American Cinematographer - March 2008 - (Page 38)

Some Kind of Monster amount of light, it looks really good, but it’s a 4:2:2 camera, not 4:4:4, so the visual-effects team would do only simple things with it, like add dust falling through the foreground.” For shots requiring complicated effects, the filmmakers used the Viper or the F23. Naturally, jumping from camera to camera presented its share of challenges on the digital-imaging side. “We were constantly trying to match the HVX, which is a warm camera, to the Viper, which is a very green camera, especially in FilmStream mode,” recalls Theodorakis. “It’s funny, because on most shoots, you’re aiming for the highest common denominator, but on this show, we were trying to very creatively match the lowest common denominator!” To maintain some visual consistency, the filmmakers tried to use one camera per scene as often as possible — for example, shooting only with the Viper if the scene called for heavy visual-effects work. Still, some middle ground had to be established where the HVX could cohabitate with the Viper. To find that sweet spot, Theodorakis used a beta version of Iridas’ SpeedGrade OnSet, a portable color-timing suite in which he could apply layers of adjustments until he arrived at the right look-up table (LUT). “I could save hundreds of looks on the system, and I could recall them all by the name of the scene or the name of the camera,” he explains. “From there, I could output a DPX file with the color-timing information enclosed and send that to the post house.” The production’s post house was Company 3, which provided DVD dailies and carried out the digital intermediate (DI). According to Bonvillain, Company 3 colorist/managing director Stefan Sonnenfeld “helped us set the look every step of the way. He knows the movie as well as anybody.” Caught between the monster and the military, Marlena (Lizzy Caplan) ducks for cover. To maintain this streetlight ambience, Bonvillain and gaffer Rick West procured 400watt sodiumvapor units from Luminys, complementing practical fixtures carried by the art department. Additionally, West’s crew would occasionally gel 2K open-faced Blondes with Plus Green and ¼ CTO, though Bonvillain preferred to use real sodiumvapor fixtures whenever possible. “I wasn’t satisfied with the gel pack,” he explains. “It never looked quite right.” on that camera to a slightly higher speed than you can with the Viper.” When they turned their attention to the HVX200, he continues, “There was an obvious latitude difference, about 4 stops. It didn’t pick up as much on the low end and most assuredly did not pick up as much on the high end. But that was the look we were hoping for; we were shooting for a dirtier image that would sell the gag.” “The main idea was to make the camera feel like it was a little Coke can and not some giant camera on [an operator’s] shoulder,” says Bonvillain. Turning to Plus 8 Digital in Burbank for their camera package, the cinematographer and director ultimately decided to use “the HVX200 when there weren’t visual effects and the Viper whenever there were,” Bonvillain explains. “We also used the F23 for its sensitivity and faster ‘ASA’ when we went to New York.” Because of its small size, the HVX200 easily renders a “Handycam” feel, but trying to suggest a similar mobility with the Viper and the F23 was one of the operators’ biggest challenges, according to Reeves. “Mike and I agreed the operator had to respond like an actor — it had to be like Method-actor operating. The action would have to happen and the camera would have to find it, and on top of that, the operator would have to find it the way Hud would find it.” (Bonvillain’s operators were Robert Altman Jr. and Chris Hayes.) Such a style of operating doesn’t come without its caveats, especially on an effects-heavy film such as Cloverfield. But visual-effects supervisors Kevin Blank and Michael Ellis of Double Negative and Eric Leven of Tippett Studio worked closely with the filmmakers to enable as freeform a style as possible. “It was a very close collaboration,” notes Bonvillain. “We did a lot of previsualization, so we knew what our parameters were on certain shots. Sometimes, they’d ask us to shoot a little wider so they could do a correction if necessary, but otherwise, we could do pretty much anything we wanted with those tracking marks in place. [Blank, Ellis and Leven] were great to work with; I really can’t praise them enough.” In fact, Reeves preferred an almost improvisational method that involved giving a small camcorder to Miller and running him and the other actors repeatedly through the scene, fine-tuning the blocking with each rehearsal. Often, when the HVX200 could be used for a shot, Miller would operate the actual takes. “The HVX is amazing,” enthuses Bonvillain. “With the right 38 March 2008

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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