering stills in Photoshop and sending ●
the opportunity to re-create some of the them back with detailed notes. He then
characters’ war experiences during a made corrections and reviewed them in
couple of days of shooting around the DI theater with Rees. TECHNICAL SPECS
Budapest — “about a 40-minute drive “We maintained a softer contrast
2.39:1
from the city center,” the cinematogra- in the shadows throughout, to stay
pher reports. Sequences included a true to the movie’s naturalistic feeling,” Digital Capture
battle in which Ronsel’s tank is fired offers Gawler, who worked with
upon, and interior scenes in the apart- MXF/ArriRaw data on Blackmagic Arri Alexa Mini
ment of his German girlfriend — who is Design DaVinci Resolve 12 on a Linux
Panavision C, D, T, E Series;
white — including a sequence in which system. “We would add contrast for Primo Anamorphic Zoom;
they hear of Germany’s surrender and dramatic effect in certain areas, such as Primo Prime; PVintage Prime;
she fears losing him. “The movie was the thunderstorm early on and the Ultra Speed
Timeless
Romance
R
obert Redford and Jane Fonda first appeared onscreen
Stephen Goldblatt, ASC, BSC together in Arthur Penn’s 1966 feature The Chase, which
embraces LED lighting for led to a lifelong friendship and further big-screen pair-
ings in the movies Barefoot in the Park and The Electric
the romantic drama Horseman. For the first time in almost 40 years, the actors have
Our Souls at Night. reunited for the Netflix movie Our Souls at Night, an intimate,
elegant portrait of love in old age. Redford plays Louis
By Jim Hemphill Waters, a widower who gets a surprising proposition from
neighbor Addie Moore (Fonda): Since her husband is now
gone, too, why don’t they start — platonically — sleeping
•|• together? Thus begins a delicate, subtle romance in which
both characters are forced to deal with complicated issues in
their past, present and future.
Director of photography Stephen Goldblatt, ASC,
Carolina (Juno
Temple) walks
beneath the
eponymous
Coney Island
attraction in the
1950s-set feature
Wonder Wheel,
which marks the
second
collaboration
between writer-
director Woody
Allen and
cinematographer
Vittorio Storaro,
ASC, AIC.
101
us to imagine … images of the future. Then
someone invented the digital image, and in
the last five years the film industry has virtu-
ally changed completely.
So when Woody asked me to collab-
orate on Café Society, I read the screenplay,
which gave me various figurative ideas for
the different stages of the story, based on
the works of painters like Georgia O’Keeffe
and Tamara de Lempicka in contrast with
Otto Dix and Edward Hopper, and arrived
ready to embark on a figurative path that
was new to both of us. Well aware that
progress can be slowed down or speeded
up but never stopped, we decided, after
having traveled a long path with celluloid, to
enter the DIGITAL WORLD together.
Although Woody’s regular collabora-
tors suggested I adopt a SINGLE “WARM”
COLOR TONALITY for the whole film, I
proposed to him two very different worlds
for the Bronx and Hollywood in the 1930s
and ’40s, actually dividing the story into four
parts and using as many chromatic tonalities
to distinguish them — AND HE
COMPLETELY AGREED. He immediately
loved the idea of DIGITAL and the COLOR
VARIATIONS THAT ACCOMPANIED THE
STORY in the various stages of its develop-
ment.
And that’s not all! Although they had
assured me that he would never have
looked at the monitor during filming, after
the very first day and my having explained to
him that the image would bear an 80–90%
resemblance to the definitive one, he imme-
diately immersed himself in the feelings
conveyed by the acting and the figurative
image that we were constructing in
As Storaro explains, the movie’s characters — including Carolina (top) and Ginny (Kate Winslet, above) complete agreement, day by day, right on
— inhabit a world that is “all sweetness and light on the outside, but conflicted at its heart.” schedule. In actual fact, digital cinema was
not something new for us, but rather a
painter from Parma, Bertolucci’s hometown. of the past: Woody with iconic cinematog- confirmation of the individual paths we had
raphers like Gordon Willis [ASC], Carlo Di trodden so far.
”COLOR has an amazingly varie- Palma [AIC], Sven Nykvist [ASC] and Darius In previous years, Woody and I had
gated, expressive and harmonious vocabu- Khondji [ASC, AFC], on films like Manhat- actually worked together on the same
lary.” — Alexander Blok, Russian poet tan, Shadows and Fog, Crimes and Misde- projects: New York Stories, but on two
meanors, and Midnight in Paris. Myself with different episodes; then Picking up the
Then I gradually encountered the iconic directors like Bertolucci, Francis Pieces, directed by Alfonso Arau, with me as
great Italian masters, Leonardo, Michelan- Coppola, Warren Beatty and Carlos Saura, cinematographer and Woody as actor. It
gelo, Caravaggio. In my early films, my chro- with films like Il Conformista, Apocalypse was Café Society that finally brought us
matic inspirations sprang from emotion, an Now, Reds and Flamenco, Flamenco. together in our respective fields: he as
innate instinct, and being in love with the So many images that were reminis- screenwriter-director, me as cinematogra-
IMAGE. cent of the figurative culture of the past, pher.
At that time we drew on the cinema that had the feel of the present and enabled Woody, with all the nostalgic evoca-
GoPro Expands Action Waterproof to a depth of 16', Fusion can also capture 18MP spher-
Offerings ical photos and 360 audio. The camera boasts time-lapse video and
GoPro has unveiled the photo, night lapse, and burst modes; other features include compat-
Hero6 Black camera. Powered by ibility with most GoPro mounts, voice control in 10
GoPro’s custom-designed GP1 languages, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, GPS, Accelerometer,
processor, Hero6 offers 4K60 and Gyroscope, and Compass. The Fusion also comes
1080p240 video with advanced with a grip mount.
video stabilization. The camera is Additionally, GoPro has updated Karma with
packed into a rugged design two new auto-shot paths: Follow and Watch. Using
that’s waterproof to 33'. When GPS, Karma can now automatically follow the Karma
the camera is paired with the Controller while the user is on the go, keeping the operator
GoPro App, users can automati- framed in the shot. The Watch auto-shot path will keep
cally transform their adventures Karma hovering in place while it rotates, keeping the Karma
into sharable QuikStory videos. Controller in frame wherever it goes. Other new Karma
Developed from the ground up to maximize a GoPro updates include Hero6 compatibility, an expanded Cable-
camera’s capabilities, the GP1 processor enables twice the video Cam auto-shot path, and “Look Up” camera-tilt capability.
frame rates along with improved image quality, dynamic range, low- Current Karma owners can unlock the new features via a
light performance and video stabilization. The GP1 automates all of firmware update.
these benefits, allowing users to shoot without having to navigate Also new from GoPro are the Shorty, a
complex image settings. The GP1 also advances GoPro’s capabilities pocketable extension pole and tripod; the
in computer vision and machine learning, enabling the Hero6 to Handler, an updated floating handgrip with a
analyze scenes and sensor data for improved automated QuikSto- quick-release mounting feature; and the Bite
ries. Mount + Floaty, a versatile bite mount with an easy-to-spot float.
Additional features of the For additional information, visit www.gopro.com.
Hero6 Black include a new touch
zoom, 3x faster offload speeds via Sony Goes Full Frame With Venice
5GHz Wi-Fi, compatibility with Sony Electronics has unveiled Venice, the company’s first full-
GoPro’s Karma drone and existing frame digital motion-picture camera and the next generation
GoPro mounts, raw and HDR photo of Sony’s CineAlta systems. Venice was designed through close
modes, voice control in 10 collaboration with the creative community to ensure the
languages, Bluetooth accessibility, camera fulfills the needs of production professionals.
GPS, accelerometer, and gyroscope. “We really went back to the drawing board for this one,”
GoPro has also launched says ASC associate member Peter Crithary, marketing manager
Fusion, a mountable camera capable for Sony Electronics. “It is our next-generation camera system,
of 5.2K30 and 3K60 spherical video a ground-up development initiative encompassing a
with gimbal-like stabilization. With completely new image sensor. We carefully considered key
the GoPro App, users can play back and share their footage as VR aspects such as form factor, ergonomics, build quality, ease of use,
content, or they can use the app’s OverCapture feature to recapture a refined picture and painterly look — with a simple, established
and share spherical shots as a traditional fixed-perspective video. workflow. We worked in close collaboration with film-industry
professionals. We also considered the longer-term strategy by
designing a user interchangeable sensor that is as quick and simple
to swap as removing four screws, and can accommodate different
shooting scenarios as the need arises.”
Venice combines a newly developed 36x24mm full-frame
sensor, which offers the advantages of compatibility with a wide
range of lenses, including anamorphic, Super 35mm, spherical and
full-frame PL-mount lenses for a greater range of expressive free-
dom with shallow depth of field. The lens mount can also be
111
Red Unleashes Monstro
Red Digital Cinema has introduced a
new full-frame sensor for Weapon
cameras, Monstro 8K VV. Monstro is a step
beyond the Red Dragon 8K VV sensor, with
improvements in image quality, including
dynamic range and shadow detail.
This Weapon 8K VV camera and
sensor combination offers full-frame lens
coverage, captures 8K full-format motion at
up to 60 fps, produces detailed 35.4
megapixel stills, and delivers fast data
speeds of up to 300 MB/s. Like all of Red’s CineJet Takes Flight
DSMC2 cameras, Weapon records simulta- Helinet Aviation, a full-service provider of aerial production services to the motion
neous raw and Apple ProRes or Avid picture and advertising industries, has unveiled CineJet, an Aero L-39 Albatros jet featuring
DNxHD/HR, and adheres to Red’s dedica- a customized gyro-stabilized Shotover F1 camera system designed for high-speed aerial cine-
tion to “obsolescence obsolete,” a core matography. Developed in partnership with Patriots Jet Team — a San Francisco Bay Area-
operating principle that allows current Red based precision aerobatic demonstration team — CineJet provides excellent jet-aircraft
owners to upgrade their technology as performance, maneuverability, and camera-angle options thanks to the sleek profile of the
aircraft and the mounting of the F1 camera platform.
CineJet has been developed for television, feature, high-performance photography,
scientific research, and commercial aircraft-marketing applications. The Shotover F1 system
has been specifically tailored for the unique capabilities of the jet platform, and can handle
speeds exceeding 350 knots and maneuvers approaching 3Gs. The open-platform design of
the F1 system allows for a comprehensive range of professional camera and lens combina-
tions depending on the needs of each client, and as new technology comes to market. “We
are thrilled to support Helinet and Patriots Jet Team with a customized 6-axis gyro-stabilized
Shotover F1 camera platform for cutting-edge aerial cinematography,” says Shotover CEO
Brad Hurndell.
innovations are unveiled as well as move Further increasing CineJet’s functionality and capabilities is a specially developed
between camera systems without having to multiple antenna array, installed by RF Film Inc., to deliver high-definition video, GPS data,
purchase all-new gear. and ground-to-air audio communication.
The new Weapon will be priced at The aircraft will be flown by Helinet’s VP of aerial film production Kevin LaRosa II, and
$79,500 for the camera Brain, with Patriots Jet Team founder and owner Randy Howell. For more than 16 years, LaRosa has
upgrades for carbon-fiber Weapon served the motion-picture industry as a stunt pilot and aerial coordinator; he is a member of
customers available for $29,500. Monstro SAG as well as the Motion Picture Pilots Association. Howell has accumulated more than
8K VV will replace the current Red Dragon 23,000 hours of flight time and has more than 30 years of flying experience with United
Airlines; he has been an advanced instructor in aerobatics, formation and UPRT, and has
served as a check airman and simulator instructor in a multitude of aircraft.
“Patriots Jet Team is extremely proud to launch the new CineJet high-speed cine-
matography platform with Helinet,” says Howell. “We look forward to providing produc-
tions with a turnkey solution for high-velocity camerawork.”
To watch a video of the CineJet in action, visit vimeo.com/237487951. For additional
information, visit www.helinet.com, www.patriotsjetteam.com and www.shotover.com.
orders will start being fulfilled in early 2018. Monstro sensors through the v7.0
Red has also announced a compre- firmware update. IPP2 offers a completely
hensive service for Weapon carbon-fiber overhauled workflow experience, featuring
camera owners. Red Armor-W offers enhancements such as smoother highlight
enhanced and extended protection beyond roll-off, better management of challenging
basic Red Armor, and also includes one colors, and an improved demosaicing algo-
8K VV sensor in Red’s lineup, and sensor swap each year. rithm.
customers who had previously placed an Additionally, Red’s enhanced image For additional information, visit
order for a Red Dragon 8K VV sensor will processing pipeline (IPP2) is now available www.red.com.
now be offered this new sensor. New in-camera for all cameras with Helium and
113
The integral 6.5" XGA TFT LCD an external mic, and storage for saving
screen can also be used to display large files.
video signal waveform, vectorscope, Of interest to video editors, Samsung
or the video image. Cinelite, Cine- also offers a range of monitoring solu-
zone, histogram, gamma display, tions, including the 49" “Super Ultra-
and level error display functions are Wide” C49HG90DMN curved gaming
included as standard. monitor. Timelines can be expanded
Features include cable length across the screen’s entire 1,800mm
display, external timing display and field length, and favored panel setups can be
frequency deviation display. SDI- quickly accessed. With a 32:9 aspect ratio
embedded audio can be extracted and two — the equivalent of two 16:9 panels — the
user-selectable audio channels can be sent QLED monitor uses Quantum Dot LED tech-
as an AES/EBU stream to a BNC output. The of continuous shooting. Additionally, the nology to achieve 600 nits in brightness,
levels of up to eight audio channels can be 360 Round is IP65 dust- and water-resistant, 1.07 billion colors, and an HDR-ready
checked using onscreen bar displays. making it well suited to challenging environ- 3,000:1 contrast ratio. The monitor offers
User-configurable multi-display ments. 95-percent coverage of the DCI/P3 color
combinations within the LV5333 allow easy The f1.8 lens system is capable of space and 125-percent coverage of sRGB. A
inspection of signal parameters. Full-screen capturing 4096x2048 at 30 fps in 3D and 144hz refresh rate enables crisp playback.
displays can alternatively be selected to 2D MP4 formats (H.265/H.264). Additional For additional information, visit
allow detailed review of specific elements. features include PC software for controlling www.samsung.com.
The LV5333 occupies a 215x128x63mm and one-step stitching, expandable external
housing and weighs 1.3 kg. It can be storage, and six internal microphones. With New Products & Services is compiled
powered from battery or a universal mains expandable connectors and ports, the 360 by David Alexander Willis. For more, visit
adapter. Round is designed to easily and quickly ascmag.com/articles/new-product. ●
For additional information, visit connect to additional equipment, such as
www.leadereurope.com.
Autodesk Expands
Creative Flexibility
Autodesk has released update 3 for its Flame 2018 family of 3D visual-effects and
finishing software, which includes Flame, Flare, Flame Assist and Lustre. Flame 2018.3
provides more efficient ways of working in post, with feature enhancements that offer
greater pipeline flexibility, speed, and support for emerging formats and technology.
Flame 2018.3 highlights include the Action Selective image-isolation tool, motion
warp tracking, 360-degree VR viewing mode, HDR waveform monitoring, Shotgun software
loader, and user-requested improvements for action, batch, timeline and media hub. The
addition of HDR waveform monitoring, in particular, allows users to set their viewport to
show luminance waveform, RGB parade, color vectorscope or 3D cube; users can also now
monitor a range of HDR and wide-color-gamut color spaces, including Rec 2100 PQ, Rec
2020 and DCI P3.
Samsung Enables VR Production Flame Family 2018.3 is available immediately at no additional cost to customers with
Samsung Electronics has introduced a current Flame Family 2018 subscription.
the 360 Round camera for developing and For additional information, visit www.autodesk.com.
streaming high-quality 3D virtual-reality
content. The Samsung 360 Round uses 17
lenses — eight stereo pairs positioned hori-
zontally and one single lens positioned verti-
cally — to livestream 4K 3D video and
spatial audio with little to no latency, and
create engaging 3D images with depth.
The Samsung 360 Round uses a uni-
body chassis designed to reduce heat,
removing the need for a cooling fan and
minimizing size and weight. The durable,
compact design helps eliminate excess noise
and reduce power consumption for hours
118
2017 Index
by Cinematographer, Project Title, Format, Subject and Author
35MM (SUPER 35MM LISTED Suburbicon, Dec. p. 62 Briesewitz, ASC, Uta, Jan. DIRECTORS INTERVIEWED
SEPARATELY) Wall, The, June p. 20 p. 106 Abu-Assad, Hany, Nov.
Beguiled, The, Aug. p. 50 Anderson, ASC, Peter, Jan. Buddy Thunderstruck, p. 46
Fences, Jan. p. 82 p. 106, Sept. p. 126 April p. 28 Amirpour, Ana Lily, July
Hidden Figures, Jan. p. 70 ASC CLOSE-UP Byrne, ASC, Bobby, June p. 60
Lost City of Z, The, Bernstein, Steven, June p. 120 Arenas, Nacho, Aug.
May p. 44 p. 124 Cabana, Carmen, Feb. p. 14 p. 26
Silence, Jan. p. 38 Bokelberg, Oliver, Nov. Cady, ASC, Patrick, Dec. Aronofsky, Darren, Nov.
Wonderstruck, Oct. p. 30 p. 88 p. 128 p. 30
65MM Cady, Patrick, Dec. p. 128 Cameron, ASC, Paul, June Barber, Bryan, Oct. p. 24
Dunkirk, Aug. Chomyn, Christopher, p. 62, July p. 22, Nov. Chazelle, Damien, Jan.
pp. 30, 34, 36 March p. 88 p. 58 p. 56
Adams, ASC, Marshall, Darby, David, Oct. p. 88 Caniglia, AIC, Valentina, Davidson, Adam, Sept.
July p. 42 Fey, Cort, Feb. p. 96 March p. 14 p. 80
Aguirresarobe, ASC, AEC, Flinn III, John C., May Cantini, Federico, June p. 14 Dillard, J.D., June p. 26
Javier, May p. 54, p. 88 Chan, Tinx, Dec. p. 28 Fedore, Max R.A., July
Dec. p. 50 Holzman, Ernie, April Chapman, ASC, Michael, p. 24
Alien: Covenant, June p. 50 p. 108 Feb. p. 94, Nov. p. 58 George, Terry, May p. 54
American Gods, Sept. Jensen, Johnny E., July Charpentier, SBC, Bjorn, Feb. Gilligan, Vince, July p. 42
pp. 32, 34, 36, 42 p. 88 p. 14 Gould, Peter, July p. 42
American Honey, Lonsdale, Gordon C., Aug. Charters, ASC, CSC, NZCS, Gray, James, May p. 44
March p. 54 p. 80 Rodney, May p. 75 Gunn, James, June p. 34
ANAMORPHIC Shaw, Steven, Sept. Chicago Justice, April Haynes, Todd, Feb. p. 54,
American Gods, p. 128 p. 66 Oct. p. 30
Sept. pp. 32, 34, 36, 42 Sher, Lawrence, Jan. Childhood of a Leader, Hughes, Albert, Nov. p. 58
Back of My Mind, The, p. 108 The, March p. 48 Jenkins, Patty, July p. 28
June p. 14 Back of My Mind, The, Chomyn, ASC, Christopher, Larraín, Pablo, Jan. p. 90
Bad Batch, The, July p. 60 June p. 14 March p. 88 Legato, ASC, Robert,
Eyes of My Mother, The, Bad Batch, The, July p. 60 Christensen, Charlotte Bruus, March p. 26
March p. 49 Bailey, ASC, John, Oct. p. 86, Jan. p. 82 Lowery, David, Aug. p. 58
Fences, Jan. p. 82 Nov. p. 60 Chung-hoon, Chung, Oct. Melfi, Theodore, Jan. p. 70
Going in Style, May p. 75 Ballhaus, ASC, Michael, July p. 46 Morano, ASC, Reed, June
Great Wall, The, March p. 84 Churchill, ASC, Joan, Jan. p. 80
p. 20 Beguiled, The, Aug. p. 50 p. 106 Muschietti, Andrés, Oct.
Hidden Figures, Jan. p. 70 Bennett, ASC, Bill, March Closer, Jan. p. 14 p. 46
Hitman’s Bodyguard, The, p. 86, Dec. p. 126 Connor, John, Oct. p. 24 Nolan, Christopher, Aug.
Sept. p. 52 Berkofsky, Ava, March p. 50 Cox, ASC, SASC, Vincent G., p. 30
It, Oct. p. 46 Bernstein, ASC, Steven, June Nov. p. 85 Oldroyd, William, July
It Happened Again Last p. 124 Crawley, BSC, Lol, March p. 52
Night, Nov. p. 24 Better Call Saul, July p. 42 p. 48 Podcaminsky, Luciano,
La La Land, Jan. p. 56 Bigazzi, Luca, May p. 24 Crothers, Jayson, Nov. p. 24 June p. 14
Logan, May digital Big Boi, “Kill Jill,” Oct. Dadabhoy, Nausheen, May Ray, Billy, Aug. p. 42
Lost City of Z, The, May p. 24 p. 14 Rees, Dee, Dec. p. 78
p. 44 Billeter, Manuel, April p. 52 Darby, ASC, David, Oct. p. 88 Rønning, Joachim, June
Moonlight, March p. 46 BLACK-AND-WHITE D’Audiffret, Alexandre, Aug. p. 62
Mountain Between Us, Eyes of My Mother, The, p. 26 Salomon, ASC, Mikael,
The, March p. 68, March p. 49 Deakins, ASC, BSC, Roger, April p. 80
Nov. p. 46 Wonderstruck, Oct. p. 30 Dec. p. 36 Sandberg, Espen, June
Mudbound, Dec. p. 78 Blade Runner 2049, Dec. Deschanel, ASC, Caleb, Nov. p. 62
Rogue One: A Star Wars p. 36 p. 58 Scott, Ridley, June p. 50
Story, Feb. p. 30 Bokelberg, ASC, BVK, Oliver, Dibie, ASC, George Spiro, Shepherd, Colin F., Jan.
Silence, Jan. p. 38 Nov. p. 88 May p. 86 p. 14
Sleight, June p. 26 Braham, BSC, Henry, June Slade, David, Sept.
Stand, The, March p. 14 p. 34 pp. 32, 34
Thomas Olgeirsson Steven V. Silver Ralph Woolsey David Dodson Lou Levinson Jim Roudebush
Woody Omens John Simmons Peter Wunstorf Judith Doherty Suzanne Lezotte Bill Russell
Michael D. O’Shea Sandi Sissel Tom Yatsko Peter Doyle Grant Loucks Chris Russo
Vince Pace Santosh Sivan Steve Yedlin Cyril Drabinsky Howard Lukk Kish Sadhvani
Anthony Palmieri Michael Slovis Robert Yeoman Jesse Dylan Andy Maltz Dan Sasaki
Phedon Papamichael Dennis L. Smith Bradford Young Kavon Elhami Gary Mandle Steve Schklair
Daniel Pearl Roland “Ozzie” Smith Richard Yuricich Seth Emmons Steven E. Manios Jr. Peter K. Schnitzler
Brian Pearson Reed Smoot Peter Zeitlinger Jonathan Erland Steven E. Manios Sr. Walter Schonfeld
Edward J. Pei Bing Sokolsky Jerzy Zielinski Ray Feeney Chris Mankofsky Wayne Schulman
James Pergola Peter Sova Kenneth Zunder William Feightner Michael Mansouri Alexander Schwarz
Dave Perkal Glynn Speeckaert Chris Fetner Gray Marshall Steven Scott
Lowell Peterson Dante Spinotti ASSOCIATE MEMBERS Jimmy Fisher Peter Martin Yang Shao
Wally Pfister Buddy Squires Pete Abel Thomas Fletcher Robert Mastronardi Alec Shapiro
Sean MacLeod Phillips Terry Stacey Rich Abel Claude Gagnon Joe Matza Don Shapiro
Bill Pope Eric Steelberg Alan Albert Benjamin Gervais Albert Mayer Jr. Milton R. Shefter
Steven Poster Ueli Steiger Richard Aschman Salvatore Giarratano Bill McDonald Ryan Sheridan
Michael A. Price Peter Stein Gerhard Baier John A. Gresch Dennis McDonald Marc Shipman-Mueller
Tom Priestley Jr. Tom Stern Kay Baker Dan Hammond Karen McHugh Leon Silverman
Rodrigo Prieto Robert M. Stevens Joseph J. Ball Jim Hannafin Andy McIntyre Rob Sim
Robert Primes David Stockton Amnon Band Bill Hansard Jr. Stan Miller Garrett Smith
Frank Prinzi Rogier Stoffers Carly M. Barber Lisa Harp Walter H. Mills Timothy E. Smith
Christopher Probst Vittorio Storaro Craig Barron Richard Hart George Milton Kimberly Snyder
Cynthia Pusheck Gavin Struthers Thomas M. Barron Robert Harvey Mike Mimaki Stefan Sonnenfeld
Richard Quinlan David Stump Larry Barton Michael Hatzer Michael Morelli Michael Sowa
Declan Quinn Tim Suhrstedt Wolfgang Baumler Josh Haynie Dash Morrison John L. Sprung
Earl Rath Peter Suschitzky Bob Beitcher Fritz Heinzle Nolan Murdock Joseph N. Tawil
Richard Rawlings Jr. Attila Szalay Mark Bender Charles Herzfeld Dan Muscarella Ira Tiffen
Frank Raymond Masanobu Takayanagi Bruce Berke Larry Hezzelwood Iain A. Neil Steve Tiffen
Tami Reiker Jonathan Taylor Steven A. Blakely Sean Hise Otto Nemenz Arthur Tostado
Robert Richardson Rodney Taylor Joseph Bogacz Frieder Hochheim Ernst Nettmann Jeffrey Treanor
Anthony B. Richmond William Taylor Jill Bogdanowicz Bob Hoffman Tony Ngai Bill Turner
Tom Richmond Romeo Tirone Mitchell Bogdanowicz Vinny Hogan Jeff Okun Stephan Ukas-Bradley
Antonio Riestra John Toll Jens Bogehegn Cliff Hsui Marty Oppenheimer Mark van Horne
Bill Roe Mario Tosi Michael Bravin Robert C. Hummel Walt Ordway Dedo Weigert
Owen Roizman Salvatore Totino Simon Broad Zoë Iltsopoulos-Borys Ahmad Ouri Marc Weigert
Pete Romano Luciano Tovoli Michael Brodersen Jim Jannard Michael Parker Steve Weiss
Giuseppe Rotunno Jost Vacano William Brodersen George Joblove Dhanendra Patel Alex Wengert
Philippe Rousselot Stijn van der Veken Garrett Brown Tor Johansen Snehal Patel Evans Wetmore
Juan Ruiz-Anchia Theo van de Sande Terry Brown Joel Johnson Gary Paz Franz Wieser
Marvin Rush Eric van Haren Noman Reid Burns Eric Johnston Eliott Peck Beverly Wood
Paul Ryan Hoyte van Hoytema Vincent Carabello John Johnston Kristin Petrovich Jan Yarbrough
Eric Saarinen Kees van Oostrum Jim Carter Mike Kanfer Ed Phillips Hoyt Yeatman
Alik Sakharov Checco Varese Elisabetta Cartoni Andreas Kaufmann Nick Phillips Irwin M. Young
Mikael Salomon Ron Vargas Martin Cayzer Marker Karahadian Tyler Phillips Michael Zacharia
Paul Sarossy Mark Vargo Leonard Chapman Frank Kay Joshua Pines Bob Zahn
Roberto Schaefer Amelia Vincent Mark Chiolis Dan Keaton Jorg Pohlman Nazir Zaidi
Tobias Schliessler William Wages Michael Cioni Michael Keegan Carl Porcello Michael Zakula
Aaron Schneider Fabian Wagner Denny Clairmont Debbie Kennard Sherri Potter Joachim Zell
Nancy Schreiber Roy H. Wagner Adam Clark Glenn Kennel Howard Preston Les Zellan
Fred Schuler Mandy Walker Cary Clayton Robert Keslow Sarah Priestnall
John Schwartzman Michael Watkins Dave Cole Lori Killam David Pringle HONORARY MEMBERS
John Seale Michael Weaver Michael Condon Douglas Kirkland Doug Pruss Col. Edwin E. Aldrin Jr.
Christian Sebaldt William “Billy” Webb Grover Crisp Mark Kirkland David Reisner Col. Michael Collins
Joaquin Sedillo Mark Weingartner Peter Crithary Scott Klein Christopher Reyna Bob Fisher
Dean Semler Jonathan West Daniel Curry Timothy J. Knapp Colin Ritchie David MacDonald
Ben Seresin Jack Whitman Marc Dando Franz Kraus Eric G. Rodli Cpt. Bruce McCandless II
Eduardo Serra Lisa Wiegand Ross Danielson Karl Kresser Domenic Rom Larry Mole Parker
Steven Shaw Jo Willems Carlos D. DeMattos Ross La Manna Andy Romanoff D. Brian Spruill
Lawrence Sher Stephen F. Windon Gary Demos Jarred Land Frederic Rose Marek Zydowicz
Richard Shore Alexander Witt Mato Der Avanessian Chuck Lee Daniel Rosen
Newton Thomas Sigel Dariusz Wolski Kevin Dillon Doug Leighton Dana Ross
When you were a child, what film What has been your most satisfying
made the strongest impression on moment on a project?
you? I was shocked at how wonderful the
Watching Peter Pan in the Aurora Theatre response to Girlfight was at Sundance. To
in western New York, and my dad’s child- have the audiences react so well was really
like expression when the pirate ship floated special.
into the night sky at the end. For that
moment, he was a fellow kid. The next Have you made any memorable blun-
time my whole family felt like that was ders?
watching Star Wars. Oh boy — ahem, no.
Where did you train and/or study? Do you have any favorite genres, or genres you would like to
Ithaca College, NYU’s Tisch School, labeling cases for Robin Brown try?
and Robin Melhuish, hauling cable for Eric Schmidt. Andy Watts and I love film noir. I don’t know how you would categorize Krzysztof Kies-
Paul ‘Conan’ Bolles taught me how to not electrocute myself. Maybe lowski, or Fellini, or the Brothers Quay — magical realism? I’d like to
I should have led with them. shoot a movie that isn’t afraid to have some wonder about it.
Who were your early teachers or mentors? If you weren’t a cinematographer, what might you be doing
My middle-school teachers encouraged me that a country kid could instead?
actually end up working in the movie business. I learned from a slew House painting? I very seriously considered steel sculpture while at
of wonderful cinematographers in the Nineties when I was a gaffer. Ithaca College. My fantastic professor Ray Ghirardo just retired this year.
Sol Negrin, ASC and [honorary ASC member] Larry Parker have
mentored me in both film and family. Which ASC cinematographers recommended you for member-
ship?
What are some of your key artistic influences? Sol Negrin, Michael Watkins and M. David Mullen.
That is always changing. Robert Frank, Caravaggio, Eggleston. The
light in Monet’s ‘Haystacks.’ How has ASC membership impacted your life and career?
Some of my happiest off-set career moments have been at the ASC
How did you get your first break in the business? Clubhouse or during the awards ceremony. Before I was even a
Sarah Green was producing with Maggie Renzi for John Sayles, and I member, getting to talk shop with all these amazing cinematographers
was ‘adopted’ by that wonderful group. I would sleep on the floor of was — and is — very special. I love that the ASC is working hard to be
John’s writing room if I worked really late, because the buses ran so a beacon for all new cinematographers to come and do the same. Also,
infrequently. From there I served as camera intern on Passion Fish. seeing the initials after my name on a slate makes me wonder how I got
Years later, I met Karyn Kusama, which led to my shooting Girlfight. so damn lucky. It makes me work hard to represent the Society as well
as I possibly can. ●