American Cinematographer - July 1992 - 94

The Last

British Air Force Film Proves

The

accompanying photograph shows a
from a 16mm training film for the
British Royal Air Force called Halo Patrol.
The film, produced by the Ministry of De¬
fense Film Unit, follows the progress of four
special forces parachutists (in reality trained
instructors) who are gradually trained to
free-fall with oxygen from high altitude and
land together at a specific spot-at night!
The California weather justifies the long trip
from England; as many jumps can be made
in one sunny El Centro day as in an average
scene

week back home.
Ground-to-air sequences

Sky is No Limit

the ground training scenes, were shot by
MOD cameramen Michael Eldridge and

Simon Dunstan. Sound was provided by
Mike McLoughin and the production was
directed by Alan Roberts.
A large portion of the film, how¬
ever,

concentrated on the various exercises

the students go

through with their instruc¬
during free-fall. The problem was how
to fill the frame with close, steady shots of
the jumpers in various positions, from dif¬
ferent angles, while they hurtled earthward
at 120 miles per hour (about 180 feet every
tors

second). The

of the
parachutists under canopies were shot us¬
ing an Arriflex SR with an Angenieux 12-

answer was to call back into
service several venerable veterans-con¬
verted G.S.A.P. cameras, which originally

240mm lens. Exit shots from the aircraft

served as gunsight cameras mounted on air¬

were

slightly more difficult, with the cam¬
wedged in what is affectionately

eraman

known

the "crow's nest," a contor¬
position suspended over the edge
ramp, looking straight down.
These sequences, together with
as

tionist's
of the

92

Page

American

Cinematographer

craft

during World War II.
Supplied by Alan Gordon Enter¬
prises and mounted on the helmets of two

free-fall instructors, the durable cameras

performed admirably. They take a 50-foot
by Kodak with 7428 stock,

cassette loaded

July 1992

and provide about a minute of filming time,
ideal for the length of the free-falls.
The finale was shot day for night
with a straight ND9 filter on the cameras,
which were set for three-stop underexpo¬
sures. The filmmakers were somewhat con¬
cerned by their inability to see immediate

rushes, but the tests had been correct. The
final version, cut by Nigel Goode, went on
to win the Best Military Training Film atthe
International Defense Film Festival in
Toulon, France, as well

as a

special award

from the Institute of Visual Corporate Arts
for the best program produced by an inhouse unit.
"Free-fall

isjusta mode of trans¬

port really-a way of getting to our place
of work," one of the patrol members says
in the film. The best overheard (and off the
record) line, though, was one jumper's wry
aside: "With all these jumps, some days our
feet just don't touch the ground."
-Alan Roberts
American Cinematographer - July 1992

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