American Cinematographer - May 2017 - 10

Editor's Note

Stephen Pizzello
Editor-in-Chief and Publisher

Photo by Owen Roizman, ASC.

Each month, the cover of our magazine touts AC as "an
international publication of the ASC," and we've certainly
lived up to that globe-trotting commitment in this issue,
covering productions shot in Hong Kong and New
Zealand (Ghost in the Shell); Colombia and Northern
Ireland (The Lost City of Z); Spain, Portugal and Malta (The
Promise); Italy, the U.S. and South Africa (The Young
Pope); and France (La Femme et le TGV).
Ghost in the Shell, a sci-fi crime thriller starring Scarlett Johansson ("Not Quite Human," page 30), is based on
the iconic Japanese manga and anime series. Cinematographer Jess Hall, BSC says one of his goals on the show
was "to transport the audience into a world that feels
recognizable, and yet unfamiliar. Like Hong Kong -
which combines old and new, Asian and British, the past and the future - and like Scarlett's
character, the Major, who is not quite human and not quite machine."
Shooting with Arri's Alexa 65, Hall says he "was looking to imbue Ghost with an
amazing amount of detail and texture, but also a real painterly quality - akin to the anime.
I like taking a camera that is extremely sharp and sophisticated, like the Alexa 65, and modifying that resolution with a particular type of intervention. The quality of the light, a particular
softness or imperfection in the lens, a shallowness in the depth of field, or a certain quality of
atmosphere can be combined to create a unique look."
The Lost City of Z, shot by Darius Khondji, ASC, AFC ("Time Immemorial," page 44),
was inspired by the true-life tale of British explorer Percival Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam), who
vanished in 1925 while searching obsessively for an ancient lost city in the Amazon. The
project required the crew to endure some grueling conditions, especially in Colombia. "We
all lost weight in the jungle," says Khondji. "Ninety to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, 100-percent
humidity. Snakes and spiders and mosquitos. A hard shoot."
AC contributor Fred Schruers paid a visit to the set of The Promise ("Survival Story,"
page 54), an "indie epic" that follows its characters amid the last days of the Ottoman Empire
and through the Armenian genocide, while the production was shooting in the Catalonia
region of northeastern Spain - the native country of Javier Aguirresarobe, ASC, AEC. Noting
that Aguirresarobe is "very well-respected in Spain," executive producer Ralph Winter says he
found the cinematographer's technique intriguing. "It's interesting to watch him light; it's
mostly from the floor level and not much overhead - a kind of old-fashioned lighting that's
beautiful and painterly, but he's fast and the crew loves him."
This month's issue also includes another installment of Benjamin B's ongoing series of
instructional optics primers, "Practical Optics: Introduction to Anamorphic" (page 62), as well
as our annual pictorial featuring photos from the ASC Awards and related events ("The ASC's
Big Night," page 68). If you weren't there, suffice it to say that the Society's 31st celebration
pushed the limits of "max capacity" on all fronts.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - May 2017