American Cinematographer - September 2015 - 10

While Straight Outta Compton was still in production, I
heard that my pal Matthew Libatique, ASC would be
shooting a re-creation of the 1992 Los Angeles riots just
two blocks from my house. (The neighborhood had
already served as the backdrop for a demon attack in
Constantine and for mean-street car chases in Nightcrawler and Pineapple Express, so I wasn't overly
concerned about the scene's potential impact on property
values.) I decided to take the oldest of my three boys,
Nicholas, on his first unofficial set visit. Rounding the
corner, we walked into the scene of complete bedlam
shown in the top photo on page 48: rubble-strewn streets,
an ominous pall of smoke, and an infuriated mob rallying
around a rioter perched on an overturned police car.
"Pretty cool," said my 8-year-old son as he surveyed the
apocalypse - prompting me to launch into an impromptu, fatherly history lesson explaining why
the L.A. riots, while dramatically compelling, were not all that cool.
"Where's your friend?" Nicholas asked, just as a black SUV topped with a crane arm came
zooming down the street. The vehicle glided to a smooth stop 20 feet in front of us, a side door
popped open, and out strode spike-haired Matty in full cinematographer glory, rocking a black
sleeveless shirt and tinted specs. "That's him," I replied with a chuckle, marveling at the man's
knack for a well-timed Hollywood entrance.
Matty later waved us onto the set so my son could take a look around, reassuring him
that the 'hood would be back to normal in no time. Months later, he gave a full report to David
E. Williams ("Street Knowledge," page 38), noting that the movie combines both naturalistic and
stylized concepts. "While reading the script I saw an origin story of these pop-culture superheroes,
as these guys discover their abilities, come together and battle the powers that be," he says.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. presents its own pair of (fictional) pop-culture heroes with
considerable panache, thanks to a 1960s, Swinging London scenario captured in vibrant color by
John Mathieson, ASC, BSC for director Guy Ritchie. Commenting on the show's eye-grabbing
style ("Superspy Alliance," page 56), Mathieson tells British correspondent Phil Rhodes, "It's up,
it's bright, it's of that time, it's Lichtenstein, it's Warhol, Kennedy - men in very tonic blue suits
and Sixties colors. Very rich, bold, Mary Quant-type dresses, girls with over-made-up eyes and big
lips and dark hair and big plastic earrings. It felt quite comic-strippy."
This month's special focus on international production also offers coverage of the features
Lost Birds (shot in Turkey by Aren Perdeci) and Concrete Night (an ASC Spotlight Award winner
shot in Finland by Peter Flinckenberg, FSC), as well as the documentaries Cartel Land (shot in
Mexico and the U.S. by Matthew Heineman and Matthew Porwoll) and The Look of Silence (shot
in Indonesia by Lars Skree).
Rounding out our slate is Michael Goldman's historical salute to one of Hollywood's most
venerable companies: Technicolor, which is celebrating 100 years as an iconic touchstone for filmmakers around the world ("Technicolor Celebrates Centennial," page 80). "Our mission is now
and always has been to provide key solutions to filmmakers," notes Stéphane Rougeot, Technicolor's deputy CEO and technology group president. "But we don't just create technologies -
we leverage technology to create new ways of telling stories and engaging audiences."

Stephen Pizzello
Editor-in-Chief and Publisher

Photo by Owen Roizman, ASC.

Editor's Note

American Cinematographer - September 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - September 2015