American Cinematographer - October 2007 - (Page 17)

THE 200UPR DUAL CHANNEL ON-CAMERA UHF RECEIVER! A dual 63-channel receiver, allowing you to record the voices of 2 subjects simultaneously! Available in the following complete system configurations: Director Sean Penn (left) discusses an upcoming crane shot with cinematographer Eric Gautier, AFC. 200UPR receiver plus 2 10BT bodypacks with EX-503 lavalier mics. 200ULT to look slightly different from the rest of the picture, and Fuji 400 is a very soft stock,” he says. FotoKem processed all of the production’s footage, and Gautier carried out a digital intermediate (DI) with colorist Stefan Sonnenfeld at Company 3. “Sean wanted this film to be very wide and very intimate at the same time,” notes the cinematographer. “He wanted to always place Chris alone against this huge backdrop of nature and humanity.” Penn also wanted a strong sense of movement in the nature scenes; if McCandless isn’t walking or hiking, the camera is in motion. In one of the film’s dramatic moments, he has hiked to the top of a mountain and feels as though he’s on top of the world. To suggest his exhilaration, Gautier placed the camera on a circular track around Hirsch and zoomed in and out as the grips pushed the dolly faster and faster, creating an almost dizzying effect. In contrast to the wilderness scenes, the camera is static whenever two or more characters are conversing. Gautier almost always used long lenses in these instances, keeping it intimate while suggesting a larger world beyond the characters. McCandless helps a farmer (Vince Vaughn) harvest his crops, after which they unwind at a bar. The room is filled with diners, but the camera restricts itself almost exclusively to two-shots of the two men. Behind them, out of focus, are the bar’s colorful practicals, strung across the walls. The two men are in their own world, oblivious to the others. “Depth of field was the most important thing to me in this shot,” says Gautier. “I wanted it to feel close and intimate. Diffused smoke added to the [shallow] depth of field, suggesting that the two men are among a lot of people but are unto themselves. “I shot the scene with three cameras, something I generally don’t like to do, and with no rehearsal. I wanted to restrict myself to the existing lights in the bar, but the light level was so low I added a couple of extra tubes. My philosophy throughout this film was to use what existed and adapt myself to the low light levels.” Another example, a night exterior, finds McCandless sitting around a campfire with two hippies. “Sean wanted to light just with the practical campfire and have the rest dark, but I felt we needed to have something a bit softer than the real flames because the contrast would be too strong. I also wanted something a little softer because this is one of Chris’ happiest moments. We put a couple of 650-watt Tweenies on the ground and bounced them off a small white card placed almost under the campfire. [They picked up] the shadows and movements of the real flames, producing a nice flickering effect on the faces.” Another night, McCandless hops 200UPR receiver plus 1 10BT and 1 10HT handheld mic. 200ULH 200UPR receiver plus 1 10BT and 1 51XT plug-in transmitter. 200ULX Or, you can order the individual components separately to make your own system. Other features of the 200UPR: • High gain antennas with BNC connectors • Separate on/off and freq. selectors for each channel • Compatible with all Azden 51, 41, and 10 series transmitters • Mini-to-mini and mini-to-dual-XLR cables included • Camera shoe-mount included • Uses "AA" batteries (not supplied) ® P.O. Box 10, Franklin Square, NY 11010 (516) 328-7500 • FAX: (516) 328-7506 For full specifications, visit our website: www.azdencorp.com 17 http://www.azdencorp.com http://www.azdencorp.com

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American Cinematographer - October 2007

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