American Cinematographer - June 2008 - (Page 22)

Mayor John Janssen surveys what remains of his town in Greensburg. The 13-part miniseries documents the rebuilding of Greensburg, Kansas, which was leveled by a tornado last year. Documenting a Recovery by Jon Silberg Until May 4, 2007, the town of Greensburg, Kansas, had existed for more than a century, but on that day, it was almost wiped off the map in 12 minutes. An enormous tornado plowed through the town, destroying almost every building. One resident recalled emerging from his basement and seeing only sky. “I look to the right and my neighbor’s house is gone; I look to the 22 June 2008 Greensburg photos by Steven St. John and Steve Hebert, courtesy of Planet Green. left and my neighbor’s house is gone,” he said. Some residents, including the mayor, decided to leave for good, but many others wanted to rebuild Greensburg and make it better — “greener.” Their efforts are chronicled in the 13part documentary miniseries Greensburg, which will premiere June 15 on the new channel Planet Green, which is replacing Discovery Home Channel. The miniseries, produced by Pilgrim Films & Television and Appian Way, has two cinematographers: Laura Merians, who began shooting in September 2007, and Shanra Kehl, who began shooting in January. There is no director; multiple producers rotate in the field. Two crews — comprising a cinematographer, camera operator, camera assistant, sound man, production assistant and producer — are in the field at all times. The production’s camera package consists of Panasonic HDX-900 cameras and Canon 22x and 17x zoom lenses, and Merians says she and Kehl tend to stay on the long end of the lens to maintain a more “observational” style. That style, she notes, has evolved as the townspeople have become more accustomed to being in the presence of a documentary crew most of the time. “In the beginning, we kept our distance, but as we grew closer to the people, the cameras became more like participants in the rebuilding process,” says Merians. “Stylistically, we’re still not on top of them; if two people are talking and we can get the distance, we’ll be on the long end of the lens for aesthetic reasons, but if we’re at a home someone is rebuilding, we’ll get closer to the action.” The filmmakers are not inter-

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

American Cinematographer - June 2008 Contents Editor's Note Short Takes: "100 Days, " Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings Production Slate: Mongol Production Slate: Greensburg Vintage Indy A Prince in Peril Women's World 90 Years of Precision Post Focus: A 3-D Imax Work Flow for Wild Ocean Post Focus: 3cP Incorporates ASC CDL on State of Play Filmmakers' Forum: John Baily, ASC New Products & Services International Marketplace Classified Ads Ad Index ASC Membership Roster In Memoriam: Gayne Rescher, ASC Clubhouse News ASC Close-Up: Rob McLachlan

American Cinematographer - June 2008

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