American Cinematographer - March 2008 - (Page 17)

Otilia and some of her fellow students get ready for the weekend. To film in the tight practical location, cinematographer Oleg Mutu sat on the fire escape outside and shot through the open window. Mutu believed 4 Months … was well suited to Super 35mm over anamorphic for three reasons. “First, the interior locations were very small, and we wanted to give the actors space to move around; second, we didn’t have much artificial light, and spherical lenses would allow me to shoot at f2; and third, I planned to shoot handheld, and the camera configuration in Super 35 is easier and more compact.” Mutu did his own operating, and he followed key grip Cristi Toader’s advice and used the EasyRig camera-support system throughout the shoot. Using an Arri 535B and Zeiss Ultra Primes supplied by Anonymous Foundation in Bucharest, Mutu shot the picture on a single film stock, Kodak Vision2 200T 5217, which he liked for its “fine grain, silky blacks and good detail.” One of the film’s most striking stylistic features is that each scene comprises a single shot — there is no coverage. “Romanian directors want to show audiences real life and are trying to present facts in a different way,” explains Mutu. “Very long shots are a more direct way of presenting reality. Cristian proposed that every scene should last the length of a 1,000-foot roll of film, and he tried to stage scenes so they would play out that way. I would watch rehearsals and figure out the best angles. The actor always leads the camera, and in this case, Otilia leads the action through the whole film.” Deep focus was maintained throughout the picture because the director “wanted to integrate the background and the actors — the background reality has a strong connection with the characters,” adds Mutu. Another rule was never to pan unless the camera is following an actor, and even in those cases, the camera doesn’t always pan. Frequently, the actor simply walks out of frame, even if he or she is speaking. Similarly, if one of two seated actors rises from a chair, the lens doesn’t adjust to the movement; it stays at the eye level of the seated character. “We wanted the camera to be a neutral observer,” says the cinematographer. “Its presence should never be perceived.” One notable exception to this occurs in the hotel room where Otilia and Gabita try to negotiate with the abortionist, Bebe (Vlad Ivanov), before he does the procedure. Otilia and Bebe are seated in chairs, and Gabita sits on the bed; Mutu was filming from a seated position. Suddenly, an enraged Bebe stands and lunges at Otilia, and as he steps forward, Mutu also stands and steps forward. “The audience, the visual object and the camera are synchronized, and you are attracted by Bebe’s movement,” says Mutu. “It has a tremendous psychological effect.” In order to get all three actors in the frame, the cinematographer used a 20mm lens. In fact, most of 4 Months … was shot on a 20mm, 24mm or 32mm lens. One exception is the scene in which Otilia visits a cramped apartment to attend a party for her boyfriend’s mother. The dining room is so narrow that the six people at the table are sitting almost on top of each other. Otilia is seated at the head of the table, framed in the middle of a long shot. “The first day, we tried shooting with the 20mm lens but realized it wasn’t right,” recalls Mutu. “Otilia, who says almost nothing, is supposed to be the focus of the shot, but she was lost amid the other characters’ movements and discussions. The next day, we switched to a 50mm lens, which helped draw attention to Otilia and her reactions to what’s happening around her.” Anxious to get back to Gabita, Otilia leaves the birthday party and walks down a dark alley, stopping along the way to vomit. The camera is stationary behind her as she moves farther and farther away. Occasionally, her outline can be glimpsed in an unidentifiable, foggy-white brightness at the far end of the alley. “I wanted to American Cinematographer 17

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - March 2008

American Cinematographer - March 2008 Contents Editor’s Note Short Takes: Bill Viola’s Ocean Without a Shore Production Slate: 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days Production Slate: Chantal: A Night at the Pyramids Magical Mystery Tour Some Kind of Monster Tantalizing Television Making Sitcoms “Sexy” Post Focus: Mega Playground Helps Set Look for Sibling Post Focus: Visual Effects Society Launches White Paper New Products & Services International Marketplace Classified Ads Ad Index In Memoriam: John McPherson, ASC ASC Membership Roster Clubhouse News ASC Close-Up: Wayne Kennan

American Cinematographer - March 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.