American Cinematographer - October 2008 - (Page 50)

Kingdom of Light In the greenhouse area where Doon and Lina take refuge from the authorities, Grobet gelled some of the overhead lights turquoise to give the base night look “a bit of a twist.” THE ART OF LIGHT Color Correction Diffusion Color Effect Tel: 818-238-1220 www.leefilters.com their own lights, and these instruments included flashlights and helmet-mounted lamps. “I really wanted strong beams of light that would read on film, and we did a lot of testing,” says Grobet. “We had to refit all the practical flashlights and helmets with halogen lamps and then figure out ways to run cables and portable batteries so the kids could carry them.” As Ember’s crisis deepens, Lina and Doon find themselves on the run from authorities, and they hide out in the greenhouses that supply Ember with food. “I tested a lot of different gels for scenes like the ones in the greenhouse, which are described in the script as night scenes — at that point in the story, the characters don’t realize they’re underground,” says Grobet. “I used Fluorescent 5700°K gel on the space lights to create a base night light, and to give it a bit of a twist, I added a turquoise gel to some lights. That contrasted beautifully with the tungsten light coming from the greenhouses.” Lina and Doon ultimately escape from Ember on a boat, arriving at a cave where a massive staircase leads to the outside world. After emerging from the cave, the children experience their first sunrise. The cave set featured artificial rocks, a small lake, and generous lengths of greenscreen that allowed for more CG set extensions. Scenes of the children venturing outside were shot on a rocky expanse in Belfast, the only exterior location of the shoot. “The location was in a park, and it featured a cliff with a big hole in it that Gil wanted to match onstage,” says Grobet. “We used the location for daytime shots, and we matched the set piece where the kids wake up onstage so we could create the night lighting and the sunrise effect.” For the sunrise scene, the actors were filmed against greenscreen, and the outdoor location was composited in later. “We didn’t have time to wait to control the light by any means at the location,” explains Grobet. “Also, it rains in Belfast 365 days a year! So we used a Wendy Light — in 50 http://www.leefilters.com http://www.leefilters.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - October 2008

American Cinematographer - October 2008 Contents Editor's Note Short Takes: DirecTV's "Fourth Wall" Campaign Production Slate: Prison Break Production Slate: Need for Speed: Undercover Middle East Intrigue Kingdom of Light Memoirs of a Spook Landmark Gains Post Focus: An Overview of the ASC CDL Filmmakers' Forum: Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC New Products & Services International Marketplace Classified Ads Clubhouse News ASC Close-Up: Ross Berryman

American Cinematographer - October 2008

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