American Cinematographer - August 2018 - 72

August 2018

Haarhoff's responsibilities with XM2
won't take away from his work on set. "It's
important to be engaged in that," says Oh.
"That's our passion. On set is where we
actually get to show these systems to
people. Getting out there and showing this
tech is important, and it teaches us what
we need to make next."
"The classic CEO position as defined
in a regular company does not really apply
here," Haarhoff adds. "As a company, we
all multitask. Everybody has multiple jobs,

More From Panavision
Primo X isn't the only
new series of lenses from Panavision. At Cine Gear in June, the
company also unveiled H Series,
Ultra Vista and PanaSpeed
optics, as well as a liquid-crystal
neutral-density filter.
The H Series is a traditionally designed spherical lens
set with what the company
describes as "a glamorous, rounded, soft roll-off, giving a pleasing tonal quality to the
skin." Created with vintage glass and coating, these lenses offer slightly elevated blacks for
softer contrast; high speeds separate subject and background with a smooth edge transition. Ultra Vista is a series of large-format anamorphic optics; using a custom 1.6x squeeze,
Ultra Vista covers the full height of the 8K sensor in Panavision's Millennium DXL camera
and presents an ultra-widescreen 2.76:1 aspect ratio along with a classic elliptical bokeh
and horizontal flare. PanaSpeed lenses open to T1.4 and provide a large-format update of
the classic Primo look.
Additionally, the dynamically adjustable LCND filter marks a significant departure
from traditional approaches to front-of-the-lens filters. The LCND instantly adjusts up to six
individual stops with a single click or ramp, starting at 0.3 and going through 0.6, 0.9, 1.2
and 1.5, up to 1.8.
For additional information, visit www.panavision.com.
American Cinematographer

Photos courtesy of Panavision.

70mm (T2.8) zoom, the Primo X lenses are
fully sealed, weatherproof, aerodynamic,
and balanced to be able to easily maintain
a proper center of gravity.
Oh explains that XM2 and Panavision "worked together on the development
of these lenses. The motors that drive the
lens are all at the root of the lens, so it's
better for the balancing on the gimbal. It
will be used for drones, but it's also for
Steadicam, or Movi operators, or a helicopter mount - anything that needs
balancing. And all the motors are internal;
there are no gears on the outside. This helps
with aerodynamics, and it makes the lens so
much lighter. It would even help when
you're shooting off the shoulder. What
Panavision's done is a massive breakthrough
- and it was great to get our company's
initial, X, onto the lens."
In his new position, Haarhoff -
whose credits include Casino, Saving Private
Ryan, Almost Famous, Her and Birdman or
(The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) -
has climbed aboard to help navigate XM2
through its expanding portfolio. Haarhoff
first encountered XM2 on Dead Men Tell
No Tales, and he again worked with the
company on Pacific Rim: Uprising and
Westworld.
Oh says that operators of Haarhoff's
caliber, because of their experience operating remote heads, pick up drone operating
"very quickly. And they're trusted by
productions. They know what they're
doing, they know how the hierarchy works,
they know what to say to a producer and
what to do on set."

and they'll still chip in more. So as the CEO
in North America, I'll be attracting other
operators into our fold, and when it comes
time for moving sandbags, that will be my
job as well. That's how we do it, and we
cover a lot of ground that way.
"I've got to say, this kind of intersection of technology and ability doesn't come
along very often," Haarhoff continues.
"We're at a very fortunate time to see the
language expanding; I think this period will
stand as a time when technology really
caught up and improved the image for
everybody. It's an exciting time, and it's
going to be fun."
For additional information, visit
www.xm2.com.
●

http://www.xm2.com http://www.panavision.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - August 2018