American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 47

comfortable and is very ergonomic.” For running shots and tighter quarters, like inside the Humvee, Aaton’s A-Minima came into play. “You can poke it around a bit, the same way people use [Sony] PD150s; it’s got that kind of attitude.” Though Bigelow storyboarded the film, the four Aaton operators worked like documentary shooters covering a war. The sets were big, usually more than 300 meters long. In the opening sequence, the video images were captured by the Army’s robotic device. Two XTR-Prods were stationed behind the Humvee to pick out dialogue and reveal characters. (In this sequence and others, special reveals were given to wellknown actors playing cameo roles, such as Pearce and Ralph Fiennes.) Canon 8-64mm and 11165mm zoom lenses were employed throughout the shoot. “It’s a good, huge range,” says Ackroyd. “We’d have three to four cameras, and we’d tell one of the guys to try to find a rooftop. There are lots of lovely 45degree angles down. Using an 11–165mm zoom, you could pick off a head-and-shoulders shot of someone across the street, or have a wide-angle shot. We used a lot of zooms within the shot to give it that little edge.” IED explosions were created by special-effects supervisor Robert Stutsman and his team. No digital effects were used to create or enhance any explosions because Bigelow was aiming for total accuracy. “Those fake gas fireballs have a lot of visual impact but are inaccurate, especially given the type of ordnance soldiers are dealing with in Iraq,” she says. “The effect we were after was predominantly a very dense, black, thick, almost completely opaque explosion filled with lots of particulate matter and shrapnel.” The blast in the opening scene was captured at high speed with a Phantom HD, which was obtained in Beirut, Lebanon. Ackroyd notes Left: James examines the detonator he ferreted out while defusing a car bomb at the United Nations building in Baghdad. Below: James and Sanborn search an abandoned building where suspicious activity has been detected. he is normally reluctant to use slowmotion for such scenes. “On a lot of films I’ve shot, we’d refuse to shoot high-speed or use multiple cameras on something like an explosion or a crash because that’s showing too much knowledge,” he explains. But in this case, “we shot high-speed to get the sense of flying dirt. When an explosion that big goes off, the whole earth moves. “The great thing about that [Phantom] camera is that it’s really quite simple to use, provided you have enough daylight,” he continues. “And you can play back and see your results straight away, which is really helpful.” He determined that shooting between 500-1,000 fps would facilitate the appropriate amount of screen time and optimal resolution in the HD image. As he has on all his features, Ackroyd manned the A camera throughout the shoot. “It’s my documentary background,” he says. “When you’re feeling in tune with something, you can follow a whole scene or conversation — even one in another language — and know how to make that coverage tell the story. You can use one camera and one sound recorder and get cutaways and reaction shots, all in real time. I think that’s the greatest kind of training you can have.” The other camera operators on the picture were Scott McDonald, a Canadian who had worked with Ackroyd on Battle in Seattle (2007); Duraid Munajim, who was hired for second unit but American Cinematographer 47

American Cinematographer - July 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - July 2009

American Cinematographer - July 2009
Contents
Editor’s Note
Short Takes: Puppy Love
Production Slate: Moon and Séraphine
Big Guns
Impressionistic Cinema
Risk and Valor
Terror on the Tracks
Post Focus: Mega Playground’s DP Dailies
New Products & Services
International Marketplace
Classified Ads
Ad Index
In Memoriam: Jack Cardiff, BSC
Clubhouse News
ASC Close-Up: Mark Irwin
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - American Cinematographer - July 2009
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - Cover2
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 1
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 2
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - Contents
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 4
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 5
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 6
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 7
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - Editor’s Note
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 9
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - Short Takes: Puppy Love
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 11
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 12
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 13
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - Production Slate: Moon and Séraphine
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 15
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 16
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 17
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 18
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 19
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 20
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 21
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 22
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 23
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - Big Guns
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 25
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 26
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 27
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 28
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 29
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 30
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 31
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 32
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 33
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - Impressionistic Cinema
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 35
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 36
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 37
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 38
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 39
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 40
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 41
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 42
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 43
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - Risk and Valor
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 45
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 46
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 47
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 48
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 49
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 50
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 51
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - Terror on the Tracks
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 53
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 54
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 55
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 56
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 57
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 58
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 59
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - Post Focus: Mega Playground’s DP Dailies
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 61
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 62
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 63
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - New Products & Services
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 65
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 66
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 67
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - International Marketplace
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - Classified Ads
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - Ad Index
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 71
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - In Memoriam: Jack Cardiff, BSC
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 73
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - Clubhouse News
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - 75
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - ASC Close-Up: Mark Irwin
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - Cover3
American Cinematographer - July 2009 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0909
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0809
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0609
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0509
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0409
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0808
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0608
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0508
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac1007
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0907
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0807
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0707
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0507
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0407
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/acbest2006
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac0107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200611
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200610
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200609
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200608
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200606
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200605
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200604
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200603
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200602
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200601
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200512
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200511
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200510
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200509
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200508
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200507
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200505
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200504
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200503
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200502
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200501
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200412
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200411
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200410
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200409
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200407
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200406
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200405
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200103
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200101
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200007
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200006
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200005
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200003
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200002
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ac/ac200001
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com