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A M E R I C A N C I N E M ATO G R A P H E R • M A RC H 2 0 1 9 • I A M T H E N I G H T – S P I R I T AWA R D N O M I N E E S – A S C C LU B H O U S E – S H OT C R A F T : 2 N D U N I T • VO L . 1 0 0 N O . 3
M A R C H 2 0 1 9 V O L . 1 0 0 N O . 3
— ASC 100th Anniversary —
On Our Cover: Reporter Jay Singletary (Chris Pine) helps Fauna Hodel
(India Eisley) uncover the secrets of her past in the TNT miniseries I Am
the Night, shot by Matthew Jensen, ASC; Trevor Forrest; and Michael
McDonough, ASC, BSC. (Photo by Kurt Iswarienko, courtesy of TNT.)
FEATURES
28 I Am the Night – L.A. Noir
Matthew Jensen, ASC; Trevor Forrest; Michael McDonough, ASC, BSC; and
42
director-producer Patty Jenkins discuss their collaboration
Indie Honors
Ashley Connor, Diego García, Benjamin Loeb, Sayombhu Mukdeeprom and
52
Zak Mulligan garner Spirit Award nominations
Cinematography’s Home
42 As the Society’s centennial celebration continues, AC traces the history
62
of the ASC Clubhouse
Shared Spaces
Documentary cinematographer Kirsten Johnson details her approach
to capturing locations far and wide
52 DEPARTMENTS
10
12
Editor’s Note
14
President’s Desk
22
Shot Craft: 2nd unit • Grip trucks
70
Short Takes: Black & White
72
New Products & Services
73
International Marketplace
62
74
Classified Ads
76
Ad Index
78
ASC Membership Roster
80
Clubhouse News
ASC Close-Up: Sean MacLeod Phillips
— VISIT WWW.ASCMAG.COM —
Web-Exclusive Centennial Coverage
Join us in honoring the
100th Anniversary of the American Society of Cinematographers!
Clubhouse Conversations
The historic ASC Clubhouse in
Hollywood has long been the site
for insightful discussion about
cinematography by some of its
finest practitioners. Here we offer
a curated selection of some recent
in-depth talks, with videos fea-
turing 10 ASC members: Roger
Deakins, Bruno Delbonnel,
Adriano Goldman, Ed Lachman,
Dan Laustsen, Philippe Le
Sourd, Gregory Middleton,
Rachel Morrison, Hoyte van
Hoytema and Mandy Walker.
(The complete multi-part
programs on each subject are
available for subscribers to
Friends of the ASC.)
Watch now at bit.ly/ClubhouseConversations
EDITORIAL
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ADVERTISING
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OFFICERS - 2018/2019
Kees van Oostrum
President
Bill Bennett
Vice President
Paul Cameron
Vice President
Cynthia Pusheck
Vice President
Levie Isaacks
Treasurer
David Darby
Secretary
Isidore Mankofsky
Sergeant-at-Arms
MEMBERS OF THE
BOARD
John Bailey
Bill Bennett
Paul Cameron
Russell Carpenter
Curtis Clark
Dean Cundey
George Spiro Dibie
Stephen Lighthill
Karl-Walter Lindenlaub
Lowell Peterson
Cynthia Pusheck
Roberto Schaefer
John Toll
Kees van Oostrum
Amy Vincent
ALTERNATES
Stephen H. Burum
David Darby
Charlie Lieberman
Eric Steelberg
Levie Isaacks
MUSEUM CURATOR
Steve Gainer
8
EDITOR’S NOTE
THIS MONTH’S Film noir is a timeless genre that has long showcased
CONTRIBUTORS
great cinematography, as evidenced in such classics as
Raw Deal (shot by John Alton), The Third Man (Robert
Krasker, BSC), Sunset Boulevard (John Seitz, ASC), The
Night of the Hunter (Stanley Cortez, ASC), Touch of Evil
(Russell Metty, ASC), In Cold Blood (Conrad L. Hall, ASC),
Jim Hemphill
Chinatown (John Alonzo, ASC), Blade Runner (Jordan
is a filmmaker and freelance Cronenweth, ASC), L.A. Confidential (Dante Spinotti,
writer (“Indie Honors,” ASC, AIC), and many others. The Maltese Falcon may be
p. 42). “the stuff that dreams are made of,” as detective Sam
Spade memorably maintains, but noir traffics in the
dashed hopes of protagonists who inevitably find them-
Jay Holben
is a filmmaker and an
selves on misguided and tragic paths, where light and
shadow provide a distinctly melancholic ambience.
associate member of the Given this strong tradition of visual artistry, cinematographers are naturally
ASC (Shot Craft, p. 14). drawn to film-noir projects — such as the new TNT miniseries I Am the Night, shot by
Matthew Jensen, ASC; Trevor Forrest; and Michael McDonough, ASC, BSC, and execu-
tive-produced by Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins, who helmed the first two
Michael Kogge
is a freelance writer
episodes. All four, as well as master colorist and ASC associate Stefan Sonnenfeld, offer
their perspectives in coverage by Michael Kogge (“L.A. Noir,” page 28).
(“L.A. Noir,” p. 28). The Film Independent Spirit Awards continues to showcase the work of excellent
cinematographers who lend their aesthetic sensibilities to compelling indie projects. In
Iain Marcks our annual roundup (“Indie Honors,” page 42), Jim Hemphill and Iain Marcks profile this
is a filmmaker and a year’s Best Cinematography nominees: Ashley Connor (Madeline’s Madeline), Diego
New York correspondent for
García (Wildlife), Benjamin Loeb (Mandy), Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (Suspiria) and Zak
Mulligan (We the Animals).
the magazine (“Indie As part of our celebration of the ASC’s centennial and the Society’s illustrious
Honors,” p. 42; “Shared history, this month the magazine has focused on the ASC Clubhouse, the venerated
Spaces,” p. 62). structure that has long served as the organization’s meeting place and education hub.
Our piece features a selection of photos and a finely detailed article by web director and
associate publisher David E. Williams (“Cinematography’s Home,” page 52).
David E. Williams Any seasoned cinematographer will tell you that location shooting presents both
is the web director and tangible benefits and logistical challenges. Documentarian Kirsten Johnson, who
associate publisher reflected on her career in the critically acclaimed “visual memoir” Cameraperson,
(“Cinematography’s Home,” offered us her perspective on some of the real settings in which she’s captured indelible
p. 52). images. “What’s fascinating to me about documentary work is that you enter places
where you would otherwise never get to go, and suddenly you feel differently about the
world,” Johnson tells Iain Marcks (“Shared Spaces,” page 62).
Jon D. Witmer “This is deeply physical work,” she adds. “It really matters that you are there, and
is the managing editor your experience is in-body. Maybe you’ll have to climb a rickety ladder up to a broken
(Short Takes, p. 22). roof, and if you’re open and paying attention, that will give you some insight into the
infrastructure of the place, and then you can better understand the lives of the people
who live there. You can’t walk in their shoes, but you can walk in their world — feel its
textures and light — and that is also what changes your ability to see it.”
Photo by Chris Pizzello.
Stephen Pizzello
Editor-in-Chief and Publisher
10
PRESIDENT’S DESK
A Film By…
Part 1
A few years ago, I got a phone call from a director with whom I had collaborated on an inde-
pendent feature — a project that had come, of course, with certain monetary concessions
concerning fees, crew and equipment. It was the director’s first film, but he had a substantial
résumé directing for the stage; his familiarity with drama was eminent but not necessarily
practical. Nevertheless, we had a great time making the film, and it proved to be a particu-
larly worthwhile creative endeavor.
I had enjoyed it from the start, in preproduction, where style and tone were discussed
while burning the midnight oil. Scouting locations had felt gratifying, as the director was
open to my comments on their practicality and look. We shot tests and occupied a DI suite
to create the LUTs for the film, and we decided to favor wide-angle lenses as we discussed
the immersive and dynamic feeling they brought to our shots of the actors’ faces.
After production wrapped, we put the finishing touches on the film in the DI suite —
and then I was on to the next project. So, when the director called me, I was thrilled to hear
that the film had been invited to a small but prestigious film festival. He went on to tell me that he had been asked
to come along, but, unfortunately, they could not provide travel or accommodation for the cinematographer. He
suggested, though, that it would be great if I could go anyway, especially considering our close collaboration.
So off I went a couple of weeks later, excited and brimming with anticipation that there would at last be some
recognition of our hard work.
I had tried to book a room at the director’s hotel, but the rates were prohibitive because of the festival, so
instead I found modest lodging a few miles outside of town. I took an Uber to the premiere, but of course the Honda
Accord was not allowed to drop me off at the front of the theater. As I walked from the car to the venue, I caught a
glimpse of the director arriving in a black SUV, from which he was quickly ushered into the theater, over the red
carpet. Thirty minutes later, I made it inside with the rest of the audience. I was seated in the front row and told that
there might be some questions from the audience during the pre-screening Q&A.
There was full applause when the director was invited to the stage by the moderator, a prominent film critic.
At first, they talked about what had inspired the director to take on this script. But then, when the conversation
shifted to the cinematic language — the film’s look and tone — and the director started to share his intentions, I
wondered if I was in the wrong theater. What he talked about had nothing to do with our intensive collaboration in
prep, our philosophical discussions on set, or the expression of our feelings about color and density during postpro-
duction. He referenced drama and literature we had never considered. And when it came to the look, he talked
about Basquiat and Rembrandt — an odd couple, to say the least, and two artists we had never discussed.
It was then I realized he was not referring to “we” or “our,” but just to “I” or “my.”
Out of the blue, the director pointed me out in the front row, introducing me as “my cinematographer.” After
a brief audience acknowledgment, the moderator asked if there were any questions for the cinematographer. There
was one: “What camera did you use?” I was momentarily speechless. The thought raced through my head, “How
irrelevant,” but my thought was cut short from being vocalized when the moderator jumped in to announce that,
for the sake of time, we had to start the film.
Soon a welcome and comforting darkness descended on the theater. Relieved, I slumped back in my seat. But
Photo by Jacek Laskus, ASC, PSC.
then, towering over me on the screen that was just 8 feet away, the first title appeared in the dark: “A FILM BY…”
To be continued …
nuity and look with the main unit’s. The style has to be in keeping
with what the main-unit director and director of photography
have envisioned as a final product.
Paul Atkins, ASC: The lighting, camera angles, camera
movement, lens choice, etc. must all match the 1st unit. It’s less
about mimicking the style of the main-unit DP and director, and
more about learning to intuit their preferences for the look of
the film, so it eventually becomes second nature. At first, this can
be a difficult challenge, especially if it’s your first time working
with the DP and director. Hopefully, by the time the pace of
production accelerates and everyone has less time, you’re in
tune with the director’s vision and DP’s approach, and a level of
trust has developed.
Josh Bleibtreu, ASC: You have to think about adapting
your style to match the other DP’s. You need to think of how the
shots you are doing are going to fit into the film — what is the
previous cut, and what is the following cut? You have to adapt
your style so that it’s seamless and not out of left field.
On location in Iceland, Paul Atkins, ASC (left) frames a shot alongside Atkins: I’ve shot 2nd unit for [ASC member Emmanuel]
AC Stuart Macfarlane while filming the “creation sequence” for The Tree ‘Chivo’ Lubezki and [director] Terrence Malick on several
of Life with an Imax MSM camera. features, and they developed a rather strict photographic
‘dogma,’ which demands that everything be shot in deep-focus
I The Ins and Outs of 2nd Unit with wide-angle lenses, always in backlight. For them, a 24mm
was a ‘long’ lens! Camera movement was always in z-axis, and
Second-unit crewmembers are among the unsung heroes pans were discouraged. Malick assiduously avoided the tradi-
of production. Generally speaking, the 2nd unit will shoot tional ‘Burbank way’ of framing and shooting. Learning Chivo and
anything that doesn’t involve the primary talent or that takes a Terry’s stylistic approach was difficult at first, but soon I internal-
considerable amount of time to complete. Establishing shots, ized it, and it changed the way I see light and frame images.
inserts, cutaways, aerial footage, b-roll, stunts, effects, minia- How do you communicate with the 1st unit to make sure
tures — all of this and more can land within the 2nd unit’s you understand their intent?
purview. Hughen: Once the main-unit assistant director and the
The 2nd unit works in conjunction with the 1st unit — aka 2nd-unit assistant director have finalized their schedules, then
the main unit — sometimes in parallel with, other times ahead of it’s easy to break down scenes shot-by-shot so that both units
or behind it. In some circumstances, the main unit will shoot out can see exactly what the two units are shooting. Second unit’s
a scene’s principal performance aspects, and then the 2nd unit schedule generally commences shortly after the main unit has
will “clean up” the scene, capturing inserts and cutaways. started their photography. This is a huge advantage to the 2nd- Second-unit photos courtesy of the cinematographers.
Compared to the main unit, the 2nd unit typically comprises a unit DP. I often find myself lurking around the 1st-unit set, taking
reduced crew: a director; a cinematographer; and a gaffer, grip notes and speaking with key members of the crew. I try not to
and AC as necessary. At times it can be a one-person crew; alter- get in the way of 1st-unit DPs, but if I catch their eye and they
natively, if the shooting involves complicated stunts, it can be don’t appear to be too busy, I’ll rattle off a few questions that I
nearly a full unit. might have. If the main unit is shooting on a stage that I will take
For further insights into the work of 2nd-unit cinematogra- over in the coming days or weeks, then multiple set visits could
phers, AC caught up with three masters of the craft: ASC be in order. Most of the time, the main-unit DP wants to answer
members Paul Atkins, Josh Bleibtreu and Paul Hughen. questions and help the process, but timing is everything. Some
days, questions regarding lighting are best left for a half hour
American Cinematographer: What’s the biggest chal- before call time or at lunch.
lenge for you on 2nd unit? Atkins: It’s as important to understand why a shot or
Paul Hughen, ASC: The most challenging aspect of 2nd sequence is needed as it is to know how to do it. Hang out on set
unit is shooting and delivering footage that is seamless in conti- with the main unit for a couple of days, especially at the begin-
assistants to please include lens info on of 1st unit’s dailies on an iPad for continu- your job?
the 1st-unit slates so that I can get a feel ity. Bleibtreu: Make sure that we get
for their lens choices. Sometimes I’ll ask Shooting effects shots is all about a the lens, filter and stop info. It’s best if
for someone to make up lighting lot of precise measurements. Story- they put it on the slate so that it doesn’t
diagrams of their setups, and I’ll get boards are important if you’re shooting get lost and we can quickly see it in the
photos of the setups if I can. plates for visual effects. Communicate dailies. It’s also important to communi-
Atkins: Lighting diagrams are with the effects supervisor regarding cate any potential problems or special
equipment that they feel you might need. possible because of the pace of produc- somehow, to get your job done! You may
Hughen: It’s important that both tion and lack of sleep. need to borrow a dolly or gimbal from the
units have access to one another’s dailies. What’s your ‘saving grace’ in your main unit to execute a move. Make
Now that footage is quickly posted digi- work? friends with the 1st AC and key grip on
tally online, on a Monday night 2nd unit Bleibtreu: A good line producer main unit; they’ll know what is needed
can view footage that main unit shot and crew. You need a strong relationship and what can be spared on the day, and
Monday morning. The DIT from 1st unit with the 1st-unit crew — the gaffer, key they can be your greatest ally in getting
will share information and LUTs that the grip, 1st AC, camera operators, video- the gear you need.
main-unit DP has created, so that during assist people, editors. They’re all your Bleibtreu: My motto is to always
shooting, the images will have the same allies. If you know them and they respect be proactive rather than reactive. Plan
look. It’s very important that the two DITs you, it can go a long way toward helping three to four shots ahead so that you can
and the gaffers on both units speak regu- your work fit perfectly into the film. Work leapfrog gear and crew. Another mantra
larly and have the ability to communicate with your 1st AD to properly plan out is to always try and find the shortest path
via phone at a moment’s notice. your days to get the best light possible. of least resistance to get your shots.
Atkins: Communicate, communi- Atkins: Surrounding myself with a Don’t over-engineer or overthink it. I’m
cate, communicate. Take time to view talented, enthusiastic crew is key for me. not a fan of trying unproven tools on big
2nd-unit rushes at dailies, and give Coffee is a close second! jobs; I need to know that whatever I bring
honest feedback. Of course, it’s often not Hughen: I’ve been very lucky with to the job is going to work reliably, and
my camera crew. I’ve had the same focus that someone on the crew is familiar with
Quick Tips puller for a dozen years, which makes it the gear and can fix it if something starts
Shooting 2nd-Unit Action easy on me. He knows the gear that I to go south. There are a lot of toys out
want prepped, and having someone there; sometimes you need a Libra head
• “Shooting low and wide with foreground sells familiar with the fast-moving nature of or a Technocrane, but sometimes a
speed better than anything.” 2nd unit is a real bonus when we add five camera on a sandbag is the best choice.
• “Shoot tests, if possible.” more cameras for a sequence. And on a I have been using an iPhone app
• “Prelight when possible.” 2nd unit, a camera operator who can called Theodolite by Hunter Research &
• “The ‘counter move’ is a great way to help speed follow action and knows when he’s got Technology; it’s helpful during scouts to
up a slow shot.” the shot is invaluable. confirm the compass headings and height
• “Action always looks better coming at you, either Are there any specific tools that of ridges or buildings — how many
directly or at a 45-degree angle across frame.” you regularly use? degrees they are above my current loca-
• “Low angles are usually better.” Atkins: I often work on low- or tion. I’m also a big fan of [Chemical
• “Sometimes action is better when it’s ‘bumping’ medium-budget productions, and usually Wedding’s app] Artemis Pro, which I use
and ‘pushing’ the edges of the frame lines, not the main obstacle is a lack of equipment. constantly on scouts to confirm shots. I
perfectly composed. You can create tension that Sometimes we’re sharing a lens package also use [Chemical Wedding’s] Helios sun
way.” with the main unit, and of course they tracking; that software is amazing. And I
— Josh Bleibtreu, ASC have priority — but you’re still expected, track the weather constantly — clouds,
there were leaves on the trees, and when boards, previs, schedules — it’s attain- every piece of gear is meticulously
you get there they’ve all fallen off, or vice able. Hopefully there is some degree of checked for wear and tear, damage and
versa. It’s a challenge to match a scene prep; that is when most of the questions functionality. Then, when another
when it’s a completely different location. are answered regarding lighting, perfor- production requests the gear, the truck is
It’s always a challenge to find organic and mance, VFX, etc. reloaded from scratch, with the certainty
not-obvious ways to hide the faces of Atkins: I love shooting 2nd unit. that every piece of gear is present and in
photo doubles. You also need to find out You work with small, dedicated crews, good working order. While the electrical
exactly what is needed. You often have a away from the sometimes-political department will carry specific fixtures
number of people telling you what they complications of the main unit. And you rented for the job at hand, the standard
think is needed, and you have to cut get to learn from master DPs and film- grip package is an amalgam of various
through it all and find out what is really makers! equipment that allows grips to perform as
Hand Tools:
Rake, sledgehammer, shovel,
pickax, crowbar, 48" level, putty
knife, precision screwdriver,
hammer, handsaw, hacksaw,
channel locks, vise grips, Allen
wrench (standard set), box
cutter, staple gun, flashlight,
socket set, tin snips, files, pliers,
crescent wrenches, glue gun,
broom, dust pan
Miscellany:
1 – doorway dolly
6 – road cones
1 – umbrella
6 – furniture pads
Carts:
1 – cable/sandbag cart
1 – C-stand/utility cart
1 – 9-crate grip cart
1 – large-flag cart
1 – small-flag cart
u
Los Angeles Kings forward Adrian Kempe evades San Jose Sharks defenseman Justin Braun in an episode of
the Kings’ documentary web series Black & White.
Royal Colors with the Kings. As this season has been putting into stark relief,
I By Jon D. Witmer however, when it comes to sports, the best-laid plans are
subject to change.
“It’s all about what we can get that no one else is getting,” Case in point: After the team began the season well
says Chris Wohlers, manager of production for the Los Angeles below expectations, the Kings fired head coach John Stevens
Kings of the National Hockey League. just last Sunday, replacing him with interim head coach Willie
Wohlers is leading the way through downtown L.A.’s Desjardins. The production crew went into high gear, shooting
Staples Center arena, where the Kings will soon be taking the ice interviews with Desjardins, team president Luc Robitaille, vice
to face off against the visiting Calgary Flames. During this Satur- president and general manager Rob Blake, and team captain
day-night game in early November, Wohlers and producer- Anze Kopitar on Monday, followed by Desjardins’ first game
editor Ryan Todd will be capturing footage for a planned episode behind the bench on Tuesday. The resulting episode, “Fresh
of Black & White. Named after the Kings’ team colors, the short- Start,” was released on Friday. “That was definitely the fastest
form web series takes viewers behind the scenes of all facets of one we’ve ever gotten out,” Wohlers notes.
the Kings organization, both on and off the ice. Wohlers crosses through Staples Center’s Chick Hearn
The episode at hand aims to paint a portrait of forward Press Room and into what’s labeled the Digital Dark Room,
Ilya Kovalchuk, the team’s big offseason free-agent signing. And where the production, marketing and social-media teams have
All images courtesy of the filmmakers.
though Wohlers and Todd will capture footage during more than set up headquarters for the game. Inside, freelance sound
30 of the Kings’ games over the course of this 82-game regular recordist Glenn Gaines is prepping Kovalchuk’s lavalier mic,
season, tonight marks a rarity, as they’ve been given approval to which will soon be handed off to head equipment manager
put a microphone on the player. This opportunity, Wohlers Darren Granger and his crew to be sewn into the player’s
explains, represents “top-tier-level access” that comes along uniform.
only a few times each season. Todd soon enters the room, having completed the night’s
Beyond the in-game action, the plan is for this episode of first shot. He was in position at the base of the players’ entrance
Black & White to follow Kovalchuk off the ice with his family, ramp with a Red Epic-W camera to capture Kovalchuk’s arrival
whom he relocated from Russia to Beverly Hills after he signed and to follow him to the team’s locker room. With puck drop
footage as well as pre- and postgame Gaines is seated just in front of Wohlers’ January, Wohlers and Todd welcome AC
interviews when necessary. During the position, monitoring the audio recording. through double doors emblazoned with
game, Wohlers points out, “Fox is getting From this perch, he can stand up and the Kings’ crown logo, into the team’s
everything wide, so what can we get turn around to speak with Wohlers when primary base of operations at Toyota
that’s different?” the referee’s or linesmen’s whistles stop Sports Center. After its inauspicious start,
To that end, Wohlers will take the the play on the ice; when there’s some- the difficulty of getting the Kings’ season
C300 to the broadcast camera-well thing to say during the game action, the back on track has been compounded by a
midway up the stands and overlooking two filmmakers communicate via text. long string of injuries to players up and
center ice; from that vantage, he’ll get Heading into the third period, the down the lineup, including Kovalchuk,
shots looking toward the Kings’ bench, Kings are down 1-0. They get two power- who missed 10 games with an injury that
isolating Kovalchuk. Todd, meanwhile, play opportunities in the second half of required ankle surgery. Given that turn of
will be at ice level, right up against the the final frame, and they pull goaltender events, the decision has been made to
glass, in one of the still photographers’ Jack Campbell for an extra skater with 59 shelve his episode of Black & White.
photo wells, capturing high-speed game seconds remaining, but ultimately “That’s something we knew could
action. Additionally, Rabone will rig three they’re unable to score. Had the Kings happen,” Wohlers notes, “but it’s the
GoPro Hero4 Black cameras on the Kings’ tied the game and sent it to overtime, first time we’ve pulled the plug in the
bench to catch Kovalchuk in between his the teams would have switched ends of middle of production.”
shifts on the ice. “It’s so precious to have the ice, and Todd would have run to the Thankfully, other plans have borne
a guy mic’d up,” Wohlers stresses. other end of the rink and operated the fruit. The ESPN Deportes and Dion
“Knowing that every second is on- camera handheld. Then, had the Kings Phaneuf episodes (“Growing the Game”
camera is very big for us.” managed to win, he would have gone out and “Phaneuf’s 1,000th,” respectively)
Kovalchuk is on tonight’s starting onto the ice to capture the players lifting have both been released, and Wohlers
line, skating alongside forwards Jeff their sticks in salute to the fans. and Todd did travel to Buffalo for the
Carter and Tyler Toffoli, with defense- Instead, when the horn blows to Iafallo-family episode, which, at the time
men Drew Doughty and Derek Forbort in end the game, the team heads straight to of AC’s visit, is currently being edited.
front of goaltender Jack Campbell. Todd the locker room, and the production The two filmmakers lead AC
heads out onto the ice to shoot the play- crew returns to the Digital Dark Room for through the TSC complex, where the
ers’ introductions, keeping his camera a quick wrap-out. The footage they’ve Kings — as well as their American Hockey
trained on Kovalchuk throughout. After captured will remain on the CF cards and League affiliate, the Ontario Reign —
the national anthems, he hurries into Red Mini-Mags until the crew returns to have their practice facility, replete with
position behind the glass, near the the team’s offices at Toyota Sports separate locker rooms for each team,
corner where the Zamboni enters and Center in El Segundo on Monday. three sheets of ice, a full gym, a team
exits the ice between periods. He places As they carry their gear out of lounge, and more. Todd notes that
the Epic-W on a tripod, facing across ice Staples Center, Todd says to Wohlers, there’s no designated place to shoot
toward the Calgary bench; the Flames’ “Well, we got something.” interviews for Black & White, so they
net will be on this end for the first and commandeer space as the need arises —
third periods, making it a prime location * * * most often using the team’s theater on
to capture Kovalchuk and the Kings’ the ground level or, more recently, a
offense in action. Whatever it was, we’ll never conference room on the second floor.
For the second period, AC follows know. To light those interviews, Wohlers
Wohlers to the upper camera well. Almost two months later, in early says they have “a three-light Litepanels
in the six-part
uncover the secrets of her past in the miniseries I Am the
TNT six-episode miniseries I Am the Night. pp Matthew
Night. The tale — which is based on a Jensen, ASC.
p Cinematographer
true story — takes Fauna from the Trevor Forrest.
Nevada desert to the seedy corners of t Michael McDonough,
Los Angeles, and even to Hawaii, ASC, BSC.
revealing a sordid world where
courtesy of TNT.
film noir to shine a light on a heinous McDonough, ASC, BSC (Episodes 5 blowing her story was. I was drawn
murder from decades past that pulls and 6) — and with Company 3 to the incredible details of how the
Fauna into the mystery’s dark corners colorist and ASC associate Stefan mystery of her life unfolded, and the
— and into the web of her grandfa- Sonnenfeld. deep and powerful themes of identity
ther, George Hodel (Jefferson Mays). that ran through it. That’s the brass
Exploring the creative process American Cinematographer: ring: a story that has a riveting narra-
behind this noir for television, AC Patty — how did the series origi- tive but is also rich in deep themes.
spoke with executive producer Patty nate? Ever since then, I’ve tried to find a
Jenkins, who directed Episodes 1 and Patty Jenkins: I’d heard that way to tell it, but before the success of
2, as well as the show’s cinematogra- there was a woman whose story I True Detective, people weren’t so into
phers — Matthew Jensen, ASC must hear, so about 12 years ago I had limited series, and it didn’t fit into a
(Episodes 1 and 2); Trevor Forrest coffee with Fauna Hodel — but noth- feature or ongoing series. Finally, the
(Episodes 3 and 4); and Michael ing had prepared me for how mind- moment came with TNT.
world and the characters to tell their Since we didn’t have a shorthand, I had raised Fauna, to contrast against
own stories, not unlike Eggleston and offered up a bunch of photographs the cold reality that Fauna stumbles
other photographers who were ‘real- and ideas, while she created a visual into as she discovers her biological
ity based’ yet also curators of what toolbox for us to add to and work family. The way the story is written,
they capture. I’d describe our from. Her key interests were to bring it’s almost like three feature films,
approach to the overall look as a warmth to the African-American each containing stories in their own
William Eggleston meets Larry Sultan neighborhoods and the family who right — with transitional elements
and Philip-Lorca diCorcia, mixed
with the framing and blocking of a
classic fairytale meets Hitchcock. That Colorist and ASC associate Stefan Sonnenfeld, president of Company 3,
sounds like a lot of different things, worked with Patty Jenkins and Matthew Jensen on the final grade. Input from
but it all nicely synced together, leav- Trevor Forrest and Michael McDonough, as well as other department heads, was
ing room to play. primarily filtered through those two. Sonnenfeld performed the grade at
Trevor and Michael — how did Company 3 in Santa Monica, Calif., with Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve.
you work with your respective direc-
tors, Victoria Mahoney and Carl Stefan Sonnenfeld: The overarching concept for the series was that it’s a
Franklin, to keep a visual continuity period piece, and most of what we did in post was in service to that. The cine-
with Matthew’s work, but also create matographers shot with that in mind, and the production and costume design
something new? reflected that idea.
Forrest: When we were hired, [Shooting on film] made perfect sense for a show that is supposed to have
Vic and I had met briefly only a few a very beautiful and classically cinematic look. Of course, we made adjustments in
days before at a Q&A of Wonder color and contrast, as we’d normally do, but if you’re going for a filmic look, it
Woman. Victoria’s a photographer, certainly makes a lot of sense to build the feel into the imagery from the start by
loves art, and is a prolific director. actually shooting film negative.
Reference-Image Innovation
Michael McDonough, ASC, BSC: In prep on I Am the Night, I realized I had the opportunity — due to shooting 35mm negative —
to test out an idea I’d had for a while. I wanted to be able to give the dailies colorist a better representation of my intention for
each lighting setup than the standard practice of sending in some digital DSLR stills as an approximation.
I began on two fronts. I put a camera rig together with the help of Bob Foertsch from Panavision and their engineers, creat-
ing some parts to mount a Convergent Design Odyssey7Q monitor and recorder above my Sony a7S II. We added some feet to rest
it easily, and an Anton Bauer gold plate to run both the camera and monitor-recorder from one Slimline battery.
The next phase was to work with Pankaj Bajpai at Encore, whom I’d worked with several times — including on Fear the
Walking Dead, where we created a film-emulation LUT for my Sony a7S II.
Pankaj Bajpai: In the creation of this film emulation, first we took the Sony S-Log3 tone map and altered it to have a more
generic film response, particularly in the shadows to mid-tone area of the curve, and to make the highlights gentler. Secondly, we
took the S-Log3 S-Gamut3.Cine color matrix [that is] implemented in the a7s, and re-mapped it to be more filmic. This, for example,
made greens, reds, cyans and yellows be more in line with what film would typically render, thus creating a more organic photo-
chemical quality.
McDonough: It’s a two-step process. The camera sends a log [flat] image to the monitor, and the monitor overlays the LUT
we created on top of that log image.
I shot my usual film-negative tests at Panavision, and shot — side-by-side — a7S II clips recorded to the Odyssey. These clips
helped us dial-in the a7S film-emulation LUT.
[During the actual production] I’d shoot clips once I knew — by eye and meter — that a scene was close to being lit. Those
clips could be downloaded each day at wrap to accompany the negative to the lab — FotoKem, in this case — and then on to dailies
colorist Dan Boothe at Encore with the developed negative.
It required some tweaking when going from test shots to real-life production, but after about a week, we were pretty close
— and we certainly achieved a better rendition than we would have with straight DSLR stills alone. It proved very helpful in stream-
lining the process.
L.A. Noir
glowing interior at midnight, which service area and a row of Quasar of Los Angeles to the blues and
production designer Julie Berghoff [Science] tubes laying on the floor greens of Hawaii. What were the
found at the restaurant Chili John’s in and uplighting the walls [from] out of challenges in showing this new
Burbank. This scene had to be inti- view. We used another uplight on world, yet also conforming to the
mate, as Jay hopes to put Fauna at their faces as they look down to eat series’ tone and mood?
ease — and what I love about a diner and talk quietly. This allowed us to McDonough: I used the 5219
at night is the silence and the loneli- shoot really quickly and give the 500 tungsten film stock for the L.A.
ness of the interior, while they sit and actors some privacy for their perfor- section of the story and saved the
eat pie at midnight. It’s the witching mance. 5207 250 daylight stock for Hawaii, so
hour. My favorite shot is from there would be a difference in texture
The scene was lit very simply, outside looking in through the diner between those two places. [The 5207
because the location was tough to windows with the passing car reflec- stock] is a little crisper and has more
work in with the camera movement tions. These two characters are in a contrast, which would add a bit more
we wanted. All of the lighting comes ‘bubble’ in this shot. The quiet inti- ‘zing’ in the Hawaii sequences. We
from two vintage practicals over the macy also lulls the audience into [shot there] with a minimal crew and
thinking Jay will get what he needs, minimal intervention. We arrived at
v TECH SPECS
only to be denied it when Fauna slips the time of year when there was a lot
away into the night. of overcast for us to fight, and even
1.78:1 With the warm interior, the some rain, and we had to embrace
continued use of Cyan 60 gel for the that. You also don’t want to step away
3-perf Super 35mm nightlights in that part of the city too far from the language of the over-
helped render a dreamlike quality to all series, so there’s a certain amount
Kodak Vision3 500T 5219, 250D 5207
the scene. The picture window of help in post to smooth over scenes
Panavision Panaflex Millennium XL2, behind their conversation appears that often ranged from direct sunlight
Alexa Mini (limited use) almost surreal, further adding to this to overcast.
strange time of day. I definitely enjoyed those inti-
Panavision PVintage Michael — you shot Episode 5, mate scenes between Chris and India.
which turns the series in an unex- Their performances were excellent. In
Digital color grade
pected direction, from the shadows those cases, it was [a question of]
u One of Forrest’s
lighting diagrams, this
one for a night scene at
Los Angeles’ historic
John Sowden House.
q & qq The Sowden
House serves as home
to Fauna’s grandfather
George Hodel
(Jefferson Mays, bottom
photo, center).
40
form one powerful image.
Forrest: One of my favorite
scenes was George Hodel’s flashback
where a group of women entertains
the artisans as they talk around the
fire. The flashback opened the curtain Jensen and
to the darker side of Hodel’s soirées, Jenkins plan a
which were more for his pleasure car interior with
a disheveled
than a party for friends. It was a show Pine.
of power as he courted individuals
for his darker plans when the party
finished. The scene gave me the
opportunity to explore the themes of
power and darkness that all great
thrillers rely on, revealing the ulti-
mate danger beneath it all. shot the riot. On the third night we Jenkins: The image of Fauna in
McDonough: For Episode 6, turned it into a completely different her red-and-robin’s-egg-blue jacket,
we had a three-night stint in San place — a different scene — with walking around this lonely but real
Pedro, where we were shooting [a re- minimal condor movement between world, is one I’m particularly proud
creation of] the Watts riots, so we had different positions. It was a challenge of. I think Matt did an incredible job
a lot of energy, people, and fire on the to turn it around during the daytime, pulling off his exquisite level of work,
streets. We lit up three or four city but we were doing car-pursuit work every day in difficult circumstances,
blocks and came up with a lighting with police cars and other period and Trevor and Michael did a great
plan and condor placement that vehicles, and that was really exciting job of following him. u
could cover the two nights that we and fun.
41
Indie Honors
The Film Independent Spirit Awards
honor exceptional directors of
Madeline’s Madeline
Cinematographer: Ashley Connor
photography
Director: Josephine Decker
space, and a few portraits of masked wanted the times when we tell the “Because most of the film involves
IFC Films, Mandy images courtesy of RLJE Films, Suspiria images courtesy of Amazon Studios,
subjects by Diane Arbus. Then I sent story from her direct point of view to intense handheld where we don’t set
Madeline’s Madeline images courtesy of Oscilloscope Laboratories, Wildlife images courtesy of
her [the 1962 experimental short film] really capture her energy. It was marks or do proper blocking, I like to
Cosmic Ray by Bruce Conner and some emotionally and physically exhausting, have the option to pull my own focus,
other pieces featuring fun in-camera but so fun to play in her world.” and the Canon K-35s allowed me that
effects.” The biggest challenge for Connor flexibility. We wanted the image to melt
For Connor, giving the actors and her crew was simply making the and bend, and the K-35 set came with a
freedom of movement was essential, most of their limited budget. “We had lot of inherent characteristics that we
given the improvisatory nature of the many locations and not enough time, responded to — chromatic aberrations
project. “My gaffer, Danny April, and I so we had to be quick to make sure we and things of that nature.”
designed setups that gave the perform- made our days,” she remembers. “I In terms of filtration, in lieu of
ers the most amount of freedom to made a little rig for the front of the softening-filters, Connor would paint
explore the space,” she explains. “We camera to do in-camera effects, like different substances onto the surface of
We the Animals images courtesy of The Orchard.
didn’t have any large HMIs, so we’d abnormal focus shifts. Hopefully, our a clear filter — “lube, Vaseline, other
use mirror boards outside and practi- experiments will encourage someone viscous fluids,” she elaborates. She also
cals in the space; our lighting package else to play around and find their own used glass to distort the focal plane,
was very minimal, so we had to get magic.” “basically layering different types of
creative.” Connor’s choice of camera was magnifiers,” she says. Regarding her
In terms of camera movement, it influenced by the budget as well. “I selection of a softening or distortion
wasn’t enough to see Madeline’s world always prefer to shoot digital on Arri technique in a given circumstance,
— Connor wanted the audience to feel cameras,” she says, and the production Connor notes, “I usually chose one or
it as well. “It became a pas de deux ultimately employed Arri’s Amira. the other, [as] it was too difficult to
between [lead actor] Helena Howard Connor’s 1st AC, Will Castellucci, have everything working at once,
and me,” Connor says. “Her perfor- researched old vintage primes to help because I was rotating the x, y and z
mance was so raw and powerful that I the cinematographer find the right set. axes of the filters.” ➔
www.ascmag.com March 2019 43
Indie Honors
and looked to period films like The Ice through a very fluid and pleasant Mandy
Storm and The Master for inspiration. creative process.” Cinematographer:
John Cassavetes’ A Woman Under the Wildlife was shot on Arri’s Alexa Benjamin Loeb
Influence, a film that shares in common XT with Panavision’s spherical Primo Director: Panos Cosmatos
with Wildlife a searing portrait of Prime lenses. “After some research
dissatisfaction with family life, was about glass, Paul and I determined that Photographed by cinematogra-
another key influence. those lenses had the clean and correct pher Benjamin Loeb and directed by
García adopted a less-is-more performance [as well as] the personal- Panos Cosmatos, Mandy tells the story
approach to his lighting, not wanting ity and texture we were looking for,” of a warm-hearted lumberjack named
to distract from the emotional core of García says. Red (Nicolas Cage) who has the love of
Dano and Kazan’s script. “This was my The final grade was performed his life, Mandy (Andrea Riseborough),
way to approach not only the lighting at Harbor Picture Company in New stolen from him by a gang of demonic
setups, but the mise-en-scène, in York, where García credits colorist Joe bikers. He does not take it well. Due in
general,” he says. “We were looking for Gawler with adding a new dimension part to scheduling issues arising from
a simple and natural aesthetic to make to the movie. “In essence, the film was Cage’s breaking his ankle on another
the film connected and consequent already there because of its natural production, Loeb — a Kenyan-born,
with the storytelling. Light in this film spirit, but Joe pushed the material to a Vancouver-based Norwegian cine-
is not over the characters, but is part of higher level,” the cinematographer matographer — joined Mandy’s
them. It is just there. That’s why I says. “He understood the simplicity of Belgium-based crew a mere two weeks
decided to use available light as much it, and found the right path to follow prior to the start of principal photogra-
as possible, choosing the right moment with color and contrast, using the phy. Other than Loeb, Cosmatos and
of the day for each scene.” proper blacks.” producer Josh Waller, nearly everyone
This was a method that allowed When talking with García, the on the crew was a local to the
García and Dano to discover the visual word “simplicity” comes up often. He Wallonian region in Southern Belgium,
language of the production as they notes, “The idea was to achieve including gaffer Dirk van
went. “We had a plan, but it was complexity through simplicity — Rampelbergh and key grip
always open to modification by new doing everything in a very straightfor- Témoudjine Janssens.
things that we found on location, or ward manner that helped us find the When Loeb asked the director
that we observed while blocking the right way to tell the story based on for a list of visual references, Cosmatos
scenes,” he says. “We were discovering emotions.” returned with The Hitcher (1986), Days
the language of the film every day of Thunder, Revenge (1990), Psycho III,
Dance student Susie Bannion (Dakota Johnson) studies at the dance company — which in fact is a front for a coven of murderous witches.
tal in the cold season. Mukdeeprom notes that for pher wanted the ability to capture the
Mukdeeprom shot Suspiria Suspiria, he eschewed creating a look set all the way up to the ceiling, so he,
entirely on Kodak Vision3 500T 5219 for the film, per se, and instead sought Italy gaffer Francesco Galli and crew lit
color-negative film — including day “to create the world of the film, and the ritual stage from across the room
exteriors — without correction filters, approach it as if we just brought the with 750-watt ETC Source Fours, using
and pushed it one stop to 1,000 ISO camera there to photograph it.” The a combination of 10-, 19-, 26-, 36-, and
when needed. The camera package way in which Mukdeeprom engaged 50-degree lenses, all through
included an Arriflex 535A and two with this world was primarily influ- Hampshire Frost, as well as 1,000-watt
Arricam LTs, all configured for 3-perf enced by Guadagnino’s direction and PAR 64 lamps with spot and flood
Super 35 operation, as well as one 4- the work of production designer Inbal bulbs.
perf Super 35 Arriflex 435ES for visual- Weinberg, as well as the movement of The Mutterhaus ultimately
effects shots. the actors. “I like to create a stage for plunges into darkness, save only for a
“This is my standing point: I Luca and the actors, so they have the soft, red light — created during the
always shoot movies on film,” the cine- freedom to move anywhere,” color-correction process — just barely
matographer says. “Film cameras talk Mukdeeprom says. “Luca watches the bright enough to make out the grisly,
to me more than digital cameras.” frame, and if he chooses to go in for a incendiary fate of the coven’s unbeliev-
In addition to the project’s close-up, it will be driven by the charac- ers. “I check everything with my light
Cooke Speed Panchro S2 and S3 prime ter.” The cinematographer adds that he meter,” Mukdeeprom says. “Even if I’m
package, the production also carried generally lit “the whole set at once, like at the deepest, darkest point of the
Cooke’s Varotal 18-100mm (T3) zoom a stage,” and only on occasions when curve, it’s there, and because I shot on
and Angenieux’s Optimo 24-290mm there was limited space would he light film, I can do a digital intermediate and
(T2.8) zoom, as well as vintage one angle at a time. have the best of both worlds.”
Arri/Zeiss Super Speed (T1.3) glass. The film’s climactic dance perfor- Augustus Color in Rome devel-
When it came to moving the camera, mance takes place in the tanztheater’s oped the negative and delivered dailies.
Mukdeeprom strove to limit his immense Mutterhaus chamber. “We are Colorist Alessandro Pelliccia performed
options to what the cinematographers at the very heart of the [witches’] world both dailies and final color correction
of the German New Wave would have — a secret place, and I wanted to create with Blackmagic Design DaVinci
used in 1977 — which meant no big a different kind of stage for them,” Resolve.
cranes and no Steadicam. Mukdeeprom notes. The cinematogra- “I was just very honest with the
We the Animals pp Isaiah Kristian, Evan Rosado and Josiah Gabriel as brothers Manny, Jonah and Joel,
respectively, in a frame from We the Animals. p Jonah shines a light.
Cinematographer: Zak Mulligan
Director: Jeremiah Zagar
The cinematographer found which was by design,” Mulligan says.
We the Animals follows a group of inspiration for his visuals in a variety “They had to be real. Jeremiah didn’t
young brothers whose unstable home of sources and media, from the want them hitting marks, worrying
life leads to both liberating freedoms photographs of Eugene Richards, Nan about timing or eyelines, or any of the
and abrupt introductions to life’s hard- Goldin and Mary Ellen Mark to films other technical aspects of acting.
ships and disappointments. For cine- like Streetwise and Ratcatcher. “One of Collaborating with gaffer Brant
matographer Zak Mulligan, telling that the amazing things we got to do was Beland, we lit most spaces for maxi-
story was a years-long process that explore the visual look at the Sundance mum flexibility in blocking and move-
began when he heard that director Directors Lab,” Mulligan recalls. “That ment. Most of the time, the camera
Jeremiah Zagar, a frequent collaborator gave Jeremiah and me an unusually could look in nearly any direction
on documentary and commercial rare gift: the time to explore what We without seeing a movie light.”
projects, was adapting Justin Torres’ the Animals should look and feel like Mulligan relied heavily on practical
novel of the same name with co-writer long before preproduction had begun. light, and placed larger units outside
Daniel Kitrosser. “We first started talk- We shot sketches of three or four criti- windows. The production primarily
ing about We the Animals roughly two cal scenes while at the labs. What we employed a handheld camera.
years before filming,” Mulligan says. “I learned there was indispensable.” Early on, the decision was made
purposely avoided reading the book so Mulligan and Zagar determined to shoot on film. The production was
I could help Jeremiah create what was that they wanted to create images that captured in Super 16mm format with
in his version of the script without captured the freedom of childhood. Arri’s Arriflex 416 camera, using
knowledge of any other text.” “The boys weren’t trained actors, Kodak Vision3 500T 7219 and 250D
7207 stocks. “We used Cooke S4 and There’s an immediacy to the image “Getting an image around set in an HD
Cooke SK4 lenses, mostly sticking to when you’re physically close to the world meant converter boxes and more
wide-angle primes,” Mulligan says. subject.” cables. The trend in digital has been
“The Cookes gave us a beautiful, One challenge the filmmakers smaller and lighter, and fewer cables.
round, almost 3-dimensional look on encountered was wedging old technol- We went ‘maximalist’ with We the
the boys, when in close-up. We were ogy into current on-set practices. “Even Animals.”
shooting wide and close, so it was though it’s relatively modern for a film Mulligan was forced into further
important that the wider end of the camera, the Arri 416 body still has an inventiveness when he and Zagar
lens set had that particular feeling. SD video tap,” Mulligan explains. agreed that for some of their sequences,
50
they wanted the type of movement that
a gimbal allows. “At the time, the Movi
M15 was the most advanced gimbal
available, but it was too small to
support an Arri 416,” the cinematogra-
pher recalls. “Its floating and racing
energy, when matched up with a wide Cinematographer
Zak Mulligan
lens, was perfect for We the Animals, so shoulders the
we modified a Movi M15 and stripped camera.
down an Arri 416 to its lightest build
possible, and got the old tech to work
with the new tech. It allowed us to
create some really exciting shots.”
Seth Ricart at RCO in New York
served as colorist on the film —
employing Blackmagic Design DaVinci
Resolve — and Dorian West served as the two most notable elements that three boys became extremely close, like
visual-effects supervisor. “We used a separate the two formats. We spent a actual brothers,” he explains. “Their
Red Helium camera for a few VFX lot of time developing our approach, reckless freedom always led us in a
shots and low-light sequences,” which involved shooting grain passes fresh direction. The approach with the
Mulligan reports. “In preproduction, of the film stocks we used, then scan- camera was one of discovery, of being
we shot several tests to make sure we ning those for use in DaVinci Resolve.” present and ready for anything that
could match the Red camera back to Ultimately, Mulligan notes that may happen in a particular moment.
the look of 16mm film. Highlight reten- the biggest pleasure of the film was That came from the boys.” u
tion and grain structure are probably working with the young cast. “The
51
Cinematography’s
Home
The headquarters of the American
Society of Cinematographers since
1936 has a long and distinct history —
and a bright future
By David E. Williams
At once a time capsule and a forward-thinking incubator and former president, invited me to the Clubhouse one
for the future, the ASC Clubhouse, located in the heart of day.” As the Clubhouse was more “members-only” at the
Hollywood, has been described as the “Sistine Chapel of time, Folsey ran interference as van Oostrum “snooped
Cinematography” — a physical place where artistry, around,” while keeping an eye out for Stanley Cortez,
history and aspiration can be tangibly experienced. ASC — whom Folsey had warned was not enthusiastic
“That’s how it was introduced to me on my first about unaccompanied interlopers. “George warned me,
visit,” remembers ASC President Kees van Oostrum. “I ‘Look out for the fellow with a cane. He’s going to be
was a student at the American Film Institute in 1979 and upset if he finds you, and hit you with it.’ Fortunately for
my teacher, George Folsey, a very respected ASC member me, Stanley was not around that day — but, more than 20
p Film star Conway Tearle and his wife Adele Rowland made the house at 1782 N.
Orange Dr. their home in the 1920s, installing a fountain in the central room.
u The central room as it appeared soon after the ASC moved into the home — and
after the fountain had been removed. q The same space was filled to capacity for the
100th-anniversary celebration this past January.
“Anyone who’s had the good fortune tive. But what happens within those to settle there when they did, 83 years
to visit will tell you what a wonderful walls, among the staff and member- ago — and we’re grateful to them for
place it is. Instead of a common, ster- ship, is invariably forward-looking, having done so!”
ile, office-type environment, its and that’s what keeps it from turning
warmth and expansiveness are into a mere museum. Some of our Elbow Room
perfectly reflective of the organization overseas friends have come to iden- After the ASC was founded in
it serves. On the surface, it harks back tify us by that gorgeous structure; 1919, meetings took place in
to the glory days of old Hollywood, surely there’s a bit of envy involved. members’ homes. As the roster grew,
which for anyone with an interest in But you can’t deny that the founders however, this became impractical, so
motion pictures is incredibly seduc- were incredibly prescient in choosing the Society took up offices within the
Foundations
The area that later became Hollywood Ocean View Tract #2 in front of the house, was enclosed on
world famous as “Hollywood” was the architectural style described as the south side to form a keeping room
originally part of a vast Mexican land “Modern Mission.” The structure was or a summer sleeping porch. There
grant known as Rancho La Brea, largely surrounded by agricultural were four bedrooms, a parlor, and a
established in 1828. In the late 19th property and just a few other houses. study up in the cupola. The house had
century, E. C. Hurd, a wealthy miner The floor plan was like that of a an ample dining room, butler’s
from Colorado, bought 480 acres Spanish hacienda, with all of the pantry and large kitchen. Fireplaces
along what today is Hollywood rooms opening off a central patio. provided a cheery warmth on cold
Boulevard (formerly Prospect This “patio,” however, was com- days, and servants’ quarters were
Boulevard). pletely enclosed, creating a great provided in the basement.
Developer H. J. Whitley bought central room featuring four imposing During the 1920s, the home was
the Hurd acreage at the turn of the pillars. From above, 32 colored-glass sold to actor Conway Tearle, a promi-
20th century and laid out what was windows built into a raised cupola nent leading man of the silent era. He
known as the Hollywood Ocean View allowed in plenty of daylight. and his wife, actor and singer Adele
Tract, extending north of today’s A series of people owned this Rowland, entertained the Hollywood
Hollywood Boulevard toward the tip home in the early 1900s. Archival elite with lavish receptions. During
of Highland Ave. Soon after, photographs reveal that the center those years, Tearle remodeled the
Whitley’s Los Angeles–Pacific section of the home was once filled house and installed a fountain in the
Boulevard and Development Co. built with tropical plants. The front porch, patio area, making it a focal point for
a house on Lot 7, Block 2 of the which had originally spanned the their extravagant parties. ➔
www.ascmag.com March 2019 55
Cinematography’s Home
“What makes the Clubhouse unique is
that it is a home. It’s warm and inviting,
as a home should be.”
the main reception room that for nearly twenty years has held
there were the remains of a under one banner these masters of the
fountain that had seen camera. The only stipulation the board
happier days. This was had made was as to the starting hour. The
taken out and a wall closing hour was represented by three
removed, thus creating a dots. And of course there were to be cock-
large room for our tails and a buffet supper.
membership meetings. The Revelry can, however, some-
members helped make the times go too far, even at the ASC
transition with labor and Clubhouse, as Crudo discovered
money.” while researching a collection of the
In the January 1937 ASC’s papers that are now part of the
issue of American Academy Library. The evidence was
Cinematographer, the in the form of a bill from the 1930s
Society announced the made out to one Mr. Gregg Toland,
establishment of these new ASC. “It itemized broken chairs,
quarters: broken china and a broken front door
We have moved into our — to the tune of about $600, as I
new home. Still in the heart of recall,” Crudo relates with a smile.
Hollywood, but tucked in “The records were not clear if Toland
beneath the mountains with ended up paying, but things certainly
spacious grounds and a fine got out of hand one night.”
Laszlo Kovacs, ASC takes a light reading on Stanley Cortez, ASC rambling house to accommo-
while shooting an interview with the esteemed member.
date all of the American A Second Home
Society of Cinematographers’ With a full bar, pool table,
Tearle and his estate retained activities. ... The new home [is] directly kitchen, and plenty of space for both
ownership of the property until it was [in] back of the famous Grauman’s formal meetings and casual discus-
acquired at a foreclosure sale in 1935. Chinese theatre. It occupies the corner of sions, the Clubhouse became a home
While the house was in poor repair, North Orange Drive and Franklin away from home for many members.
the ASC leadership believed that this Boulevard. The structure is a one-story “Over the years, more than a few
distinctive Spanish-style home on a building with a penthouse. members have also ended up staying
large lot — measuring 150'x228' — That same year, the April issue the night there after being thrown out
was exactly what they needed as their of AC chronicled the festivities that of their home during a fight with their
new headquarters. took place at the Clubhouse on Feb. spouse,” van Oostrum notes with a
“What makes the Clubhouse 28, 1937, during the official grand smile. “There was probably a cot
unique is that it is a home,” notes opening: stored away somewhere for just that
Wagner. “It’s warm and inviting, as a From 5 o’clock on that Sunday purpose.”
home should be.” afternoon in the mansion at 1782 North “It was a place to stop after the
Orange Drive, informality reigned. There end of the workday,” explains
New Neighbors were no speeches — that is, not the kind Wagner. “During the studio-system
In 1936, the Society bought and the average man mulls over for a week era, most members were shooting
converted Tearle’s former mansion and of which in his memory as he stands almost entirely in town. If they
into their iconic ASC Clubhouse, on his feet at the zero second not a trace worked at the Warner Bros. lot and
where members would be able to remains. But there was much speech in were driving home to Beverly Hills, or
gather to socialize or for formal meet- the form of conversation, of greetings to worked in Culver City and were
ings. “The building was in sad old friends and associates, or renewal of driving home to Los Feliz, the
repair,” noted one ASC historian. “In friendships and of repledging the bond Clubhouse was the perfect place to
Open House
The Clubhouse was soon
back in use, and has since continued
to serve as host for a multitude of
events and activities. Today, these
include the ASC Student Heritage
Awards, dinner meetings and
presentations, ASC Master Class
sessions, and organized discussions
between student groups and ASC
members — as well as such ambitious
events as the bi-annual International
Cinematography Summit, which sees
representatives from cinematography
Since the renovation (top), the Clubhouse’s main room has been used for an array of events,
societies worldwide convening in
including this conversation with Deakins (above).
Hollywood to address creative issues,
technological advances and other matography organizations around that bring members and associates
concerns. the world, but none of them are as together with leading technology
When visiting the Clubhouse, fortunate as we are. We will always companies seeking to improve — and
international guests often have a benefit from what our members did sometimes redefine — the process of
unique experience, because “all so many decades ago. And it’s not creating, manipulating and exhibit-
of them have seen photos of just the building, of course — it’s the ing motion pictures.
the Clubhouse in American influence that ASC members have Recently, the Clubhouse has
Cinematographer magazine for so had on this art form, and the cama- also become home to a series of ASC
many years,” says van Oostrum, “so raderie that exists between our Photo Gallery exhibitions, bringing
they know the history — but to step members.” members and the public together to
through the doors and become a part One of the most essential roles examine the still photography of cine-
of this place, if only briefly, is very for the Clubhouse is hosting meetings matographers who participate in the
meaningful. There is this aura, and of the Motion Imaging Technology program. “Having these events at the
they consider this to be almost like a Council, chaired by Curtis Clark, Clubhouse is everything,” says Photo
church. I’ve visited many other cine- ASC, which holds frequent confabs Gallery Committee chair Charlie
Kirsten Johnson discusses entering poet. But as people quickly discovered that nobody takes the
in the contradictions between the visual extra-dimensional way? How do I see looking at teaches you how to under-
information I receive and the meaning- into history? What’s behind the facade stand things differently.
ful information I want to communicate. that a person or a place presents to the For example, yesterday I went to
I remember being in Rwanda and film- camera? Where is the contradictory film what was, in my mind, a crush of
ing people imprisoned for participating information? I find myself often search- holiday shoppers at Rockefeller Center.
in the Tutsi genocide — whether or not ing for the invisible. I wanted the scene to be about disorien-
they were guilty was totally unclear to Is that what you mean in tation, but when I got there I realized
me — working in the fields while wear- Cameraperson when you talk about that these people were all rushing
ing these pink prison uniforms. There ‘moving through the banal to find around and hurrying to get something
space, it reveals new things. That has to because he controlled it and everyone understand things about their character
do with your proximity to your subject, was constricted within it. That feeling that were previously hidden to the
and how much you move behind of constriction provided me with a way world.
things or in front of them. to frame the scene. I filmed with a general in
This is deeply physical work. It Most people, when they think Afghanistan, and because of where I
really matters that you are there and about cinematography — filmmaking was positioned, closer to him than
your experience is in-body. Maybe in general — think with their eyes, almost anyone is allowed to be, I was
you’ll have to climb a rickety ladder up what they can see in front of them. able to see him rattling around in his
to a broken roof, and if you’re open and Johnson: We don’t always pocket for something, which turned out
paying attention, that will give you encourage ourselves to think with our to be one of those red-hot jawbreakers.
some insight into the infrastructure of bodies either — to enter a space and Then I realized he had a whole pocket
the place, and then you can better ‘see’ with our ears, or sense of smell, or full of them, and what he would do is
understand the lives of the people who our hands, or to make ourselves small, put one in his mouth and try to not
live there. You can’t walk in their shoes, or jump up on top of something. I love chew it, but inevitably he just cracked
but you can walk in their world — feel that I’m allowed to move in ways that I down on them. That action tells a story
its textures and light — and that is also would not be allowed to move if I about him and the kind of pressure he’s
what changes your ability to see it. wasn’t holding a camera. under, and what his life is like inter-
It’s a positive feedback loop. What ways are those? nally.
Johnson: It’s a body in a location Johnson: I can sit on the floor in Arthur Miller says that the role of
receiving all the feedback that a body an extremely formal situation, next to a the artist is to reveal what is hidden,
receives: sight, sound, smell, touch, very important person, and see from and I believe if you spend enough time
taste. Like in the home of the alcoholic there how that person is moving their in any one place — no matter how
father — it was such a terrifying place foot — and from that one detail I can banal it may seem on the surface — pay
The
cinematographer
finds a shot in
Kabul, Afghanistan.
“I love that I’m
allowed to move in
ways that I would
not be allowed to
move if I wasn’t
holding a camera,”
she says.
attention, and open yourself up to its I want to bring up a sequence Johnson: That goes back to what
potential, then something hidden will from Cameraperson — the montage of Arthur Miller said. Places hide things as
reveal itself. Openness comes through footage from Bosnia, Texas, Wounded much as people do.
moving and being close to things and Knee, Tahrir Square, the church in How important are beauty and
people. It comes from being unafraid Rwanda, Ground Zero, and Liberia. aesthetics in the face of such truths?
and unashamed. Two of the biggest It’s as if the sheer ordinariness of these Johnson: I believe aesthetics are
barriers to seeing are shame and fear. places is what’s visually interesting everything. It is the material of our work
How so? because of the unseen but knowable and the way we convey feeling to the
Johnson: A lot of times, we’re atrocities connected to them. audience. But when it comes to beauty
trying to do ‘beautiful,’ right? We’re Johnson: All of those places were or even truth, I’m inquisitive, suspicious,
trying to make an image that proves to deeply disturbing places to be. That’s wanting to recontextualize, because a
the world that not only are we compe- another source of fear and shame: You large part of our culture has collectively
tent, we’re visionary. So much of what feel the horror of reality and want to settled for these monolithic concepts.
we’re taught about cinematography has leave, but you also feel shame because There’s a deep, personal subjectiv-
to do with achieving mastery and mask- you’re there to gather evidence, to ity to how people see. One of my goals is
ing our incompetencies. It’s why so recognize what happened, and part of to aid people in looking at things they
much of the craft is conceptually you is incapacitated because you know don’t want to see or wouldn’t ordinarily
hermetic. human beings suffered or died in that consider beautiful, and to do it for their
But if we were unashamed, what place. own pleasure. I’m a great believer in
we would show to the world through How do you convey the truth of pleasure.
our images is that we’re searching, and that church in Rwanda, where people Aren’t we all?
that we are humbled and delighted and were killed with machetes; or the Johnson: That gets forgotten in
turned on by the complexity of things. chain that was used to drag James certain contexts, especially in the docu-
You have to be unashamed to do that, Byrd to his death; or the torture and mentary world, where we’re often grap-
because that involves mistake-making, rape in Bosnia, in what’s now a center pling with really difficult problems and
being out of focus, being unsteady, where schoolchildren play ping pong? the subject matter is often one of great
having incorrect exposure or a disori- All the blood is washed away, there is loss, or trauma, or sorrow. We get so
enting, unconventional frame that no physical evidence — it’s just a intently focused on pain and suffering
doesn’t immediately read as ‘beautiful.’ church, a chain, an office block. that we forget about pleasure and
Johnson angles
her camera
toward
renowned
advertising and
documentary
photographer —
and Magnum
Photos member
— Elliott Erwitt.
71
INTERNATIONAL MARKETPLACE
74
MEMBERSHIP ROSTER
OFFICERS – 2018-’19 ACTIVE MEMBERS Peter L. Collister Victor Goss Peter Levy Yuri Neyman
Kees van Oostrum Thomas Ackerman Jack Cooperman Jack Green Matthew Libatique Sam Nicholson
President Lance Acord Jack Couffer Adam Greenberg Charlie Lieberman Vern Nobles Jr.
Marshall Adams Nelson Cragg Robbie Greenberg Stephen Lighthill Crescenzo Notarile
Bill Bennett Javier Aguirresarobe Jeff Cronenweth David Greene Karl Walter Lindenlaub David B. Nowell
1st Vice President Lloyd Ahern II Richard Crudo Xavier Grobet John Lindley Rene Ohashi
Paul Cameron Russ Alsobrook Dean R. Cundey Alexander Gruszynski Jimmy Lindsey Daryn Okada
2nd Vice President Howard A. Anderson III Stefan Czapsky Rob Hahn Robert F. Liu Jules O’Loughlin
James Anderson David Darby Gregg Heschong Walt Lloyd Thomas Olgeirsson
Cynthia Pusheck Peter Anderson Allen Daviau Henner Hofmann Bruce Logan Woody Omens
3rd Vice President Fernando Arguelles Roger Deakins Adam Holender Gordon Lonsdale Michael D. O’Shea
Levie Isaacks Paul Atkins Jan de Bont Ernie Holzman Emmanuel Lubezki Vince Pace
Treasurer Christopher Baffa Bruno Delbonnel John C. Hora Julio G. Macat Anthony Palmieri
James Bagdonas Thomas Del Ruth Tom Houghton Glen MacPherson Phedon Papamichael
David Darby
King Baggot Frank DeMarco Gil Hubbs Paul Maibaum Andrij Parekh
Secretary
John Bailey Peter Deming Paul Hughen Constantine Makris Daniel Pearl
Isidore Mankofsky Florian Ballhaus Jim Denault Shane Hurlbut Denis Maloney Brian Pearson
Sergeant-at-Arms Michael Barrett Caleb Deschanel Tom Hurwitz Isidore Mankofsky Edward J. Pei
Andrzej Bartkowiak Ron Dexter Judy Irola Christopher Manley James Pergola
MEMBERS John Bartley Craig DiBona Mark Irwin Michael D. Margulies Dave Perkal
OF THE BOARD Gary Baum George Spiro Dibie Levie Isaacks Barry Markowitz Lowell Peterson
John Bailey Bojan Bazelli Ernest Dickerson Tim Ives Steve Mason Wally Pfister
Bill Bennett Affonso Beato Billy Dickson Peter James Clark Mathis Sean MacLeod Phillips
Mat Beck Bill Dill Johnny E. Jensen Don McAlpine Bill Pope
Paul Cameron
Dion Beebe Anthony Dod Mantle Matthew Jensen Don McCuaig Steven Poster
Russell Carpenter Mark Doering-Powell Jon Joffin Michael McDonough Jaron Presant
Bill Bennett
Curtis Clark Andres Berenguer Todd A. Dos Reis Frank Johnson Seamus McGarvey Michael A. Price
Dean Cundey Carl Berger Stuart Dryburgh Shelly Johnson Kevin McKnight Tom Priestley Jr.
George Spiro Dibie Gabriel Beristain Bert Dunk Jeffrey Jur Robert McLachlan Rodrigo Prieto
Stephen Lighthill Steven Bernstein Lex duPont Adam Kane Geary McLeod Robert Primes
Karl-Walter Lindenlaub Ross Berryman John Dykstra Stephen M. Katz Greg McMurry Frank Prinzi
Peterson Josh Bleibtreu Richard Edlund Ken Kelsch Steve McNutt Christopher Probst
Oliver Bokelberg Eagle Egilsson Victor J. Kemper Terry K. Meade Cynthia Pusheck
Lowell Peterson
Michael Bonvillain Frederick Elmes Wayne Kennan Suki Medencevic Richard Quinlan
Cynthia Pusheck Richard Bowen Robert Elswit Francis Kenny Chris Menges Declan Quinn
Roberto Schaefer David Boyd Scott Farrar Glenn Kershaw Rexford Metz Earl Rath
John Toll Russell Boyd Jon Fauer Darius Khondji Anastas Michos Richard Rawlings Jr.
Kees van Oostrum Natasha Braier Don E. FauntLeRoy Gary Kibbe Gregory Middleton Frank Raymond
Amy Vincent Uta Briesewitz Gerald Feil Neville Kidd David Miller Tami Reiker
Jonathan Brown Cort Fey Jan Kiesser Douglas Milsome Robert Richardson
ALTERNATES Don Burgess Steven Fierberg Jeffrey L. Kimball Dan Mindel Anthony B. Richmond
Stephen H. Burum Mauro Fiore Adam Kimmel Charles Minsky Tom Richmond
Stephen H. Burum Bill Butler John C. Flinn III Alar Kivilo Claudio Miranda Antonio Riestra
David Darby Frank B. Byers Anna Foerster David Klein George Mooradian Bill Roe
Charlie Lieberman Patrick Cady Larry Fong George Koblasa Reed Morano Owen Roizman
Eric Steelberg Sharon Calahan Ron Fortunato Lajos Koltai Donald A. Morgan Pete Romano
Levie Isaacks Antonio Calvache Greig Fraser Pete Kozachik Donald M. Morgan Giuseppe Rotunno
Paul Cameron Jonathan Freeman Neil Krepela Polly Morgan Philippe Rousselot
Gary Capo Tak Fujimoto Willy Kurant Kramer Morgenthau Martin Ruhe
Russell P. Carpenter Alex Funke Ellen M. Kuras Rachel Morrison Juan Ruiz-Anchia
James L. Carter Steve Gainer Christian La Fountaine Peter Moss Marvin Rush
Lula Carvalho Robert Gantz George La Fountaine David Moxness Paul Ryan
Alan Caso Ron Garcia Joe Labisi M. David Mullen Eric Saarinen
Vanja Černjul David Geddes Edward Lachman Dennis Muren Alik Sakharov
Michael Chapman Darren Genet Jacek Laskus Fred Murphy Mikael Salomon
Rodney Charters Dejan Georgevich Dan Laustsen Hiro Narita Linus Sandgren
Enrique Chediak Michael Goi Patti Lee Guillermo Navarro Paul Sarossy
Christopher Chomyn Stephen Goldblatt Rob Legato Michael B. Negrin Roberto Schaefer
James A. Chressanthis Adriano Goldman Denis Lenoir James Neihouse Tobias Schliessler
T.C. Christensen Paul Goldsmith John R. Leonetti Bill Neil Aaron Schneider
Joan Churchill Dana Gonzales Matthew Leonetti Alex Nepomniaschy Nancy Schreiber
Curtis Clark Nathaniel Goodman Philippe LeSourd John Newby Fred Schuler
John Schwartzman Michael Watkins Michael Condon Frank Kay Eliott Peck Marc Weigert
John Seale Colin Watkinson Grover Crisp Dan Keaton Kristin Petrovich Steve Weiss
Christian Sebaldt Michael Weaver Peter Crithary Michael Keegan Ed Phillips Alex Wengert
Joaquin Sedillo William “Billy” Webb Daniel Curry David Keighley Nick Phillips Evans Wetmore
Dean Semler Mark Weingartner Scott Dale Patricia Keighley Tyler Phillips Franz Wieser
Ben Seresin Jonathan West Marc Dando Debbie Kennard Joshua Pines Beverly Wood
Eduardo Serra Jack Whitman Ross Danielson Glenn Kennel Jorg Pohlman Jan Yarbrough
Steven Shaw Lisa Wiegand Carlos D. DeMattos Robert Keslow Carl Porcello Hoyt Yeatman
Lawrence Sher Jo Willems Albert DeMayo Lori Killam Sherri Potter Irwin M. Young
Richard Shore Stephen F. Windon Gary Demos Douglas Kirkland Howard Preston Michael Zacharia
Sidney Sidell Alexander Witt Mato Der Avanessian Mark Kirkland Sarah Priestnall Bob Zahn
Newton Thomas Sigel Dariusz Wolski Kevin Dillon Scott Klein David Pringle Nazir Zaidi
Steven V. Silver Peter Wunstorf David Dodson Timothy J. Knapp Doug Pruss Michael Zakula
John Simmons Tom Yatsko Judith Doherty Franz Kraus David Reisner Joachim Zell
Sandi Sissel Steve Yedlin Peter Doyle Karl Kresser Christopher Reyna Les Zellan
Santosh Sivan Robert Yeoman Cyril Drabinsky Ross La Manna Colin Ritchie
Michael Slovis Bradford Young Matthew Duclos Jarred Land Eric G. Rodli HONORARY MEMBERS
Dennis L. Smith Richard Yuricich Jesse Dylan Chuck Lee Robert Rodriguez Col. Edwin E. Aldrin Jr.
Roland “Ozzie” Smith Peter Zeitlinger Kavon Elhami Doug Leighton Domenic Rom Col. Michael Collins
Reed Smoot Jerzy Zielinski Seth Emmons Lou Levinson Andy Romanoff Bob Fisher
Bing Sokolsky Kenneth Zunder Jonathan Erland Suzanne Lezotte Frederic Rose David MacDonald
Peter Sova Per D. Fasmer Joe Lomba Daniel Rosen Larry Mole Parker
Glynn Speeckaert ASSOCIATE MEMBERS Ray Feeney Grant Loucks Dana Ross D. Brian Spruill
Dante Spinotti Pete Abel William Feightner Howard Lukk Jim Roudebush Marek Zydowicz
Buddy Squires Rich Abel Chris Fetner Andy Maltz Bill Russell
Terry Stacey Alan Albert Jimmy Fisher Gary Mandle Barry Russo
Eric Steelberg Richard Aschman Thomas Fletcher Steven E. Manios Jr. Chris Russo
Ueli Steiger Gerhard Baier Claude Gagnon Steven E. Manios Sr. Kish Sadhvani
Peter Stein Kay Baker Benjamin Gervais Chris Mankofsky Dan Sasaki
Tom Stern Joseph J. Ball Salvatore Giarratano Michael Mansouri Steve Schklair
Robert M. Stevens Amnon Band John A. Gresch Gray Marshall Peter K. Schnitzler
David Stockton Carly M. Barber Dan Hammond James Martin Walter Schonfeld
Rogier Stoffers Craig Barron Jim Hannafin Peter Martin Wayne Schulman
Vittorio Storaro Thomas M. Barron Bill Hansard Jr. Robert Mastronardi Alexander Schwarz
Gavin Struthers Larry Barton Lisa Harp Mel Mathis Steven Scott
David Stump Wolfgang Baumler Richard Hart Joe Matza Yang Shao
Tim Suhrstedt Bob Beitcher Robert Harvey Albert Mayer Jr. Alec Shapiro
Peter Suschitzky Mark Bender Michael Hatzer Bill McDonald Don Shapiro
Attila Szalay Bruce Berke Josh Haynie Dennis McDonald Milton R. Shefter
Masanobu Takayanagi Steven A. Blakely Fritz Heinzle Karen McHugh Ryan Sheridan
Jonathan Taylor Joseph Bogacz Charles Herzfeld Andy McIntyre Marc Shipman-Mueller
Rodney Taylor Jill Bogdanowicz Larry Hezzelwood Stan Miller Leon Silverman
William Taylor Mitchell Bogdanowicz Sean Hise Walter H. Mills Rob Sim
Romeo Tirone Jens Bogehegn Frieder Hochheim George Milton Garrett Smith
John Toll Michael Bravin Bob Hoffman Mike Mimaki Timothy E. Smith
Mario Tosi Simon Broad Vinny Hogan Michael Morelli Kimberly Snyder
Salvatore Totino Michael Brodersen Jay Holben Dash Morrison Stefan Sonnenfeld
Luciano Tovoli William Brodersen Cliff Hsui Nolan Murdock Michael Sowa
Jost Vacano Garrett Brown Christine Huenergardt Nancy Murray John L. Sprung
Stijn van der Veken Terry Brown Nichole Huenergardt Dan Muscarella Joseph N. Tawil
Theo van de Sande Reid Burns Robert C. Hummel Iain A. Neil Ira Tiffen
Eric van Haren Noman Vincent Carabello Zoë Iltsopoulos-Borys Otto Nemenz Steve Tiffen
Hoyte van Hoytema Jim Carter Alan Ipakchian Ernst Nettmann Matthew Tomlinson
Kees van Oostrum Elisabetta Cartoni Jim Jannard Tony Ngai Arthur Tostado
Checco Varese Martin Cayzer George Joblove Jeff Okun Jeffrey Treanor
Ron Vargas Leonard Chapman Tor Johansen Marty Oppenheimer Bill Turner
Mark Vargo Mark Chiolis Joel Johnson Walt Ordway Stephan Ukas-Bradley
Amelia Vincent Michael Cioni Eric Johnston Ahmad Ouri JD Vandenberg
William Wages Denny Clairmont John Johnston Michael Parker Arthur Van Dover
Fabian Wagner Adam Clark Mike Kanfer Dhanendra Patel Mark van Horne
Roy H. Wagner Cary Clayton Andreas Kaufmann Snehal Patel Jannie van Wyk
Mandy Walker Dave Cole Marker Karahadian Gary Paz Dedo Weigert
Lee, Sandgren Welcomed Sundance Film Festival. Following its run on Vandenberg Becomes Associate
Into Society HBO, more than $2 million was raised to New associate member JD Vanden-
New active member Patti Lee, ASC support the education foundation featured berg says he fell in love with moviemaking
joined the drama department in high in the documentary. A Small Act received a “probably while watching The Goonies”
school, where she was drawn to directing News & Documentary Emmy nomination when he was 10 years old. Hailing from
and running the light board — interests for Best Documentary. Belgium, he earned a master’s degree in
that led her to the UCLA School of Theater, Lee’s recent projects include the electrical engineering and then co-founded
Film and Television. Following graduation, series Living Biblically and the television DVD-authoring service Escape Lab in Brus-
she worked on lighting crews for cine- movies Mean Jean and Pandas in New York. sels. After selling the company, he joined
When you were a child, what film made the Have you made any memorable blun-
strongest impression on you? ders?
2001: A Space Odyssey. It was showing in When I was in film school, I was a teaching
70mm at the Warner Cinerama Theater on assistant in the animation department. On
Hollywood Boulevard. I was amazed that the last day of the semester, I accidentally
artists could create an entire world like that opened the magazine containing all the
on film, but I also struggled to understand it students’ final projects. Fortunately, we
all. I went to see it again four times, and were shooting on Ektachrome Commer-
started reading science-fiction novels and cial Original in those days, with an ASA of
listening to avant-garde music. 2001 flipped 25. The last student’s project got a little
some kind of switch in my brain and I knew I fogged but they actually liked the effect!
wanted to be a filmmaker someday. Of course, technical mistakes are humiliat-
ing and hopefully happen earlier rather
Which cinematographers, past or present, than later, but creative mistakes are how
do you most admire? you learn — and when you stop making mistakes, you stop
[ASC member] Gregg Toland’s genius with deep focus and story- growing. As difficult as it is sometimes, you want to be working
telling was an inspiration. Citizen Kane is one of the first modern a little outside your comfort zone.
films, in the sense of its self-awareness of the film medium.
What is the best professional advice you’ve ever received?
What sparked your interest in photography? The best professional advice: Always show up early, make your
I grew up around cameras, as my father used photography to day, under-promise and over-deliver. The best creative advice:
capture reference images for his paintings. What excited me Always push the envelope!
about photography was how it could be used to tell stories.
What recent books, films or artworks have inspired you?
Where did you train and/or study? Blade Runner 2049 created a visually and emotionally dystopian
I got into USC on a debate scholarship and was hoping to go to world that could become our future if we don’t examine our
their law school after graduating, but after taking a course in own lives in the present. We are living in unprecedented times,
production in the cinema department, I was hooked — and and what we do really matters.
changed my major to cinema production.
Do you have any favorite genres, or genres you would like to
Who were your early teachers or mentors? try?
Dave Johnson and Gene Coe were terrific teachers — very I’m a science-fiction fan, but a horror film would be a great chal-
supportive — and the faculty in general was very honest about lenge, especially something of a psychological thriller.
what you needed to know to begin working in the business.
If you weren’t a cinematographer, what might you be doing
What are some of your key artistic influences? instead?
Most of Kubrick’s films, and the photography of the Magnum No idea!
Photo collective.
Which ASC cinematographers recommended you for member-
How did you get your first break in the business? ship?
Les Novros was an artist, animator and producer who taught a I am very grateful to Reed Smoot, Richard Edlund and Rodney
class in filmic expression at USC. It was an amazing course, Taylor for their recommendation and support.
which applied the techniques of the visual arts to film. On the
strength of one of the class projects I did, he hired me to work How has ASC membership impacted your life and career?
at his production company, Graphic Films. I soon found myself I think that anybody who loves cinematography is an ASC
on a stage, shooting model spacecraft in 70mm Imax. member in spirit. When you become an active member, you
realize how much its members have contributed to the business
What has been your most satisfying moment on a project? in the past 100 years, and it makes you want to return the
An entire auditorium of schoolchildren completely captivated favor. u
watching a film I’d done.