American Cinematographer - February 2009 - (Page 27) I made it a priority to line up talented and experienced cameramen early. Leading their three-man units were cinematographers John Ashlee, Paul Gentry, Mark Stewart, Peter Sorg, Chris Peterson, Brian Van’t Hul, Peter Williams and Frank Passingham. Most of the camera assistants and electricians had shooting experience of their own, making the camera department pretty well bulletproof. With more than 55 setups working at the same time, we needed guys who were quick, organized and versatile. From the beginning, we knew the two worlds Coraline inhabits — the drab “Real World” and the fantastic “Other World” — would be distorted mirror images of each other, as different in tone as Kansas and Oz. Camera and art departments would create the differences, keeping the emphasis on Coraline’s feelings. Among the closest film references for the supernatural Other World were the exaggerated color schemes in Amélie, which we used when the Other Mother is enticing Coraline to stay with her. The Shining and The Orphanage provided good reference for interiors when things go awry. Image banks such as flickr.com were a good source for reference pics, and including those shots in my lighting and camera notes helped jump-start crews on new sequences. Artist Tadahiro Uesugi supplied a valuable influence for the show; his work has a graphic simplicity, like fashion art from the Fifties, with minimal modeling but an awareness of light. It helped in spirit to guide us away from excess gingerbread, which is typical in both art and lighting for stop-motion. Before hiring on, I sought a way to improve on limitations of digital SLRs we encountered on Corpse Bride (AC Oct. ’05). On that show, fuzzy video-tap images were animators’ most common complaint. Most promising was the Opposite: Coraline’s “Other” parents usher her into her new home. This page, top: Cinematographer Peter Williams (right) and animator Jan Maas prepare the scene. Middle and bottom: The “Real” and “Other” kitchen, with the former utilizing forced perspective. Photos and frame grabs courtesy of Laika, Inc., and Focus Features. American Cinematographer 27 http://www.flickr.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - February 2009 American Cinematographer - February 2009 Contents Editor's Note Short Takes: Circus Production Slate: The International Reverte 2 Worlds in 3 Dimensions Dead Reckoning Embracing Anamorphic Citizen of the World Post Focus: Restoring Manhatta New Products & Services International Marketplace Classified Ads Ad Index Clubhouse News ASC Close-Up: Peter Suschitzky American Cinematographer - February 2009 American Cinematographer - February 2009 - American Cinematographer - February 2009 (Page Cover1) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - American Cinematographer - February 2009 (Page Cover2) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - American Cinematographer - February 2009 (Page 1) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - American Cinematographer - February 2009 (Page 2) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Contents (Page 3) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Contents (Page 4) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Contents (Page 5) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Contents (Page 6) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Contents (Page 7) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Editor's Note (Page 8) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Editor's Note (Page 9) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Short Takes: Circus (Page 10) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Short Takes: Circus (Page 11) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Short Takes: Circus (Page 12) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Short Takes: Circus (Page 13) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Production Slate: The International Reverte (Page 14) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Production Slate: The International Reverte (Page 15) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Production Slate: The International Reverte (Page 16) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Production Slate: The International Reverte (Page 17) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Production Slate: The International Reverte (Page 18) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Production Slate: The International Reverte (Page 19) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Production Slate: The International Reverte (Page 20) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Production Slate: The International Reverte (Page 21) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Production Slate: The International Reverte (Page 22) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Production Slate: The International Reverte (Page 23) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Production Slate: The International Reverte (Page 24) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Production Slate: The International Reverte (Page 25) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - 2 Worlds in 3 Dimensions (Page 26) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - 2 Worlds in 3 Dimensions (Page 27) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - 2 Worlds in 3 Dimensions (Page 28) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - 2 Worlds in 3 Dimensions (Page 29) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - 2 Worlds in 3 Dimensions (Page 30) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - 2 Worlds in 3 Dimensions (Page 31) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - 2 Worlds in 3 Dimensions (Page 32) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - 2 Worlds in 3 Dimensions (Page 33) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - 2 Worlds in 3 Dimensions (Page 34) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - 2 Worlds in 3 Dimensions (Page 35) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - 2 Worlds in 3 Dimensions (Page 36) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - 2 Worlds in 3 Dimensions (Page 37) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - 2 Worlds in 3 Dimensions (Page 38) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - 2 Worlds in 3 Dimensions (Page 39) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Dead Reckoning (Page 40) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Dead Reckoning (Page 41) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Dead Reckoning (Page 42) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Dead Reckoning (Page 43) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Dead Reckoning (Page 44) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Dead Reckoning (Page 45) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Dead Reckoning (Page 46) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Dead Reckoning (Page 47) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Dead Reckoning (Page 48) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Dead Reckoning (Page 49) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Dead Reckoning (Page 50) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Dead Reckoning (Page 51) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Embracing Anamorphic (Page 52) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Embracing Anamorphic (Page 53) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Embracing Anamorphic (Page 54) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Embracing Anamorphic (Page 55) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Embracing Anamorphic (Page 56) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Embracing Anamorphic (Page 57) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Embracing Anamorphic (Page 58) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Embracing Anamorphic (Page 59) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Citizen of the World (Page 60) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Citizen of the World (Page 61) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Citizen of the World (Page 62) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Citizen of the World (Page 63) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Citizen of the World (Page 64) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Citizen of the World (Page 65) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Citizen of the World (Page 66) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Citizen of the World (Page 67) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Post Focus: Restoring Manhatta (Page 68) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Post Focus: Restoring Manhatta (Page 69) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Post Focus: Restoring Manhatta (Page 70) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Post Focus: Restoring Manhatta (Page 71) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - New Products & Services (Page 72) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - New Products & Services (Page 73) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - New Products & Services (Page 74) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - New Products & Services (Page 75) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - New Products & Services (Page 76) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - New Products & Services (Page 77) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - New Products & Services (Page 78) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - New Products & Services (Page 79) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - New Products & Services (Page 80) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - New Products & Services (Page 81) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - International Marketplace (Page 82) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Classified Ads (Page 83) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Ad Index (Page 84) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Ad Index (Page 85) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Clubhouse News (Page 86) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - Clubhouse News (Page 87) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - ASC Close-Up: Peter Suschitzky (Page 88) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - ASC Close-Up: Peter Suschitzky (Page Cover3) American Cinematographer - February 2009 - ASC Close-Up: Peter Suschitzky (Page Cover4)
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