American Cinematographer - July 2022 - 50

BUILDING WORLDS
Tech Specs:
2:1
Cameras | Arri Alexa LF, Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 6K (for helmet cam)
Lenses | Arri Signature Prime, Arri Rental DNA (detuned), Venus Optics Laowa Zero-D prime
(for helmet cam)
Top: Cinematographer Eszter Galambos, who served as Lindenlaub's
assistant and C-camera operator, assists stunt double Justin Howell
with a helmet-cam scene. Bottom: Backlighting for the aquarium-like
screen in Dr. Halsey's laboratory (as seen on pages 44 and 45).
diffusion, above a specially designed metal-grid ceiling, " Lindenlaub
says. " The metal grid also served as a [light-control device] that kept the
light from spilling. "
Miles of Light
Lindenlaub used LED lighting on all of the Fleetcom sets, working with
gaffers Jonathan Spencer and Gromek Molnár Jr. to integrate close to
five miles of LiteRibbon into the floors, walls and ceilings, and to route
everything through four ChamSys MQ80 lighting desks.
Lindenlaub notes that the LiteRibbon " was mostly used for architectural
lighting, " which was a primary element in the UNSC set designs
- helping to " create the mood, tone and color in the room, " while providing
depth and contrast to the image.
" This was supplemented with a generous package of film lights, " he
continues. " Our SkyPanel package had over 400 S60, 30 S120 and 20
S360 units. We also carried more than 200 [Sumolight] Sumospace units
in our stage package - and carried a floor package that included LiteGear
LiteMats, Kino Flo Celebs, Hudson Spiders and Digital Sputniks, plus
a healthy selection of traditional tungsten lights. "
Lighting-console operator Andy Waddington would often be
found standing next to Lindenlaub with a Microsoft Surface tablet
running the ChamSys remote-control application, which allowed
them to change the architectural and film lighting in an instant.
Customizing the Ops Room
The observation lounge and conference room are linked to the ops room
as part of an enormous two-level set. Becher laid out the ops room like a
decagon, surrounded by glowing, wall-to-wall tactical displays; concrete
struts; and vented gray walls that lean toward the center of the room to
meet at a ceiling of soft, diffuse light provided by 27 low-profile Sumospace
fixtures.
In order to maintain the integrity of this design, light quickly, and
provide Bathurst with the freedom to shoot in any direction, Lindenlaub
suggested drilling holes into the ceiling's crossbeams, through which
a chain motor could raise and lower rigging and power for additional
lighting units, which could then encircle the command console in the
center of the room. (See photo and diagram, page 48.) By securing multiple
pipes horizontally - each one from the end of a respective pair of
chains - " it took about five minutes for the crew to hang three or four
SkyPanel 120s with Chimeras, " the cinematographer says. With this system
in place, the production was able to provide " crosslight or half-light,
from above the frame, for closer shots. "
" We had a lot of LED screens in the control room, which was a big
challenge because shooting LED screens can be quite hard for a DoP, "
says Becher. " But the advantage of shooting it live is that you get light
from the screens, and Karl-Walter used that to help light the sets. "
Adds Lindenlaub, " We actually selected a lower pixel count for the
screens. It made the ops center feel a bit grittier, and it helped us to avoid
issues with moiré patterns. "
50 / JULY 2022
" It was a real tightrope walk honoring
the core design [of the video game] while
finessing it into something that exists
within a believable, physical reality. "
TOP PHOTO BY KARL-WALTER LINDENLAUB, ASC, BVK.
American Cinematographer - July 2022

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