American Cinematographer - January 2010 - 16

Above: Clark (right) discusses his plan with producer Michael Song (center) and 1st AC Jeoun Sung Ho. Right and below: The red Sonata was placed on a rotating pedestal and the camera was mounted on a Technocrane to maintain a constant sense of motion. long enough run with enough sources in place to get direct light hitting the car and reflections bouncing off of it. In addition to the overhead soft box, I designed a grid of 80 fluorescent bulbs that reflects a pattern onto the surface of the car. The rig is simple, a 20'x30' metal grid painted black and suspended with an industrial crane. Its effect is a poetic rendering of the light, echoing the floating musical-scale graphics that were added in postproduction. I also had translucent, glowing balloons specially made for the commercial. As the car moves around the balloons, you see their reflections in the side of the car. When I plotted out the design of the driving takes, I had to make sure the balloon lights were properly positioned along the length of the shot, keeping in 16 January 2010 mind the car’s trajectory and the camera position. I had to make sure my lighting was in the right position to give me the proper reflective contouring. It can be a bit of a puzzle. For the red Sonata, I used the same lighting tools, but the effect of the light on the car was different, like lighting a red mirror. I wanted to create a look combining the effect of liquid light with the richness and luminescence of an oil painting. The camera was on a Technocrane, and it needed to look like it was constantly moving around the car. Because of the roving camera and the rotating pedestal, the light from the soft box warps and undulates across the chassis, mimicking the animated computer-generated pattern on the 40'-long LED screen in the background. American Cinematographer In the first shot, the car is on a turntable, moving left to right through the frame. Our focus is on the shape of the headlamp, the shape of the light around it, and the shape of the fender going into shadow. Even though we’re in a close-up, the combination of the A-line and the sharp border, which defines the shaded area beneath the lamp and extends back across the fender, gives a sense of the specific elements’ connection to the rest of the design aesthetic. The second shot still focuses on the front of the car, but in a wider shot that takes in the hood, the headlights and the grill. I didn’t want to light the side of the car because it would distract the viewer’s eye. Instead, I let a simple accent created by a chain of three fluorescent bulbs play along the length of the car, providing a sense of depth and elongation. A focal spot unit (like a Source Four) was used to bring out details in the rims and tires. The approach to both spots was impressionistic. I wanted to present specific and dynamic elements of the car’s design. The viewers already know it’s a car, but by the time they see it in its entirety, those key design elements should be set in their minds. To view the 2011 Sonata commercial, visit www.youtube.com/watch? v=BP21zS_V3qE. ●

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP21zS_V3qE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP21zS_V3qE

American Cinematographer - January 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - January 2010