American Cinematographer - February 1990 - 82

PHILLIPS JUNIOR COLLEGE

worked or it didn't. Now, everyone has
seen the whole spot a dozen times be¬
fore it's finally finished. It's not as excit¬

□EPT. OF

MOTION

Learn All Aspects

Hands

on

ing on the last day, but at least we know
it's the last day!"
Gibson and Weinberg also
agreed that the eight-week project went
very smoothly. From Weinberg's point of
view, Richard Taylor's experience in
computer graphics was a major reason
for the success of the spot. "He knew
what to give us up front. Things like color

PICTURES

of Production

Program

Associate of Science

Degree

Video Editing for Film

reference film, information on how the

Located in CENTRAL FLORIDA,
near UNIVERSAL and
DISNEY/MGM STUDIOS in
Orlando

Phillips Junior College
CONTACT: ADMISSIONS
2401 N. Harbor

City Blvd.

scene was

lit, shots of

moved around from

a

fake quarter

scene to scene to

(407) 254-6459

a

(please print)

New Address

Apt. No.

City

State

Zip

MAIL TO

AMERICAN
CINEMATOGRAPHER
P.0. Box 2230

Hollywood, Ca.
90028

some

mattes so that we have

shadows that get

clipped by the
edges of objects. Because it's all com¬
posited digitally, the generational loss is
frozen at the digital transfer. From that
point it remains all digital, and it is out¬
put digitally. There is no color shift or
anything like that. Everything is compos¬
ited in the computer and put back out
some

Name

onto the same Abekas it came in on and

inquiry. If

HERE

you are

for address

change or
receiving duplicate copies of

product and to their dedication. The
currently employs about 25
people and only 10 months ago moved
into new office space in the heart of
Hollywood. The group is eclectic and

animation works best.

Weinberg gives a good illus¬
tration of the technical side of the story:
"I recently spoke with an animator in his
late seventies. The first question he
asked me was, 'Is computer animation

going to replace traditional animation?'
It seems to be a real fear of those who
have spent a lifetime doing cel anima¬
tion. My answer was 'No.' It's just an¬
other tool. It gives you a slightly differ¬
ent

look, like

an

airbrush gives a slightly

different look."

According to Gibson, the

aes¬

thetic challenge is how to use that
ferent look." "One of the problems

"dif¬
with

having to make things look real in a scene
is that sometimes you have to go a little

speed, it's delivered assembled and
there is no additional post."
"It's really nice to have our
own compositer," Weinberg adds. "We
can do a lot of effects during this last
phase. For instance, there's a little simu¬
lated lens flare on the edge of Spot's
glasses in a close-up. That's all done on
the compositor. We can pull out just the
bright part of an image, blur it and put it

highly art directed. You not only have to
rise up to the standards of realism, you
have to rise up to the standards of a live-

on

top and combine it."
Gibson

LABEL

of former Robert Abel and Associates
and Digital Productions employees. In
their short history they have won more
than their share of awards-including
two 1989 Clios for a Sunbeam spot-
which attests to the excellence of their

shot off the screen at 24 fps. We emu¬
late what the Rank Cintel does with stan¬
dard film transfers, so that it plays at

back
ATTACH

do."

Hughes find the mix to be stimulating.
The company is a full-service
studio producing effects in everything
from tabletop to live action, from pup¬
petry to computer-generated images and
from a small logo to feature films. But
their strong suit seems to be their under¬
standing of how and where 3D computer

added

6 WEEKS IN ADVANCE

we

Rhythm and Hues was founded
only two-and-a-half years ago by a group

Gibson and fellow co-founder John

three-layer composite-back¬
ground, shadow and foreground. Some¬
times we create some special holdout
mattes-in this spot, for instance, Larry

Miss/Mrs./Mr.

about what

ity is gone."

do

PLEASE NOTIFY US

add

tweaked to death and all the spontane¬

Abekas, it can come into our computers.
Computers generate perfect mattes;
there are never any matte lines. So we

MOVING?

can

glows, simulate slightly fogged film and
things like that. Video effects often have
a beefy feel and we can be very delicate

company

plains: "We do a registered digital trans¬
fer to video. We can take the material
onto our Abekas and once it's in the
Financial Aid Available to
those who qualify

cals, much less in video. We

showing reflections. All of that informa¬
tion helped to make it smooth. Also the
quantity of work and the limited time
frame is a plus. Sometimes spots can be

The final step for Rhythm and
Hues is the compositing. They do their
own and they do it digitally. Gibson ex¬

Melbourne, FL 32935

compositer that's hard to do in film opti-

real

concurs.

"There is

a

subtlety that we can achieve in the

AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER, please send both
labels. If moving, list new address above.

February 1990

bit further. Commercials

now are

very

action art director, director and director
of photography. You have a mood to

maintain. It doesn't

real-it has to look

just have to look
great!"
A
American Cinematographer - February 1990

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - February 1990
