American Cinematographer - March 2008 - (Page 39)

Left: The New York Street on Paramount’s backlot was cordoned with greenscreens so the space could be extended by the visualeffects team. The screens were lit from the ground by 4-by-4 Kino Flos with green tubes. Bonvillain explains, “The effects artists wanted the reflected green to be 1⁄3 to ½ a stop below the camera exposure. I think we had just one bulb on in each Kino, and the green really popped.” Below: A soldier takes aim at the monster. Framing the movie — and adding another set of variables to the workflow — is a flashback of sorts, part of which was shot with a consumer-grade Panasonic AGHSC1U. In the story, the camera Hud uses was originally a gift to Rob from Beth; when Hud takes the camera to start documenting Rob’s party, he inadvertently tapes over footage Rob had shot of a day he spent with Beth. Snippets of this material appear throughout the film as the camera is jostled. Specifically, the HSC1U was used for the film’s opening sequence, set in Beth’s apartment, and for shots on the subway as Beth and Rob head for Coney Island. (The film’s closing image, taken from Coney Island’s Wonder Wheel at sunset, was shot with the HVX200.) Recording in the Advanced Video Codec High Definition format, the HSC1U introduced not only another camera, but also another format. “Data workflows are intrinsically complicated,” says Theodorakis, who was aided in managing the workflow by camera utility Oliver Mancebo, Los Angeles focus pullers Wally Sweeterman and Joe Buscaglia, and New York 1st and 2nd ACs Angelo Di Giacomo and Osa Elmfors, respectively. “Oliver proved invaluable,” continues Theodorakis. “He knew what he was doing at the camera end, he could solve problems, and he could wrangle cable, which was especially important on this show. This shoot was 90-percent tethered; that’s one of the disadvantages of the Viper.” The filmmakers wanted to achieve naturalism in lighting as well as camerawork. “The idea was to create an environment that was lit and then shoot [there] pretty much all day,” says Reeves. For example, during Rob’s party — which was shot in a practical apartment in Los Angeles — sodium-vapor units offer American Cinematographer 39

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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