Canadian Society of Cinematographers Magazine September 2016

CANADIAN SOCIETY OF CINEMATOGRAPHERS

Vic Sarin

$4 September 2016 www.csc.ca

csc

gets up close and personal with the

Keepers of the Magic

David Herrington csc Frontier Michael Jari Davidson First Round Down

A publication of the Canadian Society of Cinematographers

FEATURES – VOLUME 8, NO. 4 SEPTEMBER 2016 Fostering cinematography in Canada since 1957.

The Canadian Society of Cinematographers was founded by a group of Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa cameramen. Since then over 800 cinematographers and persons in associated occupations have joined the organization.

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.

Credit: Courtesy of Vic Sarin csc

The CSC provides 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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Vic Sarin csc Gets Up Close and Personal with the Keepers of the Magic

By Fanen Chiahemen

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David Herrington csc Explores Dangerous Territory in Frontier

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By Fanen Chiahemen

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Michael Jari Davidson Gets #GrittyNotPretty on First Round Down

By Ada Wong, Special to Canadian Cinematographer

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 2 4 6 24 27 28

From the President In the News CSC Member Spotlight - Doug Koch csc The S1 Effect Tech Column Production Notes/Calendar

Cover: Vic Sarin csc. Courtesy of Vic Sarin csc

Canadian Cinematographer September 2016 Vol. 8, No. 4 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 Arthur Cooper csc, artfilm@sympatico.ca Phil Earnshaw csc, philyn@sympatico.ca EDUCATION CO-CHAIRS Alwyn Kumst csc, alwynkumst@gmail.com Luc Montpellier csc, luc@lucmontpellier.com PUBLIC RELATIONS CHAIR Bruce Marshall, brucemarshall@sympatico.ca NON-DIRECTOR BOARD MANAGERS Jeremy Benning csc, jbenning@me.com Dylan Macleod csc, dmacleod@sympatico.ca Bruno Philip csc, bphilipcsc@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.

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2 • Canadian Cinematographer - September 2016

E

ach month as I try to find inspiration for my column, I start with one word: cinematography. This word conjures up all manner of thoughts simply because of its powerful nature.

And then I think about how the word is perceived and what it means to those who might be a part of the film industry. Taking it a step further, I am always aware of the many postings in various forums that find their routes in social media regarding this topic.

Before proceeding, I pause for a moment and respectfully offer a word of advice that I was taught by my grandfather: “If you can’t say something positive (about someone) rather not say anything at all.”

I refer to this because of a fairly recent social media post where a request was made to offer a name for a female DP in connection with some potential work opportunity. As I read through the various replies, I was somewhat dismayed to read a particular post that I personally found to be misogynistic, demeaning and quite unnecessary as it related to a particular individual.

I suggest that we need to understand the possible ramifications of posts of this nature that could affect one’s opportunities for employment. I, for one, would never hire anyone who has the insensitivity to post a derogatory comment about someone on social media in the industry that I am a part of, but that’s just me.

I felt that I owed it to the all cinematographers to address this simply because I decided to add my own post to the comments stating that, “Cinematography knows no gender.” And this is true.

One of the lines in a well known James Brown song states, “This is a man’s world.” Is it?

We have come a long way in our perception of just where a female fits into the world (of business), and without naming all of the important roles occupied or filled by women I will only mention the one that is applicable in this instance – cinematography.

In some cases, there might be certain sensitivities brought to a film, better addressed and indeed quite possibly be filmed from a completely different perspective than that of a male cinematographer. As filmmakers, we translate our thoughts into imagery and therefore, as individuals, we will see things differently. see President page 9

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wo CSC members have been nominated for this year’s Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series category – John Bartley csc, asc for Bates Motel and Greg Middleton csc for Game of Thrones.

Winners will be announced at the Creative Arts Emmys show on September 17 in Los Angeles.

There were also winners and nominees among the membership at this year’s Leo Awards in June. Winners included Stirling Bancroft csc for Best Cinematography Short Drama (Run). Bancroft was also nominated in the same category for Deuteronomy 24:16, as were Graham Talbot and Nelson Talbot for Medic, and Amy Belling for Uulx: The Scratcher. Thomas M. Harting csc won for his work in Splitting Adam in the Best Cinematography Youth or Children’s Program or Series category, while Vince Arvidson csc was among the nominees in that category for Scout & the Gumboot Kids - Case of the Upside Down Smile. In the Best Cinematography Dramatic Series category, nominees included Michael Wale csc (IZombie); Brendan Uegama csc (The Romeo Section). Best Cinematography Motion Picture category nominees included Jan Kiesser csc, asc (Numb); Stirling Bancroft csc (She Who Must Burn); Peter Woeste csc (The Birdwatcher); and Daniel Carruthers (The Devout).

Meanwhile, the CSC congratulates David Greene csc for receiving full ASC accreditation.

Credit: John Narvali

IN THE NEWS

Member News

David Greene csc, asc

Kees Van Oostrum Named President of the American Society of Cinematographers

British Society of Cinematographers Announces Passing of First Female Member The Board of Governors of the Ameri- Amsterdam, Van Oostrum studied at Sue Gibson bsc can Society of Cinematographers in the Dutch Film Academy with an emJune elected Kees Van Oostrum to serve as president of the organization.

This is Van Oostrum’s first term, which will run for one year. Van Oostrum previously served as vice president and has fulfilled other roles over the years on the ASC Board. He is also the chairman and originator of the ASC Masterclasses. Van Oostrum has earned Primetime Emmy nominations for his work on the telefilms Miss Rose White, as well as Return to Lonesome Dove for which he won a 1993 ASC Outstanding Achievement Award. He also shot the Emmy-winning documentary The Last Chance. A native of

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phasis on both cinematography and directing, and went on to earn a scholarship sponsored by the Dutch government which enabled him to enroll at the American Film Institute. Van Oostrum broke into the industry shooting television documentaries for several years.

He has subsequently compiled some 80-plus credits, including movies for television and the cinema. The ASC Board also selected its slate of officers. They include: Bill Bennett, Dean Cundey csc and Lowell Peterson as vice presidents; Levi Isaacs as treasurer; Fred Goodich as secretary; and Roberto Schaefer as sergeant-at-arms.

www.csc.ca Connect online with the CSC

Sue Gibson bsc, the first female member of the British Society of Cinematographers, died on July 27, 2016, of cancer. Born in Derbyshire, U.K., in 1952, Gibson took up photography at the Newport College of Art in 1970, which influenced her interest in film, taking her to the National Film and Television School. She graduated in 1981 and started her career in the film industry as a clapper loader. She worked as a clapper loader for only two years before starting as a director of photography for commercials, television shows and films. Gibson won several awards for commercials, and the Evening Standard

Instagram DP of the month: Kim Derko csc@canadiancinematographer

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.

4 • Canadian Cinematographer - September 2016

@csc_CDN

British Film Award for Best Technical Achievement for Hear My Song and Secret Friends, as well as an Irish Film and Television Award for Best Craft Contribution for Amongst Women. In 2010, she was given an award for her cinematography by the International Women’s Foundation. She was invited to the BSC in 1992, elected to the board of governors in 2004 and later became the first female president of the Society between the years of 2008-2010.

SIM Group’s New Hollywood Headquarters Go Live In June, Sim Group Hollywood opened its showcase building where Sim Digital, Bling and Chainsaw debuted a unique “cameras through post” offering that is the first available in the Los Angeles market. With construction completed, the West Coast headquarters, located on the historic Eastman Kodak campus in Hollywood, is fully operational. For Sim Digital, this new space represents a substantial expansion of its camera rental business in Los Angeles. All prep bays have fiber connectivity to the 2nd and 3rd floor where workflow specialist Bling Digital and postproduction services provider Chainsaw reside. Resources include dailies processing, quality control, editorial finishing, colour grading, visual effects, sound mixing and deliverables, as well as a new theatre that includes a 4K Christie projector. The new complex has a networking and storage infrastructure that includes nearly 1 million feet of fiber and copper cabling and can accommodate productions of all sizes and scope including working in 4K, HDR and beyond.

Hot Docs Receives $5 Million Gift from Rogers Foundation Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Hot Docs)

announced in June that it has received a $5 million gift from the Rogers Foundation to support its mission to showcase and celebrate the art of documentary and to enable production opportunities for documentary filmmakers. The gift is the largest Hot Docs has received in its 23-year history.

From this gift, $1million will be used to establish the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Fund to provide financial support to Canadian documentary filmmakers.

Each year for the next 10 years, the Fund will disburse up to $35,000 in production grants to three to four projects. The balance of the gift will enable Hot Docs to purchase the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, which it has administered, operated and programmed for the past four years in partnership with the Blue Ice Group.

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Canadian Cinematographer 2016 • | MISSISSAUGA- June | OTTAWA TORONTO CALGARY | EDMONTON

5 VISTEK.CA

Douglas Koch csc

Credit: Patrice Lapointe

CSC MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

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

I think the most influential film for me was during my teens seeing Dr. Strangelove. I loved everything about it; I still consider it my favourite film. In film school, Raging Bull. I must have seen it five times in a cinema when it first came out. In the ‘80s, the most obvious answer is Blade Runner. I still have never seen a film that creates another world so convincingly with such depth. It powerfully illustrates the importance of music to film as well.

How did you get started in the business?

Strangely, in high school (in Vancouver) we had a one-term elective in English class called “Film and Literature.” We would read a novel or short story then compare the film made from it. We also had to make little Super 8 movies for the course. I loved it and found myself putting way more effort into these projects than any of my other classes. I took the hint. Then I moved to Toronto to go to film school at Ryerson and got mixed up in the then new arena of music videos in the early ‘80s. Then low budget features...

Who have been your mentors or teachers?

My English teacher, Keith May, was a major influence. I’m sad that he never got to see that I was working in film as he passed away soon after I finished high school. Nicholas AllenWolfe csc allowed me to visit his sets while I was still a film student and recommended that I meet Alar Kivilo csc, ASC,

6 • Canadian Cinematographer - September 2016

which I did. I didn’t assist Alar that often, but I loved his work and learned so much.

What cinematographers inspire you?

I think there are so many inspiring ones! Michael Chapman asc, Jordan Cronenweth asc and Gordon Willis asc are only a few early ones. The list would be ridiculously long...

Name some of your professional highlights.

Shooting interviews with people who really made a difference in documentaries, working with wonderful musicians in music videos and documentaries, and working with great actors. Also, due to funny circumstances, Roger Deakins asc made a director friend and me brunch at his home in LA! His other guests were Vilmos Zsigmond asc, hsc and Vilmos’ wife, [writer and director] Susan [Roether]. It was hilarious listening to them tell stories and talk about film in general, many of which seemed to end with one of them saying, “Oh, yeah, I shot that film!”

What is one of your most memorable moments on set?

While shooting Kevin McMahon’s documentary The Falls, we were setting up to shoot downriver towards the town with its Ferris wheel, etc. There was the most unearthly lighting with the low morning sun lighting our subject and a strange stormy dark sky in behind. It looked like some sort of matte painting. We just kept saying, “This doesn’t even look real!”

SOMETIMES FEELING SMALL MEANS LOSING YOURSELF IN THE BIG PICTURE.

O MOSS

It was really appropriate to the film as well. It’s a great feeling when you are in the right place at the right time.

What do you like best about what you do?

I love the wonderful mix of art and science involved in cinematography. I think you really have to be all over these extremes! Also, collaborating with others; for me it would be a bit lonely working in isolation.

What do you like least about what you do?

I guess just the fact that every year the pressure to produce more screen time in a short span of time can be a drag.

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

I really think there are two: Steadicam and Kino Flos! I think every DP would admit that they have used these tools many times and perhaps even take them for granted. I worked with Toronto gaffer Frieder Hochheim way back in the early ‘80s and he was talking about turning fluorescent lights into a lighting system. That’s Kino Flo. I’ll bet most DPs don’t know that a Toronto gaffer invented them!

How can others follow your work?

At sesler.com

# • Canadian Cinematographer - November 2010

New CSC Members

CSC at

2016

CSC congratulates the following members whose films were selected for the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS Maya Bankovic, Below Her Mouth (dir. April Mullen) Nicolas Bolduc csc, Two Lovers and A Bear (dir. Kim Nguyen)

Steve Cosens csc, Mean Dreams (dir. Nathan Morlando) Guy Godfree csc, Maudie (dir. Aisling Walsh)

Credit: Aaron Yeger

DISCOVERY

James Klopko csc

Kris Belchevski, Jean of the Joneses (dir. Stella Meghie)

Daniel Grant csc, ARQ

John Minh Tran csc

(dir. Tony Elliott)

TIFF DOCS Nicholas de Pencier csc, Black Code (dir. Nicholas de Pencier) Derek Rogers csc, The Skyjacker’s Tale (dir. Jamie Kastner)

SHORT CUTS Daniel Grant csc, Emma (dir. Martin Edralin)

Catherine Lutes csc, The Smoke (dir. Rebecca Addelman) Ian Macmillan, Your Mother and I (dir. Anna Maguire)

Cabot McNenly, Ape Sodom (dir. Maxwell McCabe-Lokos)

Credit: Brice Picard

Evan Prosofsky, A Funeral for Lighting (dir. Emily Kai Bock)

Van Royko csc

TIFF CINEMATEQUE Herbert S. Alpert csc, asc, A Cool Sound from Hell (Sidney J. Furie)

Paul Steinberg csc

• Stirling Bancroft csc (not pictured) • Micha Dahan csc (not pictured)

President from page 2 I believe that none of us likes to have limitations imposed on our creative processes. If this is true, which I believe to be the case, why then would we place limitations on those who might be perfectly suited to fill the role as a cinematographer just because they are female?

A complete list will be published in the October issue of Canadian Cinematographer after all the films have been announced.

I do not subscribe nor buy into the limitations of genderbased requirements regarding the hiring or procurement of a cinematographer.

As a freelancer for most of my professional career, I have learned that diversity is something to embrace, not only in the work that we do but also those who do the work. Good shooting.

Canadian Cinematographer - September 2016 •

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Vic Sarin

csc

Gets Up Close and Personal with the

Keepers of the Magic

Sarin gets the perspective of “the cart man” Feroz Bhai who shows films to children on his mobile cinema cart in Mumbai, India.

10 • Canadian Cinematographer - September 2016

eteran cinematographer Vic Sarin csc has been making films since he was a teenager, and while the career he forged professionally as a cinematographer has been decorated with Genie, Gemini and Emmy nominations and awards, he says he never really appreciated the art of cinematography until he turned to directing in the early 1980s. “I realized that I can take the most brilliant, most beautifully written and acted scene, and if the camera is in the wrong place, the whole scene can be flat or it can be nothing special with the actors all over the place. But if I do something interesting with the camera and use the right light and the right angles and all that, now we have a very effective scene that has a certain tension or whatever the scene calls for. We can create that with the camera,” he says. “The power of camera is so strong. We speak with so many languages, but we only see with one, and the cinematographer is the author of that.”

Sarin’s latest film, Keepers of the Magic, which he directed, shot and produced, can perhaps be described as first and foremost a love letter to cinematographers. The 90-minute documentary features personal conversations with some of the world’s most well-known cinematographers, including Bruno Delbonnel asc, afc (Amelie, Inside Llewyn Davis), César Charlone abc (City of God, The Constant Gardener), Roger Deakins asc, bsc (A Beautiful Mind, No Country For Old Men, Sicario), Philippe Rousselot asc, afc (The Bear, Big Fish, Sherlock Holmes), John Seale asc, acs (Witness, Rain Man, Mad Max: Fury Road), Vittorio Storaro asc, aic (Apocalypse Now, The Last Emperor, The Conformist), and the late Gordon Willis asc (The Godfather trilogy, Manhattan, All The President’s Men).

But what Keepers of the Magic also does is demonstrate how these acclaimed cinematographers’ personal histories, backgrounds, tastes and idiosyncrasies played a part in the way they crafted the iconic images in their films, a trait which perhaps distinguishes it from other filmic explorations of cinematography – such as the seminal 1992 documentary Visions of Light, which traces the history and development of the art of cinematography.

“I think what makes life really interesting is that we have 7 billion people on Earth yet we all have different views and we all see things differently.

Cinematographers all have technical knowledge, but how they apply that depends on their own likes and dislikes, and they all have preferences,” Sarin explains. “I didn’t want to do a technical

film; that was not interesting to me. No matter what you do, whether it’s technical or not technical, part of our psyche, part of our emotional depth, whatever we have, it reflects on our work. Your own ways, how you feel and how you do things, do show up in your work no matter how technical it is.

My feeling was I want to just get to know these people, their likes and dislikes. And then look at how they reflect their own personality in their work.”

As Deakins says in the documentary, “So many of the choices you make are an emotional reaction to something. If I like big, wide open spaces, it’s because I love sitting in my boat in the middle of Tor Bay with nothing around me. And the light will start off grey and foggy, and then it will be this amazing blast of sunlight and then it will be pouring with rain.”

Meanwhile, Delbonnel suggests that the personal baggage that artists bring to their work makes it virtually impossible to compare Gordon Willis asc cinematographers. “I don’t with Vic Sarin csc like when people say, ‘This cinematographer is the best in the world.’ It doesn’t mean anything,” he says. “You could give The Godfather to another cinematographer, and he would have done something different, and it would have been a good movie as well. We are all different, and these differences are the most interesting thing. When you see Vittorio [Storaro] or Gordon [Willis] or Emmanuel Lubezki or Roger [Deakins], as people they are bringing so much to the movie. The real secret is what you bring as a person.”

Sarin says that he selected some of the more renowned cinematographers primarily because he envisioned Keepers of the Magic as a film for the general public rather than for film buffs or industry insiders, so he needed cinematographers whose works would be familiar to average film fans. “There are wonderful cinematographers from Eastern Europe, from Poland, from Germany, but their films are not accessible to all audiences in North America,” he says. “This is a film that should be accessible for the average person and get them to not only understand what [cinematographers] do but also see how the magic is created and how the magic comes across, and they can only do that if they knew what the films were about and have seen the films. And they all know The Godfather and Mad Max. Apocalypse Now we all still remember so well.”

But wrangling those top cinematographers turned Keepers of the Magic into a three-year endeavour. “Getting these people is not easy at all,” Sarin confides. “They are very busy most of these guys and they are scattered all over the world. I went practically around the world two, three times to get these Canadian Cinematographer - September 2016 •

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Photos courtesy of Vic Sarin csc

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By FANEN CHIAHEMEN

Sarin in front of Amber Palace in Jaipur, India.

guys.” He ended up travelling to Australia (three times), Bra- happy that I got an Academy Award,” Storaro says, with tears zil, Boston, Florida, Los Angeles and Rome to reach the film’s in his eyes. “Bravo. It took me several years to get that, and I subjects. (He also conducted interviews in other places in- was very happy for that.”

The theme of family acceptance also runs deep for Delboncluding Hong Kong and India, as he had initially set out to innel. “I came from a poor family. My father clude cinematographers from all cultures.) wanted me to be a lawyer or a doctor,” he It was important to Sarin that he got his confides. “When I told him I wanted to be a subjects to sit down with him in between cinematographer, my father, he said, ‘That’s their projects because, for the kind of disa circus kind of job. You’re going to starve cussions he sought to have with them, a your whole life.’ He didn’t talk to me for a 30-minute interview wouldn’t cut it. His year or two.” goal was to get them to open up, to connect Keepers of the Magic also explores the ways to them human to human. in which cultural backgrounds can shape a “All my life I’ve been conscious of mortalcinematographer’s approach to their work. ity,” Sarin says. “Everything I do, in my films Sarin with Mad Max director “Vittorio’s work I think is so clearly defined or on a personal level, I deal with humanity George Miller. by how he uses light and shadow, and he’s because at the end of the day, what matters most is whose hand you’re holding; the rest means nothing. very much into that,” Sarin observes. (As Storaro tells him, So if you relate to or feel that in other people honestly, they “The conflict of light and darkness, colours, and opposite are very easy to talk to. I think most human beings, we like colours give an impression of an emotion”). “This is very to touch and be touched, and how you do that is relating to European, the study of art and da Vinci and all that. With the people on a human level, so if I share my own personal stories Americans it was totally the opposite; it was totally invention with you on a human level, you start to relax and you open and bravado. Then you look at the bravado of the Australians up. I had a lovely time with all of them because they all shared – ‘Just get on with it, mate. It looks brilliant, just film it.’”

Seale says when people ask how it is that Australians are a love and passion of films and the humanity of it.”

With some of his subjects he talked for hours. Storaro talked so good at what they do, he tells them “it’s that give it a go about his connection to film through his father, who was a attitude. To get through this problem, you have to nut it out.” projectionist and whom the young Storaro would accom- To illustrate his point, he tells an anecdote from his stint as pany to work sometimes. When the cinematographer took camera operator on the 1970s Australian series Boney. In one his parents to see The Conformist, his father was very criti- shot, the crew struggled to get the gear into a forest to do cal, looking for every mistake in the cinematography, perhaps a tracking shot. So a grip fashioned a plank for the camera, feeling that his son had surpassed him, Storaro suggests. “I but the camera wouldn’t slide. “The grip said, ‘We need never told this story to anyone,” the cinematographer tells lubrication on that,’ and he saw the lunch had arrived and there was a great big bottle of oil dressing, and we did this Sarin. “This is something very private.”

Storaro goes on to say that he and his father made peace smooth dolly all the way down the plank running on French after he won his third Oscar for The Last Emperor. “For the salad dressing,” Seale says.

The school of filmmaking that the Uruguayan-born, Brazilfirst time, my father embraced me, he kissed me. He was very

12 • Canadian Cinematographer - September 2016

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Canadian Cinematographer - June 2016 •

VISTEK.CA 11

“I used to have people running around thinking, ‘If I could only get the formula, if you could only tell me the formula, I could do the same thing.’ Well, I have no formula. The formula is you.”

think colours mean anything in themselves. I just don’t believe that,” he says. “It’s not because you do red that you’re going to signify something. But if you put red just after green, then you create a shock, you create a difference, you create a dynamic.”

Sarin loves that the world’s most famous cinematographers don’t always agree on everything. “That’s what makes it interesting,” he says. “They all have valid points. So hopefully, this film opens the minds of lots of people and how they Gordon Willis asc, Keepers of the Magic watch and perceive films. Hopefully, they will have a little based Charlone comes from, Sarin notes, “is much more more appreciation for what cinematographers bring to a film.” politically motivated and dealing with social issues. With all Perhaps Willis – who is credited with changing the way his films, the ideas attract him more than anything else.” people thought about lighting on films with his work in Charlone, who reveals he was a shy kid who got into Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather series – sums it up filmmaking after he discovered he could express himself better most succinctly when he tells Sarin: “I used to have people with images than with words, says, “My generation in the running around thinking, ‘If I could only get the formula, late ‘60s in South America, we were obliged to be politically if you could only tell me the formula, I could do the same committed. There was an urge to change the world. I started thing.’ Well, I have no formula. The formula is you.” using photography as a way of making a statement. I’m more Willis died of cancer in May of 2014.

Getting to conduct one of the last far apart from the art and more towards the interviews with Willis was one of the social things.” highlights of making Keepers of the Magic for Coming from diverse backgrounds, the Sarin. “Gordon and I had the best time,” he cinematographers’ approach to their work says. “He is very direct, very straight and nocan sometimes be in direct contrast to one nonsense. He was also very individual and another, as Keepers of the Magic shows. very strong in what he believed in and was Italian-born Storaro contends, “I felt very kind to me. He didn’t know anything that I need to know the meaning of colour about me, of course, but was very nice to me through philosophy.” On The Last Emperor, and full of compliments, so we just clicked the 1987 epic biographical film about Sarin with director John together. But I didn’t know he wasn’t feeling the life of China’s last emperor, Puyi, “I Boorman that well because he had a strong voice and was using this philosophical concept to energy. I spent two days with him, and he describe the journey of this little child going was brilliant, and then I think three or through the different stages of his whole four months later he passed away. He was life. Black is the beginning, before birth,” so independent in his execution and what the cinematographer explains. “The first to he believed and I admire that very much, be reflected is red, the first colour of life. people who have a voice and don’t deter Orange is the colour of childhood, the need from that voice. I think in a sense it is a true of the family. Yellow, the moment of the quality of an artist.” change of life in puberty, the understanding Sarin indicates that making Keepers of and knowledge of who we are. Green, the Sarin with director Sam the Magic enriched him professionally as colour of knowledge. When the English Mendes. well as personally. “I think it has given me tutor [Peter O’Toole’s Sir Reginald Fleming Johnston] comes to teach [Puyi], he gives [the boy] a green confidence more than anything else about some of the things bicycle, he comes in a green car. Blue, the colour of freedom. I believed. It’s convinced me to reinforce them even stronger,” Indigo, the power. The discovery of all these elements gave he says. “Camera is not there to show camera. Camera is there to take you there with the lens so that you feel totally me a chance to enlarge my visual vocabulary.”

Deakins, on the other hand, sees things in black and white. “I absorbed in the film. The camera is the catalyst. And I’ve been don’t really see in colour. A black-and-white image is always very conscious of that even as a cinematographer. Taking this about the light, the frame and the content. Vittorio’s got all little journey with these guys has given me more confidence these theories that I don’t understand at all about colour, but that I should continue with that and explore it more. I had the most wonderful little journey I’ve ever taken because I the way he uses colour is pretty amazing,” he says.

Rousselot also has a different philosophy: “For me, I don’t related to people who I admire.”

14 • Canadian Cinematographer - September 2016

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David Herrington csc

Explores Dangerous Territory in Frontier

By FANEN CHIAHEMEN

16 • Canadian Cinematographer - September 2016

Photos by DUNCAN DE YOUNG

D

iscovery Canada’s first original scripted series, Frontier, explores the often violent, drama-filled early days of the North American fur trade. The six-episode adventure series is told from the multiple perspectives of various players struggling to control the wealth and power of the 18th-century trade. The story opens in London, U.K., with a trio of professional thieves attempting to steal from a Hudson’s Bay Company sailing ship that is being loaded with supplies for the New World. The plan goes awry and one of the swindlers, Michael Smyth, ends up sailing to the New World, and in exchange for his freedom, is manipulated into being a pawn between two rival fur traders and former business partners, Declan Harp and Lord Benton. Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones, Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice), Alun Armstrong (New Tricks, Braveheart), Landon Liboiron (Hemlock Grove, Degrassi), Zoe Boyle (Downton Abbey, Sons of Anarchy) and Allan Hawco (Republic of Doyle, The Book of Negroes) round out the cast. Directed by Brad Peyton (Episodes 1 and 2); John Vatcher (Episode 3); Kelly Makin (Episode 4); and Ken Girotti (Episodes 5 and 6), the series was shot in various locations, including Cornwall, U.K., the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site in Nova Scotia, and St. John’s, Newfoundland, with Technicolor providing full picture and sound post. DP David Herrington csc tells Canadian Cinematographer about lensing the ambitious period piece.

Canadian Cinematographer: How did you approach this series?

David Herrington csc: Initially when I was approached to shoot the show in March 2015, all I knew was that it would be a period piece about the fur trade in North America. I started by reading as much as I could about the period and what types of practicals would be displayed on the various locations and sets. During pre-production I was receiving several drafts of the first two scripts and kept in touch with the producers about proposed locations and made suggestions of my own based upon the research I was doing. By July, it was clear that we might not be shooting in the summer as had been planned, as Netflix had been brought on board to co-produce the show with Discovery Canada. It was at this time that I started to have conversations with Brad Peyton, who was set to direct the pilot and Episode 2. We started talking about movies and TV series that we could take examples from, and segments that we both liked in terms of lighting, framing and relevance to our project. Most notable were Game of Thrones (because it was period), The Last of the Mohicans, Mr. Turner, Poldark, and Far from the Madding Crowd. It was while one of the producers was watching Poldark that he saw Charlestown Harbour [in Cornwall] and the surrounding buildings that were close to the period of the late 1700s. Producer John

Vatcher and production designer Gordon Barnes also went to Charlestown Harbour to check out the sailboat and harbour to see if this location would work for our needs. From the moment I was brought onto the project, Gordon Barnes and I have exchanged ideas and information with regards to Frontier. I have always thought that the production designer and cinematographer must work closely with one another to exemplify the style and look of the show.

CC: Can you describe shooting in Charlestown Harbour?

What were some of the challenges?

DH: We shot on the deck of a boat there. We had to put up a giant green screen at one point because there was a wind that was not going to allow the boat to go out of the harbour. This harbour is actually higher than sea level, so what they have to do is lower the harbour level to the sea level and then it can go out. But to get out into the open ocean, the tide actually pushes up against the shoreline. This was happening when we were shooting, so with the wind coming in the wrong direction, they can’t get out of the harbour, and they certainly can’t get back into it because the swell would crack up the boat and it would sink.

David Herrington csc So they built a giant green screen off one side, and we actually rotated the boat and made it look as though we were out at sea. We lost two hours out of that day just turning the boat around because it’s a large vessel and it was all manpower that pulled it around. We had to design the shots so we knew exactly where we were going to be to do coverage. We had to manipulate the coverage somewhat to be able to manufacture a background for that particular scene. I think we turned the boat around maybe four times.

CC: Can you talk about selecting your gear for the shoot?

DH: My research had included cameras and the fact that Discovery and Netflix wanted to capture the show in 4K. I had argued that it was more about the look and I also wanted to shoot with the ARRI ALEXA, but was informed that the network would not accept less than 4K capture. I had already started to look at alternatives at Cine Gear Expo in Los Angeles, with Blackmagic, Sony and the Panasonic Varicam 35 4K. Canadian Cinematographer - September 2016 •

17

On location in Newfoundland.

I had a couple of conversations with my good friend Denny Clairmont, and I went to one of the presentations given at Cine Gear Expo by Panasonic and Theo Van de Sande who had used the Varicam 35 4K on a TV movie. The images that he was showing at the presentation were of great interest because he was shooting at native 800 ISO and native 5000 ISO. Even though the images he was showing were for a modernday scenario, I soon realized that this might be an ideal camera for a period piece like Frontier. It was at Cine Gear Expo that I sought out the representatives at Panasonic and started to question them as to the availability of the camera and to start testing as soon as possible. The following week, I went to Clairmont Camera and shot a test of several candles to see if the information around the flame of the candle and the flame itself would be overexposed with an open stop of T2.8.

I shot at native 800 ISO and also at 5000 ISO all at T2.8 and on up to T 11. Of course the flame is overexposed at 5000 ISO, but I was able to get back the information around the flame in post, so I decided to shoot more tests to see how it measured up to skin tone. During my research for this period, we found that the wealthy aristocrats were able to wash more often than poorer folk, so it was important to show the detail of dirt on skin and nails. Even though the Varicam 35 4K has great resolution, the components in the chip design and resulting software on the camera, combined with the Cooke S4 lenses, gave me a beautiful combination of colour, sharpness, contrast and a soft tonality that I thought would work well for Frontier. It was after shooting this initial test that I informed the producers that we should shoot with the Varicam 35 4K. During prep it was decided that we would shoot 444UHD instead of shooting a raw 4K file, which meant that I would still be able to colour correct from primary all the way into secondary colours and record onto onboard cards.

18 • Canadian Cinematographer - September 2016

CC: How did you approach the lighting?

DH: Further conversations with Brad Peyton and the producers during prep led us all to believe that with no practicals other than candles, fire or flame torches, the lighting had to have a reason for its source. For day interiors, it would be from windows, and for night interiors it would be from candles and firelight. The exteriors for day would need to look real and not overlit from modern-day sources, which proved to be difficult at times because of cloudy and sunny conditions all taking place within the same take and scene – very often we would start in cloud, and during the scene we would go to sunny and back to very grey conditions. We tried to shoot in backlit situations so it would never be front lit on faces so I would see lots of hard shadows on faces. On the schedule we had to maintain, there wasn’t much I could do other than adjust the stop and fill in more during direct sun and try to level out the exposure shift. For the night exteriors it was important to not blast heavy backlight for a moonlight effect as this would have given us the opposite effect we were looking for. Instead of using an 18K HMI for backlit night, I often used a 12K tungsten source and added half blue and a quarter green correction to give me the exposure and colour I wanted. There were also a lot of campfires at night that required the use of additional propane to supplement the fire effect, and these, if exposed incorrectly, would overexpose and give a false look for the period. To supplement these flames, I used Kino Flo Celebs with an added quarter and sometimes a half CTS to warm up the faces. I always tried to create the no-lit look at night because I didn’t want a false sense of lighting for the period. So trees and background at night were very often barely exposed to create a natural look.

We would use Hurricane lights outside the tents of the camp-

sites and utilize as many fires as we thought were necessary for the scene. There was a lot of smoke used throughout the shooting process because, with candles, and fires there would have been some kind of diffusion in the air.

I also utilized Arri’s M series par lights to create bright source light through windows, and when in our largest set [a studio in St Johns serving as a house], I employed 5K Molespots through windows and 5’ Dedo Panaura lights for eye lights and fill. But each scene required a special technique, so I was often changing the window source lights to match what had been shot on an exterior location. The trick, as always, was to create a look that did not look fake and could be taken as a natural source for the period. The whole look has a very dark and foreboding feel.

CC: How was the camera operated?

DH: I started looking into Steadicam and gimbal mounts because we would be shooting mostly in the wilderness of Newfoundland where it is constantly windy, and throwing up large frame diffusion was impractical. So I started looking at the Helix gimbal mount from Letus and the Exoskeleton from L’Aigle in France. Both of these products were at Cine Gear Expo, and I liked the fact that a gimbal mount would not be affected by wind and would be in fact quite stable as a handheld device. But I quickly learned that the Helix would be unable to take the weight of a full camera without being stripped down to bare components with the possibility of the recording module being carried on a separate back pack. We used the Exoskeleton and the Double Helix for one shot, and mainly because of the delay in fine tuning the rig, I

Top: Jason Momoa (centre) as Declan Harp.

Bottom: David Herrington csc

concluded that the whole rig would not be beneficial to the project, so we canned it for the rest of the show. I had envisioned much use for this rig and I think that I was most disappointed by the fact that it was the wrong tool for the job. It was during our first two days of shooting that we developed the style we were looking for, and upon further discussion with Brad, our show became mostly handheld feel which energized the frame. Everything became handheld except for when we were in the environment of Lord Benton, who has the controlling power, so we wanted a stable image. We were still able to engage the dollies for a lot of the handheld material, but it was always with an Easy-rig or on a loose head. I have worked with Brian Harper as my operator for the last few years and we have developed a trust and bond, so having him do the main A camera setup meant that I could step away after the initial discussion of the setup and go light the scene, then go back and work the B camera for a two-camera setup.

CC: Can you talk about working with the crew in the U.K. portion of shoot?

DH: In Cornwall, I was working with a grip and electric crew that knew the location, as some of them were the same crew that had worked on Poldark during that summer, but they were new to me, and it took a few hours before they adjusted to the speed and my style of running the floor. In the U.K., the grip team takes care of anything to do with camera, movement, cranes, dollies and construction platforms. The electric crew takes care of the lights and anything to do with flagging, diffusion and cutting of the light. Having worked in the U.K. a few times it was an easy transition to understand.

We got phenomenal people coming in, and it was rewarding. The performances were absolutely amazing because we got some great English actors, and we got some of the best Canadian talent that money can buy.

Frontier will begin airing on Sunday, November 6 at 9 p.m.

Canadian Cinematographer - September 2016 •

19

Michael Jari Davidson Gets #GrittyNotPretty on First Round Down

By ADA WONG, Special to Canadian Cinematographer

The Butler brothers and Davidson spent 20 days prepping for principle photography on First Round Down. They took inspiration from ‘70s aesthetics, including the gritty urban cityscapes of New York. “The words ‘dirty,’ ‘street’ and ‘stylish’ became touchstones early in discussions,” Davidson explains. “I even coined the hashtag #GrittyNotPretty as a litmus-test throughout production.”

Davidson also created “vibe boards” which he brought forward to the directors and production designer Ash Hrivnak.

Davidson describes these as “a flow of consciousness exercise.” Featured in the vibe boards for First Round Down were the works of American photographer Stephen Shore from his 1982 publication Uncommon Places, supplemented by a collection of 1960s and 1970s stills featuring locales such as Toronto, New York, Chicago, California, Vietnam and Afghanistan.

Using this array of imagery, Davidson informed the visuals for First Round Down, creating a palette of pastel greens, blues and browns set against saturated reds, yellows and orange.

20 • Canadian Cinematographer - September 2016

“I was particularly inspired by Shane Hurlbut [ASC]’s use of the Canon EOS C500 Cinema Camera on films such as Need for Speed and Fathers and Daughters,” Davidson says. As a result, Davidson tested the C500 along with the South Korean-manufactured Rokinon Cine lenses for latitude, resolution and high ISO shooting. He says he was pleased with the results in the viewing tests at Deluxe Toronto, adding that “both the organic quality of the C500 sensor and the warm, low-contrast images from the Rokinon lenses were very impressive.”

To create the world of First Round Down, focus was placed on camera movement, lighting and lensing. In order to recreate a retro feel for the film, Davidson utilized diffused lighting similar to that of ‘60s and ‘70s fashion photography. He was inspired by one particular image: an exterior night shot of Wabash Avenue in Chicago from 1962, which featured halation around its light sources. On the film, Davidson used the 1⁄2 Fog filter to knock down sharpness and add halation to light sources.

Much of the lighting for First Round Down involved augmenting and shaping exist-

Cinematographer Michael Jari Davidson between takes in studio-mode with the Canon Cinema EOS C500 Camera and Odyssey 7Q+ recorder.

ing sources of mixed colour temperatures.

Davidson describes how each location had specific lighting units: “We used Kino Flos for Winston’s (Kristian Bruun) house, paper lanterns for Tim Tucker’s parents’ residence, and tungsten Fresnels and a zip-light for some night exteriors, the local bar and mob boss’s lair. Based on my research, this hybrid lighting approach – glossy and gritty – was indicative of the transitional period of 1970s cinematography.”

The opening shot of First Round Down is an aerial shot of the city of Hamilton.

Drawing from aerial openings in films such as The Blues Brothers, Lethal Weapon and Fat City, Davidson took these aerial shots himself with pilot David Voogd flying in a Cessna 172RG topping out at 240km/h at altitudes as low as 1000ft.

Davidson’s lens package on First Round Down included the 14, 24, 35, 50, 85, 135 mm Rokinon Cine primes, the L-Series Canon 24-105 mm zoom and the Canon 70-200 mm. He utilized a Tamron 150-600 mm for two shots in the film as well. His goto lens on the film was the 24 mm with the 14 mm used for specialty shots, the 35 mm for loose-two shots, the 85 mm for medium close-ups and the 135 mm for close-ups.

With deliverables in 2K for DCP in First Round Down, Davidson made the call to shoot 2K DPX 12-bit 4:4:4 raw image sequences to an external Convergent Design Odyssey7Q+ recorder. “The upside to shooting this format is increased latitude

Credit middle: Ashley Hrivnak. Right: Ashley Hrivnak

F

irst Round Down is brothers Brett and Jason Butler’s sophomore feature film. It involves a Hamilton, Ont., heist spearheaded by a former hockey hero and hitman turned pizza delivery boy, Tim Tucker (Dylan Bruce), and his exgirlfriend, Kelly Quinn (Rachel Wilson). The film is an actionfuelled comedy with a peppering of romance. It’s a throwback heist not only in content but also in style, which includes the visuals created by cinematographer and associate CSC Michael Jari Davidson.

Canadian Cinematographer - September 2016 •

21

Actress Rachel Wilson in a production still.

and a more organic-feeling image,” he says.

The trade-off was the massive file sizes; roughly 1.5 Terabytes per shooting day.

He explains: “DIT Alex Pitzel managed the data workflow, on-set colour grading, data backup and exporting for off-line with the production utilizing two 4-drive RAID arrays. Each array had four 4TB Seagate drives set to Raid-5 for safety, giving each array 12TB of total storage capacity for a grand total of 24TB. At the end of principal photography, footage data from First

Round Down came in at a whopping 22.8 Terabytes! Pitzel did a full colour pass in DaVinci Resolve prior to rendering based on a look I previously established.”

Reflecting on the story of First Round Down, Davidson took into consideration Tim Tucker’s hockey, hitman and pizza delivery past. “I felt the camera movement should reflect that with kinetic dolly movements. In the first scene where Tim Tucker speaks dialogue, the scene is framed on an empty doorway in the pizza shop,” he says.

“Tim bursts through the door frame and we quickly truck dolly with him. We repeat this dolly movement twice more in this shot, following Tim and his gesticulations. It is a very kinetic way to introduce the character.”

Colour grading for First Round Down was completed at Deluxe Toronto with colourist Jim Fleming, whose work includes Blindness, Hobo with a Shotgun and Antiviral. Of the sessions at Deluxe, Davidson says, “The colour grade was completed in 2K for DCP using Davinci Resolve on a Linux-based OS to handle the 12-bit 4:4:4 DPX image sequence. I was very pleased with the experience working with Jim and the Deluxe

team. Jim comes from a film background and intuitively knew what we were after in the grade based on the LUT applied in production. Our last day in the suite was a grain-pass, where we were selectively applying film grain digitally on a scene-byscene, sometimes, shot-by-shot, basis.” The purpose of grain-pass was to really bring things together visually, he says, indicating that it served “to add just the right amount of an organic feeling to the film overall.”

Due in part to the film’s #GrittyNotPretty idiom, Davidson and the Butler brothers were able to embrace some of the imperfections they encountered during principle photography. They made intentional decisions to leave in some of their photographic “mistakes” such as lens flares, fluorescent banding, focus buzzes and underexposure, but not without some intense debates.

One such happy accident was a truck dolly on Tim, who runs down the stairs and does a ‘70s hood slide in a scene. While booming down mid-shot to keep Tim in frame during one take, the arm bottomed out and shook the frame slightly. The timing of this “mistake” coincided with Tim’s body hitting the hood of the car, and rather than causing a jarring effect, it enhanced the action in the scene.

Davidson credits his crew for enabling him to bring his vision of the world of First Round Down to life, they include focus puller William Scheffel, gaffer Chris Spatafora, key grip Adam Belyea and dolly grip Alvin Sun. Davidson also sends immeasurable thanks to suppliers Dan St. Amour and Jesse Collier of William F. White International, and Diane Cuthbert of Deluxe Toronto.

On working on First Round Down, Davidson says, “The brothers are very collaborative and welcoming. I brought tons of ideas to them and they were very clear about what they liked and didn’t, which inspired me to push the limits and really go for it on the film. They had a concise idea of the feeling, mood and tone they wanted to create with this world, but gave me the freedom to manifest their vision aesthetically.

They had faith in me and I am very grateful for that.”

JOANNE ROURKE Colourist

BORIS MOJSOVSKI

CSC

Cinematographer

Between takes place in the small town of Pretty Lake, whose inhabitants are coping with a mysterious disease which has killed everyone over the age of 22. The intense drama is shot in and around Toronto by cinematographer Boris Mojsovski csc, who infuses the show’s images with an ominous feel to align with the dark subject matter. In achieving this look, he often shrouds parts of scenes, including characters' faces, in deep shadow.

Boris completed each episode with colourist Joanne Rourke at Deluxe Toronto. The two had worked together previously and have developed a dynamic working relationship. "I really enjoy working with Joanne," Boris enthuses.

"She gets my aesthetic and I know that if she’s colouring my images, they will end up where I want them."

Joanne adds, "Along with all of the eye candy his pictures provide, Boris always brings a wonderful creative energy to the room. We mostly went with slightly de-saturated, cool tones, while being mindful of the highlights, which I think managed to convey the bleak mood and harsh conditions the town was facing."

Season 2 of Between premiered on City in Canada, and internationally on Netflix.

bydeluxetoronto.com

Canadian Cinematographer - March 2016 •

19

The S1 Effect

By GUIDO KONDRUSS

Craig Samuels, S1 Founder/Owner.

T

Credit: Guido Kondruss.

oronto’s film studio district in the Lakeshore East area has a new tenant. After 18 years in its old location, the S1 Group has moved and set up shop at 25 Booth Avenue, right across the street from Cinespace Studios. As Craig Samuel, the affable founder and owner of S1, points out, they

S1 Demonstration Space

24 • Canadian Cinematographer - September 2016

had simply outgrown their former digs.

“This is actually our first move ever,” Samuel says. “We did expand at the old Davies Avenue site, but it became simply too small and not suitable for our current business. The current business model nowadays changes very quickly. We need room to expand.”

As soon as one walks through its front doors, one is struck

by S1’s smooth and uncluttered design. Bathed in brilliant white, it’s an open space with long sweeping counters, highlighted by large blow-up fashion photos, all coming together to exude an aura of urban cool that hints that this is no runof-the-mill equipment rental house.

“We’re unique, more of a boutique rental house,” Samuel says. “One of the things that we do different to most is that we’re actually still and motion. We see both sides of the fence, specializing in productions that have still and motion components. We streamline that process. Because, honestly, the two groups do not speak the same language or necessarily use the same equipment. But we make it work.”

S1 is very much an extension of Samuel’s gregarious personality and lively history. His large office, which overlooks S1’s staging area and loading bays and doubles as a conference room, is liberally sprinkled with works of art, African artifacts, seashells, crystals and curiosities such a Soviet Red Army officer’s cap, all accumulated from his travels around the world. Historic pictures line the office walls, while a large black-and-white photograph immediately grabs the room’s attention. It’s a beautiful picture of the female form intensely

shaded and sculpted through highlighting. It’s also a photograph created and shot by Samuel.

Born in British Columbia in 1958 to a Scottish mother and New Zealander father, Samuel’s bent towards photography was not evident. When he was a young boy, the Samuel family pulled up stakes in Canada and immigrated to a farm in Ireland, where his parents could indulge their equine passion.

Schooled at the exclusive St. Columba’s College in Dublin, Samuel decided to make a sharp turn from scholastics to the Irish motorcycle circuit, racing to several championship titles. When his need for speed abated, Samuel found himself employed in the alternative energy sector Down Under, working for a corporation in the high-temperature solar field out of Australia’s University of Sydney. At age 26, Samuel found himself back in the Great White North after his Australian employer acquired a Canadian company. Yet Samuel was restless, and during a trip to Southeast Asia, he decided to switch gears and become a professional photographer.

“It took me about 10 years to establish myself as a fashion photographer, and at that point I was considered one of the top fashion photographers here in Canada,” he says. “I eventually branched out into advertising as well. I’ve been a photographer now for over 30 years.”

S1 was born 18 years ago after Samuel saw the need for a high-end photographic studio space in Toronto. He could not have been more right because one studio multiplied into several, and Samuel was soon adding equipment rentals and services. Five years later, Samuel upped S1’s game once again by heading into the moving pictures after he saw a growing market in servicing short-run productions. So much so that motion now accounts for 50 per cent of the company’s rental business.

“We’re not going into long run, so we’re not looking for TV shows or feature films.

There are companies that do that very, very well. We’re smaller productions,” Samuel says. “There’s so much motion content being created on a daily basis, from web features to commercial videos to TV ads to corporate videos to you name it. A lot of them are very short run and they need to be turned around very quickly, and this is what we’re particularly good at.”

Besides offering a wide array of camera support gear, lighting equipment and grip needs, S1 also rents specialty items, such as the new K 5600 Kurve Parabolic Reflector, location van packages, plus its new site boasts the only fully-loaded expendables store in Toronto’s east side, all ready to cater to the needs of cinematographers and their productions.

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Canadian Cinematographer - September 2016 •

25

S1 Expendatbles Store

S1 Loading Bay & S1 Location Van

“Cinematographers are very similar to photographers,” Samuel muses. “They’re the same type of people. Some are interested more in aesthetics than technology, while others are not, and everything in between. I get along great with them because I’m a photographer and I understand where cinematographers are coming from. They want to be able to talk to a supplier that understands their needs and is prepared to help them achieve their goals. That’s what we do at S1.”

Samuel is the first to admit that S1 has eclipsed his career as a photographer, but in a good way. While little time has been left for much else, S1 has become a labour of love for Samuel, allowing him to work with terrific clients and help them realize their creativity. But when downtime opportunity does present itself, Samuel dusts off his camera, packs a

26 • Canadian Cinematographer - September 2016

bag and heads to the Aran Islands on the west coast of Ireland to document their rugged beauty. Samuel hopes to publish his Aran photos in a book in the near future.

As to the future of S1, Samuel tsays that there is room for expansion at their new location. Renting studio space didn’t make the cut when they moved, but it could make a comeback to S1 down the road.

“We are looking at a new studio division,” he says. “Highend, design-oriented studios with soundstage capabilities.

Not really for TV or feature films, but smaller, that would dovetail nicely with the scope of our current operation and client needs.”

It does make sense after all, since S1 is now a part of Toronto’s studio district.

TECH COLUMN

Lytro Cinema Camera Blows Away Reality

Courtesy of Lytro

S

uppose the digital rendition of what the lens saw wasn’t just two dimensional? That it was beyond 3D, every pixel, all 755 RAW megapixels at up to 300 FPS with 16 stops of dynamic range and wide colour spectrum. Yep, that’s 400 gigabytes of data per second.

Would you believe you could then seamlessly blend and re-blend that data to the point where reality dissolves? Reframe, refocus, rack focus or zoom after capture? Or create a dolly shot in post?

Stop down? Open up?

Meet Lytro Cinema – they’ve got a better mouse trap. Or light trap, to put it in cinematographic terms. This is 4D, wherein the X, Y, Z axis of every pixel is also captured allowing for seamless integration of VFX since the computer-generated images can sync immediately to the reality capture.

“We are in the early innings of a generational shift from a legacy 2D video world to a 3D volumetric light field world,” Jason Rosenthal, CEO of Lytro, said at NAB this past spring.

It’s called light field technology, which Wikipedia defines it as a plenoptic camera that “captures information about a light field emanating from a scene; that is the intensity of light in a scene, and also the direction that the light rays are travelling in space. This contrasts with

a conventional camera, which records only light intensity.”

Light field cameras, conceptually, are not new. Gabriel Lippmann proposed one in 1908 using a plastic sheet embedded with micro-lenses. Different iterations of the concept were developed over the next century, the breakthrough coming around 2004 at Stanford University’s Computer Graphics Laboratory which built a 16-megapixel camera with a 90,000 micro-lens array, according to Wikipedia which further notes it means each lens covered about 175 pixels.

One of the PhD candidates on the team, Ren Ng, won the university prize for best thesis in computer science and went on two years later to found Lytro.

The company released its first-generation platform in 2012, and two years later rolled out the second iteration along with a package of software and hardware. There are other plenoptic cameras on the market in different configurations and aimed at different markets, but last year Lytro was the first to push into cinematography.

The company has three cameras: The Illum is a still camera, which they’re not making anymore. The Cinema is the motion picture version, and the Immerge is designed to capture live-action VR.

Lytro Cinema is a system: camera, server array for storage and processing, is cloud compatible and comes with editing software. It also integrates into standard industry production and postproduction workflows and is compatible with other industry tools.

Think of the mass of data. See it as a frame of live action that can be configured as a 3D model because every pixel is embedded with colour, directional and depth properties. Now you have VFX and the real world on one screen ready to edit. Want to green screen?

Click. No setup required. Do it in post with their built-in depth screen feature.

They call it a living picture: Data describing an image that can be sliced and diced in ways we never thought possible. The bad news? You won’t be getting your hands on a Lytro Cinema anytime soon. Access is by subscription only to “select partners.” Translated as, you’ve got to be a big dog around Hollywood because the lineup is out the door.

And you’ll need deep, deep pockets.

The rental packages are expected to be about US$125,000.

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 Canadian Cinematographer - September 2016 •

27

PRODUCTION NOTES

ALIAS GRACE (miniseries); DP Brendan Steacy csc; to November 15, Toronto AMERICAN GODS (series); 2nd Unit DP Marc Laliberte Else csc, to September 23, Toronto ARROW V (series); DP Gordon Verheul csc (odd); to April 19, 2017, Vancouver AUTUMN IN THE VINEYARD (MOW); DP Ron Stannett csc; to September 2, Burnaby THE BEAVERTON (series); DP Gerald Packer csc; Camera Operator Rod Crombie; B Camera Operator Daniel Abboud; to October 28, Toronto BIG FAT LIAR 2 (video); DP Thomas Harting csc; to September 8, North Vancouver BRUNO & BOOTS 2 + 3 (movie); DP D. Gregor Hagey csc, to September 2, Toronto BUCKOUT ROAD (feature); 1st Assistant Karl Janisse; to September 2, Sudbury CLUBHOUSE AKA LEGION (series); DP Craig Wrobleski csc (alternating episodes); to December 16, Burnaby CONVICTION (series); DP Gavin Smith csc; Camera Operator/Steadicam Keith Murphy; to December 1, Toronto DC’S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW II (series); DP David Geddes csc, asc; to January 10, 2017, Burnaby DISTRICT 31 (series); DP Marc Gadoury csc; to March 10, 2017, Montreal ELLE M’A REGARDÉ AVANT DE MOURIR (feaure); DP Bruno Philip csc; to September 10, Montreal THE EXPANSE II (series); DP Jeremy Benning csc; Trainee Alastair Sinclair; to September 19, Toronto THE FLASH III (series); DP C. Kim Miles csc (odd); to April 22, 2017, Vancouver FLATLINERS (feature); Camara Operator Arthur Cooper csc; EPK/BTS Robert Holmes; to September 1, Mississauga FREQUENCY (series); DP Kamal Derkaoui csc; Camera Operator Danny Nowak csc; to December 13, Burnaby THE GOOD WITCH III (series); DP John Berrie csc; B Camera Operator Paula Tymchuk; to December 19, Toronto HEARTLAND X (series); DP Jarrett Craig; to December 5, Calgary INCORPORATED (series); DP Luc Montpellier csc; to September 21, Toronto iZOMBIE III (series); DP Michael Wale csc; to January 10, 2017, North Vancouver KIM’S CONVENIENCE (series); DP Fraser Brown; to September 1, Toronto KODACHROME (feature); Camera Operator Yoann Malnati, to September 30, Etobicoke JÉRÉMIE II (series); DP Serge Desrosiers csc; to September 1, Montreal THE LAIR (MOW); DP Mark Irwin csc, asc; to October 28, Burnaby LIVE LIKE LINE (feature); Operator/Steadicam Greg Fox; to September 13, Vancouver MAGICIANS II (series); Tandem/2nd Unit DP Brian Whittred csc; to November 7, Vancouver MARY KILLS PEOPLE (miniseries); DP Stephen Reizes csc; B Camera Operator J.B. Locherer csc; to September 2, Etobicoke THE MIST (series); DP Andre Pienaar csc, sasc; Camera Operator Forbes MacDonald Jr; to November 16, Halifax MURDOCH MYSTERIES X (series); DP James E. Jeffrey csc & Yuri Yakubiw csc; Camera Operator Brian Gedge; 1st Assistant Kevin Michael Leblanc; to December 2 NO TOMORROW (series); DP Thomas Burstyn csc, nzcs; to December 21, North Vancouver PEOPLE OF THE EARTH (series); DP Jonathon Cliff csc; B Camera Operator Duraid Munajim; to September 28, Toronto PURE (miniseries); DP Thom Best csc; to November 8, Dartmouth RANSOM (series); Camera Operator Perry Hoffman; B Camera Operator Andreas Evdemon; to September 23, Etobicoke REIGN II (series); DP David Makin csc & Michael Storey csc; B Camera Operator/Steadicam Andriss Matiss; to December 15, Toronto ROGUE IV (series); DP François Dagenais csc; to October 19, Vancouver THE ROMEO SECTION II (series); DP Brendan Uegama csc; to October 12, Vancouver SAVING HOPE V (series); DP David Perrault csc; 1st Assistant (alternating A & B) Pierre Branconnier; to October 31, Mississauga SHADOWHUNTERS II (series); DP David Herrington csc & Mike McMurray csc; to May 30, 2017, Mississauga STATE LIKE SLEEP (feature); EPK/BTS Jared Lorenz; to September 3, Toronto SUITS VI (series); Camera Operator/Steadicam Michael Soos; B Camera Operator Peter Sweeney; to November 16, Toronto SUPERNATURAL XII (series); DP Serge Ladouceur csc; Camera Operator Brad Creasser, to April 26, 2017, Burnaby TAKEN (series); DP Boris Mojsovski csc; Camera Operator/Steadicam Iain Baird; to October 26, Toronto TIN STAR (series); DP Paul Sarossy csc, asc; bsc to December 6, Calgary ONCE UPON A TIME VI (series); DP Tony Mirza; to March 31, 2017, Burnaby WHEN CALLS THE HEART IV (series); DP Michael Balfry csc; to December 12, Burnaby WORKIN’ MOMS (series); Maya Bankovic; B Camera Operator Brad Hruboska; to October 28, Toronto ZIVA POSTEC (documentary); DP Nathalie Moliavko-Visotzky csc; to October 22, Montreal

CALENDAR OF EVENTS ACCEPTANCES / AWARDS / NOMINATIONS John Bartley csc, asc (DP) Bates Motel “A Danger to Himself and Others” (series), Nominated for Primetime Emmy Outstanding Cinematography – Single-Camera Series, Los Angeles, September 18, 2016 Richard Ciupka csc (DP) Nouvelle Adresse “épisode 34” (series) Nominated for Best Fiction Photography at the 31st Gémeaux Awards, Montreal, September 18, 2016 George Hupka, associate csc (DP) 7 Minutes (short) won Best Short Subject Non Fiction, Yorkton Film Festival, May 28, 2016 Gregory Middleton csc (DP) Game of Thrones “Home” (series), Nominated for Primetime Emmy Outstanding Cinematography – Single-Camera Series, Los Angeles, September 18, 2016 Iris Ng, associate csc (DP) - Making a Murderer, Episode 10 (additional photography, Ep. 1-9), Primetime Emmy Awards, nominated for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series, Los Angeles, September 18, 2016 Brad Rushing csc (DP) Pony (short), Won: El Rey Award for Excellence in Narrative Short Filmmaking 2016 Barcelona International Film Festival, Barcelona, June 2016 Michael Savoie csc (DP and co-director) Mr. Zaritsky on TV (documentary) accepted into the Whistler Film Festival, November 30 – December 4, 2016 Othello Ubalde, associate csc (DP) The Lamp (short) accepted in the Christie Pits Film Festival, Toronto, July 24, 2016 Roger Williams, associate csc (DP/director/producer) RiverBlue (feature documentary), accepted at Vancouver International Film Festival, September 29 – October 14, 2016

28 • Canadian Cinematographer - September 2016

SEPTEMBER 8-18, Toronto International Film Festival, tiff.net 21-Oct. 2, Calgary International Film Festival, calgaryfilm.com 24, William F. White Open House, Sudbury, whites.com 29, HD Source Open House, Toronto, hdsource.ca 29-Oct. 14, Vancouver International Film Festival, viff.org 29-Oct. 8, Edmonton International Film Festival, edmontonfilmfest.com OCTOBER 1, William F. White Filmmaker Open House, Toronto, whites.com 5-6, ProFusion, Toronto, profusionexpo.com 22-23, CSC Lighting Workshop, Toronto, csc.ca NOVEMBER 4, CSC Lens Testing Workshop, Toronto, csc.ca 5-6, CSC Camera Assistant Workshop, Toronto, csc.ca 12-13, CSC Table Top Lighting Workshop, Toronto, csc.ca 26, CSC Post Work Flow, Toronto, csc.ca

Pure Creativity.

Firmware 2.0: SkyPanel now speaks gel.

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SOFT LIGHTING | REDEFINED

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