American Cinematographer - August 2013 - 21

The Hunt photos by Per Arnesen. Photos and frame grabs courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.

Christmas — almost a romantic, 1800s kind
of feel — and then have the grim reality of
a man waking up in a cold room,” explains
Christensen. “We wanted an almost documentary look in the kindergarten classroom, and the Deer Hunter look around the
lake. We wanted to be able to move in all
directions depending on what was needed,
to be very free. So, obviously, my big challenge was to make this look like a unified
vision.”
Christensen and Vinterberg had one
previous collaboration, the Super 16mm
feature Submarino (2010). Vinterberg notes
that he was unable to hire his longtime
cinematographer, Anthony Dod Mantle,
ASC, BSC, DFF, for that project because the
financier required first-timers in two creative
positions. “It was a very sad goodbye to
Anthony because I love working with him,
but it was a very happy encounter with
Charlotte,” says Vinterberg. “She just stood
out. I felt this seriousness and ambitiousness
that pulled me back to my film-school days,
and competence at the same time. This mix
was perfect.”
The daughter of a farmer and a hairdresser, Christensen gravitated toward still
photography at a young age. That led her
to the European Film College, where she
met her future husband. The two made
several digital short films, which gained
them admission into London’s National Film
and Television School. “The head of the
cinematography department, Brian Tufano
[BSC], admitted me even though I didn’t
have the required bachelor’s degree,” she
notes. “My learning curve was very steep
— I’d never touched a film camera before
that. Without Brian’s belief in me, I never
could have come this far. He is still of great
support!”
Now, having collaborated with
Christensen on two features, Vinterberg
remains impressed. “She is pursuing truthfulness, always, and hasn’t got any mannerisms,” he says. “And she has a really great
understanding of script and story in
general.” Perhaps that isn’t surprising given
that Christensen’s hobby is writing short
stories. “This thing of understanding a
scene, the drama of it, just fascinates me,”
she says.
The filmmakers decided to frame
for a final aspect ratio of 2.40:1, “which

The parents of the child (Anne Louise Hassing and Thomas Bo Larse) join the rest of
their town in vilifying their former friend.

was great for not only the grandeur of
the woods, but also for isolating Lucas in
his environment,” notes Christensen.
Despite their shared passion for shooting
film, Vinterberg and Christensen chose
digital capture for The Hunt for a mix of
reasons, including budget, the need to
work with children and animals, and a
10-day schedule for the final color
correction (carried out at Zentropa with
colorist Thomas Therkildsen).
Christensen shot with an Arri Alexa
Plus, capturing in ProRes 4:4:4 to SxS cards,
and used mainly Cooke Panchro prime
lenses, which “had the soft, warm look we
needed,” she says. She also used a Cooke
15-40mm zoom for handheld work and a
Fujinon Alura 45-250mm zoom for dolly
work. “I love using a zoom, and so does
Thomas,” she notes. “A quick focal-length
change is a great way to punctuate the
drama in a split second.” She warmed the
October scenes with Tiffen Antique Suede
filters, and used Schneider Black Frost diffusion on winter scenes except for interiors in
Lucas’ house, which were shot without
filtration.
Vinterberg did not want the actors’
movements to be restricted by lighting
instruments during improvised scenes, so
practicals dominated Christensen’s lighting
scheme. “The rules were that no lights
could be in the way, and no one would
have to wait for lighting,” she recalls. “So, I
was lighting a space more than an actor.
We only took time to model light on closeups, which were very important.”
www.theasc.com

Giving the actors maximum flexibility
also meant often going handheld. Christensen was in the final months of a pregnancy when principal photography
commenced, so she had an EasyRig
customized to fit her shape. “The 17 kilos
on the shoulder was okay, but I couldn’t lift
it off the ground,” she recalls. “Fortunately,
I had a fantastic crew, including a great key
grip, Michael Tøt, and they were always
looking after me. I also have to mention my
gaffer, Andy Cole, because he’s such a hard
worker, and he has the attitude that nothing is a problem.”
For camera moves, the filmmakers
often made counterintuitive choices.
“When things in town are normal, we’re
handheld, but when the situation gets really
tense, we keep the camera completely still,”
says Christensen. “When the frame is
locked in and Lucas is in the spotlight, it’s a
bit uncomfortable, especially because he’s
trying to get away or doesn’t want to hear
the things he’s hearing.” That’s Lucas’ position when he is in the principal’s office and
learns of Klara’s accusation. “We had him
flat up against the wood wall, lit right from
the camera, and it’s a completely static
frame with him in the center.”
Muted HMIs are key when the
palette goes cold. Christensen aimed for an
ultra-soft northern winter light, even for
interiors in Lucas’ house. By that point, he is
barely functional, letting dishes pile up and
not bothering to switch on the lights. Christensen pushed HMI light through windows
and bounced it off white board. “The softAugust 2013

http://www.theasc.com

American Cinematographer - August 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - August 2013