American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 56

◗

Blazing Trails
each shot and make intelligent compromises. I had never worked with a director of photography, so I told Gordon Lonsdale [ASC], ‘If it’s okay with you, I’ll block and place the camera because that’s the only way I know how to do it, but I will never question your lighting in any way.’ Gordon said, ‘Great,’ and it was a wonderful collaboration.” Soon Wages had to make a decision. Pursuing a directing path would mean moving to Los Angeles. “What finally made me choose to continue as a cinematographer, though, was that I love shooting so much,” he says. “I still get an occasional chance to direct. For example, I directed and shot the battle scenes for Gods and Generals [AC March ’03], which was the most fun I’ve ever had in the movie business.” In recent years, Wages has taken on assignments shooting episodic television, including stints on the series Big Love, Surface and Burn Notice. “Episodic is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and I came away with a whole new respect for people who do it,” he observes. “Some of the most creative work is being done in that arena, against all odds.” Whether he is shooting or directing, a healthy dose of spontaneity helps keep things fresh. “When you’re flying without a net, it creates an energy and a spark,” he says. “Kersh and Lamont taught me that when everything is perfect, you don’t get a sense of reality. Instead of planning everything, you should let it evolve in front of your eyes and then jump on in. That keeps everybody on his toes. “After the first take of the first scene on the first day of any project, Lamont would immediately say, ‘Print. Move on.’ That got everyone’s attention and got the ball rolling. It surprised me at first, but later he told me it was a method. And it works. On a TV series, you work that way because you have to. It’s very hectic, and I’ve learned a lot. I am so much faster now, and I like to think I’m faster without compromising. There is a way to do that.” Over the course of his career, Wages has had a hand in developing a number of tools that contribute to on-set efficiency and flexibility, including Tiffen Glimmerglass diffusion filters and two devices named by his crew, WagFlags and WagBags. Glimmerglass filters got their start when Wages began experimenting with damaged filters. With advice from Denny Clairmont, he soaked them in acetone and separated them to reclaim the glass. He experimented with graphite and laminated the filters himself with various optical cements. Once he achieved the delicate, net-like diffusion he was after, he gave sets to Daviau and Steven Poster, ASC. “When I showed them to Ira Tiffen, he loved the effect, so [his company] came up with a way to manufacture them,” says Wages. “Steve Tiffen has since combined the Glimmerglass effect with digital diffusion and created a filter that I

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American Cinematographer - March 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - March 2012

American Cinematographer - March 2012
Contents
Editor’s Note
President’s Desk
Short Takes: When You Find Me
Production Slate: The Ghastly Love of Johnny X • Project X
Varied Visions
Power Trip
Blazing Trails
A Wholly “Justified” Honor
Filmmakers’ Forum: Vincent De Paula
New Products & Services
International Marketplace
Classified Ads
Ad Index
In Memoriam: Torben Johnke, ASC
ASC Membership Roster
Clubhouse News
ASC Close-Up: Jonathan Taylor
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - American Cinematographer - March 2012
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - Cover2
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 1
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 2
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - Contents
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 4
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 5
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 6
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 7
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - Editor’s Note
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 9
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - President’s Desk
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 11
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - Short Takes: When You Find Me
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 13
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 14
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 15
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 16
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 17
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - Production Slate: The Ghastly Love of Johnny X • Project X
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 19
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 20
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 21
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 22
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 23
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 24
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 25
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 26
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 27
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 28
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 29
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - Varied Visions
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 31
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 32
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 33
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 34
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 35
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 36
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 37
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 38
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 39
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 40
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 41
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - Power Trip
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 43
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 44
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 45
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 46
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 47
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 48
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 49
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - Blazing Trails
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 51
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 52
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 53
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 54
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 55
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 56
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 57
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - A Wholly “Justified” Honor
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 59
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 60
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 61
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 62
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 63
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 64
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 65
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 66
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 67
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - Filmmakers’ Forum: Vincent De Paula
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 69
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 70
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 71
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - New Products & Services
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 73
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 74
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 75
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - International Marketplace
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - Classified Ads
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - Ad Index
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - In Memoriam: Torben Johnke, ASC
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - ASC Membership Roster
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 81
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - Clubhouse News
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - 83
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - ASC Close-Up: Jonathan Taylor
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - Cover3
American Cinematographer - March 2012 - Cover4
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