American Cinematographer - June 2012 - 31

stands outside, and in some cases they were used to light the backdrop that was seen out the door in reverses,” adds Condiotti, whose DTC Lighting & Grip supplied the production’s lighting. “There were also several 6K and 4K Pars on the ground outside for other, smaller windows.” “To maintain lighting continuity during some of the long scenes in the lobby required a ballet of Condors, and choreographing it required real skill,” says Stoffers. “Rigging gaffer Jeff Gilliam and key rigging grip Duane Robinson did a fantastic job of pre-rigging the set, and best boy Chris Shellenberger and key grip Gary Gill were instrumental in making it all work perfectly.” Fortunately, the elevated train platforms were still in place on the west side of the building, so Stoffers could easily light through the glass with nine Nine-Light MaxiBrutes on stands to give that side of the room a warm glow and block the afternoon sun. For ambient light inside, his crew floated two 8'x20' 12K Aerolight tungsten balloons, but because Kaufman wanted to be able to shoot 360 degrees at any time, they

could not be tethered to the ground. Robinson, who had worked in the same location for Rent (AC Nov. ’05), built a truss that could be attached to the ceiling, and this held the balloons, as well as a black skirt that kept their light off the walls. The entire apparatus could be raised and lowered as necessary. Additionally, the electricians moved two 4K tungsten balloons around on the floor as needed. Practicals in the space included dozens of wall sconces and floor lamps, all on individual dimmers. “Rogier really likes to see color contrast in the skin tones, and we achieved that with the cool ‘daylight’ coming through the front windows and the tungsten lighting inside,” remarks Condiotti. Stoffers concurs, noting, “The Alexa is really good at mixing color temperatures, certainly in a daylight setting with the color temperature set at around 4,300°K. It’s a lot harder in a tungsten environment because the chip is more balanced to daylight. In tungsten situations, you have to exaggerate the colors to be able to separate them.” When possible, Stoffers used 30" Jem

Balls to light Kidman. “I love those lights,” he says. “In general, I like to light women with round [housings]. The front of the ball is close to the subject and the sides are farther away, which softens the shadows. I like to keep them on my own Manfrotto boom arms, which allow me to adjust the light during the shot — starting up high at the wide beginning of a shot and getting as close as possible when we end in a close-up — and stay flexible to changes in the staging.” Stoffers has high praise for the production’s San Francisco-based crew, including digital-imaging technician Jordan Livingston, and 1st AC Patrick McArdle and his camera team. “I also have to mention Leigh Blicher at Videofax, who located and purchased several pieces of equipment we wanted to use,” he adds.

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American Cinematographer - June 2012

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