British Cinematographer - Issue 79

www.britishcinematographer.co.uk Issue 79 -- January 2017

ON THE JOB

CLOSE-UPS

JOHN TOLL ASC ON BILLY LYNN’S LONG HALFTIME WALK

MARK PATTEN JAMES LAXTON CHARLOTTE BRUUS CHRISTENSEN

SPECIAL FEATURE

CLAPPERBOARD

SECRETS OF THE MASTER: VITTORIO STORARO AIC ASC

DENNIS FRASER MBE

SPOTLIGHT

CAMERIMAGE DIARY

DoPchoice

NEW WAVE

INNOVATOR

ADAM SCARTH

LIN

N A S US

MICHAEL CIONI

N E R DG

ON F FS

BSC EXPO 2017 PREVIEW

THE LATEST KIT AND WIDGETS ON SHOW AT THE BSC EXPO 2017

CREDITS / BRITISH CINEMATOGRAPHER / ISSUE 79 / JANUARY 2017

BRITISH

CINEMATOGRAPHER

UNI T ING C INE M AT O GR A P HE R S A R O UND T HE W OR L D

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire SL0 0NH t. +44 (0) 1753 650101

“My experience on Billy Lynn was one of pure excitement. The possibilities for visual storytelling have expanded tremendously with Ang’s 120fps/3D/4K approach.”

- JOHN TOLL ASC

Publisher and Managing Editor | ALAN LOWNE | +44 (0) 1753 650101 | alafilmuk@aol.com Publisher and Digital Editor | STUART WALTERS | +44 (0) 121 200 7820 | stuart.walters@ob-mc.co.uk Editor | RON PRINCE | ronny@princepr.com Head of Sales | ALAN LOWNE | +44 (0) 1753 650101 | alafilmuk@aol.com Sales | STUART WALTERS | +44 (0) 121 200 7820 | stuart.walters@ob-mc.co.uk Sales | TRACY FINNERTY | +44 (0) 121 200 7820 | tracy.finnerty@ob-mc.co.uk Design | MARK LAMSDALE | +44 (0) 121 200 7820 | mark.lamsdale@ob-mc.co.uk | www.ob-mc.co.uk

CONTRIBUTORS RON PRINCE has many years of experience in the film, TV, CGI and visual effects industries. He is the editor of British Cinematographer Magazine and runs the international content marketing and PR communications company Prince PR (www.princepr.com). In 2014 he won the prestigious ARRI John Alcott Award from the British Society of Cinematographers for services to cinematography.

ADRIAN PENNINGTON writes about the business and technology of film and TV for publications including The Guardian, Screen International and Broadcast. He is managing editor of The IBC Daily, editorial consultant for TVB Europe, a producer of the 3D Masters conference, and co-author of Exploring 3D: The New Grammar Of Stereoscopic Filmmaking (Focal Press).

BIRGIT HEIDSIEK is a German journalist who has been covering the film and media industry for national and international trade publications for twenty-five years. She also teaches technical journalism at the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University Of Applied Sciences.

DAVID WOOD is a freelance journalist who writes about film and TV technology and production. He is a former technology editor for Televisual Magazine, and writes for Worldscreen, TVB Europe and Broadcast Magazine.

JOHN KEEDWELL, the GBCT News Editor, is a documentary and commercials cameraman who has worked on many productions around the world. He crosses over in both film and tape productions and has great knowledge of the new file-based formats and their methods of production.

KEVIN HILTON is a freelance journalist who writes about technology and personalities in film and broadcasting, and contributes film reviews and interviews to a variety of publications in the UK and abroad.

MICHAEL BURNS has been covering film, broadcast, VFX, animation and interactive design, in print and online, for 20 years. His work can regularly be found in such magazines as IBC Daily, Digital Arts, TVBEurope, Broadcast Tech, and more. He also works as a producer and advisor for conferences and digital agencies.

British Cinematographer is part of LAWS Publishing.

Laws Publishing Ltd, Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire SL0 0NH t. +44 (0) 1753 650101 | f. +44 (0) 1753 650111 The publishers wish to emphasise that the opinions expressed in British Cinematographer are not representative of Laws Publishing Ltd but the responsibility of the individual contributors.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

A GOOD YEAR W

e love to get inside the hearts and minds of cinematographers. So when Vittorio Storaro AIC ASC approached us at Camerimage 2016 with the offer to work with him on an extensive article covering his creative thinking in the making of Woody Allen’s Café Society, what’s not to like? After collaborating closely with Vittorio – on both the editorial and the design – you can read our original version of the maestro’s personal considerations in this edition.

Accept no substitutes.

A lively year lies ahead for the cinematographic community worldwide, with some landmark anniversaries being celebrated.

In 2017 IMAGO, the European Federation of Cinematographic Societies, and The Camerimage Festival Of Cinematography, will both be 25 years young. IMAGO has events around the calendar and will host its first-ever awards event in September. One can only imagine the electric atmosphere and the buzz in Bydgoszcz when Camerimage swings by in November. On the manufacturing front, LEE Filters marks its half century this year, whilst ARRI will soon reach the staggeringly impressive landmark of 100 years in the business.

More immediately we are, of course, delighted to see the names of British cinematographers amongst the nominees at the 2017 BAFTAs – Seamus McGarvey BSC ASC for Nocturnal Animals and Giles Nuttgens BSC for Hell Or High Water. Also, Lol Crawley BSC is also in the running for the ASC’s Spotlight Award – which recognises outstanding cinematography in feature-length projects screened at festivals or in limited theatrical release – for Childhood Of A Leader.

Obviously, the most immediate event in the calendar is the next edition of the annual 2017 BSC Expo. Bigger and better than ever, with more exhibitors and a dynamic range of seminars and workshops to boot, the show reflects the vibrancy of the UK’s production industry. You can check it out in our extensive eightpage guide in this edition – which as fate would have it, is our largest-ever edition. Enjoy.

RON PRINCE Editor | British Cinematographer Magazine British Cinematographer | January 2017 | 03

CONTENTS / BRITISH CINEMATOGRAPHER / ISSUE 79 / JANUARY 2017

IN THIS ISSUE...

07

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

68

65

On the cover… Linus Sandgren FSF gives a colourful account of his work on the musical La La Land

On The Job...

John Toll ASC on Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk

Barry Ackroyd BSC reveals his cinematographic desires for the year ahead

08

PRODUCTION/POST & TECHNO NEWS

The latest news concerning DPs, including the BSC Operators Night

26

MEET THE NEW WAVE

He’s a jazz fanatic - meet Adam Scarth

28

WHO’S SHOOTING WHO?

Your definitive guide to which DPs are shooting who and where

36

INNOVATOR

Michael Cioni of Light Iron

74

80

Close-Up...

Charlotte Bruus Christensen on Fences

Clapperboard...

Dennis Fraser MBE

41

58

72

Preview of the latest kit and widgets on show at the 2017 BSC Expo

One man’s journey through several days of cinematographic mayhem

James Laxton on Moonlight, Charlotte Bruus Christensen on Fences and Mark Patten on Taboo

BSC EXPO 2017 PREVIEW

CAMERIMAGE 2016 DIARY

49

62

Master cinematographer Vittorio Storaro AIC ASC reveals his creative and technical reasoning behind Woody Allen’s Café Society

ASC president Kees Van Oostrum NSC ASC looks at four awards contenders

SPECIAL FEATURE

72

Close Up...

James Laxton on Moonlight

LETTER FROM AMERICA

64

SPOTLIGHT

German lighting kit manufacturer DoPChoice

65

ON THE JOB

John Toll ASC pushed the envelope for Ang Lee on Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk

CLOSE-UPS

78

LIVE & LET DI

Discover who’s been dialling-in the most recent DI grades

80

CLAPPERBOARD

Dennis Fraser MBE, a towering figure amongst grips

82

IMAGO NEWS

Paul René Roestad FNF

68

84

Linus Sandgren FSF discusses his work on the musical La La Land

Looking at shaky camera moves, embracing change and teamwork

CAMERA CREATIVE

GBCT NEWS

British Cinematographer | January 2017 | 05

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE / BARRY ACKROYD BSC / BSC PRESIDENT

“IT'S TIME FOR CINEMA AND CINEMATOGRAPHERS TO PLAY THEIR PART, TO PLAY TO OUR STRENGTHS AND MAKE FREETHINKING ORIGINAL FILMS.” BARRY ACKROYD BSC

TRUTH DRUG BRITISH SOCIETY

OF CINEMATOGRAPHERS Board of Governors 2017

PRESIDENT: Barry Ackroyd BSC IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT: John de Borman BSC VICE PRESIDENTS: Rob Hardy BSC Nigel Walters BSC Haris Zambarloukos BSC GOVERNORS: Sean Bobbitt BSC Lol Crawley BSC Oliver Curtis BSC John Daly BSC Joe Dunton MBE BSC (non DoP) Mike Eley BSC Gavin Finney BSC David Higgs BSC Nic Knowland BSC Phil Meheux BSC Nic Morris BSC Dick Pope BSC Derek Suter BSC Tim Palmer BSC CO-OPTED ASSOCIATE MEMBER REPRESENTATIVE: Chris Plevin COMPANY SECRETARY: Audra Marshall TREASURER: Frances Russell

2016 is over, and what a year it was. Just about every thing I read over the festive holidays said that it was one of the worst.

Almost certainly some kind of turning point was reached and, of course, I have to agree. Or was it a good year?

C

ertainly for our industry, 2016 proved to be another bumper twelve months for British films. The studios were and still are full, with new stages opening up, practically full employment and, more importantly, some great British films being made – both indie and mainstream. The BFI continued to contribute hugely from its meagre funding to educate, to create and to preserve cinema of all kinds. On top of that, with new equipment from our valiant camera houses, our skills as cinematographers continued to progress exponentially, both technically and artistically, leaving us in a good place.

So what was so wrong with 2016? The turning point came with the politically motivated potential exit from Europe, and a turning inwards that could well mean cuts in funding and loss of coproductions in Europe. I personally still feel that Brexit is beyond the ability of those who wished it upon us and, if it proves so, I can see the links already made will continue. I hope so, because this is the best hope for our most important film sector – independent cinema.

But then came the hammer blow, the one-man coup d’état at the November elections – a blow to truth and an open door to chaos. Like some dreaded refrigerator monster (the one that eats up all the good things and leaves the rotten stuff behind), Trump and his alt-right media could destroy what’s good and leave the world destitute.

2016 was a year where the pattern of profit, at the expense of originality, continued to spread, and although the US studios continue to use our talents, our resources and our tax breaks, the box office profit continues to flow away from our genuine British filmmakers and towards the corporate moviemakers. The executives, producers and stars all benefit, whilst indie films struggle to find traction, getting little access to distribution. Indeed, “foreign language” films get almost no distribution outside of their own borders. This trend only widens the gap between “us” and “them”.

But what next? As the new POTUS begins to spread havoc across the globe, we can prepare ourselves for a new bout of BAFTA versus Oscars. It’s that time of year when the publicists work overtime, the big budget movies get plenty of airtime, only

to be beaten down by a plucky indie film that will rise to the top and snatch away the big prizes. In fact it’s not so much about the awards themselves, as they often go to the smaller and more worthy films, rather the huge money-making reboots, spin-offs and remakes. But the glam and glitz of the red carpet provide the spectacle that puts a creative gloss over the hard-nosed business end of our industry. It’s a time when celebrity and commerce rub shoulders in the biggest reality TV show on earth. I wouldn’t be surprised if this year Trump himself decides that it’s the president’s duty to preside over the ceremony.

So what of 2017? In my mind, as we move into this world of “Post Truth”, it becomes more obvious that cinema has a great part to play in a cultural role. The best cinema has always had at its core the theme of the struggle against injustice – from Chaplin’s The Immigrant (1917) and To Kill A Mocking Bird (1962), through to Ken Loach’s Kes (1969), Erin Brockovich (2000) and Selma (2014) – the list is endless, and that’s because injustice is our strongest emotion.

It’s time for cinema and cinematographers to play their part, to play to our strengths and make free-thinking original films. The BSC was formed in 1949, the same year that the NHS was born.

Although its aims were a little less ambitious (well quite a bit less ambitious) they were good aims – to share ideas and to progress cinematography. We can continue these ideals and we should recognise that the moving image is a powerful tool, to shame injustice and point out the truth.

We should turn 2017 into a great year. My personal desires are: that cinematography gets recognised as the first art of cinema.

That we should have intellectual property rights recognised, and fair profit-sharing for all films. That the elitist idea of above-theline/below-the-line is shown up for what it is. And, probably more importantly, that world and indie cinema become better-funded, better-distributed and more widely represented.

Cinema is the eyes and ears on the world. Funding for creating and distributing should be available, not only to be seen on the big stage of awards ceremonies, but for the widest audience possible. Long live cinema. n British Cinematographer | January 2017 | 07

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP Funding… the BFI funded filmmakers like Ken Loach

BFI ANNOUNCES BFI2022 FIVE YEAR STRATEGY FOR UK FILM B FI chair Josh Berger and BFI CEO Amanda Nevill recently launched BFI2022, a five-year strategic plan for UK film. BFI2022 builds on the foundations laid by Film Forever, to create the conditions for a vibrant, national film culture in which independent film is widely enjoyed as part of a thriving and diverse UK film industry, equipped to meet the rapid changes in the film landscape.

Investing almost £500 million from 2017-2022, made up of Government Grant-in-Aid, BFI-earned income and National Lottery funding, BFI2022 outlines how the BFI will continue to focus on audiences and culture, support film education and skills development, and back exciting new filmmaking.

BFI2022 sees the BFI adopt a new approach to: fund filmmaking not necessarily destined for the cinema; build capacity across the UK by devolving more decision making and funding outside of London; create greater diversity of filmmaking and audiences with a new skills strategy; and to encourage all UK film productions to voluntarily adopt BFI Diversity Standards.

BFI2022 will prioritise international opportunities for UK film, including a commitment to increase in-house expertise to help secure the best possible position for film and moving image during the UK’s negotiations to leave the EU.

BFI2022 aims to further develop the success of Film Forever, which saw the establishment of Into Film (that now has active film clubs in nearly 10,000 schools), the introduction of the BFI Film Audience Network, BFI Film Academy and VOD platform BFI Player, which

increased public access to the BFI National Archive with the digitisation of 10,000 of its unseen titles. It also supported British filmmakers including Ben Wheatley, Amma Asante and Ken Loach whose I, Daniel Blake won the 2016 Palme d’Or at Cannes.

Minister for Digital and Culture Matt Hancock said, “The creative industries are one of the UK’s greatest success stories, contributing a staggering £84 billion a year to our economy and supporting nearly three million jobs. Film plays a central part in that and we recognise that supporting continued success is vital.”

BFI Chair, Josh Berger said, “UK film is the envy of the world – great talent telling incredible stories in imaginative ways, wowing audiences and contributing £4.3 billion to UK GDP in the process. The BFI’s job is to champion the future success of film in the UK and this plan is designed to do that – we want to back the brave, the new and the experimental. Our aim is to find, educate and support the very best talent, give them the skills, tools and creative freedom needed to tell their stories, and make sure as many people as possible can enjoy and be inspired by those stories on the big screen, the small screen and even the screen in their pocket.”

From 2017-22 the BFI will, for the first time, use Lottery to support the creation of new and innovative works not necessarily destined for the cinema. Feature films will remain core to the BFI’s production funding.

However, a new, more flexible approach to encourage creative filmmaking – that expands the possibilities of

Boom boom… old TV shows like Ba sil and Vision On are facing serious thr Brush eat

storytelling and form – may also include episodic, hour-long or other nonfeature-length work, a greater variety of animation and digital projects, plus narrative filmmaking on other platforms, including immersive and interactive projects.

It will also encourage future filmmakers and creative risk-taking by launching a new model for fast funding to fully-finance the production of low-budget and debut films and introduce more flexible support for distributors to build audiences for this work. BFI2022 also seeks to preserve UK TV cultural heritage for future generations by digitising at least 100,000 of the most at-risk, British TV programmes.

The BFI will continue its drive for diversity and launch a major new 10-year skills strategy with Creative Skillset to create new opportunities for thousands of individuals from all backgrounds across the UK.

In further news, the BFI Future Film Festival returns to BFI Southbank from 15-19 February 2017 for its 10th birthday edition. Blackmagic Design will be the first ever headline partner of both the festival and the BFI’s monthly Raw Shorts programme (soon to be known as Future Film Labs). The 10th BFI Future Film Festival will include over 60 industry workshops, practical masterclasses, panel discussions, screenings, Q&As, and networking opportunities to help aspiring directors, producers and cinematographers take their filmmaking journeys to the next level.

DAVID ODD BSC WINS RTS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

D

Winner…

David Odd BSC collecting his RTS Lifetime award

08 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

avid Odd BSC was recognised for his work in supportive of all elements of production, and always in favour the television industry over the past 25 years, of giving opportunity to others. Actors love him because his and given the Lifetime Achievement Award fundamental approach to capturing what’s in front of him allows at the 2016 RTS Craft & Design Awards. Odd them space, to feel they are the priority. To do that betrays an has worked non-stop across many genres and in many absence of ego or vanity. But to do that and have the results as styles, from early Prime Suspects to Our Mutual Friend, fantastic as they are, requires a special kind of talent.”

White Teeth, Great Expectations, The Second Coming, Line

The RTS Photography – Documentary/Factual & Non Of Beauty, Persuasion, Occupation, The Village, Complicity, Drama award went to Morag Tinto for BBC Studios’ Imagine…

Endgame and Marvellous.

Antony Gormley: Being Human, whilst George In the award citation, Odd’s Steel picked up the Photography – Drama & At work… Tony Miller BSC way of working was described Comedy gong for his work on BBC Cymru Cooke Anamorphics on using Fleabag as “free, intuitive, helpful, Wales’ War And Peace, produced in association instinctive… with the idea that with TWC and LookoutPoint. Tony Miller BSC, things should be done with as a nominee for his work on the BBC’s comedy great a simplicity as possible.

Fleabag, used Cooke Anamorphic/i lenses for Our man inspires friendship the six-part series, which offers a no-holdswherever he works; always barred look at modern womanhood.

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP

NETFLIX 4K TRAVELERS DELIVERS A NATURAL CINEMATIC LOOK

T

ravelers, the latest science fiction series from creator Brad Wright, which released recently on Netflix in 4K UHD, was shot by DP Neville Kidd in 4K using a RED Dragon (S35 sensor), with a prime lens kit consisting of the full Cooke 5/i range (18mm, 25mm, 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, 65mm, 75mm, 100mm and 135mm) with specific S4/i lenses added (14mm, 150mm, and 180mm).

Travelers is produced by Peacock Alley Entertainment Inc., in association with Showcase and Netflix. Starring Eric McCormack, the show is set in present day as the last surviving humans from hundreds of years in the future discover how to send consciousness back through time, into people of the 21st century. Five “travellers” assume the lives of people just before they die, while attempting to save humanity from a terrible future.

Kidd’s lighting and cinematography gave each of the five travellers a look to help define the personas they have acquired, whilst making them slightly alienated from the world around them.

“It’s a subtle way of telling the audience what this character is like and setting the mood of the person,” said Kidd.

“We started production in Vancouver on April 19, and from day one, I shot the characters fully-open giving a shallow depth-of-field so they seemed like they didn’t belong. I wanted a somewhat gritty look with a European flavour. By combining how I light and see the world with the ‘Cooke Look’, I captured a more naturalistic image. That’s important as Travelers is mostly set in a contemporary world and needs to feel natural to the viewer.”

Kidd shot the first three episodes of the series, turning the remaining nine episodes of season one over to DP Stephen Jackson.

MOVIETECH FIRST WITH TLS CANON K35 LENSES Independent camera, lens and grip specialist, Movietech, has augmented its hire stock with the introduction of the new TLS re-housed Canon K35 series lenses, including a UK first with the T1.5 18mm.

Covering all models within the K35 range, and re-housed by industry specialist True Lens Service, these upgraded versions retain the features, feel and image capture abilities of the original Canon classic.

“The TLS variants of the Canon K35 system bring a fresh lease of life to an industry classic,” said Movietech MD John Buckley. “The addition of these units to our growing range of products will be welcomed by cinematographers from all areas of our industry.”

The family of lenses comprises 18mm, 24mm and 35mm glass featuring a dual cam system, plus 55mm and 85mm lenses, all housed in high-grade aluminium alloy and stainless steel casings, with stainless steel PL mounts, and featuring high-quality focus and iris, engraved dual focus scales and standard 110mm front ring.

Also included is a new cam-driven focus system and chassis-style lens housing to allow the attachment of electronic drives, matte boxes and other accessories to the front of the lens, without affecting focus movements in any way. The floating element movement and an extended focus scale of the dual cam system also permits rotation of almost 300-degrees.

10 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

MSE INTRODUCES NEW ELEVATOR SUPPORT

M

atthews Studio Equipment is now shipping its newest support device, The Matthews Elevator system.

“Today’s filmmakers are often taxed with the challenge of capturing exciting footage, but doing it on a conservative budget,” said Robert Kulesh, MSE’s VP of sales and marketing. “Directors are always asking for dynamic camera moves, but production often hasn’t budgeted for the additional support equipment that will allow crews to make that happen. Enter MSE’s new Elevator system. It assists filmmakers and shooters of all calibres, on large and small sets, in creating dynamic vertical camera moves without the additional cost of conventional dollies or cranes.”

The Elevator is a simple counterbalanced elevation tower that serves a dual purpose. It allows for 25.5 inches of smooth vertical movement (covering the range between sitting and standing positions) and 360-degree panning, both equipped with drag control.

As with most MSE support products, the Elevator system is

platform agnostic. It works with heavy-duty sliders, tripods, pipe dollies, high hats and bazookas – most systems that use an elemac mounting base.

The Elevator has simple 1:1 counterweight (Olympic size barbells) and multiple 3/8-16 threaded holes for mounting accessories and/or triangulation.

It can support any camera/fluid head combo up to 23kgs or 50.5 pounds.

Sliders, pipe Dollies, and doorway dollies have become essential for most filmmakers, but are somewhat limited given that they only allow lateral movement. Combining the Elevator with any lateral moving camera support piece creates a multi axis system, greatly expanding shooting capability while maintaining a small footprint. One person can easily carry it up a flight of stairs, or around set.

“When coupled with any of the myriad of available dollies or other camera transport devices, both the rising camera POV and rotational possibilities of the Elevator offer new and previously almost impossible image capture with ease for the budgetconscious filmmaker,” added Kulesh.

PANAVISION OPENS NEW CHICAGO FACILITY

Panavision has opened a 13,000-square foot location in Chicago within close proximity of the stages at Cinespace, Chicago Studio City and Essanay.

The facility offers full camera and lens services, a lens projection room, a prep floor with five bays, a 900-square foot private prep room, easy dock access, and a Panastore. Sharon Walker, a native of Chicago, who has 16 years of experience with Panavision, serves as general manager of the new office. Fox TV’s series The Exorcist and APB are amongst the first projects to use the new location.

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP

JOHN PARDUE BSC SHOOTS DIRK GENTLY IN VANCOUVER C inematographer John Pardue BSC wrote-in with details about his experience of shooting Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency for BBC America in Vancouver.

“It’s a crazy and very clever show, loosely based on Douglas Adams’ classic comic novel about a ‘holistic’ detective who believes in the fundamental interconnectedness of all things. Adams’s imagination is so inventive that it can only really be interpreted in a way that matches its unconventionality. The show was the perfect challenge for a cinematographer to deliver something a little different. I had to kick out the standard ways of doing things and open my mind. It was the only way to shoot the script, by Max Landis. The creative craziness was very addictive.

Dirk Gently turned out to be a real clash of styles.

In some ways it possesses authentic dramatic emotions, grounded in a real urban environment – but in other ways it is a science-fiction comic-strip adventure, with intricate stunts and gags. It was clear the story had no boundaries, and crossed genres as it developed.

Showrunner and executive producer, Robert Cooper, described the tone as starting off in a naturalistic world but transforming into craziness. He suggested I drew on my experiences in music videos to open things up.

Max’s interpretation of Dirk Gently is really his own, but one that I think Adams would have loved.

English actor Sam Barnett plays Dirk Gently in true British Doctor Who fashion, and keeps some of that period feeling in the show. The dialogue is as wacky as the visuals, and Max’s sharp character writing anchors the whole show so that it can go wherever it wants, whilst brilliantly blending genre conventions and humour.

Director Dean Parisot was given the task of setting the tone for the pilot episode, with myself alongside, and we aimed to find a tone that was zany enough for Max’s imaginative script but also rooted in naturalism. Our fundamental idea was to combine a Coen Brothers-esque, slightly stylised naturalism with some of the wackier elements of Terry Gilliam. We looked at the Coens’ No Country For Old Men and Fargo, and then went a little crazier with Gilliam’s Fisher King and Twelve Monkeys.

We used some close-focus, wide-angle primes to play the story in the depth of the shot.

The locations were always present and defined by the lenses and we tried to never lose the sense of place and location.

Fortunately, Elijah Wood (who plays Dirk Gently’s sidekick Todd) looks great on a 27mm in close-up. We even used a 21mm for some close mid-shots, when the drama allowed for things go on deep in the shot.

Dirk Gently was shot in Vancouver, which doubled for Seattle. Vancouver is becoming a small Hollywood with over 150 major productions in such a small town.

The competition for space means that crews are stretched, so it was a case of booking quickly before they were all swallowed up. I was very lucky to find a great A-camera operator, Marty McNally, and he helped me

Elijah Wood playing bellhop Todd Brotzman

Holistic assass in Ba

by Fiona Dour rt Curlish played partner Ken pl if and unsuspecting ayed by Mpho Kaoho

build a good crew. He was supported by the excellent Robin Forst on B-camera/Steadicam.

The complexity of the show required many studio builds and we mixed location and studio to great effect by employing translights and raised ground floors to be able to “look down” C BS ue rd John Pa into the street. Set construction in Vancouver is excellent and the sets were impressive. Lighting was supplied by William F Whites, and we had two gaffers, Rory Soderman on main unit, and Cory Hodson on second unit.

Panavision supplied the camera kits and Adam Osten was really helpful in providing support. I started the show shooting the pilot episode and then another three episodes. Canadian cinematographer Samy Inayeh CSC shot the alternate blocks with director Michael Jann, adding their own take on Max’s visual journey.”

AFC MICRO SALON EXTENDS A WELCOME TO ALL

A

t this time last year, in these pages, Nathalie Durand AFC, president of the AFC, opened her letter with the motto of Paris Fluctuat nec mergitur, the Latin phrase meaning "Tossed but not sunk”, the motto of the city of Paris since 1358. It was two and a half months after the November 13th 2015 attacks and, in spite of the drastic safety rules, the AFC Micro Salon 2016 attracted the same number of attendees than the previous, more peaceful years. And it was a true success once again, reports Richard Andry AFC.

We are still standing, and this year the 17th annual AFC Micro Salon takes place from the 27-28 January at La Fémis, the National Film School, in Paris Montmartre. This year 70 companies will exhibit, covering camera, lighting and grip equipment, plus picture and sound post-production, for professional filmmakers. Fellow cinematographers from India have been given Carte Blanche to present their association and the state of their profession in India on Saturday 28th in the morning. Their delegation is composed of Mr Sunny Joseph Cheruvallikkattu, president of the ISC, Mr Govind Nihalani, Mrs Savita Singh and Mr Ravi K. Chandra.

The AFC Micro Salon, a part of the Paris Image Trade Show, and was originated by the French Society of Cinematographers, AFC. It has grown to become the most eagerly-awaited event of the year in France for the film and TV production industry, bringing artists, technicians and leading specialists from the production world together in the heart of Paris.

12 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP

HARIS ZAMBARLOUKOS BSC CREATES PORTRAITS FOR DENIAL

“F

or me the great part about storytelling isn’t all the amazing things you can do with atmosphere or scenery or exciting visuals,” muses Haris Zambarloukos BSC, “rather it’s the portraiture.”

For Denial, director Mick Jackson’s drama that captures the true story of acclaimed writer and historian Deborah E. Lipstadt and her battle to validate the Holocaust, Zambarloukos was given exquisite faces to shape his portraiture.

The cast included Rachel Weisz, Timothy Spall, and Tom Wilkinson.

Zambarloukos knew that despite much of the film taking place in a courtroom, the portraiture would be something compelling for him to capture.

“Courtroom dramas aren’t generally the most visually stimulating films,” says Zambarloukos. “At least not visually stimulating in the way to evoke the kind of emotion and the feelings that we wanted to give this kind of story justice.”

Zambarloukos and Jackson chose RED cameras with Dragon sensors, paired with Panavision Anamorphic C-series lenses. “The size of the RED cameras was fitting for the production – they’re small and compact – and the smaller pixels offer a finer resolution,” he notes.

Zambarloukos referenced Polish art-house director Krzysztof Kieślowski and his films such as Three Colors: Red and 1989 TV series Dekalog. The latter Zambarloukos calls, “great examples of maintaining a certain morality that you can grasp onto,” which he hoped his camera and lens choices would promote in Denial. It was the tension he could feel coming off the screen in those films that created the excitement, and Zambarloukos wanted to make sure his audience was engaged with this story.

The entire production was shot at locations in London and Poland. Whilst much of the film was shot in the courtroom, there were also many night scenes of Deborah running, pounding the pavement in the evenings after a long day in court during her trial.

For these scenes Zambarloukos used Technocranes with Scorpio heads, plus Steadicam shots by operator Stamos Triantafyllos.

He also used the Stabileye for a few shots, which the DP found to be a useful and an interesting bit of kit.

“It’s a stabilised head that is handheld,” Zambarloukos describes, “but you have independent pan-and-tilt control. An operator can be on the camera and move it around there, stabilised, and then another operator can have an independent pan-and-tilt control.

It’s all gyroscope, so some of the running shots and

CANON HELPS OFFSPRING FILMS TO SEE MONKEYS IN THE DARK Factual and natural history production specialists Offspring Films implemented Canon’s low light ME20F-SH camera to capture tarsiers in extremely low light for the 2016 Christmas Day special Monkeys: An Amazing Animal Family.

Offspring Films wanted to strike the right balance between capturing the highest possible quality images of its subjects whilst remaining unobtrusive in the tarsier’s natural habitat. As tarsiers are nocturnal animals, living deep in the Indonesian jungle, DP Mark Payne-Gill and the producers implemented the Canon ME20F-SH for the job.

The ME20F-SH is a professional HD video camera capable of capturing full colour images in environments of extremely low-light with an ISO of up to 4 million (+75dB). With this capability, the production crew could shoot at 45db – the equivalent of 144,000 ISO – using an older Canon 150-600mm f5.6 EF-mount lens, and document the tarsiers at night time in full colour HD without the need for intrusive lighting that would have scared the animals away.

“I pushed the ME20F-SH to a very high ISO and we were still blown away by the results,” says Payne-Gill. “We got close-ups of the animal’s faces with their massive pupils in full colour. Being able to capture them in this way meant we could really tell their story.”

VMI worked with Payne-Gill to customise the camera set-up into a handheld configuration. The Canon ME20F-SH was mounted on a Vocas 15mm bar support with Hawkwood battery mount, TV Logic Alphatron viewfinder and a Convergent Design Odyssey 7Q recorder.

14 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

some of the tracking shots that went from the courtroom to one chamber after another and connect different rooms, they were on the Stabileye. We wanted to give a real fluid feel to the film.”

Zambarloukos and team completed quite a bit of macro and specialty sequences using the Anamorphic lenses.

When the writing and delivery of the verdict occur – which Zambarloukos admits can be boring activities in themselves – he went with more a visceral look and created some tension with the macro shots.

When it came to lighting the courtroom, Zambarloukos went for a naturalistic palate to make audiences feel as if they were really there. To get the job completed, Zambarloukos turned to his London stomping ground crew – operators Roger Pierce and Luke Redgrave, first assistant Dean Thompson and Pete Burns, second unit DP Hamish Doyne-Ditmas and gaffer Dan Lowe. Lowe had to be clever with the lighting rigs, and he went to great lengths to use the windows and get a lighting rig that they could control. He and the crew used helium balloons that floated around the court and sculpted the light in places they couldn’t reach.

Denial has scenes at Auschwitz, when Deborah and her lawyers visit for evidence and research purposes.

During the visit, Deborah has what Zambarloukos calls “visual impressions” – memories that overlay her immediate and current movements and thoughts in the scene.

“It’s almost like peripheral vision,” he says. “We shot quite a bit of these memories, but one really stands out for me: the dissolve at the peephole into the delousing chambers. We shot on film for that, using a hand-cranked ARRI camera with a Fraser lens system. We were trying to emulate an older feel and we used a close focus effect where you could basically be in that chamber. We used a Borescope to go through the peephole and get an extremely close look at the characters portraying the victims at Auschwitz, marching into the chambers.”

BSC MEMBERS BOLYGO AND WAGNER GET ASC NOMINATIONS Tiffen Balazs Bolygo HSC BSC and Fabian Wagner BSC have been nominated at the 31st ASC Awards, which take place in Los Angeles on 4th February 2017. Bolygo is nominated for Harley And The Davidsons ­– Amazing Machine in the Television Movie, Miniseries or Pilot category, whilst Wagner has been given the nod for his Game Of Thrones – Battle Of The Bastards in the Regular Series For Non Commercial TV category.

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP

ASC TO HONOUR DENZEL WASHINGTON

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he American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) will bestow its Board of Governors Award on director Denzel Washington on February 4, 2017, during the 31st ASC Awards at Hollywood & Highland’s Ray Dolby Ballroom.

Washington made his directorial debut with Antwone Fisher (2002). His second feature, The Great Debaters, followed in 2007. Washington’s current project is the critically-acclaimed film Fences, written by August Wilson and based on his Pulitzer Prize-winning play. In addition to producing and directing the movie, Washington reprises his original Tony Award-winning role alongside Viola Davis.

“Denzel Washington is an amazing director and actor, and a conscious force in these challenging times,” noted ASC President Kees van Oostrum. “A true artist is empowered by the era they live in, and he expresses an awareness of the world around us through his work. It is that strength of character that we honour with the ASC Governors Award.”

Washington began his career in New York theatre productions, and rose to fame in NBC’s long-running television series St. Elsewhere. He has starred in over 50 films and television shows, in addition to his theatre roles and directing credits. He earned his first Oscar nomination for Cry Freedom (1987), as South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko. From there, he went on to portray Muslim minister and human rights activist Malcolm X in Malcolm X (1992), boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter in The Hurricane (1999), football coach Herman Boone in Remember The Titans (2000), and drug kingpin Frank Lucas in American Gangster (2007). He also starred in Much Ado About Nothing, A Soldier’s Story, Crimson Tide, Devil In A Blue Dress, and Inside Man. He received his first Academy Award for the historical war drama Glory (1989) and a second for the crime thriller Training Day (2001). Washington was mostly recently seen in Antoine Fuqua’s remake of The Magnificent Seven and before that, they teamed up for The Equalizer.

HOW PINEWOOD DIGITAL WENT ROGUE WITH ALEXA 65

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inewood Digital spent two years supporting Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – from the initial camera tests through to the VFX and drama pull delivery. The project, shot entirely on the Alexa 65 by Greig Fraser ACS ASC, presented the team with the opportunity to rethink its entire approach to dailies.

“We have certain principles which are set in stone,” said James Corless, group head of Pinewood Digital. “These are, the ability to review and grade the original camera negative, delivery to editorial first thing the following morning and completion of all back-ups within 24 hours for mag clearance.

Even though we were going from 3.4K to 6.5K ARRIRAW, this project had to follow those principles.”

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To achieve this, all areas of the workflow were up for discussion and possible overhaul. Thom Berryman, Pinewood Digital operations manager, noted that, “our technology at the time was really geared towards traditional 35mm format Alexa workflows. We had supported some large 3.4K Open Gate shoots around 2014, but we were under no illusion that the Alexa 65 would be a game changer.”

Early discussions about Rogue One took place in late 2014 around the time of Camerimage. “We came back from Poland and went straight into Greig’s first tests with the camera. At the time the Codex XR capture drives needed to go via ARRI Rental. We would then receive 4K ProRes files back for Greig to review at the studios”, recalls Corless. “The Alexa 65 had only just been launched, so understandably ARRI Rental wanted to check everything and manage the new Codex Vault XL 65 systems. At that stage it was about the image quality and 65mm format being evaluated, not the workflow. As soon as Greig stated his intention to shoot with the Alexa 65 throughout we went back to the drawing board.”

“Storage, networking, rendering and archive – everything was up for discussion at that stage” notes Berryman. “We took the view that what Greig was trying to do would become the norm not the exception. The impact of all the investment we made became apparent when we were able to support Rogue One, Assassin’s Creed and Doctor Strange in parallel Greig Fraser ACS ASC on the dolly across two sites all shooting with the Alexa 65.”

The overhaul of Pinewood Digital’s infrastructure took place throughout the start of 2015 prior to principal photography on Rogue One. “I don’t think there is a storage solution we

didn’t look at or test”, recalls Berryman, “We did our fair share of bench tests for ingest, rendering and archive.

We knew Greig wanted to review material every day looking at the RAW files with our dailies colourist Darren Rae, so real time playback of the 6.5K files was critical.”

“The main priority from our side was to keep things as they were. Editorial get media at 8am, mags get recycled back to camera without a delay, QC reports go out and LTOs get written. Yes, the data footprint has increased but the workflow remains the same,” says Corless. “Support from ARRI Rental on the project was critical. Throughout we were able to rely on Andrew Prior, head of camera Systems, and Mario Radinovic, head of workflow, from the initial test phase through to the UK and location shoots.

Our set-up included two of ARRI Rental’s Codex Vault XL 65s based in the lab at Pinewood throughout the shoot. In addition to this DIT Dan Carling had a Codex Vault on-set with an Eizo 4K monitor so Greig had the option for review at a higher resolution.”

Pinewood Digital has provided front end services on a range of other Alexa projects including Life, shot

by Seamus McGarvey BSC ASC, and Mary Magdalene, lensed by Greig Fraser ACS ASC.

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP

2016 BSC OPERATORS NIGHT

Judith Evans (ARRI) and Billy Williams BSC present the ARRI John Alcott award to Nigel Walters

Fabian Wagne r BSC presente d with his BSC members certificate by Dick Pope BS C

s chats to Judith Evan ung ASC Yo rd o df ra B

DOP talk with Fabian Wagner BSC, Linus Sandgren FSF and Dion Beebe ACS ASC

The Moviete (Panavision) ch team plus Charlie To dm ce after receivin lebrate with Felix Wie an demann g his award

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he 2016 BSC Operators Night took place on Friday 2nd December at The Langham Hotel, London. A warm welcome was extended to Laurie Rose and John Pardue who were recently invited to become full BSC members, and several awards were presented during the well-attended evening.

The winner of the BSC Best Cinematography In A TV Drama Award was Felix Wiedemann for The Go-Between. The BSC/ACO/GBCT Television Drama Operators Award went to Joe Russell ACO for The Tunnel: Sabotage – Episodes 2, 3, 5 & 6, whilst P. Scott Sakamoto SOC picked up the BSC/ACO/GBCT Feature Operators Award for The Revenant.

Rob Hardy BSC (Vice President) Nigel Walters BSC was presented with this presents Frances year’s BSC ARRI John Alcott Memorial Award, Russell with flowers presented by Billy Williams OBE BSC. upon her retirement

Walters called the occasion, “an as BSC secretary unforgettable experience. To hear the words Billy had written was a tremendous honour. He is an inspiration to me, as he is to the whole society. A living example of age being a state-of-mind. My admiration also goes to ARRI for their generosity in sponsoring this impressive award. It takes pride of place amongst others after an unforgettable 2016. My thanks are also to the BSC board, and to Audra, Helen and Frances, for the parts you have played. I am most grateful and feel very humbled.”

MCGARVEY AND NUTTGENS IN THE RUNNING FOR 2017 BAFTAS Two British cinematographers feature in the list of nominees for the 2017 BAFTA Best Cinematography award – Seamus McGarvey BSC ASC for Nocturnal Animals and Giles Nuttgens BSC for Hell Or High Water. In Hell Or further news, Lol Crawley High Water BSC is also nominated for the ASC’s Spotlight Award – for outstanding cinematography in feature-length projects screened at festivals or in limited release – for his work on Childhood Of A Leader.

With 2017 Oscar nominations set for Tuesday, January 24, after our press date, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will feature on the list for Best Cinematography. However, the leading contenders are likely to include those already announced for ASC Awards: Rodrigo Prieto AMC ASC for Silence, Linus Sandgren FSF for La La Land, Bradford Young ASC for Arrival, James Laxton for Moonlight and Greig Fraser ACS ASC for Lion, who won the Golden Frog at Camerimage 2016.

TIFFEN LAUNCHES VARIABLE VIEWING FILTER Tiffen has launched its new Variable Viewing Filter, incorporating Tiffen’s Variable ND filter and offering indexed 2-8 stops, with the ability to add any 49mm ring filter from the Tiffen range.

Users can add neutral density filters to increase the stop-range, UV filters and polarisers, or even special FX and diffusion filters for pre-visualisation of a scene, without the need to reposition the camera. Gaffers and cinematographers can use the new filter to spot strong lights or keep track of the sun moving in and out of cloud cover when used with additional ND or UV Filters.

The filter features a classic eyecup and a 1-inch handle with a quick-release lanyard. Early orders have been shipped to ARRI Rental and Panavision and are available immediately from stock.

In further news, due to the recent closure of Prokit, Tiffen International has announced it will be taking back the distribution of Lowel lighting in the UK.

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP

GERRY FLOYD WINS GOLDEN FROG FOR NOTES ON BLINDNESS

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erry Floyd won a Golden Frog at the 2016 Camerimage Festival for his cinematography on the docudrama Notes On Blindness, the first feature co-directed by James Spinney and Peter Middleton.

The acclaimed production dramatises the life-changing experiences of theology professor John Hull (played by Dan Renton Skinner), whose audiotape diaries of his journey into blindness formed the basis of his 1990 book Touching The Rock.

“John’s journey is one from light to dark, and then from dark to a different light,” said Floyd. “Where possible we wanted a strong light which would fall away into shadow and darkness quite quickly, accenting John’s loss of sight. We were also constantly looking for ways to interrupt the field-of-view, partially obscuring or distorting the frame with objects, or handheld diopters and shooting into reflections and glass to heighten the sense of loss.”

Floyd and the directors looked closely at Julian Schnabel’s The Diving Bell And The Butterfly, shot by Janusz Kaminski, and Gordon Willis’ use of Balthar lenses on The Godfather, as well as an extensive and disparate mood-board of still images.

The production shot using a RED Dragon running at 6K with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio based on the desire to let large areas of the frame fall off into darkness. The lenses used were a re-housed set of Bausch and Lomb Super Balthars.

“Since the film is set in the 1980s we wanted something to give us a bit of a period feel,” explained Floyd. “We tested various lenses and the Balthars combined with the Dragon gave us something quite special – particularly as I ND’d everything back to wide open to give the audience a sense of John’s need to touch, feel and search for things. We also used diopters extensively, frequently handheld in front of the lens for effect and had a Zeiss 135mm macro. We hired in a zoom for a couple of days and a set of Cooke S2s for second unit.”

The camera came from Archers Mark, with other camera equipment supplied

by One Stop Films in London. The production shot for two weeks at Halliford Studios, London, where the interior of Hull’s house was built. Locations included West London, a disused school in Carmel, Oxfordshire, Pembrokeshire, Borth and Parys Mountain in Anglesey. Lighting equipment for location was supplied by Glo Film Lighting and supplemented in the studio by Halliford Studios.

“Apart from the approach there wasn’t anything particularly radical in the lighting,” adds Floyd. “We just wanted to keep it strong and dark. I exposed more for highlights throughout and used negative fill where necessary. I shot into the light as much as I could, often using silhouettes for effect.”

Floyd operated on the production, assisted by focus puller Mark Gee, loader Emin Atilgan and gaffer Salvador Gomez Perez. Steadicam operators were Andrew Bainbridge and Yiannis Manolopolous, and second unit DP was James Rhodes.

Leading light…

Natasha Braier on the set of The Rover

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ILLUMINATRIX CALLS FOR GENDER EQUALITY

lluminatrix, the UK’s first collective of female cinematographers, is calling for gender equality amongst cinematographers working in the UK film industry.

Despite women making up 50.1% of film students in the UK, recent reports have highlighted the sizeable gender imbalance in the film industry across the globe. Data from Directors UK shows that the field of cinematography suffers from a significant lack of female representation, more so than almost any other production discipline. The cinematographer is one of the least diverse head of department roles in the film industry, with less than 7% of British feature films being shot by a woman.

Illuminatrix is a members’ group that promotes and supports professional female cinematographers based in the UK. For industry figures looking to hire a DP, the Illuminatrix website acts as a database showcasing a huge variety of talent and providing access to those cinematographers.

For the members, Illuminatrix also provides a support network amongst professional peers.

Each member of Illuminatrix has a minimum of five years’ industry experience, and the roster includes names such as Natasha Braier ADF (The Neon Demon), Suzie Lavelle ISC (Emmy-nominated for Sherlock: The Abominable Bride) and Polly Morgan BSC (The A-Word).

To coincide with its launch last November, Illuminatrix curated a day of events on diversity in cooperation with IMAGO at the 2016 Camerimage Festival of Cinematography in Poland. The group has also gained positive support from the BSC, BAFTA, Women In Film and Television UK.

Barry Ackroyd BSC, president of BSC, said, “Making it as a cinematographer needs skill and daring and tenacity. It should never depend on your gender or race. So I welcome the initiative by the cinematographers of Illuminatrix in showcasing some of the best women cinematographers. Now it’s time to stop talking about equality and time to let it happen.

Producers, directors, all filmmakers, listen up – open your eyes and play fair.”

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FILMSCAPE INTRODUCES THIRD UNIT ENGINEERING FACILITY

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aving created a variety of bespoke, precision-engineered products over the past few years, camera hire specialist, Filmscape, has now introduced Third Unit, a new in-house engineering facility at its West London headquarters.

Third Unit offers access to custom-designed, re-engineered products and accessories covering all aspects of the camera and grip departments. The products are created by Filmscape’s Renos Louka along with the help and experience of Mike Rosario. Their engineering knowledge and creativity enables products to be designed from scratch or adapted to suit a particular requirement.

Products already introduced include: The Third Unit Runner, a custom-built collapsible equipment carrier; Camera Assistant, which allows the simple attachment of a cine tape to a matte box; Unit Loader for the easy mounting of accessories to ARRI Alexa and Amira heads; and The Key Grip, an ultra-light ball arm kit.

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP

LITEPANELS POWERS NEW FULLSCREEN STUDIOS TO DO MORE WITH LESS

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hether it’s reducing space or budget, more studios are being asked to find creative ways to offer higher production values using less. This was the challenge that Los Angeles-based Fullscreen Studios faced when designing its new production facility.

The company – a large, global network that supports hundreds of content creators and brands – needed to support a variety of sets at its studio for Kingdom Geeks, a popculture talk show with action figures, a dreamy slumber party set, and a podcast stage.

“We transformed a 14,000sq/ft warehouse in Playa Vista into a fully-supported 4K production facility containing two studios, thirteen stages and working sets that service our SVOD platform, Fullscreen.com,” described Richard A. Pizante, Fullscreen’s executive-in-charge-of-production.

With the ability to set the tone and mood in a studio, lighting was one of the most critical challenges during the design and build-out of the new production facility. To achieve this, Fullscreen installed a full complement of Litepanels LED lighting, including a range of LED Fresnels and LED panels for the talent, with LED color changing lights for the sets.

“We had some very specific weight, power and heat restrictions to consider and Litepanels proved to be the best option due to their design, cost effectiveness, and energy efficiency,” said Pizante.

By adding the Astra RJ45 communications module, lights were daisy-chained via DMX512 protocol enabling brightness and temperature control from a dimmer board.

As a result, Fullscreen was able to create thirteen distinct sets with less space and less power output.

“Litepanels is a very rare company in that they have both a really good soft light panel and an entire Fresnel package that would work in conjunction,” stated lighting designer Dan Reed.

“I’m at 5,000 Watts for 100 lights, which is outstanding; that’s four sound stages with less wattage than typical studios use to light a green screen for their weather segment.”

PINEWOOD MBS LIGHTING ADDS 600 CHROMA-Q SPACE FORCE LEDS Space Force has proven itself as an effective LED alternative to traditional soft light sources. Delivering up to 26,700 lumens, variable between 2800K and 6500K, the fixtures deliver smooth, uniform illumination, with consistency between units.

Having provided low-energy and LED solutions to crews on a growing number of major productions – including Linus Sandgren FSF and gaffer David Sinfield on The Nutcracker And The Four Realms, Paul Cameron ASC and gaffer Mark Clayton on The Commuter, and George Richmond BSC and gaffer John ‘Biggles’ Higgins on reshoots for Kingsman:

Greig Fraser

Photo by Karolina Ciechońska

The Golden Circle – Pinewood MBS Lighting has now added 600 Space Force units to its inventory.

“We wanted to address the needs of clients seeking an efficient bi-colour alternative to the Space Light, for instances where budget restraints curtailed the use of our versatile, full colour ARRI Sky Panels,” said Pinewood MBS Lighting MD, Darren Smith. “The Space Force fills this gap perfectly, delivering on output and quality of light, weight, rigging options, noise levels and affordability.”

2016 CTBF RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH SCHOLARSHIPS ANNOUNCED The Cinema And Television Benevolent Fund (CTBF), the UK charity for people working behind the scenes in cinema, film and television, recently Jessica and Sabina announced Jessica Sinyard and Sabina Smitham as the two recipients of the 2016 CTBF Richard Attenborough Scholarship for the National Film and Television School (NFTS). The scholarship provides two students each year with a full one-year scholarship to study for an MA at the world-renowned film school.

Screenwriting MA student Sinyard hails from Yorkshire, and her feature screenplays have won awards in the UK and USA, including Screen Yorkshire’s Triangle Programme and Illinois International Film Festival’s Best Screenplay prize. Smitham’s passion is for scripted development and working with new writers who offer an unusual perspective. At the NFTS she is developing several projects for film and TV.

GREIG FRASER ACS ASC WINS GOLDEN FROG AT CAMERIMAGE The winner of the prestigious 2016 Golden Frog at the 2016 Camerimage Festival Of Cinematography was Greig Fraser ACS ASC for Lion, directed by Garth Anthony Dod Mantle Davis. Bradford and Bradford Young Young ASC picked Photo by Karolina Ciechońs ka up the Silver Frog for his work on Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival, and Anthony Dod Mantle DFF BSC ASC collected the Bronze Frog for Snowden, directed by Oliver Stone. Fraser, who was unable to attend the awards ceremony, sent in a video clip to thank the organisers and jury, which was this year headed by Sir Alan Parker. In the Documentary Features Competition, British cinematographer Gerry Floyd picked up a Golden Frog for his work on the moving docudrama Notes On Blindness, directed by Peter Middleton and James Spinney.

GOLDENEYE:

An eagle-eyed employee of Panalux, clearly an avid reader of this magazine, spotted that it was Panalux, not ARRI, which supplied the lighting for The Night Manager, as covered in the news section of Edition 77.

LEE FILTERS SHIP PROGLASS CINE IRND FILTERS LEE Filters, which manufactures the PanaND range of neutral density filters for Panavision, is now shipping its own-branded ProGlass Cine IRND filter range. The filters are manufactured from flat, 4mm thick, scratchresistant glass, with metal rims, and are available in two sizes (4”x5.65” and 6.6”x6.6”) and seven densities – from 0.3ND to 2.1ND. The metal rims are etched with details of the filter density, to aid ease of use on-set.

“ND filters used for cinematography have been compromised for decades,” said Haluki Sadahiro, director of new product development at Panavision in Los Angeles. “The original dye-based filters either shifted colour or white balance when you swapped them in and out. Also, inconsistencies of manufacturing caused these filters to warp, which sometimes made the image become soft or defocused.

22 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

“Around five years ago, advances in coatingbased technologies started to offer superior ND performance, but they were far more expensive than their dye-based siblings, and the coating could scrape and chip-off easily. Then LEE Filters came to Panavision offering to make ND filters, and we went through many iterations of testing samples they made for over a year – assessing white balance, flatness and scratch resistance with qualitative and technical tests. After many iterations, the filters started to pass our criteria with flying colours. If it wasn’t for the forward thinking minds of the LEE Filters team, and the expertise of Panavision, this product wouldn’t have become reality.”

The new ProGlass Cine IRND filters are available for purchase from LEE Filters’ distributors worldwide.

NEWS / PRODUCTION / POST & TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP

STUDIO NEWS: The Bottle Yard Studios: a renowned company specialising in rope access and rigging and a casting agency for young Bristol actors are the latest companies to join the expanding creative hub at The Bottle Yard Studios.

Figure Nine and Briz Kidz Casting are the newest additions to the on-site business community at the largest TV/film production facility in the West of England. Figure Nine provides rope access, rope rigging solutions and safety support to productions shooting around the world, working in remote, urban, industrial and studio environments. An approved provider for the BBC Natural History Unit, the team has extensive experience working in tropical forests, and has most recently worked on the Jungles episode of BBC One’s current series, Planet Earth II.

Briz Kidz Casting specialises in providing children aged 0-18 for paid on-screen work with film and TV productions and can also provide chaperones and assist with licence applications.

Dawn Smith The company was founded in 2016 by director Dawn Smith, who has a proven background in film, TV and theatre, having worked in the production office of a number of titles including We Can Be Heroes, Trollied and Wolf Hall, all of which were based at The Bottle Yard Studios.

Pinewood Atlanta Studios: the third-largest film studio in the United States, and the largest purposebuilt film studio outside of Hollywood, has appointed Frank Patterson as its first president. Reporting to the Pinewood Atlanta Studios board of directors, Patterson will provide strategic leadership and oversee the planned expansion of Pinewood Atlanta Studios for film, television, music, video games, digital and other productions.

He is also charged with leveraging the studio’s existing assets to attract emerging technologies and complementary businesses that can benefit from Pinewood Studios’ state of the art Frank Patterson facilities and technology offerings.

VARICAM LT SHINES ON A DARK NIGHT

24 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

A 30-year veteran of the entertainment industry, Patterson previously served as chief creative officer and was co-founder of Pulse Evolution Corporation, a digital media company producing computergenerated human likeness applications.

In 2014, he produced the Billboard Music Awards performance that featured a hyper-realistic digital human in the likeness of the late Michael Jackson.

Pinewood Atlanta Studios is a full service film and entertainment studio complex comprised of 12 purpose built sound stages, with a further six stages scheduled to be ready this January.

Set on 700 acres in Fayetteville, Georgia, Pinewood Atlanta Studios has 400,000sq/ft of workshop, office and production support facilities and backlot areas including forests, rivers and open land.

Pinewood Studios: for eighty years, Pinewood Studios has made dreams a reality, and billions of people across the globe have read six words on cinema or television screens: “Made at Pinewood

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ondon-based production company Pundersons Gardens has completed the first production in Europe using the Panasonic VariCam LT’s recently introduced RAW recording capability and Convergent Design integration, supported by rental provider VMI. The night shoot was a music promo for UK grime artist Trim, recently signed to James Blake’s 1-800 Dinosaur label, directed by Chris Read and shot by Pundersons Gardens co-founder Jeremy Valender.

The production was shot entirely with Cineovision vintage Anamorphic lenses to give a filmic look, and made full use of VariCam’s RAW recording capability and the camera’s integration with the Convergent Design Odyssey 7Q RAW recorder.

“We did some initial low-light tests with a number of cameras, and I was shocked at how good the camera was,” said Valender. “We shot using only

Studios, London, England.” From James Bond to Star Wars, to the modern age of Marvel and the re-imagining of the Disney classics, Pinewood Studios and Shepperton Studios have played host to some of the greatest and most cherished movies of all time. Now, the story of the studios’ success, is available in a new hardback coffee table book, Pinewood – The Story of an Iconic Studio by Bob McCabe.

Complete with exclusive behindthe-scenes images from classic movies, this new book offers insight, anecdotes and interviews with some of the producers, directors and acting talent who have worked at the studios, including Ridley Scott, Barbara Broccoli, Tim Burton and Sir Roger Moore. Published by Preface (Penguin Random House), Pinewood – The Story of an Iconic Studio is available in hardback from Waterstones, Amazon, Daunts, Foyles, selected WH Smith (central London) and many independent bookstores nationwide including Toppings.

the available light at night, and most of the time we spent blocking light out rather than trying to add more, because we just didn’t need it.”

Shot entirely at 5000 ISO at native 4K, the 16:9 RAW output was de-squeezed in postproduction to create the 2.66:1 final version, with monitoring on-set de-squeezed via the Convergent Design Odyssey 7Q.

Connected to the VariCam LT via its builtin 3G-SDI terminals, the Odyssey 7Q recorder/ monitor, Valender used a trigger recording functionality, allowing the external recorder and camera to automatically start recording simultaneously with matching timecodes.

“The low-light performance was the primary reason for choosing the LT, and the 5000 ISO function was like shooting at 800 on any other camera as regards to noise,” added Valender. “The other thing that surprised me was the amount of colour – especially with the low light. A lot of other cameras’ colours wash out a little bit, but the LT’s strong colour saturation gave us a lot to work with in post.”

MEET THE NEW WAVE / ADAM SCARTH / CINEMATOGRAPHER

ALL THAT JAZZ Filmography (so far): Daphne (2016), Apostasy (2016)

When did you discover you wanted to be a DP? I knew from my teenage years that I wanted to work in film, but I didn’t know then what a cinematographer was. In my first year at university, when I thought I wanted to be a director, I realised that the visual language of a film, and how you can tell a story with light and images, is what really fascinated me.

Where did you train?

The Arts University Bournemouth, where I was lucky to spend three years shooting on 16mm.

What are your favourite films?

The Deer Hunter (1978, dir. Michael Cimino, DP Vilmos Zsigmond) – is a masterpice, every part works in harmony to elevate the whole.

The Yards (2000, dir. James Gray, DP Harris Savides) – feels like a epic set in small spaces and is a masterclass in underexposure. The scene lit purely by candlight is just beautiful.

Klute (1971, dir. Alan J Pakula, DP Gordon Willis) – such a gripping story with a simple narative and suspensful visuals that grab you and won’t let go.

Kes (1969, dir. Ken Loach, DP Chris Menges) – beautiful, emotive, character-led realisam.

What’s the best advice you were ever given?

A DP I used to load for told me you need to learn, on occasion, to say “No”. Sometimes “no” is better than “yes”. Every one will remember the “yes” if it goes wrong, but they will forget the “no” if what you give them works.

Who are your DP/industry heroes?

Roger Deakins CBE BSC ASC – a true master of visual language. Watching his films woke me up to realising how a camera can tell a story.

Vilmos Zsigmond ASC HSC – one of the greatest in mastering hard light. His lighting, although expressive, was still naturalistic and humble, never drawing overt attention to itself.

Harris Savides ASC – true artist, every image told a story and is embued with emotion.

Gordon Willis ASC – he took risks that no one else would and he paved the way for the rest of us.

We would not have the films we have today without him.

Ken Loach – every film he directs reminds me that we have a greater responsibility as filmmakers, that there is a power in what we do and we can wake people up.

Have you won any awards or received any nominations?

The video I shot for Last Night in Paris – Pure won Best Urban Video at the UKMVA awards and a wooden pencil at the D&AD awards.

26 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

What’s your proudest moment?

It’s a tie between landing my first feature and signing with my agent Lux Artists. It’s a great honour to be on the same roster as so many DPs that inspire me and to work with agents whose opinions I trust.

What’s been your best/worst moment on set?

Best: standing on top of a bus at sunset in Tanzania setting up a shot with my focus puller and gaffer, who are really close friends and realising how lucky we are.

Worst: when I was working as a second AC, I was on a night shoot in winter with two ARRI 435s running simultaneously – I was the only loader, with no trainee.

What's the biggest challenge on your latest production?

Mainly time. We had 21 days to shoot a 90-page script.

There is a real challenge to make sure you are making the right choices, not just rushed ones, under this pressure, but our first AD Ursula Haworth­­, director Dan Kokotajlo and I manged to hold it together.

Tell us your most hilarious faux pas?

When I started shooting documentaries, I had the bad habit of rolling the camera myself. On one occasion I pressed record on the camera at the same time as my focus puller pressed it on the wireless focus, meaning the camera didn’t turn over. We got five minutes into an interview before noticing, surfice to say I now keep my trigger-finger in check.

Away from work, what are your greatest passions?

35mm street and documentary photography, cooking, reading and my growing photography book collection.

What one piece of kit could you not live without?

My Gossen Lunasix F Light Meter. I use it on both film and digital jobs, as it’s perfectly suited to my way of working. I would be lost without it.

What’s the weirdest place you’ve ever shot in?

On the set of Daphne, shooting one of our many bar scenes. It gradually dawned on us that the bar we were in doubled as an S&M club. There were ominous hooks in the ceiling for people to suspend themselves from.

I won’t tell you what we found in the basement.

Tell us your hidden talent/party trick?

Putting people to sleep by talking about left wing socialist politics.

In the entire history of filmmaking, which film would you love to have shot?

The Deer Hunter, but I don’t think anyone could have ever matched up to what Vilmos Zsigmond created.

What are your current top albums?

“Emergence” – Roy Hargrove, “A Moon Shaped Pool” – Radiohead, “Page One” and “Our Thing” – Joe Henderson.

Can you tell us your greatest extravagance?

Probably my Cape Heights on-set coat, as it is so warm.

What’s the worst thing about being a DP? The early mornings – I need a lot of coffee.

Give us three adjectives that best describe you and your approach to cinematography?

Instictive. Respectful. Collabarative.

If you weren’t a DP, what job would you be doing now?

Probably be a documentary photographer.

What are your aspirations for the future?

To keep being given the opportunity to visualise emotive stories that I engage with and feel a passion for. n

WHO’S SHOOTING WHO? / CINEMATOGRAPHERS ROUND-UP

Must find a beautiful laundrette later… Michael Wood gets a clean close-up on Riviera

U

nited Agents: Remi Adefarasin BSC has shot Amma Asante’s new film, Where Hands Touch.

John de Borman BSC has wrapped on Will, directed by Shekhar Kapur, in Wales. John Lee is shooting Snatch, directed by Nick Renton in Manchester. David Luther was in South Africa shooting The Last Post for director Miranda Bowen. Paul Sarossy ASC BSC CSC is lighting Tin Star for director Rowan Joffe in Canada. Tony Slater Ling BSC is on Funny Cow with director Adrian Shergold. Gavin Struthers has completed on Stan Lee’s Lucky Man 2 with director Andy Hay. Haris Zambarloukos BSC GSC is shooting Kenneth Branagh’s Murder On The Orient Express on 65mm film. Marcel Zyskind has just wrapped on Steel Country in Atlanta, directed by Simon Fellows. Alan Almond BSC is reading scripts. Danny Cohen BSC is prepping Disobedience, for Sebastian Lelio and Martin Fuhrer BSC is meeting for various projects. Will, created by Craig Pearce for TNT, is being shot by David Higgs BSC. Kieran McGuigan BSC is lighting series 3 of Grantchester and Laurie Rose, who recently become a member of the BSC, is shooting Journey’s End, directed by Saul Dibb. Bet Rourich is a new client, who is enjoying success with Adult Life Skills, which she shot for Rachel Tunnard. John Sorapure is second unit director/DP on Paddington 2, and Simon Tindall lit pick-ups for Clio Barnard’s Dark River. Si Bell has wrapped on In Darkness for director Anthony Byrne, and is in line for a high profile drama series TBC soon. Charlotte Bruus Christensen is in Toronto lighting Aaron Sorkin’s Molly’s Game. Sara Deane is lighting Creative Scotland/Forward Films feature Anna And The Apocalypse for John McPhail.

28 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

James Friend BSC’s Rillington Place aired on BBC1 in December to great acclaim. David Marsh has wrapped on Rebellion 2 with director Catherine Morshead. Neus Olle and David Raedeker are available, but meeting for lots of jobs. Niels Reedtz Johansen is busy with commercials.

Kate Reid has graded the final series of Uncle, and is doing second unit on the feature Postcards From London.

Joshua James Richards has wrapped on director Chloé Zhau’s latest film in the US and completed the grade on God’s Own Country. Ed Rutherford is lighting new series Quacks for director Andy DeEmmony. Anna Valdez Hanks went to Halifax to open new C4 drama series The ABC, for director Penny Woolcock. Ben Wheeler has wrapped the second series of Doctor Foster for director Jeremy Lovering, and looks likely to light the next series of W1A in January/February. Magni Agustsson’s recent commercials include an Icelandair Christmas campaign for director Runar Ingi, shot in Portland and Iceland. Barry Ackroyd BSC was in Spain on a Land Rover ad for director Chris Palmer via Gorgeous. Alex Barber shot an Amazon ad for Guy Manwaring through Sonny in London, Thinkbox for The Bobbssey Twins in Manchester through Blink, and a Lincoln campaign for director Tomas Mankovsky in London via Knucklehead. Philipp Blaubach has wrapped on feature Shanghai 5 for director Charles Martin. Ulrik Boel Bentzen lit a Paddy Power campaign for director Randy Krallman in London through Smuggler. Daniel Bronks is on a Sun Life spot for director Matt Piedmont in Cape Town for Prettybird London. Simon Chaudoir’s recent work includes Deichmann for director Emile Nava in London through Wanda, L’Oreal in Paris for Barnaby Roper at UTurn, and

Lexus for Brett Foraker in South Africa, via RSA. Lasse Frank’s recent ads including Arla for director Adam Hashemi in Iceland through Blink. Brendan Galvin just shot a Virgin commercial with Jamie Rafn in Barbados for Smuggler. Florian Hoffmeister BSC is shooting TV drama The Terror for director Edward Berger in Budapest. Stephen Keith-Roach did an NWLA ad for director Max Sherman in London through Blink, and lit Waitrose’s Christmas ‘Coming Home’ commercial for director Sam Brown at Rogue. Tim Maurice-Jones BSC framed a KFC spot for director Nick Ball in London for Blink, McVities for Guy Manwaring in London through Sonny, and Heineken for director Matt Pollock in Manchester at Independent. Alex Melman’s commercials include Exxon, directed by Rick Cantor in Milan through Hungryman, and AA for James Rouse in London through Outsider. Tristan Oliver is working on a new Wes Anderson project in London. Jake Polonsky BSC is shooting the new series of Billions in New York. Simon Richards did an AO ad for director Steve Reeves in London for Another Film Co., and Nurofen for Simon Willows in London via Bare Films. Christopher Sabogal shot for Aviva with director Keith McCarthy in Liverpool via Blink, and a Pre-Lox campaign for director Max Sherman in Moscow, also for Blink. Peter Suschitzky lit a Premier Inn campaign for director Ben Wheatley. Laust Trier Mork worked on a McDonalds campaign for director Vince Squibb in London through Gorgeous.

Casarotto Marsh: James Aspinall BSC is grading The Time Of Their Lives with director Roger Goldby. Pau Esteve Birba continues on Alberto Rodriguez’s La Peste for Movistar. Sean Bobbitt BSC has finished filming On Chesil

If you go down to the woods… you might just bump into Helene Louvart

The cat in the hat…

Adam Scarth at work on-set

Gather round comrades…

Zac Nicholson and crew on The Death Of Stalin

Is that bridge too far?…

Wojciech Szepel shooting Man In An Orange Shirt

Beach with director Dominic Cooke for Number 9 Films.

Eben Bolter is shooting The Woman In White for Origin Pictures with director Carl Tibbetts. Sam Care is lighting C4’s thriller Born To Kill with Bruce Goodison for World Productions. P.J. Dillon is on the seventh season of Game Of Thrones. Matt Gray BSC worked on Liar, directed by James Strong, for Two Brothers Pictures. Sturla Brandth Grøvlen is shooting Wendy, directed by Ben Zeitlin.

Hélène Louvart AFC is lighting The Immersed Family, with direction from Marice Alche for Pasto Cine. David Pimm shot Love Me Not in Greece with Alexandros Avranas.

Annika Summerson lit the BFI’s new feature Postcards From London, directed by Steve McLean. Wojciech Szepel is shooting with Hettie MacDonald on Howard’s End for Playground Entertainment. Mark Wolf has graded The Devil Outside for Ipso Facto with director Andrew Hume.

Michael Wood shot Riviera with Adrian Lester directing for Archery Pictures. Marcus Autelli, Brian Fawcett and Bruce Jackson have worked across a number of highlevel commercial projects and promos. In BC78, Gerry Vasbenter was named as the DP of My Cousin Rachel, but he actually did additional photography on that production, and Mike Eley BSC was the cinematographer.

Independent Talent: Chas Bain is with Nick Murphy on his new six-part drama Gone for Sky. Written by, and starring, Lennie James, this gritty thriller, set in South East London, will shoot from January to April 2017.

Darran Bragg, Bjorn Bratberg and Ian Foster have been shooting commercials. Henry Braham BSC did some additional shooting on Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2, due for release in April. Oliver Curtis BSC’s latest ads have

Writing with the ligh t…

Annika Summerso n pen Postcards From Lon s don

been with Chief, and he also shot an Olly Murs promo with Charles Mehling at 76 Ltd. Ben Davis BSC is prepping Tim Burton’s Dumbo. Benoit Delhomme AFC was with Fabien Baron for Dior. Anthony Dod Mantle DFF BSC ASC has graded Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting II, due for release in January. Kit Fraser has wrapped on the psychological horror feature Possum, directed by Matt Holness, starring Sean Harris. Sam Goldie lit the six-part, 1980s set, TV police drama Iron Fisting, directed by Rhys Thomas and produced by A24 (Channing Tatum), shot on location in Romania. Seamus McGarvey BSC ASC is shooting Michael Gracey’s The Greatest Showman, starring Hugh Jackman and Michelle Williams. Andreas Neo shot for Scorch on a Twinings ad with Will Clark Smith. Carl Nilsson lit a Coca Cola spot on location in South Africa with Ben Gayan from Agosto. Aadel Nodeh Farahani was in Boston with David Barr at Kode for a large Patheon campaign. Mark Patten is shooting McMafia for director James Watkins, a new eight-part drama for the BBC/AMC about the Russian mafia in London, starring James Norton, shooting on location in India, Croatia, London and Dubai. Stephan Pehrrson BSC is shooting a Black Mirror single for director Toby Haynes. Tat Radcliffe BSC is lensing Yann Demange’s White Boy Rick. Sam Renton lit The Durrells II with directors Steve Barron and Ed Hall. George Richmond BSC is shooting Tomb Raider, directed by Roar Uthang, starring Alicia Vikander. Christopher Ross BSC is on Hard Sun for director Brian Kirk. Martin Ruhe is lighting Counterpart for director Morten Tyldum, an espionage thriller for Starz, starring J.K. Simmons. Ben Seresin shot The Mummy with Alex Kurtzman at Shepperton and is busy shooting ads.

Matt Shaw’s latest commercials include Toyota, Land Rover and BT Sport. Erik Sohlstrom went with Christian Larson on location in Brazil for a Pantene spot. Fraser Taggart framed an Asda ad with Rattling Stick director Austen Humphries, and a Febreze spot with Rob Leggatt at Knucklehead. David Ungaro AFC shot a Nespresso commercial with Dark Energy director Justin Dickel in London. Ed Wild BSC lit a Black Mirror single for director Jodie Foster. Erik Wilson is shooting on Paddington II with director Paul King. Balazs Bolygo shot Britannia, Vertigo’s epic historical period drama, in Prague. Ulf Brantus is lensing The Wife with director Bjorn Runge in Scotland.

Eigil Bryld continues in LA, lighting director Gary Ross’ highly-anticipated Oceans 8. Simon Dennis has graded his work with Colm McCarthy on Krypton, prior to its release in the US. Adam Etherington lit Stan Lee’s Lucky Man, with director Jamie Childs and will be grading ahead of transmission on Sky 1. Eric Kress shot the final episode of Will for TNT in Cardiff, with director Shekhar Kapur. John Mathieson BSC lensed a commercial for Simple with Olya Oleinic at 76 Ltd, and an ad for Shiseido with Jacob Sutton at Laura Holmes Production. Ben Smithard BSC shot the feature The Man Who Invented Christmas with director Bharat Nalluri, starring Dan Stevens, in Ireland. Mark Waters worked on the exciting next series of Dr Who.

McKinney Macartney Management: extend their congratulations to Felix Wiedemann, who won the BSC’s Best Cinematography In A Television Drama award 2016, for his work on The Go-Between, and also to John Pardue on being invited to join the BSC. Stuart Biddlecombe is prepping National Geographic’s >>

British Cinematographer | January 2017 | 29

WHO’S SHOOTING WHO? / CINEMATOGRAPHERS ROUND-UP Commercially-minded…

Pau Esteve Birba on El Móv il

r Messing about nea e boats… John Pardu BSC on the set of Finding Your Feet

HappyAction on location… man…

Suzanne Smith has a DP David Procter smiley moment on-set of a DJ

Apocalypse now…

André Chemetoff on the set of Netflix’s IO

Year Million in Budapest with director Mark Elijah Rosenberg. Ben Butler, Top shot… Arth Mick Coulter BSC, Denis ur Mulhern shoo ting a Crossan BSC, Sebastian feature in Dubli n Milaszewski, Alessandra Scherillo, Clive Tickner BSC and Robin Whenary have all been shooting commercials. Gavin Finney BSC is lighting the drama Crossing The Border on location in the UK and Spain with director Peter Kosminsky. Jean Philippe Gossart was recently in Prague shooting Britannia with director Christoph Schrewe. Sam McCurdy BSC has finished his stint on Britannia and started photography on Lost In Space for Netflix in Vancouver.

Andy McDonnell worked on Last Tango In Halifax for Red Productions. Polly Morgan BSC has completed principal photography on the Netflix Original 6 Balloons, with director Marja Lewis Ryan. Arthur Mulhern is shooting a feature in Dublin. John Pardue BSC is shooting the feature Finding Your Feet, with director Richard Loncraine for Eclipse Films. Chris Seager BSC recently lit The White Princess at The Bottle Yard Studios, Bristol, with director Jamie Payne for Company Pictures. Mike Spragg BSC is in the US shooting the first series of the Charlaine Harris’ adaptation Midnight, Texas.

30 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

Shadow shoot

Lux Artists: welcome new clients James Laxton and Ben Fordesman. Bradford Young is now shooting Star Wars: Untitled Hans Solo Anthology Film. Fabian Wagner BSC has finished shooting Justice League. Diego Garcia recently wrapped on Wildfire, directed by Paul Dano, starring Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal. Lol Crawley BSC is shooting Vox Lux, starring Jude Law and Rooney Mara, directed by Brady Corbet. Jakob Ihre is grading Joachim Trier’s new film Thelma. Nicolas Bolduc CSC is finishing Hochelaga with Francois Girard. Chayse Irvin CSC lit The Whale, directed by Andrea Pallaoro. Ole Bratt Birkeland is shooting American Animals, directed by Bart Layton. Hagen Bogdanski lensed Papillon, directed by Michael Noer. Carlos Catalan has wrapped on The Jury, directed by Nick Holt and Kath Mattock, and has graded Broadchurch III. Autumn Durald Arkapaw lit Untogether, directed by Emma Forrest. Adam Scarth has wrapped on the ifeature North Light, directed by Dan Kokotajlo.

Martijn Van Broekhuizen, NSC recently shot My Foolish Heart, directed by Rolf van Eijk. Eric Gautier, AFC is shooting L’apparition for Xavier Giannoli. André Chemetoff lensed IO directed by Jonathan Helpert. Crystel Fournier AFC shot Nico 1988, directed by Susanna Nicchiarelli.

Jody Lee Lipes lit The Sinner, directed by Antonio Campos. Michael McDonough BSC ASC has lensed The Professor And The Madman directed by Fahrad Safina. Ari Wegner framed Guerilla for Sky, directed by John Ridley.

Sebastian Winterø shot Crooked House starring Christina Hendricks, directed by Gilles Paquet Brenner. Meanwhile in commercials, Justin Brown lit a Shell campaign with director Frederic Planchon.

Natasha Braier ADF recently shot campaigns for Hugo Boss and Shell with Nicholas Winding Refn. Tom Townend lit a Steinlager

campaign with director Daniel Wolfe, featuring Lance Armstrong. Also busy shooting ads are: Daniel Landin BSC, Ula Pontikos BSC, Stuart Bentley, Benjamin Kračun, Danny Hiele, Magnus Joenck, Steve Annis, Rob Hardy BSC, Matyas Erdely HSC, Luke Jacobs, Jake Scott, Arnaud Potier AFC, Nanu Segal, Niklas Johansson FSF, Mauro Chiarello, Benjamin Loeb, Manel Ruiz, Zack Spiger NSC, Jackson Hunt, Jake Scott, Brian Curt Petersen, John Lynch ISC, Manuel Alberto Claro, Arnau Valls Colomer AEC, Andrew Commis ACS, Frederik Jacobi, Benjamin Roux, Ruben Impens SBC, Ben Moulden, Sebastian Blenkov DFF and Alexis Zabe.

Sara Putt Associates: have signed DP Tom Debenham, whose credits include second unit on Voyage Of Time for Sophisticated Films, Our Kind Of Traitor’s plate unit and second unit additional photography on Under The Skin. David Mackie is shooting Showdogs in Cardiff with Jon Beacham operating. Danny Bishop recently finished on the exciting Krypton Pilot, and is in talks regarding his next project. Vince McGahon is shooting Entebbe for Working Title Films. Peter Wignall continues on Game Of Thrones. Alastair Rae did a stint on Wonder Woman, whilst Peter Talbot enjoyed working on the splinter unit for The Nutcracker. Rodrigo Gutierrez worked on Will for Monumental Pictures, and Andre Austin continues on Outlander III in Scotland. Ed Clark is in Cardiff on Crossing The Border and Fabrizio Sciarra is on Carnival’s series two of Lucky Man. Rick Woollard has been busy with commercials for KFC, Sky Movies, JC Penney, Littlewoods, Boots and McDonalds, as well as campaigns for the Army and BT. Julian Morson is operating on Paddington II for Heyday Films.

Peter Edwards completed BBC’s Still Open All Hours 2, followed by dailies on Pan Goes Wrong also with the BBC and lit a Pilgrim’s Choice commercial for KreamLondon.

Giulio Biccari has finished on Guerilla for Fifty Fathoms. Ilana Garard did Steadicam dailies on Kiss Me First for Kindle Entertainment. >>

Hitchers… Natasha Braier on a Shell ad with Nicolas Winding Refn

WHO’S SHOOTING WHO? / CINEMATOGRAPHERS ROUND-UP

Howay the lads… Bart Sienkiewicz and his camera crew from The Bromley Boys – l-r 1st AC Matt Choules, DP Bart Sienkiewicz, key grip Steve Gilbert, 2nd AC Steve Dunn

PrinceStone: of the agency’s DPs… Oliver Ford shot a promo for Hak Baker in Ibiza with director Roland Walters, an A2 promo with Matilda Finn for Friend London, and Ben Khan’s latest promo via Caviar. Luca Ciuti lit an ad for Oxfam with director Joseph Pierce, produced

by Ruaidhri Ryan for Lisbon Studio, shot on location in Carnaby Street using an Alexa Mini plus Cooke S4 primes, with a DJI Ronin gimbal supported by an Easyrig with Flowcine Serene arm. Of the agency’s camera/Steadicam operators… Peter Robertson Assoc BSC ACO worked on sci-fi thriller Life at Shepperton Studios, starring Ryan Reynolds, Jake Gyllenhall and Rebecca Ferguson, directed

by Daniel Espinosa with DP Seamus McGarvey BSC ASC. Peter is now shooting Mary Poppins Returns, starring Emily Blunt, Colin Firth and Meryl Streep, directed by Rob Marshall, with Dion Beebe ACS ASC the DP. Sean Savage was in Belfast shooting Game Of Thrones for HBO, with directors Alan Taylor, Mark Mylod, Jeremy Podeswa and Matt Shakman, and DPs Jonathan Freeman, Robert McGlachlan, PJ Dillon and Gregory Middleton. Simon Baker ACO went to Dublin for The Man Who Invented Christmas, with director Bharat Nalluri and DP Ben Smithard BSC. The show stars Dan Stevens as Charles Dickens, Christopher Plummer as Ebenezer Scrooge and Jonathan Pryce as John Dickens.

James Layton ACO shot Steadicam on WW1 feature Journey’s End with director Saul Dibb and DP Laurie Rose BSC. He also shot Steadicam on The Wife, directed by Bjorn Runge, with Ulf Brantas the DP. Cosmo Campbell has In the thic k it… DP Dan of been on Game Of Thrones ny H ie le at wor in Spain and Northern a dusty loca k at tion Ireland. Joe Russell did B-camera dailies on Guerrilla, a TV mini-series for Showtime Networks and Sky Atlantic, with director Sam Miller and DP Giulio Biccari. Joe also shot second unit and Steadicam dailies on Liar with director Sam Donovan, and a documentary for director Henry Singer about the Rochdale child sex abuse scandal. He is now on Black Mirror, directed by Toby Haynes, with DP Stephan Pehrsson. Tony Kay was second unit DP on series four of Line Of Duty, using an Alexa with Zeiss Superspeeds.

Tony has also filmed a McCains ad with DP Tat Radcliffe, using Alexa Mini with Cooke S4s, and shot dailies on series two of The Durrells with director Steve Barron and DP Sam Renton. Dan Nightingale worked on series three of Poldark, in Bristol and Cornwall, using Alexa and Cooke S4/S5 lenses, with DPs David Rom and Nick Dance. Dion 32 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

Casey operated Steadicam on the second series of Into The Badlands, directed by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar with Nigel Willoughby and Owen McPolin directing the photography. Meanwhile camera operator Mark Milsome ACO worked on the second series of The Durrells for ITV, with director Steve Barron and DP Sam Renton, shooting in Corfu and at Ealing Studios, using Alexa Mini with Primo lenses. Operator Nic Milner ACO did dailies on series Listen up you lot… Ben two of The Crown for Left Bank Wilson ACO on The Crow Pictures and Sony Pictures TV. n with Sam Barnes 1st AC, Created by Peter Morgan, the plus grips Russell Diamon d and Dave Ashby Netflix Original drama chronicles the early life of Queen Elizabeth Winner… Robbie h Ryan BSC ISC wit 16 his trophy at the 20 ent nd British Indepe Film Awards

ok great…

This will lo froy eyes Axel Cosne ng angle an interesti

II played by Claire Foy. Nic worked with directors Stephen Daldry and Philip Martin and DPs Adriano Goldman and Stuart Howell.

Gravy Crew: DP Robert Shacklady GBCT has been busy shooting in Egypt for a Cairo Tourist ad, before lensing for BMW, CNN Creative, Cancer Research and a lovely David Bowie project. DP Andrew Rodger had fun on the set of psychological horror thriller The Dare, with director Giles Anderson and a random boar. DP Samuel Pearce shot a commercial for Hownd, a music video for Si Cranstoun, and fashion promos for New Balance, Asos and Koovs. Lighting cameraman Jay J. Odedra’s recent engagements include shooting feature doc Man Behind The Microphone with director Claire Belhassine for Clair De Luna Films, and

a major feature documentary on four continents in 4K, working title The Road From Durban, for The World Health Organisation, directed by Dylan Mohan Gray. Steadicam/ operator Rob Carter ACO GBCT worked on the TV drama A Man In An Orange Shirt, did dailies on Poldark and had a cheeky week away in Tenerife on Dr Who. Steadicam/operator Dan Starborg has had a busy few months shooting at Le Mans, Aston Martin and McLaren, before going to Italy on a Bridgestone job. The agency has just signed Rupert Power ACO GBCT to its Steadicam/operating roster, who was recently in action on the feature Sing Street, nominated for a Golden Globe.

Screen Talent: Adam Sliwinski is shooting Final Vision for director Nicholas McCarthy for ABC Television. Bart Sienkiewicz recently wrapped on 1970s football comedy The Bromley Boys with director Steve Kelly and Itchi Fish Films, and is now shooting sci-fi thriller Solis with director Carl Strathie and GSP Studios, starring Steven Ogg. Simon Rowling shot Vengeance, a feature directed

by Ross Boyask, produced by Evolutionary films.

Intrinsic: In features, Nic Lawson shot second unit for On Chesil Beach. Stephen Murphy lit a block of Line Of Duty. Ruairi O’Brien ISC and Craig Feather did a little bit of second unit on Grantchester, before Ruairi lit 5x5 for the BBC and Craig worked on Snatch. Rasmus Arrildt DFF continues on Mammoth Screen’s Fearless. Dave Miller is lighting October Films’ docu-drama War On Drugs, after having worked on Jamie Oliver’s latest Italian adventure. Andrew Johnson lit a block of Holby City and Nigel Clarkson operated on Midsomer Murders, Snatch and Hollyoaks. In Ireland, James Mather ISC lensed Into the Badlands. Arturo Vasquez SVC, Chris O’Driscoll, Dagmar Scheibenreif, Dave Miller, Ed Lindsley, Gabi Norland, Lynda Hall, Mark Nutkins, Martin Roach and Martyna Knitter have been busy on commercials, corporate films and music promos.

Wizzo Features: Gary Shaw has wrapped on the dystopian, Berlin-set feature Mute for director Duncan Jones, starring Paul Rudd and Alexander Skarsgard.

Hubert Taczanowski is on the first of the three part BBC series The Cormoran Strike Mysteries - The Cuckoo Calling, written by JK Rowling (under the pseudonym of Robert Galbraith), starring Tom Burke as Cormoran Strike, directed

by Michael Keillor. Maja Zamojda is prepping the third >>

WHO’S SHOOTING WHO? / CINEMATOGRAPHERS ROUND-UP

Fancy footwork… Rupert Power ACO GBCT operating Steadicam on Sing Street

Cor, phew… it’s Mark Milsome on the set of The Durrells II

All aboard… Ja llo Fa Stink director ber FSF in Slovenia with Owen Trevor on Cadburys

The finger of suspicion…

Adam Sliwinski shooting Fina l Vision

34 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

Cormoran Strike book Career Of Evil with director Charles Sturridge. Jamie Cairney is shooting Kiss Me First, a C4 drama directed by Misha Manson-Smith set in the world of on-line gaming. Dan Stafford-Clark is shooting season three of hit comedy Catastrophe. Dale McCready was in Alberta on the Kudos UK/Canadian coproduction Tin Star for Sky, penned and directed

by Rowan Joffe, starring Tim Roth and Christina Hendricks. Damian Bromley is shooting ITV’s The Durrells season two with director Ed Hall. Oli Russell lit White Gold, created and directed by Damon Beesley, and is now on the C4 comedy drama Loaded starring Jim Howick, Samuel Anderson, Jonny Sweet and Nick Helm. Nick Dance BSC shot Poldark season three with director Joss Agnew. Richard Stoddard shot the new BBC series Ill Behaviour with director Steve Bendelack. Baz Irvine is grading the second series of the drama/thriller Safehouse with director Marc Evans, starring Stephen Moyer.

Matthias Pilz is grading the feature The Miner in Berlin with director Hannah Slak. Fede Alfonzo lit the feature My Name Is Lenny, the life story of one of Britain’s most notorious bare-knuckle fighters, Lenny McLean, directed by Ron Scalpello and also the short film Henrietta Tate All cosy with HRH… directed by Tom Beckwith Philips.

Steve Chivers and Sophie Luke Palmer shot the feature Rise Muller in LA during a Of The Foot Soldier III with director break on Anthem Zachary Adler and is now on The

Baz Irvine on Safehouse

Unseen, written and directed by Gary Sinyor. Duncan Telford lensed the documentary One Strange Rock, executive produced by Darren Aronofsky, shooting in Morocco, Peru and Brazil. Congratulations to Duncan for Hoff The Record, which won an International Emmy Award for Best Comedy. Sergio Delgado did a week of main unit days on The Good Karma Hospital, directed by Bill Eagles.

Mattias Nyberg shot the short 31st Floor, written and directed by Tiani Ghosh, and did second unit days on the BAFTA-winning drama Dr Foster. Jan Richter-Friis DFF is lighting US fantasy drama Sleepy Hollow. Sverre Sordal has shot his second short collaboration with writer/director Henry Blake called County Lines. Franklin Dow lit the short Sound Asleep with director Nadaav Soundry. Patrick Meller worked on the short Beast, directed by Leonora Lonsdale.

The short Worm is in post, shot by Matthew Emvin Taylor and directed by Dean Brocklehurst. Angus Hudson BSC shot main unit days on the feature Crooked House, directed

by Gilles Paquet-Brenner. Congratulations to Tim Sidell whose short Jacked, directed by Rene Pannevis won Best British Short film at BIFA 2016. Further congratulations to Rina Yang who won Best Cinematography at Underwire Festival for the short Lost Youth directed by Taichi Kimura and David Procter who won Bronze for Cinematography at Ciclope Festival for his work on the Sam Pilling-directed, DJ Shadow feat. Run The Jewels music promo Nobody Speak.

ARRICREW: Tom Wade lit a pilot for a feature about Barbara Hepworth titled The Sculptress and worked with Michal Pelka on fashion spots for Monocle and Matches Fashion. Iain Mackay ACO operated on Stephen Friars’ film Victoria And Abdul for Danny Cohen BSC and Game of Thrones in Belfast. Paul Edwards ACO was in Corfu on the second series of The Durrells, and also on the TNT series Will. Ben Wilson ACO is on the second series of The Crown for Netflix with first AC Sam Barnes and

Firestarter… Duncan Telford in Peru on the huge international doc One Strange Rock with director Graham Booth Eyeing up the new beast…

Petra Korner at the 2016 Camerimage Festival trying out the Panavision DXL camera

Clearly not on a British-based shoot…

Oliver Ford in Ibiza

grips Russell Diamond and Dave Ashby. Jason Ewart ACO is on A-camera and Steadicam for The Nutcracker And The Four Realms. Peter Batten ACO is one of two operators on Paddington II, shooting at Leavesden Studios and locations around London. Chris Pleven ACO was chilling in Belfast and hen frying in Spain as A-camera operator on Wolf Unit with Game Of Thrones, along with Peter Wagnall on B-camera and Steadicam, and additional operators Cosmo Campbell, Clive Jackson and Tim Milligan. Camera/ Steadicam operator Ossie McLean ACO worked on The Children Act with Andrew Dunn BSC and director Richard Eyre, and is now with DP Peter Talbot on the splinter unit of The Nutcracker And The Four Realms.

MY Management: are over the moon that Robbie Ryan BSC ISC won Outstanding Achievement In Craft at this year’s BIFAs for his work on American Honey, directed

by Andrea Arnold. DP Gerry Floyd also received a nod at the awards for the docudrama Notes On Blindness which won Best Documentary. Gerry also won a Golden Frog for Best Cinematography for his work on Notes On Blindness at the 2016 Camerimage Festival in Poland. John Perez attended Camerimage and was a judge in the music video category. He has since shot for Elizabeth Arden in LA, with director Randy St Nichols, and promos in Mexico for Inna and Sophie Ellis Bextor with Sophie Muller. Petra Korner, also at Camerimage, where she tried out trying out the new Panavision DXL camera, has been busy shooting in her native Vienna. Sy Turnbull lit an Otis ad with director Dan Sully, plus music videos for Emeli Sande, with director Tim Mattia at London Alley, and for artist MO with director Georgia Hudson and Agile Films. He also lensed a River Island christmas spot with photographer/director Felix Cooper and Rexona in Brazil with director Barnaby Roper and Cadence Films. Tim Spence shot spots for Huawei and British Fashion Council with The Mill. Vincent Warin

Say cheese everyone… Iain Mackay photographed with Andy Banwell, Ben Adefarasin, Alex Mott, Sue Hills, Danny Cohen, Ben Brown, Campbell Mitchell, Anthony Bagley, Pacu Trautvetter on location in India

shot a L’Oréal ad with director Karen Cunningham through Bandit in Paris. Todd Banhazl was in Vietnam with director Emil Moller working on Milo, and in LA with John Patten Ford on a Conscious Minds shoot. He also shot Zalando and DKNY spots with director Gordon von Steiner in NYC. Tómas Örn Tómasson is shooting feature Mihkel with director Ari Alexander in his native Iceland. Paul Mackay shot the feature We Are Kings with director Lauren McKenzie. David Lanzenberg was on the pilot Monsters Of God, with director Rob Lurie in New Mexico, through Plan B Entertainment. Robbie Ryan BSC ISC shot a short film called Cake with director Alan Friel, a Crown Royal spot with director Daniel Wolfe in New Orleans, and a Sport England spot with Kim Gehrig at Somesuch. Richard Stewart lensed Lipton’s Green Tea in Portugal with Pulse Films directors D.A.R.Y.L., and was in Naples shooting with cinematographer Greig Fraser ACS ASC on the feature Mary Magdalene, starring Rooney Mara, Joaquin Phoenix and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Tuomo Virtanen was in Cape Town with Rune Milton, and also lensed a McDonalds ad in Finland. Steve Chivers shot with Anthem and Sophie Muller in LA, and did a Nissan commercial in China with Daniel Barber through TPSS Productions. David Wright lit for director Dillon Holmes Williams for New Look, with Lukasz Malisiewicz for Viasat and worked on a BBC Doco called Refugee Crisis with Jake Hopewell. Katelin Arizmendi collaborated with director Bennett Johnson on a Foreign Fields promo in North Dakota, has been in NYC shooting Cadillac with Iconoclast director Sam De Jong and Powerade in Barcelona with director Nico Perez Veiga. Dominic Bartels worked with director Jamie Maule Ffinch on BT with Love, and a spot for Ali Baba through Hub TV as well as a promo for Little Mix with Director X and Luti Media. He most recently shot pick-ups on the feature 90 Minutes with director Simon Baker. Ekkehart

Pollack shot Toyota in Budapest with director Hideyuki Tanaka, Ford Mustang in Cape Town with Cadmo Quintero and Mercedes G Class in Chile with Simon Puschmann and Big Fish productions. Simon Rowles worked on Isuzu and Audi with Vertical Productions and collaborated with director Leo McCrea and Studio Lambert. Jo Willems ASC SBC is on the feature Red Sparrow in Budapest with Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence. The film is based on the novel of the same name by veteran CIA officer Jason Matthews and stars Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton and Jeremy Irons. Lester De Havilland has been working with director Rob Kluger at Strike Digital. Anders Flatland FNF was in Miami with director Stefan Faldbakken and in Cape Town with director Aksel Hennie. Andrew Boulter went to India, Dubai, Beirut and Istanbul with Sugar Rush and Ivo Mostertman. Nicolaj Bruel shot a Pandora spot in Copenhagen with Bacon director Martin Werner, and teamed up with him again for a Magnum campaign through Propaganda Productions in Bucharest. Olivier Cariou has been busy shooting Comparethemarket Australia and UK campaigns with Passion Pictures’ directors Dave Scanlon and Darren Walsh, and also Etisalat in Prague with Joy Films and Declan Whitebloom. Aaron Reid shot Dove with Make Films and director James Moore, Mercedes with Citizen Films and director Rollo, and has also been shooting with director Mathew Walker at Caviar. Jallo Faber FSF was in his native Stockholm with director Marcus Sundqvist, and in Mallorca shooting IQ with director Tomas Mankovsky. He also lensed a spot for Cadburys in Slovenia with Stink director Owen Trevor, plus Lufthansa in London and Frankfurt with director Martin Werner. Marcelo Durst lensed spots for C&A and Ford Ka with director Pedro Becker through production company Fat Bastards. Will Humphris, Mel Griffith, Pedro Castro and Roger Bonnici have been busy working on personal projects. n

British Cinematographer | January 2017 | 35

INNOVATOR / MICHAEL CIONI / LIGHT IRON

DYNAMIC RANGER It takes a special kind of bloody mindedness and vision to succeed when all about you are predicting failure, but then few people possess the passion and relentless determination of Michael Cioni.

T

he president and co-founder of digital post-production pioneer Light Iron is about to make another splash when Panavision’s digital cinematography camera, the Millennium DXL, launches commercially this winter.

As significant as this product could be, it is likely far from the pinnacle of a career forged by two watershed moments.

Growing up in Chicago, Cioni was intrigued by his father’s work as an animator.

He recalls how, after school, he watched his father create animated cell drawings for commercials featuring the Ninja Turtles or Care Bears. With his mother he used to visit the local Eastman Kodak plant to collect newly developed rolls of film and deliver them to his father’s company, Cioni Artworks.

“Sometimes he would let me expose one frame of a film for a commercial on his two-story animation stand,” says Cioni. “As a kid I got introduced to technology and creativity working hand-in-hand. That’s a powerful combination. The process of cell animation – which is akin to stop-motion – is hyper-technical, but drawing cartoon characters and giving them personality is hyper-creative. I began then to recognise the benefits of merging the two, and later saw a changing ecosystem in which the technical and creative worlds drew even closer together. Defining this is critical for the next generation, and is why I created a word to describe those of us who understand today’s balance between technology and creativity: ‘technatives’.”

He adds, “I believe the next generation of greats in the motion picture industry are going to be in equal parts, technically-minded and creatively-minded. In the past, these disciplines have traditionally been separated, but this will not be the case in a heavily automated, highly-complex and competitive future. The most important advice I can give future filmmakers is to approach the creative process with a technologically open mind.”

Cioni is proof of a new generation for which a grounding in art and science is essential. Armed with a belief in the power of the ‘technative’ Cioni embarked on a degree in Mass Communications and Media Arts at Southern Illinois University, and soon ran up against his second formative experience.

“I was very fortunate to be at college studying film at a time when digital cinema started to emerge,” he says. “My friends and I were hungry to get our hands on new digital technology, and did everything we could to learn about it and manipulate it to our advantage.”

And this they did, using student loans and money gifted from their families to purchase a complete digital filmmaking kit including an Apple G3, Final Cut Pro, a Sony PD150 DVCam camcorder and a FireWire infrastructure to integrate it all together.

The university, however, was unimpressed. “We were producing short films out of our apartment of better quality than anything made on the school’s expensive equipment. Our editing systems were better, our cameras were better and we authoured our first of many advanced digital workflows. It was new, organic and grassroots. Just a bunch of film students discovering an entirely new way to create stories with professors that couldn’t comprehend what was happening. I remember being told on more than one occasion that if I used Final Cut Pro and my PDF150 to do a class project I would be failed. I, of course, did it anyway.”

As college juniors, Cioni and friend Ian Vertovec subsequently won a Student Emmy and Kodak’s Emerging Filmmaker program in 2000 using their DIY digital kit.

When they were invited to the Cannes Film Festival, they had to choose whether to go or miss all-important end of year exams.

“I BELIEVE THE NEXT GENERATION OF GREATS IN THE MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY ARE GOING TO BE IN EQUAL PARTS, TECHNICALLY-MINDED AND CREATIVELY-MINDED.” MICHAEL CIONI 36 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

“Some of our film school teachers were so troubled with our renegade success they didn’t consider the Cannes Film Festival an excuse to postpone the exam, and so when we went, we failed most of our junior year classes,” says Cioni.

Undeterred, the duo and their team ended up winning the same awards the following year with the same outcome. A trip to Cannes met with failed final exams.

Soon after, they quit college without having graduated.

“As a twenty-year-old, I learned a great lesson: that people generally prefer things to change slowly or not at all,” reflects Cioni. “To those dependent on the status quo, rapid change is like the friction on an active fault line. Seeing that Luddite mentality at an early age prepared me to push for innovation even when others resist it. I learned that my technative instincts can have a significant impact on telling stories, and that there were other filmmakers interested in that too.”

So successful was the tyro filmmaker that the news entertainment programme he directed with

Vertovec and friends while at SIU, ‘alt.news 26:46’, won five Emmys in its first two seasons (the show still airs on PBS and has gone on to win 13 more Emmys).

Naively perhaps, in 2001 Cioni thought taking his passion for digital cinema from a small town in America’s midwest to the Hollywood elite would be easy. “We figured we’d go to Hollywood and get jobs with everyone else who is excited about this new technology! But to our surprise, Hollywood’s leaders were a lot like the faculty at SIU; they didn’t like the idea of digital cinema either. Instead of being welcomed with lots of opportunity, we had to work

on our own to find like-minded people who recognised that a digital tipping point was approaching.”

They first partnered with director Christopher Coppola and together formed PlasterCITY Digital Post in 2003. It opened with an office on Hollywood and Vine and grew over six years to be one of the most significant digital desktop-based post houses in the world.

“When we started there were only a few filmmakers that embraced an end-to-end digital workflow,” he remarks.

“George Lucas set the stage with Star Wars Episode II using a Panavised Sony F900. Then filmmakers like David Fincher, Michael Mann and Robert Rodriguez started building their own pipelines for digital experimentation. For our >>

British Cinematographer | January 2017 | 37

INNOVATOR / MICHAEL CIONI / LIGHT IRON

“Even though the financial market was a terrible time to start a new business, we were seeing more traction toward filebased filmmaking, so we offered a house built on support for tapeless workflows like RED and ARRI Alexa.”

The facility quickly grew, prompting an expansion into New York with the acquisition of OffHollywood’s Manhattan assets,

business, it was indie filmmakers who loved digital because they were willing to try anything to save money and still have a professionally looking product. But we knew the time when mainstream cinema would start adopting digital was just around the corner, and in 2006 RED Digital Cinema became the catalyst we needed.”

“When RED started, there were many who publicly argued their camera had no professional merit” he says. “But it wasn’t necessarily the actual camera they had issues with, it was that the product represented a change in the market’s pre-established power and control. When powerful people are met with disruptive innovations, they tend to resist significant changes that have the potential to negatively affect their interests. The bad news for entrepreneurs is that there will always be credible critics in a changing market (which makes it hard to know who to trust if you’re on the fence). But the good news is that everyone gets exposed to these new ideas. Those who once said they’d never shoot digital are now preaching to others to convert. It’s because of the companies who willingly took a lot of the risk that shooting digital is no longer taboo.”

In 2009 Cioni and Vertovec, along with Cioni’s brother Peter, struck out on their own and set up a fresh file-based 4K facility. “The concept was to marry the desktop efficiencies of the indie world with the industrial needs of massive studio productions. Merging the light with the heavy iron if you will.

38 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

and taking the facilities' expertise on location with a series of international mobile laboratories called Outpost.

“Suddenly we were servicing a dozen major tentpole releases because the incumbent facilities were simply not as well-equipped to handle 3D or high-resolution data in the field. We were doing headto-head tests with major competitors, whose army of engineers would still be downloading while our footage was already on the cinematographer’s iPad. We thought to ourselves, ‘we were born and bred to do this stuff.’”

Over the years, Cioni has amassed credits on over 200 digital shows including Gone Girl, Pirates Of the Caribbean IV, The Walk and The Amazing Spider-Man.

When Panavision came looking to diversify its business, Cioni saw a prime opportunity to expand. The acquisition in December 2014 brought Light Iron’s archiving workflow, creative services and colour science into the Panavision fold. And, it also sparked an idea for a new camera system built for both production and post-production.

The Millennium DXL, in terms of resolution, pixel pitch, lensing, ergonomics, workflow, accessories and electronics, is designed to be the most advanced digital cinema camera ever made. It’s a super-computer with modular accessories and superior RED electronics. But that’s not the only reason this camera is so special.

“It’s the most advanced camera ever because it is not built for today’s needs; rather we are concerned about what the needs of tomorrow are going to look like,” says Cioni. “It’s also not just designed for the cinematographer, but also for the camera assistant, VFX supervisors, editors, and even for downstream delivery to OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and HBO. When you get up close and personal with the DXL, you’ll see how many people were considered when building this product.

“DXL’s 8K Weapon sensor provides incredible resolution and dynamic range. In addition, Panavision’s custom toolset and Light Iron’s colour science and end-to-end workflow, including wider colour gamut, contribute to the expectation for high rental demand.

“Some people like high resolution for the ability to re-zoom and reframe, or better tracking. Some like HDR to make an image look more three-dimensional. And other people’s preference is for wider colour to help the picture seem more realistic. But the truth is, it’s the combination of the three that make a picture truly fantastic.

“Very few people have seen all three of these powerful elements put together in a single image because the cameras, displays and projection systems aren’t totally available yet. These technologies are still emerging. But the DXL already allows you to shoot content ready for that market change. And our future DXL roadmap is even more exciting. We’re building a camera system that has the ability to make pictures as unique as your own fingerprints. That’s where the DXL is going and when you look at the big picture, the DXL is something no one has ever done before.”

“Thinking back, my interest in innovation has only increased since I was a teenager. I love to focus on possibility, regardless of the size of the challenge before me. The fuel for innovation is different for everyone. For me, it’s a deep desire to keep an open mind and always being willing to share what I’ve found with the world.” n

Welcome to the 2017 BSC Expo. Following the success of its 2016 edition, the BSC Expo is back, and is bigger than ever, at Battersea Evolution, Battersea Park, London (3-4 February 2017).

Created by the British Society Of Cinematographers, the annual kit-fest is the UK’s leading event for film and television production – delivering the nation’s premier showcase for all manner of new and innovative products and services, plus informative panel discussions and technical presentations.

The BSC Expo offers a highly-sociable networking opportunity too, providing a great rendez-vous to catch up with friends and colleagues. And, admission is absolutely free! All under one roof, in the heart of London, you can check out the very latest lens, camera and lighting equipment, on-set tech, grip and support gear, location and production services, along with post production, VFX and sound technology – from more exhibitors, more brands, more manufacturers and more suppliers than ever, from right around the world.

Added to this, the BSC Expo is hosting a free two-day seminar programme. Leading global cinematographers and technology specialists will take the stage to discuss and present the very latest issues and trends in cinematography.

>>

PREVIEW / BSC EXPO 2017

Aaton Digital/Transvideo: CEO Jacques Delacoux and sales director Karine Fouque will be on hand to present the latest must-see produlight tile produces an extremely soft light, and has a flicke

of spherical and anamorphic options from the company’s growing inventory of lenses, comprising both modern and vintage glass.

1Film Unit - Stand 427: ‘Old Heads New Kit’

company that is located 2 miles from New York City.

We are a rental company that strives to give excellent customer service and have the newest equipment in town. Arriflex, Airstar, Briese, Kino-Flo and Mole Richardson are some of the manufacturers we carry in our rental stock.

Camera Rental facility based in West London – extensive range of large format cameras and anamorphic & spherical lenses. Our team has more than 80 years of experience between them. We bring a fresh approach and attitude to camera rental. Come and drop by - we think you’ll be impressed.

Aaton-Digital – Stand 300: Aaton-Digital will exhibit

the CantarX3, the highly specified, highly acclaimed portable 24 track ultimate location sound recorder, along with its accessories including the Cantarem2 additional fader panel.

A.C. Entertainment Technologies Stand 107:

Head to the A.C. Entertainment Technologies stand and see some of the latest cutting edge technologies for both studio and location use. These include the award-winning Chroma-Q Space Force, Fiilex, Mole Richardson, Manfrotto, Quasar Science, DMG Lumière, and our in-house bespoke cable manufacturing facility, Tourflex Cabling.

ACO – Stand TA6: The Association of Camera

Operators is a voluntary organisation, of professional feature film, commercials, and television drama camera operators, specialising in the art of camera operating.

We aim to celebrate and promote the technical and creative skills of the Camera Operator.

Adcal Labels – Stand 623: All proudly made in High

Wycombe; Flight case Labels, Ultra Durable Equipment Labels, Tour labels (permanent and removable), Barcode labels, clear overlays, Tail labels will all be on display. Visit the stand to see why Adcal supply the biggest names in the industry with the best labels.

Anton/Bauer – Stand 131: Anton/Bauer has been

the Industry Standard for over 40 years. We make the most advanced and renowned batteries that power the television and movie industry. Anton/Bauer offers world-class levels of safety, performance and reliability and continues to research new chemistries for longer run-times and battery life to meet the ever-changing needs of camera operators.

ARRI – Stand 305: Some new ARRI products will be

demonstrated for the first time in the UK: the TRINITY camera stabilizer, the SkyPanel S120-C LED soft light and the Master Grips for handheld control and comfort. Also on show will be ALEXA SXT, ALEXA Mini and AMIRA cameras, alongside ARRI lenses and accessories.

ARRI Rental – Stand 219: will showcase its current 65 mm optics range for the ALEXA 65 camera, including new Prime 65 S and Prime DNA lens sets. Also on display will be the ALEXA XT B+W, as well as a further selection

Available Light – Stand 115: is a specialized lighting

Avolites – Stand 431: We manufacture dimmers,

lighting consoles, media servers and accessories that are used in live events, film & TV and installs all over the world. Avolites is dedicated to the production of cutting edge technology and the pioneering unification of video and lighting control.

Azule Finance – Stand 110: is the

leading provider of asset finance and leasing solutions for the Broadcast Industry & Professional Cinematographers in the UK and across Europe. Get the right finance package to suit your business now by calling +44 (0)1753 580 500 or email info@azule.co.uk #AffordingCreativity

Backstage Equipment – Stand 205: has been

designing and manufacturing equipment handling carts and accessories for the Film and Television industry since 1979. We are also the largest retailer specializing in Magliner customized products and accessories. We now produce over one hundred specialized carts for virtually every behind-the-scene craft.

Barbizon – Stand 122: ‘Now in our 70th Year, Barbizon continues to supply the best products the industry has to offer. Worldwide distribution and offices in USA, UK and Australia.’

BeyondHD – Stand 325: Pinewood Studios

based BeyondHD are at the forefront of stabilised camera platforms for ground and aerial filming. Our environmentally friendly fleet includes the world's first commercially certified Gyrocopter with 5 Axis Gimbal and the hugely flexible all-terrain electric quad bike. Over 5 years filming with high end cine/TV drone filming makes us one of the most experienced drone operators in Europe.

Black-Tek – Stand 620: Founded by a grip and an

engineer in 2010 - Black–Tek specialized in "CarRigging".

Our vacuum rigging system "AirRig" is one of the best worldwide. With our scope "Cameracar out of the box" we are creating new products: The Black-Tek Tower: Lightweight, professional equipment honored by the Cinec Award 2016! More will follow soon.

Bristol VFX – Stand 611: Bristol

VFX ffers professional Film Industry Standard products in specific VFX Blue and Green colour correct, coordinated materials. These consist of: Screen Fabrics; Lycra for bodysuit production. Waterbased Paints and PVC Flooring. All products are compatible for VFX compositing and keying in all formats used in Film and Video production.

Broadcast Film & Video – Stand 135:

Broadcast Film & Video has been publishing news and quality advertising to the broadcast industry for over 20 years and remains at the forefront of broadcast publishing. The 4rfv website continues to grow in size and prominence and has dominated the sector for many years, delivering quality content to the global broadcast industry.

Brownian Motion – Stand 125: Brownian Motion

is a camera rental facility offering high-end Digital Camera packages from Arri, Red to Sony cameras. We can supply anything from VR Camera Rig setups to fully cine-rigged kits with an extensive range of 35mm lenses. We offer a comprehensive industry knowledge of film, broadcast, and television, making us a one stop solution from lens to post.

Camera Revolution – Stand 606: Suppliers of

remote and stabilised remote camera systems.

Libra, Libra MINI, and Maxima remote stabilised camera systems and MEGA 3 axis remote heads.

We also supply wire systems 1, 2, or 3 axis, RC car, rickshaw, remote lift rigs and remote tracks for application with the stabilised remote heads.

Camera Support Granderath (CaSu) – Stand 128: handles Prosup Grip

equipment such as the portable, extendable Tango Roller, the foldable LapTop Dolly and the less than 1 minute to set-up Ejib. Also on display other grip gear like the Gimble, Plover pedestal dolly... Furthermore CaSu represents Tuffpak tripod cases, Muraro Lightstands and Cinematography’s Cinetape.

Canon – Stand 614: A world

leading innovator and provider of digital imaging technology, Canon inspire professionals and amateur photographers world-wide, empowering ideas and allowing everyone to capture that perfect moment. State-ofthe-art technology, exceptional product quality and intuitive design concepts come together to deliver advanced performance you can rely on and enjoy.

Chroma-Q – Stand 107: The award-winning

Space Force™ by Chroma-Q® is a cutting-edge variable white LED source replacement for conventional space/soft lights used in film and TV studios. Tuneable from 2, 800K to 6, 500K, lightweight, energy efficient, passively cooled and with a diffused output so no skirts/silks required. www.chroma-q.com/space-force

Cinediving – Stand 303 : Hi-end underwater Filming.

Opening end 2017. Film Studios 13,000 & 18,500 sq feet. Water Stage 16,000 sq feet.

Cine Power international – Stand 626:

Showing our extensive range of advanced, rugged, reliable high performance “Safe to Fly” NiMH batteries for all cameras, grip and lighting equipment. Anything needing portable power from V Lock batteries to complex heavy duty power for crane and remote heads. Unique DC or AC Ballasts, clever Smart Cables and Communing Blocks and some surprises...

Cinemoves – Stand 520: Cinemoves is a company

committed to the art of moving and stabilizing the camera. We carry the full line of telescopic cranes, stabilized gimbals and tracking vehicles for land, sea and air. Your true one stop shop for all of your camera movement needs.

Cineo Lighting – stand 425: Cineo Lighting will be

showing the new MavX, the colour-tunable version of their popular portable Maverick lighting fixture for film and television. In addition to showing the latest generation of their HS Remote Phosphor soft lights, Cineo is also demonstrating HSX, the colour-tunable member of the HS family, with the same output and color quality of the legacy HS fixtures.

PREVIEW / BSC EXPO 2017

Cintek – Stand 331: Cintek specialises in Cinematic

technology. Exhibiting the all-new 18.5mm Celere lens from Hanse-Inno-Tech. See the full range of HanseInno-Tech products at BSC.

Cirro Lite – Stand 610: On the Cirro Lite booth

this year Kino Flo will be showing the “Select” line of LED products with new colour control features, from Dedolight there will be new products in their Turbo range. Matthews will showcase a number of new camera mount systems adding to their growing line of camera grip products.

DAYLIGHT GRIP & TEXTILES LTD – Stand 215:

Have serviced our industry since 2000. We design and manufacture a complete range of performance textiles for location lighting, photographic and entertainment industries. We also offer a full range of flags, scrims and eggcrates. To compliment the above we have designed individual bags for the same, plus sand bags, scrim bags, stand bags etc.

Definition Magazine – Stand TA9:

Since 2003, Definition has been inspiring the cinema and broadcast worlds, revealing the latest technologies and trends and predicting the future for every aspect of the ever-changing professional market from capture to distribution www.definitionmagazine.com

Denz – Stand 126: manufactures high-end camera

accessories for the video and film industry for more than 45 years. DENZ presents its highlights like the new measuring tool KING PETER for imbalanced camera sensors, the director’s viewfinder OIC-35A for anamorphic and spherical lenses, the swinging camera plate DENZHEAD and the latest accessories for ARRI AMIRA.

DoPchoice – Stand 425: Snapgrids®, Snapbags® and Butterfly grids offer enhanced control for LED lighting with easier-use, instant setup, compact, lighter weight designs.

Exalux – Stand 608. LED LIGHTING

|DIMMING | CONTROL | POWER The Exalux team designs hardware and software solutions for broadcasting and cinematography. We truly believe that you deserve state of the art technologies designed to help you set complex lighting configuration into time.

CMotion – Stand 130: Since 2002, cmotion

have designed and manufactured quality lens and camera control systems for film and broadcast. And, by embracing the latest technology, have inspired a growing international community of operators.

Synonymous with functionality, reliability, compatibility and ergonomic build quality, cmotion offer simple and bespoke solutions to control your lens.

Codex – Stand 617: (www.codex.online) Codex will

be demonstrating new features in Codex Production Suite, the all-in-one package for colour grading, review, metadata management, transcoding, QC and archiving of media generated by digital cinematography cameras.

Shipping now, Codex Production Suite 4.1 provides “one workflow” for multiple cameras, including the new Canon EOS Cinema C700, the Panasonic VariCam Pure and the ARRI ALEXA SXT.

Digital Orchard – Stand 227: provides comprehensive workflow services specialising in digital dailies and on-set colour. We have come together with Kodak to bring our bespoke workflows to film productions. Using our specialist knowledge, we are applying the advances that came about with digital technology to the existing film workflow.

Feral Equipment – Stand 628: Feral Equipment is a London camera and grip rental house, wrangling kit since 2006. We’re run BY people who work on set, FOR people who work on set. We design and build wearable camera rigs plus a wide range of high-end large format cameras with anamorphic and spherical options. Come and try out a selection of our rigs. www.feralequipment.com Fiilex – Stand 107: Fiilex manufacture a highly

innovative range of LED lighting fixtures, designed specifically for use in Film and Broadcast. All fixtures utilise dense matrix LED technology, with Multi-Channel Control. This allows tuning to the desired colour temperature of output, with a high TLCI. www.fiilex.com

Filmlight – Stand 521: FilmLight develops unique

colour grading systems, image processing applications and workflow tools that are transforming film and video post-production and setting new standards for quality, reliability and performance. The company’s streamlined metadata-based workflows employ the best creative tools, allowing creative professionals to work at the forefront of the digital media revolution.

Flowcine – Stand 200: FlowCine is about producing high quality accessories for professional photographers.

The main focus is on products to support camera operators and solve stabilisation issues. From handheld to vehicles, on land or water, Flowcine have camera and gimbal support covered.

Flying Glass – Stand 638: specialize in remote aerial

filming for the UK television, film, and commercial industries. Flying Glass has CAA permission to fly the super heavylift Shotover U1 drone, day and night, even in congested areas, carrying camera packages up to 10 kg, with zoom or prime lenses.

Frame24 – Stand 227: is an official reseller of Kodak

motion picture film with flexible delivery and open 24/7 they can meet the ever changing demands of modern filmmaking. They also carry a good range of clearance stock sourced from the end of major productions. Contact via www.frame24ltd.co.uk or call 07774 608709.

DMG Lumiere – Stand 302: Excited to be back again at the BSC Expo is DMG Lumière, LED lighting pioneers from Lyon, France. Introducing for the first time in the UK, their new light, the MAXI Switch.

Come and meet the team, Sandra, Nils and Thomas at booth 302 and see their innovative lighting solutions.

Cooke Optics – Stand 604:

Complement your Cooke Anamorphic/i lenses with NEW Cooke Anamorphic/i SF – “Special Flair” lenses. Kick the flares, bokeh and other aberrations into new visual territory. True front anamorphics, and the SF version is specially coated to give you even more options. 25, 32, 40 50, 75, 100, 135mm. Coming: 180 and 300mm.

CW Sonderoptic – Stand 109: CW

Codex will be demonstrating new features in Codex Production Suite.

Sonderoptic, designer/manufacturer of the Leica Cine Lenses and sister company to Leica Camera, creates professional cinema optics that offer unique options for creative expression. The Leica Summicron-C, Summilux-C and M 0.8 lenses interpret light and skin tones in ways that are both clear and flattering, particularly on digital sensors.

British Cinematographer | January 2017 | 43

PREVIEW / BSC EXPO 2017

Flying Pictures – Stand 101: are the world’s leading

aerial camera company, with a history spanning 35 years and over 450 feature credits plus numerous dramas and commercials. Supplying all forms of aerial camerawork from Helicopters and the industry's leading stabilised systems for Alexa65 and PanavisionDXL to Drones and the UK’s only CAA 10m Operating Permission.

Flying TV – Stand 427: is one of the most respected

stabilised aerial filming providers in the UK. We specialise in tailoring lower-cost packages for the independent sector bringing affordable, cinema quality aerials within the reach of the tightest budgets. We fly Arri, Red & Canon cameras and Canon & Angenieux lenses on the Gyro Stabilised Systems C516 helicopter gimbal and Freefly Alta 8 drones.

Fujifilm Cinema Lenses – Stand 426: Fujifilm UK will

have on show our range of HK Plus Premier, ZK Premier Cabrio and XK Premier Cinematography lenses.

These award winning 4k & 4k+ lenses are the culmination of many years of development resulting in exceptional resolution and speed with outstanding dependable performance.

Glidecam Industries Inc. – Stand 117: offers a wide

variety of camera stabilizers for use with Cine, HD and 4K cameras. You will find many new products at the 2017 BSC show. Glidecam has been in the camera stabilization business for over 25 years and dedicated to the very best in customer service.

GUILD OF BRITISH CAMERA TECHNICIANS – Stand TA4: Look no further if you want to work with

knowledgeable, qualified and craft trained camera technicians. GBCT Members are dedicated to upholding quality and standards in the film, television and related media industries. They know what they are doing and are very clearly “The Best of the Best”.

(T) 020 8813 1999; (E) info@gbct.org; (W) www.gbct.org

GTC – Stand TA5: Established in 1972, the GTC is a

non-profit organisation run by a council of television professionals. Financed partly by members' subscriptions, currently 1,340+ worldwide and by suppliers/ manufacturers sponsorship. Our aim is to preserve the professional status of television camera people, uphold standards and expertise within our profession.

Helicopter Film Services – Stand 125: are specialists

in aerial filming and aviation services. Founded in 1993, HFS has grown to include helicopters, jets, specialist camera tracking vehicles and Small Unmanned Aircraft (drones) for work in feature films, commercials, branded content and broadcast TV. Our services are available in the UK and Worldwide.

Holdan – Stand 504: Holdan will be exhibiting with its

partners Blackmagic Design, Panasonic, Teradek, Paralinx, SLR Magic and SmallHD. We will demonstrate 4K production systems including UltraHD A and B cameras, as well as a host of industry leading on-camera displays, anamorphic lenses, HDR monitors and zero latency wireless senders.

IDT (UK) Ltd. – Stand 430: The ultra compact O-10

captures over 1000 stunning 4K images per second, and includes many features designed to speed up workflow. HD-SDI, removable SSD memory, battery power, multiple interfaces. IDT’s expertise lies in creating innovative products, designed for real world applications.

High speed cameras and powerful LED lighting for demanding professionals.

Indu-Electric Power Distribution UK Ltd. – Stand 106: A Power Distribution box from INDU-ELECTRIC is a commitment to Safety, Quality, Reliability and Design.

Indu-Electric has been the entertainment industry’s premier manufacture of custom non-conductive power distribution boxes for motion picture, indoor and outdoor events, theatrical, audio visual, conventions and international touring.

44 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

Inovativ Carts – Stand 200: INOVATIV carts and

compact digital workstations are quickly becoming an industry standard. Constructed of aluminum, thermal-plastics, and stainless steel hardware, you will find INOVATIV products to be extremely effective onset tools. Whether you are a DIT, Steadicam Operator, or Photographer, INOVATIV’s thoughtful designs increase workflow efficiency.

Visit www.inovativcarts.com.

In-motion – Stand 402: In-motion are a major

distributor of professional lighting and grip equipment to the UK’s Film, TV, Broadcast, Entertainment and Photographic markets. As an ARRI main dealer and an accredited ARRI lighting service centre, their dedicated specialist technicians use official ARRI spare parts and provide service levels which are second to none.

K5600 Lighting – Stand 523: has been established

since 1992 simultaneously in FRANCE and in the US. Specializing in HMI kits such as Jokers and Alphas the company has been known for the compactness, lightweight and versatility of the fixtures. Being a human size company, K5600 is close to the end users.

Kays – Stand 433: For over 35 years, KAYS have

been an independent company specialising in film and TV information publishing throughout the UK and Ireland. First with directories and now across web, app and direct marketing, we cover all aspects of media publishing and have become the industry standard.

KODAK - Stand 227: The film-friendly network of

collaborative companies supporting 8mm to 65mm production, post and preservation, are the focus at Kodak’s shared stand. Celebrating the worldwide renaissance in analogue filmmaking, staff from Kodak, Kodak Film Lab London, Cinelab London, stock supplier Frame 24, workflow specialist Digital Orchard and Cinema Printing Company will all be on hand.

LCA – Stand 425: LCA Lights Camera Action is a

leading supplier of professional equipment to the Film, Broadcast and Video industries providing a wide range of products including LED and traditional lights, grip, power, distribution, cables, textiles and consumables. LCA will be showing the latest products from Cineo Lighting, LiteGear, RatPac, LSI, DoPchoice, Matrix Balls and more. Visit our stand to have the chance to win a Cineo Matchbox.

LEE Filters – Stand 111: Come and see the new ProGlass Cine Range of IRND filters from LEE Filters. These new glass ND filters have been designed to meet the exacting needs of all cinematographers - whether shooting digitally or on film.

ProGlasss Cine filters ensure all colour remain accurate and true, therefore saving time and simplifying workflow.

Le Mark Self Adhesive Ltd – Stand 607: is involved

in the innovative development, manufacturing and converting of self-adhesive products, the PAL Roadcase label and the DirtyRigger® range of gloves and accessories. We market stage and TV studio floors which are specifically designed and manufactured for the professional TV and Film industry. www.lemark.co.uk

LiteGear – Stand 425: LiteGear continues to fill out the

options and accessories for the popular LiteTile product family. The new LiteBox is a lightweight, modular softbox system designed to make LiteTile more user friendly.

With adjustable frame depths of 1”, 6” and 12” and three diffusion options for both LiteTile sizes, there’s sure to be a LiteBox for every scene.

Litepanels – Stand 131: Litepanels is the market leader in LED lighting systems for the television, broadcast, video and film industries. Our ground-breaking, awardwinning lighting products are developed with a clear focus on performance, reliability and efficiency to deliver the very best results for all of our customers.

LITES – Stand 303: LITES: the Belgian leading Rental

House for Film Equipment and Film Studios Digital Cine Cameras. All Modern & Vintage Cine Lenses.

All New & Conventional Film Lighting. Film Trucks. Super Silent Film Generators. Opening end 2017: Film Studios 13,000 & 18,500 sq feet. Water Stage 16,000 sq feet.

LSC Lighting – Stand 425: LSC will be demonstrating the award-winning Mantra Lite, an entry level and affordable lighting console that takes away the steep learning curve required to operate complex lighting fixtures. Simple to setup, program and run your show at any user level.

MAGLINER FILM CARTS – Stand 205: Backstage

and Magliner Film Carts UK has been supplying the Backstage range in the UK and Europe since 2011. We hold full stock of carts, parts and accessories and provide a full after sales service from our London premises.

Contact us by telephone on 020 8493 8383 or visit www.FilmCarts.co.uk for more information.

Manfrotto – Stand 107: Manfrotto offers a vast

professional choice of lighting support solutions to the broadcast and entertainment industries. With their unrivalled experience, every studio and location requirement is answered by Manfrotto’s comprehensive range of stands, clamps, arms, lighting booms, Autopole system, background support systems, sky track system and still life tables. www.manfrotto.co.uk

PREVIEW / BSC EXPO 2017

MAT – Stand 603: MAT - UNCONVENTIONAL

CAMERA SYSTEMS: Motion, Suspense, Sensibility, Magic – the art of camera motion intensifies the power of Movie and TV Productions. MAT – Mad About Technology invents, manufactures, sells and rents Specialized Remote Camera Systems. MAT has an impressive range of equipment, including advanced technologies like the Academy Award Winning MATTOWERCAM® TWIN PEEK.

Matrix Ball – Stand 425: Introducing the LED 5

Colour/Bi-Colour AC/DC Matrix Balls. These Matrix Balls/modules are controlled using the LITEGEAR Pro Dimmers, which also now include the added features of a flicker circuit and remote trigger.

Miller Fluid Heads (Europe) Ltd – Stand 400: a leader

in the production of innovating camera support solutions, will be showcasing its latest cinematography solutions, including the Cineline 2090 Tripod System as well as the the arrowx Series of fluid heads, at the BSC Expo 2017.

Mole-Richardson Co. – Stand 105: is a leading designer and manufacturer of professional lighting equipment for the motion picture and broadcast industries. Based in Los Angeles, CA, family-owned and operated since 1927. Featured LED lighting products at BSC Expo 2017 will include the 1600W Tener, the 900W Senior and the 900W Vari-Spacelite.

Mo-Sys Engineering – Stand 133: A manufacturer

of innovative camera tracking and robotics for film and broadcast, with credits including films like Life of Pi, Gravity and Spectre and clients like the BBC, Fox, Sky and ESPN is bringing to the show: * StarTracker camera tracking for AR and green screen production, * highperformance Mo-Sys remote heads.

Motion Impossible – Stand 631: Motion impossible is

an equipment manufacturer and a production company, specializing in remote dolly systems. We are the creators of the Mantis Dolly system which moves and stabilizes VR/360º and Film cameras. Our filming side MI Films has credits on variety of productions including: BBC Planet Earth II, O2 VR experience and Universal Music Megadeth VR.

Movietech – Stand 201: Movietech hope to display

the new TLS re-housed Canon K35 lenses including the first high-speed 18mm T1.5. The Red Weapon Helium should be presented along with UHD material outlining the benefits of shooting 16bit. Plus more in-house innovation unique to Movietech. Staff will be on stand to welcome industry friends and colleagues.

Mr Helix – Stand 630: We specialise in providing

camera stabilisation solutions that are intuitive, quick on set and able to handle your most challenging camera packages such as the Panavision XL2 and Alexas. Whether you’re looking to purchase, hire, get training or test our kit, check us out.

OConnor – Stand 131: OConnor has been the choice

of professional cinematographers since the invention of the fluid head 60 years ago. OConnor’s award-winning fluid heads are renowned for their smooth feel, fluid movement and intuitive control.

All of OConnor products are engineered to support the demands of today’s challenging and precision focused camera work.

Octica – Stand 211:

Octica distributes and supports products from ABC Products, BEBOB, CARTONI, CHROSZIEL, CINEROID, FIILEX, FOMEX, FUJIFILM / FUJINON, HPRC, KONOVA, THELIGHT, TRUE ND & PROTECH. Located to the west of London and established in 2008, Octica specialises in the supply of innovative broadcast & film equipment from established and new manufacturers.

Oppenheimer Camera Products – Stand 104:

produces the Microforce Panhandles, Lens Carry Handles, Monitor Yoke Mounts (& new UMMS, Universal Monitor Support System), OppCam/Zeiss Makro Lenses, Alexa/Amira OB Power Supplies, Amira Accessory System, OB Battery Adapters for the ARRI 235 & 416. We are designing an OB Battery Adapter for the ARRICAM LT. Innovating in Seattle, Washington, USA since 1992 and shipping worldwide.

Optical Support – Stand 200: Here at Optical

Support, the UK’s leading Lens & Steadicam specialists, we have recently celebrated 20 years of supporting award-winning films & productions with our range of specialist camera equipment. Whether it’s a low budget film or a full length feature, we can provide you with a tailored service to meet your production requirements.

P+S Technik – Stand 130: A passion for innovation

technologies including new products from their camera, lens and grip departments. Get the opportunity to shoot with newer wider focal lengths from the range of T Series anamorphic; designed with new optical layouts offering a large sweet spot and closer focus. Panavision Grip and Remote Systems will be demonstrating the revolutionary SuperTechno 75, with its motorised base and triple telescopic column.

Now available to rent.

Panther – Stand 118:

designs and manufactures a complete range of professional camera dollies, cranes and tracking systems as well as all the related accessories for the international film and television industry. Panther continues to develop new high quality solutions based on long-time experience and expertise. Floating Motion will be exhibiting in support.

Photon Beard Ltd – Stand 609: is a leading

specialist manufacturer of hand-built lighting equipment known worldwide for their strength, reliability and versatility.

At BSC Expo we will be displaying the newest additions to our ever expanding range, including our latest innovations in remote phosphor LED technology.

Powergems – Stand 215:

Power Gems Ltd based in Manchester UK design, build and supply Electronic High Speed ballasts for HMI Light fixtures. We offer a comprehensive range of ballasts from 200W’s to 24000W’s – all units are designed to a modular format offering greater reliability and much easier maintenance.

Preston Cinema Systems – Stand 615: The Light

Ranger 2 and the new MDR4 will be featured at the Preston Cinema Systems booth. The LR2 meets the critical focus demands of the highest-performance lenses and large format cameras. The MDR4 is a minimal size two channel motor driver perfect for Steadicam and mobile camera rigs.

and exceptional pictures - that’s the maxim of P+S TECHNIK, manufacturer of professional cine equipment. We offer the widest range of lens rehousings as well as anamorphic lenses, special lens systems and interchangeable lens mounts.

Further award-winning products: Skater Scope, Skater Mini, T-Rex, Weisscam, Pro35.

Pro Moviemaker – Stand TA9: Pro Moviemaker

PAG – Stand 116: the portable power innovator, will

the best professional Film and TV continuous lighting equipment at the most competitive prices. Our products are from Kino Flo, Dedo Light, ARRI, Aladdin, SUMOLIGHT, FX LION and Light & Motion, they are the best brands available on the market.

show its PAGlink PL150 intelligent linking batteries, which offer 50% more capacity (150Wh) than the 96Wh option, in the same-sized package. The L90 Slim is an ultra-lightweight slim-format 90Wh/10A battery, designed for applications where battery size and weight are critical.

Panalux – Stand 500: offers the world of film,

Panalux will be demonstrating their latest range of propriety products including the new LED Flex Light.

Panavision – Stand 500: will be showcasing its latest

television and media production the very best in lighting rental equipment and associated studio facilities. Panalux will be demonstrating their latest range of propriety products including the new LED Flex Light and innovative LED Spring Ball.

Panasonic – Stand 506: At BSC Expo 2017, Panasonic will be displaying the complete VariCam line-up – the flagship VariCam 35, the compact VariCam LT and the VariCam Pure which provides 4K uncompressed raw at up to 120fps – all of which will be configured to meet a variety of production scenarios.

is packed with news, gear, technique features and case studies from aspiring and working videomakers.

The magazine is available in print on newsstands and digitally via Apple and Google app stores www.promoviemaker.net

Prolight Direct – Stand 114: was set up to supply

Production Gear – Stand 132: Production Gear is

a leading UK reseller of cinematic and broadcast quality video cameras, production equipment and accessories. We offer in depth specialist knowledge and practical, impartial and unbiased advice. Experienced staff and a high level of after sales service means we are many creative professionals first choice for equipment purchase.

Quasar Science – Stand 107: Quasar Science’s

innovative LED-based lamps offer direct replacement for conventional fluorescent tubes. Compatible with traditional dimmers, the tubes are bi-colour (3,000K – 5,600K), flicker-free and have a high TLCI. www.quasarscience.com British Cinematographer | January 2017 | 45

PREVIEW / BSC EXPO 2017

RatPac Dimmers – Stand 425: With the AKS DMX

Wireless System, you no longer have to rely on bulky DMX cables or dangling power supplies. Film and TV professionals can control the lights on set by downloading RatPac’s industry tested software on smart phones or tablets, both Apple and Android, and linking to the Lumen Radio powered AKS.

RED Digital Cinema – Stand 223: RED Digital Cinema is a leading manufacturer of professional digital cameras and accessories. RED cameras combine compact and lightweight design, cinema-grade image quality, modularity and massive dynamic range to deliver the best images possible to professional cinematographers everywhere. Join RED at BSC Expo booth #223 and experience 8K resolution with the newest cameras RED EPIC-W 8K S35 and WEAPON 8K S35.

RMG LIGHTING LTD – Stand 625: GAVO light, the

latest plasma high speed film lighting with amazing light quality CRI 98. Come and see the latest in film lamp design technology.

Ronford Baker Engineering – Stand 301: Ronford

Baker are manufacturers of academy award winning Fluid Heads and Tripods. The product range also includes Sliders, Billet Bazookas, Track, Beams, Grip Equipment, Transit Cases, and a new range of camera and video accessories. For further information please see www.ronfordbaker.co.uk

Rosco Laboratories – Stand 202: is pleased

to announce that its Silk line of LED soft lights is expanding significantly with a variety of new sizes and features. The growing Silk family, along with other Rosco products for film and television will be featured at BSC 2017.

Rotolight – Stand 103: based in Pinewood Studios,

UK, are a leading manufacturer of award winning on-camera, studio and location LED lighting systems for photography, broadcast and cinematography.

Rotolight’s products are regularly used on blockbuster motion pictures and are in high demand by discerning professionals worldwide.

Schneider-Kreuznach – Stand 129: The Schneider

Group specializes in developing, producing and manufacturing high-performance lenses and filter systems for film, photography and industry. The company’s main brand “Schneider-Kreuznach” stands for state-of-theart technology from Germany since 1913. SchneiderKreuznach supplies the film industry with a wide range of products from taking cine lenses to effect filters.

SES – Stand 113: SES are one of the leading

manufacturers of Power Distribution for the entire entertainment industry. From Portable Power, 19” rack mount systems, an extensive range of accessories to include cables, connectors, 19 pin socapex. With cutting edge design and high quality manufacturing approved to ISO standards, SES are the number one choice for the leaders in our industry. www.site-electrics.co.uk

Shift 4 – Stand 621: are one of the UK’s leading

facilities hire companies. We supply cameras, camera accessories, lenses, lighting, grip and sound equipment to commercials, drama, broadcast television and corporate productions. We pride ourselves on our attention to detail and immaculate service. We offering a crewing service and manage an extensive portfolio of freelancers.

SK8PLATE – Stand 531:

Sk8plate camera tracking system

by Elastic Eye Media Ltd. The Sk8plate camera tracking system is the most versatile modular cine slider on the market. It can track cameras from DSLR to Arri in normal mode or underslung for overhead shots. It will also perform motorized timelapse, convert to a floor Skater or a standard Hi-Hat.

Solid Grip Systems – Stand 636: Manufacturer of the TwinDolly: an extendable slider for heavy lenses. SGS is also known for their BarTracks for crane and dolly.

Designed by a grip with 20 years’ experience in the industry helps to make these the best track a grip can get. The KFX Technology Aurora-Head fits very well in the demands of high quality.

Sony – Stand 225: Come and join Sony CineAlta at

BSC Expo to discover Emotion in every frame at stand 225. Experience our acclaimed CineAlta Digital Motion Picture Cameras, including our new R7 Recorder for the F55 and our new X-OCN format. Find out more on www.pro.sony.eu/cinelata; www.pro.sony.eu/dmpce; @SonyCineAltaEU

The Flying Camera Company – Stand 330: The Flying

Camera Company specialises in high-end aerial drone cinematography. Flying with cameras such as the Arri Alexa mini and Red Weapon we have a long list of Feature film, drama, commercial and natural history credits working all over the world with the latest in cutting edge equipment.

Tiffen International – Stand 602: Tiffen International

will launch a new product line at BSC Expo, Tiffen NATural Neutral Density Filters. Memorializing the groundbreaking achievements made by Tiffen’s founder, Nat Tiffen, the NATural Neutral Density Filter Line provides game-changing improvements on neutral density filtration. With perfect neutrality across the visual and IR spectrum, these glass filters represent a new generation of ND and IRND filtration.

Tourflex Cabling – Stand 107:

Tourflex Cabling stock thousands of metres of popular cables including H07 RNF and H05 RRF - and many industry standard connectors including Tourmate HMI and BAC. Made to order, dispatching specialised cable assemblies with customer branding, colour coding, bar coding and RFID identification to over 80 countries. www.ac-et. com/tourflex_ cabling

Rosco's Silk line of LED soft lights is expanding significantly with a variety of new sizes and features.

46 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

Transvideo – Stand 300: Transvideo showcases

the new generation Stargate 7” high-end monitorrecorder 1920x1080 full HD display, 4K-6G compatible. built in cinematographer tools. StarliteRF 5” wireless monitor-recorder & TitanHD2 transmission system. Aaton presents the latest CantarX family with new amazing products. www.transvideo.eu , www.aaton.com.

True Lens Services (TLS) – Stand 613:

is recognised worldwide amongst high end filmmakers for its bespoke lens innovation and reputable expertise in the design, manufacturing and servicing of lenses. Its comprehensives services include the conversion, servicing and repairing of lenses from a wide variety of manufacturers.

Follow TLS on Twitter @WeAreTLS to stay upto-date on the latest updates and industry news. www.truelens.co.uk

Versatile – Stand 425: The bi-colour Versatile.

This fixture is an edge lit LED light tile producing an extremely soft light and has an amazing flicker free dimming arc. The light is 600x600mm and only 17mm thick, and can easily replace ceiling tiles when on location as well as having numerous mounting options including barrel clamps, spigot bracket and corner hanging points.

Visual Impact – Stand 632: As a leading supplier

of broadcast equipment to the production community, Visual Impact offer a comprehensive range of the latest 4K cameras, lenses and accessories for sales and hire.

This year we are showcasing a selection of our most popular products for you to try out on stand 632.

Vitec Group – Stand 131: The Vitec Group’s

purpose is to support the capture and sharing of exceptional images. Catering to broadcasters and filmmakers, brands like Anton/Bauer, Autoscript, Autocue, Litepanels, OConnor, Sachtler, and Vinten cover everything from traditional and robotic camera supports to teleprompters, lighting, and power systems.

Waterproof Media – Stand 629: is a company

managed by Richard Stevenson specialising in underwater and marine filming solutions. Rich has extensive experience in all aspects of marine related film work including features, documentaries, commercials, drama and natural history, marine coordination and safety boat supply.

XD motion – Stand 100: Expert in aerial filming

and multi-dimensional tracking solutions, XD motion is an international company. Aerial shots from helicopters, multi-dimensional cables or traveling tracks, robotic arm vehicles and Drones RPAS. We use the latest gyro-stabilized heads technology from 3 to 6-axis, to accommodate all sizes, models of cameras & lenses existing on the market.

ZEISS – Stand 502: This year, ZEISS will be showcasing the new Lightweight Zoom LWZ.3 21-100mm, the ideal choice for professional productions. The LWZ.3’s optical qualities, long focus rotation angle for precise focusing, and the quality of the materials used in its construction, make it the perfect lens for sophisticated film shoots.

See our experts to find out more.

PREVIEW / BSC EXPO 2017

SEMINARS Times are subject to change. Full details www.bscexpo.com

Friday 3rd February: 11:50am Schneider – ‘Out-of-Focus Areas’ A Premium Tool For Storytellers.

Ula Pontikos BSC

Presented by Dr Michael Schottner, Technical Product Manager at Schneider.

12:40pm Tiffen

Saturday 4th February:

13:30pm Filmlight

10:15am Cinema H20 – BSC Panel

Daniele Siragusano demonstrates the concept and technology behind Filmlight’s new primary colour grading operator “BaseGrade”.

Presented by sub-aqua specialist Mike Valentine BSC who, for over 30 years has been a revealing to audiences the hidden beauty of the underwater world.

1pm – 2.30pm ARRI – Drinks for cinematographers 14:30pm Retaining The Vision – BSC/EDCF Panel Cinematographer Nic Knowland BSC, David Monk CEO of European Digital Cinema Forum and Paul Collard Projection discuss the challenges of retaining ‘the look’ from shoot to grade to distribution and exhibition on conventional and digital platforms.

16:45pm ARRI Trinity - the next stage in camera movement Presented by Curt O Schaller – a masterclass with the inventor of the ARRI Trinity camera stabiliser, who will demonstrate seemingly impossible camera moves.

Bradford Young ASC

11:30am HDR & Colour management Workshop - MyTherapy Presented by Dado Valentic the award-winning colour grading artist.

12:15pm Kodak 65mm – A Film Renaissance An in-depth panel discussion focussing on the challenges and triumphs of shooting 65mm large format film.

13:00pm K16bit HDR for all - Introduction to XOCN recording format. The importance of bit depth for HDR – by Sony Presented by Pablo Garcia. 4K-HDR Workflow Specialist.

17:45pm The Night Manager with RED Digital Cinema

14:00pm Shots That Challenge Us – BSC Panel

Presented by cinematographer Michael Snyman, who reveals how RED cameras helped him achieve the cinematic look for the highly acclaimed BBC TV Series.

Panel discussion with Bradford Young ASC (Arrival, Selma) 2014, Rob Hardy BSC, (Ex Machina, Boy A), Ula Pontikos BSC (Second Coming/Lilting), moderated by John de Borman BSC.

Rob Hardy BSC

For over 30 years Mike Valentine BSC has been revealing to audiences the hidden beauty of the underwater world. In his lecture Mike will cover the history and techniques of shooting underwater, starting with the worlds first underwater photograph taken in 1856, right up to the present day. Having worked on over 85 feature films, Mike will be using many clips to illustrate lighting, shooting, green-screen and safety & communications, concluding with a Q&A session.

British Cinematographer | January 2017 | 47

For a full programme and panel lists please check www.bscexpo.com

SPECIAL FEATURE / VITTORIO STORARO AIC ASC / CAFÉ SOCIETY

Triple Oscar-winning cinematographer, Vittorio Storaro AIC ASC, shares his experiences of shooting Woody Allen’s romantic comedy Café Society digitally, and offers some sage advice for up-and-coming cinematographers.

A

lthough I have used High Definition video and digital capture technology for well over thirty years, Café Society was my first real experience in long-form digital capture.

I wanted the opportunity to express my personal views about the many different aspects of digital cinematography on this production. I perceive, and worry, that some cinematographers today do not feel they need to know much about the technology they are using, the history of cinema, the visual arts, nor, perhaps, cinematography in the future. I hope what follows will be of interest and help, particularly to younger cinematographers who are at the early stages of their careers.

Human beings have expressed themselves using visual arts for millennia. They painted graffiti on the walls of caves, then on wood, canvas, photographic and cinematographic emulsions – in B&W, colour, widescreen, 3D stereo and 360-degrees – using analogue and, more recently, digital means.

The “medium” wasn’t and isn’t the most important thing: it changes in different periods of time.

But, the “idea” was, is and will always be the main concern of the human mind, and this should be exactly so for the cinematographer.

I do not believe that cinema is really different in either analogue or digital form, so long as we carry history, knowledge and a genuine love for the arts into our work.

Whatever the medium we choose as cinematographic artists, we have the means, and we must remain determined, to express ourselves in ways that can give new purpose to our own creative lives and evoke emotions in those who watch our work.

A) Cinematographic ideation – the psychology behind the formation of visual ideas and concepts

I believe that the research and study of paintings, photography and other historical sources, are very useful, if not essential, in helping you to arrive at the basic visual idea for a production.

Café Society follows Bobby Dorfman, the youngest son of a Jewish family in 1930s New York City, who moves to Los Angeles to work for his uncle, a talent agent, where he falls in love with his uncle’s assistant.

She, however, is in love with a married man and she has to decide between her two suitors.

Every film needs its own vision, particularly in Georgia O'Keeff the electronic era, when American Radia e, tor Building, 1924 everybody can see images whilst we are recording them. I gave the story of Café Society a specific visual structure. Here was a production that is told not only by the characters in 1930, but also by a narrator.

The voiceover that accompanies the imagery covers two contrasting worlds: the Jewish cultural world of the Bronx in New York, and the Hollywood star system in Los Angeles.

1) My first thought was to visualise New York in a low chromatic range, with dull lunar tonality. This was inspired by the photography of Edward Steichen and Alfred Stieglitz, as well the paintings of Georgia O’Keeffe and Ben Shahn.

2) It is from this vision of New York that the protagonist, Bobby Dorfman, moves to the sunlit world of Hollywood, where he meets his Uncle Phil, a film industry agent.

Post-expressionism was the predominant artistic movement of that time, and influenced all of arts of that period – theatre, music, photography, cinema, painting and even comic strips. It was a time saturated by the work of painters such as Otto Dix and Edward Hopper, and I felt these could have an imprint on the visual language surrounding the star system in the production of Café Society. >> 1946, Ben Shahn, Sing Sorrow, g Collection San Antonio, Silvan Lan

British Cinematographer | January 2017 | 49

SPECIAL FEATURE / VITTORIO STORARO AIC ASC / CAFÉ SOCIETY Edward Hopper, Conference At Night, 1949

Exterior villa in daylight

Café Society’s villa exterior after lighting

Tamara de Lempicka, Portrait Of Madame Boucard, 1931

When the action returns to New York, the story takes Bobby into his brother’s nightclub – the more sophisticated, aristocractic and luminescent world of New York’s café society, which is well represented by the Art Deco paintings of Tamara de Lempicka, who was the first woman artist to also be a glamour star.

Literature and music can take many variations, and I believe that the language of light has similar possibilities. It can have energy waves that create specific emotions. But it is not enough to have one single idea though an entire movie, and it is quite another thing to take the ideas from your mind and materialise them into moving images.

B) Location scout

It is absolutely essential for the cinematographer to see the location with the director and the production designer. From here you can start to determine all of the theoretical ideas from your mind. Usually, every scene in the script has loose descriptions such as “Day” or “Night”. But inside the word “Day” there are many different moments and settings – aurora, dawn, morning, afternoon, sunset, dusk – each with different lighting tonalities and nuances that enable you to enlarge your visual vocabulary for the production.

r Otto Dix, The Dance

The location scout allows you, the cinematographer, to write on the script the different times of day and to start creating a chromatic, luminous journey that underlines the events in the story. Of course, it is your job to visualise all of this through illumination, and through my work on this production I do think that the real difference between analogue and digital capture is the use of light.

C) Importance of light

A photograph is a single expression of a moment, whereas cinematography is about multiple expressions, and it needs the input of several artists to create the complete picture.

Digital cameras are now so sensitive to light (+/- 1000ASA) that we can record images in almost any location, using just the existing available light. However, available light is not necessarily correct for any given specific sequence.

And, this is the most common mistake that many cinematographers seem to be making, to the extent that most movies do not have a proper visual style for the particular story being told, and the images end-up looking very similar to one another.

It's now almost impossible to recognise the different creative styles between different cinematographers.

Anita Berber, 1925

And, I might say, many don’t seem to want to try to have their own, personal, visual style. I have even heard some young cinematographers asking one of the camera companies to make the sensor more sensitive, so they don’t need to use any additional lighting on location.

Regarding the style of light, I believe it is important to research historical references from paintings. For Café Society I was inspired by several different artistic works:

According to the book entitled Colours, by the great Russian film director Sergei Eisenstein, it is possible, and in my mind desirable, to achieve a dramatic composition of colours to better visualise the drama in different scenes.

We can also consider the colour spectrum work of Sir Isaac Newton and his conceptual arrangement of colours – red-orange-yellow-green-blue-indigo-violet – around the circumference of a circle, denoting how each complementary colour can enhance the other’s effect through optical contrast. We can use this to underline each character with a specific colour. You can also consider Goethe’s Theory Of Colours, and the physiology of how colours are perceived by humans for dramatic effect.

With this sort of knowledge, we can further enlarge our visual vocabulary for the production. >>

Interior of Vonnie's apartment before lighting

Heinrich Maria Davringhausen, The Profiteer, 1920

Felix Vallotion, Dinner, By Lamplight, 1899

Café Society, interior of Vonnie's apartment after lighting

Café Society, the Hollywood agent

Café Society – dinner with the Dorfman family

50 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

SPECIAL FEATURE / VITTORIO STORARO AIC ASC / CAFÉ SOCIETY We can develop more light ideas, and this is a really important element to discuss with directors and producers – not just whether we might need additional lighting for the sake of it. However, overall, we need to make sure to find an equilibrium between our creativity and the available technology.

D) Technical testing

In preparing yourself for a new movie, it is important to do serious technical tests with your chosen digital camera and lenses. You need to be sure of the central position of the focus, and how best to utilise it for creative purposes. In this respect, I would draw your attention to movies such as Citizen Kane and Son Of Saul which both use depth-of-field very effectively.

At Panavision New York, with the assistance of Chris Konash and Steve Wills, I did several important checks, particularly with the Cooke S4i lenses and their depth-of-field characteristics.

I also did some creative tests to confirm other, different parts of the cinematography and the formation of the visual ideas and concepts for Café Society, which were starting to take shape. But, to make the best use of the lighting, we need to control it.

Sergei Eisenstein, 1898-1948

Sir Godfrey Kneller, Sir Isaac Newton, 1702

Giacomo Balla, Lampada Ad Arco, 1909, MOMA, NY

E) Lighting & dimmer control system

Ever since I started as a cinematographer, one of my dreams was to be able to control all of the lighting from a single point. This dream was realised in 1980 during the production of One From The Heart, directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

In every other movie since then I have used a lightboard to keep all of the on-set lights under dimmer control. The benefit is that we not only keep the master down during rehearsals, saving bulbs, gels and the overall temperature on-set, but we can change the visual atmosphere within every shot.

F) Digital capture

From 1980 onwards, I started to use the small B&W video-tap that was introduced on the film camera.

Reds, directed by Warren Beatty and One From The Heart by Francis Coppola, were my first experiences of using this technology. In 1983, I shot an experimental project called Arlecchino in Venice, directed by Giuliano Montaldo, using a Sony High Definition video system.

In 2000, I used the Sony CineAlta, whilst I was teaching at The International Academy Of Image Arts in l’Aquila, in central Italy. In 2009, I did my first digital capture for the TV film Flamenco, Flamenco, directed by Carlos Saura. But, even with all of these different experiences, I considered that it wasn’t my time to leave the world of celluloid photochemical production.

In 2015, however, for the film Café Society, I realised that the time had come for me to cross the bridge between film and digital capture.

So I convinced Woody to move together with me into this new technology. I mentioned to him that “progress” can slow you down or speed things up.

Although progress cannot be stopped, and I intended to modify it for our advantage. The Sony F65, with its 4K, 16-bit and 2:1 aspect ratio was the digital camera for us. But, I understood that I needed some additional knowledge and support to be able to perform properly with this camera. >>

One From The Heart, 1981

E. Kopanebor, The Birth Of A Moon, 1933, private collection

Reds, 1981

Woody Allen and Vittorio Storaro with the Sony F65

Flamenco, Flamenco, 2010 Rembrandt, The Supper At Emmaus, 1628, Musée Jacquemart-André, Paris

52 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

SPECIAL FEATURE / VITTORIO STORARO AIC ASC / CAFÉ SOCIETY

Gone With The Wind, 1939, directed by Victor Fleming

DIT Simone d'Arcangelo

G) Digital Imaging Technician (DIT)

In digital cinematography the DIT is a very important figure. For Café Society, I knew that Simone d’Arcangelo, a former student of mine at The Academy Of Image Art in l’Aquila, had dedicated himself to this technology and had become very experienced in digital workflow, and I asked him to join me on this production.

But, we should be very mindful to find the balance between technology, technique and the creative needs of the cinematography. As Albert Einstein used to say, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

Looking back, I remember Technicolor’s “Colour Consultant”, who attended on-set during films made from the 1950s to 1970s. Here was a figure that influenced key creative decisions on a production including, in their opinion, how colour and lights should be best used to capture the images on film – which were normally made by the costume designers, art directors and cinematographers.

Spreading fear that colours would not be captured well in shadow areas, they determined that many movies should be filmed with a generic, uniform light.

The “dramaturgy” – the practice of dramatic composition, using light and shadow – was cancelled-out of movies shot in colour. They used to say what colour was good for a Western, a comedy and musical films, and that B&W was good for a dramatic story.

But thankfully, despite the colour consultant, the cinematographers of movies such as The Red Shoes

54 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

Vittorio Storaro, The Conformist, 1970

(1948, Jack Cardiff), Moulin Rouge (1952, Oswald Morris), Senso (1954, Aldo Graziati/Robert Krasker), and especially Gone With The Wind (1939, Ernest Haller/Lee Garmes) were able, with the technology available at the time, to use colours in dramatic ways – using filmstocks with an exposure rating of around just 25ASA.

When my generation of cinematographers came into filmmaking, that theory was modified. We proved that Technicolor could record many more tonalities of colour, even in shadow. Some examples are: Women In Love (1969, Billy Williams), The Conformist (1970, Vittorio Storaro), McCabe & Mrs Miller (1971, Vilmos Zsigmond), The French Connection (1971, Owen Roizman), The Godfather (1972, Gordon Willis), Cries And Whispers (1972, Sven Nykvist), to name just a few.

That was the time of the mystery of the revelation of the image. Today we have a perfect image on a wellcalibrated monitor.

H) Video control on-set

Since 1980, with Warren Beatty’s film Reds, when the first video assist technologies started being used on the film set, the cameraman and the cinematographer suddenly appeared to have lost their value in knowing how the filmed image would appear on-screen during dailies.

Today we live in a period of even more heightened awareness, when everyone can see the image on-set, and cinematographers have lost the mystery of the revelation

of the image. Today, it is more incumbent than ever on us to really need to know the meaning of the various visual arts that go into the creation of the cinematographic image – symbolism, physiology, the dramaturgy of light and colours – so that we have solid reasoning behind our cinematographic choices.

We need to know the value and the impact that visual energy has on human perception. Video assist keeps us in agreement with the director, because we can see, and we can change together, any image. Jean Cocteau used to say: “Cinema is a dream in which we all dream together.”

I) Image composition

For me, the composition of the image in the 2:1 aspect ratio is essential. In epic pictures, such as Apocalypse Now (1979) and Little Buddha (1993), I did everything I could to preserve the original composition of the film in all forms of distribution.

The audience needs to be respected. I believe it is very important for audiences to see films exactly the way they were composed by the director and cinematographer. However, the many different aspect ratios used throughout of the history cinema – original 1:1.33, panoramic 1:1.66 in France, 1:1.85 in Europe/ USA, Cinemascope 1:2.35, 70mm 1:2.21 – were drastically mutilated when they were transferred from film to video, in order to have a full screen 1:1.35. >>

Reds, my first film using video assist in 1980

Leonardo, The Annunciation, 1472, Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy

Apocalypse Now, 1979, in 2:1 aspect ratio

Little Buddha, 1993, in 2:1 aspect ratio

SPECIAL FEATURE / VITTORIO STORARO AIC ASC / CAFÉ SOCIETY

It’s a terrible situation to record images in “full aperture” for someone later to determine the composition of the final image. Cinema is an expression of images, completed by music and words.

In modifying the composition of the image, the film itself is changed from its original vision.

Taking the example of the best symbol of The Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci’s fresco The Last Supper, with its 2:1 aspect ratio, I invented, with my son Fabrizio, the Univisium System – a universal film format that could unify all future theatrical and television movies into one aspect ratio of 2.00:1.

As humans, we consider “reality” to be what our eyes see around 180° degrees of space. When we select part of this reality, in a specific size and shape, we are creating “visual art”. “Art” in Latin means “ability”.

In agreement with directors, we need to compose images to suit the style of the film. “Composition” and “rhythm” are two of the most important words in the camera operator’s vocabulary.

Working closely with camera and Steadicam/ operator Will Arnot, we together dedicated specific attention to the correct composition and rhythm in every image in Café Society, to make sure they were in sympathy with both the narration and structure of the overall story.

The Last Emperor, 1987, in full TV screen 1:1.35 aspect ratio

The Last Emperor, in Cinemascope 1:2.35 aspect ratio

J) Dailies

Shooting in New York, every Saturday I reviewed dailies in my hotel apartment with Anthony Raffaele, the colourist at Technicolor-Postworks NY, Will and Simone. These sessions allowed us all to confirm or modify any creative and technical choices we had made. Those meetings also gave us a continual survey of the visual journey of the production so far, and to make decisions about the next stages of the production.

Leonardo, The Last Supper, 1495-98, Milan, Santa Maria Delle Grazie

K) Digital Intermediate grading & 4K 16-bit colours With the digital intermediate (DI) colour grade, we are able to finalise all of the visual aspects of a movie.

That horrible statement that you sometimes hear onset, “don’t worry about it now, we will fix it in post”, should not be part of a cinematographer’s vocabulary.

In the DI, we should just refine the quality of the images that we crafted and recorded on-set.

So, the first thing that I asked of TechnicolorPostworks NY, was to have DI colourist Anthony Raffaele with me throughout the entire production.

I believe that is very important to carry with us all the knowledge that we learn during the entire filming process into the final colour grading sessions.

Using the Baselight colour grading console, and with his sensitivity and technical knowledge, Anthony was able to interpret my complete vision for the movie, and do it all at the original recording quality of 4K 16-bit, with 2:1 composition, in realtime, during the DI colour correction. This has been my dream for several years.

56 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

Rembrandt, The Philosopher, 1632, Louvre, Paris

L) Worldwide distribution

Beato Angelico, The Annunciation, 1438-45, San Marco, Florence, Italy

As I have already noted, when you create digital images at the very highest level of quality, it is very important to maintain this quality throughout the worldwide distribution of the movie. Unfortunately, the main distribution standard today is still the 2K, 12-bit linear DCP. Very few cinemas are equipped to screen movies at 4K Will Arnot shooting and even fewer have the capacity with the Steadicam to support 16-bit colour.

If we record/screen at 4K, with the Univisium 2:1 format, we have a frame size of 4096 x 2048, totalling 8,388,608 million pixels. To record/screen at 2K, with

the Univisium 2:1 format, we get 2048 x1024, just 2,097,152 millions pixels. Essentially we have lost 6,291,456 million of pixel information. Also, 16-bit linear colours represent 281 billions of colour shade. But 12bit linear colours, represent 68 million of colours shade.

Between the two, 213 billions of colours shade have gone missing.

To my knowledge, the Arcadia cinema in Melzo, near Milan, Italy, screened Café Society at 4K, 16-bit.

Audiences there were able to fully-appreciate the original visual intention of Woody Allen’s film.

M) Preservation

The final consideration of a motion picture’s journey is long-term preservation. Almost everybody in the industry thinks that digital systems will preserve films forever.

Wrong. To capture and finish in the digital format does not guarantee permanence of the media afterwards. No digital system Anthony and Vitt devised so orio during the DI grade far supports assured preservation for the future.

Digital images are impermanent.

According to Kodak’s specifications colour film, kept under strict temperature and humidity control, has almost 100 years of life. Digital media does not have more than

Caravaggio, The Calling of Saint Matthew, 1600

CafĂŠ Society, 2015

five years before it needs to be re-transferred or migrated to a new digital platform to be preserved.

After 417 years, we can still appreciate the paintings of Caravaggio, such as The Calling Of Saint Matthew, which was completed in 1600 in Rome. But I have no idea how many years we will still be able to see the film CafĂŠ Society made in 2015.

At present, the best analogue system for longterm preservation of colour motion picture film is the Silver Separation Master, devised by Technicolor, but it is very rarely used.

To my knowledge, the Digital Optical Tape System (DOTS), a Kodak technology developed by Rom Hummel with Group47 in Los Angeles, could be the final answer for both analogue and digital movies. The DOTS technology, can withstand extreme temperature and exposure to electrical or magnetic fields, and offers the capability to preserve and read image files for perhaps 500 years into the future. It has already generated much interest from the US Library Of Congress and the US National Archive.

I believe that everybody should be free to do in cinema what they think is appropriate for their creative personality. But, the romantic and nostalgic energy being spent by filmmakers and cinematographers, in trying to maintain past analogue systems, to keep alive what, any how, is going to disappear, would be much better invested if we all work together, using our combined energies, in trying to reach the best possible image quality at every stage of pre-production, production, post production and particularly preservation for the future. It is our creativity, our history, and our film industry that are at stake. We all need, for the love of the art of cinematography, to take a stand on these fundamental matters. n

British Cinematographer | January 2017 | 57

F-STOP POLAND / CAMERIMAGE 2016 DIARY / BY RON PRINCE

d Mark Purvis an Rehydrated… at Cheat’s beer bar oll isc Chris O’Dr

DEAR DIARY

One man’s journal of the mirth and merriment at the 2016 Camerimage Festival Of Cinematography in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Monday 14th November: OMG! It’s 4am! I only checked in at the Radisson Blu at midnight. So a pot of pre-flight porridge with Judith Evans from ARRI is most welcome, despite Stansted’s lurid duty-free zone as the backdrop. OMG! The flight to Bydgoszcz is delayed, and the shuttle bus has gone to the wrong plane on the tarmac. Someone quips that Ryanair has not completely given up its passive/ aggressive policy towards passengers. My travelling companion is Molinare MD Steve Milne, who chats about his producing role on new British features, including a special on Spitfires. Incoming kisses received from Kim Snyder of Panavision, Oona Menges, Katie Swain, Kate Kotcheff from Wizzo and from Angus Hudson BSC, as the flight fills up. Chats mid-flight with Marc Dando of Codex about the VR experience, and Mark Purvis from Mission Digital about the experience of on-set data wrangling.

Regardless of our well-tardy arrival, The Holiday Inn is still serving breakfast, although I eat completely alone. It’s quite a laugh when Hugh Whittaker plus a Panavision delegation stop in-passing and snap a photo of me and my non-existent fan club. Panavision are hosting special presentations of the new DXL 8K camera at the hotel, and will launch the new lump at 12-noon at the Opera Nova. On my ownsome again, I recall chatting

58 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

to the dear, departed Fred Goodich ASC and Vilmos in this very room during festivals of yore. Unpacked, I bone up on Kodak’s Film On Film gig I’m hosting later this week with Matyas Erdely HSC, who will be speaking about his work on Son Of Saul, and then head to the Opera Nova to register for my pass.

The nod. It has always amused me that entry to the Opera Nova, under the scrutiny of Robert and Robert, Camerimage’s security boys, involves a slight bend of the upper torso in order to place one’s lanyard pass on the entry scanner. It’s as though we are obliged everyday to bow down with a sort of religious deference before we are allowed to enter, or leave, this house of cinematographic worship.

Greetings from Nigel Walters BSC, Richard Andry AFC and Michael Seresin, amongst others, in the throng surrounding the launch of the DXL. Swept-up with the excitement, I find myself at the MCK Orzel Cinema, which Panavision has taken over most afternoons this week, for the presentation of the DXL en masse. Fronted by the singular Michael Cioni, who could probably sell multiple icecream flavours to multiple Eskimos, this presentation has pizzazz aplenty. I suppose t’would ever be thus, as Panavision is, after all, Panavision, and ought really to have been at the large format digital party before now. But OMG! The DXL is not just a camera with optics for rent. If

it works, here is a masterstroke of thought and deed – an end-to-end, forward-looking ecosystem, encompassing pretty much everything you could want technically from pre-production to distribution, that considers the needs of all departments in the moving-image creation chain. “We want DPs to fall in love with the DXL and the pictures it creates,” declares Cioni. “But operators, assistants, DITs, editorial, DI, VFX, directors, producers and studio execs, plus cinema, OTT and web distribution are all factored in too.” Blimey, I need a cup of tea.

And that cuppa turns out to be with Anthony Dod Mantle DFF BSC ASC, who’s in fine fettle, sporting a foxy-looking Swedish fur hat, here on jury service and with Snowden in competition. Farage, Trump, the need for a counter-culture, fewer sequels and more diversity are on our conversational menu, as we chomp on chocolate wafers washed down with milky herbata.

They still have the same stupid seating policy in the Opera Nova (Row Z or dreadful diagonals for the press, good seats for everyone else) as I try to find a decent spot for the screening of Moonlight. “This is a tale of friendship. But it does not belong to us, it belongs to you,” says cinematographer James Laxton in the preamble to wild applause. This well-made, touching, Black, coming-of age, coming-out tale is very timely given the Trump era ahead.

A tale of Tony tw o hats…

Anth DFF BSC ony Dod Mantl e ASC and A ntony Pierc outside e-Roberts BSC the Ope ra Nova

You’ve been framed…

DIT Peter Marsden pictured by Nancy Schreiber ASC

At the bar… John Toll ASC poses for a quick pic

Depth and textur e…

Michael Seresin shares a bottle fro m his NZ vineyard

Picture this… Dan Sasaki, Michael Cioni and Kimberly Snyder with the new Panavision DXL at Camerimage 2016

Tuesday 15th November: Oliver Stapleton BSC, Michael Chapman ASC, Roberto Schaefer AIC ASC, Vittorio Storaro AIC ASC and director Michal Apted, are variously dotted around the breakfast room. I sit with Anthony and Tony Pierce-Roberts BSC, both here on the first-ever Debut Directors jury. As we discuss the need for the director and cinematographer to work in harmony, I can’t help but notice the perfect harmony of bacon and eggs on TPR’s plate, and succumb to temptation. Later at breakfast, Bob Hoffman of Technicolor in LA tells me how HDR will be one of the big pushes from the company in 2017, and Ed Lachman ASC laments the passing of Wolfgang Suschitzky BSC.

The ram-jammed morning session over at the MCK is devoted to the work of Michael Chapman, this year’s Lifetime Laureate. Wielding a thick and ominously-long wooden walking stick, he entertains the audience with anecdotes about his camera-operating adventures with the likes of Gordon Willis ASC and experiences on The Godfather. This includes an hilarious yarn about a trick Marlon Brando pulled on him – during Vito Corleone’s death scene in the tomato patch – when the actor mischievously misdirected Chapman as to his ultimate collapse, leading to a bump in the final camera movement as the fledgling camera operator faithfully followed the action – which Coppola went with in the final edit.

A quick nod, enabling a quick bite at the Opera Nova, and then it’s back to the MCK for Dan Sasaki’s lens workshop. Well not quite. The place is so jammed that the presentation is being screened on monitors to crowds in the vestibule. After taking notes about Dan and his work with Mandy Walker ACS on Hidden Figures, Greig Fraser ACS ASC on Rogue One, Jess Hall BSC on Ghost In The Shell, plus thoughts on Anamorphics,

Sphericals, anti-reflection coatings, fall-off, bokeh, texture, creaminess and depth-of-field, I catch the back-end of Canon’s C700 workshop back at the Opera Nova. I then stay for the duration of Michael Seresin’s well-attended discussion about Choosing Lenses For Feature Films, sponsored by CW Sonderoptic.

He talks about his love for Schneider lenses when starting-out and his enduring love, obviously, for Leica glass and its use on Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes in 3D, and the more recent Jungle Book. “No-one is going to hire you for your technical knowledge. You will be hired for your ability to light and frame,” he advises one interlocutor. “I use smart people to handle all that digital workflow stuff, so that I can concentrate on what I know best – the dark! Obviously, I need to use lights, but for me cinematography is about how the characters move and interact in a shadow play. Within that, I really care about the lenses, and how I can use focus and depth-offield to dramatic effect.”

Outside it’s raining hard, so I dodge the downpour at Toby Tomkin’s Cheat beer bar, neatly located across the road from the Opera Nova. Mark Purvis is gulping down an amber nectar. I meet charming DP Chris O’Driscoll, who tells me about My Angel, a remarkable film he’s just seen, shot by Juliette Van Dormael, about an invisible boy and a blind girl, whose love and friendship are tested to the limits when she regains her sight.

The annual ARRI Party is always a destination, with over 500 people enjoying the hospitality. ARRI’s top brass – including Franz Krauss, Dr Jorg Pohl, Martin Cayser and Stefan Shenck – all seem delighted with the turnout. In what is now a landmark of the party, Marek and Marek from Camerimage help Jorg dole out Frogs and whisky to this year’s Camerimage nominees. James Laxton proves a hail-fellow-well-met.

i, bert Drapiewsk leczny and Ro ad… Robert Za nt you to try it too (or else)! re od go ht rig os, wa It’s a curity suprem Camerimage se

Winner… 2016 Camerimage Lifetime Laureate Michael Chapman and Amy Holden Jones

Back at the Holiday Inn, and a quick Apple Pie (Zubowka with apple juice) before bo-bos.

Ralph Young from LEE Filters introduces Haluki Sadahiro from PV in LA, who helped create the new PanaNDs. Here’s a shout-out to Mitch, On the sofa… a cosy chat with Panavision’s haulage hero, Ben Seresin who has driven the PV truck from Greenford to Bydgoszcz, will do a full week’s work, and will then drive 950 miles back across Northern Europe – hopefully without getting waylaid by highwaymen wanting the 8K booty on-board.

British Cinematographer | January 2017 | 59

F-STOP POLAND / CAMERIMAGE 2016 DIARY / BY RON PRINCE

Illuminatrix… Catherine Goldschmidt and Vanessa Whyte with Ron Prince

Wednesday 16th November: It’s my Son Of Saul seminar later today, but I must interview John Toll ASC first thing about his 3D/4K/120fps work on Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk.

The best part of two hours later, I am beckoned over to meet Ben Seresin, who has just shot The Mummy on 35mm. Our long and rangy chat rambles around the value of digital capture on cameras like the Alexa 65, and the value of celluloid capture on Kodak. I urge him to see Dr Strange, shot by Ben Davis BSC, a hybrid, which successfully used both. I pass a very pleasant few minutes with Michael Chapman who is very happy to be in Poland and delighted with his award.

Aron Jaszberenyi, Bill Feightner and Nacho Mazzini from Colorfront tell me about their Transkoder’s place in processing 8K footage coming from the DXL. I learn somewhere along the way that there’s a shootout in Budapest with a variety of sharp-shooting, large format cameras under scrutiny.

There’s a large and expectant crowd at the MCK for Son Of Saul. But OMG! Someone, somewhere has made a boo-boo with the projector lenses, and the movie cannot be screened as it was artistically conceived.

Although he must be frustrated by the lack of a screening, Matyas proves a star in our Q&A, and together we plumb the depths about the creative, technical and

It’s all smiles… from Natasha Braier ADF

Cheese… a jolly moment with Oliver Stapleton BSC with Anthony Dod Mantle DFF BSC ASC

Cooking up AIC ASC an a plan… Roberto Sc ha d Matyas Erdley HSC efer

60 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

practical reasonings he and director Laszlo Nemes took on this end-to-end photochemical production.

Nod. At ARRI’s Big Screen Event, filmmaker Richard Ladkani presents a 40-minute extract from his acclaimed Netflix feature-doc, The Ivory Game, codirected with Kief Davidson. In the on-stage Q&A, he discusses the reasons he chose ARRI’s Amira for the project, one of them being its ability to run-and-gun in some unpredictable conditions.

As normal, Panavision’s party is cheek-by-jowl, with VIP DPs galore. Nancy Schreiber ASC is hoping to come to the UK to shoot a movie based on one of my favourite books, Jim Crace’s Being Dead, and she’s intrigued by DIT Peter Marsden’s lovely Leica camera and spare lens holder.

In a marquee outside, a large icy vodka luge, carved in the shape of a PV lens, is being sluiced by Rob Hardy BSC and a queue of willing gulpers begins to form.

Thursday 17th November: Owsianka and TPR’s bacon and eggs. Nina Kellgren BSC is off to the Opera Nova on IMAGO business.

Oliver Stapleton BSC introduces me to production designer Dennis Gassner and his wife Amy, who are fresh from a year of toiling in Hungary on Blade Runner 2049. ARRI’s Academy masterclass, presented by Paul Cameron ASC, is about Fearless Cinematography In A Sublime Age. Assisted by first AC Joe Martinez, and brandishing an Alexa Mini, Cameron lights-up a set with ARRI illuminaires, whilst chatting about contemporary techniques in combination with LUT management. There’s a demonstration of the ARRI Trinity camera stabiliser rig, and the new Cinefade system, which allows

Seeing thin in a differengs light… VR t film direct or Jannicke Mikkelsen Panasonic’ at s shindig

cinematographers to vary depth-of-field in-camera during a shot. “We are living through an exciting time in the world of cinematography, with new technology enabling things that simply haven’t been possible before,” Cameron tells the huge assembly. “Smaller cameras, new stabilisation tools and unprecedented image-quality, combined with sophisticated look-management and high-quality monitoring, now allow us to be fearless onset and to push our creativity to its limits.”

Nod. Back at the Opera Nova, Catherine Goldschmidt and Vanessa Whyte meet up for an enlightening chinwag about Illuminatrix, the collective of female cinematographers launching officially at Camerimage. Originally conceived at the Crown & Two Chairman in Soho’s Dean Street during 2015, enthusiasm has been so great that Illuminatrix now has 28 members, including Suzie Lavelle ISC, Polly Morgan BSC and Natasha Braier ADF.

Curiously, next-up is a re-acquaintance with Natasha, who I had the pleasure of interviewing at the Cannes Film Festival too many years ago. She’s hosting a masterclass tomorrow about her work on Neon Demon.

Given Natasha’s enrollment to Illuminatrix, and her extra participation in IMAGO’s Forum On Diversity, I ask her advice to other female cinematographic aspirants.

“Follow your heart and chose projects that resonate with you,” she says. “Travel, enjoy different cultures.

Live your life. Keep hold of your female identity and use your feminine intuition in your art. It’s just as valuable as anyone else’s.”

The Apple Pies are flowing at Panasonic’s party in the Holiday Inn, organised by Nigel Wilkes and his team. Anthony and Chris Doyle are submerged on a sofa by eager students. I finally get to meet Danish cinematographer Marcel Zyskind, whose work I greatly admire, and have the pleasure of introducing Natasha to Nancy. Adrian Bull of Cinelab London shows me a neat App enabling the secure delivery of filmed dailies, just one-hour after film processing, to iPhone, iPads and all manner of other viewing devices.

Apparently, it’s quicker than digital workflows can offer. Who’d have imagined that?

I get a gentle tap on the shoulder, to discover Jannicke Mikkelsen, recent NFTS graduate, who shot and posted VR The Champions for Queen. She’s doing a masterclass tomorrow, and explains in detail how she developed and built a VR rig for the production, and all about the VR post too. Impressive!

Froggies… the 2016 nominees' gongs and whisky bottles at ARRI’s party

Friday 18th November: It’s been another great holiday, but sadly we’re outta here early. Ryanair is on-time. OMG!

LETTER FROM AMERICA / KEES VAN OOSTRUM ASC

WORKS OF HEART

ASC president, Kees van Oostrum ASC, looks at four possible awards contenders and their emotional common ground.

S

ome of the movies that are in the running to compete for this year’s coveted Academy Award for Best Cinematography represent a less formulaic or traditional photographic style.

As the saying goes, “The cinematography of a film can only be as good as the movie itself,” and these stories’ socially-conscious subject matters seem to be driving a strong surge in realism — in some instances a documentary approach, and in one case even a bob-along.

Movies and “inspired cinematography” are, at their best, a reflection of human life, showing both passions and suffering. This current surge of realism could well be a response to the world’s political environment. If you look at the history of art, periods of figurative, beautiful and romantic expression sprang from times of peace and prosperity, while periods of wild expression and revolt have been inspired by wars, suppression and human suffering.

Art, after all, is a reflection of our inner soul, and it takes on political as well as social dimensions. Through art, great talent displays a free spirit.

Getting back to the movies currently commanding the spotlight, I would like to mention the mind-blowing swimming scene in Moonlight, shot by James Laxton. The movie presents the tender, heartbreaking story of a young man’s struggle to find himself. In the scene mentioned, a local drug dealer teaches the young main character to swim. As depicted on screen, the scene is an all-time classic. An unlikely father figure teaches the protagonist to swim, while the ocean provides a remarkable metaphor for the society in which this young man is trying to stay afloat.

The scene is visualised with a camera that itself barely stays above water, continuously besieged by the waves.

In Lion, Greig Frasier ACS ASC photographs a huge, foreboding train — in which the main character, a 6-year-old boy, is locked up all alone — barreling through a forlorn Indian landscape. The train rumbles through the night, representing an alien world unconcerned about the child and setting the stage for an unforgettable journey that the camera follows with an almost casual cinematography, void of grandstanding but filled with emotional reverence

Bradford Young ASC imbues Arrival’s science-fiction atmosphere with dark, poetic imagery that swallows the viewer’s imagination. The story negotiates time, memory and mortality — and, most importantly, what it means to be human. Bradford descends deep into a photographic dark side to create an identifiable reality.

With La La Land, Linus Sandgren FSF paints a world that feels a little more hopeful than ours does at the moment. Full of colour and expressionistic in its visual approach, the cinematography is almost hyperrealistic and full of metaphor, contrasting the real world with that of the fictitious musical. The story reflects back on the human condition, evoking real human emotions and feelings — which, in the end, can allow for some heartfelt perspective on the viewers’ own lives.

I’ve mentioned four movies that present vastly different photographic styles, but they certainly share an emotional common ground. I believe each will garner great interest this awards season while simultaneously giving us hope that a strong and connected cinematic world might be waiting for us — to put it in Hollywood terms — “somewhere over the rainbow”. n

“MOVIES AND “INSPIRED CINEMATOGRAPHY” ARE, AT THEIR BEST, A REFLECTION OF HUMAN LIFE, SHOWING BOTH PASSIONS AND SUFFERING. THIS CURRENT SURGE OF REALISM COULD WELL BE A RESPONSE TO THE WORLD’S POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT.” KEES VAN OOSTRUM ASC 62 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

SPOTLIGHT / DoPchoice / BY BIRGIT HEIDSIEK

GUIDING LIGHT

Munich-based DoPchoice has set a new standard for innovative softboxes and grids, now not just in Europe but also around the world.

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ested and developed in conjunction with DPs and gaffers, the company’s Butterfly Grids, Snapbags and Snapgrids are multi-functional systems for almost every kind of LED lighting fixture. And the Snapbag softbox and Rabbit-Ears family keeps growing.

Besides the new Rabbit-Ears Rectangular, Rabbit-Ears Mini and the Rabbit-Ears Space attachment systems, there will be more softbox choices coming soon as Stefan Karle, managing director and founder of DoPchoice, explains.

“Our approach is to develop new products for filmmakers that will make it easier for them to work on set“, says Karle, a filmmaker himself, who started his career as a cinematographer at Munich Film School. “It is a huge advantage that I have a practical background in film because, I know what is being used and in which way on-set. We are speaking the same language.” As a DP, Karle worked frequently with soft lighting. “It required setting-up many flags or grids. It is always a big deal to mount them and huge units used to sag. In 90 percent of situations, the light is coming from above and is shining in the wrong direction.”

Since fabric products usually don’t last long when they are folded, the young pioneer was looking for a smarter solution. By experimenting with on-set tools for lighting, he developed the Butterfly Grids that are made to last with a specially-developed robust fabric.

Manufacturing techniques keep each individual cell in the grid stable throughout a long life. Thanks to specially developed brackets, the Butterfly Grids are incredibly simple and quick

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to install. Each corner of the Butterfly Grid has a white fastener, making it easier to find regardless of the lighting conditions. Moreover, the grids can be installed at any angle, and the extremely lightweight material means less weight to hang. Funded by the Exist Programme of the Federal Ministry of Economics, the young entrepreneur put his first product on the market in 2009.

DoPchoice has since become a market leader in Europe when it comes to grids. Its portfolio now includes the Snapgrids, which can simply be mounted to a frostframe. The self-unfolding, self-tightening, light controlling grids stay taut, so that the light goes exactly where it should. The compact construction can be packed in about ten seconds.

“Usually fabric products are not appreciated onset. They get dirty. They need to be folded in special ways,” Karle points out. “When it rains, the fabrics have to be dried, or they begin to grow mold. Our products are designed for the set. It starts with our storage bags.

Some are made from truck tarp material, whilst others are made from extremely robust nylon. Both of them are water-repellent, and can even take the occasional mud bath, and still keep the contents clean and dry. Some rental houses have had to re-order the bags because the gaffers wanted to keep them for themselves.”

For this innovation, DoPchoice received the 2010 Cinec Award.

“We always have our prototypes tested by gaffers and DPs during the production of commercials and feature films,” reports Karle. “This is an essential part of the development process, because during the test users discover bugs and sometimes require addons. You can't have any better advertising than rental houses that are offering your best systems.”

Due to the growing demand by LED light manufactures for softboxes, the creative inventor developed Snapbags that fit popular LED brands.

Available in Rectangular, Octagonal and Flyball forms, a Snapbag folds flat and instantly deploys.

“No speed rings are necessary, which means less can go wrong,” emphasises Karle. “The innovative mounting systems make the gaffer’s job simpler. Our new Rabbit-Ears are so versatile, a single unit can quickly and securely mount various LED light brands onto a Snapbag.”

It is also a significant benefit to rental houses that they no longer need to offer a separate softbox and speed ring for each individual panel light.

“Our products save money on the set in many ways,” he says. “They can be set-up and taken down extremely quickly and are very compact compared to older systems.

Roughly, half the time will be saved during set-up and half the time will be saved during take-down. This gives cinematographers and actors more time and more room to work effectively. Lights can be placed further away from the scene because fewer flags and cutters are needed, again allowing for freer camera movement and more acting space.

This economical use of time and space, when combined with the need for less equipment, translates into real savings for any production. The compact lightweight form factor even cuts transport costs. The gaffers and DPs who work with this system once, put it on their list next time.”

With the new Rabbit-Ears mount, DoPchoice offers a multifunctional system for almost every type of LED lighting fixture: the Rabbit-Ears Rectangular for 2x1 panels, Rabbit-Ears Mini for 1x1 panels and the Rabbit-Ears Space for space lights with ultra-reflective fabrics that intensify the softlight. There is no hotspot but more intensity.

For its Rabbit-Ears systems, DoPchoice has standardised the diameter of the rear pole attachments.

“Our Rabbit-Ears are compatible with our growing Snapbag family,” stresses Karle, who says the company will offer more softbox choices soon. “We are flexible and are trying to develop new products that enhance the filmmaker's abilities to guide the light.”

Along with success in Europe, there is also a growing demand for DoPchoice's products in the US. “Our systems are giving gaffers and DPs more creative freedom because the handling is much more efficient,” says Karle. “One of the great advantages is that there are no ‘tummy’ effects when the lightbank is in a horizontal position. The built-in Snapframe allows a fast set-up without the hassles of sagging.”

Independence Day: Resurgence and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story are among the growing number of movie productions that have used the grids from DoPchoice. n

ON THE JOB / JOHN TOLL ASC / BILLY LYNN’S LONG HALFTIME WALK / BY RON PRINCE

PRESENCE OF MIND Three-time Academy Awardwinning director Ang Lee harnessed his extraordinary powers to create extraordinary visual images for Sony Pictures’ Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk. Using new camera technologies, shooting at 4K in 3D stereo, and at the ultra-high frame rate of 120fps for the first time in moviemaking history, Lee has created an immersive, digital experience that dramatises the realities of war in a way that has never been seen before.

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ased on the acclaimed, best-selling novel of the same name

by Ben Fountain, the $40m movie, produced by Film4/TriStar Productions, is told from the point-of-view of 19-year-old Billy Lynn (played by newcomer Joe Alwyn) who, after being co-opted into US military service, is sent to fight in Iraq. When Billy and his comrades in Bravo Squad survive a harrowing battle that receives broad news coverage, they are celebrated as heroes and brought temporarily back home by the Department of Defence for a promotional tour.

Culminating at the spectacular halftime show of a Thanksgiving Day American football game in Dallas, the movie reveals through flashbacks what really happened to the squad in battle – delivering a sharp contrast between the brutal realities of the war and America’s perceptions. Written by JeanChristophe Castelli, the production also stars Joe Alwyn, Kristen Stewart, Garrett Hedlund, Vin Diesel, Steve Martin and Chris Tucker.

Double Oscar-winner John Toll ASC (Legends Of The Fall, 1994 and Braveheart, 1995) was chosen by Lee to oversee the cinematography on the production. After a ten-week prep period, principal photography began in the second week of April 2015, at locations in Georgia, including the Atlanta Georgia Dome, which doubled for the Dallas grid-iron stadium. The Iraq battle scenes were shot in Morocco. Shooting took place for 48 days in total. >> British Cinematographer | January 2017 | 65

ON THE JOB / JOHN TOLL ASC / BILLY LYNN’S LONG HALFTIME WALK / BY RON PRINCE

Director... Ang Lee

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk is the first feature ever to be shot at such a high frame rate. It is over twice the previous record set by Peter Jackson’s 2012 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (shot 4K at 48fps) and, conveniently, it is five times the standard projection speed of 24fps.

After directing Life Of Pi (2012), Lee had intended his next project to be Thrilla In Manila, about the legendary 1975 heavyweight boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. Wanting to broaden and enhance his use of technology in filmmaking, excited by what a higher frame rate might mean for the pugilistic sequences, and hoping to mitigate motion artefacts – such as blur and strobe effects during camera pans – Lee connected with filmmakers James Cameron and Douglas Trumbull, both proponents of higher frame rate production.

Inspired by them he shot a 60fps test for Thrilla In Manila, but when the production was postponed, Lee focussed his attentions on Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk.

He invited Toll to shoot tests for the production at the higher frame rate of 120fps.

“Billy Lynn is a very personal story, and relied heavily on intimate character drama as well as action sequences. Ang wanted to depict the emotional journey of the soldiers, and to provide a new, immersive, realistic experience for audiences,” says Toll, who also adds, “although I had never met Ang before, I was hugely impressed by his knowledge, sheer talent and how he goes about doing his job with inspiring confidence.”

Curiosity is often a trademark of great cinematographers, and Toll undertook tests with five different camera bodies at 120fps, using different lens sets and rigs, to determine which combination was most appropriate to create the 120FPS, 4K, 3D imagery.

“While 120fps had a positive effect on undesirable image artefacts, it was also immediately apparent there was much greater clarity, more presence, depth and image detail at 120fps. It seemed to make the surface of the screen invisible, and gave visual access to characters like never before. It’s a bit like when you first wear glasses, and you get your 20/20 vision back.

Additionally, 120fps, had the advantage that it could be

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easily converted down the line to the Hollywood release standard of 24fps, which was an important consideration for the worldwide release of the movie, as only a limited number are equipped to screen at 120fps/3D/4K.”

Considering their equipment options, and consulting with lead technical supervisor Ben Gervais, Toll and Lee selected Sony F65 4K-capable cameras and unfiltered ARRI Zeiss Master Primes, fitted to Stereotec mirror rigs.

“Billy Lynn was principally an A-camera shoot, with the B-camera used when we could,” says Toll.

“We opted to shoot 1:1.85 aspect ratio, rather than go widescreen. The concept behind Billy Lynn did not need that sort of exaggerated help. Rather, we wanted to be inside the story, and to deliver a more honest and real presentation of the lead character and the drama. I did not filter the images in any way, as it would have been counterproductive to our reality.”

The 3D camera rigs were assembled by Panavision in Los Angeles, a process which Toll describes as, “very technical, detailed and laborious – simply because no-one had ever put this particular combination of equipment together before. We were pretty much learning on-the-fly.”

Toll says that given the modest budget, and due to the complexity involved in shooting at a very high

frame rate, the production could not afford to do many takes for any given scene.

“Ang knew that every shot would be difficult and at the same time be precious. So he meticulously planned in advance what he wanted to achieve.

Before production began in the stadium, we spent five days working out the staging using stand-ins, and storyboarding every shot. By the time we came to shoot for real, we knew exactly what camera positions, angles and focal lengths we would need. Ang conducted regular morning meetings with key crew members to highlight things they needed to be alert on, and rehearsed every scene before we shot for real. We did exactly the same in Morocco for the battle scenes.

“I have never been better prepared on a movie, and reckon we had well over 70% of the shots naileddown before we turned over. Ang knew the technology, what would make sense for the final image, and how to accomplish it. He revealed what a brilliant filmmaker he really is. He’s the real deal, and this is how we met the 48-day schedule.”

Toll’s camera, grip and electric crews on Billy Lynn included A-camera operator Kim Marks, supported by Chris Toll as A-camera first assistant, and Sal Alvarez as second assistant. B-camera operator was Greg Smith,

“120FPS HAD A POSITIVE EFFECT ON UNDESIRABLE IMAGE ARTEFACTS, IT WAS ALSO IMMEDIATELY APPARENT THERE WAS MUCH GREATER CLARITY, MORE PRESENCE, DEPTH AND IMAGE DETAIL .” JOHN TOLL ASC with Clyde Bryan working as B-camera first assistant, and Jamie Pair as second assistant. Jarred Waldron was the gaffer, with Al Laverde the key grip, and Mike Moad the dolly/crane grip. Indy Saini performed DIT duties, with Kevin Wilson loading, and Jonathan Bennett and Clayton Smith undertaking digital utility tasks.

Shooting in stereo always brings with it the dual challenges of camera mobility and increased levels of illumination. While the Steroetec rigs are themselves lighter than most, the assembled 3D rigs for Billy Lynn still weighed-in at around 100lbs, and were voluminous items on-set. “There was no way we could just pick up those cameras and go grab a shot,” quips Toll.

Having in mind Lee’s request for Steadicamstyle tracking shots in the stadium scenes, Toll turned to Herb Ault, veteran vehicle maker for motion picture productions, and his silent Grip Trix electric dolly vehicle, for a solution. The Grip Trix vehicle was adapted to fit a MovieBird telescopic crane, to which a remote Libra Head and a Stereotec 3D rig with cameras were attached.

“It was a more cumbersome way of doing it, with so many crew – three grips, two on the crane, the camera operator and the driver – all aboard the electric vehicle,” Toll says. “But due to their skills, and plenty of practice, we managed to create shots that are very

similar to an operator wearing a Steadicam vest.”

To shoot the Iraq battle sequences, Lee eschewed the obvious tactic of moving cameras to create a sense of confusion. Instead he and Toll opted for quite the opposite, shooting from Billy Lynn’s point-of-view to capture the realism and emotion of the scenes.

Indeed, both Lee and Toll were highly aware that performance is greatly affected by shooting at 120fps, calling for a more restrained acting style. Toll remarks that one of his favorite scenes in the movie is the salute to the US National Anthem, The Star Spangled Banner, in the Georgia Dome, featuring a tight close-up on Billy Lynn.

“The camera was incredibly close to Joe, and I imagine he could see his own reflection in the mirror on the rig,” he says. “Not a word is spoken in that minute-long scene, and there’s barely a change in Billy’s facial expression. Except that he begins to cry.

The 120fps/3D/4K approach really made all of that emotion more readily accessible to the audience, and it’s incredibly moving and believable when you watch it.”

Due to the level of detail delivered by the high frame rate and high definition, Toll says the production team had to rethink everything. Shooting close-up shots, for example, meant the cast could wear only the lightest touches of cosmetics. Make-up artist Luisa Abel spent

several months of preparation on skin tones, and used a silicone-based make-up instead of traditional cosmetics.

With the 3D mirror rigs and the high frame rate combining to reduce exposure levels by 3 1/4 stops, while also gaining one stop of exposure with the use of a 360-degree shutter, Toll addressed brightness issues in the stadium shots by various means – rating the camera at 800 or 1250 ASA, supplementing the ambient daylight coming through the translucent stadium roof with the stadium’s own lighting, adding powerful Helium lighting balloons fitted with mercury vapour bulbs to match the stadium lighting, as well as LED illumination on the football pitch.

“The aim, which we pretty much achieved, was to stay at T4 and have decent depth-of-field,” he says.

“When you shoot in 2D, you would typically use shadow and contrast to create a sense of depth and volume.

But shooting 3D, by definition, we got that depth and volume, and we actually wanted less contrast in the image, because we wanted to see the detail. So in that sense the process played into our hands.

“Of course the relentless, blasting of the sunlight in Morocco meant we needed much less lighting, perhaps a subtle fill here and there. I have to say that because of the pre-planning and the clever time-of day scheduling by Richard Styles, our first AD, we shot throughout the days in Morocco, just changing direction as the light changed to keep the visual constancy.”

Toll notes: “Although we beat the phrase to death, working on Billy Lynn was a truly collaborative experience – more collaborative than anything I have ever done before. To bring Ang’s vision to reality, Ben Gervais, our technical supervisor across the entire pre-production, production and post, was one of the key people involved.

He proved absolutely brilliant with all aspects of the 3D production, workflow, editorial and grading.”

The DI grade on Billy Lynn was conducted by colourist Adam Inglis at a bespoke facility established

by Gervais at Lee’s New York office. Due to working commitments, Toll was only able to attend the grade for one week, but says, “Adam and I spoke the same language. It was as if we had been working together for years, and he did a great job in delivering the final result.”

Toll concludes: “I have to say that until I was contacted by Ang, I had never been particularly drawn to 3D, and had never shot any 3D material whatsoever. But my experience on Billy Lynn was one of pure excitement, and it was a genuine thrill to be on this voyage of discovery. The possibilities for visual storytelling have expanded tremendously with Ang’s 120fps/3D/4K approach.” n

British Cinematographer | January 2017 | 67

CAMERA CREATIVE / LINUS SANDGREN FSF /LA LA LAND

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Although it was produced for a modest $30million, La La Land has big production panache. It looks set to be a box office sensation too. At the time of going to press the colourful movie had just scooped all of the seven awards it was entered for at the 2017 Golden Globes, and garnered BAFTA and ASC nominations for its Swedish cinematographer, Linus Sandgren FSF.

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irected by Damien Chazelle, and shot on Super 35mm film by Sandgren, the romantic musical follows Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress, and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a determined jazz musician who is struggling to make ends meet. The pair are both pursuing their dreams in Los Angeles, the capital city of dreams, which can also wreck hopes and break hearts. With the modern day city as the backdrop to a multitude of song and dance routines, the story asks what is more important: once-in-alifetime love or the glare of the spotlight?

Principal photography began on August 10, 2015, and filming took place in more than 60 locations around LA, including the Downtown trolley, houses in the Hollywood Hills, Angels Flight funicular railway, Colorado Street Bridge, South Pasadena, Grand Central Market and Watts Tower, with many scenes captured in one take. It took 42 days to complete shooting, with production wrapping in mid-October.

Ron Prince caught up with Sandgren, who was in London shooting Walt Disney Picture’s The Nutcracker And The Four Realms with director Lasse Hallström, also on film, to discover more.

How did you come to get involved in La La Land?

LS: I was one of several cinematographers invited for interview by Damien. I had already read the script and was a great admirer of his movie Whiplash. He played me some of the music for La La Land. I liked the combination of melancholic, jazz and operatic songs, and their harmony with Damien’s original storyline.

We connected very quickly during that meeting. I think this was partly because we found we are kind of old-school by heart, both appreciating the practical methods of filmmaking. We prefer backdrops over greenscreen and practical visual effects. Also, we are both outsiders to LA – I’m from Sweden, and he’s from the US East Coast. We both see the city with other eyes, whilst sharing a mutual love for the place – the

big skies, the variety of architecture, that dramatic view over the vast conurbation, with Downtown in the distance, from the I-105/I-110 interchange ramp. We even love the places that others think are ugly, such as Lincoln Blvd, around Venice, where it’s a mess of ads, gas stations, streetlights and telegraph poles. But to us, LA can look wondrous and beautiful, especially in magic hour.

Whatever we spoke about, we just became more and more connected. I was impressed and intrigued by Damien’s knowledge of film in general and his clear, powerful vision of how he wanted to tell the story of La La Land visually.

Tell us more about Damien’s vision for La La Land?

LS: The movie’s title has a double entendre – it’s the city’s nickname and can be taken as being out-of-touch with reality. Damien felt there is something poetic about the city, which was built and is inhabited by people with dreams, probably unrealistic dreams, and how people often put everything on-the-line for that. It’s a contemporary drama, and wanted real LA locations to feature strongly, but for the audience to feel that magic can happen around any street corner.

From the very beginning he expressed that he wanted the film’s musical numbers to be filmed head-to-toe, paying homage to the 1950s Hollywood style in wide-screen Cinemascope, and for the song and dance routines to be performed and captured in single takes.

We discussed using a naturalistic light, but heightened with a colourful palette – no black night skies, but blue instead, and no sodium vapour orange from the streetlights, but mercury vapour. He preferred to shoot the daytime scenes in bright sunlight, and to embrace and heighten the romance of the city locations, architecture and LA’s amazing skies, by shooting in magic hour and night scenes at near-dusk. So we worked out a palette of blues, greens, pinks and purples for nights. All of this whilst keeping something of a sense of melancholy to the visuals and always lingering in the land between realism and dream. >> British Cinematographer | January 2017 | 69

CAMERA CREATIVE / LINUS SANDGREN FSF /LA LA LAND

Linus Sandgren FSF

Did you look at any references?

LS: Damien has seen most Hollywood musicals, and we watched a lot of these during prep. We took some inspiration from Jacques Demy’s The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg (Les Parapluies De Cherbourg) (1964, DP Jean Rabier). Visually it’s very experimental and highly-original, not a copy of anything, with locations painted in crazy colours and the camera moving freely between a top shot to a tilt up and a head-to-toe. The film dialogue is all sung, and even the most casual conversation is in the style of an opera.

We also looked at George Cukor’s A Star In Born (1954, DP Sam Leavitt) for its depiction of heartbreaking torchsongs, extensive production numbers and the colours of Technicolor, and Vincente Minnelli’s An American In Paris (1951, Alfred Gilks), for its elaborate dance routines choreographed by Gene Kelly. For atmosphere, we also looked at the lighting, framing and camera movements in some of Alfred Hitchcock’s movies.

Was there a film versus digital debate?

LS: No, La La Land was a film shoot from the start. Film feels personal, seductive and it taps into emotions well.

With the grain, each frame is alive and has texture. This movie was about long takes, fluid camera movements, capturing a sense of place, the nuances of colour and the unfolding romance. So 35mm film was the only option, as you cannot readily achieve that with digital. With any digital camera you might select, there’s always a compromise between colourdepth and resolution – but not so with film.

Also, film is much more secure for the future.

When you look at early movies shot in digital, some of them do not look so nice these days.

There was a nostalgia factor too, about paying an aesthetic respect to the MGM musicals from the 1950s and 1960s.

Tell us about the choice of the aspect ratio?

LS: This was a key creative decision from the start.

Damien wanted to shoot Anamorphic 2.40:1. But I proposed we use more negative in the Super 35 gate and to shoot in 2.55:1, as that was the original Cinemascope ratio, and it would lend the same kind of atmosphere to the production as those older Hollywood musicals. As the cinematographer, you can do a lot with this format with regards to framing – it’s great for composing with one, two or multiple characters – in close-up, mid shot and head-to-toe – as well as landscapes.

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Which lenses did you select?

LS: We shot most of the film using Panavision C-series Anamorphics – mainly with 40mm or 50mm primes – and one or two E-series lenses. The C-series have the blue flare streak, and a very nice bokeh. There’s also something in the coating which gives the image a nice oily, contrasty and not completely clean look, and overall they look charming and beautiful. As the framing in a shot might go from an extreme close-up to a wide shot, Dan Sasaki and the team at Panavision LA modified the C-series primes for me, so, for example, the close focus on the 40mm was just 19-inches. Panavision also did some new ground glass to give the correct widescreen view in the eyepiece.

When the Anamorphic primes are fitted on a Panavision XL2, the package is small and light enough to use nicely on a Steadicam. I also shot some 16mm with speciallybuilt 16mm Anamorphics, when Mia and Sebastian are watching an old move that is being projected.

Which film stocks did you select and why?

LS: We shot the interiors and dusk exteriors on Kodak 5219 500T, and filmed the daytime exteriors on Kodak 5207 250D. They are both great in terms of colour rendition, and I knew their grain structures would match well visually. I wanted immature blacks, to protect detail in the whites,

lower the overall contrast on the footage and have fine grain structures, so I decided to pull process all of the negative one stop. On-set I overexposed a stop and a third, and had the negative underdeveloped in the bath at Fotokem. The result is a clean, soft, elegant colourful image, with a lovely palette, with lots of image detail – a bit like the old Kodachrome colour slide film, but with less contrast.

Who were your crew?

LS: The crew is always crucial for me, and I had a great crew on this production. Ari Robbins, the A-camera/ Steadicam operator, is someone with whom I have only worked on commercials before, but he got on instantly with Damien and he nailed it during even the most complex sequences. Jorge Sanchez was the A-camera focus-puller, who really knows the craft when working on film, and can judge distance with his eyes. We had a similar rock-solid pairing on second unit/B-camera with Davon Slininger operating supported by Jack Ellingwood on focus. Brad Hazen, my local regular on commercials, was my gaffer, and although it was our first feature together, he did a great job with his team. Tony Cady was my key grip, He and his team, with Bogdan Iofciulescu operating the Moviebird 45 himself, were crucial for our camera moves. I also have to mention Peter Kohn, the first AD, who was superbly creative and very efficient with the planning.

How did you work with Damien on the visual language of the movie?

LS: Damien wanted the camera to be emotionally involved with the story, as if it was a character, observing and reacting emotionally to the performances. It had to be fluid, to feel as if it could move anywhere and look from all sorts of angles. He didn’t want a sociallyrealistic film where you end-up cutting to the song and dance routines, rather he wanted seamless transitions between reality and musical numbers.

It was a very collaborative process throughout and he draw a lot of storyboards.

In prep we went through the script every morning to figure out the blocking of the scenes. I then drew floorplans and I figured out how to best shoot things in a musical way according to each location.

We had to shoot some elaborate musical numbers without coverage to cut away to, and to give the production its own distinctive visual language. Getting this right also meant working closely with Mandy Moore, the choreographer, and the actors during many rehearsals.

Director... D amien Chaz elle

how to avoid shadows of the camera equipment falling across the actors.

The production was based on a lot in East LA, with the main production office, production design, studio space for rehearsals and an area outdoors where we could park cars, all together.

During prep, we carefully positioned cars on our private parking lot, as they would be for real on the day, and started rehearsing camera moves on crane bases using an iPhone at first, then Steadicam. We then kept adjusting and refining the camera moves bit-by-bit, until we felt we had it right.

We spent a weekend on the location and had a full rehearsal with cranes and cameras before we turnedover. By the time we came to shoot the opening number for real, we knew exactly where the cranes would be, their moves, and the step-ons and step-offs required by Ari who operated Steadicam. There are one or two minor bounces in the final take, but they only add to the sense of the camera playing a part in the action.

How did you shoot the opening scene on the freeway interchange ramp?

LS: It was pretty complex to figure out how to shoot that traffic scene. There was a median (concrete barrier) in between the freeway lanes, so there was no way we could simply walk around or over it with a Steadicam.

Also, as the camera moves so much, we had to consider

Give us some details about your lighting?

LS: I am very sensitive to light and colour, so I prefer to always work with coloured lights – in this film, such as existing green street lights, blue fluorescents, yellow practicals and the brought-in LEDs on-set. For night scenes I lit with extra green in the key lights so that I could balance out the final picture by adding magenta in the DI to achieve our chosen colour palette and create pink skies. When the drama gets very intimate, such as

in the jazz nightclub, we had all of the lights, including the practicals on a dimmer board. This meant we could quickly create simple pools of light and make the rest of the set just disappear to emphasise the moment.

Tell us about the DI post?

LS: I did digital dailies colour timing, using Kodak film emulation LUTS, with Matt Wallach at EC3 Labs, part of EFILM. This was to make sure that the footage which went to editorial was as close as possible to my original intention on-set. If you leave this for later-on in the process, you run the risk of the director and production executives falling in love with the wrong look.

The final DI was done by Natasha Leonette at EFILM in non-consecutive sessions over the course of about three weeks. Because we already had the solid basis for the look, the DI was really all about balancing the shots, finessing touches of colour and making the blacks less intense and more shiney. We also focussed on perfecting the skin tones. But that was pretty much it, and with Natasha’s help we quickly delivered the final result. n

British Cinematographer | January 2017 | 71

CLOSE-UP / JAMES LAXTON / MOONLIGHT / BY KEVIN HILTON

Many films are carried along on a wave of hype before they are released but the independent feature Moonlight has built up a genuinely positive buzz through festival screenings and a slew of awards.

D

ue for general UK release in February, this sensitive study of the growing pains of a young black man coming to terms with his sexuality won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Drama, with Barry Jenkins getting a Best Director - Motion Picture nomination, plus being named AFI Movie of the Year.

Moonlight’s cinematography has also been recognised, with director of photography James Laxton winning the Best Cinematographer Award at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards and getting a Golden Frog nomination at Camerimage 2016, among other honours. Laxton calls being part of the main competition “a massive honour”, particularly at it was his first time at the festival in Poland.

“It’s a unique event,” he says. “Moonlight was screened only once but I was on seminars as well, including a long Q&A.” The festival also gave Laxton

72 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

the opportunity to talk to other DoPs - Christopher Doyle, Anthony Dod Mantle and Marcel Zyskind among them - many of whom he admits are heroes of his.

After starting out in the early 2000s with three shorts, two of which were directed by Barry Jenkins, Laxton made his feature debut on Medicine For Melancholy (2008). This was also Jenkins’ first full-length film, which he has now followed up with Moonlight.

It has raised the profiles of both men but Laxton feels it strange to talk of the film as his breakthrough - particularly as he clocked up another 16 features previously, in addition to more shorts, documentaries, commercials and TV episodes.

He does, however, acknowledge Moonlight is significant in his evolution as a cinematographer: “It’s the production I found my voice with and I felt I was expressing myself with film.” Commenting on the reception the movie has received, Laxton adds, “It’s wonderful when a film resonates as Moonlight has.”

Based on the unproduced play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue, written by Tarell Alvin McCraney, Moonlight tells the story of African-American Chiron through three periods of his life.

Laxton explains he had been

aware of Jenkins’ plans to make a film version three years before production began in September 2015.

“Barry and I are close friends outside filmmaking and we had an ongoing conversation about what became Moonlight,” he says. “Those two to three years are longer than most DPs working in indies have for prep. The first conversations I had with Barry were about the kinds of images and what the film would look like.”

Jenkins’ film retains the three-act structure of the original story but Laxton says the aim was to make something more cohesive for the cinema: “Barry’s screenplay was very elegant and immersive from the get-go. A concern for us was, rather than finding a look for each stage of Chiron’s life, to make a feature film that wasn’t three short stories. There was more thought given about how to arrange the parts so the looks didn’t change too much.”

There is still some differentiation between the acts, which portray Chiron and his friend Kevin at different ages and stages of their relationship. “Each story has its own LUT,” Laxton comments, “and there were specific feels for them. The first part has a very Steadicam feeling, part two is more handheld [EasyRig], while part three has more dolly [Fisher Model 10]. That’s very general because within each story we use all of those techniques and didn’t restrict ourselves.”

Moonlight was shot on ARRI Alexa XT in Pro Res 444 using Vantage Hawk Scope and Kowa anamorphic lenses. “The story is very intimate but we wanted to present it in a large way,” Laxton explains. “Anamorphic lenses and the Alexa gave us that starting point.”

For the lighting Laxton says he selected “some very broad looks”, largely using LED lamps running in RGB. “That meant we could change the colour temperatures for the interiors and night exteriors,” he comments. “A lot of the

James Laxton

interior work was also helped by using LiteGear Lite Mats.

I love those because they are lightweight and dimmable.

We used them in RGB mode but sometimes it was a custom RGBAW Litemat 4, since not all Lite Mat products operate in RGB, most are just bi-colour. The lights really helped because we weren’t shooting on sound stages but real locations in Miami.”

Laxton operated the camera for all but the Steadicam scenes, which were shot by James Baldanza, Libor Cevelik and Oswaldo Silvea Jnr. “I love operating, especially when I’m working with Barry,” he says. “The way he gives direction to the camera is sometimes very specific and sometimes quite intangible. Often he gives notes to the camera like he directs actors. I like interpreting those notes, which is something that goes back for a long time in our relationship.”

Jenkins and Laxton met while both were students at the Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts in Tallahassee, Florida. In the seven years between Medicine For Melancholy and Moonlight the two made another short together - A Young Couple (2009) - but that period saw Laxton working with other directors on a variety of projects.

Notable from this time are the two films he made with Kevin Smith: Tusk (2014) and Yoga Hosers (2016).

“That relationship was very interesting and very different,” Laxton observes. “Kevin is a hero of mine. When I started out in film he was making Clerks [1994], which was highly influential. It was the thought that you could just grab a camera and make films with your friends. When I got the call to work with him it was a very easy yes.”

Last spring Laxton shot Anything for actor-director Timothy McNeil, with the film due to go into DI during December 2016. “We filmed in a part of Los Angeles where I used to live and that isn’t depicted in films very much,” he says.

While projects with other directors are in the offing Laxton is hoping it won’t be too long before he works with Barry Jenkins again: “Barry has got something on the horizon and with any luck we’ll be back together soon.” With the growing success of Moonlight perhaps the wait will not be too long. n

British Cinematographer | January 2017 | 73

CLOSE-UP / CHARLOTTE BRUUS CHRISTENSEN / FENCES

H

aving encouraged the producers of Dreamworks’ The Girl On The Train that only 35mm would suffice for their contemporary murder-mystery, cinematographer Charlotte Bruus Christensen discovered that Denzel Washington was already set on shooting his 1950’s family drama, Fences, in 35mm widescreen Anamorphic.

“I can always find perfectly good reasons, and am happy to argue the case, for shooting on film,” Bruus Christensen remarks. “It is highly-adaptable across many genres, stories and formats, and captures the authenticity of performances, settings and environments like nothing else. Film was perfect for the harsh and ugly present-day portrait of Emily Blunt’s inebriated character in The Girl On The Train, and perfectly well-suited for faithfully telling the period story of hard-pressed Troy Maxson in Fences. Denzel has a cinematic eye, and appreciates the value of film as a storytelling medium. So we were on the same page way before production began.

“However it’s not simply the look and the texture of film that I love. It is also the way you work with celluloid on-set, and the focus it gives to the entire cast, crew and production team during filming, that I really value too.”

Fences is based on American playwright August Wilson’s Tony and Pulitzer-winning drama of the same name. It was directed by, and stars, twotime Oscar winner Washington, along with Viola Davis, plus several other cast members of the acclaimed 2010 revival of the stage play on Broadway. The movie is set in Pittsburgh during the 1950s, and follows a former Negro Baseball League player, now working as a garbage man, who struggles to provide for his family and come to terms with the events of his life. The $30m production was produced for Paramount by Washington and Scott Rudin.

“For Denzel, the production was all about simplicity, truthfulness to African American culture, and the fact 74 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

that a black sanitation man’s life is affected by exactly the same things – love, honor, betrayal, duty – as any other human being,” says Bruus Christensen. “I felt incredibly lucky to be offered this movie by Denzel, who proved to have boundless passion and energy throughout our collaboration.”

Bruus Christensen says her cinematographic contribution was chiefly concentrated on supporting the dialogue with an honest cinematic result. “Fences has a lot of words, 24,900 words to be precise, and Denzel wanted the images to stay true to those words.”

But filming on-location, in a small Pittsburgh row house with no room bigger than 10ft wide, and an equally small back yard, proved quite a challenge.

“There’s no way you can lift the ceiling or move a wall to place the camera and the lights how you would ideally want them. What’s more,

Denzel wanted to go widescreen Anamorphic, as the nature of the focus and distortion pulls the attention to faces, making it a great actor’s format. He was also determined that the cinematic purity of celluloid be used to bring texture to faces and convey feeling. So, we had to go simple and, as every cinematographer knows, it’s a tough call to keep things simple.”

Assisted by her first AC Glenn Kaplan, who worked closely with Panavision, Bruus Christensen selected a Panavision XL camera in combination with C-series prime Anamorphic glass. She then harnessed the same quartet of Kodak Vision 3 film stocks she had used previously on The Girl On The Train.

“With Anamorphic lenses you need a lot of light to get the desirable exposure of T5.6 and achieve a soft, beautiful result. I knew that nearly half of Fences would be shot in tiny interiors with low ceilings, at the right time of day or night, and we were filming actors with dark skin. Furthermore, because we needed to see the world outside in the final image, I could only throw a certain amount of light in through the windows. So I needed something that would help the lenses and interiors with light.”

Bruus Christensen, who operated A-camera, found a winning combination of HMIs, firing light from outside at narrow angles, with judiciously placed ARRI SkyPanels in the interiors, capturing the interior action on Kodak 5219 500T. “The light loves dark skin, and dark skin looks great on film.” she says. “The roll-off is simply beautiful, and the 500T handled the variety of the actor’s skin tones very well indeed. There can sometimes be bright highlight kicks when you illuminate dark skin, which digital does not render well at all, but film naturally softens this effect. I switched to Kodak 5213 200T on days when we had enough natural light coming in, knowing it would complement the look of the 500T.” As the interiors were so small, with the lighting and camera sometimes just a couple of feet from the actors, Bruus Christensen says she necessarily kept

Charlotte Bruus Christe nsen

“I FELT INCREDIBLY LUCKY TO BE OFFERED THIS MOVIE BY DENZEL, WHO PROVED TO HAVE BOUNDLESS PASSION AND ENERGY THROUGHOUT OUR COLLABORATION.” CHARLOTTE BRUUS CHRISTENSEN

the camera work to a minimum, letting the actors play out scenes and covering the action with gentle slides, zooms, track-dolly and handheld moves.

“Denzel did not want to break shots, so we would often have very long takes – one was 11 minutes.

Somehow, we managed to fit in a B-second camera, operated by Dave Thomson, to pick up reactions.”

For the exterior day scenes, Bruus Christensen principally used Kodak 5203 50D, switching to Kodak 5207 250D, whenever the sky was overcast. “The 50D and 250D both handle direct sunlight really well, and are very colourful. As with the Tungsten stocks, they both roll-off nicely, keep detail in the highlights, even when you are overexposed, and they match well too.”

It is fitting that Bruus Christensen found herself being presented with the 2016 Hamilton Behind The Camera Award for cinematography by Washington, during the ceremony in November 2016.

“It was a thrill to be given this award by my director,” she says. “Denzel was great at sharing his vision for Fences. Shooting on film has imbued this production with real atmosphere, honesty and truthfulness, and proved once again how perfect it is for poignant, emotional character-based stories.” n

British Cinematographer | January 2017 | 75

THE DARK SIDE

CLOSE-UP / MARK PATTEN / TABOO / BY MICHAEL BURNS

How do you convey the inner turmoil of a 19th century adventurer, whilst simultaneously fleshing out his movements through the filthy streets and sumptuous rooms of Regency London?

T

his was the challenge for Mark Patten, director of photography on Taboo, a major BBC drama se-ries starring Tom Hardy. The series is also executively produced by Hardy, alongside Ridley Scott and Steven Knight.

Taboo is set in the early 19th century, when James Keziah Delaney (Hardy) returns to 1814 London after ten years in Africa, to discover that he has been left a mysterious legacy by his father. Delaney finds himself in a face-off against the East India Company, whilst playing a dangerous game between two warring nations, Britain and America. Anders Engström and Kristoffer Nyholm each directed four of the eight-episode series, which was produced by Hardy, Son & Baker and Scott Free Productions.

Patten (DP Blood Orange, DP second unit on The Martian and Exodus: Gods And Kings) has previous with Scott Free. He says his involvement came off the back of his cinematography work on Morgan, a Brit-ish-American science fiction horror, which marked the directorial debut of Luke Scott.

“There were three rounds of interviews,” says Patten. “After the second, I had a chance to read the script, written by Stephen Knight. It was really engaging.

His writing is very immersive, very strong and visceral.

It really grips you.”

Once he got the gig, Patten started to put in place all the visual aesthetics needed to tell the tale.

The research began with a trip to the art gallery with director Kristoffer Nyholm. JMW Turner became an influence on the misty romantic look for London, while Caravaggio and Goya chimed with the tormented mind of Taboo’s protagonist.

“He’s a haunted man,” observes the cinematographer. “He’s persecuted by his past and subsequently his actions have brought out demons, which are very deep within him. It’s definitely drawing on the dark tones of the leading canvas artists.”

76 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

This was the first mini-series project that Tom Hardy’s company had produced, so it commanded a certain gravitas, claims Patten. “We were definitely looking at a bigger scale production, rather than a lowerend budget project.”

To recreate 1814 London, a live set was built on an old National Heritage fort in Tilbury in Essex.

“All the assets of the brickwork, the foreground, the actual vested architecture, were all in place,” says Patten. “Then, VFX house BlueBolt did an amazing job of embedding those assets, to make it look like London in this filthy, squalid time. VFX supervisor Angela Barson and various assistants were on-set throughout the process, so we could always lean on them on a daily basis for advice.”

Charlestown in Cornwall was used to shoot some of the sea scenes and boat work, whilst the location team found existing Georgian interiors and exteriors to shoot in and around London.

Lighting was also key for the look of the period, a time when gas lighting had just been introduced.

“Everything is naturally lit through the windows, so we just used big sources punching through win-dows for day interiors,” says Patten. “Brandon Evans and his team put together eightlights, nine-lights, and quarter Wendys for night work, providing

an overall ambience or moonlight. We were using candlelight as much as possible for those interiors – I’d have that by my camera to give texture into the skin.”

Taboo used a two-camera package for the main unit, shooting digital in 16:9 on ARRI Alexa, modi-fied by Panavision to carry its Panavision Primo spherical lenses.

“The Primos have been used in the cinema since the ‘70s,” Patten explains. “They’ve just got a look which elevates the image to something more than what everyone just calls ‘TV’.”

“The Alexa is amazing,” he continues. “My DIT, Luis Reggiardo, who I hooked up with on Morgan, was instrumental in determining the workflow on a day-today basis. I like to live grade on-set. Eve-rybody gets used to seeing how dark we can go.”

Of course production is a collaborative effort and Patten says, “Olly Robinson, the first AD, who I could not have done the show without, really helped pull the crews together. I think all the heads of departments, Sonja Klaus the production designer, Joanna Eatwell the costume designer, my gaffer Brandon Evans and camera operator Chris Bain, and all the below-the-line techs, all lent their worth to succeeding and pushing a project of this scale through to the end.”

With the two Scandinavian directors at the helm, the work ethic was just solid filmmaking according to Patten. However, Hardy oversaw a lot of the production.

“He had final say on how the look would be,” says Patten. “Tim Bricknell the producer was instru-mental in those conversations as well, as he was in guiding all of the heads of department to an end point.

“Colourist Adam Glasman at Goldcrest was constantly drip-feeding imagery back throughout, and then took it upon himself to deliver a really sumptuous visual feast. I think that collaboration on-set with the DIT, and then further down the pipeline with your colourist, is a very strong triangle.”

The production and costume design were also key in terms of visuals. “Sonja’s sets are just so sumptuous,” says Patten. “They were literally dripping in either dirt, or the wealth of the Prince Regent, or the decay of Delaney’s house. Joanna’s costumes took on a very dark tone, with dark browns, tans and blacks, but within the thread, within the weave of those clothes, you get a hint of colour.”

Patten was intent on capturing all of this decaying richness. “I was very much trying to complement the set, the production design, the wardrobe design and the make-up. It’s the sum of all our collaboration that ends up on the screen.”

The idea that the camera would always be over James Delaney’s shoulder, or viewing the world from behind him, led to a lot of decisions on-set.

“Obviously there are a couple of crane moves, and Steadicam on parts, but getting this general aes-thetic just lent itself to solid photography,” says Patten. “The only other tool I played with, to try and get into the mind’s eye of Hardy and how he saw his character Delaney, was a really cheap plastic shift focus lens. I put it on an old DSLR and kept it always by my side, so if there was ever a moment that I could see for it, or a piece of set that caught my eye, I would just get it out and start using it.”

This approach was used in a lot of Delaney’s ‘demonised’ scenes, where he remembers the horrors that he has committed on the African continent.

“I was given complete visual control on the project, so you may as well push those boundaries to see what you can get. I don’t think Taboo wanted to be just another BBC period drama.

Hopefully it won’t come across as that. I’m hoping that narratively, visually, and stylistically, it’ll be something different.” n

Mark Patten

British Cinematographer | January 2017 | 77

LIVE & LET DI / DIALLING-IN THE DI GRADES

Technicolour... Jackie

Technicolor: the company’s Paris operation provided picture and sound creative services to Pablo Larrain’s Jackie, helping to deliver the portrait of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in the hours and days after the assassination of JFK, in November 1963. Told in flashbacks and flash-forwards, the film was photographed in Super 16mm by French cinematographer Stéphane Fontaine AFC, and was colour-finished by Isabelle Julien over the course of 18 days. The Kennedy White House was recreated at Luc Besson’s Saint Denis studio outside Paris, the principal location for production. The production recreated Mrs. Kennedy’s famous White House tour in 1961 and the emotional first interview she conducted shortly after her husband’s death. With their familiar faces and these well-documented events, the texture of the images became the key challenge.

Technicolor Paris provided digital dailies for the liveaction Super 16mm photography, combined with archival footage and video simulations of the early 1960s.

Technicolor’s R&I team in Rennes created a special algorithm for the DI finishing. Technicolor Sound oversaw the film’s final sound mixing

Meanwhile, Peter Doyle graded T2 Trainspotting, for Danny Boyle and DP Anthony Dod Mantle DFF BSC ASC, and King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword, directed by Guy Ritchie with cinematographer John Mathieson BSC. Logan, also shot John Mathieson BSC, was finished in LA by Skip Kimball, whilst Ghost In The Shell, shot by Jess Hall BSC, was graded by Michael Hatzer at Technicolor Hollywood. The company also did the DI on The Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul, shot by Tony Richmond.

Company3, London: Assassin’s Creed – Time Out of Mind, the latest Michael Fassbender vehicle, was the first project for the team, working with Emmy Award-winning Australian DP Adam Arkapaw. Graded by Tom Poole, who also coloured the Oscar winning feature 12 Years A Slave (DP Sean Bobbitt BSC), the movie is releasing in 2D and 3D. Peaky Blinders lead Cillian Murphy joins an all-star-cast for Sally Potter’s The Party, graded by Greg Fisher. Unusually, The Party was finished in B&W for theatrical release in 2017, but Fisher has graded B&W and colour versions Company3...

Assassin's Creed for DP Aleksei Rodionov. CO3 is now working on Eric Clapton Documentary for Passion Films, which sees Paul Ensby using the skills he honed on both Senna and Amy to blend archive footage from a wide range of formats and image qualities. Justice League, the next DC Comic book feature, primarily shot on 35mm film by DP Fabian Wagner, plus the digitally-acquired American Assassin, shot by Enrique Chediak, both recently wrapped principal photography, giving CO3’s dailies team a short 78 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

breather. The team also worked across the Deluxe group on series three of The Royals, which was finished at Encore, with VFX completed at Rushes.

Technicolor PostWorks, New York: recently posted the new 8-part PBS documentary, Soundbreaking: Stories From The Cutting Edge Of Recorded Music, a fascinating portrait Technicolor PostWorks… of the melding of art and blended art and technology to deliver technology in popular PBS's Soundbreaking music. Produced by Show Of Force, and directed by Maro Chermayeff and Jeff Dupre, the series reaches back to the 1920s, when music was first committed to vinyl, but focusses in particular on the period from the 1960s to the present, and the revolution set in motion by the late Sir George Martin and The Beatles through their innovative use of multi-tracking.

Sixteen19, New York: has marked one year at its new headquarters in Chelsea with the launch of a second 4K DI finishing theatre, complementing Sixteen19… has opened its 40 edit suites, three color spiffing new DI theatre suites and two visual effects rooms. Recently, director Peter Berg did post work on Summit Entertainment’s blockbuster Deepwater Horizon. For The Promise, directed by Terry George, and starring Christian Bale, Sixteen19 delivered a complete post package comprising of mobile dailies across Spain, Portugal and Malta, Avid suites, VFX, final colour grading and editorial finishing.

Gorilla, Cardiff Bay: the largest post-production facility in Wales, has boosted the finishing facilities at its purposebuilt flagship facility with a new Baselight installation. At the heart of the facility is a large grading theatre equipped with a 20-foot projection screen, plus a Dolby Professional Reference Monitor, for 4K and HDR-ready grading. Gorilla has around 70 edit suites across its main site and other locations. Recent projects graded include the drama series Decline And Fall (Tiger Aspect/BBC) and Born To Kill (World Productions/C4).

Sony Pictures, Hollywood: called in Ben Gervais as the tech supervisor for Ang Lee’s Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, shot at 120fps with HDR and extended colour gamut, and in 3D, by John Toll ASC.

“Ang likes to push boundaries and he wondered what watching the film at 120fps would look like. No one had ever seen it before,” Gervais said. “With the help of Christie Mirage digital projectors, and media servers from 7thSense Design, we tried it – and it blew our minds.

When the lights came up after we saw it for the first time, we all just sat there stunned.

Working with the studio, we decided to shoot at 120fps, because that would give us the flexibility to create the multiple formats that would be shown in theatres. Then we could generate 60fps because it’s exactly half the frame rate, and generate 24fps because it’s a fifth.”

Lee wanted a very realistic look, to immerse people in Billy Lynn’s experience. “On-set, Ang and John Toll went

Cognition, Hollywood: has completed construction of a 4K DI theater as part of its on-going multi-million dollar expansion. Several film projects have already come through the new resource, including A Happening Of Monumental Proportions and Marauders, both finished using an ACES workflow. The 12-seat, 4K theatre features SGO’s Mistika platform, which combines colour grading, editing, finishing and visual effects. It is also equipped with a Barco DP4K-P post-production projector, a 21-foot Stewart Filmscreen reference screen, plus 7.1 surround sound. Cognition recently applied its colour-grading magic and technical expertise to Underwater, a new 360-degree video, created

by Soma Fashion Network for the HTC Vive virtual reality system. Users are welcomed into an ethereal fantasyland where magical mermaids, sensual dancers and exquisite models glisten, showcasing the latest in swimwear. Post production conforming and colour grading was completed by Mike Williams using SGO Mistika to conform 4K stitched images, originally edited in Premiere Pro, into the facility’s timeline.

Workflow consultant Gustavo Mendes worked with SGO to set up a 360-degree viewing node in Mistika, allowing images to be mapped on to a sphere so that Eaves could view graded material in 360-degree space.

Cognition… completed the VR post on Underwater

Sony Pictures, Hollywood...

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk

for a flatter, more natural look, as the light didn’t have to be so contrasted or dramatic,” Gervais explained. “We used realism as a guide. The high frame rate means you see much more than you would normally see in a movie. What does the heat of Iraq feel like, when it is so damn hot that the light is oppressive? That is something most people never get to sense.

“Ang was insistent that we do the DI in 4K 120fps stereo. FilmLight were really the only people who stepped up to the plate, and Baselight was identified as the only platform that would allow them to see what they had actually shot, and how the movie was coming together during production and post.”

During production three Baselight systems were used to playback dailies. These systems were packaged-up and shipped out to Morocco, which stands in for Iraq in the battle scenes, and then shipped back to New York for the final post, not least because of the huge amount of data accumulated – over 100 terabytes for the final conform. It was here that the Baselight X was added to the project.

Colourist Adam Inglis worked on the movie for almost four weeks, setting the looks for the full 120fps 4K 3D version. Inglis’s colleague Marcy Robinson then came on board to finish off the colour on this version, and grade of all the other deliverables – apart from the additional grading for Dolby Vision HDR, which was handled by Doug Delaney.

“The ambition of Billy Lynn’s Long Half Time Walk was intimidating – a new cinema format that had never been done before,” Inglis commented. “The format was so integral to the look of the film that we had to grade in full 3D/4K/120fps with all the technical difficulties that came with that. I’ve graded on Baselight since the very early days of DI, back when 2D/2K/24fps was a daunting prospect. It’s always been a system at the forefront of innovation, but with a foundation so solid that it can adapt to new challenges.

“I only had a week with John Toll to set the look of the film before he had to leave for another project. We initially planned to just set looks for each scene, but by the end of that week we had a grade on the entire film. When going out on the frontier, you need the best survival equipment available, and we had it with Baselight.”

Molinare: senior colourist Asa Shoul dialled-in the DI grades on The Last Dragonslayer, directed by Jamie Stone and lit by DP Adam Etherington, which transmitted on Christmas Day on Sky 1 HD. Starring Ellise Chappell, Ricky Tomlinson and John Bradley, the feature-length adventure is set in the Ununited Kingdoms – a magical blend of past and present, medieval and modern – and follows indentured orphan Jennifer Strange, who discovers her destiny is to become the last dragonslayer.

“What a monster The Last Dragonslayer turned out to be, with over 350 VFX shots to grade,” said Shoul, who started with look development for the director, DP and VFX supervisor. “The look was glossy and extremely colourful – a Disney-style children’s adventure with magicians, assassins, evil kings and dragons. Using Baselight, we set grades on multiple scenes. The trickiest were those with the dragon, which had been shot over several days in the mountains with extremely changeable weather conditions. I had to introduce sunlight into cloudy shots, pulling every last bit of detail from the skies and key the lead actress’s face, her cloak, which had to be a very precise burgundy colour, the grass, which had to be golden, and the rocks, which had to be a stoney blue.” Shoul used mattes to correct the colour of the dragon across all scenes – even throwing the focus on the tips of its wings – and added a sunset glow to the distant clouds.

Asa Shoul also graded BBC One’s Boxing Day murder mystery, Agatha Christie’s The Witness For The Prosecution, lensed by cinematographer Felix Wiedemann, for director Julian Jarrold. “Felix used old lenses, various colour filters and a few other techniques to create a wonderful look for dark, smog-filled London.

The script mentioned a sulphurous, poisonous atmosphere invading people’s homes, and we worked to enhance this in the grade. We also added a fine layer of grain and some diffusion to the

highlights. Although there’s a predominately green and gold look, we were mindful to avoid a colour wash, and ensured reds and blues popped through to give the viewer a greater range of colours,” said Shoul.

DI colourist Gareth Spensley did the grade on Pathé’s romantic, political, historical drama A United Kingdom, directed by Amma Asante, shot by DP Sam McCurdy BSC. “Set in both 1940s London and Botswana, the travel between these location provides the main visual journey in the film,” Spensley said. “Amma and Sam didn’t want a simple contrast of cold, blue London with warm, orange Botswana, but something much more subtle that played to the strengths of the locations and production design. In many of the London locations we tried to avoid blue and cold colours. Using Baselight, we restricted the blue channel from the raw negative in all of the London scenes and, using secondary hue shift selections, brought an amber and green axis to the palette. They were also keen to accurately portray the African locations and not overtly push them. Removing the suppression of the blue channel meant the skies and sunlight shone through with a contrasting purity to the smoggy light in the London sequences. Finding the particular rust red colour for the sand in Botswana was one of the grading challenges, requiring keys and mattes to be pulled to maintain its consistency through the sunlight changes of a shooting day.”

Meanwhile, it was colourist Andrew Daniel who applied a filmic look on James Friend BSC’s Alexa footage for BBC One’s three-part thriller Rillington Place, starring Tim Roth and Samantha Morton, based on the notorious multiple murders carried out by John Christie in Notting Hill in the 1940s and ‘50s. n

The Last Dragonslayer

Witness For The Pro secution

Molinaire... A United Kingdom

British Cinematographer | January 2017 | 79

CLAPPERBOARD / DENNIS FRASER MBE / BY DAVID WOOD

M

The evidence of a pre-eminent career in the film industry is to be found all around the St Albans office of Dennis Fraser MBE, former film industry key grip and current MD of grip rental company Chapman UK.

er with Dennis Fraswison Norman Je

Dennis Fraser wit h Clint Eastwood

80 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

ost eye-catching are the framed photographs of Fraser chatting to famous directors, including Clint Eastwood, Norman Jewison and John Huston.

“I have had the chance to work with some of the best directors and cameramen in the world,” says Fraser, looking back over a 63year career in the industry with credits as key grip on films such as Where Eagles Dare (1968, dir. Brian G Hutton, DP Arthur Ibbetson BSC), Fiddler On The Roof (1971, dir. Norman Jewison, DP Oswald Morris BSC), Chariots Of Fire (1981, dir. Hugh Hudson, DP David Watkin BSC), Firefox (1982, dir. Clint Eastwood, DP Bruce Surtees ASC) and Pearl Harbour (2001, dir.

Michael Bay, DP John Schwartzman ASC).

But perhaps the professional recognition of grips in the UK film industry, through the setting up of NVQ qualifications, is 81-year-old Fraser’s most significant achievement.

Fraser’s office has racks of files which document the evolution of Creative Skillset’s NVQ qualifications for grips and crane technicians, a project which Fraser championed through the Grips Branch of BECTU and still remains passionate about.

The NVQ guarantees that an army of well-qualified professional grips will continue to be one of the key attractions underpinning the UK’s success in attracting inward investment filmmaking.

“The reason films come here is because we offer some of the best technicians in the world. I wish they had these qualifications across the industry,” insists Fraser, who points out that there are over 150 qualified grips in the UK now. The success of the NVQ scheme has prompted other film crafts, such as focus pulling and camera loading, to evolve their own professional standards.

Fraser bemoans the fact that these crafts are still not given the status they deserve in filmmaking, with most of the plaudits still focussed on actors, directors, and cameramen.

“The truth is that a good grip does a crucial job on a film, working very closely with the director and cameraman, who tell them what shots they want to achieve. You can’t really make a film without them,” he says.

The irony is that Fraser’s enormous contribution to the film industry has been well-recognised; the recipient of two lifetime achievement awards from Grip Branch and Skillset, he is an honorary friend of the British Society Of Cinematographers and the recipient of two awards for excellence from the Guild Of British Camera Technicians. He also received the coveted ARRI John Alcott Award for Technical Achievement in 2007.

But top of the pile must be the MBE he received in 1993. His first reaction on seeing the letter from 10 Downing Street was that it must be some kind of joke. It was his wife who pointed out that the letter was likely genuine because it was signed by then Prime Minister John Major.

Speaking in his St Albans office, Fraser still seems a little surprised about being a recipient of an honour from the British establishment, as if people who leave school at the age of 15 with little in the way of formal qualification don’t really get honours.

“I was somebody who was good with his hands, but who had little formal education,” recalls the former amateur boxer.

Chariots Of Fire, 1981 An American Werew olf In London, 1981

Fraser’s career in film started when he became a painter’s labourer, first at the National Studios and then MGM Studios, where he chalked up over 100 films including titles including Goodbye Mr Chips (1969, dir. Herbert Ross, DP Oswald Morris BSC) and Kelly’s Heroes (1970, dir. Brian G Hutton, DP Gabriel Figueroa).

Exposed to the craft of gripping, and taken under the wing of well-known industry figures such as Pat Newman, it was here that Fraser learnt his trade. “I loved gripping and simply wanted to be the best at it,” he recalls.

The best thing about working at a studio was that it was all about rising through the ranks and learning about the whole filmmaking process on the job, explains Fraser.

“That way you understood every job on set, from what a focus puller would do to how to load a camera.

Today’s new talent tend to know about photography because they want to be directors 90 per cent of the time, but – put simply – they just don’t have enough knowledge – something that applies to all grades right up to the director,” he says.

That’s the knowledge gap that the NVQs for grips attempt to plug.

“The big breakthrough is that now key grips, who are responsible for hiring the entire grip team on a production, won’t hire somebody without a qualification,” says Fraser.

When his time at MGM Studios ended, Fraser was well-known as one of the best key grips in the business, a reputation confirmed by film industry luminary Sir Sydney Samuelson.

“I called him Mr Reliable. Dennis was simply the most experienced, most reliable key grip in the industry,” recalls Samuelson.

Samuelson’s comments are backed up by director and actor Clint Eastwood, with whom Fraser worked on many films including Kelly’s Heroes and Firefox. “Dennis is a solid pro and a great guy. We have worked many years together and he is topflight,” says Eastwood.

Samuelson adds: “Dennis was a techie who you definitely wanted on your production (if he was available), because he had a reputation for reliability and solving difficult problems on-set. If you had a tricky picture, Dennis would sort it with the minimum of fuss. No matter how difficult it was to get a shot, he would find a way.”

“When Norman Jewison did some of his big pictures in the UK, and the money was in place, on day one he’d sit down with his production manager and the first item on the agenda would be ‘make sure Dennis Fraser is available’.”

Fraser’s relationship with Jewison began with MGM musical Fiddler On The Roof – he went on to work on other Jewison movies such as Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) and Rollerball (1975), both lit by cinematographer Douglas Slocombe BSC ASC.

It was the beginning of a successful freelance career which saw Fraser notch up a string of notable credits throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s including Cross Of Iron (1977, dir. Sam Peckinpah, DO John Coquillon), Chariots Of Fire and An American Werewolf In London (1981, dir. John Landis, DP Robert Paynter), before setting up his own rental company, Grip House, in 1984. With five partners he set out with the ambition of making the world of grip kit more exciting, more versatile and – crucially – safer.

“I tried to do something different when I started up Grip House – to change the concept of gripping,” he says. “Of course there were already cranes and dollies, but not much else. We designed sliders, tongues, car rigs, specialised cranes and the Fraser Dolly – a unique, multipurpose, flexible dolly system which is still in use today.”

Fraser also lays claim to creating the first generation of specialised crane technicians. “I refused to dry hire a crane – unlike some companies – they had to go out with somebody I knew would be able to use it safely.”

Rollerball, 1975

When, in the 1980s, Grip House got into financial difficulties, Fraser’s business was rescued by Sir Sydney Samuelson, to whom Fraser remains eternally grateful to this day.

After 40 years as one of the film industry’s bestknown grips, working long hours often on location, Fraser decided to retire, making only the occasional foray into features. He’s handed the baton onto his son Kevin, who like his father, now has a string of big feature credits to his name.

But Leonard Chapman, boss of Hollywood-based grip rental company Chapman Leonard, was about to spoil Fraser’s retirement plans. Having known him professionally for years, he asked Fraser to run the company’s new UK and European HQ.

Chapman Leonard has pioneered some of the most exciting kit on the market today, including PeeWee’s dollies, Lenny arms, Titan and Super Nova cranes, and the submersible and versatile Hydrascope telescopic crane.

Fraser estimates that Chapman Leonard’s grip equipment is used on around 90 per cent of features worldwide.

One thing that Fraser hasn’t changed from his Grip House days to Chapman UK is his focus on health and safety. “I would go as far as to say that I am a bit paranoid about the condition in which my kit goes out,” he declares.

Take a tour of the company’s sizeable St Albans warehouse facility and it’s obvious that everything is in immaculate condition.

“I see Lennie [Chapman] a couple of times a year and he has become one of my dearest friends,” reveals Fraser. But no prizes for guessing the big topic of conversation on Fraser’s USA trips. “We spend all our time talking about grip equipment.” n

British Cinematographer | January 2017 | 81

IMAGO NEWS / BY PAUL RENÉ ROESTAD FNF / IMAGO PRESIDENT The panel debating cinematographic diversity: Nina Kellgren BSC, Maria Secco AMC, Nancy Schreiber ASC, Julia Swain, Catherine Goldschmidt, Vanessa Whyte, Velinda Wardell ACS, Kristen TolleBillings, Roberto Schaefer AIC ASC, Ed Lachman ASC, Bradford Young ASC, moderated by Elen Lotman ESC.

A BUSY AUTUMN

IMAGO cooperated closely with Camerimage to arrange several seminars and conferences during the 2016 grand celebration of cinematography in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

IMAGO focus on diversity at Camerimage

IMAGO cooperated with Illuminatrix, the UK-based collective of female cinematographers, to focus on the fact that although half the world’s population and half the number of film students are women, just over 7% of feature films are photographed by female cinematographers. This is of course totally unacceptable to us all. IMAGO will do its very best to help increase that number in the years to come, and the challenge and the ways forward were greatly debated.

Our seminars, masterclass with Natasha Braier ADF, film screening and conferences were met with overwhelming interest, and the cinema where many of these were held had never before had such a large audience present. Extra rows of chairs had to be put in to accommodate everyone. The sessions were perfectly

organised by IMAGO vice president Nina Kellgren BSC and IMAGO board member Elen Lotman ESC, in cooperation with Camerimage and Illuminatrix. Our gratefulness also goes to ARRI and Vantage who helped IMAGO greatly with this important focus.

IMAGO Conference on VR and 3D at Camerimage

Technical wizard Jannicke Mikkelsen held a masterclass at Camerimage, where she and her work partner, Laura Marie Linck, talked about Jannicke’s recent VR 3D production for the band Queen’s spectacular Barcelona concert. The 3D/VR rig that Jannicke designed specially for the shoot held 20 cameras and was built in less than a week. It was a mindblowing experience for all present.

On the spot Jannicke was invited by the ASC to hold a similar masterclass at the ASC Clubhouse in LA, so our friends and colleagues over the ocean can also be equally impressed. Our thanks The players: (l-r) Jannicke go to Kazik Suwala and Mikkelsen, Andreas Adl er from his amazing team at Fujifilm and Laura Marie Linck Camerimage for being IMAGO's partner on these important events.

IMAGO/ASC Conference on the importance of collaboration

For the first time, IMAGO and the ASC held a joint conference at Camerimage, focussing on the importance and need for international collaboration, as well as the sharing of knowledge and experience across borders. At a time when technology changes so rapidly in complexion and sophistication, the need for 82 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

international collaboration between cinematographers to keep control of our images has never been greater.

Not least important is increasing the communication amongst our many members regarding the results of our work in different committees, news of new developments in equipment, software and production methods, research results, technical tests etc. It is important to find a better and more consistent system for sharing knowledge than we have today.

ASC and IMAGO will work together on this challenge. The conference was a great success and has laid the grounds for further good and close collaboration between ASC and IMAGO in the coming years, in many important areas. Our thanks go to RED’s Christina Smith and Mike Grieve, for their help in arranging this important conference.

An even busier 2017 – filled with activities!

In early March IMAGO will arrange an international masterclass in Amsterdam, where several acclaimed cinematographers will come to exchange experiences, to talk about their latest films and the artistic and technical challenges in their productions.

In March IMAGO will also arrange a conference on how to work to improve film school education for cinematography students, in cooperation with the BVK (The German Society of Cinematographers) and the German Film School HFF in Munich. In April, there will be an international conference in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on how to best secure image quality in archiving and restoration of our important and vast film heritage.

The IMAGO/FNF Oslo Digital Cinema Conference will take place in September, and in October the IMAGO General Assembly and the new grand celebrations of international cinematographers, The IMAGO International Cinematographer´s Awards, will both take place in Helsinki, Finland. In addition, IMAGO and the ASC jointly plan to cooperate with Camerimage to arrange several new conferences, masterclasses and seminars at Camerimage in 2017. IMAGO are grateful to our many important sponsor partners who help us make IMAGO’s increased activities possible.

IMAGO International Cinematographer´s Awards

IMAGO is 25 years old in 2017. We will use this opportunity to make a grand celebration of international cinematography. Early in 2017 all of IMAGO’s member societies and close partner societies will be asked to nominate films for the IMAGO Awards competition.

Three films will be nominated in the three main categories: feature film, TVdrama and documentary film. In addition, seven other Awards will be given, amongst them the IMAGO Honorary Award, the IMAGO Award for Lifetime Achievement, the IMAGO Award for extraordinary contribution to cinematography and the IMAGO Award for Technical Achievement.

A large number of cinematographers, partners, film colleagues and media partners will be present at this first IMAGO Awards.

ARRI celebrates its 100th birthday in 2017, and will be the IMAGO Awards main partner for 2017, for which we are very grateful. Camerimage is also 25 years old in 2017 and Camerimage will, of course, be invited to celebrate our anniversaries.

So, there is lot to be celebrated in the year ahead.

New IMAGO Model Contract under revision

IMAGO’s legal advisor Dr Cristina Busch is working to reconstruct the IMAGO Model Contract for Cinematographers. IMAGOs first Model Contract was useful, but the new version will be even more useful in many more countries, as a reminder of what ideally should be included, and what should not, in a cinematographer’s work contract.

New leadership in the IMAGO Technical Committee (CCTC)

Kommer Kleijn SBC has successfully led IMAGO’s Committee for Creative Technologies in Cinematography for more than a decade.

But, this autumn, Kommer decided Philippe to step down from Ros AFC the leadership. Rolf Coulanges BVK, Mick van Rossum NSC and Philippe Ros AFC are now jointly cochairing the committee. Philippe, John and Joe Dunton BSC are leading the sub-committee, which will enter into a closer cooperation with the ASC Technical Committee from 2017, working on joint projects and sharing knowledge and experience.

IMAGO is most grateful to Kommer Kleijn SBC for the very

The ASC/IMAGO Confere Michael Neubauer BVK nce at Camerimage. In the panel (l-r): , Louis Philippe Capelle SBCNigel Walters BSC, Philippe Ros AFC, , Elen ASC SAS, Jacek Laskus Lotman ESC, Suki Medencevic ASC PSC, Schaefer ASC AIC, and John Toll ASC, Roberto Checco Varese ASC AM C.

important work he has initiated and successfully completed during his leadership of the committee.

Luckily, Kommer will continue as a valued committee member, and as deputy board member of IMAGO.

Working conditions & authorship issues

Reports are coming to IMAGO’s Working Conditions Committee about worsening work conditions on many film productions around the world. We see that legendary cinematographer Conrad Hall’s focus on this – after his experiences in 2002 on Road To Perdition, and the following film Who Needs Sleep?, made

by Hall’s good friend and colleague Haskell Wexler in 2007 – has not helped a bit, even ten years later. On the contrary, working conditions are worsening in many countries, and 14-15 hour working days are not only a health and safety risk, it may also deteriorate the quality of our images.

IMAGO plans a major international conference Rolf Coulanges BVK on working conditions next winter in Brussels.

IMAGO’s Authorship Committee, under the leadership of Luciano Tovoli AIC ASC, and with committee members and advisors Nigel Walters BSC, Jost Vacano BVK ASC and Vittorio Storaro AIC ASC, will shortly be sending out a questionnaire to all IMAGO member societies in order to get a complete overview of the authorship situation in IMAGO's more than 50 member C NS m ssu Mick van Ro countries around the world.

The answers of the questionnaire will help decide how IMAGO and its Authorship Committee shall work with this challenge in the future. As you may already know, IMAGO is not a union, but IMAGO works as an advisor to our many member societies, who again cooperate closely with their national filmworker’s unions.

IMAGOs valuable sponsor partners

IMAGO works with our many sponsor partners to heighten the quality of the art of cinematography, to educate and to inform about new equipment, software, techniques and production processes. In addition, IMAGO arranges workshops, masterclasses and conferences where cinematographers come together in valuable discussions on topics of common artistic and technical importance. IMAGO’s Committee for Creative Technology in Cinematography works with manufacturers to improve equipment and software to maximally suit cinematographer’s needs. Without the support from our invaluable sponsor partners we would not have been able to do this extensive work so important for all cinematographers and for the development of our art. IMAGO is immensely grateful to our sponsor partners for their continuous and extremely valuable support.

Contact and more information

Please see www.imago.org for more information about IMAGO and our work, activities, and close sponsor partners.

Receive the IMAGO monthly newsletter

Sign up for the IMAGO monthly newsletter and keep updated in the world of cinematography!

Visit www.imago.org, click on “Imago Newsletter” on top of the page and sign-up. We look forward to hearing from you! n

British Cinematographer | January 2017 | 83

GBCT / NEWS FROM THE GUILD / BY TIM POTTER - CHAIR - GBCT

I once read a Guardian TV critic commenting that the poor cameraman was once again standing on one leg and trying to drink tea during each shot. I know how he feels.

We are so often asked to “keep it moving”, or “make it edgy and new”.

By ‘edgy’ they mean ‘shake it around so the viewer can’t concentrate on the lack of plot, or by ‘new’ they mean ‘what we have been asking you to do for the last thirty years’.

S

A FAIR CAMERA SHAKE

84 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

o far so typical of the poor thinking of some of our creative minds. So often the instruction ‘make it doco style’ is the excuse for using this shooting mayhem, but if I were to deliver documentary footage that was that shaky I would be fired.

I have heard directors and producers trying to rationalise the wobbly approach with philosophical arguments that transcend credibility, let alone my patience. I am told that it is the ‘breathing camera’.

The wobbling is breathing life into the scene and even indicating the presence of the viewer within the action.

No, it’s just me with a very heavy weight on my shoulder.

Handheld camera work has been legitimately used to indicate the presence of an unseen actor in a scene, but it should only rarely be used as a Brechtian method of giving the viewer that theatrical sight of the inner workings of the filmmaking process. When I hear these spurious arguments, what I actually hear is a desperate attempt to justify the use of handheld cameras in the mistaken belief that it is cheaper.

Many shows have successfully used pacey and sharply executed camera moves to give a dynamic feel to scenes. Many of the America police procedurals are cited as examples of this type of camera work and they are good. The problem arises when this is mistaken for ‘cheap’ un-rehearsed handheld work, when it is actually well thought out ‘free head’ work that is designed to move the viewer quickly through the salient elements of a scene. Our brethren across the pond put in the money and thought to make a classy show. Teams of writers work on tightly-scripted stories that are shot by very experienced crews. As much story is fitted into an American “hour” (42 minutes) as would be used to fill out a British 3 x 60 minute mini-series. The dynamic camerawork is a necessity to get across so much information in so short a time.

“Scandi-Noir” may have sent the emphasis towards stiller, more considered camerawork, but it has also sent the storytelling in the direction of filling out the air-time.

The real motives for this pressure on camera folk, to shake it about and make it look like mistakes, is lack of budget, lack of well-written scripts and the lack of courage to let the actors tell the story. When you have a good story to tell, it will tell itself.

Let the camera serve the story, not cover it over with unnecessary movement. Hand-held camerawork has its place and can be appropriate for certain elements of a story. It is not a panacea for cash strapped, ideaspoor productions.

GBCT / NEWS FROM THE GUILD / BY JOHN KEEDWELL

L

ooking back a year ago, who would have thought we would be where we are now?

I don't want to get overly political here, although it's clearly very difficult to ignore the events over the course of 2016, and it would be very unwise to ignore them and think nothing has changed.

The UK leaving the European Union (although at the time of writing it is still being debated how awful this is) led to a change of UK Prime Minister, and there has been huge political turmoil around Europe, the USA and the World.

What potential effects these events will have on business as a whole (and in particular film production) going forwards, nobody is really yet sure. It will be an interesting and potentially turbulent ride for a few years, for sure. One thing is certain, being a lawyer is a great place to be, what with all the legislation changes and re-writing of laws. Maybe the advice at school about "getting a proper job" was correct after all. But where would the fun be if we were outside of working in the magical film business?

What is certain is there will be change in business, and there will be a need to embrace the change and go where it takes us. There will be a need to anticipate certain changes before they happen, not leaving it too long and attempting to steer a different direction when it is then too late.

Netflix and Blockbuster is a classic example of this in recent years. In 2000 the founder of the new fledgling company Netflix flew to Dallas to meet John Antioco, the CEO of Blockbuster at the time. Netflix proposed a partnership where Netflix would run Blockbuster online, and Blockbuster would promote Netflix inside their stores. Reed Hastings, the founder of Netflix, was literally laughed out of the meeting room.

Ten years later Blockbuster went bankrupt, and Netflix is now a $52billion company, serving 86 million customers in 190 countries. All this success has been achieved in under 20 years!

Netflix had an advantage over Blockbuster by simply having a slightly different business model, and that is what the consumer ultimately wanted.

Blockbuster made a great deal of money due to

charging the customer late fees when the video was not returned on time, and in fact this was an essential part of their revenue model. Netflix offered subscriptions, meaning customers could watch the video and keep it for as long as they wanted, or return it and get a new film to watch. This made annoying and costly late fees unnecessary.

Blockbuster actually had a few advantages in the ability to browse in the shop and decide which movie to take home that night, which Netflix couldn't do. Yet, as word spread, and people raved about Netflix, they quickly overtook Blockbuster. The rest is history, as they say. Now the Netflix business model is based on streaming services, of course, not physical DVDs, so the cost of delivery is now quicker and also less expensive.

It was this inability to embrace change and subtly adapt to what the customer wanted that put Blockbuster out of business. Also the ability to collaborate with other companies and be a greater sum of the two parts is vital going forward. This is what the film business needs to embrace and keep training people with new skills to the highest levels.

The GBCT has many high end training courses taught by working professionals, and the courses for early 2017 include: – Introduction to Steadicam and camera stabiliser workshop – Digital Imaging Technicians and Data Wranglers, – Focus pullers workshop – Video assist assistants.

WORKING IN A TEAM Working in a team of people on the production of a movie or programme is certainly a team effort, and the business needs to adapt very quickly with the new technology being brought in at an eye-watering rate.

The recent BBC television Planet Earth 2 series was a masterpiece in cinematography and technology, with cameras and techniques not available even a few years ago. The whole series was produced in Ultra HD, and it was noted the cameras-of-choice for the production were from the RED camera stable. 4K camera drones were also used in many remote places, where a conventional helicopter with gyro mount would be at a huge disadvantage. For example, drones were used inside jungles, under the trees and through the canopies. In the desert episode, there were shots through tight canyons that a helicopter could never

For details of all GBCT courses in 2017 take a look at the GBCT website at www.gbct.org/courses British Cinematographer | January 2017 | 85

reach. This certainly gives filmmakers a fuller toolbox with more choices and creative possibilities.

The technology has certainly moved ahead apace, and the Corporation even commissioned the soundtrack by Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer, who is better known for scoring the films The Lion King, Gladiator and Batman. The sound team also deserve a huge praise, with many of the sounds produced in the comfort of post-production studios, as many of the camera shots were shot on such a long lens that real sound would be impossible. This was BBC output at the highest level, and the experience gained will certainly have a huge potential effect upon movie productions going forward.

At the moment the BBC has no plans for a dedicated 4K channel, although the reason for shooting Ultra HD for this series will ultimately be made for long-term financial reasons, and this is to be commended. As the remote triggered cameras were often destroyed by inquisitive bears, elephants and other animals, all this fantastic technology still required a very patient camera operator to sit in a hide for several days to capture the shots of one of the animal subjects.

No matter how much technology is involved it always requires the vital input of the determined and skilled human camera operator to get the shot.

It is this teamwork, embracing new technology and changes, along with adaptability and forward thinking that will enable the film and TV business to move forward and create stories with visually stunning content and sound creativity to match. There is already digital cinema projection, and consumer Ultra HD TV is now available to buy at relatively low prices. We have a consumer who is hungry for the quality end-product, and this means content needs to be delivered at the highest standards. With quality standards rising daily there is a flurry of activity in cameras and final delivery, and who knows when the merry-go-round will slow down?

With the introduction in October last year of the RED Weapon 8K S35 camera, the drive is still on for more pixels, it seems, and along with HDR, there is still much to learn and great technical strides ahead. The BSC show will be a very interesting place to be in 2017.

The "Threshold Model of Collective Behaviour" has shown that early adopters influence the early majority, and this can already be seen in Ultra HD TV purchases. It means the buyers now want the highest quality pictures and sound, and also means highest

quality original productions in movies as well as television.

This can only be good news for technicians trained to the highest level of technical competency, such as those found in the GBCT, as long as continual development and learning are a part of the journey in the coming years ahead.

Looking further forward there will likely be an increasingly high requirement for additional training and continual personal development for all involved in high-end productions, and this will potentially require a large personal investment to keep up with the trends happening far ahead.

If they are forward-thinking enough many companies will be investing in training for the people working for them, and rental companies do like to have fully-trained people using their kit, for obvious reasons. Yet the freelancer has to fund a great deal

practices and online instruction manuals, and these are all welcomed, although experience in the field cannot be beaten for overall knowledge and experience.

Some equipment is now radically far-advanced from the days of trusted film cameras, and the advances are only getting more frequent with new routes of production being introduced. The multitude of routes from pre-production discussions to production and post are now mind-blowing, with almost infinite variations.

The fundamental concept of the camera is still a box with a sensor inside, with a lens on the front, yet as cameras, cranes and other equipment become more complex, it requires highly-skilled crews. Cameras are now more of a computer than a camera, and that comes along with all the associated technical areas the DIT and camera crew need to contend with. Camera cranes rightly have strict rules, of course, and there is a legal requirement to have grips who are qualified and experienced.

But who pays for this advanced training for established crew? Is it the sole responsibility for the technician to learn new JOHN KEEDWELL skills by paying for the training themselves, or by learning on the job, or funded by outside sponsorships? themselves, taking time off potential work and

If thousands are invested each year in "keeping scheduling a date far in advance to do so. Training has up", this needs to be reflected in a raising of overall always been a sticky point, yet looking ahead it will rates of pay, yet will this happen? need further investment and potential restructuring to

If the required talent is not available for key make it a viable proposition to compete at the highest productions, perhaps there is a need for an additional level in the future. funding-scheme based on a percentage of a movie budget.

Being ahead of the wave means you will be Whatever the answer, this current model of business able to capture the moment and future business too. may need to be examined in more detail in the future.

Commercial camera drone operators have seen this upwave and, now that the initial rush has happened, there are a large number of drone operators with an operator's licence to fly. Yet there are now many more people seeing the potential for a business and have gone along the same route, and this potentially dilutes A good night was had by all. Thanks to Audra and the market and the prices that can be charged.

Helen of the BSC for all their hard work – it paid off!

The days of arriving at the shoot with all Many who attended said how much they enjoyed the the camera equipment being all totally familiar are night. It was lovely seeing and catching-up with old dwindling. Yes, of course, every production needs a friends, and the whole atmosphere of the place was pre-shoot testing period, where any unfamiliarity with warm and friendly. kit can be learned, yet some of the kit needs more

Many congratulations to all those nominated for than a few questions answered by the experts in the these prestigious awards and special wishes to the winners: rental houses. Some of the equipment needs deep understanding of the full production process and BSC/ACO/GBCT Television Drama Operators Award: delivering it according to the production's Joe Russell ACO for The Tunnel: Sabotage – Episodes wishes. Most camera companies do a 2, 3, 5 & 6 great job in explaining the benefits of their cameras, as well as features, best BSC/ACO/GBCT Feature Operators Award: P. Scott Sakamoto SOC for The Revenant

“IT IS TEAMWORK, EMBRACING NEW TECHNOLOGY AND CHANGES, ALONG WITH ADAPTABILITY AND FORWARD THINKING THAT WILL ENABLE THE FILM AND TV BUSINESS TO MOVE FORWARD.”

BSC OPERATORS NIGHT – WINNERS

BSC’s Best Cinematography In A TV Drama: Felix Wiedemann for The Go-Between BSC/ARRI John Alcott Memorial Award: Nigel Walters BSC GBCT Stills of the night, taken by Richard Blanshard, are available on the GBCT, BSC and ACO websites. n 86 | British Cinematographer | January 2017

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