American Cinematographer - November 2007 - (Page 60)

Honoring a Lost Friend Director Marc Forster (second from right) examines a scene on a monitor while Schaefer (in orange cap) comments. out in script order. That way I know the flow — how I want the camera to move, what kinds of angles, keeping a continuity in the flow of visuals to match the story.” After working the fight scene out on paper, Schaefer had to adapt the plan to the location, a desert outpost. The compound interior had to be lit through windows because of its low ceilings. “We were at ground level and had 18K and 6K HMIs on crank-up stands, or turtles, coming in through the windows, direct on one side, bounced on the other. We augmented that when we could with HMIs tucked into corners of the room bounced through light grid or soft frost diffusion.” The filmmakers also had occasion to visualize story elements that weren’t as effectively conveyed by the book. The Soviet invasion, for instance, makes a far greater impact visually, even though it’s rendered in just a few shots. To make the scene more ominous, the filmmakers set it at night. (This strategy also helped sell the explosions and required fewer extras and less CG work.) Schaefer wanted to go as dark as possible. “I wanted it to feel realistic, and cities like Kabul don’t have a lot of electricity even in good times. At nighttime, it’s dark, and when the Russians invade, all the shops are closed down.” For this sequence, 2nd-unit director of photography Richard Bowen, ASC filmed soldiers walking toward the camera. “We placed some strategic lighting on the buildings so you could see the soldiers, mostly single-tube fluorescents and Blondes to simulate streetlights, but we wanted to keep it menacing,” says Schaefer. For the shot of the tanks Samy’s DV & Edit WE ACCEPT MASTERCARD, VISA, AMERICAN EXPRESS & DISCOVER. SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY & CORPORATE P.O.’S WELCOME BEFORE YOU BUY YOUR DIGITAL CINEMA EQUIPMENT, TALK TO US! www.samysdv.com A Division of Samy’s Camera 585 Venice Blvd. Venice, CA 90291 (310) 450-4365 FAX (310) 450-3079 Adding Flash Memory Capabilities to the XDCAM Family New! PDW-F355 PDW-F330 New! XDCAM EX • Record to ExpressCard high-speed flash media • Switchable between 1080/60i and 720/60P • Capable of recording 1080/50i/30P/25P/24P and 720/50P • 50 Mbps 4:2:2 optical disc recording • MPEG-2 compression technology with three, 1/2” imagers XDCAM HD Camcorders Longer record times are available by supporting the new dual-layer 50GB Professional Disc. The PDW-F355 camcorder uses a 1⁄2-inch imager and delivers 24P gen-lock capabilities directly out of the HD-SDI output, for multi-camera shoots, as well as the ability to down-convert with edge cropping. The PDW-F330 HD recording in 1080/59.94i, 50i, 29.97P, 25P and native 23.98P. AG-HPX500 New! AJ-HDX900 Affordable Professional Hi-Definition Camera • Adds on support for 1080i and 720p • Three 2/3" 520,000 Progressive CCD imagers • 24P/30P/60i recording capability • Captures film-like 24-frame images using CineGamma TM Please for our PRODUCTION PACKAGE PROMOTIONS! Three 2/3”CCD P2 HD Camcorder • Utilizes interchangeable lenses • Can shoot everything from 1080i to 720p variable frame rates •Features four XLR inputs, a chromaticaberration compensation function, call and eight gamma modes AJ-SDX900 Also Available New! HVR-Z1U Professional HDV Camera • Record HDV, DVCAM and DV images at 60i, 50i, 30, 25 or 24 fps, in either SD or HD • Three Super HAD™, 1/3-inch, 16:9 native CCDs • 12X Optical Zoom Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* Lens • 14 bit A/D with Digital Extended Processor (DXP) HVR-V1U 3CMOS 1080p HDV Camcorder • In addition to standard 60i, shoot progressive scan footage and still edit using regular Sony HDV equipment • 14-bit Enhanced Imaging Processor, outputting a 1920x1080/60p 4:2:2 video signal • • • • AJ-HPX2000 2/3” P2 HD Camcorder Ultra-reliable solid-state camcorder records in 17 HD and SD formats Excels at low-light shooting New AVC-Intra codec option The P2 card provides superior reliability in harsh environments and when exposed to shock, vibration and temperature change AG-HVX200 1/3" 3-CCD 16:9 HD/DVCPRO/DV • Cinema P2 Camera with CineSwitch™ • Technology, CineGamma™ Software and IEEE 1394 Interface AJ-SD93 Also Available 60 SONY IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS. PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. http://www.samysdv.com http://www.samysdv.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - November 2007

American Cinematographer - November 2007 Contents Editor’s Note Global Village DVD Playback Production Slate Deconstructing Bob Dylan Honoring a Lost Friend Night Terrors Losing Control TV’s Top-Rated Short Takes Post Focus New Products & Services Points East International Marketplace Classified Ads Ad Index Clubhouse News ASC Close-Up

American Cinematographer - November 2007

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