American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 55

Opposite: Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise) delivers a showstopping rendition of Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive.” This page, top: As Drew (Diego Boneta, background) looks on, Sherrie (Julianne Hough) makes her case to Bourbon Room owner Dennis Dupree (Alec Baldwin, right) and his cohort Lonny (Russell Brand). Left: Bojan Bazelli, ASC (left) and director Adam Shankman discuss the scene.

Bazelli researched concert performances and music videos of the era, watching hundreds of the latter. “The common denominators were heavy backlight, with the singers’ long hair burning in the light, and primary colors, and Adam and I decided to integrate both of these elements into our film,” Bazelli reports. “We decided to give the shows a saturated look with very vivid yellows, greens, blues and reds, and we decided to never put more than two primary colors together at the same time. We

also planned to make camera angles and camera moves a big part of the stage drama — you see a lot of sweeping crane moves.” The storyline, which follows aspiring performers Drew (Diego Boneta) and Sherrie ( Julianne Hough) as they meet, fall in love, and try to break into the business at a Sunset Strip nightclub called the Bourbon Room, called for a lot of dark club interiors and night exteriors, and this was a key reason why the filmmakers chose to shoot digitally with the Arri Alexa. “We knew we’d be shooting very fast, very complicated moves in places that
www.theasc.com

would offer limited space to hide lights, a scenario where film would struggle,” says Bazelli. “Our ability to shoot at a very low exposure with the Alexa gave us a rich, textured look that suited the world of rock ’n’ roll, which is mostly nocturnal. And Adam was excited about employing modern digital tools to capture that world; he felt we could be more creative if we went digital.” The production had time for one round of camera tests, which involved a side-by-side comparison of the Alexa (capturing in ArriRaw) and a 35mm film camera that was carried all the way through to a filmout at Deluxe in New
July 2012 55

Unit photography by David James, SMPSP, courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.


http://www.theasc.com

American Cinematographer - July 2012

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

American Cinematographer - July 2012
Contents
Editor’s Note
Short Takes: Keane’s “Silenced by the Night”
Production Slate: Trishna • Two and a Half Men
Ancient Aliens
High Anxiety
Hair-Metal Heroes
Shooting J.R.
New Products & Services
International Marketplace
Classified Ads
Ad Index
Clubhouse News
ASC Close-Up: Peter Lyons Collister
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - American Cinematographer - July 2012
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - Cover2
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 1
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 2
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - Contents
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 4
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 5
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 6
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 7
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - Editor’s Note
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 9
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - Short Takes: Keane’s “Silenced by the Night”
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 11
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 12
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 13
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 14
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 15
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - Production Slate: Trishna • Two and a Half Men
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 17
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 18
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 19
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 20
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 21
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 22
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 23
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 24
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 25
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 26
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 27
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 28
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 29
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - Ancient Aliens
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 31
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 32
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 33
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 34
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 35
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 36
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 37
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 38
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 39
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 40
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 41
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - High Anxiety
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 43
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 44
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 45
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 46
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 47
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 48
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 49
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 50
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 51
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 52
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 53
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - Hair-Metal Heroes
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 55
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 56
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 57
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 58
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 59
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 60
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 61
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 62
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 63
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - Shooting J.R.
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 65
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 66
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 67
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 68
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 69
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 70
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 71
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - New Products & Services
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 73
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 74
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 75
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 76
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 77
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 78
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 79
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 80
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 81
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - International Marketplace
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - Classified Ads
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - Ad Index
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 85
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - Clubhouse News
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - 87
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - ASC Close-Up: Peter Lyons Collister
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - Cover3
American Cinematographer - July 2012 - Cover4
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