American Cinematographer - December 2008 - (Page 10) Short Takes True Blood Titles Set Southern-Gothic Tone by Iain Stasukevich T To capture suitable images for the opening credits of the HBO series True Blood, a team of artists from Digital Kitchen drove around Louisiana and shot Super 8mm, 16mm and highdefinition video of people, places and things that caught their eye. itle sequences are about creating strong impressions quickly. For the opening of the HBO series True Blood, which presents a world in which vampires mingle freely with humans, writer/director Alan Ball wanted to evoke the earthy vibe of the American South and infuse it with a decidedly dark tone. He turned to Digital Kitchen, whose artists had created the title sequence for his previous HBO series, Six Feet Under. “It’s a hidden art form, and we’re the only ones who know about it,” jokes Digital Kitchen executive producer Mark Bashore. The team’s approach, he elaborates, is to eschew footage that appears in the show and instead create images from the ground up. Based on Charlaine Harris’ best-selling novels about Sookie Stackhouse, a plucky cocktail waitress with telepathic abilities, True Blood is set in Bon Temps, La. Thanks to the invention of synthetic blood, vampires have “come out of the coffin” and are integrating themselves into human society. Digital Kitchen’s work began when Ball asked to see samples of special techniques or imagery that would best express the colliding worlds presented in the show. With only the pilot episode to guide them, lead creative Rama Allen and editor Shawn Fedorchuk designed the concept that ultimately went into production. “We wanted to juxtapose concepts like ‘the sacred versus the profane’ and present nature as a predator,” recalls Allen. “We also had ideas that revolved around selective perception.” The title sequence begins 10 December 2008 Photos and frame grabs courtesy of Digital Kitchen.
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - December 2008 American Cinematographer - December 2008 Contents Editor’s Note Short Takes: True Blood Titles Tomorrow’s Technology Production Slate: Closer to Truth A High Price for Progress Rags to Riches 1-Man Riot Squad The State of the Art: An Update Post Focus: Deluxe New York New Products & Services International Marketplace Classified Ads Ad Index 2008 AC Index ASC Membership Roster Clubhouse News ASC Close-Up: Donald McAlpine American Cinematographer - December 2008 American Cinematographer - December 2008 - American Cinematographer - December 2008 (Page Cover1) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - American Cinematographer - December 2008 (Page Cover2) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - American Cinematographer - December 2008 (Page 1) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - American Cinematographer - December 2008 (Page 2) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Contents (Page 3) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Contents (Page 4) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Contents (Page 5) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Contents (Page 6) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Contents (Page 7) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Editor’s Note (Page 8) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Editor’s Note (Page 9) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Short Takes: True Blood Titles (Page 10) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Short Takes: True Blood Titles (Page 11) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Short Takes: True Blood Titles (Page 12) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Short Takes: True Blood Titles (Page 13) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Short Takes: True Blood Titles (Page 14) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Short Takes: True Blood Titles (Page 15) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Tomorrow’s Technology (Page 16) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Tomorrow’s Technology (Page 17) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Tomorrow’s Technology (Page 18) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Tomorrow’s Technology (Page 19) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Production Slate: Closer to Truth (Page 20) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Production Slate: Closer to Truth (Page 21) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Production Slate: Closer to Truth (Page 22) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Production Slate: Closer to Truth (Page 23) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Production Slate: Closer to Truth (Page 24) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Production Slate: Closer to Truth (Page 25) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Production Slate: Closer to Truth (Page 26) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Production Slate: Closer to Truth (Page 27) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - A High Price for Progress (Page 28) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - A High Price for Progress (Page 29) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - A High Price for Progress (Page 30) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - A High Price for Progress (Page 31) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - A High Price for Progress (Page 32) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - A High Price for Progress (Page 33) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - A High Price for Progress (Page 34) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - A High Price for Progress (Page 35) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - A High Price for Progress (Page 36) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - A High Price for Progress (Page 37) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - A High Price for Progress (Page 38) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - A High Price for Progress (Page 39) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - A High Price for Progress (Page 40) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - A High Price for Progress (Page 41) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - A High Price for Progress (Page 42) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - A High Price for Progress (Page 43) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Rags to Riches (Page 44) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Rags to Riches (Page 45) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Rags to Riches (Page 46) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Rags to Riches (Page 47) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Rags to Riches (Page 48) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Rags to Riches (Page 49) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Rags to Riches (Page 50) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Rags to Riches (Page 51) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Rags to Riches (Page 52) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Rags to Riches (Page 53) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Rags to Riches (Page 54) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Rags to Riches (Page 55) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Rags to Riches (Page 56) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Rags to Riches (Page 57) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Rags to Riches (Page 58) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Rags to Riches (Page 59) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Rags to Riches (Page 60) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Rags to Riches (Page 61) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - 1-Man Riot Squad (Page 62) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - 1-Man Riot Squad (Page 63) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - 1-Man Riot Squad (Page 64) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - 1-Man Riot Squad (Page 65) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - 1-Man Riot Squad (Page 66) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - 1-Man Riot Squad (Page 67) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - 1-Man Riot Squad (Page 68) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - 1-Man Riot Squad (Page 69) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - 1-Man Riot Squad (Page 70) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - 1-Man Riot Squad (Page 71) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - 1-Man Riot Squad (Page 72) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - 1-Man Riot Squad (Page 73) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - The State of the Art: An Update (Page 74) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - The State of the Art: An Update (Page 75) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - The State of the Art: An Update (Page 76) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - The State of the Art: An Update (Page 77) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - The State of the Art: An Update (Page 78) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - The State of the Art: An Update (Page 79) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - The State of the Art: An Update (Page 80) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - The State of the Art: An Update (Page 81) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - The State of the Art: An Update (Page 82) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - The State of the Art: An Update (Page 83) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - The State of the Art: An Update (Page 84) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - The State of the Art: An Update (Page 85) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Post Focus: Deluxe New York (Page 86) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Post Focus: Deluxe New York (Page 87) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Post Focus: Deluxe New York (Page 88) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Post Focus: Deluxe New York (Page 89) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - New Products & Services (Page 90) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - New Products & Services (Page 91) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - New Products & Services (Page 92) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - New Products & Services (Page 93) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - New Products & Services (Page 94) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - New Products & Services (Page 95) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - New Products & Services (Page 96) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - New Products & Services (Page 97) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - International Marketplace (Page 98) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - International Marketplace (Page 99) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Ad Index (Page 100) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - 2008 AC Index (Page 101) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - 2008 AC Index (Page 102) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - 2008 AC Index (Page 103) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - 2008 AC Index (Page 104) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - 2008 AC Index (Page 105) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - 2008 AC Index (Page 106) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - 2008 AC Index (Page 107) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - ASC Membership Roster (Page 108) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - ASC Membership Roster (Page 109) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Clubhouse News (Page 110) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - Clubhouse News (Page 111) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - ASC Close-Up: Donald McAlpine (Page 112) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - ASC Close-Up: Donald McAlpine (Page Cover3) American Cinematographer - December 2008 - ASC Close-Up: Donald McAlpine (Page Cover4)
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