American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 79
the Conchords — made him well suited to give the subject matter a unique spin. “James has a fantastic energy and an infectious sense of humor, and he was very passionate about making this movie,” says director of photography Don Burgess, ASC, whose credits include The Book of Eli , Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (AC Aug. ’03) and Spider-Man (AC June ’02). While Bobin and production designer Steve Saklad scoured previous Muppet features and television’s The Muppet Show for ideas that could be transposed for the new film, Burgess used AC ’s coverage of the original Muppet Movie (see July ’79), shot by Isidore Mankofsky, ASC, as his own starting point. “For material like this, it was important to understand how things were done in the past,” says Burgess. Indeed, the team’s approach to the new film did not vary much from the way things were done more than 30 years ago. The main difference is that this Muppets marks the characters’ first digitally captured feature. Burgess used a Red One with the upgraded Mysterium-X sensor — he had used its predecessor on The Book of Eli in 2009, and after testing the upgraded camera, he was confident it could handle the Muppets’ bold color palette. The extreme clarity of the digital image was a concern, however. “Early on I wondered if more detail would be a problem,” says Burgess. “Would the Muppets lose some of their charm if you saw them too perfectly? But they held up great. We were able to enhance the quality of their design without detracting from their personalities.” Burgess consistently kept the Red set at 800 ASA, “but I lit to 400 ASA, which is what I set my meter to, to get a more accurate exposure in protecting the exposure range of the camera.” Shooting at 4K resolution, the filmmakers recorded to 16GB flash cards whose data was downloaded and checked on set immediately. “Following that, the footage was colored by the onset colorist, Carissa Tudor, and those
ww.theasc.com w
Photos by Scott Garfield and Patrick Wymore, courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Opposite page: The beloved Muppets troupe returns to the big screen in The Muppets. From left to right are Floyd Pepper, Fozzie Bear, Lew Zealand, Janice, Swedish Chef, Camilla the Chicken, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Gonzo, Scooter, Beaker and Dr. Teeth. This page, top: Miss Piggy and Kermit resume their tempestuous relationship. Middle: Kermit takes a melancholy stroll in the real world. Bottom: Cinematographer Don Burgess, ASC frames the famous frog.
December 2011
79
http://ww.theasc.com
American Cinematographer - December 2011
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - December 2011
American Cinematographer - December 2011
Contents
Editor’s Note
President's Desk
Short Takes: OK Go’s “Muppet Show Theme Song”
Production Slate: Melancholia • Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Stepping into the Shadows
Through a Child’s Eyes
Silent Splendor
It’s Time to Raise the Curtain
Filmmakers’ Forum: David Stump, ASC
New Products & Services
International Marketplace
Classified Ads
Ad Index
2011 AC Index
In Memoriam: Andrew Laszlo, ASC
ASC Membership Roster
Clubhouse News
ASC Close-Up: Luciano Tovoli, ASC, AIC
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - American Cinematographer - December 2011
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - Cover2
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 1
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 2
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - Contents
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 4
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 5
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 6
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 7
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - Editor’s Note
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 9
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - President's Desk
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 11
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - Short Takes: OK Go’s “Muppet Show Theme Song”
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 13
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 14
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 15
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 16
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 17
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - Production Slate: Melancholia • Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 19
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 20
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 21
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 22
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 23
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 24
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 25
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 26
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 27
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 28
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 29
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 30
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 31
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 32
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 33
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 34
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 35
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - Stepping into the Shadows
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 37
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 38
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 39
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 40
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 41
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 42
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 43
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 44
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 45
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 46
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 47
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 48
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 49
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 50
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 51
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 52
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 53
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - Through a Child’s Eyes
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 55
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 56
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 57
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 58
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 59
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 60
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 61
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 62
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 63
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 64
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 65
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 66
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 67
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - Silent Splendor
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 69
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 70
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 71
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 72
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 73
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 74
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 75
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 76
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 77
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - It’s Time to Raise the Curtain
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 79
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 80
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 81
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 82
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 83
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 84
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 85
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 86
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 87
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 88
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 89
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 90
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 91
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 92
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 93
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - Filmmakers’ Forum: David Stump, ASC
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 95
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 96
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 97
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 98
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 99
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - New Products & Services
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 101
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 102
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 103
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - International Marketplace
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - Classified Ads
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - Ad Index
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 2011 AC Index
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 108
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 109
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 110
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 111
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 112
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 113
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - In Memoriam: Andrew Laszlo, ASC
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 115
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - ASC Membership Roster
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 117
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - Clubhouse News
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - 119
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - ASC Close-Up: Luciano Tovoli, ASC, AIC
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - Cover3
American Cinematographer - December 2011 - Cover4
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