Camera Operator 2006 Spring/Summer

President's Editorial

The SOC workshops continue. This year, a general membership meeting hosted by Arri at the Film and The r<ccm lATSE Local 600 contract ncgoriarions \\•ith rhc: Association of Tcb;sion Fund fucilicv in Woodland ~lotion Picture and Television Producers Hills CA introduced ,;. co chcir new digiral camera, the Arri D-20. We've (Ai\.t PTP) lefr Camera Operators with an had rwo very suecessnJ cvcntS: the uncerciin fururc. When AMPTP negoria· Bill Hines Camera Operators cors aggrc:ssivdy ace>cked mandacory Workshop and chc Pcdesral C.-unern scaffing of Camera Operacors on fearurcs and cclcvision sho\\rs, ic appears char chc Operators Workshop. There arc plans for more-in New York and Chicago union sacrificed chc Camc:ra Ope:raror position rather than tlghc. this spring and summer.

Sadly, thac concract, the 2006 IATSE Than.ks co aU the members who i havt" sccppcd up co man the .. vote no· Hollywood Basic Agttcmenc, has been rat· phone bank and make sec ,;sirs. ified. Beginning August lsc. the position of /11 San Fr.111ti1ro 0111/Je [>i/01 tailed •1"he Evi1le11c,-" in April 2005.

Camera Operaror will be an "opcion."

Thanks co the American Socicry of ln spite of the ouroomc:, it v. as a gre:u Cinematographers and ocher Dircccors honor for me robe the prcsidem of chc SOC in chis period. I of Phocography who will insisc an opcracor be on chc camera rook this honor very seriously and cried with all my heart co be when ic rolls. full sighted and open co all.

Thanks co che corpora« affiliarc hosts. chc volumccr< who The outreach of the SOC Officers and Board of Governors ga\·c cheir rime wich the scoragc space and chc merchandise. was extensive. SOC members worked tircl~ly to inform and chc workshops. chc articles in che magazine, che upcoming Lifcrin1e A\vards cvcnr. gather support of Local 600 members to defeat the contract.

In the end, the brothers and siStcrs of Local 600 vored ·no· in Thanks ro SOC webm:1Srcr Mark Leins whose rirclcss work huge numbers. rhus sending a message: the Carncra Operator \vent inro creating '"''"v.voredo,vnchcconcr3cr.com in addi· is ''ital co che success of the filmmalting industry. rion ro maint:lining our '"''"v.soc..org 'vcb site.

We must now rake chc momcnrum i,..:ncratcd by our cffom Connibutc your vision and »oice ro chcsc web siccs - they 10 defeat the concracr and move forward. SOC membership is arc yours. They arc a place where we can be infonncd. unified gro,ving signiflca.ncly. \Xie are no'v 'vclcon1ing into our Society and vigilant in combating the notion of chc Camera Opemor more of the film world's best operators. They arc excited robe as :tn "option.• a pare of the organization that Stood up to confront the ignoContinue to rake an active part in SOC. Don't 'vaic for c:mail or a n1agazinc co arrive at your n1ailbo.x. Be proacclvc. rance behind the Holl)wood Basic Agrccmenc.

Camera Op<rators prorccc and serve chc frame, because Ask whac you can do co help. whac happens in chac frame cdls chc story. It is chc love of scory Lastly. we a.re calling for nominations for SOC Awards for celling chac motivates us co continually updacc our knowledge Lifcchnc Achicvc.n1cnr. There \Viii be a '''cbsicc page a.r and skills. \\'\\"\V.soc.org \Yhc:rc you can posr your nornincc. The cvcnr We arc passionate abouc our profession. Our passion comes \viii Ix in larc sum1ncr. The plan is ro n'lakc it a chcarrical pres· from collaboration \\;th chc DP. direccor. actors. and crew. It is cnr:irion only, so as ro keep cosrs do\Yn and encourage more chis "esprit de corps" thac drives us co promocc ourcrafr in chc me1nbcrs ro artcnd.

Society of Camera Opcraiors. Ir is our dcdicarion co be the Long live paragraph 96.1of chc expiring Hollywood Basic bcsc ac whac we do. so we can inspirt others ro do their besc.

Agrccmcnc: "In che operation of cameras. this work shall be The mission of the SOC is 10 provide continued craining handled by a Camera Operator... ." and encouragcmcm for irs members. To inspire them ro bring Camera Operating. lc's simple - irs whac we do. co film and television production a finely honed operator's skill SC!.

'Otwid.J FwWtick. SOC

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l'wideict

Society of Camera Operators Officers Presidenl ......... David J Frede-id< I SI Vice Presidenl ...... Dan Kncecc 2nd Vice Presidcn1 ...... Ernie Re«l J'd Vice Presicknc ..... Allan Lum Li S«rctary ........ . .... Dan Coplan Treasurer .............. Chris Tuf1y Sergeant-at-Arms ..... Greg P Collier Past Presiden1 ......... David Diano Mcmbefship ..... Michael Chambliss Corporate Liaison ... GCO<gia Packard

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Magazine Edilor .......... P.>ul Babin Webmas1er........... Mari< R Leins

bion, the essential i11gredi~111

V that "''as Camnn Opn-aton bonds

Administrative Assistilnt .. Diana f\.>nilla

use in our 1vork, i111nnsir11U1

Board of Governors

tts to children with vision problems.

Jona1h.ln Abram$ Douglas Knapp Aldo Antonelli Larry McConkey Gary Baum Jack Mcssin Bonnie Blake Denis Moran Tom Fraser Jens Piotrowski Michael Frediani Philip Schwartz Buddy Fries Ron Vidor Ben Wolf

CAMERA OPERATOR: PRESIDENT'S LEITER

Ou,. org1111izatio11 contributa irs.fi1l/

support to"" Eye Can Clinic of 01ildn11s H05pt"11 Los Angdes. ~ •is a registered ....,., 1rademark.

All righls reserved.

From the Editor's Desk

is a video village where the finer point< of focus and infornlation \vichin the franle arc best c-va.Juaccd.

As technology routs the best view ro che director's n1onicor. as union officials

We Used to See It First y futhcr \Vas an elt:ctricaJ tngin ccr.

Mpart ofchc aerospace boom <hac

swept Southern California in the 1960s. In l 970. he was laid off along wi<h <housands of other aerospace workers. His agony during chose flvc months ofunemployment was palpable.

After his dea<h last year. I found a memo h<'d written <o himself during char period. He confessed chc exrem ro which he'd fullen behind chc march of technological change. He real· izcd he had a lot ofcatching up <o do <O increase his '"Jue as a nc'v hire. "'Conlpurcrs and progranlming language· he \Vror~ ro himsdf"are chc future.· For rhe next 27 years until his rctirc1ncnt he pushed hi1nsclf to sray current, and ro,v:ard the end he'd become dtc "go·ro guy" for engineers half his age.

In 1979. the year SOC w:1s founded, operators were the ccn· tcr of attention \vhcncvcr the '''<>rd "'cur!"' \V':\S uttered. They wen: entruStcd with the wk of reporting if chc 1:1kc ""'"good."

Remember. video ossisr was nor a s1:1ndml piece ofequipment yet. Video village didn't cx.isr. Dailies were the moment when the success or fuilurc: of• doy's work become known. It was oppropriatc thac ·we sec ic 6rsr" be the motto for the Society of Operating C.•mcr.imen. "'You cannot strp huitt into thr sanu! n·i1".jor other u1a1m arc (0'1lin11allyflo1uing in.· -Hmu/i111s, 500 BC The inrroduccion of •idco asrist eliminated most of the ambiguiry in the opcr.uor's answer co "did we get it?" The abiliry for che dircccor and DP to sec the frame cook a chunk ouc of the oper.icor's mystique. The upside ""s char filmmak· ers could sec and refine and impro''< based on in\Jnediarc feedback. lmmediare feedback. Sound fumiliar?

Ponder how fllmmaking technique might have cvoh·cd if directors never had che ability to sec in real-time whar they were getting. You can stop pondering, because they've alre•dy decided chey got it and moved on.

C.'llncr.t opcr.ttors in"ol ...cd Ln mO\'i CS :.tnd tc.lc:.vision inc.rr."2s· ingly have to figure om where their value will come from. Two minuces s1:1ring inro chc flnder of a Viper High Dcflnition camera will dispel ony norion of"sccing it first." The reality is that within chc High Def csunarni scheduled to hie shore soon

Camera Operator Spring/Summer 2006 Editor

Conttibutors MA<LlmsSOC PJul Bal>n SOC

JrJI Croe

Paul B.lbin soc Assistant Editor Lynn L1nning Posl· Production Aianager

Sc.in Fairburn SOC

DouRlas Knapp soc D<'>igll

Roget Hawkons ICCA

P.lul 8cibfn SOC layout

Lvnn Lan.rung Cover

P.lul Bahm SOC

Dianne fJrrington SOC

Da.id Ftcdc<ick SOC TI'IC.l

Gr-angl'f

lynn L.inning

Jacl

~\t'Ss1 11

sex

Gc:iorgia P.M:kard SOC i'l'll'< RO<erllold SOC lohn Solo<uno fk-n S1C1n 0<1ve Tol'-ky o.1n.a \.ViMoemJn

Productio n Coo«iinators The Ingle Croup. BrMt\\'OOC'I Wi'lrrert Yeai,>er SCX

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and rncdia conglomcracc:s make us the sacrificial lambs by eliminating our jobs. pensions and bencfirs - it$ real easy to panic. \Vhac do \VC do? \~fc continue co cducacc ourselves abouc fllnunaking. then

go co ''rork. \vherc \Vt continue co cducacc ourselves. The

ba.•ics ofsroryrdling haven't changed in thousand< of years.

The human need for a good story well mid remains stronger than ever and just as challenging. The cxrcnr to which an operator understands the work of che producer. writer. director and DP \Viii :\$Sure hii: Fururc as son1conc co ha\rt'. on the sec. someone whose value exceeds "keeping che talker in the box."

Embl':lcc digital cechnology or flnd •job in agriculcure (oops. forgoc, there arc now GPS unics in tractors). Tools. media •nd work flow ore in a phase of dmmatic and swifr change. A Kodak rcprcsen1:1tive in che motion picture division told me he cxpcecs Kodak to be ouc of the morion picture fJm business in the not mo dist.mt future. One trip co P•navision.

Woodl>nd Hills to sec the oucput from cheir Genesis Camera

,,,ill :lllS\vcr the quescion, '\vhy ?.

The good news is that the opportunities to learn are abun· danr. Rental fucilities and maoufucrurers :uc cogcr to have you walk in and learn. Classes and workshops arc avail•blc through this organization and others. The internee - need I say more?

Prosumcrcan1cras, picrurc nunipulation and cdicingsofnvarc give you the chance to do it or learn crying. The era of put up or shut up ha.1 arrived, so if )'Oll chink chc DP, director. produc· rion manager or ediror is doing inferior work. step up co chc plate.

Mlybe \VC don'r sec it firsr nnyn,orc. bur \Ve C3n Ste it \vith a vision groomed by education. experience and pl':lcrical knowledge of produccion realities. Maybe 'vc don't sec ic first, but with effort we can walk on 10 chc set wich •n authority chat says, •we've seen ic all." And chat is an osset no employer can do without. g~

PM.J.

Corrections to prC'>ious issue. with apo logies: 1\I ich:icl Ba.rrcrt is nor 21 mcn1ber of ASC. ~tichael Scoct is very much alh·c.

Pholography

Illustration pagt 56

PJul BJbin SOC Jim Bunch Cpl JO<l 11 Cha\'erri Denny CLlim'l()nt D<••ld F1«i«ick SOC Llurie K Gilbert SOC Barry J Holmes Da-·od James SMPW Sg1 Natl\an K LafMe Lynn Lanning P.lul Matbucy Metrick Morton SMl'SP RJl1>h Nelson

Sidney Hornor

Coo<gia Pacl..ltd <oc Sa!osl'IJ P.ittl'f'SOf'I

John Solomno Dave Tolsl.y

CMIENA OPl'NATOR: FROM THE EDITOR'S D ESK

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Copyright 2006 by the Soc;ety or

Y mer;,OJX>ralors Ad\•e rtising Director

0Jn Oocld For d ispl.ty advertlsli'l8 i nform~ tion.

cont.ict: Dan Oocld 18 18) 556-6100 daododdapacbell.net

For arti«le submissions. ptease contact: SOC Alln M.1~11inc

PO Box 2006 Toluca L•k•, Cl\ 91610 Phone (8181 )82-7070

C-dt»lY"iJ Opi'fJtCN is pubhll>hOO scmO.annu•ll1 by the Soco<'I)' ol C.nxvol0plv.>1ors.

Subscriplion Ra tes

US/\ SlCVj'CM Outsode US/\ S28.'ve.u •U.S. Funds Onlyl

Visit the SOC web site www.soc.org

.A (888) 883-6559 TX (888) 7511.4826 FL (888) 337-8243 Canada (866) 848-2602 UK (888) 883-6559 \\ ww.c hapm.1n-ll'01Mrd.com

SONY.

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-~~ ::: !It-;:;:::.='1 The star of the show路路路

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XLJOIM Hi:J

I Vbar's going on wirb members and i111be industry

Ha,krl/ ll'exlrr ASC, 11011 Vidor SOC m1djol111 L<=ar SOC at the Bill Hhu:s ll'orluhop. (Story 1111d mor< pl1otos 011 p.ige 19.)

IATSE Operators No Longer "Mandatory" I

n December 2005. ncgotia<ors for the ln<crnatiOn>I Alliance ofThemical and Sr.tge Employees (lATSE). and <he Assocfation of Motion Picture and Tclcvision Producers (AMPTP) reached an agrccmem on a new three yearcomracL The agrcemem changed the language of <he basic comrae<.

The decades-old hiring sys<cm in which an operator was a mandatory hire was replaced wi<h language tha< gives the Director of Photography <he choice to operare can1era.

Thr Pn:-"irfrnr nf'IA 1.0<"'.:ll (,00. C.2ry l111nh:an1, rl2irn('tl

• 10096 rcsponsibiliry" for the ourcome of the ncgotiacions.

Local 600's National Executive Bo.trd (NEB), made up of over SO working members of the lex-al, voccd un>nimously to rejcc< the contract.

Thomas Shore. president oflATSE, the p>rtnr union of Local 600 which oversees Local 600 and 17 other crafcs unions. wamcd members of all !8 locah <hac rejection of the contract would be •choosing to mike."

The comrae< was ratified in early March. Only rwo Locals -

G 1nern 2ntl Prop~ -

vorecf ro n-jecr. Thr "'"'"' cnnrr:arr

goes into effect on Augusr IS<.

Visit the SOC booth at Cine Gear Expo in June.

Where Hollywood's Professionals Meet.

P.O. Box 492296 Los Angeles, CA 90049

Exhibition & Seminars: June 23-24, 2006 Master Class Seminars: June 25, 2006 Location: Wadsworth Theatre & Grounds, West Los Angeles, CA Tele~hone: 310/4 70-0870 Email: info@cinegearexpo.com

Exhibits Featuring Film • Video • Digital Media Equipment • Cameras • Lenses • Cranes • Support Equipment Dollies • Mounts • Motion Control • Crafts • Props • Supplies • Set.s • Support Services • Film Stocks Film Commissions • Lighting • Generators • Expendables • Publications • Sound Stages • Studios Unions and Guilds • Computer Hardware & Software • Visual Effects • Post-Production • And More ...

For more information and updates visit us at www.cin egearexpo.com

8

CAMERA OPERATOR: NEWS & NOTES

R\1Nrc Pr111H-... \~( , .. l.n'•''" tor h1, C<'lc\1,1un ~~'l•rr,

'"''1' ..

\\Orl "'" lhc \!roundbn.".1l1n.: f tlrfflV .?t)(l(l \ \ ( lht1n1n.11 Uln .an...-1 l99l) f n1nt\ \,,,.,J .\f/h .H~l.?. \\(

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\f,. •'4n1cn1o1 1')9,. l nnn\ .anJ 1-1.ims.~n ~J l~t C11y f-.ntnl\ nonlln.1lt••n f('.llUr( fil1n .. 10\)u,-fc R.i.i.l.usw 1• R.,J ('ti• ll1H, >nd .\fonry T1/li.

W\\ \\ .\chnridrroptic~.com

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Schneider r•1Qi[j Starts tht c:lass11

\\•11h

Loral BO Geu Grip Friendly

Extreme Headquarters Makeover "Why noc have furnimrc made of <hings we arc proud of?" David Ahuna. prcsidcm of IATSE Local SO says. le was his immediarc reaccion co Mmhcws Prcsidem Ed Phillips' suggcscion <hac the re-do of the Grip Union's offices concain furnirurc made ouc of dolly ccack. grip heads, anns, glass and other grip con1poncnts.

"Abouc a year and a half ago, Local 80 Business Agcm Tom Davis scoppcd by M•tthcws co calk abouc a 'circular conference rnble made ouc of doUy <rack:" Phillips' unagination ''-enc into overdrive. ·1 realized that M•rthews has tools and molds. a m•chjnc shop, welding bays and cVerything needed to create grip equipment," he says. "Why noc other projeccs?"

Phillips, Ahuna, Davis. and Marthcws special projeccs manager Rick Hanson brainsrormcd the new look for Local 80. The rcsulc: a 16-foot diameccr conference rnble made up of elevated Matthews srainlcss steel track as well as other rnblcs and lighting Hxrurcs coon· prised of"grip" and "lighting" tools.

"One person told me the insrall2tion is 'dean and elegant.'

It reminded him of• 'glass of cold water on• hot day:· says Phillips. proud of the fucc that when cre•tivc people gcr

Nominations for SOC's

Lifetime Achievem ent Awards are now being accepted.

Log on to www.soc.org to offer up your candidates in the fol lowing categories: Camera Operator Camera Technician Still Photographer Mobile Camera Platform Operator Historical Shot Technical Achievement Award Deadline for submission: June t 5, 2006

10

CAMERAOP£RATOR: NEWS & NOTES

together and think "out of the box." something interesting. represenrnti,·c and utilicari•n e>n come together for cVCryonc to enjoy. ~1.:

Calling al l applications for 1he

William E Hines SO C Scholarship 2006 Any aclive SOC member's dependen1child who is slucfying 1he an and craf1 of cinematography is eligible for this S1,000 oo scholarship.

Send applicalions to SOC, Hines Scholarship P.O. Box 2006 Toluca Lake, CA 916t0 Deadline fOf ~bnu'(s1on: June 30, 2006

J.L.Fisher Motion Picture & Television Equipment

N1~'\T!

DOLLY ACCESSORIES

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New products designed to let you work faster, easier and more productively/ Accessory Carts: for J L. Fisher Model 10 and 11 Dollies.

A timesavlng and erfldent way to 1n1nsport and store Dolly accessories from the grip trucl< lo location. One cart for boards and one for olher Dolly accessories. Designed for ease of use In many different terrains. The use of the two carts assures ease of movement and maneuverability.

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SeatOf!MILow: ,. for - on the mo<MI 10 Ooly 10

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tow angles. ... tow--

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(WAT), UMd on the J L Fisher Model 10 Ooly, the Wll-Polotlon L...i Heed (SU) and the Cua Change low ~ Heed (LHT). The Wlf!le ~ Plate ,,.,.,_ ,,_., 30 degrMS on the Doly't WI_.. The l - Heads (lHT. SlT) index every 30 ~on the W.f!le~ •-Yorielyolcame<ll pQSltlonl

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Churchill, Gilbert Win Doc11mentary Awards

Joan Churchill, ASC Joan Churchill ASC took home an Oucstanding Documentary Cinemarography Aw;ird at the 21st Annual International Documenrary (IDM) Association Awards held in December 2005. 路r fed privileged co be able to go around the world and have people Ice me inco their li"CS: said Churchill. "You must be genuinely incer路 csccd in people. learn how co listen and anticipate, so you can follow \Vha['s- happening wich a canlcra and n:crarc chat experience for the $Cr<cn. Thar process of discovery is magic. I may not be changing the world wich my films. bm nbelieve if you can shine a light on things. you can gee people chinking and aslting che hard questions."

Churchill ac che LDM aw:mls ceremony.

Laurie Gilbert, SOC Laurie K Gilbert SOC. Film & HD Cincmarogropher. won chc top 3\\"1'd for documenrary cincmocography from the Australian Cinematographers Sociery in October 2005 for his work on Ganges: Rit1" to Hr.a11n1.

Gilbert was the Dirccco ry of Photography on the fcamrc length film shot in India. 'I [had ) to fly from Thailand. location of my current project - an Australian pirate movie called SJ11uihw Island - to Austrolia '掳collect i c - but thcn \VC do \vhat \VC have lO do!''

The him. directed by Gayle Ferrero. is dt-scribcd as 'The adoration of a nation killing the Ganges as seen through four fumilies' quest for immorraliry."

Laurie is a conaibuclng '''ricer ro The Open1ti11g Ul111m1n1a11

Magazine. His article on filming Gt1ngr.s: Rit't'r to He111 a1 appeared in the 2003 Pall & Winter issue; his article on filming the Turkish Air Force was in 2001 Fall & Winter.

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Check ouc back issues at \\"'"v.soc.org.

J::.

Gilbert on lc><ation. filn1ing Gange1: Rii-路er to Hraw11. Phoro courc:csy of l.auric K GiJbcrt SOC. CAMERA Of'ERATO!t: NEWS & NOTES

1J

A donmw1111ry by ont o{our own

Haskell Wexler's 'Who Needs Sleep'

by Georgia Packard SOC

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rcnr ditd 8 years ago and we still don'c have prorccrion and a Union conrract (guarding) againsr the very thing that killed him; sa)'$ Direcror of Phorogrnphy John Lindley in the documcnt:iry Wbo Nuds Slttp by Haskell Wexler which premiered at the 2006 Sund•ncc Film FestiY;tl.

John Lindley was the Director of Photography on chc movie l'[~,ISll.ntvilk 'vhcn his assisranr can1cran1an Brent Hcrsh1na.n

fdl asleep driving home from the scr >nd died in the resulting c~h. He recalls. "The night [Bren<) died. he had alrc"dy worked four 15-hour days. And on Friday. it was 19 hours. He was a fumily man, looking forwatd to spending the day at home with [his daughter). I remember being very :111gry <ha< he lo>t his life jUSt for working hard~ JVho Nuds Skrp explores workers in the morion picture business and othc:-r pan-tin1c or piece 'vorkc:rs.

•Today we suffer a work epidemic of24n . and ir's nor jusr chc film business - govcrn1ntnt workers, cruck drh-crs, pilors, auco \vorkcrs, high rech professionals, doctors," says \Vcxlcr.

In Wbo Nreds Skep. interviews arc interspersed wi<h film dips, nc\\'$papcr articles. slccp srudies. behind the scenes foorage, and broadcam regarding <he issue of sleep.

A California Occupa<ional Safety and Heakh Adminima<ion {CalOSHA) official responds, "There's nor a lor we= do. In fucr, <here's nothing we can do." \Vc:xlcr asks another official whar OSHA rcgularcs. "We don'c rcgulacc cinlc. That's as simple as ic gcrs...

Acuess Anncrrc Bening. Director Gil Cares and DP Roy Wagner arc among those who offer insighr and background on the film induscry and comment on the insaniryof accepted work schedules in Hollywood. By conrr:tSr, working conditions in Europe arc sho,vn. Says o ne inrcrvic'''cc, "They chink it's absurd thar we arc figh<ing for 12 hours (rurn around J. \Ve sec how these international crews work. They arc happy. And rhey are on schedule." European crews do no1 work weekends and rypically work I 0-hour d•ys. · 1am beginning 10 wonder ifl am looking for a conscience in <he wrong places," says Wexler. "Whar I am hearing from <he Union, from the Producers, from OSHA, from Officialdom, is <he •bilicy co know and nor ro know. These arc bad times for •ll workers. Noc jusr for fJm workers. We gee constant rc1nindcrs not ro make even little \Y3\'CS. lf \VC \V2nt to swim. it will have to be in their rank. In <his time of deceit, telling the uuth c:in be a chalJcnging acr.• ~~

2ND ANNUAL BELOW THE LINE ExPO Friday and Saturday, June 2nd and 3n1

Raleigh Studios, Hollywood

Theme: Exploration ol the Workllow - before, alter and during production • panel discussions regarding technologies, products and procedures • screenings in the Chaplin Theater • free back to back seminars on resume creation, storage management and basic networking s kills Look for the Society ol Camera Operators booth Visit www.btlexpo.com for the latest info and updates

14

CAM£RA Of>ERATOK: NEWS & NOTES

SOC Pedestal Cainera Workshop

by David Tolsk')'

s there a bener woy co lc.m obout pcd operating than to

I assemble on an actu3J 'vorking sirco1n set. receive instn1ction from two of the industry's best pcd opcmors and cqujpn1cnr reps. and then be pur ro the test? T\\1cnry-onc rnc1nbcrs: of SOC met on the Rodney srnge at CBS Studio Cenrcr in Studio City CA to find out. ·r lc.rned things I wasn't t\'Cn aware I didn't know." said Ron Vidor SOC. J L Fisher technician Mark Gregory began with the mechanics of the pedcsrnl: raising and lowering of the skirt, ..crab mode; and using the red 'vhccl indicators to steer. He also covered how co adjust the C02 compression and balance the camera on chc Vinron head.

Panavision's lvfikc Kov:iccvich incroduccd chc Pana,,ision Smart Leru. Elccrronically linked co the zoom lens, it displays focal length. focus and depth of field.

Pedcsral camera operators Randy Baer SOC and Gene Jackson followed with prcsenrarions on the duties of the ped operator. They covered ped<Sral, camera. and kns prepararion.

Both operators showed their blocking norcs which conrained the symbols they us.: to simplify and speed up the writing process.

Participancs \\'Cl'C divided among three ped comcras for hands-on. Everyone got a chance to cry zoom and focus conrrols and maneiwer rhe pedestal. Rondy Baer and SOC president David Frederick blocked and directed three srnnd-ins in

Dianne Farri.ngron SOC rric:s our a Panavision-modif'icd Sony F900 HD ca.mer> on a Fisher pcdm al at SOC's Ped Workshop.

a scene chat challenged the new ped operator<- It was equally challenging for the srand-ins. who were adept at improvising ro keep C\'cryonc in good spirits.

The full day of hands-on and inscrucrion concluded with a raffle and distribution of t·shirrs and caps from J L Fisher and Panavison. Thanks guys!

The SOC Pcdcsral Camera Operaror's Workshop would not have been possible wichout: Linc Producer Jason Fisher; Producrion Coordinator Sheryl Hayward and Production Assisranr Bryan Mudlcr of ABC's Rodney; Dimmer Soard Operator Dan Hofsrad; Pcdcsr:al Operators Randy Baer SOC and Gene Jackson; Frank Kay and Marc Gregory from J L Fisher: Mike Kovaccvich of Panavision; and '·olunccer utility people Michelle Baker, Jon Witmtr and David Goldenberg. It-

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The only aerial system with Steerable Stabilized Roll and the abllllty to Accept Any camera

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SOC Gmrral Membtrship

Meeting

Arri Demos D-20 at Breakfast Meeting

T

he annual SOC-ARRI Brcakfust meeting. held in the

~lotion Picture Tclcvi~ion Fund

Country Hou;c Lounge on February 4th, 2006. """attended by 50 members, applicant> and guests.

Bill Russell of Arri talks to atrcndce-.s at the gcnc:·ral meeting.

Arccnd;incc \\'~ cc-rriflc bcc3usc a large pare of chc 1ncering

was devoted to the proposed IATSEcomract changes and how they \\·ould affect can1cra operators.

On hand was the new ARRI D-20 Hi-Dd1nirion camera {the only D-20 on the West Coast). Arri reprcsenL1ti\'es VP Bill Russell and Technical Services Manager Stephan Ukas·Bradlcy L•lked about the development. testing. fururc and technical capabilirics of the ARRI D-20 digiral camera. A Powcrpoim

\\ith a LUT (Look Up T.•blc) t0 provide the maximum scnsitiviry prcscndy a\'Oilablc {<quivalcnr ro 400 ISO film scoek).

The whicc balance """a srandard rungscen setting and the marcrial """recorded to a Sony HDCAM SR port.tble recorder (model SRW.J) in 4:4:4 RGB SQ mode at 23.976 frames per second. The camera used a 180 degree sening for

presentation, demo reel ofD~20 cc.~[$. and hands'"on session anS\vcrcd questions and ga\·c u.s a glimpse into our fururcs.

Many thanks to Bill Russcll and ARRI for this detailed pre· view co Camera Operators of the ARRI 0·20.

About the D-20 The D-20 is film sryle digiral camera. Because of its single, Super 35 sized CMOS sensor. the D-20 usc-s che same lenses as 35 mm film cameras and renders the same depth officld. It has an optical viewfinder (left or right side of camera). is capable of'"'riable &ame rares and is compatible with ARRI film camera accessories. h ourpucs cirhc.r an HDTV signal in \lidco ~lode or chc raw sensor daca in

Film ~lode.

The AR.RI FLEX D-20 camera used for these rem (picwrcd on screen above and in che phocos ar rhe righc) is one of the Pre Producdon Unics currcncly being cried our by cincnlatog· raphcrs in various Jocarions.. Ir

' "aS scr

up in HD mode

irs 1ncch:an· icaJ shucrcr and n1oni· coring \V:tS

provided in both 4:4:4 and4:2:2 during shooting.

The exposure

for the rcsr photos was ser by Russell Carpcnccr using his light mccerexc<pt in the case of the candlelight scene where the level was roo low to rcgiscer-and confirmed with •n HD wavcfom1 monitor.

The lenses used were 40mm and IOOmm T 1.3 Master Primes. The images have been graded using primary correction in Lustre (a post-production color grading program) co provide pleasing flesh tones. f.,:

16

CA'1ERA OPERATOR: NEWS & NOTES

eATMAN

e eO IN S

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SOC & JL Fisher Open House May 20, 2006 Org:miicd by che SOC in coopcmion with J L fohcr, the American Sociccy of Cinem>rognphcn. Pan3\ 1s1on. v~ R. •nd Clairmont Camera. the e\'ent will offer a hands.on look •t the bte5t equipment .,.,Jobie from these panicipants.

The membership of Locals 600. 80 and 728 ,.,u pt0\'1de valuable DCtWorking opporrun1acs for all.

ASC D1rcctors of Photograph) "ill be 1m·ited to lead disetlliions. •hacc knowledge. cxpcri<ncc and fcllo""'1p.

Plca>c join us.arJL Fi<hcr.on Ma) 20th from 8:30 am unnJ.1:30 pm.

JL Fisher- 1000 lsJh<I Scccct • Burbank. CA 91506 • S18 846-8366

Words of Wisdom from the BiU Hines Workshop A good opcraror needs co be a lisccncr and a diplomat, as well as know what's going on and wlur's been missed.

-Alan Caso ASC Undasanding wluc the sho< " >II about is morc imporum than un<krscandmg wh= the nwl<s • ...,. Tm rcspons1bJit)· and :>chine luppincss.-Alan Caso ASC The idal siruarion is somcthingyou'rc good ac th:u has a crcan"" aspect •nd you can go home feeling good about it.

- Haskell Wexler ASC Go for good, not for pcrfecnon.

Rc>ding the scnpt is the most impor· "''" thing.

-Dave Frederick SOC Go for gccamcss or avoid mist.1kcsyou can't do both ar the same time.

-Bob Prime• ASC Give editor.; whar wm Cut. - Haskell Wexler ASC Team psychology will O\'trcomc the rcchnological srufl'.

-Haskell Wexler ASC Execution is the big rcsponsibihcy of the opcraror. who muse be in a pos1rion to gh·e his/her bcsr pcrfom•ancc: on c--ay tak -Ahn Caso ASC The camera operator is csscnrial co the mctabolism of the hlmnuling process.

-Haskdl \\~cxler ASC Tu...,c things an operator should lu\c

inn.acdy-or should learn ASAP-a"'

lxabncc. composinon and c=e.

- Alan Caso ASC Simpler is bctccr. Simplify the shot. It should nC\'<r be about the shoe: it should be abour the pcrfom\ancc:.

-Ucli Smgcr ASC If you find rhc magic, grab it.

-Bob PrimC1 ASC

18

0.M[RA OPERATOR NEWS & NOTES

Bill Hines Workshop

by Dave Frederick SOC, Dianne Farringt on SOC, and Lynn Lanning he 2"" Sill Hines C:unem Opcmtors Workshop was on Sund•y. Fcbru;iry 18 at Clairmont C11nero. 38 participants.

18 2nd live DPs had a day ofstory. theory ond pmctice.

DPs on hand were Bob Primes ASC. Michad Goi ASC, Afan Caso ASC. Ucli Stieger ASC, and Haskell Wexler ASC. Goi brought the letter he had written to the union in support of a m2ndatory camera operator and it was read to the group.

Topics foe all the DPs included set polities. expcct1tions of camem operators from DPs and directoes. shot execution. composition, reels and job imcrvie"~· Conveesations touched on the arr•y of tools ava~able and ways to chose. There was a guided hands·on period behind camera and• Q&A session.

Dave Frederick. SOC president, welcomed everyone and showed the DVD he had made of8ill Hines SOC. for whom the workshop is named. Sill's widow Zee spoke a few words about Bill and his passion for cinematography and teaching.

An ARRI D-20 presentation by Stephan Ukas-Bradley from ARR! was the first breakout session of the d•y. The camera is avail.hie as a rcncal only. just at present.

Award winning ASC Direcror of Photography Robcn Primes posed a very real problem of how to accomplish a very uicky shot with the ARRI D-20. Alan Caso ASC. fu.mous for his Jib

Tstaff

Arm \York, \Vil.S cager co cry out chc Chapman Stinger ann \vich

fluid glide head in a challenging jib arm and cracking >hoc. Ueli Steiger ASC appreciates the Tcchnocranc as a moving and sracic camera platform. Haskell Wc:xlcr ASC and IA Local 600 Western Region Vice President ,.., enthusiasric in his defense and support of the role and hiscory of the camera opcmor.

Sc.-vc-ral othc-r camera setups \Vere available ror operators to

cry out. including a miniarurc scene \virh 1ncn landing on the moon (and the cow thac should have jumped over ic). \Vidc ranging discussions Alan Caso defined "the aruibuces of a good opcraror: a lis· rencr ond diplomat; a sense for remembering the last 30 sec· onds (a sense thac pcesonally took him 3 ycaes to masccr); che abiliry to crcacc a sense ofsccuriry and crust: a confident «ace of being afrcr a shoe has been complcccd."

Bob Primes complimemcd Claim•onr Camera for their service and extraordinary csoccric research.

The question of demo rc:els came up throughout the day.

Some DPs like to look ar reels. some look ac the body of work you\-c done. Primes says• reel "shows chought process. a door opening,• ballpark sense." Most DPs will check references.

During inrerviews. calk abour films you like. and how ro make a panicubr shot.

Credi cs Can1era equipment prep and assis&1nce 'vas provided by Michele dcLorimicr,Jordan Slovin and Jorge Devono. Dolly Grips on hand were Paul Hammacher and Joel Henry.

Denny Clairmont hosted. Also from Clairmonr were~ like

Sct:nc.s fron1 the \\7orkshop. Top row: Host Oc.nny Clairntont with Ja\icr Costas SOC; SOC Board 1ne1nbcr J~ns Piotro"•ski

riding high. Middle row: OJ> Alan Caso ASC: SOC R.cording Sccrtt:ary 0-an Coplan starting low. Bott·o m rO\\•: Zee Hines; SOC rncmbers Bob ~1oorc,Jcns PiottO\VSki, Oa\·c Tol~ky, ~t:ut 1 \ alcntinc, and Oavc ~·l:ihln1an; Udi Su:Jger ASC.

Condon SOC. Alan and Todd. Frank Kay broughc chc Fi<her Dolly and jib ann equipment: Chrisrinc Huencrg:irdc, die Chapman Leonard Dolly and Crane cquipmcnr. A scleccion of Arrillex cameras were set up. David Allen Grove brought a Sreadicam rig. The large screen Plasma Display and Audio were from VER. Roffic prizes were from SOC. Fisher •nd Chopm•n. A lighc brcakf.m. locs of coffee and waccr. and a delicious lunch care red by Baja Fresh made the day even better.

~ CAMERA OPERATOR: NEWS & NOTES

19

I l I

~

hen 1ldi Los Angdes in 1993 co pur>uc a carecrourside che sphere of Hollywood I realricd ch•t I prob· ably wouldn't be shoocing a lot of film. I never dreamed that would be• good thing.

I'm originally from the San Francisco Bay Arca, and when I romrncd here ro >carch for work I didn't know what I'd find. Now, thirteen years farer. I find myself positioned in a market that ;hoors mosdy 24p >tan· dard and high definition video. I'm ming technology that is , lowly and surely >weeping away the chemical im•g-

W

ing procc~ ,,·c'vc gro\vn co love. 1 rniss flhn, but I'rn thrilled that l'vc made the: cran~ition into chc 'vorld '''here

film skills mccc video engineering know-how. ~·(y

1narkct is unique in chac nlosc of the location sound 1nixcr; here kno'v ho'v co paint and 111acch video c:;un-

cr.ts. This is a dual skill sec I haven't found anywhere else in the world. Conscqucndy. on nearly every shooc I've done: here. rcgardlc~ of \vhcthcr I have a full crt'\V or it'~ just me and a M>und p<:rson, ,,.c'vc had a ''r:ivcfonn rnonicor. vector scope and a "'paintbox" on set. (A paintbox i~ a ca.incra control unit used for adju~ting many of the ca1nera's picture paranlctcrs on the Ay.) By \\'arching 1ny audio/ video rcch at \vork. I've lc-arncd quite a bit about

the imcrnal workings of video and high-def camera>, and I've come co apprcciacc the Digital Imaging Technician, or DIT. The cameras I know well arc the Sony HDW-F900 (CincAlca} and the Panasonic Varicam. My region won'c sec che likes of the Viper. Genesis or Origin \'cry soon. but much of what I have co say will apply co tho>< sy><cms as well. Besides. once you learn the F900 and the Varicam the mhcr cameras should be easy.

There is one virtue of the current srJtc of rhc black·and· \\'hire vic\\1flndcr- ir's easier co judge focus. Color electronic

For Once, Ir's A ll Black And \Xlhire ;it

Camero operocors arc used ro looking through a viewfinder

viewfinders don't offer chc same rcsolucion that black-and·

3 :.nlall in1agc 3nd interpreting ho,v th:it i1n3gc \viii evcnru·

"·hire viC\\1flnder:. do. :u lc."asc nor ''ct.

Tilc F900's vic,vfindcr has :a vcr~ical resolution of about 700

ally mnslacc to the big screen. When you're looking rhrough a high-defcamcro viewfinder, you're looking ac a postage stamp-sized black-and-white LCD monitor often blue rimed

.......... ............

______

~nd: n.~pl:iying :kt a fut

IO\\'t.r ~~ lution rh:tn the c.1mcr:a

-.

lines. which handily beats NTSC's 480 effective lines. The

j

I

problcnl j<;: rhac chc canlcr:i is capturing an inlagc wich a rcsolu· cion of l 080 vcrcical line.Ci-or about c;()C)b nlorc derailed rh.an

{Yout· new bestfriend} the DIT is the only person on the set who can tell y ou whether yout· shot is in focus. Be nice to the DIT. ,vhat you can sec in rhc vic,vfindcr. [r's also inlposs-ibh: roscc

records. This pur.s the opcr:nor at a distincr disadvanragc.

Complaincs abouc HD cameras offering only black-and·

all che derail contained in an HD image on anything less chan

"'hice cleccronic vic"rfinders arc old nc\\'S. In nty early days of

:i 17 1noniror. or on a 14" ntonicor in a pinch. )'ou cm find

shooting video I did a dolly <hoc where J worked to avoid sec· mg chc end of the crack but framed up a bright orange sand· bag in all its glory. Nobody was \\>atching the color monitor.

Jnd in my block and white finder, the sandbag looked like another pm of• scone wall in the b>ckground.

It's a pain co waic for the camera co be powered on before frami11ga;hoc, and :mnO)fog when the DIT has co lay down color bar> at the head ofeach cipe and you can'c sec through chc lem until he's done. (Don't blame che DIT. he/ she is only doing chcir job.} Optical viewfinders would be a great

focus on srill objects through the viewfinder, bur once thac object sc:arrs moving, forger ir. lc's very t."35)' for an operator co miss a buzzed shoe that's perfectly obvious on a , ., or 20· n1oniror.

Who is most likely ro have a very high qu•licy 17 HD n"loniror on your sec? The Oigit:ll hnaging Tcchnici:in of

course. He/she just became your besr friend.

Focus on the Important Things The DIT is the only person on che set who c•n tell you

i111provc1ncnr for drarnat:ic \\'Ork. although the elccrronic

,vhethcr your shoe- is in focus. Be nice ro r.hen1. No n1arrer

viewfinder is a huge help when rhe operator has co adjust exposure on the fly (>0mething chat happens a loc in docu· mcnmy or ENG work.) The electronic viewfmder ac lease

what you sec in che viewfinder, the DIT is chc lln•I word on whether the shot works ccchnically. simply because chey are

gives a hinr of \\•hat's going on cxposurc-,visc. sornc:thing that's i1npos:\iblc co dcccrnline "'lth a lighr 1ncrcr '"hen u!ling the

F900 or che Varicanl.

chc only ones 'vho can actually sec '"hat r-hc can1cra secs.

When can you trusr focus in the viewfinder? I'"e found thoc I can grnb an ~ye focus through the viewfinder fuirly effective· ly "'hen the object or actor isn't 1noving. I'in aided in doing CAMERA OPERATOR: l\OAMS ON Hl·OEF

21

this by the viewfinders ·pco.king" circuit. This circuit d1:1ws an artificial black line around areas in the image where conrrasr ch:mgcs abruptly. with the effi:ct ofartindally enhancing the areas of an image that arc in focus. With peaking turned all the way up I can sec an actors eydashes snap into shorpncss wh~c getting a focus mark. I can sec nearlyC\·cry hair on on actor's head in bas rdief. As soon as the object l'rn looking at goes out of focus I instantly lose that artificial sharpness.

The peaking circuit only affcm the viewfinder image and it can be <urned on or offand adjusrcd to m.ste. I tend to run mine full up. and even though it makes the viewfinder image noisy and overly sharp ir gives me a fighting chance of being able to rdl when something isn't in focus.

The pc.-aking on rhe F900 can be turned up quire high. \\•hich is in1porrnnr as it's capruring a very high resolution

1080 vertical line image. For some reason rhc Varicam's peak-

<he garc any more. The OlTwill check ape playback remote· ly. The assistant will probabl)' work with <he D IT while checking back focus, since the DIT has the very big super-critical focus monitor at his disposal. The OIT has his hands full with Clbling and menus and such, and <here's nothing <hat s.1ys that <he Clmcta assisctnt can't help out wirh a certain amount of that. How much. varies wi<h <he crew and their working relationship. but my regulars work =mlcssly togc<hcr. lfl had to define roles I'd say that the OIT is ma>"tcr of the engineering scition and the camera 3S$istant is 1nasrcr of the carncn. but the f\\'O meet in bcnvccn to insure that the amcra is •talking'" to the engineering station and vice vcrS3-.

The assistant should keep the DIT advised of filter changes. since that will affect color and/or exposure. The assistant should check wi<h the DIT before powering down or detach-

ing is less robusr, bur as irs resolution is much lo\\'Cr at 720

ing the can1cra from the engineering station, because in C('rtain situations chose \viU cause the camera to lose settings.

vertical lines, focus is slightly less of an issue.

A lor has been made of <he perils of back focus in HD. I'vc

Assistants and DITs must be alert and in sync when tapes arc changed, since one has to load <he ctpe and <he ocher has

The DIT is a full and complete member ofthe camera department and should be treated accordingly. Their burden is monumental. found th31 as long as you're dealing with a came1:1 whose lens mount has not been altered post-fuetory, back iocus will rcn1lin unchanged. One rnvc:u: Ornn1atic ccn1pcl'3turc changes can have an effect. so do check back focus after going from one extreme to another. Besides, your new best friend <he DIT will be monitoring these potential problems.

By the way. if you're using a video style zoom lens with a

co S\\ irch chc color bars on in chc c.u11cra. Boch jobs arc very challenging and rimt' consuming. and demand attention ro dcctil. When I was an assistant the expression was, "If you ha\'C free cin1c you've forgorccn something."

I

1

The A.-.:e Falls N earest T he DIT I've heard a couple of stories from DITs working in Holly·

macro adjusunent. you can use the n1acro ring to puU focus \Yithout seeing the lens "breathe.· Focus on your far distance

\vood th.ar suggests not :ill camera crc\VS kno\v \\lhar to do \\rich chem. A comn1on story seems robe one 'vhcrc the camera ere\\'

and <hen "-"'the macro ring ro bring rhe focus forward. This works beH when starring on a foreground objccc and racking

wraps the cameras and leaves the DIT to wrap his engineering station and several hundred feet ofcable. Thats not cool.

The DIT is a full and complete member of <he camera dcpartmenr and should be treated accordingly. Their burden is

to rhc background, but a clever assistant can flnd \\':l)'S co mark

the macro ring accurardy. This is NOT a me<hod thar should be used constantly, but iris a crick that can occasionally be u.sed ro nlakc dr.unlric focus racks \\'ithouc a dramaric shift in

fOC1l length.

If I really wam to force perspective on a small object, say for a product shot. I've found <hat I can place the camera quite dose and then use the back focus adjustment ro force the focus doscr than nomially allowed. In some cases 1've been able to focus as dose as <he front clement of <he lens. Don'r plan on pulling focus easily if you rry this. as none of the ocher focus adjustmenrs will work as they norn1ally would.

It's Not All Cables, Is It ?

No. bur it's a lor of C1blcs.

My regular assi;tam knows the gear inside and out. He knows how it all goes together. He knows a fair amount about <he C3111· era menus. :rnd if he has to he an dial in a basic setting for me.

Hes not quite at the painting and engineering stage. but he's as much my DIT's right hand as he i> mine. Which is awkward, what wi<h rwo right hands and aU. bur he makes it work.

When working with a DIT <he assi>ctnt doesn't h.wc to check 22

CAMERA Ol't'RATOR: ADl\MS ON Hl·OEF

monun1cnral. The saying goes that "There arc: no sinalJ mis~

rakes in <he camera deparancnr." On HO shoots <he DIT has <he most opportunity to make mistakes because he/she has to keep crack of an enormous a.n1ounc of ccch.nicaJ derail.

Not only is <he DIT painring rhc cameras to rhc DP's speci· ficacions, they arc 1nonicoring the inlagc to mainr:ain char look

in case the light, color or generator speed changes. They arc

also responsible for making sure <he tapes arc properly timccodcd. srripcd with bars and tone. and if <here's more than one C1mcr:1 <hey h3\'e ro make sure <hey arc all matched in bo<h color and electronic timing (gcnlock). On top of that they •re ofrcn made responsible for spotting things on their large engineering monitor th•t the operators can't always see. Ukc focus. mies. rcflccrions, ere.

Can't say it enough: Don't make <hem an island inside the camera dcpartmem. Be good to your DIT.

Markings, Markings Everywhere If I'm working without a Digital Imaging Technician (rarely) I'll go into the camera menus arid tum on most of the

viewfinder rdcmctry: s•fe markings. filter wheel setting, f ..stop. t:3J>C rcn1:iining. audio 1netcrs, ctc. l'rn no'" accus· romcd ro "seeing p:isr them" while operating a shor, and co have the information in Front of me in that "Oh my GOD a1n I shooring on the right filter?• 1nomcnt is 'vcJcon1c reassurance.

And while I can't rake responsibility fur audio, on small crews itSa good idea to ha\'C the: audio 1nctcrs on in the \'iC'\''6ndcr, to make sure the sound person is actually feeding a signal ro the camera. On at least one occasion I've been blamed fur missing audio because a c;ible pulled loose and I didn't catch it, even though I mode sure the producers knew that I can't rake respon!iibility for sound getting into the carncra. I'in too tied into '"arching the image co pay attention co audio n1ctcrs.

Bur on a sizable crew with a DIT present there should be

When I work with the F900 or the Varic.un I ch<>O\C the "right· camera for the job. The F900 wins any time I need bigh resol111io11, fur example if a project will be transferred ro film or projected digirally in HD. The 50% extra infonnation recorded by the F900 makes a huge difference when you're looking at a large projected image. The F900 "secs" into shadow>. and the subtlety of derail and shading it captures is wlm makes people ·ooo• and "ahh" when they sec HD for the fot>t time. ( use the Pana.sonic Varican\ \\1hcn I \\'allt to Set-" into h1glr ligbts. While ic docsn'c render shadows quicc as imprc<Sivdy as the F900 (probably bccmsc ofics lower molucion) Panasonic has figured out how co capture highlighc" Blown our feature· less highlights arc the bane of any digical imaging system and the Varicam handles them "cry well, reaching into them and

The F900 wins any time 1 need high resolution. 1 use the Panasonic Varicam when I want to ''see" into highlights. no reason co have anything in the vic,vflndcr other than fT::tnlc markers. I usually use 90% safe markings rumcd on, and occa·

sionally when I have co shoot 16:9 bur procccr 4:3 I'II have chc square TV s.~fc markers in the finder as well.

'Ibcrc arc scvcraJother ..odd" n1arkers ro p:iy arcention co: 14:9 and 13:9. I had no idea what rhoS<: were for uncil I went co London a fC\v )'Cars ago and S.'l\V char ne:irly everyone in rhc UK hod 16:9 digical rclcvi<ion secs. Those that don't see their cclcvL,ion in l6:9 .!iCC their progrnmnling 1nuch rhe \Y3Y \\'C sec a Joe of shows on BBC America: lcncrboxed. bur with very narrow strip> of black at the cop and borcom. This letterbox is nor rruc 16:9 bur rather a compromise format. usually 14:9, \vhich alJO\Y) 4:3 ,tjc,vcrs a nor full scrct•n vk~\ving experience.

I occ;isionally '"" 14:9 markers in my finder when J'm shooting 16:9 for NTSC cclcvision broadc:m. J don't want co frame thingStoo fur off chc sides because I know that I'm going co lose a certain arnounc of chac in trans1nission. and sometimes the lccccrboxcs end up being less chan 16:9 for rca· son.) J'1n n('vcr consulccd abouc.

I also allow a little extra headroom if I'm shooting something thac will have a long shdflifc. Right now lcrrcrboxcd inlagcs sho\v chc f'ran1c from very cop co very bocron'I, but in th" noc·so·dlscant future 'vc'll have 16:9 rcle\•ision scrs ro watch and keeping a bit of ,.,fc area on the rop and boccom may be imporr.rnt. lfl'm shooring a spot char will be gone in a fc,v 1nonchs I don'c worry so n1uch about char.

DP Basics I don't ha"c 1nuch experience "'ith chc nnver unco1npn.:.sscd HD cameras, bur here's what I know about the F900 and the Varican>. They will likely be the workhors<.':S for at least a few more years, •nd if you undersrand something of how they work you'll be way ahead when dealing with a more DP· friendly camera like the Viper or the Genesis. The F900 is to rhe Viper or Gene>is what re"ersal film is ro color negative.

If you've learned roshoor reversal film (with ics limited expo~ure latitude), color nt..-g::ich·c is a snap.

24

CAMERA OPERATOR: ADAMS ON Hl·DEF

I

bringing our derail ifir's at all possible. There's also a function called "dynamic range that allows one ro expand or contract rhe contl':ISt range of the camera depending on the situation.

Pan:isonic has also figured our colorimetry in a big w:iy. The \~"icam secs color> very accurately. where the F900 has prob· lems seeing sccondarl' colors accurately without a great deal of adjustJllenr. The Varicam has the 1uost '"filrnic" colori1nccry I \·e seen in an H D camcorder using basic settings.

V."icam foorage down converts ro NTSC very well, and it\ currendy rh~ only c.:tmcorcler th:lt 'vilf record :t high ..peccl image (only 60 fps. bur bccccr than nothing.)

Spc;iking of colorimetry, at some point or other you'll end up dealing with a feature called the nmrix. Acrually each cam· era has scvcraJ m.arri.x functions built in. and each deals \Yith how the c•mcra responds co color. One way ro think of the 1nacrix is chat you arc clccuonic:aJly celling each cfcccronic "'c1nulsion J3ycr" \Vhich colors co respond co, and ho,v. ~ lanipulation of the matrix can be• bit dangerous. so be careful and experiment with looks only under the guidance of :i \•cry good DIT or video engineer. You can Crc2tC sonlc vcr~· iniercsring looks by using the matrix ro define the c;imef2's basic color space and how it responds to different hues.

There's a smndard matrix for the F900 thar lea"cs most things alone except for adding a Little red to llc;h tones. Theres another I'vc seen that makes it look very much like a V."icam.

Bask-ally you're reallocating color infommion from one place in the spectrum ro another, based on what you find pk-asing.

There's a lot that can be done with the matrix, bur keep in mind that there's• lot that can't be undone later so only use ic to create an overall look that you find pleas."Ult, and shy away frorn using it for visual t'ffccts unless you really kno\\' \vhac you're doing and your director i.s cocilly conunictcd co the look.

If you're shooting for a folm ourpur mo>< pose houses ""II cell you co turn the nlatrix off so they can 1norc easily color correct the fooragc later. That makes for dull dailies on the set so be sure co explain to those concerned that it will all look a

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lot better in post. That, or adjust yout monitor to make the shots look more interesting and colorful.

Nearly everything I shoot is shot at 23.98p or 29.97p. Those fuune rates down convert to NTSC video quite ca:.ily, and if you're shooting for a film output you won't notice a dilfcrence when 23.98p is sped up to 24fps. I've never used 24p or 30p. and I use 60i under protest. (Why shoot interlaced video if you don't have to?)

Pay attention to derail. Yes, I'm talking about the dreaded detail circuir. Every video camera has one. and since HD is video. it has one too. The detail circuit adds a black line

around areas of contrast, usually between light and dark. You can control how big that line is, and conrrol when it kicks in and when ir goc:s away, and you never want it co be obvious.

When dccail is rumcd up too high you'll sec every blemish on

exposures and to maintain them by remote control during the shot. When your brain is deceiving you, the waveform moni· tor is a constant, Steady and uuscworthy friend.

Don't be fooled by salespeople who tell you that it's easy to match cameras by reading a single set of setup files into them.

It doesn't work th•t way. Digital cameras still ha\·c analog cir· cuits in them, and no two arc set up the same way. The only way to re.Uy match them is to have a DIT work on them, or set the cameras up as closely as possible and shoot reference charts for post color com:ction.

And curse the people who fo>tcr the lie that you don't have to light HD in order to make it look good. HD is harder to shoot than film because the conrrast range is so limited. The only correct exposure is dead on, and the only difference berwccn a film set and an HD Set is the lack of film and the

Believe what you see on playback. Electronic cameras don't respond to light the same wayfilm does. Learn to read a waveform monitor and vector scope.

• person's fucc - not terribly •rtractive. I sec derail turned up too fur on the evening nc"~ all the time. You don't want to go there.

But you don't necessarily want to rum it oil: either. Many pose houses will tell you to eliminate detail completely if you're doing a film output. but otherwise you'll need a certain anlOunt of it or the picture simply won't look sharp on a mon· icor. It's cowltcrinruitivc, but you need :a. ccrt:lin a.mount of

artificial detail engaged when you down-convert HD to NTSC video or the image will look very soft. A good DIT will ride the dccail level to your rastc, turning it up a linlc to cnh:ancc dccails in wide shots and turning it do\vn a bic 10

help you with dose-ups.

Many say that to reproduce a "fllm look" in HD you need to perfectly match the shutrer speed of a fllm camera. That is, if you •re shooring 23.98p you need to use• shutter speed of I/48th of a second. Depending on the camera and the version ofso~w:1re it's running, you can easilr dial in a shurtcr speed of l/40th of a second. The increase in motion blur makes the image a little less si.ccato, and it also puts the exposure right in the middle of the 60hz HMI safe window.

In regard to Strobing. in some siruations you may see more strobing. li"c on the monitor doting a take than you will on playback. I don't know why th•t is, but if you sec objection· able strobing during a live take you'd be well advised to check pl•yback and see if it's still there. Believe what you sec on play· back.

One last cip: get rid of that quick draw holster for yout light mct<rs. and forget about calling out F-stops to assistants... at least with the F900 and the Varicam. Electronic cameras don"r respond to light the same way film docs. and on cop of that each camera is slightly different in the way it's set up. The only way to reliably judge what is happening to the image is to \\'atch a big rnoni1or in a controlled environment.

You should learn how to rcad a wa,·cform monitor and vcccor scope. The \Vavcform monicor \viii become your lighc meter, and you'll comno rely on your DIT 10 help you dial in

26

CAMERA OPERATOR: ADAMS ON HI-Off

addirion of a OIT. Don't plan on saving much on your light· ing pacbgc. and plan on spending a linlc more time flagging highlights. The big savings is on film stock and processing.

You won't save money anywhere else.

Engineer? Artist? Both!

Depending on how you approach high definition it can be either very difficult or very easy. I've got regul•r crew people that I work with and cruse I tell them wh3t I want and get om of the way. I've been working with my main Digital Imaging Technician for ten years. long before thoy were: called DITs. He and several others helped me to gee over my film snobbish· ncss and learn \vhac 10 ask for \Vhcn creating in high dcfinirion digiral mediums.

Back in 2000 when he and I tackled our first HO job, a spec piece we cook on simply to get our hands on a high-def cam· era, we used •n F900. Although we had very linlc idea of what we were doing. we quickly discovered ways to make great i1nagcs \Vith ir. He treated ic like :a \'idco c:uncra 3.nd runcd ic up as best he could. and I lit and framed my shots as I would film. tweaking my exposures occasionally to correct for highlights th3t the camera couldn't handle. We discovered we didn't need 10 be propeller heads to make pretty picrures in HD. only •pply our timc·tC$tcd problem-solving skills.

We both look b•ck at that shoot and say to ourselves. "How did we do that? We had no idea what we were doing!" First time out, but its still on my red.

It's just another cool. Have fun with it.

Art Ada111s worktd 011ftaturtfi/111 and tpiJodit ran1era treu'l in

So111hm1 Califami11 in th~ /au '801/early ·90s. He <11rrn11/y 1uorh tU 11DP/opn-atDr011tJJmmerria/J1111d ind11Jtria/J in iVorthen1 Califan1ia, nuutly in HD. His 1veb site i.s al http://www.artadams.net/.

Formats, Frame Rates and Color Sampling

By Jeff Cree of Band Pro Film and Oig.it3l lnc, Burbank CA \V\\'\V.bandpro.con1

and OVCPRO H D >re primarily rape b.1sed fonna~<. arc produced as camcorders and arc considered chc mainstays of high definition production. These 8 bic recording S)'St<ms work at or near 4:2:2 color sampling, arc very cost effective :lnd provide qualiry imaging beyond che minimums of mosc projectS. These formatS have been used for episodic rclcvision, documenrary projeCIS. commerci•I production and feature films and 'vill continue robe the 1najor fonnacs in the 1na.rket.

Until rce<ncly, these form•tS have been divided into two camps b.1sed on the rcsolurion of the systems. H DCAM, to date, has only been provided as a 1920 x 1080 product wirh both interlace and progressive scaru availoble. H DCAM does sub-.~1mple co 1440 hotizont.U pixels as• form ofbic rare rc:duccion, bur rhe outThe DP who can make put ~ign:1I i_.;; rerumcd ro tht! hill 1920 ~1nving ro high cfrhnirion or :.ny fom1 ofclccuonic capture gcncr.trcs a co make it compatible with the an informed choice... is pixels whole series of questions for produaion HD srandards. Producrs arc included in •nd ultimately the DP. Whor recording a valuable elernent to a Sony's lineup that pro,;de fume races ranging &om 23.98 ro 30 h-amcs progrcs· format should be used for the produc· successful production. sive as well as 50 co 60 fields interlace. tion? What h-ame me should I record?

When swicch ingbcrwcen the fonnatS Should I work in progressive or interlace~ Does it marcer if che format is 4:2:0, 4:2:2 or 4:4:4 color the rape speed is altered so that 40 minute rape at 30 J>sf sampling? In fucc, what is color sampling? These arc juSI a few becomes 52 minutes ar 24 Psf. This allows rapes recorded ac things char come co mind when Sl3rting production using elec- 23.98 frames to be off speed plared at 25 h-ames making contronic capture of any fonn. versions ber,vccn the cu1Tenc US and European 1narkccs :l sim~ In my position as H DYS Market Development Manager at pie operntion. DVCPRO H D has been delivered as 1280 x Band Pro Film & Digiral lnc, I must address these issues on a no in a progressive scan fonnat. The premier product in chis Uncup, che VariC:un, alwnrs records 21 60 fps buc &.me rates daily basis. As our customers approach their first projects or from 4 fps co 60 fps C:ln be selected at the time of recording. differmc cypcs of projem in high dcllnicion, these copies come up and they call for help. They need this information so When operating at 23.98 chis feature allows the ability co borh O\'cr and under crank lhc in1agc. This S)')'ttrn requires a they can guide the production to make the right choices for fulJ function formal cOn\•erccr to transfer from one fr.unc to their cype of production. Acrually, I am more fearful for proanother after the image has been sampled. duccions \\1hen qucscions do nor conl<: co rnind and they Recently HOV format camcorders have been introduced co blindly approach a projecr without chis much-needed inforche market but these productS arc mostly dcrimtivcs from the mation. The DP who c.n make an informed choice of che recording format, fume rate and color sampling to be used on consumer lines of Sony, Canon and JVC and thus arc not cona project is a valuable clement to a suce<s.<ful production. sidcn:d heavy dury production cools. The H DY fommt provides both 1920 x I080 {sampled ac 1440 x I080) and 1280 x 720 Formar:s resolution< :is pan of the standard. The higher rcsolucion is only Alrhough many recording fonnatS exist for the \'3rious fomu available in interlace scanning while the 720 allows both interof high definition. only formatS with porrable recorders or lace :and progressive 1nodcs. This lin1icarion is due to chc conl~ camcorders arc norrnallyconsidercd for production. HOCAM prc.ssion and transfer rares of the: fonnac. These sysrerns use a

T

he dcvdopmenr of High Definition camera systems

by Sony, Panasonic, Thomson and others has greatly expanded the marker in high definition producrion.

The increased cap•bilities and the quality of rhe images produced by these systems has n>ade them a pcrfea fir in wh•r w•s a traditional film ba,,cd m:irketplace. The introduction of rhcsc productS has generated many questions for end users. In the clccuonic realm. the camcorder or ,ridco rnpc rnachinc i.s the c<ntral collection point for all the dara including video, audio, time code and mcradara. In the traditional film workllow, can1cra crc\vs '''crc isolated frorn rnost of the finishing process of the production. Audio and T ime code was handled by another dcparcrncnt and 'vas not a concern beyond providing a proper slate.

28

CAMERA OPCRATQR, JEFF CREE ON HI-DEF

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Yes Yes Yes y., y., No USt- thi.! ch;a.rt ro detern1ine "'hich formar you need for the job on h:tnd.

Camcorder Portable VTR

4:2:0 color sampling like that of the high dcnnirion rdevision t:r:msmi<Sion sysccm used in the US making these product:s suicable for many projeccs focused ro the H DTV market. The 1080 sysrems ITom Sony and Canon offi:r Cincframeor F modes to duplicarc the look of rhe rrue progressive sysrcms. This for· mar has also found a home in whar used ro bc the DY or OVCAM based independent f11m marker. Ir provides a way co impro"e the resolurion of rhe recording wirhour sul>scanrially raising product:ion coses beyond chc inirial in\'csrmcnr of the cquipn1enc.

Yes )'cs

Yes Yes

No Y<S

products a~ either so nc''' or have not been delivered so it is

hard ro determine in what: part of rhe market they will reside.

Each of these formars has their place in the market. Some arc driven by cosr. others by pcrfom1ance. lf working on a very low budget project that until rccent:ly would have been completed on• DY based stand>rd definition syswn you ore more likely to move to HOV than H OCA.\.1-SR. If working on a documenrory projecr.

OVC PRO-HO or H OCAM would be the most logical choice due to the c:unera system design and the available lenses for these products. The resolucion improvements and choice of 4:2:2 or 4:4:4 color space makes HOCA.\.1-SR t:he best choice for effects based projccrs •nd mastering. Some of these

A format that is nor av>ilable as• camcorder thar is getting a lor of menrion due ro the high data levels and minimum com· prcssion within rhe formar is HOCAM-SR. ThissyStem uses MPEG-4 as the compression scheme and can be used in 4:2:2 d1oiccs arc 11\ade for you due to dcli\'cry rcquircmcncs rnanor 4:4:4 RGB modes. Although the JO bir "idco is still comdatcd by the distribution syi;tem, bur you must c:valuat< each one's suimbilit:y prior to selecting the pressed the compression rares arc very low or about 2.2: I for 4:2:2 and 4.4: I format for your project:.

The decision ofwhat for 4:4:4 RGB and the audio is not: Frame Ra1.e s compressed. It: has clear!)' taken the lead frame rate and scanning as chc mastering format due to the high The development of mult:i format quality video performance and the 12 cameras and camcorders has added type is made prior to channels of24 bit audio. Productions another dimension to the decisions begi.nning the project. like Collatl'T)ll Star 1!{irs EpiJl)de Ill, A rhac must be made in the prcproducPr,1irit Ho111t Cor11pa11ion and recently t:ion procC>S. Unlike film that is prima/lli"111i //ia ha"e used che fonnar >Uccessfully in some of the rily shot in 24 or 25 fj:is and converted to the prescnrarion formost challenging condit:ions. The furmat has a port:able mat in the post product:ion process. high definirion ha.< many recorder tha< when paired with the Thomson Viper or Sony more variables. The decision of '''hat frame: rate and scanning H OC-F950 provides a rc:1>onablc 4:4:4 RGB recording syst)'pc is made prior to beginning the projecr. Mosr program· <crn. The 4:4:4 clement of the system makes HO CAM-SR the ming produced for primccime in the US is produced in 23.98 first choice of the dfeccs based project.

Psf or 59.94 I ar 1920 x 1080 resolution even though ir may be In the new non-cape based camcorder market Panasonic h:is presented at 720P. A portion of the programming is produced inrroduced the P-2 memory syi;t:cm thar uses solid st:ate memor convened ro 1280 x 720 ar 23.98 P or 59.94 Jl primarily for ory to score the data. Storage capaciry of this system is limited ABC and Fox nerworks. Although most of rhe mult:i format and requires a diffcrcnc mindscc \vith the 'vorkflo\\' but chc cameras and camcorders will opcrarc ar 24. or 30 Psf and 601 fornlat is getting 1nuch attention wirh tht introduction of rhc these frame rares conlplicatc do,vn and cross conversion and new Panasonic camcorder. A product line thar fulls berwccn arc used only on rare occasions.

A discussion of frame rares musr include the rype of <canning these two comps is Sony's new inrroduction XDCAM-HD. This S)~tem is a disc based >-ystcm using the new Blue lby laser. being used. Episodic television in the Unired Scares is nonnally This sysrcms fulls between H DY and HDCAM in performproduced in progressive scan mode. Natural hiscory programs use borh interlace and progrcssi"e scanning depending on the ance while adding fearurcs such as variable frame rares and rruc progressive images in their native fomlat. Both of rhc.sc subject marccr. RcaJiry progr.imn1ing uses inrerlace srnnning

30

CM1ERA Of'ERATOR: IEFl' CREE ON HI-DEF

more often ch•n not. It all depends on the look you wam to from Sony arc the only recording systems providing4:4:4 RGB. •chjeve in me final product.

The most common s:tmpling sc.heme is based on 4:2:2 YUV Proi,>r<S.<i,·e scanning. s:tmpling from cop to bottom in a sampling. first used in the D-1 format. This provides a full single poss co crc:ice a frame ofinfonnation. h:>s been me moSt bandwidth luminance channel (74.2SM Hz) while depicting signincanc addition in decades to the video production process. the cwo color difference signals at half bandwidrn (37.125 Progressive scanning along wirn • 23.98 Psf frame rate and 180 MHz). Since hum•n vision responds to lumin•nce detail com· dcgtce shutter duplicates the cadence of film. The shutter, :>s pru-ed to color detail at about mis ratio, mis affords a good in fllm, is used to shorten the copture tune >Sa means co limit compromise becwecn piccure qualicy and bandwidth require· motion blur. Operating in chis mode also simplifies me trans· mentS. In most n•rrative projects or projeccs jUSt going to telefer to 111111 if mat is your final product. You simply transfer the vision this is more man sufficient, •S proved by the successful image on • frame by frame b:>sis. This is also me setup of use ofHDCAM for large screen fearures such :>s Star l#m, choice for episodic and conuncrcial production when a high The Compmry and Spy Kids 213. H DCAi\1 fulls just short of defmition is used :>s a replacemenc for 111m. mis (e,·cl, primarily due co the sub sampling tO 1440 horizon· tal pixels per line, buc h:>s • proYen track record while When crying to produce a realistic look where motion is more fluid. using 59.94 I or Pis me better choice. This is also DVCPRO-HD docs provide 4:2:2 color space at 720P. Introduction ofHDV sysccms to me market has brought the case where the action to be recocded is moving at a f.mer 4:2:0 sampling co chc production side of me business. 4:2:0 race. This is achieved by creating a shorter caprurc rime \vhich removes me need for the shutter 10 w'1s previously known primarily for lirnir morion blur. lnrcrJacc uses f\\'O being me sampling system used in the Color sampling may be transmiS>ion of high definition images fields to ctntc the ITamc cutting the in me United States. The USC of this s:tmpling time to half me frame rate the most important (29.97 frames= 59.94 fields). Limiting color s:tmplingscheme provides substan· the field or frame sanipling time and factor in your choice of tial reduccions in the daca requircmcne5 providing a near concinuous caprure compared to me orncr systems. while video formats. producing a quality high definition provides a n1orc natural look. Limiting the rc:solurion to 1280 x no allows a image. By sampling the luminance (Y) at full bandwidth and me color difference channels (CB, CR) data tr.msfer rare low enough char a fume rate of59.94 can be achieved giving you me advantages of progn:SSi\'C SCIO whiJc at half bandwidth on an alternating line basis. me dara 1nainraining chc shorter sampling ri1nc of around I/ 6'.J of a sec· demands arc reduced while providing good real time image ond. Coverage of sporting events ofrcn utiliz<"S mis mode and dcpicdon. it has beco1ne the st:>.nd:ird :it ESPN :ind Fox for this reason.

T he '\VC3kness of this sysc:cm is if" you rry co manipulate the image in any form. Slow motion playback. keying, color corColor Sampling rection and multi-gcner.uional issues arc all affected by mis While often me most misunderstood portion of me video reduction of color space. However. the material from these signal, color s:tmpling may be the most important fuctor in your systems will inter-cut successfully wirn higher level formatSchoice ofvideo formats. As me USC ofdigital effects expands. by taking care •t the time of caprure to set me proper color color sampling becomes an important clement in the abiLlcy to balance. The introduction of HOV and now XDCAM-HD provide a proper key. Color san1pling relates to me bandwidrn has opened up the lower end of the production market co high dcfinicion due co <heir lower cost. l will not be surprised to sec anilablc. thus me abilicy to color correct and manipulate an image can be limited by me type of color sampling used in a me broadcasters moving co these formats for high definition partinJar format. This band,vidrn is presented :>s a ratio wirn capture of news and local programming :lS ic is me perfect fie 'vim the transmission scheme mandaced by me FCC. 4 indicating full bandwidrn. In standard definition me 4 cor· Having this b>Sc knowledge of me available fonnats, frame responds to 13.5 MHz or 18 MHz. high dcfinicion uses 74.25 MHz at 60 Hz or 74.17 MHz at 59.94 Hz. Thiscan be con· rares and color s:tmpling is imperative in today's production vcyed as a luminance channel (Y) and two color difference market. As a DP it is me only way that you can guide your channels (CR and CB) as in the normal utilization of4:2:2 or production to make me choice thac best firs the project. You as three primacy color channels (RGB). You mUSt be careful could always pick me top of the food chain and be safe, but ith 4:4:4 as it can indicate RGB or YUV implenlcntation. most projects cannot absorb the expense. The: best scenario is still to test, tCSt, and test. Thac is whac Robert Aleman, George All me current 4:4:4 recording sysrcms and cameras use full band,vidth RG B processing and color sampling. This indicates Lucas and Michael Mann have done before making <heir the use of a full 74.25 MHz color sampling for all three color choice. I have had a DP tell me. we cannot use HDCAM channels. The bandwidth provided and me fucr that the color because it is not 4:2:2 and we have a lot of blue screen in this san1pling mainc-ains the primary colors in their pure form projeer. Well, so did Star Wirrs Episode II, and the keys and offers a great advantage \vhcn n1anipulacing the: inlagc in color ocher effects look just fine. It is all about working in the boundaries or limicrions of the format you choose. But ple:tSC correction or as part of an effect. Previous problems of RGB transmission delays and riming becwccn che color channels make th3t choice from an informed posirion. have been sokcd wirn chc rransicion co me digital domain.

Currcndy HDCAM-SR and some hard drive syscems like that 1 \\

~

CAMERA OPERATOR: JEF'F CREE ON HI-DEF

31

uh chc i111roduction of CD:USA on DirecTV. the W.l)'

W

1nu'1' i' 'hot JOr An1crican rclcvision ha.., c.1kcn J lurn.

lh..cd on CD:UK. •<how rhar h;is been Jiring in Engbnd for o-cr "'"en CD: USA has rai<ed the b.r for smc-adc c.lmcr. operator< by emplo)ing a 1:.uropcan 'l<npml

l""·

c.;uncrJ. \\'\tc1n.

ln<tc:ui of pl.mng c•mem in s<nrcgic <pot> >roonJ the «•gc JnJ lcmng the J1n:uor call out shois on thc II). <pcullc <ho" •rc prc-pbnncJ >nJ '>CriptcJ. Following the J1m:tor\ 'Ctlp« • .i \pcc:1ft'" (J.rncr.i "ill be on a specific '\hot .it .t \fX'C11i' umc in thc ""'S· 'mctl) >enptcd 10 the beau of the mu\lc.

Thc mommgof che 'h°". coch camcraopcr.uor" gncn •

32

IA"lllA 01, KATOH SliOOTING SCRIPTEO M VSIC

run J O\\'ll of chc episode a~ \veil a~ .Jn individual ;;hol li.;c for each live music performance. E'lch cp1..00c includes 5 io ~per· fonnancc< with upwards of ISO >eriptcJ ,hot' per <0ng (the recor,I an the UK version of the >how w.» 220 <eriptcd •hots 1n one pcrform:ince).

When we scm the shO\\". the edmng" JlruJy <ct to the <h<K l1>ted script. During the <how. the D1n:,tor Joe< not ull out 'hots. ltuher, the Scnpt Supcrvuor (•term u...,J J1tlcm11· h th•n on• 11lm ~) calls out the <hot number\•< he ,he ~ounh om the ba" of the music. rhcrc LS no s.:akn•net bcausc the' 1\1on 1n1~cr (a rmn n:pbcmg Tcchnaai Din:etor) is ..J-o working off the scnpt. =ii>

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}ad: J\lmirt soc: lt1l1tJ 011 his ca11Jer.t on tbe stt o/CD:USA. Tbt shot list bas to be rt·writltll by tbe opn-.ttor before rt.btarJals 1111rt, so tbat (vtrythi11gfor 011t song willfit 011 011e p.1ge. T/Jrr(J "o tilne 10 rha11gt pages anti stillgtt "II tbt rtquirctl J/1011.

He/she is nor loolcing ro make sure you arc on your assigned cape. \vithouc n1i~ing a beat. shot. So even if your camera is pointed at the Aoor. they will And jusr ro make thing. even more complicarcd, the sragc be cutting ro you. And because it is shot live to rape. there is floor is Aoodcd with an audience of over 400 scrc:iming funs .... no post-production editing to save you.

Ir sounds like a lor. And it is.

CO:USA'ssct includes nvosrngcs, an inu:rvic\V area and a Fro1n :ln individu:tl c.uncr::t opcr.tror'$ point of vic\v, here a host rower. With camera operators hustling through the ser. rundo,vn of211 actual sho,v: che show curs seamlessly from Ar call 6n1e. you arc given ~ one >rca to •nother during the show breakdown and shor lisc.

Even your camera is pointed one-hour episode.

The roughly 50-pagc packer Between each b:md's pcrfom>includes host links as well as at thefloor, they wilt be cutting se,•ernl •ncc. host wrap·ups link us from pages of individually one area to another. So \\•hen a assigned shots for each song. to you. And because it is shot band fini>hes on Srage A, a host We rake the shot lists and rclive to tape, there is no post'vritc the several pages of link thro"~ us ro Sragc B where another bond is waiting. When assigned shots for a single perproduction editing to save you. they finish their performance. formance onto one page (to onothcr host link throws us back avoid having to flip pages during ro Srage A where a new band has been set up. the song). This hdps condense rhe clipboard ro perhaps 25 To cover all of this action. CD:USA uses a six camera setpages by the time rehearsal srarts. up. Three handhcld cameras. two pedesral cameras (one long The day usually begins with a band rehearsal performance.

The jib and the two pedesral cameras arc placed in the ccmer lens. one wide) ond a camera on a jib. Each camera has a clipboord attached ro it containing the rundown of the show and of the audience area. One handhcld camera covers che entire individual shot lisrs for each song. This makes it especially dif. left side of rhc srage. che sragc left corner and along the front flcult for the hand held operators who. in order co sec the shot of the sragc ro the c<mcr. The second handhdd runs similarly list during che performance. muse use a ·&om the hip" cype of for the right half of the stage. The third handhcld is usually opcracing. ruckcd behind a camera hide in the rear right hand comer of Can>era opemors nor only cover the specific shor lisrs of chc .5tagc ro catch reverses and rear inscrunlcnts. the songs. bur muse periodically break away from the perform\Xie run chrough chc song. framing up chc shots as \VC inter· ance and run co another scccion of the sragc: to set up the prcr what che director has scripccd. A typical song conrains bc:-t\\·ccn perfonnance host links or intt"rvie,vs - aJl Ji,·c to 20-30 shots assigned roan individual camera. Wide shots.

if

J4

CAMERA OPfRATQR: SHOOTING SCRIPTED MUSIC

cxrrcn1c close ups. reverses. "'hip pans from the 3.udicncc...

You name ir: itS in there. All fron1 one cu11cr:i.

And the c:uncras never stop moving. Ead1 c::unc:ra covers "'"cral band members during the song. •ltcrn•ting shot> throughout. This helps crc~uc an

iUusion of

having rnany 111orc caJ11cras covering the action.

pencil with • ht-alrhy eraser com cs in handy at this point.

When •ll the changes are made, we mke another run ac it.

There arc wuaUy a few more changes after the second run. but ic should be dose to problem free by chc time we arc seeing a third pass.

During this rehearsal. we discuss chc hoS< links that proceed and follow chc song co 1nakc sure enough time

Because the songs arc scripted before che dircccor secs chc band. there will be shoe> chac do nor ,,·ork and these: problems arc usually ob"ious. When the pcrfonnancc ends. chc

is allotted co che operator{s) co"cring the link.

We rehearse all the band pcrformanc"" (up co 7 per episode}. making changes and notes along chc way. When there arc gops in the bands~ \Ve rehearse the wrap around links with the hose" These cake place in preplanned

dircccor scares ac the

cop of the song and calls our changes ro rhc shoe lisc. These consisr of changing chc shor size. giving the shoe ro a diffcn:nc ca1ncra,

Tbis ;",s a typitdl trou·d th11t the cau1er.i opuaton l11111e to tL-'Drk 11rou11dJ 1vhile trying to hit thrir 11111r/.:J 1111dgrt 11/I the shots 011 the shot list or hastilJ 111bs1i1111e wn1ethi11g because a si11ger did11'1 hit bis/her 111ark duri11g peifon11a11u.

changing the length of chc shoe (given in music•I bars} or losing the shor •hogcchcr. Needless ro say, •

positions around chc

scagc. As you ha\'e probably guc:sscd, chc

sho''' is noc rehearsed in sho'v order: so can:ful nocc caking is csscnrial.

..

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CAMERA OPERATOR : SHOOTING SCRIPTED MUSIC

JS

Thi'> progression concinucs uncil chc cnrirc

show has been rehearsed. By then, ir is usually cintc co bring in the audicncc. 11le scagc floor is then filled \l'ith over 400 screaming fans and we scan c-.iping chc sho\\'.

In order co hcar chc script supcr\'isor call ouc che shoes O\'Cr chc screaming cro\\•d. rhc operators \\·l-ar helicopter hcadsccs. \Ve arc rc:anlcd chrough·

our the day with our indispcn<ablc uriliry who deals \virh our cxrensivc C:tbling issues rhroughouc the show. Security personnel al«> help'" quickly navigate through che cro"·dcd Aoor co our assigned posidons.

Ir really becomes a finely orchesrrared dance.

And when ir work<. ic really makes 6 camcl':IS look like a whole loc more. And you arc able to caceh a loc of smaller moments rhar would orhcr,vise be Jo,t. jln1111y ( ,"11rtia is tbt h1111dl1<-l d ra111tr•'""'" - 110/ t tbt shot list ttttarhtd to tht While a scriptcd camera syStcm initfally seems top oftht <a111m:i . Gt tti11t 1ht rlght JJOIS is afintly orchesJr.ittd d11nt<.

10 take aw:ir the freedom of the camera operator, rhis is anything bur rhc case. Firs! of all, the Dircetor cannot shots whUc others demand a more frenetic rype of operating. sec C\'eryrhing, ln rehearsals. you can offer up something And lasr. but most imporcant of all. no performer will do 1ha1 he/ she did not inrend. but works better than whar rhey exactly the same thing in the real performance <hat they did in scripted. n:hcaDal. The energy \\fith a cro\vd is \'cry diffcrcnr. Franling Add ro rhar the fucr rim each music genre rtquircs a and >plit·dccision shor changes arc the rcsponsibiliry of the diffcrcnr type of operating. Some >Ong> need smooth, fluid operator. If the assigned and rchea<>ed shm is nor going ro \vork. you need to change ir inro something usable on the fly.

Bdicve me. you really have ro be Es1a1< Plan11itt is Wealth Preservation o n your cocs. This is nor an easy sys· mn to grasp. I< cakes practice. Bu< Estate Planning i.• Plan11i11g for here arc a fC\\' cips fro1n c.anlcra opcr· YourFamil 's Future acors \Vho have been chrough it: • Use the shot lisrs as a guide.

Cindy J. Macho, Esq. • Kenneth E. Ostrove, Esq. Accomplish whar <he sho< list in<cnds, bur make <he shors )'Our 0\\1n. Give the Director chc best shot possible. Be creative.

• Listen to the music. Every song has a different fed. Make your canlcra nlovcs and fr:uning flt the music.

• The Director's initial shor lisr is a '\\lish list· and it is nor ahvays pos· Cindy J. ~ha.cho. EtKt• siblc co accomplish ever)' shot. If Kt'nneth F.. Ost·ro\•e , ~. $i&7 \\'11""'"' Boult\·ard, S.Ce 636 you see (or antidparc) a probkm.

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(.AMEl<A OPU!ATOR; SHOOTING SCRIPTED M USIC

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• Comn1ic co your ~hots. especially

ifi:oomingor panning. If you hesirace, it '"ill sho"·· Be confident and be bold.

• Make <hings c:isy for yourself.

Take as many nows as you need during rche•tsal. Wrire things

do\\rn so YOU undcrsC3nd \\!here you

need co be and what rou need to shooL Make sure that your shot list is written in rcnns that YOU will undersrand during the show. Re-write the enrirc sheet if necessary (highly

• W.uch the background of your shot.

If there is something thetc that you do not \\"1nr co sec. then adjust your shoe.

Hopefully, you sec this problem in rehcars.1.I \\•here an adjusnncnr can be 1nadc.

Ifthe assigned and rehearsed shot is notgoing to work, you n eed to change it into something usable on the fly. recommended). Do whatc»<r it rakes for YOU tO be where you need to be during the shO\\', • \Xfhcn you cannot 1·nakc it co your assigned shot, fr.unc up so111cc.hing usable. If you don't, they wiU cur ro

• lf you sec another cart1er.i in your shot, odjusr your shot. Seeing another caiuer~ is never pretty.

• If you have a problem, osk for help.

Odds arc, we can get it to you.

~

you 31l)'\\>ay. Don't cry to force a ~hot

jmt because iris on the Shor Lise. It is bcn<r <0 frame up the same sh0t r\vice than co hav(' the Vision ~1lixcr cuc co rou \vhen you arc out of posi· rion or in rransicion.

}ark A/mill SOC is r11rrmt/y 011 a projm shooting i11 Hong Kong. To read his !aJt arlitl~far Can1cra Operator, "Ge11i11g Started; go to hnp:/ / www.jackmcssitt .con1/ pr-csssoc2.htn1

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CAMERA OPERATOR: SHOOTING SCRIPTED MUSIC

37

Pc1cf Rosenfeld ~OC .arnidc;t Lhc .. hcrr) blos~n1s on Lhc Gtis!M sci in P1sadcna CA. Ptt,;om pages: PhoLographing Zi) i Zhang ;as \he tn.n,fonn\ into the gc:illiha Sa) uri.

40

CA.\>IERA QP[RAlOK CEl~HA

For Cmhn. Rob assembled many of the same artim from Chirngo: Dircccor of Photography Dion Beebe.

Production Designer John Myhre, Cosrumc Designer Colleen Arwood and Hair Srylisr Lynn Q uiyou. There \\'Ould be only one con1plc.x 1nu.sical nunlb<r and the n1ajoricy of chc." fil111 '''ould be staged for one ca.n1cra.

The decision was made c:uly on ro phorograph Crisha \Vith Panavision ana1norphic lenses. The '''idcscn:c."n for~ n1at \\'3S a narural for this picture. Dion and Rob ''ranted a 8111ry Lp1do11 look for their interiors. In realiry rhc 'okiy:i' where rhe geisha lived in Japan of rhe J 930sand 1940s were lie primarily by candlel ight and oil lamps. Rendering thiti m<."ant cxrr~1nclr lo,v light levels. ''cry hor pr:tcricals in frame and very limited deprh for our focu< pullers.

Fortunately for us all ' '<' had a1nning ralcnr ac can1cra.

On my "A" camera w:ts rhcenormously gifted /\l ike \X'cldon-a rrue arrisr. John Grillo rook care of"B" cam· era. ofrcn flndini; himself wirh camera opcraror Sion Michel wide open on che 180mm. /\!any interiors were exposed ar a >!Op ofT 2. I cannot say enough abour rhe fine \\"Ork chc:sc gcndcn1cn contributed co chis n1ovic. \Xie used the P:rnavision "E" series lenses mostly as well as some

Peter Rosenfeld and Sut.uka Ohgo in Kroro. Japan. Sw.uka pla)'S the role of Chiyo, the roungser,·ant girl "'ho later blossoms into Japan's 1nost gr;lccful gci<ha.

The ,\/~111oirs ofa G'~is/J11 camer:a department :u the \'entun Farnls b.tddot. L to R: John Grillo ('8' Ist AC). 1\f ikc \X'cldon ("A' Ist AC).

Pcm Roscnfdd SOC ('A' opcraror/Sread;cam op). s;on Michel ('D' oper.uor), Dion Beebe (OircciorofPhorognphy), l»ul Sanron; ('A' 2 nd AC). EJ M ;s;sco ('D' came"' 2 nd AC). Canmon Duncan (loader). Not ><:en : D•"id Jam<> SM1' $ 1', Stills pho1ographer.

CAMERA 0PFRATOR: GEISHA

41

H:at.surnoruo (Gong Li) leans ag:a.inst ihe wall chc okiya .. che lire bla-1.es.

Facing page. Ziyi Zhang, once called Chi)o. i~ no"' tile nt'\\' geish.a S:ayuri.

or

mainland China ac,ors in ~13ndarin . \Xie

"C's' on me Srcadicam and handhcld cam· cr.1 bodies. In addition, Weldon had a cus· tomiied 40mm lens with a ";de open stop ofT 1.8. Also in our inventory we had • very handy anamorphic short ioo111 having a range of40-SOmm (T 2.8) which proved useful for our cr.1nc work. We had ro work very hard to concrol Aarcs and fll. ter kicks in mis format. It was a never ending chalknge for us all.

Rob chose• brilli>nt cast of Asi•n octors for GriJ/111. Years ago I lived in Chin• as a documentary camcr.1man for BBC/CBC and lacer as a Steadica1n and carncra opera· tor for directors like Zhang Yimou and Chen Kai Ge. I Cdll spc•k Mandarin and had done two previous films in China wim Gong Li • who pla)" the evil Hacsumomo in Grisha. On occasion Rob would bypass his Chinese translators for expediency and

a srand·in for scenes •nd would prefer Dion ro light her instead ofwmeonc else.

The inccriOC$ were all b11ilt at Sony Snodios in Culver City. CA. The beautifully

ask n1c to repeat his insnucrions co the

derailed sc~ 'vcrc rnassi,'t and included

had manyJapanese performers as well. and it ''ras not unconlnton ro have rwo rransla·

tors and hear three languages A<"';ng around the shooring sragc at once. ·me.re arc nlany fine pcrfornlances in Mrmoirs ofa Grisha bur the one char I will never forget is Gong Liswhen me geisha house or okiya is set on fare. Her intensity in mat scene was astounding. I remember she stood on set for hour$ in charncrcr, as the set was lit •nd prepared for fire work You could ask her to move a few inches or step our of the way grip •t:md mode itS way mrough but >he would never br<>k charac·

a>•

u:r. l[ \Va,:, ;unazing. Li ofu:n rcfiLScd to have

Say11ri knt"cls at hc:-r ntirrot to put on n1akeup and oma1ncnt ht.r h2ir1 as direC'tor Rob ~farsh:UI cakes ltis position next to the camera.

42

CAMCKA Ol'fRATQR; GEISHA

The •t1:a.n:u ; n:1.chi; 1hc back.101 buih :n \ 'cnrura Fa.rm.sin the S:.ant:l ~Ionia mountains. Top: A &bee light illuminating the b:acldo1 a1 nigh• through the 'r.g'. Ccn1rr, ld'1: The f'rccs=ding s 1ttl tNSJC"J supported a 1ilC":n1 grid dorh tha.1 -~ o•cr 2 acm. Cent«, right: Gaffer John Bucldq """able 10 emir :an O\CrC1Sl day look "'ith diffused &bee light long after the sun had .St"t. Righi : l h c \lrcan• "'ith a ,.n;ablc water IC"--d and the SOft Tcchnocranc, .. hich was used fr« que":nt.ly co photognph ~"uping 'istaS of the derailed set.

44

CAMI RA 01'1 AAlOI! CEISHA

Japanese rroops 3.rc ;r;rrh·ing in rhc vill2gc in their Arn1y trucks.

The O\'C'rasc d:iy cffccr 'vas cre:ircd by

the top-lit =opy of grid doth. nor only rhe "okiya" (geisha house) and irs various levels bur also a full size Sumo wrestling sragc. a roof rop scr, and rca· houses. Bur chc ccnccrpiccc sec \\'35 our bacl<loc built at

Vemura Farms abour an hour oursidc of Los Angeles. The brilliant Producrion Designer John Myhre and his arr depart· mcnr succeeded in creating period Japan in rhe Sanra Monica n1ounrnins. chc sire of Ventura Farlns. The scr ~1yhrc con· srn1cted fearurcd srrcccs. aJlcy,vays. functioning teahouses, shops. rcmples. shrines. bridges and a ri\•cr where one could change the \v:ttcr Jc,·el and current. No one '''ho visircd the set left uni1nprcsscd.

The task of crcacingJapancsc soft ovcm1sr winrer light in sunny Southern California would require blocking our rhe sun. To accomplish chis, Key Grip Scott Robinson together wirh Rigging Key Don Reynolds Jr assembled the largcsr frt'<'.· standing diffusion ever n1adc. In order to covtr the entire

Japanese villagt·. nearly rwo and a nalf acrt'S, they erected a pair of n1assivc srccl crus..i;c.'S front \vhich chcy \\'ere able ro suspend panels of silcnr grid clorh.

For our nighr work. Galler John Buckley would focus a

Bebee lighr from above (no relation co our dnemarogr>phcr) do,vn onto the diffusion n1arcrial. The result \ W.S :a stunningly realistic moonlight effect. Ir crcarcd an cnonnous spread of light with very lirdc full off. The village was lit uniformly in jusr abour t'\'cry direction. Once the practicals '''ere turned on and buildings lie from rhe inside, the resulting night eftccr ''ias srunning.

Then \vhilc crying ro complcrc a day cxrcrior scene after chc sun had gone down. wc discovered rhac gaiter Buckley could crearc daylight at night! By using several Bebee lighcs aimed do\vn r.hrough rhc grid cloth he could generate an,bicnt light bds in the range of a T 2.8. We fell in love with this light cflCct. The quality was very similar to what you would sec in New York on a cloudy winrcr day in the lace afternoon. a soft shadowless lighr.

This artificial 'vinter dayIig.ht 'vas put co use \vhen Jap::tnese rroops occupy the village and evacuate the residenrs. We intenrional.ly shor chis scene 'nighr for day' with three handhdd cameras following the cltaos in 360 d<-grccs. Aside from a few well-placed bounce cards the scene wa. lit from the rop-lir rwo acres of grid doth. It looked incredible.

Another highlighr for mr 'v:a.s a con1plicated Tcchnocranc snor following. lone flgurc (lefr) walking through the snowcovcrcd village. Scott and his crew built a plarfonn to cb':lcc the base of rhc 50ft Technocranc. The

resulting in1agts \Vith rhc can1cra skirting O\•cr rhc rooftops '"ere

like a Japanese water-

CAM£

,

•

·~·

-

color painting.

•

OPERATOR: GEtS>tA

45

On 011r.1.~ rhc Sccadicam worked on mo\t of the mu1ic2l munber.;, and we often reached for n in the <aging of the n:irniti>e ponion< "' "di. The m0<..:s were cbbome and often '''1 Jln•m1c. On Gnsh.t it".,.. slighdy d1ff<r· cm. \\c ul<'d Sccodicun co mck through nglu ..Jlen• >1 -and rc>houscs of the Huwnxh1 or J•~nc~ \1lb&"· cns1~··· Stcadium "less\ l<I• blc, "'u>llv blending m "ith our cr>ne and doll) work. One of my favorite Studie>m 'hoc" and one of the mosr challenging phy>i· cally. j, \\ hcn lirrlc Chiyo i.s rakcn through rhc v1ll.1gc fOr the first rime in a rick\ha"" Run· n1ng 3long.,:1c.lc "'irh rhc Sceadic.lJn, often .a' fa.<t .._,I coulJ, I shoe her pc<:nng out from chc um-'g< JC the t\cW world around her.

Ar the cnJ of the day I thinI. n·, 1mport>nt to ""' the nght tool for the <hoc. On .lfrmom of•• (im/..1 I "as fonunatc to ha\C • bnl!i...nt 1

46

( ""[RA Ol'fRATOR GEISHA

Dion lkcbc. Pcrtr Rosenfeld :and Rob ~l;arsh."\ll "'ith Ziyi Zhang as Sayuri. Facing page: ~LichcHc ' 'cob ;as top geisha ~lamch ;a and Ziyi Zhang as S:i.yuri, her prorCgC. Q,•c-rlcaf. top: Saruri dances on a cat"-alk. 2 \'et}' 1nodcrn d;a.ncc with "'sno,v" fulling on her. The red and ''"hiu: of her kintono rt'Prcstnc hcr ,·irginiry. Overleaf. bou:o1n: Gong Li :as Hatsumo1no io sra.rk unhappi1lcss. Q,·crleaf, f-acing p:i.gc: H:atsun\0010 (right) cor1ncnts C hj)'O (Ziyi Zhang) bc~usc she recognizes Lhc girl's potenrial as a rival.

Dolly Grip in Brad Rae who \V.lS a great collaborator and artisr with chc AcroCrnne. TcchnoCranc and Dolly. A real asset wa; the Hor Gears sys-ccn1 \\ hich \\·c often combined \Vi th chc Acrocrane.

1

In addition to our stages and backlot. we also filmed in Northern California. In J\larin Counry they found a coastline very similar ro the Sea ofJapan where me «ory Ix-gins. Also we took full advanragc ofJapanese architecture in and around San Franciscos Japanese gardens.

I have never been a part of a projecr so inrenscly focused on the visual t:lcmcnrs. A big budget period 'art' rnovie \\•ith an

all-Asian cm speaking English. Every shot was art directed ro Rob'scxacring pcrfecrion and Ctstc; he \\'ould never sign off on 3 shor until ir \Vas righr and \VC \Vorked dcvorcdly to n1akc ir so. Quire che opposicc of a n1n and gun action n'o''ic: you

·o·

never heard. ·ok! Somebody grab the camera. run over chcrc and shoor char 1· 1'.1uch ro chc: credit of camera operator Sion J\lichd, complimenrary angles were phorogrJphcd at rhc sa1nc tin1c, buc never ar chc expcn~e of the 111ain ~hot.

When"" arc introduced to the Okiya (home where che gcc<ha li\-cd) and Morhcr for the first time, Rob w•nrcd most 48

CAMERA OPERATOR: CEJSHA

of the frame to be black and a figure ro suddenly •PP<"'' from the darkness in me light of a m•tch. This scene was so dark that when focus puUtr Mike Weldon turned ro me for feedback, all I could say was "Mike. I'm afraid you're on your own."

Of course Weldon nailed it and me scene is a classic. Exactly as Rob envisioned it - the closed. dark, hidden world of the geish.1 revealed gradually through the eyes of our protagonisr. the lirde girl Chiyo.

This scene cxe111plifics the extraordinary success of cincrna·

rographcr Dion Beebe. He handk-s each challenge and scrback \\•ith confidence and calrnncss. He is the 1nosr z.c-n·likc: cinc· n1atographer I have ever 1nct. You never hear hin1 raise his voice or lose his cool. He has mast<rc:d the art of accomn1odat· ing the dirl"cror \vhilc: n1ainraining conrrol of his ncg:nh·c.

Ir was not unusual for Rob ro appear right beside me asking. ·vcrcr, is rhis too bright?• Even if it \Vas a case of ..vidco rap

dcccprion.· he would still ask Dion ro rum offsome lights ro sec ho\v ir \\'Ot1ld look. ~tuch co Dion's crcdir chis ncvc:r \Vas cause for up~cr; somc:rin1cs: he \Vould .;hifr rhe key around a riny hie. ocher rin1cs chro'v caution co rhc \Vind and CXJ><XC ir

dark. Sometimes VERY dark.

,.

Alr11101n oj~1 (,f11b.1 "J..~ :in cxuaordinuy cxpcricncr for cvcr)·onc 1t touched.

From nggmggr•!" workings.kry-lumcsscd on the uussc; •bovc <O the an dcp.i.rtmcnt bdO\\ and <>-.:ri-one bcfl''CCn, we .U slutt the pride ofhavmg conmbuteJ to • unique and bc.utiful movie.

Mmwir11>f" (,'nJ1-1 amen crt:w: Dion Bccbc ASC. Darcctorof Photography Peter ROS<"nfdd SOC , 'A' C1111cn opcr.uor/Stcadiam Make Weldon. 'A' come.-. 1st AC Paul S.nmni, 'A' camcn 2nd AC Sion t. (ichd, 'B' c:unera operator John Grillo, 'B' camera 1st AC EJ ~ (isisco. 'B' camera 2nd AC Cimcron Dunc•n. lo.1der David J•mcs SMPSP. >till photogr-aphcr

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The Core of the Magic ---

.L 56

CAMERA OPERATOR:: CORE OFTHE MAGIC

by Paul

Babin soc

1t• like the eye of the

"In 40 some yeaN of career and 49 movies. it's maybe hap· pencd 8 time.. 10 cimes. There's a scene char', pivoral...

energy. It's like the ccm<r of che magncc.

'''ht'rc there an: \'c:ry con1p1icaccd emotional cransicions. And,

And every rime I would walk chat gauml<t, 1would ... It'< like 'suy loose. Please don't .. .211 che doors of your crcariviry keep chem open. Stay relaxed, scay open. Please, God, let me

ifyou"re working wirh a very good direnor, he or she will \vant co do ir aJJ in o ne rake, \\•hich means char rhc.~ emotion~ al cransicions will be happening as you move from one place co another and rhe lights and you have to hit your mark<.

You wake up on chc mo ming of chis-you wak< up andI<l be <ick t0 my <tomach I'd be: so scared.

So you go to work. And you don'r know if you're <t•pposcd co give everything during rehearsal. because if you blow your wad during rehearsal, mayb.: you can'c get it back up again.

Bur you don'c wam co hold back from going imo rhc emo· rion, bcctusc )'OU \\"anr co figure out \vherc you're going to go.

So anyway. you've done chc rehc•rsal •nd now it's time fur chem co sec rhe lighrs. You go and you sit in your rrail<r or your dressing room co waic. Ir e:tn be a half hour. le can be an hour. !fits a oomplicattd shor, ic can be rhree haul'>. And whar do you do? Do you read a book and gee roo far away from whcr< you're supposed co be? Do you stay and think abouc it :llld gee all tense? It's chis figuring out whnt kind of >tare ofemotion•l and psychic limbo do you mainroin during chcsc one 10 rhrc.: hours.

And rhen rhe moment comes. where chey knock on your door and rhey say. 'We're rcody: You're paid a pretty good salary. It costs a hundred chousand doUar> a day 10 make your average Hollywood 11Jm. There's about a I00 p<ople on the sec wnnclng to sec if you're going to show chem th•t you dcscr\'e the salary char you're getting. There's a lot of pressure.

Then cheres this gaunclcc thnt you walk. From when you leave your dressing r001n unca )'OU CllCCr the SC( \\•hich 00\V is like• circle oflighc. Noc jusc •circle of the klicg lights. but Intro

I

do ir. don't lcr me shur do\vn.'

You ;rand in place, and ic's almosr like a crap shoot. You jusc don't know whether you will. And we\'< nll experienced it, when )'OU gee up there, and ics all dep<nding on you, and you can't gee it up. And it'~ no[ there.

But when it docs work, you srcp imo che lighc, and you hit your firsr mark. And all of the channels arc open. And ic hap· pens. And ic's like a plane caking ofT. You caxi and you cake off.

J\Jld you become. lc's like• dance. boch wich the other actor or accrcss and chc ,-.mcra •nd che lights. And it's chis wonderful fu<ion ofhicting )'Our marks and loving the camera, loving your costar. And the cmorions •re all thcr<. And it's better thnn any low making. It's che grcaccsr thing in the world.

It's nlso the worse thing in rhe world. because when it doesn't work, )'OU wanr ro die. Bcc:lusc you know what ic C:ln be. you're so sc.red it won'c happen. Th•r's wh3C makes this profession so gr<at fur the soul, bur so hnrd on the ne"·es."

-Famous Accress with rwo AC:ldemy Awords "We were inco hour 14. The OP liked co light ""ch >hot three time>. I goc local guys on my crew figuring our new ways co nor be a"aifablc on the next >er up. The UPM WJS lea.ming his job, I guess. 'cau"' every request I mak< that involves a purchase order is 'cwcncy-quc:>clol\>.' Hirn ;u>d I h.d just llnishcd nnothcr thriUing conference, and I sit down. first time .ill day. Well. in comes cl1e "" from her trailer. She s = a hole right through me Jnd walks by like I haven'c been here for the past 12 w<"Cks." -Famous Grip wirh more than SO fcarures t0 his crcdic child-like ingenuousness. Because of my proximicy co the

love actors. From 111y first rnorncnrs on a set to chi) day.

the actor has rcprcscmcd a no>c-chumbu1g rcpudfacion of 1ny Northcnl-Europcan DNA. a gJoriou.s ancidorc to 1ny

"let's hide our feelings" upbringing.

As a dapper-loader. I scood ncxc to the actor on the brink of "'acrion," n1c.sn1crizcd by the cransfonnacion char \\':l.S taking place. ln n1y brief :ind pathetic career as a firsr as.5i.scanc. his unpredictable sponrancicy \\"3S coo ofrcn a conrribucing fucror to my spotted

hurricane.

record as a focus puller. Then I became an oper·

aror. And \\tirh it ca1nc rhc opporrunicy co really \varch acrors

ac work. Perched only feet from an actor llring on all cylinders, l bcca1ne audience co f>c."rforn1anccs no one cl~ \\'ould ever sc:c. As po\vcrfia1 as the n1ovic n1ighc rurn out, ir \vould scill lx an absrl':lcccd version. created in post. nothing like rhe amazing chings I obser\·cd unabridged and in real rime.

Dirccror Ridley Scott characterizes our experience of observing actors through the camcr:l's lens chis way: ·you arc \\'atching adjusanenc in a very fine runcd fuhion."

The Dilemma As 111y love affair \\1lh aero rs gre\V, I began lO accu1nularc history on fJm cr<ws. I found thnr below chc line, production staff was• melting pot of ereaci,;cy, ralcm, hard work and

ca1ncra. I t.-ould sec and sOmccimes inAucncc ctt\\' 1nora1c:. I learned chc value of ackno,vlcdge111cnc, could sorncciines clari· fy rnisundc~randings. and ca.n1c ro appreciate- rhc value of'

>huccing up and somecimcs leering the dysfunction unfold.

And I bt.l,ran ro \\'atch ch<.' inccr.tccion of crc\v and actors.

And there \\'Crc cilncs I felt contlicccd. Says a vcccran \vich over 20 years c:xpcricncc, "'There is a kind of protective feeling

I gee about ... actors [ work with. If there's t.tlking during rehearsal. I rake ir personally. Bur rhc.n, if an actor co1ncs on \Vich anirudc tO\\oard so1nconc on chc crC\v, ic's like they've insulted a relative...

The challenges and frusrrarions of my brothers and sisrers on the crc\v I understood eo1nplcrcly. Ir \\"3$ rhc acror's \Vorld char rcn1aincd a mystery.

Director of Photography Allen 03';3u points om, "When we (che crew) do our jobs, cneh of us has our insrrumenc, tools. ro)'S we play wirh. They •re the badges of our profesliion. Actors have thc1nsclves; they're out there: all alone."'

This aloneness, rhis p<rccived vulnel':lbiliry of che actors • Wh>t's greac abouc operating is that it's pri,-:ite. There is an intim•te privacy between the operator :i.nd the perfom1er.

Cherish char."

- Ridley Scace CA.\.IERA Ol'lRATOR: CORE OF THE MAGIC

57

backed by my allegiance to the crew got me thinking. Perhaps a little knowledge about che •ctors work might case misundersranding and raise our collective awareness on the next show.

Because as director Allison Liddy-Brown pucs it, ·Acting is the core of the m•gic."

What Is Ac ting?

Acting comes from the Latin word agere meaning •to do."

Most modem acting technique is an outgrowth of The Stanislavsky Sy><Cm, or "the method," :as it h:as become known.

This system dictates that the actorS n1ission is to convey a "believable truth." Stanisl•vsky taught techniques such as ·c:111ocional n1cmory; a method in \vhich the actor rc1nen1bcrs an evem from his own experience and the feding(s) that infused it. He then brings that emorion, his own personal reality to the pan he plaiing.

Sranislavsl)' was breaking new ground when he raught his actors to bring themselves to the pan they were playing. Prior co chac. acting was a process of

their character's hisrory with the other character. She had them do this at the S."lme time, so there w:as a chaotic qualicy as both srudencs ralkcd over one another and described their first meeting. first d>te, first sex, and so on. "Don't listen to the other person, just to1lk." As with •II the c:.xcrciscs, self-consciousness melted away. It was funny •nd liberating •t the S.'llTIC rime. "Now run the scene; she S>id, and •gain there w:as a depth to their pctfonnancc that came out of the histOI')' they h•d just invemed. The performance suddenly had "life."

The next p•ir gave a really stagnant perfonnance first time out, so Shirley Jo told them to run the scene again, but we their own words. Not having scripted cues to depend on, they had to look at each other and really listen. This c:.xercisc in paying attention carried O\'Cr in the scripted vc.rsion 'vhcn they did it again. They were now Lisrcning to each other, and of course the improvc1ncnc 'vas huge.

With the la;t pair, each srudent was rakcn aside individually.

Shirley Jo asked questions about feelings, objective, "If there was something physical you could do in rhc scene \vhar \vould it be?•

"becoming" the charaner while lcav· Perhaps a little knowledge Based on th.at an5,vc:r, she gave ~ch ing one's personal world offstage:. srudcnr a ·wk• \\•ichin the scene. a Lee Srrasberg, in che fim halfof the about the actor's work physical act that would create an 20th ccnrury, began to apply some of these theories in his 'vork at chc unexpected moment for chc other might ease misunderAcror's Studio. Srrasberg said that che actor. This injected life and spon· standing and raise our 1nosc cfTcccivc film performers \\•ere taneity and lifted the scene t0 somethose who did nor act. "They cry not thing fur more imcrcsting •nd fresh collective awareness... to act but co be chcmsclvcs, co than first presenrcd. respond or react," he 53id.

Each of thei<: tedmiqucs, and "Acting is reacting.· a well-worn phrase. but as I look back chei<: were only four of four thou53nd ui<:d by •ctors and on the cxrnordinary perfonnanccs I've seen through the cam· directors. gives actors a 'vay to ix: in rhc ino1ncnt. co find per~ sonal rruth •nd thus bring to the i<:cnc emotion•! authenticity. era, reacrion is preciscl)' what I remember moSt vividly: Jack "E"ery character an acror pl•ys is just a different cmorion•I Nicholson m•king eight dear, distinct. emotional adjustment< in one to1kc-cach in responi<: to what the other •cror s•id or side ofwho they are. The actor raps into that, rhc person they did. each sponto1neous and fresh every time. Gwyneth P•krow know- themscl"es; and S>ys Finney. hearing the S>me infonnation in a string of takes and showing One Actor's Process each time, with new inflection. the profound imp•ct it has on her character.

Actor Jeff' Bridges ga''e me a few minutes to describe wh•t its like for him going to work.

"Acting is the an of being." says actor director Shirley Jo Finney. It's the actor's goal to find and remain in the Stolte of• "I'm in th•t school th•t engages. It's a pretty finite time we human ... being. have (to shoot the movie). We've got to get down to it pmry On the surf.ice it sounds simple. JUSt be. But how can anyone 9uickly. One of the first things I do is seek out comrades atto1in "beingness" in an empty room much less surrounded by (among cast and crew) who kind of serve :as kindling to get my onlookers, equipment, lights. marks, noise and cxpccrations? fires going. Crc"'• cast. it's like \vc'rc conspirators in the san1e I w:1tched Shirley Jo Finney work with a d:ass of6lm studies dream together: otherwise people arc distractions, like when a studenrs. non-actors. Paired up, the students had been given a nc'v person co1nes on the set I ha\'Cco gee over there and get simple, one page scene which they'd memorized. that person in on the thing. welcome him on board, bring him The first pair presented their scene-not bad, but not Ycry into the tent."

But \\•hat if you 're \\'Ork.ing \vi ch an actor \vho isn't intcrcsccd inspiring. Shirley Jo went to work by asking questions like, "How do you fed right now?" She had them ralk about them- in your tent? selves and then ralk about the other Student/character, ·1 ·vc \vorkcd \Yith actors \vho don't like to rehearse or 'vho describing qualities in their parmers they found arcractive, arc kind of rough or difficult, but I've learned to accept i< as a given. (c dcx."Sn'r maru:r that n1uch \vhcn you \\'Ork \Vich an i<:xy, off-purring. She then gave each srudem an objcccivc, a actor who docs it diff'ercndy. becaUi<: you do ultimardy meet dear goal for their character in the scene. When th<)' ran it on chac imaginary plane bcnvccn 'action' and ·cur:· again. the improvcnlcnt \vas significant. Therl'.' \\l'aS a gtnuinc. unforced, spomaneous, laycred qualicy to their bch.-ior that What's your goal when you hear "action"? was completely missing from the fim read.

"The firsr rhought is to get our of my own way. You'\'c Ilg· With the next pair, Shirley Jo had both srudencs describe urcd ouc 'vh:n you ''rant co do in the hoccl room the night

58

CAMERA OPERATOR: CORE OF TttE MAGIC

before, you've 1:1lkcd to the director. Then you w;int to create spontaneity. It's not intellectual. You want the camera to caprurc that moment of your charocter figuring it out. The director is so impomnt in creating the place for that to happen."

The Care a nd Feeding of Our Thespian Friends In the as-yet-unpublished instruction manual for c;m1cra operator). it says, • the operator n1usc rnaintain a highJy runcd

.!IC-nSitiviry co cast 1nc.n1bcrs \vhilc rc.n1aining in1n1unc to \vhac

may fed like personal insult." It goes on to suggest that every combination ofcase, crc'v and cnviron1ncnt '''ill be different. and you're on your own.

Mike Scott, SOC: ·1 make a point ofsaying 'good morning' or 'hd.lo' to every actor \vho arri,•o on the sec. Sometimes they're

arriving long after chc crew caU; chcy'rc fresh and chc crew isn'L

If chcy'rc young they may be feeling incimidaccd. I'vc done a couple shows wich Eddie Murphy. He docsn'c ralk much co chc crew. Hes been accused of being cold or unfriendly. I began chis simple rou<inc ofsaying 'good morning" co him and by the end of the show we'd escablishcd a rappon.· Micch Dubin. SOC: "Tom Cruise is a pro. comes co the sec prepared ready co \\"Ork, will do anyching you ask. Bm even \\•ith hin'I, there's going ro be a cc:rcain shoe or scene \vherc you need ro gh•c hi1n the space, bcC3USC he's going inco an e:mop cional place we can'< interfere wich. We have co be prepared for the unexpecrcd. We have t0 allow him the space co be vulnera· blc in front ofa bunch ofsrrangers.• Bruce Mac Callum, camera opcracor: · 1 worked reccndy with a fumous mcchod actor. very focused, very wired up with his own ideas. didn'r say hello or goodbye, didn't allow the opera· <or co w3<ch rehearsals. chen w:uued to film the first walk through after lighting. I had robe on my toes. able to answer any questions he had, nor be a source of distraction or slow down. And about once• ""eek I had to no choice but to approach him and ask for a rchca<S11or dari6otion about what he was going co do. You have to pick your momentS carefully "·orking with •n actor from this school."

Mike Scott. SOC: "Whenever I go up and ask an actor to n'love an inch or ovo to the right, I try co explain the reason why-succincdy."

Mitch Dubin, SOC: "You hope th>t an actor appreciates the fact that this is a collaborative medium, and that we're all in chis together. But when you've asked him to hit a mark and he keeps mis.ing it or is inclined t0 do somcching dse, we have to make chc change."

Jim Planncrce, gaffer: ·years ago, when I was working wich Director of Photography John Alonzo. a former acror, he told me chat we should never ask the actors '°do anything. If there was a problem, we had to flX it. Alonzo knew that giving a pcrfonnance: is hard enough \vithouc having co lean a licdc chis

way or banana that way. Lacer, I worked wich Dick Crcnna, a terrific guy and very accommodaring. We sraned a<king for help; just lirdc things and he always did whac we asked. For one shor, it just gor nuts and he finally said, 'Guys, come on, I 'vc got co act here.' \'Uc realized \Vt" \Ve.re caking che easy \\iay out and getting him t0 solve our problems rather chan figuring ic ouc ourseh•cs.·

Dubin: ·1 try ro pay respect to all the crafts. So much of our

business is ego-driven. We camera operators have to be ego-less.

The <Xtent to which we can do that, we wiU be successful. If somebody o n the crt'W is ha"ing a problc1n '"ith an actor's pro· ccss then you know it's because thcy'rt not being recognized."

Shirley Jo Finney: "Actors feel energy. And when you sec them going ft0m the traUer to che set, they've begun ro center themselves. find the place they need to be emotionally for chc scene they're going to play.•

Ca n' t We All Just Get Along?

In chc end I'm left with an even deeper regard for the chal· lcngcs fucing actors. lc's clear that our \vork as operators '"ill

range from backing off. remaining silcndy alert and doing \vhar \VC can co police the area around can'lcra co developing a personal rdacionship wich the actor thar helps them ro fed safe. Acccprancc on our parts ch.at chcrc is no one \\":lY for an acror co ..gc:r there," kno\ving char case and ere'" need rccogni~

rion of their value, and a mindful lcrcing go of our egos rounds our the mission.

Our rdarionship with the director and dirccror of photog· raphy vis·a·vis the •ctor is the sruff of mother arridc or two, bur I'II leave you wich che words of Ridley Scott, "The opera· cor muse have a very direct line ofcon'lmunicarion \vith rhe

direccor, so chat chcre is a language between chc rwo which is silent, preferably-just a look. a connection. because (the operator's view] is completely difttrem from 111ine. His view thro~gh the finder is inrimare; any view outSide of that is 1:1)

'J-14

nor.

Memo to Crew from Aeling Department: Allison Liddy-Brown: "How can you fucUit:ne the actor> process? Be quiet."

Shirley Jo Finney: "Some actors like to be in their own bubble, so they're not getting distracted from cha< moment che seene requires. Some actors like to gachcr the energy of the set, bee.use some of chem come fcom a theatrical experience where they have an 3udiencc and that synergy to work with.

They feed off you, the crew-you're their audience: Jeff Bridges: "Emotions arc the clay we actors work wtth. \Ve tell human stories and we actor> and you (the crew) can get on chat level wich each other. The sooner we can ger deep. chc deeper chc work can get. So maybe ask yourself. 'How can I serve the swry? \'(f )m docs chc movie need from me righc no\\' ?' Son'lctime:s chat's just bc.ing quicc. Son1erin1cs

touching another person. There's no one righr thing co do.

Whenever my fucher (acwr Lloyd Bridges) came on the sec ic was an amazing thing to sec. He had such joy and love and it spread throughout chc crew. And everyone's work Stepped up a nocch."

Shirley Jo Finney: "Create a safe, nurruring environment \vherc C\'cryonc is 'seen.' I 'vould encourage case and ere"' to acknowledge each other for ch<ir contributions. Everyone is pare of chc ensemble. Undcrsrand everybody's process.

Undcr<rand chat chc actor who is ignoring you m•y be deep into their \\'Ork." CAMERA OPERATOR: CORE OFTHE MAGIC

59

ombat: 60Years bat Camera Meeting d Paul Babin SOC

â&#x20AC;˘

G

cmwiy 1945: a sniper pidtsoffUSsoldiers from an a~rtmcnt loft in Cologllc:. Baghdad Iraq 200';: a US

military convoy lumbers down a highway, whik an improvised explosive devise hidden widiin an animal can:ass >wairs dcronation. Such is die workplace ofdie combat cam· eranwi. a place ofviolence and dcadL He is anned widi a lens .,,d a recording dcvio:. Coping widi houn ofbomlom punc· tu..,cd by chaos. die combat cameraman 11 iaponsiblc fur recording hisrory and delivering images that cell "the" srory: he may con/font die split !CCond decision ID abandon his cam· era and pickup a 6rcarm: his work may-pass censors or come to light until yan have passed.

It is out of diis shan:cl aperiencc thar the International Combat Camera Assoc:Wion Inc (ICCA) was furmed by Joe Longo SOC. Longo. a funner president of die Society of Camera Opcrarots began his camcta aRCr in die Pacific Theater of World War IL (See page 64.) ICCA mcmbcn an:

photographers. both motion and still, whose euttn have included CO\'<tag<: ofwars and conllict.

ICCA held their annual conclave tided "Fame by Frame" in Mesa. Arizona on Oct 21and22.2005. Members in attcn· dmcc .howcd dieirwork and rdlcctcd on their experiences in WWll. Korta. Viccnam. Panama, Iraq '91 and now.

The most senior member in attendance was LTC Dan McGO\'<m, age 96. In World War ll widi his 35mm BcU and HowcU Filmo. McGcmm phoiographed die horror and de\'· astation resulting !Tom die aromic bombs dropped on Japan.

The youngest member attending was Marine photographer Sgt Nathan Lafone who showed his photographs taken dur· ing die assault on FaUujah Iraq in NO\'<mber 2004.

Sgt lafone's presentation could wdJ have been labeled "Tactical ro Practical." How often do you notice how thick • tnlfk sign is! According ro Laforte. "When traffic signs arc booby trapped widi plasdc aplosivc you darn ....ubcrtcr

CA"ERADPEAATOR~OMIAT

•

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PHOTOCRAPHV

notic•." On• of his duties was to photographictlly rc<:ord major tr:lffic rourcs on • rrgufar b•sis so troops could srudy the route and bc immedi:1rrlr """'"'of the slightest clungcs.

How thick w:IS th>t sign fast week? W>s the door of rhor abandoned ear open or closed on our l>sr trip?

Dcs.:ribing •n inddenr in Fallujoh, Worrc rrcounrrd :1 moment of desperate comedic confusion. ·we wcrr under mortar :1tuek so we bum into a rc5idcnti•I courtyard seeking CO\'tr. The first guy; through the door tripped O\'Cr a pile of RPG< (rocket propelled grenades). The vanguard tried ro b><kpcd•I out thinking they might be stepping into an ambmh. However. the M:1rin0> in th• ©r werr equally

refrain dm has rrmoined unch:1nged since the down of combat photography. honor of their contributions, Producer Robert lihani. of the History Channel's Drmgerou.< Missiom I nproducer showed excerpts and •cknowlcdged thc millions offc<r

Serit.< of film rakcn bv combor cameramen rhot have become the

visual hiscoricai record of Amrrica'~ '''arS in this and rhc la.st

century. Lihoni cold Fame-By-Frame attcndc:cs how Joe Longo had approached him with the following deal: ·You credit our camera people and l will ,how you where to find v.ur deposits of hard ro find fooroge."

What happens when thefine Iraqi dustgets on yo111flash Canis rNothing. Literally nothing as the cards short out and imagesyon ,.isk your neckfar disappear into cyberspace. de>pcrate <O get off the >rrre~'· When push came to shove the whole «juad rumbled to the ground ond e"enru:Jly >pilled inco .t hallway when: they were able to regroup and laugh the it\SJnc laughter ofcombat.•

L>Fortc gave • primer on ,hooting digiral in ch:illcnging dimes when: the »">ibbiliry ofbmcrics .tnd chargers become> an i"'ue right up therr with water and ammo. \X'har happcru whcn the flne li»q• dmr gen on your Aa>h card>? Nothing. litcrolly nothing., the cards short our and images you risk your neck for di»ppe•r into cyberspace. la>dy. he spok,, about rhc sheer cap.1ciry of dc<:tronic media making record keeping and c.1prionmg morr important th•n e"er before. \X'1thom proper controls picrurcs gee lost. nor in the sense of being gone. bur in the scn>cofbccominga needle in a h.i}')tack as the data .\tT<..-anl gro,,rs apace \vith unrestrained

cc<:hnology. Today's barclcficld;, a mix ofbullcrs, botteries, and boobytraps. bur the demond for proper capcioning is a

62

CAMERA ClPERAlOfl, COM8AT PHOTOCRAPHV

Ir"""' chrough mi> agreement rhar Lihani first discovered the rrcasure rrovc of Col Dan McGo\'cm', 80.000 feet of Nagasaki and Hiroshima foot.igc shor shorrly .titer the ABombs were dropped on Japan. In rcrum, Robert began ,,.C.l\'ing tht nanlc., of cJmcramcn J.nd chcir role in ~cording history into hi~ docunlcntolric.,.

A rough cur of the documemary. Abm•t .wd Bryond :i6r Story ofCpl 1Villittm T Pmimjnva.' m"<ened. This moving film rold the story of Cpl Perkins who sacrificed hi• life m \

1

icmam, bccorning the only conlbat cnmcrJ.rnan ever ro

receive the Medal of Honor. (Sec page 68.)

A 14 y<ar old filmmaker, St.tn Posclski. the grandson of Russian \V\Vll-<:rn combar cameraman Mikhail Posclski came to rhc g.ithc:ring to cape incc:rvic,,rs '''ith American a1ncn1.1nen of his grandfohcr's vinragc. The young man's documcnt3ry is <ehcdulcd for rel= this rear.

Major Bruce Bcnd<r USAF gave the audience first-hand

AOOVF A1'0 8A( "-C,ROUNO: I anccCpl Chd><c A IUttU) (and her 1um) had tQ brave hurricanc force "'"d' 10 properly hool up an un\cn iccablc a''~uh ,·chicle to ;i. CH-53E Sup<"r ~u.lli()n htllcopu:r. 01 1.0\\ 1-rrr: A ~rie.s of night 'i\ion l1n;igt\ '"ho\\·~ ;a group

uf p;1thf11\der ~larinct ju1nping from '2 KC-130 1-lercule' C:Jrgo pl;1nc In wc,tcrn Ir.aq. Pholo~ b> Sgt Nath;1..n K Lafone.

1mprc"1011\ oflc.Jmg thcjoant Comb.u Cuner:i Team 111 lm1 whtn: he -crvcd for >ix month>.

Next, an an un•nnc>unccd •Urpri><: he opened • sardhtc uplink for rhc •uJtcncc introducing thtm to ihe current nun

'I""· Capt Hamilron Underwood, U~Af.. Qu<>CtOn• thrown at C•p< Underwood ranged ftum qu•l1tyoffood, whi<h he Jc<cribcd 2S cxcdlenr, ro wh>t the ,un1mer "eJthcr in Iraq ;, lilt. Ari.ona l'<Sidents who ukc: pcncnc pnJe an ihcir l l';' degree "JI") heat" were shocked ro h<ar rlur the lr.aq1 docrr an reach I :W.

on the

A<I kft me g.uhenng ofcomb.lt .l"\. photoi;raphc"' I coulJn'r help bur cOmJ>2fe my urccr behind a amcr:a "im thc1"" M) occ>"on.il

complaint:> about di...:omforr and Wery Oil the ><:t now °"'cmcJ luJ1~ crous. The "gnit.cancc of 1hc lkuon I \c con<nbu1eJ m Jimini•hcd a l1tdc in contcx-t of the hhrori' rc,ording~ these phorogrophc" "•Le !hear'"•' to c.tpturc c\·ct)· J.iy. In 'Picc of in)· pol11J<:.il belief< about war and the cum:nt on< in p.m1culir, I left with • deep •ppn:u.111on for • b.lnJ of c.uncr:a opcroto" who gathcrcJ in the Aruoru docrt to i;•v< ..ch oihcr • wdl-e.rn<J wcclcnd of •llcnuon

and=pcct.

For mon: 1ntUnn.anon go 10: hnp://,.-,.v..combaicamer..org/ CAMCRA Of>(RATOR COMllAT PllOTOGRAPHY

~

63

Combat Photography WWII, Korea Joe Longo cold to Paul Babin SOC JOE LONGO (J L): I began by raking >tills for my high school newspaper. Strictly amateur. When the war starred my high school buddy and I looked imo the Royal Canadian Air Force.

We literally ran away !Tom home.

PAUL BABIN {PB}: Thi> was before America entered World War JI. How much of this wos adventure. and how much "'" co make the world safer?

J L: It""" the adventure. Bue the c:asualry me among those guys was really sobering. I wcm through all the re;cing proc~'Ss and WJS rumcd down because my father wa; from Italy.

PB: Because Italy was scill allied with Germany and Japan.

J L: E.<actly. My buddy. he got through. I went back to the States and eventually (after December 1941) was dratTed into the infantry and sent co the South l'acifk I came down with dengue fever and was hospitalized. A clas>iflcacion officer cunc :around :ind ~id, '\Xlhac are \Ve going co do \Vich you?' I s.~id. 'Send me home.' That didn'c go over coo well. He S>id.

'How'd you like to gee in che Air Force?' So I went into the Air Force and \\':IS sent co Guadalcanal. "lncre I became aware of an oumc called che 6th Combat Camera Unic. I said I was interested. Lieutenant Scorr, a guy who had been an cdicor ac P•tamount met me. He'd come our of'Forr' Roach (Hal Roach Studios. which leased space co the Air Force for SI a year, crain<"<l combat camera uni.,; and produced training films for chc mili· cary.) I said I wanted co rransfcr in. bur he said they didn't h.,-c any openings. A shorr time brcr he asks if I'm still inccrc>ted. I asked. 'Why the change in hearc?' It rums ouc that two guys wece killed in the 'J>'l"C of chm: day:.. so now chcrc were opening>.

So I got a cmh course on che Eyemo. I knew the F-stops coucin<. I'd done <0n1< aerial si:ill photography when l was a kid and l knew char shutter speed w3' important. I ended up shooting C\·cr)'thing ac 32 !Tames per second. and if ic was low level, I'd go even fuccr. Bur tharcamcra \\'J.S a pain, because

you only goc 90 fecc a minute and only 30 fccr co a wind.

You'd be in rhc middle of covering a piece of action and die damn camera would stop. That's why the Gemians got such great foor.igc. They had ArriOex cameras with lxmery·driven electrical mot0rs and 200 fooc loads.

My llrsc time om I was assigned co a 024 bomber as the extra man. These "·ould be crews of I0 somecimes I I men.

Ifone of chem gor hie, I had co cake over one of che guns. /I ly job w:is 10 get foot.age thac would be used for incdligencc and home-tTonc newsreels. I usually had three cameras.

Ac the bomb bay hacch w:is an Eycmo with a 24 vol<motor which I plugged into power from the airplane. It had a 400 foot magazine and '''as mounted to a "'edge on a Cincpro tri· pod. I'd ask the bombardier to gi>·e me a JOsecond warning. and I'd ;rare rolling on l 'd tilr down wich che bombs and lock off the camera poinring straight down. I'Unever forger the firsr rime chose doors opened up and below was nothing but chc Pacific Ocean. I thought, 'Holy Je>us, what if we went down here.' Next. I'd grab an Eycmo with a l 00 foot load and go to one of chc \\oaist' ''rindo,vs ro filn1 fire damage or "'hat ever. Then there w:u a K20 still camera made by Fairchild. It exposed S xr negative chat came on rolls.

PB: Before long, you must have witnessed death.

JL: You'd sec bodies coming off the aircraft. On one mission, I \\':IS in the waist area {becwecn the bomb bay and the mil) and the righr w:iisc gunner goc hit. I scancd to film him. My photo· journali>< instinm gor the bcrter of m<. When he gor hie ic lefc chat right \\":list gtm unattended. le \V".lSn 'r until I Started getting dirty looks from his parmcr who was crying co help him ouc, chat l had to put the camera down ond become a soldier.

PB: Did you ever experience ><:Orn from other crew abom the fact chat your job wos to point a camera rather than a gun?

JL: No, they never conveyed that feeling. I had co be chcrc.

They knew chat. Once you sec foo< on a combat aircraft. you're all on the 'list.' Those bomber crews bec:unc a f.unily, an inner sanctum. The closer they got co their 25th mission. che more superstitious chcy got. Sometimes I'd make chem a lirtlc nervous sho\ving up as cxtrn crc,v.

Sometimes chere was jealousy. l had a card with me signed

by Douglas MacArthur chat allowed me co go anywhere. anytime. any way. If I had to go to another island and the plane \\':IS full. chcy'd have co bump somebody off.

I'd like to chink chat what we did w;u important. Look ac your Hi>tory Channel now. Where do you chink all that

·5:

4

footage came fro1n?

PB: What kind oflcnscs were ac your disposal?

J L: A 25mm. SO mm and 7Smm. chough I rarely used the 75 in rn(' air. If you've: ever S(('_O Aack come through an aircraft.

I don't care whac you're holding. you'r< in big trouble. I always fdc more secure looking chrough chac finder. Jc separaccd me !Tom rcaliry. The more inmuc che acrion. che less I choughc abouc ir.

Jn Korea I began flying in B29s and using I6mm cameras mott.

PB: How was rhe Korean war differenr than World War II? JL: Morale. The mission was noc a.•clearly defined.

11·'

64

CAMERA OPERATOR' COM8/\T PHOTOGRAPHY

Combat Photography Vietnam Frank Lee

by John Solorzano FRANK LEE (FL): Ever since I was in junior high I always had an inccrc<t in phocography. \Xlhcn I goc co high <ehool 1 became cdicor in chief of chc ycacbook. and chac's when I really began co become drawn inco phocojoumalism. and char< whac goc me inco combac phorography.

JOHN SOLORZANO (JS): You served in \licmam. Were you <lrafccd?

FL: I volunrccred because I really wanrcd co figure our rhc reason \\'h}' \\'C '''ere rherr. I had !lpenr rhc sununcr before going

So ''rhcnevcr son1crhing happcn.s, there is a sort of visual disrancc t.har you 1nighr nor othcr,vi«" ha,•c if you '''ere \\tith· our a C3n1cra.

i

3'

JS: \Vhar wa._~ your assignn1cnc in Vicrnarn?

FL: Our job wa.< co go ouc and look for rhc accion.

~ So when we would go ro milicary briefings and they ~ '''ould cell us rhar there \YJ' porcnrial acrion at a par·

ticular ;pot, we hopped aboard a milic.1ry helicopter

I and wcnr rhcrc. Ar flrsc we were assigned ro specific

Z unir.s, bur for opcmrions such as Vicman1. \YC chose where we wanrcd ro go. Whac I ended up doing, since

~

s I kn<w there were ccmin units I liked ro work with, such as rhc 9ch Marine< and che 4rh ivforin.,,;, I often just stuck with rhar group. I'd hear rhac they were going out inro action ..;01nc" hcrc: and l 'd link up 'vich 1

the1n, ~ O\'ct rime I bec:unc tl":llly funliliar \\dth thc1n.

JS: During VicrnMn there wa.1 obvious!)' a lor of ~ concro\•crsy O\'Cr chc lcgiri111acy of the \Y3.r. Did you

! ever gee rhe feeling rhac <omc of the soldiers didn't • wane you chcrc because rhcy fdc che fooragc you shor ! '''as being against chc111? tt'iCd

co college and I re•liicd I wa.<n't ready for ir yet. So when all my friend< were headed off for Scan ford. UCLA and Berkeley, I decided ro join the Marine Corp>.

I cnli<ccd in I964 and was 3>5ign<"<I to photography at C.1mp Pcndlecon. My first a.ssignmcnr w:is to go out in the field and cake part in military comb3t maneu"er<. They gave me a c;uncra and basically cold me to document the whole rhing. ><>there wa. a loc offrccdom. After a while rhc) fust· rm.eked rne ro motion picrurc ~chool in Ne'''Jcr~y.

JS: In combat. whats rhe biggest diflcrence bccwe<n <hoot· ingstills and 1notion picture?

FL: Whrn you shoot still photography you can gc1 up ;ind shoot rhat one shoe. rhcn come right back down. Bue with rnotion pictures. holding 3 ~ccnc require.~ a 1nini1nunl or A\'C

co 1m seconds, so you rt•ally ger rhc feeling choc you're in the middle of com bar. The chances of you gctcing hit or killed arc remarkably high. What's really inccrc>ting is this f.Jsc .en><: of security. I carried a I6mm Bell and Howell Filmo a,, my Stan· dard combat e>mera. and I bec.unc ;o focmcd on tracking rhc acrion lhar I'd )omccinlcs react as ific \vasn'r really happening. \X'hcn the conlbac bcco1ncs 1norc and more inrc:nsc, you're

liccr.tlly watching rhe •ccion unfold through rhc vi<,~flnder.

FL: Yes and no. Whmcvcr we came in, some of che conun:indcn had a grcar deal of rcsc.·nm1cnr CO\\':trds us, bur ocher, had no problem with ll< doing it. The thing th3C we as combat journalim behind rhc camera remained mindful of \Y3S rhc f.tcr ch-ac '''C \\'Ctt ~l:irincs flr,r. Very often I'd carry n1y own load and also aid orher< in carrying chcir loads, wherher ic was extra ammunition or grenades ju<t <0 I could hdp chem out. Bue ocher thon rhac, mo<r of rhc cimc I'd ju« try co scay our of their way. rhac h unless ir gor coo chick.

JS: Where do you draw thar line bcrwcen keeping rhc cam· era rolling and putting it down to S3\'C your life?

FL: When you get hie - •nd chot'< cxacdywhac happ<:ned to me. We were pinned down in rhc hear of rhe battle, and I got hir. So I reUeJ co some nearby troops ro lay down cover llrc. and when they did I mn co the radios. 1 was able ro call in for air >upporr. They told us to signal our position with smoke "' they could sec where not to nre. and they came in and cook out rhc enemy. Before I w..,. wounded. I had thh sense of invincibility. After rhar I re•liicd I wasn't just filming. there were people out rhcrc acmally trying co kiU me. Its "cry diffi· cult ro undcr>rand whac war is like. Bur hop<:fully whar we've documented will give the public some id<-a just how tragic war ~~

~ CMIERA OPERATOR; COMBAT PHOTOGRAPHY

65

Combat Photography Iraq Sean Fairburn, SOC

by Thea Granger •The sounds you hear and the things )'Ou see on the battlefield arc unlike •nything else,' says Chief\'7.11T.lnt Officer CW02 Benjamin "Se>n • Fairbum. ·They arc very surrc'11."

The image> Se>n Fairbum USMC (Reserve<) and HD Director of Phocogrnphy captured of the Ground Comb.1t Element in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom were a fur cry from his nonnal Enrercainment Tonight or Stum roorage. ·Mi•job was co >ray mobile and get dose enough to the fire to get great shots. I was there to cell the story of what we were fighting for. But more. the ><Of)' of chose who were doing the fighting. It is what I ha'-c mined to do and I fed blessed to have had an opportunity to be •blc to do it."

Tog« those shots, Fairburn used •Sony CincAlra F900 camera, most often paired with a Fujinon IOx HD lens (supplied by Panavision and Fletcher Chicago. rcspeccivdy). His crew consiSted of J\1arincs who not only drove him to key locations but aho supplied rape and batteries (he med the Anton Bauer ProPac 14 brick with inverter). A tripod set up on the ,·chide allowed him a 3606 fldd of vision.

Staying out of the line offlrc was only half the problem.

Procccring camera gear ti-om the vicious Iraqi weather was the other h.Jf. A> he would with a weapon, Fairburn had tO dean his camt·ra gear night and morning. eYcn while shooting.

However. here he kepr a 2·inch paintbrush handy for use between shots. When they found whot he calls a "calm environment" about <wice a week, he would dean all the camera gear thoroughly. The Iraqi dusr has been known to short out card; for &giral ""ncros and erase all images. so removing it as quickly as possible was essential.

The day the company crossed the bridge over the Dejalah River and in co Baghdad i> one of Fairburn's mO>t vivid memoric;, It beg;ui rather innocuou;Jy with a request to be in the fir>~ tank p13!oon assigned to cross a heavily damaged bridge.

An AVlB (Annorcd Vehicle Launched Bridge. a special metal bridge) wa; used co give some support to the rubble and rcbar buc did not span che complccc bridge. "The Marines were noc ;urc if the bridge would collapse or blow up so. when it came co my tum going over, I stood in chc back filming ti-om the bed of the Humnwcc, I panned the camera (a Sony F900) down and to the letT so we could sec the huge. gaping hole that"'" \Vere crossing over," he rcrnlls.

"When we hit ground. it was a licde bir hard. I Aew forward and was on the roof and caughr myself before climbing back inco che bed. Forrunaccly the camera was on a rripod str>ppcd to the bed of the Hummvcc. So we righred ourselves, positioned for a wide shor of che huge cmer char had been blown in the bridge, and shoe everyone crosoing over: That's when che fireworks began. Small amlS. AK47,.

J\lorcar>. Artillery. Evet)'thing Aying, "And .-·cryching else flying overhead," he Jdds. •A bomb chac was supposed co explode 66

CAMERA OPERATOR: COMBAT PHOTOGRAPHY

didn'c, As I watched the accion through chc lens, a young ~ farinc ran imo the mincllcld carrying C-4 and dcronacor in hand. Whac was going through his head, I didn't know ac che time. Bue he scr chc I,750 lbs line charge off. and rcmrncd safdy when ir hadn't deconarcd properly the flrsr rime to clear through the minefield char had us all stopped and under direct fire. What I sa\\' chcn \Vas a 1nicrocosm of\Vhar these

flglucrs were all abouc.• Through the lens of his can1era. Fairburn saw a military truck rapidly approaching. He called it in on the radio. Two canks were quickly ordered co traverse and fU"C, and the truck set to kill countless Morincs engaged and stopped. Two minurcs bt<r, inside the truck a timer tripped - and the 3.000 pound rruck bomb exploded less than I00 yards aw;ay.

Behind chat truck. fairburn S3W another van approaching ac high speed. "By now, everyone w3s on the nigger." he admics, "They were Lining the road and about to launch rounds imo the van. Ho,vcvcr, 'vhat I sa'v through the camera lens \\'aS nor an mack, but a van with women and chUdrcn Oceing Baghdad. [got on the horn and called 'Cease Fire, Cease Fire!' No shoes \\'Crc fired." Fairbum's Marine mind and canlcra eye saved dozen~ of innocent lives. \Xlhcn chc action '''2S over, Fairbum's

commanding officer rold him,• Had you not been there wich the camera, been one of us, the ourcomc of the day would have been fur differcnc." '"People arc starved for infonnation. They \vane co kno\v

whar is really happening. Whar's going on with <he individual?

Did my Dad do a good job? Did he save anyone else's life? b he cominghon1c? He's gone no\v buc does he: sriU love inc? Thar's

whar I was chcre ro caprurc, che story of the men in chc flghr.

"I hope char the stories of the individuals char I photo· graphed will impacr chc lives ofeveryone who views che footage - as they did me, while I saw their heroism rhrough che ltn~ of my camera: IJ,:

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Craig Ingraham gor rhe news, grabbed a borcle ofscorch and drank himself sick. Religious fuirh w:is no longer a place of refuge. and he felr hacred for chc politicians who were killing che young men of his gcncrarion. He composed a jazz ballad. "Song For Bill," and cried his bcsc co Ice go. Ir would noc be che lase rime Craig would deal with his grief by crearing something. ln honor of his heroism, Cpl Perkins was posrhumously awarded che Med•l of Honor, 1hc only combat photographer

che lsr Marines' reunion in Washington DC. A documenrary was r>king shape. so Lngraham cook a film crew back co imcrvic"' the survivors of Operation 1\tledina.

As he amassed this body ofinformation. Ingraham was joined by producer Debora Masterson. Lngrah:un himself , v:15 becoming parr of che documenrary ch>t was raking shape. and Mastcrson's guidance was helping Craig create something as a way of dealing wich chis profound loss from 30 years ago.

Above and Beyqnd: Th< Stary ofCpl BiU P<rkimjr is now a

In honor ofhis heroism, Corporal Perkins was posthumously awarded the Medal ofHonor, the only combat photographer so decorated. so dccoraccd. He also received che Purple Heart. chc Presidential Unic Ciration, chc National Defense Service Medal. chc Vicm:un Service Medal wich one bronze sr.ir. chc Vicrnamcsc Milirary Merit Medal, the Vietnamese Gallamry Cross wich Palm. and chc Republic ofViemam Campaign Medal.

For Craig Ingraham. feelings abouc Bill Perkins w<rc like a bad dream rhac wouldn't go a"-ay. A nagging sense of never

being able ro make it righc bccan1c a call to acdon one nighr

in I992. Craig was on che phone wich che murual friend who had cnlisccd with Bill. This vet described not being able to tell

\\'Ork in progress. le is constructed fi-orn Perkins' own co1nbat

fooragc and interviews with former friends. fumily and the Marines whose lives Perkins saved. Ingraham and Masterson arc hoping co shooc additional foocage and complete che post production wirh an actor reading &om the more than 50 letters Perkins mailed home.

When asked what he hopes his film will accomplish, Ingraham responds, "I hope char p<:ople seeing this film will come away with the message that mr and killing in the 21st Ccmury is obsolete; there is no reason for ic. noc ''rith the re.alicyofinstant cominunic.arion char cx_is~

around the world. I hope Bill's this and are or what was imagined. Craig able to appreciate who their son realized that his 0\\11 undcrwas again and maybe lcr go a lirsranding of Bill's fure was vague de more. Lascly, I hop<: p<:ople also. Whar really had happened? sec chis as my big 'rhank you and And what about all the film that I love you' for Bill."

Bill Perkins had shot in Viemam?

As we paned, Deborah. Craig Whcrecould it be? and I concluded char if Bill Thus began Ingraham'.< jour· Perkins was alive, he<! be workney. He found copies of the ing with Craig. making fllms ninc:n:en reels ofcolor nlorion Bill P"ki11.J#gr.1d1u1tio11fro1111\fari11~ Corp1 boot ta1np, with him. And then we sropped picture fooragc Bill h•d shot in Camp Pmd/r1011 Califaniia 1966. and let the irony sink in: it's only Viemam, including Op<:rarion because of Bill's untimely dcach l\ Jcdina which Perkins filmed hours before his deach. He chac Craig Ingraham finds himself a filmmaker cO<lay. ·You're found 35mm Kodachromes. rhc command chronology for only a firsr rime filmmaker unril you've made your firsr film," O~rarion f\.tedin:a. and th('_ eye\vimess accounts used co verify says Ingraham. and rhe spirit of those cwo ccenagers &om 40 Bill's l\ Jcdal of Honor scams. Evenmally. Craig was invircd ro rear> ago fills the room.

Anyone interested in helping Ingraham and Mascerson to General John D Ryan, Former Chiefof Sraff US Air complei< A!Jovr a11d Bryo11d... should conract them: Debora@workingarrisrs.ner Force. said ir best: •A member of rhe American Am><d Forces can tnc:rir the~ fcdaJ of Honor in only one n11an· ncr: by a deed of per>anal bra\'cry or sclf·s•crificc. above and beyond the call ofdury. while in combat with an enemy of rhc nation. The galfanrr)' must be ccrritlcd by rwo cycwimesscs, and be dearly beyond che call of duty.

Dan11 D Wimmia11 U'llS a 1"ll Mtdilizl Photbg"aph..- during th. ~loreover, it must invoke rhe risk oflifc and must be llitl11tll1J 111ir. the rype ofdeed th.u. if nor performed, would evoke Photo montages W<rt <rttztrd by Paul Babi11 SOCfrom phot()J no cririci<m of rhc individual."

111pplird by Dana Winsema11 amf Cmig Ingraham.

:iny Jnorc \vhou had happened

70

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72

CAMERA OPERATOR BEN SlfJN

How Can Someone Who Lives in Insane Luxury Be a Star in Today's World?

I begin co \\ ritc this. I ·slug· ic, :.\S \VC 'vritcrs say. '''hich neans I put a hc:i.ding on rop of the docwncnt ro identify it. This heading is "eonlincFINAL" and it give:; me

A:

1

a shiver co 'vritc ir. I ha'<c been doing chis coluntn for so long that I cannot even r<:<::ill when I starred. I loved writing this column so rnuch for so long 1cunc co bclie,•c it 'vould never end.

It worked well for a long time. but gradually. my changing as a person and the ''·orld's change hav(' ovtrtakcn it. On a s1naU

.!>calc.. ~lorcon'~. \\lhile better than ever. no longer attracts :1~ rnany sea.rs as it u~d co. Jc still brings in the rich pc.-oplc in droves and definitely son1c ~rars. l sa'v S:unucl LJack~on there

a low days ago. and we had a nice visit. and right before chat. I mv and had a splendid talk with Warren Bcmy in an dcv:itor, in \vhich \\'C: agrt·cd chat Splendor in the G1as.s '''as a super movie. Bur ~lorconS i~ nor the srar galaxy ic once \\'<lS. chough it probably

will be again.

Beyond that. a bigger change has happened. I no longer think Hollywood srars arc rcrribly impor· ranr. They :ire uniforn1l)' plca..lianc,

friendly people, and they treat me bet-

their bodies battered and Stripped for rhc sin of trying to protect Iraqis fro1n cerrorists.

We put couples with incomes ofSIOO million a year on the covers ofour nlagaz.incs. The nonco1ru and officers 'vho barely

scrape by on military pay but stand on guard in Afghanisran and lr:iq and on ships and in ~ubn1arinc.s and near chc Arctic

Circle arc anonymous as they live and die.

I a1n no longer co1nforrnblc being a pare of die sy)tcn1 chat ha) such poor values. and I do noc \\':int to pc-rpctuarc those valu~ by pretending that '''ho is <.·acing at ~ 1orton's is a big

subject.

Then.· arc plenty of other scars in the A1ncrican fir111a~ n1cnt...chc policc-n1cn and \\'On1en '''ho go off on patrol in

South Central and have no idea if they will return alive; the orderlies and paramedics who bring

A real star is the soldier ofthe 4th Infantry Division who poked his head into a hole on a farm near Tikrit, Iraq.

ter chan I dcser\'c to be rreatcd. Bur a n1an or \von1an \vho 1nakcs a huge \\'age for nH:morizing lines and rccir· ing thcn1 in front of a c:uner.t i} no longer"'>' idc:i of :i shining

in people \Vho ha\'e been in terrible accidcncs and prepare chc1n for sur· gcry; the teachers and nurses "'ho thro\v their 'vholc spirirs into caring for auriscic children; the kind 1nen and 'von1cn \\ ho \\'Ork in holi"piccs and in cancer \Y':lrds.

1

Think of each and every fireman \\'ho '''as running up the stairs at chc

<rar we should all look up m.

Ho"' can :i n1an or \\'01nan '"ho 1n:ikcs an eight·figurc \\-:tgc and lives in insane luxury really be a star in roday's world. if by

World Trade Center as the rowers began co collapse. Now you have my idea of a real hero.

I came to realize thar life lived to help others is the only one thar n1artcrs. This is 1ny highest and best use as 3 huntan. I can put ir another way. Years ago. I realized I could never be as

a '"srar· \\'C n1e.an son1conc bright 3nd J>O"'erful 3nd :irtracri\'C

grcac 3n :iccor 3S Olivier or as good a conlic as Steve ~13rtin­

as a role model? Real stars arc nor riding around in rhe backs oflin1ousincs or in Porsches or gecting tr.tined in yog:i or Pilates and eating only r:tw fruit while rhey have Vietnamese girls do their nails.

They can be interesting. nice people. but chey ore not heroes to me any longer. A real star is the soldier of the 4th lnF.rnrry Division who poked his head into a hole on a funn near Tikrit. lr.1q. He could have been met by a bomb or a hail of AK-47 bullets. Lmead, he fuced an abject Saddam Hussein and the gratitude of all of rhe decent people of the world.

A real srar is the U.S. S()(dier who wa> sent to disarm a bomb next to a road north of Baghdad. He approached it. and the bomb went off and killed him.

A real •tar, the kind who haunt> my memory nighr and day. is the US soldier in Baghdad who saw a linle girl playing \\1th

or Marrin Mull or Fred Willard-or as good an economist a< Samuelson or Friedman or as good a writer as Fitzgerald. Or even remotely dose to any of them.

But I could be a devoted futhcr to my son, husband to my wife and. abo\'e all, a good son to the parcncs who had done so much for me. This came to be my main task in life. I did it moderately well with my son, pretty well with my wife and well indeed with my parents (with my sister's help). I cared for and paid attention to them in their declining years. I Stayed 'vith n1y futhcr as he got ~ick. "'enc into cxtrc1n is and then into

a piece of unexploded ordnance on a ~trc('t near 'vhcrc he \\'3S

b'llarding a stacion. He pushed her aside and threw himself on ir jusc as it exploded. He lcfc a fumilydesolare in California and a lirdc girl alive in B'1ghdad.

The: S[ars \\•ho dcscr\•c n1c:dia atccntion arc noc chc ones \vho have lavish \Vcddings on TV hue chc onc:s \vho pacrol the streets of l\ {osul e\'<.'n afrcr t\\·o of chcir buddies \\'ere 1nurdcred and

a coma and then cn[tred irnntorrality 'vith 1ny sister and inc

rcJding him the Psalms.

This was the only point at which my life touched the lives of the ;oldiers in Iraq or the ilreflghrcrs in New York. I came to realize thar lifc lived to help others is the only one thar matters and thar it is my duty. in rcrurn for the lavish life God has devolved upon me, to hdp ochers He has phccd in my path.

This is my hight-.st and best use as a human.

Faith is not bt·licving chat God can. le is kno\\•ing that

God will.

- lkn Srein ( AMEAA Of'£1!AT0R BEN STEIN

7J

Photo Cl Rolph Nelson All Rights Rewved

oching is more satisfying chan knowing whoc to do and doing it.

-Sean Fairburn SOC

Falling Off the Crane

N

\Visdom from the Front Lines

0 N

h, don't \vorry. I \\'On't use that take.· said the director.

Guess which take ended up in the show? Never hesi<att to ask foranothcr.

-William Pecchi Jr. SOC

'VThy ( vorcd '"no'" co ratification ... fro1n a DP \vho operates.

W For me. gcrcing um srudio fcamre is the golden ring on

cw tenns for the filmmakerffern>S for the new filmmaker

the carousel of the camera deparrmcm world. Granted I've

T HEN

made a decent ca.rc.-cr for myself \vichout ic, but nonetheless.

Production Filmf fapc

a fully funded. fully crewed fcamre film rcprescnlS a goal that should nor be diminished by the producds initiative ro lower

Can1cra

lvlo\v rhi· linr c·~r.... H~-. rhc·rr h<·t"n ~n ::1rgu1nrnr rh::ir rht•

Rccorcit'r

crc,ving n.-quirc:rncnrs arc \vastcful or incft-lcicnt?

Flarbed Edir bay FUmrnaking

When one works on a feature wirh a roral budget signifi· candy smaller than the craft services line item of the a\'erage nudio job. no one objeclS ro the DP operating. Bur why should the Studio sysrem look for parity with scrappy independent films fur below their radar? So myvott againsr rati11carion is my own small effort to keep rhar grand ideal alh•e. I \'Otc for a '''orld 'vith Guncra cre\\'S having a division of labor aJlo,ving each 1ncnlbcr to fully conccntrntc on their O\\'Tl cru-

cial component of rhe collaboration. This is what rhc smdios should promote. not fight against.

-Dick Fisher SOC

T

he best '''"'Y to learn proper tin1ing is to gee it dead \vrong -Art Adan1s SOC

once or nvicc.

T

hose flrsr creative impulses need to be honored. 'Stupid' ideas have turned out to be the best ideas. I'vc learned ro

Jisu~n co my ere:\\' and be more acccpcing of chcir ideas.

=•ts.

S

ome days behind the lens arc just the Kobay,uhi Mani.

- Julye Newlin SOC {In rhc Scar Trek ficrional uni\'ersc. rhc Kob.l),u/Ji /Itani is a third-class carricr..ship in \\•hich co1nn1and division c.'tdccs arc presented 'vich a no~,vin scc:nario as a test of c:haraccer at

74

Cl\MERA Oi'ERATOR: FALU NC O FF THE CRANE

--

Caprure Media Co1nputcr l.01np11rcr

Computer Co1nputer \Xlorkflo,v

Green Screen

Information Technology (IT ), in our indusrry. is the new tool for what we already do. How the craftsman fllS into this 'workllow' is the question. Who decides this will shape the future of film crafts.

In this age of technology there are no excuses. Knowledge is the httcat differentiator; it is an asset \\•hich n1a.nagcn1cnt ha) exploited since economic..s '''as instituted. As :i sc:crct, kno,vl-

edge is worth a great deal. Distributed amongst a workforce it bcco1nc:s an incentive for n1anage111cnt to hire. embrace~ and

rely upon for their producr/ proflt.

-Nick Allen. sound mixer - 1111 .11io11 1

FALLING OFF THE CRANE-ANYTHING FOR A LAUGH:

- Bill Webb. Director of Photography NCSI for che pas< three

SrarAeer Academy.)

Location

-----

NOW

e were wcighccd in. hovering just off the ground. As W I pulled back on the sliding post co adjust my scar on chc Tiran crane. the scar popped our of rhe socket and I srancd to fall backward<. As my life Aashcd before my eyes, I heard myselfsay. "Stepping Off!" The grips caught me immcdiardy. and cnjorcd an absolurdy side-splitting laugh lxcausc I had announced iL - Dave Frederick SOC

.i1/C/DnW£R I

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on.com

Caincn Op<r:atoN Rob Vuona :llld \Xfarrc-n Yc-:lgcr SOC on lhc sc' of Curb >'Our £111/Jusias.111.

Camera Operator l#in-en Yeager SOC struggles to get through a day at work without blowing it. as told to Dave Frederick SOC CREW,

OP, Bill Sh«hy OPERATORS' Wmcn Ycogcr SOC. Rob Vuona.

Pe<c C2lullo (altcmarc) CAMERA UTILITlf.S,Joc Keppler. Tom 8ango. Mcggin; Spc:k

76

CAMERA OPERATOR· CURB

e

ne of chc gror challenges of shooting Curb lour

e>

'£11tfmsian11 is che impr<wiscd basis of chc show.

·

Although chcre is an ouclinc for oeh scene, the

Meggins Spek arc always righr there to pull che cameras off our shoulders at che end of o rake. They move al.I che heavy cquipn1cnr and monicors, run the rnn1crm., and sec up the

:i.ccors are cncour:igcd ro co1nc up "'ith chcir O\\'n lines and blocking. Acror pcrforn1ancc is chc priority. and ic's the crc,,.5

equipment racks. giving Rob and me tin1c co n.-vi,·e in bcn,·ccn

job tog« it. A line may be ad-libbed only once. For rhc cam· era operators. rhar means keeping alerr and chinking ah<'3d.

Before each scene, cherc's a brief blocking rehearsal co give the crew •n ideo of where the actors will likely end up standing or sitting. Director of Phorogr:iphy Bill Sheehy and crew lighc the entire room. keeping in mind that the blocking m•y change during the rakcs.

Shteh)•S lighringscheme and Digibera camer:is provide enough dcpch of field so Ycoger is able co pull his own focus.

"I put a thin strip of soft side Velcro on the lens along the focus and ioom marks. Then I cur out <mall arrows from difforcnt colored chin plastic •nd pur some hard side Velcro on them. Whenever 1get chc chance, 1zoom in. get •n ere focus and place an arrow on the Velcro on the barrel of the lens to mark chc focus. The multi colored arrows >re large enough for me m sec om of my left eye while shooting. I also

"The 1,'lips arc ahV>ys supporting us with apple boxes. C stands or daboratc rigging for che ;rability or safety of the

mark the zoon1 ring so I can accurarcly rcn1rn co n1y iniriaJ

&.ming ar the beginning ofeach rake."

setups.

opcr:uors.

• \X'hcn chc actors arc seated. '''C need more 111obilicy chan

sirring on apple boxes and leaning from side to side can provide. In rcspon....,, Key Grip Jonas Lagunoffcame up wich chc 'Poorer Scooccr.' Jon:is found chcsc small hydraulic mechanics' stools. and 1nountcd thcot to a base \vich inlinc skate '"heels.

He cxpcri1ncnrcd unril he found rhc perfect \vhccls. nor too hard. no< <oo so fr. E.•eh of the operarors has a scoocer and \Vhcn rhc shor calls for a lo\v angle, \Ve sit on chcsc rhings.

easily adjust our lens hcighr and propcl ourselves around with our fccr - even ,vhilc:: rolling. These arc chc bc.sc conrraprions ever.·

lkrwecn rakes. Executive Produccr/ Dirccrors Larry Charles and Bob Weide come on to the set to di>cuss chc scene with L.rry David, Jeff G:ulin and cast.

"This job is like a master's class in comedy writing: says

I heard [Dustin} Hoffman say 'What's going on here? I 'm dying with your crew.'

Dirccror of Photography Sheehy is in communication with the operators a< all timcs via w:ilkie mlkics, bm the spont.ancous nnrurc of rhc sho'v requires Yeager and Vuona co il.nciciparc::.

"When rhe actors move," <ay< Yeager. "we h•ve <0 keep them in fra111c and stay our of each ocher's shotli \\'irhouc 1nissing any lines. We ne\'er cu< rakes because of c:tmera mismkcs.

"Ar chc Ix-ginning of the season. Bill called a camera meeting where he told us that we would shoot 'Curb' like a rradirion:il sitcom. Ice chc handheld give the show itS documcnrary feel.

"Unlike some of the ocher shows which have come along in the 'Curb' style, we never inrcntionally mis·frame, move che canlcra 'vichour rnotivacion, or hunt for CUt:l\\':lys on air ro 0

make chc show look 'documentary.' When I \'c shot real docu· rnenrarics. I'vc .J""'l~ done my best to <hoot steady. well rramcd. well lit. focused shotS which were properly exposed. allowing che life I \\':\$ photographing ro give energy to che footage. Thar's how we shoot 'Curb.'

"Shooting 'Curb' is rough physically. Sometimes we do several rakes wichout cutting. Tom Bango. Joe Keppler and

Yeager. "Liscening to th<""' guys talk abom what is working or nm and why is incredible. l lisrcn. both for dues abom what adjusnncnts I'll have co nlakc \vich che camera and in appreciation of chc experience and rnlcnc thac is crcacing chc sho'''·

"The comedy itself is an occupational h:izard. \'V'<'rc righc there wich chesc gu)~ who arc ad·libbing. Ir's always very funny, so funny that wc'\'e all learned m suppress our laughrcr.

I don'r think chc opcracors have ever ruined a rake, bur \\'c'vc

come close. Hopefully. \1cwcrs arc laughing hard enough rhemsclvcs that chey don't notice chc c:tmeras shaking as Rob and I cry our hardest nor to buic a guc.

"On one episode, we had Dustin Hoffinan on the show. He was• grcar guy, very funny, throwing out one-liners che whole dine he \Y:tS on set. Of course. chc ere'" '''as mined by chcn co no< laugh our loud, C\'en though we \\'Crc cnjo)1ng his jokcs.

1hcor<l Hoffman mrn to Larry David at one poim and say 'What's going on here? I'm dying with rour crew.' Larry didn'r •nswer. He ju« smiled."

CAMERA ()Pl;RAT()R: CURB

77

~tik ~

\Yleldon and friend, 1\ ln 11oirl ofa Gei11J,.,, 2004.

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CAMERA OPERATOR: LAST TAKE

79

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