American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 24

Top: The three friends become embroiled in a high-stakes misadventure after a rival gang shoots up
the nightclub. Bottom: Cinematographer Rachel Morrison on set for the feature Little Accidents.

use of iPhones ranging from 4 to 5S, his
own LG E980, a Nokia Lumina 635 and a
Samsung Galaxy. "It was all as spontaneous
as the party scene itself," he says, "with
personal phones as well as prop units."
Morrison sometimes assigned the
operators specific smartphone shooting
tasks, "but for the most part, the extras
were given free reign." For simplicity's sake,
she eschewed any apps. "There just wasn't
the time to teach the extras," she says. Plus,
"the intention was for it to look like an
iPhone, so the lower-fi, the better."
Phone and camcorder footage was
ingested into the DaVinci Resolve workflow,
but was initially left with natural color for
24

July 2015

authenticity, "with slight lifting as required,"
notes Paulin. "It was then oriented, de-interlaced, scaled and frame-rate normalized to
1080p at 23.976 fps for the editors' initial
work."
All camera footage was saved initially
to an SSD RAID, "and duplicated immediately to an eSATA backup drive and a dailyshuttle FireWire drive," says Paulin. "The
entire media set was archived to LTO tape
for safekeeping."
Racing the clock for Sundance, color
correction took place over eight days at
Local Hero Post. Grading was done in 2.5K
from the Alexas' original anamorphic QuickTime camera masters using Assimilate's
American Cinematographer

Scratch system for conform, color and
mastering, with a 2K DCP as their final goal.
Having just given birth, Morrison
spent just the first few days with supervising
colorist Leandro Marini and colorist Dave
Franks, then returned three times to check
passes. Their main objective, the cinematographer notes, was "finding the right
balance between saturation, contrast and
color. We wanted it to be colorful, but not
hypersaturated." Marini adds, "The film is a
little heightened and a bit surreal, so we
embraced a colorful, punchy look with a
little grit and a small amount of grain
added. In the end, we were aiming for
something that looked fun and not digital."
Though Morrison's next project is a
serious drama - HBO's Confirmation,
which reunites the cinematographer with
Famuyiwa - she remembers the comedic
interlude of Dope with fondness. "The
moments that were laugh-out-loud on
screen definitely felt that way on set," she
attests. "I love shooting drama, but there's
something nice about a set where people
are loose and having fun."

TECHNICAL SPECS
2.39:1
Digital Capture
Arri Alexa Plus 4:3, Alexa XT;
Panasonic AG-DVX100; iPhone 4, 4S, 5, 5S;
LG E980; Nokia Lumina 635;
Samsung Galaxy
Panavision G Series, E Series

➣



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - July 2015

Contents
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - Cover1
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - Cover2
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 1
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 2
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - Contents
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 4
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 5
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 6
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 7
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 8
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 9
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 10
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 11
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 12
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 13
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 14
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 15
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 16
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 17
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 18
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 19
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 20
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 21
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 22
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 23
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 24
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 25
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 26
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 27
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 28
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 29
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 30
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 31
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 32
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 33
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 34
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 35
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 36
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 37
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 38
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 39
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 40
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 41
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 42
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 43
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 44
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 45
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 46
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 47
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 48
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 49
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 50
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 51
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 52
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 53
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 54
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 55
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 56
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 57
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 58
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 59
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 60
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 61
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 62
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 63
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 64
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 65
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 66
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 67
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 68
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 69
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 70
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 71
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 72
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 73
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 74
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 75
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 76
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 77
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 78
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 79
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 80
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 81
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 82
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 83
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 84
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 85
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 86
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 87
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - 88
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - Cover3
American Cinematographer - July 2015 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0424
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0324
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0224
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0124
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1223
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1123
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1023
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0923
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0823
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0723
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0623
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0523
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0423
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0323
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0223
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0123
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1222
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1122
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0922
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0822
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0722
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0622
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0522
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0422
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0322
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0222
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0122
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1221
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1121
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0921
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0821
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0721
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0621
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0521
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0421
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0321
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0221
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0121
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1220
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0920
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0820
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0720
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0620
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0520
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0420
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0320
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0220
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0120
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1219
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1119
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0919
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0819
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0719
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0619
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0519
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0419
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0319
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0219_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0219
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0119_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0119
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1218
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1118
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0918
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0818
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0718
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0618
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0518
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0418
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0318
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0218
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0118
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1217
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1117
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0917
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0817
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0717
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0617
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0517
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0417
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0317
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0217
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0117
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1216
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1116
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0916
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0816
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0716
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0616
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0516
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0416
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0316
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0216
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0116
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1215
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1115
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0915
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0815
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0715
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0615
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0515
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0415
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0315
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0215
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0115
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com