American Cinematographer - June 2012 - 64e

You shot this in 3-perf Super 35mm. Which cameras and lenses
did you employ?
I shot the fi lm on ARRI ST and LT cameras and COOKE S4 lenses.
I love those lenses. They are slightly on the warm side and are very
clean. I own a set — that’s how much I love them! I usually shoot
two cameras and operate one — the B camera. I had an incredible
operator in Colin Anderson who brought a lot to the table. I gave
Colin a lot of room to bring his storytelling abilities to the fi lm.
How did camera movement factor into the visual approach?
We were always mindful of moving the camera. The cameras were
on dollies, sliders, and STEADICAMS. Every scene had a little bit of
camera movement to it to help draw you in and help you focus on
what was happening with the actors. Camera movement makes the
audience feel like they are there as opposed to being just an observer,
and that is what really helps them relate to this fi lm, as well.
Which scene sticks in your memory the most?
There are a couple emotional scenes with Michelle (Pfeiffer) and
Chris (Pine), and I found myself crying behind the camera. When
you’re behind the camera and you start crying … you go back to that
moment when you were younger and deciding you want to make
fi lms — that you believe in them. The actor and actress have taken
you somewhere. It’s one of those extremely rare moments of ‘This
is what I always wanted to do.’ You’re an artist, you’re a technician,
you’re a manager, and you can become so preoccupied with what’s
at hand to accomplish that day that when you get those moments,
it’s so special.
When lighting interiors through windows, what are you using
to get enough light for your exposure choice?
Different locations called for different lighting elements. We shot
a scene in Cole’s, which is a restaurant and bar in downtown
Los Angeles with very dark windows and a dark interior. I lit that
with 240,000 watts of light through the windows. We used two
100,000-watt SOFTSUNS, plus a bunch of 18Ks. When you see the
scene, you don’t even feel like it’s lit. In Michelle’s house interiors,
I used some 18K ARRIMAX HMIs outside.
Do you complement this lighting with anything inside the
interior locations?
Very little is used inside. I try to use a little bit of bounce. But that’s
what is so great about the fi lm stocks — you have this latitude and
contrast there that allowed me to work in this environment. I would
have had to approach it differently if I did it digitally.
Did you encounter a shot or scene that turned out to be more
complicated than anticipated?
There is a night scene with Chris and his mom on a bench in Laurel
Canyon overlooking the city, and we had talked about approaching
it a certain way. When we got there with the actors and blocked the
Did you use the DI to create a look or was that done primarily in
camera beforehand?
We captured most of the look in camera. The DI was more like
conventional color timing except for a few spots where we did some
Power Windows, and that was only necessary because while we
were fi lming, it would have taken extra time to fl ag off and bring
down the lighting on a particular wall. Instead, we used that time to
get more coverage through an extra setup or two.
Looking back, what do you take away from this movie’s
undertaking?
It was an incredible experience, and working with those professionals
in a low-budget world helped make a difference. Producer Clayton
Townsend — with whom I did my fi rst feature Any Given Sunday —
worked really hard to give us what we needed to tell the story. Ida
Random, the production designer, worked with one hand tied behind
her back because she didn’t have the funds but gave us sets that
were fantastic. She did a great job and helped me tell the story. The
other asset was the collaborative relationship with the director. Alex
felt comfortable and trusted me, and that collaboration always makes
a difference.
scene, it wasn’t working the way we had planned. We only had one
night to do it. It’s a low-budget fi lm so we couldn’t come back, and
we were fi ghting against the rising sun. We simplifi ed it and changed
everything — the coverage, the angles, the camera movement —
and it turned out great. We shot listed the script beforehand, but
sometimes you have to change it up when the players get there.
We had that fl exibility to do that, and it was great to work that way.
That’s the way I work with Ron Howard, as well.
Another good thing about this fi lm is that we worked really hard to
make sure we had a lot of coverage, which gave Alex more choices
editorially. That is unusual in a lower budget fi lm because you don’t
have the time. We shot for 42 days with two days of additional
shooting. We had a great crew and the actors were dialed in. The
coverage enhanced the fi lm.
Who handled your dailies and digital intermediate?
Deluxe Laboratories developed the fi lm, and we did dailies at EFILM.
Ben Estrada did my dailies as well as the DI color timing. I viewed
dailies in digital form on DVD, but I got to look at some prints when I
needed to. The fi lm colorist was Yvan Lucas.
Photos:
Left page: (L-R) Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks, and Michael Hall D’Addario. Center: (L-R) Michael
Hall D’Addario and Elizabeth Banks.
Right page: (L-R) Salvatore Totino and Alex Kurtzman on set. (Credit: ©DreamWorks Distribution
Co., LLC. All rights reserved.)

American Cinematographer - June 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - June 2012