American Cinematographer - July 2007 - 51

including Gene and Duane (Steve Zahn). “Werner and I wanted the light in the hut to look natural, so we didn’t use any lamps inside at all for the day scenes,” notes Zeitlinger. “We had three 64-kilowatt generators powering four 6K, six 4K, eight 2.5K and two 18K HMIs that were set around and under the hut, and we used mirrors and reflectors to squeeze the lightbeams through the narrow gaps in the bamboo floor and walls. We set every scene in there at a different time of day to create the illusion of time passing by. “For night interiors, I used mostly Kino Flo Image 80 flatheads and 4-banks, and for exterior night scenes we used two HMI helium balloons, which were enough to light a vast area to a stop of T2. Even though the light from the balloons was soft, the landscape was full of mysterious shadows. “I like to work with shadows more than light,” continues Zeitlinger. “In the real world there is never a clean, unfiltered or unbounced light. In the jungle only a few gaps between the leaves allow the sun to break through, and the reflections from the leaves tint the light green. That’s the impression I was trying to achieve.” He only used artificial lighting on day exteriors when there was significant cloud cover, or when the team was losing light. “Toward the end of the day, to maintain the warm light of sunset I used four Dinos with tungsten spot lamps. I prefer to use big units and send the light through some natural obstacle or bounce it rather than use small lamps.” The production’s camera package comprised a Moviecam Compact and SL, and an Arri 435 and 235. Zeitlinger used Arri/Bayonet-mounted Zeiss Superspeeds (18mm, 25mm, 35mm, 50mm and 85mm) and a Zeitlinger and Herzog line up a shot in the camp. 14mm Zeiss Ultra Prime. Relying on Zeitlinger’s nimble feet and instincts, Herzog eschewed shooting coverage whenever possible. When a second camera was involved, Zeitlinger would set it up and then keep an eye on that camera’s framing via a wireless video feed that sent the image to a small screen mounted near his own eyepiece. Herzog clearly preferred single-camera handheld sprints through the jungle, which were facilitated by a crewmember who raced ahead of Zeitlinger, hacking a path for him. “When the actors are plowing through the densest thickets, it’s just sensational,” marvels Herzog. “It still baffles me how Peter shot it. It looks like no camera on God’s wide earth could ever follow those guys through those vines. “I don’t use many long lenses,” he continues. “They’re harder to work with than wider lenses because everything in frame has to be perfect. In this movie, we’re not focusing on one face alone.” Herzog was devoted to the ensemble ethic because “this story is a test and trial of men, not a prison movie, not a war movie.” That proved to be true on both sides of the camera, but no one was more avid than the director, says Zeitlinger. “One of the most beautiful locations was the waterfall that Duane and Dieter had to pass under. There was such a strong wind, with the slippery stones permanently covered by the spray of the waterfall. It was American Cinematographer 51

American Cinematographer - July 2007

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