American Cinematographer - June 2016 - 10

Our annual summer-blockbuster issue kicks off with Captain
America: Civil War, a Marvel Cinematic Universe epic shot by
Trent Opaloch, who last teamed with the project's sibling
directors Anthony and Joe Russo on Cap's previous feature,
The Winter Soldier. In explaining their collaborative approach
to AC contributor Mark Dillon ("Heroes Divided," page 38),
Anthony Russo notes, "With Trent we asked, 'As a superhero, what makes Captain America stand out?' And what
we kept coming back to is that he's a man, only a little bit
more so. So we wanted to approach his story on a human
scale. Cap shines brightest when the camera is close-up and
embedded with him during whatever he's going through."
Fans of action and fantasy can also indulge in Iain
Marcks' coverage of The Nice Guys, shot by Philippe Rousselot, ASC, AFC ("Old-School Thrills," page 72) and Neil Matsumoto's piece on Alice Through
the Looking Glass, shot by Stuart Dryburgh, ASC, NZCS ("Against the Clock," page 86).
Real-life heroes are the backbone of the Imax documentary A Beautiful Planet, which
offers stunning images of Earth captured by NASA astronauts aboard the International Space
Station. The astronauts were trained by supervising director of photography James Neihouse,
ASC, who also shot the project's terrestrial footage. "I have trained all the crews on the Imax
space movies since 1988," Neihouse tells Jay Holben ("Time and Space," page 56), adding with
wry humor, "I tell everybody that I'm the only [cinematographer] who has to train his first unit
how to shoot."
Neihouse was one of the star guests at the recent NAB Show in Las Vegas, where he
participated in an American Cinematographer Creative Master Series session with astronaut
Marsha Ivins; AC contributor David Heuring moderated the fascinating discussion. Our editorial
team also had the honor of hobnobbing with Neihouse, Ivins and her fellow astronaut Terry Virts
during a dinner hosted by Canon at the Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chão. Proving he's a
trouper, Neihouse joined ASC President Richard Crudo, the magazine's staff and a dozen other
industry friends for a social voyage to The Golden Tiki, a pirate-themed lounge featuring cocktails like Hemingway's Ruin, the Painkiller and the flaming Polynesian Haze; an animatronic sea
captain's skeleton that would spring to life without warning, startling everyone in proximity;
and, best of all, a hunting knife that once belonged to Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson
(gifted to the bar's owners by Thompson's goddaughter). The venue - recommended by "my
attorney," Wick Hempleman, general manager of J.L. Fisher GmbH - proved to be a suitable
substitute for our usual Vegas hangout: the Kiss-themed Monster Mini Golf course, temporarily
closed for a pending relocation.
Lest you think NAB is all fun and games, this month's New Products & Services section
(page 102) offers an abundance of information our team gathered at the show while marching
impressive distances over thinly carpeted concrete floors at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
(According to her Fitbit bracelet, staffer Sanja Pearce logged an incredible 22 miles over 2½ days,
while Angie Gollmann estimated her average at 8 miles per day.) Our team met with representatives from dozens of companies to gather intel and scope out all the new gear, so our roundup
is second to none and perhaps merits a new motto: "What happens in Vegas will be revealed
in AC."

10

Stephen Pizzello
Editor-in-Chief and Publisher

Photo by Owen Roizman, ASC.

Editor's Note
American Cinematographer - June 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - June 2016
