American Cinematographer - November, 2010 - 8

Editor’s Note
This month’s tribute to the late, great William A. Fraker, ASC, BSC (“King of Cool,” page 64),is a salute to a cinematographer who brought positive vibes to the set and joy to all who knew him. A true professional who also knew how to have fun, Billy was the charismatic embodiment of an era when moviemaking was the most glamorous and exciting career one could ever hope to pursue. Whenever he ambled into the ASC Clubhouse, sporting his mirrored shades, we all experienced a frisson of true Hollywood hipness,especially when Billy bent an elbow at the bar and entertained us with stories about Roman Polanski, Steve McQueen or the car chase from Bullitt. Trust me, there was no cooler way to enjoy a scotch on the rocks. Dramatizing real-life events can be tricky when most of the audience knows how the story ends, but Secretariat does a fine job of creating suspense while telling the saga of the most famous Triple Crown winner in history. “We wanted to capture the excitement of the race and were willing to do it in ways that no one else had tried,” director Randall Wallace tells AC contributor Patricia Thomson (“Horse Power,” page 30). “We were skimming cameras an inch over the ground, so close to the hooves that you can see the light reflected in the horseshoes. The dirt is flying, and it’s all real.” Of course, that kind of work requires careful planning, as cinematographer Dean Semler, ASC, ACS relates: “We did a careful, analytical study of every race. Each was designed on a corkboard with the exact position for the starting gate, the finish line, and the positions for all the horses throughout the race …. We’d pull this corkboard out every morning and dribble our breakfast burritos over it as we’d plan the day’s events.” The makers of Carlos faced similar challenges in dramatizing the true story of Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, a.k.a. Carlos the Jackal, a terrorist described by director Olivier Assayas as “the Bin Laden of his time.” Released in two versions — a 5 1⁄ 2-hour cut broadcast on the Sundance Channel and a 2 1⁄ 2-hour theatrical cut — the ambitious film was shot in nine countries, on 135 locations and in eight languages, by two cinematographers: Yorick Le Saux and Denis Lenoir, ASC, AFC. Assayas’ method, which often involves handheld cameras, tested the cinematographers’ mettle. “Lighting for his films is more difficult because you have to cover 180, 270 or even 360 degrees,” Lenoir tells European correspondent Benjamin B (“The World’s Most Wanted Man,” page 42), “so you have to compromise; you have to light from the ceiling or find ways to not light at all.” On Hereafter, a romantic story with supernatural overtones, Tom Stern, ASC, AFC added new twists to the tried-and-true methods he usually employs on his collaborations with director Clint Eastwood. Normally a classicist, Eastwood found himself embracing the latest digital techniques, including previsualization, CGI and the digital-intermediate process. “We started with the DI about six years ago, and there was tension about it back then,” Stern concedes in his interview with Michael Goldman (“A Modern Romance,” page 54). “Now, it’s a standard part of what we do. The point is, as technologies become stable, more interesting tools become available. Clint will always take a conservative approach, but things do evolve, and we’re open to whatever develops.”

Stephen Pizzello Executive Editor
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Photo by Owen Roizman, ASC.

American Cinematographer - November, 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - November, 2010