American Cinematographer - August 2008 - (Page 17) Things don’t quite go as planned when Saul and Dale pay a visit to another dealer, Red (Danny McBride). enabling the camera to move freely from the driver’s-side window to the front windshield. Later, as Dale makes a conspicuous getaway after seeing drug lord Ted (Gary Cole) murder a rival, a handheld camera placed in the backseat shoots through the front windshield while a push rig from Allan Padelford Camera Cars maneuvers the vehicle from behind. To boost the nighttime ambience inside the car, the crew rigged a 4' four-bank Kino Flo to the roof, aimed it through the windshield to backlight Rogen at the wheel, and lined three Tweenies on a dimmer board through each side of the car to mimic street lights. When Dale later gets arrested and put in the back of a police car, Saul “rescues” him by commandeering the vehicle; a squadron of police hits the street in pursuit, and a high-speed chase ensues. Close shots of Dale and Saul in the car were captured with Go Stunts’ Go-Mobile, and wider shots were captured with an Ultimate Arm. “It was great to be able to use a handheld camera with the Go-Mobile,” says Orr. “We were able to photograph the actor at the wheel and then have the flexibility to pan to the passenger in the backseat and turn around to look back out the windshield. It was a great tool for us.” During prep, Green and Orr thoroughly storyboarded Pineapple’s action sequences to aid their collaboration with the second unit, led by director/stunt coordinator Gary Hymes and cinematographer Buzz Feitshans. Otherwise, Green observes, “Our method was pretty much the same as on our previous films, with a high degree of oncamera improvisation. We let the actors freestyle most of their dialogue. In the end, that’s what makes a film like this distinctive — those natural imperfections that translate into relatable comedy.” After the murder, Dale heads to Saul’s, and the two flee the apartment in a panic heightened by pot-induced paranoia. They then try to lie low by hiding out in the woods. Orr explains, “The higher they get, the more paranoid they become, and they end up working each other into a frenzy and running through the woods blindly.” To cover the haphazard charge through the brush, key grip Walter “Bud” Scott and his crew laid 150' of dolly track while gaffer Chris Napolitano and the electricians rigged three Condors with Dinos, each gelled with ¼ CTB and 1⁄8 Plus Green. “The Condors came through the trees; two of them provided backlight from two directions, and the third was in the middle for crosslight,” says Orr. “Then, I used a long line of 12-by-20 and 4-by-8 bounces to provide the fill light.” Eventually, Ted’s goons capture Saul and hold him hostage in a barn. Two sides of the barn exterior were constructed on location at Ahmanson THE ART OF LIGHT Color Correction Diffusion Color Effect Tel: 818-238-1220 www.leefilters.com 17 http://www.leefilters.com http://www.leefilters.com
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