American Cinematographer - February 2008 - 8

Editor’s Note mulating the apocalypse is no easy task, as Andrew Lesnie, ASC, ACS discovered during the filming of I Am Legend. Based on the 1954 novel by sci-fi author Richard Matheson, the movie brings a modern spin to the harrowing story of virologist Robert Neville (Will Smith), seemingly the sole human survivor of a biological disaster. Alone in the urban wasteland of Manhattan, with only a German shepherd for companionship, Neville must battle not just loneliness, but also the terrifying mutants who roam the streets at night. Capturing this bleak scenario involved some daunting logistics. As Australian correspondent Simon Gray notes in his article about the production (“Island of Lost Souls,” page 26), “the film features memorable wide shots of deserted city blocks, destroyed bridges, and major arterial roads clogged with abandoned vehicles.” Emptying Manhattan was a complex undertaking that required both technical creativity and cooperation from the proper authorities. “Shooting this film was all about dealing with locations,” says Lesnie. “All the relevant departments, including the Mayor’s Office, the New York police and fire departments, the police Harbor Unit, the Transit Authority, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Federal Aviation Administration, were incredibly helpful. We needed two location managers to deal with the requirements of locking down major locations.” The resulting images are a truly impressive achievement, and Lesnie graciously details his key strategies. Among the many challenges faced by cinematographers working on location, viewing dailies ranks near the top of the list, especially if the location is remote. In his article “Checking Dailies Far From the Lab” (page 38), ASC member Affonso Beato offers a primer on some of the methods he has used for the recent productions Love in the Time of Cholera and Nights in Rodanthe. As he notes, “Getting dailies of good quality is important not only for self-gratification, but also for maintaining the director’s confidence, assuring the producers and studio of a good final product, and fostering enthusiasm among the creative crew.” This issue also reviews the careers of two important figures whose artistic contributions have graced movie screens for decades: Walter Lassally, BSC, who earned this year’s ASC International Award, and visual-effects titan Richard Edlund, ASC, who received the Society’s Presidents Award. The well-traveled Lassally, a key player in the evolution of the Free Cinema and British New Wave movements, shares his wisdom while recounting many of his adventures to David Heuring (“A Cinematic Passport,” page 46). Edlund, a Renaissance man and one of the most influential visual-effects artists in motion-picture history, recalls the highlights of his colorful career for longtime AC effects writer Ron Magid (“Forward Thinker,” page 56). It’s a must-read for everyone who has experienced the jaw-dropping thrills Edlund brought to the original Star Wars trilogy, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Poltergeist, Ghostbusters and many other classic films. E Stephen Pizzello Executive Editor 8 Photo by Douglas Kirkland.
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American Cinematographer - February 2008

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