American Cinematographer - April 2021 - 60

FORGING A PATH FORWARD

Top: Junior Lucano maneuvers the Arri Trinity.
Bottom: A TechnoDolly on a greenscreen stage
at Pacific Motion Control.

" It would stand to reason that cinematographers and special-effects
technicians should also be permitted to use [Grignard Pure] to create
atmospheric effects, " the report reads. " The EPA has confirmed that the
Grignard Pure product can reduce the spread of the coronavirus and is
effective at levels low enough to be considered barely visible. The benefit
to filmmakers is that it can also provide the desired atmospheric lighting
effects synonymous with cinema. "

Beyond the Pandemic

Information about current safety regulations and protocols can be found
on the Future Practices Committee webpage at theasc.com/asc/committees/
asc-future-practices. The full report on atmospheric effects can be found at
theasc.com/future-practices/atmosphere-report

Safety in Remote Movement

The Remote Camera Movement Technologies Roundtable hosted
by the ASC Future Practices Committee in October 2020 featured a
series of presentations by technical experts, who demonstrated gear
that can help filmmakers achieve their coverage strategies effectively
- and more safely - during the pandemic.
Scott Howell from Cinemoves kicked off the event by previewing
the TechnoDolly and the Oculus and Matrix remote heads, highlighting
the ability to record camera moves in a way that requires no one to
be near actors during a take, while maintaining precision. Alan Lennox
from Arri exhibited the compact but powerful SRH-3 and SRH-360 remote heads, as well as wireless control for the Trinity. Pro-Cam's Brian
Breithaupt demonstrated new techniques using the Libra stabilized
head and a breakout box to adjust the equipment on the fly but from
farther away, allowing greater distancing on set.
DJI Ronin technician and Local 600 camera operator Dave Anglin
showcased the versatile capabilities of the Ronin 2, which can be
rigged on a dolly or crane, all wirelessly connected. With a two-mile
remote range, the system can easily and swiftly shift from handheld

to remote control. Operator Richard Moriarty also highlighted the
speed of such transitions using the Freefly Systems Movi, which he
has been using recently on small telescopic camera cranes without
dolly track in order to move quickly and with freedom.
James Razo from Chapman-Leonard spoke on coupling the
company's compact systems with remote heads in order to shoot
safely, using lightweight but robust dollies such as the Cobra. Mehran Salamati from Hot Gears spoke about his six-channel wireless
controller, which uses fiber optics. Connected through cellular data
and internet point-to-point, the camera can be controlled from
anywhere in the world. Craig Shumard and Ron Tatham from Pacific
Motion Control examined how the TechnoDolly can be used to allow
actors to shoot a scene separately while still allowing for consistent precision upon multiple takes. The event wrapped up with a
presentation by Derek Heidt from RVRD Cinema, who demonstrated
a series of innovative remotely operated systems, including drone
rigs for cameras as well as lighting.

TOP PHOTO COURTESY OF ARRI. BOTTOM PHOTO COURTESY OF PACIFIC MOTION CONTROL.

The Future Practices Committee has pledged to continue its work even
after the pandemic is brought under control. In a post-vaccine world,
Vincent - who was recently invited to join the Academy's Science and
Technology Council - believes that the new frontier will be virtual production and AI. Asserting that Future Practices stands ready to address
changes in the industry and is committed to collaborating with the
cinematography community to problem-solve and find creative ways
forward, she concludes, " I think we can continue to share ideas while
advocating for the best of all the technologies we've been using in order
to take them forward. We're going to see a lot of virtual production, and
Future Practices will gradually shift out of 'Covid mode' to assess new
technologies at the forefront of production. It's important for cinematographers' voices to stay in the room. "

60 / APRIL 2021

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https://theasc.com/asc/committees/asc-future-practices https://theasc.com/asc/committees/asc-future-practices http://www.theasc.com/future-practices/atmosphere-report

American Cinematographer - April 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - April 2021