Camera Operator 2007 Fall/Winter

147

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CAMERA OPERATOR VOLUME 16, NUMBER 2

Features:

FALL/ WINTER 2007

Morris Kagan, Still Photographer ~ .

by David Frederick SOC Composition, balance, integrity.

Why No Film Can Afford Not to Have an Operator

by Jack Messitt SOC Camera Operators' va lue to a production.

Filming in 3-D-Special Section 31

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Tips, useful information, history, future.

Operati!lg in the Third Dtmenston

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to the Center of the Earth 3-D.

© 2006 New Line Films.

A Chilly Challenge

by Richard C van Nijnatten SOC Fi lming a military exercise for NATO.

Departments:

2 President's Letter

by Dan Kneece SOC

6 News & Notes About members and the industry

70 Hi-Def with Jeff

by Jeff Cree SOC

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by Rick Mitchell More on the history of 3-D films.

by Dave Gregory And how to properly photograph it.

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3-D or Not 3-D-That Is the Question Stereoscopic 3-D CinemaAnother cycle or here to stay?

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Steadicam Challenges on 'Journey 3-D'

by Daniel Sauve Adapting a Steadicam to 3-D work.

Cover photo by Sebastien Raymond; Brendan Fraser being tracked by a Technocrane as he descends a sheer rock wall in journey

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by Philip Schwartz SOC Filming 'Journey to the Center of the Earth' in 3-D.

Cover:

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63 7 5 Transitions 79 LastTake 79 Advertisers' Index 80 Roster of the SOC as of 10/28/07

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Society of Camera Operators Officers President ........... Dan Kneece 1st Vice President ..... jack Messitt 2nd Vice President. . ... Ernie Reed Jrd Vice President. ..... Dan Gold Secretary ....... Jonathan Abrams Treasurer ............ Chris Tufty Sergeant-at-Arms ... Greg P Collier

BOG Committee Chairs Pres1dent Emeritus & Corporate Liaison ...... David J Frederick [vents ....... . . David Mahlmann Membership ... Michael Chambliss Magazine Editor ........... Open Publicity ... Bud Fries, Simon )ayes Charity .... ..... Georgia Packard Publications .... .. ... Jack Messitt Merchandi se & Promotions ..... Greg P Collier Screenings ......... David Tolsky Technology Standards ....... . .. .

Ron Vidor, Aldo Antonelli

Board of Governors Gary Baum Bonnie Blake Dan Coplan Jeffrey R Clark David Diano ian Dodd AI Gonzale David Allan Grove Christopher Ivins Douglas Knapp Erwin Landau Allan Lum Li Tom McDonnel )ens Piotrowski Philip Schwartz George B Stephenson Aiken Weiss Ben Wolf

Staff and Consultants Office Administrator . Diana Pen ilia Webmaster ......... Mark R Leins Publi ca tions Layout .. Lynn Lanning Publishers ... lngleDodd Publsihing Membership Certificate alligrapher ....... Carrie lmai Legal Representation .......... .

David Adelstein, Geffner & Bush

~ o ;, ' reg;>t~OO '"'="k All rights reserved.

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Letter from the President

through relationships with the students and faculty of the many film schools and universities reached Welcome to through our education programs and student memberships. my second This is where you, the memcolunm as bers of the Society of Camera President of the Operators, come into play. We are conSociety of Camera scantly improving our involvement in Operators. In my this industry and the craft and art of previous installment I camera operation. \Ve are expanding mentioned the past, present, and future of 5 our presence and visibility and are ยง improving our skill sets through eduour organization and how we should integrate these segcation and experience to keep up with the many increasing ments into our Society. In this issue I'd like to focus on demands of our jobs. Your particione aspect, the present. pation is paramount to keep us on As you all know, the the cutting edge.

I remember being a child Society of Can1era So1lJ F23 camera 01l his when John F Kennedy said, "Ask Operators has a rich heriPRO stabilizer. not what your country can do tage. Our contributions to for you. Ask what you can do for your counthe art of camera operation through education are well known. Our magazine, try." Though we are not a country this conCamera Operator, is one of the best in the cept is very in1portant to us as a Society.

Each of us has different demands placed industry. Our web sire is the go to source for information on camera operation. on us by the lives we lead. For some it is Our Lifetime Achievement Awards recimpossible to consider any more than we ognize those whose contributions to our now do.

Still the work must be done. We are industry are great, bur are rarely pur in the always interested in member participation limelight, and support of the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles Eye Care Clinic has to help accomplish the many goals we have set for ourselves so our Society can continue been our focus since the beginning of this to grow and benefit those with interest for Society.

Amazing really, as we are a group of many generations to come.

At present, the work is done by a few. working camera operators who manage to Due to the nature of our industry somemeet when work permits for the good of times needed things rake longer than they this society, our members, and others. should, as those involved get projects that It speaks to the quality of our members rake them away from normal life for a while that this work gets done though many of us and inevitably the SOC. This is why we are have very little time and heavy work loads of our own. As individuals, we have full looking to expand our committees with parcareers and lives. As SOC members, we ticipation from tl1e general membership so have charity, honor, respect for our craft, the good work of the SOC can continue and dedication to our future. uninterrupted.

We promote the position of the camera Our various committees welcome your participation.

Our Board of Governors weloperator. During the last contract negotiations for the Hollywood Basic Agreement, comes your ideas. We all welcome your when our jobs were threatened, the SOC, commitment to keep Camera Operators in through the leadership of President David the forefront of our industry.

Frederick, brought this issue to the foreAsk what you can do for the SOC and in front and fought to protect our jobs. Today, turn this Society will continue to be an along with the support of the American innovative resource to all for many years to Society of Cinematographers and the come.

Your President, International Cinematographer's Guild we continue to promote and protect the posi7)~~, tion of the can1era operator, nor only within our industry, bur also in our future

CAMERA OPERATOR: l ffiER FROM TH E PRESIDENT

50C

Fall/Winter 2007

Camera Operator Editor ProTem -

Fall/Winter 2007

Dan Kneece SOC

Assistant Editor -Jack Messitt

soc soc. lan

Associate Editors - Dan Coplan David Frederick soc Managing Editor/ Art Director Post-Production Manager layout & Design -

Dodd

so

Lynn Lanning

Douglas Knapp SO

Lynn Lanning

Cover Photo -Sebastien Raymond; 0 2006 New Line Cinema Production Coordinators -

Thumbnails of background photos Page 48: joan Fontaine in FlighL Lo Tangier, a 3-D movie. 0 1953 Paramount Pictures Corporation.

Page 53: john Wayne in Hondo, a 3-D movie.

0 1953 Warner Brothers.

lngleDodd Publishing

Contributors

Photography

Bonnie Blake SOC Jeffrey Cree SOC Robert Fisher

Paul Babin SO Bob Feller David Frederick SOC Paul Gibilisco Laurie Gilbert so Steve Hines Morris P Kagan Dr Samuel Kagan Andre La Rooy Joel Lipton Dave Mahlmann SO hris Nibley Sebastien Raymond

David Frederick SO Laurie Gilbert SO Dave Gregory Steve Hines Scott jenkins Morris Kagan Dan Kneece SO Lynn Lanning David Mahlmann SO Oscar Malo Jack Messitt so Rick Mitchell Daniel Sauve Philip Schwartz SO Richard C van Nijnatten SO

Dennis Rogers Philip Schwartz SO Richard C van Nijnatten SO Aiken Weiss so Yuen Yuk Wah

3D photographs - Dave Gregory Photo of Hineslab StereoCamTM 3D ca mera on pages 31 and 52 - courtesy of Steve Hines Pseudo 3D effects - Oscar Malo of MalofFX Advertising Director - Dan Dodd For display advertising information, contact: Dan Dodd (3 10) 207-4410 x236 fax: (31 0) 207-1 055 Dan@l ngleDodd.com For article submissions, please contact: SOC Attn Magazine PO Box 2006 Toluca Lake, CA 91610 Phone(818)382-7070 Copyright 漏 2007 by the Society of Camera Operators Camera OperaLOr is published semi-annually by the Society of Camera Operators.

Subscription Rates USA $20/year - Outside USA $28/year (U.S. Funds Only)

Visit the SOC web site www.soc.org

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ision, the essential that we as camera operators use m our V work, intrinsically bonds us to children with vision problems. Our路 organization contributes its ju.ll support to the Eye Care Clinic oJChildrens Hospital Los Angeles.

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CAMERA OPERATOR: CREDITS

Fall/Winter 2007

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best cinematography

ERIC GAUTIER, A.F.C.

"Seldom has the call of the wild been answered by such SOUL-FILLING IMAGES thanks to cinematographer, Eric Gautier. " - Joe Morgenstern, THE WAll STREET JOURNAL

"SUPERB CINEMATOGRAPHER ERIC GAUTIER, captures the majesty and terror of the wilderness in BREATHTAKING ways."

Peter Travers, ROLUNG STONE

"STUNNING TO SEE, 'Into the Wild ' has some of the most GORGEOUS cinematography in years."

Dean Richards, WGN -TV

News & Notes

SOC at AFI and Cinegear

What's going on with members and in the industry

News & Notes in this issue:

AFI Panel members. Standing: Mitch Dubin SOC, Dan Kneece SOC, David Monroe SOC, Denis Moran SOC, Mike Scott SOC. Seated: Bonnie Blake so..._, Harry Garvin, Dan Gold SOC. They addressed such subjects as camera crew responsibilities; building relationships on set between the camera operator, director and actors; learning the skills necessary for camera operating; the challenges of the fiLn and television lifestyle; then followed with a Q&A.

SOC at AFI and Cinegear ............... 6 Robert Fisher, visual media specialist ..... 9 SOC Bill Hines Operators' Workshop 2007 ..................... I0 The Evolution of Stabilization (Pictorvision Workshop) ............ . 12 Getting a Cover Shot .................. 14 SOC 2008 Lifetime Achievement Awards information ........................ 17

Get your SOC information via email from now on. Do we have your current email address?

Dan Kneece SOC, Michael Chambliss SOC, Philip Schwartz SOC, Rich Davis, and C leve Landsberg, talking about the relationship between the DP and the camera operator, and how having an operator saves the production money and time. The moderator (not shown ) was Angelo Sotereanos.

What have you been doing that's noteworthy and newsworthy?

Send information and photos to socediror@soc.org Manning the SOC booth at Cinegear. Lynde! Crosley so..._, Dan Kneece SOC, Aiken Weiss SOC, Aldo Antonelli SOC, David Frederick SOC.

6

CAMERA OPERATOR: NEWS & NOTES

for your consideration in ALL CATEGORIES including

BEST PICTURE BEST ~~TOGRAPHY

ATONEME'NT 路路路0 ""'

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For up-to-the-mtnute screening information vis1t: www.focusfeaturesawards.com

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Robert Fisher, visual media specialist The SOC is very gratefol to Robert C Fisherfor pr路oviding his equipment and expertise in shooting the video segmentsfor each recipient in our 2007 Lifetime Achievement Awards ceremony.

Mr Fisher did an excellentjob in shooting these interviews and his work significantly contributed to the success ofthis event. He did this on our schedule, subject to the many award winners' availability, for the good ofthe SOC and the Childrens Eye Care Clinic. Bob, the SOC thanks you for a job well done.

That Robert C Fisher became interested in phorography at a very early age was in part due tO his father's influence. His dad , an avid an1ateur phorographer, gave 7-year-old Robert a simple box camera. The boy became an eager student of phorography. As staff phorographer for his school newspaper at Sourh Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte NC, he resurrected the long unused darkroom facilities.

His professional career as a news phorographer started at WBTV and WCCB television in Charlotte, and he worked his way up to shooting TV commercials and editing. During this period Robert also directed and shot many short films, several of which won prizes on the film festival circuit.

In 1980 Robert met his future business partner and started a commercial production company, Location Video Inc, later The Avatar Group International, which survived until just recently. The successful business produced TV corrunercials and content with the highest production values, utilizing both film and cutting edge video technology tO make unique visuals come tO life for a broad range of clients.

In the mid '80s Robert moved in co the emerging motion picture industry in the Southeast. He worked as a camera

operator/assistant on regional and smaller budget Hollywood productions, learning phorographic and management skills.

In me late '80s Robert came to Hollywood co pursue a career in the Motion Picture Industry. He continued work as a camera assistant and also as a gaffer and lighting technician tO hone his skills lighting movies. He has worked on feature ftlms such as Titanic, Money Talks, jurassic Park, ~Mission Impossible II and many others, picking up invaluable experience along the way.

Robert has been serving on me Science and Technical Awards Sub-Committee of me Motion Picture Academy since 2002. He finds it a rewarding experience on all levels co be able tO participate in the Academy Awards.

In 2001 Robert discovered QTVR/Panoramic phorography and has been learning the nuances of in1mersive imagery.

QTVR clients include Westin Hotels and Resorrs, Conde Nast Magazines Teen Vogue, Concept Technologies, Concept Carts and Bill McAnnaly Racing, AC Power Distribution and Anne Geddes. Robert comments, "QTVR Photography offers creative experiences not offered by traditional phorographs and leverages interactivity to more fully include me viewer in the image."

Robert is currently working on several interactive projects for the National Park Service and the San Diego Air and Space Musewn, directing as well as shooting. The delivery of the content for these projects ranges from large screen and computers to mobile interactive devices like the iPod and iPhone with imeractivity.

Whether it's film, video, photography or QTVR, Robert is mere to improve the visual media experience. /J}

Robert Fisher with an ArriAex 3SBL4s.

Fa ll/Wi nter 2007

CAMERA OPERATOR: NEWS & NOTES

9

are as creative as acts of design;' Develop these skills by reading scripts, watching movies, visiting locations and sets. Analyze shots. Rely on your intuition. Use your life experiences.

Be flexible. Greamess is different from perfection. When things aren't perfect, it forces you out of your old patterns.

Christian Sebaldt, ASC The DP works with the operatOr, but both are there to serve the directOr. Study the director's work-his pacing, framing, lighting, editing, and staging. Some directOrs will know exactly what they want, others need more help. Use any way you can ro communicate. Do your homework. Know the scene. Know where we're going, what we're doing. Be enthusiastic. Ask yourself-What is the shot about? Why the choice oflens? Why the movement? Every shot has tO have a purpose.

Help the DP keep the shooting schedule on time. Make sure everything is ready. Memorize the blocking. Watch for flares and shadows. Take notes. Cover the eyelines. Learn the names on the call sheet. An operatOr with additional skills takes pressure off of the DP who may be dealing with production issues.

Sebaldr says that he likes tO see an operaror's reel before he hires them. This way, he knows your taste and skills. Show composition and depth in your reel : sustained shots are best; fast cutting or loud music can work against you.

John Toll, ASC

T

he 2007 Bill Hines Camera Operators Workshop showcased some of the newest technology and gave insight into various philosophies behind the work. The workshop pays annual tribute to a founding member of SOC, a passionate teacher and mentor to fledgling and experienced camera operators alike.

Held at Panavision in Woodland Hills, the workshop let operatOrs get hands-on experience with the Panavision Genesis, Millennium XL, Sony 900R, Fisher and Chapman dollies and jibs, Hylen System, SuperTechno 20, Towercam, Steadicam, Libra head and a newly introduced OConnor head.

Four DPs-Robert Primes ASC, Christian Sebalt ASC,John Toll ASC and Michael Negrin ASC-donated their time tO show techniques and workflow. They spoke of their experiences ranging from being operatOrs themselves, tO working with the crew tO get the shots, emphasizing communication, skill and artistry. Here are some highlights of what they said:

Robert Primes, ASC A direcror's idea for a shot can be impractical or he may not be very visual. Part of the job the DP and the operator share is to listen carefully and visually interpret what the director wants.

A lor of this responsibility falls tO the operatOr. A full service operator should be a "visual stOrytelling author."

It's not just technical. As Conrad Hall said, "Acts of discovery

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CAMERA OPERATOR: NEWS & NOTES

John Toll was an operator for 10 years and feels he's a better DP because of it. "The only way tO be a great cinematOgrapher;' he said, "is tO be an operatOr." The DP sets up the scene to turn over to the operator.

It's important tO know how tO communicate to your crew exactly what you want to happen. Have an idea of what the shot is, then do it in a way that takes advantage of the equipment you have. Use that technology in an interesting way that's not Wide Shot, Close Up. Over the Shoulder.

Practice your craft. Get on a geared head and do more than figure 8s. Follow people on set with unpredictable movement.

Above aU, don't think about what you're doing, just do it. Once you start to think about it, you'll get lost and lose the shot.

Michael Negrin, ASC Television tries ro do feature qualiry work at 8-10 pages per day. lr's aU about the workflow and the interaction between the DP and the operaror. Diplomacy is the key. It's better for the DP robe with the director at the moniror for the different perspective it affords. That's way roo far from the set, and means the operatOr must watch for boom shadows, reflections, and common sense blocking issues. If an actOr is getting up way too quickly for the move, you have to diplomatically work it out with tl1e actor. Once the actOr is comfortable with the performance, then you can ask them tO lean in more, or move to the left. Be very conscious of making them less in the moment of the scene and more in the moment of the camera.

How do you get ahead in the game? Be persistent. Rarely do people take chances. The way to get connected is by doing the work. Call everyone you know and do favors. Helping on shoots, working B and C camera gets your name out. Never srop networking. !.A~ Fall/Winter 2007

Por your considerati on

best cinemato v ROBERT ELSWI

SOC workshop at Pictorvision

The Evolution of Stabilization

I

t's a whole new world in the entertainment business and a whole new opportunity for stabilization equipment providers. As the latest industry "buzz" word, every production wants stabilization, and yet very few people really understand the capabilities. Raising stabilization awareness was exactly the objective that the SOC, in parmership with Pictorvision lnc, set out to support at their full day Stabilization Workshop on July 21st, 2007, that showcased the latest stabilization and remote head technology available to the industry today. The evolution of aerial cinematography and the effects of motion in moviemaking have become much more than understanding and dealing with vibration, how to mount the camera or how to execute a smooth and steady shot. Stabilization technology today is enabling some of the most creative shots through the ability to push steering limits like never before.

At the Pictorvision facility in Van Nuys, David Mahlmann worked in collaboration with Stephen Pizzo to deliver a program that not only educated SOC members on the types of shots that are ideal candidates for stabilization, or where stabilization has the most impact.

Attendees also had the opportunity to interact with equipment and experience conceptual demonstrations. The full day agenda, delivered by Pictorvision's Stephen Pizzo, Jake Capistron and Mike Lewis, set out to inform, educate and promote the types of motion that stabilization is designed to filter out, how it affects work flow, how angular and

To determine the best stabilization tool for your upcoming production: • • • • • • • • •

•

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What are the requirements of the shot?

What is the system being mounted to?

What field of regard or travel in each axis is required?

How stable does the shot need to be and at what focal length?

How close will the subject be and will this cause focus or parallax issues?

What are the required steering rates and accelerations?

What environment is the shot to take place in?

Whar is the wind force during shooting conditions?

Are shooting conditions wet or dry?

Is the vehicle rough or smooth?

CAMERA OPERATOR: NEWS & NOTES

linear motions affect the field of view and the relationship between frequency and amplitude. The program was supported by a host of industry experts including Steven Krul, Panavision Remote Systems, Brian Breithaupt, Libra Tech, Steve Olson, Z-Head/ Crane Tech, Brian Fletchall and Brian McPherson, Technocrane Techs,John Heydon and his team from J.L Fisher Jib Arm Tech, and Wescam and XR Head Techs Eric Dvorsky and Dave Anns.

Not only did attendees have access to the most knowledgeable individuals in the industry, equipment demonstrations from leaders in the field provided depth and intimacy thar helped to drive home the key messages of the event. SOC members had the unique opportunity to wimess the set up of a stabilization unit (SU), showing angular changes that factor in external motion and linear changes using a constrained innergimbal configuration. They could also practice hands-on

movements with a pan/tilt head with wheels and a laser guide source. Pictorvision provided Wescam 24" and 36 " aerial systems on test stands as well as their XR featuring XR Motion Management TM technology on a 30 foot Technocrane, a Libra on a jib arm and a Z-Head on a 15 foot Technocrane.

The event wrapped up by helping attendees understand how to make the right equipment choice among growing number of stabilized products available to today's cinematographer.

There is a right tool for the job. Each product represents a different set of design tradeoffs and compromises. High performance stabilized gimbals are more configurable and have more modes of operation while lower performance products provide simpler and narrowly defined applications.

"This event demonstrated Pictorvision's commitment to establishing partnerships \vi thin the motion picture industry.

They were focused and passionate in delivering an informative workshop," said David Mahlmann, SOC Event Chair.

For a copy of the presentation or Pictorvision's white paper on stabilization, please send an e-mail to inquiries@pictor vision.com Pictorvision is dedicated to bringing unique stabilized and precision control solutions to the entertainment .~. industry.

Fall/Winter 2007

almost vertically with a 2lmm focal length on a camera that is shooting well outside the aircrafr.

The acrual shooting probably provided a startling view ro the ship's crew on the bridge, bur every element in the formula is tightly controlled by a pair of serious global aerial professionals.

Once we are happy witl1 the coverage and have about 250-300 dynamic images on the flash card, we slide the door closed and technically check a few random images in the camera viewer. Once that is done we switch the camera off, power down the gyro and pack the gyro, battery and the long lenses away securely in waterproof flight cases."

Cinemarographer and phorographer Laurie K Gilbert SOC operates globally from Southeast Asia. With more than 30 years experience shooting motion pictures and phorographic stills on location in 48

The jack-up oil rig Willcraft mounted on top of rhe submersible heavy cargo carrier Willift.

Getting a Cover Shot

L

aurie Gilbert's "Woop De Doo" phoro of an oil rig being transported graced the cover of the Summer 2007 issue of PAPA Views, a publication of Professional Aerial Phorographers Association International.

Flying in a helicopter over the Indian Ocean, Gilbert captured aerial shots of the oil rig Willcraft for Awilco Offshore, who wanted photos in clear water, away from the busy construction yards and shipping lanes of Singapore.

Laurie described the day: "Once we have finished the 'corporate formula' images, it's rime for what one of my aerial associares in San Diego calls the 'Woop De Doos.' These are the 'special shots' that may or may not work, bur are always dramatic ro look at and even more dramatic ro execute.

Tight spirals, low tracks over the ship and very wide lensesthe front cover of PAPA Views is a good example of a classic Woop De Doo! This particular image originates from a right, low, banking turn over both the ship and the oil rig, shooting

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CAMERA OPERATOR: NEWS & NOTES

countries, he has won multiple awards for his craft in Europe, Asia, Australasia and the Laurie K Gilbert SOC with his stabilising gyro attached to the 300mm.

USA. Contact him at: www.ukscreen.com / crew / laurie or www.limage.tv

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By helicopter across Malaysia to the photo location.

Fall/Winter 2007

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PHOTOS BY MORRIS KAGAN

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he life's work of photographer Morris Kagan emulates the deep emotion and artistic integrity that as camera operators we should strive for in all our work. Because the images we produce should have integrity, compositional form and balance we can srudy these photographs and learn what is behind them. "*> Fog and form: the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

Fall/Winter 2007

CAMERA OPERATOR: MORRIS KAGAN

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Studies in light and dark, clockwise on this page: St. Stephan's Cathedral (Stephansdom), Vienna, Austria; Welder at Work (won 1st prize in L.A. County/Federation of Labor's Union Artist Competition, Professional Division); Barren Tree, Getty Museum Gardens. Portraits, clockwise on facing page: Controversial child artist Marla Olmstead; Thomas Prophet, SOC Lifetime Achievement Recipient; Holocaust Survivor, Vilnius, Lithuania; Horse cabbies, Vienna, Austria.

The SOC met Morrie Kagan last winter through Denny Clairmont of Clairmont Camera. They have been long rime friends and Morrie has photOgraphed all of Denny's print ads.

When Denny was asked tO supply a photo as the recipient of the SOC's President's Award for 2007, Morrie embraced the opportunity tO help his friend.

Along with Denny's porrrait, Morrie graciously volunteered his time and talent ro provide the SOC with some of the finest portraits ever tO grace the SOC Awards program book. The phorographs precisely captured the very nature of the individuals. The spark and substance in

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CAMERA OPERATOR: MORRIS KAGAN

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Setting and context: Navajo woman, Monument Valley.

Morrie's prints indicates why these individuals were chosen as SOC Lifetime Achievement Award recipients. Morrie enthusiastically volunteered his time and talent to the SOC to do this beautiful work.

When asked what were the motivating factors in his life and photography, he answered that there were very distinct triggers. Among the most significant is that his parents are

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CAMERA OPERATOR: MORRIS KAGAN

Holocaust survivors. His father, who passed away nearly 13 years ago, was an artist, and the paintings, drawings and sculptures that represented his recollections of that period served as inspiration for Morrie.

As much as he tried to emulate his father's great talent, Morrie admits that" I couldn't draw a straight line." However, he saw the beauty and the compositional forms in images

Fall/Winter 2007

through phorographs. Always fascinated by cameras, he purchased one on his first trip to Europe in 1969. It was a Leicaflex purchased in Ulm, Germany. He taught himself how ro capture what he saw and felt on film and express his impressions on paper.

The sensitivities gained from the traumatic experiences of his parentS and the empathy he felt for the human condition

Fall/Winter 2007

fashioned his perspective of the world-both good and bad.

Morris Kagan has never taken a single phoro class. He is self-taught. Having mentors such as Denny and Terry Clairmont for more than 35 years was a facror which drove him to strive for perfection in his work. This lifelong family and professional friendship created the foundation of his career. ~>

CAMERA OPERATOR: MO RRIS KAGAN

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Morris (Morrie) Kagan at work in 2007. This photo was taken by his brother, Dr Samuel Kagan.

Facing page, Similarity and Opposition: Autumn in Rhode Island; Malibu Fires, 1993.

It is the combination of his father and the Clairmonts that put him onto a path of thoughtful observation. Their insistence on conveying honesty in imagery has kept Morrie passionate and driven throughout his career.

Fa ll/Winter 2007

Thank you Morris Kagan, still photographer, for sharing these images for us tO srudy and learn from.

~ CAMERA OPERATOR: MORRIS KAGAN

25

he world o I budget filmmaking i filled with daily peril.

Never enough da to hoot. Never enough time to hoot the cene the way you wanted. Never enough money for... well, anything. o when a DP asks to hire n operator, the initial reaction i u ually, "We can't afford it."

It would eem to make ense that paymg for a camera operator as well as a DP would be a luxury. o when the DP m i ts on hiring an operator, the likelihood of their continued employment dr p significantly.

If the DP i not quick! replaced, they are often met with a econd o tion. "We'll 路u t pay ou an extra 1000 a week to oper te

T

camera. That's much cheaper chan hiring an extra crew person."

Is this true?

Being in two places at the same time "The discipline of being a director of photography and the discipline of being an operator are two completely different skill sees," says Steven Poster ASC. "When you cake two jobs and make them into one you are making it more difficult, and in the end, more costly to make good movies."

The most expensive hour in the making of a film is an onset production hour. It is during chis rime chat you have the greatest amount of people on the clock. Saving time here, even minutes, translates into saving significant amounts of money.

"Given the often inflated above the line costs of productions today, the operator chat works in parallel with the cinematographer saves many times his/ her day rate in time," says Bob PrimesASC. Operating the camera places demands onto the OP that subsequently affect tm production as a whole. To see chis, just look at a typical camera set up. ~ After decidin2on how to shoot a scene with the director, an

very key and it saves the picture lots of time when we can work chis way."

Poster adds, "There has to be a tremendous amount of trust between the director of photography and an operator because you are on the &ring line every single minute you're making a movie. And you need people behind you working with you, looki ng for you, seeing for you, and understanding for you."

"If I can involve the operator as a creative element in the shoe creation process, I'll not only have more time to light, but I'll have a happier and more involved crew," says Primes.

When shooting HD (or video of any kind), the benefit of an operator is even greater. Most video viewfmders are terrible and have demoted looking through the lens from the ' best seat in the house' to the worst. Making fme lighting adjustments by looking through the viewfinder is all but impossible. The on ly way to see the true image is to be in video village with the D IT. The DP who has co operate a video camera can never see the image in a way where he/she could truly judge the work.

And the minutes lost running from the camera to video village and back again begin co add up quickly. Especially on lower budget films, where time is always a treasured commodity, no

"When you take two jobs and make them into one u are making it more difficult/ and in the end more costly to fnake good movieS." -Steven Poster, Asc operating 0 P is forced co abandon the camera afrer roughing in the shot. He must chen start lighting the scene \vich the gaffer.

This abandonment allows for many potencial problems to go urmoticed. Without someone looking through the lens and checking the frame, equipment is potentially being sec in the shot. The boom operator does not know frame lines and limitations. The lens might have w1k.nown flare issues. The accors cannot rehearse complicated blocking. The dolly grip and first assistant are left without proper rehearsals. These issues are left unseen until the OP can get back to the camera.

When the lighting is "close," the operating DP then abandons the gaffer and tries to concentrate on the camera move.

They rake five minutes co finally rehearse the shor. As they rehearse, a few problems are fi nally noticed. So in a flurry of activity, he runs back and forth between camera rehearsals and nveaking the lighting. Ir only rakes a minute here and there, bur each minute stares co add up.

This happens every shoe. All day. Every day.

Hiring a camera operatOr saves the production time by creating the ability co have chis work done congruently.

"Time is saved by having communication," explains Allen Daviau ASC. "When you have a relationship with an operator as I have \vich Paul [Babin SOC], we know what we like.

Basically he can go out there and go to work on a shot while I'm already lighting and you have accomplished the basic amount in a short period of time. So chis relationship is very, r,H1Wintet200

one can afford this back and forth system.

Utilizing an operator helps much more chan just the DP and the can1era department. Hair, make-up and coscwne problems can be sported well before they become an issue. Frame lines can be easily defined for Grip, Electric, Arc and Sound departments. The script supervisor has another ally in sporting continuity. Actors always have an accessible resource co ask about marks andfcame size. The operacor is an incer-deparcmencal resource.

se OK, so you're convi nced chat the camera operacor saves time. How much money are you actually saving? The answer all depends on the budget.

On a production with a below the line budget of$7 50,000, each day of shooting breaks down co around $30,000 as a ballpark figure for a 12 hour day. Subsequently, each overtime hour runs around $1000 (40 crew members at an average overtime salary of$25/ hr).

A good operatOr can easily save a production, especially a low budget production, at least n venty minutes a day. This adds up co a cost savings that easily marches and often exceeds his/her day race at a $750,000 BTL budget.

And as tl1e budgets go up, so do the savings. On a mediwn or higher budget fJ.m, an operacor's salary can yield e..'\:ponential savings in a dollar for dollar comp arison. ~> CAMERA OPERATOR: ED ITO RIAL

27

Even if producers do not allow overtime, there is a huge advantage in hiring an operator. The time an operator saves can then be used to get that extra shot or that crucial bit of coverage that would otherwise be lost. Especially on low budget productions where completing five pages is considered a light day, this is a great way to make the most of your short shooting schedule.

Many hands lighten the load, especially when it is an experienced, well-trained camera operator on a film set. Yes, the

artistic contributions of the operator.

In the past year, I have shot rwo feature films; the first without an operator, the second with an operator. While I am proud of both, the second film was brought to a completely different level by camera operator Greg Collier SOC. Greg's presence allowed me to manage both the camera and the lighting as I should. I was able to better maintain the artistic integrity of the fJm set forth by the director. And there was not one scene where Greg did not add something artistically.

"The operator that works in parallel with the cinematographer saves many times his/her â&#x20AC;˘ t1me. â&#x20AC;˘ II -Bob Primes ASC day rate In operating DP does get both jobs done, but neither as well nor as fast as they could have if they had been able concentrate on one alone. By dividing the tasks and skills, the entire process happens faster and with higher quality.

Hiring an operator allows the DP to be where he/ she is supposed to be - at the side of the director, making sure the director's vision is being accomplished.

"A top operator is an athlete, an artist and a diplomat who can be trusted to cover the set when the DP is at the monitor, lighting or conferring with the director, producer or other crew members," Primes notes.

He would not only give the director and me what we asked for, he had ideas on how to improve it.

There were several crane shots in the picture and Greg was stuck on the crane for hours at a time. I was left free to work on the lighting and talk with the director while Greg helped finesse the camera moves. He worked with the Grips to help construct the moves the director and I asked for in half the time it would have taken ifl had to constantly get on and off the crane (which would have been a safety nightmare). And because of Greg's already rehearsed improvements, the shot was better than either the director or I had imagined.

Having an operator allows for the fme-tuning of shots and Artistic value gives both the director and the D P more time and resources to finesse the visual storytelling. The operator's collaboration While everything that has been mentioned should certainly enhances every shot he is involved in. An operator is an addibe enough to convince you, I have yet to touch upon the tional set of eyes dedicated to securing the best visual representation of the story. They are there to protect the interests of the frame and mutually agreed tonality of composition.

"I have a particular belief that every element of every shot informs the audience," says Poster.

"And unless I have somebody looking through the lens constantly and seeing where an object crosses a frame line, where an object is inside that frame line, how the balance works within a shot-just something like seeing a little piece of white paper on the ground or a cigarette burt can ruin the shot. You know, I don't have time to do that in the sense of my work with the director and my work with the actors. I like to think that I do, but you never do.

With an operator, you have somebody in your camp doing that for Director Michael Glcissncr works directly with Greg Collier SOC to fmc tunc a shot on every shot that is made." hreversi while D P Jack Mess itt is working with the grip and electric crews.

28

CAMERA OPERATOR: EDITORIAL

Fall/Winter 2007

Hiring an operaror allowed for camera work robe done congruently with lighting set-ups and enabled Jack Mess itt (inset, right) to sit side by side with Director Michael Gleissner on Irreversi.

In the past year, much has been made ofDPs who insist on operating their own camera. Those DPs contend that no one else can duplicate their artistic vision behind the lens. I would argue that there is no shot that cannot be achieved with the right amount of communication. If this were not true, how would a director ever get these same DPs to understand their vision for a film?

Primes, who works with an operator, admitS that there are times where a DP would prefer to operate. "If a director of photography feels more confident in his/ her own ability and can afford to spend the time, I find nothing wrong with a DP choosing to make a more 'personal' interpretation." "Additional time" being the crucial element in this statement, Primes expands on the subject: "Personally, I can rarely afford the time and will instead try to choose an operator who can operate better than I can."

The Bottom Line In the end, hiring an operator is a benefit to everyone.

For DPs, having an operator allows you much greater creative freedom.

For directors, having an operator on set means getting more shotS into a day. More time for coverage. More time for that extra take. More time with your D P to discuss how to finesse the image to enhance the story.

For producers, think of the operator's salary when you are starting into overtime to get that one last shot. It is cheap by comparison.

Simply put: Operators are a great investment.

During lighting set-ups Greg Collier SO to help save the production time.

Fall/Winter 2007

~ CAMERA OPERATOR: EDITORIAL

29

I

j

111

~Q j I

j

d:ZZ I

a

recently had the unique opportunity to operate A-Camera

onjoumey 3-D, a modern retelling of the cl ic Jules Verne story,Joumey to the Center ofthe Earth. It tar Brendan Fraser,Jo h Hutcher on, and Anita Briem. Thi film i one of the first feature to be hot in a new digital 3-D format, using pecial High Definition camera de igned by Vince Pace of

Pace Technology, Inc. The imperu for the e camera originated with Jam ameron for hi project Ghosts ofthe Abyss. They are mailer and Lighter than any previou 3-D camera de ign .

D P on thi groundbreaking effort was Chuck chuman, who wa a VFX DP on uch ftlm as Lord ofthe Rings (Miniature Unit on all three), The Abyss, ConAir, Total Recall, Terminal Velocity and Godzilla, among many other .

The director was Eric Brevig, an alumnu ofiLM who had won an Academy Award for the VFX on Total Recall and who e work on many other major projects has been nominated for Academy Award consideration.

Camera D esign Each camera i actually compri ed of rwo highly modified ony F-9SO . Two cameras are required for 3-D, as both "left

eye" and "right eye" image mu t be recorded and ultimately projected at the arne time, to create the illusion of three dimen ion . These modified F-9SO (they are actually de ignated T-9SO by Sony) are quite unique in their de ign. The len , len mount and optical head block are eparared from the re t of the camera's body, in a very mall unit. The left- and right-

eye units are connected to their re pecrive camera bodie by cable extending to 100ft in length. The video ignal and upporting electronic information i then ent via fiber optic cable from the camera bodie to the HD engineering ration.

We actually u ed two different 3-D can1era design on the fUm. The main cameras were based on a "beam plirrer" de ign, and were de ignared as the " rudio" rig and the lightly maller lighter " lini" rig. Each of the e employed a SO/ SO beam plitter or pellicle (very thin partial mirror) arrangement for the left- and right-eye cameras. The right-eye can1era photographed the image as it wa tran mitred through the rran parent ide of the beam plitter, while the left-eye camera, mounted vertically, photographed the image as it was reflected off the front, reflective urface of the beam splitter. The left-eye mirror image had to be electronically "flopped " left-to -right and

amcra pcrator Daniel auve (far left), Fir t Assi tant Director can Dwyer standing behind Eric Brevig, hooting actor cxttmg tunnel. Facing Page: Director Eric Brevig (foreground, light blue hirt) watche a Anita Briem, Josh Hutcherson and Brendan Fra cr rehear c a scene in from of the cave exit. Photographer: ebastien Raymond . Š2006 New Line inema. raii/Winlcr l007

CAMERA OPERATOR: j OURNEY 3-D

33

cop-to-bottom, so as to be "correct" when recorded. The beam- plirrer de ign allowed for inrerocular di ranee to be adju ted from zero to everal inche apart.

The" rudio" rig had a pair ofFujinon 4.S-59mm zoom , and was used primarily on the Technocrane , dollie , or tripods. The "Mini" had a pair ofFujinon 7-35mm zoom , and wa u ed for hand-held, readicam (more about chi accompli hment later), and general B-camera ituarions. With either camera, 8mm was the wide t focal length that we could actually u e without the matte box vignetting. A with all 2/ "chip camera , rh e focal length have to be multiplied by a factor of2 V2 in order to yield the equivalent 35mm len .

The econd type of camera de ign u ed was called the "Fu ion" rig, and did not employ a beam plitter. Rather, the two T-950 (in chi case called ]-Cam ) with Fujinon 5-50mm zoom were mOLmted ide-by- ide on the Fusion base. Their len mounts were modified in an offcenter arrangement, allowing their len e to be very do e to each other (approximately 2짜.! inche minimum between len axe). Thi Fusion camera was u ed by econd Unit and in our underwater hou ing.

will affect the way in which the audience perceive the projected image, and how phy ically comfortable it will be to view. The fir t variable, "inrerocular," i the di ranee measured in inche between the two len axe (or e.g., between your pupil , approximately 2:Y.. inche ). Simply put, the greater the interocular distance, the greater the perceived "depth" in the hot.

Generally peaking, the do er the ubject to the camera, the mailer we et the interocular. For example, a do e-up hot that cut at the top of the houlder would have its interocular et at about one inch. Long wide hot , such as an e rabli hing exterior, might have an interocular at rwo or two and a half inche . imply put, the greater the di ranee to the ubjecr, the greater i the need for a wider interocular, o as to create the illu ion of depth.

The econd variable to be adjusted (in a more dynamic way than interocular) is "convergence." imply put, the convergence i the di ranee to rhe plane in front of the camera where the two len axe "cro "each other. Thi determine whether the ubjecr is perceived by the audience to be either "ar" the

lnterocular and Convergence Photography in 3-D has two variables that mu t be con idered in designing the hot, which

34

CAMERA OPERATOR: JOU RNEY 3-D

Fall!Winler 2007

plane of the creen (the convergence i er at the distance to the ubjecr), "behind" rhe creen (the subject is located beyond the convergence plane), or "in front of" the screen (the ubjecr i located in front of the plane of convergence).

The camera crew member respon ible for adju ring the convergence during the shot wa the "convergence puller." H e or she sat at a pecial HD monitor programmed to how both left and right images simulraneou ly, or uperimpo ed. The convergence puller could see where the two superimpo ed images exactly lined up over each other, at the plane of convergence. A remote ervo motor arrangement allowed for dynamic movement of the right eye camera (the left-eye camera was rigid in it vertical mount) to adju r the convergence during the hot, as either the ubjecr or the camera moved. Typically, we would er the plane of convergence at the arne plane as the

left eye could on ly ee the image which was "in phase" from the left eye projector, and the right eye could only ee the image which wa "in pha e" from the right eye projector. The two di tinct images are then combined by the brain to create the illu ion of depth, exactly as occurs when we view the world normally with our binocular vi ion.

Weal o had a mall portable 3-D theater with a ix foot creen er up on our stage . This smaller theater employed a different projection technology, using a single 2K projecror. It used an "active" polarizing Hlrer on the projection len , which alternated the phasing of the projected polarized image at a frequency of 96 frame per econd. The viewing gla e that we u ed employed "active LCD" Hlrer , which alternated their phasing in ync \vith the projected image . The ync ignal was ent via a mall wirele rran miner at the projector ro the

HD Engineering tation : Fred Meyers, HD upervi or and Ken

focu , e.g. the actor ' eyes. Ther were, however, certain creative choice made from rime to time which broke this rule.

Why polarized viewing glasses?

During projection in the theater, the Left and right eye image mu t be digitally projected in dead sync on the creen.

There are rwo method employed to accompli h thi . Our main theater (\vith a 30ft creen) had rwo individual2K projector , each with a polarizing Hlrer on it projection len .

Each polarizing Hlrer was 90 degrees "our of pha e" with the other fJrer. Each projected image, therefore, wa polarized on the creen. When wearing viewing glas e with polarized fJrer (again 90 degree "our of phase" with each other), the faii/Wi nlt>r 2007

glasse them elve . Once again, the right eye image wa only visible to the right eye, and the left eye image was only vi ible to the left eye.

Having a 3-D theater on set was a rremendou advantage whenever tl1ere was a que cion about the choice of interocular di tance or convergence of a particular hot. The director and DP could critique the 3-D effect in real rime, as the hot wa recorded, or in playback.

Camera Mounts We employed the full range of mountS for the how. I would e timare that fully 80% of the time the "A" camera wa mounted on either rhe 50 fr or 30 fr SuperTechnocrane, and on CAMERA OPERATOR: )OUR EY 3-0

35

occasion, we would have both "A" and "B" cameras cranemounted. readicam/B- amera Operaror Daniel auve al o made everal major modifications ro his rig, allowing him to mount the "Mini" 3-D can1era, as weU as a small HD monitor, on the teadicam. De pite having ro contend with a one-inch thick cable bundle nmning down hi center po t and ve t, he did a fantastic job with the e ungainly modification , and executed many very challenging shors in cave , runnel , and mall practical er .

Weal o hor handheld, on doUie , and on other traditional mounr .In addition, we hor a beautiful w1derwarer sequence involving a ubmerged grorro er con rrucred in a SCUBA training pool that had been builr ar the Montreal Olympic wimming facility. For thi equence, Vince Pace upplied a pecial underwater hou ing for our Fu ion camera, as weU as the remore head y rem, which I operated.

Technical Support Team The project could nor have ucceeded on o many level without the help of a truly amazing camera crew. Our lead Fir t A i rant, Denni Roger , pent everal week in prep ar Pace Technology prior ro the ran of production. He wa nor only involved in the final con trucrion of our two main camera â&#x20AC;˘ bur had ro master the inrricacie of3-D cinemarography from both the technical and ae thetic points of view. Heal o had ro learn how ro main rain the cameras, adju t the beam

36

CAMERA OPERATOR: JOURN EY 3-D

plitter mirror , and program the Ca.~nNet ystem. Thi was the on-board computer/ ervo-motor er-up which coordinated many of the camera and len functions in order ro maintain a perfect march between the left- and righr-eye cameras. This marching was a critical rep in the proce , and wa checked many times throughout the day. Denni then trained all of our local camera a i rants.

Weal o had with u one of the mo r experienced High Definition engineer in the world, Fred Meyer , who had worked with George Lucas a HD Engineer on both digital tar l#zrs film .

Fred was re pon ible for all i ue pertaining ro mainraining the electronic , recording the in1age (on ix HD deck imulta.J1eously). critical camera marching (left- ro righr-eye, as weU a A- amera roB-Camera), video and audio ignal routing throughout the rage , and the myriad other derails of a highly complex digital project.

Our VFX Supervisor was Chris Town end, who al o brought hi many years ofiLM experience ro rhe project.

Working from a Previsualization ("Previs") One of the mo t challenging aspect of the entire production wa working from a very pecific "previ " that the direcror had prepared many month before production began. lr wa fully animated in all aspect , including dialog and temporary music. lr was basically the entire film as Eric Brevig

faii/Winler 2007

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saw it, complete with all extensive underground environment, crearure , and fully choreographed camera moves for each hot. In addition, the previs indicated focal length, hot duration, camera height/ tilt/ distance and other pertinent technical data.

Thi previ wa in tailed in the laptops of the director, DP, VFX upervi or and other key crew member .

I had to carefully analyze each hot, and tran late what I saw into the de ign and per pective of my hot on the set. For example, the previs may have illustrated, from a high sweeping angle, the actor clinging to a torm-to ed raft floating on a vast ubterranean raging sea. They had to race by the camera at a certain speed, angle of approach, and departure. On et, their rafr was acruall mounted on a complex hydraulically controlled gimbal, urrounded by a two hundred and eventy degree blue creen, fifry feet high and two hundred feet wide.

Wind machine and rain nozzle overhead provided the storm. My weather-protected camera was on the Technocrane, and I directed my crane grip to move the camera from a certain height to another height, pas ing by the gimbal-mounted rafr at a certain angle and peed, within a certain elap ed time.

If, in the previs, a carnivorou ea serpent (or some other notyet-created CGI creature) happened to be in the shot, I had to

allow for it within my compo ition.

There were several occa ions when it wa not phy ically posible ro de ign a shot matching the previ perfectly, and modifications had to be made to my choreography or framing to allow for "phy ical reality."

Virtually every shot in the ftim involve some percentage of frame to be compo ited with blue or green creen elements, et exten ion , and CGI effect . The dominant arti tic challenge in post will be the creation of an entire ubterranean world of cave , tunnels, oceans, beaches and variou creamre in photoreali tic 3-D. The "real" ets were orne of the mo t exquisitely detailed large ets that I had ever een. An army of arti ts, painter and culptor created vast caves, 6fry-foot hjgh sheer rock wall , abandoned mine hafts, winding tunnel , rainforests and other fascinating ets. Each wa beautifully Lit by Chuck Schuman, with its own color palette and mood.

The expected relea e date ofjourney 3-D i Summer 2008, and I look forward with great expectation to revi iring cl1e Center of the Earth at that time.

Steadicam Challenges on 'Journey 3-D'

by D aniel Sauve (Steadicam/ B-Operator) n the early tunmer of2006 I had the opportunity to meet with Director of Photography Chuck Shuman for the production of}ourney to the Center ofthe Earth 3-D, a Walden Media High Definition project. One of the ftr t things we di cussed was how ro photograph some tunnel ets that had very low ceiling and would be difficult to acce , even for cl1e acror . The intention of the shot was to follow them, hand held tyle, into the runnel , either leading or following them. The ceiling of the tunnel were barely above headroom and hand holding on the houlder wa defmitely out of the que tion. Once the cameras became available, I aw that the 3-D sy tern did not lend itself easily to low ceiling ets. I uggesred the idea of carrying the camera "like a ca e of beer" to Mr human, adding that I would u e my teadicam arm and harnes and figure out a way ro mount the camera directly ro the arm. The next step was to actually see the cameras and figure out the way to mount them, not only to my Sreadicam arm bur a! o onto the led itself One peculiarity of the Pace/ Cameron ystem i that the len position is determined by the horizontal camera, but that the height of the camera itself i determined by the main cable

I

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CAMERA OPERATOR: jOURNEY 3-D

connector of the vertical camera, orne 28 inche higher.

When you think of a 3Smm camera in a tight pot, like me interior of a car, you can guess a difference between the e two di ranee of only a few inche , and hand held, albeit ornetime difficult, i more often po ible cl1an not. Wim the 3-D rig, you need actual ceiling room to provide elevated angle of view. In the case of the tunnel, it wa impo ible to provide a hot mat would kim me ceiling and look at the actor at relative head height.

After orne te ring I re olved to u e a mall ingenious bracket whkh con i ts of an aluminun1 cup that crew into the camera ba e and sits on a 5/ 8" spigot, attached to the end of the teadicam arm. A mall round head cap i po itioned on me pigot and act as me eat for me camera cup, allowing ea y rotation. For me tunnel et I mounted the camera onto my Steadicam arm in mi fashion. I had a grip spotting me as I walked backward in me et, leading me actor . ing me cup bracket meant never letting go of me camera and I held it wim born hands (one on each ide), while me weight was supported by me teadicam arm. I had a small HD moniror mounted to me rig, literally inche from my face, and could

u

Fa ll/Winter 2007

three po ible cable configuration to both power and control the cameras and tran mit their image . One was a fiber optic relay box, whereby the thick cable coming from the camera enter the box and exit it a a non-compr ed ignal on a thin and malleable fiber optic cable. I a ked the engineer at Pace to provide me with mechanical drawing, o that I could have a mounting bracket for thi box drawn and cur on a CNC (Computer Nwnerically ontrolled) mill. I proceeded to completely trip my led of its base, rebuilding in read a mounting rage where I could carry rhe relay box and have it act both as the power and picture relay and al o as a counterweight to the cameras. The Pace ysrem is completely elf contained, pro iding power, image and len control via it cable . ince I was opting to carry the relay box and make it an integral parr of the led, my battery system became ob olere. Only the readicam monitor, in this case a 5" Marshall HD unit, required power. My rebuild included an Anton Bauer pro pack 14 battery at the base.

Once as em bled, the led ended up being fairly long. The weight of the cameras far exceeded the 10 lb of the box and the 3 lb of the battery, o I tie-wrapped mall hot bag to the base and managed to obtain an adequate balance. Unfortunately, the optical relay box picked up orne interference that could not be controlled and our chief engineer, Fred Myer , politely asked that we revert to cable. Since then, I have been informed by the people at Pace that these issue are being re olved and that the ergonomic of the box, in our ca e pretty quare and large, were being reduced. I strongly believe that the future of3-D teadicam will incorporate fiber optic relay teadicam/B-Camera Operator Daniel auve, with hi customized rig. boxe and it will become neces ary for any operator to modify hi or her y rem to uit. ee both the picture and the peripheral pace, however right it For the remainder of the how, we relied on a maller copper was. The big trick was to control the top part of the rig, where wire a embly linked by connector to the randard half inch the main half-inch cable connector was located and prevent it main cable to the convergence carr. Working\vith it proved from hitting the et. imilar to working with uch cable in live television. Each The rock runnel that the art deparonent con eructed-in operator has hi tricks to minimize the impact of the cable on a completely reali tic fa hion-wa roughly ix feet high by the balance of the sled. I cho e to loop the cable from the top, about three feet wide (I am 6 '2"). The floor was rocky and uneven; the walls were angular and irregular in hape. It total down on the oppo ire side of operating and back up to the length wa about 30 feet, with the narrowe r part 30 inche handle of the gimbal from underneath the led. I tried to wide and le than ix feet in height. The rig performed unrwi tit as much as po sible and attach it firmly in the upwards direction to the handle. The remaining cable wa exceedingly well and the low, mid-che tangle clearly howed the proximity to the performer' head: a clau rrophobic experi- pas ed along ide the arm and to my back where it was attached and then wrangled. By creating rhi loop I found the ence in 3-D indeed ...

For "traditional" operation of the readicam, the 3-0 rig rig responded well to tilting and was only minimally affected in panning. Thi was true e pecially with the thinner cable. ln proved to be another type of challenge. There were initially

faii!W~nl~r

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CAMERA OPERATOR: j OU R EY 3-0

39

ca e where interference became a problem, we used the larger cable directly, attaching it in a si milar fashion. It wa of cour e much rougher tO handle and required ales than delicate couch ro stabilize.

The bigge t challenge tO operating wa actually nor the cable, bur the fact that the right eye camera (the horizontal one) can and will move during the hot as the convergence puller performs hi or her adju tment . The balance of the sled i obviou ly affected, throwing the rig out of equilibrium.

With mo t of our hot , the interocular di ranee wa set prior tO hooting and the only movement involved convergence. This was much les of a weight shift. till, when I dollied cowards an acror or conversely when he or she carne up tO

me, I could feel the shift in the po ition of the camera. The convergence puller and I worked out a certain ethic whereby he or he would make the adju tment as evenly as po ible, thus allowing me reaction time tO com pen are.

I have had several discussion with the people ar Pace about u ing a motorized stage on the Sreadican1 and linking via oftware both the led' rage and the camera' rage o that the two movements can counteract each other, allowing for a coarse balance tO be maintained. Pace own a Master cries led and promptly gar to work evaluating uch a modification.

A 3-D i certain tO be u ed with more frequency, I can foresee that teadicarn equipment provider will consider manufacturing motOrized rages that can link intelligently tO 3-D camera tage .

All in all, shooting in 3-D was quire a challenge for the Steadicam, bur ultimately well worth it. I look forward ro eeing the picture on the big screen .. .

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George Dolenz in Wings ofthe Hawk. Š1953 Universal Picrure Compan .

by Rick Mitchell

"3-0 was a gimmick that would never return;' aid a age.

Until 2005 that i , when indu try pundit announced that

3-0 would fmally be the salvation of the theatrical motion picrure indu try. The e announcements were prompted by the ucce of original IMAX 3-D project , the repurpo ing of computer animated film for IMAX 3-0 and digital 3-D projection in regular theater , impler and more effective digital 3-0 projection, and the advancement of technique to digitally convert 2-0 fwns to 3-0.

In the wake of ucce ful te ts converting cene from the original tar l#zrs trilogy to 3-0, George Lucas annmmced Fall/Winter 2007

CAMERA OPERATOR: 3-D OR NOT 3-D

43

thar the 30<h anniver ary re-relea e of the now titled Episode IV-A ew Hope would be in digitally projected 3-D excluively. Ir was being converted to 3-D by In-Three of Agoura Hills, bur the process rook longer than expected, so the deadline wa mi d, and o far, nothing more ha been heard about the project.

A ofOcrober 2007, at least nine projects are currently in production or have been completed for digital 3-D pre entation over the next two year . The fir t of the e, on which all bers are being placed, i the ju t relea ed Beowulf. Robert Zemeckis' combination oflive action motion capture and CGI, u ing a technique developed by Real D-an electronic filter (a Z- creen) which circularly polarizes the projector's

44

CAMERA OPERATOR: 3-D OR NOT 3-D

light two different ways. witching back and forth six rime per frame to avoid flicker, the system require the u e of a special ilver creen to retain the light' polarization as it reflect back toward the audience.

January will bring U2 3D, a concert film shot with the Cobalt Entertainment "3eality" rig (two F950s) and RCS.

Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best ofBoth Wm-lds Concert Tour come to the 3-D big creen in February along with Fly Me to the Moon, an animated film about a couple ofhouseflie that stowaway on the Apollo 11 mi sian to the moon.journey 3-D from Walden Media/ ew Line is based on Jules Verne's journey to the Centerofthe Earth and lated for a Summer 2008 release (See article on page 32 and 38). 2009 hould offer Jame Cameron' action film Avatar, plus lvlonsters and Aliens (a 3-D comedy based on the Rex Havoc comic book), Tintin (ba ed on the comic eries by Belgian arti t George Remi), and How to Train Your Dragon (based on the children' book of the arne name). hrek the Forth will be crowned in 20 10.

But even with all thi 3-D production underway, there are rill distribution problem , of cour e. Glas e are neces aryrequired by an immutable law of cience-and differ with each competing projection system. There is the standard polarized ver ion; there are hurter glas es a u ed with orne of the IMA-'<: 3-D y terns. Dolby' propo ed Dolby/ lnfirec y terns u e non- hurrered gla es that may eliminate the nece iry for ilver creen , which have not been proven to be a good for non-3-D projection in venue with a wide field of view. Bur since the Real 3 technique does use a silver screen, thi may lead to a format fight which could again doom 3-D if the initial ftlm aren't uccessful. Re earch is being done with promising results for combo 2-D/ 3-D wide-field-of-view creen . The e u e little bubble on the creen urface for widefield viewing but are not de-polarizing.

One of the proposed digital sy rem does claim to not need a ilver creen. The uVision LCS hurtering (96 hz-48 fp ) 3-D glas e running off an infrared emitter bouncing off a flat white screen were u ed for a March 2006 Sho-We t demontration when Luca , Cameron, Zemecki , Randal Kleiser, and Robert Rodriguez howed clip from ftlm or te ts they had previou ly done in various 3-D proces es.

The technical problem may be easier to overcome than the aesthetic one .

Three din1ensional motion pictures have alway been identified with "in-your-face" gimmick, not stereoscopy (roughly Faii/Wi nt r 2007

Fernando Lan1a in angaree ( 1953 Paramount Picrure orporation) trangling an unidentified opponent.

de cribed a the perception of object being three dimen ional, or in the context of motion picture , u ing compo ition and staging to empha ize and make dran1atic u e of depth, u ually in ide the tereo window). Mo t seriou rudents of motion picture tereo copy u e the term 3-D di paragingly to refer to the gimmick thrown into the face of the audience.

Yet a urvey taken of audience at !MAX 3-D pre entation last year concluded that they preferred the gimmicks for dramatic film. f cour e, it' doubtful that mo t of tho e urveyed had really een any of the attempts to revive 3-D in the '80 or '70 , much le the cia ic from the Golden Age of3-D Cinema, 1953-54. Unlike the later concentration on gimmicky exploitation ftlm , everything from pectacle to comedy to intimate dran1a was tried in the '50 , and theoretically tho e intere ted in reviving 3-D now could profit by eeing what did and didn't work over the past 50 year . Unfortunately, there is no permanent 3-D venue in Hollywood where the e fUm can be viewed correctly with a two projector polarized erup.

Thu it wa timely that between ept 8-1 , 2006 Jeff Jo eph and abuCat Production put on a follow-up to their ucce ful3-D Expo of2003 at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood CA, thi rime howing31 feature and horts Fall/Winter 2007

from the Golden Age, including even feature not hown before, two of which had al o not been hown in 3-D on their original release. Additionally three feature from the '70 and one new digitally hot feature were preented. With four exception , all were hown by the twin projector polarized method. Of the exception , two were shown by dual digital polarized projection, and two by ingle projector (over/under) polarized projection.

Becau e the 2003 Expo was uppo ed to be a one rime only event, the article I wrote at the rime [Operating Cameraman Fall/Winter 2003] was intended to be omewhat definitive and included two film that were nor run in that Expo but which I had een wholly or partially in 3-D. Tho e two film , angaree and Devils Canyon, were run in the 2006 Expo, o thi article will concentrate on the econd Expo' new pre entation .

In my original article, I concluded that the ultimate reason for 3-D' inabiliry to u tain it initial populariry in 1953 was neither the audience having to wear gl es nor bad projection (although they were factor ), bur the proliferation of badfilms relea ed in rhe urnmer of that year. Unlike with inema cope, a oon a word got our that Warner Bros and olwnbia had made deal with arural Vision on the heel of tl1e ucce of Bwana Devil, every rudio in town was either having its camera department figure our how to rig two cameras to properly hoot 3-D or making deals with independent contractor who claimed ro have done thi , or both-including Warner and Columbia.

Except for Warner ' House of Wax, Columbia' Man in the Dark, and the independent Robot Monster, the first batch of 3D project were either films about to go into production that were uddenly switched to 3-D ( angaree wa half- hot when it wa decided to witch), cript in development that seemed suitable for the process, or wor e, B quickie aimed at capitalizing on the hoopla. Mo t of tl1e e project , hot between January and March 1953, did not get additional money or production time to deal with the added problem caused by 3-D. It's urpri ing that there ults weren't wor eon either the eye or the sen ibilitie .

Mo t of these early film make little u e of tereo copy and the creation of depth within the frame except for varying usage of "in-your-face" gimmick . The 3-D ver ion of Sangaree eem to have just copied the etup of the 2-D ver ion except for it gimmick shot , and though directed by former cinematographer Rudolph Mate, RKO' Second Chance i urpri ingly and unimaginatively flat. By the time the econd wave of production began, though the cripts generally weren't better, the ftlm did benefit by the experience of crew working on the fir t fUm , which al o began appearing in theater in early April.

Except for the aforementioned and previou ly di cu ed angaree and Devils Canyon, all the new fUm hown ar the CAMERA OPERATOR: 3-D OR NOT 3-D

45

svs~THAT

shown in new print off the original negatives, were al o in the hands of recognized directorial styli t .

Budd Boetticher' Wings ofthe Hawk (phoro on page 43) wa typical of the moderately budgeted color western which Univer al had been turning out regularly ince 1952.

Boetticher had come into hi own a a director of masculine action pictures while under contract to Univer al and brought thi approach to his raging of the fUm, who e few gimmicks occur organically out of the action. 3-D running in err -putting the camera on a truck racing along with the action, rather than running past, or over the can1era as in mo t of the budget 3-D we tern -made hi chase sequence unique.

With lifford Stine A as director of photography, he al o mounted the camera under a wagon rolling toward another for a very effective POV hot.

Although there is a tendency co attribute the superb use of 3-D in Taza, on of Cochise to cult director Douglas irk, with acknowledgement of the likely contribution oflegendary cinematographer Rus eli Merry A , I have reason to believe that producer Ro Hwner may have al o had a hand in ae ther:ic deci ion . Thi i based on what I've heard from people who had worked with him of Hunter' deep involvement in hi film.

The new print of Taza, made by Technicolor, looked like it was shot ye terday. It was actually hot in the Fall of 1953, after a con iderable nwnber of3-D film had been made and released, and like mo t of the fmal wave of3-D fJm , benefited

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~

Theater Po rer for The Glass Web, a Univer allnrernational Picture, 1953.

2006 Expo were from the econd and third wave of3-D production, three from Paramount, two from Univer al, and the only 3-D ftlm hot in England at the time, The Diamond

Wizard.

At least three 3-D ftlm were al o made in Italy in 1953-54, phorographed by the legendary Karl tru A : The Funniest how on Earth {II Piu Comico .pettacolo Del Mondo) and The eapolitan Turk {II Turco apoletano), both directed by Mario Mattoli in 1953 in color and fumed with a dual35mm y rem, and Rustic Cavalry {Cavalleria Rusticana), in black-and-white and tarring Anthony Quinn and May Britt. Only the last was relea ed in the U. .-in 2-D; whether any 3-D prints or underlying elements exi ton any of them i unknown.

After Warner Bro , Univer al's 3-D film were the be t when grouped and rated by srudio.JackArnold had directed all four of their black-and-white , It Came From Outer .pace, the two Ct路eature feature (which were hown back-co-back at 3-D Expo I), and the rarely hown, underrated The Glass Web. Their two color fUm , hot on Eastman Color negative and Fall/Winter 2007

CAMERA OPERATOR: 3-0 OR

OT 3-0

47

The 3-D Film Preservation Fund

O

ne of the rragedie brought out in the last decade's interest in film preservation has been the fate of "orphan" films, those made and di tributed independently or originally distributed by a major bur whose rights reverted to omeone who didn't take care of the elements. If they were not allowed to deteriorate, nitrate prints were junked, and so were negative and intermediates if torage costs were not paid on them. Later, safety prints and elements were melted down for their silver.

The only surviving elements on many pre-1950 films and some later ones are battered 16mm prints formerly used for non-theatrical or early TV syndication. About lO years ago the National Film Preservation Foundation was established by the Library of Congress for the preservation of orphan films, with former Warner Bros and Turner Entertainment vice president Roger Mayer as its chairman.

The Foundation does not do preservation itselfbut provides grants to organizations that apply to it and have worthy candidates for being aved. More information can be fotmd on its website, ftlmp reservation.org.

With regular 3Smm or 16mm elements, the preservation work can be fairly straightforward, depending on the condition of tho e elements. But the problem i compounded when the material was shot on a non-standard stock or in a non-standard format, such as Cinerama, Technirama, Techniscope or 3-D. Where pre-print elements exist, thee formats require expensive optical conversions, often using equipment that has to be manufactured. All of this makes it an expensive process, especially when there appears to be little or no financial return for the work.

This is especially the problem with 3-D, for at present there appears to be little commercial value in its preservation. Its ideal presentation requires a theater set up for polarized projection, with a silver screen, two projectors, and a left- and right-eye print. This is definitely a necessity for color films, though black-and-white films have been relea ed theatrically in the anaglyph (red/green) system and the 3-D sequences in Robert Rodriquez's Spy Kids 3-D and The Adventures rfSharkboy and Lavagirl were rendered with a limited color palette that allowed them to be presented in anaglyph. At present this is the only way to present 3-D on mainstream commercial TV, though a way to present the equivalent of theatrical polarized projection in home video is being worked on, of course.

Though most single strand 3-D films of the '70s and '80s appear to have been preserved, the arne cannot be said for most dual prints of studio films from the '50s. The negatives and intermediates on at least one eye of many independent films, if not lost or destroyed, were split up between different parrs of the country, or even other countries!

The discovery of this loss a decade after he'd first become interested in 3-D led Robert Furmanek to begin seeking our

48

CAMERA OPERATOR: 3-D OR NOT 3-D

these various elements in the '80 and in later interesting JeffJoseph, who had already begun saving old trailers. Their interest and the involvement of retired 3-D cinematographer and historian Dan Symmes led to the first 3-D Expo in 2003 and the ubsequent formation of the 3-D Film Preservation Fund. Its purpose, as stated by advisory board member Joe Dante, "is to find, conserve, and restore a much of this [surviving 3-D] material as possible. The Fund will also be used for educational programs on the history of 3-D and on public presentations of this culturally valuable material."

3-D Expo II was an example of this. The original print of many of both the features and shorts shown were from the Fund' archives, often painstakingly patched together from odds and ends of prints found around the world. The Fund and SabuCat Productions also paid for the triking of many of the new prints shown, including the Paramotmt features. Making their contribution even more impressive is the fact that they completed the negative cut of the right eye and made the new, fir t dual projection print of The Diamond Wizard. Additionally, through hi Dimension 3 company Dan Symmes was able to digitally extract left- and right-eye images from surviving anaglyph prints of the short A Day in the Country ( 1952), and more urprisingly. the oldest 3-D footage found to date, views ofWashington DC and New York City shot in 1922. This allowed them to be shown from two projectors with polarization and superb results at the Expo's Raritie II how.

More information on thi process can be found at http:/ /www.3dmovingpictures.com.

The Fund is also working with the studios to preserve their 3-D element ; it i hoped that some of the even film from the "Golden Age" on which something is known to exi t might be made available to in pire a new Expo in two or three years. Two unshown films from that era are considered totally lo t: only a battered 16mm Kodachrome print exi ts of Top Banana ( 1954), a Literal 3-D filming of the rage play, while the right eye negative of outhwest Passage (1954) has been lost, though it was cut and at least a 3-D preview print was made. The "holy grail" of the Fund is the first 3-D feature made in 1922, The Power rfLove, and of course any footage that predates it, e pecially that suppo edly shot by Edwin S Porter.

The Fund has some prominent supporters on its team.

The advisory board includes Joe Dante, John Landis, Leonard Maltin, Quentin Tarantino, Grover Cri p (preservationist for Sony Pictures), and Richard May (former preservationist for Warner Bros). Additionally, at Expo II, Rhonda Fleming, star of a record three 3-D film -Inftrno, ]ivaro, and Those Redheads From Seattle-pledged a donation; she and her late husband Ted Mann had backed many restorations by the UCLA Film Archive.

Further information on cl1e 3-D Film Preservation Fund can be found at www.3dftlmfp.org. -Rick Mitchell

Faii/Winler 2007

from the earlier trial-and-error. or only wa it eparare main title units made for House ofWax and Charge at Feather very easy on the eyes, bur except for right do eup , all the compo ition were in depth, the River, the one for the 3-D ver ion ubjecr viewed pa t omething at the edge of crediting both atural Vi ion and WarnerColor, while the one for the the frame, often with the va me of the Moab 2-D prints ju t credited WarnerUtah location in the background. olor. They were de igned to be A1 o, more than any other 3-D fiLn I have een, Taza took advantage of a "rever e gimpi iced onto the head of the flfst mick" effect. Something can be "brought out" reel of the appropriate version , with the 2-D credit reprinted and into the audience in a typical gimmick hot replaced on left eye print when only as long as it doe n't touch the edge of the frame. If it doe , the ubject pop back to the they were pur into general relea e; plane of the creen with everything behind it the right eye prints carried the ureeming to recede in proportion. (Thi i one round track for Warnerphonic of the benefits oflMAX 3-D: the projected ound situation , in which a three image i o large that practically anything can track magnetic rereo reel wa run Barbara Rush and Rock Hud on in Taza, double ysrem with the projector .) be pu hed into the audience' face.) When an object i brought into the frame, the hock of it on ofCochise; Univer al Picture , 1954.

ParamOtmt' ]ivaro al o enjoyed it eeming to come out of the theater and the 3-D premier at the Expo. concurrent receding of the image already on creen eem to Producer Tony Ludwig, nephew of}ivaro director Edward pull the viewer in, too. In Taza, rather than having thing Ludwig, poke prior co the creening of hi uncle' film. He come our, arrow , knive , and fi t regularly come into the had vi ired the etas a child and aid that the reason Paramount made o many 3-D fum was becau e Paramount fran1e. hairman Emeritus Adolph Zukor had een Edwin Porter' (The be t exan1ple of thi omething-coming-in effect 191 5 re ts and become enamored of the proce s. It's too bad occur near the end of House ofWax, when Paul Picerni i tryZukor wasn't as enthu ia tic about the cripts, becau e ing to break into the ba ement lab and Charle Buchinsky (Bron on) uddenly pring up into frame in the foreground, although Money From Home ha its upporrer , for the mo t a if he'd leaped our of the audience. The effect apparently got part the Paramount illm were awful, though all but angaree enough of a reaction for Warner to repeat it in Phantom of and Flight to Tangier had good 3-D photography. Tho e three the Rue Morgue.) fUm were di cus ed in my 2003 article.

The Diamond Wizard (AKA The Diamond) was one of the Thejivaro print, truck from the original negative, howed two fUm that had its 3-D premiere ar the Expo, 52 year lace. off Lionel Lindon A ' wonderful 3-D photography. The It w one of a erie of fUm actor Denni O'Keefe did in jungle trek tory waste an hour on whether Fernando Lamas Europe under a deal in which he would both tar and direct; will or won't put the move on Rhonda Fleming before he finally et off to find her lo t fiancee (Richard Denning). The heal o did ome writing on them. Thi charming little fum tarts out as a police, or rather cotland Yard procedural, then trek through unit art director Earl H edrick's sound rage junturn into an exciting chase fUm with a properly explo ive endgle i more intere ring for the swiftly ru hing water constantly running through it, and a wind-machine-ravaged temple than ing. It is not clear why it was decided co do thi particular film anything el e. The illm build to a hockingly diminuendo in 3-D, but O'Keefe and hi cinematographer Gordon Lang make very good u e of compo ition and raging in depth, action clin1ax. including ome location footage shot on the treer of 1953 Those Redheads From eattle, also screened from a new London. print off tl1e original negative, bear our Kiss Me, Kate as the Lang' name has been lost from association with the fUm fir t 3-D mu ical. The mu ical number are very well raged becau e his cinematography credit wa on the ame title card as that for the 3-D proce used.

Becau e the fum was ultinurely nor released in 3-D, this card was removed and the film's photography has usually been credited to the camera The Professional's Choice for Motion Picture Supplies, Tools and Equipment operator. A1 o because the deci ion to go 2-D only was made while the negative wa being cur, thi was only partially done on the right eye negative.

Bur, believe it or nor, the negative outs had been saved, and with the penni ion of rights holder United Arti ts, abuCat and the 3-D Film Pre ervation Fund ( ee idebar) paid to have the negative brought over, the cutting fini hed, and the fir t dual projector print made.

VISIT OUR STORE OR SHOP ONLINE- WWW.FILMTOOLS.COM- OPEN MONDAY- SATURDAY 1400 W. BURBANK BLVD. BURBANK, CA 91506 CALL TOLL-FREE: 888.807.1900 (For the record, Warner Bro actually had two

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CAMERA OPERATOR: 3-D OR NOT 3-D

49

u Madi on in The Charge at Feather River. Š 1953 Warner Bros Pictures.

and photographed for 3-D (al o

by Lindon ), e pecially the " hick-A-Boom" number. The re t of the ftlm i a trangely uneven mixture of comedy, romance, and we tern action (particularly odd considering it was et in turn-of-the20th Century Alaska).

Redheads was one of the higher budgeted film that William H Pine and William C Thomas began producing for Paramount in 1949. Unfortunately, becau e the earlier B Him that earned them the obriquet "The Dollar Bill "aren't available for viewing, the quality of Pine and Thomas' work can only be judged by their later ftlm . With the po ible exception of HelL's Island ( 1955), directed by Phil Karl on, and Run for Cover ( 1955), directed by ichola Ray, tho e I've een were unbelievably bad.

The mo t potentially intere ting, and therefore mo t frustrating of the Paramount ftlms was Cease Fire! It wa publicized a a documentary shot at the front in Korea with real oldier . It would have been difficult to film the war using the compact tereo Cine rig based around Eclair CM3 or Arriflexe Like the underwater rig developed for Creature From the Black Lagoon, but almo t impossible using Paran10unt' Paravi ion rig (founded on legendary proces cinematographer Farciot Edouard' 1938 de ign for the fir t double head proces projector).

CellSe Fire! turned out to be a re-creation, filmed afely behind the line . Real oldier were u ed and uppo edly improvi ed the detail of the tory, but the overall plot follow the pattern of military patrol fum ince the previou war, right down to the tock tereotype . Even the inclu ion of a black oldier on the patrol wasn't that novel, as am Fuller had already done that in The tee/ Helmet (Lippert; 1951 ), one of the fir t fum about the Korean War. Well publicized at the

50

time wa a fight with the 1PAA over "hell and damn " in the dialog, but the ftlm i clearly looped with orne, if not total, revoicing, since the di tinct tone of Le Tremayne of l#zr ofthe Worlds and radio fame can be heard in one cene. And making it look even less like a documentary, the film was hot in terrain that looked exactly like the Griffith Park and an Fernando Valley location u ed for tee/ Helmet and other Korean war et ftlm ; a cene wa even re hot in outhern California.

Thi a ide, the 3-0 photography in CellSe Fire! is very good. The Him was shot in May 1953, o director Owen rump and cinematographer Elli W Carter A had the benefit of earlier 3-D ftlmmaker 'experience in raging and composing the flLn. They frequently u e depth to heighten the involvement with the patrol's experience . There are no real gimmicks, but occasionally cannon and rifle muzzle are allowed to protrude lightly from the creen.

Thi may have been due to the fact that they did not have a Hollywood pecial effects crew o all the explo ions were accompli hed through army ordnance and bullet hit by military harp hooter . Thi kept thing lively for Carter and hi operator , who were credited on creen, probably for tl1e fir t time in film hi tory: Fritz Bro ch,John Leed ,Jack McEdward,James Miller, and Robert Rhea.

(For the record, harp hooter and even machine gun expert were used in silent and early ound war fum before the invention of quib .)

More intere ting than the tory told by Cease Fire! itself wa the tale told in a Q&A afterward. Re a LaRu-Kirkland, who e father' boyhood friend Ricardo Carra co was one of the oldier in the fUm, recounted a tory that could not be told at the time of the fUm' release. arrasco had proven o photogenic and charismatic that ftlmmaker decided to center the tory around him, though with a tragic ending.

While hooting, Carra co's actual army unit was threatened by a po ible enemy breakthrough. Becau e hi replacement was rather green, he was concerned throughout the hoot about getting back to his men at the front. After three weeks of badgering rump and even turning down producer Hal Walli ' offer of a contract with Paramount, hi death cene was finally hot and he was released to go back to hi unit.

There was a breakthrough and Carrasco was killed in the en u ing battle, 12 hour after the hooting of hi death cene Fall/Winter 2007

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for the film. Rather than cau e any more grieffor his family, the film was recut, diminishing his role, and the death scene was reshot with another oldier, as mentioned, back in outhern California.

De pite whatever di appointment may have en ued from their fir t 3-D screening in 53 years, Cease Fire! and Those Redheads From eattle were new reminder that not all the 3-D film done in 1953 were gimmick-ridden exploitation film .

3-D aficionado who have een The Glass web, Inferno, and the fairly intimate character drama Miss Sadie Thompson rank them up there with House q{Wax, Dial M for Murder, and Kiss Me, Kate as g;路eatfilms which happen to also be in 3-D and use it well. For the mo t part, thi wa forgotten in the attempts to revive 3-D in the '70s and especially in the '80 .

Here the accent was alway on the gimmicks, with terrible cript , not helped by the comparatively inferior single len technology. Given the probability of tho e mi take being repeated in the next presumed 3-D boom, it i tragic that more contemporary filmmakers, e pecially those intrigued by the proce , did not take advantage ofWorld 3-D Expo II to fmd out how 3-D i really done.

The author would like to thank ]ejf]oseph, Brian Jamison, and David trohmaierfor their aid to him in doing this article as well as jeff, Robert Furmanek, DanielJ herlock, Dan rymmes, and Ray Zone for information used therein.

MUSICIANS' INTERGUILD Credit Union Setving the Hollywood Community

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CAMERA OPERATOR: 3-D OR NOT 3-D

Hollywood Branch 817 N. Vine Street Hollywood, CA 90038-0610 Toll Free 800/393-3833 Phone 323/462-6447 Fax 323/462-4411

Fall/Winter 2007

'Hondo' comes back at ya after 54 years

I

t was the initial limited revival of 1953-54 3-D film in the ' 0 and '80 that laid the groundwork for 3-D Expos. But a more original dual projectOr print from those year were hown (or new print truck), the holy grail became Hondo, the Ia t really ucce ful3-D film of the '50 . It is the only one with John Wayne, one of the bigge t tar then or ince, and al o a terrific film when viewed flat. When Warner Bro made new dual projectOr prints of The Char-ge at Feather River and Phantom ofthe Rue Morgue in 1982, after having made a new uch print of Dial M for Murder in 1979, many wondered why Hondo was left out. The problem was that the rudio no longer owned Hondo.

In 1952 Warners Brothers had made deal wi th the independent companie ofWayne and Alan Ladd under which, after a certain period of time, all right tO certain title , including all negatives and other underlying element would revert to the stars. While the Ladd films appear ro be example of the mo t recent film to be lo t, the Wayne film were kept our of circulation by hi e tate, except for a one time pre entation of a pecial anaglyph ver ion of Hondo on televi ion in 1991.

Recently, primarily as the result of a home video deal with Paramount, digital re roration have been done on a 3-D verion of Hondo.

I have seen no docwnentation a tO whether the deci ion to do Hondo in 3-D came from Jack Warner or John Wayne. The ftlm would have been in development while House ofWax and Feather River were being made. By then, Warner wa high enough on 3-D tO put hi camera department tO work on a new all media camera. He wanted it to be able to shoot 3-D, 2-D, and the new anamorphic sy tern which Warner put into development after pyro Skouras would not allow him tO buy a halfintere tin Cinema cope. He would con ider it a boon to have his Chri rmas feature tarring the bigge t boxoffice draw of the time in 3-D. But there i evidence that as a producer, Wayne was aware of the potential of the technology to enhance the draw of hi film . All the ub equent ftlms he per onally appeared in for hi company would be in color, CinemaScope in the 'SO and Panavision after that. Wayne' Legend ofthe Lost ( 1957) was hot in Technirama and hi pet project of The Alamo in 6Smm Todd-AO. Problem with the Warner camera on Hondo and the decline in populari ty of3-D at the time of it relea e probably di uaded him fro m its further u e.

Hondo was part of the econd wave of 1953 film , profiting from the work of the format' '50 pioneer . By the time it went intO production on June 11, key production personnel had no doubt een J#Jx and Feather River in at least work print form. They may have een wholly or partially ome of the other rudio ' work and had heard preview, critical, and audience feedback and thus had some kind of guide tO what was working. All of the "A" 3-D film eschewed the accent on gimmicks found in mo t low budget film and concentrated on u ing depth tO enhance the rorytelling, bringing in gimmicks usually when they were right for the moment.

Fall/Wi nter 2007

Hondo follow this trend, adding a few wrinkle of it own.

Mo r interior and many exterior are photographed from low angles, allowing et to recede in depth from the top down and backward. Co-cinematographer Robert Burks A C carried thi tO a greater extreme in his next film, Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder; William Cameron Menzie exploited it in The Maze.

Scene ar often raged with characters in the foreground and background at greater di ranee than in many other film from the period. Many cenes are al o compo ed to emphasize the depth of the Mexican location, mo t notably a cene with Wayne as a captive of the Indian on a me a. Mo t shot including tho e in a hand-ro-hand combat between Wayne and Rodolfo Acosta are shot facing the overlook to a va t de ert floor and the mountains beyond that, an effect greatly enhanced by 3-D. The gimmick come during the action cene , and perhap because of the difficulrie \vith the Warner camera, aren't alway applied to the actions one would expect. The only elf conscious one are two hots in the Wayne-Aco ta fight, in which each " tab " the len , and i dearly taking care to make certain their arm stay \vi thin the" tereo window." Primarily because of the frugality of their use, the gimmicks in the final battle are actually quite effective, especially fall off hor e by the stuntmen playing Indian that throw up dirt into the camera lens. There are a couple of arrow hot at the camera that work well, e pecially ince the hot i cut as oon as the arrow reache the edge of the" rereo" window.

The digital r toration overall looks very good, allowing for the dimne s caused by the " hurter gla " viewer y tern u ed for the creening at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science ' Samuel Goldwyn Theater. A few shot had the "video edge" look and there were digital problem with orne fades and one day-for-night sequence, which may be correctable a additional digital work is being done. The monaural ow1dtrack has been given a 5.1 tereo pread via Chace' proprietary y tern, primarily preading the music and moving orne off-screen dialog to the side of its ource, something adly missing from contemporary all boom track features; orne of the dialog ounded di toned but tho e wonderful Warner Bro gun hot and chinsock eem to have enhanced clarity, adding a character lacking in roday' cacophony.

It' rerchen Wayne's hope tO u e the digital 3-D teclmology currently being used for variou announced project to give Hondo a new theatrical relea e. Thi may be the only opportunity for those living out ide Lo Angele tO ee one of the 3-D classic from the '50s, and one of the be t.

For additional accurate background information on Hondo go tO http: / /www.3dftlmpf.com/ info or watch for 3-D guru Dan (Amazing 3-D) Symme ' oon to be publi hed hi rory of the film' production, with much information gleaned from Michael Wayne, who worked on the film. - Rick Mitchell

~ CAMERA OPERATOR: 3-D OR NOT 3-D

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by Dave Gregory n Toffler wa right. Future hock i upon u . In fact, t ha been for quite a while now. We live in amazing time , where new technologic appear fa ter than any one person can keep up.

De pite thi , we hould remember that, a filmmaker , we are fir t and foremo t toryteller . And as the technologic we use continue to evolve, we must ee that they ervice our tories properly-enhancing the movie-going experience, not di tracting from it.

For certain feature films, Stereoscopic 3-D can be a terrific enhancement ...

There is no question that 3-D, when properly executed, can make a picture more involving and exciting. It i hoped that thi experience will generate po itive word-of-mouth and con equently boo t theatrical attendance.

The tereo copic 3-D features that have hit the creens from ovember of2005 to today have all been CG-toons projected

Third DimensionaL Murder ( 1941 ), an independent ci-fi adventure like Arch Oboler's The BubbLe ( 1966), or the hot or cold running titillation in teve Gibson' hy terical end-up of '70 blacksploitation, WiLdcat J#Jmen ( 1976)- orne form of filmed 3-D entertainment has generally been available for the public to eek out and enjoy.

H owever, only two previous cycles of3-D filmmaking were upporred by Hollywood' di tribution machine.

The fir t cycle occurred during the early 1950 - tarring in '52 with Arch Oboler' independent feature, Bwana DeviL. By the time the cycle ended in '55 with Revenge ofthe Creature, approximately fifty 3-D feature had been produced.

The econd major cycle took place during the early 1980 beginning with Comin' at Ya in '81, trickling down to a handful of title in '84, and wrapping in '85 with iLent Madness and tarchaser: The Legend ofOrin. During thi period, approximately twenty 3-D features aw the ligh t of a xenon.

During each cycle, the popularity of3-D wa hot down

We must see that the technologies enhance the movie-going experience ... in multiplexe , mostly with Real-D sy rem . For tho e features, the average box-office take for each 3-D theater has been 2.5 time greater than the average box-office take for each of the arne ftlm ' flat- creen theater .

No longer a mere gimmick, Stereoscopic 3-D will co-exist with 2-D Cinema from now on ...

Actually, tereo copic 3-D cinema has been with u ince the day ofLumiere. The French brother fUmed tl1eir hon tereo co pic documentation of L/Jrrivee du Train in 1903.

Since then-whether it be a World' Fair attraction like Motor Rhythm ( 1939), a novelty hon uch a Pete mith'

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CAMERA OPERATOR: STEREO COPIC 3-D CI NEM A

mainly by poor exhibition.

While the tereography in mo t of the film of the early 'SO was very well handled, the theaters weren't prepared to meet all of the requirements for successful exhibition. The complication of ynchronizing two projector and the additional costs as ociated with in calling ilver creen , employing two projectioni ts for each how, and buying polarized glas e all erved to pu h exhibitor away from 3-D. During the cycle of the early '80 , the 3Smm ingle- trip over/ under format (two Techni cope frame tacked one above the other for four-perf pulldown) required only one projectioni t. But that format' de ign ignificancly reduced rail/Winter 2007

creen illumination and created a ituation wherein the projectioni t could easily and unintentionally invert the tereo effect by accidentally witching the left and right frame .

Al o undermining the econd cycle was the then-establi hed practice of opening feature nationwide, as oppo ed to territorially walking print aero the country over time. The uppli-

er of the over/ under projection len e could not po ibly

quality check every theater they erviced. Murphy' Law ruled, and mo t of the 3-D pre entation in commercial venue were di astrou.

Additionally, the manner in which much of the 3-D photography was handled in the early '80 was generally poor. Of the

few 3-D film I attended during that period, only Rottweile~; Jaws 3-D, and Amityville 3-D appear to have been photographed with any con ideration for viewer comfort.

[Thi i n't to ay that the over/ under format could not be exhibited well. I have een it projected beautifuJJy in pecialized venues uch as Los Angele ' now-defunct Tiffany and Vagabond theater . But during the early '80 , with the ingle exception of the projection of Meta/storm. at the Alex Theater in Glendale, the pre entation of every 3-D film I attended in a regular cinema was a catastrophe.]

Fortunately today' digital projection method , particularly Real-D' highly-practical y tern, have fairly well olved the exhibition problem of yore. The ingle digital projector resolve most i ue of"imbalance" between the left-eye and right-eye views that could exi t with film ystem -e.g., vertical parallax, mis- ynchronization, imbalance of illumination, one eye being out of focu , etc.

Each per pective i now projected through the ame lens, with the arne focus erring and illumination level. In fact, there i little the projectioni t can inadvertently do to foul thing up.

Becau e of thi , I believe that many Stereo copic 3-D films, if properly photographed, will now find audiences that will welcome them. But ...

Not every movie made in the future will or even shoUld be in 3-D...

Let' be hone t with our elve here. 3-D i nor going to add commercial value to every fUm ubject. It' more logical that

Why did that happen?

Please under rand that eeing three dimen ion in reality and viewing a 3-D movie are nor the same thing. Unlike in reality where olid objects are in real pace at varying distance , when you're watching a 3-D movie, all of the image detail and depth information i focu ed on a ingle flat plane ituated many feet in front of u -i.e., on the creen.

Convergence In tl1e real world, as an object come do er to u , our eye "toe inward" and the len e of our eye con tantly adju t to focu on that object.

In watching a 3-D movie, when an object come off- creen toward u , the increasing parallactic difference of an object' creen po ition (between the uperimpo ed left-eye and righteye image ) require our eyeline to converge and fu e the two po irion together-ju t like when seeing the real world.

But as that virtual object appear to move toward u , the len e in our eye mu t remain focu ed on where that image really i : on the creen. And that i not what happens when we look at real objects moving toward u in real pace.

In other words, when watching a 3-D movie, the muscle controlling our eyes' len es and the muscles controlling our eye ' convergence are not working together as they normally do.

Thi re ult in eye train and, for orne people, headache .

Now the truth i that the function of focus and convergence are actually independent of each other. Most of us who frequently work in 3-D have trained our eyes' lenses and muscle to work independently, re ulting in le fatigue-for us.

I believe that many Stereoscopic 3-D films/ if properly photographed/ will now find audiences that will welcome them. the proce s be applied only to movie who e ubject matter would be enhanced by a tereoscopic treatment.

Another factor that will di courage orne 3-D attendance i that not all moviegoer will want to involve their phy iology to accommodate the viewing of tereo co pic imagery.

While watching a 3-D movie, a viewer actually has to do orne extra work-work that hi eye and brain are not normally accu tomed to doing.

Viewer Accommodation ...

In ovember 2005, I dragged a friend to a 3-D screening of Chicken Little at Mann' Plant in Van Nuy . To be afe, I made ure we at in the middle-back of the theater, which would minimize any visual anomalies the fllm or projection might have.

But Chicken Little had one of mo t con ervative execution of tereo copic 3-D that I've een-with neither overdone offcreen effects nor uncomfortable background- plitting i ue .

And the theater' Real-D projection was flawles . However, on leaving the auditorium, my friend told me that he'd developed a con iderable headache from watching the fUm.

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CAMERA OPERATOR: STEREOSCOPIC 3-0 CINEMA

But the majority of the public i not accu tomed to doing thi and can therefore experience con iderable di comfort while viewing a 3-D film.

For thi reason, off-screen effect into theater pace hould be executed paringly, not gratuitou ly, and should be logically motivated by the tory content.

The most uccessfuJ off- creen effect in 3-D movie have been of object fuJJy contained within the confines of the tereo window (i.e., within the frame) that gradually move into the theater space and then lowly return to the creen plane or behind it.

Arch Oboler' The Bubble i particularly renowned for one of cl1e mo t effective u e of thi when a tray with a whi ky bottle gradually lifts off a counter, floats out over the audience, and returns. The low off- creen motion allow the viewer to accommodate the depth more ea ily.

Many who have hot 3-D in the past have found that it' be t, when fUming off- creen effect , never to allow an object to extend into the theater pace by more than half of the perceived di ranee to the rereo \vindow. In other words, when hooting, never allow an object to extend more than halfway Faii/Winlcr 1007

between the convergence poinr and the camera.

3-0 THEATER VIEW! G TIP: To minimize eye train cau ed by the need to fu eon object floating too far out into theater space, sit in the back of the theater. From that di tance, the overall picture is smaller, so parallactic difference are mailer and ea er to accommodate.

Even more bother orne than the problems with convergence i a phenomenon that occur only when projecting a 3-D movie onro a large creen.

Thi circum ranee requires your eye co do omething that they just never do when viewing the real world-and that i co diverge.

What do I mean by that? Well, think "Marty Feldman eyes." orne folks call chi i ue background putting.

When watching a 3-D movie that has been ftlmed correctly, thi problem hould rarely occur for people seated in the center of the theater or farther back. In fact, in medium to wide hots phocographed ,vith medium-wide to wide-angle focal length and with the neare t ubject no do er than even feet from the camera, thi problem would generally not even manife tit elf.

tho e sitting farther away.

Imagine the ftlming of a imple do e-up. Let' ay that our 3-D camera is set up with the average human interocular di ranee of about 2 V2 inche between the two len es (ye , ba ed on a urvey done many year ago, the average adult hwnan inrerocular i almo t 6Smm-clo er to 2 V2 inche than 2~ ).

To avoid creating the conrradictory effect of a di embodied head floating out into the theater pace, we will et the camera' convergence on the ubject' face. That \vill place the head of the ubject at the creen-plane in the theater.

That would be desirable, but ... .. .the problem we've ju t created is that the matching points of any object in the di tant backgrOtmd will be off et on the creen (between the lefr and right eye per pecrive ) by a di ranee that will measure greater than 2V2 inche .

If a viewer irting close co the creen decide not co Look at the actor' face but rather to fuse on an object in the di rant background, hi eye will have to "diverge" co do so. And thi i going co happen-even if the director ha done hi be t to force the viewer' attention to the accor-becau e many audience member will uncon ciou ly "explore" the depth in the image.

Previou rudie have hown that viewer itting do e co the creen can comfortably diverge their eye ' line of ight up to an angle of one degree. But any angle of divergence greater than that will produce a "pulling" en arion on the eye and a fir t-dass headache.

What can be done to minimize rhi problem?

One of rhe be t solution i to reduce the di ranee between the two raking len es when filming do e-up . And rhi i why Phillip chwarrz mentions that when hooting do c-ups in journey 3-D, the interocular was reduced to about an inch.

The re ulr i that the parallactic differences for background object in the do e-up are reduced to a di ranee that is much easier for the eye to handle.

However, no matter how well you've executed your photography, rhi divergence problem will never totally go away. And that i particularly true for rho e unfortunate who end up sirring in the front rows.

In fact, rhi i the most uncontrollable factor in the 3-D movie proce because irs degree of everity i relative to the ize of the creen being projected upon-and that vatic from cinema to cinema. The larger the creen, the more evere the problem. o whenever you hear orne promoter claim that hi 3-D stem i "totally free of eye train;' ju t remember that that cannot be entirely true in the case of do e-up and imilar type of shots.

While the new projection y rem have olved many of the

to it back and watch a movie comfortably, without working their eyeball in an unnatural manner. I don't blame them.

An informal internet urvey taken Ia t April with customer of Time Warner's RoadRunner service showed that only about 17% of rho e polled indicated that they "loved 3-D movies and preferred the 3-D ver ion of a film over irs 2-D ver ion."

About 59% of rho e surveyed were indifferent, rating that 3-D movies "were okay bur that they could take them or Leave them." A significant 24% of those polled stared that they did nor like 3-D movies. Curiou ly, they cited "the gla e "a being "a hassle" -though I'm ure you now realize that rho e poor glas e may have been getting a bum rap all the e year .

Many audience member no doubt blan1e the gla e because they're the one tactile thing they get handed. A viewer who i already wearing corrective frame may fmd it painful to upporr the equivalent weight of two pair of X-Ray pex on hi probo ci for the length of an entire feature.

Bur it' the problem with "viewer accommodation" combined with memories of the projection problems of yore that are mo t likely the real rea on for the di dain. And that truly unfortunate.

Today, with the con cientiou upervi ion of3-D during

Issues with "viewer accommodation" mean that 3-D movies are going to be met with opposition by many potential moviegoers. projection i ue of the past, the projection ysrem alone i nor re pon ible for the quality of a picture's photography.

Even if a 3-D fUm i photographed as well as it possibly can be and the problem with viewer accommodation have been minimized, they cannot be totally eliminated for every eat in the theater.

SECO D 3-D THEATER VIEWI G TIP: To minimize eye train cau ed by the need to fuse your eyes on object at infinity (b ut whose matching points are actually being projected at a parallax greater than 21/2 inches on the scree n), sit in the back of the theater. From that perspective, those parallactic differences are smaller and ea er to accommodate. otice a recurring theme in my viewing rips? The truth is that when projecting 3-D movies, going for a slightly smaller than usual screen ize for the auditorium will improve everyone' viewing experience.

It i becau e of the e is ue with "viewer accommodation" tl1at 3-D movies are going to be mer with oppo irion by many potential moviegoers. They know that watching a 3-D movie make them uncomfortable. They ju t don't under rand the real reasons why.

And some people are never going to be able to handle the physiological breakdown of eye/muscle function. They want

production and the vastly improved projection, audience can indeed be "won over."

It's just going to rake some time with orne really well done live-action 3-D films hitting the cene-ftlm that can stand as great movie on their own, which just happen to be properly photographed in rereo copic 3-D. The mo t important thing to keep in mind when fUming a 3-D movie i to utilize the technique in a manner that will create the mo t comfortable viewing experience for the audience.

Thi i the "prime directive" for rereo copic cinema.

3-D movies certainly should help cinemas attract audiences, but 3-D alone will not be the one thing to save the cinem a ...

In my mind, there are far greater problem with attending theaters today than can be helped by the mere enhancement of 3-D. Style overriding ub ranee, hurried release chedule , an ab ence of howman hip, an overabundance of creen for tentpole , a lack of creen for niche product, premiwn ticket co ts transforming movie going from an affordable option into a lux'Ufy, and an abundance of rude cell phone u er have damaged the theater-going experience eve rely.

As I rated before, the 3-D fUm that have hit me creen o far have sold an average of2.5 tin1es more ticker in the 3-D

"Under the Weeping-Willow Tree a Blonde in Black Velvet tand "-Cypre , California.

Just to test tl1e camera and break my elf into shooting in tereo, I attended a "photo day" in ypre .

The tendrils of the willow certainly provided layers of deptl1 here, and placing tl1e model within them was the obvious thing to do.

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CAMERA OPERATOR: STEREOSCOPIC 3-D CINEMA

Fa ll/Winter 2007

theaters as were old on average in each of their flat-screen venue . Thi i an encouraging nwnber, bur it has to grow higher to be meaningful-meaningful enough to drive a major industry rrend.

Curiously, while the nwnber of available 3-D creen has grown, thi 2.5 multiple has not-at lea t, not yet. The 3-D pre entation of Chicken Little, Monster House, and Meet the Robinsons all hared the arne multiple de pite the exponential increase in the nwnber of3-D screen for the opening of each title, because the nwnber of2-D creen al o increased.

A thi i sue of Camera Operator i going to pre s, Beowulf i opening on both Digital 3-D and lMAX 3-D creen worldwide. I believe that, if the film it elf i any good, Beowulfmay tand a chance of breaking the 2.5 barrier, since the lMAX creen rotate their title more lowly. I'll be making a point of watching the nwnber and will be hoping for an average ticket ale multiple in the 3-D venues of at least "four" thi time.

I do believe that the general popularity of 3-D cinema will continue to grow a more creen are equipped for Digital 3-D

Audience are quite accu tomed to and comfortable with this ftlmic language.

But the e day , many director -e pecially tho e weaned on Pytka and Bochco-are fond of unmotivated camera movement and of allowing undefined foreground objects to fuzzily pass through frame for the purpo e of generating "eye candy."

Imagine uch eye candy violating the rereo window in a 3-D movie-a tereo copic "no-no" if there ever wa one!

If they wi h to create uccessful-i.e., comfortable-3-D pictures, director mu t agree to rein in their 2-D styles, to li ten to the advice of their 3-D upervi or , and to adapt to the pecial requirement of the mediwn.

But will their egos allow them to?

We must not forger that, as stated earlier, when it comes to Stereo copic 3-D, audience comfort i our primary concern.

In conclusion ... tereoscopic 3-D is not rocket science or brain surgery.

3-D is delightfully irnple-once you under rand the rule

3-D is delightfully simple-once you understand

the rules for shooting it correctly. and more folks learn to comfortably accommodate viewing.

It i hoped that the di tributor and exhibitor will give 3-D a fighting chance by allowing the fUm to remain long enough for the audience to find them and for po itive word-of-mouth to build.

Bur how economically viable will that be, e pecially with the major rolling our new title every weekend to di place the older one ? The ftlms themselves will have to be good enough to warrant the extended date .

In a sense, all movies are "three-dimensional" -even when we shoot them through just one lens ...

Peter Ander on wa once quoted a rating that the greare t 3-D ftlm ever made wa not actually hot stereo copically. H e was referring to Citizen Kane. And I get his point.

A fJmmaker , we use raging, er de ign, lighting, focal length, per pective, depth of field (both shallow and deep), and camera movement to define the dimensional pace of any given hot.

STEREOSCOPIC 3-D RESOURCES ...

The wonderful tereoPhoto Maker program was, I believe, created in Japan by Masuji uto. The program's Engli h in tructions were written by David yke . PM run under Windows on a PC. And, believe it or not, the program is free!

Download a copy from http :/ /s tereo.jpn.orgleng/stphmkr/ Many thank to David Starkman for introducing me to thi fmc application.

Tho e intcrc ted in learning more about stereoscopic

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CAMERA OPERATOR: STEREOSCOPIC 3-0 CINEMA

for hooting it correctly.

Bur ince it' nor going away thi time, it might be prudent for all of u to make the effort to under tand Stereo copic 3-D and to learn to hoot it correctly.

It certainly won't hurt to add thi new kill et to our re wne.

Text and Images ŠDavid V Gregory, World Rights Reserved.

Portions ofthis article will appear in Mr Gregory's forthcoming booklet, tereo copic-3D Cinematography, to be published by Galaxie Special Products. pecial thanks to Steven Gibson, Ray Zone, and john Rupkalvisfor verifying aftw ofthe numbers mentioned.

The opinions expressed in the preceding article riflect those of the author only.

Besides being a cameraman, Dave Gregory is also afilmmaker and a visual effects & Stereoscopic 3-D supervisor. A survey of his optical & visual effects work may befound on imdb at http: / / www.imdb.com/ name/ nm0339782/ . photography and cinematography arc encouraged to seek out their local tereo copic 3-D club and a ociation .

In Los Angeles, the tereo lub of outhern California is a tremendou re ource. Many tereographers and quite a few Him indu rry profe ional participate in thi group. Information may be found at www.la3dclub.com.

Two other valuable resources arc the International Stercocopic Union http:/ /w'lvw. tcrcoscopy.com/ isu/ and the tcrco Divi ion of the Photographic Society of America http: / /www.p a-photo.org/ defauh.asp ?menuiD= 1&DivlD=6

Fall/Winter 2007

I saw Ihe 3-D piclure Beowulf wilh my son Ihe nigh I il opened. It is a n•markable .J-D experience and quile a comic book inlerprelalion of lhe epic poem. The direclor, Rober! Zemekis, crealed a fun J-D viewing display oul of a serious lilerary -David Frederick, SOC work. They charged 2 bucks more per lil·kel because il was .J-D!

by Richard C van Nijnatten, OC

ALL PH TO c AUDJO V I UAL DE IG

Dutch documentary maker and cameraman Richard van Nijnatten SOC, together with assistant Andre la Rooy, traveled to some of the most northerly parts of Europe to film a large military exercise for NATO. Much of the time it was terribly cold and ar ut the shoot had plenty ilaraf moment as this diary of the trip shows.

Looking over the boulder of the Hoist Operator at Richard van pturing the helicopter landing on th glacier.

nder a clear blue ky and with, for February, a plea ant 32째F, my as i rant Andre and I find ourselves heading towards Schipol Airport in Amsterdam. We are cheduled to film a Combined Joint Exercise (multiple nation and air, ea and land force ali operating together) the following week in orway for NATO. Andre checks once again that ali the equipment is there. We know ir' going to be cold and dark where we're heading owe have lot of extra batterie , lights, now boot and warm clothing for both u and the equipment. With the additional photographic gear we have to take (our client also wants stills), rhere' far too much luggage to be carried by ju t the two of u , but there' no alternative. Ar check-in we again fmd it would have been much cheaper to fly Business Clas (where you're allowed more luggage), than to pay for the exec s. However, NATO rule pre cribe we have to fly Economy, and rule mu r be obeyed ar ali co t.

The flight i mooth and quick. In Trondheim Norway, we are met by a van; twu hours later we arrive at our frrsr destination, a mobile headquarter . The sky here i al o cry tal clear, but the temperature i now IOoF. There' now evef}"vhere and we need ome moments to adapt. Tin1e enough for that though, becau e we will be pending the next two hours in a warm exerci e check-in rent with loads of coffee. A u ual, the taff who e job it was to make arrangement for us have under-

U

One of the smaller communication trucks in the Exerci e Field Headquarter .

we er off for the fir r location. I rake a wrong turn and we drive up a mountain. The road lowly change into an ice track. I decide ro turn round and we lide down the moun rain.

Then the road bends a bir and I ee a woman and rwo children. They are directly in line with the path of the car and I freeze, bur the tires manage just enough grip for me to avoid them. I give the woman a friendly mile.

Our first location is a mobile headquarter con isring of CAli (small cracked vehicles) and rent , lot of tents. The 'acces to everywhere' pas quickly become an 'acce to everywhere bur .. .' pas . Ir rake another 45 minutes before we are cleared.

Acclimatizing the camera i a real pain. Our ide it' 0째F and there' snow everywhere. Inside they rry to rai e the temperature up above 72oF. The snow under the rents melt fast, generating a lor of moisture and there is an inch of water on the floor. The camera immediately goe into humidiry error mode. 25 minute and 3 coffee later we can finally start.

Taking thi into account I amend our recording schedule ro reduce the nun1ber of rime we have to switch between environment with big temperature differences.

Tent-of-Command in one of the Exercise Field Headquarters.

We pent a couple of hour here getting acce passe .

e timated the rask and not involved rhe proper ecurity people-a very rime consuming error! From experience we have allowed for this kind of erback and no harm is done to our chedule ... yet ...

Finally we are cleared and in po ses ion of pa se which give u access ro almost everywhere. Outside the temperature has dropped to 3oF and although iris only 15:30 it seem like omeone ha switched off the sun. Good to remember-the hooting rimeframe i very narrow!

The next day we have a breakfast to remember. We are raying ar a farmhouse and the farmer's wife has cho en to really indulge u . There i almon, trout, meat, chee e (Dutch!), egg , roll and much, much more. When we can ear no more,

64

CAMERA OPERATOR: A CHILLY CHALLENGE

hot of participating oldier in action.

Fall/Winter 2007

Mo t of the oldier ee us as an intere ring and pleasant relief from their monotonou work and are very co-operative. orne even act for the camera, but mo t of the time that ju t lead to laughter and u ele hot . Then we arrive at the intelligence cell in a far end corner. Before I can even tart recording, a big (and when I ay big, I mean BIG) Briti h marine put hi hand over the len and bas e to me: "We do not want to film the e people ..." - "Yes, ir. No, ir. Of cour e, ir. .." I rumble and quickly leave the area. Later we were given a plauible explanation for hi reaction (cia ifled).

Out in the field Three hours later and we have covered everything of inter t in ide owe go ourside. The ky i still very clear but it i de perarely cold. The now is more than 20 inche thick and very difficult to walk through, but we shoot everything that might be of intere t. In the program there will be a ection about what it' like our in the field and we want to provide the editor with a mucl1 choice a po sible. Some oldier laugh cornfully when they ee u plodding through the snow with our gear.

Others, mainly the one carrying huge backpacks them elve , give u a glance of under tanding and the phrase 'Brother in Arm ' rake on a new meaning for me.

The ound of a rotor tell u there' a helicopter coming. At the landing zone I can ee only now and one man who's giving direction to the pilot. The helicopter stares de cending, and I'm ure I'm far enough away. Then the downwash hies the now and turn the len and my face into olid ice. That moment I decide I'm going to buy a rain and now deflector.

Later the hor was u ed as a natural tran ition to the next hor.

Probably becau e I told the editor that ir was done for that very reason ... ( rill wonder if he believed that).

At the next daybreak it now . I can't even ee the barn 50 yard from my bedroom window. Thi i bad new , because we planned co do aerial roday. After breakfast the ky ha cleared a bir and we decide co take the car and look for military camp ire . I want co hoot general footage of oldier in the field.

We drive a couple mile and ee a Norwegian oldier be ide the road with a field telephone, a ign that a camp ire i ahead. He look bored a I cop the car. In poor Engli h, and hardly interested, he a k u what we want. I tell him we are a NAT ftlm crew and would like co do orne filming in the camp. He uddenly jump to attention, alute , and quickly walks ro the field telephone. My knowledge of the orwegian Fall/Winter 2007

language is approximately zero, o I have no clue what he' aying. He return , alutes again and rell me very politely char we a.-e expected ar the TOC (Tent of Command). It is ea y to find the T C, becau e ir has a welcoming committee of two lieutenants and rwo ergeanrs in front ofir. A oon as we cop, a captain comes our and they aU alute ( ore: Ir i nor normal for military to salute civilian ). A bit confused we follow him into the rent and, over coffee, explain our intention .

He instructs one of the lieutenantS toe corr u and to make ure we can hoot whatever we need.

Thi lieutenant is extremely helpful; maybe even a bit roo much. When he ees me pointing my can1era at five oldier who have almo t ucceeded in pulling rraighr a very heavy antenna, he order them ro lower the antenna and pull it up again for the camera. One glance at their unhappy faces and I hurriedly ay that it' far enough after they have lowered the antenna ju t a bit. Bur the lieutenant i not co be pur off; the antenna must go down aU the way and then back up.

About an hour later we are fmi hed and return to the TO We have to rea ure the captain three time before we can leave that we really have everything we need and that hi support and that of hi taffhas been excellent. As I drive away the captain alure and call after us: " afe journey, Colonel." I gaze open-mouthed at Andre. "Did you hear thar? Did he ju r ay OL NEL?" Andre look at me and tarrs laughing:" ow I under tand their de ire co help." He can hardly peak. "On our ecuriry badge i the name of the exerci e ecuriry officer, Lieutenant-Colonel xxxx. They mu t have thought thar' you!

What would you do, if you were a captain and they cold you there was a lieutenant-colonel from ATO with a camera wanting co film in your camp!"

The next location i a German field ho pi tal. On our way

attaching now chain ro a vehicle.

CAMERA OPERATOR: A C HI LLY C H ALLENGE

65

we ee lor of military activity; all-terrain vehicles, truck , landing crafts, etc. Before we arrive at the ho pi tal we hoot more than 30 minute of additional footage. The landscape i beautiful: olirary clouds above a mountainous snowy landcape, fjord and un making it complete. Today I love my job!

Shooting aerials The following day we are able to shoot the aerial with the weather condition now perfect. The heliport i no more than a mall field in the middle of nowhere. We meet our crew and are lucky that the pilot i very experienced in flying for photograph and fUming. We accompany him to the base commander, a di tingui hed Briti h wing-commander and I

door at both ide , as long a I tell him fir t when I want to hift ide . Preparations are short and five minute later we are airborne. At the prescribed flying altitude the pilot asks me over the headphone where l want to go fir t. With the word of the wing-commander till ringing in my ear l a k him what he ugge ts as we have to obey o many rule . He chuckle and ay :"That was down there. Up here I'm boss ... so where did you want to go again ..." For the next couple of hour we violate ju t about every flight regulation po ible and l am able to hoot ome great footage.

The only thing till needed is ome hots of the helicopter in flight. I'd rather not hoot it again t the ky and o I a k the

Dutch HAWK ire on cop of a mountain near Bod0, Non ay.

explain what I want, but his response i not very hopeful: 'We are gue t in thi country... safety regulation forbid ... minimum flight altitude ..." etc- and I begin to lo e confidence in our pro peers for ucce this day. When I finally tell him I will be happy with whatever I can hoot and that I will leave it to the pilot under his command to decide, he accept and give permi ion. A bit depre ed we follow the crew to the navy ea King where the hoist operator rell me I can u e the

The 400 yard long runnel leading to the Air Force and Navy ommand bunker in a mountain near Bod0.

ver-shoulder Hoist Operator while descending on the glacier.

66

CAMERA OPERATOR: A CHILLY CHALLENGE

pilot if he know a high pot where I can get our. He tarts ro climb and flie rraight toward the highe t motmtain in the area. At the rop he puts her down in virgin now and tell me I can get ofÂŁ For a moment the danger of being the victim of a practical joke flashe through my mind-it would be a long walk down-bur decide to tru t him and rep out. Andre ask ifl need him bur hi face tell me he'd rather ray in the warm helicopter. I tell him he can ray and switch over to the camera microphone. The hoi t operator advi e me to ray as do e to the helicopter as po ible when it take off, o that I won't be troubled roo much by the downwash. I et up the camera for Fall/Winter 2007

camera, and I tell Andre to mark me tape as CLA IFIED. Arriving in the flight Control Centre I don't dare to ask if they have een a British helicopter a couple days ago doing all orr of tl1ings it houldn't have. It's very dark in here and my little battery light immediately blind the operator . Even I understand the re ulting orwegian language! It will have to be 18dB gain ... The tripod i usele s as there' no pace.

Eventually, clutching our three tapes of enviromnental shot and two interview we remrn to the gate. Although it' only 15:00 hours it i as dark as when we came in chi morning.

Top gun

Richard van Nijnatten etting up his camera at the HAWK ite. the rake-off and slowly the machine lift up, a wheel pa sing in front of the len at le than two inches. Great dynamic shot, but next time I'll give it just a little bit more di ranee!

The pilot appear to be a real ace when he tart howing ofÂŁ I ometimes have trouble following his unpredictable maneuver , but rhe hots are fabulou . He lo e no time at the end of each pas . Instead of Aying around in a circle he put the helicopter on her tail and drops her over one ide. After about 10 pa e he makes a large turn and the possibility of a practical joke flashe through my mind again. With relief! ee them coming towards me as they descend. The door open and behind the hoi t operator I can ee Andre witl1 a pale green face. His fir t word are: ''I've never been more relieved to see you get in. Thi is not flying! Thi is ..." Then mff other than words comes out of hi mouth .. .

The following day we vi it the participating F-16 quad ron.

They are Dutch too, and we are warmly welcomed. It' impo ible to refu e the cup of coffee and cake they offer, but finally we are off to a shelter where an F-16 i cram bled.

At the ide of the taxiway I fran1e a clo e-up of the pilot.

When he alutes to camera I zoom out and my shot is horizontally cut in two by hi sidewinder, pa ing tl1e front len by a cou pie of inche . The shot will nicely match >vi th the helicopter wheel a few day ago, but I hould not make thi a habit ...

The rake-off are deafening. Following the jet i more like fimess training than camera work! The fir t couple Ay in a traighr line and are ea y. The next one however use their afterburner immediately and tart a 180° turn around me as oon as they are loo e, to catch up with the other . Then alll2 F-16s are airborne and peace remrn. Looking over my houlder I see Andre raking off hi headphones and haking hi head. I a k him if the sound was all right, but he only bring hi hand to hi ear and shouts way too loud: "WHAT?" Later he told me he wa hearing F 16 for nvo days after.

We are lucky today. Our e coning officer tell u the 'enemy' i about to launch an air raid on the airfield. oon after, we ee German Tornado coming in very low from all ide .

Flycatcher try hard to lock-on to them and ometime we hear blank cartridge from an anti-aircraft gun go off. It's very impre ive, but a! o cary. I'm not ure I would make a very

Yet further north ...

The next day we fly to Bod0, 375 mile north ofTrondheim. I've never been thi far north. Dug-in deep in a mountain is the orwegian Maritime and Air Defen e Command Centre. Security measure are extremely tight and there' no other option than follow them or be kicked out ... The pa age behind the gate to the insides of chi bunker is over 400 yard long. They do not have a trolley, owe have to hand-carry all equipment in. Luckily our e cort i very helpful in carrying Andre's headphone ...

The bunker itself is a real labyrinth.

Without our guide we would probably have ended up dead in some corridor. I'm amazed by what I see. It's like hooting for a James Bond movie. Later that day I find out that I'm the fir t ever to enter this bunker with a Fa liM/inter 2007

Hanging from the doorway of British Navy ea King, van Nijnatten hoot aerial .

CAMERA OPERATOR: A CHillY (HAllE GE

67

good war corre pondem, becau e if thi had been for real I probably would have been long gone home to mamma. It makes you gain re peer for the colleague who do go our there.

From the airport ir' a one hour drive to a Hawk ite on top of a nearby mountain. The road are icy and I'm glad we have an experienced orwegian driver. The Hawk site is manned

by Durch Air Force personnel. Up here you can ee all the way to the end of the world. Around us i a polar landscape. It i 1YF and a rrong cold wind curs through our cloche and kin.

I'm glad we have brought battery belt that we keep under our polar coats and wearer . Click-on banerie wouldn't have urvived more than a minure. There's no action ar all; the missiles rand there for dead and the men are in ide their warm shelter . The quadron commander let us know he can make the Hawk rotate a bit, as if rhey are targeting. I eagerly accept, without realizing this would not be a popular decision. The commander order the men ro go our imo the cold to their Launch in tallarion . I feel sorry for them, but it make a nice completion to the hoc . On our way back we hoot the returning F-16 and go home with a very satisfied feeling and a bag full ofbeauriful footage.

. angen1eux

Š AUDIO Vl UAL DESIGN (photos and text), Richard C van Nijnatten, The Netherlands. Email:rvn @avde ign.nl; Internet: www.avdesign.nl or www.avde ign.eu

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Weight: 3.91bs (1.75 kilo ) Length : 7.3 lnche Aperture: 2.6 (no ramping) MOD: 2 feet (0.6m) Format: Full 35 Faii/Wint r 2007

T

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g

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Cl ~_

he HDW-F900 ha e rablished itself a the "Workhor e."

That' what the "W" in HOW rands for in the High Definition ide of the ony production marker. ince the introduction of thi revolutionary model, the F900 went through a erie of modification improving the performance and image quality of the product. The Ia t major change, the HDW-F900/ 3, became the standard for HD televi ion production and continues tO operate with lirrle or no service i sues. Why did Sony change the model tO the current HDW-F900R? The rea on i the / 3 model board ers contained lead and as of Ocrober of last year, ony was required ro di continue this and other products and replace them with lead free "green" ver ions.

Although the camera cha i and board layour are an all-new deign, the HDW-F900R u ed the arne CCD imager, AI D and processors as the earlier / 3 model. Thi make it ea. ier ro march the image quality of the earlier camera so the two model could be u ed ide by ide on a production.

The new, maller chas i allow the camcorder tO be lighter. It al o forced Sony tO lo e the analog component ourpur connector on the ide of the camera due to lack of space. So the camcorder was modified to have a lwninance feed on the Test Our for menu monitOring and two HD-SDI output for picture monitOring.

Thi eliminate the need for the ony HD-CA901 camera adapter or equivalent adapters, thu further reducing the ize and weight of the working y rem.

Another element of refinement include option board that attach tO the exi ring internal proce sor boards. The mo t common option is the HKDW-902R Down-Convener board. It provide a VB ignal our of the Te tOur for standard definition color monitOring and converts the out board HD-SDI connectOr tO a swirchable VB -SDI down convert. The next mo r popular option i the HKDW-703 Picture Cache Board which allow the

Sony replaced the /3 model with a lead free ''green'' camcorder. continuous capture and torage of up ro 8 seconds. This can be crucial in a documentary and reality type work as it allow you to record an expected moment. The econd you ee the action, tart recording and you will capture the 8 econd prior tO the record starr. This board also adds an interval record function for timelapse work. The HKDW-905R Slow Shutter Board can slow the shutter below the 360-degree limitation and allow the frame to be formed down tO a 64-frame accumulation period. Thi allow rhe operator to intentionally blur image tO provide creative image of moving objecrs or camera movement. A le er known feature of thi board i irs ability tO invert the frame a required when u ing relay optical device like the Canon Anamorphic len adapter or Zeiss Cine Len Adapter.

The new direct input capability of AE audio tO the two audio connector at the back of the camera provide four channel of AES audio and reduce the demand for a camera adapter. (Just remember, if u ing AES audio you mu t have a Genlock ource from the digital mixer that i of the proper frame rate and that Fall/Winter 2007

include a "Word Clock" to provide the proper interface to en ure the timing of the digital audio data arrives at the proper recording time.) The F900R al o contains an internal wireles microphone receiver lor for ony' WRR-855 AlB receiver.

Thi make for very near in tallation , a no wire are required.

And four imple three-position slide witche on the operator ide of the camera allow election between the front rereo microphone connector, the rear pair of switchable analogi AE XLR connector or the wirele lor to the four recording channels of the can1corder.

When in AE mode, monitoring the four channel i po ible rwo different way . The audio monitor elect wirche al o control the meter on the camera. When in the channel 1 and 2 mode, you will see the e indicator at the bottom of the meters on the camera. When in 3 and 4, the e indicator are blank. The only way to ee all four channel at once i by utiLizing the tarus monitoring function. Thi feature provide three di play by pu hing up on the" tatu witch"; the audio page how the as ignment of the audio channel and input connector and has audio level meter for all four channel .

While the camcorder only ha two audio control , how you adju t the e additional audio channel depend on the connection configuration. If u ing the front microphone (a 5-pin rereo input with its own level control) and the rear or wirele lot, I u e the front control and the rear controls for fourchannel control. In the AE mode I can u e the auto level control for channel 3 and 4 or adjust the level using the menu interface to adju r the levels and to select ifl am using rereo pair or i olared inputs.

WhJe the e change do not oUild like much, the typical weight of the 900R i ome 6 to poUild lighter than the 900/ 3 model (coupled with a camera adapter which upply the additional capabiliti contained in the new model). Much of chi weight differential come from the fact that the F900R i maller in width, height and length than it predece or.

The good new i that the e new features and performance were added whJe maintaining power con umption below 40 watts. With all the feature active you till ee a net avings of about 14 wart from the 900/ 3 and the typical camera adapter.

Thi i more than enough power to drive an on-board monitor for your camera as i tant.

All of the discu ed change are ea y to spot, but the bigge t

Let me give you a head up that will ave you ome confuion with the 900R. The option board menu will cau e all the menu tore- orr. For example, the down convener add a page of menu item for the D Output etup, moving all rhe page from "Paint 10" down one position to "Paint 11." To ave time, learn the menu by name rather than by group and number. Each menu ection has an index page that will take you directly to the menu page by pre ing the rotary encoder.

Different option configuration will make the camera menu

on differently, so the old model that i on P6 doe not alway work. In addition, menu item on the page will change with the change of setup and frame rate . The be t example of thi i the mi ing Drop/ Non Drop election for time code on the "Time Mode Menu" when in 23.98P F, 24P F, 25P F and 501. Thi i nor a valid choice o the menu item di appear from the page and the other item hift up to fill the pace.

The Operations Menu have new item that will help better

The Picture Cache Board lets you record the 8 seconds prior to the record start. difference in thi new model i in the file tructure and menu s rem of the camera. Thi i where the DIT or Camera Operator erring up the y tem will have the bigge t learning curve. The chip et controlling the e element is new and add the ability to tore an "AU File" (a combination of the Operator File, Scene File and the new Pre et File). But thi ha cau ed ome confu ion becau e many item are not tored in the ame Hie a they did in the 900/ 3. As an exan1ple, "Black Level" no longer tores in the "Reference FJe." Thus, a whole new et of parameter must be learned for erring up the camera.

Fa ii/Wint r 2007

utilize the feature of the camcorder without going deep in the menu . When the down converter board i in tailed many of the output connecters become switchable. Due to the importance of the e feature in setup, they become the fir r item that you come aero in thi menu ection. It i al o an element of the tatu monitoring function as it can create i u in erring up external monitoring. The fUilction menus are next to be addre ed as they offer direct acce s to the as ignable vitche and provide the etup for the ache and Interval Recording fearure of the 900R. CAMERA OPERATOR: HI-DEF WITH jEFF

71

Video etup of the camera i the ame, but I recommend that you review the menu matrix in the back of the operator' manual to get a better under tanding of the menu and file srructure of the can1corder. Do not rry to transfer the number you had tored for the F900/3 to the "R." You will not get the ame results. And under normal setup parameters you will not have to tore off et data in the "Reference File" which i common proactive with the F900/ 3. The new chipset defaults to the current ITU-709 tandard for the gamma and matrix.

The White Level etup i implified as it i ba ed on color temperature rather than imple red/blue paint control . We now have the ability to elect the 5600K mode or assign predetermined color temperature to the A orB White Balance po ition ("Off et White" in the Operator Menu). When u ed with the color viewfinder it makes it much impler to adjust in a warming offset or to match a mixed lighting condition you may encounter.

Gamma adju tment have been improved with the addition of the Hyper Gamma curve .

The e curve were generated for a project in France and they worked o well, Sony included them in the 900R a a tandard feature. The fir t two of the e curve are et to clip at 100% while number 3 and 4 have the dip point set at 109%.

Hyper Gamma# 1 and #3 have a Little more contrast added to the bottom end of the curve and have been de igned to work at -3dB. All of thee curve remap white and the ITU-709 curve to 70%, producing an improvement in over-expo ure latitude. Of the tandard gamma curve available in the cam-

.. . more features/ less power consumption. era, these by far produce the greatest working latitude while providing a picture with normal looking contra t levels. We till have the ame ga.n1ma elections as the 900/3 and we can bring in five gamma curve from outside ource (u ing a memory tick) with the "U er Gamma" feature.

Knee and slope adjustments have been simplified. "Knee Point" i now a direct adju tment to the de ired level. In tead of adju ting the knee point to 30 for a knee point of85%, you ju t et it 85%. You have a.! o gained the ability to adju t the in ertion level of the "Knee Saturation" which makes the adju tment more u able for tho e extreme contra t ituation where you want to maintain additional color information above the knee point.

72

CAMERA OPERATOR: Hl-OEF WITH jEFF

Color Matrixing and color saturation are very imilar to the F900/3. In fact, the matrix table you have produced are tran ferable to the F900R. Becau e the matrix table are identified by number rather than by name, a quick review of the manual is required. "U er Matrix" and "Mul ti Matrix" have a.l o been mainrained although the layout of the menu are lightly different from the /3.

Storing of etup data has been changed in the F900R as it only stor five "Scene Files" in camera. This would eem to be a tep backward from the 20 groups of5 in the F900/3, but it i not. The / 3 required a cene fue be tran ferred from the memory tick to the camcorder to be utilized. The F900R doe not. You can store 100 cene files on a memory rick with the F900R and read it directly from the memory stick to the camera. Tran ferring file from the memory stick to the camcorder may be done as individual fue or in page of five. By the way, each file may be named and date tamped on an individual basis.

The HDW-F900R i truly a refinement of what has become an indu try ta.ndard, the HDW-F900/3. While much of the proce sing and performance are idenrica.l with the earlier / 3 model, ony clearly fow1d way to advance the model by adding new feature to the product with a more compact, Lighter weight de ign. And Sony rever ed an indu try de ign trend by producing a product with more features while reducing the power con umption required to operate the camcorder.

After te ting and using thi product it i very clear that the "R" in HDW-F900R does stand for "Refined."

Fall/Winter 2007

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M a t t L a w r e n c e C h u b e t o f M a r i n a D e l Rey d i e d o n M o n day, J a n u a r y 1, 2007, s u f f o c a t e d a c c i d e n t a l l y in his b i v v y sack w h i l e c a m p i n g in t h e C a l i f o r n i a d e s e r t . H e w a s 44.

M a t t was j o v i a l w i t h a f i e r y p e r s o n a l i t y . His w e l l c r o p p e d h a i r w a s a r e l i c o f his m i l i t a r y s e r v i c e . D u r i n g his t i m e w i t h t h e m o t i o n p i c t u r e i n d u s t r y , h e w o r k e d as a n e l e c t r i c i a n , gaffer, c a m e r a o p e r a t o r , a n d S t e a d i c a m o p e r a t o r .

S i n c e h e l i v e d n e a r b y , he'd d r o p b y m y h o u s e e v e r y so o f t e n t o talk a b o u t Steadicam. He asked h o w he c o u l d i m p r o v e his r e e l , b u t it w a s really g o o d — M a t t h a d t h e k n a c k f o r d e s i g n a n d his reel a n d w o r k r e f l e c t e d t h a t , gotten.

— Dan Kneece, SOC

President

Matt Chubet 1962-2007

Fall/Winter 2007

CAMERA OPERATOR: TRANSITIONS

75

Arri Master Prime lenses from Carl Zeiss, just one type of superior optics Otto Nemenz has available for your customized camera package.

— CAMERAS B Y — .

OTTO NEMENZ

Big enough to do the job. Small enough to do it right.

HOLLYWOOD HONOLULU UTAH

TEL 323469-2774 TEL 808484-5706 TEL 801-978-9292

www.ottonemenz.com www.hawaiimedia.com www.redmanmovies.com

Z e n i a (Zee) Hines 1927-2007

Z e e was a g e n u i n e l y w o n d e r f u l w o m a n . H e r p i e r c i n g b l u e eyes s p a r k l e d in c o n v e r s a t i o n , a n d a n y c o n v e r s a t i o n w i t h Z e e was always s t i m u l a t i n g . She w a s a c o n t i n u i n g f r i e n d t o the Society of Camera O p e r a t o r s , carrying o n t h e s p i r i t o f h e r h u s b a n d Bill, b e n e f i t i n g Society m e m b e r s w i t h t r a i n i n g and scholars h i p s . Z e e is m i s s e d .

— M i c h a e l F r e d i a n i , SOC P r e s i d e n t E m e r i t u s (1995-96)

Laszlo Kovacs 1933-2007

His p a r e n t s w a n t e d h i m t o b e a d o c t o r o r a lawyer. H o w e v e r , G r e g g Toland's c i n e m a t o g r a p h y o n Citizen Kane c a p t u r e d a n impressionable y o u n g man living u n d e r harsh g o v e r n m e n t rule in H u n g a r y . Laszlo Kovacs b e c a m e o b s e s s e d w i t h i m a g e s . H e a n d his f r i e n d V i l m o s Z s i g m o n d " b o r r o w e d " a 3 5 m m c a m e r a a n d , h i d i n g it in a s h o p p i n g bag, d o c u m e n t e d t h e 1956 u p r i s i n g t h a t c h a n g e d h i s t o r y . E s c a p i n g w i t h t h e f i l m a n d t h e i r lives, t h e y b e g a n the long road to H o l l y w o o d .

It t o o k a l o n g t i m e f o r Kovacs t o b e a c c e p t e d . N a t i o n a l G e o g r a p h i c d o c u m e n t a r i e s , b i k e r m o v i e s l i k e Hells Angels on Wheels, a n d w o r k o n Paper Moon and Easy Rider w i t h a " n e w " d i r e c t o r b y t h e n a m e o f Peter B o g d o n o v i c h p a v e d t h e way.

Kovacs c r e a t e d a n a t m o s p h e r e o f c a l m a n d q u i e t o n t h e set.

Cast a n d c r e w e m b r a c e d h i m . H e e m b r a c e d t h e m . A n d it s h o w e d o n t h e s c r e e n in o v e r 75 f e a t u r e f i l m s .

Laszlo Kovacs was o n e o f a k i n d — a n d w i l l l o n g b e r e m e m b e r e d .

Fall Winter 2007

CAMERA OPERATOR: TRANSITIONS

77

angenieux

E N G - EFP - STUDIO - S P O R T 3 5 m m - SUPER 1 6 m m

cvi

Format: Cine 35mm Zoom Ratio: 12X Focal Length: F=24mm to 290mm Aperture: f/2.5 (T2.8) Minimum Object Distance: 4 feet (1.22m) Horizontal Field Angle: 49° - 4.4° Weight: 24.25lbs (11kg) Mount: ARRI PL ACCESSORIES 2x Extender • 1.4x Extender Motor Bracket • Carry Handle PV Mount

1 7 : 8 0

T 2 .

ISAIA and COMPANY U.S. STOCKING DEALER

R o n f o r d - B a k e r

ENGINEERING COMPANY LIMITED

Braziers, Oxhey Lane • WatforcJ, Hertfordshire • England WD1 4RJ 0181-428 5941 • FAX: 0181-428 4743 / /

/ /

Telephone: 8 1 8 / 7 5 2 . 3 1 0 4 U.S. Toll Free: 8 0 0 / 5 . C A M E R A E-mail: m o v i e s @ i s a i a . c o m website: w w w . i s a i a . c o m

Violator with Dan Kneece SOC on the set of Spawn.

ADVERTISERS' INDEX

Deluxe Labs

69

Otto Nemenz

76

Filmtools

49

Panavision

41

Focus Features

3, 7

Paramount Vantage

47 5, 8, 11

ARRI

13

Fuji Film

BandPro

46

Fujinon

37

Schneider Optics

Big Vision

73

Glidecam

44

SOC Wear

40

Sony Electronics

30

78

Sony Pictures

62

Technicolor

74

Chapman-Leonard

51

Hot Gears

Cinekinetic

73

Isaia & Co

Cinema Vision

52

JL Fisher

Cinematography Elect

42

Kodak

inside front cover

Panther Dollies & Cranes

inside back cover back cover

4

Tiffen

16 68

Cinevideotech

73

Manios Optical Inc

68

Ver Sales Inc

Clairmont Camera

15

Musicians Interguild

52

Warner Bros. Photo Lab

Fall/Winter 2007

42

CAMERA OPERATOR: LAST TAKE

4

79

( J f t Roster of the Society of

KSh CAMERA OPERATORS CHARTER Parker Bartlett Paul Basta Michael Benson Jerry G Callaway Joe Epperson William Jay Gahret Peler Hapke Norm Langley Lee Nakahara Jay Nefcy Leigh Nicholson Dan Norris David B Nowell, ASC Ernie Reed Michael Scott Michael St Hilaire Kay Stella Joseph F Valentine Ron Vidor

ACTIVE

Jonathan S Abrams Bernie Abramson Art Adams Steven A Adelson Bret Allen Derek M Allen Lee Allison Robert Altman Jack Anderson Miguelangel Aponte-Rios Ted Ashton |r Mark August Paul Babin Randall B Baer Christopher Baffa Lonn Bailey Vincent Baldino Jerry Banales Jeff Barklage Ricardo Barredo Tom Barron Gary H Baum Guy Norman Bee Tim Bellen Richard Benda Jeb Bergh Marc Andre Berthiaume Lance Billitzer Joe Blaisdell Bonnie S Blake Jason Blount Boi) C Boccaccio Richard Bolter Harry C Box Denise Brassard Michael Brennen Garrett Brown Scott Browner Robin Buerki Gary Bush Stephen S Campanelli Susan A Campbell Capt Jose A Cardenas Michael WChambliss Lou Chanatry Joe Chess Jr Julian Chojnacki Joseph V Cicio let't 1 < lark Jeffrey R Clark Anthony Cobbs Steven Cohen Gregory F^ul Collier Andrew Glenn Conder Michael Condon Tom Connole Dan Coplan Javier A Costa Ivan Craig Andrei Cranach |elfre\ ree Rod ( miiilne Caleb Crosby Lyndel Crosley Richard A Cullis Michael L Culp Joseph C D'Alessandro

80

Markus Davids Bruce E Davis Richard W Davis Ray de la Motte Kris Andrew Denton Joel Deutsch David E Diano Troy Dick Ian Dodd Todd A Dos Reis Rick Drapkin Mitch Dubin Jerry Dugan Simon Duggan, ACS Barry P Dycus Allen D Easton David E Elkins Jason Ellson David Emmerichs Kevin J Emmons Alex Esber lames Etheridge Brant S Fagan Tom Faigh David B Fang Yuen Diane L Farrell Dianne Teresa Farringlon Michael Ferris Kenneth Ferro Dick Fisher Craig Fiske Aaron Fitzgerald Eric Fletcher Houman Forough Steven G Fracol Nick Franco Thomas Fraser David J Frederick Michael Frediani Mike A Freeman Buddy Fries Jeff Fry Jack Garrett David Gasperik Rusty Geller Michael Genne Vito Giambalvo Bill Gierhart Daniel Gold Allen Gonzales Rolx'rt Gorelick David Allen Grove Lee Graver John Gunselman Anette Haellmigk Anthony Hardwick Chris Hayes David Haylock Steven F Heuer Ronald High Charles M Hill, Jr loachim Hoffmann Abe Holtz Casey Hotchkiss William Stephen Howell II Gary Huddleslon Jeffrey G Hunt Philip H u m David Insley Levie C Isaacks Christopher Ivins Eugene W Jackson III lerry M Jacob Alec Jarnagin Michael Jarocki Simon Jayes Peter Jensen Michael A Johnson Steven Jones Jacques Jouitret John H Joyce David Judy David C Kanehann Michael Karp Wayne L Kelley Vernon Kifer Douglas FJ Knapp Dan Kneece Rory Rol>ert Knepp

Kris Krosskove Jules Labarthe Erwin Landau George F Lang Robin Lawless John Lazear Sergio Leandro Silva Joshua Lesser Ken Libby Jimmy W Lindsey Hugh C Litfin Michael E Little Lynn Lock wood George Loom is David Luckenbach Allan 1 inn Li Greg Lundsgaard Kenji Luster Vincent C Mack Heather MacKenzie Paul S Magee David Mahlmann James Mann Michael P McGowan Maurice K McGuire Christopher TJ McGuire Robert L Mehnert Jack Messitt Marc Miller Andrew Mitchell William Molina David Monroe Rolx'rt "Boi)" Moore Denis Moran Don Muirhead Marty F Mullin Scott T Mumford Sean Murray Jon Myers lulye Newlin William R Nielsen, |r Richard C van Nijnatten Randy Nolen Tamas P Nyerges William O'Drobinak Russell Ofria James Olcovich Andrew William Oliver Lucio Olivieri Mark Richard Olsen John Orland Wayne Orr Rafael Ortiz-Guzman Georgia Tornai Packard Charles Papert David L Parrish Patrick J Pask Philip Pastuhov William F Pecchi |r Mike Pierce Jens Piotrowski Joseph Piscitelli Rolxrt Presley John Radzik Kevin Riley Mark A Ritchie Randall Robinson Rick Robinson David Robman Andy Romanoff Peter Rosenfeld Michael S Roth Dave Rutherford Tom O Sanders Michael Santy Richard J Schaefer Ron Schlaeger Gregory J Schmidt Thomas Schnaidt Geoffrey C Shotz Chuck Schuman Philip D Schwartz Bob Scott Alicia Craft Sehring Khallid Shabazz Brad Shield Osvaldo Si 1 vera Jamie Silverstein Philip Sindall

CAMERA OPERATOR: SOC ROSTER

Guy Skinner John Sosenko Andy Sparaco Mike Spodnik Sandy Spooner Edward B Springer Greg Stjohns Lisa L Stacilauskas Robert Starling George B Stephenson Daniel Stilling Michael Stumpf Brian Sweeney James H Sweeney Bill Swinghamer Taj Teffaha David James Thompson Richard Tiedemann John Toll, ASC Tsuneyuki Tometaka John Trapman Michael Tsimperopoulos Chris Tufty RolxTt Ulland Joseph Urbanczyk Matt Valentine Raul D Varrieur Stefan von Bjorn Bill Waldman Michael J Walker Mark Warshaw William Webb Aiken Weiss Haskell Wexler, ASC Kit Whitmore, CSC Brian Keith Wilcox Jeffrey Wilkins Bill Williams Joe "Jody" Williams Chad Wilson Dana D Winseman RL Wise Ian D Woolston-Smith Noel Adrian Wyatt Peter C Xiques Warren Yeager Carolina Zorrilla de San Martin

ASSOCIATE

John Addocks David S Adelstein Leonard Lance Allen III Jon L Anderson Aldo Antonelli James Baldanza Karen Beck Bruce Bender Stephen Blanor Jeffrey Bollman Peter Bonilla David Boyd Maja Broz Carmen Cabana David S Campbell Bruce Cardozo Paolo Cascio Richard T Cascio Stephen Mark Ciappetta Robert E Collins Michelle Crenshaw Richard P Crudo, ASC James A Dennett Ronald Deveaux Jorge Devotto David Dibble George Spiro Dibie, ASC Kevin Downey Raul A Duclos Bert Dunk, ASC Keith Dunkerley Steven Duval Brian James Dzyak Keith Eisberg Christopher Ekstein Archie Fletcher JohnCFIinn III, ASC Mark Forman Peter F Frintrup Jeffrey Fry

Richard Gadiutt James P Garvey Hank Gifford Wayne Goldwyn Al Gonzalez Frederic Goodich, ASC Afton M Grant Dave Gregory Phil Gries Kevin M Haggerty Wynn Hammer lames W Hart

ROIHTI Hayes

Anthony P Hettinger John Hill Ken Hilmer Melissa Holt Chris Hood Jim Hunter Carrie Imai Gregory Irwin Blake B Jackson Leo Jaramillo John Chancell Jennings Frank E Johnson, ASC Broderick Jones Kurt Jones Kevin N Kemp Douglas Kirkland Michael Klimchak Craig Kohlhoff Rol>ert La Bonge George La Fountaine, ASC Thomas Lappin Stevan Larner, ASC Lee David Laska-Ablxrtt Greg Le Due Taggart A Lee Mark R Leins Alan J Levi Mark Levin Adrian Licciardi llya Jo Lie-Nielsen Stephen Lighthill, ASC Jong Lin Colleen Ann Lindl Jefferson Loftfield Roland J Luna Tony Magaletta Duane C Manwiller Emily Marchand Richard Marks James Mathers Jim Matlosz Dr Ellen Matsumoto BJ McDonnell Joseph T McDonnell III John McPherson, ASC Charles Minsky, ASC K Adriana Modlin Matthew Mosher Richard Mosier Shah Mundell Joshua S Narins John Newby Nicholas Nizich Crescenzo GP Notarile John O'Shaughnessy Andrew Parke Steven Parker Randy Peck Karin Pelloni Matthew A Petrosky Astrid Phillips W S Pivetta Ted Polmanski Serge T Poupis Boris Price Andrea Quaglio Liz Radley Udo Ravenstein Rn hard Rawlings Jr, ASC Marcia Reed Bill Reiter Sandy Rentmeester Brian D Reynolds David Richert Alicia Robbins Ken Robings

Peter J Rooney David Rosner Douglas Roth Marvin Rush, ASC Shereen L Saiyed Mehran Salamati Germano Saracco, AIC Carl Martin Schumacher, Sr Bol) Seaman Christian Sebaldl, ASC Barry Selferl Jan Sluchak Don Spiro Owen Stephens Tara Summers David Tolsky Remi Tournois |ohn Traver John Twesten Lieven Van Hulle Craig W Walsh Brian Watkins Shaun Wheeler Gregory L White Pol C Wright Tony Yarlett Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC

HONORARY

John Bailey, ASC James Burrows Alexander Calzatti Trevor Coop Roger Corman Dean Cundey, ASC Bruce Doering William A Fraker, ASC Jack Green, ASC Tom Hatten Ron Howard Ron Kelley Kathleen Kennedy-Marshall Jerry Lewis Larry McConkey Rick Mitchell A Linn Murphree M D Jay Roth Steven Spielberg Rolx'rt A Torres George Toscas Roy Wagner, ASC Robert Wise

RETIRED

Gary O l y n Armstrong Eugene Ashbrook Stewart Barbee Lou Barlia Rupert Benson Jr Bol) Berry Al Bettcher James Blanford V e e Hi i d l e d i

Donald R Burch Philip Caplan Bruce Catlin Bill Clark Jim Connell Robert Feller Gerald P Finnerman, ASC Jerry Fuller Gil Haimson Lutz Hapke Gary Holt

ROIXMI C Home

Bob Keys Joseph Longo Steve Lydecker O w e n Marsh Bob Marta Stan McClain Michael McClary Ron McManus Emmanuel Metaxas Ed Morey Sol Negrin, ASC

King Nicholson John G Nogle Aaron Pazanti Rolwrt H Peebles Arnold Rich Sam Rosen Frank Rutlencutter Richard Salvatore Hal Shiftman Phil Slern David Sutton Gene Talvin Pernell Tyus Sven Walnum Ben Wolf

CORPORATE

ARRI Bill Russell BAKTECH ENGINEERING Inn Bartell BEXEL CORPORATION John Keesee BIRNS ÂŤ, SAWYER, INC Bill Meuer CHAPMAN/LEONARD STUDIOS Leonard T Chapman Christine J Huenergardl CLAIRMONT CAMERA Denny Clairmont DELUXE LABS, INC Steve Van Anda DOGCICAM Gary Thieltges EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY Curtis E Jones EILMTOOLS Stan McClain FOTOKEM Bill Brodersen FUJI PHOTO FILM USA Sandra Kurotobi FU|INON,INC Chuck Lee GEO FILM GROUP, INC George Nolan HYDROFLEX, INC Pete Romano ISAIA & CO Roy Isaia )L FISHER COMPANY Jimmy L Fisher Frank Kay LEE FILTERS IA DIVISION OF PANAVISION, INC) Sean Hise O C O N N O R ENGINEERING LABORATORIES Joel Johnson OTTO NEMENZ INTERNATIONAL, INC Fritz Heinzl Otto Nemenz PACE TECHNOLOGIES Vincenzo M Race PANAVISION Phil Radon PHOTO-SONICS, INC Conrad Kiel SCHNEIDER OPTICS/ CENTURY DIVISION Bill Turner SONY ELECTRONICS, INC Dhanendra Patel TECHNICOLOR / CFI Adam Chuck Rolled Dennis VINTEN, INC Peter Harman Peler Vinten WILLIAM E WHITE LTD / C O M WEB GROUP Paul Brontman William F White

Roster Current as of 11/18/07

Fall/Winter

2(X)7

Motion Picture & Television Equipment "J.L. Fisher products are proudly made in the U.S.A."

DOLLY ACCESSORIES

F U L L Y ARTICULATED S K A T E B O A R D W H E E L S Skateboard Wheels: for J.L. Fisher Model 10 and 11 Dollies. The skateboard wheels incorporate articulating trucks allowing all 32 wheels to maintain contact with the track for better control and stability, on both straight and curved round track.

All 32 wheels maintain contact on both straight and curved round track

Each set of 2 wheels can swivel independently

New products designed to let you work faster, easier and more productively!

A c c e s s o r y Carts: for J.L. Fisher Model 10 and 11 Dollies.

A timesaving and efficient way to transport and store Dolly accessories from the grip truck to location. One cart for boards and one for other Dolly accessories. Designed for ease of use in many different terrains. The use of the two carts assures ease of movement and maneuverability.

Seat Offset Low: This seat offset is for use on the model 10 Dolly to give the camera operator comfort and flexibility when shooting at low angles; for example, using the low level head.

T Waffle Adapter: (WAT), used on the J.L. Fisher Model 10 Dolly, raises, lowers or offsets the Multi-Position Level Head (SLT) and the Quick Change Low Level Head (LHT). The Waffle Adapter Plate indexes every 30 degrees on the Dolly's lift beam. The Level Heads (LHT, SLT) index every 30 degrees on the Waffle Adapter. This allows a wide variety of camera positions unavailable with other products.

AVAILABLE FOR RENTAL WORLDWIDE J.L. Fisher, Inc. 1000 Isabel Street, Burbank, CA 91506 U.S.A. Tel: (818) 846-8366

Fax: (818) 846-8699

Web: www.jlfisher.com e-mail: info@jlfisher.com

J.L. Fisher, GmbH Emil-Hoffmann-Str. 55-59 50996 Koln, Germany Tel: + 4 9 2236 3922 0

Fax: + 4 9 2236 3922 12

W e b : www.jlfisher.de e-mail: info@jlfisher.de

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