American Cinematographer - August 2010 - 8

Editor’s Note
It’s a wise cinematographer who recognizes the contributions of his crew, and Robert Elswit, ASC was quick to credit his collaborators on the action film Salt. After agreeing to be interviewed, he asked that we bring other members of his team into the foreground. “Any large production that involves multiple units working independently and shooting stunts, effects and aerials is as big a logistical challenge as it is a creative challenge,” he tells Iain Stasukevich (“Cat and Mouse,” page 28). “Thank God I had [1st AC] Baz Idoine to take care of all the cameraequipment issues, and [gaffer] Andy [Day] and [key grip] Dennis Gamiello to sort out all the other stuff.” Our coverage also details some of the contributions made by 2nd-unit director Simon Crane; 2nd-unit director of photography Igor Meglic, ZFS; visual-effects supervisor Mark Breakspear; and visual-effects supervisor/3rd-unit director of photography Robert Grasmere. Comic-book aesthetics played a large part in Bill Pope, ASC’s approach to Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, in which a jobless hipster (Michael Cera) attempts to win the affections of his new crush (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) by defeating her seven exes in video-game-style battles. Pope, director Edgar Wright and their collaborators drew visual cues from the Scott Pilgrim comic books, created by Bryan Lee O’Malley. “We took our initial inspiration off the books’ full-color covers,” Pope tells Noah Kadner (“Girl Trouble,” page 42). “From there, we imagined what all the black-and-white illustrations [inside] would look like in color. Translating O’Malley’s aesthetics to live action was more straightforward than adapting other comics might be, because Bryan doesn’t cheat perspective and use ‘cartoon engineering.’” Bojan Bazelli, ASC faced equally fantastic plot points on The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, in which a New York-based conjurer (Nicolas Cage) trains a regular guy (Jay Baruchel) to master real magic. Although the film is filled with sophisticated visual effects, Bazelli preferred to capture as much of the look as possible on set. “I believe strongly that you cannot create the look in post,” he tells David Heuring (“A Magical Manhattan,” page 56). “In post, I finish shaping the sculpture. I do use those tools extensively to take the look further, but I like to carve the biggest, deepest cut in the wood at the moment of photography.” Amid all the summer pyrotechnics, ASC members Aaron Schneider and David Boyd teamed as director and cinematographer, respectively, on the atmospheric period drama Get Low. The Society chums first met 15 years ago, when Boyd operated camera for Schneider on the pilot for the TV show Murder One. “We made it our mission to do feature-quality work on a television schedule,” Schneider informs Michael Goldman (“True Colors,” page 68). “When it happened that Get Low shaped up as a $7.5-million movie with a 24-day shooting schedule [on location], David was the first person I thought of. Our history was invaluable.” Speaking of history, this issue also spotlights the top 10 movies from our recent online poll regarding the Best-Shot Films of 1998-2008 (Production Slate, page 16). More than 17,000 people cast votes in the poll, which serves as a follow-up to our 1999 survey of films shot between 1894-1997. Everyone has his favorites, and we’re sure this new list will generate debate. Complete results from both polls are posted on the ASC’s website (www.theasc.com).

Stephen Pizzello Executive Editor

Photo by Owen Roizman, ASC.

http://www.theasc.com

American Cinematographer - August 2010

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