American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 48C

VARIES FORMATS TO DEPICT A HARSH WORLD
Días de gracia, or Days of Grace, is an intense, fast-paced trip through
the Mexico of drug lords, kidnapping, corruption and violence. The
labyrinthine plot intercuts among three different years — 2002, 2006
and 2010 — and never lets up on the energy level. The fi lm took home
eight ARIEL Awards, the Mexican equivalent of the Academy Award®.
That success is more astonishing given that the fi lm was writerdirector-producer
Everardo (Valerio) Gout’s fi rst feature.
Gout and cinematographer Luis (David) Sansans used different fi lm
formats to give the various story threads distinctive textures and sizes
on the screen. We did try to be constant with the color. The World Cup
tournaments of 2002, 2006 and 2010 serve as a framing device.
“It was a luxury to be involved in the conceptualization of the
fi lm from the very beginning, at the script development stage,” says
Sansans, who took home an ARIEL for his cinematography. “That gives
you a lot of tools and a lot of ways to tell the story. The formats gave
us a perspective for each character and for each story. The tale unfolds
in Mexico City, and the environment is quite tough. We wanted to
show that toughness on the fi lm — the coloring of the city, of the walls,
the roads, the mountains, everything. Every environment has its own
texture, and you can emphasize that with negative. It’s not as fl at as
digital. Film negative has its own body, and that chemistry and alchemy
make all the difference.”
To create a startling perspective on Mexico City, the 2002 segment
was photographed mainly in a rare 16mm anamorphic format that
resulted in a wide, 3:1 aspect ratio that is not as tall as the normal
picture height when it appears in the theater. Sansans found uncoated
Russian Lomo lenses that gave the images unique fl ares and textures.
The main character here is a good cop who lives in a world of
corruption.
“We had to be with this character all the time, following his steps,”
Sansans explains. “That’s another reason that we chose 16mm — it’s
lighter and easier to run and walk with. Everardo’s rule of thumb was
‘actors do, cameras follow.’ As a result, we had to be reactive, often
using two cameras. This approach sometimes means compromises in
the lighting, and you must depend on the latitude of the fi lm stock and
the lab.”
The 2006 portion of the story features a kidnapping from the
victim’s perspective, and begins by establishing the confused point of
view of the victim through the use of the Super 8 fi lm format. As the
victim becomes more coherent, the format switches to Super 16, and
eventually 35mm spherical. The aspect ratio is 1.85:1 throughout this
storyline.
“A kidnapping victim is usually blindfolded and helpless,” notes
Sansans. “You have to guide yourself using your other senses. We were
using an older stock and created scratches, double exposures and
out-of-focus moments. We manipulated shutter angle and used other
in-camera techniques. As the story progresses, the format changes
and the images become more static.”
The third section, which plays out in 2010, presents a kidnapping
from the perspective of the victim’s family, and the psychology of
isolation and fear that can result in such situations.
“Here, the camera is more likely to be on a Steadicam,” Sansans
adds. “We shot with telephoto lenses to communicate the feeling
that they are trapped in their own house. Their new world consists
of the security people who protect them, and the kidnappers. They
begin to have doubts and aren’t sure whom to believe. Shooting with
spherical lenses gave us more choices when it came to focal length
and composition.”
In addition to the range of formats, the fi lmmakers varied fi lm
stocks, using KODAK VISION3 500T Color Negative Film 7219 and
5219, KODAK VISION 250D Color Negative Film 7246 and 5246,
and EASTMAN EXR 50D Color Negative Film 7245, among others.
Fotokem in Burbank provided lab services on the complex project. DI
was done with colorist Yvan Lucas at EFILM.
“I became a producer on the fi lm, and saw the whole process from
script to projection in the theater,” says Sansans. “After that, you
understand better how images will edit or work with music and sound,
for example. For me as a cinematographer, this project was like getting
a master’s degree.”
Días de gracia was nominated for the Camera d’Or at the 2012
Cannes Film Festival, and among its eight ARIEL Awards were also
statues for Best First Feature, Best Actor and Best Production Design.
Photos:
Top: Scene from Días de Gracia. Bottom: Arnanz on set.
(Photos courtesy Luis Sansans)
“...Every environment has its own texture,
and you can emphasize that with negative.
It’s not as fl at as digital. Film negative
has its own body, and that chemistry and
alchemy make all the difference.”

American Cinematographer - September 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - September 2012

American Cinematographer - September 2012
Contents
Editor’s Note
President’s Desk
Short Takes: 8
Production Slate: Side by Side • World Without End
Natural Bourne Killer
Around the World in 65mm
Hair-Raising Heroics
Optimizing Digital-Camera Workflows
Post Focus: Eldorado
New Products & Services
International Marketplace
Classified Ads
Ad Index
ASC Membership Roster
Clubhouse News
ASC Close-Up: John Newby
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - American Cinematographer - September 2012
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - Cover2
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 1
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 2
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - Contents
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 4
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 5
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 6
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 7
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - Editor’s Note
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 9
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - President’s Desk
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 11
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - Short Takes: 8
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 13
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 14
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 15
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 16
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 17
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - Production Slate: Side by Side • World Without End
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 19
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 20
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 21
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 22
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 23
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 24
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 25
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 26
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 27
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 28
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 29
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 30
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 31
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - Natural Bourne Killer
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 33
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 34
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 35
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 36
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 37
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 38
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 39
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 40
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 41
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 42
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 43
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 44
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 45
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - Around the World in 65mm
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 47
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 48
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 48A
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 48B
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 48C
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 48D
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 48E
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 48F
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 48G
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 48H
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 48I
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 48J
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 48K
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 48L
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 49
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 50
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 51
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 52
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 53
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 54
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 55
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 56
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 57
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 58
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 59
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 60
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 61
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - Hair-Raising Heroics
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 63
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 64
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 65
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 66
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 67
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 68
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 69
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 70
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 71
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 72
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 73
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 74
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 75
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 76
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 77
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - Optimizing Digital-Camera Workflows
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 79
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 80
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 81
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 82
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 83
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 84
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 85
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 86
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 87
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - Post Focus: Eldorado
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 89
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 90
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 91
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 92
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 93
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 95
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 96
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 97
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 98
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 99
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 100
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 101
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 102
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 103
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - International Marketplace
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - Ad Index
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 106
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 107
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - ASC Membership Roster
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 109
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - Clubhouse News
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - 111
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - ASC Close-Up: John Newby
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - Cover3
American Cinematographer - September 2012 - Cover4
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