American Cinematographer - March 2008 - (Page 37)

party for Rob (Michael Stahl-David) that is videotaped by a friend, Hud (T.J. Miller). When the monster appears, Rob, his brother, Jason (Mike Vogel), and their friends Marlena (Lizzy Caplan) and Lily (Jessica Lucas) set out to rescue the stranded Beth (Odette Yustman) and make it out of the city alive. Hud videotapes their efforts along the way. Abrams, who came up with the concept of Cloverfield’s camcorder POV, got the project greenlit at Paramount with only an outline. Soon, work began on a proper script, and Reeves spent weeks putting together a teaser trailer (shot by Ernest Holzman, ASC). Bonvillain joined the production for its last four weeks of prep, and much of that time was spent refining how to achieve the film’s camcorder perspective. “When I read the script, I had a problem with why [Hud] kept filming,” recalls Bonvillain. “How could we show Rob’s face and his anguish and not make it look like Hud was just standing there with a camera? We couldn’t not show it.” Reeves explains, “[The solution] came down to just slightly tipping the camera so it didn’t feel like [the scene] was being actively filmed. It’s a tiny camera that sits on his hand, so he wouldn’t really think about it. Somebody might come up close, and the camera would cut his face in a slightly odd way so it didn’t look framed.” During prep, the filmmakers studied such features as The Blair Witch Project (AC Apr. ’99) and Children of Men (AC Dec. ’06), as well as YouTube video footage of the 2001 terrorist attacks and the current war in Iraq. While watching the latter two sources, Reeves and Bonvillain were struck by the powerful effect of limiting what the viewer sees. “We felt that would add a level of reality to our project,” says Reeves. “When there’s a lot you can’t see, your imagination starts to fill in the horror of what’s going on.” Bonvillain adds, “We wanted to shoot it like Hud is really scared and sometimes forgets he even has the camera — he might shoot upside-down into a car grill, where you see the reflection of an explosion.” Which camera or cameras could create a believable “Handycam” feel yet also render an image suitable for theatrical distribution? “Ernie Holzman shot most of the trailer with a [Thomson Grass Valley] Viper, and we knew some of that footage would end up in the movie,” says Bonvillain, who worked with digital imaging supervisor Nick Theodorakis to determine which cameras would complement the Viper’s FilmStream (4:4:4 RGB) images. Bonvillain and Theodorakis did side-by-side comparisons of the Viper with a Sony F23 CineAlta, a Sony HDW-F950 and a Panasonic AG-HVX200, taking all four cameras to an unlit street corner in downtown L.A. Ruling out the F950 in favor of the F23 and Viper, Theodorakis says the tests revealed that “the F23 has far greater sensitivity than the Viper at the low end. At the top, the two cameras are nearly the same, though the F23 has slightly more high-end latitude. “We tested at +3 gain and +6 gain, and the noise structure on the F23 was amazing,” he continues. “We worked with the shutter to eke a little more information out of [the F23]. You can really push the ASA Opposite: Rob (Michael StahlDavid) and Beth (Odette Yustman) document their first-hand run-in with a monster in Cloverfield. To mimic the small camcorder, cinematographer Michael Bonvillain, ASC employed a Thomson Viper, a Sony F23 and a Panasonic HVX200 and HSC1U. The Panasonic cameras were often operated by the actors. This page: The monster leaves its mark on the Statue of Liberty, sending the head crashing down outside of Rob’s apartment. Photos courtesy of Paramount Pictures. American Cinematographer 37

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

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