American Cinematographer - September 2008 - 10

Global Village Australian Cinematographers Society Celebrates 50th Anniversary by Simon Gray Enjoying the ACS festivities are (from left) Calvin Gardiner, ACS, who chaired the 50th-anniversary celebration; Louis Philippe-Capelle, SBC; ACS President Ted Rayment, who is holding a congratulatory plaque from the American Society of Cinematographers; ASC President Daryn Okada; and Nigel Walters, BSC. hrough the decades, Australian cinematographers have made memorable contributions to cinema, including the kinetic violence of The Road Warrior (shot by Dean Semler, ASC, ACS), the lush elegance of Moulin Rouge (Donald McAlpine, ASC, ACS), the sparse bleakness of Black Robe (Peter James, ASC, ACS) and the epic vistas of The Lord of the Rings (Andrew Lesnie, ASC, ACS). Commemorating these achievements and many others, the Australian Cinematographers Society recently celebrated its 50th anniversary with an event called “Future of the Image.” Held in May on Sydney’s famous Circular Quay, the celebration included a series of conference sessions, master classes, special screenings, public events, a technology exhibition and the 50th National Awards for Cinematography. In addition to Semler, McAlpine, James and Lesnie, guest speakers included ASC President Daryn Okada; Imago President Nigel Walters, BSC; Imago General Secretary Louis PhilippeCapelle, SBC; cinematographer Ben Nott, ACS; and cinematographer Geoff Boyle, founder of the Cinematographers Mailing List (CML). In his address, Semler noted, T “Australia has five Academy Award winners and more nominees, [and] in a country this size, that’s just fantastic. The ACS has supported these people and given them recognition. Now, we’re in a digital revolution and the younger members are going to be the teachers. There’s a terrific cross-section of cinematographers represented in the Society, from those shooting big-budget features through to news and available-light documentaries, as well as budding cinematographers who are just starting out. I’m very proud to be a part of this Society.” Blessed with an abundance of Australian sunshine, the event bustled with students, professionals and others interested in cinematography. A threeday exhibition offered booths showcasing various companies and organizations, including major sponsor Fujifilm, Arri, Panavision Australia, the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, Canon, Lemac, JVC, Autodesk and many others. The well-attended exhibition proved to be a popular meeting point where cinematographers young and old engaged in heated and complex technical discussions about the pros and cons of different cameras, digital formats and film stocks. Each day’s events revolved around a specific theme. The first day’s “Future Tech” focus explored the technical issues of digital acquisition, including how cinematographers can maintain creative control throughout complex post workflows. Okada presented the initial master class, which was supplemented by a series of seminars. John Galt, Panavision’s senior vice president of advanced digital imaging, discussed the scientific concepts behind the latest digital cameras; Doug Walker, Autodesk’s lead expert on color science, addressed issues regarding log color space, a key concern for cinematographers dealing with digital acquisition and workflow; and David Gribble, ACS demonstrated techniques he has used on commercials for clients such as Mitsubishi, ANZ and Coca-Cola. Meanwhile, at the Technology Theatre, Nott offered insights on Panavision’s Genesis, which he used to shoot the forthcoming vampire film Daybreakers. Day 2 focused on the relationship between cinematographers and directors but also explored stop-motionanimation workflows and 3-D cinematography. An early-morning screening of Haskell Wexler, ASC’s documentary Who Needs Sleep?, which addresses industry-wide concerns about long working hours, proved very popular. Director Scott Hicks and cinematographers Geoffrey Simpson, ACS and Pieter DeVries, ACS discussed the philosophies and aesthetics involved in shooting dramas and documentaries. The morning’s master class session was conducted by Lesnie, who explained how he achieves the best camera 10 September 2008 Photo courtesy of the Australian Cinematographers Society.
American Cinematographer - September 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - September 2008
