American Cinematographer - May 2008 - 8

Editor’s Note ou know it’s blockbuster season when the superheroes arrive. This year’s first in line is Iron Man, starring the always-inventive Robert Downey Jr. as weapons manufacturer Tony Stark. Downey is encased in a sleek suit of high-tech armor for significant portions of the show, but cinematographer Matthew Libatique, ASC notes that director Jon Favreau tried to strike a balance between performance and visual pyrotechnics. “I had to view the camera as a facilitator of the actors, not solely of the cinematography,” Libatique tells assistant editor Jon Witmer (“Heavy-Metal Hero,” page 32). “Cinematography typically takes on the character of the lead performer, and Robert is so improvisational the photography became the same way. Working with [Favreau] was really about giving the actors the freedom to become their characters. We ended up doing a lot of rigging on a large scale so we could be ready for anything, and once we started shooting, I started improvising.” This spirit of adventure, combined with an old-school respect for the material’s comic-book roots, promises to add an interesting spin to a Marvel Comics mainstay. Iron Man may occupy summer’s pole position, but Speed Racer will surely give Stark a run for his money. Shot by David Tattersall, BSC, this live-action, full-throttle update of the popular 1960s animated TV series marks the big-screen return of siblings Andy and Larry Wachowski, whose groundbreaking Matrix trilogy set a very high bar for inventive imagery. Tattersall assures AC contributor Jay Holben (“A Need for Speed,” page 44) that the brothers have more eye-popping surprises in store for audiences. “To bring the anime world to life, the Wachowskis wanted something very different — not really a film look, a digital look or even an animated look, but a hybrid of the three,” the English cinematographer offers. Achieving this aesthetic involved both new tools (including Sony CineAlta F23 hi-def cameras) and special photographic techniques (dubbed “photo anime” by visualeffects co-supervisor John Gaeta) that help lend the movie’s live-action footage the extreme depth of field seen in the original cartoons. If you’re seeking more adult-oriented thrills at the multiplex, Deception provides the “walk on the wild side” long promised to New Yorkers by rocker Lou Reed. Shot by Dante Spinotti, ASC, AIC, the kinky thriller takes an overworked accountant (Ewan McGregor) on a titillating but ultimately treacherous trip through a secret sex network for Manhattan’s rich and powerful. Because the film’s primary environments are dark and moody, Spinotti chose to mix Panavision’s hi-def Genesis cameras with 35mm Millenniums. As writer Jon Silberg notes in his article (“Kink and the City,” page 56), “Spinotti had combined Panavision’s digital Genesis camera with 35mm on the feature Slipstream [2007] and was impressed with the Genesis’ ability to see into shadows and hold detail; he believed this capability would enable the production to shoot many of Deception’s low-light scenes in real locations — bars, restaurants and hotel rooms at night — and make the most of the existing mood and atmosphere.” In his discussions about format with director Marcel Langenegger, however, Spinotti stressed an artistic point that should never be forgotten in this era of technical evolution: “A good shot is a good shot, and a bad shot is a bad shot. Film or digital is not what’s important.” This issue also recaps some of the high points of Hollywood’s recent awards season, including the Academy’s Scientific and Technical Awards ceremony (“Beautiful Minds,” page 64) and our own ASC Awards weekend (“A Hollywood Homecoming,” page 69). Now that I’ve embarked upon my annual post-Oscars diet — an epic quest to shed the flab caused by a constant flow of complimentary cocktails and canapés — our photographic recaps are a wistful reminder of “fat times.” Y Stephen Pizzello Executive Editor 8 Photo by Douglas Kirkland.
American Cinematographer - May 2008

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