Canadian Society of Cinematographers Magazine November 2015

CANADIAN SOCIETY OF CINEMATOGRAPHERS

$4 November 2015 www.csc.ca

The Romeo Section

BRENDAN UEGAMA csc Martin Wojtunik: Unusually Thicke Vistek’s New Tech

A publication of the Canadian Society of Cinematographers The Canadian Society of Cinematographers (CSC) was founded in 1957 by a group of Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa cameramen.

Since then over 800 cinematographers and persons in associated occupations have joined the organization.

FEATURES – VOLUME 7, NO. 6 NOVEMBER 2015

The purpose of the CSC is to promote the art and craft of cinematography in Canada and to provide tangible recognition of the common bonds that link film and digital professionals, from the aspiring student and camera assistant to the news veteran and senior director of photography.

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Credit: Cate Cameron

We facilitate the dissemination and exchange of technical information and endeavor to advance the knowledge and status of our members within the industry. As an organization dedicated to furthering technical assistance, we maintain contact with non-partisan groups in our industry but have no political or union affiliation.

The Romeo Section: Brendan Uegama csc Gets Infused with Vancouver Noir

By Katja De Bock, Special to Canadian Cinematographer

Unusually Thicke is Business as Usual for Martin Wojtunik

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By Fanen Chiahemen

Credit: Woodrow Walden

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Vistek Showcases New Tech with Hands-on Event

By Ian Harvey

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 2 4 20 22 29 31 32

From the President In the News Tech Column A Technicolor Century CSC Member Spotlight - Phil Earnshaw csc Classifieds Productions Notes / Calendar

Cover: Brendan Uegama csc on the set of The Romeo Section.

Credit: Cate Cameron

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Canadian Cinematographer November 2015 Vol. 7, No. 6 CSC BOARD MEMBERS PRESIDENT George Willis csc, sasc, gawillis@sympatico.ca PAST PRESIDENT, ADVISOR Joan Hutton csc, joanhuttondesign@gmail.com VICE PRESIDENTS Ron Stannett csc, ronstannett@sympatico.ca Carlos Esteves csc, carlos@imagesound.ca TREASURER

FROM THE PRESIDENT George A. Willis csc, sasc

Joseph Sunday phd JSunday1@CreativeAffinities.com SECRETARY Antonin Lhotsky csc, alhotsky@gmail.com MEMBERSHIP CHAIR Phil Earnshaw csc, philyn@sympatico.ca EDUCATION CO-CHAIRS D. Gregor Hagey csc, gregor@dghagey.com Dylan Macleod csc, dmacleod@sympatico.ca PUBLIC RELATIONS CHAIR Bruce Marshall, brucemarshall@sympatico.ca DIRECTORS EX-OFFICIO Jeremy Benning csc, jbenning@me.com Bruno Philip csc, bphilipcsc@gmail.com Brendan Steacy csc, brendansteacy@gmail.com Carolyn Wong, CarolynWong50@gmail.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF George Willis csc, sasc EDITOR EMERITUS Donald Angus EXECUTIVE OFFICER Susan Saranchuk, admin@csc.ca EDITOR Fanen Chiahemen, editor@csc.ca COPY EDITOR Karen Longland ART DIRECTION Berkeley Stat House WEBSITE www.csc.ca ADVERTISING SALES Guido Kondruss, gkondruss@rogers.com

OFFICE / MEMBERSHIP / SUBSCRIPTIONS 131–3007 Kingston Road Toronto, Canada M1M 1P1 Tel: 416-266-0591; Fax: 416-266-3996 Email: admin@csc.ca, subscription@csc.ca Canadian Cinematographer makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information it publishes; however, it cannot be held responsible for any consequences arising from errors or omissions. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the publisher. The opinions expressed within the magazine are those of the authors and not necessarily of the publisher. Upon publication, Canadian Cinematographer acquires Canadian Serial Rights; copyright reverts to the writer after publication.

Canadian Cinematographer is printed by Winnipeg Sun Commercial Print and is published 10 times a year.

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2 • Canadian Cinematographer - November 2015

G

rab the camera, frame the shot (instinctively) and release the shutter! Press the “play” button and... But wait, there’s no button like that because this is not digital, this is a film camera.

The very thought seems archaic yet whenever I hold a film camera there’s a feeling and a thought process that is hard to define. Maybe because the instant gratification is missing. With digital technology, whether using a cell phone, tablet or other digital image capturing device, there is an immediacy attached to the action of triggering the shutter.

But does this really matter in the digital realm? If I relate the answer to many recent conversations regarding photography, then no, it is of little or no importance.

I find this rather disappointing because it seems that there is little regard for the thought processes that govern creative thinking, especially when it comes to photography.

If one was to analyze the action of taking a photograph in its simplest form, it consists of the following: choose the subject, frame the shot, press the shutter release, and then stop! That single shot is what has defined the thought process as well as the action of capturing the image associated with the thought. In other words, we make, or should make, conscious decisions when taking a picture.

Today’s trigger-happy society seems to have taken a turn and created something of a different approach to what was considered the norm in photography. The fact is that today, a digital card is capable of storing hundreds of images as opposed to a roll of film, which has either 24 or 36 exposures.

I have no doubt that most of us who have captured images in the past when using a film camera, had entertained certain ideas and observations regarding taking a specific picture. But today, capturing an image has taken on a different significance, or maybe a lack thereof.

I remember when growing up that the camera was taken out by my parents when something significant needed to be recorded, such as a birthday see President page 30

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IN THE NEWS Richard Ciupka csc Wins Gémeaux Award In September, Richard Ciupka csc won a Prix Gémeaux for cinematography in the best TV drama series category for Nouvelle Adresse 2. An English version of the series is being shot for the CBC.

P

Credit: Alex Moscall

Industry Vet Michael Drabot Appointed to General Manager, Whites Winnipeg/National VP Client Services

Michael Drabot

4 • Canadian Cinematographer - November 2015

aul Bronfman, chairman/CEO of Comweb Corp. and equipment provider, William F. White International, recently announced the appointment of Michael Drabot to the position of national VP, client services/general manager, Whites Winnipeg, effective immediately.

Reporting to Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Paul Roscorla and working closely with Comweb/Whites’ Chairman/CEO, Drabot will be based in Manitoba at the Whites Winnipeg location.

Drabot assumes the role previously held by Steve Morrisson, former Whites Winnipeg GM, who has remained at the helm for over 16 years and recently moved to Toronto to spearhead Whites Live Events, a new national department specifically dedicated to servicing live events across Canada. The newly-launched department will coordinate and utilize all of Whites’ comprehensive live event gear, which includes offerings from their specialty equipment department along with sister companies Whites Location Equipment Supply Inc. (Whites LES) and Whites Telescopic Camera Cranes Ltd. (Whites TCC). Whites Live Events caters to live sporting events, concerts, festivals and award shows across Canada.

The CSC congratulates the following members who worked on films that picked up awards at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival Bobby Shore csc, Closet Monster (dir. Stephen Dunn) Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature James Klopko, Sleeping Giant (dir. Andrew Cividino) City of Toronto Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film Jonathon Cliff csc Ian Kerr csc, Hurt (dir. Alan Zweig) Toronto Platform Prize

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IN THE NEWS

SIM Group Signs Lease for New Production Centre at Former Eastman Kodak Site The SIM Group announced in September that it has entered into a longterm lease for a 65,000-square-foot space at the historic Eastman Kodak building off Las Palmas in Hollywood.

The company will undertake a multimillion dollar build-out of the facility, currently known as Hollywood Office Campus, to house the Los Angeles operations of its companies Chainsaw, SIM Digital and Bling Digital. Construction is expected to be complete by May 2016. The site is in the Hollywood Media District and in close proximity to many other large media and entertainment companies, including the recently announced new headquarters of Netflix. The three SIM Group companies will share a self-standing, three-story building at the former site of Eastman Kodak Company. SIM Digital will occupy the first floor. Chainsaw and Bling Digital will share the second and third floors. The new SIM Digital facility will feature state-of-the-art prep bays and engineering workspace for cameras and post production, as well as customer service space and loading docks. Bling Digital will feature dailies processing and other production support services.

Dashwood, recently released the downloadable public beta of its new product 360VR Toolbox, which can preview 360-degree spherical footage in the Oculus Rift while playing from an edited sequence in Apple Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro or Adobe After Effects.

The latest patent-pending features have now been revealed in the public beta of 360VR Toolbox. These include full stereoscopic 3D support, reorientation of equirectangular “LatLong” panoramic footage, output of “pan and scan” mono or stereoscopic video, placement of 2D elements inside spherical footage, support for equirectangular, stereographic or cubic projections, and “seamless” 360 degree filters like blur, sharpen, glow and noise reduction.

Panavision Opens Satellite Facility at Pinewood Atlanta Studios Panavision opened a satellite office at Pinewood Atlanta Studios in September, featuring a full range of filmmaking equipment with a large area for prep and testing, and access to the company’s specialists in production solutions.

Pinewood Atlanta Studios opened in February 2014, and consists of 11 sound stages, more than 500 acres of back lots, offices and other amenities.

Dashwood 360VR Toolbox Latest Features Introduced in Downloadable Public Beta

Sony Expands Large Sensor Camera Family With New 4k Compact Super 35 Camcorder

Dashwood Cinema Solutions, founded by associate CSC member Tim

Sony recently expanded its line of large-sensor 4K technologies with the

PXW-FS5 compact Super 35 mm camcorder. The new model aims to fill an important niche between cameras like Sony’s PXW-FS7 and the NEX-FS700.

As a companion camera or on its own, the PXW-FS5 fits a range of applications, including documentary and independent filmmaking, online content creation and student film projects. The PXW-FS5 is ergonomically designed for handheld shooting, and its features include a lightweight body and a onetouch rotatable grip. Users can attach the 3.5-inch type LCD panel to different positions on the handle or the compact camera body, to further support handheld operation and customized shooting. The camera’s interfaces include 3G-SDI, 4K HDMI output, MI shoe, dual SD card slots, Wi-Fi and wired LAN terminal, supporting various system configurations. The PXWFS5 is planned to be available this month.

RED Digital Cinema Announces RED RAVEN In late September, RED Digital Cinema unveiled the latest addition to its line of professional cameras, RED RAVEN. RED RAVEN is equipped with a 4K RED DRAGON sensor, and is capable of recording REDCODE RAW (R3D) in 4K at up to 120 fps and in 2K at up to 240 fps. It is also capable of recording REDCODE RAW and Apple ProRes simultaneously, and weighs 3.5 pounds. With pricing starting at $5,950 for the camera BRAIN®, and complete packages under $10,000, RED RAVEN will begin shipping in February 2016.

Write to Us

www.csc.ca Connect online with the CSC Canadian Cinematographer welcomes feedback, comments and questions about the magazine and its contents. Please send your letters to editor@csc.ca.

Letters may be edited for clarity and space.

6 • Canadian Cinematographer - November 2015

@csc_CDN

Canadian Cinematographer - October 2015 •

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The Romeo Section

Brendan

By KATJA DE BOCK, SPECIAL TO CANADIAN CINEMATOGRAPHER Photos by CATE CAMERON

Brendan Uegama csc on the set of The Romeo Section.

8 • Canadian Cinematographer - November 2015

P

rolific cinematographer Brendan Uegama csc faced a new challenge in his career, lensing all 10 episodes of screenwriter and producer Chris Haddock’s latest show The Romeo Section, which premiered in October.

The Romeo Section is an hour-long serialized CBC drama about spymaster Professor Wolfgang McGee, an academic who secretly manages a roster of espionage assets. These undercover informants, referred to as Romeo or Juliet spies, are engaged in intimate relations with intelligence targets. Wolfgang himself (Andrew Airlie) is a semi-retired Romeo operator, having worked his way up in an officially deniable “service” under the umbrella of Canada’s intelligence community. Their location:

was impressed by Henry’s Glasses, a short that Uegama wrote, directed and shot “on his own nickel.”

“When I met him, I was struck by his personality,” Haddock says. “He is really obviously so eager to go the full distance to try to get the job and I can tell by his character that he had the drive and the ambition, wanting to make it the best thing he possibly can.”

At that time, Uegama hadn’t seen Intelligence yet, he says, but he caught up on the series and was also hooked by the intriguing, cool script of The Romeo Section, which moves in the suspenseful sphere of Chinese triads, the secret service and the fictional Pacific Spirit University.

A newbie in the Haddock family, Uegama managed to get along from the get go with Haddock, whose

Uegama csc Gets Infused with Vancouver Noir constant availability he admires. “I don’t know how he sleeps, when he sleeps; he somehow manages to be on set almost all the time and write episode after episode and be involved in everything.”

Uegama describes the look of the series as “Vancouver noir,” a term that Haddock had used on his previous shows. It does not only refer to Vancouver’s often-overcast skies, but also to the heightened anxiety of the characters living in a modern post-war era. “Post war,” because nowadays there’s always a war going on somewhere, Haddock says.

Needless to say, the perfect, rainless summer of 2015 was closer to a “California noir.”

“We initially were influenced by film noir, based on the subject mat-

"

Cinematography should almost be invisible. You’re not supposed to think about camera work or lighting to be

"

the seemingly serene cosmopolitan city of Vancouver, whose underside acts as a haven for drug barons, fugitives and covert financiers. The series has Haddock reunited with fellow executive producer Laura Lightbown; directors Stephen Surjik, David Frazee csc and Anne Wheeler, producer Arvi Liimatainen; and writer/co-executive producer Jesse McKeown.

Most crewmembers worked on Haddock’s former Vancouverbased series Da Vinci’s Inquest (1998-2005), Da Vinci’s City Hall (2005-2006) and Intelligence (20052007), including Haddock’s initial DP David Frazee, now an established director.

Haddock says he was looking for “a young David Frazee,” when he watched Uegama’s demo reel and

influenced by it.

Canadian Cinematographer - November 2015 •

9

The crew shoots an interior scene.

ter of espionage,” says Uegama, who wanted to create a look different from what you normally see on television, with more cinematic storytelling rather than relying on dialogue.

“On some level, the show is about lies and fighting to see the truth. So we have embraced the idea of ‘fighting to see’ and used it in our photography at times with reflections and odd frames that cause the audience to watch a little harder.”

When shooting the pilot, directed by Stephen Surjik, the team decided to avoid frequent cuts and keep things going in one take as often as possible to bring the viewers in.

Uegama is hesitant to delve into technical aspects: “Cinematography should almost be invisible. You’re not supposed to think about camera work or lighting to be influenced by it.

As you watch it, you should just feel something and it should be subtle. If people stop listening to words and they’re like, ‘Oh, that shot was cool, or the lighting was this...’ that kind of thing, we’ve lost them all of a sudden. You’re suddenly taking them away from the story, and story is everything; it all starts with the script.”

The technical approach is fairly simple, he adds. “We don’t use cranes, drones or many specialty lenses. Nor do we do handheld (since a couple of scenes in Episode 1), as we like to keep it solid, grounded and controlled. We consistently shoot two cameras and they are both on dollies or sometimes Steadicam. With lighting, we generally stay moody and on the dark side of things which keeps with the philosophy of

10 • Canadian Cinematographer - November 2015

‘fighting to see.’ Certain characters and locations call for specific colours in the lighting, and other areas play a bit more mono. Overall the look of The Romeo Section is a ‘Vancouver noir’ that is constantly being evolved.”

Haddock says The Romeo Section is his first television series shot on digital. His last show, Martin Scorsese’s Boardwalk Empire, was predominantly shot on Super 35 mm. The Romeo Section, on the other hand, rented two RED DRAGONS from Clairmont Camera and Black Tree Pictures. Every now and then a third camera would be used on a splinter day.

Uegama used ARRI Ultra Primes and an Angénieux Optimo 24-290 cinema lens. Sometimes the cinematographer would choose Master Primes for an extra stop of light, for example for harbour scenes at night. “We want to feel the city as much as you can, so every stop or half a stop of light helps and counts,” he says.

The cameras were operated by Chris Banting (A cam and Steadicam) and George Campell (B cam). George Majoros and Duncan Vogel were focus pullers. Uegama speaks highly of his gaffer Mark Murphy and key grip Randy Stamhuis, who also worked with him on Ungodly Acts and helped him prepare future sets. “They are good at helping me keep things ahead of the game,” Uegama says. “They’ve been great collaborators for me.”

The partnership with a good gaffer proved crucial, as the most challenging aspect of the show was shooting a continu-

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Stephen Surjik, executive producer/director of Episode 101 of The Romeo Section talks with DP Brendan Uegama csc.

ous four-month production, Uegama says. “I have to do my prep on the weekends and at night at the end of the shoot.

Luckily, we make it work. Between key grip Randy Stamhuis, gaffer Mark Murphy and myself, we got a really good workflow going and it’s ever-evolving and getting better and better episode by episode,” he says.

Another challenge consisted of frequent locations moves, sometimes up to four times a day, due to single-episode shooting and storylines which include multiple locations.

The team made those moves fluid by scaling back trucks.

It was producer Arvi Liimatainen’s wish to utilize smaller trucks to minimize the impact on locations and facilitate easier moves. Even most of the camera gear was reloaded into

Uegama with screenwriter and producer Chris Haddock.

12 • Canadian Cinematographer - November 2015

a slush van instead of the camera truck to make the moves quicker. Luckily, the main sets (Wolfgang’s university office, his love interest Lily’s office and the Pacific Rim Centre), as well as the character Wing Lei’s restaurant and a prison cell were built in a studio, located in the old Canada Post building in Vancouver’s downtown.

Uegama says he is not influenced by Intelligence because the look of The Romeo Section is its own style. “They did even more moves, but they were more raw, more handheld,” he says. “To me, handheld should only be used for very specific reasons. I believe that you shouldn’t draw attention to the cameraman. If you’re handheld, running around, you know that there is someone behind the camera, whereas when you’re fluently moving through a scene, you don’t notice the camera work as much.”

Most remarkable about this production was so see the entire team strive to excel, Uegama says. “It’s surprising what you can accomplish when you have a team that really wants to do something good. It all starts at the top, really. Chris is extremely passionate, such a nice guy, everyone likes him because you get along with him so well,” he adds. “Everyone knows we want to make a show we can all be proud of, and that is extremely rewarding.”

“Brendan jumped right in and we’ve been really thrilled with everything,” Haddock counters. “He is just a very dedicated guy, despite the long hours we work, he’s always willing to get out on his spare time and go to locations, research stuff, do tests, spend time in the lab checking stuff. He should be proud of it.”

And Uegama is taking newcomers under his wing, as well.

With Black Tree Pictures, the company he founded with actor-producer Nicole G. Leier, Uegama is engaged in the Vancouver Short Film Festival. They sponsor a prize for Best Cinematography, consisting of a camera package deal, as well as dinner with Uegama in which aspiring filmmakers can pick the cinematographer’s brain.

Unusually Thicke is Business as Usual for

Martin Wojtunik

By FANEN CHIAHEMEN

M

Canadian Cinematographer: What are some of the unique aspects of coming up with a visual language for a reality show that has a story producer?

Martin Wojtunik: By and large there is a story arc for each

14 • Canadian Cinematographer - November 2015

MW: Trying to stay a step ahead of the game is always a challenge on a show like this. Because we’re following the puck, appointments change, people cancel and life happens. This meant that we always not only had to be ready for the scene we were doing, but had to have the gear or mentality that we were going to sub in another scene last minute. So all of a

Credit: Nick Matthews

ore than 20 years after episode so there are very geretiring from his role neric notes about what should as the father in the be happening, and from those popular American sitcom Growmoments real moments happen ing Pains, actor Alan Thicke is and we go with them. Luciano back on television playing anCasimiri, our story producer, other dad, but this time around really knew how to tie in all of he has no set to drive to and the family’s real events into a no lines to learn – he’s playing cohesive structure for each epihimself. After seven seasons in Martin Wojtunik gets a shot by the ocean. sode. All the moments that are his first incarnation as a televihappening are genuine. And sion dad, the recognition the actor attained evolved into an what separates our show from other lifestyle shows is that iconic status and today he lives on a sprawling 7-acre estate in the producers wanted the look and feel of a narrative sitcom Santa Barbara County, California, with his actress/producer but done through the lens of a lifestyle/reality show. So it wife Tanya Callau and their teenage son, Carter. So it seems was important that the show not only looked polished and almost natural that Thicke would join the roster of celebri- glossy, but the camera work had to feel raw in the style of a ties allowing camera crews into their homes for the world to traditional lifestyle show. It was a challenge with our budget, witness their daily adventures, which is where associate CSC but the challenge is what made it fun.

Martin Wojtunik comes in. As series DP on Unusually Thicke – billed as a reality show with a story producer – Wojtunik is CC: What are the difficulties of shooting this there to capture all the action and unexpected surprises. way?

sudden a kitchen interior scene would become, “All right we’re heading to Malibu!”

CC: How did you organize your shooting schedule then?

MW: This show is a bit different compared to conventional shows in that we didn’t have the typical six to 12 days per episode. We had six months to complete 13 episodes. That was in large part due to commitments on the family’s part or to celebrity accessibility. For example, if we had a special appearance by, let’s say, Wayne Brady or Gilbert Gottfried, our schedule had to be amorphous and change. Some days we shot eight hours. Sometimes we worked as long as 13 or 14 hours. So we could shoot Episode 1 four days in a row, and then we’d switch to Episode 13 in the next few days because of somebody’s availability. So we had to be very well prepared and we had to be very organized in order to switch back and forth through episodes. The schedule was absolutely the hardest challenge. But we had such great people on the team that there was a palpable excitement day to day despite the erratic schedule. It was like, “What kind of mess are we going to get into today? How many things are we going to get done today?”

You Focus On The Shot

We’ll Focus On The Rest

CC: What was your camera and lens package?

MW: Because it had to look like a sitcom but feel like a lifestyle show, we needed the camera package to be light.

Also, we couldn’t be switching lenses all the time and we had to shoot 4K as a mandate for a network archival medium. This ruled out a lot of cameras like the Sony F800, F7, Canon C300 and the Panasonic cameras that are traditionally used in today’s lifestyle shows. So we put our attention to the RED EPIC. I rated the ISO at 640 for daytime, and 1280 for most of the night-time photography. Two cameras were used the whole way through and were outfitted with Fujinon Cabrio 19-90 mm lenses. We also had a Fujinon 85-300 mm Cabrio in our back pocket whenever we had the distance available to us. GoPros were used for in-car situations, as well as 5Ds, and on some special days we went upwards of four to five cameras that included a RED Dragon and a couple of 5D Mark IIIs. Brandon Cooper, Triton Hall and Trevor Huys at Dazmo Camera were so incredibly instrumental in providing the majority of the equipment and getting us comfortably outfitted for a six-month show.

CC: How did you achieve the fly-on-the-wall effect?

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MW: There was usually a meeting with the director to talk about what’s going to take place in the scene, and for Canadian Cinematographer - November 2015 •

15

Credit: Zoe Alexopoulos

CC: How did you approach and design the lighting?

Shooting Alan Thicke’s wife Tanya Callau on a drive.

example we’d know roughly that Alan is preparing a breakfast meal. So I’d light the kitchen in broad strokes and then when the family would come in, they’d have a conversation with the director, and I’d usually stay out of it so that when the action happens I wouldn’t be directly behind the eight ball. We’d usually start farther back with a long lens to make it feel like we were spying on them, and then as the scene progressed we’d move in closer. What was even more challenging was choosing the show’s B cam operator. The show demanded they have the instincts of a reality operator but have the framing aesthetic of someone who’s done a lot of narrative work. It was hard to get one person because of scheduling, but with the help of Jeff Taylor, John Hoare and [CSC associate] Ian Macmillan I was able to sell the look I was going for.

MW: The lighting was quite a challenge because I didn’t know where the cast was going to go. That mixed with low ceilings and everything open concept meant our lighting design had to be done in fairly broad strokes. So we used a lot of sources outside pushing into the Thickes’ house, which was one of the main locations and is their actual home and not a set. Also, the California sun is pretty unforgiving and when you’re doing a fast-paced, “follow the puck” style show, windows become your friend and at the same time a bit of an enemy. Especially while trying to retain highlights when interiors are so dim. Our package was sparse but effective – it was a couple of HMIs, a couple of Joker bugs and a few Kinos. We also had a couple of 300s and 650s for interior/night stuff we were doing. But if given the opportunity to lock any lights down, I’d relish it and put in a nice special light or hair light up.

CC: What about the direct-to-camera testimonial segments?

MW: Those were very important because they were often times the button on the end of a joke. So they needed to feel familiar, safe but also bright and gorgeous and show the glamorous lifestyle they have, whether it was Tanya’s dress or Alan’s suit. My key light was an M18 that I used as a book light that pushed through a 6x6 full grid. This gave me a nice fat stop so that I can hold all three family members in focus and they can play freely amongst themselves on the couch. A short 4 Kino with 251 was used to backlight, and depending on their wardrobe it was either a bit of negative or Clay Coat bounce.

Actor Alan Thicke, left, with comedian Jon Dore.

16 • Canadian Cinematographer - November 2015

MW: All the locations were real. So whenever we did go off location, we wanted to show the Southern California lifestyle, or the glamour of it, so the background was just as important as the foreground. These are big California homes, designed with lighting in mind, so we were very fortunate that they didn’t need that much augmentation of light to begin with. We kept our travel package even lighter – it was just a 1200, an 800, a Kino and a couple of bounces. All those location moves would eat up a big part of the day so it was important to stay light on our feet. When winter came it was

Credit: Martin Wojtunik

CC: Some of the action takes place outside the Thickes’ home, for example, at a doctor’s office, a restaurant or someone else’s home.

How do you approach lighting and composition in those locations where things could be a bit more unpredictable?

Canadian Cinematographer - November 2015 •

13

another challenge because if anything was daylight dependent, we only had the sun until 4 p.m. before it started dropping out of the air. So we had to move fast because we didn’t have the luxury of time when we did location moves. Darren Bryenton, one of our producers, was instrumental in giving us a heads-up during this process. He was very meticulous with locations and times, which gave me the ability to make a decision to send some gear ahead on several locations.

CC: How did you watch dailies on this show?

MW: My camera assistant, Nick Matthews, put us onto a company called The Matrx, which he heads up with Brad Neweduk. The Matrx is a dailies company based in Toronto, Vancouver, L.A. and New York that specializes in large volume transfers and storage along with many other services.

Because of the amount of footage we were shooting on the show, this was the only real answer for us. At the end of any given shooting week the footage would be driven out to L.A., uploaded to their server, transferred overnight and processed to Avid DNxHD 115. And thus ready to cut for our team at Peacock Alley Entertainment the following business day. I was given a login code and was able to stream anywhere that I had Internet service. This was an invaluable tool as we were shooting 13 episodes across six months. Having The Matrx available with dailies also helped out tremendously to keep all of our continuity in order as well as our T’s crossed and I’s dotted.

MW: At first, there is this feeling of, “Oh, my gosh, I’m quite literally living the dream; it’s actually happening.” But then when you get behind the lens and behind the camera it’s business as usual. All that nonsense about Tinseltown and Hollywood go out the window, and you remind yourself you’re there to do the best job you can do. You’re lighting scenes, you’re framing shots, you’re working together to get a story.

But at the end of the day it’s nice because you hear the ocean in the background, and if you end early enough you can go and take a dip in it. The whole reason that you got into it is the process – you just fall in love with framing and lighting.

So going in every day was a real treat, thinking, “How am I going to solve today’s problem? What can I do to make today stronger in order to make the story better?”

CC: What was most memorable during the shoot – either because it was logistically challenging, particularly fun or had an outcome that surprised you?

CC: But you’re also hanging out on a sprawling ranch in California with the Thicke family and their celebrity friends. Some people might see that as living the dream.

Credit: Zoe Alexopoulos

MW: Someone gets married on the show, so that particular episode happened to be the most challenging and most fun.

It was a week worth of planning while we were in the midst of also shooting the show. When you shoot a wedding you don’t get a second chance. That’s the reality aspect. So we had to shoot continuously from the morning, with the guests coming into the ceremony, right up to magic hour, and then the party taking place at night at the Thicke family ranch. So I had to be pre-lit for all three times of day, not have anything in the shot, obviously, and be unobtrusive to the wedding guests. So logistically it was a nightmare but it was a wonderful challenge that I think we pulled of marvellously.

Top: Shooting a game of golf. Middle: During the wedding, Wojtunik and crew had to shoot continuously from the morning until the party at night. Bottom: A wedding scene from Unusually Thicke.

18 • Canadian Cinematographer - November 2015

Canadian Cinematographer - October 2015 •

15

TECH COLUMN

Oculus

Puts a New Spin on the Crane Cam

D

igital gimbal-based camera platforms are essential tools in cinematography, but did you know it’s a concept that dates back more than 2,000 years to ancient Greece with the first mechanical gimbal described

by Philo of Byzantium?

The most common gimbals – like those found on ships’ compasses – are three-axis gimbals. Which brings us forward thousands of years to SpaceCam’s Stabilized Imaging Technologies’ new Oculus 2.0 that goes one better with a four-axis gimbal.

Unlike SpaceCam’s other systems, which are designed for aerial use to be mounted on helicopters and fixedwing aircraft, the Oculus is for a crane or vehicle mount. The four-axis design means it offers an unrestricted field of capture and the carbon fibre housing is lightweight and makes it easily maneuverable during setup and tear down.

The gimbal itself weights about 50 lbs. (22.6 kgs) and will take another 20 lbs. in camera and lenses. It measures 23.5” W by 8” H and 28.5” long, with a 360-degree continuous pan, tilt and roll in all axes with a pan and tilt speed up to 260° per second.

Oculus won the Best Engineering Award at Cine Gear Expo last June, and there’s talk of a 2016 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Technical Award. It’s a far cry from the rudimentary heads SpaceCam founder Ron Goodman started out with, and he couldn’t be happier.

There’s also a strong Canadian back story to the Oculus, starting with Goodman who was born in Ontario, and with his first experience with a gimbal platform, the forerunner of the

20 • Canadian Cinematographer - November 2015

Wescam, which was initially created as a military tool by the Canadian subsidiary of Westinghouse and later spun off as a company called Istec Inc. Goodman went to Ryerson Institute, as it was known then, and then Humber College, studying engineering and cinematography in the 1960s before getting frustrated at the pace of the classes and finding work with William F. White. He started working as an electrician on industrial and government-sponsored shoots and found himself suddenly bumped up to camera operator. “As an electrician, I nearly electrocuted myself in a rain storm shooting at an iron mine,” he laughs. “We were working with the prototype version of the Wescam and then I got an opportunity to go to Norway to shoot there.”

Over 14 years working in Scandinavia, Goodman tweaked the Wescam into a smaller unit dubbed the X mount, shooting aerial scenes for productions like Superman, Superman II, Supergirl and The Cassandra Crossing. He was also involved in the infamous eight-minute single continuous shot in the 1975 Professione: Reporter (released

SpaceCam founder Ron Goodman with the Oculus.

as The Passenger in English) directed

by Michelangelo Antonioni with Jack Nicholson and Maria Schneider.

By 1985 with more credits like The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Goodman found his aerial expertise so much in demand he had to return to California. “We went back to the U.S. and started working on SpaceCam,” he said.

By 1987 he came up with the concept, and two years later it was in prototype and in market by 1990. He also started working with IMAX format cameras.

Unfortunately, Goodman had a major setback on the set of Far and Away in 1991 when a freak 150-foot wave crashed into the chopper he was filming in. Though he and the pilot survived, the SpaceCam unit, the only one in existence, was destroyed.

“We had to rebuild and start again,” he said, and it’s clear there are some residual issues. “I tell you what I learned from that, is that you should get not just a certificate of insurance, but proof of insurance.”

SpaceCam II came along two years later, and Goodman has been making incremental improvements ever since.

“Oculus started as a project called Aurora, which was an aerial mount and then we were asked to make a crane mount and so we took the core of Aurora to make Oculus,” he said.

While servomotors have been around for a while, it’s the advent of ever smaller digital motors with direct drives at more affordable prices that is opening up gimbal design. The trend towards

large format – something Goodman has worked with in 65 mm 15-perf film cameras – is also driving demand for vibration-free platforms.

“At 6K or 8K when you project, the slightest vibration will send it out of register and lose resolution,” he said. “So you have to have the camera head vibration free and that’s what we get with the direct drives and digital motors.”

It hasn’t always been as smooth a ride as he’d like for the business side, and he admits SpaceCam didn’t spend as much time staying ahead of the market, allowing competitors to release products that cut into his market share. “We made the fatal mistake of resting on our laurels,” he said, noting he’s got a few more surprises in the pipeline.

Further complicating things, he’s now embroiled in a lawsuit with the distributor who approached him about building Oculus. As a result, there’s limited numbers of Oculus for rent at All Axis Systems in Richmond, B.C. All Axis owner Peter Panago said a relationship with Goodman led to him getting the Oculus , and so far it’s been creating quite a buzz.

“It’s been out on Star Trek and some other productions here,” he said, noting it’s renting at below $2,000 a day as an introductory rate. “There’s been a lot of excitement and a lot of talk. People are amazed by the ability and speed of this machine.”

Raise the Roof

Admission is free*.

The experience is priceless.

Metro Toronto Convention Centre (North Building)

Wednesday, November 11, 12 P.M.–8 P.M. Thursday, November 12, 9 A.M.–5 P.M. *Online registration is free or $10 at the door.

Ian Harvey is a Toronto-based journalist who writes for a variety of publications and covers the technology sector. He welcomes feedback and eagerly solicits ideas at ian@pitbullmedia.ca

Presented by

Get your FREE ticket here: www.profusionexpo.com

“Lab on Wheels”, Technicolor’s first lab circa 1916, was inside a Pullman railway car, so it could be rolled close to the set of “The Gulf Between”, Technicolor’s first film being shot in Jacksonville Florida.

A Technicolor Century

By GUIDO KONDRUSS

A

Above: A diagram of the prism and film advance assembly in the venerable Technicolor Three Strip Camera. Right: DP Douglas Koch csc with Technicolor three strip camera DF 22, Technoparc, Montreal, 2011

22 • Canadian Cinematographer - November 2015

s I sat in a darkened theatre, my anticipation was palpable. I was about to watch the classic 1952 song and dance movie Singin’ in the Rain. That in itself was not unusual, because I had seen the film before on television, and even as a 16 mm print back in my long gone university days. However, this showing was promising to be much different since the film was going to be projected from a restored 35 mm Technicolor print. I was not disappointed. Soon after the vibrant images splashed across the screen, I realized that I was not simply viewing a film, but experiencing it as it was meant to be experienced through its plush and intoxicating colour. Singin’ in the Rain was one of several Technicolor films screened in its original form this past summer at Toronto’s Bell Lightbox to commemorate the storied company’s centenary. In fact, it was exactly this month – on November 19 – in 1915 that The Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation was established in Boston.

“Technicolor grew out of the engineering research company founded by Herbert Kalmus, Daniel Comstock and W. Burton Westcott,” Robert Hoffman, vice president, marketing and public relations, Technicolor Hollywood,

Left: Still from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, 1961, Colour by Technicolor

says. “Kalmus and Comstock were MIT engineering grads who did their doctoral degrees in Europe returning with PhDs in chemical and electrical engineering. Westcott was a self-taught mechanical engineering savant who had the reputation of being able to build anything.”

Technicolor’s first foray into colour science for film was an additive process that used a beam splitter to record red and green images simultaneously to highlight skin tone and foliage. The images were then recombined using a special projector with two apertures and filters. While the process worked wonderfully in the lab, it proved to be too cumbersome and difficult for projectionists and did not gain wide acceptance. Still, it showed potential and kept investors interested, allowing Technicolor to hone its process over the next 25 years, which culminated in two very important inventions that would have a major impact on colour cinema and define the look of Hollywood’s Golden Age. The first innovation was a photo chemical technique called imbibition-blank, introduced in 1926. It was a form of dye transfer process where any number of colours could be applied to one side of a film base, giving film prints rich colour tones and hues. The second innovation was the development of the three-strip camera in 1932 that allowed Technicolor to do what it always intended to do – record the full colour spectrum.

“With two separate movements, one bi-pack for the red and blue records, and one single strip for the green record, linked by an ultra-high precision beam splitter, the camera really was a marvel,” says DP Douglas Koch csc, who has studied the Canadian Cinematographer - November 2015 •

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Images: Courtesy or Technicolor except camera diagram, courtesy: The American WideScreen Museum & Douglas Koch with three strip camera: courtesy Douglas Koch csc.

Right: “Wizard of Oz”, 1939.

have been very different films and in turn the motion picture industry would have probably taken a lesser path in its develdesign of Technicolor’s three-strip cam- opment.

Technicolor retired its threeera. “In every aspect it was machined and aligned with great precision. The strip camera in 1954 as cheaper two film movements had excellent reg- film formats gained prominence istration accuracy,” Koch adds. “The in the industry, but its proprialignment of the two optical paths with etary imbibition-blank process the beam splitter were a monumental continued for decades, being design and construction feat. I under- adapted to other film stocks for stand the handling of the beam splitter the Technicolor treatment. was taken as seriously as if it were made “There were wonderful films being produced in the U.S. of plutonium!”

In 1939, Gone with the Wind was the in the 1970s that were finfirst full-length feature in Technicolor ished with Technicolor IB dye to be given an Academy Award for transfer prints,” Hoffman says. colour cinematography. In the same “Francis Coppola’s four films in A Technicolor advertisement from Moving year, Technicolor was awarded a spe- that decade were Technicolor Picture World February 2, 1924. cial Oscar for bringing true-life colour projects.”

Seeing industry potential in Canada, During this era, Technicolor had to the big screen. In the ensuing years, Technicolor shot many of Hollywood’s morphed into a world-leading film Technicolor set up shop in Montreal most influential films and received processing company, developing 16, in 1999, followed by facilities in Vanthe Academy’s Science and Technical 35 and 70 mm prints in virtually any couver and Toronto in 2004. Although Award for its motion picture innova- anamorphic format. But as new tech- Technicolor has a global footprint, Manologies emerged, shifting the indus- jor says they are also very in tune with tions no less than 24 times.

Technicolor may not have invented try away from film, Technicolor never regional production, giving everyone colour, but it did prove without a doubt seemed to miss a beat, embracing the the best of both worlds.

“We’re a big brand, but still very that colour was an artistic endeavour digital world, reinventing itself as a and very much a part of the filmmak- global postproduction powerhouse. It boutique-ish here in Canada,” Major ing narrative. It shaped people’s per- remained innovative, daring and rec- continued. “We take care of local filmceptions and expectations of colour ognizable, so much so that when the makers and studios alike. It doesn’t in movies. Without the Technicolor French electronics giant Thompson matter if you’re Sony, Universal or an touch, silver screen classics Gone with Multimedia acquired Technicolor in independent, we have a pipeline that the Wind, The Wizard of Oz and Dis- 2001, it re-branded itself five years ago works, a backbone that supports whatney’s Fantasia, to name a few, would after its subsidiary as Technicolor SA. ever needs to be done regionally or A move that, according to Louis worldwide.”

Major, vice president, Technicolor With colour science as its cornerstone, Technicolor continues to push Canada, was logical.

“We have to define where we’re new boundaries for the next generation going. To make it clear to the mar- audio and visual experience from its ket and to the industry about who research into new technology such as we are,” Major says. “It’s about our HDR (High Dynamic Range), virtual core business which is postpro- reality and immersive sound systems to duction through creative imagery, name just a few. As Technicolor steps picture and sound finishing, work into its second century, its pioneering Still from Robin Hood: On the set of “The flow, visual effects, dailies, and past shines brightly as a beacon in guidAdventures of Robin Hood”, 1938. Large digital distribution, so what better ing its pioneering future. square box in the upper right corner is a For more on Technicolor’s services brand is there than Technicolor, Technicolor Three Strip Camera inside a because it’s all of those services and products please visit its website: sound blimp. technicolor.com and more.”

24 • Canadian Cinematographer - November 2015

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Canadian Cinematographer - November 2015 •

13

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Vistek

Showcas

New Tech with Hands-on

By IAN HARVEY

26 • Canadian Cinematographer - November 2015

Photos by WOODROW WALDEN

ses Event

V

istek pulled out the stops to host a hands-on event featuring the new Sony a7RII, Ronin stabilizers, DJI’s newest Inspire 1 and Phantom 3 drones, as well as the new 4K Atomos Ninja Assassin recorder in September.

“It was a bit of a forerunner of ProFusion in November (11th and 12th),” Brian Young, Vistek’s guru on all things video, said. While ProFusion is a two-day showcase and celebration of technology and the talent within the pro imaging industry, September’s event was an upfront and personal opportunity to test-drive the gear – including a stint flying a drone in the parking lot at the Queen St. West store in Toronto.

“This is the biggest of this type we’ve done,” Young said, noting the store does BBQs and other events throughout the year. “We had 150 people register and about 400 people have been through over the day and half. It’s been busy but

Clockwise from top left: Vistek Pro Video Product Manager Brian Young operates a drone. The 4K Atomos Ninja Assassin recorder. The DJI S900 Hexacopter.

The Sony a7RII. DJI Ronin and Ronin M gimbals. The Ronin and the Atomos Ninja Assassin. Sony’s Patrick Chan discusses the aR7II and lenses. Vistek’s Richard Basca with the Ronin.

Canadian Cinematographer - November 2015 •

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it’s been great, especially for the ‘copters, with people having that real pilot experience to get a feel for actually flying one.”

Off the top, the big buzz was around the Ninja Assassin. Modelled on its big brother, the Shogun, the Ninja Assassin is a somewhat smaller, lighter and less featured version with a much lower price of $1,699 compared to $2,399 but offers 4K capture.

“It does not have SDI or handle RAW but it’s designed for those using DSLR, mirrorless and video cinema cameras,” Peter Leitmann of Vistek said. The unit is pretty impressive, with 325ppi monitoring functionality, 7” screen size, 1920x1080 resolution and 10-bit 4:2:2 professional recording for Apple, AVID, and Adobe workflows.

28 • Canadian Cinematographer - November 2015

It’s a good match, coincidentally, for the Sony a7RII which is also now at Vistek. It’s a mirrorless unit which is small yet rugged enough with its magnesium alloy body protecting a massive 42.4 MP CMOS back-lit sensor. For video the upshot is onboard 4K capture, an ISO range up to 25,600 (102,400 for stills) and the result is incredible detail with those Carl Zeiss Batis lenses.

For still shooters, the silent shutter means capturing continuity, and publicity on set is made easier while there are always sensitive situations where being the fly on the wall is the best option to make the picture. The small framed camera body also has a lens mount makeover to make it less prone to gap with big glass and the finish is more scratch resistant.

Also on show were DJI’s latest ‘copters, the Phantom 3 and Inspire 1, the latter being the higher-end platform at $4,599, which includes two controls, one for flight the other for 4K camera.

It’s an important development because as these machines get bigger and more capable, safety is always the concern. As Young noted, the industry has to adopt an upfront safety first attitude and act responsibly before authorities start to impose sanctions which will hamper the natural growth and creativity these machines bring to production.

Thus, having a camera operator who isn’t distracted by trying to position the device is a much safer setup.

The Inspire 1 features a carbon fibre design for strength and weight reduction, four motors with about 22 minutes flight time in perfect condition.

With the battery on board it’s just shy of 3 kilograms, capable of reaching 4,500 metres. The onboard X3, FC350 cam has 12.7M pixels for a 4000 by 3000 image shooting 100 -3200 in video mode and up to 1600 in photo.

The Phantom 3 comes in three modes – standard, professional and advanced – with prices from about $1,000 (the dollar makes pricing tricky in this economy). The entry-level shoots 2.7K with 720p monitoring and offers about 23 minutes of flight time with a single control. It also offers some upgraded autopilot features. The Phantom 3 advanced offers 1080p capture while the professional model offers 4K. These events are important for pros and enthusiasts alike to get their hands on the technology and get a feel for it, Vistek President Ron Silverstein said, noting some of the items on view weren’t even considered pro video gear just a few short years ago. “Sometimes you don’t even know what’s a sector in this industry until it jumps up and bites you on the butt,” he said. “Look at GoPro. People ignored them. Now they’re everyone’s crash camera on sets. It’s the same with the ‘copters and even the gimbals.”

CSC MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Credit: Stephen Scott

Phil Earnshaw

csc

What films or other works of art have made the biggest impression on you?

Probably every film that has made an impression on me has had great cinematography, whether it’s plain beautiful like The Last Emperor or noir like Citizen Cane or raw like City of God or innovatively combined with CGI like Birdman. It’s an obvious thing to say, but the great paintings of the world are terrific fodder for us cinematographers.

I always head to the Rembrandts, Carvaggios, Turners, Vermeers, Hoppers and so many others who studied and painted light. Even abstract painters like Picasso, Miro and Kandinsky teach us so much about composition, colour and balance.

How did you get started in the business?

After graduation and before I got my first real job (news cameraman at Global TV), I had yet to get a job. Being a cinematographer was just a concept and a hope. One day the phone rang and the woman on the line explained to me that she had been an extra in a scene I had shot as a student and she liked how I worked and wanted to know if I would shoot her documentary for her.

So it turned out my very first paying cinematography job was also to be my most fortuitous job. Although it paid only $50 for three day’s work (plus $8 for gas to get to Collingwood and back), it led directly to the central core of my career. That producer’s name was Linda Schuyler (she was a teacher at the time) and she went on to create Degrassi. She gave me my start as a dramatic DP and as a director. I shot over 100 episodes of the Degrassi series and just directed the 500th episode of Degrassi this summer.

It’s been an amazing journey.

Who have been your mentors or teachers?

What makes someone a mentor is when that person looks at you and sees something in you and they nurture it.

They believe in you, inspire you, support you, and show you the way. Jim Beveridge was head of the film department at York University when I went there, and I have yet to hear anyone speak as eloquently, as knowledgably or as enthusiastically about film as he did. Also at York, Professor Fusé showed me the rich tradition of Japanese cinema. Every week we watched Kurosawa, Kobayashi, Osu and others.

(He also kindly introduced our whole class to the delights of sushi at a time when Toronto was a pre-sushi town!)

Allison Feltes, Brian Dennis, Seaton MacLean from Alliance Atlantis, and Ivor Sharpe, a commercial director, all helped me immensely. My biggest Canadian Cinematographer - November 2015 •

29

mentor has been, and still is, Linda Schuyler. She saw something in me right from the start that gave me the confidence to believe in myself and do my best work.

moment of being quick-witted, halfjokingly I said, “No I should do two, in case I screw the first one up.” Amazingly, she made sure I got two episodes to direct the next year! Thank you, Sandie!

When egos get in the way of collaboration and people don’t connect. The usual heartbreaks of this industry – Fraterdays, sacrificing personal family time, missing out on that great job.

What cinematographers inspire you?

Name some of your professional highlights.

What do you think has been the greatest invention (related to your craft)?

There are so many! Right here in Canada people like Rene Ohashi csc, asc and Mark Irwin csc, asc inspired me from the start. Going back to the early days of film, Greg Toland (Citizen Kane), James Wong Howe and Freddie Young (Lawrence of Arabia) were incredible. Storaro, Hall, Deakins, Lubezki, Wexler, Almendros, Nykvist, Zsigmond, Surtees, Frakar, Chapman, Deschanel, Seale, Richardson, Willis… The list goes on and on and continues to grow.

What is one of your most memorable moments on set?

When I was sitting on an apple box on a hot August day on the set of Traders. It had been a long season, and I was daydreaming about maybe directing one day. Sandie Pereira one of the producers (and another mentor) walked by and said, “Hey, Phil. Maybe you should direct one of these next year.” In a rare

President from page 2 or some other event that represented a milestone in life. And of course, at times there were the family photos depicting life’s occurrences.

I also recall that my dad owned a 35 mm Kodak Retina 1b stills camera and that a roll of Kodachrome could hibernate in that camera for a year or two before being processed. Anticipation never was a part of his philosophy; when the counter reached 36, it was time for the film to be processed and to reveal whatever seemed important at the time the picture had been taken.

Recently, a film student asked how he could learn to analyze as well as appre-

30 • Canadian Cinematographer - November 2015

Landing the job shooting news at Global.

(Got to shoot at least 400 feet of film every day and learned to think on my feet.)

Leaving Global after three years and going freelance. Shooting all the early Degrassi years. Joining IATSE 667. Making a living as a director of photography for 25 years. Becoming a director. Making a living as a director for 15 years. Winning a CSC Award, having a Peabody on my mantle for my Degrassi contribution.

Looking back and thinking, “Holy Crap!

It worked out pretty well!”

What do you like best about what you do?

The collaboration. Working with topnotch crews who bring their A game to work every day.

It used to be video assist. When I started operating, it was a rarity. Having to remember and explain every detail of every take to everyone involved was exhausting! Now the best thing is the iPhone! It may prove to be a mixed blessing for real cinematographers, but 4K video in your pocket, amazing!

Cinematography within reach! Looking back to the days when they used to shoot indoors with 16 ASA film and needed to have hundreds of foot-candles just to get an exposure, it blows my mind. We’ve come a long way thanks to stocks and sensors with 14 stops of dynamic range. LED lighting is pretty cool too.

How can people follow your work?

What do you like least about what you do?

philearnshaw.com vimeo.com/philearnshaw

ciate images that he had photographed.

He referenced the “immediacy” of capturing images and felt that a part of the process was missing. I suggested that he set an exercise for himself as a possible means to address this and use it as a learning curve.

The exercise consisted of the following criteria: choose a subject matter and then pretend that the camera contained film. The camera had to be in manual mode. Ideally, the picture had to be framed instinctively, via a viewfinder (as opposed to a viewing screen) and after each shot was taken, no viewing or playback was allowed. Only 36 images could be gathered, after which

time the camera had to be put away for at least two days for “processing” the images.

The intention was to create anticipation so that when the images were viewed, there would be an opportunity to evaluate the original thought process and approach without the benefit of the immediacy of digital, from both a practical as well as technical standpoint, and hopefully learn from the experience.

I personally, have done this many times and find that I definitely have more appreciation and understanding for my photographic endeavours. Give it a try sometime. Happy shooting!

Edmonton Film Cooperative wants your unused Arri 35 mm camera. Do you have film cameras languishing on a shelf? Give it a new life, give it to a film coop and we will give you a healthy tax credit. Have a 35BL, a 235, a 435 gathering dust because everyone is Red cam nuts? Have other great camera accessories? Let us know, let’s make a deal. Contact Andy @rentals@fava.ca and work a great deal.

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Spare o-ring for all. Soft and hard carry cases. All in good condition.

E-mail or call for photos and more information.

514-941-2555, daniel@dvdp.ca Transvideo Titan HD Transmitter and Re¬ceiver kits. $3000ea. 2 for $5500. Similar in style and operation to the Boxx Meridian. 1- Angenieux 25-250 T3.9 Arri PL mount, std film gears on focus, zoom, and iris (32 pitch-mod 0.8), lens support and collar, shipping case included $2900 1Tamron 300mm F2.8 Arri bayonet mount with PL adapter, std film gear on focus (32 pitch-mod 0.8), 42mm filters: clear, 2 x 85, shipping case included $900 Contact: stephen.reizes@gmail.com Panasonic 3D Professional Full HD Video Camera (AG-3DA1) The AG-3DA1 is the world’s first professional, fullyintegrated Full HD 3D camcorder that records to SD card media. The AG-3DA1 will democratize 3D production by giving professional videographers a more affordable, flexible, reliable and easier-to-use tool for capturing immersive content as well as providing a training tool for educators.

At less than 6.6 pounds, the AG-3DA1 is equipped with dual lenses and two full 1920 x 1080 2.07 megapixel 3-MOS imagers to record 1080/60i, 50i, 30p, 25p and 24p (native) and 720/60p and 50p in AVCHD. Camera is very new. Includes Kata Carrying case, 4 batteries.

Asking price: $17,500 (includes tax).

Will ship out of province.

To view photos/questions email frank@tgtvinc.com or call 416-916-9010.

Proline 17 inch Teleprompter Included is both PC AND Mac versions for our industry leading Flip-Q teleprompter software. Flip-Q automatically “Flips” the secondary output on your laptop so both the operator and talent will see perfect reading left-right text. The ProLine 17 standard LCD panels are the lightest weight, lowest profile designs in their class. In addition, they offer both VGA and composite video inputs adaptable with any computer output or application. They also offer flexible power options including 100-240V AC or external 12v DC input.

Price includes Tripod attachments and Pelican carrying case.

Complete tool-less set-up.

Asking Price: $2,000 (includes tax) To view photos/questions email frank@tgtvinc.com or call 416-916-9010.

Sony PMW-F3 with S-log firmware. Low hours, Excellent condition. Kaiser top handle, 32GB high rate card. $3500.00. Gemini 4:4:4 Solid State recorder now PRORes capable, with eSata and Thunderbolt readers, lots of accessories, case, 512GB and 3x 256GB solid state drives/ cards. Excellent condition. $3000.00 IBE-Optics HDx35 PL to B4 adapter comes with power cable and soft case. Used on F3 and Alexa for superb results. $3000.00. Willing to sell everything as a complete package for $8500.00 Available for everything. Contact John Banovich 604-726-5646 or JohnBanovich@gmail.com

Nikkor AF-S VR 500mm F 4 IS ED Lens. Super rare and very hard to find!!! Serial # 204153 Perfect condition.

Not a scratch on it!!! Only one year old. Included Hard Shell Case, Lens Hood, Lens Strap, Case strap. Come with Manfrotto Carbon Fiber tripod, Jobu head and Jobu Mounting Bracket. Asking price $9000.00 gandalf-merlyn@shaw.ca, 604.566.2235 (Residence), 604.889.9515 (Mobile) Panasonic BT-S950P 16:9 / 4:3 SD Field Monitor for Sale (Excellent Condition) - $100.Portabrace included Please contact Christian at (416) 459-4895 or email cbielz@gmail.com SERVICES 20% Off to all CSC members! Looking for a Green Screen Studio? Greensuite209 is owned and operated by a CSC member, and is now offering 20% off our regular studio and equipment rental rates for all CSC members! We are a 1750 sq. ft. green screen studio in South Etobicoke just south of William F Whites. We have a 11’ X 29’ X 14’ Digicomp sloping green screen.

Check us out online at www.gs209.com and contact us for any further information! email: Booking@ GS209.com.

HD Source is well-known and respected for their excellent SERVICE department and truly skilled technicians. As an Authorized Sony Service Depot, HD Source professionally maintains, repairs, and performs crucial upgrades to a wide range of equipment, including HD and 4K. HD Source also proudly services Canon Cinema EOS products and Canon Broadcast lenses, and boasts an on-staff Canon-trained and experienced Lens Technician. HD Source understands how important each piece of equipment is, and will get it operating and back to you as quickly and as cost-effectively as possible.

Call Alnoor at 905-890-6905, email him at alnoor. remtulla@hdsource.ca, or drop by HD Source anytime at 1670 Enterprise Rd. (Dixie & 401).

HILL’S VIDEO PRODUCTIONS – BURLINGTON Looking for a unique shooting control room? Rent our 32 ft.

1981 Bus complete with control room and audio.

HDSDI fiber boxes for long runs. Great for keeping warm on those multi camera shoots. www.hillsvideo.com Rob Hill – 905.335.1146 Do you travel between Toronto and Hamilton for production every day? Need a place to: screen dailies, host your production office that’s close to both? Hill’s Production Services www.hillsvideo.com. We are a full Service Production Company with cameras and edit bays for making EPKs. Some grip gear, if you find yourself in the field, short of one or two items. Hill’s also has office space and a mobile screening room. Located just off the QEW in Burlington.Check us out 905-335-1146 Ask for Rob Hill.

CAMERA CLASSIFIED IS A FREE SERVICE PROVIDED FOR CSC MEMBERS. For all others, there is a one-time $25 (plus GST) insertion fee. Your ad will appear here and on the CSC’s website, www.csc.ca. If you have items you would like to buy, sell or rent, please email your information to editor@csc.ca.

Canadian Cinematographer - November 2015 •

31

CLASSIFIEDS

EQUIPMENT WANTED

PRODUCTION NOTES

12 MONKEYS II (series); DP David Greene csc; DP Boris Mojsovski csc; to December 4, Toronto 30 VIES VI (series); DP Marc Gadoury csc; to November 27, 2015 ARROW IV (series); DP Gordon Verheul csc; to April 27, 2016, Vancouver BEAUTY AND THE BEAST IV (series); DP Bruce Chun csc; DP David Makin csc; B Camera Operator Peter Battistone;

to November 17, Toronto THE CODE (series); DP Eric Cayla csc; DP Pierre Jodoin csc; to February 5, 2016, Toronto DC’S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW (series); DP David Geddes csc, ASC; to April 1, 2016, Burnaby FAIRYLAND (series); DP Gerald Packer csc; to December 11, Toronto FLASH, THE II (series); DP Kim C. Miles csc; to April 15, Vancouver FROM HERE TO INFIRMITY (feature); DP Pierre Gill csc; to November 2, Toronto THE GOOD WITCH II (series); DP John Berrie csc; B Camera Operator Paula Tymchuk; to January 29, 2016, Toronto HEARTLAND IX (series); csc DP Craig Wrobleski csc; B Camera Operator Jarrett Craig; to December 14, Calgary IZOMBIE II (series); DP Michael Wale csc; Operator/Steadicam Greg Fox; to December 18, North Vancouver LOOKINGLASS AKA FRANKENSTEIN (series); B Camera Operator Ian Seabrook csc; to January 25, 2016, Burnaby LEGENDS OF TOMORROW (series); DP David Geddes csc, ASC; to April 6, 2016, Burnaby LUCIFER (series); DP Ryan McMaster csc; DP Glen Keenan csc; to November 27, Burnaby MAKE IT POP (series); DP Mitchell Ness csc; to November 27, Toronto MAN SEEKING WOMAN II (series); DP Samy Inayeh csc; to November 13, Toronto MENSONGES III (series); DP Jérôme Sabourin; to December 15, Montreal MINORITY REPORT (series); DP David Moxness csc, ASC (alternating episodes); to December 18, North Vancouver MURDOCH MYSTERIES IX (series); DP James E. Jeffrey csc; DP Yuri Yakubiw csc; Camera Operator Brian Gedge; 1st Assistant Kevin Michael Leblanc; to December 10, Toronto THE NEXT STEP IV (series); DP Kim Derko csc; Camera Operator Brad Hruboska; to December 8, Toronto QUANTICO (series); 2nd Unit DP Robert Mattigetz csc; to December 15, Montreal REIGN III (series); DP Michael Storey csc; B Camera/Steadicam Andris Mattis; to February 19, 2016, Toronto RUN TO ME (MOW): DP Daniel Villeneuve csc; to November 13, Montreal SAVING HOPE IV (series); DP David Perrault csc; to December 9, Mississauga SHOOT THE MESSENGER (series); DP Arthur Cooper csc; Camera Operator Keith Murphy; B Camera 1st Assistant Marcel Janisse; to November 25, Toronto THE STANLEY DYNAMIC II (series); DP Matt Phillips csc; to April 8, 2016, Toronto SUITS V (series); Camera Operator/Steadicam Michael Soos; B Camera Operator Peter Sweeney; to November 18, Toronto SUPERNATURAL XI (series); DP Serge Ladouceur csc; Camera Operator Brad Creasser; to April 20, 2016, Burnaby WHEN CALLS THE HEART III (series); DP Michael Balfry csc; to January 28, 2016, Burnaby THE WONDERFUL WAYNEYS (series); DP Russ Goozee csc; Cam Operator J.P. Locherer csc; to November 13, Toronto WYNONNA EARP (series); DP Gavin Smith csc; to February 10, 2016, Calgary YAMASAKA VII (series); DP Daniel Vincelette csc; to December 11, Montreal

CALENDAR OF EVENTS NOVEMBER 5-8, Vancouver Asian Film Festival, vaff.org 5-15, Reel Asian International Film Festival, Toronto, reelasian.com 7, CSC Advanced Post Workflow Workshop, Toronto, csc.ca 12-22 Rencontres internationales du documentaire du Montréal, ridm.qc.ca DECEMBER 2-6, Whistler Film Festival, Whistler, BC, whistlerfilmfestival.com JANUARY 21-31, Sundance Film Festival, Park City, Utah, sundance.org 31, CSC Awards entry deadline, csc.ca

32 • Canadian Cinematographer - November 2015

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